Jimmy Kimmel Shows Donald Trump Jr. And Eric Trump What Dad Really Thinks Of Them
Jimmy Kimmel Shows Donald Trump Jr. And Eric Trump What Dad Really Thinks Of Them https://digitalarizonanews.com/jimmy-kimmel-shows-donald-trump-jr-and-eric-trump-what-dad-really-thinks-of-them/
Jimmy Kimmel torched Donald Trump’s two adult sons on Thursday by offering his own interpretation of what the ex-president said in a wild Fox News interview earlier this week.
During the interview, Trump claimed he had the power to declassify documents with his mind when he was president.
“You can declassify just by saying, ‘It’s declassified.’ Even by thinking about it,” Trump told Sean Hannity.
Kimmel called him “Harry Hou-dummy” over the claim.
“If Trump actually had the power to change things just by thinking about them, Don Jr. would’ve turned into a Big Mac 30 year ago,” Kimmel cracked.
In the same interview, Trump said the FBI took his will when they executed a search warrant at his home last month.
“That could cause a lot of problems if that gets published from people that won’t be so happy or maybe will be very happy,” Trump said.
“It would cause a lot of problems,” Kimmel conceded. “Because you’d have to explain to Eric why he’s not in it.”
See more in his Thursday night monologue:
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U.S. Aircraft Carrier Arrives In South Korea As Warning To North
U.S. Aircraft Carrier Arrives In South Korea As Warning To North https://digitalarizonanews.com/u-s-aircraft-carrier-arrives-in-south-korea-as-warning-to-north/
U.S. Navy aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan is anchored at a port in Busan, South Korea, September 23, 2022. REUTERS/Daewoung Kim
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BUSAN, South Korea, Sept 23 (Reuters) – A U.S. aircraft carrier arrived in South Korea on Friday for the first time in about four years, set to join other military vessels in a show of force intended to send a message to North Korea.
USS Ronald Reagan and ships from its accompanying strike group docked at a naval base in the southern port city of Busan.
Its arrival marks the most significant deployment yet under a new push to have more U.S. “strategic assets” operate in the area to deter North Korea.
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Strike group commander Rear Admiral Michael Donnelly told reporters aboard the ship that the visit had been long planned and was designed to build relations with South Korean allies and boost interoperability between the navies.
“We are leaving messaging to diplomats,” he said, when asked about any signal to North Korea, but added that joint drills were designed to ensure the allies were able to respond to threats anywhere at any time.
“It’s an opportunity for us to practice tactics and operations,” Donnelly said.
South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol has pushed for more joint exercises and other displays of military power as a warning to North Korea, which this year conducted a record number of missile tests after talks failed to persuade it to end its nuclear weapons and missile development.
Observers say Pyongyang also appears to be preparing to resume nuclear testing for the first time since 2017.
North Korea has denounced previous U.S. military deployments and joint drills as rehearsals for war and proof of hostile policies by Washington and Seoul.
Last week the United States vowed to “continue to deploy and exercise strategic assets in the region in a timely and effective manner to deter and respond to (North Korea) and enhance regional security,” and pointed to the carrier’s visit as “as a clear demonstration of such U.S. commitment.”
In announcing the visit, however, the U.S. Navy made no mention of North Korea, referring only to a “regularly scheduled port visit” and emphasising crew members visiting Busan to volunteer at orphanages and explore the K-pop music scene.
Officials declined to provide details of the upcoming joint drills, but said the carrier would be in port for “several days” while its crew visited Busan. Just hours after the ship docked, long lines of crewmembers formed as they took COVID-19 tests before being bused into the city.
One crew member, who asked not to be identified because they were not authorized to speak to the media, said that they were looking forward to a break but that the geopolitical tensions were a constant presence.
“You can’t ever really forget what we’re all here for,” the crew member told Reuters.
The visit is the first to South Korea by an American aircraft carrier since 2018. That year, the allies scaled back many of their joint military activities amid diplomatic efforts to engage with North Korea, but those talks have since stalled, and Pyongyang this month unveiled an updated law codifying its right to conduct first-use nuclear strikes to protect itself.
Questions have risen over the role the roughly 28,500 U.S. troops stationed in South Korea might play if conflict erupts over Taiwan.
Donnelly said such questions are for policymakers above him, but said that operating with like-minded allies such as South Korea is a key part of the U.S. Navy’s efforts to maintain the regional security and stability that has existed for more than seven decades.
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Reporting by Josh Smith; Editing by Lincoln Feast and Gerry Doyle
Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.
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Connie Cooper Eltman Obituary (2022) https://digitalarizonanews.com/connie-cooper-eltman-obituary-2022/
MARQUETTE, MI – Connie Cooper Eltman, age 73, of Marquette, entered eternal life Wednesday, September 21, 2022, at UP Health System – Marquette.
Connie was born May 28, 1949, in Hillsdale, Michigan, one of three daughters born to Emmett and Virginia (Lopresto) Cooper. She was raised in a traditional Sicilian neighborhood on St. Joe Street, where the large number of aunts, uncles, cousins, and extended family were very close. Connie was especially close with her twin sister, Bonnie, with whom she shared many adventures. Connie graduated from Hillsdale High School, Class of 1967, and relocated to Marquette and continued her education at Northern Michigan University, where she received her baccalaureate degree. She then began a 27 year career with Marquette General Hospital as a clinical social worker in counseling and substance abuse. During this time, she also enrolled in classes at Michigan State University, earning her Masters of Social Work Degree in 1997. She was later employed as a clinical psychological/addiction therapist at Catholic Social Services of Upper Michigan for over five years before finally offering her counseling services at Lac Vieux Desert Indian Reservation in Gogebic County prior to retiring in 2001.
In addition to her outstanding professional career, Connie also balanced additional roles of mother and homemaker. Her proudest accomplishment and love of her life was her son, Matthew. She was a devoted, loving, caring, and nurturing mom who willingly gave of her time (and sometimes finances) to drive him to his travel team hockey practices and games. She had a great impact on the younger generation and Matt’s friends were included in her sphere of influence. To many, she was like a second mom. She was an outstanding and creative cook who famously provided meals anytime of the day or night for Matt, his friends, and their friends, who came for a set mealtime or just wanted to hang out and be spoiled. The door was always open and she loved nothing better than providing a good meal for family and friends. A generation of Marquette hockey players and many of Matt’s friends remember her warm hospitality. For over thirty years, Connie and her soulmate, Patrick Landru, created wonderful seven course meals on New Years for Matt, his friends and their dates, showing their guests what good, quality European dining was all about. And then, there were the many Sunday “Soprano” dinners.
Throughout the years, Connie often welcomed many of Matt’s friends who simply stopped in, even when Matt was not at home. In addition to taking care of her family, Connie’s other interests included a love of gardening, growing flowers, painting, talking with folks and telling stories, and her interest in genealogy.
Connie is survived by her son, Matthew Cooper-Eltman of Phoenix, AZ; her life partner and soulmate, Patrick Landru of Marquette; a sister, Jeanne (William) Cooper-Kuiper of Muskegon; brother-in-law, Bob LaValle of Hillsdale; nieces and nephews, Brett Kyser, Jenna Kyser, Christopher Kuiper, Natasha Cusack, Sam Kuiper and Emily Kuiper; many great-nieces and great-nephews; and her canine companion, the Goldendoodle, Sophia.
Connie was preceded in death by her parents; and her twin sister, Bonnie Kyser-LaValle.
A Gathering of Family and Friends will be held at Fassbender Swanson Hansen Funeral and Cremation Services on Wednesday, September 28, from 5:00 pm until 7:00 pm. This will be an informal time for the sharing of memories, conversation, and snacks.
In lieu of flowers, memorials may be directed to the UP Children’s Museum, 123 W. Baraga Avenue, Marquette, MI 49855.
Condolences may be expressed online at fassbenderswansonhansen.com
To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Connie, please visit our floral store.
Published by Fassbender Swanson Hansen Funeral & Cremation Services on Sep. 23, 2022.
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Florence A. Smith-Woods Obituary (2022) https://digitalarizonanews.com/florence-a-smith-woods-obituary-2022/
Florence A. Smith-Woods, (nee Ruckstuhl) wife of the late John Ray Smith and Harry Woods, beloved mother of Donna Ann (Michael) Menner and James T. (Linda) Smith, sister of the late William and Richard Ruckstuhl, dear grandmother of Melissa (Barrington), Shannon (Kevin), Kimberly, James (Curry), Michael, and Stephanie (Nicholas), loving great-grandmother of Benjamin, Avery, Anthony, Alex, Isabelle, Katie, Kiley, Collin, Delaney, Anna, Kayla, and Allie, fond aunt of Debbie, Richard, Pam, and Carol Sue, daughter of the late Peter and Florence Ruckstuhl (nee Gibson). Sept. 15 at age 100. Resident of Chandler, AZ, formerly of Anderson Twp. Mass of Christian Burial at St. Jerome Church, California, OH on Tues. Sept. 27, at 10 AM. Friends may visit at T P WHITE & SONS Funeral Home 2050 Beechmont Ave. Mt. Washington on Tues. from 8-8:45 AM. Memorials to the Alzheimer’s Association.
Published by T.P. White & Sons Funeral Home on Sep. 23, 2022.
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Kenneth Dean Wylie Obituary (2022) https://digitalarizonanews.com/kenneth-dean-wylie-obituary-2022/
Obituary of Kenneth Dean Wylie
In Loving Memory Of
Kenneth Dean Wylie, born August 15, 1946, in Durango, Colorado to Arthur Wylie & Doris Vickers. Kenneth passed away on September 13, 2022, at his home in Mesa, Arizona with his family by his side. He married his sweetheart Carrie Wylie (Wilson) on May 2, 1980, in Aztec New Mexico. He spent most of his life driving trucks cross country and local, logging more than 2 million miles. He was survived by his wife of 42 years Carrie Wylie, 2 sisters Virginia Mason and Sharron Crawford, 1 brother Wes Wylie, 10 children Buffie (Jim) Klumpenhower of Gallup, New Mexico, Michael (Dawn) Wylie of Pahrump, Nevada, Emma Wylie-Diana of Norfolk, Virginia Naval Base, Kenny Wylie of Mesa, Arizona, Jacob Wylie of Mesa, Arizona, 4 children at home Jesse, Kendra, Emily and Caroline Wylie, 4 grandchildren Stephanie, Andrew, Joshua Klumpenhower and Luna Diana. He is preceded in death by his parents Art Wylie, Doris Vickers and sister Yvonne Toris. Memorial services will be held on September 30, 2022, 10am at The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saint, 3440 S. Signal Butte Mesa, Arizona 85212.
To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Kenneth Wylie, please visit Tribute Store
Published by Legacy Funeral Home – Rose Chapel – Mesa on Sep. 23, 2022.
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Hot Mic Catches South Korean Leader Swearing About US Lawmakers
Hot Mic Catches South Korean Leader Swearing About US Lawmakers https://digitalarizonanews.com/hot-mic-catches-south-korean-leader-swearing-about-us-lawmakers/
(CNN)A criticism of US lawmakers by the President of South Korea has gone viral on social media — after a hot mic picked him up using an expletive.
Yoon Suk Yeol appears to have made the remark after meeting US President Joe Biden at a conference for the Global Fund in New York on Wednesday.
In a video published by South Korean television broadcaster MBC on its official YouTube channel on Thursday, Yoon can be seen walking along the stage after chatting with Biden before turning to his aides and speaking.
“It would be so embarrassing for Biden if those f***ers at the National Assembly don’t approve of this [bill],” he then appears to say.
The Global Fund is an international organization trying to defeat HIV, TB and malaria across the developing world and Yoon’s remark appears to be a reference to Biden’s pledge to contribute $6 billion, which would require Congress approval.
The YouTube clip — which has not yet been taken down — has been viewed more than four million times since it was uploaded and drawn tens of thousands of comments.
Many social media users have taken to mocking Yoon, while the expletive he used has become a popular search term on the South Korean online portal Naver.
This is just the latest in what critics say is series of diplomatic miss-steps by Yoon, who arrived in New York this week for the United Nations General Assembly after attending the funeral for Queen Elizabeth II in London.
While in London, Yoon’s opponents accused him of disrespect because he missed the chance to view the queen’s coffin lying in state — which he blamed on heavy traffic.
Last month, he came under fire for failing to meet US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi when she visited South Korea as part of a tour of Asia.
Following what appears to be his latest foreign policy gaffe, Yoon’s team have gone on the defensive.
In a background briefing with reporters, a spokesperson for the South Korean Presidential official said the remark was “a private comment” and it was “inappropriate to connect a private comment to a diplomatic outcome.”
The official also said “it was regrettable” that Yoon was being criticized while keeping up with “a tough schedule for the benefit of national interest.”
Back in Seoul, South Korean Prime Minister Han Duck-soo addressed the issue at a National Assembly session on Thursday, saying it was “unclear” what Yoon had actually said.
“I don’t think I can make a clear conclusion here about the circumstances in which he said those words… but it seems that no one has clearly heard the content,” Han said.
His remarks were not lost on members of the opposition liberal party who commented on the issue at Thursday’s National Assembly.
“Diplomatic disasters are recurring under the Yoon Suk Yeol administration and this is due to the repeated diplomatic incompetence of the President,” they said.
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BLOW: Herschel Walker Says He https://digitalarizonanews.com/blow-herschel-walker-says-he/
For months, Herschel Walker refused to agree to debate Sen. Raphael Warnock in the Georgia Senate race.
Walker had also not debated any of his Republican primary challengers. He was riding a Donald Trump endorsement and the widespread resentment aimed at Warnock. There was no need for debate.
Also, based on his incoherent, often incomprehensible public statements, he was bound to be horrible at it.
Now the two candidates have finally agreed to a debate — on Oct. 14, in Savannah — and Walker has already begun to do what Republicans unprepared for the roles they run for often do: lower expectations for himself and raise them for his opponent.
Walker said last week about the debate:
“I’m this country boy, you know. I’m not that smart. And he’s a preacher. He’s a smart man, wears these nice suits. So he is going to show up and embarrass me at the debate Oct. 14, and I’m just waiting to show up and I’m going to do my best.”
Mr. Walker, I’m also a country boy. In fact, there were about 2,000 people in your hometown, Wrightsville, Ga., when you were born in 1962. My hometown, Gibsland, La., had about 1,400 people when I was born in 1970.
What does this mean as it relates to wisdom and intellect? Absolutely nothing.
Many American presidents were so-called country boys from small towns. Bill Clinton was from a small Arkansas town, Hope, which had a population of about 9,000 in 2020. Jimmy Carter’s hometown is Plains, Ga., with a 2020 population of about 760. And Ronald Reagan was born in Tampico, Ill., with a 2020 population of about 770.
Mr. Walker, I believe you when you say that you’re not smart. But intelligence has nothing to do with the size of your hometown or the quality of your suit. You are the personification of a game being played by Georgia Republicans: a wager that any Black Republican — in your case, an empty intellectual vessel — can beat the Black Democrat, a man who is thoroughly qualified and utterly decent.
Walker is Georgia Republicans’ attempt to undermine the image of Black competence, by making a mockery of Black people, by replacing a thinker with a toady.
It seems clear to me that Walker will inflate or deflate his intellect to fit a function. The truth is irrelevant. This is at the heart of Trumpism.
And this is all political strategy. Walker for years claimed to have graduated from the University of Georgia in the top 1 percent of his class, although he didn’t graduate from the school at all.
But when he was there, The New York Times reported, he had “a B average in criminal justice.”
Now he’s framing himself as not at all smart.
It is all an attempt to lower the bar of the debate so low that anyone, even Walker, can clear it.
This is the same approach that George W. Bush’s team used against Al Gore. As Karen Hughes, the Bush adviser overseeing his debate prep told The Times in 2016: “Keeping quiet was a way to keep expectations low for Gov. Bush. In debates, you run against expectations almost as much as you run against your opponent.”
The debate was scored by many as a win by Bush, who came across as “relatable,” while the clearly more knowledgeable Gore was chastised for sighing during the debate and appearing exasperated with Bush, a dynamic that Politico magazine ranked as one of “the eight biggest unforced errors in debate history.”
It is the same tactic Trump used against Hillary Rodham Clinton, clearly the most qualified of the two for the presidency. As The Atlantic wrote at the time:
“Through a combination of months of campaigning, leaks about his debate prep, and aggressive working of the referees, Trump has set expectations so low that it’s hard to imagine how he finishes the debate without getting positive reviews from mainstream commentators.”
And sure enough, that’s what happened. As a Times article put it the day after the debate:
“By the standards Mr. Trump, his team and we in the news media seemed to have set for the Republican nominee, Mr. Trump cleared the bar. He stayed more or less in control, never directly insulted Mrs. Clinton and did not create new controversies over policy.”
Now it’s time for Walker to take a swing, playing the same game, and the media is playing into it in predictable ways.
As Georgia Public Broadcasting wrote last week: “Simply appearing on the debate stage is more than what many politics watchers expected of Walker, and even a tepid debate performance could assuage some fears about his campaign and could reiterate his message and celebrity status just two days before in-person early voting begins.”
Enough of this foolishness. Enough giving the unqualified undue lenience. Enough of giving laurels for simply bare-minimum composure and demerits for knowledge and acumen.
Whether Warnock embarrasses Walker or Walker embarrasses himself or there is no embarrassment to be had during the debate is not the point. The point is that Warnock is a serious, competent candidate, and Walker is clearly a tool of his party — a Black former athlete hand-picked by Trump to take down a highly educated Black clergyman who was elected by a coalition led by an ascendant Black electorate in the state.
No one on the night of debate — no matter how it unfolds, no matter how the much the media sacrifices message to mannerism — can change these truths.
When Herschel Walker tells you he’s not that smart, believe him.
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Trump News Live: Special Master Calls Ex-Presidents Bluff Over Allegedly Planted Papers
Trump News – Live: Special Master Calls Ex-President’s Bluff Over Allegedly Planted Papers https://digitalarizonanews.com/trump-news-live-special-master-calls-ex-presidents-bluff-over-allegedly-planted-papers/
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NY probe found potential crimes. Why isn’t Trump in cuffs?
New York’s attorney general says her three-year investigation of former President Donald Trump uncovered potential crimes in the way he ran his real estate empire, including allegations of bank and insurance fraud. So why isn’t Trump being prosecuted?
The state’s law is complicated. Letitia James, the attorney general, is bound by restrictions on what criminal investigations she can actually launch herself without partnering with local prosecutors. And those investigations have yet to bear fruit against Mr Trump himself, though his CFO Allen Weisselberg last month plead guilty to felony charges.
Read more about the intricacies of the New York investigations in The Independent:
John Bowden23 September 2022 05:15
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Trump flinging paper towels at Puerto Rico residents resurfaces as Biden pledges full support after hurricane
Videos of Donald Trump tossing paper towels into a crowd of Puerto Rico residents in October 2017 have resurfaced on social media, as president Joe Biden pledged full support for the island, which has once again been struck by a natural disaster.
Read the full story by Gustaf Kilander here:
Maroosha Muzaffar23 September 2022 04:45
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Three key questions Ginni Thomas must answer in January 6 panel interview
Ginni Thomas, wife of Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas, is set to give unprecedented testimony to the Jan 6 panel regarding her role in the effort to overturn the 2020 election.
Her involvement in the pro-Trump scheme has cast a massive shadow on the work of the Supreme Court, which already faced historic concerns about its legitimacy from the American public.
There are several questions that Ms Thomas is in a unique position to answer, both regarding her own activities as well as those of White House staff in the weeks leading up to the attack as well as the day of January 6 itself.
Read more from John Bowden:
John Bowden23 September 2022 04:15
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Trump’s legal woes mount without protection of presidency
Donald Trump’s growing storm of legal battles illustrates just how much protection he was being afforded as president — and how that all has come to an end.
Mr Trump’s own attorneys have illustrated that fact as they have refused to support their own client’s argument that any of the documents seized by FBI agents were declassified (so far).
Read more in The Independent about the evolving nature of Donald Trump’s post-presidential legal defences:
Trump’s legal woes mount without protection of presidency
Donald Trump’s latest legal troubles – sweeping fraud allegations by New York’s attorney general and a stark repudiation by federal judges he appointed – have laid bare the challenges piling up as the former president operates without the protections afforded by the White House
John Bowden23 September 2022 03:15
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How Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez inadvertently sparked the New York attorney general’s Trump lawsuit
As New York’s attorney general announces a massive civil lawsuit aimed at holding Donald Trump accountable for allegedly fraudulent business practices, the spotlight is returning to Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and her questioning of a former Trump ally that led to this week’s news.
In 2019, Mr Cohen testified against his former boss before the House Oversight & Government Reform Committee. At the time, Ms Ocasio-Cortez asked questions about whether Mr Trump ever provided inflated assets to an insurance company.
Letitia James acknowledged Ms Ocasio-Cortez’s role this week, declaring: “I will remind everyone that this investigation only started after Michael Cohen, the former lawyer, his former lawyer, testified before Congress and shed light on this misconduct.”
Read more in The Independent:
John Bowden23 September 2022 02:15
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Pro-Trump host Alex Jones shouts ‘I’m done apologising’ at Sandy Hook parents crying in court
The second defamation trial of Alex Jones got off to a rocky start this week as the beleaguered Infowars host continues to face comeuppance for abetting years’ worth of right-wing harassment at the families of slain elementary schoolers.
The courtroom in Connecticut descended into chaos on Thursday as the far-right conspiracy theorist took the stand in his defamation case and refused to acknowledge any responsibility for causing a decade of harassment to the victims’ families.
“I’ve already said I’m sorry hundreds of times. And I’m done saying sorry,” he shouted across the courtroom.
Read more from Rachel Sharp:
John Bowden23 September 2022 01:15
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Trump fires off torrent of Truth Social posts about 2024 run: ‘History is calling Donald Trump’
Amid a torrent of criminal investigations and lawsuits blaming him for fraudulent business practices, Donald Trump is trying to gin up support for a 2024 run.
That’s how the ex-president spent his day on Thursday, as he turned to his Truth Social platform to get the word out among his closest fans.
In one pair of posts, Mr Trump linked to a text on the website American Thinker with the headline “Donald Trump Must Be The 2024 Republican Nominee” before linking to a CNN report stating that “Trump fields calls from Republican allies to speed up 2024 bid after FBI raid”.
Read more from Gustaf Kilander:
John Bowden23 September 2022 00:15
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Mike Lindell under investigation over identity theft and damage to computer connected to voting machine
Mike Lindell’s efforts to aid Donald Trump and the campaign to overturn the 2020 election may have finally gotten him into trouble.
NBC News reported on Wednesday that the hybrid pillow vendor and political operative is under federal investigation for a number of serious crimes related to his efforts to prove that widespread voter fraud or other election-related shenanigans cost Donald Trump the election in 2020.
Read more from John Bowden:
John Bowden22 September 2022 23:45
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Trump lawyers ordered to say whether they believe FBI planted evidence
The Brooklyn federal judge in charge of reviewing the 11,000 documents which the FBI seized from former president Donald Trump’s home during an 8 August search has ordered the ex-president’s legal team to declare one way or the other whether they believe agents planted evidence to incriminate the former president.
The baseless accusations have floated for weeks, shared by the president himself and his closest allies. They’ve sparked conspiracies among his fans of a FBI-led political campaign to destroy Mr Trump, and led to an increase in violent threats targeting the agency.
In an order released on Thursday, the special master called for by Mr Trump’s team gave those attorneys until 30 September to say whether any of the items on the 11-page inventory provided by the department are described incorrectly.
Read more in The Independent:
John Bowden22 September 2022 23:15
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Trump to host fundraiser for right-wing GOP candidate
Donald Trump will host a fundraiser next month for Dan Cox, the Republican nominee for governor in Maryland, at his Mar-a-Lago estate.
Mr Cox has bought in to the former president’s falsehoods about the 2020 election and was not endorsed for the nomination (or, so far, for the office at all) by Maryland’s incumbent retiring GOP governor, Larry Hogan. His victory in the GOP primary was one instance in which Democrats successfully boosted, through tactical campaign spending, an election denier against a more moderate opponent in a Republican-on-Republican matchup.
Read more at The Hill from Julia Manchester.
John Bowden22 September 2022 22:45
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Trump's Strategy In The Classified Documents Case Is Quickly Crumbling | CNN Politics
Trump's Strategy In The Classified Documents Case Is Quickly Crumbling | CNN Politics https://digitalarizonanews.com/trumps-strategy-in-the-classified-documents-case-is-quickly-crumbling-cnn-politics/
02:03 – Source: CNN
Top Republican senators reject Trump’s declassification comments
CNN —
No judge would put it this crudely, but the court system is effectively telling Donald Trump to put up or shut up about his wild claims and outlandish defenses over his hoarding of classified information at his Florida resort.
The case has taken a turn against the former President and towards the Justice Department in recent days, suggesting that the classic Trumpian legal strategy of delay, denial and distraction is not working as well as usual.
In a sign of the how quickly Trump’s position may be eroding in this particular drama, several Republican senators took the unusual step of criticizing his handling of the documents on Thursday, despite his firm hold over their party.
In the latest developments, a third-party judge acting as a special master Thursday gave the Trump legal team until the end of next week to formally declare whether they believe his claim that the FBI planted incriminating evidence at Mar-a-Lago during a search last month. This came a day after an appeals court delivered a blow to Trump by ruling that his team had failed to show evidence to support his claims that he as President had declassified the roughly 100 secret documents the FBI took from his home.
In a sense, Trump is being given his day in court and every chance to prove his statements. He is being investigated by the Justice Department for possible violations of the Espionage Act and obstruction of justice regarding the mishandling of classified documents. There is no indication so far that he will be charged.
The search, an unprecedented step against a former president, provoked questions over whether the DOJ had overreached given the fraught political sensitivity of the case – particularly because Trump has shown every sign that he’s preparing another run for the White House in 2024.
But if the former President cannot prove his allegations, as many outside observers expect, his legal position will deteriorate considerably.
The tell here may be that Trump’s lawyers, who understand they cannot lie under oath, have not repeated many of the ex-President’s statements before a judge. The latest twists in the case are therefore jamming them between their obligation to tell the truth and their client who has a famously flexible concept of facts and reality.
The former President’s strategy is a familiar one, and has been remarkably successful for much of his long and controversial business and political careers.
Trump often substitutes a legal defense for a public relations one, blasting away at institutions, government departments, courts, officials and the media that attempt to impose accountability or call on him to justify his allegations with fact. His strong support among grassroots GOP supporters reflect Trump’s talent in creating a version of events that can become a politically potent narrative.
Often, it seems that Trump makes up a new counter-attack on the spot to get him through a particularly dicey moment, as when he told Sean Hannity of Fox News on Wednesday that a president could simply declassify a document by thinking about it in his head – an absurd derogation of intelligence processes.
This approach flounders, however, when allegations that function well as a political strategy come up against the factual threshold of a courtroom where statements must be made under penalty of perjury.
“The power of our courts is that they have a way of bringing out the truth,” CNN legal analyst Elie Honig said on “Erin Burnett OutFront” on Thursday, adding that anyone could say what they wanted in public or in the media. “But when you step into a court, ultimately, and it’s happening here sooner rather than later, the judge or the jury will say, ‘Fine that’s your allegation, now prove it.’”
The tension between Trump’s public statements and what is admissible in court now playing out in the classified documents case is reminiscent of what happened after the 2020 election. Trump and his political cronies made extreme allegations of voter fraud and cheating in public. But their claims were repeatedly thrown out by multiple courts when his lawyers either could not produce evidence or declined to repeat the allegations before a judge.
Unless the former President can provide credible evidence for FBI wrongdoing and that he went through a legal declassification process for the documents soon, he is likely to have more bad days in court to match those he experienced this week.
“It’s just going to expose this lie. The lawyers know they can’t lie to the judge, they could get sanctioned, they could get disbarred,” Dave Aronberg, state attorney for Palm Beach County, Florida, said on “The Situation Room with Wolf Blitzer.”
“Trump can say whatever he wants in the public with impunity, but it’s different for his lawyers,” added Aronberg, who is a Democrat.
Fresh twists in a case that has transfixed the political world came when Judge Raymond Dearie, the court-appointed special master, said in a filing Thursday that Trump’s team must submit a sworn declaration saying whether they believe the Justice Department included items on their “inventory” of materials taken from Mar-a-Lago that were not actually seized during the search.
Trump’s claims to this effect soon after the search triggered a political furor, and were widely picked up by conservative media hosts and even by some prominent GOP lawmakers on Capitol Hill. But there may now be a price for Trump to pay.
It was the second time this week that Dearie, who was suggested for the role of special master to filter documents taken from Mar-a-Lago by the ex-President’s team, had delivered a blow to his defense. After Trump’s lawyers declined to assert in court that Trump had declassified documents he took to the resort, Dearie told them, “You can’t have your cake and eat it.”
In the other big move in the case this week, the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals overturned a lower court’s ruling that prevented the Justice Department from examining around 100 classified documents that were taken from Mar-a-Lago. Once again, judges – two of whom on the three-judge panel were appointed by Trump – quibbled with the idea that the documents had been declassified.
“The record contains no evidence that any of these records were declassified. And before the special master, Plaintiff resisted providing any evidence that he had declassified any of these documents,” the court ruling said.
This came on the same day that Trump’s legal exposure on multiple fronts deepened when the state of New York filed a civil suit against him, three of his adult children and the Trump Organization alleging huge insurance and tax fraud and seeking a range of severe penalties. Trump said that he is a victim of another example of political persecution and denied the allegations against him.
The apparent erosion in Trump’s legal position is causing a simultaneous softening of the ex-President’s support base among senior senators in his party.
Asked about Trump’s claim on Fox News that he could simply declassify documents by thinking about it, Senate GOP Whip John Thune told CNN there’s a process for declassifying documents.
“I think it ought to be adhered to and followed. And I think that should apply to anybody who has access to or deals with classified information,” the South Dakota Republican said.
Sen. Thom Tillis, a Republican from North Carolina who sits on the Senate Judiciary Committee, told CNN that he believes there’s a process that must be followed by a President to declassify the records.
“I believe there’s a formal process that needs to go through, that needs to be gone through and documented,” Tillis said “And to the extent they were declassified, gone through the process, that’s fine. … As I understand the Executive Branch requirements, there is a process that one must go through.”
Sen. Mike Rounds, a South Dakota Republican who sits on the Senate Armed Services Committee, called the handling of classified documents a “very serious” issue.
“People can get hurt, people can get killed if it’s not stored correctly, and if that information gets out,” Rounds told CNN’s Manu Raju.
Other GOP senators sidestepped questions about the matter.
“I think there’s prerogative on the part of the President to declassify,” Indiana Sen. Mike Braun said, showing that while the ex-President’s legal strategy may increasingly be in tatters, there are still Republican lawmakers who fear paying a political price for crossing him.
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Australia Stocks Slide 2%; Asian Markets Drop As Investors Weigh Fed Hike
Australia Stocks Slide 2%; Asian Markets Drop As Investors Weigh Fed Hike https://digitalarizonanews.com/australia-stocks-slide-2-asian-markets-drop-as-investors-weigh-fed-hike/
An electronic board displays stock information at the Australian Securities Exchange, operated by ASX Ltd., in Sydney, Australia, on Tuesday, Feb. 6, 2018.
Brendon Thorne | Bloomberg via Getty Images
Asia-Pacific shares fell on Friday as investors continue to weigh the Federal Reserve’s aggressive stance.
In Australia, the S&P/ASX 200 fell 2.28% on its return to trade after a holiday on Thursday. South Korea’s Kospi dipped 1.82% and the Kosdaq declined 2.49%.
Hong Kong’s Hang Seng index lost 0.85%. Mainland China stocks were also lower, with the Shanghai Composite shedding 1.08% and the Shenzhen Component losing 1.769%.
MSCI’s broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan was down 1.42%. Japan markets were closed for a holiday Friday.
Elsewhere in Asia, inflation in Malaysia came in at 4.7% for August, in line with expectations. Singapore is also slated to report August’s consumer price index data.
On Wall Street overnight, stocks fell for a third consecutive day over recession fears following the Fed’s latest 75-basis-point rate hike.
The S&P 500 was 0.8% lower at 3,757.99, while the Nasdaq Composite lost 1.4% to 11,066.81. The Dow Jones Industrial Average dipped 107.10 points, or 0.3%, to 30,076.68.
— CNBC’s Samantha Subin and Sarah Min contributed to this report.
Singapore, Malaysia inflation for August expected to accelerate
Core inflation in Singapore is expected to rise to 5% in August from a year ago, up from 4.8% in July, according to a Reuters poll of economists.
Headline inflation is set to increase to 7.2%, compared with July’s 7% print.
In neighboring Malaysia, the consumer price index for August is predicted to rise to 4.7%, a faster pace than July’s 4.4%, another Reuters poll forecasts.
— Abigail Ng
Nomura downgrades China’s 2023 growth outlook
Nomura downgraded its forecast for China’s 2023 annual growth to 4.3% from 5.1%.
Analysts cited a potentially prolonged Covid-zero policy or a spike in the nation’s infections after a possible reopening in March.
The latest downgrade comes after Goldman Sachs lowered its outlook earlier this week to 4.5% from 5.3%.
William Ma of Grow Investment Group told CNBC’s “Street Signs Asia” he’s optimistic on policy changes he sees coming after the People’s Party Congress in mid-October.
—Jihye Lee
CNBC Pro: Is it time to buy Treasurys? Here’s how to allocate your portfolio, according to the pros
Australia’s S&P Global flash PMI shows growth in private sector
Australia’s flash manufacturing Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI) rose slightly to 53.9 in September from 53.8 in August, according to data from S&P Global.
The flash services PMI ticked higher to 50.4 in September, compared with 50.2 in August.
“The latest survey data indicated that the manufacturing sector was the primary driver of Australia’s private sector growth during September,” S&P Global wrote in a release.
“The service sector, though expanding more quickly than in August, saw activity rise only marginally with activity and new business growth rates remaining below the historical averages,” it said.
— Abigail Ng
Japanese yen hovers around 142 against the U.S dollar
The Japanese yen traded at 142.33 against the greenback in Asia’s morning the day after Japanese authorities said they intervened in the currency market for the first time since 1998.
The yen strengthened to 140-levels before heading back to 142-levels.
“In our view, the Ministry of Finance [in Japan] needs to convince the U.S. Treasury to join the intervention,” Joseph Capurso of the Commonwealth Bank of Australia wrote in a Friday note, adding solo intervention by Japan “fails within a few weeks.”
— Abigail Ng
CNBC Pro: Back hedge funds to outperform equities and bonds this year, UBS says
As both stocks and bond prices fall simultaneously, hedge funds have broadly outperformed and are “well placed to navigate current market volatility,” according to a new report by UBS.
As market volatility persists, the Swiss bank shared the types of hedge funds it prefers.
Pro subscribers can read more here.
— Ganesh Rao
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Arizona To Become Fourth State To Allow Some Lane Filtering For Motorcyclists
Arizona To Become Fourth State To Allow Some Lane Filtering For Motorcyclists https://digitalarizonanews.com/arizona-to-become-fourth-state-to-allow-some-lane-filtering-for-motorcyclists/
PHOENIX (3TV/CBS 5) — Arizona will become the fourth state to allow motorcycle lane filtering in some situations. Lane filtering or lane sharing is when motorcycle riders are allowed to pass between your car and the one next to you.
The law doesn’t give bikers the ability to ride in between traffic on the highways. It’s only legal on surface streets where the speed limit is 45 miles per hour or less. They can only pass stopped vehicles, and the motorcycle cannot go faster than 15 mph. There also needs to be at least two lanes of traffic going in the same direction.
Advocates say the new law isn’t the same as lane splitting, which allows a motorcycle rider to go between rows of cars at regular speeds. Instead, supporters said this law will enable riders to go to the front of the line at a stoplight so they’re not sandwiched between two cars and can avoid being rear-ended.
Bikers we spoke with say this law will keep the roads safer. Bill Seltzer, with Arizona Motorcyclists Training Centers, says this will allow motorcyclists to get ahead of traffic. “For a motorcyclist to get to the front of the queue or the line and be able to create time and pace in front of traffic, that’s really important. If we’re stuck in amongst cars we’re really difficult to see so being able to get out in front makes us more visible,” said Seltzer.
Seltzer says this law should reduce how many times motorcyclists are rear-ended, but he added the biker still has a responsibility. You should only pass through traffic when it is safe to do so.
The law passed back in March 2022. To read more about the law, click/tap here.
Copyright 2022 KTVK/KPHO. All rights reserved.
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Britain Pursues 'trickle-Down Economics' Despite Scorn From Biden. And The Stakes Are Sky-High
Britain Pursues 'trickle-Down Economics' Despite Scorn From Biden. And The Stakes Are Sky-High https://digitalarizonanews.com/britain-pursues-trickle-down-economics-despite-scorn-from-biden-and-the-stakes-are-sky-high/
British Prime Minister Liz Truss and U.S. President Joe Biden formally met for the first time at the United Nations General Assembly in New York City, following clashes in economic policy between the two leaders.
Wpa Pool | Getty Images
LONDON — The British government is set to announce sweeping tax cuts for businesses and the wealthy Friday, in a controversial mini-budget showcasing the lengths to which new Prime Minister Liz Truss is willing to go to overhaul U.K. economic policy even as it draws political ire.
Truss — whose “Trussonomics” policy stance has been likened to that of her political idols Ronald Reagan and Margaret Thatcher — has said she is willing to slash taxes at the top end of the economic spectrum in a bid to boost U.K. growth, in a strategy typically dubbed “trickle-down” economics.
But the approach, which comes as Britain faces its worst cost-of-living crisis in decades, has attracted criticism from both U.K. political opponents and Downing Street’s hereto closest international ally — the U.S. president.
Biden, in a tweet Tuesday, said he was “sick and tired of trickle-down economics,” adding “it has never worked.”
Downing Street said it was “ludicrous” to suggest the comment was aimed at Truss, according to the FT. The White House did not immediately respond to CNBC’s request for comment.
It came a day before the pair formally met for the first time in New York Wednesday, after which Truss tweeted that “the U.K. and U.S. are steadfast allies.”
What is expected in the mini-budget?
The U.K.’s growth-focused, mini-budget, which will be announced Friday by the U.K.’s new Finance Minister Kwasi Kwarteng, is expected to include plans to scrap planned corporation tax hikes, an end to the cap on bankers bonuses and a potential cut to stamp duty, the tax paid on house purchases.
Kwarteng also confirmed ahead of time Thursday that the government will reverse a recent hike in the taxes employees pay on earnings, known as National Insurance.
I don’t accept this argument that cutting taxes is somehow unfair.
Liz Truss
U.K. prime minister
Critics, including Britain’s opposition Labour party, have argued that such measures disproportionately benefit the wealthy. Higher earners will receive greater relative savings from the tiered NI levy than lower earners, for instance, while pensioners and those on benefits will be exempt from the savings.
Still, Truss said Tuesday she was willing to be unpopular if needed to kick-start the U.K. economy.
“I don’t accept this argument that cutting taxes is somehow unfair,” she told Sky News.
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“What we know is people on higher incomes generally pay more tax so when you reduce taxes there is often a disproportionate benefit because those people are paying more taxes in the first place,” she added.
More detail is also expected on a previously announced cap on energy bills for households and businesses, which have been pushed higher following Russia’s war in Ukraine.
A ‘critical moment’ for U.K. economy
On Thursday, the central bank implemented its seventh consecutive rate hike, increasing its base rate by 0.5% to 2.25%. Sterling rose marginally on the announcement but remains at multidecade lows against the dollar.
Analysts have said that the announcement will mark a “critical moment” for the direction of the U.K. economy, with both the government and the central bank, which operate independently, seemingly pulling in opposite directions.
“The bank, looking to dampen consumer demand, and government, looking to increase growth, could now be pulling in opposite directions,” David Bharier, head of research at business group the British Chambers of Commerce, said in a note Thursday.
Questions have also been raised over how the policies will be funded, with tax cuts expected to lead to higher borrowing. Truss has argued that resultant growth will bring in more revenue which will cover those borrowing costs.
“The need to increase future borrowing coming alongside the ongoing tightening measures being undertaken by the central bank – this has the potential to continue to increase future borrowing costs,” Niall O’Sullivan, chief investment officer, multi-asset strategies, EMEA at Neuberger Berman, said.
Matthew Ryan, head of market strategy at global financial services firm Ebury, put those borrowing costs at an estimated £200 billion ($225 billion).
“With everything said and done, we estimate that the government’s spending package may well exceed £200 billion over the next two years, laying waste to the existing plans for fiscal consolidation,” he told CNBC via email.
Ryan noted that the government’s fiscal measures could “significantly lessen the possibility of a deep and prolonged UK recession,” but added that risks remain in terms of elevated inflation over the medium term and increases to the U.K.’s public deficit and net debt levels.
The Bank of England said Thursday that is was possible that the U.K. was already in a recession.
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AP News Summary At 10:30 P.m. EDT https://digitalarizonanews.com/ap-news-summary-at-1030-p-m-edt/
Trump’s legal woes mount without protection of presidency
WASHINGTON (AP) — Donald Trump’s latest legal troubles — sweeping fraud allegations by New York’s attorney general and a stark repudiation by federal judges he appointed — have laid bare the challenges piling up as the former president operates without the protections afforded by the White House. The bluster and bravado that served him well in the political arena are less handy in a legal realm dominated by verifiable evidence, where judges this week have looked askance at his positions. This week alone, he has been sued in New York and a federal appeals court has sharply rejected his legal team’s arguments about documents seized from his Florida home.
US urges world to tell Russia to stop its nuclear threats
UNITED NATIONS (AP) — The United States is urging other nations to tell Russia to stop making nuclear threats and end “the horror” of its war in Ukraine. All three countries’ top diplomats spoke at a high-profile U.N. Security Council meeting. But they didn’t quite meet. Held alongside the annual U.N. General Assembly gathering of world leaders, the session followed a striking development in the war this week. Russia called up a portion of its reserves for the first time since World War II. At the same time, President Vladimir Putin said his nuclear-armed country would “use all means available to us” to defend itself if its territory is threatened.
Tears and hugs for Russians called up to fight in Ukraine
ZAPORIZHZHIA, Ukraine (AP) — Russia is escalating its military and political campaign to take over Ukrainian territory. Russian army reservists were rounded up to fight while pro-Moscow authorities prepared for voter referendums starting Friday that could lead to the annexation of four Russian-held regions of Ukraine. A day after President Vladimir Putin ordered a partial mobilization to bolster his troops in Ukraine, dramatic scenes of tearful families bidding farewell to men departing from military mobilization centers in Russia appeared Thursday on social media. Germany’s interior minister offered concrete support to potential deserters. She said that anyone who “courageously opposes Putin’s regime and therefore puts himself in the greatest danger” can apply for asylum.
Biden vows US won’t walk away from storm-struck Puerto Rico
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CLASSIFIED DOCUMENTS PROBE: Trumps Path To Stall Criminal Investigation Narrows After Legal Setbacks
CLASSIFIED DOCUMENTS PROBE: Trump’s Path To Stall Criminal Investigation Narrows After Legal Setbacks https://digitalarizonanews.com/classified-documents-probe-trumps-path-to-stall-criminal-investigation-narrows-after-legal-setbacks/
Former US president Donald Trump speaks during the America First Agenda Summit at the Marriott Marquis hotel, 26 July 2022, in Washington, DC. (Photo: Drew Angerer / Getty Images)
Trump has experienced disappointments on multiple fronts this week as his lawyers try to slow down the Justice Department investigation that kicked into high gear with an August 8 court-approved search of his Mar-a-Lago residence in which FBI agents found 11,000 documents, including about 100 marked as classified.
A three-judge panel of the Atlanta-based 11th US Circuit Court of Appeals on Wednesday ruled that federal investigators could immediately resume examining the classified records, reversing Florida-based US District Judge Aileen Cannon’s decision to wall off these documents while an independent arbiter assesses whether any should be withheld as privileged.
“Cannon’s ruling is so far out of the norm, and the 11th Circuit did such a good job of thoroughly dismantling her opinion,” said Jonathan Shaub, a former attorney in the Justice Department’s Office of Legal Counsel who now teaches law at the University of Kentucky.
Trump may appeal the 11th Circuit’s ruling to the Supreme Court, but experts doubted the justices would agree to hear it. The 11th Circuit’s panel included two judges appointed by Trump.
At issue in the investigation – one of several legal woes entangling Trump as he considers another run for the presidency in 2024 – is whether he broke federal laws preventing the destruction or concealment of government records and the unauthorised possession of national defence information. The Justice Department is also looking into whether Trump unlawfully tried to obstruct the investigation.
Trump has not been charged with any crime and the mere existence of an investigation does not mean he will be.
As part of Trump’s counterattack against the investigation, he has made public claims that he personally declassified the seized records.
“If you’re the president of the United States, you can declassify just by saying it’s declassified, even by thinking it,” Trump told Fox News on Wednesday. “You’re sending it to Mar-a-Lago or wherever you’re sending it, and there doesn’t have to be a process.”
Trump’s lawyers, however, have stopped short of stating in court that he declassified the documents, though they have not conceded that they are classified.
The 11th Circuit called Trump’s declassification argument a “red herring”. The three statutes underpinning the FBI’s search warrant at Mar-a-Lago make it a crime to mishandle government records, regardless of their classification status. The 11th Circuit also said it could not discern why Trump would have “an individual interest in or need” for any of the documents marked as classified.
Trump’s lawyers did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
‘REAL EVIDENCE’
To make matters worse for Trump, Judge Raymond Dearie – the arbiter, or special master, named by Cannon to vet the seized documents – asked Trump’s lawyers on Tuesday why he should not consider records marked classified as genuinely classified. Read full story
Dearie pressed Trump’s lawyers to make clear whether they plan to assert that the records had been declassified as Trump claims.
Trump’s lawyers proposed Dearie to serve as special master.
“Unless Trump can come up with real evidence saying he went through some kind of declassification procedure and declassified this stuff, there’s no way he can prevail on this, and if he had that evidence his lawyers would have presented it,” said Ilya Somin, a law professor at George Mason University.
Even as he has stated that he declassified the records, Trump also has publicly suggested that the FBI planted them at Mar-a-Lago. Dearie on Thursday asked Trump’s lawyers to provide any evidence backing this up.
David Laufman, the Justice Department’s former head of counterintelligence, said Trump’s comments on Fox News were highly incriminating.
“Prosecutors must lick their chops every time Trump makes a public statement that is equivalent to making evidentiary admissions, like talking about sending documents marked classified down to Mar-a-Lago because, according to his account, he thought about declassifying them,” Laufman said.
“It was a great day for the rule of law,” Barbara McQuade, a former federal prosecutor and current law professor at the University of Michigan, said of the 11th Circuit’s ruling. “It says that the law matters more than anyone’s loyalty to a particular person.”
(Reporting by Luc Cohen and Sarah N Lynch.)
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AP News Summary At 10:30 P.m. EDT https://digitalarizonanews.com/ap-news-summary-at-1030-p-m-edt-2/
Trump’s legal woes mount without protection of presidency
WASHINGTON (AP) — Donald Trump’s latest legal troubles — sweeping fraud allegations by New York’s attorney general and a stark repudiation by federal judges he appointed — have laid bare the challenges piling up as the former president operates without the protections afforded by the White House. The bluster and bravado that served him well in the political arena are less handy in a legal realm dominated by verifiable evidence, where judges this week have looked askance at his positions. This week alone, he has been sued in New York and a federal appeals court has sharply rejected his legal team’s arguments about documents seized from his Florida home.
US urges world to tell Russia to stop its nuclear threats
UNITED NATIONS (AP) — The United States is urging other nations to tell Russia to stop making nuclear threats and end “the horror” of its war in Ukraine. All three countries’ top diplomats spoke at a high-profile U.N. Security Council meeting. But they didn’t quite meet. Held alongside the annual U.N. General Assembly gathering of world leaders, the session followed a striking development in the war this week. Russia called up a portion of its reserves for the first time since World War II. At the same time, President Vladimir Putin said his nuclear-armed country would “use all means available to us” to defend itself if its territory is threatened.
Tears and hugs for Russians called up to fight in Ukraine
ZAPORIZHZHIA, Ukraine (AP) — Russia is escalating its military and political campaign to take over Ukrainian territory. Russian army reservists were rounded up to fight while pro-Moscow authorities prepared for voter referendums starting Friday that could lead to the annexation of four Russian-held regions of Ukraine. A day after President Vladimir Putin ordered a partial mobilization to bolster his troops in Ukraine, dramatic scenes of tearful families bidding farewell to men departing from military mobilization centers in Russia appeared Thursday on social media. Germany’s interior minister offered concrete support to potential deserters. She said that anyone who “courageously opposes Putin’s regime and therefore puts himself in the greatest danger” can apply for asylum.
Biden vows US won’t walk away from storm-struck Puerto Rico
SAN SALVADOR, Puerto Rico (AP) — President Joe Biden says the full force of the federal government is ready to help Puerto Rico recover from the devastation of Hurricane Fiona. Speaking in New York Thursday, he said hundreds of FEMA and other federal officials are already on the ground with more help coming. He said his message to the people of Puerto Rico is: “We’re with you. We’re not going to walk away.” Meanwhile, Bermuda and Canada’s Atlantic provinces are preparing for a major blast from the Category 4 storm. It’s expected to pass overnight near Bermuda, where officials are opening shelters.
Officials: Navy bribery case fugitive tried to get to Russia
SAN DIEGO (AP) — Officials say a fugitive Malaysian defense contractor nicknamed “Fat Leonard” at the center of a Navy bribery scandal was trying to head to Russia before Venezuelan authorities captured him. Interpol Venezuela Director General Carlos Garate Rondon said in an Instagram post Wednesday that Leonard Glenn Francis would be handed over to Venezuelan officials to start extradition proceedings. U.S. officials say Francis was under home arrest in San Diego when he cut off his GPS ankle bracelet and escaped on Sept. 4, prompting an international manhunt. Francis was awaiting sentencing after pleading guilty in 2015 to bribing Navy officers to help his ship servicing company, then overcharging the military at least $35 million.
Celtics suspend coach Ime Udoka for 2022-23 season
BOSTON (AP) — The Boston Celtics have suspended coach Ime Udoka for the 2022-23 season. The move takes effect immediately and with no guarantee he will be back with the franchise. The Celtics said Thursday night that Udoka was suspended for “violations of team policies.” Earlier Thursday, two people with knowledge of the matter said Udoka was being sanctioned because of an improper relationship with a member of the organization. Those people spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the team did not reveal that detail publicly.
Millennials, assembled: At UN, younger leaders rise
Millennial leaders are rising at the United Nations General Assembly. Shaped by the borderless internet, growing economic inequality and an increasingly dire climate crisis, the Generation Y cohort of presidents, prime ministers, foreign ministers and other “excellencies” is making their mark at the largest gathering of world leaders. This week at the UN offers a glimpse of the latest generation of leaders in power, as a critical mass of them – born generally between 1981 and 1996 – now represent and rule countries in the Americas, Europe, Asia and Africa.
4.4M Americans roll up sleeves for omicron-targeted boosters
More than 4 million Americans have rolled up their sleeves for the new omicron-specific booster shots. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention posted the count Thursday. The new shots are designed to target the most common omicron strains of the coronavirus. The U.S. has ordered 171 million doses of the new boosters for the fall. The first hint of public demand for the new boosters comes as health experts lamented President Joe Biden’s recent remark on “60 Minutes” that “the pandemic is over.” The president later clarified his comment after facing heat from health experts, who worry the message might slow prevention efforts.
At least 9 killed as Iran protests over woman’s death spread
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Clashes between Iranian security forces and protesters have killed at least nine people since the violence erupted over the weekend. That’s according to a tally on Thursday by The Associated Press, based on statements from Iran’s state-run and semiofficial media. The demonstrations in Iran began as an outpouring of anger over the death last week of a young woman held by the country’s morality police for allegedly violating its strictly enforced dress code. The government has largely shut down internet access in an attempt to rein in the protests, in which many have called for the overthrow of Iran’s ruling clerics.
Alex Jones testifies in trial over his Sandy Hook hoax lies
WATERBURY, Conn. (AP) — Conspiracy theorist Alex Jones took the stand Thursday at his trial in Connecticut to try to limit the damages he must pay for calling the Sandy Hook school shooting a hoax. Jones acknowledged he had promoted lie that the 2012 shooting was a hoax, but angrily refused to keep apologizing for that. The trial in Waterbury is to decide damages for an FBI agent who responded to the school and the families of eight children and adults who died who sued Jones for defamation. Victims’ relatives have given emotional testimony during the trial’s first six days about being traumatized by people who say the shooting was fake.
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
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Alex Jones Admonished By Judge As Sandy Hook Defamation Trial Goes Off The Rails | CNN Business
Alex Jones Admonished By Judge As Sandy Hook Defamation Trial Goes Off The Rails | CNN Business https://digitalarizonanews.com/alex-jones-admonished-by-judge-as-sandy-hook-defamation-trial-goes-off-the-rails-cnn-business/
New York CNN Business —
Conspiracy theorist Alex Jones tangled Thursday in an explosive courtroom exchange with an attorney for families of Sandy Hook victims who have sued him in Connecticut, prompting an admonishment from the judge and warning that they could be held in contempt if they violate court rules moving forward.
The warning from a frustrated Judge Barbara Bellis came during the trial that will determine how much Jones must pay the families of Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting victims for his lies about the massacre.
Christopher Mattei, an attorney for the families, questioned the far-right media personality about his false claim that the 2012 shooting in which 26 people were killed was a “hoax,” prompting Jones to grow angry and attack him.
Jones accused Mattei of being disingenuous and said he was guilty of “ambulance chasing” before descending into a rant in court about “liberals.”
Bellis, who had previously warned Jones that some of his outbursts were a violation of court rules, reminded the Infowars founder that he was in a “court of law” and is required to follow her instructions.
“This is clearly not your show and you have to respect the process,” Bellis told Jones. “Whether you like it or not you have to respect the rules.”
Bellis also instructed counsel for both parties to behave orderly.
Bellis warned that anyone who violates court rules moving forward will be subject to a contempt hearing, which she stressed she would like to avoid.
The stunning episode capped a day of testimony from Jones who had thus far not made an appearance in the Connecticut defamation trial. The trial is taking place a month after a Texas jury determined that Jones and his company, Free Speech Systems, the parent of Infowars, should award two parents nearly $50 million.
Jones baselessly told his audience in the aftermath of the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting that the incident was staged. He has since acknowledged the shooting occurred, but only after the lawsuits were filed. He said in a 2019 sworn deposition that a “form of psychosis” caused him to make his false comments.
02:38 – Source: CNN
Mom who confronted Alex Jones says he slipped her a note at trial
In the Connecticut case, where Jones is being sued by eight more Sandy Hook families, Bellis issued a default judgment against the Infowars founder in November 2021 after he failed to comply with court orders.
In court Thursday, Jones, who has sought to portray himself as a victim of an elaborate “deep state” conspiracy against him, was confronted during his testimony with some of his past unhinged rhetoric assailing the judicial system.
Mattei compelled Jones through questioning to acknowledge to the jury that he had referred to the proceedings as those of a “kangaroo court” and called the judge a “tyrant.”
Mattei brought up how Jones has been bothered when false statements have been made against him, noting that the Infowars founder took legal action in the past when he felt he was defamed.
The attorney argued to the jury that the lies Jones told about the families of Sandy Hook victims were far more damaging than the commentary that had bothered Jones and prompted his legal action.
Mattei, who has argued during the trial that Jones pushed the Sandy Hook lie because it was profitable, also questioned Jones about whether he was using the trial as a marketing stunt to sell products to his loyal fan base.
Because the judge already ruled that Jones is liable, the jury is determining the amount in damages to award the plaintiffs. While the families have not specified a dollar figure, an attorney for the families asked jurors last week to “send a message” to the public with its decision.
Plaintiffs in three Connecticut lawsuits against Jones, including family members of eight school students and employees and one FBI agent who responded to the scene, have all been condensed into the trial that commenced earlier this month.
Norman Pattis, Jones’ attorney, has argued that the claims made by the Sandy Hook plaintiffs are “exaggerated.” Pattis has also said the Sandy Hook families have “become partisans” and said the defense will argue the harm has been overstated “because they want to silence [Jones] for political reasons.”
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Americans In Russia-Ukraine Prisoner Swap Wondered If Death Was Near
Americans In Russia-Ukraine Prisoner Swap Wondered If Death Was Near https://digitalarizonanews.com/americans-in-russia-ukraine-prisoner-swap-wondered-if-death-was-near/
As they were led from their prison cell deep inside Russian-occupied Ukraine, Alexander Drueke and Andy Tai Huynh contemplated their uncertain fate: Were they about to be freed — or would they be killed?
Days after their capture in June, the Kremlin proclaimed that the men, both American military veterans, were suspected war criminals and refused to rule out that they could face the death penalty. In a phone call with his aunt Thursday, Drueke said that in that moment, it seemed things “could go either way.”
“That was one of those moments,” said the aunt, Dianna Shaw, “where it was a gut punch for me.”
The Americans were released Wednesday as part of a prisoner exchange between the governments in Kyiv and Moscow, an agreement as stunning as it was sprawling. In addition to Drueke, 40, and Huynh, 28, the Russian government agreed to release eight other foreign nationals who had joined the war on behalf of Ukraine, plus 215 Ukrainians. Fifty-five Russian fighters were freed in exchange, along with Viktor Medvedchuk, a pro-Kremlin Ukrainian opposition politician who has such warm relations with Russian President Vladimir Putin that Putin is believed to be the godfather to Medvedchuk’s daughter.
Details of the sweeping deal, mediated with involvement from the governments of Saudi Arabia and Turkey, continued to trickle out Thursday. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan told reporters covering the U.N. General Assembly in New York that the prisoner exchange was the result of “diplomatic traffic I conducted” with Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, calling it an “important step” toward ending the war that began seven months ago, according to a transcript of his comments carried by state-run media. Ankara also played a key role in brokering a breakthrough deal this summer that allowed for the resumption of grain exports after Russia’s naval blockage of Ukraine’s Black Sea ports, but thus far Erdogan has been unable to secure a direct meeting between Putin and Zelensky.
Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman of Saudi Arabia, where Drueke and Huynh are convalescing, also was credited with facilitating the foreign nationals’ release. A senior member of the Saudi government on Thursday said Mohammed’s efforts illustrate his “proactive role in bolstering humanitarian initiatives.” The U.S. government has expressed gratitude to the crown prince for his efforts in securing the two Americans’ release, but relations between the two countries remain strained over Saudi Arabia’s record on human rights and, notably, over Mohammed’s suspected role orchestrating the plot to kill Saudi American journalist Jamal Khashoggi.
In Russia, there was outrage among some nationalists who considered the deal a betrayal. Medvedchuk once was seen as a potential replacement for Zelensky, had Russian forces successfully managed to topple the government in Kyiv and install a puppet regime. Several of the Ukrainians released in exchange for Medvedchuk and other Russians were members of the far-right Azov Regiment, a military force Putin has branded Nazis.
In Ukraine — where Azov forces have been cheered for their courage during Russia’s bloody siege of Mariupol — the deal was celebrated.
A senior State Department official, speaking on the condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive diplomacy, said, “It is telling Putin elected to trade his crony and one of his long-term proxies in Ukraine, Medvedchuk, for the heroes of Mariupol,” calling the move further evidence of how the Russian leader prioritizes himself over the interests of the Russian people.
“Even as this [war] is awful for Ukraine … it’s awful for the Russian people,” the official said. “Putin has chosen his own vain imperial ambition over his people’s needs.”
Kyryl Budanov, who leads Ukraine’s chief military intelligence directorate, said some of the liberated Ukrainians had been “subjected to very cruel torture” while in captivity. It is unclear if Drueke and Huynh endured such treatment, although there are signs both went through stages of physical degradation that may take time to reverse.
Drueke’s aunt said her nephew has not yet shared many details with his family about how his captors treated him and Huynh. She said Drueke and Huynh have some “minor, minor, minor health considerations” and that both are “very dehydrated,” noting that the family is unsure precisely when Drueke and Huynh may be ready to make the 14-hour flight home to Alabama from Saudi Arabia.
Footage of the captives’ release that aired on German television network Deutsche Welle station showed a gaunt and thin Drueke being assisted by what appeared to be medical personnel as he walked. He was carrying his own bag, however.
Drueke, a former U.S. soldier, and Huynh, a Marine Corps veteran, disappeared near the city of Kharkiv on June 8 while fighting alongside Ukrainian forces. They were moved a few times during their captivity, and likely were held in the Donetsk region of eastern Ukraine, Drueke’s family believes.
Drueke and Huynh appear to have been kept together throughout their captivity, according to Shaw. For at least some of their time as prisoners, they were also held in the same cell as British national John Harding, who also was freed this week as part of the exchange.
Since their release, the American veterans have been sharing an apartment in Saudi Arabia while they take the first steps toward recovery. The former captives are keenly aware, Shaw said, that the return to normalcy could be a long road.
“He did not sound regretful to me at all — he sounded excited to be coming home,” Shaw said. “He is still very much in admiration of the Ukrainian people.”
Kareem Fahim in Beirut; Robyn Dixon and Mary Ilyushina in Riga, Latvia; and John Hudson in New York contributed to this report.
War in Ukraine: What you need to know
The latest: Russian President Vladimir Putin announced a “partial mobilization” of troops in an address to the nation on Sept. 21, framing the move as an attempt to defend Russian sovereignty against a West that seeks to use Ukraine as a tool to “divide and destroy Russia.” Follow our live updates here.
The fight: A successful Ukrainian counteroffensive has forced a major Russian retreat in the northeastern Kharkiv region in recent days, as troops fled cities and villages they had occupied since the early days of the war and abandoned large amounts of military equipment.
Annexation referendums: Staged referendums, which would be illegal under international law, are set to take place from Sept. 23 to 27 in the breakaway Luhansk and Donetsk regions of eastern Ukraine, according to Russian news agencies. Another staged referendum will be held by the Moscow-appointed administration in Kherson starting Friday.
Photos: Washington Post photographers have been on the ground from the beginning of the war — here’s some of their most powerful work.
How you can help: Here are ways those in the U.S. can help support the Ukrainian people as well as what people around the world have been donating.
Read our full coverage of the Russia-Ukraine crisis. Are you on Telegram? Subscribe to our channel for updates and exclusive video.
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Vacation Ideas For Sedona, Arizona – Hoboken Girl https://digitalarizonanews.com/vacation-ideas-for-sedona-arizona-hoboken-girl/
Sometimes with the hustle and bustle of city life, a relaxing and rejuvenating getaway is a nice break from the chaos — especially to an area that is so unique. Tucked between the Grand Canyon and Phoenix are the majestic red rocks of Sedona, Arizona. The flight from Newark to Sedona is only about 5.5 hours, and people travel here to experience everything from adventurous hikes to energy-healing vortexes. While a car isn’t a must for this trip, it’s highly encouraged to be able to see all of the great places Sedona has to offer — plus, it’s only a 2-hour drive to the Grand Canyon for those who are looking for an Arizona road trip. From where to stay, where to eat, and what to do, we’ve rounded up everything you need to know about this trip out west. Keep reading for a complete list to plan your Sedona getaway.
Places to Stay
Amara Resort + Spa | 100 Amara Lane
This resort not only has all the luxuries you could desire at the spa (think massages, body scrubs, facial experiences, and more), but it’s also located in the best location. Right off the main street in Upper Sedona, you’ll be steps away from great dining and shopping (if you can ever leave the resort). There is also SaltRock Southwest Kitchen on the property to enjoy a craft margarita for breakfast, lunch, or dinner (it’s 5 o’clock somewhere, right?). Rooms can get a bit pricey, but check the website for any offers they may have while you are visiting.
Airbnb | Various locations
There are a few neighborhoods to stay in within Sedona city limits and just around the area. Staying closer to Upper Sedona puts you near the shopping and restaurants. It can also be fun to stay closer to the trail heads to make for easy hiking access. One great Airbnb, the Chapel Area Sanctuary, is located just beneath the Chapel of the Holy Cross. This studio apartment for up to 4 people has a nice backyard with amazing views of Cathedral Rock. There is definitely a rental perfect for any size group.
Hilton Sedona Resort at Bell Rock | 90 Ridge Trail Drive
The pool and views alone are enough to convince anyone to stay at this Hilton. It’s near other attractions and overlooks the iconic Bell Rock in the heart of Sedona. For those looking for an active getaway, there are tennis and golf amenities right on site. From early Spring to late Fall, the cafe is open — serving meals and snacks by the pool. There is also another restaurant on the property that sources ingredients locally. Rooms come with either a patio, balcony, or a seating area.
Poco Diablo Resort | 1752 State Route 179
Located just off the main road, this resort is in the middle of everything. It’s a quick drive to great dining and shopping, and it’s also a stone’s throw from some of the best hiking trails Sedona has to offer. There is a spa, as well as on-site dining. Poco Diablo Resort also has a year-round heated pool and sundeck.
Tavern Hotel | 904 North Main Street, Cottonwood
While not technically within city limits, Cottonwood is a quick drive to Sedona. It has an adorable main street with some great restaurants, breweries, and tasting rooms. The best part is that this town is off the beaten path so it won’t be overrun with tourists. The Tavern Hotel is one of a few places to stay in town and was originally built in 1925 as a grocery store right in the middle of Old Cottonwood. What’s great is that the stay includes breakfast coupons for a few options.
Read More: A Weekend Getaway Guide to Westerly, Rhode Island
Places to Eat
Coffee Pot Restaurant | 2050 West State Route 89A
This restaurant is the classic NJ diner experience but with Sedona flair. A local favorite, this place prides itself on being the home of the menu with 101 omelet choices. Literally, any combination of meat, veggies, and cheese is possible (but no substitutions). As soon as diners sit down, there is a cup of joe that gets poured and a full pot left on each table. This place is definitely one to come hungry and leave happy. It’s a great place to come after a morning hike to refuel.
Cowboy Club Grille & Spirits | 241 North State Route 89A
This place has a history dating back to 1946 when it served stars like Joan Crawford and Elvis Presley. It was under a different name then, but today, Cowboy Club Grille & Spirits is just as popular. Make sure to try the cactus fries with prickly pear dipping sauce, because it’s a unique dish to the area. This restaurant is right near the main shopping area, and we recommend popping in for a quick lunch or dinner while in the area.
The Hudson | 671 State Route 179, Suite D
This is one of the best-hidden gems in Sedona when it comes to food. The views are amazing, but the menu is even better if you can believe it. The cocktail list has some fun AZ takes on classic cocktails (make sure to try the AZ mule) and the menu has a lot of great options. A Hoboken Girl favorite is the Southwest Chicken pasta because it’s such a unique mix of flavors within one pasta dish. It doesn’t matter if you sit inside or out because the windows give you the best views at every turn.
Mariposa Latin Inspired Grill | 700 State Route 89A
Ask any local or Sedona-lover and they will all agree that Mariposa is a must-visit location. From the moment guests walk through the front door made of crystal, they are transported to a fine dining experience. There isn’t a bad thing to order on the menu, and let’s be honest, you’ll probably spend most of the time gazing out at the breathtaking red rock views.
Picnic | Various Locations
This may not be a seated dining option, but it might be a bit more memorable. Locals always recommend stopping by the local Whole Foods or a quick stop and heading to one of the trail heads for a little picnic. There are plenty of places in Coconino National Forest, but locals also love the Baldwin Trail Trailhead at the base of Cathedral Rock. It’s by the water and has some great vantage points.
Things to Do
Elevated Sedona Wine + Brew Tours | Personalized Pick-Up
Sedona and the nearby Verde Valley are quickly becoming a booming wine region. JB and the whole team are so welcoming and knowledgeable not only about the surrounding area but also about the wine itself. Whether it’s a romantic day with your partner or a wild bachelorette party, there is a personalized tour for you. Packages include pick-up, drop-off, lunch, snacks, and, of course, a few tastings as well. Ask for Tal, because he was great and had so many wonderful stories to share as we were traveling around the area.
Hike | Various Locations
Hiking while in Sedona is a must. There are relatively easy walking loops like the 3.5-mile trail on Airport Mesa, to more challenging adventures like Cathedral Rock Trail. This trail specifically is a short 1.2-mile round-trip hike that has some rock scrambling parts. As long as adventurers stay on the trail and keep focused on the goal, the views from Cathedral Rock are truly amazing. It’s a good hike to do early in the morning for sunrise to beat the crowds.
One note is that parking can be difficult at the trail heads, so make sure to check ahead if it’s open and if there is a shuttle to where you want to go.
Grand Canyon Day Trip
There is so much to do in the immediate area around Sedona, but the Grand Canyon is just too close not to put on the list. Just a two-hour drive away lies this magnificent UNESCO World Heritage Site. Known as the most spectacular gorge in the world, each hike and lookout point here doesn’t disappoint. Drive yourself or even take a tour from Sedona up north for the day.
Jerome, AZ
In under an hour’s drive from Sedona lies what was once known as the wickedest town in the West. Though it used to be a bustling mining town, it now is a tourist destination for humans and ghouls alike. Come walk around and visit the stores and restaurants. The Clinkscale is a converted hardware store turned restaurant with a delicious roasted turkey french dip. Caduceus Cellars and Merkin Vineyards Tasting Room also is located here (try the tasting flight because it’s too hard to pick a favorite).
Pink Jeep Tour | 204 North State Route 89A
Perhaps one of the most famous activities in Sedona (besides hiking the red rocks) is the pink jeep tour. There are many different tours to choose from that range from mild to bumpy and rugged. They have options in and around Sedona as well as farther locations including the Grand Canyon and Antelope Canyon. Pick a tour here first because these range from 2 hours to 11 hours depending on where you go, so you’ll want to plan your days accordingly.
See More: A Vacation Guide to Chicago, Illinois
Where to Shop
Ninibah | 336 State Route 179 a106
Specializing in Native American jewelry and art, this place has a fantastic array of goods. The team behind the counter is great and so knowledgeable about the area and what they are selling. There is a small section of the store devoted to sand art made by Navajo artists that is a must-see when visiting.
Spiritstone Gems Market | 259 State Route 89A
There is such unique jewelry and artwork in Sedona. So many shops have beautiful crystals and delicate jewelry pieces for any occasion. Spiritstone Gems Market has a nice mix of pieces from local artists and other options for all price points. This place also has an impressive collection of crystals of all sizes.
Tlaquepaque Arts + Shopping Village | 336 State Route 179
This is an entire village created to remind visitors of old Mexico. Developed by visionary Abe Miller, it became a destination for visitors to meander the areas while shopping and dining. Stepping foot here makes you feel like you’re in another world. Ninibah and many other galleries and artisan shops house the most beautiful pieces from near and far. Make sure to come early, especially on the weekends, because parking can be difficult.
The Sedona Fu...
Drought Conditions Prompt Scottsdale To Stop HOAs From Forcing Residents To Overseed Lawns
Drought Conditions Prompt Scottsdale To Stop HOAs From Forcing Residents To Overseed Lawns https://digitalarizonanews.com/drought-conditions-prompt-scottsdale-to-stop-hoas-from-forcing-residents-to-overseed-lawns/
The city says its new code amendment was driven by water shortages on the Colorado River.
SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — The Scottsdale City Council has approved a code amendment that prohibits homeowner associations from requiring its residents to over-seed their lawns.
In response to water shortages on the Colorado River, the council has offered an option for residents in HOAs to forgo over-seeding their properties during the fall season and potentially save some water.
Over-seeding is the practice of planting winter ryegrass seed over existing warm-season lawns as those lawns go dormant in the winter. The practice requires an extensive amount of water during the germination process
“Water conservation has estimated that approximately 1,000 square feet of winter grass takes about 8,000 gallons of water each season,” city records state.
City officials say some homeowners in local HOAs were frustrated that they were being forced to over-seed their Bermuda grass. The new code amendment allows residents to opt-out of over-seeding in neighborhoods that have typically required the practice.
Benefits of not over-seeding include lower water bills, less lawn maintenance, and increased water conservation, city officials say.
Scottsdale says it’s the first city to pass a code amendment regarding how HOAs regulate over-seeding lawns.
Up to Speed
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Margo Price Announces Forthcoming Album, ‘Strays’ https://digitalarizonanews.com/margo-price-announces-forthcoming-album-strays/
Margo Price simply knows what’s up when it comes to enjoying nature and creating art.
In this era of psychedelic resurgence and broken taboos, it is not surprising that the neo-country badass would bring the topic to the public’s attention.
Announced her upcoming album, Strays, Price says:
“I feel this urgency to keep moving, keep creating. You get stuck in the same patterns of thinking, the same loops of addiction. But there comes a point where you just have to say, ‘I’m going to be here, I’m going to enjoy it, and I’m not going to put so much stock into checking the boxes for everyone else.’
I feel more mature in the way that I write now, I’m on more than just a search for large crowds and accolades. I’m trying to find what my soul needs.”
Many of Strays’ songs were conceived during a mushroom trip Price took with her husband Jeremy Ivey in South Carolina. The tunes were then cut at a recording studio in Topanga Canyon, a hippie haven known for its rustic, canyon roads and rich musical history.
The album features notable appearances: Sharen Van Etten sings on “Radio”, Mike Campbell plays guitar on “Light Me Up”, and the folk-pop duo Lucius appears on “Anytime You Call.”
Aiming to take an experimental approach through incorporating new sounds and psychedelia, the album is slated for release on January 13th, 2023 via Loma Vista Records.
Strays Tracklist:
1. “Been to the Mountain”
2. “Light Me Up” (feat. Mike Campbell)
3. “Radio” (feat. Sharon Van Etten)
4. “Change of Heart”
5. “County Road”
6. “Time Machine”
7. “Hell in the Heartland”
8. “Anytime You Call” (feat. Lucius)
9. “Lydia”
10. “Landfill”
Its first single “Been to the Mountain” was previously released in August:
“Change of Heart” came later with the album announcement and an accompanying video:
Margo Price Tour Dates:
9/23 – Lewisburg, WV – Healing Appalachia
9/24 – Raleigh, NC – Farm Aid
10/4 – Nashville, TN – Grimey’s^
10/5 – New York, NY – P&T Knitwear^
10/6 – Brooklyn, NY – Greenlight Bookstore^
10/8 – York, PA – White Rose Music Festival
10/15-16 – Nashville, TN – Southern Festival of Books^
10/17 – Lexington, KY – Joseph Beth Booksellers^
10/18 – Louisville, KY – Carmichael’s Bookstore^
10/20 – Traverse City, MI – National Writer’s Series^
10/22 – Iowa City, IA – Prairie Lights^
10/23 – Chicago, IL – Chicago Humanities Festival^
10/24 – Winnetka, IL – The Book Stall^
10/27-30 – Live Oak, FL – Suwannee Hulaween
11/1 – San Francisco, CA – Green Apple Books on the Park^
11/2 – Santa Cruz, CA – Bookshop Santa Cruz^
11/3 – Los Angeles, CA – Vroman’s^
11/5 – Austin, TX – Texas Book Festival^
11/6 – Dallas, TX – Interabang Books^
11/16 – Nashville, TN – Parnassus Books^
11/29 – Fayetteville, AR – George’s Majestic Lounge*
11/30 – Baton Rouge, LA – Chelsea’s Live*
12/2 – Lake Wales, FL – Orange Blossom Revue
12/3 – Charleston, SC – Music Farm*
12/5 – Charlotte, NC – Neighborhood Theatre*
12/6 – Louisville, KY – Headliners Music Hall*
1/30 – Asheville, NC – Orange Peel%
1/31 – Atlanta, GA – Variety Playhouse%
2/2 – Houston, TX – White Oak Music Hall&
2/3 – Austin, TX – Scoot Inn&
2/4 – Dallas, TX – Granada Theater&
2/6 – Phoenix, AZ – Crescent Ballroom$
2/7 – San Diego, CA – The Observatory North Park$
2/9 – Los Angeles, CA – Fonda Theatre$
2/10 – San Francisco, CA – The Fillmore$
2/11 – Arcata, CA – Van Duzer Theatre$
2/13 – Portland, OR – Crystal Ballroom$
2/14 – Vancouver, BC – Commodore Ballroom$
2/15 – Seattle, WA – The Showbox$
2/17 – Bozeman, MT – The Elm$
2/19 – Minneapolis, MN – First Avenue$
2/20 – Madison, WI – Majestic Theatre$
2/21 – Chicago, IL – Vic Theatre$
2/22 – Indianapolis, IN – The Vogue$
2/24 – Toronto, ON – The Phoenix Concert Theatre#
2/25 – Detroit, MI – Majestic Theatre#
2/27 – Burlington, VT – Higher Ground Ballroom#
2/28 – Boston, MA – Paradise Rock Club#
3/2 – Washington, DC – 9:30 Club#
3/3 – Philadelphia, PA – Theatre of Living Arts#
3/4 – New York, NY – Webster Hall#
3/9 – Nashville, TN – Ryman Auditorium!
^Maybe We’ll Make It Book Tour
*w/ Kam Franklin (of The Suffers)
%w/ The Deslondes
&w/ Daniel Donato’s Cosmic Country
$w/ Lola Kirke
#w/ Tre Burt
!w/ Jessi Colter
Read More…
Trump Faces Growing Legal Peril As He Seeks To Raise Profile Ahead Of 2024
Trump Faces Growing Legal Peril As He Seeks To Raise Profile Ahead Of 2024 https://digitalarizonanews.com/trump-faces-growing-legal-peril-as-he-seeks-to-raise-profile-ahead-of-2024/
The legal dangers facing former president Donald Trump rose this week, after the New York attorney general filed a fraud lawsuit that could effectively shutter the Trump Organization and the 11th Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals allowed federal investigators to continue their probe into classified documents found at Mar-a-Lago.
These and other setbacks for Trump come as at least a half dozen additional legal efforts proceed against the president and his allies — committing him to months of legal wrangling as he seeks to raise his political profile for a possible 2024 bid while also increasing the prospect of becoming the first former U.S. president to face indictment after leaving office.
Federal prosecutors have subpoenaed dozens of his former advisers, and many others, as part of a sprawling investigation into efforts to obstruct the transfer of power after the 2020 election. Separately, a Georgia grand jury has been looking at allegations that he tried to obstruct that state’s electoral count by pressuring secretary of state Brad Raffensperger (R) to “find” enough votes to overturn the election.
An aspiring corporate partner for his new social media company has received subpoenas from the Securities and Exchange Commission. District attorneys in Westchester, N.Y., and Manhattan have ongoing investigations of his companies. One of his sexual assault accusers filed court papers last month disclosing her intent to sue him under a recently-passed New York law that offers exceptions to the standard statute of limitations for sex crimes.
Attorneys aligned with the Democratic Party have even begun to lay the groundwork for legal challenges if he declares another presidential campaign, under the premise that his role in the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol, as revealed by congressional investigators, bars him from serving in office under section 3 of the 14th Amendment, which disqualifies those who “engaged in insurrection or rebellion” from holding public office.
The breadth of current and potential legal challenges are large even by the standards of Trump, who has spent much of his adult life in litigation. He has returned to old tactics in response, seeking to delay proceedings against him, refusing to admit any misdeed and using the claims against him to rally his political supporters.
“The people behind these savage witch hunts have no shame, no morals, no conscience, and absolutely no respect for the citizens of our country,” he told supporters at a rally in Ohio Saturday in a retooled stump speech. “Our cruel and vindictive political class is not just coming after me. They’re coming after you, through me.”
In other ways, Trump has been forced to adjust, devoting a growing share of political contributions to pay attorney fees. The summer’s planning for a fall presidential campaign announcement have been put on pause, according to two people familiar with the plans, who like some others spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss private conversations.
Two Trump advisers said the former president was surprised and angry at the lawsuit from New York Attorney General Letitia James (D) on Wednesday, and that her “attacks,” in the words of one of them, anger him more than other investigations. Trump has accused James, who is Black, of being “racist,” without explaining how.
Trump now has more than a dozen lawyers working on various probes against him, with financial support for their efforts coming from both the Republican National Committee and his political committee, Save America. There are separate sets of lawyers for each of the investigations. His political team has tried to cheer him up at times with positive tweets and other conservative news articles that he shares through his PAC’s website.
“He doesn’t seem to have a breaking point,” one of these people said. “He just rolls on and acts like all these things, at least to everyone around him, aren’t slowing him down.”
Among Trump’s advisers, the Jan. 6 investigation from the Justice Department and the Mar-a-Lago document probe are widely viewed as the most wide-ranging and perilous to Trump and his inner circle. But some advisers fear the biggest political damage could be done by James, as his wealth has long been part of his mystique to Republican voters, they say.
Trump himself has paid close attention to that probe, two advisers said. And the Georgia investigation is viewed as something of a wild card with an aggressive prosecutor.
One recent visitor to Trump’s club said he did not focus on the classified documents seized from him — other than to say it was a “witch hunt, overblown and they’re not a problem.” He continues to argue that he won the 2020 election, which he lost to President Biden.
For the moment, there is little sign that the legal attacks have shifted Trump’s political standing and some advisers argue that they will only strengthen him among his core supporters. His favorability rating among the American people, as measured by averages of public polling, remains effectively unchanged over the last 18 months, at about 43 percent. In late August, Sen. Lindsey O. Graham (R-S.C.) predicted there would be “riots in the streets” if Trump is prosecuted.
“If the media, if the Democrats, if the New York attorney general and the Department of Justice just left this guy alone, you would see his numbers among Republicans fade, I guarantee it,” said one former Trump White House adviser who remains bullish on Trump’s prospects in a Republican nomination fight. “He is constantly getting attacked by these people, who our voters hate. That is what cleaves the base to him.”
Democrats nonetheless believe the controversies, coming less than seven weeks before the midterm elections, have helped them to make the argument to moderate Republicans and independent voters that the current crop of Republican candidates, who have not distanced themselves from Trump, are more extreme than past GOP opponents.
“The impact that the Mar-a-Lago issue has had is it’s raised the stakes on the unquestioning fealty of Republicans to Trump,” Democratic pollster Geoff Garin said. “So I don’t think they are necessarily litigating the details of Trump’s possession of super-classified documents, but voters are litigating the blind loyalty that Republicans have to President Trump and that is part of what people think about when they think about MAGA Republicans.”
Trump has lived his life under legal jeopardy, a regular instigator and defendant in civil litigation, dating back to a 1973 Justice Department civil rights claim for housing discrimination against his family real estate business that ended in a consent decree. Years later, he found himself back in court over his alleged hiring and underpayment of undocumented Polish workers for his first major Manhattan building project, Trump Tower, in 1980.
Under oath in a 2012 deposition about the alleged fraud at a real estate seminar called Trump University — a case he later settled for $25 million — Trump said he had testified in over 100 court hearings and given over 100 depositions.
“Normal course of business, unfortunately,” he explained.
Trump’s time in the White House earned him a brief reprieve, as judges debated whether he could be held accountable in civil matters while in office. Justice Department precedent, meanwhile, protected him from criminal charges while in office. Congress, however, kept up the pressure, with the House impeaching him twice.
D.C. Attorney General Karl A. Racine sued Trump two days after he left office for abusing nonprofit funds to enrich himself by overpaying his own hotel during his 2016 inauguration. He settled that case for $750,000 more than a year later, without admitting guilt. Months after leaving office, he sat for hours of deposition in a civil case about claims that Trump’s personal security assaulted protesters in 2015 outside his Manhattan office.
The Justice Department’s sprawling investigation of the role of Trump and his aides in efforts to overturn the 2020 election results remains in the early stages, with a new round of broad subpoenas issued earlier this month. Prosecutors are seeking vast amounts of information and communications with more than 100 people about the origin, fundraising and motives of the effort to block Biden from being certified as president — including the slates of fake electors and the riot at the U.S. Capitol.
“It looks like a multipronged fraud and obstruction investigation,” former federal prosecutor Jim Walden told The Post last week. “It strikes me that they’re going after a very, very large group of people, and my guess is they are going to make all of the charging decisions toward the end.”
The department’s criminal investigation into the potential mishandling of classified documents at Mar-a-Lago won an important victory on Wednesday night, when a three-judge panel of the 11th Circuit overturned parts of a lower court judge’s ruling and said the FBI may once again have access to the classified documents they seized from Trump’s Florida residence and private club on Aug. 8.
In that case, Trump and his aides could be in considerable legal peril, according to experts. That’s because Trump’s lawyers told the Justice Department they had returned all documents with classified markings in response to a subpoena — only to have FBI agents recover about 100 more classified documents during their court-authorized search.
The Justice Department, from Attorney General Merrick Garland on down, has repeatedly said that no one is above the law. But legal experts say prosecutors may still feel that they need a serious, can’t-miss case to file criminal charges against a former commander in chief.
If authorities were to seek an indictment against Trump ...
Trump-Backed GOP Pick For Michigan AG Has Been A Vocal Supporter Of Election Lies. Emails Show Just How Far He's Gone For The Cause ABC17NEWS
Trump-Backed GOP Pick For Michigan AG Has Been A Vocal Supporter Of Election Lies. Emails Show Just How Far He's Gone For The Cause – ABC17NEWS https://digitalarizonanews.com/trump-backed-gop-pick-for-michigan-ag-has-been-a-vocal-supporter-of-election-lies-emails-show-just-how-far-hes-gone-for-the-cause-abc17news/
By Bob Ortega, Curt Devine, Yahya Abou-Ghazala, Audrey Ash and Drew Griffin, CNN
Months after Joe Biden’s 2020 victory over Donald Trump in Michigan had been certified, and confirmed by audits and voting reviews, a clerk in rural Barry County received an unusual and confusing request from Matthew DePerno, an attorney in Kalamazoo.
DePerno, who’d filed a lawsuit on behalf of a local resident claiming voting-machine fraud in Antrim County, more than 200 miles to the north, sent the clerk a subpoena demanding access to her county’s voting equipment, election tapes, logs — and ballots, which had been sealed and stored after the election.
“It was totally random,” Pam Palmer, the clerk, told an attorney for the county, in a March 17, 2021, email obtained by CNN through a public-records request. In another email later the same day, she added, “He informed me that I do need to collect the ballots which are under seal at this point, and not to be opened for 22 months. He informed me they will be opening the ballot bags & resealing them.”
Palmer is among at least eight county clerks who received DePerno’s subpoenas, including in counties that didn’t even use the Dominion Voting Systems machines at issue in DePerno’s lawsuit.
DePerno’s subpoenas were ultimately rejected by a judge — but his attempt to get sealed voter ballots helps show how far he’s gone to challenge the results of the 2020 presidential election.
His relentless efforts have landed him at the center of an investigation by a Michigan special prosecutor into whether DePerno and eight others illegally tampered with voting machines in the state.
And still, as the Republican nominee to become Michigan’s attorney general, DePerno continues to sow doubts about the reliability of voting machines and the election process among voters — and among local government officials who’ll play a role in certifying this November’s election results in their towns and counties.
But DePerno’s impact reaches far beyond Michigan. His original false claim — that Dominion machines connected to the internet initially flipped conservative Antrim County to Biden in 2020 and that, therefore, machines similarly flipped votes elsewhere — sprouted like a fairy-tale magic bean into demands for audits and baseless claims of vote fraud across the US.
His claims have been repeatedly, thoroughly debunked. But that fairy tale continues to stoke demands that voting machines be scrapped and the vote in November’s midterms be counted by hand. It’s cited by MAGA candidates who warn of fraud to come and claim that Democrats can only win if they cheat.
Ten out of 30 attorney general races nationwide — including DePerno’s bid in Michigan — have an election denier on the ballot, according to a recent report by the States United Democracy Center, a nonpartisan group that works on election issues. The group also found that candidates who deny that Biden won in 2020 will be on this November’s ballot in half the races for governor and 44% of the races for secretary of state. In three states — Alabama, Arizona and Michigan — GOP election deniers are running for all three top positions.
“What this could lead to long term is because this is so divorced from reality, people all over the country believing that any election in which their candidate does not win is stolen,” said David Becker, director of the Center for Election Innovation and Research, a nonpartisan group that works to ensure accessible and secure elections. “And you can imagine what this does to the fabric of democracy.”
The ‘fishing expedition’ that had legs
When DePerno sent the subpoena to Palmer, seeking the voting machines and records, he told her he was sending a team to unseal and examine her county’s ballots, according to emails obtained by CNN.
Palmer’s attorney asked the judge to toss out the subpoena or at least to require DePerno and his client, Bill Bailey, to “guarantee that Barry County equipment will not be altered, damaged, or compromised in any way” and “to show that each individual on his inspection team” had proper training and credentials to offer the same guarantee.
In April 2021, Circuit Court Chief Judge Kevin Eisenheimer quashed the subpoenas as a “fishing expedition,” saying that DePerno needed “more than mere conjecture, more than speculation,” to support his request. In May, Eisenheimer dismissed DePerno’s suit.
But that didn’t end the effort. In June, investigators for Barry County Sheriff Dar Leaf, a DePerno ally, began questioning township clerks in the county about the 2020 election. A call from one worried clerk led Palmer to confront a deputy and another investigator at the Carlton Township offices — only to discover the investigators had told clerks not to talk to one another or to her “because they want the element of surprise,” she told an attorney for the county, Allan Vander Laan, in a June 14, 2021, email previously reported by The Detroit News.
Vander Laan responded, “Are they trying to get what they could not get by subpoena? Do not give them records. Do not allow them access to ballots.”
“I am livid!” Palmer wrote. “This is a fishing attempt …”
Meanwhile, DePerno falsely argued in July 2021 that ElectionSource, a company doing routine maintenance on Michigan voting equipment, planned to “destroy election data,” and sent the company a letter threatening a lawsuit, a company representative emailed county officials.
DePerno’s “misinformation campaign is dangerous not only to my staff but to your clerks as well,” wrote Steve Delongchamp, vice president of ElectionSource, in a July 14, 2021, email to several clerks. “We have received many threatening calls from individuals that have no concept of how elections work.”
Despite initially agreeing to speak to CNN, DePerno ultimately refused to comment for this story.
DePerno’s history with ‘frivolous’ litigation
Long before he dove into the 2020 election fraud claims, DePerno had established a troubling track record — from clients who sued him for overbilling and malpractice to getting involved in the years-long case of a Michigan lawmaker involved in a sex scandal, who attempted to cover up an alleged affair with another legislator.
DePerno’s relentless, litigious approach to these cases and others earned him heavy professional criticism — which he consistently has denied.
DePerno “is litigious in an unnecessary way,” said former state Circuit Judge William Buhl, who asked the Michigan Attorney Grievance Commission to investigate DePerno in 2016 in relation to the malpractice case. “Many of the things he raises are frivolous, and people have to go through the trouble of answering them … DePerno does it just as a matter of course, even if there is no merit to it.”
The grievance commission did not make its findings public. DePerno has called Buhl’s accusations “total nonsense” and claimed the matter was “ultimately dismissed” by the grievance commission, “as it should be,” according to Bridge Michigan.
Even so, his reputation as a no-holds-barred litigator made him a key player in Antrim County — where he quickly helped stoke claims of fraud after the 2020 election.
Antrim County claims were ‘indefensible’
On election night in 2020, human error led to early, unofficial results being released that showed Joe Biden ahead in the conservative rural county in northern Michigan. The mistake was quickly caught and corrected; it didn’t affect ballot tabulation or official results, which showed Trump easily winning the county, according to state officials.
But with Trump having claimed for months that only fraud could prevent his reelection, he and allies were quick to leverage the error. Three weeks after the election, DePerno filed a suit alleging vote fraud, placing the blame on Dominion voting machines and asking a state judge to allow him to take images of Antrim County vote tabulators.
The charade fueled Trump ally and former Overstock.com CEO Patrick Byrne to send a team of researchers to the county to dig into the fraud allegations. Those researchers quickly produced a report that claimed Dominion voting machines were “intentionally and purposefully designed with inherent errors to create systemic fraud and influence election results.”
That report was used as purported evidence on multiple legal fronts: DePerno filed it as an exhibit in his lawsuit and Trump attorney Sidney Powell cited it in a December 13, 2020, petition to the US Supreme Court, as part of an effort to overturn the election results.
It didn’t work — and the report was roundly discredited. A GOP-led investigation by the Michigan Senate Oversight Committee in June 2021 called the false Antrim claims “indefensible.” Former US Attorney General Bill Barr testified to the January 6 committee that the report was “amateurish” and said that to believe it, Trump would have to be “detached from reality.”
Even so, the report on Antrim County has become foundational to the fiction that Dominion machines around the country secretly flipped votes — bolstering several high-profile attempts to challenge the 2020 elections results. Among them:
Members of Byrnes’ team who worked with DePerno in Antrim County included Cyber Ninjas CEO Doug Logan, who led the widely-ridiculed audit in Maricopa County, Arizona, that failed to prove any vote fraud. Ben Cotton, one of DePerno’s cybersecurity consultants and also part of that audit, testified that “he forensically examined Dominion Democracy Suite voting systems” in Maricopa County, Antrim County, Colorado’s Mesa County, and Georgia’s Coffee County, according to court documents.
Logan and Jeffrey Lenberg, another analyst...
AP News Summary At 8:15 P.m. EDT https://digitalarizonanews.com/ap-news-summary-at-815-p-m-edt/
Trump’s legal woes mount without protection of presidency
WASHINGTON (AP) — Donald Trump’s latest legal troubles — sweeping fraud allegations by New York’s attorney general and a stark repudiation by federal judges he appointed — have laid bare the challenges piling up as the former president operates without the protections afforded by the White House. The bluster and bravado that served him well in the political arena are less handy in a legal realm dominated by verifiable evidence, where judges this week have looked askance at his positions. This week alone, he has been sued in New York and a federal appeals court has sharply rejected his legal team’s arguments about documents seized from his Florida home.
US urges world to tell Russia to stop its nuclear threats
UNITED NATIONS (AP) — The United States is urging other nations to tell Russia to stop making nuclear threats and end “the horror” of its war in Ukraine. All three countries’ top diplomats spoke at a high-profile U.N. Security Council meeting. But they didn’t quite meet. Held alongside the annual U.N. General Assembly gathering of world leaders, the session followed a striking development in the war this week. Russia called up a portion of its reserves for the first time since World War II. At the same time, President Vladimir Putin said his nuclear-armed country would “use all means available to us” to defend itself if its territory is threatened.
Tears and hugs for Russians called up to fight in Ukraine
ZAPORIZHZHIA, Ukraine (AP) — Russia is escalating its military and political campaign to take over Ukrainian territory. Russian army reservists were rounded up to fight while pro-Moscow authorities prepared for voter referendums starting Friday that could lead to the annexation of four Russian-held regions of Ukraine. A day after President Vladimir Putin ordered a partial mobilization to bolster his troops in Ukraine, dramatic scenes of tearful families bidding farewell to men departing from military mobilization centers in Russia appeared Thursday on social media. Germany’s interior minister offered concrete support to potential deserters. She said that anyone who “courageously opposes Putin’s regime and therefore puts himself in the greatest danger” can apply for asylum.
Biden vows US won’t walk away from storm-struck Puerto Rico
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Jan. 6 Rioter Who Said He Didnt Know Congress Met At Capitol Gets 4 Years
Jan. 6 Rioter Who Said He Didn’t Know Congress Met At Capitol Gets 4 Years https://digitalarizonanews.com/jan-6-rioter-who-said-he-didnt-know-congress-met-at-capitol-gets-4-years/
A New Jersey man who was one of the first rioters to break into the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, then testified under oath that he didn’t know Congress met there, was sentenced Thursday to four years in prison.
Prosecutors had sought more than six years for Timothy Hale-Cusanelli, but a federal judge ruled that his actions did not obstruct “the administration of justice,” though they did obstruct the official proceedings of Congress that day. A jury convicted him of that offense in May.
Also Thursday, the only Jan. 6 defendant to testify about his conduct in front of the House select committee investigating the riot was sentenced to two years of probation for disorderly conduct. Stephen Ayres, a 39-year-old Ohio carpenter, said he thinks about Jan. 6 “every single day” and prays for the injured officers and everyone who lost a loved one.
Hale-Cusanelli, 32, worked as a security guard at Naval Weapons Station Earle and lived on the base in Colts Neck, N.J. In addition to being a supporter of President Donald Trump, the man was a white supremacist who supported Nazi ideology and admired Adolf Hitler, even wearing a “Hitler mustache” to work, the government said in court filings. But U.S. District Judge Trevor N. McFadden ruled that Hale-Cusanelli’s racist preferences were too prejudicial to present to a jury, though he did allow the defendant’s comments that he wanted a civil war to come into evidence.
Surveillance video showed Hale-Cusanelli climbing through a window on the Lower West Terrace at 2:13 p.m., moments after it was first smashed, wearing a gray suit and a red MAGA hat. Before entering, prosecutors said, he moved a bicycle rack barrier aside to enable crowds to get closer to the building, and then urged the mob forward by waving his arms and yelling, “Advance! Advance!”
Once inside, Hale-Cusanelli was part of a group that overwhelmed U.S. Capitol and D.C. police in the crypt. Photos and videos showed that he then attempted to pull a rioter away from a police officer who was arresting that person. Hale-Cusanelli claimed that he didn’t know the officer was an officer, and that he thought the electoral vote certification “was going to be in a building called ‘Congress.’ As stupid as it sounds, I did not realize that Congress sat in the Capitol building.”
On Thursday, McFadden called that “a risible lie,” and after the jury convicted Hale-Cusanelli in May, the judge suggested to prosecutors that he would consider a request for a longer sentence for “obstruction of justice.” And McFadden did, in fact, increase Hale-Cusanelli’s sentencing range for those sworn statements.
But prosecutors sought two even longer sentencing enhancements for obstructing and interfering with the “administration of justice” at the Capitol. Defense attorney Nicholas D. Smith said that while Congress’s act of certifying the electoral college vote might qualify as an “official proceeding,” and all but one D.C. federal judge has agreed, the certification did not qualify as administration of justice. Prosecutors argued in their sentencing brief that the “’administration of justice’ is synonymous with ‘official proceeding.’ ”
McFadden agreed with the defense. He said the electoral college count was “appreciably different” from the investigations and other justice-related actions of Congress. “I don’t think the administration of justice, as used in the sentencing enhancement, is a fair way to describe what is happening here.”
He then reduced the sentencing guidelines range of 70 to 87 months down to 21 to 27 months. The guidelines are advisory, but judges typically issue sentences within the range. The government had requested a sentence of 78 months for Hale-Cusanelli.
But McFadden then blasted Hale-Cusanelli for his racist, sexist and antisemitic remarks, some of which were captured on a recording made by his roommate when Hale-Cusanelli returned to New Jersey after the riot. The judge repeated a profane taunt that Hale-Cusanelli shouted at a female Capitol Police officer during the riot, and criticized his “decision to lie on the witness stand.”
“Neither the jury nor I believed your claim that you didn’t know Congress resides in the Capitol building … you participated in a national embarrassment,” the judge said.
Though he had lowered the sentencing range to 21 to 27 months, McFadden sentenced Hale-Cusanelli to 48 months, followed by three years of supervised release.
The judge credited Hale-Cusanelli for showing remorse.
“My behavior that day was unacceptable and I disgraced my uniform and I disgraced the country,” Hale-Cusanelli said. He claimed he was “operating under the advice of counsel” when he testified about his confusion on where Congress sits. “I was challenging the law as it applied in my case.”
Elsewhere in the courthouse, Ayres told U.S. District Judge John D. Bates that he’s embarrassed and concerned by the political rhetoric that once captivated him. “I wish everybody in this country could stop and see where it’s going,” he said, in comments similar to those he made during a nationally televised meeting of the House Jan. 6 committee, where he said he hoped like-minded people would “take the blinders off.”
Prosecutors asked for 60 days in jail, citing violent social media comments Ayres made before Jan. 6 and his “lukewarm” response on Capitol Hill when asked if he still thought the 2020 presidential election was stolen. But Bates said he believed Ayres’s remorse was “sincere” and placed him on probation.
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South Korean President Overheard Insulting U.S. Congress As idiots
South Korean President Overheard Insulting U.S. Congress As ‘idiots’ https://digitalarizonanews.com/south-korean-president-overheard-insulting-u-s-congress-as-idiots/
South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol was caught on a hot mic Wednesday insulting U.S. Congress members as “idiots” who could be a potential embarrassment for President Biden if they did not approve funding for global public health.
Yoon had just met with Biden at the Global Fund’s Seventh Replenishment Conference in New York City. There, Biden had pledged $6 billion from the United States to the public health campaign, which fights AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria worldwide. The funding would require congressional approval.
“It would be so humiliating for Biden if these idiots don’t pass it in Congress,” Yoon was overheard telling a group of aides as they left the event. Video of the exchange quickly went viral in South Korea, where Yoon took office in May.
Representatives for Yoon did not immediately respond to requests for comment Thursday. A spokesman for the National Security Counsel said in a statement Thursday it would “not comment on the hot mic comments.”
“Our relationship with the Republic of Korea is strong and growing,” the statement said. “President Biden counts President Yoon as a key ally. The two leaders had a good, productive meeting on the margins of the United Nations General Assembly yesterday.”
Park Hong-keun, the leader of the opposition Democratic Party in South Korea, criticized Yoon’s “foul language tarnishing the U.S. Congress” as “a major diplomatic mishap,” Agence France-Presse reported.
Yoon and Biden were both in New York for the U.N. General Assembly, where they held discussions on the sidelines Wednesday.
“The two leaders reaffirmed their commitment to strengthen the U.S.-ROK alliance and ensure close cooperation to address the threat posed by the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK),” the White House said in a readout of their meeting. “The Presidents also discussed our ongoing cooperation on a broad range of priority issues including supply chain resilience, critical technologies, economic and energy security, global health, and climate change.”
Min Joo Kim contributed to this report.
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Zone Read: Saguaro-Chandler 3.0 https://digitalarizonanews.com/zone-read-saguaro-chandler-3-0/
Ask the Experts
It gets no bigger than Saguaro-Chandler Friday night at Austin Field.
I don’t feel “marquee matchup” is strong enough to describe, considered by most, the two flagship programs in Arizona High School football. With the backdrop of last year’s Open Division Championship thriller in December, these two giants will face off with all eyes watching this 10-month sequel intently.
AIA Open State Champions @saguarofootball #WeAreSaguaro #Family @ScottsdaleUSD pic.twitter.com/ykc5ZNSll9
— Saguaro High School (@SaguaroSUSD) December 12, 2021
The Wolves defeated Saguaro in the first Open Division title game back in 2019.
For me, the biggest key will be how Saguaro handles Chandler’s physicality up front on both sides of the ball. The Sabercats’ trenches have been tested in early games with Bergen Catholic (NJ), and Queen Creek, who held their own in a hard-fought 13-8 Week 2 loss to #SagU.
“Zone Read” reached out a handful of people much smarter on these such things for a closer look at Saguaro-Chandler 3.0.
Zach Alvira – East Valley Tribune, Sports360AZ.com
“I’m most looking forward to seeing if last week’s performance by Saguaro against O’Connor was the Sabercat offense finally clicking. They struggled to put up points in the first couple of weeks but seemed to have figured out the kinks despite missing Zaccheus Cooper and Deric English. Chandler’s defense flies to the ball and they’re big up front, which presents a similar challenge Bergen Catholic did for Saguaro.
“On the flip side, how does Chandler come into this game? Obviously, the Wolves want revenge for last season. But it will be interesting to see if they can keep some emotions in check to avoid penalties. So far, they’ve done great with that. But they haven’t faced Saguaro, the only team to dethrone them in the last six years. I’m excited to see the outcome in this one. It could go either way.”
Ralph Amsden – ArizonaVarsity.com
“The thing I’m most looking forward to in this matchup is to see Chandler continue to re-establish the running game. The Wolves five-consecutive-championship-run had one common thread, and that’s an average of well over 225 rushing yards per game. Last year, that total was down around 155, which is ironically the same amount of rushing yards Chandler had the last time they failed to even make a championship game, in a loss to Desert Ridge in 2015. The offensive line, including impressive sophomore Andrew Dudley, and RB Ca’lil Valentine, who I had a chance to talk to Chase Lucas about this week as someone who reminds me very much of his running style, have the Wolves back in a position of playing power football. In turn, Chandler is looking like the Chandler of old.
“On the Saguaro end, watching them improve has been one of the most intriguing things about the 2022 season. It’s becoming commonplace to watch Saguaro learn about themselves and make adjustments, not only as the season goes on, but in the course of a single game. Does anyone remember what Saguaro looked like after halftime of the 2020 Open Division championship? While I think Rick Garretson and Chandler as the best game-planning staff in Arizona, I hold Jason Mohns and Saguaro up as potentially the best in-game adjustment staff at the prep level in America.”
Cody Cameron – ArizonaVarsity.com
“Friday’s game is the third round of a heavy-weight fight. Chandler won round one by defeating the Sabercats back in the 2019 Open State Championship game and Saguaro got their revenge last season in the Open State Championship game. Chandler QB Dylan Raiola versus Saguaro QB Devon Dampier will be the headline, but I think an even better matchup will be Saguaro’s offensive line against Chandler’s front seven on defense. Saguaro has one of the best OL coaches in the state in Mark Martinez, and his unit gets the daunting task of trying to block Chandler’s Amauri Washington and the rest of the Wolves’ front. Whoever wins that battle at the line of scrimmage, will win this football game.”
Claudia Collins – Sports360AZ.com
“I’ve had this Open Division Championship rematch highlighted, circled and underscored in my calendar since the AIA released the schedule for the 2022 season. This rematch will be interesting with the Wolves displaying their nationwide top-prospect QB for the first time against the open defending champs. I imagine Chandler is going into this game hungry. The same way Bishop Gorman went into their rematch against Hamilton…we saw how that turned out.
“I think a win for Saguaro would be a huge boost for Devon Dampier and he’s already been off to a hot start this season. I’d say Saguaro has had a tougher schedule to kick off the season. Having had that test against Bergen Catholic, regardless of the result, may pay off in Week 4. This matchup would’ve been really interesting further into the season…but something tells me we might see them face off in December (again).”
Cameron Cox – 12 Sports
“Once again – the biggest high school football game in the country is right here in Arizona. Saguaro-Chandler has the potential to be the game of the year, an Open Division final preview again, and maybe one of the best games we’ve seen in a very long time. Get there EARLY – it will be standing room only at Chandler HS!!
“I watched Chandler play last week against Notre Dame Prep. They’re big, fast and hungry to get back on top. Ca’lil Valentine runs behind a massive o-line that gives junior QB Dylan Raiola plenty of time to throw. Oregon commit A’mauri Washington is nearly unblockable, and that defense hasn’t given up a point in 10-quarters. Should be a great test for Saguaro’s o-line that is building around four new starters. The Sabercats have one of the best and most exciting players in the state in QB Devon Dampier. Right now, Saguaro is the king of AZHSFB after beating Chandler in the Open Division title game last year. They will remain the kings until someone takes that title away from them. Let’s get ready to rumble!”
Jordan Hamm – Sports360AZ.com
“This matchup always makes my ears perk up because I think of how great it is that these teams can play consistently. Think back to all the ‘what if’ seasons when both teams dominated their respect divisions and never got to square off.
“Chandler seems like a team on a mission and have been so impressive. Saguaro played a really tough out-of-state opponent and had to grind out a Queen Creek win earlier this year, but the Sabercats are starting to really click.
“These are two of the best coaching staffs going head-to-head and two groups that know each other well. It should be a great game Friday but also just the opening act for a potential meet-up in the Open Division bracket.”
Buckle your seats belt.
Luberda’s Legacy
If you’ve consumed this column over the past several years, or are even somewhat familiar with Arizona High School football, you know the name Andy Luberda.
The architect of CountyLinePreps.com, and frequent contributor to Sports360AZ.com, left us far too soon on December 29, 2020.
Friday night in Queen Creek, two schools he covered with tremendous passion, Queen Creek High and ALA Queen Creek, will honor his legacy.
Looking forward to Homecoming this week and the first ever Andy Luberda Classic. @CountyLinePreps #ATM @CodyTCameron @JUSTCHILLY @ZachAlvira @AZHSFB @azc_obert @EricSports360AZ @PhotoSilvas pic.twitter.com/Y34SlYS7iT
— Queen Creek Football (@QC_football) September 20, 2022
“Andy Luberda was a man of passion,” Queen Creek head coach, and close friend of Luberda, Travis Schureman said to the “Zone Read.” “He not only loved Queen Creek, he loved all the teams in the Southeast Valley he covered. When he talked about the teams, he talked about them with a reverence and an importance.”
Schureman paused, then continued.
“I think he always underestimated who he was, and what he brought to the table, because he was a very humble man. He cared deeply about all kids. Not just one team, but all kids.”
He cared most about his own kid, son Kade Luberda, who will be attending the first Andy Luberda Classic.
“I’m so excited for Friday,” Kade, now 22, said to the “Zone Read.” “Seeing familiar faces and just being in attendance for two schools my dad covered the most. It’s so special for me because this would be the utmost honor for my dad. This is the highest respect they could have shown for him. My mother and I could not be more honored.”
The Inaugural Andy Luberda Classic is Friday night. With two of the east valley power house facing off @QC_football and @alaqcfootball. Friday Nights in QC aren’t the same without you brother pic.twitter.com/4ASCTErdk1
— Andy Silvas Photo LLC (@PhotoSilvas) September 20, 2022
For Luberda, no school was too small or too far of a drive out to the county line. He was a regular at Superior High School and Casa Grande, as well as Poston Butte, Combs, Ben Franklin, and the ALA schools – many of the before mentioned in their infancy of existence.
“He was that way because he cared about kids,” Schureman explained. “He wanted kids to know that they were seen, they had value, and they were special.”
This week has been a time of reflection for all of us who knew Andy, his snarky sense of humor, and warm smile.
“Any time we spent together meant the most to me and is what I miss most,” Kade said, referencing his dad’s favorite “Seinfeld” lines and their dinner talks about sports, life, everything. “Watching sports, talking high school football, driving to work. Never a dull moment.”
In a game you always hoped would be played, I know those stadium lights will be shining a little brighter at Queen Creek High School.
“I’m positive my dad will be in attendance,” Kade said.
Andy, I miss you my friend.
Hitting the Ground Running
For all of us who have watched Arizona State head coaches mostly ignore in-state high school talent over the past dec...
Last Defendant Sentenced In US Border Patrol Agents Death
Last Defendant Sentenced In US Border Patrol Agent’s Death https://digitalarizonanews.com/last-defendant-sentenced-in-us-border-patrol-agents-death/
TUCSON, AZ (AP) — The seventh and final defendant has been sentenced for the 2010 fatal shooting of a U.S. Border Patrol agent, a case that exposed a botched federal gun operation known as “Fast and Furious.” Jesus Rosario Favela-Astorga was given a 50-year prison term Wednesday in a Tucson court, federal prosecutors said. Favela-Astorga, 41, was arrested by Mexican authorities in October 2017 on a provisional warrant. He was extradited to the U.S. in January 2020 and pleaded guilty in the case in April of this year. Favela-Astorga’s sentencing “brings justice to the last of U.S. Border Patrol Agent Brian A. Terry’s murderers,” Tucson Sector Chief Patrol Agent John Modlin said in a statement.
Jesus Rosario Favela-Astorga was given a 50-year prison term Wednesday in a Tucson court.(FBI)
Terry’s death exposed the “Fast and Furious” operation in which federal agents allowed criminals to buy firearms with the intention of tracking them to criminal organizations. But the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives lost track of most of the guns, including two found at the scene of Terry’s death near the Arizona-Mexico border. The Obama administration was heavily criticized for the operation. Former Attorney General Eric Holder was held in contempt by Congress for refusing to turn over documents related to the sting.
Terry, 40, was a former U.S. Marine who was part of a four-man team in an elite Border Patrol unit staking out the southern Arizona desert on a mission to find “rip-off” crew members who rob drug smugglers. They encountered a group and identified themselves as police on the night of Dec. 14, 2010. The men refused to stop, prompting an agent to fire bean bags at them. They responded by firing AK-47-type assault rifles. Terry was struck in the back and died soon after. Prosecutors said all seven of the men charged in Terry’s killing now are serving sentences of between eight years to life in prison after pleading guilty or being convicted.
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
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Residency Challenges Hard To Prove | Arizona Capitol Times
Residency Challenges Hard To Prove | Arizona Capitol Times https://digitalarizonanews.com/residency-challenges-hard-to-prove-arizona-capitol-times/
By: Camryn Sanchez Arizona Capitol Times September 22, 2022
Arizona law requires politicians to live in the districts they represent, but not much stands in the way of “carpetbagging” lawmakers who live outside their district.
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Tags: lawsuit, carpetbagger, Moses Sanchez, Herrera, Tim La Sota, Rogers, Flagstaff, GOP, Kevin Robinson, Don Shooter, election, Phoenix City Council, Townsend, Senate, Maricopa County, Russ Jones, Tucson, House, Brent Backus, Scottsdale
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Futures Are Flat Following Another Day Of Losses After Fed Rate Hike Sell-Offs
Futures Are Flat Following Another Day Of Losses After Fed Rate Hike, Sell-Offs https://digitalarizonanews.com/futures-are-flat-following-another-day-of-losses-after-fed-rate-hike-sell-offs/
Stock futures were largely flat Wednesday night as investors continued reacting to the Fed’s rate hike and concerns over a potential economic downswing.
The Nasdaq 100 was up 10 points or 0.09%. Dow Jones Industrial Average futures rose by 41points, or 0.14%. S&P 500 futures increased 4 points, 0.11%.
Costco stock was down about 2.6% in extended trading. Although the retailer posted fiscal fourth-quarter revenue and earnings that topped analysts’ expectations, it is seeing higher freight and labor costs.
Thursday brought another day of losses as the market remains poised to end the week below where it started. The Nasdaq Composite decreased 1.4% to 11,066.81. The S&P 500 fell 0.8% to 3,757.99, while the Dow Jones Industrial Average ended the day 107.10 points lower at 30,076.68, which is a loss of 0.3%.
With the latest pullback, the Dow has given up about 2.4% this week. Both the S&P and Nasdaq saw slightly sharper declines, falling 3% and 3.3%, respectively, week to date.
Bond yields also continued their upward ascent, with the 2-year and 10-year Treasury notes hitting highs not seen in more than a decade.
Industrials, consumer discretionary, growth tech and semiconductors were all industries hit amid fears of easing growth in the economy. Meanwhile, defensive stocks outperformed.
“You’ve just got this volatility that nobody seems to be able to get their head around,” said Tim Lesko, a senior wealth advisor at Mariner Wealth Advisors.
Lesko said more investors are starting to accept that a recession may be on the horizon after the Fed’s decision this week to hike rates by 75 basis points and FedEx CEO Raj Subramaniam saying on CNBC last week that he believed one was imminent. Once that happens, Lesko said investors will react differently.
“At some point, they’ll figure out that recession doesn’t mean the end of the world, and they’ll start getting constructive on stocks again,” he said. “But right now, we’re acting as if the sky’s falling.”
Costco, Scholastic shares fall after reporting earnings
Scholastic and Costco both saw shares fall in post-market trading Thursday after reporting quarterly earnings.
Scholastic shares fell 3.3% after sharing declines of 82% and 74% in operating income and earnings before taxes in the first quarter compared to the same period a year ago. The children’s book maker saw a 1% increase in revenue.
Costco, the wholesale retail chain, was down about 2.6% after reporting its third-quarter earnings. Though the company posted expectation-beating increases in earnings per share and revenue that also marked improvements from a year ago, the company reported increases in freight and labor costs.
— Alex Harring
Futures start flat in post-market trading
Stock futures were flat after another tumultuous day, as investors continue grappling with the Federal Reserve’s decision to up rates and worries about the health of the economy.
Dow Jones Futures went up 41 points, or .14%, to 30,190. The S&P 500 was up 4 points, which translates to .11%, at 3,776. The Nasdaq 100 rose 10 points, .09%, to 11,575,50.
— Alex Harring
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Trump-Backed GOP Pick For Michigan AG Has Been A Vocal Supporter Of Election Lies. Emails Show Just How Far He's Gone For The Cause Local News 8
Trump-Backed GOP Pick For Michigan AG Has Been A Vocal Supporter Of Election Lies. Emails Show Just How Far He's Gone For The Cause – Local News 8 https://digitalarizonanews.com/trump-backed-gop-pick-for-michigan-ag-has-been-a-vocal-supporter-of-election-lies-emails-show-just-how-far-hes-gone-for-the-cause-local-news-8/
By Bob Ortega, Curt Devine, Yahya Abou-Ghazala, Audrey Ash and Drew Griffin, CNN
Months after Joe Biden’s 2020 victory over Donald Trump in Michigan had been certified, and confirmed by audits and voting reviews, a clerk in rural Barry County received an unusual and confusing request from Matthew DePerno, an attorney in Kalamazoo.
DePerno, who’d filed a lawsuit on behalf of a local resident claiming voting-machine fraud in Antrim County, more than 200 miles to the north, sent the clerk a subpoena demanding access to her county’s voting equipment, election tapes, logs — and ballots, which had been sealed and stored after the election.
“It was totally random,” Pam Palmer, the clerk, told an attorney for the county, in a March 17, 2021, email obtained by CNN through a public-records request. In another email later the same day, she added, “He informed me that I do need to collect the ballots which are under seal at this point, and not to be opened for 22 months. He informed me they will be opening the ballot bags & resealing them.”
Palmer is among at least eight county clerks who received DePerno’s subpoenas, including in counties that didn’t even use the Dominion Voting Systems machines at issue in DePerno’s lawsuit.
DePerno’s subpoenas were ultimately rejected by a judge — but his attempt to get sealed voter ballots helps show how far he’s gone to challenge the results of the 2020 presidential election.
His relentless efforts have landed him at the center of an investigation by a Michigan special prosecutor into whether DePerno and eight others illegally tampered with voting machines in the state.
And still, as the Republican nominee to become Michigan’s attorney general, DePerno continues to sow doubts about the reliability of voting machines and the election process among voters — and among local government officials who’ll play a role in certifying this November’s election results in their towns and counties.
But DePerno’s impact reaches far beyond Michigan. His original false claim — that Dominion machines connected to the internet initially flipped conservative Antrim County to Biden in 2020 and that, therefore, machines similarly flipped votes elsewhere — sprouted like a fairy-tale magic bean into demands for audits and baseless claims of vote fraud across the US.
His claims have been repeatedly, thoroughly debunked. But that fairy tale continues to stoke demands that voting machines be scrapped and the vote in November’s midterms be counted by hand. It’s cited by MAGA candidates who warn of fraud to come and claim that Democrats can only win if they cheat.
Ten out of 30 attorney general races nationwide — including DePerno’s bid in Michigan — have an election denier on the ballot, according to a recent report by the States United Democracy Center, a nonpartisan group that works on election issues. The group also found that candidates who deny that Biden won in 2020 will be on this November’s ballot in half the races for governor and 44% of the races for secretary of state. In three states — Alabama, Arizona and Michigan — GOP election deniers are running for all three top positions.
“What this could lead to long term is because this is so divorced from reality, people all over the country believing that any election in which their candidate does not win is stolen,” said David Becker, director of the Center for Election Innovation and Research, a nonpartisan group that works to ensure accessible and secure elections. “And you can imagine what this does to the fabric of democracy.”
The ‘fishing expedition’ that had legs
When DePerno sent the subpoena to Palmer, seeking the voting machines and records, he told her he was sending a team to unseal and examine her county’s ballots, according to emails obtained by CNN.
Palmer’s attorney asked the judge to toss out the subpoena or at least to require DePerno and his client, Bill Bailey, to “guarantee that Barry County equipment will not be altered, damaged, or compromised in any way” and “to show that each individual on his inspection team” had proper training and credentials to offer the same guarantee.
In April 2021, Circuit Court Chief Judge Kevin Eisenheimer quashed the subpoenas as a “fishing expedition,” saying that DePerno needed “more than mere conjecture, more than speculation,” to support his request. In May, Eisenheimer dismissed DePerno’s suit.
But that didn’t end the effort. In June, investigators for Barry County Sheriff Dar Leaf, a DePerno ally, began questioning township clerks in the county about the 2020 election. A call from one worried clerk led Palmer to confront a deputy and another investigator at the Carlton Township offices — only to discover the investigators had told clerks not to talk to one another or to her “because they want the element of surprise,” she told an attorney for the county, Allan Vander Laan, in a June 14, 2021, email previously reported by The Detroit News.
Vander Laan responded, “Are they trying to get what they could not get by subpoena? Do not give them records. Do not allow them access to ballots.”
“I am livid!” Palmer wrote. “This is a fishing attempt …”
Meanwhile, DePerno falsely argued in July 2021 that ElectionSource, a company doing routine maintenance on Michigan voting equipment, planned to “destroy election data,” and sent the company a letter threatening a lawsuit, a company representative emailed county officials.
DePerno’s “misinformation campaign is dangerous not only to my staff but to your clerks as well,” wrote Steve Delongchamp, vice president of ElectionSource, in a July 14, 2021, email to several clerks. “We have received many threatening calls from individuals that have no concept of how elections work.”
Despite initially agreeing to speak to CNN, DePerno ultimately refused to comment for this story.
DePerno’s history with ‘frivolous’ litigation
Long before he dove into the 2020 election fraud claims, DePerno had established a troubling track record — from clients who sued him for overbilling and malpractice to getting involved in the years-long case of a Michigan lawmaker involved in a sex scandal, who attempted to cover up an alleged affair with another legislator.
DePerno’s relentless, litigious approach to these cases and others earned him heavy professional criticism — which he consistently has denied.
DePerno “is litigious in an unnecessary way,” said former state Circuit Judge William Buhl, who asked the Michigan Attorney Grievance Commission to investigate DePerno in 2016 in relation to the malpractice case. “Many of the things he raises are frivolous, and people have to go through the trouble of answering them … DePerno does it just as a matter of course, even if there is no merit to it.”
The grievance commission did not make its findings public. DePerno has called Buhl’s accusations “total nonsense” and claimed the matter was “ultimately dismissed” by the grievance commission, “as it should be,” according to Bridge Michigan.
Even so, his reputation as a no-holds-barred litigator made him a key player in Antrim County — where he quickly helped stoke claims of fraud after the 2020 election.
Antrim County claims were ‘indefensible’
On election night in 2020, human error led to early, unofficial results being released that showed Joe Biden ahead in the conservative rural county in northern Michigan. The mistake was quickly caught and corrected; it didn’t affect ballot tabulation or official results, which showed Trump easily winning the county, according to state officials.
But with Trump having claimed for months that only fraud could prevent his reelection, he and allies were quick to leverage the error. Three weeks after the election, DePerno filed a suit alleging vote fraud, placing the blame on Dominion voting machines and asking a state judge to allow him to take images of Antrim County vote tabulators.
The charade fueled Trump ally and former Overstock.com CEO Patrick Byrne to send a team of researchers to the county to dig into the fraud allegations. Those researchers quickly produced a report that claimed Dominion voting machines were “intentionally and purposefully designed with inherent errors to create systemic fraud and influence election results.”
That report was used as purported evidence on multiple legal fronts: DePerno filed it as an exhibit in his lawsuit and Trump attorney Sidney Powell cited it in a December 13, 2020, petition to the US Supreme Court, as part of an effort to overturn the election results.
It didn’t work — and the report was roundly discredited. A GOP-led investigation by the Michigan Senate Oversight Committee in June 2021 called the false Antrim claims “indefensible.” Former US Attorney General Bill Barr testified to the January 6 committee that the report was “amateurish” and said that to believe it, Trump would have to be “detached from reality.”
Even so, the report on Antrim County has become foundational to the fiction that Dominion machines around the country secretly flipped votes — bolstering several high-profile attempts to challenge the 2020 elections results. Among them:
Members of Byrnes’ team who worked with DePerno in Antrim County included Cyber Ninjas CEO Doug Logan, who led the widely-ridiculed audit in Maricopa County, Arizona, that failed to prove any vote fraud. Ben Cotton, one of DePerno’s cybersecurity consultants and also part of that audit, testified that “he forensically examined Dominion Democracy Suite voting systems” in Maricopa County, Antrim County, Colorado’s Mesa County, and Georgia’s Coffee County, according to court documents.
Logan and Jeffrey Lenberg, another a...
