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'Fighting Fit': Trial To Show Oath Keepers' Road To Jan. 6 https://digitalarizonanews.com/fighting-fit-trial-to-show-oath-keepers-road-to-jan-6-3/ Stewart Rhodes, founder of the Oath Keepers, center, speaks during a rally June 25, 2017, outside the White House in Washington. Hundreds of pages of court documents in the case against Rhodes and four co-defendants, whose trial opens with jury selection Tuesday, in Washington’s federal court, paint a picture of a group so determined to overturn Biden’s election that some members were prepared to lose their lives to do so. Susan Walsh ~ Associated Press, file The voting was over and almost all ballots were counted. News outlets on Nov. 7, 2020, had called the presidential race for Joe Biden. But the leader of the Oath Keepers extremist group was just beginning to fight. Convinced the White House had been stolen from Donald Trump, Stewart Rhodes exhorted his followers to action. “We must now … refuse to accept it and march en-mass on the nation’s Capitol,” Rhodes declared. Authorities allege Rhodes and his band of extremists would spend the next several weeks after Election Day, Nov. 3, amassing weapons, organizing paramilitary training and readying armed teams with a singular goal: stopping Biden from becoming president. Their plot would come to a head on Jan. 6, 2021, prosecutors say, when Oath Keepers in battle gear were captured on camera shouldering their way through the crowd of Trump supporters and storming the Capitol in military-style stack formation. Members of the Oath Keepers stand on the East Front of the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, in Washington. The trial of the founder of the Oath Keepers, Stewart Rhodes, and four associates charged with seditious conspiracy in the attack on the U.S. Capitol is set to begin this week. Manuel Balce Ceneta ~ Associated Press, file Court documents in the case against Rhodes and four co-defendants — whose trial opens Tuesday with jury selection in Washington’s federal court — paint a picture of a group so determined to overturn Biden’s victory that some members were prepared to lose their lives to do so. It’s the biggest test for the Justice Department’s efforts to hold accountable those responsible for the Capitol attack. Rioters temporarily halted the certification of Biden’s victory by sheer force, pummeling police officers in hand-to-hand fighting as they rammed their way into the building, forcing Congress to adjourn as lawmakers and staff hid from the mob. Despite nearly 900 arrests and hundreds of convictions in the riot, Rhodes and four Oath Keeper associates — Kelly Meggs, Jessica Watkins, Kenneth Harrelson and Thomas Caldwell — are the first to stand trial on the rare and difficult-to-prove charge of seditious conspiracy. The Oath Keepers accuse prosecutors of twisting their words and insist there was never any plan to attack the Capitol. They say they were in Washington to provide security at events for figures such as Trump ally Roger Stone before Trump’s big outdoor rally near the White House on Jan. 6. Their preparations, training, gear and weapons were to protect themselves against potential violence from left-wing antifa activists or to be ready if Trump invoked the Insurrection Act to call up a militia. Get our Daily Headlines Sent right to your inbox. Rhodes’ lawyers have signaled their defense will focus on his belief that Trump would take that action. But Trump never did, so Rhodes went home, his lawyers have said. On Nov. 9, 2020, less than a week after the election, Rhodes held a conference call and rallied the Oath Keepers to go to Washington and fight. He expressed hope that antifa (anti-fascist) activists would start clashes because that would give Trump the “reason and rationale for dropping the Insurrection Act.” “You’ve got to go there and you’ve got to make sure that he knows that you are willing to die to fight for this country,” Rhodes told his people, according to a transcript filed in court. By December, Rhodes and the Oath Keepers had set their sights on Congress’ certification of the Electoral College vote on Jan. 6, prosecutors say. On Dec. 23, he published an open letter on the Oath Keepers website declaring that “tens of thousands of patriot Americans, both veterans and nonveterans” would be in Washington. He warned they might have to “take to arms in defense of our God given liberty.” As 2021 approached, Rhodes spent $7,000 on two night-vision devices and a weapon sight and sent them to someone outside Washington, authorities say. Over several days in early January, he would spend an additional $15,500 on guns, magazines, mounts, sights and other equipment, according to court documents. Rhodes had instructed Oath Keepers to be ready, if asked, to secure the White House perimeter and “use lethal force if necessary” against anyone, including the National Guard, who might try to remove Trump from the White House, according to court documents. On Jan. 5, Meggs and the Florida Oath Keepers brought gun boxes, rifle cases and suitcases filled with ammunition to the Virginia hotel where the “quick reaction force” teams would be on standby, according to prosecutors. A team from Arizona brought weapons, ammunition, and supplies to last 30 days, according to court papers. A team from North Carolina had rifles in a vehicle parked in the hotel lot, prosecutors have said. At the Capitol, the Oath Keepers formed two teams, military “stacks,” prosecutors say. Some members of the first stack headed toward the House in search of Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., but couldn’t find her, according to court documents. Members of the second stack confronted officers inside the Capitol Rotunda, prosecutors allege. Rhodes isn’t accused of going inside the Capitol but was seen huddled with members outside after the riot. Rhodes and others then walked to the nearby Phoenix Park Hotel, prosecutors say. In a private suite there, Rhodes called someone on the phone with an urgent message for Trump, according to an Oath Keeper who says he witnessed it. Rhodes repeatedly urged the person on the phone to tell Trump to call upon militia groups to fight to keep the president in power, court papers say. The person denied Rhodes’ request to speak directly to Trump. “I just want to fight,” Rhodes said after hanging up, according to court papers. Authorities have not disclosed the name of the person they believe Rhodes was speaking to on the call. That night, Rhodes and other Oath Keepers went to dinner in Virginia. In messages over the course of the evening, they indicated their fight was far from over. “Patriots entering their own Capitol to send a message to the traitors is NOTHING compared to what’s coming,” Rhodes wrote. Rhodes returned to Texas after the Jan. 6 attack and remained free for a year before his arrest in January 2022. In interviews before he was jailed, he sought to distance himself from Oath Keepers who went inside the Capitol, saying that was a mistake. He also continued to push the lie the election was stolen and said the Jan. 6 investigation was politically motivated. For full coverage of the Capitol riot, go to https://apnews.com/hub/capitol-siege Read More Here

Poll: Most Democrats Say Ditch Biden As 2024 Nominee; Trump Is Preferred Among Republicans https://digitalarizonanews.com/poll-most-democrats-say-ditch-biden-as-2024-nominee-trump-is-preferred-among-republicans/ September 26, 2022 12:16 am By Sophie Jackman, Bloomberg President Joe Biden addresses the 77th session of the United Nations General Assembly on Sept. 21, 2022, at the U.N. headquarters. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci) Former President Donald Trump tosses caps to the crowd as he holds a rally Friday, Sept. 23, 2022, in Wilmington, N.C. (AP Photo/Chris Seward) A majority of U.S. Democrats and Democratic-leaning independents want the party to replace President Joe Biden as its nominee in the 2024 presidential election, according to a Washington Post-ABC poll reported on Sunday. Just 35% of this group prefer Biden for the nomination, while 56% say the Democratic Party should pick someone else, according to the poll. Among Republicans and Republican-leaning independents, 47% back former President Donald Trump for the 2024 nomination and 46% prefer that it be someone else. In a head-to-head matchup, the survey found Biden and Trump essentially tied: Biden edged Trump by 2 percentage points, 48%-46%. Among registered voters, the numbers reversed to give Trump a 2-point advantage. Democrats’ preference for a candidate other than Biden at the top of the ticket in 2024 also was evident in a July survey by The New York Times and Siena College. In that poll, nearly two-thirds of Democratic respondents, 64%, said they would prefer a different candidate. Of that group, a third cited Biden’s age as the reason for their preference. At 79, Biden is the oldest president in U.S. history. Biden said in an interview this month with “60 Minutes” that he’ll decide whether to run for reelection after the November midterm elections, which will determine whether his party maintains its House and Senate majorities. “It’s much too early to make that kind of decision,” Biden said in the interview, which aired Sept. 18. “What I’m doing is I’m doing my job. I’m gonna do that job, and within the time frame that makes sense after this next election cycle here, going into next year, make a judgment on what to do.” The Washington Post-ABC News survey put Biden’s overall approval rating at 39%, with disapproval at 53%. On his handling of the economy, approval was at 36% and disapproval at 57%. Looking to the midterms, 47% of registered voters polled would cast their House district vote for a Republican and 46% for a Democrat, about the same result as in April, The Washington Post said. The poll was conducted between Sept. 18 and 21 on a random national sample of 1,006 U.S. adults, including 908 registered voters, with a margin of error of plus or minus 3.5 percentage points. Read More Here

Rep. Nancy Mace, Who Voted Against Impeaching Trump, Says There's 'a Lot Of Pressure' On Republicans To Impeach Biden: 'I Think That Is Something That Some Folks Are Considering' https://digitalarizonanews.com/rep-nancy-mace-who-voted-against-impeaching-trump-says-theres-a-lot-of-pressure-on-republicans-to-impeach-biden-i-think-that-is-something-that-some-folks-are-consideringx/ U.S. Representative Nancy Mace (R-SC) talks to reporters after a vote to hold longtime Donald Trump ally Steve Bannon in contempt of Congress at the U.S. Capitol in WashingtonREUTERS/Elizabeth Frantz Rep. Nancy Mace says there’s “a lot of pressure” on Republicans to impeach President Biden. On NBC’s Meet The Press, Mace said impeachment is being considered by some in the GOP. She told host Chuck Todd that if the party chooses to hold a vote, she believes it will be divisive. Rep. Nancy Mace says there’s pressure on Republicans to vote to impeach President Biden if the party wins the midterms and gains control of the House. Mace was on NBC’s Meet The Press on Sunday, speaking with host Chuck Todd who asked: “Do you expect an impeachment vote against President Biden if Republicans take over the House?” The South Carolina congresswoman answered, “there’s a lot of pressure on Republicans to have that vote, to put that legislation forward. I think that is something that some folks are considering.” To which Todd responded, simply: “Wow.” On Wednesday, Rep. Adam Kinzinger said a GOP-majority Congress might try to impeach the president every week. Kinzinger was referring to Georgia Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, who has made impeaching Biden part of her official platform. Last year, several Republicans filed impeachment articles criticizing Biden’s withdrawal of US forces from Afghanistan, his immigration policies, and his administration’s eviction moratorium. When asked by Todd how she would vote if impeachment was on the floor, Mace said she would look at the evidence and vote constitutionally. “I will not vote for impeachment of any president if I feel that due process has been stripped away for anyone,” she told Todd. Mace said if the party chooses to hold this vote, she believes it will be divisive. “Which is why I pushed back on it personally when I hear folks saying they’re going to file articles of impeachment in the House,” she said. While Mace voted against impeaching former President Donald Trump, she was critical of his role on January 6, telling CNN that Trump’s “entire legacy was wiped out” in the aftermath of the Capitol riots. Before January 6, Mace was a supporter of Trump’s and even worked for his campaign in 2016. During the interview with NBC, Todd asked the congresswoman if she would back Trump’s presidential bid in 2024. “I’m going to support whomever Republicans nominate in ’24,” she said. Representatives for Mace did not immediately respond to Insider’s request for comment. Read the original article on Business Insider Read More Here

Bills Would Curtail Objections At Future Jan. 6 Counts https://digitalarizonanews.com/bills-would-curtail-objections-at-future-jan-6-counts/ WASHINGTON (AP) — Members of Congress have officially objected to the results in four of the last six presidential elections, a partisan practice that has been legal for over a century but became much more fraught after a violent mob of former President Donald Trump’s supporters attacked the U.S. Capitol last year. In an effort to prevent another Jan. 6, 2021, bills moving through the House and Senate would make it harder to lodge those objections when Congress counts the electoral votes in a joint session after every presidential election. The move to curtail the objections is part of a larger effort to overhaul the 1800s-era Electoral Count Act and safeguard the integrity of the vote after Trump tried to persuade his allies in Congress to vote against Democrat Joe Biden’s victory and overturn his 2020 defeat. Under current law, only one member of the House and one member of the Senate has to challenge a state’s results in order to trigger votes on that state’s electors in each chamber. If a simple majority in each chamber votes to sustain the objection, that state’s votes can be thrown out. The House and Senate bills would each raise that threshold substantially, with the House bill requiring a third of each chamber to object and the Senate bill requiring a fifth of each chamber to object. The House legislation, passed last week, would also lay out new requirements for the grounds for an objection. “It is just too easy to trigger an objection when it only requires one person in each chamber,” says Maine Sen. Susan Collins, a Republican a co-sponsor of the Senate version. Eleven GOP senators have signed on to the legislation, which is up for a vote in a Senate committee on Tuesday. If the bills are consolidated into one measure that becomes law, it will do away with a tradition that has become increasingly popular as Congress has become more polarized. Democrats have objected the last three times that Republicans were elected — twice against George W. Bush and once against Trump — but in each of those cases the Democratic candidate had already conceded the election. The stakes were raised considerably in 2021, when Trump and his allies were actively trying to thwart Biden’s win, with a strategy to throw out Biden electors in Congress and the support of a violent mob that broke into the Capitol, interrupted the joint session and threatened the lives of lawmakers and Vice President Mike Pence. House Administration Chairwoman Zoe Lofgren of California, the Democratic sponsor of the House bill with Republican Rep. Liz Cheney of Wyoming, said the bill would protect the voters’ will from “frivolous” objections and more sinister efforts. “If you want to object to the vote, you better have your colleagues and the Constitution on your side,” Lofgren said just before the bill passed. “Don’t try to overturn our democracy.” At the 2021 joint session, two GOP senators — Sens. Ted Cruz of Texas and Josh Hawley of Missouri — joined a larger group of House Republicans in objecting to Biden’s electoral votes in Arizona and Pennsylvania, two swing states that Trump had won in the 2016 election but lost in 2020. Both the House and Senate voted to certify Biden’s win in those states in the hours after the rioters had injured police, rampaged through the Capitol and sent lawmakers running for their lives. Congress had only held such votes twice since the enactment of the Electoral Count Act 135 years ago. In 1969, two Democratic senators joined a member of the House to object to the vote of one elector in North Carolina during the certification of Republican Richard Nixon’s victory. In 2004, Democratic Sen. Barbara Boxer of California and Rep. Stephanie Tubbs Jones, D-Ohio, objected to President George W. Bush’s electors in Ohio over what they said were voting irregularities. In both cases, the House and Senate rejected the objections. In several other instances, members of the House have lodged objections without the support of a senator. In 2000, several members of the Congressional Black Caucus objected to Bush’s electors in Florida after the Supreme Court had forced a halt to vote-counting in that state and decided the election. Vice President Al Gore, whom Bush had defeated, gaveled the objections down as he presided over the session. In 2016, several Democrats stood and objected to Trump’s win over Democrat Hillary Clinton but no senator joined, and Vice President Joe Biden dismissed them. Like Gore, Clinton had already conceded defeat. Members on both sides of the Capitol have been working on the revisions to the Electoral Count Act since the 2021 insurrection, saying the law’s vague language was not robust enough protection against Trump’s overt attempts to subvert the will of the people. The bills would also clarify that the vice president’s role is solely ceremonial and try to prevent states from creating slates of illegitimate electors, as Trump’s allies tried to do. The House bill is more expansive than the Senate bill, and the two sides will eventually have to resolve their differences into a single measure. That includes the House language with new grounds for any objection, which would restrict the process even further. Under the House legislation, no member could make an objection unless it fell under a strict set of parameters that relate to the Constitution — that the state is not validly a state, if the state submits too many electoral votes or if a candidate is not eligible, for example. House Republicans argued against the bill by saying it was a political attack on Trump, noting the frequent Democratic objections over the years. The House bill only received nine Republican votes, all from members who are not returning to Congress next year. Rep. Jamie Raskin, D-Md., responded that if lawmakers believed there had been too many objections in the past, “you should absolutely be supporting this legislation.” Hawley, who was photographed raising a fist to pro-Trump protesters outside the Capitol ahead of last year’s joint session, said in an interview that he is “skeptical” of the effort to change a law that has been in place for so many years. “My concern is that it’s going to look like to Republican voters that Democrats can object as much as often as they want,” the Missouri Republican said, noting the objections in 2000, 2004 and 2016. “As soon as Republicans do, they change the law,” Hawley said. “I can promise you, that will be the perception.” Still, 11 Republican senators have signed on to the Senate bill, enough to break a filibuster and pass the bill in the 50-50 Senate. Pennsylvania Sen. Pat Toomey, who is retiring, was the latest GOP senator to sign on to the legislation last week. “The poor drafting of the 1887 Electoral Count Act endangered the transition of power from one Administration to the next,” Toomey said when he announced his support. “Unfortunately, in the over 100 intervening years, individual Democratic and Republican members of Congress have occasionally attempted to exploit the ambiguities in this law to cast doubt on the validity of our elections, culminating in the debacle of January 6, 2021,” he said. “It is past time Congress act.” Read More Here

Giorgia Meloni: Italy's Far Right On Course To Win Election https://digitalarizonanews.com/giorgia-meloni-italys-far-right-on-course-to-win-election/ By Paul Kirby BBC News, Rome Image source, Reuters Image caption, Ms Meloni said Italians had sent a clear message calling for a right-wing government Far-right leader Giorgia Meloni has claimed victory in Italy’s election, and is on course to become the country’s first female prime minister. Ms Meloni is widely expected to form Italy’s most right-wing government since World War Two. That will alarm much of Europe as Italy is the EU’s third-biggest economy. However, speaking after the vote, Ms Meloni said her Brothers of Italy party would “govern for everyone” and would not betray people’s trust. “Italians have sent a clear message in favour of a right-wing government led by Brothers of Italy,” she told reporters in Rome. She is predicted to win up to 26% of the vote, based on provisional results, ahead of her closest rival Enrico Letta from the centre left. Ms Meloni’s right-wing alliance – which also includes Matteo Salvini’s far-right League and former PM Silvio Berlusconi’s centre-right Forza Italia – now looks to have control of both the Senate and the Chamber of Deputies, with a projected 42.2% of the Senate vote. But the decision on who becomes Italy’s next leader is up to the president, not Giorgia Meloni, and that will take time. Although she has worked hard to soften her image, emphasising her support for Ukraine and diluting anti-EU rhetoric, she leads a party rooted in a post-war movement that rose out of dictator Benito Mussolini’s fascists. Earlier this year she outlined her priorities in a raucous speech to Spain’s far-right Vox party: “Yes to the natural family, no to the LGBT lobby, yes to sexual identity, no to gender ideology… no to Islamist violence, yes to secure borders, no to mass migration… no to big international finance… no to the bureaucrats of Brussels!” Projections put the centre-left alliance well behind with 26% and Democratic Party figure Debora Serracchiani said it was a sad evening for Italy. The right “has the majority in parliament, but not in the country”, she insisted. The left failed to form a viable challenge with other parties, after Italy’s 18-month national unity government collapsed in July, and officials were downbeat even before the vote. The Five Star Movement under Giuseppe Conte is on course for third place but despite having several centre-left policies does not see eye to eye with Enrico Letta. Turnout was dramatically low – 63.82% by the time polls closed – said Italy’s interior ministry, almost 10 points down on 2018. Voting levels were especially poor in southern regions including Sicily. Italy is a founding father of the European Union and a member of Nato, and Ms Meloni’s rhetoric on the EU places her close to Hungary’s nationalist leader Viktor Orban. Her allies have both had close ties with Russia. Mr Berlusconi, 85, claimed last week that Vladimir Putin was pushed into invading Ukraine while Mr Salvini has called into question Western sanctions on Moscow. Ms Meloni wants to revisit Italian reforms agreed with the EU in return for almost €200bn (£178bn) in post-Covid recovery grants and loans, arguing that the energy crisis has changed the situation. Image source, Reuters Image caption, There was little cause for joy at Enrico Letta’s Democratic Party headquarters on Sunday night The Hungarian prime minister’s long-serving political director, Balazs Orban, was quick to congratulate Italy’s right-wing parties: “We need more than ever friends who share a common vision and approach to Europe’s challenges.” In France, Jordan Bardella of the far-right National Rally said Italian voters had given European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen a lesson in humility, She had earlier said Europe had “the tools” to respond if Italy went in a “difficult direction”. However, Prof Gianluca Passarrelli of Rome’s Sapienza University told the BBC he thought she would avoid rocking the boat on Europe and focus on other policies: “I think we will see more restrictions on civil rights and policies on LGBT and immigrants.” Mr Salvini will be hoping to return to the interior ministry to halt migrant boats crossing from Libya. This election marks a one-third reduction in the size of the two houses, and that appears to have benefited the winning parties. A Rai TV exit poll suggested the three parties would hold 227-257 seats in the revamped 400-seat Chamber and 111-131 seats out of a total of 200 seats in the Senate. Mr Salvini said the right had a clear advantage in both houses. The same Rai poll also reveals just how dominant the Meloni-led coalition is likely to be, The centre left would hold a mere 78-98 seats in the Chamber and 33-53 in the Senate. More on Italy’s election Read More Here

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

PREVIEW: Arizona Football Looks For First Pac-12 Win Against Colorado https://digitalarizonanews.com/preview-arizona-football-looks-for-first-pac-12-win-against-colorado/ Dropping its first Pac-12 game of the season, Arizona Football (2-2, 0-1) returns to action against Colorado (0-4, 0-1) in search of its first conference win of 2022.  We’re rolling right along in the 2022 Arizona Football season, and with the Wildcats fresh off of a huge loss to the Cal Golden Bears, the Wildcats will have to prepare for their first Pac-12 home game of the season. Returning to action this Saturday for week five of the 2022 season, the Wildcats should have an “easier” challenge on their hands here as they take on Pac-12 foe, the Colorado Buffaloes. Coming in, the Buffaloes are winless and are last in the Pac-12. Through four games, Colorado has been outscored 173-47. Granted, the Buffaloes have played a challenging schedule; however, in those games, they have not shown to be a competitive team. While Arizona enters this one heavily favored, nothing is guaranteed with this group, and the Wildcats need to be ready as they take on Colorado in this important conference matchup! Getting to Know the details of Arizona Football’s opponent, the Colorado Buffaloes. Team: Colorado Buffaloes Conference: Pac-12 Conference Head Coach: Karl Dorrell enters his third season as the Buffaloes’ head coach and has compiled an 8–14 (6–8) record. Before Colorado, Dorrell coached at UCLA from 2003–07 where he guided the Bruins to a 35–27 (24–18) record with five bowl appearances in all five seasons spent in Pasadena. 2021 Record: Finishing the 2021 season with a 4–8 (3–6) record, the Buffaloes ended the year with a 28–13 loss to conference foe Utah in Salt Lake City. Key Returners / Starters: Offense After a rough offensive outing in 2021, the Buffaloes have installed an entirely new offensive scheme. Now running more of a pro-style offense, the Buffaloes are led at quarterback by JT Shrout and Owen McCown who have gotten the most looks but so far, things have been challenging for Colorado. As a team, the Buffaloes rank 126th overall on offense, averaging just 261.2 yards per game, 11.6 points per game, and just five offensive touchdowns. However, against a bad Arizona defense, perhaps that is just what the doctor ordered to help jumpstart this offense. Out of the backfield, the Buffaloes use a trio of Deion Smith, Charlie Offerdahl, and Alex Fontenot who get a majority of the work. Together, they are serviceable and could challenge Arizona’s defensive line. Beyond that, the Buffaloes do have some downfield threats that should challenge the Cats but look for wideout Daniel Arias to get a majority of the targets, as the senior already has 13 catches for 206 yards in four games. For the Wildcats to be successful, it means they once again must maintain solid gap responsibility and attack the line of scrimmage. Luckily, the Buffaloes are not as talented on offense as the Bison or Bears were; however, the Cats need to bring it on Saturday if they are going to win. Defense Switching to a 4-3 defense this year, so far, things have not been working well for the Buffaloes. Through four games, they are surrendering 467.8 yards per game and 43.3 points per game, and currently, Colorado ranks dead last as they are giving up 323.2 rushing yards per game. Largely led by its playmakers which include linebacker Quinn Perry, defensive back Trevor Woods, linebacker Josh Chandler-Semedo, and defensive back Isaiah Lewis, they are easily the Buffaloes’ most productive defensive players thus far. Along the defensive line, Colorado has seen their fair share of struggle. Not only facing challenges in stopping the run, but the Buffaloes have a difficult time pressuring the quarterback. Overall, the Buffaloes’ offensive line has just 2.5 tackles for loss and zero sacks. However, in the secondary, Colorado possesses some solid playmakers. Led by the play of defensive backs Lewis and Woods, together, the Buffaloes are holding teams to 144.5 yards per game and 11.56 yards per completion. Unfortunately as a group, Colorado hasn’t forced many turnovers this year. Through four games, the Buffaloes have just one interception and two forced fumbles. Their five takeaways overall rank tied for 83rd. While Arizona should have the advantage here, the Wildcats cannot afford to get complacent. Arizona has to find a rhythm and move the ball and stick with what works, otherwise, they could lose this one. Game information and details for Arizona Football: When: Saturday, October 1st, 2022 Time: 6:30 PM MST Watch: Pac-12 Network Spread: -17.5 Arizona (Also, don’t forget to use WynnBet or FanDuel to enhance your overall betting experience) Where: Arizona Stadium – Tucson, AZ (50,782) Overall Series Record: 16-8 Colorado. Having met quite a few times in their collective history, this is a series that has picked up over the past few years, especially since the Buffaloes joined the conference in 2011. Since joining the Pac-12, Arizona has won seven of the last 11 meetings. However, Colorado has won the last two-straight meetings between the schools. Last Meeting vs. Arizona: Last year in Boulder, the Wildcats were boat raced in a 34-0 thumping at the hands of the Buffaloes. My Prediction: Arizona 34 Colorado 23 – Arizona is not a very good football team, but luckily to our advantage, this is likely the only team that the Wildcats will face this season that is worse. Arizona is favored in this game and rightfully so as Colorado is ranked near the bottom in nearly every statistical defensive category. However, with Arizona’s defensive struggles, this one should be an intriguing matchup, and unfortunately, even with Colorado’s ineptitude on offense, they will find a bit of rhythm as they will make this a somewhat competitive game until the Cats ultimately run away in the end. Don’t forget to follow us at @ZonaZealots on Twitter and like our fan page on Facebook for continued coverage of Arizona news, opinions, and recruiting updates! Read More Here

Central Banks May Stoke Risks By Raising Interest Rates Together https://digitalarizonanews.com/central-banks-may-stoke-risks-by-raising-interest-rates-together/ Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell said he anticipates that interest-rate increases will continue as the Fed fights high inflation. Photo: Kevin Lamarque/Reuters Updated Sept. 25, 2022 11:14 pm ET Central banks around the world are raising their key interest rates in the most widespread tightening of monetary policy on record. Some economists fear they may go too far if they don’t take into account their collective impact on global demand. According to the World Bank, the number of rate increases announced by central banks around the world was the highest in July since records began in the early 1970s. On Wednesday, the Federal Reserve delivered its third 0.75 percentage-point increase in as many meetings. This past week its counterparts in Indonesia, Norway, the Philippines, South Africa, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan and the U.K. also upped rates. Read More Here

Maricopa County Attorney Warns Of Brightly-Colored Fentanyl Meant To Attract Young Kids https://digitalarizonanews.com/maricopa-county-attorney-warns-of-brightly-colored-fentanyl-meant-to-attract-young-kids/ PHOENIX (3TV/CBS 5) – Leaders are now sounding the alarm saying fentanyl pills are in our community, and some are targeting kids. Maricopa County attorney Rachel Mitchell says dealers are trying to get more kids addicted. “People are getting hooked much quicker onto these pills and using them differently. People are injecting it, ingesting it,” she said. Nowadays, more fentanyl pills come in bright colors. “I’ve seen them with my own eyes in cases where we’ve made arrests.” Experts say one of the colorful pills can kill you. “We’re seeing not just a few pills, we’re seeing people come into our country with hundreds of thousands of pills,” she said. Fentanyl pills are very deadly and can be disguised as something for kids. A recent Arizona Youth Survey found that 50% of eighth graders have never even heard of it. “Cartels are really disguising the drugs. They look like candy, they’re rainbow colors. We know somebody could innocently take them and we know two out of five pills that are going across our border have lethal doses in them,” Mitchell said. A meeting will be held on Tuesday, Sept. 27, at 6 p.m. in the band auditorium at Independence High School in Glendale to educate parents and kids on the danger. “I would urge, especially parents, to come out and learn how to protect their child,” Mitchell said. “I certainly want parents to be aware of them and understand that they are in our schools. Hiding your head in the sand is not the way to go when it comes to protecting your children.” For more information on the details of the event, visit MCAO’s website. Copyright 2022 KTVK/KPHO. All rights reserved. Read More…

Criminal Referrals In Jan. 6 Attack Probe Weighed-Rep. Schiff https://digitalarizonanews.com/criminal-referrals-in-jan-6-attack-probe-weighed-rep-schiff/ Published Sep 25, 2022 01:51PM EDT Credit: REUTERS/POOL U.S. Representative Adam Schiff, a Democratic member of the special panel investigating the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol, on Sunday said he likely would support approving criminal referrals against those involved in the violence, but that it would take a unanimous decision by its nine members. WASHINGTON, Sept 25 (Reuters) – U.S. Representative Adam Schiff, a Democratic member of the special panel investigating the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol, on Sunday said he likely would support approving criminal referrals against those involved in the violence, but that it would take a unanimous decision by its nine members. The committee has focused much of its year-long investigation on the actions of then-President Donald Trump and his associates in the aftermath of the November 2020 presidential election culminating with the deadly Jan. 6 storming of the Capitol. Trump has falsely claimed without evidence that widespread voter fraud tainted the election result and that he should have been declared winner. “It is, I think, apparent that there is evidence that Donald Trump was involved in breaking several of those laws” in relation to the Jan. 6 attack, Schiff told CNN’s “State of the Union.” He did not provide further details, but criticized the Justice Department for being “slow” in its independent investigation of the attack. Representative Liz Cheney, an outspoken critic of Trump and one of two Republican members of the committee, this summer also raised the possibility of the Justice Department charging Trump with criminal behavior, even before the panel wraps up its work. The committee is due to meet on Wednesday, which Chairman Bennie Thompson has said likely would be the final investigative hearing following a series of eight such sessions this summer. Democratic Representative Pete Aguilar told CBS-TV’s “Face the Nation” that Wednesday’s hearing will expose new details about the investigation. He did not elaborate. Asked about the possibility of former Vice President Mike Pence being subpoenaed to testify, Aguilar said: “I think it’s important that we hear from the vice president, but the committee’s work continues. We haven’t made a determination on where we go with the vice president, specifically.” Pence was presiding over Congress’ formal certification of Joe Biden’s victory in the 2020 election when Trump supporters stormed through barricades, fighting with police and smashing their way into the Capitol. Trump repeatedly urged Pence to refuse to certify Biden’s win. Pence declined, saying he had no such power. Democratic Representative Jamie Raskin, also a panel member, told NBC-TV’s “Meet the Press” that there could be an additional hearing to publicize legislative recommendations stemming from its probe. “I’m hopeful … that we will have a hearing that lays out all of our legislative recommendations about how to prevent, coups, insurrections, political violence and electoral sabotage in the future because that is a clear and present danger that is continuing up right to this day,” Raskin said. Raskin said he did not know whether that report would be finished before the Nov. 8 congressional elections that will determine whether Democrats continue to control the U.S. House and Senate. “Our plan is to complete our report before the end of this Congress” in December, he said. (Reporting by Richard Cowan and Daniel Burns; Editing by Daniel Wallis) ((Richard.Cowan@thomsonreuters.com; Reuters Messaging: richard.cowan@thomsonreuters.com; 202-898-8391; Reuters Messaging; richard.cowan.reuters.com@reuters.net)) The views and opinions expressed herein are the views and opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Nasdaq, Inc. Reuters Reuters, the news and media division of Thomson Reuters, is the world’s largest international multimedia news provider reaching more than one billion people every day. Reuters provides trusted business, financial, national, and international news to professionals via Thomson Reuters desktops, the world’s media organizations, and directly to consumers at Reuters.com and via Reuters TV. Learn More Read More Here

Obama: Republican Embrace Of Anti-Immigrant 'great Replacement Theory' Dangerous For Nation https://digitalarizonanews.com/obama-republican-embrace-of-anti-immigrant-great-replacement-theory-dangerous-for-nation/ SAN DIEGO —  Former President Barack Obama said Sunday that the Republican Party is standing in the way of immigration reform and embracing rhetoric that is dangerous for the country. Obama’s comments came during an in-person question-and-answer keynote at San Diego’s annual L’Attitude conference at the Manchester Grand Hyatt. The event spotlights Latino business, innovation and consumers. “Right now, the biggest fuel behind the Republican agenda is related to immigration and the fear that somehow America’s character is going to be changed if, people of darker shades, there are too many of them here,” Obama told moderator Gary Acosta, the co-founder and CEO of the National Association of Hispanic Real Estate Professionals. “I wish I could be more euphemistic about it except (they’re) not that subtle about it — they’re just kind of saying it,” Obama said. “You hear it on hard-right media, you hear it from candidates and politicians, you hear things like ‘great replacement theory’ — I mean, this is not subtle. Unless we’re able to return to a more inclusive vision inside the Republican Party, it’s going to be hard to get a bill done.” The “great replacement theory” falsely asserts that there’s an active and ongoing effort to replace the White majority with non-Whites, according to the Southern Poverty Law Center. Such language prevalent today is “dangerous,” Obama said. “A lot of toxic rhetoric in the atmosphere that characterizes ‘those people’ as ‘different’ and wanting to ‘tear down America’ as opposed to build it up,” he said. “When you have that kind of rhetoric floating around out there, we’ve seen in history that is dangerous rhetoric. It’s dangerous wherever it appears and it’s dangerous here in the United States. “It’s not part of what’s best in us; it’s not part of what makes this country exceptional.” Obama said he did not mean to be partisan and acknowledged the Democratic Party’s history as the party of segregation. He also noted some ambivalence among American Latinos on the issue of immigration, noting that Latino voting rates in Texas lagged that of Colorado and California Latinos. “If Latinos in Texas voted at the same rate as Latinos in Colorado, Texas would be a blue state,” Obama said. “Culturally, we haven’t built up voting habits and connected that to power. In no other parts of your life do you just give your power away.” Obama did not mention his successor, former President Donald Trump, by name during the one-hour discussion. He did, however, reference Trump twice — once as the driving force behind the GOP’s embrace of restrictive immigration policies and again to highlight Trump’s continuing refusal to accept the result of the 2020 election. Obama’s jab at Trump came as he lamented how the proliferation of COVID-19 vaccine conspiracies prevented millions in the U.S. from taking the shots, likely resulting in preventable deaths. He pivoted from vaccine misinformation to election disinformation. “It goes beyond just that — I mean look at elections,” Obama said. “We used to have arguments about policy. But now, people just make stuff up: ‘I didn’t lose.’” The line was one of several that received applause from the crowd of about 1,500. Other topics that came up during the Q&A were centered on the conference’s theme, “the new mainstream economy,” a nod to the economic power and influence of the more than 62 million Latinos in the U.S. Obama said it’s not enough for business to have diverse leaders — they also need to listen to them. “If you want to make good decisions you have to have as many points of view as possible, because we all have blind spots,” Obama said. “And that means, for example, that it’s been shown time and time again that the more women you have on the board, the more successful you company (will be). Conference attendees staked spots in line as early as 5:30 a.m. — almost six hours before the former president’s keynote. Bethy Beas, a real estate broker from McAllen, Texas, said she was among the first in line at the hotel’s Seaport Ballroom. Her forethought appeared to pay off. By 9:30, a line of thousands stretched from the second-floor ballroom and around the event space to the first floor lobby. Karen Carreno, 32, said that as a DACA recipient, that Obama had “changed her life.” DACA — Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals — is an Obama-era policy that allows undocumented immigrants brought to the U.S. as children to work and live in the country. Carreno, who came to San Diego from McAllen with Beas, said she appreciated San Diego’s status as a border city like McAllen. “People are really welcoming,” she said. “There’s overwhelming love and pride for our heritage.” Chumahan Bowen, an attorney from Santa Ana, said he staked his spot in line at 5:30 a.m. As a Native American and member of the Oneida Nation of Wisconsin, Bowen said he is inspired by what’s possible for people of color in the U.S. “Mr. Obama represents what this country’s capable of,” he said. After the hour-long keynote, Jacqui Gibbs, a bank lending manager from Newark, N.J., said she connected with Obama’s message about listening to communities who aren’t always given a voice. “I am one of the few African Americans in the audience,” she said, “and it was as if he was speaking to a group of African Americans — a lot of the same things apply.” Gibbs said Obama’s parting comments about listening and empowering the next generation stood out to her most. “It was powerful to hear,” she said. Read More Here

Nikkei, Kospi Fall 2%; Asia-Pacific Markets Drop As Negative Sentiment Remains https://digitalarizonanews.com/nikkei-kospi-fall-2-asia-pacific-markets-drop-as-negative-sentiment-remains/ The Tokyo Stock Exchange (TSE), operated by Japan Exchange Group Inc. (JPX), in Tokyo, Japan, on Thursday, Oct. 29, 2020. Kiyoshi Ota | Bloomberg | Getty Images Shares in the Asia-Pacific fell sharply on Monday as negative sentiment continues to weigh in on markets. The Nikkei 225 in Japan dropped 2.19% in early trade, and the Topix slipped 2%. South Korea’s Kospi lost 2.3% and the Kosdaq shed 2.97%. In Australia, the S&P/ASX 200 declined 1.94%. MSCI’s broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan was 1.19% lower. Meanwhile, Hong Kong’s Hang Seng index gained 0.19%, with the Hang Seng Tech index rising by more than 2%. Mainland China stocks were mixed, with the Shanghai Composite shedding 0.15% and the Shenzhen Component gaining 0.28%. The Reserve Bank of India’s monetary policy committee is scheduled to meet later this week, and China is expected to release data on factory activity at the end of the week. Onewo, a subsidiary of property developer China Vanke, is set to debut on the Hong Kong stock exchange this week as well. CNBC Pro: Dan Niles predicts when the S&P 500 might bottom, and reveals how he’s profited this year Asian currencies weaken against the greenback The Japanese yen lost ground against the U.S. dollar in Asia’s morning trade, changing hands at 143.60. The offshore Chinese yuan weakened to 7.1475 per dollar. South Korea’s won was at its weakest levels since 2009, trading at 1,423 against the greenback. Australia’s dollar, meanwhile, strengthened slightly to $0.6532. — Abigail Ng Stocks prepare to test their lows in the final week of trading for September Heading into the final week of trading for September, the Dow and S&P 500 are each down about 6% for the month, while the Nasdaq has lost 8%. Both the Dow and S&P are now sitting 1.2% and 1.6%, respectively, above their lows from mid-June. The Nasdaq is 2.9% above its low. — Tanaya Macheel Read More Here

Chris Christie Says Trump https://digitalarizonanews.com/chris-christie-says-trump/ Former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie (R) said if Donald Trump keeps making “nonsense arguments” on TV about the Justice Department investigation into his handling of classified documents, he might just find himself facing a “self-inflicted indictment.” “I think these are all self-inflicted wounds by Donald Trump,” Christie said during a panel discussion on ABC about the chances the former president could be indicted in the case. “And you know, one of the things that I always say to clients are, you know, don’t out-loud fight with the Department of Justice. Like, you know, we’ll fight in court and do the things we need to do. He’s doing the exact opposite.” “His lawyers aren’t fighting any of this in court,” he continued. “They’re really not. They’re not putting forward any of these arguments. He’s putting forward all these arguments on television. There comes a point where prosecutors are human too. And you want to keep daring them, they may just actually do it.” Trump has personally put forward an array of sometimes contradictory defenses after the FBI executed a search warrant at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida and reported finding classified government documents improperly stored there. According to investigators, they had attempted to subpoena the remaining documents months earlier, but Trump’s lawyers vowed they had handed them all over. he may run for president in 2024.” height=”480″ loading=”lazy” src=”https://img.huffingtonpost.com/asset/6330fb471f00005e00fd52b0.jpeg?ops=scalefit_720_noupscale” width=”720″ During media appearances and in posts on his Truth Social platform, Trump has, among other excuses, baselessly claimed the FBI planted evidence at the Palm Beach resort, argued he had a “standing order” to declassify documents he removed from the Oval Office to his White House residence, and, most recently, announced he could declassify documents with his mind. Numerous former Trump administration officials have said the “standing order” claim was fiction and would never have been allowed. Presidents can declassify documents, but there is an official process involved. In court, where they could face penalties for lying, Trump and his lawyers have not made the same assertions. Instead, they have suggested Trump had the authority to declassify documents while remaining silent on what he actually did. They have also argued that the Justice Department should not be taken at its word that some of the seized documents were classified. Despite all this, Christie said, “I still don’t think [Trump’s] going to be charged,” but suggested the former president was inching closer to an indictment with each new media blast. “The more you absolutely antagonize with nonsense arguments on television that your lawyers won’t make in court — because they’re afraid they’ll be sanctioned if they do because they have no evidence — you’re pushing yourself closer to a self-inflicted indictment,” he said. Read More Here

Pound Slumps To All-Time Low Against Dollar https://digitalarizonanews.com/pound-slumps-to-all-time-low-against-dollar/ By Monica Miller & Peter Hoskins Business reporters Image source, Getty Images The pound has fallen to its lowest level against the US dollar since decimalisation in 1971. In early Asia trade, sterling fell by more than 4% to $1.0327 before regaining some ground to around $1.05. That came after UK Chancellor Kwasi Kwarteng unveiled historic tax cuts funded by huge increases in borrowing. The pound has also been under pressure as the dollar has been boosted by the US central bank continuing to raise interest rates. The euro also touched a fresh 20-year-low against the dollar in morning Asia trade amid investor concerns about the risk of recession as winter approaches with no sign of an end to the energy crisis or the war in Ukraine. Peter Escho, the co-founder of investment firm Wealthi, said: “All currencies are getting sold off against the US dollar, so there is a large element of US dollar strength. But with the pound, it has really been exacerbated by news that the new government will be cutting taxes, which is inflationary. “Add to that recent energy subsidies and news that the Bank of England might need to have an emergency rate-hike meeting, this all results in a sense of panic,” he added. Last week, global markets tumbled after the US Federal Reserve and several other major central banks, including the Bank of England, raised interest rates as they try to control rising prices. You may also be interested in: Media caption, Chancellor Kwasi Kwarteng: “What I’m focused on, is tax cuts across the board” Read More Here

At Elton John’s White House Concert, Tears And A Trip Down Memory Lane https://digitalarizonanews.com/at-elton-johns-white-house-concert-tears-and-a-trip-down-memory-lane/ When Donald Trump asked one of his favorite musicians, Elton John, to perform at his 2017 inauguration, the knighted singer politely declined in an email: “Thank you so much for the extremely kind invitation to play at your inauguration,” John wrote. “I have given it at lot of thought, and as a British National I don’t feel that it’s appropriate for me to play at the inauguration of an American President. Please accept my apologies.” Friday night, Sir Elton offered a different statement in the form of the ebullient six-song, solo piano concert he played to a crowd of 2,000 people on the South Lawn of the White House at the invitation of President Biden and first lady Jill Biden. “I don’t know what to say. What a dump!” said John, laughing, in a sparkling black blazer as he peered through red-tinted glasses at the floodlit columns of the South Portico towering above him, playing under a glass-paneled tent, while members of the Marine Corps band fanned out along the steps to the Truman Balcony in red dress uniforms. “I’ve played in some places before that have been beautiful, but this is probably the icing on the cake.” Tears and joy were more the order of the day than politics at an event the Bidens said they intended to be a concert for the American people called “A Night When Hope and History Rhyme.” The evening ended with the president surprising John with the National Humanities Medal, to which the singer welled up with tears, but that felt like a capstone to the larger message of celebrating the 30th anniversary of the Elton John AIDS Foundation and the bipartisan unity needed to bring an end to the disease by 2030 — as John and the United Nations have said is the goal. The last time John played the White House was at a 1998 state dinner during the Clinton administration honoring British Prime Minister Tony Blair. According to a video feed of the event and interviews with those in attendance (media access was restricted), John appeared genuinely thrilled as he played beneath a glass-paneled tent, with the audience surrounding all sides of his stage. He plowed through several greatest hits: “Your Song,” “Tiny Dancer,” “Rocket Man,” “Don’t Let the Sun Go Down on Me,” “Crocodile Rock” and “I’m Still Standing.” Teachers, first responders, and LGBTQ activists made up the largest portion of the crowd, and had all been allowed to bring plus ones. They were the ones John thanked first, well before he acknowledged the Bidens: “They’re the heroes to me.” Other guests included House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg and his husband, Chasten, and Attorney General Merrick Garland — not to mention actress Anna Kendrick and John’s dear friend Billie Jean King. To those who recognized her, Ruby Bridges, the civil rights advocate who became one of the first Black children to integrate New Orleans’ all-White public school system when she was 6 years old, might have been the most impressive luminary there. Charlotte Clymer, a D.C.-based writer and LGBTQ activist who was pleasantly surprised to get the invite, found herself overcome with emotion. “I wouldn’t even say bipartisan, it felt more nonpartisan,” she told The Washington Post. “Everyone was there because they cared about folks with HIV and AIDS. And of course, they wanted to see Elton John perform.” The White House had focused on inviting members of vulnerable communities, and Clymer said the crowd felt notably diverse — racially diverse, politically diverse, even gender diverse. For once, she added, “I was not the only trans person at one of these events, which was nice to see.” As appealing as the narrative is of Dark Brandon sub-tweeting his predecessor by feting his favorite musician, this was not an event instigated by John as a form of high-level trolling. The conversation had started with an invitation to a “History Talks” symposium on Saturday at Constitution Hall, featuring the likes of Serena Williams and former presidents George W. Bush and Bill Clinton, sponsored by the History Channel and A&E, which also sponsored the concert. But that set date was also the day of John’s concert in the District at Nationals Park, “so it evolved into the opportunity to perform the night before on the South Lawn of the White House. And, you know, what a spectacularly beautiful setting,” David Furnish, John’s husband and manager, said on Sunday. “Elton loved the idea and the whole evening was pitched to us as a nonpartisan event even though President Biden is in the White House,” Furnish continued, “but a nonpartisan event which was really to talk about common humanity, healing through unity, philanthropy.” In the past, though, John did have a friendly relationship with Trump. He played at the former president’s third wedding, and Trump had even gone around telling people he’d secured John for the inauguration. Despite John asking him not to, Trump frequently used “Tiny Dancer” at his rallies. He also gave the nickname “Rocket Man” to North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. Instead, at this concert, John acknowledged a different Republican, former first lady Laura Bush, who had come with daughter Jenna Bush Hager and her children, saying that the Bush administration’s creation of the U.S. President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief, or PEPFAR, “was the most incredible thing,” adding, “We never would have got this far without the President Bush administration giving us that money.” He even gave a shout-out to Sen. Lindsey O. Graham (R-S.C.) as a supporter in the fight against AIDS, who, said John, “to his credit has always come through.” As John came up with his set list, Furnish said, there was only one song he wanted to make sure to sing: “Crocodile Rock.” Years ago, when he and Biden, the vice president at the time, were on “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” the same night, Biden told him that, as a single father, he used to drive his two sons around and sing that song in the car. Later on, said Furnish, he and John went to visit President Barack Obama in the White House during the time when, unbeknown to them, Biden’s son Beau was terminally ill with brain cancer and unconscious in the hospital. Biden had asked John to meet with his staff, “which I thought really said so much about him,” said Furnish. As Furnish remembers being told, Biden went to the hospital and told the unconscious Beau that Elton John had come by the White House that day and he sung “Crocodile Rock” to him. “He didn’t come back to consciousness. But we’d been told that he smiled and it definitely, you know, triggered something,” said Furnish. “So we knew that was a song with a real journey that had been on a real journey for the president. And so it was important for Elton that it was included in the set.” Before he launched into “Don’t Let the Sun Go Down on Me,” John also acknowledged Jeanne White-Ginder, the mother of Ryan White, who had died of AIDS-related complications in 1990 and in his short life had become a symbol of the cruelty endured by the epidemic’s victims. The White family was John’s entry into becoming an AIDS activist. He’d met them, “and I got to love them and look at them and they faced such terrible hostility,” he said from the stage. “And yet when Ryan was dying in the hospital in Indianapolis, the last week of his life where I went and tried to help Jeanne do menial things, there was no hatred. There’s no hatred. There was just forgiveness.” “It was a very heartwarming experience to see somebody that gives so much of themselves and wants no attention whatsoever,” White-Ginder told The Post on Sunday, recalling those days. Six months after White’s death, John checked into rehab for cocaine and alcohol addiction and got sober. Onstage Friday he said the family “saved my life. The moment when Biden gave John the National Humanities Medal was a complete surprise not just to John, but also to Furnish, who as his manager usually knows everything. John had said he was completely “flabbergasted,” and burst into tears during his citation. “Elton had absolutely no idea he was getting the medal. It’s very rare to see Elton rendered speechless on anything, and when that came out, he was completely gobsmacked,” said Furnish. “And just everyone felt the love.” Read More Here

Expect Higher Than Average Temperatures For The Work Week https://digitalarizonanews.com/expect-higher-than-average-temperatures-for-the-work-week/ PHOENIX (3TV/CBS 5) – Happy Sunday everyone! Today is hot, dry, and sunny but that will change as we head into the work week. High pressure will keep temperatures well above average for this time of the year. We should be around 97 degrees, but we are looking at reaching 104 Monday afternoon here in the Valley. We’ll see an increase in moisture leading to shower and storm chances mainly in the higher terrain of Arizona. These storms will be capable of producing heavy rain and gusty winds. Outflows from the storms could push into the valley in the afternoon and kick up some dust. Storm chances for the valley, however, remain low at about 20% Tuesday and Wednesday afternoon. By the end of the week, temperatures will cool slightly to the mid to upper 90s as we head into the weekend. Copyright 2022 KTVK/KPHO. All rights reserved. Read More…

In Pennsylvania, Shapiro's Low-Key Style Poses Test For Dems https://digitalarizonanews.com/in-pennsylvania-shapiros-low-key-style-poses-test-for-dems/ In one of the most politically competitive states in the U.S., Josh Shapiro, the Democratic contender for governor is waging a notably drama-free campaign. PENNSYLVANIA, USA — Editor’s note: The above video is from Sept. 18. Doug Mastriano, the Republican nominee for governor in Pennsylvania, is perhaps best known as an election denier who was at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6. John Fetterman, the Democrat hoping to flip the state’s Senate seat, has revolutionized how campaigns use social media. And Dr. Mehmet Oz was a TV celebrity long before he launched a GOP Senate campaign. And then there’s Josh Shapiro. In one of the most politically competitive states in the U.S., the Democratic contender for governor is waging a notably drama-free campaign, betting that a relatively under the radar approach will resonate with voters exhausted by a deeply charged political environment. But Shapiro faces a test of whether his comparatively low-key style will energize Democrats to rally against Mastriano, who many in the party view as an existential threat. The GOP candidate, who worked to keep Donald Trump in power and overturn President Joe Biden’s victory in 2020, supports ending abortion rights and would be in position to appoint the secretary of state, who oversees elections in this state that is often decisive in choosing presidents. The tension of Shapiro’s strategy was on display during a recent swing through this small city, a dot in deeply Republican south central Pennsylvania. He spent 10 minutes ticking through his record as a two-term attorney general and his policy goals if he becomes governor, such as expanding high-speed internet and boosting school funding. But he also acknowledged that he knew what was on the minds of audience members, noting how his wife gives him a simple reminder every morning: “You better win.” The 49-year-old Shapiro then became more explicit about the implications of a Mastriano win. “This guy is the most dangerous, extreme person to ever run for governor in Pennsylvania and by far the most dangerous, extreme candidate running for office in the United States of America,” Shapiro told the crowd in Chambersburg, Mastriano’s home base in his conservative state Senate district. Shapiro is managing something of a two-pronged campaign, one built for a conventional election year and another aimed at the tense political environment in the aftermath of the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol and the overturning of the landmark Roe v. Wade decision guaranteeing abortion rights. Last month, Shapiro released a TV ad statewide that discussed a case he brought as attorney general against a contractor who agreed to repay wages after Shapiro’s office accused it of stealing from workers. Then, he’s also aired TV ads describing Mastriano as a threat to democracy, pointing out that Mastriano watched at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, as pro-Trump demonstrators attacked police. “It was there that day that my opponent sided with the angry mob, marched to the Capitol, breached the police lines, and he did so with one purpose, all of them: they didn’t want your votes to count,” Shapiro told an audience in Gettysburg, prompting one woman to call out, “He’s a traitor.” That message isn’t lost on the Democrats who go see Shapiro. “I think this is just a critical election,” said Marissa Sandoe, 29. “I think this election will determine whether we still have a democracy in this nation.” Shapiro later shrugs off suggestions that, for his supporters, the grist of normal-year gubernatorial politics is being drowned out by existential issues, like saving democracy. “I’m focused like a laser beam on making Pennsylvanians’ lives better,” Shapiro said. The first midterm of a new administration is often challenging for the president’s party. But for now, polls suggest Shaprio is leading Mastriano and he also has a significant fundraising advantage. Shapiro has run more than $20 million worth of TV ads, while Mastriano has run hardly anything, and nothing since the primary. Campaigning in the state where Biden was born, Shaprio may benefit from a recovery in Biden’s approval. The president’s popularity nationally has improved to 45% from 36% in July, although concerns about his handling of the economy persist, according to a September poll from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research. Republican Party leaders who initially criticized Mastriano as being too extreme to win the fall general election say he could still win, despite his flaws, if the electorate is angry enough over inflation to check every box against Democrats as a vote against Biden. But Republicans acknowledge Mastriano is running a race focused largely on his right-wing base, instead of reaching out to the moderates who often put winners over the top in one of America’s most politically divided states. Mastriano has gotten institutional fundraising help, including events headlined by state party leaders, Donald Trump Jr. and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, but Republican strategists have whispered that the fundraisers aren’t well-attended and Mastriano went on Facebook this week to complain about a lack of support from “national-level Republican organizations.” “We haven’t seen much assistance coming from them and we’re 49 days out,” Mastriano said. At campaign events, Mastriano promises to be a pro-energy governor and bus migrants to Biden’s home in Delaware, and he warns that Shapiro is pursuing an extreme agenda. “If we’re extreme about anything, it’s about loving our constitution,” Mastriano told a rally crowd in nearby Chambersburg earlier this month. For his part, Shapiro is gamely going about the campaign, taking advantage of Mastriano’s weaknesses. The Democrat will be a guest in early October at the annual dinner of the Pennsylvania Chamber of Business and Industry, a group accustomed to endorsing Republicans for governor. Mastriano hasn’t accepted even its invitation to speak to its board, something Shapiro already did. Building-trades unions that work on power plants, pipelines and refineries in a coal and natural gas powerhouse haven’t heeded Mastriano’s promises that “we’re going to drill and dig like there’s no tomorrow.” Instead, they have accepted Shapiro’s middle-of-the-road stance on energy and attacked Mastriano’s support for right-to-work policies as anathema even to rank-and-file members who vote Republican. “Here’s one thing my members get: They’ll never, ever be with someone who is for right-to-work, ever,” said James Snell, the business manager of Steamfitters Local 420 in Philadelphia. Shapiro is also taking centrist positions that might help inoculate himself against Mastriano’s attacks. The race got personal, with Mastriano repeatedly criticizing Shapiro’s choice of a private school for his children — a Jewish day school — as “one of the most privileged, entitled schools in the nation.” Shapiro, a devout conservative Jew, responded that Mastriano — who espouses what scholars call Christian nationalist ideology — wants to impose his religion on others and “dictate to folks where and how they should worship and on what terms.” Shapiro dug deeper on Mastriano, saying he speaks in “anti-Semitic, racist and homophobic tropes every day.” Mastriano calls those distractions from Shapiro’s record as attorney general and failure to stem rising homicides in Philadelphia. Still, Shapiro is drawing crowds on Mastriano’s turf, far from his power base in Philadelphia’s upscale suburbs. It is fertile ground, said Marty Qually, a Democratic county commissioner in Adams County, which includes Gettysburg, because Democrats are riled up like he’s never seen before and even Republicans there tell him they cannot accept Mastriano’s Christian nationalism or hard-line abortion stance. It speaks volumes that Shapiro is campaigning in small towns, and not in Democratic strongholds: It means that he’s comfortable with where the race is, Qually said. “Some folks here said: ‘Why do you want to go to Franklin County? That’s where the other guy’s from,’” Shapiro told the crowd in Chambersburg. “Let me tell you something. I’m glad I came. Ya’ll are making me feel at home.” Read More Here

Jan. 6 Panel “aware” Of White House Call To Rioter, Rep. Jamie Raskin Says https://digitalarizonanews.com/jan-6-panel-aware-of-white-house-call-to-rioter-rep-jamie-raskin-says/ Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-Md.) told NBC News Sunday he’s “aware” of a White House switchboard call made to a rioter’s phone during the U.S. Capitol insurrection. Why it matters: Raskin’s comments as a member of the Jan. 6 select committee investigating the Capitol riot appear to confirm claims made by former Rep. Denver Riggleman (R-Va.), who until April was working as a senior technical adviser to the panel. Driving the news: Riggleman told CBS’ “60 Minutes” in an interview broadcast Sunday there was “a real a-ha moment” when he saw “that the White House switchboard had connected to a rioter’s phone” while the Capitol attack was happening. “I only know one end of that call. I don’t know the White House end, which I believe is more important. … the American people need to know that there are link connections that need to be explored more,” he told CBS’ Bill Whitaker. What they’re saying: “That’s one of thousands of details that obviously the committee is aware of,” said Raskin on NBC’s “Meet the Press” in response to Ringleman’s comments. “Our job is to put everything into a comprehensive portrait and narrative timeline of what took place,” Raskin continued. “It’s interesting, but much less interesting than the fact that Donald Trump told the crowd in public, ‘You’ve got to fight like hell. And if you don’t, you’re not going to have a country anymore,” added Raskin, in reference to comments the former president said at a rally before the riot. “I can’t say anything specific about that particular call, but we are aware of it. And we are aware of lots of contacts between the people in the White House and different people that were involved, obviously, in the coup attempt and the insurrection.” — Rep. Jamie Raskin Meanwhile, fellow Jan. 6 panel member Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) stressed to CNN’s “State of the Union” Sunday that the committee had looked into issues raised by Riggleman during his work with the committee “ended quite some time ago.” “Without the advantage of the additional information we have gathered since he left the committee, it … poses real risks to be suggesting things,” Schiff said. “We have looked into all of these issues. Some of the information we have found on various issues, we will be presenting it to the public for the first time in the hearing coming up.” Worth noting: Riggleman was speaking with Whitaker ahead of the Tuesday release of his book, “The Breach,” about his time as a Jan.6 panel staffer, which the Washington Post notes has “rattled” those on the select committee. The committee in a statement to “60 Minutes” said it “has run down all the leads” that arose from Riggleman’s work with the panel, adding he “had limited knowledge of the Committee’s investigation.” Go deeper: Jan. 6 committee’s October surprise Read More Here

Trump Claim Of Planted Evidence ‘incendiary,’ Professor Says https://digitalarizonanews.com/trump-claim-of-planted-evidence-incendiary-professor-says/ (NewsNation) — Former President Donald Trump’s legal team faces a Friday deadline to provide evidence of his claims that the FBI planted evidence in its search of Mar-a-Lago. While Trump has pushed the claim on social media and in interviews, his lawyers have not done so in court filings. They also haven’t substantiated Trump’s claim that he declassified the top-secret documents that were seized during the search. Judge Raymond Dearie, who was appointed as an independent arbiter to review the seized documents, has ordered Trump’s team to make sworn declarations about both of those claims. “The claim that the FBI planted evidence is pretty far-fetched and pretty incendiary,” said Matthew Wilson, an associate professor of political science at Southern Methodist University. “I suspect that will fall by the wayside.” Speaking Sunday on “NewsNation Prime,” Wilson said Trump’s team will likely try to be more nuanced about the declassification question. “It hinges on what exactly a president has to do to make a document declassified,” Wilson said. “That’s what the debate will be as it plays out in court.” Aside from the special master review, Trump’s actions in the White House will also be scrutinized this week when the House committee investigating the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol riots meets. Overall, the committee has remained tight-lipped about what we can expect to see Wednesday, but one new revelation that’s become public comes from a former Republican congressman Denver Riggleman. He worked behind the scenes with the committee, using his skills as a former intel officer in the Navy to mostly piece together bits of digital information from the White House on the day of the attack. “You get a real ‘aha’ moment when you see that the White House switchboard connected to a rioter’s phone while it’s happening,” Riggleman said in a “60 Minutes” interview that aired Sunday. Riggleman went on to suggest the committee has more to say publicly about direct links between the Trump White House and the rioters, particularly those who planned for a violent attack that day. Rep. Liz Cheney also said the committee would reveal new information and added when all is said and done, the committee will only recommend that the Justice Department charge Trump with a crime if that is a unanimous committee decision. On Sunday, Rep. Adam Schiff criticized the DOJ for acting too slowly in its own investigation of the Capitol riots. The Washington Post reported the DOJ is seeking testimony from two former Trump White House aides, and his legal team is working to try to limit the scope of their testimony. Read More Here

GOP Lawmaker Suggests There https://digitalarizonanews.com/gop-lawmaker-suggests-there/ GOP Rep. Nancy Mace of South Carolina said Sunday she believes there is “pressure” for House Republicans to move to impeach President Joe Biden if they gain control of the chamber after the midterm elections. Allison Joyce/Getty Images (CNN) — GOP Rep. Nancy Mace of South Carolina said Sunday she believes there is “pressure” for House Republicans to move to impeach President Joe Biden if they gain control of the chamber after the midterm elections. “I believe there’s pressure on the Republicans to put that forward and have that vote,” Mace told NBC’s Chuck Todd on “Meet the Press” when asked if she foresees impeachment proceedings should her party win control of the House. “I think that’s what some folks are considering.” But the freshman lawmaker added: “If that happens, I do believe it’s divisive.” Mace did not mention the source of the alleged pressure and was not asked to elaborate on who is considering the move. Asked Sunday how she would vote if an impeachment vote came to the floor, Mace said: “I will not vote for impeachment of any president if I feel that due process was stripped away, for anyone. I typically vote constitutionally, regardless of who is in power.” CNN reported earlier this year that hard-line elements of the House Republican Conference were agitating to launch impeachment proceedings against Biden if the GOP takes power after the midterms — a move GOP leaders have so far declined to embrace. House Republicans are also plotting revenge on the select committee investigating the January 6, 2021, insurrection, CNN has reported. Former President Donald Trump has been leaning heavily on his Capitol Hill allies to defend him against a slew of damaging revelations about his role in the deadly attack on the US Capitol. And as Republicans search for ways to undermine those findings, their party has started to lay the groundwork to investigate the January 6 panel itself. Some of Trump’s fiercest acolytes have also begun publicly pushing for hearings and probes into his baseless claims of fraud in the 2020 election. While House GOP leader Kevin McCarthy has vowed to conduct aggressive oversight and investigations in a GOP-led House, it’s unclear just how far he would be willing to go when it comes to January 6 and the 2020 presidential election. Mace, who flipped a Charleston-area seat in 2020, voted to certify Biden’s presidential election victory, earning Trump’s wrath. Faced with charges of insufficient loyalty to the former President, she drew a Trump-backed primary challenger but ended up prevailing by 8 points in her June primary. Mace told NBC she was “very much hopeful” to see “a deep bench of Republicans and Democrats who will be running for president” in 2024. But she left the door open to possibly supporting Trump again if he were the 2024 GOP nominee for president. “I’m going to support whomever Republicans nominate in ’24,” she said. The-CNN-Wire & © 2022 Cable News Network, Inc., a Warner Bros. Discovery Company. All rights reserved. Read More Here

Tropical Storm Ian To Strengthen, Storm Watch Issued For Florida Keys https://digitalarizonanews.com/tropical-storm-ian-to-strengthen-storm-watch-issued-for-florida-keys/ Tropical Storm Ian was strengthening Sunday night, and it is forecast to intensify more rapidly Monday and Tuesday — possibly into a high-end Category 4 storm. The big picture: Ian could hit western Florida or another part of the Gulf Coast as a powerful hurricane as early as midweek this week. State of play: Tropical Storm Ian was some 430 miles southeast of the western tip of Cuba at 8pm ET, and its maximum sustained winds had strengthened to 60 mph, up from 45 mph Sunday afternoon, according to the National Hurricane Center. It was moving to the northwest at 12 mph. President Biden declared a federal state of emergency for multiple Florida counties on Saturday night, and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has declared a state of emergency for the entire state. A tropical storm watch has been issued for the lower Florida Keys. The National Hurricane Center forecast two to four inches of rainfall from the Florida Keys into the southern and central Florida Peninsula from Monday through Wednesday morning. What to watch: In its 8pm update, the National Hurricane Center said Ian was expected to become a hurricane Monday and a “major hurricane” on Tuesday before hitting western Cuba. Threat level: Studies show an increase in the occurrence of rapid intensification due to human-caused climate change. The western Caribbean Sea is a powder keg for hurricanes right now, with high ocean heat content and weak upper-level winds. Tropical Storm Ian’s latest projected track, issued at 8pm ET Sunday by the National Hurricane Center. Credit: NOAA What they’re saying: Even if the west coast of Florida doesn’t sustain a direct hit from Ian, “it doesn’t take an onshore or direct hit from a hurricane to pile up the water,” acting NHC director Jamie Rhome said in a Sunday briefing. He urged Florida residents to find out if they’re in a likely evacuation zone at FloridaDisaster.org in case evacuations are ordered. What’s next: The key questions facing forecasters, public officials and tens of millions of residents along the Gulf Coast are where the storm will head once it becomes a hurricane, and how strong it will be once it gets there. The computer models have been diverging, with some showing a landfall in northwestern Florida or perhaps southeastern Alabama. Others show a hit much farther east, closer to Tampa. Forecast trends since Friday have nudged the most likely track of the center of Ian to the west, closer to the Panhandle region of Florida. While the likelihood of significant impacts in South Florida has decreased, it has not entirely disappeared, and the Hurricane Center is urging all Floridians to prepare for storm impacts. Context: Human-caused climate change is altering the characteristics of nature’s most powerful storms. For example, sea level rise from melting ice sheets makes a hurricane’s storm surge more harmful. This story has been updated with the storm’s strengthening and the latest estimates of when the storm is expected to become a hurricane. Read More Here

US Forecast https://digitalarizonanews.com/us-forecast-25/ US Forecast for Monday, September 26, 2022 City/Town, State;Yesterday’s High Temp (F);Yesterday’s Low Temp (F);Today’s High Temp (F);Today’s Low Temp (F);Weather Condition;Wind Direction;Wind Speed (MPH);Humidity (%);Chance of Precip. (%);UV Index Albany, NY;64;54;69;50;A shower;S;9;70%;86%;2 Albuquerque, NM;84;57;82;58;Partly sunny;SE;5;36%;26%;6 Anchorage, AK;55;39;49;42;An afternoon shower;SSE;6;77%;95%;1 Asheville, NC;76;52;71;45;Mostly sunny;NNW;8;55%;17%;6 Atlanta, GA;81;62;79;54;Sunny and delightful;NNW;9;48%;2%;6 Atlantic City, NJ;74;63;76;59;Breezy;SW;14;57%;24%;5 Austin, TX;94;72;93;62;Breezy and hot;NNE;14;35%;2%;7 Baltimore, MD;80;63;77;57;Breezy in the a.m.;W;11;46%;14%;5 Baton Rouge, LA;93;72;91;60;Mostly sunny;NNE;8;54%;5%;7 Billings, MT;79;53;80;51;Sunshine, pleasant;E;8;36%;3%;4 Birmingham, AL;84;61;80;53;Sunny and nice;N;8;46%;4%;6 Bismarck, ND;68;41;71;42;Partly sunny, nice;N;6;44%;2%;4 Boise, ID;87;55;87;58;Mostly sunny, warm;ENE;7;22%;0%;4 Boston, MA;69;61;74;58;An afternoon shower;SSW;11;61%;51%;3 Bridgeport, CT;72;59;73;55;Sunny intervals;SW;11;59%;25%;3 Buffalo, NY;64;56;60;54;Windy with showers;W;19;77%;100%;1 Burlington, VT;59;55;68;52;A couple of showers;S;11;79%;90%;1 Caribou, ME;66;51;64;53;Downpours;S;6;85%;97%;1 Casper, WY;74;41;79;41;Sunny and beautiful;ENE;7;35%;5%;5 Charleston, SC;83;71;88;66;Sunny and warm;WSW;7;60%;44%;6 Charleston, WV;77;55;71;48;Variable cloudiness;SSW;8;59%;18%;4 Charlotte, NC;75;58;80;53;Mostly sunny, nice;NW;6;54%;9%;6 Cheyenne, WY;71;46;76;47;Sunny and nice;NNW;10;28%;3%;5 Chicago, IL;68;53;63;49;Windy;NW;20;53%;13%;5 Cleveland, OH;65;57;63;54;Windy with showers;W;19;77%;99%;1 Columbia, SC;86;64;88;56;Mostly sunny, nice;NW;7;53%;8%;6 Columbus, OH;70;53;66;47;Windy;NW;18;54%;34%;4 Concord, NH;66;54;70;47;An afternoon shower;SW;8;73%;51%;2 Dallas-Ft. Worth, TX;98;66;88;62;Plenty of sunshine;NNE;10;28%;0%;6 Denver, CO;76;49;80;52;Mostly sunny;NE;5;26%;4%;5 Des Moines, IA;76;48;68;47;Mostly sunny, breezy;NW;14;45%;0%;5 Detroit, MI;67;52;61;50;A couple of showers;W;19;73%;97%;1 Dodge City, KS;78;50;82;53;Mostly sunny;SE;7;40%;1%;5 Duluth, MN;66;47;57;40;Breezy in the a.m.;NNW;13;64%;5%;4 El Paso, TX;85;68;84;63;Partly sunny;ESE;10;41%;11%;6 Fairbanks, AK;53;34;45;35;Rain and drizzle;NNE;4;79%;94%;0 Fargo, ND;67;41;62;38;Partly sunny;ENE;8;55%;0%;4 Grand Junction, CO;82;51;83;54;Mostly sunny;ESE;6;29%;3%;5 Grand Rapids, MI;62;52;58;47;Brief showers, windy;NW;19;82%;98%;1 Hartford, CT;71;57;73;53;A t-storm around;SSW;9;63%;48%;3 Helena, MT;80;48;81;50;Mostly sunny, warm;SW;4;44%;0%;4 Honolulu, HI;86;75;89;75;Breezy in the p.m.;ENE;12;58%;14%;9 Houston, TX;96;75;93;66;Mostly sunny and hot;NE;9;47%;5%;7 Indianapolis, IN;69;52;67;47;Partly sunny, breezy;WNW;14;48%;28%;5 Jackson, MS;93;68;85;55;Sunshine, not as hot;NNE;8;42%;5%;6 Jacksonville, FL;89;70;92;73;Mostly sunny, warm;SSE;6;63%;36%;7 Juneau, AK;56;52;59;51;Rain, heavy at times;S;17;87%;100%;0 Kansas City, MO;80;50;74;50;Sunny and nice;WNW;9;42%;0%;5 Knoxville, TN;78;53;76;47;Sunny and nice;W;8;54%;15%;5 Las Vegas, NV;98;71;99;73;Sunny and hot;NW;5;11%;0%;6 Lexington, KY;78;54;71;46;Partly sunny, breezy;W;14;46%;14%;5 Little Rock, AR;93;58;84;54;Sunny and pleasant;N;8;35%;0%;6 Long Beach, CA;91;69;88;69;Warm with sunshine;S;6;56%;0%;6 Los Angeles, CA;86;68;94;70;Sunny and hot;SE;7;49%;0%;6 Louisville, KY;78;57;72;48;Sunny and breezy;WNW;13;41%;12%;5 Madison, WI;64;48;59;42;Breezy;NW;15;61%;7%;4 Memphis, TN;93;61;83;54;Sunny and nice;N;9;35%;0%;6 Miami, FL;90;79;85;78;A couple of t-storms;SE;8;81%;100%;2 Milwaukee, WI;68;52;63;46;Windy;NW;19;56%;22%;4 Minneapolis-St. Paul, MN;72;49;62;43;Partly sunny, breezy;NNW;14;48%;1%;4 Mobile, AL;93;73;91;62;Warm with some sun;N;7;57%;30%;7 Montgomery, AL;89;67;82;56;Sunny and less humid;N;7;57%;10%;6 Mt. Washington, NH;40;39;42;32;Very windy;SW;33;98%;88%;1 Nashville, TN;86;55;77;47;Sunny and pleasant;NNW;8;40%;9%;5 New Orleans, LA;92;78;90;70;Clouds and sun;NNE;9;56%;15%;7 New York, NY;73;60;74;58;Breezy;SW;14;55%;21%;4 Newark, NJ;72;58;74;54;Clouds and sun;SW;10;54%;36%;3 Norfolk, VA;87;64;83;60;Mostly sunny;W;9;53%;19%;5 Oklahoma City, OK;87;56;83;57;Plenty of sunshine;SE;8;35%;0%;6 Olympia, WA;80;49;83;48;Mostly sunny;SSW;2;56%;3%;4 Omaha, NE;79;45;72;47;Mostly sunny;NNW;11;46%;0%;5 Orlando, FL;91;75;91;75;A stray p.m. t-storm;E;5;70%;75%;6 Philadelphia, PA;77;60;77;56;Breezy;WSW;13;51%;17%;5 Phoenix, AZ;105;79;104;83;Sunny and hot;E;7;20%;16%;6 Pittsburgh, PA;72;56;66;49;A shower or two;W;12;60%;85%;2 Portland, ME;65;56;68;55;A shower in the p.m.;SSW;11;77%;63%;2 Portland, OR;84;55;86;55;Sunlit and very warm;N;5;50%;3%;4 Providence, RI;70;60;73;56;An afternoon shower;SSW;10;62%;52%;3 Raleigh, NC;80;61;81;54;Sunshine, pleasant;NW;7;51%;13%;5 Reno, NV;88;54;86;56;Sunny and warm;WSW;6;27%;0%;5 Richmond, VA;84;59;80;53;Partly sunny, nice;NW;9;52%;17%;5 Roswell, NM;93;61;85;58;Partly sunny;SSW;7;39%;5%;6 Sacramento, CA;94;61;92;58;Sunny and very warm;S;5;45%;0%;5 Salt Lake City, UT;82;56;84;58;Sunny;ESE;7;30%;0%;5 San Antonio, TX;96;72;94;63;Breezy and very warm;NE;15;44%;3%;7 San Diego, CA;78;68;80;68;Lots of sun, humid;WNW;9;69%;0%;6 San Francisco, CA;66;58;71;57;Clouds, then sun;WSW;11;74%;0%;5 Savannah, GA;86;68;90;65;Warm with sunshine;SSW;5;61%;34%;6 Seattle-Tacoma, WA;80;54;80;56;Clouding up;N;5;53%;3%;4 Sioux Falls, SD;74;43;69;43;Partly sunny;NE;10;45%;0%;4 Spokane, WA;81;48;85;50;Mostly sunny;E;1;44%;0%;4 Springfield, IL;77;49;67;41;Sunny and breezy;WNW;13;46%;0%;5 St. Louis, MO;78;52;71;48;Sunny and nice;WNW;12;37%;2%;5 Tampa, FL;91;75;89;75;A stray p.m. t-storm;SSE;5;77%;91%;7 Toledo, OH;66;50;61;47;Windy with a shower;W;18;74%;84%;2 Tucson, AZ;99;74;98;76;Hot;ESE;12;32%;32%;7 Tulsa, OK;87;55;83;54;Plenty of sun;ENE;6;37%;0%;5 Vero Beach, FL;89;74;89;75;Humid with a t-storm;SE;7;81%;98%;5 Washington, DC;78;60;77;55;Partial sunshine;WNW;9;46%;11%;5 Wichita, KS;80;50;80;53;Sunny and beautiful;E;7;36%;0%;5 Wilmington, DE;77;59;77;55;Breezy;WSW;13;53%;15%;5 Copyright 2022 AccuWeather Copyright 2022 AccuWeather. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Read More Here

Italy's New Leader Is A Very Weird, Tolkien-Obsessed Right-Wing Extremist https://digitalarizonanews.com/italys-new-leader-is-a-very-weird-tolkien-obsessed-right-wing-extremist/ Italy Photo Press/Zuma Fight disinformation: Sign up for the free Mother Jones Daily newsletter and follow the news that matters. Early polls out of Italy following its Sunday election suggest that Giorgia Meloni, an ultra-conservative leader known for her opposition to gay rights and immigration, will become its first female prime minister—and the most extreme right-winger to run the place since, you guessed it, Benito Mussolini. Meloni’s victory makes her party, Brothers of Italy, the most successful of the new radical-right movements thriving on Europe’s economic struggles and migration crisis. Its predecessor was a neo-fascist party formed by Mussolini supporters after World War II, although Meloni claims that she’s gotten rid of the Brothers of Italy’s outright fascists. Her fixation on the Great Replacement Theory and her vendetta against George Soros are nothing to worry about, I’m sure. Meloni is also completely obsessed with J. R. R. Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings, regarding the series—which has been venerated by Italian fascists for decades—as an almost Biblical text. In her early twenties, Meloni haunted the web as “Khy-ri, the dragon of the Undernet.” Tolkien, she told the New York Times, explains “better than we can what conservatives believe in.” Her take on Mussolini? “Everything he did, he did for Italy.” Meloni insists that she isn’t a fascist herself, even if her party’s flag includes the symbol of the old pro-Fascist party whose youth wing she belonged to. She praised Il Duce at the time, decades before her small, splinter party leaped to the top of the polls. Italians aren’t necessarily turning far-right themselves, one analyst told NBC—but after decades of gridlock and stagnation, they’re desperate for something “new and disruptive.” Disaffected Italians turned out to vote in record low numbers, seemingly bearing that out. But early exit polls show the country’s far-right coalition winning about 45 percent of the vote, much more than any other parties. That puts Meloni on track to be the country’s first ultra-right prime minister since World War II, a prospect that worries everyone from gay couples to women seeking more social and economic power. Election results are expected to be finalized by tomorrow, but Trump cheerleader Viktor Orbán, Hungary’s authoritarian head of state, has already congratulated Meloni. It looks like authoritarianism is still spreading. Read More Here

Tropical Storm Ian Continues To Grow In Approach To Cuba; Watch Issued For Keys As Florida Braces For Major Hurricane https://digitalarizonanews.com/tropical-storm-ian-continues-to-grow-in-approach-to-cuba-watch-issued-for-keys-as-florida-braces-for-major-hurricane/ Tropical Storm Ian continued to intensify as it approached Cuba late Sunday while a tropical storm watch went into effect for the lower Keys But most of Florida continued to brace for the uncertain path of Ian. The tri-county South Florida region still remains out of the current tracks for a direct hit from the storm, which is expected to be a major hurricane when it enters the Gulf of Mexico, and all Floridians should prepare for a major storm, Gov. Ron DeSantis said Sunday. The tropical storm watch from Seven Mile Bridge to Key West, including the Dry Tortugas, was included in a 5 p.m. update by the National Hurricane Center. A tropical storm watch means that tropical storm conditions are possible within 48 hours. At the 8 p.m. update, the storm had grown to a maximum sustained wind strength of 60 mph, still shy of the 74 mph to be classified a hurricane. On the forecast track, the center of Ian is expected to pass near or west of the Cayman Islands on Monday, and near or over western Cuba Monday night and early Tuesday. Ian will then emerge over the southeastern Gulf of Mexico on Tuesday. According to the National Weather Service/Miami, the storm is expected to intensify rapidly to hurricane strength on Monday as it moves into the Gulf and through mid-week as it approaches Florida. The weather service continues to emphasize uncertainty in the storm’s path once it enters the Gulf, and said the storm is expected to expand in size as well. The models show a possible direct hit to the Tampa area all the way through the Florida Panhandle. [ RELATED: Everything you need to know heading into the potential hurricane ] Small changes in the path will make a big difference in the impact throughout Florida. In South Florida, widespread rain could lead to major flooding, accompanied by winds gusting up to tropical storm levels. “Don’t get too wedded to those cones,” DeSantis said in a news conference Sunday at the Emergency Operations Center in Tallahassee. “Even if you’re not necessarily right in the eye of the path of the storm, there’s going to be pretty broad impacts throughout the state.” He said there could be heavy flooding on Florida’s east coast. And there’s no guarantee that the storm’s path will continue to move west as it has for the past two days. “There’s uncertainty. The models are not in agreement,” he said. “Just don’t think if you’re not in that eye, you don’t have to make preparations. The last thing we want to have it bear east quickly and then have folks who are not prepared. It’s better to be prepared and not have to use those preparations than the opposite.” This includes having an adequate supply of food, water, batteries, medicine and fuel, he said. Tropical Storm Ian’s projected path, from the National Hurricane Center’s 8 p.m. Sunday update Most residents won’t need to evacuate, emergency officials said. People should first look on floridadisaster.org/know to see if they are in an evacuation zone. If not, they should assess whether their home can withstand tropical storm- or hurricane-strength winds. “In Hurricane Irma, we over evacuated residents by nearly 2 million people,” said Kevin Guthrie, director of the Florida Division of Emergency Management. DeSantis said to expect heavy rains, strong winds, flash flooding, storm surges and even isolated tornadoes. He has issued a state of emergency for all 67 counties “given the uncertainty of the storm.” Previously, the state of emergency had been issued only for 24 counties, including Broward, Miami-Dade, and Palm Beach. President Biden has also approved a federal emergency declaration for Florida, allowing it to access the resources of FEMA. The state has waved restrictions for commercial trucks and authorized emergency refills of prescriptions or 30 days. DeSantis said he’s also activated 2,500 members of the Florida National Guard to assist with the emergency. [ MAP: See the latest forecast map for potential Hurricane Ian  ] Freddy Major, center, helps shovel composted seaweed to fill empty sandbags provided by Fort Lauderdale. Stephanie Taylor, left, and Elisia Dickerson, right, were recipients of his help. Fort Lauderdale helped its residents prepare for Tropical Storm Ian by distributing the sandbags Sunday at Mills Pond Park. (Scott Luxor/Contributor) The center of Ian is expected to pass well southwest of Jamaica Sunday evening, and pass near or west of the Cayman Islands early Monday, according to an 8 p.m. forecast track. Ian will then move near or over western Cuba Monday night and early Tuesday and emerge over the southeastern Gulf of Mexico on Tuesday. If Ian does make landfall on Cuba, it is expected to do so as a major hurricane (sustained winds of at least 111 mph). It will then and emerge over the southeastern Gulf of Mexico on Tuesday. The 8 p.m. advisory said a hurricane warning is in effect for Grand Cayman and the Cuban provinces of Isla de Juventud, Pinar del Rio and Artemisa. Hurricane warnings, signaling hurricane conditions are expected, are typically issued 36 hours before the anticipated first occurrence of tropical-storm-force winds. South Florida is out of the cone of uncertainty forecasts where the center of a hurricane will be two-thirds of the time, said Shawn Bhatti, a meteorologist with the National Hurricane Center. But subtle shifts in the track can make a huge difference, and the warm waters of the Gulf and possible land interaction with Cuba could create those shifts. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis speaks during a news conference at the Emergency Operations Center in Tallahassee on Sunday, Authorities and residents in Florida are keeping a cautious eye on Tropical Storm Ian as it rumbles through the Caribbean. (Alicia Devine/Tallahassee Democrat via AP) (Alicia Devine/AP) “This weekend, have all preparations in place for a potential worst-case scenario,” said Bhatti. On Sunday, the forecast track appeared to start shifting again to the east. The “reasonable” worst-case scenario right now still includes all the impacts associated with a major hurricane. But if the storm keeps shifting west, South Florida could see only high waves and gusty winds. The hurricane’s path will become increasingly clear. By Sunday night into Monday morning, forecasters say they’ll have a much better idea of what’s to come and whether South Florida might be spared the brunt of the storm. [ READ IN SPANISH: ‘Es una gran tormenta’: DeSantis insta a todos los floridanos a prepararse para Ian. Alerta de tormenta tropical para los Cayos bajos  ] Tropical Storm Ian’s tropical storm force wind arrival, according to the National Hurricane Center’s 8 p.m. Sunday update Breaking News Alerts As it happens Get updates on developing stories as they happen with our free breaking news email alerts. Meanwhile, the storm previously known as Hermine continued to bring rain to the Canary Islands on Sunday then became a remnant low and dissipated. What was Hurricane Fiona had weakened to a post-tropical cyclone by early Sunday and dissipated later in the day. Forecasters are also monitoring a broad area of low pressure in the Atlantic that has a 30% chance of developing in the next five days, though Ian is the biggest concern. Fiona was the first major hurricane of the 2022 season, meaning Category 3 and above. [ STAY UPDATED with the latest forecast for tropical weather at SunSentinel.com/hurricane ] Tropical Storm Gaston is continuing to weaken and was expected to become a post-tropical cyclone late Sunday. Hurricane season ends Nov. 30. The next named storm after Ian would be Julia. Staff writer Shira Moolten contributed to this report. Read More Here

Trump Even https://digitalarizonanews.com/trump-even/ Former President Donald Trump was more of a menace than anyone may have realized because he was clueless enough to believe he could declassify sensitive top secret documents with his mind — and put the safety of the nation at risk, Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) said Sunday. CNN’s Jake Tapper played a clip on “State of The Union” of Trump insisting earlier this week to Sean Hannity that he could declassify anything just by saying so — even simply by merely “thinking about it.” “Is that how it works?” Tapper asked Schiff. “That’s not how it works,” Schiff responded. “Those comments don’t demonstrate much intelligence of any kind. If you could simply declassify by thinking about it, then, frankly, if that’s his view, he’s even more dangerous than we may have thought,” he told Tapper. Rep. Adam Schiff (D-CA) on Donald Trump saying he could declassify anything just by thinking about it: “No, that’s not how it works. Those comments don’t demonstrate much intelligence of any kind … If that’s his view, he’s even more dangerous than we thought.” pic.twitter.com/iUHTlIweXT — The Recount (@therecount) September 25, 2022 Distributing or blurting out information about the identities of spies or the location and details of weapons systems could cost countless lives, experts have warned. Yet Trump’s former White House chief of staff, John Kelly, told The Washington Post that the former president was disdainful of the secrets shield and had no comprehension of its importance. “His sense was that the people who are in the intel business are incompetent, and he knew better,” Kelly told the Post. “He didn’t believe in the classification system.” People “work hard” to obtain important intelligence, said Schiff, who is serving on the House panel investigating last year’s Jan. 6 insurrection. “People put their lives at risk to get that information. That information protects American lives. And for him to treat it so cavalierly shows both what a continuing danger the man is, but also how very little regard he has for anything but himself,” the lawmaker added. In Trump’s view, he could ”simply spout off on anything he read in a presidential daily brief or anything that he was briefed on by the CIA director to a visiting Russian delegation … and simply say, ‘Well, I thought about it and therefore, when the words came out of my mouth, they were declassified,”’ Schiff scoffed. A process is required for declassifying documents. It cannot be done in secret because several federal departments and officials would need to be informed to handle the material differently. For one thing, the records would be then accessible to the Freedom of Information Act and other records requests by the press and public, former Trump administration national security adviser John Bolton has pointed out. So far, only QAnon disciple and former Trump administration Defense Department aide Kash Patel has backed up Trump’s claim that he had a “standing order” to declassify everything that was taken from the White House to Mar-a-Lago. Court-appointed Special Master Raymond Dearie, who is reviewing records seized by the FBI from Mar-a-Lago, has challenged Trump’s attorneys to prove that any of the documents marked “classified” had actually somehow been declassified by Trump. Schiff on Sunday also complained to Tapper that the Department of Justice was too slow to investigate the Jan. 6 insurrection. Read More Here

Review: Don Bluth Front Row Theatre Presents Paul Elliott https://digitalarizonanews.com/review-don-bluth-front-row-theatre-presents-paul-elliott/ Carpe diem! Smell the roses! These exhortations to relish life while you have it weave through the silly and reflective moments of Paul Elliott‘s EXIT LAUGHING, on stage now through October 22nd at Don Bluth Front Row Theatre in Scottsdale, Arizona. Not so subtly buried within this rollicking comedy is a question that tugs at the heart of the mourners: How do you survive the death of a friend? On the eve of their best friend’s inurnment, the answer for Connie (Diedra Celeste Miranda), Leona (Jori Mosier), and Millie lies in ashes…that is, the purloined ashes of their dearly departed bridge partner. Millie, a dowdy woman, endearingly quixotic and whimsical (and portrayed with lovable perfection by Barbara McBain), has broken into the funeral home and snatched Mary’s urn for one last turn at the monthly card table. Fashionably clad (curtsy to costume designer Teresa Knudson) and ready for their girls’ night in, Connie (sensible and forlorn) and Leona (a brash and lushy beautician) are chagrined and fearful that they all might be apprehended for the mindless crime. Connie’s day has already been beset with turmoil. Her daughter, Rachel (a bristling Rachel Brumfield) is furious over being stood up by a guy named “Bobby”. There is enough to manage ~ grieving the loss of a friend and hosting the evening gathering ~ without being besieged by her daughter’s tantrum. Leave it to a constant flow of liquor to fuel their agitation until the doorbell rings and their worst fear may be realized. The police (Van Rockwell, the play’s director, doing double duty in a role with a surprising twist) have arrived and, suddenly, everything and everyone is up for grabs (literally and figuratively.) All bets are off and so too are the clothes as the cop swings into Chippendales action to the bemusement of his wide-eyed onlookers. As Rachel enters the frolics, shocked at the unseemly antics of her elders, there’s more than the policeman’s torso that is revealed. No spoilers to what ensues. Only to say that here’s where the play turns to bittersweet reflections on mortality and affirmations of life. Mary, even from the beyond, is a gift that keeps on giving and a reminder that the corollary to living the good life is that, when all is said and done, be sure to exit laughing! The joy of this well-directed production lies in the crystal-clear performances of its cast and the delightful contrasts in the golden characters of Connie, Leona, and Millie. McBain epitomizes flakiness and delivers some of the play’s funniest lines to perfection. Miranda adds a touch of elegance to her role as the beleaguered mother and hostess. Mosier is exuberant in her portrayal of a brash and fun-loving belle. Photo credit to Stephanie Cartwright ~ L to R: Jori Mosier, Barbara McBain, Diedra Celeste Miranda Don Bluth Front Row Theatre ~ https://www.donbluthfrontrowtheatre.com/ ~ 8989 E Via Linda, Ste 118, Scottsdale, AZ ~ 480-314-0841 Read More Here

Crowder Says Adios, Aguano Future, Cardinals Sluggish Again, More… https://digitalarizonanews.com/crowder-says-adios-aguano-future-cardinals-sluggish-again-more/ Jae Crowder punched out on the Phoenix Suns on Sunday.   The Phoenix Suns and Jae Crowder have mutually agreed that the veteran forward will not participate in training camp as the sides work on a trade, sources tell @TheAthletic @Stadium. — Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) September 25, 2022 It came out Sunday afternoon that Crowder won’t be at the start Training camp opens on Monday. What does it mean? Well, an unhappy player can suddenly change their tune once an adjustment has been made to their contract. However, in this case, It feels as though Crowder is ready to move on from Phoneix.  What will Monty and James Jones say on Monday at media day about current owner Robert Sarver moving on from the team? Interesting day ahead.  Is this the beginning of the end for the current run of the Suns? It’s a fair question to ask… While some want to outright dismiss the idea of interim head coach Shaun Aguano getting the job as head football coach at Arizona State, I am not in their camp. Surround Aguano with solid coordinators and move forward. It’s just not that hard. There’s nothing wrong with thinking Cal head coach Justin Wilcox or Oregon OC Kenny Dillingham would make for a great hire(I’d take Matt Ruhle at Carolina). Still, Aguano brings something that none of the previously mentioned can deliver. He knows the lay of the land when it comes to the local recruiting scene. I’d be just fine today, if Agunao would be given the head coaching job… The Cardinal offense can’t keep leaning on the excuse that DeAndre Hopkios isn’t on the field. Allowing just twenty points to the Rams should be enough to win the game, but instead many failures on offense. Arirzona ran 81 plays on Sunday and didn’t get a touchdown. 81 plays!(the Rams ran 46)  Hollywood Brown caught a bunch of ball, so what. Another slow start leads the team to 1-2. FACT -The offense has had two good quarters in twelve periods so far this season… Let’s not forget that Kyler Murray has played well so far this season. No bad body language like in 2021. Why isn’t he under center more? There’s plenty of time for the Cardinals to get this figured out even without Hopkins, Rondle Moore and more… Isiah Simmons and Zaven Collins didn’t do much for the Arizona Caridnals defense once again on Sunday… It’s time to look at Liberty high school for the Open Division title in 2022… Casteel high school quarterback Landon Jury is playing as well as any quarterback across Arizona in 2022. He’s leading the tough Premiere Region in yards with 1027 yards through four games. A second-year starting quarterback, I’ve seen Jury in person three times this season; he’s much more confident than a season ago. His decision-making is terrific, colleges will be knocking on his door by the end of the season… Read More…

Va. Delegates In Primary Fight Head To Court After Shoving Accusation https://digitalarizonanews.com/va-delegates-in-primary-fight-head-to-court-after-shoving-accusation/ Two southwestern Virginia GOP delegates pitted against one another in recent redistricting had harsh words for one another Sunday after one pressed charges against the other for an alleged “shoulder slamming” at a regional Republican fundraiser. Delegates Marie March (R-Floyd) and Wren Williams (R-Patrick) were elected last fall, but now the state’s redistricting plan earlier this year has them facing off. Next year they’ll face each other in a primary for voters in Carroll, Floyd and Patrick counties. According to the lawmakers, they were at the annual 9th District Republican Celebration Saturday night in Wytheville. As Williams and his wife were exiting the party, through a group of people, his body touched March’s. He said it was accidental and that he didn’t even realize it was March, and that he apologized immediately. She said he intentionally bumped her and had been picking fights with friends of hers at the event all night. The event space was “massive” with lots of big rooms and empty spaces. “When he saw me, he kind of stomped over into this group of people until he could body slam me on the way out. He didn’t need to be within 30 feet of me. It was a bully tactic,” she said. “He kind of turned around and realized how bad it looked, and he goes, ‘Uh sorry,’ under his breath and kind of ran out the door,” March told The Washington Post. After the event, she said, police took her to a magistrate’s office to fill out a criminal complaint. In the case of an alleged misdemeanor, if the police don’t witness it, the citizens lodge the complaint, Lt. Bryan Bard of the Wytheville police told The Post. The complaint, a copy of which is in the Cardinal News — which covers Southern and Southwestern Virginia and reported the incident — alleges “my opponent intentionally pushed/shoulder slammed into me in front of a large group of people.” The complaint includes a court hearing for Nov. 21 in Wytheville. Michael Brame, March’s legislative aide, told The Post he was a few feet away Saturday night and that the moment followed “escalating bullying” by Williams. “He had interjected himself into several conversations. He would step in and give a very aggressive statement that wasn’t pertinent,” Brame said. On his way out of the event, Williams “in my belief deliberately bumped into her … She wasn’t harmed. It knocked her off-balance but didn’t knock her down. There is a considerable disparity in size” between the two lawmakers. In an interview, Williams called March “dangerous” and said he and his wife had wanted to avoid her that night because he believes she looks for situations to distort for political advantage. “This has been brewing for a long time.” “I think she is using this as a political hit job. This is a stunt because she has burned bridges and has no shot in continuing to represent these people,” he said. “This goes beyond politics. She has a pure hatred for anyone who crosses her. I can’t get over the fact that she would go to this extreme.” Wytheville police spoke to both delegates at the event, Bard said. Williams, a lawyer, won an upset primary victory in early 2021 against seven-term Del. Charles Poindexter, in part by sticking very closely to former president Donald Trump. Wren worked for Trump’s legal team challenging the vote count in Wisconsin. Then last fall he won three-quarters of the votes in his heavily-conservative region against a Democratic newcomer to politics. March, whose family conducts concealed-carry classes in their barbecue restaurants, won in an open seat, and attracted media attention after attending the rally on the Mall called by Trump on Jan. 6, 2021. Read More Here

Stock Futures Are Little Changed As Investors Prepare For The S&P 500 To Test Its June Low https://digitalarizonanews.com/stock-futures-are-little-changed-as-investors-prepare-for-the-sp-500-to-test-its-june-low/ Traders work on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange during morning trading on September 06, 2022 in New York City. Michael M. Santiago | Getty Images U.S. equity futures were little changed Sunday evening after surging interest rates and foreign currency turmoil pushed the major averages to near their lows of the year. Dow Jones Industrial Average futures rose 22 points, or 0.1%. S&P 500 futures and Nasdaq 100 futures were hovering just above the flat line. On Friday stocks ended a brutal week with the blue-chip Dow finding a new intraday low for the year and closing lower by 486 points. The broad-market S&P 500 temporarily broke below its June closing low and ended down 1.7%. The tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite lost 1.8%. Heading into the final week of trading for September, the Dow and S&P 500 are each down about 6% for the month, while the Nasdaq has lost 8%. The Dow and S&P are sitting about 1.2% and 1.6%, respectively, above their lows from the summer. The Nasdaq is 2.9% above its low. Investors were reacting to the Federal Reserve’s commitment to its rate hiking plan to help tame inflation. At the conclusion of the FOMC meeting, chair Jerome Powell said the central bank could raise rates as high as 4.6% before pulling back. The forecast also shows the Fed plans to stay aggressive this year, hiking rates to 4.4% before 2022 ends. “A lot of traders expected hints of a Fed pivot at Jackson Hole or at the September FOMC policy, but that never happened,” said Edward Moya, senior market analyst at Oanda. “A hard landing is becoming the base case scenario for many and that means more economic pain along with a much weaker stock market is coming.” Bond yields soared after the Fed enacted another rate hike of 75 basis points. The 2-year and 10-year Treasury rates hit highs not seen in over a decade. On Friday, Goldman Sachs slashed its year-end target for the S&P 500 to 3,600 from 4,300. “How far we go below the summer lows is anyone’s guess,” said Oanda’s Moya. “It doesn’t seem like any economic data release or Fed speak will convince markets that a downshift from this aggressive tightening campaign will be happening anytime soon.” Looking ahead, traders are anticipating the release of personal consumption expenditures data, the Fed’s preferred inflation gauge, on Friday. Durable goods and consumer sentiment numbers will also come out this week. A slew of Fed speakers — including Fed Vice Chair Lael Brainard, St. Louis Fed President James Bullard, San Francisco Fed President Mary Daly and Fed Governor Michelle Bowman — and Chair Powell are also scheduled to speak at various events this week. Fear often leads to short-term bottoms, says Truist’s Lerner Investors are mentally preparing to see the S&P 500 test its low of the year, and that could mean a shorter-term bottom, according to Truist’s chief market strategist Keith Lerner. “The increased probability of breaking the June S&P 500 price low may be what it takes to invoke even deeper fear,” Lerner said in a note. “Fear often leads to short-term bottoms. Importantly, as we saw in June, even if the market overshoots, snapbacks can be sharp and hard to time.” He added that with extreme selling having already taken place and stocks being oversold, it’s not the time to press a negative view. “In August, we had been advocating to reduce equities in the 4200-4300 range for the S&P 500 and a continued focus on increasing quality in portfolios,” he said. “In our view, the challenging macro environment is here to stay. This is not the time to be on offense. However, it doesn’t make sense to pile on to the negativity in the short term and become even more defensive after a large selloff has already occurred.” — Tanaya Macheel Futures open lower in pre-market trading Stock futures opened little changed on Sunday evening after the major averages suffered steep losses in the previous week, as Federal Reserve policy, surging interest rates and foreign currency turmoil spooked investors. Futures tied to the Dow Jones Industrial Average were down by just 40 points, while S&P 500 futures and Nasdaq 100 futures fell 0.1%. Futures tied to all three of the major averages quickly fell much lower soon after premarket trading began. — Tanaya Macheel Read More Here

Giorgia Meloni Set To Be Italy's Most Far-Right Prime Minister Since Mussolini — Exit Poll https://digitalarizonanews.com/giorgia-meloni-set-to-be-italys-most-far-right-prime-minister-since-mussolini-exit-poll/ (CNN)Italy will be led by the most far-right government since the fascist era of Benito Mussolini, early exit polls suggest. An alliance of far-right parties, led by Giorgia Meloni’s Brothers of Italy party — whose origins lie in post-war fascism — were on track to win between 41 and 45% of the vote in Sunday’s general election, according to data from the Rai exit pollster Piepoli. The ultra-conservative Brothers of Italy party looks likely to win between 22 and 26% of the vote, with coalition partners the League, led by Matteo Salvini, taking between 8.5 and 12.5% and Silvio Berlusconi’s Forza Italia scoring between 6 and 8% of the vote. As the leader of a far-right coalition, Meloni, a 45-year-old Euroskeptic firebrand, is now set to become Italy’s first female prime minister. Final results are expected early Monday. Meloni’s party has seen an astronomical rise in popularity in recent years, having won just 4.5% of the vote in the last elections, in 2018. Their popularity underscores Italy’s longstanding rejection of mainstream politics, seen most recently with the country’s support of anti-establishment parties such as the Five Star Movement and Salvini’s League. Celebrating the early results on Sunday evening, Salvini said on Twitter, “Center-right in clear advantage both in the House and in the Senate! It will be a long night, but already now I want to say THANK YOU.” Meloni, a 45-year-old mother from Rome who has campaigned under the slogan “God, country and family,” leads a party whose agenda is rooted in Euroskepticism, anti-immigration policies, and one that has also proposed curtailing LGBTQ and abortion rights. The center-left coalition, led by the left-wing Democratic Party and centrist party +Europe are set to win between 25.5% and 29.5% of the vote, while former prime minister Giuseppe Conte’s bid to revive the Five Star Movement appeared to have been unsuccessful, taking just 14 to 17% of the vote. Sunday’s snap national election was triggered by party infighting that saw the collapse of Prime Minister Mario Draghi’s government in July. Voters headed to the polls amid a number of new regulations, with voting hours also contained to one day rather than two. Other changes included a younger voting age for the Senate and a reduction in the number of seats to elect — down from 685 seats to 400 in the Senate and from 315 to 200 in the lower House of Parliament. That parliament is scheduled to meet on October 13, at which point the head of state will call on party leaders to decide on the shape of the new government. The buildup to the election was dominated by hot-button issues including Italy’s cost-of-living crisis, a 209-billion euro package from the European Covid-19 recovery fund and the country’s support for Ukraine. Meloni differs from coalition partner leaders Berlusconi and Salvini on a number of issues, however, including Ukraine, and has no connection to Russian President Vladimir Putin, unlike the pair, who have said they would like to review sanctions against Russia because of their impact on the Italian economy. Meloni has instead been steadfast in her support for defending Ukraine. The incoming prime minister — the sixth in just eight years — will be tasked in tackling those challenges, with soaring energy costs and economic uncertainty among the country’s most pressing. And while Meloni is slated to make history as Italy’s first female prime minister, her politics do not mean that she is necessarily interested in advancing women’s rights. Emiliana De Blasio, adviser for diversity and inclusion at LUISS University in Rome told CNN Meloni is “not raising up at all questions on women’s rights and empowerment in general.” Sunday’s results come as other far-right parties in other European countries have marked recent gains, including the rise in Sweden’s anti-immigration party, Sweden Democrats — a party with neo-Nazi roots — who are expected to play a major role in the new government after winning the second largest share of seats at a general election earlier this month. And in France, while far-right ideologue Marine Le Pen lost the French presidential election to Emmanuel Macron in April, her share of the popular vote shifted France’s political center dramatically to the right. Read More Here