Digital Alaska News

Analyst Sheds Light On The Judiciary 'landmines' Trump Lined Up Prior To His Flurry Of Criminal Investigations https://digitalalaskanews.com/analyst-sheds-light-on-the-judiciary-landmines-trump-lined-up-prior-to-his-flurry-of-criminal-investigations/ President Donald J. Trump listens to participants deliver remarks during the National Dialog on Safely Reopening America’s Schools event Tuesday, July 7, 2020, in the East Room of the White House. (Official White House Photo by Andrea Hanks) A legal analyst recently explained why Americans should not expect much legal persuading from judges currently on the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals that were appointed by former President Donald Trump. On Saturday, September 17, attorney and legal analyst Elie Mystal appeared on MSNBC News’ “The Cross Connection” where she weighed in on the U.S. Department of Justice’s investigation into Trump and the documents confiscated from his Mar-a-Lago estate by the Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI). Since Florida Judge Aileen Cannon’s appointment of a special master to review the confiscated documents, Myskal insists the possible outcome still appears to be a mystery due to six of the judges being appointed by the former president. READ MORE: Political analysts explain why Trump may believe a 2024 presidential run could quell his legal woes During the interview, Myskal spoke with MSNBC’s Tiffany Cross, Trump may have the advantage of achieving favorable outcomes in each case being overseen by judges he appointed. “The DOJ is no longer appealing fighting a special master and they are only asking for a small stay for part of the order. What do you think the DOJ’s play is here? What is the reasoning behind that?,” host Cross asked. “They’re realizing that the 11th circuit is also infected with Trump judges, right?” Mystal exclaimed. “Aileen Cannon, this district judge was making these horrible, biased corrupt decisions, she was appointed by Trump and confirmed nine days after he lost the election.” He went on to explain why the sitting judges are problematic. “The six judges on the 11th Circuit are Trump judges,” he continued. “That is a huge problem. A third of the Supreme Court was appointed by Donald Trump. Every one of the 234 or so judges that Trump appointed is suspect.” READ MORE: Unsealed Mar-a-Lago affidavit shows Donald Trump ‘did play a role’ in hiding documents: legal analyst According to Myskal, the judicial makeup Trump left behind serves as a threat to the United States’ democracy. “We have to start understanding that these are 234 land mines that Trump left behind in order to potentially blow up our democracy down the road,” he explained. “These people serve for life. I have said on this program and many programs that one of the key reasons that Trump is not already in jail is that he keeps finding people who are willing to lie, cheat, and debase themselves for him.” “Aileen Cannon is just the latest person who is willing to debase herself, her profession, and her office in service of Donald Trump,” Mystal insisted. “So he found another one. And he might find some more on the 11th Circuit. he might find some more on the Supreme Court.” “The DOJis trying to navigate that reality and all I’m trying to say is to get people to understand that reality; that is not new. People who now say the 11th Circuit may be more reasonable, again, you can’t count on that. You have to treat every single Trump appointee as suspect until proven otherwise.” Watch the full discussion below or at this link. MSNBC 09 17 2022 10 01 14 youtu.be READ MORE: ‘It made my teeth hurt’: CNN analyst tears into Donald Trump’s ‘bad’ Mar-a-Lago legal defense strategy Read More Here

Matt Gaetz Sought 'pre-Emptive' Trump Pardon Over DOJ Sex-Trafficking Investigation: Report https://digitalalaskanews.com/matt-gaetz-sought-pre-emptive-trump-pardon-over-doj-sex-trafficking-investigation-report/ Read More Here

Watch Live: Queen's Grandchildren Hold Vigil Around The Monarch's Coffin https://digitalalaskanews.com/watch-live-queens-grandchildren-hold-vigil-around-the-monarchs-coffin/ Watch live: Queen’s grandchildren hold vigil around the monarch’s coffin  Sky News Queen Elizabeth’s children hold vigil beside her coffin  CNN Why Meghan Markle and Kate Middleton Won’t Be With Harry and William at the Queen’s Vigil  msnNOW In Full: Queen’s children hold final vigil for their mother  Sky News King Charles III and Prince William visit people queuing to see Queen’s coffin  CNN Read More Here

‘Floundering’ Fetterman Has Democrats Fretting In Senate Race Vs. Dr. Oz https://digitalalaskanews.com/floundering-fetterman-has-democrats-fretting-in-senate-race-vs-dr-oz/ Pennsylvania Lt. Gov. John Fetterman is running for US Senate, but his floundering performance on the campaign trail has left many questioning whether he is fit to run for office — or even serve in the upper chamber of the house. After Fetterman suffered a stroke just days before his May primary, reporters were later told he had a pacemaker and a defibrillator fitted to address atrial fibrillation — a serious heart condition that was diagnosed years earlier but not revealed before he ran for lieutenant governor or senate. In a June statement, his doctor said he also had a serious heart condition called cardiomyopathy. Since then, none of the doctors on his current medical team have provided any details about the aftereffects of his stroke, despite frequent media requests for his medical records. On Thursday, his campaign confirmed that he had taken two neurocognitive tests, one of which showed he scored 28 out of 30 — which is common for people who have at least a high school education. Fetterman walks near his home in Braddock, Pa., (above) to keep in shape. But his current doctors have failed to say whether the stroke he suffered in May will affect his run for US Senate. New York Post Since he returned to the campaign in mid-August, Fetterman has made brief appearances at a handful of events where he took no questions from journalists or audience members. He has largely relied on his Twitter account of nearly 800k followers to charm voters in his absence. At the events he has attended, his halting, sometimes confused, remarks have caused concern. At his most recent event on Sept. 11, a Planned Parenthood “Women for Fetterman” rally, he struggled to finish his thoughts and fumbled his words, as he bashed his opponent, celebrity TV doctor Mehmet Oz, for making fun of his health issues. At his first event — a rally in Erie on Aug. 12 — he stumbled, paused or missed words throughout his nine-minute speech to the discomfort of many in the audience. “I knew he had had health issues, I did not realize the extent they had affected him,” said a voter at the event, who said he was from the city of Erie and a Democrat. A week later at a Steelworkers rally in Pittsburgh, Fetterman gave a four-minute speech and stumbled over his words. “What is wrong with demanding for an easy, safe, kind of their income,” he said. “A path to a safe place for them to win… Excuse me… To work?” Fetterman campaigning in Greensburg, Pa., just days before his stroke. Since he returned to the campaign trail in August, his brief — and often halting — speeches have led many to wonder if he is fit for future office. AP On Labor Day, as he spoke for just over two minutes at a rally for Steelworkers in West Mifflin with President Biden in attendance, he often halted or trailed off and offered no comments on policy. “I am going to make it really simple for all of you,” he said, in a riff that was filled with frequent stumbles and awkward pauses, and ended with him confusing New Jersey with Washington DC. “I can champion the union way of life in Jersey. Excuse me… In DC.” Fetterman alongside President Biden at a Labor Day event in early September. Like Biden, Fetterman often stumbles over his speeches and confuses his words. REUTERS Democrats who attended that speech said they are becoming uneasy about Fetterman. “Some tricky, cute tweet coming at the people of Pennsylvania again and again and again, with scarcely a word on substantive issues — if that is all his brain can remember, that is unacceptable,” one Democrat told me. “He seems to think he can ride out the storm and not debate. Fetterman as he leaves his home in Braddock, Pa., earlier this month. After his opponent Dr. Oz routinely called for a debate, he finally agreed to one single face-off on Oct. 25 — weeks after early voting will have already started. New York Post Fetterman has not yet debated Oz once during his campaign, although on Wednesday he said will face off with him on October 25 — more than one month after the Sept. 19 deadline when voters start casting mail-in ballots. On Monday, even the editorial board at the left-leaning Washington Post condemned his lack of transparency and willingness to debate early in the voting process. “Mr. Fetterman is asking voters for a six-year contract without giving them enough information to make sound judgments about whether he’s up for such a demanding job,” it stated. “We have called for full disclosure of health records for federal office in both parties, including Donald Trump and Joe Biden, and we believe Mr. Fetterman should release his medical record for independent review. And he should debate Mr. Oz before voters start casting their ballots.” The Oz campaign has suggested that Fetterman has used his stroke as an excuse to avoid a debate. Fetterman has shot back at the doctor for mocking his health troubles. Justin Merriman Both Fetterman and his campaign staff have said the candidate suffers from an “auditory processing disorder.” The condition makes it difficult for the brain to interpret what others say, according to Sarah Lantz, a speech language pathologist at Magee Rehabilitation. Fetterman visibly struggles at communicating with people, and needs to read questions from people so he can process them. The New York Times, Pittsburgh Post Gazette and Politico have all noted that he needed closed captioning to conduct interviews with their reporters. His campaign confirmed that he used Google Meets, a video chat app with closed captioning, for a live television interview this month with MSNBC. Fetterman’s team acknowledged that he needed closed captioning when conducting this interview with MSNBC in early September. “I’m running a perfectly normal campaign,” Fetterman, 53, told the Times. “I keep getting better and better, and I’m living a perfectly normal life.” He added that he walks several miles a day and is rapidly improving his auditory processing. On Monday, Joe Calvello, spokesperson for the Fetterman campaign, admitted to me that the candidate doesn’t write all his tweets himself. “He used to do it all himself but as the campaign has gotten busier from the primary he has some staff do some tweeting. But he still tweets a lot.” When I asked Calvello for an update on his medical condition, he didn’t reply. Meanwhile, when Fetterman walks in parades or attends rallies, he is tightly surrounded by volunteers and staff, giving him the illusion of robust health and adoring support while, in fact, it insulates him from reporters or outsiders who try to ask him questions. Crowds attend Fetterman’s event in Philadelphia on Sept 11, where he struggled to finish his thoughts and fumbled his words. James Keivom The secrecy is in keeping with the entire Fetterman campaign. His stroke only became public just before the May primary when he was not seen on the trail for a handful of days. When pressed, the campaign admitted he had been hospitalized with a stroke caused by a blood clot from his heart as a result of atrial fibrillation. “The fact that even [Pennsylvania] Governor [Tom] Wolf wasn’t aware for two or three days flies in the face of John Fetterman’s declarations of candor and transparency throughout his career,” said one Harrisburg-based Democrat who served in the state capitol for years. “It is unfortunate John has not been candid from the onset of his medical challenge, period.” Although Fetterman currently leads Oz by nearly seven percentage points, his avoidance of the tough questions — and his opponent — could see him stumble in the final weeks of the campaign.  James Keivom This is not the first time an elected official has had to contend with questions about his health, said Muhlenberg College political science professor Chris Borick. “The late governor Bob Casey Sr., a Democrat, had a liver and heart transplant. Arlen Spector, a Republican senator, had a brain aneurysm, Hodgkin’s Disease and a triple bypass — [and] both of them constantly offer[ed] updates from their doctors on their health,” he said. “Ultimately, having some clear verification of someone, both on their capability of running and their availability to the public, is important,” he said. Right now, in his avoidance of the tough questions, Fetterman is projecting a shifty image to the public — an image that could eventually topple his 6.5 percentage lead in the polls. The Harrisburg Democrat, for one, is worried about his chances at victory: “I think his physical impairments are such that he cannot successfully debate Oz.” Read More Here

Trump Accused Of 'extortion' Over Attempt To Force CNN Sale To Rupert Murdoch: New Book https://digitalalaskanews.com/trump-accused-of-extortion-over-attempt-to-force-cnn-sale-to-rupert-murdoch-new-book/ Read More Here

M https://digitalalaskanews.com/m-4/ My late father often reprimanded my loquacious tendencies by quoting Proverbs 10:19: “In the multitude of words, sin is not lacking, but he who restrains his lips is wise.” The passing of Queen Elizabeth II reminds me of that wisdom because her 70 years as ceremonial monarch of England shows the power of silence. If my parents were still here, they would rightfully remind me that I could learn from her example. In Great Britain, the Prime Minister – somewhat like our President – is “head of government,” but the King or Queen is “head of state,” a figurehead whose job is to be a unifying symbol of the country. For 70 years, Elizabeth understood that her role was to remain strictly neutral in political matters – even avoiding tacitly signaling her preference. In doing so, she stayed above political fireworks and provided institutional counsel to whichever party led government. She remained so personally popular that those who aim to dissolve the monarchy put those plans aside while she was alive. While many criticize the royal family’s privileged and coddled lifestyle, the person serving as monarch certainly does sacrifice a great deal of individual autonomy to stand as the enduring symbol of the country. When Elizabeth became Queen at age 25 in 1952, people had a greater sense of self-discipline and decorum than today. She certainly had opinions, but she kept them to herself. Consequently, she became the embodiment of her country’s heritage and was held in greater esteem than even popular political leaders. Today, any young adult who could shoulder that awesome responsibility and refrain from commenting on issues of the day would be truly exceptional, although those exceptions surely do exist. Now, contrast the role of the Queen with that of recent American political leaders, who display little of the “sacred honor” of our founders. Leaders in both parties could benefit from holding their tongues: by not publicly expressing their every thought, by devoting more time to the unglamorous work of keeping our country safe and solvent, and by spending far less time boasting about themselves or bashing their political foes. That’s especially relevant for our heads of state. “Shooting from the lip” should not be considered a desirable trait for a President. We can pray for the day when a candidate earns the favor of Americans by demonstrating grace and class rather than being less loathsome than his or her opponent. Once elected, it’s not enough to be “not Hillary Clinton” or “not Donald Trump.” The office of President is bigger than the person elected to it, and those we elect – to any office – must rediscover that “it’s not about me.” Even though Presidents are elected from political parties, they become President of the United States. Recent Presidents have forgotten this. Worse still, they purposefully antagonize Americans with opposing viewpoints, from Barack Obama calling conservatives “bitter clingers,” to Donald Trump’s litany of gratuitous insults against anyone who opposed him, to Joe Biden’s latest vilification of “MAGA Republicans.” Today, Americans don’t need any encouragement to squabble with each other — certainly not from our President. Despite his very narrow election, JFK’s optimism and charisma helped him remain overwhelmingly popular until his untimely death. Ronald Reagan rallied Americans to rebuild our economy and regain the initiative against the Soviet Union. Bill Clinton, despite his lack of personal self-discipline, didn’t lash out after his party’s drubbing in 1994 but tacked to the middle, proclaiming “the era of big government is over.” George W. Bush brought confidence and reassurance after the 9/11 terrorist attacks. Obviously, our Presidents cannot be silent on political issues, but they should always strive to leave office with the country stronger and more unified than when they started. Deepening divisions for political gain is reprehensible regardless of who does it. Each of us can choose to set this example for our leaders by spending less time criticizing things we don’t like and more time helping our neighbors and seeking those things that we can do together despite our differences. You’re right, Dad: that’s especially good advice for me, too. Mark Hillman served as Senate Majority Leader and State Treasurer. To read more or comment, go to www.MarkHillman.com Read More Here

Mark Meadows Claimed Trump Just Had https://digitalalaskanews.com/mark-meadows-claimed-trump-just-had/ National Archives officials were reportedly led to believe a year ago that former President Donald Trump had taken nothing but “news clippings” with him back to Mar-a-Lago, according to a report from The Washington Post. However, Trump was found this year to have brought top-secret classified materials to his Florida golf club, where they were kept in a lightly secured storage room ― a fact that has raised significant national security concerns. Citing unnamed people familiar with the conversations, the Post said that the misleading information had come from Mark Meadows, Trump’s former chief of staff, who relayed it to Pat Philbin, the former deputy White House counsel. Philbin then passed on the claim to officials from the National Archives during a September 2021 phone call, according to the Post. He reportedly said that Trump’s team was not aware of any materials taken from the White House beyond 12 boxes of news stories. A spokesman for Meadows told the Post that he had not personally reviewed the materials but was rather relaying information given to him. After a president leaves office, all records and documentation become the legal property of the National Archives under a law enacted in the wake of the Watergate scandal. The Archives began to suspect that some records were missing from Trump’s presidency not long after he decamped to Mar-a-Lago. Negotiations between Trump’s team and the National Archives, however, only led to a partial recovery of documents until the FBI conducted a search on Trump’s property in August to collect what they believed to be the remainder. The Justice Department is currently investigating Trump’s improper handling of the documents, but the effort has been slowed by a lawsuit from Trump. Read More Here

Kodiak Vs. Lathrop – [ High School ] Football Live Stream https://digitalalaskanews.com/kodiak-vs-lathrop-high-school-football-live-stream/ Sep 17, 2022 14 min ago 0 Post a comment as anonymous Welcome to the discussion. Keep it Clean. Please avoid obscene, vulgar, lewd, racist or sexually-oriented language. PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR CAPS LOCK. Don’t Threaten. Threats of harming another person will not be tolerated. Be Truthful. Don’t knowingly lie about anyone or anything. Be Nice. No racism, sexism or any sort of -ism that is degrading to another person. Be Proactive. Use the ‘Report’ link on each comment to let us know of abusive posts. Share with Us. We’d love to hear eyewitness accounts, the history behind an article. Support Local Journalism Now, more than ever, the world needs trustworthy reporting—but good journalism isn’t free. Please support us by subscribing or making a contribution. By MAISIE THOMAS Fairbanks Daily News-Miner Apr 4, 2022 1 In Alaska, Covid-19 cases are leveling off after reaching record highs during the Omicron surge, but a new and even more highly contagious variant is on the rise. The BA.2 variant of Omicron now accounts for over 50% of new cases nationally, and just under half of cases in Alaska, state epid… LINDA F. HERSEY Fairbanks Daily News-Miner Apr 1, 2022 0 North Pole Rep. Mike Prax was one of eight lawmakers diagnosed with Covid-19 Wednesday in an outbreak that has swept through the Alaska House. By LIV CLIFFORD Fairbanks Daily News-Miner Mar 31, 2022 0 Alaskans lost more than $13 million to suspected internet crimes in 2021, federal data shows. Read More Here

Justice Department Files Motion For Partial Stay To Appeals Court In Mar-A-Lago Documents Case https://digitalalaskanews.com/justice-department-files-motion-for-partial-stay-to-appeals-court-in-mar-a-lago-documents-case/ The Justice Department has filed a motion Friday evening with the 11th Circuit Court of appeals for a partial stay pending appeal of Judge Aileen Cannon’s order requiring a special master to review items seized at former President Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate. Cannon’s order effectively froze the government’s ability to use the contents of the seized records, including classified documents, as part of its criminal investigation. Cannon rejected the Justice Department’s request to allow investigators to continue reviewing classified government records it seized at Mar-a-Lago for its criminal investigation. Instead, those records must be given to a special master for review to consider claims for return of personal property and assertions of attorney-client or executive privilege. The Justice Department is asking the appeals court to issue a partial stay of Cannon’s order to permit it to continue to work with those classified records and not disclose them for a special-master review process. The government argued that classified documents seized at the Florida resort are government property to which Trump could make no claim and should not be subject to review by a special master. The Department of Justice also notes in its motion that the plaintiff, Trump, “has never even attempted to make or substantiate any assertion of executive privilege.” “The district court has entered an unprecedented order enjoining the Executive Branch’s use of its own highly classified records in a criminal investigation with direct implications for national security,” the motion states. The government’s motion warns that the “district court’s order irreparably harms the government and the public” by interfering with the government’s response to the national-security risks arising from the mishandling and possible disclosure of records bearing classification markings, impairing it’s criminal investigation into, and by forcing the government to disclose highly sensitive materials as part of the special master review. Cannon’s prohibition on using the contents of the seized records, the government argues, limits the FBI’s ability to identify missing records that could be related to empty folders with classified markings allegedly found by investigators at Mar-a-Lago. The government has also noticed the court that it would appeal. The special master appointed by Cannon, Judge Raymond Dearie, is set to begin his work next week, calling for lawyers representing Trump and the Justice Department to appear in his Brooklyn courtroom on Tuesday. Read More Here

N https://digitalalaskanews.com/n-43/ Please enable JS and disable any ad blocker Read More Here

Georgia Election Probe Proves The Importance Of State Leaders In Preserving Democracy https://digitalalaskanews.com/georgia-election-probe-proves-the-importance-of-state-leaders-in-preserving-democracy/ Almost every week, we seem to learn about a new tentacle of the brazen attempt to overturn the 2020 presidential election results, especially in Georgia. The latest surfaced in rural Coffee County. Surveillance video obtained by CNN shows a Republican county official escorting two Trump-connected operatives into the local election office on Jan. 7, 2021. On that same day, a voting system in the county was breached. As CNN notes, the operatives in the video have already acknowledged that they gained access to a voting machine at the behest of Sidney Powell, a former Trump lawyer. The story unfolding in Coffee County only shines the spotlight brighter on Fani Willis, the Fulton County district attorney, who is conducting a criminal investigation of interference in the 2020 election. The people of Georgia can be thankful that she’s on the case. As a former acting district attorney in neighboring DeKalb County and a former assistant U.S. attorney here in Georgia, we both understand that a prosecutor’s most basic responsibility is to follow the facts wherever they may lead. In fact, district attorneys in Georgia swear an oath to discharge their duties “without fear, favor, or affection.” Willis is doing exactly that. As you may have seen in the news in recent weeks, there have been a number of challenges to grand jury subpoenas as the district attorney goes about her work. And there’s been a lot of overheated rhetoric about the investigation. Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp (R), for example, claimed Willis was trying to mess with his reelection campaign. Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) said he’s “never been more worried about the law and politics as I am now.” A group of fake presidential electors even tried to have Willis thrown off the case because of supposed political bias. But don’t be distracted. Willis is running a fair and methodical investigation. She’s ignoring the politics and pursuing accountability — just as the people of Georgia deserve. This investigation is a clear example of the power and importance of state and local leaders in our broader justice system and our democracy. For starters, the investigation is being conducted by a special grand jury. As a result, Willis had to get the approval of a court before the grand jury could even be seated. That should put to rest any thought of a political motive. Proceedings before special grand juries are generally secret, but we know a lot about this case from the public record, including motions and orders posted online by the Fulton County Superior Court clerk’s office. And what we know tells us a great deal about how seriously Willis takes her duty to pursue every thread. We know she’s looking into former President Trump’s infamous phone call to Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger after the election, demanding that he “find” enough votes to reverse President Biden’s win in the state. Willis is also looking into the plot to appoint a fake roster of pro-Trump electors, calls by Trump to Georgia’s governor and attorney general, and Trump’s personal lawyer Rudy Giuliani’s trips to Atlanta to peddle lies in front of state lawmakers, and harassment of Georgia election workers. Now, there’s also the trail in Coffee County. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution (AJC) reported last week that the special grand jury is “increasingly interested” in the security breach there. According to the AJC, the panel has already approved a subpoena for documents from an Atlanta tech services company in its communications with Powell and Lin Wood, two Trump-aligned lawyers. These are not the steps of an impetuous prosecutor who’s out to score cheap political points. This is a thorough investigation — and it should be. Tampering with a presidential election is high stakes. The people of Georgia, and the country, are entitled to a full uncovering of the facts. That’s why judges have repeatedly brushed aside attempts by public officials, Trump-connected lawyers and other potential witnesses to avoid testifying. In one of those attempts, 11 of the fake electors sought to disqualify Willis, arguing that she was playing politics. Fulton County Superior Court Judge Robert McBurney, who was appointed to supervise and help the special grand jury, easily dismantled that argument. He wrote, “These electors have provided no evidence that the District Attorney (or any member of her staff) has done anything that suggests a possible political motivation for investigating them, beyond the banal observation that they are Republicans and she is not.” Particularly noteworthy was a footnote addressing their argument that Willis is targeting “only Republicans.” McBurney wrote that it eludes him how “an investigation into allegations of Republican interference in the 2020 general election in Georgia would have any other list of targets than Republicans.” So, let politicians and potential targets of the investigation make their predictable claims. Willis is doing her job with a quiet competence, and at risk to her own safety. She’s given us no reason to expect that will change. Two weeks ago, she announced the indictments of 26 people accused of being part of a criminal gang carrying out rampant home invasions in the Atlanta area, some of them violent. “We have a message,” she said. “Get out of this county or expect to see all sentences that go life-plus.” Hardly the words of a single-minded prosecutor distracted by an obsession with red and blue politics. We don’t know where the election interference investigation will lead. Willis said recently that she has brought about 60 percent of the people she wants to have testify before the special grand jury. As many legal observers have pointed out, her investigation may ultimately ensnare Trump himself. No one is above the law, including former presidents. But this is a prosecutor who takes her work step by step, and that is several steps down the road. For now, we can all be confident that Willis is committed to following the facts, wherever they may lead. She expects the special grand jury to finish its investigation by the end of the year, at which point she will turn over its report to McBurney. A special grand jury can’t indict anyone. Only a regular grand jury can do that. In the meantime, as Willis said just the other day, “We will continue to fight to make sure that the grand jury and the public gets the truth.” That’s just what a prosecutor should do, and the people of Georgia should expect nothing less. Amy Lee Copeland is a former assistant U.S. attorney for the Southern District of Georgia and currently an attorney at Rouse + Copeland LLC. Javoyne Hicks is former acting district attorney for DeKalb County and currently a senior attorney at Lawrence & Bundy LLC. Read More Here

Trump Attorney Told National Archives Boxes At Mar-A-Lago Only Held News Clippings: Reports https://digitalalaskanews.com/trump-attorney-told-national-archives-boxes-at-mar-a-lago-only-held-news-clippings-reports/ Greg Nash A former White House lawyer told the National Archives last year that boxes former President Trump took from the White House to his Mar-a-Lago residence only held news clippings, multiple outlets reported Friday. The Washington Post first reported, citing people familiar, that former deputy White House counsel Pat Philbin told the Archives in a September 2021 call that Trump only had 12 boxes of news clippings at his Florida home, information Philbin said was relayed to him by former White House chief of staff Mark Meadows. Philbin also said Meadows told him no documents had been destroyed, according to the outlet. The government has recovered thousands of government documents from Mar-a-Lago since Trump left office in 2020, including more than 300 classified documents, according to The New York Times. The Archives retrieved 15 boxes of documents from Mar-a-Lago in January, finding 150 classified documents among them. Trump aides turned over more documents to the Justice Department in June, after the department began investigating the issue at the request of the Archives. An FBI search of Mar-a-Lago in August recovered another 27 boxes of documents, including more classified materials.  Trump and the Justice Department remain locked in a legal battle over the documents, with a federal judge this week appointing Judge Raymond Dearie as special master to review materials seized from Mar-a-Lago. U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon, a Trump appointee who is presiding over the case, has blocked the Justice Department from accessing the classified documents until Dearie completes that review. The department appealed the decision on Friday. Tags classified documents Department of Justice DOJ Donald Trump FBI search of Mar-a-Lago Mar-a-Lago Mar-a-Lago documents probe Mark Meadows Mark Meadows National Archives National Archives Pat Philbin Pat Philbin Read More Here

Angela Teresa Castro Gamido Obituary (2022) https://digitalalaskanews.com/angela-teresa-castro-gamido-obituary-2022/ Angela Teresa Castro Gamido of Bellevue, WA, age 84, passed away Monday evening September 12, 2022 from an aggressive form of cancer. She was born on October 18, 1937 in Bremerton, WA, daughter of the late Luis and Priscilla (Alcala) Castro. Angela is survived by her husband Henry S. Gamido; sons Luis (Kerry), Henry Patrick (Alexandra), Timothy (Paul) and daughters Lisa, and Yvonne (Paul); granddaughters Bryana (Yuri), Melissah (Jonathan) and Emma; great grandchildren Finley, Otto, Waimea and Kaewe; sisters Eloise Castro Harman and Rosalinda Castro Hayashi and brother in-law Ray; several cousins, nieces, nephews and great nieces, nephews, in-laws, and godchildren. Angela was preceded in death by her parents, and her sister Coralita Castro Santos and countless other loved ones. Angela attended grade school at Sea in the Star Catholic School and Coontz Jr. High in Bremerton, WA. The family moved to Juneau, AK and attended Capital High School where she was a cheerleader and member of CAP, Connect Air Patrol. They moved back to Seattle in 1954 where she graduated from Immaculate Conception High School in 1955. Angela attended college at Seattle University. Angela worked for many years at Sears, Roebuck & Co in advertising and marketing. She retired from the City of Bellevue in the administrative offices. Angela was an active member at Immaculate Conception Catholic Church since 1954. She was also active in the Seattle Filipino Community Center, and FANHS (Filipino American National Historical Society). Everyone who knew Angela felt her big heart and giving nature. Her love was spending family time especially with her grandchildren and great grandchildren. Her passion included any type of physical activity, Zumba, skiing, running, karate, tumbling, cheerleading, gymnastics, acting in local theaters, and her love of traveling to Europe, Africa, Holy Land, China, Egypt, Philippines, Mexico, Canada, all over the USA. Angela will be missed dearly by all. Published by Columbia Funeral Home & Crematory on Sep. 17, 2022. Read More Here

A Squirrel In A Substation Caused A Power Outage For Over 10,000 Virginians | CNN https://digitalalaskanews.com/a-squirrel-in-a-substation-caused-a-power-outage-for-over-10000-virginians-cnn/ CNN  —  A small creature caused a blackout in Virginia Beach last week: a wandering squirrel that made its way into the substation. It happened around 8:45 a.m. on September 7, according to a tweet from Bonita Harris, spokesperson for Dominion Energy, which provides electricity in Virginia and other states. The power outage affected over 10,000 Virginians, Harris said. Power was restored by around 10 a.m. Harris told CNN that animals occasionally get stuck in the company’s substations, despite efforts to keep them out. “Dominion Energy has standard equipment in place to keep squirrels and other animals safe when near our equipment,” Harris said. “This equipment reduces the number of incidents greatly, but sometimes determined little critters will still get in there.” The squirrel did not survive the incident, Harris said, although sometimes animals receive a brief shock and go mostly unharmed. Harris said workers quickly rerouted power to another source to keep as many customers’ lights on as possible. Read More Here

Trump Used 'almost Mob-Style Extortion' To Try To Convince AT&T To Sell CNN To Rupert Murdoch, New Book Claims https://digitalalaskanews.com/trump-used-almost-mob-style-extortion-to-try-to-convince-att-to-sell-cnn-to-rupert-murdoch-new-book-claims/ Trump and his aides tried to push AT&T’s CEO to sell CNN to Rupert Murdoch, a new book claims. AT&T’s CEO was “beyond pissed,” and executives described “almost mob-style extortion,” per the book.Peter Baker and Susan Glasser’s “The Divider,” obtained by the Independent, is due to go on sale this week. Former President Donald Trump and his aides repeatedly tried to persuade AT&T to sell CNN to Fox News owner Rupert Murdoch while also threatening to block the company’s merger with Time Warner, CNN’s parent company, according to a new book. The book said that Trump summoned Randall Stephenson, the chairman, and CEO of AT&T until 2020, to his office in Trump Tower shortly after winning the election in 2016. During this meeting, the book said that Trump complained about CNN’s boss at the time, Jeff Zucker, claiming to have “got” him that role and calling him a “bad guy.” Stephenson, per the Independent’s reporting, left the meeting with the feeling that Trump posed a threat to the AT&T and Time Warner merger. In the weeks following this interaction, AT&T controversially donated to Trump’s inaugural committee and paid Michael Cohen, Trump’s lawyer at the time, for his services as a consultant. AT&T was seeking government approval for its acquisition of Time Warner during this period. In May 2017, the book said that Murdoch, the billionaire media mogul and founder of Fox News, called Stephenson and asked: “How’s the deal going?” Per the Independent’s reporting on the book, Murdoch offered to buy CNN from AT&T and remarked that it “would help get the deal done.” According to the book, Stephenson said he was not interested in selling CNN. Three months later, Murdoch called again with another offer to buy CNN, per the book. It followed a White House dinner with Trump, Jared Kushner, and the former White House chief of Staff John Kelly, according to the Independent. Stephenson once again rejected the offer. According to an AT&T executive, per the book, Stephenson was “beyond pissed” by the calls and saw it as being part of an “outrageous abuse of power.” The book said that AT&T viewed the calls as “an implicit quid pro quo” in which Trump would not push the government to block the merger with Time Warner if AT&T divested CNN to the owner of a competitor that had covered him sympathetically, per the Independent. The book said AT&T executives viewed the calls as “almost mob-style extortion,” according to the Independent. In November 2018, the Justice Department filed an antitrust lawsuit over the AT&T acquisition. Richard J. Leon, a senior judge of the US District Court in Washington, ultimately ruled in favor of AT&T, allowing the acquisition to go ahead. The companies completed their merger in June 2018. FOLLOW BUSINESS INSIDER AFRICA Our newsletter gives you access to a curated selection of the most important stories daily. Thanks for signing up for our daily insight on the African economy. We bring you daily editor picks from the best Business Insider news content so you can stay updated on the latest topics and conversations on the African market, leaders, careers and lifestyle. Also join us across all of our other channels – we love to be connected! Unblock notifications in browser settings. Read More Here

AP News Summary At 10:10 A.m. EDT https://digitalalaskanews.com/ap-news-summary-at-1010-a-m-edt/ Pressure on Russian forces mounts after Ukraine’s advances KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Western defense officials and analysts say said they believe Russian forces are setting up a new defensive line in Ukraine’s northeast after Kyiv’s troops broke through the previous one and tried to press their advances further into the east. The British defense ministry said that the line likely was between the Oskil River and Svatove, southeast of Kharkiv, Ukraine’s second-largest city. The new line comes after a Ukrainian counteroffensive punched a hole through the previous front line and recaptured large swaths of land in the northeastern Kharkiv region. Ukrainian forces are continuing to cross a key river as they try to press on in a counteroffensive targeting Russian-occupied territory in the country’s northeast, according to a Washington-based think tank. Thousands wait in cold to pay respects to Queen Elizabeth II LONDON (AP) — Thousands of people have spent London’s coldest night in months huddled in line to view the coffin of Queen Elizabeth II. Authorities warn that arriving mourners face a 16-hour wait. Honoring their patience, King Charles III and Prince William made an unannounced visit to greet the waiting crowds. William and the queen’s seven other grandchildren are due to stand vigil beside her coffin on Saturday at Parliament’s Westminster Hall. Police arrested a man on Friday night after what the force described as a “disturbance” there. Parliamentary authorities said someone tried to approach the coffin on the platform where it is lying in state. Voter challenges, records requests swamp election offices Election conspiracy theorists are flooding local election offices with voter challenges and public records requests. The wave of inquiries is adding to the already heavy workload those offices face as they scramble to prepare for November’s elections. Election officials say many of the challenges they’re receiving contest the presence on voter rolls of people who already are being removed or have the right to be registered. At a minimum, it takes time for election offices to record all the challenges. And if some of the targeted voters cast ballots in November, there could be a fight over whether to count their votes. Hungary faces reckoning with EU that could cost it billions BUDAPEST, Hungary (AP) — Hungary’s nationalist-populist government is facing a reckoning with the European Union after nearly a decade of accusations that it has failed to uphold the EU’s democratic values. The EU’s executive arm, the European Commission, appears set to impose financial penalties against Hungary on Sunday over corruption concerns and alleged rule-of-law violations. Hungary is one of the largest net beneficiaries of EU funds in the 27-nation bloc, and the sanctions could cost Budapest billions and cripple its already ailing economy. Prime Minister Viktor Orban has denied the commission’s accusations. A lawmaker who is a former member of Orban’s party alleges the government has channeled large sums of EU money into the businesses of politically connected insiders. Alaska braces for floods, power outages as huge storm nears JUNEAU, Alaska (AP) — Residents on Alaska’s vast and sparsely populated western coast braced for what forecasters said could be one of the worst in recent history, accompanied by strong winds and high surf that could knock out power and cause flooding. The storm is the remnants of Typhoon Merbok. Warnings anticipate winds reaching hurricane-force speeds in places, water levels reaching up to 18 feet above normal high tide in some communities and widespread power outages and areas of flooding and erosion. The storm also is influencing weather patterns far from Alaska — a rare late-summer storm is expected to bring rain this weekend to drought-stricken parts of California. US asks appeals court to lift judge’s Mar-a-Lago probe hold WASHINGTON (AP) — The Justice Department has asked a federal appeals court to lift a judge’s order that temporarily barred it from reviewing a batch of classified documents seized during an FBI search of former President Donald Trump’s Florida home last month. The department made the request Friday with the 11th Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals in Atlanta. It says the judge’s hold is impeding the “government’s efforts to protect the nation’s security” and interfering with its investigation into the presence of top-secret information at Mar-a-Lago. It says the hold needs to be lifted immediately so work can resume. Cheetahs make a comeback in India after 70 years NEW DELHI (AP) — Seven decades after cheetahs died out in India, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has released eight cats that were transported from Namibia to their new home: a national park in the heart of India. The big cats will be quarantined and closely watched for around two months before being released into the wild. Cheetahs were once widespread in India and became extinct in 1952 from hunting and loss of habitat. A dozen cheetahs from South Africa are currently in quarantine and are expected to arrive at the Kuno National Park soon. The continent-to-continent relocation has been decades in the making. There are less than 7,000 adult cheetahs left in the wild globally, and they now inhabit less than 9% of their original range. Puerto Rico under hurricane watch as TS Fiona approaches HAVANA (AP) — Tropical Storm Fiona is threatening to dump up to 16 inches (41 centimeters) of rain in parts of Puerto Rico as forecasters have placed the U.S. territory under a hurricane watch and people are bracing for potential landslides, severe flooding and power outages. The storm was located 135 miles (215 kilometers) southeast of St. Croix early Saturday, moving west at 13 miles (20 kilometers) on a path forecast to pass near Puerto Rico. Forecasters warned Fiona could be near hurricane strength when it passes through Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic. It’s tapped: Germany’s Oktoberfest opens after 2-year hiatus MUNICH (AP) — The beer is flowing at Munich’s world-famous Oktoberfest for the first time since 2019. With three knocks of a hammer and the traditional cry of “O’zapft is” — “It’s tapped” — the city’s mayor inserted the tap in the first keg at noon on Saturday to open the festivities. Oktoberfest has typically drawn about 6 million visitors every year to packed festival grounds in Bavaria’s capital. But the event didn’t take place in 2020 and 2021 as authorities grappled with the unpredictable development of COVID-19 infections and restrictions. The mayor says he thinks the city made the right decision to allow the festival to take place this year. It runs through Oct. 3. Queen’s death triggers media bonanza in works for decades NEW YORK (AP) — Plans by news organizations that have been in place for years — even decades — to cover the death of Queen Elizabeth II were triggered and tested when the event took place. London has been inundated with journalists, with more headed to the city for the funeral services on Monday. A giant audience is expected for the culmination of all the ceremonies, which one expert called “catnip” for television networks. For many journalists, plans have gone smoothly. There were some issues on Thursday with restrictions placed by the palace on use of video from inside Westminster Hall, where the queen’s body was lying in state. Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Read More Here

Donald Trump Invited To US Memorial Service For Queen Elizabeth https://digitalalaskanews.com/donald-trump-invited-to-us-memorial-service-for-queen-elizabeth/ 73° Georgetown, KY (40324) Today Partly cloudy. High 84F. Winds SSW at 5 to 10 mph.. Tonight Mainly clear. Low 59F. Winds light and variable. Updated: September 17, 2022 @ 9:50 am Full Forecast Former US President Donald Trump has been invited to a memorial service for Queen Elizabeth in Washington DC. The 76-year-old businessman was left off the guest list for the funeral in London but received an invite from the British government for the “Service of Thanksgiving for the Life of Her Late Majesty Queen Elizabeth II”, according to The Telegraph newspaper. Originally published on celebretainment.com, part of the TownNews Content Exchange. To view our latest e-Edition click the image on the left. We’re always interested in hearing about news in our community. Let us know what’s going on! Read More Here

LIVE STREAMING Kodiak Vs Lathrop High School Football 2022 https://digitalalaskanews.com/live-streaming-kodiak-vs-lathrop-high-school-football-2022/ Sep 17, 2022 10 min ago 0 Watch Here : https://stream.hsevent.live/highschool/Kodiak-vs-Lathrop-High-School-Football STREAMING Today! Alaska, Kodiak Bears vs Lathrop Malemutes – Live Stream The Lathrop (Fairbanks AK) varsity football team has a home conference game vs. Kodiak (AK) on Saturday September 17 @ 7p. Kodiak vs Lathrop Lathrop v Kodiak Kodiak – Lathrop Lathrop @ Kodiak Come on join in our game for Chanel we went through all the Statistics game, please help support and subscribe to Our Channel. Support Local Journalism Now, more than ever, the world needs trustworthy reporting—but good journalism isn’t free. Please support us by subscribing or making a contribution. Read More Here

In Ohio, Vance Scrambles To Ramp Up Campaign After Mounting GOP Criticism https://digitalalaskanews.com/in-ohio-vance-scrambles-to-ramp-up-campaign-after-mounting-gop-criticism/ OTTAWA, Ohio — Standing before about 300 of the party faithful at the Putnam County Republican Party’s annual dinner, J.D. Vance brought up a concern he had heard from voters as he runs for the Senate in a crucial battleground. “One criticism I’ve heard is, ‘Yeah, we see you at events like these, we see at the state fairs and all that, but we don’t see you on TV,’” Vance said before voicing hope that the audience had noticed his recent attempt to forge a bigger presence on the airwaves. Indeed, an attendee had pressed Vance on that very issue hours earlier at a campaign stop 70 miles to the south, in the small town of Russia, putting in blunter terms how many more commercials this person had seen from Democratic nominee Tim Ryan. “I’ve seen a lot of his, and I’ve seen one from you,” the person said, according to a recording of the event made by the Sidney Daily News and shared with The Washington Post. This person also suggested that Vance push harder for more financial support from tech billionaire and benefactor Peter Thiel, urging, “Twist his arm.” For Vance, it was yet another encounter with frustration over his campaign, which many Republicans had hoped would be in a stronger position in the final sprint to November. After winning the Republican nomination in May, Vance spent months running what many in the party say they saw as an ineffective campaign that lacked urgency and has forced him and outside allies to scramble, in a state that former president Donald Trump carried twice and has trended red in recent years. Trump will campaign with Vance on Saturday night in Youngstown, as Vance seeks to jump-start a candidacy that polls show has left him in a competitive race. Nonpartisan analysts still give Vance an edge, and Republican strategists voiced confidence that the state’s shift to the right will help Vance prevail in November. But some say they fear Vance wasted precious time, putting himself in the unnecessarily precarious position of requiring a financial bailout that limited resources for GOP candidates in other states that will help determine control of the Senate next year. After a recent call during which GOP donors discussed midterm spending, one participant and another person familiar with the conversation were said to have felt that Vance had run a “lazy” campaign, with shifting views akin to a “chameleon.” One major donor on the call indicated an unwillingness to give any money to the Vance campaign, according to a person familiar with that donor’s response. People describing the reactions spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss private deliberations. That came after the Senate Leadership Fund, a political organization aligned with Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), poured $28 million into the Ohio race, which Steven Law, a close McConnell ally and the group’s president, called “an unexpected expense.” His comment, first reported by Politico, underlined months of frustration among Republicans in Ohio and Washington over his floundering campaign. In a brief interview with The Washington Post shortly before speaking in Ottawa on Sept. 6, Vance has said he was stepping up his campaign activity. “We’re in the phase of the campaign where more and more people are paying attention so intensity dials up a little bit,” Vance said. He described his strategy as “the standard plan and the standard execution,” which is “to try to reach people when they’re paying the most attention.” Vance is running as an economic populist who wants to revive American manufacturing and bolster security at the U.S. border. He frequently connects President Biden’s immigration policies with increased fentanyl trafficking in the state and says aid to Ukraine should also include increased funds for Border Patrol. Law, the president of the Senate Leadership Fund, said he is under the impression that Vance is now “hitting the donor community hard.” Vance, who worked his way out of poverty to Yale Law School and glided from the world of Silicon Valley venture capital to the New York Times bestseller list for his memoir “Hillbilly Elegy,” is now in an unfamiliar position, as an underperformer trying to right his operation. To regain his footing, Vance has bulked up his fundraising shop with staff who worked for his former GOP rivals, planned more public outings, including tent-pole events like the Trump rally, and according to a person familiar with the scheduling, a day of campaigning with Donald Trump Jr. in early October. Vance has also attended a series of party dinners over the past few weeks and campaigned with Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio), according to party leaders who have seen him out. Like others interviewed for this story, the person familiar with his schedule spoke on the condition of anonymity to more openly discuss strategy. And Vance’s campaign is finally on TV. Ryan had the airwaves to himself over the summer, with his campaign running 4,300 ads in May; 5,900 spots in June and, along with a supportive group, 3,600 in July. Vance and his allies were completely dark during those months, according to data from AdImpact, which tracks commercials on network TV. Vance’s latest ad — his second during the campaign — features the candidate in his childhood Middleton, Ohio, neighborhood and compares the safety he felt then with unease from rising violent crime today. “We had something then that Ohio kids don’t have today: safety,” Vance says. He added: “Streets are exploding with drugs and violence, while liberals like Tim Ryan attack and defund our police.” Still, some fear it is too little too late. “It’s not enough to say ‘Hi, see my ads.’ It’s the personal contact. It’s showing up in the counties and saying: I need your vote,” said Robert Radway, the chairman of the Hardin County Republican Party in Ohio. “I personally wish he had ramped up faster.” Radway said there were times over the summer when he thought to himself, “Where are you?” But he said he detects the shift in Vance’s campaigning, and said he now hears from the Vance campaign at least once a week. “He is coming out full speed,” Radway said. “He has to have that fire in the belly, and he has to show it to voters.” In August, Ryan’s TV advantage began to dissipate: There were 6,500 ads backing his candidacy on network air while Vance’s backers put about 4,000 ads on TV that month, the data show. So far this month, Ryan has benefited from about 3,500 ads compared with about 2,800 boosting Vance’s candidacy. Ryan is running as a champion of the working class and stressing areas where he departs from his own party, creating the impression among some voters that he’s a Republican. In one of Ryan’s early ads, which shows him walking in the Youngstown, Ohio, neighborhood where he grew up, the Democrat says he stood up to President Barack Obama. “When Obama’s trade deal threatened jobs here, I voted against it,” Ryan says in the spot. “And I voted with Trump on trade.” For Vance, after prevailing in the GOP Senate primary in May here with financial help from Thiel — a former boss, who hasn’t pledged money toward the general election phase of the contest — plus a last-minute endorsement from Trump, who Vance repeatedly disparaged in 2016 before reinventing himself as a MAGA candidate, many felt he was well-positioned to hold an important GOP seat. The seat was vacated by retiring Sen. Rob Portman. Instead, the first-time candidate is trying to overcome a stretch of lackluster fundraising and a widespread impression that he’s not campaigning vigorously enough for such a high-profile race. Vance is starting the final weeks of campaigning before early voting starts Oct. 12, trying as much at times to assure supporters his campaign strategy is headed in the right direction as he is trying to convince voters to support him on the merits of his platform. In the interview, Vance denied that his campaign lacked energy over the summer. “If you look at how much we were traveling around the state, I think that criticism was a media creation more than anything,” Vance said. But a tally of campaign events provided by each campaign reflects the disparity many Republicans have complained about in recent months. Vance’s campaign provided The Post a list of 43 public events he’s held since the May 3 primary, which it said were open to the news media. They included a ride-along with Marion County law enforcement and three stops at one fair. During the same period, Ryan participated in 66 public events, which they said were advised to the news media in advance. They included parades and rallies along with tours of factories, community organizations and farms, according to Ryan’s campaign. Vance is also seeking to consolidate support after a divisive and bruising primary. Former Ohio treasurer Josh Mandel, who came in second in that race, said in an interview that he’s been “helping to talk him up with a lot of grass-roots conservatives.” Mandel said he plans to host a fundraiser for Vance in the coming weeks and is also connecting him with donors. But the former Vance rival hasn’t appeared at any public events for Vance so far and said he won’t be able to attend Saturday’s Trump rally due to family commitments. In a sign of how potent Ryan’s ads have been, one Vance event attendee wanted to understand the truth behind a Ryan-funded TV commercial that casts a nonprofit that Vance created to combat opioid-addiction in the state as a “charade” that’s done little to help addicts. “I’d like to hear it from you,” the person said. Vance sought to dispel any notion that the organization, Our Ohio Renewal, did anything untoward. “The one problem with the nonprofit is it didn’t do nearly as much as I hoped,” Vance said. The person he hired to run it received a cancer di...

B https://digitalalaskanews.com/b-6/ Bill Maher warns woke schools’ critical race theory lessons and insistence on keeping students ‘sex changes’ secret from parents will drive liberal voters into the arms of Trump The Real Time host said that his friends with children ‘don’t like it’ when they come home saying the class was divided into ‘oppressors and oppressed’  He believes that it is driving more liberals into the arms of former President Donald Trump because of ‘other considerations’ Maher stated that his two biggest issues when it comes to voting are democracy and the environment It comes after furious parents protested outside a Loudoun County School Board meeting to demand ‘an end to the racist and divisive ideologies’ in schools By Emma James For Dailymail.Com Published: 09:02 EDT, 17 September 2022 | Updated: 09:12 EDT, 17 September 2022 Bill Maher says that woke schools’ lessons on critical race theory and decision to conceal transgender students’ new identities from their parents is driving liberal voters into the arms of Donald Trump and the Republican party.   During a discussion screened Friday with Trace Adkins, Julia Ioffe and John Meacham, Maher stated that his two biggest issues when it comes to voting are democracy and the environment. But he admitted that the doesn’t have kids, and that his friends who do ‘don’t like it when they come home and say they divided the class today into oppressors and oppressed.’ Maher, a Democrat who has donated millions to his party, went on: ‘And if I change my sex I don’t have to tell my parents. There’s s*** like that going on that makes people go, you know I agree Donald Trump is a creep. ‘He is everything wrong that could be stuffed into one man, but I have these other considerations, that’s all. ‘That’s why, you know, you seem like you have such contempt for half the country. I don’t think that’s going to get us where we need to go. Bill Maher has issued a stark warning against woke schools’ race theory lessons as teachers are urging pupil to keep sex lessons a secret from their parents Maher admitted that his friends with children have different priorities than him, and he can understand why they would have a problem with them coming home and saying  #they divided the class today into oppressors and oppressed today’ He added that of those who voted for Trump in the last election, he has been told that the ‘biggest mistake liberals make is thinking I like him’ Discussing the ongoing divide between Republicans and Democrats in the US, Maher sounded a pessimistic note.  ‘I think we’ve crossed this line and now the question is how do we walk it back,’ he began. ‘How to we walk it back from “I hate you so much I can’t live with you”.’ He added that of those who voted for Trump in the last election, he has been told that the ‘biggest mistake liberals make is thinking I like him.’ Maher explained that he would never vote for Trump, but he ‘understands’ why people would vote for him because there are things that are going on in the country. He went on to say that it depends on what the ‘priorities’ of the voter is, and those with kids often have different views. Maher also called out the Portland school system, where they plan to teach that the concept of gender was brought here by white colonists, saying: ‘Not even Star Trek would try that story.’ That is a concept known as ‘presentism’, where historical figures are held to the most progressive of modern social standards.   Maher spoke after furious Virginia parents gathered outside a Loudoun County School Board meeting on Tuesday to demand ‘an end to the racist and divisive ideologies being infused into the government schools.’ The area has become the nerve center for parental activism, with debates over critical race theory ideologies bleeding over into the rest of the United States. More than 184,000 furious parents and ‘concerned citizens’ weighed in on the Education Department’s comment period for a proposed rule change that would redefine sex in Title IX in a way that allows transgender girls to compete in women’s sports and use women’s locker rooms in schools Furious parents gathered outside a Loudoun County School Board meeting on Tuesday to demand ‘an end to the racist and divisive ideologies being infused into the government schools’ Parents have also lashed out at President Joe Biden’s proposal to redefine sex which will allow transgender students to compete in female sports and use women’s locker rooms in schools. A slew of parents and ‘concerned citizens’ flooded to comment on the proposed rule change, claiming it dismantles the whole purpose of Title IX protections for women in sports and academics. GOP Representative Jim Jordan questioned on Twitter Monday if the Biden administration is ‘intentionally trying to kill women’s sports.’ The rule would require all public schools to allow transgender students to participate in the sport for the sex with which they identify as well as use the corresponding locker rooms and bathrooms. This would apply to elementary schools, secondary schools, postsecondary institutions, and all others who receive federal financial funding from the DOE. Advertisement Read More Here

The Story Of The Praying Bremerton Coach Keeps Getting More Surreal https://digitalalaskanews.com/the-story-of-the-praying-bremerton-coach-keeps-getting-more-surreal/ When the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in June that Bremerton assistant football coach Joseph Kennedy had the right to pray on the field, it wasn’t widely understood then that the court had also ordered the school district to give him his job back. The day of the ruling, Fox News host Sean Hannity expressed doubts the district would follow through. But one of Kennedy’s lawyers clarified that they had no choice: “We’re ready to have that fight. If they want to defy the Supreme Court, I think they’re gonna realize they made a serious mistake.” Kennedy was sunnier about it all. “As soon as the school district says ‘Hey, come back,’ I am there, first flight,” he said. So the school district has been flummoxed about what’s happened since. They complied by offering to reinstate him, they say, and now the football season is in full swing. But Kennedy is nowhere near the sidelines. “He’s had the paperwork for his reinstatement since August 8th, and we haven’t gotten so much as a phone call,” says Karen Bevers, spokesperson for Bremerton schools. Instead, as the Bremerton Knights were prepping for the season in August, Kennedy was up in Alaska, meeting with former Vice President Mike Pence and evangelist Franklin Graham. On the eve of the first game, which the Knights won, Kennedy was in Milwaukee being presented with an engraved .22-caliber rifle at an American Legion convention. The weekend of the second game, which the Knights also won, Kennedy appeared with former President Donald Trump at the Trump National Golf Club in New Jersey. He saw Trump get a religious award from a group called the American Cornerstone Institute. Coming up this month, Kennedy’s scheduled to give a talk as part of a lectureship series at a Christian university in Arkansas. “Place a PR/Publicity Request,” invites his personal website, where he’s known as Coach Joe. It’s an increasingly surreal situation for the Bremerton schools. They were ordered to “reinstate Coach Kennedy to a football coaching position,” according to court documents. But the now-famous coach is out on the conservative celebrity circuit, continuing to tell a story about “the prayer that got me fired” — even though Bremerton never actually fired him. In 2015, he was put on paid leave near the end of the season after holding a series of prayer sessions on the field with students and state legislators. He still got paid for his full assistant coach contract, about $5,000. High school assistants often work on yearly deals, and Kennedy, at odds with the head coach and aggrieved by what had happened, never reapplied to work the 2016 season. “He was not terminated,” Bevers said. Most of the coaching staff moved on, she said, because the head coach also retired. This did not stop Kennedy’s lawyers from telling the Supreme Court repeatedly that he was fired. “The record is clear that Coach Kennedy was fired for that midfield prayer,” lawyer Paul Clement told the nine justices in the first 15 seconds of the oral arguments of the case in April. The words “fired,” “fire” or “firing” were used 16 times in the hour and a half session. It wasn’t true though. The district’s lawyers tried to correct the record, to no avail. “You can’t sue them for failing to rehire you if you didn’t apply,” one lawyer, Mercer Island’s Michael Tierney, argued during a lower court session. “The District didn’t get an application from him, had four positions to fill and filled them with people who had applied. It didn’t fail to rehire him.” The Supreme Court simply ignored this inconvenient fact — along with a host of others. At one point during oral arguments, as a different school district attorney was saying the narrative that had been spun didn’t fit with the facts — that the coach’s prayers were neither silent nor solitary, nor was he fired — Justice Samuel Alito interrupted him, saying “I know that you want to make this very complicated.” Alito persisting in asking about the coach being fired — six times he said it, to the point that the lawyer finally corrected him. Which is a touchy thing to do with a Supreme Court justice. “It’s not a question of firing, and in fact, he was put on paid leave,” the lawyer pleaded, fruitlessly, to Alito. In the end, it all was too complicated. The effect of the court’s order is that Bremerton has to reinstate someone who didn’t apply for the job then and doesn’t appear eager for it now. It’s as if the justices wanted to script an ending for a Christian redemption movie. But real life isn’t cooperating. What’s left of the case has been sent back to federal court in Seattle. A judge there is overseeing the rehiring issue and also how much in attorney’s fees the Bremerton schools will pay Kennedy’s lawyers. That judge has given them 60 days to submit more information on both. By then the football season will be ending. So maybe next year? “It’s one of many things that has been odd and awkward about this situation,” Bevers said. “But when you’re directed by the U.S. Supreme Court to do something, you do it.” This past week the Supreme Court justices were hand-wringing in public about why so many people seem to dislike them. The way Chief Justice John Roberts phrased it is that the public is questioning the “legitimacy of the court.” He said people shouldn’t base their views on whether the court’s decisions are popular. That’s fair enough. The rule of law isn’t supposed to bend with the winds. But Justice Elena Kagan got much closer to the mark. “I think judges … undermine their legitimacy when they don’t act so much like courts,” she pointedly said this past week. “And when they don’t do things that are recognizably law, and when they instead stray into places where it looks like they’re an extension of the political process, or where they’re imposing their own personal preferences.” Your honors, I submit for the record, the Coach Kennedy case. Exhibit A. Danny Westneat: dwestneat@seattletimes.com; Danny Westneat takes an opinionated look at the Puget Sound region’s news, people and politics. Read More Here

AP News Summary At 7:57 A.m. EDT https://digitalalaskanews.com/ap-news-summary-at-757-a-m-edt/ Pressure on Russian forces mounts after Ukraine’s advances KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Western defense officials and analysts say said they believe Russian forces are setting up a new defensive line in Ukraine’s northeast after Kyiv’s troops broke through the previous one and tried to press their advances further into the east. The British defense ministry said that the line likely was between the Oskil River and Svatove, southeast of Kharkiv, Ukraine’s second-largest city. The new line comes after a Ukrainian counteroffensive punched a hole through the previous front line and recaptured large swaths of land in the northeastern Kharkiv region. Ukrainian forces are continuing to cross a key river as they try to press on in a counteroffensive targeting Russian-occupied territory in the country’s northeast, according to a Washington-based think tank. Thousands wait in cold to pay respects to Queen Elizabeth II LONDON (AP) — Thousands of people have spent London’s coldest night in months huddled in line to view the coffin of Queen Elizabeth II. Authorities warn that arriving mourners face a 16-hour wait. Honoring their patience, King Charles III and Prince William made an unannounced visit to greet the waiting crowds. William and the queen’s seven other grandchildren are due to stand vigil beside her coffin on Saturday at Parliament’s Westminster Hall. Police arrested a man on Friday night after what the force described as a “disturbance” there. Parliamentary authorities said someone tried to approach the coffin on the platform where it is lying in state. Royal fans give London tourism a bump amid UK economic woes LONDON (AP) — Hotels, restaurants and shops are packed as royal fans pour into the heart of London to experience the flag-lined roads, pomp-filled processions and brave a mileslong line for the once-in-a-lifetime chance to bid adieu to Queen Elizabeth II. Visitors crowding into central London from as far away as the U.S. and India for the historic moment are giving a boost to businesses at a time when the British economy is facing a cost-of-living crisis fueled by the highest inflation in four decades and predictions of a looming recession. The overall economic boost might be limited because Monday has been declared a public holiday for the queen’s funeral. But experts said renewed interest in the royal family could sustain tourism demand. In Yemen, Queen’s death recalls memories of colonial past ADEN, Yemen (AP) — There are few remaining reminders that the Yemeni port city of Aden was once a British colony. But the death of Queen Elizabeth II has prompted some Yemenis to remember a colonial rule that oppressed many and deepened divisions inside the country. Elizabeth passed by the city, on the southern tip of the Arabian Peninsula, in 1954 in a visit current generations remember their grandfathers talking about. Some credit the British era with bringing order and organization to Aden. But many say that the chaos of Yemen’s civil war today is no reason to feel nostalgia for a colonial occupation. Voter challenges, records requests swamp election offices Election conspiracy theorists are flooding local election offices with voter challenges and public records requests. The wave of inquiries is adding to the already heavy workload those offices face as they scramble to prepare for November’s elections. Election officials say many of the challenges they’re receiving contest the presence on voter rolls of people who already are being removed or have the right to be registered. At a minimum, it takes time for election offices to record all the challenges. And if some of the targeted voters cast ballots in November, there could be a fight over whether to count their votes. Abrams’ strategy to boost turnout: Early voting commitments DECATUR, Ga. (AP) — Georgia gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams is launching an intensive effort to get out the vote by urging potential supporters to cast in-person ballots the first week of early voting as she tries to navigate the state’s new election laws. The strategy, outlined to The Associated Press by Abrams’ top aides, is a shift from 2018, when she spent generously in her first gubernatorial bid to encourage voters to use mail ballots. It also moves away from Democrats’ pandemic-era emphasis on mail voting, a push that delivered Georgia’s electoral votes to President Joe Biden and helped Raphael Warnock and Jon Ossoff win concurrent U.S. Senate runoffs. Hungary faces reckoning with EU that could cost it billions BUDAPEST, Hungary (AP) — Hungary’s nationalist-populist government is facing a reckoning with the European Union after nearly a decade of accusations that it has failed to uphold the EU’s democratic values. The EU’s executive arm, the European Commission, appears set to impose financial penalties against Hungary on Sunday over corruption concerns and alleged rule-of-law violations. Hungary is one of the largest net beneficiaries of EU funds in the 27-nation bloc, and the sanctions could cost Budapest billions and cripple its already ailing economy. Prime Minister Viktor Orban has denied the commission’s accusations. A lawmaker who is a former member of Orban’s party alleges the government has channeled large sums of EU money into the businesses of politically connected insiders. US asks appeals court to lift judge’s Mar-a-Lago probe hold WASHINGTON (AP) — The Justice Department has asked a federal appeals court to lift a judge’s order that temporarily barred it from reviewing a batch of classified documents seized during an FBI search of former President Donald Trump’s Florida home last month. The department made the request Friday with the 11th Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals in Atlanta. It says the judge’s hold is impeding the “government’s efforts to protect the nation’s security” and interfering with its investigation into the presence of top-secret information at Mar-a-Lago. It says the hold needs to be lifted immediately so work can resume. Cheetahs make a comeback in India after 70 years NEW DELHI (AP) — Seven decades after cheetahs died out in India, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has released eight cats that were transported from Namibia to their new home: a national park in the heart of India. The big cats will be quarantined and closely watched for around two months before being released into the wild. Cheetahs were once widespread in India and became extinct in 1952 from hunting and loss of habitat. A dozen cheetahs from South Africa are currently in quarantine and are expected to arrive at the Kuno National Park soon. The continent-to-continent relocation has been decades in the making. There are less than 7,000 adult cheetahs left in the wild globally, and they now inhabit less than 9% of their original range. It’s tapped: Germany’s Oktoberfest opens after 2-year hiatus MUNICH (AP) — The beer is flowing at Munich’s world-famous Oktoberfest for the first time since 2019. With three knocks of a hammer and the traditional cry of “O’zapft is” — “It’s tapped” — the city’s mayor inserted the tap in the first keg at noon on Saturday to open the festivities. Oktoberfest has typically drawn about 6 million visitors every year to packed festival grounds in Bavaria’s capital. But the event didn’t take place in 2020 and 2021 as authorities grappled with the unpredictable development of COVID-19 infections and restrictions. The mayor says he thinks the city made the right decision to allow the festival to take place this year. It runs through Oct. 3. Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Read More Here

T https://digitalalaskanews.com/t-4/ Associated Press After winking at QAnon for years, Donald Trump is overtly embracing the baseless conspiracy theory, even as the number of frightening real-world events linked to it grows. On Tuesday, using his Truth Social platform, the Republican former president reposted an image of himself wearing a Q lapel pin overlaid with the words “The Storm is Coming.” In QAnon lore, the “storm” refers to Trump’s final victory, when supposedly he will regain power and his opponents will be tried, and potentially executed, on live television. As Trump contemplates another run for the presidency and has become increasingly assertive in the Republican primary process during the midterm elections, his actions show that far from distancing himself from the political fringe, he is welcoming it. He’s published dozens of recent Q-related posts, in contrast to 2020, when he claimed that while he didn’t know much about QAnon, he couldn’t disprove its conspiracy theory. Pressed on QAnon theories that Trump allegedly is saving the nation from a satanic cult of child sex traffickers, he claimed ignorance but asked, “Is that supposed to be a bad thing?” “If I can help save the world from problems, I’m willing to do it,” Trump said. Trump’s recent postings have included images referring to himself as a martyr fighting criminals, psychopaths and the so-called deep state. In one now-deleted post from late August, he reposted a “q drop,” one of the cryptic message board postings that QAnon supporters claim come from an anonymous government worker with top secret clearance. A Trump spokesperson did not respond to a request for comment. Even when his posts haven’t referred to the conspiracy theory directly, Trump has amplified users who do. An Associated Press analysis found that of nearly 75 accounts Trump has reposted on his Truth Social profile in the past month, more than a third of them have promoted QAnon by sharing the movement’s slogans, videos or imagery. About 1 in 10 include QAnon language or links in their profile bios. The former president may be seeking solidarity with his most loyal supporters at a time when he faces escalating investigations and potential challengers within his own party, according to Mia Bloom, a professor at Georgia State University who has studied QAnon and recently wrote a book about the group. “These are people who have elevated Trump to messiah-like status, where only he can stop this cabal,” Bloom told the AP on Thursday. “That’s why you see so many images (in online QAnon spaces) of Trump as Jesus.” Read More Here

'My Awards Don't Lie': Shakira Demands Ex Gerard Pique To Return 3 Of Her Grammys Lying In His Office https://digitalalaskanews.com/my-awards-dont-lie-shakira-demands-ex-gerard-pique-to-return-3-of-her-grammys-lying-in-his-office/ Sources claimed that Gerard could use the awards as a ‘bargaining chip’ Shakira has received three Grammy awards, which are reportedly with her ex Gerard Pique (Bryan Bedder, David Ramos/Getty Images) MIAMI, FLORIDA: The split between Shakira and her ex, Gerard Pique, is reportedly getting ugly, as the Grammy awards won by the singer are being held hostage by the star athlete. The singer has demanded that her ex-husband return them to her as she’s concerned they may be used as a trump card in the custody battle between the two. Shakira earned three Grammy Awards and 12 Latin Grammy Awards in a career spanning 30 years.   ADVERTISEMENT According to RadarOnline, the awards are allegedly in the possession of her former husband. Journalist Jordi Martin first made the shocking claims, which surfaced in a report by the Spanish newspaper La Razon. The newspaper pointed out how Gerard could use the trophies as a “bargaining chip” as the duo goes head-to-head to reach a co-parenting agreement. ADVERTISEMENT RELATED STORIES Shakira distracts herself by taking children to baseball game as possible 8-year JAIL sentence looms Gérard Pique started dating student Clara Chia Marti BEFORE Shakira announced separation ADVERTISEMENT Jordi said, “In Piqué’s office, in Kosmos (his production company), Shakira’s Grammys are still exposed. He hasn’t returned them to her.” He said that the two plan to move to Miami with their kids, where they will live separately and work out a custody agreement. ADVERTISEMENT Shakira and Gerard Pique have been at loggerheads with the new demand being that the latter return the former’s Grammy awards (Photo by Alex Pantling/Getty Images) As per the Radar article, a source close to Shakira said, “She just wants what’s best for the kids and is trying to keep them away from hearing and seeing all the negative things in the news about her.” adding that the custody battle between them quickly turned from cordial to “messy.”  ADVERTISEMENT The ‘Hips Don’t Lie’ hitmaker and Gerard announced they were calling it quits in June after more than a decade together. Their statement said, “We regret to confirm that we are separating. For the wellbeing of our children, who are our highest priority, we ask that you respect their privacy.” The pair share two sons Milan, 9, and Sasha, 7. There has been a lot of speculation since the separation about what actually transpired, but Gerard has made it clear that he has moved on with his new girlfriend Clara Chia Marti. Many believe the footballer started dating the 23-year-old model while he was still with the singer. ADVERTISEMENT Sources claimed that Clara was also in a relationship when she met Pique and that both continued their relationship behind their partners’ backs. The cheating allegations were eventually tied to the photos of the argument that recently surfaced on social media. An insider told The Sun, “Gerard and Clara have been seeing each other for months. She is a student who also works for him in his office, organizing events. They have been keeping quiet about their relationship but those around them all know what is happening.” ADVERTISEMENT The source added, “People have been helping him keep the romance hush-hush and have wiped Clara’s social media accounts so people can’t find photos of her. That alone makes his mates think he is actually quite serious about being with her.” Read More Here

C https://digitalalaskanews.com/c-2/ The Chillicothe Area Arts Council’s next season show performance features Branson’s favorite comedian/magician, Mike Bliss, Saturday, Sept. 24, 3 pm., Gary Dickinson Performing Arts Center. The show was previously scheduled for Saturday, August 27. If you are a season ticket holder, your ticket will be honored for this event. If you wish to purchase tickets you may do so, at the box office, on the day of the show—Adults $35, Students K-College, $25, Children $15. Mike has been performing his Award Winning Comedy, Magic and Magic Shows for over 25 years all across the country from Miami, FL, to Fairbanks, AK, to the World Famous Magic Castle in Hollywood, to Cancun, to Honolulu, to Tahiti, to Head-lining his own show in Branson! He was also voted “Branson’s Specialty Act of the Year”! This year, once again, Mike has been Head-lining on the Showboat Branson Belle as well as traveling the country and cruise ships. Mike’s TV credits include Fox’s 30 Seconds to Fame, NBC’s America’s Got Talent and Penn & Teller: Fool Us! “Wow! That was fun! You’ve got so much energy and it’s just so infectious… I love it!” – Alyson Hannigan, Host of Penn & Teller: Fool Us! “When we see your act that is a skill… that’s done honestly and emotionally in order to entertain us not only says good stuff for you, Mike, it says good stuff for the whole world. Thanks for doing it right!” – Penn Jillette, Penn & Teller: Fool Us “You’re great! You’re going to go far in this business and make big money!” – Piers Morgan, NBC’s America’s Got Talent! For more information, call or text the Arts Office at 660-646– 1173. Read More Here

Tropical Storm Fiona A Flood Threat To Caribbean; Hurricane Watch Issued For Puerto Rico | The Weather Channel https://digitalalaskanews.com/tropical-storm-fiona-a-flood-threat-to-caribbean-hurricane-watch-issued-for-puerto-rico-the-weather-channel/ Tropical Storm Fiona will move through the northeastern Caribbean. It will produce flooding rain and strong wind gusts in Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands. Fiona could become a hurricane when it is near Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic. It’s far too soon to tell if this system will ever become a mainland U.S. threat. Tropical Storm Fiona is producing flooding rainfall and strong wind gusts in the northeastern Caribbean and it may strengthen into a hurricane as it tracks near Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic. H​ere’s what we know about Fiona’s threats to the Caribbean and what the storm could mean down the road for the mainland United States. Latest Status And Forecast Fiona’s center has entered the northeastern Caribbean after passing over Guadeloupe. Tropical-storm-force conditions will continue in the northern Leeward islands Saturday morning. The storm continues to fight some unfavorable upper-level winds (wind shear) and dry air. The worst of the rain and gusty winds are occurring on the central Lesser Antilles now after the center has passed because most of the thunderstorm activity is on the eastward side of the system due to wind shear. O​n this track, Fiona will move near or just south of the U.S. Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico this weekend, then into Hispaniola Sunday night or Monday. A slightly more favorable environment may allow for some intensification this weekend and Fiona could strengthen into a hurricane as it tracks near Puerto Rico and Hispaniola (the Dominican Republic and Haiti). A​fter that, uncertainty grows because of that possible land interaction, but some intensification is expected once Fiona reaches the waters north of Hispaniola. Projected Path (The red-shaded area denotes the potential path of the center of the tropical cyclone. It’s important to note that impacts (particularly heavy rain, high surf, coastal flooding, winds) with any tropical cyclone usually spread beyond its forecast path.) C​aribbean Threats A​ hurricane watch has been issued for Puerto Rico, meaning hurricane conditions are possible within the next 48 hours. T​ropical storm warnings are in effect for the Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico, Antigua, Barbuda, St. Kitts, Nevis, Montserrat, Anguilla, Saba and St. Eustatius, St. Maarten, Guadeloupe, St. Barthelemy and St. Martin and for portions of the Dominican Republic. Tropical storm conditions are expected in the warning area within 36 hours. Tropical storm watches have been issued for portions of the southern coast of the Dominican Republic. This means that tropical storm conditions are possible within the next 48 hours. Areas from the Leeward Islands to Puerto Rico to eastern Hispaniola to the Turks and Caicos could see r​ain totals of 4 to 10 inches (locally higher) from Fiona. That heavy rain could trigger dangerous flooding and mudslides this weekend into early next week, particularly over mountainous terrain. Up to 16 inches is possible, particularly across eastern and southern Puerto Rico. Rainfall Forecast (This should be interpreted as a broad outlook of where the heaviest rain may fall and may shift based on the forecast path of the tropical cyclone. Higher amounts may occur where bands of rain stall over a period of a few hours. ) Some modest storm surge is possible on east and south-facing shores this weekend in Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands and Hispaniola. In addition, rip currents and rough surf are likely. I​s Fiona A Mainland U.S. Threat? The bottom line is that the mainland U.S., especially from Florida to the rest of the Southeast coast, should just monitor the forecast for now since it’s too soon to tell if Fiona will eventually become a threat. T​hat’s because Fiona faces the obstacles mentioned earlier, including wind shear, dry air and potential track over some mountainous Caribbean islands such as Hispaniola. Among the wide range of possibilities include: -​Intensifying sooner, and therefore curling north into the central Atlantic Ocean far off the U.S. East Coast, similar to Hurricane Earl last week. -​Minimal strengthening in the next several days, continuing west to west-northwest, then curling north later, much closer to or over the Bahamas and possibly the Southeast U.S. later next week. For now, the National Hurricane Center forecast calls for Fiona to gain some strength by early next week, which would allow it to make a gradual northward turn near Hispaniola and the Turks and Caicos. However, as frequently happens in hurricane season, this forecast may change. Check back with us at weather.com for the latest updates to this forecast in the days ahead. Regardless of what happens, now is a good time to make sure you have a plan in place before a hurricane strikes. Information about hurricane preparedness can be found here. More from weather.com: 12 Things You May Not Know About Your Hurricane Forecast 7 Things Florida Newcomers Should Know About Hurricane Season T​he Florida Peninsula’s Luck Since Hurricane Irma Won’t Last The Weather Company’s primary journalistic mission is to report on breaking weather news, the environment and the importance of science to our lives. This story does not necessarily represent the position of our parent company, IBM. Read More Here

Donald Trump Shares 'fat-Shaming' Photo Of Chris Christie On Truth Social Following Critical Mar-A-Lago Interview https://digitalalaskanews.com/donald-trump-shares-fat-shaming-photo-of-chris-christie-on-truth-social-following-critical-mar-a-lago-interview/ Donald Trump shared a photo on Truth Social of a large man leaning over a buffet counter. He captioned the post: “Chris Christie at a Roy Rogers at 11PM in the evening trying to console himself.” Trump has been accused of “fat-shaming” Chris Christie after he gave a critical ABC News interview. Loading Something is loading. Former President Donald Trump used his social media platform Truth Social to mock former Republican Gov. Chris Christie over his weight. On Friday, Trump shared an image of a man leaning over a buffet counter, along with the caption: “Chris Christie at a Roy Rogers at 11 PM in the evening trying to console himself.” It’s unclear who the man in the picture is, or if it is indeed Christie, but it seems that the former president chose the image and the caption to imply that his former friend is overweight. It follows Trump last month asking his Truth Social followers: “Why are people so mean?” Former President Donald Trump posts about Chris Christie on Truth Social. @realDonaldTrump/ Truth Social Christie, who revealed in 2013 that he underwent weight loss surgery, has faced public attacks on his physical appearance throughout his career. Speaking to CNN in 2021, he said: “I could be talking about the Iran nuclear deal, and I’ll get a response from somebody on email or Twitter or Facebook or wherever saying, ‘You fat S.O.B. You blah, blah, blah.'” On social media, people accused the former president of “body-shaming” and “fat-shaming” Christie in his Truth Social post. Trump’s post follows an interview Christie gave to ABC News’ “This Week” last Sunday, in which he discussed the FBI raid on Trump’s Florida country club, Mar-a-Lago, in a search for missing classified documents. During the FBI’s raid of Mar-a-Lago, agents seized 11 sets of classified documents, including some marked “top secret.” Some of the documents may have concerned nuclear weapons, The Washington Post reported. Christie said Trump likely left the Justice Department “no choice” but to raid Mar-a-Lago, adding that it’s important to “take a step back” to think about why the DOJ carried out the raid in the first place.  During the interview, he also said the Justice Department had a “pretty good” chance of appealing the federal judge’s ruling to appoint a special master to review records seized from Mar-a-Lago. The special master, an independent lawyer, tasked with sifting through the thousands of classified documents found in Florida and determining which ones will be off limits in future legal proceedings, was named on Friday. Judge Raymond Dearie, 78, needs to present his findings by November 30. Read More Here

Durham https://digitalalaskanews.com/durham/ September 17, 2022 07:09 AM The extent of a yearslong misinformation campaign by the FBI and Justice Department regarding the alleged main source of disgraced Christopher Steele’s Trump dossier has been laid bare by John Durham’s latest court filing. Igor Danchenko, a U.S.-based Russian lawyer charged with five counts of making false statements to the bureau, was cashing a check from the FBI as a paid informant from March 2017 to October 2020, special counsel Durham claimed. The revelation, released ahead of the Russian national’s trial next month, casts a shadow over statements made by the DOJ and the FBI in recent years, as both agencies spoke positively of their confidential informant to the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court as well as the House and Senate. The FBI also misled DOJ leadership about Danchenko. The bureau put together “Talking Points re Crossfire Hurricane Cases” dated March 8, 2017, with the FBI misdirecting about Steele and Danchenko. At the meeting for DOJ and FBI leaders on March 6, 2017, then-FBI deputy director Andrew McCabe appeared to have led much of the presentation. The FBI talking points referred to Steele as “CROWN” and repeated allegations in the dossier. “CROWN’s reporting in this matter is derived primarily from a Russian-based source,” the FBI incorrectly said. The bureau had already interviewed Danchenko multiple times and knew he was based near Washington, D.C., not Russia. The talking points also claimed that “the FBI has no control over the Russian-based sub-source.” The FBI made him an informant that month. STEELE DOSSIER SOURCE BECAME PAID FBI INFORMANT The FBI also said Steele was a source, “some of whose reporting has been corroborated.” Durham characterized the verification, or lack thereof, of the dossier quite differently. “Over a fairly lengthy period of time, the FBI attempted to investigate, vet, and analyze the Steele Reports but ultimately was not able to confirm or corroborate most of their substantive allegations,” he wrote Tuesday. Steele revealed to the FBI in late 2017 that Danchenko “has been doing a bit of work for us recently,” even as the Russian was simultaneously working for the bureau. McCabe continued misleading when he testified before the House Intelligence Committee in December 2017 that he was even more confident in the dossier than in 2016, but he said he couldn’t provide specifics. “I think that our folks have done a fair amount of work on trying to track down and vet the information in the Steele reporting,” McCabe claimed. “I think that our folks have done a solid job in shedding light. … And I think that that work has not exposed any weaknesses or failures in the reporting.” McCabe and fired FBI director James Comey pushed to include the dossier in the January 2017 Intelligence Community Assessment on Russian meddling. McCabe answered “yes” when asked in December 2017 if Steele’s sources had been properly positioned to pass along the information alleged in the dossier. But according to Durham’s indictment, Danchenko lied to the FBI about a phone call he claimed he received from Sergei Millian, an American citizen born in Belarus who the Steele source claimed told him about a conspiracy of cooperation between then-candidate Donald Trump and the Russians. Durham’s indictment also said Danchenko anonymously sourced a fabricated claim about Trump campaign manager Paul Manafort to Hillary Clinton ally Chuck Dolan, who spent years, including 2016, doing work for Russian businesses and the Russian government. The misleading efforts by the DOJ and the FBI continued during 2018, well into special counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation. Then-Assistant Attorney General John Demers told FISA Court Judge Rosemary Collyer in a July 2018 letter that Danchenko had been “truthful and cooperative” with the FBI. Demers also defended the flawed FISA applications against Trump campaign associate Carter Page. DOJ Inspector General Michael Horowitz undermined the dossier’s Trump-Russia conspiracy claims in 2019 and his report criticized the DOJ and the FBI for “significant errors and omissions” related to the FISA warrants against Page and for the bureau’s reliance on Steele’s dossier. Collyer later condemned the FBI’s actions as “antithetical to the heightened duty of candor.” The FBI’s “Draft Talking Points” for a Senate Intelligence Committee briefing in February 2018 included further defenses of Steele and Danchenko. The FBI said it “assessed that Steele relied on one primary sub-source” — Danchenko. It then claimed Danchenko “did not cite any significant concerns with the way his reporting was characterized in the dossier.” But FBI notes of a January 2017 interview with Danchenko showed he told the bureau he “did not know the origins” of some Steele claims and “did not recall” other dossier information. He noted much of what he passed to Steele was “word of mouth and hearsay,” while some stemmed from “conversation … with friends over beers” — while the most salacious allegations may have been made in “jest.” CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER “Our discussions with [Danchenko] confirm that the dossier was not fabricated by Steele,” the FBI’s 2018 talking points nevertheless claimed, also arguing its informant “maintains trusted relationships with individuals who are capable of reporting on the material he collected for Steele” and that he and Steele “utilized reasonably sound intelligence tradecraft.” FBI director Christopher Wray eventually concurred in 2020 with the Trump DOJ’s conclusions that at least some of the FISA warrants against Page amounted to illegal surveillance. Read More Here

Blue States Receptive To (Non-MAGA) Republican Governors https://digitalalaskanews.com/blue-states-receptive-to-non-maga-republican-governors/ Republicans are competitive in several governors’ races in blue states, even as they struggle in some of the typical battleground contests like Michigan and Pennsylvania. The big picture: If Republicans make inroads on Biden-friendly turf in November, it would be a sign that moderation still sells. Driving the news: Republicans have put the gubernatorial races in Nevada, New Mexico and Oregon in play. The Cook Political Report with Amy Walter has moved the Oregon governor’s race into toss-up territory, reflecting the strength of Republican Christine Drazan’s candidacy. Oregon Democrats are divided between progressive Democratic nominee Tina Kotek and Betsy Johnson, a more moderate candidate running as an independent. Oregon hasn’t elected a Republican governor since 1982. A new Emerson College poll of the Nevada governor’s race shows Gov. Steve Sisolak (D) tied with his Republican opponent, Joe Lombardo, at 40%. Some Republican officials now view Nevada as their best opportunity to flip a Democratic-held statehouse. And in New Mexico, an Emerson College poll finds Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham only holding a five-point lead over Republican Mark Ronchetti in a Democratic-friendly state. As Axios reported last month, Lujan Grisham has been beset with low approval ratings, staff upheaval and charges of hypocrisy. Why it matters: Candidate quality matters. Trump-endorsed gubernatorial candidates are losing badly in Pennsylvania and Michigan, states that are more GOP-friendly than the aforementioned battlegrounds. Gov. Doug Ducey carried Arizona by 14 points in the Democratic wave year of 2018, while Trump loyalist Kari Lake is tied in polls despite facing a more favorable political environment. What we’re watching: Blue-state victories for moderate Republicans could help boost the national prospects of Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin. He’s has been spending lots of political capital for these blue-state Republicans, while his rivals (including Ron DeSantis and Donald Trump) are spending time boosting MAGA Republicans who could end up costing the party winnable races. Read More Here

Lindsey Graham Goes Rogue https://digitalalaskanews.com/lindsey-graham-goes-rogue/ “));var m=y[i.size_id].split(“x”).map(function(e){return Number(e)}),v=(0,r.Z)(m,2);f.width=v[0],f.height=v[1]}f.rubiconTargeting=(Array.isArray(i.targeting)?i.targeting:[]).reduce(function(e,t){return e[t.key]=t.values[0],e},{rpfl_elemid:p.adUnitCode}),t.push(f)}else(0,a.logError)(“Rubicon: bidRequest undefined at index position:”.concat(s),n,e);return t},[]).sort(function(e,t){return(t.cpm||0)-(e.cpm||0)})},getUserSyncs:function(e,t,n,r){if(!C&&e.iframeEnabled){var i={};return n&&(“boolean”==typeof n.gdprApplies&&(i.gdpr=Number(n.gdprApplies)),”string”==typeof n.consentString&&(i.gdpr_consent=n.consentString)),r&&(i.us_privacy=encodeURIComponent(r)),i=Object.keys(i).length?”?”.concat((0,a.formatQS)(i)):””,C=!0,{type:”iframe”,url:”https://”.concat(h.syncHost||”eus”,”.rubiconproject.com/usync.html”)+i}}},transformBidParams:function(e,t){return(0,a.convertTypes)({accountId:”number”,siteId:”number”,zoneId:”number”},e)}};function _(e,t){var n;return n=e.params.referrer?e.params.referrer:t.refererInfo.page,e.params.secure?n.replace(/^http:/i,”https:”):n}function E(e){var t,n=document.getElementById(e.adUnitCode);(t=n.querySelector(“div[id^=’google_ads’]”))&&t.style.setProperty(“display”,”none”),function(e){var t=e.querySelector(“script[id^=’sas_script’]”),n=t&&t.nextSibling;n&&”iframe”===n.localName&&n.style.setProperty(“display”,”none”)}(n);var r=e.renderer.getConfig();e.renderer.push(function(){window.MagniteApex.renderAd({width:e.width,height:e.height,vastUrl:e.vastUrl,placement:{attachTo:n,align:r.align||”center”,position:r.position||”append”},closeButton:r.closeButton||!1,label:r.label||void 0,collapse:r.collapse||!0})})}function I(e,t){var n=e.params;if(“video”===t){var r=[];return n.video&&n.video.playerWidth&&n.video.playerHeight?r=[n.video.playerWidth,n.video.playerHeight]:Array.isArray((0,s.Z)(e,”mediaTypes.video.playerSize”))&&1===e.mediaTypes.video.playerSize.length?r=e.mediaTypes.video.playerSize[0]:Array.isArray(e.sizes)&&e.sizes.length0&&Array.isArray(e.sizes[0])&&e.sizes[0].length1&&(r=e.sizes[0]),r}var i=[];return Array.isArray(n.sizes)?i=n.sizes:void 0!==(0,s.Z)(e,”mediaTypes.banner.sizes”)?i=S(e.mediaTypes.banner.sizes):Array.isArray(e.sizes)&&e.sizes.length0?i=S(e.sizes):(0,a.logWarn)(“Rubicon: no sizes are setup or found”),function(e){var t=[15,2,9];return i.sort(function(e,n){var r=t.indexOf(e),i=t.indexOf(n);return r-1||i-1?-1===r?1:-1===i?-1:r-i:e-n})}()}function T(e,t,n){var r={user:{ext:{data:v({},e.params.visitor)}},site:{ext:{data:v({},e.params.inventory)}}};e.params.keywords&&(r.site.keywords=(0,a.isArray)(e.params.keywords)?e.params.keywords.join(“,”):e.params.keywords);var i=(0,a.mergeDeep)({},e.ortb2||{},r),c=(0,s.Z)(e.ortb2Imp,”ext”)||{},d=(0,s.Z)(e.ortb2Imp,”ext.data”)||{},u=(0,s.Z)(e,”ortb2Imp.ext.gpid”),p={user:[4],site:[1,2,5,6]},f={user:”tg_v.”,site:”tg_i.”,adserver:”tg_i.dfp_ad_unit_code”,pbadslot:”tg_i.pbadslot”,keywords:”kw”},g=function(e,t,n){return”data”===t&&Array.isArray(e)?e.filter(function(e){return e.segment&&(0,s.Z)(e,”ext.segtax”)&&p[n]&&-1!==p[n].indexOf((0,s.Z)(e,”ext.segtax”))}).map(function(e){var t=e.segment.filter(function(e){return e.id}).reduce(function(e,t){return e.push(t.id),e},[]);if(t.length0)return t.toString()}).toString():”object”===(0,o.Z)(e)&&!Array.isArray(e)||void 0===e?void 0:Array.isArray(e)?e.filter(function(e){if(“object”!==(0,o.Z)(e)&&void 0!==e)return e.toString();(0,a.logWarn)(“Rubicon: Filtered value: “,e,”for key”,t,”: Expected value to be string, integer, or an array of strings/ints”)}).toString():e.toString()},m=function(e,t,r){var i=!(arguments.length3&&void 0!==arguments[3])||arguments[3],o=g(e,r,t),a=f[r]&&i?””.concat(f[r]):”data”===r?””.concat(f[t],”iab”):””.concat(f[t]).concat(r);n[a]=n[a]?n[a].concat(“,”,o):o};t===l.Mk?([“site”,”user”].forEach(function(e){Object.keys(i[e]).forEach(function(t){“site”===e&&”content”===t&&i[e][t].data?m(i[e][t].data,e,”data”):”ext”!==t?m(i[e][t],e,t):i[e][t].data&&Object.keys(i[e].ext.data).forEach(function(t){m(i[e].ext.data[t],e,t,!1)})})}),Object.keys(d).forEach(function(e){“adserver”!==e?m(d[e],”site”,e):”gam”===d[e].name&&m(d[e].adslot,name,e)}),u&&(n.p_gpid=u),n[“tg_i.pbadslot”]&&delete n[“tg_i.dfp_ad_unit_code”]):(Object.keys(c).length&&(0,a.mergeDeep)(n.imp[0].ext,c),u&&(n.imp[0].ext.gpid=u),(0,a.mergeDeep)(n,i))}function S(e){return(0,a.parseSizesInput)(e).reduce(function(e,t){var n=parseInt(y[t],10);return n&&e.push(n),e},[])}function A(e){var t=arguments.length1&&void 0!==arguments[1]&&arguments[1];return function(e){return”object”===(0,o.Z)((0,s.Z)(e,”params.video”))&&void 0!==(0,s.Z)(e,”mediaTypes.”.concat(l.pX))}(e)?-1===[“outstream”,”instream”].indexOf((0,s.Z)(e,”mediaTypes.”.concat(l.pX,”.context”)))?void(t&&(0,a.logError)(“Rubicon: mediaTypes.video.context must be outstream or instream”)):I(e,”video”).length0&&(n.user={ext:{eids:s}});var c=function(e,t){var n={};return(0,a.isEmpty)(e)||(n.schain=p({},e)),(0,a.isEmpty)(t)||(n.fpd=p({},t)),n}(r,i);return(0,a.isEmpty)(c)||(n.ext=c),n}(e,t);if(n=(0,a.tryAppendQueryString)(n,”lib”,”prebid”),n=(0,a.tryAppendQueryString)(n,”v”,”7.9.0″),t&&t.refererInfo){var i=t.refererInfo.page;n=(0,a.tryAppendQueryString)(n,”referrer”,i)}return t&&t.timeout&&(n=(0,a.tryAppendQueryString)(n,”tmax”,t.timeout)),t&&t.gdprConsent&&(void 0!==t.gdprConsent.gdprApplies&&(g=t.gdprConsent.gdprApplies,n=(0,a.tryAppendQueryString)(n,”gdpr”,g.toString())),void 0!==t.gdprConsent.consentString&&(m=t.gdprConsent.consentString,n=(0,a.tryAppendQueryString)(n,”cmp_cs”,m))),t&&t.uspConsent&&(n=(0,a.tryAppendQueryString)(n,”us_privacy”,t.uspConsent)),!0===d.vc.getConfig(“coppa”)&&(n=(0,a.tryAppendQueryString)(n,”coppa”,!0)),n.lastIndexOf(“&”)===n.length-1&&(n=n.substring(0,n.length-1)),(0,a.logMessage)(“tlCall request built: “+n),{method:”POST”,url:n,data:r,bidderRequest:t}},interpretResponse:function(e,t){var n=t.bidderRequest;return(e.body.bids||[]).map(function(e){return function(e,t){var n={},r=t.width||1,i=t.height||1,o=t.deal_id||””,a=t.crid||””,s=e.bids[t.imp_id];return 0!=t.cpm&&t.ad&&(n={requestId:s.bidId,cpm:t.cpm,width:r,height:i,netRevenue:!0,ad:t.ad,creativeId:a,dealId:o,currency:”USD”,ttl:300,tl_source:t.tl_source,meta:{}},y(s)&&”video”===t.media_type&&(n.vastXml=t.ad,n.mediaType=”video”,n.ttl=3600),t.advertiser_name&&(n.meta.advertiserName=t.advertiser_name),t.adomain&&t.adomain.length&&(n.meta.advertiserDomains=t.adomain),t.tl_source&&”hdx”==t.tl_source&&(y(s)&&”video”===t.media_type?n.meta.mediaType=”video”:n.meta.mediaType=”banner”),t.tl_source&&”tlx”==t.tl_source&&(n.meta.mediaType=”native”)),n}(n,e)})},getUserSyncs:function(e,t,n,r){var i=function(e){if(e)return e.iframeEnabled?”iframe”:e.pixelEnabled?”image”:void 0}(e);if(i){var o=”https://eb2.3lift.com/sync?”;return”image”===i&&(o=(0,a.tryAppendQueryString)(o,”px”,1),o=(0,a.tryAppendQueryString)(o,”src”,”prebid”)),null!==m&&(o=(0,a.tryAppendQueryString)(o,”gdpr”,g),o=(0,a.tryAppendQueryString)(o,”cmp_cs”,m)),r&&(o=(0,a.tryAppendQueryString)(o,”us_privacy”,r)),[{type:i,url:o}]}}};function y(e){return _(e)&&(b(e)||function(e){return _(e)&&”outstream”===e.mediaTypes.video.context.toLowerCase()}(e))}function b(e){return _(e)&&”instream”===e.mediaTypes.video.context.toLowerCase()}function _(e){return e.mediaTypes.video&&e.mediaTypes.video.context}function E(e){var t=null;if(“function”==typeof e.getFloor)try{var n=e.getFloor({currency:”USD”,mediaType:y(e)?”video”:”banner”,size:”*”});”object”!==(0,r.Z)(n)||”USD”!==n.currency||isNaN(parseFloat(n.floor))||(t=parseFloat(n.floor))}catch(e){(0,a.logError)(“Triplelift: getFloor threw an error: “,e)}return null!==t?t:e.params.floor}function I(e,t){(0,a.isEmpty)(t)||Object.keys(t).forEach(function(n){null!=t[n]&&(e[n]=t[n])})}function T(e,t,n,r){return e.map(function(e){return function(t){return t&&t.userId&&t.userId[e]}}(t)).filter(S(t)).map(function(e,t){return function(n){return{source:e,uids:[{id:n.id?n.id:n,ext:{rtiPartner:t}}]}}}(n,r))}var S=function(e){return function(t,n,r){var i=!!t&&((0,a.isStr)(t)?!!t:(0,a.isPlainObject)(t)&&!(0,a.isArray)(t)&&!(0,a.isEmpty)(t)&&t.id&&(0,a.isStr)(t.id)&&!!t.id);return i||void 0===r[0]||(0,a.logWarn)(“Triplelift: invalid “.concat(e,” userId format”)),i}};function A(e){return e.filter(w).map(function(e){return{w:e[0],h:e[1]}})}function w(e){return 2===e.length&&”number”==typeof e[0]&&”number”==typeof e[1]}(0,c.dX)(h),window.pbjs.installedModules.push(“tripleliftBidAdapter”)}},function(e){e(e.s=789)}]),(self.pbjsChunk=self.pbjsChunk||[]).push([[215],{2722:function(e,t,n){var r=n(1002),i=n(4614),o=n(3193),a=n(2021),s=n(8640),c=n(9528),d=n(5644),u=n(2797),l=n(4358),p=n(265),f={trustpid:{source:”trustpid.com”,atype:1,getValue:function(e){return e}},intentIqId:{source:”intentiq.com”,atype:1},naveggId:{source:”navegg.com”,atype:1},justId:{source:”justtag.com”,atype:1},pubcid:{source:”pubcid.org”,atype:1},tdid:{source:”adserver.org”,atype:1,getUidExt:function(){return{rtiPartner:”TDID”}}},id5id:{getValue:function(e){return e.uid},source:”id5-sync.com”,atype:1,getUidExt:function(e){if(e.ext)return e.ext}},ftrackId:{source:”flashtalking.com”,atype:1,getValue:function(e){var t=””;return e.DeviceID&&(t=e.DeviceID.join(“,”)),t},getUidExt:function(e){return”DeviceID”}},parrableId:{source:”parrable.com”,atype:1,getValue:function(e){return e.eid?e.eid:e.ccpaOptout?””:null},getUidExt:function(e){var t=(0,l.pick)(e,[“ibaOptout”,”ccpaOptout”]);if(Object.keys(t).length)return t}},idl_env:{source:”liveramp.com”,atype:3},lipb:{getValue:function(e){return e.lipbid},source:”liveintent.com”,atype:3,getEidExt:function(e){if(Array.isArray(e.segments)&&e.segments.length)return{segments:e.segments}}},britepoolid:{source:”britepool.com”,atype:3},dmdId:{source:”hcn.health”,atype:3},lotamePanoramaId:{source:”crwdcntrl.net”,atype:1},criteoId:{source:”criteo.com”,atype:1},merkleId:{atype:3,getSource:function(e){var t;return null!=e&&null!==(t=e.ext)&&void 0!==t&&t.ssp?””...