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Fiona Reaches Hurricane Strength, Dumping ‘life-Threatening’ Levels Of Rain On Puerto Rico https://digitalarizonanews.com/fiona-reaches-hurricane-strength-dumping-life-threatening-levels-of-rain-on-puerto-rico/ Hurricane Fiona intensified overnight and became a hurricane today. It moved just south of Puerto Rico bringing torrential rain up to 25 inches to some parts of the island. As of 2 p.m., the National Hurricane Center advisory said its center was located about 25 miles south of Ponce, Puerto Rico with maximum sustained winds of 85 mph moving west-northwest at 8 mph. Hurricane force winds extend outward up to 140 miles with Sunday afternoon sustained wind tracked at Puerto Rican weather stations reported to be at 69 mph. This visible radar image shows Tropical Storm Fiona moving near Puerto Rico on Sunday, Sept. 18, 2022. (NOAA – GOES-East) “On the forecast track, the center of Fiona will approach Puerto Rico this morning, and move near or over Puerto Rico this afternoon or evening.” said NHC hurricane specialist Brad Reinhart. “Fiona will then move near the northern coast of the Dominican Republic tonight and Monday, and near or to the east of the Turks and Caicos Islands on Tuesday.” Hurricane warnings are in effect for Puerto Rico and parts of the Dominican Republic with hurricane watches in place for the U.S. Virgin Islands. Tropical storm warnings remain in place for the U.S. and British Virgin Islands, more of the Dominican Republic and a tropical storm watch is in effect for the Turks and Caicos Islands and the southeastern Bahamas. Hurricane #Fiona Advisory 17A: Eye of Fiona Very Near the Southwest Coast of Puerto Rico. Catastrophic Flooding Expected Across Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic. https://t.co/tW4KeGe9uJ — National Hurricane Center (@NHC_Atlantic) September 18, 2022 The system’s intense rain continues to fall over both the U.S. and British Virgin Islands, but is now moving over Puerto Rico and expected to begin affecting the Dominican Republic by the end of the day, the NHC stated. “These rainfall amounts will produce life-threatening flash floods and urban flooding across Puerto Rico and portions of the eastern Dominican Republic, along with mudslides and landslides in areas of higher terrain,” Reinhart said. It’s expected to drop 12 to 16 inches over the entire island with some areas up to 25 inches. “It’s time to take action and be concerned,” said Nino Correa, Puerto Rico’s emergency management commissioner. The storm was forecast to pummel cities and towns along Puerto Rico’s southern coast that are still recovering from a string of strong earthquakes that hit the region starting in late 2019, with several schools still shuttered and debris to be removed. More than 100 people had sought shelter across the island by Saturday night, the majority of them in the southern coastal city of Guayanilla. With Fiona due just two days before the anniversary of Hurricane Maria, a deadly Category 4 storm that hit on Sept. 20, 2017, anxiety levels ran high across the island. People boarded up windows and stocked up on food and water. “I think all of us Puerto Ricans who lived through Maria have that post-traumatic stress of, ‘What is going to happen, how long is it going to last and what needs might we face?’” said Danny Hernández, who works in the capital of San Juan but planned to weather the storm with his parents and family in the western town of Mayaguez. Many Puerto Ricans also were concerned about blackouts, with Luma, the company that operates power transmission and distribution, warning of “widespread service interruptions.” Puerto Rico’s power grid was razed by Hurricane Maria and remains frail, with reconstruction starting only recently. Outages are a daily occurrence, and fires at power plants have occurred in recent months. Puerto Rico’s governor, Pedro Pierluisi, said he was ready to declare a state of emergency if needed and activated the National Guard as the Atlantic hurricane season’s sixth named storm approached. The system’s updated path forecasts it to travel further away from Florida, with the center passing over western Puerto Rico as the system heads more northwest and growing in intensity as it passes to the east of the Turks and Caicos up into the Atlantic and threatening Bermuda by the end of the week as a strong Category 2 system with 110 mph winds and 130 mph gusts. Already, storm surge and a deluge from Fiona plagued the Caribbean island of Guadeloupe with at least two people reportedly washed away and more than 20 people who had to be rescued by rising waters on Saturday. One was confirmed dead by Sunday. The storm left behind heavy road damage on Guadeloupe with video on Twitter showing fast-moving floods flowing down streets up to washed out roads and streets flooded up to 2 feet washing away cars. Projected rainfall had been more than 8 inches in some parts of the island. Government officials with the French overseas department said two people were missing swept away by rising waters overnight. Elsewhere in the Atlantic, a tropical wave was detected Thursday midway between the west coast of Africa and the Lesser Antilles islands. The weather system is producing disorganized showers and thunderstorms, and is predicted to slowly develop late this weekend and early next week when it turns northward over the central subtropical Atlantic. The NHC gives it a 20% of forming in the five days. Tropical outlook as of 8 a.m. Sunday, Sept. 18, 2022. (National Hurricane Center) Despite the low chances, their emergence coincides with Colorado State University’s release of its tropical prediction for the next two weeks, saying the tropics could get much busier with a 50% chance of above-average activity taking place. CSU also gave a 40% chance of normal activity taking place and a 10% chance of below-average activity. Fiona could become the season’s third hurricane following hurricanes Daniella and Earl earlier this month. What had been forecast to be an above average tropical season was mostly quiet in July and August before picking up steam on Sept. 1. The Atlantic hurricane season runs from June 1-Nov. 30. The Associated Press contributed to this report. Read More Here

Arizona GOP Leader Says Trump-Backed Politicians May Send U.S. https://digitalarizonanews.com/arizona-gop-leader-says-trump-backed-politicians-may-send-u-s/ 1/3 License Photo” height=”532″ src=”https://cdnph.upi.com/svc/sv/upi/7581663523643/2022/1/a5a4ee64b15c59b443f43705176788be/Arizona-GOP-leader-says-Trump-backed-politicians-may-send-US-back-to-the-dark-ages.jpg” title=”Arizona House Speaker Rep. Rusty Bowers testifies as the House select committee investigating the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol conducts a public hearing to discuss its findings of a year-long investigation, on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C, on June 21. File photo by Doug Mills/UPI | License Photo” width=”800″ Arizona House Speaker Rep. Rusty Bowers testifies as the House select committee investigating the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol conducts a public hearing to discuss its findings of a year-long investigation, on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C, on June 21. File photo by Doug Mills/UPI | License Photo Sept. 18 (UPI) — The outgoing Republican leader of the Arizona House said Sunday that political candidates backed by former President Donald Trump might send the United States “back to the dark ages.” Rusty Bowers, the speaker of the state’s legislature who testified at U.S. House Select Committee to Investigate the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol, made his comments in an interview with Jake Tapper for a special CNN report that will air Sunday night. Earlier this year, Bowers effectively prevented the passage of Arizona House Bill 2596, a bid by Arizona Republicans to change how elections are run in the state which would have created paths to remove the popular vote, by assigning every one of the legislature’s committees to review the bill. “The legislature, after the election, could dismiss the election,” Bowers told CNN. “And I said, welcome to fascism.” As noted by CNN, Bowers’ use of the word “fascism” is considerable because of his prominence in the Republican party and backlash President Joe Biden, a Democrat, received from GOP lawmakers for stating that the Trump movement resembles “semi-fascism.” However, Bowers told CNN that the bill he doomed “will be back” if Trump-backed candidates win in the midterms. He lost his primary for an Arizona state Senate seat last month to David Farnsworth, who support Trump’s false claims that the 2020 presidential election was stolen from him. “The possibility of that getting a governor signature would just be a disaster. I call it the possibility of going back into the dark ages in Arizona,” Bowers said. Trump on Saturday spoke at a rally to back J.D. Vance for a U.S. Senate seat in Ohio, calling him an “incredible patriot who will take the fight to Biden and the radical left media.” During his speech, Trump played a QAnon song in the background as his supporters raised their fingers in a salute, Media watchdog Media Matters reported. A Trump spokesperson claimed to Vice that the track is not a song titled “WWG1WGA” — an acronym for a QAnon slogan that means “Where We Go One, We Go All” — but rather a song called ‘Mirrors’ by TV and film composer Will Van De Crommert. Experts told Vice News that the two songs are identical, which was confirmed by a musical analysis conducted by researchers for Media Matters. Read More Here

Trump Rally Plays Music Resembling QAnon Song, And Crowds React https://digitalarizonanews.com/trump-rally-plays-music-resembling-qanon-song-and-crowds-react/ Politics|Trump Rally Plays Music Resembling QAnon Song, and Crowds React https://www.nytimes.com/2022/09/18/us/politics/trump-rally-qanon-music.html In Ohio, a dark address by the former president featured music that was all but identical to a theme song for the conspiracy theory movement. Send any friend a story As a subscriber, you have 10 gift articles to give each month. Anyone can read what you share. Video CreditCredit…David Maxwell/EPA, via Shutterstock Sept. 18, 2022, 2:30 p.m. ET Former President Donald J. Trump appeared to more fully embrace QAnon on Saturday, playing a song at a political rally in Ohio that prompted attendees to respond with a salute in reference to the cultlike conspiracy theory’s theme song. While speaking in Youngstown in support of J.D. Vance, whom he has endorsed as Ohio’s Republican nominee for the Senate, Mr. Trump delivered a dark address about the decline of America over music that was all but identical to a song called “Wwg1wga” — an abbreviation for the QAnon slogan, “Where we go one, we go all.” As Mr. Trump spoke, scores of people in the crowd raised fingers in the air in an apparent reference to the “1” in what they thought was the song’s title. It was the first time in the memory of some Trump aides that such a display had occurred at one of his rallies. Aides to Mr. Trump said the song played at the rally was called “Mirrors,” and it was selected for use in a video that Mr. Trump played at the conservative meeting CPAC and posted on his social media site, Truth Social. But it sounds strikingly like the QAnon theme song. Taylor Budowich, a spokesman for Mr. Trump, said, “The fake news, in a pathetic attempt to create controversy and divide America, is brewing up another conspiracy about a royalty-free song from a popular audio library platform.” The State of the 2022 Midterm Elections With the primaries over, both parties are shifting their focus to the general election on Nov. 8. Echoing Trump: Six G.O.P. nominees for governor and the Senate in critical midterm states, all backed by former President Donald J. Trump, would not commit to accepting this year’s election results. Times/Siena Poll: Our second survey of the 2022 election cycle found Democrats remain unexpectedly competitive in the battle for Congress, while G.O.P. dreams of a major realignment among Latino voters have failed to materialize. Ohio Senate Race: The contest between Representative Tim Ryan, a Democrat, and his Republican opponent, J.D. Vance, appears tighter than many once expected. Pennsylvania Senate Race: In one of his most extensive interviews since having a stroke, Lt. Gov. John Fetterman, the Democratic nominee, said he was fully capable of handling a campaign that could decide control of the Senate. As president, Mr. Trump often had a winking relationship with QAnon, amplifying social media posts related to the conspiracy theory movement, which holds that when he was in the White House he was locked in a war against satanic, child-trafficking liberals and Democrats. A chief tenet of the movement, which has gradually spread from the fringes of the far right closer to the center of the Republican Party, is that Mr. Trump will ultimately be returned to power. But what was once a flirtation with a movement that the F.B.I. has warned could increasingly turn violent now appears to be a full embrace. Last week, for example, Mr. Trump posted an image of himself on Truth Social, wearing a Q pin on his lapel and under a slogan reading “The Storm is Coming.” Adherents to QAnon believe that the “storm” is the moment when Mr. Trump will retake power after vanquishing his enemies, having them arrested and potentially executed on live TV. Mr. Trump’s speech in Ohio had an apocalyptic tone and seemed intended to delegitimize officials in the F.B.I. and Justice Department who are involved in investigations into both his handling of sensitive government documents removed from the White House and the role that he and allies played in trying to overturn the 2020 election. Image The Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol drew Trump supporters and QAnon conspiracy theorists.Credit…Manuel Balce Ceneta/Associated Press “We are a nation that has weaponized its law enforcement against the opposing political party like never ever before,” Mr. Trump told the crowd. “We’ve got a Federal Bureau of Investigation that won’t allow bad, election-changing facts to be presented to the public.” Addressing the conflict in Ukraine, Mr. Trump also warned that the United States “may end up in World War III.” Assailing reporters, as he often does, he said that there was “no fair press any longer” and repeated his frequent refrain that the news media is “truly the enemy of the people.” Those complaints were followed by series of other false claims. Mr. Trump said that “free speech is no longer allowed” in the United States, a country, he went on to claim, “where crime is rampant like never before, where the economy has been collapsing.” Read More Here

Obituaries In Phoenix, AZ | The Arizona Republic https://digitalarizonanews.com/obituaries-in-phoenix-az-the-arizona-republic-18/ Kurt Bergen, 59, of Scottsdale, AZ passed away on August 31, 2022. Kurt was born October 4, 1962 in Evanston, IL. Kurt is survived by his wife Laura, sister Janet, a niece, and a nephew, and his mother Doris. A Memorial Service will be held at Messinger Indian School Mortuary on Sunday, September 25 at 2 pm. Donations can be made to the American Cancer Society. Posted online on September 18, 2022 Published in The Arizona Republic Read More Here

Navajo Police Seek Person Of Interest In Window Rock Bank Robbery https://digitalarizonanews.com/navajo-police-seek-person-of-interest-in-window-rock-bank-robbery/ Published September 18, 2022 9:58AM article Person of interest sought in Window Rock robbery WINDOW ROCK, Ariz. – The Navajo Police Department is searching for a person of interest in connection to a bank robbery in Window Rock. Officers responded to a silent alarm at a Wells Fargo just before noon on Sept. 16. “On their arrival, the officers confirmed with employees the bank was robbed,” police said in a statement. “The suspect fled the area on foot.” Police identified a person of interest who was seen running from the bank. He was described as a 5’9″, medium-built man wearing a black ball cap, black sweater, white T-shirt, white shorts and black shoes. The man was also seen carrying a black bag with a bright green shoulder strap bag. Anyone with information is asked to contact the Window Rock Police Department at (928) 871-6111. More Arizona headlines Multiple shootings in Phoenix break out overnight, killing 4 people Body found inside a container by a Phoenix bicyclist, police confirm Driver shot, killed near I-10 in west Phoenix; no arrests made Read More…

Trump: Germany Could Soon Cease To Exist Because Of Its Heavy Energy Dependence On Russia https://digitalarizonanews.com/trump-germany-could-soon-cease-to-exist-because-of-its-heavy-energy-dependence-on-russia/ Former US President Donald Trump has said that Germany could soon cease to exist as a country because of its heavy energy dependence on Russia. Trump on Saturday said he had told former German Chancellor Angela Merkel that her country’s dependence on Russia’s energy could soon lead to a“surrender” of Germany to Moscow. He claimed that he had long warned Berlin about such a threat about the Nord Stream 2 pipeline, recalling that he even once gave the then-chancellor a white flag to “surrender” to Russia. “If you’re getting 72% of your energy from Russia, here is the white flag, because you will be surrendering very quickly. Who the hell thought it was gonna happen this fast, right?” Trump said. The former president made the remarks during a rally in Youngstown, Ohio, saying the Nord Stream 2 pipeline, which was supposed to pump Russian gas to Germany, would make Berlin even more dependent on Russian energy exports.  Berlin halted the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline project, which was designed to double the flow of Russian gas heading directly to Germany, in response to Russia’s military campaign in Ukraine. Trump cited the “bad things” which have happened between Berlin and Moscow in the past as proof that Germany should not have relied so heavily on Russia. Trump went on to say, “Germany now is going back to the old-fashioned stuff, including coal,” despite its previous pledges to go green.  “But they have no choice, they won’t have a country, they won’t have a country left,” Trump added. Earlier this month, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz rejected the possibility of Berlin suspending gas imports from Russia even though only small volumes are currently coming in. Western governments, not least the European countries, have been experiencing a worsening energy crisis. Germany, along with other European Union countries, is scrambling to support homes and industries, since Russian energy giant, Gazprom, has drastically cut the deliveries through the Nord Stream 1 natural gas pipeline to about 20 percent of its capacity to the continent in late February. Moscow said the anti-Russia sanctions have blocked the delivery of a turbine needed to stream gas to Europe via pipeline.. Earlier this month, Russia said gas supplies to Europe via the pipeline will not resume in full until the Western countries reach a collective decision and lifts sanctions they have imposed on Moscow. European countries have been accusing Moscow of using energy as a weapon amid tensions over the Ukraine war. Russia, however, has blamed the United States for triggering the worst gas supply crisis in Europe by pushing European leaders toward the “suicidal” step of imposing sanctions on Moscow over its military offensive in Ukraine. Read More Here

Once McCain's Party, Arizona GOP Returns To Far-Right Roots https://digitalarizonanews.com/once-mccains-party-arizona-gop-returns-to-far-right-roots/ The far-right forces that former Sen. John McCain successfully marginalized within the Arizona Republican Party are back and in full control. PHOENIX — Editor’s note: The above video is from a previously aired broadcast. Simmering discontent among a segment of Arizona Republicans over John McCain’s famous penchant for bucking his party boiled over in the winter of 2014 with the censure of the longtime U.S. senator. McCain’s allies responded with an all-out push to reassert control over the Arizona Republican Party. Censure proponents were ousted or diminished, and McCain went on to defeat his far-right challenger in a blowout during the 2016 primary. Less than a decade later, the right-wing forces that McCain marginalized within the Arizona GOP are now in full control, with profound implications for one of the nation’s most closely matched battlegrounds. Arizona Republicans have traded McCain for Donald Trump. “We drove a stake in the heart of the McCain machine,” Kari Lake, making a dramatic stabbing gesture, said in a speech days after she won the Republican primary for governor in early August. Lake, a well-known former television news anchor, has delighted segments of the state’s GOP base that have long been at odds with their party’s establishment and want their leaders to confront Democrats, not compromise with them. She draws large, enthusiastic crowds that are unusually energized for a midterm election. Her fans erupt in rapturous applause when she takes a shot at the media or pledges to repel the “invasion” at the southern border. “She’s for border control. She’s a MAGA person. She is fighting the establishment. And that, to me, is enough,” said Bob Hunt, a Republican in Tucson who attended a Lake rally this summer. McCain, who died in 2018, never lost a race in his home state. But his maverick brand of Republicanism is in retreat after election-denying allies of the former president swept GOP primaries this month from governor and U.S. Senate down to the state Legislature. Kelli Ward, the primary challenger McCain trounced in his last re-election campaign, was elected state GOP chair in 2019. She broke with precedent for party leaders and campaigned openly for Trump’s slate of candidates ahead of the primary this year. It is in some ways a return to roots for Republicans in Arizona, a state with a long history as a crucible for emerging strands of conservatism. Barry Goldwater, an Arizona senator from the 1950s through the 1980s, pushed the GOP in a new direction, laying the groundwork for conservative and libertarian movements. He gave voice to anti-elite grievances and racial anxieties that have contributed to Trump’s appeal. McCain replaced Goldwater in the Senate, representing an Arizona reshaped by decades of migration. Young families flocked to affordable neighborhoods in and around Phoenix, and retirees escaping the snow settled in new golf communities attracting seniors. McCain eventually built a national profile as a fiscal conservative unafraid — even eager — to buck GOP leadership. He helped pass campaign finance reform legislation and worked on unsuccessful immigration reform and climate change legislation. In one of his last defiant decisions, he gave a dramatic thumbs down vote to kill legislation that would have repealed former President Barack Obama’s health care law. McCain won over independents and some Democrats to overwhelmingly win reelection. But the apostasies that appealed to more moderate voters made him a pariah to many within his own party. Democrats think this year’s slate of Trump-backed nominees gives them a fighting chance to win some of the top offices on the ballot. If the Republicans win, officials who refuse to accept Trump’s defeat in the 2020 election will hold the levers of power with the ability to set election laws and certify results in a state that plays an important role in determining control of Congress and the presidency. Ideological factions are always at tension within political parties, and Arizona Republicans have long hosted a particularly raucous tug-of-war. Pro-business, limited government conservatives — such as McCain, former Sen. Jeff Flake and termed-out Gov. Doug Ducey — are derided as “Republicans in name only” by a base eager to fight culture war battles. Still, a large chunk of Republican voters like the establishment brand. Lake had a tough primary race against Karrin Taylor Robson, a conservative businesswoman and longtime donor to mainstream candidates from both parties. Lake, Finchem and the other successful Trump allies all won their primaries with less than 50% of the vote in multi-candidate fields. “The people we put up are not conservative,” said Kathy Petsas, a Republican activist who backed mainstream Republicans in the primary. “There’s nothing conservative about lying about the results of the 2020 election. When we undermine our democratic institutions, there’s nothing conservative about that.” But rarely have the insurgents been as dominant as they are now in Arizona. The GOP nominees for nearly all statewide offices push lies about the 2020 election. Lake incessantly went after Ducey, McCain, Flake and others she labeled “Republicans in name only” on her way to winning the GOP nomination for governor. She joined with Mark Finchem, who won the primary for secretary of state, in a lawsuit seeking to require hand-counting of ballots; they lost, but filed an appeal this week. U.S. Rep. Paul Gosar was censured by the House and lost his committee assignments for posting a video depicting violence against Democratic Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. The primary winners represent those who control the Arizona Republican Party today and are fiercely loyal to Trump, who was just the second Republican since the 1940s to lose Arizona. Last year, the party censured McCain’s widow, Cindy McCain, for endorsing Joe Biden’s presidential campaign, along with Flake and Ducey. Flake decided not to run for re-election in 2018 after his criticism of Trump infuriated the base and promised a fierce primary battle. “Unfortunately, all these election deniers were successful here in Arizona, in a swing state,” said Bill Gates, the Republican chairman of the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors, which has faced vitriolic backlash for defending the 2020 election against Trump’s false claims of fraud. “So we’ll see if those folks are able to win in the general election. I think that will give us a feel on where this party is headed in the future.” Gates was censured by Legislative District 3 Republicans last month for saying election-denying GOP candidates may have to lose for the party to find its way. Rusty Bowers, the staunchly conservative speaker of the state House, also has found himself ostracized by his party for taking a stand against Trump’s lies. He lost the primary in his bid to move to the state Senate. Bowers last month said Trump has “thrashed our party” and that the Arizona GOP faces a “hard reckoning” if it continues to bully those who don’t fall in line with the former president’s demands. For now, the far-right wing of the party is ascendant and sees no need to moderate. Days after Lake won the primary for governor, her campaign shared a video of Goldwater’s speech accepting the 1964 Republican nomination for president. “I would remind you that extremism in the defense of liberty is no vice,” he said. “And let me remind you also that moderation in the pursuit of justice is no virtue.” The crowd erupted. Goldwater went on to win just six states in the second most lopsided defeat in a presidential race in U.S. history, but he remained a hero to many in his home state. Lake’s official campaign Twitter account said a united party would bring “a Conservative revival” to the state in the general election: “The Party of Goldwater has risen like a Phoenix.” Arizona Politics Get the latest Arizona political news on our 12 News YouTube playlist here. Read More Here

I Voted For Trump Twice — I Was Wrong https://digitalarizonanews.com/i-voted-for-trump-twice-i-was-wrong/ I voted for Donald Trump four times and Ron DeSantis twice, counting Republican primaries and general elections. I used to be an in-demand political pundit for Republican/conservative media; my work and writing appeared on sites and radio shows listened to or read by millions of Americans: Fox News, the Federalist, Real Clear Politics and elsewhere. I had frequent public speaking engagements. I was writing the obligatory hyper-partisan, fire-breathing book that was expected of somebody in my position. It was going to get me my own prime-time TV opinion show and professional podcast. I had a publisher interested in my manuscript. This article first appeared in Salon. That has all changed. Now I will solely vote Democrat, in the national interest of mercy-killing the Republican Party. How, and why, did I get here? To be clear, I am not a registered Democrat. In Florida, where I live, I’m a registered NPA — No Party Affiliation, or independent. Millions of us have an opportunity to make history in November, and beyond, by forming unlikely but necessary alliances to defeat Republicans in every election at every possible level — from Congress to governors’ mansions to state legislatures, county and city offices and school boards. Does this mean I agree with all the Democratic Party’s policy positions? Absolutely not, and that’s exactly the point — this moment of necessary unity will require those of us to come together who have legitimate disagreements on policy, but who concur that the GOP is leading our beloved country, and numerous of its states, to the slaughter. Our nation has a long history of unprecedented partnerships, all of which were considered requisite in the continued pursuit of perfecting our Union and maintaining our position as the greatest bastion of liberty in the world: Alexander Hamilton convinced his fellow Federalists to vote for Thomas Jefferson over Federalist Aaron Burr in the disputed 1800 presidential election — a decision that cost Hamilton his life; Abraham Lincoln decided to crush the Confederacy with four years of gruesome bloodshed, although he desperately wanted to preserve the Union at any cost. That agonizing decision to wage total war against fellow Americans brought the slavery era to an end, saved America from irreparable damage — and also resulted in Lincoln’s assassination; The U.S. joined forces with the Soviet Union in World War II — an almost impossible alliance between opposed ideological forces that was necessary to conquer the Nazis; Many Republicans in the House and Senate supported President Lyndon Johnson’s signature achievements, the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965, over the objections of many racist Southern Democrats; Bipartisan support for the resignation of President Nixon: Ultimately it was his fellow Republicans, led by Sen. Barry Goldwater, a conservative hero, who made clear that if Nixon did not resign, he would be impeached and removed in a Senate trial; Many Democrats rallied around President George W. Bush in the aftermath of the 9/11 terrorist attacks — even if some of them would like to deny or forget that now. I believe our current epoch presents us with a moment similar to the aforementioned historic events — a moment in which America faces yet another existential challenge. * * * I supported Trump — really and truly. I believed a Hillary Clinton presidency (and, four years later, a Joe Biden presidency) would mean the end of America. I supported Donald Trump. I really did, and without much reservation. I believed the fallacy that a Hillary Clinton victory (and, then, four years later, a Joe Biden victory) would mean the end of America and the start of permanent Democrat rule over our nation. I was attracted to Trump because he incurred almost equal levels of ire, at least at first, from both of our major parties. My first-ever vote in a presidential election was in 2000, for Ralph Nader, and I saw in Trump some of those same maverick qualities. During Trump’s presidency, I adopted — and vigorously preached — the right-wing gospel: Democrats were importing foreigners to win elections forever; leftists were coming for our guns; nationalism was patriotism; there was a shadowy network of censors whose teleological purpose in life was to suppress Republican or conservative points of view; predatory men were using women’s bathrooms everywhere; and, of course, Barack Obama was the worst president in history and made Jimmy Carter look like George Washington. Want a daily wrap-up of all the news and commentary Salon has to offer? Subscribe to our morning newsletter, Crash Course. I’m here to tell you that I was wrong. I was wrong about all of it. Acknowledging my errors in judgment was the start of my own personal healing process, after I came to realize that my extreme partisanship and dehumanizing of Democrats were the results of my own self-inflicted political traumatization. For the first year after the Jan. 6 insurrection, I was in the camp of, “Yeah, it was bad but it’s being overblown.” Then I began to look at the event more objectively, started to learn more about how many of the participants were radicalized, and continued to witness Trump traumatize the nation with his stolen election lies. I say — with no qualms and no fear of being hyperbolic — that Trump is the most politically traumatizing figure in American history. His “rigged and stolen election” is the new version of the Confederacy’s “Lost Cause.” There was another event in my journey, however, which acted as a kind of healing accelerant for me, once the shock wore off. When COVID hospitalizations for children began to skyrocket here in Florida last summer, during the delta surge, I told other Trump and DeSantis voters that our governor would divorce himself from the COVID-deniers and the spreaders of vaccine disinformation. As you probably know, he didn’t do that. Instead, DeSantis quadrupled down on undermining the vaccine and undoing health precautions. When COVID hospitalizations for children began to skyrocket here in Florida, I told other Trump and DeSantis voters that our governor would surely divorce himself from the virus-deniers and vaccine truthers. Up until that point, I’d had a favorable impression of DeSantis; he seemed like a mostly drama-free purple-state governor who was genuinely interested in the hard work of governing and policymaking. The “new” DeSantis shocked me. I came to realize that he had sold his soul to keep those in the thrall of the GOP’s pandemic nonchalance, hysteria and paranoia stuck in self-perpetuating and self-exacerbating cycles of unhealed political trauma. As a father of two young daughters, I found DeSantis’ Molochian offering — to propitiate those with little to no regard for life or the suffering of others — behavior unworthy of anyone’s vote. Such a spectacular failure in leadership is rare, from any political figure of any party. My new organization, Listen. Lead. Unite., is dedicated to healing America’s political trauma by bringing together communities and elected leaders to collaborate on nonpartisan economic, educational and quality-of-life solutions. There is an immense amount of work ahead of us, and I say this with no pleasure: Our nation is about to endure the kind of tumult none of us has ever lived through, and the best time to commence trying to heal is right now. We Homo sapiens are a binary species; I believe Americans deserve a healthy two-party system. But the bedrock foundational principles of a functioning two-party system must include the rule of law — in the famous formulation, we are a government of laws, not of humans — and the peaceful transfer of power, not just from one president to another, but at all levels of elected office. In my view, the Democratic Party is relatively healthy, although it has two major blind spots: It takes for granted many historically Democratic voting blocs — such as religious minorities, LGBTQ citizens and Black and Latino voters — and it almost entirely ignores rural America. In contrast, the Republican Party is terminally ill, and its leadership knows that; that’s why they have staked a path forward that is, well, backward, with increased emphasis on everything male/Caucasian/Christian and heterosexual. The question before us now is whether, after 246 years of incremental and sometimes painful progress, we begin to cede ground and go backward. Or will we continue to shape our destiny in the vision of our founders, whose blueprint for our republic made clear that the maintenance and expansion of a free nation was rigorously difficult, but was both our birthright and our mandate? That will require cooperation, flexibility and sacrifice. We must heal our nation by re-establishing a resounding majority in favor of democracy — a majority that leaves no doubt that, when history calls, Americans of diverse views and backgrounds will answer the call by conjuring the better and braver angels of our nature. As I said above, America needs and deserves a robust two-party system. But to get there, and to carry on our blessed experiment in self-governance, one of our current political parties — the one I supported for many years — must be put out of its misery. ******* Rich Logis is the founder of Listen. Lead. Unite., a born-again human being and a happily married, small-business-owning dad who is committed to healing America’s political traumatization by bringing together communities and elected leaders to collaborate on nonpartisan economic, educational and quality of life solutions. Read More Here

Sept. 18 — Sen. Dick Durbin, Joe O’Dea, Geoffrey Berman https://digitalarizonanews.com/sept-18-sen-dick-durbin-joe-odea-geoffrey-berman/ IE 11 is not supported. For an optimal experience visit our site on another browser. Now Playing Sept. 18 — Sen. Dick Durbin, Joe O’Dea, Geoffrey Berman 47:34 UP NEXT MTP NOW Sept. 16 – GOP winning the issues; DOJ weighs appeal; Mass grave found near Izyum 49:30 Christian Nationalism on the rise 27:04 MTP NOW Sept. 15 – Migrants on Martha’s Vineyard; Putin Xi meeting; Theocracy on the rise 49:38 MTP NOW Sept. 14 — Rising political extremism; Zelenskyy visits Izyum; Brett Favre scandal 50:02 MTP NOW Sept. 13 — Ken Starr; Stocks plunge; New Hampshire primary races 49:54 MTP NOW Sept. 12 — Ukraine retakes land from Russia; New Hampshire primary preview 49:47 Sept. 11 — Vice President Kamala Harris 47:34 MTP NOW Sept. 9 — VP Kamala Harris; Rep. Jayapal on political violence; WH midterm messaging 49:12 MTP NOW Sept. 7— Meet the Midterms: Battleground Arizona, Katie Hobbs; Fetterman to debate Oz in Pa. 49:46 MTP NOW Sept. 6 — Biden attacks MAGA; Judge OKs ‘special master’ in Trump case; UN nuclear report 49:43 MTP NOW Sept. 2 — Biden’s primetime speech; Pandemic learning losses; Heat waves hit the west 49:38 MTP NOW Sept. 1 — Rep. Jim Clyburn on Democrats’ chances; Trump’s latest hearing; Biden unity speech 49:50 September 4 — Policing in America, special edition 47:34 MTP NOW Aug. 31 — DOJ’s Trump filing; Mississippi water crisis; Rep. Ro Khanna 49:47 MTP NOW Aug. 30 — Biden addresses crime; Justice Department filing; Mikhail Gorbachev dead at 91 40:04 MTP NOW Aug. 29 — Trump preps for legal battle; NBC News poll shows good news for Democrats 49:42 August 28 — Rep. Kinzinger, NASA Administrator Bill Nelson, Adm. Stavridis & Amb. Michael McFaul 47:29 MTP NOW Aug. 26 – Judge unseals Trump affidavit; Biden on campaign trail; Eased Price Pressures 49:40 MTP NOW Aug. 25 – New abortion bans across U.S.; Rep. Debbie Dingell; Mar-a-Lago latest 49:50 Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), majority whip and chairman of the Judiciary Committee, exclusively joins to discuss the border and investigations into former President Trump. Nominee for U.S. Senate Joe O’Dea (R-Colo.) exclusively joins to talk about his position on abortion. Geoffrey Berman, former U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York discusses the Justice Department and the Mar-a-Lago investigation. Peter Baker, Leigh Ann Caldwell, Al Cardenas and Stephanie Cutter join the Meet the Press roundtable.Sept. 18, 2022 Read More Now Playing Sept. 18 — Sen. Dick Durbin, Joe O’Dea, Geoffrey Berman 47:34 UP NEXT MTP NOW Sept. 16 – GOP winning the issues; DOJ weighs appeal; Mass grave found near Izyum 49:30 Christian Nationalism on the rise 27:04 MTP NOW Sept. 15 – Migrants on Martha’s Vineyard; Putin Xi meeting; Theocracy on the rise 49:38 MTP NOW Sept. 14 — Rising political extremism; Zelenskyy visits Izyum; Brett Favre scandal 50:02 MTP NOW Sept. 13 — Ken Starr; Stocks plunge; New Hampshire primary races 49:54 Read More Here

Democrats Now Have A Chance — However Slim — To Retain Control Of The House https://digitalarizonanews.com/democrats-now-have-a-chance-however-slim-to-retain-control-of-the-house/ As summer began, it was unthinkable that Democrats in the midterm elections could keep control of the House of Representatives; as summer ends this week, it’s thinkable. It’s still very likely that Republicans will win more than the net of five seats necessary for the majority. They would be intent on making Joe Biden’s life miserable for the next two years. Yet Democrats today may have more current tailwinds than historic headwinds. Six reputable non-partisan congressional preference polls this month — NPR/PBS/Marist, Wall Street Journal, Economist/YouGov, Fox News, Harvard-Harris and the New York Times-Siena — all show Democrats leading; the average is more than three points. This may be a political Prague spring. GOP voters may come home by November, and some polls again may be undercounting low propensity Donald Trump-loving voters. The betting markets still see a Republican House next year. The buoyant optimism of Republicans peaked three months ago. After an initial analysis that redistricting was a partisan wash, Ohio Republicans, despite a court order, were able to keep their deeply gerrymandered map, while the equally gerrymandered Democratic-drawn map in New York was thrown out. These two outcomes may have gained five GOP seats. But most everything since has cut against the Republicans: foremost, the Supreme Court’s decision to end abortion protections, which has energized Democratic candidates and voters; Trump has been dominating the news, which Democrats believe helps them; gas prices are coming down a bit, and there have been some legislative achievements. National tides will affect competitive house races, as will the quality of candidates and local politics. There is no typical contest, but I’ve selected several races in five states — three in the usual Midwest battleground, plus Pennsylvania and California — that crystallize the Democrats’ possibilities and the daunting challenge. These include both their own seats they must hold and prospects for pickups. Pennsylvania: In the Keystone state, Republicans are targeting two Democratic incumbents: Matt Cartwright and Susan Wild in the swing Northeast part of the state; the Cook Political Report’s Dave Wasserman’s PVI index — the partisan voting index that reflects how each district performs at the presidential level compared to the country as a whole — shows Republicans have a small edge in these districts. There also is an open seat in Western Pennsylvania rated a tossup. The onus is on Democrats to win these three seats. The life raft may be the top of the ticket, which features especially weak Republican candidates for governor and U.S. Senate. Michigan: With an abortion referendum on the ballot, Democratic hopes have soared, perhaps enough to rescue an endangered incumbent, Dan Kildee, in his Flint-based district. Democrats got a break and should win a Grand Rapids seat after a Trump right-winger defeated a more moderate GOP incumbent in the primary. It will take a “blue wave” in the Wolverine state, however, to win another seat in the lower peninsula, where Republican John James, who lost two close Senate, races, is the stronger candidate in a district with a PVI of plus-3 Republican. But his anti-abortion stance could make this a close contest. Ohio: Republicans may have miscalculated in redistricting when they targeted Democrat Marcy Kaptur; her Toledo-based district now has a Republican partisan advantage, but the GOP then nominated P.J. Majewski, who attended the Jan. 6 assault on the Capitol and peddles QAnon conspiracy theories. Conversely, they didn’t protect Republican Cincinnati Congressman Steve Chabot — the new district leans Democratic — and Democrats are convinced they’ll win this seat. Tougher will be the open seat in northern Ohio. Most of this district has been represented by Tim Ryan, a Democrat who’s running a very competitive Senate race; the redrawn district has a Republican edge. Democrats need to win all three of these Ohio seats. Iowa: This is a tough nut for Democrats to crack in a state that has moved Republican red. Democrats are trying to knock off two freshman Republicans and hold onto their only member of the delegation. All three districts have a GOP PVI advantage. Moreover, the Republican Gov. Kim Reynolds and the 89-year-old seven-term Sen. Chuck Grassley are favored at the top of the ticket. The glimmer of hope is Republican efforts to push through a “heartbeat” bill that would ban abortions after six weeks. The always reliable Anne Selzer’s Des Moines Register poll shows Iowans — by 54 percent to 38 percent — oppose this measure. Democrats have to win at least one, maybe two, of these seats. California: Democrats enjoyed a banner year in 2018 that Republicans reversed two years later. Democrats have to win back three of these seats, represented by Republicans Michelle Steel in Orange County and further north, David Valadao and Mike Garcia. Valadao is one of only two Republicans who voted to impeach Trump still politically alive. Joe Biden won these districts in 2020. Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom is expected to win easily, and Democrats have an abortion rights referendum on the ballot to bring out more voters. All three of the GOP House targets are anti-abortion. Democrat Bill Carrick, an eminence grise of California politics, is optimistic about these races and ventures there are a couple other “sleepers” if there’s a blue wave. Overall, if Democrats win, say, 80 percent of the races in these five states, they have a shot at holding the House. That’s a very tall order, but not unthinkable. Al Hunt is the former executive editor of Bloomberg News. He previously served as reporter, bureau chief and Washington editor for The Wall Street Journal. For almost a quarter century he wrote a column on politics for The Wall Street Journal, then The International New York Times and Bloomberg View. He hosts Politics War Room with James Carville. Follow him on Twitter @AlHuntDC. Read More Here

Trump’s Favorability Rating Drops To New Low: Poll https://digitalarizonanews.com/trumps-favorability-rating-drops-to-new-low-poll/ Former President Donald Trump speaks at a rally in Wilkes-Barre, Pa., Saturday, Sept. 3, 2022. (AP Photo/Mary Altaffer) Former President Trump’s favorability rating has dropped to a new low after slowly trickling down over the past few months. A new NBC News poll released Sunday found that 34 percent of registered voters said they have a positive view of Trump, while 54 percent say they have a negative view of him. Trump’s favorability rating was at its lowest in April 2021, when his rating fell to 32 percent in the same NBC poll. The former president’s favorability score is down slightly since last month, with the same 54 percent saying they have a negative view of Trump, but 36 percent saying they had a positive view of him. While Trump’s favorability score has trickled down, President Biden’s score has gone up, though only slightly. This month, 45 percent said they approve of the president — a 2-point increase since last month. Contrarily, 52 percent of voters say they disapprove of Biden, which has gone down 3 percentage points since last month. Pollsters also questioned voters about their views on the different investigations against Trump, specifically asking whether the various investigations should stop or continue. The poll found that 56 percent of voters believe the investigations should continue, while 41 percent say they should stop. The poll comes amid an FBI investigation into Trump and the documents he was holding at Mar-a-Lago. The government recovered thousands of government documents from the Florida property since Trump left office, including more than 300 documents with various classified markings. The NBC News poll surveyed 1,000 registered voters between Sept. 9-13, and has a margin of error of 3.1 percentage points. Tags Donald Trump Joe Biden Read More Here

Limes Cost 350% More As Cartels Terrorize Mexican Farmers | Big Business | Business Insider https://digitalarizonanews.com/limes-cost-350-more-as-cartels-terrorize-mexican-farmers-big-business-business-insider/ Limes Cost 350% More As Cartels Terrorize Mexican Farmers | Big Business | Business Insider  Business Insider Read More Here

14 AZ Lawmakers Took 9-Day Europe Trip Sponsored In Part By Lobbyists And More Are Coming https://digitalarizonanews.com/14-az-lawmakers-took-9-day-europe-trip-sponsored-in-part-by-lobbyists-and-more-are-coming/ Arizona lawmakers earn a $24,000 annual salary, but sometimes there are perks. Last month, 14 Arizona lawmakers took a free trip to Germany, where they celebrated the opening of a trade office in Frankfurt, met government and business officials, and enjoyed a leisurely weekend in Berlin. Lobbyist firms and state taxpayers funded the lawmakers’ expenses as part of a new, $750,000 Arizona House of Representatives international relations program that will fund more such trips over the next few years. Officials said they see the trips as an investment that’s likely to reap benefits as foreign businesses and visitors come to Arizona. House officials were was unable to provide individual and total costs to send the lawmakers on the trip a week after The Arizona Republic requested the information; officials said they hoped to share that information soon. Spouses of the lawmakers were allowed to join the lawmakers but had to pay their own airfare. Before going to Germany, several members of the delegation also went to Italy, where they met Cindy McCain, who works as U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Agencies in Rome. House Speaker Rusty Bowers, an east Mesa veteran lawmaker who was defeated by his Republican opponent in the Aug. 2 primary election, said he learned a lot on the trip. “All the time it was go-go-go,” Bowers said of the Germany trip. “It was a firehose experience.” He and his wife went to both Italy and Germany, he said. An agenda of the nine-day trip obtained by The Republic shows participants had plenty of down time, too. Only two days involved meetings that lasted for more than two hours, the agenda shows. Bowers said some “drinking and partying” took place in the evenings that he didn’t participate in, but overall, members got valuable knowledge and made connections on the trip that could eventually bring big business to Arizona. “We want to encourage trade worldwide to come to Arizona, and at times there will be travel,” he said. “I hope it will be more of a staple of the Legislature to be involved internationally.” The trip may well have had trade benefits, but lawmakers should still take care to avoid a perception that they’re receiving gifts that could influence their policy making, said John Pelissero, senior scholar in government ethics at the Markula Center for Applied Ethics at Santa Clara University in California. The number of lawmakers and that they could take their spouses seemed excessive to Pelissero, who called the trip a “junket.” “It’s never wise for them to accept gifts from lobbyists” who are being paid to “get legislation that will benefit their clients,” he said. “It can affect the public’s trust in the state Legislature.” Promoting Arizona abroad The Phoenix Committee for Foreign Relations, a nonprofit company that boosts international political and economic collaboration, coordinated airfare and hotel expenses for the lawmakers. The committee is an independent, nonpartisan, 46-year-old nonprofit agency that began as an offshoot of the New York Council on Foreign Relations, according to its website. Over the next year, the committee will promote Arizona’s “international reputation,” host foreign dignitaries and plan overseas trips, among other tasks, with the goal of supporting the House’s Office of International Affairs and establishing “an appreciation of foreign affairs” in the state. Specifically, the committee will bring nine foreign delegations to the state, send three legislative delegations to other countries, and coordinate events, trade groups, government officials and business people to forward the goal, according to the one-year, $750,000 agreement signed on Aug. 2 by Bowers and the committee’s president, Claire Sechler Merkel. The House has the option to extend the program when it expires in July 2023. Tina Waddington, the nonprofit’s executive director, declined comment about the trip and referred questions to the House’s Office of International Affairs. Andrew Wilder, spokesman for the Republican majority of the House, said legislative staff are working to compile the costs of the recent trips and all of the sponsors. The public-private partnership between the House and the Committee on Foreign Relations, a “trusted and experienced” nonprofit, will identify “countries and regions that can complement Arizona’s growing economy, as well as building productive relationships with foreign leaders,” Wilder said. The 2022 budget passed by the Legislature includes an additional $250,000 from the state’s general fund to pay for the Frankfurt trade office; the Legislature approved the money last year, but the funds shifted to this year. The budget also includes $250,000 for a trade office in Israel, and $500,000 for continued operation of three trade offices in Mexico. Gov. Doug Ducey mentioned the Frankfurt trade office in his annual International State of the State Address in March, noting that international companies “are projected to create 18,000 new jobs and $19 billion in capital investment,” including the $12 billion Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. facility rising in north Phoenix. Ducey traveled to Taiwan and the Republic of Korea in late August to “strengthen” relations even further with the countries. Benefits to the Arizona Legislature from the Italy and Germany trip may not materialize for some time. Five of the 14 lawmakers who went on the trip did not win their primary election and won’t return to office next year. Democratic Sen. Rebecca Rios and Reps. Lorenzo Sierra, Cesar Chavez, Daniel Hernandez, plus Bowers, a Republican. A sixth Democrat who went on the trip, Diego Espinoza, resigned after winning the primary. Also going on the trip were Democrat Reps. Brian Fernandez and Amish Shah; and six Republicans, Sens. Sine Kerr and T.J. Shope; and Reps. Tim Dunn, Frank Carroll, Quang Nguyen and Justin Wilmeth. ‘Diplomats for the state of Arizona’ Wilmeth, chair of the House Office of International Relations, came up with the idea for the Germany trip and selected who would go. He didn’t want to be “jerk” and disinvite people who then lost their primary elections, he said, adding that the experience those lawmakers had also will benefit Arizona. The lawmakers “acted as diplomats for the state of Arizona” and had meetings “almost every day,” he said. “I didn’t want to make it just a junket kind of thing.” Following the Italy trip that some of the members took part in, the full group arrived in Frankfurt on the afternoon of Aug. 24. The next day, they toured Merck KGaA’s facility in Darmstadt in the morning and met with officials at the Frankfurt trade office in the late afternoon. A subsidiary of Merck, EMD Electronics, announced earlier this year it would open a $28 million gas-and-chemical factory in Chandler that would support local semiconductor manufacturing. The group traveled to Berlin on Aug. 26, where they with with U.S. embassy officials for an hour before a reception with hors d’oeuvres, followed by dinner. After a free weekend in Berlin, the group met for an hour with the Federal Foreign Office before taking a train back to Frankfurt. The lawmakers’ busiest day was Aug. 30, when they toured the legislature (Landtag) of the state of Hesse before meeting with servicemembers at the U.S. Army base in Wiesbaden. The last business day involved a two-hour meeting with Peter Beuth, the Interior Minister of Hesse, where the group talked about policing and security at large events. Fernandez, who represents parts of Yuma, said he hopes to make contacts with German weapons manufacturers who might use the Yuma Proving Grounds, boosting the local economy. “I made some good connections,” he said. A few of the lawmakers posted about the trip on Twitter, but no news release announced it to the public. Lobbyist funding helped pay for trip In addition to public money, expenses were underwritten by lobbyist groups including Arizona Contractors’ Association, Pivotal Policy Consulting, Public Policy Partners, the Greater Phoenix Chamber, and others. At least 16 lobbyist-sponsors went on the trip. Former lawmaker and gubernatorial candidate Aaron Lieberman was one of those; he didn’t return a call about the trip. Wilmeth said he “fundraised like crazy” to try and defer costs to the state for the Germany trip. He views paying for the excursion is no different than when lobbyists fund other activities, like paying for a dinner. That doesn’t mean lawmakers are beholden to the sponsors, he said, adding that he doesn’t change his votes as a lawmaker just because someone might buy a “steak dinner” or pay for a trip. Wilmeth said he didn’t coordinate or fundraise for the Italy portion of the trip. Lobbyist-funded travel isn’t illegal in Arizona; travel is not considered an improper “gift” to lawmakers under state law as long as it’s properly disclosed. Several lawmakers who went on the trip, including Bowers, Wilmeth, Kerr, Chavez and Hernandez, reported travel was paid by outside sources to other states or countries in their annual financial disclosure forms. For example, Bowers reported travel to Romania and Kazakhstan to meet government officials in 2021; Chavez and Hernandez reported trips to El Salvador to work as election observers. Lobbyist disclosures for the Italy and Germany trips should show up in their third-quarter disclosure reports to the state, due at the end of the month. Meghaen Dell’Artino, owner of Public Policy Partners, said she helped sponsor the Germany portion and doesn’t even know which lawmakers went. When Wilmeth pitched her for it, she thought of a diplomatic visit to Vietnam she took as part of an American Council for Young Political Leaders program that she found truly “eye-opening.” ...

Maine Rematch Could Be A Bellwether For Control Of Congress https://digitalarizonanews.com/maine-rematch-could-be-a-bellwether-for-control-of-congress/ AUBURN, Maine (AP) — Donald Trump isn’t on the ballot in Maine’s 2nd Congressional District this year, but his brand of politics is. In a race that will help decide control of the U.S. House of Representatives, Democratic Rep. Jared Golden will defend his seat against Republican former Rep. Bruce Poliquin and independent candidate Tiffany Bond. The race is a rematch for Golden and Poliquin, who ran for the same seat in 2018, when Golden emerged victorious by a razor-thin margin. The appeal of Trump-style politics has grown in the district since then despite the fact it is represented by Golden, a moderate Democrat. Poliquin, who represented the 2nd District as a moderate Republican from 2014 to 2018, has shifted his own messaging rightward to try to take advantage of those headwinds. The result is a race that could be an indicator of Trump’s continued influence on swing districts and rural politics. Voters in the district are taking notice. Mary Hunter, a Democrat and retired academic who lives in the city of Lewiston, thinks Golden is still the right candidate for the district. She said she’s voting for him in part because she’s concerned about Democrats losing control of Congress. And she’s aware Trump is still a big influence on a lot of voters in her district. FILE – Bruce Poliquin, Republican candidate for Maine’s 2nd Congressional District, speaks to reporters during a campaign stop at Dysart’s Restaurant and Truck Stop, Thursday, May 19, 2022, in Bangor, Maine. In a race that will help decide control of the U.S. House of Representatives, Democratic Rep. Jared Golden will defend his seat against Poliquin and independent candidate Tiffany Bond. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty, File) Photo: ASSOCIATED PRESS/Robert F. Bukaty U.S. Rep. Jared Golden, D-Maine, with his daughter Rosemary, speaks to a reporter at his home, Thursday, Sept. 1, 2022, in Lewiston, Maine. Golden is being challenged by Republican Bruce Poliquin in the November election. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty) Photo: ASSOCIATED PRESS/Robert F. Bukaty PreviousNext “Most people are kind of red team or blue team. I think Jared is doing his best to move to the middle. He’s very centrist,” Hunter said. “Whether that will serve him, I don’t know.” But in Auburn, a nearby city of about 23,000 in the 2nd District, Coastal Defense Firearms owner Rick LaChapelle said he’s planning to vote for Poliquin. LaChapelle, a Republican city councilor in Lewiston, said he respects Golden but feels the Democratic Party has become too extreme. “His party is too radical. He cannot overcome the strength of his party, so you have to change the party,” LaChapelle said. The district, one of two in Maine, includes the state’s second- and third-largest cities — Lewiston and Bangor — but is mostly made up of vast rural areas in northern and western Maine. It also includes the state’s Down East coastline and is home to Maine’s traditional industries such as lobster fishing, logging and potato and blueberry farming. The district is also geographically the largest in the U.S. east of the Mississippi River, and it is far more politically mixed than the heavily Democratic 1st Congressional District in southern Maine. Trump won the 2nd District in 2016 and performed even better in the district in 2020, though he lost the statewide vote both times because of overwhelming margins in the 1st District, centered in liberal Portland. Poliquin has focused his campaign on issues such as curtailing immigration and protecting gun rights. It’s a shift from his earlier campaigns, which focused more closely on controlling taxes and protecting rural jobs, though he continues to tout those issues. His website has warned of liberals who want to defund law enforcement and push critical race theory in schools, and boasted of his work with Trump when he served in Congress. “I came out again from semi-retirement because our country and our state are in deep trouble,” said Poliquin, who was once an investment manager and served two years as Maine’s state treasurer. Golden, a Marine Corps veteran, has long positioned himself as a moderate who supports the 2nd Amendment and works to safeguard industries such as commercial fishing and papermaking. He’s continuing that approach this time around. Golden has shown a willingness to buck his own party over the years, including coming out against President Joe Biden’s student loan forgiveness plan in August. His positions have sometimes won him crossover endorsements from groups that often back Republicans, such as when he received the backing of the state’s largest police union in July. The union also endorsed Republican former Gov. Paul LePage, who is running for his old job. Golden said he expects voters to reward him for standing up to the Democratic Party leadership on issues such as Biden’s $740 billion climate and health care bill, which he opposed. “In the last two years, I don’t know of anyone who has been more independent, and more willing to stand up to their own party, than I have been,” Golden said. “I’m not trying to strategize ‘How do I hold on to the Democratic voters or to the Trump voters?’” The race will include the use of ranked-choice voting, which Golden needed to win the seat in 2018. Bond, who came in third in 2018, said independent voters in the race will be the ones who decide it. She said she’s focusing her campaign on issues such as improving health care access and addressing climate change. Bond said she expects ranked voting will play a role again this time around. “I was the candidate who got all the votes that neither party could,” she said. The race is likely to be much closer than Golden’s 2020 reelection victory, said Mark Brewer, a political scientist at University of Maine. Golden won that election handily over Republican Dale Crafts. It’ll be closer this time in part because of national backlash against Democrats over issues such as inflation, Brewer said. But it’ll also be closer simply because the 2nd District is unpredictable, he said. “It’s the kind of district that has a lot of the people Trump made his appeal to in 2016. Relatively rural, largely white working class voters who have a sense of grievance, economic grievance,” Brewer said. “I don’t think there’s any doubt that this race is going to be closer than Golden’s last race.” ___ Follow AP for full coverage of the midterms at https://apnews.com/hub/2022-midterm-elections and on Twitter at https://twitter.com/ap_politics. Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. Read More Here

House Oversight Panel Has Begun Receiving Trump Financial Documents After Court Settlement – ABC17NEWS https://digitalarizonanews.com/house-oversight-panel-has-begun-receiving-trump-financial-documents-after-court-settlement-abc17news/ By Annie Grayer, CNN The House Oversight Committee has begun receiving financial documents from former President Donald Trump’s former accounting firm, Mazars, after a deal was reached to end litigation over the documents earlier this month. The committee first subpoenaed Trump’s financial records in April 2019, which set off a long battle over the documents. House Oversight Chairwoman Carolyn Maloney, a Democrat from New York, said in a statement to CNN that “the Committee has begun to receive documents from Mazars and expects to receive more pursuant to the settlement. These documents are essential for the Committee to uncover the extent of former President Trump’s misconduct and conflicts of interests, and to pursue reforms to prevent similar abuses in the future.” She did not specify which documents Mazars has sent the committee thus far. The New York Times was first to report that the committee had begun receiving the documents. The-CNN-Wire & © 2022 Cable News Network, Inc., a Warner Bros. Discovery Company. All rights reserved. BE PART OF THE CONVERSATION ABC 17 News is committed to providing a forum for civil and constructive conversation. Please keep your comments respectful and relevant. You can review our Community Guidelines by clicking here If you would like to share a story idea, please submit it here. Read More Here

Competitive Beasley-Budd US Senate Race Has Republican Leaders Worried https://digitalarizonanews.com/competitive-beasley-budd-us-senate-race-has-republican-leaders-worried/ CHERI BEASLEY CAMPAIGN Former North Carolina Supreme Court justice Cheri Beasley, a Democrat, and Republican U.S. Rep. Tedd Budd are effectively tied in the race for the U.S. Senate seat occupied by Richard Burr, which concerns Republican leaders. In his campaign for the U.S. Senate in North Carolina, Republican candidate Ted Budd has described himself as a “conservative warrior” and a “liberal agenda crusher.” But some of his fellow Republicans worry he is not fighting hard enough. While Democratic candidate Cheri Beasley has spent the summer running TV ads and campaigning across the state, Budd has kept a lower profile, staying off the airwaves for months and devoting much of his time to private fundraising events. Former Governor Pat McCrory, who lost to Budd in a hard-fought Republican primary, told Reuters that Budd is running a “risk averse” campaign, while conservative radio host Brett Winterble lamented the lack of “fire and fury” in the race. The North Carolina contest is one of a handful that could determine which party controls the Senate after the Nov. 8 midterm elections. Republicans need to pick up only one seat to win back the majority, which would enable them to block most of Democratic President Joe Biden’s legislative agenda and reject his nominees for jobs in his administration and the federal judiciary. Opinion polls show a race effectively tied between Budd, a congressman and gun-store owner backed by former President Donald Trump, and Beasley, a former chief justice of the state Supreme Court who would become the only Black woman in the Senate if elected. Seven Republican strategists said in interviews that they are concerned that Budd is not doing enough to court independent voters, who now outnumber registered Republicans and Democrats in the politically competitive state. The strategists said they fear the race will steal resources from Republican candidates in other states including Georgia and Arizona that are key to the party securing Senate control. “There is no doubt outside groups will have to come once again and rescue Republicans in the final weeks,” said one strategist involved in the race, speaking on condition of anonymity. The Republican Leadership Fund, a national committee that backs Senate Republicans, has begun to air $27 million worth of attack ads in North Carolina aimed at boosting Budd’s chances. Other conservative groups are contacting voters directly. Inflation and Biden Budd’s campaign said his U.S. House of Representatives duties kept him in Washington for much of the summer, but he plans to run TV ads and campaign more intensively in the state in the coming weeks, focusing on bread-and-butter matters like inflation. Republicans have sought to pin the blame for rising prices on Biden. “Inflation is the number one issue right now in North Carolina, and Cheri Beasley has supported all of the Joe Biden policies that yielded this inflation,” said Jonathan Felts, a senior adviser to the Budd campaign. “I feel pretty good about our chances.” Nonpartisan analysts have said Budd remains favored to win the race to succeed retiring Republican Senator Richard Burr, given Biden’s low approval ratings and voter concerns about the economy. Democratic candidates have come up short in the past three Senate races in North Carolina, despite raising more money than their Republican rivals. Even so, some Republican strategists said the current race is more competitive than they had anticipated, and called on Budd to campaign more aggressively. A senior Republican official in North Carolina said Budd’s reluctance to talk to the news media or voters will not help him attract unaffiliated women voters concerned about his strict opposition to abortion. “This is an issue that he needs to get in front of or else it could really hurt,” the official said, speaking on condition of anonymity. Abortion rights have become a central theme of the midterms after the U.S. Supreme Court in June overturned 1973 Roe v. Wade decision that legalized abortion nationwide. Beasley, who has raised more than twice as much money as Budd, has emphasized her support for abortion rights and other policies popular with Democrats. But Beasley has also sought to portray herself as having an independent streak, unafraid to break with her party on issues. Beasley won statewide judicial elections in 2008 and 2014. She lost her re-election bid for the state Supreme Court in 2020 by 401 votes out of 5.3 million cast – a better performance than Biden, who lost the state by 11,000 votes. Her campaign has criticized Budd for voting against bipartisan infrastructure and semiconductor legislation. “Cheri has the momentum in this race with her unique candidacy, winning message and robust campaign,” campaign spokesperson Dory MacMillan said. Budd has campaigned as a staunch conservative, posing with a handgun in his waistband at the U.S.-Mexico border and vowing to block Biden’s “woke, socialist agenda.” He campaigned with Trump during the Republican primary race, and like many Republican lawmakers, voted against congressional certification of Trump’s 2020 election loss to Biden. It is not clear whether Trump will return to North Carolina before the general election. McCrory, Budd’s former Republican rival, said Trump’s support could turn off unaffiliated voters. “North Carolina is always close, but this year it will be even closer,” McCrory said. Read More Here

Tsunami Warnings Issued After 6.9-Magnitude Earthquake Hits Taiwan | CNN https://digitalarizonanews.com/tsunami-warnings-issued-after-6-9-magnitude-earthquake-hits-taiwan-cnn/ CNN  —  A 6.9-magnitude earthquake hit southeastern Taiwan on Sunday, causing buildings to collapse and triggering tsunami warnings. The quake hit the Chishang township in rural southeastern Taiwan and had a depth of 10 kilometers. Japan’s Meteorological Agency issued a tsunami warning for Miyako island in the East China Sea, but the agency later removed the warning. The United States Geological Survey (USGS) had also warned of tsunami waves along nearby coastlines. Photos showed collapsed buildings in southern Taiwan following the powerful earthquake. The USGS initially registered it at 7.2, before downgrading it to 6.9. Four people were rescued after being trapped under the rubble of one building, the island’s official Central News Agency (CNA) reported. About 20 passengers were evacuated after a train derailed in the area, but there were no casualties from the incident, the Taiwan Railway Administration said. Kolas Yotaka, a former presidential spokeswoman who is running for local elections in Hualien county, said that damages were also reported at a local school. Taiwan’s President Tsai Ing-wen activated the island’s Central Emergency Operation Center following the quake. Taiwanese residents have been asked to stay alert to avoid potential aftershocks, Tsai said in a recorded statement. About 110 soldiers have also been deployed in Hualien county, along the island’s eastern coast, to assist with disaster relief efforts, Taiwan’s defense ministry spokesman Sun Li-fang said. Read More Here

Trump Often Candidly Criticized Women Politicians For Their Looks, Saying Nikki Haley Has A 'complexion Problem' And Claiming Nancy Pelosi Got 'plastic Surgery': Book https://digitalarizonanews.com/trump-often-candidly-criticized-women-politicians-for-their-looks-saying-nikki-haley-has-a-complexion-problem-and-claiming-nancy-pelosi-got-plastic-surgery-book/ Left: Nancy Pelosi; right: Nikki Haley.Left: AP Photo/Mariam Zuhaib; right: AP Photo/Ryan Collerd Trump openly criticized Nikki Haley and Nancy Pelosi for their appearances, according to an upcoming book. He said Haley, his former UN ambassador, had a “complexion problem.” And he said Pelosi is “an example of why women should be careful about plastic surgery,” per the book. Former President Donald Trump candidly criticized the appearance of women politicians, according to an upcoming book written by two journalists. Trump, for example, mocked former UN Ambassador Nikki Haley and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, according to a report from The New York Times written by Peter Baker, one of the two authors of “The Divider,” which is slated for release later this week. He told visitors that “Speaker Nancy Pelosi was an example of why women should be careful about plastic surgery,” Baker writes. And he said he “would not pick Nikki Haley, his United Nations ambassador, as a running mate because she had a ‘complexion problem.'” Trump has a long history of harshly criticizing women. In 2020, for example, Trump shared a series of messages aiming insulting and sexist jabs at Hillary Clinton and Georgia Democrat Stacey Abrams. He retweeted a post calling Clinton a “skank,” as Insider’s Tom Porter reported. And on the campaign trail against Joe Biden, Trump attacked Kamala Harris, Biden’s running mate. Trump said the US could never see a “socialist” president — “especially a female socialist,” he said, apparently referring to Harris, who is not a socialist. “We’re not supposed to have a socialist — look we’re not going to be a socialist nation. We’re not going to have a socialist president, especially a female socialist president, we’re not gonna have it, we’re not gonna put up with it,” Trump said. Trump has also referred to adult-film star Stormy Daniels as “horseface” and referred to one of his former female White House aides as “that dog,” according to a compilation of insults Trump hurled at women put together by Insider’s John Walsh. When running for president in 2016, Trump took jabs at his Republican opponents, including Carly Fiorina, former Hewlett-Packard CEO. “Look at that face,” he said in an interview with Rolling Stone, referring to Fiorina. “Would anyone vote for that?” Read the original article on Business Insider Read More Here

‘Thugs And Tyrants’ Have Awakened A ‘Sleeping Giant’: Trump Rallies In Ohio https://digitalarizonanews.com/thugs-and-tyrants-have-awakened-a-sleeping-giant-trump-rallies-in-ohio/ Former President Donald Trump appeared before a large and energetic crowd Saturday night as he rallied for J.D. Vance and himself in Ohio. Trump’s rally in Ohio is an attempt to boost Republican J.D. Vance over his opponent, Democrat Tim Ryan approximately fifty days before the midterms. The race could play a major role in determining which political party controls the Senate next year, Fox News reported. “We are a nation that has lost its way…but we will soon be a great nation again,” Trump declared.  “It was hard-working patriots like you who built this country and it’s hard-working patriots like you, who are going to save our country.  We will stand up to the radical left lunatics and RINOS and we will fight for America like no one has ever fought before.  So with the help of everyone here today and citizens all across our land, we will make America…great again,” he stated. TRUMP: “But the thugs and tyrants attacking our movement, and there’s never been a movement even close in the history of the United States, have no idea of the sleeping giant that they have awoken.” pic.twitter.com/JQpDPAOnD8 — Benny Johnson (@bennyjohnson) September 18, 2022 “There’s a lot of bad news for our country, but there’s also a lot of hope,” Trump began in video footage of the rally obtained by C-Span. . “We need hope, we need competence because we certainly have not been getting it for two years,” he stated.  Trump went on to say that Biden and Democrats in Congress were “ripping apart” the country and tearing the American dream “to shreds.” Trump broke down the issues facing everyday Americans under the Biden Administration, listing record high inflation, soaring energy prices, supply chain shortages, increased crime, the “disappearing” southern border and increased government spending that is “pouring fuel on the inflation fire.” But Americans will no longer tolerate it, Trump said: “the thugs and tyrants attacking our movement, and there’s never been a movement even close in the history of the United States, have no idea of the sleeping giant that they have awoken.” (RELATED: Dow Tumbles 1,000 Points After Red-Hot Inflation Report) Trump’s appearance marks his first speech since federal district Judge Aileen Cannon denied a motion by the DOJ to access the classified documents that the FBI seized from his Mar-a-Lago residence last month, something Trump alluded to in his speech. “For six straight years, I’ve been harassed, investigated, defamed, slandered, and persecuted like no other President…” Trump declared. “Yet all I have ever wanted, all we’ve ever fought for is simple – very simply – to make America great again,” he concluded.  Despite all of what he has endured, Trump declared “they will never get me to stop fighting for you, the American people.” (RELATED: ‘He Was Standing Up For America’: Think Tank Leader Says The Right Still Needs Trump) Read More Here

In A First, EU Moves To Cut Money For Hungary Over Damaging Democracy https://digitalarizonanews.com/in-a-first-eu-moves-to-cut-money-for-hungary-over-damaging-democracy/ Hungary’s Prime Minister Viktor Orban arrives for the European Union leaders summit, as EU’s leaders attempt to agree on Russian oil sanctions in response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, in Brussels, Belgium May 30, 2022. REUTERS/Johanna Geron/File Photo Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com EU executive proposes taking 7.5 billion euros from Hungary Says remedies proposed by Hungary could work if well implemented 27 EU countries have three months to decide, no veto EU tests new democracy sanction for the first time Hungary pledges to meet all commitments to unlock EU funds BRUSSELS/BUDAPEST, Sept 18 (Reuters) – The European Union executive recommended on Sunday suspending some 7.5 billion euros in funding for Hungary over corruption, the first such case in the 27-nation bloc under a new sanction meant to better protect the rule of law. The EU introduced the new financial sanction two years ago precisely in response to what it says amounts to the undermining of democracy in Poland and Hungary, where Prime Minister Viktor Orban subdued courts, media, NGOs and academia, as well as restricting the rights of migrants, gays and women during more than a decade in power. “It’s about breaches of the rule of law compromising the use and management of EU funds,” said EU Budget Commissioner Johannes Hahn. “We cannot conclude that the EU budget is sufficiently protected.” Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com He highlighted systemic irregularities in Hungary’s public procurement laws, insufficient safeguards against conflicts of interest, weaknesses in effective prosecution and shortcomings in other anti-graft measures. Hahn said the Commission was recommending the suspension of about a third of cohesion funds envisaged for Hungary from the bloc’s shared budget for 2021-27 worth a total of 1.1 trillion euros. The 7.5 billion euros in question amounts to 5% of the country’s estimated 2022 GDP. EU countries now have up to three months to decide on the proposal. Hahn said Hungary’s latest promise to address EU criticisms was a significant step in the right direction but must still be translated into new laws and practical actions before the bloc would be reassured. Development Minister Tibor Navracsics, in charge of negotiations with the EU, said Hungary would meet all 17 of its commitments made to the European Commission to stave off the loss of any EU funding. “Hungary did not make commitments to befuddle the Commission,” Navracsics told a news conference. “We have made commitments that we know can be implemented … therefore, we will not be facing a loss of funds.” CORRUPTION Orban’s government proposed creating a new anti-graft agency in recent weeks as Budapest came under pressure to secure money for the ailing economy and forint, the worst-performing currency in the EU’s east. Orban, who calls himself a “freedom fighter” against the world view of the liberal West, denies that Hungary – an ex-communist country of some 10 million people – is any more corrupt than others in the EU. Navracsics said Orban’s government would submit laws to parliament on Friday to establish a new independent anti-graft authority to monitor the public procurement of EU funds, with the body to be launched by the second half of November. Hungary has also pledged to implement several other anti-corruption safeguards, including tighter rules on conflicts of interest, extending the scope of financial statements and broadening the power of judges to pursue suspected corruption. Navracsics expressed hope that the Commission would be reassured by the implementation of the reforms and withdraw its proposed sanctions against Hungary by Nov. 19. The Commission is already blocking some 6 billion euros in funds envisaged for Hungary in a separate COVID economic recovery stimulus over the same corruption concerns. Reuters documented in 2018 how Orban channels EU development funds to his friends and family, a practice human rights organisations say has immensely enriched his inner circle and allowed the 59-year-old to entrench himself in power. Hungary had irregularities in nearly 4% of EU funds spending in 2015-2019, according to the bloc’s anti-fraud body OLAF, by far the worst result among the 27 EU countries. Orban has also rubbed many in the bloc up the wrong way by cultivating continued close ties with President Vladimir Putin and threatening to deny EU unity needed to impose and preserve sanctions on Russia for waging war against Ukraine. https://www.reuters.com/investigates/special-report/hungary-orban-balaton/ Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com Reporting by Gabriela Baczynska; editing by David Evans Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles. Read More Here

Trump Said He Wouldn't Pick Pence As His VP Again Because He 'committed Political Suicide' By Refusing To Reject Electoral College Votes For Biden: Book https://digitalarizonanews.com/trump-said-he-wouldnt-pick-pence-as-his-vp-again-because-he-committed-political-suicide-by-refusing-to-reject-electoral-college-votes-for-biden-book/ Donald Trump said he wouldn’t pick Mike Pence to be his VP again, according to an upcoming book. Trump said Pence “committed political suicide” when he refused to intervene in the election certification process.Pence has previously stated that the vice president has no authority to overrule the results under the US Constitution. Former President Donald Trump wouldn’t pick Mike Pence to be his running mate if he were to run for president again in 2024, according to a new upcoming book. Trump has yet to announce a 2024 run but he’s been teasing one since leaving the White House. “It would be totally inappropriate” to pick Pence as his running mate, Trump said, according to a report from The Guardian, which obtained an advance copy of the upcoming book from journalists Susan Glasser and Peter Baker. “Mike committed political suicide” when he refused to intervene in the election certification process as the former president had pressed him to do, Trump told Glasser and Baker. Numerous reports have noted an apparent rift between Pence and Trump during the final days of his presidency, which reached its apex during the Capitol riot. In January 2020, Pence ignored Trump’s request to intervene in the process, and he later said that Trump was incorrectto say the vice president had the power to overturn the results of a presidential election. Though the two are no longer on speaking terms, Pence’s remarks drew outrage from Trump, who, in response, plainly called Pence “wrong.” “The reason they want [the law] changed is because they now say they don’t want the Vice President to have the right to ensure an honest vote. In other words, I was right and everyone knows it,” Trump said at the time, adding “Dems and RINOs” want to block the vice president from ensuring an “honest vote.” “A great opportunity lost, but not forever, in the meantime our Country is going to hell!” Trump said. The Electoral Count Act spells out how Congress counts presidential electors and resolves disputes over results. Lawmakers are seeking to update the bill and clarify language that “leaves a door open for overt partisan manipulation of presidential election results at both the state and federal levels,”Insider’s Grace Panettareported. As vice president, Pence’s job was to preside over the certification of the Electoral College in what is largely a ceremonial role. He did not have the power to overrule the results under the Constitution. Since the insurrection, Pence has spoken out about his role in the Capitol riot, saying that January 6 was “difficult” to get through and calling it “a tragic day in the life of the nation.” “I know I did my duty under the Constitution of the United States,” Pence said in a Fox News interview this past January. “But the president and I sat down in the days that followed that, we spoke about it, talked through it, we parted amicably.” FOLLOW BUSINESS INSIDER AFRICA Our newsletter gives you access to a curated selection of the most important stories daily. Thanks for signing up for our daily insight on the African economy. We bring you daily editor picks from the best Business Insider news content so you can stay updated on the latest topics and conversations on the African market, leaders, careers and lifestyle. Also join us across all of our other channels – we love to be connected! Unblock notifications in browser settings. Read More Here

Once McCain's Party, Arizona GOP Returns To Far-Right Roots – KION546 https://digitalarizonanews.com/once-mccains-party-arizona-gop-returns-to-far-right-roots-kion546/ By JONATHAN J. COOPER Associated Press PHOENIX (AP) — Simmering discontent among a segment of Arizona Republicans over John McCain’s famous penchant for bucking his party boiled over in the winter of 2014 with the censure of the longtime U.S. senator. McCain’s allies responded with an all-out push to reassert control over the Arizona Republican Party. Censure proponents were ousted or diminished, and McCain went on to defeat his far-right challenger in a blowout during the 2016 primary. Less than a decade later, the right wing forces that McCain marginalized within the Arizona GOP are now in full control, with profound implications for one of the nation’s most closely matched battlegrounds. Arizona Republicans have traded McCain for Donald Trump. “We drove a stake in the heart of the McCain machine,” Kari Lake, making a dramatic stabbing gesture, said in a speech days after she won the Republican primary for governor in early August. Lake, a well-known former television news anchor, has delighted segments of the state’s GOP base that have long been at odds with their party’s establishment and want their leaders to confront Democrats, not compromise with them. She draws large, enthusiastic crowds that are unusually energized for a midterm election. Her fans erupt in rapturous applause when she takes a shot at the media or pledges to repel the “invasion” at the southern border. “She’s for border control. She’s a MAGA person. She is fighting the establishment. And that, to me, is enough,” said Bob Hunt, a Republican in Tucson who attended a Lake rally this summer. McCain, who died in 2018, never lost a race in his home state. But his maverick brand of Republicanism is in retreat after election-denying allies of the former president swept GOP primaries this month from governor and U.S. Senate down to the state Legislature. Kelli Ward, the primary challenger McCain trounced in his last re-election campaign, was elected state GOP chair in 2019. She broke with precedent for party leaders and campaigned openly for Trump’s slate of candidates ahead of the primary this year. It is in some ways a return to roots for Republicans in Arizona, a state with a long history as a crucible for emerging strands of conservatism. Barry Goldwater, an Arizona senator from the 1950s through the 1980s, pushed the GOP in a new direction, laying the groundwork for conservative and libertarian movements. He gave voice to anti-elite grievances and racial anxieties that have contributed to Trump’s appeal. McCain replaced Goldwater in the Senate, representing an Arizona reshaped by decades of migration. Young families flocked to affordable neighborhoods in and around Phoenix, and retirees escaping the snow settled in new golf communities attracting seniors. McCain eventually built a national profile as a fiscal conservative unafraid — even eager — to buck GOP leadership. He helped pass campaign finance reform legislation and worked on unsuccessful immigration reform and climate change legislation. In one of his last defiant decisions, he gave a dramatic thumbs down vote to kill legislation that would have repealed former President Barack Obama’s health care law. McCain won over independents and some Democrats to overwhelmingly win reelection. But the apostasies that appealed to more moderate voters made him a pariah to many within his own party. Democrats think this year’s slate of Trump-backed nominees gives them a fighting chance to win some of the top offices on the ballot. If the Republicans win, officials who refuse to accept Trump’s defeat in the 2020 election will hold the levers of power with the ability to set election laws and certify results in a state that plays an important role in determining control of Congress and the presidency. Ideological factions are always at tension within political parties, and Arizona Republicans have long hosted a particularly raucous tug-of-war. Pro-business, limited government conservatives — such as McCain, former Sen. Jeff Flake and termed-out Gov. Doug Ducey — are derided as “Republicans in name only” by a base eager to fight culture war battles. Still, a large chunk of Republican voters like the establishment brand. Lake had a tough primary race against Karrin Taylor Robson, a conservative businesswoman and longtime donor to mainstream candidates from both parties. Lake, Finchem and the other successful Trump allies all won their primaries with less than 50% of the vote in multi-candidate fields. “The people we put up are not conservative,” said Kathy Petsas, a Republican activist who backed mainstream Republicans in the primary. “There’s nothing conservative about lying about the results of the 2020 election. When we undermine our democratic institutions, there’s nothing conservative about that.” But rarely have the insurgents been as dominant as they are now in Arizona. The GOP nominees for nearly all statewide offices push lies about the 2020 election. Lake incessantly went after Ducey, McCain, Flake and others she labeled “Republicans in name only” on her way to winning the GOP nomination for governor. She joined with Mark Finchem, who won the primary for secretary of state, in a lawsuit seeking to require hand-counting of ballots; they lost, but filed an appeal this week. U.S. Rep. Paul Gosar was censured by the House and lost his committee assignments for posting a video depicting violence against Democratic Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. The primary winners represent those who control the Arizona Republican Party today and are fiercely loyal to Trump, who was just the second Republican since the 1940s to lose Arizona. Last year, the party censured McCain’s widow, Cindy McCain, for endorsing Joe Biden’s presidential campaign, along with Flake and Ducey. Flake decided not to run for re-election in 2018 after his criticism of Trump infuriated the base and promised a fierce primary battle. “Unfortunately, all these election deniers were successful here in Arizona, in a swing state,” said Bill Gates, the Republican chairman of the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors, which has faced vitriolic backlash for defending the 2020 election against Trump’s false claims of fraud. “So we’ll see if those folks are able to win in the general election. I think that will give us a feel on where this party is headed in the future.” Gates was censured by Legislative District 3 Republicans last month for saying election-denying GOP candidates may have to lose for the party to find its way. Rusty Bowers, the staunchly conservative speaker of the state House, also has found himself ostracized by his party for taking a stand against Trump’s lies. He lost the primary in his bid to move to the state Senate. Bowers last month said Trump has “thrashed our party” and that the Arizona GOP faces a “hard reckoning” if it continues to bully those who don’t fall in line with the former president’s demands. For now, the far-right wing of the party is ascendant and sees no need to moderate. Days after Lake won the primary for governor, her campaign shared a video of Goldwater’s speech accepting the 1964 Republican nomination for president. “I would remind you that extremism in the defense of liberty is no vice,” he said. “And let me remind you also that moderation in the pursuit of justice is no virtue.” The crowd erupted. Goldwater went on to win just six states in the second most lopsided defeat in a presidential race in U.S. history, but he remained a hero to many in his home state. Lake’s official campaign Twitter account said a united party would bring “a Conservative revival” to the state in the general election: “The Party of Goldwater has risen like a Phoenix.” ___ Associated Press writer Ali Swenson in New York contributed to this report. Read More Here

Cardinals Vs. Raiders Prediction: Kyler Murray A Sizeable Underdog Today https://digitalarizonanews.com/cardinals-vs-raiders-prediction-kyler-murray-a-sizeable-underdog-today/ Our NFL betting expert is here to offer his best Arizona Cardinals vs. Las Vegas predictions and picks ahead of Sunday’s game, which is scheduled for 4:25 p.m. ET on CBS. Neither club found the accelerator early in losses to teams projected to be among the NFL’s elite this season. The Chiefs hung 44 points on the Cardinals and the Chargers ripped ahead of the Raiders 17-3 before pushing through for a 24-19 victory featuring six QB sacks of Las Vegas’ Derek Carr. Cardinals vs. Raiders prediction Cardinals to cover (+5.5) @ -110 via Caesars Sportsbook     Cardinals to win outright @ +196 via Caesars Sportsbook   Over 53.5 points scored @ -110 via Caesars Sportsbook   Claim a Risk-Free First Bet up to $1,000 New customers only. Must be 21+. AZ, CO, IA, IL, IN, LA, MI, NJ, NY, PA, TN, VA, WV, WY only. (Welcome Offer not available in NY & PA) Full T&C apply. First bet up To $1,250 On Caesars New users only, 21 or older. NY, CO, DC, IA, IN, IL, MI, NV, NJ, PA, TN, VA, WV only. Full T&Cs apply. Up to $1,000 No Sweat First Bet 21+. New customers only. AZ, CT, IA, IL, LA, MI, NJ, NY, PA, TN, WV, WY only. T&C apply Check out more of the Best Sportsbook Promo Codes Cardinals vs. Raiders picks and analysis The Cardinals touch down in Vegas facing questions about their ability to slow down elite passing attacks, and the Raiders are certainly capable of moving the ball through the air with Derek Carr and Davante Adams leading the way. Arizona was solid on the road last season and if the Cardinals can get to Carr, they’ll be able to focus on moving the ball with Kyler Murray and avoid an 0-2 start. Kyler Murray Getty Images Cardinals +5.5 (Caesars) Even though quarterback Kyler Murray said the team’s 8-1 record away from home in 2021 has no bearing on this season because “it’s a new team, we got new players,” the reality is the Cardinals are trying to turn the page from a season-opening loss at home to Kansas City. Little went right for Arizona and injuries were certainly a factor playing against a healthy Chiefs team led by quarterback Patrick Mahomes, but that aspect could even out, especially because of questions on the Raiders offensive line that includes a concussion suffered by center Andre James. Quarterback Derek Carr was sacked six times and had three interceptions in the team’s Week 1 loss to the Chargers. While Arizona had no sacks in Week 1, the team is expecting its mostly young group of pass rushers to play better in their second game together. Our pick: Cardinals to cover the +5.5 spread @ -110 via Caesars Sportsbook Cardinals moneyline +196 It’s the home opener for Las Vegas, but the Raiders managed only 320 yards against the Chargers and they will be facing a team that was dominated 44-21 by the Kansas City Chiefs at home. Both defenses failed to record a sack in Week 1, although Raiders edge rusher Chandler Jones aims to change that playing against his former team and one where he became the franchise’s all-time leader in sacks last season. Embarrassed by the home loss to Kansas City, the Cardinals will be a different team this week with a crucial change being the total availability of tight end Zach Ertz, who was on a “pitch count” against the Chiefs and played only 39 snaps. Our pick: Cardinals to win outright @ +196 via Caesars Sportsbook Derek Carr Getty Images Betting on the NFL? Check out the best NFL betting sites Read our expert guide on how to bet on the NFL Get the latest Super Bowl 2023 Odds Over 53.5 total points Knowing their own issues on defense, the Cardinals will be dialed in on offense, knowing they have to score plenty of points. The Raiders also should have a better showing offensively than last week, and now face a defense that had communications problems and have issues against the run and pass. Both teams have firepower at receiver with Davante Adams and Marquise Brown playing their second game with the Raiders and Cardinals, respectively. It’s a college reunion for both as Adams and Carr played together at Fresno State and Murray and Brown at Oklahoma. Our pick: Over 51.5 total points scored @ -110 via Caesars Sportsbook Cardinals vs. Raiders Odds Odds courtesy of Caesars Sportsbook, correct at the time of publishing and subject to change. Total Points 51.5 Team Spread Moneyline Over -110 Cardinals (+5.5) -110 +196 Under -110 Raiders (-5.5) -110 -350 Read More Here

One Hurt In Wrong-Way Crash On Loop 202 Near Elliot Road https://digitalarizonanews.com/one-hurt-in-wrong-way-crash-on-loop-202-near-elliot-road/ Posted at 6:10 AM, Sep 18, 2022 and last updated 2022-09-18 09:10:14-04 MESA, AZ — One person is hurt after a wrong-way crash in the East Valley. The Arizona Department of Public Safety says they received the first call about the crash on the Loop 202 near Elliot Road just after 4:15 Sunday morning. When they arrived, they found a vehicle had been driving southbound in the northbound lanes of the highway. The vehicle had crashed into a commercial vehicle. One person was transported to the hospital with minor injuries. It’s not clear if the person transported was the driver of the commercial vehicle or the wrong-way vehicle. It’s also not clear if the wrong-way driver will face any charges. The crash is under investigation. Copyright 2022 Scripps Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Sign up for the Headlines Newsletter and receive up to date information. Read More Here

Pelosi Condemns Azerbaijan's Attacks On Armenia https://digitalarizonanews.com/pelosi-condemns-azerbaijans-attacks-on-armenia/ U.S. House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi makes an announcement at the Cafesjian Center for the Arts in Yerevan, Armenia September 18, 2022. Stepan Poghosyan/Photolure via REUTERS Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com Pelosi blames Azerbaijan for starting conflict Azerbaijan says Pelosi endangering peace in Caucasus Azerbaijan says Pelosi’s remarks unacceptable Pelosi lauds Armenia’s ‘Velvet Revolution’ U.S. listening to Armenia on defence, Pelosi says TBILISI, Sept 18 (Reuters) – U.S. House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi on Sunday strongly condemned what she said were “illegal” border attacks by Azerbaijan on Armenia, using a visit to the Russian ally to pledge American support for its sovereignty. Pelosi cast her trip to Armenia, a sliver of land the size of U.S. state of Maryland that is wedged between Azerbaijan, Georgia, Turkey and Iran, as an attempt to strengthen support for what she cast as a beacon of democracy. Speaking in the ancient city of Yerevan, Pelosi said her trip had significance following the “illegal and deadly attacks by Azerbaijan on Armenian territory” that triggered border clashes in which more than 200 people were killed. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com “We strongly condemn those attacks,” Pelosi said beside Armenian parliamentary speaker Alen Simonyan, who last week expressed unhappiness with the response of a Russian-led military alliance to Yerevan’s request for help. read more Pelosi, who angered China with a trip to Taiwan last month, said it was clear that the border fighting was triggered by Azeri assaults on Armenia and that the chronology of the conflict should be made clear. The fighting “was initiated by the Azeris and there has to be recognition of that,” Pelosi said. Pelosi’s remarks drew an unusually strong rebuke from Baku, which said she was endangering the peace in the Caucasus. “The unsubstantiated and unfair accusations levelled by Pelosi against Azerbaijan are unacceptable,” the foreign ministry said in a statement. “This is a serious blow to the efforts to normalize relations between Armenia and Azerbaijan,” the ministry said, casting Pelosi’s remarks as “Armenian propaganda”. Such a definitive apportioning of blame for the conflict goes beyond what the U.S. State Department has so far said in public. Secretary of State Antony Blinken expressed concerns over the fighting and called for calm but did not assign blame. Armenia said Azerbaijan shelled at least six Armenian settlements inside the border shortly after midnight on Sept. 13, attacking civilian and military infrastructure with drones and large calibre guns. Yerevan said it was unprovoked aggression. Azerbaijan, backed by Turkey, rejects those claims. Baku says Armenian sabotage units tried to mine Azeri positions, prompting soldiers to respond. Armenia says that narrative is Azeri disinformation. RUSSIA’S BACKYARD Russia, which repeatedly condemned Pelosi’s visit to Taiwan, considers the Caucasus as its own sphere of influence and bristles at what it casts as U.S. meddling in the region. Moscow though, is preoccupied by the war in Ukraine which has triggered the biggest confrontation with the West since the height of the Cold War. Russia is Armenia’s major military ally, has a military base in northern Armenia and peacekeepers along the contact line in Nagorno-Karabakh, over which Armenia and Azerbaijan fought a war in 2020. President Vladimir Putin said on Friday that Russia had enough resources to mediate in the conflict. The latest fighting ended after a Russian-brokered ceasefire. But after appeals for help, the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO), a Russian-led military alliance of former Soviet republics that includes Armenia but not Azerbaijan, decided on Tuesday to dispatch a monitoring mission. Armenian Parliamentary Speaker Simonyan said he was dissatisfied with the response, likening the CSTO to a pistol that did not shoot bullets. Speaking beside Pelosi, U.S. Representative Frank Pallone said the United States wanted to do whatever it could to be more supportive of Armenia’s security. The United States, Pelosi said, was listening to Armenia about what its defence needs were and said Washington wanted to help and support Armenia in what she cast as a global struggle between democracy and autocracy. “We should be using our influence, our leverage showing that Armenian democracy and sovereignty is a priority,” Pelosi said. “The velvet revolution was cheered globally.” Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan rose to power in 2018 after anti-government protests referred to as Armenia’s Velvet Revolution. Pelosi said it was interesting that Armenia was disappointed by the response from Russia. “It is interesting that they were disappointed they got fact finders and not protection from that relationship and we’ll see what happens next,” she said. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com Writing by Guy Faulconbridge, Editing by William Maclean, Emelia Sithole-Matarise and Alex Richardson Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles. Read More Here

Trump Slammed For Paying 'fancy' Lawyer $3 Million While His Arrested Jan 6 Followers Face Financial Ruin https://digitalarizonanews.com/trump-slammed-for-paying-fancy-lawyer-3-million-while-his-arrested-jan-6-followers-face-financial-ruin/ Read More Here

Lindsey Graham Called Trump A Liar, But The Ex-President Was Also 'A Lot Of Fun To Hang Out With' https://digitalarizonanews.com/lindsey-graham-called-trump-a-liar-but-the-ex-president-was-also-a-lot-of-fun-to-hang-out-with/ Senator Lindsey Graham of South Carolina called former President Donald Trump a liar and said he could kill people on his side.  According to an upcoming book, “The Divider: Trump in the White House 2017-2021,” by journalists Susan Glasser and Peter Baker, Graham referred to Trump as a “lying motherf***er.” The advance copy of the book was obtained by The Independent. However, Graham also said that Trump is a “lot of fun to hang out with,” per the book. In the book, Graham also told Glasser and Baker that “Trump could kill 50 on our side, and it wouldn’t matter.”  Graham’s comment came in the wake of Trump’s statement during the presidential campaign in 2016. At the time, Trump said he was so popular he “could stand in the middle of Fifth Avenue, shoot somebody, and I wouldn’t lose any voters.” TRUMP: I could stand in the middle of 5th ave, shoot somebody & I wouldn’t lose any voters, it is incredible. pic.twitter.com/J1YusVK84A — Kylie Atwood (@kylieatwood) January 23, 2016 Also Read: Trump During Rally Says ‘Weirdo’ Mark Zuckerberg Came To White House For Dinner With Him ‘Last Week’ This is not the first time Trump is facing the ire of his allies. Trump’s former White House strategist Steve Bannon once said, “Trump would say anything, he would lie about anything. He lies to win whatever exchange he [is] having at the moment.” Last week, the Department of Justice asked the court to stay its Sept. 5 ruling to allow further review of the classified documents seized from Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida.  Photo: Gage Skidmore on flickr © 2022 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved. Read More Here

Biden Warns US Democracy Threatened, But How Can He Save It? https://digitalarizonanews.com/biden-warns-us-democracy-threatened-but-how-can-he-save-it/ WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden is finding it’s easier to call out attacks on democracy than it is to stop them. His fundamental rationale for running for president was that America’s democratic traditions were in jeopardy. Now, 20 months into his presidency, the dangers are worse, Biden’s warnings are more dire — and the limits of his own ability to fix the problem are clearer. Former President Donald Trump continues to stoke the baseless claim the 2020 election was stolen, and even now advocates for the results in certain battleground states to be decertified even though the falsehood has been rejected by dozens of courts and his own attorney general. The belief has taken deep root in the Republican Party, with dozens of candidates insisting Trump was right. Never in the country’s history have elections taken place in a climate where one party has so frontally questioned the integrity of the electoral process and actively sought to undermine confidence in it. “We’re in an unprecedented situation here, because Biden’s predecessor has shown a flagrant disregard for the Constitution of the United States, and now others are following that path,” said Princeton historian Sean Wilentz, who was among a group invited to the White House recently to put today’s challenges in historical context. “It could be dangerous.” Biden has found, even with the megaphone of the White House, how difficult it is to counter the Trump-inspired narrative and the millions of Americans who believe it. Trump allies have been going around the country peddling lies about the 2020 election and conspiracy theories about voting machines, while Republican candidates running for office this year have repeated his lies to their supporters –- messaging that has reached a broad audience. Every U.S. president swears to “preserve, protect and defend” the U.S. Constitution, but even in ordinary times there is no playbook for safeguarding it. Biden took that oath as the nation was facing challenges unmatched since perhaps the U.S. Civil War, in the view of some historians. In a speech earlier this month at Philadelphia’s Independence Hall, Biden described democracy as “under assault” and pledged that it was the work of his presidency to defend it. But he also said the solution had to be bigger than him, that he can’t turn back what he sees as a years-long backslide in American political norms on his own. “For a long time, we’ve told ourselves that American democracy is guaranteed. But it’s not,” he said. “We have to defend it, protect it, stand up for it – each and every one of us.” Has Biden himself done enough? His efforts at persuasion don’t seem to have produced any significant shift in public opinion. His push for voting rights legislation in Congress has for the most part fallen short. Beyond the president’s increasingly drastic warnings, White House officials point to the administration’s efforts to push voting rights safeguards through Congress and to their support for the Electoral Count Act, which would patch ambiguities exploited by Trump and his allies. The Department of Justice is prosecuting those who violently stormed the Capitol. More than 870 people have been charged and more than 400 convicted. The administration also has sounded the alarm about domestic extremist groups. There’s an increasing overlap with politically-fueled violence, as a growing number of ardent Trump supporters seem ready to strike back against the FBI or others they consider going too far in investigating the former president. And the National Security Council has developed a whole-of-government strategy to counter domestic violent extremism, which U.S. intelligence officials have called the top threat to homeland security. While voters ranked threats to democracy as the most important issue ahead of the midterm elections, according to an NBC News poll late last month, the conspiracy theories pushed by Trump and his allies have succeeded in sowing doubts about the integrity of U.S. elections in a large swath of the population. Two-thirds of Republicans believe Biden wasn’t legitimately elected president, according to an AP-NORC poll. They believe that votes were switched, or voting machines were corrupted en masse, or that fake ballots were cast in favor of Biden because pandemic-era policies made voting too easy. Trump-backed candidates are winning primaries and some will make it to Congress. In the states, nearly 1 in 3 Republican candidates for offices that play a role in overseeing, certifying or defending elections supported overturning the results of the 2020 presidential race. Candidates have signaled a new willingness to simply refuse to accept the results of their election if they lose. And election workers across the country are getting death threats and are harassed online, pushing many to just resign. “We are very clearly playing with fire with some of the new tactics, allowing them to proliferate around the country,” said Matthew Weil, the executive director of our Democracy Program at the Bipartisan Policy Center think tank. “It’s: ‘If my candidate loses, I’m going to drag it out as long as possible. I can cut the legs out from the person who beat me from taking office.’ That’s a new feature and it’s pretty dangerous. We can’t have an election system where people aren’t willing to lose.” Checking the antidemocratic forces within Trumpism is not just a policy aim, it’s a political endeavor as well, and that clouds the picture. Biden aides say his best tool to try to preserve democracy is his use of the bully pulpit to make clear to voters that they play a vital role in participating in the electoral process and deciding whom to put into positions of influence. He isn’t the only one sounding the alarm. The special congressional committee investigating the 2021 Capitol insurrection has delivered the same message, as have election officials in states across the country, historians and other lawmakers. Administration allies say Biden’s efforts have resonated with voters, particularly as Trump’s behavior in late 2020 and early 2021 has been cast into stark relief by the Jan. 6 committee. But the president’s remarks have largely been dismissed by Republicans unwilling to break with Trump. Former Vice President Mike Pence, whom Trump supporters threatened to hang on Jan. 6 and who hid in a secure location beneath the building as the masses hunted him in the halls, decried Biden’s comments after the Philadelphia speech. “Never before in the history of our nation has a president stood before the American people and accused millions of his own countrymen of being a ‘threat to this country,’” Pence said in remarks to conservatives. Former U.N. ambassador and former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley called Biden “the most condescending president of my lifetime.” The struggle the nation is facing goes beyond political parties, though. And “unless and until enough people fight for, protect and build our democracy, the fever we see today will continue,” said Melody Barnes, head of the University of Virginia Karsh Institute of Democracy. The closest parallel, historians say, has been the Civil War era, when war broke out after Southern states wouldn’t recognize Abraham Lincoln had been elected president. Following the end of fighting, there was a continued refusal to accept the rule of law during Reconstruction, as deep racism and violence proliferated, resulting eventually in the Jim Crow era. At critical moments, U.S. leaders have taken a stand to protect the nation from itself. George Washington left office to ensure future leaders would willingly walk away, too. Gerald Ford pardoned Richard Nixon after Watergate — a wildly unpopular move in 1974 but one that has since been viewed more as an effort to push the country past a national nightmare. Biden, at a summit this past week on countering hate-fueled violence, talked about how good he felt years ago when he worked successfully with Republicans in the Senate to get the Voting Rights Act extended. “And I thought, well, you know, hate can be defeated,” he said. “But it only hides,” he said with a sigh. “And when given any oxygen, it comes out from under the rocks.” Read More Here

Morning Briefing: Security A Hot Topic Again This Election Season; Cars Roar Through The Streets; Phillies’ Can’t Beat Braves https://digitalarizonanews.com/morning-briefing-security-a-hot-topic-again-this-election-season-cars-roar-through-the-streets-phillies-cant-beat-braves/ Good Morning. Here are some of the top stories from around the region. WEATHER The humidity ticks up a little bit more today as we reach a high of about 84 degrees. Expect sun to mix with the clouds, which makes it a good day for a walk. CLICK HERE to check your local forecast. NEWS Delaware County election security addressed in League of Women Voters forum Elections and security officials outlined safeguards in place to protect Delaware County elections. Delaware County Elections Director Jim Allen, Chief Registrations Clerk Crystal Winterbottom and cybersecurity expert Kevin Skoglund, executive director of Citizens for Better Elections, presented protections already in place during a Hot Topic forum Friday hosted by the League of Women Voters of Central Delaware County entitled, “Delaware County Elections: Are they Free, Fair and Secure?” Among the issues addressed were the voting process itself, mailed ballots and the chain of custody in the election process for the county’s 410,000 registered voters. Residents sue Chester County over drop-box ballot security Critics of mail-in balloting procedures in recent elections have filed suit in Chester County Court asking that officials be ordered to change the security measures at two “round-the-clock” drop-boxes used in the last election, contending that people submitted multiple ballots at those locations, against rules that specify that each voter can deposit only one ballot — their own — at any time. The complaint, filed in Common Pleas Court, was submitted on behalf of four registered voters from the county, assisted by two attorneys from a prominent conservative law firm in Villanova and an organization led by former Trump administration officials, the America First Legal Foundation. City drives action home as Coatesville Grand Prix returns Coupled with applause and cheers, there were thunderous motorsport roars from beginning to end during the sixth annual Coatesville Invitational Vintage Grand Prix on Saturday. Vintage and historic race cars and motorcycles competed individually through a 2.2-mile course through the City of Coatesville. This was the sixth annual event. During the opening ceremony, the registered vehicles and motorcycles took part in a parade down Lincoln Highway with an escort by the Coatesville City Police Department. A member of the South Coatesville Police Department sang the National Anthem as the National Guard stood watch with flags raised. Development plans move forward for two new mixed-use buildings along Lower Merion’s Belmont Avenue The site formerly known as the GSB building in Bala Cynwyd is about to undergo major changes. This week, the Lower Merion Building and Planning Committee recommended approval of new construction in the One Belmont Avenue parking lots along Belmont Avenue and St. Asaphs Road. The plan for the seven-acre site calls for the construction of two new buildings in the front and side parking areas along Belmont Avenue and St Asaphs Road. The buildings will be connected through an elevated pedestrian bridge. 2 of 3 Montgomery County deputies injured during bomb training blast released from hospital More information was released Friday about an explosion that occurred Thursday during bomb squad training at SCI Phoenix in Skippack Township Thursday morning. “Everybody’s heart sunk when we got the news” said Montgomery County Sheriff Sean P. Kilkenny during an afternoon press conference Friday, thanking the public for the prayers, well-wishes and thoughts that the department received over the last 36 hours. Five bomb technicians were wounded, including three deputies from the Kilkenny’s office, one trooper from the Pennsylvania State Police and one special agent from FBI Philadelphia. SPORTS Atlanta Braves’ Ozzie Albies, right, gets a high-five from teammate William Contreras (24) after scoring in the fourth inning of a baseball game against the Philadelphia Phillies, Saturday, Sept. 17, 2022, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Brynn Anderson) Phils’ playoff hopes suffer another blow, courtesy of Braves’ Ronald Acuna Jr. Ronald Acuña Jr. homered and drove in four runs off Aaron Nola and flashed some fancy defense in right field, lifting the Atlanta Braves to a 4-3 victory over the Phillies on Saturday night. The Braves’ victory was dampened because of a broken right pinky finger sustained by second baseman Ozzie Albies, who appeared to be injured sliding head-first safely into second base in the fourth inning. Albies, a two-time All-Star, could be out several weeks. He just returned from an 81-game absence Friday because of a broken left foot. Eagles don’t seem too concerned about Reagor passing on advice Jalen Reagor will have revenge on his mind when he checks into Lincoln Financial Field Monday with the Minnesota Vikings. Consider that a warning, Eagles secondary. At least worry a little bit if Reagor, a first-round bust with the Eagles, gets an offensive snap this week. Last week the wide receiver who was supposed to revolutionize the position when the Eagles took him off the board with the 21st overall pick in the 2020 draft returned one punt seven yards and fair caught two others in a 23-7 win over the Green Bay Packers. Read More Here

Langill Remembered For Love Of Books, Writing, Teaching https://digitalarizonanews.com/langill-remembered-for-love-of-books-writing-teaching/ WAUKESHA — The last chapter is often the hardest to write, according to Ross Langill. Everyone has a different memory of what happened and what was important. For those who knew and loved Ellen Langill of Waukesha, who died on Aug. 16, it was her love of family, community, education, history, writing and teaching that filled her days and her heart. “She really believed in giving back to the community in every way she could,” Ellen’s husband Ross Langill said. Ellen was a voracious reader and writer. Ross said at one point she was writing three books at a time. It was not unusual to find her writing at home while listening to classical music. The prolific writer authored over 40 books about the history of Wisconsin’s businesses and community service organizations. She also wrote books on businesses and organizations outside the state. She wrote a book on the history of the Waukesha Public Library, Carroll University, the Waukesha Service Club and the Women and Girls Fund. She wasn’t just a historian, but a participant who was active in the subjects she researched and wrote about. Stay up-to-date on all the latest Waukesha County news with a subscription: Click here “It was why they (organizations) asked her to write the history,” said Ross. He met his future wife at Grinnell College in Iowa. Ross had asked his twin sister, who also attended the college, who he should take to a social function and she mentioned Ellen. The two must have hit it off as they celebrated 50 years of marriage together and have two daughters. Her love of history and teaching came from studying classics and Latin, focusing on the history of both subjects at Grinnell. “She was a voracious reader, often reading a book a week. She was a speed reader,” he said. His wife, who was in several book groups, would underline and circle various things in the books and pass them on. Teaching and coaching Ellen taught history for nine years at Carroll University, seven years at UW-Waukesha, and over 20 years at UW-Milwaukee. Ross recalled a story from her time at UWM that’s funny now, but was scary then. Ellen was teaching history of the occult and she heard of a male Wiccan who owned a store in Milwaukee. Ellen asked Ross to invite him, since it was near Ross’s work, to attend and speak to her class. That evening Ellen was walking to her class and noticed the door was shut and some man was in there slamming the podium and yelling. Ellen called security immediately, and right as they arrived the Wiccan man came in, wearing his black cape. “He looked in the classroom and thought this man screaming was the professor and she thought the man screaming was the Wicca man,” Ross said. The screaming man, it turned out, was a veteran with PSTD who had randomly walked into her class. Ellen was also a basketball, tennis, and field hockey coach at University Lake School. “She loved coaching and getting to know the kids. Her basketball team ended up in Sports Illustrated,” he said. Ross recalled a particular incident from Ellen’s basketball coaching career. It was flu season and University Lake School had to play Prairie School. The team left on a bus with just seven girls due to other players being sick with the flu. On the way down another kid got sick. “They started the game with six girls and they were winning. In the third quarter they started fouling out but were still winning,” he said. The Prairie team was becoming frustrated as more University Lake School players got sick. Soon there were just two girls and Prairie was having trouble catching up in the game. “In the last few minutes of play it got down to one girl and Lake School still won the game. Ellen felt so bad for Prairie she didn’t bother to put the scores in The Freeman,” he said. The next day Ross went to a luncheon and told a reporter about the story. The reporter loved the story and ran with it, which then ended up in Sports Illustrated. Politics and passions “Even though [Ellen] was interested in history, she was also interested in politics and current events and how they shaped history,” said Ross. Ellen had many passions, including women’s rights, education and community service. She was a board member and president of many community enrichment organizations for over 40 years. The organizations included Waukesha United Way, Waukesha School Board, Women and Girls Fund of Waukesha County, Waukesha Women’s Center and Ideal Club of Waukesha. “She was very aware of the disadvantages women had just because they were women. For a long time she was in the League of Women Voters. She was heartbroken when Hillary Clinton lost to Donald Trump,” Ross said. She found comfort, Ross said, in writing a book of limericks about now-former President Trump. There was other topics that struck Ellen’s fancy, such as Pompey, the couple’s black cat. The Langills found him one winter by their apartment. The cat kept trying to come into the apartment and eventually they took him in and adopted him. Ellen’s first book was “Pompey Poems Celebrating a Cat,” which told of the feline’s adventures. They often read the book to their children to get them to sleep at night. “The poetry she did was actually true stories,” Ross said. A gathering in her memory will be held from 5 p.m.-7 p.m. on Sept. 29 at Southminster Presbyterian Church, 200 Richard St. in Waukesha. Read More Here