Digital Alaska News

Company Seeking Merger With Trump Firm May Lose Over $138 Million Worth Of Investments https://digitalalaskanews.com/company-seeking-merger-with-trump-firm-may-lose-over-138-million-worth-of-investments/ Digital World Acquisition, the company aiming to merge with Trump Media & Technology Group (TMTG), owned by former President Donald Trump, is set to lose millions of dollars’ worth of investment from institutional investors, according to the firm’s recent filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). In October last year, Digital World entered into a merger agreement with TMTG, the parent company of social media platform Truth Social. On Dec. 4, 2021, Digital World entered into securities purchase agreements (SPA) with certain institutional investors (PIPE), according to which the investors agreed to buy up to an aggregate of 1 million shares of Digital World at a purchase price of $1,000 per share—a commitment valued at $1 billion. The investment was to be consummated “concurrently with the Business Combination,” the filing said. The PIPE investors would back out from the deal if it was not completed by Sept. 20, 2022. The deadline has passed, and Digital World and TMTG have yet to merge. “Between September 19, 2022, and September 23, 2022, Digital World received termination notices from PIPE Investors representing approximately $138.5 million of the PIPE,” according to the filing. Digital World’s share prices have fallen drastically this year. After peaking at around $110 in March, the company’s share is presently trading at around $18.81 as of Sept. 23—a decline of nearly 83 percent. Over the last month, the share value has dropped by around 44 percent. ‘Inexcusable Obstruction’ The proposed merger between Digital World and TMTG is facing challenges due to multiple investigations from federal regulators. In late October and early November, the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) asked Digital World for a review of trading activities prior to the merger announcement. An analysis by Reuters reported unusual trading activity on Oct. 20 just before the deal was announced later in the day. While on Oct. 19 only 119,000 warrants were traded, this jumped to more than a million warrants on Oct. 20. The SEC has been investigating the deal since last year. In June, the SEC sought additional information on communications between company insiders and Truth Social executives. At the time, Digital World had warned investors that the SEC investigation could delay the proposed merger with TMTG. In a Sept. 18 statement to Breitbart News, TMTG blamed the SEC for stalling its merger with Digital World despite the fact that Digital World had filed its registration statement over four months back. This “inexcusable obstruction” is damaging the interests of investors and is contrary to the SEC’s stated mission, it argued. “In light of the obvious conflicts of interest among SEC officials and clear indications of political bias, TMTG is now exploring legal action against the SEC,” the statement said. “Despite the increasing weaponization and politicization of government agencies, Truth Social will continue its expansion plans, supported by the unprecedented levels of user engagement on the platform.” Follow Naveen Athrappully is a news reporter covering business and world events at The Epoch Times. Read More Here

Jake Sullivan: US Will Act ‘decisively’ If Russia Uses Nuclear Weapons In Ukraine https://digitalalaskanews.com/jake-sullivan-us-will-act-decisively-if-russia-uses-nuclear-weapons-in-ukraine/ America and its allies will act “decisively” if Russia uses a tactical nuclear weapon in Ukraine, US national security adviser Jake Sullivan said on Sunday, reaffirming the Joe Biden White House’s previous response to mounting concerns that Vladimir Putin’s threats are in increased danger of being realized. “We have communicated directly, privately and at very high levels to the Kremlin that any use of nuclear weapons will be met with catastrophic consequences for Russia, that the US and our allies will respond decisively, and we have been clear and specific about what that will entail,” Sullivan told CBS’s Face The Nation. Sullivan said that the Russian leader Putin had been “waving around the nuclear card at various points through this conflict”, and it was a matter that Biden’s administration has “to take deadly seriously because it is a matter of paramount seriousness – the possible use of nuclear weapons for the first time since the second world war”. In a separate interview with CBS, Ukraine president Volodymyr Zelenskiy said he was not certain that Putin was bluffing with nuclear threats. “Maybe yesterday it was bluff. Now, it could be a reality,” he said. “He wants to scare the whole world.” The administration’s security chief said that Russia’s nuclear threat against Ukraine, including extending its nuclear umbrella over eastern parts of the country that are still being contested seven months after its invasion, would not deflect the US and its allies. “We will continue to support Ukraine in its efforts to defend its country and defend its democracy,” Sullivan said, pointing to more than $15bn in weapons, including air defense systems, hundreds of artillery pieces and rounds of artillery, that the US has supplied to Ukraine. He said that Moscow’s mobilization of troops was a “sham referenda in the occupied regions” that would not deter the US. “What Putin has done is not exactly a sign of strength or confidence – frankly, it’s a sign that they’re struggling badly on the Russian side,” Sullivan said. But, Sullivan added, it is “too soon to make comprehensive predictions” about a collapse of Russian forces. “I think what we are seeing are signs of unbelievable struggle among the Russians – you’ve got low morale, where the soldiers don’t want to fight. And who can blame them because they want no part of Putin’s war of conquest in their neighboring country?” Sullivan continued: “Russia is struggling, but Russia still remains a dangerous foe, and capable of great brutality.” He alluded to mass burial sites containing hundreds of graves that Ukrainian forces found after recapturing Izium from Russia and said, “We continue to take that threat seriously.” He added that the US, the International Atomic Agency and Ukraine nuclear regulators are working together to ensure there is no “melt-down” at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant in eastern Ukraine. The Russians, he said, had been “consistently implying that there may be some kind of accident at this plant”. Reactors at the plant, Sullivan said, had been put into “cold storage” to “try to make sure there is no threat posed by a melt-down or something else at the plant. But it’s something we all have to keep a close eye on.” Separately, Sullivan said US criticism of a crackdown on mounting protests in Iran after the death in police custody of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini would not affect the administration’s offer to lift sanctions on Iran as part of the effort to reach a deal on nuclear enrichment. “The fact that we are in negotiations with Iran on its nuclear program is in no way impacting our willingness and our vehemence in speaking out about what has been happening on the streets of Iran,” he said. Last week, Biden told the General Assembly of the United Nations in New York that “we stand with the brave citizens and the brave women of Iran who right now are demonstrating to secure their basic rights”. The US president’s remarks came shortly after a defiant speech by Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi. In his remarks on Sunday, Sullivan said the US had taken “tangible steps” to sanction the morality police who caused the death of Mahsa Amini. “We’ve taken steps to make it easier for Iranians to be able to get access to the internet and communications technologies to talk to one another and talk to the world and we will do all that we can to support the brave people, the brave women, of Iran,” Sullivan said. But Sullivan refused to be drawn out on whether the US would change its policy on lifting sanctions in exchange for a nuclear deal in light of the protests. “We’re talking about diplomacy to prevent Iran from ever getting a nuclear weapon,” he said. “If we … succeed …, the world, America and its allies will be safer.” But the pursuit of a nuclear deal, Sullivan said, “would not stop us in any way from pushing back and speaking out on Iran’s brutal repression of its citizens and its women. We can and will do both.” Read More Here

GOP Lawmaker Suggests There's 'pressure' On Republicans To Impeach Biden If Party Wins The House https://digitalalaskanews.com/gop-lawmaker-suggests-theres-pressure-on-republicans-to-impeach-biden-if-party-wins-the-house/ (CNN)GOP Rep. Nancy Mace of South Carolina said Sunday she believes there is “pressure” for House Republicans to move to impeach President Joe Biden if they gain control of the chamber after the midterm elections. “I believe there’s pressure on the Republicans to put that forward and have that vote,” Mace told NBC’s Chuck Todd on “Meet the Press” when asked if she foresees impeachment proceedings should her party win control of the House. “I think that’s what some folks are considering.” But the freshman lawmaker added: “If that happens, I do believe it’s divisive.” Mace did not mention the source of the alleged pressure and was not asked to elaborate on who is considering the move. Asked Sunday how she would vote if an impeachment vote came to the floor, Mace said: “I will not vote for impeachment of any president if I feel that due process was stripped away, for anyone. I typically vote constitutionally, regardless of who is in power.” CNN reported earlier this year that hard-line elements of the House Republican Conference were agitating to launch impeachment proceedings against Biden if the GOP takes power after the midterms — a move GOP leaders have so far declined to embrace. House Republicans are also plotting revenge on the select committee investigating the January 6, 2021, insurrection, CNN has reported. Former President Donald Trump has been leaning heavily on his Capitol Hill allies to defend him against a slew of damaging revelations about his role in the deadly attack on the US Capitol. And as Republicans search for ways to undermine those findings, their party has started to lay the groundwork to investigate the January 6 panel itself. Some of Trump’s fiercest acolytes have also begun publicly pushing for hearings and probes into his baseless claims of fraud in the 2020 election. While House GOP leader Kevin McCarthy has vowed to conduct aggressive oversight and investigations in a GOP-led House, it’s unclear just how far he would be willing to go when it comes to January 6 and the 2020 presidential election. Mace, who flipped a Charleston-area seat in 2020, voted to certify Biden’s presidential election victory, earning Trump’s wrath. Faced with charges of insufficient loyalty to the former President, she drew a Trump-backed primary challenger but ended up prevailing by 8 points in her June primary. Mace told NBC she was “very much hopeful” to see “a deep bench of Republicans and Democrats who will be running for president” in 2024. But she left the door open to possibly supporting Trump again if he were the 2024 GOP nominee for president. “I’m going to support whomever Republicans nominate in ’24,” she said. CNN’s Melanie Zanona, Manu Raju, Gabby Orr and Zachary Cohen contributed to this report. Read More Here

A-K Valley Campus Clippings: Durci Helps Allegheny Football Team Top Waynesburg https://digitalalaskanews.com/a-k-valley-campus-clippings-durci-helps-allegheny-football-team-top-waynesburg/ Ian Durci made his mark for the Allegheny College football team in its 31-15 Presidents’ Athletic Conference victory over Waynesburg on Saturday. The sophomore wide receiver from Burrell finished the game with a team-high six catches for 76 yards. His top catch went for 25 yards. Durci recorded his first touchdown catch of the season Sept. 10 in the Gators’ 34-6 win at Thiel. The 24-yard reception was one of three grabs for 37 yards. Through four games, he owns 21 catches for 223 yards and has 37 receptions for 306 yards and two scores over 14 career contests. IUP: Duane Brown added to his already impressive resume with three receiving touchdowns in Saturday’s 33-16 victory over Mercyhurst. The Apollo-Ridge graduate hauled in scores of 26, 2 and 4 yards and finished the game with six catches for 47 yards. The redshirt senior wideout owns 26 catches through three games for 414 yards and four TDs. Grove City: Knoch graduate Scott Fraser, a 6-foot-4 junior wideout, caught four passes for 78 yards and a touchdown in Saturday’s 42-7 victory over Saint Vinent. He owns at least one receiving score in all four games for the Wolverines (3-1). Fraser hauled in 13 passes for 190 yards against Juniata in the opener and caught 10 balls for 209 yards at Carnegie Mellon on Sept. 17. Cal (Pa.): Jack Colecchi was in the defensive mix for the Vulcans in their 40-7 victory over Edinboro in the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference opener Saturday. The Kiski Area graduate, a 6-foot-3, 225-pound sophomore linebacker, recorded five tackles, including 1 1/2 sacks, in a reserve role. Cal is 2-2 overall. Washington & Jefferson: Freeport graduate Ricky Hunter, a sophomore running back and kicker for the Presidents, put points on the board in Saturday’s 50-7 rout of Bethany. He connected on a pair of extra points and recorded his first collegiate field goal, a 26-yarder, in the fourth quarter. Women’s Soccer Long Island: Plum graduate Gina Proviano scored the tying goal in the 73rd minute as the Sharks tied Virginia Millitary Institude, 2-2, in a nonconference match Sept. 10. The sophomore midfielder finished the game with four shots in 71 minutes of action. Proviano also sealed a 2-0 win over Delaware State on Aug. 21 with her first goal of the season in the 70th minute. Penn State Altoona: Apollo-Ridge graduate Adeline Baustert faced six shots and made five saves in a 1-1 tie against Penn College on Wednesday. A week earlier against Saint Vincent, she made six saves for her first win of the season and second shutout. She helped the Lions tie Juniata, 0-0, on Sept. 4, and is 1-3-3 through seven games Cal (Pa.): Knoch graduate Lindsie Galbreath assisted on the Vulcan’s lone goal in a 2-1 loss to Gannon in PSAC action Saturday afternoon. The senior starting forward scored her first goal of the season on a pair of shots Wednesday in a 2-1 PSAC loss at Seton Hill. Cal is 1-5-2 overall and 1-4-2 in conference play. Grove City: Fox Chapel graduate Britta Lagerquist leads the Lady Wolverines in points with 12 (three goals two assists) through eight games, all starts. The sophomore forward assisted on the team’s lone goal in a 6-1 loss to Franciscan on Saturday. On Wednesday, she scored Grove City’s only goal in a 1-1 tie against Chatham in PAC play. Men’s Soccer Allegheny: Highlands graduate Gabe Anthony made seven saves in the Gators’ 2-2 tie at Bethany in a PAC contest Tuesday. The junior goalkeeper also made seven saves in a 2-0 conference loss to Case Western on Sept. 17. Anthony owns 34 total saves in six games, all starts, for Allegheny (1-4-1). Grove City: Freeport graduate and junior forward Hunter Hardin recorded the first hat trick of his collegiate career Wednesday in Grove City’s 3-0 victory over visiting Chatham in the PAC opener for both teams. He scored all three goals over an eight-minute span late in the second half. Deer Lakes graduate Jesse Greyshock earned PAC Defensive Player of the Week honors for the week ending Sept. 6. The Wolverines senior goalkeeper went 2-0 with a 0.00 goals-against average and nine total saves in wins over Houghton and Lancaster Bible College. Greyshock owns a 4-4 overall record and has made 31 saves over the eight games, all starts. Men’s Golf Carlow: Leechburg graduate Jake Stariha earend River States Conference Golfer of the Week for the week of Sept. 12-18. The graduate student placed fifth individually at the Grove City Invitational to earn the award. He shot 3-over-par 75 to take home the top-five showing out of 89 golfers. He also shot a 79 in a dual match against Geneva and finished runner-up. Michael Love is a Tribune-Review staff writer. You can contact Michael at 724-226-4665, mlove@triblive.com or via Twitter . Read More Here

US Forecast https://digitalalaskanews.com/us-forecast-84/ City/Town, State;Yesterday’s High Temp (F);Yesterday’s Low Temp (F);Today’s High Temp (F);Today’s Low Temp (F);Weather Condition;Wind Direction;Wind Speed (MPH);Humidity (%);Chance of Precip. (%);UV Index Albany, NY;64;54;69;50;A shower;S;9;71%;86%;2 Albuquerque, NM;83;57;81;58;Partly sunny;SE;5;37%;26%;6 Anchorage, AK;53;39;49;42;An afternoon shower;SSE;6;79%;95%;1 Asheville, NC;74;53;72;46;Mostly sunny;NNW;8;57%;17%;6 Atlanta, GA;81;62;80;54;Sunny and delightful;NNW;9;51%;2%;6 Atlantic City, NJ;75;63;76;59;Breezy;SW;14;55%;24%;5 Austin, TX;97;73;94;62;Breezy and hot;NNE;14;33%;2%;7 Baltimore, MD;80;63;79;59;Breezy in the a.m.;W;11;45%;14%;5 Baton Rouge, LA;95;72;91;61;Mostly sunny;NNE;8;57%;5%;7 Billings, MT;77;53;80;52;Sunshine, pleasant;E;8;36%;3%;4 Birmingham, AL;84;62;80;53;Sunny and nice;N;8;52%;4%;6 Bismarck, ND;68;41;72;42;Partly sunny, nice;N;6;45%;2%;4 Boise, ID;83;55;87;58;Mostly sunny, warm;ENE;7;21%;0%;4 Boston, MA;69;61;75;58;An afternoon shower;SSW;11;60%;51%;3 Bridgeport, CT;72;59;74;56;Sunny intervals;SW;11;60%;25%;3 Buffalo, NY;64;55;59;54;Windy with showers;W;19;82%;100%;1 Burlington, VT;59;55;68;52;A couple of showers;S;11;78%;90%;1 Caribou, ME;66;50;63;52;Downpours;S;6;87%;96%;1 Casper, WY;74;41;78;41;Sunny and beautiful;ENE;7;36%;5%;5 Charleston, SC;83;71;88;66;Sunny and warm;WSW;7;61%;44%;6 Charleston, WV;77;55;72;48;Variable cloudiness;SSW;8;56%;18%;4 Charlotte, NC;75;58;81;53;Mostly sunny, nice;NW;6;54%;9%;6 Cheyenne, WY;70;46;76;47;Sunny and nice;NNW;10;28%;3%;5 Chicago, IL;69;53;63;49;Windy;NW;20;56%;13%;5 Cleveland, OH;67;56;63;54;Windy with showers;W;19;76%;99%;1 Columbia, SC;86;64;88;56;Mostly sunny, nice;NW;7;51%;8%;6 Columbus, OH;70;53;66;49;Breezy;NW;18;53%;34%;4 Concord, NH;64;54;70;48;An afternoon shower;SW;8;72%;51%;2 Dallas-Ft. Worth, TX;96;67;87;62;Plenty of sunshine;NNE;10;28%;0%;6 Denver, CO;76;49;81;52;Mostly sunny;NE;5;26%;4%;5 Des Moines, IA;75;48;68;47;Mostly sunny, breezy;NW;14;45%;0%;5 Detroit, MI;67;52;61;50;A couple of showers;W;19;74%;94%;1 Dodge City, KS;78;49;83;54;Mostly sunny;SE;7;40%;1%;5 Duluth, MN;66;47;58;40;Breezy in the a.m.;NNW;13;62%;5%;4 El Paso, TX;89;68;86;64;Partly sunny;ESE;10;45%;11%;6 Fairbanks, AK;53;34;46;35;Rain and drizzle;NNE;4;80%;95%;0 Fargo, ND;67;41;63;40;Partly sunny;ENE;8;60%;0%;4 Grand Junction, CO;82;51;83;54;Mostly sunny;ESE;6;29%;3%;5 Grand Rapids, MI;62;52;58;48;Brief showers, windy;NW;19;82%;96%;1 Hartford, CT;71;57;74;54;A t-storm around;SSW;9;64%;48%;3 Helena, MT;78;48;81;49;Mostly sunny, warm;SW;4;44%;0%;4 Honolulu, HI;87;75;89;75;Breezy in the p.m.;ENE;12;60%;14%;9 Houston, TX;96;75;92;66;Mostly sunny and hot;NE;9;49%;5%;7 Indianapolis, IN;69;53;67;47;Partly sunny, breezy;WNW;14;49%;28%;5 Jackson, MS;93;68;85;56;Sunshine, not as hot;NNE;8;42%;5%;6 Jacksonville, FL;89;70;91;73;Mostly sunny, warm;SSE;6;64%;36%;7 Juneau, AK;56;51;59;52;Rain, heavy at times;S;17;88%;100%;0 Kansas City, MO;80;51;74;50;Sunny and nice;WNW;9;41%;0%;5 Knoxville, TN;78;54;76;47;Sunny and nice;W;8;55%;15%;5 Las Vegas, NV;98;70;99;74;Sunny and hot;NW;5;11%;0%;6 Lexington, KY;78;55;71;47;Partly sunny, breezy;W;14;45%;14%;5 Little Rock, AR;93;59;84;54;Sunny and pleasant;N;8;36%;0%;6 Long Beach, CA;89;69;88;70;Warm with sunshine;S;6;56%;0%;6 Los Angeles, CA;89;69;94;70;Sunny and hot;SE;7;48%;0%;6 Louisville, KY;78;56;72;48;Sunny and breezy;WNW;13;42%;12%;5 Madison, WI;64;49;59;42;Breezy;NW;15;62%;7%;4 Memphis, TN;93;62;83;55;Sunny and nice;N;9;35%;0%;6 Miami, FL;90;79;85;77;A couple of t-storms;SE;8;81%;100%;2 Milwaukee, WI;66;52;63;46;Windy;NW;19;58%;22%;4 Minneapolis-St. Paul, MN;70;49;62;43;Partly sunny, breezy;NNW;14;48%;1%;4 Mobile, AL;93;73;92;63;Warm with some sun;N;7;63%;30%;7 Montgomery, AL;90;67;82;57;Sunny and less humid;N;7;62%;10%;6 Mt. Washington, NH;40;38;41;33;Very windy;SW;33;98%;88%;1 Nashville, TN;86;55;76;47;Sunny and pleasant;NNW;8;42%;9%;5 New Orleans, LA;92;79;91;70;Clouds and sun;NNE;9;59%;15%;7 New York, NY;73;60;74;58;Breezy;SW;14;55%;21%;4 Newark, NJ;72;58;74;54;Clouds and sun;SW;10;54%;36%;3 Norfolk, VA;87;65;84;61;Mostly sunny;W;9;46%;19%;5 Oklahoma City, OK;87;57;83;57;Plenty of sunshine;SE;8;35%;0%;6 Olympia, WA;80;49;84;48;Mostly sunny;SSW;2;56%;3%;4 Omaha, NE;78;46;72;47;Mostly sunny;NNW;11;46%;0%;5 Orlando, FL;90;75;90;75;A stray p.m. t-storm;E;5;70%;75%;6 Philadelphia, PA;77;60;76;56;Breezy;WSW;13;50%;17%;5 Phoenix, AZ;103;79;104;82;Sunny and hot;E;7;23%;16%;6 Pittsburgh, PA;72;55;67;49;A shower or two;W;12;59%;85%;2 Portland, ME;65;57;68;55;A shower in the p.m.;SSW;11;77%;63%;2 Portland, OR;87;55;87;55;Sunlit and very warm;N;5;49%;3%;4 Providence, RI;70;60;73;56;An afternoon shower;SSW;10;64%;52%;3 Raleigh, NC;81;61;81;55;Sunshine, pleasant;NW;7;51%;13%;5 Reno, NV;85;54;86;56;Sunny and warm;WSW;6;28%;0%;5 Richmond, VA;84;59;80;53;Partly sunny, nice;NW;9;50%;17%;5 Roswell, NM;91;61;85;58;Partly sunny;SSW;7;38%;5%;6 Sacramento, CA;94;62;93;58;Sunny and very warm;S;5;42%;0%;5 Salt Lake City, UT;82;57;84;58;Sunny;ESE;7;30%;0%;5 San Antonio, TX;95;73;94;63;Breezy and very warm;NE;15;50%;3%;7 San Diego, CA;78;68;80;68;Lots of sun, humid;WNW;9;68%;0%;6 San Francisco, CA;69;59;72;58;Clouds, then sun;WSW;11;65%;0%;5 Savannah, GA;86;68;90;65;Warm with sunshine;SSW;5;63%;34%;6 Seattle-Tacoma, WA;77;54;80;55;Clouding up;N;5;54%;3%;4 Sioux Falls, SD;74;44;70;44;Partly sunny;NE;10;44%;0%;4 Spokane, WA;81;47;85;48;Mostly sunny;E;1;43%;0%;4 Springfield, IL;76;49;67;42;Sunny and breezy;WNW;13;47%;0%;5 St. Louis, MO;78;52;71;47;Sunny and nice;WNW;12;40%;2%;5 Tampa, FL;93;75;89;75;A stray p.m. t-storm;SSE;5;76%;91%;7 Toledo, OH;66;50;61;48;Windy with a shower;W;18;72%;84%;2 Tucson, AZ;98;74;97;74;Hot;ESE;12;33%;32%;7 Tulsa, OK;87;55;83;54;Plenty of sun;ENE;6;35%;0%;5 Vero Beach, FL;88;75;88;74;Humid with a t-storm;SE;7;81%;98%;5 Washington, DC;78;59;77;55;Partial sunshine;WNW;9;49%;11%;5 Wichita, KS;80;49;81;53;Sunny and beautiful;E;7;35%;0%;5 Wilmington, DE;77;59;76;55;Breezy;WSW;13;53%;15%;5 _____ Copyright 2022 AccuWeather Read More Here

Trump Can’t ‘declassify Documents By Saying So,’ GOP Sen. Barrasso Acknowledges When Pressed https://digitalalaskanews.com/trump-cant-declassify-documents-by-saying-so-gop-sen-barrasso-acknowledges-when-pressed/ (NEW YORK) — After Donald Trump suggested last week that as president “you can declassify just by saying it’s declassified, even by thinking about it,” Republican Wyoming Senator John Barrasso disagreed — but only after George Stephanopoulos pressed him on the issue twice on ABC’s “This Week.” During an interview on Sunday, Barrasso was asked by Stephanopoulos about Trump’s handling of classified material, which is under federal investigation as Trump denies wrongdoing. Trump claimed to Fox News’ Sean Hannity last week that while “different people see different things,” his view of this authority was absolute: “If you’re the president of the United States, you can declassify just by saying it’s declassified. Even by thinking about it.” Stephanopoulos asked if Barrasso agreed. The senator said that he had not heard about such an assertion and pivoted to criticizing the Department of Justice’s court-authorized search of Mar-a-Lago. Barrasso said that he had “never seen anything like that before,” referring to the FBI “raid” Trump’s home, and that it had “become political.” Stephanopoulos pushed back: “You know that a president can’t declassify documents by thinking about it. Why can’t you say so?” The senator, who also said that he isn’t versed in the rules of presidential declassification and wants to get a briefing from the DOJ on the investigation, then agreed with Stephanopoulos. He said, “I don’t think a president can declassify documents by saying so, by thinking about it.” That view lines up with what outside experts have told ABC News: The president must document his declassification process somewhere, whatever his process was. Barrasso spent much of his “This Week” appearance pushing back on President Joe Biden’s foreign policy, including addressing the potential revival of the 2015 nuclear deal between the U.S. and Iran. Stephanopoulos opened up the interview by having Barrasso respond to Jake Sullivan, Biden’s national security adviser. Sullivan was also interviewed on “This Week” on Sunday and said nuclear negotiations — so Iran never has a weapon “they can threaten the world with” — could be effective at the same time the White House was putting public pressure on the country over its treatment of women and protesters. “Did you find his argument convincing for staying in the Iran nuclear talks?” Stephanopoulos asked Barrasso. “No deal with Iran, George, is a good deal … They continue to claim ‘death to America.’ We cannot allow them to have a nuclear weapon,” Barrasso said. Stephanopoulos also sought clarity from Barrasso on the GOP and Ukraine. Citing criticism of American’s continued aid to Ukraine by some Republicans, like Ohio Senate nominee J.D. Vance, Stephanopoulos asked Barrasso if Democrats were right to warn that the GOP may restrict future support if they retake Congress. “No. There continues to be bipartisan support in the House and in the Senate for weapons to Ukraine,” Barrasso said. He said he wanted the White House to be quicker in providing weapons to Ukraine and said “we ought to be producing more American energy to help our European allies” and American consumers who are dealing with the fallout of the conflict with Russia, a major energy provider. Stephanopoulos asked Barrasso, just as he asked Sullivan: “Do you believe that [Russian President Vladimir] Putin’s hold on power is secure?” “I’m not sure,” Barrasso, a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, said. “He is in a deep hole right now and he’s dug this hole. And I thought his statement to the country there really was desperate. It didn’t show really confidence or strength.” “The Foreign Relations Committee is going to have a hearing this Wednesday on what additional things we can do in terms of sanctions [on Russia],” Barrasso said. “And also we have a secure briefing on Thursday in the Senate to take a look right at what’s happening on the ground in Ukraine.” Copyright © 2022, ABC Audio. All rights reserved. Read More Here

Biden Struggles, As Does His Party, As Most Democrats Look Elsewhere For 2024: POLL https://digitalalaskanews.com/biden-struggles-as-does-his-party-as-most-democrats-look-elsewhere-for-2024-poll/ (NEW YORK) — With his party struggling in the midterms, his economic stewardship under fire and his overall job approval under 40%, a clear majority of Democrats in the latest ABC News/Washington Post poll say the party should replace Joe Biden as its nominee for president in 2024. In the November midterm election ahead, registered voters divide 47%-46% between the Republican and the Democratic candidate in their House district, historically not enough to prevent typical first-midterm losses. And one likely voter model has a 51%-46% Republican-Democratic split. Looking two years off, just 35% of Democrats and Democratic-leaning independents favor Biden for the 2024 nomination; 56% want the party to pick someone else. Republicans and GOP-leaning independents, for their part, split 47%-46% on whether Donald Trump should be their 2024 nominee — a 20-point drop for Trump compared with his 2020 nomination. The unpopularity of both figures may encourage third-party hopefuls, though they rarely do well. In a head-to-head rematch, the poll, produced for ABC by Langer Research Associates, finds a 48%-46% Biden-Trump contest, essentially tied. Among registered voters, the numbers reverse to 46%-48%. That’s even while 52% of Americans say Trump should be charged with a crime in any of the matters in which he’s under federal investigation, similar to views after the storming of the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6. On issues, the survey finds broad opposition to the U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling eliminating a constitutional right to abortion and a big Democratic advantage in trust to handle the issue. But there’s no sign it’s impacting propensity to vote in comparison with other issues: four rank higher in importance and two of them — the economy, overall, and inflation, specifically — work strongly in the GOP’s favor. Biden and the midterms The president’s standing customarily is critical to his party’s fortunes in midterms — and Biden is well under water. Thirty-nine percent of Americans approve of his job performance while 53% disapprove, about where he’s been steadily the past year. Specifically on the economy, with inflation near a 40-year high, his approval rating is 36% while 57% disapprove — a 21-point deficit. Each election has its own dynamic but in midterm elections since 1946, when a president has had more than 50% job approval, his party has lost an average of 14 seats. When the president’s approval has been less than 50% — as Biden’s is by a considerable margin now — his party has lost an average of 37 seats. There’s one slightly better result for Biden: 40% say he’s accomplished a great deal or a good amount as president, up from 35% last fall. This usually is a tepid measure; it’s averaged 43% across four presidents in 11 previous polls since 1993. There’s something else the Democrats can hang on to; their current results are better than last November, when the Republicans led in national House vote preferences by 10 percentage points, 51%-41% — the largest midterm Republican lead in ABC/Post polls dating back 40 years. It’s true, too, that national House vote polling offers only a rough gauge of ultimate seats won or lost, in what, after all, are local races, influenced by incumbency, gerrymandering, candidate attributes and local as well as national issues. Issues The Democrats are not without ammunition in midterm campaigning: As noted, Americans broadly reject the U.S. Supreme Court ruling eliminating the constitutional right to an abortion — 29% support it, with 64% opposed. (Indeed, 53% strongly oppose it, compared with 21% strongly in support.) And the public trusts the Democratic Party over the Republican Party to handle abortion by a wide 20 points. In another measure, while 31% say the Democratic Party is too permissive on abortion, many more, 50%, say the GOP is too restrictive. But if abortion keeps the Republicans from entirely nationalizing the election around the economy, it doesn’t defang the public’s economic discontent. Seventy-four percent say the economy is in bad shape, up from 58% in the spring after Biden took office. The GOP leads the Democrats by 16 points in trust to handle the economy overall and by 19 points in trust to handle inflation. Equally important, 84% call the economy a top issue in their vote for Congress and 76% say the same about inflation. Many fewer, 62%, call abortion a top issue. Other issues also differentiate the parties. In addition to the economy, the Republicans can be expected to focus on crime in the campaigns’ closing weeks; they lead by 14 points in trust to handle it, and it’s highly important to 69%. Democrats, in return, hold a wide 23-point advantage in trust to handle climate change, though it’s highly important to far fewer, 50%. The parties run closely on two other issues — education and schools, Democrats +6, highly important to 77%; and immigration, essentially an even division, highly important to 61%. When these are assessed as a combination of importance and party preference, inflation and the economy top the list, followed by abortion, then climate change, crime, education and immigration. While inflation, the economy and abortion are marquee issues, one stands out for another reason: The Republicans’ 14-point advantage in trust to handle crime matches its largest since 1991. Among independents, it’s a whopping 34-point GOP lead. Indeed, on abortion, supporters of the Supreme Court ruling are more apt than its critics to say voting is more important to them in this election than in previous midterms, 73% vs. 64%. Also, 76% of the ruling’s supporters say they’re certain to vote, as are 70% of its opponents. Intention to turn out is influenced by other factors. Among all adults, it’s considerably higher among whites — 72% certain to vote — than among Black people (55%) or Hispanics (46%) — a result that advantages Republicans, whose support is strongest by far among whites. Groups Beyond differential turnout, weakness in midterm vote preference among Black and Hispanic voters may compound Democratic concerns. While Democratic House candidates lead their Republican opponents by 61 points among Black adults who are registered to vote, that compares with at least 79-point margins in exit polls in the past four midterms. This survey’s sample of Hispanics who are registered to vote is too small for reliable analysis, but the contest among them looks much closer than recent Democratic margins — 40 points in 2018, 27 points in 2014 and 22 points in 2010. Republican candidates, meanwhile, show some strength among registered voters who don’t have a college degree, +11 points in vote preference compared with an even split in the 2018 ABC News exit poll. A factor: Non-college adults are 8 points more likely than those with four-year degrees to say they’re not just concerned but upset about the current inflation rate. Results among other groups don’t provide evidence for the hypothesis that the abortion ruling might boost the Democrats, compared with past years, among some women. Women younger than 40 support the Democratic candidate in their district by 19 points, but did so by 43 points in the 2018 exit poll. Suburban women split about evenly between the parties (44-47% Democratic-Republican), about the same as among suburban men (45-50% Democratic-Republican). Independent women are +5 GOP in vote preference; independent men, essentially the same, +3. Independents overall — often a swing voter group — divide 42-47% between Democratic and Republican candidates. This is a group that voted Democratic by 12 points in 2018 — but Republican by 14 points in 2014 (when the GOP won 13 House seats) and by 19 points in 2010 (when the GOP won 63 seats). Lastly, there are some milestones in Biden’s approval rating. He’s at new lows in approval among liberals (68%), Southerners (33%) and people in the middle- to upper-middle income range (34%). And his strong approval among Black adults — among the most stalwart Democratic groups — is at a career-low 31%. Methodology This ABC News/Washington Post poll was conducted by landline and cellular telephone Sept. 18-21, 2022, in English and Spanish, among a random national sample of 1,006 adults, including 908 registered voters. Results have a margin of sampling error of 3.5 percentage points, including the design effect. Partisan divisions in the full sample are 28%-24%-41%, Democrats-Republicans-independents, and 27%-26%-40% among registered voters. Copyright © 2022, ABC Audio. All rights reserved. Read More Here

Jan. 6 House Committee Hearing This Week May Be Last One Held In Public: Rep. Jamie Raskin https://digitalalaskanews.com/jan-6-house-committee-hearing-this-week-may-be-last-one-held-in-public-rep-jamie-raskin/ This week’s hearing of the special House committee probing the Jan. 6, 2021 siege of the U.S. Capitol could be the last public one in which lawmakers try to get to the bottom of what happened, a panel member said Sunday. “It may be the last investigative public hearing where we’re going to try to round out the factual narrative,” Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-Md.) told NBC’s “Meet the Press.” “I’m hopeful, speaking just as one member, that we will have a hearing that lays out all of our legislative recommendations about how to prevent coups, insurrections, political violence and electoral sabotage in the future, because this is a clear and present danger that’s continuing right up to this day,” he added. The panel held eight public hearings over the summer detailing how former President Donald Trump tried to overturn the 2020 election results. The sessions featured videotaped testimony about how the ex-commander-in-chief refused to intervene when hundreds of his rabid supporters stormed the halls of Congress as lawmakers met to certify the outcome. Former President Donald Trump holds a rally Friday, Sept. 23, 2022, in Wilmington, N.C. (Chris Seward/AP) The committee was established on a temporary basis after Republicans blocked the creation of an independent commission. The panel has until the current session of Congress ends in January to publish its findings. Raskin cast doubt on publication happening before the November midterm elections. “I don’t know whether it will be done then, but our commitment is to get it done by the end of this Congress,” he said. “The House of Representatives, unlike the Senate, ends every two years, and a completely new Congress comes in,” Raskin continued. “So that’s the end of our lease on life. And so we need to get it to people.” Ginni Thomas, a strong Trump supporter and wife of Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas, recently agreed to speak before the panel. Former President Donald Trump gestures as he holds a rally Friday, Sept. 23, 2022, in Wilmington, N.C. (Chris Seward/AP) She reportedly worked behind the scenes to try to persuade officials in Arizona and Wisconsin to overturn President Biden’s electoral victories in those states. The Jan. 6 panel has also asked former House Speaker Newt Gingrich — accused of inciting anger among Trump supporters following Trump’s election loss — to testify. The panel is unlikely to complete the interviews by Wednesday, according to Raskin. ”I doubt that, but I think that there’s an agreement in place with Ginni Thomas to come and talk,” he said. “And so the committee is very interested.” Trump is in hot water on multiple fronts, including the FBI investigation of classified documents he took with him from the White House to his Mar-a-Lago home. Trump suffered a setback last week when an appeals court judge ruled the FBI can continue to scrutinize the records, details of which remain unknown, while an independent arbiter reviews the case. Among Trump’s attempts to play down the investigation, he recently said he can declassify documents just by “thinking about it.” Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) scoffed at the suggestion on Sunday. ”No, people work hard to get that information. People put their lives at risk to get that information. That information protects American lives,” he told CNN’s “State of the Union.” “And for him to treat it so cavalierly shows both what a continuing danger the man is, but also how very little regard he has for anything but himself.” With News Wire Services Read More Here

Trump Calls McConnell A ‘piece Of S—-‘ In New Book https://digitalalaskanews.com/trump-calls-mcconnell-a-piece-of-s-in-new-book/ Former President Donald Trump calls Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell a “piece of s—-” in a forthcoming book by New York Times reporter Maggie Haberman, an excerpt of which was published Sunday by The Atlantic magazine. The former president’s vulgar dismissal of the Kentucky Republican who is arguably the second-most powerful figure in the GOP, underscores the tensions between the two.  The relationship, always fraught, deteriorated following the attack on the U.S. Capitol and Mr. Trump’s repeated attempts to overturn the election. “The Old Crow’s a piece of s—-,” Mr. Trump told Ms. Haberman during an interview at his South Florida Mar-a-Lago estate, invoking his nickname for Mr. McConnell. Mr. McConnell’s office did not respond to a request for comment. Earlier this month, Mr. Trump slammed the Republican leader as an “absolute loser” and accused him of caving on Democratic policies. SEE ALSO: Sen. Barrasso says presidents can’t declassify documents ‘by saying so’ or ‘by thinking about it’ According to the excerpt, Ms. Haberman also writes in her new book, titled “Confidence Man: The Making of Donald Trump and the Breaking of America,” that the former president emphasized the importance of strength. He praised Chinese President Xi Jinping, who removed term limits and is preparing to run for a third term, and Meade Esposito, a former longtime leader of Democratic politics in Brooklyn. “Well, I figured that the Mitch McConnells would be like him, in the sense of strength,” Mr. Trump said. Ms. Haberman’s book is slated to be released Oct. 4. Read More Here

Rep. Liz Cheney Says She Won't Vote For Harriet Hageman, The Trump-Endorsed Republican Who Defeated Her In The Wyoming GOP Primary https://digitalalaskanews.com/rep-liz-cheney-says-she-wont-vote-for-harriet-hageman-the-trump-endorsed-republican-who-defeated-her-in-the-wyoming-gop-primary/ Liz Cheney said she would not support Wyoming GOP House nominee Harriet Hageman in the November general election. Hageman, who was backed by Trump and a plethora of national Republicans, defeated Cheney 66%-29%. Cheney during her interview reaffirmed that her fight against election deniers was not over. Loading Something is loading. Rep. Liz Cheney on Saturday said that she would not vote for Harriet Hageman, the water rights attorney who is the new Republican nominee for Wyoming’s at-large congressional district. Hageman, who was endorsed by former President Donald Trump and a plethora of House Republicans, defeated Cheney in the August GOP primary 66%-29%. During a conversation at The Texas Tribune Festival, Cheney said that Hageman continued to spread debunked theories about the 2020 presidential election and in her opinion should not serve in public office. “Harriet is a member of the Wyoming State Bar and she’s sworn an oath to the Constitution as a member of the Wyoming State Bar,” Cheney told the media organization’s chief executive Evan Smith. “And she continues to make the assertion that somehow the 2020 election was stolen and has said many of the same things that have resulted in people like Rudy Giuliani having their license suspended and I know that she knows better.” “There are many people around this country who are making claims they know not to be true, and I don’t think anybody should vote for any of them,” she added. Cheney also pointed out Kari Lake, the Republican gubernatorial nominee in Arizona, as a candidate who has continued to question the results of the 2020 election. Lake is currently locked in a tight contest with Democratic Secretary of State Katie Hobbs. The congresswoman said that she would work to ensure sure that candidates like Lake are unsuccessful at the ballot box, even if it means campaigning with Democrats. “In this election, you have to vote for the person who actually believes in democracy,” she said. “And that is just crucial, because if we elect election deniers, if we elect people who said that they’re not going to certify results or who are going to try to steal elections, then we really are putting the Republic at risk.” Lake during an appearance on the Fox News program “Sunday Morning Futures” responded to Cheney’s remarks, stating that the Wyoming lawmaker’s comments were a “gift.” “That might be the biggest, best gift I have ever received,” Lake told host Maria Bartiromo. “Liz Cheney probably should change her voter registration. Turns out she really is a Democrat after all,” she added. Read More Here

Rep. Liz Cheney Says She Won’t Vote For Harriet Hageman, The Trump-Endorsed Republican Who Defeated Her In The Wyoming GOP Primary – MsnNOW https://digitalalaskanews.com/rep-liz-cheney-says-she-wont-vote-for-harriet-hageman-the-trump-endorsed-republican-who-defeated-her-in-the-wyoming-gop-primary-msnnow/ Rep. Liz Cheney says she won’t vote for Harriet Hageman, the Trump-endorsed Republican who defeated her in the Wyoming GOP primary  msnNOW Read More Here

U https://digitalalaskanews.com/u/ The U.S. has warned the Kremlin of the devastating consequences Russia would face should nuclear weapons be used in Ukraine, National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan said Sunday. “If Russia crosses this line, there will be catastrophic consequences for Russia,” Sullivan said on NBC’s “Meet the Press.” “The United States will respond decisively. In private channels, we have spelled out in greater detail exactly what that would mean.” Zelenskyy said he does not believe Putin was bluffing when he said last week he would be justified in using any force necessary – implying tactical nuclear weapons are not off the table. “He wants to scare the whole world,” Zelenskyy said. “I think the world is deterring it and containing this threat. We need to keep putting pressure on him.” Sullivan also said Putin must be held accountable for the war crimes and atrocities Russian troops have committed in Ukraine, but acknowledged diplomacy will ultimately be required to end the conflict. That almost certainly won’t happen until Putin’s ready to negotiate. “One man chose this war. One man is directing this war. One man is responsible for this war,” Sullivan said. “That man is Vladimir Putin.” A DRAFT AND MASS GRAVES: Last week’s key events in Ukraine’s war with Russia Other developments: ►Two U.S. military veterans who disappeared more than three months ago while fighting with Ukrainian forces are back in Alabama after a prisoner exchange. Alex Drueke and Andy Huynh had gone missing June 9. ►Serbian Foreign Minister Nikola Selakovic on Sunday played down an agreement signed with Russia, saying it was “technical” and not related to security issues. Serbia, seeking EU membership, has not joined in the bloc’s sanctions against Russia. ANTI-WAR PROTESTS IN RUSSIA: Fears for the drafted as ‘cannon fodder’ and a brutal response by police Overwhelming support for ‘sham’ referendum, Russian firm says About 93% of those casting their ballots on the first day of the referendum on the Zaporizhzhia region joining the Russian Federation were in favor, according to a poll released Sunday by a Russian firm. The Crimean Republican Institute for Political and Sociological Research said it surveyed 500 residents of the Russian-occupied region. Ukrainian and U.S. officials have dismissed the voting for “sham referendums,” which began Friday. Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Sunday that Russia is pushing ahead with referendums in parts of Ukraine it controls because President Vladimir Putin knows he is losing the war and must justify continuing to fight it. Speaking on CBS’s “Face the Nation,” Zelenskyy said Putin plans on annexing the territories so he can justify continuing the invasion by claiming he is actually defending Russian territory.  Zelenskyy said people who fail to support annexation could face retribution – such as having their electricity cut off. The Russians “won’t give them an opportunity to live a normal human life,” he said. A monthlong Ukraine counteroffensive has driven Russia back from thousands of miles of Ukraine territory and compelled Putin to approve a “partial” military mobilization aimed at adding 300,000 soldiers to his battered military. Zelenskyy sees that as an acknowledgement that “their army is not able to fight with Ukraine anymore.” “Look, he knows. He feels it, and his military leadership reports to him. He knows that he’s losing the war,” Zelenskyy said. “In the battlefield, Ukraine has seized the initiative. He cannot explain to his society why.” THE ENTIRE WORLD IS LOSING:  A look at where the war goes from here. EU countries split over welcoming fleeing Russians EU nations have remained remarkably unified in their opposition to Russia’s war in Ukraine despite the huge toll they’re paying in sky-high energy prices. Now another issue related to the war threatens to test their resolve. As thousands of Russians of fighting age flee the country to escape a mobilization of civilians that aims to boost troops by 300,000, EU members are debating whether to grant them asylum.  Germany and France have expressed an interest in providing refuge, and a group of more than 40 French senators said, “Closing our frontiers would fit neither with our values nor our interests.” But that’s not a unanimous stance among the bloc’s 27 members. Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia, the three Baltic countries that were once a part of the Soviet Union and share a border with Russia, have voice opposition to opening their doors to Russian refugees.  “Russians should stay and fight. Against Putin,” Lithuanian Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis tweeted. Finland also said it intends to “significantly restrict” entry to Russians entering the EU through its border with Russia. A Finnish opposition leader, Petteri Orpo, said fleeing Russian military reservists were an “obvious” security risk and “we must put our national security first.” Read More Here

Psaki : If Midterms Are A ‘referendum’ On Biden, Democrats Are Doomed https://digitalalaskanews.com/psaki-if-midterms-are-a-referendum-on-biden-democrats-are-doomed/ Former White House press secretary Jen Psaki believes crime is a big issue for midterm voters. Twitter/@MeetThePress Former White House press secretary Jen Psaki bluntly admitted that if the November midterm elections are a “referendum” on President Biden, the Democrats will lose.  Psaki, who left the White House in May to take a job at MSNBC, said if the midterms focus on the “most extreme” party, mentioning Republican Georgia Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene by name, then Democrats will be celebrating on election day. “If it is a referendum on the president, they will lose. And they know that. They also know that crime is a huge vulnerability for Democrats, I would say one of the biggest vulnerabilities,” Psaki said Sunday on NBC News’ “Meet the Press.” S​he said she has been watching the US Senate race play out in Pennsylvania between Lt. Gov. John Fetterman, the Democratic candidate, and GOP celebrity heart surgeon Dr. Mehmet Oz, and noted that ​Republicans are running ads painting Fetterman as soft on crime. “What’s been interesting to me is it’s always you follow the money, and where are people spending money. And in Pennsylvania, the Republicans have been spending millions of dollars on the air on crime ads against Fetterman because that’s where they see his vulnerability​,” Biden’s one-time chief spokeswoman said. A recent poll shows President Biden’s approval rating at 39%. Getty Images/Anna Moneymaker “​So​,​ yes, the economy is hanging over everything. But you do have to look at state-by-state factors, and crime is a huge issue in the Pennsylvania race​,” she said.  While Biden’s approval ratings have recently climbed into the mid-40s from the dregs in recent polls, a Washington Post/ABC News survey released Sunday found ​it remains below that at 39%.  The president’s disapproval rating is at 53%, the poll found. And while the percentage of Americans who say Biden accomplished a “great deal” or a “good amount” has increased by 5 points since last November, 57% say he has accomplished little or nothing. Read More Here

The Colorado Daily Finally Shuts Down, Long Past Its Prime https://digitalalaskanews.com/the-colorado-daily-finally-shuts-down-long-past-its-prime/ “I know you — you’re the editor of the Means & Media section in the Colorado Daily.” That’s how I met Jennifer Heath, who ran the Colorado Daily’s arts coverage in 1979. I was fresh out of art school in New York City with a BFA in painting, a passion for pop music, and a little experience writing for high school and college newspapers. I was a clerk in a Kwal Paint store in Boulder (a job my parents didn’t appreciate, having spent a lot of money for me to study paintings, not house paint). Heath had come in to buy some paint, and showed her driver’s license when she paid for her purchase. The Daily was an independent, small but well-read free newspaper distributed mostly on the University of Colorado campus, but also in racks around town. Its Means & Media arts section was as important to me as the Village Voice had been when I was in college in New York. I followed up my greeting to Heath with “I have a story idea I’d like to write for the Daily, about whatever happened to folk music.” To my shock, Heath told me to go ahead and write it, and she ran it as a cover story in her section a couple of weeks later. That’s how I kicked off my media career in Colorado. For a year, I wrote art reviews (I did have the degree, after all) and music stories for Heath. I even got to do my first “celebrity” rock musician interview, sitting in a coffeehouse booth with David Muse, the flautist who brought a breezy, jazzy vibe to Boulder-based Firefall’s folk-rock hits. (He died of cancer on August 6, 2022.) I took my clips from the Daily and showed them to Westword in 1980, and I subsequently wrote music stories (and a couple of terrible snooty art reviews) for this newspaper for the next decade, becoming the first full-time editorial staffer. On September 17, Prairie Mountain Media, which owns fifteen papers in Colorado including the Longmont Times-Call and the Boulder Daily Camera (and is owned by Alden Global Capital, which also owns the Denver Post, among other publications), announced that it was shutting down the Daily that day, citing the devastating effects of the pandemic on a newspaper serving the University of Colorado Boulder campus. In 1970, the University of Colorado and the Colorado Daily split.   colorado.edu” href=”https://media1.westword.com/den/imager/u/original/15085609/regentsfight.jfif” rel=”contentImg_gal-15079829″ title=”In 1970, the University of Colorado and the Colorado Daily split. – colorado.edu” click to enlarge In 1970, the University of Colorado and the Colorado Daily split. colorado.edu But the Daily had been much more during its 130-year-long run. It started out in 1892 as The Silver & Gold, the student newspaper of CU; in 1953, its name was changed to the Colorado Daily. In 1970, it became an independent paper, still focused on the student market as well as so much more, with a focus on news and cultural events all over Boulder…and beyond. But award-winning work couldn’t overcome bad business operations, and in 2001, after declaring bankruptcy, the Daily was sold to Randy Miller, who sold it to the Camera five years later. The downhill slide started soon after. The Daily was absorbed by the Camera, and its staff became Camera reporters. By the end, a couple of journalists worked on stories that ran in the Daily, but much of the content was repurposed from the Camera and the Camera’s owners. In his announcement of the shutdown, Prairie Mountain CEO Albert Manzi says the content that would have appeared in the Daily would now be part of the Camera’s Friday Magazine. There won’t be a lot to miss. The student journalists who ran the CU Independent, for which I served as staff advisor from 2010 to 2020 until the journalism department stopped funding the CUI, including my salary (the CUI is still alive, with a volunteer staff), all hated the Colorado Daily. They (and I) were convinced that the Daily was printed simply to bundle advertising for businesses who wanted to reach students with stacks on wire racks around campus. The CUI staff would become incensed when students and faculty at CU Boulder would say they thought the Colorado Daily was the “student newspaper.” When the Daily went independent, the student newspaper was the Campus Press, which became the CU Independent in 2008. That remained the true student newspaper, even after the Camera bought the Daily and positioned it as a student paper. Jennifer Heath was with the Daily through the 1970s into the ’80s, and considers that era its glory days. The Daily’s bylines included some top-notch news and arts reporters and columnists, many of whom went on to work for many other publications both locally — the Rocky Mountain News, the Denver Post, the Camera, Westword, Blues Access — and nationally. Heath isn’t wistful about the Daily’s sunset. “It’s been shut down for me for years and years,” she says. “I think ever since it moved to the Camera, I just I totally lost interest in it.” But she does get nostalgic about the days when she was with the paper: “We had a voice, and it was really fun. I felt like we were doing something. It really was wonderful.” The Nation listed the Colorado Daily as “I think the best small leftist newspaper in the country,” she recalls. Her Means & Media section won an award for coverage that led to saving CU Boulder’s forgotten art collection, which today is the university’s Permanent Collection. “That was thanks to the Colorado Daily,” she says with pride. One of Heath’s notable accomplishments was the hiring of a number of journalists who moved on to other publications and notable careers. She hired Chris Clark, who went on to edit national magazines. She hired Leland Rucker to write music features for the Daily, and he became Means & Media editor in 1986 and worked there until 1993. “That was at the time that all newspapers were getting bigger,” Rucker recalls. “All newspapers were adding color, new sections and building out.” Rucker paid Heath’s legacy forward by hiring the late music columnist Wendy Kale, who covered the local music scene with such zeal and familiarity that she was a must-read for fans and bands alike. He hired a theater reviewer (Juliet Wittman, who had been at the Daily, went on to the Camera and eventually to Westword). As the rock-music scene evolved, he hired younger writers to cover metal, including a student named Brian Trembath, who’s now a special-collections librarian at the Denver Public Library. Clint Talbott, assistant dean of communications at CU who began writing for the Daily in 1984 and was editor until 1998, when he became a columnist for the Camera, does mourn the loss of the Daily. “I’m sad on two levels,” he says. “One for the loss of the Daily, and also what the loss of the Daily means in the bigger picture — that it’s not happening in a vacuum. I feel sad for the loss of independent editorial voices across the country.” He gives credit to Heath and Tim Lange, who was editor from 1971 until the mid-’80s and shepherded the paper through its tumultuous move to independence from the university. “They were visionaries about what they could do with a a small paper,” says Talbott. “And they did amazing stuff.” John Lehndorff, who began writing for the Daily not long after he arrived in Colorado in 1976, eventually worked for the Camera as features editor, then was the Rocky Mountain News food reviewer; he’s worked at a succession of other outlets since. “I thought [the Daily] should have gone away a long time ago,” he says. “You know, for many years, it just, it hasn’t been much of a working newspaper. Mostly reprinting things from the Camera and Post. “But, you know, the Colorado Daily at the time was a significant other paper in Boulder,” he adds. “The Camera was the stodgy establishment publication. And the Daily, they were covering all the stuff I was interested in.” Lehndorff acknowledges that the end of the Daily marks a milestone for local media — in Boulder, at least. “It’s kind of like the death of the queen. You’re sort of mournful. Some of it is that you’re mindful for what was and who you were at the time, and the endless opportunities and cool stuff going on. “And the other thing is, you know, think about this for a minute: Coupled with other things that are closing, like Albums on the Hill and other things in the world and other people that are dying, I’m sad for what it once was. But I don’t think a lot of people are mourning, you know. It’s just that it was time to go.” Read More Here

3 More Plaintiffs Join Class Action Against American Express Alleging Discrimination Toward White Employees https://digitalalaskanews.com/3-more-plaintiffs-join-class-action-against-american-express-alleging-discrimination-toward-white-employees/ Three more plaintiffs have joined a class-action lawsuit filed in August alleging that American Express subjected White employees to “racially discriminatory” policies that fostered a hostile work environment. “Since the filing of this lawsuit my firm has been inundated with calls from former and current Amex employees from all around the country who read the allegations of the complaint and couldn’t believe how accurately they described their own experiences with the company,” attorney David Pivtorak told FOX Business. On Aug. 23, Pivtorak filed a class action on behalf of former Amex employee Brian Netzel and potentially thousands of other similarly situated employees following what the complaint described as “an avalanche of bad things coming to White people in that company once George Floyd was killed.” The lawsuit alleges that Amex implemented “anti-racism” policies throughout its corporate structure in the wake of Floyd’s death that “gave preferential treatment to individuals for being Black and unambiguously signaled to White employees that their race was an impediment to getting ahead in the company.” AMERICAN EXPRESS SLAPPED WITH LAWSUIT ALLEGING DISCRIMINATION AGAINST WHITE EMPLOYEES In an amended complaint, three new class representative plaintiffs allege discrimination similar to that which Netzel described. Netzel told FOX Business at the time his complaint was filed that Amex’s racial policies flooded the workplace with “a tremendous amount of animosity.” He alleged White employees were unfairly punished or passed over for promotions, while some Black employees were promoted merely to meet racial quotas, and that some felt empowered to “root out in McCarthy-era fashion people who didn’t agree with this overall philosophy.” Stocks in this Article In his original complaint, Netzel alleged that his female manager, who is Black, would “aggressively harass and berate White employees” and that Amex was not only aware of her behavior but provided financial incentives to executives to reduce the number of White employees. Three new class representative plaintiffs have joined a class-action lawsuit alleging that American Express engaged in racially discriminatory policies against White employees, fostering a hostile work environment.  (Reuters/Lucy Nicholson/File Photo / Reuters Photos) One of the new plaintiffs, who resides in a different city than the original plaintiff, claims to have been subjected to racial harassment and discrimination from that same manager. Another alleges to have been harassed and denied a promotion on racial grounds by a different manager. All three of the new plaintiffs say they were forced to resign from well-paying positions in the company to escape its racially toxic environment. EX-AMERICAN EXPRESS EMPLOYEE SPEAKS OUT ON ‘WOKE’ CORPORATE AMERICA: ‘SHAME ON YOU’ “It’s hard to put into words how racially toxic that working environment must have been, from top to bottom, where you can just hear it in these people’s voices. I only hope that more employees come forward to challenge these abhorrent practices because that is how we will finally bring the wrongdoers to justice,” attorney Pivortak said. Amex did not provide comment on the amended complaint but denied the claims of the original suit, with a spokesperson telling FOX Business at the time: “The allegations made about our company in the lawsuit are false and without merit. We have a longstanding commitment to living our company values which include fostering a diverse and inclusive culture where all colleagues can thrive.” “Advancement, hiring, and compensation within our company is based solely on individual qualifications, business, and leadership performance. Any claim to the contrary is wrong, and we do not provide any incentive for behaviors that discriminate against or favor any group of employees,” the spokesperson added. Amex has faced previous allegations of discrimination. Nick Williams, a White male who served eight years as a manager of business development at Amex until he was suddenly let go in March 2021, turned down a six-figure settlement offer after refusing to sign paperwork forbidding him from speaking out against the credit card behemoth. CLICK HERE TO READ MORE ON FOX BUSINESS In 2021, five current and former employees told FOX Business on condition of anonymity that the company engaged in “reverse discrimination” against White employees and steeped the workplace in the tenets of critical race theory. Amex categorically denied the accusations at the time. Read More Here

Liz Cheney: I'll Quit The GOP If Trump Runs In '24 https://digitalalaskanews.com/liz-cheney-ill-quit-the-gop-if-trump-runs-in-24/ Bob Daemmrich/Zuma Fight disinformation: Sign up for the free Mother Jones Daily newsletter and follow the news that matters. House Rep. Liz Cheney, the lame-duck Wyoming Republican and longtime anti-Trumper, said this weekend that she’ll leave the Republican Party if it nominates Donald Trump a second time. “I’m going to do everything I can to make sure he is not the nominee,” Cheney said at the Texas Tribune Festival on Saturday. “And if he is the nominee, I won’t be a Republican.” She pledged to oppose Kari Lake, her party’s Trump-backed, election-denying contender to govern Arizona—even if it meant campaigning for a Democrat. Still, Cheney’s attitude toward the Democratic Party is at best lukewarm. She didn’t concede that she wanted Democrats to keep control of the House after the midterms, and criticized the Biden administration’s “bad policies.” As my colleague Tim Murphy has pointed out, Cheney spent years demonizing Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton, and endorsed Trump before his movement ousted her: “By the time she decided that orange man, in fact, bad, the damage had long since been done.” “Donald Trump is the only president in American history who refused to guarantee a peaceful transition of power,” Cheney said Saturday. That the GOP “has refused in the months since then to stand up to him,” she continued, “does tell you how sick the party is.” After being ousted from House Republican leadership, losing her primary to a self-styled witch who relishes environmental destruction, and hearing that the Wyoming GOP no longer calls her a Republican anyway, Cheney is locked in an identity crisis, unable to shake the shackles of her party affiliation. Given what she’s been through, another Trump primary win seems like an arbitrary line in the sand. Read More Here

Two-Thirds In New Poll Say Midterms More Important Than Past Elections https://digitalalaskanews.com/two-thirds-in-new-poll-say-midterms-more-important-than-past-elections/ AP Photo/Julio Cortez A woman drops a ballot into a drop box while casting her vote during Maryland’s primary election, Tuesday, July 19, 2022, in Baltimore. Two-thirds of American voters think the upcoming elections are more important than past midterms, new polling shows, with about six weeks until November’s midterms. The Washington Post-ABC News poll released Sunday found that 67 percent of voters feel casting a ballot in this year’s midterms is more important than in past elections, with 35 percent saying this year is “much” more important.   Twenty-eight percent of voters said they felt this year’s election has about the same importance as previous years, and just 5 percent said it’s less important. Higher than usual turnout is expected from both parties, according to the poll, with 3 in 4 Democrat voters and 8 in 10 Republicans saying they will almost certainly cast ballots.   The GOP remains favored to win the House, though its expected margin of victory has steadily declined in recent weeks, according to forecasters, while the race for Senate is predicted to be a tossup. Former President Trump’s central role in the election — despite not being on the ballot — is of increasing concern for Republicans. The Washington Post-ABC News poll also found the parties nearly tied on a generic congressional ballot, with 47 percent of voters saying they’d support a Republican candidate and 46 percent saying they’d back a Democrat. The economy, abortion and inflation were the top three issues for voters.  A larger share of voters said they trusted Republicans to deal with the economy and inflation than said they trusted Democrats on those issues — a 17-point difference between the parties on inflation and a 16-point different on inflation.   At the same time, an equally significant majority of voters said they trusted Democrats to handle the issue of abortion — 17 points higher than Republicans. The Washington Post-ABC News poll was conducted Sept. 18-21 and surveyed 908 registered voters. The margin of error among registered voters was 4 percentage points.  Tags 2022 democrats midterms November Poll republicans Trump turnout Voters Read More Here

What Did Liz Cheney Say About A Trump 2024 Nomination? https://digitalalaskanews.com/what-did-liz-cheney-say-about-a-trump-2024-nomination/ Although Wyoming Rep. Liz Cheney lost her primary to Trump endorsed candidate Harriet Hageman in August, she is actively keeping with her previously voiced convictions regarding former president Donald Trump. Looking back: During her concession speech last month, Cheney warned that “we must be very clear-eyed about the threat we face and about what is required to defeat it,” she said. “I have said since Jan. 6 to do whatever it takes to ensure Donald Trump is nowhere near the Oval Office, and I mean it.” Driving the news: Now, Cheney has given a glimpse into how she intends to keep Trump out of office. During the Texas Tribune Festival in Austin on Saturday, Cheney said that she would leave the GOP if Trump wins the presidential nomination in 2024, Axios reported. During the festival, Cheney also criticized Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin, who has voiced his support for Trump-backed Arizona gubernatorial candidate Kari Lake, someone who is well-known for her election fraud claims, according to NBC News. Cheney simply replied “yes” when asked whether or not she would support the Democratic party in an effort to defeat Lake and other Republican nominees who promote election lies, per CNN. Looking ahead: During a discussion at the festival, Cheney did not offer any hints as to whether or not she will run for president in the future or the Jan. 6 House Committee’s plans, NBC News reported. Cheney shares her disapproval for Trump with her father, former Vice President Dick Cheney. Whilst campaigning for his daughter’s primary run, Cheney said, “in our nation’s 246 year history, there has never been an individual who is a greater threat to our republic than Donald Trump.” Cheney said that her father gave her one piece of advice earlier this year: “‘Defend the republic, daughter.’ And I will,” she said, The Texas Tribune reported. Read More Here

Editorial: Ahead Of 2024, Legislation Offers A Shield For Democracy https://digitalalaskanews.com/editorial-ahead-of-2024-legislation-offers-a-shield-for-democracy/ Voting is our most precious right, and it must be protected with zeal and urgency. The outcomes of elections affect almost every facet of our lives. The U.S. House took a crucial step toward ensuring that protection last week when it voted to overhaul the 135-year-old Electoral Count Act, the law then-President Donald Trump exploited in an effort to subvert the results of the 2020 presidential election. While we have seen the path to election reform littered with partisan roadblocks in the past, officials expressed optimism this bill will pass. The vote, 229-203, went mainly along party lines, with only nine Republicans supporting the legislation. Unfortunately, but perhaps unsurprisingly, every Texas representative voted against the measure, an act of cowardice that placed politics above principle. “If your aim is to prevent future efforts to steal elections, I would respectfully suggest that conservatives should support this bill,” U.S. Rep. Liz Cheney, R-Wyo., who co-sponsored the bill, said on the floor. “If, instead, your aim is to leave open the door for elections to be stolen in the future, you might decide not to support this or any other bill to address the Electoral Count Act.” The Presidential Election Reform Act would govern how Electoral College votes are submitted by states and then counted by Congress, and the new measure would make it harder for members of Congress to disrupt the process with frivolous objections, as some Republicans did in 2020. It would also clarify the the vice president holds a ministerial role in the process. The hope here, officials say, is this would eliminate the kind of intimidation and threats Vice President Mike Pence faced in 2020, when he defied Trump and certified the Electoral College votes . Almost two years after the Jan. 6, 2021, siege of the Capitol, this legislation represents the most significant step toward ensuring we never see a repeat of the horrific assault, which left five people dead and hundreds injured. With our democracy in peril for 187 harrowing minutes, rioters came within seconds of reaching the man they wanted to “hang,” Pence, who was charged with certifying the electoral votes that would hand the presidency to Joe Biden. The mob failed, but the threat remains, for Trump is still the most potent force in the Republican Party, and he is continuing to stoke the lies and anger that fueled the insurrectionists in the first place. The existing law is simply outdated for this moment in time. “Imagine that there was a law on the books requiring you to travel by horse and buggy,” Rebecca Green, co-director of the election law program at the College of William & Mary, told NPR earlier this year. “That is literally what the Electoral Count Act is like.” With the presidential election two years away, supporters of these reforms feel a sense of urgency to push the measure through Congress quickly. “The time to address (these problems) is now,” Ned Foley, an election law expert at the Ohio State University, said in an interview earlier this year. “Now is the maximum veil of ignorance: where the two political parties don’t know exactly what the lay of the land is going to be in ’24 and ’25, and so there’s a greater chance of bipartisan consensus on the clear procedures for governing the process.” In the Senate, 11 Republicans have expressed support for a similar bill aimed at reforming the Electoral College process, the Philadelphia Inquirer reported. If at least 49 of the Democrats in the Senate also vote for the bill, it would clear any attempt to filibuster by the GOP. “The poor drafting of the 1887 Electoral Count Act endangered the transition of power from one administration to the next,” Sen. Pat Toomey, R-Pa., who is co-sponsoring the bill, said in a statement to the Philadelphia Inquirer. These measures are not a panacea for the corruption that has afflicted our elections, but they represent a crucial step on the road to reform. Read More Here

Path Shows Ian Sparing South Florida For Now, But Parts Of Cuba Could See Life-Threatening Floods https://digitalalaskanews.com/path-shows-ian-sparing-south-florida-for-now-but-parts-of-cuba-could-see-life-threatening-floods/ Tropical Storm Ian is expected to become a hurricane Sunday, and then grow into the season’s second major hurricane by midweek. Ian is forecast to produce heavy rain, and flooding particularly over western Cuba as a major hurricane, meaning Category 3 or above. Western Cuba and Grand Cayman were under a hurricane warning Sunday. Life-threatening storm surge and hurricane-force winds are expected in portions of western Cuba beginning late Monday. All signs point to Ian reaching Florida as a weakened hurricane. The most recent forecasts suggest southeast Florida may dodge the initial impact, unlike the rest of the state, as the storm’s potential path shifts north and west. (National Hurricane Center) At the 11 a.m. advisory, Ian was moving west-northwest at 12 mph with maximum sustained winds remaining at 50 mph. At 11 a.m., it was 300 miles south-southeast of Grand Cayman and 570 miles southeast of the western tip of Cuba. On the forecast track, the center of Ian is forecast to pass well southwest of Jamaica on Sunday, and pass near or west of the Cayman Islands early Monday. Ian will then move near or over western Cuba Monday night and early Tuesday. If Ian does make landfall on Cuba, it is expected to do so as a major hurricane (sustained winds of at least 111 mph). It will then and emerge over the southeastern Gulf of Mexico on Tuesday. The track forecast has continued to move west since the last update. However, much uncertainty remains. “There is significant spread noted even among the GFS ensemble members, with positions that range from the north-central Gulf of Mexico to the west coast of Florida,” the National Hurricane Center said in its 5 p.m. advisory Saturday. Ian will likely drop heavy rainfall, flash flooding, and possible mudslides in Aruba, Bonaire and Curacao, with heavy rains in Jamaican and the Cayman Islands in the next few days. That doesn’t mean South Floridians should rejoice, however. The cone could still shift back east, and even if it doesn’t, the cone shows only where the center of the hurricane will likely be, not the havoc it may wreak. “I know a lot of South Floridians, they kind of look at the graphic and take that as the holy grail,” said Shawn Bhatti, a meteorologist for National Weather Service Miami, on Saturday afternoon. “But it’s important to remember there’s volatility with that and impacts extend far outside what the cone is able to show.” [ MAP: See the latest forecast map for potential Hurricane Ian  ] Those impacts include extreme flooding, tropical storm-force winds, and tornadoes. The cone of uncertainty forecasts where the center of a hurricane will be two-thirds of the time, Bhatti said. But subtle shifts in the track can make a huge difference, and the warm waters of the Gulf and possible land interaction with Cuba could create those shifts. “This weekend, have all preparations in place for a potential worst-case scenario,” said Bhatti. The “reasonable” worst-case scenario right now still includes all the impacts associated with a major hurricane. But if the storm keeps shifting west, South Florida could see only high waves and gusty winds. As the weekend progresses, the hurricane’s path will become increasingly clear. By Sunday night into Monday morning, forecasters say they’ll have a much better idea of what’s to come and whether South Florida might be spared the brunt of the storm. [ READ IN SPANISH: Se espera que el huracán Ian se forme hoy; la ruta pronosticada parece no llegar al sur de Florida por ahora  ] Gov. Ron DeSantis on Saturday amended the state of emergency to encompass all of Florida. Previously, the state of emergency had been issued only for 24 counties, including Broward, Miami-Dade, and Palm Beach. The Florida National Guard will be activated and on standby to respond as needed, the emergency order says. Warm waters in the Caribbean and the Gulf will strengthen the storm into a hurricane as early as Sunday, with “rapid intensification” possible, the National Weather Service said Saturday. South Florida could start to see heavy rainfall on Monday, presenting a risk of limited flash and urban flooding, according to the latest advisory. Meanwhile, tropical storm-force winds may begin in South Florida as early as Monday night, but are most likely to start Tuesday evening. Robert Garcia, a meteorologist with National Weather Service Miami, encouraged South Floridians to prepare over the weekend. “It’s time to start getting those hurricane plans out, making sure everyone has all the things they need in their kits, water, know where your insurance papers are,” Garcia said. “Stay attentive to what’s going on with the forecast. Things are probably going to progress through the weekend and into early next week where that attention will necessary.” (National Hurricane Center) [ STAY UPDATED with the latest forecast for tropical weather at SunSentinel.com/hurricane ] Florida’s Division of Emergency Management issued a news release Friday announcing that the state is preparing for potential landfall and urging Floridians to prepare their homes for the storm. “It is critical that Floridians remain vigilant and prepared — it only takes one storm to cause costly or irreversible damage to your home or business,” FDEM director Kevin Guthrie said in the release. The National Hurricane Center is also tracking other Atlantic storms. Breaking News Alerts As it happens Get updates on developing stories as they happen with our free breaking news email alerts. Tropical Storm Hermine on Sunday was continuing to bring rain to the Canary Islands and is poised to become a remnant low, forecasters said. What was Hurricane Fiona had weakened to a post-tropical cyclone by early Sunday, and the National Hurricane Center was no longer posting advisories about the storm. Fiona was the first major hurricane of the 2022 season, meaning Category 3 and above. Forecasters are also monitoring a broad area of low pressure in the Atlantic that has a 20% chance of developing in the next five days, though Ian is the biggest concern. “The one to watch is definitely the system moving into the southeastern Caribbean,” said Eric Blake, a forecaster for the National Hurricane Center. Tropical Storm Gaston is continuing to weaken and is expected to become a post-tropical cyclone Sunday morning. Hurricane season ends Nov. 30. The next named storm after Ian would be Julia. Read More Here

WH Adviser Keisha Lance Bottoms Says 'MAGA Republicans' Want To 'destroy The United States Of America' https://digitalalaskanews.com/wh-adviser-keisha-lance-bottoms-says-maga-republicans-want-to-destroy-the-united-states-of-america/ NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles! White House adviser Keisha Lance Bottom continued the Biden administration’s pattern of attacking “MAGA Republicans” and claiming that followers of former President Donald Trump are a threat to the country. In an interview with MSNBC’s Jonathan Capehart on “The Sunday Show,” Bottoms claimed that Democrats, Republicans, and independents should all be concerned about this threat. “There is a MAGA Republican agenda that gives no consideration to the rule of law, that has no respect for a woman’s right to choose, that wants to defund the FBI,” she said. “There is a MAGA Republican agenda that thought that it was okay to attack our nation’s Capitol on January 6.“ For weeks, highlighted by President Biden’s polarizing speech in Philadelphia, he and his administration have danced on the line of claiming that they were only referring to a segment of the Republican Party while also painting the GOP as a whole with broad strokes by stating that they were being taken over by MAGA Republicans. WH APPEARS TO SEND MIXED MESSAGES ON ‘MAGA REPUBLICANS,’ STATING IT’S NOT ‘MOST’ GOP, BUT PARTY IS ‘OVERRUN’ “Not every Republican, not even the majority of Republicans, are MAGA Republicans. Not every Republican embraces their extreme ideology,” Biden said in his Philadelphia speech. Two sentences later, he said, “But there is no question that the Republican Party today is dominated, driven, and intimidated by Donald Trump and the MAGA Republicans, and that is a threat to this country.” Capehart observed that Biden’s administration has taken “a tough line … against Republicans writ large,” and asked Bottoms if they would “keep hammering away at that phrase” heading toward November’s election. WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY SAYS BIDEN SPEECH SLAMMING TRUMP, ‘MAGA REPUBLICANS’ WAS ‘NOT POLITICAL’ “Well, I think it will be important for all of us who care about the United States of America to call out what we see,” said Bottoms, the former mayor of Atlanta. “And what we see, again, with this MAGA Republican agenda is an effort to disrupt our democracy. So whether it be through November and beyond November, I think it will always be important to call out any effort there is to destroy, essentially destroy the United States of America.” Bottoms went on to say that “President Biden has been very clear” about wanting “to work in a bipartisan effort” but blamed Trump supporters for standing in the way, claiming that they have an “agenda that no respect for the Constitution” or “for free and fair elections.”  CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP Without stating exactly what that agenda is, Bottoms declared that “it is important for all of us, not just the president, not just me, for all of us to call it out for what it is.” “It is a danger to our democracy,” she said. “It is a danger to our way of life.” Read More Here

How Should Alaska Use $58.5 Million In Opioid Settlement Funds? The State’s Seeking Suggestions. https://digitalalaskanews.com/how-should-alaska-use-58-5-million-in-opioid-settlement-funds-the-states-seeking-suggestions/ Through the end of September, Alaskans are able to provide input on how the state should use over $58 million in funds allotted through opioid company settlements. The funds make up Alaska’s portion of a $26 billion settlement in lawsuits that found multiple drug manufacturers and distributors partially responsible for the opioid epidemic of the past 30 years. The money, designated to combat opioid misuse and addiction, will be distributed over 18 years to nonprofits and communities in Alaska. An advisory council formed by Gov. Mike Dunleavy has drafted a list of proposed funding uses that is now available for review by members of the public, according to an email from the state health department announcing the open comment period. A memorial honoring Alaskans who have lost their lives to substance abuse and fentanyl poisoning during the three-day Connection Overcomes Addiction event at the Delaney Park Strip on Sept. 4, 2022. (Bill Roth / ADN) Once the proposal is approved through the legislative process, the money will be used for “opioid remediation,” which very broadly can include strategies addressing treatment, prevention, harm reduction and recovery. When the advisory council first met over the summer to discuss how to appropriate the funds, their goal was to include tribal, rural and urban perspectives in the planning, and to have both short- and long-term goals, according to Heidi Hedberg, state director of public health. “I really wanted to spend the first six months listening to testimonies from those with lived experience and understanding what are the existing current programs,” Hedberg said. “And then the question was, what are the gaps to address?” Some specific suggested uses for the funds included in the draft proposal include: training and distribution of naloxone, a fast-acting overdose reversal drug; increased access to medication-assisted treatment; support for people in recovery; more social workers; more treatment options in jails; media campaigns to prevent opioid use; trainings for first responders; drug education in schools; and syringe service programs. Special emphasis should be given to help more vulnerable communities, including those who are incarcerated, uninsured or underinsured, in recovery or pregnant, the proposal said. “Using these guidelines, I think, is really going to have a really powerful impact on being able to turn the tide and be able to really reduce opioid use,” said Michael Carson, vice president and recovery specialist at MyHouse of Mat-Su and chair of the Mat-Su Opioid Task Force. Carson said in an interview that he was particularly glad to see so many prevention-based strategies on the list of possible uses for the funds. “I think (prevention) gives us, in short, the biggest bang for our buck, so to speak,” he said. “That’s where we need to go: upstream primary prevention and drug education.” The funds come at a moment when Alaska is currently experiencing an alarmingly high rate of overdose-related deaths that have been mostly attributed to fentanyl, a highly potent synthetic opioid that can be deadly even when consumed in small amounts. In 2021, 253 people died from drug overdoses in Alaska — marking the largest percentage increase in overdose deaths of any state in the United States. With the settlement money, the short-term goal is to “get the funding to communities that have nonprofits and that are working to address substance misuse,” Hedberg said. Next steps include finding ways to address general impacts of the opioid epidemic and find ways to prevent and educate, and to support people in recovery. “I think that we need to remember that it’s going to take years to address this opioid epidemic,” Hedberg said. [Anchorage police chief says department will reevaluate its policy on officers carrying Narcan] Members of the public interested in commenting verbally are able to attend a Zoom meeting hosted by the Alaska Mental Health Board on Thursday, Sept. 29 from 3 to 4 p.m. “We really want to have that feedback from the public,” Hedberg said. Alaskans can also send emailed comments to Jenny Weisshaupt, a health planner with the state, at Jennifer.weisshaupt@alaska.gov, or by mail at Alaska Mental Health Board/Advisory Board on Alcoholism and Drug Abuse c/o Jenny Weisshaupt, P.O. Box 110608, Juneau, AK 99811-0608. All comments must be received by 5 p.m. Friday, Sept. 30. • • • Read More Here

Trump's Best Defense In New York Lawsuit? 'Delay, Delay, Delay,' Ex-Prosecutors Say https://digitalalaskanews.com/trumps-best-defense-in-new-york-lawsuit-delay-delay-delay-ex-prosecutors-say/ New York Attorney General Letitia James laid out a strong legal case against Donald Trump, his three eldest children and the Trump Organization in her $250 million civil lawsuit — but the former president may be able to drag the legal action out for several years, former prosecutors told NBC News. “This is going to be a very difficult case for the defendants to win,” said Duncan Levin, a former assistant district attorney and asset forfeiture chief in the Manhattan District Attorney’s office. “One of the best defenses to this matter is to delay, delay, delay.”   The state’s attorney general, Letitia James, filed suit against the Trumps and top executives at their company last week in connection with her yearslong probe into its business practices. The suit alleged more than 200 instances of fraud over 10 years and efforts by Trump that “wildly exaggerated his net worth by billions of dollars.” James is seeking to permanently bar members of the Trump family from serving as officers of New York-based companies, as well as money damages and other penalties, including a five-year ban on the former president and his company from entering into any commercial real estate acquisitions in the state. Here are some possible defenses Trump’s lawyers may attempt: ‘Let’s stall this’ John Moscow, former deputy chief of the Manhattan district attorney’s investigations division, said he could “see a projected defense strategy of saying, ‘Let’s stall this.'” “Delay is always in the defendant’s favor” and would allow Trump to enjoy the “fruits” of his alleged scheme for as long as possible, unless the courts try to hold his feet to the fire, said Moscow, now a white-collar defense lawyer, adding that these types of cases “can go on forever.” Judges should at this point understand that he is “not seeking his day in court,” Moscow said, pointing to Trump’s history of drawing out litigation with numerous motions and appeals. Defendants in New York can easily use various stalling tactics, Levin said, and “good lawyering can draw these things out for many years.” It’s a ‘witch hunt’ Trump has denied any wrongdoing. He and his lawyer, Alina Habba, have called James’ lawsuit a politically motivated “witch hunt.” They used that argument in a lawsuit filed in federal court late last year seeking to stop the probe, contending that it was “guided solely by political animus and a desire to harass, intimidate, and retaliate against a private citizen who she views as a political opponent.” To bolster the claim, they pointed to disparaging statements James had made about Trump — including that she told NBC News after her 2018 election she planned to “use every area of the law to investigate” transactions made by the Trump family and their business. A judge dismissed that suit in May, finding that the AG’s probe had a “legitimate factual” basis, but Trump and his lawyers and allies have continued their attempts to undermine the credibility of James’ investigation in remarks to the public. If Trump is re-elected in 2024, Moscow said, he could even seek to delay the lawsuit for the duration of his next potential term by re-invoking past arguments he has made in other lawsuits surrounding presidential power. Their “number one defense is in the court of public opinion,” Levin added. New York Attorney General Letitia James speaks during a press conference in New York on Sept. 21, 2022.Michael M. Santiago / Getty Images ‘Never had a complaint’ In posts on social media and an interview with Fox News after the suit was filed, Trump began laying out his own defenses to the AG’s claims. He argued that there’s no allegation that any of the supposedly duped banks and insurers were harmed and that the financial statements included disclosures saying they had not been audited. James, Trump wrote on Truth Social, “is spending all of her time fighting for very powerful and well represented banks and insurance companies, who were fully paid, made a lot of money, and never had a complaint about me.” But the former prosecutors say those arguments are unlikely to succeed in court because James won’t need to prove harm suffered by any victims for Trump to lose the case. The lack of damages might be a mitigating factor for Trump when it comes time for a judge to decide on financial penalties, but it wouldn’t get him off the hook, Levin said. Just because the banks got paid back their money “doesn’t mean a crime hasn’t been committed.” Moscow noted that the suit — which alleges Trump and his company violated a New York law targeting those who commit repeated fraud or illegal acts in business transactions — doesn’t actually seek money damages on behalf of the banks and insurance companies. It does, however, seek a remedy that would require Trump to give up the profits he pocketed from his alleged illegal or wrongful conduct conducts, including inflating his financial statements to obtain more favorable loans and lower premiums. Blame it on the banks A route that Trump might take with some success, Levin said, is heaping blame on the banks for not noticing that the valuations were too rosy. “The core of that argument is the financial statements that were relied upon by these banks were marked as non-audited financials,” Levin said. “While the AG is making the statement that the valuations are far outside what they should be, the other part is the people who were on the receiving end of these financial statements were sophisticated Wall Street banks. They know how to read these financial statements.” But that is unlikely to deliver Trump a win, Levin continued, as James’ “incredibly thorough” complaint alleges that the company had falsely claimed their statements were prepared in conformity with “generally accepted accounting principles,” and many of the valuations were so outsized — including saying a property valued at $200 million on Wall Street was worth over $500 million — that they couldn’t reasonably be considered honest mistakes or typical accounting tricks. “It’s going to be very difficult to overcome some of that,” Levin said of the inflated financial statements. Moscow also believes that Trump and his company will struggle to explain away much of their alleged misrepresentations, such as his claim that his Trump Tower apartment was 30,000 square feet when it was really 10,000 square feet. Trump would have been well aware of the size of the apartment because “he built it. He lived there,” the former prosecutor said. The civil suit is the culmination of a years-long investigation by James’ office into the Trump Organization’s business practices, during which the former president and his son, Eric Trump, used their Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination hundreds of times to evade deposition by investigators. (Sources have told NBC News that neither Ivanka Trump nor Donald Trump Jr. claimed the privilege during their depositions.)  While taking the Fifth can’t be used against a defendant in criminal court, asserting the privilege in New York civil cases can be used to take an “adverse inference” against the person testifying. Trump has previously been in the crosshairs of the attorney general’s office, including actions involving Trump University and the Trump Foundation, which were settled for $25 million and $2 million, respectively. Asked if she hoped to settle the business fraud case, James told reporters this week that while she has already rejected settlement offers from Trump’s side, her “door is always open” to reach an agreement out of court. Trump indicated that isn’t likely, telling Fox News host Sean Hannity in an interview Wednesday, “I didn’t want to settle because how can you, even if I paid a very small amount, you’re sort of admitting guilt.” Editor’s note: Duncan Levin represented former Trump Organization CFO Allen Weisselberg’s ex-daughter-in-law, who turned over evidence about the family’s finances to the AG and the DA’s office last year. Read More Here

New Minimum Tax Could Hit Berkshire Hathaway And Amazon Hardest, Study Shows https://digitalalaskanews.com/new-minimum-tax-could-hit-berkshire-hathaway-and-amazon-hardest-study-shows/ Berkshire Hathaway Chairman Warren Buffett seen at the annual Berkshire shareholder shopping day in Omaha, Nebraska, U.S., May 3, 2019. Scott Morgan | Reuters Researchers applied the Inflation Reduction Act’s new 15% corporate minimum tax onto 2021 company earnings and found that the burden would only be felt by about 78 companies, with Berkshire Hathaway and Amazon paying up the most. The study from the University of North Carolina Tax Center used past securities filings to map the tax, which goes into effect in January, onto companies’ 2021 earnings. The researchers found that the 15% minimum would have taken a total of $31.8 billion from 78 firms in 2021. Berkshire led the estimated payout with $8.33 billion, and Amazon follows behind with $2.77 billion owed based on its 2021 earnings. The study notes the limitations of looking solely at public company data within a single year. The researchers recognized that these estimates may be subject to change, especially as company operations change under the tax in 2023. President Joe Biden signed the minimum book tax into law, along with the rest of the Inflation Reduction Act, in August. The tax is specifically meant to target companies earning more than $1 billion per year. The Joint Committee on Taxation had previously estimated that it would affect around 150 firms, with the costs falling specifically on the manufacturing industry. The bipartisan JCT also predicted $34 billion in revenue in the first year of the tax, slightly more than the theoretical 2021 revenue estimated at UNC. According to the study, the next-highest taxes would be paid by Ford, AT&T, eBay and Moderna, all of which would owe more than $1.2 billion in payments based on their 2021 financials. Read More Here

Tropical Storm Ian Forecast To Become Hurricane Sunday As It Heads Towards Florida https://digitalalaskanews.com/tropical-storm-ian-forecast-to-become-hurricane-sunday-as-it-heads-towards-florida/ Tropical Storm Ian was forecast to rapidly strengthen into a hurricane Sunday as it continues a path through the Gulf of Mexico and towards Florida.As of the 2 p.m. advisory, Tropical Storm Ian was 265 miles south-southeast of Grand Cayman and 540 miles southeast of the western tip of Cuba. Ian is moving west-northwest at 12 mph with maximum sustained winds of 50 mph. BELOW: WESH 2 Chief Meteorologist Tony Mainolfi takes deep dive into the latest Ian modelsSee the latest maps, models and paths here A turn toward the northwest at a similar forward speed is expected later today, followed by a turn toward the north-northwest on Monday and north on Tuesday. The center of Ian is forecast to pass well southwest of Jamaica Sunday, and pass near or west of the Cayman Islands early Monday. Ian will then move near or over western Cuba Monday night and early Tuesday and emerge over the southeastern Gulf of Mexico on Tuesday.WESH 2 Meteorologist Eric Burris stressed that the models still do not agree on specific landfall location.”The GFS has shifted east a touch east, but still remains the outlier taking Ian to the panhandle. The Euro has held firm with a west coast scrape, and eventual landfall near Clearwater Beach,” WESH 2 Meteorologist Eric Burris said at 11 a.m. “Timing has shifted back a bit, and now it looks like squally weather could potentially start Wednesday, with the worst weather Thursday. This, like everything else is subject to change.”The NHC echoes this sentiment and notes that there is a higher than usual degree of uncertainty with this forecast.”Regardless of Ian’s exact track and intensity, there is a risk of dangerous storm surge, hurricane-force winds, and heavy rainfall along the west coast of Florida and the Florida Panhandle by the middle of the week, and residents in Florida should ensure they have their hurricane plan in place, follow any advice given by local officials, and closely monitor updates to the forecast,” the NHC said. WESH 2 Hurricane Survival Guide 2022Surviving the season: Everything you need to know this hurricane season in FloridaSUMMARY OF WATCHES AND WARNINGS IN EFFECT:A Hurricane Warning is in effect for… * Grand Cayman * Cuban provinces of Isla de Juventud, Pinar del Rio, and Artemisa A Tropical Storm Warning is in effect for… * Cuban provinces of La Habana, Mayabeque, and Matanzas A Tropical Storm Watch is in effect for… * Little Cayman and Cayman Brac A Hurricane Warning means that hurricane conditions are expected somewhere within the warning area. A warning is typically issued 36 hours before the anticipated first occurrence of tropical-storm- force winds, conditions that make outside preparations difficult or dangerous. Preparations to protect life and property should be rushed to completion. A Tropical Storm Warning means that tropical storm conditions are expected somewhere within the warning area within 36 hours. A Tropical Storm Watch means that tropical storm conditions are possible within the watch area, generally within 48 hours. Interests in central Cuba, the Florida Keys, and the Florida peninsula should monitor the progress of Ian.Related: DeSantis declares State of Emergency for all of FloridaRelated: Seminole County begins sandbag preps ahead of tropical storm arrivalRelated: Where to get sandbags in Central FloridaKNOW WHAT TO DO WHEN A HURRICANE WATCH IS ISSUEDStay tuned to WESH 2 News, WESH.COM, or NOAA Weather Radio for storm updates.Prepare to bring inside any lawn furniture, outdoor decorations or ornaments, trash cans, hanging plants, and anything else that can be picked up by the wind.Understand hurricane forecast models and cones.Prepare to cover all windows of your home. If shutters have not been installed, use precut plywood.Check batteries and stock up on canned food, first-aid supplies, drinking water, and medications.The WESH 2 First Warning Weather Team recommends you have these items ready before the storm strikes.Bottled water: One gallon of water per person per dayCanned food and soup, such as beans and chiliCan opener for the cans without the easy-open lidsAssemble a first-aid kitTwo weeks’ worth of prescription medicationsBaby/children’s needs, such as formula and diapersFlashlight and batteriesBattery-operated weather radioWHAT TO DO WHEN A HURRICANE WARNING IS ISSUEDListen to the advice of local officials. If you are advised to evacuate, leave.Complete preparation activitiesIf you are not advised to evacuate, stay indoors, away from windows.Be alert for tornadoes. Tornadoes can happen during a hurricane and after it passes over. Remain indoors, in the center of your home, in a closet or bathroom without windows.HOW YOUR SMARTPHONE CAN HELP DURING A HURRICANEA smartphone can be your best friend in a hurricane — with the right websites and apps, you can turn it into a powerful tool for guiding you through a storm’s approach, arrival and aftermath.Download the WESH 2 News app for iOS | AndroidEnable emergency alerts — if you have an iPhone, select settings, then go into notifications. From there, look for government alerts and enable emergency alerts.If you have an Android phone, from the home page of the app, scroll to the right along the bottom and click on “settings.” On the settings menu, click on “severe weather alerts.” From the menu, select from most severe, moderate-severe, or all alerts.PET AND ANIMAL SAFETYYour pet should be a part of your family plan. If you must evacuate, the most important thing you can do to protect your pets is to evacuate them too. Leaving pets behind, even if you try to create a safe space for them, could result in injury or death.Contact hotels and motels outside of your immediate area to see if they take pets.Ask friends, relatives and others outside of the affected area whether they could shelter your animal. ORLANDO, Fla. — Tropical Storm Ian was forecast to rapidly strengthen into a hurricane Sunday as it continues a path through the Gulf of Mexico and towards Florida. As of the 2 p.m. advisory, Tropical Storm Ian was 265 miles south-southeast of Grand Cayman and 540 miles southeast of the western tip of Cuba. Ian is moving west-northwest at 12 mph with maximum sustained winds of 50 mph. BELOW: WESH 2 Chief Meteorologist Tony Mainolfi takes deep dive into the latest Ian models See the latest maps, models and paths here A turn toward the northwest at a similar forward speed is expected later today, followed by a turn toward the north-northwest on Monday and north on Tuesday. The center of Ian is forecast to pass well southwest of Jamaica Sunday, and pass near or west of the Cayman Islands early Monday. Ian will then move near or over western Cuba Monday night and early Tuesday and emerge over the southeastern Gulf of Mexico on Tuesday. WESH 2 Meteorologist Eric Burris stressed that the models still do not agree on specific landfall location. “The GFS has shifted east a touch east, but still remains the outlier taking Ian to the panhandle. The Euro has held firm with a west coast scrape, and eventual landfall near Clearwater Beach,” WESH 2 Meteorologist Eric Burris said at 11 a.m. “Timing has shifted back a bit, and now it looks like squally weather could potentially start Wednesday, with the worst weather Thursday. This, like everything else is subject to change.” This content is imported from Twitter. You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site. This content is imported from Twitter. You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site. New 12z GFS model is in… and we are seeing another slight shift to the east..today’s trend! A shift to the east means greater impacts to ALL of Florida. It will be interesting to see what the rest of our tropical models say in a few hours. Stay with @WESH for updates. #weshwx pic.twitter.com/81RRKcxFR6 — Tony Mainolfi (@TMainolfiWESH) September 25, 2022 This content is imported from Twitter. You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site. Here’s the 11 AM advisory on #IAN. Cone hasn’t changed much but increased wind shear will start to take some toll Wednesday/Thursday causing some weakening before landfall. Still plenty of long range uncertainty on track. Stay with @WESH for updates. #weshwx pic.twitter.com/PABhan3Ckz — Tony Mainolfi (@TMainolfiWESH) September 25, 2022 The NHC echoes this sentiment and notes that there is a higher than usual degree of uncertainty with this forecast. “Regardless of Ian’s exact track and intensity, there is a risk of dangerous storm surge, hurricane-force winds, and heavy rainfall along the west coast of Florida and the Florida Panhandle by the middle of the week, and residents in Florida should ensure they have their hurricane plan in place, follow any advice given by local officials, and closely monitor updates to the forecast,” the NHC said. WESH 2 Hurricane Survival Guide 2022 Surviving the season: Everything you need to know this hurricane season in Florida SUMMARY OF WATCHES AND WARNINGS IN EFFECT: A Hurricane Warning is in effect for… * Grand Cayman * Cuban provinces of Isla de Juventud, Pinar del Rio, and Artemisa A Tropical Storm Warning is in effect for… * Cuban provinces of La Habana, Mayabeque, and Matanzas A Tropical Storm Watch is in effect for… * Little Cayman and Cayman Brac A Hurricane Warning means that hurricane conditions are expected somewhere within the warning area. A warning is typically issued 36 hours before the anticipated first occurrence of tropical-storm- force winds, conditions that make outside preparations difficult or dangerous. Preparations to protect li...

The Beginning Of The End? The Week In Editorial Cartoons, Kryptonite Edition – Part 1 https://digitalalaskanews.com/the-beginning-of-the-end-the-week-in-editorial-cartoons-kryptonite-edition-part-1/ Objects in your rearview mirror may be closer than you think. The resigned look on the driver’s face says it all. The Past Week in Editorial Cartoons — Do Read This Attribution: Andy Singer, Politicalcartoons.com This was the “Week from Hell” for Donald Trump, his family, and his many ongoing businesses financial scams. A massive civil suit seeking heavy penalties  filed by the Attorney General of the State of New York, Letitia James, against the Trump Organization threatens to financially cripple and end its very existence with no chance of revival. A federal appellate court ruled against Trump and allowed the US Department of Justice to resume its criminal investigation into analyzing classified government documents seized by the FBI at Mar-a-Lago last month. The “Special Master” overlooking the stolen documents case has advised the Trump legal camp to legally put up or shut up.  While Trump can make outrageous claims on a daily basis, making the same assertions in a court of law carries great risk. With Congress back in session, the Jan 6th Committee will hold another nationally televised session later this week — hardly good news for Trump and others involved in organizing and implementing an insurrection in January 2021 for which hundreds of MAGA nuts are sitting in jail and more about to join them. The noose is beginning to tighten around his neck as Trump probably feels the pressure — one which made him flaunt his telepathic powers on FOX News.  This ”completely bizarre diatribe” seems to be hurting the Republican Party’s chances in the November Elections.  As a sign that deperation may be setting in, Trump also fully embraced the QAnon Movement.  It believes in conspiracy theories including one that the Democratic Party is running a secret pedophilic society.   Due to the overwhelming number of editorial cartoons published this past week (I saved well over 200, looked at many more), once again you get the benefit of not one, but two diaries.  If time permits, I’ll try to post Part II a bit later this evening between 6:00-8:00 pm ET. Part I of this diary deals with voting issues, Trump and his many bizarre actions, abortion restrictions, and the Russia-Ukraine War. Part II of the diary delves more into Trump, MAGA nuts, Ron DeSantis and the immigration issue, and other miscellaneous items. Hope you enjoy reading the diaries.  Thanks. Attribution for January 6th Committee cartoon: Clay Bennett, Chattanooga Times Free Press @BennettCartoons. Please Vote in the November Elections Remember to register and vote in the November 2022 Elections. If you can, help a friend, neighbor, co-worker, or acquaintance along the way.   It’s time to play offense and work toward a return to sanity and normalcy. Early Voting Has Started in Four States for the 2022 Elections Do your civic duty. “In-person voting for the midterm elections opened Friday in Minnesota, South Dakota, Virginia and Wyoming, kicking off a six-week sprint to Election Day in a landscape that has changed much since the pandemic drove a shift to mail balloting in the 2020 presidential contest,” the AP reports. The start of in-person voting comes as the nation continues to grapple with the fallout from nearly two years of false claims that the 2020 presidential election was stolen from former President Donald Trump due to widespread fraud and manipulation of voting machines. Those conspiracy theories, promoted by a constellation of Trump allies in the campaign, on social media and at conferences held across the country, have taken a toll on public confidence in U.S. elections. What might happen in future elections if Republican election deniers are successful in 2022 in several states? Uncertainty and chaos. What Election Deniers Could Do If They Win In 2022 Reuters: “Refusing to certify election results would immediately be met by lawsuits and pleas to state courts to reverse such unprecedented actions, and there is no guarantee these Republican office holders would ultimately succeed in overturning results if they decided to try.” “Yet at a minimum such radical action would delay election results, likely throw the country into chaos, undermine faith in the voting system and potentially lead to civil unrest.” How did the Republican Party get to this horrible place where it’s using white supremacist hate speech to radicalize its supporters so they’re willing to overthrow our democracy? This thread traces some of the steps. 1/15 pic.twitter.com/7dBDbDYOhX — Mark Jacob (@MarkJacob16) September 19, 2022 ‘ readability=”5.9801324503311″ x How did the Republican Party get to this horrible place where it’s using white supremacist hate speech to radicalize its supporters so they’re willing to overthrow our democracy? This thread traces some of the steps. 1/15 pic.twitter.com/7dBDbDYOhX — Mark Jacob (@MarkJacob16) September 19, 2022 Times Have Changed Any Doubts? WhatAboutism — MAGA Style Headed to a MAGA Rally The Full Story About White Supremacy — See This Video Crossing the Line into Fascism Abortion — Back to the Bad Old Days Theory and Practice Courtesy of the US Extreme Court and the State of Texas His Morality, Their Bodies The Russia-Ukraine Conflict — You’re Gonna Need a Bigger Lifeboat, Vlad Another One Bites the Dust Russian Roulette Signs of Desperation Choices They Are Making Finally… I always scan over 75 personal websites or Twitter sites throughout the week looking for hidden gems from editorial cartoonists.  These items usually pertain to tweets from other people about policy issues, popular culture, history, and the like.   This week, it was a focus on the past from the 1890s to the 1960s.  Hope you like what I dug up. Did you know this?  I sure didn’t.  Ann Telnaes is the editorial cartoonist for the Washington Post. A Blast from the Past by Film Director Jean-Luc Godard The current issue of the New York Review of Books has this to say about the film Bande à part (1964). [H]e had the stars of his wonderful Bande à part (1964) run through the Louvre to kill a little time, even as time was killing them.  Starring three young performers at the height of their beauty and ability to fascinate—Anna Karina, Sami Frey, and Claude Brasseur—this film, Godard’s seventh full-length movie, is, ostensibly, an homage to gangster flicks, but to me it’s about how youth doesn’t know itself, and what that confusion of energy and intention looks like as it plays out against history—in grand edifices like the Louvre. Get Smart Premiere from 1965 The Diary Poll Here is the “THE COMPLETE GUIDE TO ALL THE WAYS DONALD TRUMP IS LEGALLY SCREWED” from Vanity Fair.  It includes all the major investigations underway, as well as some lesser-known ones in which Trump is entangled.  Can Trump survive all of these charges?  Any one of these could bring him down. The Jan 6th Committee’s hearings are largely political in nature but could lead to criminal charges and prosecution.   Who Are the Idiots Who Believe his Guy? The committee has no power to prosecute, but it has gone to court to enforce subpoenas to testify and prompted criminal charges of contempt of Congress by the Justice Department against Stephen K. Bannon and Peter Navarro, two former Trump aides.  Mr. Bannon has been convicted and is awaiting sentencing, while Mr. Navarro has asked a court to throw out his case. But while lawmakers cannot indict Mr. Trump, they are debating whether to make a criminal referral recommending that the Justice Department do so.  That has little substantive meaning, but it would raise the stakes for Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. Also, see these two articles — New York Times, ”The Story So Far: Where 6 Investigations Into Donald Trump Stand” and the Guardian, “Of all the legal threats Trump is facing, is this the one that could take him down?” Remember to take the diary poll. Poll 2 votes Show Results Of All the Investigations Donald Trump is Facing, Which One Poses the Greatest Legal Threat to Him? 2 votes Vote Now! Of All the Investigations Donald Trump is Facing, Which One Poses the Greatest Legal Threat to Him? 1. The Mar-a-Lago Classified-Documents Investigation 2. The Justice Department’s Criminal Investigation of January 6 and the Plot to Overturn the Election 3. The Georgia Criminal Investigation 4. The Manhattan District Attorney’s Criminal Case Against the Trump Organization, Etc. 5. The New York Attorney General’s Civil Investigation Into the Trump Organization 6. The E. Jean Carroll Defamation Suit 7. Another Investigation Listed in the Vanity Fair Article 8. Something else (comment attached) Read More Here

Schiff Says Any Criminal Referral For Trump By The January 6 Committee Should Be Decided Unanimously – Local News 8 https://digitalalaskanews.com/schiff-says-any-criminal-referral-for-trump-by-the-january-6-committee-should-be-decided-unanimously-local-news-8/ By Daniella Diaz and Devan Cole, CNN US Rep. Adam Schiff, who serves on the House committee investigating the January 6, 2021, insurrection, says that if the panel makes a criminal referral for former President Donald Trump related to the riot at the US Capitol, it should be made unanimously. “We operate with a high degree of consensus and unanimity,” the California Democrat told CNN’s Jake Tapper on “State of the Union” on Sunday. “It will be certainly, I think, my recommendation, my feeling, that we should make referrals, but we will get to a decision as a committee, and we will all abide by that decision, and I will join our committee members if they feel differently.” CNN reported earlier this year that although the bipartisan committee was in wide agreement that Trump committed a crime when he pushed a conspiracy to prevent the peaceful transfer of power after the 2020 election, panelists were split over what to do about it, including whether to make a criminal referral of Trump to the Justice Department, according to four sources connected to the committee. The internal debate spilled into plain view in June when the committee’s chairman, Democratic Rep. Bennie Thompson of Mississippi, repeatedly told a group of reporters at the Capitol that the panel would not be issuing any criminal referrals, a declaration that several of his fellow committee members were quick to push back on. Schiff said Sunday he wouldn’t disclose information about the focus of the select committee’s public hearing Wednesday, which will likely be its last until the panel releases its final report. “I think it’ll be potentially more sweeping than some of the other hearings, but it too will be in a very thematic — it will tell the story about a key element of Donald Trump’s plot to overturn the election,” he said. Rep. Jamie Raskin, another January 6 panelist, said Sunday that the upcoming public hearing would share “details” learned by the committee since its last hearing in August. The Maryland Democrat told NBC News that he expects Wednesday’s hearing to be the last presentation of its investigation, but he’s “hopeful” the committee will hold a hearing presenting recommendations to Congress. Raskin added that the goal of Wednesday’s hearing is for panelists to reveal the newest findings in the investigation to supplement the broader narrative they presented in earlier hearings. Schiff, when asked by Tapper about the committee obtaining Secret Service communications related to the riot, said the panel was still going through them. “We are still going through them because they are very voluminous. I will say they’re not a substitute for having the text messages that were apparently erased from those devices, and we are still investigating how that came about and why that came about. And I hope and believe the Justice Department on that issue is also looking at whether laws were broken and the destruction of that evidence,” Schiff said. “But we do have a mountain of information that we need to go through.” Thompson said earlier this month that the communications turned over to the January 6 committee included “a combination of a number of text messages, radio traffic, that kind of thing. Just thousands of exhibits.” He added that the texts that were handed over were “primarily” from the day before and during the riot. Meanwhile, Democratic Rep. Pete Aguilar of California, another member of the committee, reemphasized the panel’s desire to obtain further testimony from former US Secret Service Assistant Director Tony Ornato, who retired last month. “We remain deeply wanting to hear from him,” he said Sunday on CBS News’ “Face the Nation.” Ornato has met with the committee twice but has not agreed to a meeting since former White House aide Cassidy Hutchinson told the committee Ornato had told her Trump was irate upon learning his security detail wouldn’t take him to the US Capitol the day of the insurrection. Lawmakers push back on Trump Schiff, who chairs the House Intelligence Committee, added his voice Sunday to a growing group of lawmakers pushing back on Trump’s claim that he could simply declassify classified documents by “thinking about it.” “No, that’s not how it works. Those comments don’t demonstrate much intelligence of any kind,” he told Tapper. “If you could simply declassify by thinking about it, then frankly, if that’s his view, he’s even more dangerous than we may have thought.” He continued: “With that view, he could simply spout off on anything he read in a Presidential Daily Brief or anything he was briefed on by the CIA director to a visiting Russian delegation or any other delegation and simply say, ‘Well, I thought about it and therefore, when the words came out of my mouth, they were declassified.’” Wyoming Sen. John Barrasso, the No. 3 Republican in the chamber, also rejected Trump’s claim on Sunday, telling ABC News that he doesn’t “think a president can declassify documents by saying so.” This story has been updated with additional reaction. The-CNN-Wire & © 2022 Cable News Network, Inc., a Warner Bros. Discovery Company. All rights reserved. CNN’s Aaron Pellish and Sonnet Swire contributed to this report. Read More Here

AP News Summary At 12:19 P.m. EDT https://digitalalaskanews.com/ap-news-summary-at-1219-p-m-edt/ Winter’s approach sets clock ticking for Ukraine, Russia KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — The onset of autumnal weather in Ukraine is making fields too muddy for tanks and beginning to cloud Ukrainian efforts to take back more Russian-held territory before winter freezes the battlefields. The clock is ticking for both sides. Russia is rushing to call up of hundreds of thousands of men to throw into the seven-month war, seeking to reverse its recent losses. The mobilization is sparking Russian protests, with fresh demonstrations Sunday. It is also opening splits in Europe about whether fighting-age Russian men fleeing in droves should be welcomed or turned away. ‘Multilateral’? Global South’s leaders question solidarity DAKAR, Senegal (AP) — The United Nations was established on one simple notion above all others — that working together is better than going it alone. But while the term “multilateralism” might be trending at this year’s U.N. General Assembly, some leaders are calling out the heads of richer nations. Whether it’s the global response to the COVID-19 pandemic or climate change, developing countries say it seems that richer nations are thinking of themselves first and not the world’s most vulnerable. When the United Nations was established in 1945, world leaders hoped it would make sure that something like World War II never happened again. That meant working together. Canada sends troops to help clear Fiona’s devastation TORONTO (AP) — Hundreds of thousands of people in Atlantic Canada remain without power and officials are trying tried to assess the scope of devastation of from former Hurricane Fiona. It swept away houses, stripped off roofs and blocked roads across the country’s Atlantic provinces. After surging north from the Caribbean, Fiona came ashore before dawn Saturday as a post-tropical cyclone, still at hurricane strength. Defense Minister Anita Anand says troops will help remove fallen trees, restore transportation links and do whatever else is required for as long as it takes. Fiona caused at least five deaths in the Caribbean. One woman is missing in Canada. Tropical Storm Ian strengthens as it heads to Cuba, Florida TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) — Authorities and residents in Florida are keeping a cautious eye on Tropical Storm Ian as it rumbles through the Caribbean, expected to continue gaining strength and become a major hurricane in the coming days on a forecast track toward the state. Gov. Ron DeSantis has declared a statewide emergency, expanding an order from Friday that had covered two dozen counties. He is urging Floridians to prepare for a storm that could lash large swaths of the state. Some residents have begun stocking up on supplies such as water, plywood and generators. President Joe Biden has also declared an emergency for the state. Ceremony and controversy await Harris during visit to Asia WASHINGTON (AP) — Attending funerals on behalf of the United States is normally a straightforward assignment for a vice president. But for Kamala Harris, there’ll be controversy at nearly every turn as she visits Asia for the memorial honoring former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. American allies are seeking clarity after mixed messages over whether President Joe Biden would send troops to defend Taiwan from a Chinese invasion. There’s the potential for more provocations from North Korea, which test-fired a missile shortly before Harris’ departure from Washington. And there’s resentment over a new U.S. law that makes electric vehicles built outside of North America ineligible for subsidies. Italians vote in election that could take far-right to power ROME (AP) — Italians are voting in a national election coming at a critical time for Europe. Soaring energy bills, largely caused by the war in Ukraine, have households and businesses fearful they can’t keep the heat or lights on this winter. Sunday’s balloting for Italy’s Parliament might yield the nation’s first government led by the far right since the end of World War II. Opinion polls had indicated Giorgia Meloni and her Brothers of Italy party, with its neo-fascist roots, would be the top vote-getter. Polls opened at 7 a.m. The counting of paper ballots is expected to begin shortly after they close at 11 p.m. (2100 GMT), with projections based on partial results coming early Monday morning. Analysis: Latest Iran protests likely not last for Tehran Only glimpses of videos that make it online show the protests convulsing Iran over the death of a 22-year-old woman who had been detained by the nation’s morality police. But those flashes show that public anger across the country, once only simmering, is now boiling. The demonstrations surrounding the death of Mahsa Amini — and the government crackdown emerging to stifle them — represent the latest cycle of unrest to grip Iran since its 1979 Islamic Revolution. It likely won’t be the last as the Islamic Republic lurches between crises at home and abroad. Texas vow to ‘eliminate all rapists’ rings hollow at clinics AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — Rape crisis centers in Texas say their caseloads remain high a year after a new abortion law that made no exceptions for rape victims went into effect. Republican Gov. Greg Abbott defended the law in September 2021 by saying that Texas would get to work eliminating rapes. But the constant caseloads in Texas are one example illustrating how Republicans have struggled to defend zero-exception abortion bans that are unpopular in public polling and caused uproar in high-profile cases. The absence of exceptions has caused divisions among Republicans, including in West Virginia, where a new law signed this month allows rape and incest victims to obtain abortions at up to eight weeks of pregnancy but only if they report to law enforcement first. Critics: Oregon’s move to decriminalize hard drugs a failure SALEM, Ore. (AP) — Since Oregon residents voted in 2020 to decriminalize hard drugs and dedicate hundreds of millions of dollars to treatment, few people have requested the services and the state has been slow to channel the funds. Oregon still has among the highest addiction rates in the country. Fatal overdoses have increased almost 20% over the previous year, with over a thousand dead. Steve Allen, behavioral health director of the Oregon Health Authority, acknowledges that Oregon’s experiment has had a rocky start. But he says a milestone has been reached, with more than $302 million being sent to facilities across the state to help people get off drugs. Democrats in Florida seek to win over Latinos on gun control MIAMI (AP) — Democrats in Florida are trying to make inroads with Latino voters by focusing on gun safety. It’s part of an effort to curb the gains made by Republican in Latino-heavy areas as Democrats address gun violence and highlight what they say is the lack of action by Republicans. Few places disappointed Democrats in 2020 as deeply as South Florida. A shift among Latinos toward the GOP contributed to several unexpected losses in House races and helped then-President Donald Trump carry Florida. Democrats are campaigning differently this year as they aim to connect the party’s priorities to the personal experiences of a group that often feels overlooked in national politics. Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Be the first to know Get local news delivered to your inbox! Read More Here

At Anti-War Protests In Russia, Fears For The Drafted As https://digitalalaskanews.com/at-anti-war-protests-in-russia-fears-for-the-drafted-as/ Anna Nemtsova and Michael Collins  |  USA TODAY Olga Zhgun couldn’t stay silent. Zhgun, a 45-year-old film director, marched through the streets of Moscow with other anti-war protesters Wednesday night, just hours after Russian President Vladimir Putin announced plans to mobilize another 300,000 reservists to bolster his troops fighting in Ukraine. Before the night was over, Zghun would end up in the back of a police truck, bleeding, after a police officer smashed her head with a club. “When Putin called for the mobilization, I knew I could not stay indifferent,” Zhgun said. “It was a turning point. Somebody had to protest. Otherwise, the world would think we are all supporting this.” Across Russia, demonstrators spilled into the streets this week in the country’s first nationwide anti-war protests since Russian troops invaded Ukraine back in February. The protests started in the Siberian and Transbaikal regions shortly after Putin’s announcement and spread to the Ural Mountains and European parts of Russia throughout the night. HOW IT STARTED: Biden details new Russian sanctions as death toll climbs in Ukraine THE ENTIRE WORLD IS LOSING: Six months into the Russia-Ukraine war, a look at where we go from here. Thousands of activists marched in Russia’s major cities, chanting: “No to war!” “No to mobilization!” “Russia without Putin!” Russia’s airports, train stations and highways were jammed as draft-age men fled the country to avoid being called into service. Many traveled to Central Asia, Turkey or Armenia, but the prices for flights tripled or quadrupled overnight, making them unaffordable for many Russian reservists. A risky strategy Western analysts said the demonstrations and the exodus are clear signs that Putin is struggling in Ukraine and at home. “This is confirmation that the war is not going well and that Putin has not really mobilized the population in support of this war,” said Will Pomeranz, director of the Wilson Center’s Kennan Institute, a Washington-based think tank dedicated to Russian and Eurasia research. Confronted with steep battlefield losses, expanding front lines and a conflict that has raged longer than expected, the Kremlin has struggled to replenish its troops in Ukraine. Until Putin’s callup of troops, the first since World War II, many Russians had been detached from the war, Pomeranz said. Russia-Ukraine war: Russians protest, flee country as Putin’s military mobilization begins; Blinken urges end to nuclear threats “There hadn’t been a real call for sacrifices of the Russian population to engage in this war,” he said. “This mobilization was a test of Putin’s propaganda. And I think that, clearly, for those Russians who are now more vulnerable to being called up into the military, they do not want a part of this war.” Putin’s mobilization of additional forces is a risky strategy, said Paul Stronski of the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, a nonpartisan think tank headquartered in Washington.  The war in Ukraine “was popular when Russia was winning, and it was popular when young Russian men were not at risk of being sent to war,” said Stronski, a senior fellow at Carnegie’s Russia and Eurasia Program By sending more men into the conflict, “they’re stepping into a situation that could certainly backfire,” he said. SPREADING MISINFORMATION: Russia’s ‘firehose of falsehood’ in Ukraine marks latest use of propaganda to try to justify war ‘Awful times’ More than 1,300 anti-war protestors have been arrested in cities across Russia, including Moscow and St. Petersburg, according to the independent Russian human rights group OVD-Info. In St. Petersburg, an opposition movement of young democratic activists called the Spring led protesters to St. Isaac’s Square. Special mobile police units were waiting. Officers beat the activists with clubs, forced some of them to their knees and dragged them to police buses. Some detainees were handed draft papers ordering them to report to local enlistment offices at 9 a.m. the following day. In Moscow, the prosecutor’s office warned that organizing or participating in protests could lead to up to 15 years in prison. For Boris Vishnevsky, a local deputy, the political climate in Russia is deeply disturbing. “Awful times,” he said. Back in 1988, Vishnevsky participated in rallies by the Leningrad People’s Front that inspired the Perestroika political reform movement. But now his hopes for democracy in Russia are fading. “Even in my worst nightmare, I could never imagine a mobilization for the war in Ukraine,” Vishnevsky said. “Russia has not seen mobilizations since 1941. If only we could see Putin, the only words we would have to say would be: Stop the fire.” By midnight Wednesday, police had detained 444 people in St. Petersburg and announced a special operation called “Krepost,” or fortress. Vishnevsky called police stations, asking that public officials let defense lawyers in to see their detained clients. Everywhere he called, the answer was no. When he asked police why they conducted the fortress operation, the answer shocked him: “Because the detainees could capture the room with weapons.” PIERCING THE PROPAGANDA VEIL: US, Schwarzenegger, hackers give Russians uncensored view of Ukraine war Soldiers as ‘cannon fodder’ Dmitry Tolkachev, a 28-year-old political scientist who opposes killing people in war, took a bus to Finland with a short-term visa in his passport on Thursday. The visa will allow him to remain in Finland for up to 90 days.  “I respect the brave protesters a lot,” Tolkachev said. “But in Russia, one can die or go to jail for truth. I cannot do this.” The bus Tolkachev took across the border into Finland was filled with 25- to 45-year-old men escaping the draft, he said. He suspects Russian leaders will use corruption to protect their families from the mobilization. “In this respect, Russia’s political regime is similar to Central Asian states,” said Tolkachev, who as a university student researched and wrote about queer issues. Many in Russia wondered how the Kremlin was executing the combat plan in Ukraine and how long the drafted soldiers would be trained for the war. Videos of men saying goodbye to their loved ones flooded social media. Human-rights defenders reported mobilizations in remote villages in Buryatia, a poor Russian republic nearly 3,000 miles from Moscow. Putin described the call-up of forces as a “partial mobilization,” but Stronski said it appears to be much broader. “We’ve seen college-aged men being walked out of their classrooms” and forced into service, he said. Putin’s shadow private army, Wagner Group, continued recruiting convicts around Russian prison colonies. Marat Gabidullin, a Wagner veteran, refused to join the military forces and fight in Ukraine. Gabidullin is angry with the men in power. “They are stubborn and dumb,” he said. “They send young people to wars, stealing their future… They will not train the army in such short mobilization period, so these drafted men are going to turn into cannon fodder.” Stronski, too, questioned whether the additional troops would benefit Russia’s war machine. “You don’t need men – you need men who are trained to fight,” he said. “Some of these people are just being taken from their workplace or being taken from their classroom and having just a couple of weeks of training before they are sent to the front. They’re not necessarily going to be the same fighting force. How reliable will they be?” “This might not be the solution to Russia’s military troubles,” he said. “We could just be sending Russian men to their death.” PUTIN ‘WON’T STOP’ WITH UKRAINE: Why Americans should care about Russia’s aggression against its neighbor ‘History is repeating itself’ The day after she was attacked by police, Zhgun went to the doctor to treat her head wound. She learned she had a concussion. Zhgun, who has been joining political rallies since the first Russia Without Putin protest in 2001, has had trouble finding a job since the fighting erupted in Ukraine. Employers did not like her anti-Putin statements on social media. Zhgun fears for her country. “I am Jewish,” she said. “I can see that the history is repeating itself once again. Something awfully scary is happening in Russia.” Contributing: The Associated Press ‘WAR CRIMINAL’: As Biden gets personal with Putin, US, Russia relationship hits a dangerous crisis Read More Here

For Mormons, A Perfect Lawn Is A Godly Act. But The Drought Is Catching Up With Them https://digitalalaskanews.com/for-mormons-a-perfect-lawn-is-a-godly-act-but-the-drought-is-catching-up-with-them/ In June 2021, Marlene and Emron Esplin stopped watering their front lawn. Given that the Esplins live in Utah, where maintaining lush green turf is often associated with the fulfillment of a biblical prophecy, the decision to let their grass go brown was a radical act. “I just felt like it was morally wrong to be watering our yard so much,” says Marlene who, along with her husband, is a devout member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. A month earlier, Utah Governor Spencer Cox had declared a state of emergency due to a record lack of precipitation and he asked the public to pray for rain. He declared a second drought-related state of emergency in April 2022. Like the rest of the south-west, Utah is in a megadrought that started in 2000. As the second driest state in the United States behind Nevada, the unprecedented aridity has hit Utah especially hard. For the last two summers, about 90% of the state was in exceptional, extreme or severe drought, according to the US Drought Monitor. But this did not stop people in Utah – the Esplins notwithstanding – from keeping their grass green all summer long. series embed box For many Mormons in Utah – who make up two-thirds of the state’s population of 3 million – the concept of being a good steward is wrapped up in a pioneer nostalgia that favors an artificial, irrigated landscape over the natural desert environment. This Mormon version of Manifest Destiny is at the heart of why Utahns suck up so much municipal water as well as why the state is moving at a dangerously glacial pace to deal with the climate crisis. It explains why Utah uses more municipal water than any state in the country, except for Idaho. And why the state has long supported a heavily subsidized water pricing system and zoning laws that encourage, if not flat-out demand, a yard full of well-tended grass. When trying to explain the near-religious devotion to irrigated landscapes, Mormons often quote a verse from the Old Testament (Isaiah 35:1-2) that inspired their 19th century pioneer ancestors who settled in Utah: “The wilderness and the solitary place shall be glad for them; and the desert shall rejoice, and blossom as the rose.” The Provo Utah temple. While many Mormons have historically viewed “making the desert bloom” as a virtuous act, some environmentalists – both inside and outside the church – argue that this literal interpretation of the biblical prophecy is misguided, especially as the south-west grapples with the dire threats of climate change. “It is total insanity that the Great Salt Lake is drying up and we are using hundreds of thousands of acre feet of treated culinary water to irrigate the totally useless crop of Kentucky bluegrass,” Zach Frankel, executive director of Utah Rivers Council, said of the thirsty emerald green turf that is the preferred lawn in Utah. Frankel, who is not Mormon, believes well-meaning Latter-day Saints have been co-opted by politicians and profit-hungry developers to maintain thirsty lawns in order to justify the need for more water projects “The grass lawn is not in anyone’s best interest except for those at the Utah state house who are seeking billions of dollars in unnecessary spending,” says Frankel. Frankel and others are lobbying Utah government leaders to enact aggressive water conservation policies before it is too late. But what may ultimately carry the most weight are the efforts by Latter-day Saints like the Esplins who are seeking a paradigm shift in their community to undo the irrigation mentality. They want to convince fellow Mormons that the desert is already beautiful and has a divinely created ecological wisdom all its own. Left: Marlene Esplin in front of her home. The Esplins let their lawn go brown to conserve water. Right: A ward house surrounded by a green lawn in Holladay, Utah. For Marlene and Emron, both professors at Brigham Young University who live in a historic, tree-lined neighborhood in Provo, 45 miles south of Salt Lake City, letting their lawn die was an expression of their faith. “I want to be a better Christian steward of the place where I live,” says Marlene. “Why not let the desert bloom as a desert?” The first Mormons arrived in the Salt Lake Valley in 1847. After their leader Joseph Smith was killed by a mob in Illinois three years earlier, the “saints,” as they called themselves, traveled some 1,300 miles across the western frontier in search of a home where they could practice their religion free from persecution. Even though the Salt Lake Valley was a semi-arid desert, it abutted the snow-covered Wasatch Mountains and offered promising opportunities for irrigating crops. Mormon leader Brigham Young announced that the saints had finally arrived in their prophesied promised land. And one of the first orders of business was to dig an irrigation ditch along a creek so they could start farming. “Mormons map themselves onto Old Testament narratives because they feel similar to the Israelites who were chased through the wilderness fleeing oppression until they found their promised land,” says George Handley, a Mormon professor at Brigham Young University and member of the Provo city council. Sprinklers spraying water on the lush lawns of Brigham Young University. In addition to their faith, the Mormons also brought a European pastoral aesthetic common among New World colonizers that revolved around a green Garden of Eden and rejected the desert plants. As Mormons seized homelands and water resources from the region’s Indigenous people, the religious community grew rapidly, as did their irrigation canals. Unlike other European immigrants colonizing the west, the Mormons were not looking for gold or other material riches. They were on a mission to establish their holy land, a place called Zion. By 1865, approximately 65,000 Mormons had settled in Utah. And they had built some 1,000 miles of canals to irrigate nearly 150,000 acres of semi-arid farmland. It was a triumph of Manifest Destiny unlike anything else in the American west. “These were people who came out of tremendous suffering,” says Handley. “And for many decades they were vulnerable to starvation because of the harsh environmental conditions. Pulling through that period successfully created a kind of a catapult. The positive momentum was so strong that it seemed crazy to put the brakes on any of it.” Brigham Young University’s green campus in Provo, Utah. In 1902, this momentum was channeled into the creation of the US Bureau of Reclamation that would ultimately oversee the construction of 600 dam projects and the transformation of the west. As Marc Reisner wrote in Cadillac Desert, the agency’s ambitious irrigation program was “based on Mormon experience, guided by Mormon laws, run largely by Mormons”. Utah grew rapidly after the second world war, and farmland was converted to sprawling suburbs. The population of Salt Lake City boomed, as did the other communities along the Wasatch Front, an 80-mile strip at the base of the mountains stretching from Ogden on the north to Provo on the south. Canals that were originally built to support agriculture were adapted to residential use. This widespread “secondary water” canal system that is unique to Utah allows untreated water to be piped into communities expressly for the purpose of irrigating lawns. Users now pay a flat annual fee of $250 on average for an unlimited and unregulated supply of water. Over the last two decades, as megadrought took hold in the south-west, arid states such as California, Nevada and Arizona, have been implementing increasingly aggressive conservation measures. Las Vegas, Phoenix and Los Angeles budget millions of dollars to pay residents to pull out their lawns while water cops patrol neighborhood streets to make sure everyone is following the rules. But until last summer, few conservation measures were implemented in Utah. Left: George Handley, a Mormon professor and member of Provo city council, says the aesthetics should adapt to the natural environment. Right: A lawn in the master-planned community of Daybreak, Utah. “Mormons believe that if there is a problem, God will provide,” says Rich Ingebretsen, a great-grandson of Brigham Young and founder of the non-profit Glen Canyon Institute. “That is why Governor Cox asked everyone to pray for rain. The attitude has always been that if we pray and pay our tithing to the church, then we don’t need to save the Earth because God will save it for us. I have heard this so many times.” Last June, Mormon church headquarters issued an “official statement” on water conservation. “The Church is working to reduce water use in all our buildings and facilities, including exterior landscaping,” stated a press release. The release said that in some cases landscaping would be permitted to turn brown or go dormant. It also encouraged others to reduce their water use. When recently asked for examples of properties where lawns had been allowed to turn brown, the Mormon church communication office declined to comment. Ingebretsen says he has observed more Latter-day Saints members in recent years who are concerned about climate crisis and have started to cut back on watering their lawns. But he is disappointed at how Mormon church leadership has not taken aggressive steps to set a public example on water conservation. “It is hard to miss the fact that every LDS church along the Wasatch Front has wall to wall Kentucky bluegrass,” says Zach Frankel. “And they over water it, flooding streets and sidewalks. I have never seen an LDS church in Utah with xeriscape landscaping.” Meanwhile, water cutbacks to farmers in rural Utah over the last several years have left many struggling to stay afloat financially as thei...