Digital Alaska News

US Forecast https://digitalalaskanews.com/us-forecast-40/ City/Town, State;Yesterday’s High Temp (F);Yesterday’s Low Temp (F);Today’s High Temp (F);Today’s Low Temp (F);Weather Condition;Wind Direction;Wind Speed (MPH);Humidity (%);Chance of Precip. (%);UV Index Albany, NY;78;57;75;52;Breezy;WNW;14;68%;3%;3 Albuquerque, NM;84;59;77;60;A stray t-shower;E;7;53%;44%;6 Anchorage, AK;55;46;55;47;An afternoon shower;SSW;3;82%;67%;1 Asheville, NC;75;53;77;55;Mostly sunny;NNW;6;61%;1%;7 Atlanta, GA;80;59;84;62;Abundant sunshine;ENE;6;53%;3%;7 Atlantic City, NJ;85;64;80;66;Sunshine, less humid;W;9;54%;4%;6 Austin, TX;95;71;94;68;Mostly sunny;SE;4;56%;3%;8 Baltimore, MD;83;64;83;67;Mostly sunny;WNW;8;50%;3%;6 Baton Rouge, LA;85;63;88;64;Sunny, low humidity;ENE;7;52%;5%;8 Billings, MT;86;60;76;56;Some brightening;ESE;9;39%;8%;4 Birmingham, AL;82;59;85;63;Mostly sunny;NE;5;52%;2%;7 Bismarck, ND;77;51;86;57;Breezy;NE;14;51%;88%;3 Boise, ID;80;58;83;59;Variable cloudiness;NE;7;42%;27%;4 Boston, MA;72;62;80;58;Sunshine and breezy;W;15;53%;5%;5 Bridgeport, CT;79;60;80;61;Mostly sunny;WNW;9;56%;3%;5 Buffalo, NY;72;61;74;51;Hazy sun;NNW;12;67%;28%;5 Burlington, VT;76;61;73;49;Breezy with a shower;NNW;14;68%;82%;3 Caribou, ME;77;61;70;47;A couple of showers;WNW;14;80%;86%;1 Casper, WY;84;56;74;50;A p.m. t-shower;WNW;14;55%;81%;2 Charleston, SC;87;70;85;69;Some sun, less humid;NE;7;47%;10%;7 Charleston, WV;74;55;79;54;Mostly sunny;ESE;5;68%;4%;6 Charlotte, NC;85;59;82;60;Mostly sunny;NE;7;52%;2%;7 Cheyenne, WY;83;57;73;54;A stray p.m. t-storm;WNW;10;46%;55%;2 Chicago, IL;75;61;76;63;Hazy sun;NE;8;56%;1%;5 Cleveland, OH;67;63;75;60;Hazy sunshine;NE;10;72%;2%;5 Columbia, SC;86;62;86;62;Sunny, low humidity;NNE;6;48%;6%;7 Columbus, OH;70;57;79;57;Hazy and warmer;WNW;6;64%;2%;6 Concord, NH;74;58;77;50;Partly sunny, breezy;WNW;13;65%;5%;4 Dallas-Ft. Worth, TX;91;68;91;67;Plenty of sunshine;ESE;9;42%;4%;7 Denver, CO;88;60;78;56;A t-storm around;W;7;40%;55%;3 Des Moines, IA;80;59;87;63;Hazy sunshine;SSE;9;53%;4%;5 Detroit, MI;76;58;80;55;Hazy sun;NNE;8;60%;0%;5 Dodge City, KS;94;64;92;65;Breezy and very warm;SSE;19;41%;19%;5 Duluth, MN;83;56;62;56;Winds subsiding;E;15;78%;27%;4 El Paso, TX;88;65;87;68;Mostly sunny;SSE;6;52%;4%;8 Fairbanks, AK;64;45;55;42;A couple of showers;SSW;5;78%;88%;1 Fargo, ND;73;52;80;64;Breezy in the p.m.;SSE;14;59%;43%;5 Grand Junction, CO;76;58;70;55;A t-shower in spots;ENE;7;74%;76%;2 Grand Rapids, MI;73;57;76;54;Hazy sun;ENE;7;71%;0%;5 Hartford, CT;81;59;79;58;Breezy with sunshine;WSW;14;61%;3%;5 Helena, MT;74;54;77;51;A t-storm around;W;4;56%;48%;4 Honolulu, HI;88;75;89;74;Partly sunny;ENE;11;56%;12%;10 Houston, TX;91;69;90;72;Mostly sunny;ESE;7;51%;11%;8 Indianapolis, IN;70;57;81;60;Sunny and warmer;SE;4;62%;2%;6 Jackson, MS;84;61;88;64;Sunny and less humid;E;5;50%;5%;8 Jacksonville, FL;85;73;86;74;Clouds, a t-storm;E;8;63%;88%;4 Juneau, AK;57;50;55;47;Rain;SE;13;90%;100%;1 Kansas City, MO;88;65;89;66;Mostly sunny;SSE;9;44%;5%;6 Knoxville, TN;80;57;82;58;Mostly sunny;NE;5;63%;2%;7 Las Vegas, NV;91;68;88;69;Mostly sunny;ESE;8;44%;25%;7 Lexington, KY;74;57;81;58;Mostly sunny;ENE;6;65%;2%;6 Little Rock, AR;89;61;91;63;Sunny and warm;ENE;6;44%;5%;7 Long Beach, CA;82;71;81;68;Turning sunny;ESE;7;59%;26%;7 Los Angeles, CA;84;67;81;65;Clouds, then sun;S;7;57%;26%;7 Louisville, KY;75;60;83;60;Sunshine, pleasant;NE;5;62%;3%;6 Madison, WI;73;53;74;56;Hazy sun;ESE;6;67%;1%;5 Memphis, TN;89;64;90;67;Plenty of sunshine;ENE;6;44%;2%;7 Miami, FL;91;78;87;78;A t-storm in spots;E;7;75%;66%;5 Milwaukee, WI;78;60;73;61;Hazy sun;NE;9;72%;1%;5 Minneapolis-St. Paul, MN;80;57;81;65;Hazy sunshine;SE;10;55%;16%;5 Mobile, AL;87;64;90;67;Sunny, low humidity;NNE;8;46%;4%;8 Montgomery, AL;83;60;84;63;Sunny, low humidity;ENE;5;52%;3%;8 Mt. Washington, NH;52;42;45;29;A couple of showers;NW;25;99%;90%;1 Nashville, TN;82;57;84;59;Sunny, low humidity;NE;6;60%;2%;7 New Orleans, LA;86;72;87;73;Sunny, low humidity;E;9;51%;5%;8 New York, NY;83;63;82;63;Mostly sunny;W;10;49%;2%;5 Newark, NJ;83;60;81;62;Mostly sunny;W;9;52%;2%;5 Norfolk, VA;89;67;80;64;Mostly sunny;SSW;8;50%;8%;6 Oklahoma City, OK;90;67;90;65;Mostly sunny, warm;SSE;12;42%;6%;7 Olympia, WA;70;50;72;49;Low clouds breaking;SW;4;71%;7%;4 Omaha, NE;87;62;91;66;Breezy and very warm;SSE;14;53%;8%;5 Orlando, FL;90;76;89;74;Heavy p.m. t-storms;N;6;76%;94%;4 Philadelphia, PA;84;63;82;65;Mostly sunny;W;8;48%;3%;6 Phoenix, AZ;96;77;97;75;Mostly sunny;W;6;31%;0%;7 Pittsburgh, PA;69;56;78;57;Mostly sunny;WNW;6;63%;5%;5 Portland, ME;71;61;76;54;Partly sunny, breezy;WNW;14;65%;6%;4 Portland, OR;72;56;74;54;Low clouds breaking;NNW;5;59%;3%;4 Providence, RI;75;60;79;59;Breezy with sunshine;W;14;58%;4%;5 Raleigh, NC;84;60;82;59;Mostly sunny;NNE;6;50%;6%;7 Reno, NV;80;49;78;48;Clouds and sun;WNW;7;36%;2%;6 Richmond, VA;82;58;81;60;Mostly sunny;SW;6;53%;4%;6 Roswell, NM;90;64;85;62;A p.m. t-storm;S;8;62%;74%;6 Sacramento, CA;82;59;80;59;Brilliant sunshine;SSW;8;52%;1%;6 Salt Lake City, UT;79;62;76;59;Heavy p.m. t-storms;S;6;63%;98%;2 San Antonio, TX;95;72;94;69;Warm with sunshine;SE;8;53%;3%;8 San Diego, CA;77;69;75;66;Turning sunny;W;9;68%;1%;7 San Francisco, CA;70;62;72;61;Low clouds breaking;W;12;60%;9%;4 Savannah, GA;88;65;87;68;Partly sunny;NNE;5;55%;12%;8 Seattle-Tacoma, WA;69;56;71;56;Low clouds breaking;NNW;6;69%;10%;4 Sioux Falls, SD;85;60;91;68;Breezy and very warm;SSE;14;53%;43%;5 Spokane, WA;82;54;77;50;A morning shower;ENE;3;59%;65%;5 Springfield, IL;78;53;83;57;Sunny and pleasant;SE;3;54%;8%;6 St. Louis, MO;82;55;85;58;Sunny and nice;ESE;6;52%;2%;6 Tampa, FL;88;74;87;73;Heavy thunderstorms;E;6;81%;99%;4 Toledo, OH;73;53;80;55;Hazy sun and warmer;ENE;4;65%;0%;5 Tucson, AZ;90;69;92;68;Mostly sunny;SW;6;39%;0%;8 Tulsa, OK;91;62;91;62;Sunny and very warm;S;9;40%;5%;7 Vero Beach, FL;91;73;88;73;Humid with a t-storm;NE;7;79%;88%;6 Washington, DC;80;61;82;64;Mostly sunny;WNW;8;52%;2%;6 Wichita, KS;93;67;92;65;Breezy and very warm;SSE;16;45%;8%;6 Wilmington, DE;81;61;81;64;Mostly sunny;W;9;53%;3%;6 _____ Copyright 2022 AccuWeather Read More Here

From Obama To Trump, Who Is And Isn't Among 500 Attending Queen's Funeral https://digitalalaskanews.com/from-obama-to-trump-who-is-and-isnt-among-500-attending-queens-funeral/ AROUND 500 world leaders and other dignitaries are set to attend the Queen’s funeral. Invites to Britain’s biggest international event in decades have been sent almost everywhere — except Russia, Belarus and Myanmar. 10 Around 500 world leaders and other dignitaries are set to attend the Queen’s funeralCredit: PA The guest list for Monday’s ceremony is still being finalised, but it will include US President Joe Biden. His predecessors did not attend Sir Winston Churchill’s state funeral in 1965 or George VI’s in 1952. Beleaguered Ukraine leader Volodymyr Zelensky is thought to have been invited but is highly unlikely to attend. Each head of state can bring one other person. But Aussie PM Anthony Albanese yesterday revealed he was also asked to bring ten who have made “extraordinary contributions to their communities”. It is possible a handful of celebs might attend, such as Sir David Attenborough. Guests have also been invited to a reception at Buckingham Palace on Sunday evening, where they will meet King Charles. The Foreign Office is reported to have switched an extra 300 staff to planning. 10 Sir Winston Churchill’s state funeral in 1965Credit: PA One aide compared it to organising “hundreds of state visits” in days, as opposed to the usual two or three a year. The public was also warned of travel chaos, with rail operators fearing the city could “reach bursting point” before Monday. Trains are set to run through the night with 200 extra daytime services. Meanwhile, hotel prices are soaring with the cheapest room at the Park Plaza County Hall London rocketing from £269 last Sunday to £1,299 this weekend. FOREIGN ROYALS 10 King Felipe of Spain and his wife Queen Letizia will be attendingCredit: Goff 10 King Carl XVI Gustaf and Queen Silvia of Sweden are also likely to be members of the congregationCredit: Getty ROYALS from across Europe are expected to attend the Queen’s funeral on Monday. King Felipe of Spain and his wife, Queen Letizia, will be joined by King Philippe and Queen Mathilde of Belgium. King Carl XVI Gustaf and Queen Silvia of Sweden are also likely to be members of the congregation. As are King Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands and wife Queen Maxima — whose style has been likened to Kate. And Japan’s Emperor Naruhito is also expected — his first overseas trip since taking the throne in May 2019. BRITISH ROYALS 10 All of the Royal Family is expected to be present for the Queen’s historic funeralCredit: AP THE entire Royal Family is expected to be present for the Queen’s historic final goodbye. Her Majesty’s children, Charles, Anne, Edward and Andrew will all be there, along with their children. That list includes Princes William and Harry and their cousins Peter and Zara Phillips, Beatrice and Eugenie and Louise and James. It is not clear how many of the Queen’s great-grandchildren — including Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis — will be there given the length and nature of the event. WORLD LEADERS 10 Former US President Barack Obama and several other former world leaders are believed to be on a standby list in case numbers are freed upCredit: AFP 10 US President Joe Biden is understood to be among world leaders who will attend Her Majesty’s funeral on MondayCredit: PA 10 French President Emmanuel Macron is also on the list of attendeesCredit: Jack Hill/The Times US President Joe Biden — who met the Queen last year — is understood to be among world leaders who will attend Her Majesty’s funeral on Monday. Others likely to accept the invitation are Canadian PM Justin Trudeau, New Zealand Premier Jacinda Ardern and Australian PM Anthony Albanese. Former US President Barack Obama and several other former world leaders are believed to be on a standby list in case numbers are freed up by current dignitaries who have been invited not being able to attend. Chinese President Xi Jinping is unlikely to travel, having not left his nation for two years due to the pandemic. Vice President Wang Qishan could attend on his behalf. India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi may also be there as will Brazil’s controversial President Jair Bolsonaro. French President Emmanuel Macron, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Cyril Ramaphosa of South Africa and President Frank-Walter Steinmeier of Germany are also on the list of attendees. Israeli President Isaac Herzog will also be there, and is likely to be permitted to do so in a secure convoy. Ursula von der Leyen, president of the European Council, is expected. A representative of rogue state North Korea is also likely to have been invited. BRITISH POLITICIANS 10 Ex-PMs Tony Blair, Gordon Brown, Boris Johnson, David Cameron, Theresa May and Sir John Major are all believed to be attendingCredit: Splash NEW Prime Minister Liz Truss heads Britain’s political line-up including all the Queen’s surviving former PMs who will be at Westminster on Monday. Boris Johnson, Theresa May, David Cameron, Gordon Brown, Tony Blair and Sir John Major are all believed to be certain to attend. Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer is also expected to be there along with Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon and Welsh First Minister Mark Drakeford. NOT INVITED 10 Ex-US president Donald Trump will miss out on the Queen’s funeralCredit: Getty RUSSIAN president Vladimir Putin was not invited following the invasion of Ukraine. Iranian leader Ayatollah Khamenei will also not be there. Its state-run TV this week compared the Queen to Adolf Hitler. Belarus, which has supported Russia on Ukraine, is also not on the guest list along with Myanmar, run by a military junta. A limit on numbers means several former world leaders will miss out, including ex-US president Donald Trump. RULES FOR GUESTS THERE is a strict protocol in place for those attending Monday morning’s state funeral — and heads of state are not exempt. Each world leader will be allowed to bring only one other person. Guests have been asked to travel on commercial flights and not to use helicopters or private jets to fly into the capital. They have also been asked not to travel to the Westminster Abbey service by car, and to leave their vehicle elsewhere due to tight security and road restrictions. Instead the world leaders and dignitaries are likely to be bussed to the funeral for logistical reasons. But US President Joe Biden will be an exception — and is expected to arrive in his bomb-proof Cadillac, dubbed The Beast. Read More Here

Trump Responds To DOJ Request To Lift Preliminary Injunction Barring Use Of Seized Document In Criminal Probe https://digitalalaskanews.com/trump-responds-to-doj-request-to-lift-preliminary-injunction-barring-use-of-seized-document-in-criminal-probe/ Former President Donald Trump’s legal team Monday filed a response to the Department of Justice’s (DOJ) most recent court filing asking a judge to lift the preliminary injunction barring the use of documents seized from Trump’s Mar-a-Lago, Florida, residence in the DOJ’s criminal probe. Trump’s team asked the judge to leave the preliminary injunction in place. In their motion, the DOJ argued that the barred use of the documents in the DOJ’s criminal probe would result in “the most immediate and serious harms to the government and the public.” Trump’s team argued that the classified documents were never “disclosed to anyone” and were kept in storage boxes in a locked, secure room which was regularly used to “conduct the official business of the United States during the Trump Presidency.” Trump’s team also repeated their argument, which experts doubt, that the president of the US is afforded great discretion to declassify documents. It is Trump’s position that the documents the DOJ has yet to show that the documents are in fact classified. Another issue disputed between the DOJ and Trump’s filings was the appointment of a special master to oversee the seized documents. On September 5, District Judge Aileen Cannon ordered the appointment of a special master “to review the seized property, manage assertions of privilege and make recommendations thereon, and evaluate claims for return of property.” The DOJ has asserted that even if Trump’s team demonstrated Trump rightfully possessed some of the seized documents, they are unable to make the same showing with respect to the classified documents. As such, the documents should not be subject to special master review. Trump’s team disputes that and argues that both Trump and the special master have a right to access the classified documents. Read More Here

Gov. Mike DeWine Tours Wayne County Fair, Touts Agricultural Features https://digitalalaskanews.com/gov-mike-dewine-tours-wayne-county-fair-touts-agricultural-features/ WOOSTER − Gov. Mike DeWine walked through the Wayne County Fair Tuesday morning flanked by public relations staffers when Diane Johnson approached him with a box from Lerch’s. “Would you like a doughnut?” she asked the governor. Without hesitation, he leaned over, picked up a plain doughnut and took a bite. More on the fair:Wayne County Fair: Celebrating high school marching bands in annual joint concert “Oh yeah!” DeWine exclaimed. “It was delicious, fresh and tasted wonderful,” he said about the locally made doughnut from the Wooster business. “It was good.” DeWine’s last-minute stop at the Wayne County Fair is part of his campaign tour throughout Ohio. The Republican incumbent holds a commanding lead over his Democratic challenger Nan Whaley, according to a new USA TODAY Network Ohio/Suffolk University poll. What was supposed to be a 30- to 45-minute meet-and-greet turned into an hour-and-a-half tour before he left for Youngstown. County fair brings back memories The tour took DeWine through the Event Center and toward the swine barn, eventually ending at the goat showroom. Throughout his walk, he shook hands and spoke to 4-H kids about their animals. While DeWine never directly participated in 4-H, he said, his wife and their eight children did. Winners:Wayne County 4-H highlights award winners “We counted it up and it was something like 33 straight years of kids in 4-H,” he said after the tour. “(The fair) has brought back memories.” He said he hopes to visit more fairs in the coming weeks, and is happy to visit the Wayne County Fair. “There’s no better agriculture fair than in Wayne County,” he said. A campaign for re-election The 75-year-old DeWine, who is seeking a second term, spoke to kids and parents, asking them about their concerns in general and about the state of farming in the region. Among the issues on his radar is the bird flu outbreaks in Ashland and Defiance counties, which he said have been contained and are not something he is overly concerned about. Endorsement:Ex-President Donald Trump endorses Gov. Mike DeWine Last week, former President Donald Trump endorsed DeWine, who also received a Trump endorsement in the primary election in the spring. “Mike DeWine and Jon Husted truly deserve my Complete and Total Endorsement, AND THEY’VE GOT IT — they will never let you down!” Trump wrote in a statement released by his Save America PAC. DeWine seemed to take the endorsement in stride Tuesday at the fair. “We are happy to get an endorsement from former President Donald Trump, but we have also enjoyed many other endorsements, including the Fraternal Order of Police.” Read More Here

King Charles III May Bring New Approach To ‘Defender Of The Faith’ https://digitalalaskanews.com/king-charles-iii-may-bring-new-approach-to-defender-of-the-faith/ LONDON — At her coronation in 1953, Queen Elizabeth II was anointed with sacred oils by the archbishop of Canterbury and pledged to rule not just according to British laws, but the “laws of God,” in her role as “Supreme Governor of the Church of England” and “Defender of the Faith.” She was true to that vow. Her devotion to “Jesus Christ, Prince of Peace” was a fundamental and defining, though sometimes overlooked, pillar of her life. Now, as her son Charles III takes over, he has by all accounts accepted the responsibilities of his religious titles without reservation. But he will bring a markedly different personal vision of religion and spirituality to the role. “The queen was very explicit about her Christian faith, but Charles’s is of a different nature,” said Ian Bradley, professor emeritus of cultural and spiritual history at the University of St. Andrews, who has written extensively about faith and the monarchy. “His is more spiritual and intellectual. Charles is more of a ‘spiritual seeker.’ ” While the monarch’s authority within the church is largely ceremonial, it still matters. The king will formally approve all new bishops, for example. And pronouncements of the crown, especially on something as personal as faith in God, carry a special weight. Particularly in her later years, Queen Elizabeth II was clear about expressing her beliefs, often citing the “guiding light” of Jesus, especially in her annual televised Christmas message watched by millions of people. Many trace her shift in tone to her Christmas address of 2000, when she said, “For me, the teachings of Christ and my own personal accountability before God provide a framework in which I try to lead my life.” The queen was sometimes referred to as the “last true believer,” said Stephen Bates, the Guardian newspaper’s longtime, now retired, religious affairs and royal correspondent. “She is the most religious sovereign since the [Protestant] Reformation” of the 16th century, he said. While public assertions of faith are second nature — if not required — for U.S. leaders, they are unusual in Britain, a highly secular nation, where an aide to former prime minister Tony Blair once quipped, “We don’t do God.” “We have a kind of unease about our politicians and our leaders expressing their faith, and to some extent this extends to the monarchy,” Bradley said. “It’s seen as un-British.” Despite declining church membership and influence in daily British life, the monarch remains a powerful church symbol; British coins feature the queen’s likeness and letters in Latin that stand for, “By the Grace of God, Queen and Defender of the Faith.” As his mother was, Charles is a regular churchgoer and clear that his faith is Christian. In his first address to the nation, on the day after the queen died, Charles cited his “responsibility” to the Church of England, “in which my own faith is so deeply rooted.” “In that faith, and the values it inspires, I have been brought up to cherish a sense of duty to others, and to hold in the greatest respect the precious traditions, freedoms and responsibilities of our unique history and our system of parliamentary government,” he said. It was notable how quickly he placed faith into the context of the more secular “values” and “duty.” In a 73-year lifetime of being a king-in-waiting, when he was able to speak more freely than he now can as monarch, Charles appeared to stake out a less doctrinaire religious and spiritual stance — even giving it its own title. Charles said in a 1994 documentary that he was more a “defender of faith” than “the faith.” He questioned the impulse to prioritize one particular interpretation. “People have fought to the death over these things,” he said, “which seems to me a peculiar waste of people’s energy, when we’re all actually aiming for the same ultimate goal.” Instead, he said, he preferred to embrace all religious traditions and “the pattern of the divine, which I think is in all of us.” When presented with the question again more than two decades later, he clarified his remarks, saying: “It’s always seemed to me that, while at the same time being Defender of the Faith, you can also be protector of faiths.” The “Defender of the Faith” title dates to the 16th century, when it was granted by Pope Leo X to King Henry VIII for his defense of Catholicism. When Henry broke with the Catholic Church, he held on to the title, but now he was defending the Anglicanism of the Church of England. Charles has long been an advocate for environmental causes, with a passion that Bradley described as “eco-spiritual.” In his 2010 book, “Harmony,” Charles issued a call for a “sustainability revolution” to reverse environmental threats to the planet, which he blamed in part on “the spiritual dimension to our existence” being “dangerously neglected during the modern era.” In the book, Charles took issue with “empiricism,” the view that since science cannot prove the existence of God, God must not exist. That kind of thinking, he wrote, “elbows the soul out of the picture.” In an increasingly multicultural nation with a full rainbow of faiths, Charles has long expressed interest in and support for all forms of belief, particularly Islam and Judaism. His mother also crossed new boundaries in that regard. She was the first British monarch to enter a mosque. Unlike predecessors, she met a succession of popes. On her 60th year on the throne, in 2012, she said the church “has a duty to protect the free practice of all faiths in this country.” Pope Francis, as well as British Muslim, Jewish, Hindu and Sikh leaders, have all praised Elizabeth effusively since her death. As the queen was sharing more about her faith, British society was becoming more secular. According to the National Center for Social Research, church membership has dropped sharply over time, with only 12.5 percent of Britons in 2020 considering themselves members of the Church of England, down from nearly 36 percent in 1985. Of those who considered themselves Anglican in 2020, more than 40 percent said they “never” attend services. Similar to the United States, British society has in recent years become less reliant on and structured around institutions that were once bedrocks of daily life. The center’s research showed that people who claimed “no religion” rose from 34.3 percent in 1985 to almost 49 percent in 2020. As the number of worshipers drops, hundreds of historic churches have been taken out of service and turned into apartments, offices, pubs, spas, shops and even sporting centers with rock-climbing walls. The church has changed in important ways, including a decision in 2002 to allow divorced people to remarry in the church. Three years later, Prince Charles and his longtime partner, Camilla Parker Bowles — both divorced — were married in a civil ceremony that was blessed immediately afterward in a chapel at Windsor Castle by the archbishop of Canterbury. Now king, Charles is the first divorced monarch since Henry VIII — although two of Henry’s prolific string of marriages technically ended in annulment, not divorce. It was not until 2018, when Charles’s son Prince Harry married American actress Meghan Markle in the same chapel where his father’s marriage had been blessed, that a royal wedding of a divorced partner happened with the full blessing of the church. Still, Charles’s admitted adultery (with Camilla) during his marriage to Princess Diana before their divorce in 1996 doesn’t sit right with some British people. “Hard to celebrate a man who has been an adulterer and has well-known if arcane religious views,” said Bates, the former Guardian correspondent. “If the monarchy stumbles, where does that leave the established church?” In some ways, Charles’s brand of faith — with greater focus on spirituality than dogma — puts him more in line with the British public. Bradley said a small movement within the church already wants to see it formally uncoupled from the monarchy and the government. In a country with so many faiths, and so many people who don’t identify with any faith, Bradley said critics of the church wonder “if it can really still claim to be the church of the nation.” “He has given us a lot of confidence,” said Zara Mohammed, head of the Muslim Council of Britain, the largest group representing the U.K.’s approximately 3 million Muslims. “We regard him as an admirer of Islam and a friend of British Muslims. It’s brilliant to see how he grasps how the U.K. has changed. He sees a more holistic picture and the power of all faiths and diverse communities working together.” While it’s unlikely that any change in monarch would bring people back into the Church of England, Charles could be a more relatable “Defender of the Faith” for some church members. “He represents those people who perhaps don’t have a vibrant faith, but have a sense that there is loving God,” said Andi Britt, 58. Britt is a human resources executive for IBM in London, who came with his wife, Jane, on Sunday morning to place flowers in the queen’s honor at Buckingham Palace. “He represents a faith and a God who welcomes people, regardless of how close they feel,” said Britt, who described himself as a “committed Christian” and Church of England member. “I think he represents many people who are just not as sure, or who don’t have such strong convictions — people of faith, different faiths, or no faith.” Boorstein reported from Washington. Read More Here

U.S. Christian Majority Could Fade In Coming Decades, Models Find https://digitalalaskanews.com/u-s-christian-majority-could-fade-in-coming-decades-models-find/ The United States has long prided itself on people’s freedom to choose whatever religion they like. The majority has long chosen Christianity. By 2070, that may no longer be the case, according to the Pew Research Center. If current trends continue, Christians could make up less than half of the population — and as little as a third — in 50 years. Meanwhile, the religiously unaffiliated — or “nones” — could make up close to half the population. And the percentage of Americans who identify as Muslims, Jews, Hindus, Buddhists and adherents of other non-Christian faiths could double. Those are among the major findings of a new report from Pew regarding the United States’ religious future, a future in which Christianity, though diminished, persists, while non-Christian faiths grow amid rising secularization. Researchers projected possible religious futures for the United States using a number of factors, including birthrates, migration patterns, demographics including age and sex, and the current religious landscape. They also looked at how religion is passed from one generation to another and how often people switch religions — in particular Christians who become nones, a number that has been increasing in recent years. Researchers projected four different scenarios, based on differing rates of religious switching, from a continued increase to no switching at all. The unaffiliated were projected to grow under all four. Currently, about a third (31 percent) of Christians become disaffiliated before they turn 30, according to Pew Research. Twenty-one percent of nones become Christian as young adults. Should those switching rates remain stable, Christians would make up 46 percent of the population by 2070, while nones would comprise 41 percent. If disaffiliation rates continue to grow but are capped at 50 percent of Christians leaving the faith, 39 percent of Americans are projected to be Christian by 2070, with 48 percent of Americans identifying as nones. With no limit placed on the percentage of people leaving Christianity and with continued growth in disaffiliation, Christians would be 35 percent of the population, with nones making up a majority of Americans (52 percent). If all switching came to a halt, Christians would remain a slight majority (54 percent), and nones would make up 34 percent of Americans, according to the model. Non-Christian faiths would rise to 12 to 13 percent of the population, largely because of migration, in each scenario. Migration does affect the percentage of Christians, as most migrants to the United States are Christians, said Conrad Hackett, associate director of research and senior demographer at Pew Research Center. “Still the greatest amount of change in the U.S., we think currently and in the future, will come from switching,” he said. Researchers stressed that the report contained projections that are based on data and mathematical models, and are not predictions of the future. “Though some scenarios are more plausible than others, the future is uncertain, and it is possible for the religious composition of the United States in 2070 to fall outside the ranges projected,” they wrote. One reason for the decline in the proportion of Christians and the growth among the nones in the models is age. While Christians have more children than nones, they also skew older. Pew estimates that the average Christian in the United States is 43, which is 10 years older than the average none. “The unaffiliated are having and raising unaffiliated children while Christians are more likely to be near the end of their lives than others,” Stephanie Kramer, a senior researcher at Pew, wrote in an email. Using mathematical models, Pew also has projected the future of religion around the world. Those models were adapted for different regions, Hackett said. Muslims, for example, tend to have the youngest population and the highest fertility rates, he said, driving the growth of that faith. But in the Persian Gulf states, migration has brought many Christians from other countries to the region as temporary workers. The current report takes advantage of the amount of data collected about the U.S. religious landscape. Researchers also looked at intergenerational transmission for the first time, Kramer said. “The variables we use to study that were: What is the mother’s religion? And what is the teen’s religion?” she said. “If that was a match, we consider the mother’s religion transmitted.” Researchers also looked at a relatively new trend of disaffiliation among older Americans. Sociologists have long focused on younger people, who are most likely to switch religions. But in the United States and other countries, older people are starting to switch at growing rates themselves. “It’s not as large-scale, but it’s still significant,” Hackett said. “And it’s contributing to the religious change that we have experienced and that we expect to experience in the years ahead.” Hackett said that the projections for the country do not show the end of Christianity or of religion in general, which he expects to remain robust. And most nones, while claiming no religion, do not identify as atheists. Instead, Kramer said, the United States appears to be going through a pattern of secularization that has happened in other countries, though “we may be a bit behind.” Other factors outside the model — such as changing immigration patterns and religious innovation — could lead to a revival of Christianity in the United States, according to the report. But none of its models shows a reversal of the decline of Christian affiliation, which dropped from 78 percent in 2007 to 63 percent in 2020, according to Pew research. In the report, researchers note that “there is no data on which to model a sudden or gradual revival of Christianity (or of religion in general) in the U.S.” “That does not mean a religious revival is impossible,” they wrote. “It means there is no demographic basis on which to project one.” — Religion News Service Read More Here

Joseph Hazelwood, Infamous Captain Of Doomed Oil Tanker Exxon Valdez, Dead At 75 https://digitalalaskanews.com/joseph-hazelwood-infamous-captain-of-doomed-oil-tanker-exxon-valdez-dead-at-75/ Joseph Hazelwood, Infamous Captain Of Doomed Oil Tanker Exxon Valdez, Dead At 75 Joseph Hazelwood, the captain of the Exxon Valdez oil tanker that ran aground more than three decades ago in Alaska, causing one of the worst oil spills in U.S. history, has died. https://t.co/f2nO0UFe2q — The Associated Press (@AP) September 12, 2022 In 1989, the tanker Exxon Valdez ran aground in Prince William Sound, triggering a disastrous oil spill, the worst in American history for the amount of spilled crude oil and staggering amounts of death to local wildlife. Joseph Hazelwood, the captain of the vessel, was accused of being drunk and away from the bridge when the ship collided with the reef (he was acquitted of the charges of being intoxicated in 1990). He has always been vilified as being the culprit in the disaster. Hazelwood has reportedly died. He was 75. Here’s more from the Associated Press: An Anchorage jury awarded nearly 33,000 plaintiffs affected by the Alaska spill $5 billion in punitive damages in 1994, but that amount was cut in half by other courts on appeals by Exxon. In 2008, the U.S. Supreme Court cut the punitive damages to $507.5 million. Hazelwood, whom prosecutors accused of being drunk when the tanker grounded, was the only crew member criminally charged after the spill. He had left a third mate in control of the ship while he went below to do paperwork. Hazelwood was accused of one felony, criminal mischief, and three misdemeanors — reckless endangerment, operating a vessel while intoxicated and negligent discharge of oil. During his 1990 Anchorage trial, witnesses reported he drank vodka at a Valdez bar before the ship sailed, but how much he drank and at what hour were in dispute. No witnesses described Hazelwood as appearing drunk, staggering or slurring his words. Crew members called him cool, calm and in command before and after the grounding, according to Associated Press coverage of the trial. Some social media posts didn’t exactly offer RIP condolences to the disgraced Hazelwood’s loved ones: I would like to piss on Joseph Hazelwood’s grave. — Geographia (@ThomasBelfield) September 9, 2022 #RIP Joseph Hazelwood. His funeral is expected to take 30 years and cost billions of dollars. His family goes on to blame God, and not his own actions, for his death https://t.co/JRvR8MpUe3 — Cosmo (@CosmoBarberri) September 12, 2022 Joseph Hazelwood is dead!!! September has been a great month for villains kicking the bucket fr ?? — Akula (@AkulaEcho) September 10, 2022 About Author chrisco2 Read More Here

Stocks Suffer Worst Day Since 2020 https://digitalalaskanews.com/stocks-suffer-worst-day-since-2020/ The consumer-sentiment index and the consumer-confidence index both try to measure the same thing: consumers’ feelings. WSJ explains why the Federal Reserve is keeping a close eye on consumer confidence in 2022. Illustration: Adele Morgan Updated Sept. 13, 2022 4:05 pm ET Stocks suffered their worst day in more than two years after hotter-than-expected inflation data dashed investors’ hopes that cooling price pressures would prompt the Federal Reserve to moderate its campaign of interest-rate increases. Investors sold everything from stocks and bonds to oil and gold. All 30 stocks in the blue-chip average declined, as did all 11 sectors in the S&P 500. Only five stocks in the broad benchmark finished the session in the green. Facebook parent Meta Platforms dropped 9.4%, BlackRock declined 7.5% and Boeing fell 7.2%. Read More Here

Joan Patricia McNichol Obituary (2022) https://digitalalaskanews.com/joan-patricia-mcnichol-obituary-2022/ Joan Patricia McNichol, of Essex Junction, VT, passed away at home while surrounded by her loving family on September 4, 2022. Born to Roy and Ilzaide Heaney of Manhattan, NY on June 29, 1931, Joan became the first member of her family to attend college, graduating from Fordham University. After starting her career as a teacher, she met James Jim McNichol at a dance, and he proposed on Thanksgiving Day, 1955. Jim s sister Mary Ann was engaged to his best friend Warren Nolan at the same time, leading the Long Island Daily Press to publish a joint engagement announcement under the headline Cupid Strikes Twice. Joan and Jim were married at the Church of St. Monica in Manhattan on June 29, 1957. They moved their family to Essex Junction, VT in 1966, where they raised four children. Joan ran a preschool in their home for 8 years, and then served as a librarian for over thirty years at Essex Middle School, where she was devoted to her students and friends. She was also an avid reader and baker who enjoyed sewing, crocheting, knitting, volunteering at the hospital, and spending time in Brewster, MA, Savannah, GA, and Sitka, AK with her family. Prior to the pandemic and illness, she regularly attended Mass at Saint Michael the Archangel Chapel at St. Michael s College. Most importantly, she valued time spent with her family members, whom she loved fiercely. Joan leaves behind her dear husband, Jim, of 65 years as well as their four children and their families to cherish her memory: Trish (Giff) Lorenz of Savannah, GA; Cathy (Pete) Kelley of Williston, VT; Peter McNichol (Lee Wheeler) of Ferrisburgh, VT; and Jennifer McNichol (John Baciocco) of Sitka, AK. Joan had deep affection for her grandchildren: Zach (Jennie), Patrick, and Abby Lorenz; Siobhan and Liam Kelley; and Colin and Dominic Baciocco. Joan is predeceased by her parents and her siblings, Barbara (Bobbie) Pappas, Roy Heaney, and Frances Heaney. Joan is survived by her sister-in-law Sue Ann Heaney and her brother-in-law Tony Pappas, as well as many nieces and nephews and other extended family members. The family is eternally grateful to Joan s care team, including Sherry Yandow and the UVM Home Health and Hospice team. A memorial Mass will be held at Saint Michael the Archangel Chapel October 8, 2022 at 11AM. In lieu of flowers, donations to the Ferrisburgh Volunteer Fire Department, St. Michael s Campus Ministry, or Everybody Wins! Vermont (everybodywinsvermont.org – a literacy-based mentoring program), are suggested. Published by Legacy on Sep. 13, 2022. Legacy.com reports daily on death announcements in local communities nationwide. Visit our funeral home directory for more local information, or see our FAQ page for help with finding obituaries and sending sympathy. Read More Here

‘ https://digitalalaskanews.com/12303-2/ Moments after Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina introduced legislation Tuesday that would prohibit abortion nationwide after 15 weeks of pregnancy, the campaign of Pennsylvania Lt. Gov. John Fetterman—the Democratic nominee for the key battleground state’s open U.S. Senate seat—challenged Dr. Mehmet Oz, his GOP opponent, to clarify where he stands on reproductive freedom. “Republicans are running on a national abortion ban in these midterms.” “Would you vote for Sen. Graham’s bill to ban abortions after 15 weeks?” Fetterman spokesperson Joe Calvello asked Oz, a super-wealthy, right-wing celebrity television doctor backed by former President Donald Trump. “It’s a simple yes or no question.” “‘It should be left to the states’ is not a real answer,” Calvello added, preemptively shutting down what has become Republicans’ typical response on the campaign trail since the U.S. Supreme Court’s reactionary majority eliminated the constitutional right to abortion earlier this summer. GOP candidates’ standard retort looks increasingly deceptive now that Graham has once again proposed a federal abortion ban. “The people of Pennsylvania deserve to know how Oz would vote on this bill if he were in the U.S. Senate,” said Calvello. “They deserve to know where he stands when it comes to an issue as fundamental as reproductive rights.” “John Fetterman’s position on this issue is crystal clear,” he continued. “John believes abortion is a decision that should only be made by a woman and her doctor, not politicians in Washington. In the Senate, he will proudly cast the 51st vote to scrap the filibuster and codify Roe v. Wade into law.” In a statement, Indivisible’s national political director Dani Negrete said that “we would like to thank Sen. Graham for making it crystal clear to voters today that Republicans are running on a national abortion ban in these midterms.” “It’s telling that even as MAGA candidates in competitive races like Blake Masters and Mehmet Oz are trying to hide their extreme positions on abortion, Republicans in Congress are already moving ahead with legislation that would restrict freedoms in all fifty states and cost untold lives,” said Negrete. “Everything is on the line this November.” “If Republicans gain control of Congress in November,” Negrete added, “we can expect to see them fight harder for even more extreme restrictions on this essential freedom.” Fetterman was not the only Democratic Senate hopeful to sound the alarm about the GOP’s crusade for a national abortion ban, which researchers have estimated would lead to a 24% increase in maternal mortality in the United States—already a much more dangerous place to be pregnant compared with other high-income countries. U.S. Rep. Tim Ryan, a Democrat who is narrowly leading the polls in Ohio’s pivotal U.S. Senate race, quickly shared a campaign ad showcasing his far-right opponent J.D. Vance’s support for completely ending access to abortion care. “Vance would all too happily vote to jam [Graham’s bill] through and codify the biggest act of governmental overreach in our lifetime,” Ryan tweeted. “We can’t let him get there.” On Monday night, when it became clear that Graham planned to soon unveil his abortion ban legislation, Wisconsin Lt. Gov. Mandela Barnes—the Democratic nominee in the crucial swing state’s U.S. Senate race—warned, “This is what will happen if we don’t expand our Democratic majority in the Senate, abolish the filibuster, and codify Roe.” “Everything is on the line this November,” he added. Like Ryan, Barnes and Fetterman are currently out-polling their respective Republican opponents but by wider margins. The three candidates are widely viewed as the Democrats with the best chances to flip seats in the Senate. Such an outcome could help their party retain, and possibly expand, its razor-thin majority in the upper chamber. “The stakes have never been higher,” Planned Parenthood president Alexis McGill Johnson said Tuesday. “This election is critical. It’s going to take all of us.” Read More Here

Trump Supporter: FBI Showed Up At Her Home The Day After Biden's 'MAGA Republicans' Speech https://digitalalaskanews.com/trump-supporter-fbi-showed-up-at-her-home-the-day-after-bidens-maga-republicans-speech/ A supporter of former President Donald Trump claimed Monday that FBI agents showed up at her home a day after President Joe Biden’s speech targeting “MAGA Republicans.” Lisa Gallagher, of New Jersey, told Fox News’ “Tucker Carlson Tonight” that three agents appeared at her home and claimed to have a tip connecting her to the breach at Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. Gallagher said that she had no involvement. The agents showed up one day after Biden’s speech in Philadelphia on Sept. 1 in which the president criticized Trump and his supporters, claiming they are extremists who want to undermine U.S. institutions. GOP lawmakers and even some mainstream media commentators criticized Biden over his remarks and for delivering a polarizing political speech flanked by two U.S. Marines in front of an ominous red backdrop. “My daughter woke me up telling me there were three armed FBI officers at my door, I thought she was joking,” Gallagher told Carlson on Monday evening. “I immediately tried to throw [on] clothes. I called my husband, I was crying, my knees were shaking. And even though I knew I had done nothing wrong, after seeing Joe Biden’s speech the night before, I thought, ‘Oh my God, this is political.’” Gallagher said that the agents told her “they were given an anonymous tip that I was at the Capitol on January 6th.” “I truly thought they can take me out of here in handcuffs. I thought ‘I’m in my bedroom—am I not coming home?’ I went outside,” she said. “I said ‘gentlemen, you are scaring me.’ And they proceeded to tell me they were given an anonymous tip that I was at the Capitol on January 6.” Recalling the incident, Gallagher said she invited the agents to come into her home and look at her phone and calendar. She wasn’t taken into custody, and the FBI has not yet provided a statement to any media about that incident. “I invited them into my home to look at my phone and calendar. I have subsequently called the FBI office in Newark to document or know for sure that it really was FBI agents at my home. It was. They said it was an anonymous tip, but they won’t tell me anything else,” Gallagher said. Carlson in the segment suggested someone submitted a tip to the FBI after Gallagher made a Facebook post supporting Trump. The FBI has drawn widespread criticism, mostly from Republicans, after its agents targeted Trump’s Mar-a-Lago residence and resort in Florida. The Department of Justice and Trump are currently embroiled in a legal fight over whether to appoint a special master to review documents seized from Trump’s home. The Epoch Times has contacted the FBI’s national press office and the FBI Newark office for comment on Gallagher’s interview. Follow Jack Phillips is a breaking news reporter at The Epoch Times based in New York. Read More Here

What’s Left As Jan. 6 Panel Sprints To Year-End Finish – Fox21Online https://digitalalaskanews.com/whats-left-as-jan-6-panel-sprints-to-year-end-finish-fox21online/ WASHINGTON (AP) — With only three months left in the year, the House Jan. 6 committee is eyeing a close to its work and a final report laying out its findings about the U.S. Capitol insurrection. But the investigation is not over. The committee has already revealed much of its work at eight hearings over the summer, showing in detail how former President Donald Trump ignored many of his closest advisers and amplified his false claims of election fraud after he lost the 2020 election to Joe Biden. Witnesses interviewed by the panel — some of them Trump’s closest allies — recounted in videotaped testimony how the former president declined to act when hundreds of his supporters violently attacked the Capitol as Congress certified Biden’s victory on Jan. 6, 2021. Lawmakers say there is more to come. The nine-member panel — seven Democrats and two Republicans — interviewed witnesses through all of August, and they are planning at least one hearing this month. Members are expected to meet and discuss some of their next steps on Tuesday. Because the Jan. 6 panel is a temporary, or “select,” committee, it expires at the end of the current Congress. If Republicans take the majority in November’s elections, as they are favored to do, they are expected to dissolve the committee in January. So the panel is planning to issue a final report by the end of December. What’s left for the committee in 2022: HEARINGS The committee is expected to hold at least one hearing, maybe more, before the end of the month. Wyoming Rep. Liz Cheney, the Republican vice chairwoman, said the committee “has far more evidence to share with the American people and more to gather.” “Doors have opened, new subpoenas have been issued and the dam has begun to break,” Cheney said at a July 21 hearing that was held in prime time and watched by 17.7 million people. “We have considerably more to do.” It’s unclear if the next hearings will provide a general overview of what the panel has learned or if they will be focused on new information and evidence. The committee conducted several interviews at the end of July and into August with Trump’s Cabinet secretaries, some of whom had discussed invoking the constitutional process in the 25th Amendment to remove Trump from office after the insurrection. WITNESSES The panel has already interviewed more than 1,000 people, but lawmakers and staff are still pursuing new threads. The committee just recently spoke to several of the Cabinet secretaries, including former Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin in July and former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and former Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao in August. The committee also wants to get to the bottom of missing Secret Service texts from Jan. 5-6, 2021, which could shed further light on Trump’s actions during the insurrection, particularly after earlier testimony about his confrontation with security as he tried to join supporters at the Capitol. “We anticipate talking to additional members of the president’s Cabinet,” Cheney said at the beginning of August. “We anticipate talking to additional members of his campaign. Certainly, we’re very focused as well on the Secret Service.” The committee has also pursued an interview with conservative activist Virginia “Ginni” Thomas, who’s married to Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas. Lawmakers want to know more about her role in trying to help Trump overturn the election. She contacted lawmakers in Arizona and Wisconsin as part of that effort. FINAL REPORT The committee must shut down within a month after issuing a final report, per its rules. But lawmakers could issue some smaller reports before then, perhaps even before the November elections. Rep. Bennie Thompson, D-Miss., the panel’s chairman, has said there may be an interim report in the fall. The release of the final report will likely come close to the end of the year so the panel can maximize its time. While much of the findings will already be known, the report is expected to thread the story together in a definitive way that lays out the committee’s conclusions for history. TRUMP AND PENCE Members of the committee are still debating how aggressively to pursue testimony from Trump and former Vice President Mike Pence. Some have have questioned whether calling Pence — he resisted Trump’s pressure to try and block Biden’s certification on Jan. 6 — is needed since many of his closest aides have already testified. His top lawyer at the White House, Greg Jacob, testified at one of the committee’s hearings in June and characterized much of Pence’s thought process during the time when Trump was pressuring him. The panel has been in discussions with Pence’s lawyers for months, without any discernible progress. Still, the committee could invite Pence for closed-door testimony or ask him to answer written questions. The calculation is different for the former president. Members have debated whether they need to call Trump, who is the focus of their probe but also a witness who has railed against the investigation, denied much of the evidence and who has floated the idea of presidential pardons for Jan. 6 rioters. He is also facing scrutiny in several other investigations, including at the Justice Department and over the classified documents he took to his private club. HOUSE REPUBLICANS Another bit of unfinished business is the committee’s subpoenas to five House Republicans, including Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy. In May the panel subpoenaed McCarthy, R-Calif., and Reps. Jim Jordan of Ohio, Scott Perry of Pennsylvania, Andy Biggs of Arizona and Mo Brooks of Alabama. The panel has investigated McCarthy’s conversations with Trump the day of the attack and meetings the four other lawmakers had with the White House beforehand as Trump and his aides worked to overturn his election defeat. The five Republicans, all of whom have repeatedly downplayed the investigation’s legitimacy, have simply ignored the request to testify. But the Jan. 6 committee seems unlikely to meet their defiance with contempt charges, as they have with other witnesses, in the weeks before the November elections. Not only would it be a politically risky move, but it is unclear what eventual recourse the panel would have against its own colleagues. LEGISLATIVE RECOMMENDATIONS The committee is expected to weigh in on possible legislative changes to the Electoral Count Act, which governs how a presidential election is certified by Congress. A bipartisan group of senators released proposed changes over the summer that would clarify the way states submit electors and the vice president tallies the votes. Trump and his allies tried to find loopholes in that law ahead of Jan. 6 as the former president worked to overturn his defeat to Biden and unsuccessfully pressured Pence to go along. The Jan. 6 panel’s final report is expected to include a larger swath of legislative recommendations. ___ Associated Press writers Lisa Mascaro and Farnoush Amiri contributed to this report. Read More Here

What’s Left As The Jan. 6 Panel Sprints To A Year-End Finish https://digitalalaskanews.com/whats-left-as-the-jan-6-panel-sprints-to-a-year-end-finish/ WASHINGTON — With only three months left in the year, the House Jan. 6 committee is eyeing a close to its work and a final report laying out its findings about the U.S. Capitol insurrection. But the investigation is not over. The committee has already revealed much of its work at eight hearings over the summer, showing in detail how former President Donald Trump ignored many of his closest advisers and amplified his false claims of election fraud after he lost the 2020 election to Joe Biden. Witnesses interviewed by the panel — some of them Trump’s closest allies — recounted in videotaped testimony how the former president declined to act when hundreds of his supporters violently attacked the Capitol as Congress certified Biden’s victory on Jan. 6, 2021. Lawmakers say there is more to come. The nine-member panel — seven Democrats and two Republicans — interviewed witnesses through all of August, and they are planning at least one hearing this month. Members are expected to meet and discuss some of their next steps on Tuesday. Because the Jan. 6 panel is a temporary, or “select,” committee, it expires at the end of the current Congress. If Republicans take the majority in November’s elections, as they are favored to do, they are expected to dissolve the committee in January. So the panel is planning to issue a final report by the end of December. What’s left for the committee in 2022: The committee is expected to hold at least one hearing, maybe more, before the end of the month. Wyoming Rep. Liz Cheney, the Republican vice chairwoman, said the committee “has far more evidence to share with the American people and more to gather.” “Doors have opened, new subpoenas have been issued and the dam has begun to break,” Cheney said at a July 21 hearing that was held in prime time and watched by 17.7 million people. “We have considerably more to do.” It’s unclear if the next hearings will provide a general overview of what the panel has learned or if they will be focused on new information and evidence. The committee conducted several interviews at the end of July and into August with Trump’s Cabinet secretaries, some of whom had discussed invoking the constitutional process in the 25th Amendment to remove Trump from office after the insurrection. The panel has already interviewed more than 1,000 people, but lawmakers and staff are still pursuing new threads. The committee just recently spoke to several of the Cabinet secretaries, including former Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin in July and former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and former Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao in August. The committee also wants to get to the bottom of missing Secret Service texts from Jan. 5-6, 2021, which could shed further light on Trump’s actions during the insurrection, particularly after earlier testimony about his confrontation with security as he tried to join supporters at the Capitol. “We anticipate talking to additional members of the president’s Cabinet,” Cheney said at the beginning of August. “We anticipate talking to additional members of his campaign. Certainly, we’re very focused as well on the Secret Service.” The committee has also pursued an interview with conservative activist Virginia “Ginni” Thomas, who’s married to Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas. Lawmakers want to know more about her role in trying to help Trump overturn the election. She contacted lawmakers in Arizona and Wisconsin as part of that effort. The committee must shut down within a month after issuing a final report, per its rules. But lawmakers could issue some smaller reports before then, perhaps even before the November elections. Rep. Bennie Thompson, D-Miss., the panel’s chairman, has said there may be an interim report in the fall. The release of the final report will likely come close to the end of the year so the panel can maximize its time. While much of the findings will already be known, the report is expected to thread the story together in a definitive way that lays out the committee’s conclusions for history. Members of the committee are still debating how aggressively to pursue testimony from Trump and former Vice President Mike Pence. Some have have questioned whether calling Pence — he resisted Trump’s pressure to try and block Biden’s certification on Jan. 6 — is needed since many of his closest aides have already testified. His top lawyer at the White House, Greg Jacob, testified at one of the committee’s hearings in June and characterized much of Pence’s thought process during the time when Trump was pressuring him. The panel has been in discussions with Pence’s lawyers for months, without any discernible progress. Still, the committee could invite Pence for closed-door testimony or ask him to answer written questions. The calculation is different for the former president. Members have debated whether they need to call Trump, who is the focus of their probe but also a witness who has railed against the investigation, denied much of the evidence and who has floated the idea of presidential pardons for Jan. 6 rioters. He is also facing scrutiny in several other investigations, including at the Justice Department and over the classified documents he took to his private club. Daywatch Weekdays Start your morning with today’s local news Another bit of unfinished business is the committee’s subpoenas to five House Republicans, including Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy. In May the panel subpoenaed McCarthy, R-Calif., and Reps. Jim Jordan of Ohio, Scott Perry of Pennsylvania, Andy Biggs of Arizona and Mo Brooks of Alabama. The panel has investigated McCarthy’s conversations with Trump the day of the attack and meetings the four other lawmakers had with the White House beforehand as Trump and his aides worked to overturn his election defeat. The five Republicans, all of whom have repeatedly downplayed the investigation’s legitimacy, have simply ignored the request to testify. But the Jan. 6 committee seems unlikely to meet their defiance with contempt charges, as they have with other witnesses, in the weeks before the November elections. Not only would it be a politically risky move, but it is unclear what eventual recourse the panel would have against its own colleagues. The committee is expected to weigh in on possible legislative changes to the Electoral Count Act, which governs how a presidential election is certified by Congress. A bipartisan group of senators released proposed changes over the summer that would clarify the way states submit electors and the vice president tallies the votes. Trump and his allies tried to find loopholes in that law ahead of Jan. 6 as the former president worked to overturn his defeat to Biden and unsuccessfully pressured Pence to go along. The Jan. 6 panel’s final report is expected to include a larger swath of legislative recommendations. Associated Press writers Lisa Mascaro and Farnoush Amiri contributed to this report. Read More Here

Panel: Archives Still Not Certain It Has All Trump Records https://digitalalaskanews.com/panel-archives-still-not-certain-it-has-all-trump-records/ By Farnoush Amiri, Associated Press Tuesday, Sept. 13, 2022 | 10:17 a.m. WASHINGTON — The National Archives is still not certain that it has custody of all Donald Trump’s presidential records even after the FBI search of his Mar-a-Lago club, a congressional committee said in a letter Tuesday. The House Committee on Oversight and Reform revealed that staff at the Archives on an Aug. 24 call could not provide assurances that they have all of Trump’s presidential records. The committee in the letter asked the Archives to conduct an assessment of whether any Trump records remain unaccounted for and potentially in his possession. “In light of revelations that Mr. Trump’s representatives misled investigators about his continued possession of government property and that material found at his club included dozens of ‘empty folders’ for classified material, I am deeply concerned that sensitive presidential records may remain out of the control and custody of the U.S. Government,” Rep. Carolyn Maloney, D-N.Y., the chairwoman of the Oversight Committee, wrote in the letter. The House committee has jurisdiction over the Presidential Records Act, a 1978 law that requires the preservation of White House documents as property of the U.S. government. The request is the latest development in a monthslong back-and-forth between the agency and the committee, which has been investigating Trump’s handling of records. The request also comes weeks after the FBI recovered more than 100 documents with classified markings and even more than 10,000 other government documents from Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate. The search came after lawyers for Trump provided a sworn certification that all government records had been returned. Maloney and other Democratic lawmakers on the panel have been seeking a briefing from the National Archives, but haven’t received one due to the Justice Department’s ongoing criminal investigation into the matter. But the letter notes a call between Archives staff and the committee on Aug. 24, where lawmakers were informed that documents could still be missing. As a result, Maloney wrote, the committee is asking the agency to conduct an “urgent review” of all of the government records that have been recorded from the Trump White House to determine whether any additional records remain unaccounted for and potentially in the possession of the former president. In addition, the committee also asked for the Archives to get a personal certification from Trump “that he has surrendered all presidential records that he illegally removed from the White House after leaving office.” The committee is asking the Archives to provide an initial assessment of this review by Sept. 27. Read More Here

US Lawmakers Urge NARA To Confirm Trump Surrendered Presidential Records – Letter – UrduPoint https://digitalalaskanews.com/us-lawmakers-urge-nara-to-confirm-trump-surrendered-presidential-records-letter-urdupoint/ Mohammad Ali (@ChaudhryMAli88) Published September 13, 2022 | 10:07 PM US House Oversight Committee Chairwoman Carolyn Maloney on Tuesday sent a letter to the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) urging them to confirm former President Donald Trump relinquished all presidential records amid a federal probe of his handling of materials WASHINGTON (UrduPoint News / Sputnik – 13th September, 2022) US House Oversight Committee Chairwoman Carolyn Maloney on Tuesday sent a letter to the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) urging them to confirm former President Donald Trump relinquished all presidential records amid a federal probe of his handling of materials. “I urge NARA to seek from former President Trump a written certification that he has surrendered all presidential records or classified materials, has not made any copies or reproductions of such materials, and has not transferred any records or government documents to any party other than NARA or (Justice Department) since his term ended,” the letter said. The committee also requests that NARA conduct an “urgent review” of Trump‘s presidential records to identify any information that may be outside of the agency’s custody and control, the letter added. The letter comes amid a federal probe into possible mishandling of purportedly sensitive information by Trump, which led to a raid last month on his Mar-a-Lago residence in Florida. Federal investigators recovered boxes of materials from the residence, including empty folders with classified labeling. Trump has denied improperly storing classified records at Mar-a-Lago and characterized the probe as weaponization of the US justice system against him. The House Oversight Committee is separately investigating Trump‘s handling of presidential records after the end of his term, according to the letter. Read More Here

Freight Rail Strike Threatens Supply Chains, Prompting White House Planning https://digitalalaskanews.com/freight-rail-strike-threatens-supply-chains-prompting-white-house-planning/ A national railroad strike could derail critical deliveries of chlorine to wastewater treatment plants and coal to utility plants, among other potentially crippling disruptions, prompting senior White House aides Tuesday to review contingency options for protecting the nation’s drinking water and energy supply. White House aides are looking at how to ensure essential products carried by rail — such as food, energy, and key health products — could still reach their final destination even in the event of a potential strike. Senior officials have looked at how highways, ports and waterways can be used to offset any damage caused, while also talking to top officials in the shipping, freight and logistics industries. President Biden was personally briefed on the matter Tuesday morning, after he called the carriers and unions on Monday to press them to accept a deal, a White House official said. Senior officials at the White House are now leading daily meetings with the Agriculture Department, Transportation Department, Energy Department and other top agencies about how to mitigate the impact. Biden aides in particular are working to ensure hazardous materials carried by rail are safely transported without hurting workers. The White House is also studying potential authorities to mitigate any damage but has made no announcement. The White House’s planning was described by multiple people with knowledge of the matter who spoke on the condition of anonymity to describe internal planning. At issue is a contract agreement between railway carriers and two unions, which represent 57,000 conductors and engineers over attendance policies. A federally mandated “cooling-off” period ends Friday, which opens the possibility of a strike, if employees refuse to go to work, or a lockout, if the carriers refuse to let workers do their jobs. Some freight carriers have begun limiting services, suspending hazardous material shipments and parking trains in what appears to be preparations for a lockout. Amtrak, which carries passengers on freight lines, canceled some long-distance routes Monday. Biden appointed an emergency board in July to mediate the dispute, following two years of negotiations between six of the largest freight carriers and 12 unions that represent railroad workers. Nine unions have reached tentative agreements with the carriers based on the board’s recommendations, leaving the two largest unions without a deal in place. A smaller union, the Brotherhood of Railroad Signalmen, struck down a tentative deal with the carriers on Monday night and have returned to the bargaining table. Contract negotiations on Zoom between the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen, the SMART Transportation Division and the rail carriers carried late into the day on Monday, without the parties reaching a deal, labor officials from both unions said. The most important issues holding up an agreement are some of the largest carriers’ points-based attendance policies that penalize workers, up to termination, for going to routine doctor’s visits or attending family emergencies. Conductors and engineers say they do not receive a single sick day, paid or unpaid. The National Carriers’ Conference Committee, which represents the railroads in negotiations, has denied that workers do not receive sick time, and it has said that its ability to determine attendance policies is necessary to ensure enough train operators are available to work amid labor shortages. “You may have heard from labor that they get no sick days or paid time off. This is false,” said Jessica Kahanek, a spokesperson for Association of American Railroads, noting that some workers supplemental sick leave benefit, and can take time off for any reason, as long as they maintain a reasonable level of overall availability under carrier attendance policies. While the unions said they have watered down some of their proposals, abandoning requests for paid sick days, they remain steadfast that members should be allowed to attend routine medical appointments without jeopardizing their employment. They said they are willing to accept a contract that addresses these concerns and are ready to strike if the carriers do not budge on it. As of Tuesday morning, the carriers had not made any counterproposals to this offer, the two unions said. Two of the largest rail carriers that mainly operate in the western United States — BNSF and Union Pacific — are the companies with the points-based attendance policies. More than 700 BNSF employees have quit since it rolled out a points-based policy in February. Workers can be terminated if they run out of points, even in the case of a family emergency. Missing work on certain high impact days, or planning ahead for a single doctor’s visit, can result in workers losing half or more of their allotted points. “They have refused to accept our proposals,” said Dennis Pierce, president of the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen, one of the two unions in negotiations. “The average American would not know that we get fired for going to the doctor. This one thing has our members most enraged. We have guys who were punished for taking time off for a heart attack and covid. It’s inhumane.” Read More Here

Putin's Regime Under Pressure After Defeats; Ukraine Slams Germany Over Weapons Response https://digitalalaskanews.com/putins-regime-under-pressure-after-defeats-ukraine-slams-germany-over-weapons-response/ Ukraine has recaptured more than 6,000 square kilometers (2,300 sq miles) of Russian-occupied territory, President Zelenskyy said Monday night. “From the beginning of September until today, our soldiers have already liberated more than 6,000 square kilometers of the territory of Ukraine – in the east and in the south. The movement of our troops continues,” President Zelenskyy said in his nightly address. Ukraine’s forces have been able to recapture dozens of towns and villages in the northeast of the country over the last few days, including the strategically important towns of Izyum and Kupiansk. Ukraine’s counterattacks in the northeast came after Russia redeployed troops away from the region to defend areas they occupied in the south after Ukraine heavily signaled it would launch a counteroffensive around Kherson. Russian President Vladimir Putin’s regime is looking more fragile this week after Ukrainian victories on the battlefield have prompted even pro-Kremlin voices in Russia to question the war. Celebrity chef and humanitarian Jose Andres shares a video of food deliveries to Zaporizhzhia Spanish celebrity chef and restaurateur Jose Andres shared a video on Twitter of his team delivering food to Ukrainian villages in the Zaporizhzhia region. “Only one road where people can officially evacuate from the occupied region. Its called the “road of life,” wrote Andres. The two-star Michelin chef brought the World Central Kitchen to Ukraine to address the mounting food crisis triggered by Russia’s war. He has previously said that more than 2 million food kits have been delivered to those affected by the Kremlin’s war in Ukraine. — Amanda Macias U.N. says at least 5,827 killed in Ukraine since start of war This photograph taken on July 15, 2022, shows recently made graves at a cemetery in the Vinogradnoe district, Donetsk region, amid the ongoing Russian military action in Ukraine. – | Afp | Getty Images The United Nations has confirmed 5,827 civilian deaths and 8,421 injuries in Ukraine since Russia invaded its ex-Soviet neighbor on Feb. 24. The Office of the U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights said the death toll in Ukraine is likely higher, because the armed conflict can delay fatality reports. The international organization said most of the civilian casualties recorded were caused by the use of explosive weapons with a wide impact area, including shelling from heavy artillery and multiple launch rocket systems, as well as missiles and airstrikes. — Amanda Macias Ukraine has exported 2.7 million metric tons of grains and other crops since ports reopened The Sierra Leone-flagged cargo ship Razoni, carrying Ukrainian grain, is seen in the Black Sea off Kilyos, near Istanbul, Turkey August 3, 2022. Mehmet Caliskan | Reuters The organization overseeing the export of agricultural products from Ukraine said that a total of 2.7 million metric tons of crops have left the besieged country since ports reopened in July. The Joint Coordination Center, an initiative of Ukraine, Russia, the United Nations and Turkey, said that 122 vessels have so far left three Ukrainian ports. — Amanda Macias Zelenskyy will speak with IMF chief on financing requests Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy attends the NATO summit via video link, as Russia’s attack on Ukraine continues, in Kyiv, Ukraine June 29, 2022. Ukrainian Presidential Press Service | via Reuters Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy will speak with International Monetary Fund Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva, two sources familiar with the plan told Reuters, as Ukraine continues to press the global lender for a full-fledged financing program. Ukrainian officials have said they are seeking an IMF program worth as much as $15 billion to $20 billion, although such a large amount is seen as unlikely to win IMF approval. The IMF Executive Board, at an informal session on Monday, discussed a plan that could offer Ukraine $1.4 billion in emergency aid through the IMF’s Rapid Financing Instrument. — Reuters Ukraine’s foreign minister slams Berlin over ‘disappointing’ weapons response Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba slammed Germany, accusing the country of not doing enough to help Ukraine with weapons. “Disappointing signals from Germany while Ukraine needs Leopards and Marders now — to liberate people and save them from genocide,” Kuleba tweeted Tuesday, saying there was “not a single rational argument on why these weapons cannot be supplied, only abstract fears and excuses. What is Berlin afraid of that Kyiv is not?” Leopards are German tanks and Marders are infantry fighting vehicles; Ukraine has been seeking such weapons from Berlin for some time. The government, under Chancellor Olaf Scholz, has been accused of dragging its feel over weaponry for Ukraine.  German Chancellor Olaf Scholz attends the summer party of the German Renewable Energy Federation (BEE), in Berlin, Germany, July 6, 2022.  Michele Tantussi | Reuters CNBC contacted the German defense ministry for a response to Kuleba’s comments. On Monday, Germany’s Defense Minister Christine Lambrecht said sending more heavy weaponry to Ukraine was “not so simple.” “It’s not so simple just to say: I’ll just risk that we won’t be able to act, the defense of the country, by giving everything away. No, I won’t do that,” she said. “But we have other possibilities, from industry, with our partners,” Deutsche Welle reported. Ukraine has launched a series of counterattacks against Russian forces in the northeast and south of the country over recent days, prompting Russian units to retreat from the region of Kharkiv in the northeast. However, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has again called on Ukraine’s Western allies to provide more weapons to help Kyiv maintain its momentum against increasingly demoralized Russian forces. — Holly Ellyatt Russia looks to punish Ukraine as shelling leaves Kharkiv region without power The entire region of Kharkiv, including the region’s capital, has been left without electricity again after intense shelling by Russia. Kharkiv has been hit by multiple strikes after Ukraine’s forces inflicted a humiliating defeat on Russia after it launched a counterattack in the region last week, and has since claimed dozens of towns and villages in the northeast. “Just received information that the city of Kharkiv and the Kharkiv region have been left without electricity. The back-up power transmission line, providing the supply of electricity for settlements, went out of service. Now all efforts are focused to eliminate the problem. I will report the results later,” Deputy Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine Kyrylo Tymoshenkosaid on Telegram on Tuesday. “These are the consequences of insidious shelling by the Russians the day before,” the official added. Firefighters of the State Emergency Service work to put out the fire that erupted after a Russian missile attack at an energy facility in the Kharkiv region of northeastern Ukraine. On Sunday evening, Russian invaders launched 11 cruise missiles at critical civilian infrastructures in Ukraine, strikes which were seen as “revenge” for its reclaiming of occupied land. Future Publishing | Future Publishing | Getty Images Russian shelling knocked out water and power supplies in Kharkiv on Monday after key energy infrastructure facilities were targeted. — Holly Ellyatt Russian airstrike hits Kharkiv after troops make humiliating retreat A Russian airstrike hit a public building in the Ukrainian city of Kharkiv on Monday, Sept. 12. After the airstrike, flames broke out in the building, and firefighters tackled the fire. Ukraine launched a counteroffensive that has driven Russian troops from the region, but sporadic Russian airstrikes have continued this week in Kharkiv and other Ukrainian cities. Source: Metin Aktas | Anadolu Agency | Getty Images Risks to Putin’s regime rise after defeats on the battlefield in Ukraine There have been various reports of pro-Putin commentators appearing on state-run TV channels on which they have questioned the wisdom of continuing the conflict in Ukraine. Mikhail Svetlov | Getty Images News | Getty Images Russian President Vladimir Putin’s regime is looking more fragile this week after Ukrainian victories on the battlefield have prompted even pro-Kremlin voices in Russia to question the war in Ukraine. There have been various reports of pro-Putin commentators appearing on state-run TV channels on which they have questioned the wisdom of continuing the conflict in Ukraine, given the latest advances and recapturing of Russian-occupied land. Russia has been tight-lipped about the retreat of Russian troops from the entire Kharkiv region above Donbas, although Putin’s press secretary said on Monday that what Russia calls the “special military operation” would continue. “Military losses and the humiliation of Russian troops also pose risks to President Vladimir Putin’s regime, as domestic criticism of the conduct of the so-called special military operation is mounting from various sides,” Teneo consulting firm said in a note Monday evening. “As a result, Putin faces growing pressure to respond to increasingly unfavorable dynamics on the frontline, which might include either escalatory moves or calls to start ceasefire talks.” — Holly Ellyatt Ukraine has recaptured more than 2,300 square miles of territory, Zelenskyy says Ukraine has recaptured more than 6,000 square kilometers (2,300 sq miles) of Russian-occupied territory, President Zelenskyy said Monday night. “From the beginning of September until today, our soldiers have already liberated more than 6,000 square kilometers of the territory of Ukraine – in the east and in the south. The...

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Stock Market Today: Dow Plunges 700 Points, CPI Report Shows U.S. Inflation Slowed To 8.3% In August https://digitalalaskanews.com/stock-market-today-dow-plunges-700-points-cpi-report-shows-u-s-inflation-slowed-to-8-3-in-august/ About this page Last Updated: Sep 13, 2022 at 11:15 am ET Follow The Wall Street Journal’s full markets and consumer-price inflation report coverage. Read More Here

My Patient Overdosed And Now I Feel Guilty… https://digitalalaskanews.com/my-patient-overdosed-and-now-i-feel-guilty/ TALES FROM THE CLINIC -Series Editor Nidal Moukaddam, MD, PhD In this installment of Tales From the Clinic: The Art of Psychiatry, we visit the addiction clinic to discuss accidental overdose deaths. Although death by suicide is known to greatly impact psychiatrists, the impact of overdose deaths on physicians is not well studied. Despite the best efforts exerted in treatment, patients on medications for opioid use disorder may die of accidental overdoses on opioids, having misestimated their current opioid tolerance, or overdose on other substances such as sedatives/hypnotics and stimulants. This article is dedicated to 3 patients lost in this past year—AK, EG, and AW—with heartfelt wishes to their families. Case Study “Ms Verona” was a 45-year-old female enrolled in an addictions treatment program and a mother of 7 children who struggled greatly with opioid addiction and anxiety. She was motivated to stop her opioid use, as it was taking a toll on her health and her family. Ms Verona’s children would sense their mother’s lack of engagement with them, as she was constantly preoccupied with how to mitigate the inevitable opioid withdrawal symptoms. She was a good candidate for buprenorphine therapy, as she met criteria for severe opioid use disorder, and she preferred partial agonist therapy as opposed to naltrexone and methadone. Ms Verona was inducted onto buprenorphine, and her dose subsequently increased to 16 mg total daily in order to adequately address opioid cravings. As treatment progressed, Ms Verona displayed a chronic tendency to arrive more than an hour late to appointments. Despite her tardiness, she would plead to still be seen, often citing traffic or lack of childcare arrangements. The psychiatrist, Dr Smith, would attempt to be flexible, given the understanding of treatment barriers stemming from social determinants of health, as well as recognizing the time-sensitive nature of buprenorphine refills; however, these accommodations were placing Dr Smith and the treatment team under time constraints in a busy clinic. Such accommodation would either cause the psychiatrist to be late for other appointments, or it would lead to the appointment with Ms Verona feeling rushed. After the patient was accommodated for lateness over a few visits, Dr Smith became aware of his growing countertransference toward Ms Verona. Dr Smith also questioned whether attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) may have been affecting her presentation. Ms Verona was noticeably circumstantial during sessions and required frequent redirection. She also described a childhood history with symptoms of difficulty concentrating. It was also explored whether her lateness was a manifestation of her inability to focus, organize, and prioritize. She often talked about having gotten Adderall “but not recently, doctor; I know you would not let me.” Dr Smith worked with Ms Verona in problem-solving therapy to help reduce treatment-interfering behaviors and promote punctuality. Ms Verona was also started on bupropion to target ongoing depressive symptoms and simultaneously provide a nonnarcotic option to treat attention-deficit symptoms. There was a concern for her using stimulants or other substances between appointments. Despite these treatment approaches, tardiness to her appointments continued and she appeared even sedated at times, despite negative urine drug screens. One day, Ms Verona was more than an hour late. She was informed that she could not be seen and had to be rescheduled. She was visibly upset and opted, likely due to splitting defense mechanism, to reschedule to see a different provider in the clinic when this boundary was set. After this, Ms Verona ended up seeing a different psychiatrist for the next 6 months. One day, Ms Verona’s former psychiatrist met with one of his active patients, Mr Kim, and the following dialog ensued: Dr Smith: “How are you doing today?” Mr Kim: “One of my friends passed away, and I’m attending the funeral. I think you actually used to treat her before.” Dr Smith: (Somewhat surprised) “I’m sorry to hear about the loss of your friend.” Mr Kim: “Yea, it was sad… she (Ms Verona) said she used to see you. She was still on buprenorphine, but the suspicion was that she was taking alprazolam the whole time she was in treatment and did not tell anybody, and it is a suspected unintentional overdose. I used to see her all the time, and she would be nodding off. You didn’t hear about this?” How Do Physicians Cope With Patient Suicide or Overdose? Dealing with the loss of a patient due to suicide or overdose has a significant impact on the treating physician and is not often talked about. There are a variety of factors that determine how a psychiatrist will be impacted in such a situation. Younger clinicians and trainees are often affected more adversely, as they have not been exposed to the scenario and may feel more vulnerable in terms of their experience and knowledge base.1 According to literature, about 25% to 60% of psychiatrists will report having a patient who died by suicide during their career.2 The number of physicians who lose patients to overdose is not known. However, the rate of overdoses involving opioids jumped by 200% from 2000 to 2014, and between 2013 to 2019, the synthetic opioid-involved death rate increased 1040%.3,4 The sheer magnitude of these numbers suggest that most physicians dealing with addiction must have been exposed to patient death by overdose. With these figures in mind, as well as the significant amount of perceived stigma and guilt surrounding disclosure of these outcomes, and with the fear of lawsuits that may occur in these situations, the overall emotional toll it can have on a clinician can be quite intense. The psychiatrist in this scenario was flooded with feelings of guilt related to potential responsibility for the outcome. In addition, there is a possibility of additional emotions of anger toward the patient who was already deceased. We hear team members often saying, “Oh, but they were doing so well,” or “So sad—they stayed off heroin but could not keep off meth.” When one is processing the suicide of a patient, one should be mindful to not isolate oneself. Efforts should be conducted to reach out to colleagues, as it is likely they would have dealt with similar experiences in the past and can normalize and validate the experience. Discussion of experiences and coping mechanisms may have therapeutic effects for physicians going through such experiences. Clinicians, as part of an organization or group practice, can utilize case conferences—a pragmatic, systematic, and therapeutic approach to exploring the case outcome in more detail. Risk management reviews or meetings could help with apprehension about any impending or perceived lawsuits. This is especially important for clinicians in private practice, who may be more isolated given their work environment structure. The message we need to hear is that a patient loss does not undo or discard the multitude of meaningful life-changing and life-preserving work done with both living and deceased patients. Support and validation go a long way in reminding us why we do what we do. How Can We Promote Honesty About Recurrence of Substance Use? When treating substance use disorders (SUDs), it may be helpful to try to acknowledge and normalize the fear of disclosure of relapses, as well as to emphasize the importance of honesty in recovery from the very beginning of treatment. Although feelings of guilt and internal shame are common, they are not easy to talk about for patients. Whereas the patient may perceive recurrence of use as “starting from scratch,” the clinician can reframe a recurrence of use as a learning point and a way to troubleshoot the circumstances surrounding the use. Being too harsh or strict with the patient may backfire, lead to sustain-talk, erode the therapeutic alliance, and provoke even more feelings of guilt or shame. Relapses sometimes occur because being off substances uncovers a cooccurring mental illness, or because of stress in real life, to which patients with SUDs are more susceptible. By definition, addiction is a relapsing and remitting illness. Similarly, depression is also a relapsing and remitting illness, but no one benefits from being kicked out of treatment for having a recurrent depressive episode. Thus, patients should not be terminated from treatment for recurrence of use as if often done—they should actually receive more intense care when in a greater time of need. Although recurrence of use might have clinical significance on modifying treatment plans, patients should be informed that using is only a setback if they do not seek further treatment to address it. Patients may be relieved if asked about any internalized and unfounded fear they may have about being terminated from treatment if they divulge recurrence of use. If a patient states that they are feeling punished for having more frequent visits during recurrence of use, it may help to first empathize with concerns and then reframe the change in treatment plans as a goal toward well-being as opposed to punishment. Utilization of motivational interviewing may be helpful if the patient is still ambivalent about recovery. It is crucial for a provider to have a nonjudgmental approach toward relapses, both past and present. Subconscious criticism, even in the form of subtle body language, can promote denial or reliance on more primitive defense mechanisms in a patient and lead to poorer treatment outcomes, especially if the patient has a harsh superego or difficulty with trusting others. Previous recurrence of use may lead some patients to think they are a lost cause and lack the willpower and discipline that might be needed for recovery. Internalizing this belief is characte...

Columbia University Falls To No. 18 From No. 2 In U.S. News College Rankings https://digitalalaskanews.com/columbia-university-falls-to-no-18-from-no-2-in-u-s-news-college-rankings/ Columbia University recently confirmed it reported incorrect figures in two categories to the U.S. News & World Report college rankings.Photo: Mark Lennihan/Associated Press Updated Sept. 13, 2022 10:50 am ET Columbia University fell to No. 18 in this year’s U.S. News & World Report college rankings, down from No. 2 last year, after the school recently admitted to incorrectly reporting data for the list. The latest rankings of the country’s top colleges, announced Monday, comes after the Ivy League school drew attention in recent months over the information it submitted for the list. Until then, Columbia had hovered near the top spot for years. Read More Here

How To Get To Royal Caribbean's Cruise Terminals And How Much Parking Will Cost https://digitalalaskanews.com/how-to-get-to-royal-caribbeans-cruise-terminals-and-how-much-parking-will-cost/ A lot of cruise ship passengers will drive to their port of embarkation, whether with their own vehicle or in a ride share and you might be wondering how to get there. Cruise ship terminals are usually well-marked and have a reasonable amount of signage to indicate which exit they are located at, but it can be confusing which one is the right terminal. Even in this age of mobile apps providing GPS directions to just about anywhere, if you don’t pinpoint the right spot, you may end up driving in the wrong direction. In an effort to provide a simple list of cruise ship terminals and associated parking information, here is what you should know about where to go at each of the major cruise ports Royal Caribbean sails from in the United States and what the parking situation is like at each port. Miami PortMiami has two possible cruise terminals Royal Caribbean sails from: Terminals A and G, but you’ll probably end up sailing from Terminal A. In fact, Oasis Class ships always sail from Terminal A. Address Terminal A: 2000 N Cruise Blvd, Miami, FL 33132 Terminal G: 1103 N Cruise Blvd, Miami, FL 33132 Driving Directions From Miami International Airport (7 miles): Via Port Tunnel: Take 836 East through the toll.  Continue onto FL836 E/I-395 E, then keep right to merge onto MacArthur Causeway.   Use the left 2 lanes to take the exit towards Port of Miami Tunnel and follow the signs to your pier terminal.  Via Port Bridge: Take 836 East through the toll.     Exit at US1 N.E. 2nd Avenue/Biscayne Boulevard, proceed straight through one light, and then turn right at the second light onto Biscayne Boulevard (US1).  Stay in your left-hand lane and turn left into the Port of Miami on N.E. 5th Street.  Drive across the bridge and follow signs to your pier terminal.     From Ft. Lauderdale International (26 miles): Via Port Tunnel: Take I-95 South to Exit 2D toward I-395 E/Miami Beach.  Merge onto MacArthur Causeway.  Use the left 2 lanes to take the exit towards Port of Miami Tunnel and follow the signs for your pier terminal. Via Port Bridge: Take I-95 South to Exit 3B, N.W. 8th Street.  Turn left onto 5th Street and continue straight until you reach the Port of Miami entrance.  Drive across the bridge and follow signs to your pier terminal.  Parking Costs Royal Caribbean Terminal A Garage rates as of January 15, 2022: For sailings 6 days or more – the rate will remain the same – $25 per night For sailings 5 nights or less – the new rate will be $28 per night Other garages and lots: Long term (overnight or greater), per vehicle, per space, per day or fraction of $22 Fort Lauderdale The cruise terminals in Fort Lauderdale are known as Port Everglades, and Royal Caribbean has two terminals it sails from: Terminal 18 and Terminal 29. Generally, most ships sail from Terminal 18. Passengers should follow the port’s digital signage upon arrival to guide them to the correct terminal. Address Terminal 18: 1901 SE 19th Ave, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33316 Terminal 29: Port Everglades Terminal 29, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33316 Driving Directions From Fort Lauderdale International Airport (5 miles): Exit the airport and follow signs for I-595 East/Port Everglades. Continue to the last exit on I-595 East and follow the signs to Port Everglades. This will automatically take you to the Port Everglades security entrance. From there, follow the directional signs for your designated ship’s pier terminal. From Miami International Airport (30 miles): Take 836 East to I-95 North. Exit I-95 North at 595 East. Follow 595 to the end; then follow the Port Everglades signs. Parking Costs Rates are $15 USD per day for the regular vehicles and $19 for the oversized vehicles (rates subject to change without notice by the Port Authority). Orlando Port Canaveral is the name of the port area that Royal Caribbean markets as Orlando, and it’s where you’ll find ships sailing primarily out of Terminal 1. When there are multiple ships, Royal Caribbean will use other terminals as well, such as Terminal 5. Address Terminal 1: 9050 Discovery Rd, Port Canaveral, FL 32920 Terminal 5: 9245 Charles M Rowland Dr, Cape Canaveral, FL 32920 Driving Directions From Orlando International Airport (MCO): Approximately 45 minutes west of Port Canaveral. Take the North exit from the airport, staying to the right on SR 528 East. Take SR 528 East all the way to Port Canaveral. Upon approaching the port area, follow the signs indicating Port Canaveral Cruise Terminals B Side. Parking Costs 3 Nights/4 Days – $68.00 4 Nights/5 Days – $85.00 5 Nights/6 Days – $102.00 6 Nights/7 Days – $119.00 7 Nights/8 Days – $136.00 8 Nights/9 Days – $153.00 Galveston Royal Caribbean’s home port in Texas is in the coastal island of Galveston, where Royal Caribbean is transitioning to a new cruise terminal in November 2022. Address Cruise Terminal 2: 2702 Harborside Dr, Galveston, TX 77550 New cruise terminal: 1028 Harborside Dr, Galveston, TX 77550 Driving Directions From Hobby (HOU) Airport: Turn right onto Eastex FRWY/US-59 Merge onto US-59 S via the ramp- on the left. Take I-45 south to Exit 1C, and turn left (east) onto Harborside Drive/Hwy 275. Continue about 4.7 miles to Kempner / 22nd street (which is the street leading into the Cruise Ship Terminal entrance), and turn left. The are adjacent to the terminal is for loading/unloading luggage curbside only. From George Bush International Airport (IAH): Exit the airport and turn right onto Eastex FRWY/US-59. Merge onto US-59 S via the ramp- on the left. Take I-45 south to Exit 1C, and turn left (east) onto Harborside Drive/Hwy 275. Continue about 4.7 miles to Kempner / 22nd street (which is the street leading into the Cruise Ship Terminal entrance), and turn left. The are adjacent to the terminal is for loading/unloading luggage curbside only. Parking Costs There are three parking lots available and can be booked in advance directly from the Port of Galveston’s website. There are three lots at Cruise Terminal 3: the North Lot, South Lot, and Pier 14 Lot. Length of Cruise Economy Lots Park and Ride           Express Lot & SMP Parking Garage Park and Walk (NO SHUTTLE)   Four Days $65.00 $80.00 Five Days $70.00 $90.00 Six Days $80.00 $105.00 Seven Days $95.00 $120.00 Eight Days $110.00 $135.00   Cape Liberty, New Jersey Unlike other cruise lines, Royal Caribbean sails out of New Jersey instead of New York City. The good news is it’s easier to get to without city traffic. Cape Liberty is in the Port of Bayonne, just a few minutes from Newark International Airport. There is just one cruise terminal in Cape Liberty, so it’s easy to find where to go. Address 4 Port Terminal Blvd, Bayonne, NJ 07002 Driving Directions From Newark International Airport (9 miles): Exit the airport, following signs to the NJ Turnpike. Take the NJ Turnpike to exit 14A. Pay toll at exit and continue straight (after traffic light onto bridge) onto Route 440. Follow signs for Route 440 South. Continue on Route 440 South to Port Terminal Blvd. Turn left at Port Terminal Blvd. (there is a traffic light at the intersection). This is the entrance for the “Peninsula at Bayonne Harbor” or the old “Military Ocean Terminal Bayonne.” Continue straight and approach the guard gate. Continue past the guard gate and follow the signs to the cruise terminal. From NJ Turnpike north or south: Exit the airport, following signs to the NJ Turnpike. Take the NJ Turnpike to exit 14A. Pay toll at exit and continue straight (after traffic light onto bridge) onto Route 440. Follow signs for Route 440 South. Continue on Route 440 South to Port Terminal Blvd. Turn left at Port Terminal Blvd. (there is a traffic light at the intersection). This is the entrance for the “Peninsula at Bayonne Harbor” or the old “Military Ocean Terminal Bayonne.” Continue straight and approach the guard gate. Continue past the guard gate and follow the signs to the cruise terminal. Parking Costs Parking fees are $25 per day including all taxes for the parking garage at the terminal. Oversized vehicles, such as campers and RV’s, that occupy more than one space, will be charged double the normal rate. The height restriction of the garage is 7’ 4”. There is an open lot adjacent to the parking garage to accommodate vehicles with height restrictions. Tampa Cruises from Tampa have two possible terminals your ship could sail from: Terminal 2 or Terminal 3. Luckily, both terminals are adjacent to each other. Address Terminal 2: 651 Channelside Dr, Tampa, FL 33602 Terminal 3: 815 Channelside Dr, Tampa, FL 33602 Driving Directions From Tampa International Airport (10 miles): Exit the Airport and follow signs to I-275 North. I-275 merges with I-4 East. Take I-4 East to Exit #1 (Ybor City). Go south on 21st Street, turn right on Adamo Drive (Hwy 60). Turnleft (south) on Channelside Drive. Cruise Terminal 3 main entrance is approximately 5 blocks South on Channelside Drive. Entrance is on the left at Cumberland Street. In the event of a last minute change in pier assignments, signage will indicate the assigned terminal for your particular ship. Parking Costs Parking will cost $15 Per Day.  A valet option has a one time fee of $20 on top of the $15 daily rate.  Baltimore Cruises from Baltimore offer a convenient departure for the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States from the South Locust Point Cruise Terminal. Address South Locust Point Cruise Terminal: 2001 E McComas St, Baltimore, MD 21230 Driving Directions Traveling from the south: Follow I-95 North to Exit 55, Key Highway. From the ramp, stay straight on East McComas Street. The South Locust Point Cruise Terminal’s entrance is on the ...

King Charles III And Camilla Visit Northern Ireland As Thousands Of Mourners File Past Queen's Coffin | CNN https://digitalalaskanews.com/king-charles-iii-and-camilla-visit-northern-ireland-as-thousands-of-mourners-file-past-queens-coffin-cnn/ CNN  —  King Charles III and his wife Camilla, the Queen Consort, visited Northern Ireland on Tuesday, as thousands of people filed past the Queen’s coffin lying in state in Edinburgh. This is Charles’ first trip to Northern Ireland as the United Kingdom’s new monarch, following in the footsteps of his mother, who was seen as a symbol of the union and was an important figure during Northern Ireland’s peace process. Tuesday’s historic visit saw the King arrive at the royal residence, Hillsborough Castle, where he greeted the public and looked at floral tributes. There he met with the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, Chris Heaton-Harris, and the leaders of Northern Ireland’s biggest political parties. Charles and Camilla received a message of condolence by the Speaker of the Northern Ireland Assembly Alex Maskey, to which the King replied: “In the years since she began her long life of public service, my mother saw Northern Ireland pass through momentous and historic changes. Through all those years, she never ceased to pray for the best of times for this place and for its people.” King Charles added that he would follow his mother’s example of dedicating “herself to her country and her people and to maintain the principles of constitutional government.” Following the reception at the castle, the King and the Queen Consort arrived at St. Anne’s Cathedral in Belfast for an afternoon service of prayer and reflection. They will be introduced to faith and community leaders from across Northern Ireland. More than 800 people are expected to take part in the religious service, which was also attended by UK Prime Minister Liz Truss. His visit comes at an uneasy moment for Northern Ireland, where political tensions are high and key issues around Brexit remain unresolved. While the majority of the country voted to remain in the European Union in the 2016 referendum, the UK’s ruling Conservative Party signed a Brexit deal that created new customs barriers between Northern Ireland and mainland Britain. Queen Elizabeth II was the monarch for 70 years of Northern Ireland’s 101-year history. She was Queen during the 30 bloody years of violence known as “The Troubles,” which pitted UK unionists against Irish nationalists, with the British Crown emblematic of much that divided the province. Unionists are loyal to the Crown and the traditional British values they believe it enshrines. For Irish nationalists, it is the symbol of the British forces who subjugated their ancestors and annexed their land. Louis Mountbatten, the last British Viceroy to India and Charles’ favorite great-uncle, was murdered by the Irish Republicans along with several of his grandchildren in 1979. The Queen publicly put aside those differences during a 2012 visit to Northern Ireland, shaking the hand of Martin McGuinness, one of the republicans most associated with the violence of the past. Charles also shook hands with Gerry Adams in 2015, seen as another milestone in the fragile peace process as Adams had long been associated with the Irish Republican Army (IRA), once considered the armed wing of Sinn Fein which is now the largest party in Northern Ireland. Sinn Fein, the nationalist party which is pressing for a united Ireland, did not attend Sunday’s proclamation of King Charles at Hillsborough Castle. The King and the Queen Consort will return to London later on Tuesday. In Edinburgh, mourners queued outside St. Giles’ Cathedral on Monday evening for their turn to pay their respects to Queen Elizabeth II’s coffin inside the cathedral. The queue to the cathedral closed to the public on Tuesday afternoon. Later in the day, the Queen’s coffin is expected to be carried out of St. Giles’ and flown to London before being driven to Buckingham Palace to rest in the Bow Room overnight. The Scottish government said more than 26,000 people got to pay their last respects to the Queen. To get updates on the British Royal Family sent to your inbox, sign up for CNN’s Royal News newsletter. Read More Here

How To Follow Primary Elections In New Hampshire, Rhode Island And Delaware – Local News 8 https://digitalalaskanews.com/how-to-follow-primary-elections-in-new-hampshire-rhode-island-and-delaware-local-news-8/ By Shania Shelton, Melissa Holzberg DePalo and Ethan Cohen, CNN It’s primary election day in New Hampshire, Rhode Island and Delaware. As primary season comes to an end on Tuesday, most eyes will be on New Hampshire as voters will decide which Republican who will take on Democratic Sen. Maggie Hassan in November. In the state’s 1st Congressional District, there is a GOP primary where the nominee will challenge Democratic Rep. Chris Pappas in a key House race this fall. In addition to both parties selecting a nominee for governor in Rhode Island, the race to replace retiring Democratic Rep. Jim Langevin in the state’s 2nd Congressional District is on the ballot. While Delaware will not hold any primaries for Congress or governor, the state will hold local and some lower-profile statewide primaries. Here’s everything you need to know: In New Hampshire, the highest-profile race will be the GOP primary for the US Senate seat. Don Bolduc, a retired Army brigadier general, is facing off with state Senate President Chuck Morse. Fearing that Bolduc could jeopardize their chances of unseating Hassan, some Republicans have been pouring money into the race to try to boost Morse. The winner will take on Hassan, who is seeking a second term. Granite State Republicans in the 1st District will also choose their nominee to face Rep. Chris Pappas, who is seeking a third term, in November. Top contenders in the crowded primary include: Matt Mowers, who worked as an adviser in the State Department in former President Donald Trump’s administration; Karoline Leavitt, who was an assistant press secretary in Trump’s administration; Gail Huff Brown, the wife of former Massachusetts Sen. Scott Brown; and state Rep. Tim Baxter. In Rhode Island, there is a full slate of primaries, including in the state’s open 2nd Congressional District. Democratic Rep. Jim Langevin opened up a competitive Democratic primary for the seat when he announced his retirement in January. Rhode Island Treasurer Seth Magaziner has raised the most amount of money in the race but was unable to clear the field. Magaziner faces opposition from several Democrats, including Sarah Morgenthau, who was the director of the Peace Corps Response under former President Barack Obama; David Segal who once served in the state legislature and ran a failed congressional race in 2010; and Joy Fox, who worked as communications director for Langevin and former Gov. Gina Raimondo. The winner will face Republican Allan Fung, who is unopposed, in November. In the Democratic gubernatorial primary, Gov. Dan McKee is seeking his first full term after being elevated from lieutenant governor last year after Gina Raimondo became President Joe Biden’s commerce secretary. McKee faces opposition from a few Democrats, including Rhode Island Secretary of State Nellie Gorbea and former CVS president Helena Foulkes. Businesswoman Ashley Kalus is the favorite to win in the Republican primary. The last time a Republican won the governorship was in 2002. How to follow CNN’s election coverage You can follow along with results on CNN.com and with our live updates. CNN’s decision desk will be monitoring results and will make projections accordingly. What time do polls close? In New Hampshire, polls close at 7 p.m., 7:30 p.m. and 8 p.m. ET. Mail ballots must be received by 5 p.m. on Tuesday. In Rhode Island, polls close at 8 p.m. ET. Mail-in ballots must be returned by poll close on Tuesday. In Delaware, polls close at 8 p.m. ET. Mail-in ballots must be returned by poll close on Tuesday. Election resources CNN has numerous election-related resources available to readers: 4 things to watch for on the final primary day of 2022: On Tuesday, Granite State Republicans are hoping to flip key Democratic-held Senate and House seats. In Rhode Island, the action is largely centered around the governor’s race. The GOP primary in New Hampshire’s 1st District is defined more by style than substance: Republicans Matt Mowers and Karoline Leavitt are in a bitter fight that is more about style than substance, one that has fractured Republican loyalties and highlighted how running on Trump’s policies in a Republican primary is often not as potent as running like Trump himself. New Hampshire’s GOP primary will complete the Senate battleground map: In an evenly divided Senate, where Republicans need a net gain of just one seat to flip the chamber, Hassan is one of four key Democratic incumbents Republicans are looking to pick off this year. Republicans look to avert a complicating primary result in New Hampshire: The prospect that Bolduc, who ran unsuccessfully for the Senate in 2020, could win Tuesday’s contest has set off a frantic burst of Republican spending looking to boost Morse. New Hampshire Gov. Sununu endorses Chuck Morse days before Senate GOP primary: Sununu cast his support for Morse as a bet on the candidate with the best chance to defeat the Democratic incumbent in the general election. The-CNN-Wire & © 2022 Cable News Network, Inc., a Warner Bros. Discovery Company. All rights reserved. Read More Here

Bits N’ Pieces From East, West And Beyond https://digitalalaskanews.com/bits-n-pieces-from-east-west-and-beyond/ by Compiled by Lorraine H. Marie | September 13, 2022 7:00 AM East, west or beyond, sooner or later events elsewhere may have a local impact. A recent sampling: Ultra-rich tax evaders under-report their income by an estimated $600 billion a year, NPR reported. The recently signed Inflation Reduction Act has allotted $80 billion for the IRS for helping them address big-timers’ tax dodging. The return is expected to be $220 billion in tax revenue over the next decade, according to The Washington Post. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen stated that IRS audits on small businesses or households earning less than $400,000 annually will not increase. The Center on Budget and Policy Priorities says the top 1% of tax filers “who account for 28% of the tax gap.” Polling by Data for Progress shows 86% of voters are concerned that Social Security benefits for those who currently receive them will be reduced. There appears to be a reason for that: under the George W. Bush administration, SS privatization was proposed (but quietly disappeared when the stock market was ailing), and more recently the National Republican Senatorial Committee chair, Sen. Rick Scott, released an 11-point plan (Rescue America) that could end SS and Medicare after five years. According to Global Forest Watch data, the amount of trees burned has doubled over the last 20 years. Causes are higher temps and drier conditions, from climate change. Most of the loss was in Russia. A Global Forest Watch analyst noted that both trees and soil store carbon, which can be released with a fire. The analyst said about 50% of national fire budgets are dedicated to responding to fires, with less than 1% dedicated to preparing and planning. The UN predicts a 50% increase in extreme fires by century’s end. Alzheimer’s research is under question after it was revealed that a 2006 Nature paper may have been “deliberately manipulated,” The Guardian reported. Attempts by scientists to replicate the research that has underpinned studies since then have not been successful. The National Institute on Aging says six million Americans are believed to be diagnosed with Alzheimer’s; conventional doctors regard it as untreatable. But there are people who have reversed their Alzheimer’s and their stories can be found in The First Survivors of Alzheimer’s, with info about the program’s peer-reviewed studies. Two companion books by author and neuroscientist Dr. Dale Bredesen explain details of the program, and why each person’s healing path will vary (which explains why a single all-purpose pill has failed). Weather whiplash is the latest term for climate change events that include flash flooding and “flash droughts.” Rain in Texas recently fell at the second highest rate since 1932, triggering floods and rescues. Earlier in July extreme heat and drought in Texas killed corn crops. And, numerous media report, people across Louisiana, Arkansas and Texas are under flood watches. In Europe the drought is deemed the worst in at least 500 years. And China is suffering record high temps and severe drought, crippling the economy due to compromised hydropower production and shutting down many factories. A 29-year-old Russian woman, referred to as “Putin’s brain,” died in a Moscow-area car bombing, CBS reported. Russia is blaming Ukraine, but others disagree. Donald Trump’s long-time chief financial officer for the Trump Organization pleaded guilty recently to conspiring with the former president’s company to commit numerous crimes, including tax evasion, The New York Times reported. To reduce his prison time, Weisselberg will share information about the Trump Organization, but not about Trump. Documents at Mar-A Lago: In recent months Trump White House attorneys have talked with the FBI about returning stolen documents. Two witnesses have claimed that Trump refused their return, claiming “It’s not theirs, it’s mine,” The New York Times reported. A National Archives review of the material seized from Trump’s home showed hundreds of classified and improperly retained documents, The Guardian said. Security camera footage is also being reviewed, which shows people taking boxes in and out of storage area in question. The Justice Department wants to look at more of that footage. After bragging that his father “killed” the Bushes and Clintons, Eric Trump said, “Last night he killed the Cheneys,” referring to Sen. Liz Cheney’s recent (sizable) primary loss. Financial Times writer Edward Luce noted that in his career of covering extremism and violent ideologies worldwide, he’d never come across “a political force more nihilistic, dangerous and contemptible than today’s Republicans. Nothing close.” Former CIA Director Michael Hayden affirmed, “I agree. And I was the CIA Director.” Blast from the past: A year ago the U.S. ended its longest war. Tens of thousands of Afghan people fled, some on foot. TIME magazine provided bios of how seven Afghan women have adjusted to their new lives, leaving behind freedoms (getting an education, participating is society) they had enjoyed for 20 years, but lost when the Taliban took over. One of those who fled asked “how can a regime that ignores half of society survive?” Another, now living in London, is surprised by how the government accepts people from different backgrounds and “everyone seems to love each other.” A 31-year-old woman now in France managed to arrange for her family to go to Canada, but doesn’t know if she’ll see them again. All wish they had been able to stay – Taliban-free – with family and loved ones in Afghanistan. Read More Here

AP News Summary At 10:02 A.m. EDT https://digitalalaskanews.com/ap-news-summary-at-1002-a-m-edt/ Ukraine piles pressure on retreating Russian troops KHARKIV, Ukraine (AP) — Ukrainian troops are piling pressure on retreating Russian forces. They’re pressing a counteroffensive that has produced major gains and a stunning blow to Moscow’s military prestige. It was not yet clear if the Ukrainian blitz in the northeast after months of little discernible movement could signal a turning point in the nearly seven-month war. But the country’s officials were buoyant Tuesday. They released footage showing their forces burning Russian flags and inspecting abandoned charred tanks. Momentum has switched back and forth before, but rarely with such a big and sudden swing. US inflation slows for 2nd month but remains stubbornly high WASHINGTON (AP) — Sharply lower prices for gas and cheaper used cars slowed U.S. inflation in August for a second straight month, though many other items rose in price, indicating that inflation remains a heavy burden for American households. Consumer prices surged 8.3% in August compared with a year earlier. Though still painfully high, that was down from an 8.5% jump in July and a four-decade high of 9.1% in June. On a monthly basis, prices rose 0.1% after a flat reading in July. And excluding the volatile food and energy categories, so-called core prices jumped 0.6% from July to August, higher than many economists had expected and a sign of inflation’s persistence. King cheered in Belfast, queen’s coffin to return to London BELFAST, Northern Ireland (AP) — Cheering crowds have greeted King Charles III in Northern Ireland on his tour of the four parts of the United Kingdom. Charles and his wife Camilla, the Queen Consort,  sometimes used both hands to reach out to people, including schoolchildren in bright blue uniforms. The visit drew a rare moment of unity from politicians in a region with a contested British and Irish identity that is deeply divided over the monarchy. In Edinburgh, Scotland, thousands of people lined up through the night to pay their last respects to Queen Elizabeth II. On Monday night, Charles and his siblings Anne, Andrew and Edward briefly stood vigil at their mother’s flag-draped coffin as members of the public filed past. Trump’s PAC faces scrutiny amid intensifying legal probes WASHINGTON (AP) — Former President Donald Trump is sitting on top of more than $115 million across several political committees. Trump has positioned himself as a uniquely indomitable force in the Republican Party and would almost certainly have the resources to swamp his rivals if he launched another presidential campaign. But that massive pile of money is also emerging as a potential vulnerability. Trump’s chief fundraising vehicle, the Save America PAC, is under new legal scrutiny after the Justice Department issued a round of grand jury subpoenas that have included questions about the political action committee’s fundraising practices. Emmy Moments: A winner’s joy — in song — lifts Emmy night Sheryl Lee Ralph was already in tears on the pre-show red carpet, when presented with a video of support from a beloved aunt. But then came her victory as best supporting actress in a comedy. In the feel-good moment of the night, the 66-year-old first time winner sang the opening of an empowering song, “Endangered Species.” It was an Emmy show that rewarded previous winners in several major categories: “Succession” and “Ted Lasso,” the big winners in drama and comedy, were repeat winners, as were a number of actors. Still, there were new and groundbreaking wins like that of actor Lee Jung-jae of “Squid Game,” the first Asian to win the award. A piece of the queen: New souvenirs mark monarch’s death LONDON (AP) — Just days after the death of Queen Elizabeth II, unofficial souvenirs have rolled out at royal-themed gift shops in London and online marketplaces like Amazon and Etsy. One shop near Buckingham Palace says it pushed its suppliers to work overnight to get mementos ready by Saturday, just two days after the death of Britain’s longest-serving monarch. Now, people have the option to buy fridge magnets, flags, mugs and T-shirts with the queen’s likeness and the dates of her 70-year reign. Some shops say items depicting the new monarch, King Charles III, are on their way. Official merchandise will take longer to arrive to approved vendors, who have suspended sales of royal souvenirs out of respect for the mourning period. Alex Jones faces second trial over Sandy Hook hoax claims WATERBURY, Conn. (AP) — A Connecticut jury is set to hear opening arguments about how much money conspiracy theorist Alex Jones should pay relatives of victims of the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting for calling the massacre a hoax. The trial is scheduled to begin Tuesday in Waterbury, only 18 miles from Newtown, where 20 children and six educators were killed in 2012. Lawyers for the Sandy Hook families say Jones caused the families emotional and psychological harm. Jones says he now believes the shooting did occur, but has cited free speech rights in saying it was a hoax. A Texas jury last month ordered Jones to pay nearly $50 million in damages to Sandy Hook parents in a similar lawsuit over the hoax lies. EXPLAINER: Why Twitter’s former security head is testifying Peiter Zatko, the former Twitter security chief who’s accused the company of negligence with privacy and security in a whistleblower complaint will testify before Congress on Tuesday. Zatko is well-respected in the cybersecurity space, which gives his complaints extra weight. But he has little documentary support for his claims — unlike the Facebook whistleblower, Frances Haugen, whose complaint last year included troves of internal documents from the company now called Meta. Twitter calls Zatko’s description of events “a false narrative.” Zatko’s accusations are also playing into Elon Musk’s battle with Twitter to get out of his $44 billion bid to buy the company. Armenia says 49 soldiers killed in attacks by Azerbaijan YEREVAN, Armenia (AP) — Azerbaijani forces have shelled Armenia’s territory in a large-scale attack that the Armenian prime minister said killed at least 49 Armenian soldiers. The Armenian Defense Ministry said Azerbaijani forces unleashed an artillery barrage and drone attacks early Tuesday. Azerbaijan said its forces returned fire after Armenian troops allegedly planted mines and repeatedly fired on Azerbaijani military positions, resulting in unspecified casualties. Russia has sought to maintain friendly ties with both ex-Soviet nations and moved quickly to broker a cease-fire, but Armenia’s Defense Ministry says fighting continued as Azerbaijani troops tried to advance into Armenian territory. Tuesday’s attack fueled fears of broader hostilities breaking out between the longtime adversaries. In Arizona, worry about access to Colorado River water TUCSON, Ariz. (AP) — In Arizona, water officials are concerned, though not panicking, about getting water in the future from the Colorado River as its levels decline and the federal government talks about the need for states in the Colorado River Basin to reduce use. Tucson, Goodyear and Scottsdale are the most dependent of Arizona cities on river water delivered through the Central Arizona Project, a $4 billion, 336-mile-long canal system running from the river to the Phoenix and Tucson areas. While all these cities have backup supplies, led by groundwater, to cushion them in the short- to medium-term in the event of river water cuts, their long-term picture is more uncertain. Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Read More Here

The GOP Primary In New Hampshire's 1st District Is Defined More By Style Than Substance – KTVZ https://digitalalaskanews.com/the-gop-primary-in-new-hampshires-1st-district-is-defined-more-by-style-than-substance-ktvz/ By Dan Merica, CNN They both worked for Donald Trump and have centered their congressional campaigns on the former President’s policies. But in Tuesday’s race to be the Republican nominee in New Hampshire‘s 1st Congressional District, Republicans Matt Mowers and Karoline Leavitt are in a bitter fight that is more about style than substance, one that has fractured Republican loyalties and highlighted how running on Trump’s policies in a Republican primary is often not as potent as running like Trump himself. Mowers and Leavitt are seen as the top two candidates in a sprawling field of Republicans seeking to take on Rep. Chris Pappas, one of the most vulnerable House Democrats in the country. With election forecasters tempering their months-old predictions of an overwhelming red wave election for Republicans this November, operatives on the right are looking at targets like Pappas as must-wins if the GOP is going to win control of the chamber. “Watching these two try to out-Trump each other, with Matt trying to walk a fine line between talking up his Trump administration bona fides while also preserving his electability in a general election… has allowed an opening for Leavitt, who is running as this pure Trump, election-denying candidate,” said Fergus Cullen, a former chair of the New Hampshire Republican Party who is voting for Russell Prescott, a former member of the New Hampshire Executive Council. Cullen said he won’t vote for Leavitt if she wins the nomination — “New Hampshire doesn’t need a Marjorie Taylor Greene or a Lauren Boebert representing us,” he said — a feeling that highlights the fears about a Leavitt win. Recent polling shows the race is deadlocked. A Granite State Poll conducted by the University of New Hampshire and released in late August found Mowers at 26% and Leavitt at 24%, within the survey’s margin of error. A significant 26% of likely Republican primary voters were undecided. Mowers’ ties to New Hampshire go back to the 2014 election cycle, when he worked as the executive director of the New Hampshire Republican State Committee. In the 2016 cycle, Mowers initially worked for Chris Christie as the New Jersey governor sought the GOP presidential nomination. But when Christie’s campaign failed, Mowers went to work for Trump’s campaign and, after the Republican’s victory, the State Department. Mowers, with Trump’s backing, then unsuccessfully challenged Pappas in 2020. By comparison, Leavitt is more of a political newcomer. After graduating from Saint Anselm College in 2019, the Republican went to work in the Trump White House. She eventually became assistant press secretary under White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany. After Trump’s loss, she went to work for Rep. Elise Stefanik, now the third-ranking House Republican. Although Mowers is running on Trump-backed policy — his website blares “Drain the Swamp” and has an entire page on “Election Integrity” — his style is more measured than the brand of politics that has defined Trump’s orbit of political acolytes, a caution that has opened the door to the more aggressive Leavitt. Recent debates in the primary have highlighted these stylistic differences. Earlier this month, when Mowers was asked if he had confidence in elections, the candidate said, “I have confidence in New Hampshire elections,” but added that there was space to “get better.” That wasn’t good enough for Leavitt, who lambasted Mowers and echoed Trump’s lies about the 2020 election. “I consistently continue to be the only candidate in this race who said that I believe the 2020 election was undoubtedly stolen from President Trump,” Leavitt said, turning her attack on Mowers by noting that he voted twice in the 2016 primary and saying Mowers agrees with Joe Biden that the President “legitimately won more votes than Donald Trump.” “I reject that,” she says. These differences continued when asked whether Biden should be impeached. Leavitt was unequivocal. “Yes,” she said, citing border security. Mowers was more cautious, calling for “hearings to look into these things.” After the debate, which was hosted by WMUR, Leavitt put a finer point on her strategy: “Voters are finally waking up to who Matt Mowers is. He is a go-along, get-along politician who cannot answer a straight question,” she told the outlet. The race has divided House leadership, too. Reps. Kevin McCarthy and Steve Scalise, the top two Republicans in the House, have both endorsed Mowers. Leavitt, in addition to Stefanik’s support, also picked up endorsements from some of her party’s more far right leaders, like Reps. Jim Jordan and Boebert. Money has flooded the race, with millions being spent to try to protect Mowers from a Leavitt surge. Congressional Leadership Fund, the predominant House Republican super PAC, has spent nearly $2 million defending Mowers. Defending Main Street, a centrist Republican super PAC, has spent $1.2 million with ads that say Leavitt “pretends she is a conservative” and call her “woke,” “immature” and “irresponsible.” Leavitt has responded to the outside spending with $285,000 of her own spending, including on an ad that attacks Mowers for voting in both New Hampshire an New Jersey during the 2016 primaries, accuses him of trying to “sabotage President Trump” and labels him a “another swamp doormat.” She has also tried to turn the deluge of money against her into an attack against Mowers, venting on Twitter that she was “officially the top target of DC’s money machine” because “the Establishment knows I am the greatest threat to their handpick puppet Matt Mowers.” Democrats have watched the primary with a mix of trepidation, joy and concern. Collin Gately, a Pappas spokesperson, said the Republican primary has been dominated by “extremism and ugliness” and that none the candidates “have a clue about how to help New Hampshire families, and voters will reject their extreme agenda.” But even the most upbeat members of the party acknowledge that Pappas is vulnerable. Still, many believe that the contentious GOP primary — along with the fact that the race is concluding in September, less than two months before the general election — could help the New Hampshire Democrat win. Pappas has already begun distancing himself from Biden. The same University of New Hampshire poll found 54% of New Hampshire adults disapproved of Biden’s performance, while 43% approved. In response to the President’s plan to cancel some student loan debate, Pappas said it “should be more targeted and paid for so it doesn’t add to the deficit.” And he knocked Biden’s description of Trump’s following as “semi-fascist” days before the primary, telling reporters that Biden “has to be careful not to paint with too broad of a brush.” Mowers is married to a senior video producer at CNN. The-CNN-Wire & © 2022 Cable News Network, Inc., a Warner Bros. Discovery Company. All rights reserved. CNN’s David Wright contributed to this report. Read More Here

Post Politics Now: Biden To Host White House Celebration Of The Inflation Reduction Act https://digitalalaskanews.com/post-politics-now-biden-to-host-white-house-celebration-of-the-inflation-reduction-act/ Today, thousands of supporters from across the country are expected at the White House as President Biden stages a celebration of the Inflation Reduction Act, a sprawling new law that aims to lower prescription drug costs, address global warming, raise taxes on some billion-dollar corporations and reduce the federal deficit. Biden and fellow Democrats are trying to promote the bill in advance of the November midterm elections, citing it as evidence that their party can get important things done in Washington. Hours ahead of the event, the federal government is scheduled to release the consumer price index for August, offering a snapshot of the state of inflation. Both parties are eager to spin the numbers, with Biden arguing that he is trying to rein in inflation, while Republicans counter that it remains unacceptably high. Your daily dashboard 8:30 a.m. Eastern time: The Bureau of Labor Statistics releases the consumer price index for August. 1:35 p.m. Eastern: White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre briefs reporters. Watch live here. 3 p.m. Eastern: Biden hosts a celebration of the Inflation Reduction Act. Watch live here. 6:50 p.m. Eastern: House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) swears in three new members: Mary Peltola (D-Alaska), Pat Ryan (D-N.Y.) and Joe Sempolinski (R-N.Y.). Got a question about politics? Submit it here. After 3 p.m. weekdays, return to this space and we’ll address what’s on the mind of readers. Analysis: Inside Chris Christie’s antiabortion blitz Return to menu In the months before the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, the prominent antiabortion leader Marjorie Dannenfelser started meeting with Republican governors to talk through how the aftermath of the court’s decision might play out. She was joined in many of those meetings by an unlikely ally: former New Jersey governor Chris Christie, The Post’s Theodoric Meyer, Leigh Ann Caldwell and Rachel Roubein write in The Early 202. Per our colleagues: On our radar: A record number of Black candidates for higher offices aim to reshape U.S. politics Return to menu A record number of Black men and women are running for U.S. Senate and governor this fall, with the potential to increase diversity in the nation’s top elected offices, which are still overwhelmingly held by White men. The Post’s Tim Craig writes that since Reconstruction, voters have elected just seven Black senators and two Black governors. This year, 16 Black candidates — 13 Democrats and three Republicans — are major party nominees, from Florida and across the Deep South to traditional Midwestern battlegrounds such as Wisconsin. Per Tim: Noted: Schumer doles out cash to Democrats in tight contests Return to menu As the final primary contests wrap on Tuesday, Senate Majority Leader Charles E. Schumer (D-N.Y.) is dishing out $15 million from his Friends of Schumer campaign account to Senate candidates and the Democratic Senate Campaign Committee. Writing in The Early 202, The Post’s Theodoric Meyer and Leigh Ann Caldwell note that Schumer’s cash haul is his biggest transfer yet, an aide familiar with the action said. It’s also the first election where he’s trying to maintain his spot as majority leader. Per our colleagues: On our radar: Thousands expected at White House for celebration of Inflation Reduction Act Return to menu Thousands of supporters from across the country are expected at the White House on Tuesday as President Biden stages a celebration of the Inflation Reduction Act, a sprawling new law that aims to lower prescription drug costs, address global warming, raise taxes on some billion-dollar corporations and reduce the federal deficit. In addition to members of Congress and his Cabinet, Biden has invited governors, mayors, climate and environmental leaders, health-care activists, union workers and others to join him on the South Lawn to celebrate what Biden will call “one of the most consequential pieces of legislation in American history,” according to a White House official who spoke on the condition of anonymity to preview the event. On our radar: Voters to cast ballots in final primaries, with heated GOP fights in N.H. Return to menu The 2022 primaries are concluding Tuesday on a familiar note — with voters in Republican races choosing between far-right, election-denying candidates and more moderate rivals, and party leaders divided in contests factoring into the battle for control of Congress. The Post’s Colby Itkowitz and David Weigel report that voters are heading to the polls in three states, marking the end of this year’s nominating process for the two major parties: Delaware, New Hampshire and Rhode Island. Per our colleagues: Analysis: Biden’s flimsy claim he has the ‘strongest’ manufacturing jobs record Return to menu “Right now, I have the strongest record of growing manufacturing jobs in modern history,” President Biden tweeted on Saturday. Writing in The Fact Checker, The Post’s Glenn Kessler says regular readers know we are often wary when a president proclaims success in creating jobs. Per Glenn: Presidential decisions and new laws can certainly impact job creation — over time. But it is hard to disentangle the importance of those factors from broader economic forces that are beyond a president’s control. That’s why it’s often misleading to measure job creation by presidential term — an artificial metric beloved by presidents and the public alike. You can read Glenn’s full analysis, and find out how many Pinocchios he awarded Biden, here. The latest: U.S. sent $1.3 billion in small-business covid aid abroad, raising new fraud fears Return to menu As the U.S. government raced to shore up small businesses’ finances at the height of the pandemic, it may have erroneously awarded more than $1.3 billion to foreign applicants — raising new suspicions that the program might have helped fund overseas crime syndicates. The Post’s Tony Romm reports that the top watchdog for the Small Business Administration, which reported its findings on Monday, said the spending posed a “significant risk of potential fraud.” Per Tony: The latest: Justice Dept. signals it would accept Trump’s candidate for special master Return to menu The Justice Department filed court papers Monday signaling that it would accept a former chief federal judge in New York as a special master charged with reviewing papers seized by the FBI from former president Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago residence and club. The Post’s Devlin Barrett and Perry Stein report that U.S. District Judge Aileen M. Cannon must approve Raymond J. Dearie’s appointment for the document review — which has stalled the Justice Department’s criminal probe — to go forward. Per our colleagues: The latest: Judge rejects ex-Trump aide Navarro’s selective prosecution claim Return to menu A federal judge on Monday rejected former Trump White House trade adviser Peter Navarro’s claim that he is the victim of a Biden administration political vendetta, denying his request to probe why he has been charged with criminal contempt of Congress for refusing to comply with a subpoena from the House committee investigating the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol. The Post’s Spencer S. Hsu reports that Navarro asserted that he was selectively prosecuted compared to two other former high-ranking Trump White House aides against whom the Justice Department declined to bring charges — chief of staff Mark Meadows and deputy chief Dan Scavino. Spencer writes: Read More Here

The Kremlin Is Not A Place For Losers https://digitalalaskanews.com/the-kremlin-is-not-a-place-for-losers/ Russian President Vladimir Putin may have used an ultra-long table to protect him from coronavirus, but he might need more than that to protect him from Russia’s hard-line military elite. When the final leader of the Soviet Union, Mikhail Gorbachev, died last month, we were reminded of the disastrous 1991 coup by the hard-line elements within his administration. Claiming Gorbachev was ill, the coup leaders, headed by former vice president Gennady Yanayev, declared a state of emergency and attempted to take control of the government. Side by side at a press conference, they sat stony faced. They were when asked by reporters what had happened to Gorbachev, and why tanks were rolling through Moscow on the way to the White House. “He’s very tired, he needs rest” was the line fed to non-believing Russian journalists, who for the first time, had the taste of press freedom within their grasp. “Very tired” or very detained? In Russia, the difference between in power, or out, is only determined by the strength of the person who pushes the hardest. Push or be pushed In recent months, Russia’s business elite have had a shocking habit of falling out of windows and finding other sudden yet creative ways to die. Ravil Maganov was the chairman of Russia’s second largest oil producer, Lukoil. He died after falling from a hospital window in Moscow – the latest in a series of businessmen who suddenly… died. Journalists who asked questions to police were referred to the state Investigative Committee, who of course never return calls. At least six other Russian businessmen, mostly tied to the energy industry, died suddenly in unclear circumstances over the last few months. The only thing they had in common was their suspected wavering loyalty to Vladimir Putin. Unusually among Russian companies, Lukoil had taken a public stand against Moscow’s war in Ukraine. On March 3, the company’s board of directors expressed concern over the “tragic events” in Ukraine and called for an end to the conflict. Power is everything Inside the Kremlin, power is key. It’s not a place for losers. Eat or be eaten. Push, or be pushed. Putin took the military risk of his life in February, when he sent his troops to Ukraine for a “special operation”. After an easy win in Crimea back in 2014, a divided west and European Union, and a (former) British Prime Minister who was busy unsuccessfully holding on to power after defending his covid-parties, February seemed the perfect time to bring the country in a fabulous Soviet pastime – invading the neighbours. But Ukraine did not fall. Kyiv did not fall. And the “drug addicted” leadership in Ukraine, led by former actor Volodymyr Zelensky, turned out to be a more resilient and even more handsome opponent than Putin had anticipated. Putin may go for shirtless horse rides, but Zelensky looks like an in the trenches leader, with that wife. You just want him to win. Disastrous disaster Everywhere you look, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has been a disaster, pushing it towards further isolation. Yes, it has friends in low moral places, from China to North Korea, and flip flopping nations like Turkey and India that are reliant on its cheap military hardware – they have their own problems. Remember the 40 mile column that was snaking its way towards Kyiv? Or the 400 mercenaries sent to kill Zelensky? Granted, it’s hard to know exactly what IS happening across Ukraine, as Kyiv’s military propaganda is disturbingly good. Journalists aren’t allowed to report from the front line, and the narrative is firmly being dictated from Ukraine’s side. Which is a huge problem for Vladimir Putin. While Russian troops may have had no idea why they were crossing the border to fight their brothers, back home in Moscow, the message is out that Putin’s war is failing, no matter how hard the Kremlin suppresses the media in Russia. Russians are world experts at reading between the lines. Who’s to blame? Russian hard line military leaders are blaming the Kremlin for the embarrassing failure, and these guys don’t mess around.  There are two things that every Russian man is born with – a lifelong live of vodka, and a world-leading sense of pride. Russia is a proud country, proud of its victory over the Nazis, proud of its history, even though no one can exactly agree on what that is. Control the narrative Which makes Putin’s failure in Ukraine a disaster for him. He may be riding high in the polls, but in Russia, you can never believe the polls. Honesty does not live freely in Russia. So how does this all end? Russian troops are said to be withdrawing from the Kharkiv region at record pace, commandeering anything with wheels to roll back to the other side of the border. The West has known all along it cant afford to humiliate Putin, despite how much it might like to. The man still has the ability to kickstart proceedings that would lead to a long nuclear winter.  Putin himself seems so scared of assassination that he couldn’t even attend Gorbachev’s funeral (among a number of reasons I’m sure). Don’t drink the tea Russia’s  military commanders must be furious, and asking some tough questions. Why were their soldiers sent to Ukraine in such a bad state? Some don’t have any food, or water, or blankets, so they don’t sleep. Morale is disastrously low. I mean, how good can you feel when a mobile crematorium is parked outside your tent? What happened to all the money that’s been spent on military infrastructure and war-time logistics? Why are they fighting with weapons that date back to the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan? What on earth happened to Russia’s prized Air Force? Where have they been? Why is Russia now having to ask its neighbours for Soviet-era weapons to keep fighting? At first, many believed that Putin was playing 4D chess. Setting up Trump, creating RT to confuse with a propaganda war, dividing Europe, cuddling up to China. Putin isn’t playing chess at all. He’s playing Scrabble. No agenda, no strategy. Just making up words as he tried to defend the war. But Scrabble sounds like the perfect game to play when you’re under house arrest. Something has to give. The business community has so far found that criticising Putin’s war finds you too close to an open window on a 20 storey building.  But will Putin have the luck silencing the hard-line military commanders? Read More Here

SAP Vs EME Dream11 Prediction, Fantasy Cricket Tips, Playing XI Updates, Pitch Report & Injury Updates For Match 10, KCA Pink T20 Challengers 2022 https://digitalalaskanews.com/sap-vs-eme-dream11-prediction-fantasy-cricket-tips-playing-xi-updates-pitch-report-injury-updates-for-match-10-kca-pink-t20-challengers-2022/ Team Emerald are expected to win this match. Team Sapphire will take on Team Emerald in the tenth match of the KCA Pink T20 Challenge on Wednesday at the Sanatana Dharma College Ground Published – Sep 13, 2022, 17:33 IST |Updated – Sep 13, 2022, 17:45 IST Get every cricket updates! Follow us on : C & VCTeamsPitch Preview Team Sapphire will take on Team Emerald in the tenth match of the KCA Pink T20 Challenge on Wednesday at the Sanatana Dharma College Ground. This match will be streamed live on Fancode. Team Sapphire are third in the table with 2 wins and a loss in 3 matches so far in this tournament. They will look to bounce back. On the other hand, Team Emerald are second in the points table with 2 wins and a loss in 3 matches. Match Information Probable Playing XI Team Sapphire Ananya Pradeep, Jisna Joseph, K Jincy George(C), Fatim Feba, Sandra Suren, M Aswathy, Potti Manasvi, Abhitha Mathew, JS Deepthi, Mrudhula Suresh, Renjusha Bench : Aleena Ann Joy, Akhila Ponnukuttan, Sraya Roy, Yadhu Priya, Anusree Anil Kumar, Shahine A-K, Sraya Siju, Nivedya Mol Team Emerald Drisya, P T Nandini, B Sauranika, Reshmi-C, Akshaya Sadanandan(C), Shani Sasidharan, Soniya Babu, M Abina, Maria George, Nandana, Loordh Nithya Bench : Stanly Steffi, Athira Sanal, Anaswara Santosh, Najla Noushad, Sabin Miriam Keziah, Bhadra Parameswaran, Reshma Ragav, Pavithra R Nair Injury and availability news will be added when there is an update Weather Report Few Clouds Win Prediction Team Emerald Pitch Condition Bowling Avg 1st Inning Score 114 Pitch Report The surface will be challenging for batting and there will be plenty of help for the bowlers. Both teams will prefer chasing at this venue. Player Picks 10 C Shani Sasidharan EME | ALL She is a quality all rounder and scored 33 runs and also picked up 1 wicket in the last game. 9 C Mrudhula Suresh SAP | BOWL She has been in excellent form this season scoring 52 runs and also picking up 2 wickets in 3 matches of this tournament. Avoid Having These Players In Your Fantasy Sports Team 8.5 JS Deepthi SAP | WK She was dismissed for a duck in the last game and can be avoided for this match. 9 Anusree Anil Kumar SAP | ALL She has been out of form throughout this tournament and hence ignore her for this match. Teams will be updated after Toss Last Updated On – Sep 13 2022 5:45 PM More Predictions Note Updated Fantasy teams and Playing XIs of every match will be provided in our Telegram channel if the information is available.Telegram Disclaimer This team is based on the understanding, analysis, and instinct of the author. While selecting your team, consider the points mentioned and make your own decision. Read More Here