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Vance, Ryan Spar In Second – And Final – Fiery Debate In Ohio Senate Race https://digitalarizonanews.com/vance-ryan-spar-in-second-and-final-fiery-debate-in-ohio-senate-race/ Youngstown, Ohio  – Senate candidates Democrat Rep. Tim Ryan and Republican JD Vance faced off Monday night in their second fiery debate, clashing over the blockbuster issues of this election –  the economy, abortion, the border and the attack on the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6 – as well as who would best serve the state. Former President Donald Trump won Ohio by eight points in 2020 but the race to fill the seat being vacated by retiring moderate Republican Sen. Rob Portman this year has proven to be competitive with just over three weeks to go before Election Day.  At the debate hosted by WFJM in Youngstown, the candidates spoke over each other and accused one another of putting their party first. It comes exactly one week after the candidates appeared alongside each other for their testy first debate, where they clashed over the economy, abortion rights and extremism.  Ryan, who is currently serving his tenth term in the House representing Ohio’s 13th Congressional District, which includes Youngstown, has focused his campaign on the economy and manufacturing – while also taking aim at China. He has attempted to distance himself from Democrats in control in Washington as they face headwinds heading into the midterms amid soaring inflation and with President Joe’s Biden’s approval rating being underwater in the state. He instead has painted his Republican opponent as an extremist who left Ohio for California and is only in the race for himself.  Vance, a venture capitalist and author of the memoir “Hillbilly Elegy,” grew up in Middletown, Ohio. He soared to victory in the May primary after being backed by Trump and billionaire Peter Thiel. On the campaign trail, Vance links Ryan to Mr. Biden, and has questioned what Ryan has to show for his 20 years in Congress.  This combination of photos shows Ohio Democratic Senate candidate Rep. Tim Ryan, D-Ohio, on March 28, 2022, in Wilberforce, Ohio, left, and Republican candidate JD Vance on Aug. 5, 2022, in Dallas.  AP Photo “If you want to run against Nancy Pelosi, move back to San Francisco and run against Nancy Pelosi. You’re running against me,” Ryan shot back in response to Vance tying him to House Democratic party leadership. Ryan pointed out that he challenged Pelosi’s leadership in 2016. The pair also clashed on abortion rights. In the previous debate, Vance said the 10-year-old Ohio girl who had to go to another state to get an abortion – a story that made national headlines – should have been able to get an abortion. On Monday, he was asked what other exceptions he would support, having previously rejected exceptions for rape and incest.  “My basic view is we need to protect life in this country,” Vance said, and he noted that it would likely be dangerous for a 10-year-old to carry a pregnancy to term. He also reiterated his that an undocumented immigrant was arrested for raping the 10-year-old girl, accusing Ryan and Democrats of not acting on border security.   When asked about Sen. Lindsey Graham’s 15-week federal abortion ban, Vance responded “if you can’t support legislation like that, you are making the United States the most barbaric pro-aboriton regime anywhere in the entire world.” Last week, the House Jan. 6 committee voted to subpoena Trump.  Ryan said Trump should respond to the subpoena. Vance said he would not pretend to give the former president legal advice. “The Jan. 6 committee has shown from the very beginning that it’s not interested in the truth, that it’s interested in a political hit job that goes back to four years ago,” Vance said. He went on to accuse Democrats of being obsessed with  the idea that Trump somehow had the election stolen by the Russians. “There’s been a nonstop political effort to not honor the election of 2016 but I think that’s just as much of a threat to democracy as the violence on Jan. 6 January 6th,” Vance said. The candidates also clashed over immigration. Vance accused Democratic leadership of wanting more immigrants, claiming it would mean Republicans are never able to win another election. Ryan responded accusing Vance of running around with those talking about replacement theory.  “You can believe in a border without being a racist, you can believe in the country without being a racist and this just shows how desperate this guy is for political power,” Vance responded – invoking his three biracial children.  “I think I struck a nerve with this guy,” Ryan countered. With the economy being the most pressing issue for voters across the country, the debate began with a question about inflation. Ryan defended voting for the Inflation Reduction Act – pointing to investments coming back to Ohio, and he said he also advocated for tax cuts for working people. Vance argued the U.S. needed to stop spending money and for the U.S. to “really open up America’s energy sector.” Ohio is often considered a battleground state, with  former President Obama having won it twice and Democratic Sen. Sherrod Brown was reelected in 2018. But Ohio has been trending more red in recent years, and Trump won it by eight points in both 2016 and 2020. Despite the political climate, the Senate race has proven to be competitive according to the latest polls. The Real Clear Politics average has Vance up by just two percentage points. While Republicans are still positioned to retake the majority in the House in November according to the latest CBS News Battleground Tracker, the Senate remains a toss up. Several other Senate races are often considered more competitive by strategists as Democrats look to expand their majority in the 50-50 split Senate, but tens of millions are being spent in the Ohio Senate race in the final stretch of the election season. And as candidates make their final pitches to voters, early voting is already underway in Ohio both by mail and in-person. At least 812,000 Ohioans requested absentee ballots. Those ballots started going out Sept. 23.  Read More Here

House Panel: Trump https://digitalarizonanews.com/house-panel-trump/ NEW YORK — Donald Trump’s private company arranged for the Secret Service to pay for rooms at his properties in excess of government-approved rates at least 40 times during his presidency, including two charges for more than $1,100 per night, according to documents released Monday by a congressional committee. The Secret Service was charged room rates of more than $800 per night at least 11 times when agents stayed at Mar-a-Lago in Florida, the Trump hotel in Washington, D.C., and other properties, the Democratic-led House Oversight Committee said. It noted that Trump made over 500 trips to his properties while president. The “exorbitant” rates point to a possible “taxpayer-funded windfall for former President Trump’s struggling businesses,” Committee Chair Carolyn Maloney of New York wrote in a letter Monday to the Secret Service requesting more information. The Secret Service said it had received the letter and was reviewing it. The Trump Organization denied that the Secret Service charges were a problem and said it provided rooms and other services at cost, at big discounts or for free. “The Trump Family is likely the first family in American history to have not profited off of the United States government,” said Eric Trump in a statement. He added, “President Trump funded the vast majority of his campaign with hundreds of millions of dollars of his own money and turned away billions of dollars in real estate deals worldwide.” In total, the Trump Organization charged the agency responsible for protecting the president and his family at least $1.4 million, according to Secret Service records released by the committee. The committee said the total bill was likely higher because the panel only got records through September 2021 and payments for trips abroad were not included. The former president has been repeatedly criticized by Democrats and government watchdogs for what they say were brazen attempts make money from taxpayer funds during his presidency. In addition to money from the Secret Service when he and his family visited his clubs and hotels, Trump played host to foreign officials at his properties, also requiring lodging for accompanying agents. The president tried to arrange for his Trump National Doral Golf Club in Florida to be chosen as the venue for a Group of Seven meeting of global leaders, only to pull back after an outcry of about self dealing. Among the documents released Monday was a bill tied to 2017 trip by Trump’s oldest son, Don Jr., to the Trump International Hotel down the street from the White House. That resulted in a Secret Service room charge of $1,185 per night, more than five times the government-approved per diem rate, the committee said, though the agency is allowed to make exceptions. Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. Read More Here

GoLocalProv | Politics | Control Of The US Senate Still Up For Grabs – Rob Horowitz https://digitalarizonanews.com/golocalprov-politics-control-of-the-us-senate-still-up-for-grabs-rob-horowitz/ Tuesday, October 18, 2022 Rob Horowitz, MINDSETTER View Larger + Dr. Oz PHOTO: Campaign With the mid-term elections now only three weeks away, the contest for control of the US Senate remains very much undetermined. It is certainly the case that the fundamentals that usually drive mid-term election outcomes continue to favor the Republicans.  While President Biden’s job approval has improved somewhat, at 42.9 % in FiveThirtyEight’s weighted average of recent polls, it remains low. In fact, it’s at a level that tends to produce significant gains for the opposition party.  Similarly, only about 3-in-10 Americans think our nation is “headed in the right direction,” as compared to about 7-in-10 who think we are “pretty seriously off on the wrong track,” according to the Real Clear Politics (RCP) average of recent polls.  GET THE LATEST BREAKING NEWS HERE — SIGN UP FOR GOLOCAL FREE DAILY EBLAST In short, if these are typical mid-term elections–which history tells us are usually referendums on perceptions of the performance of the incumbent president and the related question of how people feel things are going in the national generally–one would expect Republicans to easily regain control of the House of Representatives and to win the Senate back as well.  This is especially the case when one party controls not only the presidency, but both houses of Congress, so there is no place to deflect blame. There are a number of signs, however, that this may not end up being a typical mid-term. First, the US Supreme Court’s overturning of Roe v. Wade is providing a political boost to Democratic candidates.  Taken together, the decision’s motivation of more Democrats to vote and its impact in persuading a slice of independent and Republican women who otherwise could have been counted on to vote Republican to cast their ballot for a Democratic candidate is the potential winning difference in some close races. By nearly 2 to 1(63% to 34%), Americans oppose the overturning of Roe v. Wade and a similar percentage say abortion should be legal in all or most cases, according to a Public Religion Research Institute (PRRI) survey.   Since the Dobbs decision, the percentage of Americans who believe abortion should be legal in all or most cases who say they will only vote for a candidate who shares their views on abortion has more than doubled. Additionally, former President Donald Trump, who remains unpopular, has stayed front and center in our politics., This has enabled the Democrats to turn this election into a bit less of a pure referendum. In at least some voters’ minds, the election has become more of a choice with some voters likely to vote Democratic as the lesser of two perceived evils.  The combination of the former president continues to insist in the face of all evidence to the contrary that he won the 2020 election, his well-publicized mounting legal difficulties, the work of the January 6 select committee, his successful backing of extreme, election-denying candidates in Republican primaries around the nation and his fierce desire to stay in the news all contribute to a feeling among a key sub-set of swing voters that Trump is in some sense still on the ballot.  This redounds heavily to the Democrats’ advantage, creating a somewhat less daunting political environment upon which to fight out individual House and Senate races. These countervailing factors are unlikely to prevent Republicans from taking control of the House.  This requires the GOP to only pick up 6 seats.   When likely voters are asked the generic ballot question in polls—do they plan to vote for a Democrat or Republican for US House of Representatives—it is roughly even, according to an average of recent polls. Given that Democrats are disproportionately concentrated in cities and inner-ring suburbs, they would need to be at least several points ahead in the generic ballot on election day to hold the House.  The indications, however, are that they are losing a bit of ground in this measure as inflation picks up even more salience with the electorate and if present trends continue, the Republicans could be ahead by a few percentage points by election day.  On the other hand, there is still a better than even money chance that the outcome in the US Senate will be different.  This is in part because the states where the battleground races are being held are relatively friendly territory for Democrats.  But the most important factor is that in Senate races, where voters learn a lot more about individual candidates than in House races, the quality of the candidate, as Senator Minority Leader Mitch McConnell noted over the summer, is a larger component of a voter’s decision.   Simply put, Mr. Trump’s success in putting a number of his endorsed candidates over the top in Senate primaries has given the Democratic party a lifeline. In nearly every case, these Trump-backed candidates who were selected primarily because they were willing to embrace his false claim that the 2020 election was stolen are far weaker general election candidates than their primary opponents would have been:  Trump’s actions saddled the GOP with problematic candidates in nearly all the key states that will determine control of the US Senate:  Dr Oz in Pennsylvania, Blake Masters in Arizona, Don Bolduc in New Hampshire, Herschel Walker in Georgia and JD Vance in Ohio(even if Vance wins, his weakness has forced the Republicans to spend millions of dollars that could have gone elsewhere). While control of the US Senate is still in the balance, my bet is that the political winds at the Republicans’ backs has been sufficiently tempered by countervailing factors and as a result are not strong enough to overcome the weakness of too many of their key Senate candidates. The bottom line is the Democrats are positioned to narrowly hold their Senate majority. If this turns out to be the case, they should send a thank you note to Donald Trump—the gift that keeps giving to the Democratic Party. Rob Horowitz is a strategic and communications consultant who provides general consulting, public relations, direct mail services and polling for national and state issue organizations, various non-profits, businesses, and elected officials and candidates. He is an Adjunct Professor of Political Science at the University of Rhode Island. Related Articles A College Education Continues to Pay Major Dividends – Horowitz Looming Roe v. Wade Overturn Shakes Up Our Politics – Horowitz Buffalo and the Mainstreaming of Replacement Theory – Horowitz Will 19 Dead 4th Graders Finally Break the Logjam on Gun Safety? – Horowitz January 6 Committee Takes Sledgehammer to the “Big Lie” – Horowitz DeSantis Punishes the Magic Kingdom – Horowitz The High Price of Resistance to COVID-19 Vaccinations – Horowitz American Public Rallies Behind Ukraine – Horowitz The Cheers Effect:  The Importance of Neighborhood Gathering Places – Horowitz CPAC’s Growing Autocrat Problem – Rob Horowitz We Are Divided: On That At Least We Agree – Horowitz Musk Has Potential to Expand Republican Twitter Use – Horowitz Supreme Court Decisions Upend Our Politics – Horowitz On Primary Day, The Field Generals Take Center Stage – Horowitz Trump is No Victim – Horowitz The American Public’s Support for Ukraine Is Not Wavering – Horowitz Growth of Social Media as a News Source Stalls – Rob Horowitz California and New York Turbocharge Transition to Electric Cars – Rob Horowitz Biden’s Legislative Accomplishments Mount – Horowitz Alex Jones’ Legal Spanking is a Boost for the Truth – Horowitz Cassidy Hutchinson: A Courageous American Patriot – Rob Horowitz The Abortion Issue Packs a Potent Political Punch – Rob Horowitz State and Local Action Now Become More Central to the Climate Fight – Horowitz January 6 Committee Loosening Trump’s Grip on Republican Party – Horowitz Americans Know We Face a Mental Health Crisis – Rob Horowitz Enjoy this post? 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Jury Begins Deliberations In Case Against ‘Steele Dossier’ ‘collector’ – Deltaplex News https://digitalarizonanews.com/jury-begins-deliberations-in-case-against-steele-dossier-collector-deltaplex-news/ (ALEXANDRIA, Va.) — A federal jury in Alexandria, Virginia, is deliberating the fate of Igor Danchenko, the Russian national accused of lying to federal investigators about information he collected in 2016 for former British intelligence officer Christopher Steele that was compiled in Steele’s now-infamous “dossier” detailing Donald Trump’s alleged ties to Russia. A Washington-based think tank analyst, Danchenko was hired by Steele to contribute intelligence information to Steele’s research. He became a primary source to what came to be known as the “Steele dossier,” which included explosive and unproven claims about Trump. In a November 2021 indictment, prosecutors accused Danchenko of misleading FBI agents about his sources of information. Danchenko has pleaded not guilty. Danchenko’s trial is the final case of three prosecutions secured by special counsel John Durham in his years-long probe into alleged misconduct by the FBI and intelligence community in their investigation of Trump’s ties to Russia. On Monday, Durham himself questioned prosecution witnesses and delivered the prosecution’s rebuttal at the end of closing arguments. Danchenko served as a paid FBI informant from 2017 to 2020, when the bureau was pushed to sever its relationship with him after the Justice Department named him as a source for the Steele dossier. Federal prosecutors have argued during the trail that Danchenko misled the FBI during three days of voluntary interviews in January 2017 about where the dossier’s information came from and about his contact with other individuals. They said Danchenko told a “shifting story” to the agents who were trying to trace the source of the information. The government alleges that false information provided to the FBI by Danchenko was used to renew the bureau’s application to continue its secret surveillance of former Trump campaign adviser Carter Page after Page’s visits to Moscow. After the prosecution rested its case Friday, the defense asked U.S. Judge Anthony Trenga to dismiss all five counts in the indictment against Danchenko, saying that Durham did not prove Danchenko lied to the FBI and obstructed its investigation into Trump’s alleged Russian ties. Trenga dismissed one count: the prosecutions’ accusation that Danchenko falsely told the FBI that he never spoken with “a long-time participant in Democratic Party Politics” about any allegations included in the dossier. The judge ruled that Danchenko’s denial was “literally true” because the communication occurred over email and not via the spoken word. In the defense’s closing argument, Danchenko attorney Stuart Sears accused prosecutors of being on a “mission to prove [Danchenko] a liar” and said they failed to present evidence which “doesn’t support their narrative that he’s a liar.” Sears also pointed to the defense’s cross examination of the prosecution’s FBI witnesses, during which they spoke of the value of Danchenko’s contributions as an intelligence source and said that his outing as a source had damaged U.S. national security. “They didn’t say what [the prosecution] wanted them to say,” said Sears, who contended that the prosecutor’s own evidence “proves the defendant is not guilty.” In the government’s closing argument, prosecutors told jurors that Danchenko’s “own words” in emails from 2016 demonstrate that he provided misleading statements to investigators. “You didn’t check your common sense at the courthouse door. You need to use it,” prosecutor Michael Keilty told the jury. Copyright © 2022, ABC Audio. All rights reserved. Read More Here

Democrats Who Flipped Congress In 2018 Face Hurdles In 2022 https://digitalarizonanews.com/democrats-who-flipped-congress-in-2018-face-hurdles-in-2022/ WASHINGTON (AP) — Moments after she flipped a longtime Republican congressional seat in 2018, Iowa Democrat Cindy Axne declared that “Washington doesn’t have our back and we deserve a heck of a lot better.” Now seeking a third term in one of the most competitive House races, Axne is sounding a similar tone, telling voters she’s delivered for Iowans “while Washington politicians bicker.” But Axne and other Democrats from the class of 2018 are campaigning in a much different political environment this year. The anxiety over Donald Trump’s presidency that their party harnessed to flip more than 40 seats and regain the House majority has eased. In its place is frustration about the economy under President Joe Biden. And many districts that were once competitive have been redrawn by Republican-dominated state legislatures to become more friendly to the GOP. “It was a very different world,” pollster John Zogby said of 2018. “Inflation’s now where we haven’t seen in 40 years and it affects everybody. And this is the party in power. With campaigns, you don’t get to say, ‘But it could have been’ or ’But look at what the other guy did.’” FILE – Rep. Elissa Slotkin, D-Mich., questions witnesses during hearing on Sept. 17, 2020, on Capitol Hill Washington. Election Day in 2018 saw House Democrats flip more than 40 seats to regain the House majority. (Chip Somodevilla/Pool via AP, File) Photo: ASSOCIATED PRESS/Chip Somodevilla FILE – Rep. Tom Malinowski, D-N.J., speaks as members of Congress share recollections of the Jan. 6 2021, assault on the U.S. Capitol on the one-year anniversary of the attack on Jan. 6, 2022. Election Day in 2018 saw House Democrats flip more than 40 seats to regain the House majority. (Graeme Jennings/Pool via AP, File) Photo: ASSOCIATED PRESS/Graeme Jennings PreviousNext Many swing-district Democrats elected four years ago were buoyed by college-educated, suburban voters, women and young people shunning Trump. That means many defeats for second-term House Democrats could be read as opposition to Trump no longer motivating voters in the same way — even though the former president could seek the White House again in 2024. Trump continues to shape politics in a far more present sense, too. He’s dominated the national Republican Party despite spreading lies about 2020’s free and fair presidential election and now facing a House subpoena for helping incite the mob that attacked the U.S. Capitol last year. Tom Perez, who headed the Democratic National Committee from 2017 until 2021, noted that midterm cycles are historically tough for the president’s party and that — plus grim U.S. economic news — would normally raise the question “are Democrats going to get shellacked?” Instead, Perez thinks many of the toughest congressional races remain close because of the strength of Democrats elected four years ago. “All these folks from the Class of ’18, what they have in common is they’re really incredibly competent, accomplished and they’ve earned the trust of voters in their districts across the ideological spectrum,” said Perez, co-chair of the super PAC American Bridge 21st Century. “That, to me, is why we have a chance here, not withstanding the headwinds of the moment, is that incredible combination of candidate quality contrasted with the extreme views of the people who are running against them.” In all, 66 new Democrats won House races in 2018, flipping 41 Republican seats. Their party gave back many of those gains in 2020, with Republicans taking 14 new seats. Those GOP victories included defeating a dozen Democrats elected to the House for the first time the previous cycle. The Democratic House losses were overshadowed by Biden beating Trump. But this time, the ranks of the 2018 Democratic House class further dwindling may draw more attention — especially if it helps the GOP gain the net five seats it needs to reclaim the chamber’s majority. In addition to Axne, Democrats who may be vulnerable include Reps. Elissa Slotkin of Michigan, Tom Malinowski of New Jersey and Elaine Luria of Virginia. Another Virginia Democrat, Rep. Abigail Spanberger, as well as Reps. Jared Golden of Maine, Angie Craig of Minnesota and Sharice Davids of Kansas all also may face tough reelections. “The question is, is it going to have similarities to ’18 or not in the sense of democracy being on the ballot and a reaction to Trump,” former California Democratic Rep. Harley Rouda, who was elected in 2018 but narrowly lost his reelection bid, said of next month’s election. “Based on polling and the primaries, it doesn’t seem like the voting public is holding Republicans responsible for the Big Lie.” Perez is more sanguine: “The midterm election is supposed to be a referendum on the president, but Donald Trump continues to inject himself” into the nation’s politics. House turnover is common among both parties. By early 2018, almost half of the 87 House Republicans newly elected when their party took control of the chamber during the 2010 tea party surge were gone. More lost that November. Still, the 2018 class was notable as the largest influx of first-year House Democrats in four-plus decades, and the chamber’s youngest and most diverse ever. Debbie Walsh, director of the Center for American Women and Politics at Rutgers University, said 2018 was also the largest class of new women elected to the House since 1992, with 35 Democrats and one Republican. But 2020 also saw 28 new women elected to Congress, and some were Republicans who defeated Democrats who’d won for the first time the last cycle. “We had a couple of very strong years in a row, one for Democrats and one for Republicans,” Walsh said of women in the House. She said that means that even if the 2018 House Democratic class gets smaller this year, ”I would not look at one election cycle and say the face of Congress is going back to old, white men.” Republicans, meanwhile, have 32 Hispanic nominees and 23 Black nominees running for the House this cycle — both party records. They say their chances of winning the chamber’s majority are built more on high inflation and crime rates rising in some places than Trump or last year’s insurrection. “We have a choice between commonsense and crazy,” Republican National Committee Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel said in a statement. “And Americans will vote for Republicans up and down the ballot as a result.” The Democrats’ 2018 House class won’t dissolve completely. Some incumbents are seeking reelection in safely blue districts, including Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York, Lucy McBath of Georgia and Colin Allred of Texas, who was the class’ co-president. Democratic Michigan Rep. Haley Stevens, the other co-president, beat fellow 2018 Democratic House class member Andy Levin when the two incumbents squared off in this year’s Democratic primary based on their state’s new map. One Democratic 2018 House class member ousted in 2020, former New York Rep. Max Rose, is now running to get back to Congress. Another member, New Jersey Rep. Jeff Van Drew, has since become a Republican. Former Virginia Rep. Denver Riggleman was a Republican elected in 2018 but lost his 2020 GOP primary. Riggleman is now appearing in a TV ad praising Spanberger. “She’s trying to change Congress and make it work,” Riggleman says in the ad. “She puts country first.” Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. Read More Here

AP News Summary At 12:36 A.m. EDT https://digitalarizonanews.com/ap-news-summary-at-1236-a-m-edt/ Suicide drones strike fear in Ukraine’s capital, killing 4 KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Waves of explosives-laden suicide drones have struck Ukraine’s capital, setting buildings ablaze and tearing a hole in one of them. The attack sent people scurrying for shelter and came a week after Russia unleashed its most widespread strikes against the country in months. Authorities said four people died. One drone struck a residential building. Energy facilities were also hit by the drones, which appeared to include Iranian-made Shaheds. Separately, Moscow authorities said a Russian Su-34 warplane crashed in a residential area in the Russian port of Yeysk on the Sea of Azov, after an engine failure during takeoff, killing four people on the ground, injuring 25 and setting an apartment building ablaze. Officials said both crewmembers bailed out safely. Democrats who flipped Congress in 2018 face hurdles in 2022 WASHINGTON (AP) — Election Day in 2018 saw Democrats flip more than 40 seats to regain the House majority. Anxiety over Donald Trump’s presidency was a major reason for the strong Democratic showing. But those Democrats elected four years ago are campaigning in a much different political environment this year, with Trump out of office and voters concerned about the economy and crime. Plus, many districts that were once competitive have been redrawn by Republican-dominated state legislatures to become more friendly to the GOP. Those changes are leaving several Democrats in the Class of 2018 facing tough reelections. Small town in southern Mexico hosts thousands of migrants MEXICO CITY (AP) — As migrants, especially Venezuelans, struggle to come to terms with a new U.S. policy discouraging border crossings, one small town in southern Mexico is unexpectedly playing host to thousands of migrants camped far from the U.S. border. San Pedro Tapanatepec had 7,000 migrants, about 75% Venezuelans, when The Associated Press visited at the beginning of October. By Monday, Mayor Humberto Parrazales estimated the number had grown to 14,000. While many Venezuelans had planned to make their way to the U.S. border, the new U.S. policy says border crossers will simply be expelled. That leaves many camped out in the temporary tent shelters wondering what they’ll do next. Student loan forgiveness application website goes live WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden has officially kicked off the application process for his student debt cancellation program. He announced Monday that 8 million borrowers had already applied for loan relief during the federal government’s soft launch period over the weekend. Biden is encouraging the tens of millions eligible for potential relief to visit studentaid.gov and touting the application form, which he says will take less than five minutes to complete. He says an early, “beta launch” version of the online form released late Friday handled the early stream of applications “without a glitch or any difficulty.” House panel: Trump’s bills to Secret Service ‘exorbitant’ NEW YORK (AP) — Donald Trump’s private company arranged for the Secret Service to pay for rooms at his properties in excess of government-approved rates at least 40 times — including two charges for more than $1,100 per room, per night. That is according to documents released Monday by a congressional committee investigating the former president. The House Oversight Committee said the Secret Service was charged more than $800 per night at least 11 times by his properties. The Trump Organization denied anything improper. It said it provided rooms to the Secret Service at cost or deep discount, adding that its business did not profit at all from the presidency. US businesses propose hiding trade data used to trace abuse A group of major U.S. businesses wants the government to hide key import data — a move trade experts say would make it more difficult for Americans to link the products they buy to labor abuse overseas. The proposal obtained by The Associated Press was made by an advisory panel comprised of executives from 20 companies, including Walmart, General Motors and Intel. If adopted, it would shroud in secrecy customs data on ocean-going freight responsible for about half of the $2.7 trillion in goods entering the U.S. every year.  Human rights activists say it flies in the face of government commitments to be more transparent on trade. Mike Lee tries to distance himself from Trump in Utah debate OREM, Utah (AP) — U.S. Senator Mike Lee has used a debate with his challenger Monday evening to try to draw a distinction between his record and former President Donald Trump’s. Lee is locked in a competitive race against independent Evan McMullin, hoping to win a third-term representing Utah in the U.S. Senate. The race has taken shape as a referendum on the direction Trump has taken the GOP. McMullin is attempting to harness anti-Trump sentiment, while Lee is attacking the direction President Joe Biden has taken the nation. Lee’s last minute efforts to put space between his voting record and Trump’s stances depart from his past messaging as the election nears. UK leader in peril after Treasury chief axes ‘Trussonomics’ LONDON (AP) — New U.K. Treasury chief Jeremy Hunt has reversed most of an economic package announced by the government just weeks ago, including a planned cut in income taxes. Hunt said Monday he was scrapping “almost all” the tax cuts announced last month by the Conservative government of Prime Minister Liz Truss, and also signaled that public spending cuts are on the way. It was a bid to soothe turbulent financial markets spooked by fears of excessive government borrowing. The move raises questions about how long the beleaguered prime minister can stay in office, though Truss insisted she has no plans to quit. She vowed to lead the Conservatives into the next general election, but many in the party want her gone. Australia drops recognition of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital CANBERRA, Australia (AP) — Australia has reversed a previous government’s recognition of West Jerusalem as Israel’s capital. Foreign Minister Penny Wong said the center-left Labor Party government Cabinet agreed to again recognize Tel Aviv as the capital and reaffirmed that Jerusalem’s status must be resolved in peace negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians. The former conservative government’s decision in 2018 followed a U.S. decision to move its embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. Then-Prime Minister Scott Morrison’s government was elected out of office in May after nine years in power. North Carolina No. 1 in preseason AP Top 25 men’s basketball North Carolina is No. 1 in the preseason AP Top 25 men’s basketball poll. The national runner-up from last season returns four of five starters and received 47 of 62 first-place votes. Gonzaga is No. 2, followed by Houston and Kentucky. Kansas and Baylor, the last two national champions, are tied for fifth. Duke, led by new coach Jon Scheyer, is seventh with UCLA, Creighton and Arkansas rounding out the top 10. The Big 12 and SEC lead the way with five teams apiece in the Top 25. Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Read More Here

Man Dies After Falling On Subway Tracks During Fight In Queens https://digitalarizonanews.com/man-dies-after-falling-on-subway-tracks-during-fight-in-queens/ BREAKING NEWSAccuTrack Radar Live View ABC7 New York 24/7 Eyewitness News Stream THE LOOP | NYC Weather and Traffic Cams WATCH LIVE Welcome, Your Account Log Out JACKSON HEIGHTS, Queens (WABC) — A man has died after falling on the subway tracks during a fight in Queens. Police say Heriberto Quintana, 48, was struck by an oncoming F train at the Roosevelt Ave-Jackson Heights subway station on Monday just before 5 p.m. Police believe Quintana bumped into another man on the platform causing the second man’s cellphone to fall onto the track bed. Then a fight erupted. Quintana then fell onto the tracks as the F train pulled into the station. EMS eventually rescued his body from the tracks and Quintana was later pronounced dead at Elmhurst Hospital. Authorities believe the two men were strangers before the fatal encounter. Detectives are reviewing surveillance videos and interviewing eyewitnesses to determine if Quintana was pushed onto the tracks or if he lost his footing during the fight. “For anyone to lose their life over a fight, what is that?” said Charlton D’Souza. Police say they arrested a 50-year-old man at the scene, believed to be involved in the fight. ALSO READ | Eyewitness News gets exclusive ride-along with NYPD commissioner amid fear over subway crime ———- * More Queens news * Send us a news tip * Download the abc7NY app for breaking news alerts * Follow us on YouTube Submit a tip or story idea to Eyewitness News Have a breaking news tip or an idea for a story we should cover? Send it to Eyewitness News using the form below. If attaching a video or photo, terms of use apply. Copyright © 2022 WABC-TV. All Rights Reserved. Read More Here

China Delays The Release Of GDP And Other Economic Data Without Explanation Amid Party Congress | CNN Business https://digitalarizonanews.com/china-delays-the-release-of-gdp-and-other-economic-data-without-explanation-amid-party-congress-cnn-business/ China’s once vibrant private sector suffocating under Xi’s crackdown 03:20 – Source: CNN Hong Kong CNN Business  —  China has abruptly delayed the publication of key economic data, one day before its scheduled release, as the ruling Communist Party gathers at a major political meeting against the backdrop of a faltering economy. The country’s National Bureau of Statistics updated its schedule on Monday, with the dates for a series of economic indicators – including the closely-watched GDP growth – marked as “delayed.” The indicators, which had been scheduled for release on Tuesday, also include quarterly retail sales, industrial production and monthly unemployment rates. The bureau did not give a reason for the delay or set a new publication date. Separately, the country’s customs authority also postponed the release of monthly trade data, which were initially scheduled to come out on Friday. The delay of the highly anticipated data coincides with the week-long 20th Communist Party National Congress in Beijing, where Chinese leader Xi Jinping is expected to secure a norm-breaking third term in power. Priorities presented at the gathering will also set China’s trajectory for at least the next five years. “The delay suggests that the government believes that the 20th Party Congress is the most important thing happening in China right now and would like to avoid other information flows that could create mixed messages,” said Iris Pang, chief economist for Greater China at ING Group, in a research note on Tuesday. Other analysts believe it could be because the data sets are not pretty. “My forecast is for a further decline of 1.2% [on a quarterly basis for China’s GDP]. This would mean China had joined the US in a technical recession,” said Clifford Bennett, Chief Economist at ACY Securities. The delay would make sense “from an image management perspective,” he said. Some economists call two consecutive quarters of contraction a technical recession. China’s GDP declined 2.6% in the second quarter from the previous one, reversing a 1.4% growth in the January-to-March period. On a year-on-year basis, the economy expanded 0.4% in the second quarter. Analysts have widely expected third-quarter growth to remain weak, as strict Covid curbs, an intensifying crisis in real estate, and slowing global demand continue to pressure the economy. Economists polled by Reuters have expected China’s GDP to expand by 3.4% in the third quarter from a year earlier. That would fall far short of the government’s full-year growth target of around 5.5%. Many international organizations, including the IMF and World Bank, have recently downgraded China’s GDP growth forecasts for this year. Bennett expected the third-quarter GDP data to be released after the Party Congress. “Whenever the release occurs, we should all be prepared for some global financial market reaction if the world’s two largest economies are both in recession this year, ” he said. China’s economy is facing mounting challenges. Growth has stalled, youth unemployment is at a record high, and the housing market is in shambles. Constant Covid lockdowns have not only wreaked havoc on the economy, but also sparked rising social discontent. In the 20th Party Congress report released on Sunday, Xi renewed his pledge to grow China into a “medium developed country” by 2035. That would mean China needs to grow at an average growth rate of around 4.7% a year from 2021 to 2035, according to Larry Hu, chief China economist for Macquarie Group. Hu added that the target might be hard to meet, as the economy faces several structural headwinds, such as the property downturn, an aging population, and rising US-China tensions. Read More Here

Circle The City Offering Mammograms, And More, To Women Experiencing Homelessness In Phoenix Area https://digitalarizonanews.com/circle-the-city-offering-mammograms-and-more-to-women-experiencing-homelessness-in-phoenix-area/ Published October 17, 2022 8:43PM Updated 9:34PM Circle the City offering mammograms, and more, to women experiencing homelessness in Phoenix area PHOENIX – October marks Breast Cancer Awareness Month, and an organization in Phoenix is stepping up to help women experiencing homelessness receive the care they need. About 1 in 8 women will develop the invasive cancer in their lifetime, and to help combat this issue and detect it early on, Circle the City is giving free mammograms to our most vulnerable population. Circle the City helps provide healthcare to men and women experiencing homelessness as the rate of people living on the streets is growing at an alarming rate, including in Phoenix. On Oct. 27, the organization is hosting a free mammogram and women’s wellness event. “It’s really more critical than ever,” says Marty Hames, director of communications for the organization. Getting a mammogram can be a simple, yet life-saving choice. For some, it’s not easy to access. SYMPTOMS OF BREAST CANCER, ACCORDING TO MAYO CLINIC “We are seeing a dramatic number of people, an increasing number of people living on the street, and when you couple that with that in the increase in the cost of living, just the cost that all of us are facing, you know, getting a mammogram might fall to the bottom of the priority list when it’s compared to ‘where am I going to sleep tonight? Where am I going to get my next meal?’” Hames said. That’s where Circle the City comes in. It’s launching a brand-new women’s wellness project in an effort to connect critical life-saving detection tests for women in the homeless community. “Our effort is to try to get this information out to women who are out on the street, to help educate them about their health so that they have the same health opportunities and access to healthcare that all the rest of us do,” Hames explained. Its first event on Oct. 27 is providing free mammograms, pap smears, and pelvic exams for women aged 50 and older. Appointments and/or insurance aren’t needed. “We know that these tests save lives, but we also know it can be very difficult for women living on the street to make an appointment, get to that appointment, and really prioritize getting these appointments done,” Hames said. The mammogram van will be out on Oct. 27 from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Parsons Family Health Center, 3522 N 3rd Ave, Phoenix, AZ 85013.  It will also be partnering with a local beauty salon to provide free haircuts and makeovers. Backpacks and bras will also be provided. Medical advancements being made in breast cancer treatment and recovery October is Breast Cancer Awareness month. Nearly 300,000 American women will be diagnosed with the disease by the end of the year, and many will end up having reconstructive surgery. FOX 10’s Anita Roman has more on the medical advancements being made. Phoenix porch pirate stole gifts meant for breast cancer patient A woman who was victimized by the porch pirate says the act felt like an invasion of privacy, as the thief stole items that were meant for someone who is battling cancer. FOX 10’s Irene Snyder reports. Read More…

Russia-Ukraine War Latest: What We Know On Day 237 Of The Invasion https://digitalarizonanews.com/russia-ukraine-war-latest-what-we-know-on-day-237-of-the-invasion/ Moscow stepped up attacks across Ukraine on Monday, killing four people and cutting off power in a series of kamikaze drone strikes in the capital. Ukraine’s prime minister, Denys Shmygal, said Russia launched five strikes in Kyiv, as well as attacks against energy facilities in Sumy and the central Dnipropetrovsk regions, knocking out electricity to hundreds of towns and villages. Elsewhere, at least three people were killed when a Russian warplane crashed near the border with Ukraine. The plane struck a residential area of Yeysk, a town in southwestern Russia, news agencies reported, citing the defence ministry. Both pilots managed to eject before the crash, but many locals were taken to hospital with injuries, local authorities said. Health minister Mikhail Murashko said three people had died and 19 were injured, the state-run TASS news agency reported. The ministry of emergency situations had earlier given a toll of six dead. The reason for the discrepancy was not immediately clear. Ukraine announced that more than 100 prisoners have been swapped with Russia in what it said was the first all-female exchange with Moscow after nearly eight months of war. “The more Russian prisoners we have, the sooner we will be able to free our heroes. Every Ukrainian soldier, every frontline commander should remember this,” Zelensky said. In the south, Ukrainian troops have been pushing closer and closer to the large city of Kherson, just north of Crimea. Kherson is one of four regions in Ukraine that Moscow recently claimed to have annexed. Ukraine’s foreign minister called on the European Union to sanction Iran for providing Russia with kamikaze drones that killed at least four civilians in Kyiv on Monday. Iran said again on Monday that it had not provided Russia with drones to use in Ukraine. “The published news about Iran providing Russia with drones has political ambitions and it is circulated by western sources. We have not provided weaponry to any side of the countries at war,” Iran’s foreign ministry spokesperson Nasser Kanaani said. The EU’s foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said the bloc would look for “concrete evidence” about the participation of Iran in Russia’s war on Ukraine. The European Union has agreed to create a mission to train 15,000 Ukrainian soldiers. It will also provide a further €500m to help buy weapons. An EU foreign ministers meeting on Monday approved the two-year training mission, which will involve different EU forces providing basic and specialist instruction to Ukrainian soldiers, in Poland and Germany. Officials hope the mission, which is expected to cost €107m, will be up and running by mid November. Israeli officials refused to comment on comments from Dmitry Medvedev, Russia’s former president, that Tel Aviv is preparing to supply military aid to Ukraine. In a Telegram message on Monday, Medvedev, currently deputy chair of Russia’s security council, warned Israel against arming Kyiv, calling it a “a reckless move” that would “destroy relations between our countries”. Israel has tried to maintain a neutral stance, as it relies on Russia to facilitate its operations against Iranian-linked actors in Syria. Marina Ovsyannikova, the former Russian state TV journalist who staged an on-air protest against the war in March, has fled the country, according to her lawyer. Read More Here

Three Arrested, One Wanted In Connection With Home Invasion, Robbery https://digitalarizonanews.com/three-arrested-one-wanted-in-connection-with-home-invasion-robbery/ TUCSON, Ariz. (KOLD News 13) – Three men have been arrested and a fourth suspect is wanted in connection with an armed robbery at a Pima County home early Monday, Oct. 17. The Pima County Sheriff’s Department said it happened at a home in the 4000 block of North Via Tranquilo, which is near River and Craycroft. The PCSD said Matthew Bonds, 27, Thomas Gable, 29, and Nicholas Capanear, 35, are facing charges of kidnapping, armed robbery and aggravated assault. Bond, Gable, Capanear and a fourth suspect broke into the home, tied up the homeowner and broke into his safe, according to the PCSD. Copyright 2022 KOLD News 13. All rights reserved. Read More Here

Ryan, Vance At Odds On Abortion, Jan 6 In Ohio Senate Debate https://digitalarizonanews.com/ryan-vance-at-odds-on-abortion-jan-6-in-ohio-senate-debate/ COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Democratic U.S. Rep. Tim Ryan and Republican JD Vance deflected accusations of being political lapdogs to their parties Monday, as they met in a heated second debate for Ohio’s open U.S. Senate seat. Vance used the face-off hosted by Youngstown’s WFMJ-TV to push back against a bit of Ryan name-calling from their first debate last week. Vance, a venture capitalist and author of “Hillbilly Elegy,” said former President Donald Trump was only making a joking reference to a newspaper article when he said Vance had been “kissing my a–” for an endorsement. Vance said everyone at the political rally where Trump made the remark understood it that way. “The guy who’s subservient to the national party is Tim Ryan,” Vance said, citing Ryan’s voting loyalty toward Democratic President Joe Biden and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi of California. Ryan retorted, “JD, you keep talking about Nancy Pelosi. If you want to run against Nancy Pelosi, move back to San Francisco and run against Nancy Pelosi. You’re running against me.” Ryan said he stood up to his own party when he once challenged Pelosi for the speakership, and has also supported bipartisan bills alongside retiring GOP Sen. Rob Portman, who has endorsed Vance to take over his seat. To questions on immigration, police violence and opioid addiction, Vance returned frequently to the topic of the U.S. border with Mexico, which he said Democrats like Ryan have done too little to protect. “You have got to close the border,” he said. “You’ve got to finish the wall and you’ve got to make it so that these drug cartels are not able to use the U.S. southern border as a drug trafficking center.” Ryan said he has disagreed with Biden on relaxing certain border regulations and started the Border Technology Caucus to explore how to use technology to keep the boundary secure. He said it would be “a big mistake” to send Vance to Washington given the record of his anti-addiction nonprofit. Vance said Ryan’s words didn’t match his record. “You cannot pretend to be a defender of border security when you voted against border wall funding multiple times.” On abortion, Vance said that he would vote for the national abortion ban at 15 weeks introduced by Republican U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham, but also believes in certain exceptions — such that the 10-year-old Ohio rape victim could have gotten her abortion in the state, for example. He did not explicitly say he supports a rape exception, rather implied that her case probably fell under the exception for protecting the life of the mother. He said the issue is too complex for him to name all the exceptions he might support on a debate stage. “I think it’s totally reasonable to say you cannot abort a baby, especially for elective reasons, after 15 weeks of gestation,” he said. “No civilized country allows it. I don’t want the United States to be an exception.” Current Ohio law allows abortions up to 20 weeks’ gestation. Ryan said he would vote to codify the abortion rights previously protected under Roe v. Wade, which generally allowed abortions up under viability, and finds Graham’s bill extreme. “They’re not happy with people having to go to Illinois. They want people to have to have a passport and have to go to Canada,” he said. “Largest governmental overreach in the history of our lifetime.” he said, calling Vance “not a guy who’s ready to protect the rights of women.” On police accountability, Vance touted his endorsement by the Ohio Fraternal Order of Police and said he believes adequate protections are in place to root out and discipline bad cops. He said an effort supported by Ryan to strip police of qualified immunity “is why we have the violent crime on our streets right now.” Ryan said Vance’s position didn’t square with his failure to take seriously the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol, where members of the Capitol Police were injured or died. Vance said the Jan. 6 Committee investigating the siege “has shown from the very beginning that it’s not interested in the truth, that it’s interested in a political hit job” against Trump. He accused Ryan, Democrats and the media of being obsessed with the issue as average Ohioans worry about paying for groceries. Ryan responded by saying, “If a group of people storm the Capitol while we’re trying to file the paperwork for an election, and they’re trying to prevent that from happening and they want to kill the vice president, like, that needs to be looked into. “I don’t want to talk about this any more than anybody else. … But, my God, you’ve got to look into it, JD,” he said. Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. Read More Here

Five Takeaways From The Second Ohio Senate Debate – KVIA https://digitalarizonanews.com/five-takeaways-from-the-second-ohio-senate-debate-kvia/ By Dan Merica, CNN The second Ohio Senate debate between Democrat Tim Ryan and Republican J.D. Vance was a personal and combative affair, with each candidate repeatedly questioning the other’s character. The heated nature highlighted just how crucial this race has become as Republicans look to defend the seat and win control of the evenly divided Senate in November. The Democratic Party has struggled for years in the Buckeye State, which former President Donald Trump twice carried, and even the most buoyant members of the party thought flipping retiring GOP Sen. Rob Portman’s seat in 2022 was a longshot. But a strong campaign from Ryan and Vance’s struggles have made the race more competitive than expected. Some of the most notable flashpoints in the debate were about whether either candidate would stand up to Trump and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, which abortions laws each candidate would back and a personal and heated argument about “replacement theory,” the idea that White people are being slowly and intentionally replaced by minorities and immigrants. What became clear throughout the night is that Ryan and Vance visibly don’t like each other, as each tried to tie the other to a long slate of other people: From Trump to Pelosi to conspiracy theorist Alex Jones to progressive Sen. Bernie Sanders, a Vermont independent. Here are five takeaways from the second Ohio Senate debate: ‘Donald Trump told a joke’ Some of the clearest — and most personal — exchanges were over the candidates’ willingness to stand up to their own parties, most notably Vance’s ties to Trump after the former President said at a recent campaign rally that Vance was “kissing my ass” to get him to campaign for him. “Donald Trump told a joke,” Vance said after the moderator asked about the former President’s comment, “and Tim Ryan has decided to run his entire campaign on it.” Vance added: “I know the President very well and he was joking about a New York Times story. That’s all he was doing. I didn’t take offense to it — I talked to the President before it. I talked to the President after it. Everybody there took it as a joke.” That response gave Ryan, who visibly chuckled while Vance was answering, an opening. After being asked about voting with Pelosi — a frequent talking point for Vance — Ryan noted he ran against the California Democrat for speaker. But then pivoted to Vance. “You have to have the courage to take on your leaders. These leaders in DC will eat you up like a chew toy,” Ryan said. “You were calling Trump America’s Hitler, then you kiss his ass, and then you kissed his ass, and he endorsed you and you said he is the greatest president of all time.” The congressman added: “It is nothing personal. I am just telling you, like, I have been in this business, it is tough business. If you think you are going to help Ohio, you are not. If you can’t even stand up for yourself, how are you going to stand up for the people of this state?” Pelosi, Pelosi, Pelosi Ryan was not alone in seeking to tie his opponent to a leader of his party. It took mere minutes for Vance to mention Ryan’s ties to Pelosi — and the Republican kept coming back to the hit. “I really wish Tim Ryan would have stood up to his party on this vote because it might have made the inflation crisis we have been seeing over the last few months a lot better if he hadn’t done what he always does, which is vote with Nancy Pelosi and Joe Biden 100% of the time,” Vance said in his first answer, alluding to the congressman’s vote for Democrats’ health care, climate and tax package. Ryan looked prepared to take on the attack, using it to tie Vance to the San Francisco area, where the Republican used to live and which Pelosi represents. “J.D., you keep talking about Nancy Pelosi. If you want to run against Nancy Pelosi, move back to San Francisco and run against Nancy Pelosi. You are running against me,” Ryan said. But the response didn’t dissuade Vance, who took the attack a step further by comparing Ryan voting with Pelosi “100% of the time” with an ad the Democrat is running where he and his wife joke about only agreeing 70% of the time. “Must make things a little awkward in the Ryan household, I suppose,” Vance said. “But look, you vote with her 100% of the time, so you can’t run from the policies that she has supported, that she has shoved down the throat of people in Ohio.” Questions of character Each candidate spent much of the night questioning the other’s character, often implying — our outright saying — that their opponent is not who they say they are. During an exchange on immigration, Ryan said he is “not going to take any guff” from Vance on the issue because “he invested in dozens of companies that use foreign workers.” “This is why, J.D. Vance, with all due respect, is a fraud,” Ryan said. “My little Italian grandmother had a saying for when she met somebody like J.D. Vance — due facce — you have two faces, one for the camera and one for your business dealings.” Vance, in turn, questioned the moderate persona Ryan touts on the campaign trail. “Tim Ryan says he believes in reasonable solutions. Well Tim, what were you doing on those reasonable solutions in your 20 years in Washington, DC?” Vance asked. Abortion remains a point of divergence There are vast differences in the candidates’ positions on abortion, an issue Democrats have seized on since the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in late June. Ryan, asked about the prospect of Republicans controlling Congress, said that would lead him to “spend all my time trying to fight a national abortion ban.” Vance responded with one of his most scathing lines from their first debate by seemingly blaming Ryan for the rape of the 10-year-old Ohio girl who sought an abortion in neighboring Indiana by noting she was allegedly raped by an undocumented immigrant. “That little girl was raped by an illegal immigrant,” Vance said, adding that people “need to be honest about the fact that she would have never been raped in the first place if Tim Ryan had done his job on border security.” Vance took issue with a question on exceptions to strict abortion laws. An exception in the case of incest “looks different at 3 weeks of pregnancy versus 39 weeks of pregnancy, so I actually don’t think you can say on a debate stage every single thing that you are going to vote for when it comes to an abortion piece of legislation.” The Republican did, however, indicate he was likely to support a bill proposed by South Carolina Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham that would ban the procedure after 15-weeks and does provide exceptions for abortions required to protect the life of the mother, and if the woman becomes pregnant through rape or incest. “I think it is totally reasonable to say you cannot abort a baby, especially for elective reasons, after 15 weeks of gestation,” Vance said. ‘It’s disgraceful’ Some of the most personal sniping came during a back-and-forth on “replacement theory,” which has been embraced in some quarters of the right. Asked about the theory by the moderator, Ryan said it was “nonsense” and “grounded in some of those most racially divisive writings in the history of the world.” He also accused Vance of “running around” with people who believe in it. “There is no big grand conspiracy — this is a country who has been enriched by immigrants,” said Ryan, which sparked a fierce response from the Republican because, as he noted, his wife Usha is the “daughter of South Asian immigrants.” “Shameful for you to accuse me of that,” Vance said. Vance criticized Ryan, arguing that that kind of hit leads “my biracial children” to “get attacked by scumbags online and in person because you are so desperate for political power, that you will accuse me, the father of three beautiful biracial babies, of engaging in racism. We are sick of it.” He added: “This just shows how desperate this guy is for political power. I know you have been in office for 20 years, Tim. And I know it is a sweet gig. But you are so desperate to not have a real job that you will slander me and slander my family. It’s disgraceful.” Ryan, who did not invoke Vance’s family, ended by noting that he seemed to have “struck a nerve” but “would never talk about your family.” Ryan and Vance went right into closing statements after the raw exchange, putting a cap on an already dramatic night. The-CNN-Wire & © 2022 Cable News Network, Inc., a Warner Bros. Discovery Company. All rights reserved. Read More Here

Stock Futures Rise After Nasdaq Notches Best Day Since July https://digitalarizonanews.com/stock-futures-rise-after-nasdaq-notches-best-day-since-july/ Stock futures rose Monday evening after the Nasdaq Composite posted its best daily performance since July. Futures tied to the Dow Jones Industrial average gained 174 points or 0.58%. S&P 500 futures jumped 0.69% and Nasdaq 100 futures climbed 0.75%. The moves came after a winning day on Wall Street. The Dow Jones industrial Average popped about 550 points, coming off a volatile past week of trading. The S&P 500 also rose 2.65% for the day. The Nasdaq surged 3.43% as tech stocks rebounded, led by names such as Amazon, Meta Platforms and Microsoft. It was the best day for the tech-heavy index since July 27. Solid earnings reports sent stocks higher. Bank of America rose 6.06% after delivering better than expected results, and Bank of New York Mellon gained 5.08% after its own earnings beat. In addition, another pivot from the U.K. bolstered markets. Jeremy Hunt, the new U.K. finance minister, announced Monday that he would reverse nearly all announced tax cuts and walk back an energy subsidy. Investors are watching for any sign that the stock market has bottomed and the new rally may be the start of a new bull cycle. Analysts aren’t so sure that the bottom is in, however, and many see more pain ahead. “I think this is going to be one of those bear market rallies that has people scratching their heads,” said Guy Adami, director of advisor advocacy at Private Advisor Group in Morristown, New Jersey, on CNBC’s “Fast Money,” adding that markets are nowhere near out of the woods when it comes to the bear market. More big bank earnings are on deck. Tuesday morning, Goldman Sachs will report its quarterly results. Johnson & Johnson, Netflix and United Airlines will also announce results that day. Later in the week, Tesla, IBM and American Airlines report. CNBC Pro: Top Goldman Sachs strategist picks the global small-cap stocks he says look cheap Smaller companies have had a difficult year. In fact, according to Peter Oppenheimer, Goldman Sachs’ chief global equity strategist, they’ve had the worst year-to-date since the turn of the century. However, he argued that the segment is starting to look “inexpensive,” and named several global stocks with stable growth and good profitability. Pro subscribers can read more here. — Zavier Ong CNBC Pro: Strategist predicts when the S&P 500 could bottom — and names 3 stocks he likes right now Rob Luna, chief investment strategist at Surevest, says his firm has “started to witness individual stocks outperforming and showing signs of already bottoming.” He predicts when the S&P 500‘s long-term move downward could turn, and names the stocks he thinks look attractive right now. CNBC Pro subscribers can read more here. — Weizhen Tan Monday’s rally saw all sectors close more than 10% from 52-week highs During Monday’s rally, all three major indices climbed and the Nasdaq posted its best day since July. It also closed more than 34% from its 52-week high, while the S&P 500 and the Dow Jones Industrial Average were 23% and 18% from their 52-week highs, respectively. All sectors also closed more than 10% from their 52-week highs, led by communication services that was up more than 40% from the key level. Tech, consumer discretionary and real estate were all more than 32% from 52-week highs, while financials and materials were more than 22% from 52-week highs. —Carmen Reinicke Tuesday earnings on deck Third quarter earnings season continues Tuesday, with a slew of companies reporting results before and after the bell. Here’s what companies are on deck for tomorrow. Before the bell: Goldman Sachs Hasbro Albertsons Johnson & Johnson After the bell: Netflix United Airlines —Carmen Reinicke Stock futures rise after Monday rally Stock futures were higher Monday evening after stocks staged a rally in the regular trading session. Futures tied to the Dow Jones Industrial average gained 161 points or 0.53%. S&P 500 futures jumped 0.58% and Nasdaq 100 futures climbed 0.59%. —Carmen Reinicke Read More Here

Australia Drops Recognition Of Jerusalem As Israel's Capital https://digitalarizonanews.com/australia-drops-recognition-of-jerusalem-as-israels-capital/ CANBERRA, Australia (AP) — Australia has reversed a previous government’s recognition of West Jerusalem as Israel’s capital, the foreign minister said Tuesday. The center-left Labor Party government Cabinet agreed to again recognize Tel Aviv as the capital and reaffirmed that Jerusalem’s status must be resolved in peace negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians, Foreign Minister Penny Wong said. Australia remained committed to a two-party solution to the conflict between Israelis and Palestinians, and “we will not support an approach that undermines this prospect,” Wong said. Former conservative Prime Minister Scott Morrison formally recognized West Jerusalem as Israel’s capital in December 2018, although the Australian embassy remained in Tel Aviv. The change followed the then-U.S. President Donald Trump’s decision to shift the U.S. Embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. President Joe Biden has kept the embassy in Jerusalem as the U.S. steps back from its once-intense mediation between the Israelis and Palestinians, who have not held substantive peace talks in more than a decade. Wong described Morrison’s move as out of step internationally and a “cynical” attempt to win a byelection in a Sydney locale with a large Jewish population. Morrison’s Liberal Party ran Jewish candidate Dave Sharma who was defeated in the byelection but won the seat in the next general election. Morrison’s government was elected out of office in May after nine years in power. Read More Here

Nakia Creek Fire At 1,565 Acres; Evacuation Zones Shrink https://digitalarizonanews.com/nakia-creek-fire-at-1565-acres-evacuation-zones-shrink/ The fire is 5 percent contained Published: October 17, 2022, 1:10pm Updated: October 17, 2022, 7:28pm 7 Photos Clark County Sheriff public information officer Chris Skidmore talks to media Monday, Sept. 17, 2022, during a briefing at Grove Field in Camas. The Nakia Creek Fire ballooned to more than 1400 acres after dry and windy conditions on Sunday. (Taylor Balkom/The Columbian) Photo Gallery Evacuation zones shrank Monday as firefighters worked to bring the Nakia Creek Fire back under control after it grew tenfold over the weekend to 1,565 acres. As of Saturday morning, the fire was smoldering after burning 156 acres and getting progressively more contained by crews, according to Washington Department of Natural Resources spokeswoman Sharon Steriti. That changed on Sunday, when hot, dry and windy weather gave new life to a fire. “It was looking really good, and as you may also know, we had a red flag warning on Sunday,” Steriti said. “And the fire unfortunately got across the line during the evening (Saturday), and on Sunday morning, it was discovered that it was burning over the line. And then the east winds and weather came in, and kind of changed the story.” Steriti was optimistic Monday afternoon that calmer, cooler weather would allow firefighters to get more of a handle on the fire. The high temperature for Camas is forecast to reach 77 degrees Tuesday, the National Weather Service shows. “We’re not going to be getting those winds that we got over the weekend, so the conditions and weather are looking pretty good to make some really good advances in getting this fire under control,” she said Monday. No structures have been destroyed and no one has been injured from the fire, she said. The fire was 5 percent contained Monday, according to the Department of Natural Resources. Evacuation zones grew rapidly Sunday to include nearly 29,000 residences in the areas of Camas and Washougal under a Level 1 “Get Ready” warning. Estimates that night placed the fire at 2,000 acres until crews could get a better look at conditions Monday morning, according to Clark Regional Emergency Services Agency. Clark County sheriff’s Sgt. Chris Skidmore said officials erred on the side of caution when setting evacuation zones. Sheriff’s office Search and Rescue crews knocked on about 600 doors Sunday to notify the residents they were under a Level 3 “Go Now” warning, Skidmore said. But with more favorable weather Monday, authorities hoped to allow some to return home. About 2,500 people were still in warning zones, with 553 of under a Level 3 warning, according to CRESA. Some roads also reopened Monday, including Northeast 53rd Street to Northeast 292nd Avenue and Northeast Blair Road at Washougal River Road to state Highway 500. Closures remained, as of Monday evening, in the areas of Lessard, Ireland, Livingston Mountain, Boulder Creek and Winters. The L1000 and L1400 roads are also still closed. Rumors of rampant looting in evacuated areas are not true, Skidmore said, and deputies have been patrolling neighborhoods and road closure areas. Steriti noted this summer has been one of the driest on record and said it’s not normal to have a wildfire like this so late in the year. Sunday’s extreme weather conditions also sparked new fires, including the Black Hole Fire near Chelatchie Prairie. Officials issued a Level 1 warning for the northeast corner of Clark County and the northwest corner of Skamania County. There’s no indication any new fires nearby sparked from the Nakia Creek Fire, Steriti said. Those in need of help can reach the Emergency Operations Center for Clark Regional Emergency Services Agency at 360-992-9229. People can also sign up for phone and email alerts publicalerts.org/signup. School closures The Washougal School District will operate school with regular bell times Tuesday, the district announced Monday afternoon. The district closed schools Monday due to the fire. As of the updated evacuation map shared Monday morning, no schools within district boundaries remained within evacuation zones. Two of the Washougal district’s schools, Cape Horn-Skye Elementary School and Canyon Creek Middle School, had been previously located in the Level 3 evacuation area and were closed by the fire chief Sunday. Gause Elementary School was open from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. to provide on-site meals, support and recreational activities. Schools in the Camas School District will again be open Tuesday. The district has modified several of its bus routes in accordance to fire evacuation zones, according to a district spokesperson. Bus No. 6 will be canceled. Bus No. 3, No. 7 , No. 15, No. 66 and No. 68 will all be running with limited service due to road closures. The district said it will continue to monitor evacuation zones and make further adjustments accordingly. Evergreen Public Schools sent out a message to families Sunday evening to let them know they were monitoring the situation via the Clark Regional Emergency Service Agency’s website. Monday’s evacuation map showed, just a handful of areas in the Evergreen district remain within the Level 1 boundary: Union High School, Frontier Middle School and Pioneer Elementary School. Mount Pleasant schools were closed Monday. There was no word, as of Monday afternoon, if they would reopen Tuesday. Poor air quality Air quality ranged between moderate and unhealthy Monday in parts of Clark County as a result of the wildfire smoke. The Vancouver area is expected to be in the moderate to unhealthy for sensitive groups air quality range for the next few days, while areas closer to the fire, such as Battle Ground and Yacolt, are predicted to be in the unhealthy to hazardous level, according to Uri Papish, executive director of the Southwest Clean Air Agency. The agency is extending its air quality advisory through Thursday when a stronger wind flow is expected to push the smoke east, according to Papish. Papish recommends that people who may be more sensitive limit their time spent outdoors, limit strenuous activity and limit indoor air pollution by not burning candles or incense and keeping doors and windows closed. If you are outside in areas with unhealthy for sensitive groups to hazardous air quality, Papish strongly recommends wearing a snug-fitting KN95 mask. Less-secure medical masks will not do much to help avoid inhaling particulate matter, according to Papish. People at an increased risk for problems from decreased air quality include children, those over 65, people with heart and lung disease, people with respiratory infections, pregnant people and people who smoke, among others, according to a press release sent out by Clark County Public Health. The release did note that “even healthy people can have symptoms or health problems” when the air is smoky. Some symptoms include: sore throat, headaches, burning eyes, coughing, shortness of breath and chest pain. If you are experiencing more severe symptoms, like shortness of breath or chest pain, the release urges individuals to seek medical attention. 13 Photos Nakia Creek Fire, Oct. 17 Photo Gallery “Check the air monitoring network,” Papish said. “Stay indoors and take measures to protect (your health).” For up-to-date information on air quality in your area visit www.swcleanair.gov, airnow.gov or wasmoke.blogspot.com. Read More Here

Her Rapists Were Sentenced To Life In Prison. Now They're Free, And She's In Hiding | CNN https://digitalarizonanews.com/her-rapists-were-sentenced-to-life-in-prison-now-theyre-free-and-shes-in-hiding-cnn/ New Delhi CNN  —  Standing in a row outside the gates of Godhra remand center in Gujarat, western India, the 11 middle-aged men could have been mistaken for visiting dignitaries receiving sweets and blessings from local admirers. In reality, they were part of a 2002 Hindu mob who had just been released after serving 14 years of life sentences for one of the most heinous crimes in India’s recent history. Since their release in August – on India’s Independence Day – the men have scattered across the country. But there’s one person who can never escape the repercussions of the attack 20 years ago – Bilkis Bano, who was just 21 years old and pregnant when she was gang-raped by a mob that killed 14 of her family members, including her 3-year-old daughter. Bano was too distraught to speak about the men’s release, but issued a statement through her lawyer, saying she hadn’t been consulted about the decision and it had “shaken” her faith in justice. “My sorrow and my wavering faith is not for myself alone but for every woman who is struggling for justice in the courts,” the statement said. The recommendation to free the men was made by an advisory panel appointed by the Gujarat government, led by Narendra Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). Critics say the decision was tainted by politics, misogyny and religious discrimination, and exposes what they see as the hypocrisy of BJP leaders who claim to support gender equality and women’s rights. Some lawmakers and activists have petitioned the Supreme Court for the men to be rearrested. “The concept of Article 15 where there will be no discrimination in the Constitution on the basis of sex or religion or gender has just been thrown out the window,” said one of the petitioners, Mahua Moitra, a lawmaker from the All India Trinamool Congress party. Some lawmakers said the decision had political overtones, coming just four months before the BJP hopes to secure re-election in the Gujarat state elections. Subhashini Ali, a former parliamentarian and vice president of the All India Democratic Women’s Association, who has filed a separate petition in the Supreme Court, said if the intent was to polarize voters, it had failed. “For the first time, I’m finding that even BJP supporters are not supporting what they’ve done,” she said. The Gujarat and central governments did not respond to requests for comment. Bano’s fight for justice dates back to 2002, when centuries-old divisions erupted in Gujarat between majority Hindus and Muslims, who according to the latest census figures, from more than a decade ago, made up about 10% of the state’s population, and about 14% nationwide. At the time, Hindu mobs set fire to Muslim homes and shops in retaliation for the firebombing of a train near Godhra, which killed dozens of Hindu activists and was blamed on Muslims. The activists had been campaigning to build a temple on the site of the Babri Masjid mosque in Ayodhya, a city many Hindus believe is the birthplace of Rama, the incarnation of Vishnu, one of Hinduism’s most powerful deities. Muslims were still grieving the 1992 loss of the ancient mosque, destroyed by Hindu nationalists, reportedly with hammers, rods, and shovels. That triggered some of India’s deadliest sectarian violence since independence in 1947. An inquiry found Modi – then Gujarat’s chief minister – wasn’t to blame for the riots in 2002 that killed more than 1,000 people – including Bano’s family. Bano would later tell the court the men ran toward them with swords, sticks and sickles. According to court documents, one grabbed her young daughter and smashed her on the ground. Three men raped her, while the others attacked her sisters, aunts and their daughters. She fell unconscious and woke hours later, surrounded by bodies. In 2008, after a high-profile trial, her attackers were sentenced to life in prison for rape and murder – and that’s where Bano hoped they’d stay. But this August, the state government granted them remission, under a provision in India’s Code of Criminal Procedure that allows prisoners to be freed once they serve 14 years. Moitra, from the All India Trinamool Congress party, was horrified by the idea that Bano, now in her 40s, would once again have to return to court, so she and other activists challenged the release with the Supreme Court on her behalf. “Everyone thinks that Bilkis would be the one to file a review petition. (But) she was exhausted,” Moitra said. “She couldn’t believe that justice would end like this. “So I think it was incumbent upon all of us to do it.” The Supreme Court played a role in the prisoners’ release and will now decide whether it should be upheld or reversed, according to Sanjay Hegde, a senior advocate at the court. He said the court had earlier directed authorities to consider the prisoners’ plea for leniency under a 1992 remission policy. That policy entitled all prisoners to seek remission after serving 14 years, no matter what crime they’d committed. The rules were tightened in 2014, so that some criminals, including rapists and murderers, are ineligible for early release. Gujarat Additional Chief Secretary Raj Kumar told the Press Trust of India (PTI) the men were released under the rules that were in effect at the time of their conviction. National president of the BJP’s women’s wing Vanathi Srinivasan said the Gujarat government followed the law. “They were not released for political reasons,” she said, according to PTI. However, in videotaped comments, CK Raulji, a BJP state legislator and member of the panel that recommended the release, suggested caste may have had something to do with it. “They are good people – Brahmins. And Brahmins are known to have good ‘sanskaar’ (morals). It might have been someone’s ill intention to corner and punish them,” he said, independent news site Mojo Story reported. Though the caste system has long been outlawed in India, the traditional system of social hierarchy holds Hindu Brahmins above other castes – and especially above Muslims. During Modi’s last eight years in power, many Muslims say religious intolerance has become more pronounced and crimes against Muslims more common. “The government is sending out a very clear message – show me your face, and I will show you how the law applies to you,” said Moitra. “Show me your religion, and I’ll show you how the law applies to you. And in a way, show me your gender and I’ll show you how the law applies to you.” Hegde told CNN there was no legal reason why the Supreme Court couldn’t reverse the men’s release and order them to surrender to authorities. “If they refuse to surrender, appropriate action could be taken,” he said. Yakub Rasool, Bano’s husband, agreed to meet CNN beside a highway in Gujarat’s Godhra District, so as not to reveal the location of his wife, who is in hiding. “Bilkis is so upset that she is not talking to anyone,” he said. Rasool said the couple had moved house up to 20 times in the past two decades, and now feared retribution from the men, who lived in the same village when the riots broke out. “Since the incident took place, we had to leave the village, but even today about 150 Muslim families live there,” he said. “All of them are scared. They feel these men will create trouble since they are now free.” Across India, protests were held in support of Bano, condemning the decision as an attack not only on Muslims but women’s rights in a country where government data shows a woman is raped every 17 minutes. Some saw the assailants’ release as a deliberate pitch for votes from BJP supporters ahead of the Gujarat state election. “The message the Gujarat government is sending out to its voters is that we support the men who raped Muslim women in the 2002 riots – vote for us,” activist Kavita Krishnan told supporters at a rally in Delhi in August. Critics say the decision reflects the disconnect between the government’s messaging on women’s rights and the daily reality for most women. The men were released on Independence Day, the same day Modi addressed the nation from a podium at the historic Red Fort in Delhi, urging his countrymen to show women respect. “There should be a feeling of respect for them, and in this, the government, administration, police and justice system will have to perform their duty (100) percent. We have to make this resolution,” Modi said. But Rasool says there was no respect shown to his wife, who fought for justice for many years. The couple want the decision reversed, as do those who have filed petitions with the Supreme Court. “We strongly believe that what happened with Bilkis was wrong and the convicts should be sent back to jail,” he said. Read More Here

S.C. Financial Services, Inc.' – GuruFocus.com https://digitalarizonanews.com/s-c-financial-services-inc-gurufocus-com/ S.C. Financial Services, Inc. recently filed their 13F report for the third quarter of 2022, which ended on 2022-09-30. The 13F report details which stocks were in a guru’s equity portfolio at the end of the quarter, though investors should note that these filings are limited in scope, containing only a snapshot of long positions in U.S.-listed stocks and American depository receipts as of the quarter’s end. They are not required to include international holdings, short positions or other types of investments. Still, even this limited filing can provide valuable information. 9375 E. SHEA BLVD SCOTTSDALE, AZ 85260 As of the latest 13F report, the guru’s equity portfolio contained 105 stocks valued at a total of $61.00Mil. The top holdings were ACN(5.75%), AAPL(4.86%), and IVV(4.62%). According to GuruFocus data, these were S.C. Financial Services, Inc.’s top five trades of the quarter. Accenture PLC The guru established a new position worth 13,677 shares in NYSE:ACN, giving the stock a 5.75% weight in the equity portfolio. Shares traded for an average price of $288.99 during the quarter. On 10/17/2022, Accenture PLC traded for a price of $261.34 per share and a market cap of $164.18Bil. The stock has returned -22.59% over the past year. GuruFocus gives the company a financial strength rating of 8 out of 10 and a profitability rating of 10 out of 10. In terms of valuation, Accenture PLC has a price-earnings ratio of 24.33, a price-book ratio of 7.45, a price-earnings-to-growth (PEG) ratio of 1.90, a EV-to-Ebitda ratio of 14.79 and a price-sales ratio of 2.72. The price-to-GF Value ratio is 0.78, earning the stock a GF Value rank of 7. FT Cboe Vest Buffered Allocation Defensive ETF During the quarter, S.C. Financial Services, Inc. bought 37,639 shares of BATS:BUFT for a total holding of 54,405. The trade had a 1.11% impact on the equity portfolio. During the quarter, the stock traded for an average price of $18.75. On 10/17/2022, FT Cboe Vest Buffered Allocation Defensive ETF traded for a price of $18.308 per share and a market cap of $160.60Mil. The stock has returned 0.00% over the past year. There is insufficient data to calculate the stock’s financial strength and profitability ratings. In terms of valuation, FT Cboe Vest Buffered Allocation Defensive ETF has a price-earnings ratio of 19.97 and a price-book ratio of 3.78. Zillow Group Inc The guru established a new position worth 14,424 shares in NAS:Z, giving the stock a 0.67% weight in the equity portfolio. Shares traded for an average price of $34.72 during the quarter. On 10/17/2022, Zillow Group Inc traded for a price of $28.42 per share and a market cap of $6.90Bil. The stock has returned -69.91% over the past year. GuruFocus gives the company a financial strength rating of 7 out of 10 and a profitability rating of 4 out of 10. In terms of valuation, Zillow Group Inc has a price-book ratio of 1.49, a EV-to-Ebitda ratio of -22.59 and a price-sales ratio of 0.67. The price-to-GF Value ratio is 0.21, earning the stock a GF Value rank of 2. Enterprise Products Partners LP The guru established a new position worth 16,000 shares in NYSE:EPD, giving the stock a 0.62% weight in the equity portfolio. Shares traded for an average price of $25.8 during the quarter. On 10/17/2022, Enterprise Products Partners LP traded for a price of $25.235 per share and a market cap of $54.88Bil. The stock has returned 11.51% over the past year. GuruFocus gives the company a financial strength rating of 4 out of 10 and a profitability rating of 8 out of 10. In terms of valuation, Enterprise Products Partners LP has a price-earnings ratio of 11.35, a price-book ratio of 2.12, a price-earnings-to-growth (PEG) ratio of 1.46, a EV-to-Ebitda ratio of 10.07 and a price-sales ratio of 1.08. The price-to-GF Value ratio is 0.68, earning the stock a GF Value rank of 10. Invesco BulletShares 2025 Municipal Bond ETF The guru established a new position worth 15,793 shares in NAS:BSMP, giving the stock a 0.61% weight in the equity portfolio. Shares traded for an average price of $24.48 during the quarter. On 10/17/2022, Invesco BulletShares 2025 Municipal Bond ETF traded for a price of $23.9982 per share and a market cap of $84.00Mil. The stock has returned -6.76% over the past year. There is insufficient data to calculate the stock’s financial strength and profitability ratings. Please note, the numbers and facts quoted are as of the writing of this article and may not factor in the latest trading data or company announcements. Want to provide feedback on this article? Have questions or concerns? Get in touch with us here, or email us at [email protected]! This article is general in nature and does not represent the opinions of GuruFocus or any of its affiliates. This article is not intended to be financial advice, nor does it constitute investment advice or recommendations. It was written without regard to your individual situation or financial goals. We aim to bring you fundamental, data-driven analysis, The information on this site is in no way guaranteed for completeness, accuracy or in any other way. Read More Here

Bad Blood In Ohio Senate Debate: 'I Think I Struck A Nerve' https://digitalarizonanews.com/bad-blood-in-ohio-senate-debate-i-think-i-struck-a-nerve/ The final debate between Ohio’s Senate hopefuls on Monday night got so ugly that it was mildly surprising to see Republican J.D. Vance and Democratic Rep. Tim Ryan shake hands at the end. Locked in an extraordinarily tight race, Vance and Ryan battled over who was the bigger “ass-kisser” or “suck-up” to their respective party leaders. It was a fitting finale for two candidates who appear to only barely tolerate each other’s presence and a marked break from the mild-mannered persona cultivated by the man they’re trying to succeed, retiring Sen. Rob Portman (R-Ohio). Though Ohio has trended red for two straight presidential election cycles, the Buckeye State’s surprisingly close contest could determine who controls the Senate next year: Chuck Schumer or Mitch McConnell. Vance is putting up narrow recent polling leads against Ryan, yet the Democrat is keeping Ohio one of the map’s closest races down the stretch. And their debate’s regular nasty turns reflected the huge stakes for both men as they made one last case to voters from Youngstown, Ohio, which Ryan represents in Congress. For the second straight debate, Ryan went after the Donald Trump-endorsed Vance for being too close to the former president. To drive his point further this time, Ryan said that Vance, once a prominent Trump critic, was “calling Trump America’s Hitler. Then he kissed his ass.” Vance responded by linking Ryan as many times as possible to Speaker Nancy Pelosi, arguing that his rival’s image as a moderate in Ohio campaign ads defies a voting record that’s in line with national Democratic leadership. Although Ryan once challenged Pelosi for House Democratic leader, Vance simply repeated the line that Ryan “votes with her 100 percent of the time.” Both Ryan and Vance are unique candidates: The Democrat is a former presidential aspirant who is tacking toward the center and vastly outperforming his party’s gubernatorial nominee, while Vance is a political novice best known as the author of the bestseller “Hillbilly Elegy.” Yet their race has become nationalized as November creeps ever closer, with Trump and Pelosi often taking top billing. With no Vance voting record to attack, Ryan is seeking to cast his opponent as subservient to Trump and GOP donor Peter Thiel, who spent $15 million to get Vance through the primary. Meanwhile, Vance uses Ryan’s Democratic voting record as a cudgel in a state where his rival needs to bring home Republicans to win. Vance contended that Ryan’s “entire campaign is based on sucking up to the National Democratic establishment” and that Ryan “says he’s reasonable, keeps saying he’s a moderate … but when he gets to Washington, he votes the opposite way.” That focus on the House speaker was not lost on Ryan. “You keep talking about Nancy Pelosi,” Ryan said at one point Monday night. “If you want to run against Nancy Pelosi, move back to San Francisco and run against Nancy Pelosi. You’re running against me.” The two men break sharply on a host of issues: Vance endorsed a 15-week abortion ban that some others in the GOP have avoided, while Ryan supports a bill to expand abortion rights; Ryan backed the bipartisan gun safety bill this summer, while Vance opposes its strengthening of so-called “red flag” laws. But it was a question about the racist Great Replacement Theory, which falsely asserts that minorities are an existential threat to white people, that elicited the most heated exchange during the debate. Vance was asked Monday about his past warnings of immigrant influence, replying that Democratic leaders are “very explicit about that, they say they want more and more immigration because if that happens, they’ll ensure that Republicans are never able to win another national election.” Ryan called the theory “nonsense,” then slammed what he called Vance’s embrace of it: “This is who he’s running around with, talking about replacement theory.” Vance responded that Ryan’s attack was “shameful” given that his biracial children would get attacked by “scumbags” online because of the Democrat’s rhetoric. “I think I struck a nerve with this guy,” Ryan said, pausing for effect. Vance replied: “You absolutely struck a nerve!” Then he pivoted back to tying Ryan to Pelosi and Schumer. Vance will clearly be more conservative than Portman, who has supported bipartisan deals on infrastructure, gun safety and even a failed independent commission to investigate the Capitol attack by Trump supporters. Vance has Portman’s support but a harder edge than the genteel incumbent, who won his 2016 reelection campaign by 20 points. Vance praised Portman for his work on mental health, while Ryan — who was endorsed by a former Portman chief of staff — repeatedly invoked the incumbent. “I’m not quite sure why Rob Portman endorsed you,” Ryan told Vance Monday night, “because you don’t agree with any of the compromises he’s been able to make over the last year.” Read More Here

Race For Miami-Dade Commission Seat Heats Up As Trump Endorses Candidate https://digitalarizonanews.com/race-for-miami-dade-commission-seat-heats-up-as-trump-endorses-candidate/ Former President Donald Trump is chiming in on a Miami-Dade County Commission race. “Kevin Marino Cabrera, special guy, a friend of mine,” Trump says in a taped endorsement that Cabrera is using in his campaign material. Cabrera was the former president’s state director in Florida. “We helped deliver Florida by a historic margin,” Cabrera said in a recent interview. His opponent for District 6, Coral Gables City Commissioner Jorge Fors, thinks it’s a bad idea for the former firebrand president to get involved in Miami-Dade local politics. “He’s trying to paint himself as a ‘MAGA Republican,’” Fors said. “We don’t really know what he is.” Commission District 6 stretches from the Hialeah area, south down the Palmetto Expressway. It includes Miami International Airport and a portion of Coral Gables. Local Politics All things politics in South Florida and throughout the Sunshine State While their respective brands of conservative politics are on different tracks, both candidates say senior citizens in the district are a priority. “Their incomes clearly are not rising, but their property taxes continue to rise, even those that have a homestead,” Cabrera said. “One of the big issues they are facing is that a lot of them are going to have to sell their homes and move out of the homes after living there for decades, because they just can’t afford to continue living there.”   Fors agrees. “Frankly, over the next three to five years, I think we are going to see a serious problem in where to put these older folks who really don’t know where they are going to go,” Fors said. “We are going to have to add more dwellings for them.”   When it comes to politics, Fors knocks Cabrera — and hard — over his 2018 appearance at a GOP protest attended by members of extremist group The Proud Boys. He also calls out Cabrera’s lack of governing experience and his nasty politics, with Fors filing a lawsuit against Cabrera. “My opponent, frankly, has told a lot of lies during this campaign,” Fors said. “That I was arrested, that I had been investigated for fraud, that I had a history of financial recklessness. He photoshopped me in an orange jumpsuit, handcuffed, behind bars, implying that I had been incarcerated before. None of which is true.”  Inflation, gas prices and the soaring cost of living are major themes of Cabrera’s message. He’s a lobbyist by trade and boasts of impressive endorsements on his website: Miami Mayor Francis Suarez, Hialeah Mayor Steve Bovo and Congresswoman Maria Elvira Salazar. Fors’ lawsuit, says Cabrera, is because he is losing. “It is a frivolous lawsuit, nobody sues anybody when they are ahead,” Cabrera said. “They sue people when they are behind. I know he is losing, he knows he’s losing, the residents of this district knows he’s losing.” District 6 Commissioner Rebecca Sosa, who is retiring, has endorsed Fors. Read More Here

Bad Blood In Ohio Senate Debate: 'I Think I Struck A Nerve' https://digitalarizonanews.com/bad-blood-in-ohio-senate-debate-i-think-i-struck-a-nerve-2/ For the second straight debate, Ryan went after the Donald Trump-endorsed Vance for being too close to the former president. To drive his point further this time, Ryan said that Vance, once a prominent Trump critic, was “calling Trump America’s Hitler. Then he kissed his ass.” Vance responded by linking Ryan as many times as possible to Speaker Nancy Pelosi, arguing that his rival’s image as a moderate in Ohio campaign ads defies a voting record that’s in line with national Democratic leadership. Although Ryan once challenged Pelosi for House Democratic leader, Vance simply repeated the line that Ryan “votes with her 100 percent of the time.” Both Ryan and Vance are unique candidates: The Democrat is a former presidential aspirant who is tacking toward the center and vastly outperforming his party’s gubernatorial nominee, while Vance is a political novice best known as the author of the bestseller “Hillbilly Elegy.” Yet their race has become nationalized as November creeps ever closer, with Trump and Pelosi often taking top billing. With no Vance voting record to attack, Ryan is seeking to cast his opponent as subservient to Trump and GOP donor Peter Thiel, who spent $15 million to get Vance through the primary. Meanwhile, Vance uses Ryan’s Democratic voting record as a cudgel in a state where his rival needs to bring home Republicans to win. Vance contended that Ryan’s “entire campaign is based on sucking up to the National Democratic establishment” and that Ryan “says he’s reasonable, keeps saying he’s a moderate … but when he gets to Washington, he votes the opposite way.” That focus on the House speaker was not lost on Ryan. “You keep talking about Nancy Pelosi,” Ryan said at one point Monday night. “If you want to run against Nancy Pelosi, move back to San Francisco and run against Nancy Pelosi. You’re running against me.” The two men break sharply on a host of issues: Vance endorsed a 15-week abortion ban that some others in the GOP have avoided, while Ryan supports a bill to expand abortion rights; Ryan backed the bipartisan gun safety bill this summer, while Vance opposes its strengthening of so-called “red flag” laws. But it was a question about the racist Great Replacement Theory, which falsely asserts that minorities are an existential threat to white people, that elicited the most heated exchange during the debate. Vance was asked Monday about his past warnings of immigrant influence, replying that Democratic leaders are “very explicit about that, they say they want more and more immigration because if that happens, they’ll ensure that Republicans are never able to win another national election.” Ryan called the theory “nonsense,” then slammed what he called Vance’s embrace of it: “This is who he’s running around with, talking about replacement theory.” Vance responded that Ryan’s attack was “shameful” given that his biracial children would get attacked by “scumbags” online because of the Democrat’s rhetoric. “I think I struck a nerve with this guy,” Ryan said, pausing for effect. Vance replied: “You absolutely struck a nerve!” Then he pivoted back to tying Ryan to Pelosi and Schumer. Vance will clearly be more conservative than Portman, who has supported bipartisan deals on infrastructure, gun safety and even a failed independent commission to investigate the Capitol attack by Trump supporters. Vance has Portman’s support but a harder edge than the genteel incumbent, who won his 2016 reelection campaign by 20 points. Vance praised Portman for his work on mental health, while Ryan — who was endorsed by a former Portman chief of staff — repeatedly invoked the incumbent. “I’m not quite sure why Rob Portman endorsed you,” Ryan told Vance Monday night, “because you don’t agree with any of the compromises he’s been able to make over the last year.” Read More Here

Trump Administration Interfered With Federal Response To Covid-19: Congressional Report | Www.lokmattimes.com https://digitalarizonanews.com/trump-administration-interfered-with-federal-response-to-covid-19-congressional-report-www-lokmattimes-com/ By IANS | Published: October 18, 2022 05:57 AM 2022-10-18T05:57:03+5:30 2022-10-18T06:10:06+5:30 Washington, Oct 18 A US Congressional panel released a new report detailing efforts by the Trump administration to … Trump administration interfered with federal response to Covid-19: Congressional report Next Washington, Oct 18 A US Congressional panel released a new report detailing efforts by the Trump administration to politicise federal response to the Covid-19 pandemic. The House Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Crisis accused the White House under former US President Donald Trump of undermining “public health to benefit the former president’s political goals”. Trump and his top aides repeatedly attacked the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) scientists, compromised the agency’s public health guidance, and suppressed scientific reports in an effort to downplay the seriousness of the coronavirus, Congressman James Clyburn, Chair of the panel, said in a statement. “This prioritisation of politics, contempt for science, and refusal to follow the advice of public health experts harmed the nation’s ability to respond effectively to the coronavirus crisis and put Americans at risk,” Clyburn alleged. The investigation uncovered that Trump’s appointees sought to influence CDC’s scientific reports attempting to change the publication process, manipulate the content, or block the dissemination of at least 19 different reports that they deemed to be politically harmful to the administration. The subcommittee has been investigating the Trump administration’s “political interference” across the federal government’s response to the Covid-19 pandemic since June 2020, Xinhua news agency reported. The US has reported nearly 97 million Covid-19 cases and more than 1 million deaths, according to data from Johns Hopkins University. The CDC said a new Covid variant dubbed BQ.1 and a descendant called BQ.1.1 have gained traction in the US, accounting for 11.4 per cent of new cases across the country in the week ending October 15. Disclaimer: This post has been auto-published from an agency feed without any modifications to the text and has not been reviewed by an editor Open in app Related Stories Read More Here

Jury Begins Deliberations In Case Against 'Steele Dossier' 'collector' https://digitalarizonanews.com/jury-begins-deliberations-in-case-against-steele-dossier-collector/ A federal jury in Alexandria, Virginia, is deliberating the fate of Igor Danchenko, the Russian national accused of lying to federal investigators about information he collected in 2016 for former British intelligence officer Christopher Steele that was compiled in Steele’s now-infamous “dossier” detailing Donald Trump’s alleged ties to Russia. A Washington-based think tank analyst, Danchenko was hired by Steele to contribute intelligence information to Steele’s research. He became a primary source to what came to be known as the “Steele dossier,” which included explosive and unproven claims about Trump. In a November 2021 indictment, prosecutors accused Danchenko of misleading FBI agents about his sources of information. Danchenko has pleaded not guilty. Danchenko’s trial is the final case of three prosecutions secured by special counsel John Durham in his years-long probe into alleged misconduct by the FBI and intelligence community in their investigation of Trump’s ties to Russia. On Monday, Durham himself questioned prosecution witnesses and delivered the prosecution’s rebuttal at the end of closing arguments. Danchenko served as a paid FBI informant from 2017 to 2020, when the bureau was pushed to sever its relationship with him after the Justice Department named him as a source for the Steele dossier. Federal prosecutors have argued during the trail that Danchenko misled the FBI during three days of voluntary interviews in January 2017 about where the dossier’s information came from and about his contact with other individuals. They said Danchenko told a “shifting story” to the agents who were trying to trace the source of the information. Russian analyst Igor Danchenko, center, arrives at the Albert V. Bryan U.S. Courthouse for his trial on Oct. 11, 2022 in Alexandria, Virginia. Alex Wong/Getty Images The government alleges that false information provided to the FBI by Danchenko was used to renew the bureau’s application to continue its secret surveillance of former Trump campaign adviser Carter Page after Page’s visits to Moscow. After the prosecution rested its case Friday, the defense asked U.S. Judge Anthony Trenga to dismiss all five counts in the indictment against Danchenko, saying that Durham did not prove Danchenko lied to the FBI and obstructed its investigation into Trump’s alleged Russian ties. Trenga dismissed one count: the prosecutions’ accusation that Danchenko falsely told the FBI that he never spoken with “a long-time participant in Democratic Party Politics” about any allegations included in the dossier. The judge ruled that Danchenko’s denial was “literally true” because the communication occurred over email and not via the spoken word. In the defense’s closing argument, Danchenko attorney Stuart Sears accused prosecutors of being on a “mission to prove [Danchenko] a liar” and said they failed to present evidence which “doesn’t support their narrative that he’s a liar.” Sears also pointed to the defense’s cross examination of the prosecution’s FBI witnesses, during which they spoke of the value of Danchenko’s contributions as an intelligence source and said that his outing as a source had damaged U.S. national security. “They didn’t say what [the prosecution] wanted them to say,” said Sears, who contended that the prosecutor’s own evidence “proves the defendant is not guilty.” In the government’s closing argument, prosecutors told jurors that Danchenko’s “own words” in emails from 2016 demonstrate that he provided misleading statements to investigators. “You didn’t check your common sense at the courthouse door. You need to use it,” prosecutor Michael Keilty told the jury. Read More Here

Arizona Governor's Race Spotlights Contrasting Styles Of A Democrat Who Won't Debate And A Republican Eager To Take The Stage – KRDO https://digitalarizonanews.com/arizona-governors-race-spotlights-contrasting-styles-of-a-democrat-who-wont-debate-and-a-republican-eager-to-take-the-stage-krdo/ By Maeve Reston and Kyung Lah, CNN Kari Lake has proved to be a gladiator in an arena of Donald Trump imitators. And in the final weeks of the Arizona governor’s race, the Republican is driving the narrative as she taunts her Democratic opponent, Katie Hobbs, for refusing to debate her. The race has taken on outsized importance this year because the governor could once again play a pivotal role in affirming the next occupant of the White House. It is a clash between an unwavering election denier in Lake — who refused to commit to accepting the November election result on CNN’s “State of the Union” Sunday — and one of the most prominent defenders of the sanctity of the state’s 2020 vote count in Hobbs, who is Arizona’s secretary of state. But the final phase of the race has become less of a battle of ideas and more of a contrast in high-risk tactics — one that has showcased the enthusiasm within the GOP base for Lake, a former TV anchor, and the low-key vibe of the Hobbs campaign. That’s causing some concern for Democrats in a race that has no clear leader, according to CNN’s recent polling, but in a state — already ground zero for Trump’s efforts to install election denying candidates — where registered GOP voters express stronger motivation to vote than Democrats. Hobbs has taken a calculated gamble by refusing to appear on stage with Lake — breaking a 20-year debate tradition by major party candidates in Arizona. Her campaign has insisted that there is no point in participating in a forum with Lake that would descend into “childish name calling” and “constant interruptions.” “I’m not interested in being a part of a Kari Lake spectacle or shouting match and I’m going to keep taking my case directly to the voters,” Hobbs told CNN at a recent phone bank launch. In a dynamic reminiscent of how Trump torpedoed many of his Republican rivals in 2016 — with endless repetition of nicknames like “low-energy” Jeb Bush and “Lyin’ Ted (Cruz)” — Lake has been relentless in her effort to brand Hobbs as “coward.” Lake campaign volunteers have even formed a traveling troupe of costumed chickens — sometimes accompanied by actual hens in a cage — that pop up outside Hobbs’ events and in front of her office with signs like “Hidin’ Hobbs” and “Katie the Coward.” Still, while Arizona Democrats do not want to appear critical of their nominee in the final weeks of the race, some voters are questioning the wisdom of allowing Lake to go unchallenged on a debate stage. David Axelrod, a former senior adviser to President Barack Obama, said the Hobbs campaign’s stance on debates is a “mistake.” “When you’re running to be the chief executive of a state, strength becomes a leading indicator and that’s true in any executive position. So, when you refuse to debate, it can be construed as weakness and fear,” Axelrod said. “The way you deal with falsehoods is to challenge the person who’s promoting them,” Axelrod added of Lake’s baseless focus on the 2020 election being stolen. “If I were the opponent, I’d want to chase her and force her to account for building her campaign on the basis of a falsehood. But they obviously feel like she’s too much of a personality to challenge — and I think that’s potentially a fatal mistake.” And Laurie Roberts, a left-leaning columnist for the Arizona Republic, wrote that Hobbs’ refusal to debate Lake amounts to “a new level of political malpractice.” “This is two candidates, each asking to govern a state of more than seven million people for the next four years. Voters have a right to see them, side by side,” Roberts wrote. But Democratic strategist Adrienne Elrod said it’s smart for Hobbs to stand down from a debate with Lake. “Hobbs has been strategically engaging in a mix of local and national media, and taking her campaign to communities throughout the state where she’s effectively made her case to voters. Given the candidate she is running again, I think her tack is sound and strategic.” Hobbs has argued that the debate issue isn’t salient to voters anyway. “I guarantee you that people who are struggling in Arizona right now are not making their decisions over whether or not there was a debate between myself and Kari Lake,” she told CNN’s Dana Bash on “State of the Union” on Sunday. But not all her supporters are so sure. Cindy Ika, a registered Democrat, could hear Lake’s costumed chicken protesters outside a Hobbs phone banking event she was attending last week. “I wish she would debate,” Ika said. “If you can’t get your voice out because (your opponent) is constantly interrupting — like Trump did with Hillary Clinton (in the 2016 presidential race) –that’s very hard to compete against that. I understand that.” But she said that kind of on-stage matchup could be helpful in elucidating the choice before voters. Ika, looking through the glass of Hobbs’ campaign event at the chicken protesters, warned that not directly challenging Lake could impact the small number of undecided voters in Arizona. “It does send a message.” ‘Call me out on stage’ Showing more message discipline than Trump and media-savvy from her career in television news, Lake has engaged in a series of high-wattage events and attention-grabbing stunts. Last week, she held a “Friday Night Fight Night” in Phoenix in a mock boxing ring with a backdrop of punching bags, weight benches and boxing gloves as she campaigned with a former UFC champion. At a recent event co-hosted by the US Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, where Lake and Hobbs appeared for back-to-back interviews, the candidates were supposed to wait in their respective holding rooms while their opponent spoke. But Lake staked out a spot in the front row when Hobbs was slated to speak. She then created a commotion in front of the audience when she was asked to leave by telling the moderator she should join him on stage so she could debate Hobbs face to face. Lake has dismissed Hobbs’ claims that a debate would lead to “pointless distractions” and name-calling as an inadequate justification for not meeting on stage. “We’re going to discuss the issues. If that’s your excuse, then call me out on stage,” the Republican said during a news conference last week in Phoenix, noting that Hobbs also refused to debate her Democratic opponents during the primary. “We have far too many issues facing our state right now to have a weak, cowardice candidate win, and then make it to the governor’s mansion.” But John Graham, a developer and registered Republican who helps lead the Republicans and Independents for Katie Hobbs coalition, predicted that voters will reject what he views as the divisive rhetoric of Lake and the current Arizona Republican Party, which is dominated largely by Trump supporters. Even though he has some policy disagreements with Hobbs, he is supporting her, he said, because he believes she will govern “responsibly, with a fair hand and be respected.” “She’s not a theatrical person, she’s not the huge bubbly personality,” Graham said. “But to me that’s perfectly fine. You get something that’s very calm, and very stable.” When asked about a Lake-Hobbs debate, Graham replied: “I don’t see how that debate would end up well for anybody.” Don Kinghorn, a 75-year-old Democrat from Sahuarita who is backing the Democrat, said her decision “is a little concerning because I think it makes her look reticent to confront.” But he pointed to the debates between Trump and Hillary Clinton in 2016 as evidence that voters might end up with more of a Lake-driven spectacle than an informative exchange of ideas. “Look at the last Trump/Clinton debates and how poorly he obeyed the rules,” Kinghorn said. “Kari Lake would be exactly like Trump. Why would you want to put yourself in a position where someone could just not follow the rules of the debate?” The-CNN-Wire & © 2022 Cable News Network, Inc., a Warner Bros. Discovery Company. All rights reserved. Katherine Sullivan contributed to this report. Read More Here

Student Loan Forgiveness Application Formally Opens | CNN Politics https://digitalarizonanews.com/student-loan-forgiveness-application-formally-opens-cnn-politics/ Biden forgave $10K in student debt. People flooded TikTok with their reactions 02:08 – Source: CNN Eligible student loan borrowers can now apply to have some of their debt forgiven after the Biden administration formally launched the application process. The plan announced by President Joe Biden in late August would forgive up to $10,000 or $20,000 for some borrowers. Individuals seeking to apply for student debt relief can fill out the form at Studentaid.gov. It is available in both English and Spanish.  Borrowers whose loans are guaranteed by the government but held by private lenders are no longer eligible after the Biden administration scaled back who qualifies. A beta version of the website was launched on Friday and Biden said 8 million Americans used the site over the weekend to fill out their applications. Tell us how the application process is going for you. Our live coverage has ended. Read more about the loan program in the posts below. David Rhoads said the application for student loan forgiveness was so easy, he was still in bed as he filled out the form. “I did it in bed just as I was waking up, probably took less than a minute or two,” he wrote to CNN on Monday, adding that he submitted the form during the beta testing period over the weekend. Rhoads, who lives in Chicago and works as a data scientist, said he has been paying on his loans since he finished graduate school about 10 years ago. “I was staring down the barrel at restarting payments,” he said, referring to the pause on loan payments during the Covid-19 pandemic. “I was pumped whenever I saw they were going to do the student loan forgiveness.” With that forgiveness, the $12,000 he owed will be cut down to about $2,000, he said. “If I have to move, have to switch jobs, this makes it easier — one fewer payment to worry about,” he said, adding that he plans to use the extra money to create an emergency fund, save for retirement and to get ahead on a down payment to eventually buy a house. President Joe Biden answers questions with Education Secretary Miguel Cardona as they leave an event about the student debt relief portal beta test at the White House complex on October 17. Susan Walsh/AP President Joe Biden is canceling some federal student loan debt, making a once pie-in-the-sky idea a reality. The application officially opened Monday, allowing low- and middle-class federal student loan borrowers to apply for up to $20,000 in debt relief. There are upsides and downsides. On the one hand, student debt cancellation will deliver financial relief to millions of Americans, potentially helping them buy their first homes, start businesses or save for retirement – all investments that may take a back seat to pay off student debt. Loan forgiveness could also help narrow the racial wealth gap, some experts say. But broad student loan forgiveness also shifts the cost – likely hundreds of billions of dollars – to taxpayers, including those who chose not to go to college or already paid for their education. Loan cancellation could also add to inflation while doing nothing to address the root of the problem: college affordability. “Forgiving debt does not affect college affordability at all,” said Douglas Holtz-Eakin, president of the American Action Forum, a conservative think tank, and former director of the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office. In fact, it might even drive up the cost of college, he said. If prospective students have reason to believe that a future president may cancel their debt, they may be more willing to borrow more money – and colleges, in turn, may decide to charge more for tuition and fees. Biden has acknowledged that college affordability is a problem and called for making community college free – but that move would require an act of Congress. The proposal was cut from the Biden-supported Build Back Better bill, which passed the House but stalled in the Senate. Christopher Gregory, who is an associate dean at Framingham State University, said he is thankful for any student loan assistance but believes the issue of the high interest rates on the initial loans needs to be addressed. Gregory told CNN he does a lot of work with the financial aid office of the Massachusetts-based college, trying to give students options to complete their degrees efficiently so that they can “take advantage of the investment sooner rather than later.” Many young people don’t understand the implications of loan interest rates and what they mean after they graduate, he said. By lowering rates, the country would be “sending a message” to these students that we do want to invest in their success, Gregory said. “College education is an investment in an individual as well as a community investment, so more folks should question why government-backed loans were set at 8% to begin with,” Gregory wrote to CNN. Aside from his students, Gregory said his family will also benefit from the partial loan forgiveness. He said though he graduated with an undergraduate, Masters and a PhD debt-free, he is working a full-time job and two part-time jobs to help his wife pay off her loans. She became disabled and was not able to work after she completed her doctoral degree, Gregory said. “It makes perfect sense to pay our bills and our loans that we take out,” he said, but with high interest rates, Gregory said they ended up paying “three times the amount of the original.” The Student Loan Protection Center is praising President Biden’s plan to forgive some student loan debt but says there is more that needs to be done to address the problem. SBPC executive director Mike Pierce said the move was a “major step forward to help free millions of American workers and families from the weight of the student loan debt crisis.” In a statement, Pierce said the program is a result of people speaking out and the Biden administration listening. “The door to transformational debt relief is now officially open, millions have already walked through it and we must ensure no borrower is left behind,” Pierce said. The SBPC is a nonprofit that advocates for ways to ease the burden on student loans. According to the center, 45 million Americans owe nearly $1.7 trillion in student loan debt. A view of the US Capitol during the sunrise on January 6, 2022. Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images Congress passed a bill at the end of September that would allow divorced couples to separate their consolidated federal student loan debt, potentially making some of them eligible for President Joe Biden’s student loan forgiveness program. The bill was signed by the President on Oct. 11, according to the White House. Until 2006, married couples were allowed to consolidate their federal student loan debt into a single joint loan. The idea was that it could make repayment simpler by allowing the couple to make a single monthly payment. But it also made couples jointly responsible for the debt, and there’s been no way for couples to separate their student loans later on, even in the event of divorce or domestic abuse. Couples’ consolidated loans are also excluded from some federal student loan relief plans like the Public Service Loan Forgiveness program, which cancels outstanding balances for some public sector workers after they make 10 years of qualifying payments. The consolidated loans might also be ineligible for the loan forgiveness plan, officially launched on Monday, which will provide up to $10,000 of debt cancellation for individuals who make less than $125,000 a year and married couples or heads of households who make less than $250,000 annually. Those qualifying borrowers who also received a Pell grant while enrolled in college are eligible for up to $20,000 in student loan forgiveness. The bill allows borrowers with a joint consolidation loan to jointly submit an application to the Department of Education to separate their debt into two separate loans. The loans would be split proportionately based on the original loan amounts, according to a statement of support of the bill from the White House. The bill also allows survivors of domestic violence or economic abuse, or borrowers who are unable to reach the other borrower, to submit an individual application. Once the debt is separated, each borrower will have a Direct Consolidation Loan, which can be eligible for student loan forgiveness – as long as the borrower meets the income qualifications. Americans who received Pell grants to help pay for college will receive more help than other borrowers from the Biden administration’s student debt relief initiative. Those who qualified for a Pell grant as undergraduates will have up to $20,000 of their student loan debt forgiven. To be eligible, borrowers must make less than $125,000 a year if they are single and less than $250,000 a year if they’re married or head of a household. What is a Pell grant? Pell grants are a type of federal financial aid for undergraduate students with “exceptional financial need,” according to the Department of Education. Unlike loans, they typically do not need to be repaid. About 6.3 million undergraduate students received roughly $27 billion in Pell grants in fiscal year 2020, according to the Congressional Research Service. How much is a Pell grant? The maximum award for the 2022-23 academic year is $6,895. But the amount students receive depends on a number of factors, including their expected family contribution to the cost of college, which is determined by their federal student aid application. Also considered is how much it costs to attend the college, as well as whether the student is enrolled full-time or part-time and is going for the full academic year or less. Who is eligible? There is no set income threshold for eligibility. Instead, it i...

With Liz Truss’s Agenda Gutted, Brits Ask If Prime Minister Is Still In Charge https://digitalarizonanews.com/with-liz-trusss-agenda-gutted-brits-ask-if-prime-minister-is-still-in-charge/ LONDON — Britain’s brand new finance minister scrapped the remaining elements of Prime Minister Liz Truss’s signature taxation policy on Monday, a move that seemed to successfully reassure markets but left many wondering who is now in charge of the government. Truss stayed on the sidelines while Jeremy Hunt — a political rival who was tapped on Friday for the top cabinet post — announced that the government would not slash taxes, but instead allow them to rise. Truss left it to House of Commons leader Penny Mordaunt, another rival, to defend the government’s U-turns in Parliament, where both opposition lawmakers and some mutinous politicians from the ruling Conservative Party are calling on the prime minister to quit after just six weeks in office. It was another disastrous day for Truss. The first the public heard from her was in a late night BBC broadcast. She said she wanted to “say sorry for the mistakes that have been made” but added that she was “sticking around,” and would “lead the Conservatives into the next general election.” Labour Party leader Keir Starmer pushed the refrain that Truss was “in office but not in power.” “Where is the prime minister?” Starmer asked rhetorically. “Hiding away, dodging questions, scared of her own shadow.” Some commentators are speaking about when she goes, not if. One British tabloid is live-streaming a head of iceberg lettuce placed next to a picture of Truss and asking which will last longer. An editorial in the Sunday Times declared: “Truss has wrecked the Conservative Party’s reputation for fiscal competence and humiliated Britain on the international stage.” “Senior Tories must now act in the national interest and remove her from Downing Street as quickly as possible,” the editorial continued, while also calling Hunt the “de factor prime minister.” Hunt is a moderate Conservative who is considered to be a safe pair of hands, though he has twice lost contests to lead his party. He assured the country that Truss was “in charge.” “It is the most challenging form of leadership to accept the decision you have made has to be changed,” he told Parliament. “And the prime minister has done that, and she has done so willing because she understands the importance of economic stability, and I respect her for it.” Truss was installed at Downing Street as the choice of 160,000 dues-paying members of the Conservative Party — about 0.3 percent of the population. The growth-through-tax-cuts plan that helped propel her candidacy, and prompted admiring comparisons to Margaret Thatcher, has now been thoroughly gutted. Tax cuts for the wealthy didn’t go down well with a public that is facing record inflation and soaring bills. But the government’s about-face had far more to do with bond traders, who were spooked by the level of borrowing the plan would require. Hunt came in after two of the most controversial parts of the plan had already been scrapped. And still he pumped the brakes hard, stressing that the debt and spending would be new watchwords. “We will reverse almost all the tax measures announced in the growth plan three weeks ago,” Hunt said. “There will be more difficult decisions, I’m afraid, on both tax and spending as we deliver our commitment to get debt falling as a share of the economy over the medium term.” Hunt also announced that the government’s popular plan to help with energy bills for households — a “landmark policy supporting millions of people through a difficult winter” — will not continue for two years but last only until April. The government will then move to a “new approach” that will “cost the taxpayer significantly less.” The markets have been receptive to the government’s backtracking. The falling British pound has stabilized. The country’s leading stock index, the FTSE 100, was up. And the cost of government borrowing was coming down — though still higher than it was before Truss took over. But British politics remains in turmoil. Although there is no general election in sight, two polls published Monday showed the Labour Party more than 30 points ahead of the Conservatives. “Who voted for this?” signs have been popping up at protests and in opposition lawmakers’ social media feeds. There is hand-wringing among the Conservatives, too. “Her position politically is utterly untenable,” said Jonathan Tonge, a professor of politics at the University of Liverpool. “In any sensible democracy she would have gone by now.” “She campaigned on a platform of tax cuts, a dash for growth and supply-side reform — every element of that was dismantled by Jeremy Hunt,” he said. If Truss survives, “it’s only because Conservative Party grandees can’t agree on a replacement.” The Conservatives are known for ruthlessly jettisoning their leaders. Boris Johnson won them a landslide victory in the 2019 general election, but after scandals — and a Conservative tailspin in the polls — he was forced to resign. Truss’s personal poll ratings are worse than Johnson’s ever were, and her party’s poll ratings have nosedived. People would look “pretty askance” if the party staged another leadership contest so soon, Damian Green, a prominent Conservative, acknowledged on BBC Radio 4. But asked if he wanted Truss to be leading the party when the next general election happens, Green offered only backhanded support. “If she leads us into the next election, that will mean that the next two years have been a lot more successful than the past four weeks have been.” Getting Conservatives to rally around someone to replace Truss may indeed be a challenge. Although Hunt has taken on a powerful role, he’s hardly a rising star within the party. He was soundly beaten by Boris Johnson in the 2019 Conservative Party leadership contest and was eliminated in the first round of voting this past summer after getting just 18 votes from fellow lawmakers. A wing of the Conservatives would like to see the top job going to former finance minister Rishi Sunak, the runner-up in the summer’s leadership contest. Many of his economic predictions have turned out to be prescient. But he is disliked by Johnson loyalists, who accuse him of leading the revolt that brought down the last prime minister. And Conservative lawmakers may invite other problems if they overrule the party’s grass roots by promoting Sunak. Mordaunt, who is more popular with the grass roots, has been discussed as another contender. She wrote in the Sunday Telegraph, however, that this was not the time to change prime ministers. “Our country needs stability,” she said, “not a soap opera.” Over the weekend, President Biden was asked by a reporter what he thought of Truss’s “trickle-down plan that she had to walk back from.” Usually, U.S. presidents don’t comment on an ally’s budget, but Biden weighed in, saying: “Well, it’s predictable. I wasn’t the only one that thought it was a mistake.” He added: “I think that the idea of cutting taxes on the super wealthy at a time when — anyway, I just think — I disagreed with the policy, but that’s up to Great Britain to make that judgment, not me.” Read More Here

Cardinals Welcome D-Hop Back, Hope It Sparks Struggling Team https://digitalarizonanews.com/cardinals-welcome-d-hop-back-hope-it-sparks-struggling-team/ TEMPE, AZ — Three-time All-Pro receiver DeAndre Hopkins is back on the field after serving his six-game suspension. That won’t fix all of the problems for the Cardinals, but it’s certainly a good start. Arizona’s in the midst of a midseason offensive makeover, celebrating the return of Hopkins while also adding receiver Robbie Anderson in a Monday trade with the Panthers. The Cardinals hope the Hopkins-Anderson combo can make up for the loss of leading receiver Marquise Brown, who has a foot injury and will likely miss several weeks. They also hope the roster shakeup will revive an offense that has been among the worst in the NFL. The Cardinals (2-4) lost to the Seahawks 19-9 on Sunday in a game that they didn’t score an offensive touchdown. “We can’t expect (Hopkins) to be the savior,” Kingsbury said. “We’re all excited to have him and what he brings, the competitor he is, and all those things, but we’ve got a lot we’ve got to get better at.” It’s a quick turnaround for the Cardinals, who host the Saints on Thursday night. Arizona is 3-9 in its past 12 games dating to last season. The start of that stretch was about the time Hopkins began to struggle with hamstring and knee injuries. He was suspended for the first six games this season after violating the NFL’s policy on performance-enhancing drugs. Hopkins will be expected to produce right away. Kingsbury said the Cardinals can’t expect miracles, but it should be a welcome addition. “He definitely brings a dynamic that any team would want to have,” Kingsbury said. “He’s a true No. 1, a playmaker that defenses have to be aware of each and every snap, it makes a difference in scheme and play calling.” WHAT’S WORKING Arizona’s defense continues to play well. Defensive coordinator Vance Joseph has built a solid group around safeties Budda Baker and Jalen Thompson, linebackers Zaven Collins and Markus Golden, and defensive linemen J.J. Watt and Zach Allen. Many thought the unit would take a step backward after losing Chandler Jones and Jordan Hicks in free agency, but that hasn’t been the case. WHAT NEEDS HELP The offensive line had some trouble keeping Murray upright Sunday, giving up six sacks. C Rodney Hudson (knee) has been out the past couple weeks and LG Justin Pugh suffered a season-ending knee injury on Sunday. The Cardinals have been solid along the offensive line the past few seasons, but need Hudson to return and someone to step up in Pugh’s absence. STOCK UP Collins has taken a big leap in a his second year and is now a mainstay in the middle of Arizona’s defense. He had two sacks against the Seahawks and led the team with nine tackles. At 6-foot-4 and 260 pounds, Collins has a unique blend of size and speed that allows him to help the defense in multiple ways. STOCK DOWN It’s fair to wonder if WR A.J. Green is nearing the end of his career. The seven-time Pro Bowl selection’s production has dipped dramatically in his 11th season, with 10 catches for 56 yards in five games. The worst part for the Cardinals is they really could have used production from Green while Hopkins was serving his suspension. INJURIES Brown’s injury is expected to keep him out of lineup for a least a month. … The Cardinals are banged up at running back with three of the top four options — James Conner (ribs), Darrel Williams (knee) and Jonathan Ward (hamstring) — nursing injuries. … Kingsbury was hopeful K Matt Prater (hip) will be ready for Thursday’s game. … Kingsbury said Max Garcia would likely see more playing time at left guard with Pugh out for the season. KEY NUMBER 30 — The Cardinals haven’t scored 30 points in a game yet this season. They hit that mark nine times last season, resulting in eight wins. NEXT STEPS It’s a quick turnaround for the Cardinals, who host the Saints on Thursday. Arizona is 0-3 at home this season, losing to the Rams, Chiefs and Eagles. Copyright 2022 Scripps Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Sign up for the Headlines Newsletter and receive up to date information. Read More Here

Obituaries In Phoenix, AZ | The Arizona Republic https://digitalarizonanews.com/obituaries-in-phoenix-az-the-arizona-republic-53/ Pamela Grace Bishop , 72, of Phoenix, Az. passed peacefully into the hands of God on October 13th, 2022. Born in Jacksonville Florida she was the second child of Carlton and Geneva Black. She graduated from Wichita Southeast HS in 1968. Pam met her future husband Steve while in high school. She attended Kansas State University and was a member of Gamma Phi Beta Sorority. She graduated with her BS in Elementary Education and taught second grade for 22 years in the Paradise Valley School District. She was raised in the Christian Church and was a member of Scottsdale Bible Church. She always carried a deep faith in Christ Jesus. Pam enjoyed reading, sewing, gardening, travel, and planning family activities. She will be remembered for her love of children and her kind and gentle personality. Always smiling she made friends easily. She is survived by her husband of 51 years Steve, daughter Ali Stewart of Phoenix, daughter Amy Cole of Charlotte NC. sister Wanda Hakeman of Tempe, sister Carla Kummer of Orlando Fla, and six grandchildren. The family would like to thank Wings of Hope Hospice for their excellent care in her final months of life. Special thanks to Lilliana H. who was Pams caregiver for the past five years. A Celebration of Life will be held on Saturday Nov. 5th, 11AM at Hansen Mortuary 6500 E. Bell Road in Scottsdale. Private interment will be held at Better Place Forests in Flagstaff Az. In lieu of flowers memorial donations can be made to www.curePSP.org Posted online on October 17, 2022 Published in The Arizona Republic Pamela Grace Bishop , 72, of Phoenix, Az. passed peacefully into the hands of God on October 13th, 2022. Born in Jacksonville Florida she was the second child of Carlton and Geneva Black. She graduated from Wichita Southeast HS in 1968. Pam met her future husband Steve while in high school. She attended Kansas State University and was a member of Gamma Phi Beta Sorority. She graduated with her BS in Elementary Education and taught second grade for 22 years in the Paradise Valley School District. She was raised in the Christian Church and was a member of Scottsdale Bible Church. She always carried a deep faith in Christ Jesus. Pam enjoyed reading, sewing, gardening, travel, and planning family activities. She will be remembered for her love of children and her kind and gentle personality. Always smiling she made friends easily. She is survived by her husband of 51 years Steve, daughter Ali Stewart of Phoenix, daughter Amy Cole of Charlotte NC. sister Wanda Hakeman of Tempe, sister Carla Kummer of Orlando Fla, and six grandchildren. The family would like to thank Wings of Hope Hospice for their excellent care in her final months of life. Special thanks to Lilliana H. who was Pams caregiver for the past five years. A Celebration of Life will be held on Saturday Nov. 5th, 11AM at Hansen Mortuary 6500 E. Bell Road in Scottsdale. Private interment will be held at Better Place Forests in Flagstaff Az. In lieu of flowers memorial donations can be made to www.curePSP.org Posted online on October 17, 2022 Published in The Arizona Republic Read More Here

Obituaries In Phoenix, AZ | The Arizona Republic https://digitalarizonanews.com/obituaries-in-phoenix-az-the-arizona-republic-52/ Life Story Memory Board Obituary Send Flowers Mynor Estuardo Gobright, 32 of Phoenix, AZ passed away on 9/25/2022. If you have any information regarding this person, please call Maricopa County Indigent Decedent Services at 602-372-0535, select option #5. Posted online on October 17, 2022 Published in The Arizona Republic Obituary Send Flowers Mynor Estuardo Gobright, 32 of Phoenix, AZ passed away on 9/25/2022. If you have any information regarding this person, please call Maricopa County Indigent Decedent Services at 602-372-0535, select option #5. Posted online on October 17, 2022 Published in The Arizona Republic Read More…

Trump Aides Blocked Accurate Covid Information: US Probe https://digitalarizonanews.com/trump-aides-blocked-accurate-covid-information-us-probe/ Senior staff at the US CDC told investigators Trump aides bullied staff and tried to rewrite their reports in a bid to align guidance with the president’s public downplaying of the crisis.— Reuters pic Follow us on Instagram, subscribe to our Telegram channel and browser alerts for the latest news you need to know. Tuesday, 18 Oct 2022 7:40 AM MYT WASHINGTON, Oct 18 — Former US president Donald Trump’s administration prevented health officials from providing accurate information about Covid-19 in a bid to back up his overly optimistic view of the outbreak, according to a congressional report released yesterday. Senior staff at the US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) told investigators Trump aides bullied staff and tried to rewrite their reports in a bid to align guidance with the president’s public downplaying of the crisis. Officials took “unprecedented steps to insert political appointees into the publication process and rebut CDC’s scientific reports, including drafting op-eds and other public messaging designed to directly counteract CDC’s findings,” the report said. Investigators interviewed a dozen current and former CDC officials as well as senior administration figures for the 91-page document released by the House select subcommittee on the coronavirus crisis. The panel describes how Trump appointees at the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) tried to take over the CDC’s weekly scientific journal, the Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR), editing or blocking articles they believed might prove harmful to Trump. Trump appointees had sought to “alter the contents, rebut, or delay the release” of 18 MMWRs and a health alert, succeeding on at least five occasions. The report quoted a CDC communications officer who complained that a Trump ally in HHS had used “bully-ish behaviour” that made CDC officials “feel threatened.” Jay Butler, the CDC’s deputy director of infectious diseases, said he was “not really asked back to do telebriefings” after his statements were deemed “too alarming.” “The Select Subcommittee’s investigation has shown that the previous administration engaged in an unprecedented campaign of political interference in the federal government’s pandemic response, which undermined public health to benefit the former president’s political goals,” panel chairman Jim Clyburn, a Democrat, said in a statement. “As today’s report shows, President Trump and his top aides repeatedly attacked CDC scientists, compromised the agency’s public health guidance, and suppressed scientific reports in an effort to downplay the seriousness of the coronavirus.” A previous report outlined the Trump administration’s bid to block government health officials from speaking publicly about the pandemic. And another described its pressure on the US Food and Drug Administration to reissue emergency authorisation for hydroxychloroquine, an anti-malaria drug Trump was promoting despite its ineffectiveness in treating Covid-19. Republicans dismissed the latest report as partisan and have vowed to conduct their own inquiry if they win back the House or the Senate in November’s midterm elections. — AFP Read More Here