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L https://digitalalaskanews.com/l-3/ Lindsey Graham called Donald Trump ‘a lying motherf***er’ during Ukraine impeachment scandal and said the ex-president could ‘kill 50 people on our side and it wouldn’t matter’, new book claims ‘He could kill fifty people on our side and it wouldn’t matter,’ the South Carolina Republican said according to a new book  ‘I could stand in the middle of Fifth Avenue and shoot somebody and wouldn’t lose any voters, okay?’ Trump famously said during a campaign stop in 2016 ‘He’s a lying motherf***er,’ Graham said, adding that still, Trump was ‘fun to hang out with’  By Morgan Phillips, Politics Reporter For Dailymail.Com Published: 12:13 EDT, 16 September 2022 | Updated: 12:18 EDT, 16 September 2022 Sen. Lindsey Graham reportedly backed up Donald Trump‘s claim that he could commit murder and still have an ardent fan base and called the former president a ‘lying motherf***er’ who is nonetheless ‘fun to hang out with.’  ‘He could kill fifty people on our side and it wouldn’t matter,’ the South Carolina Republican told journalists Peter Baker and Susan Glasser according to their new book ‘The Divider,’ obtained by The Guardian.  ‘I could stand in the middle of Fifth Avenue and shoot somebody and wouldn’t lose any voters, okay?’ Trump famously said during a campaign stop in Iowa in 2016. ‘It’s, like, incredible.’  Sen. Lindsey Graham reportedly backed up Donald Trump’s claim that he could commit murder and still have an ardent fan base and called the former president a ‘lying motherf***er’ who is nonetheless ‘fun to hang out with’ Graham had been recalling a story to the husband-and-wife author duo about Trump boasting of his closeness to evangelical pastors he’d met with the day before  in 2019. ‘Those f***ing Christians love me,’ Trump had told Graham.  Graham stood by his assertion that it would be ‘insane’ to impeach Trump for his July 2019 phone call with the Ukraine president, but admitted he knew the former president’s faults.  ‘He’s a lying motherf***er,’ Graham said, adding that still, Trump was ‘fun to hang out with.’  Graham and Trump’s fraught back-and-forth relationship has been mystifying to onlookers, beginning with Graham refusing to back Trump in 2016 and deeming him racist and crazy.  But Graham became one of the former president’s closest allies during his presidency. Still, he voted to certify the 2020 election results against Trump’s wishes and blamed him for the January 6th Capitol riot.  ‘Trump and I, we’ve had a hell of a journey. I hate it to end this way. Oh my God, I hate it. From my point of view he’s been been a consequential president. But today, first thing you’ll see. All I can say, is count me out, enough is enough,’ Graham at the time.  ‘I could stand in the middle of Fifth Avenue and shoot somebody and wouldn’t lose any voters, okay?’ Trump famously said Graham has defended Trump in the wake of the FBI raiding his Mar-a-Lago home, issuing a warning that there would be ‘riots in the streets’ if the former president were indicted.  Other revelations in Glasser and Baker’s forthcoming tell-all include that Trump was persuaded by an old college friend, New York cosmetics heir Ronald Lauder, that buying Greenland was a good idea and the former president was reportedly so paranoid that Iran would retaliate for the US killing of its top general, Qasem Soleimani, that he told guests at a Mar-a-Lago holiday party in 2020 he was leaving early in fear of an assassination attempt by Tehran.  Rarely restrained in his commentary either in public or in private, Trump also reportedly told people around him that House Speaker Nancy Pelosi was an example of why women should be careful with plastic surgery and said he would not pick Nikki Haley, his United Nations ambassador, as a running mate because she had a ‘complexion problem.’ In other excerpts of the book, Trump belittled his son-in-law Jared Kushner as only being concerned about his ‘New York liberal crowd.’  Melania Trump also reportedly told her husband he was ‘blowing’ the United States COVID-19 response, a new report suggested on Wednesday. Advertisement Read More Here

Trump Wanted To Swap Greenland For Puerto Rico https://digitalalaskanews.com/trump-wanted-to-swap-greenland-for-puerto-rico/ In 2019, Donald Trump shocked the world with the idea that the US could take Greenland from Denmark. It is now becoming public that he wanted to trade the Caribbean island of Puerto Rico for it. August 2019. Donald Trump talks to reporters about Greenland. “It’s just something we talked about,” the then US president said. “In theory, it belongs to Denmark. We have good relations with Denmark. We protect Denmark because we protect large parts of the world. Then the concept came out. By “concept” Trump refers to the idea of ​​America occupying Greenland. “Strategically it is interesting and we will be interested in it. but we’ll be with you [erst mal] Talk a little It’s not number one on the agenda, I can tell you that.” The Danish prime minister called the proposal “absurd” at the time, while the regional government countered: “Of course Greenland is not for sale.” But if you want to believe the revelations of a new book about the 45th president’s term, it wasn’t just about sales at the time: Trump had planned an exchange with Puerto Rico. “We’d be interested”: Donald J. Trump at the G7 summit in Biarritz on August 26, 2019. EPA It was not the political advisers who gave her the idea, but the successors to the cosmetics giant Estée Lauder. Trump and Ronald S. Lauder has known each other since college, writes the New York Times. The president told his advisers: “A friend of mine, a very, very, very successful businessman, thinks we can get Greenland. What do you mean?” A team is then put together to explore options in the matter. At least that’s what authors Bibi and Susan Glasser claim in their book, “The Divider: Trump in the White House, 2017-2021,” which will be published Sept. 20. Cabinet and White House staff are said to have been only marginally impressed by Greenland’s idea. Trump, on the other hand, is said to have been selling the whole thing as a flash of his inspiration. “I said, ‘Why isn’t this ours? The former president recalled in an interview for the book. ‘Look at the map. I am a real estate entrepreneur. It’s not that different.” You just have to look at the size of Greenland, Trump said: “It should be part of the United States.” In reality, though, Lauder put the flea in the president’s ear. Security adviser John Bolton nevertheless retained his assistant Fiona Hill on the matter, although he assessed the advance as disappointing. Hill’s team then secretly meets with the Danish ambassador. Trump also proposed funding earmarked for Puerto Rico for the purchase of Greenland. Elsewhere, he also suggests swapping Greenland for Puerto Rico, where Republicans are not particularly popular. Nothing should change in the new revelations – quite the contrary. Nation World News Deskhttps://nationworldnews.com Nation World News is the fastest emerging news website covering all the latest news, world’s top stories, science news entertainment sports cricket’s latest discoveries, new technology gadgets, politics news, and more. Read More Here

A Look At History: Civil Liberties Are On The Ballot | News & Commentary | American Civil Liberties Union https://digitalalaskanews.com/a-look-at-history-civil-liberties-are-on-the-ballot-news-commentary-american-civil-liberties-union/ There are countless elections happening across the nation this November. Whether it’s for a district attorney election in your town or a governor’s race in your state, we want to give you the tools to vote your values and have informed conversations with your friends and families. In spite of the fact that most elections take place once every few years, it’s important to remember that every single one will have lasting effects on our country. There should be no doubt that throughout American history, elections can sometimes lead to the rollback of all of our civil rights. That’s why it’s important to vote for your values and fight for your rights this November. The Election of 1968 – President Nixon wins and ushers in an era of mass incarceration. Shortly after Nixon was elected in 1968, his administration declared a war on drugs, a radical approach focused on harsher enforcement and penalties for drug-related offenses that disproportionately targeted Black communities. The campaign was a racist response to the civil rights movement of the 1960s. Presidents after Nixon have continued its harsh and racist logic, including Presidents Reagan and Clinton. And these harmful federal policies were adopted by lawmakers and prosecutors at the state and local levels. Drug war policies such as mandatory minimum sentences, especially for minor drug-related offenses, and sentencing disparities for powder vs. crack cocaine, helped make the United States the world’s infamous leader in mass incarceration. The war on drugs has had profound effects on the criminal legal system, American politics, and the lives of Black communities and other communities of color. Since 1970, our incarcerated population has increased by 500 percent — 2 million people are in jail or prison today. One out of every three Black boys born today can expect to go to prison in his lifetime, as can one of every six Latino boys — compared to one of every 17 white boys. The war on drugs has also doubled the number of women who are incarcerated, with Black women representing 30 percent of all incarcerated women and Latina women representing 16 percent. As a result, 1.5 million children have incarcerated parents. The Election of 2000 – President George W. Bush is elected and launches the “war on terror” in response to 9/11. Following the election of President Bush and the tragic attacks of 9/11, President Bush launched an all-out attack on human rights and civil liberties. Bush’s actions launched an era defined by excessive claims of executive power that weakened our system of checks and balances and democratic accountability. Most consequentially for human lives and rights, the Bush administration engaged in systemic torture, indefinite detention at Guantánamo and elsewhere, warrantless mass surveillance, biased and unfair watch listing, and discriminatory profiling of Muslim, Brown, and Black communities in the United States. President Bush’s legacy is one our country — and the people around the world whose lives his administration blighted — still grapples with today. The Election of 2016 – One of the most lawless administrations is ushered in with President Donald J. Trump. The moment President Trump was elected set in motion endless attacks on civil rights and liberties. President Trump was one of most lawless presidents in modern history. From his nomination of Supreme Court justices who rolled back the federal right to abortion secured in Roe v. Wade, to the Muslim ban executive order that discriminated against people from Muslim-majority countries, his administration led a dangerous rollback of our rights and liberties, many of which are still being felt today. The ACLU filed 400 legal actions against the Trump administration. Read More Here

AP News Summary At 11:07 A.m. EDT https://digitalalaskanews.com/ap-news-summary-at-1107-a-m-edt/ Ukraine combs mass burial site, says signs of torture found IZIUM, Ukraine (AP) — Ukrainian authorities are unearthing bodies from a mass burial site in an area recently recaptured from Russian forces. They say some bore hallmarks of torture. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy cited the site as an example of “what the Russian occupation has led to.” Workers hauled body after body out of the sandy soil Friday. They worked in a pine forest near Izium that police said contained 445 graves. Ukrainian forces got access to the site after recapturing the northeastern city and much of the wider Kharkiv region in a counteroffensive that suddenly shifted the momentum in the nearly seven-month war. A prosecutor said some of the bodies pulled from the sandy soil had their hands tied behind their backs and ropes around their necks. Veteran judge named special master in Trump documents search WASHINGTON (AP) — A federal judge has appointed a veteran New York jurist to serve as an independent arbiter in the criminal investigation into the presence of classified documents at Donald Trump’s Florida home. U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon has also refused to permit the Justice Department to resume its use of the highly sensitive records seized in an FBI search last month. Cannon on Thursday empowered the newly named special master, Raymond Dearie, to review all the documents taken in the Aug. 8 search of Mar-a-Lago and set a November deadline for his work. The sharply worded order from Cannon sets the stage for a challenge to a federal appeals court. Trump openly embraces, amplifies QAnon conspiracy theories Donald Trump is increasingly embracing and endorsing the QAnon conspiracy theory, even as the number of frightening real-world events linked to the movement rises. Using his Truth Social platform, Trump this week reposted an image of himself overlaid with the words “the Storm is Coming.” In QAnon lore, the storm refers to Trump’s final victory, when his opponents supposedly will be tried and possibly executed. It’s among dozens of recent Q-related posts from the Republican former president, who also ended a rally with a QAnon song. Experts who study QAnon say Trump may be trying to rally his most stalwart supporters as investigations into his conduct escalate. Queue for queen’s coffin ‘paused’ as wait hits 14 hours Read More Here

Analysis | ‘The Files Were Declassified’ Is A Political Argument, Not A Legal One https://digitalalaskanews.com/analysis-the-files-were-declassified-is-a-political-argument-not-a-legal-one/ Donald Trump called into Hugh Hewitt’s radio show Thursday to chat (in his characteristic style) about how the world was arrayed against him and how he nonetheless managed to triumph. The assertion that made the biggest splash, understandably, was Trump’s warning that, if indicted, “you’d have problems in this country the likes of which perhaps we’ve never seen before.” The former president has interwoven threats of violence into his politics since the early days of his 2016 campaign, so — while unsettling — this is hardly novel. But it is useful to consider the context in which that comment came. Hewitt had asked whether Trump expected to be indicted immediately after he cleared the runway for Trump to wave away questions about the material the FBI seized in their search of his Mar-a-Lago facility last month. A former aide, Kash Patel, has said that Trump declassified that material, Hewitt prompted. Did Trump remember doing so? He did. What’s more, Trump added: “I have the absolute right to declassify, absolute. A president has that absolute right, and a lot of people aren’t even challenging that anymore.” Hewitt then asked about possible indictment. This claim, too, is familiar to anyone paying attention to Trump. Since the search became public, the presence of material marked as classified has been fodder for political commentary. But in insisting that he declassified it, Trump’s making a political claim, not a legal one. And he’s making a political claim, in part, to stoke precisely the sort of anger that he understands would erupt if he was indicted. In the search warrant it obtained to retrieve material from Trump, the Justice Department delineated three statutes that it believed had been violated: 18 U.S. Code 793, 1519 and 2071. As has been noted in the past, at no point in any of the three does the word “classified” appear. What is alleged, it seems, is not that Trump had classified material but that he was in possession of material that was property of the government. The Presidential Records Act establishes that the product of Trump’s time as president is generally not his, but the office’s. His decision to bring it with him is, by itself, a potential violation. Nonetheless, people are generally more familiar with the prohibitions surrounding classified information than they are documents that are slotted into not-classified-but-not-privately-owned ones. So reports that classified material was seized — and of course, that infamous photo of documents with classification markings splayed across the Mar-a-Lago carpet — spurred a lot of tittering about what Trump had and why. It’s to combat that theorizing that Trump and his allies have been so fervent about trying to claim that he declassified everything. When news reports emerged this year that documents with classification markings had been turned over by the former president, Patel first made the assertion that all of it had been deemed fit for public consumption (and apparently, private storage). Patel later qualified this, noting that Trump’s blanket order ended up being watered down by opposition from the intelligence community (and though Patel didn’t say this, Trump himself). Then the Mar-a-Lago search happened. Trump and his allies insisted that bulk declassification had occurred, though it’s not clear that anyone necessarily knew which things were included in his stash. Did he declassify just those things on his way out the door? Did he declassify nearly everything and take some subset with him? Did he have a standing order that things he grabbed became declassified, as he claimed? (A number of former administration officials expressed no familiarity with such a system.) There are two interesting qualifiers to this whole line of argument. The first, as The Washington Post’s Aaron Blake has pointed out, is that Trump’s lawyers have not claimed in legal filings that the material was declassified. This might be attributed to the point that such a claim is largely irrelevant to the legal question, as indicated above. But the lawyers have not been shy about invoking a number of other claims about what Trump did, so the disinclination to elevate this particular claim is noteworthy. After all, there are very different ramifications between Patel making an unsupported claim to Breitbart and an attorney making an unsupported claim in a legal filing. The other qualifier is perhaps the more important one. This week, a less-redacted version of the affidavit used to obtain the search warrant was revealed, giving us a better sense of what the government was seeking. It adds new context to the weeks before the search — and in particular, a moment in June in which Trump’s team claimed that it had turned over all material with classified markings. This is important. After learning that the boxes of documents Trump sent back to Washington in January were incomplete, the Justice Department subpoenaed “[a]ny and all documents or writings in the custody or control of Donald J. Trump and/or the Office of Donald J. Trump bearing classification markings.” Not “classified material.” Material “bearing classification markings.” So even if the Secret/SCI document prominently featured in the Mar-a-Lago photo was, in fact, declassified, Trump should not have had it after receiving the subpoena. After all, in June, Justice Department officials had met with Trump’s team and received a packet of classified material that was still in Trump’s possession. Critically, Trump’s lawyers then asserted that no more “responsive” material was present at Mar-a-Lago — that is, no more material that met the stipulations of the subpoena. At another point in the affidavit, the government notes that “When producing the documents, neither FPOTUS COUNSEL 1 nor INDIVIDUAL 2″ — Trump attorney Christina Bobb — “asserted that FPOTUS had declassified the documents.” (In a footnote, it adds that classification status is irrelevant to the statutes at issue anyway.) Again, then, the question of classification status is, for legal purposes, irrelevant. It seems likely that 18 U.S. Code 1519 was cited because it applies to anyone who “makes a false entry in any record, document, or tangible object with the intent to impede, obstruct, or influence [an] investigation” — perhaps covering the scenario illustrated above. By focusing on classification, then, Trump’s trying to win over the public and not the judge. Why? Because Trump prefers to move every fight to the public square, where his base of support is vocal and intimidating. He understands that he can use his supporters’ anger to influence the decisions being made by elected officials and government actors. Attorney General Merrick Garland is just as aware of the likely response to a Trump indictment as is Trump. Put simply then: Arguing that he declassified the seized documents isn’t going to bolster his defense if he’s indicted. But arguing that he’s being railroaded because the government refuses to acknowledge that the documents were declassified? That might help keep him from being indicted in the first place. Read More Here

AP News Summary At 11:07 A.m. EDT https://digitalalaskanews.com/ap-news-summary-at-1107-a-m-edt-2/ Ukraine combs mass burial site, says signs of torture found IZIUM, Ukraine (AP) — Ukrainian authorities are unearthing bodies from a mass burial site in an area recently recaptured from Russian forces. They say some bore hallmarks of torture. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy cited the site as an example of “what the Russian occupation has led to.” Workers hauled body after body out of the sandy soil Friday. They worked in a pine forest near Izium that police said contained 445 graves. Ukrainian forces got access to the site after recapturing the northeastern city and much of the wider Kharkiv region in a counteroffensive that suddenly shifted the momentum in the nearly seven-month war. A prosecutor said some of the bodies pulled from the sandy soil had their hands tied behind their backs and ropes around their necks. Veteran judge named special master in Trump documents search WASHINGTON (AP) — A federal judge has appointed a veteran New York jurist to serve as an independent arbiter in the criminal investigation into the presence of classified documents at Donald Trump’s Florida home. U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon has also refused to permit the Justice Department to resume its use of the highly sensitive records seized in an FBI search last month. Cannon on Thursday empowered the newly named special master, Raymond Dearie, to review all the documents taken in the Aug. 8 search of Mar-a-Lago and set a November deadline for his work. The sharply worded order from Cannon sets the stage for a challenge to a federal appeals court. Trump openly embraces, amplifies QAnon conspiracy theories Donald Trump is increasingly embracing and endorsing the QAnon conspiracy theory, even as the number of frightening real-world events linked to the movement rises. Using his Truth Social platform, Trump this week reposted an image of himself overlaid with the words “the Storm is Coming.” In QAnon lore, the storm refers to Trump’s final victory, when his opponents supposedly will be tried and possibly executed. It’s among dozens of recent Q-related posts from the Republican former president, who also ended a rally with a QAnon song. Experts who study QAnon say Trump may be trying to rally his most stalwart supporters as investigations into his conduct escalate. Queue for queen’s coffin ‘paused’ as wait hits 14 hours Read More Here

DUTA Demands Removal Of Delhi Govt. Nominees From DU Govern… https://digitalalaskanews.com/duta-demands-removal-of-delhi-govt-nominees-from-du-govern/ Delhi Govt. nominees: Delhi University Teachers Association (DUTA) on Friday demanded the withdrawal of Delhi Government nominees from governing body of 28 Colleges that are funded by the state government. DUTA also observed a one day strike and observed a protest walk from the office of the Vice Chancellor of Delhi University to the residence of the Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal. The protest was led by DUTA president Prof. A K Bhagi and the association demanded permanent resolution of the financial crisis in these 12 colleges. Prof Bhagi questioned Delhi Government’s education model that has forced the educational institutions into self-financing mode. DUTA Secretary, Dr Surender Singh said the misgovernance and political vendetta of Delhi Government has led to mismanagement in these colleges and the government has failed to meet the infrastructural demands such as buildings, class-rooms, laboratories, common rooms, washrooms, equipment etc. He alleged that the Delhi government’s education policy pertaining to these colleges has affected the livelihood of teaching and non-teaching employees in terms of non-payment of salaries, allowance, arrears, and medical bills. Prof. Pradeep Kumar, Vice President, DUTA blamed Delhi Government’s Higher Education model and alleged that it has utterly failed to meet even the basic requirements of Delhi students. The teachers of Deen Dayal Upadhyaya College, Lakshmibai College and Satyawati College have alleged that they been continuously victimized by Delhi Government nominees of the governing body. DUTA has also College of Art to be brought back under University of Delhi which has been illegally de-affiliated by Delhi Government and made a Department under Ambedkar University and EWS positions to be released soon. DUTA also demanded the release of full grants of 12 Colleges to pay salaries and other dues besides the infrastructural needs. Read More Here

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Paulette Russell https://digitalalaskanews.com/paulette-russell/ Paulette Russell passed peacefully surrounded by family at her home in North Pole, AK on September 8, 2022 after living with cancer for the past four and half years. Born in Phillips, Wisconsin in 1952, Paulette moved to Alaska in 1975 where she began a lifelong career as a teacher. It was in Alaska that she met and married fellow “Cheese Head” (Wisconsinite) Don Russell in 1978. Paulette spent the better part of 30 years teaching kindergarten and special education in North Pole before retiring in 2002. Her love of students and the classroom never left her, and she spent many years after retirement as a substitute teacher in the Fairbanks North Star Borough School District. Read More Here

King Charles Visits Wales, Miles-Long Line To See Queen Lying In State Paused https://digitalalaskanews.com/king-charles-visits-wales-miles-long-line-to-see-queen-lying-in-state-paused/ King Charles visits Wales, last stop of UK tour King and siblings to stand vigil on Friday night Police mount huge security operation ahead of funeral LONDON, Sept 16 (Reuters) – As tens of thousands of people poured into London ahead of Queen Elizabeth’s state funeral on Monday, the miles-long queue of mourners waiting to see her lying in state was temporarily closed on Friday after it swelled to capacity. People of all ages and from all walks of life have paid their respects to the late queen, joining a well-organised line that stretches along the south bank of the Thames then over the river to parliament’s Westminster Hall. But by mid-morning, the line was just too big – a testimony to the public’s respect and affection for the queen, who died in Scotland on Sept. 8 at the age of 96 after a 70-year reign. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com “Entry will be paused for at least 6 hours,” Britain’s culture department said shortly before 10 a.m. (0900 GMT) “Please do not attempt to join the queue until it re-opens.” It warned of waiting times of up to 12 hours. Some 750,000 people in total are expected to file past the queen’s coffin. On Friday night, King Charles, who was visiting Wales on Friday, and his sister Princess Anne and brothers Princes Andrew and Edward will keep a silent vigil around the coffin, joining the ceremonial guard for a 15-minute period. “I’ve no sensation in my knees at all or my legs,” said Hyacinth Appah, a mourner from London who was in the queue. “But it’s been fine. Most of the people have been lovely and we’ve had quite a nice time.” Another mourner from London, Naomi Brown, said she waited for nearly 11 hours after joining the queue on Thursday night after work. “I just thought, I’m never going to do it again. I have so much respect for the queen, not once did she ever falter,” 29-year-old Brown said, speaking to Reuters as she neared the front of the queue. “She has been such a good symbol for our country. It feels like we have lost a family member.” The coffin stands in the ancient Westminster Hall on a purple-clad catafalque, draped in the Royal Standard and with the bejewelled Imperial State Crown placed on top. Soldiers in ceremonial uniform and other officials are keeping vigil around it as people walk past to pay homage after their long wait. Many have been in tears, and others have saluted or bowed their heads. New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern, in London for the funeral, was among those who visited Westminster Hall on Friday, stopping to curtsy as she filed past the coffin. London’s police force said the state funeral would be the biggest security operation it had ever undertaken as prime ministers, presidents and royals come together to pay their respects. The force was preparing for events ranging from terrorism threats to protests and crowd crushes, senior police official Stuart Cundy told reporters. U.S. President Joe Biden and French President Emmanuel Macron are among the guests from overseas who have confirmed they will be attending. VISIT TO WALES King Charles, who acceded to the throne on his mother’s death, meanwhile was visiting Wales, the last stage of a tour of the United Kingdom to acknowledge his status as the new monarch and head of state and to greet the public. Charles and his wife Camilla, the Queen Consort, attended a service at Cardiff’s Llandaff Cathedral service then talked with cheering well-wishers outside. Wales has a particular significance for the new king, who for five decades preceding last week’s accession had the title Prince of Wales. Speaking at the Welsh parliament, Charles said: “Through all the years of her reign, the land of Wales could not have been closer to my mother’s heart. I know she took immense pride in your many great achievements – even as she also felt with you deeply in time of sorrow.” “I am resolved to honour that selfless example,” he said, speaking in Welsh and English. “I take up my new duties with immense gratitude for the privilege of having been able to serve as Prince of Wales. That ancient title … I now pass to my son William.” There were a few anti-monarchy protesters outside Cardiff Castle, where Charles met Welsh First Minster Mark Drakeford. One man held a banner saying “Cancel Royals” and a placard saying “End Prince of Wales Title”. Another man held a sign saying: “No to Monarchy, No to Charles, Great Reset”. Another read: “Not My King”. Similar small protests have been held outside parliament and in Edinburgh over the past days, although King Charles has enjoyed a surge in support since he succeeded Elizabeth. read more SILENT SKIES The new Prince of Wales, William, and his brother Prince Harry and the queen’s six other grandchildren will stand vigil at the coffin on Saturday evening, a royal spokesman said. In an adjustment to protocol, both Harry and his uncle Prince Andrew will be allowed to wear military uniform when they take their turns at vigil, royal officials said. Andrew will perform the duty with his siblings on Friday evening. Both are war veterans, Andrew having served as a Royal navy helicopter pilot in the Falklands War and Harry serving two tours of duty with the British Army in Afghanistan. But so far they have appeared in processions in morning suits as they lost their honorary military titles when they stepped back from public royal duties. The state funeral is likely to be one of the grandest ceremonies ever seen in the British capital, involving thousands of military personnel. Earl Marshal, Edward Fitzalan-Howard, the Duke of Norfolk, who is in charge of state occasions, said he hope the funeral “will unite people across the globe”. London’s Heathrow Airport has said it will cancel 15% of its flight schedule on Monday to reduce noise over the city and guarantee that the skies will be quiet during a two-minute silence at the end of the funeral. read more Monday has been declared a national holiday. Many shops will be closed and a range of other economic activities will grind to a halt. Thousands of people face cancelled doctor appointments or operations under the state health service. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com Additional reporting by Alistair Smout and Farouq Suleiman; Writing by Angus MacSwan; Editing by Kate Holton and Alison Williams Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles. Read More Here

House Passes Bill That Would Thwart Trump Plot To Purge Federal Workers – Alaska Native News https://digitalalaskanews.com/house-passes-bill-that-would-thwart-trump-plot-to-purge-federal-workers-alaska-native-news/ “The former president’s attempt to remove qualified experts and replace them with political loyalists threatened our national security and our government’s ability to function the way the American people expect it to,” said Rep. Gerry Connolly, the bill’s sponsor. U.S. House Democrats and a handful of Republicans on Thursday rejected former President Donald Trump’s plot to oust civil servants by passing the Preventing a Patronage System Act. “The civil servants who make up our federal workforce are the engine that keeps our federal government running,” said Rep. Gerry Connolly (D-Va.), the bill’s sponsor. “We rely on their experience and expertise to provide every basic government service—from delivering the mail to helping families in the wake of natural disasters.” “The former president’s attempt to remove qualified experts and replace them with political loyalists threatened our national security and our government’s ability to function the way the American people expect it to. Expertise, not fealty, must define our civil service,” he added. Our professional civil service is our government’s greatest asset. These are dedicated, patriotic Americans who serve the people diligently under administrations of both parties. They’re hired for their talent and expertise, not their partisan loyalty. We must keep it that way. pic.twitter.com/hRU1XUSUgH — Rep. Gerry Connolly (@GerryConnolly) September 15, 2022 Connolly, who chairs the House Committee on Oversight and Reform’s government operations panel, and Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick (R-Penn.) introduced H.R. 302 in response to Trump’s executive order to establish a new Schedule F category of federal employees who are easier to fire. Although President Joe Biden rescinded the order, Trump is widely expected to seek office again in 2024, and even if he isn’t the next Republican presidential nominee, as Common Dreams has reported, other potential candidates have signaled support for the scheme. In July, U.S. Rep. Chip Roy (R-Texas) introduced the Public Service Reform Act, which one policy expert said makes clear that “efforts to try to change the civil service aren’t just Trump necessarily, and if Republicans take control of Congress following the midterms, this may very well go from idea to specific action.” As Connolly’s office previously outlined: The Preventing a Patronage System Act would secure the civil service and protect federal employees from losing statutory job protections and due process rights. Specifically, the bill would prevent any position in the competitive service from being reclassified to an excepted service schedule created after September 30, 2020. The bill would also limit federal employee reclassifications to the five excepted service schedules in use prior to fiscal year 2021 and would block any reclassifications of federal employees to Schedule F pursuant to the E.O. signed on October 21, 2020. Government Executive noted Thursday that the 225-204 vote—with three members not voting—came after the bill “passed out of the House as part of the chamber’s version of the fiscal 2023 National Defense Authorization Act in July, and companion legislation was introduced in the Senate last month.” “The renewed focus on the issue by congressional Democrats comes after reports that conservative activists and ex-Trump administration staffers have plans to immediately revive Schedule F under the next Republican president and have already identified 50,000 employees to threaten with termination,” the outlet added. “Trump, who is mulling another run at the White House, also explicitly endorsed the idea during a political rally last month.” Critics have condemned the GOP effort as “authoritarianism 101” and “a fascist takeover of our government.” One public policy expert warned this year that “it would be a government of the lawless leading the incompetent.” House Democrats shared similar statements leading up to the vote Thursday. I spoke on the House Floor today in support of @GerryConnolly’s Preventing a Patronage System Act which will help protect the nonpartisan nature of our civil service & other @OversightDems bills championed by Chairwoman @RepMaloney to help ensure government works #ForThePeople. pic.twitter.com/wtTr0xX7ln — Steny Hoyer (@LeaderHoyer) September 15, 2022 The American people deserve a government that works for them, not Donald Trump. Today, I’m voting for Rep. @GerryConnolly’s Preventing a Patronage System Act to ensure no president can purge the federal workforce of experts and replace them with partisan loyalists. pic.twitter.com/IObSmTaqEn — Rep. Tony Cárdenas (@RepCardenas) September 15, 2022 In a tweet affirming his support for the bill, Rep. Mike Quigley (D-Ill.) told Americans that “you deserve a government made up of public servants, not political hacks.” Common Dream’s work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 License. Feel free to republish and share widely.   civil servant, congess, house, passage, prevent a patronage system act, trump Read More Here

Gov. Mike DeWine Says Trump Rally Conflicts With Cross-Country Meet https://digitalalaskanews.com/gov-mike-dewine-says-trump-rally-conflicts-with-cross-country-meet/ A week and a half after former President Donald Trump endorsed Gov. Mike DeWine’s reelection bid, the Republican governor plans to be at a cross-country meet cheering on his granddaughters than a rally with the ex-president. DeWine told the Youngstown Vindicator that three of his granddaughters are participating in a Cedarville cross-country meet at the same time as Trump’s rally in Youngstown Saturday night. “It’s a special night for us,” DeWine told the Vindicator. “They’re running under the lights, which is kind of unusual for cross country.” Related Mike Dewine article:On third anniversary of Dayton shooting, Whaley says DeWine ‘gave up’ on gun issue DeWine’s campaign did not immediately respond to questions about whether DeWine would meet Trump in Ohio or whether Lt. Gov. Jon Husted would attend the rally. DeWine hasn’t appeared at a Trump rally in years. In April, DeWine contracted COVID-19 about a week before Trump’s event in Delaware County. But before that, the governor planned to attend celebrations for former President Ulysses S. Grant’s 200th birthday instead. In August 2020, DeWine had a false positive COVID-19 test hours before visiting Trump, canceling the meeting. In September 2020, Lt. Gov. Jon Husted attended a Trump rally in Vandalia, but Trump supporters booed him when he suggested they wear masks. The relationship between Trump and DeWine is complicated. On one hand, DeWine backed Trump’s election and reelection bids, serving as a co-chairman of the former president’s campaign. Trump twice endorsed DeWine for governor. And DeWine praised Trump’s assistance during the COVID-19 pandemic. But DeWine also acknowledged that Democratic President Joe Biden won the 2020 election and said Trump “poured gas on the fire” of the Jan. 6 attack at the U.S. Capitol. Trump once hinted at a primary challenge for DeWine in a tweet. Trump is holding a rally at 7 p.m. Saturday in Youngstown with U.S. Senate hopeful J.D. Vance and other endorsed candidates. Congressional candidates Max Miller, Madison Gesiotto Gilbert and J.R. Majewski are among the scheduled speakers. Jessie Balmert is a reporter for the USA TODAY Network Ohio Bureau, which serves the Columbus Dispatch, Cincinnati Enquirer, Akron Beacon Journal and 18 other affiliated news organizations across Ohio. Read More Here

AP News Summary At 10:02 A.m. EDT https://digitalalaskanews.com/ap-news-summary-at-1002-a-m-edt-2/ Ukraine combs mass burial site, says signs of torture seen IZIUM, Ukraine (AP) — Ukrainian authorities have begun unearthing bodies from a mass burial site in a forest recaptured from Russian forces. A prosecutor said Friday that some said bore signs of torture. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said the site was an example of “what the Russian occupation has led to.” Police said the site contained 445 graves. It was discovered close to Izium after a rapid counteroffensive by Ukrainian forces retook the northeastern city and much of the Kharkiv region. Veteran NY judge named as arbiter in Trump Mar-a-Lago probe WASHINGTON (AP) — A federal judge has appointed a veteran New York jurist to serve as an independent arbiter in the criminal investigation into the presence of classified documents at Donald Trump’s Florida home. U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon has also refused to permit the Justice Department to resume its use of the highly sensitive records seized in an FBI search last month. Cannon on Thursday empowered the newly named special master, Raymond Dearie, to review all the documents taken in the Aug. 8 search of Mar-a-Lago and set a November deadline for his work. The sharply worded order from Cannon sets the stage for a challenge to a federal appeals court. Trump openly embraces, amplifies QAnon conspiracy theories Donald Trump is increasingly embracing and endorsing the QAnon conspiracy theory, even as the number of frightening real-world events linked to the movement rises. Using his Truth Social platform, Trump this week reposted an image of himself overlaid with the words “the Storm is Coming.” In QAnon lore, the storm refers to Trump’s final victory, when his opponents supposedly will be tried and possibly executed. It’s among dozens of recent Q-related posts from the Republican former president, who also ended a rally with a QAnon song. Experts who study QAnon say Trump may be trying to rally his most stalwart supporters as investigations into his conduct escalate. Queue for queen’s coffin ‘paused’ as wait hits 14 hours Read More Here

Dow Futures Tumble 200 Points And Head For Big Losing Week As FedEx Shares Drop 19% https://digitalalaskanews.com/dow-futures-tumble-200-points-and-head-for-big-losing-week-as-fedex-shares-drop-19/ U.S. stock futures fell on Friday as Wall Street headed toward a big losing week, and traders absorbed an ugly earnings warning from FedEx about the global economy. Dow Jones Industrial Average futures dropped by 223 points, or 0.7%. S&P 500 and Nasdaq 100 futures declined 0.8% and 0.9%, respectively. On Thursday, the Dow dropped 173 points, or 0.56%, for its lowest close since July 14 Shares of FedEx plunged 19% after the shipments company withdrew its full-year guidance and said it will implement cost-cutting initiatives to contend with soft global shipment volumes as the global economy “significantly worsened.” Transport stocks are typically seen as a leading economic indicator, so FedEx’s announcement could contribute to broader declines on Friday. “It very much is a bellwether, certainly traditionally,” Robert Teeter of Silvercrest Asset Management said on CNBC’s “Worldwide Exchange.” “[But] I think one of the things we’ve seen in this pandemic and post-pandemic economy is that different sectors are having different cycles.” “No doubt the news the was not positive, and it certainly is a tell on the importance of margins going forward, which we think is a company by company issue,” Teeter added. The three major averages were on pace to notch their fourth losing week in five as a comeback rally looks increasingly like a bear market bounce. The Dow Jones Industrial Average has declined 3.70% this week, while the S&P 500 is 4.08% lower. The Nasdaq Composite is down 4.62%, headed toward its worst weekly loss since June. The bulk of the losses came on Tuesday following a surprisingly hot reading in August’s consumer price index report, with the Dow losing 1,200 points in its worst decline in two years. If inflation can’t be resolved without a recession, downside could be ‘substantial,’ Goldman says As investors debate whether high inflation can be resolved without a recession, Goldman Sachs analyzed how different the market could look if the pessimistic view materializes. There are uncertainties at every step, the firm’s Dominic Wilson said in a note Friday. However, “the basic story is simple. If only a significant recession—and a sharper Fed response to deliver it—will tame inflation, then the downside to both equities and government bonds could still be substantial, even after the damage that we have already seen.” — Tanaya Macheel Morgan Stanley upgraded Alcoa following underperformance Morgan Stanley upgraded shares of Alcoa to an overweight rating, saying the company’s free cash flow yield and a constructive outlook for aluminum prices will support shares of the metals giant. “While we see underwhelming 2H22 results, mainly on the back of lower commodity prices and higher costs, we believe the market will see through these near term headwinds,” the firm wrote in a note to clients. Morgan Stanley added that the stock trades at a discount relative to its historical average multiple. Shares of Alcoa have dropped 18% over the last week as fears rise around a coming economic slowdown, which would cut demand for metals like aluminum. The stock added 1% during premarket trading Friday. — Pippa Stevens FedEx guidance cut drags down rivals FedEx’s guidance cut appears to be weighing on related stocks on Friday morning. Shares of shipping rival UPS fell more than 7% in premarket trading. XPO Logistics dropped 6%. Transport stocks are often seen as a bellwether for the U.S. economy, so FedEx’s warning could create selling pressure across the board on Wall Street as investors prepare for a potential recession. — Jesse Pound Analysts bail on FedEx FedEx’s earnings warning led to several analysts downgrading the stock, including JPMorgan’s Brian Ossenbeck. “Against a backdrop of weaker economic activity and slower e-commerce growth with inconsistent execution, we believe FDX will continue trading at a depressed multiple until earnings stabilize with some potential help from cost saving initiatives,” Ossenbeck wrote as he downgraded the stock to neutral. CNBC Pro subscribers can read more here. — Sam Subin Sterling falls to fresh 37-year low against dollar The British pound has dropped below $1.14 for the first time since 1985. Sterling fell as low as $1.135 at 8:50 a.m. London before rising slightly to $1.137. The pound has plummeted against the greenback this year on a combination of dollar strength and U.K. recession warnings. Data published Friday morning showed U.K. retail sales fell more than expected in August. — Jenni Reid European markets slide 1% as recession, energy fears persist European markets fell sharply in early trading as recession warnings, expectations for further rate hikes and continued volatility in the energy market weighed on stocks. The pan-European Stoxx 600 was down 1.2% in the first hour, and U.K., French and German indexes all fell. All sectors were in the red as energy, industrial and auto stocks dropped more than 2% each. Read more here. — Jenni Reid U.S. 2-year Treasury yield briefly touches 3.9% CNBC Pro: Top tech investor Paul Meeks picks between Apple and Samsung Tech stocks suffered yet another sell-off this week as investors digested a hotter-than-expected August inflation report. Amid a tough year for the sector, some investors are seeking refuge in the relative safety of mega-cap stocks. Top tech investor Paul Meeks weighs in on two such stocks and reveals which he prefers in the current environment. Pro subscribers can read more here. — Zavier Ong China’s retail sales, industrial production for August beat estimates China’s latest economic data release showed growth accelerated in August. Retail sales increased 5.4% in August from the same period last year, much higher than July’s 2.7% and also above the Reuters forecast of 3.5%. Industrial production grew 4.2% last month compared with a year ago, topping the prediction of 3.8% in a Reuters poll. Industrial output came in at 3.8% in July. Fixed asset investment for January to August this year increased by 5.8%, beating the 5.5% estimate from Reuters. — Abigail Ng, Evelyn Cheng Major averages on pace for fourth losing week in five All three major averages are on track to post their fourth losing week in five. Here are where markets stand through Thursday: The Dow Jones Industrial Average is down 3.7% The S&P 500 is down 4.08% The Nasdaq Composite is down 4.62%, heading toward its worst week since June 17 — Sarah Min FedEx shares plunge after withdrawing guidance Shares of FedEx tumbled 15.3% in after hours trading after the transport company withdrew its full-year guidance, and said it will implement cost-cutting initiatives to contend with a worsening macro. “Global volumes declined as macroeconomic trends significantly worsened later in the quarter, both internationally and in the U.S. We are swiftly addressing these headwinds, but given the speed at which conditions shifted, first quarter results are below our expectations,” FedEx CEO Raj Subramaniam said in a statement. The company said it is closing 90 office locations, shutting down five corporate office facilities and pausing hiring efforts, as part of those cost-cutting measures. — Sarah Min Stock futures open lower U.S. stock futures opened lower on Thursday night as Wall Street headed toward its fourth losing week in five. Dow Jones Industrial Average futures dropped by 137 points, or 0.44%. S&P 500 and Nasdaq 100 futures declined 0.51% and 0.60%, respectively. — Sarah Min Read More Here

What You Need To Know: Trump In Youngstown https://digitalalaskanews.com/what-you-need-to-know-trump-in-youngstown/ by: Hanna Erdmann Posted: Sep 16, 2022 / 08:10 AM EDT Updated: Sep 16, 2022 / 08:11 AM EDT YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio (WKBN)- Former President Donald Trump is visiting the Valley Saturday, to campaign with Senate candidate JD Vance. The event will be at the Covelli Centre. Like any major event that happens at the Covelli Centre there will be some rules you’ll need to follow. First off, like any concert there is a list of prohibited items: Aerosols Alcoholic beverages Backpacks, bags, roller bags, suitcases bags exceeding size restrictions (12”x14”x5”) Balloons Balls Banners, signs, placards Chairs Coolers Drones and other unmanned aircraft systems E-Cigarettes Explosives of any kind (including fireworks) Firearms Glass, thermal and metal containers Laser lights and laser pointers Mace and/or pepper spray Noisemakers, such as air horns, whistles, drums, bullhorns, etc. Packages Poles, sticks and selfie sticks Spray containers Structures Supports for signs/placards Tripods Large Umbrellas (small umbrellas permitted) Appliances (i.e. Toasters) And any other items that may pose a threat to the security of the event as determined by and at the discretion of the security screeners. A representative with the rally said simply to use common sense and to be courteous of others in attendance. “If you don’t want someone beside you also with a loud noisemaker or something besides that’s going to be distracting, don’t bring it in yourself because you won’t be allowed to take it into the arena. But, if you use that common sense I think you’ll be ok. You’re able to bring in purses and small water bottles, and things like that. But, when in doubt, go ahead and leave it at home,” said Save America Rally Representative Luke Ball. Event representatives say the rally is an all day event. The parking lot will open early at 8 a.m. Saturday. There will be food and other vendors to check out all morning long. Then, at 2 p.m., the doors open at the Covelli Centre. Seats are first come, first serve. Guest speakers begin delivering remarks at 4 p.m. Here is the complete list of speakers: Mr. J.D. Vance, Republican Nominee for U.S. Senator for Ohio Rep. Jim Jordan, U.S. Representative for Ohio’s 4th Congressional District Rep. Bill Johnson, U.S. Representative for Ohio’s 6th Congressional District Hon. Max Miller, Republican Nominee for U.S. Representative for Ohio’s 7th Congressional District Mrs. Madison Gesiotto Gilbert, Republican Nominee for U.S. Representative for Ohio’s 13th Congressional District Mr. J.R. Majewski, Republican Nominee for U.S. Representative for Ohio’s 9th Congressional District It is recommended to get there as early as possible to make sure you get the seat you want. “Go to Donald J Trump.com and get your tickets. you can sign up for two per individual and then other members can go and get their own tickets as well. We encourage you to go do that so we can ensure we know how many people are going to be coming and that you can get in the arena,” said Ball One rally organizer says Tickets are not required but rally goers are encouraged to sign up on the website. He said if you are unable to make it there will be a live stream version available to watch at home. If you are attending you will want to arrive early as seats are first come first serve once inside Then at 7 p.m. Saturday night, former President Donald Trump will be speaking in support of Ohio Senate candidate J.D. Vance. %D Days %H Hours %M Minutes “,”mode”:”one_time”,”sticky_bar_hide_timeout”:7,”timeToNextRecurrence”:0,”isRegular”:true,”endDate”:1667257200000}” href=”https://www.wowktv.com/goldandbluenation/ ” target=”_blank” Countdown to Halloween ’22 Read More Here

Judge Blocks DOJ From Some Mar-A-Lago Trump Documents https://digitalalaskanews.com/judge-blocks-doj-from-some-mar-a-lago-trump-documents/ A federal judge in Florida who appointed a special master in the case has ruled that the Department of Justice cannot review some seized Trump Mar-a-Lago records. Author: 11alive.com Published: 8:09 AM EDT September 16, 2022 Updated: 8:09 AM EDT September 16, 2022 Read More Here

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

Phony Document Lands On Court Docket In Trump Search Case https://digitalalaskanews.com/phony-document-lands-on-court-docket-in-trump-search-case/ FILE – President Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate in Palm Beach, Fla., Aug. 31, 2022. A document purporting to be from the U.S. government and claiming the Treasury Department had information related to the search at Mar-a-Lago was a fabrication. A review of court documents and interviews by The Associated Press shows identical documents were filed in a separate case brought by a federal inmate at a prison medical center in North Carolina.(AP Photo/Steve Helber) The Associated Press By MICHAEL BALSAMO, Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — When a government document mysteriously appeared earlier this week in the highest profile case in the federal court system, it had the hallmarks of another explosive storyline in the Justice Department’s investigation into classified records stored at former President Donald Trump’s Florida estate. The document purported to be from the U.S. Treasury Department, claimed that the agency had seized sensitive documents related to last month’s search at Mar-a-Lago and included a warrant ordering CNN to preserve “leaked tax records.” The document remained late Thursday on the court docket, but it is a clear fabrication. A review of dozens of court records and interviews by The Associated Press suggest the document originated with a serial forger behind bars at a federal prison complex in North Carolina. The incident also suggests that the court clerk was easily tricked into believing it was real, landing the document on the public docket in the Mar-a-Lago search warrant case. It also highlights the vulnerability of the U.S. court system and raises questions about the court’s vetting of documents that purport to be official records. Political Cartoons The document first appeared on the court’s docket late Monday afternoon and was marked as a “MOTION to Intervene by U.S. Department of the Treasury.” The document, sprinkled with spelling and syntax errors, read, “The U.S. Department of Treasury through the U.S. Department of Justice and the U.S. Marshals Service have arrested Seized Federal Securities containing sensitive documents which are subject to the Defendant Sealed Search Warrant by the F.B.I. arrest.” It cited a federal statute for collecting financial records in federal investigations. The document also included the two supposed warrants, one that claimed to be sent to CNN in Atlanta and another to a towing company in Michigan. Those documents, though, are identical to paperwork filed in another case in federal court in Georgia brought by an inmate at the prison medical center in Butner, North Carolina. The case was thrown out, as were the array of other frivolous lawsuits the man has filed from his prison cell. The man has been in custody for several years since he was found not competent to stand trial after an arrest for planting a fake explosive outside the Guardian Building, a skyscraper in Detroit. Since his incarceration, he has filed a range of lawsuits and has impersonated the Treasury Department, claimed to be a federal trustee and claimed to be a lawyer for the Justice Department, a review of court records shows. In the Georgia case, the man alleged that Trump and others had “acquired ‘millions of un- redacted classified tax returns and other sensitive financial data, bank records and accounts of banking and tax transactions of several million’ Americans and federal government agencies,” court documents say. The judge in that case called his suit “fanatic” and “delusional,” saying there was no way to “discern any cognizable claim” from the incoherent filings. The man has repeatedly impersonated federal officials in court records and has placed tax liens on judges using his false paperwork, two people familiar with the matter told the AP. Because of his history as a forger, his mail is supposed to be subjected to additional scrutiny from the Bureau of Prisons. It’s unclear how the documents ended up at the court clerk’s office at the courthouse in West Palm Beach, Florida. A photocopy of an envelope, included in the filing, shows it was sent to the court with a printed return address of the Treasury Department’s headquarters in Washington. But a postmark shows a Michigan ZIP code, and a tracking number on the envelope shows it was mailed Sept. 9 from Clinton Township, Michigan, the inmate’s hometown. The AP is not identifying the inmate by name because he has a documented history of mental illness and has not been charged with a crime related to the filing. “There is simply nothing indicating that he has any authorization to act on behalf of the United States,” the judge in the Georgia case wrote. But despite the clear warning signs — including a stamp noting the Georgia case number on the phony warrants — the documents still made their way onto the docket. Spokespeople for the Justice Department and the Treasury Department would not comment. They declined to answer on the record when asked if the document was false and why the government had not addressed it. Representatives in the court clerk’s office and the magistrate judge overseeing the search warrant case did not respond to requests for comment. ___ Associated Press writers Eric Tucker and Fatima Hussein in Washington, Kate Brumback in Atlanta and Anthony Izaguirre in Tallahassee, Florida, contributed to this report. Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Read More Here

GOP Lawmaker Calls Witness ‘boo’ At Hearing, Prompts Ocasio-Cortez Apology https://digitalalaskanews.com/gop-lawmaker-calls-witness-boo-at-hearing-prompts-ocasio-cortez-apology/ It was a House Oversight Committee hearing meant to examine how fossil fuel companies campaigned to stymie climate action. But Thursday’s debate took a turn after a contentious exchange between Rep. Clay Higgins (R-La.) and a witness prompted another lawmaker to apologize in a moment that made waves on social media. What eventually became a shouting match with phrases such as “boo” and “young lady” being tossed around started with a question about petrochemicals. Higgins — who calls fossil fuels “the lifeblood of our modern society” — asked Raya Salter, the founder of the Energy Justice Law and Policy Center, a public interest law firm, what her plan was to deal with the abundance of products made with chemical compounds derived from fossil fuels. “Everything you have — your clothes, your glasses, the car you got here on, your phone, the table you’re sitting at, the chair, the carpet under your feet — everything you’ve got is petrochemical products. What would you do with that? Tell the world!” Higgins told Salter, who is also a member of the New York State Climate Action Council, a state government-affiliated environmental body. Salter responded by saying, “If I had that power, actually I don’t need that power, because what I would do is ask you, sir from Louisiana,” before Higgins interrupted. The next 2½ minutes were marked by a tense back-and-forth in which Higgins and Salter attempted to speak over each other. Salter asked Higgins to “search your heart and ask your God what you’re doing to the Black and poor people in Louisiana,” who she said were some of the most affected by the pollutants released by petrochemical plants. The Republican lawmaker responded by saying, “My good lady, I’m trying to give you the floor, boo,” and asking, “Okay, so what would you do?” “You’ve got no answer do you, young lady? About what to do with petrochemical products? So I’ll move on,” Higgins continued. Salter replied that “we need to move away from petrochemicals, we need to shut down the petrochemical facilities in your state and move away from plastic.” Louisiana produces more natural gas than all but two states nationwide, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration. The state’s 16 oil refineries, which are able to process some 3.2 million barrels of crude oil a day, make up about 20 percent of the country’s refining capacity. Much of that infrastructure is concentrated along Louisiana’s Gulf of Mexico-facing southern region — which forms part of the district Higgins represents. Higgins noted that the liquefied natural gas projects in his district help reduce carbon emissions. Liquefied natural gas has been hailed as a transitional source of energy in the move toward carbon neutrality, and amid Russia’s war in Ukraine, the Biden administration is ramping up natural gas deliveries to Europe in the hope of controlling the energy crisis. But while liquefied natural gas produces less carbon emissions than fossil fuels such as coal and oil, it isn’t totally clean, according to the Natural Resources Defense Council, an environment nonprofit. The oil and gas industries ranked among the top five contributors to Higgins’s campaign in the 2021-2022 election cycle, according to data from OpenSecrets, a campaign finance watchdog. The Republican lawmaker has also advocated for the economic importance of fossil fuel. Last year, he introduced a resolution challenging the Biden administration to operate the White House without petrochemical-derived products. The bill was referred to a House subcommittee in February 2021 and hasn’t been discussed since. “Modern life is not possible without the oil and gas industry. These energy sources fuel the world, and petroleum-based products are found in virtually everything everywhere,” Higgins said in a statement at the time. That was the point he was trying to make Thursday — but the way he delivered his remarks shocked some Democratic members of Congress. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) went as far as apologizing for the “conduct of this committee and what we just witnessed.” “I just want you to know that in the four years that I’ve sat on this committee, I have never seen members of Congress — Republican or Democrat — disrespect a witness in the way that I have seen them disrespect you today,” Ocasio-Cortez said to Salter. “I do not care what party they are in. I’ve never seen anything like that. For the gentleman of Louisiana and the comfort he felt in yelling at you like that, there’s more than one way to get a point across.” “Frankly, men who treat women like that in public, I fear how they treat them in private,” Ocasio-Cortez added. Higgins’s office didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment early Friday. However, he told the Hill in a statement that he wasn’t going to let “leftist activists” run over him. “When radicals show up in front of my Committee with an attitude talking anti-American trash, they can expect to get handled. I really don’t care if I hurt anybody’s feelings while I’m fighting to preserve our Republic,” he told the outlet. Video footage of Ocasio-Cortez’s critical remarks — which were broadly echoed by liberals online — and the verbal back-and-forth trended on social media Thursday. One clip showing the exchange between Higgins and Salter had racked up more than 560,000 views on Twitter by early Friday. On Thursday afternoon, the GOP lawmaker doubled down on what he said, sharing a video of the back-and-forth and urging his followers to “watch my exchange with an unhinged climate activist from today’s [House Oversight] Committee hearing.” Salter maintained she was unscathed. “Thanks for the support! I’m unbothered by fossil fuel cronies!!!” she wrote on Twitter. 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Copy-Trump To Stump For Vance In Youngstown https://digitalalaskanews.com/copy-trump-to-stump-for-vance-in-youngstown/ News As part of his efforts to bolster Senate candidate J.D. Vance’s chances in his race against Tim Ryan, former President Donald Trump will hold a rally with Vance on Sept. 17 at the Covelli Centre in downtown Youngstown.  As part of his efforts to bolster Senate candidate J.D. Vance’s chances in his race against Tim Ryan, former President Donald Trump will hold a rally with Vance on Sept. 17 at the Covelli Centre in downtown Youngstown.  The rally comes as the general election season kicks into high gear after a summer in which Vance has struggled to gain momentum in a race expected to favor the Republican nominee heavily.  Vance won the nomination after catapulting to a narrow victory after the former president endorsed him late in the primary season. Still, a wide majority of Ohio Republicans cast their votes for other candidates in that field.  That endorsement came after Vance reversed course on his earlier criticisms of Trump, who he had previously called an “idiot,” “reprehensible,” and “noxious.”  The rally at the Covelli Centre is scheduled to begin with doors opening at 2 p.m, with the first speakers taking the stage at 4 p.m. Trump is scheduled to headline the event at 7 p.m. People looking to attend the rally can register for tickets here. A news release says that in addition to Vance, the rally will feature “the entire Ohio Trump ticket” but does not specify who that means. The race between Ryan and Vance has been seen as surprisingly tight, given Trump’s eight-point margins of victory in 2016 and 2020 in Ohio.  A combination of Vance’s slow start to hit the campaign trail or run advertisements, coupled with criticism from party insiders and Ryan’s focus on trying to appeal to nonpartisan voters, has led to polls consistently showing a dead heat.  The rally also comes amid a backdrop of mounting legal troubles for Trump, with investigations in several states over matters including his repeated efforts to overturn the 2020 election, his business dealings in New York, and, most recently, the probe into why there were boxes containing classified information taken from the White House and left in unsecured locations at the former president’s golf club in Florida.  Ryan’s campaign responded to news of the rally with a statement that reads:  “Down in the polls and hiding from Ohio voters rather than explain why his scammy nonprofit brought a Purdue Pharma mouthpiece to the epicenter of the opioid epidemic, JD Vance is yet again leaning on out-of-state allies in another desperate, all-of-the-above attempt to distract from the fact that he’s a massive fraud.”—Izzy Levy, Tim for Ohio spokesperson.  Read More Here

Review | How Rudy Giuliani, Once A National Hero, Ruined His Own Reputation https://digitalalaskanews.com/review-how-rudy-giuliani-once-a-national-hero-ruined-his-own-reputation/ What in the world happened to Rudy Giuliani? How did the man whose bravery and resilience reassured a nation during the 2001 terrorist attacks become a bellowing, cheek-stained geyser of nonsense? Andrew Kirtzman sets out to answer that question in “Giuliani: The Rise and Tragic Fall of America’s Mayor.” Kirtzman is well-suited to the task; as a New York-based reporter he covered Giuliani for years and was alongside the mayor on 9/11 as he sought to rally a devastated country. Giuliani’s image as a national hero was set in stone that day, but the former mayor, prosecutor and presidential candidate has spent the years since chipping away at the pedestal on which he stands, largely through truth-twisting diatribes in defense of Donald Trump. Kirtzman’s biography attempts to explain how a man who nobly defended the country in one of its darkest moments then devoted his twilight years to sabotaging it. It’s a measure of how much Giuliani’s place in history has changed that this is Kirtzman’s second biography of him. The author argues that it’s not so much that Giuliani changed as age, alcohol and a thirst for attention gradually led his worst impulses to dominate his life. Giuliani’s self-confidence, Kirtzman writes, “drove his greatest crusades, from his mission to eradicate the mob, to his determination to clean up New York City. . . . But the almost fanatical sense of righteousness that propelled his rise also presaged his catastrophic fall.” It can be difficult in 2022 to recall Giuliani’s remarkable early career, when he became mayor of a city that many considered in 1994 not just dangerous and dirty, but out of control and fundamentally unmanageable. Giuliani hurled his obsessive, combative and vindictive spirit into taming New York. Crime plummeted, corporate profits soared, and three-card monte dealers in Times Square gave way to Disney characters. As mayor, he found an ally in Trump the real estate developer, but their relationship went far beyond any zoning regulation or fundraiser; the two men were in some ways kindred spirits, people whose careers were boosted and shaped by New York’s unique tabloid news culture. Rudy and the Donald thrived in a public discourse dominated by personal feuds and peccadillos. After 9/11, the respect and admiration for Giuliani swelled so high, people often burst into spontaneous applause when they saw him in public. That public love translated into tremendous wealth and political influence, and Kirtzman details the years in which Giuliani cashed in with a global business brand. In 2007, “America’s Mayor” sought to trade the imaginary title for a real one by running for president. Starting with the best name recognition and donor pool in the GOP, Giuliani burned through both in record time, exiting the race in an Orlando hotel ballroom, having amassed a grand total of one convention delegate. Giuliani spent the post-election period in a deep funk and, to hear his ex-wife Judith Nathan tell it, drinking too much. Giuliani and Nathan holed up at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago Club in Florida, using the complex’s tunnels to stay out of public view. At times the book seems more interested in Giuliani’s troubled marriage than his estranged relationship with reality, but “the ex-wife made him do it” defense offered by some of Giuliani’s former advisers feels like a too-convenient excuse, since after the divorce he became even more closely tied to Trump. “What’s clear is that the two men’s friendship survived when a hundred other Trump relationships died away like so many marriages of convenience,” Kirtzman writes. “Giuliani would never turn his back on Trump, much to his detriment.” After the failed presidential bid, Giuliani’s legal and consulting career withered, as his increasingly strident political commentary turned off law partners. During the 2016 campaign, Giuliani rediscovered his public voice as a pro-Trump attack dog, going on Fox News to accuse Hillary Clinton of all manner of crimes and illness. It was a testament to the collective memory of Giuliani as a hero in a crisis that the nonsensical accusations he made that year did little to dent his reputation. Even Kirtzman, in his deconstruction of the former mayor, seems to credit Giuliani’s claims to have sources inside the FBI in 2016 telling him about the Clinton investigations. When federal agents questioned Giuliani in 2018 about that — an interview in which lying could lead to criminal charges — he admitted he didn’t have any inside information. In that interview, Giuliani conceded what should have long been obvious to the outside world: that he had made wild claims based on little to no evidence, on the belief that false accusations are an acceptable part of politics. “You could throw a fake,” he told the agents. Trump’s 2016 victory gave Giuliani sway with the most important person on the planet: the president of the United States. The same spaghetti-on-the-wall strategy Giuliani had deployed against Clinton he now aimed in the general direction of the Biden family, trying to build a case of corruption out of Ukraine, where Joe Biden’s son Hunter had business interests. Rather than get his client Trump reelected, Giuliani helped get him impeached. And still, people believed. In Tampa, 38-year-old crane operator Paul Hodgkins watched a televised news conference in late 2020 in which Giuliani claimed the election had been stolen from Trump. As Giuliani spoke, what appeared to be dark hair dye oozed down the side of his face. Hodgkins thought Giuliani was not someone who would make something up or “chase fairy tales.” By then, Giuliani had been publicly chasing fairies and goblins for the better part of four years. But Hodgkins still believed in America’s Mayor, so he went to Washington on Jan. 6, 2021, took part in the pro-Trump riot and was sent to jail. Kirtzman’s Giuliani is a tragic figure, one whose lack of fear spelled doom as he aged. Giuliani is now 78. The president is 79, the House speaker is 82, and Trump is 76. As our country’s leadership ages in place, the house of government may need more handrails. What happened to Rudy Giuliani? The more pressing question posed by Kirtzman’s book is what happened to us, that it took so long to see it. Devlin Barrett writes about the FBI and the Justice Department for The Washington Post and is the author of “October Surprise: How the FBI Tried to Save Itself and Crashed an Election.” He was part of a team that won a Pulitzer Prize in 2018 for national reporting, for coverage of Russian interference in the U.S. election. The Rise and Tragic Fall of America’s Mayor By Andrew Kirtzman Simon & Schuster. 458 pp. $30 Read More Here

Biden Heads Abroad As Immigrant Issue Bubbles https://digitalalaskanews.com/biden-heads-abroad-as-immigrant-issue-bubbles/ With help from Eli Okun and Garrett Ross PREVIEWING BIDEN’S TRIP — “The midterms may be closely approaching. But JOE BIDEN’s focus, for the next week at least, will be firmly on matters overseas,” Jonathan Lemire writes. On Saturday, Biden heads the UK for QUEEN ELIZABETH II’s funeral on Monday. While there, he’s expected to meet privately a number of allies, including Britain’s new PM, LIZ TRUSS. Then, it’s back to the U.S., where he’ll address the UN General Assembly in New York on Wednesday. “Aides have worked for weeks on the speech,” writes Jonathan. “They view it as the latest in a series of high-profile opportunities for Biden to place the battle in Ukraine into his larger view that the next century will be defined by the battle between democracies and autocracies.” HEADS UP — This week, Biden gave a sit-down interview to SCOTT PELLEY that will air on the Sunday night season premiere of “60 Minutes.” More from CBS OH, DEARIE — On Thursday, Judge AILEEN CANNON appointed RAYMOND DEARIE, a senior judge in Brooklyn, to serve as special master and independently review the items seized by the FBI in its August search of DONALD TRUMP’s Mar-a-Lago estate. The good news for Trump: (1) Dearie was one of the two names Trump’s attorneys submitted for appointment; (2) Cannon rejected DOJ’s “demand to permit federal prosecutors to continue their review of records marked classified,” as Kyle Cheney and Josh Gerstein write; and (3) “Cannon urged him to complete his review by Nov. 30 — more than a month after the Oct. 17 deadline DOJ had asked Cannon to set.” The bad news for Trump: “In one nod to the Justice Department, Cannon ordered Trump to shoulder the full cost of Dearie’s review, as well as any staff or associates he hires.” Related: “Meet the Brooklyn judge now at the epicenter of the Mar-a-Lago records case,” by Erin Durkin ON THE BACKBURNER — After the Supreme Court overturned Roe, many Democrats pushed for legislation codifying the right to same-sex marriage, lest it, too, be taken away by the high court. Over the past two months, those efforts gained momentum thanks to the efforts of a small bipartisan group that saw a path to winning support from the requisite 10 Senate Republicans, raising hopes that a bill would soon hit Biden’s desk. Those dreams are now on hold through (at least) the midterms, Sen. TAMMY BALDWIN (D-Wis.), the bill’s chief sponsor, told reporters on Thursday. “Earlier in the day, the group of five senators leading talks on the bill recommended to Senate Majority Leader CHUCK SCHUMER that a vote occur after the election after several Republicans called for a delay,” writes Burgess Everett. “Democrats had planned to hold a vote as soon as Monday.” A Democratic aide with knowledge of the negotiations told Playbook last night: “The senators really just needed the time to get some folks on board. [I] think if this were to come up next week, Republicans would have blocked a cloture vote, and with the senators’ end goal of actually passing this — not it being a political exercise — they are confident they will be able to pass in the near future.” NYT’s Annie Karni reports that Sen. THOM TILLIS (R-N.C.), one of the Republicans whipping for the bill, “made the case to his colleagues that it would be politically wise for them to support the measure” at a lunch this week.  It didn’t work — yet. But aides tell POLITICO that the senators organizing on behalf of the bill believe that keeping Republicans from having to take a vote that could anger the conservative base ahead of the elections gives it a better chance of passing. There’s a real risk to this approach: If Republicans are able to flip the Senate, there could be little appetite to jump on board and support a Democratic priority during a lame-duck session. Happy Friday. Thanks for reading Playbook. Drop us a line: Rachael Bade, Eugene Daniels, Ryan Lizza. TALK OF THIS TOWN — Michael Schaffer writes in his new Capital City column: “Michael Beschloss Has Been Radicalized” THE MARTHA’S VINEYARD STUNT — It’s a story that has dominated political news over the past 24 hours: Florida Gov. RON DeSANTIS’ decision to fly a group of Venezuelan migrants from Texas to Martha’s Vineyard, Mass. And more than a day after the confused and desperate passengers disembarked, the story is branching out in many directions. — Massachusetts: “‘At first they were surprised, just like us.’ Martha’s Vineyard responds to surprise arrival of planeloads of migrants,” by the Boston Globe … “Vineyard Community Rallies Relief Efforts to Assist Stranded Migrants,” by the Vineyard Gazette “U.S. Attorney for Massachusetts RACHAEL ROLLINS said her office plans to speak to the Justice Department about the transports,” report Lisa Kashinsky, Sue Allan and Gary Fineout. “‘We are looking into that case, and we’ll be speaking with members of the Department of Justice. Massachusetts isn’t the only place where this has happened. … [W]e’re hoping to get some input from the Department of Justice about what our next steps might be, if any at all.’” — Florida: “DeSantis’ defense of Martha’s Vineyard flights prompts more questions,” by the Tampa Bay Times: “DeSantis’ administration is only allowed to ‘transport unauthorized aliens from this state,’ according to budget language approved by [Florida] state lawmakers this year.” — Washington: Even as the White House criticized GOP governors shipping migrants to other states as “reckless” and “shameful,” administration officials are butting heads over what to do as immigration issues mount, NBC’s Julia Ainsley reports. The White House has recently convened meetings on the topic, “where DHS officials have presented options, including flying migrants to the country’s northern border with Canada to alleviate overcrowding. … Some DHS officials have openly expressed frustration at those meetings with the White House’s reluctance to take a page from the book of Republican governors and begin transporting migrants to cities within the U.S., according to internal communications obtained by NBC News.” The politics … — “DeSantis gave GOP donors a glimpse of plans for migrant flights,” by WaPo’s Josh Dawsey, Michael Scherer and Isaac Arnsdorf: “Florida Gov. RON DeSANTIS told the Republican Party’s top donors last weekend he was considering transporting migrants to places like Martha’s Vineyard — just days before he secretly started the flights to the Massachusetts island.” DeSantis, in a Friday night speech at the Four Seasons in Orlando: “I do have this money. I want to be helpful. Maybe we will go to Texas and help. Maybe we’ll send [them] to Chicago, Hollywood, Martha’s Vineyard. Who knows?” he said to applause. — DeSantis isn’t the only governor with 2024 ambitions using the immigration crisis to boost his profile, as NBC’s Natasha Korecki and Marc Caputo report. “Just a day earlier in Illinois, Gov. J.B. PRITZKER issued an emergency declaration to grapple with nearly 500 immigrants bused to Chicago by Texas Gov. GREG ABBOTT, with the Democratic governor mobilizing the state’s National Guard after standing before the media to call the Republican governor’s actions ‘disgusting.’ Not to be outdone, California Gov. GAVIN NEWSOM, also a Democrat, entered the fray on Wednesday, calling for the Justice Department to investigate both DeSantis and Abbott for their actions.” THE NEXT GREAT MIGRATION — “The Radically Different Visions of Black Power Vying for Control in Georgia,” by Michael Kruse, Brittany Gibson and Delece Smith-Barrow: “From 2000 to 2020, major cities with significant Black populations have turned decidedly less Black — New York, Detroit, Baltimore and others. In a sense, it is a reversal of the ‘Great Migration’ that turned America’s cities into anchors of Black political power. … Atlanta is different: Although the Black population inside the city limits went down in that 20-year span … the metropolitan area as a whole has been a beneficiary. In that time, the Black population went up by 40 percent.” Related read: “Atlanta Was Ours. And Then It Changed,” by Teresa Wiltz UNDERSTANDING 2020 — If you really want to understand the 2020 campaign — both “the long-term trends and short-term shocks” that shaped it — UCLA political scientist LYNN VAVRECK has co-authored a new book you’ll want to read: “The Bitter End.” Ryan sat down with her for this week’s “Playbook Deep Dive” podcast. They discuss: (1) What’s driving both the increasing distance between the parties and the increasing homogeneity within the parties; (2) why so-called “identity-inflected issues” are the great new dimension of political conflict in America; (3) why something as simple as partisan parity in the electorate has enormous consequences for things that seem unrelated; and (4) why though many of these shifts were turbo-charged by Trump, it’s not all his fault. Listen here … Subscribe on Apple Podcasts or Spotify BIDEN’S FRIDAY: 9:30 a.m.: The president will receive the President’s Daily Brief. 2:15 p.m.: Biden will hold a bilateral meeting with South African President CYRIL RAMAPHOSA. Press secretary KARINE JEAN-PIERRE will brief at 1 p.m. VP KAMALA HARRIS’ FRIDAY: 9:30 a.m.: The VP will host a breakfast with Ramaphosa. 11:25 a.m.: Harris will depart D.C. en route to Chicago. 1:50 p.m.: Harris will meet with students, reproductive health advocates and providers to discuss abortion access. 5:05 p.m.: Harris will participate in a political event with Governor J.B. PRITZKER. 6:15 p.m.: Harris will depart Chicago to return to D.C. THE SENATE is in. THE HOUSE is out. PHOTO OF THE DAY CONGRESS WILL THE REAL CHUCK GRASSLEY PLEASE STAND UP? — “A tale of two Grassleys: Partisan investigator and bipartisan dealmaker,” by Marianne LeVine: “Grassley says he’s approaching every issue as he sees fit. Republicans say he’s ac...

Gun Buybacks Are Happening Across The Country. But Do They Work? https://digitalalaskanews.com/gun-buybacks-are-happening-across-the-country-but-do-they-work/ On a wet Saturday morning in late August, the city of Raleigh, North Carolina, held its first-ever gun buyback event in a church parking lot. “It was raining, so we said, for sure nobody’s going to come out to this,” says Estella Patterson, the city’s chief of police. But shortly after the event kicked off at 9 a.m., lines spilled back onto the main road; 150 people in total came in, some waiting for hours, to voluntarily drop off 278 pistols, rifles, and even an AK-47, to eventually be stored securely or destroyed. “The response was overwhelming,” she says. It was one of many gun buybacks in U.S. cities that week, including ones in Chicago and Houston, all of which also reported successful turnouts and praise from the public. The logic seems sound: They result in fewer firearms on the streets at a time of rising gun violence, and with nearly 400 million guns circulating in the country. But studies have consistently shown that buybacks have little effect as a gun-violence-prevention method because they primarily encourage responsible citizens to turn in old or unwanted guns, rather than criminals who use them to commit violence. Some experts say they could be more effective if they targeted high-crime areas or increased economic incentives—but most say it makes more sense to redirect limited resources to other programs. A gun buyback event in New York City, 2021 [Photo: Spencer Platt/Getty Images] Gun buybacks in America refer to events that people voluntarily attend to surrender their firearms for destruction, with no questions asked and no need for ID, in return for cash or vouchers. The first was held in Baltimore in 1974 (though historians point out that officials collected weapons in exchange for gold during the Spanish-American war, which was effectively a buyback). Since then, they’ve been touted by politicians, including Presidents Clinton and Biden, and cities have done them sporadically. They saw a resurgence after the 2019 mass shootings at a Walmart in El Paso, Texas, and at a bar in Dayton, Ohio. Dozens of buybacks took place in 2021, from Philadelphia to Albuquerque. There was another flurry in August this year, as part of a week of crime-targeting initiatives by 24 Democratic mayors across the country. Houston collected 845 guns, Richmond, Virginia, collected 474—and had to end early due to more participants than anticipated. Richmond Mayor Levar Stoney said the motivation was to reduce the availability of guns and create a safe space in which people could transfer over their weapons. “I would say that the gun buyback was successful because we know that every gun voluntarily turned over is one less gun that can be involved in gun violence,” he says. “And we know that we have way too many damn guns—not just in our city, but also across this country.” The U.S. has seen a widespread rise in gun violence—in many cases to historic highs. Richmond had 90 homicides in 2021, the highest number in 15 years. Houston’s murder rate was 71% higher in 2021 than 2019, and 2021 was Chicago’s deadliest year in a quarter century. In Raleigh, 69 people have been shot in the first half of 2022, and more killed than in the two years prior. Patterson, the police chief, also mentions 270 reports of guns being stolen in Raleigh this year. Tackling those concerning statistics seems like a valid reason for conducting gun buybacks. But, because they’re voluntary, they tend to attract law-abiding gun owners and people who no longer wanted to possess weapons. The mayors of Richmond and Raleigh both said that turnout was overwhelmingly dominated by people who’d inherited guns from family members but didn’t want them in their homes, especially around children or grandchildren—an important consideration. given that every year in the U.S., 350 children accidentally shoot themselves or another person. “They were thanking us for giving them a place to safely deposit these weapons,” says Raleigh Mayor Mary-Ann Baldwin. Often, the guns collected are old and obsolete, and some no longer take modern ammunition. Raleigh’s event brought in 11 inoperable guns, plus Airsoft and BB rifles. “It’s almost equivalent to a special garbage collection day when you can turn in appliances and electronics,” says David Kennedy, a professor of criminal justice at John Jay College of Criminal Justice in New York City. Those don’t fit the descriptions of the guns most used in crimes, he says, which are newer, higher quality and caliber, and semiautomatic handguns more than “ancient” revolvers or shotguns. In the past, the buyback exchange has also been a tactic for people to give away older guns and use the cash to buy new guns. But to avoid that during this round of buybacks, the cities instead offered gift cards. Raleigh, for instance, paid out Costco gift cards in the sum of $150 for a handgun, $100 for a rifle, and $200 for an assault rifle. A recent study from the National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER) that analyzed the effects of several buybacks over a long period revealed that rates of gun deaths didn’t decrease after these events—including suicides. Potential reasons were that the economic incentives aren’t high enough, being far short of the market value for guns (which usually cost between $400 and $800); that people buy new guns with the cash; and that criminals may actually be spurred to commit crimes because they know responsible citizens are relinquishing their guns. Generally, buybacks have a small effect on local supply (14 guns per 100,000 people), and they’re narrow in scope, usually targeting specific neighborhoods within cities. Guns being scrapped in Los Angeles, 2016 [Photo: David McNew/Getty Images] “These buyback programs keep getting pushed and are seemingly the popular city-level policy right now,” says Mark Anderson, a coauthor of the working paper and professor of economics at Montana State University, “when there’s scant evidence that they’re effective.” Kennedy, the criminal justice expert, is even harsher in his critique. “I don’t think anybody who’s studying buybacks will say they’re completely useless,” he says. “They’re just almost completely useless.” Still, cities seem set on doing them. Kennedy says the idea of getting guns off the streets makes common sense to the public. And, it may come from a sense of desperation among local officials, when their state lawmakers aren’t taking action on gun control measures like universal background checks and banning assault rifles. “People feel the need to do something,” he says. “And this is something.” In general, it’s not a policy prioritized by national gun control groups, though Patterson says Moms Demand Action volunteers were partners in the Raleigh buyback. For Anderson, there’s another possible reason for their popularity. “The visual aspect of gun buyback programs can be a seemingly great PR campaign,” he says, with the images of tables and warehouses full of firearms, and then getting destroyed. Guns are usually crushed or melted down and the metal is recycled, turned into gardening tools, or made into artwork, as will be the case in Richmond. North Carolina is one of at least 12 states where Republican legislators have passed laws forbidding the destruction of collected weapons, so Patterson will have to petition the court for permission; otherwise they’ll have to store them in the police department. Raleigh, Richmond, and Houston are planning on hosting gun buyback events again. Mayors say they’re also beneficial for raising awareness, and for forging much-needed bonds between communities and their police forces. They will be done in tandem with other violence-prevention programs, such as educating on safe gun storage, hiring violence interrupters, and investing in after-school programs for children and teenagers to steer them away from bad influences. “We recognize that we have to be tough on crime, but we have to be tough on the root causes of crime as well,” Stoney says. If cities are intent on holding the buybacks, the research says there may be ways to improve their efficacy. In the NBER study, Anderson suggests that they may be more impactful if concentrated in higher-crime areas, or if they offer bigger economic incentives. But ultimately, he says there’s probably a better use of resources elsewhere, such as educating the public on best practices for safe storage, and promoting legislation that mandate those safe storage methods. Those decisions are especially important when local funding is limited. Raleigh’s buyback cost $30,000; Richmond’s cost at least $100,000, and was taken from $500,000 of American Rescue Plan to place toward anti-violence initiatives. Kennedy is less sympathetic to the idea of buybacks in any form. “The money and energy that goes into them is essentially wasted,” he says. “[Cities] think they’re doing something useful. And they’re not.” He believes the only way buybacks could hypothetically make a difference is if they were mandatory—like the one rolled out in Australia after a 1996 mass shooting that bought back 640,000 firearms, 20% of the country’s guns. But “no such thing is remotely possible in the U.S.,” Kennedy says. Even the mere suggestion tanked Beto O’Rourke’s presidential campaign in 2020. Anderson agrees, mentioning the irony: “We don’t like to be told what to do,” he says. “But then it’s that very voluntary nature that probably renders these things pretty ineffective.” Richmond’s Stoney isn’t blind to the limitations of buybacks. “We don’t believe it’s a panacea, but we believe this is one strategy to reduce the availability of firearms,” he says. He knows that things like background checks and and limiting military-style weapons would be more useful, but his city council doesn’t have the power to pass that kind of legislation. “If the...

Stock Futures Fall As Wall Street Heads For Losing Week, Weighs FedEx Warning https://digitalalaskanews.com/stock-futures-fall-as-wall-street-heads-for-losing-week-weighs-fedex-warning/ U.S. stock futures fell Friday as Wall Street headed toward a losing week, and traders absorbed an ugly earnings warning from FedEx. Dow Jones Industrial Average futures dropped by 273 points, or 0.9%. S&P 500 and Nasdaq 100 futures declined 0.9% and 1%, respectively. Shares of FedEx plunged 19% after the shipments company withdrew its full-year guidance and said it will implement cost-cutting initiatives to contend with soft global shipment volumes as “macroeconomic trends significantly worsened.” The three major averages were on pace to notch their fourth losing week in five. The Dow Jones Industrial Average has declined 3.70% this week, while the S&P 500 is 4.08% lower. The Nasdaq Composite is down 4.62%, headed toward its worst weekly loss since June. On Thursday, the Dow dropped 173 points, or 0.56%, for its lowest close since July 14. The Nasdaq Composite slid 1.43%, while the S&P 500 fell 1.13%. Traders are concerned that markets will retest June lows after a surprisingly hot reading in August’s consumer price index report indicated an increasingly difficult pathway to bring down inflation by the Federal Reserve. “They might have a hard choice to make,” iCapital’s Anastasia Amoroso said Thursday on CNBC’s “Closing Bell: Overtime.” “Before they were saying, we’re going to try to have a soft landing and bring down inflation. Now they may have to make a choice. It’s either a soft landing or bringing down inflation. In other words, they may have to engineer more of a crackdown on economic growth to bring down inflation,” she added. On the economic front, traders are expecting the latest consumer sentiment data on 10 a.m. ET Friday. Analysts bail on FedEx FedEx’s earnings warning led to several analysts downgrading the stock, including JPMorgan’s Brian Ossenbeck. “Against a backdrop of weaker economic activity and slower e-commerce growth with inconsistent execution, we believe FDX will continue trading at a depressed multiple until earnings stabilize with some potential help from cost saving initiatives,” Ossenbeck wrote as he downgraded the stock to neutral. CNBC Pro subscribers can read more here. — Sam Subin Sterling falls to fresh 37-year low against dollar The British pound has dropped below $1.14 for the first time since 1985. Sterling fell as low as $1.135 at 8:50 a.m. London before rising slightly to $1.137. The pound has plummeted against the greenback this year on a combination of dollar strength and U.K. recession warnings. Data published Friday morning showed U.K. retail sales fell more than expected in August. — Jenni Reid European markets slide 1% as recession, energy fears persist European markets fell sharply in early trading as recession warnings, expectations for further rate hikes and continued volatility in the energy market weighed on stocks. The pan-European Stoxx 600 was down 1.2% in the first hour, and U.K., French and German indexes all fell. All sectors were in the red as energy, industrial and auto stocks dropped more than 2% each. Read more here. — Jenni Reid U.S. 2-year Treasury yield briefly touches 3.9% CNBC Pro: Top tech investor Paul Meeks picks between Apple and Samsung Tech stocks suffered yet another sell-off this week as investors digested a hotter-than-expected August inflation report. Amid a tough year for the sector, some investors are seeking refuge in the relative safety of mega-cap stocks. Top tech investor Paul Meeks weighs in on two such stocks and reveals which he prefers in the current environment. Pro subscribers can read more here. — Zavier Ong China’s retail sales, industrial production for August beat estimates China’s latest economic data release showed growth accelerated in August. Retail sales increased 5.4% in August from the same period last year, much higher than July’s 2.7% and also above the Reuters forecast of 3.5%. Industrial production grew 4.2% last month compared with a year ago, topping the prediction of 3.8% in a Reuters poll. Industrial output came in at 3.8% in July. Fixed asset investment for January to August this year increased by 5.8%, beating the 5.5% estimate from Reuters. — Abigail Ng, Evelyn Cheng Major averages on pace for fourth losing week in five All three major averages are on track to post their fourth losing week in five. Here are where markets stand through Thursday: The Dow Jones Industrial Average is down 3.7% The S&P 500 is down 4.08% The Nasdaq Composite is down 4.62%, heading toward its worst week since June 17 — Sarah Min FedEx shares plunge after withdrawing guidance Shares of FedEx tumbled 15.3% in after hours trading after the transport company withdrew its full-year guidance, and said it will implement cost-cutting initiatives to contend with a worsening macro. “Global volumes declined as macroeconomic trends significantly worsened later in the quarter, both internationally and in the U.S. We are swiftly addressing these headwinds, but given the speed at which conditions shifted, first quarter results are below our expectations,” FedEx CEO Raj Subramaniam said in a statement. The company said it is closing 90 office locations, shutting down five corporate office facilities and pausing hiring efforts, as part of those cost-cutting measures. — Sarah Min Stock futures open lower U.S. stock futures opened lower on Thursday night as Wall Street headed toward its fourth losing week in five. Dow Jones Industrial Average futures dropped by 137 points, or 0.44%. S&P 500 and Nasdaq 100 futures declined 0.51% and 0.60%, respectively. — Sarah Min Read More Here

Russia-Ukraine War Latest: What We Know On Day 205 Of The Invasion https://digitalalaskanews.com/russia-ukraine-war-latest-what-we-know-on-day-205-of-the-invasion/ Prosecutors, police officers and journalists are heading to Izium after authorities there said they had found a mass grave containing more than 440 bodies. Some of the people had been killed by shelling and airstrikes, authorities said. Serhiy Bolvinov, the chief police investigator for Kharkiv province, said that forensic investigations would be carried out on every body in the grave, which was reportedly located in woods near the city. President Volodymyr Zelenskiy likened the discovery to what happened in Bucha, on the outskirts of Kyiv, saying in his Thursday night video address: “Russia is leaving death behind it everywhere and must be held responsible. The necessary procedures have already begun there. More information – clear, verifiable information – should be available tomorrow.” Andriy Yermak, presidential chief of staff in Ukraine, accused Russia of being “a murderer country, a state sponsor of terrorism.” Russian news agencies are reporting that Ukraine struck at administrative buildings in the centre of occupied Kherson in the south of the country. The RIA Novosti agency says that at least one person was killed and another was injured as a result of the strike. Unverified video footage has emerged on social media which appears to show damage to the buildings and at least one body. In a statement Kherson’s Russian-appointed local administration said a meeting was taking place of city and district officials when the explosion happened. Ukraine regards all those collaborating with the Russians as traitors. Natalia Humeniuk, press spokesperson for Ukraine’s operational command in the south, declined to comment on the Russian reports. The prosecutor general of the Russian-backed self-proclaimed Luhansk People’s Republic (LPR) in eastern Ukraine was killed by a bomb blast at his office on Friday, the Russian Interfax news agency reported, citing emergency services. Iryna Vereshchuk, minister of reintegration of temporarily occupied territories, has said that Ukraine’s government has approved a draft law that will punish people for forcing Russian passports on to Ukrainian citizens. Nato secretary general Jens Stoltenberg has said that Ukraine’s counter-attack against Russian troops had been very effective, but warned nations should prepare for the long haul as this did not signal the beginning of the end of the war. He said “We need to understand that this is not the beginning of the end of the war, we need to be prepared for the long haul.” Germany has taken the German subsidiary of the Russian oil giant Rosneft under state control, putting three refineries into a trusteeship ahead of a partial European embargo on Russian oil at the end of the year. The federal network regulator will become the temporary trust manager of Rosneft Germany and its share of refineries in Schwedt, near Berlin, in Karlsruhe and in Vohburg, Bavaria, Germany’s ministry for economic affairs announced on Friday. The European Union chief, Ursula von der Leyen, said she wanted the Russian president, Vladimir Putin, to face the international criminal court over war crimes in Ukraine. “That Putin must lose this war and must face up to his actions, that is important to me,” she told the TV channel of German news outlet Bild on Thursday. Pope Francis said it was morally legitimate for countries to provide weapons to Ukraine to help it defend itself from Russian aggression. “This is a political decision which it can be moral, morally acceptable, if it is done under conditions of morality … Self-defence is not only licit but also an expression of love for the homeland,” he said. “Someone who does not defend oneself, who does not defend something, does not love it. Those who defend [something] love it.” Vladimir Putin thanked the Chinese leader, Xi Jinping, for his “balanced” approach to the Ukraine crisis and blasted Washington’s “ugly” policies, at a meeting that followed the recent setbacks for Moscow on the battlefield. Ukraine has lost nearly 15% of its grain storage capacity in the war, threatening its role as a key food supplier to the world, a report said. The US government-backed Conflict Observatory said Russians had seized 6.24m tonnes of food storage capacity, and another 2.25m tonnes of capacity in Ukrainian hands had been destroyed, Agence France-Presse reported. As a result, farmers were running out of room to store their output for shipment, which could discourage plantings for the next crop, especially winter wheat, the report said. Germany will supply Ukraine with additional armoured vehicles and rocket launch systems but will not provide the battle tanks that Kyiv has long asked for, says the German defence minister, Christine Lambrecht. She said on Thursday that Soviet-made BMP-1 infantry fighting vehicles would also “very quickly” head to Ukraine from Greece. The UN nuclear watchdog’s 35-nation board of governors passed a resolution demanding Russia end its occupation of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant in southern Ukraine, Reuters reports. Thursday’s resolution is the second on Russia’s invasion of Ukraine passed by the International Atomic Energy Agency’s board. The US president, Joe Biden, announced a new $600m arms package for Ukraine, according to a White House memo sent to the state department on Thursday. Reuters reports the memo does not detail how the money will be used, but sources said it was expected to include munitions and more Himars rocket systems. Read More Here

Special Teams Thwart Ice Dogs In 5-2 Loss To New Mexico https://digitalalaskanews.com/special-teams-thwart-ice-dogs-in-5-2-loss-to-new-mexico/ By Bob Eley For The Daily News-Miner Sep 16, 2022 1 hr ago Snap Shot Lady Rams The Monroe Catholic Lady Rams basketball team went defeated and took first place in the regional tournament in Valdez, propelling them to the state competition in Anchorage. The All Tournament team was Shannel Kovalsky, Sophia Stepovich and Miranda Wilkerson, with All Conference MVP awarded … Most Popular Articles Images Videos Articles No. 1 Malemutes rout Wasilla to remain unbeaten Lachemann named Goldpanners field manager for 2023 season Lathrop’s defense dominant in 39-0 Senior Night victory Nanooks show plenty of fight to even GNAC record UAF volleyball team takes 11-3 record to Lower 48 Ice Dogs Hargraves named NAHL Midwest Division Star of the Week My weekly musings: Preseason polls skew bias toward the SEC Brady Welsch scores game-winner as Ice Dogs top Minnesota Ice Dogs suffer first loss in NAHL showcase Images Sorry, there are no recent results for popular images. Videos Sorry, there are no recent results for popular videos. Top Jobs Interior Regional Housing Authority Interior Regional Housing Authority Interior Regional Housing Authority Submit your news & photos Let us know what you’re seeing and hearing around the community. Read More Here

Meet The Vulnerable Congressman Who Helped Spark An Immigration Crisis In Maine – Washington Free Beacon https://digitalalaskanews.com/meet-the-vulnerable-congressman-who-helped-spark-an-immigration-crisis-in-maine-washington-free-beacon/ Democrats Rep. Jared Golden championed legislation that provides free housing for asylum-seeking migrants Rep. Jared Golden (D., Maine) / Twitter @golden4congress Patrick Hauf • September 16, 2022 4:59 am A vulnerable Maine Democrat spearheaded an effort to make migrants eligible for his state’s welfare program, a policy that may hurt him at the ballot box in November given that it has resulted in a costly overflow of asylum seekers in the city of Portland. As a state legislator, Rep. Jared Golden championed a bill in 2015 that declared asylum-seeking immigrants eligible for the state’s General Assistance program, which provides free hotels, meals, and other essentials to elderly and homeless Mainers. As a result, an estimated 1,200 immigrants are now receiving emergency housing in Portland and are unable to work until they receive government approval, a process that can take several months. Portland officials in May informed federal immigration agencies that the city’s hotels reached full capacity and are unable to shelter additional asylum seekers—just as federal funds for the program are set to expire. “I am writing this email to alert you to the fact that as of the date of this email, there is no further shelter OR hotel capacity in Portland, Maine,” wrote city Health and Human Services director Kristen Dow. “Additionally, because our staff are spread quite thin, it is not guaranteed that we will be in a position to aid individuals in their search for emergency housing.” Maine’s migrant troubles could pose a problem for Golden, a member of the House’s centrist Blue Dog Coalition, as he faces a tight reelection campaign against former Republican congressman Bruce Poliquin. Golden has tried to distance himself from the Biden administration’s immigration policy—which is supported by just 33 percent of Americans—introducing legislation in May that would prevent the president from ending Title 42, a Trump-era policy that allows immigration authorities to turn away asylum seekers at the border. As a state legislator, however, Golden welcomed an unprecedented number of asylum-seeking immigrants to his state with some of the most expansive welfare benefits in the nation. “Voting to deny a helping hand to people who are far less fortunate than I am, who came here hoping to find peace and freedom … flies in the face of everything that I stand for,” Golden said in 2015. In the years since its implementation, the asylum policy has strained Portland’s budget: While the migrants make up 2 percent of Portland’s population, their welfare costs consist of 20 percent of the city’s budget. The policy, which provides two years of assistance for each asylum seeker, cost the city $40 million between January and June alone to house some 400 families. Maine pays for 70 percent of General Assistance funds to cities, with the remaining costs covered by the federal government in recent years amid the pandemic. The federal support is set to expire next month, however, meaning Portland may be forced to make cuts to other programs. Portland’s city manager in April postponed a presentation of the city’s budget due to concerns about the rising costs of housing asylum seekers. Golden helped lead the effort to pass the 2015 migrant welfare measure in the state House in an 81-63 vote, which largely fell along party lines. State Democrats moved to pass the measure after then-Maine governor Paul LePage (R.) in 2014 halted state relief to cities that allowed asylum seekers to receive welfare, which he claimed was illegal. In a 2015 op-ed, the Maine Democrat dismissed criticism from Republicans that welfare for asylum seekers would lead to a shortage of funds for other programs. “At a time when our state is operating with a revenue surplus, Maine does not have to choose between housing our elderly or housing asylum seekers,” Golden wrote. Bobby Reynolds, a senior adviser to the Golden campaign, told the Washington Free Beacon that the measure had strong Republican support in the state’s Senate, but would not comment on whether Golden regretted his vote. Portland in 2019 took in 450 African asylum seekers, many of whom were held in the city’s sports arena for two months. Residents fundraised $1 million to help provide essential care, and others volunteered to house families. African immigrants in the General Assistance program spread the news to their families still abroad through WhatsApp, according to a July report in the Christian Science Monitor. Most of these African immigrants do not speak English and are often unable to begin work for more than a year. Portland’s mayor and manager did not respond to requests for comment. The Maine Department of Health and Human Services, which oversees the General Assistance Program, did not respond to a request for comment. Read More Here

Alex Jones' Defamation Trials Show The Limits Of Deplatforming For A Select Few https://digitalalaskanews.com/alex-jones-defamation-trials-show-the-limits-of-deplatforming-for-a-select-few/ A fresh defamation trial for conspiracy theorist Alex Jones that began this week could offer slivers of insight into the effectiveness of “deplatforming” — the booting of undesirable accounts from social media sites. This trial, in Connecticut, is the second of three trials Jones faces for promoting lies on his streaming TV show and Infowars website that the 2012 Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting was a hoax. The victims’ families, whom Jones called “crisis actors,” have faced harassment, threats and psychological abuse. In August, a Texas jury awarded family members $45.2 million in damages, though Jones says he intends to appeal the decision. Jones, a serial conspiracist and fabulist, was kicked off almost all major internet and social media platforms in 2018 after he threatened then-special counsel Robert Mueller, who was investigating then-President Donald Trump’s ties to Russia. Initially, a round of media coverage touted flagging traffic to Jones’ websites as evidence that “deplatforming works.” However, revelations from Jones’ defamation trials may point to the existence of a rarified class of extreme internet personalities who are better shielded from efforts to stem the reach of their content. In the Connecticut trial, a corporate representative for Jones’ companies has testified that Infowars may have generated anywhere from $100 million to $1 billion in revenue in the years since the Sandy Hook massacre. Testifying during the previous trial in Texas, Jones told the court that Infowars earned around $70 million in revenue in the most recent fiscal year, up from an estimated $53 million in 2018, the year Infowars was broadly deplatformed. The difference between Jones and many of the other right-wing actors who have been deplatformed, says political scientist Rebekah Tromble, who directs George Washington University’s Institute for Data, Democracy & Politics, “is that Infowars had an existing infrastructure outside of social media.” Infowars makes about 80% of its revenue selling products, mostly dietary supplements, according to court filings from the largest of Jones’ nine private companies. He grew his talk radio audience aided by an early partnership with a sympathetic distributor and now owns his own network and independent video-streaming site. A growing body of research suggests deplatforming toxic actors or online communities does usually reduce audience size significantly, with the caveat that this smaller audience migrates to less regulated platforms, where extremism then concentrates, along with the potential for violence. Gauging the effectiveness of deplatforming is complicated, in part because the word itself can refer to different things, says Megan Squire, a computer scientist who analyzes extremist online communities for the Southern Poverty Law Center. “There’s losing your site infrastructure, losing your social media, losing your banking. So like the big three, I would say,” says Squire. She says they’ve all had different impacts depending on the specific case. Squire’s research shows that traffic to Jones’ online Infowars Store remained steady for about a year and a half after he was removed from major social media sites. It then declined during 2020 until the lead-up to that year’s presidential election and its violent aftermath, when the Infowars Store’s traffic saw a massive spike that reached levels Jones hadn’t seen since two years before his deplatforming. Jones’ resilience is more of an exception than the rule, says Squire. She points to the case of Andrew Anglin, founder of the neo-Nazi website The Daily Stormer. Following the violent 2017 Unite the Right rally in Charlottesville, Va., he lost his web domain and has had to cycle through 14 more, losing traffic each time. Squire says Anglin is on the run from various lawsuits, which include a ruling that he owes $14 million in damages for terrorizing a Jewish woman and her family. Post-deplatforming survival strategies Even after social media bans, conspiracists like Jones find workarounds. Squire says it’s common for other users to host the banned personality on their own channels or simply repost the banned person’s content. People can rebrand, or they can direct their audience to an alternative platform. After bans from companies including YouTube and PayPal, white supremacist livestreamer Nick Fuentes ultimately built his own video-streaming service where he encouraged his audience to kill lawmakers in the lead-up to the Jan. 6 Capitol riot. Other internet communities have shown similar resilience. A popular pro-Trump message forum known as TheDonald was banished from Reddit and later shut down by a subsequent owner after the Capitol riot and yet is now more active than ever, according to Squire. When Trump himself was banned from Twitter, Squire watched as the messaging app Telegram gained tens of thousands of new users. It remains a thriving online space for right-wing celebrities and hate groups. As for raising money, even if extremists are completely cut off from financial institutions that process credit cards or donations, they can always turn to cryptocurrency. “100% of these guys are in crypto,” says Squire, which, she notes, is not necessarily easy to live off. Its value is volatile, and cashing it in is not always straightforward. Still, Squire and her colleagues have found anonymous donors using crypto to funnel millions of dollars to Jones and Fuentes. “We live in a capitalist society. And who says that entrepreneurs cannot be on the conspiracy side of things as well?” says Robert Goldberg, a history professor with the University of Utah. He points out that conspiracy peddlers have always been “incredibly savvy” with whatever fresh technology is available to them. “The Klan’s Atlanta, Georgia, headquarters would sell hoods and robes and all this merchandise, this mark, this bling, if you will, to the 5 to 6 million people who joined the Ku Klux Klan in the 1920s,” he says. But aside from the heyday of the KKK, Goldberg says, selling conspiratorial materials about the Kennedy assassination, UFOs or the 9/11 terrorist attacks has generally been far less lucrative, until now. Power and lies A bigger question for researcher Shannon McGregor at the University of North Carolina’s Center for Information, Technology, and Public Life is what conspiracy entrepreneurs hope to achieve with their reach. “Why are these people doing this in the first place? What are they getting out of it? And in a lot of cases in this country in particular, in this moment, it’s about hanging on to power,” says McGregor. Fringe communities always exist in democracies, she says, but what should be concerning is their proximity to power. She rejects a “both sides” framing of the issue, identifying it as primarily a right-wing phenomenon that dates back decades. “Since like the Nixon era, at least, this right-wing, ultraconservative media ecosystem has been aligned with political power, makes it much more unlikely that it will actually go away,” says McGregor. Deplatforming and punitive defamation lawsuits, she argues, are less of a solution than “harm reduction.” When one individual conspiracist or conspiracy site loses its audience, replacements quickly emerge. None of this means, McGregor and other experts agree, that efforts to contain the spread of extremist or anti-democratic narratives should be abandoned altogether. “I think overall, [social media company] representatives would prefer if the conversation became, ‘Oh, well, deplatforming doesn’t work, right? … So, you know, this isn’t our responsibility anymore,'” says Tromble. Squire says there’s no doubt that anything that makes it harder for toxic conspiracists to operate smoothly or spread their message is worth doing. It makes the platform they’re removed from safer and bolsters the social norm that there are consequences for harassment and hate speech. Copyright 2022 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org. Read More Here

With Better Health And Longevity, It https://digitalalaskanews.com/with-better-health-and-longevity-it/ Michael Stephens  |  Guest columnist Perhaps you’ve heard of Aristophon of Azenia. He was an Athenian statesman who lived to be about 100 years old (435-335 B.C., more or less). Great age was not rare in ancient Greece, where a low-fat diet and an obsession with participatory sports tended to keep people healthy.  What’s amazing is that Aristophon’s career spanned almost that entire century. He first appears as a diplomat sent to negotiate with Sparta in 412 during the Peloponnesian War. After decades of service, and surviving 75 impeachments (the bar for impeachment was low in those days), Aristophon finished his career in the 340s, warning Athenians against the perfidious Philip of Macedon, father of that world-conquering brat, Alexander.  I don’t know if anyone in American politics today could rise to Aristophon’s level of statecraft. But many are approaching him in age, and maybe that’s not a bad thing. Read on about some other pioneering older statesmen. More from Michael Stephens: Florida’s not-so-ancient ruins: Spanish outposts, citrus packing houses and more If you place obscenities where kids can see them, you are not a conservative Floridians are progress-obsessed, historically rootless and boundlessly optimistic Mark Antony Gordian was Roman governor of the province of Africa in A.D. 238. When revolution broke out against the boorish emperor Maximinus, reputedly a former bandit, Gordian was proclaimed emperor. At about 80, he was the oldest man ever to become emperor of Rome. As a senator, former general, former governor of the frontier province of Lower (northern) Britain and a noted intellectual for good measure, Gordian was just the leader the empire needed in a time of troubles. He moved quickly to establish a government. Unfortunately, Maximinus was able to call in some favors from Capelianus, governor of adjacent Numidia, who had an army Gordian could not match. Even then, the Roman Senate was sufficiently impressed with Gordian to elect his promising young grandson emperor as Gordian III. Maximinus was soon tossed on the rubbish heap of history, quite literally. Let’s fast-forward a few centuries, because in the Middle Ages almost no one lived to be what we would consider old. What with drafty castles, life membership in the war-of-the-month club and doctors whose every prescription involved some form of toad, your average absolute monarch was lucky to find a pope in time to be crowned before dying of the latest plague.  The British prime ministry has seen extremes of age. William Pitt the Younger donned his big-boy knee breeches in 1783 at the age of 24, and proceeded to kick the French up and down the globe for the next couple decades.  We’re more concerned with William Gladstone, who was prime minister four times and would doubtless have returned for yet more political sequels had his own Liberal Party not booted him from office for being too liberal.  Gladstone was 83 when he wrote the Second Irish Home Rule Bill in 1893. Intended to give autonomy to neglected Ireland, the bill was introduced by Gladstone in a brilliant three-hour speech that opened months of debate. Eventually the bill was rejected, and so was Gladstone. After a year of smugness, so was the Liberal Party. It would remain out of power for a decade.  Winston Churchill’s second term as prime minister (1951-55) began when he was a mere 77. Not having to fight Nazis every day like in 1940-45, he had time to craft moderate domestic policies that still influence Britain today. He also reasserted British power overseas and helped lead the struggle against international communism. On the continent, Konrad Adenauer served as chancellor of Germany for 14 years (1949-63), starting at the tender age of 73. Almost singlehandedly, he transformed West Germany from one giant bomb crater into a modern, democratic and rather peaceful state. Even after resigning the chancellorship,  Adenauer remained active as leader of the Christian Democrats until he was 90. There may be no Aristophons among our older politicians today. But there are certainly no Pitt the Youngers among the young ones. Let’s not dismiss older politicians as “fossils,” as unthinking critics often do. Among important American leaders, Nancy Pelosi is 82, Bernie Sanders 81, Mitch McConnell 80, Joe Biden 79, Donald Trump 76, and Joe Manchin 75.  You may not like them. You can’t possibly like all of them; such a contradiction would cause your brain to explode. Yet it’s hard to deny their ability.  With better health and longevity, it’s natural that older leaders have become common. Like automobiles, they get more miles today. Those with intelligence, energy, and commitment are at the culmination of their careers.  If anything, it’s the young we should be wary of. Hotheaded novice politicians spout socialist and fascist ideas, but do you really want those ideas?   America doesn’t need modern Alexanders, weeping because there are no more traditions to conquer.      Michael Stephens lives in Gainesville.  Join the conversation Letters to the editor present the opinions of readers on news stories and other pieces published by The Sun. Share your opinions by sending a letter to the editor (up to 200 words) to letters@gainesville.com. Letters must include the writer’s full name and city of residence. Additional guidelines for submitting letters and longer guest columns can be found at bit.ly/sunopinionguidelines. Journalism matters. Your support matters. Get a digital subscription to the Gainesville Sun. Includes must-see content on Gainesville.com and Gatorsports.com, breaking news and updates on all your devices, and access to the eEdition. Visit www.gainesville.com/subscribenow to sign up. Read More Here

QAnon And How They Remain Visible In The Hybrid Media System https://digitalalaskanews.com/qanon-and-how-they-remain-visible-in-the-hybrid-media-system/ QAnon: an American political conspiracy theory and movement that describes the alleged plans of a deep state directed against former US President Donald Trump and his supporters, among others.  Even though a belief like this sounds downright bizarre to most of us, in December 2020 an NPR/Ipsos poll showed that a staggering amount of 17% of Americans did in fact believe this. QAnon started out as a movement that was on an online forum and was certainly not a well-known phenomenon at the time. Nowadays, on the contrary, there are few people who haven’t heard of QAnon. The reason for this is that QAnon has slowly made its way into the offline world. They started out on new media platforms, the most important ones being 4chan and Twitter, but gained more and more attention from the old media. Another important reason for the increased visibility of QAnon is the offline events in which QAnon followers were present. One of these events received a lot of attention: the Capitol storming of January 6, 2021. Shortly after the moment the hundreds of protesters entered the Capitol building, the media started reporting with pictures of the event. One of the most recognizable images the media used to cover the event featured a man wearing horns and a bearskin headdress. This man is called Jacob Anthony Chansley but often refers to himself as the ‘QAnon Shaman’. Not only did he receive the longest sentence in connection to the event, but he also illustrates the presence and visibility of QAnon in the offline world, with help of the old media (BBC, 2021). After all, this “shaman” appeared in local newspapers all over the world, like the one in Figure 1. This article will examine if QAnon can keep succeeding in spreading its messages despite the efforts of social media to censor them and how the tactics they use, real-world events, and the current media landscape influence this. QAnon in brief Explaining what exactly is QAnon can barely be done in one or a few sentences because of how wide-ranging and quickly developing the movement is. Nevertheless, QAnon does have one important core belief, namely that the world is run by a group of satanic and paedophilic elites against whom former president Trump is waging a secret war.  QAnon followers believe Trump is a true hero and his fight will lead to a day of reckoning where the elite mentioned above will be arrested and executed (Wendling, 2021). The name QAnon comes from the person who started the movement, namely ‘Q’. In October 2017, a user of the anonymous message board 4chan claimed to be directly involved in a secret investigation of a global network of child abusers. This user signed off their posts as ‘Q’ and this is where the name QAnon originates from. The fairly well-known antecedent of QAnon is Pizzagate: a conspiracy theory that went viral in 2016. Believers of this conspiracy theory stated that the references to food and a popular pizza restaurant in emails of Clinton’s campaign manager John Podesta were references to a child trafficking ring. In his 4chan post from October 2017, Q stated that Hillary Clinton would soon be arrested and that he himself was a government insider who knew everything about Trump’s war with the child-abusing elite. After this first post, thousands of posts followed, which contained cryptic messages. These posts are specially designed to stimulate readers to discover the ‘truth’ for themselves through research. Because of this, the contents of these posts are often called ‘crumbs’ of intelligence that are ‘baked’ into ‘proof’ by the ‘bakers’, the name that QAnon followers use for themselves. How they spread their message While the movement started out on a relative niche, QAnon has rapidly made its entrance into the more mainstream media and eventually into the offline world. Even though one would think that the core belief of QAnon would sound ridiculous to most, QAnon owes most of its rapid growth to popularity on mainstream social media like Facebook and Twitter. One might wonder: how does a movement, with a core belief that seems so bizarre, gain such a large following? This rapid spread is mostly due to the different tactics that are used by QAnon followers. Firstly, what facilitates the spread of QAnon-related messages, is the fact that QAnon incorporates not one, but multiple conspiracy theories. This way, the chances of attracting new followers get bigger, because potential new followers can come from all kinds of fields of interest. Next to their main belief about the existence of a Satan-worshipping paedophilic elite, they incorporate a broad range of conspiracy theories like for example 5G conspiracies, 9/11 conspiracies, and Covid-19 conspiracies. By incorporating these many conspiracy theories, QAnon makes clever use of the way social media algorithms work. Maly (2021) states that when studying ideologies, like QAnon’s, we should not only look at the input but also at uptake because uptake eventually realizes visibility. This is the case because in the digital age, (political) discourse is not only produced by politicians or certain movements. There is a great number of other actors, like normal citizens and (online) activists who also produce and reproduce these discourses (Maly, 2018). So, he explains uptake as 1): digital users being not only consumers but also (re)producers of discourse, and 2): the important role of algorithms and interfaces of digital media in the spread and reproduction of ideas. When it comes to social media content, algorithms account for selecting and prioritizing content by translating the user’s activity into what is most relevant for that specific user. Also, actions like retweeting, liking, and sharing by the user are used by the algorithm and can contribute to the visibility of the content (Maly, 2021). An example of a situation in which QAnon has used the power of algorithms is the Covid-19 pandemic. From the beginning of the pandemic, QAnon boarded the covid train and started spreading medical misinformation about the virus. Claims used by QAnon about the coronavirus are for example that the virus does not exist or is not fatal. By incorporating other, current conspiracy theories, QAnon broadens its reach in a clever way. A social media user who is, for example, not certain about whether or not to take the Covid-19 vaccine, might come across QAnon-related messages when researching the vaccine. Posts containing QAnon-related messages are spread on social media by different accounts that sympathize with QAnon’s ideas. As Maly (2021) explains, QAnon can thus be seen as a decentralized and polycentric pyramid-like conspiracy theory that is being produced and reproduced in different online groups by different producers. This tactic can also be called ‘algorithmic activism’: a type of activism that contributes to spreading the messages of a movement by interacting with their content to trigger the algorithms to eventually boost the popularity of the post (Maly, 2019). However, social media platforms seem to be aware of hashtags that are used and when one searched Instagram for #plandemic, a warning is shown before getting access to the content, as can be seen in Figure 2. Despite the efforts of the social media platforms in banning QAnon and QAnon-related posts from their platform, QAnon is certainly still present. Of course, social media platforms can make a great effort in removing posts that are clearly related to QAnon, like those in which the hashtag #QAnon is used. But it didn’t take long before QAnon followers found a way to get around this censorship, namely by ‘hijacking’ hashtags from other movements or organizations. In the summer of 2020, QAnon followers started using the hashtag #SaveTheChildren in their posts. Save The Children is an actual organization that provides humanitarian aid to children worldwide, but QAnon used the hashtag to propagate their main belief that the world is run by a cabal of elite pedophiles (Dickson, 2020). Using this hashtag and not a hashtag that is clearly related to QAnon helped avoid the detection and removal of QAnon content by the social media platforms, but eventually, even this tactic was thwarted by the social media platforms. Just like with the above-mentioned #plandemic, an Instagram search for #savethechildren first provided a warning to go to the actual Save The Children website for truthful information about the organization (see Figure 3). Despite the fact that eventually QAnon content will be traced down and censored again, a tactic like this provides enough chances for them to spread their messages because, in theory, they could choose a different popular hashtag to hijack every week. This also shows that QAnon is using algorithmic activism, because, according to Maly (2019), this type of activism requires an understanding of the affordances and algorithmic construction of a medium. By constantly changing the hashtags they use, QAnon followers show that they understand how this works. As mentioned before, people who were not aware of the existence of QAnon, probably were after the Capitol storming of January 6, 2021. In addition to the well-known ‘QAnon shaman’, another 34 QAnon followers have admitted to taking part in the event (Farivar, 2021). Since there were roughly 2000 to 2500 rioters present at the event, the percentage of QAnon followers seems relatively small. But still, the event seems to have sparked the visibility of QAnon a lot. If one asks how this can be the case, the answer will most likely be the current hybrid media system. Chadwick et al. (2016) explain the hybrid media system as a system built from the interactions among older and newer media in their shared social fields of media and politics. In this system, so-called ‘actors’, for example politicians, jour...