Digital Arizona News

Mike Pence Says Conservatives Must Keep Oath To Constitution ‘Even When It Hurts’ https://digitalarizonanews.com/mike-pence-says-conservatives-must-keep-oath-to-constitution-even-when-it-hurts/ Former Vice President Mike Pence appeared on Wednesday to reference the insurrection at the Capitol, saying that conservatives must keep their oath to the Constitution “even when it hurts.” Pence spoke at the convocation ceremony for Liberty University, the evangelical Christian school that has been embroiled in controversy the past several years due to its handling of sex assault cases and its disgraced former president and chancellor. “As constitutional conservatives, the American people must know that we will always keep our oath to the Constitution, even when it would be politically expedient to do otherwise,” Pence told Liberty students in Lynchburg, Virginia. “We must, as the Bible says in Psalm 15, be prepared to keep our oath even when it hurts.” The former vice president’s comments appeared to reference Jan. 6, 2021, where former President Donald Trump incited his followers to violently storm the Capitol and stop Pence and members of Congress from certifying the 2020 election by any means possible. Despite Trump and his followers pushing the dangerous lie that the election was stolen from the former president, Pence continued his constitutional duty of certifying the results for President Joe Biden. “You know, I think there’s a common misperception in your generation as well that adversity creates character. Well, I have a different view,” Pence said on Wednesday. “I mean, the way you all put it is, ‘Whatever doesn’t kill me makes me stronger.’ Well, I think whatever doesn’t kill you, just didn’t kill you. “Adversity doesn’t create character, adversity reveals character. When the hard times come, when your convictions are tested, you will be in that moment the man or woman you had been preparing to be on every quiet day before.” Former Vice President Mike Pence addresses the Convocation at Liberty University Wednesday Sep. 14, 2022, in Lynchburg, Virginia. Steve Helber via Associated Press Trump had publicly pressured Pence into declaring him the winner during the certification ceremony, despite the former president having lost the election. The former vice president was then pressured by Trump in a final phone call the morning of Jan. 6, just before the former president went to the Ellipse and delivered a speech containing lies that Pence had the ability to declare him the winner. Just hours after Pence publicly declined to follow Trump’s orders that day, the former president tweeted that his vice president “didn’t have the courage” to do what was necessary to keep him in power — further angering the violent mob that had already breached the Capitol. According to the House Jan. 6 committee, members of the Proud Boys — a pro-Trump neofascist group — were prepared to murder Pence on the day of the electoral certification. Rioters were recorded outside the Capitol chanting, “Hang Mike Pence!” and constructing a mock gallows. At one point, members of the mob were only 40 feet away from Pence as he and his staff fled to a hiding place. Last month, Pence said he’d “consider” testifying before the Jan. 6 committee if he were invited. Top aides to the former vice president have already appeared under oath before the committee. Wednesday’s speech was not the first time Pence used euphemistic language when referring to the insurrection. Just a mile from where Trump’s mob wanted to hang him, Pence gave a speech in July that failed to mention the coup attempt or the violence directed at him by the former president. Pence, who is expected to run for president in 2024, focused his remarks — much like he did on Wednesday — on general Republican talking points like inflation, border security, women’s sports and so-called critical race theory. Read More Here

Donald Trump’s Top Aide Feels ‘vilified’ By Fellow Indian Americans – EasternEye https://digitalarizonanews.com/donald-trumps-top-aide-feels-vilified-by-fellow-indian-americans-easterneye/ Kashyap Kash Patel says he gets hateful messages from those who are supposed to be his brothers and sisters. American attorney Kashyap Kash Patel (Image credit: www.defense.gov) By: Chandrashekar Bhat Attorney and former president Donald Trump’s top aide Kashyap Kash Patel has accused the Indian American community of running him down with “hateful messages”. Patel who became the chief of staff to the acting secretary of defence in the final stages of the Trump administration told IANS that he felt “vilified” by the Indian American community at a time when was “unfairly targeted by the US justice department for the colour of his skin”. He said the community did not help its people who held different political views, contrary to his own willingness to help fellow Indian Americans. “I think it’s the height of hypocrisy that they won’t support people who are first-generation Indian Americans, who have made it to somewhat the highest levels of the United States government just because they disagree with you politically,” he said in an interview with the Indian news agency. “I will help any Indian American and everyone looking to advance in government service or in other ways, in law enforcement, national defence, wherever I can. But they take the opposite position because they have fake news media to back them. All they care about is publicity and media. The only thing I care about is the mission. I put the mission first every time.” Patel, born in New York to Gujarati parents, claimed he was getting “hateful” and “spiteful” messages from the Indian American community who are “supposed to be our brothers and sisters”. The attorney who almost came to head the CIA said the “disgusting messages” saddened him. He was named in a recent Department of Justice affidavit filed before a federal judge to secure a warrant to search Trump’s Mar-a-Lago beach home. He was named because he allegedly carried presidential documents with him from the White House in violation of the Presidential Records Act. Read More Here

Obituaries In Phoenix, AZ | The Arizona Republic https://digitalarizonanews.com/obituaries-in-phoenix-az-the-arizona-republic-12/ Alma Walser Skousen passed away in the company of his family, in Mesa, Arizona on September 8, 2022, at the age of 96. Alma was born a US Citizen in Colonia Dublan, Chihuahua, Mexico. His parents, Angus and Gertrude Skousen, farmed in Mexico until they moved as a family to the United States when Alma was 15 years old. He lived a full and happy life. He had a love for aviation that began at a young age and continued throughout his life. He joined the Army Air Corp at the tender age of 17 and served five years until being honorably discharged in 1946 just before WWII ended. He joined the USAF, applied as an aviation cadet and was accepted into their training program in 1950. He completed flight school and became a jet-fighter pilot, serving missions in Korea and Vietnam. He completed 26 missions in Korea, over 100 in North Vietnam, and 33 more in South Vietnam. Alma survived a forced crash landing due to mechanical error over Lind, Washington. He was able to continue his flight career after recovering from a broken back and served in the USAF for 23 years. He retired as a Lt. Colonel serving his country over a span of 28 years. Alma married his first love Lorna, who was his wife of 57 years. During his career, they raised a large family of 9 children. Alma and Lorna ran a Stretch & Sew fabric store in Peoria, Arizona for 7 years. After Lorna passed, he married his second love Phyllis, his wife of 12 years. He loved all his family. He taught his children to love one another and to love their mother, our Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ (whom he considered his hero). As a father, his teachings of unconditional love were one of his greatest gifts. Alma’s many descendants remember him as a loving father, grandfather, an ardent patriot, and a man of deep faith and love. He is survived by his wife Phyllis, his children, 43 grandchildren, 69 great grandchildren and 3 great-great grandchildren. We love you Dad, God speed. Viewing will be held on September 16, 2022, at 5:00 to 7:00 pm at The Church of Latter-Day Saints located at 2424 N Old Gilbert Road, Mesa Arizona. Funeral will be held at the same location on September 17, 2022, at 11:00 am. Flowers may be sent to Bunker University Chapel, 3529 E. University Dr., Mesa, AZ. Posted online on September 14, 2022 Published in The Arizona Republic Service Information Visitation The Church of Latter-Day Saints located at 2424 N Old Gilbert Road, Mesa. September 16, 2022 at 5:00 PM – 7:00 PM Funeral The Church of Latter-Day Saints located at 2424 N Old Gilbert Road, Mesa. September 17, 2022 at 11:00 AM Read More Here

DOJ Wanted Mar-A-Lago Surveillance Footage From Months Ago: Court Filing https://digitalarizonanews.com/doj-wanted-mar-a-lago-surveillance-footage-from-months-ago-court-filing/ The Department of Justice (DOJ) sought Mar-a-Lago security footage from early January 2022 onward, according to a court filing on Tuesday that was unsealed by a federal judge. The new information surfaced after a federal judge allowed the DOJ to request to unseal more portions of the affidavit that was used to obtain an FBI warrant to search former President Donald Trump’s residence. The new version of the affidavit—still heavily redacted—was uploaded to the docket on Tuesday afternoon. In the document (pdf), the DOJ in a May subpoena asked for video footage from Jan. 10, 2022, onward. It came about a week before the former president’s team handed over about 15 boxes of documents and records to the National Archives, which, in turn, referred them to the DOJ. From the affidavit, it’s not clear why the DOJ sought the video footage. “A group of business entities associated with [Trump] confirmed that the Trump Organization maintains security cameras in the vicinity of the (Mar-a-Lago) STORAGE ROOM and that on June 24, 2022 counsel for the Trump Organization agreed to accept service of a grand jury subpoena for footage from those cameras,” the unredacted portion said. The grand jury subpoena was served on that day and sought “any and all” surveillance camera footage or images on the Mar-a-Lago property from Jan. 10 “to present,” according to the affidavit. On July 6, the Trump Organization handed over a hard drive to FBI agents, it stated. The remaining pages are redacted, so it’s not clear what the hard drive contained. Neither Trump nor his team has issued public statements regarding the subpoenas over the video footage. Other Details Members of Trump’s family and his lawyers have stated that the former president remotely observed FBI agents carrying out the raid on Aug. 8 via CCTV cameras. His son, Eric, told Fox News in August that his team may ultimately release the video footage to the public. The Justice Department has stated in a separate court filing that it has “developed evidence that government records were likely concealed and removed from the Storage Room and that efforts were likely taken to obstruct the government’s investigation.” It did not explain how the DOJ came to that conclusion. Also Tuesday, the DOJ again urged U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon to lift a hold on portions of the FBI investigation after she granted the Trump team’s request for an independent arbiter known as a special master to review the documents. Concurrently, Cannon also ordered the agency to stop its review of the seized materials pending a future court order or the completion of the yet-to-be-named special master’s review. Last week, the DOJ and Trump’s attorneys submitted special master candidates. This week, the DOJ issued a filing stating that one of Trump’s proposed candidates would be suitable to handle those duties. The DOJ wrote in court filings that it would accept Raymond Dearie, the former Chief Judge of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of New York, to act as a special master. Follow Jack Phillips is a breaking news reporter at The Epoch Times based in New York. Read More Here

Judge Vacates Approval Of Cadiz’s California Desert Water Grab https://digitalarizonanews.com/judge-vacates-approval-of-cadizs-california-desert-water-grab/ For Immediate Release, September 14, 2022 Contact: Lisa Belenky, Center for Biological Diversity, (415) 385-5694, lbelenky@biologicaldiversity.org Katie Arberg, Defenders of Wildlife, (202) 772-0259, karberg@defenders.org Joan Taylor, Sierra Club, (760) 408-2488, palmcanyon@mac.com Greg Loarie, Earthjustice, (415) 217-2000 Judge Vacates Approval of Cadiz’s California Desert Water Grab Pipeline Skipped Environmental Review, Would Drain Mojave of Precious Water LOS ANGELES— A federal judge has vacated a U.S. Bureau of Land Management decision that would have allowed Cadiz Inc. to repurpose a mothballed oil-and-gas pipeline to drain a large aquifer in the Mojave Desert. Tuesday’s order from U.S. District Judge George H. Wu responds to a BLM motion seeking to vacate and remand the agency’s December 2020 approval of the pipeline, issued in the Trump administration’s final days. The approval violated several federal laws by failing to conduct needed environmental and historic preservation analysis for the project or consider its potential harm to federal public lands. The right-of-way would have facilitated Cadiz’s groundwater-mining scheme to drain ancient aquifers under the Mojave Desert with a pipeline crossing Mojave Trails National Monument and other protected public land in southeastern California. The same decision was filed in a related case brought by the Native American Land Conservancy and the National Parks Conservation Association. “We’re pleased the court vacated this illegal Trump-era decision, which would have allowed this massive water pipeline to move forward without the necessary environmental review,” said Lisa Belenky, a senior attorney at the Center for Biological Diversity. “Cadiz’s water-privatization scheme would dry up irreplaceable desert springs and seeps that are crucial to wildlife, even more so now because of climate change. These public lands and resources must be protected.” Cadiz’s project would pump water from a fragile aquifer under the Mojave Trails National Monument and near the Mojave National Preserve. In March 2021 conservation groups sued in to challenge BLM’s approval of the right-of-way to facilitate the pipeline project. Hydrologists from the U.S. Geological Survey have found the pipeline’s water use unsustainable. They also found that Cadiz’s privately funded study vastly overstates the aquifer’s recharge rate. “Today’s decision will give the BLM the opportunity to do the right thing and prevent disruptive pumping and transport of groundwater — precious water that our fragile desert ecosystem and the species who call it home depend upon for their survival,” said Jeff Aardahl, a senior California representative for Defenders of Wildlife. “Judge Wu’s decision will give wildlife a fighting chance in the face of our ongoing, historic drought.” The water-pumping project threatens to dry up life-sustaining desert springs in the monument and the preserve, hurting vegetation and key habitat for iconic desert wildlife, including desert tortoises, bighorn sheep, Mojave fringe-toed lizards and kit foxes. “This project should never have been given a pass,” said Joan Taylor, vice chair of Sierra Club’s California/Nevada Desert Committee. “The BLM now acknowledges that pumping and exporting 16 billion gallons a year from a desert groundwater basin requires some environmental scrutiny, and today’s decision means that careful environmental review will be required before any new decision is made.” “The Trump administration’s decision to give Cadiz these rights-of-way without any environmental review was clearly illegal,” said Greg Loarie, an attorney at Earthjustice representing the conservation groups. “The court did the right thing in granting the Bureau of Land Management’s request to undo the flawed decision that would have devastating impacts on the Mojave Desert.” Conservation groups have filed several lawsuits challenging the Cadiz water project, including one challenging San Bernardino County for failing to provide environmental review and violating its own groundwater ordinance. In 2019 the groups won a lawsuit challenging an earlier Interior Department approval of an existing railroad right-of-way for the pipeline. The judge ruled that the Trump administration had broken the law when it reversed two Obama administration decisions and had wrongly concluded the 43-mile pipeline did not require BLM permits or approvals. The Center for Biological Diversity is a national, nonprofit conservation organization with more than 1.7 million members and online activists dedicated to the protection of endangered species and wild places. Defenders of Wildlife is a national nonprofit organization dedicated to the protection of all native animals and plants in their natural communities. With nearly 2.2 million members and activists, Defenders of Wildlife is a leading advocate for innovative solutions to safeguard our wildlife heritage for generations to come. For more information, visit defenders.org/newsroom and follow us on Twitter @Defenders Earthjustice is the premier nonprofit environmental law organization. We wield the power of law and the strength of partnership to protect people’s health, to preserve magnificent places and wildlife, to advance clean energy, and to combat climate change. We are here because the earth needs a good lawyer. The Sierra Club is a national nonprofit organization of over 830,000 members dedicated to exploring, enjoying, and protecting the wild places of the earth; to practicing and promoting the responsible use of the earth’s ecosystems and resources; to educating and enlisting humanity to protect and restore the quality of the natural and human environment; and to using all lawful means to carry out these objectives. Read More Here

Stock Market News Today: Dow, S&P 500 Inch Up After Tuesday https://digitalarizonanews.com/stock-market-news-today-dow-sp-500-inch-up-after-tuesday/ About this page Last Updated: Sep 14, 2022 at 1:36 pm ET Follow The Wall Street Journal’s full markets coverage. Read More Here

Frances A. LaMontagne Obituary (1928 – 2022) Daily Hampshire Gazette https://digitalarizonanews.com/frances-a-lamontagne-obituary-1928-2022-daily-hampshire-gazette/ Frances A. LaMontagne Kennebunk, ME — Frances A. LaMontagne ne Frances Ann Tessier (“Fran”) died on September 11th at the age of 94. She was surrounded by her three daughters-Denise Plouffe of Orange MA, Laure’ LaMontagne of Decatur GA, and Heloise Strickland of Kennebunkport ME. She was briefly under the care of Beacon Hospice at her apartment at Huntington Common where she had resided since June 2022. Prior to that, Fran lived in her home in Kennebunkport for 30 years (full time for the last dozen years). She was born in Northampton MA. and variously resided in Hingham MA, Amherst MA, and Westport MA. Fran was the oldest daughter of seven children including Raymond Tessier (deceased), Margaret Edinburgh (deceased), Julia Saner (deceased), Dorothy Lewis of Newburyport MA, Allan Tessier of Pensacola FL, and Cynthia Tessier of Florence MA. Despite not having the chance to pursue much higher education beyond high school, Fran was exceptionally well read, naturally curious and just plain smart! Every day she read her favorite paper – the WSJ. In Her last days, she was still very concerned with the latest updates regarding Ukraine. She was also humble, self-deprecating, and loved a good laugh. Up until the end she was seeing the humor whenever possible and trying as always to lighten up the situation for everyone. Prior to marrying her husband Elliott of 70 years (he passed away in 2019). Fran worked at various jobs including in a dental office. Once she was married, she ran the household and raised 3 daughters. When the girls were in later grades, she embarked on a successful career in Real Estate and eventually she ran a small company with Elliott and did this until he was ready to retire. At that point they enjoyed their property in Westport MA which was an old farm. They both enthusiastically cleared brush, moved rocks, etc. They also bought the home in Kennebunkport – largely to be closer to a couple of the grandchildren. Fran’s 4 grandchildren – Sam Arnold of Shoreline WA, George Plouffe of Southampton, MA, Benjamin Strickland of Woodstock ME and Shelby Strickland of Chandler AZ were a source of great joy, pride-and sometimes consternation (she did worry a lot). Their every achievement meant the world to her and more importantly she wanted them to find balance and happiness in their lives. Her example has certainly helped them to achieve this. Other important people in her life that she leaves behind are those she called “the sons she never had”- George Plouffe of Orange MA, David Delduco of Decatur GA, and Peter Strickland of Windham ME. Fran did not rush anything-and when she took on a task, it was done right. She was very skilled with her hands and sewed for herself, her daughters-and sometimes others she wanted to help out. She also did home improvements, landscape projects, furniture refinishing-you name it. Some of that had to do with her frugality, but also-she wanted it done right! The walkways and gardens she created even in later years are very impressive and makes one wonder- How did she move those rocks? Fran loved the natural world and was a keen observer of what was around her-for example the various scents wafting in on the breeze, the trill of the birds in her yard (she was a good whistler and had great interchanges with them on her porch), and the shifting quality of the light with the seasons. Details did not escape her and she delighted in being outdoors whenever she could. Until recent years, she was an avid walker and explorer. Her powers of observation also extended to an awareness of others and situations. If she sensed a need, she would address it. Over the years she served as an advocate many times and she was particularly partial to those she saw as “underdogs”. At times she took on battles to help those in various predicaments – and prevailed. She volunteered at a number of organizations and at one time she was the treasurer of Rotary in Amherst MA. Other passions of hers were Hot Air Ballooning, and horseback riding-both being pursuits she took up once she was an empty nester. She was fascinated with history and believed in the importance of studying and learning from it. She took pride in making informed decisions and being open minded. One would quickly note when in her presence, that she asked a lot of questions and but did a lot of listening. She will be greatly missed by the many whose lives she touched. Services will be held at a later date. Should friends desire, donations in Fran’s memory can be made to the Franciscan Monastery, PO Box 980, Kennebunk, ME 04043 or Louis T. Graves Memorial Library, PO Box 391, Kennebunkport, ME 04046 or to the Kennebunkport Historical Society, PO Box 1173, Kennebunkport, ME 04046. To share a memory or leave a message of condolence, please visit Fran’s book of Memories Page at www.bibberfuneral.com Arrangements are entrusted to Bibber Memorial Chapel, 67 Summer St. Kennebunk. Published by Daily Hampshire Gazette on Sep. 15, 2022. Read More Here

FBI Seizes Mike Lindell’s Phone In Probe Of Colo. Voting Machine Breach https://digitalarizonanews.com/fbi-seizes-mike-lindells-phone-in-probe-of-colo-voting-machine-breach/ FBI agents seized a cellphone belonging to Mike Lindell, the MyPillow founder and prominent election denier, as part of a federal investigation into an alleged breach of voting machines in Colorado, according to Lindell. The agents served Lindell with a search warrant and grand jury subpoena Tuesday afternoon in the drive-through area of a Hardee’s restaurant in Mankato, Minn., he said on his online TV show. Lindell said the agents questioned him about Tina Peters, the Mesa County, Colo., clerk who was indicted in March on charges that she helped an outsider copy sensitive data from the county’s elections systems in May 2021. The FBI acknowledged that a warrant was served but declined to elaborate. “Without commenting on this specific matter, I can confirm that the FBI was at that location executing a search warrant authorized by a federal judge,” a spokesperson for the bureau’s Denver field office said in an email. Lindell said the FBI agents also asked him about an image copied from a Mesa County voting machine that was published on his website, Frank Speech. In a telephone interview on Wednesday, Lindell told The Washington Post that he was not involved in the copying of Mesa County’s election management system and did not meet Peters until she attended a “cyber symposium” he held in South Dakota in August 2021. “I have no idea what went on then,” Lindell said. “I have nothing to do with it.” The FBI’s action against Lindell, who has used his multimillion-dollar pillow fortune to finance high-profile films, conferences and other media promoting disinformation about elections, points to a widening of the federal investigation into the alleged breach in Mesa County. The probe is one of multiple investigations underway into alleged security breaches of local elections offices in states also including Michigan and Georgia. Efforts to access sensitive voting equipment — in some cases with the help of like-minded local officials — were aimed at finding evidence that the machines were used to rig the 2020 election. Access to such equipment is intended to be tightly controlled. Other Trump allies have recently received subpoenas from federal investigators who are conducting investigations into events surrounding the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol and efforts to overturn the election. Lindell told The Post he has not received any subpoena from a grand jury investigating Jan. 6. A document that Lindell displayed on his show, which he said was a copy of the search warrant, stated that the FBI was seeking information relating to tampering with Dominion Voting Systems equipment, the type used in Mesa and many other counties nationwide. Dominion has come under attack from former president Donald Trump and others promoting false conspiracy theories about election fraud. The company is suing Lindell, Fox News and prominent election deniers for defamation. The document said authorities were seeking evidence of possible violations by Lindell, Peters and several others of federal laws against identity theft and intentional damage to a protected computer. Lindell also displayed a grand jury subpoena, dated Sept. 7, which he said the FBI agents gave him. The subpoena called for testimony before a federal grand jury in Grand Junction, Colo., on Nov. 3, but it was not clear from the document whether Lindell was required to testify or to merely provide his phone. Lindell also showed The Post a copy of the subpoena. Peters and two other Mesa officials were previously indicted by a state grand jury on multiple felony and misdemeanor charges, including conspiracy to commit criminal impersonation. Prosecutors accuse them of participating in a scheme to allow Conan Hayes, a former pro-surfer who reinvented himself as a data expert, to gain access to Mesa County election systems and copy sensitive files in May 2021. Peters has pleaded not guilty while her former deputy, Belinda Knisley, agreed to plead guilty to lesser charges and testify “at any trials in any venue” involving Peters or others involved in the alleged Mesa County breach, according to the plea agreement. Speaking on his show, Lindell said he had advised the FBI agents to check his website for the voting machine image. “They wanted to know about the image. I said, ‘You guys can see the image right here on Frank Speech — we’ve got the whole evidence right up here for you,’ ” Lindell said. In the interview on Wednesday morning, Lindell claimed he was being targeted because of his efforts to get rid of electronic voting machines. “Do you think I’m going to quit now?” he said, scoffing. He said he would welcome the chance to speak with the House select committee investigating the Jan. 6 Capitol attack, but claimed “they won’t have me because I’d bring the evidence … that the election was stolen.” Dozens of judges rejected post-election challenges by Trump and his allies, while multiple local, state and federal officials said that claims of widespread fraud in the 2020 election were baseless. Lindell sent his private plane last year to pick up Peters in Colorado and take her to his symposium, according to an email Peters wrote. Lindell previously told The Post that he had paid for Peters’s lodging, security and lawyers after her appearance at the event triggered an investigation by state and federal officials. Hayes, who has not been charged, was among the five people named on the federal search warrant served on Lindell. A phone number listed for Hayes in law enforcement documents is no longer working. He did not respond to several requests for comment from The Post in recent months about his alleged involvement in the Mesa scheme and alleged breaches of voting machines in other states. The document displayed by Lindell also named Douglas Frank, a longtime math and science teacher in Ohio who claims to have discovered secret algorithms used to rig the 2020 election. Frank met with Peters at her office in April 2021 and “showed her how her election was hacked,” The Post has previously reported. He told her that an upcoming Dominion software update could erase data needed to show that the election was stolen and relayed to others her request for technical help copying that data. “I did nothing illegal,” Frank told The Post via text message Wednesday morning. He said the FBI has not served him with a search warrant. On his show, Lindell also displayed a grand jury subpoena dated Sept. 7, which he said the FBI agents gave him. The subpoena sought “documents/objects” for a federal grand jury hearing in Grand Junction, Colo., on Nov. 3. Lindell showed The Post a copy of the subpoena and said his understanding was that it did not require him to testify. “As a subpoena recipient, you are not under an obligation of secrecy,” Assistant U.S. Attorney Aaron Teitelbaum wrote. “However, we request that you not disclose the existence of this subpoena for an indefinite period of time.” Bryan Pietsch and Devlin Barrett contributed to this report. Read More Here

Ukraine Live Briefing: Zelensky Visits Reclaimed Izyum; E.U. Moves Ahead With Emergency Measures On Energy https://digitalarizonanews.com/ukraine-live-briefing-zelensky-visits-reclaimed-izyum-e-u-moves-ahead-with-emergency-measures-on-energy/ Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky made a surprise visit Wednesday to Izyum, a strategic town in the northeastern Kharkiv region, where he thanked troops for liberating the area from Russian forces and vowed that the country’s blue-and-yellow flag would fly again “in every Ukrainian city and village.” Ukrainian troops retook much of the region as part of a stunning counteroffensive that has routed Russian forces and revealed the potential limits of Russia’s military for the foreseeable future, analysts said. Ukraine has made “significant progress” in the war, according to President Biden, but he cautioned: “I think it’s going to be a long haul.” Here’s the latest on the war and its ripple effects across the globe. Return to menu The European Union will push ahead with emergency measures to tackle the energy crisis, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said Wednesday, adding that she plans to visit Kyiv next week. She accused Russia of “actively manipulating” the bloc’s energy market but vowed that Russian President Vladimir Putin “will fail, and Europe will prevail.” The proposed measures include a windfall tax on some energy companies and binding targets to reduce consumption. Ukraine’s creditors agreed to defer debt service for the war-torn country, Treasury Secretary Janet L. Yellen said in a statement Wednesday, to allow the Ukrainian government “to direct additional resources toward its domestic needs and the welfare of the Ukrainian people.” The United States was among a group of creditor countries that will suspend Ukraine’s debt service repayment obligations through the end of 2023. Another Russian businessman has died under strange circumstances. The Corporation for the Development of the Far East and the Arctic announced the “tragic death” of Ivan Pechorin, the company’s managing director for the aviation industry, in a statement Monday. Pechorin reportedly drowned after falling off a boat on Saturday during “a pleasure boat trip” with friends, Russia’s Pravda news outlet reported. His body later washed ashore on Russky Island in the Sea of Japan. Pechorin is at least the ninth high-profile Russian businessman to die unexpectedly since January, reportedly in accidents or by suicide. Many of the businessmen had links to the energy industry. Return to menu Videos and photos posted on social media have provided a glimpse into what Russian troops left behind during their hasty retreat from the Kharkiv region. Russia likely deployed Iranian drones in Ukraine for the first time, the U.K. Defense Ministry said Wednesday. The ministry cited a report from Ukraine’s military that said its forces shot down an Iranian-made Shahed-136, a kamikaze-style drone with a purported range of about 1,500 miles. Mark Cancian, a senior adviser with the Center for Strategic and International Studies, said the weapon remnants featured in photos shared by Ukraine’s Defense Ministry appear to match published images of wingtips from intact Shahed-136 drones. U.S. officials said Russian cargo planes began picking up shipments of Iranian-made combat drones for use in Ukraine last month. Ukraine’s Defense Ministry said Wednesday that some 5,000 Ukrainian troops have been trained in the United Kingdom as part of a program called Operation Interflex. Return to menu Pope Francis called for “dialogue and patient negotiations” to end the war during a religious conference in Kazakhstan on Wednesday. He has criticized Russian Orthodox Patriarch Kirill, who has been a vocal supporter of Russia’s war, warning him not to be “Putin’s altar boy.” The United States issued visas for Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and some members of his delegation to travel to New York for the U.N. General Assembly on Sept. 20, Russia’s official Tass news agency reported. Russia’s Foreign Ministry previously accused the U.S. government of delaying the visa process. Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping will discuss Ukraine and Taiwan when they meet this week in Uzbekistan, an aide to Putin said Tuesday, according to Tass. Return to menu Ukrainian offensive thwarted Russia’s annexation plans in Kharkiv: As Ukrainian forces secretly prepared a counteroffensive to expel occupying Russian soldiers from the Kharkiv region, Moscow was so sure of its control of the area that it began imposing Russian curriculums in some schools, Siobhán O’Grady, Isabelle Khurshudyan and Anastacia Galouchka report from northeastern Ukraine. With that land and those schools back under the authority of the Ukrainian military after lightning-fast advances this month, Ukraine said it had arrested Russian teachers left behind by retreating Russian soldiers. They face up to 12 years in prison on charges of violating laws and customs of war, according to Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk. Read More Here

A New Space For Arizona Families Battling Pediatric Cancer Is Being Built In Scottsdale https://digitalarizonanews.com/a-new-space-for-arizona-families-battling-pediatric-cancer-is-being-built-in-scottsdale/ SCOTTSDALE, AZ (3TV/CBS 5) – Since 2014, the Arizona Cancer Foundation for Children has helped hundreds of families battling pediatric cancer. It’s especially meaningful as resources for families with terminally ill children can be hard to come by. Cancer treatment often means isolation for children and their loved ones. Taking care can be incredibly taxing for one’s well-being and even harder on the child. It’s why the organization has been working hard to make a new resource center where children and their families can have safe fun in a hyper-clean and comforting environment. Currently, the nonprofit’s offices, named “Ava’s Tree House Jr., offer about 1,300 square feet of spaces to let kids be kids. But families deserve so much more, so they’re working on building a 12,000-square foot space that will “give the gift of childhood.” More information is expected to be announced in the months ahead. Check the video in the player to learn more. Copyright 2022 KTVK/KPHO. All rights reserved. Read More Here

Townsquare Interactive Will Bring Hundreds Of Jobs To Phoenix – AZ Big Media https://digitalarizonanews.com/townsquare-interactive-will-bring-hundreds-of-jobs-to-phoenix-az-big-media/ Townsquare Interactive is moving west. The digital marketing company is expanding to its second location, opening a 5,393 square-foot office space at One Renaissance Square in downtown Phoenix this month. Townsquare Interactive plans to move into an 11,875 square-foot permanent space at Two Renaissance Square in late February 2023, which will bring hundreds of jobs to the area. The company has 30 employees reporting to a temporary office at 2 N. Central Ave. and plans to double that by the end of the year with a proposal to add hundreds of employees to its Phoenix workforce within the next two years — this, in addition to the 700 plus employees at its Charlotte, NC headquarters. “Our expansion into Phoenix is a significant milestone for our company,” said Tim Pirrone, President of Townsquare Interactive. “Our customers are based in all 50 states, including 51% located outside of the Eastern Time Zone, so we saw the growth potential out west and will be able to better serve our customers by increasing our footprint here. After performing an in-depth location analysis, we felt Phoenix was a clear winner due to its size and breadth of talent from nearby universities and beyond.” READ ALSO: 25 tech startups to watch in Metro Phoenix Townsquare Interactive will be collaborating with nearby colleges and universities like Arizona State University, Northern Arizona University, and the University of Arizona to foster relationships and connect motivated students with employment opportunities, developing a talented workforce to fulfill its needs. Townsquare Interactive is looking to fill immediate and future sales roles, visit the Townsquare Interactive careers site for more details about open positions at the Phoenix office. “We’re excited that Townsquare Interactive has chosen to open their new office in Phoenix,” said Sandra Watson, President and CEO of the Arizona Commerce Authority. “Townsquare’s innovative technology and personalized services will enhance Arizona’s technology landscape while creating hundreds of new high-tech jobs. We look forward to supporting Townsquare Interactive as they establish their Phoenix office.” “Greater Phoenix bolsters innovative technology, with a growing pipeline of talented workers and unhindered access to major western U.S. markets,” said Chris Camacho, President & CEO at Greater Phoenix Economic Council. “We look forward to partnering with Townsquare Interactive as it expands into Phoenix, broadening access and fortifying its workforce to better serve its customers.” “Phoenix is a natural city for Townsquare Interactive’s regional growth and client service. Between the universities and an experienced advanced business services workforce, Townsquare Interactive will be hiring a team to serve their western and mountain clients,” said Christine Mackay, director, Phoenix Community and Economic Development. “As the tenth-largest media market in the U.S., Townsquare Interactive will find an ecosystem to help continue its growth and success for small businesses across the region.” Townsquare Interactive is the digital marketing division of Townsquare Media, one of the nation’s largest media companies with 357 local radio stations in 74 mid-sized markets and 50,000+ clients nationwide. Since opening its doors in 2012, Townsquare Interactive has combined innovative technology with an industry-leading team of experts in search engine optimization (SEO), copywriting, website design, social media, mobile optimization, and reputation monitoring to create a total web presence for small businesses. The company has grown its client base to more than 29,000 small-business owners in less than a decade and continues to take great pride in the relationships built and in creating a personalized marketing plan tailored to each client’s goals. “As the world enters the age of automation and intelligence, we are laser-focused on being the most people-centric organization in the digital marketing space,” Pirrone said. “Our team operates with a level of personal service unlike any other which has been integral to our rapid growth.” Kevin Calihan and Tim Kempton with CBRE represented Townsquare in this real estate transaction and Andrew Cheney with Lee & Associates represented the building owner for Renaissance Square. Read More…

Donald Trump To Hold Wilmington Rally Next Week https://digitalarizonanews.com/donald-trump-to-hold-wilmington-rally-next-week/ Former president Donald Trump is coming to Wilmington next week to hold a “Save America” rally. The rally will be held on Sept. 23 at Wilmington International Airport’s Aero Center. Trump will appear with Republican U.S. Senate candidate Ted Budd. He plans to “deliver remarks in support” of Budd, according to a news release. Budd, a candidate who Trump has previously endorsed, won the Republican U.S. Senate primary in May and is set to face off against Democrat Cheri Beasely in November’s general election. Trump also plans to offer support for the “entire North Carolina Trump Ticket,” the news release states. The former president’s endorsement has remained much-coveted among candidates running in this fall’s midterm elections. Polls for the past month show that Budd and Beasely are currently tied with about 12% of voters saying they are undecided. This isn’t the Trump family’s first time in the Port City. He visited the city as president in September 2020 when he officially designated Wilmington the country’s first World War II Heritage City. Trump’s daughter-in-law Laura Trump, a Wrightsville Beach native, hosted a campaign event in Wilmington in October 2020 ahead of the November presidential election. Trump is expected to speak at 7 p.m. with doors for the event opening at 2 p.m. The Aero Center is located at Aero Center 1830 Flightline Road in Wilmington. Tickets are available online and are limited to two tickets per mobile number for the event, according to the event’s website. Read More Here

Judge Unseals Additional Portions Of Mar-A-Lago Affidavit https://digitalarizonanews.com/judge-unseals-additional-portions-of-mar-a-lago-affidavit-2/ Eric Tucker  |  Associated Press Washington – A federal judge Tuesday unsealed additional portions of an FBI affidavit laying out the basis for a search of former President Donald Trump’s Florida home, showing that agents earlier obtained a hard drive after issuing a subpoena for surveillance footage recorded inside Mar-a-Lago. A heavily redacted version of the affidavit was made public last month, but the Justice Department requested permission to show more of it after lawyers for Trump revealed the existence of a June grand jury subpoena that sought video footage from cameras in the vicinity of the Mar-a-Lago storage room. “Because those aspects of the grand jury’s investigation have now been publicly revealed, there is no longer any reason to keep them sealed (i.e. redacted) in the filings in this matter,” department lawyers wrote. The newly visible portions of the FBI agent’s affidavit show that the FBI on June 24 subpoenaed for the footage after a visit weeks earlier to Mar-a-Lago in which agents observed 50 to 55 boxes of records in the storage room at the property. The Trump Organization provided a hard drive on July 6 in response to the subpoena, the affidavit says. The footage could be an important piece of the investigation, including as agents evaluate whether anyone has sought to obstruct the probe. The Justice Department has said in a separate filing that it has “developed evidence that government records were likely concealed and removed from the Storage Room and that efforts were likely taken to obstruct the government’s investigation.” The Justice Department has been investigating the holding of top-secret information and other classified documents at Mar-a-Lago after Trump left the White House. FBI agents during their Aug. 8 search of the home and club said they recovered more than 11,000 documents and 1,800 other items, including roughly 100 with classification markings. Separately Tuesday, the Justice Department again urged U.S. District Aileen Cannon to lift her hold on core aspects of the investigation. Cannon last week granted the Trump team’s request for an independent arbiter to review the seized documents and weed out from the investigation any records that may be covered by claims of executive or attorney-client privilege. We’re offering a great rate on digital subscriptions. Click here. She also ordered the department to halt its review of the records pending any further court order or the completion of a review by the yet-to-be-named special master. The department urged Cannon last week to put her order on hold and told the judge Tuesday that its investigation would be harmed by a continued delay of its ability to scrutinize the classified documents. “The government and the public unquestionably have an interest in the timely enforcement of criminal laws, particularly those involving the protection of highly sensitive information, and especially where, as here, there may have been efforts to obstruct its investigation,” the lawyers wrote. The Trump team on Monday urged the judge to leave her order in place. His lawyers raised questions about the documents’ current classification status and noted that a president has absolute authority to declassify information, though they pointedly did not say that Trump had actually declassified anything. Read More Here

Dave Weigel Leaving Washington Post For Semafor https://digitalarizonanews.com/dave-weigel-leaving-washington-post-for-semafor/ Campaign reporter Dave Weigel is leaving The Washington Post to join a new global news startup spearheaded by former New York Times media columnist Ben Smith and former Bloomberg CEO Justin Smith. The Smiths, who are not related, have dubbed their new project “Semafor,” and announced a slew of hires on Wednesday ahead of the outlet’s anticipated launch this fall. Among them was Weigel, a top campaign reporter at the Post who was suspended earlier this summer after a fellow staffer in his newsroom publicly chastised him for retweeting a Twitter post containing a sexist joke. Weigel has since been reinstated by the Post and the reporter who publicly criticized both he and the newspaper over its handling of the episode, Felicia Sonmez, has since been fired. Along with Weigel, Semafor announced a number of key editorial hires, including reporters and editors who will work out of Washington, D.C. and cover politics and policy. They include Benjy Sarlin of NBC News, who will serve as Semafor’s Washington bureau chief, Shelby Talcott of the conservative Daily Caller website who will be covering Donald Trump and national Republicans for Semafor and Morgan Chalfant, previously a White House and national security reporter at The Hill. “When Gina and I started working together in May, we knew that finding the right people to join us in these early stages was foundational to Semafor’s ambition of building a news organization around the voices and work of some of the world’s greatest journalists,” Ben Smith wrote to his team announcing the hires. “Building a dream team from scratch is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for any editor and the chance to do that is one of the big reasons why we’re both here. So, this summer we set about finding a proven group of journalists and future stars who would shape and define our newsroom with us.” Ben and Justin Smith announced in January they would be starting a new global news company and in March named former Reuters executive editor Gina Chua as Semafor’s top editor. Semafor is slated to launch sometime this fall. Read More Here

Pressure Mounts On Biden To Avert Freight Rail Strike As Union Deadline Looms https://digitalarizonanews.com/pressure-mounts-on-biden-to-avert-freight-rail-strike-as-union-deadline-looms/ White House officials and Biden himself have pressed rail carriers and unions. to reach an agreement The clocking is ticking before a Friday deadline to avert a possible freight rail shutdown. Biden, an outspoken supporter of union, finds himself in a tricky spot politically. WASHINGTON – President Joe Biden faces a narrowing window to avert a strike from freight railroad workers that could further strain supply chains and deliver a damaging blow to Democrats before the midterm elections.  Top aides and Biden himself were in touch with railroad companies and union representatives late into Monday evening and Tuesday to try to avoid a shutdown. The White House is exploring contingencies including invoking emergency authorities to ensure crucial materials are still delivered if there is a shutdown, according to a White House official, who discussed the talks on the condition of anonymity. Workers and the rail carriers have until Friday to reach an agreement. That’s when a federally mandated “cooling off” period ends, which would open the door for about 115,000 rail workers in unions to walk off the job.  Inside the rail dispute  Three years of talks: Negotiations for a new contract between the nation’s six largest freight carriers – Union Pacific, CSX, Norfolk Southern, BNSF, Canadian National and Kansas City Southern – and 12 unions go back nearly three years. Biden appointed a Presidential Emergency Board in July to mediate the dispute.  Areas of agreement: A trade organization representing the companies has announced agreements with 10 of the unions that closely match recommendations of Biden’s emergency board, including wage increases of 24%, bonuses totaling $5,000 and one additional paid-leave day a year. Unresolved issues: The two largest unions representing conductors and engineers have not signed on to the proposal, citing a lack of measures to address working conditions and strict attendance policies. The groups’ leaders say their members have been terminated for getting sick or missing work for medical visits.  “Economic disaster”: A national strike from railroad workers could jeopardize the shipment of retail products, critical goods and raw materials while inflation is already high, a scenario the U.S. Chamber of Commerce said would be an “economic disaster.” What happens next as railroad strike looms Labor Secretary Marty Walsh is meeting Wednesday with union leaders and carrier executives in Washington to work on a deal. The White House called a shutdown “not acceptable” and is working on contingency plans in case an agreement is not reached. That includes conversations with the trucking and air freight industries about filling the void to keep goods moving. The administration has also discussed whether invoking presidential emergency powers is an option to ensure food, energy and other essential products are delivered to customers during a shutdown, according to a White House official. The Association of American Railroads is pushing Congress to intervene under the Railway Labor Act to block a shutdown by approving legislation that would implement the Presidential Emergency’s Board’s recommendations. The association estimated a nationwide rail strike could reduce economic output by more than $2 billion a day.  Con: Looming railroad strike could be ‘economic disaster,’ impacting consumers from all angles Sens. Richard Burr, R-N.C., and Roger Wicker, R-Miss., introduced legislation Monday that would adopt the recommendations if an agreement is not reached.  To prepare for a possible shutdown, the railroad companies said they plan to curtail the shipment of hazardous materials and crucial goods so containers aren’t stranded along tracks. Union leaders slammed the move as “corporate terrorism” and “scare tactics” designed to get Congress to cave.  Takeaways  Biden is stuck in a hard spot politically as an outspoken supporter of unions while desperately wanting to avoid the repercussions of a shutdown.  More than any other modern president, Biden regularly hails organized labor. He said last year that his goal is to be “the most pro-union president leading the most pro-union administration in American history.” More: Asset or liability? Biden’s momentum hasn’t led to new invitations on midterm campaign trail But a strike and bottlenecked supply chains could undermine Democrats’ credibility on the economy, giving Republicans new ammunition as they look to regain control of Congress in the November elections.  Such a setback could halt Biden’s recent momentum. The president is experiencing a bounce in approval ratings after a series of legislative wins in Congress and declining gas prices. And Democrats have been energized by the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade, reversing their once-gloomy prospects to maintain control of Congress. What they are saying about the railroad labor standoff  White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said Tuesday that the president continues to urge the railroads and unions to “stick at the negotiation table” to reach an agreement. “A shutdown is not acceptable,” she said. “It risks harming families; it risks harming businesses and whole communities.” Ian Jefferies, president and CEO of the Association of American Railroads, said a work stoppage would result in an “unnecessary $2 billion daily economic hit” just as the freight sector moves into peak shipping season. The railroad companies he represents have accused the uncommitted unions of taking positions “expressly rejected” by the Presidential Emergency Board.  Jeremy Ferguson and Dennis Pierce, presidents of the unions representing conductors and engineers, stuck to their demands in a joint statement. “Rather than gridlock the supply chain by denying shipments and potentially locking our members out Friday, the railroads should work towards a fair settlement that our members, their employees, would ratify.” Burr, ranking member of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, said a railroad strike would be “catastrophic” for America’s freight system and supply chains. “The Biden administration should reject labor unions’ bullying tactics.” “A national rail strike would be an economic disaster – freezing the flow of goods, emptying shelves, shuttering workplaces and raising prices for families and businesses alike,” said Suzanne Clark, president and CEO of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, which has asked Congress to intervene if the stalemate continues. “But that is exactly what is likely to happen in less than four days.” The big picture The economy and soaring consumer prices remain Biden’s biggest vulnerability. Even though gas prices declined for the second straight month in September, overall inflation hasn’t decreased as fast as many experts forecast.  Overall prices increased 8.3% from a year earlier, down from an 8.5% rise in July and a 40-year high of 9.1% in June. But many economists had predicted yearly inflation would fall to 8%.  Less than 60 days before the midterm elections, the last thing Democrats need is more economic uncertainty as a result of a freight rail shutdown. More: Is Biden responsible for dip in inflation? President’s victory lap is premature, experts say Reach Joey Garrison on Twitter @joeygarrison. Read More Here

End Of The COVID-19 Pandemic Is In Sight – WHO Chief https://digitalarizonanews.com/end-of-the-covid-19-pandemic-is-in-sight-who-chief/ A woman walks past a mural depicting a frontline worker amid the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Dublin, Ireland, January 12, 2022. REUTERS/Clodagh Kilcoyne Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com Sept 14 (Reuters) – The world has never been in a better position to end the COVID-19 pandemic, the head of the World Health Organization said on Wednesday, urging nations to keep up their efforts against the virus that has killed over six million people. “We are not there yet. But the end is in sight,” WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus told reporters at a virtual press conference. The comment was the most optimistic from the UN agency since it declared COVID-19 an international emergency and started describing the virus as a pandemic in March 2020. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com The virus, which emerged in China in late 2019, has killed nearly 6.5 million people and infected 606 million, roiling global economies and overwhelming healthcare systems. The rollout of vaccines and therapies have helped to stem the severity of disease. Deaths from COVID-19 last week were the lowest since March 2020, the U.N. agency reported. Still, countries need to take a hard look at their policies and strengthen them for COVID-19 and future viruses, Tedros said. He also urged nations to vaccinate 100% of their high-risk groups and keep testing for the virus. The WHO warned of the possibility of future waves of the virus and said countries need to maintain adequate supplies of medical equipment and healthcare workers. “We expect there to be future waves of infections, potentially at different time points throughout the world caused by different subvariants of Omicron or even different variants of concern,” said WHO’s senior epidemiologist Maria Van Kerkhove. Monkeypox cases, too, were on a downtrend but Tedros urged countries to keep up the fight. WHO officials said last month that it is possible to eliminate the monkeypox outbreak in Europe by stepping up vaccination and testing. read more “As with COVID-19, this is not the time to relax or let down our guard.” Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com Reporting by Manas Mishra and Khushi Mandowara in Bengaluru; Editing by Shounak Dasgupta, William Maclean and Josephine Mason Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles. Read More Here

Louisiana Woman Carrying Skull-Less Fetus Forced To Travel To New York For Abortion https://digitalarizonanews.com/louisiana-woman-carrying-skull-less-fetus-forced-to-travel-to-new-york-for-abortion/ An expectant Louisiana woman who was carrying a skull-less fetus that would die within a short time from birth ultimately traveled about 1,400 miles to New York City to terminate her pregnancy after her local hospital denied her an abortion amid uncertainty over the procedure’s legality. Nancy Davis, 36, told the Guardian that she had her pregnancy terminated on 1 September after traveling from her home town of Baton Rouge to a clinic in Manhattan whose staff had agreed to complete the procedure. Davis’s trek was necessary because Louisiana has outlawed abortion with very few exceptions after the US supreme court’s decision in June to eliminate federal abortion rights which were established by its 1973 Roe v Wade ruling. New York is among the states where abortion remains legal. Davis was about 10 weeks pregnant in late July when an ultrasound at Woman’s hospital in Baton Rouge, Louisiana’s capital, showed that her fetus was missing the top of its skull, a rare but fatal condition known as acrania that kills babies within days – and sometimes minutes – of birth. Louisiana’s abortion ban contains a general exception for fetuses that cannot survive outside their mothers’ wombs, and the law’s author – state senator Katrina Jackson – has insisted that Davis could have legally obtained an abortion without having to go across the country. But Louisiana’s list of conditions justifying an exception from the state’s abortion ban did not explicitly include acrania. So officials at the hospital where Davis had her ultrasound refused to provide an abortion for her, apparently fearing that they could be exposed to prison time, fines and forfeiture of their licenses to practice if they performed the procedure. “Basically … I [would have] to carry my baby to bury my baby,” Davis has previously said. After Davis spoke out in the media about her ordeal, more than a thousand people donated nearly $40,000 to an online GoFundMe campaign for Davis to travel to a state where it was certain that she could legally get an abortion. She had initially planned to go to North Carolina, but during a brief telephone conversation on Tuesday, she said she ended up going to a Planned Parenthood facility in Manhattan. Davis is only one member of a group of women or girls who have been forced to take gut-wrenching actions in the aftermath of the elimination of nationwide abortion rights. A Florida court recently blocked a pregnant 16-year-old girl from having an abortion, deeming her too immature to decide whether she should have an abortion and instead requiring the teenager to give birth to a baby. Meanwhile, earlier in the summer, a 10-year-old Ohio girl who was raped and impregnated had to travel to neighboring Indiana to terminate her pregnancy because her state had banned most abortions. Most abortions are set to become illegal in Indiana as of Thursday, too. Davis appeared outside Louisiana’s capitol building in late August alongside the civil rights attorney Ben Crump and called on the state’s lawmakers to at least clarify the wording of their abortion ban – if not repeal it entirely – so that no one else would have to endure what she has. Crump said Davis – who is raising a daughter and two stepchildren with her partner – suffered “unspeakable pain, emotional damage and physical risk” because of the poorly worded law. Lawmakers, Crump added, “replaced care with confusion, privacy with politics and options with ideology”. For her part, Davis said: “This [was] not fair to me. And it should not happen to any other woman.” Read More Here

Students In Chandler Have A Flexible, Free Way To Get To School https://digitalarizonanews.com/students-in-chandler-have-a-flexible-free-way-to-get-to-school/ The trial ride share app is available to schedule in select areas of Chandler. To catch a ride, download the Flex app, create an account and go. CHANDLER, Ariz. — The City of Chandler is testing out a new ride share program that helps shuttle students to and from their school and extra-curricular activities. It’s free for all until the end of September.  The trial ride share app is available to schedule in select areas of Chandler. To catch a ride, download the Flex app on a mobile phone, create an account and get on the road. Reginald Price uses Chandler Flex regularly. “My thoughts were hey, that sounds great, I wish I had that in high school because I went to Chandler High School,” Price said.  He’s hooked on this newest way to get around Chandler. “It almost like saves me a few hours every day of waiting on the bus or whether it be just like getting to the bus,” Price said. Download the 12News app for the latest local breaking news straight to your phone. The micro-transit, public transportation, operates like a taxi. It runs from parts of McQueen and the 101, east to west and then a portion of Ray to Chandler Heights, north and south. Some users might have to walk a little ways to catch the Flex. Directions are clearly given when signed up for a ride on the app. This way to hit the road fits this part of town, the city’s Jason Crampton said. “This type of service will be better suited toward that low-density,” Crampton said. “Busses are great to carry larger numbers of people, but where you don’t have that density, you need to be a little more nimble. And so now we can utilize technology to serve a broader area instead of just a fixed corridor.” The City of Chandler created this program after it was given a $2 million grant through the A for Arizona Transportation Modernization Grant Program. The city’s goal is to improve reliable and safe transportation for students, Mayor Kevin Hartke said.  “So this really fills a gap for parents who are wanting to get their kids to and from schools and other residents,” Hartke said. “It really serves a big swath of our community.” All drivers are background checked, the city added.  “They do drug and alcohol testing,” Crampton said. “They go through a training before we bring them on to make sure they’re well equipped to handle difficult situations and handle working with students.” During the two-year pilot program, the city will also test its efficiency. “We hope to learn how this is working within the service area and also monitor requests for service outside this service area,” Crampton said.  The promotional period ends on Sept. 30.  On Oct. 1, single rides are $2, additional riders, seniors and wheelchair accessible riders are also $1. Middle school and high school students ages 13 to 18 will remain free to and from school with a valid student ID. The schools on the list for service are Basis Chandler, Hamilton, Chandler High, Bogle Junior High and Arizona College Prep School. The service runs Monday through Friday, from 6am until 9pm. Anyone without a smart phone can call, 602.932.0291 to schedule a ride.  Today in AZ Did you miss something from Today in AZ? Find some of our favorite moments from the morning show crew in this playlist. Read More Here

MASSAGE ENVY HELPS FUTURE THERAPIST ACHIEVE LIFELONG DREAM https://digitalarizonanews.com/massage-envy-helps-future-therapist-achieve-lifelong-dream/ Brand Also Launches New Scholarship Sweepstakes to Encourage More to Enter the Profession , /PRNewswire/ — Sometimes dreams do come true. For one lucky entrepreneur, the dream of becoming a licensed massage therapist is about to become a reality – thanks in part to the support of Massage Envy. Davina Lockhart, a massage therapy student enrolled at the Cortiva Institute campus in Cromwell, Connecticut, recently received a special grant from Massage Envy live on the September 2 episode of ABC’s Good Morning America (GMA).  “As the industry leader, we wanted to do something big and purposeful to give back to the industry,” said Massage Envy CEO Beth Stiller, “so we recently launched the Massage Envy National Scholarship Sweepstakes for Massage Therapists. The sweepstakes will award eight people a month over the next year a $2,500 scholarship that can be used to attend any massage school of their choice.  But as part of the GMA announcement, we found one person, Davina, whose story is so inspirational that we wanted to do something extra special for her.”   Stiller surprised Davina with a check for $15,000 to enable her to complete her massage school studies this year. This gift was separate from the sweepstakes scholarship, and to make sure all of this was a total surprise to Davina, the GMA team developed a cover story as they filmed Davina in training and used that video for an emotional telling of Davina’s story prior to the check presentation. “I am just so grateful to Massage Envy for this gift,” Davina said. “I am still speechless in so many ways. I’m just out there trying to live and take care of my kids, and to be recognized for that is just amazing.” “Davina’s story is an inspiration, and we wanted to help her realize her dream,” Stiller said. Stiller also presented Davina with a new portable massage table, massage tools and a year’s worth of massage supplies to help her get started on her career. While the path to graduation now looks bright for Davina, it wasn’t always that way. From the time she was young, she always harbored an entrepreneurial spirit. She knew she eventually wanted to serve in the healing arts, but early opportunities eluded her. Born in Meriden, Connecticut, Davina’s parents struggled financially as they sought a better life for Davina and her seven siblings. As a young adult, Davina left Connecticut to settle first in Florida and then North Carolina. Along the way, she raised a family as a single parent – four boys who now range in age from eight to 24 years old, and a girl, now age six. When the health of her aging parents began to fail three years ago, Davina returned to Connecticut. She halted her massage training to take care of them, and then she suffered the anguish of losing her role models with the loss of her mother in 2020 and her father just a few months later. This heartache followed an earlier tragedy: Davina’s brother James was murdered during a robbery. Like the pain of losing her parents, Davina says the pain of losing a younger brother she adored will never go away, but his memory lives on today through her fourth child, whom she named James. Ever the entrepreneur, Davina started her own business 10 years ago, creating body butter and sugar scrubs. “I had some things happen in my life and starting my own business then seemed like the best thing for me,” Davina said. “I wanted to do something I loved, helping people heal by formulating products that were good for them.”  Still, Davina never lost sight of her dream of becoming a massage therapist. “It just seemed like a natural fit. I have always been drawn to massage, but there was no financial aid when I was 18 and 19. Then I started a family. Between that and the rat race of life, massage therapy was just a dream that I had to set aside,” Davina said. That dream – long delayed – is now about to become a reality. After years of being unable to fulfill her aspiration and some heartache along the way, Davina is scheduled to graduate in November. She intends to take her state certification exam and begin 2023 as a Licensed Massage Therapist. She said she wants to get some experience somewhere and then eventually start her own practice. “I want to create a healing spa,” she said. As for others who may be interested in massage therapy as a career, Davina has this advice: “If you’re considering massage as a career, there’s a reason. Just sign up and do it. If you don’t know the reason, it will come to you in class. Massage therapy is very fulfilling and a great way to help people.” While Massage Envy’s gift to Davina was extra special, others can benefit through the Massage Envy National Scholarship Sweepstakes for Massage Therapists. To be eligible for a chance to win $2,500, entrants must be of legal age in their state. Entrants only need to enter once. The first recipients will be drawn in October 2022 and announced in November 2022 with additional recipients announced in the following months. To learn more about the scholarship program or to enter, please go to www.massageenvy.com/scholarship. NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. Open to legal residents of the 50 U.S./D.C. residents, 18+ (residents of AL & NE who must be 19+ or residents of MS who must be 21+) as of date of entry. See Official Rules at massageenvy.com/scholarship for entry periods, odds, prize description, limitations, and complete details. Sweepstakes begins August 22, 2022 and ends August 31, 2023. Sponsor: Massage Envy Franchising, LLC, 14350 N 87th St Ste 200, Scottsdale, AZ 85260. About Massage Envy  Massage Envy, based in Scottsdale, Arizona, is a national franchisor and does not independently own or operate any of the Massage Envy franchised locations nationwide. The Massage Envy franchise network, through its franchise locations, is the leading provider of massage services. Founded in 2002, Massage Envy has approximately 1,100 franchise locations in 49 states that have together delivered more than 190 million massages and facials. For more information, visit www.massageenvy.com, or follow us on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook at @MassageEnvy. SOURCE Massage Envy Read More Here

School Board Elections In Phoenix 2022: Candidates Share Ideas On K-12 Key Issues https://digitalarizonanews.com/school-board-elections-in-phoenix-2022-candidates-share-ideas-on-k-12-key-issues/ Maricopa County has 68 public school districts. This year, 180 people have filed signatures to run for school board positions across Maricopa County. The Arizona Republic sent a survey to all candidates who filed to run in 2022. We committed to publish their answers, to help voters in every school district make an informed choice. What does a school board do? A school board is responsible for setting the mission and policies of a district and makes some of the biggest decisions about how and what children learn. Board members are responsible for allocating public resources, hiring and evaluating the superintendent, setting salaries for employees, approving curriculum materials and adopting the school calendar. Read more here. Where can I find information about candidates in my district? You can find out your school district by signing in to your voter information at BeBallotReady.vote. Click on your school district to reach the information most quickly. Because of the volume of answers, The Republic divided candidates’ answers by region: Phoenix, East Valley and West Valley. This article includes all responses received and will be updated as more candidates submit their answers. Send answers to reporter Renata Cló at rclo@arizonarepublic.com. The deadline is Oct. 12, the day early voting starts.  Alhambra Elementary School District Three people are running for two four-year seats on the Alhambra Elementary School District governing board. Candidates are Matthew Nevarez and incumbents Cathleen O’Neil Frantz and Christian Solorio Acuna.  Manuel Oropeza, an incumbent, will be appointed to a two-year seat.  Solorio Acuna did not respond to The Republic’s attempts to reach him. Nevarez did not submit his answers by the time of publishing.  Introductions Can you introduce yourself please? How long have you lived in Maricopa County, what do you do for a living, and any additional information about yourself you think voters would like to know about you? Cathleen O’Neil Frantz: “My name is Cathleen O’Neil Frantz. I have lived in Maricopa County and the Alhambra school district since 1976. I have been in education since 2002 as a 5th and 6th classroom teacher and for the past 14 years as a Literacy Coach in the Phoenix Public Elementary School District. I have served as a school board member on the Alhambra Elementary School Board for 8 years. I have a Bachelor’s Degree in Elementary Education, with an English as a Second Language Endorsement, from Arizona State University. I earned my Master’s Degree in Curriculum and Instruction with an emphasis in reading from Grand Canyon University. I am an elected member of my Homeowners’ Association, serving as the president since 2009. I have one son and one grandson. I believe all children deserve an education that supports the whole child and that leads them to college and career readiness.”  2020 election results  Do you believe in the 2020 election results? Cathleen O’Neil Frantz: “There was no evidence to prove that the 2020 Presidential election was invalid, so yes, I believe the 2020 election is valid.” Main ideas   Based on the limitations and powers of a school board member, what’s your platform?   Cathleen O’Neil Frantz: “My platform is: “All students should have access to a highly effective teacher that inspires them to reach their full potential towards college and career readiness. “With that in mind, it is imperative that we insure all students are at grade level. “We need to provide STEM and Social/Emotional (SEL) instruction in all grade levels. “We need fully funded districts that attract highly effective staff members.”  What do you believe to be the biggest issue impacting K-12 students in Arizona?  Cathleen O’Neil Frantz: “The biggest issue impacting K-12 students is not being at grade level which is often a result of having family financial hardships. If public schools were fully funded we would be more effective at getting students to grade level.”  Diversity, equity and inclusion issues How will you navigate the challenges regarding national rhetoric spilling into local schools related to critical race theory, social-emotional learning, LGBTQ inclusion, and equity issues?  Cathleen O’Neil Frantz: “Each of these issues are very separate and need to be considered individually. Some of these issues do not apply to K-8 education. It is imperative that our students receive a well-rounded educational experience that is applicable to their maturity level.”  Public education funding How do you think the state should support public education? Do you believe in expanding school vouchers?  Cathleen O’Neil Frantz: “As an elementary school board member and a public school teacher, I believe the state needs to regard public education as a profession that should be as highly sought as any other profession. Those in public education are in front of students each and every day. These students are at the center of our communities and our future. The state needs to increase the educator and support staff wages to reflect these important positions. “The state needs to fund public schools so that public school districts can offer choice public schools within their districts to meet the needs of the wide variety of diverse learners. “I support school vouchers to an extent. Not every school meets the needs of every child. This is why parents should have the opportunity for the choice in their child’s education.”  Professional shortages How do you plan to address teacher, education professionals and school nurse shortages?  Cathleen O’Neil Frantz: “To address staff shortages we need the state to fund the public school system to be highly competitive in the marketplace. Teaming with community resources, like colleges and universities, is one way to help fill some of the gaps from staff shortages, but it does not solve the problem of uncompetitive wages.” Capital projects Several schools in the Valley need long-term repairs and updates. What is your plan to fund renovations?  Cathleen O’Neil Frantz: “As a school board member I have to be fiscally responsible to make sure buildings are maintained, repaired, and updated as needed. The state needs to fully fund public education so that school boards can make these necessary repairs and updates. I will continue to support bond overrides for the district.” Additional information Anything you would like to add?  Cathleen O’Neil Frantz: “I believe it is very important to have public educators on the school board to represent those who are at school sites every day. These are the people with first-hand knowledge and expertise about how schools are operating and their needs.    “Our public school system has helped this country become what it is today by attempting to give every child a chance to achieve their version of the American Dream.”  Cartwright Elementary School District Three people are running for two four-year seats on the Cartwright Elementary School District governing board. Candidates include Daniel Cantu and incumbents Lydia Hernandez and Pedro Lopes. They did not submit their answers by the time of publishing.  Creighton Elementary School District Two people, Katie Gipson Mclean and Sophia Carrillo Dahl, will be appointed to the two four-year open seats on the Creighton Elementary School District governing board.  Gipson Mclean answered the questions.  Introductions Can you introduce yourself please? How long have you lived in Maricopa County, what do you do for a living, and any additional information about yourself you think voters would like to know about you?  Katie Gipson Mclean: “I am running for Creighton Elementary School District Governing Board. I have lived in Maricopa County on and off for a total of 27 years. I am a proud Creighton District alumna and I graduated from Camelback High School in 2005. I am a first-generation college student and graduate with a bachelor’s degree from ASU in Secondary Education Social Studies. I am a former licensed teacher who worked in public high schools in Portland, Oregon for five years before going to law school at Willamette University. I live in East Phoenix with my husband, Reese, and our two sons. I work as a Deputy Public Defender for Maricopa County.” 2020 election results  Do you believe in the 2020 election results? Katie Gipson Mclean: “100% without question.”  Main ideas   Based on the limitations and powers of a school board member, what’s your platform?   Katie Gipson Mclean: “ATTRACT & RETAIN TEACHERS & STAFF “We must adequately pay our teachers and staff. Our district continues to face staffing shortages and is losing teachers and staff at an alarming rate. The same things we employ to attract teachers and staff should be what retains them. We must listen to our teachers and staff and provide them with meaningful and intentional development opportunities. “COMMITMENT TO EQUITY “Creighton is a diverse, Title I, district. There is so much to celebrate within our district however we are not immune to the unique issues our students face. We must work to heal our relationships and develop equitable policies to operate by to ensure all our students and families thrive. “COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT “I believe that schools should be the centers of our communities. Our district serves our community and we should know what’s going on. We need to switch up how we engage families and the community at every step of the way. We have to meet folks where they are at, doing so will only strengthen the education and services we can provide.”  What do you believe to be the biggest issue impacting K-12 students in Arizona?  Katie Gipson Mclean: “Adequate funding of pubic education which I believe should include funds for exte...

Four Takeaways From New Hampshire And Rhode Island Primaries – ABC17NEWS https://digitalarizonanews.com/four-takeaways-from-new-hampshire-and-rhode-island-primaries-abc17news/ By Eric Bradner, Gregory Krieg and Dan Merica, CNN New Hampshire state Senate President Chuck Morse conceded the Republican Senate primary Wednesday morning to Don Bolduc, a retired Army brigadier general and election denier who has embraced former President Donald Trump’s approach to politics — a letdown for the GOP establishment in the race to take on Democratic Sen. Maggie Hassan. Bolduc joins a list of candidates national Republicans worry won’t be able to appeal to the broader November electorate. The race was the final puzzle piece as 2022’s primary calendar wrapped up, with the eight-week sprint to November’s midterm elections now underway. New Hampshire, Rhode Island and Delaware held their primaries Tuesday. The stakes are high, with a Senate split 50-50 on the line and Republican candidates in Arizona, Georgia, Ohio and Pennsylvania also struggling. The GOP hopes that New Hampshire, where Hassan won by around 1,000 votes six years ago, will be added to the list of battleground states in November. Meanwhile, the fields were set for two of New England’s most competitive House races on Tuesday, as well — including one in New Hampshire, where a former Trump White House aide who has also parroted the former President’s lies about election fraud defeated an establishment-backed candidate, further complicating the GOP’s efforts to win control of the House. Here are four takeaways from the final night of 2022’s primary season: Trump-aligned candidate triumphs in New Hampshire Senate primary Morse was backed by establishment Republicans, including moderate Gov. Chris Sununu, and was boosted by a super PAC aligned with Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, which pumped more than $4 million into the race in an attempt to stop Bolduc from winning the primary. Bolduc aligned himself closely with Trump. He said he “concurred with Trump’s assessment” about the 2020 election — that is, Trump’s lie that President Joe Biden’s victory came as a result of widespread fraud. “I signed a letter with 120 other generals and admirals saying Trump won the election, and damn it, I stand by” that letter, Bolduc said in an August primary debate. Bolduc has called Sununu, the Republican governor whom national figures had attempted to recruit into the race, “a Chinese communist sympathizer.” Sununu had repeatedly lambasted Bolduc and penned an op-ed in the New Hampshire Union Leader urging voters to back Morse. Bolduc has also said he would repeal the 17th Amendment to the US Constitution, which requires states to directly elect their senators, and raised the prospect of abolishing the FBI. What was missing from New Hampshire’s GOP primary was Trump. His decision not to endorse a candidate was a departure from the former President’s approach to most Senate primaries this year. In his concession posted on Twitter, Morse noted that it had “been a long night & we’ve come up short.” “I want to thank my supporters for all the blood, sweat & tears they poured into this team effort. I just called and wished all the best to @GenDonBolduc. The focus this fall needs to be on defeating Maggie Hassan,” he wrote. Hassan enters the general election campaign having already raised more than $31 million and launched television ads. Bolduc, meanwhile, had raised only about $600,000 by the end of the most recent fundraising period on August 24. Trump’s style trumps his substance in New Hampshire Mimicking Trump’s brash style and parroting his election denialism again proved more potent in a Republican primary than embracing the policy substance of his tenure in the White House. That’s the lesson from the Republican primary in New Hampshire’s 1st District, where 25-year-old political newcomer Karoline Leavitt, a former Trump aide who more closely mimicked the brand of politics that has defined Trump’s orbit of political acolytes, defeated Matt Mowers, another former Trump administration official but one who was more cautious on issues like the lie that the 2020 election was stolen from the former President. Mowers fully embraced aspects of Trump’s tenure. His website was full of positions that defined the former President, and Mowers touted the fact that Trump endorsed him in his failed attempt to win the seat in 2020. Rhetorically and stylistically, however, the two were dramatically different. Where Mowers had “confidence in New Hampshire elections,” Leavitt said she believed “the 2020 election was undoubtedly stolen from President Trump.” Where Mowers suggested hearings to determine whether Biden should be impeached, Leavitt unequivocally said the President should be impeached. And where Mowers said he “supports science” when asked about the newly rolled out coronavirus vaccine, Leavitt said it was “none of your business.” Mowers’ restraint effectively opened the door for someone like Leavitt to win over Republican primary voters in New Hampshire, many of them who still support the former President. As polls showed Leavitt rising in the closing days, outside groups like the House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy-aligned Congressional Leadership Fund and Defending Main Street spent millions on ads looking to help Mowers beat back the challenge from the right. But the money was largely for naught — and now Republicans are saddled with a more complicated nominee in a race against Rep. Chris Pappas, one of the most vulnerable Democrats in the country. Leavitt is one of the first Gen Z candidates to ever win a primary. Meanwhile, Republicans will nominate a Trump-aligned candidate in the 2nd District to take on Democratic Rep. Ann McLane Kuster, CNN projects. Former Hillsborough County Treasurer Robert Burns will defeat Keene Mayor George Hansel in the GOP primary. Kuster was unopposed in her primary. Rhode Island picks candidates in competitive House race The field is set for what’s expected to be one of New England’s most competitive congressional races this fall, after Rhode Island state treasurer Seth Magaziner won the 2nd District’s Democratic primary, CNN projected. He is now set to face Republican Allan Fung, the Cranston mayor, in the district where long-time Rep. Jim Langevin is retiring. Langevin, a Democrat, has won his races without serious competition since 2001, and President Joe Biden won there by 14 percentage points in 2020. But Republicans believe the seat is winnable. Fung was the Republican candidate for governor in 2014 and 2018, losing twice to former Gov. Gina Raimondo but performing well in the district, which covers the western half of the state. Magaziner defeated Sarah Morgenthau, who was the director of the Peace Corps Response under former President Barack Obama; David Segal, who once served in the state legislature and ran a failed congressional race in 2010; and Joy Fox, who worked as communications director for Langevin and Raimondo. McKee hangs on in Rhode Island One of the least popular governors in the country, Rhode Island’s Dan McKee faced four primary challengers as he seeks his first full, elected term in office. But McKee, who took over as governor last year when Raimondo left the job to join the Biden administration, is no stranger to tough primaries — he almost lost his bid for renomination as lieutenant governor in 2018. In the end, though, despite being weighed down by a federal investigation into the controversial awarding of a state contract to a firm with ties to an old ally — an episode in which McKee has denied any wrongdoing — he emerged from the packed field, likely benefiting from a split among the anti-incumbent vote. Both of his closest rivals, former CVS executive Helena Foulkes and Secretary of State Nellie Gorbea, ran as reformers with pledges to clean up government. Foulkes, who promised not to run for reelection if she didn’t revitalize Rhode Island schools, was endorsed by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. The race was a bust for progressive favorite Matt Brown, the Bernie Sanders-endorsed former secretary of state, who trailed the leaders four years after losing a primary challenge to Raimondo. This story has been updated with additional developments. The-CNN-Wire & © 2022 Cable News Network, Inc., a Warner Bros. Discovery Company. All rights reserved. Read More Here

In NH Primary, Republicans Lean Toward Trumpist Candidates https://digitalarizonanews.com/in-nh-primary-republicans-lean-toward-trumpist-candidates/ The 2022 primaries concluded Tuesday on a familiar note — with voters in Republican races choosing between far-right, election-denying candidates and more moderate rivals, and party leaders divided in contests factoring into the battle for control of Congress. The result in New Hampshire’s 1st Congressional District was a blow to House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.). There, Karoline Leavitt, an ex-member of the Trump White House press team who ran as an “America First” insurgent running against the Washington establishment, defeated Matt Mowers, a former Trump aide backed by McCarthy, according to the Associated Press. Leavitt, who has emphasized her false claim that the 2020 presidential election was rigged, will face Rep. Chris Pappas (D) in a race seen as a key battlefront in the fight for control of the House. Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-N.Y.), the House Republican Conference chair, supported Leavitt, her former staffer. At 25, Leavitt would be the youngest woman ever elected to Congress if she wins in the fall. New Hampshire was one of three states where voters went to the polls on Tuesday, marking the end of this year’s nominating process, along with Rhode Island and Delaware. The primaries allowed voters a final chance to choose party standard-bearers after months of fierce intraparty battles that highlighted divisions on both sides over policy, personality and ideology, among other things. The races in the Granite State captured the interest of national strategists in both parties, given how they could shape the fight for control of both chambers of Congress in November. The Republican primary for U.S. Senate pit retired U.S. Army brigadier general Don Bolduc against state Senate President Chuck Morse. With 85 percent of the vote tallied Wednesday morning, Bolduc led Morse by one point. The primary was too early to call, according to the Associated Press. Another closely-watched Republican House primary was also too early to call. From his campaign Twitter account, Morse wrote early Wednesday, “It’s been a long night & we’ve come up short. I want to thank my supporters for all the blood, sweat & tears they poured into this team effort.” He added that he called Bolduc and wished him “all the best.” Bolduc has echoed Donald Trump’s false claims that the former president won the 2020 election. He has voiced openness to abolishing the FBI, accused party leaders of “rigging” a 2020 primary that he narrowly lost and has been highly critical of Republican Gov. Chris Sununu. Morse won the backing of Sununu, a relative moderate in the party who rejected efforts by Senate GOP leaders to recruit him to run against Sen. Maggie Hassan (D-N.H.). A group with ties to Senate Republican leaders has run ads on Morse’s behalf, and Morse has defended the validity of the 2020 election in New Hampshire, even as he did not oppose GOP challenges to results in a pair of other states. Through mid-August, Republican candidates who claimed inaccurately that the 2020 election results were fraudulent had prevailed in more than half of the races they have run in this year, according to a Washington Post analysis of hundreds of federal and state primaries. That record reflects in part the continued influence in the GOP of Trump, who continues to falsely assert in public comments that the election was stolen from him. Trump did not make an endorsement in the New Hampshire Senate primary or in either of the state’s House primaries, a noticeable absence after weighing in on scores of other intraparty contests this year. Hassan easily won renomination Tuesday, according to the AP. In the governor’s race, Sununu won renomination and will face Democrat Tom Sherman in November. Sununu begins as a heavy favorite in the gubernatorial race. Sununu, whose family is an institution in New Hampshire politics, has called Bolduc a “conspiracy theorist.” Still, at a weekend stop at a seafood festival here, he said that he would support Bolduc or any other Republican who won the nomination. On Monday, Sununu predicted a close GOP race, but he said he believed Morse would win. For a time, national Republicans viewed the path to winning back control of the Senate as potentially running heavily through New Hampshire. When Sununu opted instead to seek reelection, local and national Republicans coalesced around Morse as the strongest alternative to Bolduc — who has embraced the fight against the party establishment. “It’s just noise. I’ve combated that for two years,” said Bolduc in an interview after a Saturday town hall in Laconia. National Democrats had signaled a belief that Hassan would have an easier time holding her seat in November against Bolduc, and they spent millions attacking Morse in recent weeks — a strategy of interference they have employed in GOP primaries around the country. While New Hampshire has leaned Democratic in the past few presidential elections, Republicans believed it was within reach in a midterm year that looked dire for Democrats. While Democrats are at risk of losing the Senate, public polling indicates they are faring better than expected in many of the tightest races in the country. The Democratic incumbents in the state’s two U.S. House seats are also facing challenging reelections in November, according to nonpartisan analysts, heightening the stakes of the Republican primaries in both contests. The 1st Congressional District primary was a heated competition that exposed some differences between the candidates. When it came to the 2020 election, Mowers had said there were “irregularities” in the count, but he had stopped short of Leavitt’s false claim about the vote. “The establishment is so afraid that I’m going to beat their handpicked puppet on Tuesday,” Leavitt told supporters at a Thursday night rally with Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Tex.). “And you know what? I wear those attacks as a badge of honor, because they know that I am the greatest threat for beating their handpicked puppet.” Also on the ballot was Gail Huff Brown, a former TV news anchor and the wife of Scott Brown, a former Republican senator from Massachusetts. Her TV ads emphasize her support for “choice” and New Hampshire’s new law on abortion that left the procedure legal in the state, but added some restrictions. A similar dynamic played out in the 2nd Congressional District, where Keene Mayor George Hansel (R), who favors abortion rights and was also endorsed by Sununu, faced Robert Burns, a former Hillsborough County treasurer who ran to his right and opposes abortion rights. As in the Senate race, Democrats spent money highlighting Burns, who they see as easier to defeat in the fall than Hansel. Democratic Rep. Ann Kuster is the incumbent seeking reelection. While Burns has acknowledged that Biden won in 2020, he has claimed that “a ton” of other unspecified elections were “stolen” in 2020. Hansel has recognized Biden’s win. With about 74 percent of the vote tallied Wednesday morning, Burns led Hansel by just under two points, and the AP had not declared a winner. A political organization that did not disclose its donors backed Hansel, but Burns told Politico that he blamed the ad spending on McCarthy, calling him “dead to me.” In Rhode Island on Tuesday, Democrats navigated some high-stakes contested primaries of their own, including one for governor. Gov. Dan McKee (D), who replaced Gina Raimondo after she was appointed to Biden’s Cabinet to lead the Commerce Department, defeated business executive Helena Foulkes in a competitive race. McKee had been dogged by a scandal over a $5 million contract awarded to a political adviser’s consulting firm, which became the subject of an FBI probe. Foulkes received a late assist from House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), who came to the state to campaign for her Sunday. “If I didn’t think that she could win this, I would have never encouraged her to put herself in the arena,” Pelosi told voters in Providence. “She is about getting the job done.” An open seat in Rhode Island’s 2nd Congressional District to replace retiring Democratic Rep. Jim Langevin is seen as one of Republicans’ most promising chances to flip a seat in their endeavor to win back the House majority. There, state Treasurer Seth Magaziner was the winner of the Democratic primary, according to the Associated Press, prevailing over former state congressman David Segal, who ran on a more liberal platform, and former Commerce Department lawyer Sarah Morgenthau. Republican Allan Fung, who carried the district in two failed runs for governor, won his party’s nomination in an uncontested primary. President Biden carried the district by 14 points in 2020, giving Democrats hope of retaining the seat in November. Matt Brown, who finished well behind in the Democratic gubernatorial primary, and running mate Cynthia Mendes, a state senator, got a late endorsement from Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), who did not campaign in the state. Both Democrats were part of the Rhode Island Political Cooperative, a liberal project to replace the state’s more conservative leadership and pass an agenda that includes a $19 minimum wage and universal health care. In Delaware, Democratic State Auditor Kathy McGuiness lost in the primary to challenger Lydia York in the first race since McGuiness was convicted on corruption charges. York, who was endorsed by local Democrats, would be the second Black woman to hold statewide office in Delaware, after Rep. Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-Del.). Biden returned home to vote Tuesday, but he did not tell reporters whom he cast his ballot for in the primaries. Weigel reported from New Hampshire. gop-primaries Read More Here

MAGA’s New Hampshire Sweep https://digitalarizonanews.com/magas-new-hampshire-sweep/ MAGA-aligned candidates appeared to sweep the Republican congressional primaries in New Hampshire last night, defeating better-financed candidates backed by Gov. Chris Sununu and House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy. Why it matters: The GOP’s path to win back a Senate majority has narrowed, with Sen. Maggie Hassan (D-N.H.) better positioned to win re-election. The big picture: All three of the GOP congressional candidates seen as more electable went down to defeat. Details: The biggest defeat for the GOP establishment came in the Senate primary, where state Senate President Chuck Morse conceded to right-wing retired Gen. Don Bolduc — who faced over $4.6 million in super PAC spending on Morse’s behalf from a Mitch McConnell-aligned group. The AP has yet to call the race. Bolduc didn’t spend any money on TV ads, instead relying on a grassroots army of fed-up conservatives. In the state’s 1st District, 25-year-old Karoline Leavitt, a former Trump and Elise Stefanik staffer, defeated McCarthy-endorsed Matt Mowers. She’ll be facing Rep. Chris Pappas (D-N.H.) in a major House battleground. “The media, the Washington establishment and the Democrats counted us out. They said I was too young, we couldn’t raise the money to compete and we could never beat a former Republican nominee,” Leavitt said in declaring victory. In the state’s 2nd District, Keene Mayor George Hansel, an abortion-rights supporter, conceded to conservative activist Bob Burns. Republican strategists viewed Hansel’s moderate mayoral record as critical to prospects to defeat Rep. Annie Kuster (D-N.H.). AP has yet to call the race. What we’re watching: The Cook Political Report with Amy Walter said it would be moving Kuster’s race from a toss-up to “lean Democrat” and kept the “lean Democrat” rating for the Senate race. The McConnell-aligned Senate Leadership Fund committed to spend $23 million against Hassan in the general election, but with Bolduc as the nominee, that’s an open question. Between the lines: Democratic super PACs also intervened in two of these three Republican primaries, attacking Morse in the Senate race and boosting Burns. Their money likely made a difference in hurting the GOP’s prospects, given the narrow margins in both contests. The bottom line: Former President Donald Trump didn’t endorse in any of these races. That shows that even without Trump’s involvement, the energy within the Republican Party is squarely against the establishment. Outside Republican money for more-mainstream candidates didn’t make a difference. Read More Here

Primary Fallout: Democrats Have Momentum; Donald Trump Republicans Face Obstacles https://digitalarizonanews.com/primary-fallout-democrats-have-momentum-donald-trump-republicans-face-obstacles/ GOP momentum to win back the Senate has slowed because of rookie Republican candidates backed by the polarizing ex-president and the emergence of abortion rights helping Democrats rev up their base. Democrats had a decent primary season, and are in better shape than expected for the fall elections After a series of primaries, many analysts now favor Democrats to keep control of the U.S. Senate Republicans are still expected to regain control of the U.S. House after the November elections Democrats have at least two issues working for them: Abortion and Donald Trump WASHINGTON – Primary season is over, and six months of intra–party political battles revealed one basic thing: The Democrats are in better shape for the November elections than previously thought. The Republicans remain favored to regain control of the U.S. House, according to polls and political analysts, but Democrats are now in position to win a good number of big-state governors’ races and expand their slim-as-possible advantage in the U.S. Senate. There are at least two reasons why, political analysts said: Rookie Republican candidates who are backed by the ever-contentious Donald Trump and the emergence of abortion rights as a major campaign issue revving up Democratic voters. It has been a “poor national environment for Democrats, but candidate quality matters,” said Gunner Ramer, political director with the Republican Accountability Project, an anti-Trump political organization. In addition, the Supreme Court decision against abortion rights “changed the dynamic of the mid-terms” and made it a “choice election.” “The Democratic prospects look a lot better than expected,” Ramer said. The Senate scene:Control of the Senate is now a coin flip: These are the 7 midterm election races to watch In the House:Will Republicans flip the House in midterm elections? These 12 races will tell the story. Jessica Taylor, the Senate and Governors Editor of the non-partisan Cook Political Report, said Trump’s injection of himself into the campaign makes it less of a referendum on Democratic President Joe Biden, probably to the detriment of Republican candidates. “It really does feel like Republicans are trying snatch defeat from the jaws of victory,” she said. Republicans remain confident, banking on the history that says the party out of power tends to do well in mid-term elections. After a set of primaries dominated by the specter of Trump, Republicans noted that voters remain worried about inflation and the economy in general, and that President Joe Biden’s approval rating is in the low 40s. “I’m very optimistic about this fall,” said Sen. Rick Scott, R-Fla., who chairs the Republican Senatorial Campaign Committee, speaking to radio talk show host Hugh Hewitt. “Great candidates; Biden’s numbers are horrible.” The Trump Republicans Tuesday’s contest in New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Delaware ended a primary season that began in Texas on March 1. For Republicans, the primaries saw an unprecedented level of involvement by an ex-president, one who had lost his own re-election bid just two years before. One result: Trump-backed candidates won Republican nominations for the U.S. Senate in state races that will decide which party will control the chamber next year. Senate candidates making their first political race – Herschel Walker in Georgia, Mehmet Oz in Pennsylvania, J.D. Vance in Ohio, and Blake Masters in Arizona – have made their share of rookie mistakes and face tough contests against well-known Democrats. The Democratic Senate candidates include incumbent officer holders who breezed to primary victories: Sen. Raphael Warnock in Georgia, Sen. Mark Kelly in Arizona, U.S. Rep. Tim Ryan in Ohio, and Lt. Gov. John Fetterman in Pennsylvania. New Hampshire The last night of primaries on Tuesday produced more evidence of Trump’s impact on the Senate races, thanks to a primary in New Hampshire. Don Bolduc, a retired Army general who believes Trump’s false claims about the 2020 election, won the Republican nomination for the U.S. Senate, defeating a more establishment GOP candidate, Chuck Morse who had the firm backing of popular GOP Gov. Chris Sununu. Morse conceded the close race early Wednesday morning. Many Republicans said Bolduc, who has a history of far-right statements, will have a more difficult time defeating incumbent Sen. Maggie Hassan, D-N.H., making it that much harder for the GOP to reclaim control of the Senate. Hassan and the Democrats have already made an issue of Bolduc’s views. Amanda Sherman-Baity, a spokesperson for the, Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, said that “Republicans tried everything they could to stop Bolduc in this primary because even they know his dangerous conspiracy theories are totally out-of-step with the voters.” Scott, the head of the Republican committee, hailed Bolduc’s win by saying that he “earned the right to take on one of the most vulnerable members of the U.S. Senate, Maggie Hassan.” Any of these close state contests could decide the majority. The Senate is currently divided 50-50 between the two parties. Democrats have control because of the tie-breaking vote of Vice President Kamala Harris. As the primaries wrapped up early Wednesday morning, the FiveThirtyEight website, which analyzes polling data, gives Democrats a 71 out of 100 chance to keep control of the Senate. Trump under scrutiny  Less than two months before Election Day, Trump-style candidates also face tough sledding in a string of governors’ races. They include Doug Mastriano in Pennsylvania, Kari Lake in Arizona, Tudor Dixon in Michigan, and Tim Michels in Wisconsin. Races for statehouses:Abortion, voting and COVID-19: Why we’re eyeing these 10 governor’s races in 2022 midterms Election denial:Voter ‘subversion’: Trump Republicans push laws to make it easier to change elections, per report Trump candidates also did well in many House primaries, and many are favored to win general elections in safe Republican districts. The ex-president also used the primaries to try and knock off Republicans who had opposed him, and he was successful – to a degree. Trump-backed candidates knocked off four House Republicans who voted to impeach him over the attempted insurrection of Jan. 6, 2021, an attack that followed Trump’s efforts to overturn his election loss to Biden. That group included Rep. Liz Cheney, R-Wyo., once a rising star in the party, who lost her position in House GOP leadership because of her relentless criticism of Trump. A few Trump targets prevailed in primaries anyway, including incumbent Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp. Trump candidates and voters In polls and focus groups, voters describe some of these Trump-like candidates as too extreme on too many issues, including the former president’s false claims of widespread voter fraud in his 2020 election loss to Biden. Republican “election deniers” won primaries up and down the ballot this year, including races for state offices that have control of future elections. Political analysts said Republican chances with independent voters are not helped by the fact that Trump is under criminal investigation on at least three fronts. Grand juries in Washington, D.C., and Atlanta are looking into Trump’s hoarding of classified documents after leaving office, efforts to overturn his election loss to Biden, and actions related to the Jan. 6 insurrection. The Washington investigation:Justice Department subpoenas dozens of Trump aides in apparent escalation of investigation, according to reports The Atlanta probe:Giuliani appeared for 6 hours before Georgia grand jury; Trump attorney is target in inquiry: recap “It’s certainly not as good an environment as Republicans had hoped to have a couple of months ago,” said Jack Pitney, professor of government at Claremont McKenna College in California. Another primary issue: Abortion   The primary season also spawned a major issue provided by the Supreme Court: Abortion. On June 24, a majority of the court struck down Roe vs. Wade, the 1973 ruling that had made abortion a constitutional right. Giving states the right to severely restrict or outright ban abortions, the ruling energized Democratic voters, particularly young women, in legislative and congressional races across the country. The salience of the abortion issue came into stark relief during an August referendum in Kansas. Although it is a Republican-leaning state, voters in Kansas soundly rejected a proposal that would have allowed the legislature to restrict or even ban abortions. Abortion opponents who have long sought to end Roe vs, Wade said their voters are fired up at the prospect of legislation ending the practice. The choice campaign:Channeling abortion outrage, Democratic women push for upsets in Senate elections Abortion ban:Lindsey Graham’s attempt at a national abortion ban could help GOP in midterms. What we know about the bill As the primaries wrapped up Tuesday, Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., proposed a federal ban on abortions after 15 weeks of pregnancy, saying it is designed to counter Democratic plans to “basically allow abortion up to the moment of birth.” Gary Peters, chairman of the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, said the “Republicans’ national abortion ban will be on the ballot, in every Senate race.” Republican hopes While Democrats had a good primary year, many Republicans remain confident about the November elections. Turnout machines are cranking up and Republican candidates are starting to advertise more, they said. Voters remain worried about inflation and the economy, and frustrated with Biden. “The fundamentals of the election are still firmly leaning Republican,” said Calvin Moore, communications director for...

Letter: Can America’s First King (Trump) Be Stopped? https://digitalarizonanews.com/letter-can-americas-first-king-trump-be-stopped/ Democracy, democracy, democracy. All this talk of saving democracy — as if it actually survived! If truth be told, our democratic republic was lost. It was lost in 2016 when a smooth-talking real estate magnate was elected president of the United States. Subsequent events tend to recall Louis-Napoleon Bonaparte III, the elected president of France in 1848, who reconstructed his power as emperor in 1851, retaining this authority until 1870. Like Napoleon III, of Second Empire fame, our new president had designs on rule beyond a single, elected term. American democracy ended stunningly abruptly with the enthused anointment of America’s first king, Donald J. Trump — potentate, extraordinaire. Some, though not all, of the people sought rule by one man, because he claimed, “I alone can fix it (… because nobody knows the system better than me).” This writer sees America’s First Republic as the period from 1789 to 2016. In retrospect, was this not a remarkably stable period, until upended by the tendencies of a petty king — one who denies the results of an election loss and seeks restoration of his reign two years after being dethroned? The American republic was restored by the Biden presidency in what can be construed in this context as the Second American Republic. There is an incessant claim, however, by No. 45th and his multitude of oath-ed followers, that kings cannot be replaced. Once a king, always a king; it is a divine right. It should not take a doctorate from Harvard or Yale to recognize to dissolution of the democratic republic of America with the election of President Trump. It was “off with their heads,” from day one. Any contender for shared power was sliced and diced in the public square of Twitter — which is precisely what kings do. Why? Because they can. There is no one to stop them. As monarchs, kings have no need for a Department of Justice, standing before the people within the realm as both judge and jury. Kings, as rulers, are arbitrary, self-righteous and self-serving. Representatives and elected officials are reduced to fawning subjects, jostling for position among themselves in an attempt to stay as close to the king’s ring as possible. Beheadings be damned! Would-be kingmakers are working assiduously to bring about an end to America’s Second Republic. Mitch McConnell, Peter Thiel and other masterminds are maneuvering to remove a democratically elected president from office in 2024. We, as citizens, await the nation’s choice between governance by what many see as an emotionally charged, one-man circus — or affirmation that a democratic republic can be sustainable. Will we choose the imperfect but workable rule of law? Or the whimsical chaos we came to know during four years of rule by one man, throatily and violently supported by so many? Departure from the give-and-take of democratic governance was striking; no Republicans offered up any support for any proposal by any Democrat. Democrats are spoken of as the enemy. Would that be because today’s Democrats tend not to believe in kings? Good luck, America. It’s our choice. Let’s hope we make the right one. Sallie Marsico is a Norwalk resident. Read More Here

DOJ Issues 40 Subpoenas In Jan. 6 Probe: Report https://digitalarizonanews.com/doj-issues-40-subpoenas-in-jan-6-probe-report/ The Justice Department has issued roughly 40 subpoenas in the past week in connection with its investigation into efforts to overturn the 2020 election by former President Trump and his allies, The New York Times reported Monday. An attorney for Bernard Kerik, the former New York Police commissioner who emerged as a vocal Trump supporter and claimed there was widespread fraud in the 2020 election, confirmed Kerik was one of the individuals to receive a subpoena. Attorney Timothy Parlatore said the subpoena was served early last week when a team of FBI agents arrived at Kerik’s home. Parlatore would not share the subpoena, but described it as broad. “Basically, give us anything and everything related to anybody that is tangentially related to the Trump campaign including a long, long laundry list,” he said. The New York Times reported that Boris Ephsteyn, who served as an adviser to the 2020 Trump campaign and helped with challenges to the election results, had his phone seized as evidence, as did Mike Roman, who was part of a plan to submit alternative electors to then-Vice President Mike Pence on Jan. 6, 2021. Dan Scavino, a top White House aide throughout Trump’s four years in office, was also subpoenaed, the Times reported. The Justice Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Stanley Woodward, an attorney for Scavino, declined to comment The Times reported that the subpoenas seek information related to a plan concocted by Trump associates to submit slates of alternative electors from states like Georgia, Pennsylvania and Arizona, which President Biden narrowly won in 2020. The goal was to submit names of electors who would cast their support for Trump instead of Biden, potentially upending the result. Congress ultimately certified Biden as the winner on Jan. 6, 2021, after a mob of Trump supporters stormed the Capitol complex in a bid to derail the proceedings. The progress in the Justice Department’s investigation into the events surrounding Jan. 6 and the 2020 election come as the agency is also investigating Trump’s handling of classified materials after leaving office. The FBI last month searched Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida after it for months tried to secure sensitive documents the former president had taken with him after leaving office. The House committee investigating the Jan. 6 riots is also expected to resume its work following the summer recess. It has previously held several public hearings highlighting Trump’s false claims of election fraud, efforts to pressure Pence to overturn the election, and the violence that unfolded on Jan. 6. Rebecca Beitsch contributed. Read More Here

Ryman Hospitality Properties, Inc. To Present At Deutsche Bank’s 30th Annual Leveraged Finance Conference – Wednesday, September 21, 2022, At 10 A.m. MT https://digitalarizonanews.com/ryman-hospitality-properties-inc-to-present-at-deutsche-banks-30th-annual-leveraged-finance-conference-wednesday-september-21-2022-at-10-a-m-mt/ September 14, 2022 08:30 ET | Source: Ryman Hospitality Properties, Inc. NASHVILLE, Tenn., Sept. 14, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Ryman Hospitality Properties, Inc. (NYSE:RHP), a lodging real estate investment trust (“REIT”) specializing in group-oriented, destination hotel assets in urban and resort markets, today announced that it will present to investors attending the Deutsche Bank 2022 Leveraged Finance Conference being held in Scottsdale, AZ, on Wednesday, September 21, at 10 a.m. MT.  Mark Fioravanti, president, will participate in a fireside chat. Additionally, Fioravanti, Jennifer Hutcheson, chief financial officer, and Ray Keeler, vice president, finance and strategic planning, will participate in group and one-on-one meetings with attendees of the conference. The presentation will be webcast and can be accessed on Ryman Hospitality Properties’ website at http://rymanhp.com. To listen to the webcast, please visit the investor relations section of the website at least 15 minutes prior to the beginning of the scheduled presentation to register, download and install necessary multimedia streaming software. For those who cannot listen to the live broadcast, a replay will be available after the presentation and will run for 180 days. About Ryman Hospitality Properties, Inc. Ryman Hospitality Properties, Inc. (NYSE: RHP) is a leading lodging and hospitality real estate investment trust that specializes in upscale convention center resorts and country music entertainment experiences. RHP’s core holdings, Gaylord Opryland Resort & Convention Center; Gaylord Palms Resort & Convention Center; Gaylord Texan Resort & Convention Center; Gaylord National Resort & Convention Center; and Gaylord Rockies Resort & Convention Center, are five of the top ten largest non-gaming convention center hotels in the United States based on total indoor meeting space. These convention center resorts operating under the Gaylord Hotels brand, along with two adjacent ancillary hotels, are managed by Marriott International and represent a combined total of 10,412 rooms and more than 2.8 million square feet of total indoor and outdoor meeting space in top convention and leisure destinations across the country. RHP also owns a 70% controlling ownership interest in Opry Entertainment Group (OEG), which is composed of entities owning a growing collection of iconic and emerging country music brands, including the Grand Ole Opry; Ryman Auditorium, WSM 650 AM; Ole Red and Circle, a country lifestyle media network RHP owns in a joint venture with Gray Television, Nashville-area attractions managed by Marriott, and Block 21, a mixed-use entertainment, lodging, office and retail complex, including the W Austin Hotel and the ACL Live at Moody Theater, located in downtown Austin, Texas. RHP operates OEG as part of a taxable REIT subsidiary. Visit RymanHP.com for more information. Investor Relations Contacts: Media Contacts: Mark Fioravanti, President Shannon Sullivan, Vice President Corporate and Brand Communications Ryman Hospitality Properties, Inc. Ryman Hospitality Properties, Inc. (615) 316-6588 (615) 316-6725 mfioravanti@rymanhp.com ssullivan@rymanhp.com ~or~ ~or~ Jennifer Hutcheson, Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer Robert Winters Ryman Hospitality Properties, Inc. Alpha IR Group (615) 316-6320 (929) 266-6315 jhutcheson@rymanhp.com robert.winters@alpha-ir.com ~or~   Todd Siefert, Senior Vice President Corporate Finance and Treasurer   Ryman Hospitality Properties, Inc.   615-316-6344   tsiefert@rymanhp.com   Read More Here

Economy, Abortion Shape Pennsylvania Midterm Races — CBS News Battleground Tracker https://digitalarizonanews.com/economy-abortion-shape-pennsylvania-midterm-races-cbs-news-battleground-tracker/ Pennsylvania Lt. Gov. John Fetterman leads Mehmet Oz by five points among Pennsylvania’s likely voters, in a Senate race that seems still fluid, with Republicans less enamored by the candidates they nominated, and Democrats fighting economic headwinds. It’s a race in which voters are thinking about the national implications, even as it is the candidates’ personal qualities that have come to the fore. An authenticity gap Most voters describe Fetterman as saying what he really believes, more so than they describe Oz doing so. A big majority describe Oz as just saying what he thinks voters want to hear. Couple that with the critiques of Oz’s Pennsylvania residency and its implications: two-thirds don’t think he’s lived in the state long enough to understand its issues. Oz trails Fetterman on having “the right experience,” as well as on personal favorability ratings. In fact, most Oz supporters say they are backing him mainly to oppose Fetterman, and not because they like Oz. And despite the fact that Oz has only recently forayed into politics, it’s Fetterman who is seen more as “representing change.” Meanwhile, the Oz campaign’s efforts to raise health questions about Fetterman do not seem as effective by comparison: most voters do think Fetterman is well enough to serve. (Even nearly four in 10 Republicans say he is.) The primary process: Any buyer’s remorse for the GOP? Democrats express more satisfaction about nominating Fetterman than Republicans do about nominating Oz. (That’s also true for the candidates in the governor’s race.) It is non-MAGA Republicans (those who don’t consider themselves part of the movement) who are more disappointed about Oz as their nominee than MAGA Republicans. These same non-MAGA Republicans don’t see their Senate vote as being about former President Donald Trump to the same extent that MAGA Republicans do. So, perhaps Trump’s endorsement of Oz doesn’t carry as much weight. And indeed, non-MAGA Republicans are not quite as supportive of Oz as their MAGA counterparts. Fetterman’s backers are more enthusiastic about him than Oz’s supporters are about Oz. Issues in focus: The economy  The economy and inflation remain atop the overall issues list, and that helps Oz — like Republicans nationwide, he does better with voters who rank these highly. That’s partly because they’re the party out of power, and because Republicans prioritize the economy more. Eight in 10 Pennsylvania voters say higher prices have been difficult or a hardship for them. Lower-income Pennsylvanians are especially hard-hit. In fact, among independents, Oz’s showing is a little better among those who describe price increases as difficulty or hardship. Abortion The abortion issue is helping Fetterman. For his Democratic base, abortion is more important than the economy. Fetterman leads among all who say it’s very important, both men and women. Most Democrats say the overturning of Roe v. Wade has made them more likely to vote this year. (The matter makes no difference to most Republicans.) A national election in a state So much for “all politics is local.” By three to one, Pennsylvanians tell us that national issues and the direction of the country are more important to them than local issues when it comes to the Senate election. Fitting, perhaps, as all eyes of the nation are on the state. So, national figures play a big role – including Trump Pennsylvania Democrats say their vote for Senate is as much to oppose Trump as it is to support President Biden. Most Pennsylvania Republicans are motivated to oppose Mr. Biden. But a sizable four in 10 Republicans say their Senate vote is also to support Trump. Beyond Republicans, though, Trump nets out as a negative race-wide: for all voters for whom Trump is a factor — either through support or opposition — they are on balance picking Fetterman over Oz. Democracy and…not as much desire for election denialism  Mr. Biden won Pennsylvania in 2020. A stance taken by some Republicans in their 2022 primaries, that Mr. Biden did not legitimately win the presidency, is not a stance most voters want their elected officials to embrace.  Only a third of the state’s Republicans — and just under a fifth of its voters — want elected officials in the state to claim Mr. Biden did not win the 2020 election. An eight-in-10, bipartisan majority of voters would like to see the next secretary of state — who would be appointed by the governor — make election rules that are neutral toward both parties, and not favor either one. All that may signal that even for Republicans, now past the primaries, those stances aren’t the same litmus tests.  Debating the debate Yes, a debate is at least somewhat important to voters, though not very important to most. Given the stances from the campaigns, it may be no surprise that Republicans think it’s more important than Democrats do. For the Republicans who tend to think Fetterman is not in good enough health, a debate has — perhaps strategically — taken on added importance. Governor’s race Of the four major-party candidates running for Senate and governor, Democrat Josh Shapiro has the highest personally favorable ratings of all. That, combined with strong support from women, has him up 11 points on Republican Doug Mastriano. Shapiro has a wide lead among voters who say abortion should be legal in Pennsylvania — which is most voters. That includes support from about a third of Republicans who feel it should be legal. Meanwhile, more than eight in 10 voters believe Mastriano would restrict access in Pennsylvania. Plus there may be some “buyer’s remorse” lingering from the primaries about Mastriano from Republicans, as four in 10 wish their party had nominated a different candidate. So what is local, then? Plenty, still. Crime, gun violence, and drug and opioid addiction are all seen by most as problems in their area of Pennsylvania. Republicans add in that illegal immigration is a problem in their area; this is the case for Republicans across the state. Democrats especially feel that racism, access to healthcare, and school conditions are problems in their areas. Majorities of both Republicans and Democrats cite housing costs as a problem. This CBS News/YouGov Battleground Tracker survey was conducted with a statewide representative sample of 1,194 registered voters in Pennsylvania interviewed between September 6-12, 2022. The sample was weighted according to gender, age, race, education and geographic region based on the U.S. Census Current Population Survey, as well as to 2020 presidential vote. The margin of error is ±3.8 points.  Toplines In: Pennsylvania United States Congress United States Senate Mehmet Oz Opinion Poll Doug Mastriano Abortion John Fetterman Read More Here

God Does Not Back War, Pope Says In Apparent Criticism Of Russian Patriarch https://digitalarizonanews.com/god-does-not-back-war-pope-says-in-apparent-criticism-of-russian-patriarch/ Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com NUR-SULTAN, Sept 14 (Reuters) – Pope Francis said on Wednesday that God does not guide religions towards war, an implicit criticism of Russian Orthodox Patriarch Kirill, who backs the invasion of Ukraine and has boycotted a conference of faith leaders. On his second day in Kazakhstan, Francis addressed the Seventh Congress of Leaders of World and Traditional Religions, a meeting that brings together Christians, Jews, Muslims, Buddhists, Hindus and other faiths. Kirill was to have attended, but pulled out. read more Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com The Russian Orthodox Church (ROC) sent a delegation headed by its number two, Metropolitan Anthony, who later briefly met the pope. “God is peace. He guides us always in the way of peace, never that of war,” Francis said, speaking at a huge round table in the Independence Palace, a massive modern structure made of steel and glass in the capital of the former Soviet republic. “Let us commit ourselves, then, even more to insisting on the need for resolving conflicts not by the inconclusive means of power, with arms and threats, but by the only means blessed by heaven and worthy of man: encounter, dialogue and patient negotiations,” he said. The pope, who earlier this year said Kirill could not be Russian President Vladimir Putin’s “altar boy”, told the conference: “The sacred must never be a prop for power, nor power a prop for the sacred!” Kirill has given enthusiastic backing to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, which the patriarch views as a bulwark against a West he calls decadent. read more Francis later mentioned Ukraine at the end of a Mass for about 6,000 members of Kazakhstan’s tiny Catholic community, asking “how many deaths will it still take” before conflict yields to dialogue. Pope Francis attends the VII Congress of Leaders of World and Traditional Religions at the Palace of Independence in Nur-Sultan, Kazakhstan, September 14, 2022. REUTERS/Remo Casilli About 70% of Kazakhs are Muslim and about 26% Orthodox Christians. There are only about 125,000 Catholics among the 19 million population of the vast Central Asian country. He also expressed concern over the flare up in the South Caucasus between Armenia and Azerbaijan. read more POPE-PATRIARCH MEETING STILL POSSIBLE Kirill’s stance on Ukraine has caused a rift with the Vatican and unleashed an internal rebellion that has led to the severing of ties by some local Orthodox Churches with the Russian Orthodox Church. read more Metropolitan Anthony told reporters his meeting with the pope was “very cordial” but said Francis’ “altar boy” remark about Kirill was “not helpful for the unity of Christians” and that it surprised the Russian Orthodox Church. Anthony said the pope told him he wanted to have a second meeting with Kirill. The first was in Cuba in 2016. Francis also said that, while violence in God’s name was never justified, the “viruses” of hate and terrorism would not be eradicated without first wiping out injustice and poverty. He said religious freedom was essential for peaceful coexistence in any society and no creed had a right to coerce others to convert. Francis, who wrote a major document in 2015 on the need to protect the environment, said religious leaders had to be in the front line in bringing attention to the dangers of climate change and extreme weather, particularly its effects on society’s poor and vulnerable. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com Reporting by Philip Pullella; Editing by Michael Perry, Alex Richardson, Alexandra Hudson Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles. Read More Here

O-Zone: Within Reason https://digitalarizonanews.com/o-zone-within-reason/ JACKSONVILLE – Look-ahead Wednesday already? Darned right. Let’s get to it … Jeremy from Gilbert, AZ This team is absolutely terrible and I wish it wasn’t true, but Lawrence is Blaine Gabbert 2.0. Who are we drafting in ’23? I never saw the Jaguars as a postseason team in 2022 and still don’t, but I’ve covered some “absolutely terrible” NFL teams – and this Jaguars team doesn’t feel like that. It certainly didn’t play like a terrible team in a 28-22 loss to the Washington Commanders in the ’22 regular-season opener this past Sunday. The Jaguars in fact played like what they are – an improved, if still flawed, team adjusting to a new offense and still coming together. They squandered a bunch of opportunities Sunday and didn’t close the game, happenings that were frustrating and costly but that don’t have to be a season-long trend. As for Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence … I don’t know yet know his NFL end game. No one does. I don’t know if he’s a future All-Pro quarterback but I would be surprised if he’s not at minimum – minimum – a good long-term starter. (Did I say minimum?) As far as him being Blaine Gabbert 2.0 … I covered Gabbert’s career in Jacksonville from 2011-2013. This doesn’t feel like that. Chris from Roseville, CA Only a half game out of the division lead after one week is better than most people imagined. I don’t know if a half-game out of first place in the AFC South after Week 1 is better than most Jaguars observers/fans imagined. My impression from many fans’ emails is many expected to win Sunday, which was certainly a reasonable expectation. Now: Did anyone expect the Indianapolis Colts and Houston Texans to tie in the opener? Or for the Tennessee Titans to lose a lead – and the game – to the New York Giants? Probably not. But your point is accurate: There appears no reason the Jaguars can’t stay the AFC South chase for a while. They play the Colts at home Sunday. That could be a big one. Thrill from The ‘Ville Much improvement was made across the board. Much improvement remains to be made across the board. I am encouraged. Being encouraged makes sense. It’s up to the Jaguars to not make you feel silly for feeling that. Sean from Oakleaf, FL Coach Pederson seemed to indicate all the mistakes that happened on Sunday can be corrected by his coaching staff. If true, I would expect nothing less than a dominant victory over the Colts this weekend. Jaguars Head Coach Doug Pederson indeed discussed correctable mistakes extensively following Sunday’s loss. This is what coaches do, and a lot of the mistakes Sunday were correctable. Coaches will focus on those mistakes and players will go play Sunday. And it’s always coaching in the NFL. Disappointed from Jacksonville How long will this franchise give Lawrence before they realize they’ve made a mistake? A looooooooooooooooooooooooooooooot longer. Dan from Ormond Beach, FL When I watch Jaguars running back Travis Etienne Jr. with the ball, it’s easy to see how elusive and explosive he can be. When I watch Etienne get hit/tackled, I find myself holding my breath and hoping that he didn’t just get killed. There has been talk that he could be the primary ball carrier for us, but I just don’t see it. I think if he got more than a 10-to-12 carries a game that he would be hurt by game six. I think James Robinson is the bell cow and Travis is a beautiful gadgety luxury and I think the coaches know it. I have nothing against him. I hope he is very successful with us, I just believe his role is somewhat limited. Do you see this too or am I seeing it wrong? I think coaches see Etienne more than a “gadgety luxury,” and I think Pederson and this staff like Etienne very much as part of the backfield-by-committee concept Pederson likes to run. I expect Etienne’s normal workload to be a bit more than his six touches from Sunday – perhaps right in your 10-to-12-touch area. Overall, I don’t expect Pederson and Co. to change approach too dramatically. The Jaguars rushed for 123 yards and passed for 260, and they were a couple of makeable red-zone opportunities from a 30-point game. I doubt Pederson and the offensive coaches would call that perfect. I expect they would call it a decent start. Jonathan from Jax OK, so it’s surprising to you that people have spent hard-earned money to support this longtime abysmal franchise with no hope in sight and are absolutely pissed off and tired of garbage? Interesting take. Good thing you aren’t a business owner. I wrote Monday morning that I was a bit surprised at the anger and unrest in the inbox immediately after Sunday’s loss. It was Week 1. I’ll make an adjustment. David from Eau Claire, WI Should we trade Lawrence and some picks for Gardner Minshew II? Heavens no. Fred from Naples, FL So, as we move ahead to “Look-ahead Wednesday,” let’s start on Sunday with starting fast, cut the penalties in half and score touchdowns in the red zone and we will win. Pederson on Monday expressed surprise at the number of penalties (13) in Week 1, and I would expect that number to drop moving forward. The other two areas are sort of one area, with the Jaguars moving into the red zone on their first drive Sunday against Washington and stalling there. Had Lawrence completed a very completable pass to finish that series for a touchdown to Etienne, that would have meant a 7-0 lead – and that would have felt like a really fast start to the game and the season. Bottom line: There is a lot of angst over a lot of Jaguars things this week. Offensive line. Quarterback. Play-calling. Pass rush. I’m forgetting some things, I’m sure. Had the Jaguars scored a couple of red-zone touchdowns on plays that were there in the first half Sunday, the result might have been a victory and there darned sure would be less angst. It’s a fine line between angst and euphoria in the NFL, and red-zone scoring is one area where the line is particularly fine. Vince from St. Augustine, FL KOAF, tell the truth: don’t you get tired of having to look for the silver lining? It must be frustrating to have to keep writing variations on “The Jags lost again, but …” I cover games, talk to players/coaches and write/analyze based on what I see/hear. Frustration doesn’t come into play. I would like the Jaguars to win because this loyal fanbase would enjoy it so much and because a lot of people I respect a great deal work hard to make it happen. That would be cool. Personally, I’ll do the job. I’ll answer fans’ questions then hope the sun comes up the next day and that my security code works. If those last two things happen, I’ll do it again. On Fridays, I’ll go to Strings and have a Bullet Bob. I like IPAs. And Bullet Bob. Ronnie from St. Petersburg, FL Sooooo there’s really no hope for this season, right? Wrong. Dmiz from Jagsonville Young team. Young team mistakes. Gonna be a long season. Will be happy with six-to-seven wins this year. Anything more would be nice. It’s a young team in a young – and new – offense with a young quarterback and yes … those sorts of teams make mistakes. There’s also the reality that the Jaguars have very few core veterans who have been with the franchise five-to-six seasons. That’s not criticizing the players on the roster, it’s just a reality that goes with having struggled in recent seasons and starting to rebuild the roster in recent offseasons. It’s not yet a mature roster. It takes time to build a mature roster. There are often frustrations during the process. Will it be a long season? I don’t know that yet. I expect this to be a six-to-seven victory team and I expect to improve along the way. How that’s perceived depends on perspective, but I expect optimism by season’s end. Stay tuned. Ethan from Wampum, PA It’s clear that Doug has brought a culture of calm and confidence. It’s a long season and just one very early loss to a non-conference opponent. How often do Pittsburgh Steelers Head Coach Mike Tomlin or New England Patriots Head Coach Bill Belichick hit the panic button after a Week One loss? Should the Cincinnati Bengals or Los Angeles Rams lose their minds after their losses? I’m pretty sure “No.” This was the best loss I’ve seen from the Jags in ten years. Because it doesn’t feel like the end of the world; I’m sold, Doug’s sold, the players are sold. There’s something a-brewing. But that’s just me. Ethan remains “all in.” Tony from Metro Atlanta O, fans being fans, we tend to include exhibition games. Thus, Pederson is 0-5. Fans indeed fan, but even most fanning fans don’t include preseason games. (At least not the reasonable ones.) ((Never mind.)) Read More Here