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Hurricane Fiona Strengthens Into Category 4 Storm Heads Toward Bermuda After Pummeling Puerto Rico And Other Caribbean Islands
Hurricane Fiona Strengthens Into Category 4 Storm, Heads Toward Bermuda After Pummeling Puerto Rico And Other Caribbean Islands https://digitalalaskanews.com/hurricane-fiona-strengthens-into-category-4-storm-heads-toward-bermuda-after-pummeling-puerto-rico-and-other-caribbean-islands/
Hurricane Fiona strengthened into a Category 4 storm Wednesday after devastating Puerto Rico, then lashing the Dominican Republic and the Turks and Caicos Islands. It was forecast to squeeze past Bermuda later this week.
The U.S. National Hurricane Center said Fiona had maximum sustained winds of 130 mph on Wednesday afternoon and it was centered about 650 miles southwest of Bermuda, heading north at 8 mph.
It was likely to approach Bermuda late Thursday and then Canada’s Atlantic provinces late Friday. The U.S. State Department issued an advisory Tuesday night telling U.S. citizens to “reconsider travel” to Bermuda.
The storm has been blamed for directly causing at least four deaths in its march through the Caribbean, where winds and torrential rain in Puerto Rico left a majority of people on the U.S. territory without power or running water. Hundreds of thousands of people scraped mud out of their homes following what authorities described as “historic” flooding.
Hurricane Fiona is seen in a satellite image at 9:30 a.m. ET on Sept. 21, 2022. NOAA
Power company officials initially said it would take a few days for electricity to be fully restored, but then appeared to backtrack late Tuesday night. As of Wednesday afternoon, three days after Fiona hit the island, roughly 70% of customers lacked electricity, according to government figures.
“Hurricane Fiona has severely impacted electrical infrastructure and generation facilities throughout the island. We want to make it very clear that efforts to restore and reenergize continue and are being affected by severe flooding, impassable roads, downed trees, deteriorating equipment, and downed lines,” said Luma, the company that operates power transmission and distribution.
Puerto Rico Gov. Pedro Pierluisi said, “I continue to hope that by the end of today, a large part of the population will have these services.”
Pierluisi tweeted Wednesday afternoon that the federal government had approved a major disaster declaration request in response to Fiona. Earlier Wednesday, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) had said the request was still under review. President Biden on Sunday approved an emergency declaration for the hurricane.
Deanne Criswell, the head of FEMA, traveled to Puerto Rico on Tuesday as the agency announced it was sending hundreds of additional personnel to boost local response efforts.
Meanwhile, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services also declared a public health emergency on the island and deployed a couple of teams to the island.
The storm killed a man in the French overseas territory of Guadeloupe, another man in Puerto Rico who was swept away by a swollen river and two people in the Dominican Republic: one killed by a falling tree and the other by a falling electric post.
Two additional deaths were reported in Puerto Rico as a result of the blackout: A 70-year-old man burned to death after he tried to fill his generator with gasoline while it was running and a 78-year-old man police say inhaled toxic gases emitted from his generator.
The hum of generators could be heard across the territory as people became increasingly exasperated. Some were still trying to recover from Hurricane Maria, which made landfall as a Category 4 storm five years ago, causing the deaths of an estimated 2,975 people.
Why does Puerto Rico’s energy grid keep failing? 02:04
Luis Noguera, who was helping clear a landslide in the central mountain town of Cayey, said Maria left him without power for a year. Officials themselves didn’t declare full resumption of service until 11 months after Maria hit.
“We paid an electrician out of our own pocket to connect us,” he recalled, adding that he doesn’t think the government will be of much help again after Fiona.
Long lines were reported at several gas stations across Puerto Rico, and some pulled off a main highway to collect water from a stream.
“We thought we had a bad experience with Maria, but this was worse,” said Gerardo Rodríguez, who lives in the southern coastal town of Salinas.
Parts of the island had received more than 25 inches of rain and more had fallen on Tuesday.
Hurricane Fiona slams Puerto Rico, leaving most of the island without power or clean water 05:07
By late Tuesday, authorities said they had restored power to nearly 380,000 of the island’s 1.47 million customers. Piped water service was initially knocked out for most of the island’s users due to lack of power and turbid water at filtration plants, but 55% had service Wednesday morning.
On Wednesday, the National Weather Service in San Juan issued a heat advisory for several cities because a majority of people on the island of 3.2 million remain without power.
Workers remove downed trees in Cabo Rojo, Puerto Rico on Sept. 20, 2022. The island had widespread power outages after Hurricane Fiona hit it hard. Jose Jimenez / Getty Images
U.S. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said Tuesday he would push for the federal government to cover 100% of disaster response costs — instead of the usual 75% — as part of an emergency disaster declaration.
“We need to make sure this time, Puerto Rico has absolutely everything it needs, as soon as possible, for as long as they need it,” he said.
Many Americans hadn’t heard from family members who didn’t have electricity.
Palm Beach County, Florida, resident Nancy Valentin told CBS News, “I haven’t been able to talk to my mom and see how she’s doing.”
At Boston’s Logan Airport, those arriving from Puerto Rico recounted their fear of drowning in Fiona’s floodwaters.
Yolanda Rivera told CBS News, “We stayed in one room in a little corner that was safe, for a whole night no light or nothing. The place was so dark.”
In the Turks and Caicos Islands, officials reported minimal damage and no deaths despite the storm’s eye passing close to Grand Turk, the small British territory’s capital island, on Tuesday morning.
The government had imposed a curfew and urged people to flee flood-prone areas.
“Turks and Caicos had a phenomenal experience over the past 24 hours,” said Deputy Gov. Anya Williams. “It certainly came with its share of challenges.”
In:
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
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Grant Roundup: Senator Murkowski Announces Federal Grants Heading To Alaska | U.S. Senator Lisa Murkowski Of Alaska
Grant Roundup: Senator Murkowski Announces Federal Grants Heading To Alaska | U.S. Senator Lisa Murkowski Of Alaska https://digitalalaskanews.com/grant-roundup-senator-murkowski-announces-federal-grants-heading-to-alaska-u-s-senator-lisa-murkowski-of-alaska/
09.21.22
Washington, DC – U.S. Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-AK), a senior member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, announced the following grants to organizations, Tribal entities, and communities in Alaska:
Alaska – Statewide: $3 million to 23 Alaska tribal communities from the Institute of Museum and Library Services for enhancing existing library services or to implement new library services.
Alaska – Statewide: $35.3 million to 20 entities in Alaska, including Alaska Native tribes and Native organizations, and Alaska Native-led schools and non-profits, from the U.S. Department of Education as part of the Alaska Native Educational Equity Program, for unique educational needs of Alaska Native students, parents, and teachers.
Alaska – Statewide: $139,641 to FishNext Research LLC from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration for improving and encouraging adoption of active selection systems to reduce bycatch.
Alaska – Statewide: $7 million to the Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation from the Environmental Protection Agency for the Safe Drinking Water Act.
Alaska – Statewide: $35.3 million to the Alaska Native Education Program from the U.S. Department of Education to support unique experience of Alaska native students.
Alaska – Statewide: $1.7 million to Providence Health Services from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Federal Emergency Management Agency for entry point screeners.
Alaska – Statewide: $67,200 to the Alaska Division of Agriculture from the U.S. Department of Agriculture for increasing consumer awareness, purchasing, and consumption of Alaska’s specialty crops.
Alaska – Statewide: $6 million to the State of Alaska from the Federal Emergency Management Agency for COVID-19 pandemic relief.
Alaska – Statewide: $30,000 to the Alaska Division of Agriculture from the U.S. Department of Agriculture for increasing consumer awareness, purchasing, and consumption of Alaska’s specialty crops.
Alaska – Statewide: $21,735 to the Alaska Division of Agriculture from the U.S. Department of Agriculture for creating and cultivating Salicornia crops from native Alaskan species.
Alaska – Statewide: $13,529 to the Alaska Division of Agriculture from the U.S. Department of Agriculture for low-cost multispectral mapping for early detection of plant stress.
Alaska – Statewide: $2 million to the Alaska Department of Commerce, Community, and Economic Development from the Environmental Protection Agency for the Rural Utility Business Advisor Program, will assist rural Alaska communities in building and maintaining a water or sanitation utility in order to protect human health and the environment.
Alaska – Statewide: $3.5 million to the Alaska Department of Public Safety from the U.S. Department of Justice’s Office of Justice Programs for victim assistance.
Alaska – Statewide: $2.3 million to the Alaska Department of Public Safety from the U.S. Department of Justice’s Office of Justice Programs for criminal history improvement.
Alaska – Statewide: $5 million to the Alaska Department of Public Safety from the U.S. Department of Justice’s Office of Justice Programs for supporting victim services throughout the state.
Alaska – Statewide: $76,029 to the Alaska Department of Public Safety from the U.S. Department of Justice’s Office of Justice programs for justice assistance.
Alaska – Statewide: $1 million to the Alaska Department of Public Safety from the U.S. Department of Justice for the NICS Act Record Improvement Program, to help ensure the accuracy and completeness of records in the National Instant Criminal Background Check System.
Alaska – Statewide: $275,000 to the Alaska Department of Health and Social Services from the National Center for Chronic Diseases Prevention and Health for Alaska perinatal quality collaborative.
Alaska – Statewide: $188,109 to the Alaska Department of Corrections from the U.S. Department of Justice for substance abuse treatment services for state prisoners.
Alaska – Statewide: $21,362 to the Alaska Division of Agriculture from the U.S. Department of Agriculture for identifying heirloom rhubarb for commercial production in Alaska.
Alaska – Statewide: $73,474 to the Alaska Division of Agriculture from the U.S. Department of Agriculture for enforcing the State Agency abide by Federal and State requirements and regulations.
Alaska – Statewide: $49 million to the Alaska Mariculture Cluster from the Economic Development Administration to facilitate business expansion, the development of mariculture-focused workforce training programs, and research to grow innovative seaweed and shellfish products.
Alaska – Statewide: $537,993 to the Alaska Department of Public Safety Council on Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault from the U.S. Department of Justice Office on Violence Against Women for domestic violence and sexual assault.
Alaska – Statewide: $978,455 to the Association of Alaska School Boards from the U.S. Department of Education for the Statewide Family Engagement Centers Program, to help implement and enhance of systemic and effective family engagement policies, programs, and activities that lead to improvements in student development and academic achievement.
Alaska – Statewide: $2 million to the State of Alaska from the Federal Aviation Administration for updating state/regional system plan or studies.
Alaska – Statewide: $2 million to the Alaska Division of Agriculture from the Micro-Grants for Food Security Program, which Senator Murkowski created, for supporting agriculture activities that will increase the quantity and quality of locally grown food.
Far North
Kivalina: $796,875 to Kivalina from the Federal Aviation Administration’s Airport Improvement Program, for miscellaneous studies.
Nome: $645,900 to Bering Strait Region from the U.S. Economic Development Administration for economic development needs of communities adversely affected by the coronavirus pandemic.
Noorvik: $803,084 to Robert Curtis Memorial Airport from the Federal Aviation Administration’s Airport Improvement Program, for runway rehabilitation.
Point Hope: $14.8 million to the Point Hope Airport from the Federal Aviation Administration’s Airport Improvement Program, for reconstructing the runway.
Southwest
Bethel: $2.2 million to Yukon-Kuskokwim Health Corporation from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Center for Substance Abuse Treatment Office for substance abuse and mental health services.
Bristol Bay: $1.6 million to Bristol Bay Native Association, Inc. from the Administration for Children and Families for Head Start programs.
Kenai Peninsula: $7,412 to Otter Life LLC from the Rural Energy for America Program for installation of a 11.22-kilowatt (kW) solar array for Stoney Creek Brewhouse in Seward.
Kenai Peninsula: $15,896 to Kinetix, Inc. from the Rural Energy for America Program toward installation of a 25-kilowatt (kW) photovoltaic (PV) system on its medical building.
Kenai Peninsula: $15,896 to Bones, Inc. from the Rural Energy for America Program for installation of a 25-kilowatt (kW) photovoltaic (PV) system on its medical building.
Kenai Peninsula: $12,405 to Nina Faust from the Rural Energy for America Program for installation of a 17-kilowatt (kW) photovoltaic (PV) system on a commercial rental building.
Kodiak: $1 million to Kodiak Electric Association from U.S. Department of Energy for the Terror Lake Hydroelectric Project.
Koliganek: $825,645 to Koliganek from the Federal Aviation Administration’s Airport Improvement Program, for airport surface construction projects.
Kongiganak: $39.6 million to Konganak from the Federal Aviation Administration’s Airport Improvement Program, for airport apron rehabilitation.
Napakiak: $703,125 to Kapakiak from the Federal Aviation Administration’s Airport Improvement Program, for miscellaneous studies.
Nightmute: $434,297 to Nightmute from the Federal Aviation Administration’s Airport Improvement Program, for acquiring snow removal equipment.
Scammon Bay: $1.6 million to the Scammon Bay Airport from the Federal Aviation Administration’s Airport Improvement Program, for airport pavement surface construction.
Ugashik: $436,275 to Ugashik from the Federal Aviation Administration’s Airport Improvement Program, for acquiring snow removal equipment.
Unalaska: $6,213 to the Museum of the Aleutians Association from National Endowment for the Humanities for preservation assistance.
Interior
Fairbanks: $46,448 to the University of Alaska Fairbanks from the National Science Foundation to study grey seals at Sable Island, Nova Scotia to determine how maternal and offspring dietary iron dynamics impact heme maturation and subsequent foraging activities.
Fairbanks: $5.4 million to the Fairbanks Native Association from the Administration for Children and Families for Head Start programs.
Fairbanks: $1 million to the Alaska Native Women’s Resource Center from the Administration for Children and Families for family violence prevention services.
Fairbanks: $19,895 to the Alaska Auto Rental Inc., from the Rural Energy for America Program, to install a 20.88-kilowatt (kW) photovoltaic (PV) system on its car rental building.
Fairbanks: $155,165 to the University of Alaska Fairbanks from the National Science Foundation for sediment fluxes in boreal rivers research.
Fairbanks: $15,807 to Red Couch LLC from the Rural Energy for America Program to help Red Couch LLC to install a 13.86-kilowatt (kW) photovoltaic (PV) system for the eat-in bakery.
Fairbanks: $49,885 to the University of Alaska Fairbanks from the National Science Foundation for addressing inequities in food-security in Alaska coastal communities facing a changing c...
Trump And Members Of His Family Are Being Sued For Fraud
Trump And Members Of His Family Are Being Sued For Fraud https://digitalalaskanews.com/trump-and-members-of-his-family-are-being-sued-for-fraud/
Former U.S. President Donald Trump, his children Donald Jr., Eric, and Ivanka are all being sued by the New York state attorney general, Letitia James, for financial fraud.
00:52
New York state’s attorney general is claiming numerous acts of fraud and misrepresentation. Trump and members of his family stand accused of misstating the values of real estate properties to obtain favorable loans and tax benefits.
00:56
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AP News Summary At 7:07 P.m. EDT https://digitalalaskanews.com/ap-news-summary-at-707-p-m-edt/
Zelenskyy: Russia not serious about ending Ukraine war
UNITED NATIONS (AP) — Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has suggested that Russia’s decision to mobilize some reservists shows that Moscow isn’t serious about negotiating an end to its nearly seven-month-long war. Zelenskyy spoke by video to the U.N. General Assembly meeting of world leaders hours after Russian President Vladimir Putin’s announcement. He insisted his country would prevail in repelling Russia’s attack and forcing its troops out.
‘Art of the steal’: Trump accused of vast fraud in NY suit
NEW YORK (AP) — New York’s attorney general has sued former President Donald Trump and his company, alleging business fraud involving some of their most prized assets, including properties in Manhattan, Chicago and Washington, D.C. Attorney General Letitia James’ lawsuit was filed Wednesday in state court in New York. It is the culmination of the Democrat’s three-year civil investigation of Trump and the Trump Organization. Three of Trump’s adult children, Donald Jr., Ivanka and Eric Trump, were also named as defendants, along with two longtime company executives, Allen Weisselberg and Jeffrey McConney. Alina Habba, an attorney for Trump, said the lawsuit is “neither focused on the facts nor the law.”
Biden: Russia’s Ukraine abuses ‘make your blood run cold’
UNITED NATIONS (AP) — President Joe Biden has declared that Russia has “shamelessly violated the core tenets” of the United Nations charter with its “brutal, needless war” in Ukraine. Biden on Wednesday delivered a forceful condemnation of Russia’s invasion to the international body, saying abuses against civilians in Ukraine “should make your blood run cold.” He also said Russian President Vladimir Putin’s new nuclear threats against Europe show a “reckless disregard” for his nation’s responsibilities as a signatory of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons. And he highlighted consequences of the invasion for the world’s food supply, pledging $2.9 billion in global food security aid to address shortages caused by the war and the effects of climate change.
Zelenskyy: Russia frees 215 Ukrainians, others in exchange
KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Ukraine’s president Volodymyr Zelenskyy says 215 Ukrainian and foreign citizens have been released by Russia in a prisoner exchange. In his nightly address, Zelenskyy said early Thursday that 200 of the prisoners were returned in exchange for Viktor Medvedchuk, the former leader of a Ukrainian pro-Russian opposition party and a close associate of Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Fed attacks inflation with another big hike and expects more
WASHINGTON (AP) — Intensifying its fight against high inflation, the Federal Reserve raised its key interest rate by a substantial three-quarters of a point for a third straight time and signaled more large rate hikes to come — an aggressive pace that will heighten the risk of an eventual recession. The Fed’s move boosted its benchmark short-term rate, which affects many consumer and business loans, to a range of 3% to 3.25%, the highest level since early 2008. The officials also forecast that they will further raise their benchmark rate to roughly 4.4% by year’s end, a full percentage point higher than they had forecast as recently as June.
How steep Fed rate hikes affect your finances
NEW YORK (AP) — Mortgage rates have jumped, home sales have slumped and credit cards and auto loans have gotten pricier. Savings rates are slightly juicier, though. Many economists say they fear that a recession is inevitable in the coming months. With it could come job losses that could cause hardship for households already hit worst by inflation. Wednesday, the Federal Reserve acted again to sharply raise its key short-term rate, as its previous rate hikes are already being felt by households across the economy.
Ohio GOP House candidate has misrepresented military service
WASHINGTON (AP) — Republican J.R. Majewski has campaigned for a northwestern Ohio congressional seat by presenting himself as an Air Force combat veteran who deployed to Afghanistan after the 9/11 terrorist attacks. Military records and an Air Force accounting of his service tell a different story. They indicate Majewski never deployed to Afghanistan but instead completed a six-month stint helping to load planes at an airbase in Qatar, a longtime U.S. ally that was a safe distance from the fighting. Majewski’s account of his time in the military is just one aspect of his biography that’s suspect. His post-military career has been defined by exaggerations, conspiracy theories, talk of violent action against the U.S. government and occasional financial duress.
Federer on GOAT debate in AP Interview: How can you compare?
LONDON (AP) — Roger Federer says in an interview with The Associated Press that he thinks impossible to compare the careers of top players such as him, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic. Federer is preparing to retire at age 41. He has 20 Grand Slam titles, which was the record until it was surpassed this year by Nadal, who is now at 22, and Djokovic, at 21. Federer says the debate over which of the so-called Big Three is the greatest of all-time is a “fun debate” but also “silly.” Federer says he will keep tabs on Nadal and Djokovic as they pursue more major championships and that he hopes they will go far.
AP PHOTOS: Hurricane Fiona marches through the Caribbean
LOIZA, Puerto Rico (AP) — .
Russian separatists release 10, including 2 US veterans
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (AP) — Relatives say two U.S. military veterans who were captured while fighting alongside Ukrainian forces are among 10 people released by Russian-backed separatists in a prisoner exchange. Five British nationals were also among those freed following talks mediated by Saudi Arabia. The families of 39-year-old Alex Drueke and 27-year-old Andy Huynh announced their release Wednesday. The two men went to help Ukrainian forces and became friends because both are from Alabama. They went missing after their unit came under heavy fire in northeastern Ukraine on June 9. Also freed was British national Aiden Aslin, who had been sentenced to death after he was captured in eastern Ukraine.
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
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'The Art Of The Steal' Or 'another Witch Hunt'? Donald Trump And Children Sued For Fraud In New York
'The Art Of The Steal' Or 'another Witch Hunt'? Donald Trump And Children Sued For Fraud In New York https://digitalalaskanews.com/the-art-of-the-steal-or-another-witch-hunt-donald-trump-and-children-sued-for-fraud-in-new-york/
Donald Trump and family members lied to tax collectors, lenders and insurers for years in a scheme that routinely misstated the value of his properties to enrich themselves, according to a suit filed by New York’s attorney general on Wednesday.
Top state prosecutor Letitia James said that with the help of his children and others at the Trump Organisation, the former president provided fraudulent statements of his net worth and false asset valuations “to obtain and satisfy loans, get insurance benefits, and pay lower taxes.”
“In short, he lied to gain massive financial benefits for himself.”
The sweeping investigation is one of many criminal, civil and congressional probes into Mr Trump, who is eyeing another run for the White House in 2024.
Mr Trump repeated his oft-used defence that the suit is “another witch hunt” against him, while his spokesperson denounced it as a political move by Democrats against the Republican businessman.
Ms James’ office requested that the former president pay at least $250 million in penalties, a sum she says he made from the fraud, and that his family be banned from running businesses in the state.
She also urged that Mr Trump along with his children Donald Trump Jr, Eric Trump and Ivanka Trump be barred from purchasing property in the state for five years.
“The very foundation of his purported net worth is rooted in incredible fraud and illegality,” Ms James said in a statement.
Referring the title of Trump’s book “The Art of Deal,” she said that “Mr. Trump thought he could get away with the art of the steal, but today, that conduct ends.”
‘Staggering’ overvaluations
Ms James said her office, which lacks authority to file criminal charges, was making a criminal referral to the US Justice Department as well as the Internal Revenue Service based on the three-year investigation.
The lawsuit filed with the New York State Supreme Court includes allegations that Trump’s annual financial statements for at least a decade “grossly inflated” property values across his assets — from his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida to Manhattan’s Trump Tower — to a “staggering” degree.
He did so to obtain favourable loans with lower interests and premiums, said Ms James, who is running to be re-elected to her post in November.
NY Attorney General Letitia James speaks during a press conference at the office of the Attorney General on 21 September, 2022 in New York, New York. Source: Getty / (Photo by Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images)
Her office counted that Mr Trump and his associates put out more than 200 false and misleading valuations of assets.
The suit details tactics used by Mr Trump and his associates, saying they would represent that he had cash on hand when he didn’t, change valuation properties wildly, and use “objectively false numbers to calculate property values” including at his famous triplex on Fifth Avenue.
Among the alleged crimes was also valuing 12 rent-stabilised units at market rate in his Trump Park Avenue property — inflating the value by 65 times, Ms James said.
“White collar financial crime is not a victimless crime,” James said.
“When the well-connected break the law to take in more money than they are entitled to, it reduces resources available to working people, to regular people, to small businesses and to all tax payers.”
Ms James’ lawsuit requests that a judge appoint an independent authority to monitor the Trump Organisation’s financial practices, and remove the Trumps from their own family business.
Web of investigations
New York authorities have been probing Mr Trump and his family business since 2018, when the Manhattan district attorney opened a probe into the then-president who has long vied to present himself as a self-made billionaire.
Ms James’ civil inquiry began the next year, after Mr Trump’s former lawyer gave testimony that indicated the company had engaged in misconduct.
The DA’s criminal probe has not resulted in any charges as of yet.
Last month Allen Weisselberg, the Trump Organisation’s long-time finance chief, pleaded guilty to tax fraud and agreed to testify at an upcoming criminal trial of the former US president’s real estate company.
He is to serve five months in prison contingent on his testifying truthfully at the October criminal trial of the Trump Organisation on tax fraud charges, the Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg said last month.
FBI agents separately searched Mr Trump’s palatial Mar-a-Lago residence in Florida on 8 August and seized official documents marked “Top Secret,” “Secret” and “Confidential.”
Mr Trump is also facing legal scrutiny for his efforts to overturn the results of the November 2020 election and over the January 6, 2021 attack on the US Capitol by his supporters.
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NY Attorney General Sues Donald Trump His 3 Eldest Children
NY Attorney General Sues Donald Trump, His 3 Eldest Children https://digitalalaskanews.com/ny-attorney-general-sues-donald-trump-his-3-eldest-children/
The lawsuit is the culmination of the New York attorney general’s three-year civil investigation of former President Donald Trump and the Trump Organization.
Author: ksdk.com
Published: 4:14 PM CDT September 21, 2022
Updated: 4:14 PM CDT September 21, 2022
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What Does Putins Partial Military Mobilization Mean For Russia And Ukraine?
What Does Putin’s Partial Military Mobilization Mean For Russia And Ukraine? https://digitalalaskanews.com/what-does-putins-partial-military-mobilization-mean-for-russia-and-ukraine/
Russian President Vladimir Putin announced a “partial mobilization” of reservists as his country faces setbacks in its invasion of Ukraine. The move, announced in an address to his nation on Wednesday, marks Russia’s first military mobilization since World War II.
Putin’s order was swiftly condemned by U.S. and European officials. It coincides with a significant Russian troop shortage in Ukraine and follows major setbacks in the Kremlin’s “special military operation” amid a successful Ukrainian counteroffensive around Kharkiv. Here’s what to know about Putin’s order and what it means for Russia and the war in Ukraine.
What does partial mobilization mean?
Partial mobilization is a term for when specific groups of people will be called up to serve in Russia’s armed forces. It is different from a general mobilization, which involves drafting from the general population, refocusing the entire economy and essentially setting the whole country on a warpath, hitting a pause on normalcy.
How many Russian reservists will be called up by Putin?
Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said Wednesday following Putin’s address that Russia would call as many as 300,000 reservists to military service. Russians have reportedly already begun to receive notices summoning them to appear for service.
Shoigu said the country’s “mobilization resource amounts to 25 million people, and a little more than 1 percent of this number falls under partial mobilization” as ordered by Putin.
If true, this is a significant increase: Russia is believed to have invaded Ukraine with about 150,000 troops in late February — so an additional 300,000 is more than double that. While it’s unclear how exactly the reservists would be deployed, Putin’s move follows reports of heavy troop losses in Ukraine. It would be the first military mobilization in the history of modern Russia.
Outside estimates of the number of reservists available to Russian military leaders vary. The Institute for the Study of War, a U.S.-based think tank that closely tracks the war in Ukraine, previously said Russia has more than 2 million reservists, including former conscripts and contract soldiers. However, “few are actively trained or prepared for war,” the ISW said. Only about 10 percent of them receive ongoing training after they complete their basic military service, it added.
Under Putin’s “partial mobilization,” several groups of people are entitled to avoid being called up: students, parents with four or more small children, people essential to crucial industry operations and caregivers, among others.
How significant is Putin’s partial mobilization?
Rob Lee, a senior fellow in the Foreign Policy Research Institute’s Eurasia program, characterized Wednesday’s announcement as “one of the most significant/riskiest political decisions Putin has ever made.”
In the short term, Lee wrote on Twitter, the partial mobilization of reservists and new measures to forcibly extend the contracts of volunteers currently serving in Ukraine “could be enough to prevent a collapse of Russian forces. Otherwise, Russia’s manpower issues could have become catastrophic this winter when many short-term volunteers likely would not sign another contract.”
“But the war will now increasingly be fought on the Russian side by people who do not want to be there,” Lee added, likely fueling a lack of morale and unit cohesion among Russian forces.
Reserves are essential components to many countries’ war efforts. For example, nearly half of U.S. service members deployed to both Afghanistan and Iraq over the past 20 years reportedly came from the National Guard and reserves, and those groups took about 18 percent of the casualties.
Russia’s reservists are not nearly as well organized as the U.S. National Guard and reserve troops, according to Dara Massicot, a senior policy researcher with the RAND Corporation. “They’re calling them up out of cold storage, basically,” she said.
Why would Russia need a partial mobilization?
Moscow is facing a significant troop shortage, despite recent recruitment efforts that have included enlisting prisoners and sending volunteers to the front lines with little training, analysts said. “Putin likely hopes to improve Russian force generation capabilities by calling on the Russian people to volunteer for a war to ‘defend’ newly claimed Russian territory,” the Institute for the Study of War said of the annexation plans.
Shoigu said Wednesday that Moscow has lost 5,937 soldiers in the war — the first official casualty figure that Russia has given since the end of March, when its Defense Ministry claimed that 1,351 soldiers had died. Shoigu’s speech, coming on the heels of Putin’s partial mobilization, highlights an apparent contradiction between the relatively low casualty count claimed by the Kremlin and its move to call up reservists.
Western intelligence agencies estimate the Russian death toll to be far higher. “There’s no perfect number,” CIA Director William J. Burns told the Aspen Security Forum in July. “I think the latest estimates from the U.S. intelligence community would be … something in the vicinity of 15,000 killed and maybe three times that wounded, so a quite significant set of losses.”
Colin Kahl, U.S. undersecretary of defense for policy, said last month that “the Russians have probably taken [70,000] or 80,000 casualties in less than six months,” a number that includes soldiers who were killed and wounded in combat. “That number might be a little lower, a little higher, but I think that’s kind of in the ballpark, which is pretty remarkable considering that the Russians have achieved none of Vladimir Putin’s objectives at the beginning of the war,” Kahl said.
Who within Russia will be called up to serve?
According to Putin and Shoigu, the mobilization will affect Russians who served in the military and are now listed as reservists, as well as those who have military occupations, which could include medical workers and various technical specialists. “Only citizens who are currently in the reserve and, above all, those who served in the armed forces, have certain military specialties and relevant experience will be subject to conscription for military service,” Putin said Wednesday, adding that they will receive “additional military training.”
Russian law experts note that the cap of 300,000 people announced by Shoigu can be revised upward if necessary, as the decree issued by the Kremlin is broad — most likely on purpose, to allow for reinterpretation.
In a move likely to inflame tensions within Russian society, the head of the Russian parliament’s defense committee, Andrei Kartapolov, said the geographic distribution of reservists would be based on population size, meaning that the most populated regions of the country, including the capital, Moscow, would have to send the highest number of soldiers. “Each [region] of the Russian Federation receives a distribution order based on its capabilities,” Kartapolov said Wednesday.
How long will soldiers have to serve under partial mobilization?
The Kremlin did not specify Wednesday how long reservists called up under the partial mobilization would have to serve — and the presidential decree is light on details. “The decree does not give any details of mobilization and is formulated as broadly as possible, so the President leaves it at the discretion of the Defense Minister,” Pavel Chikov, a lawyer who leads the Agora International Human Rights Group, wrote on Telegram.
Putin’s decree also automatically prolongs existing soldiers’ contracts “until the end of the period of mobilization,” barring them from leaving the front lines indefinitely. This would potentially affect thousands of men who already signed short-term contracts as part of a nationwide recruitment campaign largely viewed as a “shadow mobilization” that sought to replenish losses over the summer without officially acknowledging that the operation requires a wider effort.
How will the partial mobilization work?
Chikov, the human rights lawyer, said the process will start with reservists receiving their mobilization orders. This has already begun happening: Four people in different Russian cities told The Washington Post they have either received the summons or saw officers hand them to their colleagues or relatives. They spoke on the condition of anonymity to talk freely.
“These are men who have served in the army and have signed a contract to stay in the reserve,” Chikov said, adding that the next wave of orders will affect reservists falling into three categories depending on their age and rank.
According to Chikov, the Defense Ministry will form quotas for mobilization for each of the 85 regions of Russia, and officials there will be responsible for implementing the quotas. Last week, several regions backed a proposal from the head of the Chechen Republic, Ramzan Kadyrov, to “self-mobilize” by pledging to send volunteer units with 1,000 soldiers to the war.
How did Russians react to the partial mobilization announcement?
Small antiwar protests broke out across Russia, including in Moscow, following Putin’s announcement. Hundreds of demonstrators were arrested, according to independent Russian protest-monitoring group OVD-Info.
Rumors of a military mobilization first spread in Russia in February and March — in the early stages of what the Kremlin continues to call its “special military operation” in Ukraine — and led to a mass exodus of Russians, who fled to nearby Turkey, Georgia and Armenia.
Following Putin’s address Wednesday, Russian airfare aggregators reported that all direct flights from Moscow to the few visa-free destinations still available to Russians had sold out within minutes. Much of the discussion on Russian social media...
House Passes Bill To Prevent Efforts To Subvert Presidential Election Results
House Passes Bill To Prevent Efforts To Subvert Presidential Election Results https://digitalalaskanews.com/house-passes-bill-to-prevent-efforts-to-subvert-presidential-election-results/
The House voted Wednesday to pass an electoral reform bill that seeks to prevent presidents from trying to overturn election results through Congress, the first vote on such an effort since the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol by a pro-Trump mob seeking to stop the certification of Joe Biden’s electoral win.
The bill passed on a 229-203 vote, with just nine Republicans breaking ranks and joining Democrats in supporting the measure.
The Presidential Election Reform Act, written by Reps. Liz Cheney (R-Wyo.) and Zoe Lofgren (D-Calif.), explicitly cites the Capitol attack as a reason to amend the Electoral Count Act of 1887, “to prevent other future unlawful efforts to overturn Presidential elections and to ensure future peaceful transfers of Presidential power.”
“Legal challenges are not improper, but Donald Trump’s refusal to abide by the rulings of the courts certainly was,” Cheney said Wednesday during House debate on the measure. “In our system of government, elections in the states determine who is the president. Our bill does not change that. But this bill will prevent Congress from illegally choosing the president itself.”
Later, Cheney added, “This bill is a very important and crucial bill to ensure that what happened on January 6 never happens again.”
President Donald Trump had falsely told his supporters that Vice President Mike Pence had the power to reject electoral votes already certified by the states. Pence did not do so — and has repeatedly emphasized that the Constitution provides the vice president with no such authority. But on Jan. 6, many in the pro-Trump mob that overran the Capitol began chanting, “Hang Mike Pence!” on the misguided belief that the vice president could have stopped Congress from certifying Biden’s victory.
The Presidential Election Reform Act would clearly reaffirm that the vice president has no role in validating a presidential election beyond acting as a figurehead who oversees the counting process, barring that person from changing the results. It also would expand the threshold necessary for members of both chambers to object to a state’s results, as well as clarify the role governors play in the process. Finally, it would make clear that state legislatures can’t change election rules retroactively to alter the results.
“In Hollywood, there’s always a sequel, often to a very bad movie. We’re headed for a new sequel in 2024, unless we change the 1887 Electoral Count Act,” Rep. John Garamendi (D-Calif.) said on the House floor.
“We must change the law. It is ancient,” he added. “It’s already been proven by Jan. 6 and the attempted coup then [when people tried] to use that law to install in the presidency a person who was not legitimately elected by the people of America.”
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) called the measure “a historic and bipartisan legislative action to safeguard the integrity of future presidential elections,” and then posed a series of questions.
“How could anyone vote against free and fair elections a cornerstone of our Constitution? How could anyone vote against our founders’ vision, placing power in the hands of the people? How could anyone vote against their own constituents allowing radical politicians to rip away their say?”
House Republicans — 139 of whom refused to certify Biden’s win — oppose the measure, with GOP leadership pushing rank and file to vote against it.
Rep. Tom McClintock (R-Calif.) said that while the bill narrows “the grounds upon which the count can be interfered with by the Congress … it still allows Congress to invalidate electoral votes so it does not solve the problem,” adding that the measure handles the electoral count in a “clumsy and partisan” way.
Rep. Rodney Davis (R-Ill.) complained that the “bill tramples on state sovereignty while the Constitution gives states authority to make and interpret their own state laws.”
Cheney and Lofgren are members of the bipartisan House select committee investigating the Capitol insurrection and have delivered sober assessments of the risks of similar future attacks on American democracy and the peaceful transfer of power. The Jan. 6 committee’s next hearing is scheduled for Sept. 28.
In a joint op-ed for the Wall Street Journal on Sunday, Cheney and Lofgren said there remained more to come from the committee about the extent of Trump’s plans to overturn the 2020 presidential election, but they also had “an obligation to recommend legislation to make sure such an attack never happens again.” Trump, they pointed out, has continued to spread baseless claims of widespread election fraud, and pro-Trump candidates in state and local elections around the country have embraced those falsehoods.
“This raises the prospect of another effort to steal a presidential election, perhaps with another attempt to corrupt Congress’s proceeding to tally electoral votes,” Cheney and Lofgren wrote. They added: “Our proposal is intended to preserve the rule of law for all future presidential elections by ensuring that self-interested politicians cannot steal from the people the guarantee that our government derives its power from the consent of the governed.”
The bill advanced out of the House Rules Committee on Tuesday on a 9-3 vote. The Biden administration supports the bill, calling it another step in “critically needed reform of the 135-year-old Electoral Count Act.”
“Americans deserve greater clarity in the process by which their votes will result in the election of a President and Vice President,” the Office of Management and Budget said in a statement Wednesday. “As [the Presidential Election Reform Act] proceeds through the legislative process, the Administration looks forward to working with the Congress to ensure lasting reform consistent with Congress’ constitutional authority to protect voting rights, tally electoral votes, and strengthen our democracy.”
Sens. Joe Manchin III (D-W.Va.) and Susan Collins (R-Maine) have introduced legislation in the Senate, the Electoral Count Reform and Presidential Transition Improvement Act, that differs from the House on the threshold for members of both chambers to object. Bipartisan support for the Senate bill is growing, with 10 Democrats and 10 Republicans co-sponsors as of Wednesday afternoon.
“We are pleased that bipartisan support continues to grow for these sensible and much-needed reforms to the Electoral Count Act of 1887,” Collins and Manchin said in a joint statement. “Our bill is backed by election law experts and organizations across the ideological spectrum. We will keep working to increase bipartisan support for our legislation that would correct the flaws in this archaic and ambiguous law.”
Marianna Sotomayor and Leigh Ann Caldwell contributed to this report.
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US Forecast https://digitalalaskanews.com/us-forecast-69/
City/Town, State;Yesterday’s High Temp (F);Yesterday’s Low Temp (F);Today’s High Temp (F);Today’s Low Temp (F);Weather Condition;Wind Direction;Wind Speed (MPH);Humidity (%);Chance of Precip. (%);UV Index
Albany, NY;76;63;67;46;Showers around;NW;10;75%;80%;2
Albuquerque, NM;85;64;84;62;Mostly sunny;NNE;10;42%;55%;7
Anchorage, AK;48;43;49;42;Rain and drizzle;N;6;80%;94%;1
Asheville, NC;90;60;83;48;A t-storm around;NNW;9;60%;45%;5
Atlanta, GA;91;68;91;59;Mostly sunny and hot;NNW;10;56%;1%;6
Atlantic City, NJ;78;72;80;54;Rain, a thunderstorm;NNW;16;77%;82%;3
Austin, TX;97;72;100;74;Hot;NW;2;43%;2%;7
Baltimore, MD;86;73;80;56;Thundershowers;NNW;12;60%;85%;2
Baton Rouge, LA;96;74;98;73;Sunshine, very hot;N;6;57%;10%;7
Billings, MT;66;51;68;54;A t-storm in spots;WNW;10;65%;64%;3
Birmingham, AL;95;70;93;61;Mostly sunny and hot;NNE;8;55%;3%;7
Bismarck, ND;65;37;65;48;Breezy;SSE;14;54%;44%;4
Boise, ID;71;50;67;47;Sun and clouds;E;8;54%;7%;3
Boston, MA;69;63;72;49;Rain and a t-storm;NW;16;79%;97%;1
Bridgeport, CT;77;68;71;48;Rain and a t-storm;NNW;13;79%;96%;1
Buffalo, NY;81;59;61;45;A shower or two;NNW;14;70%;88%;2
Burlington, VT;68;62;66;44;A shower;NNW;14;73%;92%;2
Caribou, ME;59;52;61;45;Showers;NW;11;91%;98%;1
Casper, WY;62;47;72;46;A stray thunderstorm;SW;17;51%;42%;5
Charleston, SC;85;71;93;65;Hot;NNW;6;61%;8%;7
Charleston, WV;91;67;71;46;Cooler;NNW;8;68%;68%;3
Charlotte, NC;92;66;91;54;Mostly sunny and hot;N;8;57%;25%;6
Cheyenne, WY;58;47;60;47;A stray thunderstorm;SW;14;84%;47%;2
Chicago, IL;85;57;63;54;Breezy and cooler;NNE;15;50%;1%;4
Cleveland, OH;85;62;63;53;Windy with a shower;N;18;67%;88%;1
Columbia, SC;93;68;97;61;Very hot;NNE;7;51%;8%;6
Columbus, OH;88;59;66;43;Breezy and cooler;NNW;14;54%;2%;4
Concord, NH;69;58;66;45;Morning showers;NW;12;85%;100%;2
Dallas-Ft. Worth, TX;97;74;98;72;Hot;ESE;5;37%;0%;7
Denver, CO;63;51;66;50;A couple of showers;WNW;6;80%;86%;2
Des Moines, IA;72;50;64;51;Partly sunny, cool;ESE;8;59%;26%;5
Detroit, MI;87;54;62;44;Breezy and cooler;N;15;55%;40%;2
Dodge City, KS;91;51;70;52;Cooler with some sun;ESE;13;71%;48%;4
Duluth, MN;62;46;58;42;Mostly sunny;SSW;8;62%;3%;4
El Paso, TX;93;68;93;67;Sunny and very warm;ESE;7;35%;0%;7
Fairbanks, AK;47;36;49;32;A morning shower;NE;5;75%;48%;1
Fargo, ND;61;38;60;48;Plenty of sunshine;SSE;7;61%;25%;4
Grand Junction, CO;67;58;74;51;A couple of showers;NNW;7;75%;84%;4
Grand Rapids, MI;80;52;59;40;Breezy in the p.m.;N;12;65%;6%;3
Hartford, CT;77;65;69;49;Rain and a t-storm;NW;10;82%;98%;1
Helena, MT;65;49;60;47;A shower and t-storm;WSW;8;75%;93%;1
Honolulu, HI;88;74;87;73;A few showers;N;10;64%;73%;9
Houston, TX;95;75;98;76;Hot;SSW;7;52%;6%;7
Indianapolis, IN;94;59;67;46;Cooler;N;12;54%;6%;5
Jackson, MS;96;73;96;69;Sunny and very warm;NNE;5;53%;5%;7
Jacksonville, FL;91;73;92;75;Sunny and warm;SSW;7;60%;3%;7
Juneau, AK;58;48;54;47;Cloudy with showers;SE;10;84%;100%;1
Kansas City, MO;84;57;64;55;Cloudy;ENE;8;64%;44%;2
Knoxville, TN;94;68;81;52;Not as warm;NNE;8;65%;44%;5
Las Vegas, NV;93;66;92;68;Plenty of sun;NW;6;20%;0%;6
Lexington, KY;94;66;73;47;Cooler;NNE;11;55%;60%;4
Little Rock, AR;100;72;88;63;Sunny and not as hot;NE;9;53%;5%;6
Long Beach, CA;81;63;84;66;Plenty of sunshine;SE;6;50%;1%;6
Los Angeles, CA;80;63;87;67;Plenty of sunshine;SSW;7;45%;2%;6
Louisville, KY;96;66;74;48;Cooler;N;11;48%;18%;5
Madison, WI;72;47;60;40;Partly sunny, cooler;ESE;7;57%;0%;4
Memphis, TN;100;74;84;62;Cooler;NE;13;51%;11%;6
Miami, FL;89;77;88;77;A stray p.m. t-storm;ENE;6;74%;51%;7
Milwaukee, WI;80;53;63;48;Winds subsiding;N;15;52%;2%;4
Minneapolis-St. Paul, MN;68;48;63;47;Mostly sunny;SSE;7;56%;9%;4
Mobile, AL;96;73;97;73;Hot;NW;5;59%;8%;7
Montgomery, AL;95;68;92;65;Sunny and hot;NNE;6;57%;2%;7
Mt. Washington, NH;52;44;46;23;Windy;NW;32;99%;99%;2
Nashville, TN;99;71;78;53;Cooler;NNE;10;56%;40%;5
New Orleans, LA;94;76;94;78;Hot;WSW;7;59%;8%;7
New York, NY;80;70;73;50;Rain and a t-storm;NNW;12;80%;96%;1
Newark, NJ;84;67;72;49;Rain and a t-storm;NNW;12;75%;94%;1
Norfolk, VA;89;69;92;56;Hot, a p.m. t-storm;NNW;12;59%;74%;6
Oklahoma City, OK;96;68;83;60;Sunshine and cooler;NE;12;56%;5%;6
Olympia, WA;79;48;71;51;Not as warm;SSW;9;67%;26%;4
Omaha, NE;71;49;65;50;High clouds and cool;SE;8;60%;62%;4
Orlando, FL;87;75;92;74;Plenty of sunshine;ESE;9;61%;25%;8
Philadelphia, PA;84;70;77;52;Rain, a thunderstorm;NNW;12;77%;85%;1
Phoenix, AZ;89;78;94;80;A p.m. t-storm;W;6;57%;61%;6
Pittsburgh, PA;85;63;66;47;Cooler;NW;14;69%;67%;3
Portland, ME;66;59;66;47;A morning t-storm;NNW;15;83%;88%;1
Portland, OR;79;55;73;50;Low clouds breaking;NNE;8;60%;2%;2
Providence, RI;70;62;71;47;Rain and a t-storm;NW;15;83%;91%;1
Raleigh, NC;93;67;92;55;A t-storm around;NNW;9;56%;41%;6
Reno, NV;60;41;70;45;Cool with sunshine;ENE;6;45%;0%;5
Richmond, VA;88;68;91;51;A t-storm around;NNW;9;55%;40%;5
Roswell, NM;93;64;90;62;Plenty of sunshine;SSE;9;44%;8%;7
Sacramento, CA;76;58;82;57;Plenty of sunshine;WNW;7;50%;0%;5
Salt Lake City, UT;84;59;74;53;Partly sunny;SE;8;46%;25%;5
San Antonio, TX;96;70;99;72;Hot;SSE;6;47%;2%;8
San Diego, CA;77;63;77;68;Partly sunny;NW;9;62%;0%;6
San Francisco, CA;72;59;73;58;Partly sunny;SSW;9;63%;0%;5
Savannah, GA;91;69;94;67;Sunny and very warm;WSW;4;61%;4%;7
Seattle-Tacoma, WA;77;54;69;55;Not as warm;SSW;12;64%;5%;4
Sioux Falls, SD;70;43;66;49;Mostly sunny;SSE;7;57%;90%;5
Spokane, WA;77;52;69;48;A little a.m. rain;SSW;8;58%;55%;1
Springfield, IL;85;55;68;47;Cooler;NE;10;53%;1%;4
St. Louis, MO;96;60;70;51;Cooler;NE;9;50%;12%;5
Tampa, FL;91;72;91;74;Partly sunny;NNW;6;70%;2%;8
Toledo, OH;88;54;62;40;Cooler;NNW;10;56%;2%;2
Tucson, AZ;90;72;94;73;A p.m. t-storm;E;7;51%;63%;7
Tulsa, OK;99;68;80;61;Cooler with some sun;NE;10;58%;11%;5
Vero Beach, FL;88;74;89;71;A t-storm around;NNW;10;74%;42%;8
Washington, DC;87;71;81;53;Thundershowers;NNW;9;72%;84%;3
Wichita, KS;98;58;65;55;Showers around;ENE;14;68%;65%;2
Wilmington, DE;83;70;77;52;Rain, a thunderstorm;NNW;12;77%;85%;2
_____
Copyright 2022 AccuWeather
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US Forecast https://digitalalaskanews.com/us-forecast-68/
City/Town, State;Yesterday’s High Temp (F);Yesterday’s Low Temp (F);Today’s High Temp (F);Today’s Low Temp (F);Weather Condition;Wind Direction;Wind Speed (MPH);Humidity (%);Chance of Precip. (%);UV Index
Albany, NY;76;63;67;46;Showers around;NW;10;75%;80%;2
Albuquerque, NM;85;64;84;62;Mostly sunny;NNE;10;42%;55%;7
Anchorage, AK;48;43;49;42;Rain and drizzle;N;6;80%;94%;1
Asheville, NC;90;60;83;48;A t-storm around;NNW;9;60%;45%;5
Atlanta, GA;91;68;91;59;Mostly sunny and hot;NNW;10;56%;1%;6
Atlantic City, NJ;78;72;80;54;Rain, a thunderstorm;NNW;16;77%;82%;3
Austin, TX;97;72;100;74;Hot;NW;2;43%;2%;7
Baltimore, MD;86;73;80;56;Thundershowers;NNW;12;60%;85%;2
Baton Rouge, LA;96;74;98;73;Sunshine, very hot;N;6;57%;10%;7
Billings, MT;66;51;68;54;A t-storm in spots;WNW;10;65%;64%;3
Birmingham, AL;95;70;93;61;Mostly sunny and hot;NNE;8;55%;3%;7
Bismarck, ND;65;37;65;48;Breezy;SSE;14;54%;44%;4
Boise, ID;71;50;67;47;Sun and clouds;E;8;54%;7%;3
Boston, MA;69;63;72;49;Rain and a t-storm;NW;16;79%;97%;1
Bridgeport, CT;77;68;71;48;Rain and a t-storm;NNW;13;79%;96%;1
Buffalo, NY;81;59;61;45;A shower or two;NNW;14;70%;88%;2
Burlington, VT;68;62;66;44;A shower;NNW;14;73%;92%;2
Caribou, ME;59;52;61;45;Showers;NW;11;91%;98%;1
Casper, WY;62;47;72;46;A stray thunderstorm;SW;17;51%;42%;5
Charleston, SC;85;71;93;65;Hot;NNW;6;61%;8%;7
Charleston, WV;91;67;71;46;Cooler;NNW;8;68%;68%;3
Charlotte, NC;92;66;91;54;Mostly sunny and hot;N;8;57%;25%;6
Cheyenne, WY;58;47;60;47;A stray thunderstorm;SW;14;84%;47%;2
Chicago, IL;85;57;63;54;Breezy and cooler;NNE;15;50%;1%;4
Cleveland, OH;85;62;63;53;Windy with a shower;N;18;67%;88%;1
Columbia, SC;93;68;97;61;Very hot;NNE;7;51%;8%;6
Columbus, OH;88;59;66;43;Breezy and cooler;NNW;14;54%;2%;4
Concord, NH;69;58;66;45;Morning showers;NW;12;85%;100%;2
Dallas-Ft. Worth, TX;97;74;98;72;Hot;ESE;5;37%;0%;7
Denver, CO;63;51;66;50;A couple of showers;WNW;6;80%;86%;2
Des Moines, IA;72;50;64;51;Partly sunny, cool;ESE;8;59%;26%;5
Detroit, MI;87;54;62;44;Breezy and cooler;N;15;55%;40%;2
Dodge City, KS;91;51;70;52;Cooler with some sun;ESE;13;71%;48%;4
Duluth, MN;62;46;58;42;Mostly sunny;SSW;8;62%;3%;4
El Paso, TX;93;68;93;67;Sunny and very warm;ESE;7;35%;0%;7
Fairbanks, AK;47;36;49;32;A morning shower;NE;5;75%;48%;1
Fargo, ND;61;38;60;48;Plenty of sunshine;SSE;7;61%;25%;4
Grand Junction, CO;67;58;74;51;A couple of showers;NNW;7;75%;84%;4
Grand Rapids, MI;80;52;59;40;Breezy in the p.m.;N;12;65%;6%;3
Hartford, CT;77;65;69;49;Rain and a t-storm;NW;10;82%;98%;1
Helena, MT;65;49;60;47;A shower and t-storm;WSW;8;75%;93%;1
Honolulu, HI;88;74;87;73;A few showers;N;10;64%;73%;9
Houston, TX;95;75;98;76;Hot;SSW;7;52%;6%;7
Indianapolis, IN;94;59;67;46;Cooler;N;12;54%;6%;5
Jackson, MS;96;73;96;69;Sunny and very warm;NNE;5;53%;5%;7
Jacksonville, FL;91;73;92;75;Sunny and warm;SSW;7;60%;3%;7
Juneau, AK;58;48;54;47;Cloudy with showers;SE;10;84%;100%;1
Kansas City, MO;84;57;64;55;Cloudy;ENE;8;64%;44%;2
Knoxville, TN;94;68;81;52;Not as warm;NNE;8;65%;44%;5
Las Vegas, NV;93;66;92;68;Plenty of sun;NW;6;20%;0%;6
Lexington, KY;94;66;73;47;Cooler;NNE;11;55%;60%;4
Little Rock, AR;100;72;88;63;Sunny and not as hot;NE;9;53%;5%;6
Long Beach, CA;81;63;84;66;Plenty of sunshine;SE;6;50%;1%;6
Los Angeles, CA;80;63;87;67;Plenty of sunshine;SSW;7;45%;2%;6
Louisville, KY;96;66;74;48;Cooler;N;11;48%;18%;5
Madison, WI;72;47;60;40;Partly sunny, cooler;ESE;7;57%;0%;4
Memphis, TN;100;74;84;62;Cooler;NE;13;51%;11%;6
Miami, FL;89;77;88;77;A stray p.m. t-storm;ENE;6;74%;51%;7
Milwaukee, WI;80;53;63;48;Winds subsiding;N;15;52%;2%;4
Minneapolis-St. Paul, MN;68;48;63;47;Mostly sunny;SSE;7;56%;9%;4
Mobile, AL;96;73;97;73;Hot;NW;5;59%;8%;7
Montgomery, AL;95;68;92;65;Sunny and hot;NNE;6;57%;2%;7
Mt. Washington, NH;52;44;46;23;Windy;NW;32;99%;99%;2
Nashville, TN;99;71;78;53;Cooler;NNE;10;56%;40%;5
New Orleans, LA;94;76;94;78;Hot;WSW;7;59%;8%;7
New York, NY;80;70;73;50;Rain and a t-storm;NNW;12;80%;96%;1
Newark, NJ;84;67;72;49;Rain and a t-storm;NNW;12;75%;94%;1
Norfolk, VA;89;69;92;56;Hot, a p.m. t-storm;NNW;12;59%;74%;6
Oklahoma City, OK;96;68;83;60;Sunshine and cooler;NE;12;56%;5%;6
Olympia, WA;79;48;71;51;Not as warm;SSW;9;67%;26%;4
Omaha, NE;71;49;65;50;High clouds and cool;SE;8;60%;62%;4
Orlando, FL;87;75;92;74;Plenty of sunshine;ESE;9;61%;25%;8
Philadelphia, PA;84;70;77;52;Rain, a thunderstorm;NNW;12;77%;85%;1
Phoenix, AZ;89;78;94;80;A p.m. t-storm;W;6;57%;61%;6
Pittsburgh, PA;85;63;66;47;Cooler;NW;14;69%;67%;3
Portland, ME;66;59;66;47;A morning t-storm;NNW;15;83%;88%;1
Portland, OR;79;55;73;50;Low clouds breaking;NNE;8;60%;2%;2
Providence, RI;70;62;71;47;Rain and a t-storm;NW;15;83%;91%;1
Raleigh, NC;93;67;92;55;A t-storm around;NNW;9;56%;41%;6
Reno, NV;60;41;70;45;Cool with sunshine;ENE;6;45%;0%;5
Richmond, VA;88;68;91;51;A t-storm around;NNW;9;55%;40%;5
Roswell, NM;93;64;90;62;Plenty of sunshine;SSE;9;44%;8%;7
Sacramento, CA;76;58;82;57;Plenty of sunshine;WNW;7;50%;0%;5
Salt Lake City, UT;84;59;74;53;Partly sunny;SE;8;46%;25%;5
San Antonio, TX;96;70;99;72;Hot;SSE;6;47%;2%;8
San Diego, CA;77;63;77;68;Partly sunny;NW;9;62%;0%;6
San Francisco, CA;72;59;73;58;Partly sunny;SSW;9;63%;0%;5
Savannah, GA;91;69;94;67;Sunny and very warm;WSW;4;61%;4%;7
Seattle-Tacoma, WA;77;54;69;55;Not as warm;SSW;12;64%;5%;4
Sioux Falls, SD;70;43;66;49;Mostly sunny;SSE;7;57%;90%;5
Spokane, WA;77;52;69;48;A little a.m. rain;SSW;8;58%;55%;1
Springfield, IL;85;55;68;47;Cooler;NE;10;53%;1%;4
St. Louis, MO;96;60;70;51;Cooler;NE;9;50%;12%;5
Tampa, FL;91;72;91;74;Partly sunny;NNW;6;70%;2%;8
Toledo, OH;88;54;62;40;Cooler;NNW;10;56%;2%;2
Tucson, AZ;90;72;94;73;A p.m. t-storm;E;7;51%;63%;7
Tulsa, OK;99;68;80;61;Cooler with some sun;NE;10;58%;11%;5
Vero Beach, FL;88;74;89;71;A t-storm around;NNW;10;74%;42%;8
Washington, DC;87;71;81;53;Thundershowers;NNW;9;72%;84%;3
Wichita, KS;98;58;65;55;Showers around;ENE;14;68%;65%;2
Wilmington, DE;83;70;77;52;Rain, a thunderstorm;NNW;12;77%;85%;2
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US Forecast https://digitalalaskanews.com/us-forecast-70/
City/Town, State;Yesterday’s High Temp (F);Yesterday’s Low Temp (F);Today’s High Temp (F);Today’s Low Temp (F);Weather Condition;Wind Direction;Wind Speed (MPH);Humidity (%);Chance of Precip. (%);UV Index
Albany, NY;76;63;67;46;Showers around;NW;10;75%;80%;2
Albuquerque, NM;85;64;84;62;Mostly sunny;NNE;10;42%;55%;7
Anchorage, AK;48;43;49;42;Rain and drizzle;N;6;80%;94%;1
Asheville, NC;90;60;83;48;A t-storm around;NNW;9;60%;45%;5
Atlanta, GA;91;68;91;59;Mostly sunny and hot;NNW;10;56%;1%;6
Atlantic City, NJ;78;72;80;54;Rain, a thunderstorm;NNW;16;77%;82%;3
Austin, TX;97;72;100;74;Hot;NW;2;43%;2%;7
Baltimore, MD;86;73;80;56;Thundershowers;NNW;12;60%;85%;2
Baton Rouge, LA;96;74;98;73;Sunshine, very hot;N;6;57%;10%;7
Billings, MT;66;51;68;54;A t-storm in spots;WNW;10;65%;64%;3
Birmingham, AL;95;70;93;61;Mostly sunny and hot;NNE;8;55%;3%;7
Bismarck, ND;65;37;65;48;Breezy;SSE;14;54%;44%;4
Boise, ID;71;50;67;47;Sun and clouds;E;8;54%;7%;3
Boston, MA;69;63;72;49;Rain and a t-storm;NW;16;79%;97%;1
Bridgeport, CT;77;68;71;48;Rain and a t-storm;NNW;13;79%;96%;1
Buffalo, NY;81;59;61;45;A shower or two;NNW;14;70%;88%;2
Burlington, VT;68;62;66;44;A shower;NNW;14;73%;92%;2
Caribou, ME;59;52;61;45;Showers;NW;11;91%;98%;1
Casper, WY;62;47;72;46;A stray thunderstorm;SW;17;51%;42%;5
Charleston, SC;85;71;93;65;Hot;NNW;6;61%;8%;7
Charleston, WV;91;67;71;46;Cooler;NNW;8;68%;68%;3
Charlotte, NC;92;66;91;54;Mostly sunny and hot;N;8;57%;25%;6
Cheyenne, WY;58;47;60;47;A stray thunderstorm;SW;14;84%;47%;2
Chicago, IL;85;57;63;54;Breezy and cooler;NNE;15;50%;1%;4
Cleveland, OH;85;62;63;53;Windy with a shower;N;18;67%;88%;1
Columbia, SC;93;68;97;61;Very hot;NNE;7;51%;8%;6
Columbus, OH;88;59;66;43;Breezy and cooler;NNW;14;54%;2%;4
Concord, NH;69;58;66;45;Morning showers;NW;12;85%;100%;2
Dallas-Ft. Worth, TX;97;74;98;72;Hot;ESE;5;37%;0%;7
Denver, CO;63;51;66;50;A couple of showers;WNW;6;80%;86%;2
Des Moines, IA;72;50;64;51;Partly sunny, cool;ESE;8;59%;26%;5
Detroit, MI;87;54;62;44;Breezy and cooler;N;15;55%;40%;2
Dodge City, KS;91;51;70;52;Cooler with some sun;ESE;13;71%;48%;4
Duluth, MN;62;46;58;42;Mostly sunny;SSW;8;62%;3%;4
El Paso, TX;93;68;93;67;Sunny and very warm;ESE;7;35%;0%;7
Fairbanks, AK;47;36;49;32;A morning shower;NE;5;75%;48%;1
Fargo, ND;61;38;60;48;Plenty of sunshine;SSE;7;61%;25%;4
Grand Junction, CO;67;58;74;51;A couple of showers;NNW;7;75%;84%;4
Grand Rapids, MI;80;52;59;40;Breezy in the p.m.;N;12;65%;6%;3
Hartford, CT;77;65;69;49;Rain and a t-storm;NW;10;82%;98%;1
Helena, MT;65;49;60;47;A shower and t-storm;WSW;8;75%;93%;1
Honolulu, HI;88;74;87;73;A few showers;N;10;64%;73%;9
Houston, TX;95;75;98;76;Hot;SSW;7;52%;6%;7
Indianapolis, IN;94;59;67;46;Cooler;N;12;54%;6%;5
Jackson, MS;96;73;96;69;Sunny and very warm;NNE;5;53%;5%;7
Jacksonville, FL;91;73;92;75;Sunny and warm;SSW;7;60%;3%;7
Juneau, AK;58;48;54;47;Cloudy with showers;SE;10;84%;100%;1
Kansas City, MO;84;57;64;55;Cloudy;ENE;8;64%;44%;2
Knoxville, TN;94;68;81;52;Not as warm;NNE;8;65%;44%;5
Las Vegas, NV;93;66;92;68;Plenty of sun;NW;6;20%;0%;6
Lexington, KY;94;66;73;47;Cooler;NNE;11;55%;60%;4
Little Rock, AR;100;72;88;63;Sunny and not as hot;NE;9;53%;5%;6
Long Beach, CA;81;63;84;66;Plenty of sunshine;SE;6;50%;1%;6
Los Angeles, CA;80;63;87;67;Plenty of sunshine;SSW;7;45%;2%;6
Louisville, KY;96;66;74;48;Cooler;N;11;48%;18%;5
Madison, WI;72;47;60;40;Partly sunny, cooler;ESE;7;57%;0%;4
Memphis, TN;100;74;84;62;Cooler;NE;13;51%;11%;6
Miami, FL;89;77;88;77;A stray p.m. t-storm;ENE;6;74%;51%;7
Milwaukee, WI;80;53;63;48;Winds subsiding;N;15;52%;2%;4
Minneapolis-St. Paul, MN;68;48;63;47;Mostly sunny;SSE;7;56%;9%;4
Mobile, AL;96;73;97;73;Hot;NW;5;59%;8%;7
Montgomery, AL;95;68;92;65;Sunny and hot;NNE;6;57%;2%;7
Mt. Washington, NH;52;44;46;23;Windy;NW;32;99%;99%;2
Nashville, TN;99;71;78;53;Cooler;NNE;10;56%;40%;5
New Orleans, LA;94;76;94;78;Hot;WSW;7;59%;8%;7
New York, NY;80;70;73;50;Rain and a t-storm;NNW;12;80%;96%;1
Newark, NJ;84;67;72;49;Rain and a t-storm;NNW;12;75%;94%;1
Norfolk, VA;89;69;92;56;Hot, a p.m. t-storm;NNW;12;59%;74%;6
Oklahoma City, OK;96;68;83;60;Sunshine and cooler;NE;12;56%;5%;6
Olympia, WA;79;48;71;51;Not as warm;SSW;9;67%;26%;4
Omaha, NE;71;49;65;50;High clouds and cool;SE;8;60%;62%;4
Orlando, FL;87;75;92;74;Plenty of sunshine;ESE;9;61%;25%;8
Philadelphia, PA;84;70;77;52;Rain, a thunderstorm;NNW;12;77%;85%;1
Phoenix, AZ;89;78;94;80;A p.m. t-storm;W;6;57%;61%;6
Pittsburgh, PA;85;63;66;47;Cooler;NW;14;69%;67%;3
Portland, ME;66;59;66;47;A morning t-storm;NNW;15;83%;88%;1
Portland, OR;79;55;73;50;Low clouds breaking;NNE;8;60%;2%;2
Providence, RI;70;62;71;47;Rain and a t-storm;NW;15;83%;91%;1
Raleigh, NC;93;67;92;55;A t-storm around;NNW;9;56%;41%;6
Reno, NV;60;41;70;45;Cool with sunshine;ENE;6;45%;0%;5
Richmond, VA;88;68;91;51;A t-storm around;NNW;9;55%;40%;5
Roswell, NM;93;64;90;62;Plenty of sunshine;SSE;9;44%;8%;7
Sacramento, CA;76;58;82;57;Plenty of sunshine;WNW;7;50%;0%;5
Salt Lake City, UT;84;59;74;53;Partly sunny;SE;8;46%;25%;5
San Antonio, TX;96;70;99;72;Hot;SSE;6;47%;2%;8
San Diego, CA;77;63;77;68;Partly sunny;NW;9;62%;0%;6
San Francisco, CA;72;59;73;58;Partly sunny;SSW;9;63%;0%;5
Savannah, GA;91;69;94;67;Sunny and very warm;WSW;4;61%;4%;7
Seattle-Tacoma, WA;77;54;69;55;Not as warm;SSW;12;64%;5%;4
Sioux Falls, SD;70;43;66;49;Mostly sunny;SSE;7;57%;90%;5
Spokane, WA;77;52;69;48;A little a.m. rain;SSW;8;58%;55%;1
Springfield, IL;85;55;68;47;Cooler;NE;10;53%;1%;4
St. Louis, MO;96;60;70;51;Cooler;NE;9;50%;12%;5
Tampa, FL;91;72;91;74;Partly sunny;NNW;6;70%;2%;8
Toledo, OH;88;54;62;40;Cooler;NNW;10;56%;2%;2
Tucson, AZ;90;72;94;73;A p.m. t-storm;E;7;51%;63%;7
Tulsa, OK;99;68;80;61;Cooler with some sun;NE;10;58%;11%;5
Vero Beach, FL;88;74;89;71;A t-storm around;NNW;10;74%;42%;8
Washington, DC;87;71;81;53;Thundershowers;NNW;9;72%;84%;3
Wichita, KS;98;58;65;55;Showers around;ENE;14;68%;65%;2
Wilmington, DE;83;70;77;52;Rain, a thunderstorm;NNW;12;77%;85%;2
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C.E.O. Of Kraken The Cryptocurrency Exchange Steps Down
C.E.O. Of Kraken, The Cryptocurrency Exchange, Steps Down https://digitalalaskanews.com/c-e-o-of-kraken-the-cryptocurrency-exchange-steps-down/
Technology|C.E.O. of Kraken, the Cryptocurrency Exchange, Steps Down
https://www.nytimes.com/2022/09/21/technology/ceo-kraken-cryptocurrency-jesse-powell.html
Jesse Powell, the chief executive, has battled with employees after posting messages about race and gender and urging those who disagreed with his values to leave.
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Jesse Powell, the chief executive of the cryptocurrency exchange Kraken, in 2014.Credit…David Paul Morris/Bloomberg
Sept. 21, 2022, 3:58 p.m. ET
Jesse Powell, a founder of the cryptocurrency exchange Kraken, is stepping down as chief executive.
Mr. Powell will be replaced by Dave Ripley, the chief operating officer, Kraken said on Wednesday. The transition is set to take place in the next few months after the company finds a replacement for Mr. Ripley. Mr. Powell will remain at Kraken as chairman.
An early Bitcoin entrepreneur, Mr. Powell has been embroiled in conflict with Kraken employees after he posted inflammatory messages this year about race and gender on the company’s Slack. He urged those who disagreed with his values to leave the company. Some did.
Kraken also faces an investigation by the Treasury Department over potential violations of U.S. sanctions. The department is expected to fine Kraken, The New York Times reported in July.
In a blog post, Kraken said that Mr. Ripley, who joined the company after it acquired his start-up in 2016, was chosen following a “rigorous internal and external search” over the past year. Mr. Powell planned to spend more of his time focusing on “the company’s products, user experience and broader industry advocacy,” the company said.
Mr. Powell and Thanh Luu founded Kraken in 2011 as one of the first major exchanges for investors to buy and sell digital assets. Kraken was eventually overtaken by Coinbase and now ranks as the second-largest exchange in the United States, according to CoinMarketCap, an industry data tracker. Last year, Mr. Powell said he was considering taking the company public.
The conflict at Kraken began this spring after Mr. Powell questioned employees’ use of preferred pronouns and engaged in a lengthy discussion about whether women are inherently less intelligent than men.
Some employees voiced complaints, and Mr. Powell released a company culture document outlining what he described as Kraken’s libertarian values. He told employees that if they disagreed with the document, they should quit. In response to reporting by The Times on Kraken’s internal conflict, he tweeted in June that he was returning the company “back to dictatorship.”
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Trumps Business Empire Could Be Crushed With New Lawsuit
Trump’s Business Empire Could Be Crushed With New Lawsuit https://digitalalaskanews.com/trumps-business-empire-could-be-crushed-with-new-lawsuit/
Former U.S. President Donald Trump gestures during the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) at The Rosen Shingle Creek on February 26, 2022 in Orlando, Florida. (Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images)
If New York’s Attorney General gets her way, former President Donald Trump will be drummed out of her state as a businessman almost completely.
That’s because her massive $250 million lawsuit against Trump, his company, and his adult children effectively seeks to eradicate them from New York’s commercial scene, and in particular, the industry in which Trump made his name: real estate.
Victory for NY Attorney General Letitia James would mean banning Trump and three of his kids—Eric, Don Jr., and Ivanka—from running a company based in New York. James wants to block Trump and his family business from buying any New York real estate for five years, and install an independent monitor to oversee all of the company’s business activities, including its financial reporting and statements to banks and tax authorities.
In short, James set out Tuesday to obliterate his image as a savvy entrepreneur—one that Trump spent decades cultivating through a series of splashy deals, a hit reality show, and finally a bid for the presidency based on the promise of his self-avowed skills as a negotiator.
In James’ retelling, it was all based on a series of illicit exaggerations. In hundreds of detailed pages, James’ lawsuit alleged fraud across 23 assets, from the Mar-a-Lago seaside country club in Palm Beach, Florida to golf clubs in Scotland. The lawsuit seeks $250 million in awards, which is the amount that James estimated Trump’s company earned through allegedly fraudulent schemes.
Trump has denied all wrongdoing. In a statement on his social media site, Truth Social, Trump criticized James as “a total crime fighting disaster in New York,” and insisted that banks and insurance companies, “were fully paid, made a lot of money, and never had a complaint about me.”
Trump referred to the Attorney General as “Letitia ‘Peekaboo’ James,” for reasons he did not immediately explain. In the past, he has repeatedly called James, who is Black, a “racist.”
James is an elected Democrat who’s up for reelection this November. Trump and his family members have frequently accused her of politicizing her investigation.
The lawsuit adds to a rising tsunami of legal challenges for Trump. He’s already facing a criminal probe in Atlanta, Georgia, over his attempts to reverse his 2020 electoral defeat in the peach state. The FBI is investigating whether he violated the Espionage Act by hoarding sensitive classified documents at Mar-a-Lago.
But unlike those criminal probes, which arc back to Trump’s presidency, this new lawsuit is focused purely on Trump’s business empire.
“The civil case may be even more devastating than the criminal cases,” tweeted Norm Eisen, a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution who served as special counsel for the House Judiciary Committee when the panel pursued Trump’s impeachment. “It may destroy Trump’s financial base that he relies on for all else.”
But James’ lawsuit also has the potential to unleash new criminal investigations into Trump and his family business.
James said her office made criminal referrals to federal prosecutors over what she called evidence of false statements to financial institutions and bank fraud, during a press conference on Wednesday.
She also said her investigation showed violations of state criminal laws, including “falsifying business records, issuing false financial statements, insurance fraud and engaging in a conspiracy to commit each of these state law violations.”
Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, who has worked closely with James’ office in a parallel criminal probe of the Trump Organization, issued a brief, terse statement in response.
“Our criminal investigation concerning former President Donald J. Trump, the Trump Organization, and its leadership is active and ongoing,” Bragg said.
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Donald Trump Accused Of Vast Fraud In Suit By New York Attorney General
Donald Trump Accused Of Vast Fraud In Suit By New York Attorney General https://digitalalaskanews.com/donald-trump-accused-of-vast-fraud-in-suit-by-new-york-attorney-general/
The lawsuit is the culmination of a three-year civil investigation of Trump and the Trump Organization.
New York’s Attorney General sued former President Donald Trump and his company for fraud on Wednesday, alleging they padded his net worth by billions of dollars by lying about the value of prized assets including golf courses, hotels and his homes at Trump Tower and Mar-a-Lago.
Attorney General Letitia James dubbed it: “The art of the steal.”
James’ lawsuit, filed in state court in New York, is the culmination of a three-year civil investigation of Trump and the Trump Organization. Trump’s three eldest children, Donald Jr., Ivanka and Eric Trump, were also named as defendants, along with two longtime company executives, Allen Weisselberg and Jeffrey McConney.
The lawsuit strikes at the core of what made Trump famous, taking a blacklight to the image of wealth and opulence he’s embraced throughout his career — first as a real estate developer, then as a reality TV host on “The Apprentice” and “Celebrity Apprentice,” and later as President.
James wants Trump and the other defendants to pay at least $250 million, which she said was the approximate worth of the benefits it got through fraudulent practices.
James, a Democrat, announced details of the lawsuit at a news conference on Wednesday. She said her office filed the case — which is civil, not criminal in nature — after rejecting settlement offers made by lawyers for the defendants.
The alleged scheme was intended to burnish Trump’s billionaire image and the value of his properties when doing so gave him an advantage, such as in obtaining favorable loan terms, while playing down the value of assets at other times for tax purposes, James’ office said.
“This investigation revealed that Donald Trump engaged in years of illegal conduct to inflate his net worth, to deceive banks and the people of the great state of New York,” James said at the news conference. “Claiming you have money that you do not have does not amount to the art of the deal. It’s the art of the steal.”
James said her investigation uncovered potential criminal violations, including falsifying business records, issuing false financial statements, insurance fraud, conspiracy and bank fraud. She said her office is referring those findings to federal prosecutors and the Internal Revenue Service.
In a statement posted to his Truth Social platform, Trump called the lawsuit “Another Witch Hunt by a racist Attorney General” and called James, who is Black, “a fraud who campaigned on a ‘get Trump’ platform, despite the fact that the city is one of the crime and murder disasters of the world under her watch!”
Trump lawyer Alina Habba said the lawsuit “is neither focused on the facts nor the law — rather, it is solely focused on advancing the Attorney General’s political agenda,” accusing James of abusing her authority “by prying into transactions where absolutely no wrongdoing has taken place.”
Habba said the allegations in the lawsuit are “meritless.”
James is seeking to remove the Trumps from businesses engaged in the alleged fraud and wants an independent monitor appointed for no less than five years to oversee the Trump Organization’s compliance, financial reporting, valuations and disclosures to lenders, insurers and tax authorities.
She is seeking to replace the current trustees of Trump’s revocable trust, which controls his business interests, with independent trustees, to bar Trump and the Trump Organization from entering into commercial real estate acquisitions for five years, from obtaining loans from banks in New York for five years and permanently bar Trump and three of his adult children from serving as an officer or director in any New York corporation or similar business entity registered and/or licensed in New York State.
She also seeks to permanently bar Weisselberg and McConney from serving in the financial control function of any New York corporation or similar business entity registered and/or licensed in New York State.
James’ lawsuit comes amid a swirl of unprecedented legal challenges for a former President, including an FBI investigation into Trump’s handling of classified records and inquiries into his efforts to overturn the 2020 election.
The Trump Organization is set to go on trial in October in a criminal case alleging that it schemed to give untaxed perks to senior executives, including its longtime finance chief Weisselberg, who alone took more than $1.7 million in extras.
Weisselberg, 75, pleaded guilty Aug. 18. His plea agreement requires him to testify at the company’s trial before he starts a five-month jail sentence. If convicted, the Trump Organization could face a fine of double the amount of unpaid taxes.
Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg has been conducting a parallel criminal investigation of the same business practices at the heart of James’ civil lawsuit. That probe lost momentum earlier this year after Bragg raised questions internally about whether a criminal case was viable, but the Democrat has said it has not been abandoned.
At the same time, the FBI is continuing to investigate Trump’s storage of sensitive government documents at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida, and a special grand jury in Georgia is investigating whether Trump and others attempted to influence state election officials.
All of the legal drama is playing out ahead of the November midterm elections, where Republicans are trying to win control of one or both houses of Congress.
Meanwhile, Trump has been laying the groundwork for a potential comeback campaign for President in 2024 and has accused President Joe Biden’s administration of targeting him to hurt his political chances.
State law allows a broad range of civil remedies against companies committing commercial fraud, including revoking licenses to conduct business in the state, removing company officers and forcing the payment of restitution or disgorgement of ill-gotten gains.
James’ office could also seek to ban Trump from being involved in certain types of businesses, as happened in January when a judge barred ex-drug company CEO Martin Shkreli from the pharmaceutical industry for life.
In a previous clash with Trump, James oversaw the closure of his charity, the Trump Foundation, after her predecessor in the Attorney General’s office, Barbara Underwood, filed a lawsuit alleging he misused its assets to resolve business disputes and boost his run for the White House. A judge ordered Trump to pay $2 million to an array of charities to settle the matter.
James, who campaigned for office as a Trump critic and watchdog, started scrutinizing his business practices in March 2019 after his former personal lawyer Michael Cohen testified to Congress that Trump exaggerated his wealth on financial statements provided to Deutsche Bank when he was trying to obtain financing to buy the NFL’s Buffalo Bills.
Since then, James’ office and Trump’s lawyers have repeatedly sparred over the direction of the investigation and Trump’s unwillingness to comply with subpoenas for his testimony and records. Trump spent months fighting the subpoena that led to his August deposition, his lawyers unable to convince courts that he should be excused from testifying because his answers could be used in Bragg’s criminal probe.
In May, Trump paid $110,000 in fines after he was held in contempt of court for being slow to respond to a subpoena James’ office issued seeking documents and other evidence. The contempt finding was lifted in June after Trump and his lawyers submitted paperwork showing they had made a good faith effort to find relevant documents.
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Republished with permission of The Associated Press.
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WOW! Trump's Spokes-Shill Affirms That He's GUILTY Of The Charges By New York AG Letitia James
WOW! Trump's Spokes-Shill Affirms That He's GUILTY Of The Charges By New York AG Letitia James https://digitalalaskanews.com/wow-trumps-spokes-shill-affirms-that-hes-guilty-of-the-charges-by-new-york-ag-letitia-james/
It’s been a long time coming, but the first formal charges against Donald Trump by New York Attorney General Letitia James have been filed. They are wide ranging and carry serious penalties, including a permanent ban on Trump and his children serving on any corporate board, being prohibited for five years from running any corporation or similar business in New York or applying for business loans, and $250 million in restitution.
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The action taken by James was the result of a “comprehensive, three-year investigation” that involved “interviews with more than 65 witnesses and review of millions of documents.” In the press conference announcing the lawsuit, James charged Trump with “violating the law as part of his efforts to generate profits for himself, his family and his company.”
The lawsuit alleged that Trump and his co-defendants – Eric Trump, Donald Trump Jr. and Ivanka Trump – “falsely inflated his net worth by billions of dollars to unjustly enrich himself and to cheat the system, thereby cheating all of us.” Then she elaborated saying that…
“Mr. Trump and the Trump Organization repeatedly and persistently manipulated the value of assets to induce banks to lend money to the Trump Organization on more favorable terms than would otherwise have been available to the company to pay lower taxes, to satisfy continuing loan agreements, and to induce insurance companies to provide insurance coverage for higher limits and for lower premiums.”
Florida Brings Battle Over Social Media Regulation To The Supreme Court
Florida Brings Battle Over Social Media Regulation To The Supreme Court https://digitalalaskanews.com/florida-brings-battle-over-social-media-regulation-to-the-supreme-court/
Florida’s attorney general on Wednesday asked the Supreme Court to decide whether states have the right to regulate how social media companies moderate content on their services, a move that sends one of the most controversial debates of the internet age to the country’s highest court.
In its petition, the state asks the court to determine whether the First Amendment prohibits a state from requiring that platforms host certain communications and also whether the states can require companies to provide an explanation to users when they remove their posts. The petition sets up the most serious test to date of assertions that Silicon Valley companies are unlawfully censoring conservative viewpoints.
The decision could have wide-ranging effects on the future of democracy and elections, as tech companies play an increasingly significant role in disseminating news and information about politics. Critics of the state social media laws and tech industry representatives also warn that if the Florida law were to take effect, it could lead to a torrent of hate speech, misinformation and other violent content that some major social media companies’ policies currently prohibit.
The petition is a response to a decision by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 11th Circuit earlier this year that major provisions of a Florida social media law violated the Constitution’s First Amendment. The law would bar companies from banning politicians from their services.
The Florida attorney general incorporated in the petition a recent conservative victory in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 5th Circuit, which upheld a Texas law that bars companies from removing posts based on a person’s political ideology. The Florida petition says the circuit courts’ decisions are in conflict, and the Supreme Court must resolve those differences. Florida attorney general Ashley Moody did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The legal battle over the Florida law began in May 2021, when Netchoice and the Computer & Communications Industry Association, two industry groups representing major social media companies, filed a lawsuit to block the law from taking effect. The tech companies scored major victories when a federal judge in June of last year blocked the law from taking effect and then when the 11th Circuit upheld much of that ruling. The tech companies say they believe they will see a similar outcome in the Supreme Court.
“We agree with Florida that the U.S. Supreme Court should hear this case, and we’re confident that First Amendment rights will be upheld,” Netchoice vice president and general counsel Carl Szabo said in a statement. “We have the Constitution and 200 years of precedent on our side.”
Any court decision would have consequences that stretch far beyond Florida, as more than 100 bills related to social media content moderation have been introduced in state legislatures across the country, according to a July analysis from CCIA. Many of the state legislatures have already recessed until 2023, and they are closely watching how the litigation over the Florida and Texas laws resolves.
Though the first social media content regulation laws were passed in conservative states, liberal states are now following with legislation to force more transparency on how the companies respond to threatening and hate speech. Any decision on states’ First Amendment power to regulate how companies police their platforms could have implications for those bills as well.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates.
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Russia Releases 10 Foreigners Captured In Ukraine After Saudi Mediation Riyadh Says
Russia Releases 10 Foreigners Captured In Ukraine After Saudi Mediation, Riyadh Says https://digitalalaskanews.com/russia-releases-10-foreigners-captured-in-ukraine-after-saudi-mediation-riyadh-says/
Prisoners of war (five British citizens, one Moroccan, one Swede, one Croat, and two Americans) are seen in the tarmac after arriving, following successful mediation efforts by Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, from Russia to King Khalid International Airport, in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, September 21, 2022. Saudi Press Agency/Handout via REUTERS
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RIYADH, Sept 21 (Reuters) – Russia on Wednesday released 10 foreign prisoners of war captured in Ukraine following mediation by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, the Saudi foreign ministry said.
The freed prisoners were American, British, Croatian, Moroccan and Swedish nationals, the ministry said in a statement, adding that a plane carrying the prisoners landed in the kingdom.
“The relevant Saudi authorities received and transferred them from Russia to the kingdom and are facilitating procedures for their respective countries,” the statement said.
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The ministry did not identify the prisoners. A Saudi official said they were five Britons, two Americans, a Croatian, a Moroccan and a Swedish national.
British Prime Minister Liz Truss hailed the release of the British nationals on Twitter as “hugely welcome news” after “months of uncertainty and suffering for them and their families.”
British lawmaker Robert Jenrick said Aiden Aslin was among those released. He was captured earlier this year then sentenced to death by a court in the self-proclaimed Donetsk People’s Republic (DPR), one of Russia’s proxies in eastern Ukraine.
Russia also released U.S. citizens Alexander Drueke, 39, and Andy Huynh, 27, a family representative told Reuters on Wednesday. read more
The pair, both from Alabama, were captured in June while fighting in eastern Ukraine where they went to support Ukrainian troops resisting Russia’s invasion.
Large numbers of foreigners have travelled to Ukraine to fight since Russia’s Feb. 24 invasion. Some of them have been caught by Russian forces, along with other foreigners in the country who say they were not fighters.
Reuters could not immediately establish if the released group included Britons Shaun Pinner and Morocco-born Brahim Saadoun who were also captured and sentenced to death in Donetsk.
A Swedish citizen, captured at the port city of Mariupol and facing a possible death sentence under the laws of the DPR, was among those released, Swedish Foreign Minister Ann Linde confirmed.
“I can confirm that the Swede who in May was taken into custody by Russian forces is free and on his way to Sweden,” Linde told Swedish news agency TT on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York.
Prince Mohammed has maintained close ties with Russian President Vladimir Putin, including within the framework of the OPEC+ oil producers group, despite heavy pressure from Washington, Riyadh’s traditional ally, to isolate Russia.
Both Ukrainian and Russian forces have captured hundreds of enemy fighters since the start of the conflict, with a handful of prisoner exchanges having taken place.
The head of the U.N. human rights mission in Ukraine said earlier this month that Russia was not allowing access to prisoners of war, adding that the U.N. had evidence that some had been subjected to torture and ill-treatment that could amount to war crimes. read more
Russia denies torture or other forms of maltreatment of POWs.
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Reporting by Aziz El Yaakoubi; additional reporting by Niklas Pollard in Stockholm; Editing by Frank Jack Daniel and Cynthia Osterman
Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.
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New York Attorney General Sues Donald Trump And His Company
New York Attorney General Sues Donald Trump And His Company https://digitalalaskanews.com/new-york-attorney-general-sues-donald-trump-and-his-company/
NEW YORK (AP) — New York’s attorney general sued former President Donald Trump and his company for fraud on Wednesday, alleging they padded his net worth by billions of dollars by manipulating the value of prized assets including golf courses, hotels and his homes at Trump Tower and Mar-a-Lago.
Attorney General Letitia James dubbed it: “The art of the steal.”
James’ lawsuit, filed in state court in New York, is the culmination of the Democrat’s three-year civil investigation of Trump and the Trump Organization. Trump’s three eldest children, Donald Jr., Ivanka and Eric Trump, were also named as defendants, along with two longtime company executives, Allen Weisselberg and Jeffrey McConney.
The lawsuit strikes at the core of what made Trump famous, taking a blacklight to the image of wealth and opulence he’s embraced throughout his career — first as a real estate developer, then as a reality TV host on “The Apprentice” and “Celebrity Apprentice,” and later as president. James is seeking repayment of at least $250 million she alleges the Trumps pocketed from the scheme.
James, a Democrat, announced details of the lawsuit at a news conference on Wednesday. She said her office filed the case — which is civil, not criminal in nature — after rejecting settlement offers made by lawyers for the defendants.
FILE – Donald Trump, right, sits with his children, from left, Eric Trump, Donald Trump Jr., and Ivanka Trump during a groundbreaking ceremony for the Trump International Hotel on July 23, 2014, in Washington. New York’s attorney general sued former President Donald Trump and his company on Wednesday, Sept. 21, 2022, alleging business fraud involving some of their most prized assets, including properties in Manhattan, Chicago and Washington, D.C. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci, File)
Photo: ASSOCIATED PRESS/Evan Vucci
New York Attorney General Letitia James speaks during a press conference, Wednesday, Sept. 21, 2022, in New York. New York’s attorney general sued former President Donald Trump and his company on Wednesday, alleging business fraud involving some of their most prized assets, including properties in Manhattan, Chicago and Washington, D.C. (AP Photo/Brittainy Newman)
Photo: ASSOCIATED PRESS/Brittainy Newman
New York Attorney General Letitia James pauses during a press conference, Wednesday, Sept. 21, 2022, in New York. New York’s attorney general sued former President Donald Trump and his company on Wednesday, alleging business fraud involving some of their most prized assets, including properties in Manhattan, Chicago and Washington, D.C. (AP Photo/Brittainy Newman)
Photo: ASSOCIATED PRESS/Brittainy Newman
New York Attorney General Letitia James speaks during a press conference, Wednesday, Sept. 21, 2022, in New York. New York’s attorney general sued former President Donald Trump and his company on Wednesday, alleging business fraud involving some of their most prized assets, including properties in Manhattan, Chicago and Washington, D.C. (AP Photo/Brittainy Newman)
Photo: ASSOCIATED PRESS/Brittainy Newman
FILE – Donald Trump, left, his son Donald Trump Jr., center, and his daughter Ivanka Trump speak during the unveiling of the design for the Trump International Hotel in the The Old Post Office, in Washington, on Sept. 10, 2013. New York’s attorney general sued former President Donald Trump and his company, on Wednesday, Sept. 21, 2022, alleging business fraud involving some of their most prized assets, including properties in Manhattan, Chicago and Washington, D.C. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta, File)
Photo: ASSOCIATED PRESS/Manuel Balce Ceneta
FILE – Seven Springs, a property owned by former U.S. President Donald Trump is shown covered in snow in Mount Kisco, N.Y., on Feb. 23, 2021. New York’s attorney general sued former President Donald Trump and his company, on Wednesday, Sept. 21, 2022, alleging business fraud involving some of their most prized assets, including properties in Manhattan, Chicago and Washington, D.C. (AP Photo/John Minchillo, File)
Photo: ASSOCIATED PRESS/John Minchillo
FILE – Former President Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate is seen in Palm Beach, Fla. on Dec. 24, 2017. New York’s attorney general sued former President Donald Trump and his company, on Wednesday, Sept. 21, 2022, alleging business fraud involving some of their most prized assets, including properties in Manhattan, Chicago and Washington, D.C. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster, File)
Photo: ASSOCIATED PRESS/Carolyn Kaster
FILE – This aerial image taken with a drone, shows Trump National Golf Club, in Briarcliff Manor, NY., on Oct. 20, 2021. New York’s attorney general sued former President Donald Trump and his company, on Wednesday, Sept. 21, 2022, alleging business fraud involving some of their most prized assets, including properties in Manhattan, Chicago and Washington, D.C.(AP Photo/Seth Wenig, File)
Photo: ASSOCIATED PRESS/Seth Wenig
FILE – Pedestrians cross Fifth Avenue in front of Trump Tower, center, on Feb. 17, 2021, in New York. New York’s attorney general sued former President Donald Trump and his company, on Wednesday, Sept. 21, 2022, alleging business fraud involving some of their most prized assets, including properties in Manhattan, Chicago and Washington, D.C.(AP Photo/John Minchillo, File)
Photo: ASSOCIATED PRESS/John Minchillo
FILE – Visitors make their way through the front entrance, adorned with a Trump crest, to the Trump National Golf Club – Los Angeles, on Aug. 4, 2004, in Rancho Palos Verdes, Calif. New York’s attorney general sued former President Donald Trump and his company, Wednesday, Sept. 21, 2022, alleging business fraud involving some of their most prized assets, including properties in Manhattan, Chicago and Washington, D.C. (AP Photo/Reed Saxon, File)
Photo: ASSOCIATED PRESS/REED SAXON
FILE – Pedestrians and a food delivery man are seen outside the Trump building on Wall Street, in New York’s Financial District, on March 23, 2021. New York’s attorney general sued former President Donald Trump and his company, on Wednesday, Sept. 21, 2022, alleging business fraud involving some of their most prized assets, including properties in Manhattan, Chicago and Washington, D.C. (AP Photo/Mary Altaffer, File )
Photo: ASSOCIATED PRESS/Mary Altaffer
FILE – President-elect Donald Trump, left, his chief financial officer Allen Weisselberg, center, and his son Donald Trump Jr., right, attend a news conference at Trump Tower in New York, on Jan. 11, 2017. New York’s attorney general sued former President Donald Trump and his company on Wednesday, alleging business fraud involving some of their most prized assets, including properties in Manhattan, Chicago and Washington, D.C. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci, File)
Photo: ASSOCIATED PRESS/Evan Vucci
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The alleged scheme was intended to burnish Trump’s billionaire image and the value of his properties when doing so gave him an advantage, such as in obtaining favorable loan terms, while playing down the value of assets at other times for tax purposes, James’ office said.
“This investigation revealed that Donald Trump engaged in years of illegal conduct to inflate his net worth, to deceive banks and the people of the great state of New York,” James said at the news conference. “Claiming you have money that you do not have does not amount to the art of the deal. It’s the art of the steal.”
James said her investigation uncovered potential criminal violations, including falsifying business records, issuing false financial statements, insurance fraud, conspiracy and bank fraud. She said her office is referring those findings to federal prosecutors and the Internal Revenue Service.
Alina Habba, an attorney for Trump, said the lawsuit “is neither focused on the facts nor the law — rather, it is solely focused on advancing the Attorney General’s political agenda.”
“It is abundantly clear that the Attorney General’s Office has exceeded its statutory authority by prying into transactions where absolutely no wrongdoing has taken place,” Habba said. “We are confident that our judicial system will not stand for this unchecked abuse of authority, and we look forward to defending our client against each and every one of the Attorney General’s meritless claims.”
James is seeking to remove the Trumps from businesses engaged in the alleged fraud and wants an independent monitor appointed for no less than five years to oversee the Trump Organization’s compliance, financial reporting, valuations and disclosures to lenders, insurers and tax authorities.
She is seeking to replace the current trustees of Trump’s revocable trust, which controls his business interests, with independent trustees, to bar Trump and the Trump Organization from entering into commercial real estate acquisitions for five years, from obtaining loans from banks in New York for five years and permanently bar Trump and three of his adult children from serving as an officer or director in any New York corporation or similar business entity registered and/or licensed in New York State.
She also seeks to permanently bar Weisselberg and McConney from serving in the financial control function of any New York corporation or similar business entity registered and/or licensed in New York State.
James’ lawsuit comes amid a swirl of unprecedented legal challenges for a former president, including an FBI investigation into Trump’s handling of classified records and inquiries into his efforts to overturn the 2020 election.
The Trump Organization is set to go on trial in October in a criminal case alleging that it schemed to give untaxed perks to senior executives, including its longtime finance chief Weisselberg, who alone took more than $1.7 million in extras.
Weisselberg, 75, pleaded guilty Aug. 18. His plea agreement requires him to testify ...
State Attorney General Sues Donald Trump For His art Of The Steal Mid Hudson News
State Attorney General Sues Donald Trump For His ‘art Of The Steal’ – Mid Hudson News https://digitalalaskanews.com/state-attorney-general-sues-donald-trump-for-his-art-of-the-steal-mid-hudson-news/
NEW YORK – State Attorney General Letitia James Wednesday filed a lawsuit against Donald Trump, the Trump Organization, senior management, and involved entities for engaging in years of alleged financial fraud to obtain a number of economic benefits.
The lawsuit alleges the former president, with the help of his children Donald Trump, Jr., Ivanka Trump, and Eric Trump, and senior executives at the Trump Organization falsely inflated his net worth by billions of dollars to induce banks to lend money to the Trump Organization on more favorable terms than would other wise have been available to the company, to satisfy continuing loan covenants, to induce insurers to provide insurance coverage for higher limits and at lower premiums, and to gain tax benefits, among other things.
The suit alleges that Trump and the Trump Organization knowingly and intentionally created more than 200 false and misleading valuations of assets on his annual statements of financial condition to defraud financial institutions.
As a consequence of those alleged violations, James is seeking to permanently bar Trump, Donald Trump, Jr., Ivanka Trump, and Eric Trump from serving as an officer or director in any New York corporation or similar business entity registered and/or licensed in the state; bar Trump and the Trump Organization from entering into any New York real estate acquisitions for five years; and award disgorgement of all financial benefits obtained through the persistent fraudulent practices, estimated to total $250 million.
“For too long, powerful, wealthy people in this country have operated as if the rules do not apply to them. Donald Trump stands out as among the most egregious examples of this misconduct,” said Attorney General James. “With the help of his children and senior executives at the Trump Organization, Donald Trump falsely inflated his net worth by billions of dollars to unjustly enrich himself and cheat the system. In fact, the very foundation of his purported net worth is rooted in incredible fraud and illegality. Mr. Trump thought he could get away with the art of the steal, but today, that conduct ends. There are not two sets of laws for people in this country; we must hold former presidents to the same standards as everyday Americans. I will continue to ensure that no one is able to evade the law, because no one is above it.”
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Trump Family Organization Engaged In Fraudulent Practices AG James Says In New Lawsuit
Trump Family, Organization Engaged In Fraudulent Practices, AG James Says In New Lawsuit https://digitalalaskanews.com/trump-family-organization-engaged-in-fraudulent-practices-ag-james-says-in-new-lawsuit/
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. — Attorney General Letitia James announced a new lawsuit Wednesday against the Trump family and its business organization over years of allegedly fraudulent practices.
James’ suit seeks to remove former President Donald Trump, and his children — Donald Trump Jr., Ivanka Trump, and Eric Trump — from their roles with the Trump Organization, and prevent them from future corporate leadership roles.
Trump allegedly inflated his net worth by billions of dollars while manipulating asset values to dodge taxes or secure better loan terms depending on which would provide the greatest financial benefit, James said during a press conference in Manhattan.
“All told, we uncovered more than 200 examples of false or misleading asset valuations,” she said. “The pattern of fraud and deception that was used by Mr. Trump and the Trump organization for their own financial benefit is astounding.”
In addition to barring Trump and his children from serving in a corporate leadership role, James’ suit wants to prevent the former president and his organization from buying commercial real estate or receiving loans for 5 years, and seeking $250 million in damages.
Some alleged actions include Trump lying about the amount of cash he had on hand, using different methodologies to value some of his properties, and including allegedly fraudulent premiums when calculating the value of properties.
James pointed specifically to Trump’s Trump Tower triplex apartment on Manhattan’s 5th Avenue at which he valued at $327 million in 2015 and 2016 despite an apartment never selling near that amount in New York City.
To achieve the overvaluation, James said Trump misrepresented the apartment’s size, nearly tripling its floor area.
Allen Weisselberg, the former chief financial officer for the Trump Organization, told investigators during sworn testimony that the false square footage amounted to an over valuation of “give or take $200 million,” James said.
“Tripling the size of the apartment’s size for the purposes of the valuation was intentional and deliberate fraud, not an honest mistake,” James said. “Misrepresenting the size of the apartment was only one of the many ways that Mr. Trump mis-valued his assets.”
The attorney general’s lawsuit amounts to a civil action, but James said that her office’s 3-year investigation also found evidence of criminal action, which have been recommended to the relevant authorities.
In response to the announcement, New York Republican Party Chairman Nick Langworthy described James’ civil suit as “one of the most brazen political publicity stunts I have seen during my lifetime” given its proximity to the November elections.
“Recent polling confirms that voters are leaving her and her fellow Democrats in droves, and as we have consistently seen from New York Democrats, they have no problem breaking laws or trampling our constitution to try and hold onto power,” Langworthy said. “This lawsuit isn’t worth the paper it’s written on and voters of all stripes should be deeply disturbed by this reckless abuse of power that is being wielded purely for political gain.”
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Stock Market News Today: Dow And S&P 500 Updates https://digitalalaskanews.com/stock-market-news-today-dow-and-sp-500-updates/
14 min ago
Fed’s big rate hikes could lead to economic and earnings downturn
From CNN Business’ Paul R. La Monica
Market experts are worried that the Fed’s series of aggressive rate hikes could slow the economy (as well as profit growth) more than investors currently expect.
“The Fed almost always over-tightens because it uses lagging indicators,” Tom Porcelli, chief U.S economist with RBC Capital Markets, told Alison Kosik on the CNN Business “Markets Now” show. “It has to wait for everything to be out in the open.”
Porcelli, who expects the Fed will raise rates later Wednesday by three-quarters of a percentage point for the third consecutive time, added that a full percentage point hike is unlikely despite strong inflation data because Powell hasn’t prepared Wall Street for such a big move.
“He does not want to spook the market,” Porcelli said.
Still, even another 75 basis point hike will likely hurt the stock market. That’s because the series of big rate increases should eventually lead to a slowdown in profits and the economy.
“People haven’t considered the amount of earnings declines and the impact on the markets,” David Bailin, chief investment officer with Citi Global Wealth Investments, told Kosik.
Bailin said it’s possible that stocks could fall back to their lows of the year from June. And he added that the “boldness” of the Fed’s moves probably won’t be fully felt in the job market for another three to six months.
“There’s a real risk to the economy. It’s why we’re worried about corporate earnings next year,” he said.
1 hr 15 min ago
Jay Powell is about to go full Volcker
From CNN Business’ Allison Morrow
To understand the Fed’s thinking, it helps to get inside the mind of its chairman, Jay Powell.
In his role as the central bank chief, he’s made no secret of his admiration for Paul Volcker, whose name is practically synonymous with fighting inflation at all costs, even if it crashes the economy into a recession, as Volcker’s Fed did — twice — in the early 1980s.
Powell, in his now notoriously blunt Jackson Hole speech last month, appeared to fully embody his predecessor when he declared that “we must keep at it until the job is done” — (“it,” being rate hikes and “the job” being tamping down inflation.) That was an explicit reference, whether he intended it or not, to the ideology of Volcker, whose 2018 autobiography is titled “Keeping At It.”
During congressional testimony in the spring, Powell said of his hero: “I think he was one of the great public servants of the era — the greatest economic public servant of the era.”
Part of the reason Volcker is remembered so favorably is because it took a savvy mind and an iron stomach to even confront the problem of rampant inflation, and then implement the painful shock therapy of interest rate hikes that cost millions of people their jobs. Volcker’s plan worked, but it wasn’t easy. There was indeed some pain, in modern Fed parlance.
Powell faces a similar conundrum. Inflation is the highest it’s been since Volcker ran the Fed, and the central bank itself is facing a crisis of credibility after not moving fast enough to keep rising prices in check.
Credibility was a big concern for Volcker as well.
“Volcker’s mantra, one he told me again and again through 2008-9, was that in a crisis the only asset you have is your credibility,” Austan Goolsbee, an economist who advised the Obama administration, wrote in 2019 just after Volcker died at age 92.
If Powell continues to draw from the Volcker playbook, it’s safe to assume his hawkish leadership is here to stay until inflation gets down to the Fed’s target rate of 2%.
1 hr 21 min ago
Key bond yield hits highest level since 2007
From CNN Business’ Paul R. La Monica
The market is betting on more big rate hikes from the Federal Reserve…and that’s pushed the 2-year US Treasury yield to 4% for the first time since October 2007.
Investors look closely at the 2-year, especially how it is moving in comparison to the more widely watched benchmark 10-year Treasury yield. The 10-year is now hovering around 3.56%. The fact that the 2-year yield is higher is a phenomenon known as an inverted yield curve.
An inverted yield curve has historically been an accurate predictor of a recession down the road, especially when the curve is inverted for a lengthy period of time and if the curve widens. That’s the case now, as the 2-10 curve, which briefly flipped in April, has been inverted since early July.
The surge in these shorter-term bond rates is largely a reflection of the expectations that the Fed is nowhere close to ending its series of large rate increases. Jerome Powell has talked about how inflation is the Fed’s main focus right now and even has suggested that there will be “pain” for consumers and businesses as it continues to raise rates.
Powell will talk more about inflation and the economy at a press conference at 2:30 pm ET following the Fed’s rate decision announcement at 2 pm.
3 hr 22 min ago
US stocks open higher ahead of Federal Reserve announcement
CNN Business’ Nicole Goodkind
US stocks opened slightly higher on Wednesday as investors eagerly anticipated the Federal Reserve’s interest rate policy decision.
The central bank is expected to announce a 0.75 percentage point rate hike on Wednesday afternoon. Investors will also be closely watching for clues about future rate hikes and the Fed’s commitment to balance economic growth with controlling inflation.
The Dow rose by 147 points, or 0.5%, on Wednesday morning.
The S&P 500 was up 0.5%.
The Nasdaq Composite was 0.4% higher.
2 hr 36 min ago
Jamie Dimon is worried about too much regulation
From CNN Business’ Paul R. La Monica
The Fed’s rate hike won’t be the only big news coming out of Washington on Wednesday. The CEOs of seven of the nation’s largest banks are testifying in a hearing before the House’s financial services committee. (The bank chiefs will do it again Thursday in front of a Senate committee.)
Expect the bank CEOs to be grilled about consumer lending practices. But the CEOs are also likely to lament how Washington is making their jobs harder.
According to prepared remarks, JPMorgan Chase (JPM) CEO Jamie Dimon, arguably the most well-known of the top bank heads, is set to say that “the continued upward trajectory of regulatory capital requirements on America’s already fortified largest banks, particularly when not reflective of actual risk, is itself becoming a significant economic risk.”
Dimon claimed that too many rules and restrictions are “bad for America, as it handicaps regulated banks at precisely the wrong time, causing them to be capital constrained and reduce growth in areas like lending, as the country enters difficult economic conditions.”
He said that big banks have to do things that are “illogical…like reducing mortgage exposure in order to drive down assets.”
“Strong and resilient banks that can support the American economy through a crisis are key to American growth and competitiveness,” Dimon added.
The CEOs of Citigroup (C), Bank of America (BAC), Wells Fargo (WFC), Truist (TFC), PNC (PNC) and US Bancorp (USB) are also testifying on Capitol Hill Wednesday and Thursday.
3 hr 38 min ago
The market needs to watch this data from the Fed
From CNN Business’ Paul R. La Monica
Investors should keep a close eye on the Fed’s projections for the unemployment rate, gross domestic product growth and inflation when it publishes its latest quarterly forecasts this afternoon.
In June, the median expectations called for the jobless rate to hit 3.7% at the end of 2022. The unemployment rate hit that level already in August.
The Fed was predicting GDP growth of 1.7% for 2022 three months ago, down from a projection of annualized growth of 2.8% in March. Considering that GDP contracted by 0.6% in the second quarter, following an even steeper drop in the first quarter, it seems unlikely that the Fed will be raising its growth forecast for this year.
And then there’s inflation. The Fed will give projections for its preferred inflation metric, the personal consumption expenditures index, or PCE. In June, the Fed was forecasting an overall PCE increase of 5.2% for 2022, up from 4.3% in March.
The government reported in August that PCE rose 6.3% in the 12 months that ended in July. That was down from a 6.8% increase in June…which was the highest in four decades. Since then, gas and oil prices have fallen sharply.
But another inflation measure, the consumer price index, showed a continued spike in the price of food and other goods in August.
3 hr 53 min ago
Keep an eye on the dots after Fed announcement
From CNN Business’ Paul R. La Monica
The Fed is going to raise rates later today. By a pretty sizable amount too. But how much higher do central bankers think rates need to go in order to quash inflation?
We’ll get more clues this afternoon.
That’s when the Fed will also publish its latest dot plot, which shows the projected target range for interest rates by the end of the year (in a series of dots) from all of the Fed’s members…including those who don’t currently have a vote on the rate-setting committee.
Based on the last dot plot from June, the median expectation for where rates would finish 2022 was 3.4%, up sharply from a forecast of just 1.9% in March. But estimates for where rates will end this year are almost certain to climb higher given that the market largely thinks the Fed will hike rates by 75 basis points this afternoon, to a range of 3% to 3.25%.
There’s even a small probability of a full percentage point increase today and there are no signs that the Fed plans to pause any time soon either. So investors should expect the dots for 2023 to creep higher as well. In June, the median range for rates was 3.8%, up from 2.8% in March.
4 hr ago
US dol...
Patience, Hard Work Helps Chadron FFA Shine https://digitalalaskanews.com/patience-hard-work-helps-chadron-ffa-shine/
This summer, the Chadron, Nebraska FFA chapter was inducted into the Dawes County Agricultural Hall of Fame.
For nearly a half century, Ak-Sar-Ben based in Omaha, honored individuals and groups for performing unselfish, neighborly deeds without compensation or personal gains. The program ended a few years ago, but it’s still very much alive and well in Dawes County.
“We were awarded a place in the Dawes County Agriculture Hall of Fame for having made Dawes County a better place to live. A leader in agriculture, a frontier leader, changing the quality of life by being a good neighbor,” FFA adviser Maribeth Moore said.
Jon Cogdill is co-adviser with Moore.
“This is an honor for the community to recognize our contribution and to be so supportive,” Moore said.
The Chadron FFA chapter is working to bring back the haunted house that was put on hold due to COVID.
“In 2017, the chapter organized and put on a haunted house for the community and was hugely popular and very successful,” Moore said.
The Chadron FFA chapter’s front T-shirt design from last year.
Submitted photo
The chapter has been active for nine years.
The resurgence of Chadron FFA has been like a polished jewel. The chapter has earned a spot for the third time in nine years (since the chapter was revived from the 1960s) to compete at the national FFA convention. The first time was in dairy, second was ag business management and this year will be in agriculture technology and mechanics.
Approximately 40% of their students are females, and half do not reside on a farm or ranch. The chapter averages 40-50 members. The family sibling connection is strong. Last year, 11 pairs of siblings participated.
Jon Cogdill (whose original teaching certification was as an industrial technology educator,) and Maribeth Moore (with specialties in biology and animal science) had extensive teaching experience and agreed to complete additional college courses to become certified agricultural teachers.
Both teachers come from an agricultural background.
Reporter Amy Hadachek is a two-time Emmy Award winning meteorologist and a storm chaser who earned her NWA and AMS Broadcast Meteorology seals of approval. Amy and her husband live on a diversified farm in Kansas. Reach her at amy.hadachek@midwestmessenger.com.
Reporter Amy Hadachek is a two-time Emmy Award winning meteorologist and a storm chaser who earned her NWA and AMS Broadcast Meteorology Seals of Approval. She and her husband live on a diversified farm in Kansas. Reach her at amy.hadachek@midwestmessenger.com.
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Washington Monument Closed After Being Vandalized With Obscenities Red Paint
Washington Monument Closed After Being Vandalized With Obscenities, Red Paint https://digitalalaskanews.com/washington-monument-closed-after-being-vandalized-with-obscenities-red-paint/
The Washington Monument was temporarily closed, police said, after a man vandalized the national landmark with profanities and red paint.
The incident occurred on Tuesday evening, when the base of the historical monument was splashed with red paint and an obscene message was written across the side of the structure.
A Monument preservation crew member cleans red paint off the Washington Monument after it was defaced, Sept. 20, 2022, in Washington.
National Mall and Memorial Parks/NPS
“The United States Park Police has an adult male in custody for vandalizing the base of the Washington Monument with paint,” the United States Park Police said in a statement obtained by ABC News. “The area at the base of the monument will be temporarily closed.”
U.S. Park Police identified the suspect as Shaun Ray Deaton, 44, of Bloomington, Indiana, and charged him with trespassing, tampering and vandalism in connection with the incident, it said Wednesday. The investigation is ongoing and U.S. Park Police said there may be additional charges against Deaton.
Monument preservation crew members clean red paint off the Washington Monument after it was defaced, Sept. 20, 2022, in Washington.
National Mall and Memorial Parks/NPS
It’s unclear what the motivation was for the vandalism or if the message scrawled on the base of the monument was targeting anybody specific.
National Park Service conservators are working to restore the monument. On Wednesday morning, its preservation crew was removing the top layer of paint. Pigment that had seeped into the stone will be treated with “many rounds of cleaning product application,” it said.
“A week of sunlight will also help return the monument to its usual impressive state,” the National Park Service said.
Authorities did not say how long the restoration process would take or how long the tourist attraction is expected to be closed to the public.
The Washington Monument was open again Wednesday morning.
The Washington Monument, completed in 1884, stands at 555 feet tall and was the tallest structure in the world from 1884 to 1889 before it was overtaken in height by the Eiffel Tower in Paris. The obelisk is named after the first president of the United States and attracts over 600,000 visitors a year.
ABC News’ Beatrice Peterson contributed to this report.
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Iran Death Toll Grows As Protests Intensify https://digitalalaskanews.com/iran-death-toll-grows-as-protests-intensify/
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Member of security forces among those killed
Unrest has swept Iran since young woman died in custody
Social media video shows fresh protest at Tehran University
DUBAI, Sept 21 (Reuters) – Iranian authorities said three people including a member of the security forces had been killed on Tuesday during unrest sweeping the country, as anger at the death of a woman in the custody of the morality police fuelled protests for a fifth day.
Official sources now say a total of seven people have been killed since protests erupted on Saturday over the death of Mahsa Amini, a 22-year-old from Iranian Kurdistan who died last week after being arrested in Tehran for “unsuitable attire”.
Reports from Kurdish rights group Hengaw said seven protesters had been killed by security forces, three of them on Tuesday, in or near Kurdish areas in the northwest of the country where unrest has been particularly intense and deadly.
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Officials have denied that security forces have killed protesters.
Hengaw also said access to the internet had been cut in Kurdistan province – a move that would hinder videos being shared from a region where the authorities have previously suppressed unrest by the Kurdish minority. read more
The internet shutdown observatory NetBlocks and residents said Iran has restricted access to Instagram, the only major social media platform that Iran does not usually block. A senior official said recently it had about 48 million users in the country.
The minister of communications said he had been misquoted after news outlets cited him as saying the authorities might disrupt internet services for security reasons. read more
Amini’s death has unleashed anger over issues including freedoms in the Islamic Republic and an economy reeling from sanctions. Women have waved and burnt their veils during protests, with some cutting their hair in public.
After beginning on Saturday at Amini’s funeral in the Kurdish region, protests have engulfed much of the country, prompting confrontations as security forces have sought to suppress them.
Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei did not mention the protests – some of Iran’s worst unrest since street clashes last year over water shortages – during a speech on Wednesday commemorating the 1980-88 Iran-Iraq war. read more
A top Khamenei aide paid condolences to Amini’s family this week, promising to follow up on the case and saying the Supreme Leader was affected and pained by her death.
The official IRNA news agency said a “police assistant” died from injuries on Tuesday in the southern city of Shiraz.
“Some people clashed with police officers and as a result one of the police assistants was killed. In this incident, four other police officers were injured,” IRNA said. An official quoted by IRNA said 15 protesters were arrested in Shiraz.
A police motorcycle burns during a protest over the death of Mahsa Amini, a woman who died after being arrested by the Islamic republic’s “morality police”, in Tehran, Iran September 19, 2022. WANA (West Asia News Agency) via REUTERS/File Photo
In Kermanshah, the city prosecutor said two people had been killed on Tuesday in riots. “We are certain this was done by anti-revolutionary elements because the victims were killed by weapons not used by the security apparatus,” the semi-official Fars news agency cited prosecutor Shahram Karami as saying.
The Kurdistan police chief, in comments to the semi-official Tasnim news agency on Wednesday, confirmed four deaths earlier this week in Kurdistan province. He said they were shot with a type of bullet not used by the security forces, saying “gangs” wanted to blame police and security officials.
Hengaw said a total of 450 people had been injured in addition to the seven Kurdish protesters it said had died as a result of “direct fire” from government forces in the last four days. Reuters could not independently confirm the casualty reports.
Amini fell into a coma and died while waiting with other women held by the morality police, who enforce strict rules in the Islamic Republic requiring women to cover their hair and wear loose-fitting clothes in public. read more
Her father said she had no health problems and that she suffered bruises to her legs in custody. He holds the police responsible for her death. The police have denied harming her.
The U.N. Commissioner for Human Rights has called for an impartial investigation into her death and allegations of torture and ill-treatment. read more
‘DEATH TO THE DICTATOR’
Videos shared on social media have also shown demonstrators damaging symbols of the Islamic Republic and confronting security forces.
One showed a man scaling the facade of the town hall in the northern city of Sari and tearing down an image of Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, who founded the Islamic Republic after the 1979 revolution.
The semi-official ISNA news agency said 12 ambulances had been attacked, and banks and public property had been damaged in several cities. Protesters have accused police of using ambulances to transport forces and detain demonstrators
People rallied again on Wednesday in Tehran, with hundreds shouting “death to the dictator” at Tehran University, a video shared by 1500tasvir showed.
Reuters could not verify the authenticity of the videos.
State media and officials have depicted the unrest as riots by “anti-revolutionary elements”.
Members of the Basij, a militia under the umbrella of Iran’s Revolutionary Guards, held their own rallies in Tehran on Wednesday. “The morality police is just an excuse, what they target is the regime itself,” they chanted in a video posted on 1500tasvir.
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Reporting by Dubai Newsroom; Writing by Tom Perry Editing by Andrew Cawthorne, William Maclean and David Gregorio
Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.
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Oil Price Drop Endangers Plan To Fund Alaska Schools A Year Early
Oil Price Drop Endangers Plan To Fund Alaska Schools A Year Early https://digitalalaskanews.com/oil-price-drop-endangers-plan-to-fund-alaska-schools-a-year-early/
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Juneau, Alaska (Alaska Beacon) – North Slope oil prices are expected to run well below spring predictions, endangering a bonus year of K-12 school funding approved by Gov. Mike Dunleavy and state legislators.
The change to the state’s outlook was made public in a notice published Monday by the Alaska Department of Revenue. The notice was part of a department procedure that calls for a forecast update if prices vary by more than 10% from what was expected.
In March, Revenue officials said they expected prices to average $101 per barrel between July 1, 2022, and June 30, 2023, the period known as Fiscal Year 2023.
Through the first two and a half months of the fiscal year, that forecast was accurate: The price of a barrel of North Slope Crude averaged $103.09 between July 1 and Sept. 15.
But on Monday, Revenue officials — relying on global futures markets that trade in oil from Europe’s North Sea — said they expect the average annual price to drop to $91.96 per barrel by the end of the fiscal year.
“While this update does not incorporate the level of rigor and detail that we put into the official spring and fall revenue forecasts, it does give an indication of how revenues are expected to perform based on the most currently available information,” the new estimate said.
If the forecast holds true, it would not significantly affect state services, but it would erase most of $1.2 billion in bonus funding for K-12 public schools.
This spring, state lawmakers earmarked $1.2 billion for public schools in the 2022-2023 school year. Because oil prices were expected to be high, they set aside another $1.2 billion in bonus funding — an advance payment for the 2023-2024 school year — calling it a way to save for the future.
That bonus funding comes with a financial trigger — if oil prices fall, the amount is automatically reduced to an amount the state can afford. At $89 per barrel, the bonus funding would be entirely eliminated. If oil falls below $89 per barrel, the state would have to spend from savings to balance the budget.
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House To Vote On Election Law Overhaul In Response To Jan. 6
House To Vote On Election Law Overhaul In Response To Jan. 6 https://digitalalaskanews.com/house-to-vote-on-election-law-overhaul-in-response-to-jan-6/
WASHINGTON (AP) — The House will vote on an overhaul of a centuries-old election law, an effort to prevent future presidential candidates from trying to subvert the popular will.
The legislation under consideration beginning Wednesday is a direct response to the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection and former President Donald Trump’s efforts to find a way around the Electoral Count Act, an arcane 1800s-era law that governs, along with the U.S. Constitution, how states and Congress certify electors and declare presidential election winners.
While that process has long been routine and ceremonial, Trump and a group of his aides and lawyers tried to exploit loopholes in the law in an attempt to overturn his defeat.
The bill, which the House will start debating on Wednesday, would set new parameters around the Jan. 6 joint session of Congress that happens every four years after a presidential election. The day turned violent last year after hundreds of Trump’s supporters interrupted the proceedings, broke into the building and threatened the lives of then-Vice President Mike Pence and members of Congress. The rioters echoed Trump’s false claims of widespread fraud and wanted Pence to block Democrat Joe Biden’s victory as he presided over the joint session.
The legislation intends to ensure that future Jan. 6 sessions are “as the constitution envisioned, a ministerial day,” said Wyoming Rep. Liz Cheney, a Republican who co-sponsored the legislation with House Administration Committee Chairwoman Zoe Lofgren, D-Calif. Both Cheney and Lofgren are also members of the House committee investigating the Jan. 6 attack.
“The American people are supposed to decide an election, not Congress,” Lofgren said.
The bill, which is similar to legislation moving through the Senate, would clarify in the law that the vice president’s role presiding over the count is only ceremonial and also sets out that each state can only send one certified set of electors. Trump’s allies had unsuccessfully tried to put together alternate slates of illegitimate pro-Trump electors in swing states where Biden won.
The legislation would increase the threshold for individual lawmakers’ objections to any state’s electoral votes, requiring a third of the House and a third of the Senate to object to trigger votes on the results in both chambers. Currently, only one lawmaker in the House and one lawmaker in the Senate has to object. The House bill would set out very narrow grounds for those objections, an attempt to thwart baseless or politically motivated challenges. The legislation also would require courts to get involved if state or local officials want to delay a presidential vote or refuse to certify the results.
The House vote comes as the Senate is moving on a similar track with enough Republican support to virtually ensure passage before the end of the year. After months of talks, House Democrats introduced the legislation on Monday and are holding a quick vote two days later in order to send the bill across the Capitol and start to resolve differences. A bipartisan group of senators introduced legislation this summer and a Senate committee is expected to vote on it next week.
While the House bill is more expansive than the Senate version, the two bills cover similar ground and members in both chambers are optimistic that they can work out the differences. While few House Republicans are expected to vote for the legislation — most are still allied with Trump — supporters are encouraged by the bipartisan effort in the Senate.
“Both sides have an incentive to want a set of clear rules, and this is an antiquated law that no one understands,” said Benjamin Ginsburg, a longtime GOP lawyer who consulted with lawmakers as they wrote the bill. “All parties benefit from clarity.”
House GOP leaders disagree, and are encouraging their members to vote against the legislation. They say the involvement of courts could drag out elections and that the bill would take rights away from states.
Illinois Rep. Rodney Davis, Lofgren’s GOP counterpart on the House Administration Committee, said Tuesday that the bill would trample on state sovereignty and is “opening the door to mass litigation.”
Democrats are “desperately trying to talk about their favorite topic, and that is former president Donald Trump,” Davis said.
Cheney, a frequent Trump critic who was defeated in Wyoming’s GOP primary last month, says she hopes it receives votes from some of her Republican colleagues.
The bill would “ensure that in the future our election process reflects the will of the people,” she said.
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