Q&A: What Do Scottsdale Unifieds Candidates Think Of The District Override?
Q&A: What Do Scottsdale Unified’s Candidates Think Of The District Override? https://digitalarizonanews.com/qa-what-do-scottsdale-unifieds-candidates-think-of-the-district-override/
Ask the Candidate
By Caroline Yu
Mail | Twitter: @AzNewsmedia
Posted 9/13/22
Along with electing two new governing board members in the November election, Scottsdale Unified School District will also be voting to approve another additional assistance override.
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Ken Starr Prosecutor In Clinton Whitewater Case Dies At 76
Ken Starr, Prosecutor In Clinton Whitewater Case, Dies At 76 https://digitalarizonanews.com/ken-starr-prosecutor-in-clinton-whitewater-case-dies-at-76/
Ken Starr, the prolific prosecutor in the Whitewater probe during former President Bill Clinton’s term, has died. He was 76.
Driving the news: Starr died from complications related to surgery, according to a statement from his family.
What they’re saying: “We are deeply saddened with the loss of our dear and loving Father and Grandfather, whom we admired for his prodigious work ethic, but who always put his family first,” his son Randall Starr said.
“The love, energy, endearing sense of humor, and fun-loving interest Dad exhibited to each of us was truly special, and we cherish the many wonderful memories we were able to experience with him. He is now with his Lord and Savior.”
The big picture: Starr had a long career in the political law realm. He was a judicial appointee under former President Ronald Reagan and also served under former President George H. W. Bush.
He recently served on Trump’s impeachment team for the Senate trial in January 2020.
Editor’s note: This is a breaking news story and will be updated.
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FBI Hired Steele Dossier Source As Secret Informant Court Filings Say Washington Free Beacon
FBI Hired Steele Dossier Source As Secret Informant, Court Filings Say – Washington Free Beacon https://digitalarizonanews.com/fbi-hired-steele-dossier-source-as-secret-informant-court-filings-say-washington-free-beacon/
Latest News
Igor Danchenko (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)
Chuck Ross • September 13, 2022 4:34 pm
The Russia analyst charged with lying to the FBI about his role in crafting the infamous Steele dossier was on the bureau’s payroll as a confidential informant, according to an explosive new court filing released Tuesday.
Special Counsel John Durham revealed the FBI hired Igor Danchenko in March 2017, months after the bureau first interviewed him about his work on the dossier. Durham charged Danchenko last year with repeatedly lying to the FBI about his work on the dossier, and his sources for the discredited document. Durham alleges that Danchenko “fabricated” allegations in the dossier that the Trump campaign colluded with Russia to influence the 2016 election. Danchenko worked at the time for dossier author Christopher Steele, who investigated Donald Trump on behalf of the Clinton campaign.
The filing is likely to raise questions about the FBI’s relationship with Danchenko, which ended in October 2020. The FBI opened a counterintelligence investigation against Danchenko in 2009, when he worked as an analyst at the Brookings Institution, a liberal think tank in Washington, D.C. One of Danchenko’s colleagues claimed that Danchenko asked whether he would be willing to sell him classified information. The FBI closed the investigation after Danchenko left the United States in 2011 but did not reopen the probe when he returned.
Danchenko began working for Steele’s private intelligence firm, Orbis, after leaving the Brookings Institution. During the 2016 presidential campaign, Steele, a former British intelligence officer, used Danchenko to collect information about Trump’s possible links to Russia. Steele compiled 17 memos based on Danchenko’s claims in what is now known as the dossier. He provided some of the information to the Clinton campaign, the FBI, the State Department, and numerous media outlets.
It is unclear whether the FBI used Danchenko to provide information about the Steele dossier, or as part of the investigation into the Trump campaign. The FBI first interviewed Danchenko in January 2017, shortly after BuzzFeed News published the dossier. Danchenko downplayed the allegations in the salacious document, telling FBI agents that Steele had embellished claims that the Trump campaign conspired with Russia.
Though Danchenko undermined aspects of the dossier in those interviews, the FBI failed to disclose the information to the federal court that granted surveillance warrants against the Trump campaign.
The Justice Department’s inspector general blasted the FBI for failing to verify the dossier before relying on it to obtain the surveillance warrants. The inspector general also found that FBI agents withheld exculpatory evidence that undercut the collusion theory.
The FBI did not return a request for comment.
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From Obama To Trump Who Is And Isn't Among 500 Attending Queen's Funeral
From Obama To Trump, Who Is And Isn't Among 500 Attending Queen's Funeral https://digitalarizonanews.com/from-obama-to-trump-who-is-and-isnt-among-500-attending-queens-funeral/
AROUND 500 world leaders and other dignitaries are set to attend the Queen’s funeral.
Invites to Britain’s biggest international event in decades have been sent almost everywhere — except Russia, Belarus and Myanmar.
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Around 500 world leaders and other dignitaries are set to attend the Queen’s funeralCredit: PA
The guest list for Monday’s ceremony is still being finalised, but it will include US President Joe Biden.
His predecessors did not attend Sir Winston Churchill’s state funeral in 1965 or George VI’s in 1952.
Beleaguered Ukraine leader Volodymyr Zelensky is thought to have been invited but is highly unlikely to attend.
Each head of state can bring one other person.
But Aussie PM Anthony Albanese yesterday revealed he was also asked to bring ten who have made “extraordinary contributions to their communities”.
It is possible a handful of celebs might attend, such as Sir David Attenborough.
Guests have also been invited to a reception at Buckingham Palace on Sunday evening, where they will meet King Charles.
The Foreign Office is reported to have switched an extra 300 staff to planning.
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Sir Winston Churchill’s state funeral in 1965Credit: PA
One aide compared it to organising “hundreds of state visits” in days, as opposed to the usual two or three a year.
The public was also warned of travel chaos, with rail operators fearing the city could “reach bursting point” before Monday.
Trains are set to run through the night with 200 extra daytime services.
Meanwhile, hotel prices are soaring with the cheapest room at the Park Plaza County Hall London rocketing from £269 last Sunday to £1,299 this weekend.
FOREIGN ROYALS
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King Felipe of Spain and his wife Queen Letizia will be attendingCredit: Goff
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King Carl XVI Gustaf and Queen Silvia of Sweden are also likely to be members of the congregationCredit: Getty
ROYALS from across Europe are expected to attend the Queen’s funeral on Monday.
King Felipe of Spain and his wife, Queen Letizia, will be joined by King Philippe and Queen Mathilde of Belgium.
King Carl XVI Gustaf and Queen Silvia of Sweden are also likely to be members of the congregation.
As are King Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands and wife Queen Maxima — whose style has been likened to Kate.
And Japan’s Emperor Naruhito is also expected — his first overseas trip since taking the throne in May 2019.
BRITISH ROYALS
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All of the Royal Family is expected to be present for the Queen’s historic funeralCredit: AP
THE entire Royal Family is expected to be present for the Queen’s historic final goodbye.
Her Majesty’s children, Charles, Anne, Edward and Andrew will all be there, along with their children.
That list includes Princes William and Harry and their cousins Peter and Zara Phillips, Beatrice and Eugenie and Louise and James.
It is not clear how many of the Queen’s great-grandchildren — including Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis — will be there given the length and nature of the event.
WORLD LEADERS
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Former US President Barack Obama and several other former world leaders are believed to be on a standby list in case numbers are freed upCredit: AFP
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US President Joe Biden is understood to be among world leaders who will attend Her Majesty’s funeral on MondayCredit: PA
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French President Emmanuel Macron is also on the list of attendeesCredit: Jack Hill/The Times
US President Joe Biden — who met the Queen last year — is understood to be among world leaders who will attend Her Majesty’s funeral on Monday.
Others likely to accept the invitation are Canadian PM Justin Trudeau, New Zealand Premier Jacinda Ardern and Australian PM Anthony Albanese.
Former US President Barack Obama and several other former world leaders are believed to be on a standby list in case numbers are freed up by current dignitaries who have been invited not being able to attend.
Chinese President Xi Jinping is unlikely to travel, having not left his nation for two years due to the pandemic.
Vice President Wang Qishan could attend on his behalf.
India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi may also be there as will Brazil’s controversial President Jair Bolsonaro.
French President Emmanuel Macron, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Cyril Ramaphosa of South Africa and President Frank-Walter Steinmeier of Germany are also on the list of attendees.
Israeli President Isaac Herzog will also be there, and is likely to be permitted to do so in a secure convoy.
Ursula von der Leyen, president of the European Council, is expected.
A representative of rogue state North Korea is also likely to have been invited.
BRITISH POLITICIANS
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Ex-PMs Tony Blair, Gordon Brown, Boris Johnson, David Cameron, Theresa May and Sir John Major are all believed to be attendingCredit: Splash
NEW Prime Minister Liz Truss heads Britain’s political line-up including all the Queen’s surviving former PMs who will be at Westminster on Monday.
Boris Johnson, Theresa May, David Cameron, Gordon Brown, Tony Blair and Sir John Major are all believed to be certain to attend.
Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer is also expected to be there along with Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon and Welsh First Minister Mark Drakeford.
NOT INVITED
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Ex-US president Donald Trump will miss out on the Queen’s funeralCredit: Getty
RUSSIAN president Vladimir Putin was not invited following the invasion of Ukraine.
Iranian leader Ayatollah Khamenei will also not be there. Its state-run TV this week compared the Queen to Adolf Hitler.
Belarus, which has supported Russia on Ukraine, is also not on the guest list along with Myanmar, run by a military junta.
A limit on numbers means several former world leaders will miss out, including ex-US president Donald Trump.
RULES FOR GUESTS
THERE is a strict protocol in place for those attending Monday morning’s state funeral — and heads of state are not exempt.
Each world leader will be allowed to bring only one other person.
Guests have been asked to travel on commercial flights and not to use helicopters or private jets to fly into the capital.
They have also been asked not to travel to the Westminster Abbey service by car, and to leave their vehicle elsewhere due to tight security and road restrictions.
Instead the world leaders and dignitaries are likely to be bussed to the funeral for logistical reasons.
But US President Joe Biden will be an exception — and is expected to arrive in his bomb-proof Cadillac, dubbed The Beast.
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Ferrari Purosangue: Unlike Any Other – Ferrari.com https://digitalarizonanews.com/ferrari-purosangue-unlike-any-other-ferrari-com/
FERRARI PUROSANGUE
The Ferrari Purosangue is the first ever four-door, four-seater car in Ferrari’s history, but models with two rear seats have played a significant role in the company’s strategy since the very beginning. Now, in the culmination of 75 years of leading-edge research, Ferrari has created a unique car and the encapsulation of the Prancing Horse’s DNA, where performance, driving pleasure and comfort coexist in perfect harmony. And that’s why this new model was called Ferrari Purosangue – Italian for thoroughbred.
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U.S. Christian Majority Could Fade In Coming Decades Models Find
U.S. Christian Majority Could Fade In Coming Decades, Models Find https://digitalarizonanews.com/u-s-christian-majority-could-fade-in-coming-decades-models-find/
The United States has long prided itself on people’s freedom to choose whatever religion they like. The majority has long chosen Christianity.
By 2070, that may no longer be the case, according to the Pew Research Center. If current trends continue, Christians could make up less than half of the population — and as little as a third — in 50 years. Meanwhile, the religiously unaffiliated — or “nones” — could make up close to half the population. And the percentage of Americans who identify as Muslims, Jews, Hindus, Buddhists and adherents of other non-Christian faiths could double.
Those are among the major findings of a new report from Pew regarding the United States’ religious future, a future in which Christianity, though diminished, persists, while non-Christian faiths grow amid rising secularization.
Researchers projected possible religious futures for the United States using a number of factors, including birthrates, migration patterns, demographics including age and sex, and the current religious landscape. They also looked at how religion is passed from one generation to another and how often people switch religions — in particular Christians who become nones, a number that has been increasing in recent years.
Researchers projected four different scenarios, based on differing rates of religious switching, from a continued increase to no switching at all. The unaffiliated were projected to grow under all four.
Currently, about a third (31 percent) of Christians become disaffiliated before they turn 30, according to Pew Research. Twenty-one percent of nones become Christian as young adults. Should those switching rates remain stable, Christians would make up 46 percent of the population by 2070, while nones would comprise 41 percent.
If disaffiliation rates continue to grow but are capped at 50 percent of Christians leaving the faith, 39 percent of Americans are projected to be Christian by 2070, with 48 percent of Americans identifying as nones. With no limit placed on the percentage of people leaving Christianity and with continued growth in disaffiliation, Christians would be 35 percent of the population, with nones making up a majority of Americans (52 percent).
If all switching came to a halt, Christians would remain a slight majority (54 percent), and nones would make up 34 percent of Americans, according to the model.
Non-Christian faiths would rise to 12 to 13 percent of the population, largely because of migration, in each scenario. Migration does affect the percentage of Christians, as most migrants to the United States are Christians, said Conrad Hackett, associate director of research and senior demographer at Pew Research Center. “Still the greatest amount of change in the U.S., we think currently and in the future, will come from switching,” he said.
Researchers stressed that the report contained projections that are based on data and mathematical models, and are not predictions of the future.
“Though some scenarios are more plausible than others, the future is uncertain, and it is possible for the religious composition of the United States in 2070 to fall outside the ranges projected,” they wrote.
One reason for the decline in the proportion of Christians and the growth among the nones in the models is age. While Christians have more children than nones, they also skew older. Pew estimates that the average Christian in the United States is 43, which is 10 years older than the average none.
“The unaffiliated are having and raising unaffiliated children while Christians are more likely to be near the end of their lives than others,” Stephanie Kramer, a senior researcher at Pew, wrote in an email.
Using mathematical models, Pew also has projected the future of religion around the world. Those models were adapted for different regions, Hackett said. Muslims, for example, tend to have the youngest population and the highest fertility rates, he said, driving the growth of that faith. But in the Persian Gulf states, migration has brought many Christians from other countries to the region as temporary workers.
The current report takes advantage of the amount of data collected about the U.S. religious landscape. Researchers also looked at intergenerational transmission for the first time, Kramer said.
“The variables we use to study that were: What is the mother’s religion? And what is the teen’s religion?” she said. “If that was a match, we consider the mother’s religion transmitted.”
Researchers also looked at a relatively new trend of disaffiliation among older Americans. Sociologists have long focused on younger people, who are most likely to switch religions. But in the United States and other countries, older people are starting to switch at growing rates themselves.
“It’s not as large-scale, but it’s still significant,” Hackett said. “And it’s contributing to the religious change that we have experienced and that we expect to experience in the years ahead.”
Hackett said that the projections for the country do not show the end of Christianity or of religion in general, which he expects to remain robust. And most nones, while claiming no religion, do not identify as atheists. Instead, Kramer said, the United States appears to be going through a pattern of secularization that has happened in other countries, though “we may be a bit behind.”
Other factors outside the model — such as changing immigration patterns and religious innovation — could lead to a revival of Christianity in the United States, according to the report. But none of its models shows a reversal of the decline of Christian affiliation, which dropped from 78 percent in 2007 to 63 percent in 2020, according to Pew research.
In the report, researchers note that “there is no data on which to model a sudden or gradual revival of Christianity (or of religion in general) in the U.S.”
“That does not mean a religious revival is impossible,” they wrote. “It means there is no demographic basis on which to project one.”
— Religion News Service
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Operation Homefront Selects Three Military Families To Receive Mortgage-Free Meritage Homes In Houston Nashville And Tucson
Operation Homefront Selects Three Military Families To Receive Mortgage-Free Meritage Homes In Houston, Nashville, And Tucson https://digitalarizonanews.com/operation-homefront-selects-three-military-families-to-receive-mortgage-free-meritage-homes-in-houston-nashville-and-tucson/
September 13, 2022 16:30 ET | Source: Meritage Homes Corporation
SCOTTSDALE, Ariz., Sept. 13, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Meritage Homes (NYSE:MTH) and Operation Homefront today announced that three deserving military families have been selected for the Permanent Homes for Veterans program. Each will receive a brand new, energy-efficient, mortgage-free home. The homes are located in Houston, Nashville, and Tucson, and the families will be presented the keys to their new homes by early November — just in time for Veterans Day and Military Family Appreciation Month.
“We are very proud to support the men and women who are serving and have served in our Armed Forces. At Meritage, it’s our honor to be able to continue our work with Operation Homefront and offer these families a home where they can build a strong foundation. All three recipients and their families have made sacrifices for our country and we’re proud to help them achieve their dreams of homeownership,” said Phillippe Lord, CEO of Meritage Homes. “These homes would not be possible without our numerous vendors who have donated time and materials. We are very thankful for their support.”
Petty Officer 2nd Class Lt. Nicole Henderson retired in 2022 following a 13-year career in the U.S. Navy. She and her daughter will receive a 1,800+ square-foot, three-bedroom house in the Sierra Vista community, 25 miles south of metro Houston. The home will bring them closer to their relatives and the Texas Children’s Hospital where her daughter receives treatment.
“This is a dream come true for me and my daughter. Putting down roots here will allow us to become true members of this community,” shares Henderson. “I’m excited to proudly display memories from my service in my forever home.”
Army Spc. Carlos Rodriguez-Velazquez left his home in Puerto Rico to join the Army. He was stationed at Fort Campbell and served a nine-month deployment in Afghanistan during his more than three years of service. He and his family will receive a 1,800+ square-foot, four-bedroom home in the Waltons Grove community, 20 minutes outside of downtown Nashville. He and his wife are excited to offer their three children the stability needed to thrive.
“I’m so grateful to Operation Homefront and Meritage Homes for this opportunity,” shares Rodriguez-Velazquez. “They have given me hope to fulfill my dreams for myself and my family. We’re thrilled to continue building our life together in this new home.”
Army Sgt. Charles Haney medically retired from the military in 2009 after five years of service, including a deployment to Iraq. The family will receive a nearly 2,400 square-foot, four-bedroom home located in the Entrada Del Rio community, outside of Tucson, AZ.
“I’m proud to have served in the military. It’s wonderful to see organizations like Operation Homefront and builders like Meritage recognizing veterans and their families,” says Haney. “This home means so much to me and my family. It will help ensure my children have the opportunity at a better life and brighter future.”
“I want to thank Phillippe Lord and the entire Meritage Homes team for their continued commitment to helping our military families have the opportunity to realize the dream of home ownership through our Permanent Homes for Veterans program,” said Brig Gen John I. Pray, Jr, (USAF) Retired, President and CEO for Operation Homefront. “Meritage’s life-changing donations to our highly valued program will provide the Henderson, Rodriguez-Velazquez and Haney families with a place each can call home and allow them to put down roots to build a stronger community and in turn, a better America.”
Each family will enter Operation Homefront’s Permanent Homes for Veterans program, which provides veterans and their families the opportunity to move into a home and work directly with a financial counselor and a caseworker to help them prepare for homeownership and learn strategies for achieving financial success.
For more information about the Operation Homefront and Meritage Homes partnership, please visit https://www.meritagehomes.com/operation-homefront
About Meritage Homes Corporation:
Meritage Homes is the seventh-largest public homebuilder in the United States, based on homes closed in 2021. The Company offers a variety of homes that are designed with a focus on entry-level and first move-up buyers. Operations span across Arizona, California, Colorado, Texas, Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee and Utah.
Meritage Homes has delivered over 155,000 homes in its 36-year history, and has a reputation for its distinctive style, quality construction, and award-winning customer experience. The Company is the industry leader in energy-efficient homebuilding and a nine-time recipient of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (“EPA”) ENERGY STAR® Partner of the Year for Sustained Excellence Award since 2013 for innovation and industry leadership in energy-efficient homebuilding, and the recipient of the EPA Indoor airPLUS Leader Award.
For more information, visit www.meritagehomes.com.
About Operation Homefront:
Celebrating 20 years of serving America’s military families, Operation Homefront is a national nonprofit organization whose mission is to build strong, stable, and secure military families so that they can thrive – not simply struggle to get by – in the communities they have worked so hard to protect. Recognized for superior performance by leading independent charity oversight groups, 88 percent of Operation Homefront expenditures go directly to programs that support tens of thousands of military families each year. Operation Homefront provides critical financial assistance, transitional and permanent housing, and family support services to prevent short-term needs from turning into chronic, long-term struggles. Thanks to the generosity of our donors and the support from thousands of volunteers, Operation Homefront proudly serves America’s military families.
For more information, visit OperationHomefront.org.
Contacts:
Emily Tadano, VP of Investor Relations and ESG
(480) 515-8979 (office)
investors@meritagehomes.com
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WILLIAM C. ABBOTT Obituary (1923 2022) Boston Globe
WILLIAM C. ABBOTT Obituary (1923 – 2022) Boston Globe https://digitalarizonanews.com/william-c-abbott-obituary-1923-2022-boston-globe/
ABBOTT, William C. Passed away on August 20, 2022, peacefully in his sleep of natural causes, at age 98, just three weeks shy of 99, at Edgewood Retirement Community, in N. Andover, MA. Bill was born on September 15, 1923, in the vicinity of Goshen, IN. His parents were William and Francis Abbott; sisters were Harriot, Jeannette, and Sue. The family lived in Keene, NH, until 1938, when Bill and Francis bought an old farmhouse in Topsfield, MA. Bill went to school at Governor Dummer Academy in Newbury, MA, and was accepted at Amherst College in 1942. He qualified to be a Navy pilot in late 1943. He was honorably discharged in 1945, and returned to Amherst College, graduating in late 1946. Bill married Jean Savage of Boxford, in 1949. The couple bought an old house in Boxford and had Tom in 1950, Mike in ’53 and Amy in ’55. Bill was an organizer, who started things and made things happen. Bill organized Club92, a, still active tennis club in Topsfield, the Boxtoppers, a touch-football club, and Boy Scout Park in Boxford. He started his own business, The Abbott Shoe Fair in Topsfield, MA, in 1974. Bill and Jean separated after she recovered from cancer and moved to Rockport to devote her life to painting. Bill married Carol Sweet in 1978 and they moved to Newburyport, MA. Bill joined the American Yacht Club in 1981 and sailed all over New England waters. Bill was elected to the Newburyport Zoning Board of Appeals for a number of years while Ed Molin was Mayor. Bill helped found a new, non-profit organization in Newburyport named, ROOF; the Roof Over Our Heads Foundation, in the mid-2000s, that bought and renovated buildings in Newburyport for housing low-income families. Bill and his best friend, Harvey Beit, started News And Views, which met on Thursday mornings in downtown Newburyport. Bill loved tennis. He got Topsfield to build public courts, and organized tennis tournaments in Boxford and Topsfield. He was active in teaching tennis to under-privileged youth from Boston. He played indoor tennis each winter at The Racquet Club in Newburyport until he was 88. Bill moved into Edgewood Retirement Community in N. Andover in 2014. He was active, known to all, and friends with many. He loved Monday dinners organized by Norma and Harvey, played bridge with Betty and Tom, poker and pool with Dick and Angie, enjoyed a drink and humor with the Men’s Club and always attended the What’s On Your Mind discussions facilitated by Harvey Beit. Bill leaves three children, Thomas Abbott of Alameda, CA, Michael Abbott of Phoenix, AZ, and Amy Corrigan of Harwich, MA; and five grandchildren, including Ashleigh, Ruby Anastasio, Luther Corrigan, and Emily Hill, the late Sophie Corrigan; and 12 great-grandchildren. In addition, he had four step-children including Skip McLean, of Hamilton, MA, Melissa Sweet, of Amesbury, MA, Brooks Sweet, of Florida and Chris Sweet of Duxbury, MA. Consistent with his Christian Science philosophy, he wanted to be cremated and did not want a Funeral. His ashes will be placed in a Memory Wall in the Venice Memorial Gardens, Venice, FL, on November 6, 2022, with his sister, Harriot Baker, next to their parents. The family will organize several Memory Circles. The family wishes to thank the wonderful staff who worked with Bill at Edgewood, and wish that donations in his name be directed to the Edgewood Employee Fund.
View the online memorial for William C. ABBOTT
Published by Boston Globe from Sep. 13 to Sep. 15, 2022.
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Ukrainian Troops Keep Up Pressure On Fleeing Russian Forces
Ukrainian Troops Keep Up Pressure On Fleeing Russian Forces https://digitalarizonanews.com/ukrainian-troops-keep-up-pressure-on-fleeing-russian-forces/
KHARKIV, Ukraine (AP) — Ukrainian troops piled pressure on retreating Russian forces Tuesday, pressing deeper into occupied territory and sending more Kremlin troops fleeing ahead of the counteroffensive that has inflicted a stunning blow on Moscow’s military prestige.
As the advance continued, Ukraine’s border guard services said the army took control of Vovchansk — a town just 3 kilometers (2 miles) from Russia seized on the first day of the war. Russia acknowledged that it has withdrawn troops from areas in the northeastern region of Kharkiv in recent days.
Russian troops were also abandoning the southern city of Melitopol and heading toward Moscow-annexed Crimea, the city’s pre-occupation mayor said.
Columns of military equipment were reported at a checkpoint in Chonhar, a village marking the boundary between the Crimean peninsula and the Ukrainian mainland, Mayor Ivan Fedorov wrote on Telegram.
He did not immediately provide photo or video evidence for his claims.
Melitopol, the second-largest city in Ukraine’s southern Zaporizhzhia region, has been under Russian occupation since early March. Capturing it would give Kyiv the opportunity to disrupt Russian supply lines between the south and the eastern Donbas region, the two major areas where Moscow-backed forces hold territory.
In the newly freed village of Chkalovske in the Kharkiv region, Svitlana Honchar said most of the occupying forces had been stationed in the nearby forest rather than the village. Their departure was sudden and swift.
“They left like the wind,” Honchar said Tuesday after loading cans of food aid into her car. “They were fleeing by any means they could.”
Some Russians appeared to have been left behind in the hasty retreat. “They were trying to catch up,” she said.
It was not yet clear if the Ukrainian blitz, which unfolded after months of little discernible movement, could signal a turning point in the nearly seven-month war.
But the country’s officials were buoyant, releasing footage showing their forces burning Russian flags and inspecting abandoned, charred tanks. In one video, border guards tore down a poster that read, “We are one people with Russia.”
Momentum has switched back and forth before, and Ukraine’s American allies were careful not to declare a premature victory since Russian President Vladimir Putin still has troops and resources to tap.
In the face of Russia’s largest defeat since its botched attempt to capture Kyiv early in the war, Defense Ministry spokesman Igor Konashenkov said troops were hitting back with “massive strikes” in all sectors. But there were no immediate reports of a sudden uptick in Russian attacks.
Late Monday, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said his troops had so far retaken more than 6,000 square kilometers (2,300 square miles) — an area more than twice the size of Luxembourg — in a matter of weeks.
“The movement of our troops continues,” he said.
Reports of chaos abounded as Russian troops pulled out — as well as claims that they were surrendering en masse. The claims could not be immediately verified.
Ukrainian Deputy Minister of Defense Hanna Maliar said Kyiv is trying to persuade even more Russian soldiers to give up, launching shells filled with flyers ahead of their advance.
“Russians use you as cannon fodder. Your life doesn’t mean anything for them. You don’t need this war. Surrender to Armed Forces of Ukraine,” the flyers read.
While dozens of towns and villages were liberated, authorities moved into several areas to investigate alleged atrocities against civilians by Russian troops.
The Kharkiv regional prosecutor’s office said four bodies bearing signs of torture were found in the village of Zaliznychne. It’s not clear how many other places investigators have entered.
Oleksandr Shtupun, a spokesman for the Ukrainian military’s general staff, accused Russian forces of committing hundreds of war crimes in territory they once held. He said the danger of minefields in liberated towns and villages remained high, and ammunition and high explosives have been strewn across 70,000 square kilometers (27,000 square miles).
“The defense forces are taking measures to return peaceful life to the liberated communities as soon as possible,” he said.
In one indication of the blow sustained by Moscow, British intelligence said that one premier force, the 1st Guards Tank Army, had been “severely degraded” during the invasion and that conventional Russian forces designed to counter NATO have been badly weakened.
“It will likely take years for Russia to rebuild this capability,” the analysts said.
The setback might renew Russia’s interest in peace talks, said Abbas Gallyamov, an independent Russian political analyst and former speechwriter for Putin.
But even if Putin were to sit down at the negotiating table, Zelenskyy has made it clear that Russia must return all Ukrainian territory, including Crimea, Gallyamov said.
“This is unacceptable to Moscow, so talks are, strictly speaking, impossible,” he said.
Putin’s previous actions “have restricted his room to maneuver,” so he “wouldn’t be able to put anything meaningful on the table.”
For talks to be possible, Putin “would need to leave and be replaced by someone who’s relatively untarnished by the current situation,” such as his deputy chief of staff, the Moscow mayor or the Russian prime minister, Gallyamov said.
The retreat did not stop Russia from pounding Ukrainian positions. Early Tuesday, it shelled the city of Lozova in the Kharkiv region, killing three people and injuring nine, said regional Gov. Oleh Syniehubov.
And Ukrainian officials said Russia kept up shelling around Europe’s largest nuclear facility, where fighting has raised fears of a nuclear disaster. The Nikopol area, which is across the Dnieper River from the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, was shelled six times during the night, but no injuries were immediately reported, said regional Gov. Valentyn Reznichenko.
Strikes have also continued unabated on the city of Kharkiv, Ukraine’s second-largest and one that has been hammered by artillery for months.
Among Kharkiv’s battle-scarred apartment buildings, one man who returned to feed the birds struck a defiant tone, saying that the success of the Ukrainian counteroffensive would likely prompt harsh Russian retaliation against civilian targets. But he said it would not succeed in intimidating ordinary Ukrainians.
Putin “will strike so we don’t have water, electricity, to create more chaos and intimidate us,” said Serhii who only gave his first name. “But he will not succeed because we will survive, and Putin will soon croak!”
The counteroffensive has provoked rare public criticism of Putin’s war. Meanwhile, some of its defenders in Russia played down the idea that the success belonged to Ukraine, blaming instead Western weapons and fighters for the losses.
___
Arhirova reported from Kyiv.
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Follow AP war coverage at https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine
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City Of Mesa Offers Lifetime Health Benefits To Eligible City Employees
City Of Mesa Offers Lifetime Health Benefits To Eligible City Employees https://digitalarizonanews.com/city-of-mesa-offers-lifetime-health-benefits-to-eligible-city-employees/
MESA, AZ (3TV/CBS 5) — As the cost of living rises around the country and especially throughout the Valley, many municipalities are finding it difficult to recruit and retain talented and hard-working employees. One Valley city is now aiming to bring back an old recruiting technique–lifetime benefits–to help it compete in this hot jobs market.
“The Mesa Way has always been to take care of our employees by offering competitive salaries and benefits so they can take care of themselves and their families,” said Mesa City Manager Chris Brady. By offering lifetime health benefits to eligible employees who complete 20 years of service with the city, officials say they’re doing exactly that.
“The Valley is experiencing a very competitive job market,” said Brady. “We aim to recruit individuals committed to public service and reward those who have dedicated their professional careers to serving Mesa residents and businesses.”
But it’s nothing the city hasn’t done before. It’s a benefit that was offered to employees before the city had to cut $62 million from the General Fund when recession hit more than ten years ago. Since then, the availability of those benefits had been greatly restricted. This recent announcement ensures that all city employees, who have at least ten consecutive years of service, have the ability to take care of their physical and mental health.
Mesa currently covers 80% of eligible retirees’ medical, dental, and vision insurance premiums. About 70% of the city’s 3,900 employees have been hired since Jan. 1, 2009, and could be eligible for retirement health care benefits as early as 2029.
Copyright 2022 KTVK/KPHO. All rights reserved.
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Twitter Shareholders Approve Elon Musk’s Takeover Deal https://digitalarizonanews.com/twitter-shareholders-approve-elon-musks-takeover-deal/
Updated September 13, 2022 at 2:48 p.m. EDT|Published
September 13, 2022 at 6:15 a.m. EDT
Twitter shareholders voted Tuesday to approve Elon Musk’s $44 billion offer to acquire it, setting the world’s richest man on a collision course with the social media company as the two head to court in October.
The approval — to accept Musk’s offer of $54.20 per share, far higher than the current share price of roughly $42 — was widely expected. Twitter has forged ahead with the deal, despite Musk’s attempts to back out because of what he says are problems with the company’s business.
The vote followed a Twitter whistleblower‘s Senate testimony Tuesday morning, who alleged the company’s failure to secure sensitive data causes “real harm to real people.”
Peiter “Mudge” Zatko’s Senate testimony – which expanded on an 84-page complaint shared with regulators and The Washington Post this summer – alleged that Twitter executives misled the public, regulators and the company’s own board about the failed state of its data security practices.
He described an executive team that was financially incentivized to ignore root problems, such as employees having far too much access to data. Because the company wasn’t properly tracking data access, he alleged it was impossible for the company to respond to critical national security risks – including access gained by potential foreign agents on its payroll.
Zatko, the company’s former security lead and a renowned hacker, grounded his at times highly technical disclosures in examples of risks that lawmakers could connect to, suggesting this unfettered access could result in Twitter engineers sending unauthorized tweets from their accounts.
“It doesn’t matter who has keys if you don’t have any locks on the doors,” he said. “It’s not far-fetched to say an employee inside the company could take over the accounts of all the senators in this room.”
Twitter has previously said Zatko’s allegations appeared to be “riddled with inaccuracies,” and that security and privacy are priorities at the company. Twitter did not respond to requests for comment regarding Zatko’s testimony.
Zatko’s testimony could also factor into Twitter’s ongoing litigation with Musk, who has already incorporated some of the arguments from the whistleblower’s complaint in court.
Zatko’s testimony is already becoming a headache for Twitter and its chief executive Parag Agrawal. Multiple senators slammed Agrawal for declining to testify before the Senate Judiciary Committee because of the company’s ongoing litigation with Musk.
Sen. Charles E. Grassley (R-Iowa), the committee’s top Republican, said if Zatko’s allegations are true, Agrawal should be forced to step down as chief executive.
The disclosures Tuesday appeared to prompt some bi-partisan soul searching among lawmakers, many of whom spoke of a combined failure to bring enforcement against tech companies.
Zatko has alleged that Twitter did not follow through on the commitments it made to the Federal Trade Commission to create a data security program.
Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) said that he was working across party lines with Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) to create a new regulatory system that would imitate Europe, where lawmakers have taken aggressive action to penalize American tech companies.
Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) floated the idea of creating a new tech enforcement agency, which would specifically address data security and national security threats posed by tech companies.
“I think the mounting evidence shows that the current regulatory structure is failing,” Blumenthal told The Post.
Zatko emphasized throughout the hearing that any new regulations need to be enforced with independent audits and metrics, to ensure that well-resourced companies are unable to game the system.
He also called on lawmakers to consider legislation that would expand whistleblower protections to other government agencies, so that more employees would be able to disclose critical information to the government. Zatko and Frances Haugen, a prominent Facebook whistleblower, filed their complaints with the Securities and Exchange Commission, which has a dedicated program that offers rewards and protections for such complaints. The FTC, the industry’s main tech regulator, does not have such a program.
Early in the hearing, Zatko spoke about the personal and professional toll submitting his complaint had taken on him and his family. He said that he did not make his disclosures “out of spite or to harm Twitter.”
“What you did today will not be in vain,” Graham said.
Twitter shareholder vote seen as a strategic move ahead of trial
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Elon Musk’s takeover offer for Twitter heads to trial on Oct. 17.
Some investors, and governance and legal experts, have pointed to the shareholder vote as a key date on the calendar, signaling Twitter’s eagerness to bring the matter to a close and place pressure on Musk as the deal heads to court. Some of those experts have also cited the shareholder vote as a potential impetus for settlement talks, as the matter gets closer to trial.
Twitter has argued for an expedited trial, in an effort to limit damage to the company, an argument the judge found compelling enough to compress the trial to a week.
Elon Musk tweeted popcorn emoji during whistleblower hearing
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Earlier Tuesday, Musk indicated he might be watching the hearing Tuesday — by tweeting a popcorn emoji.
Musk has more than 105 million followers on Twitter, where he often tweets thoughts on his businesses, as well as jokes and memes.
The billionaire, who plans to incorporate some of Zatko’s claims at his upcoming trial against Twitter, also changed his Twitter display name to “Naughtius Maximus.”
Twitter shareholder vote brings matter one step closer to trial
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Twitter shareholders’ approval of Elon Musk’s $44 billion offer to buy the company takes the matter one step closer to a heated battle in court.
Shareholders gave their assent to the deal Tuesday, according to a preliminary count of a vote, the company said. The vote took place during a short virtual meeting after brief remarks by Twitter CEO Parag Agrawal.
The result came as little surprise to those closely following the matter. Musk’s offer of $54.20 per share was substantially higher than Twitter’s current trading price, below $42.
Twitter shareholders vote to approve deal
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Roughly five minutes into the Twitter investor call, Elon Musk’s takeover deal was approved based on a preliminary count.
The move was a formal step toward finalizing the deal that heads to court in October, as Musk tries to back out.
The hearing is over. Now Twitter shareholders will vote on Musk takeover.
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Twitter shareholders are holding a vote Tuesday to formally consider Musk’s offer to buy the website for $44 billion, another step toward closing the deal as the disputed takeover heads to Delaware Chancery Court.
Shareholders are expected to greenlight the deal for $54.20 per share — Musk’s offer from April — a substantial premium over Monday’s trading price of around $41. Twitter’s board urged shareholders to vote yes ahead of the meeting, which will take place virtually at 1 p.m. EST.
Shareholders were also expected consider a measure to approve payouts tied to the merger for Twitter executives, though an affirmative vote is not required to complete the deal.
Senators noncommittal on issuing subpoena for Twitter CEO
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Top Senate lawmakers repeatedly vented at Tuesday’s hearing that Twitter CEO Parag Agrawal would not appear before the panel but declined to say after the session whether they planned to issue a subpoena to compel him to appear.
Sens. Richard J. Durbin (D-Ill.) and Charles E. Grassley (R-Iowa), the chair and ranking member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, each told reporters they needed to consult with each other on the matter.
Asked whether he planned to hold an additional hearing on the whistleblower claims, Durbin replied, “It’s possible. I’ll talk that over with Senator Grassley.”
Twitter culture rewarded rosy reports, hid bad facts, Zatko alleged
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Asked why as head of security he was unable to get Twitter to meet basic security standards, Peiter Zatko said his attempts were frustrated by a culture that dissuaded employees from reporting negative information.
Zatko alleged in his whistleblower complaint that executives touted internally and to the board that more than 90 percent of the company’s laptops had security software installed, while omitting the fact that the software showed that 30 percent of the machines had settings that prevented software updates from being installed automatically.
Twitter engineers could tweet as senators
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Zatko alleged that due to Twitter’s lack of internal controls, company engineers had wide system access that would allow them to tweet as other users — including U.S. senators.
Zatko said he was not specifically aware of this occurring, but the example underscored how he was grounding his claims in anecdotal examples that senators could find relatable. In responding to lawmakers, Zatko has sought to ground his highly technical allegations by illustrating the real-world risks and harms of the company’s alleged lack of security controls.
Graham says U.S. needs to create a regulatory system more like Europe
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Sen. Lindsey O. Graham (R-S.C.) says he is working with Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) to create a tech regulatory regime “with teeth” that would be similar to the system in Europe, where policymakers have sought to aggressively regulate American tech giants.
“Your testimony today has legitimized what most of us feel is a process out of control, that the regulatory environment is insu...
AP News Summary At 2:40 P.m. EDT https://digitalarizonanews.com/ap-news-summary-at-240-p-m-edt/
Ukraine piles pressure on retreating Russian troops
KHARKIV, Ukraine (AP) — Ukrainian troops are piling pressure on retreating Russian forces, pressing a counteroffensive that has produced major gains and a stunning blow to Moscow’s military prestige. As the advance continued Tuesday, Ukraine’s border guard services said the army took control of Vovchansk — a town just 3 kilometers (2 miles) from Russia seized on the first day of the war. Russia acknowledged that it has withdrawn troops from areas in the northeastern region of Kharkiv in recent days. It was not yet clear if the Ukrainian blitz could signal a turning point in the nearly seven-month war. But the country’s officials were buoyant and released footage showing their forces burning Russian flags.
Plane carrying Queen Elizabeth II’s coffin lands in London
LONDON (AP) — A plane carrying the coffin of Queen Elizabeth II has landed in London where crowds have gathered along a route to Buckingham Palace. The military C-17 Globemaster touched down at RAF Northolt which is an air force base in the west of the city about an hour after it left Edinburgh in Scotland. The queen’s body is making a final journey from Balmoral Castle in northern Scotland, where the monarch died Thursday at age 96 after 70 years on the throne. It will be driven past thousands of people who gathered in the rain along roadsides to pay their last respects. King Charles III and other members of the late queen’s close family will meet it at Buckingham Palace.
US inflation still stubbornly high despite August slowdown
WASHINGTON (AP) — Lower gas costs slowed U.S. inflation for a second straight month in August, but most other prices across the economy kept rising — evidence that inflation remains a heavy burden for American households. Consumer prices rose 8.3% from a year earlier and 0.1% from July. But the jump in “core” prices, which exclude volatile food and energy costs, was especially worrisome. It outpaced expectations and ignited fear that the Federal Reserve will boost interest rates more aggressively and raise the risk of a recession. Fueled by high rents, medical care and new cars, core prices leaped 6.3% for the year ending in August and 0.6% from July to August, the government said Tuesday.
Panel: Archives still not certain it has all Trump records
WASHINGTON (AP) — A congressional oversight committee has requested an assessment from the National Archives on whether presidential records removed by former President Donald Trump remain unaccounted for and potentially in his possession. The House Committee on Oversight and Reform sent a letter to the acting archivist Tuesday. In the letter, it requested a full evaluation of Trump White House records after National Archives staff informed lawmakers last month that the agency is still not certain whether all presidential records are in its custody. The request comes weeks after the FBI recovered “top secret” and even more sensitive documents from Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida.
Woman’s rape cries go unheard in unmonitored drug sting
ALEXANDRIA, La. (AP) — An Associated Press investigation found a woman informant was allegedly raped twice during an undercover drug sting last year in which her law enforcement handlers left her unmonitored and unprotected. Details of the sting conducted by sheriff’s deputies in the central Louisiana city of Alexandria showed authorities never considered such an attack could happen, didn’t provide the woman with recording devices that could transmit in real time and continued to charge her with drug crimes despite her cooperation. The case highlights the perils police informants face around the country seeking to “work off” charges in often loosely regulated, secretive arrangements.
Twitter whistleblower cites security flaws before Congress
WASHINGTON (AP) — A former security chief at Twitter told Congress that the social media platform is plagued by weak cyber defenses that make it vulnerable to exploitation by “teenagers, thieves and spies” and put the privacy of its users at risk. Peiter “Mudge” Zatko, a respected cybersecurity expert, appeared before the Senate Judiciary Committee to lay out his allegations Tuesday. “I am here today because Twitter leadership is misleading the public, lawmakers, regulators and even its own board of directors,” Zatko said as he began his sworn testimony. Zatko was the head of security for the influential platform until he was fired early this year.
Suns owner Sarver suspended 1 year, fined $10M after probe
NEW YORK (AP) — The NBA suspended Phoenix Suns and Phoenix Mercury owner Robert Sarver for one year and fined him $10 million after an investigation found that he had engaged in what the league called “workplace misconduct and organizational deficiencies.” The findings come nearly a year after the NBA asked a law firm to investigate allegations that Sarver had a history of racist, misogynistic and hostile incidents over his nearly two-decade tenure overseeing the franchise. The league said the results of the investigation were based on 320 individuals and more than 80,000 documents and other materials. Sarver apologized for “words and actions that offended our employees,” though he disagreed with some of the report’s findings.
Armenia, Azerbaijan report 99 troops killed in border clash
YEREVAN, Armenia (AP) — Fighting on the border between Armenia and Azerbaijan has killed about 100 troops and fed fears of broader hostilities breaking out between the longtime adversaries. Armenia said at least 49 of its soldiers were killed on Tuesday; Azerbaijan said it lost 50. Armenia’s Defense Ministry said the fighting erupted minutes after midnight with Azerbaijani forces unleashing an artillery barrage and drone attacks. The ministry said fighting continued during the day despite Russia’s attempt to broker a quick cease-fire. Azerbaijan’s Foreign Ministry said the country was responding to a “large-scale provocation” by Armenia late Monday and early Tuesday. It said Armenian troops planted mines and fired on Azerbaijani military positions.
Jury gets R. Kelly’s child pornography and trial-fixing case
CHICAGO (AP) — The jury at R. Kelly’s federal trial in Chicago has gotten the child pornography and trial-fixing case. The trial went to the jurors on Tuesday after the singer’s lead attorney told them that the prosecution’s case is largely based on the testimony of perjurers and blackmailers. Prosecutors have accused Kelly of videotaping himself having sex with women who were underage at the time, using his fame to entice minors for sex and rigging his 2008 child porn trial. His lead attorney, Jennifer Bonjean, noted during her closing argument that many key government witnesses, including some of the women who accused Kelly of sexually abusing them, testified with immunity to ensure they wouldn’t be charged with previously lying to authorities.
At 50, TV’s ‘The Waltons’ still stirs fans’ love, nostalgia
“The Waltons,” one of TV’s most popular and enduring programs, turns 50 on Wednesday. Set in 1932 and running through World War II, the show debuted on CBS on Sept. 14, 1972. The drama followed a Depression-era family in rural Virginia who were depicted wearing overalls and dresses, praying at meals and overcoming adversity through hard work and grace. Observers say that at a time when the networks generally avoided risky content, “The Waltons” was notable for tackling difficult topics — religion, in particular. A half-century later it still stirs nostalgia among fans who take in cable TV reruns, binge episodes online and follow former stars on social media.
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
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Trump Faces New Legal Threats Amid Investigation Into 'Stop The Steal' Fundraising Scheme
Trump Faces New Legal Threats Amid Investigation Into 'Stop The Steal' Fundraising Scheme https://digitalarizonanews.com/trump-faces-new-legal-threats-amid-investigation-into-stop-the-steal-fundraising-scheme/
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Chandler Education Foundation Talks Teen Suicide Prevention Upcoming Parent Session
Chandler Education Foundation Talks Teen Suicide Prevention, Upcoming Parent Session https://digitalarizonanews.com/chandler-education-foundation-talks-teen-suicide-prevention-upcoming-parent-session/
CHANDLER, AZ (3TV/CBS 5) — The Chandler Education Foundation is highlighting suicide prevention month by hosting various special educational events for teens and parents.
In the past 10 to 13 years, across the U.S., self-harm, anxiety, and depression have spiked. Child Mental Health Advocate with the foundation Katey McPherson talked with Good Morning Arizona anchor Tess Rafols to talk about the various programs that will be held throughout this month–including a documentary on the life of one teenager who attempted suicide and survived.
The documentary is called “My Ascension,” discusses the young woman’s life, her suicide attempt, and what she is doing now to help others who are struggling like she did. “She’s what we call a lived survivor. Most people that attempt don’t get to tell their story after,” McPherson said. “What I’ve learned from her is…silence keeps no one safe.”
Many parents believe that it couldn’t be their kid, but in Chandler alone in the past few months, there’s been five teenagers who have died by suicide. “We’re missing that social media is a huge comparison, and that they’re comparing themselves,” McPherson said. “Really dialing in as parents in that the world has changed, and that they now have access to so much information.”
McPherson said that she believes it’s the parents that are afraid to have the conversation, not the children struggling. She said that Arizona parents who would like to learn more are invited to a Parent University session on Wednesday, Sept. 21, starting at 5:30 p.m. at the Majestic Neighborhood Cinema Grill Chandler. You can get your tickets here. There will be experts, local advocates, and individuals at the ready to provide parents with resources.
Michael Klinkner, a licensed social worker, also spoke to Rafols Tuesday morning and talked about why having these hard conversations can be so difficult for parents and teenagers. “For kids as young as 8, they’ll get overwhelmed, and they’ll have feelings of being out of control, rejection, or that they’re disappointing someone,” Klinkner said. “High school kids will be about what school they’re going to get into… with all that pressure, they decide that dying by suicide is what will relieve the pain.”
He suggests that parents always ask questions and take their kids’ discussions of suicide and their struggles seriously. “Ask the kid what kind of support they need, how often are they thinking about things like that, how overwhelmed do they feel, and how close have they gotten,” Klinkner said. “Are they saying things like, ‘Oh, you don’t need to deal with me for a whole lot longer’.”
Klinkner said that oftentimes, comments can fall through the cracks. He said that for some teens, break-ups or increases or decreases in sleep or eating, or socially withdrawn could all be signs that your teenager is contemplating dying by suicide.
The Suicide Lifeline Hotline can be reached at 1-800-273-TALK (8255) and can also be reached at 988. To learn more about the foundation click here.
Copyright 2022 KTVK/KPHO. All rights reserved.
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NYC Officials Are Investigating The Deaths Of 3 Children Found On A Brooklyn Beach. Here's What We Know | CNN
NYC Officials Are Investigating The Deaths Of 3 Children Found On A Brooklyn Beach. Here's What We Know | CNN https://digitalarizonanews.com/nyc-officials-are-investigating-the-deaths-of-3-children-found-on-a-brooklyn-beach-heres-what-we-know-cnn/
New York CNN —
Authorities are investigating the deaths of three children who were found unresponsive along a New York City shoreline early Monday after a family member reported concerns about their safety.
The children – a 7-year-old boy, a 4-year-old girl and a 3-and-a-half-month-old girl – were found in Brooklyn’s Coney Island around 4:42 a.m., said New York Police Chief of Department Kenneth Corey.
The kids’ 30-year-old mother was questioned by police and then hospitalized after they found her Monday morning in Brighton Beach, adjacent to Coney Island, a law enforcement official said. She was under psychiatric evaluation at a hospital Tuesday morning, that source and another law enforcement official said.
The woman has not been charged with a crime, police said, and authorities haven’t disclosed her condition.
All three children were pronounced dead at a hospital after first responders conducted life-saving measures, including CPR, Corey added.
“We don’t know exactly what happened here,” Corey said Monday during a news conference, stressing the information was preliminary.
There is no indication at this time of prior abuse or neglect of the children, authorities noted.
As investigators piece together what exactly happened to the children and the woman, here is what we know about how the events unfolded:
Police got a 911 call at 1:40 a.m. Monday from someone who was concerned a “family member may have harmed her three small children,” Corey said. The caller asked police to check on the woman’s Coney Island apartment.
When police arrived at the apartment, a man who identified himself as the father of one of the three children said he was also concerned, Corey added. The man told police he believed the woman and three children were at a boardwalk on Coney Island.
For about 90 minutes, police officers canvassed beaches, streets and a local hospital. Then another 911 call came in directing officers to a specific location – Brighton 6th Street and Riegelmann Boardwalk in nearby Brighton Beach.
The caller reported a woman who was despondent, a police spokesperson told CNN.
When officers arrived, they found the woman and other family members with her. The children were not there.
The search continued via ground, air and harbor units. Around 4:42 a.m., officers found the children unconscious on the shoreline at West 35th Street in Coney Island, Corey said.
The Coney Island spot where the children were found is about 2 miles from where the woman was found – and just a half-mile south of her apartment.
She was “soaking wet” when investigators made contact with her, said Corey, who noted it was not clear whether she’d been in the rain or in the water off the coast.
By Tuesday morning, the shoreline where the children were found showed no sign of what unfolded a day earlier – no crime scene tape, no police presence – as just a few people walked along the beach and on the boardwalk.
The mother’s apartment is in a roughly 20-story building a few blocks to the north, across a street from an elementary school and near a small shopping center, a grocery, a dental implant center and a pharmacy.
Leslie Torres, 33, who works near the building, used to see the 4-year-old girl playing outside with others. Torres didn’t know about the boy, but the mother was often with the baby and the 4-year-old, Torres said Tuesday.
“We used to (see) them out here playing. We’d give them Popsicles. They were good kids,” said Torres, who works in a school for home health care aides that backs up to the apartment building.
A resident of the building, Jessica Joubert, lit a prayer candle there Tuesday and taped onto a wall sign with the children’s names and some artificial flowers.
She had seen the children before, she said.
“I see them all the time running in and out and, you know, very, very happy kids,” Joubert said. “We’re very heartbroken., you know, because no one wants to see this happen to anybody’s kid.”
The 7-year-old boy was a kind, generous person with a special humility about him, his father told CNN on Tuesday morning.
“Anybody who met my son they would know that he is special,” the father, Derrick Merdy, said.
He loved the video game character Sonic the Hedgehog. “I think I spent so much money buying him every last one of them,” Merdy said.
The boy “had a humility about him that I can’t even imitate, and I’m going to try my best to live like he did because he was so kind and generous,” the father said.
“He was going to be great.”
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Phoenix Suns Owner Suspended For Racial Slur Other NBA Violations
Phoenix Suns Owner Suspended For Racial Slur, Other NBA Violations https://digitalarizonanews.com/phoenix-suns-owner-suspended-for-racial-slur-other-nba-violations/
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PHOENIX, AZ — The NBA said Tuesday it has fined Phoenix Suns and Mercury owner Robert Sarver $10 million and suspended him for a year after an independent investigation found he had engaged in “workplace misconduct and organizational deficiencies.”
The investigation into Sarver’s behavior was launched last November after an ESPN.com article detailed allegations of racist, misogynistic and hostile conduct over his nearly two decades overseeing the franchise. Specific allegations were that Sarver routinely used a racial epithet and treated female employees differently than their male peers.
More than 320 individuals were interviewed and more than 80,000 documents were viewed by the New York-based investigating firm of Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz, the NBA said.
Find out what’s happening in Phoenixwith free, real-time updates from Patch.
“While it is difficult to identify with precision what motivated Sarver’s workplace behavior described in this report, certain patterns emerged from witness accounts: Sarver often acted aggressively in an apparent effort to provoke a reaction from his targets; Sarver’s sense of humor was sophomoric and inappropriate for the workplace; and Sarver behaved as though workplace norms and policies did not apply to him,” the report said.
Sarver said he will “accept the consequences of the league’s decision” and apologized for “words and actions that offended our employees,” though noted he disagreed with some of the report’s findings.
Find out what’s happening in Phoenixwith free, real-time updates from Patch.
Although investigators said Sarver used a racial slur to describe Black players on at least five occasions, they did not find that he “used this racially insensitive language with the intent to demean or denigrate,” according to the report released by the NBA.
He also used demeaning language in interactions with female employees, including telling a pregnant woman she wouldn’t be able to do her job after giving birth; made off-color jokes about sex and anatomy; and yelled and cursed at employees in ways that would be considered bullying “under workplace standards.”
The NBA levied the maximum fine possible under its rules. The fine will be donated to “organizations that are committed to addressing race and gender-based issues in and outside the workplace,” the league said.
“The statements and conduct described in the findings of the independent investigation are troubling and disappointing,” NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said. “We believe the outcome is the right one, taking into account all the facts, circumstances and context brought to light by the comprehensive investigation of this 18-year period and our commitment to upholding proper standards in NBA workplaces.”
Sarvrer, who is forbidden from attending any NBA or WNBA function or facility for one year or having any involvement in the Suns and Mercury franchises for a year, said he takes “full responsibility” for his behavior.
“I am sorry for causing this pain, and these errors in judgment are not consistent with my personal philosophy or my values,” he said, adding, “This moment is an opportunity for me to demonstrate a capacity to learn and grow as we continue to build a working culture where every employee feels comfortable and valued.”
During his suspension, Sarver will be required to complete a training program “focused on respect and appropriate conduct in the workplace,” the league said.
Sarver, through his attorney, continued denying the allegations as recently as June in a letter to the league and insisted the claims against him were “demonstrably false.”
The attorney, Thomas Clare, wrote that Sarver’s record shows a “longstanding commitment to social and racial justice” and that it attests to his “commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion.”
“Mr. Sarver is one of few NBA owners who continues to support and advance the development of women’s professional basketball,” Clare wrote, citing upgrades to the Mercury team facilities, how the Suns claim a league-best rate of 55 percent employment of minorities within its front office and how more than half of the Suns’ coaches and general managers in Sarver’s tenure — including current coach Monty Williams and current GM James Jones — are Black.
Specifically, the investigators wrote in their report:
Sarver engaged in “crude, sexual and vulgar commentary and conduct in the workplace,” including references to sexual acts, condoms and the anatomy, referring to both his own and those of others.
Sarver sent a small number of male Suns employees “joking pornographic material and crude emails, including emails containing photos of a nude woman and a video of two people having sex.”
Sarver exposed himself unnecessarily to a male Suns employee during a fitness check, caused another male employee to become uncomfortable by grabbing him and dancing “pelvis to pelvis” at a holiday party, and standing nude in front of a male employee following a shower.
Sarver made comments about female employees, including the attractiveness of Suns dancers, and asked a female Suns employee if she had undergone breast augmentation.
The league also will require the Suns and Mercury to engage in a series of workplace improvements, including retaining outside firms that will “focus on fostering a diverse, inclusive and respectful workplace.”
Employees of those organizations will be surveyed, anonymously and regularly, to ensure that proper workplace culture is in place. The NBA and WNBA will need to be told immediately of any instances, or even allegations, of significant misconduct by any employees.
All those conditions will be in place for three years.
Sarver and the Suns and Mercury “cooperated fully with the investigative process,” the league said.
“Regardless of position, power or intent, we all need to recognize the corrosive and hurtful impact of racially insensitive and demeaning language and behavior,” Silver said. “On behalf of the entire NBA, I apologize to all of those impacted by the misconduct outlined in the investigators’ report. We must do better.”
The Associated Press contributed reporting.
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North Dakota State Coming To Tucson Looking For Another FBS Conquest
North Dakota State Coming To Tucson Looking For Another FBS Conquest https://digitalarizonanews.com/north-dakota-state-coming-to-tucson-looking-for-another-fbs-conquest/
There are FCS teams, and then there’s North Dakota State.
The Bison, Arizona’s opponent on Saturday night, are the gold standard of the Football Championship Subdivision, where since moving up from Division II in 2004 they’ve been the dominant program. They’ve won nine of the last 11 FCS titles, including last season, and sit No. 1 in the latest FCS poll after a pair of blowout victories to run their win streak to 10.
This will be NDSU’s first matchup with an FBS opponent since 2016, and there’s a reason for that: most schools realized how bad an idea it was to schedule the Bison.
On Sept. 18, 2016 they won 23-21 at Iowa, which at the time was No. 13 in the country and was coming off a season in which it made the Rose Bowl. Two years earlier, NDSU opened the 2014 campaign with a 34-14 win at Iowa State, the fifth straight season the Bison beat an FBS school. In 2013 it was Kansas State, 2012 it was Colorado State, 2011 it was Minnesota and 2010 it was Kansas.
You have to go back to 2009 for the last time they did not win when playing an FBS opponent, falling 34-17 at Iowa State.
All told, the Bison are 9-3 against FBS schools. In 2007 they won at both Central Michigan and Minnesota.
So, again: why is Arizona playing this lower-division juggernaut? Well, the folks responsible for that decision aren’t around anymore. The game has been on the books since April 2017, when Rich Rodriguez was preparing for what would be his final season with the Wildcats and his ops guy Mike Parrish helped set up this matchup … one NDSU will get paid $425,000 for playing.
Amazingly, Arizona isn’t the only FBS school that has a game lined up with the Bison. Oregon was supposed to host them in 2020 but it was called off due to COVID and rescheduled for 2028, while Colorado brings them to Boulder to open the 2024 season.
NAU is back on the schedule as Arizona’s FCS opponent in 2023, though that didn’t go so well last time. The Lumberjacks are also coming to Tucson in 2024, 2026, 2027 and 2030-33 while the UA also has games scheduled against Weber State (which just won at Nevada) in 2025 and Prairie View A&M in 2028.
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Queen Elizabeth's Coffin Lands In London After Final Flight
Queen Elizabeth's Coffin Lands In London After Final Flight https://digitalarizonanews.com/queen-elizabeths-coffin-lands-in-london-after-final-flight/
(CNN)Queen Elizabeth II’s coffin has landed in London, and will now be taken to Buckingham Palace by car.
The coffin was transported from Edinburgh on board a C-17 Globemaster transport plane, Air Chief Marshal Sir Mike Wigston told Sky News Tuesday in an on-camera interview.
It’s a “heavily used aircraft, it carried the majority of the 15,000 people that we evacuated from Kabul last summer,” said Wigston.
“And, since then, it’s been involved in airlifting humanitarian aid and lethal aid nodes to support Ukraine,” he added.
Princess Anne accompanied the Queen on her final flight. The deceased monarch’s only daughter, Anne was also the only one of the Queen’s four children to accompany her coffin from Balmoral Castle to Edinburgh on Monday.
The coffin will be driven to Buckingham Palace, where it will be received by her family and then rest in the Bow Room overnight.
Mourners had queued outside St. Giles’ Cathedral in Edinburgh on Monday evening for their turn to pay their final respects, before it closed on Tuesday afternoon. The Scottish government said more than 26,000 people got to file past the Queen.
Tuesday marked Charles’ first trip to Northern Ireland as the United Kingdom’s new monarch, following in the footsteps of his mother, who was seen as a symbol of the union and was an important figure during Northern Ireland’s peace process.
The historic visit saw the King arrive at the royal residence, Hillsborough Castle, where he greeted the public and looked at floral tributes. There he met with the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, Chris Heaton-Harris, and the leaders of Northern Ireland’s biggest political parties.
Charles and Camilla received a message of condolence by the Speaker of the Northern Ireland Assembly Alex Maskey, to which the King replied: “In the years since she began her long life of public service, my mother saw Northern Ireland pass through momentous and historic changes. Through all those years, she never ceased to pray for the best of times for this place and for its people.”
King Charles added that he would follow his mother’s example of dedicating “herself to her country and her people and to maintain the principles of constitutional government.”
Following the reception at the castle, the King and the Queen Consort arrived at St. Anne’s Cathedral in Belfast for an afternoon service of prayer and reflection. They will be introduced to faith and community leaders from across Northern Ireland. More than 800 people are expected to take part in the religious service, which was also attended by UK Prime Minister Liz Truss.
His visit comes at an uneasy moment for Northern Ireland, where political tensions are high and key issues around Brexit remain unresolved.
While the majority of the country voted to remain in the European Union in the 2016 referendum, the UK’s ruling Conservative Party signed a Brexit deal that created new customs barriers between Northern Ireland and mainland Britain.
Elizabeth was the monarch for 70 years of Northern Ireland’s 101-year history.
She was Queen during the 30 bloody years of violence known as “The Troubles,” which pitted UK unionists against Irish nationalists, with the British Crown emblematic of much that divided the province.
Unionists are loyal to the Crown and the traditional British values they believe it enshrines. For Irish nationalists, it is the symbol of the British forces who subjugated their ancestors and annexed their land.
Louis Mountbatten, the last British Viceroy to India and Charles’ favorite great-uncle, was murdered by the Irish Republicans along with several of his grandchildren in 1979.
The Queen publicly put aside those differences during a 2012 visit to Northern Ireland, shaking the hand of Martin McGuinness, one of the republicans most associated with the violence of the past.
Charles also shook hands with Gerry Adams in 2015, seen as another milestone in the fragile peace process as Adams had long been associated with the Irish Republican Army (IRA), once considered the armed wing of Sinn Fein which is now the largest party in Northern Ireland.
The King and the Queen Consort have now arrived back in London on their return from Belfast.
To get updates on the British Royal Family sent to your inbox, sign up for CNN’s Royal News newsletter.
CNN’s Nic Robertson and Max Foster contributed to this report.
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Remembering The Life Of Victoria Hansen 1953 – 2022 https://digitalarizonanews.com/remembering-the-life-of-victoria-hansen-1953-2022/
Victoria D. Hansen, age 68, of Mesa, AZ passed away on June 4, 2022, after a long and courageous battle with cancer. Vikki was born in Niagara Falls, NY on December 29, 1953. Her parents were the late William Justiana, Patricia (Zackey) Justiana Buckman and Frank Buckman. She married Paul A. Hansen on March 4, 1994.
Vikki graduated from Niagara Wheatfield High School and Kelly Business Institute. Vikki was one of the first Image Specialists in the area who restored vintage and damaged photos back to life using computer technology. In the early 2000s, Vikki worked locally doing photo restoration for The Camera Lounge & Encore Photo Studios in addition to having her own business. Vikki was a self-taught computer geek who spent many hours working on ancestry. She traced her and Paul’s families back into the 1700s. She was a talented tailor and watercolor artist.
Before retiring Vikki was Advertising Coordinator for the Arizona Republic Newspaper in Phoenix, AZ.
In addition to her husband Paul, Vikki is survived by her son Jason Wood, Mesa, AZ; granddaughter Bliss Marie Wood, Jacksonville, FL; step daughter Andrea (Dion) Hansen-Gregorie, San Rafael, CA; sisters, Laurene Kimura, Gilbert, AZ, Nadine Buckman-Weigand, Myrtle Beach, SC, Cindy Justiana, Clear Lake, CA; brother, Leonard Justice, Tulsa, OK; sisters-in-law Sharon Hansen-Benavidez and Catherine (Kirk) Hansen-Crossley, Niagara Falls, NY, Patricia (Roland) Hansen-Crossley, Port Richey, FL. Mary (late John) Hansen-Ashline, Broomfield, CO. She is also survived by two step-grandchildren and several nieces and nephews.
Private services were handled by Angels Cremation and Burial, Mesa AZ.
Published on September 13, 2022
Send Flowers: When Is the Ordering Deadline?
Next-Day Delivery
ANY DAY OF THE WEEK
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Note: These are general guidelines; some florists may not be able to operate within these timelines. During peak periods such as Valentine’s Day, Memorial Day and most holidays, florists are not always able to keep up to demand. Tribute will contact you if there are any issues.
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Graham Introduces Bill To Ban Abortions Nationwide After 15 Weeks
Graham Introduces Bill To Ban Abortions Nationwide After 15 Weeks https://digitalarizonanews.com/graham-introduces-bill-to-ban-abortions-nationwide-after-15-weeks/
Sen. Lindsey O. Graham (R-S.C.) on Tuesday introduced a bill that would ban abortions after 15 weeks of pregnancy nationwide, the most prominent effort by Republicans to restrict the procedure since the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in June.
“I think we should have a law at the federal level that would say, after 15 weeks, no abortion on demand except in cases of rape, incest or to save the life of the mother,” Graham said at a news conference. “And that should be where America is at.”
Graham’s measure, which stands almost no chance of advancing while Democrats hold the majority in Congress, comes just weeks after he and most Republicans had defended the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe by arguing that allowing states to decide on abortion rights would be the most “constitutionally sound” way of handling the issue.
On Tuesday, Graham vowed that, if Republicans took back the House and Senate in the midterm elections, there would be a vote on his 15-week abortion bill.
“Abortion is a contentious issue,” Graham said. “Abortion is not banned in America. It is left up to elected officials in America to define the issue… States have the ability to do [so] at the state level and we have the ability in Washington to speak on this issue if we choose. I have chosen to speak.”
Graham was joined at the news conference by Marjorie Dannenfelser, president of Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America, along with other antiabortion leaders.
The name of his bill — which includes the nonmedical phrase “late-term abortions” — drew sharp criticism from abortion rights activists. Used almost exclusively by antiabortion activists, the phrase is generally understood to refer to abortions between or after 21 and 24 weeks of pregnancy.
“15 weeks is not ‘late term,’ particularly given the significant challenges to access around the country,” Christina Reynolds, vice president of communications at Emily’s List, wrote in a tweet.
While most people undergo abortions earlier in pregnancy, 15-week and 20-week abortion bans disproportionately affect patients with fetal anomalies, which are often detected at a 20-week anatomy scan, along with those who take longer to realize they are pregnant. These kinds of bans will also affect more people in a post-Roe America as abortion clinics struggle to accommodate a swell of patients from states where abortion is now banned.
Democrats swiftly responded to reports of Graham’s efforts with anger, and vowed that the measure would go nowhere.
“I will block any efforts in the Senate to advance a nationwide abortion ban — full stop,” tweeted Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.), who is locked in a tough reelection bid. “We don’t need any more male politicians telling women what we can and can’t do with our own bodies.”
“I will never understand the Republican obsession with what goes on in your bedroom or your doctor’s office, but I do know it belongs nowhere near government. Your right to privacy is fundamental,” Rep. Gerald E. Connolly (D-Va.) tweeted.
The timing of Graham’s announcement is curious — two months before the midterm elections, after abortion has already shown to be a galvanizing issue for some Democratic voters. While Republicans generally have praised the ruling overturning Roe, many have preferred not to focus on the issue ahead of the midterms.
Last month, Kansas voters soundly rejected a referendum that would have allowed state lawmakers to regulate abortion, the first time state voters decided on such an amendment since Roe was overturned. Last week, South Carolina Republicans fell short in their bid for a near-total abortion ban in the state. Planned Parenthood announced last month that it plans to spend a record $50 million in an effort to elect abortion rights supporters across the country this November, banking on the belief that abortion will help turn out Democratic voters.
Moreover, several red states already have stricter bans in place. Abortion is now banned or mostly banned in 15 states, while laws in several others are in various legal limbos. Last month, Indiana passed a near-total abortion ban, the first to do so after Roe was struck down.
Before the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in June, many Republican lawmakers and advocates had been pushing for a strict nationwide “heartbeat” ban on abortions, which would have outlawed the procedure after cardiac activity is detected, at around six weeks of pregnancy. Sen. Joni Ernst (R-Iowa) had been planning behind-the-scenes to introduce the legislation.
But months after the landmark abortion ruling, those plans have quietly fizzled. While that bill has been drafted, there is no timeline for Ernst or any other senator to introduce it, according to several antiabortion advocates close to the situation.
Instead, some leading antiabortion advocates are hoping that Republicans will rally around a 15-week ban, long denounced by many in the antiabortion movement because it would allow the vast majority of abortions to continue.
Dannenfelser, the president of Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America, said she expects that Graham’s bill will be “universally accepted,” offering a path forward that a variety of Republican senators can support.
“I think the place to begin is where Graham is beginning,” said Dannenfelser in an interview before Graham’s bill was released. “Graham is the momentum and it will increase when he introduces [his bill].”
Some Republicans are not so sure. Since the Supreme Court decision, many have said publicly that they think abortion should be left to the states.
Even before an antiabortion amendment was resoundingly defeated in his home state, Sen. Roger Marshall (R-Kan.) told The Washington Post that he doubted that there was a future for any kind of national abortion ban.
“I just don’t see the momentum at the federal level,” Marshall said in a July 25 interview. “I think the legislative priority should be at the states.”
A nationwide ban would be extremely difficult to pass, requiring 60 votes in the Senate to overcome a filibuster. The measure would encounter resistance from nearly all Democrats in addition to a handful of Republicans who support abortion rights. Neither party is likely to gain in the midterm elections the number of seats necessary for a filibuster-proof majority.
Republicans have been forced to reckon with a growing trove of data suggesting that abortion could be a decisive issue in the midterms, motivating Democratic and independent voters far more than was widely expected. Candidates who support abortion rights have overperformed in recent special elections, while key battleground states have seen a spike in Democratic and independent women registering to vote.
Some Republicans have grown increasingly hesitant to discuss the subject of a national abortion ban on the campaign trail. In Arizona, Republican Senate candidate Blake Masters removed any mention of his support for a “federal personhood law” from his website, legislation that probably would have banned abortion nationwide after conception. Masters’s website now says he would support a ban on abortions in the third trimester, at around 27 weeks of pregnancy, a far more popular position.
Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America applauded the change in a news release, saying that Masters “rightfully centered his position on what is achievable at the federal level.”
Abortion rights groups have seized on the looming threat of a national abortion ban, hoping to mobilize voters around the issue all over the country, including those in states where abortion rights are protected.
“For anyone who is in a state where abortion is not yet restricted or banned, we especially want to tell those voters, ‘This is everybody’s issue. It could come to your state too if they’re voting against efforts to protect abortion,’ ” said Jacqueline Ayers, senior vice president at Planned Parenthood Action Fund.
In both the House and Senate, Republicans are debating other types of abortion legislation that might be easier to pass than a national ban.
Rep. Michelle Fischbach (R-Minn.), co-chair of the Congressional Pro-Life Caucus, said in an interview that members have been discussing first-of-its-kind legislation that would give federal funding to crisis pregnancy centers, antiabortion organizations that try to dissuade women from having abortions and sometimes offer diapers and other aid to new moms.
Rachel Roubein and Marianna Sotomayor contributed to this report.
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Freight Rail Strike Threatens Supply Chains Prompting White House Planning
Freight Rail Strike Threatens Supply Chains, Prompting White House Planning https://digitalarizonanews.com/freight-rail-strike-threatens-supply-chains-prompting-white-house-planning/
A national railroad strike could derail critical deliveries of chlorine to wastewater treatment plants and coal to utility plants, among other potentially crippling disruptions, prompting senior White House aides Tuesday to review contingency options for protecting the nation’s drinking water and energy supply.
White House aides are looking at how to ensure essential products carried by rail — such as food, energy, and key health products — could still reach their final destination even in the event of a potential strike. Senior officials have looked at how highways, ports and waterways can be used to offset any damage caused, while also talking to top officials in the shipping, freight and logistics industries.
President Biden was personally briefed on the matter Tuesday morning, after he called the carriers and unions on Monday to press them to accept a deal, a White House official said. Senior officials at the White House are now leading daily meetings with the Agriculture Department, Transportation Department, Energy Department and other top agencies about how to mitigate the impact. Biden aides in particular are working to ensure hazardous materials carried by rail are safely transported without hurting workers. The White House is also studying potential authorities to mitigate any damage but has made no announcement. The White House’s planning was described by multiple people with knowledge of the matter who spoke on the condition of anonymity to describe internal planning.
At issue is a contract agreement between railway carriers and two unions, which represent 57,000 conductors and engineers over attendance policies. A federally mandated “cooling-off” period ends Friday, which opens the possibility of a strike, if employees refuse to go to work, or a lockout, if the carriers refuse to let workers do their jobs.
Some freight carriers have begun limiting services, suspending hazardous material shipments and parking trains in what appears to be preparations for a lockout. Amtrak, which carries passengers on freight lines, canceled some long-distance routes Monday.
Biden appointed an emergency board in July to mediate the dispute, following two years of negotiations between six of the largest freight carriers and 12 unions that represent railroad workers. Nine unions have reached tentative agreements with the carriers based on the board’s recommendations, leaving the two largest unions without a deal in place. A smaller union, the Brotherhood of Railroad Signalmen, struck down a tentative deal with the carriers on Monday night and have returned to the bargaining table.
Contract negotiations on Zoom between the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen, the SMART Transportation Division and the rail carriers carried late into the day on Monday, without the parties reaching a deal, labor officials from both unions said.
The most important issues holding up an agreement are some of the largest carriers’ points-based attendance policies that penalize workers, up to termination, for going to routine doctor’s visits or attending family emergencies. Conductors and engineers say they do not receive a single sick day, paid or unpaid.
The National Carriers’ Conference Committee, which represents the railroads in negotiations, has denied that workers do not receive sick time, and it has said that its ability to determine attendance policies is necessary to ensure enough train operators are available to work amid labor shortages.
“You may have heard from labor that they get no sick days or paid time off. This is false,” said Jessica Kahanek, a spokesperson for Association of American Railroads, noting that some workers supplemental sick leave benefit, and can take time off for any reason, as long as they maintain a reasonable level of overall availability under carrier attendance policies.
While the unions said they have watered down some of their proposals, abandoning requests for paid sick days, they remain steadfast that members should be allowed to attend routine medical appointments without jeopardizing their employment. They said they are willing to accept a contract that addresses these concerns and are ready to strike if the carriers do not budge on it. As of Tuesday morning, the carriers had not made any counterproposals to this offer, the two unions said.
Two of the largest rail carriers that mainly operate in the western United States — BNSF and Union Pacific — are the companies with the points-based attendance policies. More than 700 BNSF employees have quit since it rolled out a points-based policy in February. Workers can be terminated if they run out of points, even in the case of a family emergency. Missing work on certain high impact days, or planning ahead for a single doctor’s visit, can result in workers losing half or more of their allotted points.
“They have refused to accept our proposals,” said Dennis Pierce, president of the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen, one of the two unions in negotiations. “The average American would not know that we get fired for going to the doctor. This one thing has our members most enraged. We have guys who were punished for taking time off for a heart attack and covid. It’s inhumane.”
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The Hills 12:30 Report Dropping Gas Prices Drowned Out By Continued Inflation
The Hill’s 12:30 Report — Dropping Gas Prices Drowned Out By Continued Inflation https://digitalarizonanews.com/the-hills-1230-report-dropping-gas-prices-drowned-out-by-continued-inflation/
To view past editions of The Hill’s 12:30 Report, click here: https://bit.ly/30ARS1U
To receive The Hill’s 12:30 Report in your inbox, please sign up here: https://bit.ly/3qmIoS9
– A midday take on what’s happening in politics and how to have a sense of humor about it.*
*Ha. Haha. Hahah. Sniff. Haha. Sniff. Ha–breaks down crying hysterically.
NEWS THIS MORNING
The good news: Gas prices are down.
The bad news: Food prices are still rising.:
Despite gasoline prices dropping significantly, consumer prices rose 0.1 percent in August after remaining steady in July.
What economists had predicted would happen: Economists thought there would be a 0.1 percent *decline* in inflation last month due to the dropping gas prices.
What this increase means for the economy: “While the annual inflation rate still fell to 8.3 percent in August from 8.5 percent in July, sharp increases in prices for food and household staples will likely be a cause of concern for the Federal Reserve and other policymakers.”
Price increases by category, via The Hill’s Sylvan Lane
‘GET READY FOR A FOOD FIGHT: HIGH GROCERY COSTS ARE HERE TO STAY’:
Via Politico’s Garrett Downs, “As inflationary pressure retreats in some areas, grocery bills have remained high. Republicans have seized on the opportunity, but culinary messaging is awash with pitfalls.” The full read
THE QUESTION WE ALL HAVE — ‘HOW IS THE ECONOMY DOING?’:
The New York Times’s Ben Casselman and Lauren Leatherby give some helpful context as to where the U.S. economy stands.
It’s Tuesday! We have nine days until the official start to fall, so enjoy these last few days of summer! I’m Cate Martel with a quick recap of the morning and what’s coming up. Did someone forward this newsletter to you? Sign up here.
In Mar-a-Lago
I’ll have one slice of cake. And I’ll eat another slice, please.:
“Former President Trump’s legal team is trying to have it both ways — insinuating he declassified the documents stored at his Florida home without directly claiming he did so.”
What Trump’s lawyers are saying: They are saying Trump had the power to declassify documents without explicitly saying that Trump did so.
Some experts say that’s actually worse — here’s why: “Sitting presidents have broad power to declassify documents, but doing so sets off a chain of events, including notification of the many intelligence agencies that produce and manage that information. [Asha Rangappa, a lecturer at Yale University and a former FBI special agent] said a failure to alert the intelligence community shows Trump wanted the information he took to still have value — something that would be lost in the declassification process.”
Why did Trump want to keep roughly 300 classified docs?: It’s unclear. “In court filings, the Department of Justice (DOJ) has noted that Trump’s legal team has never offered an explanation for why he retained the records beyond arguing that he has a right to do so under executive privilege.”
What this could mean legally, via The Hill’s Rebecca Beitsch
THE DOJ LIKES ONE OF TRUMP’S PICKS TO REVIEW THE DOCS:
“The Department of Justice (DOJ) on Monday said in a court filing it would support one of the special master nominees put forward by former President Trump’s legal team to review documents seized during an FBI search of Mar-a-Lago.” Details
In Congress
Interesting read — lawmakers are *loving* remote work:
The Daily Beast’s Sam Brodey reports that “since January, 370 members of Congress, roughly 83 percent of the chamber, have cast a remote vote. Combined, those members have voted remotely 23,154 times—greatly surpassing the 17,263 remote votes that were cast in 2021.”
And taking that one step further: “A sizable minority of the House has voted remotely on a regular basis. Seventy-seven lawmakers—overwhelmingly Democrats—have voted remotely on 100 or more of the year’s 420 recorded roll call votes. That means roughly one in every six lawmakers has not been present in the U.S. Capitol for at least 25 percent of the roll call votes taken in the House this year.”
More from Brodey’s review of the numbers
‘DEMOCRATS WONDER IF THEY’RE MISSING HARRY REID IN NEVADA’:
Via The Hill’s Alexander Bolton
In Ukraine
Ukraine has had quite the week:
“The Ukrainian military last week began a counteroffensive that quickly reclaimed territory and pushed Russian troops back to the northeastern border of the country in some places.”
This is bad news for Russian President Vladimir Putin: “For Russia and Putin, it could force some very tough decisions on conscription and the future of a war that Moscow still insists is merely a special military operation.”
Keep in mind: “The lightning advance forced thousands of Kremlin troops to make a quick retreat, leaving behind ammunition stockpiles and equipment.”
Stepping back — why this development is huge: “The Ukrainians’ performance has amplified dissent in Russia, has strengthened President Biden’s hand in rallying support for the country, has opened up new opportunities for Kyiv and is expected to make it harder for Russia to find support from its allies.”
Where the Russian invasion on Ukraine stands, via The Hill’s Alex Gangitano and Ellen Mitchell
‘THE STRATEGY BEHIND UKRAINE’S RAPID COUNTEROFFENSIVE WAS DEVISED BY U.S., UKRAINIAN AND BRITISH OFFICIALS.’:
Via The New York Times’s by Julian E. Barnes, Eric Schmitt and Helene Cooper
‘PUTIN FACES RARE CRITICISM AT HOME AS UKRAINE’S TROOPS RECLAIM GROUND’:
From CBS News
Spotted in Virginia
*Whisper whisper* *Murmur murmur murmur*:
Former President Trump was spotted by YouTuber Andrew Leyden landing at Dulles airport on Sunday.
Which triggered swarms of media speculation over why he came unannounced: Some of the speculation, via Mediaite’s Colby Hall
Watch the video: Trump deplanes around the 3-minute, 44-second mark. He appears to be wearing golf shoes.
^ Ah ha!:
AP/Alex Brandon
Business Insider’s Rebecca Cohen reports that former President Trump was seen playing golf at his Virginia course on Monday.
VIDEO OF TRUMP ON THE GOLF COURSE:
NBC News’s Kelly O’Donnell tweeted, “Former Pres. Trump at his Virginia golf property today but not appearing to play as he moved about with a large group. This video was shot at considerable distance.”Watch
In other news
Tidbit from Pence — he was angry, not scared, on Jan. 6:
Former Vice President Mike Pence is publishing a memoir in which he reveals how he was feeling as rioters on Jan. 6, 2021, chanted for him to be hanged.
Excerpt from Axios’s Mike Allen: “I was angry at what I saw, how it desecrated the seat of our democracy and dishonored the patriotism of millions of our supporters, who would never do such a thing here or anywhere else … I was not afraid, but I was angry.”
When will Pence’s book be published?: On Nov. 15
Latest with COVID
➤ THE COVID-19 NUMBERS
Cases to date: 95 million
Death toll: 1,045,253
Current hospitalizations: 15,457
Shots administered: 610 million
Fully vaccinated: 67.6 percent of Americans
CDC data here.
Notable tweets
On tap
The House and Senate are in. President Biden and Vice President Harris are in Washington, D.C.
9 a.m.: Biden received his daily briefing.
6:30 p.m.: First and last votes in the House. Today’s House agenda
All times Eastern.
What to watch
1:35 p.m.: White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre holds a press briefing. Livestream
3 p.m.: Biden hosts an event on the Inflation Reduction Act. First lady Jill Biden, Vice President Harris and second gentleman Doug Emhoff attend. Livestream
In lighter news
Today is National Peanut Day.
Here’s your official list of TV shows to watch if you haven’t already:
Emmy Awards were announced last night for the past year’s best television shows.
Vanity Fair compiled a full list of Emmy winners.
And now, I’ll leave you with a totally innocent dog. Nothing to see here.
Read More Here
Fired Trump-Era Prosecutor Welcomes Senate Investigation Into Allegations
Fired Trump-Era Prosecutor Welcomes Senate Investigation Into Allegations https://digitalarizonanews.com/fired-trump-era-prosecutor-welcomes-senate-investigation-into-allegations/
FILE – Geoffrey S. Berman, U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York, speaks during a news conference April 23, 2019, in New York. In a new book entitled “Holding the Line,” Berman said he was repeatedly pressured by Justice Department officials to use his office to aid them politically, including by investigating former Secretary of State John Kerry. Berman wrote in his upcoming book, due to be published Tuesday, Sept. 13, 2022, that he mostly resisted the pressure from Washington, according to the The New York Times. (AP Photo/Mary Altaffer, File)
Ex-U.S. attorney Geoffrey Berman said on Tuesday that he welcomes the Senate Judiciary Committee’s investigation into his recent claims that former President Trump’s Justice Department pressured his office to prosecute Trump’s critics and protect his allies.
The recent allegations stem from Berman’s new book, “Holding the Line,” published Tuesday.
“I welcome the investigation,” Berman told MSNBC. “The conduct that occurred was so outrageous and unprecedented. A light needs to be shined on it.”
Berman, who served as U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York, alleged in a new book that the Justice Department pushed his office to take action against Trump critics, such as former Secretary of State John Kerry and former White House counsel Greg Craig, while seeking to block cases against the former president’s allies, like his personal lawyer Michael Cohen.
The former U.S. attorney said he resisted the Justice Department’s demands, and Trump eventually fired him in 2020.
Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), who serves as the chairman of the Judiciary Committee, said in a letter to Attorney General Merrick Garland on Tuesday that the committee plans to investigate the allegations and requested documents and communications between the Justice Department and Berman’s former office.
“If accurate, Mr. Berman’s claims indicate multiple instances of political interference in the Department’s investigative and prosecutorial decisions,” Durbin said.
Tags Dick Durbin Dick Durbin Donald Trump Geoffrey Berman Geoffrey Berman John Kerry John Kerry Justice Department Michael Cohen Michael Cohen MSNBC Senate Judiciary Committee
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Things To Do In Phoenix AZ – The Arizona Republic https://digitalarizonanews.com/things-to-do-in-phoenix-az-the-arizona-republic/
Local events and things to do in Phoenix, AZ. Find sporting events, conferences, attractions and more, or promote your own event.
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KAREN DAWN FARRINGTON https://digitalarizonanews.com/karen-dawn-farrington/
Karen Dawn Farrington, 76, of Saline County, MO, died Friday, September 9, 2022, at Medical Lodge of Butler in Butler, MO.
A Celebration of Life Service will be held at 2:30 p.m. Friday, September 16, 2022, at Campbell-Lewis Chapel in Marshall. Memorial visitation will be from 6:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Thursday at the funeral home. Memorials are suggested to Marshall First United Methodist Church (for Celebrate Recovery) and an online guestbook is available at www.campbell-lewis.com.
Born December 29, 1945, in Kansas City, MO, she was the daughter of the late James LaRoy “Bob” Grandestaff and Myrtle Estelle “E” Stillwell Grandestaff. Karen attended Marshall High School and then earned her GED and her Certified Medical Technician certification. On August 10, 1962, she married Jack L. Ussery, and they were the parents of two children, Tammy and Jackie. She and Jack later divorced. On June 4, 1990, she married Ron Farrington who preceded her in death on January 5, 2009. Karen lived in Saline County most of her life and worked at International Shoe Factory for 15 years, Marshall Habilitation Center for 9 years, and then at Georgia Brown Blosser Home for Women. Karen was active in church ministry for over 30 years and ministered in the Missouri Department of Corrections Prison Ministry, Saline and Jackson Counties Jail Ministry, as well as being very active in the Celebrate Recovery ministry in Marshall. She touched the lives of many and brought them to Jesus through these ministries and her willingness to serve God.
Survivors include two children, Tammy Wilson (Alan) of Miami, MO and Jackie Ussery (Adrienne) of Butler; eight grandchildren: Christopher Hedrick (Kathryn), Caleb Hedrick (Katie), Kali Mabrey (Cory), Kelsey Hopkins, Hunter Trick, Alyssa Johnson, Gunner Adcock-Ussery, and Boey Ussery; nine great-grandchildren: Collin, Kamryn, Georgie, Brandon, Tyler, Kennedy, Uriah, Zander, Rayna; one brother, Robert Grandestaff (Carolina) of Scottsdale, AZ; two nieces and a nephew, Regina Sharp, Elisa Hansen and Robert Grandestaff Jr., all of Arizona; as well as other extended family.
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World Heading Into uncharted Territory Of Destruction Says Climate Report
World Heading Into ‘uncharted Territory Of Destruction’, Says Climate Report https://digitalarizonanews.com/world-heading-into-uncharted-territory-of-destruction-says-climate-report/
The world’s chances of avoiding the worst ravages of climate breakdown are diminishing rapidly, as we enter “uncharted territory of destruction” through our failure to cut greenhouse gas emissions and take the actions needed to stave off catastrophe, leading scientists have said.
Despite intensifying warnings in recent years, governments and businesses have not been changing fast enough, according to the United in Science report published on Tuesday. The consequences are already being seen in increasingly extreme weather around the world, and we are in danger of provoking “tipping points” in the climate system that will mean more rapid and in some cases irreversible shifts.
Recent flooding in Pakistan, which the country’s climate minister claimed had covered a third of the country in water, is the latest example of extreme weather that is devastating swathes of the globe. The heatwave across Europe including the UK this summer, prolonged drought in China, a megadrought in the US and near-famine conditions in parts of Africa also reflect increasingly prevalent extremes of weather.
The secretary general of the United Nations, António Guterres, said: “There is nothing natural about the new scale of these disasters. They are the price of humanity’s fossil fuel addiction. This year’s United in Science report shows climate impacts heading into uncharted territory of destruction.”
The world is as likely as not to see temperatures more than 1.5C above pre-industrial levels, within the next five years, the report found. Governments agreed to focus on holding temperatures within the 1.5C limit at the landmark UN Cop26 climate summit in Glasgow last November, but their pledges and actions to cut emissions fell short of what was needed, the report found.
Since Cop26, the invasion of Ukraine and soaring gas prices have prompted some governments to return to fossil fuels, including coal. Guterres warned of the danger: “Each year we double down on this fossil fuel addiction, even as the symptoms get rapidly worse.”
The world was also failing to adapt to the consequences of the climate crisis, the report found. Guterres condemned rich countries that had promised the developing world assistance but failed to deliver. “It is a scandal that developed countries have failed to take adaptation seriously, and shrugged off their commitments to help the developing world,” he said.
Rich countries should provide $40bn (£34.5bn) a year at once to help countries adapt, he said, and increase that to $300bn a year by 2030.
The question of adaptation to the impacts of extreme weather, and the “loss and damage” that vulnerable countries are experiencing, is likely to be one of the key issues at the forthcoming Cop27 UN climate talks in Egypt in November. Leading figures are concerned about the prospects for that conference, as geopolitical upheavals have imperilled the fragile consensus reached at Glasgow.
Tasneem Essop, the executive director of the Climate Action Network, said governments must prepare for Cop27 with action plans that reflected the urgency of the crisis. “The terrifying picture painted by the United in Science report is already a lived reality for millions of people facing recurring climate disasters. The science is clear, yet the addiction to fossil fuels by greedy corporations and rich countries is resulting in losses and damages for communities who have done the least to cause the current climate crisis.”
She added: “For those already experiencing the climate emergency, particularly in the global south, the Cop27 conference in Egypt must agree to new funding to help them rebuild their lives.”
The United in Science report was coordinated by the World Meteorological Organization, and involves the UN Environment Programme, the UN Office for Disaster Risk Reduction, the World Climate Research Programme, the Global Carbon Project, the UK’s Met Office and the Urban Climate Change Research Network.
Separately, researchers from Oxford University said shifting the global economy to a low-carbon footing would save the world at least $12tn (£10.4bn) by 2050, compared with current levels of fossil fuel use. Rising prices for gas have shown the vulnerability of economies dependent on fossil fuels.
The study, published in the journal Joule on Tuesday, found that moving rapidly to renewable power and other forms of clean energy would benefit the economy, as the costs of green technology have plummeted.
Rupert Way, a postdoctoral researcher at Oxford’s Smith School of Enterprise and the Environment, a co-author of the paper, said: “Past models predicting high costs for transitioning to zero-carbon energy have deterred companies from investing and made governments nervous about setting policies that will accelerate the energy transition and cut reliance on fossil fuels. But clean energy costs have fallen sharply over the last decade, much faster than those models expected.”
The United in Science report found:
The past seven years were the hottest on record and there is a 48% chance during at least one year in the next five that the annual mean temperature will temporarily be 1.5C higher than the 1850-1900 average.
Global mean temperatures are forecast to be between 1.1C and 1.7C higher than pre-industrial levels from 2022-2026, and there is a 93% probability that at least one year in the next five will be warmer than the hottest year on record, 2016.
Dips in carbon dioxide emissions during the lockdowns associated with the Covid-19 pandemic were temporary, and carbon dioxide emissions from fossil fuels returned to pre-pandemic levels last year.
National pledges on greenhouse gas emissions are insufficient to hold global heating to 1.5C above pre-industrial levels.
Climate-related disasters are causing $200m in economic losses a day.
Nearly half the planet – 3.3 to 3.6 billion people – are living in areas highly vulnerable to the impacts of the climate crisis, but fewer than half of countries have early warning systems for extreme weather.
As global heating increases, “tipping points” in the climate system cannot be ruled out. These include the drying out of the Amazon rainforest, the melting of the ice caps and the weakening of the Atlantic meridional overturning circulation, known as the Gulf stream.
By the 2050s, more than 1.6 billion people living in 97 cities will be regularly exposed to three-month average temperatures reaching at least 35C.
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DOJ's Two Trump Probes Take Major Steps Forward https://digitalarizonanews.com/dojs-two-trump-probes-take-major-steps-forward/
The DOJ/Trump agreed on a special master for its documents probe last night amid news it’s subpoenaing 30+ people for its Jan. 6 Trump
investigation.
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Blackhawk Floors Uses VOC-Free Adhesives https://digitalarizonanews.com/blackhawk-floors-uses-voc-free-adhesives/
One of the Arizona’s best in hardwood flooring companies has gone green.
SCOTTSDALE, ARIZONA, UNITED STATES, September 13, 2022 /EINPresswire.com/ — Representatives with Blackhawk Floors, Inc. announced today that it has gone green and now uses VOC-free adhesives.
“This means that it’s non-toxic to you and your family and empowers you with the safest option available,” Jason Elquest, owner and spokesperson for Blackhawk Floors.
As it relates to VOC-free adhesives in the flooring, Elquest explained VOCs describe floor coverings, underlayments, and adhesives which release minimal emissions and are safer for those who consistently come into contact with them. Volatile Organic Compounds are carbon-based and vaporize under high pressure, in high amounts, these can be harmful for homeowners and their families.
A few of the company’s available products include: Solid Hardwood Floors; Engineered Hardwood Floors; Reclaimed Wood; Wood Walls; Luxury Vinyl Wood Flooring; Prime Waterproof Flooring, and more.
In addition to using VOC-free adhesives, Blackhawk Floors has over 800 samples on display in its wood flooring showroom.
“We invite everyone to visit our beautiful wood flooring showroom,” Elquest said. “We are located in the Zocallo Plaza in North Scottsdale.”
Elquest said patrons will be delighted to find a wide selection of wood flooring ideas, including solid, engineered, and reclaimed hardwood floors.
“Blackhawk Floors, Inc. has been installing quality hardwood floors in the Phoenix Metro area since 2002,” Elquest noted, before adding, “Put yourself one step closer to the wood flooring options you’ve always wanted and call us today for your free estimate, 480-595-9554. We look forward to working with you.”
In addition to its samples on display, Blackhawk Floors is offering free estimates.
“We offer free estimates year-round,” Elquest revealed. “Our team wears masks and maintains social distancing.”
Blackhawk Floors prides itself on its commitment to providing superior workmanship at competitive prices. From custom wood flooring installation and finishing of solid floors to pre-finished wood floors, Blackhawk Floors has always been the leader.
The company is recognized as a National Wood Flooring Association Certified Installer, National Wood Flooring Association Certified Sand & Finisher, and the National Wood Flooring Association Certified Wood Flooring Inspector.
Blackhawk Floors’ in-house wood mill shop allows it to create custom moldings, transitions, treads, risers, curves, borders, designs, and more. In addition, Blackhawk Floors provides all clients with highly trained in-house personnel, which has served customers for the past 18 years.
For more information, please https://blackhawkfloors.com/about-us/ and https://blackhawkfloors.com/blog/.
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About Blackhawk Floors
Blackhawk Floors is a full-service hardwood flooring company that has provided high-quality wood flooring installations and service in the Phoenix area since 2002.
Contact Details:
15507 N Scottsdale Rd
Suite 150
Scottsdale, AZ 85254
United States
Jason Elquest
Blackhawk Floors, Inc.
+1 480-595-9554
email us here
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