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Caesars NY Promo Code ESNYXLFULL: $1k+ First Bet On Caesars For NFL Week 4, MLB, CFB https://digitalalabamanews.com/caesars-ny-promo-code-esnyxlfull-1k-first-bet-on-caesars-for-nfl-week-4-mlb-cfb/ Get your Saturday started with Caesars NY promo code ESNYXLFULL to get a huge first bet of up to $1,250. Using our promo code will let you place your first bet on any sport with Caesars. With tons of games throughout the day, this offer provides you with a strong starting point. New customers who sign up with Caesars NY promo code ESNYXLFULL will get a first bet of up to $1,250, plus 1,000 Reward Credits and 1,000 Tier Credits. Saturday’s sports schedule is jam-packed with action from all of your favorite sports and leagues. College football provides a massive selection of games, with non-stop action beginning with noon matchups such as Kentucky at Ole Miss. There are compelling games throughout the schedule, including Alabama at Arkansas and LSU at Auburn. For baseball bettors, both the Yankees and Mets have games today. The Yankees play the Orioles in the afternoon while the Mets face the Braves in the evening. Both of these games have big implications. Aaron Judge is eying a new AL home run record, while the Mets are looking to regain first place in the NL East. Click here to bet up to $1,250 on Caesars when you use Caesars NY promo code ESNYXLFULL.  Caesars NY Promo Code Scores $1,250 First Bet Our Caesars NY promo code unlocks an offer that gives you multiple ways to benefit. First and foremost, you can bet up to $1,250 on any sport. This first bet can be anywhere from $10 to $1,250. For example, you can bet on any college football or MLB game. College football bettors can bet the money line for Kentucky (+210) at Ole Miss (-260). For MLB, you can get +270 odds on Judge to hit his 62nd home run of the season. If your first bet loses, you will receive a free bet token of the same amount. The other part of this offer is the pair of Caesars Rewards. Placing your first bet gives you 1,000 Reward Credits and 1,000 Tier Credits, win or lose. Reward Credits are redeemable for bonuses and are accumulated with every bet you place. Tier Credits measure your status as a Caesars user. The more you have, the higher your tier level rises, which gives you access to different tier-based perks. How to Use Our Caesars NY Promo Code If you are a new Caesars NY customer, you can use promo code ESNYXLFULL when you sign up for an account to get your first bet on Caesars. If you already have the Caesars app, but have not signed up yet, make sure to apply the promo code when you set up your account. Following the steps below will provide you with everything you need to do to get this offer. Click here to sign up for Caesars NY and use promo code ESNYXLFULL. Create a Caesars NY account and make your first deposit. Place your first cash bet on Caesars and get up to $1,250 back if you lose. Remember, this offer applies to the first bet you make. If your bet loses, you will receive a free bet token of the amount you lost. This bet can placed anywhere from $10 to $1,250. Other Promo Offers After placing your first bet, there are promo offers all customers can access. If you are looking for additional college football offers, there is a three-team parlay that has been given a big odds boost. You can now get +850 odds on Mississippi State and Auburn to both win, and Alabama to cover -14.5 spread. There is also the Primetime Parlay Boost of Clemson, Nebraska and West Virginia to all win. You can bet this parlay with +650 odds (boosted from +625). Click here to get a first bet of up to $1,250 when you use the Caesars NY promo code. Sign up for Caesars NY with promo code ESNYXLFULL to get this new customer offer. Read More…

Indonesia Stadium Tragedy: At Least 127 People Reported Dead Following Soccer Match, Police Say | CNN https://digitalalabamanews.com/indonesia-stadium-tragedy-at-least-127-people-reported-dead-following-soccer-match-police-say-cnn/ CNN  —  At least 127 people are dead and hundreds more injured, police say, after chaos and violence erupted late on Saturday following an Indonesian league soccer match between two of the nation’s biggest teams. Supporters of Arema FC and rival Persebaya Surabaya clashed after home team Arema FC was defeated 3-2 at a match in the city of Malang in East Java. “First of all, a riot happened,” East Java police chief Nico Afinta said during a press conference following the event. “From Saturday’s incident (so far), 127 people have died – including two members of the police,” he said. Close to 200 people were also injured, he added. Videos filmed from inside the stadium late into the night and shared on social media showed fans, dressed in red and blue, storming the field and clashing with Indonesian security forces, who appeared to be wearing riot gear. Video footage broadcast on local news channels also showed images of body bags, Reuters reported. Smoke, which appeared to be tear gas, was also seen later in videos, with several people showed being carried into a building. The severity of their injuries remained unclear. According to Afinta, when Arema FC lost 2-3 in the match against Persebaya Surabaya, their supporters stormed onto the field in anger. There have been previous outbreaks of trouble at matches in Indonesia, with a strong rivalry between clubs sometimes leading to violence among supporters. The Indonesian Football Association (PSSI) has suspended matches next week as a result of the deadly tragedy, and banned Arema FC from hosting games for the rest of the season. “PSSI regrets the actions of Aremania supporters at the Kanjuruhan Stadium,” the association’s chairman, Mochamad Iriawan, said in a statement issued on Sunday. He added that the incident had “tarnished the face of Indonesian football” and they were supporting official investigations into the event. “We are sorry and apologize to the families of the victims and all parties for the incident,” he said. “For that PSSI immediately formed an investigation team and immediately left for Malang,” he added. CNN reached out to FIFA, soccer’s international governing body, for a statement but did not immediately hear back. Persebaya released a statement expressing their condolences, saying: “Persebaya’s big family expresses their deepest condolences for the loss of life after the Arema FC vs. Persebaya match. No life is worth football.” “Alfatihah for the victims and may the family left behind be given fortitude.” Read More…

AP Sports SummaryBrief At 9:13 P.m. EDT https://digitalalabamanews.com/ap-sports-summarybrief-at-913-p-m-edt/ AP source: Union fires consultant who evaluated Tagovailoa A person familiar with the decision says the NFL Players Association has fired the unaffiliated neurotrauma consultant who evaluated Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa after he stumbled off the field against Buffalo last Sunday. The person confirmed the firing on condition of anonymity because a joint review by the NFL and its players’ union into Tagovailoa’s quick return to that game is ongoing. The NFLPA is exercising its right to terminate the UNC directly involved in the decision to clear Tagovailoa, who sustained a concussion following a frightening hit just four days later at Cincinnati on Thursday night. It’s unclear whether the injuries are related. No. 2 Alabama loses QB Bryce Young, beats No. 20 Arkansas FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. (AP) — Alabama lost quarterback Bryce Young in the second quarter, but held off No. 20 Arkansas 49-26 behind the explosive runs of Jahmyr Gibbs and backup quarterback Jalen Milroe. Young threw for 173 yards with a touchdown and an interception before leaving with what coach Nick Saban called a shoulder sprain. Arkansas cut the lead to five in the third quarter before Alabama broke it open with long runs. Milroe ran for two touchdowns and Gibbs had 206 yards rushing and two touchdowns. Ohtani agrees to $30 million deal for 2023 with Angels ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) — Shohei Ohtani has agreed to a $30 million deal with the Los Angeles Angels for the 2023 season. That’s the two-way superstar’s final year of arbitration eligibility before free agency. The Halos avoided a potentially complicated arbitration case with the 2021 AL MVP. Ohtani’s deal is fully guaranteed with no other provisions. The contract is the largest ever given to an arbitration-eligible player, surpassing the $27 million given to Mookie Betts by the Boston Red Sox in January 2020, a month before he was traded to the Los Angeles Dodgers. Duggan, TCU rout No. 18 Oklahoma 55-24 as Gabriel gets hurt Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Read More…

Auburn Vs. LSU Live Score Updates, Analysis https://digitalalabamanews.com/auburn-vs-lsu-live-score-updates-analysis/ Welcome back to Jordan-Hare Stadium, where Auburn is set to close out its season-opening five-game homestand. Auburn (3-1, 1-0 SEC) will host LSU (3-1, 1-0) as the two divisional rivals open up SEC West play. Kickoff is set for 6 p.m. on ESPN. Auburn heads into the game as an eight-point home underdog as it tries to win its third straight game against LSU — a feat the program has not accomplished since 1989-94, when it won four in a row in the series. AL.com will provide live updates throughout the evening in the space below, so be sure to refresh the page for all the latest action from Jordan-Hare Stadium. Also be sure to check out al.com/auburnfootball for full postgame coverage and analysis. SECOND QUARTER: Auburn 14, LSU 0 — Auburn 14, LSU 0 (14:04): Robby Ashford finds Camden Brown for an 18-yard touchdown. That’s Brown’s first career touchdown after we heard so much about him in fall camp. Caps a six-play, 99-yard scoring drive for Auburn. — Another huge play for Robby Ashford while avoiding pressure in the pocket. This time he finds Jarquez Hunter, who does the heavy lifting for a 61-yard play to open the quarter. — Auburn edge defender Eku Leota is headed to the locker room accompanied by trainers between quarters here. END FIRST QUARTER: Auburn 7, LSU 0 — Ja’Varrius Johnson nearly broke another big one, but instead it’s merely a 20-yard reception to convert a third down. Then, on the final play of the quarter, Tank Bigsby fumbles it, but Robby Ashford recovers to avoid disaster. — LSU converts a third down, but it’s wiped out by an illegal shift. Auburn makes LSU pay, with Colby Wooden making a big third-down sack. LSU forced to punt — it goes 65 yards and is downed at the 1-yard line. — Tank Bigsby picks up a first down, but then Auburn forced to punt. Four consecutive punts between the two teams. — Three consecutive punts between Auburn and LSU now after Auburn’s opening-drive touchdown. — According to the ESPN broadcast, LSU’s Sevyn Banks has movement in his extremities. Good news after being carted off. — Auburn goes three-and-out on its second possession. — LSU goes three-and-out on its opening drive. Eku Leota drops Jayden Daniels for no gain on first down, and then Daniels throws two incompletions. — Auburn 7, LSU 0 (12:57): Robby Ashford avoids pressure in the pocket, then he finds Ja’Varrius Johnson streaking behind the defense for a 53-yard touchdown. That’s Auburn’s first touchdown by a wide receiver this season. — After review, Sevyn Banks has been called for targeting on the play in which he was injured. Officials say he led with the crown of his helmet. Per ESPN, Banks was responsive and talking to LSU’s medical staff on the field. He’s being taken to East Alabama Medical Center. — The kickoff is under review for targeting, all while Sevyn Banks is being placed onto a stretcher and carted off the field. — LSU’s Sevyn Banks is down on the field, injured after the opening kickoff. They’re bringing out a cart for him. Auburn linebacker immediately called to LSU’s sideline to come help Banks. Both teams taking a knee now as they’re putting Banks onto a stretcher. PREGAME — LSU wins the toss and defers to the second half. Auburn will receive the ball to start the game. — A few lineup adjustments for Auburn today: Koy Moore will start at the Z-receiver spot over Malcolm Johnson Jr. Moore draws the start against his former team and coming off a big game last week against Missouri. D.J. James will also start at corner again over Jaylin Simpson. — Biggest lineup adjustment for Auburn is along the offensive line, with Tate Johnson out following elbow surgery. Brandon Council will move from left guard and start at center, while Kam Stutts will start at left guard and Alec Jackson gets the nod at right guard. AL.com will update this post. Tom Green is an Auburn beat reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter @Tomas_Verde. If you purchase a product or register for an account through one of the links on our site, we may receive compensation. Read More…

A G.O.P. Test In Michigan: Is Trump A Help Or A Hindrance? https://digitalalabamanews.com/a-g-o-p-test-in-michigan-is-trump-a-help-or-a-hindrance/ Tudor Dixon, the party’s nominee for governor, has ground to make up in her race against Gov. Gretchen Whitmer. She is hoping the former president can rally their party’s base. Send any friend a story As a subscriber, you have 10 gift articles to give each month. Anyone can read what you share. Tudor Dixon won the Republican primary for governor of Michigan days after being endorsed by former President Donald J. Trump.Credit…Emily Elconin for The New York Times Oct. 1, 2022Updated 7:46 p.m. ET CLARKSTON, Mich. — As she runs to lead a narrowly divided swing state, Tudor Dixon is pursuing a hazardous strategy in the Michigan governor’s race: embracing Donald J. Trump, and at times emulating his no-holds-barred political style. She hit the campaign trail recently with the former president’s son Donald Trump Jr. and Kellyanne Conway, the onetime Trump White House adviser — and, in Trumpian fashion, made headlines for mocking her Democratic opponent, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, over a 2020 kidnapping plot hatched against her by right-wing militia members. In other appearances, Ms. Dixon called for a ban on transgender girls playing in girl’s and women’s sports. And on a recent afternoon at an athletic club in an affluent suburb northwest of Detroit, where a life-size cutout of Mr. Trump stood by the doors, she promoted his so-called America First business policies. “‘America First’ — Michigan First — will bring Michigan back together,” she said. The governor’s race between Ms. Dixon and Ms. Whitmer carries high stakes for abortion rights, schools and the future of elections. It is historic — the first time two women have ever gone head-to-head for the position in the state. The contest also serves as a test of whether Ms. Dixon and other Republican candidates can win their general elections by harnessing the grass-roots energy of Trump supporters that propelled them to the top of crowded and chaotic primaries. That approach — which entails a close association with Mr. Trump’s election denialism and other political baggage — worries some Michigan Republicans who believe Ms. Dixon is failing to win over the kinds of suburban and independent voters who are crucial in tight races. But it might be the only option she has. Early voting began on Thursday, and with time running out, Ms. Dixon is short on cash, well behind in polls, still working to shore up support among her Republican base and being pummeled by Democrats on the television airwaves. “Uphill, on icy roads,” said Dennis Darnoi, a longtime Republican strategist in Michigan, describing her path to victory. “It is a challenge, with a month left, for her to make up the kind of ground that she is going to need.” Image Ms. Dixon has struggled to compete financially with Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, a Democrat. Credit…Emily Elconin for The New York Times Ms. Dixon, who joined Mr. Trump at a rally on Saturday in Macomb County, has appeared unfazed, arguing that her recent fund-raising numbers have been high and that her message will ultimately resonate with voters more than Ms. Whitmer’s. On stage on Saturday afternoon, Ms. Dixon pledged to protect women’s sports and attacked Ms. Whitmer’s pandemic and economic policies, suggesting the governor was hiding from voters. Her remarks at times elicited thunderous chants of “Lock her up.” Asked about the challenges ahead for her campaign after she spoke, her team pointed to a new poll from a Republican-aligned firm that put her within six points of Ms. Whitmer. “We feel great about it — it means that their message is not resonating,” Ms. Dixon said. “She spent millions of dollars to try to take us out and still people are going to vote red in November.” Not all Republicans who closely aligned themselves with Mr. Trump have struggled to pivot from the primary election to the general. In Arizona, the Republican nominee for governor, Kari Lake, has taken a similar approach, and has narrowed her race to a dead heat — but unlike Ms. Dixon, she is not facing an incumbent governor like Ms. Whitmer. 5 Takeaways From the Campaign Trail Jonathan WeismanTracking elections from Chicago 5 Takeaways From the Campaign Trail Jonathan WeismanTracking elections from Chicago Dustin Franz for The New York Times The elections are less than 40 days away, and our reporters are across the country following candidates and analyzing the campaigns. Early voting and mail voting have already started in a handful of states. Here’s a look at the week in political news → 5 Takeaways From the Campaign Trail Jonathan WeismanTracking elections from Chicago Hannah Beier for The New York Times The Democrats’ best opportunity to take a Republican seat in the Senate is looking unsure. The Democratic lieutenant governor of Pennsylvania, John Fetterman, has seen his lead shrink over the celebrity doctor Mehmet Oz, who is consolidating support among Republican voters and excoriating his opponent as a “soft on crime.” 5 Takeaways From the Campaign Trail Jonathan WeismanTracking elections from Chicago Democratic nominee Tina Kotek.Pool photo by Jamie Valdez Oregon never used to be a battleground. But a poll by The Oregonian found a dead heat between the Republican governor candidate, Christine Drazen, and the Democrat, Tina Kotek, with Betsy Johnson, an independent, at 18 percent. The Fifth Congressional District is a toss-up; two other Democratic seats are in play. Republicans say Portland chaos is the reason. 5 Takeaways From the Campaign Trail Jonathan WeismanTracking elections from Chicago Hannah Beier for The New York Times A bright spot for Democrats may be the crucial governor’s race in Pennsylvania, where the Republican nominee, Doug Mastriano, appeared recently to be flailing. His campaign is airing no advertising, and events in Harrisburg and Philadelphia attracted fairly sparse crowds. 5 Takeaways From the Campaign Trail Jonathan WeismanTracking elections from Chicago Johnny Milano for The New York Times Former Senator William Cohen, a Republican, once said, “Government is the enemy until you need a friend.” After Hurricane Ian, government critics in Florida, including Gov. Ron DeSantis, found themselves pleading for federal support. Natural disasters tend to give presidents and their parties a chance to show compassion. 5 Takeaways From the Campaign Trail Jonathan WeismanTracking elections from Chicago Former Representative Beto O’Rourke of Texas, a Democrat, could not best Senator Ted Cruz in 2018 or win the presidential nomination. So it may be now or never as O’Rourke tries to unseat Gov. Greg Abbott. Their only debate was Friday. Though Mr. Abbott was on the defensive about electricity, property taxes and the Uvalde shootings, neither man had a breakthrough. Catch up on more political news. Other candidates backed by Mr. Trump, like Blake Masters in Arizona’s Senate race and Doug Mastriano in Pennsylvania’s contest for governor, have fallen behind their Democratic opponents as they have struggled to raise money. Another Republican Senate hopeful, J.D. Vance, is facing a closer-than-expected race in Ohio. Mr. Trump has maintained a keen interest in Michigan. He eked out a victory in the state in 2016 by fewer than 11,000 votes before losing to Joseph R. Biden Jr. in 2020 by more than 154,000 votes. “Six weeks from now the people of Michigan are going to vote to fire your radical left Democrat Governor Gretchen Whitmer, and you are going to send a very good person, a very, very good woman, Tudor Dixon, to the governor’s mansion,” he said on Saturday in Warren, Mich., to cheers from the audience. Days before the Republican primary in early August, Mr. Trump endorsed Ms. Dixon, a conservative media personality backed by Michigan’s powerful DeVos family. Ms. Dixon, 45, a breast cancer survivor, worked as a steel industry executive until 2017, when she helped create Lumen Student News, a company that produces conservative TV news and history lessons for middle and high school students. In a December 2021 radio interview, she said she aimed to restore students’ faith in the country and combat what she described as “indoctrination” in schools. After helping found Lumen, Ms. Dixon went on to host a news show, “America’s Voice Live,” on weekday afternoons. Image Ms. Dixon, a former conservative media personality, is allied with Michigan’s powerful DeVos family. Credit…Emily Elconin for The New York Times Image A cutout of Mr. Trump was on display at a town-hall event where Ms. Dixon spoke on Thursday in Clarkston, Mich. Credit…Emily Elconin for The New York Times On the stump, Ms. Dixon says she became a vocal critic of Ms. Whitmer’s coronavirus restrictions as she witnessed their negative impact on Michigan’s economy. The safety measures “took a deeply personal turn,” Ms. Dixon’s website states, after her grandmother died in a Norton Shores nursing home that prohibited visits during the pandemic. Ms. Dixon, who has the delivery of someone comfortable in front of an audience, has generated criticism for spreading unfounded claims about voter fraud in the 2020 election and for some of her stances on L.G.B.T.Q. issues, including calling for “severe criminal penalties for adults who involve children in drag shows.” On her website, she calls for a ban to prevent school employees from talking to children in kindergarten through third grade “about sex and gender theory secretly behind their parents’ backs‍.” And she has said that abortion should be allowed only if it is necessary to save the life of a mother, not in cases of rape or incest. Ms. Dixon’s stance on abortion in particular — in a state where voters tend to favor abortion rights and that in November will weigh a ballot measure to enshrine the right to abortion in the state Constitution — is a big reason that ...

American Prisoners Are Released From Venezuela And Iran https://digitalalabamanews.com/american-prisoners-are-released-from-venezuela-and-iran/ Caracas freed seven Americans in a trade for two nephews of Venezuela’s first lady who had been convicted on drug charges. Separately, Tehran released its longest-held American captive. Send any friend a story As a subscriber, you have 10 gift articles to give each month. Anyone can read what you share. The Americans released by Venezuela included several executives of the Citgo oil refining company, who had been detained more than four years ago.Credit…Jorge Arreaza, via Associated Press Oct. 1, 2022Updated 7:35 p.m. ET WASHINGTON — Seven Americans who had been held captive in Venezuela for years were on their way home Saturday after President Biden agreed to grant clemency to two nephews of Cilia Flores, Venezuela’s first lady, officials said. The men had been sentenced in 2017 to 18 years in prison for conspiring to smuggle cocaine into the United States. At the same time, Iran on Saturday released Siamak Namazi, a 51-year-old dual-national Iranian American businessman who had been jailed since 2015, on a temporary furlough and lifted the travel ban on his father, Baquer Namazi, an 85-year-old former official for the United Nations, according to the family’s lawyer. Together, the announcements regarding Venezuela and Iran represented one of the largest mass releases of Americans detained abroad in recent memory, though one American official said the timing was coincidental. For Mr. Biden, freeing seven Americans, some of whom had been held for years in Venezuelan prison, was part of an aggressive push to accelerate such homecomings — an effort that has drawn some criticism for the president’s willingness to exchange convicted criminals. The releases also come at a time of heightened global tensions that has proved dangerous for Americans traveling abroad. Brittney Griner, the professional basketball player, remains jailed in Russia for bringing hashish oil into the country after the United States denounced its president, Vladimir V. Putin, for invading Ukraine earlier in the year. American officials said the two Venezuelans known as the “narco nephews” — Efrain Antonio Campo Flores and Franqui Francisco Flores de Freitas — were flown to a third country on Saturday at the same time that a plane carrying the Americans landed in the same country, which officials would not name. A senior administration official called the president’s action to grant clemency “a tough decision and a painful decision,” but said it was the only way to persuade Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro to release the Americans. Officials declined to say whether the prisoner swap represented a thaw in the strained relationship between the United States and the Maduro-led government in Venezuela. The United States has imposed sanctions on Mr. Maduro’s government as it has pressed for negotiations between Mr. Maduro and Juan Guaidó, the former National Assembly leader, whom the United States considers Venezuela’s legitimate interim president. The release of the Namazis comes as negotiations over returning to a deal to limit Iran’s nuclear capabilities have stalled. American officials have long insisted that prisoner talks are not connected to the talks to revive the 2015 deal. Image Siamak Namazi and his father, Baquer Namazi, in a photo provided by their family.Credit…Babak Namazi, via Reuters The White House made no official mention of the actions by Iran on Saturday, and neither did a statement issued by Mr. Biden address the release of the Venezuelan drug smugglers. But Mr. Biden welcomed home the Americans: Jorge Toledo, Tomeu Vadell, Alirio Zambrano, Jose Luis Zambrano, Jose Pereira, Matthew Heath, and Osman Khan. “These individuals will soon be reunited with their families and back in the arms of their loved ones where they belong,” Mr. Biden said in the statement. “Today, we celebrate that seven families will be whole once more.” The last prisoner exchange involving so many people took place in 2010, when the United States agreed to release 10 Russians arrested for spying in exchange for four people detained by Moscow for their contacts with Western intelligence agencies. At the time, the swap — which was approved at a time of warming relations between the United States and Russia — represented the largest spy exchange since the end of the Cold War. In a statement on Saturday, the government of Venezuela said it welcomed the release of the nephews, saying they had been “unjustly imprisoned” and that it had decided to release the Americans “for humanitarian reasons.” The Venezuela announcement had been months in the making, according to senior administration officials, and had been approved by Mr. Biden several weeks ago, setting in motion a series of logistical conversations between officials in both countries. One senior administration official said that both governments spent time on Saturday morning confirming the identities of the people on the planes before they switched places and took off again, this time for home. The exchange was the latest in a series of prisoner swaps that Mr. Biden has agreed to since taking office as his administration seeks to bring home Americans whom the State Department has designated as wrongfully detained abroad. But it is also likely to be another flash point in the debate about releasing criminals convicted of significant crimes in exchange for detained Americans. In 2014, President Barack Obama agreed to swap five Taliban terrorists in exchange for the return of Bowe Bergdahl, an Army soldier who had deserted and been captured by the Haqqani terrorist network. Mr. Obama’s decision to make the exchange for Mr. Bergdahl, who was dishonorably discharged, sparked intense debate about the willingness of the American government to negotiate with terrorists, something presidents from both parties have for decades vowed not to do. In April, Mr. Biden agreed to swap Konstantin Yaroshenko, a Russian pilot, for Trevor R. Reed, an American held in Russia since 2019. Mr. Biden has authorized officials to release Viktor Bout, a convicted arms dealer known as the “Merchant of Death” who is serving a 25-year prison sentence, in exchange for two detained Americans: Paul N. Whelan, a businessman, and Ms. Griner. Officials have said that the Russian government has not indicated whether it will accept that deal. In his statement, Mr. Biden said he was continuing to work for the release of other Americans. “To all the families who are still suffering and separated from their loved ones who are wrongfully detained — know that we remain dedicated to securing their release,” he said. The Americans who had been held in Venezuela included five members of a group known as the “Citgo 6.” They were executives of the Citgo oil refining company who were detained more than four years ago on charges of corruption that their lawyers and American officials said were trumped up. One member of the group and another American being held in Venezuela were released in March after a team of Americans from Mr. Biden’s administration flew to Caracas for discussions, officials said. Citgo said in a tweet that its executives had been detained and convicted “without due process. We welcome the news of the release of the remaining five and are grateful to the leaders in Washington who helped bring about their release.” Two other Americans — Mr. Heath, who was detained in 2020, and Mr. Khan, who was detained at the beginning of this year — were also among those released by Venezuela on Saturday. Asked whether the release of the Venezuelan drug smugglers would prompt Mr. Maduro to detain more Americans, the senior administration official said he hoped that the Venezuelan president and others would realize that the president’s decision was a “rare” action that is not likely to be repeated often. Senator Marco Rubio, Republican of Florida, lashed out at the administration on Twitter. “Today Biden released two convicted drug dealer nephews of #Venezuela dictator Maduro in exchange for 7 innocent Americans being held hostage,” said Mr. Rubio, whose state is home to many Venezuelans who fled the socialist governments there. “Another Biden appeasement that will result in more anti-U.S. dictators taking more innocent Americans hostage in the future,” Mr. Rubio wrote. In Iran, it was unclear what had prompted the release of the Namazis. “We’ve been working on a furlough for years, he would be eligible for furlough after he served more than half his term. This has been long coming,” said Jared Genser, the pro bono lawyer for the Namazi family. “We are not there yet, we are not going to rest until all the Namazis are able to return to the U.S. and their long nightmare finally comes to an end.” Mr. Genser said the younger Mr. Namazi’s furlough, while renewable, lasts for just seven days. “He still needs to be able to leave Iran and return to the United States,” Mr. Genser said. “We hope and pray that will happen soon, but there has been no agreement between the U.S. and Iran to release all the American hostages.” António Guterres, the secretary general of the United Nations, said in a statement on Saturday that he was grateful that the elder Mr. Namazi, a former senior official for UNICEF, had been permitted to leave Iran for medical treatment abroad following Mr. Guterres’s appeal to President Ebrahim Raisi of Iran. Mr. Namazi is scheduled to have an operation on Monday to remove a blockage in one of the main arteries in his brain, according to Mr. Genser. “We will continue to engage with the Iranian authorities on a range of important issues, including the regional situation, sustainable development and the promotion and protection of human rights,” a U.N. spokesman, Stéphane Dujarric, said in a statement. Iran’s decision to show leniency to the Namazis comes amid n...

Commentary: Is There A “Trump Effect”? We https://digitalalabamanews.com/commentary-is-there-a-trump-effect-we/ WE ARE just over a month away from the long-awaited midterm elections that should help Americans evaluate the “Trump effect.” With the former president leaning toward another run for the White House in 2024, next month’s election should provide some insight into just how much his “fan base” has eroded over the past two years. Trump’s antics while president cost him moderate Republican votes in 2020 and led to his failed reelection bid. His subsequent assertion that the election was stolen resulted in the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection, one of the darkest moments in American history. That incident remains in the news, as members of the insurgency continue to be tried and sentenced, and Congress continues to investigate the former president’s part in the Capitol break-in. The last of a series of congressional public hearings on the insurrection was scheduled for last week but was postponed because of Hurricane Ian. It will almost certainly be rescheduled in the next two or three weeks so that midterm election voters will have as many facts as possible before casting their votes for Trump-backed candidates on Nov. 8. How much effect that hearing will have on the election is anyone’s guess. Many Trump supporters have openly stated that they have not watched any of the previous 18 or so hours of public testimony, which they brand as a political witch hunt. In all honesty, the congressional hearings are likely as much about preventing Trump from riding back into Washington on his broom as they are about justice. With the stock market dropping, inflation rising, and interest rates inching up, we have enough to worry about in this country without having to endure 3 a.m. tweets from an arrogant president. If enough conservative Republican candidates are elected next month, Trump may consider that a mandate to run again. Given the former president’s ego, however, he may declare his candidacy even if there is a Democrat landslide. Such a landslide, however, would likely dissuade some of his political backers. A conservative Republican landslide would put more Trump backers in Congress and assure him of even more power if elected again. A conservative Republican landslide, however, seems unlikely. With the possibility that Trump could face charges for whatever part he played in the Jan. 6 insurrection, some GOP voters may hesitate to support candidates who too closely align themselves with the former president. If charges against Trump should be filed, the 2024 election question may be moot. Surely the former president would not consider running for president if he is under indictment for a felony. But, knowing Trump, maybe he would. After all, just being charged would not disqualify the man as a candidate, and it is highly unlikely that any possible charges could result in a conviction before November 2024. Before we go there, however, we must see how next month’s midterms turn out. They should be interesting. I seldom show support for political candidates (other than for the presidency), but I will make an exception for Virginia 7th District Congresswoman Abigail Spanberger. I have never met Spanberger, but I have heard good things about her, especially when it comes to helping her constituents. Two of my friends had problems with government agencies that were causing them to lose sleep. Both turned to Spanberger in desperation and the congresswoman was able to quickly cut through the red tape that was causing the problems. No candidate has all the values that a voter seeks, but one that goes the extra mile for the people of her district deserves consideration. Finally, I’m going to name the man I would like to be the Democratic presidential nominee in 2024—West Virginia Senator Joe Manchin. I like Manchin not because of his political party but because he has common sense and is willing to work with Republicans on key issues. My Republican choice? Maryland Governor Larry Hogan, and for the same reasons. America could not go wrong with either man in the White House. Catch the latest in Opinion Get opinion pieces, letters and editorials sent directly to your inbox weekly! Read More…

Alabama Tops Arkansas 49-26 Despite Bryce Young Leaving Game With Sprained Shoulder https://digitalalabamanews.com/alabama-tops-arkansas-49-26-despite-bryce-young-leaving-game-with-sprained-shoulder/ Skip to main content Pelham, AL Hoover, AL Vestavia Hills, AL Birmingham, AL Mountain Brook, AL Trussville, AL Meridian, MS Montgomery, AL Huntsville, AL Dallas-Hiram, GA Alabama Top National News See All Communities TUSCALOOSA, AL — Despite a final score of 49-26, the game was much closer at one point than the scoreboard reflected. No. 2 Alabama (5-0, 2-0 SEC) nearly wasted a 28-point lead to the No. 20 Arkansas Razorbacks (3-2, 1-2) in Fayetteville on Saturday before slamming down on the pedal and winning in easy fashion after reigning Heisman Trophy winner Bryce Young went down with a shoulder injury early in the second quarter. Click here to subscribe to our free daily newsletter and breaking news alerts. Find out what’s happening in Tuscaloosawith free, real-time updates from Patch. The Tide’s first score of the game came with 7:41 left in the first quarter, as Young hit Kobe Prentice for a 47-yard touchdown strike. Young then got on the board again with a little more than 2:00 left in the first quarter, scoring on an 8-yard run. Before going down with an injury in the second quarter, Young went 7-for-13 through the air for 173 yards, with a touchdown and an interception. Find out what’s happening in Tuscaloosawith free, real-time updates from Patch. Redshirt freshman Jalen Milroe — a product of Tompkins High in Katy, Texas — came on in substitution of Young and scored on a 3-yard touchdown run to put the Tide up 21-0. Alabama head coach Nick Saban said following the win that Young has a sprained shoulder and the Tide signal caller could be seen dressed out on the sideline with his helmet on for the entire second half. Milroe came in and helped extend the lead as the first half came to a close, throwing a 22-yard touchdown pass to JoJo Earle in his first game of the season following an injury in pre-season camp. Arkansas would then get its first score of the game on the following drive with 0:21 left in the first half, going on to score 17 unanswered points. Following a bad snap on an attempted punt with less than a minute to go in the third quarter, Arkansas made the most of the good field position and scored quickly, before failing on the two-point conversion attempt to close the gap to 28-23. Alabama would then respond following an inspired 77-yard run by Milroe to get into scoring position. The drive was ultimately capped off by a 3-yard run from Jase McClellan to make it a two score ballgame at 35-23. Jahmyr Gibbs led the Tide in rushing on the night, finishing with 206 yards on only 18 attempts, which included a crucial 72-yard touchdown run with 12:17 left in the game to put the game out of reach and grab the momentum in the Tide’s favor, with Alabama going up 42-23. The Georgia Tech transfer was not finished in the game’s late stages, though, topping his longest run of the day with a 76-yard scamper for a touchdown with 6:55 left in the game. NEXT UP: Alabama will host No. 17 Texas A&M on Oct. 7 at Bryant-Denny Stadium, with kickoff set for 6 p.m. Have a news tip or suggestion on how I can improve Tuscaloosa Patch? Maybe you’re interested in having your business become one of the latest sponsors for Tuscaloosa Patch? Email all inquiries to me at ryan.phillips@patch.com 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…

Castillo K's 8 In Final Outing Before WC Start https://digitalalabamanews.com/castillo-ks-8-in-final-outing-before-wc-start/ 49 minutes ago SEATTLE — If last night felt like it’s all becoming very real, consider that the next time Luis Castillo takes the mound after Saturday’s dominant start that led to a 5-1 win over Oakland, it’ll be in Game 1 of the AL Wild Card Series next Friday.  The opponent and venue are still to be determined before the regular season ends Wednesday, and there’s a real possibility that it could be right here at T-Mobile Park, though the Mariners will need some help for that to happen. Yet in contrast to the uncertainty of the who, when and where next weekend, one certainty as the Mariners eye their first postseason game since 2001 is that they’ll be doing so behind their prized workhorse.  AL Wild Card: The Blue Jays lead the Mariners by 1 1/2 games for first berth; the Mariners lead the Rays by one game for second berth Seeding battle: Seattle owns the tiebreaker over Toronto (5-2 in the season series); Tampa Bay owns the tiebreaker over Toronto (10-9) and Seattle (5-2) If all three teams tie: Tampa Bay earns the top spot by owning tiebreakers over both Toronto and Seattle, and Seattle earns the second spot by owning the tiebreaker over Toronto Making his first home start since signing a five-year, $108 million extension last weekend, Castillo again showed why he’s as key of a piece to this postseason push as any player on the roster. He carved through an A’s club that, despite its last-place standing, had his number in two starts in Oakland since he arrived in a Trade Deadline blockbuster, striking out eight and retiring each of his final 16 batters overall. Castillo’s lone blemish came in the first inning, when he surrendered a leadoff single to Tony Kemp, walked Sean Murphy then gave up another single to Jordan Diaz that, aided by an error from left fielder Jesse Winker, led to the A’s only run. But Seattle’s bats immediately responded with a three-spot in the first that gave Castillo the cushion he needed to go scoreless over his final five innings. Read More…

Tillerson To Be Called As Witness In Trump Ally https://digitalalabamanews.com/tillerson-to-be-called-as-witness-in-trump-ally/ Please try another search Stock Markets 46 minutes ago (Oct 01, 2022 07:10PM ET) © Reuters. FILE PHOTO: Rex Tillerson, former chairman and CEO of Exxon Mobil and former U.S. Secretary of State, leaves New York State Supreme Court in the Manhattan borough of New York City, U.S., October 30, 2019.  REUTERS/Jefferson Siegel By Luc Cohen NEW YORK (Reuters) -Former U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson will be called as a witness by federal prosecutors in the trial of Tom Barrack, a one-time fundraiser for former President Donald Trump, on charges of illegally acting as a foreign agent for the United Arab Emirates, a court filing showed on Saturday. Barrack’s defense revealed the plans in a letter to U.S. District Judge Brian Cogan in which it requested that Tillerson take the stand on Monday. The defense said prosecutors had confirmed that they would be calling Tillerson, but informed the defense he would be unavailable after Oct. 4 due to “personal plans.” Having Tillerson testify on Monday would ensure that the defense has enough time to cross-examine him, Barrack’s lawyers said. Barrack’s lawyers have said the U.S. State Department, and Trump himself, knew of his contacts with Middle East officials, showing that Barrack did not intend to be a foreign agent. Tillerson could not immediately be reached for comment. A spokesman for the U.S. Attorney’s office in Brooklyn, where Barrack is being tried, declined to comment. Barrack has pleaded not guilty. His lawyers have said his interactions with Emirati officials were part of his role running private equity firm Colony Capital, now known as DigitalBridge Group Inc (N:), and that there was no evidence he agreed to act at the UAE’s direction. Tillerson, the former chief executive of ExxonMobil (NYSE:), served as Trump’s secretary of state for slightly more than a year from 2017 to 2018. The trial began with jury selection on Sept. 19. During the first week, prosecutors presented emails and text messages from Barrack and an associate that showed UAE officials provided input on what then-candidate Trump should say in a 2016 energy policy speech. Prosecutors have said Barrack never told the U.S. attorney general he was acting as UAE agents, as required under federal law. In opening statements, Barrack’s lawyer Michael Schachter said there was no evidence that Barrack agreed to act under the UAE’s direction. The defense has not yet had the chance to cross-examine the FBI agent who read the emails and texts to the jury. Related Articles Read More…

Venezuela Frees Seven Jailed Americans In Swap For Two Maduro Relatives https://digitalalabamanews.com/venezuela-frees-seven-jailed-americans-in-swap-for-two-maduro-relatives/ WASHINGTON, Oct 1 (Reuters) – Venezuela on Saturday freed seven Americans, including five oil executives, in exchange for two relatives of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro jailed in the United States on drug convictions, U.S. officials said. The swap included executives of Citgo Petroleum held for years, in addition to U.S. Marine veteran Matthew Heath and another U.S. citizen named Osman Khan. They were exchanged for two of Maduro’s wife’s nephews, who were arrested in 2015. President Joe Biden said in a statement that the “wrongfully detained” Americans would soon be reunited with their relatives. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com “Today, we celebrate that seven families will be whole once more. To all the families who are still suffering and separated from their loved ones who are wrongfully detained – know that we remain dedicated to securing their release,” Biden said. The prisoner transfer, which one U.S. official said took place at an airport in an unspecified third country, followed months of secretive talks with Maduro’s socialist government, which is under strict U.S. sanctions, including on the OPEC nation’s energy sector. It came at a time when Washington is under growing pressure to do more to secure freedom for dozens of Americans held abroad. Much of the Biden administration’s focus has been on Russia’s detention of WNBA star Brittney Griner and another American, Paul Whelan. Maduro’s government said in a statement that as a result of talks that started in March two young Venezuelans “unjustly” held in the United States were freed, as well as a group of U.S. citizens who were subject to Venezuelan court proceedings and were released for “humanitarian reasons.” The freed Americans were all in stable health and “overjoyed to be heading home,” while the two Venezuelans were en route back to the South American country, a senior Biden administration official told reporters in a telephone briefing. ‘PAINFUL DECISION’ Biden approved the exchange weeks ago, making a “tough decision, a painful decision” that the release of the two Venezuelans was essential to securing the Americans’ freedom. U.S. officials have previously said in private that Maduro wanted to use the detainees as bargaining chips. The swap, which included Biden granting clemency to the two Venezuelans who U.S. authorities had dubbed the “narco nephews,” has not altered Washington’s policy toward Venezuela, a senior administration official said. The Biden administration has only slightly eased Trump-era sanctions on Venezuela, saying it will consider more significant steps if Maduro returns to negotiations with the Venezuelan opposition and there is progress toward free elections. An increased flow of Venezuelan oil to world markets could help replace some of the Russian supplies hit by international sanctions on Russia over its invasion of Ukraine, experts say. The five employees of Houston-based Citgo, who had been detained in Venezuela in 2017, were Tomeu Vadell, Jose Luis Zambrano, Alirio Zambrano, Jorge Toledo and Jose Pereira. Also released was Heath, a former Marine hospitalized following what his family said was a suicide attempt in June. He had been held since 2020 on terrorism charges, which he denied. Khan was identified as a Florida man who had been arrested in January. In return, the Unites States freed two of Venezuelan first lady Cilia Flores’ nephews, Franqui Flores and Efrain Antonio Campo Flores. The two, arrested in Haiti in 2015 in a U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration sting operation, were convicted in 2016 on U.S. charges that they tried to carry out a multimillion-dollar cocaine deal. They were each sentenced in 2017 to 18 years in prison. The prisoner handover, the largest since Biden took office in January 2020, occurred in “a country in between Venezuela and the United States” after the men arrived in separate planes, a senior U.S. official said. Citgo welcomed the news that the executives were free, saying in a statement it was “grateful to the leaders in Washington who helped bring about their release.” A Venezuelan court in 2020 sentenced the executives, accused of embezzlement, money laundering and conspiracy, to prison terms ranging from eight to 13 years. They and the company maintained their innocence, and the U.S. State Department called the charges “specious.” “We applaud President Biden for having the courage to make this deal and encourage him and the administration to continue building upon the momentum,” said Jonathan Franks, spokesperson for the Bring our Families Home campaign, which advocates for Americans wrongfully held overseas. At least four other Americans are still detained in Venezuela, including two former U.S. Army Special Forces members, Luke Denman and Airan Berry, who were arrested in 2020 in connection with a botched raid aimed at ousting Maduro. Venezuela released two jailed U.S. citizens in March following a visit to Caracas by the highest-level U.S. delegation in years. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com Reporting by Humeyra Pamuk and Matt Spetalnick; Aditional reporting by Daphne Psaledakis, Luc Cohen, Kanishka Singh and Gary McWilliams; Editing by Diane Craft, Jonathan Oatis and Daniel Wallis Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles. Read More…

LSU At Auburn: Start Time, Live Stream, TV Info And More https://digitalalabamanews.com/lsu-at-auburn-start-time-live-stream-tv-info-and-more/ BATON ROUGE, LOUISIANA – OCTOBER 02: Bo Nix #10 of the Auburn Tigers runs with the ball as BJ Ojulari #8 of the LSU Tigers defends during the first half at Tiger Stadium on October 02, 2021 in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. (Photo by Jonathan Bachman/Getty Images) It’s been a lot of fun and games up to this point for LSU, who has started the season off right. The Tigers are sitting at 3-1 one-third of the way through the season. However, they’ll now be faced with their toughest tests yet. The Southeastern Conference is staring Brian Kelly’s team straight in the face with a plethora of Top 15 matchups on the calendar. Before LSU takes on those teams though, a trip to Auburn awaits. The 2022 Tiger Bowl is being dubbed a trap game for the visitors. The Bayou Bengals come in as heavy favorites on the road in a place they usually struggle. As the Tigers stare a four-game winning streak in the face, they must fully focus if they want to earn some respect from around the country. Will the Tigers be able to improve their win streak to four straight with a win on the Plains? Here is all of the information you need to know ahead of LSU’s trip to Auburn: LSU at Auburn: Tiger Bowl start time, live stream, TV info and more Date: Saturday, October 1 Kickoff time: 6:00 p.m. CT Location: Auburn, AL Stadium: Jordan-Hare Stadium TV channels: ESPN Live stream: fuboTV Odds: LSU -8.5 The 2022 Tiger Bowl has a ton of storylines surrounding it. It’s Kelly’s first SEC road game and it’s also what could be Bryan Harsin’s last game overall at Auburn. There are reunions with Koy Moore taking on his old team and revenge as Kayshon Boutte will look to silence his former teammate. On top of all of that, it’s one of the SEC’s most historically bizarre rivalry games. LSU has gotten off to a hot start at 3-1 after rebounding from a loss to Florida State. Meanwhile, Auburn has been horrendous thus far. The Tigers barely escaped a game against Mizzou at home last week. There isn’t much belief on the Plains right now, but anything is possible when these two teams get together. Auburn has won the last two games in the series after all. The 2022 Tiger Bowl is set to be a classic if the build-up is anything to go off. There is no better place for it than the home of sports on television. Tune into ESPN at 6 p.m. CT to listen to Joe Tessitore and Greg McElroy bring you every bit of action from Jordan-Hare Stadium. Read More…

GOP Attacks Georgia's Abrams On Voting As Judge Rejects Suit https://digitalalabamanews.com/gop-attacks-georgias-abrams-on-voting-as-judge-rejects-suit/ ATLANTA (AP) — When Democrat Stacey Abrams narrowly lost the Georgia governor’s race to Republican Brian Kemp four years ago, she didn’t go quietly. She ended her campaign with a nonconcession that acknowledged she wouldn’t be governor, while spotlighting her claims that Kemp had used his post as secretary of state to improperly purge likely Democratic voters. Abrams founded Fair Fight Action, a group focused on fair elections, which within weeks filed a wide-ranging federal lawsuit alleging “gross mismanagement” of Georgia’s elections. That lawsuit sputtered out Friday with Fair Fight losing its last remaining arguments, more than a year after the judge had tossed most earlier claims. People are already voting by mail in a Georgia governor’s race that again pits Abrams and Kemp against each other, with fewer than 40 days remaining before voting ends on Nov. 8. And Republicans are now using the loss to attack what they see as the “big lie” that underlies Abrams’ career. They label her claims that Georgia’s election system has been discriminatory as a fraud she used to enrich herself and aggrandize her political career after her 2018 loss. “This is existential to who Stacey Abrams has become as a public and political figure,” Georgia Attorney General Chris Carr, a Republican who defended the case, told The Associated Press on Saturday. “She put herself in the political spotlight nationally, potentially globally, all over the narrative that she lost the governor’s race because of voter suppression. And here you have a federal judge saying, it’s all untrue. It didn’t happen.” Carr and Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger are among a faction of Georgia Republicans who say that Democratic President Joe Biden beat Donald Trump fair and square in 2020 for Georgia’s 16 electoral votes and that Kemp also beat Abrams fairly in 2018. They argue that Trump’s claims about voter fraud in 2020 and Abrams’ claims about voter suppression in 2018 both corrode faith in democracy. “Stolen election and voter suppression claims by Stacey Abrams were nothing but poll-tested rhetoric not supported by facts and evidence,” Raffensperger said Friday in a statement. Abrams, though, has said from the dawn of her current campaign that her actions in 2018 are not equivalent to what Trump did. “I will never ever say that it is OK to claim fraudulent outcomes as a way to give yourself power,” Abrams told news outlet The 19th last month. “That is wrong. I reject it and will never engage in it. But I do believe that it is imperative, especially those who have the platform and the microphone, to talk about the access.” She is far from backing down from her position, and says she won a number of victories that made elections fairer. In 2019, less than six months after the Fair Fight lawsuit was filed, legislators passed a law that addressed some of the issues. The law’s biggest change was to replace the state’s antiquated, paperless touchscreen voting machines with a new system that uses touchscreen machines to print paper ballots that are scanned. The plaintiffs also count as wins the reinstatement of 22,000 voters who were removed from the rolls in 2019, an end to people being excluded from voting rolls if their records didn’t exactly match their driver’s license, an audit that identified people wrongly excluded because of incorrect citizenship information, and improvements to a voter’s ability to cancel a mailed ballot and vote in person. “As the judge says in his first sentence, ‘This is a voting rights case that resulted in wins and losses for all parties,’” Abrams said in a Friday statement. “However, the battle for voter empowerment over voter suppression persists, and the cause of voter access endures. I will not stop fighting to ensure every vote can be cast, every ballot is counted and every voice is heard.” And despite the loss, the idea that Republicans are trying to restrict voting is a powerful current running through the most bitter disputes in Georgia politics — not only Abrams’ 2018 loss, but also a 2021 Republican election law that shortened the period to request an absentee ballot and limited ballot drop boxes, and harsh clashes over redrawing election districts this year that led one Democrat to accuse Republicans of seeking to preserve “white power.” Jermaine House, director of communications for political research firm HIT Strategies, said that “because there’s been so much energy and excitement and conversation” around voting rights in Georgia, it’s an issue that drives Democrats, especially African Americans, to the polls. His firm has done work for liberal voter mobilization group New Georgia Project, the NAACP and Democratic efforts to reelect Sen. Raphael Warnock. “If you look at polls across the country about voter suppression, you may find that voter suppression may not reach the top 10 issues among Black voters,” House said. “But one exception that is the case is definitely Georgia. Georgia voters are well aware of voter suppression efforts, very attuned to it, and Black voters are really mobilized by the issue.” © 2022 Circle City Broadcasting I, LLC. | All Rights Reserved. Read More…

Here’s Why Ian’s Track Was Hard To Predict, And Harder To Communicate https://digitalalabamanews.com/heres-why-ians-track-was-hard-to-predict-and-harder-to-communicate/ When Justin Smith checked the weather on Tuesday, he wasn’t worried. The report from WINK News on DirecTV said Hurricane Ian was a threat to Tampa, some 100 miles to the north of Fort Myers Beach, where he was honeymooning with his wife, Karinna Smith. As someone who remembers riding out Hurricanes Ike and Harvey, the 38-year-old southeast Texas resident said he was confident they could ride out the storm at their hotel, the Lovers Key Resort. “We were there on our honeymoon,” Smith said. “We were trying to have a good time, not be glued to the TV watching the weather.” But that meant they missed messages that much of southwest Florida, not just Tampa, was under threat of hurricane conditions as Ian approached. Their first warning that the hurricane was making a turn directly toward Fort Myers Beach was a note posted in the empty hotel lobby Tuesday night, indicating that the hotel was being evacuated. As conditions became catastrophic on Wednesday, the Smiths survived by taking refuge in a hotel stairwell. The danger faced by the couple and many others who did not evacuate underscores the challenges of communicating forecasts for storms like Ian. Research shows people often cling to an initial version of forecasts, often missing key updates and changing threats. And meteorologists can struggle to convey the uncertainty in their predictions of a storm’s path and potential, in part because hurricane forecast cones and other tools of communication aren’t as useful as they could be for storms like Ian, whose track toward Florida was difficult to pin down even a day ahead of landfall. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration is working to improve communication of uncertain, fast-changing threats, but the task is not straightforward. It involves refining messages and optimizing graphical information to simplify the complex for very diverse audiences and keeping them apprised of important changes. The latter was critical in the case of Ian since small deviations in the predicted track would significantly alter which communities would be affected. “There were a lot of alternate futures that were possible,” said Kim Klockow-McClain, a research scientist at NOAA’s National Severe Storms Laboratory. “Communication is not as simple when there are a lot of possible outcomes.” Asked to review how well it communicated storm risks and uncertainties with Ian, National Hurricane Center officials deferred comment to NOAA risk communication experts. Gina Eosco, a program manager and social scientist at the agency, said it can be a challenge for forecasters to overcome what she called “optimistic bias,” when people focus too much on early forecasts suggesting low risks of storm impacts, and miss updates signaling new and changing hazards. “It can trick your brain into thinking you can relax and you may not pay as much attention to the forecast,” Eosco said. “And so it’s possible people didn’t hear that message.” Along with that bias toward optimism, past experiences when dire forecasts did not come to pass can also prevent people from properly interpreting the realities of forecasts and storm conditions, she added. Laura Myers, a senior research scientist at the University of Alabama who studies communication around disasters, applauded the Hurricane Center’s work tracking the storm and broadcasting its threats. And she echoed Eosco, saying people often “anchor” their expectations to early forecasts and then are caught unaware when storm predictions change. “[Forecasters] know that people are going to cling to that and then walk away and not come back to the information,” Myers said. People form their own “scale of risk aversion” and go back to their daily lives despite broadcast meteorologists encouraging them to check back in for updates, according to Myers. “If they are shocked about impact, it’s because they anchored,” she said. That said, the Hurricane Center’s archive of Ian forecasts shows that, as its predictions of the storm’s path shifted, meteorologists did not begin to emphasize risks to the area around the eventual landfall point until about a day in advance. It wasn’t until Tuesday morning, while Ian was passing over western Cuba — that the Hurricane Center extended a hurricane warning southward to cover the stretch of southwestern Florida coastline that would soon be devastated. Even then, the centerline for the predicted storm track passed through Tampa and wasn’t over Fort Myers until 11 p.m. that night. In the days before that, what would become ground zero for Ian’s devastation was at the edge of areas the Hurricane Center warned were in the storm’s path. Areas to its south, including Naples — which endured a record ocean surge — were left out. That meant some, like the Smiths, were caught unaware by Ian’s intensity. Smith said he received none of the National Weather Service text alerts that are supposed to broadcast imminent hazards to any cellphones in their path. And he said he got no alarm from hotel staff. “They didn’t knock on our door,” Justin Smith told The Washington Post. “They didn’t call that room. They didn’t do anything. By the time that we found out we didn’t have a rental car or anything like that, so we were kind of stuck.” While some meteorologists suggested it was a failure of the Hurricane Center, others stressed that that represents a misunderstanding of what the forecast cone actually means. There is a 60 to 70 percent chance a storm’s eye will remain within the cone’s boundaries — meaning in about one out of three cases, the storm will move outside of the cone. For the sake of completeness, here is EVERY cone from Advisory 1 at 5am Friday morning to Advisory 24 at 11am Wednesday morning. #Ian‘s landfall point is the red dot. It was ALWAYS in the likely (67%) area for landfall. [1/2] pic.twitter.com/sHNVN20L44 — Brian McNoldy (@BMcNoldy) September 30, 2022 The problem is that the forecast cone is not well-designed for unpredictable storms like Ian, Klockow-McClain said. The width of the cone is based on the Hurricane Center’s past error in storm forecast track predictions, but with Ian, that meant an underestimation of potential error. “The problem is, with that graphic, we’re communicating about how we’ve done in the past. We’re not saying a whole lot about the uncertainty of the current situation,” Klockow-McClain said. Researchers say the challenge is engaging with the public so that people understand the broader potential for hurricane impacts even outside the forecast cone. Both Eosco and Myers suggested that more localized warnings could better help people evaluate their personal risk. “Our research has indicated that most people appreciate the worst-case scenario,” Myers said. “They appreciate knowing there is a chance that they would be included in the impacts and what the impacts might be.” Myers said more should be done to educate the public about hurricane meteorology and risks outside of active weather events, so that when storms strike, they aren’t overwhelmed with too much information. “If you don’t do that in advance and don’t do it in as many different ways as you possibly can, you’re going to have issues with understanding,” Myers said. Even then, it is not guaranteed that the warnings will be properly interpreted. NOAA has invested heavily in efforts to narrow gaps in communication and improve public perception and understanding of forecasts, Eosco said. Before and after storms, NOAA conducts a multi-wave project to increase their understanding of how well people understood risks and what actions they took during a hurricane, she said. And that goes along with Hurricane Center work to improve graphics and messaging around hurricane risks, including adjusting forecast cone images to include wind field sizes so people understand how far dangerous conditions will extend. And the Center has moved to stress that forecast cones are fallible, and that risks extend throughout them and beyond them, though that message doesn’t always get across to the wider public. “I’m thrilled that if there has to be a hurricane, that we have the ability to learn something from it so that we should improve our communication for future storms,” Eosco said. “If we can find an opportunity of hope here to learn something from it so we can improve such situations and reduce societal impact, that is the type of opportunity NOAA wants to take.” Meena Venkataramanan contributed to this report. Read More…

Thousands Attend Final Bolsonaro, Lula Rallies Ahead Of Brazil Vote https://digitalalabamanews.com/thousands-attend-final-bolsonaro-lula-rallies-ahead-of-brazil-vote/ Brazilian leftist leader Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva maintains a solid lead going into Sunday’s presidential race against far-right incumbent President Jair Bolsonaro and is within sight of an outright victory, a fresh poll shows. Some fear a possible Brazilian version of unrest that rocked US last year after Bolsonaro’s political role model, Donald Trump, refused to accept electoral defeat. (Reuters) Far-right incumbent Jair Bolsonaro and leftist front-runner Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva have attracted thousands of supporters to their final campaign rallies in a last-ditch bid for votes on the eve of Brazil’s polarising presidential election. Bolsonaro, the 67-year-old president known for his gloves-off style, led one of his trademark motorcycle rallies from the north side of Sao Paulo to the city’s Ibirapuera park on Saturday. He grinned and waved at the head of a battalion of bikers decked out in black leather and the yellow and green of the flag as the crowd chanted: “Lula, thief, your place is in prison!” About five kilometres from there, Lula, the 76-year-old ex-president who left office in 2010 with an unprecedented 87-percent approval rating, held his own rally on the economic capital’s main avenue, Avenida Paulista. A sea of red-clad supporters waved banners reading “Lula 2022” and shouting: “Jair, time to go!” In line with campaigning rules, neither man addressed their supporters. Both rallies dispersed without incident. A CNT/MDA poll published on Saturday said Lula would win 48.3 percent of the valid votes in Sunday’s election, putting him statistically within reach of taking half of the votes, which would avoid a bruising run-off. The poll has a margin of error of 2.2 percentage points. READ MORE: Football star Neymar backs Bolsonaro ahead of Brazil election READ MORE: Thousands rally in Brazil in ‘defence of democracy’ High tensions ahead of Sunday’s election  With the country deeply divided, tension is running high heading into the election which Lula is gunning to win outright, without the need for a runoff on October 30. A poll from the Datafolha institute released on Thursday put the charismatic but tarnished leftist on the cusp of a first-round win, with 50 percent of valid votes to 36 percent for Bolsonaro. To win outright, he would need 50 percent plus one vote. Bolsonaro has repeatedly signalled he could challenge an election loss, saying “only God” can remove him from office and alleging, without evidence, fraud in Brazil’s electronic voting system. “We’re going to win in the first round — 64 percent of the vote,” Bolsonaro’s congressman son Eduardo said at Sunday’s rally, repeating his father’s claims that polls showing Lula in the lead are fake. Former metalworker Lula, who governed Brazil from 2003 to 2010, said Friday he feared the incumbent would create “turmoil” if he lost. Some fear a possible Brazilian version of the unrest that rocked the United States last year after Bolsonaro’s political role model, Donald Trump, refused to accept electoral defeat. “You always have to brace for trouble with Bolsonaro — he’s capable of anything,” 52-year-old retiree Anderson Momesso told the AFP news agency at the Lula rally. But 29-year-old teacher Ully Kotler said she was confident the “complete tragedy” of Bolsonaro’s government had left him so isolated that “all he can do is stomp his feet and threaten a coup — it won’t go much beyond that.” Bolsonaro’s popularity has been dented by a weak economy and his chaotic management of Covid-19. READ MORE: Brazil judge restricts gun access as fears grow of violence in elections READ MORE: Bolsonaro backer ‘axes’ Lula fan to death as Brazil election nears Source: AFP Read More…

Former Federal Prosecutor Scoffs At Trump's Lawyer Reportedly Trying To Keep Him From Attacking DOJ In Mar-A-Lago Probe: 'Bless You, Good Luck' https://digitalalabamanews.com/former-federal-prosecutor-scoffs-at-trumps-lawyer-reportedly-trying-to-keep-him-from-attacking-doj-in-mar-a-lago-probe-bless-you-good-luck/ © Alex Kent/Getty Images Former federal prosecutor scoffs at Trump’s lawyer reportedly trying to keep him from attacking DOJ in Mar-a-Lago probe: ‘Bless you, good luck’ An ex-federal prosecutor wished the best of luck to Trump’s attorneys, who are attempting to keep from attacking the DOJ. A recent report revealed a division within Trump’s legal team amid the Mar-a-Lago investigation. A former federal prosecutor sneered at Donald Trump’s lawyers attempting to rein in the former president as he battles Justice Department in federal court over the Mar-a-Lago raid. During a Saturday interview on MSNBC’s “The Katie Phang Show,” Phang asked ex-US Attorney Barbara McQuade about a recent Washington Post report highlighting that Trump’s lawyers are divided on handling the case. “I say, Katie, to those lawyers who joined in good faith and think they’re going to change Donald Trump: bless you, good luck — here we go again,” McQuade said. “Donald Trump has one mode, it is all offense all the time.” In August, the FBI raided Trump’s Florida estate and found classified documents, including some labeled as top secret, resulting in the DOJ launching an investigation. On Friday, the agency asked the court to speed up the appeal to appoint a special master to review the documents seized from Trump’s home to continue their probe. Trump attorney Christopher Kise, who received $3 million to represent the former president, wants Trump to have a new, less aggressive stance with the DOJ, The Washington Post reported, citing sources familiar with the matter. However, according to the report, other lawyers on the legal team have been critical of Kise’s strategy and are open to a more combative approach. McQuade suggested Kise’s method might be fruitless. “And anyone who thinks he is going to change him, you know, it’s like the woman who marries the man and says ‘I’m going to change him.’ Like, no. People are who they are,” McQuade told MSNBC.” At this point in life, shame on him for not knowing who Donald Trump is.” Microsoft and partners may be compensated if you purchase something through recommended links in this article. Read More…

Judge Denies Motion To Dismiss Wrongful Death Suit In Killing Of Huffman Student Courtlin Arrington https://digitalalabamanews.com/judge-denies-motion-to-dismiss-wrongful-death-suit-in-killing-of-huffman-student-courtlin-arrington/ A Jefferson County Circuit Court judge denied a motion to dismiss the wrongful death lawsuit filed against former Birmingham City Schools Superintendent Lisa Herring and Huffman High School Principal Douglas Lyons by the family of Courtlin Arrington, the 17-year-old who was shot and killed by a Huffman classmate in March 2018. Judge Marshell Jackson Hatcher ruled Friday that Tynesha Tatum, Arrington’s mother, who filed the lawsuit in 2019 in conjunction with her daughter, identified in the lawsuit as G.T., “has met her burden of establishing material issues and facts.” On Wednesday, March 7, 2018, Arrington, then a junior, was shot by classmate Michael Barber Jr., outside a classroom at the school. In the ruling, Judge Hatcher noted that Barber brought a gun into the school through a side door that afternoon when he and a friend were allowed in by another student. Barber later said he carried the gun, a 9mm highpoint, for protection, and tucked it into his shorts. Arrington and other students were outside a classroom when they encountered Barber. She “spotted the handgun in Barber’s shorts,” Hatcher wrote, adding. “According to Barber, Arrington was able to see the gun. When Barber took the handgun out of his shorts to show it to Arrington, the gun fired, shooting Arrington and killing her.” In June 2019, a Jefferson County jury found Barber, 18, guilty of criminally negligent homicide, a Class A misdemeanor. He was originally charged with reckless manslaughter, a Class B felony that would have carried a sentence of up to 20 years in prison. That August, Barber was sentenced to one year in the Jefferson County Jail, the allowable maximum under the law. In the lawsuit, filed in May 2018, attorneys Courtney French and U.W. Clemon, who are representing Tatum and her daughter, claim Herring and Lyons “willfully, maliciously, and in bad faith failed to provide adequate and reasonable safety and security of students at Huffman High School and failed to implement adequate safety precautions to guard against acts of violence.” They also argued that Herring and Lyons “acted beyond their authority” and “thereby lost the benefit of state-aided immunity that would have otherwise been available to them.” Arguments regarding the motion to dismiss were made before Hatcher in June 2022. In the ruling, the judge noted: “Defendants argue that they are entitled to immunity from damage claimed predicated on their alleged failure to put in place adequate plans or regulations to effectively implement statutory goals. Yet in Defendant Herring’s deposition testimony, she testified that back in March 2018 there were no policies related to school safety, security or emergency preparedness, only practices, regulations and procedures.” The defendants also argued, Hatcher wrote “that educators cannot be held liable for the criminal acts of third persons,” citing the 1991 Alabama case W.L.O. v Smith. Hatcher, however, cited two Alabama cases involving criminal acts by a student against another student that “found that educators were not entitled to state-agent immunity at the summary judgment stage.” In the ruling, Hatcher ordered the parties to meet with her this upcoming Thursday to determine a trial date. If you purchase a product or register for an account through one of the links on our site, we may receive compensation. Read More…

US Forecast https://digitalalabamanews.com/us-forecast-50/ 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;66;47;60;38;Mostly cloudy;N;7;60%;4%;1 Albuquerque, NM;79;57;77;57;Periods of sun, nice;SE;9;43%;42%;4 Anchorage, AK;50;41;48;41;An afternoon shower;NNE;6;78%;88%;0 Asheville, NC;58;48;59;50;Cloudy and cool;NW;8;82%;83%;1 Atlanta, GA;76;53;74;53;Mostly sunny;N;8;62%;5%;5 Atlantic City, NJ;67;61;63;53;Windy with rain;NNE;26;92%;99%;1 Austin, TX;88;55;88;57;Mostly sunny;ENE;5;36%;2%;6 Baltimore, MD;63;56;58;48;Rain;NNE;14;85%;99%;1 Baton Rouge, LA;84;51;84;55;Sunny and pleasant;N;7;45%;4%;6 Billings, MT;56;47;61;48;A thundershower;WSW;7;82%;88%;1 Birmingham, AL;79;51;78;54;Mostly sunny;NNE;9;52%;7%;6 Bismarck, ND;73;49;75;53;Thickening clouds;NE;10;56%;87%;4 Boise, ID;74;50;77;50;Sunny and pleasant;ENE;8;39%;0%;4 Boston, MA;58;50;57;47;Mostly cloudy, windy;NE;22;64%;15%;1 Bridgeport, CT;57;51;59;44;Periods of rain;NNE;18;71%;98%;1 Buffalo, NY;65;49;57;40;Breezy with some sun;NE;14;59%;9%;4 Burlington, VT;65;43;57;32;Partly sunny;N;10;49%;4%;4 Caribou, ME;63;33;53;27;Mostly sunny;NNW;9;48%;3%;4 Casper, WY;63;38;71;41;Warmer;WSW;12;57%;34%;4 Charleston, SC;77;60;76;58;Increasing clouds;NNW;8;65%;10%;6 Charleston, WV;56;51;60;50;Rain and drizzle;N;7;90%;98%;1 Charlotte, NC;68;50;66;54;Cloudy;N;8;71%;83%;1 Cheyenne, WY;66;45;67;46;A t-storm around;W;10;60%;48%;3 Chicago, IL;68;56;66;51;Partly sunny, breezy;ENE;15;64%;8%;4 Cleveland, OH;64;56;61;48;Windy;NE;19;69%;11%;4 Columbia, SC;72;54;74;57;Clouds and sun;N;6;65%;9%;4 Columbus, OH;66;53;68;46;Sunny intervals;NNE;10;59%;5%;3 Concord, NH;61;45;57;31;Partly sunny;NNE;10;55%;3%;4 Dallas-Ft. Worth, TX;80;56;86;57;Plenty of sunshine;ESE;7;32%;1%;6 Denver, CO;75;48;69;50;Rather cloudy;SSW;6;55%;28%;2 Des Moines, IA;71;51;76;52;Sunlit and pleasant;SE;7;45%;9%;4 Detroit, MI;69;51;65;43;Mostly sunny;NE;11;53%;12%;4 Dodge City, KS;86;51;86;52;Mostly sunny;SSE;13;29%;1%;5 Duluth, MN;57;51;59;53;Low clouds may break;ENE;9;83%;83%;3 El Paso, TX;87;63;85;61;Mostly sunny;ESE;10;34%;31%;6 Fairbanks, AK;50;37;47;36;Rain and drizzle;N;5;75%;82%;0 Fargo, ND;72;52;77;56;Mostly sunny, breezy;SSE;15;48%;31%;3 Grand Junction, CO;68;53;71;52;A t-storm around;SE;9;68%;83%;4 Grand Rapids, MI;71;49;66;39;Mostly sunny;ENE;9;63%;11%;4 Hartford, CT;62;50;60;43;A little a.m. rain;NNE;17;64%;73%;1 Helena, MT;55;47;60;49;Cloudy with a shower;SE;6;77%;96%;1 Honolulu, HI;88;74;85;74;A couple of showers;NE;7;75%;98%;2 Houston, TX;84;57;87;60;Partly sunny;NE;6;42%;5%;6 Indianapolis, IN;73;52;71;48;Sunny and pleasant;NE;10;59%;5%;4 Jackson, MS;82;49;84;55;Sunny and beautiful;N;7;45%;3%;6 Jacksonville, FL;86;59;83;62;Sunny and pleasant;NNE;7;56%;9%;6 Juneau, AK;56;44;53;41;Decreasing clouds;NE;5;76%;34%;2 Kansas City, MO;78;51;81;53;Plenty of sunshine;ESE;6;39%;5%;5 Knoxville, TN;61;52;64;52;Mostly cloudy;NNE;7;75%;83%;1 Las Vegas, NV;95;71;95;71;Partly sunny and hot;NNW;8;27%;4%;5 Lexington, KY;73;52;70;50;Sun and some clouds;NNE;11;63%;4%;4 Little Rock, AR;83;50;85;54;Sunny and nice;NNE;7;41%;1%;5 Long Beach, CA;75;63;76;64;Low clouds breaking;WSW;6;66%;0%;5 Los Angeles, CA;78;62;77;63;Turning sunny;SW;7;74%;1%;5 Louisville, KY;76;52;74;50;Mostly sunny;NNE;8;55%;3%;5 Madison, WI;68;48;69;46;Partly sunny;E;6;66%;8%;4 Memphis, TN;77;54;83;57;Sunny and pleasant;NNE;9;38%;1%;5 Miami, FL;83;73;85;70;A couple of showers;S;7;66%;90%;7 Milwaukee, WI;66;53;63;49;Partly sunny;ENE;10;75%;12%;4 Minneapolis-St. Paul, MN;72;53;74;55;Turning sunny;SE;9;50%;10%;4 Mobile, AL;84;54;85;58;Sunny and pleasant;N;8;44%;8%;6 Montgomery, AL;84;52;80;54;Mostly sunny, nice;NNE;7;50%;11%;6 Mt. Washington, NH;49;30;35;27;Colder;NE;14;56%;6%;3 Nashville, TN;78;49;78;51;Mostly sunny;NE;9;49%;1%;5 New Orleans, LA;83;63;83;65;Sunny and pleasant;N;8;43%;4%;6 New York, NY;62;53;58;48;Occasional rain;NNE;20;80%;98%;1 Newark, NJ;59;53;58;45;Periods of rain;NNE;20;76%;98%;1 Norfolk, VA;77;60;70;58;Rain and drizzle;N;7;82%;99%;1 Oklahoma City, OK;85;52;85;54;Sunny and warm;SE;7;33%;1%;5 Olympia, WA;79;49;80;49;Brilliant sunshine;NE;6;66%;5%;4 Omaha, NE;79;51;81;52;Sunshine, pleasant;SE;10;43%;8%;4 Orlando, FL;84;66;86;65;Sunny and pleasant;WNW;7;55%;7%;7 Philadelphia, PA;61;55;58;48;Occasional rain;NNE;19;80%;99%;1 Phoenix, AZ;96;77;97;77;Mostly sunny, warm;NNE;6;36%;18%;6 Pittsburgh, PA;55;51;62;46;Rain and drizzle;NNE;7;66%;68%;1 Portland, ME;61;46;56;38;Windy in the morning;NNE;16;55%;2%;4 Portland, OR;83;56;84;56;Sunny and very warm;NNE;6;53%;5%;4 Providence, RI;56;50;57;43;A little a.m. rain;NNE;19;71%;72%;1 Raleigh, NC;66;54;66;52;Cloudy;N;7;78%;86%;1 Reno, NV;77;45;80;45;Mostly sunny;WSW;6;33%;0%;5 Richmond, VA;71;58;62;50;Rain at times;N;7;93%;100%;1 Roswell, NM;86;56;83;53;Periods of sun;S;9;42%;3%;6 Sacramento, CA;88;56;86;56;Brilliant sunshine;SSW;6;52%;1%;5 Salt Lake City, UT;69;50;74;51;Mostly sunny;ESE;8;44%;0%;5 San Antonio, TX;89;56;86;59;Partly sunny;ENE;7;46%;1%;6 San Diego, CA;72;65;75;68;Low clouds may break;NW;8;69%;1%;4 San Francisco, CA;65;58;68;57;Low clouds breaking;W;10;66%;1%;4 Savannah, GA;82;58;79;58;Mostly sunny;NNW;7;65%;2%;6 Seattle-Tacoma, WA;77;56;79;56;Sunny;NNE;8;57%;5%;3 Sioux Falls, SD;80;53;78;54;Breezy;SSE;13;39%;10%;4 Spokane, WA;78;49;79;50;Partly sunny, warm;SE;5;53%;1%;4 Springfield, IL;74;46;75;48;Sunny and nice;NE;6;53%;2%;4 St. Louis, MO;74;47;77;50;Sunny and pleasant;NNE;7;48%;2%;5 Tampa, FL;84;65;87;63;Mostly sunny, nice;NW;6;60%;5%;7 Toledo, OH;70;51;67;43;Mostly sunny;NNE;8;58%;11%;4 Tucson, AZ;90;69;92;70;Mostly sunny;ESE;7;39%;27%;6 Tulsa, OK;84;49;85;51;Plenty of sunshine;E;6;40%;4%;5 Vero Beach, FL;84;67;87;64;Mostly sunny;WSW;8;63%;18%;7 Washington, DC;62;57;60;49;Rain;NNE;10;84%;99%;1 Wichita, KS;85;51;85;52;Plenty of sunshine;ESE;8;32%;3%;5 Wilmington, DE;62;55;58;48;Rain;NNE;19;85%;99%;1 _____ Copyright 2022 AccuWeather Read More…

Russian Forces Retreat From Strategic Donetsk City A Day After Moscow's Annexation Of The Region | CNN https://digitalalabamanews.com/russian-forces-retreat-from-strategic-donetsk-city-a-day-after-moscows-annexation-of-the-region-cnn/ Kyiv, Ukraine CNN  —  Russian forces retreated from Lyman, a strategic city for its operations in the east, the Russian defense ministry said Saturday, just a day after Moscow’s annexation of the region that’s been declared illegal by the West. “In connection with the creation of a threat of encirclement, allied troops were withdrawn from the settlement of Krasny Liman to more advantageous lines,” the ministry said on Telegram, using the Russian name for the town of Lyman. Russian state media Russia-24 reported that the reason for Russia’s withdrawal was because “the enemy used both Western-made artillery and intelligence from North Atlantic alliance countries.” The retreat marks Ukraine’s most significant gain since its successful counteroffensive in the northeastern Kharkiv region last month. Russia’s announcement comes just hours after Ukrainian forces said they had encircled Russian troops in the city, which is located in the Kramatorsk district of Donetsk. Ukrainian forces said earlier Saturday that they had entered Stavky, a village neighboring Lyman, according to Serhii Cherevatyi, the military spokesperson for the eastern grouping of Ukrainian forces. “The Russian group in the area of Lyman is surrounded. The settlements of Yampil, Novoselivka, Shandryholove, Drobysheve, and Stavky are liberated. Stabilization measures are ongoing there,” Cherevatyi said in a televised press conference on Saturday morning. “[The liberation] of Lyman is important, because it is another step towards the liberation of the Ukrainian Donbas. This is an opportunity to go further to Kreminna and Severodonetsk. Therefore, in turn, it is psychologically very important,” he said. Cherevatyi said the Ukrainian troops actions are setting the tone to “break the course of these hostilities.” He added that there had been “many killed and wounded,” but could not provide any further details. The head of Luhansk regional military administration Serhiy Hayday also revealed Saturday further details of the Lyman offensive, suggesting Russian forces had offered to retreat, but to no avail from the Ukrainian side. “Occupiers asked [their command] for possibility to retreat, and they have been refused. Accordingly, they have two options. No, they actually have three options. Try to break through, surrender, or everyone there will die,” Hayday said. “There are several thousand of them. Yes, about 5,000. There is no exact number yet. Five thousand is still a colossal grouping. There has never been such a large group in the encirclement before. All routes for the supply of ammunition or the retreat of the group are all completely blocked,” he added. Yurii Mysiagin, Ukrainian member of Parliament and deputy head of the parliament’s committee on national security, referenced the move into Stavky on Saturday by publishing a video on Telegram showing a Ukrainian tank moving up the road with a clear sign indicating the region of Stavky. CNN could not independently verify the original source or the date. A video posted on social media, and shared by President Volodymyr Zelensky’s chief of staff, shows two Ukrainian soldiers standing on a military vehicle attaching the flag with tape to a large sign with the word “Lyman.” “We are unfurling our country’s flag and planting it on our land. On Lyman. Everything will be Ukraine,” one of the soldiers says to the camera. Meanwhile, pressure appears to be growing on Russian President Vladimir Putin to use nuclear weapons on the battlefield. Ramzan Kadyrov, leader of the Chechen republic, in an angry statement slamming Russian generals in the wake of the withdrawal from Lyman, said it was time for the Kremlin to make use of every weapon at his disposal. “In my personal opinion we need to take more drastic measures, including declaring martial law in the border territories and using low-yield nuclear weapons,” Kadyrov said on his Telegram channel. “There is no need to make every decision with the Western American community in mind.” Earlier this week, Dmitry Medvedev, who served as Russia’s President between 2008 and 2012, discussed nuclear weapons use on his Telegram channel, saying it was permitted if the existence of the Russian state was threatened by an attack even by conventional forces. “If the threat to Russia exceeds our established threat limit, we will have to respond … this is certainly not a bluff,” he wrote. Concerns have risen sharply that Moscow could resort to nuclear weapons use after Putin’s proclamation on Friday that Russia would seize nearly a fifth of Ukraine, declaring that the millions of people living there would be Russian citizens “forever.” The announcement was dismissed as illegal by the United States and many other countries, but the fear is the Kremlin might argue that attacks on those territories now constitute attacks on Russia. In his speech in the Kremlin, the Russian leader made only passing reference to nuclear weapons, noting the United States was the only country to have used them on the battlefield. “By the way, they created a precedent,” he added. Also on Saturday, the director-general of Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant was detained by a Russian patrol, according to the president of state nuclear company Energoatom. Director-General Ihor Murashov was in his vehicle on his way from the plant when he was “stopped … taken out of the car, and with his eyes blindfolded he was driven in an unknown direction. For the time being there is no information on his fate,” Energoatom’s Petro Kotin said in a statement. “Murashov is a licensed person and bears main and exclusive responsibility for the nuclear and radiation safety of the Zaporizhzhya NPP,” Kotin said, adding, that his detention “jeopardizes the safety of operation of Ukraine and Europe’s largest nuclear power plant.” Kotin called for Murashov’s release, and urged the director-general of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to “take all possible immediate actions to urgently free” him. Ukraine’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs “strongly” condemned Murashov’s “illegal detention,” calling it a “another manifestation of state terrorism from the side of Russia and a gross violation of international law.” “We call on the international community, in particular the UN, the IAEA and the G7, to also take decisive measures to this end,” the ministry said in a statement. And in Kharkiv, the Regional Prosecutor’s Office said Saturday that the bodies of 22 civilians, including 10 children, were found following Russian shelling on a convoy of cars near the eastern town of Kupiansk. The cars were shot by the Russian army on September 25 “when civilians were trying to evacuate,” it said in a Telegram post, adding that an investigation was ongoing. Ukraine’s Security Service (SBU) and police had “discovered a convoy of seven cars that had been shot dead near the village of Kurylivka, Kupiansk district,” on Friday, Kharkiv Regional Prosecutor’s Office said. The SBU confirmed on Telegram they would be investigating a “war crime” where at least 20 people died in “a brutal attack.” CNN could not independently verify the allegations. There has been no official Russian response to the claims made. Read More…

Michigan Republicans Look For Boost From Trump At Saturday Night Rally https://digitalalabamanews.com/michigan-republicans-look-for-boost-from-trump-at-saturday-night-rally/ Warren — Top Michigan GOP nominees contended a Saturday night rally with former President Donald Trump in Macomb County would help motivate their party’s base and eventually benefit on election night. At about 3:30 p.m., hundreds of people were entering the Macomb County Community College Sports and Expo Center in Warren to hear speeches from Trump, Republican candidate for governor Tudor Dixon and others. The event was taking place 38 days before a pivotal election, in which the GOP is hoping to unseat three Democrats who hold the battleground state’s top offices. Republican secretary of state candidate Kristina Karamo said she was planning to use the event with Trump to energize supporters to go out and knock doors and talk to voters in her bid to unseat Democratic Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson. “It galvanizes the troops,” said Karamo, an educator from Oak Park. “It gets people involved. It helps spread the message.” Dixon, a political commentator and businesswoman from Norton Shores, is taking on Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer. And Republican Matt DePerno, a Kalamazoo lawyer, is opposing Democratic Attorney General Dana Nessel. Karamo, Dixon and DePerno have all been endorsed by Trump and all are slated to speak at Saturday’s rally. The Democratic candidates have maintained leads in public polling. Whitmer was up by 13 percentage points, according to an Aug. 29 through Sept. 1 survey by The Detroit News and WDIV-TV. The poll had a margin of error of plus or minus 4 percentage points. Dixon’s running mate, former state Rep. Shane Hernandez, participated in a tailgate in a parking lot outside the rally Saturday afternoon. Hernandez, R-Port Huron, said Trump’s appearance would bring excitement to the Michigan campaigns and get the grassroots of the party involved. “The message is what people are talking about at their kitchen table: education, public safety, the economy,” Hernandez said. Ads promoting Dixon would ramp up soon, Hernandez predicted. So far, Democrats have spent millions of dollars on TV commercials promoting Whitmer and criticizing Dixon’s opposition to abortion in almost all cases, but Dixon’s side has been relatively quiet. Trump won Michigan by less than 1 percentage point over Democrat Hillary Clinton in 2016 but lost the state to Democrat Joe Biden by 3 points in 2020. Trump has repeatedly made unproven claims that fraud cost him the 2020 race in Michigan. However, bipartisan boards of canvassers, a series of court rulings and investigation by the GOP-controlled state Senate Oversight Committee have upheld the result. In a statement Saturday, the Michigan Democratic Party accused Dixon, whom Trump has endorsed, of having “a long history of pushing baseless lies about the integrity of the 2020 election.” “For years, Dixon has stoked public distrust in the democratic process and spread lies about Michigan’s elections with absolutely no proof to back up her claims,” the party’s statement said. Jack Lodato of Eastpointe said he came to Saturday’s rally to support Trump, whom he described as “my president.” He was wearing a shirt that suggested Trump would run again, with Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis as his running mate, in 2024. “I believe he’s going to run. And I think he’s going to win,” Lodato said. Also, waiting to enter the venue Saturday was Sharon Anderson, a retiree who traveled from Tennessee. Anderson said it was her 29th Trump rally and she camped outside three nights in anticipation of the event. Anderson said she came to support “the best president in the history of this country.” There were other Trump allies from out of state, including My Pillow founder Mike Lindell and Georgia U.S. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, in Macomb County on Saturday. “I am traveling to as many of these rallies and to as many states as I can to support Republicans because I cannot believe what has happened to our country in less than two years,” Taylor Greene told reporters. Trump was scheduled to speak at about 7 p.m. Saturday night. DePerno predicted the Trump’s rally would have a “significant impact” on the Michigan races. Trump coming to the state would provide “at least a 4-point swing in terms of public perception or polling,” DePerno said. “It will energize the base to get out there over the next 39 days or so and work very hard, knocking on doors, making phone calls, passing out literature and connecting with the voters,” DePerno said. Trump last visited Michigan on April 2 for a rally in Washington Township. cmauger@detroitnews.com Read More…

AP News Summary At 4:39 P.m. EDT https://digitalalabamanews.com/ap-news-summary-at-439-p-m-edt/ Russia withdraws troops after Ukraine encircles key city KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — After being encircled by Ukrainian forces, Russia has pulled troops out from an eastern Ukrainian city that it had been using as a front-line hub. It was the latest victory for the Ukrainian counteroffensive that has humiliated and angered the Kremlin. The city of Lyman was a key transportation hub for the Russian front line. A day earlier Moscow had annexed as part of Russia. Kyiv has retaken vast swaths of territory beginning in September. With Lyman recaptured, Ukraine can now push further into the occupied Luhansk region, one of the four regions that Russia annexed Friday. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and his military have vowed to keep fighting to liberate all regions from Russian control. Ian leaves dozens dead as focus turns to rescue, recovery FORT MYERS, Fla. (AP) — Rescuers continue to search for survivors in flooded homes in Florida after Hurricane Ian’s passage earlier this week. Meanwhile, authorities in South Carolina began the long process of assessing damage Saturday. The powerful storm terrorized millions of people for most of the week and officials say it’s blamed for at least 34 deaths overall, 27 of them in Florida, four in North Carolina and three in Cuba. But authorities say they expect the death toll to rise further. As of Saturday, more than 1,000 people had been rescued from flooded homes near Florida’s southwestern coast alone. Ian shows the risks and costs of living on barrier islands SANIBEL ISLAND, Fla. (AP) — Experts say that Hurricane Ian is shining a spotlight once again on the vulnerability of the nation’s barrier islands and the increasing cost of people living on them. Florida’s Sanibel Island was hard hit by the storm. Homes were destroyed. Two people have been confirmed dead. And Sanibel’s lone bridge to the mainland collapsed. Barrier island communities like Sanibel anchor tourist economies that provide crucial tax dollars. But the cost of rebuilding them is often high because they’re home to many high-value properties. Jesse Keenan is a real estate professor at Tulane University. He questions whether such communities can keep rebuilding as hurricanes become more and more destructive from climate change. Despite Ian’s punch, wedding day saved on wet Pawleys Island PAWLEYS ISLAND, S.C. (AP) — Hurricane Ian almost derailed plans for one couple to wed in South Carolina on Saturday. Two families traveled to the island from Texas and North Carolina and were staying in neighboring Pawleys Island homes when Ian barreled toward the coast. Everyone gathered for a rehearsal dinner on Friday off the island but then couldn’t come back to retrieve bridesmaids dresses and other gear after the storm shut off access to the beach town. A Good Samaritan on Saturday was able to bring the dresses, tuxedos and some decor to the waiting families. Russia blindfolds, detains Ukraine nuclear plant chief KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Ukraine’s nuclear power provider says Russian forces blindfolded and detained the head of Europe’s largest nuclear power plant hours after Moscow illegally annexed a swath of Ukrainian territory. In a possible attempt to secure Moscow’s hold on the newly annexed territory, Russian forces seized the director-general of the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant, Ihor Murashov, around 4 p.m. Friday. Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday signed treaties to absorb Luhansk, Donetsk, Kherson and Zaporizhzhia regions of Ukraine, including the area around the nuclear plant. The International Atomic Energy Agency said Saturday that Russia told it that “the director-general of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant was temporarily detained to answer questions.” Venezuela releases 7 jailed Americans; US frees 2 prisoners WASHINGTON (AP) — Venezuela’s government has freed seven Americans imprisoned in the South American country in exchange for the release of two nephews of President Nicolás Maduro’s wife who had been jailed for years by the United States on drug smuggling convictions. The swap of the Americans, including five oil executives imprisoned for nearly five years, is the largest trade of detained citizens that the Biden administration has ever carried out. It amounts to an unusual gesture of goodwill by Maduro as he looks to rebuild relations with the U.S. after vanquishing most of his opponents and follows months of secretive talks, including repeated visits to Venezuela over the last year by Washington’s top hostage negotiator. Trump at center of Oath Keepers novel defense in Jan. 6 case WASHINGTON (AP) — The defense team in the Capitol riot trial of the Oath Keepers leader is relying on an unusual strategy with Donald Trump at the center. Lawyers for Stewart Rhodes are poised to argue that jurors cannot find him guilty of seditious conspiracy because all the actions he took before the riot were in preparation for orders he anticipated from the then-president. But those orders never came. Rhodes and four associates are accused of plotting for weeks to stop the transfer of presidential power, culminating with Oath Keepers in battle gear storming the Capitol alongside hundreds of other Trump supporters on Jan. 6, 2021. Opening statements in the trial are set to begin Monday. GOP attacks Georgia’s Abrams on voting as judge rejects suit ATLANTA (AP) — Republicans are using the defeat of a voting suit brought by a group founded by Georgia Democrat Stacey Abrams to attack her legitimacy as a voting rights advocate. They say a judge’s rejection on Friday of the last remaining claims in a suit brought by Fair Fight Action shows that Abrams was wrong all along to claim that she lost the 2018 Georgia governor’s race to Republican Brian Kemp because of voter suppression by Kemp. But Abrams is far from backing down from her position, and says she won a number of victories that made elections fairer. Her advocacy has also helped make voting rights a defining issue for Black voters in Georgia. Supreme Court poised to keep marching to right in new term WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court begins a new term on Monday at a time of diminished public confidence and justices sparring openly over the institution’s legitimacy. The court seems poised to push American law to the right on issues of race, voting and the environment. Back in June, the conservative majority overturned nearly 50 years of constitutional protections for abortion rights. Now, the court is diving back in with an aggressive agenda that appears likely to split the six conservative justices from the three liberals. Joining the nine-member court is new Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson, the court’s first Black woman. Fortunes reverse for ex-judge and Brazil president he jailed CURITIBA, Brazil (AP) — When federal judge Sergio Moro resigned to enter politics, many in Brazil believed the anti-corruption crusader who jailed a popular former president could someday occupy the nation’s most powerful office. But on the eve of Brazil’s general election Sunday, the once-revered magistrate was fighting what polls showed was a losing battle for a Senate seat. And the leftist leader he jailed, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, wasn’t just walking free — he was expected to waltz back into the presidential palace. Their reversal of fortunes underscores Brazilians’ shifting priorities since Moro oversaw the massive graft investigation that landed da Silva behind bars. The head of Transparency International in Brazil says voters are more concerned  jobs, income and inflation. Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Read More…

Trump At Center Of Oath Keepers Novel Defense In Jan. 6 Case https://digitalalabamanews.com/trump-at-center-of-oath-keepers-novel-defense-in-jan-6-case/ The defense team in the Capitol riot trial of the Oath Keepers leader is relying on an unusual strategy with Donald Trump at the center. Lawyers for Stewart Rhodes, founder of the extremist group, are poised to argue that jurors cannot find him guilty of seditious conspiracy because all the actions he took before the siege on Jan. 6, 2021, were in preparation for orders he anticipated from the then-president — orders that never came. Rhodes and four associates are accused of plotting for weeks to stop the transfer of presidential power from the Republican incumbent to Democrat Joe Biden, culminating with Oath Keepers in battle gear storming the Capitol alongside hundreds of other Trump supporters. Opening statements in the trial are set to begin Monday. Rhodes intends to take the stand to argue he believed Trump was going to invoke the Insurrection Act to call up a militia to support him, his lawyers have said. Trump didn’t do that, but Rhodes’ team says that what prosecutors allege was an illegal conspiracy was “actually lobbying and preparation for the President to utilize” the law. It’s a novel legal argument in a trial that’s one of the most serious cases coming out of the Capitol attack. “This is an incredibly complicated defense of theory and I don’t think that it’s ever played out in this fashion in American jurisprudence,” one of Rhodes’ lawyers, James Lee Bright, told The Associated Press. The Insurrection Act gives a president broad authority to call up the military and decide what shape that force will take. Trump did float that kind of action at other points in his presidency. To succeed with this line of defense, Bright would have to convince a jury that Rhodes was waiting on the go-ahead from the president, which could be a major hurdle. Rhodes’ lawyers have argued Trump could have called up a militia in response to “what he perceived as a conspiracy to deprive a class of persons in several states of their voting rights.” Rhodes published an open letter on the Oath Keepers’ website in December 2020 urging Trump to use the Insurrection Act to “‘stop the steal’ and defeat the coup.” If Rhodes testifies, he could face intense questioning from prosecutors, who say his own words show the Oath Keepers would act no matter what Trump did. Bright said Rhodes, a Yale Law School graduate, understands the risks of testifying but has insisted since the first day they met that he be able to “speak his piece.” Rhodes and his associates — Kelly Meggs, Thomas Caldwell, Jessica Watkins and Kenneth Harrelson — are the first Jan. 6 defendants to be tried on seditious conspiracy, a rarely used Civil War-era charge that can be difficult to prove. The defense would have to convince the jury that the Oath Keepers really intended to defend the government, not use force against it, said David Alan Sklansky, a former federal prosecutor who’s now a professor at Stanford Law School. “If you think you are plotting to help protect the government, there is an argument that that means you don’t have the required guilty mindset that’s necessary in order to be guilty of seditious conspiracy,” he said. Court records show the Oath Keepers repeatedly warning of the prospect of violence if Biden were to become president. The Oath Keepers amassed weapons and stationed armed “quick reaction force” teams at a Virginia hotel in case they were needed, prosecutors say. Among those likely to testify against Rhodes are three of his former followers, including one who has said Rhodes instructed them to be ready to use lethal force if necessary to keep Trump in the White House. Defense lawyers say the quick reaction force teams were defensive forces only to be used if Trump invoked the Insurrection Act. If Rhodes really wanted to lead a revolution, his lawyers say there was no better opportunity to deploy the quick reaction force than when hundreds of people were storming the Capitol. But the Oath Keepers never did. “The conditions would never be better. Yet, Rhodes and the others left the Capitol grounds and went to Olive Garden for dinner,” they’ve written in court papers. Rhodes never went into the Capitol and has said that the Oath Keepers who did acted on their own. From taking no action to adding “fuel to the flames,” the House select committee laid out former President Donald Trump’s movements during the U.S. Capitol riot on Jan. 6, 2021. The Insurrection Act is shorthand for a series of statutes that Congress passed between 1792 and 1871 defining when military force can be used in the United States by the federal government, said University of Texas law professor Stephen Vladeck. The Act does give the president wide discretion to decide when military force is necessary, and what qualifies as military force, Vladeck said. The last time the Insurrection Act was used was in May of 1992, by President George H.W. Bush to call out the military to respond to Los Angeles riots after the acquittal of white police officers accused in the beating of Black motorist Rodney King. Even if Trump had acted, prosecutors would still have a strong case that the Oath Keepers tried to keep Congress from carrying out its responsibilities as part of the transfer of presidential power, Vladeck said. Even if the president could authorize their actions, the Oath Keepers could still have been — as the law puts it — forcibly opposing other elements of the government, he said. “The government of the United States is more than just the president,” Vladeck said. Michael Weinstein, a former Justice Department prosecutor, agreed that Rhodes’ argument is not likely to win over a jury. But that may not be his only goal. “I think it’s going to be a little bit of a show trial for him,” said Weinstein, now a criminal defense lawyer in New Jersey. “This is his opportunity to really promote himself and his philosophy and make himself out to be a bit of a martyr.” Trump did talk about sending in U.S. troops to American cities in summer 2020 as protesters filled the streets in the wake of George Floyd’s death at the hands of a police officer, an action that would have come under the Insurrection Act. He never did. Los Angeles-based defense lawyer Nina Marino said the Insurrection Act defense could work. “I think it’s a great defense from the 1800s resurrected into 2022,” she said. But she added: “If there’s evidence that they would have done it anyway, then I think that really, really damages the defense.” Prosecutors have already pointed to a message from December 2020 that Rhodes wrote, saying Trump “needs to know that if he fails to act, then we will.” Days before the riot, Rhodes warned that the “final nail” would be put in the “coffin of this Republic,” unless they fought their way out. “With Trump (preferably) or without him, we have no choice,” Rhodes wrote in a chat, according to court papers. He added: “Be prepared for a major let down on the 6-8th. And get ready to do it OURSELVES.” ___ This story has been corrected to show the Insurrection Act is shorthand for a series of statutes that Congress passed between 1792 and 1871, not 1872. ____ Richer reported from Boston. Associated Press writer Michael Kunzelman contributed to this report. ___ For full coverage of the Capitol riot, go to https://www.apnews.com/capitol-siege Read More…

Chris Fowler Offers Lee Corso Update After Analyst Misses ‘GameDay’ Broadcast https://digitalalabamanews.com/chris-fowler-offers-lee-corso-update-after-analyst-misses-gameday-broadcast/ Alabama Football Updated: Oct. 01, 2022, 1:46 p.m.| Published: Oct. 01, 2022, 1:39 p.m. A “relieved” Chris Fowler took to Twitter to give fans an update on ESPN “College GameDay” analyst Lee Corso. Corso missed Saturday’s live show at Bowman Field in Clemson because of a health issue. Rece Davis has been the host of “College GameDay” since 2015. From 1990 to 2014, Chris Fowler hosted the show. Fowler took to Twitter Saturday afternoon to share an update after talking to Corso. RELATED: “GameDay” predicts Alabama-Arkansas, Auburn-LSU games Fowler, who hosted “GameDay” from 1990 to 2014, shared that Corso had some tests done and they came back positive. Corso is feeling well but disappointed he was unable to make a headgear pick for the Clemson-NC State game. “He wasn’t able to be on ‘GameDay’ this morning,” Fowler explained. “Something didn’t seem right today. He just wanted to have some tests done. They did those tests. He’s feeling fine. He’s in good spirits. He was making jokes on the phone. “It bothers him not to be able to be there and make the headgear pick of the Clemson Tigers along with Christian Wilkins, but he did the right thing.” He went on to say that Corso values his privacy but wanted fans to know he is doing OK and appreciate all the support. “It’s all good,” Fowler said. “Coach is fine. Appreciates your support. Like I said, I’m relieved he is his old self making jokes.” Mark Heim is a sports reporter for The Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter @Mark_Heim. If you purchase a product or register for an account through one of the links on our site, we may receive compensation. Read More…

Supreme Court To Grapple With Race, Elections In New Term As Battle Over Abortion Lingers https://digitalalabamanews.com/supreme-court-to-grapple-with-race-elections-in-new-term-as-battle-over-abortion-lingers/ Affirmative action and two major election cases are on the docket – along with a raging debate over just how far the high court’s conservative majority will go. The court’s recent decisions were celebrated on the right but polls show public confidence tanked. Race will be a major theme this term with challenges over affirmative action and minority voting. Another element to watch: How Justice Jackson’s arrival changes the high court. WASHINGTON – The Supreme Court will grapple with race, LGBTQ rights and election rules in a fraught new term that begins Monday, even as the justices and the nation wrestle with the fallout from the decision in June to overturn Roe v. Wade. With affirmative action on the docket, along with immigration and a case about whether businesses may deny services for same-sex weddings, the high court isn’t shying from opportunities to leave a mark once again on America’s economy, culture and politics. But as the nine justices take their seats Monday, the consequences of the previous term remain at the forefront of public awareness. The decision to wipe away the constitutional right to abortion established by Roe in 1973 has upended midterm election campaigns, sparked a dizzying series of changes to state abortion laws and added to a sense that the court’s 6-3 conservative majority is just getting started. “There’s no reason to think this coming term or any term in the foreseeable future will be any different,” said Irv Gornstein, a law professor and executive director of Georgetown University’s Supreme Court Institute. “On things that matter most, get ready for a lot of 6-3s.” Recap: Supreme Court ends historic term with shift to the right on abortion, guns Race: Supreme Court’s affirmative action cases could affect hiring, employment Roe: Roberts tried to persuade rest of Supreme Court to keep Roe v. Wade in place Many of the court’s biggest decisions in June – such as to expand access to guns and further blur the line separating church and state – cleaved the six Republican-nominated justices from the three-member liberal bloc, escalating a debate over the court’s fidelity to precedent and whether some of the vote splits have as much to do with the ideology of individual justices as with strict adherence to legal principles. A few of the justices themselves weighed in on that debate over the summer. Chief Justice John Roberts defended the court, arguing that critics shouldn’t question its legitimacy just because they disagree with an opinion. Associate Justice Elena Kagan appeared to contradict that assessment, warning that the court risks weakening its stature if the public views its work as political.  Though many of the court’s most controversial decisions last term were celebrated on the right, polls show public confidence took a hit. Four in 10 Americans said they approved of the Supreme Court in a recent Marquette Law School poll. That was a 26-percentage point slide from two years ago. Among the major cases this term: a free speech challenge to Colorado’s anti-discrimination law from a website developer who wants to deny her services for same-sex marriages because of her religious objections. President Joe Biden’s administration, meanwhile, is fending off a lawsuit from Texas and Louisiana over how much discretion the federal government has to prioritize certain immigrants for deportation. ‘The court should overrule it’ Just beyond the debate over the court’s legitimacy is a question about some of the justices’ commitment to precedent. Was the decision to overturn Roe a one-off, the result of the deeply personal and decadeslong battle over Roe? Or was it the first step in a long march to overturn numerous cases and systematically reshape constitutional law along more conservative lines?  The Supreme Court rarely overturns its decisions. The principle of stare decisis – the adherence to prior rulings – gives stability to the law. But “rarely” doesn’t mean “never.” “Litigants are much more aggressively inviting the court to reconsider and rewrite established precedent,” said David Cole, legal director at the American Civil Liberties Union, who regularly argues before the Supreme Court. “They see what the court did last term and they’re asking for more.” LGBTQ: Supreme Court to decide if businesses may decline same-sex weddings Guns: Will the Supreme Court wade into bump stock debate? Too late: Time is running out to block voting restrictions ahead of midterms Among the precedents most at risk is a 2003 ruling, Grutter v. Bollinger, that allowed universities to consider the race of applicants as one factor in admissions. Many colleges consider race to achieve diversity. But an anti-affirmative action group sued Harvard College and the University of North Carolina, asserting that that consideration discriminates against Asian American and other students. In its appeal to the Supreme Court, the group is asking for Grutter to be overruled, arguing the 5-4 decision was “wrong the day it was decided” and has “spawned significant negative consequences.” Harvard counters that Grutter was “resoundingly correct” and that admitting students “from all over the world who bring different backgrounds” is crucial to its mission.   The affirmative action cases could have sweeping implications not only for college admissions but also for the private sector. Several of the nation’s best-known companies – including Apple, General Electric, Google and Starbucks – are backing the schools. Precedent may also be in jeopardy in a major election case, Moore v. Harper. Republican lawmakers in North Carolina are asking the high court to rule that state legislatures have the power to change voting rules without oversight from state courts. The so-called independent state legislature theory is grounded in a clause in the Constitution that delegates responsibility for federal elections to state legislatures with oversight by Congress. That theory, opponents say, is tough to square with a 2015 decision in which a 5-4 majority of the Supreme Court upheld a commission that draws Arizona’s congressional districts – in other words, an entity that is not part of the state Legislature. The North Carolina lawmakers say a commission is different from a state court.  But if the Supreme Court ultimately decides the Arizona case is relevant, the lawmakers have a solution, which they raise in a footnote: “The court should overrule it.” Race takes center stage  Abortion was the dominant theme in the term that ended in June. This time, it is race that ties together many of the most significant questions before the high court. The 14th Amendment’s equal protection clause is central to the affirmative action litigation. It’s also key to another lawsuit dealing with elections.  In Merrill v. Milligan, scheduled for oral argument Tuesday, Alabama is defending a congressional redistricting map that includes one majority African American district out of seven, even though Black residents make up more than one quarter of the state’s population. A federal court in Birmingham in January said the state appeared to have given Black voters “less opportunity than other Alabamians to elect candidates of their choice” and ruled that the map probably violated the Voting Rights Act.  Explainer: How the Supreme Court is influencing the midterm elections Barrett: How Justice Barrett is wielding influence on the Supreme Court Federalist Society: Overturning Roe a triumph of long push by conservative legal movement Alabama counters that its map is substantially similar to the one the state has used for years. To draw what plaintiffs want – a map that includes two African American majority districts – would require officials to elevate race above every other factor mapmakers are supposed to consider in the redistricting process, the state says.  The decision could significantly change how much weight states give to race as they decide how neighborhoods are divvied up into congressional districts.  In another series of cases, the Supreme Court must decide whether a 1978 law intended to stop the forced removal of Native American children from their tribes violates the equal protection of rights. One of the law’s provisions requires preference be given to Native American families when a Native American child is placed for adoption. Non-Native families who sought to adopt Native American children say the law violates the Constitution because it gives a preference to one race over others. The Biden administration counters that the classification isn’t racial but rather is based on the fact that tribes are separate and sovereign.  “There are hundreds of adoptions that take place involving this law,” Lisa Blatt, a veteran Supreme Court litigator who argued a similar case before the court in 2013, said at a Georgetown Law School event. “It is of an enormous amount of importance to people who adopt children or want to give up their children for adoption.” New justice, different court?   Another dynamic to watch: How the court’s new associate justice, Ketanji Brown Jackson, changes the nation’s highest bench.  Jackson joined the court in June and has already taken part in a handful of emergency cases. But her first oral argument will coincide with the start of the term. And soon she’ll be writing opinions along with her colleagues. That will offer insight into a jurist who avoided hemming herself into any particular judicial philosophy during her confirmation hearings.  Because she was nominated by Biden and replaced retired Associate Justice Stephen Breyer, who was also nominated by a Democrat, her arrival isn’t expected to change outcomes in major cases.  But Jackson may exert influence in more subtle...

Forum: Pritzker Considering SAFE-T Act Changes; Bailey Urges Full Repeal https://digitalalabamanews.com/forum-pritzker-considering-safe-t-act-changes-bailey-urges-full-repeal/ Jerry Nowicki  |  Capitol News Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker is considering changes to the SAFE-T Act criminal justice reform to clarify provisions related to the end of cash bail in Illinois, while his Republican challenger, state Sen. Darren Bailey, continues to push for a full repeal. The candidates shared their thoughts Friday on those and other issues during a virtual forum organized by the Illinois Associated Press Media Editors. Questioners included representatives of Shaw Media, the Daily Herald in Arlington Heights, The State Journal-Register in Springfield and Capitol News Illinois. Pritzker has frequently stated he believes cash bail must end in favor of a system that prioritizes an accused person’s risk of reoffending or fleeing prosecution, and the SAFE-T Act does so. But nearly all the state’s prosecutors have warned that the system replacing the current pretrial detention language is too limiting for judges. The end of cash bail and more: What’s in Illinois’ SAFE-T Act? Inaccurate claims surrounding the SAFE-T Act have been rampant, with Bailey stating Friday he believed the intent of it was to let people who are being held in lieu of bail out of jail once it takes effect. Nothing in the law says that will happen, although an Illinois Supreme Court task force has encouraged lawmakers to clarify language regarding what happens Jan. 1. “And so there are proposals that have been made to make clarifications in the law to make sure that people understand very well that, no, this law does not create non-detainable offenses. And that, no, people are not going to be let out of jail on Jan. 1 – that’s not what the law does,” Pritzker said. The governor stopped short of endorsing a bill that would make changes to the SAFE-T Act that was filed last week by Champaign Democrat Scott Bennett, a former prosecutor. But he said it contains “simple to understand” clarifying language. Bennett’s bill, among other things, would clarify that the end of cash bail applies to those arrested after Jan. 1, 2023. “I haven’t gone through every provision that he has proposed, but I know that Senator Bennett, who was a prosecutor, a Democrat from Champaign and Vermillion counties, is somebody who is very careful in the way he approaches issues like this and I’m always open to working with people who are rational and reasonable in their proposals,” he said. But lawmakers aren’t scheduled to return to the Capitol until Nov. 15, a week after Election Day. Bailey, a farmer from downstate Xenia, said he’d like to see the governor call a special session ahead of the election to consider SAFE-T Act changes. But he hasn’t proposed any in bill form, and he said he’d favor a full repeal. He pointed to several endorsements from law enforcement groups. “So if I were governor right now, and if I were sitting here and people across this state were as concerned as they are about their safety, I’d call a special session right now ….” Bailey said. “It’s an election year, Gov. Pritzker. You’ve got a perfect opportunity to have a little political ploy here. Call session back in and let’s talk and let’s come up with solutions.” Bailey’s opening remarks focused on public safety, lamenting the volume of shootings in the city of Chicago. He said “law and order’s out of control,” and he’d bring back “hope” for Illinoisans by addressing it. “We’re going to do that by restoring education,” he said. “Our schools have been decimated the last four years. And we’re going to do that by allowing men and women to thrive and work and raise their families here in Illinois like they were once able to do and that’s no longer the case.” His public safety agenda doesn’t include gun regulation. He reiterated that he wants the state Firearm Owners Identification Act repealed, calling the ID cards a money grab. “Illinois has the most restrictive gun laws in the nation. The problem is those laws aren’t being honored and they’re not being followed,” Bailey said. Pritzker countered that the FOID law gives Illinois more background check authority than does federal law. He also argued in favor of banning assault-style rifles both statewide and nationally. “That should not be legal in the state of Illinois. It shouldn’t be legal nationally,” he said of the rifles. “There’s no reason that someone needs an assault weapon. It doesn’t have a sporting use. It doesn’t have a defense use.” Pritzker criticized Bailey as a “Trump extremist” in his opening remarks while also focusing on his record of paying down state debt, increasing education spending, erasing a bill backlog, raising the minimum wage and protecting abortion rights. He touted a $1.8 billion tax relief plan that will send direct payments to most Illinoisans, eliminate a state grocery tax for a year, put off a gas tax increase until next year and expand the state’s earned income tax credit. It’s a proposal Bailey supported despite voting against the general budget framework every year he has been in office since 2019. He contended that Illinois hasn’t had a balanced budget in 30 years, criticizing Pritzker for growing state spending during his term. Bailey contended the 2019 operating budget was $34 billion, although records from the Commission on Government Forecasting and Accountability show Illinois took in base revenues around $39 billion in Fiscal Year 2019, topping $40 billion with treasurer investments and interfund borrowing. State spending grew to $46.5 billion in the current operating budget, Fiscal Year 2023.  Bailey didn’t identify planned budget cuts but repeated his intent to install a new budgeting method to give more scrutiny to year-over-year spending.  “My administration will enact a zero-based budget where we will place knowledgeable, honorable, hardworking men and women as agency heads and they will begin to go to work with the zero-based budget and they will account for every dollar that’s going to be spent,” Bailey said. Bailey, who has the endorsements of the state’s anti-abortion groups, has been one of Illinois’ staunchest anti-abortion lawmakers. But he didn’t answer whether he’d sign a ban on the procedure. “Illinois has the most permissive abortion rights in the nation,” he said. “Women’s rights are well protected here. Nothing’s changing. I couldn’t change them on my own if I wanted to. Gov. Pritzker stays up at night and tries to think of new rights.” He criticized a law repealing a requirement that parents of minors seeking an abortion be notified and accused Pritzker of fearmongering before pivoting back to public safety. Pritzker said lawmakers continue to have working group discussions as to what new laws can be implemented to protect those rights, with some guidance from him.  “I’m focused and dedicated on preserving a woman’s right to choose and making sure that Illinois is a safe haven for people who seek to exercise what I think are basic constitutional rights over their own bodies,” he said. Bailey, who has passed two bills in the General Assembly since 2019, blamed that on the partisan makeup of the General Assembly and said as governor “communication and cooperation will be the key to my administration.” He also said Illinois has too many bills being filed and too many laws. Pritzker countered by pointing to the bipartisan accomplishments of his administration, including his first budget, the legalization of recreational marijuana and a $45 billion infrastructure plan that funded road, bridge, building and other projects across the state. It did so in part by doubling the motor fuel tax and expanding gambling. He also cited the infrastructure bill when asked how his administration prioritizes downstate communities. Bailey, he pointed out, voted against that plan. Pritzker specifically mentioned Shawneetown and Cairo port projects and a casino at the Walker’s Bluff resort, which he said will be major employers in southern Illinois. Bailey, who has frequently referred to Chicago as a hellhole, said he considers himself a voice for “the rest of Illinois,” criticizing “one-size-fits-all” legislation, citing the Climate and Equitable Jobs Act which he said was detrimental to downstate coal and gas plants, as well as consumer energy bills. Pritzker defended CEJA as a measure allowing the state to put new renewable energy on the grid while keeping nuclear plants open and at least partially addressing climate change, which has driven more frequent severe flooding events and been detrimental to downstate farmers. A full video of the candidate forum, which also included discussion of township governments and other topics, can be viewed here or at the link above. Capitol News Illinois is a nonprofit, nonpartisan news service covering state government that is distributed to more than 400 newspapers statewide. It is funded primarily by the Illinois Press Foundation and the Robert R. McCormick Foundation. Read More…

AP News Summary At 2:48 P.m. EDT https://digitalalabamanews.com/ap-news-summary-at-248-p-m-edt/ Russia withdraws troops after Ukraine encircles key city KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Russia says it has withdrawn its troops from the once-occupied city of Lyman, as Ukraine’s eastern counteroffensive recaptures more territory. Russia’s Tass and RIA news agencies, citing the Russian defense ministry, made the announcement. Lyman is 160 kilometers (100 miles) southeast of Kharkiv, Ukraine’s second-largest city. Ukrainian forces had pushed across the Oskil River as part of a counteroffensive that saw Kyiv retake vast swathes of territory beginning in September. Lyman, a key transportation hub, had been an important site in the Russian front line for both ground communications and logistics. Now Ukraine can push further potentially into the occupied Luhansk region, which is one of four regions that Russia annexed Friday. Ian leaves dozens dead as focus turns to rescue, recovery FORT MYERS, Fla. (AP) — Rescuers continue to search for survivors in flooded homes in Florida after Hurricane Ian’s passage earlier this week. Meanwhile, authorities in South Carolina began the long process of assessing damage Saturday. The powerful storm terrorized millions of people for most of the week and officials say it’s blamed for at least 27 deaths in Florida, three deaths in Cuba and one in North Carolina. But authorities say they expect the death toll to rise further. As of Saturday, more than 1,000 people had been rescued from flooded homes near Florida’s southwestern coast alone. Ian shows the risks and costs of living on barrier islands SANIBEL ISLAND, Fla. (AP) — Experts say that Hurricane Ian is shining a spotlight once again on the vulnerability of the nation’s barrier islands and the increasing cost of people living on them. Florida’s Sanibel Island was hard hit by the storm. Homes were destroyed. Two people have been confirmed dead. And Sanibel’s lone bridge to the mainland collapsed. Barrier island communities like Sanibel anchor tourist economies that provide crucial tax dollars. But the cost of rebuilding them is often high because they’re home to many high-value properties. Jesse Keenan is a real estate professor at Tulane University. He questions whether such communities can keep rebuilding as hurricanes become more and more destructive from climate change. Russia blindfolds, detains Ukraine nuclear plant chief KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Ukraine’s nuclear power provider says Russian forces blindfolded and detained the head of Europe’s largest nuclear power plant hours after Moscow illegally annexed a swath of Ukrainian territory. In a possible attempt to secure Moscow’s hold on the newly annexed territory, Russian forces seized the director-general of the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant, Ihor Murashov, around 4 p.m. Friday. Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday signed treaties to absorb Luhansk, Donetsk, Kherson and Zaporizhzhia regions of Ukraine, including the area around the nuclear plant. The International Atomic Energy Agency said Saturday that Russia told it that “the director-general of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant was temporarily detained to answer questions.” Venezuela releases 7 jailed Americans; US frees 2 prisoners WASHINGTON (AP) — Venezuela’s government has freed seven Americans imprisoned in the South American country in exchange for the release of two nephews of President Nicholas Maduro’s wife who had been jailed for years by the United States on drug smuggling convictions. The swap of the Americans, including five oil executives imprisoned for nearly five years, is the largest trade of detained citizens that the Biden administration has ever carried out. It amounts to a rare gesture of goodwill by Maduro as he looks to rebuild relations with the U.S. after vanquishing most of his opponents and follows months of secretive talks, including repeated visits to Venezuela over the last year by Washington’s top hostage negotiator. Trump at center of Oath Keepers novel defense in Jan. 6 case WASHINGTON (AP) — The defense team in the Capitol riot trial of the Oath Keepers leader is relying on an unusual strategy with Donald Trump at the center. Lawyers for Stewart Rhodes are poised to argue that jurors cannot find him guilty of seditious conspiracy because all the actions he took before the riot were in preparation for orders he anticipated from the then-president. But those orders never came. Rhodes and four associates are accused of plotting for weeks to stop the transfer of presidential power, culminating with Oath Keepers in battle gear storming the Capitol alongside hundreds of other Trump supporters on Jan. 6, 2021. Opening statements in the trial are set to begin Monday. Fortunes reverse for ex-judge and Brazil president he jailed CURITIBA, Brazil (AP) — When federal judge Sergio Moro resigned to enter politics, many in Brazil believed the anti-corruption crusader who jailed a popular former president could someday occupy the nation’s most powerful office. But on the eve of Brazil’s general election Sunday, the once-revered magistrate was fighting what polls showed was a losing battle for a Senate seat. And the leftist leader he jailed, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, wasn’t just walking free — he was expected to waltz back into the presidential palace. Their reversal of fortunes underscores Brazilians’ shifting priorities since Moro oversaw the massive graft investigation that landed da Silva behind bars. The head of Transparency International in Brazil says voters are more concerned  jobs, income and inflation. Supreme Court poised to keep marching to right in new term WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court begins a new term on Monday at a time of diminished public confidence and justices sparring openly over the institution’s legitimacy. The court seems poised to push American law to the right on issues of race, voting and the environment. Back in June, the conservative majority overturned nearly 50 years of constitutional protections for abortion rights. Now, the court is diving back in with an aggressive agenda that appears likely to split the six conservative justices from the three liberals. Joining the nine-member court is new Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson, the court’s first Black woman. Gunfire erupts again in Burkina Faso day after 2nd coup OUAGADOUGOU, Burkina Faso (AP) — Gunshots rang out in Burkina Faso’s capital and soldiers deployed in the streets as tensions lingered a day after military officers overthrew the man who had seized power in a coup only nine months earlier in the West African nation. Uncertainty prevailed Saturday amid signs of lingering tensions in Ouagadougou, the capital. Roads remained blocked off and a helicopter could be heard flying overhead. The international community, meanwhile, condemned the ouster of Lt. Col. Paul Henri Sandaogo Damiba. The officers who seized control late Friday said Damiba had failed to improve the security situation in Burkina Faso, which has been struggling to tamp down violence by Islamic extremists. Ole Miss honors James Meredith 60 years after integration JACKSON, Miss. (AP) — The University of Mississippi is paying tribute to James Meredith 60 years after integration. White protesters erupted into violence in 1962 as he became the first Black student to enroll in what was then a bastion of Deep South segregation. A local resident and a French journalist were killed in the violence on the Oxford campus. The 89-year-old Meredith was honored Saturday at an Ole Miss football game. The university is having several other events to mark six decades of integration. Meredith spoke at a celebration Wednesday, saying it was the best day he ever lived. But he also said problems remain and he wants people to abide by the Ten Commandments. Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Read More…

AP News Summary At 2:35 P.m. EDT https://digitalalabamanews.com/ap-news-summary-at-235-p-m-edt/ Russia withdraws troops after Ukraine encircles key city KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Russia says it has withdrawn its troops from the once-occupied city of Lyman, as Ukraine’s eastern counteroffensive recaptures more territory. Russia’s Tass and RIA news agencies, citing the Russian defense ministry, made the announcement. Lyman is 160 kilometers (100 miles) southeast of Kharkiv, Ukraine’s second-largest city. Ukrainian forces had pushed across the Oskil River as part of a counteroffensive that saw Kyiv retake vast swathes of territory beginning in September. Lyman, a key transportation hub, had been an important site in the Russian front line for both ground communications and logistics. Now Ukraine can push further potentially into the occupied Luhansk region, which is one of four regions that Russia annexed Friday. Ian leaves dozens dead as focus turns to rescue, recovery FORT MYERS, Fla. (AP) — Rescuers continue to search for survivors in flooded homes in Florida after Hurricane Ian’s passage earlier this week. Meanwhile, authorities in South Carolina began the long process of assessing damage Saturday. The powerful storm terrorized millions of people for most of the week and officials say it’s blamed for at least 27 deaths in Florida, three deaths in Cuba and one in North Carolina. But authorities say they expect the death toll to rise further. As of Saturday, more than 1,000 people had been rescued from flooded homes near Florida’s southwestern coast alone. Ian shows the risks and costs of living on barrier islands SANIBEL ISLAND, Fla. (AP) — Experts say that Hurricane Ian is shining a spotlight once again on the vulnerability of the nation’s barrier islands and the increasing cost of people living on them. Florida’s Sanibel Island was hard hit by the storm. Homes were destroyed. Two people have been confirmed dead. And Sanibel’s lone bridge to the mainland collapsed. Barrier island communities like Sanibel anchor tourist economies that provide crucial tax dollars. But the cost of rebuilding them is often high because they’re home to many high-value properties. Jesse Keenan is a real estate professor at Tulane University. He questions whether such communities can keep rebuilding as hurricanes become more and more destructive from climate change. Russia blindfolds, detains Ukraine nuclear plant chief KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Ukraine’s nuclear power provider says Russian forces blindfolded and detained the head of Europe’s largest nuclear power plant hours after Moscow illegally annexed a swath of Ukrainian territory. In a possible attempt to secure Moscow’s hold on the newly annexed territory, Russian forces seized the director-general of the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant, Ihor Murashov, around 4 p.m. Friday. Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday signed treaties to absorb Luhansk, Donetsk, Kherson and Zaporizhzhia regions of Ukraine, including the area around the nuclear plant. The International Atomic Energy Agency said Saturday that Russia told it that “the director-general of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant was temporarily detained to answer questions.” Venezuela releases 7 jailed Americans; US frees 2 prisoners WASHINGTON (AP) — Venezuela’s government has freed seven Americans imprisoned in the South American country in exchange for the release of two nephews of President Nicholas Maduro’s wife who had been jailed for years by the United States on drug smuggling convictions. The swap of the Americans, including five oil executives imprisoned for nearly five years, is the largest trade of detained citizens that the Biden administration has ever carried out. It amounts to a rare gesture of goodwill by Maduro as he looks to rebuild relations with the U.S. after vanquishing most of his opponents and follows months of secretive talks, including repeated visits to Venezuela over the last year by Washington’s top hostage negotiator. Trump at center of Oath Keepers novel defense in Jan. 6 case WASHINGTON (AP) — The defense team in the Capitol riot trial of the Oath Keepers leader is relying on an unusual strategy with Donald Trump at the center. Lawyers for Stewart Rhodes are poised to argue that jurors cannot find him guilty of seditious conspiracy because all the actions he took before the riot were in preparation for orders he anticipated from the then-president. But those orders never came. Rhodes and four associates are accused of plotting for weeks to stop the transfer of presidential power, culminating with Oath Keepers in battle gear storming the Capitol alongside hundreds of other Trump supporters on Jan. 6, 2021. Opening statements in the trial are set to begin Monday. Supreme Court poised to keep marching to right in new term WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court begins a new term on Monday at a time of diminished public confidence and justices sparring openly over the institution’s legitimacy. The court seems poised to push American law to the right on issues of race, voting and the environment. Back in June, the conservative majority overturned nearly 50 years of constitutional protections for abortion rights. Now, the court is diving back in with an aggressive agenda that appears likely to split the six conservative justices from the three liberals. Joining the nine-member court is new Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson, the court’s first Black woman. Gunfire erupts again in Burkina Faso day after 2nd coup OUAGADOUGOU, Burkina Faso (AP) — Gunshots rang out in Burkina Faso’s capital and soldiers deployed in the streets as tensions lingered a day after military officers overthrew the man who had seized power in a coup only nine months earlier in the West African nation. Uncertainty prevailed Saturday amid signs of lingering tensions in Ouagadougou, the capital. Roads remained blocked off and a helicopter could be heard flying overhead. The international community, meanwhile, condemned the ouster of Lt. Col. Paul Henri Sandaogo Damiba. The officers who seized control late Friday said Damiba had failed to improve the security situation in Burkina Faso, which has been struggling to tamp down violence by Islamic extremists. Ole Miss honors James Meredith 60 years after integration JACKSON, Miss. (AP) — The University of Mississippi is paying tribute to James Meredith 60 years after integration. White protesters erupted into violence in 1962 as he became the first Black student to enroll in what was then a bastion of Deep South segregation. A local resident and a French journalist were killed in the violence on the Oxford campus. The 89-year-old Meredith was honored Saturday at an Ole Miss football game. The university is having several other events to mark six decades of integration. Meredith spoke at a celebration Wednesday, saying it was the best day he ever lived. But he also said problems remain and he wants people to abide by the Ten Commandments. Shying from Trump, ex-Maine Gov. Paul LePage seeks job back YARMOUTH, Maine (AP) — When then-Gov. Paul LePage endorsed Donald Trump for president in 2016, LePage credited himself as a prototype for the insurgent candidate. Now, with LePage running for a third term after a brief retirement to Florida, he rarely talks about Trump in campaign events and media interviews, and LePage’s advisers say his hiatus from politics changed him. LePage’s efforts at distancing himself from Trump are particularly notable because LePage once invited comparisons to Trump — and made them himself. LePage is seeking to unseat Democratic Gov. Janet Mills in November and become the longest-serving governor in Maine’s history. Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Be the first to know Get local news delivered to your inbox! Read More…

Penelope Kurowski https://digitalalabamanews.com/penelope-kurowski/ October 1, 2022 1:35 PM Posted: October 1, 2022 1:35 PM A life well lived. More than just a mom, a wife, a daughter, a friend, Penelope Kurowski was a gardener, a pianist, an actress, and a bright light that drew people with her movie star good looks and charming banter. She left us on September 21, 2022. Born in Springfield, Ohio, she was the daughter of Florence and Howard Miller. She is survived by her daughters, Kellee Byrd and Tami Newman (Gregg Newman); her sister, Anna VanCura; her grandson, Anthony Byrd; two nieces, Ana Reinert (Bob Adkins) and Victoria VanCura Rutland (James Rutland); nephew, Anthony Reinert (Kassandra Hanchett); and a great-nephew, Aiden Rutland. She is also survived by many cousins. Penny worked as the Executive Meeting Planner at Wausau Insurance Company and later as a Documentation Officer supporting NASA missions at Marshall Spaceflight Center, Huntsville, AL. She and her late husband, Robert J. Kurowski, built a beautiful home on Keel Mountain in Gurley, AL. where she loved growing flowers, playing her piano and hosting family gatherings. Penny loved the theater and performed many roles in Springfield, Ohio, and with Wausau Community Theater in Wausau WI. Including leading roles such as Titania in Shakespeare’s “A Midsummer Night’s Dream,” Crystal in Clare Luce Booth’s “The Women,” as well as supporting roles in dozens of other productions. She also was featured as the White Queen in “Alice in Wonderland” with Ballet Tennessee, Chattanooga, TN. Her zest for life and sense of humor will be dearly missed by her family and friends. Be sure and listen for her laughter! Online condolences may be made at www.gundersonfh.com. COPYRIGHT 2022 BY CHANNEL 3000. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. THIS MATERIAL MAY NOT BE PUBLISHED, BROADCAST, REWRITTEN OR REDISTRIBUTED. Read More…

Umphrey's McGee Shares Full Show From 2009 As Consolation After Postponing Southeast Run [Video] https://digitalalabamanews.com/umphreys-mcgee-shares-full-show-from-2009-as-consolation-after-postponing-southeast-run-video/ After being forced to cancel a run of shows in the Southeast due to severe weather caused by Hurricane Ian, Umphrey’s McGee offered fans consolation by sharing pro-shot video of a full previously unreleased show from 2009. Filmed at The Pageant in St. Louis, MO on March 27th, 2009 and originally simulcast via iClips, the entire concert is now available to stream for free via the band’s YouTube channel. The 2009 performance came not long after the release of the album Mantis. Unlike previous albums, Umphrey’s chose not to play the songs from Mantis until the album was released on January 20th. Rather than road testing the songs before the release, the band rolled out the tracks from Mantis gradually, debuting them one by one in setlists throughout the beginning of 2009. Umphrey’s recently took the same approach with the band’s new album, Asking For A Friend. Although the March 27th show did not include any song debuts, it did feature the title track from Mantis with “Hurt Bird Bath”, “Hangover”, and “Resolution” sandwiched in the middle of the song. The show also included a cover of Pink Floyd‘s “Shine On You Crazy Diamond”. Watch pro-shot video of Umphrey’s McGee’s performance at The Pageant in St. Louis, MO on March 27th, 2009 below. Umphrey’s McGee will host the annual UMBowl at Chicago’s Riviera Theatre this November. The band also has a New Year’s Eve run at the Coca-Cola Roxy in Atlanta, GA on December 30th and 31st. The shows that were scheduled to take place in Southeast this weekend, including dates in Wilmington, NC and Birmingham, AL, have been rescheduled for late April, and the band is currently working on a make-up date for its show in Savannah, GA. For more information and tickets to UM’s upcoming shows, visit the band’s website. Umphrey’s McGee – 3/27/09 [Pro-Shot] Setlist [via Allthings.Umphreys.com]: Umphrey’s McGee | The Pageant | St. Louis, MO | 3/27/09 Set 1: 1348, The Bottom Half- Walletsworth The Bottom Half, Kabump Cemetery Walk, Mail Package, Plunger [1] Set 2: Wappy Sprayberry Shine On You Crazy Diamond (Pink Floyd), Preamble Mantis Hurt Bird Bath Hangover, Resolution [2]- Mantis Encore:FF Cemetery Walk II [1] “Jimmy Stewart” with lyrics [2] with The Triple Wide teases Read More…

Live Updates: Russia's War In Ukraine https://digitalalabamanews.com/live-updates-russias-war-in-ukraine-6/ 1 min ago How Russia’s control of territory in Ukraine has shifted From CNN Staff, Natalie Croker, Byron Manley, Tim Lister and the CNN Data and Graphics team The Ukrainian military’s sudden and successful counter-attack in the Kharkiv region this month has left Russian forces controlling less Ukrainian land than they did after their first thrust into the country in February 2022, according to a CNN analysis of exclusive data from the Institute for the Study of War. Russia’s first massive push, which began on the night of Feb. 23, allowed it to secure or advance on one-fifth of Ukrainian territory, or about 119,000 square kilometers (46,000 square miles) of the total 603,500 square kilometers Ukraine claims and considers “temporarily occupied,” the analysis shows. Seven months after launching an invasion — one that Western officials thought would be over in days with an overrun Ukrainian capital — Russia controls roughly 3,000 square kilometers (about 1,864 miles) less land than it did in the first five days of the war, CNN found. (Unverified claims are excluded from the analysis.) In a move to secure what it still controls, the Kremlin on Friday claimed to annex four Ukrainian regions, of which it has only partial control, adding to the seizure and annexure of the region of Crimea in 2014. See how the advances stalled in this CNN interactive. 2 hr 56 min ago Russian troops leave Lyman to avoid encirclement, Russian defense ministry says From Darya Tarasova and Josh Pennington Russian troops have withdrawn from the town of Lyman in eastern Ukraine to avoid being surrounded by Ukraine’s army, the Russian Ministry of Defense said Saturday. “In connection with the creation of a threat of encirclement, allied troops were withdrawn from the settlement of Krasny Liman to more advantageous lines,” the defense ministry said on social media platform Telegram. The Russian name for the town of Lyman is Krasny Liman. Russia state media reported that the reason for the withdrawal was due to Western-made artillery and intelligence. Russia-24 reporter Yevgeny Poddubny acknowledged the withdrawal and claimed the reason for it was that “the enemy used both Western-made artillery and intelligence from North Atlantic alliance countries.” 2 hr 53 min ago More than 20 civilians, including 10 children, killed in Russian convoy shelling, says regional authority From Kostan Nechyporenko in Kyiv and Zayn Nabbi in London Cars from a civilian convoy sit on the side of the road after Russian shelling in Kupiansk, Ukraine, in this photo released on October 1. (State Security Service of Ukraine/Handout/Reuters) The bodies of 22 civilians, including 10 children, were found following Russian shelling on a convoy of cars near the town of Kupiansk in eastern Ukraine, the Kharkiv regional prosecutor’s office said Saturday. “According to the data of investigators, the cars were shot by the Russian army on September 25, when civilians were trying to evacuate. Two cars burned completely. According to preliminary information, 22 people died, including 10 children. The investigation of the scene is ongoing,” the office said on the social media platform Telegram. “A pre-trial investigation was started,” the statement continued, adding that on Friday prosecutors of the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) “and the police discovered a convoy of seven cars that had been shot dead near the village of Kurylivka, Kupiansk district.” The SBU confirmed on Telegram they would be investigating a “war crime” of a “civilian convoy in the so-called ‘grey zone’ between occupied Svatove in Luhansk region and liberated Kupiansk in Kharkiv region” where it said at least 20 people died, including 10 children, in “a brutal attack.” CNN could not independently verify the allegations.  There has been no official Russian response to the claims made by the Kharkiv Regional Prosecutor’s Office and SBU. 3 hr 9 min ago Zelensky thanks Biden for over $12 billion more in aid for Ukraine From CNN’s Duarte Mendonca in London  Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky speaks at a press conference on August 24, in Kyiv, Ukraine. (Alexey Furman/Getty Images) Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky thanked his American counterpart Joe Biden on Saturday for signing a bill that approves an additional support to Ukraine of over $12 billion.   Zelensky thanked the United States for their “powerful act of solidarity” towards the Ukrainian people.  “The day before, the bill was backed by both houses of US Congress. We appreciate this powerful act of solidarity of the American people with Ukraine. And the bicameral and bipartisan support of our state,” Zelensky added.  The Ukrainian president emphasized the importance of the additional aid in the fight against Russia.  “The law provides the financing of defense programs, as well as powerful direct budget support to Ukraine. This help is more important today than ever. We must continue to jointly oppose the aggression of the Russian Federation,” Zelensky said.  3 hr 5 min ago Director of Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant detained by Russian patrol, Ukrainian nuclear company says From CNN’s Kostan Nechyporenko in Kyiv A Russian vehicle is parked outside the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant in Ukraine, on September 1. (Alexander Ermochenko/Reuters) The director general of Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant has been detained by a Russian patrol, the president of state nuclear company Energoatom, Petro Kotin, said in a statement on Saturday. Director General Ihor Murashov was in his vehicle on his way from the plant when he was “stopped, he was taken out of the car, and with his eyes blindfolded he was driven in an unknown direction. For the time being there is no information on his fate,” Kotin said.  “Murashov is a licensed person and bears main and exclusive responsibility for the nuclear and radiation safety of the Zaporizhzhya NPP,” Kotin said, adding that his detention “jeopardizes the safety of operation of Ukraine and Europe’s largest nuclear power plant.” Kotin called on the Russians to release Murashov and urged the Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency Rafael Grossi to “free” him. Ukraine’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs “strongly condemns the illegal detention” of Murashov in a statement released on its website Saturday.  “This crime is another manifestation of state terrorism from the side of Russia and a gross violation of international law. Russia should immediately free the Director General of the Zaporizhzhia NPP,” it said.   “We call on the international community, in particular the UN, the IAEA and the G7, to also take decisive measures to this end,” the statement added.  Some background: The Zaporizhzhia plant has been a focal point in the war, as both the Russians and Ukrainians have blamed each of shelling near Europe’s largest nuclear power station. Since early March, when Russia captured the plant, international and local experts have voiced grave warnings, not only for the safety of the plant’s workers, but also for fear of a nuclear disaster that could affect thousands of people in the surrounding area. 6 hr 9 min ago Ukrainian flag raised at entrance to key Donetsk town of Lyman  From Victoria Butenko, Kostan Nechyporenko and Andrew Carey in Kyiv The Ukrainian flag has been raised at one of the entrances to the town of Lyman in the eastern part of Ukraine. A video posted on social media and shared by President Volodymyr Zelensky’s chief of staff shows two Ukrainian soldiers standing on a military vehicle attaching the flag with tape to a large sign with the word “Lyman.” “We are unfurling our country’s flag and planting it on our land. On Lyman. Everything will be Ukraine,” one of the soldiers said to the camera.  The town — an important rail network hub — has been in Russian hands since late May and has been a focus of Ukraine’s counteroffensive in the east for at least a week. Even though Ukrainian soldiers appear to have a firm presence on the outskirts of the town, Ukrainian officials caution that heavy fighting continues. Serhii Cherevatiy, an army spokesman, told CNN that while Russian forces inside the town were de-facto encircled, the situation remained “dynamic.”  Russian forces had tried to form convoys to break through the encirclement, he told CNN, but their attempts had been unsuccessful. On Friday, Ukrainian forces claimed control over the village of Drobysheve, a settlement that neighbors Lyman. Retaking Lyman would give Ukrainian forces a platform to push further east toward towns like Kreminna and Rubizhne in the Luhansk region. 5 hr 17 min ago Ukrainian forces continue to encircle Lyman as troops enter neighboring village From Kostan Nechyporenko in Kyiv and Duarte Mendonca in London Ukrainian soldiers near Lyman, Ukraine, on September 22.  (Tyler Hicks/The New York Times/Redux) Ukrainian forces have entered Stavky, a village neighboring Lyman in the Kramatorsk district of Donetsk, Serhii Cherevatyi, the military spokesperson for the eastern grouping of Ukrainian forces, told local media on Saturday. “The Russian group in the area of Lyman is surrounded. The settlements of Yampil, Novoselivka, Shandryholove, Drobysheve, and Stavky are liberated. Stabilization measures are ongoing there,” Cherevatyi said in a televised press conference.  “[The liberation] of Lyman is important, because it is another step towards the liberation of the Ukrainian Donbass. This is an opportunity to go further to Kreminna and Severodonetsk. Therefore, in turn, it is psychologically very important,” he said.   Cherevatyi said the Ukrainian troops actions are setting the tone to “break the course of these hostilities.”  “Yes, there are many killed and wounded among them. However, the operation is not yet complete. And only after i...