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For Biden And Trump, 2022 Is 2020 Sequel — And 2024 Preview? https://digitalarizonanews.com/for-biden-and-trump-2022-is-2020-sequel-and-2024-preview/ WASHINGTON (AP) — This year’s midterm elections are playing out as a strange continuation of the last presidential race — and a potential preview of the next one. Donald Trump, who refused to exit the stage after his defeat and continues to rally his supporters with lies about voter fraud, has spent months raging against Joe Biden, reshaping down-ballot campaigns that normally function as a straightforward referendum on the incumbent president. The result is an episode of political shadowboxing with little precedent, as the current president and his immediate predecessor — and possible future challenger — crisscross the country in support of their party’s candidates. Even as he faces multiple investigations, including a criminal probe into the handling of classified documents at his Mar-a-Lago estate, Trump has been holding raucous rallies in battleground states, where he alternates between touting his handpicked candidates and denouncing his enemies. He belittles and excoriates Biden while lying, as he did in Ohio last month, that “we didn’t lose” the last election. Biden has so far steered clear of some of the tightest midterm races, instead focusing on fundraisers and official events where he draws contrasts between Democratic and Republican policy agendas. He often avoids direct references to “the last guy,” but on Saturday in Oregon, Biden warned that “Trump controls the Republican Party.” Sometimes the two men travel to the same places, such as when they visited Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, within days of each other, a reflection of the narrow political map that will determine which party controls the U.S. Senate. “It’s remarkably unusual,” said Jeffrey Engel, founding director of the Center for Presidential History at Southern Methodist University, who strained to think of any comparison in previous election cycles. “Without exception, since the Great Depression” — Republican Herbert Hoover tried to plot a path back to power despite losing to Democrat Franklin Delano Roosevelt in 1932 — “we have not had a former president who believed they still had a viable political career ahead of them,” he said. Neither Trump nor Biden has formally announced they will run again. Trump has come close to declaring his candidacy, and Biden has said he intends to seek a second term. If they face off again, the competition between them could become one of the longest and impactful political duels in American history, spanning several years and multiple elections. Voters seem to have little appetite for a rematch. A recent AP-NORC poll shows only about 3 in 10 Americans want either Biden or Trump to run for president in two years. Just 5 in 10 Democrats want Biden to seek a second term, while 6 out of 10 Republicans hope to see Trump seek the presidency again. Engel said another battle between Biden and Trump would likely prove dispiriting. “What that fundamentally means is our country is not moving forward,” he said. “I have not met anybody who relishes that campaign.” However, it’s clear that both men see their fortunes tied to the other. When CNN’s Jake Tapper asked Biden whether he’s the only one who could fend off his predecessor in another campaign, the president sidestepped the question but expressed confidence about his chances. “I believe I can beat Donald Trump again,” he said. Trump would take issue with the use of the word “again” — he continues to spread the lie that Biden only took office through voter fraud. It’s an integral part of Trump’s political message, and he never fails to bring it up at rallies for Republican candidates who have endorsed his false views on the last election. Sometimes the rhetoric dives even deeper into conspiracies, a reminder that another campaign could represent an even sharper break with reality. In Arizona, during his most recent rally, Trump darkly suggested that Biden is surrounded by “vicious, very smart people” who are “pulling strings.” “No one thought this could happen in our country, and it all happened because of a rigged and stolen election,” he said. The former president has also tightened his embrace of the QAnon conspiracy theory, which portrays Trump as battling sinister, hidden forces. Using his Truth Social platform, Trump shared an image of himself wearing a Q lapel pin overlaid with the words “The Storm is Coming,” referencing his eventual victory over opponents who would be tried — or even executed — on live television. People close to Trump have said they believe a strong performance by Republicans in November will further encourage Trump to run again in two years, as he has been openly teasing for months. In addition to his rallies, which earn candidates local media attention and fire up the Republican base, Trump has been helping candidates in other ways, holding fundraisers and tele-rally calls on their behalf. Most significantly, last week, his new super PAC, MAGA Inc., reserved nearly $5 million in airtime for ads in key states attacking the opponents of his favored candidates. The first round of ads from the group notably do not feature Trump or even mention his name. Republicans have expressed frustration that Trump was hoarding small-dollar donations for himself and refusing to help the candidates he had pushed voters to nominate, despite sitting on an enormous war chest. But Mike DuHaime, a longtime Republican strategist, isn’t sure the outcome of the midterms will make a difference in Trump’s plans for the next presidential race. “He’ll take credit for every win and deflect blame for every loss,” he said. Trump has claimed, as he did in Pennsylvania last month, that the midterms are “a referendum on the corruption and extremism of Joe Biden and the radical Democrat party.” But DuHaime said Trump has prevented that from happening by injecting himself into this year’s races, providing a boost to Biden, whose poll numbers remain underwater as voters express concerns about the economy. “Trump is no ordinary president, nor did he really seem to care about the party,” he said. “He seems to care about himself more than the party that put him in office.” Biden’s circle has a similar view. An adviser, speaking on the condition of anonymity to discuss internal conversations, said those around Biden see the midterms as having become more of a choice than a referendum. Trump’s presence on the trail, the adviser said, is seen as helping make Democratic points for them. Celinda Lake, a Democratic pollster, said the only thing more helpful would be if Trump announced another presidential campaign. “He’s getting dangerously close to that,” she said. Biden has deferred any announcement about his own candidacy until after Election Day, keeping his focus on the midterms. Like other incumbent presidents in an election year, Biden has blended his political and governmental duties as voting begins. He stopped in Colorado on Wednesday to designate the first national monument of his administration, fulfilling the wishes of the state’s senior Democratic senator, Michael Bennet, who is seeking reelection this year. Although Bennet is favored to win, he’s facing a concerted challenge from Joe O’Dea, a Republican businessman. ___ Associated Press writers Jill Colvin in New York and Hannah Fingerhut in Washington contributed to this report. ___ Follow the AP’s coverage of the midterm elections at https://apnews.com/hub/2022-midterm-elections. Read More Here

Lee And McMullin Scheduled To Meet In Utah Senate Debate https://digitalarizonanews.com/lee-and-mcmullin-scheduled-to-meet-in-utah-senate-debate/ OREM, Utah (AP) — Utah Republican Sen. Mike Lee and his independent challenger Evan McMullin are scheduled to meet Monday evening at a televised debate three weeks before Election Day. Though Utah is a deeply conservative state that has been represented by Republicans in the U.S. Senate since 1976, the race has become surprisingly competitive, with both candidates bombarding airwaves and mailboxes with attack ads and campaigning aggressively throughout the state. Lee, a second-term Republican, has represented Utah since he unseated an establishment Republican in the 2010 Tea Party wave. Though before the 2016 election he denounced Donald Trump’s rhetoric and hardline positions on immigration and refugees, throughout the former president’s tenure, he emerged as one of his most loyal allies. Given Lee’s trajectory, many observers see the race as a referendum on the direction Trump has taken the Republican Party. It will reflect whether Republicans continue to have a stranglehold on voters in Utah, a state where a majority of voters are members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Polling has shown Trump has fared worse than other Republicans with members of the faith, which places a high value on manners and eschews alcohol and foul language. McMullin is a former CIA agent and House Republican staffer who left the party and ran for president as an independent in 2016, winning more than one out of every five votes in Utah. He hopes to channel the state’s moderate reputation and anti-Trump sentiment. He successfully persuaded the state Democratic Party to not nominate a candidate of their own earlier this year, hoping to cobble together a coalition of Democrats, independents and disillusioned Republicans to unseat Lee. FILE – Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, speaks during a news conference on Dec. 19, 2016, at the Utah State Capitol, in Salt Lake City. Lee and his independent challenger Evan McMullin are scheduled to face off on Oct. 17, 2022, evening at a televised debate three weeks before Election Day. The debate will be the only time the candidates appear together in the lead-up to next month’s midterm elections. (AP Photo/Rick Bowmer, File) Photo: ASSOCIATED PRESS/Rick Bowmer FILE- Supporters for Independent presidential candidate Evan McMullin arrive for a rally on Oct. 21, 2016, in Draper, Utah. Utah Republican Sen. Mike Lee and his independent challenger McMullin are scheduled to face off on Oct. 17, 2022, evening at a televised debate three weeks before Election Day. The debate will be the only time the candidates appear together in the lead-up to next month’s midterm elections. (AP Photo/Rick Bowmer, File) Photo: ASSOCIATED PRESS/Rick Bowmer FILE – President Donald Trump stands with Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, on Dec. 4, 2017, at the Utah State Capitol. Lee and his independent challenger Evan McMullin are scheduled to face off on Oct. 17, 2022, evening at a televised debate three weeks before Election Day. The debate will be the only time the candidates appear together in the lead-up to next month’s midterm elections. (AP Photo/Rick Bowmer, File) Photo: ASSOCIATED PRESS/Rick Bowmer PreviousNext McMullin’s campaign has focused largely on depicting Lee as a threat to democracy, highlighting text messages he sent to Trump Chief of Staff Mark Meadows in the lead-up to the Jan. 6, 2021 attack on the U.S. Capitol. The texts show Lee asking for advice on how to contribute to efforts to challenge the election results. Lee has defended his actions by saying he merely intended to look into the legal arguments and noting that he ultimately voted to certify the results. Lee’s campaign trail message has highlighted his record of voting according to his principles, even when it can be unpopular or threaten government shutdown. He has attacked McMullin for not articulating positions on key midterm election issues — including abortion and infrastructure spending — and argued that a vote for him could deny Republicans a majority and sway the Senate to Democrats. Lee remains overwhelmingly popular among the Republican base, which enthusiastically backed him at the party’s April convention. Though Utah has been an electoral afterthought in past cycles, this year’s Senate race has attracted national attention. Democratic presidential primary candidate Andrew Yang campaigned for McMullin in Salt Lake City last week and Republican congressman Adam Kinzinger is scheduled to join him on Thursday in Salt Lake City. Wyoming Sen. John Barasso and Rep. Chip Roy traveled to Utah to support Lee last week. The right-leaning political action committee Club for Growth has funneled millions into ads in support of Lee. Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. Read More Here

Trump's Secret Service Bills 'exorbitant' https://digitalarizonanews.com/trumps-secret-service-bills-exorbitant/ Donald Trump’s private company arranged for the US 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 $US1100 ($A1750) a night, according to documents released by a congressional committee. The Secret Service was charged room rates of more than $US800 a night at least 11 times when agents stayed at Mar-a-Lago in Florida, the Trump hotel in Washington, DC, and other properties, the Democratic-led House oversight committee says. It noted Trump made more than 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 on 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 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. “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 $US1.4 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 criticised by Democrats and government watchdogs for what they say were brazen attempts make money from taxpayer funds during his presidency. As well as 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. Australian Associated Press Read More Here

House Panel: Trump's Bills To Secret Service 'exorbitant' https://digitalarizonanews.com/house-panel-trumps-bills-to-secret-service-exorbitant/ 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. Read More Here

Health Care — Trump Staffers Interfered In CDC Guidance, Report Finds https://digitalarizonanews.com/health-care-trump-staffers-interfered-in-cdc-guidance-report-finds/ All seven members of the Korean megastar boy band BTS will be serving their mandatory time in the South Korean military, it was announced today, with plans to regroup in 2025. Best of luck to the ARMY.  In health new, a House committee report shows how the Trump administration interfered with and undermined the CDC in an effort to push the former president’s rosy pandemic outlook.  Welcome to Overnight Health Care, where we’re following the latest moves on policy and news affecting your health. For The Hill, we’re Nathaniel Weixel and Joseph Choi. Someone forward you this newsletter? Subscribe here. Trump staff obstructed CDC guidance, panel says The Trump administration regularly interfered with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) process for developing and issuing guidance about the coronavirus, changed scientific reports and undermined top public health officials, a congressional panel said Monday.  The House select subcommittee on the coronavirus crisis said interviews, emails and other documents obtained by the panel showed how political appointees in the Trump administration took control of CDC’s public communications and overruled scientists in an effort to bend the agency to Trump’s rosy outlook on the pandemic.  The panel concluded political interference has caused lasting harm to CDC staff morale, as well as a loss of credibility in the nation’s public health institutions.   Former CDC Director Robert Redfield and other top agency staff described to the committee how the White House required CDC guidance to be reviewed by officials at the Office of Management and Budget, who ultimately had veto power over the content even though many had no background in infectious diseases.  Redfield told committee staff that agency guidance was “compromised” at times, and that the process of getting approval from non-CDC officials gave him “PTSD.”  No masks: In one instance, Martin Cetron, director of the CDC’s division of global migration and quarantine, described how the Trump administration blocked a mask requirement for public and commercial transportation in the summer of 2020.  “The evidence was scientifically there” to support a mask requirement, Cetron said, but “despite what seemed like a fairly broad consensus, ultimately that decision was made and we were told that there would be no such use of federal authority for masking in a transportation corridor.”  Title 42: Cetron also said the order on Title 42 “was not drafted by me or my team,” but was “handed to us.” He indicated Stephen Miller, one of former President Trump’s immigration advisors, was one of the people behind the policy.   Both Trump and Biden administrations have argued Title 42 is a public health order meant to curb the spread of COVID-19.   But Cetron’s testimony gives more evidence it was a tool to limit immigration  Read more here  Dems try to break through on drug pricing message Much of the public appears to be largely in the dark about Democrats’ signature effort to let Medicare negotiate drug prices, a potentially troubling sign ahead of next month’s midterm elections.   The inclusion of a provision allowing those negotiations in the Inflation Reduction Act marked the culmination of an at least 20-year push by Democrats and was touted as a major win over Big Pharma.  Health care has been a winning issue for the party in previous midterm elections, and the law’s passage was intended to give lawmakers a major political victory to campaign on.  But a new Kaiser Family Foundation (KFF) poll shows most adults are unaware of the law’s key health provisions.  Only 36 percent of Americans said they were aware that the Inflation Reduction Act allows Medicare to negotiate drug prices; 29 percent said they knew the law put a cap on insulin prices for people on Medicare and only 29 percent said they knew about a cap on out of pocket prescription drug costs.   Biden highlighted the benefits of the Inflation Reduction Act to older Americans during events in California and Oregon over the weekend, warning that Republicans will take away Medicare’s ability to negotiate drug prices if they win control of Congress in the midterm elections next month.  His messaging aimed to reinforce the idea that Democrats are tackling issues of importance to the average family.   But the negotiation provision of the law won’t start until 2026. Even then, the negotiations will at first be limited to just 10 drugs; it will be expanded to 20 drugs by 2029.  Read more here.  WHITE HOUSE MARKS ROLLOUT OF OVER-THE-COUNTER HEARING AIDS  The White House on Monday marked the rollout of hearing aids at retailers such as Walgreens, CVS and Walmart following a new rule from the Biden administration to allow them to be sold over the counter.  Where they’re being sold:  On Monday, Walgreens started selling hearing aids in stores and online for $799 a pair, CVS started selling them online at different price points, and Walmart started selling them at more than 1,000 vision centers in the retailer’s stores and 474 Sam’s Club locations for between $199 and $999 per pair.  Best Buy will offer nearly 20 hearing devices online and will offer hearing aids at nearly 300 stores by the end of the month for as low as $200. Additionally, Hy-Vee will sell them online and in 34 locations, with plans to sell them at 100 locations by the end of the year.  The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in August finalized a rule allowing hearing aids to be sold over the counter and said that they could be available as early as mid-October in retail and drug stores.  The FDA estimates that the rule could lower average costs by as much as $3,000 per pair of hearing aids, which could impact nearly 30 million Americans with hearing loss, including nearly 10 million adults under age 60.  Read more here.  HOUSE DEMS TO REAFFIRM FDA AUTHORITY ON ABORTION PILL ACCESS  House Democrats on Monday introduced a resolution to reaffirm the Food and Drug Administration’s authority to preempt state law and ensure patients continue to have access to reproductive health care products.  The resolution from Reps. Diana DeGette (D-Colo.) and Mondaire Jones (D-NY) reaffirms the FDA’s authority to prevent states from enacting regulations that limit or prohibit patients from accessing reproductive health products approved by the agency, including abortion pills delivered directly to patients.  It also reaffirms the authority of the U.S. Attorney General to take action against any state that enacts a law that prohibits or limits a patients’ ability to access or use such products.  So far, more than a dozen states have enacted new laws to limit, or outright ban, patients’ access to reproductive care in the wake of the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade.    There are two pills needed for a medication abortion within the first 10 weeks of pregnancy, which the Food and Drug Administration approved nearly 20 years ago. Medication abortion accounted for 54 percent of all pregnancy terminations in the U.S.  Read more here.  US on edge as Europe deals with new COVID rise  Rising COVID-19 cases in Europe are setting off warnings that the U.S. could experience a new surge this winter.   Previous jumps in the U.S. have followed a pattern in which cases first rise in Europe, making officials nervous they could see a spike in U.S. cases as the weather turns.    The most recent data from the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control shows that cases began going up around the beginning of September in Europe.  In the U.S., cases and deaths have continued to trend down, but dropping temperatures that push people indoors, dismal booster vaccination numbers and an overall disregard for pandemic mitigation practices are setting the stage for a winter wave resembling the one across the Atlantic.   Ali Mokdad, epidemiologist and professor of Health Metrics Sciences at the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation at the University of Washington, told The Hill the contrast in the regions can be attributed to multiple factors, including warmer temperatures in the U.S. and differing levels of community immunity.   “In the U.S., we have a higher infection rate than many European countries, where more people have been infected here. So we have a little bit more immunity than they do, but still we have waning immunity,” Mokdad said.  COVID-19 cases, deaths and hospitalizations in the U.S. will likely begin going up in three to four weeks, Mokdad said, though they won’t reach the same levels seen during the omicron wave last winter. He emphasized that this projection is contingent on a situation in which new coronavirus variants that are better at escaping immunity don’t rise in dominance.   Read more here.  WHAT WE’RE READING Research hints at why monkeypox cases could keep falling in the U.S. (NPR)  CDC: Signs point to an early start for flu season, with cases already ticking up in parts of the U.S. (Stat)  Cigna received millions of Medicare dollars based on invalid diagnoses, lawsuit claims (ABC News)  STATE BY STATE Florida county sees spike in deadly infections caused by “flesh-eating” bacteria after Hurricane Ian (CBS News)  Novant doctors say RSV cases are on the rise in North Carolina (Queen City News)  Minnesota’s weird weed experiment (Politico)  THE HILL OP-EDS The pandemic is not over: We ignore it at our risk  That’s it for today, thanks for reading. Check out The Hill’s Health Care page for the latest news and coverage. See you tomorrow. Read More Here

Don't Miss The HousingWire Annual Remix On Oct. 20 https://digitalarizonanews.com/dont-miss-the-housingwire-annual-remix-on-oct-20/ With how important and critical information is in the current housing environment, we’re excited to share these session highlights from HousingWire Annual in Scottsdale, A.Z. with you through this free virtual event. The HousingWire Annual Remix includes replays of the top sessions at the event like the fireside chat with FHFA Director Sandra Thompson and a panel on the marketing strategies around M&A activity. It also includes some new content, like a Q&A with Shant Banosian, Guaranteed Rate’s top-ranked loan officer, and demos with top housing tech companies. If you couldn’t attend HW Annual in person, or you just haven’t gotten enough, we hope you’ll join us on Oct. 20 for the HW Annual Remix. This online, streamlined recording of the most popular and insightful HW Annual panels and presentations, will give attendees a chance to experience it all again. The Zoom event will kick off at 12 PM C.T. The HousingWire Annual Remix panels include: A Fireside chat with Shant Banosian Reaching Homebuyers in a Purchase Market HousingWire Annual Demos CEO Playbooks The marketing strategy of M&A Fireside chat with FHFA Director Sandra Thompson Attendees will also get an exclusive front-row seat to demos from top tech companies, including Qualia, Westwood Insurance, Argyle, Evocalize and DocMagic. These companies will demonstrate their technology solutions in quick, 15-minute presentations. The remix brings together the best moments of HW Annual all from the comfort of your home or office. This event is free to join and anyone interested can register, here. Additionally, thank you to everyone who was able to join us in Scottsdale, A.Z for an enjoyable and educational HousingWire Annual. The team at HW was thrilled to meet with our colleagues from across the industry, learn from the most prominent housing industry leaders and connect over our thoughts for the future. We hope to see you next year! Read More Here

Graycor Completes Massive Metro East Valley Commerce Center – AZ Big Media https://digitalarizonanews.com/graycor-completes-massive-metro-east-valley-commerce-center-az-big-media/ On behalf of Metro Commercial Properties, leading national design-build contractor Graycor Construction Company has delivered the final industrial buildings at Metro East Valley Commerce Center in Mesa, Arizona. Designated as Phases III and IV, the delivery totals five buildings and marks the completion of the 11-building, 1.1 million-square-foot Class A industrial project – one of the largest master planned commerce parks in Phoenix’s Southeast Valley. Phases III and IV were conceived as speculative developments but obtained leasing commitments for approximately 80 percent of the leasable space prior to completion of shell construction. All but one approximate 13,500-square-foot space in the project has now been leased. READ ALSO: Contour breaks ground on 1.55M SF Sossaman Park 202 in Mesa READ ALSO: ASU MIX Center brings media students to Downtown Mesa “We’re proud to deliver these final buildings at a time of exponential demand for East Valley industrial space,” said Metro Commercial Properties Principal Ryan Foley. “Phases three and four were designed to be extremely flexible, which aligns closely with the demand we experienced in our first two phases at East Valley Commerce Center and is reflected in the quick and successful lease-up of this project.” The newly completed Phases III and IV feature five buildings ranging from 58,399 square feet to 112,097 square feet with up to 32’ clear height, dock high and grade level loading, and interior floorplans accommodating office, warehouse, manufacturing and light industrial uses. East Valley Commerce Center Phases I and II were completed by Graycor in 2016 and 2019 respectively, and total six buildings and 712,049 square feet. Leases at all 11 buildings reflect tenants from a wide range of industries including residential HVAC, motorsports, pharmaceutical packaging and distribution, aerospace and semiconductor manufacturing. “With East Valley Commerce Center, Metro Commercial Properties has done an excellent job of creating a project suited for everything from warehouse and distribution to advanced manufacturing,” said Rusty Martin, General Manager of Graycor’s Southwest Division. “The location and amenities of these buildings, and their divisibility, ensure their long-term success as a great fit for companies of a variety of sizes and specialties.” “Metro Commercial Properties, Graycor and the entire project team worked perfectly in a competitive market to ensure this park was fully stabilized with quality tenants and long-term leases,” said Lee & Associates Principal Chris McClurg, who along with Lee & Associates Principal Ken McQueen serve as the project’s leasing brokers. Metro East Valley Commerce Center offers 1,300 feet of US 60 Superstition Freeway frontage. It is bordered by Baseline Road, S. Horne Street and Hobson Drive, with direct access to two full-diamond interchanges at Mesa and Stapley drives. Read More Here

The Gunman Who Killed 2 Connecticut Officers And Wounded Another Fired Over 80 Shots, Report Says | CNN https://digitalarizonanews.com/the-gunman-who-killed-2-connecticut-officers-and-wounded-another-fired-over-80-shots-report-says-cnn/ Police say officers were killed after fake 911 call lured them to ambush 02:23 – Source: CNN CNN  —  A man who authorities say lured officers to a deadly attack fired over 80 rounds at police before he was killed by a wounded officer, the Connecticut inspector general’s office said. Bristol police Sgt. Dustin Demonte and Officer Alex Hamzy were responding to a domestic violence call Wednesday night when they were shot and killed, police said. Officer Alec Iurato was wounded. Authorities believe the gunman, 35-year-old Nicholas Brutcher, was the person who made the domestic violence call to 911, the inspector general’s report said. Connecticut State Police said his brother, 32-year-old Nathan Brutcher, was also at the scene. “Officers went to the side door of the house and spoke to Nathan Brutcher,” the report said. “As Nathan Brutcher stepped out, gunfire erupted. Nicholas Brutcher fired well over eighty rounds attacking the officers from behind, fatally shooting both Sergeant Demonte and Officer Hamzy, and wounding Officer Iurato.” Despite getting shot in the leg, “Officer Iurato was able to make his way around the house and back to a Bristol Police Department cruiser,” the report said. “From that vantage point, he fired one shot striking and killing Nicholas Brutcher.” Iurato’s use of deadly force appears to be justified, the inspector general’s office said. Connecticut State Police are investigating the shooting. The agency said the 911 call appeared to be “a deliberate act to lure law enforcement to the scene.” All three of the officers’ body cameras captured the shooting. But to respect the victims’ privacy, the inspector general released only part of the video from Iurato’s bodycam footage. “Shots fired. Shots fired. More cars. Send everyone,” the wounded officer says as someone screams in the background. “Officer shot, officer shot.” A barrage of what sounds like gunfire follows. Iurato takes cover behind a parked vehicle and fires toward a driveway. At least 54 law enforcement officers have been killed by intentional gunfire in 2022, according to the Officer Down Memorial Fund website. A day after Demonte and Hamzy were killed in Connecticut, Las Vegas Officer Truong Thai was killed while responding to a domestic disturbance call Thursday, Sheriff Joe Lombardo said. The Las Vegas Police Protective Association said Thai was a 23-year police veteran. “Not only was Officer Thai a protector of our community, he was a father, a son, and a brother,” the union said. “These senseless acts of violence are becoming all too common in our society.” Las Vegas police arrested the suspect shortly after the shooting. Monday, Assistant Sheriff Andrew Walsh said the weapon that killed Thai was an AK-47 pistol. On Wednesday, three Philadelphia SWAT officers were wounded in a shooting while trying to serve a warrant on a homicide suspect, police said. After knocking on a door, the SWAT team was “immediately met by gunfire,” said Philadelphia First Deputy Police Commissioner John Stanford. A shootout ensued, and the suspect was killed. The three wounded officers are expected to recover, Commissioner Danielle M. Outlaw said. Nationwide, the number of police officers intentionally killed in the line of duty reached a 20-year high last year, according to FBI data. Bristol Police Chief Brian Gould became visibly emotional describing his two officers killed. “We lost two exceptional Bristol police officers. And a third was seriously injured as a result of senseless violence,” Gould said Thursday. Demonte, 35, was also a school resource officer at two Bristol schools and an adviser for the Bristol police explorer cadet program, the chief said. “Throughout his career, he has received several awards, including the silver star, officer of the month, and co-recipient for officer of the year in 2019,” Gould said. Demonte is survived by his wife, two children “and one on the way,” the chief said. Hamzy, 34, was also an adviser for the police explorer cadet program. “Throughout his career, he received numerous letters of commendations and recognition,” Gould said. Hamzy is survived by his wife, parents and two sisters. Iurato, 26, underwent surgery for a “severe gunshot wound and is currently recovering,” the police chief said Thursday. Gould said the Bristol officers epitomized bravery in policing, just like so many officers do every day. “They answered a call to duty, and they responded without hesitation,” he said. “And that’s what they did every night before that. And that’s what all our officers do and will continue to do.” Read More Here

I'll Lead Tories Into Next Election, Says Embattled Liz Truss https://digitalarizonanews.com/ill-lead-tories-into-next-election-says-embattled-liz-truss/ Media caption, Liz Truss apologises for “mistakes made” By Chris Mason, political editor & Paul Seddon, political reporter BBC News Liz Truss has insisted she will lead the Tories into the next general election, despite U-turns leaving her battling to salvage her authority. The PM apologised for making mistakes, after the new chancellor Jeremy Hunt junked almost all of her tax-cutting plans to stabilise market turmoil. She added her month-old premiership “hasn’t been perfect,” but she had “fixed” mistakes. And she said it would have been “irresponsible” not to change course. In an interview with the BBC, she said she was still committed to boosting UK economic growth, but acknowledged it would now take longer to achieve. “I remain committed to the vision, but we will have to deliver that in a different way,” she said. It comes after a dramatic day at Westminster, after Mr Hunt announced nearly all the tax cuts announced at last month’s mini-budget would be scrapped. The decision has been welcomed by investors, but has left Ms Truss’s economic agenda in tatters only weeks into her time in No 10. Liz Truss told the BBC’s Chris Mason she was “sorry for the mistakes that have been made”. In her interview, Ms Truss said she accepted responsibility for going “too far, too fast” – and she wanted to “say sorry for the mistakes that have been made”. She added she remained committed to a “low tax, high growth economy” – but preserving economic stability was now the “priority”. “I do think it is the mark of an honest politician who does say ‘yes, I’ve made a mistake. I’ve addressed that mistake. And now we need to deliver for people’. “It would have been completely irresponsible for me not to act in the national interest in the way I have.” Shadow Treasury minister James Murray said the PM’s apology “after weeks of blaming everyone else” would not “undo the damage” caused by her mini-budget. “No sorry can change the fact that this crisis was made in Downing Street but is being paid for by working people,” he added. Image source, Jessica Taylor/UK Parliament Image caption, Liz Truss sat in the Commons for half an hour as Mr Hunt outlined the U-turns to MPs Earlier, Ms Truss watched on as Mr Hunt delivered a Commons statement to explain to MPs why the economic strategy, outlined last month by Kwasi Kwarteng, was being torn up. The chancellor warned “decisions of eye-watering difficulty” on tax and spending remain ahead of an economic statement on 31 October, when he will give further details of a plan to reduce the UK’s debt burden. He said further windfall taxes on energy companies – a policy repeatedly rubbished by Ms Truss during her Tory leadership campaign – could not be ruled out, along with changes to the pension triple lock. Ms Truss refused a Labour request to explain the U-turns to MPs herself before Mr Hunt’s statement, with Commons leader Penny Mordaunt saying she had been “detained on urgent business”. Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer accused the PM of leaving an “utter vacuum” in government, while one of his MPs jibed she had been “cowering under a desk”. In total, £32bn of the £45bn in tax cuts announced at last month’s mini-budget have now been ditched, including plans to cut the basic rate of income tax from 20p to 19p from April. Cuts to dividend taxes and VAT-free shopping for international tourists have also been scrapped, along with a freeze on alcohol duty rates. Leadership threats The government’s energy support package, a policy repeatedly championed by Ms Truss in defence of her premiership, will also be scaled back after six months. The reversals have prompted some Tory MPs to talk privately about how Ms Truss could be ejected from office, despite party rules preventing a formal leadership challenge for a year. Tactics reportedly under consideration include submitting no-confidence letters in a bid to force party bosses into a rule change, or changing the rules to allow MPs to bypass party members and pick a new leader themselves. However, there is little agreement over who should take over from Ms Truss if she is removed. Five of her own MPs have called publicly on her to resign, with others briefing journalists that they think her time in office is up. Ms Truss has been holding meetings with her cabinet ministers and backbench MPs, as she tries to reassure her party of her grip on power. She also met Sir Graham Brady, who chairs the committee that decides the Tory party rulebook. The committee’s treasurer has confirmed a rule change is possible, but suggested “probably 60-70%” of the party’s MPs would have to support the move. Read More Here

Obituaries In Appleton, WI | Appleton Post-Crescent https://digitalarizonanews.com/obituaries-in-appleton-wi-appleton-post-crescent/ Gladys M. School, resident of Freedom, WI, passed away on October 14, 2022. She was born on March 29, 1925 to William and Bess (Burt) Baril in the Town of Lawrence. She attended Wrightsown High School. Soon after graduating, she was married to Chester School on June 30, 1945 at St. Mary’s Church in De Pere, WI. Gladys was a member of the Silver Cliff Yacht Club, which was near her and Chester’s cottage in Silver Cliff, WI. She also took care of the home and her family for 77 years. Gladys loved playing cards, boating, dancing, and singing. She also loved company and enjoyed preparing beautiful meals for all her visitors. She always made sure there was more than enough food for everyone who came to see her. She is survived by her children; Gloria (Tom) Farrell of St. Charles, IL, David School of Freedom, WI, Gary School of Appleton, WI, and Robin (Ollie) Toms of Freedom, WI. She is further survived by her grandchildren; Ben (Cheri) Farrell of Kelseyville, CA, Greg (Jeri) Farrell of Sugar Grove, IL, Jason (Stephanie) Farrell of Killingworth, CT, Jennifer (John) Shoaf of Batavia IL, Tara Farrell of DeKalb, IL, Justin (Bridgette) Farrell of Overland Park, KS, Erik (Joanne) Toms of Phoenix, AZ, 16 great grandchildren, and 2 great-great grandchildren, as well as numerous nieces, nephews, and great-nieces and great-nephews. Gladys is preceded in death by her husband of 63 years, Chester School, her parents, Bess and Bill Baril, her mother and father-in-law, Jacob and Mary School, her 6 brothers, 6 sisters, and their spouses, as well as her brothers-in-law and their spouses and a sister-in-law and her spouse. Friends and Family may come to call from 10:00 AM to 12:00 PM on October 22, 2022 at Ryan Funeral Home, 305 N. Tenth Street, De Pere, WI 54115. A service will be held at 12:00 PM with Deacon Greg Farrell officiating. The family of Gladys would like to extend a special thank you to her Affinity Clinic and Medical Team in Little Chute and the St. Elizabeth Medical Team for their dedicated and sympathetic care of their mom. As her great niece Brenda said, “She was a beautiful soul; her eyes lit up the room with a whole lot of warmth and just a little mischief.” Posted online on October 17, 2022 Published in The Post Crescent Read More…

Facebook's Metaverse Is Apparently Filled With Mostly Empty 'Sad' Worlds https://digitalarizonanews.com/facebooks-metaverse-is-apparently-filled-with-mostly-empty-sad-worlds/ Image: Meta / Kotaku / Oleg Krugliak (Shutterstock) Meta’s Facebook is (was?) one of the most popular social media platforms in the world, with billions of users. However, its failing virtual reality metaverse project, Horizon Worlds, isn’t doing nearly as well. In fact, a new report shows that barely anyone is spending much time in Horizon Worlds at all, with most user-created worlds going completely unvisited. Meanwhile, Second Life and VRChat have more concurrent users, according to folks at Meta. According to a new report from the Wall Street Journal, internal documents and employees at Meta paint a picture that nobody is really playing Horizon Worlds, its free-to-play virtual reality metaverse that lets users create and visit “worlds” with friends or strangers. Think Roblox, but more cold and heartless. The company initially hoped to have 500,000 monthly active users visiting these various virtual worlds. Now that number has been revised to around 200,000. Internal stats show that most players don’t stick around after their first month in Horizon Worlds and Meta has seen a steady decline in active users since spring. WSJ reports that of all the user-created worlds in the game, only about nine percent are visited by more than 50 players. The majority of the rest are never visited by anyone besides the initial creator. The end result is a lot of empty, barren digital lands. Even Questy’s—-a world created by Meta as part of a larger Super Bowl marketing push—-is a giant flop, with very few users visiting. “An empty world is a sad world,” said one document seen by the WSJ. And while the Quest 2 headset has sold very well, a lot of the customers aren’t returning to play anything. It’s reported that more than half of all Quest headsets stop being used by players after only six months. Read More: The Metaverse Is Already Here For Cows And Its Very Sad As for why people aren’t flocking to the expensive metaverse that Facebook has created, a survey run by Meta researchers found users mostly complained about being unable to find worlds they liked and rarely found others to interact with. Other complaints included in-game people not looking “real” enough. Some even had issues with the lack of Horizon World avatar legs. I guess that explains all the fanfare around legs being added to the game earlier this month, even if the announcement was a lie. The WSJ notes that the researchers at Meta only spoke to 514 people because of how few folks are playing, calling the current active playerbase “small and precious.” It’s not surprising to hear that, according to those familiar with Horizon Worlds, the app has fewer concurrent users than VRChat and 2003’s Second Life. The rest of the report isn’t much better and is further evidence that the VR metaverse future that so many companies and tech bros are trying to peddle is likely not going to stick with folks. Hell, the people who work at Meta don’t want to use Horizon Worlds. And Meta seems to get how unpopular all this shit is with your average consumer, as it’s now begun to pivot its new VR headsets toward big companies that can be tricked into making their employees wear a VR headset for eight hours a day at work. But at least folks will always have the Walmart Metaverse to hang out in between breaks, right? Read More Here

‘He Did Not Have A Great Reputation’: Maggie Haberman Details Trump’s Toddler Years In New Memoir https://digitalarizonanews.com/he-did-not-have-a-great-reputation-maggie-haberman-details-trumps-toddler-years-in-new-memoir/ In her new book, New York Times journalist Maggie Haberman offers a meticulously detailed account of the life and career of former president Donald Trump, which — yes — includes reporting on his days as a child terror. “He did not have a great reputation in the neighborhood as a kid,” Haberman said on GBH’s Boston Public Radio. One of several accounts from Trump’s early childhood included the story of a mother who found the would-be president pelting rocks at her son’s crib in her Queens backyard. “She starts hearing the baby screaming, and she comes outside and a roughly five year-old Donald Trump is throwing rocks at the crib,” she said. “I guess you can allow that, maybe, initially he didn’t realize that there was a baby there, I don’t know.” Haberman’s new book is “Confidence Man: The Making of Donald Trump and the Breaking of America,” which was released on Oct. 4 and leapt to the top of the New York Times’ nonfiction bestseller list. It includes interviews Trump gave specifically for the book, despite derisions of Haberman as “not legit” and “a third-rate reporter.” “He frankly can’t quit the mainstream media, as much time as he spends complaining about all of us,” Haberman said, adding that Trump is “uniquely focused on the [New York] Times.” “He interacts with media and processes media unlike anyone else I have ever covered, probably unlike anyone else any of us have ever covered,” she went on. “He so badly wants attention, and so badly wants news coverage, and it’s just a narcotic. It’s the attention he craves on some cellular level.” The Pulitzer Prize–winning reporter also spoke with hosts Jim Braude and Margery Eagan about the moment she first realized Trump had a serious shot at the White House, at a rally in Dubuque, Iowa in 2016. “I was going up to people asking a pretty leading question, which was basically ‘Are you here because the spectacle is going to end?’ And one after another, people told me they were going to caucus for him. One guy looked at me like I had eight heads. … When I asked him ‘Why are you gonna caucus for him?’ he said, ‘I watched him run his business.’” “He meant ‘The Apprentice,’” she noted. “That was something of a lightning-bolt moment for me, of really the degree to which this divide [between how New Yorkers viewed Trump] versus elsewhere — it was so pronounced.” Beyond the borders of New York City, where he was often mocked by peers, Haberman said those who knew Trump through newspaper coverage and “The Apprentice” had a starkly different perception of the real estate developer-turned-TV host. “People who either tracked him in the 1980s when he made himself as a brand synonymous with wealth, or who watched ‘The Apprentice,’ they viewed him as this hyper success,” she said. “That was obviously not true, but that really solidified the view of him outside.” That perception, Haberman said, is what allowed Trump to morph into the political force he would become in 2016. What those supporters wouldn’t see, however, is a Trump she described as “confusing” and “lonely.” “[Trump] believes in dominance and intimidation, and yet he is: there is this side of him that is a people pleaser, and that is afraid of one-on-one interpersonal conflict. And that is lonely,” she said. “It is just a fundamentally strange and often disorienting thing for people around him to experience.” Read More Here

Biden Spent More Presidential Time In Delaware Than Trump Did At Mar-A-Lago https://digitalarizonanews.com/biden-spent-more-presidential-time-in-delaware-than-trump-did-at-mar-a-lago/ WILMINGTON, Del. — President Biden has spent more than a quarter of his time in office on getaways to his home state of Delaware, surpassing former President Donald Trump’s highly criticized time away from the White House. As of Sunday, Mr. Biden has logged 55 visits to Delaware totaling some or all of 174 days spent at his homes in Rehoboth Beach and Wilmington since becoming president nearly two years ago, according to a CNN analysis of the official White House press corps tally.  At the same point in his presidency, Mr. Trump had logged 135 days away on trips to either his Mar-a-Lago estate in Palm Beach, Florida, or his golf club in Bedminster, New Jersey. The White House chalks up Mr. Biden’s time tucked away in Delaware to him being “deeply proud of his roots and his family,” and says that it has been a “staple of his time in public life to never lose touch with either.” “Presidents of the United States are constantly on the job, regardless of their location — whether they’re on a state visit overseas or just 100 miles from the White House for a short trip to Wilmington, DE,” White House spokesman Andrew Bates told the network. “And as all Americans can agree, it’s important for leaders to avoid becoming ensconced in Washington.” Trips to Delaware became a key part of “Amtrak Joe’s” persona throughout his career in the U.S. Senate. He was known to dash out of Washington nearly every night to go back to his home state once the upper chamber gaveled out for the day. SEE ALSO: Biden officials put on notice to preserve documents ahead of expected congressional probes The train station in Wilmington bears his name, and he has carried the miles — and his zip code outside of Washington — as a badge of honor on the campaign trail. But a trip back home for a sitting president requires significantly more planning and coordination among the hoards of White House staff and a Secret Service detail always in tow. The trips can also be costly. The cost of a one-hour flight on Air Force One is $180,118 — accounting for fuel, flight consumables, repairs, and maintenance — according to a 2016 Air Force disclosure in response to a Freedom of Information Act request by conservative watchdog Judicial Watch. The Air Force One hop from Washington to Wilmington clocks in at less than an hour, and the president has a range of other travel options at his disposal, including a smaller plan than the iconic modified version of the Boeing 747 that costs significantly less to operate, draining the coffers by just $15,846 per flight hour to operate. But other costs, especially the added costs for security, quickly add up. A 2019 Government Accountability Office Report analyzing four trips to Mar-a-Lago early in Mr. Trump’s presidency tallied $13.6 million in taxpayer expenses for Department of Defense and Secret Service operational and temporary duty costs. That’s about $3.4 million per trip. There have also been questions raised over White House transparency while the president is in Delaware, including how much business, if any, is conducted in The First State. The New York Post reported earlier this month that the Secret Service denied its Freedom of Information Act request and subsequent appeal to hand over visitor logs from Mr. Biden’s Delaware residences claiming an agency search returned “no positive records.” “Accordingly, your appeal is denied,” Secret Service deputy director Faron Paramore told the Post. The president had taken 17 trips home at the time the request was filed. Rep. James Comer of Kentucky, the top Republican on the House Oversight Committee, called the Secret Services’ claim that the president had no visitors “a bunch of malarky,” borrowing one of Mr. Biden’s favorite catchphrases. “Americans deserve to know who President Biden is meeting with, especially since we know that he routinely met with [first son] Hunter’s business associates during his time as vice president,” Mr. Comer told the newspaper. “The Biden administration must provide transparency to the American people.” Read More Here

FBI Foreign Lobbying Inquiries Confined To Trump https://digitalarizonanews.com/fbi-foreign-lobbying-inquiries-confined-to-trump/ OPINION: The NBC News headline quoted a prosecutor as saying that a well-connected Washington operative “used access to White House to help foreign government.” It was a “corrupt pursuit of money and power,” the online story quoted the prosecutor as saying in Brooklyn federal court. The name Hunter Biden might come to mind. He had lots of access to the White House when dad Joe Biden served as vice president and son Hunter was raking in cash from Russian and Ukraine oligarchs and Chinese benefactors. But the target, in this case, was Tom Barrack, a billionaire and longtime associate of former President Donald Trump who chaired his inaugural committee. In a trial going on in September and October, Mr. Barrack has been battling charges of violating the Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA). The Department of Justice says he broke the law by failing to file as a lobbyist while doing work for the United Arab Emirates. His attorney calls the charge “ridiculous.” Mr. Barrack is one of at least seven Trump associates to be accused by the feds of violating FARA, a law rarely invoked by the Justice Department until Mr. Trump came to town in 2017. FARA requires registration with the Department of Justice if a person is paid by a foreign government or principal to advance their causes in Washington. Hunter Biden, amid his foreign financial windfalls during and after his father’s vice presidency, has not filed as a foreign lobbyist under FARA. The Washington Post broke the story last week that FBI agents — after a four-year, laptop-infused investigation — believe there is sufficient evidence to charge Hunter Biden with tax evasion. Not mentioned in the story is any possible FARA violation.  Republicans think there should be, given this history: The Obama White House named then-Vice President Biden as the point man on Russia-harassed Ukraine in 2014. Presto. Son Hunter found himself winning a lucrative seat ($90,000-plus a year) on the board of Burisma, Ukraine’s oligarch-owned energy conglomerate. More details would come from Hunter’s infamous Apple computer whose contents emerged in the pages of the New York Post in October 2020. Tales from the laptop revealed Hunter’s reckless video-tapped lifestyle of illegal drugs, porn and prostitutes financed by overseas wire transfers. A number of them triggered U.S. Treasury Suspicious Activity Reports (SARs) filed by banks to signal possible money laundering. Republican Sens. Charles Grassley and Ron Johnson were able to obtain some in Mr. Trump’s time. But President Biden’s Treasury Department won’t relinquish any more. The cover-up involves perhaps hundreds of SARs about money from who knows where. A Grassley-Johnson Sept. 23, 2020 report, for example, said Hunter’s law firm, Owasco, received $4.8 million in “consulting fees” from Hudson West III. The money flow commenced on the same day in 2017 that Hudson received a $5 million transfer from a China energy giant CEFC. Hudson West was jointly owned by Hunter and a Chinese businessman. In 2014, the same year Vladimir Putin’s troops seized Ukraine’s Crimea, a Moscow oligarch, Elena Baturina, wired $3.4 million in consulting fees to Hunter’s co-owned investment firm, Rosemont Seneca Thornton. The New York Times reported that as the U.S. attorney in Delaware has gathered evidence surely based in part on SAR reports — Hunter Biden hurriedly paid $2 million in back taxes. While Hunter took the foreign cash, he was providing access to his clients. For example, an email from a Burisma Mr. Fixit thanked Hunter for arranging a White House meeting with the man himself, Joe Biden.  Former Hunter Biden business partner Tony Bobulinsky, in interviews with Fox News’ Tucker Carlson, has confirmed emails that show their emerging company would set aside Chinese cash for the “big guy” — Joe Biden. The emails said Hunter Biden demanded $10 million a year from Chinese tycoons for making “introductions alone.” Photos have emerged of Joe Biden with Hunter and his foreign paymasters. To Republicans, the encounters are tantamount to selling access without registering as a foreign agent.  One Republican who is dismayed is John Ratcliffe, former director of national intelligence for Mr. Trump. “What I am surprised at is that two years, after having corroborating information in a laptop and corroborating witnesses like Tony Bobulinsky talking about foreign agent registration violations and influence peddling corruption, that the leaks are not about those types of charges because I would have inspected that at this point in time,” Mr. Ratcliffe said Oct. 9 on Fox News’ “Sunday Night in America.” FARA was one of the handiest weapons around for Russia Special Counsel (2017-19) Robert Mueller. Trump campaign manager Paul Manafort, a Ukraine advocate in Washington, and business partner Richard Gates were convicted of FARA violations. The FBI raided the home of former Trump lawyer Rudy Giuliani. The search warrant said the suspected crime was a FARA offense. Former national security adviser Michael Flynn pleaded guilty to making false statements in his FARA filing related to work for NATO ally Turkey. Campaign volunteer George Papadopoulos said the feds threatened to charge him with illegally lobbying for Israel. The FBI assigned at least three confidential human sources to Mr. Papadopoulos in hopes he would incriminate himself over a Russia conspiracy that did not exist. The FBI raided the properties of Mr. Manafort, Mr. Giuliani and Trump adviser Roger Stone. It placed a wiretap for a year on campaign volunteer Carter Page. The FBI raided Mr. Trump’s Mar-a-Lago home — a spectacular nighttime event that the FBI later illustrated with photos of seized documents fanned out on the floor as if a drug raid on El Chapo. This is how low the Biden-favoring FBI has stooped.  There have been no raids on Hunter Biden. Mr. Grassley has accused an FBI intelligence analysis of protecting Hunter Biden by labeling the laptop disinformation — which it is not. More than a year ago, at a congressional hearing of U.S. intelligence chiefs, including FBI Director Christopher Wray, Rep. Devin Nunes, now a Trump social media executive, asked, “As for the leaders of the intelligence community, I hope you plan on spending a reasonable amount of time in upcoming years on activities other than investigating conservatives and spying on Republican presidential campaigns.” Said a congressional staffer, “Looks like Nunes’ plea to Wray was in vain.” • Rowan Scarborough is a columnist with The Washington Times. Read More Here

Jeremy Hunt: We Will Reverse Almost All Mini-Budget Tax Cuts https://digitalarizonanews.com/jeremy-hunt-we-will-reverse-almost-all-mini-budget-tax-cuts/ Media caption, The lower rate of 20p tax will remain “until economic circumstances allow for it to be cut” says the chancellor. By Becky Morton BBC political reporter The government will reverse almost all the tax cuts it announced last month, Chancellor Jeremy Hunt has said. Mr Hunt said economic growth required “confidence and stability”, adding that the UK “will always pay its way”. But the announcement means the chancellor has unwound almost all of Liz Truss’s key measures announced in September’s mini-budget. The BBC’s political editor Chris Mason said this showed “the Truss programme for government is dead”. One former cabinet minister told the BBC: “She is a goner. [The chancellor’s statement] put it beyond any doubt. “What is the point of Liz Truss? That is the question… there is literally no point,” they added. A Downing Street spokesman said the PM and chancellor were working closely together, and sidestepped questions on whether Ms Truss would be resigning. Ms Truss rejected a Labour request that she should appear before MPs to explain the U-turns herself, and sent Commons leader Penny Mordaunt instead. She arrived in the Commons just before the chancellor gave a statement to MPs and left shortly after he began taking questions. Among the measures to be reversed are plans to cut the basic rate of income tax from 20p to 19p from April. Mr Hunt said the rate would remain at 20p “indefinitely until economic circumstances allow for it to be cut”. However, he said the cuts to stamp duty paid on house purchases and the scrapping of the National Insurance rise would continue. Other measures to be axed include: Cuts to dividend tax rates The reversal of off-payroll working reforms introduced in 2018 and 2021 VAT-free shopping for international tourists The freeze on alcohol duty rates Mr Hunt said the measures, including the previously announced freeze on corporation tax and keeping the top rate of income tax, would raise around £32bn a year. Last month, the government announced it would cap the typical household energy bill at £2,500 for two years. However, Mr Hunt said this pledge would now only last until April and beyond then there would be a new approach “that will cost the taxpayer significantly less than planned”. The prime minister has repeatedly highlighted how the government’s energy support package lasted longer than the six months promised by Labour. Mr Hunt said there would be “more difficult decisions” on tax and spending and some areas would need to be cut. Mr Hunt later told the Commons a new Economic Advisory Council would be formed to provide independent expert advice, alongside that from the Office for Budget Responsibility. Asked if he would introduce a “proper” windfall tax on energy companies, Mr Hunt said he was “not against the principle” of taxing profits that are “genuine windfalls”, adding that “nothing is off the table”. Ms Truss had previously ruled out a further windfall tax on energy companies. Image source, House of Commons Image caption, Prime Minister Liz Truss appeared alongside the chancellor for his statement Meanwhile, Angela Richardson became the fourth Conservative MP to publicly call for Ms Truss to stand down. Ms Richardson, who backed Ms Truss’s rival Rishi Sunak during the leadership campaign, told Times Radio problems with the public finances were “100% down to the prime minister” and it was not “tenable” for her to stay on any longer. She joins Tory MPs Crispin Blunt, Andrew Bridgen and Jamie Wallis in openly calling for the PM to go. Many others are privately saying Ms Truss cannot remain prime minister. Under current Conservative Party rules, Ms Truss is safe from a no confidence vote by Tory MPs to oust her for a year. The rules could be changed, however sources suggested to the BBC that the 1922 committee of backbench MPs, who set the rules, would prefer the prime minister to jump before she is pushed. Some Tories have suggested putting forward just one candidate to replace her, with MPs choosing their next leader in a couple of days without consulting members, as would normally happen. The three names being widely discussed are Defence Secretary Ben Wallace, Commons leader Ms Mordaunt and former Chancellor Mr Sunak. However, there is little agreement over who should take over from Ms Truss if she is removed. Tory MP Ben Bradley said the chancellor’s statement effectively rendered the political fallout of the government’s mini-budget and the slump in polls for the Conservatives “entirely pointless”. “Right back where we started, just far less popular than before,” he added. Labour said the Conservatives had “lost all credibility”. “The chancellor said that growth requires ‘confidence and stability’ yet it’s clear that the Tories can’t provide this,” shadow chancellor Rachel Reeves said. The Liberal Democrats’ Treasury spokeswoman Sarah Olney called for a general election to ensure “stability”. SNP Treasury spokeswoman Alison Thewlis said the now virtually scrapped mini-budget had caused “huge economic pain”, adding that she was worried about suggestions of a further “tightening to purse strings”. The financial markets appeared to respond positively to the chancellor’s announcement, with government borrowing costs falling and the pound rising against the dollar. What is your reaction to the chancellor’s announcement? Do you have any questions for our experts? Please get in touch by emailing: haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk. Please include a contact number if you are willing to speak to a BBC journalist. You can also get in touch in the following ways: If you are reading this page and can’t see the form you can email us at HaveYourSay@bbc.co.uk. Please include your name, age and location with any submission. Read More Here

US Forecast https://digitalarizonanews.com/us-forecast-44/ City/Town, State;Yesterday’s High Temp (F);Yesterday’s Low Temp (F);Today’s High Temp (F);Today’s Low Temp (F);Weather Condition;Wind Direction;Wind Speed (MPH);Humidity (%);Chance of Precip. (%);UV Index Albany, NY;56;43;55;34;Sun and some clouds;S;6;60%;8%;3 Albuquerque, NM;54;42;64;47;Sunshine and warmer;S;7;56%;0%;5 Anchorage, AK;47;37;44;35;Cloudy;NE;7;77%;70%;1 Asheville, NC;68;32;46;28;Breezy and colder;NW;15;48%;2%;4 Atlanta, GA;74;38;56;34;Sunny, but cooler;NNW;12;36%;2%;5 Atlantic City, NJ;66;48;56;41;Cooler;W;12;46%;8%;4 Austin, TX;71;51;68;43;Mostly sunny;NNE;8;30%;2%;5 Baltimore, MD;71;43;57;39;Cooler with sunshine;W;9;44%;18%;4 Baton Rouge, LA;76;47;64;34;Mostly sunny;N;10;35%;4%;5 Billings, MT;71;44;77;46;Sunny and very warm;WSW;8;41%;2%;3 Birmingham, AL;72;35;56;31;Sunny, but cooler;NNW;10;37%;1%;5 Bismarck, ND;43;16;49;25;Plenty of sunshine;SSE;7;37%;0%;3 Boise, ID;76;45;78;44;Mostly sunny, warm;ENE;7;26%;0%;3 Boston, MA;59;56;62;43;Occasional a.m. rain;SW;9;67%;60%;1 Bridgeport, CT;64;47;57;38;Sun and some clouds;W;9;47%;11%;4 Buffalo, NY;53;39;46;38;Rain/snow showers;SSW;16;72%;98%;1 Burlington, VT;58;45;55;37;Sun and some clouds;SE;9;69%;36%;3 Caribou, ME;62;50;62;56;Showers;SE;13;85%;100%;1 Casper, WY;66;34;72;37;Sunny and warm;SSW;7;31%;0%;4 Charleston, SC;82;56;67;42;Partly sunny, cooler;NW;10;42%;12%;5 Charleston, WV;57;34;46;34;Colder with a shower;WSW;8;71%;72%;2 Charlotte, NC;78;40;58;32;Sunny, but cooler;NW;8;37%;4%;4 Cheyenne, WY;62;32;66;38;Sunny and pleasant;W;10;31%;0%;4 Chicago, IL;43;33;45;34;Mostly cloudy, windy;NW;20;58%;28%;1 Cleveland, OH;48;41;46;40;Afternoon showers;WSW;21;72%;100%;1 Columbia, SC;82;48;62;36;Sunny, but cooler;NNW;8;39%;10%;4 Columbus, OH;48;36;46;36;Rain and snow shower;WSW;12;65%;89%;1 Concord, NH;54;50;60;32;A shower in the a.m.;WSW;7;70%;60%;2 Dallas-Ft. Worth, TX;70;45;64;40;Sunshine;NNE;11;28%;2%;5 Denver, CO;65;40;69;43;Plenty of sun;SW;6;32%;2%;4 Des Moines, IA;43;20;42;22;Sunny, but chilly;NW;12;39%;2%;4 Detroit, MI;46;38;45;38;Rain/snow showers;WNW;19;73%;98%;1 Dodge City, KS;61;25;57;30;Sunny, but cool;ESE;7;29%;0%;4 Duluth, MN;36;25;42;29;Mostly sunny, chilly;NNW;12;57%;2%;3 El Paso, TX;62;49;66;47;Partial sunshine;ESE;8;65%;0%;4 Fairbanks, AK;39;22;39;27;Partly sunny;NNE;4;79%;9%;1 Fargo, ND;36;15;39;18;Sunny, but chilly;NNW;8;47%;2%;3 Grand Junction, CO;70;42;73;43;Sunny and pleasant;ENE;5;33%;0%;4 Grand Rapids, MI;46;37;44;40;Rain/snow showers;NW;20;80%;97%;1 Hartford, CT;58;50;59;36;Sun and some clouds;WSW;7;55%;15%;3 Helena, MT;70;35;70;39;Sunny and mild;WSW;4;40%;0%;3 Honolulu, HI;87;71;87;71;Nice with some sun;ENE;7;57%;16%;7 Houston, TX;73;54;70;45;Sunshine and nice;N;11;35%;7%;5 Indianapolis, IN;46;32;46;32;Mainly cloudy, cold;WNW;14;59%;17%;2 Jackson, MS;71;40;59;31;Sunny and cooler;NNW;10;31%;1%;5 Jacksonville, FL;83;63;76;46;Partly sunny;NNW;9;41%;24%;5 Juneau, AK;55;46;52;48;Breezy with rain;SSE;14;93%;100%;0 Kansas City, MO;51;26;47;25;Sunny, but chilly;NW;9;33%;1%;4 Knoxville, TN;67;33;51;30;Sunshine and cooler;WSW;7;48%;3%;4 Las Vegas, NV;85;61;88;61;Sunny and warm;NNW;5;25%;0%;4 Lexington, KY;55;33;50;31;Partly sunny, cold;W;15;56%;9%;3 Little Rock, AR;66;36;56;30;Sunny, but cooler;NNW;9;31%;0%;4 Long Beach, CA;78;63;84;66;Partly sunny;WNW;6;58%;0%;4 Los Angeles, CA;78;63;86;67;Partly sunny;ENE;6;55%;1%;4 Louisville, KY;53;36;51;34;Breezy in the p.m.;W;12;53%;5%;4 Madison, WI;40;30;45;28;Clouds and sun, cold;NW;15;55%;3%;3 Memphis, TN;60;35;54;33;Cool with sunshine;NW;10;36%;0%;4 Miami, FL;85;75;86;70;Some sun, a t-storm;W;7;77%;90%;4 Milwaukee, WI;45;34;45;35;Mostly cloudy, windy;NW;19;58%;32%;1 Minneapolis-St. Paul, MN;39;23;43;26;Sunny, but chilly;NNW;13;42%;2%;3 Mobile, AL;82;48;65;37;Partly sunny;N;12;37%;3%;5 Montgomery, AL;79;41;58;32;Sunny and cooler;N;10;39%;4%;5 Mt. Washington, NH;36;33;39;24;Windy;S;34;96%;85%;2 Nashville, TN;59;30;53;29;Mostly sunny, cool;WNW;10;43%;1%;4 New Orleans, LA;80;57;66;46;Breezy;N;15;37%;5%;5 New York, NY;68;47;57;40;Sun and some clouds;W;9;41%;9%;4 Newark, NJ;67;44;56;37;Partly sunny;W;8;44%;10%;4 Norfolk, VA;76;48;60;40;Partly sunny, cooler;W;9;42%;19%;4 Oklahoma City, OK;61;34;57;31;Sunny and cool;NNE;10;29%;1%;4 Olympia, WA;68;45;71;43;Low clouds breaking;NNE;5;74%;4%;3 Omaha, NE;46;19;44;18;Sunny, but chilly;NW;10;37%;2%;4 Orlando, FL;86;70;82;57;Partly sunny;NNW;9;61%;29%;5 Philadelphia, PA;69;45;56;38;Partly sunny, cooler;W;8;43%;8%;4 Phoenix, AZ;84;67;88;68;Sunshine;E;8;33%;0%;5 Pittsburgh, PA;53;35;44;36;Rain and snow shower;SW;10;68%;89%;1 Portland, ME;55;54;61;42;A couple of showers;SSW;11;82%;87%;1 Portland, OR;73;51;75;49;Low clouds breaking;N;5;60%;4%;3 Providence, RI;65;54;61;37;A bit of a.m. rain;SW;7;61%;59%;2 Raleigh, NC;78;43;58;35;Sunshine, but cooler;NW;8;42%;14%;4 Reno, NV;77;42;78;40;Clouds and sun, warm;W;4;30%;0%;4 Richmond, VA;70;40;59;37;Mostly sunny, cooler;WNW;8;42%;18%;4 Roswell, NM;55;48;63;43;Mostly sunny;SSW;6;64%;10%;4 Sacramento, CA;78;54;84;55;Partly sunny;NNW;6;50%;1%;4 Salt Lake City, UT;74;48;75;48;Sunny and warm;ESE;7;34%;0%;4 San Antonio, TX;69;56;69;45;Nice with some sun;N;10;32%;11%;5 San Diego, CA;74;63;80;65;Partly sunny;NNE;7;66%;0%;5 San Francisco, CA;69;55;72;57;Clouds and sun;WSW;6;67%;1%;3 Savannah, GA;83;54;68;41;Cooler but pleasant;NW;10;35%;10%;5 Seattle-Tacoma, WA;70;52;70;51;Low clouds breaking;NNE;6;63%;4%;3 Sioux Falls, SD;43;13;42;15;Sunny, but chilly;NNW;8;34%;2%;3 Spokane, WA;76;41;75;41;Plenty of sun;E;4;45%;1%;3 Springfield, IL;47;28;47;26;Sunny and cold;WNW;15;49%;1%;4 St. Louis, MO;48;30;50;28;Sunny, but cold;WNW;13;44%;1%;4 Tampa, FL;87;72;82;54;Partly sunny;NNW;8;69%;37%;5 Toledo, OH;45;37;45;40;Showers of rain/snow;WNW;19;71%;97%;1 Tucson, AZ;80;61;82;61;Breezy in the a.m.;ESE;13;42%;0%;5 Tulsa, OK;63;32;53;26;Sunny, but cooler;NNE;9;33%;2%;4 Vero Beach, FL;86;70;85;63;A p.m. t-storm;N;9;78%;88%;4 Washington, DC;69;43;57;39;Partly sunny, cooler;W;9;44%;16%;4 Wichita, KS;57;28;53;26;Sunny and cool;N;10;29%;1%;4 Wilmington, DE;67;42;57;36;Some sun and cooler;W;9;48%;6%;4 _____ Copyright 2022 AccuWeather Read More Here

Ron Johnson Campaign Hires Troupis Law Firm That Represented Donald Trump In Attempt To Throw Out 2020 Ballots In Wisconsin https://digitalarizonanews.com/ron-johnson-campaign-hires-troupis-law-firm-that-represented-donald-trump-in-attempt-to-throw-out-2020-ballots-in-wisconsin/ Republican U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson’s campaign has retained the Cross Plains-based law firm that represented former President Donald Trump in the failed effort to throw out hundreds of thousands of absentee ballots in Wisconsin and reverse the results of the 2020 election. The firm is headed by attorney James Troupis, who was allegedly at the center of the plot to recognize so-called fake electors in what was the last-ditch push by the former president and his allies to stymie President Joe Biden’s election on Jan. 6, 2021, the day of the U.S. Capitol insurrection. The Johnson campaign made about $20,000 in payments to the Troupis firm since July.  NBC News was the first to report the payments. A spokeswoman for Lt. Gov. Mandela Barnes criticized the payments on Monday. Barnes, a Democrat, is challenging Johnson, a second-term Republican, next month.  “Ron Johnson is hell-bent on holding onto power through any means possible so that he can continue delivering tax breaks to his wealthiest donors, follow through on his plan to put Social Security on the chopping block, and rip away women’s reproductive rights,” spokeswoman Maddy McDaniel said. But Ben Voelkel, a top aide to Johnson, said there was nothing unusual about the payments.  “As anyone who works on campaigns in this state knows, close elections in Wisconsin are the rule, not the exception,” Voelkel said. “It would be reckless to be unprepared for any possible circumstance — and this campaign has been preparing for months for just that.”  Troupis did not respond immediately to an email or call.  More: Wisconsin U.S. Senate election updates: Diane Hendricks gives $9.4 million to pro-Johnson Super PAC More: The debates are done. Here’s what to expect in the final weeks of the Mandela Barnes-Ron Johnson Wisconsin U.S. Senate race According to filings, the first $13,287 to Troupis’ firm was for “legal consulting” on July 15. Johnson’s campaign then paid Troupis’ office $7,000 on Aug. 18 for “recount: legal consulting.” Troupis once gave $1,000 to Johnson’s campaign more than a decade ago.  Troupis, a former Dane County Circuit Judge, unsuccessfully sought to throw out hundreds of thousands of absentee ballots in 2020 when he was hired by Trump to oversee recounts in Dane and Milwaukee counties following Trump’s defeat in Wisconsin. Since then, investigations by a U.S. House committee convened to probe the 2021 attack on the U.S. Capitol have revealed Troupis was at the center of a plot to put in place Republican electors in states Trump was trying to overturn election results and was the first in the state to receive a memo pushing the idea from Boston-area attorney Kenneth Chesebro. Johnson also acknowledged this summer that on Jan. 6, 2021, hours before the attack, he coordinated with Troupis to get to then-Vice President Mike Pence a document Troupis described as regarding “Wisconsin electors.” Earlier this month, Johnson downplayed his role in the incident. “The entire episode lasted about an hour,” Johnson said on Oct. 4 in Milwaukee. “I got a text from the president’s lawyer (Troupis) who asked me if we could deliver something through the vice president and if I could I have a staff member handle it.” Johnson said he did not know what information was being handed over. “I had no idea that there were even an alternate slate of electors,” he said. “I had no knowledge of it, no involvement in it. And you can’t even call it participation. I wrote a couple of texts. I was involved for a few seconds. There’s nothing to this story.” As Trump’s attorney during the 2020 recounts, Troupis and his brother Chris Troupis, sought to throw out all in-person absentee ballots, all mailed-in absentee ballots if applications for them could not be tracked down, all absentee ballots submitted by those who claimed to be indefinitely confined, and all ballots where clerks filled in missing address information for witnesses to absentee ballots. Federal Election Commission records show Troupis’ firm was paid $471,994 from Trump’s campaign and the Make America Great Again PAC in late 2020 and early 2021 for the firm’s work on the recount.  The effort laid the groundwork for unsuccessful lawsuits Trump and his allies filed ahead of the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection to overturn the results of Wisconsin’s election, and for successful litigation since. Clerks are no longer allowed to fill in missing witness address information on absentee ballot envelopes. Over the years, Troupis has been a regular donor to Republican and conservative candidates and causes in Wisconsin, having given nearly $30,000 to them over the past 30 years.  Johnson officials noted that all major campaigns hire law firms. They noted that Barnes’ campaign has paid out more than $88,000 to the Elias Law Group since December. Marc Elias, the head of the firm, has been involved in a number of recounts for Democratic campaigns over the years.   This is a breaking news story and will be updated. Our subscribers make this reporting possible. Please consider supporting local journalism by subscribing to the Journal Sentinel at jsonline.com/deal. Read More Here

Trump Administration Blocked CDC Transit Mask Mandate, Report Shows https://digitalarizonanews.com/trump-administration-blocked-cdc-transit-mask-mandate-report-shows/ By David Shepardson WASHINGTON, Oct 17 (Reuters) – Former President Donald Trump’s administration at a crucial time in the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 blocked the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) from adopting a federal mandate requiring face masks on airline flights and other forms of transit, a congressional report released on Monday said. Marty Cetron, a senior CDC official, is cited in the report as saying the federal public health agency began working on the proposed order in July 2020 after its experts determined that there was scientific evidence to support requiring masks in public and commercial transportation. The report was released by a Democratic-led House of Representatives subcommittee examining pandemic-related issues. The proposed order would have required masks on public and commercial transportation modes and hubs like airports, airplanes, trains and ride-sharing vehicles, Cetron said. By July 2020, major airlines, regional transit systems and some airports had taken action on their own to mandate masks to try to curb the spread of COVID-19. But the report stated that CDC had heard from the transit industry that it wanted the federal government to issue a mandate. Cetron, who heads the CDC’s division of global migration and quarantine, said the agency was told by Trump administration officials that a mask requirement on mass transportation “would not happen,” according to the report. Cetron also told the panel that masking requirements “could have made a significant contribution” to saving U.S. lives from COVID-19 in 2020. The report quoted Cetron as saying Alex Azar and Robert Redfield, who at the time headed the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the CDC respectively, both had expressed support for the proposed order. With more than a million deaths, the United States leads the world in reported COVID-19 fatalities. Democrats have accused Trump of overseeing a disjointed response to the pandemic. Trump himself was hospitalized with COVID-19 later in 2020. Days after President Joe Biden took office in January 2021, the CDC issued a sweeping order requiring face masks on nearly all forms of public transportation. Cetron, who remains at the CDC, and an agency spokesperson declined to comment on Monday. Reuters reported in July 2020 that the Trump administration had held extensive talks about whether the CDC should issue an order requiring transportation masking. The Trump White House instead announced that it opposed any efforts by Congress to require masks in transit. Trump was seeking re-election at the time. Many U.S. conservatives opposed government mandates requiring masks during the pandemic. Representative James Clyburn, who chairs the House committee, said the report shows that Trump’s 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.” The Biden administration’s transportation mask mandates were challenged in court. A Florida-based federal judge in April declared the order unlawful and lifted it. The administration has appealed the ruling. A U.S. appeals court has tentatively set arguments in the case for January. The House report also said Trump’s administration rejected a CDC plan to extend a no-sail order for cruise ships through the winter of 2020-2021 and instead issued a conditional order requiring the cruise industry to complete incremental steps before resuming operations. The report cited Redfield as saying then-Vice President Mike Pence made the decision not to extend the no-sail order following lobbying from the industry and its allies. (Reporting by David Shepardson; Editing by Will Dunham) Read More Here

Trump And Kanye Speak Amid Rapper’s Anti-Semitic Rants, Acquisition Of Parler https://digitalarizonanews.com/trump-and-kanye-speak-amid-rappers-anti-semitic-rants-acquisition-of-parler/ “With so many problems in society blaming Jews for exploiting media or people of color is not one of them,” wrote Matt Schlapp, who runs the influential CPAC conference. “Jews and other minorities should find common cause in crushing BDS/CRT. I admire Kanye is many mays but his harsh comments of Jews are offensive and wrong. Unite and Fight.” Trump himself commented over the weekend that American Jews were ungrateful for his support of Israel, warning they needed to reassess their political viewpoints “before it is too late.” The former president has a prior relationship with West, having invited him to the White House during his presidency to discuss, among other matters, criminal justice reform. But West also played a particularly mysterious role during the 2020 campaign, with a number of Republican operatives quietly assisting his efforts to get on the ballot in several states. He ultimately did not factor into the election but he has hinted that he would make another run in 2024 West, also known as Ye, told Bloomberg News he decided to acquire his own social media platform after being kicked off Instagram and Twitter for anti-semitic language. Bloomberg first reported news of a West-Trump conversation and dinner. “People had talked about it and mentioned this idea for years, but enough was enough,” Ye said. Parler is run by George Farmer, the husband of right-wing commentator Candace Owens. Owens appeared at Ye’s Paris Fashion Week show last week where the two wore “WHITE LIVES MATTER” T-shirts. Farmer told The Wall Street Journal discussions to acquire Parler began at the show. Read More Here

Tesla Could Be A https://digitalarizonanews.com/tesla-could-be-a/ This copy is for your personal, non-commercial use only. To order presentation-ready copies for distribution to your colleagues, clients or customers visit http://www.djreprints.com. https://www.barrons.com/articles/tesla-stock-interest-rates-valuation-51666019082 Updated Oct. 17, 2022 4:24 pm ET / Original Oct. 17, 2022 11:06 am ET Order Reprints Print Article A longtime pessimist about Tesla says the shares could be headed for what he calls “zombie stock” territory. David Trainer, CEO of stock research firm New Constructs, who wrote in August 2013 that Tesla stock was “way overvalued” at $11 a share, said in a research note Monday that the shares have a long way to fall. The company’s spectacular sales growth could be the problem, he wrote. Read More Here

Woman Arrested For Allegedly Robbing Scottsdale Fry’s Worker With Down Syndrome https://digitalarizonanews.com/woman-arrested-for-allegedly-robbing-scottsdale-frys-worker-with-down-syndrome/ SCOTTSDALE, AZ (3TV/CBS 5) – Two women have been arrested after police say they robbed a Scottsdale man who was working at a grocery store late last month. The employee, identified as Kyle Schmidt, was working at Fry’s Food & Drug store near 90th Street and Shea Boulevard on Sept. 25, when Scottsdale police say two women, identified as Paradise Adams and Pearl Mitchell, asked him for money in the parking lot. When he took out his wallet, they reportedly grabbed it and took off. “What we later found, they went to several ATMs and that was unsuccessful. So they eventually used Square to take out his entire account,” said Kelly Schultz, Kyle’s sister. Schultz said they stole $700, and her brother was traumatized. “He was absolutely shocked. He really couldn’t talk; he was really upset,” she said. On Monday, police announced that they were able to track down Adams on Friday, Oct. 7, and Mitchell on Friday, Oct. 14. Authorities say they were able to use investigative techniques and conducted eight different search warrants to find both suspects in Phoenix. Detectives say that the women already knew Schmidt had special needs before approaching him outside the store. Adams and Mitchell have been booked into the Maricopa County jail on felony theft of a credit card and credit card fraud, as well as a misdemeanor charge of theft. Two women stole a wallet from a man with Down syndrome while he was working at a Scottsdale Fry’s Food Store. Emma Lockhart contributed to this report through prior coverage. Copyright 2022 KTVK/KPHO. All rights reserved. Read More…

Biden Launches Student Loan Forgiveness Application | CNN Politics https://digitalarizonanews.com/biden-launches-student-loan-forgiveness-application-cnn-politics/ CNN  —  President Joe Biden on Monday announced the formal launch of the federal application for Americans seeking student loan forgiveness, the latest phase of his plan that is expected to provide debt relief to as many as 43 million borrowers. “Today, I’m announcing millions of people working and middle-class folks can apply and get this relief. And it’s simple and it’s now. It’s easy,” Biden said in remarks from the White House alongside Education Secretary Miguel Cardona. “This is a game changer for millions of Americans … and it took an incredible amount of effort to get this website done in such a short time.” Individuals seeking to apply for student debt relief can now fill out the form in English or Spanish at Studentaid.gov. The form includes information on the debt relief, who qualifies for it and how it works. It asks applicants for information including their full name, Social Security number, date of birth, phone number and an email address. Borrowers have until December 31, 2023, to submit an application. Biden in August announced his decision to cancel up to $10,000 in student loan debt for individuals making less than $125,000 a year or as much as $20,000 for eligible borrowers who were also Pell Grant recipients. Borrowers must have federally held student loans to qualify. In addition to federal Direct Loans used to pay for an undergraduate degree, federal PLUS loans borrowed by graduate students and parents may also be eligible if the borrower meets the income requirements. The Biden administration has said that applicants who are “more likely to exceed the income cutoff” will be required to submit additional information, like a tax transcript. And while borrowers will not have to pay federal income tax on the student loan debt forgiveness, it’s possible that some borrowers may have to pay state income tax on the amount of debt forgiven. The Department of Education has also said it already had income information for nearly 8 million borrowers, likely because of financial aid forms or previously submitted income-driven repayment plan applications. Those borrowers will automatically receive the debt relief if they meet the income requirement, unless they choose to opt out. The department has said it will email borrowers who will be considered for debt relief but don’t need to apply. The formal launch of the application marks the next phase of a massive technical undertaking for federal agencies and student loan servicers to provide broad relief to tens of millions of borrowers. A beta version of the website was launched on Friday evening and Biden said over 8 million Americans used the website over the weekend to fill out their applications. The President credited “a talented group of data scientists and engineers across the federal government” who “built and tested and launched this new application in just weeks.” In the few days of beta testing the application, Biden said, the website “handled more than 8 million applications without a glitch or difficulty.” “As millions of people fill out the application, we’re going to make sure the system continues to work as smoothly as possible so that we can deliver student loan relief for millions of Americans as quickly and as efficiently as possible,” he added. The Department of Education is facing several lawsuits challenging the student loan forgiveness policy. A US district judge could soon decide whether to temporarily block the program from taking effect after hearing a motion for a preliminary injunction last week. That could put student loan cancellation on hold until the judge issues a final ruling on the case. Asked at the end of his remarks about litigation challenging the plan, Biden said he thinks the administration’s plan will hold up in court. He also took aim at Republican critics of his student debt relief plan, calling their outrage “wrong” and “hypocritical.” “I will never apologize for helping working Americans and middle-class people as they recover from the pandemic. Especially not the same Republicans who voted for a $2 trillion tax cut in the last administration, mainly benefited the wealthiest Americans and the largest corporations and didn’t pay for a penny of it and racked up the deficit,” he added. Borrowers whose federal student loans are guaranteed by the government but held by private lenders, many of which were made under the former Federal Family Education Loan program and Federal Perkins Loan program, are currently excluded – unless a borrower applied to consolidate those loans into Direct loans by September 29. The Education Department initially said these privately held loans would be eligible for the one-time forgiveness action – but reversed course in September when six Republican-led states sued the Biden administration, arguing that forgiving the privately held loans would financially hurt states and student loan servicers. Asked by CNN’s MJ Lee about those with privately held loans being ineligible for the mass relief, Cardona said the administration is “moving as quickly as possible to provide relief to as many people as possible.” This story has been updated with additional reporting. Read More Here

SBLive/Sports Illustrated Power 25: Montverde Academy Tops 2022-23 Preseason National High School Boys Basketball Rankings https://digitalarizonanews.com/sblive-sports-illustrated-power-25-montverde-academy-tops-2022-23-preseason-national-high-school-boys-basketball-rankings/ The high school basketball season will be here before we know it. SBLive and Sports Illustrated scoured the country to compile the nation’s top high school boys basketball programs entering the 2022-23 season.  In last year’s inaugural edition of the Power 25, the rankings were reserved for teams affiliated with the state high school athletic association in the state it resides in or those allowed to play affiliate high schools in their home state. In year two, we’re opening the flood gates for some of the country’s top prep schools and basketball academies. The first rankings update will release in November after games have started. Find the complete breakdown of the preseason SBLive/SI Power 25 below: The Power 25 is a collaboration between SBLive and Sports Illustrated. Power 25 rankings are compiled by SBLive reporter Zach Shugan and SI Director of Basketball Recruiting Jason Jordan based on observations and conversations with an extensive network of coaching and media sources across the country. Reach Zach on Twitter @ZachShugan or email him at zshugan@gmail.com. SBLIVE/SI POWER 25 NATIONAL BOYS BASKETBALL RANKINGS Oct. 17, 2022 1. Montverde Academy (Montverde, Fla.) (0-0) Head coach: Kevin Boyle Last season: 22-4 Final 21-22 rank: No. 1 Ranking rationale: Call it a three-peat. Montverede began last season No. 1 and finished the season atop the Power 25 rankings, and it enters the 2022 season in the same spot. The roster looks different, but the story is the same for the Eagles. Talent can be found all over the court. 6-7 Duke commit Sean Stewart (Windermere, Fla.), 6-4 Kansas commit Chris Johnson (Elkins, Tex.) and 6-4 Georgetown commit Marvel Allen (Calvary Christian, Fla.) transferred to the basketball powerhouse for their senior years. Pair that trio up with returning seniors Kwame Evans Jr., a five-star Oregon commit, and Dra Gibbs-Lawhorn, a four-star Illinois commit, and you have a starting five that could rival some college teams. That’s if 6-9 junior Asa Newell, a five-star power forward who transferred from Choctawhatchee (Fla.), or five-star sophomore Cooper Flagg don’t crack the starting lineup.  2. AZ Compass Prep (Chandler, Ari.) (0-0) Head coach: Ed Gipson Last season: 24-5 Final 21-22 rank: Ineligible Ranking rationale: Headlined by five-star Oregon commit Mookie Cook, the Dragons boast a bevy of top-rated recruits. Including the 6-7 forward Cook, Compass Prep boasts five of the top 100 seniors in the 247Sports composite rankings and three top 100 juniors. The team plays a national schedule with matchups against several Power 25 teams — including Montverde, Sunrise Christian and IMG Academy — so we’ll get looks at Cook and company early and often. 3. Link Academy (Branson, Mo.) (0-0) Head coach: Bill Armstrong Last season: 34-2 Final 21-22 rank: No. 4 Ranking rationale: In Link Academy’s inaugural season, it took down multiple national powers and reached the GEICO Nationals finals, where it fell to Montverde 60-49. The Lions will be with a new leader in year two after Rodney Perry took a position on Kansas State’s coaching staff. Bill Armstrong took the reins, leaving behind the college ranks following tenures at LSU and Ole Miss, and he will have some of the country’s top talent to work with at Link Academy. Five-star Baylor commit Ja’Kobe Walter (McKinney, Tex.), five-star junior Elliot Cadeau (Bergen Catholic, N.J.), LSU commit Corey Chest (Eleanor McMain, Lou.), Oklahoma commit Jacolb Cole (Bellaire, Tex.) and Tennessee commit Cade Phillips (Jacksonville, Ala.) all transferred in over the offseason. If they learn how to play together quickly, the Lions could be in store for a special year. Related: Link Academy set out to be the ‘IMG of the Midwest.’ Is the upstart national prep basketball power ahead of schedule? 4. Sunrise Christian Academy (Bel Aire, KS) (0-0) Head coach: Luke Barnwell Last season: 24-2 Final 21-22 rank: No. 3 Ranking rationale: Sunrise shouldn’t fall off despite the loss of Gradey Dick and Mark Mitchell to Kansas and Duke, respectively. The Buffaloes bring back five-star Arkansas commit Layden Blocker at point guard and four-star Ohio State commit Scotty Middleton on the wing. Leading the charge could be 6-9 forward Matas Buzelis, who had his choice of colleges but committed to join the G-League after high school. Blocker and Buzelis aren’t the only five stars on the squad, as junior center John Bol and sophomore guard Mikel Brown Jr. are two of the top players in their classes.  5. IMG Academy (Bradenton, Fla.) (0-0) Head coach: Sean McAloon Last season: 22-5 Final 21-22 rank: No. 6 Ranking rationale: The Ascenders are without a five-star senior for the first time since 2015, but they’re still loaded with high-level prospects. The senior class includes four-star Jamie Kaiser, a Maryland commit, and a quartet of three-star recruits. 6-6 forward Bryson Tucker is a top 10 player in the junior class, and the squad boasts a pair of top 50 sophomores in Jamier Jones and Amari Allen. 6. Prolific Prep (Napa, Calif.) (0-0) Head coach: Ryan Bernardi Last season: 26-6 Final 21-22 rank: Ineligible Ranking rationale: Teams taking on Prolific Prep will have to deal with Auburn-bound Aden Holloway and Xavier-bound Trey Green in the backcourt, along with Miami commit Michael Nwoko and five-star junior Yves Missi towering in the paint. And that’s just some of the talent the Crew has at its disposal. None of the aforementioned players were part of last year’s team which lost to Link Academy three times but picked up wins over AZ Compass Prep and Sunrise Christian. 7. Roselle Catholic (Roselle, N.J.) (0-0) Head coach: Dave Boff Last season: 28-2 Final 21-22 rank: No. 10 Ranking rationale: There’s a limited number of five-star prospects every year, and Roselle has two of them. 6-8 power forward Mackenzie Mgbako is committed to Duke, and 6-4 guard Simeon Wilcher is North Carolina-bound after this season. The Lions also have 6-8 Arizona State commit Akil Watson and his younger brother Tarik Watson, a three-star junior. Other than Mgbako, who transferred for his final year of high school, the skilled bunch has experience playing together, which can be more valuable than talent itself. 8. Camden (Camden, N.J.) (0-0) Head coach: TBD Last season: 31-3 Final 21-22 rank: No. 11 Ranking rationale: Not only does Camden have two five-stars, but it has two of the top 10 seniors in the nation, including No. 1 overall DJ Wagner. With the 6-3 guard and his running mate Aaron Bradshaw, a 7-footer who recently committed to Kentucky, the Panthers have as strong of a one-two punch as any team in the country. After winning their first Group 2 NJSIAA state championship in 22 years, they’ll look to avenge a loss to in-state rival Roselle Catholic in the finals of last year’s NJSIAA Tournament of Champions. Head coach Rick Brunson left for the New York Knicks in June and former Villanova standout Maalik Wayns has been linked as a possible replacement, but no official announcement has been made. 9. Duncanville (Duncanville, Tex.) (0-0) Head coach: David Peavy Last season: 35-1 Final 21-22 rank: No. 2 Ranking rationale: Duncanville lost Anthony Black to graduation and Ashton Hardaway to transfer, but added Arizona-bound senior KJ Lewis, a 6-4 forward who moved over from in-state Chapin. And five-star forward Ron Holland is back for his senior year, along with three-star prospects Cameron Barnes and Aric Demings. The Panthers are set up for a run at their fourth consecutive UIL 6A state title, and they have early-season matchups with Corona Centennial and Notre Dame. 10. Corona Centennial (Corona, Calif.) (0-0) Head coach: Joshua Giles Last season: 33-1 Final 21-22 rank: No. 7 Ranking rationale: Duke-bound Jared McCain (6-4 guard), UCLA-bound Devin Williams (6-10 forward) and uncommitted three-star Mike Price (6-3 guard) form a scary big three for the back-to-back California Southern Section champs. Price joined the squad after playing for Sierra Canyon last year, but otherwise this is another group with experience together on the court. 11. Donda Academy (Simi Valley, Calif.) (0-0) Head coach: Dorell Wright Last season: 23-9 Final 21-22 rank: Ineligible Ranking rationale: Headlined by a pair of five-star seniors in Kentucky-bound Robert Dillingham and uncommitted guard AJ Johnson, Donda Academy is an intriguing squad entering its second season. Including Dillingham and Johnson, the Doves boast six of the country’s top 250 seniors. 6-8 forward JJ Taylor holds offers from Kentucky, Duke and Illinois, and 6-10 center Brandon White is wanted by the likes of Creighton, Houston and Georgia Tech.  12. Harvard-Westlake (Studio City, Calif.) (0-0) Head coach: David Rebibo Last season: 25-4 Final 21-22 rank: Unranked Ranking rationale: After coming up short against Corona Centennial and Sierra Canyon in the playoffs, Harvard-Westlake is back for revenge with an experienced core. The Wolverines’ big three of Notre Dame-bound Brady Dunlap and four-star juniors Trent Perry and Robert Hinton stayed together, so the squad should only improve on what was a strong showing in the 2021-22 season. 13. Combine Academy (Lincolnton, N.C.) (0-0) Head coach: Mike Wright Last season: 23-4 Final 21-22 rank: No. 13 Ranking rationale: Combine Academy will look much different following a top 25 finish a season ago, but the Goats shouldn’t fall off as a national power. Five-star forward Trentyn Flowers landed at Combine for his junior year after making a mid-season move from Huntington Prep (WV) to Sierra Canyon in 2021-22, and he teamed up with USC-bound guard Silas Demary Jr., four-star g...

Trump's Comments On American Jews Were Anti-Semitic -White House https://digitalarizonanews.com/trumps-comments-on-american-jews-were-anti-semitic-white-house/ WASHINGTON, Oct 17 (Reuters) – Donald Trump’s recent comments that American Jews have offered insufficient praise of his policies toward Israel were “insulting” and “anti-Semitic”, White House spokesperson Karine Jean-Pierre said on Monday. “Donald Trump’s comments were anti-Semitic, as you all know, and insulting both to Jews and our Israeli allies,” Jean-Pierre told reporters. A Trump spokesperson did not immediately respond to request for comment. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com Former U.S. President Donald Trump holds a rally ahead of the midterm elections, in Mesa, Arizona, U.S., October 9, 2022. REUTERS/Brian Snyder/File Photo Trump on Sunday warned that American Jews need to “get their act together” before “it is too late!” The suggestion of disloyalty, made on Trump’s social media platform Truth Social, plays into the antisemitic trope that U.S. Jews have dual loyalties to the U.S. and to Israel, and it drew immediate condemnation. “No President has done more for Israel than I have,” Trump wrote before adding that it was somewhat surprising that “our wonderful Evangelicals are far more appreciative of this than the people of the Jewish faith, especially those living in the U.S.” Last week, President Joe Biden told CNN in an interview that “I believe I can beat Donald Trump again” if both men run for president in 2024. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com Reporting By Jarrett Renshaw and Jeff Mason; Editing by David Gregorio Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles. Read More Here

Trump Charged Secret Service 'Exorbitant' Rates At His Hotels, Records Show https://digitalarizonanews.com/trump-charged-secret-service-exorbitant-rates-at-his-hotels-records-show-2/ During Donald Trump’s presidency, Trump hotels charged the Secret Service as much as $1,185 per night, more than five times the recommended government rate, and the high rates continued after he left office, according to an investigation released Monday by the House Committee on Oversight and Reform. Beginning in January 2017 through Sept. 15, 2021, the Secret Service received at least 40 waivers to let it spend more than the recommended per diem rates to stay at Trump properties to protect Trump as a president and former president, and also to protect those around him, the investigation found. In one ledger obtained by the Oversight Committee and published in the report, the Secret Service was charged $1,160 for a room at the Trump International Hotel in Washington, D.C. for agents protecting Eric Trump on March 8, 2017. The government rate for D.C. on that night was $242. On Nov. 8, 2017, another ledger shows that the Secret Service was charged $1,185 to lodge agents protecting Donald Trump Jr. The government rate was $201. “The exorbitant rates charged to the Secret Service and agents’ frequent stays at Trump-owned properties raise significant concerns about the former President’s self-dealing and may have resulted in a taxpayer-funded windfall for former President Trump’s struggling businesses,” House Oversight Committee Chairwoman Carolyn Maloney said. Read the full story on NBCNews.com Read More Here

Jury Begins Deliberations In Trial Of Trump Dossier Analyst https://digitalarizonanews.com/jury-begins-deliberations-in-trial-of-trump-dossier-analyst/ ALEXANDRIA, Va. (AP) — The prosecution of a think tank analyst who played a major role in the creation of a discredited dossier about former President Donald Trump flows from a special counsel investigation that was born of political retribution and assumed guilt from the start, defense lawyers argued Monday. A jury in U.S. District Court in Alexandria heard closing arguments in the case against Igor Danchenko. The Russian national is accused of lying to the FBI about how he obtained information that ended up in the “Steele dossier,” a compendium of allegations that Trump’s 2016 presidential campaign was colluding with the Kremlin. Most famously, it alleged that the Russians could have blackmail material over Trump for his supposed interactions with prostitutes in a Moscow hotel. Trump derided the dossier as fake news and a political witch hunt when it became public in 2017. Later, his attorney general, William Barr, appointed special counsel John Durham to investigate the FBI’s handling of the dossier and its broad investigation of the alleged connections between the Trump campaign and Russia, called “Crossfire Hurricane.” In closing statements, lawyers for both sides for the first time raised the hyperpolitical environment that first fueled the FBI’s probe of Trump, and then the investigation of that investigation ordered by Barr. Danchenko’s lawyer, Stuart Sears, said the investigation of the dossier’s origins and Danchenko’s role in it began when “political winds in the country changed” and Barr became Trump’s attorney general. “A special counsel’s investigation is dedicated to proving a crime at any cost,” Sears told the jury. “The special counsel, they started out with the presumption of crime. They read guilt into every piece of evidence they ever saw.” Durham, in a rebuttal argument, defended the actions of his office and the origins of the probe. He said it was only natural when the original investigation by special counsel Robert Mueller found what Durham described as “no collusion” between the Trump campaign and the Kremlin, it made sense to understand why the FBI launched its investigation and why it responded so credulously to the Steele dossier when nothing in it could be corroborated. “Is that a wrong question to ask, then, how did it all get started?” Durham said. The specific charges against Danchenko allege that he essentially fabricated one of his sources when the FBI interviewed him to determine how he derived the material he provided for the dossier. Danchenko told the FBI that some of the material came when he received an anonymous call from a man he believed to be Sergei Millian, a former president of the Russian-American Chamber of Commerce. Prosecutors say Danchenko’s story makes no sense. They said that phone records show no evidence of a call, and that Danchenko had no reason to believe Millian, a Trump supporter he’d never met, was suddenly going to be willing to provide disparaging information about Trump to a stranger. Danchenko’s lawyers, as a starting point, maintain that Danchenko never said he talked with Millian. He only guessed that Millian might have been the caller when the FBI asked him to speculate. And they said he shouldn’t be convicted of a crime for making a guess at the FBI’s invitation. That said, Danchenko’s lawyers say, he had good reason to believe the caller may well have been Millian. The call came just a few days after Danchenko had reached out to Millian over email after a mutual acquaintance brokered a connection over email. And Danchenko’s lawyers say it’s irrelevant that his phone records don’t show a call because Danchenko told the FBI from the start that the call might have taken place over a secure mobile app for which he had no records. The jury began deliberations Monday afternoon after hearing closing arguments on four counts. On Friday, U.S. District Judge Anthony Trenga threw out a fifth count, saying prosecutors had failed to prove it as a matter of law. If the jury convicts Danchenko on any of the four remaining counts, he has reserved the option to overturn those counts, as well. FBI agents called by prosecutors provided testimony last week that in many ways was more helpful to the defense. Two FBI officials who interviewed Danchenko extensively both said they always felt Danchenko was truthful with them, even though they acknowledged under questioning from Durham that it would have been helpful to know details Danchenko never provided. After Danchenko’s attorneys elicited positive assessments from the FBI officials on cross-examination, Durham ended up attacking his own witnesses’ credibility on re-direct. Durham briefly addressed the unusual dynamics in his closing argument, essentially saying that glowing assessments of Danchenko’s credibility from FBI agents who failed at their jobs aren’t worth much. “This all occurred in a particular context you’re not charged with trying to sort out,” Durham said. But “from the evidence presented in this case, you could easily include that the FBI mishandled the investigation at issue.” Read More Here

Justice Department Recommends 6 Months In Prison For Steve Bannon For Defying Jan. 6 Committee Subpoena https://digitalarizonanews.com/justice-department-recommends-6-months-in-prison-for-steve-bannon-for-defying-jan-6-committee-subpoena/ Washington — The Justice Department on Monday recommended Steve Bannon, the right-wing radio host and ally of former President Donald Trump, be sentenced to six months in prison and fined $200,000 after he was convicted of contempt of Congress for refusing to comply with a subpoena from the House select committee investigating the Jan. 6, 2021, assault on the U.S. Capitol. Federal prosecutors said in a sentencing memorandum filed in the U.S. district court in Washington that from the moment Bannon, 68, received the subpoena from the House panel in late September 2021, “he has pursued a bad-faith strategy of defiance and contempt” and still has not turned over any documents to investigators or appeared for testimony.  “Throughout the pendency of this case, the Defendant has exploited his notoriety — through courthouse press conferences and his War Room podcast — to display to the public the source of his bad-faith refusal to comply with the Committee’s subpoena: a total disregard for government processes and the law,” Justice Department lawyers wrote. Bannon, who served as former White House chief strategist to Trump, was charged with two counts of criminal contempt of Congress after the House voted last year to hold him in criminal contempt for defying the subpoena from the select committee. The case went to trial and a jury of 12 Washington, D.C., residents convicted Bannon in July on both counts. Bannon’s attorneys are asking the court for a sentence of probation and to pause the imposition of the sentence pending appeal. In their own sentencing memorandum, they pointed to Bannon’s attorney, Robert Costello, as serving as the intermediary with the select committee. “The facts of this case show that Mr. Bannon’s conduct was based on his good-faith reliance on his lawyer’s advice,” they said. Bannon’s attorneys also told the court that the case involves “larger themes that are important to every American.” “Should a person who has spent a lifetime listening to experts — as a naval officer, investment banker, corporate executive, and presidential advisor — be jailed for relying on the advice of his lawyers? Should a person be jailed where the prosecutor declined to prosecute others who were similarly situated — with the only difference being that this person uses their voice to express strongly held political views?” they wrote. “If the answer to any of these questions is no, then a sentence of probation is warranted.” Bannon is set to be sentenced Friday, the capstone of a chaotic legal battle that included efforts by Bannon to postpone the proceedings and, days before the start of his trial, express a newfound willingness to testify before the House committee.  In addition to his legal troubles in Washington, Bannon was indicted in New York last month on state money laundering and conspiracy charges stemming from his part in a fundraising campaign to build a wall along the U.S.-Mexico border. He pleaded not guilty. Steve Bannon charged with money laundering, conspiracy, fraud in New York 04:58 In their 24-page filing, federal prosecutors plotted Bannon’s defiance of the select committee’s demands for information in 17 areas related to the Jan. 6 attack, which included his communications with Trump, efforts to persuade Americans of the false claim that the 2020 presidential election was stolen, and communication with far-right extremist groups regarding the election and the Capitol riot. Bannon had argued he could not comply with the committee’s subpoena because Trump intended to assert executive privilege, though the committee rejected his claims and moved to schedule his deposition. After Bannon failed to appear before House investigators, defying the subpoena, the committee and later the full House voted to hold him in criminal contempt of Congress. A federal grand jury indicted Bannon in November on the two counts stemming from his refusal to comply with the subpoena, though his lawyers repeatedly attempted to delay his trial, albeit unsuccessfully. Then, just before the proceedings were set to begin, Bannon’s lawyer sent the House select committee a letter claiming Trump had waived executive privilege, allowing Bannon to comply with the subpoena. A lawyer for Bannon, Evan Corcoran, also told the committee that he would cooperate only if the Justice Department agreed to dismiss his criminal case, prosecutors told the court, an offer they called a “stunt” and an effort to “extract a quid pro quo” with the panel to persuade the Justice Department to drop the charges against him. Justice Department lawyers told the court in their sentencing memorandum that throughout the case, Bannon has used his public platforms to spout “hyperbolic and sometimes violent rhetoric to disparage the Committee’s investigation, personally attack the committee’s members, and ridicule the criminal justice system.” Bannon’s statements, they wrote, “prove that his contempt was not aimed at protecting executive privilege or the Constitution, rather it was aimed at undermining the committee’s efforts to investigate an historic attack on government.” The minimum sentence of one month in prison, Justice Department lawyers said, is “insufficient to account for, punish, and deter his criminal offenses.” “The rioters who overran the Capitol on January 6 did not just attack a building — they assaulted the rule of law upon which this country was built and through which it endure,” they said. “By flouting the select committee’s subpoena and its authority, the defendant exacerbated that assault. To this day, he continues to unlawfully withhold documents and testimony that stand to help the committee’s authorized investigation to get to the bottom of what led to January 6 and ascertain what steps must be taken to ensure that it never happens again. That cannot be tolerated.” Bannon is one of four former White House aides and allies of Trump to be referred by the full House for possible criminal prosecution for refusing to comply with subpoenas from the select committee. Peter Navarro, a top trade adviser to Trump, was indicted by a federal grand jury in June on two counts of contempt of Congress. The Justice Department, however, declined to charge former White House chief of staff Mark Meadows and deputy chief of staff Dan Scavino. Rob Legare contributed to this report In: Steve Bannon Donald Trump Read More Here

Jury Begins Deliberations In Trial Of Trump Dossier Analyst | Federal News Network https://digitalarizonanews.com/jury-begins-deliberations-in-trial-of-trump-dossier-analyst-federal-news-network/ ALEXANDRIA, Va. (AP) — The prosecution of a think tank analyst who played a major role in the creation of a discredited dossier about former President Donald Trump flows from a special counsel investigation that was born of political retribution and assumed guilt from the start, defense lawyers argued Monday. A jury in U.S. District Court in Alexandria heard closing arguments in the case against Igor Danchenko. The Russian national is accused of lying to… READ MORE ALEXANDRIA, Va. (AP) — The prosecution of a think tank analyst who played a major role in the creation of a discredited dossier about former President Donald Trump flows from a special counsel investigation that was born of political retribution and assumed guilt from the start, defense lawyers argued Monday. A jury in U.S. District Court in Alexandria heard closing arguments in the case against Igor Danchenko. The Russian national is accused of lying to the FBI about how he obtained information that ended up in the “Steele dossier,” a compendium of allegations that Trump’s 2016 presidential campaign was colluding with the Kremlin. Most famously, it alleged that the Russians could have blackmail material over Trump for his supposed interactions with prostitutes in a Moscow hotel. Trump derided the dossier as fake news and a political witch hunt when it became public in 2017. Later, his attorney general, William Barr, appointed special counsel John Durham to investigate the FBI’s handling of the dossier and its broad investigation of the alleged connections between the Trump campaign and Russia, called “Crossfire Hurricane.” In closing statements, lawyers for both sides for the first time raised the hyperpolitical environment that first fueled the FBI’s probe of Trump, and then the investigation of that investigation ordered by Barr. Danchenko’s lawyer, Stuart Sears, said the investigation of the dossier’s origins and Danchenko’s role in it began when “political winds in the country changed” and Barr became Trump’s attorney general. “A special counsel’s investigation is dedicated to proving a crime at any cost,” Sears told the jury. “The special counsel, they started out with the presumption of crime. They read guilt into every piece of evidence they ever saw.” Durham, in a rebuttal argument, defended the actions of his office and the origins of the probe. He said it was only natural when the original investigation by special counsel Robert Mueller found what Durham described as “no collusion” between the Trump campaign and the Kremlin, it made sense to understand why the FBI launched its investigation and why it responded so credulously to the Steele dossier when nothing in it could be corroborated. “Is that a wrong question to ask, then, how did it all get started?” Durham said. The specific charges against Danchenko allege that he essentially fabricated one of his sources when the FBI interviewed him to determine how he derived the material he provided for the dossier. Danchenko told the FBI that some of the material came when he received an anonymous call from a man he believed to be Sergei Millian, a former president of the Russian-American Chamber of Commerce. Prosecutors say Danchenko’s story makes no sense. They said that phone records show no evidence of a call, and that Danchenko had no reason to believe Millian, a Trump supporter he’d never met, was suddenly going to be willing to provide disparaging information about Trump to a stranger. Danchenko’s lawyers, as a starting point, maintain that Danchenko never said he talked with Millian. He only guessed that Millian might have been the caller when the FBI asked him to speculate. And they said he shouldn’t be convicted of a crime for making a guess at the FBI’s invitation. That said, Danchenko’s lawyers say, he had good reason to believe the caller may well have been Millian. The call came just a few days after Danchenko had reached out to Millian over email after a mutual acquaintance brokered a connection over email. And Danchenko’s lawyers say it’s irrelevant that his phone records don’t show a call because Danchenko told the FBI from the start that the call might have taken place over a secure mobile app for which he had no records. The jury began deliberations Monday afternoon after hearing closing arguments on four counts. On Friday, U.S. District Judge Anthony Trenga threw out a fifth count, saying prosecutors had failed to prove it as a matter of law. If the jury convicts Danchenko on any of the four remaining counts, he has reserved the option to overturn those counts, as well. FBI agents called by prosecutors provided testimony last week that in many ways was more helpful to the defense. Two FBI officials who interviewed Danchenko extensively both said they always felt Danchenko was truthful with them, even though they acknowledged under questioning from Durham that it would have been helpful to know details Danchenko never provided. After Danchenko’s attorneys elicited positive assessments from the FBI officials on cross-examination, Durham ended up attacking his own witnesses’ credibility on re-direct. Durham briefly addressed the unusual dynamics in his closing argument, essentially saying that glowing assessments of Danchenko’s credibility from FBI agents who failed at their jobs aren’t worth much. “This all occurred in a particular context you’re not charged with trying to sort out,” Durham said. But “from the evidence presented in this case, you could easily include that the FBI mishandled the investigation at issue.” Copyright © 2022 . All rights reserved. This website is not intended for users located within the European Economic Area. Read More Here

Trump Charged Secret Service ‘exorbitant’ Rates At His Hotels, Records Show https://digitalarizonanews.com/trump-charged-secret-service-exorbitant-rates-at-his-hotels-records-show/ Former president Donald Trump’s company charged the Secret Service as much as five times more than the government rate for agents to stay overnight at Trump hotels while protecting him and his family, according to expense records newly obtained by Congress. The records show that in 40 cases the Trump Organization billed the Secret Service far higher amounts than the approved government rate — in one case charging agents $1,185 a night to stay at the Trump International Hotel in D.C. The new billing documents, according to a congressional committee’s review, show that U.S. taxpayers paid the president’s company at least $1.4 million for Secret Service agents’ stays at Trump properties for his and his family’s protection. “The exorbitant rates charged to the Secret Service and agents’ frequent stays at Trump-owned properties raise significant concerns about the former President’s self-dealing and may have resulted in a taxpayer-funded windfall for former President Trump’s struggling businesses,” Rep. Carolyn B. Maloney (D-N.Y.) wrote to Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle. The records contradict the repeated claim made by Eric Trump, the president’s son and the Trump Organization’s executive vice president, that the family’s company often gave the Secret Service agents the hotel rooms “at cost” or sometimes free, providing steep discounts for the security team to stay at Trump properties. Eric Trump disputed that the Trump Organization profited off Secret Service stays at his family’s properties. “Any services rendered to the United States Secret Service or other government agencies at Trump owned properties, were at their request and were either provided at cost, heavily discounted or for free,” he said in a statement. “The company would have been substantially better off if hospitality services were sold to full-paying guests, however, the company did whatever it took to accommodate the agencies to ensure they were able to do their jobs at the highest levels.” While the documents do not cover all Secret Service expenses at Trump properties during his presidency and reflect only a fraction of those expenses since he left office, they offer a more detailed financial accounting than previously known of what taxpayers paid for Trump’s frequent choice to stay at his properties. Trump visited his properties more than 500 times during his presidency. Documents obtained in February 2020 under the Freedom of Information Act revealed the rates the Secret Service paid at then-President Donald Trump’s properties. (Video: Zach Purser Brown/The Washington Post) Maloney, chairwoman of the House Oversight and Reform Committee, obtained the records as part of her investigation into how Trump may have profited off his security agents’ duty to follow him wherever he traveled. She wrote a letter Monday to Cheatle demanding a complete accounting of what taxpayers have paid — and continue to pay — the Trump Organization. “Given the long-standing concerns surrounding the former President’s conflicts of interest and efforts to profit off the presidency, the committee has a strong interest in obtaining a complete accounting of federal government spending at Trump properties,” Maloney wrote. “The Committee continues to examine potential legislation to prevent presidential self-dealing and profiteering, as well as to curb conflicts of interest by ensuring that future presidents are prevented from exercising undue influence on Secret Service spending. ” Secret Service spokesman Anthony Guglielmi said the agency is aware of Maloney’s request for a fuller account. “We received the letter and we are reviewing it and we aim to respond to the committee by their deadline,” he said. “While we don’t comment on any protective operations, agents must be within arms’ reach of their protectees 24 hours a day.” In 2019, Eric Trump said the Trump Organization was saving the Secret Service agents — and taxpayers who paid the bill — huge sums. “If my father travels, they stay at our properties free,” he said. “So everywhere that he goes, if he stays at one of his places, the government actually spends, meaning it saves a fortune because if they were to go to a hotel across the street, they’d be charging them $500 a night, whereas, you know we charge them, like $50.” In 2020, Eric Trump reiterated that Trump Organization was giving these public servants — and ultimately taxpayers — discounted rates. “We provide the rooms at cost and could make far more money renting them to members or guests,” he said. But the reality was different, the records reveal. During Trump’s presidency, Secret Service supervisors frequently asked for special waivers to let the agency pay far more than the government-approved nightly rate for a hotel in D.C. — usually $195 to $240. Instead, they paid the higher costs the Trump Organization was charging. In April 2017, when Eric Trump and his wife, Lara, were staying at the Trump International Hotel in D.C., the president’s company charged the Secret Service agents $1,160 — more than four times the government rate at the time — the records show. In November 2017, when Donald Trump, Jr., stayed at the same hotel, the government was charged $1,185 a night for his security detail staying overnight at the hotel to protect him — almost six times the government rate, which varies based on time and location. Maloney stressed that the Secret Service continues to pay the Trump Organization while protecting Trump since he left office, and she is concerned by reports of excessive fees the agency is charged for the former president’s travels. Her committee obtained records that stretch over his four-year presidency and continue from President Biden’s inauguration to September 2021. Maloney noted in her letter to the Secret Service director that records turned over to her committee do not include the agency’s payments for a series of visits to Trump’s private club at Mar-a-Lago; some visits to his property at Bedminster, N.J.; and for stays at Trump properties outside the United States during frequent foreign travel by Trump and his family. Read More Here

Trump Attacks American Jews In Social Media Post Amid Rise In Anti-Semitism https://digitalarizonanews.com/trump-attacks-american-jews-in-social-media-post-amid-rise-in-anti-semitism/ You have permission to edit this video. Edit Subscribe for $1 Read Today’s E-Edition Join Log In Welcome, Guest My Account Manage Account Logout E-Edition News Obituaries Opinion Sports Gusto Lifestyles Business Jobs 47° Showers in the Vicinity Trump attacks American Jews in social media post amid rise in anti-Semitism 0 Comments Share this AP Oct 17, 2022 18 min ago 0 Trump is being lambasted for his insensitive post and what many say will only fuel more antisemitism. Veuer’s Tony Spitz has the details. Tags Dcc Wire Lvs Nation-world Jews Viral-video Trump Viral Antisemitism Jewish-people Veuer Mrss_primary_property| Mrss_provider_name| Mrss_show_title| _ready X38jd8@1 Antisemetic Jerusalem-times Jewish-electorate-institute Trump’s-antisemetic-remarks Videoelephant Latest video Janet Jackson is set to launch a ‘spectacular comeback tour’ Trump attacks American Jews in social media post amid rise in anti-Semitism Abigail Breslin opens up about past abusive relationship Heavy fighting in southeastern Ukraine forces residents to flee Russell Crowe denies ever auditioning for ‘My Best Friend’s Wedding’ Radioactive contamination discovered inside an elementary school in Missouri Megan Thee Stallion ‘taking a break’ after burglary at her home Search for survivors among rubble after Russia’s drone attacks on Ukraine 0 Comments © Copyright 2022 The Buffalo News, One News Plaza Buffalo, NY 14240 | Terms of Use | Privacy Policy | Do Not Sell My Info | Cookie Preferences Powered by BLOX Content Management System from TownNews.com. Notifications Settings Get up-to-the-minute news sent straight to your device. Topics News Alerts Subscribe Breaking News Subscribe Read More Here