Digital Alaska News

AP News Summary At 12:11 P.m. EDT https://digitalalaskanews.com/ap-news-summary-at-1211-p-m-edt/ US: Security Council must tell Russia to stop nuke threats UNITED NATIONS (AP) — U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken is calling on every U.N. Security Council member to “send a clear message” to Russia that it must stop its nuclear threats in its war in Ukraine. Blinken addressed a council session Thursday about the conflict. Russian President Vladimir Putin said earlier this week that his nuclear-armed country will “certainly use all means available to us” if its territory is threatened and to defend the country and its people. At the council meeting, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov devoted his speech to repeating his country’s frequent claims that Kyiv has long oppressed Russian speakers in Ukraine’s east. No letup in fighting as missile strikes keep hitting Ukraine ZAPORIZHZHIA, Ukraine (AP) — Russian and Ukrainian forces have exchanged missile and artillery barrages. The fighting on Thursday indicated that neither side is ready to concede any ground despite recent military setbacks for Moscow and the toll on the invaded country after almost seven months of war. The exchange of fire came hours after the two sides made a major prisoner swap and the day after Russian President Vladimir Putin called up reserve troops to supplement his forces. The Kremlin’s spokesman says the mobilization is needed because Russia is “de facto facing all of NATO” in Ukraine. Another senior Kremlin official repeated Putin’s threat to use nuclear weapons if Russian territory is attacked. Trump docs probe: Court lifts hold on Mar-a-Lago records WASHINGTON (AP) — A federal appeals court is allowing the Justice Department to resume its use of classified records seized from Donald Trump’s Florida estate in its ongoing criminal investigation. The ruling Wednesday clears the way for investigators to continue scrutinizing the documents as they evaluate whether to bring criminal charges over the storage of top-secret government records at Mar-a-Lago. The appeals court note that Trump presented no evidence that he had declassified the records. Trump claimed in a Fox News Interview Wednesday that “If you’re the president of the United States, you can declassify” material just by saying “It’s declassified” and “even by thinking about it.” At least 9 killed as Iran protests over woman’s death spread Read More Here

AP News Summary At 11:16 A.m. EDT https://digitalalaskanews.com/ap-news-summary-at-1116-a-m-edt/ US: Security Council must tell Russia to stop nuke threats UNITED NATIONS (AP) — U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken is calling on every U.N. Security Council member to “send a clear message” to Russia that it must stop its nuclear threats in its war in Ukraine. Blinken is addressing a council session Thursday about the conflict. Russian President Vladimir Putin said earlier this week that his nuclear-armed country “certainly use all means available to us” if its territory is threatened and to defend the country and its people. Missile strikes keep hitting Ukraine despite prisoner swap ZAPORIZHZHIA, Ukraine (AP) — Russian and Ukrainian forces have exchanged missile and artillery barrages that killed at least seven people. The fighting on Thursday indicated that neither side is ready to concede any ground despite recent military setbacks for Moscow and the toll on the invaded country after almost seven months of war. The exchange of fire came hours after the two sides made a major prisoner swap and the day after Russian President Vladimir Putin called up reserve troops to supplement his forces. The Kremlin’s spokesman says the mobilization is needed because Russia is “de facto facing all of NATO” in Ukraine. Another senior Kremlin official repeated Putin’s threat to use nuclear weapons if Russian territory is attacked. Trump docs probe: Court lifts hold on Mar-a-Lago records WASHINGTON (AP) — A federal appeals court has lifted a judge’s hold on the Justice Department’s ability to use classified records seized from former President Donald Trump’s Florida estate in its ongoing criminal investigation. The ruling Wednesday from the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 11th Circuit in Atlanta clears the way for investigators to continue scrutinizing the documents as they evaluate whether to bring criminal charges over the storage of top-secret government records at Mar-a-Lago. The court notes that Trump presented no evidence that he had declassified the sensitive records. And it is rejecting the possibility that Trump could have an “individual interest in or need for” the roughly 100 documents marked as classified. At least 9 killed as Iran protests spread over woman’s death DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Clashes between Iranian security forces and protesters angry over the death of a 22-year-old woman in police custody have killed at least nine people since the violence erupted over the weekend. That’s according to a tally on Thursday by The Associated Press, based on statements from Iran’s state-run and semiofficial media. An anchor on state television suggested the death toll from the mass protests could be as high as 17, but did not provide details or attribution. Widespread outages of Instagram and WhatsApp have continued. The demonstrations in Iran began as an outpouring over the death last week of Mahsa Amini, a young woman held by the country’s morality police for allegedly violating its strictly enforced dress code. Bank of England raises rates but avoids bolder hike like Fed LONDON (AP) — The Bank of England has raised its key interest rate by another half-percentage point. Despite facing inflation that outpaces other major economies, the Bank of England avoided more aggressive hikes made by the U.S. Federal Reserve and other central banks. The U.K. bank on Thursday raised its benchmark rate to the highest level in 14 years. It’s the seventh straight move to increase borrowing costs as rising food and energy prices fuel a cost-of-living crisis that’s considered the worst in a generation. Despite facing a slumping currency, tight labor market and inflation near its highest in four decades, officials held off on acting more boldly as they predicted a second consecutive drop in economic output this quarter. Judge blocks Indiana abortion ban week after it took effect INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — An Indiana judge has blocked the state’s abortion ban from being enforced, putting the new law on hold as abortion clinic operators argue that it violates the state constitution. Owen County Judge Kelsey Hanlon issued a preliminary injunction Thursday against the ban that took effect one week ago. The injunction was sought by abortion clinic operators who argued in a lawsuit that the state constitution protects access to the medical procedure. The judge wrote “there is reasonable likelihood that this significant restriction of personal autonomy offends the liberty guarantees of the Indiana Constitution” and that the clinics will prevail in the lawsuit. AP PHOTOS: Backbreaking work for kids in Afghan brick kilns KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) — Aid agencies say the number of children working in Afghanistan is growing ever since the economy collapsed following the Taliban takeover more than a year ago. Nowhere is it clearer than in the brick factories outside of the capital, Kabul. Children as young as four or five labor alongside their parents from early in the morning until late at night, doing backbreaking tasks like hauling wheelbarrows full of bricks. Their families say they have no choice, the work is needed to put food on the table. A recent survey by Save The Children estimated that half of Afghanistan’s families have had to put their children to work. Palestinian strife highlights lost hopes of armed youths NABLUS, West Bank (AP) — The rare eruption of deadly clashes this week between Palestinians and their own security forces has cast a spotlight on the growing ranks of disenfranchised, impoverished young men taking up arms. Many have spent their entire lives in a territory occupied by Israel, scarred by infighting and segmented by checkpoints. They have not seen a national election since 2006. They have no hope in the long-stalemated peace process. Their aging president, Mahmoud Abbas, is in his 18th year of what was supposed to be a four-year term. Experts also attribute the surge in West Bank violence to a leadership vacuum and looming succession crisis. The occupied territories have seen the deadliest violence this year since 2016. Constitution stops Charles becoming Britain’s ‘green’ king LONDON (AP) — Now that he’s monarch, King Charles III — one of Britain’s most prominent environmental voices — will have to be more careful with his words. In line with his role as Britain’s new head of state, he’ll have to remain apolitical. That may be particularly difficult as his accession to the throne coincides with the formation of a new U.K. government that has already pressed ahead with fossil fuel-friendly policies. Many think the king is unlikely to stop talking about the climate completely, although it’s believed the next in line Prince William, who is also an impassioned supporter of the environment, will take up much of his father’s advocacy work. Fugitive in massive Navy bribery case caught in Venezuela SAN DIEGO (AP) — A Malaysian defense contractor nicknamed “Fat Leonard” who orchestrated one of the largest bribery scandals in U.S. military history has been arrested in Venezuela. The U.S. Marshals Service says Leonard Glenn Francis was arrested Tuesday as he was about to board a plane in Caracas. Francis was under home arrest in San Diego when he cut off his GPS ankle bracelet and escaped on Sept. 4, prompting an international manhunt. Francis was awaiting sentencing after pleading guilty in 2015 to bribing Navy officers to help his ship servicing company, then overcharging the military at least $35 million. Dozens of Navy officers were convicted for the scheme. Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Read More Here

Lara Trump Seemingly Accuses NY AG Letitia James Of Killing Sick Kids Because Of Her Trump Investigations https://digitalalaskanews.com/lara-trump-seemingly-accuses-ny-ag-letitia-james-of-killing-sick-kids-because-of-her-trump-investigations/ Read More Here

Democrats Will Struggle To Keep Control Of Congress In Midterms, Expert Says https://digitalalaskanews.com/democrats-will-struggle-to-keep-control-of-congress-in-midterms-expert-says/ Since 1978 Ray Fair, ??professor of Economics at Yale University, has been using economic data to predict US election outcomes. His bare-boned, strictly by the numbers approach has a fairly impressive record, usually coming within 3% of the final tally. Sadly for Democrats – if Fair’s on track again this time – the Biden administration will struggle to keep control of Congress in November’s crucial midterm elections. Elections are noisy events and this year’s is no different. Recent polling suggests Joe Biden is on a roll, reclaiming some of the ground he lost earlier in his presidency. The Democrats have passed major legislation. There has been a surge in women registering to vote after the supreme court overturned Roe v Wade. Abortion rights drove voters to the polls in deep-red Kansas. Gas prices, if not overall inflation, are falling. In the meantime, Donald Trump and the candidates he has backed are dominating the headlines and helping Democrats’ poll numbers. But if Fair is right, we can largely set aside the personalities and the issues: the economy is the signal behind the noise and Biden is still in trouble. Using data going back to 1916 Fair’s latest analysis suggests that Democrats will get 46.7% of the national vote in November – down from the 51.3% in 2020 when Biden defeated Donald Trump and took control of the House and a slim majority in the Senate. Fair’s model looks at the national picture, he doesn’t dig down to state battles and won’t be drawn into more granular prognostications. But given the gloomy economic picture in recent months, his prediction is unlikely to improve before November and suggests a loss in the House and a very tough fight to keep control of the Senate. When Fair’s last prediction was published in July, the Democrats’ share of the vote had fallen from 48.99% in October “due to two fewer strong growth quarters and slightly higher inflation”. The economic malaise has only deepened since then. “This prediction is based on business as usual,” said Fair. “It’s based on estimations back to 1918, a 100-plus years of data. In that period what seems to matter, election after election, is inflation, output, growth and the penalty you get for being the incumbent party in the White House.” Fair will update his model before the election and given its economic focus, Biden’s percentages are unlikely to improve. Inflation remains close to a 40-year high – soaring prices are now costing the average American household an extra $717 a month. The US economy has shrunk for two consecutive quarters, a sign taken by many as a harbinger of recession. Interest rates are rising at their sharpest pace since the 1990s as the Federal Reserve fights to tamp down price rises. The strength of the economic headwinds Biden faces are apparent even in his improving poll numbers. About 69% of Americans think the nation’s economy is getting worse – the highest percentage since 2008 – according to a recent ABC News/Washington Post poll. Fair doesn’t think elections are only about the economy. “This is not a perfect story, there’s room for other stories in each election,” he said. Given the equations narrow, economic focus he said it was “reasonable” that people were now looking at what other factors might impact the Democratic vote share in the midterms. One factor that may have skewed his results in the past, and could do again, is Donald Trump. In 2016 Fair’s model predicted Hillary Clinton would beat Trump. She did win 2.9m more votes than Trump, securing 48.2% of the vote to Trump’s 46.1%. But she lost in the electoral college. This time too Trump could be a factor, although he is difficult to measure. “There are many reasons why the Democrats may do better. Certainly Trump could be one of them,” said Fair. But history – or at least the history that Fair measures – suggests for all the recent positive polling, the Democrats face an uphill struggle this November. “How large is the error I make on average? It’s about 3 percentage points. If the prediction is 47 that would get you up to 50. So it’s a long shot that the Democrats would get more than half,” he said. Read More Here

Stock Market Today: Dow Drops Over 100 Points; Currencies Swing As Fed Rate Hike Prompts Others To Move https://digitalalaskanews.com/stock-market-today-dow-drops-over-100-points-currencies-swing-as-fed-rate-hike-prompts-others-to-move/ About this page Last Updated: Sep 22, 2022 at 11:12 am ET Follow The Wall Street Journal’s full markets coverage, a day after the Federal Reserve raised interest rates again. Read More Here

DeSantis Migrant Flight Funding Revealed – Live https://digitalalaskanews.com/desantis-migrant-flight-funding-revealed-live/ Related video: More Migrants Arrive In D.C. As White House Slams Republican Governors A group of 48 mostly Venezeulan migrants who the state of Florida transported in a surprise flight to Martha’s Vineyard last week have sued governor Ron DeSantis for the “fraudulent and discriminatory scheme.” The class- action lawsuit comes as at least two law enforcement agencies are also investigating the actions of Ron DeSantis and Greg Abbott for potential illegality. A new report has revelaed the funding for Mr DeSantis’s migrant flights. The contractor hired by the governor is a longtime GOP donor. Meanwhile, a plane reportedly full of asylum-seekers heading from Texas to Delaware so far hasn’t materialised, even as officials there worried they’d be the latest to be surprised with Florida’s highly controversial scheme of flying migrants unannounced to liberal jurisdictions. Governor DeSantis and his aides have defended sending migrants to Democratic-leading states and cities in protest of what they characterise as the president’s “open border” policy. Registration is a free and easy way to support our truly independent journalism By registering, you will also enjoy limited access to Premium articles, exclusive newsletters, commenting, and virtual events with our leading journalists Email Please enter a valid email Please enter a valid email Password Must be at least 6 characters, include an upper and lower case character and a number Must be at least 6 characters, include an upper and lower case character and a number Must be at least 6 characters, include an upper and lower case character and a number First name Please enter your first name Special characters aren’t allowed Please enter a name between 1 and 40 characters Last name Please enter your last name Special characters aren’t allowed Please enter a name between 1 and 40 characters You must be over 18 years old to register You must be over 18 years old to register Year of birth I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent.  Read our Privacy notice You can opt-out at any time by signing in to your account to manage your preferences. Each email has a link to unsubscribe. Already have an account? sign in Registration is a free and easy way to support our truly independent journalism By registering, you will also enjoy limited access to Premium articles, exclusive newsletters, commenting, and virtual events with our leading journalists Email Please enter a valid email Please enter a valid email Password Must be at least 6 characters, include an upper and lower case character and a number Must be at least 6 characters, include an upper and lower case character and a number Must be at least 6 characters, include an upper and lower case character and a number First name Please enter your first name Special characters aren’t allowed Please enter a name between 1 and 40 characters Last name Please enter your last name Special characters aren’t allowed Please enter a name between 1 and 40 characters You must be over 18 years old to register You must be over 18 years old to register Year of birth I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent.  Read our Privacy notice You can opt-out at any time by signing in to your account to manage your preferences. Each email has a link to unsubscribe. Already have an account? sign in Read More Here

Tracking Invest 98-L: Will System Pose Threat To Florida? https://digitalalaskanews.com/tracking-invest-98-l-will-system-pose-threat-to-florida-2/ Tracking Invest 98-L: Will system pose threat to Florida? Hi there. Thanks for checking out the latest on the tropics here on west dot com. I’m first warning meteorologist eric burris. Let’s get right to invest 98. This is *** storm system that is struggling with *** capital s there It is. Where? Right. Well, last night when I was tracking it on Western news at 11, it came ashore here in South America and spent *** good part of the night over land. It’s starting to come back out around the abc islands around Caracas and little by little. It will make its way into more favorable territory, warm waters, lower wind shear, but about the next 12 to 24 hours time that wind shear will be their latest in the hurricane center. Is that There’s *** high likelihood that this gets going. *** 70% likelihood in two days time. *** 90% likelihood in five days time. Okay, gradual development could become *** tropical depression over the next couple of days and then of course *** tropical storm and then *** hurricane. Speaking of that, here’s the intensity models. Okay, so they’re all really in agreement with through the weekend, keeping it relatively weak. But by Monday Tuesday, that’s when the models are going to start to strengthening. So where is it during those time frames? Well, let’s look at the model comparisons together, shall we on the left, you’re gonna have the european model on the right, You’re gonna have the GFS model. Okay, so there’s saturday. Let’s just roll right through getting you to sunday. Okay, we’ll back it up just *** little bit for for discussion sake. So there’s sunday. I want to point out that the two models are starting to show difference of opinion. The GFS wants to try and develop it *** little quicker. You can see those orange shades are getting in *** strong tropical storm force winds, whereas the european south of Jamaica on sunday says it’s probably still winds of about 30 35 miles an hour. Okay, continuing through time, there’s monday 12 30 both storms gradually increasing the Euro around the Caymans, the GFS *** bit further south. All right, let’s continue through time, Tuesday. Both models showing *** hurricane forming, but the GFS is approaching Cancun, whereas the european is getting up toward cuba. This is obviously where things differ because by 9:30 a.m. On Wednesday, you’ve got the GFS around Mexico, the european leaving cuba and approaching the florida coastline. And then of course from there, 6:30 a.m. thursday florida’s west coast would be tracking *** hurricane. Whereas with the GFS wins out, it’s just re emerging into the gulf of Mexico and then eventually tries to recurve anywhere from about Louisiana off toward the east. So the two models are varying significantly in opinion. This if there’s one thing that I hope to impress upon you, it’s that this is our timeline next couple of days land interaction and wind shear is going to keep it week. So it’s not like it’s going to get explosive and intensity any time soon. Late this week though, like I know we’re in thursday, but like friday saturday, that’s when we’re going to start to see this trying to develop and I would say by sunday given its position expectation sunday, that’s when we should start to have *** pretty decent idea of where it goes. And again, you know, where would it be on sunday if we just use the two models? Let’s just back this up by sunday. That’s when the models are starting to show that intensification. Right? So by sunday you’re talking about *** storm system somewhere past Jamaica around the Caymans. That’s when we’re going to start because computer models really struggle with development and forecasting when there’s nothing there, right? Makes sense garbage data in garbage data out. Okay, so it’s definitely something to watch very closely. What about the timing of this? Let’s take *** look hour by hour at the computer forecast models. Okay, so let’s just roll through time. Here’s the spaghetti plots that everybody loves saturday into sunday. There you go. I’ll back it up just *** little bit to make it *** bit more of *** round number. Here’s saturday morning, 11 am around Jamaica, saturday afternoon, into sunday, there’s two p.m. Sunday around the Caymans, right then from there getting closer to cuba by about monday afternoon and then just kind of continuing from there, here’s Tuesday afternoon emerging into the gulf of Mexico and you can kind of see from there, you know, where do the models take it right there’s Wednesday 10 a.m. Into the gulf. *** lot of the models wanting to make *** hard right turn Wednesday night into thursday and then of course it’s, it’s really *** thursday impact somewhere. Um I I want to pause for *** moment from the actual model data. I saw this meme and I, the idea of sharing *** meme online certainly isn’t *** normal thing, but I think that this really tells the story. If you’re highlighted in yellow, you might get *** hurricane. If you’re highlighted in yellow, you might not get *** hurricane. It’s cheesy. I know, but it’s important to remember that in terms of this storm system, we are still seven days out right? Like the models aren’t no matter what direction they go. The models aren’t showing development and intensification until this weekend and they’re not showing landfall until like next thursday, there’s *** lot of model runs between now and thursday, there’s *** lot that’s going to change. I like to call it the windshield wiper effect on the computer forecast models. They’re going to go left, they’re going to go right, you’re going to see many different solutions and some of them are gonna look more scary than others. Right? But just stay tuned stay dialed into the models okay and we’ll keep you up to date. But for now there it is. The storm system just offshore of south America will be working through the caribbean in some of the most potent energy filled water in the entire basin. From there. When you put *** storm in the Gulf of Mexico, that’s, of course where it gets to be concerning. Stay with the West to around the clock. For updates, I will have *** live update on our social channels at 3:30 PM. Take care. GET LOCAL BREAKING NEWS ALERTS The latest breaking updates, delivered straight to your email inbox. Privacy Notice Tracking Invest 98-L: Will system pose threat to Florida? ABOVE: Take a look at the model comparisons to see when and how this may impact Florida WESH 2 meteorologists are keeping a close eye on a tropical disturbance in the Southeast Caribbean Sea.As of Thursday morning, upper-level winds were inhibiting development, but the upper-level wind pattern ahead of the system is forecast to become a little more favorable in a couple of days.The system is given a 70% chance of development in the next 48 hours and a 90% chance of development in the next five days. “We still need to watch this storm very closely,” WESH 2 meteorologist Kellianne Klass said. “The general path still looks the same: into the Gulf and potentially impacts Florida, but the exact path is still unknown. Our two major models are still swapping between the panhandle and the peninsula. Either way, we are expecting this storm to strengthen. Models are also different on the timing. GFS is now slower, while the Euro is still looking like the mid-week/end of workweek timeframe.”Meanwhile, Hurricane Fiona is drifting through the Atlantic as a major Category 4 storm. And Tropical Storm Gaston is not expected to pose a threat to land.KNOW 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 ...

CS AK Mehta Visits Ganderbal, Reviews Developmental Scenario Of District – Jammu Kashmir Latest News | Tourism | Breaking News J&K https://digitalalaskanews.com/cs-ak-mehta-visits-ganderbal-reviews-developmental-scenario-of-district-jammu-kashmir-latest-news-tourism-breaking-news-jk/ e-inaugurates various projects worth 21 crore, Home Stays, GAASH literacy Campaign Facilitates NEET qualifiers, Handed sanction letters among various beneficiaries GANDERBAL, SEPTEMBER 22: Chief Secretary Dr Arun Kumar Mehta today visited Ganderbal district to review the developmental scenario and implementation of various scheme in the District in a meeting held at Conference Hall of Mini Secretariat Ganderbal. Divisional Commissioner Kashmir, P K Pole, Deputy Commissioner Ganderbal, Shyambir, Additional Principal, Chief Conservator Forest, Directors of various departments, Chief Engineers of Jal Shakti, PMGSY, R&B and RDD, HODs and district heads of various departments attended the meeting. The Deputy Commissioner gave a sector wise detailed PowerPoint presentation of various ongoing developmental works and status of flagship schemes being executed by different departments in the district. The Chief Secretary took comprehensive review of district Capex budget 2021-22 & 2022-23, Financial/ physical progress under district Capex budget, Status of Back to Village programme, Languishing projects and other flagship programmes. While reviewing School Education Department, DC informed that district administration has launched GAASH Literacy Campaign in the district with the purpose to enlighten general masses about the importance “being literate” besides education department launched special drive to cover left out, never enrolled, and out of school children to achieve the target of 100 percent enrolment by 2nd October 2022. The Chief Secretary directed for adopting regular student feedback system from class 6 onwards and by local panchayat members in primary schools besides biometric attendance shall be ensured in all schools. He also stressed for ensuring availability of basic facilities including functional toilets, water and electricity in all schools of the district. The meeting also discussed the power scenario in the district for which SE, PDD said that 48131 households connections are in district besides district is meeting out 100 percent demand of electricity in summers and in winters there is shortage of only 25MWs that too will be meted out once the augmentation of Badampora Grid is completed. Dr Mehta directed the SE to expedite the augmentation work on Badampora Grid to get it completed before winter adding that LG led administration is committed to provide 24-hour power supply to the consumers in winter too. Similarly, the Jal Shakti Department was directed to ensure vital projects are completed on time especially that are approved in Languishing scheme and called for immediate resolution of all issues to ensure regular water supply both in Ganderbal and Srinagar. The Chief Secretary also took brief review of agriculture and its allied sectors. He observed that district Ganderbal has tremendous scope in agriculture and its allied sectors including Fisheries, Apiculture and Animal Husbandry and directed the concerned departments to prepare a plan for engaging more youth in the sector and apply latest technologies for doubling farmers income in the district. Dr Mehta took a brief review of implementation of various beneficiary oriented and other welfare schemes like PMAY, SAKSHAM scholarships, self-employment schemes, Nasha Mukt Bharat Abhiyan, Ayushman Bharat and others in the district. The Chief Secretary directed the concerned departments to start vigorous awareness campaign in a convergence mode for effective implementation of all schemes which are intended to improve social economic condition of downtrodden. The Social Welfare department was asked to saturate scholarship schemes. Dr Mehta also reviewed the status of activities carried under Nasha Mukt Bharat Abhiyan. The DC informed that various activities including awareness camps, Pledge taking ceremony, painting competitions, cannabis destruction, etc. are going vigorously throughout the district. The Chief Secretary directed SSP Ganderbal to ensure that the drug peddlers are nabbed and booked. He said that drug menace is a grave concern and it is social and human responsibility of all to work in eliminating drug menace and directed all the officers to work in coordination in this regard so that district Ganderbal is declared drug free. Furthermore, the Chief Secretary reviewed the implementation of Self-employment schemes offered by various departments in the district. He said that the government is giving a major thrust to self-employment and all these schemes are launched with the purpose to support the unemployed youth so that they could earn their livelihood. He directed all the concerned departments to provide handholding to the unemployed youth in establishing their units saying that there no limit in such schemes. Dr Mehta directed the District administration to formulate district tourism plan with the objective to tap the potential of various tourist location in the district like Manasbal and identity other spots besides promote Village Tourism. He also directed for promoting sports and culture activities under all age groups involving PRIs, students and locals. He also directed for working on Swachh Gram Abhiyan and Solid Waste Management initiatives. Meanwhile, the Chief Secretary interacted with DDC Chairperson, Nuzhat Ishfaq, Vice Chairperson, Bilal Ahmad Sheikh, BDCs, DDCs and other PRIs who projected several issues and demands for development of their respective areas The Chief Secretary gave patient hearing and assured that all the issues would be redressed in time bound manner. Earlier, the CS took round of various stalls installed by different stake holders and directed the concerned Officers to raise awareness regarding the schemes on various platforms so that people can get to know about the benefits of the schemes and accordingly get benefited from them. He also handed over hearing aids, wheelchairs, sports kits, tractors, disability certificates besides sanction letters to various beneficiaries under several schemes. Meanwhile, he also felicitated the NEET qualifiers and students who excelled in various sports activities in the district. The Chief Secretary also e-inaugurated various projects worth Rs around 21 crore which include 12 room, 3 storey building at Girls Higher Secondary School Tullamulla, NTPHC building at Chattergul, Dak Bunglow Fathepora, Bamloora Bridge and 12 room additional accommodation at Government Degree College Ganderbal. GAASH literacy Campaign and 10 Homestays at Sonamarg were also e-inaugurated by the Chief Secretary. Read More Here

Donald Trump Sued For Financial Fraud https://digitalalaskanews.com/donald-trump-sued-for-financial-fraud/ On Wednesday, New York Attorney General Letitia James filed a lawsuit against former U.S. President Donald Trump for alleged financial fraud. RELATED: DOJ and Trump With Nominees To Oversee Mar-a-Lago Archives James accused Trump, the Trump Organization, senior management, and involved entities of “engaging in years of financial fraud to obtain a host of economic benefits.” The civil lawsuit alleged Trump, with the help of his three adult children and senior executives at the Trump Organization, falsely inflated his net worth by billions of U.S. dollars to induce banks to lend money to his business on more favorable terms than would otherwise have been available to the company and to gain tax benefits, among other things. Trump and the Trump Organization were said to have “knowingly and intentionally created more than 200 false and misleading valuations of assets on his annual Statements of Financial Condition to defraud financial institutions.” James’ office is seeking to permanently bar Trump and his adult children from serving as an officer or director in any New York corporation or similar business entity registered and/or licensed in the state of New York. It also asks Trump and the Trump Organization to be banned from entering into any New York real estate acquisitions for five years and the disgorgement of all financial benefits obtained through the persistent fraudulent practices, estimated to total US$250 million.  Trump fraud in New York ran until 2020, which means that as Nicolle Wallace said, Trump was committing fraud while president. https://t.co/GMfKjwk6sR — Lise Latulippe Fully Vaccinated and Boosted (@lise_latulippe) September 22, 2022 “For too long, powerful, wealthy people in this country have operated as if the rules do not apply to them,” said James, who referred the matter to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York and the Internal Revenue Service for criminal investigation. Trump hasn’t responded to the lawsuit but he and his allies have frequently lashed out at James for the inquiry into him and his namesake business. Last month, the former President attended a deposition at the New York attorney general’s office but declined to answer questions by invoking the Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination. The U.S. Justice Department is investigating whether Trump mishandled presidential and government records — some of them allegedly highly classified — when and after leaving office. Federal agents searched his Mar-a-Lago residence last month and seized 33 groups of items, including documents bearing classification markings, according to court filings. Trump has lambasted the Mar-a-Lago “raid” as well as the DOJ probe and denied any wrongdoing. An independent arbiter, or “special master,” named by a federal judge recently, is reviewing items seized by federal agents in the search of Mar-a-Lago. #Caricom urged the US government to remove sanctions against #Venezuela Ralph Gonsalves, Prime Minister of St. Vincent and the Grenadines said: “The unilateral sanctions imposed by the Donald Trump administration effectively ended the Petrocaribe agreement” pic.twitter.com/RPJL75VKfB — teleSUR English (@telesurenglish) July 7, 2022 Read More Here

A Recession Is Now Likely In 2023. Here https://digitalalaskanews.com/a-recession-is-now-likely-in-2023-here/ The economy appears to be on solid footing, with strong job growth. But warnings signs are mounting. Economists surveyed by Wolters Kluwer Blue Chip Economic Indicators say there’s a 54% chance of recession next year. When it’s still sunny and mild, it’s tough to imagine a winter storm brewing in the distance. But it’s probably coming. The economy is still on seemingly sturdy footing. Job growth remains solid. Consumer and business spending have held up despite historically high inflation and sharply rising interest rates. And yet there are mounting warning signs. Employment gains are slowing. Savings cushions are wearing thin. Price increases remain high and  corporate profits, which had stayed strong, appear to have softened, underscored by a bleak FedEx warning last week that contributed to a massive stock market sell-off. Perhaps the darkest cloud over the economy, economists say, is that aggressive Federal Reserve interest rate hikes designed to tame inflation are likely to take a bigger toll on growth in the months ahead. “The seeds of recession have been sown,” says economist Troy Ludtka of research firm Natixis. In an interview, Oxford Economics’ chief U.S. economist, Kathy Bostjancic, said the Fed is “on a mission…They’re raising interest rates (sharply) until inflation slows down” even if it triggers a downturn. The odds of a slump are growing. Economists surveyed this month by Wolters Kluwer Blue Chip Economic Indicators say there’s a 54% chance of recession next year, according to their average estimate, up from 39% in a June survey. A recession is a “significant decline in economic activity,” including jobs, retail sales, consumer spending and industrial production, according to the National Bureau of Economic Research, which declares the beginning and end of downturns.  Still, not all experts foresee a slump in in the next 18 months. Mark Zandi, chief economist of Moody’s Analytics, believes the U.S. will dodge a slide unless the Fed hikes its key interest rate even more aggressively than planned if inflation doesn’t come down quickly enough or “there’s a shock.” Such a trauma could include the reemergence of a more virulent pandemic or an overseas crisis that drives up gasoline prices again, he says. Older Americans and poverty: Seniors are the only age group with more poverty. Here’s why Antidote for high home prices?: To ‘fixer-upper’ or not? That’s the question for many Americans in a pricey housing market Barring such events, Zandi believes low household debt and abundant savings should allow the nation to withstand the effects of high inflation and rising borrowing costs. In other words, economic activity should grow more slowly, cooling inflation but not decline.   Here’s how some top economists say a recession could play out within a few months: Consumer spending keeps losing steam Consumer spending was resilient earlier this year but the savings that fueled it are dwindling. A core measure of retail sales was flat in August and the economists surveyed by Wolters Kluwer expect consumption to rise just 1% next year. While wages are increasing, yearly inflation, at  8.3% in August, is climbing faster. As a result, Americans are drawing from the $2.6 trillion in savings they built up from government aid and hunkering down during the health crisis. Zandi says the figure is now down to $2.5 trillion. The checking account deposits of low-income households dipped below their pre-COVID-19 levels in the final months of 2021 and were about 25% below that threshold this spring, according to Moody’s and the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp.. Those households are important to the economy because they tend to spend, rather than save, most of their income. Oxford’s Bostjancic still expects consumer spending to grow 2.5% this year but fall 0.5% in the first half of 2023. Earlier in 2022, most Americans spent more on discretionary purchases than they did a year prior but now a slight majority are spending less, according to August figures from Visa’s Spending Momentum Index. While lower-income households are drawing down their savings amid soaring prices, higher-income people largely have exhausted their pent-up demand after returning to dining out, traveling and other activities, according to Visa. Wealth effects turn negative When stock and home prices increase significantly, Americans feel wealthier and spend more, and when values fall, they dial back. The S&P 500 index is down about 18% this year as the Fed has sharply raised rates.. Since it takes six to nine months for falling asset values to affect spending, Zandi says, stock investors could start moderating their purchases this fall. Every $1 drop in wealth decreases spending by 3 cents, Ludtka says. But he notes the impact could be larger now because households have a near-record 40% of their financial assets in stocks, up from about 30% in 2015. Corporate profit growth slows Companies have maintained fat profit margins even though they’ve had to pay more for materials and hike wages to deal with worker shortages. That’s because they’ve enjoyed “robust revenue growth and unusually high pricing power,” Bostjancic says in a research note. Yet, she says, that’s about to change as consumers temper their spending. FactSet estimates earnings of S&P 500 companies grew 3.5% in the third quarter, which would be the slowest pace since 2020. As result, Bostjancic says, companies will reduce hiring and capital spending. Job growth comes off a boom Employers added a solid 315,000 jobs in August but that’s down from an average of 455,000 the first seven months of the year. Less job creation means less income and spending. Also, average weekly overtime hours for factory workers has dropped 11% since February to the lowest level since 2020. That’s worrisome, Ludtka says, because the amount of overtime logged by existing workers can foreshadow future hiring. Bostjancic expects hiring to slow and layoffs to spread, leading to about 500,000 net job losses in the spring of next year as the unemployment rate rises from the current 3.7% to 4.8%. Consumer borrowing pulls back Higher Fed interest rates already have hammered home sales and the construction of new housing, with the 30-year fixed mortgage rate nearly double the rate in early January. Initially, as rates rise, lenders offset the impact by easing lending standards, Zandi says. But as the Fed lifts rates further, Zandi expects a bigger impact on consumer borrowing through credit cards, auto and personal loans. The average credit card rate is 21.6%, up from 19.55% early this year, according to LendingTree. Business investment falls Business investment was flat in the second quarter while a measure of capital spending rose at a healthy 7.7% annual rate from May through July, according to a Pantheon analysis of government figures. But with borrowing costs rising due to higher Fed rates, big companies could be discouraged from borrowing to buy new equipment, build factories and other projects, Bostjancic says. She expects business investment to drop in the first half of 2023. Yield curve stays inverted, an ominous signal Normally, interest rates are higher for longer-term bonds than shorter-term ones because investors need to be rewarded for risking their money for a longer period. Yet the yield on the 2-year Treasury bond edged above the 10-year Treasury for the second time this year in July and remains about four-tenths of a percentage point higher. Such an “inversion of the yield curve” has been a reliable signal of a coming recession because investors move money into safer longer-term assets – pushing their prices up and their yields down – when the economic outlook grows dimmer.  A yield curve inversion also can contribute to a recession by squeezing banks’ profit margins, leading to reduced lending. Banks generally make a profit by borrowing money at lower short-term rates, such as on customers’ savings deposits, and lending it out at higher yields and longer terms, such as for home and auto loans. Europe goes into a recession The euro area is now expected to enter a deep, prolonged recession later this year because of high inflation, soaring energy prices tied to Russia’s war with Ukraine, sharp central bank interest rate hikes and weak demand from other countries, Barclays says. S&P 500 companies generate about 14% of their revenue from sales in Europe, according to FactSet. Bostjancic expects a downturn in the region to further dampen the confidence of U.S. corporate leaders, delivering another blow to their hiring and investment plans. Industrial production slows Industrial production fell 0.2% in August and Oxford expects it to “remain subdued” because of high inflation and interest rates, lower profits and investment, and the weakening global economy. Read More Here

The Justice Department https://digitalalaskanews.com/the-justice-department/ (The Conversation is an independent and nonprofit source of news, analysis and commentary from academic experts.) Henry L. Chambers Jr., University of Richmond (THE CONVERSATION) As the 2022 midterm campaigns approach Election Day on Nov. 8, 2022, a federal probe into former President Donald Trump’s handling of classified documents is testing an unwritten policy of the U.S. Justice Department. Some legal analysts have suggested that the so-called 60-day rule requires federal prosecutors to delay public actions during the final stages of an election to avoid influencing the perceptions of a candidate – or tipping the scale for or against a political party. This goal of political neutrality appears to be adhered to by Attorney General Merrick Garland and FBI Director Christopher Wray. Both have largely refrained from making public comments on ongoing federal and state probes into possible crimes that Trump may have committed during his time in the White House, including on his alleged role in the Jan. 6 assault on the Capitol. But political neutrality is open to interpretation. In the run-up to the 2016 presidential election, the 60-day rule was apparently broken when then-FBI Director James Comey made a series of controversial public statements on Hillary Clinton’s use of a private email server during her time as secretary of state. Comey’s comments began over the course of the summer and fall of 2016 and didn’t end until the weekend before Election Day when he announced the end of the investigation. Clinton and her supporters claim that Comey’s controversial actions played a role in her loss and Trump’s election. A rule, not a law The 60-day rule is an interpretation of the Justice Department’s internal guidance to protect the federal agency’s reputation for political neutrality. Every election season, the attorney general reissues the department’s Election Year Sensitivities memo to staff. Garland issued his memo on May 25, 2022. “Law enforcement officers and prosecutors may never select the timing of public statements (attributed or not), investigative steps, criminal charges, or any other action in any matter or case for the purpose of affecting any election, or for the purpose of giving an advantage or disadvantage to any candidate or political party,” Garland’s 2022 memo explains. Garland’s memo essentially reiterates the language from the department’s substantial internal policy manual on election season investigations. But Garland’s memo does not suggest that a clear 60-day rule exists. It merely suggests that actions taken closer to an election ought to be especially scrutinized to ensure that the Justice Department does not appear to purposely advantage a candidate or party. Open to interpretation Though very few legal scholars question the existence of the 60-day rule, the scope of the rule is a matter of dispute. Former Attorney General Bill Barr has interpreted the rule narrowly. He has suggested the rule may apply only to activity that will harm a specific candidate. Other legal observers have suggested the rule applies more broadly to investigations that might affect an overall election. That might include investigations of people connected to a candidate or situations where the candidate is only tangentially related. Comey’s public comments Though Comey may not have had any desire to affect the 2016 election’s outcome, he would later make an apology of sorts to Clinton in his book “A Higher Loyalty.” “I have read she has felt anger toward me personally, and I’m sorry for that,” Comey writes. “I’m sorry that I couldn’t do a better job explaining to her and her supporters why I made the decisions I made.” Apologetic or not, Comey and his actions during the 2016 presidential election caused both the FBI and the Justice Department to suffer a blow to their credibility. Following a broad 60-day rule might have saved the Justice Department and FBI from the appearance of political bias. But in some situations, jettisoning the 60-day rule may be advisable. If a federal investigation is particularly timely and is proceeding with no purpose of affecting an election, then it may be consistent with the underlying policy of the Justice Manual – even if doing so may be inconsistent with a broad interpretation of the 60-day rule. At issue is the importance of an investigation and the danger of pausing it. If the public trusts the DOJ to make the decisions about the investigation without political bias, then following the 60-day rule may not be necessary. If the public does not trust the DOJ, then following the rule may be imperative. The investigation regarding the national security implications of classified documents found at Mar-a-Lago is an important test. Though Trump often claims federal probes into his behavior are no more than political witch hunts, there is no indication the Justice Department is continuing the investigation with the purpose of hurting or helping specific candidates or a specific party. Quite naturally, any lengthy investigation may bump up against a midterm or presidential election cycle. But if halting the investigation could damage national security, then continuing it through the election season may be necessary even if the investigation affects a number of elections. The unintentional irony of the 60-day rule The rule is designed to protect the Justice Department’s reputation of neutrality by keeping partisan politics away from its investigations. Arguably, the way to do that is to ignore the election calendar and run an investigation as if the election calendar did not exist. Once an investigation’s course has been altered by the election calendar, it has arguably been infused with politics, and in some of those cases, justice delayed may be justice denied. With strict adherence to the rule, a candidate may be elected because voters did not have all the information about the candidate’s behavior and character – an omission that challenges the democratic ideal of an informed citizenry. This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article here: https://theconversation.com/the-justice-departments-dilemma-over-prosecuting-politicians-before-an-election-190608. Read More Here

AG Barr Terms Letitia James’ Massive Lawsuit Against Trump “Trump Derangement Syndrome” – Yid Info https://digitalalaskanews.com/ag-barr-terms-letitia-james-massive-lawsuit-against-trump-trump-derangement-syndrome-yid-info/ On Wednesday, Attorney Letitia James filed a massive lawsuit against the Trump family, accusing them of civil fraud, which left Trump-followers raging with fury. One such rebuker was Bill Barr, who has been critical of President Trump recently, and yet chose to slam James’ lawsuit. Barr called the move a “political hit job” and said this is an “example of…Trump derangement syndrome.” Source: Newsweek (Fox News) Former Attorney General William Barr said on Fox News that the suit is a “political hit job” and James is guilty of “gross overreach” for dragging Trump’s children in. “It’s hard for me not to conclude it’s a political hit job,” Barr said. “I’m not even sure if she has a good case against Trump himself. But what ultimately persuades me that this is a political hit job is she grossly overreaches when she tries to drag the children into this.” “Yes, they had roles in the business,” he continued. “But this was his personal financial statement. It was prepared by the CFO, accounting firms were involved in it. Listen, the children aren’t going to know the details of that … nor are they expected to do their due diligence in the real world.” The $250 million civil lawsuit against Trump, Don Jr, Ivanka, and Eric, accuses the Trumps of manipulating asset value and is seeking to ban them from being “an officer or director in any corporation” or similar entity in New York. JOIN US ON WHAT’SAPP, TO GET INSTANT STATUS UPDATES AND BE IN THE KNOW. CLICK HERE Read More Here

Tracking Invest 98-L: Will System Pose Threat To Florida? https://digitalalaskanews.com/tracking-invest-98-l-will-system-pose-threat-to-florida/ 80’S ON THE COASTLINE. INLAND, THE LOW 90’S. REACHING THE MID-90’S BEFORE FALLING BACK TO THE LOW 90’S BY THE WEEKEND. LET’S GO TO THE TROPICS. WE HAVE INVEST 98 L. AS IT MOVES INTO THE CARIBBEAN, LOOKING LIKE IT WILL BECOME A TROPICAL DEPRESSION BY LATE WEEK, IF NOT INTO THE WEEKEND. A LOOK TOWARDS MONDAY, IT LOOKS TO GAIN STRENGTH. EUROPEAN MODEL ON THE LEFT, GFS ON THE RIGHT. BOTH OF THESE MODELS SAYING SOMETHING IS GOING TO DEVELOP. HOWEVER, THE GFS IS A LITTLE BIT MORE WESTERLY WITH THAT TRACK AND A LITTLE BIT SLOWER WHILE THE EUROPEAN TRACK IS QUICKER AND TAKES A MORE EASTERN TRACK TOWARDS FLORIDA. THE EUROPEAN HAS IT GOING INTO CUBA AND THE GFS HAS IT MOVING OVER THE PENINSULA, THE YUCATAN PENINSULA. THE GFS LINGERS IN THE GULF OF MEXICO. BY FRIDAY, HUGE DIFFERENCE IN THESE MODELS. EUROPEAN SAYING WE ARE GOING TO SEE IMPACTS IN CENTRAL FLORIDA WHILE THE GFS IS SAYING, I AM GOING TO HANG OUT IN THE GULF FOR A WHILE. WE CERTAINLY NEED TO BE WATCHING MY MIDWEEK AND THE END OF NEXT WEEK. I THINK WE WILL GET A BETTER IDEA OF WHAT HAPPE Tracking Invest 98-L: Will system pose threat to Florida? ABOVE: Take a look at the model comparisons to see when and how this may impact Florida WESH 2 meteorologists are keeping a close eye on a tropical disturbance in the Southeast Caribbean Sea.As of Thursday morning, upper-level winds were inhibiting development, but the upper-level wind pattern ahead of the system is forecast to become a little more favorable in a couple of days.The system is given a 70% chance of development in the next 48 hours and a 90% chance of development in the next five days. “We still need to watch this storm very closely,” WESH 2 meteorologist Kellianne Klass said. “The general path still looks the same: into the Gulf and potentially impacts Florida, but the exact path is still unknown. Our two major models are still swapping between the panhandle and the peninsula. Either way, we are expecting this storm to strengthen. Models are also different on the timing. GFS is now slower, while the Euro is still looking like the mid-week/end of workweek timeframe.”Meanwhile, Hurricane Fiona is drifting through the Atlantic as a major Category 4 storm. And Tropical Storm Gaston is not expected to pose a threat to land.KNOW 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. — ABOVE: Take a look at the model comparisons to see when and how this may impact Florida WESH 2 meteorologists are keeping a close eye on a tropical disturbance in the Southeast Caribbean Sea. As of Thursday morning, upper-level winds were inhibiting development, but the upper-level wind pattern ahead of the system is forecast to become a little more favorable in a couple of days. The system is given a 70% chance of development in the next 48 hours and a 90% chance of development in the next five days. “We still need to watch this storm very closely,” WESH 2 meteorologist Kellianne Klass said. “The general path still looks the same: into the Gulf and potentially impacts Florida, but the exact path is still unknown. Our two major models are still swapping between the panhandle and the peninsula. Either way, we are expecting this storm to strengthen. Models are also different on the timing. GFS is now slower, while the Euro is still looking like the mid-week/end of workweek timeframe.” 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. Tracking the tropics this morning, we’re continuing to watch a fairly ragged #Invest98; While short-term development is limited, down the road this could be a problem; Let’s just keep dialed in and watch it… pic.twitter.com/Im9z3mNTgd — Eric Burris (@EricBurrisWESH) September 22, 2022 Meanwhile, Hurricane Fiona is drifting through the Atlantic as a major Category 4 storm. And Tropical Storm Gaston is not expected to pose a threat to land. KNOW WHAT TO DO WHEN A HURRICANE WATCH IS ISSUED Stay 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 day Canned food and soup, such as beans and chili Can opener for the cans without the easy-open lids Assemble a first-aid kit Two weeks’ worth of prescription medications Baby/children’s needs, such as formula and diapers Flashlight and batteries Battery-operated weather radio WHAT TO DO WHEN A HURRICANE WARNING IS ISSUED Listen to the advice of local officials. If you are advised to evacuate, leave. Complete preparation activities If 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 HURRICANE A 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 | Android Enable 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 SAFETY Your 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. Read More Here

How AOC Inadvertently Sparked The New York Attorney General’s Trump Lawsuit https://digitalalaskanews.com/how-aoc-inadvertently-sparked-the-new-york-attorney-generals-trump-lawsuit/ On Wednesday, when New York Attorney General Letitia James announced her $250m civil lawsuit against former president Donald Trump, she specifically cited former Trump attorney Michael Cohen’s testimony in 2019 where he revealed that the former president fraudulently inflated the value of his assets. “I will remind everyone that this investigation only started after Michael Cohen, the former lawyer, his former lawyer testified before Congress shed light on this misconduct,” she said. The question that triggered Mr Cohen’s response came in 2019 from Ms James’s fellow New Yorker, Democratic Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. In 2019, Mr Cohen testified against his former before the House Oversight & Government Reform Committee. At the time, Ms Ocasio-Cortez, who the previous year had beaten former House Democratic Caucus Chairman Joe Crowley in a primary in New York’s 14th District, asked questions about whether Mr Trump ever provided inflated assets to an insurance company. “Yes,” Mr Cohen said in response. When Ms Ocasio-Cortez asked who else knew that Mr Trump did this, he said “Allen Weisselberg, Ron Lieberman and Matthew Calamari.” The lawsuit also named Mr Lieberman, the former chief financial officer for the Trump Organization. Specifically, it said that Mr Weisselberg helped Mr Trump make fraudulent statements of financial condition regarding his properties. “Mr Trump made known through Mr. Weisselberg that he wanted his net worth on his statements to increase every year, and the statements were the vehicle by which his net worth was fraudulently inflated by billions of dollars year after year,” Ms James’s office said in a statement. “And where would the committee find more information on this, do you think we need to review his financial statements and his tax returns,” she said. “Yes, and you’d find it at the Trump Org,” Mr Cohen said. The lawsuit alleges that Mr Trump fraudulently inflated his net worth by millions of dollars so that banks could lend him and his businesses money on more favorable terms that would otherwise not be available. Read More Here

Post Politics Now: House To Take Up Police Funding Bills; Senate To Consider Donor Disclosure Bill https://digitalalaskanews.com/post-politics-now-house-to-take-up-police-funding-bills-senate-to-consider-donor-disclosure-bill/ Today, the House is poised to take up four police-funding bills while Democrats in the Senate will try — and probably fail — to advance legislation to provide disclosure of donors to super PACs. None of the bills is expected to reach President Biden’s desk before the midterm elections, but party leaders think that considering them sends an important message. House Democrats are trying to fend off Republican attacks that they are soft on crime. Senate Democrats will attack Republicans for blocking campaign finance reform. Meanwhile, Biden has several events in New York, including another fundraiser to benefit the Democratic National Committee, before returning to Washington. On Wednesday, he addressed the U.N. General Assembly, decrying Russia’s “brutal, needless war” in Ukraine. Your daily dashboard 10:45 a.m. Eastern time: House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) holds a weekly news conference. Watch live here. 11 a.m. Eastern: Biden hosts a bilateral meeting in New York with Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. 2 p.m. Eastern (1 p.m. Central): Vice President Harris addresses the Democratic Attorneys General Association conference in Milwaukee. Watch live here. 2:15 p.m. Eastern: Biden receives a briefing in New York on Hurricane Fiona’s impact on Puerto Rico. 4:40 p.m. Eastern: Biden participates in a DNC reception in New York. 7:45 p.m. Eastern: Biden returns to the White House. Got a question about politics? Submit it here. After 3 p.m. weekdays, return to this space and we’ll address what’s on the mind of readers. Noted: The status of key investigations involving Donald Trump Return to menu Donald Trump is facing historic legal and legislative scrutiny for a former president, under investigation by the Justice Department, U.S. lawmakers, local district attorneys and a state attorney general. Authorities are examining the handling of nearly 13,000 government documents stashed at Mar-a-Lago after Trump left the White House, some of them highly classified; and looking into Trump and his family business for a medley of possible violations, including his actions leading up to the Jan. 6, 2021, riot at the U.S. Capitol; and investigating how he valued his various assets for loan and tax purposes. Analysis: House office to hold union vote today for first time in history Return to menu For the first time in congressional history, a Capitol Hill office will vote on forming a union. Writing in The Early 202, The Post’s Leigh Ann Caldwell, Theodoric Meyer and Tobi Raji relay that the office of Rep. Andy Levin (D-Mich.) will hold the vote Thursday and the results will be tallied Monday. Per our colleagues: The move follows the emergence of a viral Instagram account earlier this year that posted accounts of toxic working conditions in Hill offices and months of organizing by the Congressional Workers Union and its president, Philip Bennett. If Levin’s staffers do vote to form a union, it will be short-lived. Levin lost his August primary to Rep. Haley Stevens (D-Mich.) after redistricting led the two to face off in the 11th District. But members of the CWU are celebrating the milestone nonetheless. “As long as there are workers, there’s a need for a union,” Taylor Doggett, the CWU’s vice president of communications, told Tobi. “Rep. Levin will still represent Michigan’s 9th Congressional District until January 3, 2022, and staff will be employed up until that date.” You can read the full piece here. On our radar: House poised to take up police funding bills Return to menu The Democratic-led House is poised Thursday to vote on a series of bills that would provide millions of dollars to local law enforcement and attach accountability measures. The four bills include funding to improve responses to situations involving mental illness; to provide “de-escalation” training for police; to establish community-based violence reduction initiatives and to bolster investigations of shootings. The Post’s Marianna Sotomayor and Leigh Ann Caldwell write that some Democrats have urged passage of the package ahead of the midterm elections as a counter to GOP attacks that paint Democrats as anti-police. Per our colleagues: The latest: Trump says presidents can declassify docs ‘even by thinking about it’ Return to menu In his first TV appearance since a court-authorized search of his Florida home last month, Donald Trump reasserted Wednesday that any documents taken from the White House to Mar-a-Lago were declassified while he was in office, adding that a president can carry that out “even by thinking about it.” The Post’s Julian Mark has details: “There doesn’t have to be a process, as I understand it,” Trump told Fox News host Sean Hannity. Prosecutors have said that about 100 of the documents taken from Mar-a-Lago were marked classified, including some labeled top secret. “If you’re the president of the United States, you can declassify just by saying it’s declassified,” the former president added. “You’re the president — you make that decision.” Trump’s comments followed an announcement earlier in the day that New York Attorney General Letitia James was filing a lawsuit accusing him and his three children of manipulating property values to deceive lenders, insurance brokers and tax officials. On Hannity’s program, Trump called the lawsuit part of a politically motivated “witch hunt” that has been brewing since he first ran for office. You can read the full story here. Analysis: The GOP claim that Democrats support abortion ‘up to moment of birth’ Return to menu Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) recently tweeted that his Democratic opponent, Rep. Val Demings (D-Fla.), supports abortion “up until the moment of birth.” Similarly, the web site of Arizona GOP Senate candidate Blake Masters asserts that Sen. Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.) believes in “nationwide abortion on-demand up until the moment of birth.” Writing in The Fact Checker, The Post’s Glenn Kessler says that these accusations are emblematic of a frequent Republican attack on Democrats who support abortion rights. The line provides a vivid image — that a baby could be aborted literally as a mother is about to give birth. Republican National Committee Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel this week even coined a new phrase — “due date abortion.” The latest: Appeals court says Justice Dept. can use Mar-a-Lago documents in criminal probe Return to menu An appeals court sided with the Justice Department in a legal fight over classified documents seized in a court-authorized search of former president Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago home, ruling Wednesday that the FBI may use the documents in its ongoing criminal investigation. The Post’s Devlin Barrett writes that the decision by a three-judge panel of the appeals court marks a victory, at least temporarily, for the Justice Department in its legal battle with Trump over access to the evidence in a high-stakes investigation to determine if the former president or his advisers mishandled national security secrets, or hid or destroyed government records. The latest: Jan. 6 committee reaches deal with Ginni Thomas for an interview Return to menu The House select committee investigating the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection has reached an agreement with Virginia “Ginni” Thomas, the wife of Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas, to be interviewed by the panel in coming weeks, according to her attorney and another person familiar with the agreement. The Post’s Jacqueline Alemany and Azi Paybarah have details: Thomas’s attorney, Mark Paoletta, confirmed the agreement in a statement. “I can confirm that Ginni Thomas has agreed to participate in a voluntary interview with the Committee,” Paoletta said. “As she has said from the outset, Mrs. Thomas is eager to answer the Committee’s questions to clear up any misconceptions about her work relating to the 2020 election. She looks forward to that opportunity.” The panel had contemplated issuing a subpoena to compel her testimony. Thomas, a longtime conservative activist, had pushed lawmakers and top Republican officials to overturn Joe Biden’s victory in the 2020 presidential election, citing baseless claims of widespread voter fraud. You can read the full story here. Read More Here

AP News Summary At 8:05 A.m. EDT https://digitalalaskanews.com/ap-news-summary-at-805-a-m-edt/ No let-up in hostilities in Ukraine despite prisoner swap KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Officials say Russian missile strikes in the southern city of Zaporizhzha left one person dead and five others wounded as Ukrainian shelling in Russian-controlled Donetsk city killed at least five people. Zaporizhzia Gov. Oleksandr Starukh said Thursday Russian forces targeted infrastructure facilities and also damaged nearby apartment buildings, Donetsk city mayor Alexei Kulemzin said at least five people where killed when Ukrainian shelling Thursday hit a covered market and a passenger minibus.  The exchange of fire came just a few hours after a high-profile prisoner swap that saw 215 Ukrainian and foreign fighters exchanged primarily for an ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin. Ukraine’s Zelenskyy lays out his case against Russia to UN UNITED NATIONS (AP) — Ukraine’s president has laid out his case against Russia’s invasion at the United Nations and demanded punishment from world leaders. Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s speech was delivered just hours after Moscow made an extraordinary announcement that it would mobilize some reservists for the war effort. Buoyed by a counteroffensive that has retaken swaths of territory that the Russians had seized, Zelenskyy vowed in a video address that his forces would not stop until they had reclaimed all of Ukraine. Video addresses by Zelenskyy in an olive green T-shirt have become almost commonplace. But this speech was one of the most keenly anticipated at the U.N. General Assembly, where the war has dominated. Trump docs probe: Court lifts hold on Mar-a-Lago records WASHINGTON (AP) — A federal appeals court has lifted a judge’s hold on the Justice Department’s ability to use classified records seized from former President Donald Trump’s Florida estate in its ongoing criminal investigation. The ruling Wednesday from the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 11th Circuit in Atlanta clears the way for investigators to continue scrutinizing the documents as they evaluate whether to bring criminal charges over the storage of top-secret government records at Mar-a-Lago. The court notes that Trump presented no evidence that he had declassified the sensitive records. And it is rejecting the possibility that Trump could have an “individual interest in or need for” the roughly 100 documents marked as classified. Powell’s stark message: Inflation fight may cause recession Read More Here

Trump Accuser Plans New Lawsuit Under New York's Abuse Survivors Law https://digitalalaskanews.com/trump-accuser-plans-new-lawsuit-under-new-yorks-abuse-survivors-law/ A writer who accused former President Donald Trump of raping her in a department store dressing room intends to file another lawsuit against him under a new New York law letting sexual assault victims sue over attacks that happened decades ago. A lawyer for the columnist, E. Jean Carroll, notified a federal judge of her intent to sue in an August letter entered in the public record Tuesday. The suit would allege sexual battery and intentional infliction of emotional distress. In the letter, the lawyer, Roberta Kaplan, also said she plans to depose Trump in the defamation case that Carroll already had pending against the former president. The deposition would have to occur by Oct. 19, when discovery in the case must be completed for a planned February trial. Trump’s attorney, Alina Habba, did not immediately respond to a request for comment. In an Aug. 11 letter to the court that was also posted in the public file Tuesday, she objected to the new lawsuit. Habba wrote that letting Carroll file the new claim now “would be extraordinarily prejudicial” to Trump, given the looming trial deadlines in the defamation case. “To permit Plaintiff to drastically alter the scope and subject matter of this case at such time would severely prejudice Defendant’s rights. Therefore, Plaintiff’s request must be disregarded in its entirety,” Habba said. Kaplan declined to comment. Carroll, a longtime advice columnist for Elle magazine, wrote in a 2019 book that Trump raped her during a chance encounter at a Bergdorf Goodman store in the mid-1990s. Trump denied it and questioned Carroll’s credibility and motivations. Because the alleged attack happened so long ago, Carroll would ordinarily have missed legal deadlines to sue Trump. So she initially sued him instead for defamation, saying he smeared her reputation while denying the rape allegation. Last spring, however, New York lawmakers passed the Adult Survivor’s Act, which provides a one-year “look back” that enables adult survivors of sexual attacks to bring civil claims when they otherwise would be barred. The law, signed by Gov. Kathy Hochul in May, was modeled after the Child Victims Act, which provided a similar window to bring lawsuits for people who had been sexually assaulted when they were children. That law expired a year ago. A deposition would require Trump to answer questions from Carroll’s lawyers under oath about her allegations. Carroll’s legal team in February had said they were willing to skip a deposition in order to get the lawsuit to trial more quickly. Kaplan, in her letter to the court, said she now needed to question Trump because his lawyers had turned over so few documents relevant to the case. In her letter to the court, Habba made no mention of the plans to depose Trump, but she did complain that Kaplan’s letter was “filled with misrepresentations and inflammatory statements.” Copyright 2022 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Topics Lawsuits Legislation New York Read More Here

Translation And Evaluation Of The Simplified Chinese Version Of The Rating Form Of IBD Patient Concerns – BMC Gastroenterology https://digitalalaskanews.com/translation-and-evaluation-of-the-simplified-chinese-version-of-the-rating-form-of-ibd-patient-concerns-bmc-gastroenterology/ BMC Gastroenterology volume 22, Article number: 426 (2022) Cite this article Abstract Background Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) has become a global public health problem. The prevalence of IBD in China increased annually in past two decades. Methods This study was to translate and validate the rating form of IBD patients’ concerns (RFIPC), and to describe disease-related worries and concerns of patients with IBD. The simplified Chinese version of the RFIPC was developed according to translation and back-translation procedure. Patients with IBD were consecutively enrolled from the First Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine. The participants were assessed using the RFIPC and the Short Inflammatory Bowel Disease Questionnaire (SIBDQ). Internal consistency, test–retest reliability, measurement error, confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) and correlation of the RFIPC with the SIBDQ were performed to evaluate the psychometric characteristics of the RFIPC. Results A total of 116 patients with IBD, 73 with ulcerative colitis (UC) and 43 with Crohn’s disease (CD), were enrolled in this study. Thirty-seven of them recompleted the questionnaires for the second time between 7 and 14 days after the first interview. The results of CFA indicated the original structure of the RFIPC was reasonable. Cronbach’s alpha value of the RFIPC were 0.97. The intraclass correlation coefficients of four domains ranged from 0.85 to 0.92. The standard error of measurement was 7.10. The correlation coefficients between total score of the RFIPC and the SIBDQ score ranged from − 0.54 to − 0.70. Median total score of the RFIPC was 39.4 (IQR 24.0–59.3). Patients with severe symptoms reported higher scores of the RFIPC. The uncertain nature of disease, having surgery, having an ostomy bag, developing cancer, feeling out of control, being a burden on others and financial difficulties were highest concerns of patients with IBD. Comparing with patients with UC, patients with CD had more concerns of the ability to have children and being treated as different (P � 0.05). Conclusions The simplified Chinese version of RFIPC is a valid and reliable tool. It could be used for assessing disease-related worries and concerns of patients with IBD in China. Specific concerns of patients with UC and CD are different, therefore, health workers should consider the specific needs of UC and CD patients. Peer Review reports Background Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is a chronic and disabling disease of the gastrointestinal tract characterized by episodes of intestinal inflammation [1]. Ulcerative colitis (UC) and Crohn’s disease (CD), the two primary forms of IBD, are estimated to affect approximately 0.3% of the world’s population [2]. A modeling study predicts that there will be a 1.5-fold increase for East Asia region with 4.5 million cases, and a 1.6-fold elevation in prevalence for high‐income Asia‐Pacific and Southeast Asia regions in 2035, as compared to 2020 [3]. IBD not only damages patient’s gastrointestinal tract, but also affects their mental health, causing depression and anxiety [4]. A high prevalence of psychological disorders was reported among patient with IBD in mainland China [5]. These psychological comorbidities increase disease burden and impair their quality of life directly [6,7,8]. Therefore, healthcare workers should be greater attention to the psychological burdens of patients with IBD. The rating form of IBD patients’ concerns (RFIPC), developed by Drossman et al. in 1991, is a commonly used instrument to evaluate IBD patients’ disease-related worries and concerns [9]. It has been translated into 10 languages since its publication [10,11,12,13,14,15,16,17]. Currently, the RFIPC has been widely used in cross-sectional and prospective longitudinal studies [18, 19]. However, the RFIPC has not been translated into Chinese. The study aimed to translate the RFIPC into simplified Chinese and to evaluated its psychometric properties. Furthermore, we attempted to investigate disease-related worries and concerns among patients with IBD in mainland China. Patients and methods Patients From June 2020 to June 2021, Chinese-speaking patients with IBD were consecutively invited from the First Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine. Patients were eligible if they were between 16 and 75 years old, with an established diagnosis of UC or CD both by endoscopy and histological examination, classified according to the Montreal classification of inflammatory bowel disease [20]. The exclusion criteria were (1) patients with IBD who refused to participate in the study; (2) patients with severe cognitive impairment who could not understand the questionnaire; (3) patents with co-existent diseases (such as chronic heart failure, chronic renal failure, malignant tumours etc.) or neuropsychiatric disorders that can affect the results of the study. Trained researchers had face-to-face interview with eligible patients and invited them to participate in the study. Participants were asked to fill a set of questionnaires on the spot. The participants were asked to fill in the RFIPC and questionnaire about major symptoms (QMS) of IBD once again if they returned for further consultations between 7 and 14 days. All questionnaires were self-administered. Researchers would help explained the questions to participants when necessary. Questionnaires Demographic characteristics and medical information Demographic characteristics of participants included gender, age, marital status, level of education, smoking and drinking. Medical information was about disease type, disease location, and the QMS of IBD. The QMS was regarded as an assessment of disease activity, including severity of abdominal pain, frequency of stool, level of fatigue, degree of weight loss. The questionnaire was self-administrated and recommended as an efficacy evaluation for treating colitis in Development of clinical trial of new drugs of traditional Chinese medicines published by the National Medical Product Administration of China [21]. Each symptom was rated on a four-point Likert scale from 0 (symptom not present) to 3 (severe). A higher score indicated a more severe symptom. The simplified Chinese version of the RFIPC The RFIPC is a 25-item questionnaire with each item scoring on a horizontal visual analogue scale 0–100 mm (0 = Not at all, 100 = A great deal). In the original questionnaire, 22 of 25 items were divided into four factors: disease impact, complications, sexual intimacy, and body stigma. An overall mean score of all items was as “sum score” [9]. After obtaining license from the original authors, the translation and back-translation process of the RFIPC were conducted in line with Brislin’s guidelines [22, 23]. First, two bilingual (Chinese and English) native experienced researchers translated the questionnaire from English to simplified Chinese independently. Then, the translation coordinator compared the two simplified Chinese version of the RFIPC and conduct a reconciliation process to produce the first draft. Second, the first draft of RFIPC was back-translated into English by two other bilingual researchers who were not involved in translation process. Thereafter, the coordinator discussed any discrepancies between the original source and the back-translated questionnaire with both forward and back translators. The subject “您的” (meaning “your”) was added to item “attractiveness”, “energy level”, “ability to perform sexually” for ease of understanding. Finally, the final version of the RFIPC was formed. Cross-cultural adaptation of the final version of RFIPC was conducted using a pre-test. The pre-test involving 6 patients with IBD and 6 healthy controls aimed to identify any ambiguity in the items and wordings of the questionnaire. All subjects participated in the pre-testing completed the questionnaire in less than 10 min. They reported no difficulties in reading, understanding or answering the RFIPC. No change was made to the questionnaire after the pre-testing. The short inflammatory bowel disease questionnaire (SIBDQ) The SIBDQ is a short version of the Inflammatory Bowel Disease Questionnaire, and is used as a health-related quality-of-life measure of patients with IBD. The SIBDQ includes 10 questions grouped into 4 domains (bowel symptoms, systemic symptoms, social function, emotional function). All items are rated on a 7-point Likert scale (1 = all the time, 7 = never). The total score ranges from 10 to 70. A higher score indicates a better quality of life [24]. A simplified Chinese version of SIBDQ has been proofed to be a quick and reliable quality-of-life instrument for patients with IBD in mainland China [25]. Statistical analysis All data from the questionnaires were pooled into Microsoft Office Excel 2016. The quality of a questionnaire’s measurement properties was evaluated by the Consensus-based Standards for the selection of health Measurement Instruments (COSMIN) [26]. For normally distributed continuous variables, means and standard deviations (SD) were presented. Median and interquartile range (IRQ) values were used to describe the nonnormally distributed continuous variables. Mann–Whitney U test or Kruskal–Wallis H test were used to compare medians of nonnormally distributed variables. The frequencies of categorical variables were compared using Pearson’s Chi-square test or Fisher’s exact test. All statistical tests were considered significant with P ≤ 0.05. We performed all analyses using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS 25.0, SPSS Inc., Chicago, IL, USA) and the IBM AMOS 24.0. Confirmat...

Maternal Mortality, Russia, And Adam Levine | Daily Skimm https://digitalalaskanews.com/maternal-mortality-russia-and-adam-levine-daily-skimm/ Mahsa Amini The Story Protests in Iran are growing deadlier. Walk me through it. This is about the death of Mahsa Amini. Last week, Iranian morality police arrested the 22-year-old — reportedly for not following the country’s hijab rules. She died in a hospital three days later. Iran says she died of a heart attack. Amini’s family and eyewitnesses say the police beat her in a van and she later fell into a coma. In the days since, thousands have turned out across the country to protest the Iranian regime. Human rights groups say seven people have been killed, with hundreds more reportedly injured. Iranian officials confirmed three deaths. Now, as protests enter their sixth day, they show no sign of slowing down.  Go on. These are believed to be some of the most daring protests in Iran in years. Video footage shows protesters burning their hijabs and cutting their hair in public — in a country where those who violate the law can face jail time. One woman can be seen standing on a police car in the streets. Some protesters can be heard chanting “death to the dictator.” Others reportedly chanted, “life, liberty, and women.” And tension is mounting: police have been filmed using water cannons, tear gas, and batons, beating protesters to the ground. Some protesters have set fire to police cars or hit back with rocks. And some users say access to WhatsApp and Instagram is being restricted  — something Elon Musk is trying to change. theSkimm This is not the first time Iranians have taken to the streets to protest the regime. This time, it’s coming against a backdrop of the UN General Assembly and Iranian nuclear negotiations that don’t seem to be going anywhere, reports of Iran’s supreme leader’s poor health, and a generation that is increasingly online.  And Also…This Where unrest is also growing… Russia. Yesterday, Russian President Vladimir Putin announced a partial mobilization of the military…sparking mass protests. The announcement — the first of its kind since World War II — applies to about 300,000 reservists. But since all men there between the ages of 18 and 27 need to do military service, many could be called up. The news is already sparking backlash. Flights out of Russia are selling out. Google searches for “how to leave Russia” and even “how to break an arm at home” are spiking. And more than 1,200 Russians have been reportedly arrested in protests. Some chanted “let our children live” and called for Putin himself to be sent to the front lines. Others said simply “no to war.” The war continues: The announcement came as the Russian government acknowledged more than 5,900 Russian deaths in Ukraine, believed to be an undercount. The news came on the heels of Ukrainian advances in the country’s east. And as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy spoke at the UN General Assembly, urging more aid. Who’s saying ‘now where were we’… The Justice Department. Yesterday, a federal appeals court said that the DOJ can continue reviewing the more than 100 classified docs seized from Mar-a-Lago. Earlier this month, a federal judge temporarily hit pause on parts of the DOJ’s investigation, granting former President Trump a special master. And by ‘special master’ we mean less EL James, more a judge tasked with sorting through the documents. This week, that special master pushed back against Trump’s lawyers in court — who refused to show proof that Trump declassified the docs while in office. But last night we heard from Trump himself. In a Fox News interview, the former president said there “doesn’t have to be a process” to declassify docs. And that a president can declassify documents ”even by thinking about it.” Something to think about… …Oh and speaking of investigations into Trump, yesterday New York Attorney General Letitia James (D) filed a $250 million lawsuit against Trump and his company for allegedly inflating his net worth. James called it “the art of the steal.” Trump supporters are calling it another political ploy from the left. What struggled with hump day… Wall Street. Yesterday, indexes dropped were down more than 1.7% — the lowest levels in months. The drop came after the Fed raised interest rates by 0.75 percentage points — the fifth time rates have gone up this year. The reason: the central bank wants to bring down inflation that’s reached a 40-year high. And said to expect benchmark rates (hint: the base for what other interest rates should go for) to jump up to 4.6% next year. As Fed Chair Jerome Powell put it, the hikes will happen “until the job is done.” But the balance is delicate, with economists warning that too many hikes too quickly could tip the country into a recession. PS: We Skimm’d what interest rate hikes mean for your finances here. While the darlings continue to be worried… So is the chess community. Who’s back in the headlines… Jeffrey Dahmer. Read More Here

Exclusive: New Book Reveals Trump's Business Practices Included Once Being Paid With Gold Bars – KRDO https://digitalalaskanews.com/exclusive-new-book-reveals-trumps-business-practices-included-once-being-paid-with-gold-bars-krdo/ By Jeremy Herb, CNN Former President Donald Trump’s business practices included some eyebrow-raising moments, such as once being paid with gold bars that were wheeled into his Trump Tower apartment, according to reporting obtained by CNN from a forthcoming book by New York Times reporter Maggie Haberman. Haberman reveals new details about Trump’s business dealings in the New York City real estate world and beyond, from a veiled threat to the owner of a magazine preparing to report on his inflated net worth to an acknowledgment that his businesses had to sometimes interact with the mob, according to the reporting obtained by CNN. Separately, Trump’s other business practices are now under renewed and intense scrutiny in the wake of the New York attorney general’s sweeping lawsuit, announced Wednesday, against Trump, some of his children and his company alleging scores of fraudulent financial activities that the former President used to enrich himself. In one striking episode, Haberman writes that Trump would occasionally receive portions of lease payments in cash, including when a leaseholder once sent Trump a box of dozens of gold bricks to cover the cash portion of the lease on the parking garage in the General Motors building in Manhattan, which Trump purchased in 1998. Trump told aides he didn’t know what to do with the gold bars, according to Haberman. He ultimately directed Matt Calamari, a onetime security guard who became chief operating officer in the Trump Organization, to wheel the bars up to his apartment in Trump Tower. It’s not clear what happened to the gold bricks. A lawyer for Calamari declined to comment, and Haberman writes that Trump called it “a fantasy question.” Haberman’s book, “Confidence Man: The Making of Donald Trump and the Breaking of America,” is being released on October 4. It includes an examination of Trump’s journey through the New York business world as well as his presidency and the aftermath of his 2020 loss to Joe Biden. Haberman, a CNN political analyst, is a longtime New York-based reporter who has worked for both of the city’s tabloid newspapers, and she covered Trump’s 2016 and 2020 campaigns and the Trump White House for the New York Times. Haberman writes that Trump’s financial situation at his company was often more precarious than people realized, according to former officials. At one point, Trump was said to have borrowed several million dollars from Trump Organization executive George Ross, according to Haberman. Ross acknowledged to the author that he loaned Trump money, but insisted it was to “cover a situation that was disposed of very quickly” and not for payroll expenses. In another episode, Haberman writes that Trump was said to have threatened to go public with rumors that Malcolm Forbes, the deceased owner of Forbes magazine, was gay, when the magazine was preparing to report that Trump’s net worth was far less than what he was claiming publicly. Haberman writes that officials at the Trump Organization operated in silos, and they often were unaware of what was happening elsewhere in the business. When Trump’s hotel and casino company was rebuked by the Securities and Exchange Commission over a misleading earnings statement, Haberman writes that Trump was more involved than the company let on. Trump’s lawyer at the time, Jay Goldberg, blamed company officials for the misleading projections in 1999 and insisted Trump was not involved, Haberman writes. News stories at the time of the SEC action three years later also stated that Trump did not have a role in the financial statement that overstated the company’s earnings. But Haberman reports that a former company consultant, Alan Marcus, said that Trump personally marked up a draft of the release in question and made existing projections rosier. Trump denied that account, according to Haberman. In an interview with Haberman, Trump acknowledged that his business dealings in New York City meant he would sometimes have to interact with the mob, though he downplayed how aware he was of it. “Well, anybody that built in New York City, whether you dealt with them indirectly, or didn’t even know they existed, they did exist,” Trump said. “Well, you dealt, you had contractors and you don’t know if they were mob or controlled or maybe not controlled, but I will tell you getting bids sometimes is very tough. You’d get one bid, it’d be a high end disappointing bid. And then there was nobody else to bid.” The-CNN-Wire & © 2022 Cable News Network, Inc., a Warner Bros. Discovery Company. All rights reserved. Read More Here

Trump Says Presidents Can Declassify Docs ‘even By Thinking About It’ https://digitalalaskanews.com/trump-says-presidents-can-declassify-docs-even-by-thinking-about-it/ In his first TV appearance since a court-authorized search of his Florida home last month, Donald Trump reasserted Wednesday that any documents taken from the White House to Mar-a-Lago were declassified while he was in office, adding that a president can carry that out “even by thinking about it.” “There doesn’t have to be a process, as I understand it,” Trump told Fox News host Sean Hannity. Prosecutors have said that about 100 of the documents taken from Mar-a-Lago were marked classified, including some labeled top secret. “If you’re the president of the United States, you can declassify just by saying it’s declassified,” the former president added. “You’re the president — you make that decision.” Trump’s comments were made ahead of a Wednesday appeals court decision that the FBI can use the seized documents in its criminal investigation. His appearance also followed an announcement earlier in the day that New York Attorney General Letitia James was filing a lawsuit accusing him and his three children of manipulating property values to deceive lenders, insurance brokers and tax officials. On Hannity’s program, Trump called the lawsuit part of a politically motivated “witch hunt” that has been brewing since he first ran for office. He asserted that if there were discrepancies about his property values, the banks should have done more diligence, adding that his company provided a disclaimer on financial documents saying as much. With regard to the FBI’s investigation into the possible mishandling of classified documents, Trump said he “declassified everything.” He also said he personally did not pack any boxes as he left the White House. The task was mostly performed by General Services Administration employees, he said, referring to the office that plays a prominent role in presidential transitions. Trump’s legal team has so far not produced evidence that the documents at Mar-a-Lago had been declassified, the three-judge panel of the appeals court noted in the Wednesday ruling. His lawyers have resisted doing so in front of special master Raymond Dearie, the U.S. district judge who pressed the team this week to provide such evidence, the panel wrote. “For our part, we cannot discern why [Trump] would have an individual interest in or need for any of the one-hundred documents with classification markings,” the court wrote. Presidents do have the authority to declassify information — though typically there’s a process for doing so, which can include coordinating with the agencies or Cabinet members from which the information originated to prevent possible national-security risks. Following the court-authorized search of Mar-a-Lago on Aug. 8, the former president’s office said in a statement that Trump issued a “standing order” while in office that documents taken to his residence would instantly be declassified. But Trump’s lawyers have avoided making a similar claim in court or in their legal filings, saying on Tuesday that to address the issue would mean revealing a potential defense that could be used if the criminal probe results in an indictment. In an interview with CNN in August, John Bolton, Trump’s former national security adviser, called the assertion from the former president’s office about the standing order to declassify documents “complete fiction.” Devlin Barrett contributed to this report. Read More Here

Ukraine Live Briefing: Russians Protest Putin’s Military Mobilization; Zelensky Urges ‘just Punishment’ https://digitalalaskanews.com/ukraine-live-briefing-russians-protest-putins-military-mobilization-zelensky-urges-just-punishment/ U.S. and European leaders on Wednesday swiftly condemned Russian President Vladimir Putin’s decision to call up as many as 300,000 reservists in his war against Ukraine, a move that sparked protests across Russia and soaring demand for one-way flights out of the country. Speaking to the U.N. General Assembly, President Biden accused Putin of attempting to extinguish Ukraine’s “right to exist,” and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said his citizens “demand just punishment” for Russia’s actions during the war. Here’s the latest on the war and its ripple effects across the globe. Return to menu As mobilization begins in Russia, sold-out flights, protests and arrests: Within hours of Putin’s speech declaring a partial military mobilization, men all over Russia started receiving written notices and phone calls summoning them to duty, writes Post reporter Mary Ilyushina. The men, mostly reservists under age 35, spoke to Ilyushina on the condition of anonymity about receiving the calls they had been dreading for months. Meanwhile, Google search trends showed a spike in queries like “How to leave Russia” and even “How to break an arm at home,” as protests erupted in some cities and an online petition against mobilization, initiated last spring, suddenly had more than 292,000 signatures. Read More Here

Schatz Leads Roundtable On Spectrum For Native Communities https://digitalalaskanews.com/schatz-leads-roundtable-on-spectrum-for-native-communities/ WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i), Chairman of the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs, led a roundtable discussion titled, “Promoting and Supporting Tribal Access to Spectrum and Related Benefits in Native Communities,” to hear from the U.S. Department of the Interior, Federal Communications Commission, Government Accountability Office, and Native leaders and experts on promoting and improving spectrum access for Native communities. Schatz opened the roundtable by underscoring the critical role spectrum can play in providing broadband to Native communities. “In January this year, the Committee held a roundtable to discuss the unique barriers to internet access in Native communities and explore how billions of dollars secured in Congress is helping Native communities invest in broadband infrastructure and close the digital divide,” said Chairman Schatz. “But missing from that conversation was how spectrum could be a key wireless technology for deploying broadband. For Native communities – many of which are remote and where wireline broadband can be challenging to install – increasing access to and use of spectrum could be a game changer.” The following panelists participated in the roundtable discussion: Umair Javed, Chief Counsel, Office of the Chairwoman, U.S. Federal Communications Commission, Washington, D.C. Priscilla Delgado Argeris, Chief Legal Advisor, Office of the Chairwoman, U.S. Federal Communications Commission, Washington, D.C. Heidi Todacheene, Senior Advisor to the Secretary, U.S. Department of the Interior, Washington, D.C. Dr. Anna Maria Ortiz, Director, Natural Resources and Environment, U.S. Government Accountability Office, Washington, D.C. Sally Moino, Assistant Director, Physical Infrastructure, U.S. Government Accountability Office, Washington, D.C. Tyler Iopeka Gomes, Deputy to the Chairman, Department of Hawaiian Homelands, Kapolei, HI The Honorable Melanie Benjamin, Chief Executive Officer, Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe Indians, Onamia, MN (Accompanied by Keith Modglin, Director of Information Technology, Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe Indians, Onamia, MN) Chris Cropley, Network Architect, Tidal Network, Juneau, AK Read More Here

Fed Goes Big Again With Third-Straight Three-Quarter-Point Rate Hike | CNN Business https://digitalalaskanews.com/fed-goes-big-again-with-third-straight-three-quarter-point-rate-hike-cnn-business/ Featured Fear & Greed Index Something isn’t loading properly. Please check back later. Markets and Investing After making history by approving a third consecutive 75-basis-point hike, Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell held a press conference on the plan to get inflation down to 2%. ” data-duration=”00:40″ data-editable=”settings” data-headline=”Powell says job market will have to suffer for inflation to fall” data-index=”idx-0″ data-show-name=”” data-show-url=”” data-source=”CNN” data-uri=”archive.cms.cnn.com/_components/video-resource/instances/h_1830aa93de6192fcc939da49b328ac66-h_60b41ec196c06611beb22712abf3056a@published” data-video-id=”business/2022/09/21/powell-inflation-job-market-rate-hike-vpx.cnn” data-video-instance=”archive.cms.cnn.com/_components/video-resource/instances/h_1830aa93de6192fcc939da49b328ac66-h_60b41ec196c06611beb22712abf3056a@published” Now playing Powell says job market will have to suffer for inflation to fall It’s no secret the market is in turmoil right now with some fearing equities are headed for new lows. David Bailin, chief investment officer at Citi Global Wealth Investments, gives three pieces of advice for smart investors. ” data-duration=”00:57″ data-editable=”settings” data-headline=”Investor shares 3 things you should do right now in this market” data-index=”idx-1″ data-show-name=”” data-show-url=”” data-source=”CNN Business” data-uri=”archive.cms.cnn.com/_components/video-resource/instances/h_7ef426c92057763d013f1ce94b13cbb2″ data-video-id=”business/2022/09/21/3-investing-tips-for-market-turmoil-david-bailin-orig.cnn-business” data-video-instance=”archive.cms.cnn.com/_components/video-resource/instances/h_7ef426c92057763d013f1ce94b13cbb2″ Now playing Investor shares 3 things you should do right now in this market Home prices remain high despite record inflation and high mortgage rates. Danielle Hale, chief economist at realtor.com, explains what home sellers can expect going forward and how buyers might be able to get a lower price. ” data-duration=”02:28″ data-editable=”settings” data-headline=”Buying or selling a home? Hear what this economist has to say about prices” data-index=”idx-2″ data-show-name=”” data-show-url=”” data-source=”CNN Business” data-uri=”archive.cms.cnn.com/_components/video-resource/instances/h_fb8593608b89d8f627b1db7ead4d3d03″ data-video-id=”business/2022/09/21/home-prices-forecast-realtor-danielle-hale-orig.cnn-business” data-video-instance=”archive.cms.cnn.com/_components/video-resource/instances/h_fb8593608b89d8f627b1db7ead4d3d03″ Now playing Buying or selling a home? Hear what this economist has to say about prices CNN’s Chief Business Correspondent Christine Romans explains what corporate America can tell us about the health of the US economy going forward. ” data-duration=”01:16″ data-editable=”settings” data-headline=”Is a recession coming? Look to corporate earnings” data-index=”idx-3″ data-show-name=”” data-show-url=”” data-source=”CNN Business” data-uri=”archive.cms.cnn.com/_components/video-resource/instances/h_bebd966ad5b157786ff278793b72890e” data-video-id=”business/2022/09/20/recession-corporate-earnings-mc-orig.cnn-business” data-video-instance=”archive.cms.cnn.com/_components/video-resource/instances/h_bebd966ad5b157786ff278793b72890e” Now playing Is a recession coming? Look to corporate earnings Can the Twitter whistleblower save Elon Musk from buying Twitter for $44B? Dan Ives, senior director at Wedbush Securities, explains 4 possible scenarios for how Twitter and Musk’s legal battle could play out in court. ” data-duration=”01:40″ data-editable=”settings” data-headline=”4 ways Twitter and Musk court battle could end, explained” data-index=”idx-4″ data-show-name=”” data-show-url=”” data-source=”CNN Business” data-uri=”archive.cms.cnn.com/_components/video-resource/instances/h_2e5bc78668d9a5d703de2bcb080d85f6″ data-video-id=”business/2022/09/14/twitter-elon-musk-4-court-case-scenarios-orig.cnn-business” data-video-instance=”archive.cms.cnn.com/_components/video-resource/instances/h_2e5bc78668d9a5d703de2bcb080d85f6″ Now playing 4 ways Twitter and Musk court battle could end, explained David Rubenstein, author of “How to Invest: Masters on the Craft” tells CNN’s Matt Egan how the best investors approach their portfolios during times of volatility. ” data-duration=”02:28″ data-editable=”settings” data-headline=”Billionaire businessman explains how to invest like the best” data-index=”idx-5″ data-show-name=”” data-show-url=”” data-source=”CNN Business” data-uri=”archive.cms.cnn.com/_components/video-resource/instances/h_36738c56b688575e740604ede0aa875d” data-video-id=”business/2022/09/02/david-rubenstein-investing-advice-jg-orig.cnn-business” data-video-instance=”archive.cms.cnn.com/_components/video-resource/instances/h_36738c56b688575e740604ede0aa875d” Now playing Billionaire businessman explains how to invest like the best B. Riley Financial’s Chief Market Strategist Art Hogan tells CNN’s Alison Kosik that a recession in 2023 is likely, but it’s still possible for the Federal Reserve to pull off a “soft landing.” ” data-duration=”01:41″ data-editable=”settings” data-headline=”Strategist: Here’s why the Fed could still pull off a ‘soft landing'” data-index=”idx-6″ data-show-name=”” data-show-url=”” data-source=”CNN” data-uri=”archive.cms.cnn.com/_components/video-resource/instances/h_81f15e66174a7ae7e3fff3fa5b28e276″ data-video-id=”business/2022/09/07/markets-now-art-hogan-federal-reserve-soft-landing-recession.cnn” data-video-instance=”archive.cms.cnn.com/_components/video-resource/instances/h_81f15e66174a7ae7e3fff3fa5b28e276″ Now playing Strategist: Here’s why the Fed could still pull off a ‘soft landing’ Klarna CEO Sebastian Siemiatkowski tells CNN’s Alison Kosik how the company is responding to a slashed valuation and why Apple entering the market is confirmation “buy now, pay later” is a good business. ” data-duration=”02:19″ data-editable=”settings” data-headline=”Klarna CEO on ‘buy now, pay later’ competition from Apple” data-index=”idx-7″ data-show-name=”” data-show-url=”” data-source=”CNN” data-uri=”archive.cms.cnn.com/_components/video-resource/instances/h_3c30bd7fcd468c30838aef72bed1055a” data-video-id=”business/2022/08/31/klarna-sebastian-siemiatkowski-buy-now-pay-later-apple-orig.cnn” data-video-instance=”archive.cms.cnn.com/_components/video-resource/instances/h_3c30bd7fcd468c30838aef72bed1055a” Now playing Klarna CEO on ‘buy now, pay later’ competition from Apple The stock market’s summer rally has run into trouble recently. Despite the rumbles, Anastasia Amoroso, Chief Investment Strategist at iCapital, explains why long-term investors should buy stocks especially when the market feels terrible. ” data-duration=”01:46″ data-editable=”settings” data-headline=”Strategist explains why you should ‘buy stocks when it feels terrible'” data-index=”idx-8″ data-show-name=”” data-show-url=”” data-source=”CNN Business” data-uri=”archive.cms.cnn.com/_components/video-resource/instances/h_bc082d8138c8d86929499e177ae1586e” data-video-id=”business/2022/08/24/stock-buying-strategy-risk-reward-scenario-anastasia-amoroso-orig.cnn-business” data-video-instance=”archive.cms.cnn.com/_components/video-resource/instances/h_bc082d8138c8d86929499e177ae1586e” Now playing Strategist explains why you should ‘buy stocks when it feels terrible’ Subway sandwiches could soon be on your list of monthly subscription services. Subway CEO John Chidsey explains to CNN’s Alison Kosik how the subscription program will work and what consumers can expect from food prices. ” data-duration=”00:59″ data-editable=”settings” data-headline=”Your next subscription could be to Subway. Its CEO explains how it’ll work” data-index=”idx-9″ data-show-name=”” data-show-url=”” data-source=”CNN Business” data-uri=”archive.cms.cnn.com/_components/video-resource/instances/h_dce254a0279bf90dbf73360d6f07e4b9″ data-video-id=”business/2022/08/24/subway-subscription-pass-ceo-interview-orig.cnn-business” data-video-instance=”archive.cms.cnn.com/_components/video-resource/instances/h_dce254a0279bf90dbf73360d6f07e4b9″ Now playing Your next subscription could be to Subway. Its CEO explains how it’ll work Cowen’s Senior Retail Analyst Oliver Chen breaks down why Walmart beat quarterly earnings expectations whereas Target missed. ” data-duration=”02:19″ data-editable=”settings” data-headline=”Walmart vs. Target: A tale of two retail results” data-index=”idx-10″ data-show-name=”” data-show-url=”” data-source=”CNN Business” data-uri=”archive.cms.cnn.com/_components/video-resource/instances/h_7ff9435f5d922c9bc5c42b3dfdd1a9bd” data-video-id=”business/2022/08/17/target-walmart-quarterly-earning-results-markets-now-orig.cnn-business” data-video-instance=”archive.cms.cnn.com/_components/video-resource/instances/h_7ff9435f5d922c9bc5c42b3dfdd1a9bd” CNN Business Now playing Walmart vs. Target: A tale of two retail results Inflation may be slowing, but Dana Peterson, Chief Economist at The Conference Board, says the Federal Reserve may still raise rates aggressively. Here’s why. ” data-duration=”02:31″ data-editable=”settings” data-headline=”Economist: Recent inflation data may not change Fed’s plan” data-index=”idx-11″ data-show-name=”” data-show-url=”” data-source=”CNN” data-uri=”archive.cms.cnn.com/_components/video-resource/instances/h_c4750dbc5c0a02356fe9a5a7d2869c5e” data-video-id=”business/2022/08/10/shallow-recession.cnn” data-video-instance=”archive.cms.cnn.com/_components/video-resource/instances/h_c4750dbc5c0a02356fe9a5a7d2869c5e” Now playing Economist: Recent inflation data may not change Fed’s plan During the pandemic, Netflix’s stock skyrocketed off of superb subscriber growth. Now that the market cap has fallen along with sub...

Coors Light Beer Drenches Florida Highway After Semi-Trailer Crash https://digitalalaskanews.com/coors-light-beer-drenches-florida-highway-after-semi-trailer-crash/ NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles! A semi-trailer driving through Florida crashed early Wednesday morning – closing down the highway and saturating it with Coors Light beer. Authorities closed down a southbound portion of Interstate-75 to tend to the beer-drenched road.  The Florida Highway Patrol said the crash happened after 6 a.m. in Hernando County, roughly 30 miles north of Tampa.  Cases of Coors Light beer were strewn across a highway after two semitrailers collided on the Florida road. (Florida Highway Patrol) One semi-trailer clipped another while changing lanes – forcing other vehicles to brake suddenly. MILLIONS OF BEES RELEASED AFTER SEMITRAILER CRASH ON INTERSTATE When the freight truck carrying the Coors Light beers failed to stop, the vehicle collided with a pickup truck and another semi. Hundreds of Silver Bullet beer cans were strewn across the road in the incident. GEORGIA WOMAN, 91, SURVIVES AFTER SEMI-TRUCK TIRES CRASH INTO HER HOME: ‘I COULD’VE BEEN KILLED’ Authorities say that the occupants of the truck sustained minor injuries. (Florida Highway Patrol via AP) CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP  Authorities say that the occupants of the truck only sustained minor injuries. The roadway reopened at around 12 p.m. that day.  Associated Press contributed to this report. Read More Here

AP News Summary At 4:07 A.m. EDT https://digitalalaskanews.com/ap-news-summary-at-407-a-m-edt/ Ukraine’s Zelenskyy lays out his case against Russia to UN UNITED NATIONS (AP) — Ukraine’s president has laid out his case against Russia’s invasion at the United Nations and demanded punishment from world leaders. Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s speech was delivered just hours after Moscow made an extraordinary announcement that it would mobilize some reservists for the war effort. Buoyed by a counteroffensive that has retaken swaths of territory that the Russians had seized, Zelenskyy vowed in a video address that his forces would not stop until they had reclaimed all of Ukraine. Video addresses by Zelenskyy in an olive green T-shirt have become almost commonplace. But this speech was one of the most keenly anticipated at the U.N. General Assembly, where the war has dominated. Ukraine’s Mariupol defenders, Putin ally in prisoner swap KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Ukraine has completed a high-profile prisoner swap with Russia, the culmination of months of efforts to free many of the Ukrainian fighters who defended a steel plant in the port of Mariupol during a months-long Russian siege. In exchange, Ukraine gave up an ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin it was holding. President Volodymr Zelenskky says his government won freedom from Russian custody for 215 Ukrainian and foreign citizens. He says many were soldiers and officers who had faced the death penalty in Russian-occupied territory. Of the total, 200 Ukrainians were exchanged for just one man — pro-Russian opposition leader Viktor Medvedchuk. The 68-year-old oligarch escaped from house arrest in Ukraine several days before Russia’s invasion Feb. 24 but was recaptured in April. Trump docs probe: Court lifts hold on Mar-a-Lago records WASHINGTON (AP) — A federal appeals court has lifted a judge’s hold on the Justice Department’s ability to use classified records seized from former President Donald Trump’s Florida estate in its ongoing criminal investigation. The ruling Wednesday from the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 11th Circuit in Atlanta clears the way for investigators to continue scrutinizing the documents as they evaluate whether to bring criminal charges over the storage of top-secret government records at Mar-a-Lago. The court notes that Trump presented no evidence that he had declassified the sensitive records. And it is rejecting the possibility that Trump could have an “individual interest in or need for” the roughly 100 documents marked as classified. Powell’s stark message: Inflation fight may cause recession Read More Here

Let Justice Be Done: Tish James Rightly Pursues Donald Trump And His Company https://digitalalaskanews.com/let-justice-be-done-tish-james-rightly-pursues-donald-trump-and-his-company/ That real estate promoter Donald Trump is a shady businessman has been known to New Yorkers for the half-century since the Avenue Z rent collector for his dad, Fred Trump, made his public debut with sleazy lawyer-fixer Roy Cohn at his side. Trump lied about his wealth (he wasn’t as rich as he said he was) and his academic credentials (he wasn’t first in his class at Wharton). And as the whole world now knows, just about everything he uttered before, during and after his benighted presidency was also a lie. So the hefty, detailed lawsuit filed yesterday in Manhattan state Supreme Court by state Attorney General Tish James alleging that Trump, three of his adult children and the Trump Organization lied about values of assets to gain financial advantage when applying for loans is par for the course, as Trump also lied about the value of his golf holdings. James is on the side of truth, justice and the American way on this one. She has Trump nailed, like the fact that he claimed his Trump Tower triplex is 30,000 square feet, not the 11,000 square feet it is in reality. The dirt was first spilled by Cohn’s wannabe successor, Michael Cohen, under very smart questioning by then-freshman Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez on Feb. 27, 2019, in just her second month in office. Cohen said the boss had cheated when declaring the worth of his properties. Manhattan District Attorney Cy Vance soon picked up the trail and then had to fight and beat Trump all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court so the grand jury could see the documents. This year, new DA Alvin Bragg sidelined the criminal probe, despite the sincere belief of highly experienced prosecutors that Trump should have been indicted. Neither was there an effort to grant criminal jurisdiction to James via Gov. Hochul, as suggested by long-time Trump watcher David Cay Johnston in these pages. (Wednesday, Bragg declared his Trump investigation “active and ongoing.”) James has only the power to sue, and make referrals to federal prosecutors and the IRS. Godspeed. Read More Here

Opinion: Thank God For Ukrainians’ Sake That Trump Didn’t Win In 2020 https://digitalalaskanews.com/opinion-thank-god-for-ukrainians-sake-that-trump-didnt-win-in-2020/ U.S. President Donald Trump, left, and Russian President Vladimir Putin, right, pose for a photograph at the beginning of a one-on-one meeting at the Presidential Palace in Helsinki, Finland, Monday, July 16, 2018. (AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais) Pablo Martinez Monsivais, STF / Associated Press Putin and Trump Regarding “ Opinion: Under Trump, Putin would’ve been too scared to invade ,” (Sept. 17): The readers who wrote in suggesting Vladimir Putin would have been “scared” to invade Ukraine if Trump were still president are delusional — a trait that surfaces frequently among Trump supporters. Comments made by Trump throughout his presidency — punctuated by his shameful appearance beside Putin in Helsinki — made it abundantly clear that he was ever-deferential towards the Russian despot. Thank God for the Ukrainians’ sake that Trump didn’t win the 2020 election. (News flash to a number of Trump supporters: he lost convincingly.) If he had, the government building in Kyiv would probably have the Russian flag flying over it today, and Volodymyr Zelenskyy would be either dead or imprisoned. David Bradley, Spring I find it interesting that the letter writers in Sunday’s opinion section claimed that if Trump were currently president the Ukrainian war would not have happened, but do not cite any examples of Trump’s behavior to support that claim, instead resorting to what other presidents did or did not do. So, let us look at a few things Trump did do while he was president. First, when President Trump agreed to sell Ukraine Javelin missiles, he required they keep them stored far from the front lines , effectively neutering any deterrent effect. Let’s also not forget that the Russian SolarWinds cyberattack on the U.S., perhaps the most expensive and dangerous computer hack on another country , happened on Trump’s watch with not even a comment from him about Putin’s government attempting to attack the United States. And of course, whether or not people feel it was an impeachable offense, one cannot forget that in that “perfect” phone call to the Ukrainian president as Putin continued his assaults on Ukraine, Trump’s primary focus was to ask Zelenskyy to investigate Hunter Biden. As they say, actions speak louder than words and Trump’s actions very clearly aided Putin in his long-term goal of annexing the Ukraine. Robert Dempsey, Houston When Putin invaded Ukraine, Trump stated that “it was a tough way [for Putin] to negotiate but a smart way to negotiate.” Trump admires “strongmen” so much that, as president, he would not have scared Putin at all but stated his admiration. No, Trump would not be a deterrent but more so an onlooker to oppression. Ron Drees, Houston Now, I do not understand that headline “Trump scared Putin.” Time after time Trump would take Putin’s word over our government people’s. I was wondering when Trump would be caught kissing Putin’s feet in public. Trump slithered away from ever confronting him on anything. Putin was never scared of Trump. He was getting everything he wanted from Trump. Just look how Trump handled our top secret documents. There were empty folders that carried highly classified information. Are they sitting in Moscow right now? If Trump were a real man, he would turn over the classified documents that he is either hiding, destroyed or given away to rogue dictators. He must be held accountable for all lost classified documents. Phillip Lynch, Houston Regarding “ Editorial: If Trump were still president, where would Ukraine be today? ,” (Sept. 15): In your editorial attempting to praise President Biden’s handling of the Ukraine crisis, you swerved into the hyper-partisan, bizarro realm with your comments on former President Trump. You were so proud of this position that you mentioned him in the title. Sadly, you had to ignore the historical record to make these assertions. First, Putin’s armies never outright invaded one of their neighbors during the Trump administration. Sensing weakness, he only chose to do so during the Obama and now Biden administration. So in fact, Ukraine seems to have been much safer and suffered fewer casualties during the Trump presidency — a stark contrast to their realities under both his predecessor and successor. Second, the Trump administration was the first to approve large sales of lethal weaponry to Ukraine — a policy that reversed the Obama/Biden administration’s refusal to provide such things as Javelin missiles to Ukraine. I noted that your editorial didn’t mention either of these inconvenient truths. A non-partisan editorial might have given credit to both the Trump and Biden administrations for arming the Ukrainian people in their defense of their homeland while asking what would the situation be like had both administrations not acted as they did and instead maintained the Obama-era policy. Your position in the editorial was laughably predictable, given the fact that I have been seeing multiple examples of this line of reasoning espoused by the usual liberal media outlets. Tom Isler, Kingwood Read More Here

European Markets Slide As Investors Digest More Rate Hikes https://digitalalaskanews.com/european-markets-slide-as-investors-digest-more-rate-hikes/ European stocks were over 1% lower shortly after the open Thursday, as investors digested news from the U.S. Federal Reserve and Swiss central bank, as both opted to hike rates. The Fed implemented a third consecutive 0.75 percentage point rate hike yesterday, with policymakers pledging to continue raising rates as high as 4.6% in 2023 before pulling back in the fight against inflation. Meanwhile, the Swiss National Bank on Thursday raised its benchmark interest rate to 0.5%, a shift that brings an end to an era of negative rates in Europe. The pan-European Stoxx 600 was down 1.04% at 8:40 a.m. London time. Technology stocks and travel and leisure led the market downturn, both slumping around 2%, with almost all sectors and major bourses in the red at the start of trading. U.S. stock futures fell on Wednesday night following a volatile session for the major averages stateside while overnight in Asia, markets also traded lower. In Europe, attention will now turn to the Bank of England, which is also expected to hike rates today. Earnings come from Manchester United football club and data releases include consumer confidence figures for the euro zone in September. Market open: Fortum up 4%, Accor down 6% Shares of Fortum rose again in early trade Thursday after the Finnish company agreed to sell its 56% stake in German utility Uniper to the German government. The state-owned energy company shifted its stake in a nationalization deal. French hospitality company Accor saw its shares fall 6.3% at market open after JP Morgan cut its rating on the stock from neutral to underweight. The investment bank expressed concerns the group would not be able to return to its previous level of profitability, saying “our concerns have now exceeded the reasons we like it.” — Hannah Ward-Glenton Credit Suisse plans to split its investment bank into three: The FT Credit Suisse has plans to split its investment bank into three, according to the Financial Times. The Swiss lender wants to have a separate “bad bank” exclusively for risky assets as it recovers from several years’ worth of scandals and blunders. New proposals suggest Credit Suisse will sell some of its profitable units as part of the radical reshuffle, with full plans expected to be announced at the bank’s third-quarter results on Oct. 27, the FT reported. — Hannah Ward-Glenton Oil prices climb after Fed’s rate hikes, demand fears linger Oil prices climbed following the Fed’s third consecutive rate hike. Reuters also reported Chinese refiners are expecting the nation to release up to 15 million tonnes worth of oil products export quotas for the rest of the year, citing people with knowledge of the matter. Brent crude futures rose 0.45% to stand at $90.24 per barrel, while U.S. West Texas Intermediate also gained 0.45% to $83.3 per barrel. — Lee Ying Shan Fed hike likely to keep Asian risk assets under pressure, JPMorgan says Asian risk assets, especially export-oriented companies, will remain under pressure in the short term following the Fed’s rate hike, according to Tai Hui, chief APAC market strategist at JPMorgan Asset Management. Tai added that a strong U.S. dollar is likely to persist, but tightening monetary policy in most Asian central banks — with the exception of China and Japan — should help limit the extent of Asian currency depreciation. The U.S. dollar index, which tracks the greenback against a basket of its peers, strengthened sharply and last stood at 111.697. — Abigail Ng CNBC Pro: This fund manager is beating the market. Here’s what he’s betting against Stock markets are down but the fund managed by Patrick Armstrong at Plurimi Wealth is continuing to deliver positive returns. The fund manager has a number of short positions to play the market volatility. Pro subscribers can read more here. — Zavier Ong CNBC Pro: Morgan Stanley’s Mike Wilson names the key attribute he likes in stocks Morgan Stanley’s Mike Wilson is staying defensive amid the persistent market volatility this year. He names the key attribute he’s looking for in stocks. Stocks with this attribute have been “rewarded” this year, with the trend likely to persist until the market turns more bullish, according to Wilson. Pro subscribers can read more here. — Zavier Ong Wed, Aug 17 202212:29 AM EDT European markets: Here are the opening calls European stocks are expected to open in negative territory on Wednesday as investors react to the latest U.S. inflation data. The U.K.’s FTSE index is expected to open 47 points lower at 7,341, Germany’s DAX 86 points lower at 13,106, France’s CAC 40 down 28 points and Italy’s FTSE MIB 132 points lower at 22,010, according to data from IG. Global markets have pulled back following a higher-than-expected U.S. consumer price index report for August which showed prices rose by 0.1% for the month and 8.3% annually in August, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported Tuesday, defying economist expectations that headline inflation would fall 0.1% month-on-month. Core CPI, which excludes volatile food and energy costs, climbed 0.6% from July and 6.3% from August 2021. U.K. inflation figures for August are due and euro zone industrial production for July will be published. — Holly Ellyatt Read More Here

U.S. Appeals Court Says Trump Criminal Probe Can Resume Classified Records Review https://digitalalaskanews.com/u-s-appeals-court-says-trump-criminal-probe-can-resume-classified-records-review/ Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com WASHINGTON, Sept 21 (Reuters) – The U.S. Justice Department can resume reviewing classified records seized by the FBI from former President Donald Trump’s Florida home pending appeal, a federal appellate court ruled on Wednesday, giving a boost to the criminal investigation into whether the records were mishandled or compromised. The Atlanta-based 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals granted a request by federal prosecutors to block U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon’s stay barring them from using the classified documents in their probe until an independent arbiter, called a special master, vets the materials to weed out any that could be deemed privileged and withheld from investigators. The appeals court also said it would agree to reverse a portion of the lower court’s order that required the government to hand over records with classification markings for the special master’s review. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com “We conclude that the United States would suffer irreparable harm from the district court’s restrictions on its access to this narrow—and potentially critical—set of materials, as well as the court’s requirement that the United States submit the classified records to the special master for review,” the three-judge panel wrote. The decision is “limited in nature,” the panel wrote, as the Justice Department had asked only for a partial stay pending appeal, and that the panel was not able to decide on the merits of the case itself. The three judges who made the decision were Robin Rosenbaum, an appointee of Democratic former President Barack Obama, and Britt Grant and Andrew Brasher, both of whom were appointed by Trump. Trump’s lawyers could potentially ask the U.S. Supreme Court, whose 6-3 conservative majority includes three justices appointed by him, to intervene in the matter. In filings on Tuesday, Trump’s lawyers urged the court to keep the stay in place and to allow them under the supervision of the special master, U.S Judge Raymond Dearie, to review all of the seized materials, including those marked classified. A Justice Department spokesperson did not have an immediate comment. Attorneys for Trump could not be immediately reached for comment. In an interview on Fox News Wednesday night, Trump repeated his claim without evidence that he declassified the documents and said he had the power to do it “even by thinking about it.” Former U.S. President Donald Trump attends a rally in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, U.S., September 3, 2022. REUTERS/Andrew Kelly The FBI conducted a court-approved search on Aug. 8 at Trump’s home at the Mar-a-Lago estate in Palm Beach, seizing more than 11,000 documents including about 100 marked as classified. The search was part of a federal investigation into whether Trump illegally removed documents from the White House when he left office in January 2021 after his failed 2020 re-election bid and whether Trump tried to obstruct the probe. Cannon, a Trump appointee herself, appointed Dearie to serve as special master in the case at Trump’s request, despite the Justice Department’s objections about a special master. Cannon tasked Dearie with reviewing all of the materials, including classified ones, so that he can separate anything that could be subject to attorney-client privilege or executive privilege – a legal doctrine that shields some White House communications from disclosure. However, Trump’s lawyers have not made such claims in any of their legal filings, and during a hearing before Dearie on Tuesday, they resisted his request to provide proof that Trump had declassified any records. read more Although the appeals court stressed its ruling was narrow in scope, it nevertheless appeared to sharply rebuke Cannon’s ruling from top to bottom and many of Trump’s legal arguments. “[Trump]has not even attempted to show that he has a need to know the information contained in the classified documents,” the judges wrote. “Nor has he established that the current administration has waived that requirement for these documents.” The Justice Department previously also raised strong objections to Cannon’s demand that Dearie review the seized records for documents possibly covered by executive privilege, noting that Trump is a former president and the records do not belong to him. While it voiced disagreement, however, the Justice Department did not appeal that portion of Cannon’s order. It is not clear if prosecutors may separately seek to appeal other parts of Cannon’s ruling on the special master appointment. “We decide only the traditional equitable considerations, including whether the United States has shown a substantial likelihood of prevailing on the merits, the harm each party might suffer from a stay, and where the public interest lies,” the appeals court said. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com Reporting by Sarah N. Lynch; additional reporting by Eric Beech, Mike Scarcella and Jacqueline Thomsen; Editing by Leslie Adler & Shri Navaratnam Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles. Read More Here