Digital Alaska News

Power Out In Puerto Rico, 'catastrophic' Damage In Several Areas From Fiona » Capital News https://digitalalaskanews.com/power-out-in-puerto-rico-catastrophic-damage-in-several-areas-from-fiona-capital-news/ San Juan (Puerto Rico) (AFP), Sep 18 – Hurricane Fiona smashed into Puerto Rico on Sunday, knocking out the US island territory’s power while dumping torrential rain and wreaking catastrophic damage before spinning off towards the Dominican Republic. Landslides, blocked roads, fallen trees and power lines, as well as a collapsed bridge in the town of Utuado in the central mountainous region were among the destruction already levied by Fiona, Governor Pedro Pierluisi told an evening press conference. The entire territory of more than three million people lost power as the hurricane neared, with Pierluisi reporting the electrical system out of service. Although the hurricane’s eye is now off the territory’s coast, destructive rain and devastating flash floods are expected to buffet the islands overnight before hitting the Dominican Republic on Monday. As of 0600 GMT, Fiona was carrying sustained maximum winds of 85 miles (137 kilometers) per hour toward the southeastern coast of the Dominican Republic, the US National Hurricane Center (NHC) said in its latest advisory. Continued rainfall would “produce catastrophic life-threatening flash floods and urban flooding” as well as “mudslides and landslides in areas of higher terrain” across Puerto Rico and parts of the Dominican, the NHC said. Fiona will go down as a “catastrophic event due to the impacts of flooding” in Puerto Rico’s central mountainous region, east and south, Pierluisi tweeted, adding that 9-13 inches (23-33 centimeters) of rain had fallen in just five hours. The hurricane has also left around 196,000 people without drinking water as a result of power outages and flooded rivers, officials said. The storm has caused one fatality — a man who was killed after his house was swept away by flooding in the French overseas department of Guadeloupe © AFP / Lara Balais Ahead of Fiona’s arrival in the Dominican Republic, President Luis Abinader suspended work on Monday. The storm made landfall in Puerto Rico on Sunday afternoon as a Category One hurricane, at the lowest end of the five-tier Saffier-Simpson scale. Fiona is expected to grow stronger, turning into a “major hurricane” before it heads north into the open waters of the Atlantic Ocean, according to the NHC. – ‘Extremely delicate’ – Puerto Ricans were advised to stay in their homes or seek refuge if they need it © Fire Department Bureau of Puerto Rico/AFP In the town of Utuado, one family saw the zinc roof of their house — already replaced after 2017’s Hurricane Maria — torn off yet again, according to local media. “This is an extremely delicate and sad situation. The damage we are seeing is catastrophic in several areas,” Pierluisi told reporters at the Sunday press conference. “The entire island is experiencing a large accumulation of rain. Multiple cases of severe damage have been reported in many towns.” The storm has caused one fatality — a man who was killed after his house was swept away by flooding in the French overseas department of Guadeloupe, when Fiona was still classified as a tropical storm. Fiona is seen off the coast of Puerto Rico at 0310 GMT on September 18, 2022 © NOAA/GOES/AFP Utuado resident Fernando Vera told US broadcaster NPR that his family has never fully recovered from Hurricane Maria. “We still struggle from the consequences of Maria and it’s kind of difficult knowing we’re going to probably have to start over again,” he said. US President Joe Biden declared a state of emergency for Puerto Rico on Sunday, authorizing the Federal Emergency Management Agency to provide assistance. The NHC also said tropical storm conditions are expected in the Turks and Caicos Islands and the southeastern Bahamas by late Monday or early Tuesday. – ‘Stay in their homes’ – Puerto Ricans were advised “to stay in their homes or seek refuge if they need it,” Pierluisi told reporters. Map showing the projected path of Hurricane Fiona © AFP / Patricio ARANA The island — which has suffered from major infrastructure problems for years — was hit by hurricanes Irma and Maria in 2017, devastating its electrical grid. The grid was privatized in June 2021 in an effort to resolve the problem of blackouts, but the issue has persisted, and the entire island lost power earlier this year. The former Spanish colony became a US territory in the late 19th century before gaining the status of associated free state in 1950. After years of financial woes and recession, the island in 2017 declared the largest bankruptcy ever by a local US administration. Later that year, two hurricanes added to the misery and sparked a feud between San Juan and Washington. Then-president Donald Trump’s administration was widely accused of failing to provide sufficient federal aid to Puerto Rico after Hurricane Maria struck. Footage of him tossing paper towels to survivors during a visit drew criticism, and Trump later claimed the storm’s death toll had been inflated by Democrats to “make me look as bad as possible.” Read More Here

Monday’s Letters To The Editor https://digitalalaskanews.com/mondays-letters-to-the-editor/ YOU CAN SEND LETTERS TO THE EDITOR TO LETTERS@PRESSDEMOCRAT.COM. September 19, 2022, 12:07AM Biden’s remarks EDITOR: Bobbi Reeser’s feelings got hurt by President Joe Biden referring to Donald Trump and his supporters as embracing a philosophy of semi-fascism (“Biden owes apology,” Letters, Sept. 13). First, the president referred to Trump and his supporters, not all conservatives, as Reeser claims. Second, she demands an apology for this alleged insult. Perhaps she can, at the same time, demand apologies from Trumpsters such as Majorie Taylor Greene, Tucker Carlson, Nikki Haley and the lot for comparing Biden to Hitler, Satan and the KKK. How about asking Trump himself to apologize for his disgusting remarks about Mexicans, Europeans, Africans, the LBGTQ+ community, Blacks, Muslims, prisoners of war, the disabled, etc.? By the way, the dictionary definition of fascism is: A system of government led by a dictator who typically rules by forcefully and often violently suppressing opposition and criticism, controlling all industry and commerce and promoting nationalism and often racism. Sound familiar? I agree that the president should apologize for calling the MAGAs semi-fascists. There’s nothing semi about them. STEVEN DAVID MARTIN Healdsburg Corporations with heart EDITOR: Thank you for Bill Swindell’s column about certified B Corporations (“Standing out through dedication to excellence,” Sept. 11). What a great concept — companies being graded “on environmental commitment, treatment of workers, (and) relationship with the local community and customers.” Just think, if a majority of corporations were certified, we’d have a country of corporations with heart, which would surely have a positive effect on many of our economic ills. BILL KRUMBEIN Santa Rosa Clean energy plans EDITOR: It is true that California needs a well-articulated plan to transition from fossil fuels to the clean energy economy of the future (“Heat wave exposes California’s green energy shortage,” editorial, Sept. 7). Elements of the plan must include more than just a call for “more green energy.” Flex alerts are over 20 years old and are actually a vestige of a 20th-century approach to managing the grid. Opportunities exist today to automate grid flexibility and compensate businesses and residents who agree in advance to have their consumption curtailed during peak demand episodes. Electric vehicles are not just more electricity demand on the grid. They are batteries on wheels, and when they are not being driven they can be used to supply power to the grid during peak episodes. With well over a million of them in California and more every year, the available capacity is already at the gigawatt (very large) scale. The notion that the only option is to figure out how to get supply to meet demand is obsolete. We now have opportunities to have demand respond to available supply. This will be an indispensable part of any well-articulated plan for the grid of the future. WOODY HASTINGS Fossil fuel phaseout manager, the Climate Center Astro questions EDITOR: As a neighbor of the Astro Motel, and as a taxpayer in this county, your article raises a lot of questions (“Astro Motel owner still seeking to recoup costs,” Sept. 2). It appears that Eric Anderson and his manager knew that rules were being broken resulting in damage, and that one or both of them observed it personally. Did Anderson take any action at all to protect his investment and mitigate any ongoing or potential damage during this period? Did he increase his own oversight of the motel and monitor the contractors’ activities? Did he communicate, aggressively, with the contractor and demand that action be taken to stop the damage? Alternatively, did he demand that the county replace the contractor if it couldn’t perform its obligations? These seem like obvious and necessary steps to take. It was his responsibility, and in his best interest, to maintain control over his property. That he didn’t doesn’t mean that the taxpayers should provide him with a remedy. DEBBIE ELLIOTT Santa Rosa Expand prep sports EDITOR: I’m a longtime subscriber, but I think some changes are need at PD Preps. Arguably, you are doing a great job covering high school football. New features and glossy photos, videos and interviews. There are a lot of great teams and a lot of great players who deserve coverage. It’s fun to read about high school football in the paper and online. However, I think you are doing a major disservice to other sports, especially girls’ sports. You should consider covering more girls’ volleyball, tennis and cross country. A great example is Hanne Thomsen, a cross country phenom at Montgomery High. She was recently ranked 11th in the nation by Milesplit. While there are some great football players around here, nobody ranks close to 11th in the U.S. Her classmate, Seelah Kittlestron, is off the charts too. They finished first and fourth, respectively, out of 494 racers at the Lowell Invitational in San Francisco. On the boys’ side of cross country, Jude DeVries is flying. He finished 12th out of 791 athletes at the Lowell Invitational. Keep up the football coverage as it’s exciting, but please diversify. There are a lot of other athletes who also have the tachometer at the redline. SCOTT DOIG Santa Rosa You can send letters to the editor to letters@pressdemocrat.com. Read More Here

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

Trump Goes After Ryan During Rally For Vance https://digitalalaskanews.com/trump-goes-after-ryan-during-rally-for-vance/ Special to the Journal/ R. Michael Semple A crowd of Donald Trump supporters wait to enter the Covelli Centre in downtown Youngstown Saturday afternoon for the Save America Rally. Doors opened at 2 p.m. and Trump was slated to speak at 7 p.m. Between 5,000 and 6,000 people attended the event. YOUNGSTOWN — Former President Donald Trump took aim at U.S. Rep. Tim Ryan, the Democratic nominee for the U.S. Senate, calling him a “militant left winger who is lying to your faces” during a Youngstown rally for J.D. Vance, the Republican candidate for the seat. Ryan is “pretending to be a moderate so he can get elected and betray everything that you believe in,” Trump said Saturday at the Covelli Centre. “He is not a moderate. He’s radical left.” Trump spent most of his speech airing past grievances, including falsely claiming the 2020 presidential election was “stolen” from him. Trump was in Youngstown primarily as part of a rally to support Vance while also backing Republicans running for House seats throughout Ohio. Trump said when he was president, “I was always fighting (Ryan). I never liked him that much.” Trump said Ryan’s moderate approach during this Senate campaign is a lie as the congressman has voted 100 percent of the time with President Joe Biden and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. Trump said when he was president, Ryan voted with him only 16 percent of the time. Trump urged those in attendance to back Vance, calling him a “tough cookie.” Trump said of Vance: “This is a very important race. This is a great person who’ve I’ve really gotten to know. Yeah, he said some bad things about me, but that was before he knew me and then he fell in love.” He criticized Ryan for saying he’d end the filibuster, for supporting abortions and for “being an energy extremist.” Trump spent much of his speech complaining about the 2020 election falsely contending he didn’t lose to Biden and that the election was “rigged and stolen.” He also went after Biden, saying he was a terrible president who doesn’t know what he’s doing and if Trump was running the country, there wouldn’t have been a Russian invasion of Ukraine, high gas prices and inflation. The only reason gas prices are going down, Trump said, is that Biden and other Democrats are doing that to win the Nov. 8 election and that those prices will rise after that. There were about 5,500 people at Saturday’s rally with most of the back section of the Covelli Centre empty though there was a full crowd at the front of the facility. The last time Trump campaigned at the arena, on July 25, 2017, there were about 7,000 people in attendance. During his Saturday speech, Vance said: “We need to get back to the policies of the real Donald Trump, not fake Tim Ryan pretending he’s someone he’s not.” Vance said Ryan tries to come across as a moderate in his “nonstop fraudulent television commercials,” but it’s a lie. Vance said there’s “two Tims out there. A D.C. Tim that votes 100 percent of the time with Joe Biden, and there’s campaign Tim who pretends he’s a moderate.” He added: “We need to take D.C. Tim to the curb and make him get a real job.” Polls indicate a close race between Vance, a venture capitalist and author of “Hillbilly Elegy” and Ryan, a 10-term House member who represents much of Mahoning and Trumbull counties. In a campaign fundraising email after the rally, Ryan wrote: “Republicans are panicking about losing here. And Trump knows how important winning Ohio is. Him wading into our race means more attack ads, more dark money and a tougher environment in an already competitive race.” At a Youngstown event Friday, Ryan criticized Vance for having a rally Saturday at the same time as the Ohio State-University of Toledo football game, saying it shows his opponent is out of touch with Ohioans. As for the rally in the heart of his congressional district, Ryan said: “They’re trying to cut into my vote, which is a political tactic. The fact is J.D. Vance can’t carry his own political message.” In addition to the Saturday rally with Trump, Vance had Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, a leading potential 2024 Republican presidential candidate, campaign Aug. 19 at the Metroplex Expo Center in Liberty, also in Ryan’s district. “He needs Ron DeSantis, he needs Donald Trump and he needs everybody else to come in and make the case for him because he can’t make the case for himself,” Ryan said. Ryan added: “Ohioans don’t want someone who’s got to rely on someone else to carry their message for him or to buttress or support them in some way I’m out here. I’m scrapping. I’m clearly the underdog here with all this money coming at us.” Asked to comment after Saturday’s rally, Jordan Fuja, a campaign spokeswoman, said: “I was too busy watching football, but I’m sure whatever San Francisco phony J.D. Vance and his out-of-state allies tried to talk about in a half-empty stadium would’ve rang hollow with all the Ohioans who were also busy turning into the Ohio State-Toledo game.” Though Trump failed to win re-election in 2020, he was only the third Republican presidential candidate since 1936 to win Mahoning County. He beat Democrat Joe Biden by 1.9 percent. Trump did even better in Trumbull County. He was the first Republican candidate to win that county in two consecutive presidential elections since Herbert Hoover in 1928 and 1932 before Trumbull and Mahoning counties started consistently voting for Democrats in 1936. He beat Biden by 10.56 percent in Trumbull two years ago and beat Democrat Hillary Clinton by 6.22 percent. Trump’s victories were key parts of a changing political trend in Mahoning and Trumbull counties. His success helped some Valley Republicans win elections and made a number of other races a lot more competitive than they had been in previous years. Today’s breaking news and more in your inbox Read More Here

IL GOP Candidate Darren Bailey Fires Back At Lori Lightfoot Over ‘Farm’ Insult Pipa News https://digitalalaskanews.com/il-gop-candidate-darren-bailey-fires-back-at-lori-lightfoot-over-farm-insult-pipa-news/ After Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot’s call to send Illinois Republican candidate Darren Bailey “back to the farm”, the Republican candidate fired back, asking the Democrat mayor to get off his “elite high horse” and “remember the Keep who puts the food on your plate.” In an exclusive statement to Breitbart News on Sunday, state senator and Republican gubernatorial candidate Darren Bailey, a third-generation farmer, made his call to “restore” the prairie state in light of the “mess” created by Democrat leaders. Intended. “Mayor Lightfoot, I’ll go back to your farm after you’ve cleaned up your field and [Gov.] JB Pritzker built and restored Illinois,” he said. “Meanwhile, get off your elite high horse and remember who puts the food on your plate,” he said. Lightfoot turned offensive notes At Friday’s rally, Vice President Kamala Harris and Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker urged supporters to vote for Democrats in November. “So make no mistake, Trump is on the ballot. His name is Darren Bailey. And we need to send him back to the farm,” she said. “Trump is on the ballot in every one of the Republicans you face when you go to the voting pool. And you must remember that we are Illinois.” “We are a state that believes in the rights of the people and we are going to treat everyone with dignity and respect.” Bailey’s Campaign Site describes The Illinois gubernatorial candidate carries on an American tradition while fighting for independence as a “proud” farmer: Growing up on a Bailey family farm, Darren learned at a young age what it meant to work hard and live an honest life. Today, Darren and his sons own and operate the Bailey Family Farm. He grows corn, wheat, and soybeans, following the traditions of one of America’s oldest businesses. In addition, they have been described as “based on conservative values ​​of hard work, personal freedom and social responsibility”. [and] Knows that these precious liberties are threatened everyday by big government and powerful career politicians. , Bailey recently took the lead because of his tough crime stance. Received An endorsement from the Illinois Fraternal Order of Police. last month he Slammed The state’s SAFE-T (Safety, Accountability, Fairness and Equity-Today) Act that would eliminate cash bail in Illinois and limit the use of force that police officers are allowed to use. The new law, passed by the Democrats, will free Jail thousands of suspects accused of second-degree murder, kidnapping, theft, robbery and other violent crimes. Upon being elected to office, Bailey Told He will repeal the law, which is expected to take effect in January. Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker, right, and Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot attend a news conference where the governor announces a shelter to combat the spread of the COVID-19 virus Friday, March 20, 2020 in Chicago . (AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast) “The same so-called reform package makes it harder to charge murder accomplices and allows anonymous and untold complaints to be filed against law enforcement officers,” he said. He led Pritzker and Lightfoot to snatch tools for law enforcement officers to use against criminals, leading to a rise in violent crime in Chicago and across the state. “Unfortunately, Mayor Lightfoot, Gov. JB Pritzker, and other elite fanatics in our state see our police members as enemies,” Bailey said. Follow Joshua Klein on Twitter @Joshua Klein, . Read More Here

Echoing Trump, These GOP Candidates Won https://digitalalaskanews.com/echoing-trump-these-gop-candidates-won/ New York Times Sep 19, 2022 18 min ago 0 At the Arizona State Capitol grounds in Phoenix on Sept. 24, 2021. Six Republican nominees for governor and the Senate in key states, all backed by Donald Trump, would not commit to accepting the November outcome. New York Times As featured on Echoing Trump, these GOP candidates won’t promise to accept the 2022 results WASHINGTON – Nearly two years after President Donald Trump refused to accept his defeat in t… View comments Most Popular On birthday, Kelly Pegula posts childhood photo with mom Kim and says it’s ‘been a rough few months’ Shoplifting losses force Wegmans to shut down self-scanning app Batavia police stop burglary in progress, arrest 4 from Buffalo Teen in custody, another in serious condition after stabbing at Buffalo culinary school Watch now: Josh Allen’s father sings national anthem at Wyoming football game Promotions Check out new comics, more puzzles online Keep up with the latest scores and more with our high school sports newsletter! View All Read More Here

Biden Again Says US Would Defend Taiwan If China Attacks https://digitalalaskanews.com/biden-again-says-us-would-defend-taiwan-if-china-attacks/ By Frances Mao BBC News Image source, EPA Image caption, Taiwan carried out military exercises earlier this month US President Joe Biden has again said the US would defend Taiwan in the event of an attack by China. Asked in a CBS interview if US troops would defend the island, Mr Biden said: “Yes, if in fact, there was an unprecedented attack”. The remarks prompted the White House to clarify that US policy had not changed. Washington has long maintained a stance of “strategic ambiguity” – it does not commit to defending Taiwan, but also does not rule out the option. Taiwan is a self-ruled island off the coast of eastern China that Beijing claims as part of its territory. Washington has always walked a diplomatic tightrope over the issue. On the one hand it adheres to the One China policy, a cornerstone of its relationship with Beijing. Under this policy, the US acknowledges that there is only one Chinese government, and has formal ties with Beijing rather than Taiwan. But it also maintains close relations with Taiwan and sells arms to it under the Taiwan Relations Act, which states that the US must provide the island with the means to defend itself. Taiwan responded to Mr Biden’s remarks on Monday by welcoming the “US government’s rock-solid security commitment to Taiwan”. Taipei said it would continue to deepen its “close security partnership” with Washington. Only earlier this this month, the US agreed to sell $1.1bn (£955m) in weaponry and missile defence to Taiwan, provoking anger from China. Beijing is yet to respond to Mr Biden’s latest remarks, broadcast in a CBS 60 Minutes interview on Sunday. But China has previously condemned such comments from Mr Biden pledging US military action. “Taiwan is an inalienable part of China’s territory… The Taiwan question is purely China’s internal affair that brooks no foreign interference,” a foreign ministry spokesman had said in May. That was in response to Mr Biden’s comments in Tokyo in May when he said “Yes” when asked if the US would defend Taiwan. The White House had quickly issued a follow up saying there was no departure from US’ long-standing policy. This time too the White House issued a statement, downplaying the president’s comments: “The President has said this before, including in Tokyo earlier this year. He also made clear then that our Taiwan policy hasn’t changed. That remains true.” It’s the third time since October last year that President Biden has gone further than the official stance. But in the interview on Sunday, Mr Biden reiterated that the US was not encouraging Taiwan independence. “There’s a One China policy and Taiwan makes their own judgements on their independence. We are not moving, not encouraging their being independent – that’s their decision,” he said. Tensions between US and China have ramped up after US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi made a controversial visit to the island in August – a trip Mr Biden had said was “not a good idea”. Beijing responded with a five-day military blockade around Taiwan. The US claims China shot missiles over the island, but Beijing did not confirm this. Taiwan said the missiles China fired flew high into the atmosphere and posed no threat. Media caption, Watch: Biden warns Putin not to use tactical nuclear weapons Read More Here

Computer Vision Syndrome During Covid-19 | OPTO https://digitalalaskanews.com/computer-vision-syndrome-during-covid-19-opto/ Introduction Computer Vision Syndrome There has been a rapid increase in the use of digital devices among students in Saudi Arabia, as elsewhere in the world.1,2 It is highly likely that even with the post-pandemic return to normalcy, the utilization of some forms of virtual instruction approaches would continue, at least in the short term.3 Heightened student screen time is a risk factor for multiple eye problems, key of which is computer vision syndrome (CVS).4,5 CVS describes a complex of vision- and eye-related symptoms caused by prolonged use of high-resolution digital display terminals.6 Other than the difficulties focusing on pixels, any activities that strain near vision, often during or in conjunction with the use of digital devices (such as display quality, lighting, radiation, refresh rates, and visual ergonomics), can cause or contribute to the development of CVS.7,8 It’s estimated to affect 60 million people globally with a million new cases annually.8 About 70% of people who spend at least two hours a day (15 hours/week) using digital screens present with CVS symptoms.8,9 Its prevalence among regular computer users can reach as high as 90%.10 CVS develops due to the dissimilarity in the human eyes’ focusing mechanism for digital screens and printed text.11,12 Digital devices need to be held at a distance between distant and near vision, effectively straining the visual system, as it is designed for comfortable near and distant vision.12,13 More specifically, printed texts and texts on digital screens are different in terms of gaze angles, viewing distances, appearance, blinking rates, movement of the palpebral fissure, and accommodative demands. While digital texts comprise pixels created from electronic beams striking a phosphor-coated screen surface, the printed text comprises clearly defined and stable characters throughout its surface. As individual pixels are brighter at the center than at their periphery, human eyes cannot sustain focus on characters created by pixels. Focussing tends to lag behind computer screens because of the vertical gaze position.12 Consequently, the eyes repeatedly struggle to gain and maintain a focus of the pixels, which action of the ciliary body fatigues the eyes, causing the accommodative problems associated with CVS.12 Prolonged use of digital devices not only strains the visual system, but13,14 it also induces musculoskeletal strain and circadian disturbances.14,15 The syndrome presents with headaches itching, eye strain/asthenopia, blurred vision, dry eyes, and shoulder/neck pains. External symptoms of ache, headache, and strain are primarily associated with binocular and/or accommodative vision stress.5,11,12,16 The available evidence suggests that as little as two hours of sustained digital device usage a day is likely to develop a range of vision-related problems.4,17,18 Reddy et al, Mohan, et al and Iqbal et al estimated that CVS affected between 50% and 90% of students taking virtual classes in the Middle East.5,18,19 CVS is categorized into four strains: asthenopic CVS (manifests as eye strain, eye dryness, soreness, headache, and fatigue), ocular surface CVS (dryness, grittiness, irritation, redness, burning sensation, and heaviness often due to environmental factors, blinking rates, and use of lenses/glasses), visual CVS (double or blurred vision, presbyopia, and slow focus change), and extraocular CVS (musculoskeletal pain).7,20 Aim To ascertain university students’ awareness of computer vision syndrome at Al-Baha University. Objectives To determine the sources of information about CVS for students at Al Baha University. To determine the nature, accuracy, and completeness of information about CVS among students at Al Baha University. To determine the attitudes towards, and practices to prevent or mitigate, CVS among students at Al Baha University. Research Questions What are the sources of information about CVS for students at Al Baha University? What is the nature, accuracy, and completeness of information about CVS among students at Al Baha University? What are the attitudes towards, and practices to prevent or mitigate, CVS among students at Al Baha University? Significance The fact that the community prevalence of CVS is 22.3–39.8%,21 compared to 70.6–78% among students attending online classes during the COVID-19 pandemic, points to the magnitude of the problem.22 With the increasing use of digital display terminals, particularly among populations that are occupationally dependent on the same, increased CVS prevalence is a serious public health concern.4,19 CVS eats into the physical and mental well-being as well as the productivity of digital device users.5 Even so, despite the mild nature of the syndrome and the fact that most onsets are self-limited and/or managed by optometrists/general practitioners, its awareness remains relatively low.23 With millions of students intensifying the usage of digital devices in their learning as well as for entertainment purposes, CVS is likely to be a pressing public health crisis for as long as the world remains in the grip of the COVID-19 pandemic. Its prevalence varies depending on demographic, environmental, and contextual factors,5 such that Al Baha University is likely to have different prevalence rates. Without knowledge of prevalence rates and awareness of the same, targeted, effective, and efficient interventions are impossible. Methods Research Design This study relies on a descriptive cross-sectional design. Al-Baha University was selected as a case organization both because it is convenient for the researcher and it is medium-sized compared to all universities in Saudi Arabia. As such, it is arguably representative of the field. Research Strategy This study uses a KAP survey strategy. It seeks to investigate the students’ knowledge, attitudes, and practices concerning CVS, using a standardized questionnaire.24 This strategy potentially reveals understanding and misconceptions that encourage, support or hinder instrumental preventive or mitigative behaviors. It highlights what the students know or think, and the gap between their knowledge and the behaviors that are desired to prevent or mitigate CVS.25 This way, it’s possible to measure the situation; improve knowledge, attitudes, and practices; set a baseline for future studies, particularly to measure the effectiveness of interventions; and help recommend interventions.26 Population and Context Al-Baha University is a public university situated in Al-Baha city, Southern Region, Saudi Arabia. The University has a student population of 21,000 spread across its five campuses across four towns. The main campus hosts 16 faculties. It offers more than 40 programs (30 undergraduate and 10 postgraduate).27 Sampling Strategy A convenience sample of students was drawn from all 16 faculties at Al-Baha University from November 2021 to February 2022. Having received the requisite permissions from gatekeepers, the researchers visited the campuses and physically approached students at random, to invite them to participate in the study by providing them with the information sheet, invitation sheets, and questionnaires. All students who were willing and able to participate in the study during the data collection period completed the questionnaires. At the end of the data collection process, 310 students had returned completed questionnaires. Data Collection Instruments The data was collected using a four-part structured questionnaire. The first section sought to collect demographic data, including gender, age, marital status, residence, the university faculty to which they belong, number of siblings, and year of study. The second section sought to collect data on the subjects’ knowledge of CVS, including its definition, causes, signs, symptoms, risk factors, complications, treatment, prevention, and source of information about the disease. The knowledge was scored on a Likert Scale with zero (0) denoting incorrect or no knowledge, one (1) denoting a correct and incomplete answer, and two (2) denoting a correct and complete answer. The total knowledge scores were good if the score of the total knowledge was≥ 75%, considered average if it equals 50–75%, and considered poor if it equals or less than 50%. The third section sought to gather information on the students’ practices to prevent their vision strains at home, reduce students’ vision exposure to blue light from digital devices, manage screen time and encourage alternative physical activity. The students’ practices were scored on a binary scale of either one (1) to denote a practice that the students engaged in regularly or zero (0) to denote a practice in which the students hardly engaged. The total reported practice score was considered satisfactory if the score of the total practices ≥ 60%, while considered unsatisfactory if it is 60%. The last section of the questionnaire measured the students’ attitude toward Computer vision syndrome at Al-Baha University during the COVID-19 pandemic. The scoring system for the student’s attitude is calculated as follows: (2) score for a positive response, (1) score for a neutral response, and (0) score for a negative response. The total attitude scores were considered positive if the score of the total attitude was≥ 75% while considered negative if it is less than 75%. Data Analysis The data was cleaned, coded, and entered into Microsoft Excel. It was subsequently analyzed using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences version 20.0. Both descriptive and inferential statistics were obtained and presented in suitable formats, including tables and charts. The statistical significance of relationships among categorical variables was tested using the Chi-Square test (p0.05). Ethical Considerations This study’...

London Prepares For The State Funeral Of Queen Elizabeth II https://digitalalaskanews.com/london-prepares-for-the-state-funeral-of-queen-elizabeth-ii/ London prepares for the state funeral of Queen Elizabeth II  ITV News By the numbers: Facts and figures about Queen Elizabeth’s funeral  WLKY Louisville Britain prepares for Queen Elizabeth’s funeral  CBS Sunday Morning Watch NBC Nightly News with Lester Holt Excerpt: More than a billion expected to watch the queen’s funeral  NBC Insider LIVE REPORTS FROM LONDON: CBS46 coverage of death of Queen Elizabeth II 9/18/22  CBS 46 News View Full Coverage on Google News Read More Here

Hong Kong Tech Leads Losses In Asia; China Cuts Rates Ahead Of Fed, Bank Of Japan Meetings This Week https://digitalalaskanews.com/hong-kong-tech-leads-losses-in-asia-china-cuts-rates-ahead-of-fed-bank-of-japan-meetings-this-week/ Hong Kong Exchange logo Lewistsepuilung | Istock Editorial | Getty Images Shares in the Asia-Pacific fell on Monday ahead of major central bank meetings this week. The Hang Seng index in Hong Kong was 1% lower, with the Hang Seng Tech index down 2.04%. South Korea’s Kospi shed 1.24% and the Kosdaq was 2.14% lower. In mainland China, the Shanghai Composite dipped 0.16% and the Shenzhen Component also declined 0.258%. The People’s Bank of China cut its 14-day reverse repo rates. The S&P/ASX 200 in Australia was fractionally lower. MSCI’s broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan fell 0.5%. Japan’s market was closed for a holiday Monday. Later this week, the Federal Reserve and the Bank of Japan will be announcing their interest rate decisions. Traders are betting on a 75-basis-point rate hike from the Fed, with the probability standing at 82%,  according to the CME FedWatch tracker of Fed funds futures bets. The Bank of Japan is expected to keep rates on hold at ultra-low levels, analysts predicted in a Reuters poll. China’s central bank cuts 14-day reverse repo rates The People’s Bank of China reduced the borrowing cost of 14-day reverse repurchase agreements, it announced on its website. The central bank also said it injected 2 billion yuan ($285 million) through the 7-day reverse repos and 10 billion yuan through the 14-day operations. The 7-day rate was kept unchanged. — Abigail Ng Cathay Pacific shares rise on report that Hong Kong may end hotel quarantines Oil prices climb as lifting of Chinese Covid lockdown boosts demand outlook Oil prices climbed on Monday as the Chinese megacity of Chengdu exits a two-week lockdown. Both oil benchmarks each rose more than 1% earlier in the session, and Brent crude futures was last up 0.66% at $91.95 per barrel. U.S. West Texas Intermediate gained 0.56% $85.59 per barrel. The boost in demand outlook offsets fears that potential rate hikes later this week will raise recession risks. — Lee Ying Shan CNBC Pro: This ETF carries risk — but outperforms when volatility spikes As volatility rears its head once again, investors looking for a short-term trade could opt for this ETF with a track record of outperformance in times of extreme market moves. “It is probably the prospect of very quick and sizable gains when everyone else in the market seems to be losing their shirts that I believe is appealing about this fund,” Daniel Martins, head researcher and portfolio strategist at DM Martins Research, said. Yet, despite the potential for high returns, the ETF carries a high level of risk, and is not for every investor. Pro subscribers can read more here. — Zavier Ong Chinese yuan has room to weaken further in the near-term, Goldman Sachs says There’s still room for the Chinese yuan to weaken further, economists at Goldman Sachs said after both the onshore and offshore yuan fell to their lowest levels since July 2020 last week. “We expect CNY weakness to persist in the near-term, underpinned partly by broad USD strength,” strategists said in a note, adding the next key level to watch is 7.20, which was last tested in May 2020. Such a move, however, will come in tandem with a “sizable” strengthening the U.S. dollar, they said in the note, adding “CNY is unlikely to weaken by 3% in isolation.” —Jihye Lee CNBC Pro: Buy these inflation-beating funds to protect your money, strategist says As inflation remains stubbornly high, where can investors hide out given that U.S. stocks and bonds alike have been volatile? There are three types of funds that look appealing right now, according to Mark Jolley, global strategist at CCB International Securities. He named his favorites in each category. CNBC Pro subscribers can read more here. — Weizhen Tan Read More Here

4 https://digitalalaskanews.com/4-2/ Biden says Trump handling of documents ‘totally irresponsible’  INQUIRER.net Read More Here

AP News In Brief At 12:09 A.m. EDT https://digitalalaskanews.com/ap-news-in-brief-at-1209-a-m-edt/ Fiona nears Dominican Republic after pounding Puerto Rico HAVANA (AP) — Hurricane Fiona bore down on the Dominican Republic Monday after knocking out the power grid and unleashing floods and landslides in Puerto Rico, where the governor said the damage was “catastrophic.” No deaths have been reported, but authorities in the U.S. territory said it was too early to estimate the damage from a storm that was still forecast to unleash torrential rain across Puerto Rico on Monday. Up to 30 inches (76 centimeters) was forecast for Puerto Rico’s eastern and southern regions. “It’s important people understand that this is not over,” said Ernesto Morales, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in San Juan. He said flooding has reached “historic levels,” with authorities evacuating or rescuing hundreds of people across the island. Bidens among thousands paying respects to Queen Elizabeth II LONDON (AP) — U.S. President Joe Biden paid his respects at Queen Elizabeth II’s coffin on Sunday as thousands of police, hundreds of British troops and an army of officials made final preparations for the queen’s state funeral — a spectacular display of national mourning that will also be the biggest gathering of world leaders for years. People across Britain paused for a minute of silence at 8 p.m. in memory of the only monarch most have ever known. At Westminster Hall, where the queen is lying in state, the constant stream of mourners paused for 60 seconds as people observed the minute of reflection in deep silence. In Windsor, where the queen will be laid to rest on Monday evening after her funeral at Westminster Abbey, rain began to fall as the crowd fell silent for the moment of reflection. Some have set up small camps and chairs outside Windsor Castle, with plans to spend the night there to reserve the best spots to view the queen’s coffin when it arrives. “Well, it’s just one night and day of our lives. Elizabeth gave us – you know – 70 years. So the rest of it is not a lot to ask, is it?” said Fred Sweeney, 52, who kitted out his spot with two Union flags on large flag poles. Biden and first lady Jill Biden were among thousands of mourners — from locals and tourists to royals and world leaders — to pay their respects. The president made the sign of the cross and put his hand to his heart as he stood quietly near the casket in the ornate 900-year-old hall with his wife and U.S. Ambassador Jane Hartley. Zelenskyy promises no ‘lull’ in taking back Ukrainian towns KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy promised his country there would be no letup in the counteroffensive that has reclaimed towns and cities from Russian troops, as shelling continued Sunday across a wide stretch of Ukraine. Zelenskyy ran through a list of towns that Ukraine has taken back in its lightning push across the northeast. “Maybe now it seems to some of you that after a series of victories we have a certain lull,” he said in his nightly video address. “But this is not a lull. This is preparation for the next series… Because Ukraine must be free — all of it.” Ukraine’s military command said its forces secured the eastern bank of the Oskil River on Saturday. The river, which flows south from Russia into Ukraine, had been a natural break in the newly emerged front lines since Kyiv’s counteroffensive began. As Russian shells hit towns and cities over the weekend, the British defense ministry warned that Moscow is likely to increase attacks on civilian targets as it suffers battlefield defeats. Biden: Classified documents at Mar-a-Lago raise concerns WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden says the discovery of top-secret documents at former President Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate raised concerns that sensitive data was compromised and called it “irresponsible.” Biden, who rarely does interviews, spoke to CBS’ “60 Minutes” in a segment that aired Sunday. He said that when he heard about classified documents taken from the White House, he wondered how “anyone could be that irresponsible.” Biden added: “And I thought, what data was in there that may compromise sources and methods?” The president said he did not get a heads-up before the Trump estate was searched, and he has not asked for any specifics “because I don’t want to get myself in the middle of whether or not the Justice Department should move or not move on certain actions they could take.” The FBI says it took about 11,000 documents, including roughly 100 with classification markings found in a storage room and an office, while serving a court-authorized search warrant at the home on Aug. 8. Weeks after the search, Trump lawyers asked a judge to appoint a special master to conduct an independent review of the records. Biden: US would defend Taiwan against Chinese invasion BEIJING (AP) — President Joe Biden says U.S. forces would defend Taiwan if China tries to invade the self-ruled island claimed by Beijing as part of its territory, adding to displays of official American support for the island democracy. Biden said “yes” when asked during an interview broadcast Sunday on CBS News’s “60 Minutes” program whether “U.S. forces, U.S. men and women, would defend Taiwan in the event of a Chinese invasion.” CBS News reported the White House said after the interview U.S. policy hasn’t changed. That policy says Washington wants to see Taiwan’s status resolved peacefully but doesn’t say whether U.S. forces might be sent in response to a Chinese attack. Tension is rising following efforts by Chinese President Xi Jinping’s government to intimidate Taiwan by firing missiles into the nearby sea and flying fighter jets nearby and visits to Taipei by political figures including U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. Taiwan’s foreign ministry on Monday expressed “sincere gratitude” to Biden for “affirming the U.S. government’s rock-solid promise of security to Taiwan.” They ended wanted pregnancies. Post-Roe, they face new pain. Ashley Lefebvre hugs her unborn daughter’s urn each night. Sarah Halsey treasures the tiny hat worn by her baby who lived just 38 minutes. Abi Frazier moved away from her home with a furnished nursery. All ended wanted pregnancies because of grave fetal medical problems. It’s a side of abortion seldom discussed in national debates — the termination of pregnancies because of fetal anomalies or other often-fatal medical problems. These terminations often happen in the second trimester, when women have already picked out names, bought baby clothes and felt kicking in their wombs. They’re far different from the most common abortions, performed earlier in pregnancies. Women say these terminations for medical reasons don’t feel like a choice — instead they are forced upon them by the condition of the fetus they carry. And the constant drumbeat of new abortion bans, rulings and news since the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade has reopened raw wounds. Such abortions were already shrouded in secrecy and guilt, the women say. They fear the path will be even tougher for those who follow. There are no recent statistics on the frequency of terminations for fetal anomalies — including genetic or chromosomal abnormalities — in the U.S., but experts say it’s a small percentage of total procedures. They typically occur later than the 93% of abortions performed at or before 13 weeks of pregnancy. In world beset by turbulence, nations’ leaders gather at UN UNITED NATIONS (AP) — Facing a complex set of challenges that try humanity as never before, world leaders convene at the United Nations this week under the shadow of Europe’s first major war since World War II — a conflict that has unleashed a global food crisis and divided major powers in a way not seen since the Cold War. The many facets of the Ukraine war are expected to dominate the annual meeting, which convenes as many countries and peoples confront growing inequality, an escalating climate crisis, the threat of multiple famines and an internet-fueled tide of misinformation and hate speech — all atop a coronavirus pandemic that is halfway through its third year. For the first time since the United Nations was founded atop the ashes of World War II, European nations are witnessing war in their midst waged by nuclear-armed neighboring Russia. Its Feb. 24 invasion not only threatens Ukraine’s survival as an independent democratic nation but has leaders in many countries worrying about trying to preserve regional and international peace and prevent a wider war. U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said the strategic divides — with the West on one side and Russia and increasingly China on the other — are “paralyzing the global response to the dramatic challenges we face.” He pointed not only to the devastation in Ukraine from nearly seven months of fighting but the war’s impact on the global economy. EXPLAINER: How the strong U.S. dollar can affect everyone NEW YORK (AP) — The buck isn’t stopping. The value of the U.S. dollar has been on a tear for more than a year against everything from the British pound across the Atlantic to the South Korean won across the Pacific. After rising again Friday, the dollar is near its highest level in more than two decades against a key index measuring six major currencies, including the euro and Japanese yen. Many professional investors don’t expect it to ease off anytime soon. The dollar’s rise affects nearly everyone, even those who will never leave the U.S. borders. Here’s a look at what’s driving the U.S. dollar higher and what it can mean for investors and households: WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO SAY THE DOLLAR IS STRONGER? First public global database of fossil fuels launches A first-of-its-kind database for tracking the world’s fossil fuel production, reserves and emissions launches on Monday to coincide with climate talks taking place at the U...

AP News Summary At 12:18 A.m. EDT https://digitalalaskanews.com/ap-news-summary-at-1218-a-m-edt/ Fiona nears Dominican Republic after pounding Puerto Rico HAVANA (AP) — Hurricane Fiona is bearing down on the Dominican Republic after knocking out the power grid and unleashing floods and landslides in Puerto Rico, where the governor said the damage was “catastrophic.” No deaths have been reported, but authorities in the U.S. territory said it was too early to estimate the damage from a storm that was still forecast to unleash torrential rain across Puerto Rico on Monday. Up to 30 inches was forecast for the island’s eastern and southern regions. Ernesto Morales, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in San Juan, said: “It’s important people understand that this is not over.” He said flooding has reached “historic levels.” Biden, VIPs lay low as spotlight stays on late Queen LONDON (AP) — American presidents usually make a splash when they travel abroad, holding the spotlight and quickly becoming the center of attention. Not this time. For U.S. President Joe Biden and other presidents, prime ministers, and dignitaries, there were no red-carpet arrivals, no big speeches and no news conference as they gathered for Monday’s state funeral for Queen Elizabeth II. Instead, world leaders used to people hanging on their every word checked their egos in the service of honoring the queen. Britain’s longest-serving monarch died earlier this month after 70 years on the throne. 2022 could be a political watershed for Massachusetts women BOSTON (AP) — The year 2022 is shaping up to be a watershed for women seeking political power in Massachusetts. While liberal state has lagged others when it comes to electing women to top offices. But this year Democratic women have won five of six statewide primary contests. They include Democratic Attorney General Maura Healey, who is favored to flip the Republican-held governor’s office in November. If she does, she’ll be the first woman and first openly gay candidate elected governor in Massachusetts. Andrea Campbell is hoping to succeed Healey as attorney general, and she would be the first Black woman to hold that post in the state. Bidens among thousands paying respects to Queen Elizabeth II LONDON (AP) — U.S. President Joe Biden paid his respects at Queen Elizabeth II’s coffin as thousands of police, hundreds of British troops and an army of officials made final preparations for the queen’s state funeral. The funeral on Monday at Westminster Abbey will be a spectacular display of national mourning that will also be the biggest gathering of world leaders for years. People across Britain paused for a minute of silence at 8 p.m. to honor the queen. Also late Sunday, authorities closed a miles-long queue for people to see the queen lying in state. New arrivals were turned away, so that everyone in the line can file past the coffin before Monday morning, when it will be taken to Westminster Abbey for the queen’s funeral. Zelenskyy promises no ‘lull’ in taking back Ukrainian towns KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy promised his country Sunday there would be no letup after a series of Ukrainian victories taking cities and towns back from Russian troops. He said there would be no lull until all of Ukraine is freed. Russian shelling hit cities and towns across a wide stretch of Ukraine over the weekend. The British defense ministry warned that Russia is likely to increase attacks on civilian targets as it suffers battlefield defeats. A Vatican envoy distributing humanitarian aid was among those who came under fire. There were no injuries. And prosecutors in Kharkiv are accusing Russia of torturing civilians in one village that was recently freed. Biden: Classified documents at Mar-a-Lago raise concerns WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden says the discovery of top-secret documents at former President Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate raised concerns that sensitive data was compromised and calls it “irresponsible.” In an interview with CBS’ “60 Minutes” that aired Sunday, Biden says he has not asked for any specifics “because I don’t want to get myself in the middle of whether or not the Justice Department should move or not move on certain actions they could take.” The FBI served a court-authorized search warrant at Trump’s Florida home on Aug. 8. Agents took about 11,000 documents, including roughly 100 with classification markings found in a storage room and an office. Biden: US would defend Taiwan against Chinese invasion BEIJING (AP) — President Joe Biden says U.S. forces would defend Taiwan if China tries to invade the self-ruled island claimed by Beijing as part of its territory. Biden’s comment adds to displays of official U.S. support for the island democracy in the face of intimidation by the mainland’s ruling Communist Party. Biden said “yes” when asked in an interview on CBS News’s “60 Minutes” program whether “U.S. men and women would defend Taiwan” in the event of a Chinese invasion. CBS News said it was told by the White House after the interview that U.S. policy hasn’t changed. Washington doesn’t say whether it would send forces to defend the island. In world beset by turbulence, nations’ leaders gather at UN UNITED NATIONS (AP) — World leaders are gathering at the United Nations this week under the shadow of Europe’s first major conflict since World War II. Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and the fighting it produced has sparked a global food crisis and a division among major powers not seen since the Cold War at a time of increasing international turbulence. The many facets of the war in Ukraine are expected to dominate the annual General Assembly meeting. It is taking place as many countries across the globe are also confronting inequality, an escalating climate crisis, the threat of multiple famines and increasing misinformation and hate speech. EXPLAINER: How the strong U.S. dollar can affect everyone NEW YORK (AP) — The value of the U.S. dollar has been on a tear for more than a year against everything from the British pound across the Atlantic to the South Korean won across the Pacific. The dollar is hovering close to its highest level in more than two decades against a key index measuring six major currencies. Many professional investors don’t expect the dollar to ease off anytime soon. Its rise makes an impact on nearly everyone, even those who will never travel beyond U.S. borders. The strength helps to limit inflation, but it can also hurt profits for many U.S. companies. First public global database of fossil fuels launches On Monday, the world’s first public database of fossil fuel production, reserves and emissions launches. Called The Global Registry of Fossil Fuels, it was developed by the groups Carbon Tracker and the Global Energy Monitor, and contains data on over 50,000 oil, gas and coal fields in 89 countries, covering 75% of global production. It shows that the United States and Russia have enough fossil fuel reserves to exhaust the world’s remaining carbon budget to stay under 1.5 degrees Celsius warming. And it shows that if burned, the world’s reserves would generate 3.5 trillion tons of greenhouse gas emissions, which is more than all that’s been produced since the Industrial Revolution. Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Read More Here

Biden: 'The Pandemic Is Over' https://digitalalaskanews.com/biden-the-pandemic-is-over/ (CNN) — President Joe Biden said he believes the Covid-19 pandemic is “over” in an appearance on CBS’ “60 Minutes,” but acknowledged the US still has a “problem” with the virus that has killed more than 1 million Americans. “The pandemic is over. We still have a problem with Covid. We’re still doing a lot of work on it. It’s — but the pandemic is over,” Biden said. The US government still designates Covid-19 a Public Health Emergency and the World Health Organization says it remains a Public Health Emergency of International Concern. But the President’s comments follow other hopeful comments from global health leaders. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, director-general of the World Health Organization, said in a news briefing last week that the end of the Covid-19 pandemic was “in sight,” and that the world has never been in a better position to end the Covid-19 pandemic. “Last week, the number of weekly reported deaths from Covid-19 was the lowest since March 2020,” Ghebreyesus said. “We have never been in a better position to end the pandemic. We’re not there yet, but the end is in sight.” Last month, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention adjusted its Covid-19 guidance to urge the nation away from measures such as quarantines and social distancing and instead focus on reducing severe disease from Covid-19. But the agency says some people, including those who are older, immunocompromised, have certain disabilities or underlying health conditions, are at higher risk for serious illness, and may need to take more precautions. There were about 65,000 new Covid-19 cases reported each day over the past two weeks, data from Johns Hopkins University shows, and reported cases are dropping in almost every state. Across the United States, about 400 people are dying every day from Covid-19. Although official case counts are far from representative of true levels of transmission, forecasts published by the CDC say that new hospitalizations and deaths will hold steady for the next month. For people hospitalized for Covid-19, the risk of dying fell to the lowest it’s ever been during the Omicron wave, according to a study published last week by the CDC. The researchers suggest that there were several contributing factors to the improved mortality risk: high levels of immunity, both from vaccination and previous infection, advances in treatments and properties of the Omicron subvariants that made them less likely to cause disease. Biden on 2024 The President told “60 Minutes” in the interview aired Sunday he had not made a “firm decision” on whether he would run for reelection in 2024 but said he intended to run. “Look, my intention, as I said to begin with, is that I would run again. But it’s just an intention. But is it a firm decision that I run again? That remains to be seen,” Biden said. The President said: “I’m a great respecter of fate. And so, what I’m doing is I’m doing my job. I’m gonna do that job. And within the time frame that makes sense after this next election cycle here, going into next year, make a judgment on what to do.” The President and top administration officials have maintained the President intends to run again in 2024, but Biden told ABC in December that it would depend on whether he was in good health. ‘I don’t want to get myself in the middle’ Biden told CBS he had not been briefed on the contents of the documents that were removed from former President Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago residence by the FBI in August, and said he did not want to interfere with any potential actions by the Department of Justice. “I have not asked for the specifics of those documents because I don’t want to get myself in the middle of whether or not the Justice Department should move or not move on certain actions they could take. I — I agreed I would not tell them what to do and not, in fact, engage in telling them how to prosecute or not,” Biden said. The Justice Department removed 11 sets of classified documents from Mar-a-Lago while executing a search warrant for possible violations of the Espionage Act and other crimes, according to unsealed court documents. Asked what his reaction was when he saw the photograph taken by the FBI that showed an array of documents found on Trump’s property, Biden said: “How that could possibly happen? How one — anyone could be that irresponsible?” “And I thought what data was in there that may compromise sources and methods? By that I mean names of people who helped or, et cetera. And it just, totally irresponsible,” Biden said. Biden said no one has briefed him on whether important national security secrets were revealed by the storage of those documents at the former President’s residence. “I have not personally spoken to anyone on that — in that regard. I’m sure my administration is aware of all of that, and so is the National Security Council. But I have not,” Biden said. The President also told CBS that US military personnel would defend Taiwan in the event of a Chinese invasion. The President was asked whether “US forces, US men and women would defend Taiwan in the event of a Chinese invasion,” a prospect US officials privately fear is becoming more likely. “Yes,” Biden responded. It’s not the first time Biden has gone beyond the US approach of “strategic ambiguity” when it comes to Taiwan. During a visit to Tokyo in May, Biden said the US would intervene militarily if China attempts to take Taiwan by force. The White House has consistently said after Biden’s comments that US policy hadn’t changed, and “60 Minutes” reported receiving a similar response to Biden’s answers in their interview. Under the “One China” policy, the US acknowledges China’s position that Taiwan is part of China, but has never officially recognized Beijing’s claim to the self-governing island of 23 million. Biden repeated his commitment to those policies in the “60 Minutes” interview. © 2022 Circle City Broadcasting I, LLC. | All Rights Reserved. Read More Here

Quake Info: Moderate Mag. 4.5 Earthquake – 45 Mi West Of Fairbanks, Alaska, USA, On Sunday, Sep 18, 2022 At 5:15 Pm (GMT -8) – 229 User Experience Reports https://digitalalaskanews.com/quake-info-moderate-mag-4-5-earthquake-45-mi-west-of-fairbanks-alaska-usa-on-sunday-sep-18-2022-at-515-pm-gmt-8-229-user-experience-reports/ Updated: Sep 19, 2022 03:12 GMT – I felt this quake Moderate magnitude 4.5 earthquake at 16 km depth 19 Sep 01:18 UTC: First to report: VolcanoDiscovery after 3 minutes. 19 Sep 01:28: Now using data updates from GFZ 19 Sep 01:30: Now using data updates from USGS Update Mon, 19 Sep 2022, 01:22 Seismic-like event, possible earthquake, reported few minutes ago near Livengood, Alaska, USA We are receiving unverified early reports of ground shaking possibly caused by seismic activity in or near Livengood, Alaska, USA on 19 Sep 2022 (GMT) at approximately 01:14 GMT. There are no details yet on the magnitude or depth of this possible quake. If confirmed, we can expect more accurate data to emerge in the next few minutes. The location, magnitude and time mentioned are indicative, based on our best-fit seismic model. They are temporary until our AllQuakes monitoring service receives more exact scientific data from a national or international seismological agency. Check back here shortly and stay safe. If you were or still are in this area during the quake help others with your feedback and report it here. Download the Volcanoes & Earthquakes app and get one of the fastest seismic alerts online: Android | iOS I felt this quake I didn’t feel it Earthquake details Date & time Sep 19, 2022 01:15:30 UTC – Local time at epicenter Sunday, Sep 18, 2022 at 5:15 pm (GMT -8) Status Confirmed Magnitude 4.5 Depth 16.2 km Epicenter latitude / longitude 64.7592°N / 149.233°W (Yukon-Koyukuk, Alaska, United States) Antipode 64.759°S / 30.767°E Shaking intensity Light shaking Felt 224 reports Primary data source USGS (United States Geological Survey) Nearest volcano Buzzard Creek (86 km / 53 mi) Nearby towns and cities 18 km (11 mi) NNW of Four Mile Road (pop: 43) | Show on map | Quakes nearby 44 km (27 mi) S of Minto (pop: 210) | Show on map | Quakes nearby 46 km (29 mi) N of Anderson (pop: 265) | Show on map | Quakes nearby 59 km (36 mi) W of Ester (pop: 2,420) | Show on map | Quakes nearby 69 km (43 mi) W of College (pop: 13,000) | Show on map | Quakes nearby 72 km (45 mi) W of Fairbanks (pop: 32,300) | Show on map | Quakes nearby 81 km (50 mi) W of Badger (pop: 19,500) | Show on map | Quakes nearby 89 km (56 mi) W of North Pole (pop: 2,190) | Show on map | Quakes nearby Weather at epicenter at time of quake Broken Clouds 13.3°C (56 F), humidity: 51%, wind: 1 m/s (3 kts) from SW Estimated seismic energy released 3.5 x 1011 joules (98.6 megawatt hours, equivalent to 84.8 tons of TNT) | about seismic energy If you felt this quake (or if you were near the epicenter), please share your experience and submit a short “I felt it” report! Other users would love to hear about it! If you did NOT feel the quake although you were in the area, please report it! Your contribution is valuable to earthquake science, seismic hazard analysis and mitigation efforts. You can use your device location or the map to indicate where you were during the earthquake. Thank you! Data for the same earthquake reported by different agencies Info: The more agencies report about the same quake and post similar data, the more confidence you can have in the data. It takes normally up to a few hours until earthquake parameters are calculated with near-optimum precision. Mag. Depth Location Source 4.5 16 km 18 Km NNW of Four Mile Road, Alaska USGS 4.5 15 km CENTRAL ALASKA EMSC 4.6 10 km Near Livengood, Alaska, USA GFZ 4.5 10 km Central Alaska IRIS 4.5 16 km Central Alaska RaspberryShake Seismograms Seismic station: COLA (IU network) | Distance from quake: 66 km / 41 mi | Show on map | Station Info Seismic station College Outpost, Alaska, USA: seismogram (vertical component) around time of quake. Thin dotted red line indicates time of quake. Seismic waves arrive some time later, depending on distance. Source: IRIS Buffer of Uniform Data (BUD) webtool Show more User reports for this quake (229) Contribute: Leave a comment if you find a particular report interesting or want to add to it. Flag as inappropriate. Mark as helpful or interesting. Send your own user report! College, Fairbanks North Star, Alaska (69.8 km E of epicenter) [Map] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / 2-5 s : Weak shaking that increased to light shaking and was a little startling. We got up to head for the door. Upset t he dog as well. | One user found this interesting.   North Pole, AK, United States (86.4 km E of epicenter) [Map] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / vibration and rolling / 30-60 s : Was sitting in my car in the driveway and felt like somebody was pushing up and down on my back bumper bouncing the car. | One user found this interesting.   Fairbanks, Alaska 99709 (76.5 km E of epicenter) [Map] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / 2-5 s : Watching Hockey a show about the Stanley Cup… everything started to shake. Felt it kind of strong shake for multiple seconds.. must have been close by I think. | One user found this interesting.   895 crestwood ave fairbanks, ak (72.1 km E of epicenter) [Map] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 30-60 s : shaking back and forth. Tapered off after about 15 seconds, but could continue feeling a rocking sensation for another 20 seconds | One user found this interesting.   making dinner (71.4 km E of epicenter) [Map] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / both vertical and horizontal swinging / 5-10 s : Holden Road in Fairbanks, south wall of house floor to ceiling shook strongly and the ground seemed to roll slightly for about ten seconds, no quaking twenty feet to the north in the center and far side of room, strong enough that I quickly went outside, but it had stopped, light shaking altogether, but was jarringly strong for those ten seconds   Eielson AFB (101.8 km E of epicenter) [Map] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 5-10 s : Horizontal swinging and wobbling last 5-10 seconds. Felt while sitting down at a desk on the second floor of a house.   Ferry (77.6 km S of epicenter) [Map] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / very short : On hilltop looking through binoculars. I heard rumbling then a couple of good shakes. Interrupted my glassing.   Fiarbanks, AK (82.3 km ENE of epicenter) [Map] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / both vertical and horizontal swinging / 20-30 s : I was sitting and suddenly felt my chair wiggling violently. I thought my husband was playing a joke until I realized he was not in the room. Plants were shaking, objects rattled.   North Pole, AK (67.9 km E of epicenter) [Map] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / vibration and rolling / 5-10 s : Sitting in my recliner watching a movie. Wondered why the boys were kicking my chair. Realized it was an earthquake. Dishes/objects rattling in cupboards.   North pole alaska (87.2 km E of epicenter) [Map] / Weak shaking (MMI III) : Sound of a bump,then a rolling shaking of the house for several seconds, several hanging objects still swinging 9 minutes later. Dog barked when shaking began.   Fairbanks Alaska (79.7 km E of epicenter) [Map] / Light shaking (MMI IV) : Sitting in my chair watching TV house started my shaking started chair rocked side to side cats jumped up (reported through our app)   Clear Alaska (55.6 km S of epicenter) [Map] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 20-30 s : I was just watching tv in the room and my water bottle started to shake then I felt the room lightly shaking for about 20 or so seconds. Then it stopped had another water bottle fall off my desk.   Fairbanks alaska (74.6 km E of epicenter) [Map] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / both vertical and horizontal swinging / 5-10 s : Quick jolt with about 5 seconds of heavy shake then could see wires shaking still for about 20 seconds   Fairbanks (71.7 km E of epicenter) [Map] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / 5-10 s : Laying on bed, bed started shaking left to right, dog looking at me like I’m nuts, husband standing in the doorways saying “ummmmm”. Very quick, made the TV rock   Fox Alaska (79.3 km ENE of epicenter) [Map] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / rattling, vibrating / 1-2 s : Started feeling my entire house shake but stopped quickly after, texted my father in law up gold mine trail who felt it too   Fairbanks, Alaska, USA (75.1 km ENE of epicenter) [Map] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / single lateral shake / 2-5 s : Felt like a jolt, with 3-4 vibrations. Upper floor of house. All occupants said “we just had an earthquake”   Eureka, AK / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / 5-10 s : We were all inside. Felt on both levels of house by 5 people in the house. Felt like someone was stomping hard through the house.   University of Alaska Fairbanks Library, Top Floor / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 15-20 s : I was on the top floor of the UAF Library, and all the bookshelves were rattling around, and the hanging lights were shaking. I was sitting down on a chair and could feel the whole building shake. It lasted long enough to have a conversation with a stranger about it.   North Pole Alaska / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / horizontal (sideways) swinging : Felt inside and outside, shaking and rattling, upstairs swaying back and forth. Cars outside shaking and moving.   Fairbanks / Light shaking (MMI IV) / vibration and rolling / 10-15 s : Sitting at the post office off of fairbanks Street and the car started shaking.. I tried telling the people next to me, they didn’t even see me .. ????????????????‍   Fairbanks Farmer’s Loop Raod / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / 5-10 s : A first vibration , then s few seconds later serio...

Blake Masters Offends Some Arizona Veterans – Northeast Valley News https://digitalalaskanews.com/blake-masters-offends-some-arizona-veterans-northeast-valley-news/ Nicole White, Reporter September 18, 2022 Some Tucson veterans gathered on Friday to show disdain for comments made by U.S. Senate candidate Blake Masters—saying Blake Masters “isn’t a fit representative for the more than half a million veterans in Arizona.” Masters has never served in the military, but he’s not been shy about making comments about those who have. The AzMirror reports that a former Marine and Vietnam veteran, Don Womack, was in “disbelief” after hearing about Masters comments which include statements about the wholesale firing of military leaders and in a campaign video posted on Twitter—Masters called military leaders “incompetent” and “woke corporate bozos”. “At the end of the day, what Masters has said is nothing short of disgraceful. His comments are nothing short of a personal attack on me and every other veteran and military family who has sacrificed to serve our country,” Womack said. “Listening to a guy like Blake Masters insult our military while running against Mark Kelly, a Navy combat pilot, for the seat once occupied by the great Senator John McCain – well that’s an insult to everyone,” said retired National Guard Master Sergeant, Sue Ritz. Ritz reportedly said that if Masters wants to criticize the military—he’s not exactly the one to do it—and distinguished a stark difference between Masters and Mark Kelly, Arizona’s current U.S. Senator who flew combat mission in the Gulf War. Ritz suggested that since Masters is still young enough—he ought to “join up” even offering to escort him to a nearby recruiting station. Blake Masters is endorsed by Trump and several veterans from the Valley told Northeast Valley News over the weekend that they want Trump held accountable for the removing of classified documents from the White House and “should be treated as the treasonous act that it is.” Master’s campaign did not respond to requests for an interview. Read More Here

Biden Says U.S. Troops Would Defend Taiwan In Event Of Attack By China https://digitalalaskanews.com/biden-says-u-s-troops-would-defend-taiwan-in-event-of-attack-by-china/ President Biden has again confirmed that U.S. troops would defend Taiwan in the event of an attack from China, the clearest recent statement Biden has made about how far the United States would go to support Taiwan militarily. In an interview with CBS’s “60 Minutes” that aired Sunday evening, Biden told host Scott Pelley that the United States would defend Taiwan “if in fact there was an unprecedented attack.” China claims Taiwan, a self-governing democracy that is home to 23 million people, as its own territory, and has asserted it could one day use force to take control of the island. Since Russia invaded Ukraine more than six months ago, Biden had emphasized several times that U.S. military forces would not fight Russian troops on Ukrainian soil. Pelley pressed Biden on whether the situation would be different in the event of an attack on Taiwan. “So unlike Ukraine, to be clear, sir, U.S. forces — U.S. men and women — would defend Taiwan in the event of a Chinese invasion?” Pelley asked. “Yes,” Biden replied. The interview is the latest of several occasions in which Biden has said that the United States would come to Taiwan’s defense militarily if China were to attack. Each time, White House officials emphasized that his remarks did not represent any change in U.S. policy. A Biden administration official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss the issue, pointed to remarks the president made in May, when he told reporters that the practice of strategic ambiguity toward Taiwan remained. At the time, he did not elaborate and did not explicitly say he would send U.S. troops to Taiwan in the event of a Chinese invasion. “He also made clear then that our Taiwan policy hasn’t changed,” the official said. “That remains true.” A representative from the State Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment Sunday. The “60 Minutes” segment erroneously stated that U.S. policy since 1979 has recognized Taiwan as part of China. Under the United States’ “one-China policy,” the American government under various administrations has for decades acknowledged Beijing’s view without taking a position on the status of Taiwan’s sovereignty. Under the Taiwan Relations Act, which was signed by President Jimmy Carter in 1979, the United States agreed to provide Taiwan with arms to defend itself, and “to maintain the capacity of the United States to resist any resort to force or other forms of coercion that would jeopardize the security, or the social or economic system, of the people on Taiwan.” The language neither guarantees nor rules out the possibility of military intervention, though the United States has long practiced “strategic ambiguity” when it comes to what it would do. In the “60 Minutes” interview, Biden appeared to refer to the Taiwan Relations Act when asked what Chinese President Xi Jinping should know about Biden’s commitment to Taiwan. “We agree with what we signed onto a long time ago,” Biden told Pelley. “And that there’s one-China policy, and Taiwan makes their own judgments about their independence. We are not moving — we’re not encouraging their being independent. That’s their decision.” Tensions between the United States and China — as well as between China and Taiwan — have escalated in recent months. Shortly after Russia invaded Ukraine, Biden sent an unofficial delegation of former U.S. defense and national security officials to Taiwan, an effort to show that the United States’ commitment to Taiwan “remains rock solid,” an administration official said at the time. Last month, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) traveled with a congressional delegation to Taipei, becoming the first House speaker to visit Taiwan since Newt Gingrich (R-Ga.) did so in 1997. There, the delegation met with Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen, and Pelosi repeatedly affirmed the United States’ “commitment to” and “enduring friendship” with Taiwan. The visit angered Beijing. Under the Chinese Communist Party, Beijing has for decades pursued a global pressure campaign to diplomatically isolate Taiwan’s democratically elected government by poaching its diplomatic partners and fiercely opposing exchanges between Taipei and foreign officials. China conducted expanded military exercises near Taiwan leading up to and after Pelosi’s visit, calling them a warning to “provocateurs” who challenge Beijing’s claims over Taiwan. Beijing also imposed sanctions on Pelosi and her immediate family, and canceled military dialogues and suspended climate talks with the United States. Christian Shepherd contributed to this report. Read More Here

DeSantis Gets Standing Ovation From GOP Voters After Flying Migrants To Martha’s Vineyard https://digitalalaskanews.com/desantis-gets-standing-ovation-from-gop-voters-after-flying-migrants-to-marthas-vineyard/ (CNN) — Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, speaking in Kansas on Sunday, gave every indication he intends to capitalize on the latest wave of attention that has followed from him sending migrants to Massachusetts last week. “This is a crisis. It’s now getting a little bit more attention,” DeSantis said, earning a standing ovation as he talked about the southern border and nodding to the headlines he instigated when he flew 50 migrants from the border to Martha’s Vineyard. The reception DeSantis received in Kansas enforced the perception that last week’s ploy accomplished more than raising awareness for the border crisis or diverting migrants who may have eventually ended up in Florida (though none said that was their destination). It also expeditiously thrust the Republican leader, who’s running for reelection this fall, into the national spotlight as he weighs whether to run for president in 2024. At an event just hours later in Wisconsin, DeSantis declared that the country’s immigration system is “on the ballot” this November. “This border is now an issue in these elections,” DeSantis said. “And I think it’s something that our candidates need to take.” The rallies in Kansas and Wisconsin marked the fifth and sixth stops in a national blitz by DeSantis to boost a new generation of conservative candidates and test his political brand in a tour coordinated by the conservative group Turning Point Action. DeSantis’ road trip mirrors the state-by-state rallies that former President Donald Trump is holding in battlegrounds ahead of the midterms and his expected foray into another bid for the White House, and it has served as a prelude to a hypothetical primary battle between the GOP’s two biggest names. On Saturday, Trump held a rally for Republican Senate nominee J.D. Vance in Youngstown, Ohio, where DeSantis dazzled a large crowd last month. From Olathe, Kansas, DeSantis traveled to Green Bay to stump for Wisconsin GOP gubernatorial nominee Tim Michels, about 90 minutes north of where Trump did the same in August. DeSantis’ action on migrants has galvanized the GOP base and won praise from fellow Republicans, some of whom have predicted it will pay off for DeSantis politically. Conservative radio host Pete Mundo, speaking earlier in the program, called the flights arranged by the Florida governor as “one of the most savvy political moves I’ve ever seen in my lifetime” and suggested sending protesters outside the event to Martha’s Vineyard. Kansas GOP Sen. Roger Marshall said in his remarks that he asked DeSantis backstage, “How I could get a ticket to drive one of those buses from the border to the Delaware beach?” The actions by DeSantis and Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, who sent migrants to Washington, DC, were widely criticized by local officials in the cities where the migrants arrived unannounced, as well as by Democrats and the White House. President Joe Biden accused the Republican governors of “playing politics with human beings.” But in the days after migrants arrived in Martha’s Vineyard, turning the wealthy vacation destination into a waypoint for asylum seekers overnight, DeSantis has doubled down on his decision to get Florida involved. He vowed to use “every penny” of the $12 million the Legislature budgeted to transport more migrants from the border, even though the state law says the money is intended to move people from inside his state. DeSantis told the Kansas crowd that his move laid bare the hollowness of sanctuary cities that advertise as welcoming to outsiders. The 50 migrants were “given basically a lottery ticket to get to the wealthiest sanctuary jurisdiction in the country,” DeSantis said, adding that there were “job listings” on the island and hotels where migrants could stay. “You’re talking about 50 people. Did they get them employed? Did they get them set up? No,” DeSantis said of the residents of Martha’s Vineyard. “They called out the National Guard and they deported those people off the island the very next day.” The migrants were moved by boat to Cape Cod 48 hours after arriving in Massachusetts to receive additional services. Despite no warning of the migrants’ arrival, the citizens there quickly mobilized food and shelter. “Now we see that’s just self-congratulatory virtue signaling,” DeSantis said. DeSantis’ recent actions — and many others — received a positive response from GOP candidates in deep-red Kansas. “I’m all for it,” said Derek Schmidt, the Republican state attorney general running for governor whom DeSantis was campaigning for in Olathe. Schmidt is challenging incumbent Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly, a political outlier who is hoping to once again win in a state where Trump carried all but a handful of counties just two years ago. Schmidt’s odds are complicated by state Sen. Dennis Pyle, a former Republican running for governor as a conservative Independent. Despite the toss-up nature of the race, it has largely flown under the national radar compared to other closely watched contests for governor and US Senate. Kansas made headlines last month when voters overwhelmingly rejected a ballot measure that would have allowed lawmakers to ban abortion in the state, which has contributed to Democratic enthusiasm across the country about running on the issue in November. DeSantis’ visit to Kansas was illustrative of his growing influence in all corners of the Republican Party. Not only did he draw a sizable crowd, but Schmidt made clear that if elected he would model his governorship after DeSantis. “I want a future for our great state of Kansas that looks a whole lot more like Ron DeSantis has in Florida than like where Joe Biden and Laura Kelly want to take this country,” Schmidt said. Schmidt highlighted DeSantis policies he would adopt, many modeled off the divisive social battles that Floridians have experienced in the past two years. He promised Kansas would have a parents bill of rights, that he would ban sexual orientation and gender identity instruction in the classroom and would prohibit transgender women and girls from participating in scholastic female athletics — all actions DeSantis has already taken. “You have a legislature here that will produce a lot of good legislation,” DeSantis said. “You just need a governor that will sign the legislation. And you guys can make that happen.” During the rally in Green Bay, Michels called DeSantis “a man who was willing to step up and make the hard decisions.” GOP Sen. Ron Johnson, who faces a difficult reelection against Democratic Lt. Gov. Mandela Barnes, also spoke at the event and didn’t mention DeSantis. After President Joe Biden narrowly won Wisconsin in 2020, and with two marquee races on the ballot this year, the state is one of the most closely watched of 2022. Ahead of the rally in Wisconsin, Democratic Gov. Tony Evers panned Michels and DeSantis for holding a rally a couple miles from Lambeau Field just before the Green Bay Packers kicked off their home opener against the Chicago Bears. “Wisconsinites don’t want an out of touch, out of state radical ruining their Sunday — and they don’t want Ron DeSantis here either. Tim Michels continues to show Wisconsin voters that he’s wrong for our state, and holding an event just before a Packers game with one of the most divisive politicians in the country is another red flag,” Evers said in a statement. DeSantis told the crowd in Wisconsin he was headed to his first Packers game after his speech. Meanwhile, in Kansas, Republicans assured the audience that they made sure the event wouldn’t conflict with a Kansas City Chiefs game. The city’s much-loved professional football team played on Thursday night. DeSantis joked, “(Organizers) said they wanted to do it on a Sunday afternoon and I said, ‘the Kansas City Chiefs better not be playing.’” (Copyright (c) 2022 CNN. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.) Join our Newsletter for the latest news right to your inbox Read More Here

Hong Kong Tech Leads Losses In Mixed Asia Session; Fed, Bank Of Japan Rate Decisions Ahead This Week https://digitalalaskanews.com/hong-kong-tech-leads-losses-in-mixed-asia-session-fed-bank-of-japan-rate-decisions-ahead-this-week/ Hong Kong Exchange logo Lewistsepuilung | Istock Editorial | Getty Images Shares in the Asia-Pacific was mixed on Monday ahead of major central bank meetings this week. The Hang Seng index in Hong Kong was 0.64% lower, with the Hang Seng Tech index down 1.9%. South Korea’s Kospi opened higher before falling 0.56% and the Kosdaq was 0.99% lower. In mainland China, the Shanghai Composite gained 0.22% and the Shenzhen Component also gained 0.14%. The S&P/ASX 200 in Australia was up 0.15%. MSCI’s broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan fell 0.4%. Japan’s market was closed for a holiday Monday. Later this week, the Federal Reserve and the Bank of Japan will be announcing their interest rate decisions. Traders are betting on a 75-basis-point rate hike from the Fed, with the probability standing at 82%,  according to the CME FedWatch tracker of Fed funds futures bets. The Bank of Japan is expected to keep rates on hold at ultra-low levels, analysts predicted in a Reuters poll. Oil prices climb as lifting of Chinese Covid lockdown boosts demand outlook Oil prices climbed on Monday as the Chinese megacity of Chengdu exits a two-week lockdown. Both oil benchmarks each rose more than 1% earlier in the session, and Brent crude futures was last up 0.66% at $91.95 per barrel. U.S. West Texas Intermediate gained 0.56% $85.59 per barrel. The boost in demand outlook offsets fears that potential rate hikes later this week will raise recession risks. — Lee Ying Shan CNBC Pro: This ETF carries risk — but outperforms when volatility spikes As volatility rears its head once again, investors looking for a short-term trade could opt for this ETF with a track record of outperformance in times of extreme market moves. “It is probably the prospect of very quick and sizable gains when everyone else in the market seems to be losing their shirts that I believe is appealing about this fund,” Daniel Martins, head researcher and portfolio strategist at DM Martins Research, said. Yet, despite the potential for high returns, the ETF carries a high level of risk, and is not for every investor. Pro subscribers can read more here. — Zavier Ong Chinese yuan has room to weaken further in the near-term, Goldman Sachs says There’s still room for the Chinese yuan to weaken further, economists at Goldman Sachs said after both the onshore and offshore yuan fell to their lowest levels since July 2020 last week. “We expect CNY weakness to persist in the near-term, underpinned partly by broad USD strength,” strategists said in a note, adding the next key level to watch is 7.20, which was last tested in May 2020. Such a move, however, will come in tandem with a “sizable” strengthening the U.S. dollar, they said in the note, adding “CNY is unlikely to weaken by 3% in isolation.” —Jihye Lee CNBC Pro: Buy these inflation-beating funds to protect your money, strategist says As inflation remains stubbornly high, where can investors hide out given that U.S. stocks and bonds alike have been volatile? There are three types of funds that look appealing right now, according to Mark Jolley, global strategist at CCB International Securities. He named his favorites in each category. CNBC Pro subscribers can read more here. — Weizhen Tan Read More Here

As Western Alaska Storm Weakens And Floodwater Recede, Damage Assessments Begin Across Hundreds Of Miles Of Coastline https://digitalalaskanews.com/as-western-alaska-storm-weakens-and-floodwater-recede-damage-assessments-begin-across-hundreds-of-miles-of-coastline/ Floodwaters inundated low-elevation areas of Golovin on Saturday. (Photo by Josephine Daniels) The remnants of a massive Pacific typhoon that battered a thousand-mile stretch of Western Alaska dissipated Sunday morning, with floodwaters dropping and communities assessing damage from one of the worst storms on record. “The climax is done,” said National Weather Service meteorologist Kaitlyn Lardeo on Sunday. “It is a weakening system.” The storm left a trail of wreckage across coastal Alaska, with flooding, telecommunications outages and damage to buildings and infrastructure including roads, docks, seawalls and village runways. As of Sunday evening, there were no reports of deaths, serious injuries or people missing, said Gov. Mike Dunleavy. The storm system was continuing to move north, where it’s expected to stall and rapidly weaken in the Chukchi Sea. Flooding from storm surge in Kotzebue on Sunday Sept. 18, 2022. (Photo by Reid Magdanz) The storm is expected to stay in place for the next couple of days, said weather service meteorologist Jonathan Chriest during a Sunday video update. As a result, “the water levels in this area are going to be slower to fall,” he said. “The good news with the system staying in place longer is that we’re no longer expecting widespread, or really any impacts, in regards to coastal flooding from Point Lay to Wainwright up to Utqiaġvik,” he said. “The water is just not expected to get high enough to cause impacts at this time.” [Alaska Community Foundation creates fund to accept donations for storm-ravaged Western Alaska] The weather system is what’s left of what was Typhoon Merbok, which formed farther east in the Pacific Ocean than where such storms typically appear. Parts of Kotzebue were flooded late Saturday and into Sunday morning, with residents of some low-lying parts of town sheltering elsewhere overnight. As of Sunday afternoon, there were no reports of evacuations in Kivalina and Deering, and “no other communities in the Northwest Arctic Borough have reported any major impacts,” said Tessa Baldwin, Director of Public Safety at the Northwest Arctic Borough Department of Public Safety. Flooding from storm surge in Kotzebue on Sunday Sept. 18, 2022. (Photo by Reid Magdanz) Farther south, water levels dropped throughout Sunday in communities at the mouths of the Yukon and Kuskokwim rivers, Norton Sound and the Seward Peninsula. “They’ve passed their climaxes for this event,” Lardeo said. As the worst of the wind and flooding subsided, the state’s Emergency Operation Center was assessing the damage, gathering reports of battered infrastructure and property from communities up and down the Bering Sea coast. According to Dunleavy five communities are known to be “severely damaged”: Hooper Bay, Scammon Bay, Nome, Newtok and Golovin. Flooding in Hooper Bay along the Bering Sea coast on Friday. (Photo by Ervin Chayalkun) Flooding in Hooper Bay on Friday. (Photo by Ervin Chayalkun) “We’re going to move as quickly as possible, and we’ll be focusing on the communities that have really received damage and really need the help the most,” Dunleavy said. “But all communities will be reviewed, and wherever there is help that is needed, we’ll be getting that help there as soon as possible.” Even communities that did not get the worst of the impacts are contending with major problems in the days ahead. Unalakleet, Elim, Hooper Bay and Golovin are facing water issues. Hundreds of people sheltered at the school in Hooper Bay over the weekend, including residents of nearby Kotlik, according to public radio station KYUK. Most of the fishing boats in Chevak are gone, according to reporting by KYUK and Alaska Public Media. “There’s a lot of impacts all across the region. We understand that there’s damage to residences, that there’s damage to infrastructure in many communities and the recovery process is going to be widespread,” said Jeremy Zidek, spokesman for the state Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Management. [Whipped by winds from storm, popular Nome restaurant destroyed in a Saturday fire] Telecom impacts One of the issues facing state emergency responders is that telecommunication coverage in some communities was inconsistent throughout Sunday, dropping out because of impacts to infrastructure or loss of local power sources. “Has communications been impacted? yes,” Zidek said. “Is power impacts? Yes. To what degrees? That’s really a changing and evolving situation.” GCI, which provides phone and internet service to many of the affected communities, said its headquarters in Anchorage was working with local technicians in Western Alaska to monitor system outages. “Our current assessments indicate that consumer network services are impacted in Chevak, Elim, Golovin, Hooper Bay, Newtok, White Mountain, Shaktoolik, Stebbins, St. George, Unalakleet,” said GCI spokeswoman Heather Handyside. “Internet was briefly out but has been restored in Emmonak, Greyling, and Kwigillingok.” [Earlier coverage: Worst storm in years batters Western Alaska coast] “Some of the consumer outages are likely due to commercial power outages and flooding that impact home internet equipment,” she said, adding that as storm conditions continue to subside “GCI teams are prioritizing dispatch needs while staging resources and equipment.” Infrastructure damaged As of Sunday afternoon, state officials said they believe that all runways at airports in the region are operable. Several runways were reportedly inundated Saturday and could not accept aircraft. Flooding at the Nome airport on Saturday, Sept. 17, 2022. (Annette Piscoya photo) Crews of heavy equipment operators had managed to clear debris from runways across much of the region Sunday morning, according to Dept. of Transportation spokesperson Shannon McCarthy. Some communities saw damage to lights along airstrips because of flooding, she said. Melanie Bahnke, head of the Nome-based regional non-profit Kawerak, said information was still coming in from the 15 Bering Strait communities served Nome. So far three homes are believed to be gone in Golovin. According to Bahnke, the sanitation road out of Shishmaref used for emptying trash and honey-buckets “is wiped out.” Other communities reported flooding and residents evacuating to shelter over Saturday night. Along the roads out of Nome, people are discovering their family cabins and fish camps destroyed or mangled. Bahnke said her husband checked their cabin out beyond Cape Nome late Saturday. “My smoke house is gone, my outhouse is gone. The picnic table and a canoe are gone,” she said. Overnight the winds had shifted direction and she was unsure if the main structure had made it. “Other people have lost their cabins.” Water levels remain very high in many communities, but have peaked everywhere except for Point Lay to Utqiagvik where impacts are not expected. The table below shows when we expect water will drop back below the normal high tide line. Winds have also peaked and are calming. #akwx pic.twitter.com/FFx7p3cGjG — NWS Fairbanks (@NWSFairbanks) September 18, 2022 Large tracts of the eastern portion of Nome’s Front Street were sheared of their asphalt paving and severely eroded. Alaska Airlines was able to fly a commercial plane into Nome on Sunday morning. Jet service was unable to make it to Bethel or Kotzebue, according to Alaska Airlines regional vice president Marilyn Romano. Gov. Dunleavy issued a state disaster declaration on Saturday. Maj. Gen. Torrence Saxe, head of the Alaska National Guard, said on Sunday all guardsmen and members of the State Defense Force in the western region had been activated. More air support is headed to western Alaska: three Guard helicopters in Nome and one in Bethel, as well as a C-17 and a C-130, both which are large military cargo planes, on standby. ”It is critical to have boots on the ground. So we want to start this today,” Saxe said. He said the goal is to get 10 guardsmen in Hooper Bay, where hundreds of meals are being provided to sheltering residents, along with guardsmen sent to Bethel and Nome. The governor said the state is marshaling resources to bring food, water and other essential supplies into impacted communities would begin Monday. He reiterated that fast approaching “freeze up,” expected in western Alaska in a few short weeks, meaning the recovery process would need to begin and be finished quickly. Bryan Fisher, director of Homeland Security and Emergency Management, said state officials, including a state emergency manager, would be deployed to Western Alaska Monday. They will be joined by members of the American Red Cross from the Lower 48 who will be flying into the region to start assessing where food, water and shelter are needed. Bahnke said she had been speaking with the congressional delegation Sunday in the hopes of getting a federal disaster declaration. “The tribes could do it directly with FEMA, but it requires a 20 percent local match, which just isn’t possible,” Bahnke said. She hopes the state will put in the request to federal emergency managers. Though Dunleavy has not yet asked for a federal disaster declaration, the state expects to do so in the next couple days. “We’re going to be working with them to do the assessment piece,” Fisher said, “and that’s really a backstop, provided the governor’s disaster programs, (which) have been activated since Saturday morning, will provide essentially the upfront cash to do this response.” “If that’s approved by the President, there’ll be additional financial resources that will come to bear for the long term,” Fisher said. • • • Read More Here

Ron DeSantis Racks Up Recent Fox News Mentions, Way More Than Other Non-Trump Potential 2024 Rivals In GOP https://digitalalaskanews.com/ron-desantis-racks-up-recent-fox-news-mentions-way-more-than-other-non-trump-potential-2024-rivals-in-gop/ Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) has been the focus of sharp criticism for flying two planes of Venezuelan migrants from Texas to Martha’s Vineyard, but it’s also brought him applause from the right and a deluge of air time on Fox News — a crucial metric as the jockeying for position in the 2024 GOP presidential nomination gets underway. CNN’s Harry Enten broke down the numbers on CNN Newsroom Sunday, telling anchor Pamela Brown how the controversy was helping DeSantis raise his national profile. “If there is something that Ron DeSantis knows how to do, it is to generate press,” said Enten. And the numbers showed that the Florida governor had been successful. According to Enten, over the past six months, DeSantis was the clear leader among potential GOP presidential candidates other than former President Donald Trump in getting mentions on Fox News. DeSantis had been mentioned 1,021 times, far ahead of former Vice President Mike Pence (585), Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) (442), and former UN ambassador Nikki Haley (161). Those figures were only calculated through this past Thursday, and “this has only started,” Enten noted, so DeSantis’ numbers could continue to jump even higher. “Ron DeSantis has managed to follow the Trump playbook,” Enten concluded. “Remember,Trump was able to generate all of that press ahead of his 2016 run, basically, was able to cannibalize all of that press. And it seems that Ron DeSantis is able to do something rather similar as we head into 2024.” A New York Times analysis in March 2016 found that Trump had benefited from nearly $2 billion — that’s billion with a “b” — in free media by that point in the 2016 presidential race, more than doubling Hillary Clinton and far surpassing the rest of his Republican primary opponents combined. A 2018 study found that Trump’s overwhelming media presence did indeed contribute to his success by presenting “viability cues” that were “influential in setting the stage” during the primaries. Watch the video above, via CNN. Have a tip we should know? tips@mediaite.com Read More Here

Biden Lashes Trump's Handling Of Documents https://digitalalaskanews.com/biden-lashes-trumps-handling-of-documents/ Classified documents were found during a search of Donald Trump’s Florida residence at Mar-a-Lago. (AP PHOTO) US President Joe Biden says his predecessor Donald Trump’s handling of classified documents was “totally irresponsible” but he is staying out of the investigation. Seeing the classified documents turned up by an August 8 FBI search of Trump’s Florida residence at Mar-a-Lago caused Biden to wonder “how anyone can be that irresponsible”, he said in an interview on CBS’ 60 Minutes program on Sunday. “I thought, what data was in there that may compromise sources and methods? And by that, I mean, names of people who help etc., and it’s just totally irresponsible.” The remarks broke with Biden’s pattern of avoiding commenting on the Justice Department’s criminal probe of his one-time political rival for possibly taking ultra-sensitive material to his residence after his term ended in January 2021. Biden, a Democrat, defeated the Republican Trump in the 2020 presidential election. Trump, who has weighed another run for office, has described the court-approved search as politically motivated. Biden said he had not received a classified briefing on the contents of those documents. “I have not asked for the specifics of those documents because I don’t want to get myself in the middle of whether or not the Justice Department should move or not move on certain actions they can take,” Biden said. “I agreed I would not tell them what to do and not, in fact, engage in telling them how to prosecute or not.” The Justice Department has said it was investigating Trump for removing White House records because it believed he illegally held documents including some involving intelligence-gathering and clandestine human sources – among America’s most closely held secrets. Biden’s intelligence chief is also investigating whether the disclosure of information in those documents presented national security risks. Australian Associated Press Read More Here

Does The Road To The White House Run Through Knoxville? | Georgiana Vines https://digitalalaskanews.com/does-the-road-to-the-white-house-run-through-knoxville-georgiana-vines/ Georgiana Vines  |  News Sentinel Knoxville’s attracting some prospective Republican presidential candidates. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, a Republican running for re-election against Democrat Charlie Crist, will speak here Wednesday, Sept. 21, at an 11:30 a.m. luncheon at Copper Cellar West. The private event is “a sellout at 140,” Susan Richardson Williams, long-time GOP stalwart who helped organize the luncheon, said Thursday. And former United Nations Ambassador Nikki Haley did more than pick up a Patriot Award at the Congressional Medal of Honors celebration while in Knoxville a week ago. She spoke at a Republican fundraising event for U.S. Reps. Tim Burchett and Diana Harshbarger, where she was described as a potential presidential or vice presidential candidate. “I hope to see her on a national ticket very soon,” Burchett, a Knoxvillian who represents the 2nd Congressional District, said at a barbeque in a barn at the West Knox home of developer and former Knox County Commissioner Scott Davis and his wife, Hope, on Sept. 10. Hear more Tennessee Voices:Get the weekly opinion newsletter for insightful and thought-provoking columns. The DeSantis fundraiser also is being arranged by Sherri Parker Lee, long-time GOP supporter. Williams said Lee “got the ball rolling” because her son, Baxter, a former congressional candidate in Nashville, knows someone in the Florida governor’s office. The cost to attend the private luncheon for DeSantis is $500 a couple, $1,000 to host and $2,500 to be included in a photo with the governor, Williams said. Last weekend, Haley was accessible to Republicans wanting to meet her at a reception in the Davis home prior to the barbeque at $500 per couple/person. But the former South Carolina governor also mixed with the crowd at the barn who paid $50 per person to attend. Harshbarger, a Kingsport Republican, told the crowd she had gotten to know Haley after taking office in 2021. She said Haley invited newly elected female members of Congress to a “girls’ night out” to talk about what the federal government does and how it works. Haley did not address being a presidential contender, but she seems to have covered a number of bases in case she did. She told the barbeque crowd she had visited with former Gov. Bill Haslam and his wife, Crissy, before coming to the Davis showplace. All Bill Haslam had to say later about the visit was that “Nikki stopped by our house to say hello while she was in town.” He responded to an email request for comment. Haley told the 150 Republicans gathered in the barn that voting in November matters, citing price rises in gas, food and utilities. She blamed Democrats for “spending out of control” and just interested in “hiking up more taxes.” She said she is “going across the country” to help elect Republicans to Congress and as governors. She also talked about being the daughter of immigrants who came to the U.S. from India in a legal manner. She said her parents are “offended” by immigrants coming to the U.S. illegally. Her original name was Nimrata Nikki Randhawa and she was born in South Carolina. She married Michael Haley in 1996 and served in the South Carolina House of Representatives before being elected governor in 2011. She served as U.N. ambassador under GOP President Donald Trump in 2017-18. Her speech one day before the anniversary of 9/11 reminded the audience of the four coordinated suicide terrorist attacks carried out on Sept. 11, 2001, by the Islamic extremist network al-Qaida against the U.S. “Do you remember life was comfortable on Sept. 10? Do you remember where you were on Sept. 11? On Sept. 12, we all loved each other. We cared about America,” she said. But those feelings of togetherness do not exist today and a “national self-loathing has got to stop. We are not a racist country,” she said, to spontaneous applause. Trump’s name did not come up publicly at this event, although he continues to be in the news with various federal investigations and campaigning on behalf of candidates supporting his lies about winning the presidency over Democratic President Joe Biden in 2020. Haley was given the Patriot Award at the Medal of Honor Gala on Sept. 10. Williams said she attended this event as a guest of state Sen. Becky Duncan Massey, R-Knoxville, and that Haley didn’t talk about electing Republicans but gave a “terrific” speech on patriotism. Williams said she believes Haley is a potential presidential candidate, “but I don’t think she’ll run against Trump.” Attendees at the barbecue and Haley reception contributed to the East Tennessee Victory Fund, a joint fundraising committee authorized by Burchett for Congress, his Volunteer Issues PAC, Diana for Congress and her Tennessee Tough PAC. Proceeds are to be divided between the two members of Congress or their PACS. (Disclosure: I attended the fundraising barbeque as the guest of Burchett. In attempting to pay for tickets for a friend and me, I was told we were his guests. I accepted as no conditions were put on how to cover the event.) DeSantis is in the news with his conservative approach to governing, which makes him attractive to many Republicans as an alternative to Trump should the former president not seek reelection. The latest news he made was sending two planeloads of migrants in Texas to Martha’s Vineyard in Massachusetts on Wednesday, defending the action as migrants needing to be taken care of by states or communities that agree to take care of them, not border states that don’t want them. Democrats in Florida and Massachusetts were reported by the national news media as furious over the move. Williams was asked what she thought of DeSantis’ action with the migrants. “We obviously have a problem. Got to give kudos to him and Gov. Greg Abbott (of Texas) for doing something clever,” she said. ∎ LISTEN TO THE OTHER SIDE: Former Tennessee Govs. Phil Bredesen, a Democrat, and Bill Haslam, a Republican, are trying to draw attention to the advice of the late Howard H. Baker Jr., former U.S. senator from Huntsville, Tennessee, who said it’s possible the other person might be right in politics so it’s important to listen to that point of view. Baker, also a White House chief of staff and U.S. ambassador to Japan, said the following at a 2010 event with former President Jimmy Carter, a Democrat: “In politics, the competition for ideas, the competition for the right to serve, is fundamental and it is political. But it must be accompanied by a decent respect for the other fellow’s point of view. Because if you don’t do that, the whole system falls, it collapses, if you don’t admit that the other person may be right from time to time.” Bredesen and Haslam last week launched a podcast being distributed by the Howard H. Baker Jr. Center for Public Policy at the University of Tennessee, which is designed to have more civil conversations about policy issues than we’re having in this country. The podcast is called “You Might Be Right,” with the first episode, on gun violence, featuring Arne Duncan, former U.S. secretary of education, who has founded a nonprofit, Chicago CRED, that aims to reduce gun violence in his hometown, and David French, a political commentator who argues in favor of red-flag laws as the path toward reducing gun violence. The podcasts are an outgrowth of a discussion by the two governors at UT two years ago where they had an honest talk with each other about their administrations and problems faced, said Marianne Wanamaker, Baker Center director. The two men get along and respond well to each other, she said. “It works, it’s fun,” she said. The two governors also were featured last week in a panel at the Bipartisan Policy Center in Washington, D.C., on the topic “Civility, Understanding and Statemanship.” The Baker Center was a sponsor. Haslam said today there is a tendency for leaders to “read the room” to determine what’s happening, seeing people who are “angry and mad,” and reacting accordingly. He said he and Bredesen would like to help leaders “understand the other side.” Bredesen said people get into politics for different reasons. A lot are in for selfish reasons and perks, he said, but a lot are in for the “right reason. They want to do the right thing. They want to genuinely solve problems.” The podcast will discuss other controversial topics like climate change and the national debt, and will feature people who may have held public office but no longer do, like former Vice President Al Gore, a Democrat and former U.S. senator from Tennessee, and Paul Ryan, retired Wisconsin Congressman who was House Speaker and a GOP vice presidential candidate. ∎ WHY VOTE?: A panel discussion on that topic will be held Wednesday, Sept. 21, at UT’s  Baker Center, 1640 Cumberland Ave., ahead of the Nov. 8 federal and state general elections. Bill Lyons, director of policy partnership for the center and an expert in American politics and voting behavior, will discuss the subject with Knox County Election Commission Chair Hannah Hopper, Knoxville Vice Mayor Andrew Roberto and Knoxville City Councilwoman Lynn Fugate. The program runs 5-6:15 p.m. and is free and open to the public. Georgiana Vines is retired News Sentinel associate editor. She may be reached at gvpolitics@hotmail.com. Read More Here

Biden On '60 Minutes': 'The Pandemic Is Over' https://digitalalaskanews.com/biden-on-60-minutes-the-pandemic-is-over/ President Joe Biden said “the pandemic is over” in discussing Covid during an interview that aired Sunday evening on CBS’ “60 Minutes.” “The pandemic is over,” the president told Scott Pelley. “We still have a problem with Covid. We’re still doing a lot of work on it … but the pandemic is over. if you notice, no one’s wearing masks. Everybody seems to be in pretty good shape. And so I think it’s changing.” Despite Biden’s statement, Covid has continued to exact a toll in the United States and around the world. The John Hopkins Coronavirus Resource Center lists more than 2 million Covid cases in the country in the last 28 days, with hundreds dying from the disease every day. Biden’s statement was the most definite one about the pandemic he has made since assuming the presidency in January 2021. He was less definitive when asked whether he planned to seek reelection. “Is it a firm decision that I run again? That remains to be seen,” Biden said, saying he would make his decision after the November midterms. He did qualify his remarks by saying it had always been his “intention” to seek another term and that “election laws” would come into play if he were to announce his candidacy at this juncture. In the interview, recorded before Biden flew to Britain to attend the funeral of Queen Elizabeth II, the president also said he was startled to see the photograph of top-secret documents on the floor of the residence at former President Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida, calling Trump “totally irresponsible.” The president said his first thought was, “How could that possibly happen?” and added: “I thought: What data was in there that may compromise sources and methods?” Biden said he has steered clear of trying to determine the specifics of what was in the documents that Trump possessed, leaving it to the Justice Department to sort out the matter. Biden has said that he didn’t have a heads-up that the FBI planned to search Mar-a-Lago to find classified documents, a search that has led to an ongoing legal battle between Trump and the Justice Department. “I have not asked for the specifics of those documents,” Biden told Pelley, “because I don’t want to get myself in the middle of whether or not the Justice Department should move or not move on certain actions they could take.” The interview was Biden’s first as president on “60 Minutes,” which launched its 55th season on Sunday night. Read More Here

Trump Says He's Going To Mar-A-Lago To Survey The Damage Of 'ransacking' Himself — 5 Weeks Later https://digitalalaskanews.com/trump-says-hes-going-to-mar-a-lago-to-survey-the-damage-of-ransacking-himself-5-weeks-later/ Donald Trump golfing at Trump International Golf Club West Palm Beach (Twitter) Former President Donald Trump raged on his social media site that he’ll be returning to his Palm Beach country club to survey the scene of the search warrant executed to gather documents he stole from the White House. Trump made the statement with a sense of urgency and dramatic tone, claiming he had to see “the unnecessary ransacking of rooms and other areas of the house.” The moment comes five weeks after the search on Aug. 8, leaving questions about why Trump is only now seeing the pressing need. Trump spent two weeks going back and forth between his New York City condo and his New Jersey golf club. He then spent another week at his club in Virginia, where he drove around the course in the drizzle. It was two weeks after the search was executed and the documents had been sifted by the Justice Department that Trump’s team was able to cobble together a legal complaint. To be fair, there was also a delayed reaction on Trump delivering the documents. The National Archives has been asking him to turn things back over after 18 months. His White House counsel revealed to the NARA that Trump shouldn’t have them. The NARA catalogs everything from a presidency and then presidents can access their documents after that for up to 12 years. The National Archives sources also suggested to the DOJ that documents were still at Mar-a-Lago, leading the House Oversight Committee to ask the DOJ whether this was true. It has since been revealed that Trump not only stole documents but he also stole a number of classified documents, including those that detail the nuclear capabilities of another country. Report typos and corrections to: corrections@rawstory.com. Stories Chosen For You Read More Here

Weekly Column: Quality To Creating Growth On All Levels https://digitalalaskanews.com/weekly-column-quality-to-creating-growth-on-all-levels/ Review and preview  The Federal Reserve is likely to raise U.S. borrowing costs faster and further than previously expected after data on Tuesday showed underlying inflation broadening out rather than cooling as expected. Overall consumer prices climbed 0.1% last month from July — economists had expected a decline — and gained 8.3% from the year-earlier period, the Labor Department reported. – Ann Saphir, “Fed Seen Getting More Aggressive As Inflation Soars,” www.reuters.com, September 13, 2022.  The world economy is experiencing the biggest structural upheaval in two hundred and fifty years—being certain and decisive about policy is perhaps unwise.– Dr. Paul Donovan, “Russian Roulette,” www.ubs.com, September 1, 2022. This is what happens when you combine a Mercury retrograde in an air sign with an applying double semi-square to Saturn and Uranus from Jupiter. It’s why chiropractors will be in great demand from the whiplashes due to the whipsaws in financial markets since September 6 and likely to continue into September 28 and maybe a little beyond. With Mercury retrograde, we expect fakeouts and temporary violations of support and resistance. That’s just the nature of the Trickster. He likes to surprise. He likes to zig-zag, back and forth, every 1-4 days. But when the Trickster is operating under the larger domain of Uranus (its higher octave), surprises turn into shocks, and fakeouts turn into stunning breakouts. And so it was last week for global stock markets, which became a huge disappointment for optimists on the U.S. economy as Mercury retrograde, otherwise known as “the Trickster,” struck hard with a surprisingly strong inflation report on Tuesday, September 13. The market tanked. Let’s review. Mercury turned retrograde on September 9-10 (depending on where you are located). U.S. stock indices had bottomed three days before, September 6-7, and the DJIA had rallied over 1500 points into Monday, September 12, which included a game-changing (bullish) “gap up” last Friday, September 9. The thing about Mercury retrograde, especially in an air sign, is that rallies can peak and reverse within 4 trading days of the Trickster’s retrograde. Monday, September 12, was the first trading day following the retrograde, and in the time band for its first reversal. On Tuesday, September 13, the unexpectedly high inflation number coincided with the sharp pivot in both the Trickster’s direction and the stock markets’ rally. The DJIA, for instance, gapped down, another “game-changer,” and fell 1276 points, its largest decline in over 2 years. Suddenly the narrative about a “soft landing” being navigated expertly by the Fed turned into major anxiety that the U.S. central bank is out of touch and has lost control. With transiting Pluto in opposition to its natal Neptune, the Fed is not just between a rock and a hard place. They may be caught  between a hard reality and a soft-landing delusion where dreams turn into nightmares. The pattern of a cycle low September 6-7 just before Mercury turned retrograde, followed by a very bullish break of resistance into September 12-13, just 1-2 days after Mercury turned retrograde, followed by a stunning fall on September 13 that continued to new weekly lows by Friday, September 16, was evidenced in nearly all world stock indices. The only difference is that some stock indices (U.S. indices, AEX, SMI, China, and Hong Kong), took out their cycle lows of September 6-7, while others did not (DAX, FTSE, ASX, NIFTY, Nikkei, and Bovespa). This type of intermarket divergence may be bullish if all indices do not break out to new monthly lows this week. With the powerful geocosmic signatures in effect these next two weeks, anything is possible. Just as the Fed is caught between a rock and a hard place over inflation control versus an economic recession, geocosmics are caught between the possibility of a real panic and washout versus a huge reversal in global stock indices. That’s just the type of uncertainty and potential danger that Mercury retrograde combined with Jupiter making a double semi-square to Saturn and Uranus finds attractive. As disturbing as the stock market behavior was last week, Gold’s performance may be even more alarming. The precious metal fell below the critical support of 1675 +/- 5 for the first time since April 2020. Silver, on the other hand, held well above its recent 2-year low of 17.40 made on September 1, for a case of intermarket bullish divergence there as well. Crude Oil is flirting with its lowest prices since January as the Sun approaches its opposition to both Jupiter and Neptune, rulers of Crude Oil, September 16-26. Bitcoin and Ethereum exhibited intermarket divergence just like stocks, as both dropped, but whereas BTC held its low of September 7, Ethereum did not. Short-term geocosmics and longer-term thoughts  “What we’re seeing now is either the beginning or the death knell of extreme MAGA philosophy. It’s not just Trump, it’s the entire philosophy that underpins the — I’m going to say something, it’s like semi-fascism.” -Joe Biden, “Biden Calls Trump’s Philosophy ‘Semi-Fascism.’” www.politico.com, by Christopher Cadelago and Olivia Olander, August 25, 2022.  Donald Trump isn’t a fascist, or even a semi-fascist, in President Biden’s term. Mr. Trump is an opportunist. His ideology is coextensive with his temperament: In both, he is an anarcho-narcissist. He is what you might get by crossing the Wizard of Oz with Willie Sutton, who explained that he robbed banks because “that’s where the money is.” If there are fascists in America these days, they are apt to be found among the tribes of the left. They are Mr. Biden and his people (including the lion’s share of the media), whose opinions have, since Jan. 6, 2021, hardened into absolute faith that any party or political belief system except their own is illegitimate —impermissible, inhuman, monstrous and (a nice touch) a threat to democracy.”– Lance Morrow, “Biden’s Speech Has It All Backwards,” Wall Street Journal, September 4, 2022. We are now entering the middle of the geocosmic hurricane that could easily turn into a mundane and financial hurricane. But it may have a favorable ending. This is the middle passage of the three double semi-squares of Jupiter to Saturn and Uranus, and in this case, the two geocosmic events happen within one week of each other: September 21 and 28. That is, Jupiter will make its second of three semi-squares to Saturn on September 21. The first was July 21 when Gold made a bottom at 1678 and then rallied almost $150 to a high of $1824 only three weeks later. Gold just broke under that level again last week, and now the second passage readies this week. Also, September 28 will mark the second of three passages of Jupiter in a waning semi-square to Uranus. The first was on May 11, the first leg down of a double bottom in stock indices following the second high of the year on April 21, and before the final decline to June 16-17. But it’s the Jupiter/Saturn cycle that I want to discuss this week. There is probably no cycle more important to Mundane Astrologers than that of Jupiter/Saturn. Well, OK, maybe that title should go to the 45-year Saturn/Uranus cycle and its phases, as uncovered in The Ultimate Book on Stock Market Timing Vol 2: Geocosmic Correlations to Investment Cycles. But for mundane matters outside of financial markets, it is hard to beat the correlation of the 20-year Jupiter/Saturn cycle and its phases. The current 20-year cycle of the Great Chronocrator, which took place on the winter solstice, December 20, 2020, was extremely important because it marked the 800-year transition from the earth element to the air element of this synodic cycle, a subject discussed at length in the previous two Forecast Books. But what is often overlooked is the first ten years of this cycle (waxing phase), and in particular, the first 1/8 phase of this cycle, and its correlation to social, cultural, economic, and military conflict cycles. As described in my first book, titled Evolutionary Astrology: The Journey of the Soul Through the Horoscope, the first 1/8 phase of any cycle is a point of “abortion,” the point in time when one makes a choice to continue with the new direction and goals that began the cycle at its conjunction, or “abort” them. The first 1/8 of the cycle is also known as its waxing semi-square. We are there now. In fact, it will be a three-passage series, exact on July 21, September 21 (next week) and finally on March 21, 2023. Never mind the irony that the Supreme Court has just revoked the constitutional right to abortion on a national level, making it an important campaign issue for the mid-term elections. It is also another issue that divides the nation both politically and spiritually. And this is where the good news comes in. As divided as the U.S. and the rest of the world is – as polarized as it is between the extremism of conspiracy theories and attempts to subsume territories of others through invasion of their borders as denoted by Saturn square Uranus, versus the path of moderation as a roadmap to success and growth as suggested by the waxing phase of Jupiter and Saturn (2021-2030) – there is still hope offered by understanding this cycle. This first 1/8 semi-square phase will end at the beginning of spring. The primary players of the disruption and extreme fanaticism of Saturn and Uranus will begin to wane, at least form a cosmic perspective. We won’t see Saturn in its waning phase to Uranus for another 45 years. And as spring 2023 comes to an end, these two planets (Jupiter and Saturn), will not only start separating from their association with Uranus, but will in fact enter a favorable waxing sextile in mid-June, a 1/6 phase of the larger cycle that contains the themes of building and g...

Strong Earthquake Hits Southeastern Taiwan, 146 Injured https://digitalalaskanews.com/strong-earthquake-hits-southeastern-taiwan-146-injured/ Firefighters work at the site where a building collapsed following a 6.8-magnitude earthquake, in Yuli, Hualien county, Taiwan September 18, 2022. Taiwan’s 0918 Earthquake Central Emergency Operations Centre/Handout via REUTERS Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com Train carriages derailed, four rescued from collapsed building Tsunami warnings cancelled, chip foundries unaffected More than 600 trapped by blocked mountain roads Quake follows 6.4 magnitude tremor on Saturday TAIPEI, Sept 18 (Reuters) – A 6.8 magnitude earthquake hit the sparsely populated southeastern part of Taiwan on Sunday, the island’s weather bureau said, derailing train carriages, causing a convenience store to collapse and trapping hundreds on mountain roads. The weather bureau said the epicentre was in Taitung county, and followed a 6.4 magnitude temblor on Saturday evening in the same area, which caused no casualties. read more The U.S. Geological Survey measured Sunday’s quake at a magnitude 7.2 and at a depth of 10 km (six miles). Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com Taiwan’s fire department said one person had died and 146 were injured by the quake. All four people were rescued from a building that collapsed in Yuli, while three people whose vehicles fell off a damaged bridge were rescued and taken to hospital. The Taiwan Railways Administration said six carriages came off the rails at Dongli station in eastern Taiwan after part of the platform canopy collapsed, but the fire department said there were no injuries. More than 600 people are trapped on the scenic Chike and Liushishi mountain areas by blocked roads, though there were no injuries and rescuers were working to reopen the roads, the department said. The U.S. Pacific Tsunami Warning Center issued a warning for Taiwan after the tremor but later lifted the alert. Japan’s weather agency lifted a tsunami warning for part of Okinawa prefecture. The quake could be felt across Taiwan, the weather bureau said. Buildings shook briefly in the capital Taipei, and aftershocks have continued to jolt the island. Science parks in the southern cities of Tainan and Kaohsiung, home to major semiconductor factories, said there was no impact on operations. Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC) (2330.TW), , the world’s largest contract chipmaker, said there was “no known significant impact for now”. Taiwan lies near the junction of two tectonic plates and is prone to earthquakes. More than 100 people were killed in a quake in southern Taiwan in 2016, while a 7.3 magnitude quake killed more than 2,000 people in 1999. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com Reporting by Ben Blanchard and Yimou Lee; Additional reporting by Martin Quin Pollard, Sam Nussey and Anirudh Saligrama; Editing by Christian Schmollinger and Stephen Coates Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles. Read More Here

Mosquito Fire: Firefighters Hopeful Forecast Rain Will Slow Fire's Growth https://digitalalaskanews.com/mosquito-fire-firefighters-hopeful-forecast-rain-will-slow-fires-growth/ Fire crews are working to use the forecast rain in their favor as they look for opportunities to contain flames and create stronger perimeter lines around the Mosquito Fire on Sunday. The fire has burned at least 74,748 acres and is 34% contained as of Sunday morning. Containment is a measure of the perimeter crews have established to prevent the spread of a wildfire. Thousands of people were allowed to go home on Sunday as more evacuation orders were downgraded in Placer County. At least 78 structures have been destroyed so far in the fire and another 13 have been damaged. Battling the BlazeThe strategy for Sunday is to use the forecast colder temperatures and good humidity to help build containment lines around the blaze. The rain event however is not expected to be a “season-ending event,” Cal Fire said.”As rain showers are forecasted to continue through the day and become heavier overnight, crews will look for opportunities to make containment progress as it is safe to do so,” a Cal Fire Sunday morning report said. “Firefighters will continue shoring up the corners of the fire and ensure the southern and western flanks hold along the communities.”On Saturday, firefighters battled strong winds and worked to prevent spot fires and flare-ups. Crews also continued to set backfires. “They’ve been working on that for several days, backfiring large chunks so the fire can’t come up and hook around those drainages,” said public information officer Scott McClean. “They’ve been very successful doing that and they will continue to work on that.”Firefighters worked throughout the canyons and ridges, using heavy machinery and walking the land with hand tools, hoes and shovels. They also sprayed water to dampen the forest to keep the fire from spreading. While firefighters continue to battle the fire in the canyon, there are signs of progress. Utility crews worked in Michigan Bluff. Workers put up new power poles and installed power lines to the small community. Some residents will return to destroyed homes and property, while many other homes were spared by the fire. “It’s very erratic up here and that has to do with the drainages that go in various directions that are funneling the wind,” McClean said.Meanwhile, on the west and north side of the fire crews have reported progress, while growth has also slowed on the southeast corner of the fire as it burns into the King Fire scar, Cal Fire said. Some evacuation orders reducedOn Sunday morning, some evacuation orders in Placer County were reduced to warnings and people could start to go home. Zones 7B, 8, 9, 10, 11A, 12, 15 and 26 all on the west side of the fire are the ones that were downgraded. At least 3,701 people are able to return home, according to the Placer County Sheriff’s Office on Sunday. For those returning home to spoiled food, there are dumpsters available in the parking lot at the LDS Church on Todd Valley Road, authorities said. Some orders in El Dorado County were also downgraded on Sunday.The communities allowed to return home include Cannon Creek, Bottle Hill and Grey Eagle. The warnings in Cool, Garden Valley, Georgetown Proper and Swansboro were lifted. On Saturday evening, evacuation orders were reduced to warnings for Zone 12 in Placer County and some people along Foresthill Road, among others, will be allowed to go home. However, authorities warn people there is no gas available in Foresthill and Worton’s Market remains closed. Some residents in the community of Georgetown in El Dorado County were allowed to return home on Friday. The El Dorado County Sheriff’s Office reduced the evacuation order, a lawful mandate to leave immediately, to an evacuation warning, which is a recommendation to be ready to leave in case wildfire activity becomes threatening. For evacuated residents, a drop from order to warning is also a green light for them to begin repopulating. Evacuation orders were reduced for the area west of Wentworth Springs Road at Citabria Lane, north of Greenwood Road and Graybar Mine Road. Also included is east of Highway 193 at Sliger Mine Road, and south of Bottle Hill Road and Snow Cap Road. The reduced orders do not include Sliger Mine Road north of Loriel Drive and Spanish Dry Diggins Road north of Odyssey Falls Drive.Georgetown is about 18 miles north of Placerville and about 19 miles east of Auburn. See all evacuation orders and warnings below. App users, click here.Evacuation centersPlacer CountySierra College — 5100 Sierra College Blvd, Rocklin, CA 95677 (Parking in Lot B, the shelter will be in the Building J cafeteria)El Dorado CountyCameron Park Services District — 2502 Country Club Drive, Cameron Park, CA 95682. Overnight shelter, meals, showers, limited health services and parking for trailers will be provided. Animals in crates and carriers will also be accepted.Green Valley Community Church — 3500 Missouri Flat Road, Placerville, CA. This location with accept human and small domestic animals on leashes or in creates. No Large animal and no birds. Limited RV parking and no hookups.Animal evacuation centersPlacer County Gold Country Fairgrounds — 209 Fairgate Road, Auburn, CaliforniaPeople can start to pick up their animals starting at 8 a.m. on SundayDiamond Springs Shelter (small animals only) — 6435 Capitol Avenue, Diamond Springs, CA 95619Rancho Murieta Equestrian Center (equines only) — Call for information: 916-985-7334Flying M Ranch (large animals only) — 5421 Buck Mountain Road, Placerville, CA 95667Road ClosuresThe Placer County Sheriff’s Office said hard road closures are in place on Foresthill Road and Lincoln Way in Auburn. There are also closures at the Old Foresthill Road at the Confluence.The eastbound Interstate 80 offramp to Foresthill Road is closed due to the fire.(Click through the gallery below for a glimpse at the firefight.) Large Mosquito Fire flare-up spottedKCRA 3 Photojournalist John Breedlove earlier this week captured a large flare-up from the Mosquito Fire. A massive column of smoke could be seen coming up from those flames. That flare-up has since destroyed vehicles and structures near Foresthill High School. Foresthill students take classes in AuburnHigh school is tough enough without students having to worry about their town or school burning in a massive wildfire.Yet, for 200 Foresthill High School students, they are now taking classes at Placer High in Auburn while the town of Foresthill remains under an evacuation order because of the Mosquito Fire.”The first few days, I wasn’t able to focus because the fire kept getting closer and closer to our town,” said Foresthill sophomore Bryce Dowling. Full story here. Foresthill resident who didn’t evacuate recalls terrifying flare-upMitch Griffith has lived in the town of Foresthill in Placer County for the last 22 years.He is also one of the residents who chose to stay put when mandatory evacuations were issued for his home when the Mosquito Fire began threatening that area.“Tuesday morning was a great morning,” Griffith said. “It was beautiful. Everything was great, and then this fire jumped up.” Full story here.El Dorado County and Placer County residents can check if their home is destroyedResidents in El Dorado and Placer counties can check if their homes have been damaged, destroyed, or still intact.The sheriff’s offices for both counties released their own respective interactive maps that let you click on homes that are color-coded based on the amount of damage. Damaged or destroyed homes will also include pictures showing what the house looks like. Homes without damage will not have their pictures posted.View the El Dorado County map below. App users, click here.View the Placer County map below. App users, click here.State of emergency declared Placer County issued a local emergency due to the blaze.“A local emergency proclamation asserts continuing risk to life and property and that the response is beyond the capabilities of local resources,” a release from the county said. “Placer’s proclamation requests state and federal assistance, but neither a state nor a federal disaster has yet been declared that would authorize individual disaster assistance for residents and businesses.” Gov. Gavin Newsom also declared a state of emergency in Placer and El Dorado counties due to the fires. With the state of emergency declared, that opens up federal resources to assist in combating the fire. PG&E files incident report to CPUCIt’s still unclear how the Mosquito Fire started. However, PG&E filed a report with the state’s public utility commission for a pole near where the fire started. The U.S. Forest Service had placed “caution tape around the base of a PG&E transmission pole” the report said on Thursday. “Thus far, PG&E has observed no damage or abnormal conditions to the pole or our facilities near Oxbow Reservoir, has not observed down conductor in the area or any vegetation related issues.”PG&E is investigating. Here’s a look at the current air quality in Northern CaliforniaSmoke from the Mosquito Fire burning in Placer and El Dorado counties will continue to impact areas across the Sacramento region, according to Spare the Air. The Sacramento Metropolitan, El Dorado, Feather River, Placer and Yolo-Solano air districts forecast unhealthy air quality for parts of the region.| MORE | Sacramento region’s air quality impacted by unhealthy smoke from the Mosquito Fire Fire crews are working to use the forecast rain in their favor as they look for opportunities to contain flames and create stronger perimeter lines around the Mosquito Fire on Sunday. The fire has burned at least 74,748 acres and is 34% contained as of Sunday morning. Containment is a measure of the perimeter crews have established to prevent the spread of a wildfire. Thousands of people were allowed to ...

S&P 500 Futures Are Little Changed Ahead Of The Federal Reserve's September Meeting This Week https://digitalalaskanews.com/ss-september-meeting-this-week/ Traders work on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange during afternoon trading on September 13, 2022 in New York City. Michael M. Santiago | Getty Images News | Getty Images S&P 500 futures were little changed on Sunday evening after the major averages posted their worst week since June and ahead of the Federal Reserve’s two-day meeting this week. Futures tied to the broad market index were flat in premarket trading. Dow Jones Industrial Average futures were 0.1% higher, while Nasdaq 100 futures fell 0.1%. On Friday, stocks slid as investors reacted to a hotter-than-expected inflation report and a dismal warning from FedEx about a “significantly worsened” global economy. The Dow industrials dropped 139 points, while the S&P 500 lost 0.7% and the Nasdaq Composite shed 0.9%. Investors are focused on the Fed’s two-day meeting, which will begin Tuesday. The central bank is expected to raise interest rates by another three-quarters of a point, though investors are also watching for guidance about corporate earnings before the next reporting season begins in October. “As the S&P 500 hovers below the all-important 3,900 level, and the 10-year Treasury yield inches ever closer to 3.5%, the Fed-sensitive 2-year Treasury note flirts with 3.9%, suggesting that the Fed’s aggressive campaign to kill off inflation is to be taken seriously,” said Quincy Krosby, chief global strategist for LPL Financial. “The canary in the coal mine may not yet be dead, but is probably struggling to breathe.” Beyond the Fed meeting, there are just a few economic data releases this week, including August housing starts on Tuesday and initial jobless claims on Thursday. There are also a handful of corporate earnings on deck, including Costco, Darden Restaurants, General Mills and Lennar. —CNBC’s Patti Domm contributed reporting. Goldman expects Fed funds rate at 4% to 4.25% this year Strategists say the most important information investors are looking for from the Federal Reserve will be what’s on the dot plot, the Fed’s so-called interest rate forecast. After the CPI release last week, the futures market for fed funds priced a big jump higher in the terminal rate, or end point where the Fed stops hiking. It had been pricing in a 4% terminal rate by April. “We expect the median dot to show the funds rate at 4-4.25% at end-2022, an additional hike to a peak of 4.25-4.5% in 2023, one cut in 2024 and two more in 2025, and an unchanged longer-run rate of 2.5%,” Goldman Sachs’ David Mericle said in a note late Sunday. “How high will the funds rate ultimately need to go? Our answer is high enough to generate a tightening in financial conditions that imposes a drag on activity sufficient to maintain a solidly below-potential growth trajectory,” he added. “We could imagine the hiking cycle extending beyond this year if additional tightening proves necessary to keep growth on a below-potential path.” — Tanaya Macheel, Patti Domm Stocks could fall below 3,700 before the next rally, says Fundstrat’s Newton Mark Newton, head of technical analysis at Fundstrat, said investors shouldn’t get too tempted by a potential bounce in the coming days as the S&P 500 could fall under 3,700 before a more meaningful rally kicks in. “September’s Triple Witching Friday close at multi-week lows is particularly negative for the prospects of a rally, and further selling still looks likely over the next couple weeks to undercut 3,700 before a relief rally can get underway in October,” he said. The S&P 500 on Friday ended the week at 3,873.33. “While one cannot rule out a 1-2 day bounce attempt given this week’s decline, I do not expect much strength until prices have reached support under 3,700 in October,” he added. “Tactically, ‘cash remains king’ and one should be patient until markets reach downside targets, and begin to show either volume and breadth divergences, or capitulation to buy.” — Tanaya Macheel Stock futures open little changed on Sunday night Stock futures opened little changed on Sunday evening, after the major averages posted their worst week since June, driven largely by a hotter-than-expected inflation report and a dismal warning from FedEx about the global economy. Futures tied to the Dow Jones Industrial Average were up by just 0.05%, while S&P 500 futures increased 0.03%. Nasdaq 100 futures were down by 0.07%. The moves came as investors were looking ahead to the Federal Reserve’s two-day September meeting, which begins Tuesday. — Tanaya Macheel Read More Here

Your Weekend Plans: September 16 – 21, 2022 https://digitalalaskanews.com/your-weekend-plans-september-16-21-2022-2/ Hyperlinks to event details in our newsletter and at AKconcerts.com Or read below if you just want to know the time & place. -️- Thursday, September 15        The Crystal Saloon (Juneau) – BABEFEST: Open Mic and Market  6p-10p  Dirty Skillet (Hope) – Thursdays w/ Hwy9  6p-9p Flattop Pizza & Pool – Jukebox Karaoke Roadshow  8p-11p Goldie’s AK (Fairbanks) – (Open) Mic Check  7p-10p Gwin’s Lodge (Cooper Landing) – Blackwater Railroad Company  8p-12a The Howling Dog Saloon (Fairbanks) – Thirsty Thursday Jam  8p-11p Mad Myrna’s –Myrna’s Thursday Night Revue  10p-2a The Marlin (Fairbanks) – Karaoke with Kellie B.!  10p-2a  The Seaview Café (Hope) – Jam Night w/ Andy Mullen  7p-11p Tailgater’s Sport’s Bar & Grill (Wasilla) – The AKoustic Project  7p-10p  UAA Fine Arts Building – The Play That Goes Wrong  7p-9:30p Van’s Dive Bar – Thirsty Third Thursdays  9p-1a VFW Post 9785 (Eagle River) – Glacier Hoppers  7p-10p Williwaw Social – Local Showcase feat: H. Troy Anniskett and Matt & Co.   9p-12a  Yukon Bar (Seward) – Last Dance Party of the Season w/ Dj Hankerchief  9p-1:30a Friday, September 16th   Akela Space – Pass the Bucket w/ Husse & Zane Penny  7p-10p Alaska Center for the Performing Arts – Neko Case  7:30p-9p Alaska Dance Promotions –  Friday Night Dance Lounge  9p-1 American Legion Post 15 (Palmer) – Friday Night Feast w/ 100 Proof Karaoke 7p-10p American Legion Spenard Post 28 – Acoustic Steak Night with MusiCal!  6p-8p  Ballroom Dance Club of Fairbanks (Fairbanks) – Free Kick-off Dance Party  8:30p-11p The Broken Blender – Sweet Cheeks Cabaret: Wenches and Wrenches  8p-9:30p Creekbend Co. (Hope) – Loaded Karma 7p-11p The Crowbar (Fairbanks) – DJ Manny’s LATIN NIGHT PARTY   10p-3a  The Crystal Saloon (Juneau) – BABEFEST: THE VAGINA MONOLOGUES  6p-10p  Everett’s (Wasilla) – Comedy Show w/ Chas Elstner  7p-8:15p Fairview Inn (Talkeetna) – Leo Ash Band 9p-1a Floaters (Big Lake) – Open Mic Night     7p-12a The Fraternal Order of Eagles Aerie 4207 –  Karaoke Friday at the Eagles!   7p-12a The Gaslight Bar – The Jukebox Karaoke Roadshow  8p-11p   Goldie’s AK (Fairbanks) – Goldie’s Flick Picks: Outdoor Movie Night  9p-12a The Howling Dog Saloon (Fairbanks) – Mike Stackhouse  7p-9p  Humpy’s – Agents of Karma    9:30p-1:30a  Klondike Mike’s & the Main Street Grill – Glacier Hoppers  10p-2a Koot’s – The Stack Alaska  10p-2:45a  Mad Myrna’s – Mad Myrna’s Diva Variety Show  9p-11:30p Matanuska Brewing (Eagle River) – The Village People Live 6p-10p O’Malley’s On The Green – Zen Trembles 7p-10p Organic Oasis – John Damberg Jazz Piano Fridays   5:30p -7:30p Palmer Alehouse (Palmer) – Nothin But Trouble Live  7p-10p Roundup Steakhouse & Saloon (Fairbanks) – Round Up Karaoke Weekend Nights!  9:30p-2a The Seaview Café (Hope) – The Denali Cooks 7p-11p  UAA Fine Arts Building – The Play That Goes Wrong  7p-9:30p Valley Performing Arts (Wasilla) – Opening Night of DEARLY DEPARTED  7p-10p Van’s Dive Bar – Strawberry Friend, She, & Sample Text  9p-12a  Williwaw Social – When the Leaves Fall: An EDM Dance Party w/ DJ Joe Brady  9:30p-2a Yukon Bar (Seward) – The Orion Donicht Supersonic 100 Songs in 4 Hours Show!  9p-1a Saturday, September 17th   203 Kombucha (Fairbanks) – Path to Bantry  6:30p-9p American Legion Post 15 (Palmer) –  100 Proof Karaoke 7p-10p Anchorage Moose Lodge – Glacier Blues Band 8p-12a Anchorage Social Dance Club – A Night To Remember Formal with Silver Train  7p-11p The Broken Blender – Sweet Cheeks Cabaret: Wenches and Wrenches  8p-9:30p The Carousel Lounge – Danger Money Live   8p -2a  The Catch Restaurant & Bar (Soldotna) – Country Music w/ Virgil Lee Gattenby  8p-12a  Creekbend Co. (Hope) – Loaded Karma 7p-11p The Crystal Saloon (Juneau) – BABEFEST: Babes & Their Ballads  6p-10p  Don Jose’s Mexican Restaurant – Jukebox Karaoke Roadshow  8p-12a The Crowbar (Fairbanks) – Party w/ DJ Manny  10p-3a   Fairview Inn (Talkeetna) – Tamara Ashburn Band   9p-1a The Gaslight Bar – The Jukebox Karaoke Roadshow  8p-11p  Hering Auditorium (Fairbanks) – Neko Case  7:30p-9p The Howling Dog Saloon (Fairbanks) – Pirate Night 2022 w/ Arctic Entry Band  9:30p-12a  Humpy’s – Pirate Pub Crawl with Rogues & Wenches   9:30p-1:30a  Kenai Joe’s Taphouse (Kenai) – Hot Mess 10a-2a Klondike Mike’s & the Main Street Grill – Glacier Hoppers  10p-2a Koot’s – The Stack Alaska 10p-2:45a Koot’s – Comedian Chas Elstner 7p-9p & 9:30p-11p Mad Myrna’s – Mad Myrna’s Diva Variety Show  9p-11:30p   Matanuska Brewing (Eagle River) – P.O.D. Live w/ The Millenial Falcons  5p-10p  Out North Theatre – Mostly Melanin Arts  7:30p-10p Palmer Alehouse (Palmer) – I Like Robots LIVE 7p-10p The Raven Bar – Country Underwear Party  9p-2:30a Roundup Steakhouse & Saloon (Fairbanks) – Round Up Karaoke Weekend Nights!  9:30p-2a  The Seaview Café (Hope) – The Denali Cooks 7p-11p  Serrano’s Mexican Grill – Leo Ash & HarpDaddy  8p-10p Sitka Performing Arts Center (Sitka) – Eisenhower Dance Detroit  7p-9p Skeetawk (Hatcher’s Pass) – Blueberry Ball w/ Triple Black Diamonds, Tyson James Band, & Zen Trembles  2p-8p UAA Fine Arts Building – The Play That Goes Wrong  7p-9:30p UAF Brooks Building (Fairbanks) – Iñu-Yupiaq Dance Group  4p-6p Van’s Dive Bar – Evolution Of A Thursday ALBUM RELEASE PARTY  9p-12a  VFW Auxiliary 2629 (Fairbanks) – Karaoke Night  7p-10p Williwaw Social – Jolly Roger Dance Party w/ DJ GRE9p-2a  Yukon Bar (Seward) – The Orion Donicht Supersonic 100 Songs in 4 Hours Show!  9p-1a Sunday, September 18th  The Carousel Lounge – AK Rockstar Karaoke Sunday  8p -2a Humpys – Open Mic Jam   8p-11p Koot’s – Comedy Open Mic   8:30p-10p  Mad Myrna’s – Karaoke  9p-12a  Mean Queen (Sitka) – Roll Call   2p-4p Pioneer Bar –  Industry Night w/ Joe Brady  10p-2a  UAA Fine Arts Building – The Play That Goes Wrong  3p-5:30p Van’s Dive Bar – Open Mic! Overlorded by Wash Your Hands   8p-12a Monday, September 19th  The Crowbar (Fairbanks) – Karaoke Night  8p-12a Koot’s – The Monday Mic at Koots    9p-12a Van’s Dive Bar – Mellow Mondays w/ Nikki Now  9:30p-12a  Yukon Bar (Seward)  – BEN SAYERS’ FINAL JAM AT THE YUKON  9p-12a Tuesday, September 20th  American Legion Spenard Post 28 – Taco Tuesday Open Mic w/ Gary Stedman!  6:30p-9:30p  The Carousel Lounge – AK Rockstar Karaoke  8p-2a   The Crystal Saloon (Juneau) – Jazz Jam with Locals  8p-11p  International Hotel & Bar (Fairbanks) – Comedy Night  7p-9p Juneau Arts & Culture Center (Juneau) –  Jazz at the JACC  7p-9p Klondike Mike’s & the Main Street Grill (Palmer) – The Open Stage  7p-10p Koot’s – The Eternal Cowboys  10p-12a Organic Oasis – Williwaw Blue  5:30p-7:30p  Silver Gulch Brewing (Fairbanks) – Fairbanks Summer Arts Festival Annual Meeting  7p-10p Trophy Lounge – Jukebox Karaoke Roadshow  9p-1a Van’s Dive Bar – OPEN JAM w/ Daylight Mike   9p-12a  Yukon Bar (Seward) – Karaoke  9p-2a  Wednesday, September 21st   907 Alehouse –Tyrone Palmer & Friends 7p-10p Alaskan Hotel and Bar (Juneau) – Karaoke Wednesdays  8p-12a The Carousel Lounge –  AK Rockstar Karaoke  8p-11p The Crystal Saloon (Juneau) – Life is a Cabaret   7p-10p  Eddie’s Sports Bar – Jukebox Karaoke Roadshow  9p-12a Koot’s – KASH Country Night at Koot’s  7p-11:30p  Koot’s – Comedy Open Mic   8:30p-10p Koot’s –Koots Karaoke  10p-2a Mad Myrna’s – Karaoke  9p-12a  The Marlin (Fairbanks) – Open Mic at The Marlin!   8p-2a   Pioneer Bar –  The Eternal Cowboys  10p-12a PubHouse – Witty Youngman  7p-10p Schwabenhof (Wasilla) – Open Mic​  7p-12a Van’s Dive Bar – Karaoke w/ The Milkman and/or The Dairy Queen!   9p-12a Yukon Bar (Seward) – Karaoke  9p-2a  Read More Here