7 P.m. Wednesday | Hurricane Ian Weakens To A Category 3 Hurricane
7 P.m. Wednesday | Hurricane Ian Weakens To A Category 3 Hurricane https://digitalarizonanews.com/7-p-m-wednesday-hurricane-ian-weakens-to-a-category-3-hurricane/
7 p.m. Wednesday | Hurricane Ian weakens to a Category 3 hurricane 10 Tampa Bay
Tracking Hurricane Ian: Storm makes landfall on 9/28; latest forecast track and models KHOU 11
Hurricane Ian Landfall: Fort Myers Boomed Just Before Category 4 Storm Hit Bloomberg
How big is Hurricane Ian? WFLA
Hurricane Ian Continues to Bring Catastrophic Surge, Winds, Flooding to Southwest Florida The Weather Channel
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Donald Trump Seeks End To Rape Accuser https://digitalarizonanews.com/donald-trump-seeks-end-to-rape-accuser/
Author of the article:
NEW YORK — Donald Trump is seeking a quick end to the defamation lawsuit by an author who claims he raped her more than a quarter century ago.
A lawyer for the former U.S. president asked a federal judge in Manhattan on Wednesday to substitute the United States as the defendant in E. Jean Carroll’s lawsuit, a move that would end her case because the government cannot be sued for defamation.
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The request came one day after the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals said Trump was a federal employee when he branded Carroll a liar, but left it to a Washington, D.C., appeals court to decide whether Trump acted as president when he spoke.
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In a letter to U.S. District Judge Lewis Kaplan in Manhattan, Trump’s lawyer Alina Habba said the decision meant the government “must be substituted as a defendant.”
She also asked to put the case on hold, saying it would be “highly prejudicial” for Trump to spend time and money preparing for trial if the Washington court ruled in his favor.
Roberta Kaplan, a lawyer for Carroll, said “nothing has changed” and the case should proceed.
“The parties have been cooperatively engaged in discovery at Donald Trump’s request, and nothing has happened that should change that,” she said in an interview. “There has been no final determination by an appellate court that the government should be substituted in.”
Carroll sued Trump in November 2019, five months after he denied raping her in a dressing room of department store Bergdorf Goodman in the mid-1990s and said “she’s not my type.”
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The former Elle magazine columnist still plans to sue Trump for battery and inflicting emotional distress in a separate lawsuit in November.
Carroll plans to invoke a new state law giving accusers a one-year window to sue over alleged sexual misconduct even if the statute of limitations expired long ago.
Tuesday’s decision set aside Kaplan’s ruling that Trump was neither acting as president when discussing Carroll, nor a federal employee for purposes of her case.
The case is Carroll v Trump, U.S. District Court, Southern District of New York, No. 20-07311. (Reporting by Jonathan Stempel in New York; Editing by Leslie Adler)
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Goldberg: Why RINOs Would Fare Better In The Senate Midterms
Goldberg: Why RINOs Would Fare Better In The Senate Midterms https://digitalarizonanews.com/goldberg-why-rinos-would-fare-better-in-the-senate-midterms/
I’m a fan of ironic nicknames: big men named “Tiny,” bald dudes who go by “Curly,” etc. But in politics there’s no nickname more ironic than RINO, short for “Republican in Name Only.”
Originally it was supposed to describe Republicans who went along with Democrats for political expediency. In the 1990s, when RINO really took off
as a conservative epithet, it was usually aimed at either liberal Republicans like Pennsylvania Sen. Arlen Specter or obnoxious Republicans who relished opportunities to break party ranks, also like Arlen Specter.
Today it basically just means “not MAGA” or “insufficiently Trumpy.”
And that’s the irony, because the so-called RINOs are pretty much the only politicians who actually care about the Republican Party.
The hopes of the GOP in retaking the U.S. Senate in November depend entirely on a handful of first-time candidates: celebrity TV doctor Mehmet Oz in Pennsylvania, former football star Herschel Walker in Georgia, retired general and active crank Donald Bolduc in New Hampshire and, in Arizona, Blake Masters, a former libertarian minion of billionaire Peter Thiel.
Aside from being hand-picked by former President Trump, what they all have in common is not just little-to-no political experience but also shallow roots in the Republican Party. And yet, they all vow to take on the RINOs controlling the GOP, and the RINO-in-Chief, Sen. Mitch McConnell.
McConnell is a lifelong Republican who beat Bob Dole’s record as the longest-serving GOP Senate floor leader. He has earned Democratic animosity for decades, not least for orchestrating the conservative takeover of the Supreme Court. But in MAGA land
he’s a liberal stooge
. Stop laughing.
Meanwhile, Trump, a former Democrat and Reform Party presidential wannabe
, had to be talked out of leaving the GOP
to start his own party. He’s never put the needs of the party ahead of his own. He uses the term RINO to describe any Republican who crosses him — on impeachment, on his election lies, whatever. He says
“ ‘Giveaway’ Mitch McConnell” is a RINO “who gives the Dems everything, and gets NOTHING for it — Never fights for Republicans!”
But the obsession with RINOs goes beyond Trump. In a recent interview
with MAGA mogul Steve Bannon, Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Georgia) said that if Masters wins, he won’t vote for McConnell as leader, and that will amount to “cutting the head off the snake” by “defeating Mitch McConnell, the RINO that has controlled the Senate for years now.”
Indeed, Greene believes that was the real reason McConnell’s super PAC, the Senate Leadership Fund, was pulling
nearly $10 million worth of ad buys out of Arizona: “Because Blake Masters is not the type of senator Mitch McConnell wants in Washington.”
Of course, it couldn’t be that the race is getting away
from Masters, and McConnell is opting to support salvageable races elsewhere, including in Ohio where J.D. Vance, another newbie handpicked by Trump and Thiel, is struggling to win what should be an easy race. The Senate fund last month announced an infusion
of $28 million to support Vance’s effort.
Trump has more cash on hand
, $99 million, in his Save America PAC than the $80 million the Democratic National Committee and Republican National Committee have combined. Trump spent some money in the primaries to take out incumbent Republicans who were insufficiently loyal to him, but since then Save America has given a total of $757,000 to federal candidates and $150,000 to the Republican Party, according to Open Secrets
. In August alone
, it spent $3.9 million on Trump’s legal fees.
McConnell’s Senate Leadership Fund is spending 10 times
that in Georgia alone, to drag Walker across the finish line (On Friday, Trump allies announced
a new super PAC — MAGA Inc. — that will allegedly give more money in the midterms, but the real goal is to create a new vehicle to fund a 2024 bid.)
In all of these Senate races, a RINO would have fared better. Arizona and New Hampshire Govs. Doug Ducey and Chris Sununu would have won in a cakewalk but balked at the idea of running amid Trump’s wreckage. Oz barely beat David McCormick in Pennsylvania’s Senate primary, thanks to Trump’s help, but McCormick would have been the better general election candidate. And pretty much any Republican capable of speaking in complete sentences would surely be doing better than Walker is doing right now in Georgia. But Trump put his own needs ahead of the party’s.
Trump accuses McConnell of being a “a pawn for the Democrats
,” but Democrats benefit when Trump is in the news, which is why President Biden and the Democrats are trying to make the midterms all about Trump and “MAGA Republicans.” It makes you wonder: Who’s the real pawn?
Jonah Goldberg is editor-in-chief of The Dispatch and the host of The Remnant podcast. His Twitter handle is @JonahDispatch
.
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Trump Got The Special Master He Wanted. Now He Has Complaints
Trump Got The Special Master He Wanted. Now He Has Complaints https://digitalarizonanews.com/trump-got-the-special-master-he-wanted-now-he-has-complaints/
Nation & World
Posted 7:28 PM
Updated 11 mins ago
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Less than a month in, the former president has complaints about how the review he wanted of documents seized from his Mar-a-Lago home is taking shape.
By Zoe Tillman and Erik LarsonBloomberg News (TNS)
WASHINGTON — Donald Trump got the court-ordered review he wanted of documents seized from his Mar-a-Lago home as well as his preferred pick for a so-called special master to carry it out. But less than a month in, the former president has complaints about how that review is taking shape.
Trump’s lawyers lodged objections this week to U.S. District Senior Judge Raymond Dearie’s proposal for how his work as special master will proceed over the next few months, according to a summary by Justice Department lawyers in a Sept. 27 court filing. Among other things, Trump objected to Dearie’s request that his legal team verify the government’s inventory of what exactly agents seized during the August search and how Dearie had categorized various privilege issues he’d be looking for.
Former President Donald Trump’s attorneys Linsey Halligan, James Trusty, and Chris Kise arrive at Brooklyn Federal Court on Tuesday. The lawyers are resisting arbiter Raymond Dearie’s request for information about whether the seized records had been declassified, as Trump has maintained. Brittainy Newman/Associated Press
The Justice Department pushed back on Trump’s objections, arguing that they were “without merit” and reminding the court that it was the former president who pressed the civil suit.
Trump “bears the burden of proof,” government attorneys wrote. “If he wants the Special Master to make recommendations as to whether he is entitled to the relief he seeks, Plaintiff will need to participate in the process” as outlined by the court.
Trump also objected to the judge’s request for a briefing on certain questions of law, according to the DOJ’s letter.
Trump’s lawyers did not return requests for comment; it wasn’t immediately clear how they’d registered their objections to Dearie’s proposed plan for the case, since there wasn’t a filing on the public docket.
Dearie, a semi-retired judge in Brooklyn, is tasked with overseeing a review of nearly all of the 11,000-plus documents seized from Mar-a-Lago by the FBI on Aug. 8. A federal appeals court previously sided with the government and removed about 100 documents with classified markings from the review.
Dearie will make recommendations to U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon about whether any of the documents should be covered by legal protections such as privileges for attorney-client communications or for executive branch deliberations. He proposed a schedule for Trump’s legal team and the Justice Department to submit batches of documents to him on a rolling basis where they disagree about how to categorize them; he wants a final log by Oct. 28 and is due to finish his work by Nov. 30.
Dearie’s mandate from Cannon — the judge who ultimately will decide whether to accept Dearie’s recommendations — also includes confirming that the government’s description of what they took from Trump’s Florida home “represents the full and accurate extent” of what was actually seized.
The Justice Department broadly accepted Dearie’s proposal for how to move forward with the review, but did ask for a slight extension to his deadlines for the government to produce documents to the special master and Trump’s legal team. DOJ laid blame with Trump for the delay, writing that all five vendors they proposed to assist with the review were “unwilling” to contract with the former president.
The letter didn’t say why the vendors weren’t willing to contract with Trump. The problem with finding a third party to scan and upload the 11,000 documents at issue prevented DOJ and Trump from meeting a Tuesday deadline for selecting a vendor, the Justice Department said in its letter to Dearie.
DOJ told Dearie that the government could take charge of the contracting process and likely find a willing vendor quickly, and asked the judge to extend the selection deadline to Thursday.
Trump would still be responsible for paying the third-party company. “The government expects Plaintiff to pay the vendor’s invoices promptly when rendered,” the Justice Department said in the letter.
DOJ and Trump’s lawyers jointly asked Dearie to extend the deadline for the vendor completing production to early October “in light of this substantial change in the party contracting with the vendor.”
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Fusion Power Offering $0 Down Solar Making Affordable Clean Energy More Accessible To US Homeowners
Fusion Power Offering $0 Down Solar Making Affordable, Clean Energy More Accessible To US Homeowners https://digitalarizonanews.com/fusion-power-offering-0-down-solar-making-affordable-clean-energy-more-accessible-to-us-homeowners/
GILBERT, AZ / ACCESSWIRE / September 28, 2022 / Here in the US, residential energy usage accounts for approximately 21% of the nation’s total energy consumption, yet only 4% of US homes are powered by Solar Energy. Most are powered by non-renewable and non-sustainable resources like coal and fossil fuels. With America’s goal of becoming carbon neutral by 2050 in mind, Fusion Power, based out of Gilbert, AZ is doing their part to increase access to clean and affordable energy to Americans by offering solar systems to qualifying homeowners for $0 out of pocket cost.
Fusion Power Headquarters
Fusion Powers Headquarters
Founded in 2017, Fusion Power has installed thousands of solar systems in Texas and Arizona. During its time in business, Fusion found that many homeowners saw the benefits of converting to clean energy but simply couldn’t afford to make the switch. Though the price of a residential solar system has dropped by an annual average of more than 60% over the last decade, the cost of an average 6KWh system still ranges from $16,000 – $21,000. Through their new offering, Fusion Power has made it possible for homeowners to power their home with solar energy for $0 out of pocket, leaving them with a brand new, custom designed solar system, and a fixed monthly bill, lower than they’re already paying for power. To make this possible, the company maintains relations with its network of lending partners to offer low, and in some cases, interest free, financing options. The company also helps homeowners take advantage of the current 26% Federal Solar Tax Incentive to credit nearly a third of the total system cost.
Fusion Power Team Member
Their specially-designed solar systems reduce a home’s carbon footprint and increase its value while simultaneously eliminating a monthly expense for the homeowner and reducing their monthly cost of electricity. According to the EIA (US Energy Information Administration), energy costs increase at a national average of 1.8% annually. Since last May, the EIA reports an increase of 8.9% in average revenue per kwh.
Fusion Power’s CSO, Jared Gillespie, puts it plainly, “You’ve seem what’s happened with gas prices right? What if I were to offer you a gas card that would allow you to buy your fuel for $3/gallon for the next 20 years? Would you take it? Of course you would! That’s essentially what solar does for your cost of electricity–You either pay energy rates that will keep going up, or you can lock in your rate and pay a fixed, lower cost over the next 20 years until eventually you don’t pay anything at all. Oh, and by the way, you don’t have to put any money down to get set up, and you get a huge tax credit for using clean energy. It’s an absolute no brainer.”
Since 2017, Fusion Power has installed thousands of solar systems in Texas and Arizona. When designed and installed correctly, a home solar system increases the value of a home and reduces its carbon footprint and lowers the homeowner’s monthly cost of energy.
As seen in recent news, here in the U.S, stories of “fly by night” solar contractors Misleading Property Owners and Improperly Installing Solar Systems have become all quite common. In many of these cases, homeowners find themselves out of the loop with very little or unclear communication. To ensure that they provide a consistently positive customer experience, Fusion Power’s handles the entire process, in-house from start to finish. Each system is designed by the company’s team of experienced solar technicians and installed by their team led by NABCEP certified electricians. The process from start to finish is built around transparency through education and the end goal of a personalized solar system that fits the needs of each home. To start the process, a preliminary in-home consultation is scheduled with each homeowner to provide an opportunity for them to ask questions, learn more about the technology and installation process and go over key variables that affect the system’s price & energy production. Each project is assigned to a dedicated project manager who serves as each homeowner’s primary point of contact. Customers are also updated automatically via text, email and phone calls as things progress.
Fusion Power Team Member
For many Arizona families, Fusion Power’s program has made a big difference in the comfort level of their home. Many of their customers are on a fixed income and have reported having to keep their house at 80+ degrees in the summer to combat high energy costs. The company takes into consideration the home’s energy production needs to fit a family’s desired internal temperature and designs the system accordingly. Since their power is produced on-site, homeowners enjoy a lower monthly cost of energy and a cooler home.
Fusion Power Charity Trip, Oct 2021, Costa Rica
About Fusion Power: Fusion Power, 6150 W Chandler Blvd. 17, Chandler, AZ 85226, is an environmentally focused and family oriented solar installer that specializes in residential solar systems. Founded in 2017, the company has overseen more than 6000 residential solar installation projects. The company aims to expand their operations and are hiring for several positions in TX and AZ. Homeowners interested in making the switch to solar through Fusion Power can contact them by phone at (844) 387-6797 or email at contact @fusionpowerco.com. Individuals interested in pursuing career opportunities with Fusion Power. can apply online at https://www.fusionpowerco.com/careers.
SOURCE: Fusion Power
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Georgia Election Officials Discuss Breach, Security Measures https://digitalarizonanews.com/georgia-election-officials-discuss-breach-security-measures/
ATLANTA (AP) — The Georgia State Election Board held a meeting Wednesday meant to reassure board members and the general public that the state’s elections remain secure following the revelation of a breach of voting equipment in one county.
The meeting included a presentation on state election law, an explanation of how the state’s voting machines work and a description of post-election audits. It also included a report on the criminal investigation into the breach of voting equipment in rural Coffee County.
“I think what happened in Coffee County was despicable,” board Chairman William Duffey, a retired federal judge, said after the meeting. If the investigation finds evidence of crimes, the penalties should be significant “to let people there and in other counties know that we are not going to put up with that,” he said.
While acknowledging the serious concerns raised by that breach, the board members cited security measures outlined during the meeting and said they remain confident in the state’s election system.
Sara Tindall Ghazal, the state Democratic Party’s appointee to the board, said elections have to balance three “sometimes-competing interests” — security, accessibility and efficient administration.
“Georgia’s system reflects an attempt to balance these issues and interests,” she said. “I have trust in our election officials and in our voters to ensure that our elections will proceed smoothly and securely and that the outcome will reflect the will of the voters.”
A computer forensics team hired by allies of then-President Donald Trump traveled to the elections office in Coffee County, about 200 miles southeast of Atlanta, on Jan. 7, 2021, and made complete copies of data and software on elections equipment, according to documents and deposition testimony produced in response to subpoenas in a long-running lawsuit challenging the security of the state’s voting machines. Security camera video from the elections office shows that local Republican Party and county election officials were present when the copying took place.
The video also shows that two men who have participated in efforts to question the results of the 2020 election in several states repeatedly visited the Coffee County elections office later that month, spending hours inside.
A group of computer and election security experts earlier this month sent a letter to the State Election Board saying that the breach poses “serious threats” to the state’s voting system. The experts include academics and former state election officials and aren’t associated with efforts by Trump and his allies to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election. They urged the board to replace the state’s Dominion Voting Systems touchscreen voting machines with hand-marked paper ballots.
During a presentation on state election law, Republican election board member Matt Mashburn said the board can only mandate such an emergency measure in cases of “imminent peril to public health, safety, or welfare.”
The ballots printed by Georgia’s voting machines include a QR code — a barcode that is read and tabulated by a scanner — and a human-readable list representing the voter’s selections.
Dominion CEO John Poulos appeared by videoconference and described to election board members how the voting system works. He highlighted various security measures, including encryption, passwords, physical seals and testing done in public before elections. He said it’s very important for voters to verify that the list on the ballot reflects their selections.
Blake Evans, elections director for the secretary of state’s office, walked board members through the process for the audits that Georgia now uses to check one statewide race during even-year general elections. The risk-limiting audits rely on statistics, mathematics and a hand count of a sample of ballots to ensure that the machine-tabulated result is accurate.
Critics of the voting machines have said studies show voters rarely check their ballots. They say that means there’s no guarantee the ballots accurately reflect voter intent, making any audit meaningless.
University of Michigan computer science professor J. Alex Halderman, an expert witness in the voting machines lawsuit that exposed the breach in Coffee County, identified what he says are security vulnerabilities in Georgia’s voting machines. The Department of Homeland Security’s Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency in June issued an advisory based on Halderman’s findings that advises jurisdictions that use the machines on how to mitigate the risks.
Dominion commissioned its own review of Halderman’s findings by the MITRE Corporation. An executive summary of that report deems the potential attacks identified “operationally infeasible.”
The Halderman and MITRE reports were filed under seal in federal court. The election board unanimously endorsed a motion by member Ed Lindsey, a Republican former state lawmaker, to urge the judge overseeing the case to release the reports with necessary redactions. Lindsey said that would allow the public to “evaluate and have confidence in our election system.”
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
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Donald Trump Actually Doesn't Like Firing People In Person | CNN Politics
Donald Trump Actually Doesn't Like Firing People In Person | CNN Politics https://digitalarizonanews.com/donald-trump-actually-doesnt-like-firing-people-in-person-cnn-politics/
CNN —
Donald Trump’s place in the public consciousness – prior to 2016, that is – revolved around two words: “You’re fired.”
That phrase was the one Trump uttered at the end of every episode of “The Apprentice,” his reality TV show that laid the groundwork – although we didn’t know it at the time – for his eventual presidential bid.
Here’s what’s weird about that fact: in real life, Trump doesn’t actually like firing people face to face, preferring the far more impersonal Twitter firing.
We learned on Wednesday that Trump weighed jettisoning both his daughter, Ivanka Trump, and her husband, Jared Kushner, from their White House roles via tweet.
According to a forthcoming book by The New York Times’ Maggie Haberman, Trump was on the verge of tweeting that the duo was leaving the White House, but was stopped by chief of staff John Kelly, who insisted that the President had to speak with them before tweeting out their departures.
Trump never got around to doing that.
But he did fire any number of people by Twitter during his time as president.
His first chief of staff, Reince Priebus, was informed of his removal via tweet. He was in a Secret Service van on the tarmac waiting for Trump to get off Air Force One at the time.
“I would like to thank Reince Priebus for his service and dedication to his country,” Trump tweeted in July 2017. “We accomplished a lot together and I am proud of him!”
Trump also fired Secretary of State Rex Tillerson by tweet. “Mike Pompeo, Director of the CIA, will become our new Secretary of State,” Trump tweeted in March 2018. “He will do a fantastic job! Thank you to Rex Tillerson for his service!”
Then there was FBI Director James Comey, who found out that he had been removed from his post by watching the news on television.
Why is Trump’s public image so different from how he actually carries out his business? At root, Trump wants to be liked. It’s why he has always been so focused on the size of his crowds and why he will never speak ill of any group that seems to like him (witness Trump’s refusal to forcefully condemn the QAnon conspiracy movement).
The Point: Despite his tough-guy persona, Trump is not into confrontation. So he leans on social media and other people to do the dirty and uncomfortable work of getting rid of those that he views to be problems.
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Obituaries In Phoenix, AZ | The Arizona Republic https://digitalarizonanews.com/obituaries-in-phoenix-az-the-arizona-republic-34/
55, of Phoenix, AZ passed away on 9/28/2022. If you have any information regarding this person, please call Maricopa County Indigent Decedent Services at 602-372-0535, select option #5.
Posted online on September 28, 2022
Published in The Arizona Republic
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JetBlue Southwest Spar Over Slots In Antitrust Trial
JetBlue, Southwest Spar Over Slots In Antitrust Trial https://digitalarizonanews.com/jetblue-southwest-spar-over-slots-in-antitrust-trial/
By DAVID KOENIG, AP Airlines Writer
Senior executives of JetBlue Airways and Southwest Airlines argued in court Wednesday over JetBlue’s controversial partnership with American Airlines that the Biden administration is seeking the thwart.
JetBlue CEO Robin Hayes told a federal court in Boston the partnership will help his airline grow, accommodate customers whose flights gets canceled, and attract more corporate travelers.
Hayes disputed the government’s view that the deal will reduce competition and cost consumers hundreds of millions of dollars a year in higher fares.
But Southwest’s Andrew Watterson said he was disappointed that the partnership will give American access to valuable JetBlue slots that American once controlled but was forced to surrender to win regulatory approval of a 2013 merger and a separate transaction.
Political Cartoons
“We thought that was outrageous,” said Watterson, who will become chief operating officer at Southwest later this week.
The Justice Department, six states and the District of Columbia seek to break up the American-JetBlue partnership in a case that has become a major test of the Biden’s administration’s opposition to mergers and consolidation in key industries. The Transportation Department approved the deal in the final days of the Trump administration.
The case is being heard by U.S. District Judge Leo Sorokin, who was appointed by former President Barack Obama.
Hayes was back on the stand for a second day to defend a partnership that lets JetBlue and American work together on schedules, sell tickets on each other’s flights, and share revenue from flights at four airports in the New York City area and Boston.
Hayes called the partnership “a generational opportunity” that has already helped JetBlue grow from about 200 flights a day in New York to nearly 300 and add dozens of new routes to compete with Delta and United.
Other carriers want to expand in New York too, but federal officials limit takeoff and landing rights, or “slots,” because of congestion.
Senior executives from American, Delta and United are expected to testify. Both sides have lined up economists to discuss how the partnership will affect consumers.
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
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Cast11 New Podcast Prescott Holidays Yavaline Transportation Events In Prescott September 28th 2022 Signals AZ
Cast11 New Podcast, Prescott Holidays, Yavaline, Transportation, Events In Prescott – September 28th, 2022 – Signals AZ https://digitalarizonanews.com/cast11-new-podcast-prescott-holidays-yavaline-transportation-events-in-prescott-september-28th-2022-signals-az/
The CAST 11 Podcast Network is made possible by the 2022 Ultimate Holiday Guide. Promote your next event or holiday offering in the Ultimate Holiday Guide by calling Elicia at: 928-642-3552.
Hosts Elicia Morigeau and Guy Roginson cover this week’s top local news, events, and updates from all across the Prescott area and beyond. This week they cover the newest podcast on Cast11 – Waiting on a Phone Call, Prescott holiday events and volunteer opportunities, transportation through Yavaline in Prescott Valley, high school football games, and more.
Buckle up and hold on to this episode of MyDrive – Prescott Area Weekly Update. Watch out for those round-a-bouts! LISTEN IN
Here is the update for the week of September 7, 2022:
Prescott’s Newest Podcast Launches, Waiting on a Phone Call
Prescott’s Christmas Parades are Taking Applications
Prescott Film Festival Brings the World into Focus
Turn Your Home into a Crime-Fighting Superhero with Prescott Valley Police
Prescott Valley Town Center Businesses Open During Construction
Prescott Valley YavaLine Service Has Launched
Florentine Road Paving to Began Tues., Sept 26th
Rafter Eleven – Live Music & Happy Hour
iDEALios of the Week
Prescott Valley Haunting on the Green
Pirates Past Noon Kids Show
Book Barn and Bake Sale – Paulden
2nd Annual Chino Valley Food Truck Festival
PV Police K9 Ballistic Vest Fundraiser
Fall To-do List for a Healthy Yard
FallFest in the Park – Arts & Crafts Show
Arizona tribe and wildlife biologists rescued the Apache trout from near extinction
Helicopter crash in AZ desert; 2 aboard not injured
Cast11 Podcast Network Updates
2022 Ultimate Holiday Guide
Prescott’s Newest Podcast Launches, Waiting on a Phone Call
Cast11, Prescott’s #1 Podcast Network is excited to welcome Prescott’s newest show, Waiting on a Phone Call! Every Monday, hosts Mike and Ben dig into their Rolodex to bring you the most interesting conversations with famous people from across the world.
Prescott’s Christmas Parades are Taking Applications
Organizers of Prescott’s popular Christmas parades, the Prescott Downtown Partnership’s Holiday Light Parade, and the Prescott Christmas Parade are now accepting applications for parade entries. Both parades are held in downtown Prescott and route around the Courthouse Plaza.
Prescott Film Festival Brings the World into Focus
12th Edition of the Prescott Film Festival, Sept. 27 – Oct. 2, at the Yavapai College Performing Arts Center. The 2022 Prescott Film Festival rolls into town with an enticing combination of on-screen excellence, industry talkbacks and activities that bond the community through a shared love of film.
Turn Your Home into a Crime-Fighting Superhero with Prescott Valley Police
Organizers of Prescott’s popular Christmas parades, the Prescott Downtown Partnership’s Holiday Light Parade, and the Prescott Christmas Parade are now accepting applications for parade entries. Both parades are held in downtown Prescott and route around the Courthouse Plaza.
Prescott Valley Town Center Businesses Open During Construction
Fain Signature Group has begun work for the new LEGADO project as well as the new 5 Guys and Jersey Mikes locations at the corner of Florentine Rd and Glassford Hill Rd. During this work, Prescott Valley Town Center businesses all remain open and ready to serve the public!
Prescott Valley YavaLine Service Has Launched
On September 12, 2022, the Town of Prescott Valley Launched YavaLine as part of its first phase of the Central Yavapai Metropolitan Planning Organization’s (CYMPO) Phased Transit Plan. The new transit system, the YavaLine Regional Transit System (YAV), began operation of its On-Demand/Microtransit system in the heart of Prescott Valley.
Florentine Road Paving to Began Tues., Sept 26th
Starting Tuesday, September 27, 2022, Earth Resources Corporation will begin paving Florentine Road between Navajo Drive and Majesty Drive. Paving will continue through today, Wednesday,
September 28, 2022.
Rafter Eleven – Live Music & Happy Hour
Live music and happy hour deals including wine & artisan bread.
Fridays, 5:00-7:00 pm at Rafter Eleven
2985 Centre Ct B, Prescott Valley, AZ 86314
iDEALios of the Week
Here’s your iDEALio of the week from Rafter Eleven: WILD WEDNESDAYS! Offer expires 11.30.2022. Coupon not valid with any other offer. You must provide the coupon upon ordering. Bring in this iDEALio on your phone and tell them iDEALios – Signals A Z sent you! You can view all the current iDEALios at: www.Signals A Z.com/Deals
Prescott Valley Haunting on the Green
It’s time to get your scare on! Come join us on October 28th for our annual Haunting on the Green event! There will be many family-friendly activities to participate in.
Pirates Past Noon Kids Show
Prescott Valley Performing Arts presents Pirates Past Noon Kids, a Magic Tree House Collection.
Book Barn and Bake Sale – Paulden
Books, DVDs, and baked goods will be for sale at the Friends of the Library, Inc. Annual Book Barn and Bake Sale.
2nd Annual Chino Valley Food Truck Festival
Bring your friends and family for this free event! Many trucks with a variety of food and beer garden.
PV Police K9 Ballistic Vest Fundraiser
This event will feature a K9 demo, trick show, vendors, dog costume contest, and more to raise money for the PVPD K9s.
Fall To-do List for a Healthy Yard
Watters Garden Center of Prescott is offering a free gardening class on the Fall to-do list you should have for a healthy yard.
FallFest in the Park – Arts & Crafts Show
Browse vendor goods, shop unique handcrafted items, and eat delicious food.
Arizona tribe and wildlife biologists rescued the Apache trout from near extinction
The Apache Trout has been a threatened species for nearly as long as it has been properly recognized. Thanks to the White Mountain Apache Tribe its population numbers continue to recover.
Helicopter crash in AZ desert; 2 aboard not injured
FAA officials said the Robinson R22 helicopter went down 4 ½ miles north of the Mesa’s Falcon Field Airport and on the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community. The pilot and passenger both avoided injury.
Cast11 Podcast Network
Power of the Mind – Granite Mountain Behavioral Healthcare
On this week’s Power of the Mind presented by Granite Mountain Behavioral Healthcare, Gregory Struve and Elicia Morigeau talk about hypochondria, and how it is a form of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD).
Mountain Gardener – Watters Garden Center
On last week’s Mountain Gardener, Ken Lain lets us know about “The Fall Equinox and What it Means for Your Gardens.” Tune in wherever you listen to podcasts or on SignalsAZ.com.
Waiting on a Phone Call
Mark Wahlberg. Marky Mark to some. Actor. Producer. Rapper. Possible phone user?
As Ben and Mike wait on Mark Wahlberg to call they discuss their connections to the famous star, the local Prescott area, and more.
Talkin’ Central Arizona Sports with Torrence Dunham
TD recaps the losses for the Prescott High School Badgers, Bradshaw Mountain Bears and Chino Valley Cougars football teams with interviews with Prescott head coach Cody Collett and Bradshaw head coach Bob Young.
2022 Ultimate Holiday Guide
Catch up with more Local News Stories on Signals A Z.com.
Promote your event with the Ultimate Holiday Guide! Contact Elicia Morigeau at 928-642-3552 or ads@signalsaz.com.
If you like this story, consider subscribing to Signals Updates, Entertainment Events & News!
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Hurricane Ian Makes Landfall In Southwest Florida As Category 4 Storm
Hurricane Ian Makes Landfall In Southwest Florida As Category 4 Storm https://digitalarizonanews.com/hurricane-ian-makes-landfall-in-southwest-florida-as-category-4-storm/
Hurricane Ian made landfall Wednesday in southwest Florida as one of the most powerful storms ever recorded in the U.S.Here’s the latest on Hurricane Ian: Hurricane Ian made landfall near Cayo Costa around 3:05 p.m. ET as an extremely dangerous Category 4 hurricane, according to the National Hurricane Center.As of 6 p.m. ET, Ian has maximum sustained winds of 130 mph and is moving north northeast at 8 mph. Ian was located 15 miles east northeast of Punta Gorda, Florida, and 110 miles south-southwest of Orlando as of 6 p.m. ET. More than 1 million homes and businesses were without electricity, and Florida Power and Light warned those in Ian’s path to brace for days without powerThe NHC said Ian is battering the Florida peninsula with catastrophic storm surge, winds and flooding The center of Ian is forecast to move across central Florida Wednesday night and Thursday morning and emerge over the western Atlantic by late Thursday.Hurricane Ian knocked out Cuba’s power grid and work is underway to restore service to the country’s 11 million people.Watch live video coverage above from sister station WESH in Orlando.Live storm coverage is also available for free on your connected TV from Very Local. Download the app hereTracking Ian: The latest cone, models and satellite imagesLATEST CONELATEST MODELSLATEST SATELLITEIan makes landfall in Florida The hurricane’s center struck Wednesday afternoon near Cayo Costa, a protected barrier island just west of heavily populated Fort Myers. The massive storm was expected to trigger flooding across a wide area of Florida as it crawls northeastward across the peninsula.The Category 4 storm slammed the coast with 150 mph winds and pushed a wall of storm surge accumulated during its slow march over the Gulf of Mexico. Ian’s windspeed at landfall tied it for the fifth-strongest hurricane to strike the U.S., along with several other storms. Among them was Hurricane Charley, which hit almost the same spot on Florida’s coast in August 2004, killing 10 people and inflicting $14 billion in damage.Ian made landfall more than 100 miles south of Tampa and St. Petersburg, sparing the densely populated Tampa Bay area from its first direct hit by a major hurricane since 1921. Officials warned residents that Tampa could still experience powerful winds and up to 20 inches of rain.Isolated tornadoes spun off the storm well ahead of landfall. One tornado damaged small planes and a hangar at the North Perry Airport, west of Hollywood along the Atlantic coast. Impacts in Florida More than 1 million homes and businesses were without electricity, and Florida Power and Light warned those in Ian’s path to brace for days without power.In Naples, the first floor of a fire station was inundated with about 3 feet of water and firefighters worked to salvage gear from a firetruck stuck outside the garage in even deeper water, a video posted by the Naples Fire Department showed. Naples is in Collier County, where the sheriff’s department reported on Facebook that it was getting “a significant number of calls of people trapped by water in their homes” and that it would prioritize reaching people “reporting life threatening medical emergencies in deep water.” Details about IanThough expected to weaken to a tropical storm as it marched inland at about 9 mph, Hurricane Ian’s hurricane-force winds were likely to be felt well into central Florida.Before making its way through the Gulf of Mexico to Florida, Ian tore into western Cuba as a major hurricane Tuesday, killing two people and bringing down the country’s electrical grid.The center of the massive Category 4 storm lingered offshore for hours, which was likely to mean more rain and damage from a hurricane that was trudging on a track that would have it making landfall north of the heavily populated Fort Myers area. Catastrophic storm surges could push 12 to 18 feet of water across more than 250 miles of coastline, from Bonita Beach to Englewood, forecasters warned.Fueled by warm waters in the Gulf of Mexico, Ian grew to a Category 4 hurricane overnight with top winds of 155 mph, on the threshold of the most dangerous Category 5 status, according to the National Hurricane Center.Florida braces for catastrophic damageAbout 2.5 million people were ordered to evacuate southwest Florida before the storm hit. Off the coast on Sanibel Island, just south of where Ian made landfall, traffic cameras hours earlier showed swirling water that flooded streets and was halfway up mailbox posts. Seawater rushed out of Tampa Bay as the storm approached, leaving parts of the muddy bottom exposed, and waves crashed over the end of a wooden pier at Naples.Ian had strengthened rapidly overnight, prompting Fort Myers handyman Tom Hawver to abandon his plan to weather the hurricane at home and head across the state to Fort Lauderdale.”We were going to stay and then just decided when we got up, and they said 155 mph winds,” Hawver said. “We don’t have a generator. I just don’t see the advantage of sitting there in the dark, in a hot house, watching water come in your house.” Video below: Hurricane Ian makes landfall in Florida, tracks into North Carolina this weekendFlorida residents rushed ahead of the impact to board up their homes, stash precious belongings on upper floors and join long lines of cars leaving the shore.Some chose to stay and ride out the storm. Jared Lewis, a Tampa delivery driver, said his home has withstood hurricanes in the past, though not as powerful as Ian.”It is kind of scary, makes you a bit anxious,” Lewis said. “After the last year of not having any, now you go to a Category 4 or 5. We are more used to the 2s and 3s.”Video below: Key West rain Tuesday morning from Hurricane Ian Emergency response at the readyBarely an hour after the massive storm trudged ashore, a coastal sheriff’s office reported that it was already getting a significant number of calls from people trapped in homes. Flash floods were possible across all of Florida. Hazards include the polluted leftovers of Florida’s phosphate fertilizer mining industry, more than 1 billion tons of slightly radioactive waste contained in enormous ponds that could overflow in heavy rains.Isolated tornadoes spun off the storm well ahead of landfall. One tornado damaged small planes and a hangar at the North Perry Airport, west of Hollywood along the Atlantic coast.More than 450,000 homes and businesses were without electricity, and Florida Power and Light warned those in Ian’s path to brace for days without power.The federal government sent 300 ambulances with medical teams and was ready to truck in 3.7 million meals and 3.5 million liters of water once the storm passes.Gov. DeSantis issues warning Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said the state has 30,000 linemen, urban search and rescue teams, and 7,000 National Guard troops from Florida and elsewhere ready to help once the weather clears.Catastrophic storm surges could push as much as 12 to 18 feet of water over a nearly 100-mile stretch of coastline, from Bonita Beach north through Fort Myers and Charlotte Harbor to Englewood, the hurricane center warned. Rainfall near the area of landfall could top 18 inches.”It’s time to hunker down and prepare for the storm,” DeSantis said. “Do what you need to do to stay safe. If you are where that storm is approaching, you’re already in hazardous conditions. It’s going to get a lot worse very quickly.”Ongoing closuresAirports in Tampa, St. Petersburg and Key West were closed Wednesday.Walt Disney World announced on Tuesday evening that the parks would be closing due to Hurricane Ian. The parks will be closed Wednesday and Thursday.Universal Orlando and Busch Gardens Tampa Bay also announced they will close on Wednesday and Thursday.NASA rolled its moon rocket from the launch pad to its Kennedy Space Center hangar, adding weeks of delay to the test flight.Video below: Space station flies over Hurricane IanPresident Biden declares emergencyAt the White House, President Joe Biden said his administration was sending hundreds of Federal Emergency Management Agency employees to Florida and sought to assure mayors in the storm’s path that Washington will meet their needs. He urged residents to heed to local officials’ orders. The federal government sent 300 ambulances with medical teams and was ready to truck in 3.7 million meals and 3.5 million liters of water once the storm passes.“We’ll be there to help you clean up and rebuild, to help Florida get moving again,” Biden said Wednesday. “And we’ll be there every step of the way. That’s my absolute commitment to the people of the state of Florida.”Video below: Hurricane Ian FEMA announcement at White House press briefingBiden previously declared an emergency, authorizing the Department of Homeland Security and the Federal Emergency Management Agency to coordinate disaster relief and provide assistance to protect lives and property. FEMA has strategically positioned generators, millions of meals and millions of liters of water, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said.Georgia, South Carolina watch Ian’s pathParts of Georgia and South Carolina also could see flooding rains and some coastal surge into Saturday. Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp preemptively declared an emergency, ordering 500 National Guard troops on standby to respond as needed.Cuba without electricity after storm hits power gridHurricane Ian knocked out power across all of Cuba and devastated some of the country’s most important tobacco farms when it slammed into the island’s western tip as a major hurricane.Cuba’s Electric Union said work is being done to gradually restore service to the country’s 11 million people between Tuesday night and Wednesday morning.Ian made landfall as a Category 3 hurricane early Tuesday. It devastated Pinar del...
Virgin Atlantic Says Men Can Wear Skirts Updates Gender Policy
Virgin Atlantic Says Men Can Wear Skirts, Updates Gender Policy https://digitalarizonanews.com/virgin-atlantic-says-men-can-wear-skirts-updates-gender-policy/
British airline Virgin Atlantic on Wednesday updated its gender policy and uniform requirements, allowing male employees to wear skirts.
Under the airline’s new policies, there will no longer be a “requirement for its people to wear gendered uniform options,” Virgin Atlantic said in a press release. The airline’s crew, pilots and ground team members will now get to pick which uniform they want to wear regardless of gender.
Virgin Atlantic’s crew, pilots and ground team members will now get to pick which uniform they want to wear regardless of gender. (Reuters/Phil Noble / Reuters)
VIRGIN ATLANTIC RELAXES EMPLOYEE TATTOO POLICY
Virgin Atlantic previously changed a policy related to uniforms in June, amending its tattoo policy so that employees no longer had to hide their ink while in uniform. That change came several years after the airline started allowing female cabin crew members to decide how much makeup to put on as well as to wear pants and flat shoes.
Virgin Atlantic recently relaxed its tattoo policy for employees. (Virgin Atlantic)
Virgin Atlantic on Wednesday also launched optional pronoun badges for employees and customers. Passengers can ask for them at the check-in desk or in one of its lounges, the airline said.
Additionally, the airline’s ticketing systems have been updated so that passengers with gender-neutral passports can select “U” or “X” as their gender code and “Mx” as their title when booking, according to the release.
TSA IMPLEMENTING NEW GENDER-NEUTRAL SCREENING PROCESS AT CHECKPOINTS
“At Virgin Atlantic, we believe that everyone can take on the world, no matter who they are,” the airline’s chief commercial officer, Juha Jarvinen, said in a statement. “That’s why [it’s] so important that we enable our people to embrace their individuality and be their true selves at work. It is for that reason that we want to allow our people to wear the uniform that best suits them and how they identify and ensure our customers are addressed by their preferred pronouns.”
Virgin Atlantic said it plans to roll out mandatory inclusivity training for its employees and to offer inclusivity “learning initiatives” for tourism partners and hotels. (Reuters/Phil Noble / Reuters)
Virgin Atlantic said it plans to roll out mandatory inclusivity training for its employees and to offer inclusivity “learning initiatives” for tourism partners and hotels.
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Obituaries In Phoenix, AZ | The Arizona Republic https://digitalarizonanews.com/obituaries-in-phoenix-az-the-arizona-republic-35/
Ralph Hirsch touched the lives of thousands of children and adults during his 92 years. He was born in Brooklyn and grew up in Brighton Beach. Ralph attended Lincoln High School and Brooklyn College, excelled in sports and was captain of the varsity basketball team. He loved music and played the trumpet, joining the musicians union as a teenager in order to play at weddings and bar mitzvahs. His musical career was cut short when he realized he did not enjoy working evenings. However, he recognized the importance of a musical education, and later in life was a generous supporter of music and arts for children. The Korean War interrupted Ralph’s education. He served in the Army Special Forces in Japan from 1952 to 1953. Upon discharge he returned to school and earned both a Bachelor’s and Master’s degree in Health Education. After graduation Ralph began a life long career working with children as a teacher, school administrator and camp director. He was the owner and director of children’s summer camps including Camp LoKanda. Ralph married his wife Ellen in 1982. Ralph retired in 1989, and he and Ellen moved to Scottsdale, AZ. He filled his leisure time with tennis, gardening, attending theater and supporting Arizona’s professional sports teams. He and Ellen loved to travel, and purchased a second home in Marbella, Spain, where for 18 years they escaped the heat of the Arizona summer and toured extensively throughout Europe. They loved the cruise life too, which enabled them to see the rest of the world. Ralph was a great organizer and had exceptional leadership skills. He served as president of his homeowner’s associations and led many social groups. His friends remember all of the wonderful theme parties he and Ellen hosted, complete with poetry, games, prizes and jokes. Ralph was preceded in death by his parents Leo and Clara Hirsch, and his brother Phil. He is survived by his loving wife Ellen, daughter Lori (Marc) Zaintz, daughter Suzie Hirsch, grandson Zak Zaintz, granddaughter Anastasia Zaintz, nephew Lee Hirsch, niece Hope Honeyman, and many, many friends who considered Ralph part of their families. Donations in Ralph’s memory may be made to the Sagewood Residents’ Foundation, which provides college scholarships for employees and their dependents. The address is Box 5310, 4555 E. Mayo Blvd., Phoenix, AZ 85050.
Posted online on September 28, 2022
Published in The Arizona Republic
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Hurricane Ian Makes Landfall In Southwest Florida As Category 4 Storm With 150-Mph Winds | CNN
Hurricane Ian Makes Landfall In Southwest Florida As Category 4 Storm With 150-Mph Winds | CNN https://digitalarizonanews.com/hurricane-ian-makes-landfall-in-southwest-florida-as-category-4-storm-with-150-mph-winds-cnn/
Editor’s Note: Affected by the storm? Use CNN’s lite site for low bandwidth. You also can text or WhatsApp your Ian stories to CNN +1 332-261-0775.
CNN —
Hurricane Ian made landfall along the southwestern coast of Florida near Cayo Costa around 3:05 p.m. ET Wednesday with winds near 150 mph, making it a strong Category 4 hurricane, according to the National Hurricane Center.
The storm is delivering a catastrophic trifecta of high winds, heavy rain and historic storm surge to the state and is set to cause significant power outages and flooding as it moves at a slow pace across central Florida over the next day or two.
Hurricane Ian is tied for the strongest storm to make landfall on the west coast of the Florida peninsula, matching the wind speed of Hurricane Charley in 2004.
Already, over a million Florida utility customers were without power as of 3:45 p.m., according to PowerOutage.us. Officials in Cape Coral and Punta Gorda reported significant impacts, and the storm surge set records for the highest water levels ever observed in Fort Myers and Naples.
“The storm surge is very significant. We’re seeing cars and boats float down the street. We’re seeing trees nearly bent in half,” Frank Loni, an architect from California staying in Fort Myers Beach for the storm, said midday Wednesday. “There’s quite a bit of chaos on the streets.”
Water levels in Fort Myers have risen more than 6 feet over the past seven hours and still rising as strong winds continue to push water from the Gulf of Mexico ashore, according to CNN Meteorologist Brandon Miller.
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Much of west-central Florida and places inland face disaster: “Historic” storm surge up to 18 feet is possible and could swallow coastal homes; rain could cause flooding across much of the state; and crushing winds could flatten homes and stop electricity service for days or weeks.
“This is a wind storm and a surge storm and a flood storm, all in one,” CNN meteorologist Chad Myers said. “And this is going to spread itself out across the entire state. Everybody is going to see something from this.”
Photos: Hurricane Ian barrels into Florida
NOAA/AP
A satellite image shows the eye of Hurricane Ian approaching the southwest coast of Florida on Wednesday, September 28.
Photos: Hurricane Ian barrels into Florida
Naples Police
The streets of Naples, Florida, are flooded on Wednesday. City officials asked residents to shelter in place until further notice.
Photos: Hurricane Ian barrels into Florida
Pedro Portal/El Nuevo Herald/TNS/Abaca/Reuters
Sailboats anchored in Roberts Bay are blown around in Venice, Florida, on Wednesday.
Photos: Hurricane Ian barrels into Florida
Crystal Vander Weit/TCPalm/USA Today Network
Melvin Phillips stands in the flooded basement of his mobile home in Stuart, Florida, on Wednesday.
Photos: Hurricane Ian barrels into Florida
Bryan R. Smith/AFP/Getty Images
A man walks where water was receding from Tampa Bay due to a negative storm surge on Wednesday.
Photos: Hurricane Ian barrels into Florida
Stephen M. Dowell/Orlando Sentinel/AP
Utility trucks are staged in a rural lot Wednesday in The Villages, a Florida retirement community.
Photos: Hurricane Ian barrels into Florida
Marco Bello/Reuters
Traffic lights are blown by strong gusts of wind in Fort Myers, Florida, on Wednesday.
Photos: Hurricane Ian barrels into Florida
Greg Lovett/The Palm Beach Post/USA Today Network
Damage is seen at the Kings Point condos in Delray Beach, Florida, on Wednesday. Officials believe it was caused by a tornado fueled by Hurricane Ian.
Photos: Hurricane Ian barrels into Florida
Marco Bello/Reuters
A TV crew broadcasts from the beach in Fort Myers on Wednesday.
Photos: Hurricane Ian barrels into Florida
Shannon Stapleton/Reuters
Highways in Tampa, Florida, are empty Wednesday ahead of Hurricane Ian making landfall. Several coastal counties in western Florida were under mandatory evacuations.
Photos: Hurricane Ian barrels into Florida
Wilfredo Lee/AP
An airplane is overturned in Pembroke Pines, Florida, on Wednesday.
Photos: Hurricane Ian barrels into Florida
Joe Cavaretta/South Florida Sun-Sentinel via AP
Zuram Rodriguez surveys the damage around her home in Davie, Florida, early on Wednesday.
Photos: Hurricane Ian barrels into Florida
Ramon Espinosa/AP
People play dominoes by flashlight during a blackout in Havana, Cuba, on Wednesday. Crews in Cuba have been working to restore power for millions after the storm battered the western region with high winds and dangerous storm surge, causing an islandwide blackout.
Photos: Hurricane Ian barrels into Florida
Chris O’Meara/AP
Workers board up windows on the University of Tampa campus on Tuesday, September 27.
Photos: Hurricane Ian barrels into Florida
Yamil Lage/AFP/Getty Images
People walk through a flooded street in Batabano, Cuba, on Tuesday.
Photos: Hurricane Ian barrels into Florida
Chris O’Meara/AP
Southwest Airlines passengers check in near a sign that shows canceled flights at the Tampa International Airport on Tuesday.
Photos: Hurricane Ian barrels into Florida
Ramon Espinosa/AP
Maria Llonch retrieves belongings from her home in Pinar del Rio, Cuba, on Tuesday.
Photos: Hurricane Ian barrels into Florida
Willie J. Allen Jr./Orlando Sentinel via AP
Traffic builds along Interstate 4 in Tampa on Tuesday.
Photos: Hurricane Ian barrels into Florida
Alexandre Meneghini/Reuters
A man carries his children through rain and debris in Pinar del Rio on Tuesday.
Photos: Hurricane Ian barrels into Florida
Alexandre Meneghini/Reuters
People drive through debris in Pinar del Rio on Tuesday.
Photos: Hurricane Ian barrels into Florida
Joe Raedle/Getty Images
Frederic and Mary Herodet board up their Gulf Bistro restaurant in St. Pete Beach, Florida, on Tuesday.
Photos: Hurricane Ian barrels into Florida
Yamil Lage/AFP/Getty Images
People stand outside a flooded warehouse in Batabano on Tuesday.
Photos: Hurricane Ian barrels into Florida
Jim Watson/AFP/Getty Images
NASA’s Artemis I rocket rolls back to the Vehicle Assembly Building at the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida, on Tuesday. The launch of the rocket was postponed due to the impending arrival of Hurricane Ian.
Photos: Hurricane Ian barrels into Florida
NASA via AP
Hurricane Ian is seen from the International Space Station on Monday, September 26.
Photos: Hurricane Ian barrels into Florida
Photos: Hurricane Ian barrels into Florida
Yamil Lage/AFP/Getty Images
A Cuban family transports personal belongings to a safe place in the Fanguito neighborhood of Havana on Monday.
Photos: Hurricane Ian barrels into Florida
Shannon Stapleton/Reuters
Local residents fill sandbags in Tampa on Monday to help protect their homes from flooding.
Photos: Hurricane Ian barrels into Florida
Adalberto Roque/AFP/Getty Images
A family carries a dog to a safe place in Batabano on Monday.
Photos: Hurricane Ian barrels into Florida
Phelan M. Ebenhack/AP
People wait in lines to fuel their vehicles at a Costco store in Orlando on Monday.
Photos: Hurricane Ian barrels into Florida
Mike Lang/USA Today Network
Ryan Copenhaver, manager of Siesta T’s in Sarasota, Florida, installs hurricane panels over the store’s windows on Monday.
Photos: Hurricane Ian barrels into Florida
Kevin Morales/AP
A woman takes photos while waves crash against a seawall in George Town, Grand Cayman, on Monday.
Photos: Hurricane Ian barrels into Florida
Yamil Lage/AFP/Getty Imagaes
A man helps pull small boats out of Cuba’s Havana Bay on Monday.
Photos: Hurricane Ian barrels into Florida
Gregg Newton/AFP via Getty Images
Shelves are empty in a supermarket’s water aisle in Kissimmee, Florida, on Monday.
Photos: Hurricane Ian barrels into Florida
Martha Asencio-Rhine/Tampa Bay Times via ZUMA Press Wire
Cathie Perkins, emergency management director in Pinellas County, Florida, references a map on Monday that indicates where storm surges would impact the county. During a news conference, she urged anyone living in those areas to evacuate.
Photos: Hurricane Ian barrels into Florida
NOAA/NASA
This satellite image, taken Monday at 1 p.m. ET, shows Hurricane Ian near Cuba.
Photos: Hurricane Ian barrels into Florida
Andrew West/USA Today Network
Sarah Peterson fills sandbags in Fort Myers Beach, Florida, on Saturday, September 24.
Photos: Hurricane Ian barrels into Florida
Andrew West/USA Today Network
Besnik Bushati fills gas containers at a gas station in Naples on Saturday. The station had only premium gas that morning.
Mandatory evacuations have been ordered for flood-prone areas on the coast, and the National Weather Service warned those who stayed behind to move to upper floors in case of rising water levels.
“This is a powerful storm that should be treated like you would treat” a tornado approaching your home, Gov. Ron DeSantis said around 8 a.m.
Images showed extensive flooding in coastal neighborhoods in Naples, where officials asked residents to shelter in place until further notice.
In some areas, such as Charlotte County, Florida, 911 response teams have stopped emergency service due to the high winds and dangerous conditions. Sarasota Mayor Eric Arroyo said on CNN’s “At This Hour” that police officers were being taken off the streets due to the wind speeds and hazardous conditions.
“It is too late to evacuate at this point,” Arroyo said.
Ian poses several major dangers:
• Storm surge: Some 12 to 18 feet of seawater pushed onto land was predicted Wednesday for the coastal Fort Myers area, from Englewood to Bonita Beach, forecasters said. Only slightly less is forecast for a stretch from Bonita Beach down to near the Everglades (8 to 12 feet), and from ...
Stocks Rebound From 2022 Low Dow Closes Up More Than 500 Points And Snaps Six-Day Losing Streak
Stocks Rebound From 2022 Low, Dow Closes Up More Than 500 Points And Snaps Six-Day Losing Streak https://digitalarizonanews.com/stocks-rebound-from-2022-low-dow-closes-up-more-than-500-points-and-snaps-six-day-losing-streak/
Home Depot, Boeing lead Dow higher
All but one of the 30 Dow stocks are now in positive territory as the market average is up 600 points on the day.
Home Depot is the best performer in the Dow, up more than 5%. Construction stocks could be a beneficiary of national disasters, like the hurricane that hit Florida on Wednesday.
Other top performers include Boeing, up 4.8%, and Disney, up 3.8%.
The lone decliner is Apple, down 1.3%.
—Jesse Pound
Stocks making the biggest moves midday
These companies are making headlines in midday trading.
Apple — Apple shares fell 3.4% on Wednesday following a report that the company is ditching plans to boost new iPhone production. Instead of aiming to increase output by 6 million units in the second half of the year as it had planned, it will shoot for 90 million units, unchanged from the prior year, according to Bloomberg.
Biogen — Shares of the biopharmaceutical company soared 37% following upbeat results from its experimental Alzheimer’s drug study and a slew of upgrades from analysts. Biogen and its Japanese partner Eisai said the drug reduced cognitive decline by 27% and slowed the progression of the disease.
Broadridge — Spruce Point Capital Management issued report containing a strong sell opinion, saying it sees as much as 75% downside risk.
Check out more midday movers here.
— Tanaya Macheel
10-year Treasury yield drops the most since 2020
The yield on the benchmark 10-year Treasury note dropped the most since 2020 on Wednesday, despite briefly topping 4% earlier in the session, after the Bank of England announced a bond-buying plan to stabilize the British pound.
The 10-year Treasury yield last dropped 23 basis points to 3.733%, or the most it’s dropped since 2020.
It hit a high of about 4.019%, a key level that was the highest since October 2008, earlier in the day before erasing those gains.
Yields and prices move in opposite directions. One basis point is equal to 0.01%.
— Sarah Min
Stocks hit session highs midday as British pound rises
Stocks hit session highs in midday trading, with the Dow Jones Industrial Average up more than 400 basis points, as the British pound recovered.
The British pound reached a session high of $1.0875 against the dollar, up about 1%, around noontime Wednesday after falling to as much as $1.0541 earlier in the session.
Those moves come after the Bank of England said it would buy long-dated bonds as a temporary measure to stabilize the currency.
— Sarah Min
Investors should buy stocks now, not wait for market bottom, Rubenstein says
Investors shouldn’t be afraid of snapping up stocks trading at a discount now, even if the market may have a bit further to fall, David Rubenstein said during CNBC’s Delivering Alpha Investor Summit Wednesday.
That’s because stocks are much closer to the bottom than they are to the top, The Carlyle Group co-founder said.
“It’s a fools’ errand to find the bottom in the market or the top in the market,” he said. “Trying to wait to the absolute bottom is probably a mistake, in my view.”
Read more here.
—Carmen Reinicke
There are investing opportunities everywhere right now, says JPMorgan’s Erdoes
Staying invested in this turbulent market means finding the right opportunities.
“There is alpha everywhere,” Mary Callahan Erdoes, JPMorgan Asset & Wealth Management CEO, said at CNBC’s Delivering Alpha Investor Summit in New York City Wednesday. “It’s in stocks. It’s in bonds. It’s in currencies. It’s in real estate. It’s in private markets. It’s in public markets. It’s everywhere, because we are in such a state of change.”
Erdoes likes U.K. banks, saying they might be “the most interesting thing you can invest in.”
“Last week people said don’t invest in a single thing in the U.K. That is exactly when people like us, and people in the room, think, ‘Let’s go look right there,‴ she said.
To read more of her investing ideas from the Delivering Alpha Summit, as well as those of her fellow panelists, click here.
— Michelle Fox
Market can’t count on short-covering help, Strategas says
While the stock market attempts to rally after a dramatic sell-off, it is unlikely to get significant help from hedge funds covering their short positions, according to Strategas.
When stocks fall dramatically, there can sometimes be short-term relief as big funds that bet against the stock close out those positions, creating a short-term buying bump. But strategist Chris Verrone said in a note to clients on Wednesday that the market’s biggest stocks do not have much short interest, limiting the benefit of any short covering.
“We were asked by a client yesterday if a ‘short covering rally’ was likely from here – the market is certainly very short-term oversold, but there’s really not much short interest among the high profile names (MSFT 0.6% of float, AMZN 0.9%, PG 0.6%, HD 0.9%, MA 0.5%, etc.),” the Strategas note said.
Other notable stocks with short interest below 1% include Apple, Berkshire Hathaway, UnitedHealth Group, Exxon Mobil and Coca-Cola, according to Strategas.
— Jesse Pound, Michael Bloom
Eli Lilly notches all-time high, 33 S&P 500 stocks hit fresh lows
At least 33 stocks notched fresh lows in early morning trading on Wednesday while shares of Eli Lilly traded near all-time highs dating back to 1952.
Here are some of the names that hit fresh lows:
Paramount trading at lows not seen since May 2020
Warner Bros. Discovery trading at lows not seen since July 2009
Caesars Entertainment trading at lows not seen since August 2020
Domino’s Pizza trading at lows not seen since April 2020
Hasbro trading at lows not seen since May 2020
YUM Brands trading at lows not seen since March 2021
Church & Dwight trading at lows not seen since June 2020
Kraft Heinz trading at lows not seen since February 2021
Kimberly-Clark trading at lows not seen since March 2020
Mondelez trading at lows not seen since March 2021
McCormick trading at lows not seen since April 2020
Altria trading at lows not seen since February 2021
Tyson Foods trading at levels not seen since February 2021
Walgreens Boots Alliance trading at lows not seen since November 2012
Abbott Labs trading at lows not seen since July 2020
Organon trading at all-time lows back to its spin-off from Merck in June 2021
Intel Corporation trading at lows not seen since August 2015
MasterCard trading at lows not seen since October 2020
Qualcomm trading at lows not seen since October 2020
Digital Realty Trust trading at lows not seen since December 2016
Visa trading at lows not seen since May 2020
— Chris Hayes, Samantha Subin
Apple slump on iPhone news is a buying opportunity, Keybanc says
Shares of Apple are slipping Wednesday following a report that the company is pulling back production of its new iPhone as demand falters.
That could be an opportunity for investors to snap up shares, said Brandon Nispel of Keybanc.
“We view this as negative for AAPL today, however, believe it is neutral to consensus expectations and would take advantage by buying on the pullback,” he wrote in a Wednesday note.
Keybanc data suggests that hardware revenue for the iPhone is still strong, and that Apple’s market share is solid and possibly improving.
“Further, AAPL was hoping to ramp up iPhone 14 units, though if the higher level of demand never materialized, it likely represents no change to consensus expectations,” Nispel wrote. He added that Apple has done this before – last October, the company cut iPhone 13 production citing chip shortages.
Going forward, Nispel expects iPhone 14 mix to shift to higher end models, a positive in the longer-term.
“By no means is it surprising to us, or should be to investors, that iPhone 14 unit productions may get cut as wait times for the iPhone 14 have been effectively zero, as opposed to a couple week wait time for iPhone 14 Pro/Max,” he said. “The iPhone 14 just did not receive the same level of upgrades vs. the iPhone 13 as the iPhone 14 Pro/Max received vs. the iPhone 13 Pro/Max.”
—Carmen Reinicke
Stanley Druckenmiller says he sees ‘hard landing’ in 2023 with a possible deeper recession
Billionaire investor Stanley Druckenmiller believes the Federal Reserve’s aggressive tightening measures will tip the U.S. economy into a recession.
“Our central case is a hard landing by the end of ’23,” Druckenmiller said at CNBC’s Delivering Alpha Investor Summit in New York City Wednesday. “I will be stunned if we don’t have recession in ’23. I don’t know the timing but certainly by the end of ’23. I will not be surprised if it’s not larger than the so called average garden variety.”
And the legendary investor who has never had a down year in the markets fears it could be something even worse. “I don’t rule out something really bad,” he said.
Read the full story here.
— Yun Li
Short-seller Carson Block says some ESG companies are ‘money grabs’
Famed short-seller Carson Block told CNBC on Wednesday that many ESG-focused companies are “money grabs” taking advantage of the U.S. government and some investors.
“I would like to save the world,” he said during an interview with “Squawk Box” outside CNBC’s Delivering Alpha conference. “I believe that we do have problems. However, these companies that I’ve seen, are not the ones who are going to save us. Many of these are just money grabs, dressed up — clad in green.”
CNBC Pro subscribers can read the full story here.
— Samantha Subin
S&P 500 opens higher
The S&P 500 bounced slightly off the new 2022 low on Wednesday following the Bank of England’s bond-buying plan to stabilize the falling British pound.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average gained 37 points, or about 0.13%. The S&P 500 rose 0.11%, and the Nasdaq Composite was down 0.12%....
Mayhem At Russian Border As Thousands Flee Putins Draft
Mayhem At Russian Border As Thousands Flee Putin’s Draft https://digitalarizonanews.com/mayhem-at-russian-border-as-thousands-flee-putins-draft/
CHISINAU, Moldova—It took three days for two 24-year-old friends, photographer Mikhail and tech worker Dmitry, to make the grueling journey across a 16-kilometer-long traffic lineup between Russia and Georgia.
The two men, who only wanted to be identified by their first names for fear of retribution, are among the 261,000 who fled the country after Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered a “partial” war mobilization last week—a decree that is set to send hundreds of thousands of young Russian men to fight in Ukraine.
Mikhail and Dmitry bought plane tickets from Moscow to the city of Mineral Waters in Russia’s Caucasus region on Thursday, just hours after the mobilization announcement. They then drove to the city of Vladikavkaz, where they said they were forced to leave their car behind after being stopped by a police officer. From there, they walked and hitchhiked their way across the Russian border to Georgia.
Their exodus was the “most horrific time of life,” Mikhail told The Daily Beast. He said it involved multiple interrogations by Russian police, as well as threats of imprisonment and extortion. But the two friends were determined to make their getaway—because they knew exactly what would happen to them if they stayed.
It felt like they were fleeing “the most hostile” country in the world, Mikhail told The Daily Beast. “During one of the interrogations by traffic police, I had to show my unusual birthmark and lie to them that I had cancer. They believed me and let us go but only to the next checkpoint, where we were once again interrogated.”
People arriving from Russia wait at the Mongolian border checkpoint of Altanbulag on September 25, 2022, after the Kremlin announced a partial mobilization for the war in Ukraine.
BYAMBASUREN BYAMBA-OCHIR/AFP via Getty
Rumors that the FSB is set to close Russian borders as thousands continue to flee the country have only fueled the panic among citizens desperate to evade conscription. The traffic lineups at Russia’s border with Georgia and Kazakhstan now stretch dozens of miles, with fleeing citizens often leaving behind their suitcases and vehicles in the midst of the chaos.
“We were treated as enemies in our own country,” Mikhail said. “I cannot blame them, they are enemies to us, we could not even think of killing people in Ukraine!”
Meanwhile, tens of thousands of Telegram users on the Russian “Border Control” group chat have been documenting their experiences trying to flee Russia.
“It looks like [border authorities] now have lists of names banned from leaving, they asked me about the purpose of my travel and checked with some database,” wrote one user from the Domodedovo airport on Tuesday, who was leaving Moscow for Yerevan in Armenia. The price of that plane ticket had skyrocketed from $300 on Thursday to almost $1,000 on Monday.
Those who’ve fled Russia are leaving behind some terrifying scenes in their own cities. Russian law enforcement has been accused of beating and detaining thousands of anti-war demonstrators who have taken to the streets to protest the mobilization. Police have been accused of raping one activist, poet Artem Kamardin, with a dumbbell. Videos of inexperienced men being sent to combat zones in Ukraine have flooded Russian social media channels.
“My defense lawyer told me that if Putin decides to accuse us of a crime for running away from his mobilization, then Kazakhstan might extradite me back to Russia,” 38-year-old business manager Alexander, who fled to Kazakhstan this week, told The Daily Beast. “There were people crying and arguing and screaming in line on the border. I crossed the border last night on foot with just my backpack. I have no future plans but I am still panicking that Kazakhs might kick me out.”
People carrying luggage walk past vehicles with Russian license plates on the Russian side of the border towards the Nizhniy Lars customs checkpoint between Georgia and Russia some 25 km outside the town of Vladikavkaz, on September 25, 2022.
AFP/Getty
Photographer Mikhail had four heavy cameras in his backpack and a laptop. His friend Dmitry was also carrying heavy luggage. After hiking for several miles across the border lineup, the two were lucky to find somebody they knew traveling by car.
“There was no space for us but at least some space for our luggage, so we walked on and our friends continued to wait in that line,” Mikhail said. “But after waiting for three days, people began to fight over a spot in line, and eventually our friends turned around and went back to Moscow with our luggage.”
Another Russian escapee, 38-year-old Konstantin, did not bring any luggage with him, just a scooter. Before the war, he was a tour guide who would lead expeditions in some of Russia’s most remote regions. But even for Konstantin, the journey was “nerve-wracking,” he told The Daily Beast.
Photographer Oksana Yushko also hiked 18 kilometers across the Georgian border on Monday. She had water with her but no food. “They are not letting Caucasus nationals out, or at least they are interrogating them for a long time in some separate room,” she told The Daily Beast.
For 31-year-old event planner Alexey Lesin, the trip from his hometown of Kazan to the Georgian border took almost four days. “I spent 15 hours in the traffic jam on the border, with no movement, so I decided to walk under heavy rain all the way to the border,” Lesin told The Daily Beast. “The entire trip cost me $1,500. This is a lot of money for me but it was worth it—though I have absolutely no plan for my future life in Georgia.”
In his final comments to The Daily Beast, Mikhail said he “100 percent” believes he would have died had he been sent to Ukraine. “Now I feel like I am completely naked without any of my belongings, he said. “But I am already breathing freely here in Georgia.”
Read More Here
Hurricane Ian Nears Landfall In Southwest Florida Bringing High Winds Heavy Rain And Historic Storm Surge | CNN
Hurricane Ian Nears Landfall In Southwest Florida, Bringing High Winds, Heavy Rain And Historic Storm Surge | CNN https://digitalarizonanews.com/hurricane-ian-nears-landfall-in-southwest-florida-bringing-high-winds-heavy-rain-and-historic-storm-surge-cnn/
Editor’s Note: Affected by the storm? Use CNN’s lite site for low bandwidth. You also can text or WhatsApp your Ian stories to CNN +1 332-261-0775.
CNN —
Hurricane Ian is poised to make landfall in southwest Florida on Wednesday and is already bringing a catastrophic trifecta of high winds, heavy rain and historic storm surge to the state.
Ian is a Category 4 hurricane with sustained winds of 155 mph, and its center was located about 35 miles west-southwest of Fort Myers as of 1 p.m. ET, the National Hurricane Center said. The storm is moving at about 9 mph and is expected to make landfall, perhaps north of Fort Myers near the Port Charlotte and Punta Gorda areas, this afternoon, the center said.
Much of west-central Florida and places inland face disaster: “Historic” storm surge up to 18 feet is possible and could swallow coastal homes; rain could cause flooding across much of the state; and crushing winds could flatten homes and stop electricity service for days or weeks.
“This is a wind storm and a surge storm and a flood storm, all in one,” CNN meteorologist Chad Myers said. “And this is going to spread itself out across the entire state. Everybody is going to see something from this.”
Fort Myers Beach was already feeling the brunt of the storm’s powerful eyewall just after noon Wednesday. Frank Loni, an architect from California staying in the community, posted video from a building’s balcony of some of the flooding on the streets below.
“The storm surge is very significant. We’re seeing cars and boats float down the street. We’re seeing trees nearly bent in half,” Loni said. “There’s quite a bit of chaos on the streets.”
Photos: Hurricane Ian barrels into Florida
NOAA/AP
A satellite image shows the eye of Hurricane Ian approaching the southwest coast of Florida on Wednesday, September 28.
Photos: Hurricane Ian barrels into Florida
Pedro Portal/El Nuevo Herald/TNS/Abaca/Reuters
Sailboats anchored in Roberts Bay are blown around in Venice, Florida, on Wednesday.
Photos: Hurricane Ian barrels into Florida
Crystal Vander Weit/TCPalm/USA Today Network
Melvin Phillips stands in the flooded basement of his mobile home in Stuart, Florida, on Wednesday.
Photos: Hurricane Ian barrels into Florida
Bryan R. Smith/AFP/Getty Images
A man walks where water was receding from Tampa Bay due to a negative storm surge on Wednesday.
Photos: Hurricane Ian barrels into Florida
Stephen M. Dowell/Orlando Sentinel/AP
Utility trucks are staged in a rural lot Wednesday in The Villages, a Florida retirement community.
Photos: Hurricane Ian barrels into Florida
Marco Bello/Reuters
Traffic lights are blown by strong gusts of wind in Fort Myers, Florida, on Wednesday.
Photos: Hurricane Ian barrels into Florida
Greg Lovett/The Palm Beach Post/USA Today Network
Damage is seen at the Kings Point condos in Delray Beach, Florida, on Wednesday. Officials believe it was caused by a tornado fueled by Hurricane Ian.
Photos: Hurricane Ian barrels into Florida
Marco Bello/Reuters
A TV crew broadcasts from the beach in Fort Myers on Wednesday.
Photos: Hurricane Ian barrels into Florida
Shannon Stapleton/Reuters
Highways in Tampa, Florida, are empty Wednesday ahead of Hurricane Ian making landfall. Several coastal counties in western Florida were under mandatory evacuations.
Photos: Hurricane Ian barrels into Florida
Wilfredo Lee/AP
An airplane is overturned in Pembroke Pines, Florida, on Wednesday.
Photos: Hurricane Ian barrels into Florida
Joe Cavaretta/South Florida Sun-Sentinel via AP
Zuram Rodriguez surveys the damage around her home in Davie, Florida, early on Wednesday.
Photos: Hurricane Ian barrels into Florida
Ramon Espinosa/AP
People play dominoes by flashlight during a blackout in Havana, Cuba, on Wednesday. Crews in Cuba have been working to restore power for millions after the storm battered the western region with high winds and dangerous storm surge, causing an islandwide blackout.
Photos: Hurricane Ian barrels into Florida
Chris O’Meara/AP
Workers board up windows on the University of Tampa campus on Tuesday, September 27.
Photos: Hurricane Ian barrels into Florida
Yamil Lage/AFP/Getty Images
People walk through a flooded street in Batabano, Cuba, on Tuesday.
Photos: Hurricane Ian barrels into Florida
Chris O’Meara/AP
Southwest Airlines passengers check in near a sign that shows canceled flights at the Tampa International Airport on Tuesday.
Photos: Hurricane Ian barrels into Florida
Ramon Espinosa/AP
Maria Llonch retrieves belongings from her home in Pinar del Rio, Cuba, on Tuesday.
Photos: Hurricane Ian barrels into Florida
Willie J. Allen Jr./Orlando Sentinel via AP
Traffic builds along Interstate 4 in Tampa on Tuesday.
Photos: Hurricane Ian barrels into Florida
Alexandre Meneghini/Reuters
A man carries his children through rain and debris in Pinar del Rio on Tuesday.
Photos: Hurricane Ian barrels into Florida
Alexandre Meneghini/Reuters
People drive through debris in Pinar del Rio on Tuesday.
Photos: Hurricane Ian barrels into Florida
Joe Raedle/Getty Images
Frederic and Mary Herodet board up their Gulf Bistro restaurant in St. Pete Beach, Florida, on Tuesday.
Photos: Hurricane Ian barrels into Florida
Yamil Lage/AFP/Getty Images
People stand outside a flooded warehouse in Batabano on Tuesday.
Photos: Hurricane Ian barrels into Florida
Jim Watson/AFP/Getty Images
NASA’s Artemis I rocket rolls back to the Vehicle Assembly Building at the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida, on Tuesday. The launch of the rocket was postponed due to the impending arrival of Hurricane Ian.
Photos: Hurricane Ian barrels into Florida
NASA via AP
Hurricane Ian is seen from the International Space Station on Monday, September 26.
Photos: Hurricane Ian barrels into Florida
Photos: Hurricane Ian barrels into Florida
Yamil Lage/AFP/Getty Images
A Cuban family transports personal belongings to a safe place in the Fanguito neighborhood of Havana on Monday.
Photos: Hurricane Ian barrels into Florida
Shannon Stapleton/Reuters
Local residents fill sandbags in Tampa on Monday to help protect their homes from flooding.
Photos: Hurricane Ian barrels into Florida
Adalberto Roque/AFP/Getty Images
A family carries a dog to a safe place in Batabano on Monday.
Photos: Hurricane Ian barrels into Florida
Phelan M. Ebenhack/AP
People wait in lines to fuel their vehicles at a Costco store in Orlando on Monday.
Photos: Hurricane Ian barrels into Florida
Mike Lang/USA Today Network
Ryan Copenhaver, manager of Siesta T’s in Sarasota, Florida, installs hurricane panels over the store’s windows on Monday.
Photos: Hurricane Ian barrels into Florida
Kevin Morales/AP
A woman takes photos while waves crash against a seawall in George Town, Grand Cayman, on Monday.
Photos: Hurricane Ian barrels into Florida
Yamil Lage/AFP/Getty Imagaes
A man helps pull small boats out of Cuba’s Havana Bay on Monday.
Photos: Hurricane Ian barrels into Florida
Gregg Newton/AFP via Getty Images
Shelves are empty in a supermarket’s water aisle in Kissimmee, Florida, on Monday.
Photos: Hurricane Ian barrels into Florida
Martha Asencio-Rhine/Tampa Bay Times via ZUMA Press Wire
Cathie Perkins, emergency management director in Pinellas County, Florida, references a map on Monday that indicates where storm surges would impact the county. During a news conference, she urged anyone living in those areas to evacuate.
Photos: Hurricane Ian barrels into Florida
NOAA/NASA
This satellite image, taken Monday at 1 p.m. ET, shows Hurricane Ian near Cuba.
Photos: Hurricane Ian barrels into Florida
Andrew West/USA Today Network
Sarah Peterson fills sandbags in Fort Myers Beach, Florida, on Saturday, September 24.
Photos: Hurricane Ian barrels into Florida
Andrew West/USA Today Network
Besnik Bushati fills gas containers at a gas station in Naples, Florida, on Saturday. The station had only premium gas that morning.
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Mandatory evacuations have been ordered for flood-prone areas on the coast, and the National Weather Service warned those who stayed behind to move to upper floors in case of rising water levels.
“This is a powerful storm that should be treated like you would treat” a tornado approaching your home, Gov. Ron DeSantis said around 8 a.m.
Images showed extensive flooding in coastal neighborhoods in Naples, where officials asked residents to shelter in place until further notice.
In some areas, such as Charlotte County, Florida, 911 response teams have stopped emergency service due to the high winds and dangerous conditions. Sarasota Mayor Eric Arroyo said on CNN’s “At This Hour” that police officers were being taken off the streets due to the wind speeds and hazardous conditions.
“It is too late to evacuate at this point,” Arroyo said.
About 480,000 Florida utility customers already were without power as of 2 p.m., according to PowerOutage.us.
Ian poses several major dangers:
• Storm surge: Some 12 to 18 feet of seawater pushed onto land is forecast Wednesday for the coastal Fort Myers area, from Englewood to Bonita Beach, forecasters said. Only slightly less is forecast for a stretch from Bonita Beach down to near the Everglades (8 to 12 feet), and from near Bradenton to Englewood (6 to 10 feet), forecasters said.
Lower – but still life-threatening – surge is possible elsewhere, including north of Tampa and along Florida’s northeast coast near Jacksonville.
• Winds: Southwest Florida is facing “catastrophic wind damage.” Winds near the core of Hurricane Ian could exceed 150 mph, with gusts up to 190 mph, the hurricane center said. Multiple locations, including Sanibel Island, already have recorded win...
Grief Protest And Power: Why Iranian Women Are Cutting Their Hair | CNN
Grief, Protest And Power: Why Iranian Women Are Cutting Their Hair | CNN https://digitalarizonanews.com/grief-protest-and-power-why-iranian-women-are-cutting-their-hair-cnn/
02:49 – Source: CNN
Protesters set fire to statue of symbolic Islamic figure
Editor’s Note: A version of this story first appeared in CNN’s Meanwhile in the Middle East newsletter, a three-times-a-week look inside the region’s biggest stories. Sign up here.
Abu Dhabi, UAE CNN —
A weeping Iranian woman is seen kneeling by her dead brother’s coffin as she slashes through her hair with a pair of scissors. Her relatives wail for justice as she tosses strands onto the coffin.
They were grieving for 36-year-old Javad Heydari, who was fatally shot last week at one of the anti-government protests that have gripped Iran.
Images like these have galvanized women across the world to join Iranian women protesting the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini. She died in hospital on September 16, three days after being pulled off the streets of Tehran by morality police and taken to a “re-education center” for lessons in modesty.
From the Middle East, Europe and across the United States, women around the globe have shown solidarity with Iranian women’s plight in rallies and demonstrations. Some have also cut or shaved their hair in public or while being filmed.
11:07 – Source: CNN
These protests are different, says celebrated Iranian author
Now in their 12th day, protests have swept through more than 40 Iranian cities, including the capital Tehran. Iranian security forces have been cracking down on protesters, with hundreds arrested and at least 41 killed, according to state media. Some human rights organizations say the death toll is as high as 76. CNN cannot independently verify these figures.
So, why are women cutting their hair?
For many Iranian women, cutting off hair – a sign of beauty that is decreed to be hidden in the Islamic Republic – is a poignant form of protest.
“We want to show them that we don’t care about their standards, their definition of beauty or what they think that we should look like,” said 36-year-old Faezeh Afshan, an Iranian chemical engineer living in Bologna, Italy, who was filmed shaving off her hair. “It is to show that we are angry.”
Afshan attributes the practice of cutting off hair to historical cultural practices. “In our literature, cutting the hair is a symbol of mourning, and sometimes a symbol of protesting,” she told CNN. “If we can cut our hair to show that we are angry… we will do it.”
The practice is cited in Shahnameh, a 1,000-year-old Persian epic and a cultural mainstay in Iran written by Ferdowsi. Made of nearly 60,000 verses, the poem tells the stories of the kings of Persia and is one of the most important works of literature in the Persian language. In more than one instance through the epic work, hair is plucked in an act of mourning.
“Women cutting their hair is an ancient Persian tradition… when the fury is stronger than the power of the oppressor,” tweeted Wales-based writer and translator Shara Atashi. “The moment we have been waiting for has come. Politics fueled by poetry.”
In the Shahnameh, after the hero Siyavash is killed, his wife Farangis and the girls accompanying her cut their hair to protest injustice, Atashi told CNN.
The characters portrayed in the poem “are in everyday use as symbols and archetypes,” she said, adding that the poem has helped shape the identities of Iranians, Afghans and Tajiks for 1,000 years.
“But there is haircutting in the poetry of Hafez and Khaqani too, always about mourning and protests against injustice,” she said, referring to other Persian poets.
02:55 – Source: CNN
Women burn their hijabs after woman’s death in police custody
The practice is also common in other ancient cultures. The Epic of Gilgamesh, a 3,500-year-old poem from ancient Mesopotamia (modern-day Iraq) covers themes of grief and despair, where cutting or pulling out one’s hair is used to express anguish. The poem is considered to be one of the world’s oldest works of literature and is said to have influenced neighboring cultures.
Shima Babaei, an Iranian activist residing in Belgium who said she was arrested by Iran’s notorious morality police in 2018 for publicly removing her hijab as a sign of protest, told CNN that hair cutting had “historical meaning” for Iranians. Women who lose a direct relative would sometimes cut their hair as a sign of mourning and anger, she said.
01:13 – Source: CNN
Iranian women open up about hijab law and morality police
“For us, Mahsa was our sister,” she said. “And so, in this way, we are protesting.”
Cutting hair, said Atashi, “is itself a ceremony of mourning to better expose the depth of suffering at the loss of a loved one.” And in today’s context, she adds, it is a sign of “protest against the killing of our people.”
Saudi king names MBS as prime minister
Saudi Arabia’s King Salman bin Abdulaziz has named his son Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (known as MBS) as the kingdom’s prime minister and another son Prince Khalid as defense minister, according to Saudi state media.
Background: The crown prince was promoted from defense minister and has been the de facto ruler of Saudi Arabia for several years. Khalid previously served as deputy defense minister. MBS said the kingdom has increased its self-sufficiency in military industries to 15% from 2% and plans to reach 50% under the newly appointed defense minister, state-run Saudi Press Agency reported. King Salman will still preside over the cabinet meetings he attends, the decree showed.
Why it matters: MBS has changed Saudi Arabia radically since rising to power in 2017, leading efforts to diversify the economy from its dependence on oil, allowing women to drive and curbing clerics’ powers. His reforms, however, have come with a crackdown on dissent, with activists, royals, women rights’ activists and businessmen jailed.
Turkey summons German envoy after politician likens Erdogan to ‘sewer rat’
Turkey’s foreign ministry summoned the German ambassador to Ankara on Tuesday to protest comments made by a senior German politician who likened President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to a “little sewer rat,” Reuters reported. “We condemn in the strongest terms the insulting statements made by Wolfgang Kubicki, the vice-speaker of the German Federal Parliament, about our president in a speech during the Lower Saxony state election campaign,” Turkish foreign ministry spokesman Tanju Bilgic said in a statement.
Background: Kubicki confirmed to Reuters that he made the comment during an election campaign rally while trying to draw attention to a rise in the number of illegal migrants moving from Turkey along the so-called Balkan route towards Germany. “A sewer rat is a small, cute, but at the same time clever and crafty creature that also appears in children’s stories,” Kubicki said, citing the popular animated movie “Ratatouille” as an example.
Why it matters: Turkey is a candidate for EU membership but negotiations have long been stalled amid disagreements on a number of issues including Ankara’s human rights record, migration and geopolitics. Insulting the president is a criminal offense in Turkey, where Erdogan and his ruling AK Party have held power for two decades.
At least 4 Palestinians killed, dozens wounded in one of this year’s deadliest Israeli West Bank raids
At least four Palestinian men were killed and 50 wounded during an Israeli military raid in Jenin Wednesday morning, Palestinian officials said, making it one of the deadliest Israeli raids in the occupied West Bank this year, which has already seen over 100 Palestinians killed by Israeli soldiers. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said the raid was related to an attack in Tel Aviv in April which left three people dead, and that the suspects Wednesday fought back with explosives and gunfire.
Background: For months, Israel has been regularly raiding cities in the West Bank, focusing especially on Jenin and Nablus, saying it is targeting militants and their weapons caches before they have the chance to cross into Israel and carry out attacks. The operation, dubbed “Breaking the Wave” by the IDF, was launched after a series of attacks on Israelis. At least 20 Israelis and foreigners have been killed in attacks targeting civilians and soldiers in Israel and the West Bank so far this year.
Why it matters: This is already the deadliest year for Palestinians in the West Bank since 2015, according to the Palestinian Ministry of Health. More than 35 of those killed have been in Jenin. Israel says most killed were engaging violently with soldiers during military operations, but dozens of unarmed civilians have been killed as well, human rights groups including B’Tselem have said.
Muhammed Semih Ugurlu/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images
Henna, a reddish-brown dye famously used for body art in many parts of the Middle East, may be making its way to joining the UNESCO list of intangible cultural heritage.
In the process of being nominated by the UAE and the Arab League, henna has long been part of Middle Eastern, North African and South Asian heritage and identity.
Dating back thousands of years, the temporary dye is used to create elaborate designs mainly on one’s hands, often for religious festivals and celebrations.
Representatives from 16 Arab countries met this month to discuss the nomination, according to the Abu Dhabi government media office, stressing that henna plays an important role in Arab and Gulf culture and identity.
UNESCO’s list of intangible cultural heritage includes both inherited as well as modern traditions, and is meant to promote practices that contribute to “social cohesion” and encourage a shared sense of identity.
The list includes practices such as falconry, yoga, and Arabic calligraphy.
By Nadeen Ebrahim
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Success Of Experimental Alzheimers Drug Hailed As historic Moment
Success Of Experimental Alzheimer’s Drug Hailed As ‘historic Moment’ https://digitalarizonanews.com/success-of-experimental-alzheimers-drug-hailed-as-historic-moment/
An experimental drug has slowed the rate of decline in memory and thinking in people with early Alzheimer’s disease in what is being described as a “historic moment” for dementia treatment.
The cognition of Alzheimer’s patients given the drug, developed by Eisai and Biogen, declined by 27% less than those on a placebo treatment after 18 months. This is a modest change in clinical outcome but it is the first time any drug has been clearly shown to alter the disease’s trajectory.
“This is a historic moment for dementia research, as this is the first phase 3 trial of an Alzheimer’s drug in a generation to successfully slow cognitive decline,” said Dr Susan Kohlhaas, the director of research at Alzheimer’s Research UK. “Many people feel Alzheimer’s is an inevitable part of ageing. This spells it out: if you intervene early you can make an impact on how people progress.”
In the study, which enrolled roughly 1,800 patients with early stage Alzheimer’s, patients were given twice-weekly infusions of the drug, called lecanemab. It was also shown to reduce toxic plaques in the brain and slow patients’ memory decline and ability to perform day-to-day tasks.
About a fifth of patients experienced side-effects, including brain swelling or brain bleeding visible on PET scans, with about 3% of those patients experiencing symptomatic side-effects.
The results offer a boost to the “amyloid hypothesis”, which assumes that sticky plaques seen in the brains of dementia patients play a role in damaging brain cells and causing cognitive decline.
A series of previous drug candidates had been shown to successfully reduce levels of amyloid in the brain, but without any improvement in clinical outcomes, leading some to question whether the research field had been on the wrong track.
Rob Howard, a professor of old age psychiatry at University College London (UCL), said: “This is an unambiguously statistically positive result and represents something of an historic moment when we see the first convincing modification of Alzheimer’s disease. God knows, we’ve waited long enough for this.”
Eisai and Biogen are expected to apply for regulatory approval in the US and Europe by the end of the year. If approved, healthcare providers will have difficult decisions about whether to fund the drug, which requires infusions every two weeks, and who will be eligible for it because the clinical improvements seen by patients fall just below a widely accepted benchmark.
On a 14-point scale used to assess Alzheimer’s progression, patients on the drug scored 0.45 higher than those on the placebo treatment, with an Alzheimer’s patient being expected to decline by about 1 point a year.
Howard said: “The accepted minimum worthwhile difference ranges from 0.5 to 1.0 points, [meaning] that there are going to be some very difficult conversations and decisions in the next weeks and months.”
The overall benefits will depend on whether patients on the drug maintain a better trajectory beyond the first 18 months, but the latest data cannot answer that question.
There are also questions about whether the drug could slow decline at an even earlier stage. Eisai is recruiting people with a high risk of Alzheimer’s who have not yet developed symptoms to take part in further trials to try to help answer this.
The prospect of an effective Alzheimer’s therapy will focus attention on the ability of healthcare services to deliver treatments to the almost 1 million people affected in the UK – one in every 14 people aged 65 years and over.
According to Alzheimer’s Research UK, only one in three psychiatry services would be ready to deliver a new treatment within a year and, in the UK, many patients are diagnosed at a much later stage than those who took part in the latest trial.
“This will require a radical change in how we deliver our services,” said Prof Jon Schott, the chief medical officer of Alzheimer’s Research UK and a professor of neurology at UCL.
“If this is licensed and this gets through Nice [the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence], the demand will be huge. We’re not ready to deliver this at scale and we need to address that now.”
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Hurricane Ian Nears Florida Landfall With 155 Mph Winds
Hurricane Ian Nears Florida Landfall With 155 Mph Winds https://digitalarizonanews.com/hurricane-ian-nears-florida-landfall-with-155-mph-winds/
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla., (AP) — Hurricane Ian’s most damaging winds began hitting Florida’s southwest coast Wednesday, lashing the state with heavy rain and pushing a devastating storm surge after strengthening to the threshold of the most dangerous Category 5 status.
Fueled by warm waters in the Gulf of Mexico, Ian grew to a catastrophic Category 4 hurricane overnight with top winds of 155 mph (250 kph), according to the National Hurricane Center. The storm trudged on a track that would have it making landfall north of the heavily populated Fort Myers area, which forecasters said could be inundated by a storm surge of up to 18 feet (5.5 meters).
“This is going to be a nasty nasty day, two days,” Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said, stressing that people in Ian’s path along the coast should rush to the safest possible shelter and stay there.
Ian menaced Florida after bringing destruction Tuesday to western Cuba, where two people were reported dead and the storm brought down the country’s electrical grid.
Ian’s center was about 50 miles (80 kilometers) west of Naples at noon Wednesday, as it churned toward toward the coast at 9 mph (15 kph). Ian’s plodding pace meant the storm was expected to spend a day or more crawling across the Florida peninsula, dumping flooding rains of 12 to 18 inches (30 to 45 centimeters) across a broad area including Tampa, Orlando and Jacksonville in the state’s northeast corner.
Catastrophic storm surges could push 12 feet (3.6 meters) of water or more across more than 250 miles (400 kilometers) of coastline, from Bonita Beach to Englewood, the hurricane center warned.
“It’s going to get a lot worse very quickly. So please hunker down,” DeSantis said.
Off the coast on Sanibel Island near Fort Myers, swirling water covered residential streets and was halfway up mailbox posts by mid-morning. Seawater rushed out of Tampa Bay, leaving parts of the muddy bottom exposed, and waves crashed over the end of a wooden pier at Naples.
More than 2.5 million people were under mandatory evacuation orders, but by law no one could be forced to flee. The governor said the state has 30,000 linemen, urban search and rescue teams, and 7,000 National Guard troops from Florida and elsewhere ready to help once the weather clears.
Florida residents rushed ahead of the impact to board up their homes, stash precious belongings on upper floors and join long lines of cars leaving the shore.
Some chose to stay and ride out the storm. Jared Lewis, a Tampa delivery driver, said his home has withstood hurricanes in the past, though not as powerful as Ian.
“It is kind of scary, makes you a bit anxious,” Lewis said. “After the last year of not having any, now you go to a Category 4 or 5. We are more used to the 2s and 3s.”
Forecasters predicted Ian would make landfall more than 100 miles (160 kilometers) south of Tampa and St. Petersberg, likely sparing the densely populated Tampa Bay area from its first direct hit by a major hurricane since 1921.
Officials warned residents that Tampa could still experience powerful winds and up to 20 inches (50 centimeters) of rain.
“Please, please, please be aware that we are not out of danger yet,” Tampa Mayor Jane Castor said in a video on Twitter. “Flooding is still going to occur.”
During the night, Ian went through a natural cycle when it lost its old eye and formed a new one. The timing was bad for the Florida coast, because the storm got stronger and larger — 120 mph (193 kph) to 155 mph (250 kph) — with landfall just a few hours away.
The size of the storm also grew, with tropical storm force winds extending 175 miles (280 kilometers) from the hurricane’s center.
“With the higher intensity you’re going to see more extensive wind damage,” University of Miami hurricane researcher Brian McNoldy said. “The larger wind field means that more people will experience those storm-force winds.”
The most damaging winds could hit a coastline where the population has jumped sevenfold since 1970, according to the U.S. Census.
Vinod Nair wasn’t taking any chances. He drove inland from the Tampa area Tuesday with his wife, son, dog and two kittens to a hotel in Orlando, where only tropical storm force winds were expected.
“You can’t do anything about natural disasters,” Nair said. “We live in a high-risk zone, so we thought it best to evacuate.”
Ash Dugney warily watched ocean water being sucked out below a Tampa Bay pier Wednesday morning. He said he didn’t trust Tampa’s storm drainage system to keep his corner tuxedo rental business safe from flooding that he said has happened even during mild storms.
“I don’t care about the wind and the rain and the stuff like that, I just care about the flooding,” Dugney said, adding that he moved essentials out of the shop and moved other items up to above waist-high level.
Flash floods were possible across all of Florida. Hazards include the polluted leftovers of Florida’s phosphate fertilizer mining industry, more than 1 billion tons of slightly radioactive waste contained in enormous ponds that could overflow in heavy rains.
Forecasters placed roughly 120 miles (193 kilometers) of central Florida’s east coast under a hurricane warning Wednesday, signaling that Ian may remain a hurricane longer than previously expected as it moves inland.
Isolated tornadoes were spinning off the storm well ahead of landfall. One tornado damaged small planes and a hangar at the North Perry Airport, west of Hollywood along the Atlantic coast.
More than 200,000 homes and businesses were without electricity, and Florida Power and Light warned those in Ian’s path to brace for days without power.
The federal government sent 300 ambulances with medical teams and was ready to truck in 3.7 million meals and 3.5 million liters of water once the storm passes.
“We’ll be there to help you clean up and rebuild, to help Florida get moving again,” President Joe Biden said Wednesday. “And we’ll be there every step of the way. That’s my absolute commitment to the people of the state of Florida.”
Parts of Georgia and South Carolina also could see flooding rains and some coastal surge into Saturday. Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp preemptively declared an emergency, ordering 500 National Guard troops onto standby.
___
Associated Press contributors include Christina Mesquita in Havana, Cuba; Cody Jackson and Adriana Gomez Licon in Tampa, Florida; Freida Frisaro in Miami; Anthony Izaguirre in Tallahassee, Florida; Mike Schneider in Orlando, Florida; Seth Borenstein and Aamer Madhani in Washington; Bobby Caina Calvan in New York; Andrew Welsh-Huggins in Columbus, Ohio; and Jay Reeves in Birmingham, Alabama.
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Stock Market Today: Dow Jumps 400 Points As British Pound Recovers Treasury Yields Slip
Stock Market Today: Dow Jumps 400 Points As British Pound Recovers, Treasury Yields Slip https://digitalarizonanews.com/stock-market-today-dow-jumps-400-points-as-british-pound-recovers-treasury-yields-slip/
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Last Updated: Sep 28, 2022 at 12:30 pm ET
The Wall Street Journal’s full markets coverage.
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Bank Of England Moves To Stabilize U.K. Finances After Pound Crashes
Bank Of England Moves To Stabilize U.K. Finances After Pound Crashes https://digitalarizonanews.com/bank-of-england-moves-to-stabilize-u-k-finances-after-pound-crashes/
The Bank of England moved Wednesday to quell a financial market revolt, announcing it would temporarily buy an unlimited amount of government bonds to prevent disorderly trading from destabilizing the U.K. economy.
“Were dysfunction in this market to continue or worsen, there would be a material risk to U.K. financial stability,” the central bank said in a statement.
The central bank acted after investors resoundingly rejected Prime Minister Liz Truss’s plan to use borrowed money to pay for tax cuts while also spending freely to insulate consumers from soaring energy bills. After the government unveiled its proposal on Friday, investors defe feared it would aggravate 10 percent inflation dumped government bonds and the British pound.
Reaction in the government bond market was particularly intense. By Tuesday, bondholders were demanding roughly 5 percent to lend the British government money for 30 years, almost 1.25 percentage points more than before the tax-and-spending plan was announced.
With sellers outnumbering buyers, the central bank stepped in today to reassure investors that it would buy government bonds “on whatever scale is necessary” to ensure that trading remains orderly.
The alternative would have been to risk a breakdown in the market for government securities, a development that would strangle credit throughout the economy. Already, some British lenders were freezing new mortgage loans and pension funds were facing margin calls that would force them to sell bonds that were sinking in value, according to Barclays Bank.
The U.K. also must attract significant flows of foreign capital to finance its sizable trade and budget deficits, economists said.
Investors largely welcomed the central bank’s action with the yield on the 30-year bond dipping below 4 percent late in the day. The pound, which earlier in the week had reached an all-time low against the dollar of $1.03, stabilized around $1.07.
But the U.K. is not out of the woods. The Bank of England said its bond purchase plan was “strictly time limited” and would expire on Oct. 14. Investors, meanwhile, are hoping next week’s Conservative Party conference will see Truss modify her fiscal stimulus plans.
“This is something that’s designed to buy time as opposed to cure a problem,” said David Page, head of macroeconomic research at AXA Investment Managers in London, referring to the bank’s announcement.
The International Monetary Fund also weighed in, with an unusual rebuke for a Group of 7 nation economy. “Given elevated inflation pressures in many countries, including the UK, we do not recommend large and untargeted fiscal packages at this juncture, as it is important that fiscal policy does not work at cross purposes to monetary policy. Furthermore, the nature of the UK measures will likely increase inequality,” the fund said.
While the new Conservative government faces a difficult policy choice, the central bank also confronts an agonizing set of issues.
Before today’s announcement, the Bank of England was planning to begin next week selling its holdings of government bonds. Those plans have been shelved until Oct. 31.
During the pandemic recession, the bank had purchased a large quantity of bonds to reduce borrowing costs and encourage economic growth. More than two years later, with inflation the main concern, central bank officials wanted to start withdrawing that extra spur for the economy.
Instead, the bank is now effectively helping the government stimulate an economy that already is running too hot.
Last week, the bank raised its benchmark lending rate by half-a-point to address mounting inflationary pressures.
The events of the past week mean that further rate increases lie ahead.
U.K. financial markets are now pricing in rates of 6 percent early next year, up from the current 2.25 percent, a jump that investors say would devastate the economy.
The unemployment rate would double to 7.2 percent and the economy would fall into a deep recession, Samuel Tombs, chief U.K. economist at Pantheon Macroeconomics, told clients on a webinar Wednesday.
Homeowners would be especially hard hit, since most in the U.K. hold adjustable rate mortgages with repayment costs that reset every two or five years. With large numbers due to refinance in the coming months, a typical borrower who pays 900 pounds ($975) each month would see their mortgage payment jump to 1500 pounds ($1625,) Tombs said.
“You’d see a massive number of households defaulting on their mortgages,” he said.
Likewise, 80 percent of business loans carry floating rate loans. The share of profits the typical company must devote to debt repayment could triple, representing “a massive financing shock for businesses that few have anticipated,” Tombs said.
Rather than raise rates that much and incur a deep recession, the central bank is likely to allow the pound to fall further instead, he said.
The Bank of England is likely to disappoint investors by increasing rates at its next meeting in November by three-quarters of a point, far less than the 1.8 percentage points markets are pricing in, Ajay Rajadhyaksha, Barclays’ global research chairman, wrote in a research note.
Truss, who is just three weeks into the job, is trying to change the British economy with bold — some would say risky — actions that have spooked investors.
On Friday, she delivered on that promise with the government announced huge tax cuts and a big jump in borrowing. The plans include the abolition of the top income tax rate of 45 percent for people earning more than 150,000 pounds and a scrapping of the cap on banker bonuses.
“This, unlike other fluctuations in the market, is a self-inflicted wound,” said Keir Starmer, leader of the opposition Labour Party, told the BBC on Wednesday morning. His party is up 17 percentage points, according to a recent YouGov poll. This is the party’s biggest lead against the Conservatives since 2001, when the Labour leader Tony Blair won a landslide victory.
Truss will have to call a general election by January 2025 and is keen to put her ideas on the economy into motion.
Truss and her chancellor, Kwasi Kwarteng, have defended their vision for the economy. Yet neither have made public statements this week to address the unfolding crisis.
“They are prepared to risk unpopularity because they think it will work in the long-term,” said Tony Travers, a politics professor at the London School of Economics.
He noted that, unlike some of her Conservative Party predecessors, including Johnson and Theresa May, Truss’s free market views were quite straightforward. Her government wants to “move Britain to be a lower tax, more flexible economy which competes head to head with highly paid workers and talent with the E.U. and globally.”
“Whether it works or not, only time will tell,” he said, adding, “whether it survives the short-term, time will tell sooner.”
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Clergy Strive To Reconcile Politically Divided Congregations
Clergy Strive To Reconcile Politically Divided Congregations https://digitalarizonanews.com/clergy-strive-to-reconcile-politically-divided-congregations/
One member of Rabbi David Wolpe’s diverse congregation left because Wolpe would not preach sermons criticizing Donald Trump. Scores of others left over resentment with the synagogue’s rules for combating COVID-19. But Wolpe remains steadfast in his resolve to avoid politics when he preaches at Sinai Temple in Los Angeles.
“It is not easy to keep people comfortable with each other and as part of one community,” he said. “A great failing of modern American society is that people get to know each other’s politics before they get to know their humanity.”
Wolpe — whose congregation includes liberal Democrats and hundreds of conservative Iranian Americans — is far from alone in facing such challenges. Though many congregations in the U.S. are relatively homogeneous, others are sharply divided. In some cases, divisions are becoming more pronounced as midterm election season heats up, leaving clergy to keep the peace while still meeting the spiritual needs of all of their members.
A Black pastor in Columbus, Ohio — Bishop Timothy Clarke of the First Church of God — says there are “deep divides” in his predominantly African American congregation of more than 2,000. He cited abortion as a particularly divisive topic in the wake of the Supreme Court ruling in June allowing states to ban the procedure.
“There are good people on both sides,” said Clarke, who addressed the congregation’s differences in a recent sermon.
“I talked about the fact God loves everybody, even those you disagree with,” he said.
The Rev. Paul Roberts, senior pastor of Eastminster Presbyterian Church in Pittsburgh, said his congregation – like many others — is dealing with one contentious issue after another.
“The whole thing with Trump, Black Lives Matter, the pandemic really has highlighted a sense of uneasiness when you’re covering all these different topics as a church,” he said. “It just seems there isn’t anything that doesn’t have tension over it.”
His church has about 140 regular attendees, a politically and theologically diverse group that’s about half Black and half white. He said a few people left the church over its support for the Black Lives Matter movement, but for the most part it has stayed together.
He attributes that in part to hours of patient dialogue over such issues as mask-wearing and vaccines, which some Black members were wary of because of the history of medical maltreatment of African Americans.
Rabbi Judith Siegal is asking members of her politically divided congregation in Coral Gables, Florida, to sign a code of ethics pledging to respect those with different views.
Newly displayed signs at the synagogue, Temple Judea, hammer home this message.
“No matter who you vote for, your skin color, where you are from, your faith, or who you love, we will be there for one another,” one sign says. “That’s what a community means.”
Siegal said she and her assistant rabbi, Jonathan Fisch, are often asked by members of the Reform congregation to address certain issues
“We’re careful about doing that in a way that’s value-driven, preaching from our tradition and our Torah,” she said. “For example, we know that welcoming immigrants is something that’s important to us as Jews — but we’re never going to tell anyone how to vote.”
The Rev. Sarah Wilson said her congregation at St. Barnabas Lutheran Church in Cary, Illinois, includes Republican business leaders and liberal nurses and teachers. There are partisan differences, as well as conflicting views on abortion, but she aspires to keep political debate out of the church and avoid partisan rhetoric of her own.
“Politics are very important to me — I vote in every election,” she said. “But I’m not here to tell a person how to vote or who to vote for. If people ask me, even for city council, I don’t do that.”
The congregation at the Cathedral of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus and its connected Catholic school community is diverse ethnically, economically, and politically, said the Rev. David Boettner, rector of the cathedral and vicar general of the Diocese of Knoxville, Tennessee.
Mass is celebrated in five languages, and parishioners and student families speak more than a dozen at home; some are financially well off while others struggle to get by, he said.
“We’ve definitely got folks that belong to the Democratic Party and folks that belong to the Republican Party, and folks that probably don’t belong to either,” Boettner said.
Political issues crop up in conversations at church, but Boettner suspects members are less likely to share polarizing views with him because he is their priest. They share more freely on social media, and he has noticed an increase in political posts as the midterm elections approach. Abortion and religious liberty, including the recent Supreme Court rulings, are prominent, he said.
Boettner said he strives for consistency in preaching about the Catholic teachings on moral, social and economic justice issues, while steering clear of endorsing specific policies. Prayers are offered for all leaders, not just those from a particular party.
“The church is not partisan,” Boettner said. “The Catholic Church is probably a great example of a church that offends both Democrats and Republicans alike.”
In Bluefield, West Virginia, the Rev. Frederick Brown said he has sought “the middle of the road” during nearly three decades as pastor of a diverse but collegial congregation at Faith Center Church.
“Staying in the middle of the road means God thinks it’s all important,” he said. “When you vote, you can vote your convictions — but don’t attack anyone else’s convictions because they’re different from yours.”
At Sinai Temple, Rabbi Wolpe strives to encourage mutual respect within his congregation. He cites the men’s book club as a positive example: In a recent initiative, it alternated reading a book by a left-of-center author, then a book by a conservative.
Yet Wolpe, 64, says political divisions have become deeply entrenched.
“When I was born, people objected to their children marrying someone from another race but didn’t object to marrying someone from a different political party,” he said. “Now it’s the reverse.”
___
Associated Press writers Holly Meyer, Luis Andres Henao and Peter Smith contributed to this report.
___
Associated Press religion coverage receives support through the AP’s collaboration with The Conversation US, with funding from Lilly Endowment Inc. The AP is solely responsible for this content.
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
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You Dont Have To Read Our Book. Just Buy Six Copies Of It!
You Don’t Have To Read Our Book. Just Buy Six Copies Of It! https://digitalarizonanews.com/you-dont-have-to-read-our-book-just-buy-six-copies-of-it/
Sharaf Maksumov; Shutterstock; Lauren Justice / Bloomberg / Getty; Leigh Vogel / Getty; The Atlantic
September 28, 2022, 10:42 AM ET
The men who summarized the news at the bullet-point-loving startup Axios—Mike Allen, Roy Schwartz, and Jim VandeHei—may now be driving it. They may have tried to tamper with their books’ position on The New York Times best-seller list, Defector reports.
The three men recently published Smart Brevity, a book that champions the direct, abrupt style of the Virginia-based centrist tabloid. But the men have now adopted a new and innovative practice that has media insiders raising their eyebrows.
The intrigue: An internal Axios memo encouraged each employee to buy six copies of the trio’s new book. They could then get those purchases expensed by the company—a practice that could cost Axios more than $70,000, according to Defector.
If employees followed through, such a practice could send Smart Brevity soaring up The New York Times’ best-seller list. But it’s not entirely fair play, publishing insiders say.
Why it matters: Becoming a New York Times best-seller can bring fame and notoriety—not to mention five-figure speaking gigs at big companies and conferences. It’s no wonder that Axios’s cofounders are chasing that kind of clout.
But: The Times is wise to these kinds of ploys. The paper has long attached a typographical mark called a dagger (†) to titles that may have been bought in bulk by authors hoping to worm their way onto the list.
The paper also reserves the right to kick anyone off its list—for any reason.
“Institutional, special interest, group or bulk purchases, if and when they are included, are at the discretion of The New York Times Best-Seller List Desk editors,” says the paper’s website.
But, but: A few bestselling-book insiders told me that they thought Axios’s method was deliberately designed to evade these controls. “It sounds to me like they’re trying to dodge the dagger,” one deeply connected columnist said.
Axios has more than 500 employees. If each employee buys six copies of the book, that may not show up as a single bulk purchase, evading the Times’ filters, algorithm experts told me.
The numbers: Every Axios employee could buy six books.
Count it up: One. Two. Three. Four. Five. Six. That’s six books.
No matter how you look at it, that’s more than five—but less than seven.
Driving the news: This is a weighty time for Allen, Schwartz, and VandeHei.
Axios was recently acquired by Cox Enterprises for $525 million, one of the largest media acquisitions of the past few years. Only the Times’s own acquisition of sports-news giant The Athletic was bigger.
But online-media insiders say that the company’s most promising product remains the software that it uses to send its emails—and the distinctive style that it uses to write them. Axios hoped to license that product—and its trademark approach—to companies communicating with their own employees.
But, but, but, but—but: That core technology wasn’t actually included in the sale to Cox. It was spun off as a separate B2B company, dubbed Axios HQ.
Axios HQ plans to raise its Series A next year. Axios’s board—where Allen, Schwartz, and VandeHei all have seats—controls the board of Axios HQ, according to the company.
Corporate-governance and bullet-point insiders told me that Axios HQ’s success is riding on HR departments wanting to use the company’s distinctive style. If Smart Brevity looks like a best-seller, that may make Axios HQ’s sales pitch easier.
Go deeper: Even if Allen, Schwartz, and VandeHei did try to shortcut their way on the list, they wouldn’t be the first. They may have learned from one of Washington’s most famous recent residents: President Donald Trump.
President Trump’s 1987 The Art of the Deal only climbed the list because his company bought “tens of thousands of copies,” according to a later tell-all.
That didn’t stop the future president. The cover of every subsequent edition of the book has said “No. 1 Best-Seller” at the top.
Go deeper-er: “Smart brevity” is a literary tradition of its own. William Strunk and E.B. White’s classic book about writing, The Elements of Style, commands writers to “Omit needless words.”
Maybe that’s just what Allen, Schwartz, and VandeHei are doing. After all, Strunk and White didn’t say anything about skipping needless book orders.
Be smart: Six may seem like a lot—it’s more fingers than most people have on one hand—but it’s not the biggest number, according to numerological insiders.
Eighty-four, 3 bajillion, and seven are all bigger numbers than six, The Atlantic has confirmed.
But be careful. If a number has a negative sign in front of it, then it’s not bigger than six. “-9” is smaller than six, insiders cautioned. Let’s hope Axios employees kept that in mind.
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Majority Of Voters In Poll Support Making It Harder For Politicians To Override Election Results
Majority Of Voters In Poll Support Making It Harder For Politicians To Override Election Results https://digitalarizonanews.com/majority-of-voters-in-poll-support-making-it-harder-for-politicians-to-override-election-results/
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Voter booths await the anticipated record turnout in the 2022 midterm elections, as enthusiasm runs high among both Democrats and Republicans, with a close battle for control of Congress.
A majority of Americans in a new poll support the idea of making it harder for politicians to override general election results.
The Politico/Morning Consult poll published Wednesday found that 52 percent of respondents said it should be harder for lawmakers to override presidential election results, while 26 percent opposed the idea.
Similarly, 53 percent of surveyed voters said it should be harder for state governments to override presidential election results, while a smaller 17 percent voiced opposition to the idea of barring state governments from overriding results.
Support for making it harder for Congress to override election results was higher among Democratic respondents, 66 percent, while 45 percent of Independents and 42 percent of Republicans also backed the idea.
Slightly more Independents — 50 percent — said they supported the idea of making it harder for state governments to override election results, though support among Republicans and Democrats for changes at the state level was comparable to the federal level.
The poll comes after the Senate Rules Committee on Tuesday advanced proposed legislation that would make adjustments to the 1887 Electoral Count Act, clarifying that a sitting vice president doesn’t have the power to unilaterally overturn a presidential election and raising the threshold for lawmakers to object the Electoral College vote.
The proposed legislation gained support from Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) on Tuesday.
The bill was unveiled in a bipartisan effort by lawmakers in a response to the Jan 6., 2021 attack at the Capitol, where a mob of pro-Trump supporters breached the Capitol building in an effort to stop the certification of President Biden’s Electoral College victory.
Many pro-Trump supporters in the mob pushed for then-Vice President Mike Pence to overturn the 2020 election in certain states in order to hand Trump the victory, but Pence, who was pressured by some Trump allies, said it was not in his authority to do so.
The Politico/Morning Consult survey was conducted Sept. 23-25 with a total of 2,005 respondents. The poll’s margin of error was 2 percentage points.
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Sterling Slides After BoE Buys Bonds Dollar Hits 20-Year High
Sterling Slides After BoE Buys Bonds, Dollar Hits 20-Year High https://digitalarizonanews.com/sterling-slides-after-boe-buys-bonds-dollar-hits-20-year-high/
Pound and U.S. dollar banknotes are seen in this illustration taken January 6, 2020. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File Photo
NEW YORK/LONDON, Sept 28 (Reuters) – Sterling tumbled against the dollar on Wednesday before paring some losses after the Bank of England (BOE) said it would step in to prop up the gilt market, and the dollar index touched a fresh 20-year high trading was volatile.
The BOE said it would buy as many long-dated government bonds as needed between now and Oct. 14 to stabilise financial markets, and added that it would postpone next week’s start of its gilt sale programme. read more
As markets tried to digest what this meant for the pound, the currency whipsawed, jumping as high as $1.084 and falling as low as $1.0539. It was last down 0.4% at $1.0695.
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“They’re really trying to help the structure of the gilt market, more than anything else… The fact that they’re effectively doing (quantitative easing) again, while also hiking rates confuses the monetary policy outlook,” said Brad Bechtel, global head of FX at Jefferies in New York.
“It also forces the pound to be the outlet valve for the additional expenditures proposed by the government.”
Investors were also eyeing the safety of the dollar against a backdrop of political uncertainty after leaks on Nord Stream pipelines between Russia and Europe spewed gas into the Baltic Sea. NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg attributed the leaks to acts of sabotage. read more
“Some of it is safety related, given what we saw yesterday with the NordStream and the Russia Ukraine situation,” said Bechtel, also referring to the Federal Reserve’s aggressive interest rate hiking cycle aimed at taming inflation
“It is the Fed, outperforming in terms of being aggressive and continuing to hike aggressively. The world is realizing that the U.S. is in a better position to handle higher rates whereas other economies are more vulnerable.”
The dollar index , which measures the greenback against a group of major currencies, after earlier hitting a fresh 20-year high of 114.78 was last at 114.100.
While initially the dollar’s gains were broad-based, the greenback eased in the U.S. trading morning with the euro last up 0.02% at $0.9595 after falling as low as $0.95355.
The dollar was last down 0.22% against Japan’s yen at 144.510 after touching a high of 144.860 .
The Australian dollar , which is particularly sensitive to swings in investors sentiment was last up 0.420%.
Elsewhere in Asia, the offshore yuan hit a record low, pressured by expectations of further U.S. rate hikes. read more
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Reporting by Sinéad Carew in New York, Rae Wee in Singapore and Alun John in London ; editing by Richard Pullin, Kim Coghill, Shri Navaratnam, Gareth Jones and Jonathan Oatis
Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.
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Hurricane-Force Winds Felt Near Fort Myers As Ian Approaches Gulf Coast Near Category 5 Strength
Hurricane-Force Winds Felt Near Fort Myers As Ian Approaches Gulf Coast Near Category 5 Strength https://digitalarizonanews.com/hurricane-force-winds-felt-near-fort-myers-as-ian-approaches-gulf-coast-near-category-5-strength/
Hurricane-force winds approached Sanibel Island near Fort Myers at 10 a.m. Wednesday, as Hurricane Ian closed in on the Gulf coast.
The storm, with top winds of 155 mph, just short of the 157-mph threshold for Category 5 strength, is expected to make landfall late Wednesday morning or early in the afternoon in an area running from just south of Fort Myers to just north of Sarasota, according to a 10 a.m. update from the National Hurricane Center.
“This is going to be a storm we talk about for years to come,” said Ken Graham, director of the National Weather Service, at a news conference Wednesday morning.
The hurricane threatens to produce a storm surge of up to 18 feet on Florida’s southwestern Gulf coast, generating devastating flooding that would submerge coastal neighborhoods, the National Hurricane Center said in a 9 a.m. Wednesday bulletin.
The hurricane center raised storm surge estimates after the hurricane unexpectedly intensified to near Category 5 strength that morning, with top winds of 155 mph.
The new estimates call for a storm surge of 12-18 feet from Englewood and Charlotte Harbor to south of Fort Myers. A broader area, running from north of Englewood to north of Sarasota, could experience a storm surge of eight to 12 feet.
As of 10 a.m. the storm lay about 60 miles west of Naples, moving north-northeast at 10 mph, according to the National Hurricane Center.
[ When and where will Hurricane Ian hit Florida? Here’s the updated forecast track ]
The National Weather Service update of its 5-day tracking map for Hurricane Ian at 8 a.m. Wednesday Sept. 28, 2022.
Hurricane-force winds extend outward up to 40 miles from the center and tropical-storm-force winds extend outward up to 175 miles. The storm is expected to bring up to 18 inches of rain to some areas.
Earlier forecasts predicted the storm would weaken before hitting the coast, but the newer track predicts it will make landfall Wednesday at the peak of its power.
Winds exceeding tropical-storm strength of 39 mph reached Florida by 3 a.m. and hurricane-force winds were expected well in advance of the eyewall moving inland, according to the National Hurricane Center.
A National Hurricane Center forecaster wrote an advisory late Tuesday that whether Ian arrives at Category 3 or 4 strength, “avoiding a large and destructive hurricane for Florida seems very unlikely, and residents should heed the advice of local emergency management officials.”
The center of Ian is forecast to move over central Florida Wednesday night and Thursday morning and emerge over the western Atlantic by late Thursday.
“Life-threatening storm surge is increasingly likely along the Florida west coast where a storm surge warning is in effect, with the highest risk from Naples to the Sarasota region,” the hurricane center wrote late Tuesday. ”Residents in these areas should listen to advice given by local officials and follow any evacuation orders for your area.”
[ RELATED: Kings Point Delray damaged in possible Hurricane Ian tornado; 2 tornadoes hit Broward ]
Ian spawned at least two tornadoes in Broward County on Tuesday night, the National Weather Service said. The tornadoes followed similar paths over Weston, Sunrise, Davie, Cooper City, Pembroke Pines and Hollywood, the weather service said.
A possible tornado near Kings Point Delray toppled trees, wrecked cars and displaced 35 people.
Parts of Palm Beach and Broward were under several tornado warnings throughout Tuesday night, and all of South Florida is under a tornado watch.
President Joe Biden announced the prepositioning of 3.5 million liters of water, 3.7 million meals and hundreds of generators and said he spoke with the mayors of Tampa, St. Petersburg and Clearwater.
“I told them, I mean this sincerely, whatever they need, contact me directly,” Biden said Tuesday afternoon.
The National Weather Service update of its tropical storm force winds forecast for Hurricane Ian at 8 a.m. Wednesday.
Expecting life-threatening flooding and facing uncertainty about the storm’s path, authorities ordered evacuations across a broad stretch of the coast. More than 2.5 million people are under evacuation orders in more than a dozen counties, Gov. Ron DeSantis said Tuesday night.
The storm’s forecast path moved southeast, raising the risk to the Gulf coast south of Tampa and threatening southeast Florida with more wind and rain. The region from Sarasota to Fort Myers could see a storm surge of up to 12 feet, as the storm’s winds push seawater inland, the hurricane center said.
With the shift of the storm’s forecast track, the chances increased for high winds in southeast Florida, according to the National Weather Service in Miami.
Broward and Miami-Dade counties now have a 50-70% chance of sustained tropical force winds, which means speeds of at least 39 mph. Palm Beach County has a 65-80% chance.
In a 6 p.m. report, the National Weather Service said any further shift east of Ian’s track “could bring increasingly hazardous conditions closer” to South Florida.
All of South Florida can expect tropical-storm conditions starting Wednesday morning, the weather service’s update said. Major flooding from rain is possible across the region through Thursday morning, along with the possibility of tornadoes through Wednesday.
Satellite image of Hurricane Ian as it approaches the southwest Florida coast at 8 a.m. Wednesday Sept. 28, 2022.
The high winds are most likely to last through Thursday afternoon in Palm Beach County and from Wednesday morning to before dawn Thursday in Broward and Miami-Dade counties.
DeSantis and Jared Perdue, Florida Department of Transportation secretary, said the Florida Highway Patrol and local law enforcement officials will close bridges if sustained wind speeds exceed 40 mph. DeSantis urged people to take possible bridge closures as early as Wednesday into any evacuation plans.
Despite the attention given to high winds, the biggest killer in hurricanes tends to be water. The hurricane center warned that the Gulf coast faces a high risk of storm surge, the rapid increase in sea level that can flood coastal neighborhoods.
Two to four inches of rain have fallen across southeastern Florida in the last day with some areas seeing between 4 and 6 inches, according to the weather service. Forecasters are expecting another 4 to 8 inches to come through the weekend.
[ RELATED: Hurricane Ian expected to dump up to 10 inches of rain in parts of South Florida ]
A classic American car drives past utility poles tilted by Hurricane Ian in Pinar del Rio, Cuba, Tuesday, Sept. 27, 2022. (Ramon Espinosa/AP)
Ian’s outer bands continued to move over South Florida overnight and will increase in strength through Wednesday, and there could be potential significant impacts from wind across much of Palm Beach County and western Broward County, according to the weather service’s update.
Florida Power & Light deployed 16,000 crew members at nearly two dozen staging, parking and prepositioning sites throughout the state, FPL president and CEO Eric Silagy said Tueday. They have already responded to outages triggered by storm bands in Broward and Miami-Dade counties, he said.
Crews will continue to make repairs as needed until winds become unsafe, he said. During the most severe part of the storm, crews will likely remain sheltered for 12 to 20 hours.
[ RELATED: ‘It could be life-changing.’ Tampa Bay preps for Hurricane Ian’s worst, hopes for the best ]
The storm is expected to expand as it strengthens, placing a larger area at risk of high winds. These winds can rip off tree branches, knock down power line and blow objects off the ground, the weather service said.
FPL reported that 4,880 customers were without power in Broward County as of 11 p.m. In Miami-Dade County, about 11,000 customers were without power and about 7,300 in Palm Beach County.
DeSantis said Monday evening that many parts of the state are likely to lose power.
“We’ve said from the beginning people are going to lose power, and you need to be prepared for that. And it’s not going to be something that’s going to automatically just go back on very quickly because you’re going to have extensive damage, and you’re going to have to have crews be able to get in, roads are going to have to be cleared,” the governor said.
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The National Hurricane Center’s latest advisory said the Florida east and southeast Florida will see between 6 and 8 inches of rain with as much as 12 inches in some areas. Central and northeast Florida could see between 12 and 18 inches, with a maximum of 24 inches in some areas.
A new tropical depression formed Wednesday morning, but it’s far out in the Atlantic and expected to be short-lived, the hurricane center said Wednesday morning.
The next named storm to form would be Julia.
Hurricane season ends Nov. 30.
Staff writers Ron Hurtibise, David Lyons, Rafael Olmeda, Lois Solomon and Scott Travis contributed to this report. Information from the Associated Press was also used.
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Hurricane Ian Nears Florida Landfall With 155 Mile-Per-Hour Winds Just Shy Of Category 5 The Boston Globe
Hurricane Ian Nears Florida Landfall With 155 Mile-Per-Hour Winds, Just Shy Of Category 5 – The Boston Globe https://digitalarizonanews.com/hurricane-ian-nears-florida-landfall-with-155-mile-per-hour-winds-just-shy-of-category-5-the-boston-globe/
“This is going to be a nasty nasty day, two days,” Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said early Wednesday, stressing that people in Ian’s path along the coast should rush to the safest possible shelter and stay there.
The massive storm appeared on track to slam ashore somewhere north of Fort Myers and some 125 miles (201 kilometers) south of Tampa, sparing the bay area from a rare direct hit from a hurricane. The area is popular with retirees and tourists drawn to pristine white sandy beaches and long barrier islands, which forecasters said could be completely inundated.
Catastrophic storm surges could push as much as 18 feet (3.6 meters) to 16 feet (4.9 meters) of water over a nearly 100-mile stretch of coastline, from Bonita Beach north through Fort Myers and Charlotte Harbor to Englewood, the hurricane center warned. Rainfall near the area of landfall could top 18 inches (46 centimeters).
“If you are in any of those counties it is no longer possible to safely evacuate. It’s time to hunker down and prepare for the storm,” DeSantis said. “Do what you need to do to stay safe. If you are where that storm is approaching, you’re already in hazardous conditions. It’s going to get a lot worse very quickly. So please hunker down.”
More than 2.5 million people were under mandatory evacuation orders, but by law no one could be forced to flee. The governor said the state has 30,000 linemen, urban search and rescue teams and 7,000 National Guard troops from Florida and elsewhere ready to help once the weather clears.
“The assets we have are unprecedented in the state’s history and, unfortunately, they’ll need to be deployed,” DeSantis said.
An emergency vehicle travelled on the Sunshine Skyway over Tampa Bay, Fla., on Wednesday.FDOT via AP
Florida residents rushed ahead of the impact to board up their homes, stash precious belongings on upper floors and join long lines of cars leaving the shore.
“You can’t do anything about natural disasters,” said Vinod Nair, who drove inland from the Tampa area Tuesday with his wife, son, dog and two kittens, seeking a hotel in Orlando, where only tropical-storm force winds were expected. “We live in a high risk zone, so we thought it best to evacuate.”
Overnight, Hurricane Ian went through a natural cycle when it lost its old eye and formed a new eye. The timing was bad for the Florida coast, because the storm got stronger and larger only hours before landfall. Ian went from 120 mph (193 kph) to 155 mph (250 kph) in just three hours, the second round of rapid intensification in the storm’s life cycle.
“With the higher intensity you’re going to see more extensive wind damage. The larger wind field means that more people will experience those storm-force winds,” University of Miami hurricane researcher Brian McNoldy said. And “it will really increase the amount of storm surge.”
Ian’s forward movement shifted slightly southward, likely sparing Tampa and St. Petersburg their first direct hit by a major hurricane since 1921.
Zuram Rodriguez surveyed the damage around her mobile home in Davie, Fla. on Wednesday.Joe Cavaretta/South Florida Sun-Sentinel via AP
Instead, the most damaging winds could hit a rapidly developing coastline where the population has jumped sevenfold since 1970, according to the U.S. Census, which shows Lee County has seen the eighth largest population growth among more than 180 Atlantic and Gulf coast counties in the past 50 years.
There were 250,000 people in the Fort Myers/Lee County mandatory evacuation zones, and authorities worried ahead of the storm that only 10% or so would leave.
Gil Gonzalez wasn’t taking any chances. He boarded the windows of his Tampa home with plywood, laid down sandbags, and with his wife, packed their car with bottled water, flashlights, battery packs for their cellphones and a camp stove before evacuating. “All the prized possessions, we’ve put them upstairs in a friend’s house,” Gonzalez said.
Airports in Tampa, St. Petersburg and Key West closed, as did Disney World theme parks and Sea World in Orlando ahead of the storm. Hotels along the coast either filled up or closed down, and with flights canceled, some tourists planned to join locals at emergency shelters.
Ash Dugney warily watched ocean water being sucked out below a Tampa Bay pier Wednesday morning, wondering how strong the surge would be on the way back in. He said he didn’t trust Tampa’s storm drainage system to keep his corner tuxedo rental business safe from flooding that he said happened in his neighborhood even during mild storms.
“I don’t care about the wind and the rain and the stuff like that, I just care about the flooding,” Dugney said, adding that he moved essentials out of the shop and lifted other items up to above waist-high level.
The precise location of landfall was still uncertain, but with Ian’s tropical storm-force winds extending 175 miles (280 kilometers) from its center, flash floods were possible across the whole state. Hazards include the polluted leftovers of Florida’s phosphate fertilizer mining industry, more than 1 billion tons of slightly radioactive waste contained in enormous ponds that could overflow in heavy rains.
Parts of Florida’s east coast faced a storm surge threat as well, and isolated tornadoes were spinning off the storm well ahead of landfall. One tornado damaged small planes and a hangar at the North Perry Airport, west of Hollywood along the Atlantic coast.
Florida Power and Light warned those in Ian’s path to brace for days without electricity. As a precaution, hundreds of residents were being evacuated from several nursing homes in the Tampa area, where hospitals also were moving some patients.
Parts of Georgia and South Carolina also could see flooding rains and some coastal surge into Saturday. Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp preemptively declared an emergency, ordering 500 National Guard troops onto standby to respond as needed.
Before turning toward Florida, Ian struck Cuba’s Pinar del Rio province with sustained winds of 125 mph (205 kph) and causing destruction in the island nation’s world-famous tobacco belt. No deaths were reported.
Local government station TelePinar reported heavy damage at the main hospital in Pinar del Rio city, tweeting photos of collapsed ceilings, widely flung debris and toppled trees. Some people left the stricken area on foot, carrying their children, while buses tried to evacuated others through waterlogged streets. Others opted to stay at their damaged houses.
“It was horrible,” said Yusimi Palacios, a resident of Pinar del Rio inside her damaged house. “But here we are alive, and I only ask the Cuban revolution to help me with the roof and the mattress.”
___
Associated Press contributors include Christina Mesquita in Havana, Cuba; Cody Jackson in Tampa, Florida; Freida Frisaro in Miami; Anthony Izaguirre in Tallahassee, Florida; Mike Schneider in Orlando, Florida; Seth Borenstein in Washington and Bobby Caina Calvan in New York.
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The Top 10 Best Cocktail Bars In Metro Phoenix https://digitalarizonanews.com/the-top-10-best-cocktail-bars-in-metro-phoenix/
Metro Phoenix has experienced a cocktail bar explosion over the past few years, bringing with it new spirits, inventive bartenders, and exciting menus that rival those found at top drinking destinations around the world.
Sip cocktails inside a train car at Platform 18 in Century Grand. Tirion Morris” href=”https://media1.phoenixnewtimes.com/phx/imager/u/original/14553809/centurygrandpnt.jpg” rel=”contentImg_gal-14518607″ title=”Sip cocktails inside a train car at Platform 18 in Century Grand. – Tirion Morris” click to enlarge
Sip cocktails inside a train car at Platform 18 in Century Grand.
Tirion Morris
Out of this list of 10, seven have opened their doors within the last three years. And we’re thrilled to see the Valley transition from a collection of classic bars to a metropolis buzzing with modern, ambitious cocktail spots pushing the boundaries of what flavors and ingredients pair well together.
A lot of bars and restaurants make a good cocktail. But some really stand out from the crowd. It’s about more than a cute garnish or fun name. These drinks perfectly balance sweet, tart, bitter, and smooth. They have depth of flavor, with layers of ingredients making the sipper ask, “What is that?” And, “how does it taste so damn good?” They transform a list of familiar ingredients into something so much greater than the sum of its parts.
Whether housed in dark, edgy underground spaces or maybe a bright, homey living room, here are the best places to order a cocktail in the Valley.
Valentine, a restaurant and cafe on Seventh Avenue, got a lot of attention when it opened its doors in late 2020. But much more quietly, a little cocktail bar opened around the corner. Customers can enter through the restaurant or through a door on the north side of the building and find Bar 1912. The simple yet elegant space features backlit archways that cast a soft glow over a seating area of small tables and a narrow bar. Customers decked out in their most fashionable outfits crowd into the space, hoping to see and be seen. The cocktail menu, much like that of the bar’s connected restaurant, is filled with references to Arizona. Drinks are inspired by the different regions and ecological zones of the state and feature garnishes such as smoking rosemary and crystalline cotton candy flavored with pistachios.
Agave spirits are transformed into creative sips such as the Clarified Chai Horchata Milk Punch at Barcoa in downtown Phoenix. Tirion Morris” href=”https://media1.phoenixnewtimes.com/phx/imager/u/original/14553808/barcoapnt.jpg” rel=”contentImg_gal-14518607″ title=”Agave spirits are transformed into creative sips such as the Clarified Chai Horchata Milk Punch at Barcoa in downtown Phoenix. – Tirion Morris” click to enlarge
Agave spirits are transformed into creative sips such as the Clarified Chai Horchata Milk Punch at Barcoa in downtown Phoenix.
Tirion Morris
When stopping by Barcoa, it’s important to note that the upstairs bar is very different from what lies below. Both are well worth a visit, but downstairs is where the real cocktail magic happens. Enter the colorful cantina from the side door off First Avenue, walk past the taco truck and the string lights, and head downstairs. There, you can pull up a seat at the large, rectangular bar or pick a table around the edges of the dark space. Decorative accents, such as comfortable throw pillows, table runners, and artwork, are all imported directly from Mexico. One wall displays a map of the country, outlining where different spirits are made. This bar focuses on everything agave-based, ranging from well-known tequilas to the more unusual bacanora, sotol, and raicilla. Curious? Knowledgeable bartenders can walk you through the long menu that includes creations such as the Elote Moda, which celebrates the sweet and earthy flavors of corn through Mezcal Vago Elote, Abasolo ancestral corn whisky, and Nixta Licor de Elote. For a dessert in a glass, try the HorChaiChata, made with clarified horchata, chai flavors, and tequila.
Bitter & Twisted’s The Last Bastian is a summery sip with gin, vermouth, citrus sherbet, and pineapple. Allison Young” href=”https://media1.phoenixnewtimes.com/phx/imager/u/original/14553516/thelastbastion.jpg” rel=”contentImg_gal-14518607″ title=”Bitter & Twisted’s The Last Bastian is a summery sip with gin, vermouth, citrus sherbet, and pineapple. – Allison Young” click to enlarge
Bitter & Twisted’s The Last Bastian is a summery sip with gin, vermouth, citrus sherbet, and pineapple.
Allison Young
Bitter & Twisted in downtown Phoenix is one of the few bars on this list that has been around for a while. Opening in 2014, this high-end drinking destination was instrumental in pulling Phoenix into the national and international cocktail spotlight. The cocktail bar usually has a line, so join the queue online and head over to the historic Luhrs Tower when your spot is ready. Plush booths and tables are available for groups, but we prefer sitting at the bar to get a front-row view as expert bartenders pull ingredients from high and low to create cocktails from the massive menu. A scoop of ice cream here, a blast of CO2 creating tiny bubbles there. The anticipation grows until your cocktail, served in a rocks glass, coup, teacup, or maybe a tiny ceramic bathtub complete with a miniature rubber duck, lands before you. Garnishes exceed the familiar dehydrated lime wheel or lemon slice and include foam, edible rainbow glitter, toasted coconut, and orchids. Bitter & Twisted also serves food through a rotation of pop-up restaurants. Currently, the Breadfruit & Rum Bar menu of jerk chicken and other Jamaican treats is on offer.
Take a ride on the train at Century Grand and watch the world whiz by the windows. Tirion Morris” href=”https://media1.phoenixnewtimes.com/phx/imager/u/original/14553810/platform18pnt.jpg” rel=”contentImg_gal-14518607″ title=”Take a ride on the train at Century Grand and watch the world whiz by the windows. – Tirion Morris” click to enlarge
Take a ride on the train at Century Grand and watch the world whiz by the windows.
Tirion Morris
Walking into Century Grand is like entering another world — and that’s exactly the point. This immersive concept is home to three separate cocktail bars. UnderTow, a nautical-themed experience, invites customers to sip tiki-inspired drinks while looking out of portholes that display the ocean. The windows are dialed up a notch at Platform 18, another bar within the space that sits inside a replica of a Pullman train car. “Passengers” sip handcrafted beverages and eat boozy ice cream while snowy countryside whirs by in the trains “windows.” Those who are prone to a little motion sickness might instead choose to enjoy a drink at the final concept at Century Grand, a New Orleans-style apothecary bar called the Grey Hen. This small brick-walled workshop features a wide selection of whiskeys to be savored inside or out on the patio, which doubles as a waiting area for the train. Listen closely, as every hour, on the hour, Platform 18’s whistle blows, alerting customers that their allocated 90-minute reservation may soon be up. Century Grand, with all of its theatrics and impressive drinks, is popular, so make sure to navigate the online reservation system to claim your seat.
The seven-top bar at Garden Bar PHX underscores the homey atmosphere. Allison Trebacz” href=”https://media2.phoenixnewtimes.com/phx/imager/u/original/14553518/gardenbarphx_walkinview.jpg” rel=”contentImg_gal-14518607″ title=”The seven-top bar at Garden Bar PHX underscores the homey atmosphere. – Allison Trebacz” click to enlarge
The seven-top bar at Garden Bar PHX underscores the homey atmosphere.
Allison Trebacz
Garden Bar feels like home — if you had an expert bartender who could also whip up next-level cocktails whenever you like. Settle into a couch in the living room, at a table on the back porch, or on a stool at the bar, and let the warm hospitality take you in. The historic building was a house for much of its life, providing a home for multiple generations of the Kilroy family. Now, cocktail extraordinaire Kim Haasarud is making the place her own with one of the best cocktail menus in town. She’s inspired by local ingredients and flavors, such as honey made by Arizona bees. A wedge of beeswax sits at the bar, providing fresh sweetness to a number of drinks. The menu rotates with the seasons, and there’s a killer winter-season beverage list full of coffee and warming spices. While we also love the refreshing summer tipples, there’s something special about coming home for the holidays.
Shoutout to the ice cubes with the H on them at Highball. Lauren Cusimano” href=”https://media2.phoenixnewtimes.com/phx/imager/u/original/14553520/highball-lauren_cusimano.jpg” rel=”contentImg_gal-14518607″ title=”Shoutout to the ice cubes with the H on them at Highball. – Lauren Cusimano” click to enlarge
Shoutout to the ice cubes with the H on them at Highball.
Lauren Cusimano
Highball is a bar that oozes mystery. For one, you have to find it. The space is located on McDowell Road and Seventh Avenue, just outside of downtown Phoenix. The entrance is on the side of an old Starbucks, and the first thing you see when stepping through the door is a tall flight of stairs. Make your way up, and wait until your eyes adjust to the darkness. Customers in their nighttime best perch at the bar in the back or sit at small tables and lounge sofas towards the front. Cocktail experts Mitch Lyons and Libby Lingua, who perfected their craft at bars including UnderTow, lead the charge, with drink creations that include tasting notes to help their guests pick. For example, the Illusionist is a gin-based cocktail that is “Juicy, Smoky, Lightly Vegetal, Short,” while the Nice Being Fancied is described as “Yo...
