Digital Alaska News

Republicans Block Probe Of Contributions By Chinese Elites To Trump PAC Through Spa Operator https://digitalalaskanews.com/republicans-block-probe-of-contributions-by-chinese-elites-to-trump-pac-through-spa-operator/ Elections finance law complaints against an Asian day-spa operator from South Florida who allegedly funneled contributions from Chinese elites, likely including foreign nationals, to a campaign committee backing then-President Donald Trump have quietly been dismissed. The dismissal by the Federal Elections Commission came despite a staff finding that laws likely were broken and that the matter merited the FEC’s full attention. The six-member panel split 3-3, as is its usual practice, on whether to proceed, with Democrats voting yes and Republicans saying no. Four votes are needed for a full investigation to occur. The dismissals were first reported by the Florida Bulldog. Complaints against Li “Cindy” Yang, who raised campaign cash and parlayed persistence to gain access to Republican circles in Florida and get pictures taken with the then-president, were filed by Common Cause, a Washington-based watchdog group, and the Campaign Legal Center. The dismissal of those complaints came three years after the Miami Herald first revealed Yang’s activities in a series of articles titled Trump Tourism. “Attempting enforcement in these matters would not be a prudent use of agency resources,” Republican Chairman Allen Dickerson and commissioners Sean Cooksey and James “Trey” Trainor III wrote in a statement dated Sept 6. The Herald investigation found that over an 18-month period Yang published online ads targeting overseas clients — mostly from China — promoting Trump fundraisers as opportunities to mingle with the then-president, his family and other top Republicans. Her clients ranged from Chinese tech-executives who took $50,000 photos with the president at a New York fundraiser for his re-election campaign to a Chinese-born American citizen and avid Trump supporter with ties to the Chinese Communist Party. The Herald also documented how Yang made contributions to Trump Victory, the president’s PAC, in the name of friends and relatives, an apparent violation of campaign laws as are contributions from foreign nationals. Li ‘Cindy’ Yang attended Sen. Rick Scott’s Sunshine Ball in Washington, D.C.. Events attended by Yang included a “Safari Night” at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago Palm Beach resort, now his permanent residence and currently tangled up in a federal criminal investigation because government documents, some marked “top secret,” were stored there in an insecure manner. In declining to pursue the allegations, the Republican members cited an approaching statute of limitations that “provided no time for us to sufficiently investigate.” None of the dozens of complaints about Trump-related fundraising have been deemed worthy of investigation by the full commission. The general counsel for the FEC issued a 33-page report in June presenting preliminary findings that Yang violated campaign contribution laws. That report details Yang’s appearance at two high-profile fundraising events for Trump with groups of Chinese business people and the donations that preceded their attendance. The report encouraged the FEC to continue investigating whether Yang had made “excessive contributions,” “contributions in the name of another” and provided “substantial assistance in the making of foreign national contributions.” “The alleged violations of our campaign finance laws are egregious,” Democratic commissioner Ellen Weintraub wrote in a statement. “Our commitment to pursuing foreign national matters seems now to be an empty promise — or a commitment that varies based on who benefited from the prohibited funds.” The report references reporting by the Herald in 2019, which revealed Yang’s access to top Republican politicians, particularly Trump, and national security concerns prompted by her ties to groups associated with the Chinese government. Yang served on the leadership teams of the Council for the Promotion of the Peaceful Reunification of China (CPPRC) and the Miami branch of the United States Association for Science and Technology, both of which have “direct links” to the Communist Party in China, according to a report by Mother Jones. Yang came into the spotlight amid the filing of charges against Robert Kraft, owner of the New England Patriots, for visiting Asian spas that had been linked in social media posts to alleged prostitution. Yang was the founder and former owner of one of the spas, and still owned other Florida day spas unconnected to the case. The charges against Kraft were ultimately dropped. Yang has never been charged. Yang fashioned her reputation as a political insider by building an online presence touting her connections with Trump officials and other politicians. She appeared in photos with future Gov. Ron DeSantis, a few of Trump’s children, and the former president himself. She used those photos to promote her business. Now-Gov. Ron DeSantis, with his daughter, Madison, seated on his lap, poses for a picture with Li ‘Cindy’ Yang at the Embassy Suites by Hilton Boca Raton on Jan. 29, 2018, the day he began his successful campaign As a member of the National Committee of Asian American Republicans, Yang invited a group of Chinese businessmen to a Republican National Committee event in New York City in 2017, according to reporting by the Herald. A few days before the event, Yang donated $23,500 to the political action committee Trump Victory. She then founded a new business, GY US Investments, promising to forge political connections through tourism packages offered to Chinese business people visiting the country. Yang continued to bring Chinese foreign nationals to major events, including the four guests who accompanied her to Mar-a-Lago for the Trump Victory fundraiser in March 2018, according to the FEC general counsel’s report. At the event, Yang was photographed beside Trump, an opportunity that required a $50,000 contribution, which Yang stated she raised by collecting donations from friends and family. But the complaints alleged that these contributions, about $5,400 each, were actually made on behalf of people without adequate finances or a track record of donating to political candidates. That would likely be illegal. Additionally, foreign nationals are prohibited from making any donations to a campaign, including purchasing a ticket to a fundraising event, or reimbursing others for contributions or purchases on their behalf, the report states. It’s unclear whether Yang is separately under criminal investigation by the Justice Department for her alleged bundling of foreign campaign donations to Trump’s presidential PAC — despite federal grand jury subpoenas issued to her and her associates after the story first broke. Two current and former federal law enforcement sources familiar with Yang’s behind-the-scenes fundraising activities said they were not aware of a grand jury in South Florida or in Washington, D.C., probing her gathering of donations to his PAC. Though Yang’s actions may not have warranted criminal charges, Saurav Ghosh, the Campaign Legal Center’s director of federal reform, said he’s disappointed that the FEC is not moving the case forward considering the severity of the allegations, especially as the FEC has previously indicated to Congress that foreign money interference in elections is one of its top priorities. “It’s a little unsatisfying for the public to not get a clearer picture of what was actually done in terms of investigating this, and potentially pursuing it,” Ghosh said. “You’d like to see some accountability for what is clearly, you know, actions that violate the law.” The Florida Bulldog reported that Yang, who disappeared from her South Florida home after her political activities came into view, is now living in Mexico under a different name. The Miami Herald Washington bureau’s Ben Wieder, Herald staff writer Jay Weaver and investigative reporters Sarah Blaskey and Nicholas Nehamas contributed. Read More Here

Live Updates: Ian Makes Landfall In Cuba As Powerful Category 3 Hurricane https://digitalalaskanews.com/live-updates-ian-makes-landfall-in-cuba-as-powerful-category-3-hurricane/ When disaster strikes, household pets’ lives are among the most vulnerable. Evacuating animals during any type of emergency — whether a hurricane, wildfire or earthquake — adds a layer of stress in a turbulent situation. However, experts with animal-advocacy organizations say that taking care of our furry, purry, feathered and scaly housemates is an imperative lifesaving effort that can be conducted smoothly with advance planning. Every attempt should be made not to leave animals behind, the advocates say. You might not be able to return home for longer than you anticipate, and abandoning pets can have “devastating consequences,” said Kelly Donithan, director of animal disaster response for the Humane Society of the United States. “If you’re leaving for any reason, don’t think that it’s safe to leave them behind,” Ms. Donithan said. Experts emphasized that successfully evacuating with your pets depends on actions you can take well before the threat of an emergency is imminent. “Every story is going to be unique,” said Dr. Lori Teller, president of the American Veterinary Medical Association. “Planning ahead definitely makes the whole ordeal a lot easier.” Prepare to leave. Ensure your pets are wearing collars with clear, current identification and your contact information. A GPS collar could also come in handy, especially if you have a fearful pet that is prone to making escape attempts in stressful situations, said Jason Cohen, a dog trainer based in New York City. You’ll need a sturdy leash and a pet carrier or crate labeled with your contact information. Consider getting a backup attachment for your pet’s collar, such as a metal carabiner or double-clip accessory, for added security if a collar accidentally comes off. Your pets might not be accustomed to traveling, so building their familiarity with different modes of transportation could help. Know the various evacuation routes and practice them in advance. “If you know where you are going to go, if you know your routes, if you have all the supplies you need, that’s the best-case scenario,” Ms. Donithan said. Assemble a disaster kit for your pet. Emergencies can happen at any time, so this kit should be updated regularly and kept in a convenient, easily accessible place in your home, advocates said. The kit should include enough nonperishable food and water to last at least a week. It should also contain: food and water receptacles a first-aid kit a couple of weeks’ supply of medications, if needed a printed document or USB stick with medical records, such as a rabies vaccine certificate, key details about your pet’s diet, any behavioral issues and contact information for your veterinarian, all enclosed in a waterproof container a toy or two for those idle hours hygiene supplies such as poop bags or a litter box a current picture of you and your pet, in case you later need to prove ownership or reclaim it Consult with your vet. Microchips, small transponders embedded into a pet’s skin that are linked to identification and the owner’s contact information, can later be scanned if the pet is lost. Getting your pet microchipped by a veterinarian is a must, experts said. It doesn’t end there. You’ll have to register this information with an online database and verify that the registration is linked to your name and phone number. Once registered, microchip numbers can be searched here. To help ease your pet’s anxiety, there are a variety of supplements available, some by prescription. You could consider speaking to your vet about what might be appropriate for your pet, Dr. Teller said. Potential remedies include medications such as trazodone and hemp-based CBD products. These aids should be tested out before an emergency, especially if you already know your pet is anxious in certain situations, such as traveling, Ms. Donithan added. Keep vaccinations current and consider obtaining pet insurance. Find accommodations for your pet. Ideally, you’ll be able to stay with your pet during a disaster, and there are many hotels that allow pets. Emergency shelters in your municipality may not permit pets, so ask local safety officials about their general policies. If you can’t secure accommodation with your pet, create a backup housing plan by assessing nearby shelters, boarding kennels or out-of-town family members or friends with whom your pet could temporarily stay. Brush up on training. Steps such as crate training, which consists of preparing your pet to spend some quiet time in its kennel, could be “a lifesaver in emergency situations,” Mr. Cohen said. “If a dog is comfortable in a crate, it will help keep them safe and not add more stress,” Mr. Cohen added. And it goes beyond dogs. Many animals, including ferrets, pigs and rabbits, can be crate-trained, Ms. Donithan said. To help your pets get used to spending time in the crate, you could regularly feed them meals inside it, which will build comfort and positive connections with their portable home. You can also toss treats in and out of the crate to help them develop their ease with entering and exiting a pet carrier, Mr. Cohen said. It could also be useful to brush up on the “come” command and good walking practices, and to identify your pet’s hiding spots at home. Know what to do when disaster strikes. Don’t wait for the mandatory evacuation order to leave. Stay informed by monitoring different websites, including ready.gov, and opting into receiving emergency alerts through your smartphone settings. You should also monitor updates from your local municipality and emergency responders. Then, evacuate as early as possible. It will give you more flexibility and keep you and your pets calmer. You can do most of the work before actually evacuating, Ms. Donithan said. In an active emergency, it’s about implementing the plan you’ve already made. “When it’s happening, it’s going to go as well as you’ve practiced or how well-prepared you are,” Ms. Donithan added. You’ll want to contact your local emergency management office to see if they have temporary housing options for you and your pet. If not, rely on your alternatives. Certain pets will require extra care. For birds, depending on the weather, you’ll need a blanket to cover the carrier and trap heat or a spray bottle to moisten feathers. If you have a reptile, you’ll need a sturdy bowl for your pet to soak in and something to warm it with. Snakes can be transported in a pillowcase. There are also special considerations for livestock and horses. The experience could be traumatic for both you and your pet. Some signs of distress your pet might exhibit, such as panting, moderate nausea and shaking, could be normal. But other indicators — excessive vocalization or dangerous attempts to break out of confinement — might require medical attention, Dr. Teller said. Having a grasp of the basics of pet first aid with an app like this one from the Red Cross can help. And if you must leave your pets behind, take the appropriate actions. Leave out plenty of food and fresh water and do not restrain your pet. Boost awareness of your pet’s location by notifying local law enforcement, animal control officials, and animal shelters. Also, post a note outside your home, where rescue teams can see it, indicating that you have a pet and where it is, and listing your contact information. You can order an emergency sticker to affix to your window or door from the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. If flooding is expected, you should place your pet at the highest point in your residence. Adjust back to normal. If your pet is lost, contact your local animal shelters and seek help from neighborhood social media groups. You can also post a notice on microchip databases or print fliers and offer a reward for your pet. Once you do return home, remember that the transition will not be seamless. The environment, including scents and appearances, may no longer be familiar to your pet. Supervise your pet carefully and help it ease into the home with patience. Read More Here

DJ Akademiks Clarifies His Insults Of Hip-Hop’s Founders & Raises Serious Questions https://digitalalaskanews.com/dj-akademiks-clarifies-his-insults-of-hip-hops-founders-raises-serious-questions/ Last week, DJ Akademiks made some strong remarks surrounding the pioneers of Hip-Hop. While the media personality, podcaster, and Rap music social media maven did not criticize artists by name, he opined with harsh words amid an hours-long Twitch stream. “Them old rappers? Them ni**as [are] broke. Have you seen any of these old rappers who be like they’re the foundation of Hip-Hop really living good?” asked Ak. “Them ni**as be looking really dusty—I kid you not. And don’t none of y’all try and come for me ’cause I don’t f*ck with y’all ni**as either, so I’m just tellin’ y’all the truth.” The man born Livingston Allen continued, “Every time an old, old ni**a talkin’ about Hip-Hop, you’ll be like, ‘Yo, bro. You sure you invented this? ‘Cause everybody else is livin’ better than you. It’s facts.” Those remarks led to a video essay response from LL Cool J, who defended the culture’s pioneers. “Let me explain something to you: don’t think just because somebody knows how to get money — or fails to get money — that they didn’t make a contribution to the culture. No one discusses Miles Davis’ bank account. We don’t talk about John Coltrane’s bank account. A lot of even Rock musicians … a lot of great Country artists, we don’t talk about their bank accounts.” He emphasized, “This idea that you have to have money or else you don’t have any value is a bad idea and it’s a misinformed way of looking at the world and the culture.” The Rock The Bells founder spoke at length while refraining to mention Akademiks by name. Others, including Kid Capri, Russell Simmons, MC Shan, and MC Sha Rock responded with condemnation for DJ Akademiks’ remarks. LL Cool J Blasts DJ Akademiks For Dissing Hip-Hop’s Pioneers This week, Akademiks appeared on The Breakfast Club to clarify his points. “Essentially, people are taking a 30 or 40 or 50 or 60-second clip out of me streaming for five hours. And I’m talkin’ about all type of things, I’m breaking things down, I’m having a full in-depth conversation, full of context,” says the New Jersey by way of Jamaica personality at the top of the appearance (embedded below). Akademiks says the media chose sizzle over substance to a point that the streamer—who admits that he regularly indulges alcohol during streams was trying to make. “When you have to talk to a crowd or talk to any audience live for four or five hours—and you’ve got to be entertaining, you’ve got some jokes in there, you’ve got some tongue-in-cheek comments, and those are the sh*t [the media] is only focusing on, no one wants to talk about nothing actually solid. ‘Yo, he said all the OGs are broke and dusty!’ I ain’t say that.” Akademiks appeals to his public critics, in clarifying his position and motivation for the comment. “Ninety-five percent of the people who responded to me—the OGs, they weren’t broke and dusty. There’s 5% that were though; I ain’t gonna lie.” He adds, “Y’all omitted the context. I was talking about passing on game, educating the next generation rather than criticizing them.” In the passage, Akademiks also defends his name, which stemmed from spinning at parties at Rutgers University. “I still consider myself a DJ,” he says, admitting that his time behind turntables ended with college. DJ Clark Kent Says Hip-Hop Owes Kool Herc & It’s Time To Pay Up Charlamagne Tha God takes Akademiks to task regarding the comments. In the interview, it is revealed that Charlamagne granted Akademiks a pivotal interview to his career, and that the guest sought mentorship from the veteran radio and television personality. “The ‘broke and dusty’ thing, it’s triggering. It seems very—actually, it is very disrespectful,” admits Ak, with Charlamagne echoing agreement. “I wasn’t talking about everybody,” noted the streamer. “LL [Cool J] responded, and I wanna salute to LL. I think every thing he said was right. So let me put that out on the table. I agree 100% with every thing he said. However, 80% of what he said wasn’t focused on what I was saying. Because he got off-center. He said, you’re equating money to contribution and respect all that. That’s not what I was saying. That’s not what I was saying at all! I’m never questioning the contribution or not appreciating the contribution of anyone who came before me. And I’m never saying that money is the only thing that validates that contribution.” Chuck D & KRS-One Have Launched A Hip-Hop Union Akademiks, who hosts the Spotify exclusive Off The Record podcast, argues that he was using his popular Twitch platform to raise awareness surrounding the financial well-being of pioneers. “I can educate somebody because I was that super-fan. I was at home listening to The Breakfast Club every f*ckin’ morning, wondering, ‘is that real?’” Charlamagne appears to agree that Akademiks made a point despite disrespectful language and tone. “I thought you asked a valid question, and the valid question is: if you invented Hip-Hop, if you’re one of the founders of Hip-Hop, why are you not financially well-off?’ Now we know LL answered that, and he gave some great reasons. So the next thing to me is, how do we make sure these founding fathers are taken care of, financially?” The questions arise as Kurtis Blow, Chuck D, KRS-One, and others have launched Hip-Hop Alliance, a union with financial security and healthcare in mind. Hip-Hop Culture Is Closer To 100 Years Old Than 50 Years Old DJ Akademiks asserts that his point were lost in the controversy. “Any time I bring up valid points in Hip-Hop—granted—I’m gonna keep sayin’ it—any time you go for that clip, you’re just gonna take offense to it, and I understand that. But usually, people just attack me. Like, people don’t wanna talk about these real conversations.” He continues, “Are we down to talk about the actual conversation? Are we down to talk about helping out some of these guys who are some of the founding fathers? It shouldn’t take the guy you hate or the guy who’s ‘irrelevant’ or the guy you didn’t know [of] to actually bring up a conversation of, ‘Well, a lot of the pioneers—some of their business [was not] in order. Shoot, financially, they should be doing way well-off compared to what’s actually going on for some—I’m not saying all.’ And I don’t know if people want to have those conversations.” The Breakfast Club makes reference to DJ Akademiks responding to Russell Simmons. After the pioneering executive and Def Jam Records co-founder spoke out against Ak, the personality tweeted with allusions to major allegations of sexual misconduct against Simmons that he would like to see get discussed. In elaborating on his approach, the former Everyday Struggle co-host shares his mantra: “If you’re gonna dig a grave for somebody, make sure you dig one for yourself too.” He also chalks scrutiny up to the current times. “This whole thing where we all attack one person, just remember: it’s gonna be your day [sometime].” Russell Simmons is packed up. Now the rest of u hypocrites let’s talk. What time is it in Bali…. I got a few ppl who wanna talk to Russell Simmons… wake his ass up. U had time to address Big Ak. Address this other shit too king. — DJ Akademiks (@Akademiks) September 23, 2022 Vic Mensa Blasts DJ Akademiks For Clowning Murders In Chicago (Video) Akademiks says that he survived the recent push-back for his comments. “It’s not my first week [getting attacked by the media].” He says that despite concern from friends after public outcry, he was fine. However, the guest emphasizes his desire to advance discussion. He points to another example where he feels he was the scapegoat for an unaddressed issues “But we should probably advance the conversations. We’re not good with having conversations. I’ll give you another thing that they usually try to jump me on: like, ‘Yo, well you built your brand off of exploiting the [deaths] of Black kids in Chicago.’ Now here’s the bigger discussion: Okay, cool. Y’all got me for the week; y’all got me for those moments y’all said. Are we gonna talk about the effect? Like, we just had Rolling Loud; they took like five Drill rappers off of [the bill], there’s mad killings that are happening because of music that’s actually promoting the sh*t—you look at DSPs, those songs are at the top of [official] playlists.” He summarizes, “Are we gonna talk about those bigger issues? Or, nah, nah—let’s put the Band-Aid over that, let’s attack Ak’ I’m not sayin’ I’m the only person that gets attacked; I’m just saying, could anybody bring up some valid points in Hip-Hop and actually have serious discussions—and by the way, I’m down to talk to LL.” As the interview moves, Charlamagne urges DJ Akademiks to use a more respectful tone with LL Cool J and others than he often uses with liquor in his system while on Twitch. Latinos Have Played A Critical Role In Hip-Hop History. There’s No Debate #BonusBeat: A recent TBD from Ambrosia For Heads affiliate Justin “The Company Man” Hunte that unpacks DJ Akademiks’ recent comments: Read More Here

Ian Strengthens Into Major Category 3 Hurricane As It Makes Landfall In Cuba https://digitalalaskanews.com/ian-strengthens-into-major-category-3-hurricane-as-it-makes-landfall-in-cuba/ Hurricane Ian strengthened into a major Category 3 storm early Tuesday as it made landfall in western Cuba, U.S. officials said. Landfall was just southwest of the town of La Coloma in the Pinar del Río province around 4:30 a.m. ET, with maximum sustained winds of 125 mph, the National Hurricane Center said in an early Tuesday update. The hurricane is now moving north toward Florida at 12 mph, where it is expected to approach the state’s west coast Wednesday. Ian is expected to make landfall in Venice on Florida’s Gulf Coast at 125 mph as a Category 3 hurricane Wednesday, according to Florida Division of Emergency Management Director Kevin Guthrie, who spoke at a news conference Tuesday morning. Ian will slow down to a pace of 3 to 4 mph Thursday and Friday over or near Florida’s west coast, prolonging storm surge, wind and flash flooding impacts. Tornadoes over the Florida peninsula are also possible over the next three days. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis declared a statewide emergency, saying Ian could bring 5 to 10 feet of storm surge to the state. “What we have here is really historic storm surge and flooding potential,” he said at the news conference. “That storm surge can be life-threatening.” DeSantis encouraged residents to heed evacuation orders in place from Pinellas County down to the Fort Meyers area by getting to higher ground. About 2.5 million residents are under some type of evacuation orders, he said. Parts of the state may also be without power anywhere from three days to a week, Guthrie said. Boarded-up windows in Indian Shores, 25 miles west of Tampa, had a message for Hurricane Ian on Monday.Ricardo Arduengo / AFP – Getty Images Hundreds of thousands of people were evacuated from Cuba’s Pinar del Río as authorities sent in emergency and medical personnel ahead of the storm’s arrival this week, The Associated Press reported. Two hours east, in Havana, fishermen hauled out their boats, city workers unclogged storm drains, and residents expressed alarm at the prospect of flooding, according to the AP. “I hope we escape this one, because it would be the end of us,” Abel Rodrigues, 54, told the news agency. “We already have so little.” Earlier Monday, Ian passed by the nearby Cayman Islands with no major damage reported. Emergency officials issued an “all clear” notification at 3 p.m. local time, and Premier Wayne Panton said the British territory was “very fortunate to have been spared the worst of a potentially very serious storm.” The latest on Hurricane Ian Ian is expected to make landfall in Venice on Florida’s Gulf Coast at 125 mph as a Category 3 hurricane Wednesday. Ian will slow down to a pace of 3 to 4 mph Thursday and Friday over or near Florida’s west coast, prolonging storm surge, wind and flash flooding impacts. About 2.5 million residents are under some type of evacuation orders. Parts of the state may also be without power anywhere from three days to a week. As the storm headed for Florida, oil companies evacuated workers from deep-water platforms in the Gulf of Mexico, and airports in Tampa and Pinellas County in Florida announced that they would close Tuesday. American Airlines announced travel waivers for people flying to or out of 20 airports in Florida and the Caribbean. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers said the team was temporarily moving its operations to Miami-Dade County. Residents on Florida’s Gulf Coast stocked up on food and prepared with sandbags and plywood for their windows. Hundreds of thousands of people were under evacuation orders. Bob Copeland helps fill free sandbags for Wilbur Villamarin, left, and his son Fabian on Monday at an Orange County park in preparation for the arrival of Hurricane Ian.Phelan M. Ebenhack / AP “This storm is trending to slow down, which means it could potentially sit on top of us for 47 hours,” said Cathie Perkins, the director of Pinellas County Emergency Management, NBC affiliate WFLA of Tampa reported. “That’s a lot of rain, and it’s not going to be able to drain out quickly,” she said. Tim Stelloh is a breaking news reporter for NBC News Digital. Chantal Da Silva Chantal Da Silva is a breaking news editor for NBC News Digital based in London.  Mirna Alsharif is a breaking news reporter for NBC News. Kathryn Prociv Kathryn Prociv is a senior meteorologist and producer for NBC News.  Read More Here

Stocks Turn Higher After Dow Enters Bear Market https://digitalalaskanews.com/stocks-turn-higher-after-dow-enters-bear-market/ As markets react to interest-rate hikes and the threat of a recession, stocks have entered bear-market territory. WSJ’s Gunjan Banerji explains what it takes to push stocks back into a bull market and why it is hard to predict when they’ll turn around. Illustration: Jacob Reynolds By Will Horner Updated Sept. 27, 2022 11:13 am ET U.S. stocks gained on Tuesday, a relief after five straight days of punishing losses. The Dow Jones Industrial Average, which slipped into a bear market on Monday, was up 0.7%. The broad S&P 500, which closed Monday at its lowest level of the year, was up 1.1%. Continue reading your article with a WSJ membership View Membership Options Already a member? Sign In Sponsored Offers ASOS: ASOS Coupon 20% OFF over $50 Expedia: 5% off lodging Ballard Designs: Sign up for email and receive 20% off at Ballard Designs Chase: Check your credit score for FREE Postmates: Save $5 on first 5 orders using Postmates promo code Sephora: Today’s Sephora coupon code: 12% off all mobile app purchases Read More Here

A Stunning Stat On Donald Trump's Endorsed Candidates – KYMA https://digitalalaskanews.com/a-stunning-stat-on-donald-trumps-endorsed-candidates-kyma/ Analysis by Chris Cillizza, CNN Editor-at-large (CNN) – This, from a story published in The New York Times on Monday, is a wow: “Along with [Doug] Mastriano in Pennsylvania, Trump-backed candidates for governor in five other states — Arizona, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts and Michigan — have combined to air zero television advertisements since winning their primaries.” To expand — and explain: In six governor’s races — in some of the largest and most competitive states in the country — the Republican nominees had not run a single general election television ad as of Monday. In Arizona, GOP nominee Kari Lake began running her first TV ad since winning her August 2 primary on Tuesday. And then there’s this fact: Every single one of those six candidates was endorsed in their primary races by former President Donald Trump. Combine those two points and you see the problem for Republican strategists: Trump-backed candidates are very likely to win GOP primaries given the sway the former President still holds over the party faithful. But those candidates oftentimes appear ill-equipped to run the sort of professional (and well-funded) operation that is required to persuade voters in a general election. Take Mastriano’s candidacy in Pennsylvania as an example. Mastriano rose to fame/infamy as one of the loudest voices pushing the false notion that the 2020 election had been stolen from Trump. He commissioned several busloads of people to attend the January 6, 2021, “Stop the Steal” rally, although he said he never entered the Capitol building that day. Trump’s endorsement — coupled with Mastriano’s strength among the grassroots of the party and a crowded Republican primary field — handed him a primary victory in May. But since becoming the nominee, Mastriano has shown almost no willingness to adapt his campaign to the different challenges posed by a general election. He talks primarily to conservative media outlets and travels in a protective bubble of sorts. Meanwhile, his Democratic opponent, state Attorney General Josh Shapiro, has flooded the airwaves with ads, painting Mastriano as someone who is too extreme. As CNN first reported Tuesday, Shapiro raised $25.4 million from June 7 to September 19. Mastriano has yet to announce his latest fundraising haul, but his campaign only brought in $1.8 million from the start of 2021 to June of 2022. Polling suggests the money disparity in the race has had an impact. A new Marist poll released Tuesday shows Shapiro at 53% to Mastriano’s 40% among registered voters, a striking double-digit lead in a state that has been so closely contested in each of the last two presidential contests. The story is similar in Michigan, where Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer was seen, at the start of the 2022 election cycle, as quite vulnerable. But Republican nominee Tudor Dixon has watched as Whitmer has defined the race on TV. When asked by reporters recently how she envisioned winning the race without running ads, Dixon responded, “Oh, we’ll be running advertisements at the appropriate time, but don’t worry, we’ll win.” Races in Maryland, Massachusetts and Illinois were always longer-shots for Republicans because of the fundamentally Democratic nature of those states. But the massive disparity in fundraising — and ad spending — have now put them far out of reach for the GOP. It’s only in Arizona where Republicans look to have an even-odds chance of winning. And that may be due to the fact that Lake, as a former local TV anchor, has considerable name identification already built up and therefore needs less money (and ad time) to introduce herself to voters. Of course, Trump could help solve this problem — or at least mitigate it. He is sitting on more than $90 million in his Save America PAC, all of which could be spent on ads to bolster the underfunded candidacies of the likes of Mastriano and Dixon. To date, he has not done so, though his allies formed a new super PAC last week aimed at supporting his endorsed candidates. His lack of activity on the airwaves highlights the inherently selfish nature of the Trump endorsement. He wants to put the “W” up on the board when his candidate wins the primary but is far less invested in actually doing the nuts-and-bolts things that are required to help those candidates actually win a general election. In several of these cases, Trump endorsed a candidate in the primary with far less demonstrated appeal to a general election audience and without the proven record of being able to raise money and run a serious and credible campaign. And now Republicans are facing the consequences of those decisions. The-CNN-Wire & © 2022 Cable News Network, Inc., a Warner Bros. Discovery Company. All rights reserved. Read More Here

'F The Voting': Will Donald Trump Face Subpoena From J6 Committee As Roger Stone's Documentary Shares Bombshell Evidence? https://digitalalaskanews.com/f-the-voting-will-donald-trump-face-subpoena-from-j6-committee-as-roger-stones-documentary-shares-bombshell-evidence/ The January 6 hearings return tomorrow, September 28, and they’re bringing with them a hail of new evidence. Much of it is supplied by a documentary created by Donald Trump stalwart, Roger Stone. Article continues below advertisement As the J6 committee wraps up their probe, they’re considering subpoenas for the big boys on campus – Donald Trump and Mike Pence themselves. How likely is that to happen now that the investigation nearing its conclusion? Article continues below advertisement Will Donald Trump be Subpoenaed for January 6 Committee? The January 6 committee recessed earlier this summer, but they’re back tomorrow in what could be the final hearing during the committee’s probe. Article continues below advertisement However, one burning question has dogged those following the hearings: will former POTUS Donald Trump and/or former VP Mike Pence be subpoenaed by the committee about their alleged involvement with the riots on January 6? While Rep Liz Cheney and others helming the probe have said they believe the former VP should speak with the committee as a matter of duty, they are unlikely to seek subpoenas for the pair for one simple reason: time. Article continues below advertisement Both Rep Adam Schiff and Cheney will be out of Congress in January, so the panel wants to wrap up their investigation before the end of the year and send their final recommendations (or not) to the Department of Justice by then. Any attempt to subpoena Trump or Pence will likely end in a lengthy and complicated back-and-forth that could drag the panel’s efforts long past January 1. Article continues below advertisement Of course, that doesn’t answer the most important question: should they be subpoenaed? The answer to that is almost certainly: yes. But that they won’t be called in to speak is no surprise given the urgency of the panel’s conclusion. Roger Stone Documentary Brings Bombshell Evidence in Final (?) Hearing Article continues below advertisement The question about whether or not Trump and Pence will be called before the J6 committee is almost paling compared to news that the hearing will include footage from a documentary created by Trump stalwart Roger Stone. Stone’s documentary followed him for three years leading up to 2020 and the events of January 6, and it includes an extraordinary amount of video evidence that the committee will make avid use of. Article continues below advertisement CNN writes, ” The day before the 2020 election, Roger Stone, the long-time Republican operative and ally of former President Donald Trump, said in front of a documentary film crew that he had no interest in waiting to tally actual votes before contesting the election results. ‘F–k the voting, let’s get right to the violence,’ Stone can be heard saying, according to footage provided by a Danish documentary film crew and obtained by CNN. The clip is one of multiple pieces of footage obtained by CNN that the filmmakers also shared with the House select committee investigating the January 6, 2021, attack on the US Capitol. The video shows Stone as an early proponent of contesting the election – even before the results were in – and raising the possibility of violence months before January 6. The filmmakers tell CNN they came to an agreement to share certain clips with the committee after a subpoena for the footage was signed by the panel’s chairman, Democratic Rep. Bennie Thompson of Mississippi, and delivered to the filmmakers in Copenhagen about two months ago.” What the committee learned from the footage may have led to over 40 subpoenas issued in recent weeks to Trump allies, and could spell the path forward they take as they wrap up public hearings and work on their recommendation. Both Reps Cheney and Schiff have said that the recommendation to the DOJ should be unanimous, and they plan for it to be – whether that’s a recommendation for criminal charges or not, they plan to be in sync. Read More Here

How To Get Away With Torture, Insurrection, You Name It: The Techniques Of Denial And Distraction That Politicians Use To Manage Scandal https://digitalalaskanews.com/how-to-get-away-with-torture-insurrection-you-name-it-the-techniques-of-denial-and-distraction-that-politicians-use-to-manage-scandal/ (The Conversation is an independent and nonprofit source of news, analysis and commentary from academic experts.) (THE CONVERSATION) On Sept. 28, 2022, the U.S. House select committee investigating the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection will hold another public hearing – likely the last before it releases its official report. Through earlier hearings this past summer, the committee has shown how former President Donald Trump and close associates spread the “big lie” of a stolen election. The hearings have also shown how Trump stoked the rage of protesters who marched to the U.S. Capitol and then refused to act when they breached the building. The hearings have aired in prime time and dominated news cycles. Still, polling conducted in August by Monmouth University found that around 3 in 10 Americans still believe that Trump “did nothing wrong regarding January 6.” As a sociologist who studies denial, I analyze how people ignore clear truths and use rhetoric to convince others to deny them, too. Politicians and their media allies have long used this rhetoric to manage scandals. Trump and his supporters’ responses to the Jan. 6 investigation are no exception. Stages of denial Commonly, people think of denial as a state of being: Someone is “in denial” when they reject obvious truths. However, denial also consists of linguistic strategies that people use to downplay their misconduct and avoid responsibility for it. These strategies are remarkably adaptable. They’ve been used by both political parties to manage wildly different scandals. Even so, the strategies tend to be used in fairly predictable ways. Because of this, we can often see scandals unfold through clear stages of denial. In my previous research on denial and U.S. torture, I analyzed how the George W. Bush administration and supporters in Congress adjusted the forms of denial they used as new allegations and evidence of abuses in the global “war on terror” became public. For instance, after photographs of torture at the Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq were released in the spring of 2004, Abu Ghraib was described as a deplorable but isolated incident. At the time, there wasn’t serious public evidence of detainee abuse at other U.S. facilities. Later revelations about the use of torture at Guantánamo Bay and secret CIA black sites changed things. The Bush administration could no longer claim that torture was an isolated incident. Officials also faced allegations that they had directly and knowingly authorized torture. Facing these allegations, Bush and his supporters began justifying and downplaying torture. To many Americans, torture, once deplorable, was rebranded as an acceptable national security tool: “enhanced interrogation.” As the debate about torture shows, political responses to scandal often begin with outright denials. But rarely do they end there. When politicians face credible evidence of political misconduct, they often try other forms of denial. Instead of saying allegations are untrue, they may downplay the seriousness of allegations, justify their behavior or try to distract from it. It’s not just Republican administrations that use denial in this way. When the Obama administration could no longer outright deny civilian casualties caused by drone strikes, it downplayed them. In a 2013 national security speech, President Barack Obama contrasted drone strikes with the use of “conventional air power or missiles,” which he described as “far less precise.” He also justified drone strikes, arguing that “to do nothing in the face of terrorist networks would invite far more civilian casualties.” Scandal strategies in play Americans watched the Jan. 6 insurrection on TV and social media as it happened. Given the vividness of the day, outright denials of the insurrection are particularly far-fetched and marginal – though they do exist. For example, some Trump supporters have claimed that left-wing “antifa” groups breached the Capitol – a claim many rioters themselves have rejected. Some of Trump’s supporters in Congress and the media have repeated the claim that the insurrection was staged to discredit Trump. But given Trump’s own vocal support for the insurrectionists, supporters usually deploy more nuanced denials to downplay the day’s events. So what happens when outright denial fails? From ordinary citizens to political elites, people often respond to allegations by “condemning the condemners,” accusing their accusers of exaggerating – or of doing worse things themselves, a strategy called “advantageous comparisons.” Together, these two strategies paint those making accusations as untrustworthy or hypocritical. As I show in my new book on denial , these are standard denials of those managing scandals. “Condemning the condemners” and “advantageous comparisons” have been central to efforts to minimize the Jan. 6 insurrection, as well. Some critics of the committee downplay the insurrection by likening it to the Black Lives Matter protests, despite the fact that the vast majority were peaceful. “For months, our cities burned, police stations burned, our businesses were shattered. And they said nothing. Or they cheer-led for it. And they fund-raised for it. And they allowed it to happen in the greatest country in the world,” Republican Rep. Matt Gaetz said during Trump’s second impeachment. “Now, some have cited the metaphor that the president lit the flames. Well, they lit actual flames, actual fires!” Similar comparisons reappeared amid the House select committee’s hearings. One NFL coach called Jan. 6 a “dust-up” by comparison to the Black Lives Matter protests. These forms of denial do several things at once. They direct attention away from the original focus of the scandal. They minimize Trump’s role in inciting the violence of Jan. 6 by making the claim that Democrats incite even more destructive forms of violence. And they discredit the investigation by suggesting that those leading it are hypocrites, more interested in scoring political points than in curtailing political violence. Trickle-down denial These denials may not sway a majority of Americans. Still, they’re consequential. Denial trickles down by providing ordinary citizens with scripts for talking about political scandals. Denials also reaffirm beliefs, allowing people to filter out information that contradicts what they hold to be true. Indeed, ordinary Americans have adapted “advantageous comparisons” to justify the insurrection. This has happened before. For example, in a study of politically active Americans, sociologists Barbara Sutton and Kari Marie Norgaard found that some Americans adopted pro-torture politicians’ rhetoric – such as supporting “enhanced interrogation” and defending practices like waterboarding as a way to gather intelligence, even as they condemned “torture.” For this reason, it’s important to recognize when politicians and the media draw from the denial’s playbook. By doing so, observers can better distinguish between genuine political disagreements and the predictable denials, which protect the most powerful by excusing their misconduct. This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article here: https://theconversation.com/how-to-get-away-with-torture-insurrection-you-name-it-the-techniques-of-denial-and-distraction-that-politicians-use-to-manage-scandal-188514. Read More Here

FIRST ON CNN: Pennsylvania Democrat Raises $25M This Summer Ahead Of Crucial Governor's Race – KTVZ https://digitalalaskanews.com/first-on-cnn-pennsylvania-democrat-raises-25m-this-summer-ahead-of-crucial-governors-race-ktvz/ By Dan Merica, CNN Josh Shapiro, Pennsylvania’s Democratic gubernatorial nominee, will report on Tuesday that his campaign raised over $25 million from June to September, according to a campaign finance report provided to CNN, a sizable haul that dwarfs what Republican candidate Doug Mastriano had raised from the start of 2021 to June 2022. The race between Shapiro and Mastriano is one of the most closely watched gubernatorial contests of November’s midterms, given Pennsylvania’s reputation as a presidential battleground and the impact that the governor of the state could have on a range of issues, including future election administration and access to abortion. Pennsylvania is also home to one of the most high-profile Senate contests of the cycle between Democrat John Fetterman and Republican Mehmet Oz. Shapiro will report his campaign raised $25.4 million from June 7 to September 19, ending the three-month period with over $10.9 million in the bank. It’s an impressive sum for a gubernatorial candidate, though not a national record. Shapiro’s haul is significant for gubernatorial campaigns in Pennsylvania, overshadowing the $7.2 million that Democratic Gov. Tom Wolf raised for his reelection bid from June to September in 2018 or the $9.6 million he raised over the same time in 2014. Much of what Shapiro has raised has gone toward blanketing televisions and computers across the commonwealth in the high-stakes race as Democrats look to prevent the GOP from flipping the governor’s mansion. According to ad tracking firm AdImpact, Shapiro’s campaign has spent $18 million in television and digital advertising in that time. He is leaning into the contrast with Mastriano on abortion rights in the wake of the Supreme Court overturning Roe v. Wade in late June — a decision that has generated Democratic and small-dollar enthusiasm across the country. Shapiro, the commonwealth’s attorney general, ran uncontested for the nomination to replace Democratic Gov. Tom Wolf, who is term limited. Mastriano, a state representative and one of the commonwealth’s most fervent purveyors of the lie that the 2020 election was stolen, emerged from a contentious primary with former President Donald Trump’s backing and some help from Democrats who viewed him as the easiest candidate to defeat in November. His primary victory worried some Republicans who feared his views on a litany of issues were too far right for much of the commonwealth. A CBS News/YouGov Battleground Tracker poll released earlier this month found Shapiro holding a double digit lead — with 55% of likely voters backing the Democrat, compared to 44% for Mastriano. Where Shapiro has surged in fundraising, Mastriano has struggled. According to the Pennsylvania Department of State, Mastriano’s campaign has raised under $1.8 million from the start of 2021 to June of 2022. He has yet to file his June to September report, but the Republican entered June with just under $400,000 in the bank. A Mastriano spokesperson did not respond to CNN’s request for comment. Because of those fundraising woes, Mastriano has largely waged his campaign on social media and in Facebook videos. The Republican candidate has so far spent next to nothing on television ads since winning the primary in May. And there are few signs that help is headed Mastriano’s direction. Few, if any, top Republican groups have signaled a willingness to run ads on Mastriano’s behalf and Trump, who is holding a tele-rally with the gubernatorial nominee on Tuesday, has so far declined to substantially tap into his tens of millions to aid his candidate. The Republican Governors Association has also shown little interest in the race — angering the Mastriano campaign. “The Republican Governors Association would rather see an insane extremist Democrat win in Pennsylvania than have a Republican they can’t control,” Jenna Ellis, a top Mastriano adviser and an attorney who represented Trump during and after the 2020 election, wrote on Twitter this month. “Doug Mastriano’s race is MORE CRITICAL THAN EVER for freedom from BOTH SIDES!!” The tweet was deleted shortly after it was posted. A spokesman for the Republican Governors Association did not respond to a request for comment. Dana Fritz, Shapiro’s campaign manager, said in a statement to CNN that “the stakes of this race could not be higher, and this incredible and humbling support proves Pennsylvanians are ready to come together and defeat our extremist opponent.” The-CNN-Wire & © 2022 Cable News Network, Inc., a Warner Bros. Discovery Company. All rights reserved. Read More Here

Post Politics Now: Congress Returns With A Friday Shutdown Deadline Looming https://digitalalaskanews.com/post-politics-now-congress-returns-with-a-friday-shutdown-deadline-looming/ Today, the Senate returns to Washington with plans to take a key procedural vote on a stopgap funding measure to keep the government open beyond Friday. Much of the immediate drama centers on whether to retain an energy permitting provision proposed by Sen. Joe Manchin III (D-W.Va.) that is drawing opposition from both sides of the aisle. The broader legislation, released Monday night, also includes a major new round of emergency aid to Ukraine to defend itself against Russia. At the White House, President Biden plans to deliver remarks focused on “lowering health care costs and protecting and strengthening Medicare and Social Security,” according to an advisory. The speech had been scheduled for delivery in Florida, as part of a trip that was canceled because of the approaching Hurricane Ian. Your daily dashboard Noon Eastern time: White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre and Federal Emergency Management Agency Administrator Deanne Criswell brief reporters. Watch live here. 1:15 p.m. Eastern: Biden delivers remarks on Medicare and Social Security at the White House. Watch live here. 3 p.m. Eastern: The Senate convenes to consider a stopgap funding measure. Watch live here. Got a question about politics? Submit it here. After 3 p.m. weekdays, return to this space and we’ll address what’s on the mind of readers. On our radar: Biden faces pressure to waive restriction for ship off Puerto Rico Return to menu President Biden is facing growing pressure to grant a federal waiver and allow a BP ship loaded with diesel fuel access to a port in Puerto Rico, where hundreds of thousands of Americans remain without power after a hurricane ravaged the island. The Post’s Toluse Olorunnipa and Jeff Stein report that because the ship is not U.S.-owned, it has been idling off the island’s coast, awaiting a decision by the Biden administration on waiving the Jones Act, a century-old law backed by labor unions and key to the president’s “Made in America” agenda. Analysis: Races for state supreme courts to influence abortion laws Return to menu Governors and attorneys general races are getting increased attention as the battle over abortion access returns to the states. But there’s another type of often-overshadowed contest that could have major implications for abortion rights: state supreme court justices. Writing in The Health 202, The Post’s Rachel Roubein says that states where party control hangs in the balance during November’s elections include Michigan, North Carolina, Ohio and Illinois. Per Rachel: Since the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, abortion rights supporters have turned to state courts to attempt to halt newly implemented abortion bans. The legal arguments vary, but many are hinged on the assertion that provisions in the state’s constitution should protect the right to access an abortion. Some have already wound up in front of the state Supreme Court; others could at a later date. State supreme court races typically fly under the radar, but they can affect everything from redistricting to school funding to gun control. You can read the full analysis here. Noted: Sanders won’t say if Biden should run again, doesn’t rule out running himself Return to menu Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) wouldn’t say Tuesday whether he thinks President Biden should seek another term in 2024 and didn’t rule out another White House bid himself. Sanders, appearing on “CBS Mornings,” resisted repeated attempts to get him to say what his personal view is on whether Biden should run in 2024. “Well, that’s his decision,” Sanders said. “Joe is a friend of mine, and I think against enormous opposition, he has tried to do some very, very good things. He will make that decision himself.” The latest: Bipartisan group of lawmakers seeks executive action on investments in China Return to menu A bipartisan group of lawmakers led by Sens. Robert P. Casey Jr. (D-Pa.) and John Cornyn (R-Tex.) is urging the White House to take executive action that could require U.S. companies and investors to notify the government before making certain investments in countries such as China and Russia that are seen as adversaries. In a letter to President Biden, signed by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), Senate Majority Leader Charles E. Schumer (D-N.Y.) and others, the lawmakers say the action is needed while they regroup to try to pass legislation that would “prevent the offshoring of critical production capacity and intellectual property to our foreign adversaries.” On our radar: Senate Electoral Count Act bill faces critical test Return to menu A Senate bill to strengthen the Electoral Count Act, the 19th century law that governs Congress’s role in certifying presidential election results, will be considered by the Senate Rules Committee on Tuesday afternoon, the final step for the bill before it heads to the floor for a vote. Writing in The Early 202, The Post’s Theodoric Meyer and Leigh Ann Caldwell say that all signs point to a major bipartisan victory on an issue that has divided the country since President Donald Trump exploited loopholes in the law in his attempt to overturn the 2020 election results. Analysis: Sinema, McConnell and the upside-down politics of Arizona Return to menu When Blake Masters was campaigning for the Republican Senate nomination in Arizona, he called for Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) to be ousted as Republican leader in the Senate. “I’ll tell Mitch this to his face,” Master said during a June primary debate. “He’s not bad at everything. He’s good at judges. He’s good at blocking Democrats. You know what he’s not good at? Legislating.” Writing in The Early 202, The Post’s Theodoric Meyer and Leigh Ann Caldwell write that when Sen. Kyrsten Sinema (D-Ariz.) appeared with McConnell on Monday at the University of Louisville’s McConnell Center barely six weeks before the midterm elections, she was full of praise for him. And McConnell returned the favor, calling her the “most effective first-term senator” he has seen since joining the Senate in 1985. On our radar: White House offers preview of policies to be unveiled at hunger conference Return to menu The White House will convene a national conference on dietary health and food security Wednesday, for the first time in over 50 years, to launch a national campaign that seeks to tackle high obesity rates and end persistent hunger in the United States by 2030. The Post’s Andrew Jeong reports that in a 44-page summary of its dietary policies to be unveiled at the conference, the Biden administration pledged to make healthful food more affordable and accessible and to invest in expanding physical-activity options and enhancing research on food and nutrition. On our radar: Oath Keepers sedition trial could reveal new info about Jan. 6 plotting Return to menu Jury selection is scheduled to start Tuesday in a trial on charges of seditious conspiracy for five members of the extremist group Oath Keepers, including leader Stewart Rhodes. U.S. prosecutors will try to convince jurors that Rhodes’s call for an armed “civil war” to keep Donald Trump in power on Jan. 6, 2021, was literal — and criminal. The Post’s Spencer S. Hsu, Rachel Weiner and Tom Jackman write that Rhodes’s trial could reveal new information about the quest to subvert the 2020 presidential election results, as prosecutors continue to probe Trump’s conduct and that of his inner circle. Analysis: The false claim that Senate Republicans ‘plan to end Social Security and Medicare’ Return to menu When an election campaign enters its final weeks, year after year, both political parties rely on familiar themes to attack their opponents. For Republicans, it’s crime and immigration. For Democrats, it’s Social Security and Medicare. In a tweet this weekend, Sen. Patty Murray (D-Wash.) wrote: “Republicans plan to end Social Security and Medicare if they take back the Senate.” Murray, who has been in the Senate since 1993, is running against Republican Tiffany Smiley. Writing in The Fact Checker, The Post’s Glenn Kessler says that Murray’s tweet is a succinct example of what we called “Mediscare” attacks — an effort to warn seniors that Republicans will take away their hard-earned benefits. Per Glenn: Obituary: Jim Florio, former New Jersey congressman and governor, dies at 85 Return to menu Jim Florio, a New Jersey Democrat who spent 15 years in the U.S. House of Representatives before he became his state’s governor in 1990, pushing through one of the strongest gun-control laws in the country but also an unprecedented tax hike that drove him from office after a single term, died Sunday at a hospital in Mount Holly, N.J. He was 85. His daughter, Catherine Florio Pipas, confirmed his death but did not cite a cause, The Post’s Emily Langer writes. Per Emily: Mr. Florio grew up in Brooklyn, the son of an Italian American shipyard painter, and brought to the political arena the same intensity that he had shown as an amateur boxer. He had once entered the ring with an opponent who broke Mr. Florio’s left cheekbone, permanently crushing that side of his face. “I don’t start fights,” Mr. Florio told the New York Times of his later bouts in politics, “but I don’t walk away from them.” You can read the full obituary here. Read More Here

Nord Stream Operator Decries ‘unprecedented’ Damage To Three Pipelines https://digitalalaskanews.com/nord-stream-operator-decries-unprecedented-damage-to-three-pipelines/ The operator of the Nord Stream pipelines built to carry Russian gas to Europe on Tuesday reported “unprecedented” damage to the system, raising suspicions of sabotage after mysterious leaks caused sudden drops in pressure to three underwater lines in the Baltic Sea. The leaks had no immediate impact on energy supplies to the European Union but raised concerns about serious environmental damage from methane, a greenhouse gas that is a major contributor to climate change. “The damage that occurred in one day simultaneously at three lines of offshore pipelines of the Nord Stream system are unprecedented,” the company, Nord Stream AG, said in a statement to Russian state news agencies. Two of the damaged pipes are part of Nord Stream 1, normally a major transmission line of Russian natural gas to Europe, while the third is part of Nord Stream 2, which Western nations have blocked from becoming fully operational as part of sanctions over Russia’s war in Ukraine. Russia has cut transmission through Nord Stream 1 in retaliation for Western sanctions, though the Kremlin has also blamed technical failures. Gas, however, remains in the undersea pipelines even if deliveries are halted. Nord Stream 2’s operator said pressure in the undersea pipeline dropped to 7 bar from 105 bar overnight. Officials said that the damage may have been sabotage. “It is hard to imagine that it is accidental,” Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said in Poland, according to the Danish newspaper Politiken. “We cannot rule out sabotage, but it is too early to conclude.” Frederiksen spoke at a ceremony in Goleniów, Poland on Tuesday for the opening of the new Baltic Pipe, which will carry natural gas to Poland and neighboring countries from Norway through Denmark. Europe has been scrambling to diversify supplies and reduce reliance on Russian energy. After Russia cut off Nord Stream 1 in retaliation for the sanctions, halting supplies to Germany, Poland and other nations, European leaders, including European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, accused the Kremlin of using fossil fuels for “blackmail.” A spokesman for the European Commission said that although gas supplies were not at risk because of the new leaks, officials were concerned about potential environmental damage. “This hasn’t affected the security of supply as yet,” the spokesman, Tim McPhie said. “As you know deliveries have been zero on Nord Stream 1 anyway, and North Stream 2 is not yet authorized to operate. We are also analyzing the potential impact of these leaks of methane, which is a gas which of course has considerable effects on climate change, and we are in touch with the member states about the potential impact on maritime navigation.” Still, the damage to the three pipelines delivered yet another reminder that Europe must brace for a difficult winter without reliable supplies of Russian gas. In its statement the Nord Stream operator said “it is impossible to estimate” when the pipelines will be fixed. When Russia halted supplies via Nord Stream 1 earlier this month citing technical problems, it accused the West of refusing to provide turbines needed for repairs. Earlier on Tuesday, the Swedish Maritime Authority had issued a warning of two leaks in the Nord Stream 1 pipeline in Swedish and Danish waters. The warning came shortly after a leak on the nearby Nord Stream 2 pipe was discovered in Danish waters. Danish and Swedish authorities said they were investigating the leaks and introduced a five-mile radius exclusion zone, near the Danish island of Bornholm, where ships are banned. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov on Tuesday said the Russian government was “extremely concerned” about the damage. “This is very alarming information, there some damage in the pipe in the Danish economic zone, it is not yet clear what kind,” Peskov told reporters during his daily conference call. “The pressure has dropped considerably. This is an unprecedented situation that needs to be dealt with urgently.” Peskov also said Russia is not “excluding any options” after a report by the German newspaper Tagesspiegel, suggesting potential sabotage. In a statement, the German Energy Ministry was informed of “a sharp drop in pressure” in the Nordstream 2 pipeline, but said that it did not have “clarity about the causes and the exact facts.” The European Commission’s chief spokesman, Eric Mamer, said the cause of the leaks was still unknown. “We believe we do not have the elements in order to determine what is the reason for the leak,” Mamer said. “Obviously, any act of sabotage on any infrastructure is something that we would condemn.” Beatriz Rios in Brussels and Meg Kelly in Berlin contributed to this report. War in Ukraine: What you need to know The latest: Russian President Vladimir Putin announced a “partial mobilization” of troops in an address to the nation on Sept. 21, framing the move as an attempt to defend Russian sovereignty against a West that seeks to use Ukraine as a tool to “divide and destroy Russia.” Follow our live updates here. The fight: A successful Ukrainian counteroffensive has forced a major Russian retreat in the northeastern Kharkiv region in recent days, as troops fled cities and villages they had occupied since the early days of the war and abandoned large amounts of military equipment. Annexation referendums: Staged referendums, which would be illegal under international law, are set to take place from Sept. 23 to 27 in the breakaway Luhansk and Donetsk regions of eastern Ukraine, according to Russian news agencies. Another staged referendum will be held by the Moscow-appointed administration in Kherson starting Friday. Photos: Washington Post photographers have been on the ground from the beginning of the war — here’s some of their most powerful work. How you can help: Here are ways those in the U.S. can help support the Ukrainian people as well as what people around the world have been donating. Read our full coverage of the Russia-Ukraine crisis. Are you on Telegram? Subscribe to our channel for updates and exclusive video. Read More Here

Jury To Be Picked For Oath Keeper Boss’ Jan. 6 Sedition Case – Wilmington News Journal https://digitalalaskanews.com/jury-to-be-picked-for-oath-keeper-boss-jan-6-sedition-case-wilmington-news-journal/ Jury selection is expected to get underway Tuesday in the trial of the founder of the far-right Oath Keepers extremist group and four associates charged with seditious conspiracy, one of the most serious cases to emerge from the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol. Stewart Rhodes and the others are the first Jan. 6 defendants charged with the the rare Civil War-era offense to stand trial for what authorities allege was a serious, weekslong plot to violently stop the transfer of presidential power from election-denier Donald Trump to Joe Biden. The case against Rhodes and his Oath Keeper associates is the biggest test yet for the Justice Department in its massive Jan. 6 prosecution and is being heard in federal court in Washington. Seditious conspiracy can be difficult to prove and the last such guilty verdict was nearly 30 years ago. Hundreds of people have already been convicted of joining the mob that overran police barriers, brutally beat officers and smashed windows, sending lawmakers fleeing and halting the certification of Biden’s electoral victory. But prosecutors in the case against the Oath Keepers will try to show that the Oath Keepers’ plot to stop Biden from becoming president started before all the votes in the 2020 race had even been counted. Authorities say Rhodes, a former U.S. Army paratrooper and a Yale Law School graduate, spent weeks mobilizing his followers to prepare to take up arms to defend Trump. The Oath Keepers repeatedly wrote in chats about the prospect of violence, stockpiled guns and put “quick reaction force” teams on standby outside Washington to get weapons into the city quickly if they were needed, authorities say. The day before the riot, authorities say, Rhodes met with the leader of another far-right extremist group, then-Proud Boys Chairman Enrique Tarrio, in an underground parking garage in Washington, though little is known publicly about what they discussed. Tarrio is charged separately with seditious conspiracy alongside other Proud Boys and is scheduled to stand trial in December. On Jan. 6, Oath Keepers wearing communication devices, helmets and other battle gear were captured on camera storming the Capitol in military-style “stack” formation. Rhodes isn’t accused of going inside the Capitol, but phone records show he was communicating with Oath Keepers who did enter around the time of the riot and he was seen gathered with members outside afterward. On trial with Rhodes, of Granbury Texas, are Thomas Caldwell, of Berryville, Virginia; Kenneth Harrelson, of Titusville, Florida; Jessica Watkins of Woodstock, Ohio; and Kelly Meggs of Dunnellon, Florida. Attorneys for the Oath Keepers have pushed unsuccessfully to get the trial moved, arguing they can’t possibly get a fair jury in Washington. The court has already dismissed several potential jurors based on their answers to a questionnaire, which asked them about their feelings about Jan. 6 and other matters. Jurors already dismissed include a journalist who has covered the events of Jan. 6. and someone else who described that day “one of the single most treasonous acts in the history of this country.” Conviction for seditious conspiracy calls for up to 20 years behind bars. The last time prosecutors secured a seditious conspiracy at trial was in 1995 in the case against Islamic militants who plotted to bomb New York City landmarks. Three of Rhodes’ Oath Keepers followers have pleaded guilty to the charge and are likely to testify against him at trial. Rhodes’ lawyers have claimed those Oath Keepers were pressured into pleading guilty and are lying to get a good deal from the government. Rhodes’ attorneys have suggested that his defense will focus on Rhodes’ belief that Trump would invoke the Insurrection Act and call up a militia to support his bid to stay in power. Defense attorneys say Rhodes’ actions in the weeks leading up to Jan. 6 were in preparation for what he believed would have been lawful orders from Trump under the Insurrection Act, but never came. The defense has said that Oath Keepers were dressed in battle gear to protect themselves from possible attacks from left-wing antifa activists and that the “quick reaction force” outside Washington was meant for defensive purposes if Trump invoked the Insurrection Act. Nearly 900 people have been charged so far in the Jan. 6 riot and more than 400 have pleaded guilty or been convicted at trial. Sentences for the rioters so far have ranged from probation for low-level misdemeanor offenses to 10 years in prison for a retired New York City police officer who used a metal flagpole to assault an officer at the Capitol. ___ Follow the AP’s coverage of the Capitol riot at https://apnews.com/hub/capitol-siege. FILE – Stewart Rhodes, founder of the Oath Keepers, speaks during a rally outside the White House in Washington, June 25, 2017. Jury selection is expected to get underway Tuesday in one of the most serious cases to emerge from the Jan. 6, 2021 attack on the U.S. Capitol against the founder of the far-right Oath Keepers extremist group and four associates charged with seditious conspiracy.(AP Photo/Susan Walsh, File) Read More Here

Texas AG Denies He ‘ran’ To Avoid Subpoenas, Says He Felt Threatened https://digitalalaskanews.com/texas-ag-denies-he-ran-to-avoid-subpoenas-says-he-felt-threatened/ Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton (R) “ran” from his home and took off in a truck with his wife, a state senator, when a process server showed up to the residence Monday morning to serve Paxton with subpoenas in an ongoing lawsuit, according to an affidavit filed later that day. The subpoenas for Paxton’s testimony are part of a lawsuit filed in August by reproductive health groups looking to protect their ability to help patients access legal abortions in states outside of Texas, where performing nearly all abortions became illegal following the Supreme Court’s overturning of Roe v. Wade in June. On Monday evening, Paxton addressed the process server’s claims, writing on Twitter that, earlier in the day, he had been avoiding a “stranger lingering outside my home” and was concerned for his and his family’s safety. “This is a ridiculous waste of time and the media should be ashamed of themselves,” Paxton wrote in response to the Texas Tribune, which earlier reported the story. “All across the country, conservatives have faced threats to their safety — many threats that received scant coverage or condemnation from the mainstream media.” Paxton’s office did not immediately respond to a request for comment from The Washington Post late Monday. A representative for Paxton’s wife, state Sen. Angela Paxton (R), also did not immediately respond to a request for comment. This is a ridiculous waste of time and the media should be ashamed of themselves. All across the country, conservatives have faced threats to their safety — many threats that received scant coverage or condemnation from the mainstream media. — Attorney General Ken Paxton (@KenPaxtonTX) September 27, 2022 In the affidavit signed and filed on Monday, process server Ernesto Martin Herrera said that he arrived at Paxton’s residence in McKinney around 8:30 a.m., parking on the street in front of the house. Seeing the silhouette of a man in the living room, Herrera knocked on the front door, according to the affidavit. A woman answered it, Herrera said, and he explained that he needed to deliver legal documents to Paxton. The woman, who eventually identified herself as “Angela,” said that Paxton was on the phone and was in a “hurry to leave,” the affidavit states. Herrera added that he saw a black Chevrolet truck parked in the driveway. He could not immediately be reached for comment Tuesday morning. Herrera said he went back to his car and waited, “per my client’s instructions,” according to the affidavit. Around 9:20 a.m., he saw a different vehicle — a black Chevrolet Tahoe — drive up to the home and back into the driveway. About 20 minutes later, Herrera said he saw Paxton walk out of the garage, so he approached Paxton and called him by name. “As soon as he saw me and heard me call his name out, he turned around and RAN back inside the house through the same door in the garage,” Herrera stated in the affidavit, emphasizing the word “ran” with bold type and an underline. Less than 10 minutes later, “Angela” emerged from the house and opened one of the truck’s rear doors before getting into the driver’s seat and starting the vehicle, Herrera said in the affidavit. Paxton then ran from his home to the truck, as Herrera called out his name and said he had court documents for him, Herrera claimed. “Mr. Paxton ignored me and kept heading for the truck,” Herrera stated. Herrera said he told Paxton that he was going to put the documents on the ground, and then did so beside the truck. Paxton “got in the truck leaving the documents on the ground, and then both vehicles left,” Herrera wrote. The subpoenas are seeking Paxton’s appearance and testimony at a court hearing scheduled for Tuesday morning. As of early Tuesday, the hearing remained on the court’s schedule. Read More Here

Crypto Founder Behind $60 Billion Collapse Says He Is Not Hiding After Interpol Issues Arrest Notice https://digitalalaskanews.com/crypto-founder-behind-60-billion-collapse-says-he-is-not-hiding-after-interpol-issues-arrest-notice/ Do Kwon, co-founder and chief executive officer of Terraform Labs, insists that he is not on the run from South Korean authorities. Meanwhile, South Korean prosecutors claim that Interpol has issued a “Red Notice” for the arrest of Kwon. Terraform Labs, the company that Kwon founded, is behind the collapsed cryptocurrencies terraUSD and luna, which combined were worth $60 billion before they crashed. Woohae Cho | Bloomberg | Getty Images South Korea has been seeking Kwon’s arrest since earlier this month. But prosecutors in the country have alleged Kwon is on the run. On Tuesday, a spokesperson for the Seoul Southern District Prosecutors’ Office in South Korea’s capital city told CNBC that global law enforcement agency Interpol has issued a “Red Notice” for Kwon. Red Notices are issued for fugitives wanted either for prosecution or to serve a sentence, according to Interpol. The notice is a request to law enforcement worldwide to locate and arrest the person in question. This could then lead to an extradition. Kwon, however, said he was not on the run, using his Twitter account to hit back at authorities. “I’m writing code in my living room hbu,” Kwon tweeted in reply to someone asking about his whereabouts. Kwon insisted he is making “zero effort to hide” saying he goes on walks and to malls. Kwon also said he does not see his name on Interpol’s “Red Notice” list. The agency does not always make these notices public. Seoul Southern District Prosecutors’ Office sees Kwon as still being on the run, the spokesperson told CNBC. Kwon’s Twitter location says he is in Singapore. But earlier this month, the Singapore Police Force said that Kwon was not in the city-state. The South Korean prosecutors said the purpose of the Red Notice is to locate Kwon, bring him back to South Korea and then officials will decide within 48 hours whether to issue an arrest warrant for him. — CNBC’s Jihye Lee contributed to this article. Read More Here

Six Teams And https://digitalalaskanews.com/six-teams-and/ The select committee had six teams working separately. They were all code-named with different colors: Red, Gold, Green, Purple, Orange, and Blue. My operations were distinct from that structure. Part of our work involved providing technical and investigative support for the six other teams. Red focused on the rioters and what we termed “day-of command and control,” in other words, coordination among people who engaged in violence at the Capitol on January 6th. This included the activists and conspiracists who planned the Stop the Steal and “Save America” protests that drew people to DC that day. The militant groups that took part in the attack, namely the Proud Boys, Oath Keepers, and 1st Amendment Praetorian, were also part of this portfolio. The committee was looking at the storming of the building as a military operation. The Red Team handed my telephone team their heaviest workload. We matched names to numbers—and vice versa. We also helped them track the connections among the various violent extremist groups. We found plenty. Both my telephony and open-source intelligence team (or OSINT) analysts prepared files on people the committee investigators were set to interview. We brainstormed to help them prepare sharp questions and catch potential lies during depositions. Gold Team zeroed in on Trump and his inner circle. This included his family, staff, and informal advisers like Bannon, Rudy Giuliani, and General Flynn. Most folks know those names. They were some of the more hard-core voices in Trump’s ear throughout his presidency. But during the election result challenge, Trump also connected with a new wave of conspiracists including the lawyer Sidney Powell and Patrick Byrne, the multimillionaire former CEO of internet retailer Overstock.com. My OSINT team drafted deep-dive dossiers on all these major players. In particular, Byrne struck me as an underrated part of the puzzle. I came to view his role as crucial. His DeepCapture.com website published several documents related to the legal arguments people like Powell and Phil Waldron were making and hinted at their terrifying vision for how to achieve victory. The Capitol on January 6, 2021. NurPhoto The Gold Team also benefited from call detail records, or CDRs. By combing through those records, we documented every call we could that came through the White House from, approximately, the start of November 2020 through the end of the following January. Our work showed who was in contact with West Wing staff—and possibly Trump himself. Green Team followed the money. They tracked the financing of the so-called Stop the Steal movement. This was another area where the CDRs helped prepare investigators for certain interviews. Many folks sitting for a deposition seemed to come down with severe, sudden memory issues when confronted with questions about the finances for campaigns and rallies. Knowing that we could see who they were in touch with was often a quick cure. Green Team also relied on my knowledge of the fundraising process. During my first meeting with them, I busted out a white board to chart the digital fundraising ecosystem to show how algorithms incentivized the most aggressive Stop the Steal messaging. My OSINT consultants also worked with the Green Team to tie some far-right figures to their Bitcoin wallets. The select committee’s Green Team showed that Trump’s family and inner circle personally profited from the events of January 6th. This included Kimberly Guilfoyle, a former Fox News personality who was dating Trump’s son Don Jr. Evidence uncovered by the committee showed Guilfoyle was paid $60,000 to introduce Don Jr. at that day’s rally on the White House Ellipse. That’s the one where Trump told the crowd to “fight like hell” and march to the Capitol. Guilfoyle urged the crowd to “hold the line.” “Look at all of us out here, God-loving, freedom-loving, liberty-loving patriots that will not let them steal this election!” she shouted. Her remarks lasted almost exactly three minutes. That means her speech cost about $20,000 a minute. Guilfoyle also earned $180,000 from the Trump campaign in 2020, according to the HuffPost. That report said Lara Trump, the wife of the former president’s second-oldest son, Eric, drew similar payments from the campaign. There were piles of cash associated with the MAGA movement and some of it seemed to go right to Trump’s own family. Many folks sitting for a deposition seemed to come down with severe, sudden memory issues when confronted with questions about the finances. The Purple Team studied the radicalization pipeline. We didn’t only want to know what people did when they charged at the Capitol on January 6th. We wanted to know how they got there and who sent them. Purple Team researched the activity of extremist groups and MAGA influencers in the months leading up to the attack. My phone records team worked with Purple extensively to help them request and identify records. Orange Team was tasked with examining the role foreign interference played in the Capitol attack. Some of America’s rivals, namely Russia and Iran, definitely contributed to fueling disinformation in the Stop the Steal space. We saw possible bot networks and coordinated actions with Twitter accounts that formed en masse on the same day. Personalities associated with English-language, Russian-state media like RT and Sputnik also pushed conspiratorial themes and hashtags. Still, the loudest and most violent stuff was coming from within our own borders. This was America’s problem. The last team, Blue, had an especially delicate challenge. They were focused on the apparent failure to adequately protect the Capitol. They were, in part, investigating House Administration, which really meant Pelosi and two of the committee’s own members, Jamie Raskin and Zoe Lofgren. Blue team was a talented group, but the sensitivity of their investigation and the multiple moving parts—House leadership, the National Guard, DC and Capitol police, and the Pentagon—created a politically explosive finger-pointing extravaganza. The end result was that the Blue Team became a bit of a backwater. Several witnesses they tried to interview remained elusive and the committee gave Blue no means to compel testimony. Later on, I would find myself smack in the middle of this mess. We called the main link map “The Monster.” The targets of our investigation were divided up into five major categories: domestic violent extremists, which included militant groups like Proud Boys, Oath Keepers, and 1st Amendment Praetorian; rally organizers; officials, which included members of Congress and local politicians; Trump associates, which included top advisers and staff; and the president’s family. We also tracked a sixth group of unaffiliated individuals, who were mainly people we identified because they faced federal charges for breaking into the Capitol. The telephony team’s maps were made up of link lines. Each line represented an incoming or outgoing communication from a call detail record. If you zoomed in, you could see each line crisscrossing the white screen. The numbers were shown at the end of the line along with a small phone handset icon. Zooming out, the “Monster” looked like a lopsided hexagon with six major connected hubs representing each of our five categories and the unaffiliated rioters. It had a strong skeleton of link lines woven between each node. They were all connected. Everyone was linked. Texts between various west wing staffers have been central to much of the committee’s work. Kevin Dietsch//Getty Images Loading up “The Monster” took hours, even with our military-grade computers. The map was based on a massive amount of data. It was a visual representation of a searchable database based on all of the call detail records compiled by the committee. Putting it together required using a few different types of computer software. In some cases, they had to be repurposed to work together. The data was also in different formats. Each telecommunications company had its own version of the same product. They had slightly different fields. Some were in different time zones. The loudest and most violent stuff was coming from within our own borders. This was America’s problem. Glenn Bard and Mark Tomallo of PATCtech, the firm I chose for the telephony analysis contract in support of the select committee, had to come up with procedures that combined all of these records across formats into a single system where they could be compared and analyzed. The software suite we used needed to be reworked so that it could look across the entire network of linked call records all at once. We had multiple technical meetings with IBM as they developed software solutions in real time. We also set up semiautomated systems for investigators to request new call detail records to add to our files. When it came in, the information needed to be entered and checked by hand—and we’re talking about millions of lines of call data. The data sets for our link maps were so massive that the team would sometimes leave the computers overnight to load them up. It was an incredibly intricate, intense, and time-consuming process. Given the sensitivity of the evidence, the lab at PATCtech was locked down. Everything was on site and encrypted. No data ever left the building. When we examined the link maps, it was easy to see the centers of gravity. They showed up as dark spots where many different link lines came together. When you searched for an individual number, all link lines associated with that number would light up in blue. At one point, we found a cell phone that we tied to Trump himself. It appeared on the map as a kind of oval island connected to the other Trump associates by a thin bridge of a few link lines. Over six thousand calls and messages went to that cell phone during the roughly three months between...

Fascism From Italy To Hibbing And Back Again – Minnesota Reformer https://digitalalaskanews.com/fascism-from-italy-to-hibbing-and-back-again-minnesota-reformer/ In 2018, I traveled 4,000 miles to interview a man named Victor Befera about our shared hometown of Hibbing, Minnesota. Vic was 92 then. He’s still kicking at 96. Though he spent most of his life as a successful newspaper and marketing man in northern California, Vic grew up on the Mesabi Iron Range in the 1930s. His father, Delmo Befera, fled the poverty of his native Italy at the dawn of the 20th century, eventually arriving in Hibbing.  Delmo told Vic once that — facing starvation in the 1890s — he had eaten a cat. Though his dad was sheepish about the matter, Vic was in awe of his father’s mysterious journey to America and blabbed the cat story to all his friends. In school, Vic disturbed his art teacher with his choice of subject. As other children molded busts of Franklin D. Roosevelt or Joe DiMaggio, young Vic sculpted a likeness of Benito Mussolini. His father loved Mussolini. Indeed, in those days, the large Italian-American population of the Iron Range mostly shared Delmo’s reverence for the Italian founder of the Fascist movement. In 1926, the year Vic was born, Herman Antonelli, a prominent Italian leader on the Iron Range, spent seven months back in Italy after 34 years in America. He returned with a Fascist party button on his lapel and glowing reviews of the order and industry he saw in the new Italy. “The people are permanently converted to the spirit of Fascism,” Antonelli told the Hibbing Daily News in a 1926 story. “Probably 70 percent of the Italian population [follows] that belief. People are almost fanatical over it. Mussolini has built the machinery of Fascism and it will remain as powerful when he is gone.” Notably, Antonelli’s description of early Fascism centered on how the movement made Italians feel, not how it solved problems.  “One of the things that appealed to [Antonelli],” paraphrased the Daily News in a May 17, 1926 editorial, “is that Mussolini keeps everybody at work and he has a line of talk that tends to make them satisfied with their condition. The wages are not to be compared to those of the United States, of course, but your Italian is a homemaker, prudent, careful and always wants to be busy with something of a constructive nature, and that is what the Italian dictator is doing for them.” American wages were nothing special in the 1920s, providing only a fraction of the buying power of modern wages. Italians of the time, like many in Europe, were barely surviving. That’s why hungry people — hungry enough to eat a cat — turned to Mussolini’s Fascism, an incendiary force that pitted powerless groups against one another, inspired the Nazis in Germany and even threatened to take hold in the United States.  For early 20th century Italians, the appeal of Fascism far outweighed its violent warning signs. When rumors of assassination attempts against Mussolini abounded in the mid-1920s, his Fascist supporters rioted in the streets. To preserve order, Mussolini stationed guards around opposition party headquarters and pro-democracy newspapers. This was to “protect” them. When someone did attempt to kill Mussolini, all hell broke loose. The Fascists became stronger and more brazen each time efforts to oust them failed.  Italian-American labor organizer Carlo Tresca, who had once organized unions in Minnesota, wrote a satirical play about one of the attempts on Mussolini’s life. He alleged that the would-be assassin was actually working for Mussolini, a widespread theory at the time. In 1943, a New York mafioso killed Tresca, on Fifth Avenue no less, as a favor to Mussolini. In authoritarian societies, citizens face the obvious constraints of police and military patrols, but also the mob justice of political fanatics who never face legal consequences for criminal behavior. And then, of course, there are the whispers of spies who might number among your acquaintances. Better, then, to keep your head down. Lo and behold, such caution keeps any community quiet at night. Such was the original brand of Fascism in the 1920s, and so it would be replicated elsewhere ever since. The cat came back Victor Befera’s dad died in 1941, months before Pearl Harbor. Vic told me he wondered how his father would have squared his admiration for Mussolini with the events of World War II and revelations about the atrocities of the Nazis and their allies. As it was, Vic and his older brother enlisted to fight for the United States against the forces of international fascism.  But defeating fascist armies isn’t the same as eradicating fascist ideology. The notion of strong men providing order and protection against the outside world lingers within the deep tissue of society, like chicken pox or syphilis. Whenever there is tumult, it comes back stronger than before. And we have seen quite some tumult.  In his new book, “Slouching Toward Utopia,” economist Brad DeLong argues that “the 140 years from 1870 to 2010 of the long twentieth century were, I strongly believe, the most consequential years of all humanity’s centuries.” Dylan Matthews reviewed the book in a Sept. 7, 2022 Vox piece. We can be skeptical of the claim, given how few detailed accounts from 22,345 B.C. survived to the present. But DeLong makes the point that the technological advances of this period were unparalleled in human history. On the bright side, these advances made it much easier to afford food and survive disease. Such rapid change also puts enormous pressure on old systems, however — stress that troubles our slow-to-adapt human bodies and minds.  The gap between rich and poor became more pronounced during this century, creating and then reinforcing class structure among both the poor and the privileged. Along the way, the corporation has only grown bigger, stronger and less beneficial to humanity. Today’s largest companies, like Google, Meta and Amazon, don’t even produce tangible products. They spy on us, and then sell troves of the data they collect to advertisers, who then use that data to sell us things we usually don’t need.  We see the effects on the environment. Globally, ecosystems are changing faster than can be explained by nature. Here in my northern Minnesota we celebrate the reclaimed iron ore mine dumps, lined with lush, green trees and bike trails. It’s an accomplishment, to be sure, but we seldom mention that they cover the beds of rivers that no longer flow — and the bones of animals who live elsewhere now, if at all. We may not be eating cats or breathing coal-choked air, but economic and environmental fears grip us, and we  lay our heads on pillows of anxiety each night. Perhaps this is why a poor Italian born in the 19th century might become a fascist in 1922, and why that worldview holds just as much sway today. The perception of scarce resources, whether true or not, suggests that some chosen category of “winners” must defeat and destroy “losers” in order to survive. When people see power as the means and the ends, then the logical outcome is fascism. It’s sad conclusion is that there isn’t enough for everyone; that some must die and that their fate is deserved. Last month, I said goodbye to my sister as she flew back to Italy where she and her partner live. Our unwieldy U.S. immigration system prevents them from both finding work here. We discussed the fact that she’s flying into a country poised to elect a far-right government led by the “Brothers of Italy.” On Sunday, Giorgia Meloni’s coalition won big, electing the most far-right government in Italy since Mussolini.  Indeed, Meloni’s Fratalia d’Italia party occupies the same part of the political spectrum as Mussolini’s black-shirted Facisisti. European journalists use the term “post-fascist” to describe this movement, which leaves me post-confused about the post-meaning of post-words.  The burning torch at the center of the party’s logo is the same one from the party formed by Mussolini’s surviving allies after his death. Meloni herself praised Mussolini — and other strongmen like Russia’s Vladimir Putin — before walking those comments back during the campaign. Her policy priorities might sound familiar: Scaling back rights for the LGBT community; stopping immigration; and banning reproductive choice for women.  It’s more than symbolic that what began in Italy has now returned. In a fast-changing world, far-right politics become a bastion for the change-weary. We see this around the globe right now — in Brazil, India, Hungary and other places. Sometimes the politics swing back to the center or left, but other times those who see the opportunity to create autocracy cannot resist.  Bear in mind, this isn’t about lionizing President Biden or the left. The Democratic Party can’t solve all our problems. But neither party can advance democratic solutions if one party refuses to participate in democracy. What began as political gamesmanship has evolved into something far more dangerous, replete with warning signs of grassroots authoritarianism.   Police state Much has already been written about the militarization of local police and sheriff’s departments. As officers increasingly prepare for war we should not be surprised to see warlike casualties and collateral damage. That’s not to dismiss rising concerns over crime. Drugs and stolen goods represent an enormous, highly consequential part of our economy, and these issues require action. So let’s be clear. Being “tough on crime” is not fascist, even if it involves more police officers patrolling the streets.  But a militarized police department that operates independently of its citizenry in service of an ideology? That could become fascist quickly, if it isn’t already. Many American police and sheriff’s departments, including some here in Minnesota, seem perilously close to crossing this line.  Investigations into t...

Nord Stream Pipelines Hit By Suspicious Leaks In Possible Sabotage; Russia Says It Has 'a Right' To Use Nuclear Weapons https://digitalalaskanews.com/nord-stream-pipelines-hit-by-suspicious-leaks-in-possible-sabotage-russia-says-it-has-a-right-to-use-nuclear-weapons/ Mystery leaks hit Russian undersea gas lines, raising European suspicions European countries on Tuesday raced to investigate unexplained leaks in two Russian gas pipelines runningunder the Baltic Sea near Sweden and Denmark, infrastructure at the heart of an energy crisis since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Experts and also Russia, which built the network, said the possibility of sabotage could not be ruled out, Reuters reported Tuesday. Sweden’s Maritime Authority issued a warning about two leaks in the Nord Stream 1 pipeline, shortly after a leak on the nearby Nord Stream 2 pipeline was discovered that had prompted Denmark to restrict shipping in a five nautical mile radius. Both pipelines have been flashpoints in an escalating energy war between European capitals and Moscow that has pummelled major Western economies, sent gas prices soaring and sparked a hunt for alternative energy supplies. “There are some indications that it is deliberate damage,” said a European security source, while adding it was still too early to draw conclusions. “You have to ask: Who would profit?” Russia also said the leak in the Russian network was cause for concern and sabotage was one possible cause. “No option can be ruled out right now,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters. On Friday, Russian energy supplier Gazprom said it would not resume its supply of natural gas to Germany through the key Nord Stream 1 pipeline, blaming a malfunctioning turbine. Hannibal Hanschke | Reuters Neither pipeline was pumping gas to Europe at the time the leaks were found amid the dispute over the war in Ukraine, but the incidents will scupper any remaining expectations that Europe could receive gas via Nord Stream 1 before winter. “The destruction that occurred on the same day simultaneously on three strings of the offshore gas pipelines of the Nord Stream system is unprecedented,” said network operator Nord Stream AG. “It is not yet possible to estimate the timing of the restoration of the gas transport infrastructure.” Although neither were in operation, both pipelines still contained gas under pressure. Denmark’s energy minister Dan Jorgensen said in a written comment leaking gas had been detected in Nord Stream 2 on Monday between Russia and Denmark. Gazprom, the Kremlin-controlled company with a monopoly on Russian gas exports by pipeline, declined comment. — Reuters Kazakhstan to hold talks with Moscow after influx of Russians fleeing the draft Kazakhstan is to discuss an influx of Russians to the country following President Putin’s partial military mobilization last week. President of Kazakhstan Kassym-Zhomart Tokayev told Russian news agency Interfax that there is “neither crisis nor panic” in the country in connection with the influx of Russians, but called the situation “difficult.” “We will hold talks with the Russian side and will solve this problem in the interests of our country,” he said. “We do not have a crisis or panic. The government must do its job. Visitors from abroad will be assisted, but they will not receive any preferences” the president said, adding that it was important for Kazakhstan to maintain good relations with its Russian neighbor. “The most important thing is that we maintain agreement with neighboring countries. We will not lose anything from this. In recent days, many people from Russia have been coming to us. Most of them are forced to leave due to the current hopeless situation. We must take care of them and provide their security. This is a political and humanitarian issue. I instructed the government to take the necessary measures,” Tokayev said. On September 23, the border service of the National Security Committee of Kazakhstan reported that it was registering an increase in the number of foreigners entering the border with Russia. That came a day after President Putin announced the call-up of 300,000 military reservists to fight in Ukraine, prompting a mass exodus from the country as men tried to escape the draft. Russia says it has right to use nuclear weapons if territory threatened, top official says Former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev said Russia has the right to use nuclear weapons if Moscow deems it necessary, and if it deems its territory is under threat from conventional weapons. Medvedev is seen as a close ally of President Putin and is currently the deputy chair of Russia’s Security Council. During the war he has infrequently taken to Telegram to issue aggressive anti-Western and pro-war statements. On Tuesday, he wrote on the social media site, “Our enemies love to make grandiloquent statements [and] operate with the terms ‘freedom’, ‘democracy’, ‘mission’. In fact, this is just ritual verbal diarrhea,” he said, with the “topic of recent days is the Russian nuclear threat.” “I have to remind you again … Russia has the right to use nuclear weapons if necessary. In predetermined cases. In strict accordance with the fundamentals of state policy in the field of nuclear deterrence [or] if we or our allies are attacked using this type of weapon. Or if aggression with the use of conventional weapons threatens the very existence of our state,” he wrote. Russian and PM Dmitry Medvedev and President Vladimir Putin arrive at a meeting at Novo-Ogaryovo State Residence on July 28, 2017 outside of Moscow, Russia. Mikhail Svetlov | Getty Images There are heightened concerns that Russia could resort to using a nuclear weapon in Ukraine after it annexes more territory in the country — a move it is expected to announce later this week after a series of sham referendums in occupied parts of the country on joining Russia. Despite the illegitimacy of the votes, which are widely regarded as rigged and coercive, Russia is expected to announce the annexation of four regions of Ukraine into the Russian Federation. There are concerns that Russia could resort to using nuclear weapons, justifying it on the grounds of defending Russian territory. Russia has repeatedly insisted it would not use such catastrophic weapons, though Putin has regularly boasted about possessing such weapons. Last week, he warned the world again that he was not “bluffing” that he could use nuclear weapons, a warning the West is taking seriously. — Holly Ellyatt Putin expected to announce annexation of Ukrainian regions on Sept. 30 Russian President Vladimir Putin is expected to announce that Russia is annexing four more regions of Ukraine on Friday, after a set of sham referendums held in occupied parts of the country over the last week. Voting in the referendums, which Western countries say are illegitimate, have been taking place in Donetsk and Luhansk in east Ukraine, and Zaporizhzhia and Kherson in the south. Voting concludes on Tuesday. President Vladimir Putin is scheduled to address both houses of the Russian Parliament on Friday and is widely expected to use the address to formally announce the accession of the occupied regions of Ukraine to the Russian Federation. Gavriil Grigorov | Sputnik | via Reuters President Vladimir Putin is scheduled to address both houses of the Russian Parliament on Friday and is widely expected to use the address to formally announce the accession of the occupied regions of Ukraine to the Russian Federation. “Russia’s leaders almost certainly hope that any accession announcement will be seen as a vindication of the ‘special military operation’ and will consolidate patriotic support for the conflict,” Britain’s Defense Ministry said in an intelligence update Tuesday. “This aspiration will likely be undermined by the increasing domestic awareness of Russia’s recent battlefield sets-backs and significant unease about the partial mobilisation announced last week.” — Holly Ellyatt ‘Referendums’ taking place under tha barrel of the gun, academic says Dr Olexiy Haran, Professor of Comparative Politics at the University of Kyiv Mohyla Academy, speaks to CNBC about “referendums” being held in occupied parts of Ukraine on whether to join Russia. The votes are widely seen as illegitimate, fake attempts by Russia to legimitize the annexation of four regions of Ukraine (Donetsk and Luhansk in the east, and Kherson and Zaporizhzhia in the south). There have been multiple reports of voting irregularities and the results are expected to be rigged, with analysts saying Russia could look to announce it will annex the four regions by the end of the week. — Holly Ellyatt Russian conscripts head off to war in Ukraine while others try to flee the draft Many Russian reservists called up to be sent to Ukraine have been reporting for duty at military bases in Russia before setting off to fight in Ukraine. Reuters footage showed queues at the border with Georgia as men tried to escape the draft. Video footage by Reuters in Bataysk in the Rostov region showed soldiers arriving in uniform at military recruiting offices before showing them setting off to war carrying backpacks. “I got the draft notice yesterday. A man came and gave it to me. Mum was unhappy but what could we do, we have to defend our country,” one reservist, Roman Khodakov, told Reuters. “Fear is one thing. The main thing is to overcome the fear. I only fear for my family; they are heartbroken. I don’t fear for myself. It’s God’s will,” he added. A billboard promoting contract army service with an image of a serviceman and the slogan reading “Serving Russia is a real job” sits in Saint Petersburg on September 20, 2022. Olga Maltseva | Afp | Getty Images The wife of another reservist said she found the situation “frightening.” When asked what she was afraid of, Yevgeniya Naboka said, “What everybody is scared of. The main thing for h...

As GOP Extremists Seek Office, The Cancer Of Election Denial Threatens To Spread | Editorial https://digitalalaskanews.com/as-gop-extremists-seek-office-the-cancer-of-election-denial-threatens-to-spread-editorial/ Donald Trump’s falsehood-filled attacks on the 2020 presidential election unleashed a political cancer on the Grand Old Party. Trump’s baseless claims of a rigged election — even after advisers told him he lost — helped incite a riot at the U.S. Capitol, inspired some of the former president’s most extreme followers to seek public office, and has metastasized to such an extent that it threatens the totality of the Republican Party. Since the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection, assaults on free and fair elections have ramped up. Republican-controlled legislatures in at least a half-dozen states — including Arizona, Georgia, and Florida — have passed restrictive measures that range from purging voter rolls to interfering with how elections are administered. In Arizona alone, Republicans have proposed nearly 100 bills that would impact elections. Scores of candidates are running on Trump’s election denialism. More than 100 Republicans seeking state and federal offices in November parrot Trump’s false stolen election claims. If elected, GOP election deniers in six battleground states — including Pennsylvania — would be in position to change the outcome of the 2024 presidential election. A dozen Republican candidates for governor or Senate refuse to say if they will accept the outcome of their races, the Washington Post found. » READ MORE: Biden’s prudent warning on the threat to democracy posed by GOP extremists | Editorial This is not normal or remotely patriotic. Historians warn our democracy is in peril as election deniers undermine trust in government and stoke violence. Members of the GOP complained when President Joe Biden told the truth about MAGA Republicans during a speech at Independence Hall. Biden was clear not to criticize all Republicans. But there is nothing democratic or American about undermining elections and opposing the peaceful transfer of power. Nowhere are the stakes higher than in Pennsylvania. Republican gubernatorial candidate Doug Mastriano led the charge by state lawmakers to overturn the outcome of the 2020 presidential election — while not contesting the results of his own race. Mastriano urged colleagues not to certify Biden’s victory in Pennsylvania and pressured the Justice Department to investigate the 2020 election. He marched in and paid to bus protesters to the “Stop the Steal” rally in Washington, D.C., that turned into a deadly insurrection. Mastriano was Trump’s “point person” in Pennsylvania in a scheme to appoint fake electors to overturn the election. He wants to eliminate no-excuse mail-in voting, ban ballot drop boxes, and force voters to reregister. » READ MORE: In Mastriano’s efforts to overturn the 2020 election, a chilling template for future races | Editorial If elected governor, Mastriano can appoint the Pennsylvania secretary of state, who oversees election administration. It is frightening to consider the constitutional crisis Mastriano could unleash in the next presidential election if his preferred candidate loses. Beyond the election chicanery, Trump-supporting candidates have become more extreme and paranoid. On the campaign trail, election-denying candidates talk up violence, conspiracies, and misinformation. At last month’s Conservative Political Action Conference, attendees cheered Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, an autocratic strongman who dismantled his country’s democracy. After the FBI searched Trump’s Palm Beach, Fla., property following his refusal to return classified information, Republican officials lashed out at law enforcement. As the six investigations surrounding Trump mount, Sen. Lindsey Graham predicted “riots in the streets” if the former president is indicted. “The extremist wing of the GOP’s rhetoric has consequences.” Like Trump’s election lies, the extremist wing of the GOP’s rhetoric has consequences. An Ohio man, who called for FBI agents to be killed “on sight,” died in a shootout after he tried to breach an FBI field office. More broadly, 40% of Americans think a civil war is coming, a recent poll shows. To be sure, Fox News and social media have stoked anger and spread disinformation among Republican voters. Witness the quackery promoted by Rudy Giuliani about Dominion voting machines helping Hugo Chavez steal elections in Venezuela. Or a recent New York Times report where a woman claimed voters were being controlled by nasal swabs coated with nano-sized smart dust particles in COVID-19 tests, while another said November’s election could be hijacked by WiFi. QAnon used to be a fringe conspiracy group that claimed the world is run by a cabal of Satan-worshiping pedophiles that includes Biden, Hillary Clinton, and Hollywood celebrities. Now, one in four Republicans believes the central views of QAnon. Trump has also embraced the movement. This is bizarre terrain — yet most Republican leaders have done nothing to stop the absurdity. The future of democracy runs through Pennsylvania. All Democrats, independents, and any Republicans willing to face facts must vote to reject every election denier running for office on Nov. 8. Read More Here

10 Largest Cities In Alaska https://digitalalaskanews.com/10-largest-cities-in-alaska/ Alaska, America’s largest state by area, is the country’s third-least populous one. It occupies an area (665,384 square miles) larger than the combined areas of the next three largest states (Texas, California, and Montana) and hosts a population of only 733,391 as of 2020. Alaska is the least densely inhabited state in the Union, with only 1.2 persons per square mile on average, with its population exhibiting a decreasing trend. The severe weather conditions, geographic limitations, high cost of living, scarcity of employment opportunities, and lack of infrastructure account for the state’s low population. Below is a list of the ten biggest cities in Alaska: 1. Anchorage – 291,247 The stunning skyline of Anchorage, Alaska. The popular tourist city of Anchorage is located on the Cook Inlet in southern Alaska, covering an area of 1944 square miles. Anchorage is known for its rich art and music scene. Pristine nature surrounds this city which also serves as the gateway to spectacular wilderness destinations. Anchorage’s residents enjoy a high living standard and the absence of income and sales tax. The population density here is only 171 people per sq. mile. The city is also home to the Alaska Native Heritage Center, which introduces visitors to the rich indigenous heritage of the state.  2. Fairbanks – 32,515 Aerial View of Downtown Fairbanks, Alaska. Fairbanks, often known as the “Golden Heart City,” is home to a diverse population, a prosperous economy, and a wealth of history. It has a total area of over 33 square miles and a population density of 1,030 persons per square mile. Fairbanks is one of Alaska’s top year-round vacation spots. Visitors to Fairbanks will never run out of things to do, whether they come for the long, warm summer days or to see the stunning northern lights that paint the night sky during the Aurora Season in Winter. Fairbanks enjoys 70 continuous days of daylight from mid-May to mid-July! Fairbanks also serves as the gateway to Denali National Park & Preserve, the Interior, and the Arctic. 3. Juneau – 32,255 The beautiful city of Juneau. Located on the Gastineau Channel and the Alaskan panhandle, Juneau is one of Alaska’s most famous cities, known for its breathtaking surrounding vistas. Covering an area of 3255 square miles, Juneau offers a never-ending supply of attractions, from sparkling beaches to lofty mountains. It is also one of the least densely populated settlements in the state, with only around 12 persons per square mile. Juneau is a great whale-watching destination. In the summer months, the population of Juneau swells due to the influx of workers employed in the seasonal tourism (especially the cruise ship) industry. Winter also opens up winter sports opportunities like skiing in the nearby mountains.  4. Knik-Fairview – 19,297  Surrounded by pristine nature, Knik Fairview is a great place to build a home in Alaska. This settlement covers over 84 square miles, including a high school, a golf course, a museum, and a supermarket. It hosts around 242 persons per square mile, with the residents appreciating the quiet, small-town atmosphere and recreational opportunities that Knik-Fairview offers. 5. Badger – 19,031 Badger is famous as the location of Fort Wainwright, a Fairbanks Army and National Guard station. According to the military, the site supports about 7,000 soldiers, 6,500 family members, 2,400 contractors, civilian employees, and 7,800 veterans and retirees. The settlement covers an area of 67 square miles with 289 inhabitants per square mile.  6. College – 11,332  Located adjacent to Fairbanks and often considered a part of it, College is a census-designated place with an area of about 19 square miles and a population density of 588 persons per square mile. College is known for its quiet suburban atmosphere and top-graded academic institutions. The University of Alaska Fairbanks, located in College, provides emergency medical care, fire protection, and ambulance service. The University of Alaska Fairbanks Police Department and Alaska State Troopers work together to provide police protection in the region. College also hosts several beautiful parks that offer much-needed recreation to its residents.  7. Meadow Lakes – 9,197 Meadow Lakes Postal Plaza. Image credit: Jimmy Emerson, DVM via Flickr. Meadow Lakes is a scenic settlement surrounded by majestic mountains, a haven for outdoor enthusiasts. Part of the Matanuska-Susitna Borough, this place occupies 79 square miles with 126 inhabitants per square mile. Camping, canoeing, fishing, and hiking are available for residents and visitors of Meadow Lakes. Snow machining, dog sledding, and skiing are all also accessible in winter. The settlement also serves as the gateway to several state parks and leisure destinations.  8. Wasilla – 9,054 Aerial view of Wasilla, Alaska. The city of Wasilla was initially the meeting point of the Old Carle Wagon Road and the Alaska Railroad, nestled between Wasilla Lake and Lake Lucille. It has now developed into a thriving agricultural town. Wasilla has a total area of over 13 square miles and a population density of 750 inhabitants per square mile. The sixth-largest city in Alaska, it is a thriving community with much to see and do. It serves as the headquarters of the renowned Iditarod Sled Dog Race and is the busy center of the Mat-Su Valley. Despite being one of Alaska’s fastest-growing regions, it has a small-town atmosphere. This tiny place offers some of the greatest hiking, fishing, and camping opportunities in Alaska. Wasilla is known for its beautiful outdoors and vibrant arts and cultural scene.  9. Tanaina – 8,817 Part of the Matanuska-Susitna Borough, Tanaina, is a small settlement of only about 31 square miles but with a relatively high population density of 295 inhabitants per square mile. Residents of Tanaina enjoy a rural lifestyle, and the majority own their houses. There are several parks and coffee shops in Tanaina. Its public schools score above average and are generally good. 10. Kalifornsky – 8,487 Moose crossing warning sign, Kalifornsky Beach Road, Kenai Alaska. Image credit: Beeblebrox at English Wikipedia via Wikimedia Commons Kalifornsky is a small settlement spread across 70 square miles with a population density of 125 people per square mile. The city is home to several parks that serve as recreational venues for the residents. The processing of oil and gas, logging, commercial and sport fishing, government, retail companies, and tourism are among the biggest employers in Kalifornsky. Alaska is a remarkable place. Despite its harsh weather and terrain that limit its population, the state attracts visitors from far and wide. Pristine nature surrounds its beautiful cities and towns with a plethora of outdoor activities on offer for all who visit them.  30 Biggest Cities In Alaska Rank City Population (2020) 1 Anchorage 291,247 2 Fairbanks 32,515 3 Juneau 32,255 4 Knik-Fairview 19,297 5 Badger 19,031 6 College 11,332 7 Meadow Lakes 9,197 8 Wasilla 9,054 9 Tanaina 8,817 10 Kalifornsky 8,487 11 Sitka 8,458 12 Ketchikan 8,192 13 Kenai 7,424 14 Steele Creek 6,437 15 Bethel 6,325 16 Chena Ridge 6,015 17 Sterling 5,918 18 Palmer 5,888 19 Gateway 5,748 20 Kodiak 5,581 21 Homer 5,522 22 Fishhook 5,048 23 Farmers Loop 4,704 24 Nikiski 4,456 25 Soldotna 4,342 26 Unalaska 4,254 27 Valdez 3,985 28 Big Lake 3,833 29 Nome 3,699 30 Butte 3,589 Walaa Zakaria September 27 2022 in Places Read More Here

Tharoor Versus Who? Congress Grapples With Presidential Poll Uncertainty https://digitalalaskanews.com/tharoor-versus-who-congress-grapples-with-presidential-poll-uncertainty/ With the Congress leadership more or less not keen on Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot contesting the party presidential election after the events that unfolded in Jaipur on Sunday, a sense of uncertainty has gripped the party over the contest. With just three days left for the nomination process to close, the leadership is trying to navigate the situation despite professing neutrality in the event of a contest. According to sources, senior Congress leader A K Antony has been called to Delhi for discussions. While sources close to Antony said the 81-year-old veteran would not contest, his arrival in Delhi tonight is an indication that Congress president Sonia Gandhi is reaching out to senior leaders to find a way out. On Monday, she held talks with veteran leader Kamal Nath who is not keen to leave Madhya Pradesh. Lok Sabha MP Shashi Tharoor has declared he will contest for the top post and will file his nomination papers on September 30, the day nominations close. The first indication that there is no clarity on who will take him on and that a consensus could be reached, perhaps at the last minute, became clear with All India Congress Committee (AICC) treasurer Pawan Kumar Bansal collecting two sets of nomination papers on Monday. Bansal told The Indian Express he had collected the form as a proposer for someone else. Asked who the candidate will be, he said, “It will become clear soon.” The Congress leader went on to say, “I took the forms yesterday before I left Delhi for Chandigarh. I am returning to Delhi tonight. And I will not be going to Chandigarh for the next few days. So I have taken the forms and given them to Chandigarh Congress president Harmohinder Singh Lucky after signing as one of the proposers. I have taken it on behalf of the Chandigarh Congress president. Since the delegates can’t come to Delhi … they can sign the forms as supporters.” “We have taken forms last time also when Rahul Gandhi had contested,” he added. Meanwhile, Congress Central Election Authority’s head Madhusudan Mistry met Sonia Gandhi along with AICC data analytics department’s chairperson Praveen Chakravarty and AICC secretary B P Singh. They gave her the final list of PCC delegates — who form the electoral college for the Congress presidential election — and her QR-coded identity card. With the developments in Jaipur on Sunday denting Gehlot’s bid for the Congress presidency, the names of several leaders such as Mallikarjun Kharge, Kamal Nath, Digvijaya Singh, Mukul Wasnik, and Sushil Kumar Shinde are doing the rounds as probable candidates. The Congress leadership has also summoned Sachin Pilot to Delhi to discuss the developments in Rajasthan. Read More Here

Stock Futures Rise As S&P 500 And Dow Try To Bounce Back From Lowest Levels Since 2020 https://digitalalaskanews.com/stock-futures-rise-as-sp-500-and-dow-try-to-bounce-back-from-lowest-levels-since-2020/ Stock futures rose Tuesday, as the Dow Jones Industrial Average and S&P 500 tried to bounce back from their lowest closing levels in nearly two years. S&P 500 futures gained 1.1%, and Nasdaq 100 futures rose 1.3%. Those tied to the Dow Jones Industrial Average advanced 263 points, or 0.9%. The British pound rebounded slightly after plunging to a record low against the dollar earlier in the week. Sterling traded more than 1% higher at $1.087 per dollar after hitting an all-time low of $1.0382. Treasury yields also came off their highs, boosting sentiment. The benchmark 10-year yield dipped nearly 5 basis points to 3.823%. The move in futures comes after five straight days of losses for stocks, with the S&P 500 closing at its lowest level since 2020. The Dow dropped more than 300 points on Monday, putting it in a bear market after falling more than 20% below its record high. The 30-stock average also posted its lowest closing level since late 2020. Technical indicators show that the selling has been historic. According to Bespoke Investment Group, the 10-day advance decline line for the S&P 500 has hit a record low, meaning market breadth is at its worst level in at least 32 years. The latest round of selling appears to have several catalysts, including an aggressive Federal Reserve and surging interest rates, which in turn have roiled currency markets. On Monday, the British pound slid to a record low against the dollar, unnerving investors on both sides of the Atlantic. “Typically, US investors wouldn’t care too much about something like this, and especially more recently. And so this to me says that now there is this fear that is gripping investors a lot more than it did before. That in turn will lead to a capitulation moment where we really are at a bottom,” said Max Gokhman, CIO at AlphaTrAI. On Tuesday, investors will get several new pieces of economic data, including September consumer confidence, August durable goods orders and July home prices. Wall Street has grown increasingly concerned that the Fed’s six-month-long inflation fight will push the economy into a recession. Oil rises after tumbling to lowest level since January Oil prices were modestly higher Tuesday morning after crude tumbled to its lowest level since January during the prior session. West Texas Intermediate crude futures, the U.S. oil benchmark, stood at $77.50 per barrel, for a gain of 1%. Global benchmark Brent crude added 1.3% to trade at $85.19. Supply cuts in the Gulf of Mexico supported prices Tuesday morning. BP and Chevron have both announced production shut-ins as Hurricane Ian barrels down. WTI fell to a session low of $76.49 during Monday trading, a price last seen on Jan. 4. Several factors have weighed on prices, including the stronger dollar as well as recession fears. — Pippa Stevens British pound bounces after hitting record low, dollar dips The British pound rebounded Tuesday, trading more than 1% higher against the dollar at $1.083 a day after hitting a record low against the U.S. currency. The move comes as traders awaited clarity on UK monetary policy, with many calling for aggressive rate hikes to stabilize pound. “The Bank of England’s Monday pledge that ‘the MPC will not hesitate to change interest rates by as much as needed to return inflation to the 2% target sustainably in the medium term’ failed to reassure investors hoping for an emergency rate hike,” BCA Research said in a note. The U.S. dollar, meanwhile, dipped 0.4% against a basket of currencies. —Fred Imbert European markets nudge higher after choppy start to the week European markets were slightly higher on Tuesday as stocks attempted to rally after choppy trade at the start of the week. The pan-European Stoxx 600 was 0.6% higher by early afternoon in London, having earlier given back gains of around 1.3% during a volatile session. Travel and leisure stocks added 1.7% to lead gains while banks slipped 0.4%. Close attention remains on the pound and U.K. bond markets after a historic sell-off on the back of British Finance Minister Kwasi Kwarteng’s fiscal policy announcements on Friday. Both the U.K. Treasury and the Bank of England attempted to assuage concerns on Monday after a tumultuous market reaction. – Elliot Smith Fed’s Mester says it is better to act ‘aggressively’ against high inflation U.S. inflation is “unacceptably high” and uncertainties make monetary policy decisions “not trivial,” said Cleveland Fed President Loretta Mester in prepared remarks at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. “When there is uncertainty, it can be better for policymakers to act more aggressively,” she said. “Aggressive and pre-emptive action can prevent the worst-case outcomes from actually coming about.” She said she will be “very cautious” when assessing inflation data. “I will need to see several months of declines in the month-over-month readings,” she said. “Wishful thinking cannot be a substitute for compelling evidence.” –Jihye Lee CNBC Pro: Analysts like Nvidia once again, with Citi giving it almost 100% upside Analysts are once again starting to get bullish on Nvidia, after the semiconductor giant lost favor amid geopolitical tensions and a slowdown in the chip sector. Citi and JPMorgan both said last week that solid demand in PC gaming, as well as cloud adoption in data centers, were set to be tailwinds for Nvidia. So how much upside did they each give Nvidia shares? CNBC Pro subscribers can read more here. — Weizhen Tan Oil, U.S. dollar diverge For the first half of 2022, the price of oil and the U.S. dollar both rose sharply. However, that has changed in recent weeks, with notable moves for both on Monday. The Dollar Index rose as high as 114.527 on Monday, hitting its highest level since 2002. Meanwhile, futures for West Texas Intermediate crude fell 2.58% to $76.08 per barrel. That is the U.S. benchmark’s lowest settle since Jan. 3, meaning nearly all of oil’s year to day gains have been erased. — Jesse Pound, Christopher Hayes Futures open flat Stock futures opened flat at 6 p.m. in New York, with futures for the Dow, S&P 500 and Nasdaq 100 changed by less than 0.1%. — Jesse Pound S&P 500 hits new low for the year The S&P 500 close at 3,655.04 on Monday, its worst mark since Dec. 14, 2020. The broad market average did avoid breaking its intraday low for the year, but could test that level again on Tuesday. Here are some other key stats about Monday’s session: The S&P 500 fell 1.03% and notched its first five-day losing streak since July. Ten of 11 Sectors were negative in today’s session, led to the downside by Real Estate, down -2.63%.  Consumer Staples finished marginally higher. The Dow fell -1.11% for its worst close since Nov. 12, 2020. The Nasdaq Composite fell 0.60% and is more than 33% below its record high. SPDR S&P 500 (SPY) traded 91.9M shares, above its 30-day average volume of 77.8M shares. — Jesse Pound, Christopher Hayes Read More Here

Oath Keepers Founder Stewart Rhodes' Path: From Yale To Jail https://digitalalaskanews.com/oath-keepers-founder-stewart-rhodes-path-from-yale-to-jail/ PHOENIX (AP) — Long before he assembled one of the largest far-right anti-government militia groups in U.S. history, before his Oath Keepers stormed the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, Stewart Rhodes was a promising Yale Law School graduate. He secured a clerkship on the Arizona Supreme Court, in part thanks to his unusual life story: a stint as an Army paratrooper cut short by a training accident, followed by marriage, college and an Ivy League law degree. The clerkship was one more rung up from a hardscrabble beginning. But rather than fitting in, Rhodes came across as angry and aggrieved. He railed to colleagues about how the Patriot Act, which gave the government greater surveillance powers after the Sept. 11 attacks, would erase civil liberties. He referred to Vice President Dick Cheney as a fascist for supporting the Bush administration’s use of “enemy combatant” status to indefinitely detain prisoners. “He saw this titanic struggle between people like him who wanted individual liberty and the government that would try to take away that liberty,” said Matt Parry, who worked with Rhodes as a clerk for Arizona Supreme Court Justice Mike Ryan. Rhodes alienated his moderate Republican boss and eventually left the steppingstone job. Since then he has ordered his life around a thirst for greatness and deep distrust of government. He turned to forming a group rooted in anti-government sentiment, and his message resonated. He gained followers as he went down an increasingly extremist path that would lead to armed standoffs, including with federal authorities at Nevada’s Bundy Ranch. It culminated last year, prosecutors say, with Rhodes engineering a plot to violently stop Democrat Joe Biden from becoming president. Rhodes, 57, will be back in court Tuesday, but not as a lawyer. He and four others tied to the Oath Keepers are being tried on charges of seditious conspiracy, the most serious criminal allegation leveled by the Justice Department in its far-reaching prosecution of rioters who attacked the Capitol. The charge carries a potential sentence of up to 20 years in prison upon conviction. Rhodes, Jessica Watkins, Thomas Caldwell, Kenneth Harrelson and Kelly Meggs are the first Jan. 6 defendants to stand trial under a rarely used, Civil War-era law against attempting to overthrow the government or, in this case, block the transfer of presidential power. The trial will put a spotlight on the secretive group Rhodes founded in 2009 that has grown to include thousands of claimed members and loosely organized chapters across the country, according to Rachel Carroll Rivas, interim deputy director of research with the Southern Poverty Law Center’s Intelligence Project. For Rhodes, it will be a position at odds with the role of greatness that he has long envisioned for himself, said his estranged wife, Tasha Adams. “He was going to achieve something amazing,” Adams said. “He didn’t know what it was, but he was going to achieve something incredible and earth shattering.” Rhodes was born in Fresno, California. He shuttled between there and Nevada, sometimes living with his mother and other times with grandparents who were migrant farm workers, part of a multicultural extended family that included Mexican and Filipino relatives. His mother was a minister who had her own radio show in Las Vegas and went by the name Dusty Buckle, Adams said. Rhodes joined the Army fresh out of high school and served nearly three years before he was honorably discharged in January 1986 after breaking his back in a parachuting accident. He recovered and was working as a valet in Las Vegas when he met Adams in 1991. He was 25, she was 18. He had a sense of adventure that was attractive to a young woman brought up in a middle-class, Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints family. A few months after the couple started dating, Rhodes accidentally dropped a gun and shot out his eye. He now wears an eye patch. Adams’ family had set aside money for her to go to college, but after their wedding Rhodes decided he should be the first to attend school. He told her she would need to quit her job teaching ballroom and country dancing and instead support them both by working full time as a stripper so he could focus on doing an excellent job in school, according to Adams. They married, but she found stripping degrading and it clashed with her conservative Mormon upbringing, she said. “Every night the drive was just so bad. I would just throw up every single night before I went in, it was just so awful,” Adams said. Rhodes would pressure her to go further, increase her exposure or contact with men to make more money, she said. “It was never enough … I felt like I had given up my soul.” She quit when she got pregnant with their first child, and the couple moved back in with her family. They worried about her but didn’t want to push too far for fear of losing her altogether. By then, Rhodes was the center of her orbit. Rhodes’ lawyer declined to make him available for an interview and Rhodes declined to answer a list of questions sent by The Associated Press. After finishing college at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, Rhodes went to work in Washington as a staffer for Ron Paul, a libertarian-leaning Republican congressman, and later attended Yale, with stints in between as an artist and sculptor. Paul did not respond to a request for comment. Rhodes’ college transcripts earned him entry to several top schools, Adams said. While at Yale, Adams took care of their growing family in a small apartment while he distinguished himself with an award for a paper arguing that the George W. Bush administration’s use of enemy combatant status to hold people suspected of supporting terrorism indefinitely without charge was unconstitutional. After the Arizona clerkship, the family bounced to Montana and back to Nevada, where he worked on Paul’s presidential campaign in 2008. That’s when Rhodes also began to formulate his idea of starting the Oath Keepers. He put a short video and blog post on Blogspot and “it went viral overnight,” Adams said. Rhodes was interviewed by conspiracy theorist Alex Jones, but also more mainstream media figures such as Chris Matthews and Bill O’Reilly. He formally launched the Oath Keepers in Lexington, Massachusetts, on April 19, 2009, where the first shot in the American Revolution was fired. “We know that if a day should come in this country when a full-blown dictatorship would come or tyranny, from the left or from the right, we know that it can only happen if those men, our brothers in arms, go along and comply with unconstitutional, unlawful orders,” Rhodes said in his Lexington speech, which didn’t garner any news coverage. The group’s stated goal was to get past and present members of the military, first responders and police officers to honor the promise they made to defend the Constitution against enemies. The Oath Keepers issued a list of orders that its members wouldn’t obey, such as disarming citizens, carrying out warrantless searches and detaining Americans as enemy combatants in violation of their right to jury trials. Rhodes was a compelling speaker and especially in the early years framed the group as “just a pro-Constitution group made up of patriots,” said Sam Jackson, author of the book “Oath Keepers” about the group. With that benign-sounding framing and his political connections, Rhodes harnessed the growing power of social media to fuel the Oath Keepers’ growth during the presidency of Barack Obama. Membership rolls leaked last year included some 38,000 names, though many people on the list have said they are no longer members or were never active participants. One expert last year estimated membership to be a few thousand. The internal dialogue was much darker and more violent about what members perceived as imminent threats, especially to the Second Amendment, and the idea that members should be prepared to fight back and recruit their neighbors to fight back, too. “Time and time again, Oath Keepers lays the groundwork for individuals to decide for themselves, violent or otherwise criminal activity is warranted,” said Jackson, an assistant professor at the University at Albany. A membership fee was a requirement to access the website, where people could join discussion forums, read Rhodes’ writing and hear pitches to join militaristic trainings. Members willing to go armed to a standoff numbered in the low dozens, though, said Jason Van Tatenhove, a former spokesman for the group. Showdowns with the government began in 2011 in the small western Arizona desert town of Quartzsite, where local government was in turmoil as officials feuded among themselves, the police chief was accused of misconduct and several police employees had been suspended. A couple years later, Rhodes started calling on members to form “community preparedness teams,” which included military-style training. The Oath Keepers also showed up at a watershed event in anti-government circles: the standoff with federal agents at Nevada’s Bundy Ranch in 2014. Later that year, members stationed themselves along rooftops in Ferguson, Missouri, armed with AR-15-style weapons, to protect businesses from rioting after a grand jury declined to charge a police officer in the fatal shooting of 18-year-old Michael Brown. The following year Oath Keepers guarded a southern Oregon gold mine whose mining claim owners were in a dispute with the government. Still, Rhodes was never arrested. As the Oath Keepers escalated their public profile and confrontations with the government, Rhodes was leaving behind some of those he once championed. Jennifer Esposito hired him as her lawyer after the group’s early outing in Quartzsite, but he missed a hearing in her case because he was at t...

Activist Charged In Jan. 6 Attack Is Among Herschel Walker’s Campaign ‘captains’ https://digitalalaskanews.com/activist-charged-in-jan-6-attack-is-among-herschel-walkers-campaign-captains/ Walker, who is challenging U.S. Sen. Raphael Warnock, has promoted phony conspiracy theories about election fraud in the months after the former president was defeated and called on Trump to “get to the bottom of who stole this election” as the rioters rushed the Capitol. And at a May campaign stop, Walker wouldn’t say whether he thought President Joe Biden won the 2020 election. Instead, he said there were “problems” with the vote in Georgia. More recently, however, his campaign has highlighted the “narrow margin” of Biden’s victory. The election wasn’t stolen. Three separate tallies upheld Biden’s narrow victory in Georgia, an audit of absentee ballot signatures in Cobb County found no cases of fraud, court challenges by Trump allies were squashed, and bipartisan officials — including Trump’s attorney general — have said the election was fair. There is little doubt that the Hands were inside the U.S. Capitol during the riot. They were arrested after the FBI received tips about their attendance that were backed up by surveillance footage, documentary film clips and location data from their mobile phones. The Hands face four misdemeanor charges, none involving accusations of violence or property damage. An appeal in their names on a Christian fundraising site described the couple as “targets of the left.” “They did, and still do, believe that the 2020 presidential election was tampered with and the results are fraudulent,” read the fundraising pitch, which was apparently written by Hand’s father. Court filings indicate the couple are engaged in discussions with the Justice Department on a possible plea deal, but the documents include few details. While some people similarly charged have pleaded guilty and probation and community service, Robinson-Hand has had prior run-ins with the law that could complicate a plea deal. State records indicate that in 2009 she served four months in prison on a five-year sentence on a drug charge for opiates in Taylor County. Most Jan. 6 defendants do not have a prior criminal record, but the few that do generally have faced more scrutiny from federal judges weighing their punishment. Read More Here

‘Breakdown’ Episode 12: What Happened In Coffee County https://digitalalaskanews.com/breakdown-episode-12-what-happened-in-coffee-county/ Podcast hosts Bill Rankin and Tamar Hallerman interview Mark Niesse, the AJC’s elections and voting rights expert, in “Breakdown Bonus,” the twelfth episode of the podcast’s ninth season, “The Trump Grand Jury.” Niesse has covered the wild developments surrounding the Coffee County data breach on Jan. 7, 2021, since news of it first surfaced. He explains how it happened, why news of it first came to light this past May and why state elections officials should be alarmed. The Fulton County special purpose grand jury, which is investigating former President Donald Trump and his allies, has issued subpoenas to Sidney Powell and the data firm SullivanStrickler. Powell, who was once a lawyer for the Trump campaign, oversaw the breach and hired the data firm. Read More Here

Trump On His Motive To Run In 2024 Reportedly Told Book Author He Gets To Make 'Rich Friends' As President https://digitalalaskanews.com/trump-on-his-motive-to-run-in-2024-reportedly-told-book-author-he-gets-to-make-rich-friends-as-president/ Former U.S. President Donald Trump cherished his rich friends and viewed their association as one of the best things that emerged out of being in office, according to excerpts from a forthcoming book titled “Confidence Man: The Making Of Donald Trump And The Breaking Of America,” written by New York Times White House Correspondent Maggie Haberman, Atlantic reported. What Happened: Trump reportedly told that he is frequently asked if, given an opportunity, he would run for the presidency again. While answering the question, Trump said, “The answer is yeah, I think so. Because here’s the way I look at it. I have so many rich friends and nobody knows who they are,” Hageman reportedly wrote in the book. The author called this a “candid admission that was as jarring as it was ultimately unsurprising,” the report said. See Also: Trump Lawyers To Get Revised Inventory Of Items Seized From Mar-A-Lago: What You Should Know Trump reportedly went at length about how easier life would have been, had he not run for the office. That said, when asked about the significance of having served as president, Trump’s first reaction was not to mention “public service or what he felt he’d accomplished,” Hageman said, according to Atlantic. Instead, for Trump, it was a “vehicle for fame” and he believed that “many experiences were only worth having if someone else envied them,” according to the book. The author mentioned that at one of her later interviews with the former president, when she asked him what he had liked about the job, he responded, “getting things done” and listed a few accomplishments, according to the excerpts carried by the Atlantic. Read Next: Is Trump Still In Touch With Kim Jong Un, Putin? New Book Has Surprising Revelations © 2022 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved. Read More Here

AP News Summary At 4:19 A.m. EDT https://digitalalaskanews.com/ap-news-summary-at-419-a-m-edt/ Hurricane Ian lashes Cuba, aims at Florida as possible Cat 4 HAVANA (AP) — A strengthening Hurricane Ian’s rain and winds are lashing Cuba’s western tip as it roared on a path that could see it hit Florida’s west coast as a Category 4 hurricane. Officials in Cuba’s Pinar del Rio province have evacuated 50,000 people, set up 55 shelters and taken steps to protect crops in warehouses in Cuba’s main tobacco-growing region ahead of Ian’s expected landfall early Tuesday as a major hurricane. The National Hurricane Center the island’s west coast could see as much as 14 feet of storm surge. After passing over Cuba, Ian was forecast to strengthen further before reaching Florida as early as Wednesday. Putin’s call-up fuels Russians’ anger, protests and violence TALLINN, Estonia (AP) — Five days after President Vladimir Putin announced a partial mobilization to call up hundreds of thousands of reservists to fight in Ukraine, the move has triggered outraged protests across Russia, a fearful exodus of men of fighting age from the country, and acts of violence. There have been demonstrations — not just in the usual places like Moscow and St. Petersburg — but also in the remote far north province of Yakutia and in the poor, southern region of Dagestan. A gunman opened fire in an enlistment office in a Siberian city and gravely wounded the military commandant. One analyst says Putin is risking a lot because of the mobilization and is losing some support. Japan’s former leader Abe honored at divisive state funeral TOKYO (AP) — Japan’s hawkish former leader Shinzo Abe was honored by a rare and divisive state funeral that was full of militaristic presentation like soldiers carrying his ashes in a box brought by his widow and praise of his nine-year premiership. Prime Minister Fumio Kishida has said the publicly financed ceremony was a deserved honor for Japan’s longest-serving modern political leader, but it has deeply split public opinion. The event attended by U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris, Japan’s Crown Prince Akishino and other foreign and Japanese dignitaries. Kishida eulogized Abe as having a clear vision for economic growth and development and promoting the concept of a “free and open Indo-Pacific” as a counter to China’s rise. Jury to be picked for Oath Keeper boss’ Jan. 6 sedition case Jury selection is expected to get underway Tuesday in one of the most serious cases to emerge from the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol. The founder of the far-right Oath Keepers extremist group and four associates are charged with seditious conspiracy. Stewart Rhodes and the others are the first Jan. 6 defendants charged with the the rare Civil War-era offense to stand trial. Authorities allege there was a serious, weekslong plot to violently stop the transfer of presidential power from election-denier Donald Trump to Joe Biden. Bam! NASA spacecraft crashes into asteroid in defense test CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) — A NASA spacecraft has rammed an asteroid in an unprecedented test to see if a potentially menacing space rock could be knocked off course. The galactic grand slam occurred at a harmless asteroid 7 million miles away Monday. The Dart spacecraft plowed into the small space rock at 14,000 mph. Scientists say the impact should have carved out a crater and hurled streams of rocks and dirt into space. Most importantly, though, scientists are hoping the collision altered the asteroid’s orbit. NASA won’t know how much the spacecraft nudged the asteroid for a couple of months. Pound stabilizes but turmoil continues for UK economy LONDON (AP) — The British pound has stabilized in Asian trading after plunging to a record low, as the Bank of England and the British government try to soothe markets nervous about a volatile U.K. economy. The instability is having real-world impacts, with several British mortgage lenders withdrawing deals amid concern that interest rates may soon rise sharply. The pound was trading at around $1.08 on Tuesday morning. On Monday it plunged to $1.0373, the lowest since the decimalization of the currency in 1971, on concerns that tax cuts announced Friday by Treasury chief Kwasi Kwarteng would swell government debt and fuel further inflation. but some analysts warned that was “too little, too late.” At UN, a fleeting opportunity to tell their nations’ stories UNITED NATIONS (AP) — Pakistan’s new prime minister stepped onto the U.N. podium to spin a tale of floods and climate change. Shahbaz Sharif began: “As I stand here today to tell the story of my country …” At its core, that was what every world leader was here to do during the past week. One after another, they took the fleeting opportunity to craft a story about their nation and the world. They hoped the tales would make others sit up and listen. Some did it better than others. Vietnam imposes curfew, evacuations ahead of Typhoon Noru HANOI, Vietnam (AP) — Vietnam has imposed a curfew and evacuated over 800,000 people as a powerful typhoon that had flooded villages and left at least eight dead in the Philippines aimed for the country’s central region. National television VTV says people living near the coast where Typhoon Noru is expected to slam early Wednesday had been ordered to take shelter. Schools were closed and public events canceled. In Da Nang and Quang Nam provinces, a curfew will be in effect starting Tuesday evening. It forbids people from venturing out except those on official duty. Flights at five regional airports were canceled and train service halted until the typhoon passes. The weather agency says Noru is packing maximum sustained winds of 111 miles per hour. As Cantonese language wanes, efforts grow to preserve it SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Three decades ago, finding opportunities to learn the Cantonese language in San Francisco wasn’t hard. But today in the city that’s drawn Cantonese speakers from South China for over 150 years, there is fear that political and social upheaval are gradually diminishing the language. The Chinese government’s push for wider use of Mandarin, which is already the national language, along with the country’s changing migration patterns have contributed to an undeniable shift away from Cantonese. It’s a change that has reverberated from East to West. From the U.S. to the U.K. and beyond, there is worry that Cantonese won’t survive in some families for another generation. Teen interest in long-lasting birth control soars after Roe Experts say the U.S. Supreme Court’s June ruling overturning Roe v. Wade appears to be sending more teens to their doctors in search of birth control, including long-acting reversible forms like intrauterine devices and implants. Waits for appointments are growing in some areas, Planned Parenthood is getting a flood of questions and doctors report demand even among teens who aren’t sexually active. Some patients are especially fearful because some of the new abortion laws don’t include exceptions for sexual assault. Dr. Peggy Stager said dedicated spots for insertion of the Nexplanon implant are consistently filled at her Ohio practice and requests for contraceptive refills have increased 30% to 40% since the Court’s June ruling. Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Read More Here

Liberating Iran: Biden Learned From Failures Of Obama-Era Approach https://digitalalaskanews.com/liberating-iran-biden-learned-from-failures-of-obama-era-approach/ With dozens of protesters now killed in Iran as unrest sparked by the killing of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini at the hands of the country’s morality police engulfs the country, U.S. leadership finds itself in the familiar yet uncomfortable conundrum of how to respond. So far, the Biden administration is threading the needle ably. Over a decade ago, when President Obama found himself watching mass protests from afar, his tendency towards dispassionate calculation left him taking a tepid stance, likely out of fear that a stronger stance would open the door for the Iranian leadership to paint the homegrown protests as something driven by external U.S. meddling. FILE – In this photo taken by an individual not employed by the Associated Press and obtained by the AP outside Iran, protesters chant slogans during a protest over the death of a woman who was detained by the morality police, in downtown Tehran, Iran, Sept. 21, 2022. I (AP) That was a mistake; the Iranian leadership needs no additional encouragement to lay its problems at the feet of the perennial bogeymen in Washington, and instead it could only have demoralized everyday Iranians hoping for broad international backing. Obama’s then-second-in-command, now President Biden, seems to have learned this lesson well and has thankfully been much more direct in both calling out the heavy-handed Iranian response and taking concrete action, including by imposing sanctions on the morality police specifically and moving to give tech companies more latitude to help circumvent the mullahs’ attempted internet blackout. That’s not to say that Biden should heed the hawks who’ve spent decades clamoring for the U.S. to attempt direct regime change, a terrible idea that the results of other recent military misadventures should take off the table. He should also remember that, while Donald Trump’s more forceful sanctions against Iran arguably feed the current domestic discontent, unfocused economic punishment can end up harming the very populations that we are intending to help. Biden is understandably still pursuing a nuclear deal — though he must tread especially carefully now. The current approach, of forcefully backing the protesters in the public sphere while continuing to negotiate for a tough deal that will prevent Iran from continuing on a path towards the ill-conceived goal of nuclear weapons, is sound. It’s likeliest to result in a liberalized Iran without an immense body count. Read More Here

Editorial: Trump Thinks, Therefore He Declassifies? Or Does He Cross His Arms And Blink Like Jeannie? https://digitalalaskanews.com/editorial-trump-thinks-therefore-he-declassifies-or-does-he-cross-his-arms-and-blink-like-jeannie/ If only President Joe Biden had the same magical powers Donald Trump used to declassify documents simply by thinking about doing so, as the former commander in chief insisted to his BFF Sean Hannity that presidents can do. Imagine the wonderful possibilities. Biden could then: Copyright 2022 Tribune Content Agency. If only President Joe Biden had the same magical powers Donald Trump used to declassify documents simply by thinking about doing so, as the former commander in chief insisted to his BFF Sean Hannity that presidents can do. Stress and upheaval are harmful at any time, but the pandemic has forced many families onto a roller coaster ride that seems unending. Families and caregivers are concerned about what this period of great instability means for their children, so we turned to psychologist Jennifer Vargas Pemb… Flu season is fast approaching. Flu shots are now available, containing strains recommended by the Food and Drug Administration’s vaccine advisory committee in March. Given the long lead time required to manufacture some 180 million flu shot doses, scientists are forced to make informed gues… Kentucky Sen. C.B. Embry has stepped down from the General Assembly. A statement from the Senate Majority Caucus said the Republican lawmaker from Morgantown formally submitted his resignation letter on Monday to Senate President Robert Stivers. Embry was first elected to the Senate in 2014. Before serving in the Senate, he also served in the House. Embry announced his impending retirement earlier this year due to fighting a long battle with cancer, but traveled while undergoing treatment to Frankfort during the legislative session so he could cast votes and uphold his duties. The British military says a planned speech later this week by Russian President Vladimir Putin may see him declare four occupied territories of Ukraine parts of Russia. In a daily intelligence briefing, the British Defense Ministry said Putin will address both houses of the Russian parliament on Friday and could declare the annexation of the regions. An internationally criticized vote is underway in the regions and ends Tuesday. It said Russia will hope the accession will be seen as a vindication of its actions, but there is increasing Russian public awareness of military setbacks and unease about the recently announced partial mobilization. The San Antonio Spurs are planning a trip to Uvalde, Texas next month. The Golden State Warriors and Washington Wizards are going to Japan. The Milwaukee Bucks and Atlanta Hawks are going to Abu Dhabi. The next three weeks around the NBA will be busy with training camps now opening and 70 preseason games set to be played. It’s all the warmup act for opening night on Oct. 18. Turkey’s interior minister says two suspected Kurdish militants opened fire on police in southern Turkey and later killed themselves by detonating bombs. One police officer was killed in the attack that occurred late on Monday, while a second officer and a civilian were wounded. Minister Suleyman Soylu said the attack was carried out by two women affiliated with the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party, or PKK. The women fired on police, touching off clashes with security officers. Wounded during the clashes, the women detonated bombs and killed themselves, the minister said. The PKK has led an armed insurgency against the Turkish state since 1984 and the conflict has killed tens of thousands of people since then. The United States is boosting aid for Pakistan’s flood relief efforts with $10 million, in addition to the already announced assistance of $56.1 million. Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry said in a statement on Tuesday that the announcement followed a meeting the previous day between the country’s foreign minister, Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari, and U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken in Washington. Currently, the Biden administration is the biggest contributor of aid to cash-strapped Pakistan, which has struggled to provide tents, food and other supplies for hundreds of thousands of people living in makeshift camps after being displaced by record-breaking floods that have killed 1,638 people since mid-June. Vietnam has imposed a curfew and evacuated over 800,000 people as a powerful typhoon that had flooded villages and left at least eight dead in the Philippines aimed for the country’s central region. National television VTV says people living near the coast where Typhoon Noru is expected to slam early Wednesday had been ordered to take shelter. Schools were closed and public events canceled. In Da Nang and Quang Nam provinces, a curfew will be in effect starting Tuesday evening. It forbids people from venturing out except those on official duty. Flights at five regional airports were canceled and train service halted until the typhoon passes. The weather agency says Noru is packing maximum sustained winds of 111 miles per hour. The final day of voting is taking place in Russian-held regions of Ukraine. Moscow is expected to use the referendum results as a pretext for the annexation of the areas, while the vote is rejected as sham by Kyiv and its Western allies. In the five-day voting, residents are asked whether they want their regions to become part of Russia. It has been anything but free or fair, as tens of thousands of residents had already fled the regions amid the war, and images shared by those who remained showed armed Russian troops going door-to-door to pressure Ukrainians into voting. Stocks are mostly higher in Asia after heavy selling on Wall Street put the Dow Jones Industrial Average into what’s known as a bear market. U.S. futures rose Tuesday and oil prices gained. Tokyo, Sydney and Shanghai advanced while Hong Kong declined. The week started out with a bout of selling amid an extended slump for many markets. The benchmark S&P 500 is down more than 7% in September. But buying kicked in on Tuesday, as investors awaited a slew of updates on the U.S. economy, including one on consumer confidence due out later in the day. Italy’s former premier Silvio Berlusconi is making his return to Italy’s parliament nearly a decade after being banned from holding public office over a tax fraud conviction. Berlusconi was re-elected to the Senate in Sunday’s elections that indicated a far-right-led alliance would take power. In 2013, the Senate expelled Berlusconi because of a tax fraud conviction stemming from his media business and he was banned from holding public office for six years. After serving a sentence of community service, a court ruled he could once again hold public office and he won a seat in the European Parliament in 2019. The German economy ministry says the Nord Stream 1 pipeline leading from Russia to Europe has reported a drop in pressure, only hours after a leak was reported in the Nord Stream 2 pipeline in the Baltic Sea off Denmark. The ministry said in a statement late Monday that it was investigating this incident as well, but did not know the reason for the drop in pressure. Both pipelines carry natural gas from Russia to Europe. While the Nord Stream 2 pipeline has never operated, the Nord Stream 1 pipeline had been carrying gas to Germany until earlier this month, when Russian energy giant Gazprom cut off the supply, claiming there was a need for urgent maintenance work. In meeting after meeting in Tokyo, Vice President Kamala Harris has emphasized the U.S. commitment to regional security. She described the alliance with South Korea as a “linchpin,” and the alliance with Japan as a “cornerstone.” She also met with the prime minister from Australia, another key player in U.S. security efforts. The relationships are critical to U.S. plans to counter China’s growing power. In addition, Harris plans to visit the Demilitarized Zone between South and North Korea on Thursday before returning to Washington. The visit comes amid concerns about North Korea’s missile and nuclear programs and had been under wraps until it was unexpectedly revealed during a meeting with South Korean Prime Minister Han Duck-soo on Tuesday. Rescuers in a helicopter are searching on the world’s eighth-highest mountain for a U.S. ski mountaineer a day after she fell off the mountain near the peak. Also, an avalanche at a lower elevation on Mount Manaslu swept several climbers, killing a Nepali guide and injuring other climbers. An official from the expedition outfitter says Hilaree Nelson was skiing down from the summit with her partner when she fell off the mountain. Bad weather hampered rescue efforts Monday, but visibility was good for the helicopter to hover over the mountain Tuesday to look for the missing climber. All of the climbers caught in the avalanche are accounted for, and some of the injured were hospitalized in Kathmandu. Lamb’s 1-handed TD catch gives Dallas 23-16 win over Giants Whether conservative South Carolina changes its abortion laws at all in the wake of this year’s U.S. Supreme Court decision is about to be decided by divided conservatives in the state House. Members on Tuesday either accept a Senate-passed bill that tweaks the state’s six-week ban. That ban isn’t in effect at the moment because of a state Supreme Court challenge. Or the House can insist on its own bill outlawing all abortions except when the life of the mother is at risk or if the pregnancy was caused by rape or incest. Typically, the House and Senate would then negotiate their differences. But Senate Majority Leader Shane Massey says there aren’t enough Republican votes in the Senate for anything stricter than the six-week ban. Experts say the U.S. Supreme Court’s June ruling overturning Roe v. Wade appears to be sending more teens to their doctors in search of birth control, including...

European Markets Advance After Choppy Start To The Week https://digitalalaskanews.com/european-markets-advance-after-choppy-start-to-the-week/ European markets were higher on Tuesday as stocks attempted to rally after choppy trade at the start of the week. The pan-European Stoxx 600 added 0.9% in early trade, with travel and leisure stocks climbing 2.1% to lead gains as most sectors and major bourses entered positive territory. Close attention remains on the pound and U.K. bond markets after a historic sell-off on the back of British Finance Minister Kwasi Kwarteng’s fiscal policy announcements on Friday. Both the U.K. Treasury and the Bank of England attempted to assuage concerns on Monday after a tumultuous market reaction. Shares in Asia-Pacific were mixed on Tuesday after sharp falls on Monday, while U.S. stock futures were higher on Tuesday morning after the market started the week by continuing its dramatic September decline. The Bank of England is right to hold off on rate hikes as the pound slumps, investment director says The U.K.’s central bank shouldn’t rush to increase interest rates, according to Julian Howard, Lead Investment Director of Multi Asset Solutions at GAM Investments, despite the slumping pound. “I don’t think it’s the Bank of England’s job to shore up the pound,” Howard told CNBC’s “Squawk Box Europe” on Tuesday. “I prefer to frame this as a global phenomenon and I think the Bank of England should hold off before raising rates any further,” he said. He also said that talk of the U.K. becoming an emerging market is “a little bit premature.” “Some even said we’re becoming a Mediterranean country but without the weather – I think that’s too harsh,” Howard said.  “I think in the medium term [deregulation and tax cuts] could be very helpful, but the market has decided to ignore it,” he told CNBC. — Hannah Ward-Glenton Stocks on the move: Nexi up 6%, Vitrolife down 9% Shares Nexi gained 6% in early trade to lead the Stoxx 600 after the Italian payments group published its new business plan, in which it projected 2.8 billion euros ($2.7 billion) in excess cash generation between 2023 and 2025 for M&A and share buybacks. At the bottom of the European blue chip index, Swedish IVF company Vitrolife fell more than 9%. – Elliot Smith CNBC Pro: Here’s where Dan Niles is putting his money “We made money today. We are up in August. We’re up for the year,” fund manager Dan Niles told CNBC. As major stock markets remain deep in the red this year, the investment veteran shares what he’s buying in this volatile market. Pro subscribers can read more. — Zavier Ong Fed’s Mester says it is better to act ‘aggressively’ against high inflation U.S. inflation is “unacceptably high” and uncertainties make monetary policy decisions “not trivial,” said Cleveland Fed President Loretta Mester in prepared remarks at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. “When there is uncertainty, it can be better for policymakers to act more aggressively,” she said. “Aggressive and pre-emptive action can prevent the worst-case outcomes from actually coming about.” She said she will be “very cautious” when assessing inflation data. “I will need to see several months of declines in the month-over-month readings,” she said. “Wishful thinking cannot be a substitute for compelling evidence.” –Jihye Lee World Bank slashes growth forecasts for East Asia and Pacific region The World Bank has slashed its 2022 full-year growth forecast for the East Asia and Pacific region to 3.2% from its April prediction of 5%, it said in its latest report released Tuesday. “The slowing growth is mostly due to China,” it said, adding the organization also cut its 2022 forecasts for the nation to 2.8% from 5%. The World Bank expects China to grow 4.5% in 2023. The report said the median headline inflation is seen to surpass 5% this year, an upward revision from 3% previously forecasted in April. –Jihye Lee CNBC Pro: Analysts like Nvidia once again, with Citi giving it almost 100% upside Analysts are once again starting to get bullish on Nvidia, after the semiconductor giant lost favor amid geopolitical tensions and a slowdown in the chip sector. Citi and JPMorgan both said last week that solid demand in PC gaming, as well as cloud adoption in data centers, were set to be tailwinds for Nvidia. So how much upside did they each give Nvidia shares? CNBC Pro subscribers can read more here. — Weizhen Tan Wed, Aug 17 202212:29 AM EDT European markets: Here are the opening calls European stocks are expected to open in negative territory on Wednesday as investors react to the latest U.S. inflation data. The U.K.’s FTSE index is expected to open 47 points lower at 7,341, Germany’s DAX 86 points lower at 13,106, France’s CAC 40 down 28 points and Italy’s FTSE MIB 132 points lower at 22,010, according to data from IG. Global markets have pulled back following a higher-than-expected U.S. consumer price index report for August which showed prices rose by 0.1% for the month and 8.3% annually in August, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported Tuesday, defying economist expectations that headline inflation would fall 0.1% month-on-month. Core CPI, which excludes volatile food and energy costs, climbed 0.6% from July and 6.3% from August 2021. U.K. inflation figures for August are due and euro zone industrial production for July will be published. — Holly Ellyatt Read More Here

Fears Of ‘major Disaster’ As Cuba And Florida Brace For Hurricane Ian – Follow Live https://digitalalaskanews.com/fears-of-major-disaster-as-cuba-and-florida-brace-for-hurricane-ian-follow-live/ Central Florida stores struggle to keep water on shelves ahead of Tropical Storm Ian Rain and winds have lashed Cuba’s western tip as Hurricane Ian strengthened into a category 3 storm today, the National Hurricane Center said. The hurricane is about 35 miles (55km) south of the city of Pinar Del Rio Cuba, with maximum sustained winds of 115 miles per hour (185kmph), it added. Authorities in Cuba have evacuated 50,000 people, set up at least 55 shelters, and rushed in emergency personnel. Meanwhile, mandatory evacuations are also underway in parts of Florida amid warnings of life-threatening conditions from the potentially category 4 storm in the coming days. According to the Hurricane Center Ian won’t linger over Cuba but will slow down over the Gulf of Mexico, growing wider and stronger, “which will have the potential to produce significant wind and storm surge impacts along the west coast of Florida.” There is risk of flash flooding, strong winds, storm surge of up to 10 feet, and possible isolated tornadoes along Florida’s Gulf Coast with impacts beginning up to 36 hours before the peak. Florida governor Ron DeSantis has warned people to prepare but not panic. Registration is a free and easy way to support our truly independent journalism By registering, you will also enjoy limited access to Premium articles, exclusive newsletters, commenting, and virtual events with our leading journalists Email Please enter a valid email Please enter a valid email Password Must be at least 6 characters, include an upper and lower case character and a number Must be at least 6 characters, include an upper and lower case character and a number Must be at least 6 characters, include an upper and lower case character and a number First name Please enter your first name Special characters aren’t allowed Please enter a name between 1 and 40 characters Last name Please enter your last name Special characters aren’t allowed Please enter a name between 1 and 40 characters You must be over 18 years old to register You must be over 18 years old to register Year of birth I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent.  Read our Privacy notice You can opt-out at any time by signing in to your account to manage your preferences. Each email has a link to unsubscribe. Already have an account? sign in Registration is a free and easy way to support our truly independent journalism By registering, you will also enjoy limited access to Premium articles, exclusive newsletters, commenting, and virtual events with our leading journalists Email Please enter a valid email Please enter a valid email Password Must be at least 6 characters, include an upper and lower case character and a number Must be at least 6 characters, include an upper and lower case character and a number Must be at least 6 characters, include an upper and lower case character and a number First name Please enter your first name Special characters aren’t allowed Please enter a name between 1 and 40 characters Last name Please enter your last name Special characters aren’t allowed Please enter a name between 1 and 40 characters You must be over 18 years old to register You must be over 18 years old to register Year of birth I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent.  Read our Privacy notice You can opt-out at any time by signing in to your account to manage your preferences. Each email has a link to unsubscribe. Already have an account? sign in Read More Here