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Biden Turning To Trump-Era Rule To Expel Venezuelan Migrants | News Channel 3-12 https://digitalarizonanews.com/biden-turning-to-trump-era-rule-to-expel-venezuelan-migrants-news-channel-3-12/ By COLLEEN LONG and ZEKE MILLER Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — Two years ago, candidate Joe Biden loudly denounced President Donald Trump for immigration policies that inflicted “cruelty and exclusion at every turn,” including toward those fleeing the “brutal” government of socialist Nicolas Maduro in Venezuela. Now, with increasing numbers of Venezuelans arriving at the U.S.-Mexico border as the Nov. 8 election nears, Biden has turned to an unlikely source for a solution: his predecessor’s playbook. Biden last week invoked a Trump-era rule known as Title 42 — which Biden’s own Justice Department is fighting in court — to deny Venezuelans fleeing their crisis-torn country the chance to request asylum at the border. The rule, first invoked by Trump in 2020, uses emergency public health authority to allow the United States to keep migrants from seeking asylum at the border, based on the need to help prevent the spread of COVID-19. Under the new Biden administration policy, Venezuelans who walk or swim across America’s southern border will be expelled and any Venezuelan who illegally enters Mexico or Panama will be ineligible to come to the United States. But as many as 24,000 Venezuelans will be accepted at U.S. airports, similar to how Ukrainians have been admitted since Russia’s invasion in February. Mexico has insisted that the U.S. admit one Venezuelan on humanitarian parole for each Venezuelan it expels to Mexico, according to a Mexican official who was not authorized to discuss the matter publicly and spoke condition of anonymity. So if the Biden administration paroles 24,000 Venezuelans to the U.S., Mexico would take no more than 24,000 Venezuelans expelled from the U.S. The Biden policy marks an abrupt turn for the White House, which just weeks ago was lambasting Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, both Republicans, for putting Venezuelan migrants “fleeing political persecution” on buses and planes to Democratic strongholds. “These were children, they were moms, they were fleeing communism,” White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said at the time. Biden’s new policy has drawn swift criticism from immigrant advocates, many of them quick to point out the Trump parallels. “Rather than restore the right to asylum decimated by the Trump administration … the Biden administration has dangerously embraced the failures of the past and expanded upon them by explicitly enabling expulsions of Venezuelan migrants,” said Jennifer Nagda, policy director of the Young Center for Immigrant Children’s Rights. The administration says the policy is aimed at ensuring a “lawful and orderly” way for Venezuelans to enter the U.S. Why the turnaround? For more than a year after taking office in January 2021, Biden deferred to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which used its authority to keep in place the Trump-era declaration that a public health risk existed that warranted expedited expulsion of asylum-seekers. Members of Biden’s own party and activist groups had expressed skepticism about the public health underpinnings for allowing Title 42 to remain in effect, especially when COVID-19 was spreading more widely within the U.S. than elsewhere. After months of internal deliberations and preparations, the CDC on April 1 said it would end the public health order and return to normal border processing of migrants, giving them a chance to request asylum in the U.S. Homeland Security officials braced for a resulting increase in border crossings. But officials inside and outside the White House were conflicted over ending the authority, believing it effectively kept down the number of people crossing the border illegally, according to senior administration officials. A court order in May that kept Title 42 in place due to a challenge from Republican state officials was greeted with quiet relief by some in the administration, according to officials who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity to discuss internal discussions. The recent increase in migration from Venezuela, sparked by political, social and economic instability in the country, dashed officials’ hopes that they were finally seeing a lull in the chaos that had defined the border region for the past year. By August, Venezuelans were the second-largest nationality arriving at the U.S. border after Mexicans. Given that U.S. tensions with Venezuela meant migrants from the country could not be sent back easily, the situation became increasingly difficult to manage. So an administration that had rejected many Trump-era policies aimed at keeping out migrants, that had worked to make the asylum process easier and that had increased the number of refugees allowed into the U.S. now turned to Title 42. It brokered a deal to send the Venezuelans to Mexico, which already had agreed to accept migrants expelled under Title 42 if they are from Guatemala, Honduras or El Salvador. All the while, Justice Department lawyers continue to appeal a court decision that has kept Title 42 in place. They are opposing Republican attorneys general from more than 20 states who have argued that Title 42 is “the only safety valve preventing this Administration’s already disastrous border control policies from descending into an unmitigated catastrophe.” Under Title 42, migrants have been expelled more than 2.3 million times from the U.S. after crossing the country’s land borders illegally from Canada or Mexico, though most try to come through Mexico. The administration had announced it would stop expelling migrants under Title 42 starting May 23 and go back to detaining and deporting migrants who did not qualify to enter and remain in the U.S. — a longer process that allows migrants to request asylum in the U.S. “We are extremely disturbed by the apparent acceptance, codification, and expansion of the use of Title 42, an irrelevant health order, as a cornerstone of border policy,” said Thomas Cartwright of Witness at the Border. “One that expunges the legal right to asylum.” A separate lawsuit from the American Civil Liberties Union also is trying to end Title 42, an effort that could render the administration’s proposal useless. “People have a right to seek asylum – regardless of where they came from, how they arrive in the United States, and whether or not they have family here,” said ACLU lawyer Lee Gelernt. ___ Long reported from Los Angeles. Associated Press writer Elliot Spagat in San Diego contributed to this report. ___ Follow AP’s coverage of immigration at https://apnews.com/hub/immigration Read More Here

Meet Flagstaff’s Two Mayoral Candidates https://digitalarizonanews.com/meet-flagstaffs-two-mayoral-candidates/ In the upcoming Nov. 8 election, Flagstaff will be tasked with electing four city councilmembers and one mayor. On the mayoral ballot are two candidates: incumbent Paul Deasy and Becky Daggett, the former vice mayor. In the interest of helping readers become more acquainted with these candidates, the Arizona Daily Sun sat down with Deasy and Daggett to ask them about their background and their ambitions for the office of Flagstaff mayor. Paul Deasy Deasy moved to Flagstaff with his family when he was 12 years old. Since that time, he has started a family of his own and is currently raising four children. Deasy holds two master’s degrees in economics and political science, the latter of which he completed as a graduate research fellow with the National Science Foundation. “During that research term, I was involved in data-driven decision making around policies at the federal level to respond to economic crisis,” Deasy said. After completing the program, he went on to work as a research and business intelligence analyst for Northern Arizona University, where he was tasked with “providing data-driven decision making proposals to senior leadership to increase retention rates at the university and help create more diversity in STEM majors.” When asked why he has focused his career on analytics, Deasy answered, “because that’s how the best decisions are made.” “We can talk about what we feel is going to happen,” he said “But assessing and understanding what went well, what did not go well, helps better inform how we create policies to really impact our policy goals.” In this way, Deasy said, analytics are a “transferable skill” able to inform many local-level governmental decisions, from housing to stormwater management, transportation and development. “Being able to analyze and do research simply creates better policy,” he said. When it comes to how Deasy would like to create better policy with a second term as mayor of Flagstaff, he pointed to the city’s climate emergency — and its connection to the cycle of fire and flooding — as well as the city’s housing emergency. “We have to really address the policies around our fire restrictions and our policies around water conservation in this changing environment,” he said. “For example, I think we need to be in Stage One fire restrictions yearround.” As far as the city housing emergency goes, Deasy applauded what he sees as “innovative ideas from our local nonprofits,” such as Anew Living’s retrofit of the Route 66 Motel and Habitat for Humanity’s shared equity housing program. “These innovative ideas, especially in this quickly changing environment, we need to embrace and act on very quickly,” Deasy said. “And that’s a big thing that I will continue to do as mayor — is to embrace innovative solutions and help support and partner with nonprofits, private companies, whatever it takes to create more affordable housing.” Aside from addressing these immediate needs, Deasy sees Flagstaff as a place in transition, growing out of its small-town roots into a larger, more dynamic city. “It’s critical that as we continue to develop and continue to grow, we keep Flagstaff Flagstaff,” he said. What makes Flagstaff Flagstaff? For Deasy, there are two main factors: friendliness and the outdoors. “That sense of community and behaving in a neighborly fashion can’t be lost,” he said, nor can “the connection not just with each other, but with our environment.” In typical job interview fashion, the Arizona Daily Sun also asked Deasy to identify his strengths and weaknesses. For strengths, Deasy answered “tenacity,” a trait he believes has been exemplified in his willingness to take action beyond his strict legal authority as mayor. “When things can’t necessarily be done at the dais, I will figure out another way,” he said. For Deasy, this meant “rallying volunteers” to place flood-mitigating sandbags when “legal bureaucratic issues” got in the way, or when he and his wife acted to distribute 250,000 KN95 face masks when “city council did not want to get involved in mass distribution.” “We took grassroots efforts to address the community concerns,” Deasy said of the actions. As for his weaknesses, Deasy said he can “wear his heart on his sleeve too much.” “I certainly speak my mind and can be bluntly honest about what I feel on situations and what I’m thinking about,” he said. “And that sometimes can interfere with the outcomes I wish to seek.” He went on to say that he believes he has been able to “change” over the past year in regards to this personal weakness. “Look at how well things are working and how well I’m working with our fellow city councilmembers to get things accomplished,” he said. “There was certainly a learning curve on that front for me.” Becky Daggett As a child, Daggett spent summers and weekends in Flagstaff because her father ran a construction business in town. “I always knew that I wanted to come to Northern Arizona University,” Daggett said. “Mostly because I loved Flagstaff.” From NAU, Daggett earned an undergraduate degree in public relations. She went on to earn a master’s degree in sustainable communities while also working for local environmental advocacy organization Grand Canyon Trust. “As I was finishing up my degree, Friends of Flagstaff’s Future (FFF) was looking for an executive director,” she said. She pursued the full-time position and was offered the job, which was a big step for a nonprofit organization that had been “essentially just run by volunteers” up until that point. “I remember Nat White telling me that they had $3,000 in their bank account,” Daggett said. “And that I would either make it, or the organization would probably fold.” Daggett made it. Over her 9 1/2-year tenure as executive director, she helped build the organization up to a membership of 1,200 people. During the course of her time at FFF, Daggett got very involved with land-use planning around the city and participated in campaigns to purchase land on Observatory Mesa, Picture Canyon and other parcels that were used in construction of the Flagstaff Urban Trail System. “Around the same time, I helped lead a countywide campaign to purchase land out at Rogers Lake,” Daggett said, “as well as some land in Kachina Village, build a park in Tuba City and build the amphitheater out at Fort Tuthill. I got really involved.” Daggett’s involvement in regional land planning caught the attention of Arizona’s then-governor Janet Napolitano, and Daggett was appointed chair of the governor’s Growing Smarter oversight council, tasked with evaluating the effectiveness of state laws addressing urban development, land use planning and open-space preservation. “Our main task was to help ensure that all of the communities in Arizona created their own regional plan or some sort of long-range planning for their city, town, county,” Daggett said. After her role at FFF, Daggett went to help launch city offices of business retention and expansion. “My main role was to help local businesses stay here and to grow,” she said, noting that “the city had just taken on economic development.” “It was the building of that program within the city,” she added. From there, Daggett went on to serve as executive director for the Flagstaff Arts and Leadership Academy (FALA). “I think the common theme of everything that I’ve taken on is that there was a major challenge,” she said. For FALA, that meant finding an entirely new location for the school. “I was with FALA for five and a half years,” Daggett said. “During that time, we moved the campus, expanded grades and built the enrollment. When I left, enrollment was probably the highest it’s ever been.” In 2020, Daggett’s high level of involvement and experience with nonprofits, land-use planning and the educational system motivated her to run for city council in order to better serve the needs of the wider community. She won a seat by a high margin and was thus awarded the role of vice mayor. Soon after, Daggett joined the housing commission, where she helped create Flagstaff’s 10-Year Housing Plan. “I’m proud of the final project and I know that plan is going to serve Flagstaff well,” she said. Should she become Flagstaff’s next mayor, Daggett said she would like to see policy that “safeguards” water, air quality and forest health, diversifies transportation, and maintains infrastructure while positioning Flagstaff to take advantage of state and federal funds. “Flagstaff has to make sure that we’re always proactive and always ready when those opportunities come up,” she said. Daggett also applauded the various ways Flagstaff has laid groundwork to address local issues in the near future. From the 10-Year-Housing Plan to the Flagstaff Watershed Protection Project, the Carbon Neutrality Plan and MetroPlan, Daggett sees that leading Flagstaff in the near term will largely be about making sure existing plans are seen through to their conclusion. “There wouldn’t be a policy that I would say, ‘Right now we have to do this,’” Daggett explained. “What I would say is, ‘Right now, we have to get these plans finished.’” In her estimation, what Daggett can offer Flagstaff is leadership that helps to get everyone “pulling in the same direction.” Having only served on Council for two years before running for mayor, Daggett admits that she may have weakness in the “learning curve” of local governance. But she sees her strength as an ability to develop solutions to complex problems and “build trust between the citizens of Flagstaff and the city council.” “I listen to people, I work collaboratively with people,” she said. “I am able to defuse sometimes volatile situations. I build teams.” Get Government & Politics updates in your inbox! Stay up-to-date on the latest in local and national government and political topics ...

Opinion: Trump's All-Caps Rage Is Back. Has America Changed? | CNN https://digitalarizonanews.com/opinion-trumps-all-caps-rage-is-back-has-america-changed-cnn/ Editor’s Note: Sign up to get this weekly column as a newsletter. We’re looking back at the strongest, smartest opinion takes of the week from CNN and other outlets. CNN  —  Poetry’s genius is that it offers both an endless supply of words and a fresh way of looking at everything under the sun. As an example, the word “majusculation” – from the noun “majuscule,” meaning upper case or capital lettering (the inverse of “miniscule”) – in poetry refers to the capitalization of the first letter in every line of a poem. Poet and essayist Sumita Chakraborty has written that this convention of language “can give a poem majesty; the poem seems to stand upright, with all of its oblique and elliptical utterances yoked to the vertebrae of its left margin.” If the poet’s use of capital letters can provide coherence – a figurative backbone – to a disordered world, it seems that former President Donald Trump’s haphazard capitalizations in his 14-page response to the House January 6 select committee on Friday did the opposite. Trump’s rage at the committee’s decision to subpoena him for documents and testimony about his role in the insurrection found voice in an all-caps opening line repeating his mendacious claims about the 2020 election. Thereafter, his upper cases were directed incoherently at enemies and allies alike – “Hacks and Thugs” and “American Patriots.” Clay Jones The chaos of Trump’s slapdash majuscules was one tiny measure of linguistic turmoil; this week, Americans were asked to confront much greater mayhem – yet again – when the January 6 committee held its last hearing before the midterm elections. In never-before-seen footage from that day, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and other Democratic leaders were shown “scrambling to obtain more police and national guard forces to repel the rioters on Capitol Hill as they realized the threat was unfolding – not only to their personal safety but also to their ability to carry out their constitutional function of certifying the election,” wrote Julian Zelizer. After four months of highly staged televised hearings, Zelizer concluded: “The committee successfully unpacked the dark days that followed the 2020 election. They have been exposed in clear detail right in front of our eyes. The biggest mystery left is whether as a nation we will close our eyes and simply move forward without demanding accountability, justice and reform.” In focusing this week’s hearing on Trump as a “central player” in the insurrection, according to Vice Chairwoman Liz Cheney, the committee failed to fully address the question of who else knew and bore ultimate responsibility, worried Slate’s Dahlia Lithwick. She wrote, “The thing that keeps me up at night is the fact that the liars and the cheaters and the con men and the opportunists who allowed Jan. 6 to happen, and who minced their way into the Jan. 6 committee hearings two years later merely in order to exculpate themselves, will all roam free after today, with the slightly more burnished aura of statesmanship and patriotism, so they can lay down the tracks for the next attempt at a stolen election.” What comes next? The 2022 midterms now loom, and Manisha Sinha urged voters to look back to 1866 to grasp these ever-higher stakes. “Then, as now, armed paramilitary groups threatened the country,” she argued. “Some Republican candidates still aspire to overturn the results of the presidential election of 2020, just as unrepentant Confederates wanted to undo the results of the Civil War. A stolen election is the new lost cause mythology for many Republicans.” Liza Donnelly In the next installment of CNN Opinion’s ongoing series, “America’s Future Starts Now,” three current and retired election workers – Natalie Adona of California, Lisa Deeley of Pennsylvania and Tina Barton of Michigan – shared the dangers they faced in the line of duty. Deeley, who faced a credible death threat after a video of her was posted online, recalled: “I had two plain-clothes Philadelphia police officers assigned to follow me wherever I went – including the bathroom.” Though this job has traditionally been a low-risk form of public service, since 2020 that reality has changed for these three women and many other officials who oversee federal, state and local elections. Given that a majority of Americans believe US democracy is broken, 12 leading thinkers shared their ideas about how to repair it. One of them, US Marine veteran Joe Plenzler, pointed out that the “military – including its veterans – is one of the most trusted institutions in our society” and made the case for enlisting veterans as poll workers – both for their trustworthiness and for their trained abilities to deescalate tensions and address potential threats. Another participant, filmmaker Ken Burns, wrote: “To paraphrase historian Deborah Lipstadt who appears in my latest project, ‘The U.S. and the Holocaust,’ the time to save a democracy is before it is lost – and that requires people paying attention, filtering sources of news and beginning a politics of compromise built on conversation and storytelling now.” For more: Patagonia CEO Ryan Gellert: Why business leaders should make it easier for employees to vote Ann Telnaes Last weekend, an explosion rocked a strategic Crimean bridge, delivering a heavy blow against Russian forces that prompted both jubilation and fear of Russian retribution in Ukraine. “On Monday, those fears were realized,” wrote Michael Bociurkiw from Odesa. “The strikes occurred nationwide just as people were headed to work and while kids were being dropped off at schools,” he observed. “One of the most resilient Ukrainians I know” texted: “I’m not well right now.” For Nonna Stefanova, the attacks by “Russian missiles scorched a children’s playground in Kyiv that my family calls ‘our playground,’ leaving behind a gaping crater.” Russia’s nationwide bombardment demanded that she, like other Ukrainian mothers, rouse her family to seek shelter. Her son Askold, age nine, asked her, “Why does Russia do it?” Her answer: “I told him the truth: because the Russians don’t want us to exist.” Despite Russian President Vladimir Putin’s aggression, his “so-far-disastrous invasion of Ukraine is turning the former idol of the far right into a toxic figure among many who used to be his greatest admirers,” opined Frida Ghitis after the UN General Assembly voted overwhelmingly on Wednesday to reject Putin’s annexation of Ukrainian territory. “Leaders of the extreme right, seeing the transformation in popular opinion, have pivoted sharply. After championing a Russian leader who was already dictatorial and ruthless, they now seek to benefit from the economic havoc triggered by Putin’s war, while distancing themselves from a man who is now seen not only as a moral pariah by many of his followers, but also as a catastrophically ineffective leader.” courtesy Kathy Pisabaj The corrosive trauma of mass shootings and gun violence in America – and the question of whether justice and accountability are even possible – took center stage this week in two courtrooms. In one, far-right conspiracy theorist Alex Jones faced judgment for defaming and intentionally inflicting emotional distress on the families of victims of the 2012 Sandy Hook massacre; in another, a jury recommended that Parkland school shooter Nikolas Cruz spend life in prison without the possibility of parole for killing 17 people – avoiding the death penalty that many observers, some family members of the victims included, felt Cruz deserved. “Though many were shocked he didn’t receive the death penalty, and many victims’ family members were visibly upset by the decision, it’s wrong to assume this would have automatically brought them solace,” wrote Emilia Benton for NBC Think. Benton’s mother was murdered in 1998 by a man known as the “Railroad Killer,” and while he was executed for his crimes, “the sentencing and ultimate punishment he received in many ways made it more difficult to move forward in my life and achieve any sense of closure.” Moving forward after experiencing gun violence is never a linear process, reflected Katherine Pisabaj. “I always used to be the happiest, most cheerful person. That’s not who I am anymore. My life changed on February 25, 2018, the day I was shot,” Pisabaj wrote. “After years of healing, I am back to the most normal life I can now have. But recovering from this sort of trauma is not a straight path. “Last month was the first time I passed a shooting scene in Chicago since I was shot. I was on my way to the laundromat and drove by where three people had been shot. I fell apart. My boyfriend held my hand as my mom tried to comfort me over the phone. … I battle with anxiety and depression and sometimes feel so sad, even when I know I should be happy. It can be a constant battle.” For more: Guns and crime weigh on Americans’ minds. 6 experts propose ideas to lighten the load Joey Jackson: School shooting verdicts raise questions about viability of justice system Al Drago-Pool/Getty Images Earlier this month, a search committee unanimously recommended US Sen. Ben Sasse – a Republican from Nebraska, historian and former president of Midland University (student body less than 2,000) – as the sole finalist for president of the University of Florida (student body more than 60,000). When Sasse visited the school Monday, students turned out to protest. Sasse’s impending appointment threatens to turn the University of Florida into a partisan plaything and “defiles the ideas of a public university of equity and as a common good,” contended David M. Perry. He wrote that not only would Sasse’s anti-LGBTQ and anti-abortion politics have enormous sway in a place where queer students already feel threatened and many women receive heal...

Indiana US Senate Candidates Set For Only Televised Debate https://digitalarizonanews.com/indiana-us-senate-candidates-set-for-only-televised-debate/ FILE – Sen. Todd Young, R-Ind., speaks during the Senate Armed Services and Senate Foreign Relations GOP news conference on Capitol Hill in Washington on Jan. 19, 2022. Indiana voters can begin casting early, in-person ballots Wednesday, Oct. 12, 2022, for the November election in which Democrats are looking for a backlash against the Republican-backed state abortion ban approved over the summer. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana, File)[ASSOCIATED PRESS/Jose Luis Magana] INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Indiana Republican U.S. Sen. Todd Young will face his two reelection opponents on Sunday in what is their only scheduled televised debate ahead of the Nov. 8 election. The debate comes as Democrat Thomas McDermott, the mayor of Hammond, has struggled to gain traction against Young, who has huge fundraising and organization advantages in seeking his second term. Libertarian James Sceniak is also taking part in the debate, which is organized by the nonprofit Indiana Debate Commission and being broadcast on several TV stations around the state. Young has followed a front-runner strategy of mostly ignoring McDermott, who has been Hammond’s mayor since 2004 but is little known outside of northwestern Indiana. Despite Democrats and Republicans fiercely fighting for control of the current 50-50 Senate, Indiana’s Senate race hasn’t seen the tens of millions in outside spending that it attracted four years ago when Republican Mike Braun defeated Democratic U.S. Sen. Joe Donnelly and in 2016 when Young won the Senate seat over former Democratic U.S. Sen. Evan Bayh. FILE – Hammond Mayor Thomas McDermott Jr. speaks during his State of the City address at the Hammond, Ind., City Hall on June 24, 2021. Indiana voters can begin casting early, in-person ballots on Wednesday, Oct. 12, 2022, for the November election in which Democrats are looking for a backlash against the Republican-backed state abortion ban approved over the summer. McDermott is the Democrat challenging Sen. Todd Young, R-Ind. (Joe Ruffalo/The Times of Northwest Indiana via AP, File) Photo: ASSOCIATED PRESS/Joe Ruffalo Young avoided a primary challenge this year despite not fully embracing Donald Trump’s presidency — and not getting a Trump endorsement. Young voted to acquit Trump in his Senate impeachment trial but voted to uphold President Joe Biden’s election win. McDermott, a lawyer and U.S. Navy veteran, has tried to build an appeal to working-class voters attracted to Trump while advocating congressional protection of abortion rights and federal marijuana legalization. Young has highlighted Senate work, including his push for providing billions in federal money to encourage more semiconductor companies to build chip plants in the United States in the face of an ambitious China. Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. Read More Here

‘Saturday Night Live’ Targets Jan. 6 Committee, Trump https://digitalarizonanews.com/saturday-night-live-targets-jan-6-committee-trump/ “Saturday Night Live” opened its most recent episode by poking fun at last week’s House Jan. 6 committee hearing. “Over the past few months, this bipartisan committee has presented our case,” said Heidi Gardner, who was playing Rep. Liz Cheney (R-Wyo.). “Whether you’re a Republican who’s not watching or a Democrat whose nodding so hard your head is falling off, one person is responsible for this insurrection: Donald Trump,” she continued. “And one person will suffer the consequences: me.” As Cheney, Gardner went on to joke about the Wyoming Republican’s father, former Vice President Dick Cheney. “You might wonder, how do you have the guts to take on your entire party alone,” said Gardner as Cheney. “And I’d say, when you were little, who tucked you in at night: was it Dick Cheney?” “So yeah, I guess you could say I have big Dick Cheney energy,” Gardner added. Cheney’s part came after she was introduced by the panel’s chair, Rep. Bennie Thompson (D-Miss.), played by Kenan Thompson. “January 6 was one of the most dramatic and consequential moments in our nation’s history, so to fight back we assembled a team of monotone nerds to do a PowerPoint,” Kenan Thompson said. The “SNL” skit also satirized a series of clips the committee showed of Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) and other congressional leaders making a flurry of calls during the riot. “Hello DoorDash, it’s Chuck Schumer,” said Sarah Sherman, who played Schumer.  “Yes, we still haven’t received our lunch order, and yes, I did change the drop-off location due to some unfortunate treason, but it still should have arrived by now,” continued Sherman, holding a flip phone like Schumer’s. Later in the segment, the cast made fun of Pelosi’s repeated mentions during the clips aired at Thursday’s hearing of her receiving a report someone defecated on the House floor. “America, I don’t know what more we could possibly show you, except maybe this clip of Nancy Pelosi saying poo-poo,” said Kenan Thompson. “There is poo-poo, there is poo-poo on the walls of the Capitol,” Chloe Fineman, as Pelosi, said. The cold open also featured appearances of cast members playing the other committee members, including Andrew Dismukes, who played Rep. Adam Kinzinger (R-Ill.).  “Trump is a hundred percent coming, and this time, he will be held accountable,” said Dismukes’s Kinzinger. “Sure, he got away with a lot of stuff in the 70s, the 80s, the 90s, the early 2000s, the 2010s and the early 2020s, but that ends now, with us,” Dismukes continued as Kinzinger. “Because I’m Mr. Kinzinger, and he will respect my authority.” The cold open parodied the committee’s hearing last Thursday, when lawmakers voted to subpoenaed former President Trump.  The hearing may also be the committee’s last before its work wraps up near the end of the year. Read More Here

Suspected Stockton Serial Killer Arrested, Was On A 'mission To Kill' https://digitalarizonanews.com/suspected-stockton-serial-killer-arrested-was-on-a-mission-to-kill/ A suspected serial killer in the California city of Stockton was arrested Saturday and police say they believe he was “out hunting” when he was nabbed. “We are sure we stopped another killing,” Chief Stanley McFadden, of the Stockton Police Department, said at a news conference Saturday. Wesley Brownlee, 43, was arrested in connection with six unprovoked murders of men ages 21 to 54 over the last few months. He was booked on a homicide charge Saturday. Police said that surveillance teams followed Brownlee while he was driving, and stopped in area of Village Green Drive and Winslow Avenue around 2 a.m. Saturday morning. Wesley Brownlee, 43, was arrested and charged with homicide Saturday, Oct. 15, 2022. Authorities believe he is connected to a series of killings in Stockton, Calif. Stockton Police Department “Our surveillance team followed this person while he was driving. We watched his patterns and determined early this morning; he was on a mission to kill. He was out hunting,” McFadden said. McFadden added, “As officers made contact with him, he was wearing dark clothing and a mask around his neck. He was also armed with a firearm when he was taken into custody.” Brown will be arraigned Tuesday and more charges are likely, police said. The San Joaquin County’s Office of the Medical Examiner identified the victims. Paul Yaw, 35, was killed on July 8; Salvador Debudey Jr., 43, died on Aug. 11; Jonathan Hernandez Rodriguez, 21, was killed on Aug. 30; Juan Cruz, 52, was the Sept. 21 victim; and Lawrence Lopez Sr., 54, was slain on Sept. 27. The men were alone at the time when they were fatally shot, officials said. All of the killings took place at night or in the early morning hours, police said. Another shooting, of a 46-year-old Black woman at Park Street and Union Street in Stockton at 3:20 a.m. on April 16, 2021, was also linked to the investigation, police said earlier this month. The woman survived her injuries in that shooting, they said. Police said that a motive is not known for the killings but it is believed to have been intentional. ABC News’ Mark Osborne and Emily Shapiro contributed to this report. Read More Here

Gunmen Kill 11, Wound 15 In Attack On Russian Military Recruits | CNN https://digitalarizonanews.com/gunmen-kill-11-wound-15-in-attack-on-russian-military-recruits-cnn/ Russian author blasts Putin for ‘ruining’ peace with Ukraine 01:59 – Source: CNN CNN  —  Two gunmen opened fire on Russian military recruits at a training ground in Russia’s Belgorod region, killing at least 11 people and wounding another 15, Russia’s state news agency TASS reports. The attack took place Saturday during a training session at the Western Military District, according to TASS, which cited the Russian Defense Ministry. The gunmen were said to be from former Soviet states. Russian officials have branded the attack an act of terrorism. “As a result of a terrorist attack at a military training ground in the Belgorod region, 11 people were killed, 15 were injured and are receiving medical assistance,” TASS reported. “The incident occurred during a shooting training session with volunteers preparing for a special operation. The terrorists attacked the personnel of the unit with small-arms fire.” According to TASS, two individuals who committed the “terrorist act” were killed in retaliatory fire at the training ground. The Russian Investigative Committee has launched a criminal investigation into the incident, according to a statement published on Sunday. “The Main Military Investigation Department of the Investigative Committee of Russia initiated a criminal case on the fact of criminal acts in the Belgorod region,” the statement said. The Belgorod region is in western Russia on the border with Ukraine. The Governor of Belgorod city said later that no civilians had been killed in the attack. “Yesterday, something terrible occurred on our territory, on the grounds of a military unit. A terrorist act was committed. Many servicemen were killed and wounded,” Governor Vyacheslav Gladkov said on his Telegram channel. “There are no residents of Belgorod region among the wounded and dead,” the governor added. Gladkov also offered his condolences to the families of the victims, adding that all of those wounded are “being administered care.” Read More Here

Abbreviated Pundit Roundup: The Elephant(S) In The Room https://digitalarizonanews.com/abbreviated-pundit-roundup-the-elephants-in-the-room/ Tom Nichols of The Atlantic knows that many Republicans of the MAGA persuasion will do and/or support anything that Number 45 does or want to do. Here, Mr. Nichols directs his analysis to the indifference of “ordinary Americans.” For years, I have been wondering when Americans would draw the line on Trump and his minions. We could rehearse the litany of Trump’s awfulness: his vulgarity, his racism, his callous disregard for veterans, his pathetic submissiveness around Vladimir Putin. We could remind ourselves of the attempt to pressure the Ukrainian government that got him impeached (the first time). None of it seems to matter, because for a large swath of the American public, nothing really matters. And here, I do not mean only the “MAGA Republicans,” loyalists who are already a lost cause. (Trump was tragically prescient when he said that he could shoot someone on Fifth Avenue and they would not abandon him.) Nor do I mean the people who have attached their parasitical careers to their Trumpian host. No, I mean the ordinary Americans who shrug at a violent insurrection and the near-miss of a coup. As the historian Michael Beschloss said on MSNBC last night after the hearing, Trump “probably wanted to declare martial law.” He also pointed out that the insurrection was a close-run thing, noting that if “Trump and those rioters had been a little bit faster, we might be living in a country of unbelievable darkness and cruelty.” But who cares? After all, inflation is too high, and gas is still too expensive, and that’s a bigger problem than the overthrow of the government, isn’t it? Dr. Ibram Kendi has an issue with the mischaracterization of his work by New York Times opinion writer David Brooks.

Biden Calls Testimony, Video From Jan 6 Committee Hearing 'Devastating' – Other Media News – Tasnim News Agency https://digitalarizonanews.com/biden-calls-testimony-video-from-jan-6-committee-hearing-devastating-other-media-news-tasnim-news-agency/ Biden was speaking to reporters during a stop at an ice cream shop in Oregon as he campaigned for Tina Kotek, who is running for governor of the state, Reuters reported. “I think it’s been devastating,” Biden said when asked about the latest hearing. “The case has been made, it seems to me, fairly overwhelming.” Biden said he had been going out of his way not to comment on the proceedings. “Any more I say about it, you… are going to ask me if I’m trying to influence the attorney general. I’m not. I’ve not spoken with him at all,” Biden said, referring to Attorney General Merrick Garland, whose Justice Department has the authority to pursue criminal charges related to the Capitol attack. Some of the video footage came from the family of US House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi present at the Capitol that day. One of the clips showed the California Democrat in a call with Republican vice-president Mike Pence. “When I spoke to him, I said, ‘I’m so afraid for you to be in the Capitol still,'” Pelosi said on Saturday during remarks at a San Francisco community farming event. Pence responded that the Secret Service thought more attention would be drawn if he and his entourage left the Capitol, Pelosi said. “Lord knows what might have happened if that entourage went out there,” she added. The House committee probing the Jan 6, 2021, attack by Donald Trump’s supporters voted unanimously on Thursday to subpoena the former president, a move that could lead to criminal charges if he does not comply. The hearing followed eight others earlier this year and one in July 2021. There were no live witnesses on Thursday, but the panel presented videotaped testimony to build a case that Trump’s efforts to overturn his November 2020 presidential election defeat constituted illegal conduct far beyond normal politics. The committee’s vote on Thursday may have been its last public action before the Nov 8 congressional elections that will determine whether Biden’s Democrats continue to control the House and Senate. Read More Here

EDITORIAL: Jan. 6 Committee Justly Files Trump Subpoena https://digitalarizonanews.com/editorial-jan-6-committee-justly-files-trump-subpoena/ Oct. 16—The final public hearing of the Jan. 6 committee came with a unanimous vote to subpoena ex-President Donald Trump in a remarkable series of events that mark a dark chapter in American history. The committee, including Republican members Rep. Liz Cheney of Wyoming and Rep. Adam Kinzinger of Illinois, made its conclusions after reviewing thousands of documents and interviewing hundreds of witnesses, some loyal to the former president. The testimony, even from loyalists, was damning. A sitting president violated his oath to protect and uphold the Constitution. Trump’s closest advisors and family members tried to tell him he lost the election and his actions to stop the vote by inciting a riot were illegal on a number of fronts. They begged him to consider the safety of all in the call to arms on Jan. 6. He ignored those calls. The investigation now shows Trump’s actions enabled a premediated violent attack on the Capitol from the Oath Keepers and Proud Boys — violent paramilitary groups who had a cache of arms in an Arlington hotel, ready to execute an armed insurrection. Advisors warned Trump of the serious implications of using the military — as he contemplated — to confiscate voting machines and declare martial law. Testimony shows these actions were narrowly averted. Trump battled verbally and physically with the Secret Service in his effort to go to the Capitol riot where the Secret Service determined it was not safe. Shocking footage released Thursday from the committee showed leaders, including Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer on cell phones while hiding out from the Capitol riot, urging the Department of Defense and the acting secretary to either come to assist with the riot or tell Trump to call off the insurrectionists. Remarkably, the defense official was hesitant, reluctant and said they didn’t have certain authorities to do anything. This is what the downfall of a democratic government looks like. This call for help wasn’t a partisan act. Republican Sen. Mitch McConnell and Sen. Charles Grassley can be seen listening to the phone call. Ultimately, Vice President Mike Pence calls for more security and help and notifies the congressional leaders they can go back to the Capitol to finish the electoral vote certification. And then they did and saved American democracy. Delaying the vote may have given insurrectionists an opening to violently stop it. Trump knew people’s lives were in danger. He led the charge to dismantle American Democracy and continued in an unhinged behavioral breakdown. All of this has been testified to under oath before the committee. If Trump would like to tell his side of the story, the committee is all ears. But he will most likely not appear but rather drag out challenges to the subpoena as long as he can. The committee’s work can be turned over to the Justice Department for possible criminal prosecution of Trump and associates. The committee made clear it believes democracy is at stake. “We are obligated to seek answers directly from the man who set this all in motion,” said Cheney, the panel’s vice chairwoman. “And every American is entitled to those answers. So we can act now to protect our republic.” The committee has laid out the facts in the case of the serious threat to the American democracy. Saving that republic is now up to the American people. Read More Here

Here Is Today https://digitalarizonanews.com/here-is-today-19/ Tucson folks should be prepared for high temperatures. It looks like it will be a balmy 85 degrees. Expect a drastic drop in temperatures though, with a low reaching 59 degrees. There is a 56% chance of rain in the forecast. Check the radar before you head outside, and don’t forget an umbrella. The area will see gentle winds today, with forecast models showing only 8 mph wind conditions coming up from the South. This report is created automatically with weather data provided by TownNews.com. Keep an eye on tucson.com for forecast information and severe weather updates. Local Weather Get the daily forecast and severe weather alerts in your inbox! Read More Here

Biden’s Pardons Could Boost States’ Legalization Drives https://digitalarizonanews.com/bidens-pardons-could-boost-states-legalization-drives/ The Associated Press Eddie Armstrong, chairman of the Responsible Growth Arkansas campaign, speaks at the Arkansas state Capitol in Little Rock, Arkansas on Wednesday. The campaign is backing a ballot measure to legalize recreational marijuana. Arkansas is one of five states with recreational marijuana proposals on the ballot in November. LITTLE ROCK — There are few surprises expected on Election Day in solidly Republican Arkansas, where Donald Trump’s former press secretary is heavily favored in the race for governor and other GOP candidates are considered locks. But one big exception is the campaign to make Arkansas the first state in the South to legalize recreational marijuana. A proposal to change the state’s constitution is drawing millions of dollars from opponents and supporters of legalization, with ads crowding the airwaves. President Joe Biden’s recent announcement that he will pardon thousands of people for simple marijuana possession has shined a new spotlight on the legalization efforts in Arkansas and four other states. Voters in Maryland, Missouri, North Dakota and South Dakota are also taking up measures on recreational marijuana. Biden’s step toward decriminalizing the drug could provide a boost for legalization in some of the most conservative parts of the country, experts say. “The most powerful elected leader in the world has publicly declared it was a mistake to criminalize people for using cannabis and I think that will go a long way with regard to voters who may be on the fence,” said Mason Tvert, partner at VS Strategies, a cannabis policy and public affairs firm. Biden’s announcement only covers people convicted under the federal law. But he has called on governors to issue similar pardons for those convicted of state marijuana offenses, which reflect the vast majority of marijuana possession cases. The president also directed his health secretary and attorney general to review how marijuana is scheduled under federal law. The moves come as opposition to legalization has softened around the country, with recreational marijuana legal in 19 states, despite resistance at the federal level. Advocates say it shows that states are ahead of the federal government on the issue. “I think it’s an example of state level leadership and citizens pushing the federal government in the right direction,” said Eddie Armstrong, a former state legislator who leads the Responsible Growth Arkansas group campaigning for legalization. In 2016, Arkansas became the first Bible Belt state to approve medical marijuana, with voters approving a legalization measure. More than 91,000 people have cards to legally buy marijuana from state-licensed dispensaries, which opened in 2019. Patients have spent more than $200 million so far this year, the state says. An ad by Responsible Growth Arkansas points to benefits such as the thousands of jobs it says legalization would create. The main group opposing the measure is running an ad that urges voters to “protect Arkansas from big marijuana.” The proposal faces opposition from Republican Gov. Asa Hutchinson, a former head of the federal Drug Enforcement Administration who criticized Biden’s pardon announcement. Former White House press secretary Sarah Sanders, the Republican front-runner to succeed Hutchinson, has said she will vote against the measure. Her Democratic rival, Chris Jones, said he supports it. In neighboring Missouri, a proposed constitutional amendment would legalize recreational marijuana for adults 21 and older and expunge records of past arrests and convictions for nonviolent marijuana offenses, except for selling to minors or driving under the influence. Supporters said they do not expect Biden’s pardon announcement for some federal marijuana offenses to have much of an impact on the Missouri measure, which could expunge several hundred thousand state marijuana offenses. “There is some danger of confusion, but I think most people understand the distinction of the federal and state processes,” said John Payne, campaign manager for Legal Missouri 2022. Missouri Gov. Mike Parson, a Republican and former sheriff, opposes the ballot measure but has not aggressively campaigned against it. He has no plans to emulate Biden’s pardon announcement. Parson has granted pardons “to individuals who demonstrate a changed life-style, commitment to rehabilitation, contrition and contribution to their communities — rather than as a blanket approach to undermine existing law,” said Parson spokesperson Kelli Jones. Similarly, North Dakota’s legalization campaign does not expect to incorporate Biden’s pardons into its messaging. Mark Friese, treasurer of the New Approach Initiative backing the legalization ballot proposal, said he doubts Biden’s pardon will have much of an impact in North Dakota or sway the legalization effort. “The number of North Dakotans convicted in federal court is small,” said Friese, a prominent North Dakota lawyer and former police officer. “Small amounts of marijuana are typically and historically not prosecuted in North Dakota.” Matt Schwiech, who is running South Dakota’s ballot initiative campaign to legalize recreational marijuana possession for adults, said the president’s pardons may hand the campaign a boost with older Democrats. It also underscores the campaign’s message that convictions for pot possession hurt people on job or rental applications, as well as that enforcing pot possession laws are a waste of time and resources for law enforcement, he said. South Dakotans, including a sizable number of Republicans, voted to legalize marijuana possession in 2020, but that law was struck down by the state Supreme Court in part because the proposal was coupled with medical marijuana and hemp. This year, recreational pot is standing by itself as it goes before voters. It remains unclear whether Biden’s pardon move will inject party politics into an issue that supporters say crosses partisan lines. For example, Arkansas voters in 2016 approved medical marijuana the same year they overwhelmingly backed Trump. All of the states with recreational marijuana on the ballot next month, except for Maryland, voted for Trump in the 2020 presidential election. And the issue is going before voters as GOP candidates have been stepping up their anti-crime rhetoric. “From our perspective the people of Arkansas, they didn’t vote for Biden initially and so we don’t anticipate this really having any sort of influence over anybody’s decision,” said Tyler Beaver, campaign manager for Safe and Secure Communities, the main group campaigning against the proposal. Associated Press writers David A. Lieb in Jefferson City, Missouri; Stephen Groves in Sioux Falls, South Dakota; and James MacPherson in Bismarck, North Dakota; contributed to this report.     The Associated Press Melissa Fults, executive director of Arkansans for Cannabis Reform, talks to reporters at the Arkansas state Capitol in Little Rock, Arkansas on Wednesday. Fults is a longtime advocate for marijuana legalization but is opposing a measure on the ballot in Arkansas to legalize recreational marijuana. Arkansas is one of five states with recreational marijuana proposals on the ballot in November.        Kayla Snedeker, right, assists a customer at The Flower Shop Dispensary, a medical marijuana retail facility, in Sioux Falls, South Dakota on Friday. The dispensary opened after South Dakota voters legalized medical marijuana in 2020. (AP Photo/Stephen Groves)        Matt Schweich, center, speaks at a Wednesday news conference in Sioux Falls, South Dakota to launch a statewide voter registration tour. Schweich is managing South Dakota’s ballot campaign to legalize recreational marijuana for adults. (AP Photo/Stephen Groves)        FILE – A demonstrator waves a flag with marijuana leaves depicted on it during a protest calling for the legalization of marijuana, outside of the White House on April 2, 2016, in Washington. President Joe Biden’s decision to pardon thousands of people of simple marijuana possession could boost proposals going before voters in five states to legalize the drug. Voters in Arkansas, Maryland, Missouri, North Dakota and South Dakota will take up proposals to legalize recreational marijuana. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana, File)    Read More Here

Iowa GOP Slams Narrow DMR Sen Poll For Underestimating GOPNews WAALI https://digitalarizonanews.com/iowa-gop-slams-narrow-dmr-sen-poll-for-underestimating-gopnews-waali/ The Republican Party of Iowa beat the latest poll out of the Des Moines Register/Mediacom Iowa for the “historic” underestimate of the strength of the “new Republican coalition” as the poll found the Hawkeye state U.S. Senate race is closer than it seems. “Because we’ve seen two election cycles so far, historically the Iowa poll underestimates the strength of the new Republican coalition,” the Iowa Republican Party said Chairman Jeff Kaufmann said in a statement. “They had Gov. Reynolds lose, Sen. Ernst lost and President Trump a draw, and everyone went on to win!” For background, Kaufmann referred to the to register September 22, 2020 polls showing former President Donald Trump in a “dead heat” with President Joe Biden in Iowa; September 19, 2020, which showed Democrat Theresa Greenfield leading “just” ahead of Sen. Joni Ernst (R-IA) in a hard-fought Senate race; and September 22, 2018, when Democrat Fred Hubbell “narrowly” led Republican Kim Reynolds in the gubernatorial race. The Iowa GOP chairman added: The Iowans are fed up with the weak Joe Biden presidency. The Democrats have destroyed our economy, energy independence and the southern border. Not only will Mike Franken stand by Biden’s side, Franken is a scandal-plagued candidate accused of sexually assaulting his former campaign manager and other women. Franken did nothing to earn the Iowans’ votes. – Advertisement – The poll shows Republican Senator Chuck Grassley (IA) just three points clear of his Radical Democrat opponent Mike Franken – who was recently accused by his former campaign manager of making “several” unwelcome advances towards women, including himself. which he has repeatedly denied. About the to register: A new Des Moines Register/Mediacom Iowa poll shows Grassley with 46% of the vote ahead of Franken’s 43% of likely voters. Another 4% would vote for someone else, 4% would not vote and 3% are not sure. The poll of 804 Iowa adults, including 620 likely voters, was conducted Oct. 9-12 by Selzer & Co. The questions posed to all Iowans have a margin of error of plus or minus 3.5 percentage points; it’s plus or minus 3.9 percentage points in the questions asked of likely voters. … The numbers suggest a contest closer than any Grassley has had since beating a Democratic incumbent by 8 percentage points to win his first Senate election in 1980. – Advertisement – Additionally the to register explained that Grassley’s “shrinking” lead over Franken with less than a month to go until Election Day means Grassley will have his “toughest re-election campaign in 40 years”. The publication noted that this election could be closer than when Grassley first won by an eight-point margin against a Democratic incumbent in 1980. Since then, the longtime senator’s closest pick was in 2016, when he replaced former Lt. gov. Beat Patty Judge by 24 points. next to the to register Poll, Emerson College’s latest Oct. 2-4 poll, with a sample size of 959 likely voters and a 3.1 percent margin of error, gave Grassley a double-digit lead. Grassley was eleven points ahead of Democratic candidate Michael Franken, 49 percent to 38 percent. The poll also showed that nine percent were undecided and four percent said they planned to vote for someone else. Jacob Bliss is a reporter for Breitbart News. Write to him [email protected] or follow him on Twitter @JacobMBliss. Read More Here

Column: Once Upon A Time, America Was Brave https://digitalarizonanews.com/column-once-upon-a-time-america-was-brave/ She shapes the question in a voice of rainy-day melancholy, frames it with piano meditation. “All we’ve been given by those who came before The dream of a nation where freedom would endure The work and prayers of centuries have brought us to this day What shall be our legacy? What will our children say?” Thus begins “American Anthem,” Norah Jones’ theme to “The War,” Ken Burns’ magisterial 2007 history of the conflagration that nearly burned down the world in the 1940s. But if the song spoke to the crisis of that generation, its central question also feels relevant to our crisis, 80 years later. “What shall be our legacy? What will our children say?” Of many of us, they will say nothing good. That’s assuming any memory of America survives to give them a basis for comparison. History is written by the winners, after all, so there is always the chance, if intolerance wins, if ignorance wins, if election denial wins and they shape the future in their image, our children will inherit an America transactional, small-minded and mean and never know that once upon a time, America stood — or at least, sometimes tried to stand — for something loftier. That once upon a time, America was brave. If the hearings of the Jan. 6 committee, which ended Friday, have demonstrated nothing else, they’ve demonstrated how rare that virtue has become. Instead, we find ourselves largely a nation defined by fears. Because he lacked the guts to accept his election defeat, Donald Trump assembled an armed mob to attack the Capitol. Because they were terrified the nation is changing without their approval, that mob did his bidding. Because they were scared of Trump, most of his party swallowed their tongues rather than protest. Because they have not the basic moral courage one usually learns on the playground — lose with dignity and fight again another day — they are trashing democracy itself. To wit: The majority of Republican candidates for this year’s midterms reject or doubt the result of the 2020 election, according to The Washington Post. And just 42 percent of us have confidence in the fairness of U.S. elections, according to a July poll from CNN. America is a nation of sore losers ascendant. Such pusillanimity throws into sharp relief the acts of courage these hearings have shown us. Such as House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, captured on video coolly directing efforts to save the Capitol and continue government function even as she fled a mob howling for her blood. And Republican Reps. Liz Cheney and Adam Kinzinger giving up their political careers rather than accede to their party’s pact of lies. “Our duty today is to our country and our children and our Constitution,” said Cheney. She said this by way of introducing a resolution to subpoena Trump to testify. The committee approved it on a dramatic and unanimous roll-call vote. Trump will likely refuse to appear, though one hopes against hope he does. This moment cries out for accountability. That loser’s weakness has brought America to a crisis as critical in its way to our continued viability as the one another generation faced eight decades ago. They had to find the courage to send their sons across the seas, to scrimp and save and bear unimaginable loss. We are asked only to find the courage to accept the truth. “What shall be our legacy? What will our children say?” Once upon a time, America was brave. Let’s hope, for their sake, it still is. Leonard Pitts Jr. is a columnist for the Miami Herald, 3511 NW 91st Ave., Miami, Fla., 33172. Readers may contact him via e-mail at lpitts@miamiherald.com. Read More Here

Biden Knocks Truss Economic Plan, Says He Is Not Concerned About Dollar Strength https://digitalarizonanews.com/biden-knocks-truss-economic-plan-says-he-is-not-concerned-about-dollar-strength/ PORTLAND, Ore., Oct 15 (Reuters) – U.S. President Joe Biden on Saturday criticized British Prime Minister Liz Truss’s original economic plan as a mistake and said he was not concerned about the strength of the soaring U.S. dollar. Truss on Friday fired her finance minister Kwasi Kwarteng and scrapped parts of their economic package after it sparked financial market turmoil, including a steep dive in the value of the pound. Biden, a Democrat, frequently criticizes conservative “trickle down” economic policies, associated in the United States with former President Ronald Reagan and Republicans. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com His White House, though, had previously declined to comment on the Truss plan, which initially foresaw scrapping Britain’s 45% top income tax rate. “I wasn’t the only one that thought it was a mistake,” Biden told reporters during a stop at an ice cream shop in Oregon, referring to the Truss proposal. “I think that the idea of cutting taxes on the super wealthy at a time when – anyway, I just think – I disagreed with the policy, but that’s up to Great Britain to make that judgment, not me.” Earlier on Saturday Britain’s new finance minister Jeremy Hunt said some of the country’s taxes would go up and tough spending decisions were needed, saying Truss had made mistakes as she battles to keep her job just over a month into her term. British Prime Minister Liz Truss attends a news conference in London, Britain, October 14, 2022. Daniel Leal/Pool via REUTERS High inflation is afflicting the United States and countries worldwide, creating a political headache for Biden ahead of the November midterm elections in which control of the U.S. House of Representatives and Senate are at stake. The dollar has soared against other currencies. “I’m not concerned about the strength of the dollar. I’m concerned about the rest of the world,” Biden said. The president said the U.S. economy was robust. “Our economy is strong as hell – the internals of it. Inflation is worldwide. It’s worse off everywhere else than it is in the United States,” he said. “So the problem is the lack of economic growth and sound policy in other countries, not so much ours.” A Labor Department report on Thursday showed U.S. consumer prices increased more than expected in September as rents surged and the cost of food rose. The president made his comments at the end of a multi-day western swing that concluded in Oregon, where he sought to give a political boost to Democrat Tina Kotek, who is running for governor. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com Reporting by Jeff Mason in Portland, Oregon; Additional reporting by by Mike Stone in Washington; Editing by Sandra Maler and Tom Hogue Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles. Read More Here

On Kari Lake’s Campaign For Arizona Governor, The Mic Is Always Hot https://digitalarizonanews.com/on-kari-lakes-campaign-for-arizona-governor-the-mic-is-always-hot/ The former Phoenix TV news anchor has emerged as a Republican phenom by amplifying Donald Trump’s lie that the 2020 election was stolen and embracing the hard-right politics of abortion and immigration October 16, 2022 at 6:00 a.m. EDT Republican candidate for governor Kari Lake speaks at a campaign event at San Tan Flat in Queen Creek, Ariz., on Oct. 5. (Joshua Lott/The Washington Post) PHOENIX — If you’d like to speak with Kari Lake, there are some things you should know first. One is that Kari Lake does not say “um.” Kari Lake’s words are crisp and clean and, when needed, they can be warm or they can be harsh. The more confrontational you are, the more composed Kari Lake will become. People have said Kari Lake is “Donald Trump in heels,” but really, she is Donald Trump with media training and polish. Her sentences are perfectly complete. Her hair is cropped into a familiar pixie cut, left over from 22 years on the anchor desk at Channel 10, the Fox affiliate in Phoenix, where she entered living rooms every weeknight at 5 and 9. The name Kari Lake, first and last, is known by virtually everyone in Arizona. It has power. When Kari Lake walks into a room, all eyes turn to Kari Lake. She is one of those people. The other thing you should know is this: When Kari Lake walks into a room, there will be a small lavalier microphone clipped to the collar of her dress or the lapel of her shirt. The microphone is the operational heart of Lake’s Republican campaign to become governor of Arizona. It is not the one she holds onstage, amplifying her voice to a crowd of supporters. Rather, it is connected to a camera operated by her husband, Jeff Halperin, a former videographer for the NBC affiliate in Phoenix who has run his own production company for the past 20 years. He is a constant presence, tall and bearded, at every Kari Lake rally, on the edge of every Kari Lake news conference, inside the room for every Kari Lake interview with a reporter. His lens is always trained in position, which is to say on his wife — and on you, the person on the other side of the exchange. When Kari Lake campaigns, she is also making television. The microphone is there whenever Stacey Barchenger, the Arizona Republic reporter assigned to cover Lake, tries to ask a question. “Not you,” the candidate tells Barchenger, looking her in the eye before calling on another journalist, in what has become a familiar bit on the trail. It is there when a CNN reporter tries to ask for an interview: “I’ll do an interview,” Lake says, “as long as it airs on CNN+. Does that still exist? I didn’t think so.” It is there when Dennis Welch, political editor for Phoenix’s 3TV and CBS 5, tries to question Lake, only to have Lake question the questioner: “I don’t even know: Do you guys have any viewers left?” The interactions are packaged into videos, content for her campaign to release and weaponize on social media: “Kari Lake Exposes Bias” … “Kari Lake Goes Mega Viral After Exposing Fake News” … “Watch Kari Lake Put The AZ Republic In Its Place.” Lake’s microphone captures the magnetism she brings to a stage. It also amplifies the existential danger Democrats see in her candidacy, from her election denialism to her restrictive abortion agenda to the national platform she could assume. But more than that, it is wielded as a weapon and a threat. On a recent Wednesday evening, after a Hispanic forum in the Maryvale neighborhood of Phoenix, a campaign staffer pulls me into a small backroom. The lights are bright fluorescents. Live Latin music from the stage comes booming through the walls. The night before, a campaign aide texted to say Lake would grant a short interview. “Please don’t wear jeans and we ask that you stay away from purple tops. Thank you!” the aide wrote, clarifying the next morning that they were “kidding” about the jeans. Inside the room, a chair is waiting for me. Lake is wearing royal blue, not purple. Seeing Halperin point his camera in the direction of our faces, as well as the large boom mic hanging inches overhead, I ask if I’m being recorded. “You are being recorded,” Lake confirms. She asks if it’s okay. I tell her it’s not my favorite thing. “It’s not my favorite either,” the candidate says. “But we feel we have to because the media has been so unfair that we feel we have to record everything.” She explains that the campaign releases the recording only “if we feel that we’ve been misrepresented.” If everything “goes great,” Lake says, it’s nothing to worry about. After spending her life in TV news, Lake, 53, propelled herself to the top of the GOP ticket in Arizona by claiming falsely that President Biden’s election was stolen from Trump, by embracing the hard-right politics of abortion, immigration, pandemic-era mandates and critical race theory — and by casting her television career and her former colleagues, journalists who were once her friends, as part of what she calls the corrupt and immoral “fake news media.” As a candidate, Lake has sought to use her TV news credentials to her advantage — “I know Arizona,” she often says — while simultaneously discrediting the entire enterprise. Friends from Channel 10 knew Lake as more free-spirited than Bible-loving. They say she was into Buddhism, loved her regular vacations to Jamaica, became swept up in the energy around President Barack Obama, threw big parties at her house, went out to gay bars, and thrived on cultivating a television audience with the same instinct they see in her new life as a candidate for governor. In the years after Trump’s 2016 election, her politics shifted to the right in ways her colleagues found unpredictable and bewildering. On March 2, 2021, she left journalism altogether, and within three months, she launched her first campaign for office. Now she is weeks from a possible victory, driven by the energy of voters young and old — and by a Democratic opponent, Arizona Secretary of State Katie Hobbs, who not only refuses to debate Lake but has struggled to communicate in the most basic ways. Arizona is both a foundational home for hard-right politics — it gave rise to Barry Goldwater in the 1960s — and an increasingly viable target for Democrats. The state will help determine future presidents, as it did in 2020, and if Lake wins, she will help oversee the management of its elections, possibly in partnership with Arizona’s Republican candidate for secretary of state, Mark Finchem, who has led the conspiracy that mass fraud was at work in 2020. Lake has claimed falsely that Trump was the “real winner” of Arizona, repeating the lie with a frequency and conviction that thrills the former president and his supporters. “It’s funny,” Lake told an audience this summer, “I talk to President Trump. He goes, ‘I love it. No matter what I ask you, you always bring it right back to the election. I can ask you what the weather’s like in Arizona, and you’ll say, ‘Well, it’s nice, but how do I enjoy it when our elections are stolen and we don’t have a country?’ ” The Kari Lake campaign has become a phenomenon in Arizona. It spans multiple demographics. It draws huge crowds on a day’s notice. People arrive in Lake gear, in Trump T-shirts, in cowboy hats. Lake works the crowd, and an eddy of staff and security circles the woman at its center. Before she faces the press, a posse of supporters appear as if out of nowhere, lining up behind the candidate to form a human backdrop. When the cameras roll, they grip their Kari Lake signs and smile. And here, Lake takes over. She picks public fights with the press at almost every opportunity, to the delight of her followers and her staff, a collection of 20-somethings who snicker as she tees off, their mouths agape in admiration. It’s a show they’ve all seen before but never grow tired of watching. And it’s on display from the moment I introduce myself to Lake. “Is this paper owned by — who is it owned by?” she asks. Jeff Bezos, the founder of Amazon, owns The Washington Post. “Oh, I thought so,” she says, her voice turning hard. “You don’t give anybody fair coverage, unfortunately.” She walks away, and a gaggle of Lake staffers are waiting, laughing. “That was gonna happen. That was gonna happen,” one of them says. “She’s actually like that all the time. She’s real!” says another. “It’s not staged,” he added. “It’s real.” On a Tuesday morning in October, Lake is preparing to take the stage with Kristi L. Noem, the 50-year-old Republican governor of South Dakota who could be Lake’s closest political contemporary should she win in November. The event is a “Coffee with Kristi & Kari,” but behind a rack of makeshift curtains, in a small holding room backstage, staffers instead drink tallboy cans of Monster Energy as they monitor a playlist of “JAMZ” coming through the loudspeakers. Vape plumes fill the air. When the two women arrive, a man in the crowd, intrigued, pulls out his phone and types “Kristi Noem” into Google Images, scrolling through photos. Onstage beside her, Lake repeatedly identifies Noem as one of the country’s “two strong governors,” the other being Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, leaving out the other 26 currently serving from her party, including Arizona’s own, the term-limited Doug Ducey. She makes only passing reference to Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin, who is scheduled to visit Phoenix on Wednesday to campaign on behalf of Lake at two rallies and two fundraisers, according to a campaign aide. A day after appearing with Noem, at a saloon-style restaurant in Queen Creek, Lake speaks at a rally with Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas, who watches from an outdoor pagoda beneath a sign that reads, “If there are idiots in power: It is because those who elected them are well represented.” During her speech, Lake calls for Cruz to replace “that old bat”...

Reporter Corrects Dr Oz Live On Air As He Makes False Claim About Fetterman https://digitalarizonanews.com/reporter-corrects-dr-oz-live-on-air-as-he-makes-false-claim-about-fetterman/ Dr Mehmet Oz was corrected live on air after he made false claims that his opponent John Fetterman wanted to end life imprisonment as his first political priority. The pro-Trump Republican candidate for Pennsylvania’s US Senate seat is trailing his Democratic rival for the open seat with less than a month left before election day. He was fact-checked about his claim about Mr Fetterman during an interview with Dasha Burns on NBC News. “When John Fetterman is asked, ‘If you could wave a magic wand, what’s the one thing you would do?’… he says, ‘Well, I’d get rid of life in prison,’” claimed Dr Oz. But Burns, who had just interviewed Mr Fetterman, called him out on the inaccurate claim. “I asked him that. He actually said it would be codifying Roe v Wade and abolishing the filibuster,” she responded. Earlier this week Mr Fetterman, 53, gave Ms Burns his first interview since having a stroke in May, and conducted it with closed captioning because of the auditory processing issues he is still suffering from. Burns was widely criticised when she stated that “in small talk – before the interview, without captioning – it wasn’t clear (Fetterman) was understanding our conversation”. Podcaster and business reporter Kara Swisher, who had a stroke in 2011, branded the claims by Burns as “just nonsense”. “Maybe this reporter is just bad at small talk,” she tweeted. Read More Here

Trump Media Fired Whistleblower After He Spoke To Washington Post https://digitalarizonanews.com/trump-media-fired-whistleblower-after-he-spoke-to-washington-post/ In This is a photo illustration from Facebook. Truth Social A smartphone shows the logo with a photo taken in the US. President Donald Trump The background is displayed. Rafael Henrique | Lightrocket | Getty Images Former President Donald Trump’s A media company fired an executive Thursday After sharing internal documents from a, he resigned. Securities Exchange Commission Whistleblower complaint with The Washington Post And spoke with the newspaper, news outlet reported Saturday. Will Wilkerson He was a senior vice-president of operations Trump Media TechnologyThe social network is controlled by. Truth SocialHe was one of the original employees. Wilkerson In 2005, the SEC whistleblower complaint was filed AugustThe company claimed that it relied on “fraudulent misrepresentations … in violation of federal securities laws,” According to PostIt is attempting to go public through an investment vehicle known simply as a special purpose acquisition corporation, or SPAC. In The article. Wilkerson Strife is also described. Trump MediaTension with the CEO Devin Nunes, who, Republican congressman, was among Trump’s most loyal defenders. Wilkerson Another executive also explained how it was done. Trump His wife pressured him into giving shares in the company. Melania Trump. A spokesperson for Trump Media The pushed back Post’s Story and promoted Truth Media’s The availability of the Apple App Store, The Google Play Store Samsung’s Galaxy Store. “As Chairman of TMTG, President Trump hired Devin Nunes as CEO to create a culture of compliance and build a world-class team to lead Truth Social,” CNBC was emailed a statement by the spokesperson. Digital World Acquisition Corp.SPAC, which sought to take the media company public. CNBC also reached to Wilkerson’s Attorneys for comment. Trump Media Fired Wilkerson Making “unauthorized disclosures” The PostAccording to the newspaper, One According to the report, one of his lawyers called the firing a retaliation against whistleblowers. There Exist laws that protect whistleblowers The Report from DWAC as it pushes its shareholders for a vote to delay its planned merge with Trump MediaThe merger was announced in January. DWAC has threatened to liquidate if it fails to complete the merger. This would bring in hundreds of millions of dollars. Trump Media. DWAC CEO Patrick Orlando Another of his companies directed him to provide DWAC funding for the organization to keep it afloat. December. He It already Four times adjournment of a shareholder meetingHe did not have the support of shareholders to delay the merger. The Trump Media-DWAC Deal is under investigation by regulators at SEC and prosecutors in Justice Department. Trump Media The SEC was blamed for the delay. In He also mentioned undisclosed talks between the parties in his article TrumpHis media company’s executives are Orlando Last year, the deal was made public before DWAC went public. Those Talks may have been in violation of SEC rules. Wilkerson The SEC Investigation Team shared internal logs, photos, memos, and other relevant material. Post. All The materials had been previously given to government investigators. Post Citing Wilkerson’s attorneys. Trump Media The executive had been suspended following the Miami Herald First reported the SEC complaint Oct. 6. “blatant violation” His non-disclosure agreement was the Post said. Read The full Washington Post Report here. – CNBC’s Jack Stebbins This article was contributed by. Read More Here

Tim Ryan For U.S. Senate: Endorsement Editorial https://digitalarizonanews.com/tim-ryan-for-u-s-senate-endorsement-editorial/ This election season’s battle for control of the U.S. Senate that has been raging across the 35 states where Senate seats are up for grabs portends significant, long-range consequences for how this country is governed, as each party tries to break the current 50-50 partisan deadlock. Nowhere is the contest more intense than in Ohio, where Democrat Tim Ryan and Republican J.D. Vance are locked in a no-holds-barred campaign to replace the retiring two-term Republican Rob Portman in the upper chamber of Congress. The two candidates could not be more different. Ryan, 49, is a 10-term congressman who has never lost an election in his political career, with an unbroken string of victories in two different congressional districts serving the Youngstown/Warren area. Vance, 38, is embroiled in his first foray campaigning for political office, having first come to the public’s attention as the author of the 2016 best-selling memoir, “Hillbilly Elegy.” There is not much question as to what the state would get from either of the two candidates – Ryan, as a congressman, having voted with Democrats virtually all of the time and Vance having signed on to Donald Trump’s Big Lie and extremist approach to politics after being highly critical of the former president during the 2016 campaign and afterward. The candidates also differ on one of the key issues certain to come up in the Senate’s next session: whether to abandon the filibuster – the longtime Senate rule that legislation must gain 60% support in order to pass, with Ryan favoring that move and Vance opposing. But the choice here boils down to what kind of statesman would best represent Ohio in the Senate. In that arena, Ryan is the clear favorite. During his years in Congress, Ryan has shown himself to be an able collaborator who is willing to work across the aisle, an important quality in a deeply divided Senate. His bipartisan bona fides were affirmed by a recent Georgetown University study, which judged him Ohio’s second most bipartisan U.S. House member, after outgoing U.S. Rep. Anthony Gonzalez of Rocky River. In his endorsement interview with the editorial board of the Plain Dealer and cleveland.com, Ryan acknowledged his consistent voting with Pelosi, but noted that negotiations and differences of opinion while legislation is being formed are far more important than the final vote. And his having run against Pelosi for House speaker in 2016 and his opposition to her two years later are hardly the acts of a sycophant. Ryan’s focus on grassroots economic development and emphasis on what he calls “cutting Ohio workers in on the deal,” and the pragmatic grasp he showed in discussing the need to stand firm against the Russian invasion of Ukraine and the potential threat of China doing the same with Taiwan add up to a strong argument for Ryan to replace Portman in the Senate. Ryan is proud of his fundraising efforts, saying he has 350,000 donors, with 95% of their contributions under $100. “Nobody owns me,” he told the board. “Not Peter Thiel (a reference to billionaire Thiel’s aggressive fundraising for Vance), not Mitch McConnell, not Chuck Schumer, not Nancy Pelosi.” Vance, by contrast, has not exhibited the astute judgment necessary to return the Senate to its former status as the world’s greatest deliberative body. Exhibit No. 1 is Vance’s craven political cowardice in advancing Trump’s Big Lie that Joe Biden is not the legitimately elected president of the United States. That’s disqualifying in itself. But Vance hasn’t stopped there. His accusation that Biden is responsible for the fentanyl epidemic because of his immigration policies is equally irresponsible – and who can forget his initial reaction to the Russian invasion: “I don’t really care what happens to Ukraine one way or another.” Unfortunately, Vance elected not to appear before our editorial board to explain his indefensible embrace of Trump’s Big Lie or clarify where he stands on Ukraine, abortion restrictions, domestic violence against women or other matters. With Tim Ryan, voters know what they’ll get and who he is — a steady voice for the working class, a bipartisan collaborator, and someone laser-focused on manufacturing innovation to keep jobs and income in Ohio. That’s why Tim Ryan deserves your vote for U.S. Senate. Early voting in the Nov. 8 election has begun. On Oct. 12, as part of its endorsement process, the editorial board of The Plain Dealer and cleveland.com held an endorsement interview for the U.S. Senate race in Ohio. U.S. Rep. Tim Ryan, the Democratic candidate, participated. The GOP candidate, J.D. Vance, elected not to do so. Listen to audio of this endorsement interview below: About our editorials: Editorials express the view of the editorial board of cleveland.com and The Plain Dealer — the senior leadership and editorial-writing staff. As is traditional, editorials are unsigned and intended to be seen as the voice of the news organization. Have something to say about this topic? * Send a letter to the editor, which will be considered for print publication. * Email general questions about our editorial board or comments or corrections on this editorial to Elizabeth Sullivan, director of opinion, at esullivan@cleveland.com Other resources for voters: League of Women Voters vote411.org voters’ guide. If you purchase a product or register for an account through one of the links on our site, we may receive compensation. Read More Here

'SNL' Takes On The January 6 Committee And Trump – Local News 8 https://digitalarizonanews.com/snl-takes-on-the-january-6-committee-and-trump-local-news-8/ By Frank Pallotta, CNN Business “Saturday Night Live” opened this week’s episode taking on one of the most notable moments in news as of late: the House Select Committee investigating the January 6, 2021, insurrection. Kenan Thompson, who played Rep. Bennie Thompson, opened the NBC variety show by introducing the crowd to the committee’s ninth and final hearing. “January 6 was one of the most dramatic and consequential moments in our nation’s history, so to fight back we assembled a team of monotone nerds to do a PowerPoint,” Thompson’s Bennie Thompson said. He then went on to say the committee has been looking into the attack for more than a year but this session would be a “little different.” “We are going to summarize our findings, hold a history-making vote and then and only then we all get to have a little treat,” Thompson’s Bennie Thompson said bringing out pastries. After this introduction, Rep, Liz Cheney, played by Heidi Gardner, took the floor. “Over the past few months, this bipartisan committee has presented our case to all Americans,” she said. “Whether you’re a Republican who’s not watching or a Democrat who’s nodding so hard your head is falling off, one person is responsible for this insurrection: Donald Trump. And one person will suffer the consequences: Me.” Gardner’s Cheney said audiences may be wondering what makes her so tough, and she said that she would ask the audience, “Who’s your dad? Is it Dick Cheney?” “So yeah, I guess you could say I have big Dick Cheney energy,” she said. The committee then went over some of its evidence including a video of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, played by Chloe Fineman, and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, played by Sarah Sherman, in a bunker. “Hello, DoorDash? It’s Chuck Schumer,” Sherman’s Schumer said on a phone from the bunker. “Yes, we still haven’t received our lunch order. And I did change our drop off location due to some unfortunate treason, but it should have arrived by now.” The committee then went to evidence of then-President Donald Trump asking a bunch of people if he lost the election including a White House janitor who said that he did, in fact, lose the election. Trump even asked a dog who “shook his dead side to side.” “Donald was desperate to hang on to power,” Rep. Adam Kinzinger, played by Andrew Dismukes, said. “While real heroes like Nancy Pelosi and Chuck Schumer were the ones actually running this country. Then it immediately cut to Sherman’s Schumer and Fineman’s Pelosi talking to then-Vice President Mike Pence. “Let me tell you, if Trump comes here right now I’m going to punch him right in the face,” Fineman’s Pelosi said. “I’ll go to jail, but I’ll be happy.” Thompson’s Bennie Thompson then asked Gardner’s Cheney for any final thoughts. “The fact is that Trump planned to declare victory no matter the results,” she said. “Look at this video of the President a day before the election.” The video shown was of James Austin Johnson as Trump on the phone saying the “votes don’t matter.” “What even is a vote?” he said. The committee then took a vote to subpoena Trump. They all voted yes and thought he would actually show up. “Alright, I can already see that this is a complete zero,” Thompson’s Bennie Thompson said. “I want to thank my colleagues for throwing their summers and in some cases their careers to serve on this committee.” He then added it was “a fun country while it lasted.” After that, it led to the show’s signature phrase, “Live… from New York! It’s Saturday night!” The-CNN-Wire & © 2022 Cable News Network, Inc., a Warner Bros. Discovery Company. All rights reserved. Read More Here

China's Xi Talks Up Security, Reiterates COVID Stance As Congress Opens https://digitalarizonanews.com/chinas-xi-talks-up-security-reiterates-covid-stance-as-congress-opens/ BEIJING, Oct 16 (Reuters) – Chinese President Xi Jinping called for accelerating the building of a world-class military while touting the fight against COVID-19 as he kicked off a Communist Party Congress by focussing heavily on security and reiterating policy priorities. Xi, 69, is widely expected to win a third leadership term at the conclusion of the week-long congress that began on Sunday morning, cementing his place as China’s most powerful ruler since Mao Zedong. Roughly 2,300 delegates from around the country gathered in the vast Great Hall of the People on the west side of Tiananmen Square amid tight security and under blue skies after several smoggy days in the Chinese capital. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com Xi described the five years since the last party congress as “extremely uncommon and abnormal”, during a speech that lasted less than two hours – far shorter than his nearly three-and-a-half-hour address at the 2017 congress. “We must strengthen our sense of hardship, adhere to the bottom-line thinking, be prepared for danger in times of peace, prepare for a rainy day, and be ready to withstand major tests of high winds and high waves,” he said. He mentioned “safety” or “security” 73 times, compared with 55 times in 2017, according to state news agency Xinhua’s transcripts, and said China will strengthen its ability to build a strategic deterrent capability. By comparison, Xi said “reforms” 16 times in the televised speech, far fewer than the 70 mentions five years ago. Xi called for strengthening the ability to maintain national security, ensuring food and energy supplies, securing supply chains, improving the ability to deal with disasters and protecting personal information. The biggest applause came when Xi restated opposition to Taiwan independence. In his decade in power, Xi has set China on an increasingly authoritarian path that has prioritised security, state control of the economy in the name of “common prosperity”, a more assertive diplomacy, a stronger military and intensifying pressure to seize democratically governed Taiwan. Analysts generally do not expect significant change in policy direction in a third Xi term. Alfred Wu, associate professor at the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy at the National University of Singapore, said that as China’s economy has slowed, Xi is attempting to shift the basis of legitimacy from economic growth to security. “His narrative is – China faces many dangers, the country is in a war-like state, figuratively, and he is the saviour. With this narrative, he can get people to unite around him,” he said. CONTINUITY Chinese President Xi Jinping attends the opening ceremony of the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, China October 16, 2022. REUTERS/Thomas Peter In recent days, China has repeatedly emphasised its commitment to Xi’s zero-COVID strategy, dashing hopes among countless Chinese citizens as well as investors that Beijing might begin exiting anytime soon a policy that has caused widespread frustration and economic damage. Xi said little about COVID other than to reiterate the validity of a policy that has made China a global outlier as much of the world tries to coexist with the coronavirus, which emerged in central China in late 2019. “We have adhered to the supremacy of the people and the supremacy of life, adhered to dynamic zero-COVID … and achieved major positive results in the overall prevention and control of the epidemic, and economic and social development,” Xi said. On the economy, he restated support for the private sector and allowing markets to play a key role, even as China fine-tunes a “socialist economic system” and promotes “common prosperity”. “We must build a high-level socialist market economic system … unswervingly consolidate and develop the public ownership system, unswervingly encourage and support the development of the private economy, give full play to the decisive role of the market in the allocation of resources, and give better play to the role of the government,” he said. PARTY POWER Xi’s power appears undiminished by the tumult of a year that has seen China’s economy slow dramatically, dragged down by the COVID policy’s frequent lockdowns, a crisis in the property sector and the impact of his 2021 crackdown on the once-freewheeling “platform economy”, as well as global headwinds. China’s relations with the West have deteriorated sharply, worsened by Xi’s support of Russia’s Vladimir Putin. The son of a Communist Party revolutionary, Xi has reinvigorated a party that had grown deeply corrupt and increasingly irrelevant, expanding its presence across all aspects of China, with Xi officially its “core”. Xi did away with presidential term limits in 2018, clearing the way for him to break with the precedent of recent decades and rule for a third five-year term, or longer. “I support the re-election of Xi Jinping to a third term with both hands,” Li Yinjiang, a delegate from Jiangsu province, told Reuters. “He can make our country strong and our people happy.” The congress is expected to reconfirm Xi as party general secretary, China’s most powerful post, as well as chairman of the Central Military Commission. Xi’s presidency is up for renewal in March at the annual session of China’s parliament. In the run-up to the congress, the Chinese capital stepped up security and COVID curbs, while steel mills in nearby Hebei province were instructed to cut back on operations to improve air quality, an industry source said. The day after the congress ends on Saturday, Xi is expected to introduce his new Politburo Standing Committee, a seven-person leadership team. It will include the person who will replace Li Keqiang as premier when Li steps down from that post in March after serving the maximum two terms. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com Reporting by Yew Lun Tian, Ryan Woo, Martin Quin Pollard, Eduardo Baptista, Kevin Yao and Dominique Patton; Writing by Tony Munroe; Editing by William Mallard Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles. Read More Here

Donald Trump Jr. And Eric Trump Wanted Large Stakes In Their Father's Media Company Even Though They Were Barely Involved, Co-Founder Says: 'They Were Coming In And Asking For A Handout' https://digitalarizonanews.com/donald-trump-jr-and-eric-trump-wanted-large-stakes-in-their-fathers-media-company-even-though-they-were-barely-involved-co-founder-says-they-were-coming-in-and-asking-for-a-handoutx27/ Former President Donald Trump, left, Eric Trump, center, and Donald Trump Jr. watch golfer during the final round of the Bedminster Invitational LIV Golf tournament in Bedminster, N.J., Sunday, July 31, 2022.Seth Wenig/Associated Press Will Wilkerson, co-founder of Trump’s media company, filed an SEC whistleblower complaint in August. Wilkerson detailed his allegations to The Washington Post, including some about the Trump family. Wilkerson told the Post Trump’s adult sons wanted stakes, describing it as “asking for a handout.” Former President Donald Trump’s two adult sons wanted stakes in their father’s media company even though they were barely involved, according to one of the co-founders of Trump Media & Technology Group. Will Wilkerson made the allegations about Donald Trump Jr. and Eric Trump in a story published by The Washington Post on Saturday. The story detailed accusations of infighting and potentially illegal activity at the company made by Wilkerson, who filed a whistleblower complaint to the SEC in August. “They were coming in and asking for a handout,” Wilkerson said of Donald Jr. and Eric, according to the Post. “They had no bearing in this company … and they were taking equity away from hard-working individuals.” The Trump Organization did not immediately respond to Insider’s request for comment. In a statement provided to Insider, Trump Media & Technology Group blasted the Post’s reporting and touted Truth Social’s successes, such as launching on the Apple and Google app stores and attracting millions of users. “Ignoring these achievements, the Washington Post published a story rife with knowingly false and defamatory statements and other concocted psychodramas,” the statement said. The statement did not comment directly on specific allegations. Wilkerson, who served as senior vice president of operations, said he was fired on Thursday after talking to the Post, the outlet reported. Lawyers for Wilkerson did not immediately respond to Insider’s request for comment, but told the Post he is cooperating with the SEC and New York prosecutors investigating Trump Media. Wilkerson provided the Post with materials he had given the SEC that he said proved his claims about the company. Among the materials was a log kept by Wilkerson and two other co-founders detailing their daily experiences at the company. According to the Post, the log showed the three men weighed how to address the Trump family’s involvement in the business. One of the logs noted a person told them that Donald Jr. “needs a bedtime story and some love,” the outlet reported. Read the original article on Business Insider Read More Here

Letter To The Editor: Which McCarthy Are You Voting For? https://digitalarizonanews.com/letter-to-the-editor-which-mccarthy-are-you-voting-for/ By MICHAEL SELTZER Oct 16, 2022 29 min ago Which Kevin McCarthy will you be voting for on Nov. 8? The Kevin McCarthy that called the president on Jan. 6 and pleaded with him to stop the violence? The Kevin McCarthy that spoke from the well of the House of Representatives and laid the blame for Jan. 6 squarely on Trump’s shoulders? Or the Kevin McCarthy that showed up at Mar-a-Lago to kiss Trump’s feet? Or the Kevin McCarthy that now claims that Trump was unaware of the violent events at the Capitol and was not watching these events unfold on FOX News, as others have reported? — Michael Seltzer, Pacific Grove Read More Here

Badgers Devour Eagles In 58-14 Win : Prescott Scores 8 First Half Touchdowns | Prescott ENews https://digitalarizonanews.com/badgers-devour-eagles-in-58-14-win-prescott-scores-8-first-half-touchdowns-prescott-enews/ Photo: 32 Cody Hanna scoops up the loose ball after 35 Wyatt Rewerts stripped the ball from Flagstaff quarterback 11 Chase Brown, with 30 Jake Wright and 72 Landen Francis The Prescott Badgers were perfect through the air on the night, and amazing 18-18 as a team, capitalizing on turnovers, en route to a 58-14 thrashing of the Flagstaff Eagles in the Walkup Skydome, on the campus on Northern Arizona University, in Flagstaff. The Badgers completely dominated a first half of football that would make any fan’s jaw drop. The Badgers rolled, but actually flew past the Eagles, with three touchdowns in the first, and five in the second, as Prescott built a 55-7 halftime lead.  It was so bad for Flagstaff that when it was time for the second half to start they were still in the locker room, but did eventually resurface. The Eagles took the opening kickoff and nickel and dimed their way with short passes inside Badger territory, but turned the ball over on downs at the 29 yard line. The Badgers went down the field and scored on a four yard run by Cody Leopold. Cole Gross started his busy night with the extra point and a 7-0 lead  with 5:09 left in the opening quarter. Photo: 42 Maurea Norris scored three touchdowns, gets a needed block from 52 Colter Fenn Less than a minute later, Cian Mckelvey set the Badgers up with a 55 yard interception return to the Flagstaff two. Maurea Norris ran the ball in from there for a 13-0 lead, as the kick was blocked. A three and out gave the Badgers another opportunity as Leopold scored from nine yards out and with 1:51 left in the first quarter it was suddenly 20-0. Photo: 24 Cody Leopold and 72 Landen Francis put the pressure on quarterback 11 Chase Brown The second quarter turned into a wild one, one that Flagstaff would like to forget. They did have one of their two shiny moments when Kaden Jensen scored on a two yard run, and with the kick by Tanner Reiff, the Prescott lead was cut to 20-7. From that point forward, the final eleven minutes was a nightmare for Flagstaff. The Badgers reeled off five touchdowns to close the half. It all started when Wyatt Rewarts stripped the ball from quarterback Chase Brown.  Cody Hanna was right there to fall on the ball, and the offense took it from there.  Hanna said, “We put a lot of pressure on them and were able to make some big plays early.” Jaxon Rice went through the air, connecting with Alex Vaughan who was stopped just short of the end zone at the Eagles two.  Leopold scored from there to make it 27-7. Vaughan said, “The pass was right there and I was able to pick up a couple of good blocks. Nearly got the score, but Cody got it.” The Eagles gave it right back to the Badgers as Uriah Tenette picked off a Brown pass at the Flagstaff 43. The offense moved the ball again, and Cian Mckelvey scored on a seven yard run to make it 34-7 with 8:42 left in the half. Another Brown pass was intercepted by Caden Pena who returned the ball 41 yards and what should have been a score, but a personal foul penalty moved the ball to the Eagles 17. Norris scored a couple of plays later on an 11 yard run to make it 41-7 with 6:34 left. Jaxon Rice threw his only touchdown pass of the night to Christopher Brown with 3:32 remaining on a 13 yard pass play to give Prescott a 48-7 lead. Another three and out gave the Badgers a short field, which they took advantage of. Norris blasted in from one yard out with 1:47 left to make it 55-7. The second half went by quick with a running clock. The Badgers added their last points on a 27 yard field goal by Gross to lead 58-7 after three quarters. Flagstaff closed the game with a seven yard touchdown pass from Chase Brown to Holden Sena. Photo: 87 Chris Brown works his way to the end zone on his TD reception Jaxon Rice led the Badger offense , completing all seven passes for 129 yards and a touchdown. Ten different players caught passes, led by Jake Hilton and Landon Aurich with three each. Alex Vaughan pulled in two passes for 58 yards, but it was Chris Brown whose one reception went for the touchdown. On the ground, half of Cody Leopold’s eight carries went for touchdowns, but for a season low 34 yards. Leopold leads 11-man football in the state of Arizona with 20 rushing touchdowns. Maurea Norris had 13 carries for 53 yards and two TDs. Cian Mckelvey ran for 49 yards and one touchdown. Most of the yardage came in the first half as a running clock and running the play clock down lowered the snaps considerably. Landen Francis impacted the decision making by Brown in the first half said, “We just came at them, and made the plays giving our offense the ball.” The senior said of the short night, “Coach told us that he didn’t want to risk any injuries and with the big lead it gave everybody a chance to contribute in the win.” The Badgers (1-0) in Grand Canyon Region, and (5-1) overall, will make the short trip to Prescott Valley to face the upstart Bears of Bradshaw Mountain. The Bears winners of two straight, put the Grand Canyon Region on notice with a 41-0 win at Mingus. As with most rivalries,hould be a wild one. Game time set for Friday at 7pm. PRESCOTT BADGERS 58, FLAGSTAFF EAGLES 14 Score by Quarters-       1        2        3        4   –   T Prescott                         20     35       3        0   –  58 Flagstaff                          0       7        0        7    – 14 Scoring Summary P-Leopold 4-yard run (Gross kick) P-Norris 2-yard run (Kick blocked) P-Leopold 9-yard run (Gross kick) F- Jensen 2-yard run (Reiff kick) P-Leopold 2-yard run (Gross kick) P-Mckelvey 7-yard run (Gross kick) P-Norris 11-yard run (Gross kick) P-Brown 13-yard pass from Rice (Gross kick) P-Norris 1 yard run (Gross kick) P-Gross 27-yard Field Goal F-Sena 7-yard pass from Brown (Soto kick) GRAND CANYON REGION STANDINGS School-                            W-L      W-L PRESCOTT                      1-0        5-1 Lee Williams                  1-0        4-2 Bradshaw Mountain     1-0        3-3 Mingus                            0-1        4-2 Coconino                         0-1        2-4 Flagstaff                          0-1        2-4 FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS SCOREBOARD Bradshaw Mountain  41, Mingus 0 Mohave 55, Chino Valley 0 ALA-Gilbert North 31, Snowflake 21 AZ College Prep 42, Seton Catholic Prep 0 Bagdad 52, Anthem Prep 24 Camp Verde 58, NFL Yet 0 Canyon Del Oro 49, Douglas 6 Carl Hayden 57, Kofa 0 Glendale 21, Peoria 14 Independence 48, Washington 0 Lake Havasu 49, Gila Ridge 0 Lee Williams 14, Coconino 7 Mica Mountain 48, Empire 6 Marcos de Niza 24, Arcadia 10 Mogollon 55, Joseph City 0 Monument Valley 54, Blue Ridge 43 Northwest Christian 51, Greenway 12 Poston Butte 28, Apache Junction 14 River Valley 42, Wickenburg 7 Safford 26, Payson 21 St. Mary’s 27, Deer Valley 0 Thunderbird 20, Moon Valley 6 Williams 32, El Capitan 28 Youngker 28, Estrella Foothills 20 Yuma Catholic 48, Buckeye 45 Read More Here

Which Side Are You On, Anyway? Rethinking Academic Freedom https://digitalarizonanews.com/which-side-are-you-on-anyway-rethinking-academic-freedom/ UNITED STATES “It’s Not Free Speech: Race, democracy, and the future of academic freedom” by Michael Bérubé and Jennifer Ruth is published by Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore, Maryland, United States. ISBN: 978-1421443874. The most interesting aspect of Michael Bérubé and Jennifer Ruth’s It’s Not Free Speech is not their proposal for still more committees charged with academic governance. No matter how carefully their mandates are written, such committees will almost certainly fail to deal adequately with professors whose scholarship in their area, such as electrical engineering, is impeccable but who publish essays in newspapers saying that climate change is a hoax. Nor is it clear to me how universities can ensure that a professor who is highly respected in his field but has written in a blog that vaccines cause autism could be kept off a committee judging another professor who has made insulting comments about minorities or women. Staffing the committees Bérubé and Ruth call for could end up requiring still more committees to adjudge the membership of the first committee – and on and on. My scepticism about Bérubé and Ruth’s proposed solution aside, It’s Not Free Speech is extremely valuable for a number of reasons, starting with its discussion of Critical Race Theory (CRT) which is signalled by its subtitle: Race, democracy, and the future of academic freedom. They trace CRT from its beginnings in the 1970s, when it emerged from Critical Legal Theory, through the attacks on it in the 1990s (because it inspired the introduction of campus speech codes) and, most importantly, to the present. In September 2020, in the waning days of the presidential election, then president Donald Trump issued an executive order banning CRT-inspired education from the federal government and characterised CRT as being “divisive, un-American propaganda”. Trump’s attack was quickly parroted by officials in some 20 states that have legislated against CRT in their schools and universities. In CRT’s earliest days, white legal scholars objected to phenomenological differences between evidence – first person narratives, allegory, storytelling, interdisciplinary treatment of the law – and the traditional “putatively disembodied voice of [legal] authority”. According to Professor Mari Matsuda, who teaches at the University of Hawai’i at Manoa’s William S Richardson School of Law, CRT proposes a different phenomenology for the law by recognising that “those who have experienced discrimination speak with a special voice to which we should listen” and to which we should respond by ameliorating the situation. Dr James Lindsay, one of many who is part of the cottage industry devoted to attacking CRT, lumps it in with “post-colonialism, black feminism … intersectional feminism, Critical Race (legal) Theory and Queer Theory”. This list, I hasten to add, seems at best eclectic and at worst indicative of profound ignorance of these theories and analytical schools. Lindsay, who is not connected with any university, does, however, get one thing right: these theories and analytical approaches “describe the world critically in order to change it”. (Bérubé and Ruth missed a chance for some fun here, for whether Lindsay knows it or not, he’s channelling his inner Karl Marx, for this is almost a direct quote from his 1845 attack on Ludwig Feuerbach and his philosophical attempt to describe the world.) CRT does seek to change the world. Or, to put it another way, CRT shows precisely what its critics deny: that the law is shot through with structural racism and, as Bérubé and Ruth discuss (and we will see in a moment), so too is the marketplace (of ideas) defence of free speech. It’s well known that the person most responsible for turning CRT into political kryptonite – whose arguments Republicans like Virginia’s new governor Glenn Youngkin seek to use to fatally weaken many Democrats – is Christopher Rufo. Within days of Rufo appearing on Tucker Carlson Tonight, Trump moved against CRT. What Bérubé and Ruth add to our knowledge of Rufo, a senior fellow at the Manhattan Institute, is that such right-wing think tanks truck in some serious “whackadoodlery”, to borrow a term Bérubé and Ruth use to describe the McCarthyite Red Scare of the 1950s. Among the beliefs that circulate in this eco-sphere are ‘intelligent design’, that climate change is a hoax and that neo-Nazi beliefs about race and intelligence are correct. As well, these think tanks are making a concerted effort to “suppress knowledge of America’s history of racism”. Extramural speech In the first part of their book, Bérubé and Ruth, both of whom have held senior positions in the American Association of University Professors (AAUP), tease out the difference between academic freedom and extramural speech. In the United States, this second group of statements comes under the protection of the First Amendment to the Constitution; later they question, given the flourishing of hate speech both in the American political arena and on social media, whether an absolutist reading of the clause that “Congress shall make no law … abridging [limiting] freedom of speech” is an unalloyed good. Early in the book, however, they show that as late as the early 1960s, universities dismissed faculty members whose speech they deemed to have transgressed public morals or acceptable politics. Their central example here is the firing of Professor Leo Koch in 1960 by the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign for writing an article in the student newspaper supporting sex before marriage and contraception. Within a few years Koch’s views would be unremarkable, while university administrators and the AAUP would still be wrestling with the question: What role does the university have when the professor’s extramural speech is about matters of public debate but has no relation to his or her expertise? (Koch, for the record, was a biology professor, so his views could have been construed as being informed by his academic specialty and, hence, what the university was paying him for). In 1970, the AAUP reiterated its 1940 position that extramural speech occurs when the professors speak as citizens and, ipso facto, cannot be used as a cudgel against him or her. State governments have begged to disagree. Citing the fact that they fund state colleges and universities, at various times legislators have argued that not only do they have the right to pressure administrators to crack down on extramural speech but, also, that they have the right to crack down on speech within classrooms. This academic year will see, for example, Florida conduct its second survey of students and faculty opinions, and, assuming it passes this fall, Texas universities will be required to hold the teaching of CRT (even by tenured professors) as cause for being fired. With their fine eyes for detail, Bérubé and Ruth note that state governments which exercise their oversight power zealously can end up producing some rather odd results. Pennsylvania State University, which is often considered the ninth Ivy League school, receives approximately 4% of its operating revenue from the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. This contribution, critics of the university in the state legislature claim, buys the legislature the right to monitor and demand the cancellation of courses or schools of thought they, the legislators, find offensive. What, then, is a firing offence today? Put another way, what kind of speech is not protected by academic freedom? One example, Bérubé and Ruth discuss concerns Dr James Tracy who, until he was fired in 2015, had been a professor in the school of communication and multimedia studies at Florida Atlantic University (FAU) in Boca Raton. Tracy claimed that the 20 children and six staff shot to death at Sandy Hook Elementary School in 2012 was a “false flag” operation, an agit prop performance put on by supporters of gun control. Further, he harassed Veronique and Lenny Pozner, parents of one of the slain students, demanding, among other things, “proof that Noah had once lived”. After being dismissed, Tracy sued FAU claiming it had abridged his First Amendment rights. FAU won the case. He remained dismissed but for the wrong reason, Bérubé and Ruth argue. FAU won the case on insubordination – not on the grounds of intellectual unfitness and, hence, being unable to hold a position that includes academic freedom. The failures of universities More than once, Bérubé and Ruth argue that their former colleagues at the AAUP make serious category errors. The discussion that begins Chapter 5 takes the AAUP to task for the policy document that says: “An institution of higher learning fails to fulfil its mission if it asserts the power to proscribe ideas – and racial or ethnic slurs, sexist epithets or homophobic insults almost always express ideas, however repugnant.” Why, Bérubé and Ruth ask, did the AAUP choose these examples, there being “no value in dignifying [them] by calling them ‘ideas’”. No doubt wanting to get away from the philosophically messy question of how we could even understand phrases ‘ethnic slur’ or ‘sexist epithets’ unless they expressed some sort of an idea, Bérubé and Ruth emphasise that their analysis really turns on the sentence that comes after the word ‘repugnant’: “Indeed, by proscribing any ideas, a university sets an example that profoundly disserves its academic mission.” In a nice turn of phrase, they write that this “dogmatic proscription of proscription suffuses the document” and leads to what they find to be an emblematically incorrect statement: “A college or university sets a perilous course if it seeks to differentiate between high-value and low-value speech.” By contrast, they argue that higher education’s “primary fu...

Student Chronicles https://digitalarizonanews.com/student-chronicles/ Lela Allen of Phoenix qualified for the spring 2022 dean’s list at Seton Hall in South Orange, New Jersey. After the close of every semester, undergraduate students completing all courses with a GPA of 3.4, with no grades lower than “C,” qualify for the dean’s list.  Lucas Feiden of Phoenix was named to the spring 2022 dean’s list at Illinois Wesleyan University at Bloomington, Illinois. Feiden is a senior majoring in business. Feiden was among 743 students from 30 states and 17 countries named to the dean’s list. To qualify for the dean’s list, students must earn a GPA of 3.50 or better during the semester, based on 4.0 for straight As. Justin Williamson of Anthem was named to the 2021-22 dean’s list at Lawrence University in Appleton, Wisconsin. The dean’s list is an annual honor roll of students demonstrating exemplary academic performance. The list is compiled at the end of the academic year once all grades have been recorded. Iva Drobnjak of Phoenix was named to the dean’s list at Fort Lewis College in Durango, Colorado, for the spring 2022 semester. Drobnjak’s major is psychology. To be eligible for dean’s list, a student must carry a semester GPA of 3.6 or better in no fewer than 15 credit hours of graded college-level work and have completed all work for which they are registered by the end of the semester. Emerson College student Anthony Beal of Phoenix was named to the dean’s list for the spring 2022 semester at Emerson College in Phoenix. The requirement to make dean’s list is a grade-point average of 3.7 or higher for that semester. Beal is majoring in media arts production and is a member of the class of 2026. Emma Mayeux of Phoenix earned dean’s list honors for the spring 2022 semester at Emerson College in Boston. The requirement to make dean’s list is a grade-point average of 3.7 or higher for that semester. Mayeux is majoring in media arts production and is a member of the class of 2023. Kiana Hindi of Phoenix was named named to the dean’s list at Purchase College in Purchase, New York, for the spring 2022 semester. Hindi is studying theater and performance. To be eligible for the dean’s list, students must carry a semester GPA of 3.5 for Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Science programs and 3.75 for Bachelor of Fine Arts and Bachelor of Music Performance programs. They must take a minimum of 12 credits. Lisa Jurmu of Phoenix was named to the dean’s list at Palmer College of Chiropractic’s Florida campus in Port Orange, Florida. Read More…

TYFSF: Wildcats Red Win Flag Championship Over Vikings White | ALLSPORTSTUCSON.com https://digitalarizonanews.com/tyfsf-wildcats-red-win-flag-championship-over-vikings-white-allsportstucson-com/ Carter Varner. (Andy Morales/AllSportsTucson) LINK: FREE FLAG CHAMPIONSHIP PHOTOS The Wildcats Red went undefeated to win the Tucson Youth Football and Spirit Federation (TYFSF) Flag City Championship. The top-seeded Wildcats beat No. 4 Vikings White 25-6 in the championship game late Saturday at Pueblo High School. The Wildcats earned the “Julius Holt Flag Fiesta” championship trophy named in honor of former TYFSF president and University of Arizona standout Julius Holt who passed away in April. The Vikings earned the runner-up trophy also named in Holt’s honor. The Vikings started the season out 0-3 and battled to a respectable finish in the division. Wildcats standout Carter Varner ended the game with 237 yards on 13 carries with scoring runs of 56, 30, 4 and 55 yards. Anthony Henderson led the Viking attack with 107 yards rushing on 15 carries with a TD and 20 yards passing. Mason Wolff had two catches for 20 yards. Henderson is the younger brother of Salpointe standout basketball and track athlete Taliyah Henderson. Anthony Henderson. (Andy Morales/AllSportsTucson) FIRST HALF WILDCATS: Carter Varner 56 yards (6-0) WILDCATS: Varner 30 yards (12-0) SECOND HALF WILDCATS: Varner 4 yards/extra point (19-0) VIKINGS: Anthony Henderson 1 yard (19-6) WILDCATS: Varner 55 yards (25-6) The Tucson Youth Football and Spirit Federation Flag championship trophy is named after former @ArizonaFBall Julius Holt. One half of the bracket is complete and it’s the Wildcats!!! pic.twitter.com/zhhfE1lAjx — Andy Morales (@AndyMorales8) October 15, 2022 FOLLOW @ANDYMORALES8 ON TWITTER Named one of “Arizona’s Heart & Sol” by KOLD and Casino del Sol, Andy Morales was recognized by the AIA as the top high school reporter in 2014, he was awarded the Ray McNally Award in 2017 and a 2019 AZ Education News recognition. He was a youth, high school and college coach for over 30 years. He was the first in Arizona to write about high school beach volleyball and high school girls wrestling and his unique perspective can only be found here and on AZPreps365.com. Andy is a Southern Arizona voting member of the Ed Doherty Award, recognizing the top football player in Arizona, and he was named a Local Hero by the Tucson Weekly for 2016. Andy was named an Honorary Flowing Wells Caballero in 2019, became a member of the Sunnyside Los Mezquites Cross Country Hall of Fame in 2021 and he was a member of the Amphi COVID-19 Blue Ribbon Committee. He earned a Distinguished Service Award from Amphitheater and he was recognized by the Sunnyside School District and by Tucson City Councilman Richard Fimbres. Contact Andy Morales at amoralesmytucson@yahoo.com Read More Here

China's Xi Calls For Military Growth Amid Tension With US https://digitalarizonanews.com/chinas-xi-calls-for-military-growth-amid-tension-with-us/ BEIJING (AP) — Chinese leader Xi Jinping on Sunday called for faster military development and announced no change in policies that have strained relations with Washington and tightened the ruling Communist Party’s control over society and the economy. China’s most influential figure in decades spoke as the party opened a congress that was closely watched by companies, governments and the Chinese public for signs of its economic and political direction. It comes amid a painful economic slump and tension with Washington and Asian neighbors over trade, technology and security. The congress will install leaders for the next five years. Xi, 69, is expected to break with tradition and award himself a third five-year term as the party’s general secretary, entrenching his vision of reasserting its dominance in the economy, society and culture following four decades of market-style liberalization. Xi called for accelerating military and technology development to propel the “rejuvenation of the Chinese nation” in a televised speech of one hour and 45 minutes to some 2,000 delegates in the cavernous Great Hall of the People. The party’s military wing, the People’s Liberation Army, needs to “safeguard China’s dignity and core interests,” Xi said, referring to a list of territorial claims and other issues over which Beijing says it is ready to go to war. The PLA is the world’s second-largest military after the United States and is trying to extend its reach by developing ballistic missiles. Security personnel on Tiananmen Square ini front of the Great Hall of the People prepare for the opening ceremony of the 20th National Congress of China’s ruling Communist Party in Beijing, China, Sunday, Oct. 16, 2022. China on Sunday opens a twice-a-decade party conference at which leader Xi Jinping is expected to receive a third five-year term that breaks with recent precedent and establishes himself as arguably the most powerful Chinese politician since Mao Zedong. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein) Photo: ASSOCIATED PRESS/Mark Schiefelbein A security person stands near Tiananmen Gate near the Great Hall of the People where the opening ceremony for the 20th National Congress of China’s ruling Communist Party will be held in Beijing, China, Sunday, Oct. 16, 2022. China on Sunday opens a twice-a-decade party conference at which leader Xi Jinping is expected to receive a third five-year term that breaks with recent precedent and establishes himself as arguably the most powerful Chinese politician since Mao Zedong. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein) Photo: ASSOCIATED PRESS/Mark Schiefelbein Attendees walk in front of the Great Hall of the People before the opening ceremony for the 20th National Congress of China’s ruling Communist Party in Beijing, China, Sunday, Oct. 16, 2022. China on Sunday opens a twice-a-decade party conference at which leader Xi Jinping is expected to receive a third five-year term that breaks with recent precedent and establishes himself as arguably the most powerful Chinese politician since Mao Zedong. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein) Photo: ASSOCIATED PRESS/Mark Schiefelbein Chinese President Xi Jinping arrives for the opening ceremony of the 20th National Congress of China’s ruling Communist Party held at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, China, Sunday, Oct. 16, 2022. China on Sunday opens a twice-a-decade party conference at which leader Xi Jinping is expected to receive a third five-year term that breaks with recent precedent and establishes himself as arguably the most powerful Chinese politician since Mao Zedong. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein) Photo: ASSOCIATED PRESS/Mark Schiefelbein Chinese President Xi Jinping arrives for the opening ceremony of the 20th National Congress of China’s ruling Communist Party held at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, China, Sunday, Oct. 16, 2022. China on Sunday opens a twice-a-decade party conference at which leader Xi Jinping is expected to receive a third five-year term that breaks with recent precedent and establishes himself as arguably the most powerful Chinese politician since Mao Zedong. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein) Photo: ASSOCIATED PRESS/Mark Schiefelbein Chinese President Xi Jinping arrives for the opening ceremony of the 20th National Congress of China’s ruling Communist Party held at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, China, Sunday, Oct. 16, 2022. China on Sunday opens a twice-a-decade party conference at which leader Xi Jinping is expected to receive a third five-year term that breaks with recent precedent and establishes himself as arguably the most powerful Chinese politician since Mao Zedong. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein) Photo: ASSOCIATED PRESS/Mark Schiefelbein The military band rehearses at the Great Hall of the People before the opening ceremony for the 20th National Congress of China’s ruling Communist Party in Beijing, China, Sunday, Oct. 16, 2022. China on Sunday opens a twice-a-decade party conference at which leader Xi Jinping is expected to receive a third five-year term that breaks with recent precedent and establishes himself as arguably the most powerful Chinese politician since Mao Zedong. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein) Photo: ASSOCIATED PRESS/Mark Schiefelbein Chinese President Xi Jinping delivers a speech during the opening ceremony of the 20th National Congress of China’s ruling Communist Party at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, China, Sunday, Oct. 16, 2022. China on Sunday opens a twice-a-decade party conference at which leader Xi Jinping is expected to receive a third five-year term that breaks with recent precedent and establishes himself as arguably the most powerful Chinese politician since Mao Zedong. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein) Photo: ASSOCIATED PRESS/Mark Schiefelbein Attendees walk on Tiananmen Square near the Great Hall of the People where the opening ceremony for the 20th National Congress of China’s ruling Communist Party will be held in Beijing, China, Sunday, Oct. 16, 2022. China on Sunday opens a twice-a-decade party conference at which leader Xi Jinping is expected to receive a third five-year term that breaks with recent precedent and establishes himself as arguably the most powerful Chinese politician since Mao Zedong. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein) Photo: ASSOCIATED PRESS/Mark Schiefelbein Chinese President Xi Jinping arrives for the opening ceremony of the 20th National Congress of China’s ruling Communist Party held at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, China, Sunday, Oct. 16, 2022. China on Sunday opens a twice-a-decade party conference at which leader Xi Jinping is expected to receive a third five-year term that breaks with recent precedent and establishes himself as arguably the most powerful Chinese politician since Mao Zedong. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein) Photo: ASSOCIATED PRESS/Mark Schiefelbein Security personnel stand guard in front of the Great Hall of the People before the opening ceremony for the 20th National Congress of China’s ruling Communist Party in Beijing, China, Sunday, Oct. 16, 2022. China on Sunday opens a twice-a-decade party conference at which leader Xi Jinping is expected to receive a third five-year term that breaks with recent precedent and establishes himself as arguably the most powerful Chinese politician since Mao Zedong. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein) Photo: ASSOCIATED PRESS/Mark Schiefelbein Chinese President Xi Jinping delivers a speech at the opening ceremony of the 20th National Congress of China’s ruling Communist Party held at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, China, Sunday, Oct. 16, 2022. China on Sunday opens a twice-a-decade party conference at which leader Xi Jinping is expected to receive a third five-year term that breaks with recent precedent and establishes himself as arguably the most powerful Chinese politician since Mao Zedong. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein) Photo: ASSOCIATED PRESS/Mark Schiefelbein Chinese President Xi Jinping delivers a speech at the opening ceremony of the 20th National Congress of China’s ruling Communist Party held at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, China, Sunday, Oct. 16, 2022. China on Sunday opens a twice-a-decade party conference at which leader Xi Jinping is expected to receive a third five-year term that breaks with recent precedent and establishes himself as arguably the most powerful Chinese politician since Mao Zedong. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein) Photo: ASSOCIATED PRESS/Mark Schiefelbein Attendees bow their heads to observe a moment of silence for fallen comrades during the opening ceremony of the 20th National Congress of China’s ruling Communist Party held at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, China, Sunday, Oct. 16, 2022. China on Sunday opens a twice-a-decade party conference at which leader Xi Jinping is expected to receive a third five-year term that breaks with recent precedent and establishes himself as arguably the most powerful Chinese politician since Mao Zedong. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein) Photo: ASSOCIATED PRESS/Mark Schiefelbein Attendees bow their heads to observe a moment of silence for fallen comrades during the opening ceremony of the 20th National Congress of China’s ruling Communist Party held at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, China, Sunday, Oct. 16, 2022. China on Sunday opens a twice-a-decade party conference at which leader Xi Jinping is expected to receive a third five-year term that breaks with recent precedent and establishes himself as arguably the most powerful Chinese politician since Mao Zedong. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein) Photo: ASSOCIATED PRESS/Mark Schiefelbein Delegates applaud as Chinese President Xi Jinping speaks during the opening ceremony of the 20th National Congress of China’s ruling Communist Party held at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, China, Sunday, Oct. 16, 20...

Trump Pressured Truth Social Exec To Give His Shares To Melania: Report https://digitalarizonanews.com/trump-pressured-truth-social-exec-to-give-his-shares-to-melania-report/ Former President Donald Trump pressured Truth Social Co-founder Andy Litinsky to give shares in the company to his wife, former First Lady Melania Trump, whistleblower Will Wilkerson has alleged. He added that Litinsky refused to do so and told Trump that “the gift would have meant a huge tax bill he couldn’t pay”. Litinsky was later fired after the incident. short by Aishwarya Awasthi / 12:05 pm on 16 Oct Read More Here

China's Xi Calls For Military Growth Amid Tension With US https://digitalarizonanews.com/chinas-xi-calls-for-military-growth-amid-tension-with-us-2/ BEIJING — Chinese leader Xi Jinping on Sunday called for faster military development and announced no change in policies that have strained relations with Washington and tightened the ruling Communist Party’s control over society and the economy. China’s most influential figure in decades spoke as the party opened a congress that was closely watched by companies, governments and the Chinese public for signs of its economic and political direction. It comes amid a painful economic slump and tension with Washington and Asian neighbors over trade, technology and security. The congress will install leaders for the next five years. Xi, 69, is expected to break with tradition and award himself a third five-year term as the party’s general secretary, entrenching his vision of reasserting its dominance in the economy, society and culture following four decades of market-style liberalization. Xi called for accelerating military and technology development to propel the “rejuvenation of the Chinese nation” in a televised speech of one hour and 45 minutes to some 2,000 delegates in the cavernous Great Hall of the People. The party’s military wing, the People’s Liberation Army, needs to “safeguard China’s dignity and core interests,” Xi said, referring to a list of territorial claims and other issues over which Beijing says it is ready to go to war. The PLA is the world’s second-largest military after the United States and is trying to extend its reach by developing ballistic missiles. “We will work faster to modernize military theory, personnel and weapons,” Xi said in the speech, which was punctuated by brief bursts of applause from the masked delegates. “We will enhance the military’s strategic capabilities.” Xi cited his government’s severe “zero COVID” strategy, which has shut down major cities and disrupted travel and business, as a success. He gave no indication of a possible change despite public frustration with its rising cost. The congress will name a party Standing Committee, the ruling inner circle of power. Economic officials aren’t due to be named until China’s ceremonial legislature meets next year. But the party lineup, due to be revealed after the congress ends Saturday, will indicate who is likely to succeed Premier Li Keqiang as the top economic official and take other posts. Xi is widely expected to promote allies who share his ambition for state-led development. Analysts are watching whether a slump that saw economic growth fall to below half of the official 5.5% annual target might force him to compromise and promote supporters of market-style reform and entrepreneurs who generate wealth and jobs. Xi on Sunday gave no indication whether he would pursue a third term as leader or when he might step down. During his decade in power, Xi’s government has pursued an increasingly assertive foreign policy while tightening control at home on information and dissent. Beijing is feuding with Japan, India and Southeast Asian governments over conflicting claims to the South China and East China Seas and a section of the Himalayas. The United States, Japan, Australia and India formed a strategic group dubbed the Quad in response. The party has increased the dominance of state-owned industry and poured money into strategic initiatives aimed at nurturing Chinese creators of renewable energy, electric car, computer chip, aerospace and other technologies. Its tactics have prompted complaints Beijing improperly protects and subsidizes its fledgling creators and led then-President Donald Trump to hike tariffs on Chinese imports in 2019, setting off a trade war that jolted the global economy. Trump’s successor, Joe Biden, has kept those penalties in place and this month increased restrictions on Chinese access to U.S. chip technology. The party has tightened control over private sector leaders including e-commerce giant Alibaba Group by launching anti-monopoly, data security and other crackdowns. Under political pressure, they are diverting billions of dollars into chip development and other party initiatives. Their share prices on foreign exchanges have plunged due to uncertainty about their future. The party has stepped up censorship of media and the internet, increased public surveillance and tightened control over private life through its “social credit” initiative that tracks individuals and punishes infractions ranging from fraud to littering. Last week, banners criticizing Xi and “zero COVID” were hung from a pedestrian bridge over a major Beijing thoroughfare in a rare protest. Photos of the event were deleted from social media and the popular WeChat message service shut down accounts that forwarded them. On Sunday, Xi said the party will step up technology development and “ensure security” of its food sources and industrial supply chains. Xi said the party would build “self-reliance and strength” in technology by improving China’s education system and attracting foreign experts. He said Beijing will launch “major national projects” with “long-term importance” but gave no details. The president appeared to “double down” on technology self-reliance and “zero COVID” at a time when other countries are easing travel restrictions and rely on more free-flowing supply chains, said Willy Lam, a politics specialist at the Chinese University of Hong Kong. Xi was joined on stage by party leaders including his predecessor as general secretary, Hu Jintao, former Premier Wen Jiabao and Song Ping, a 105-year-old party veteran who sponsored Xi’s early career. There was no sign of 96-year-old former President Jiang Zemin, who was party leader until 2002. The presence of previous leaders shows Xi faces no serious opposition in the top party ranks, said Lam. “Xi is making it very clear he intends to hold on to power for as long as his health allows him to,” he said. Xi made no mention of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, which Beijing refuses to criticize. Ahead of the February attack, Xi issued a joint statement with Russian President Vladimir Putin saying they had a “no limits” friendship. Xi defended a crackdown aimed at crushing a pro-democracy movement in Hong Kong, saying the party helped the former British colony “enter a new stage in which it has restored order and is set to thrive.” Xi’s government also faces criticism over complaints about mass detentions and other abuses against mostly Muslim ethnic minority groups and the jailing of government critics. Amnesty International warned Sunday that extending Xi’s time in power will be a “disaster for human rights.” In addition to conditions within China, it pointed to Beijing’s efforts to “redefine the very meaning of human rights” in the United Nations. Xi’s government poses a “threat to rights not just at home, but globally,” the group’s deputy regional director, Hana Young, said in a statement. Xi said Beijing refuses to renounce the possible use of force against Taiwan, the self-ruled island democracy the Communist Party claims as part of its territory. The two sides split in 1949 after a civil war. Beijing has stepped up efforts to intimidate Taiwanese by flying fighter jets and bombers near the island. That campaign intensified after Speaker Nancy Pelosi of the House of Representatives in August became the highest-ranked U.S. official to visit Taiwan in a quarter-century. Unification of the two sides “will be achieved,” Xi said. Beijing needs to prevent “interference by outside forces,” he said, a reference to foreign politicians the ruling party says are encouraging Taiwan to make its de facto independence permanent, a step the mainland says would lead to war. “We will continue to strive for peaceful reunification,” Xi said. “But we will never promise to renounce the use of force. And we reserve the option of taking all measures necessary.” The ruling party elite agreed in the 1990s to limit the general secretary to two five-year terms in an effort to prevent a repeat of power struggles from earlier decades. That leader also becomes chairman of the commission that controls the party’s military wing, the People’s Liberation Army, and holds the ceremonial title of national president. Xi made his intentions clear in 2018 when he had a two-term limit on the presidency removed from China’s constitution. Officials said that allowed Xi to stay if needed to carry out reforms. The party is widely expected to amend its charter this week to raise Xi’s status as leader after adding his personal ideology, Xi Jinping Thought, in a 2017 amendment. The vague ideology emphasizes reviving the party’s leadership role in a throwback to what Xi regards as its golden age following the 1949 revolution. The spokesperson for the congress, Sun Yeli, said Saturday the changes would “meet new requirements for advancing the party’s development” but gave no details. Read More Here