Digital Arizona News

How Israeli Security Experts Got The Trump Deal So Wrong – Israel Hayom https://digitalarizonanews.com/how-israeli-security-experts-got-the-trump-deal-so-wrong-israel-hayom/ How Israeli security experts got the Trump deal so wrong  Israel Hayom Read More Here

GOP Candidate’s Staffer Has A Murder-For-Hire Past https://digitalarizonanews.com/gop-candidates-staffer-has-a-murder-for-hire-past/ Arizona Republican governor candidate Kari Lake has made her support for law enforcement a centerpiece of her campaign—but her campaign also employs an interesting character: a convicted criminal who pleaded guilty to battery against a peace officer and who once plotted to kill an FBI informant. The staffer, Kenneth Ulibarri, previously campaigned with Lake, Salon reported in February. But his official status with the campaign was not known until now. Ulibarri confirmed in a Tuesday phone call with The Daily Beast that the Lake campaign had hired him to manage its “Latino Engagement” efforts. A man who answered at the phone number listed on Ulibarri’s official campaign ID badge said he was Kenneth Ulibarri and confirmed, only speaking in Spanish, that he handled Latino Engagement for the Lake campaign. They had hired him for that job “several months ago,” he said, then hung up. While Ulibarri told The Daily Beast he didn’t speak English well, that isn’t true. He was featured at Lake’s first campaign rally last July, where he joked that his accent came from the land of his birth—“the liberal cesspool of New Mexico.” He then denounced in that speech “liberal policies that are destroying our country,” including mask mandates, critical race theory, and a college education where kids “come back with purple hair and gay.” “This country is headed down a dark path, and it’s up to us to stand up and get it on the right path,” Ulibarri told the crowd, invoking his story as a drug addict turned small business owner and youth advocate as a lesson in the power of religious redemption. Lake stands for “everything that I hold near and dear to my heart,” he said. The Lake campaign did not reply to a request for comment. The Salon report laid out Ulibarri’s violent criminal history, including targeting law enforcement, which The Daily Beast has independently confirmed through state and federal court records. According to a superseding federal indictment, the Justice Department alleged in 2014 that Ulibarri had “attempted to kill” an FBI informant to stop the informant from testifying at a cocaine distribution and money laundering trial. Ulibarri later admitted in a plea agreement that he had in fact told an undercover FBI informant—while trying to sell him heroin—that Ulibarri knew that the first informant was working for the feds and that he and others “were hiring a hitman to kill” him, for $20,000. Ulibarri claimed in his agreement that he had not been serious about the murder plot, but was only using it to try to get more money out of his supposed heroin client. “In May 2014, I met with a confidential source (CHS1) to discuss selling heroin to CHS1. In those meetings, I told CHS1 that I and some others were hiring a hitman to kill another confidential source (CHS2) for $20,000,” Ulibarri wrote in his agreement, noting that “CHS2” was a “testifying cooperator” in the trial. He added that he told the first informant that, if he wanted to chip in to the effort, he could pay off some of the money “after the hit.” At the direction of FBI agents, the informant then paid Ulibarri $1,000 and told him “it was CHS1’s contribution towards the hitman,” promising to “pay the remaining amount later on,” Ulibarri wrote in the agreement. Although Ulibarri claimed he wasn’t serious about the murder plot, DOJ prosecutors pointed out in a filing that he had met with CHS1 “on numerous occasions over two weeks,” during which he talked “repeatedly about his murder-for-hire plan.” Of all the details the two men discussed, prosecutors said, “the one that stands out the most” was that Ulibarri was “totally fine” with taking just $1,000 up front, with the remaining $4,000 coming on the other side of the hit, writing, “we are left with the defendant’s chilling assurances that CHS-1 could just settle up his tab after the murder.” (Ulibarri’s brother came to his defense in the case, telling prosecutors that “he did not think that his brother is smart enough to organize a hitman.”) Ultimately, Ulibarri pleaded to obstruction of justice and a heroin distribution charge in the case, and was sentenced to time served and three years supervised release, according to federal court records. It wasn’t Ulibarri’s first brush with law enforcement, and wouldn’t be his last. In 2019, Ulibarri pleaded guilty to a charge of battery upon a peace officer, according to court records with the state of New Mexico. That charge was first brought in Sept. 2014—the same month that DOJ alleged Ulibarri had “attempted to murder” the informant. Back in 2006, cops in New Mexico scooped Ulibarri on a felony drug warrant while he was hanging out with an associate of a man wanted for the murder of a Bernalillo County sheriff, according to a KRQE news report at the time. Other state court records show that he was convicted in 2014 for driving under the influence two years prior, and in 2002 he was sentenced to six years for multiple charges related to vehicle theft and criminal damage. (In 1999, while in jail on those charges, Ulibarri beat another inmate, sending him to the hospital, the Albuquerque Journal reported.) New Mexico court records also show that between 2002 and 2013, Ulibarri was hit with a string of charges including battery on a peace officer, evidence tampering, and controlled substance violations, all of which prosecutors later dropped, though the publicly available filings do not explain why. While Ulibarri’s official status with the Lake campaign was previously unknown, he had appeared on Lake’s 2021 annual campaign finance filing, receiving a payment of $2,000, Salon reported, and has made a number of appearances on the trail. The Lake campaign has since changed its accounting method and no longer discloses the names of individual employees. Still, Lake—who is most notorious for her wild, baseless claims about election fraud, and her defense of former President Donald Trump, who has endorsed her candidacy—has made her full-throated defense of law enforcement a hallmark of her campaign. But Sarah Robinson, communications director for Lake’s Democratic opponent, Arizona secretary of state, told The Daily Beast in a statement that voters “simply cannot trust” Lake to protect them. “Kari Lake has shown us over and over again that she will side with those who wish to harm and defund our brave law enforcement officers. Arizonans simply cannot trust Kari Lake to protect us and our families,” Robinson said. Hobbs herself might need some of that protection. As secretary of state, she has experienced death threats amid the false claims of fraud about the 2020 election that right-wing figures like Trump and Lake have propagated. And death threats have also surged against the FBI itself in the wake of the court-approved search of Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort compound. The day after the search, Lake went on an unhinged Twitter rant, declaring it “one of the darkest days in American history: the day our Government, originally created by the people, turned against us. This illegitimate, corrupt Regime hates America and has weaponized the entirety of the Federal Government to take down President Donald Trump.” She averred that she would “fight these Tyrants with every fiber of my being,” adding that “If they can target a former President, they can (and will) target you.” “Not a single one of us is safe,” she said. Lake, for her part, has appeared at “back the blue” rallies and vows that she will increase police funding. Her campaign website claims there is “a direct correlation” between the “insidious” so-called defund-the-police movement “and the explosion of violent crime happening across the country.” “I won’t give an inch to people who want to tear down law enforcement for their own benefit,” Lake’s site adds. “Arizona’s next governor must #BackTheBlue,” the webpage says. “They put their lives on the line for us, making sure they know how much we honor and respect that commitment is the least we can do.” Read More Here

Gordon L. Weil: Voter Suppression In High Gear For 2022 Elections https://digitalarizonanews.com/gordon-l-weil-voter-suppression-in-high-gear-for-2022-elections/ Once upon a time, giant airplanes landed on an isolated and poor Pacific island, bringing wondrous gifts, yielding the Cargo Cult. Suddenly, during World War II, the American military arrived. A landing field was quickly laid out and aircraft flew in clothing and food the islanders had never seen. The cargo was military, but the islanders were also rewarded. The gifts transformed their lives, but only temporarily. As suddenly they had arrived, the Americans left. The islanders believed that their visitors from the sky might return with more gifts. To encourage their return, the islanders built a runway, stationed a man in a hut beside it to guide the incoming flights, gave him a wooden headset that looked like the real thing and deployed a bamboo antenna. Though the islanders wanted to believe that the cargo had been a celestial gift, there was no evidence of heavenly benevolence. With the end of the Pacific war, no plane ever came. The hopeful Cargo Cult survived, but its hopes were always disappointed. In 2020, some Trump supporters claimed the election was rigged and their candidate had really won. But they had no evidence, only their own optimistic belief. Just like the islanders, even without evidence to support their belief, the Trump people persisted and became a cult. But the true believers are not on a remote island, keeping their cult in isolation. They live in the heart of the American political system and their beliefs drive them to seek to influence that system. Part of the reason for the survival of their belief in the stolen election is momentum. You can start from believing that Trump is so great that logically he simply could not have lost. Whether the ritual chant is “Build the Wall” or “Stop the Steal,” it keeps the momentum going. But a cult’s belief in Donald Trump as a political savior only partly explains the stolen election movement and concerns about balloting. The underlying driver is the Republican Party that can use the cult as cover for its own long-term efforts to skew elections. The GOP operates on the strategy that reducing the size of the electorate brings it victory. Fewer people say they are Republicans than those who are Democrats. The Republicans are thought to be more likely to make the effort to vote, so the GOP priority can become voter suppression of typical Democratic backers rather than their own get-out-the-vote success. In 2020, the strategy failed and, while Trump did well, Biden did better, getting more votes than any previous presidential candidate. The Trump campaign with the help of many GOP leaders claimed in key states that voting results had been falsified. But they could find no evidence. The most classic failure occurred in Georgia, where a Republican secretary of state supervises elections. Though a Trump voter, he found no evidence that Trump had defeated Biden. He resisted direct pressure from Trump to change the outcome. The GOP has found ways to boost its chances. Where it controls a state legislature, it lays out congressional districts to favor Republicans. In 2020, Ohio gave Democrat Biden 45 percent of the vote, but Democrats won only four of 16 districts. This year, the Democrats have a clear path to only two seats. African Americans and other minorities are targeted. Easier access to voting and reasonable registration requirements have brought out more minority voters. When access is made more difficult, their participation is expected to suffer. The GOP tries to limit mail-in voting, a way to make access easier that aids Democratic voters. By making it more difficult, Republicans seem to believe that their backers will go to the polls while Democrats won’t make the effort. Another move by Republican state legislatures is to enact laws giving their party members complete control over election administration. Georgia has given its secretary of state such powers. The risk is that such officials will use their expanded powers to disallow and prevent Democratic voters from casting ballots or being counted. Still, some GOP candidates are already claiming that if they lose, the election may have been fixed. They may justify distorting the election system, in the belief, with little or no evidence, that the other side has also done it. That’s called “whataboutism.” This year, the conduct of elections could again end up in court. This time it would be Democrats not Republicans bringing the complaints. What would happen if courts overturned House elections is not known. It is obvious, though, that faith in elections, already battered by the 2020 Trump campaign and candidate, would suffer. The leading issues in the upcoming elections may be inflation and abortion. But perhaps the most important issue won’t appear on any ballot or be obvious to many voters – voting in our democracy. Is the sticker that reads “I voted” in danger of becoming a rare collectible? Gordon L. Weil formerly wrote for the Washington Post and other newspapers, served on the U.S. Senate and EU staffs, headed Maine state agencies and was a Harpswell selectman.  « Previous Read More Here

LETTER: Trump https://digitalarizonanews.com/letter-trump/ Trump’s America, Nazi Germany have striking parallels Editor, The Transcript: I have just “enjoyed” watching the very powerful mini series by Ken Burns, “The USA and the Holocaust.” It is a sad but true story of persecution of Jewish people before, during and after World War II. Done in the normal style of Ken Burns, it is both educational and damning of people that worked to destroy the Jewish population and of countries that helped or refused to help them. As I watched, I was struck by the similarities between Germany in the ‘30s and Trump’s America today! First, Hitler courted support by blaming all that troubled Germany on Jews, Catholics, homosexuals, and Gypsies. Trump did the same by blaming his perceptions of America’s problems on immigrants, Muslims, Mexicans, liberals, LGBTQ people and socialists. In Germany, Hitler led people to believe he could solve all their problems and restore Germany to previous glory and power. In America, Trump claimed that he and he alone could fix America’s problems and restore us to his perception of greatness. The Nazi leader promoted bullying, segregation and violence to achieve his ends. Nazi supporters are accused of setting the Reichstag Fire (German Parliament) and blaming it on the Jews. Trump, here in America, encouraged his supporters to “knock the crap out of them” if anyone heckled him at rallies and gatherings. A rally in Charlottesville was launched by Neo-Nazis in uniforms carrying tiki torches and weapons, chanting “Jews will not replace us” as they marched. The next day, at a Unite the Right rally, a radical right-wing nut drove a car into the peaceful gathering of counter protesters, killing one woman and injuring countless others. When confronted with the tragedy, Trump said, “There are some very good people on both sides.” Hitler claimed that the newspapers and media were against him and closed all but friendly media when he had the power. He also banned books and held book burnings. Trump has and is claiming that the media, TV, print, etc. are all against him and are the enemy. He shouts “fake news” to any report that reveals his true activities and beliefs. Just as Hitler promoted “Kristallnacht, The Night of Broken Glass” when his thugs and soldiers broke the windows of Jewish homes and businesses; Trump stoked the fires of revenge and mayhem on January 6th, to urge the mob he had assembled to march on the Capitol and “fight like hell” to take back our country. They were trying to stop the counting of electoral votes about to take place. He wanted his followers to stop the counting, so he could continue to hold on to the Presidency. When the crowd of insurrectionists tried to find Vice President Mike Pence, they exclaimed, “hang Mike Pence!” Trump later stated, “Well, maybe he had it coming.” Sadly, here in Oklahoma, far too many Republican candidates — such as Kevin Stitt, Ryan Walters and Markwayne Mullen — have bragged about their close association with the losing president, Donald Trump. Some of our local candidates support banning certain books and education material. I think there are many more parallels that could be listed. I was struck by Trump’s comment at his rally in Ohio, when he proclaimed, “God Bless America and God Bless us.” It made me think of a Bible verse where Jesus was talking to the Pharisees, He said that many would call his name, proclaiming “Lord, Lord,” but Jesus said, “I don’t know you”! If that shoe fits, wear it. WALLACE COLLINS Norman Read More Here

Compliance Notes – Vol. 3, Issue 39 – – United States https://digitalarizonanews.com/compliance-notes-vol-3-issue-39-united-states/ 30 September 2022 Nossaman LLP To print this article, all you need is to be registered or login on Mondaq.com. Campaign Finance & Lobbying Compliance A Democratic super PAC, Priorities USA, is launching a multi-million dollar campaign to fight voter suppression in seven battleground states. The PAC will spend $5 million on digital advertisements that seek to directly reach minority voters to help them navigate complicated election laws in Arizona, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, Michigan and Nevada. The ads aim to ensure voters can cast their ballot by directing them to websites and hotlines that help locate polling locations, to remind people of the materials they must have with them and to educate voters on their specific rights at the voting booth. To help protect voting rights and defend against policies that Priorities USA says unfairly target Black and brown voters, the PAC will also spend $10 million on existing litigation in Georgia, Arizona, Pennsylvania, Nevada, Michigan and New Hampshire. ( Adam Edelman, NBC News) Former President Trump’s allies created a new super PAC called MAGA Inc., which is expected to be the primary vehicle for funneling money into crucial midterm races. If Trump decides to run for a second presidential term in 2024, it could become a part of his campaign finance infrastructure. While the Democrats are out-raising Republicans ahead of the November 8 midterm elections, Trump is one of the Republicans seeing huge small-donor fundraising success even though he is not a 2022 candidate. As this new super PAC comes weeks before the midterms, Trump is expected to spend heavily to bolster his endorsed candidates. ( Sareen Habeshian, Axios) TikTok recently announced it is banning campaign fundraising on its platform, limiting access to monetization features and requiring “mandatory verification” for U.S. political accounts. While the app already bars political advertising, TikTok will also ban campaign fundraising by prohibiting videos soliciting donations and videos from political parties directing people to their website’s donation page. Political accounts will be ineligible for the “Creator Fund,” a monetary fund that users can receive for posting content to TikTok. Additionally, political accounts will not have access to gifting, tipping and e-commerce. The announcement of these new policies comes a month after researchers found that TikTok accounts have been used to spread misinformation ahead of elections in Europe, Asia and South America. ( Gina Martinez, CBS News) Colorado: There will be new contribution limits to candidates for school district director and modified reporting requirements for public officials as Colorado’s Secretary of State’s Office adopted permanent rule revisions implementing House Bills 22-1060 and 22-1156. During any regular biennial or special school election, small donor committees are limited to contributing $25,000. For persons other than small donor committees, the contribution limit is $2,500. The rules also changed the post-election reporting deadline from 30 days to 35 days and clarified that candidates seeking reelection who already have a personal disclosure statement on file with the Secretary of State do not need to re-file it. The new rules become permanently effective 20 days after publication in the Colorado Register. ( News Release: State of Colorado, Department of State) Government Ethics & Transparency Illinois: State Senator Emil Jones III pleaded not guilty to felony counts stemming from an alleged bribery scheme involving a red light camera company that automatically issues traffic tickets. According to prosecutors, Jones accepted a $5,000 bribe from SafeSpeed LLC, which operates “automated traffic enforcement systems,” in exchange for excluding from traffic studies the Chicago suburbs where SafeSpeed does much of its business. Jones is the latest politician charged in the long-running public corruption investigation focusing on officials’ ties to companies that secured contracts to run red-light cameras in dozens of Chicago suburbs that generated millions of dollars in fines from motorists annually. Jones, who has served in the Senate since 2009 and is running unopposed for reelection from the 14th District, has his next court appearance scheduled for four days before the general election. ( Peter Hancock, Capitol News Illinois) South Dakota: After finding Governor Kristi Noem intervened with a state agency to influence her daughter’s application for a real estate appraiser license, the state’s Government Accountability Board will not publicly disclose the “appropriate action” it took. The three judges on the board, which was created to provide a check on any misconduct by state officials, unanimously found there was evidence that Governor Noem engaged in a conflict of interest and malfeasance. However, the question of whether to discipline the governor will stay “confidential” as the case remains closed since Governor Noem did not contest the board’s findings. ( Stephen Groves, AP News) The content of this article is intended to provide a general guide to the subject matter. Specialist advice should be sought about your specific circumstances. POPULAR ARTICLES ON: Compliance from United States Compliance Notes – Vol. 3, Issue 35 Nossaman LLP Welcome to Compliance Notes from Nossaman’s Government Relations & Regulation Group – a periodic digest of the headlines, statutory and regulatory changes and court cases involving campaign finance, lobbying compliance, … The Role Of Audit And Monitoring In Compliance Ankura Consulting Group LLC Internal audit and monitoring functions are important to an organisation’s ability to design and implement an effective compliance programme. Although each function has a distinct mandate… Training And Developing A Culture Of Compliance K2 Integrity With tightening budgets, increasing regulatory expectations, and a growing number of risks, compliance teams at financial institutions face big challenges as they work to fulfill their mission… Read More Here

Judge Rejects Special Master’s Request On Seized Documents, Handing Win To Trump – Deltaplex News https://digitalarizonanews.com/judge-rejects-special-masters-request-on-seized-documents-handing-win-to-trump-deltaplex-news/ (WASHINGTON) — Florida federal judge Aileen Cannon on Thursday rejected a request from the special master she appointed to review documents seized from former President Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate to have Trump’s legal team verify that the government’s inventory log of seized items is accurate. Judge Cannon’s ruling again hands yet another process win to Trump’s legal team, which will now no longer face the same deadline to state on the record whether they would dispute any of the items listed on the government’s detailed inventory. Trump’s legal team earlier this week filed a letter under seal raising their objection to the request from special master Raymond Dearie — even as Trump repeatedly in public statements and interviews has made baseless suggestions the FBI “planted” documents in order to incriminate him. Additionally, Judge Cannon has extended the deadline for special master Dearie to complete his review to Dec. 16, beyond its prior end date of Nov. 30. And rather than complying with the previous plan to have Trump provide a rolling production of the documents he’s seeking to assert privilege over throughout their review, Cannon is now requiring Trump only submit a “comprehensive log” at the end of their review — which she claims is “to avoid confusion and enhance organization and clear deadlines.” Copyright © 2022, ABC Audio. All rights reserved. Read More Here

Current Swim & Dive Leaders https://digitalarizonanews.com/current-swim-dive-leaders/ Salpointe senior Tyler Driscoll leads the state in 50 Free and the 100 Fly. (Andy Morales/AZPreps365) The state swim meets for the three divisions are about one month away (Nov. 4-5) and listed below are the current leaders in each individual event regardless of classification. STATE QUALIFYING For Division I and II, the top 32 individuals, plus two individual alternates, and top 24 nominated relay teams, plus one relay team alternate, per event will qualify for the state meet. For D-III, the top 24 individuals, plus two individual alternates, and top 24 relay teams, plus one relay team alternate, per event will qualify for the state meet. 200 FREE Keaton Jones – Sr. Higley 1:37.45 Finnegan Crawford – Sr. Brophy 1:41.07 Gabriel Gonda – Sr. Brophy 1:41.07 Ella Cosgrove – So. Chaparral 1:51.57 Lauren Richards – Sr. Chaparral 1:53.69 Sydney Prentice – So. Campo Verde 1:55.76 200 IM Tres Mungia – Sr. Desert Vista 1:52.23 Evan Pickles – Sr. Hamilton 1:53.00 Colin Campbell – Sr. Corona del Sol 1:53.12 Sophia Jahn – Jr. Red Mountain 2:05.75 Gabrielle Primiano – Jr. Desert Mountain 2:06.59 Ailani Ika – So. Chandler 2:08.62 50 FREE Tristan Dalbey – Sr. Chaparral 20.88 Eduardo Flynn – Jr. Pinnacle 21.13 Joel Maldonado – Sr. Chaparral 21.36 Tyler Driscoll – Sr. Salpointe 22.97 Sophia Jahn – Jr. Red Mountain 23.35 Audrey Pickles – Jr. Hamilton 24.20 100 FLY Finnegan Crawford – Sr. Brophy 50.57 Joel Maldonado – Sr. Chaparral 51.31 Ethan Mindlin – Jr. Chaparral 51.98 Tyler Driscoll – Sr. Salpointe 55.68 Lorin Tobler – So. Gilbert 56.09 Kailey Lozano – Sr. Tucson High 58.24 100 FREE Tristan Dalbey – Sr. Chaparral 45.67 Kellan Pattison – Sr. Chaparral 46.05 Eduardo Flynn – Jr. Pinnacle 46.44 Lexi McKee – Sr. Mohave 47.13 Sophia Jahn – Jr. Red Mountain 51.85 Tyler Driscoll – Sr. Salpointe 52.11 500 FREE Trey Hesser – Sr. Chandler 4:28.62 Tristan Dalbey – Sr. Chaparral 4:33.89 Gabriel Gonda – Sr. Brophy 4:36.45 Ella Cosgrove – So. Chaparral 4:55.22 Paige Housman – Sr. Pusch Ridge 4:57.21 Ellie Kayser – Fr. Desert Vista 4:58.71 100 BACK Keaton Jones – Sr. Higley 49.64 Kellan Pattison – Sr. Chaparral 50.80 Hunter Helsten – Sr. Chandler 52.25 Haley Mueller – Jr. Perry 57.55 Lorin Tobler – So. Gilbert 57.66 Hannah Ernst – Sr. Perry 58.30 100 BREAST Tres Mungia – Sr. Desert Vista 56.39 Reed Lucero – Sr. Corona del Sol 56.48 Hudson Schuricht – Jr. Chaparral 57.60 Cali Watts – So. Verrado 1:04.58 Gabrielle Primiano – Jr. Desert Mountain 1:04.65 Sophia Jahn – Jr. Red Mountain 1:04.86 DIVING Chase Sorosky – So. Phoenix Country Day 491.60 Josiah Knapp – Jr. Skyline 469.55 Carter Black – Sr. Sunrise Mountain 446.80 Sharlotta Mozes – Sr. Perry 462.10 Aubryn Ordyna – Sr. Mountain View Mesa 457.25 Elizabeth Thai – So. Arizona College Prep 449.10 Read More Here

Amazon To Close 4 Of Its 5 US Call Centers, Shifts To Work-From-Home, After Closing 44 Warehouses, Halting Construction On 8 Office Towers https://digitalarizonanews.com/amazon-to-close-4-of-its-5-us-call-centers-shifts-to-work-from-home-after-closing-44-warehouses-halting-construction-on-8-office-towers/ The giant’s footprint reduction to cut costs sinks Commercial Real Estate. By Wolf Richter for WOLF STREET. Amazon, which booked net losses in Q1 and Q2 totaling nearly $6 billion and whose shares are down 38% from their high in July last year, is undertaking large-scale efforts to cut costs – including commercial real estate costs. It is closing or cancelling 44 warehouses across the US; it’s halting construction on six office towers, and won’t start construction on a seventh. And now it emerges that it plans to close four of its five call centers in the US and switch those customer service representatives to working from home. Amazon currently operates five call centers in the US. Kennewick, WA; Lexington, KY; Phoenix, AZ; Huntington, WV; and Houston, TX. It plans to close four of them. Either the Houston or the Huntington facility will likely remain open, according to Bloomberg, citing a source. Amazon confirmed to Bloomberg that the call center work will be shifted to work from home. Even before the pandemic, it already allowed some call center workers to work from home. “We’re offering additional members of our customer service team the increased flexibility that comes with working virtually,” an Amazon spokesman told Bloomberg. “We’re working with employees to make sure their transition is seamless while continuing to prioritize best-in-class support for customers.” For many call center workers, not having to commute is a big benefit, and this should make recruitment easier and reduce turnover, in an economy where hiring and employee turnover are tough challenges for employers. In addition, Amazon can recruit call center workers around the US – essentially anywhere with a good internet connection – and is no longer tied to particular cities. By cutting out four of its five call centers, Amazon will save on the costs of running them, including administrative and real estate costs. Footprint reduction. In July, it emerged that Amazon was halting construction on five office towers, and will not even start construction on a sixth tower, all of them in downtown Bellevue, Washington. Amazon also halted construction on its office tower in Nashville, Tennessee, where it already has a tower. And it slashed the amount of office space it had planned on leasing at Hudson Yards, in Manhattan, where it has been leasing space since 2019, and this would be for additional space. The entire office sector of commercial real estate is already in trouble with sky-high vacancy rates and a very uncertain future as demand for office space has plunged amid working from home and the sudden recognition that the future these office towers were built for in huge number may not come. Prices of office REITS have plunged below their March 2020 lows. Boston Properties [BXP] is down 50% from February 2020, most of which over the past five months. Vornado Realty Trust [VNO] plunged to the lowest in about 20 years and is down 66% from February 2020. Etc. In terms of warehouses, in May, it emerged that Amazon would shed between 10 million square feet to 30 million square feet of warehouse space that it took on during the pandemic, but that it won’t need anymore. It is leasing these warehouses and will try to sublease them to some other companies. This instantly pulled the rug out from under what was then the still red-hot industrial segment of commercial real estate. Amazon is the giant in the industrial space. In late June, it emerged that Amazon has delayed or cancelled plans for 13 warehouses around the country. It more recently emerged that Amazon in fact has closed or cancelled 44 warehouse facilities and delayed the opening of 25 additional facilities. Shares of Prologis [PLD], the giant among the warehouse REITS and a super-hot stock during the pandemic as Amazon was ramping up in the industrial sector, has plunged by 42% from its high on April 28, just days before Amazon’s warehouse footprint reduction became publicly known, which took the whole sector down. Enjoy reading WOLF STREET and want to support it? Using ad blockers – I totally get why – but want to support the site? You can donate. I appreciate it immensely. Click on the beer and iced-tea mug to find out how: Would you like to be notified via email when WOLF STREET publishes a new article? Sign up here. Read More…

Biden Declares South Carolina State Of Emergency – Follow Hurricane Ian Updates https://digitalarizonanews.com/biden-declares-south-carolina-state-of-emergency-follow-hurricane-ian-updates/ Hurricane Ian: Waves flood roads in Key West as storm strengthens to category 4 After spending most of Thursday as a tropical storm, Ian has now been upgraded to a hurricane again as it takes aim at the South Carolina coastline. President Joe Biden has issued an emergency declaration for the state. Ian is forecast to make landfall somewhere near Charleston, South Carolina, at about 2pm today. It will produce life-threatening flooding, storm surge and strong winds across parts of Florida, Georgia and North and South Carolina, according to the National Hurricane Center. “Ian could slightly strengthen before landfall, and is forecast to rapidly weaken over the southeastern United States late Friday into Saturday,” an advisory said. Meanwhile, dozens of rescue operations have been taking place across Florida after unprecedented flooding from one of the most powerful hurricanes ever recorded in the United States. Thousands of people are stranded across the state as coastguard helicopters were seen plucking people from roofs after several feet of water surged into neighbourhoods. Some 2.5 million people remain without power. The damage and economic losses caused by Hurricane Ian could amount to as much as $120bn, according to the latest estimate. Registration is a free and easy way to support our truly independent journalism By registering, you will also enjoy limited access to Premium articles, exclusive newsletters, commenting, and virtual events with our leading journalists Email Please enter a valid email Please enter a valid email Password Must be at least 6 characters, include an upper and lower case character and a number Must be at least 6 characters, include an upper and lower case character and a number Must be at least 6 characters, include an upper and lower case character and a number First name Please enter your first name Special characters aren’t allowed Please enter a name between 1 and 40 characters Last name Please enter your last name Special characters aren’t allowed Please enter a name between 1 and 40 characters You must be over 18 years old to register You must be over 18 years old to register Year of birth I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent.  Read our Privacy notice You can opt-out at any time by signing in to your account to manage your preferences. Each email has a link to unsubscribe. Already have an account? sign in Registration is a free and easy way to support our truly independent journalism By registering, you will also enjoy limited access to Premium articles, exclusive newsletters, commenting, and virtual events with our leading journalists Email Please enter a valid email Please enter a valid email Password Must be at least 6 characters, include an upper and lower case character and a number Must be at least 6 characters, include an upper and lower case character and a number Must be at least 6 characters, include an upper and lower case character and a number First name Please enter your first name Special characters aren’t allowed Please enter a name between 1 and 40 characters Last name Please enter your last name Special characters aren’t allowed Please enter a name between 1 and 40 characters You must be over 18 years old to register You must be over 18 years old to register Year of birth I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent.  Read our Privacy notice You can opt-out at any time by signing in to your account to manage your preferences. Each email has a link to unsubscribe. Already have an account? sign in Read More Here

Week In Review: Design, Low Power https://digitalarizonanews.com/week-in-review-design-low-power/ Data center viz to reach $20B; Launches from Renesas, Siemens, and Synopsys; IBM, Vodafone, and GSMA partner on post-quantum task force; Arm announces board directors and CFO Tools and IP Renesas introduced a new microprocessor that enables artificial intelligence to process image data from multiple cameras. “One of the challenges for embedded systems developers who want to implement machine learning is to keep up with the latest AI models that are constantly evolving,” said Shigeki Kato, Vice President of Renesas’ Enterprise Infrastructure Business Division. “With the new DRP-AI TVM tool, we are offering designers the option to expand AI frameworks and AI models that can be converted to executable formats, allowing them to bring the latest image recognition capabilities to embedded devices using new AI models.” Renesas also said it will provide SoCs, microcontrollers, analog and power semiconductors, and technical support to Vietnam-based electric vehicle maker VinFast. And it launched an integrated software development environment for automotive ECUs containing multiple hardware devices.  Siemens released Tessent multi-die software, which automates design-for-test tasks for 2.5D and 3D chip architectures. Ankur Gupta, vice president and general manager of the Tessent business unit for Siemens Digital Industries Software, said chip design companies are “seeing dramatic spikes in IC test complexity due to the rapid adoption and deployment of designs featuring densely packed dies in 2.5D and 3D devices.” The company also said recreational vehicle maker Hymer used Siemens software to create a digital twin for its new VisionVenture camper. Synopsys developed a new streaming fabric technology that allows for real-time silicon health analytics in large and complex chip designs. The on-chip network also minimizes excessive power. “Efficient, cost-effective silicon data access is a fundamental requirement to achieving reliable device operation during their life cycles, which is essential for high uptime of mission-critical applications,” said Amit Sanghani, senior vice president of the Synopsys Hardware Analytics and Test team. Keysight, AMD, and F5 collaborated on a demonstration of 5G Terabit scale traffic at the Mobile World Congress in Las Vegas. CyPerf, Keysight’s software-based cloud native traffic generator demonstrated performance capability of F5’s cloud-network network function, which in turn was powered by AMD processors. “With a proven method to generate and process cloud-based traffic, service providers can now confidently roll out 5G services at scale,” said Ram Periakaruppan, Vice President and General Manager of Keysight’s Network Solutions group. Is the EDA industry doing enough to develop and drive new methodologies? Industry leaders say verification is indeed evolving, albeit slowly. Read more here. Deals IBM and Vodafone partnered with GSMA on a task force for post-quantum cryptography and adoption across the global telecommunications supply chain. The organizations say the goal of the task force is to “define policy, regulation and operator business processes for the enhanced protection of telecommunications in a future of advanced quantum computing.” Reneas announced that AMD chose a Renesas timing device for its RFSoC DFE development platform.  Research A new study estimates the data center virtualization market will surpass $20 billion by 2030. Global Market Insights said the valuation will likely be driven by “the surging attention toward improving business agility and reducing operational cost, along with strong product penetration in government-associated sectors for easy accessibility of data.” Virtualization software helps to improve utilization of individual servers, and is a key part of the architecture in hyperscale data centers. Imec researchers and Nokia Bell Labs jointly presented a key building block to deploy 100G PON (passive optical network). Rockley Photonics has developed micro-transfer-printed (mTP) silicon-photonics based laser for commercial applications. Once thought too futuristic, DNA is now edging forward as a data storage option. Peking University presented an open-source dataset, named CircuitNet, dedicated to AI for IC applications. Awards Giovanni De Micheli, Professor and Director of the Institute of Electrical Engineering (IEL) and of the Integrated Systems Centre at the École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL) in Lausanne, Switzerland is this year’s winner of the Phil Kaufman Award for his contributions to EDA. Upcoming events Oct. 1-5, IEEE/ACM International Symposium on Microarchitecture, Chicago, IL Oct. 3-6, International Symposium on Microelectronics – iMAPS, Boston, MA Oct. 3-21, Samsung Foundry Forum & SAFE Forum, San Jose, EMEA, Japan, Korea, China Oct. 19-21, Electronic Specialty Gas Conference, Chandler, AZ Oct. 20-11, IEEE ISICAS: International Symposium on Integrated Circuits, Bordeaux, France Oct. 24-28, Hardwear.io Security Trainings and Conference, The Hague, Netherlands Oct. 25-27, PAINE: Physical Assurance & Inspection of Electronics, Huntsville, AL Oct. 26-27, Arm DevSummit, San Francisco, CA    Find more chip industry events here. In case you missed it Check out the Systems & Design newsletter and the Low Power – High Performance newsletter for these highlights and more: Strengthening The Global Semi Supply Chain Designing For Thermal Can ML Help Verification? Maybe Rethinking Machine Learning For Power If you’d like to receive Semiconductor Engineering newsletters and alerts via email, please subscribe here. Read More Here

Scottsdale Philharmonic Will Open Its Season On Oct. 9 Under Direction Of New Full-Time, World-Class Conductor – PR.com https://digitalarizonanews.com/scottsdale-philharmonic-will-open-its-season-on-oct-9-under-direction-of-new-full-time-world-class-conductor-pr-com/ Scottsdale, AZ, September 30, 2022 –(PR.com)– The Scottsdale Philharmonic has hired a full-time, world-class conductor, Maestro Dmitry Polyakov from Europe, to open its eleventh season on Sunday, Oct. 9. The musical program for Oct. 9 will include Mozart’s “Clarinet Concerto Mvt. 1” with Soloist Heather Van Beek; Rubenstein’s “Melody in F” with Piano Soloist Vitaly Serebriakov; Liszt’s “Oh! Quand je dors” with Soloist Melissa Solomon; and Carl’s “O Fortuna from Carmina Burana” with full chorus. “We are so lucky and privileged that Dmitry has decided to accept the position and become our Principal Conductor as we begin our newest vision of seeing the Scottsdale Philharmonic become a major symphony in Arizona,” says Joy Partridge, President and Co-Founder of the Scottsdale Philharmonic. All concerts in the Scottsdale Philharmonic’s 2022-23 season (Oct. 9, Dec. 4, Dec. 11, Feb. 19, March 19 and May 7) will be held at the Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts, 7380 East Second St., Scottsdale, from 4 to 6 p.m. Ticket donations of $15 are available for all upcoming concerts online at www.scottsdaleperformingarts.org, and the venue website lists the latest information about COVID protocols for the events. “Every great symphony must first start with a great conductor,” Partridge says. “Dmitry amazed both our musicians and audience as a visiting guest conductor with his brilliant talent and masterful skills as he conducted our spring concerts. He received numerous standing ovations and tremendous enthusiastic applause from our audience. It was an exciting moment for all of us who were there. “Our orchestra members have expressed their enjoyment in performing under the baton of our new and exciting musical leader,” Partridge continues. “We feel his skills as a conductor enhances our abilities to perform at our highest level. “The vision of creating the Scottsdale Philharmonic into a major symphony in Arizona is just beginning,” Partridge explains. “Because Maestro Polyakov is a key figure in building our future and lead us to a treasury of classical musical, we created the ‘Conductor’s Circle Sponsorship’ program. Contributions to this program will allow us to develop our new vision of a first class symphony in Scottsdale and build a great symphonic orchestra and perform unforgettable concerts. He is a leader that we are excited to have for our future.” “We want to thank our Mayor of Scottsdale David Ortega, the Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts, and our audience, sponsors, donors, and benefactors,” Partridge said. “We are so grateful to all of you. As a non-profit, the orchestra always welcomes volunteers and any generous support. “We prepared many projects for the next season and beyond,” Partridge continued. “Follow us on our website and social networks. We are looking forward to seeing you at our upcoming concerts.” For more information about the Scottsdale Philharmonic or to make a donation, visit www.scottsdalephilharmonic.com or call 480-951-6077. Scottsdale Philharmonic Laurie Anderson 303-758-1118 www.scottsdalephilharmonic.com Contact Categories Music Read More Here

Hurricane Ian Causes Record Flooding In Central Florida. Storm Taking Aim At The Carolinas, Georgia https://digitalarizonanews.com/hurricane-ian-causes-record-flooding-in-central-florida-storm-taking-aim-at-the-carolinas-georgia/ WATCH live WESH 2 coverage aboveThe danger of life-threatening inundation from storm surge persists in Central Florida as Hurricane Ian takes aim at the Carolinas and Georgia as a Category 1 storm. As of 11 p.m., Ian was moving toward the north-northeast at about 10 mph with maximum sustained winds at 80 mph, remaining a Category 1 storm. The storm is about 185 miles south of Charleston, South Carolina and about 265 miles south-southwest of Cape Fear, North Carolina. Tropical Storm Ian was upgraded to a hurricane, according to the 5 p.m. National Hurricane Center advisory, as Central Florida experienced massive amounts of rain.Ian came ashore Wednesday afternoon near Cayo Costa, Florida, with winds of 150 mph and began a punishing march northeastward across the state. “A turn toward the north is expected early Friday, followed by a turn toward the north-northwest with an increase in forward speed Friday night. On the forecast track, Ian will approach the coast of South Carolina on Friday,” the National Hurricane Center said. “The center will move farther inland across the Carolinas Friday night and Saturday.”Active watches and warnings: A Flood Warning is in place for Lake, Osceola, Seminole, VolusiaA Tropical Storm Watch is in effect for Flagler CountyA flood advisory has been posted for Orange, Brevard, Volusia, Seminole, Lake, Osceola, Indian River A storm surge warning remains in effect for Flagler/Volusia Line Ian dropped significant rain on Central Florida. 15 to 20 inches of rain fell in Volusia County, which saw the most rainfall total in the area.During a press conference Thursday morning, Gov. Ron DeSantis noted that Central Florida is experiencing “a 500-year flood event.” As for reports of hundreds of deaths in Lee County, DeSantis said “none of that is confirmed” and is only an estimate. He said it was based on emergency calls from people saying that the water is rising in their homes.One fatality has been confirmed in Central Florida. Chopper 2 was over the Orlando area where we saw tremendous flooding in the area. As of 10:45 p.m., there were roughly 2.2 million people without power in Florida.WATCH: Stunning videos shows Central Florida hit with punishing winds, flooding rainsWESH 2’s Tony Atkins rescues woman who attempted to drive through floodwatersFlooding at Disney resort during Hurricane IanFamily grateful to be alive after tree falls on house during IanWild video shows rough hurricane hunter flight into IanRelated: Video shows men wading through Hurricane Ian floodwaters in Key West ORLANDO, Fla. — WATCH live WESH 2 coverage above The danger of life-threatening inundation from storm surge persists in Central Florida as Hurricane Ian takes aim at the Carolinas and Georgia as a Category 1 storm. As of 11 p.m., Ian was moving toward the north-northeast at about 10 mph with maximum sustained winds at 80 mph, remaining a Category 1 storm. The storm is about 185 miles south of Charleston, South Carolina and about 265 miles south-southwest of Cape Fear, North Carolina. Tropical Storm Ian was upgraded to a hurricane, according to the 5 p.m. National Hurricane Center advisory, as Central Florida experienced massive amounts of rain. Ian came ashore Wednesday afternoon near Cayo Costa, Florida, with winds of 150 mph and began a punishing march northeastward across the state. “A turn toward the north is expected early Friday, followed by a turn toward the north-northwest with an increase in forward speed Friday night. On the forecast track, Ian will approach the coast of South Carolina on Friday,” the National Hurricane Center said. “The center will move farther inland across the Carolinas Friday night and Saturday.” Active watches and warnings: A Flood Warning is in place for Lake, Osceola, Seminole, Volusia A Tropical Storm Watch is in effect for Flagler County A flood advisory has been posted for Orange, Brevard, Volusia, Seminole, Lake, Osceola, Indian River A storm surge warning remains in effect for Flagler/Volusia Line This content is imported from Twitter. You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site. This content is imported from Twitter. You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site. This content is imported from Twitter. You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site. This content is imported from Twitter. You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site. Ian dropped significant rain on Central Florida. 15 to 20 inches of rain fell in Volusia County, which saw the most rainfall total in the area. This content is imported from Twitter. You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site. Heartbreaking images of widespread flooding across our Central Florida communities. An absolutely incredible amount of rain fall over the past 48 hours. pic.twitter.com/NMrfBeocif — Alex Alecci (@AlexAlecciWESH) September 29, 2022 During a press conference Thursday morning, Gov. Ron DeSantis noted that Central Florida is experiencing “a 500-year flood event.” This content is imported from Twitter. You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site. As for reports of hundreds of deaths in Lee County, DeSantis said “none of that is confirmed” and is only an estimate. He said it was based on emergency calls from people saying that the water is rising in their homes. One fatality has been confirmed in Central Florida. Chopper 2 was over the Orlando area where we saw tremendous flooding in the area. As of 10:45 p.m., there were roughly 2.2 million people without power in Florida. WATCH: Stunning videos shows Central Florida hit with punishing winds, flooding rains WESH 2’s Tony Atkins rescues woman who attempted to drive through floodwaters Flooding at Disney resort during Hurricane Ian Family grateful to be alive after tree falls on house during Ian Wild video shows rough hurricane hunter flight into Ian Related: Video shows men wading through Hurricane Ian floodwaters in Key West Read More Here

Fear Vs. Reality – Which One Will Prevail In November? https://digitalarizonanews.com/fear-vs-reality-which-one-will-prevail-in-november/ Democrat leaders have failed to do their basic job of passing a budget and spending/appropriations bills via Regular Order or for that matter even as a Continuing Resolution once again. It is quite apparent that Democrats are just too busy with other pressing matters like producing the “Trump Reality Show.” Watch out for that “can”! The Democrats are about to kick the proverbial “can” down the road once again. Failure prevails yet Democrats want to retain control of Congress. Despite a September 30 due date for completion of the 12 spending/appropriation bills, do not expect them to act until after the midterm elections. This has become our reality. Republicans in the 21st century have also been derelict here. However, Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi holds the dubious distinction of failing at the most basic aspect of her job – passing these basic but vital measures via Regular Order – for more years than any other Speaker of the House in America’s 246-year history. Prior to the 21st century every single Congress was able to accomplish this basic expectation. How Congress “makes sausage” (passes legislation) is one of the most important aspects of governing. Today, Congress puts the already made sausage in the microwave, warms it up, and gives it to the public. It repeats this same process over and over again. Yet most Americans are clueless about this fact. On this ground alone we should fire the Democrats and say to the Republicans that if you fail at the basic parts of your job, you’ll be gone in two years too. The Democrats have been selling fear because their record has received a failing grade – both for Biden and the Democrat-controlled Congress. Even Biden’s former press secretary conceded recently that the Democrats know they cannot win in the midterms if Biden’s record is in the spotlight. But, can the use of fear actually win an election? Barry Goldwater, the Republican Party nominee for president in 1964, lost by the largest landslide victory for a Democrat in my lifetime when his opponent, incumbent Democrat Lyndon B. Johnson, scared the American people into believing we could be in for a nuclear war with Russia should Goldwater get elected. Johnson actually used a little girl and the detonation of a nuclear bomb in a TV ad to illustrate his point. The result? Goldwater won only six states. The economy is at record lows with skyrocketing prices due to record high inflation, along with rapidly rising interest rates and a plummeting stock market. And we live in a less safe America at home and abroad. Crime is rampant in our cities. We are not protecting our border adequately. And our foes, Russia and China, are more united today than ever before. This is America’s reality. Democrats do not want you to see this. They change the subject to fear. They have been telling us that the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol by MAGA supporters can destroy democracy, abortion decisions can hurt women, and “deplorable” Republicans are bad for America. Their idea is to scare America, as if reality is not scary enough under their one-party rule. Let’s not forget their assertions and then the resulting blunders we had to endure. Here are the biggies: Sanctions will prevent Russia from invading Ukraine (now we are in month seven of war in Eastern Europe); there is zero inflation (which is still a 40-year high of 8.3%); we can tax and spend our way out of a possible recession (a stock market decline putting us into a Bear market); and the border is secure according to Vice President Kamala Harris (although we have had a record 2 million encounters and nearly 1 million illegal invaders). All of this is our reality today. First, they threw at us the threat-to-our-Democracy argument. The Democrats’ logic is bogus. What is true is that they are so out of step with the majority population: white Americans, especially white males that it should be of concern to everyone. In the last four presidential elections Democrats have lost the white vote by around 20 points. This is a true danger to our democracy: the vast majority of the population (white people) choosing the Republican candidate for president while the Republicans lost three of the last four elections. Lastly, in the “you cannot make this stuff up” category, Biden declared the COVID-19 pandemic is over. Yet Pelosi said that due to COVID being present, members of Congress do not need to be “present” to vote in the House Chambers. I guess that means they can vote from their beds if they choose to. (It should be noted that the U.S. Senate prohibits proxy voting). This is reality. Instead of fearing change, we must embrace it in November. Author: “With God, For God, and For Country.” @GaryFranks Today’s breaking news and more in your inbox Read More Here

Compromised Talking Heads https://digitalarizonanews.com/compromised-talking-heads/ War and Spy Masters for Democracy It’s instructive to look behind the veil of people that liberal media bring forward as champions of democracy on cable news. Look at some of the imperial war and spy masters that MSNBC has long featured in denouncing the crimes of Donald Trump and his Republic-fascist allies as well as Vladimir Putin. “Left” MSNBC’s roster includes former Central Intelligence Director John Brennan, who oversaw and lied about the United States drone war program under Barack Obama. Another MSNBC favorite is Director of National Intelligence James Clapper, who in 2013 perjuriously told a congressional committee hearing that the National Security Agency did not collect data on millions of Americans. Then there’s frequent MSNBC guest retired General Barry McCaffery, who ordered the criminal slaughter of retreating and surrendered Iraqi troops in after the ceasefire had been declared in Operation Desert Storm and who then failed to properly investigate his troops’ reported massacre of hundreds of Iraqi POWs. MSNBC talking heads often bring on US House Intelligence Committee chair Adam Schiff (D-CA). A centrist Democrat who has accumulated a net worth of $60 million across a 22-year Congressional career, Schiff voted for the monumentally criminal, petro-imperialist, and mass-murderous US invasion of Iraq in 2003. He supported the US-backed Saudi Arabian invasion of Yemen in 2015, cause of an epic humanitarian disaster. Neal Katyal: Corporate Rainmaker and Promoter of Christian Fascist “Justices” An especially ubiquitous talking head on MSNBC these days is the big money attorney Neal Katyal, a self-described “extremist centrist.” Katyal waxes semi-eloquent on the many crimes and legal troubles of Trump and his allies while serving as the $2,465-an-hour lead attorney heading the sinister drug giant Johnson & Johnson’s maneuver to escape its obligation to properly compensate people suffering from cancer caused by company’s baby powder and other talc-based products. Under Katyal’s direction last October, J&J assigned tens of thousands of talc lawsuits to a new subsidiary, LTL Management LLC, and placed the invented firm in bankruptcy to protect the company’s leading investors from potentially damaging payouts. According to Reuters, “Katyal’s hourly rate would rank among the highest publicly available figures in the legal industry…Lynn LoPucki, a professor at the University of California at Los Angeles School of Law who tracks bankruptcy cases, said Monday that Katyal’s rate of nearly $2,500 is the highest he has seen.” He makes more money in one hour than most of us make in a month thanks to his special skill of helping really rich folks stay that way. Known for his success representing corporate interests with the powerful law firm Hogan Lovell at the US Court of Appeals, Katyal is what is what corporate law circles call “a rainmaker” – a bringer of windfalls to big capital. He’s filed briefs that took anti-union positions in two Supreme Court cases, Janus v. AFSCME. and Epic Systems Corp. v. Lewis, both major wins for employers. He’s an expert in (among other things) Chapter 11 corporate bankruptcy, whereby wealthy investors and top managers avoid personal financial penalty for their crimes and “mistakes.” It’s a Trump favorite: the former president has escaped personal liability and retained his fortune party through four major cases in the dark Chapter 11 arts: Taj Mahal Atlantic City in 1991, Trump Plaza Hotel Atlantic City in 1992, Trump Hotels and Casino Resorts in 2004, and Trump Entertainment Resorts in 2009. Soulless amorality is part of the game. In 2020, “Big Kat” – as Katyal is known in the legal profession – represented the two giant food companies Nestle and Cargill at the Supreme Court, defending them against a lawsuit over their aiding and abetting of child slavery in the Ivory Coast. His legal argument? That Nestle and Cargill should not be held liable for their use of child slave labor because the corporation that supplied Zyklon B to the Nazis to kill Jews and other minorities in extermination camps was not indicted at the Nuremberg trials. I wonder if MSNBC hosts Joy Reid, Rachel Maddow, Stephanie “Class” Ruhle (who preceded her MSNBC employment by making millions in the parasitic global derivatives trade), or Lawrence O’Donnell want to bring that up the next time they decide to feature “Big Kat” on the dangers of Chapter 11 poster boy Donald Trump and Trumpian fascism. Katyal’s “extremist centrism” leans Republifascist. He published a New York Times op-ed endorsing Trump’s nomination of Neil Gorsuch to the Supreme Court (the newspaper’s public editor criticized the op-ed for failing to disclose that Katyal had cases actively before the Court). He introduced Judge Gorsuch at his Senate confirmation hearing. And he gushed with praise for President Trump’s nomination of the accused rapist Brett Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court. During a panel on Kavanaugh’s nomination sponsored by the right-wing Heritage Foundation, Katyal claimed that “it’s very hard for anyone who has worked with him, appeared before him, to frankly say a bad word about him.”  In tweets cited by Republican Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell to back Kavanaugh’s appointment, Katyal praised Kavanaugh’s “hardworking nature” and described Kavanaugh as “incredibly likeable” and “very gracious” while claiming that his “mentoring and guidance” of female law clerks was “a model for all of us in the legal profession.” During its last session, the Gorsuch-Kavanaugh (and Alito, Thomas, and Coney-Barrett) Court smacked majority public opinion in the face by: shooting down women’s half-century constitutional right to an abortion (the first time a constitutional right had been thoroughly reversed in US history); taking away the Environmental Protection Agency’s right to regulate carbon emissions; rolling back arrestees’ Miranda rights; crippling Indian Country’s right to prosecute white people; chipping away at public gun safety in a nation plagued by epidemic mass firearms violence. The Court June 24th anti-abortion Dobbs v. Jackson decision violated longstanding legal precedent and arguably overturned previously normative rule of law considerations by failing to make any serious stare decisis case (there was none to be made) for showing what historical circumstances had changed to justify undoing previously settled law. By signing on to the bloody end of Roe v. Wade in crass defiance of what they claimed in their Senate confirmation hearings (same with the open Handmaid Amy Coney-Barrett, Trump’s third appointee), the two right-wing “justices” Katyal helped shepherd into high state power have inflicted on untold millions of US-American women and girls the sexist and medical horror that I described at length in my last Substack. “Big Kat” might not be the best person to promote democracy and the rule of law against fascism. Not-So “Pro-Choice” MSNBC Darling Patrick Ryan But let’s venture well down the ruling class feeding chain to examine the curious case of Patrick Ryan, a proud officer-level Iraq Invasion veteran and dedicated, Georgetown University-certified imperial strategist who last August won a special Congressional election (after two previous tries) in New York’s Hudson Valley. MSNBC’s Reid, who makes regular but generally passing and vague references to Republican fascism (normalizing that existential menace to “American democracy” by failing to dig in on the meaning of the term and treating fascism as just another part of why we need to vote against “those crazy Republicans”[1]), loved that the anti-progressive Third Way Democrat Ryan appeared to have used pro-abortion backlash against Dobbs v. Jackson to win his seat in a “bellwether” contested district. Reid and other MSNBC talking heads’ gushing accolades for the young imperialist naturally included no reference to the cynicism of a Democratic Party that refused to significantly resist in advance the well-telegraphed Dobbs decision. The refusal reflected the dismal Dems’ cynical calculation that the ruling would redound to their electoral advantage in the coming mid-term elections. The liberal cable Ryan cheerleaders also made no mention of what the Hudson Valley resident and prolific anti-imperialist podcaster Eric Draitser rightly calls Clark’s history as “an intelligence spook & snitch whose every professional move is aimed at attacking the Left.” A 2018 Intercept investigation by Lee Fang reported that in 2011, Ryan, then employed by a snooping firm called Berico Technologies: “compiled a plan to create a real-time surveillance operation of left-wing groups and labor unions, hoping business lobbyists would pay top dollar to monitor and disrupt the actions of activist groups across the country. The proposal included the idea to spy on the families of high-profile Democratic activists and plant fake documents with labor unions in a bid to discredit them. The pitch, a joint venture with a now-defunct company called HBGary Federal and the Peter Thiel-backed company Palantir Technologies, however, crumbled in 2011 after it was exposed in a series of news reports.” Ryan subsequently signed on with Dataminr, a “data analytics company” that used “financial support from the CIA’s venture capital arm” to help the FBI, LAPD, NYPD, and other law enforcement agencies track the activities of Black Lives Matter. A Dataminr email to the LAPD boasted that its anti-left “social media tracking tools” were “highly valued by our clients at FBI CTD, NYPD, DoD and all ‘big five’ intel agencies.” “Pro-choice” MSNBC darling Patrick Clark has a long history of working for capital and the police and surveillance state to deny ordinary US people the choice to live in a decent society where worker and civil rights are honored and advanced. Ryan’s “history of spying on progressive...

Stacey Abrams Looks To Win Black Men In Bid For Ga. Governor – KESQ https://digitalarizonanews.com/stacey-abrams-looks-to-win-black-men-in-bid-for-ga-governor-kesq/ By JEFF AMY and BILL BARROW Associated Press ATLANTA (AP) — Democrat Stacey Abrams was on stage for an hour with radio and television host Charlamagne tha God and rapper 21 Savage when she faced a question from a skeptical audience member. “A lot of politicians speak about their plan and what they plan to do, but I also notice that I never hear a clear turnaround of when their plan will go into effect,” said Soheem Perry, who lives in suburban Atlanta. “If it doesn’t happen within the time that’s been promised, how should we feel about our vote?” Perry captured the alienation some Black Americans feel about the political process. Democrats court their votes every election year yet sometimes struggle to deliver on certain promises. But in her bid to become America’s first Black woman governor, Abrams needs support even from disillusioned voters. The concern is especially acute when it comes to Black men, who some analysts suggest have trickled recently to Republicans. A large majority of Black men have still cast votes for Democrats in recent elections, meaning the bigger fear in a tight race is that they won’t vote at all. Abrams acknowledges the possibility. She built her national profile by insisting Democrats can compete in Georgia, a longtime Republican stronghold, if they attract marginal or disaffected voters, including Black men. “If Black men turn out in the numbers and support me at the levels they’re capable of, I can win this election, because we know Black men sometimes punch below their weight class,” Abrams said at the event. “They’ve got reasons to be distrustful, and they’ve got reasons to be disconnected. And it is not only disingenuous, it would be bad practice, for me to not do the work to show that I understand.” To maximize Black male support, Abrams has held a series of events targeting them. A recent gathering in an un-air-conditioned warehouse featured free food and T-shirts. Abrams delivered bits of her standard speech in response to questions from Charlemagne, 21 Savage and civil rights lawyer Francys Johnson. But the topics were tilted toward the audience, with discussions of how Abrams opposes letting prosecutors use rap lyrics in gang prosecutions, how she wants to decriminalize — but not legalize — marijuana because she fears federal criminal charges, and how she believes Republican Gov. Brian Kemp has abandoned efforts to make Georgia’s criminal justice system less punitive. “We need leadership that sees us, that serves us and that believes in us,” Abrams said. “The current governor has proven on every one of those metrics that he does not care.” Black voters made up 29% of the general electorate during Abrams’ 2018 gubernatorial bid, according to Georgia voting records. Abrams won 94% of Black votes, according to AP VoteCast data, and still lost to Kemp by about 55,000 votes out of 4 million cast. In 2020, President Joe Biden topped Donald Trump in Georgia by less than 12,000 votes out of 5 million. Strong turnout among white voters meant Black voters accounted for 27% of that electorate, with VoteCast showing that Biden won 92% of the Black vote. In Georgia’s 2021 runoffs, which elected two Democrats to the U.S. Senate, Black voters cast 28% of ballots. Yet in these and other elections, a significantly larger share of Black women voted than Black men. Abrams’ team identifies 3.9 million Georgia voters as its universe of potential support, but knows she won’t get them all, said campaign manager Lauren Groh-Wargo. About 2.5 million are Black, Groh-Wargo said. Biden, at almost 2.5 million votes in 2020, won more votes than any Democrat ever before in Georgia. Abrams got 1.92 million votes in 2018. A subtext in Abrams’ effort is that Black men may be overshadowed in the Democratic Party by Black women. Black women have long been an anchor of Democrats’ coalition. They were credited with putting Alabama Democrat Doug Jones over the top in an upset U.S. Senate victory in 2017. Abrams’ 2018 near-miss forced a rethinking by white-dominated donor circles and media about Black women’s viability as statewide candidates. Biden’s path to the White House further affirmed Black women’s political power. In the Democratic primaries, Biden lost badly in overwhelmingly white Iowa and New Hampshire before surging to the nomination largely by sweeping Southern states with larger Black populations, driven by strong turnout in particular from Black women. With that in mind, Biden, as president, has elevated women of color. Kamala Harris, his vice president, is Black and of Jamaican and Indian descent, and the first woman to hold the office. Biden also delivered on a campaign promise to nominate the first Black woman to the Supreme Court, resulting in Ketanji Brown Jackson becoming the court’s 116th justice. Nsé Ufot, who leads the New Georgia Project, a voting rights group Abrams founded as a state lawmaker, said it would be “disingenuous” to say the newfound attention on Black women is “not a factor” in how some Black men view politics currently. But Ufot said any resentments “are not as big a deal as the hand-wringing class” might think. “The question is whether she can make the hard sell, taking the case directly to Black men.” Abrams herself disputes any characterization that her focus on Black men reveals a “weakness” in her campaign. “Every candidate, every campaign has to work hard to make certain that people believe it’s worth voting, and that’s what I’m doing,” she told a gathering of Black journalists this week in Washington, adding that she’s trying to address “distrust and despair” among voters who “are not seeing the results they thought they would see.” Indeed, it’s not that Black men aren’t overwhelmingly faithful Democrats, said Leah Wright Rigueur, a Johns Hopkins University expert on African American political power. “The majority of Black men are exactly where they were a couple of years ago, which is that they’re consistent and loyal and partisan voters and supporters of Democratic candidates,” she said. But Wright Rigueur said former President Barack Obama maxed out support from Black men, drawing some Black Republicans who’ve since moved back toward the GOP. She also said others are frustrated that previous Democratic victories haven’t had a big impact on their lives. “There is a cross section of Black men that manifest their frustration with failures of the Democratic Party by saying, ‘You have to earn my vote,’” she said. One of those is Tim Black, a Washington commentator who says he’s an independent. He warned in a recent video that it would a be a “slap in the face” to blame Black men if Abrams loses, and that no one has an “obligation” to back her. “We’re tired as hell of being talked down to,” Black said. “Here’s a radical idea: Instead of telling us who to vote for, give us some tangible reasons to vote for you.” Abrams seemed to sense that criticism at her event, holding up her policy ideas as ways to help people directly. “There’s a Twitter universe that presumes that if you don’t say exactly what they want to hear, you don’t have an agenda for Black men. I get it,” Abrams said. “It just so happens that I know that if the agenda for Black men works, it works for everyone.” Groh-Wargo described voters overall as “exhausted” by the 2020 campaign, including the Senate runoffs two months after the presidential election. She acknowledged frustrations among less habitual Democratic voters who “showed up” to defeat Trump only to face a pandemic economy, inflation and nonstop campaigning. “There’s a Black men’s Democratic problem in California. It’s not just us,” Groh-Wargo said. “There is softness because Black voters in America are having this collective experience. … People do not feel seen and heard.” But, she insisted, “They don’t feel that way about Stacey,” because Abrams is “showing up.” For Perry, the voter who asked whether Abrams could keep her promises, that may be enough. He said Abrams didn’t fully answer his question, but his “gut feeling about her … is genuineness.” And, he added, “That’s what I normally feel like I don’t feel from politicians.” Read More Here

Precisely What Does The Fresh New Particle Brand Of Number Teach All Of Us? – DU EXPRESS https://digitalarizonanews.com/precisely-what-does-the-fresh-new-particle-brand-of-number-teach-all-of-us-du-express/ Concepts are like activities. It determine scientific phenomena (something and you will events that is certainly described and you can explained inside the medical terms) having fun with photo and terms. Most of the number is made up of dust which can be incredibly short – too brief observe for the naked-eye. The latest dirt would be atoms or combos of atoms that will be fused. Discover pushes between the dirt. The fresh new dust in number are often swinging. The more energy he’s, the faster it move. – Advertisement – This backlinks to Gr. 6 Time and alter where in actuality the subjects off held times and you will course opportunity had been protected. When you look at the Title step 3, Times and change, these types of basics could be discussed alot more officially while the energizing energy (path opportunity) and you will possible time (stored time). New places between your dirt into the matter are blank. You could believe that the fresh rooms ranging from dirt try filled with heavens, however, this is not the way it is. They include practically nothing. It is essential to to notice the fresh myth here there is ‘air’ in between the new dirt. It is not true. The new spaces involving the dirt was empty – called a vacuum. Take note to ensure that you don’t introduce this myth. If you need to, reverse to help you chapter step 1 in order to update the fresh terminology atom, ability, material and you may molecule as well as how they associate. Why is the newest particle make of count therefore beneficial? The fresh new particle brand of matter is one of the most helpful scientific designs because it relates to number in most about three says. Focusing on how the fresh new dirt out-of count work is key whenever we desire to discover science! – Advertisement – The newest model can also help me to understand what goes wrong with new particles whenever matter transform from a single state to some other. The second diagram reveals more change off state, including and this procedure will be opposite of each and every most other. Melting and freezing are definitely the reverse techniques of each almost every other and you can so might be evaporation (boiling) and you can condensation. Significantly less than special products, a solid can alter into a petrol in the place of melting earliest. This action is known assublimation and its own reverse (whenever a petrol changes in to a very good without condensing very first) is known as deposition. Make reference to the prior diagram. Check that you contemplate a few of the maxims http://img4.bdbphotos.com/images/230×300/c/k/ck181eapplgra1pe.jpg?skj2io4l” alt=”Phoenix AZ sugar daddies” your studied about from inside the early in the day grades of the going through these types of brief questions. It is because they actually have more kinetic times. Which brings up next point and just how i explain the change away from condition utilising the particle brand of count. We shall make use of the design to adopt every one of these change a lot more closely. But earliest, we shall check the way the model relates to each county regarding count. Solids, h2o and you will smoke shrink collide diffuse We are able to use the particle model to simply help all of us see the behavior of each and every of your claims away from number. We’re going to check per condition in turn. There can be that very important question to keep in mind when we envision the different states from number. When it comes to amount, anyone particles of this amount are the same within the all about three states, good, h2o and you can gasoline. This is the behaviour of your dust you to changes in for every county. The latest solid state Solids continue its figure and should not become compressed. Let’s see if brand new particle design will help us discover as to the reasons solids operate similar to this. During the a strong, the dust try manufactured alongside both inside the fixed positions. He’s locked to the place, hence teaches you why solids keeps a fixed figure. Glance at the following the images from salt chloride (desk sodium). Might you recall the formula to have salt chloride? Read More…

AP News Summary At 12:39 A.m. EDT https://digitalarizonanews.com/ap-news-summary-at-1239-a-m-edt/ Floods trap many in Florida as Ian heads to South Carolina FORT MYERS, Fla. (AP) — Hurricane Ian has regained some strength after exiting Florida and taking aim at South Carolina. The National Hurricane Center said the storm spent only a few hours as a weakened tropical storm over Florida before it spun up into a Category 1 hurricane on Thursday in the Atlantic Ocean. Rescue crews were wading through water and using boats to rescue Florida residents stranded in the wake of Hurricane Ian. The Orange County fire department posted photos of crews in a flooded neighborhood in the Orlando area. At least four people in Florida were confirmed dead on the state’s eastern coast. Forecasters have issued a hurricane warning for coastal South Carolina and southeastern North Carolina ahead of another landfall Friday. Russia to annex more of Ukraine on Friday at the Kremlin KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Russia is planning to annex more of Ukraine on Friday. The move represents an escalation of the seven-month war that is expected to isolate the Kremlin further, draw more international punishment and bring extra support to Ukraine. An annexation ceremony is planned in the Kremlin. The annexation would come just days after voters supposedly approved Moscow-managed “referendums” that Ukrainian and Western officials have denounced as illegal, forced and rigged. In an apparent response, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy called an emergency meeting Friday of his National Security and Defense Council. Russia opens more border draft offices amid call-up exodus Russian authorities are opening more military enlistment offices near Russia’s borders in an apparent effort to intercept Russian men of fighting age who are trying to avoid getting called up to fight in Ukraine. Saratov regional officials said a new draft office opened Thursday at a checkpoint on Russia’s border with Kazakhstan. Another military enlistment center was to open at a crossing in the Astrakhan region, also on the border with Kazakhstan. Earlier this week, makeshift Russian draft offices were set up near a border crossing into Georgia and on Russia’s border with Finland. Russian officials say they would hand call-up notices to all eligible men who were trying to leave the country. 1/6 chairman: Ginni Thomas reiterates false election claims WASHINGTON (AP) — Virginia “Ginni” Thomas, the wife of Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas, has stood by the false claim that the 2020 election was fraudulent during an interview with the House panel investigating the Jan. 6 insurrection. That is according to Rep. Bennie Thompson, the panel’s Democratic chairman. The committee has for months sought an interview with Thomas in an effort to know more about her role in trying to help former President Donald Trump overturn his election defeat. She texted with White House chief of staff Mark Meadows and contacted lawmakers in Arizona and Wisconsin after the election. Thomas’ attorney says his client was solely focused on ensuring reports of voter fraud and irregularities were investigated. Hurricane Ian sweeps away homes, memories on barrier islands FORT MYERS BEACH, Fla. (AP) — Cars are left abandoned where they stalled on the road into Fort Myers Beach when Hurricane Ian’s storm surge flooded their engines and their drivers couldn’t continue. Broken trees, boat trailers and other debris litter the path. It’s even worse in the seaside tourist town, much of which was flattened by the fierce winds and powerful storm surge generated by the Category 4 hurricane. The barrier islands along the southwest Florida coast are famed for their seashells, fishing and laid-back lifestyle. They took major hits from Ian when it came ashore Wednesday and residents tried to salvage what they could Thursday. Trump records probe: Tensions flare over special master WASHINGTON (AP) — The FBI search of Donald Trump’s Florida estate has spawned a parallel “special master” process that has slowed the Justice Department’s criminal investigation and exposed simmering tensions between department prosecutors and lawyers for the former president. The probe into the presence of top secret information at Mar-a-Lago continues. But barbed rhetoric in the past week’s court filings has laid bare deep disagreements related to the special master’s work and made clear that a process the Trump team initially sought has not been playing to the president’s advantage. The special master, Raymond Dearie, is a former federal prosecutor and served as a U.S. District judge in Brooklyn. S. Korea, US and Japan hold anti-N. Korean submarine drills SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — South Korea, U.S. and Japanese warships have launched their first anti-submarine drills in five years, after North Korea renewed ballistic missile tests this week. South Korea says Friday’s one-day trilateral training off the Korean Peninsula’s east coast is meant to cope with a North Korean push to advance its ability to fire missile from submarines. North Korea has been building bigger submarines including a nuclear-powered one and testing sophisticated missiles that can be fired from them in recent years. The North’s recent five missiles launches, the first such tests in a month, also came before and after U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris visited South Korea. Civil rights lawyer John Burris confronts police narratives OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — Civil rights lawyer John Burris is Northern California’s go-to attorney when it comes to police brutality. At age 77, he continues to travel the state to appear with victims big and small to allege violations against law enforcement. Burris helped Rodney King win a $3.8 million jury verdict in 1994 for the brutal beating he received by four LAPD officers. The beating was captured on video and opened mainstream America to what was a common occurrence in Black America. The Oakland attorney marvels at the changes in the public’s attitude toward police but says people still need to press for reform. Study finds that climate change added 10% to Ian’s rainfall A quick study by two scientists calculates that climate change made Hurricane Ian 10% rainier than it would have been if there were no such thing as global warming. Thursday’s analysis, which was not peer reviewed, is based on 20 computer simulations of a world with no climate change from the burning of coal, oil and natural gas. Scientists then compared those scenarios to what was playing out in real time with Hurricane Ian. The authors compared the highest rainfall rates over three hours. Dolphins QB Tua Tagovailoa stretchered off with head injury CINCINNATI (AP) — Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa sustained neck and head injuries after being slammed to the ground Thursday night against the Cincinnati Bengals, and was stretchered from the field. The Dolphins said Tagovailoa was conscious and had movement in all his extremities after being taken by stretcher from the field and to University of Cincinnati Medical Center. The Dolphins said after their 27-15 loss to the Bengals that Tagovailoa was expected to be released from the hospital and fly home with the team. Tagovailoa was chased down and sacked by Josh Tupou with about six minutes left in the first half. He remained down for more than seven minutes before being loaded on a backboard, stabilized and removed via stretcher. Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. For Related Stories: Hurricane Ian Read More Here

Trump Pleads For Political Donations From Mar-A-Lago – Follow Live https://digitalarizonanews.com/trump-pleads-for-political-donations-from-mar-a-lago-follow-live/ Former US president Donald Trump claims he can declassify top secret documents just ‘by thinking about it’ A court filing by Donald Trump’s legal team has revealed that the former president hoarded some 200,000 pages of federal documents upon leaving office, spread between the 11,000 documents already mentioned following the search of Mar-a-Lago. In the filing, which contains Mr Trump’s objections to an accelerated review schedule laid out by special master US District Judge Raymond Dearie, his lawyers argue that an early October deadline for scanning and reviewing the documents is unrealistic because they cannot be processed quickly enough. The former president’s team also claims that Judge Dearie is overstepping his authority by asking them to confirm the inventory of what was seized. They argue only the Justice Department can do so. As Florida reeled from the impact of Hurricane Ian on Wednesday, Mr Trump pleaded on social media for donations… to his political campaign ahead of a fundraising deadline. Rescue and recovery efforts had yet begun. Having postponed Wednesday’s final public hearing because of the storm, the January 6 House select committee is instead interviewing conservative activist Ginni Thomas, wife of Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas, about her actions after the 2020 election. Registration is a free and easy way to support our truly independent journalism By registering, you will also enjoy limited access to Premium articles, exclusive newsletters, commenting, and virtual events with our leading journalists Email Please enter a valid email Please enter a valid email Password Must be at least 6 characters, include an upper and lower case character and a number Must be at least 6 characters, include an upper and lower case character and a number Must be at least 6 characters, include an upper and lower case character and a number First name Please enter your first name Special characters aren’t allowed Please enter a name between 1 and 40 characters Last name Please enter your last name Special characters aren’t allowed Please enter a name between 1 and 40 characters You must be over 18 years old to register You must be over 18 years old to register Year of birth I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent.  Read our Privacy notice You can opt-out at any time by signing in to your account to manage your preferences. Each email has a link to unsubscribe. Already have an account? sign in Registration is a free and easy way to support our truly independent journalism By registering, you will also enjoy limited access to Premium articles, exclusive newsletters, commenting, and virtual events with our leading journalists Email Please enter a valid email Please enter a valid email Password Must be at least 6 characters, include an upper and lower case character and a number Must be at least 6 characters, include an upper and lower case character and a number Must be at least 6 characters, include an upper and lower case character and a number First name Please enter your first name Special characters aren’t allowed Please enter a name between 1 and 40 characters Last name Please enter your last name Special characters aren’t allowed Please enter a name between 1 and 40 characters You must be over 18 years old to register You must be over 18 years old to register Year of birth I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent.  Read our Privacy notice You can opt-out at any time by signing in to your account to manage your preferences. Each email has a link to unsubscribe. Already have an account? sign in Read More Here

AP News Summary At 12:39 A.m. EDT https://digitalarizonanews.com/ap-news-summary-at-1239-a-m-edt-2/ Floods trap many in Florida as Ian heads to South Carolina FORT MYERS, Fla. (AP) — Hurricane Ian has regained some strength after exiting Florida and taking aim at South Carolina. The National Hurricane Center said the storm spent only a few hours as a weakened tropical storm over Florida before it spun up into a Category 1 hurricane on Thursday in the Atlantic Ocean. Rescue crews were wading through water and using boats to rescue Florida residents stranded in the wake of Hurricane Ian. The Orange County fire department posted photos of crews in a flooded neighborhood in the Orlando area. At least four people in Florida were confirmed dead on the state’s eastern coast. Forecasters have issued a hurricane warning for coastal South Carolina and southeastern North Carolina ahead of another landfall Friday. Russia to annex more of Ukraine on Friday at the Kremlin KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Russia is planning to annex more of Ukraine on Friday. The move represents an escalation of the seven-month war that is expected to isolate the Kremlin further, draw more international punishment and bring extra support to Ukraine. An annexation ceremony is planned in the Kremlin. The annexation would come just days after voters supposedly approved Moscow-managed “referendums” that Ukrainian and Western officials have denounced as illegal, forced and rigged. In an apparent response, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy called an emergency meeting Friday of his National Security and Defense Council. Russia opens more border draft offices amid call-up exodus Russian authorities are opening more military enlistment offices near Russia’s borders in an apparent effort to intercept Russian men of fighting age who are trying to avoid getting called up to fight in Ukraine. Saratov regional officials said a new draft office opened Thursday at a checkpoint on Russia’s border with Kazakhstan. Another military enlistment center was to open at a crossing in the Astrakhan region, also on the border with Kazakhstan. Earlier this week, makeshift Russian draft offices were set up near a border crossing into Georgia and on Russia’s border with Finland. Russian officials say they would hand call-up notices to all eligible men who were trying to leave the country. 1/6 chairman: Ginni Thomas reiterates false election claims WASHINGTON (AP) — Virginia “Ginni” Thomas, the wife of Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas, has stood by the false claim that the 2020 election was fraudulent during an interview with the House panel investigating the Jan. 6 insurrection. That is according to Rep. Bennie Thompson, the panel’s Democratic chairman. The committee has for months sought an interview with Thomas in an effort to know more about her role in trying to help former President Donald Trump overturn his election defeat. She texted with White House chief of staff Mark Meadows and contacted lawmakers in Arizona and Wisconsin after the election. Thomas’ attorney says his client was solely focused on ensuring reports of voter fraud and irregularities were investigated. Hurricane Ian sweeps away homes, memories on barrier islands FORT MYERS BEACH, Fla. (AP) — Cars are left abandoned where they stalled on the road into Fort Myers Beach when Hurricane Ian’s storm surge flooded their engines and their drivers couldn’t continue. Broken trees, boat trailers and other debris litter the path. It’s even worse in the seaside tourist town, much of which was flattened by the fierce winds and powerful storm surge generated by the Category 4 hurricane. The barrier islands along the southwest Florida coast are famed for their seashells, fishing and laid-back lifestyle. They took major hits from Ian when it came ashore Wednesday and residents tried to salvage what they could Thursday. Trump records probe: Tensions flare over special master WASHINGTON (AP) — The FBI search of Donald Trump’s Florida estate has spawned a parallel “special master” process that has slowed the Justice Department’s criminal investigation and exposed simmering tensions between department prosecutors and lawyers for the former president. The probe into the presence of top secret information at Mar-a-Lago continues. But barbed rhetoric in the past week’s court filings has laid bare deep disagreements related to the special master’s work and made clear that a process the Trump team initially sought has not been playing to the president’s advantage. The special master, Raymond Dearie, is a former federal prosecutor and served as a U.S. District judge in Brooklyn. S. Korea, US and Japan hold anti-N. Korean submarine drills SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — South Korea, U.S. and Japanese warships have launched their first anti-submarine drills in five years, after North Korea renewed ballistic missile tests this week. South Korea says Friday’s one-day trilateral training off the Korean Peninsula’s east coast is meant to cope with a North Korean push to advance its ability to fire missile from submarines. North Korea has been building bigger submarines including a nuclear-powered one and testing sophisticated missiles that can be fired from them in recent years. The North’s recent five missiles launches, the first such tests in a month, also came before and after U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris visited South Korea. Civil rights lawyer John Burris confronts police narratives OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — Civil rights lawyer John Burris is Northern California’s go-to attorney when it comes to police brutality. At age 77, he continues to travel the state to appear with victims big and small to allege violations against law enforcement. Burris helped Rodney King win a $3.8 million jury verdict in 1994 for the brutal beating he received by four LAPD officers. The beating was captured on video and opened mainstream America to what was a common occurrence in Black America. The Oakland attorney marvels at the changes in the public’s attitude toward police but says people still need to press for reform. Study finds that climate change added 10% to Ian’s rainfall A quick study by two scientists calculates that climate change made Hurricane Ian 10% rainier than it would have been if there were no such thing as global warming. Thursday’s analysis, which was not peer reviewed, is based on 20 computer simulations of a world with no climate change from the burning of coal, oil and natural gas. Scientists then compared those scenarios to what was playing out in real time with Hurricane Ian. The authors compared the highest rainfall rates over three hours. Dolphins QB Tua Tagovailoa stretchered off with head injury CINCINNATI (AP) — Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa sustained neck and head injuries after being slammed to the ground Thursday night against the Cincinnati Bengals, and was stretchered from the field. The Dolphins said Tagovailoa was conscious and had movement in all his extremities after being taken by stretcher from the field and to University of Cincinnati Medical Center. The Dolphins said after their 27-15 loss to the Bengals that Tagovailoa was expected to be released from the hospital and fly home with the team. Tagovailoa was chased down and sacked by Josh Tupou with about six minutes left in the first half. He remained down for more than seven minutes before being loaded on a backboard, stabilized and removed via stretcher. Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. 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Last-Minute Red-Blue Game Information For Arizona Basketball https://digitalarizonanews.com/last-minute-red-blue-game-information-for-arizona-basketball/ TUCSON, ARIZONA – JANUARY 03: Head coach Tommy Lloyd of the Arizona Wildcats in a timeout during the NCAAB game at McKale Center on January 03, 2022 in Tucson, Arizona. The Arizona Wildcats won 95-79 against the Washington Huskies. (Photo by Rebecca Noble/Getty Images) TUCSON, AZ – Officially kicking off the 2022-23 Arizona Basketball, the Wildcats return to action in the annual Red-Blue Game. The 2022-23 Arizona Basketball season is nearly, and the reigning Pac-12 Champions tips off its year with the annual Red-Blue Game. Returning to the friendly confines of McKale Center, the Wildcats return a slew of talent that includes Azuolas Tubelis, Pelle Larsson, Kerr Kriisa, and Oumar Ballo most notably. Beyond that, the Cats also bring in several new faces which include Courtney Ramey (Texas), Cedric Henderson Jr. (Campbell), as well as highly-touted freshmen Dylan Anderson, Kylan Boswell, and Henri Veesaar. Coming in, the Wildcats should be in store for yet another intriguing year as the Cats have the talent to contend for another Pac-12 Championship. However, the road won’t be an easy one in year two of the Tommy Lloyd era! Luckily for us, fans of Arizona Basketball will get their first look at the team for the upcoming season. And with Arizona Basketball officially kicking off the 2022-23 season, here is how you can watch and follow the Red-Blue Game. Arizona Basketball Red-Blue game information and details: Date: Friday, Sep. 30, 2022 Time: 7:30 p.m. PST Television: Pac-12 Network Location: McKale Center, Tucson, Ariz. Arizona Game Preview: Arizona enters this game fresh off of a huge first season under Tommy Lloyd, and as you may recall, the Wildcats won 33 games en route to securing a regular-season and a conference tournament title. Beyond that, Arizona also secured its 36th NCAA Tournament appearance, and more impressively, its 20th Sweet 16 appearance. The Wildcats will look to continue their winning ways when they open the season on Nov. 7 against Nichols State. Before that, they will have a tune-up game against Western Oregon on Nov. 1. For now, we will get a good look at this team when they take to the court on Friday evening! Don’t forget to follow us at @ZonaZealots on Twitter and like our fan page on Facebook for continued coverage of Arizona news, opinions, and recruiting updates! Read More Here

Stock Futures Inch Lower Following Thursday’s Broad Sell-Off https://digitalarizonanews.com/stock-futures-inch-lower-following-thursdays-broad-sell-off/ Stock futures were lower on Friday morning following a sharp sell-off that brought the S&P 500 to a new 2022 low. Futures tied to the S&P 500 were down 0.25%. Dow Jones Industrial Average futures lost 0.36% or 106 points. Nasdaq 100 futures were 0.26% lower. The 2022 sell-off resumed in full force during regular trading on Thursday as investors weighed concerns over future rate-hiking decisions from the Federal Reserve and the impact on the market. Apple led Thursday’s decline, closing down 4.9% as the tech giant has faced reports of declining demand for its new products, specifically the iPhone 14 series. Bank of America also downgraded the tech giant, which pressured shares. At the end of regular trading on Thursday, the S&P 500 dropped 2.1% to 3,640.47. The Dow was down 1.54% to 29,225.61, while the Nasdaq Composite fell 2.84% to 10,737.51. The major indexes are also on track to end the week — and September — sharply in the red. The S&P 500 is off 1.4% for the week, while the Dow and the Nasdaq are each down 1.2%. For September, the S&P 500 is down 7.9%, and the Dow is off 7.2%. The Nasdaq is on track for a loss of 9.1% for the month. “The market stinks,” said Jamie Cox, managing partner of Harris Financial Group. “But that’s basically what the Fed wants: tighten financial conditions, and they believe that that will help bring down inflation to the levels that they find acceptable. And they’re using the transmission mechanism of the market to make that happen.” Nike shares fell in after-hours trading after the company reported that sales increased, but supply chain and inventory issues hampered the bottom line in its fiscal first quarter. Meanwhile, Amylyx Pharmaceuticals‘ shares spiked after the Food and Drug Administration approved its drug for Lou Gehrig’s disease. On the economic data front, investors will watch for personal income and spending and consumer spending Friday morning. The Federal Reserve’s favorite measure of inflation, the PCE deflator, is also due for August. China reports better-than-expected factory activity for September China’s official manufacturing Purchasing Managers’ Index surprisingly grew in September to 50.1, much higher than the 49.6 predicted by analysts in a Reuters poll. The 50-point mark separates growth from contraction. PMI prints compare activity from month to month. Meanwhile, the Caixin/S&P Global manufacturing Purchasing Managers’ Index, a private survey of factory activity — reported a contraction with a reading of 48.1. “Subdued demand conditions and lower production requirements led firms to cut back on their purchasing activity in September, with the rate of decline the quickest in four months,” the Caixin press release said. The official non-manufacturing PMI came in at 50.6 in September, down from 52.6 in August. — Abigail Ng CNBC Pro: Is the Fed on the right track? Wall Street veteran Ed Yardeni says this is what it should do next The U.S Federal Reserve announced yet another 75 basis point hike earlier this month, sending the federal funds rate up to a range of 3% to 3.25%. The central bank also signaled it may raise interest rates up to as high as 4.6% in 2023 to control inflation. Ed Yardeni, the economist who coined the term “bond vigilantes,” gives his take as the Fed’s response to inflation comes under intense scrutiny. Pro subscribers can read more here. — Zavier Ong Nike, Amylyx move in post-market trading Nike and Amylyx Pharmaceuticals are moving after hours. The sportswear giant Nike was down about 9.2% in after-hour trading Thursday after reporting first-quarter earnings after the bell. Despite beating revenue expectations, the company said supply chain and inventory issues hurt the bottom line. On the other hand, Amylyx saw shares up nearly 10% in extended trading. The pharmaceutical company received approval from the Food and Drug Administration late in the afternoon for its controversial new drug expected to slow the progress of Lou Gehrig’s disease. — Alex Harring Indices slide week to date, month to date The three major indices are all on pace to slide this week. The Dow is down about 1.23% week to date, putting it on track for its sixth negative week out of the last second. It dropped 7.25% so far this month, which places it on pace for its worst month since March 2020 – when the pandemic began. The S&P 500 was also on track for its sixth negative week out of the last seven, notching down 1.43% so far this week. It has fallen 7.95% month to date, which would be its worst month since June if it remains at that level. Also heading toward its sixth negative week out of the last seven, the Nasdaq slid 1.2% so far this week. It is down 9.13% month to date, meaning it is on track for its worst monthly performance since April. — Alex Harring Futures tick up slightly in first hour Futures ticked up slightly after open Thursday evening following a day of sell-offs as nervous investors continue wondering how the Federal Reserve’s fight against inflation will impact markets. Futures for the S&P 500 were up 0.33%. The Dow Jones Industrial Average futures were up slightly less at 0.23%. Nasdaq 100 futures followed closely, up 0.21%. — Alex Harring Read More Here

Germany Will Borrow Nearly $200 Billion To Cap Consumers' Energy Bills | CNN Business https://digitalarizonanews.com/germany-will-borrow-nearly-200-billion-to-cap-consumers-energy-bills-cnn-business/ London CNN Business  —  The German government announced plans to borrow €200 billion ($195 billion) to cap natural gas prices for households and businesses. That’s a bigger price tag than the £150 billion ($165 billion) the UK government is expected to borrow to finance its own price cap. Germany, Europe’s biggest economy, is trying to cope with surging gas and electricity costs caused largely by a collapse in Russian gas supplies to Europe. Moscow has blamed these supply issues on the Western sanctions that followed its invasion of Ukraine in February. “Prices have to come down, so the government will do everything it can. To this end, we are setting up a large defensive shield,” said German Chancellor Olaf Scholz on Thursday. Under the plans, which are set to run until spring 2024, the government will introduce an emergency price brake on gas, the details of which will be announced next month. It is also scrapping a planned gas levy meant to help firms struggling with high spot market prices. A temporary electricity price brake will subsidize basic consumption for consumers and small and medium-sized companies. Sales tax on gas will fall sharply to 7% from 19%. The package will be financed with new borrowing this year, as Berlin makes use of the suspension of a constitutionally enshrined limit on new debt of 0.35% of gross domestic product. Finance Minister Christian Lindner has said he wants to comply with the limit again next year. Lindner, of the pro-business Free Democrats (FDP) who share power with Scholz’s Social Democrats and the Greens, said on Thursday the country’s public finances were stable. “We can put it no other way: We find ourselves in an energy war,” said Lindner. “We want to clearly separate crisis expenditure from our regular budget management. We want to send a very clear signal to the capital markets.” Lindner also said the steps would act as a brake on inflation, which has hit its highest level in more than a quarter century. Consumer prices rose 10.9% in the year through September, provisional data from the country’s statistics office showed on Thursday. Germany has historically relied on Russian natural gas exports to fuel its homes and heavy industry. But a sharp drop in Moscow’s gas shipments since the start of the war has pushed some of Germany’s manufacturers to the brink. “The Russian attack on Ukraine and the resulting crisis on the energy markets are leading to a noticeable slump in the German economy,” Torsten Schmidt, head of economic research at RWI – Leibniz Institute for Economic Research, said in a Thursday report coauthored with three other top German economic institutes. While German GDP is expected to rise by 1.4% this year, it is likely to fall by 0.4% in 2023, the report predicts. The report said that, while tight gas supplies should ease over the medium-term, prices are likely to remain “well above pre-crisis levels.” “This will mean a permanent loss of prosperity for Germany,” it said. Industry groups welcomed the government’s plans. “This is important relief,” said Wolfgang Grosse Entrup, head of the chemicals industry trade group VCI. “Now we need details quickly, as firms increasingly have their backs to the wall.” Read More Here

Ex-Seattle Man Found Guilty Of Dumping Body Parts In Arizona https://digitalarizonanews.com/ex-seattle-man-found-guilty-of-dumping-body-parts-in-arizona/ PRESCOTT — A former Seattle resident accused of dumping body parts around central Arizona has been convicted of more than two dozen felonies. A Yavapai County jury on Thursday found Walter Harold Mitchell III guilty of 29 felony counts of concealing or abandoning a dead body, according to a statement from the Yavapai County Attorney’s Office. Authorities linked Mitchell to human remains found on the outskirts of Prescott in late December 2020, through tags and medical gauze that accompanied them. He had moved there earlier in 2020 from Washington state, where he owned a business that managed cadavers for research. His business permanently closed in April 2020 and he took the donor parts with him in a U-Haul truck on dry ice when he moved to Arizona, prosecutors said. He kept the parts in a freezer in a shed north of Prescott in Chino Valley and told authorities later that he dumped them in late November 2020, prosecutors said. He was arrested after selling the freezer and moving to Scottsdale. The remains that included arms, legs and heads have been linked to nine people, Deputy Yavapai County Attorney Casi Harris said previously. Mitchell’s sentencing is set for late October. Copyright 2022 Scripps Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Sign up for the Headlines Newsletter and receive up to date information. Read More Here

Live Updates: Ian Strengthens Into Hurricane Again As It Threatens South Carolina https://digitalarizonanews.com/live-updates-ian-strengthens-into-hurricane-again-as-it-threatens-south-carolina/   7m ago Small protests pop up in Havana over blackout A few hundred Cubans took to the streets Thursday night in Havana demanding the restoration of electricity, protesting more than two days after a blackout hit the entire island following the passage of Hurricane Ian. An Associated Press journalist saw a total of about 400 people gathered in at least two spots in the Cerro neighborhood shouting, “We want light, we want light,” and banging pots and pans. It was the first public outpouring of anger after electricity problems spread from western Cuba, where Ian hit, and knocked out all of the island’s power grid Tuesday night, leaving its 11 million people in the dark. The storm also left three people dead and caused still unquantified damage. In addition to power problems in Havana on Thursday, Internet service was out and cellphones didn’t work At one of the protests, on Primellef Street, police arrived, but demonstrators remained on one of the corners. About 10 blocks away, on the Calzada del Cerro, other protesters surrounded a work team trying to repair a pole and a light transformer. The two groups of protesters were still in the streets late into the night, but the gatherings remained peaceful. In July 2021, Cuba saw its largest social protests in decades. Thousands of people, weary of power failures and shortages of goods exacerbated by the pandemic and U.S. sanctions, turned out in cities across the island to vent their anger and some also lashed out at the government. Hundreds were arrested and prosecuted, prompting harsh criticism of the administration of President Miguel Diaz-Canel. The government hasn’t said what percentage of the population remained without electricity, but electrical authorities said only 10% of Havana’s 2 million people had power Thursday.    11:49 PM Damaged Florida businesses, tourist attractions face major rebuilding challenge Walt Disney World and other tourist attractions in central Florida appeared to have avoided severe damage from Hurricane Ian. But many businesses on the state’s southwestern coast were hammered and face a long rebuilding process. In Fort Myers, video posted on social media showed the Times Square, a colorful area of shops and restaurants, leveled by the storm. Sanibel, a barrier island dotted with resorts and connected to Fort Myers by a causeway, was devastated. Carol Dover, president of the Florida Restaurant & Lodging Association, paused in the middle of an interview to watch live television, and was relieved to see the Westin Cape Coral Resort along the marina in Fort Myers still standing. “But now everything that they are showing on CNN is flattened. I don’t see anything but rubble,” she gasped. “We have a lot of rebuilding to do, and it’s not done in a month. This sometimes takes years.” Ian came ashore in southwest Florida as a Category 4 hurricane accompanied by storm surges that left thousands trapped by flooding and millions without power. As it moved inland and weakened — eventually to a tropical storm — high winds and heavy rain continued. But theme parks and other tourism magnets in central Florida appeared to have dodged crippling harm. In the Orlando area, Walt Disney World and other attractions that had closed ahead of the storm remained shuttered, and it was unclear when they would reopen. Florida’s leisure and hospitality sector accounts for nearly 1.3 million jobs, a 9.6% increase from a year ago, according to figures from the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity. Most of those jobs are in lodging and food services, and they have helped cut Florida’s unemployment rate to 2.7% in August — a full percentage point lower than the national average — from 4.3% a year earlier. Members of the Florida National Guard look for stranded residents in a flooded neighborhood in the aftermath of Hurricane Ian on Sept. 29, 2022, in Orlando, Florida.  Paul Hennessy/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images   9:24 PM Orlando International Airport to reopen Friday Orlando International Airport will reopen Friday, two days after it was forced to close due to Hurricane Ian, officials confirmed.  The airport reported Thursday evening that it would resume flights beginning at noon Eastern time on Friday. All roads leading to the airport will also reopen. Departing travelers were asked not to arrive at the airport until at least 10 a.m.  The decision to reopen was made after a “thorough investigation of any property damage, and a careful consideration for the safety and security of the traveling public and airport employees,” the airport said in a statement.   The airport has been closed since Wednesday morning.  Tampa and Jacksonville international airports also announced they would reopen Friday.   8:56 PM Hurricane Ian likely to make landfall near Charleston as Category 1 storm Hurricane Ian is forecasted to make landfall at about 2 p.m. Friday near Charleston, South Carolina, CBS News meteorologist David Parkinson said on “Red and Blue” Thursday evening. The storm is not expected to strengthen much overnight Thursday, meaning it will likely arrive in South Carolina as a Category 1 storm. Once it makes landfall, Ian will move inland, significantly weakening. However, the system still has a lot of moisture and will bring heavy rainfall to portions of the state, and even up into North Carolina. Its storm surge is expected to be between 4 and 7 feet. Hurricane Ian threatens South Carolina after ravaging Florida 03:13   8:26 PM DeSantis says authorities working to restore power and clean water to several counties During a Thursday night press conference, Gov. Ron DeSantis detailed what state and federal agencies are doing to help residents impacted by Hurricane Ian. He said conditions across Florida vary, but they are working to get everyone what they need. In Lee County, the largest issue now is that residents do not have access to clean water, DeSantis said. Local officials there requested federal assistance, and FEMA and others are now helping fix damaged water treatment facilities. Additionally, officials are transporting hundreds of thousands of gallons of water to health care facilities in that county. Power outages also remain a major concern. Certain parts of Florida have downed lines, while others will have to rebuild their infrastructure from the ground up, the governor said.  But to officials’ astonishment, DeSantis said, “the road situation is by and large really good.” Officials are rapidly deploying supplies, such as cots, blankets, tarps and bottled water, to people in need, DeSantis said. According to Florida’s first lady, the Florida Disaster Fund has already raised $10 million, which will help authorities get resources to people quickly. She gave a special shoutout to Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Tom Brady, who shared the link for the fund on his social media accounts. During the Thursday night press conference, State Division of Emergency Management director Kevin Guthrie told residents to be patient, as authorities are working around the clock to help residents. Guthrie also asked residents not to go out and explore damage, and not to operate drones in areas where authorities are flying. DeSantis believes that most school districts will reopen by either Friday or Monday.   7:50 PM / September 29, 2022 200 people being rescued from assisted living facilities Orange County Fire and Rescue said Thursday evening it was rescuing 200 people from assisted living facilities in Orlando. The department shared photos of rescuers lugging equipment through several inches of water. Evacuations are still taking place across @OrangeCoFL from #HurricaneIan. Units are currently working to rescue 200 people at the Bridge and Life Care Center assisted living facilities. pic.twitter.com/hQE4gyn39Y — OCFire Rescue (@OCFireRescue) September 29, 2022 It was not immediately clear why the facilities were being evacuated or whether anyone was injured.   7:31 PM / September 29, 2022 Cubans suffer as Hurricane Ian-caused power outage goes on Ivette Garrido is considering giving the chicken left in her freezer to her three dogs as a huge power blackout caused by Hurricane Ian extends beyond two days, thawing everything in her freezer. “We are not having a very good time, trying to survive, to keep things from thawing,” said Garrido, who lives with her mother and a 19-year-old daughter in the town of Cojimar on the outskirts of Havana. Hundreds of thousands of Cubans are facing similar situations. Read more here   7:15 PM / September 29, 2022 “Either swim or drown”: Crews rescue trapped residents Residents of central Florida woke to high winds and catastrophic flooding, forcing hundreds of people to flee their homes. In some cases, people were carried to safety by rescuers. One woman cried in relief to escape the flood waters. “We’re going to bring them out to higher ground and then we’re going to be shuttling them to shelters,” Osceola County Sheriff Marcos R. Lopez said. Rescue crews also raced to evacuate residents of an Orlando nursing home, where rising waters. A woman and her 72-year-old mother were forced to swim out a window to reach safety. “You have to, like, either swim or drown,” the woman said. Another two people were plucked from their sailboat overnight as dramatic rescues took place across the region. Crews rescue residents trapped by Hurricane Ian’s flooding 01:54   7:04 PM / September 29, 2022 Florida residents flee floodwaters It was an emotional moment for Kim Silva, who reunited with her family after riding out her first hurricane alone. “I just started crying,” she said. After Hurricane Ian flooded her North Port home, Michelle Robinson waded through waist high water with her bulldog, D...

Phoenix’s Homeless Encampment Population Reaches 800 – AZ Big Media https://digitalarizonanews.com/phoenixs-homeless-encampment-population-reaches-800-az-big-media/ Under the radiant sun of Arizona and located on the sidewalks of Downtown Phoenix, an encampment shelters people experiencing homelessness. The homeless sleep in tents, use broken furniture and look for community resources to sustain their basic needs. “People say it’s a tent city, but there is more to it,” Kayla Bates, in-take specialist at Central Arizona Shelter Services. Kilyei Fernandez, 22, arrived two weeks ago from Durango, Colorado, because she wanted to attend a 6-month-long spiritual healing program in Phoenix. She could not enroll and became one more unsheltered person in Phoenix. READ ALSO: Threshold enlists Maricopa County landlords to help solve homelessness READ ALSO: Arizona looks to establish sanctioned homeless encampments “The first nights here were difficult because this is not my home,” Fernandez said. “Phoenix is different because it’s a dessert. In Colorado, I was surrounded by nature.” While she lived in Colorado, Fernandez stayed in a hotel for two months. She met a group of friends she considers her family now. They sponsored her transportation to Phoenix. “I have tried to look for transportation or funding programs that can sponsor a ticket back to Colorado, but I have not been able to,” Fernandez said. “I hope I can find people who can help me here in Phoenix.” Homeless encampment in Phoenix grows More than 800 people live in the tent city that has become one of the biggest homeless encampments in the United States, according to the Human Services Campus officials. People tend to end up unsheltered for a combination of personal crises, including substance abuse, poverty and lack of affordable housing, mental illness, unemployment, divorce, and domestic violence, as reported by Phoenix Rescue Mission. The homeless encampment is located next to one of the shelters operated by the CASS, where Fernandez has been able to sleep for a few nights since her one-week arrival. It expands from 9th to 13th avenues between Jefferson and Jackson streets. CASS is a nonprofit organization that provides temporary housing, food, clothing, hygiene products, mental health services, and showers to unsheltered and lower-income people. “Even if we can’t do anything for them, we go out of our ways to do the best that we can to figure out ways to better your situation,” said Bates. CASS provides shelter to at least 600 people and 36 families each night at the Downtown Single Adult Shelter and the Vista Colina Family Shelter, according to its official website. Homelessness has become a top priority for Phoenix as the numbers have reached an alarming rate in the last years, as reported in the Homeless Strategies Report. Therefore, almost $20 million was given to the county, state, and non-governmental organizations to fund homelessness solutions and initiatives, according to the Homeless Strategies Report. At least $4.1 million was given to six nonprofit organizations, including CASS, United Methodist Outreach Ministries, Chicanos Por La Causa, Native American Connections, Southwest Behavioral Health, and Community Bridges Inc. They provide shelter to seniors, women, medically vulnerable individuals, families, single women, unaccompanied minors, and veterans. More than $1 million in federal awards was granted to CASS, according to its Financial Statements Report. Beyond the homeless encampment, more than 9,000 people live under different stages of homelessness in Maricopa County, according to the 2022 Point-in-Time Count Report. More than half are unsheltered, and at least 1,000 are children younger than 18. “If people on the streets don’t have the social support of a family to navigate the housing and mental health system or substance abuse services, we, as a community, need to be that social support system,” said Joan Serviss, executive director at the Arizona Housing Coalition during Arizona’s Housing Crisis event.  Read More…

AP News Summary At 10:35 P.m. EDT https://digitalarizonanews.com/ap-news-summary-at-1035-p-m-edt/ Floods trap many in Florida as Ian heads to South Carolina FORT MYERS, Fla. (AP) — Hurricane Ian has regained some strength after exiting Florida and taking aim at South Carolina. The National Hurricane Center said the storm spent only a few hours as a weakened tropical storm over Florida before it spun up into a Category 1 hurricane on Thursday in the Atlantic Ocean. Rescue crews were wading through water and using boats to rescue Florida residents stranded in the wake of Hurricane Ian. The Orange County fire department posted photos of crews in a flooded neighborhood in the Orlando area. At least four people in Florida were confirmed dead on the state’s eastern coast. Forecasters have issued a hurricane warning for coastal South Carolina and southeastern North Carolina ahead of another landfall Friday. Russia to annex more of Ukraine on Friday at the Kremlin KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Russia is planning to annex more of Ukraine on Friday. The move represents an escalation of the seven-month war that is expected to isolate the Kremlin further, draw more international punishment and bring extra support to Ukraine. An annexation ceremony is planned in the Kremlin. The annexation would come just days after voters supposedly approved Moscow-managed “referendums” that Ukrainian and Western officials have denounced as illegal, forced and rigged. In an apparent response, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy called an emergency meeting Friday of his National Security and Defense Council. Russia opens more border draft offices amid call-up exodus Russian authorities are opening more military enlistment offices near Russia’s borders in an apparent effort to intercept Russian men of fighting age who are trying to avoid getting called up to fight in Ukraine. Saratov regional officials said a new draft office opened Thursday at a checkpoint on Russia’s border with Kazakhstan. Another military enlistment center was to open at a crossing in the Astrakhan region, also on the border with Kazakhstan. Earlier this week, makeshift Russian draft offices were set up near a border crossing into Georgia and on Russia’s border with Finland. Russian officials say they would hand call-up notices to all eligible men who were trying to leave the country. 1/6 chairman: Ginni Thomas reiterates false election claims WASHINGTON (AP) — Virginia “Ginni” Thomas, the wife of Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas, has stood by the false claim that the 2020 election was fraudulent during an interview with the House panel investigating the Jan. 6 insurrection. That is according to Rep. Bennie Thompson, the panel’s Democratic chairman. The committee has for months sought an interview with Thomas in an effort to know more about her role in trying to help former President Donald Trump overturn his election defeat. She texted with White House chief of staff Mark Meadows and contacted lawmakers in Arizona and Wisconsin after the election. Thomas’ attorney says his client was solely focused on ensuring reports of voter fraud and irregularities were investigated. Hurricane Ian sweeps away homes, memories on barrier islands FORT MYERS BEACH, Fla. (AP) — Cars are left abandoned where they stalled on the road into Fort Myers Beach when Hurricane Ian’s storm surge flooded their engines and their drivers couldn’t continue. Broken trees, boat trailers and other debris litter the path. It’s even worse in the seaside tourist town, much of which was flattened by the fierce winds and powerful storm surge generated by the Category 4 hurricane. The barrier islands along the southwest Florida coast are famed for their seashells, fishing and laid-back lifestyle. They took major hits from Ian when it came ashore Wednesday and residents tried to salvage what they could Thursday. Trump records probe: Tensions flare over special master WASHINGTON (AP) — The FBI search of Donald Trump’s Florida estate has spawned a parallel “special master” process that has slowed the Justice Department’s criminal investigation and exposed simmering tensions between department prosecutors and lawyers for the former president. The probe into the presence of top secret information at Mar-a-Lago continues. But barbed rhetoric in the past week’s court filings has laid bare deep disagreements related to the special master’s work and made clear that a process the Trump team initially sought has not been playing to the president’s advantage. The special master, Raymond Dearie, is a former federal prosecutor and served as a U.S. District judge in Brooklyn. S. Korea, US and Japan hold anti-N. Korean submarine drills SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — South Korea, U.S. and Japanese warships have launched their first anti-submarine drills in five years, after North renewed ballistic missile tests this week. South Korea says Friday’s one-day trilateral training off the Korean Peninsula’s east coast is meant to cope with a North Korean push to advance its ability to fire missile from submarines. North Korea has been building bigger submarines including a nuclear-powered one and testing sophisticated missiles that can be fired from them in recent years. The North’s recent five missiles launches, the first such tests in a month, also came before and after U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris visited South Korea. Tagovailoa stretchered off field with head, neck injuries CINCINNATI (AP) — Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa sustained neck and head injuries after being slammed to the ground in Thursday’s game against the Cincinnati Bengals, and was stretchered from the field. The Dolphins said Tagovailoa was conscious and had movement in all his extremities after being taken by stretcher from the field. He was taken to University of Cincinnati Medical Center. Tagovailoa was chased down and sacked by Josh Tupou with about six minutes left in the first half. He remained down for more than seven minutes before being loaded on a backboard, stabilized and removed via stretcher. Dolphins players gathered around as he was rolled off the field and the crowd chanted “Tua! Tua!.” Study finds that climate change added 10% to Ian’s rainfall A quick study by two scientists calculates that climate change made Hurricane Ian 10% rainier than it would have been if there were no such thing as global warming. Thursday’s analysis, which was not peer reviewed, is based on 20 computer simulations of a world with no climate change from the burning of coal, oil and natural gas. Scientists then compared those scenarios to what was playing out in real time with Hurricane Ian. The authors compared the highest rainfall rates over three hours. Biden vows US commitment to Pacific Islands at summit WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden has told visiting leaders from more than a dozen Pacific Island countries that the U.S. is committed to bolstering its presence in their region and becoming a more collaborative partner as they face the “existential threat” of climate change. The president on Thursday addressed the leaders who gathered in Washington for a summit as the White House looks to improve relations in the Pacific amid heightened U.S. concern about China’s growing economic and military influence. Biden hosted the leaders for a dinner at the White House on Thursday evening. Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Read More Here

Trevor Noah Exits ‘The Daily Show’ After Seven Years https://digitalarizonanews.com/trevor-noah-exits-the-daily-show-after-seven-years/ News Television After seven years of hosting “The Daily Show” on Comedy Central, Trevor Noah is stepping away from the position the comedian announced on Thursday. Published 5 seconds ago on September 29, 2022 After seven years of hosting “The Daily Show” on Comedy Central, Trevor Noah is stepping away from the position. On Thursday’s edition of “The Daily Show,” Noah announced that his time is up hosting the comedy news show.  “I just found myself filled with gratitude for the journey,” Noah said told his audience. “It’s been absolutely amazing. It’s something that I never expected. And I found myself thinking throughout the time, everything we’ve gone through, the Trump presidency, the pandemic, just the journey of the more pandemic.” “And I realized that after the seven years, my time is up. Yeah. But in the most beautiful way. Honestly, I’ve loved hosting the show. It’s been one of my greatest challenges. It’s been one of my greatest joys.” Noah did state the reason for his decision which is wanting to be out on the road as a stand-up comedian and the travel that comes with performing shows in different cities and countries.  “But after seven years, I feel like it’s time,” Noah added. “I spent two years in my apartment, not on the road. Stand-up was done, and when I got back out there again, I realized there’s another part of my life that I want to carry on exploring.  “I miss learning other languages. I miss going to other countries and putting on shows. I miss being everywhere, doing everything.” It was not immediately apparent when his actual departure would occur or if the Paramount Global cable network had begun to consider a successor. “We are grateful to Trevor for our amazing partnership over the past seven years. With no timetable for his departure, we’re working together on next steps,” the network said in a statement (h/t Variety). “As we look ahead, we’re excited for the next chapter in the 25+ year history of ‘The Daily Show’ as it continues to redefine culture through sharp and hilarious social commentary, helping audiences make sense of the world around them.” Eduardo Razo is the Assistant Content Editor for BNM, which includes writing daily news stories on the news media industry. He can be found on Twitter @eddierazo_ or you can reach him by email at eddie1991razo@gmail.com. News Television “You, right now, are a fake journalist, sitting in a host’s chair on Fox News when you have no training for the job whatsoever. In fact, your entire network is a lap dog for Donald Trump.” Published 7 hours ago on September 29, 2022 After Kayleigh McEnany called MSNBC contributor Roland Martin and host Tiffany Cross “lap dogs” for Joe Biden, Martin bit back on Roland Martin Unfiltered. “First, Kayleigh says that Biden ‘lap dogs follow his lead’. Let me help you out, Kayleigh. I’ve never worked for Joe Biden,” Martin said on his digital show. “I’ve never worked for President Barack Obama. In fact, I’ve never worked for a politician. You, however, literally was a lap dog for Donald Trump. You literally lied to the American people on a regular basis. You, right now, are a fake journalist, sitting in a host’s chair on Fox News when you have no training for the job whatsoever. In fact, your entire network is a lap dog for Donald Trump. The suck up that takes place by Sean Hannity, Laura Ingraham, Tucker Carlson and on and on, it’s unbelievable. “There’s a reason your network is getting sued by Dominion, because of the lies y’all pushed during the voting and the election being rigged. There is no great evidence of a network being lap dogs for Donald Trump. You know why you’re a lap dog for Donald Trump? Your ratings went down after you properly called Arizona for Joe Biden. And what did your network do? Your network fired the guy who made the call. There is no great example, Kayleigh, of lap dogs than you, and Fox News.” Martin continued by saying employing Trump’s daughter-in-law, Lara, is further evidence of “lap dog” behavior. He then took issue with Fox News host Harris Faulkner saying she didn’t know what Martin does for a living, saying he has her phone number and she has is, and the pair went to the Apollo Theatre together. He pointed out he doesn’t work for MSNBC, like Faulkner insinuated, before saying she should do some “basic-ass research”. News Television “I heard Tucker Carlson, then a new MSNBC host, rattle off a list of conservative conspiracy theorists he thought was damaging the United States of America: Rush Limbaugh, Michael Savage, and Glenn Beck.” Published 12 hours ago on September 29, 2022 During his Countdown with Keith Olbermann podcast Thursday, the eponymous host wondered aloud when people like Tucker Carlson and Laura Ingraham went “crazy”, after Carlson said the likely culprit for the “sabotage” of the Nord Stream pipelines off the coast of Denmark was President Joe Biden. Olbermann said Carlson “was once just your despicable, run-of-the-mill conservative but he wasn’t crazy. Same for Laura Ingraham, Rudy Giuliani, Elise Stefanik, Lindsey Graham, and dozens more. Terrible, reactionary, destructive conservatives but not crazy. I sat an anchor desk at MSNBC once and I heard Tucker Carlson, then a new MSNBC host, rattle off a list of conservative conspiracy theorists he thought was damaging the United States of America: Rush Limbaugh, Michael Savage, and Glenn Beck.” He then went after another Fox News host, and former love interest, Laura Ingraham. “Laura Ingraham has a brother who is ‘out’,” Olbermann revealed. “When I knew her, she was proud of him. Defended him. Even claimed he was part of what she called the ‘not-so-vast right wing conspiracy’. And for all her political vitriol, she was utterly accepting about orientations and lifestyles. And rights. What sent these people — who pretty much lived their lives well-balanced on the edge — over the edge?” Olbermann added he believes people, not just conservatives or political figures, have “undiagnosed PTSD” from the September 11th terrorist attacks. News Television “The View’s” Sara Haines stated that the media’s coverage of Ron DeSantis thanking Joe Biden was very clickbait in her eyes. Published 15 hours ago on September 29, 2022 Hurricane Ian has hit the state of Florida on Wednesday. While people are sheltering and many will be dealing with the aftermath, some members, such as Sara Haines, are criticizing the media for how they’re covering the natural disaster from a political lens. On Wednesday’s edition of “The View,” Haines stated that the media’s coverage of Florida Gov. DeSantis thanking President Biden for approving federal aid in anticipation of Hurricane Ian was “very normal” and shows how ugly the political divide has become. “The coverage like, when we’re talking about it, we say, this is what presidents do because they don’t just help the people that voted for them,” Haines said. “They help all people. What we saw was very normal. But the part that kind of caught me was the coverage of it because we were reading our packets and it said kept saying, ‘DeSantis praises, Biden praises, praises Biden. And I’m looking at it, I’m like, Where’s the praise? And I see this. ‘Thank you for your help, Mr. President.’ And I thought, when did politics become so ugly that to say I’m grateful?” Haines continued that when a Hurricane strikes the country, people tend to unite to ensure that everyone is safe during the storm, which the news media should also follow in her eyes. “I’m saying the coverage of it was like, clickbait,” Haines added. “If we’re going to say we’re consistent it and we’re worried about humans in a storm and we’re all coming together, the coverage of that should also be true.” Eduardo Razo is the Assistant Content Editor for BNM, which includes writing daily news stories on the news media industry. He can be found on Twitter @eddierazo_ or you can reach him by email at eddie1991razo@gmail.com. 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Trevor Noah To Depart ‘The Daily Show’ After Seven Years https://digitalarizonanews.com/trevor-noah-to-depart-the-daily-show-after-seven-years/ Patrick Semansky/The Associated Press Trevor Noah, host of Comedy Central’s “The Daily Show,” speaks at the annual White House Correspondents’ Association dinner. Trevor Noah announced he is departing “The Daily Show” after seven years hosting the late-night television program. Noah appeared to make the announcement during a studio recording of his show, which airs four nights a week on Comedy Central. “I just found myself filled with gratitude for the journey,” Noah said.  “It’s been absolutely amazing,” he continued. “It’s something that I never expected, and I found myself thinking throughout the time, everything we’ve gone through: the Trump presidency, the pandemic, just the journey of — the more pandemic — and I realized that after the seven years, my time is up.” The news was first reported by Decider and later confirmed by Variety. “I realized there’s another part of my life that I want to carry on exploring,” Noah said. “I miss learning other languages, I miss going to other countries and putting on shows, I miss just being everywhere.” Noah indicated he wasn’t leaving the show immediately but did not provide a specific timeline for his departure. The Hill has reached out to a Paramount spokesperson for comment. The comedian’s national profile rose after he took over the late-night program from host Jon Stewart in 2015. Noah had begun contributing to the show a few months prior. Since joining The Daily Show, Noah hosted the Grammy Awards twice. He frequently draws on national politics and current news for his show’s content, also serving as the headline entertainer at this year’s White House Correspondents Dinner. Tags Decider Grammy Awards Paramount Network The Daily Show Trevor Noah Variety White House Correspondents’ Association Read More Here

Obituaries In Phoenix, AZ | The Arizona Republic https://digitalarizonanews.com/obituaries-in-phoenix-az-the-arizona-republic-39/ Gilbert Wayne McDonald, 59, of Gilbert, AZ passed away on 9/10/2022. 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 29, 2022 Published in The Arizona Republic Read More Here

Stories Of Surviving Ian: Narrow Escapes, Harrowing Rescues, Floodwater Fish https://digitalarizonanews.com/stories-of-surviving-ian-narrow-escapes-harrowing-rescues-floodwater-fish/ FORT MYERS, Fla. — Kathy Sharp believed she would be safe at the Thunderbird Park, a mobile home community for retirees dotted with palm trees two miles from the Gulf of Mexico. For days, forecasters had indicated Hurricane Ian was heading toward Tampa. But as the storm shifted and tore through Fort Myers, Sharp looked out a window and noticed pieces of her neighbor’s roof flying into the air. Not long after, her own home started to break apart, the fierce wind casting aluminum paneling into the swirl of airborne debris. Then the water hit. “It was just like a river out of nowhere,” said Sharp, 74, describing the apocalyptic storm surge. “There was nothing there, and then all the sudden there was like a foot of water in the house.” Frightened, Sharp and her husband, Lonny Henry, frantically called 911. Even before a dispatcher picked up, however, the couple knew no one would be coming to their rescue. Harrowing stories of survival surfaced across southwest Florida on Thursday as first responders rescued hundreds of people from homes turned into islands surrounded by still-deep floodwater. One elderly woman recounted how the water rose so high she had just six inches of space in which to breathe. A couple described looking out a window and seeing several large fish swimming by. Many described being caught off guard — settling in as Ian approached with supplies of nonperishable food, water and generators on hand, only to find out that their homes were no match for the storm. In communities near Fort Myers Beach, the water was so forceful it collapsed buildings, tumbled concrete walls, and pushed sailboats and dumpsters hundreds of feet. At one gas station, a large boat ended up parked next to a gas pump, as if ready to fill up. Scores were still waiting to be rescued from trailer parks, residential subdivisions and luxury waterfront apartment complexes in a part of the state that is home to a large senior citizen population. Everett Bailey, 56, said he was asleep on a couch and woke up to see water starting to spill into his one-story home. He immediately waded through the flood to get his car. “The water was in the car, too,” he said. “But my car started, and I drove it to the church.” He returned home when the water receded to find his waterlogged belongings ruined. A few doors away, Anne Dalton, 70, considers herself lucky that the flood stopped inches short from reaching the interior of the house her family has owned since the 1980s. But as she watched the murky water swirl around her house Thursday, Dalton said she nonetheless experienced the scariest night of her life. “The weird thing is it was like a river of currents, and it was not calm water at all,” she said. “It was pulsating, and it was pulsating under the water, too. It was very frightening, because we couldn’t go anywhere. We would have just fallen down.” At one point, Dalton’s husband, Oliver Martin, looked outside and saw a school of fish. “They were not small,” Martin, 75 said. “There was eight- to 12-inch fish swimming by.” In another subdivision off McGregor Boulevard — a main transit route from Fort Myers to Fort Myers Beach — Laurent Boce, 58, estimated that Ian brought a 13-foot storm toward his home, which sits at about 11-feet above sea level. “It was just like five, six hours of pure madness,” said Boce, who was essentially trapped in his subdivision on Thursday as parts of the street remained under two feet of water. “I was able to sit in a chair and just watch the water and debris come in, in, in.” Boce’s neighbor, Karen More, 69, said she will never again underestimate a hurricane. As she watched floodwaters carry debris down her street, the wind began shaking her door. “I was holding my front door, because of the wind, and I didn’t know what else to do,” she said. “I didn’t know what else to do. I thought the ocean was going to come through.” In downtown Fort Myers, the Caloosahatchee River spilled over, inundating several blocks inland. In neighborhoods closer to the Gulf of Mexico, the water rose so high against structures — especially trailers — it knocked over interior walls, said Myke Hastings of Gulf Search and Rescue, a Texas-based team, as he attempted to check up on stranded residents in one trailer park. He recalled rescuing a 77-year-old woman in a lifejacket who said she had just six inches of space between the floodwaters and her ceiling. “She was trapped,” Hastings said. “We had to dig her out. Everything had collapsed around her, and she couldn’t get out of her trailer even though the water had receded.” About 25 miles to the north, in Punta Gorda, the wind rattled residents at Creekside RV Park, who said Hurricane Ian’s eye passed directly over them. Deborah Clark, 57, and her husband have lived in their 40-foot trailer for the past two years while they build a house nearby. About 8 a.m. Wednesday, Clark woke up as her unit began shaking. “My gut said, ‘This is bad,’ ” said Clark, who had not the expected the winds to pick up so soon. She rushed to the community’s clubhouse, which she said was built to withstand a Category 5 hurricane. Within a few hours, 30 other residents were huddled inside. For the next six hours, they watched from windows as Hurricane Ian flipped over their trailers. “It sounded like planes flying overhead,” Clark said. “But you knew this wasn’t planes. And then you could almost hear a whistling sound.” When the wind subsided, residents discovered that about 40 of the 50 recreational vehicles that had been parked at the site had been turned upside down or destroyed. One was pushed into a pond. “For most of the people, these are their homes,” said Erik Clark, Deborah’s husband. “Everything they own is in these campers.” The Clarks said they decided not to evacuate Punta Gorda ahead of the storm because it was initially forecast to make landfall near Tampa. When they realized Tuesday that the forecasts had changed, Erik Clark said he worried that roads would be cluttered with traffic. Many said they won’t hesitate to leave next time a powerful hurricane rolls in. As the floodwaters seeped into her home Wednesday, Sharp and her husband watched from a kitchen table and prayed while trying to stay as clam as possible. “We were just sitting there in the water,” she said, adding “this storm made me a true believer” of the power of wind and water. When they did peek out the window, the couple saw “roofs going by and insulation” floating down the street. At one point, a neighbor’s washing machine was sucked out of a home. Another neighbor’s 600-pound toolbox floated away. “By midnight, it was pretty much done,” Henry, Clark’s husband, said. “And when we got up this morning, we started to cleaning up.” Read More Here