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GREG GUTFELD: The Dems' Insurrection Theater Is Not Going To Jail Trump, It's Going To Get Him Re-Elected https://digitalalaskanews.com/greg-gutfeld-the-dems-insurrection-theater-is-not-going-to-jail-trump-its-going-to-get-him-re-elected/ NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles! Happy Friday everybody. You look wonderful, I think. So how’s life? I know you got inflation, you got crime, we’re on the brink of nuclear war, but thank God these bozos have their priorities straight. VIDEO Mmmm nine eyes like a fly, is that right? No, I don’t think so either. But there is a shocker.  TRUMP WRITES BLISTERING JAN. 6 COMMITTEE RESPONSE, DOESN’T SAY IF HE’LL TESTIFY Just 25-days before the midterms, the Jan. 6th panel votes unanimously to subpoena Trump. That’s about as surprising as the final score at a Harlem Globetrotters game, and it’s about as spontaneous as Adam Schiff’s face. Does that make sense? No. And what a coincidence, it happens the same day the inflation number comes out, and it’s higher than Hunter Biden on free crack day. Crime is exploding like a can of Sprite left in a freezer too long. The borders are as open as the West Wing’s windows when Joe forgets his lactaid pills. Kids are getting dumber, and I have to walk over a drugged out zombie just to get to work. ‘So why not? Let’s go after Trump,’ screams the Dems. This guy’s been in more fake trials than the cast of Law and Order.  But the hope is the news cycle will shift from Biden’s disasters to the orange monster who can make Adam Kinzinger cry like he’s cutting onions while his nuts are —-. Terrible. So will this distraction overwhelm the public enough that they’ll forget it costs 100-bucks to fill up a tank of gas or 15-bucks for a pack of hot dogs. You heard right, Joy Behar’s lunch costs 15-bucks. 15-bucks is true, for a pack of dogs. Did someone blow up the Oscar Mayer pipeline too? Can’t the president tap into our tube steak reserves. An image of former President Donald Trump is displayed during a hearing by the House Select Committee to Investigate the January 6th Attack on the U.S. Capitol. (Drew Angerer/Getty Images) Look, surveys tell us everyone what everyone cares about, it ain’t Jan 6th. It’s the economy. It’s crime. January 6th is less important than Todd Pirro’s time slot. Someone’s watching, probably your family. Here’s why. January 6th is not eating away at your retirement fund. It’s not mugging people on the subways. It’s not killing people by the tens of thousands like fentanyl, and it’s certainly not elevating possibility for nuclear war as we pour billions into a conflict thousands of miles away, and I don’t mean Kat’s honeymoon. Each one of those things is an urgent matter.  HIGH-PROFILE JAN. 6 TRIAL BEGINS FOR ACCUSED OATH KEEPERS LEADER STEWART RHODES ON RARE CIVIL WAR-ERA CHARGE People are dying on the streets, in their beds, and soon, maybe everywhere else, they have us so close to a nuclear disaster, you can practically taste the plutonium. Which reminds me of Dana’s queso, nah that was worse. But January 6th, that’s the concern, it’s their Hail Mary. No wonder so many are leaving the party like the keg is empty, and the cops just showed up, including this smart woman. VIDEO You know that lady, I think she makes a lot of sense. I should have her on. But don’t fret Democrats, you lost the Tulsi, but you gained a Liz Cheney. But I’m starting to think the Dems screwed up with this insurrection theater. I predict it’s going to backfire, like Eric Swalwell after an extra-large bean burrito. It’s not going to jail Trump, it’s going to get him re-elected. There’s going to be a Red Dawn, starting with an orange dawn.  GINNI THOMAS, WIFE OF SUPREME COURT JUSTICE CLARENCE THOMAS, AGREES TO JAN. 6 COMMITTEE ‘VOLUNTARY INTERVIEW’ The House Select Committee to Investigate the January 6th hearing in the Cannon House Office Building. (Kent Nishimura / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images) And here’s why, any time you watch the hearing, you see that the committee was more stacked than Dolly Parton playing Jenga. And it’s bursting, it’s bursting with contempt for Trump and his supporters, a witch hunt armed with preordained conclusions and empowered with unlimited time and effort, all on the taxpayers’ dime, which is now worth only $0.03 since Biden took office. They’re having a trial where the prosecution and judges are on the same side and opposed by no one. With that setup, I could convict Tom Hanks of murder, and I just might. And it just validates Trump supporters’ suspicions that the fix is in, and the fix was always in.  So the Dems are right, the hearings are going to anger some Americans, but not in the way they think. People don’t swallow B.S. unless and even when you hide it and Kilmeade’s sandwich. Fact is, this country has big problems. Economy, crime, the border, Harry and Meghan. What are we going to do with them? But the Dems work to distract rather than attack the problems. Imagine if they spent all their energy on these issues instead of political theatrics. It’s like they’re all frustrated movie directors.  MARK MEADOWS COMPLYING WITH DOJ SUBPOENA, TURNING OVER DOCUMENTS PREVIOUSLY SHARED WITH HOUSE JAN. 6 COMMITTEE Rather than solve the problems head on, they find weirder things to do, like convincing children they’d be happier, sterile. Rather than tackle the border, they want to audit Ron DeSantis. Yeah, that’s just what America asks for. Never mind our sovereignty is being invaded. Let’s find out if he was really talking politics when he wrote off that dinner at the Outback Steakhouse. They’ll weaponize anything against their enemies. It’s just like how Taylor Swift weaponized her music after I dumped her. I moved on Taylor, it’s about time. So I hope the Dems get shellacked and maybe learn a lesson, because they never address a problem until they could see the political consequences approaching. But by then, so much damage has been done. The problems are not only worse, but perhaps unsalvageable. Much like CNN. Representative Liz Cheney, a Republican from Wyoming, arrives to a hearing of the Select Committee to Investigate the January 6th Attack on the US Capitol in Washington, D.C. (Al Drago/Bloomberg via Getty Images) CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP I mean, imagine if the Dems tried to tackle the problems, they could prevent a lot of suffering. Instead, they don’t. So now we have a war. We have inflation. We have violence. It ends there, if we’re lucky. We’ve got a White House that not only created 99% of it, but can’t do squat about any of it, except to tell you not to believe your lying eyes and radioactive skin. Greg Gutfeld currently serves as host of FOX News Channel’s (FNC) “Gutfeld!” (weekdays 11PM/ET) and co-host of “The Five” (weekdays 5PM/ET). He joined the network in 2007 as a contributor. He is the author of several books. His latest is “The Plus: Self-Help for People Who Hate Self-Help.” Click here for more information on Greg Gutfeld.  Read More Here

Kemp Vs. Abrams II: Republican Has Incumbent Advantage Now https://digitalalaskanews.com/kemp-vs-abrams-ii-republican-has-incumbent-advantage-now/ ATLANTA (AP) — In 2018, Brian Kemp spent much of his campaign for Georgia governor in Stacey Abrams’ shadow as the Democratic Party star tried to become the nation’s first Black female governor. In the end, he won narrowly anyway. Then, halfway through his term, the Republican governor became the target of Donald Trump’s wrath when the defeated president threatened retribution after Kemp certified Democrat Joe Biden’s slate of presidential electors in Georgia. But not only did Kemp maintain support among most Republican voters while defying Trump, he seems to have only grown stronger heading into his rematch with Abrams. Now he wields the power of incumbency and a record that includes tax cuts and teacher pay raises. He has also drawn the praise of national Republicans for the campaign he has run while Abrams has struggled to capitalize on the star power that once had her as a possible running mate for Biden or even a candidate for president herself. FILE – Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp speaks during an election-night watch party May 24, 2022, in Atlanta. The Georgia governor’s race is a rematch of 2018, when Brian Kemp narrowly defeated Stacey Abrams. (AP Photo/John Bazemore, File) Photo: ASSOCIATED PRESS/John Bazemore FILE – Democratic candidate for Georgia Governor Stacey Abrams poses for a portrait in front of the State Seal of Georgia on Aug. 8, 2022, in Decatur, Ga. The Georgia governor’s race is a rematch of 2018, when Brian Kemp narrowly defeated Stacey Abrams. (AP Photo/John Bazemore, File) Photo: ASSOCIATED PRESS/John Bazemore FILE – Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp speaks during a Get Out the Vote Rally on the eve of gubernatorial and other primaries in the state on May 23, 2022, in Kennesaw, Ga. The Georgia governor’s race is a rematch of 2018, when Brian Kemp narrowly defeated Stacey Abrams. (AP Photo/Brynn Anderson, File) Photo: ASSOCIATED PRESS/Brynn Anderson PreviousNext “A lot of people didn’t know who I was,” in 2018, “and I was defined by a candidate who had twice as much money as I did and had the national media in her pocket,” Kemp said after one fall campaign stop. “I never could really fight through that. It’s a different story now.” The result is a confident candidate who hopes to win more than 50 percent of the vote and build substantially on the 55,000-vote margin he held in 2018, enough to avoid a runoff by fewer than 20,000 votes. “Four years ago, Democrats were almost staging a revolution for the first African American woman governor,” said Mark Rountree, a Republican pollster, describing a campaign fought on Abrams’ terms. Now, he said, she must react to Kemp: “I’d argue that it makes Stacey Abrams very small compared to who she was and how she ran four years ago.” Abrams, who remains an unquestioned party leader in Georgia and influential Democrat nationally, is still a powerful draw. She’s outraised Kemp $85 million to $60 million through the end of September. But her inner circle acknowledges a fundamental shift from 2018. “We’re in a midterm with a Democratic president, a climate that is really brutal,” campaign manager Lauren Groh-Wargo said in an interview. “People are exhausted. This is a powerful incumbent who’s gotten a boatload of federal money.” The only way to run against an incumbent, she said, is “running scared.” Kemp blends a sales job on his record with withering attacks on Abrams. He promotes the multiple tax cuts he’s signed and the multibillion-dollar surplus on the state’s balance sheet. He claims vindication for his decision to resist mask mandates, school closures and business lockdowns early in the pandemic, making sure to blast “Ms. Abrams and the radical Democrats” for taking a different approach. The governor even embraces Abrams’ national brand and fundraising prowess, reminding supporters that his rival considered the possibility of becoming Biden’s running mate in 2020. One of his most reliable applause lines: “Make sure that Stacey Abrams is not going to be our governor — or our next president.” For her part, Abrams has a broad menu of ideas for spending the state surplus. She wants more raises for law enforcement and teachers. As in 2018, she proposes expanding Medicaid under the 2010 national health insurance overhaul. Georgia remains one of the few states, all Republican-led, not to expand the program, forgoing billions of dollars for its public and private health care systems over time. Abrams criticizes Kemp’s tax cuts for being tilted to the wealthy. “Millions … for them. A debit card for you,” one of her latest ads says. Her campaign aides note, sometimes with frustration, that Kemp takes credit for a Georgia economy boosted by ample federal spending during the pandemic. Trump and Biden each signed packages that steered direct support to businesses and individuals. Notably, Kemp singled out Democrats’ March 2021 measure as wasteful. Similarly, Kemp dismisses Abrams’ spending plans as excessive and certain to require tax hikes, though independent analysis confirms that Abrams’ could deliver her promised agenda under the existing tax laws. As a rejoinder to Kemp’s talk of “radical Democrats,” Abrams has tagged her opponent as an “extremist” on guns and abortion. She cites Kemp signing a 2022 law making it legal to carry a concealed weapon without a permit and a 2019 law banning abortions in the state after the sixth week of pregnancy, before many women know they’re pregnant. The latter statute, which Kemp signed in 2019, went into effect after the U.S. Supreme Court in June overturned Roe v. Wade, a nearly 50-year precedent that legalized abortion nationwide. And she continues to criticize Kemp for signing a sweeping overhaul of state election law that she once characterized as “Jim Crow 2.0″ because it could make it harder for some Georgia voters to cast ballots. Rountree, the Republican pollster, said Abrams should distill her assertions into a clear reason voters should change governors. “She’s quibbling over how to spend a state surplus and then reacting to national issues like abortion that are presented to her,” Rountree said. But Groh-Wargo said the campaign’s research shows that abortion is an animating issue for voters, particularly among Democrats who are normally unlikely to vote and even Republicans who favor abortion rights. Groh-Wargo said also Abrams faces the burden of trying to break two historic barriers in a state that has known nothing but white men in the governor’s chair. “We’re not only doing the work to confront those biases, we’re giving voters what they want and need to make a decision,” Groh-Wargo said, explaining why Abrams explains in detail what she’d do with the job. If Kemp has a hidden vulnerability, it would be the Republicans who won’t forgive him for his opposition to Trump. Trump endorsed former U.S. Sen. David Perdue over Kemp in the GOP primary, trying to make good on his post-2020 threats. Kemp thrashed Perdue with 74% of the primary vote, and Trump has been silent on Kemp since. The question is how many of Perdue’s 262,000 primary supporters refuse to back Kemp over Abrams, either sitting out the governor’s race or giving their votes to the Libertarian Party nominee, potentially forcing a runoff by pulling Kemp below a majority. “There are plenty of Republicans still mad at Kemp,” said Debbie Dooley, an early tea party organizer and Trump ally. “I’ll never vote for him.” But Dooley conceded that Abrams herself is a coalescing force for Kemp. So much so that some Republicans marvel that Kemp, once expected to have a bruising primary fight, could be the heavyweight who carries the GOP ticket, rather than the beloved-but-embattled former University of Georgia football star Herschel Walker, who is running for the Senate against Democratic Sen. Raphael Warnock. “There’s a whole lot of people who are glad their kids were in school not wearing masks,” said Martha Zoller, a conservative radio host in north Georgia. “I think we’re going to see how strong Brian really is.” ___ For more information on the midterm elections, go to: https://apnews.com/hub/2022-midterm-elections Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. Read More Here

Student Loan Forgiveness Applications Open In Education Dept. Beta Test https://digitalalaskanews.com/student-loan-forgiveness-applications-open-in-education-dept-beta-test/ Student loan borrowers began applying for up to $20,000 in debt forgiveness on Friday after the Education Department launched a beta test of its website ahead of the full rollout of the relief program. Anyone who submits an application during the beta test will have it processed when the form officially launches, according to the department. The federal agency said it is accepting applications to help refine the process ahead of the official form launch. The portal — available at https://studentaid.gov/debt-relief/application — will be available on and off during the beta test, the agency said. The department’s technical team will be pausing the site at various points for assessments, refinements and maintenance. The agency is encouraging borrowers unable to access the form to try again later or wait until the application is available to everyone. There’s no advantage to applying before the full launch, the agency said. “Borrowers will not need to reapply if they submit their application during the beta test, but no applications will be processed until the site officially launches later this month,” a spokesperson for the department said. “This testing period will allow the Department to monitor site performance through real-world use, test the site ahead of the official application launch, refine processes, and uncover any possible bugs prior to official launch.” The department has continued to lay the groundwork for the rollout as the forgiveness plan faces multiple legal challenges. The application is set to open to all borrowers later this month. Earlier this week, the Biden administration gave an early look at the application form for the president’s plan to forgive up to $20,000 in federal loan debt for eligible borrowers. It had previously said that the application would be short and that borrowers would not be required to provide documents or a federal student identification number. The application will require borrowers to give their Social Security numbers and attest that they earned less than the income caps set for relief. The forgiveness is limited to borrowers who earned less than $125,000 in 2020 or 2021, or less than $250,000 for married couples. Nearly 95 percent of borrowers with federal student loans meet the income requirement for the program and qualify for relief, according to the White House. Borrowers have been clamoring for more information about the forgiveness plan since President Biden unveiled it in August. They crashed the Education Department’s website on the day of the announcement. Testing out the application portal could help the administration avoid a repeat. Read More Here

AP News In Brief At 11:04 P.m. EDT https://digitalalaskanews.com/ap-news-in-brief-at-1104-p-m-edt-6/ Trump’s subpoena and what’s next for the Jan. 6 panel WASHINGTON (AP) — In an extraordinary step, the House Jan. 6 committee has voted unanimously to subpoena former President Donald Trump — a final effort to get the full story of the Capitol insurrection as the panel wraps up its work by the end of the year. Trump still does not acknowledge the “former” in front of “president,” and he has been relentlessly hostile to the investigation. He called it a “charade and a witch hunt” in a letter to the committee on Friday — but notably did not mention the subpoena or say whether he would comply with the demand for his appearance. The attempt to compel Trump’s testimony comes as the committee is tying together multiple investigative threads and compiling its final report. The panel is only authorized through this Congress, which ends on Jan. 3. A look at what’s next as the panel sprints to its finish: THE TRUMP SUBPOENA EXPLAINER: What to expect from China’s party congress BEIJING (AP) — China’s ruling Communist Party is holding its twice-a-decade national congress starting Sunday, at which Xi Jinping is expected to receive a third five-year term as the uncontested head of the party, government and military of the world’s second-largest economy. The proceedings surrounding the event are shrouded in secrecy, as is typical in China’s authoritarian one-party state. But the congress, the 20th in its more than 100-year history, is expected to produce a new set of leaders handpicked by Xi, who faces no term limits and has yet to indicate a successor after a decade in the top spot. The 96 million-member party is led by a Central Committee and Politburo. Their top cadres, who now number seven, form the powerful Politburo Standing Committee. WHAT IS AT STAKE AT THIS YEAR’S MEETING? Putin calls his actions in Ukraine ‘correct and timely’ KYIV, UKRAINE (AP) — Russian President Vladimir Putin said Friday he expects his mobilization of army reservists for combat in Ukraine to be completed in about two weeks, allowing him to end an unpopular and chaotic call-up meant to counter Ukrainian battlefield gains and solidify his illegal annexation of occupied territory. Putin — facing domestic discontent and military setbacks in a neighboring country armed with increasingly advanced Western weapons — also told reporters he does not regret starting the conflict and “did not set out to destroy Ukraine” when he ordered Russian troops to invade nearly eight months ago. “What is happening today is unpleasant, to put it mildly,” he said after attending a summit of the Commonwealth of Independent States in Kazakhstan’s capital. “But we would have had all this a little later, only under worse conditions for us, that’s all. So my actions are correct and timely.” Russia’s difficulties in achieving its war aims have become apparent in one of the four Ukrainian regions Putin illegally claimed as Russian territory last month. Anticipating an advance by Ukrainian forces, Moscow-installed authorities in the Kherson region urged residents to flee Friday. Even some of Putin’s own supporters have criticized the Kremlin’s handling of the war and mobilization, increasing pressure on him to do more to turn the tide in Russia’s favor. Police: 15-year-old boy kills 5 in Raleigh shooting rampage RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — A 15-year-old boy killed five people and injured two more in a shooting rampage in Raleigh, police said, horrifying a community that is now mourning victims whose lives were cut short as they were going about their daily routines. Raleigh Police Chief Estella Patterson said the teen was captured hours after the victims were gunned down Thursday evening. He was hospitalized and in critical condition following his arrest, but authorities have not said how he was injured. Patterson said Friday that police haven’t determined a motive for the attack. The victims were different races and ranged in age from 16 to their late 50s, Patterson said. Family members and friends said some of the victims were gunned down while doing normal, everyday activities — an off-duty police officer was killed while on his way to work, one of the women who died was on her porch talking to a neighbor, another woman who died was out walking her dog and another was out exercising. Gov. Roy Cooper called the shooting an “infuriating and tragic act of gun violence.” He added: “No neighborhood, no parent, no child, no grandparent, no one should feel this fear in their communities — no one.” The gunfire broke out around 5 p.m. Thursday in a residential area northeast of downtown, Raleigh Mayor Mary-Ann Baldwin said. Police said from there, the teenager fled to a nearby walking trail and continued shooting. Mel Gibson can testify at Harvey Weinstein trial, judge says LOS ANGELES (AP) — Mel Gibson can testify about what he learned from one of Harvey Weinstein’s accusers, a judge ruled Friday in the rape and sexual assault trial of the former movie mogul. The 66-year-old actor and director was one of many witnesses, and by far the best known, whose identities were revealed in Los Angeles Superior Court. The judge and attorneys had taken a break from jury selection for motions on what evidence will be allowed at the trial, and who can testify. The witness list for the trial is sealed. Judge Lisa B. Lench ruled that Gibson can testify in support of his masseuse and friend, who will be known as Jane Doe #3 at the trial. Weinstein is accused of committing sexual battery by restraint against the woman, one of 11 rape and sexual assault counts in the trial against the 70-year-old. Prosecutors said that after getting a massage from the woman at a California hotel in Beverly Hills in May of 2010, a naked Weinstein followed her into the bathroom and masturbated. Weinstein has pleaded not guilty, and denied any non-consensual sexual activity. Weinstein’s attorneys argued against allowing Gibson to testify, saying that what he learned from the woman while getting a massage from her does not constitute a “fresh complaint” by the woman under the law by which Gibson would take the stand. A “fresh complaint” under California law allows the introduction of evidence of sexual assault or another crime if the victim reported it to someone else voluntarily and relatively promptly after it happened. Officials: 25 dead, many trapped in Turkish coal mine blast ANKARA, Turkey (AP) — An explosion inside a coal mine in northern Turkey killed at least 25 people, local officials announced, while rescuers working through the night were trying to bring dozens of others trapped to the surface. The explosion occurred 6:45 p.m. at the state-owned TTK Amasra Muessese Mudurlugu mine in the town of Amasra, in the Black Sea coastal province of Bartin. Energy Minister Fatih Donmez said a preliminary assessment indicated the explosion was likely caused by firedamp — a reference to flammable gases found in coal mines. There were 110 people in the mine at the time of the explosion, Interior Minister Suleyman Soylu, who traveled to Amasra to coordinate the rescue operation, told reporters. Most of the workers were able to evacuate following the blast, but 49 were trapped in a higher risk area of the facility, the minister said. Soylu would not provide a number for those still trapped, saying some among the 49 had been lifted to safety. Justice Dept. seeks end to arbiter’s review of Trump docs WASHINGTON (AP) — The Justice Department asked a federal appeals court on Friday to shut down the work of an independent arbiter who was appointed last month to review documents seized during an FBI search of former President Donald Trump’s Florida estate. The appeal is the latest salvo in weeks of litigation over the scope of duties of the arbiter, also known as a special master, who was assigned to inspect the records taken in the Aug. 8 search of Mar-a-Lago and weed out any that may be protected by claims of legal privilege. The special master process has caused some delays to the Justice Department’s investigation into the holding of top-secret documents at the home. But a major hurdle was cleared last month when the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 11th Circuit lifted a temporary bar on the department’s ability to use the seized classified documents as part of its criminal probe. The move permitted a core aspect of the probe to resume, greatly reducing the odds that the process could have a significant impact on the investigation. Even so, department lawyers returned to the court Friday to ask for the entire special master review to be shut down, saying the judge who made the appointment had no basis for doing so and that Trump was not entitled to an independent review of the seized records or to claim privilege over them. “Plaintiff has no plausible claim of executive privilege as to any of the seized materials and no plausible claim of personal attorney-client privilege as to the seized government records — including all records bearing classification markings,” according to the department’s brief. At debate, Walker denies past support for US abortion ban SAVANNAH, Ga. (AP) — Georgia’s Republican Senate candidate Herschel Walker on Friday denied his previous support for an outright national ban on abortion, though he has insisted at various points throughout the campaign that it was a proposal he endorsed. Walker, a staunch anti-abortion politician recently accused by a former girlfriend of encouraging and paying for her 2009 abortion, was asked during a debate with Democratic Sen. Raphael Warnock about his support for “a complete ban on a national level.” He said the moderator had misstated his position. Walker’s claim contradicted statements he had made repeatedly on the campaign trail, including in July when he said “that’s a problem” that there is no national ban. Walker said Friday...

Democrats Ramp Up Efforts To Boost Beasley In North Carolina Senate Race https://digitalalaskanews.com/democrats-ramp-up-efforts-to-boost-beasley-in-north-carolina-senate-race/ October 14, 2022 11:07 PM Democrats are ramping up efforts to boost former state Supreme Court Chief Justice Cheri Beasley in her race against conservative Rep. Ted Budd (R-NC) for North Carolina’s open Senate seat. ` With recent polls showing the candidates in a neck-and-neck race, Senate Majority PAC — a super PAC with close ties to Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) — dedicated an additional $4 million to be used for television ads in the state, spending a total of $10.5 million this cycle in an effort to pick up the seat. The increase in ads is expected to kick off next week, according to NBC News.  DEMOCRATS SKITTISH ABOUT THROWING BIG MONEY AT NORTH CAROLINA SENATE RACE Recent polls have shown a close race. A SurveyUSA-WRAL poll showed 43% of respondents indicating they planned to support Budd and 42% stating they planned to back Beasley with 13% undecided. Beasley has looked to tout bipartisanship with Democrat looking to paint Budd as an extremist and link him to former President Donald Trump while Budd has attacked her for being soft on crime. The uptick in spending comes as Republicans have heavily spent in the state, with Senate Leadership Fund and the National Republican Senatorial Committee having spend roughly $26.38 million to back Budd. The Republican is a Trump ally and former gun store owner who was first elected in 2016. The GOP is fighting to flip the majority in the upper chamber. CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER The battleground state is expected to play a key role in which party holds the majority next year, with Trump having won the state by 1 point in 2020. During the previous cycle, Sen. Thom Tillis (R-NC) narrowly edged out Democratic candidate Cal Cunningham by 2 percentage points after Cunningham endured a sex scandal in the final stretch of the campaign. Read More Here

AP News Summary At 10:45 P.m. EDT https://digitalalaskanews.com/ap-news-summary-at-1045-p-m-edt/ Trump’s subpoena and what’s next for the Jan. 6 panel WASHINGTON (AP) — In an extraordinary step, the House Jan. 6 committee has voted unanimously to subpoena former President Donald Trump – a final effort to get the full story of the Capitol insurrection as the panel wraps up its work by the end of the year. Trump has been relentlessly hostile to the investigation, calling it a “charade and a witch hunt” in a letter to the committee on Friday. But he has not said whether he will comply with the demand for his appearance.  Even if he does, there’s no guarantee the committee would get anything different from the broadsides Trump sends out periodically. EXPLAINER: What to expect from China’s party congress BEIJING (AP) — China’s ruling Communist Party is holding its twice-a-decade national congress starting Sunday. That’s where President Xi Jinping is expected to receive a third five-year term as the uncontested head of the party, government and military of the world’s second-largest economy. The event proceedings are shrouded in secrecy, as is typical in China’s authoritarian one-party state. But the congress, the 20th in its more than 100-year history, is expected to produce a new set of leaders handpicked by Xi. Xi faces no term limits and has yet to indicate a successor after a decade in the top spot. The 96 million-member party is led by a Central Committee and Politburo. Their top cadres, who now number seven, form the powerful Politburo Standing Committee. Putin calls his actions in Ukraine ‘correct and timely’ KYIV, UKRAINE (AP) — Russian President Vladimir Putin expects his troop mobilization for combat in Ukraine to end in about two weeks. That would allow him to end the unpopular and chaotic call-up meant to counter Ukrainian battlefield gains and solidify his illegal annexation of Ukrainian territory. Putin faces domestic discontent and military setbacks in a neighboring country increasingly armed with advanced Western weapons. He told reporters Friday he “did not set out to destroy Ukraine” and doesn’t regret starting the conflict. Russia’s difficulties in achieving its war aims are becoming apparent in the illegally annexed Kherson region. Anticipating an advance by Ukrainian forces, Moscow-installed authorities there urged residents to flee Friday. Police: 15-year-old boy kills 5 in Raleigh shooting rampage RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — Police say a 15-year-old boy fatally shot five people in an attack that stretched from the streets of a Raleigh neighborhood to a nearby walking trail. Two others were also injured in the Thursday evening attack, which led police on an hours-long manhunt before the teen was arrested. Raleigh police Chief Estella Patterson said Friday that the teen is hospitalized in critical condition. The motive for the shooting is still not known. Some of the victims were going about their daily routines when they died. They ranged in age from 16 to their late 50s. The dead include off-duty Raleigh police Officer Gabriel Torres, who was on his way to work. Mel Gibson can testify at Harvey Weinstein trial, judge says LOS ANGELES (AP) — A judge has ruled that Mel Gibson can testify about what he learned from one of Harvey Weinstein’s accusers. The 66-year-old actor and director Gibson was one of many trial witnesses whose identities were revealed in court Friday. Weinstein is accused of sexual battery against the woman, who is a masseuse and friend of Gibson’s. The judge and lawyers took a break from jury selection to argue over which witnesses and evidence will be allowed during the eight-week trial. Weinstein has pleaded not guilty. Officials: 25 dead, many trapped in Turkish coal mine blast ANKARA, Turkey (AP) — Turkish officials say an explosion inside a coal mine in northern Turkey has killed at least 25 people and dozens remain trapped underground. The explosion occurred Friday at a state-owned mine in the town of Amasra, in the Black Sea coastal province of Bartin. The country’s energy minister says a preliminary assessment indicates the blast was caused by firedamp — a reference to flammable gases found in coal mines. There were 110 people in the mine at the time of the explosion. Most were able to evacuate the mine following the blast, but the interior minister says 49 people were caught in a higher risk area of the mine. Justice Dept. seeks end to arbiter’s review of Trump docs WASHINGTON (AP) — The Justice Department has asked a federal appeals court to overturn a judge’s appointment of an independent arbiter to review documents seized during an FBI search of former President Donald Trump’s Florida estate. The appeal is the latest salvo in weeks of litigation over the scope of duties of the arbiter, also known as a special master. He was assigned last month by a judge to inspect the thousands of records taken in the Aug. 8 search of Mar-a-Lago and weed out from the investigation any that may be protected by claims of legal privilege. At debate, Walker denies past support for US abortion ban SAVANNAH, Ga. (AP) — Georgia’s Republican Senate candidate Herschel Walker is denying his previous support for an outright national ban on abortion, though he has insisted at various points throughout the campaign that it was a proposal he endorsed. Walker, a staunch anti-abortion politician, was recently accused by a former girlfriend of encouraging and paying for her 2009 abortion. He was asked during a debate Friday with Democratic Sen. Raphael Warnock about his support for “a complete ban on a national level.” He said the moderator had misstated his position. Walker’s claim contradicted statements he had made repeatedly on the campaign trail. In July he said it’s “a problem” that there is no national ban. Los Angeles mystery: Who taped meeting with racist rants? LOS ANGELES (AP) — An anonymously leaked recording of crude, racist remarks and political scheming that led to the resignation of the Los Angeles City Council president and a powerful labor leader left behind a mystery: Who made the tape and why? Five days after the disclosure of the year-old tape, it remains unknown who recorded it and posted it to the website Reddit, or even how many people are involved. The recording of the racist language led to the resignations of then-Council President Nury Martinez and Los Angeles County Federation of Labor President Ron Herrera, and two other Council members who attended are facing pressure to resign. 5 years on, key #MeToo voices take stock of the movement Once again, disgraced mogul Harvey Weinstein sits in a courtroom, on trial in Los Angeles while the reckoning the accusations against him launched marks a significant milestone this month. It’s been five years since a brief hashtag galvanized a broad social movement. It’s been five years of #MeToo. The Associated Press went back to Weinstein accuser Louisette Geiss, Bill Cosby accuser Andrea Constand, and “Me Too” founder Tarana Burke about how their lives have changed, how hopeful they feel and the challenges ahead. Both Geiss and Constand said that coming forward was the right things to do. Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. 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Plane Hits Bird Shortly After Taking Off From O'Hare Airport; Witnesses Report Engine Fire https://digitalalaskanews.com/plane-hits-bird-shortly-after-taking-off-from-ohare-airport-witnesses-report-engine-fire/ CHICAGO (WLS) — A plane hit a bird as it was taking off from O’Hare International Airport Friday morning, aviation officials said. United Flight #1930 was headed to Miami when it hit the bird shortly after departure, a spokesperson for the Federal Aviation Administration said. The flight then returned to the airport and landed without incident around 11:15 a.m. “I looked out the window and I saw the plane,” witness Alison Doshen said, “and you could see the one jet engine was on fire and the sound coming from it was extremely loud.” WATCH | Video shows flames shooting from plane’s engine over Elmhurst Doshen was at work in Elmhurst when she said she heard the pops and cracks and saw flames shooting from the left engine. “Immediate panic and shock,” she said. “I couldn’t get to my phone to record anything because I couldn’t stop looking at it, trying to figure out where it was going or where it was coming from. It was pretty scary to see.” Chris McCullough lives just south of the airport in Bensenville and also witnessed the engine fire. “We heard this tremendous rumble. It just shook the house,” McCullough said. “It was already shooting out golden flames, alternating second by second. One second there would be a flame that would shoot out, then there would be a second where it wouldn’t, then it would reignite.” United releasing a statement this afternoon saying quote: “United Flight 1930 returned to Chicago after experiencing a bird strike shortly after take-off. The aircraft landed safely and passengers deplaned at the gate. We have assigned a new aircraft to operate this flight, estimated to depart shortly.” Witnesses were just grateful the crew and passengers are safe. “It was a shock to see, I’ve never seen anything like that before but I’m glad everyone onboard is safe, Goshen said. “Not only did they help those passengers, but they helped the people on the ground when they got that plane back safely,” McCullough said. The FAA said it is investigating the incident. No injuries have been reported. Copyright © 2022 WLS-TV. All Rights Reserved. Read More Here

Crockett Gets Another Health Warning Over Smelly Hydrogen Sulfide https://digitalalaskanews.com/crockett-gets-another-health-warning-over-smelly-hydrogen-sulfide/ The Daily Beast British Government Close to Collapse as Chancellor Fired After 38 Disastrous Days in Office HANNAH MCKAY/ReutersOn Thursday, just 37 days after being appointed British finance minister, Kwasi Kwarteng was asked if, in a month’s time, he would still be in his job and Liz Truss would still be prime minister. “Absolutely, 100 percent,” Kwarteng answered. “I’m not going anywhere.”Less than a day later, he was gone. Truss’ Friday removal of Kwarteng—her closest ideological ally—from the second most powerful role in government so soon after choosing him to run the British economy is easily t The Daily Beast Trump Is Going to Create Yet Another Constitutional Crisis Photo Illustration by Thomas Levinson/The Daily Beast/GettyThe Jan. 6 Committee’s issuing a subpoena to former President Donald Trump makes clear that our country is not on the brink of a Constitutional crisis—it’s already in a Constitutional crisis.The definition of just what is a Constitutional crisis may be debated, but in plain English it’s where the structure of our Constitution is stressed or broken.The Justice Department Needs to Get Out of Its Own Way in the Trump InvestigationsPresident Associated Press Rams RB Akers not with team; McVay: ‘uncharted territory’ Running back Cam Akers will not play for the Los Angeles Rams against Carolina on Sunday after missing two days of practice this week for what coach Sean McVay called personal reasons. McVay would not give further details Friday when asked about Akers’ circumstances, though he did say the Rams’ leading rusher was not away from the team for the past two days because he was injured. When asked whether Akers would be part of the Rams going forward, McVay replied: “We’re working through some different things right now, so hopefully you guys understand and respect that.” The Hill These four countries sided with Russia in UN vote on Ukraine annexations The United Nations General Assembly on Wednesday voted to condemn Russia’s annexation of four occupied areas of Ukraine amid the ongoing war, but four countries sided with Russia in the vote. Of the U.N.’s 193-member body, 143 voted in favor of the resolution criticizing Russia’s “illegal so-called referendums,” with 35 abstaining, according to an… Read More Here

Professor Thomas Meixner's Wife And Sons Give Heartfelt Speeches At His Funeral https://digitalalaskanews.com/professor-thomas-meixners-wife-and-sons-give-heartfelt-speeches-at-his-funeral/ The Daily Beast British Government Close to Collapse as Chancellor Fired After 38 Disastrous Days in Office HANNAH MCKAY/ReutersOn Thursday, just 37 days after being appointed British finance minister, Kwasi Kwarteng was asked if, in a month’s time, he would still be in his job and Liz Truss would still be prime minister. “Absolutely, 100 percent,” Kwarteng answered. “I’m not going anywhere.”Less than a day later, he was gone. Truss’ Friday removal of Kwarteng—her closest ideological ally—from the second most powerful role in government so soon after choosing him to run the British economy is easily t The Daily Beast Trump Is Going to Create Yet Another Constitutional Crisis Photo Illustration by Thomas Levinson/The Daily Beast/GettyThe Jan. 6 Committee’s issuing a subpoena to former President Donald Trump makes clear that our country is not on the brink of a Constitutional crisis—it’s already in a Constitutional crisis.The definition of just what is a Constitutional crisis may be debated, but in plain English it’s where the structure of our Constitution is stressed or broken.The Justice Department Needs to Get Out of Its Own Way in the Trump InvestigationsPresident Associated Press Rams RB Akers not with team; McVay: ‘uncharted territory’ Running back Cam Akers will not play for the Los Angeles Rams against Carolina on Sunday after missing two days of practice this week for what coach Sean McVay called personal reasons. McVay would not give further details Friday when asked about Akers’ circumstances, though he did say the Rams’ leading rusher was not away from the team for the past two days because he was injured. When asked whether Akers would be part of the Rams going forward, McVay replied: “We’re working through some different things right now, so hopefully you guys understand and respect that.” The Hill These four countries sided with Russia in UN vote on Ukraine annexations The United Nations General Assembly on Wednesday voted to condemn Russia’s annexation of four occupied areas of Ukraine amid the ongoing war, but four countries sided with Russia in the vote. Of the U.N.’s 193-member body, 143 voted in favor of the resolution criticizing Russia’s “illegal so-called referendums,” with 35 abstaining, according to an… Read More Here

Justice Department Appeals Appointment Of Special Master In Trump Documents Case – Mountain Top Media https://digitalalaskanews.com/justice-department-appeals-appointment-of-special-master-in-trump-documents-case-mountain-top-media/ Justice Department appeals appointment of special master in Trump documents case mountain top media Article Updated: October 14, 2022 Leave a comment The Justice Department on Friday appealed the appointment of a special master to review documents seized from former President Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate. Post navigation Previous post Veterans Affairs’ burn pit registry needs improvement, officials say Posted in: Uncategorized More Articles By the same author Golden Globes ditch red carpet for Sunday ceremony mountain top media Jan 4, 2022 The Hollywood Foreign Press Association announced the format of Sunday’s 79th Golden Globe Awards on… Super Bowl timelines for all 32 NFL teams: Who’s in mix, getting closer and years away? mountain top media Feb 1, 2021 We predicted the realistic timelines for when every team can contend for a title. Vladimir Putin is winning, but he won’t invade Ukraine mountain top media Dec 15, 2021 Make no mistake: Russia’s President Vladimir Putin is winning the fight in Ukraine — so far. Senate panel to probe Supreme Court ‘shadow docket’ in Texas abortion case mountain top media Sep 3, 2021 Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin announced Friday that the judiciary committee will hold a hearing… Ceremony to break ground on Barack Obama Presidential Center in Chicago mountain top media Sep 28, 2021 After years of concerns brought by community activists and park advocates in Chicago, former President… Strong earthquake shakes western Indonesia; other quakes recorded mountain top media Aug 29, 2022 A series of strong earthquakes were recorded in shallow waters off the Indonesian coast on Monday and… Yanks’ Urshela awarded walk after only 3 balls mountain top media May 28, 2021 Gio Urshela tossed his bat aside after taking ball three and headed to first. Nobody from the Tigers… Moderna: Redesigned COVID-19 booster protects better against variants mountain top media Apr 19, 2022 Moderna said Tuesday its new COVID-19 booster produces a stronger immune response against Beta, Delta… Look: ‘She-Hulk: Attorney-at-Law’ posters feature Tatiana Maslany, Jameela Jamil mountain top media Aug 11, 2022 “She-Hulk: Attorney-at-Law,” a new Marvel Studios series starring Tatiana Maslany, Jameela Jamil and… Read More Here

Echoes Of Latin American Racism Reverberate In The U.S. https://digitalalaskanews.com/echoes-of-latin-american-racism-reverberate-in-the-u-s/ LOS ANGELES — Ivan Vasquez arrived in Los Angeles in 1996, a teenager who had crossed the border to find work and improve the lot of his family in Mexico. As a newbie washing dishes in restaurants, the young man from the majority Indigenous state of Oaxaca was often called “Oaxaquita,” or Little Oaxacan, by other Mexicans because of his deep tan skin and diminutive stature. Still, he eventually rose to become a regional manager at Baja Fresh and opened his own restaurant in 2013, a celebration of his native state’s unique cuisine. Powered by mole and mezcal, the restaurant, Madre, has won rave reviews from food critics and grown to three locations in a city that embraces multiculturalism. So Mr. Vasquez, now 41, was shocked this week to hear disparaging remarks about Oaxacans from Nury Martinez, a powerful Latina politician who was president of the City Council. A recording of a closed-door meeting in 2021, in which Ms. Martinez was heard referring to Oaxacans as “a lot of little, short dark people” who are “so ugly,” was published over the weekend by The Los Angeles Times, creating a firestorm that has yet to subside in the country’s second-largest city. Ms. Martinez, who also made derogatory comments about Black people, resigned from the Council on Wednesday. Two other Hispanic council members who were heard in the meeting, in which they discussed ways to enhance Latino political power, are facing a cascade of calls to give up their seats as well. “It’s painful to realize the discrimination never went away,” Mr. Vasquez said. “This is not what you expect of L.A.” But the revelations did not feel unfamiliar to many community leaders and immigrants who have long faced discrimination in the United States at the hands of fellow Hispanic people who have carried the racist attitudes prevalent in Latin America to their new country. “They just made public that their colonial minds have not changed,” said Odilia Romero, director and co-founder of Comunidades Indígenas en Liderazgo, or Indigenous Communities in Leadership. Image Demonstrators outside City Hall in Los Angeles on Tuesday called for the resignations of three City Council members over a recording containing racist remarks. One of the three, Nury Martinez, has since resigned.Credit…Mario Tama/Getty Images People from native, pre-colonial communities in Latin America have frequently faced harassment in Los Angeles, a city that prides itself for being tolerant and diverse — and not just from white people. “The assumption that if you are Latino and progressive, you don’t hold racist views, ignores the reality that racism is very deeply ingrained in Mexican and Latin American cultures,” said Gabriela Domenzain, a Mexican American who worked as a Hispanic community expert in both the Obama 2012 and O’Malley 2016 presidential campaigns. Latin America is one of the world’s most ethnically diverse regions, and throughout its history, racial and ethnic groups have converged there — Indigenous people, white colonizers and Black people brought as slaves. Their mixing gave rise to a “browning” of Latin America, with people of different shades of skin depending on their heritage. More on California Bullet Train to Nowhere: Construction of the California high-speed rail system, America’s most ambitious infrastructure project, has become a multi-billion-dollar nightmare. A Piece of Black History Destroyed: Lincoln Heights — a historically Black community in a predominantly white, rural county in Northern California — endured for decades. Then came the Mill fire. Warehouse Moratorium: As warehouse construction balloons nationwide, residents in communities both rural and urban have pushed back. In California’s Inland Empire, the anger has turned to widespread action. Many people are now of mixed ethnicity, but people with lighter skin have remained at the top of the socioeconomic hierarchy, while those with darker skin, whether Indigenous or Black, often tend to be poorer and to be shut out of elite social and political circles. That unofficial caste system was exported to the United States, which has its own history of racial stratification and tensions. Among Latinos, who are all considered people of color, studies have found that those who are lighter-skinned are more likely to make economic strides than their darker-skinned brethren, like Black Cubans, Indigenous Mexicans and Central Americans. “What you get is this convergence of colonial racism from Latin America recreated in communities in the U.S.,” said Lynn Stephen, a professor of ethnic studies at the University of Oregon. Indigenous Mexicans and Central Americans typically are shorter and have darker skin than other Latinos, and their first language is often not Spanish. Prejudice against them is commonplace at workplaces in farm fields, in restaurants and even on construction sites, where subcontractors sometimes separate Indigenous crews from other Latinos on the same job to avoid conflict. “We are regarded as dark, short people, brown people who are ugly and ignorant,” said Arcenio López, a former farmworker who is executive director of Mixteco Indigena Community Organizing Project, an organization that advocates for Indigenous field workers in California. “On top of being exploited by employers, Indigenous farmworkers suffer discrimination from co-workers,” he said. In 2012, his organization started a campaign called “No Me Llamas Oaxaquita” or “Don’t Call Me Oaxaquita,” in a bid to draw attention to, and to stop, the denigrating treatment of people from Oaxaca, a state the size of Indiana in southwestern Mexico that has become popular with tourists because of its vibrant culture, colorful markets and unspoiled beaches. Mr. López recalled that the political campaign drew stinging criticism from some Hispanic leaders, who faulted him for highlighting differences among Latinos, rather than presenting a unified front. So when the leaked recording of the City Council members exploded into the open, “we weren’t surprised by people like Nury Martinez making fun of us; it’s what we experienced in our own country from lighter-skinned people, and it followed us to this country.” Gaspar Rivera-Salgado, a Oaxacan who now directs the Center for Mexican Studies at the University of California, Los Angeles, said that too often the “tremendous diversity” of the Latino population in the United States is overlooked. “If you say Latinos, you are lumping together Nury Martinez, Ted Cruz, everybody,” he said. Ms. Martinez is Mexican American; Mr. Cruz, the Texas senator, is the son of a Cuban immigrant. But their lived experiences are completely different, Mr. Rivera-Salgado said. The terms “Hispanic” and “Latino” have become embedded in the American mosaic, appearing in census forms, newspapers and political polling since a law passed in 1976 began requiring federal agencies to aggregate into one group data on people who trace their ancestry to Spanish-speaking countries. The classification is based on common language, culture and heritage — not race. People in the category are far from homogeneous: Many have roots in Mexico, while others are Puerto Ricans, Argentines, Colombians, Cubans, Spaniards, and, of course, Indigenous people. Recognizing this heterogeneity, the Obama campaign aired campaign ads in 2012 that were tailored to particular Latino populations and their countries of origin. In Central Florida, ads targeting the Puerto Rican community featured Puerto Ricans and addressed their concerns. In Nevada, the ads featured Mexican Americans. Latinos are anything but a unified voting bloc in U.S. elections. Young second-generation immigrants are powering the growth of progressive politics in California, while older Cuban immigrants are conservative mainstays of the Republican Party in Florida. Along the Southwest border, established Latino families have bristled at the arrival of new migrants from Central and South America and have called for more limits on unauthorized immigration. In recent years, Los Angeles and other Southwestern cities have seen large new waves of immigrants not just from Mexico, but from Indigenous communities in Guatemala and Honduras, many of them driven from coffee farms in part by the effects of climate change. Los Angeles is home to the largest Mexican population in the United States, and about half the city’s population is Hispanic. It is also home to the largest Oaxacan community in the country, numbering about 200,000. Image Protesters danced outside City Hall in Los Angeles while calling for the resignations of three City Council members.Credit…Mario Tama/Getty Images Mr. Vasquez, the restaurateur, said that Oaxacans worked in the kitchens of top-rated restaurants in the city, many of them having started as dishwashers, like him. Among the children of Oaxacan immigrants there are lawyers, professors and physicians. Members of the Latino Indigenous community in Los Angeles, some of them in traditional attire, were among the protesters outside the City Council chambers and the offices of council members this week. Thousands of Indigenous people from across California were expected to descend on Los Angeles on Saturday to participate in demonstrations. Ron Herrera, a labor leader heard in the recorded conversation, resigned as president of the Los Angeles County Federation of Labor on Monday. The two other council members present, Kevin de León and Gil Cedillo, have so far rebuffed calls for them to step down. The council members, as it happens, make up their own Hispanic collage: All three were born in the United States to immigrant families, Ms. Martinez’s and Mr. Cedillo’s from Mexico and Mr. De León’s from Guatemala. For Miguel Villegas, 32, who raps in English, Spanish and Mixteco, an Indigenous language...

USA: “Witch Hunt At The Highest Level” – Trump Rages After Committee Summons & More Latest News – Up Jobs https://digitalalaskanews.com/usa-witch-hunt-at-the-highest-level-trump-rages-after-committee-summons-more-latest-news-up-jobs/ revealedOctober 14, 2022 at 8:54 p.m United States: “Witch hunt at the highest level” – Trump rages after committee summons It is extraordinarily uncommon for a present or former US President to be subpoenaed by Congress. Donald Trump is now alleged to testify about the storming of his supporters on the Capitol – and reacts angrily. 1 / 4 Ex-President Donald Trump is something however happy along with his subpoena earlier than Congress. Reuters He described the investigation into the storming of the Capitol in January 2021 as a “witch hunt”. REUTERS According to Trump, there are “no real Republicans” on the investigative committee, and it was additionally based by “left-wing Democrats”. Reuters Donald Trump was visibly indignant at his subpoena earlier than Congress on Friday. There he’s to touch upon the occasions of January sixth. At that point, tons of of Maga supporters stormed the Capitol – Trump could have performed an necessary function in instigating. With a 14-page letter of anger, former US President Donald Trump responded to a Subpoena of the Parliamentary Inquiry Committee responded to the Capitol storming in early 2021. In the letter to committee chair Bennie Thompson revealed on Friday, Trump insulted the panel members, referred to as the investigation a “witch hunt” and a “show trial,” and reiterated his extensively debunked allegations of huge fraud in the 2020 presidential election. Whether he’ll testify earlier than the committee , the Republican did not clarify. Malice about scores “Despite very poor television ratings,” the House of Representatives investigative committee held a “show trial the likes of which the country has never seen before,” Trump wrote to Thompson, emphasizing his “anger” and “disappointment.” The physique disregards rule of regulation requirements no “real” Republicans as members and has “no legitimacy” as a result of it doesn’t take care of the “massive voter fraud”. “It’s a witch hunt at the highest level, a continuation of what has been going on for years,” stated the right-wing populist, who’s flirting with one other presidential candidacy in 2024. At a public assembly on Thursday, the investigative committee voted to subpoena Trump. Chairman Thompson stated after a unanimous vote by the 9 committee members that the ex-president have to be “accountable to the American people”. Ex-colleague refused to testify However, it’s thought-about unlikely that Trump will comply with the subpoena, which may result in authorized disputes. At the initiative of the investigative committee, Trump’s former chief strategist Steve Bannon, who had refused to testify, had beforehand been accused of contempt for Congress and located responsible in a trial. In his letter, Trump now writes that “radical left-wing Democrats” based the committee “to save the lives of many hard working American patriot to destroy”. The body did not act against those responsible for the alleged election fraud, but against “concerned American citizens who have protested against the fraud”. “Photos of the crowd were canceled” The letter is four pages long, Trump added ten pages listing alleged voter fraud in various states and photos of his supporters on January 6, 2021. In the letter, Trump complains that the U-Committee and the media never get involved the “massive size of the crowd” that preceded the Capitol storming of his speech have attended. Photos of the dimension of the crowd could have been “cancelled”. hundreds radical Trump supporters had stormed the Capitol when Democrat Joe Biden’s victory in the 2020 presidential election was to be finally confirmed there. In the weeks before, Trump had spread the false claim that massive election fraud had robbed him of a second term. In a speech immediately before the storming of the Capitol, he called on his followers to fight “whatever the hell”. Don’t miss any extra information With the daily update you stay informed about your favorite topics and don’t miss any more news about current world events. Receive the most important information directly in your mailbox every day. 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What Is The Mitt Romney Martyr Thesis? https://digitalalaskanews.com/what-is-the-mitt-romney-martyr-thesis/ The media’s treatment of Mitt Romney in the 2012 presidential race didn’t suddenly radicalize Republicans and lead them to embrace former President Donald Trump in response, according to a new column by David French for The Atlantic. They were “already radicalized” and were frustrated with Romney for not expressing more anger toward Democrats, he said. French said that some Republicans have justified their support for Trump over his willingness to hit back at Democrats and members of the media, who they feel have treated GOP candidates like Romney unfairly for years.  French calls this argument the “Mitt Romney martyr thesis,” which posits that Republicans nominated Romney — “a good and decent man” — only to see the media thrash their candidate with cruel and biased attacks, so can you really blame them for turning to Trump? “Republicans had been bullied, so they turned to a bully of their own,” French said, describing the theory. French pointed to a tweet by Deseret News contributor Bethany Mandel, which was in response to a tweet from columnist Matt Lewis. “When did the GOP become the party of jerks?” Lewis asked. Mandel responded, “If I had to pinpoint a moment, when Mitt Romney spent his entire campaign being accused of killing Big Bird, building binders full of women, torturing the family dog, etc etc.” If I had to pinpoint a moment, when Mitt Romney spent his entire campaign being accused of killing Big Bird, building binders full of women, torturing the family dog, etc etc. https://t.co/XuXovM0gEF — Bethany S. Mandel (@bethanyshondark) August 28, 2022 While French said he was “infuriated” in 2012 by some of the attacks against Romney, he argued the Republican anger that led to Trump’s win in 2016 wasn’t “on behalf of Romney” but “against Romney.” “Yes, there was anger at Democrats and reporters for their treatment of Romney, but the raw anger that really mattered was their anger at Romney for the way he treated Obama and the press,” he wrote. French said well before Trump came on the scene, evangelicals and other portions of the Republican base didn’t care about a candidate’s “character” problems as long as they brought the fight to Democrats and the media. French wrote about former Speaker Newt Gingrich, and how, during the impeachment proceedings against then-President Bill Clinton for lying under oath about an extramarital affair, it came out that Gingrich was having an affair himself. The Republican faithful didn’t seem to care, he said. And in the 2012 GOP presidential debates, two days before the South Carolina primary, a moderator confronted Gingrich about the scandal. But Gingrich was cheered for sidestepping the question and instead condemning the media as “destructive” and biased. “Surely, heavily evangelical voters in a key Republican stronghold would be concerned about Gingrich’s scandals?” French asked. “No, they were far angrier at media outlets than they were at any Republican hypocrisy.”  French said the Republican voter base ceased caring about the character of their candidates long ago, instead favoring candidates who will “fight.”  The real “cultural break” in the GOP party was between the establishment, who called for greater efforts of inclusion after the 2012 presidential loss, and the grassroots, who were convinced they “had been hoodwinked by party leaders into supporting the ‘safe’ candidate,” he said. Trump’s nomination, French said, was a triumph of what the base had always wanted: not a nice guy, but a street brawler. When Romney campaigned against Trump for what he considered character flaws, Romney’s former GOP supporters scorned and despised him for not being as tough as Trump, he said. Read More Here

AP News In Brief At 9:04 P.m. EDT https://digitalalaskanews.com/ap-news-in-brief-at-904-p-m-edt-12/ Trump’s subpoena and what’s next for the Jan. 6 panel WASHINGTON (AP) — In an extraordinary step, the House Jan. 6 committee has voted unanimously to subpoena former President Donald Trump — a final effort to get the full story of the Capitol insurrection as the panel wraps up its work by the end of the year. Trump still does not acknowledge the “former” in front of “president,” and he has been relentlessly hostile to the investigation. He called it a “charade and a witch hunt” in a letter to the committee on Friday — but notably did not mention the subpoena or say whether he would comply with the demand for his appearance. The attempt to compel Trump’s testimony comes as the committee is tying together multiple investigative threads and compiling its final report. The panel is only authorized through this Congress, which ends on Jan. 3. A look at what’s next as the panel sprints to its finish: THE TRUMP SUBPOENA Putin calls his actions in Ukraine ‘correct and timely’ KYIV, UKRAINE (AP) — Russian President Vladimir Putin said Friday he expects his mobilization of army reservists for combat in Ukraine to be completed in about two weeks, allowing him to end an unpopular and chaotic call-up meant to counter Ukrainian battlefield gains and solidify his illegal annexation of occupied territory. Putin — facing domestic discontent and military setbacks in a neighboring country armed with increasingly advanced Western weapons — also told reporters he does not regret starting the conflict and “did not set out to destroy Ukraine” when he ordered Russian troops to invade nearly eight months ago. “What is happening today is unpleasant, to put it mildly,” he said after attending a summit of the Commonwealth of Independent States in Kazakhstan’s capital. “But we would have had all this a little later, only under worse conditions for us, that’s all. So my actions are correct and timely.” Russia’s difficulties in achieving its war aims have become apparent in one of the four Ukrainian regions Putin illegally claimed as Russian territory last month. Anticipating an advance by Ukrainian forces, Moscow-installed authorities in the Kherson region urged residents to flee Friday. Even some of Putin’s own supporters have criticized the Kremlin’s handling of the war and mobilization, increasing pressure on him to do more to turn the tide in Russia’s favor. Police: 15-year-old boy kills 5 in Raleigh shooting rampage RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — A 15-year-old boy killed five people and injured two more in a shooting rampage in Raleigh, police said, horrifying a community that is now mourning victims whose lives were cut short as they were going about their daily routines. Raleigh Police Chief Estella Patterson said the teen was captured hours after the victims were gunned down Thursday evening. He was hospitalized and in critical condition following his arrest, but authorities have not said how he was injured. Patterson said Friday that police haven’t determined a motive for the attack. The victims were different races and ranged in age from 16 to their late 50s, Patterson said. Family members and friends said some of the victims were gunned down while doing normal, everyday activities — an off-duty police officer was killed while on his way to work, one of the women who died was on her porch talking to a neighbor, another woman who died was out walking her dog and another was out exercising. Gov. Roy Cooper called the shooting an “infuriating and tragic act of gun violence.” He added: “No neighborhood, no parent, no child, no grandparent, no one should feel this fear in their communities — no one.” The gunfire broke out around 5 p.m. Thursday in a residential area northeast of downtown, Raleigh Mayor Mary-Ann Baldwin said. Police said from there, the teenager fled to a nearby walking trail and continued shooting. Justice Dept. seeks end to arbiter’s review of Trump docs WASHINGTON (AP) — The Justice Department asked a federal appeals court on Friday to shut down the work of an independent arbiter who was appointed last month to review documents seized during an FBI search of former President Donald Trump’s Florida estate. The appeal is the latest salvo in weeks of litigation over the scope of duties of the arbiter, also known as a special master, who was assigned to inspect the records taken in the Aug. 8 search of Mar-a-Lago and weed out any that may be protected by claims of legal privilege. The special master process has caused some delays to the Justice Department’s investigation into the holding of top-secret documents at the home. But a major hurdle was cleared last month when the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 11th Circuit lifted a temporary bar on the department’s ability to use the seized classified documents as part of its criminal probe. The move permitted a core aspect of the probe to resume, greatly reducing the odds that the process could have a significant impact on the investigation. Even so, department lawyers returned to the court Friday to ask for the entire special master review to be shut down, saying the judge who made the appointment had no basis for doing so and that Trump was not entitled to an independent review of the seized records or to claim privilege over them. “Plaintiff has no plausible claim of executive privilege as to any of the seized materials and no plausible claim of personal attorney-client privilege as to the seized government records — including all records bearing classification markings,” according to the department’s brief. Walker denies previous support for national abortion ban SAVANNAH, Ga. (AP) — Republican Senate candidate Herschel Walker on Friday denied his previous support for an outright national ban on abortion, making the shift in his lone debate against Democratic Sen. Raphael Warnock. Walker, a staunch anti-abortion politician recently accused by a former girlfriend of encouraging and paying for her 2009 abortion, accused Warnock of misstating his position by saying Walker had supported a national ban on abortion, without exceptions. Walker insisted his position is the same as Georgia’s state law, the so-called heartbeat bill that bans abortion at six weeks, before many women know they’re pregnant. But Walker had insisted at various points throughout the campaign that he supported a national abortion ban, without exceptions. “That’s a problem” that there is no national ban, he said at a campaign stop in July. But on the debate stage, Walker tried to shift the question to Warnock. Walker blasted Warnock for being a Baptist pastor who supports abortion rights. Los Angeles mystery: Who taped meeting with racist comments? LOS ANGELES (AP) — An anonymously leaked recording of crude, racist remarks and political scheming that led to the resignation of the Los Angeles City Council president and a powerful labor leader left behind a mystery: Who made the tape, and why? The posting of the year-old recording on the website Reddit in the run-up to November’s midterm elections raised obvious suspicions of political motive. Much of the hourlong, private conversation among several councilmembers and the head of Los Angeles County Federation of Labor -– all Latino Democrats –- centered on fortifying their clout in the realignment of Council districts. It’s now prompted a state investigation. The recording was made in a meeting room inside the headquarters of the politically influential labor group — known locally as “the Fed” — but it’s not known how the recording was made during a small gathering of friends, or even who was in the room. “It’s blatantly obvious it was an insider job,” said Mark Gonzalez, who heads the Los Angeles County Democratic Party and believes the most likely target of the unknown person who recorded the meeting was federation president Ron Herrera. NC shooting claims mom, veteran, matriarch, officer and teen RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — An avid runner and the mother of three boys. A woman who was the “rock” of her family and knew everyone in the neighborhood. A Navy veteran whose wedding was two weeks away. These were among the victims of a shooting rampage in North Carolina’s capital city, Raleigh, that claimed five lives and wounded two others. The calm order of the day was shattered around 5 p.m., police say, when a 15-year-old boy opened fire, killing a total of five people in Raleigh’s Hedingham neighborhood and along the nearby Neuse River Greenway. Another of those slain was a police officer who was headed off to work in North Carolina’s capital. Another Raleigh police officer also was wounded as well as a woman who remained in critical condition on Friday. Among the dead were: Officials: 25 dead, many trapped in Turkish coal mine blast ANKARA, Turkey (AP) — An explosion inside a coal mine in northern Turkey killed at least 25 people, local officials announced, while rescuers working through the night were trying to bring dozens of others trapped to the surface. The explosion occurred 6:45 p.m. at the state-owned TTK Amasra Muessese Mudurlugu mine in the town of Amasra, in the Black Sea coastal province of Bartin. Energy Minister Fatih Donmez said a preliminary assessment indicated the explosion was likely caused by firedamp — a reference to flammable gases found in coal mines. There were 110 people in the mine at the time of the explosion, Interior Minister Suleyman Soylu, who traveled to Amasra to coordinate the rescue operation, told reporters. Most of the workers were able to evacuate following the blast, but 49 were trapped in a higher risk area of the facility, the minister said. Soylu would not provide a number for those still trapped, saying some among the 49 had been lifted to safety. 5 years on, key #MeToo voices take stock of the movement Once again, disgraced mogul Harvey Weinstein sits in a courtroom, on trial in ...

Berhampur: Repaired Roof Collapses In MKCG Yet Again https://digitalalaskanews.com/berhampur-repaired-roof-collapses-in-mkcg-yet-again/ The portion where ceiling slabs collapsed in Endocrinology department | Express By Express News Service BERHAMPUR: Exposing the blatant disregard of patient safety in MKCG Medical College and Hospital (MCH), ceiling slabs collapsed once again inside the recently-repaired Endocrinology department on the third floor of the super-speciality block on Friday. Ironically, a portion of the ceiling had crashed in the department in September this year following which necessary repair works were carried out. Sources said patients and their attendants were waiting on the third floor when the ceiling slabs collapsed. Fortunately, no one was injured in the incident. Hearing the loud crashing sound, everyone rushed to the ground floor.  Dean of MKCG MCH Prof AK Mishra said the department has been closed after the incident.  This is the fifth incident of ceiling collapse in the MCH’s super-speciality block this year. On September 8, a number of ceiling slabs caved in on the fifth floor of the building reportedly due to a fire mishap in the operation theatre (OT) of Urology department on August 26. The next day, the ceiling came down on the third floor of the same building. In view of the recurring incidents of ceiling collapse, the MCH authorities had closed Urology, Neurology and Plastic Surgery departments on the fifth floor. Incidentally, the departments opened for patients on Thursday after necessary repair and renovation work. In September, an expert committee of the Works department led by the Chief Engineer inspected the damaged ceilings and blamed sub-standard construction for the incidents. Later, the Roads and Buildings (R&B) department was entrusted with the task of repairing and replacing the ceilings on a war-footing. Prof Mishra said a New Delhi-based firm was in charge of electrification work and construction of the ceiling in the super-speciality building. “We wrote several letters to the company and even to the Union Health Ministry about the ceiling collapse incidents. But so far, we have not received any reply,” he said. He, however, avoided questions about Friday’s ceiling collapse incident which took place even after the R&B department carried out the repair work. No R&B official was available for comment. The five-storey super-speciality building of MKCG MCH was constructed by L&T at a cost of around Rs 150 crore under the Prime Minister Swasthya Suraksha Yojana. It became operational last year. Read More Here

Your Weekend Plans: October 13 – 19, 2022 https://digitalalaskanews.com/your-weekend-plans-october-13-19-2022/ Hyperlinks to event details in our newsletter and at AKconcerts.com Or read below if you just want to know the time & place. Read More Here

Grant Roundup: Senator Murkowski Announces Federal Grants Heading To Alaska | U.S. Senator Lisa Murkowski Of Alaska https://digitalalaskanews.com/grant-roundup-senator-murkowski-announces-federal-grants-heading-to-alaska-u-s-senator-lisa-murkowski-of-alaska-2/ 10.14.22 Washington, DC – U.S. Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-AK), a senior member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, announced the following grants to organizations, tribal entities, and communities in Alaska: Statewide Alaska – Statewide: $339,500 to the Alaska Department of Commerce, Community and Economic Development from the Environmental Protection Agency for the Alaska Pesticide Program. Alaska – Statewide: $1 million to the Alaska Energy Authority from the Environmental Protection Agency for the Alaska Clean Diesel Project. Alaska – Statewide: $2 million to the Alaska Department of Commerce, Community and Economic Development from the Environmental Protection Agency for the Rural Utility Business Advisor Program. Alaska – Statewide: $520,321 to the Alaska Department of Public Safety from the Department of Justice for analyzing forensic materials associated with criminal investigations statewide. Alaska – Statewide: $1.4 million to the Department of Transportation – South coast Region from the Federal Emergency Management Agency for repairs/replacement of roads and culverts damages as a result of sever storm. Alaska – Statewide: $550,000 to the Alaska Native Justice Center Inc. from the Department of Justice, Office on Violence Against Women for the Transitional Housing Assistance Grants for Victims of Domestic Violence, Dating Violence, Sexual Assault and Stalking Program. Alaska – Statewide: $30 million to the State of Alaska from the Denali Commission’s Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act program grants. Interior Fairbanks: $1.9 million to the University of Alaska Fairbanks from the U.S. Department of Agriculture for the Place-Based Solutions for Alaska Native Food & Energy Sovereignty project. Regional: $123,587 to the Ahtna Intertribal Resource Commission from the Environmental Protection Agency for the Indian Environmental Assistance Program. Regional: $335,755 to the Healing Native Hearts Coalition from the Department of Justice, Office on Violence Against Women for the Sexual Assault Coalitions Program. North Slope North Slope: $30 million to the North Slope Borough from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Rural Development to deploy a fiber-to-the-premises network to connect 476 people, 15 businesses and a public school to high-speed internet in North Slope Borough, Alaska. Utqia?vik: $17,471 to the North Slope Borough from the Department of Justice for the Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant Program. Southcentral Anchorage: $1 million to the Anchorage School District from the Federal Emergency Management Agency for the Eagle River Elementary School for building repairs caused by earthquake damage. Anchorage: $386,183 to the Abused Women’s Aid in Crisis Inc. from the Department of Justice, Office on Violence Against Women for the Transitional Housing Assistance Grants for Victims of Domestic Violence, Dating Violence, Sexual Assault and Stalking Program. Denali: $91,820 to the Denali Borough from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Rural Development to fund the installation of street signs in the Denali Borough. Homer: $7,395 to Homer Soil and Water Conservation Services from the U.S. Department of Agriculture to provide training for agricultural producers who will sell their products on the Alaska Food Hub. Port Lions: $29.3 million to the Native Village of Port Loins from the National Telecommunications and Information Administration for the Tribal Broadband Connectivity Program. Regional: $449,661 to the Copper River Region from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration for the Copper River Watershed Project. Southeast Haines: $178,620 to the Takshanuk Watershed Council from the Bureau of Reclamation for Greater Chikat Watershed Working Group. Juneau: $40,000 to Juneau Economic Development Council from the U.S. Department of Agriculture to expand the local frequency shopping rewards program. Metlakatla: $75,000 to the Metlakatla Indian Community from the Department of Transportation to initiate a new fixed-route service between the Metlakatla Municipal Building and the Annette Islands Ferry Terminal. Regional: $33 million to Alaska Power & Telephone from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Rural Development to deploy a fiber-to-the-premises network to connect 211 people and five businesses to high-speed internet in Haines, Skagway, and Klukwan. Skagway: $19,605 to the Skagway Development Corporation from the U.S. Department of Agriculture to provide financial and technical assistance to create an industry and infrastructure report that includes asset and transportation network map for Skagway. Southwest and Western Bethel: $42.3 to the Bethel Native Corporation from the National Telecommunications and Information Administration for the Tribal Broadband Connectivity Program. Bristol Bay: $60,000 to the City of New Stuyahok from the U.S. Department of Agriculture to prepare preliminary engineering and environmental reports for community municipal solid waste projects.  Emmonak: $25,000 to the Emmonak Village from the Department of Transportation to develop a transit plan. Dillingham: $824,990 to the Bristol Bay Campus from the United States Department of Education for the Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions Program. Georgetown: $199,996 to the Native Village of Georgetown from the Bureau of Reclamation for the Development of a Middle and Upper Kuskokwim Watershed Council. Igiugig: $187,168 to the Igiugig Village from the Department of Transportation to initiate a tribal program and to buy a new, accessible vehicle. Norton Bay: $182,831 to Norton Bay Inter-Tribal Watershed Council from the Bureau of Reclamation for the Norton Bay Watershed Restoration Program. Regional: $52.5 million to the Calista Corporation from the National Telecommunications and Information Administration for the Tribal Broadband Connectivity Program. Regional: $31 million to Atmautluak, Kasigluk, Nunapitchuk, Quinhagak, and Tuntutuliak from the United States Department of Agriculture Rural Utility Services program. Regional: $29.5 million to the Choggiung Limited from the National Telecommunications and Information Administration for the Tribal Broadband Connectivity Program. Regional: $335,755 to the Yup’ik Women’s Coalition from the Department of Justice, Office on Violence Against Women for the Sexual Assault Coalitions Program. Tooksok Bay: $187,168 to the Nunakauyarmiut Tribe from the Department of Transportation to develop and operate a transit program and buy a new access vehicle. Tununak: $187,168 to the Native Village of Tununak from the Department of Transportation to develop a transit plan, buy a vehicle, and operate a new transit system. Unalakleet: $1.6 million to the Native Village of Unalakleet from the Department of Transportation to build a bus garage and maintenance facility. Read More Here

Stocks Slide In Volatile Trading Session | CNN Business https://digitalalaskanews.com/stocks-slide-in-volatile-trading-session-cnn-business/ Nightcap‘s” Jon Sarlin that homebuyers will still be facing steep housing costs and shoppers may need to cut down on their upcoming holiday shopping. For more, watch the full Nightcap episode here.” data-details=”” data-duration=”02:40″ data-editable=”settings” data-fave-thumbnails=”{“big”:{“uri”:”https://media.cnn.com/api/v1/images/stellar/prod/221013142133-nightcap-clip-1-inflation-thumb-16×9.jpg?c=16×9&q=h_540,w_960,c_fill”},”small”:{“uri”:”https://media.cnn.com/api/v1/images/stellar/prod/221013142133-nightcap-clip-1-inflation-thumb-16×9.jpg?c=16×9&q=h_540,w_960,c_fill”}}” data-featured-video=”true” data-headline=”Consumer prices surge and mortgage rates hit 20-year high” data-live=”” data-medium-env=”prod” data-show-ads=”true” data-show-name=”” data-show-url=”” data-source=”CNN” data-uri=”archive.cms.cnn.com/_components/video-resource/instances/h_410855e2154988b6364802d52cb6036b-h_0a43b085942bffa45185a25f36e1e8ff@published” data-video-id=”business/2022/10/13/nightcap-inflation-housing-fed-clip-orig-no.cnn” data-vr-video=”” Consumer prices surge and mortgage rates hit 20-year high 02:40 – Source: CNN Stocks slid after rising at the opening bel JPMorgan, Wells Fargo, Citigroup, and Morgan Stanley reported their quarterly results Friday. It was a mixed bag. And a pair of economic reports on retail sales and consumer sentiment gave investors insight into whether inflation and the Federal Reserve’s interest rate hikes are keeping Americans from spending. Our live coverage has ended. Read more about the markets and the latest economic news in the posts below. Raphael Bostic, president and chief executive officer of the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta, at the Jackson Hole economic symposium in Moran, Wyoming, in August. David Paul Morris/Bloomberg/Getty Images Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta President Raphael Bostic said Friday he had inadvertently broken the central bank’s trading rules. New documents highlighted multiple violations. Bostic, who has led the Atlanta Fed for five years, made personal trades during blackout periods, when officials are prohibited from making financial transactions. The disclosures also show that Bostic previously filed incomplete information and that he held more than $50,000 in US Treasury funds last year, which exceeds the permissible limit. Bostic is the latest in a slew of top officials to come under scrutiny for trading activity outside of the scope of the Fed’s strict rules. The ongoing scandal has already led to multiple resignations. The revelations come at a crucial time for the Federal Reserve’s credibility. The central bank characterized inflation as “transitory” last year and since then has been forced to ramp up rate hikes this year to cool down the economy. On Friday, Bostic said that the errors were due to a misinterpretation of central bank rules. He said he sought to correct his mistakes “as soon as I became aware that my financial reporting did not meet the expressed or implicit expectations necessary to maintain the public’s trust.” The Fed president added that he did not make any trades based on insider knowledge. “I recognize it is my responsibility to understand and abide by every obligation of this office,” Bostic said. “I want to be clear: at no time did I knowingly authorize or complete a financial transaction based on nonpublic information or with any intent to conceal or sidestep my obligations of transparent and accountable reporting.” Two Fed presidents resigned last year after disclosures showed they had traded individual stocks in 2020, a period during which the Fed intervened in markets due to the pandemic-induced recession. Powell responded by instituting widespread personal-investing restrictions on senior officials. It was during the implementation of these restrictions that Bostic’s violations came to light. The Fed said Friday that Chairman Jerome Powell had asked its inspector general to conduct a review of Bostic’s transactions and that the central bank would take action based on the results of the investigation. US stocks fell Friday, giving up a big chunk of Thursday’s massive gains. Weak retail sales and rising bond yields overshadowed solid earnings from Dow components JPMorgan Chase (JPM) and UnitedHealth (UNH). A big week of earnings lies ahead, with Goldman Sachs (GS), Netflix (NFLX), Tesla (TSLA) and IBM (IBM) among the many blue chips on tap to report results. The Dow ended the day down more than 400 points, or 1.3%. The S&P 500 lost 2.4%. The Nasdaq Composite fell 3.1%. The Dow still wound up eking out a gain for the week, rising more than 1% over the past five days. But the S&P 500 fell more than 1% and the Nasdaq tumbled more than 3%. Delta Air Lines planes are seen at John F. Kennedy International Airport on the July 4th weekend in Queens, New York. Andrew Kelly/Reuters It’s not exactly a happy Friday on Wall Street. The major indexes are all down, and only a handful of stocks in the Dow are higher. But the few winners have something in common: strong earnings. JPMorgan Chase (JPM), which posted results that were better than expected, was the biggest gainer in the Dow. The second-best performer? UnitedHealth (UNH), which also reported earnings that exceeded Wall Street’s forecasts. The same was true over in the S&P 500. Big banks US Bancorp (USB) and Wells Fargo (WFC) led the way in that blue chip index. Citigroup (C) was also a leader. All three banks had impressive earnings Friday. Delta (DAL) was also a big winner, extending its gains from Thursday, when…you guessed it…the airline reported solid profits. Stocks were giving back a chunk of Thursday’s massive gains in midday trading Friday. The market was hovering at its lowest levels of the day just around noon. Investors seemed more worried about sagging retail sales and continued inflation worries than excited by decent earnings from financial giants JPMorgan Chase (JPM), Wells Fargo (WFC) and Citigroup (C). The supermarket mega merger of Kroger (KR) and Albertsons (ACI) failed to entice stock shoppers either. The Dow fell more than 300 points, or 1.1%. The S&P 500 was down 1.9%. The Nasdaq Composite slipped 2.5%. Traders seen at the New York Stock Exchange today.  Brendan McDermid/Reuters US markets gave up their early-morning gains after a new consumer survey from the University of Michigan showed that expectations for elevated inflation were increasing. Investors worried that the survey, closely watched by the Federal Reserve, could mean more painful rate hikes are on the horizon. The Dow fell below 30,000 on the news, and the S&P 500 and Nasdaq also dropped to session lows. The Dow lost 140 points, or 0.5%, on Friday morning. The S&P 500 was down 1.1%. The Nasdaq Composite was 1.4% lower. A man walks past a Citigroup Citibank Park Avenue branch in New York, NY, January 13 (Anthony Behar/Sipa USA/AP) Citigroup reported a 25% drop in year-over-year net income on Friday as the bank increased its loan loss reserves and activity in investment banking slumped. “Banking was the business most adversely impacted by the macro environment with reduced deal flows and a lower appetite for M&A,” said Citigroup CEO Jane Fraser in the company’s statement, adding that “the backdrop for wealth management was difficult.” Big banks have been slammed this year as the US faces a potential recession, which would lead to major loan losses and an accelerated slowdown in mergers and acquisitions. Out of all the big bank stocks, Citi’s shares have tumbled the most – down 32% year-to-date. There were some bright spots in the company’s third quarter report. The bank reported stronger-than-expected revenue, bringing in $18.51 billion in revenue versus the $18.25 billion expected by analysts, according to Refinitiv, a 6% increase since last year. Personal banking revenue soared 10% year over year to $4.33 billion. But the bank reported just $631 million in investment banking revenue for the third quarter, a steep decline of more than 60% year over year. Citigroup’s Fraser will speak about earnings live at 11 a.m. ET. Anyone who’s watched “Sesame Street” probably knows the classic song about how one object in a group differs from the rest. “One of these things is not like the others. One of these things just doesn’t belong.” Well, Morgan Stanley (MS) was the one that didn’t belong Friday. Shares of the investment bank fell 3% in early trading after the bank reported earnings and revenue that missed analysts’ forecasts. Meanwhile, shares of JPMorgan Chase (JPM), Citigroup (C), Wells Fargo (WFC) and US Bancorp (USB) were all higher after they each reported reasonably solid results. So to quote another “Sesame Street” song, “it’s not easy being green” if you’re Morgan Stanley’s stock. US stocks opened higher in the wake of a massive comeback Thursday that saw the Dow Jones Industrial Average surge 1,500 points from peak to trough and the S&P 500 post its widest trading range since March 2020. Investors also considered mixed third-quarter earnings results from big banks. JPMorgan Chase and Wells Fargo stock soared after they beat revenue expectations. Morgan Stanley and Citigroup, meanwhile, both announced profit misses. The Dow gained 249 points, or 0.8%, on Friday morning. The S&P 500 was up 0.9%. The Nasdaq Composite was 1% higher. Produce is offered for sale at a grocery store on October 13 in Chicago, Illinois. (Scott Olson/Getty Images) Americans were feeling more confident about the economy in early October — though that optimism may prove short lived, according to the latest University of Michigan consumer sentiment survey. The preliminary consumer sentiment index for this month rose to 59.8 from 58.6 in September, having fallen to a record low of 50 in June when gas prices hit historic highs...

COVID In California: Fauci Calls New BQ.1 Variants ‘pretty Troublesome’ https://digitalalaskanews.com/covid-in-california-fauci-calls-new-bq-1-variants-pretty-troublesome/ The nation’s top pandemic advisor said Friday that the rapid rise of the omicron subvariants is “under serious consideration” by federal health officials. Oct. 14, 2022Updated: Oct. 14, 2022 5:25 p.m. Commuters exit a BART train at the Embarcadero Station in San Francisco, Calif.  Jessica Christian/The Chronicle Amid signs of a potential winter COVID surge, the Biden administration said Thursday it will extend the country’s public health emergency declaration until Jan. 11. UCSF’s Dr. Bob Wachter predicts that the surge will be “modest,” but only if people get the updated bivalent booster shot. So far, uptake isn’t strong: Less than 7% of eligible Americans have had the shots. If people were holding back for confirmation that the boosters work, Pfizer offered preliminary evidence Thursday of a “substantial” immune response. But it looks like maybe Ringo didn’t get the jab. Latest updates:  Fauci calls new BQ.1 variants “pretty troublesome” Dr. Anthony Fauci, the nation’s top pandemic advisor, said on Friday that the rapid rise of the omicron BQ.1 and BQ.1.1 subvariants — which accounted for more than 1 in 10 sequenced cases in the U.S. last week, according to estimates from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention — is being taken “under serious consideration” by federal health officials. “When you get variants like that, you look at what their rate of increase is as a relative proportion of the variants, and this has a pretty troublesome doubling time,” President Biden’s chief medical adviser said in an interview with CBS News. The BQ.1 variants are behind recent virus surges in England and Germany, and in the U.S. last week outpaced all other lineages in the Health and Human Services Region 2, which spans New York and New Jersey. The strains were detected just over a month ago. Fauci also expressed concern that the variants have mutations that make them resistant to the available antibody therapies, such as Evusheld. A spokesperson for AstraZeneca said the company did not have data on how BQ.1 might impact its preventive drug. “The bad news is that there’s a new variant that’s emerging and that has qualities or characteristics that could evade some of the interventions we have,” he said. “But, the somewhat encouraging news is that it’s a BA.5 sublineage, so there are almost certainly going to be some cross-protection that you can boost up with the BA.5 bivalent.” “Don’t wait to be boosted,” say infectious disease doctors An advocacy group for more than 12,000 physicians, scientists and public health experts who specialize in infectious diseases recommends the American public get the updated bivalent COVID-19 vaccine booster as soon as possible in anticipation of another winter wave. The Infectious Diseases Society of America on Thursday released a statement entitled “Don’t Wait to be Boosted” that urges “everyone who is eligible to get boosted now as COVID-19 cases increase in Europe and other parts of the world — a sign that a surge could happen in the United States.” The group assured that the available vaccines from Pfizer and Moderna are safe and effective in preventing the most serious outcomes from a COVID-19 infection, and dismissed unfounded reports linking the shots to health complications. “These vaccines are continuously monitored for safety and efficacy, and to date there is no credible scientific evidence supporting increased rates of cardiac-related death in any population due to COVID-19 vaccines.” Highly contagious BQ.1 and BQ.1.1 variants rapidly spreading in U.S. While the omicron BA.5 subvariant appears to be receding, making up 67.9% of sequenced cases in the U.S. last week, newer strains of the virus are surging, according to data published Friday by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The emerging subvariants BQ.1 and BQ.1.1 constituted 11.4% of new cases, with a sharp rate of growth that shows them outpacing rivals. In the United Kingdom, infections from a highly mutated BQ.1.1 have doubled every week, causing a dramatic rise in hospitalizations. In the U.S., the two new subvariants make up nearly four times as many cases as BA.2.75 (1.3%) and have overtaken BF.7 (5.3%), which preceded them by weeks. Additionally, the BQ.1 subvariant — which includes three major mutations on its spike protein — is the first to prove resistant to the available antibody therapies, Evusheld and bebtelovimab. Even though the newest subvariants were detected in the U.S. more than a month ago, the CDC listed them publicly for the first time on Friday in its variant proportion tracker. Health officials say the updated bivalent boosters from Moderna and Pfizer are still effective in preventing the worst outcomes from COVID-19, even for the newer strains. Group sues S.F. over religious exemptions for COVID vaccine mandate San Francisco, the first major U.S. city to require its employees to be vaccinated against COVID-19, is being sued by four former workers who say it should have granted their requests for religious exemptions. The case is not unique — claims of religious discrimination in vaccine mandates have been filed in federal courts nationwide, with little success. What may be noteworthy about the San Francisco case is that, among the city’s 35,000 employees, 1,070 have asked for religious or medical exemptions since the vaccination order was issued in June 2021. Eight religious exemptions and 10 medical exemptions have been granted. Read more about a case in which the plaintiffs’ lawyers accuse the city of an anti-religious bias. One in 37 infected in U.K. British health officials warned of a “notable rise” in coronavirus infections, according to the BBC. The latest estimates from the Office for National Statistics suggest one in 37 people in the UK has COVID-19, up from one in 50 reported in the previous week. Sarah Crofts, deputy director for the agency, said things could get worse this winter. “Infections have risen again across much of the United Kingdom, continuing the pattern of steady increases seen over recent weeks,” she said. The latest figures suggest around 2.7% of the population — around 1.7 million people — are infected with the virus, with people over the age of 50 hit hardest. The number of people hospitalized with COVID has also increased. There are currently 10,608 patients in hospitals who tested positive for the virus, marking a 10% jump from the week before. One European country ready to bring back masking Germany’s health minister on Friday urged the country’s 16 states to consider stepping up their measures against the coronavirus amid a rise in new cases. Health Minister Karl Lauterbach said he favors requiring mask-wearing indoors, a measure that has largely faded in Germany except on public transport, in medical facilities and care homes. “The direction we’re going in isn’t a good one,” Lauterbach told reporters in Berlin, according to the Associated Press. The number of newly confirmed cases per 100,000 inhabitants over a seven-day period stood at 760, compared with 695 a week earlier. Lauterbach said the actual number of cases could be three to four times higher, as many positive results with rapid tests are never reported to authorities. He added that it would be better for states to impose limited restrictions now than stricter ones later. “The sooner we step on the brake the better it will be,” he said. Virus levels at a standstill in U.S. After seeing great progress over the past two months, COVID-19 community levels in the U.S. have fallen into a holding pattern. Last week, for the first time since April, less than 1% of the American population was living in an area with “high” COVID-19 community levels. But now that number is back at 1.02%, based on hospitalization and case rates, according to updated figures from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The “medium” and “low” tiers also remain unchanged, at 79.51% (compared to 79.05% last week) and 19.43% (compared to 19.95%), respectively. Based on a separate metric that tracks the rates of new cases and positive tests, half of all counties remain in the “high” virus transmission category. In the latter category, all nine Bay Area counties plus Santa Cruz and San Benito are considered to be in the “substantial” transmission tier, the second worse out of four. Three in four high school students experienced a mental health crisis, CDC study shows Nearly 3 in 4 American high school students reported adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) linked to poor mental health and suicidal behaviors during the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a study published Thursday by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. ACEs are defined as “preventable, potentially traumatic events that occur in childhood” such as neglect, experiencing or witnessing violence, or a change in aspects of a child’s environment that can undermine their sense of safety, stability, and bonding. The analysis, using data from 4,390 high school students who were monitored between January to June 2021, the 2021 Adolescent Behaviors and Experiences Survey indicate that 37.1% of the adolescents surveyed reported poor mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic, with 19.9% considering and 9% attempting suicide in the preceding year. Nearly three quarters (73.1%) experienced at least one mental issue. “The magnitude of effect associated with past-year suicide attempts is particularly concerning, given that a 2019 meta-analysis examining the association between having four or more ACEs and attempting suicide was considerably lower, albeit compelling,” the researchers wrote. Those struggling with thoughts of self-harm or suicide can access the confidential online Lifeline Crisis Chat at https://988lifeline.org/chat. College admission t...

The Staying Power Of A #MeToo Accusation: 5 Powerful Men Who Survived 'cancel Culture's' Supposed Death Blow https://digitalalaskanews.com/the-staying-power-of-a-metoo-accusation-5-powerful-men-who-survived-cancel-cultures-supposed-death-blow/ Rich Fury/Getty; Chip Somodevilla/Getty; STEVE HELBER/Getty; Spencer Platt/Getty; Jason LaVeris/Getty; Rebecca Zisser/Insider This month marks five years since the #MeToo movement began in full. The wave of sexual misconduct allegations has since held hundreds of powerful people to account. But some of those accused men have escaped relatively unscathed. A cascading wave of sexual misconduct allegations that began in large part five years ago this month has since toppled hundreds of powerful men across a swath of industries.  It’s been half a decade since the start of the #MeToo movement — a term coined by activist Tarana Burke in 2006, which exploded into the popular vernacular in October 2017 when actor Alyssa Milano invited women and abuse victims online to share their stories of rape, sexual harassment, and workplace abuse using the #MeToo hashtag. The Twitter prompt sparked a deluge of allegations that brought down several Hollywood elites, such as Harvey Weinstein, Bryan Singer, and Kevin Spacey. And the hits kept coming; women and men alike made accusations against powerful people that ran the gamut from unwanted touching to rape. Matt Lauer, Charlie Rose, Al Franken, and dozens of others were among those who resigned in the wake of bombshell investigations. As the dominoes continued to fall, the movement entered the inevitable discourse phase, stoking backlash and worries that the moment had perhaps gone too far. A narrative began to emerge: Would “cancel culture” ruin “good” men’s lives and careers? It was a narrative the accused could rally behind. Certain men accused of misconduct felt society’s wrath; Weinstein and Bill Cosby both served jail time in two of the more extreme examples, though Cosby’s sexual-assault conviction was overturned in 2021 due to a prior non-prosecution agreement. Both men continue to deny the allegations against them.  But many of the men accused of misconduct during the initial wave of the movement went from persona non grata to steadily employed once more in a matter of a few short years. Some of them never faced any consequences. Others seem poised to launch their comeback. Insider reflected on five powerful men who faced #MeToo allegations — ranging from workplace misconduct to sexual assault — but have seemingly managed to survive the crisis, evade the long-term consequences, and bounce back from the shame oft associated with such accusations. Louis C.K. Louis C.K. attends “Secret Life Of Pets” New York Premiere on June 25, 2016 in New York City. Photo by Roy Rochlin/FilmMagic Perhaps the quintessential example of a successful #MeToo comeback, Louis C.K. ‘s journey from beloved comic to industry pariah back to 2022 Grammy winner highlights the combined power of a well-worded apology, a strategic step-back from the limelight, and a dedicated fanbase. Rumors had dogged the comedian for years, but in November 2017, five women publicly accused C.K. of sexual misconduct in a New York Times investigation, saying he used his influence in the industry to take advantage of them. All five alleged that C.K. asked them or forced them to watch him masturbate, with accounts spanning from the mid-1990s to 2005. Like many of the men embroiled in the initial wave of #MeToo allegations, there was a flurry of immediate repercussions for the comedian: HBO stripped his inclusion from a forthcoming Jon Stewart special. HBO removed his comedy specials from the streamer. Netflix said it would stop production on his next planned stand-up special. FX, which had a longstanding relationship with C.K. as host to his TV show “Louie,” also cut ties with the comedian and said they would no longer work with him or his production company. A distribution company canceled the release of his film “I Love you Daddy,” which was set to open just days after the allegations were made. C.K. acknowledged his culpability in a lengthy apology statement, saying he planned to “step back and take a long time to listen.” But less than a year later, he made his quiet return to live stand-up in August 2018 with a surprise set at a New York City comedy club. Reports from the event offered a preview into C.K.’s impending path to redemption: The audience that night gave him an ovation before he even began speaking. In December 2018, audio from one of his comeback sets leaked. In it, he mocked the Parkland high school shooting survivors, gender pronouns, and referenced his own #MeToo scandal. In April 2020, fewer than three years after the Times story, C.K. released his first official stand-up special in which he discussed the allegations yet again. “Sincerely Louis C.K.” remains available for purchase on his website. In August 2021 he announced his first major tour since the scandal and released a second stand-up special notably called “Sorry.” Then, in April 2022, he was rewarded by his industry peers for his recent professional accomplishments with a Grammy for best comedy album for “Sincerely Louis C.K.” — a show featuring jokes about “being canceled.” Representatives for C.K. did not return Insider’s request for comment on the trajectory of his career in the aftermath of the allegations. The comic is next set to perform at Madison Square Garden next year. John Lasseter John Lasseter arrives at the premiere of Disney And Pixar’s “Cars 3” at Anaheim Convention Center on June 10, 2017 in Anaheim, California. Gregg DeGuire/WireImage Animation legend John Lasseter’s post-#MeToo comeback highlights another example of a short-lived ostracism for a powerful Hollywood player in the wake of misconduct allegations. The chief creative officer at both Pixar Animation Studios and Walt Disney Animation Studios, Lasseter was the creative mind behind animated hits like “Cars,” “Toy Story,” and “A Bug’s Life.” The Pixar studios co-founder was well-known in the industry for being a particularly “friendly” person, often greeting employees with bear hugs and kisses, no matter their professional relationship to him. But as the #MeToo movement gained momentum, several sources at Pixar and within the animation industry told The Hollywood Reporter in November 2017 that Lasseter was known for “grabbing, kissing, and making comments about physical attributes” in meetings, parties, and at work events. The allegations of unwanted touching and hugging at work prompted him to take a “leave of absence,” as the company decided his fate.  The self-described “Peter Pan” was ultimately forced to resign from the Walt Disney company in June 2018 following the accusations. Lasseter’s tale highlights how the conversation around #MeToo became more complex and nuanced as time went on. While many praised Pixar employees’ bravery for speaking out about Lasseter’s alleged pattern of inappropriate behavior, others argued that the accusations against Lasseter didn’t rise to the same level as the rape and assault allegations plaguing other Hollywood executives, and thus his punishment — professionally and socially — shouldn’t be as severe. Still, Lasseter was met with a wave of repercussions following the Hollywood Reporter article ahead of his departure: He skipped the 2018 Oscars where Pixar’s “Coco” won the award for best animated film. He skipped the premiere for Pixar’s “Incredibles 2.” He took a leave of absence, during which the company held a “day of listening” where several staffers said Lasseter often spoke to them in a domineering tone. #LoseLasseter trended on Twitter. But just one year after departing Disney, Lasseter landed a new role at Skydance Media as the company’s animation chief. The production company helmed by David Ellison, who has produced multiple “Mission: Impossible” movies, announced Lasseter’s hire in a carefully-worded, January 2019 memo to Skydance staff, highlighting Lasseter’s prior acknowledgment and apology for his past “mistakes.” The statement said Lasseter had spent his time away from the workplace “analyzing and improving his workplace behavior.” The move prompted some brief backlash in the industry, but the buzz quickly faded, leaving Lasseter in a powerful position with nearly the same creative control he had held prior to #MeToo. He most recently served as executive producer for 2022’s “Luck” starring Jane Fonda and Whoopi Goldberg.  Lasseter did not respond to Insider’s request for comment, nor did a representative for Skydance Media. Donald Trump Donald Trump. Brandon Bell/Getty Images Accused by 26 women of sexual misconduct — allegations ranging from unwanted touching to assault — former President Donald Trump’s story is unique in many ways. The majority of accusations leveled against him were made prior to or during his first run for the Whi...

Paul Ryan Says Trump’s ‘unelectability Will Be Palpable’ By The 2024 Election https://digitalalaskanews.com/paul-ryan-says-trumps-unelectability-will-be-palpable-by-the-2024-election/ Back to homepage Subscriber Login Please subscribe to keep reading. You can cancel at any time. Loading&hellp; Read More Here

The Latino Voter Shift Comes Into Focus In South Texas – KVIA https://digitalalaskanews.com/the-latino-voter-shift-comes-into-focus-in-south-texas-kvia/ By Boris Sanchez, CNN What first appeared as statistical noise is now becoming clearer: Historically left-leaning Latino voters are shifting toward the GOP, with the potential to swing major races come November’s midterm elections. And with razor-thin margins determining control of Congress, Hispanic communities where Donald Trump unexpectedly made gains in 2020 are coming into sharp focus, especially the Rio Grande Valley of South Texas. Here, the battle for Texas’s 15th Congressional District between Republican Monica De La Cruz and Democrat Michelle Vallejo is arguably the state’s most competitive House race and may be a test for Republicans’ appeal among Hispanic Americans. Hispanic Americans make up a fifth of registered voters in more than a dozen hotly contested House and Senate races in Arizona, Colorado, Florida, Nevada and Texas. While Democrats are still expected to win a majority of Latino voters, their margins appear to be shrinking — dramatically, in some cases. “What we’re seeing now is that the GOP has stepped in and helped us get our messaging out to show Latinos their values of faith, family and freedom really align with the Republican Party,” De La Cruz said Vallejo argues that the shift is tied to an increase in outside spending by the GOP: “I think the resources and money they’re getting from the outside really does add fuel to their fire. … It’s not deeply connected with the desire from the community to drive up and bring solutions that are specifically from South Texas.” Inspired by Trump For De La Cruz, attending her first Trump rally inspired her to start a career in politics. “I was busy raising a family, raising my business,” De La Cruz said. “(Trump) caught my attention to look at national politics and what was happening in DC and say, ‘Those policies don’t reflect me or my values.’” The entrepreneur insurance agent and mother of two says she’s a former Democrat whose family voted against Republicans for generations, including her “abuelita.” “This area had been under Democrat rule for over 100 years and what we’re seeing here is that Democrats haven’t done anything for us. … (They) just abandoned Latinos and Latinos are seeing that their values of faith, family and freedom just align better with the Republican Party.” Part of a trio of Latina Republican congressional nominees on the ballot in South Texas, De La Cruz is attempting to redefine the region’s political tradition alongside Cassy Garcia, a former Ted Cruz aide who is running in the 28th District, and US Rep. Mayra Flores in Texas’ 34th who became the party’s first representative from the Rio Grande Valley in more than a century after winning a special election earlier this year. The “triple threat,” as some Republicans call them, are part of a record number of Republican Latino nominees this fall, with many taking a page from Trump’s pro-border wall playbook. Asked whether she ever felt insulted by Trump’s rhetoric toward Latino immigrants (“They are bringing drugs. They’re bringing crime. They’re rapists,” the then-candidate said when announcing his first presidential run in 2016), De La Cruz, the granddaughter of Mexican immigrants, said his words didn’t turn her away. “Honestly, I probably wouldn’t have said things the way he said them, but I think people were able to look past those things because they knew he’s not a politician. He didn’t have a political background. He was a businessman,” said De La Cruz. “He stood up against the establishment and put forth policies that worked for American families.” ‘More attention and more respect’ Like her GOP opponent, Vallejo, the Democrat running in Texas’ 15th, is a relatively new to politics and an entrepreneur. She operates the Pulga Los Portales flea market in Alton, which her parents founded some 25 years ago. “Our community deserves more attention and more respect,” Vallejo said of the newly drawn district, which would have voted for Trump by nearly 3 percentage points in 2020. “I think that both national parties were leaving us out.” Vallejo said Republicans have “demonized” Latino immigrants to score political points. “We have pride and dignity and we will not stand for anyone making fun of us, making fun of our community and our culture. We’re deserving and we give a lot back to this country,” she said. Running as a progressive in an area that more often elects moderate Democrats, Vallejo defeated her primary opponent by only 35 votes and is campaigning on guaranteed abortion rights, expanding Medicaid and Medicare, and raising the minimum wage to $15. “There are a lot of issues being ignored,” Vallejo said. “It’s time we see a change for South Texas, and we need progressive, bold policies … so that we finally get a voice at the table.” Vallejo points to outside influence and spending to account for the GOP’s gains in the area, saying, “Outside interests did see an opportunity to swoop in, pouring millions and millions of dollars to pretty much buy up our seat.” As for Latinos who drifted from Democrats to support Trump, Vallejo said she “looks forward to hopefully earning their support.” “I’m fighting for all our families here in South Texas, whether they’re Republican, independent or people who have never felt engaged by the political system before,” she said. Central issues Polling indicates that Latino voters are more likely than any other ethnic groups to cite the economy or inflation as the most important issue facing the country. But other issues, such as immigration and abortion, also loom large. “It’s become so difficult. … Supply chain issues are a big problem. And inflation — we used to pay $19 for a box of eggs. Now, I pay $54,” said Rodolfo Sanchez-Rendon, the owner of Teresita’s Kitchen in McAllen. Sanchez-Rendon also faults Democrats for undervaluing faith, family and small business. “Their values have changed,” he said. “Extremely liberal, where religion becomes an afterthought. … They’ve drifted from our values.” But the economy remains the most important issue to voters like Sanchez-Rendon, who immigrated to the United States in 1986 and said unchecked illegal immigration is out of control across the southern border. Contractor Edgar Gallegos said he plans to vote Republican because of the economy, despite Trump’s rhetoric about Latino immigrants. “I’ll take a mean tweet right about now, over what we have,” Gallegos said. Other voters, like Justin Stubbs, say they feel Democrats lack urgency on the issue of immigration. “It seems like Republicans care and talk about the border issue a lot more. … I just don’t see a lot of Democrats talking about the border crisis and honestly, there’s a lot of people down here that are affected by that,” he said. One voter in nearby Alton, Texas, said he and his wife will remain loyal to the Democratic Party because he believes it will do more to help the community. “We want candidates who will pay attention to our needs,” says Jose Raul Guerrero, who says he’s voting for Vallejo partly because he’s known her since she was a child. “She understands our needs. … and we need a lot of help right now.” ‘The first Hispanic president’ “What people have to understand is that Hispanic Americans have hard working-class values,” said Giancarlo Sopo, a former Barack Obama campaign worker who led Trump’s hyper-local Hispanic advertising in 2020. “Who’s America’s blue-collar billionaire? Donald Trump,” he said. Sopo said part of the Trump’s campaign’s success with Latinos was tied to an ad campaign that “used words and ways of speaking” that were unique to specific nationalities and generations, tailoring ads meant to target Puerto Ricans, for example, with slang and references common to the island. “The reality is there are many Hispanic communities,” Sopo says. “You open the door with culture and engage Hispanics on a policy level.” Pointing to trends over the last decade that show Latinos experiencing gains when it comes to incomes, home purchases and starting new businesses, Sopo said many in the community view Trump aspirationally — adding that among some Latinos, especially men, the former President’s brash rhetoric may have worked to his advantage. “To a lot of Hispanic Americans — the same way that Bill Clinton was the first Black president before Barack Obama — Donald Trump, to them, is the first Hispanic president,” Sopo said. “He’s very charismatic, he’s not politically correct, he’s a successful entrepreneur. … These values really resonate.” The-CNN-Wire & © 2022 Cable News Network, Inc., a Warner Bros. Discovery Company. All rights reserved. Read More Here

Kroger And Albertsons Plan $25 Billion Supermarket Merger That May Face Hurdles https://digitalalaskanews.com/kroger-and-albertsons-plan-25-billion-supermarket-merger-that-may-face-hurdles/ The deal, an effort to bulk up against deep-pocketed rivals Walmart and Amazon, is likely to invite serious antitrust scrutiny from regulators. Send any friend a story As a subscriber, you have 10 gift articles to give each month. Anyone can read what you share. The combined annual revenue of Kroger and Albertsons is close to Walmart’s grocery sales.Credit…Carlos Bernate for The New York Times Oct. 14, 2022Updated 7:05 p.m. ET Two of the country’s largest supermarket chains announced plans on Friday to merge in a deal that could alter the food retail landscape but will also face intense scrutiny by regulators. Kroger said it would acquire Albertsons for $24.6 billion. The chains currently have total revenue of more than $209 billion and about 5,000 stores across the country under well-known chains like Ralphs, Safeway and Vons. Executives at the two companies said the combination was needed to better fend off big-box retailers like Walmart, Amazon and Costco, which can use their size to sell yogurt, cereals and pastas at lower prices, and have increasingly taken a bigger share of consumers’ wallets. Moreover, they said, the companies would pass along to customers as much as $500 million in savings resulting from the merger. But the deal quickly drew criticism from consumer advocates, independent grocery chains and politicians who said it would limit shoppers’ choices of where to buy groceries, especially in lower-income and rural areas, and could lead to higher prices for consumers and independent grocers. “We don’t need another mega grocery store chain,” said Stacy Mitchell, co-executive director of the Institute for Local Self-Reliance, an advocacy group that challenges areas of concentrated corporate power, such as the grocery industry. If the merger went through, she said, the combined Albertsons-Kroger and Walmart would control 70 percent or more of the market in 167 cities in the United States. In some, like Salina, Kan., or Durango, Colo., the share would exceed 90 percent. The proposed deal places political pressure on the Biden administration and will face tough regulatory scrutiny at a time when high inflation has compounded a global food security crisis. Food prices in the United States rose more than 11 percent in September from a year earlier. “Grocery chains like Kroger and Albertsons are price-gouging families with inflated food prices, and further corporate consolidation would result in higher prices, employee layoffs and weaker supply chains,” Senator Elizabeth Warren, Democrat of Massachusetts, said in an emailed statement. “The F.T.C. should oppose this deal.” Nearly three decades of consolidation has resulted in far fewer grocery stores in the country. Since the mid-1990s, the number has declined nearly 30 percent, according to a report by Food and Water Watch, a consumer advocacy group. At the same time, the combined market share of the four largest grocery retailers tripled to 69 percent from 23 percent, the group said. These days, the biggest grocery retailer is Walmart, which generated $218 billion last year from food sales, or 55 percent of its U.S. revenue. Amazon, which acquired Whole Foods in 2017 and sells groceries on its website, is a smaller presence but is pressuring rivals as it reaches further into the industry. It’s an industry at a pivotal juncture, after revenues and profits soared early in the pandemic as consumers ate most of their meals at home. Now people are eating more meals away from home than they did two years ago, inflation is slicing into store profit margins and some shoppers are shifting to less-expensive stores like Walmart. In June, Rodney McMullen, the chief executive of Cincinnati-based Kroger, told Wall Street analysts that the chain was seeing a significant shift in behavior among shoppers because of inflation. While some consumers continued to buy premium products, others were “aggressively” switching to store brands, he said. Still, little of that seems to have harmed the company’s bottom line. In the most recent quarter, which ended Aug. 13, Kroger’s operating profits grew 13.7 percent from a year earlier, allowing it to boost its dividend to investors by 24 percent. It has also repurchased $975 million of its own shares this year. As part of their pitch to regulators, Kroger and Albertsons are likely to argue that their combined scale is needed to compete against stores like Aldi and Lidl — two European chains that have been expanding quickly in the United States — as well as Walmart, Amazon and Costco. The Federal Trade Commission has not always been convinced by that argument. In 2015, it successfully sued to block a merger between Office Depot and Staples, even after the retailers had positioned their merger as an effort to take on Amazon and lower prices. In its review, the F.T.C. is likely to consult with consumer advocates, competitors, suppliers and others. Regulators will also look at whether Kroger promised that past acquisitions would lower prices, and whether those promises came to fruition. The review could take months, keeping the companies and their employees grappling with uncertainty. Kroger and Albertsons, which is based in Boise, Idaho, said Friday that they expected to close the deal in early 2024, and that Kroger would pay Albertsons $600 million if the merger fell apart over antitrust concerns. Hoping to stave off concerns about combined market share in various cities, which would be a key hurdle in a review by the F.T.C., the two grocery giants said they planned to sell stores to competitors, and would consider spinning off between 100 and 375 stores into a separate company. Analysts have pointed to overlap between the two grocers, particularly on the West Coast in cities like Seattle, where they would have a combined 40 percent market share, as a likely source of divestitures. Lina Khan, who leads the F.T.C., has expressed skepticism that these types of solutions are sufficient to create real competition against the newly formed entity. Peter Kaplan, a spokesman for the FTC, declined to comment. In fact, some past efforts to form a new competitor haven’t worked. In 2014, the retailer Haggen in Bellingham, Wash., bought more than 100 stores that Albertsons had sold to win approval for its $9 billion merger with Safeway. A year later, Haggen filed for bankruptcy and blamed Albertsons for the breakdown of its business. Albertsons later bought back 33 of those stores from the bankrupt company. “Part of the rationale for this deal is that ‘We need to be bigger,’” said Bill Baer, who led the Justice Department’s antitrust division during the Obama administration. “Well, if you’re bigger and more significant, what does that mean to the markets where you’re dumping stores for some smaller guy who will not have the purchasing power that you claim you’re going to get from this deal?” He added, “Divestiture is always a bright idea for merging parties, and it’s not always a very good idea for consumers.” Consumer advocates said the deal would be bad for consumers and independent grocery chains. The biggest grocery retailers, like Walmart, use their size to negotiate better pricing from producers and suppliers. Kroger and Albertsons, which many analysts say are already big enough to negotiate good deals, hope to reap even more negotiating power. But to make up those lost profits, suppliers often charge smaller and independent grocers more, said Chris Jones, counsel and a senior vice president of government relations for the National Grocers Association, which represents 1,700 family-owned grocery chains. “If you squeeze a supplier on one side and you’re able to get product on preferential terms, the supplier has no choice but to increase prices or short product to buyers that have less leverage,” Mr. Jones said. The independent chains then have to pass along the higher prices to their customers, who are often in the lower-income, urban and rural markets that the megastores bypass because they’re not profitable enough. Rebecca Wolf, a food policy analyst at Food & Water Watch, concluded that this proposed merger offered consumers little benefit. “A lot of advocates and consumer advocates who have been following this kind of work for a long time really know and understand that this type of merger will entrench the power of the grocery industry,” she said. / Read More Here

Live Updates: Georgia Senate Candidates Herschel Walker, Raphael Warnock Face Off In First Debate https://digitalalaskanews.com/live-updates-georgia-senate-candidates-herschel-walker-raphael-warnock-face-off-in-first-debate/ Georgia Democratic Sen. Raphael Warnock and Republican Herschel Walker are facing off in their highly-anticipated Senate debate in Savannah, Georgia that began at 7 p.m..  The Senate race is one of the most fiercely competitive races this midterm cycle as Republicans attempt to retake control of the Senate from Democrats. Control of the Senate is evenly split with Democrats in charge by virtue of Vice President Kamala Harris as the tie-breaking vote. Republicans need just a net gain of one seat in the Senate to win back control, and the Peach State could be the difference.  Walker has become embroiled in scandal after The Daily Beast reported the former University of Georgia football player personally paid an ex-girlfriend to get an abortion over a decade ago. (Walker is vehemently anti-abortion.) Report: Georgia GOP Senate candidate Herschel Walker pressed woman to have second abortion Walker called the report, which USA TODAY has not verified, “a flat-out lie.” But just days later, The New York Times reported that Walker urged the woman to terminate a second pregnancy two years later.  Warnock has avoided directly attacking Walker’s abortion allegations and instead focusing on the Supreme Court’s Dobbs decision to overturn the 1973 Roe v. Wade decision legalizing abortion.  “We’ll see how all of this plays out,” Warnock said at a campaign rally in Columbus, Georgia over the weekend. “But I’m focused squarely on the healthcare needs of my constituents, including reproductive healthcare.”  The October surprise, political observers note, may not have much impact upon the race. Savannah Morning News: Live updates: US Senate candidates Herschel Walker, Raphael Warnock face off in Savannah debate Will an October surprise matter?: Walker abortion story a midterm test Walker acknowledged Biden won 2020 election During the Senate debate Warnock admitted that President Joe Biden won the 2020 presidential election. “President Biden Warren and Senator Warnock won, that’s the reason I decided to run,” Walker said. “Because we need a change in Washington. we need leaders that’s going to stand up to foreign leaders.” Walker is being backed by former president Donald Trump who has refused to concede that he lost two years ago and has blamed Biden’s win on baseless claims of widespread voter fraud. – Mabinty Quarshie Warnock addressed Georgians’ financial hardships Warnock said there is “no question that people are feeling pain at the grocery store” and the gas pump. “I’ve stood up for ordinary Georgia families time and time again,” he said, citing his contributions to passing the Inflation Reduction Act and a cap on the cost of prescription drugs for seniors.  He called out Walker who previously said he would not have supported the measure.  “I think he should tell the people of Georgia why he thinks they should have expensive insulin,” Warnock said.  Walker said in response, “You know, I believe in reducing insulin, but at the same time you got to eat right.” – Savannah Kuchar Energy independence is needed to reduce inflation, Walker says The economy is at the top of mind for the majority of voters and the issue was first posed to Walker, who said energy independence is what can reduce high inflation rates. “We got to become energy independent again,” said Walker. He argued that oil and gas imports are not only an “inflation problem,” but also a “national security problem.” Walker attacked Warnock and accused him of being out of touch with voters in Georgia. “He (Warnock) mentioned that he grew up in Savannah with 12 siblings,” Walker said. “Well in this area most people live paycheck to paycheck,” – Ken Tran Sen. Raphael Warnock makes an opening case for reelection In his opening statement, Georgia Democratic Sen. Raphael Warnock stressed the importance of his family and community as part of his appeal for reelection.   “My family taught me the importance of hard work, and how to build the beloved community that Dr. (Martin Luther) King used to talk about,” Warnock said. “And I brought that spirit to the Senate,” he added. He also said that the choice on who is best ready to represent Georgia is “clear.” — Mabinty Quarshie Walker leads with faith, but pivots to Biden and culture wars Walker started his opening statement by touting his faith and family upbringing, before quickly pivoting to connecting Warnock to Biden. The former football star said his opponent is going to try to “sweet talk” voters, who he said a suffering under inflation and higher taxes. Walker also inserted a hot button cultural issue at the outset by raising the issue of transgender students participating in school sports, saying Warnock wants to “put men in women’s sports.”. — Phillip M. Bailey The Walker-Warnock debate begins The Georgia Senate debate between Republican Herschel Walker and incumbent Sen. Raphael Warnock started at 7 p.m. ET. Walker and Warnock are meeting at the J.W. Marriott Savannah. This is the first and only currently scheduled debate between the two Senate candidates. The stakes are high as the embattled Walker will likely face questions over recent reports he paid for an ex-girlfriend’s abortion in 2009. – Mabinty Quarshie How to watch Tonight’s debate is being held riverside at the J.W. Marriott Savannah. Hosted by Nextstar media, the event will begin at 7 p.m. in front of a live audience. Attendance though is by campaign-invite only.   Everyone else can watch the debate on one of Nextstar’s several local channels or via livestream on their websites.  Here’s a link to the livestream. – Savannah Kuchar  Georgia one of the most competitive 2022 races Given the 50-50 Senate makeup, the Peach State contest is one of the most important this fall. Even in the wake of Walker’s abortion controversy, and other slips on the campaign trail, polls suggest Georgia remains one of the most evenly split states. Political forecasters at The Cook Political Report and The Crystal Ball, for instance, both rank it as a toss-up. The website FiveThirtyEight, which analyzes polling data, says Warnock is only “slightly favored.” In an era where candidates are increasingly avoiding debates and with few undecided voters, Friday’s debate could be a critical moment for both contenders. — Phillip M. Bailey Governor’s race: In the tight race for Georgia governor, Black men emerge as Stacey Abrams’ key voters Savannah Democrats stump for Warnock Savannah Mayor Van Johnson and several prominent Democrats hosted a press event on behalf of Sen. Raphael Warnock in Monterey Square. Johnson called Savannah “the center of the political universe” in a nod to Friday night’s debate. Warnock did not attend because he was prepping for the debate. Other dignitaries included Savannah Alderman Linda Wilder Bryan, Chatham Commissioner Aaron Whitely, Georgia House Rep. Derek Mallow, Georgia House candidate Anne Allen Westbrook and U.S. House candidate Wade Herring. —Adam Van Brimmer, Savannah Morning News Walker has been lowering expectations for weeks Ahead of tonight’s debate, Walker, a former football star, has been downplaying his debate skills. During a September campaign stop at the Port of Savannah, for instance, he said: “I’m not that smart.” Warnock is a preacher, Walker said, who will “show up and embarrass me at the debate.” Warnock, pastor of the Atlanta’s legendary Ebeneezer Baptist Church, is known as an excellent orator and communicator on the campaign trail. Many believe the two wouldn’t even face off in a debate, but reports say Walker is taking the upcoming clash seriously. CNN reports the Republican challenger is being advised by former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, a Georgia native, and Sen. Lindsey Graham, of South Carolina. He also is watching footage of Warnock’s past debate against then-Sen. Kelly Loeffler during the 2020 Senate race. — Phillip M. Bailey Abortion issue likely to arise  Since The Daily Beast broke news saying Walker paid a woman in 2009 for an abortion, the Republican challenger has been criticized for his alleged hypocrisy. Throughout his campaign, Walker has maintained a strict stance against abortion access, including against exemptions for rape or incest.  Though Warnock has not yet directly responded to his opponent’s controversy, the topic will almost certainly come up tonight and be an opportunity for the Democratic incumbent to make a public comment.  In response to both the original news and a follow-up story saying Walker urged the same woman to have a second abortion, Walker has continued to deny the allegations.  — Savannah Kuchar  Massive fundraising fuels campaigns The toss-up Senate seat has drawn massive amounts of money to the race. From the start of July to the end of September, Warnock’s campaign brought in $26.3 million and $90 million since winning his runoff almost two years ago. In the most recent quarter, Walker raised $12 million — he has totaled $33 million since the start of the campaign. Warnock has $13.7 million on hand, Walker had $7 million. Abortion? Inflation?: What will Herschel Walker-Raphael Warnock U.S. Senate debate cover? Even as Walker’s campaign contended with the abortion controversy, the Trump-backed super PAC MAGA Inc. bought $750,000 in ads in Georgia to back Walker. Since his first run for Senate, Warnock has raised $12 million from inside Georgia, and over 10 times as much from out-of-state donors across the country, according to campaign finance transparency website Open Secrets.  —Abraham Kenmore, Savannah Morning News Will Walker bring up Warnock’s domestic troubles? Much has been said about Walker’s personal troubles and controversies, which had dogged his campaign. But Warnock’...

Omicron BA.5 Is Declining In The U.S. As Emerging Variants Gain Ground, CDC Data Shows https://digitalalaskanews.com/omicron-ba-5-is-declining-in-the-u-s-as-emerging-variants-gain-ground-cdc-data-shows/ People walk by a Covid-19 testing site at Times Square on May 12, 2022 in New York City. Liao Pan | China News Service | Getty Images The U.S. faces at least seven different versions of Covid-19 omicron as the nation heads into winter when health officials are expecting another wave of viral infections. Although the omicron BA.5 variant remains dominant in the country, it is starting to lose some ground to other versions of the virus, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention published on Friday. Omicron BA.5 has splintered into several new but related variants that include BQ.1, BQ.1.1 and BF.7. The U.K. Health Security Agency, in a report earlier this month, said these three variants are demonstrating a growth advantage over BA.5, which was the most contagious version to date. In the U.S., omicron BA.5 makes up about 68% of all new infections, down from about 80% at the beginning of October. BQ.1, BQ.1.1 and BF.7 are now causing about 17% of new infections combined, according to the CDC data. About 3% of new infections are attributable to BA.2.75. and BA.2.75.2, which are related to the omicron BA.2 variant that caused a bump in cases during the spring but was pushed out. Scientists at Peking University in China found that omicron BA.2.75.2 and BQ.1.1 were the most adept at evading immunity from prior BA.5 infection and several antibody drugs. The study, published earlier in October, has not been peer reviewed. Dr. Ashish Jha, the White House Covid response coordinator, said earlier this week that U.S. health officials are closely monitoring these variants because they are good at evading prior immunity. “The reason we’re tracking them is because they either have a lot more immune invasiveness or they render many of our treatments ineffective,” Jha said. “Those are the two major things that get our attention.” But Jha said the new omicron boosters that the U.S. started rolling out last month should provide better protection than the first-generation vaccines against these emerging variants. The boosters target BA.5 and the emerging variants are all omicron and most descend from BA.5. Jha called on all eligible Americans to get the new boosters by Halloween so they will have full protection for Thanksgiving when family holiday gatherings kick into full swing. But the scientists at Peking University said the immune evasiveness of variants like BA.2.75.2 and BQ.1.1 could mean that the BA.5 booster shots will not provide sufficiently broad protection. It’s unclear how much more effective the boosters will prove in the real world. The Food and Drug Administration authorized the shots without direct human data, relying instead on clinical trials from a similar shot that was developed against the original version of omicron, BA.1. Pfizer and BioNTech on Thursday published the first human data from their BA.5 shots. They triggered a significant boost to the immune system against omicron BA.5 in a lab study that looked at blood samples from adults ages 18 and older, the companies said. Read More Here

US Forecast https://digitalalaskanews.com/us-forecast-137/ 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;65;41;68;44;Patchy morning fog;S;9;57%;5%;3 Albuquerque, NM;76;51;76;53;Mostly sunny;ESE;7;29%;83%;5 Anchorage, AK;38;26;38;33;A wintry mix;NNE;9;73%;93%;0 Asheville, NC;69;41;78;51;Sunny and pleasant;SSW;7;45%;4%;4 Atlanta, GA;75;48;81;53;Plenty of sunshine;SSW;7;44%;3%;5 Atlantic City, NJ;70;49;69;57;Breezy in the p.m.;SSW;12;60%;4%;4 Austin, TX;91;70;92;70;Mostly sunny, warm;SSE;7;58%;2%;5 Baltimore, MD;69;51;74;53;Mostly sunny, nice;W;8;47%;8%;4 Baton Rouge, LA;85;58;88;61;Mostly sunny;SE;6;56%;0%;5 Billings, MT;74;49;64;38;Partly sunny;NNW;9;47%;25%;3 Birmingham, AL;76;51;83;55;Plenty of sun;SSW;8;44%;1%;5 Bismarck, ND;51;33;59;30;Windy with some sun;NNW;18;55%;8%;2 Boise, ID;76;45;77;45;Sunny and warm;E;7;29%;0%;3 Boston, MA;67;52;69;52;Sunshine;SSW;7;54%;4%;3 Bridgeport, CT;67;46;68;50;Breezy in the p.m.;SSW;11;54%;5%;4 Buffalo, NY;59;44;60;43;Windy;SW;19;49%;57%;3 Burlington, VT;62;43;65;44;Partly sunny;SW;10;65%;18%;3 Caribou, ME;65;59;63;45;A touch of rain;S;9;83%;87%;1 Casper, WY;72;36;58;32;Cooler;NNE;8;51%;2%;3 Charleston, SC;78;53;80;58;Plenty of sunshine;S;6;49%;1%;5 Charleston, WV;68;47;75;45;Clouds and sun;S;9;47%;8%;4 Charlotte, NC;73;45;80;54;Sunny and beautiful;SSW;7;43%;4%;4 Cheyenne, WY;70;38;58;33;Cloudy and cooler;N;11;45%;26%;2 Chicago, IL;60;37;54;44;Breezy with some sun;SW;14;53%;4%;4 Cleveland, OH;62;48;59;45;Winds subsiding;SW;16;55%;58%;3 Columbia, SC;75;46;82;54;Sunny and pleasant;SSW;6;44%;2%;5 Columbus, OH;63;46;61;37;Mostly cloudy;SW;10;47%;6%;3 Concord, NH;63;44;68;41;Sunlit and pleasant;S;7;60%;5%;3 Dallas-Ft. Worth, TX;87;69;93;66;Very warm;S;13;48%;62%;5 Denver, CO;76;43;66;41;Increasing clouds;NE;7;32%;3%;4 Des Moines, IA;59;31;63;40;Partly sunny;NW;11;48%;7%;3 Detroit, MI;61;42;54;41;A shower in the a.m.;SW;14;50%;59%;3 Dodge City, KS;84;43;79;45;Clouds and sun;NE;8;33%;26%;4 Duluth, MN;42;33;47;38;Rain, snow;WNW;11;68%;89%;1 El Paso, TX;83;60;85;60;A t-storm around;ENE;6;39%;69%;5 Fairbanks, AK;32;14;32;25;Rain and snow shower;NNE;7;59%;91%;1 Fargo, ND;42;28;52;33;Breezy and warmer;NNW;14;58%;82%;2 Grand Junction, CO;74;43;75;44;Sunny and nice;NE;7;25%;0%;4 Grand Rapids, MI;53;39;51;40;A shower in the a.m.;SSW;14;61%;60%;2 Hartford, CT;65;44;69;49;Breezy in the p.m.;S;10;55%;5%;4 Helena, MT;69;43;63;37;Partly sunny;W;6;55%;0%;3 Honolulu, HI;87;71;86;71;Nice with sunshine;NE;9;53%;7%;7 Houston, TX;87;67;90;71;Partly sunny, warm;SE;7;64%;4%;5 Indianapolis, IN;65;41;60;42;Mostly cloudy;SW;9;48%;2%;3 Jackson, MS;83;55;88;58;Sunny and very warm;S;7;48%;4%;5 Jacksonville, FL;83;60;84;61;Sunny and pleasant;ENE;8;51%;2%;5 Juneau, AK;51;47;56;50;Rain and drizzle;SE;8;83%;94%;0 Kansas City, MO;73;41;72;47;Clouds and sun;WNW;7;43%;5%;4 Knoxville, TN;73;49;78;55;Nice with sunshine;SW;10;47%;9%;4 Las Vegas, NV;91;65;88;63;Partly sunny;SE;6;27%;38%;4 Lexington, KY;68;51;70;44;Variable cloudiness;WSW;10;47%;6%;4 Little Rock, AR;87;57;90;61;Warm, a p.m. t-storm;SSW;9;47%;91%;4 Long Beach, CA;74;65;71;64;A shower and t-storm;W;6;77%;91%;1 Los Angeles, CA;73;63;71;62;A thundershower;WSW;6;85%;85%;1 Louisville, KY;70;51;70;45;Mostly cloudy;SW;8;43%;4%;3 Madison, WI;49;32;51;36;Partly sunny;W;9;58%;5%;3 Memphis, TN;78;60;86;62;A p.m. t-storm;S;10;46%;80%;4 Miami, FL;85;76;85;77;A stray p.m. t-storm;NE;10;77%;91%;5 Milwaukee, WI;53;36;53;39;Breezy in the p.m.;WSW;13;55%;4%;3 Minneapolis-St. Paul, MN;44;33;54;37;Mostly cloudy;NW;12;55%;9%;2 Mobile, AL;79;55;84;61;Sunny and pleasant;SE;6;51%;1%;5 Montgomery, AL;80;49;82;52;Plenty of sunshine;S;5;48%;2%;5 Mt. Washington, NH;50;36;43;32;Increasingly windy;SW;25;61%;15%;4 Nashville, TN;76;54;80;54;Clouds and sun;SE;6;43%;44%;4 New Orleans, LA;84;64;86;69;Sunny;ESE;8;54%;2%;5 New York, NY;68;50;69;53;Breezy in the p.m.;SSW;10;49%;4%;4 Newark, NJ;68;45;71;50;Breezy in the p.m.;SSW;10;50%;6%;4 Norfolk, VA;69;48;77;56;Sunny and pleasant;SSW;7;56%;5%;4 Oklahoma City, OK;84;57;88;58;A t-storm around;E;7;48%;96%;4 Olympia, WA;73;44;78;41;Plenty of sunshine;NNE;6;58%;3%;3 Omaha, NE;63;33;69;44;Breezy with some sun;NW;13;48%;8%;3 Orlando, FL;88;71;87;69;A t-storm around;ENE;9;60%;40%;5 Philadelphia, PA;72;50;74;53;Mostly sunny;S;8;49%;5%;4 Phoenix, AZ;97;73;86;67;Thunderstorms;NW;7;52%;99%;4 Pittsburgh, PA;64;47;69;40;Breezy in the p.m.;SSW;12;42%;8%;4 Portland, ME;64;53;68;47;Partly sunny, nice;SSW;7;65%;6%;3 Portland, OR;81;52;84;55;Plenty of sun;E;9;44%;3%;3 Providence, RI;72;48;70;49;Sunshine;SSW;6;52%;4%;4 Raleigh, NC;72;46;79;54;Sunny and nice;SSW;8;47%;2%;4 Reno, NV;81;43;80;41;Sunny and warm;W;4;29%;0%;4 Richmond, VA;71;46;79;53;Sunny and pleasant;SSW;10;47%;3%;4 Roswell, NM;82;54;87;54;A p.m. t-storm;SSW;6;42%;91%;4 Sacramento, CA;87;53;83;54;Abundant sunshine;S;7;51%;1%;4 Salt Lake City, UT;76;48;74;48;Mostly sunny;E;7;31%;0%;4 San Antonio, TX;91;70;93;71;Very warm;SE;8;61%;26%;5 San Diego, CA;72;66;71;65;A passing shower;W;7;70%;91%;1 San Francisco, CA;64;54;63;56;Breezy in the p.m.;WSW;12;76%;1%;3 Savannah, GA;79;51;81;55;Plenty of sunshine;SSE;6;50%;1%;5 Seattle-Tacoma, WA;73;54;78;55;Plenty of sunshine;E;9;52%;3%;3 Sioux Falls, SD;49;28;64;35;Milder;NW;12;48%;6%;3 Spokane, WA;73;43;77;43;Plenty of sunshine;ENE;7;46%;1%;3 Springfield, IL;65;35;60;41;Partly sunny;SW;8;50%;3%;4 St. Louis, MO;72;42;68;45;Clouds and sun;SSW;5;42%;2%;4 Tampa, FL;89;70;88;67;A t-storm around;ENE;8;68%;42%;6 Toledo, OH;62;39;57;39;A shower in the a.m.;SW;15;52%;59%;4 Tucson, AZ;91;68;82;62;A shower and t-storm;SSW;8;60%;99%;4 Tulsa, OK;87;54;85;55;A p.m. t-storm;NNE;5;48%;96%;4 Vero Beach, FL;87;74;85;73;Periods of sun;ENE;12;69%;33%;3 Washington, DC;68;49;75;53;Mostly sunny;WSW;9;49%;6%;4 Wichita, KS;85;46;79;48;Clouds and sun;NNE;7;40%;81%;4 Wilmington, DE;70;46;73;50;Breezy in the a.m.;S;12;55%;4%;4 _____ Copyright 2022 AccuWeather Read More Here

Cheney Indirectly Weighs In On Whether Trump Should Be Prosecuted https://digitalalaskanews.com/cheney-indirectly-weighs-in-on-whether-trump-should-be-prosecuted/ October 14, 2022 06:07 PM While Rep. Liz Cheney (R-WY) opted not to answer directly whether she believes Donald Trump should be prosecuted, the Wyoming Republican pointed to Judge David Carter’s opinion while speaking at the University of Notre Dame on Friday that the ex-president and his former attorney John Eastman likely committed crimes. The Wyoming Republican, a political scion who was removed from her leadership position in the House due to her criticisms of Trump, and was ousted in her primary by Trump-endorsed candidate Harriet Hageman, added that she believes the Jan. 6 select committee will be in unanimous agreement when the time comes to decide whether to make a criminal referral. SUPREME COURT REJECTS TRUMP’S BID TO TOSS OUT RULING IN MAR-A-LAGO DOCUMENTS CASE “Well, the committee has the responsibility to make decisions about criminal referrals, and I, of course, have my own views about that. I don’t want to get ahead of the committee’s discussions on it,” Cheney, the vice chair of the select committee, told the crowd. “I would point people to Judge Carter’s opinion in which he said that it’s more likely than not that Donald Trump and John Eastman violated at least two federal criminal statutes,” she added. “And so, I, again, I don’t want to get ahead of the committee, but I think you will see the committee’s work in this regard done in a unanimous way. And I think there’s no question about the answer.” In a 44-page ruling earlier this year, Carter stated that Trump’s efforts to overturn the 2020 election “more likely than not constitute attempts to obstruct an official proceeding.” CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER The Jan. 6 select committee voted during its hearing on Thursday to subpoena the former president. It remains unclear whether Trump will cooperate with the panel. When asked why the committee waited until its final hearing, Cheney cast doubt that it was the panel’s final hearing. “Well, it’s not necessarily the last day of the hearings. But I think we have felt it’s very important that the investigation be conducted in a way that is rigorous and disciplined and responsible, and that has meant collecting evidence from many, if not all, because, of course, some people took the Fifth or some people refuse to appear — but collecting evidence from all of those around the central figure in Jan. 6, before we issued a subpoena for him,” she said. “And so, that’s what we’ve done.” Read More Here

Donald Trump Answered The Committee https://digitalalaskanews.com/donald-trump-answered-the-committee/ (Permanent Musical Accompaniment To The Last Post Of The Week From The Blog’s Favorite Living Canadian) Yesterday, the House select committee on January 6 voted unanimously to subpoena the testimony of the former president*. Let’s check in with him now to see whether he is taking this whole subpoena thing with his typical equanimity: “THE PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION OF 2020 WAS RIGGED AND STOLEN!”…The same group of Radical Left Democrats who utilized their Majority position in Congress to create the fiction of Russia, Russia, Russia, Impeachment Hoax #1, Impeachment Hoax #2, the $48 Million Mueller Report (which ended in No Collusion!), Ukraine, Ukraine, Ukraine, the atrocious and illegal Spying on my Campaign, and so much more, are the people who created this Committee of highly partisan political Hacks and Thugs whose sole function is to destroy the lives of many hard-working American Patriots, whose records in life have been unblemished until this point of attempted ruination. The double standard of the Unselects between what has taken place on the “RIGHT,” and what has taken place with Radical Left, lawless groups such as Antifa, Black Lives Matter, and others, is startling and will never be acceptable, even to those who will be writing the history of what you have done to America.” This ought to be enough to convince anyone that having El Caudillo del Mar-A-Lago testify on television in front of the select committee would be a futile exercise—and not just because the former president* would be unable to resist setting a Capitol Hill record for obvious perjury. It would be asking for its heretofore careful deliberations to be turned into an abandoned roadside reptile farm. Or a roadtrip to Fantasyland. The massive size of this crowd, and its meaning, has never been a subject of your Committee, nor has it been discussed by the Fake News Media that absolutely refuses to acknowledge, in any way, shape or form, the magnitude of what was taking place. In fact, for such a historic event, there are very few pictures that accurately show the event, or how many people were really there. Incredibly, it seems that pictures showing the size of the event were perhaps cancelled, scrubbed, deleted or, in any event, not available, but we still have some—as attached. In fact, half of the 14-page (!) rant is composed of random photos of the crowd assembled on the National Mall and a reiteration of all the “voter fraud” bilge that got Rudy Giuliani and the rest of the whackjob legal team laughed out of court more than 50 times. (Antrim County in Michigan gets another workout.) The committee has issued its invitation. It should pray for a no-show. Remember when the entire family of Rep. Paul Gosar of Arizona did ads that begged the voters of his district to elect someone else? Voters didn’t listen, but the family dynamic was fun to watch. Something about Republican politicians makes their relatives queasy in public. Well, it’s happened again. From the Nevada Independent: Fourteen members of Republican Senate candidate and former Attorney General Adam Laxalt’s family announced Wednesday that they would collectively endorse his Democratic opponent, incumbent Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto, in the heated race for Nevada’s U.S. Senate seat[…]The letter marks the second time that Laxalt’s extended family has chosen not to back his political aspirations. During Laxalt’s 2018 run for governor, 12 of his family members publicly opposed his bid, writing in an op-ed published in the Reno Gazette-Journal that Laxalt’s campaign “leveraged and exploited the family name.” This is my choice for the race that will tip the Senate one way or another. Laxalt holds a tenuous lead in the most recent polls. Clearly, not enough relatives have turned on him. The debate Thursday night in Wisconsin between the candidates for the U.S. Senate was rocking along on familiar rails. And then incumbent Republican Ron “Shreds of Freedom” Johnson got all Ron Johnson all over and livened things up considerably. The first episode came when Democratic challenger Mandela Barnes chaffed Johnson on a visit he’d had with the FBI in 2020. We need sanctions on Putin. However we have someone, Senator Johnson, who praised Putin as a smart guy. If Putin is successful in Ukraine, he will encroach on more territory. It will be a green light to other autocratic leaders. There is also an instance where Senator Johnson had to be sat down by the FBI and warned he may be a Russian asset. We cannot trust Senator Johnson to protect democracy abroad; we cannot trust Senator Johnson to protect it here at home. This sent Johnson spiraling up into the Alex Jones Belt in outer space. “In response to the wild charge of Lieutenant Governor Barnes, the FBI set me up with a corrupt briefing and then they leaked that to smear me. He is referring to corruption inside the FBI that I’m trying to uncover and expose.” The transcript after this exchange reads, “[LAUGHTER].” The transcript does not lie. Then at the end, the moderators asked one of those “say something nice about each other” questions that drive me up the wall. Barnes talked about what a good family man Johnson is. Johnson explained how Barnes is a subversive. Likewise, I appreciate that Lieutenant Governor Barnes has loving parents, a schoolteacher, a father that works a third shift. He has a good upbringing. What puzzles me about that, with that upbringing, why does he turn against America? The transcript after this exchange reads, “[BOOING].” Again, the transcript does not lie. The transcript from my living room reads, “Jesus, what a dick.” The polling at the moment has Johnson with a solid, single-digit lead. It will be interesting to see if his uncompromising stand at the debate as a conspiracy nut and a colossal dick will budge the needle. Weekly WWOZ Pick To Click: “Smoke My Peace Pipe (Smoke It Right)” (Tin Men feat. Carlo Nuccio): Yeah, I pretty much still love New Orleans. Weekly Visit To The Pathé Archives: Not sure we should “celebrate” this, but it’s the 60th anniversary of the Cuban Missile Crisis. Here, from 1962, is JFK announcing that the U.S. naval “quarantine” of Cuba is being lifted. It’s a month after the crisis and he still sounds ragged and exhausted. He also has only a year to live. History is so cool. This Week In Disgusting Science: A crisis in the Minnesota woods, from the Minneapolis Star-Tribune: They were hunting the goblin fern. Ancient and otherworldly, the goblin fern spends most of its life underground. When it does come up every few years, the strange plant sends up a tiny leaf with a spore-bearing stalk that’s nearly impossible to see, even on hands and knees. The Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe, the tribe whose reservation is mostly inside the national forest, has studied the imperiled fern for years, along with academic and government researchers. Only four decades after scientists first documented the species, researchers now fear it could vanish in the next ten years[…]As tiny as it is, the fern is attached to a vast underground fungal network that forms the soil foundation of the forest and supports the maple-basswood stands that are central to Ojibwe traditions. OK, so what’s murdering the goblin fern? Worms. Killer worms. Non-native earthworms have invaded Minnesota’s northern forests in a slow-moving advance that endangers not just the Chippewa National Forest but all hardwood forests across the region. The worms are “re-engineering all the functions of the ecosystem,” said Lee Frelich, director of the University of Minnesota’s Center for Forest Ecology. They devour all three layers of organic matter on the forest floor, rich and full of microbes: the forest litter on top, the layer below of decomposing leaves and twigs and logs called duff, and the decomposed matter below called humus. Then they go underground and eat the fungi on the tree roots. Minnesota has no native earthworms. This is something I did not know until I read this story. It has to do with the glaciers. But the state has fishermen. Lots of fishermen (10,000 Lakes and everything), and these people have brought in enough non-native earthworms to create this threat to the forest ecosystem. Under state law it is illegal to release invasive species into the wild. But earthworms? They are all but unregulated. Anglers regularly toss leftover bait on the ground, and earthworms have been propelled great distances across the state by the tires on unwashed cars, pickups, logging equipment and ATVs. Worm invasions can be traced to proximity to cabins, roads, boat launches and ATV trails. Humans, it seems, are the ultimate invasive species. Hey, CNN, is it a good day for dinosaur news? It’s always a good day for dinosaur news! New research on a 7-meter (23-foot) long Edmontosaurus, a type of plant-eating hadrosaur, found near the town of Marmarth, North Dakota, in 1999 has shed light on what factors allowed the skin to survive through the eons. “The bite marks were really unexpected. It had been thought that soft tissue wouldn’t preserve if it was damaged prior to burial, so the carnivore damage is what really started us thinking about how these fossils form in the first place,” said Stephanie Drumheller-Horton, a paleontologist at the The University of Tennessee’s department of Earth and planetary sciences, a coauthor of the new study. So, what’s the story? The researchers think bite marks on the hadrosaur’s arm came from an ancient relative of a crocodile, but they’re not sure what kind of animal clawed or gnashed its tail – although it was likely bigger. It’s not clear whether the injuries to its arm and tail killed it or whether they were inflicted by scavengers after its death. However, it was the dinosaur’s misfortune that allowed its skin to preserve, Drumheller-Horton explained. “To try to put it in t...

Trump Calls Investigation ‘witch Hunt’ After Jan. 6 Panel Unanimously Votes For Subpoena https://digitalalaskanews.com/trump-calls-investigation-witch-hunt-after-jan-6-panel-unanimously-votes-for-subpoena/ WASHINGTON – In a bipartisan vote, the House committee investigating the January 6th Capitol riot attack voted 9 to 0 to subpoena former President Donald trump who lawmakers say provoked the insurrection in an effort to overturn the 2020 election. On Friday, Trump pushed back at the panel calling their investigation a “witch hunt” but did not challenge the details of their findings. Legal analyst David Weinstein told Local 10 News he now faces a big decision. “He’ll either have to answer the questions and testify or each time he is asked a question he’ll have to invoke the rights under the 5th amendment – decline to answer the question on the ground that it might incriminate him, he’s proven to be a tough client over time,” said Weinstein. In the past, Trump has urged his associates not to cooperate with the probe after former advisor Steve Bannon was found guilty of contempt of congress after he refused to comply with a January 6 subpoena and now faces up to 2 years in a prison. “Despite the fact that he is a former president he is still subject to the same rules and conditions as everybody else,” said Weinstein. Trump has argued that a former president has an executive privilege to keep conversations and materials confidential. As the subpoena adds to the growing list of his legal issues, Trump is already facing civil and criminal charges in his New York business dealings and a FBI criminal investigation over his handling of government documents. “I think his first play in all of this is to be delay the process,” Weinstein said. Copyright 2022 by WPLG Local10.com – All rights reserved. About the Authors: Ben Kennedy Ben Kennedy is an Emmy Award-winning Washington Bureau Chief for Local 10 News. He has more than a decade of reporting experience nationwide. Ryan Mackey Ryan Mackey is our newest digital journalist at WPLG. He is New York born and South Florida raised. Read More Here