Digital Arizona News

The Secret Service Gave Emails To The Jan 6 Committee That Could Explain What Happened Inside Trump's Limo, Report Says https://digitalarizonanews.com/the-secret-service-gave-emails-to-the-jan-6-committee-that-could-explain-what-happened-inside-trumps-limo-report-says/ In July, the House committee investigating the Capitol riots issued a subpoena to the Secret Service. The Secret Service provided more than one million electronic communications to Jan 6 investigators. The messages could help investigators piece together information about efforts to protect Mike Pence. Loading Something is loading. Thanks for signing up! Access your favorite topics in a personalized feed while you’re on the go. The Secret Service has provided more than one million electronic communications to congressional investigators that could help provide more clarity on what unfolded on Jan. 6, 2021, two anonymous sources told NBC News.  The communications include emails and other electronic messages from agents in the days leading up to and during the Capitol insurrection, as per NBC.   According to the news outlet, the messages could help investigators piece together information about agents’ efforts to protect former Vice President Mike Pence and also shed light on what may have occurred inside then-President Donald Trump’s car when he allegedly demanded to be taken to the Capitol on Jan 6. “We have and continue to fully cooperate with the Jan. 6 select committee. While no additional text messages were recovered, we have provided a significant level of details from emails, radio transmissions, Microsoft Teams chat messages and exhibits that address aspects of planning, operations and communications surrounding Jan. 6,” Secret Service Special Agent Steve Kopek told NBC. In July, The House committee investigating the Capitol riots issued a subpoena to the US Secret Service after the Department of Homeland Security inspector general accused the agency of deleting text messages when their records were requested. Representatives for the US Secret Service did not immediately respond to Insider’s request for comment. Read More Here

Trump Appeals Judge's Dismissal Of His Sprawling Lawsuit Against Hillary Clinton And Ex-FBI Officials Over Russia Probe – KYMA https://digitalarizonanews.com/trump-appeals-judges-dismissal-of-his-sprawling-lawsuit-against-hillary-clinton-and-ex-fbi-officials-over-russia-probe-kyma/ By Kara Scannell, CNN Former President Donald Trump is appealing a federal judge’s decision last month to dismiss his sprawling lawsuit against Hillary Clinton, the Democratic National Committee, several ex-FBI officials and more than two dozen other people and entities that he claims conspired to undermine his 2016 campaign by trying to vilify him with fabricated information tying him to Russia. Trump’s attorneys filed a notice Tuesday indicating they are appealing to the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals. Last month, US District Judge Donald Middlebrooks dismissed Trump’s lawsuit, saying, “most of Plaintiff’s claims are not only unsupported by any legal authority but plainly foreclosed by binding precedent.” “What (Trump’s lawsuit) lacks in substance and legal support it seeks to substitute with length, hyperbole, and the settling of scores and grievances,” Middlebrooks, an appointee of former President Bill Clinton, wrote. Trump filed his sprawling lawsuit in March, naming a wide cast of characters that Trump has accused for years of orchestrating a “deep state” conspiracy against him — including former FBI Director James Comey and other FBI officials, the retired British spy Christopher Steele and his associates, and a handful of Clinton campaign advisers. Over 108 pages, the lawsuit railed against many of Trump’s political opponents and highlighted the grievances that he has complained about for years. It claimed Democrats and government officials perpetrated a grab bag of offenses, from a racketeering conspiracy to a malicious prosecution, computer fraud and theft of secret internet data. While the Clinton campaign did pay researchers to dig up dirt about Trump and Russia, and well-connected Democrats took some of their findings to law enforcement, many of the key elements of Trump’s far-reaching accusations in the lawsuit have previously been debunked by the Justice Department inspector general and by a bipartisan report from the Senate Intelligence Committee. Special counsel John Durham, for the past three years, has been investigating a lot of the conduct that Trump mentioned in his lawsuit. But Durham has not gone as far as what Trump claims. In fact, Durham hasn’t delivered anything in three-plus years resembling the Watergate-level charges that Trump has repeatedly said are coming. He secured just one guilty plea from an FBI lawyer. Durham’s only other case, against a Hillary Clinton campaign attorney, ended with an acquittal. The final expected trial of Durham’s inquiry began Tuesday and focused on the infamous “Steele dossier,” which roiled US politics after the 2016 election, fueled the FBI probe of potential Trump-Russia collusion and continues to be cited by former President Donald Trump as proof of a grand conspiracy to destroy his political career. The-CNN-Wire & © 2022 Cable News Network, Inc., a Warner Bros. Discovery Company. All rights reserved. CNN’s Paul LeBlanc and Marshall Cohen contributed contributed to this report. Read More Here

Convergence Of Sporting Events Could Make State Betting Capital | Arizona Capitol Times https://digitalarizonanews.com/convergence-of-sporting-events-could-make-state-betting-capital-arizona-capitol-times/ Home / Recent news / Convergence of sporting events could make state betting capital  By: Sam Stern Cronkite News October 11, 2022 Arizona is gearing up for a sports year like no other, and odds are the state will become the sports betting capital of the world, at least for a few weeks. Enter your user name and password in the fields above to gain access to the subscriber content on this site. Your subscription includes one set of login credentials for your exclusive use. Security features have been integrated on this site: If someone signs in with your credentials while you are logged in, the site will automatically close your ongoing login and you will lose access at that time. To inquire about group subscriptions for your organization please email Shaun Witt for special pricing. If you feel your login credentials are being used by a second party, contact customer service at 877-615-9536 for assistance in changing your password. Already a paid subscriber but not registered for online access yet? For instructions on how to get premium web access, click here. Forgot your password? Tags: FanDuel, Phoenix, Scottsdale, Fiesta Bowl, State Farm Stadium, Phoenix Suns, w.p. carey school of business, BetMGM, Footprint Center, Margaret T. Hance Park, sportsbook, Waste Management U.S. Open, ArizonaCasinos.com, Super Bowl LVII, Glendale, Mercury, Arizona Department of Gaming, wagering Read More…

Phoenix Ranks No. 3 For Data Center Leasing And New Supply – AZ Big Media https://digitalarizonanews.com/phoenix-ranks-no-3-for-data-center-leasing-and-new-supply-az-big-media/ The Phoenix data center market ranked third in the U.S. for leasing activity in the first half of 2022, fueled by demand from hyperscalers preparing for future expansion, according to a new report from CBRE. The market recorded 46.3 megawatts (MW) of net absorption in H1 2022, already surpassing the 29.8 MW of net absorption recorded in all of 2021. READ ALSO: Phoenix sees increase in leasing demand for data centers Though Phoenix ranked third for new supply in H1 2022 with 37.5 MW of new inventory delivered, vacancy decreased 139 basis points to 7.8 percent. The market has 85.5 MW of capacity under construction with 77 percent preleased. Development is concentrated in Mesa, Goodyear and Glendale. “The metro Phoenix data center market is increasingly becoming an epicenter for hyperscale data center leasing activity,” said Mark Krison, Senior Vice President with CBRE. “With strong leasing activity and one of the largest development pipelines in the country, Phoenix has solidified its place as a top data center market.” National Trends CBRE’s latest North American Data Center Trends Report found that 352.9 megawatts (MW) of new supply went online in the seven primary U.S. data center markets* in the first half of 2022, a 20 percent increase year-over-year. Despite the influx of additional capacity, data center vacancy decreased to an average of 3.8 percent across the seven primary markets in H1 2022—down from 10.3 percent in H1 2021—as large cloud users raced to secure space to accommodate anticipated future growth. Significant preleasing of space under construction in prior years also contributed to the large drop in vacancy. For the first time since 2017, tight market conditions caused average asking rents to increase in both primary markets (5.9 percent to $127.50 per kW) and secondary markets (2.3 percent to $133.00 per kW). Primary-market vacancy will remain tight for the foreseeable future, as 73 percent (1,170 MW) of the 1,601.5 MW of the under-construction supply was preleased as of the end of H1 2022. “Supply chain disruptions and a lack of available power and land in some major markets could delay new construction deliveries over the balance of the year and beyond,” said Pat Lynch, Executive Managing Director, Global Head of Advisory & Transaction Services, Data Center Solutions, CBRE. “As a result, we expect continued rising rents nationally, and more occupiers turning to secondary and tertiary markets to meet their needs. These smaller markets will also continue to benefit from an increase in edge data center deployments, driven by broader adoption of AI, 5G and blockchain technologies.” Top U.S. Data Center Markets Northern Virginia remained the most active data center market with net absorption of 269.3 MW—a 281 percent increase from H1 2021—and more than quadruple that of Silicon Valley, the next highest market. Net absorption totaled 453.4 MW across the seven primary markets in the first half of 2022, nearly triple that of the first half of 2021. Top 10 Most Active Markets Northern Virginia (219.5 MW) accounted for 62 percent of new primary-market supply delivered in H1 2022. Other markets with notable supply growth in the first half of the year included Silicon Valley (56.0 MW), Phoenix (37.5 MW), Hillsboro, Ore. (30.0 MW), and Atlanta (20.0 MW). To download the report, click here. Read More…

JUNCTURE WEALTH STRATEGIES, LL – GuruFocus.com https://digitalarizonanews.com/juncture-wealth-strategies-ll-gurufocus-com/ JUNCTURE WEALTH STRATEGIES, LLC recently filed their 13F report for the third quarter of 2022, which ended on 2022-09-30. The 13F report details which stocks were in a guru’s equity portfolio at the end of the quarter, though investors should note that these filings are limited in scope, containing only a snapshot of long positions in U.S.-listed stocks and American depository receipts as of the quarter’s end. They are not required to include international holdings, short positions or other types of investments. Still, even this limited filing can provide valuable information. 15279 N SCOTTSDALE ROAD SCOTTSDALE, AZ 85254 As of the latest 13F report, the guru’s equity portfolio contained 104 stocks valued at a total of $201.00Mil. The top holdings were QID(7.89%), SDS(7.84%), and SCHB(6.35%). According to GuruFocus data, these were JUNCTURE WEALTH STRATEGIES, LLC’s top five trades of the quarter. Schwab U.S. REIT ETF The guru established a new position worth 191,078 shares in ARCA:SCHH, giving the stock a 1.78% weight in the equity portfolio. Shares traded for an average price of $21.5 during the quarter. On 10/11/2022, Schwab U.S. REIT ETF traded for a price of $17.99 per share and a market cap of $5.05Bil. The stock has returned -20.50% over the past year. There is insufficient data to calculate the stock’s financial strength and profitability ratings. In terms of valuation, Schwab U.S. REIT ETF has a price-earnings ratio of 25.96 and a price-book ratio of 2.24. Dimensional US Marketwide Value ETF During the quarter, JUNCTURE WEALTH STRATEGIES, LLC bought 113,608 shares of ARCA:DFUV for a total holding of 421,937. The trade had a 1.67% impact on the equity portfolio. During the quarter, the stock traded for an average price of $32.52. On 10/11/2022, Dimensional US Marketwide Value ETF traded for a price of $30.31 per share and a market cap of $7.14Bil. The stock has returned 0.00% over the past year. There is insufficient data to calculate the stock’s financial strength and profitability ratings. In terms of valuation, Dimensional US Marketwide Value ETF has a price-earnings ratio of 10.64 and a price-book ratio of 1.72. Vanguard Real Estate Index Fund ETF JUNCTURE WEALTH STRATEGIES, LLC reduced their investment in ARCA:VNQ by 35,413 shares. The trade had a 1.59% impact on the equity portfolio. During the quarter, the stock traded for an average price of $92.59. On 10/11/2022, Vanguard Real Estate Index Fund ETF traded for a price of $77.49 per share and a market cap of $31.56Bil. The stock has returned -22.38% over the past year. There is insufficient data to calculate the stock’s financial strength and profitability ratings. In terms of valuation, Vanguard Real Estate Index Fund ETF has a price-earnings ratio of 27.67 and a price-book ratio of 2.52. iShares Core S&P Mid-Cap ETF During the quarter, JUNCTURE WEALTH STRATEGIES, LLC bought 7,118 shares of ARCA:IJH for a total holding of 12,146. The trade had a 0.78% impact on the equity portfolio. During the quarter, the stock traded for an average price of $240.38. On 10/11/2022, iShares Core S&P Mid-Cap ETF traded for a price of $225.62 per share and a market cap of $56.84Bil. The stock has returned -14.03% over the past year. There is insufficient data to calculate the stock’s financial strength and profitability ratings. In terms of valuation, iShares Core S&P Mid-Cap ETF has a price-earnings ratio of 13.00 and a price-book ratio of 2.22. iShares 1-3 Year Treasury Bond ETF During the quarter, JUNCTURE WEALTH STRATEGIES, LLC bought 18,929 shares of NAS:SHY for a total holding of 22,891. The trade had a 0.77% impact on the equity portfolio. During the quarter, the stock traded for an average price of $82.09. On 10/11/2022, iShares 1-3 Year Treasury Bond ETF traded for a price of $81.04 per share and a market cap of $28.57Bil. The stock has returned -5.02% over the past year. There is insufficient data to calculate the stock’s financial strength and profitability ratings. Please note, the numbers and facts quoted are as of the writing of this article and may not factor in the latest trading data or company announcements. Want to provide feedback on this article? Have questions or concerns? Get in touch with us here, or email us at [email protected]! This article is general in nature and does not represent the opinions of GuruFocus or any of its affiliates. This article is not intended to be financial advice, nor does it constitute investment advice or recommendations. It was written without regard to your individual situation or financial goals. We aim to bring you fundamental, data-driven analysis, The information on this site is in no way guaranteed for completeness, accuracy or in any other way. Read More Here

Six People Injured In Multi-Car Crash Near Arizona Ave And Queen Creek https://digitalarizonanews.com/six-people-injured-in-multi-car-crash-near-arizona-ave-and-queen-creek/ One person is in serious condition from the crash Watch the latest ABC15 Arizona in Phoenix headlines any time. Posted at 4:20 PM, Oct 11, 2022 and last updated 2022-10-11 19:20:40-04 CHANDLER, AZ  — Six people were injured, one of those in serious condition, after a multi-car crash in Chandler Monday afternoon. The crash occurred sometime before 3:40 p.m. near Arizona Avenue and Queen Creek Road. Chandler fire officials say one person was taken to the hospital in serious condition, while five others suffered minor injuries. Officials are asking drivers to avoid the area and use alternatives routes at Alma School and Germann roads. It is not yet clear what led to the crash. The investigation remains ongoing. Copyright 2022 Scripps Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Sign up for the Headlines Newsletter and receive up to date information. Read More Here

Nury Martinez Also Makes Crude Comments About Jews And Armenians In Leaked Recording https://digitalarizonanews.com/nury-martinez-also-makes-crude-comments-about-jews-and-armenians-in-leaked-recording/ In the same leaked audio clips posted to Reddit in which former Los Angeles City Council President Nury Martinez made racist remarks about Black people and Oaxacans, she also made crude remarks about Jewish people and Armenians. Martinez said Tuesday that she would take a leave of absence from the City Council, two days after a recording surfaced on which she was heard deriding some of her colleagues and making racist remarks. Martinez stepped down as City Council president Monday. For the record: 2:46 p.m. Oct. 11, 2022An earlier version of this article incorrectly identified Councilmember Kevin de León as saying, “It ends in i-a-n, I bet you.” Councilmember Gil Cedillo made that remark. In the recording reviewed by The Times, Martinez can be heard saying the “judíos” — which means Jews in Spanish — “cut their deal with South L.A.” Martinez was responding to former Los Angeles County Federation of Labor President Ron Herrera, who had concluded, “I’m sure Katz and his crew have an agenda,” referring to former state Assemblymember Richard Katz. Katz served on the city’s 21-member redistricting commission that worked on council district boundary maps. He was an appointee of City Councilman Bob Blumenfield. “They are gonna screw everybody else,” Martinez said in the recording. Former Los Angeles County Federation of Labor President Ron Herrera and former Los Angeles City Council President Nury Martinez discuss Jewish politicians and Martinez claims the ‘Judíos’ are “gonna screw everybody else.” The conversation took place in October 2021 and also involved Councilmembers Kevin de León and Gil Cedillo. They were discussing maps that had been proposed by the redistricting commission. Herrera resigned Monday night amid backlash over the controversial remarks. Multiple calls have been made for Martinez, Cedillo and De León to resign as well. Martinez also spoke about Assemblymember Adrin Nazarian, who is of Armenian descent, and Councilmember Paul Krekorian, the first Armenian American to be elected to public office in Los Angeles. “He also wants his guy elected,” said Martinez, referring to Krekorian. “So he needs a district that Adrin Nazarian could win it. That’s what they want. They want to assure, they want to be reassured that they have, not an Armenian district in the Valley, because that doesn’t exist, but they want as many Armenians in that district as possible to be able to play.” Martinez added that she didn’t know whether Nazarian could get elected in a “pretty white” district. “Now, I don’t think Adrin … gets elected. If a white, a reputable white businesswoman was in that district … [it] is still pretty white. But that’s on them,” she said. “I’m not — I’m not cutting that deal with anybody because I don’t know. I don’t know that he can win.” Later in the conversation, Martinez was attempting to identify Areen Ibranossian, a former chief of staff for Krekorian who is now a senior advisor to Rick Caruso’s campaign for mayor. Someone in the room asks, “What’s his name? What’s he look like?” She said he’s “the guy with the one eyebrow.” “I like him,” Martinez said, adding that he is married to a friend of hers. When Martinez couldn’t recall his last name and asked what it was, Cedillo responded, “It ends in i-a-n, I bet you.” On Tuesday, Nazarian called for Martinez, Cedillo and De León to resign. “The racist views and approaches to governing expressed by Councilmembers Martinez, Cedillo and De León represent everything that is wrong in our city government,” he said in a statement posted on Facebook. “In a council whose membership is filled with historic firsts, prejudice should have no place in the leadership conversations of our community. This approach to governance seeks only to pit disenfranchised and often traumatized communities against one another, in a moment in our history when unity couldn’t be more critical.” The Armenian National Committee of America Western Region, or ANCA-WR, similarly condemned the councilmembers’ comments. “The statements made by the individuals in question not only betray their mission to serve all people, regardless of their identity, but explicitly demonstrate that they hold no regard for the diverse communities of Los Angeles,” the group said in a statement Tuesday. “Racist remarks directed at individuals and groups in Los Angeles are completely unacceptable and reflect a dramatic and egregious failure.” The organization also called for an investigation into how the recording was made and leaked, and said the context of the conversation between local politicians and labor leader raises serious concerns about the integrity of the redistricting process. “This process is one that should not be tarnished by the illegal intervention of policymakers in backdoor meetings held outside the public sphere,” the statement read. Martinez, De León, Cedillo and Herrera apologized Sunday for their role in the conversation. Martinez said in a statement announcing her leave of absence that the fallout from the recordings has “been one of the most difficult times of my life.” She also apologized to “the residents of Council District 6, my colleagues and the city of Los Angeles.” In one of the leaked audio clips, Martinez referred to Councilmember Mike Bonin’s young Black son as “parece changuito,” or “like a monkey,” and said Bonin handled his son as though he were an “accessory.” At one point, she also called Bonin a “little bitch.” Martinez also mocked Oaxacans, and said “F— that guy. … He’s with the Blacks” while speaking about Los Angeles County Dist. Atty. George Gascón. The comments from the leaked recordings have sparked outrage across L.A., with Mayor Eric Garcetti, mayoral candidates Karen Bass and Caruso, Sen. Alex Padilla and numerous members of the City Council calling for Martinez’s resignation. Times staff writer Dakota Smith contributed to this report. Read More Here

Zelenskyy Promotes https://digitalarizonanews.com/zelenskyy-promotes/ Even as Ukraine endured a second day of intensified Russian strikes condemned by the U.N. and the Group of Seven leaders, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy outlined Tuesday a plan to end the war — and it doesn’t involve negotiating with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin. Addressing an emergency virtual summit of the G-7 called after Monday’s barrage on Ukrainian power plants and civilian areas, Zelenskyy warned that Putin may yet escalate his attack now that he has ordered 2,400 Shahed drones from Iran. “This possibility is a threat to all of us,” Zelenskyy said before presenting his three-point “peace formula.” It calls for the West to provide weapons that would allow Ukraine to create a defensive “air shield,” protecting the country’s territorial integrity and punishing Russia for its invasion with stronger sanctions and political isolation. “Such steps can bring peace closer,” Zelenskyy said. “They will encourage the terrorist state to think about peace, about the unprofitability of war.” However, Zelenskyy dismissed the notion of holding peace talks with Putin, saying he’s “in the final stage of his reign” and “only believes in terror.” The U.S. and Germany have committed to sending Ukraine advanced air-defense systems. The first of four such weapons from the Germans arrived Tuesday, when the U.N. human rights office called Russia’s blistering missile strikes “particularly shocking.” The G-7 reiterated in a statement its steadfast support for Ukraine, warned of “severe consequences” if Russia resorted to using chemical, biological or nuclear weapons and condemned its latest assault. “Indiscriminate attacks on innocent civilian populations constitute a war crime,” the statement said. “We will hold President Putin and those responsible to account.” LIFE BECAME SUFERING: Illustrated stories from the siege of Mariupol. Other developments: ►Jeremy Fleming, head of Britain’s electronic intelligence agency, said Tuesday that Russia is “running short of munitions” and its troops are “exhausted.” ►Rafael Grossi, head of the International Atomic Energy Agency, met with Putin on Tuesday in an effort to set up a protection zone and prevent a nuclear accident at the Zaporizhzhia power plant. ►Russian missile strikes hammered Ukrainian cities again Tuesday. Ukraine said it intercepted about 20 of the missiles. ►The U.N. human rights office says Russian missile strikes across Ukraine on Monday were “particularly shocking” and could amount to war crimes.  ►Japanese automaker Nissan Motor Co. says it is pulling out of Russia and plans to sell its operations to its Russian partner. Putin a ‘rational actor’ but ‘miscalculated’ on Ukraine, Biden tells CNN President Joe Biden doesn’t question the sanity of his Russian counterpart, but he believes Vladimir Putin’s objectives weren’t realistic when he launched an invasion of Ukraine in February. More than seven months later, Russia has sustained repeated embarrassing losses on the battlefield, prompting Putin to lash out this week with a barrage of missile strikes across Ukraine that killed tens of civilians, damaged energy infrastructure and destroyed dwellings, but accomplished little militarily.   “I think he is a rational actor who has miscalculated significantly,” Biden told CNN in an interview scheduled to air Tuesday night. Putin’s state of mind has been the subject of considerable speculation as analysts ponder whether he would take the extreme measure of using nuclear weapons in Ukraine. Putin’s actions, including ordering a highly unpopular mobilization of civilians, have seemed more desperate as the war’s momentum shifted in Ukraine’s favor. “I think he thought he was going to be welcomed with open arms, that this was the home of Mother Russia in Kyiv … and I think he just totally miscalculated,” Biden told the network. Facebook owner Meta placed on Russian terrorist list Russian financial watchdog Rosfinmonitoring placed U.S.-based social media giant Meta Platforms on its list of extremists and terrorists Tuesday. It was not immediately clear what the effect of the move would be – the action comes more than six months after Moscow’s Tverskoy Court declared Meta networks Instagram and Facebook extremist and banned them across Russian territory. Meta did not immediately respond to a request for comment from USA TODAY. The ruling in March stemmed in part from a Russian criminal inquiry that cited “illegal calls for the murder of Russian nationals” by Meta employees. Meta has said it relaxed rules against violent speech for people inside Ukraine directed at Russian military in that country. Meta does not allow calls for violence against Russian people. NATO to conduct nuclear readiness exercises NATO will hold a long-planned exercise next week to test nuclear readiness, Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said Tuesday. Stoltenberg stressed that the training was an annual event and was not related to recent attacks by Russia on Ukrainian cities.  Stoltenberg said NATO was monitoring Russian President Vladimir Putin’s nuclear activity but saw no change in Russia’s nuclear posture. “It would send a very wrong signal now if we suddenly canceled a routine, longtime-planned exercise because of the war in Ukraine,” he said. Hong Kong won’t seize Russian’s luxury yacht Hong Kong won’t seize a $500 million luxury yacht belonging to a Russian oligarch and will implement only sanctions against Russia imposed by the United Nations, city leader John Lee said Tuesday. The luxury yacht Nord, believed to be owned by sanctioned Russian billionaire Alexei Mordashov, docked in Hong Kong waters last week. U.S. and European authorities have seized more than a dozen yachts belonging to sanctioned Russians, sending oligarchs scrambling for safe havens. The Nord measures more than 460 feet, and has two helipads, a swimming pool and 20 cabins. Hong Kong is a major financial center for Western nations, but China sets Hong Kong’s foreign policy and has declined to press sanctions against Russia for its invasion of of Ukraine. Lee reaffirmed his administration’s stance of not implementing sanctions imposed by the United States and the West and said he has “laughed off” U.S. sanctions placed on him and other officials in 2020 for implementing Beijing-imposed national security laws. The U.S. State Department said in a statement that “the possible use of Hong Kong as a safe haven by individuals evading sanctions from multiple jurisdictions further calls into question the transparency of the business environment.” Ukraine says power plant official kidnapped by Russians A deputy director at the Russian-held Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant was kidnapped by Russian forces and is being held at an unknown location, the Ukraine nuclear energy company Energoatom said Tuesday. The company said on Telegram that it feared Valeriy Martyniuk was being tortured into providing personnel files of plant employees with a goal of forcing Ukrainian staffers to work for the Russian energy company Rosatom. The plant’s six reactors have been shut down for weeks. Energoatom appealed to International Atomic Energy Agency chief Rafael Grossi and the world community to “take all possible measures for the immediate release” of Martyniuk. UN considers resolution denouncing Russian ‘annexations’ The U.N. General Assembly will hold a historic vote this week on a resolution harshly denouncing Russia’s claim to have annexed four Ukraine regions. The document calls Russian-orchestrated referendums in Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson and Zaporizhzhia illegal and “incompatible with the U.N. Charter.” The resolution, which calls on Russia to withdraw its armed forces from Ukraine’s territory, requires approval by a two-thirds vote. A similar resolution in the U.N. Security Council was vetoed by Russia, which has no such power in the General Assembly. Contributing: The Associated Press Read More Here

Biden Administration Proposes New Rule That Could Upend https://digitalarizonanews.com/biden-administration-proposes-new-rule-that-could-upend/ The Biden administration is proposing a rule that could result in more “gig” workers being considered full-time employees, a potentially major shift in the nation’s labor laws that could disrupt ride-sharing, delivery, construction and other companies that employ independent contractors. The draft rule, to be formally published on Thursday, is a test that the Department of Labor uses when it determines if employers broke wage and hour laws. It formally directs the agency to consider six factors when determining if a worker is an employee — and therefore entitled to minimum wage, overtime and the right to unionize — or an independent contractor, which is essentially a self-employed individual in business for themselves. “We continue in our enforcement work to identify workers who are not properly classified, in construction, health care, even in restaurants, where we found that dishwashers were improperly classified as independent contractors to avoid paying them overtime,” Jessica Looman, principal deputy wage and hour administrator with the Labor Department, told reporters on Tuesday. After the Labor Department proposal is published, the rule will remain open for public input for 45 days, officials said. Gig Workers Rising, a group that advocates for more protections for platform workers, praised the proposed rule. “Uber, Lyft and DoorDash make their money off of drivers like me and govern my pay and working conditions, yet they claim they don’t need to protect my safety or even pay me a living wage. They can’t continue to have their cake and eat it too,” Rondu Gatt, a driver and organizer with the group, said in a statement. “Gig workers deserve all of the rights that other employees have, including the right to organize,” Gatt added. Independent contractors are typically much cheaper to hire since they are responsible for their own payroll taxes and job expenses and don’t qualify for overtime or minimum wage. The National Employment Law Project, a pro-worker think tank, has estimated that as many as 30% of workers may be wrongly categorized as independent, lowering their pay and costing states billions of dollars in tax revenue.  The proposed rule formally replaces a Trump administration regulation that made it easier for companies to legally classify workers as independent contractors. Labor Secretary Marty Walsh maintains that thousands of workers, including gig workers who drive cars, deliver food and clean houses, are actually employees, because the companies that hire them set their hours and pay.   Gig stocks sink Gig company stocks plummeted on the news. Uber and Lyft fell more than 12% in early trading, while DoorDash dropped about 9% in early trading. The stocks later recovered some of their losses. The proposal is “a clear blow to the gig economy and a near-term concern for the likes of Uber and Lyft,” Dan Ives, an analyst with Wedbush, said in a note. “With ride-sharing and other gig economy players depending on the contractor business model, a classification to employees would essentially throw the business model upside down and cause some major structural changes if this holds,” he wrote.  Ride-hailing companies, which are not consistently profitable, have said they can’t afford to pay drivers as employees, while spending hundreds of millions of dollars to win legislative carve-outs from state worker protection laws.  However, Uber and Lyft said on Tuesday that the new rule would not damage their business model. In a statement echoing the Labor Department, Uber said the rule “takes a measured approach, essentially returning us to the Obama era, during which our industry grew exponentially.” “This is just the first step in what is likely to be a longer process before any final rule or determination is made,” Lyft said in a statement noting the company had been expecting the rule change.  Tech companies with large on-demand workforces have maintained that “gig” workers prefer the flexibility that comes with being an independent contractor over what they call “traditional” employment. “We believe that people should continue to be able to choose where, when, how often and with which companies they work,” the Flex Association, which represents gig-based employers, said in a blog post. “We’ve found that even when spread across platforms, app-based workers work an average of eight hours per week,” the group said. However, workers who rely on these platforms to make a living often complain of long hours, inconsistent pay and seemingly arbitrary changes to apps that can affect what they earn. The Labor Department noted that under current labor law, “employers are free to allow employees to work as little or as much as they want.” In: Lyft Uber Read More Here

30-Year-Old Tucson Woman Sentenced To 18 Months For Smuggling Illegal Aliens https://digitalarizonanews.com/30-year-old-tucson-woman-sentenced-to-18-months-for-smuggling-illegal-aliens/ TUCSON, Ariz. – On September 29, 2022, Dominque Trinidad Valdez-Velasquez, 30, of Tucson, Arizona, was sentenced by United States District Judge Rosemary Márquez to 18 months in prison, followed by 36 months of supervised release. Valdez-Velasquez previously pleaded guilty to Transporting Illegal Aliens, Placing in Jeopardy the Life of Any Person. Valdez-Velasquez was arrested on December 29, 2021, during an immigration checkpoint traffic stop near Amado, Arizona. At the checkpoint, a United States Border Patrol canine alerted agents to the trunk of Valdez-Velasquez’ vehicle. When the agents asked Valdez-Velasquez to open the trunk, they discovered four undocumented noncitizens from Mexico. According to court documents, after traveling for an hour, the noncitizens were left in the trunk, unable to move or leave, for more than four hours while Valdez-Velasquez slept in a hotel. Customs and Border Protection’s U.S. Border Patrol conducted the investigation in this case. The United States Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, Tucson, handled the prosecution. CASE NUMBER:            CR-22-0173-TUC-RM-LCK RELEASE NUMBER:    2022-173_Valdez-Velasquez # # # For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/ Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on Twitter @USAO_AZ for the latest news. Read More Here

Tulsi Gabbard Is Going To Be Trump's VP: Greg Gutfeld https://digitalarizonanews.com/tulsi-gabbard-is-going-to-be-trumps-vp-greg-gutfeld/ Fox News host Greg Gutfeld reflected on former presidential candidate Tulsi Gabbard’s decision to leave the Democratic Party on “The Five” Tuesday, saying she is the “definition of an individual” and predicting she will be former President Trump’s running mate in 2024. GREG GUTFELD: The thing I like about Tulsi is that if she were to give you two opinions, you could not predict a third one. Right? She’s the definition of an individual. I disagree with her on probably at least 30%, maybe 40% of the things.  LEFT AND RIGHT CELEBRATE TULSI GABBARD LEAVING DEMOCRATIC PARTY: ‘WINNING’ But the boxes she ticks aren’t the boxes that Kamala ticks. Her boxes are achievements and ideas. That’s different than skin color and where she was born, well, not where she was born, but whatever her background is. So I think that is what makes her so different. I’ve never seen her angry in my life. And just lastly, I think she’s going to be Trump’s VP. So that’s that’s where this is going.  CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP But I do think when she said, “the anti-white racism,” she said something that most people can’t say. And that takes serious stones to say that because it is true. In the Democratic Party, they’ve made it really clear that you can be racist against White people because they have it coming.  WATCH THE FULL SEGMENT BELOW: This article was written by Fox News staff. Read More Here

Partisan News Organizations Push Politically Convenient Content Ahead Of Election: Axios Report https://digitalarizonanews.com/partisan-news-organizations-push-politically-convenient-content-ahead-of-election-axios-report/ As trust in legacy media continues to erode, a U.S. news website has revealed a network of approximately 51 locally branded publications run by Democratic “operatives” in crucial swing states ahead of the November election. In its Oct. 6 article “Democrats’ swing-state local news ploy,” Axios reports these publications feature slanted headlines critical of GOP candidates presented as objective news. The Axios article comes just a month before the Nov. 8 general election, where Trump-endorsed “America First” candidates have made significant gains in swing states against Democrats. “Behind the patina of independent local news, these sites are pumping out content designed to put a sheen of original reporting on partisan messaging,” Axios reports. Axios writes that slanted reporting by outlets posing as independent news organizations is a common tactic among partisan operatives looking to give their candidates a boost in the polls or detract from their opponents. At least 51 locally branded news sites have appeared with their particular spin on the midterm elections and other topics. Among the news outlets is The American Independent, launched by Democrat David Brock, according to Axios. Brock is the founder of the liberal media watchdog Media Matters for America. Axios reports that the for-profit American Independent receives funding from the nonprofit American Bridge 21st Century Foundation, described as an opposition research-focused Democrat Super PAC. Brock, and American Bridge 21st Century Foundation, did not return an email seeking comment from The Epoch Times. Founded in 2016 by True Blue Media, The American Independent calls itself “the No. 1 digital platform for progressive news, reaching millions of people each month.” “We strive to report with honesty and integrity and shine a light on those in power who obstruct progress.” The publication said it focuses primarily on presidential politics, the House and Senate, the Supreme Court, and state politics. It also reports on LGBT issues, economics, voter rights, media accountability, and reproductive rights. The mission of American Bridge is to “compare and contrast progressive and conservative solutions to America’s policy concerns and to educate the American people and the nation’s leaders on the results of that research.” According to the outlet’s masthead, the American Independent operates with 18 staff members, with Matt Fuehrmeyer as president. Fuehrmeyer is the former Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee director and former research director for U.S. Sen. Al Franken (D-Minn.), and the late Senate Democratic leader Harry Reid. Fuehrmeyer did not return an email from The Epoch Times asking for comment. Axios reports that each locally branded news outlet has an “About Us” page run by Local Report Inc. A review of Local Review on the Division of Corporations website shows the company launched in August 2021 as a Florida profit corporation in Orlando. The company filed its first annual report in April. “Local Report stories have caught flak for misrepresenting others’ reporting to cast political opponents in a negative light,” Axios reports. On The American Independent’s Oct. 11 main page, the top headlines were: “Republicans use debunked lie to attack hurricane relief efforts”; “DeSantis accepted federal disaster aid after voting against it for Hurricane Sandy”; “Republicans’ midterm centerpieces: A debunked lie about new IRS agents.” The site ran the following headline about Trump-endorsed Republican candidate for Arizona governor Kari Lake: “Kari Lake ad features woman who falsely says her business closed due to inflation.” Arizona state Rep. Mark Finchem, the Republican candidate for Arizona secretary of state, said the purpose of partisan Democrat news sites is to spread a false narrative about Republicans in the 2022 election. “They create a propaganda network and push a false narrative out into the propaganda network, trying to make people think they are established, credible news organizations when they’re not,” Finchem told The Epoch Times. “They’re simply [leftist American activist] Saul Alinsky acolytes. They’re doing everything they can to engage in a smoke-and-mirrors campaign to take attention away from the failed performance of” Democrat policies. Axios pointed out that conservative Republican news organizations like Metric Media use the same tactic, floating “hundreds of locally branded news outfits” to disseminate “politically convenient content.” Follow Allan Stein is an Epoch Times reporter who covers the state of Arizona. Read More Here

Report: Kevin McCarthy Made A Congresswoman Cry For Revealing He Momentarily Had A Conscience Re: Trump https://digitalarizonanews.com/report-kevin-mccarthy-made-a-congresswoman-cry-for-revealing-he-momentarily-had-a-conscience-re-trump/ In the immediate aftermath of the January 6 attack on the Capitol, House minority leader Kevin McCarthy, like a bunch of other top Republicans, read the room and realized it wouldn’t be a great look to defend the violent insurrection that had just taken place or give cover to the man who had incited said insurrection (i.e., outgoing president Donald Trump). Trump, McCarthy publicly declared, “bears responsibility for [the] attack on Congress.… He should have immediately denounced the mob when he saw what was unfolding.” The minority leader reportedly went even further in private, telling several top House Republicans that the then president’s behavior on January 6 was “atrocious and totally wrong,” and that Trump was at fault for “inciting people” to attack the Capitol building. In the end, of course, that tough talk was extremely short-lived. McCarthy didn’t vote to impeach Trump, and less than a month after the violent riot, he was reportedly already lining up to kiss Trump’s ring. But if you truly want to know just how far McCarthy had his head up Trump’s ass, new reporting from a forthcoming book sheds some helpful light. In Unchecked: The Untold Story Behind Congress’s Botched Impeachments of Donald Trump, a copy of which was obtained by The Washington Post ahead of its release, reporters Karoun Demirjian and Rachael Bade reveal that almost two weeks after the Senate voted to acquit the 45th president, McCarthy exploded on a colleague for disclosing, before the conclusion of the trial, a conversation the House leader had had with Trump on the day of the riot, in which Trump came off looking exceptionally bad. According to Demirjian and Bade, the object of McCarthy’s ire was Representative Jaime Herrera Beutler, who had confirmed to reporters that when the House leader had spoken to Trump on January 6, he begged the then president to call off the rioters, an appeal that Trump ignored. Though Trump was at this point no longer in danger of being convicted and barred from running for office again, he was nevertheless pissed at McCarthy, which deeply upset the spineless congressman. “I alone am taking all the heat to protect people from Trump! I alone am holding the party together!” he reportedly screamed at Herrera Beutler. “I have been working with Trump to keep him from going after Republicans like you and blowing up the party and destroying all our work!” According to the authors, the congresswoman was shocked by McCarthy’s anger, and through tears, apologized to the minority leader. “You should have come to me!” McCarthy reportedly responded. “Why did you go to the press? This is no way to thank me!” “What did you want me to do? Lie?” Herrera Beutler reportedly asked. “I did what I thought was right.” The answer, of course, is that McCarthy definitely wanted Herrera Beutler to lie, and we know this because by April of 2021, he was doing that himself, having told Chris Wallace that (1) Trump had no idea what was going on at the Capitol and (2) that he “put something out” to stop it, even though Trump didn’t “put something out” until hours later, when he told the mob, “We love you.” As Demirjian and Bade write in Unchecked, “McCarthy’s tirade against Herrera Beutler was just the start of what would become a GOP-wide campaign to whitewash the details of what happened on January 6 in the aftermath of the second impeachment.” Not surprisingly, McCarthy has denied the details of the meeting with Herrera Beutler, and in a joint statement to the Post, the two said of the account: “Beyond multiple inaccuracies—it is dramatized to fit an onscreen adaptation, not to serve as a document of record. We know it’s wrong because we were the only two in the room for this conversation.” (McCarthy has a documented history of denying reporting concerning his conversations following January 6, and has been confronted with a recording of him saying the exact thing he insisted he never said. Will that once again be the case with Unchecked? Stay tuned!) In other January 6/McCarthy news, on Monday, CNN revealed: During a private meeting last summer, House minority leader Kevin McCarthy told two police officers who defended the US Capitol on January 6, 2021, and the mother of a third who died after the riot, that former president Donald Trump had no idea his supporters were carrying out the attack, according to newly obtained audio of the conversation. Testimony to the House Select Committee on January 6 revealed that Trump watched television for hours as the rioters engaged in a brutal fight with law enforcement. “I’m just telling you from my phone call, I don’t know that he did know that,” McCarthy said during the June 2021 meeting about Trump’s knowledge of the fighting, according to audio secretly recorded by [then DC police officer Michael] Fanone at the time and detailed in his new book titled, Hold the Line: The Insurrection and One Cop’s Battle for America’s Soul. Read More Here

USPS To Hire 700 Employees For Pre-Career And Holiday Help In Arizona https://digitalarizonanews.com/usps-to-hire-700-employees-for-pre-career-and-holiday-help-in-arizona/ TUCSON (KVOA) — USPS is looking to hire over 700 employees in Arizona for part time, full-time, and seasonal positions to help ahead of the holiday season.  While most of the positions are in the Phoenix area, the company is also hiring in southern Arizona.  USPS needs over 400 employees for their holiday season and over 300 pre-career employees.  The job fair will be on Oct. 13, 20 and 27 2022 from 10:30 a.m. through 12:30 p.m. at the Burton Barr Central Library, 1221 N. Central Ave, 2nd Floor in Phoenix. They are also hiring 24 career Automotive Technicians and will be at the UTI Auto Tech, 10695 W. Pierce St. #100, Avondale, AZ 85323, on Tuesday, Oct. 18 from 8:00 a.m. through 3:30 p.m.   USPS also has openings for City Carrier Assistants, Automotive Technicians, Postal Support Employee, Mail Processing Clerks Rural Carrier Associates, and Mail Handlers.  To assistant potential candidates, USPS will be on-site to provide additional help and walk future employees through the application process.  USPS is starting pay at $17.32-$27.52 per hour depending on the position, paid bi-weekly. Benefits include regular pay increases, paid vacation leave, health insurance, and growth opportunities.  Applicants must be 18 years of age and able to pass a criminal background investigation. There is also a 5-year residency requirement.  To learn more, visit https://about.usps.com/careers/welcome.htm.  Read More Here

Justice Department Asks Court To Deny Trump Plea Over FBI Search https://digitalarizonanews.com/justice-department-asks-court-to-deny-trump-plea-over-fbi-search/ WASHINGTON — The Biden administration on Tuesday urged the Supreme Court to steer clear of a legal fight over classified documents seized during an FBI search of former President Donald Trump’s Florida estate. The high court is weighing an emergency appeal from Trump asking it to overturn a lower court ruling and permit an independent arbiter, or special master, to review the roughly 100 documents with classified markings that were taken in the search on Aug. 8 of Mar-a-Lago. The Justice Department said in a 32-page filing that Trump’s claim has no merit, noting the case involves “extraordinarily sensitive government records.” A three-judge panel from the Atlanta-based U.S. Court of Appeals for the 11th Circuit last month limited the special master’s review to the much larger tranche of non-classified documents. The judges, including two Trump appointees, sided with the Justice Department, which had argued there was no legal basis for the special master to conduct his own review of the classified records. But Trump’s lawyers said in their application to the Supreme Court that it was essential for the special master to have access to the classified records to “determine whether documents bearing classification markings are in fact classified, and regardless of classification, whether those records are personal records or Presidential records.” Read More Here

DOJ: Trump's Supreme Court Request Should Be Denied https://digitalarizonanews.com/doj-trumps-supreme-court-request-should-be-denied/ The Justice Department on Tuesday said President Trump’s appeal for the Supreme Court to weigh in on the ongoing Mar-a-Lago probe should be denied. Driving the news: Justice Clarence Thomas, who is assigned to oversee emergency requests in the 11th Circuit, had requested the DOJ respond to Trump’s petition by 5 p.m. ET on Oct. 11. Catch up quick: Trump’s legal team asked in a filing to the Supreme Court that the special master be allowed to review near 100 documents marked as classified that were found at Mar-a-Lago. The former president’s legal team said the 11th Circuit — which granted the DOJ’s request to resume reviewing classified documents — lacked judicial authority to stay the special master’s order. Trump’s team asked the Supreme Court to overturn a federal appeals court ruling. What they’re saying: In the response, which dropped Tuesday afternoon, the DOJ said the Supreme Court should reject Trump’s request to intervene in the legal saga over the classified documents over the classified documents. “Indeed, because applicant has no plausible claims of ownership of or privilege in the documents bearing classification markings … he will suffer no harm at all from a temporary stay of the special master’s review of those materials while the government’s appeal proceeds.” “And applicant further undermined any claim that he is suffering irreparable injury from the stay by opposing the government’s motion to expedite the underlying appeal and urging that oral argument be deferred.” “Applicant’s failure to establish any risk of irreparable injury provides yet another independently sufficient reason to deny his request to disturb the modest partial stay entered by the court of appeals. This is a breaking news story. Check back for updates. Read More Here

Brett Favre Says He Has ‘done Nothing Wrong’ In Mississippi Welfare Scandal https://digitalarizonanews.com/brett-favre-says-he-has-done-nothing-wrong-in-mississippi-welfare-scandal/ Brett Favre denied wrongdoing in the Mississippi welfare scandal, speaking out for the first time on the controversy in a statement to Fox News Digital, saying, “I have done nothing wrong and it is past time to set the record straight.” He added that he has “been unjustly smeared in the media.” Favre has been embroiled in Mississippi’s largest public corruption case, one in which tens of millions of dollars earmarked for needy families was misspent. He faces no criminal charges, but his alleged involvement has helped bring the case to broader national attention and cost him endorsement deals. Favre received $1.1 million intended for welfare recipients in exchange for speeches and appearances the state auditor says he never made. And text messages included in court filings last month showed Favre was heavily involved in discussions that resulted in $5 million in welfare money going toward construction of a volleyball facility at his alma mater, the University of Southern Mississippi, where his daughter played volleyball. Favre later repaid the $1.1 million, but $228,000 in interest remains in dispute. The money for the appearances and volleyball facility was channeled through a nonprofit called Mississippi Community Education Center run by Nancy New and her son, Zach, who have pleaded guilty and are cooperating with investigators. John Davis, the former head of the state’s Department of Human Services, pleaded guilty on Sept. 22 to federal counts of conspiracy and theft and state counts of conspiracy and fraud against the government and has agreed to testify against others. “No one ever told me, and I did not know, that funds designated for welfare recipients were going to the University or me. I tried to help my alma mater USM, a public Mississippi state university, raise funds for a wellness center,” Favre’s statement, given to Fox News Digital, said. “My goal was and always will be to improve the athletic facilities at my university. “State agencies provided the funds to Nancy New’s charity, the Mississippi Community Education Center, which then gave the funds to the University, all with the full knowledge and approval of other State agencies, including the statewide Institute for Higher Learning, the Governor’s office and the Attorney General’s office. I was told that the legal work to ensure that these funds could be accepted by the university was done by State attorneys and State employees.” The office of state auditor Shad White discovered the misspending and fraud and told Fox News Digital that a grant approved by an attorney in the office for the court used incorrect analysis. “The volleyball court needed to be used to benefit the needy in Hattiesburg,” White said. “And fast-forward to today, what we know now is that the volleyball court has not been used to benefit the needy. So, this is an unallowable use of TANF [Temporary Assistance for Needy Families] funds for a few different reasons. And for those reasons, it doesn’t matter that the attorney signed off on this. What matters is that it simply is not an allowable use of TANF funds, and it’s our job in the auditor’s office to point that out when we see it.” Funds from TANF must not be used for “bricks and mortar” projects and White told Fox that there is no proof Favre knew that the money was coming from TANF. However, White said Favre did know the money was coming from programs “geared toward helping the poor.” “Based on the documents that have come out publicly, mainly through filings in the civil case, we can see text messages that show that Mr. Favre knew that the money that was being paid out was coming from John Davis, who is the head of the Mississippi Department of Human Services and also coming from the nonprofit that was receiving money from DHS,” White told Fox News Digital. “So, he knows that it’s government money basically, and he knows that the money is coming from the Department of Human Services.” According to the U.S. Census, one in five people in Mississippi lives in poverty — the worst rate in the nation — including 28 percent of children. Money from the federal government is given to states to distribute to families through TANF. In May 2020, Favre tweeted that he had “never received monies for obligations I didn’t meet” and “was unaware that the money being dispersed was paid for out of funds not intended for that purpose.” But court filings last month suggested he had at least some awareness of where the money was coming from. Filings also suggested that he continually pressed state officials for money to pay for the volleyball facility. “We obviously need your help big time and time is working against us,” Favre texted Gov. Phil Bryant (R) on Sept. 4, 2019. “And we feel that your name is the perfect choice for this facility and we are not taking No for an answer!” “We are going to get there,” the then-governor responded. “This was a great meeting. But we have to follow the law. I am [too] old for Federal Prison.” Favre previously told Mississippi Today that he had not discussed the volleyball facility project with Bryant. Read More Here

Are You Living In One Of The Best–Or Worst–Cities For Drivers? https://digitalarizonanews.com/are-you-living-in-one-of-the-best-or-worst-cities-for-drivers/ getty Americans are taking to the road in increasing numbers again as COVID-related closures and work-from-home policies are becoming distant memories. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, vehicle miles traveled during the first half of 2022 increased by about 43.2 billion, which represents a 2.8% increase over the same period in 2021. That also means there’s increased congestion on the nation’s highways, with the Bureau of Transportation Statistics estimating U.S. drivers are spending an average 360 hours on the road annually, which comes out to the equivalent of 15 days a year. High gas prices, combined with rising auto insurance rates and ongoing operating costs are likewise making Americans’ daily commutes more arduous than ever. There’s also the frequency of accidents, fatal crashes and car thefts to consider—all of which are likewise on the upswing—as well as local weather conditions, road quality, average commuting times, and access to auto repair shops, parking lots/garages, vehicle dealerships, and car washes. But as it turns out, motorists in some parts of the country tend to fare better behind the wheel than others, with the above factors varying, often wildly, from one major U.S. city to another. The personal finance website WalletHub.com just issued a report that ranks the best and worst cities for drivers in the post-pandemic era among the 100 most-populated areas in the country, based on 30 key variables. Perhaps not surprisingly, smaller cities fare far better in this regard than do the nation’s largest and most car-clogged metro areas. Raleigh, NC is considered the most motorist friendly city, overall, with Philadelphia being the least hospitable. We’re featuring lists of WalletHub.com’s best- and worst-rated cities for drivers below. Among individual attributes studied, those living in Lubbock, TX spend the fewest annual hours stuck in traffic, while the worst commutes can be found, as expected, in Miami, Boston, Philadelphia, Chicago, and New York City. The nation’s lowest average gas prices can be found in Laredo, TX, while they’re the highest in Los Angeles and Long Beach, CA. You’re the least likely to get into an accident in Boise, ID, and most likely to crash in Baltimore, Boston, Los Angeles, and Washington DC. Car thefts are the fewest in Gilbert, AZ, while they’re the most likely to occur in Oakland, Denver, and St Louis. Also, the study found the most auto repair shops per capita are in Baton Rouge, LA, with the fewest in New York City. Car washes are the most plentiful per citizen in Orlando, FL, while they’re the most scarce in Boston. Maintenance costs are the lowest in Jacksonville, FL, and the highest in Seattle. Drivers pay the least to park in Corpus Christi, TX, with the costliest spaces being in San Diego, Chicago, Philadelphia, Boston, and New York City. Here are the U.S. cities WalletHub.com determined as being the best and worst for motorists in the U.S.: Best Cities for Driving Raleigh, NC Plano, TX Corpus Christi, TX Greensboro, NC Winston-Salem, NC Lincoln, NE Jacksonville, FL Arlington, TX Garland, TX Orlando, FL Worst Cities for Driving Philadelphia, PA Detroit, MI Oakland, CA San Francisco, CA Chicago, IL New York, NY Washington, DC Baltimore, MD Seattle, WA Los Angeles, CA You can read the full report with all 100 cities ranked here. Read More Here

Live Updates: NATO Chief Urges More Weapons For Ukraine As Zelensky Seeks Air Defense Systems https://digitalarizonanews.com/live-updates-nato-chief-urges-more-weapons-for-ukraine-as-zelensky-seeks-air-defense-systems/ The Russian missile and drone attacks that killed at least 19 people across Ukraine on Monday were traumatic and wide-ranging, but they were not as deadly as they could have been, in the context of a war that has included widespread civilian killing. That has renewed questions over the quality of Russia’s weapons and about the capacity of its forces to carry out President Vladimir V. Putin’s military designs. Ian Storey, a senior fellow at the ISEAS-Yusof Ishak Institute in Singapore, said it could be a sign that Russia’s guided missiles are not very effective, or that it is running short of precision munitions. Most of the missiles targeted energy and other civilian services, in what Mr. Putin said was retaliation for a blast on Russia’s bridge to occupied Crimea. “Perhaps it was Putin’s way of sending a warning shot across Ukraine’s bow: If you attack our infrastructure, we will ramp up attacks on your cities,” Mr. Storey said. But he and other experts acknowledged that much about Russia’s weapons arsenal remains unclear. Here is some of what we know: Russia may be running low on sophisticated missiles. Many of Russia’s attacks — increasingly aimed at civilian targets — have been long-range strikes that used outdated, unguided and imprecise missiles, including some from the Soviet era. Ukrainian, Western and Russian analysts have said that the attacks appear to suggest that Russia is running low on its most sophisticated weapons. Western intelligence officials say that Russia used up many of its most accurate weapons, including cruise missiles and certain ballistic missiles, in the early days of the invasion. Russia’s arms industry has long relied heavily on imported electronic parts. As a result, analysts say, sanctions and export controls appear to have limited the Kremlin’s ability to restock its supplies, leaving it to rely more on unguided munitions. Experts said that by using dozens of precision missiles against civilian targets, Russia would have fewer to use on the battlefield as it faces Ukrainian counteroffensives in the east and south. “Given how they are strapped in terms of resources and military materiel, it is unlikely that Russia can maintain the combat tempo it exhibited on Monday,” said Ridzwan Rahmat, the principal defense analyst at Janes, based in Singapore. It is increasingly turning to Iran and North Korea for supplies. Russia has been buying military drones from Iran and, according to intelligence sources, artillery shells and rockets from North Korea. Analysts see both developments as a further sign that sanctions have hampered Russia’s military supply lines. Iran has confirmed that a drone deal with Russia was part of a military agreement that predated the war, and Iranian-made drones have been spotted in the skies above Ukraine more frequently. Ukraine’s military said that of the 24 drones Russia used in the attacks on Monday, more than half were Iranian. Ukrainian soldiers have said that the Iranian drones — which carry a payload of about 80 pounds and are self-destructing — are effective battlefield weapons. There is no hard evidence of Russia having purchased North Korean weapons, Mr. Storey said. But if true, he added, “it’s a sign of desperation.” Russia’s nuclear weapons remain a threat, though it’s unclear whether the Kremlin will use them. Russia has a large supply of tactical nuclear weapons — probably about 2,000, far more than the roughly 100 that NATO has positioned around Europe. In recent weeks, Mr. Putin has raised the prospect of using nuclear weapons to hold onto his tenuous territorial gains in Ukraine. Whether he actually would use them despite the huge risks — both to Ukraine and to Russia and the wider region — is another story. Senior U.S. officials say they have not seen any evidence in recent days of Russia’s moving its nuclear assets. And on Monday, Dmitri S. Peskov, the Kremlin’s spokesman, dismissed speculation that Russia would use nuclear weapons in response to the Crimea attack as “completely incorrect.” Russian missiles have been vulnerable to Ukrainian air defenses. The relatively low casualty toll on Monday, Mr. Storey said, was partly a result of Ukraine’s ability to shoot down some Russian missiles using air defenses that have remained largely intact throughout the war. As of Tuesday, Ukraine’s Defense Ministry said that its forces had shot down about 300 Russian cruise missiles since February. It was not possible to confirm that tally. The total number of Russian missiles fired during the war is believed to be in the thousands. Lara Jakes contributed reporting. Read More Here

Justice Department Urges Supreme Court To Reject Trump Request Over Seized Mar-A-Lago Documents https://digitalarizonanews.com/justice-department-urges-supreme-court-to-reject-trump-request-over-seized-mar-a-lago-documents/ WASHINGTON — The Biden administration on Tuesday asked the Supreme Court to reject former President Donald Trump‘s request to allow the special master reviewing documents seized from Mar-a-Lago access to those marked as classified. Solicitor General Elizabeth Prelogar said in court papers that the underlying dispute involves an “unprecedented” attempt to restrict the government’s use of its own classified documents. Trump cannot show that he would suffer “irreparable injury” if the documents are withheld from the special master, she added. Whatever the court decides in weighing Trump’s relatively narrow request, it will not affect the Justice Department’s access to the same documents in its criminal investigation. The more than 100 classified documents are just a small portion of the 11,000 records seized by federal agents amid concerns that Trump had unlawfully retained official White House records after leaving office. Documents seized by the FBI from former President Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate in Palm Beach, Fla. Department of Justice via AP The high court is reviewing a Sept. 21 decision by the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals that barred the special master, Judge Raymond Dearie, from reviewing the documents. Trump had not contested a separate part of the ruling that allowed the Justice Department to use the documents. A decision by the Supreme Court is due at any time. Trump’s lawyers had said the appeal’s court’s decision to block access to the special master “impairs substantially the ongoing, time-sensitive work of the special master.” They added that “any limit on the comprehensive and transparent review of materials seized in the extraordinary raid of a president’s home erodes public confidence in our system of justice.” The appeals court said certain documents are deemed classified because they contain information that could harm national security, and for that reason people may have access to them only if they need to know that information. Trump sued the government after the August search of his Mar-a-Lago residence, seeking to prevent the government from using them as part of a criminal investigation and asking for the appointment of a special master to review the documents. Under federal law, official White House records are federal property and must be handed over to the National Archives when the president leaves office. Trump says he did nothing improper and wants Dearie to determine the status of the documents, including those marked as classified. Although the Supreme Court has a 6-3 conservative majority, including three justices he appointed, Trump has not recently fared well in other emergency applications, including his attempt to prevent White House documents from being handed over to the House committee investigating the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol, and his bid to avoid disclosure of his financial records to prosecutors in New York. Lawrence Hurley covers the Supreme Court for NBC News Digital. Read More Here

Biden Proposal Could Lead To Employee Status For Gig Workers https://digitalarizonanews.com/biden-proposal-could-lead-to-employee-status-for-gig-workers/ A proposed rule, long awaited by labor activists, would make it harder for companies to classify workers as independent contractors. Send any friend a story As a subscriber, you have 10 gift articles to give each month. Anyone can read what you share. Gig companies such as Lyft have long fought efforts to classify their drivers as employees.Credit…Jamie Kelter Davis for The New York Times Oct. 11, 2022Updated 4:03 p.m. ET The Labor Department on Tuesday unveiled a proposal that would make it more likely for millions of janitors, home-care and construction workers and gig drivers to be classified as employees rather than independent contractors. Companies are required to provide certain benefits and protections to employees but not to contractors, such as paying a minimum wage, overtime, a portion of a worker’s Social Security taxes and contributions to unemployment insurance. The proposed rule is essentially a test that the Labor Department will apply to determine whether workers are contractors or employees for companies. The test considers factors such as how much control workers have over how they do their jobs and how much opportunity they have to increase their earnings by doing things like offering new services. Workers who have little of either are often considered employees. The new version of the test lowers the bar for that employee classification from the current test, which the Trump administration’s Labor Department created. The proposal would apply only to laws that the department enforced, such as the federal minimum wage. States and other federal agencies, like the Internal Revenue Service, set their own criteria for employment status. But many employers and regulators in other jurisdictions are likely to consider the department’s interpretation when making decisions about worker classification, and many judges are likely to use it as a guide. As a result, the proposal is a potential blow to gig companies and other service providers that argue their workers are contractors, though it would not immediately affect the status of those workers. Uber and Lyft have said in federal filings that having to treat drivers as employees could force them to alter their business models, and some gig economy officials have estimated that their labor costs would rise 20 to 30 percent. The companies have repeatedly fought similar efforts by regulators and legislatures in states across the country. Share prices for both companies dropped more than 10 percent Tuesday. In a statement, Uber sounded optimistic that the proposal would not endanger the gig-economy model, at least if the administration heeded additional input. “Today’s proposed rule takes a measured approach, essentially returning us to the Obama era, during which our industry grew exponentially,” said CR Wooters, the company’s head of federal affairs. “In a time of deep economic uncertainty, it’s crucial that the Biden administration continues to hear from the more than 50 million people who have found an earning opportunity with companies like ours.” Lyft likewise noted that the proposal would restore the approach under President Barack Obama, when drivers were generally classified as contractors, and emphasized that it would not force the company to alter its business model. The company said the proposal was merely the beginning of a longer process. Companies, unions, workers and other members of the public will have a month and a half to formally comment on the proposal before the department incorporates feedback into a final rule. After that, the department will have considerable discretion over whether or not to enforce the rule at particular companies. “While independent contractors have an important role in our economy, we have seen in many cases that employers misclassify their employees as independent contractors,” Labor Secretary Martin J. Walsh said in a statement. “Misclassification deprives workers of their federal labor protections, including their right to be paid their full, legally earned wages.” David Weil, who oversaw the Obama Labor Department’s approach to classifying workers, cautioned that just because the department didn’t bring an enforcement action against Uber and Lyft didn’t mean it couldn’t have. He noted that the Obama rule had been adopted late in that administration. “I think it is true that there are lots of gray areas in the platform world, but with the caveats that you always have to go deep into the facts, Uber and Lyft do not strike me as that difficult,” Mr. Weil said in an interview, adding: “There is a lot about the relationship that looks like one of employees.” The proposal helps defuse growing pressure from activists supporting gig workers, who complained that the administration had been too slow to intervene to protect ride-hail drivers and other app-based workers. Lorena Gonzalez Fletcher, a former leader on workers’ issues in the California Assembly who is now head of the state’s labor federation, said in an interview that the action demonstrated the Biden administration’s strong pro-worker stance but that the effect of the new rule would come down to how aggressively the administration enforced it. “Companies just continue to break labor law,” Ms. Gonzalez Fletcher said. “They break it at the local level, the state level and federally, and there are no consequences. Everything is about enforcement.” The Biden Labor Department delayed and then scrapped the Trump rule on worker classification before a federal judge reinstated it. The new proposal would formally rescind and replace the Trump rule when made final in the coming months. Opponents could ask a federal judge to block the new rule temporarily or strike it down, but administration officials expressed confidence that it would withstand judicial scrutiny. They said they were merely returning to a standard that federal courts had repeatedly upheld over the decades. Image Uber and other gig companies say changes to how some of their workers are classified could force them to change their business models.Credit…Jim Wilson/The New York Times Under President Donald J. Trump, the department argued that two factors should predominate in determinations of whether a worker is an employee or a contractor, even if other factors are relevant: the degree of control a company has over the worker, and the extent to which a worker can increase his or her income by taking entrepreneurial initiative, like marketing his or her services. The Trump Labor Department suggested that gig workers like Uber drivers would probably be considered contractors under these criteria. Proponents argued that the Trump approach was necessary so enforcement didn’t snuff out new ways of doing business, such as the gig economy. But in an interview, Seema Nanda, the Biden Labor Department’s top lawyer, said the Trump rule “threatens to actually increase rather than decrease misclassification.” The proposal by the Biden Labor Department argues that several factors must be weighed when assessing whether a worker is a contractor or an employee, and that none of them are necessarily more important than the others. Among the additional factors are whether the work being performed is central to a company’s business, and what kind of investments workers make to do their jobs, such as buying equipment. Administration officials cautioned that determining whether or not gig workers like Uber drivers are employees would hinge on applying the test laid out in the proposal to individual cases and that they were not prejudging the outcome of any one of them. They also emphasized that the proposal did not target a particular industry. “We make a determination based on the specific facts in any case that we look at,” Ms. Nanda said. “Misclassification harms workers across a wide range of industries.” Gig companies like Uber and Lyft have sought for years to influence laws and regulations on worker classification. After the California Legislature passed a bill proposed by Ms. Gonzalez Fletcher that effectively classified gig drivers as employees in 2019, gig companies spent roughly $200 million helping to pass a ballot measure that would exempt their workers from employee status while granting them limited benefits. A state judge later ruled that the measure was unconstitutional. The decision is being appealed. Gig companies have tried and failed to enact similar measures in other liberal states, like New York and Massachusetts, but did help pass a contractor measure in Washington State. Uber and Lyft have often argued that drivers prefer the flexibility that independent contractor status affords them, such as the ability to work when, where and however long they choose to. They have cited polling data that appears to affirm this. Legal scholars point out that there is nothing inherent about employment status that would forbid companies to grant workers similar flexibility. Mr. Walsh, the labor secretary, has sometimes appeared open to the idea that gig workers could be classified as independent contractors. But when asked in an interview this summer whether he thought drivers would prefer to be independent contractors or employees if the trade-offs were made clear, he argued that “95 percent of people would say yes” to being classified as employees. Read More Here

Three Individuals Charged For Distributing Over 400,000 Fentanyl Pills And 25 Pounds Of Methamphetamine https://digitalarizonanews.com/three-individuals-charged-for-distributing-over-400000-fentanyl-pills-and-25-pounds-of-methamphetamine/ PHOENIX, Ariz. – Keivin Crosswell-Cervantes, 28, of Mexico, Carlos Alberto Castro-Ruiz, 27, of Avondale, Arizona, and Alexander Ortega-Islas, 22, of Phoenix, Arizona, were indicted on October 4, 2022, on Conspiracy to Distribute Fentanyl and Methamphetamine along with Use or Carry a Firearm during a Drug Trafficking Offense. The three defendants had their initial appearance on September 23, 2022, before United States Magistrate Judge Eileen S. Willett. On Sept. 21, 2022, HSI special agents arrested Crosswell-Cervantes, Castro-Ruiz, and Ortega-Islas and seized approximately 410,000 blue fentanyl pills, approximately 20,000 multi-colored fentanyl pills, also known as “skittles”, and approximately 25 pounds of methamphetamine in Avondale, Arizona. During the enforcement action, special agents also seized an AK-47 style pistol, a Kimber 1911 45 caliber pistol with two magazines, and an FN 45 caliber pistol. A conviction for Conspiracy to Distribute Fentanyl and Methamphetamine carries a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in prison with a maximum penalty of life in prison, a fine of up to $10,000,000, or both. A conviction for Use or Carry a Firearms during a Drug Trafficking Offense carries a mandatory minimum sentence of 5 years in prison, consecutive to any other sentence, with a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, or both. An indictment is merely an allegation of criminal conduct, not evidence. An individual is presumed innocent until evidence is presented to a jury that establishes guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. Special Agents from Homeland Security Investigations, Nogales, conducted the investigation in this case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew G. Eltringham, District of Arizona, Tucson, OCDETF Section, is handling the prosecution. CASE NUMBER:            MJ-22-9370-ESW RELEASE NUMBER:    2022-171_Crosswell-Cervantes et al. # # # For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/ Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on Twitter @USAO_AZ for the latest news. Read More…

Scottsdale’s Tequila Corrido Signs Deal With Valley-Based Spirits Distributor – The Business Journals https://digitalarizonanews.com/scottsdales-tequila-corrido-signs-deal-with-valley-based-spirits-distributor-the-business-journals/ Scottsdale’s Tequila Corrido signs deal with Valley-based spirits distributor  The Business Journals Read More Here

Letter: How Do You Want AZ To Be Viewed By The Rest Of The Country? https://digitalarizonanews.com/letter-how-do-you-want-az-to-be-viewed-by-the-rest-of-the-country/ I watched “Face the Nation” this morning to see what Kari Lake and Katie Hobbs would have to say about their views on important issues facing the voters of Arizona including the economy, immigration and abortion. Kari Lake, like the typical Fox News personality exaggerating “babies (full term) being left to die on metal sheets” and “the drug cartels killing Arizona teenagers with fentanyl “. She dodged questions she did not want to answer and used most of her time to slam her opponent with false claims and exaggerations. Katie Hobbs gave well thought out responses. After watching these two I completely understand why Katie Hobbs would decline to engage with the “teenage” like Kari….one needs to know when not to engage in a ridiculous argument. Residents of Arizona have long had to contend with being the target of distain from others parts of the country due to the stupid actions of some of our politians. Let’s not do it again! Linda Ford East side Disclaimer: As submitted to the Arizona Daily Star. Catch the latest in Opinion Get opinion pieces, letters and editorials sent directly to your inbox weekly! Read More Here

‘Star Wars’ Actor Endorses Evan McMullin As A ‘force For Change’ https://digitalarizonanews.com/star-wars-actor-endorses-evan-mcmullin-as-a-force-for-change/ Mark Hamill, known for his role as Luke Skywalker, will appear with the independent Senate candidate on a Zoom call with supporters. In this Dec. 16, 2019, file photo, Mark Hamill arrives at the world premiere of “Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker” in Los Angeles. The actor, known for his role as Luke Skywalker, has endorsed independent Senate candidate Evan McMullin (Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP, File).   | Oct. 11, 2022, 6:42 p.m. Mark Hamill has picked a side in Utah’s U.S. Senate race — and it’s neither red or blue. The actor, best known for his role as Luke Skywalker in the “Star Wars” film franchise, has endorsed independent candidate Evan McMullin in his race against incumbent Republican Sen. Mike Lee. He will join McMullin on a Zoom call with supporters Thursday. In a tweet Monday, Hamill, noting he filmed the 2017 comedy-drama film “Brigsby Bear” in the state, said, “I like I like @EvanMcMullin SO much, it makes me wish I lived in Utah so I could vote for him!” “I fully endorse Evan McMullin for U.S. Senate. Evan is a force for change at a time when our country desperately needs it,” Hamill said in a news release. “Utah is a great state and deserves far better than Mike Lee. Evan McMullin is the right man for this job — for Utah and for our country.” Hamill has in years past been outspoken in his opposition to former President Donald Trump. During the 2020 election, a political action committee created by current and former Republicans to defeat Trump, the Lincoln Project, ran ads voiced by Hamill and his “Star Wars” co-star Harrison Ford. And on Twitter, has repeatedly criticized Trump. Beginning in 2017, he read numerous of the then-president’s tweets in the voice of Batman’s Joker. Hamill dubbed Trump “the Trumpster.” Trump isn’t the only Republican that Hamill has criticized. In 2012, he took to Twitter to speak out against then-presidential candidate Mitt Romney, calling him a “snake oil salesman.” I’ve never seen a candidate for President lie more than Romney.He lies effortlessly, shamelessly.This snake oil salesman must be defeated!!! — Mark Hamill (@MarkHamill) October 4, 2012 After Romney’s votes to convict Trump, Hamill changed his tune on the Republican, tweeting in July that he is “the conscience of the GOP.” In an August interview with The Salt Lake Tribune, McMullin said he has made connections with a number of celebrities “who come from different political backgrounds, but who share a concern about extremism in American politics,” including Hamill. Over the course of the Trump presidency, McMullin has formed relationships with celebrities like Hamill as they criticized Trump and his supporters on Twitter. He stood with comedian Jim Gaffigan on Twitter in criticizing Trump during the 2020 election and appeared on a podcast with Sophia Bush of “One Tree Hill” that same year. Bush congratulated McMullin on his wedding last summer. “The Force is with us!” McMullin said of Hamill’s endorsement in a statement. “As a huge Star Wars fan, I welcome support from a Jedi in this critical fight. I’m also grateful to Mark for his endorsement in this race — he recognizes how vital it is we bring change to Washington.” Read More Here

AP ANALYSIS: Sorting Fact From Fiction Regarding Trump's Classified Documents – WVUA 23 https://digitalarizonanews.com/ap-analysis-sorting-fact-from-fiction-regarding-trumps-classified-documents-wvua-23/ classified documents, trump By ALI SWENSON and GRAPH MASSARA Associated Press At a rally for Nevada Republicans on Saturday, former President Donald Trump argued against the federal probe into the storage of classified documents at his Mar-a-Lago estate by falsely suggesting that past presidents did the same thing. Trump claimed that Barack Obama moved “truckloads” of documents to a former furniture store in Chicago, that Bill Clinton carted records “from the White House to a former car dealership in Arkansas,” and that George H.W. Bush “took millions of documents to a former bowling alley and a former Chinese restaurant where they combined them.” In reality, National Archives and Records Administration staff, not the former presidents, transported presidential records to these facilities for temporary sorting and storage, following security protocols in the process, NARA statements and Associated Press reporting show. The agency leased the buildings from the General Services Administration, it said in a statement Tuesday. “All such temporary facilities met strict archival and security standards, and have been managed and staffed exclusively by NARA employees,” NARA’s emailed statement read. “Reports that indicate or imply that those Presidential records were in the possession of the former Presidents or their representatives, after they left office, or that the records were housed in substandard conditions, are false and misleading.” That’s very different from Trump harboring classified documents from his own presidency in various storage areas at his Florida estate, said Timothy Naftali, a professor of public service and history at New York University. “Obviously, it takes time to build a presidential library. During that period of time, the National Archives has to put these presidential records somewhere safe,” Naftali said. “They are not put in closets in public clubs.” A spokesperson for Trump did not respond to a request for comment. Here’s a closer look at the facts. TRUMP: Bush “took millions of documents to a former bowling alley and a former Chinese restaurant where they combined them. So they’re in a bowling alley slash Chinese restaurant.” THE FACTS: While the idea of the elder Bush sneaking documents to a combination bowling alley and Chinese restaurant inspired colorful internet reactions, it’s not accurate. NARA archivists, not Bush, transported the documents to what had once been Chimney Hill Bowl in College Station, Texas, according to AP reporting at the time. They converted it into a warehouse, swapping bowling lanes for shelved storage where they could store the boxes of documents. To fit everything, they also co-opted a former Chinese restaurant next door. Under the Presidential Records Act, NARA has custody of all presidential records from former administrations. The agency is responsible for sorting through the documents and storing them securely until a presidential library can be built to house them. In the case of Bush’s documents, the temporary storage facility NARA archivists used was protected by guards, television monitors and electronic detectors while documents were sorted, the AP reported at the time. They were later moved to the George H.W. Bush Presidential Library and Museum, also in College Station, where they reside today. Trump’s comments aimed to diminish the fact that he held classified documents in Mar-a-Lago by saying Bush held his own documents in an old bowling alley, Naftali said. “But that’s complete nonsense,” he said. “These are buildings National Archives took over, renovated to meet archival standards and security, and then they put the materials there.” Benjamin Hufbauer, a professor at the University of Louisville who researches presidential libraries, agreed Trump’s claim was not correct. “It’s really an apples to oranges kind of thing,” he said. ___ TRUMP: Clinton “took millions of documents from the White House to a former car dealership in Arkansas.” THE FACTS: Clinton didn’t take documents to an ex-car dealership, NARA did. NARA announced in May 2000 that it would be transporting documents from Clinton’s presidency to a Little Rock, Arkansas, storage facility that used to be the Balch Motor Company. The facility, which NARA rented, was less than 2 miles from what later became the William J. Clinton Presidential Library and Museum, where the documents are stored today. ___ TRUMP: Obama “moved more than 20 truckloads, over 33 million pages of documents, both classified and unclassified, to a poorly built and totally unsafe former furniture store located in a rather bad neighborhood in Chicago with no security, by the way.” THE FACTS: Again, NARA, not Obama, transported these documents – and followed its own storage standards in the process, the agency said. Roughly 30 million unclassified Obama administration documents reside in a Chicago-area building that at one point belonged to the Plunkett furniture company, according to county and local government records. These documents are stored in accordance with the agency’s archival storage standards, according to NARA. Those standards include things like fire safety, pest management and security guidelines for certain types of documents. Comments a NARA official gave to the city’s zoning commission prior to the end of Obama’s term also stipulated that the facility would be guarded overnight. The administration’s classified documents are stored in separate secure locations in the Washington, D.C., area. ___ This is part of AP’s effort to address widely shared misinformation, including work with outside companies and organizations to add factual context to misleading content that is circulating online. Learn more about fact-checking at AP right here. (Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.) 10/11/2022 12:35:14 PM (GMT -5:00) Read More Here

Here’s What A New Biden Administration Labor Proposal Would Mean For Independent Contractors https://digitalarizonanews.com/heres-what-a-new-biden-administration-labor-proposal-would-mean-for-independent-contractors/ Rudi_suardi | E+ | Getty Images The Biden administration will soon issue a rule that may make it easier for workers to be considered “employees” instead of “independent contractors.” The U.S. Department of Labor issued a notice of proposed rulemaking on Tuesday, signaling its intent to issue a formal regulation that would redefine how employers classify their workers. The employee label carries worker protections like a minimum hourly wage and overtime pay. Workers misclassified as contractors may be eligible for damages covering some back pay of those benefits. Employees also qualify for unemployment benefits and worker’s compensation, for example. More from Personal Finance: Millions of student loan borrowers could miss out on forgiveness The best year-end tax strategies How to avoid buying a flood-damaged car after Hurricane Ian The Labor Department would unwind a Trump-era rule concerning independent contractors that took effect in January 2021, shortly before President Biden took office. The agency would largely reinstate the prior status quo with a few changes, experts said. Misclassification of workers as independent contractors — also known as freelancers or the self-employed — instead of employees is happening across many industries, like construction, health care, restaurants, retail and transportation, Labor Department officials said Tuesday. Employers may benefit financially by classifying their workforce as contractors instead of employees. For one, they don’t have to pay the payroll taxes that fund Social Security or unemployment insurance programs. Overall, the proposal loosens classification guidelines and would therefore likely result in more workers being deemed employees instead of contractors, said Christopher Moran, a partner at Troutman Pepper Hamilton Sanders who specializes in labor and employment law. “I think Trump was narrowing it a little bit, and I think this [Biden rule] is widening it a little bit,” Moran said of classification. “I don’t see these [rules] as game-changing,” he added. “The swings aren’t dramatic.” Guidelines as easy as ABC? The action comes as many states have issued new guidelines — called “ABC” tests — that labor experts believe make it easier for workers to be deemed employees instead of contractors. Ten states apply that test to wage and hour benefits, though some only for workers in certain industries such as construction and landscaping, according to the Economic Policy Institute. In California, for example, where the ABC test was adopted in 2019, a ballot measure exempted ride-share drivers and other gig workers for app-based companies like Uber and Lyft. These companies often classify gig workers as independent contractors. New federal rules wouldn’t supersede state rules, Moran said. It’s up to the business whether they will look at this and say these folks really are employees. Sally Dworak-Fisher senior staff attorney at the National employment Law Project, “Today’s proposed rule takes a measured approach, essentially returning us to the Obama era, during which our industry grew exponentially,” CR Wooters, head of federal affairs at Uber explained in a written statement. “We look forward to continued and constructive dialogue with the Administration and [Labor] Secretary [Martin] Walsh as this process progresses,” Wooters added. Federal action would especially be a boon to “low-wage, vulnerable workers,” Labor Department officials said. “We’ve found dishwashers were misclassified as independent contractors in order to avoid paying them the overtime they were otherwise entitled to,” said Jessica Looman, the agency’s principal deputy wage and hour administrator, on a press call. The rule isn’t set just yet and could take months to be finalized. The agency will solicit public comments for 45 days starting Thursday. From a legal standpoint, courts and the Labor Department have long used an “economic reality” test relative to employment classification under the Fair Labor Standards Act. Independent contractors are not economically dependent on their employer for work and are in business for themselves. Certain factors are used to assess that question, and generally applied uniformly, experts said. But the Trump labor bureau’s rule gave precedent to two “core” factors. Among other things, the Biden rule would undo the additional weight granted those two factors. Labor Department officials said the new rules would provide clarity to employers going forward, but experts said it’s unclear whether employers would change designations for their current workforce. “I would hope so,” Sally Dworak-Fisher, a senior staff attorney at the National employment Law Project, said of reclassification. “But it’s up to the business whether they will look at this and say these folks really are employees.” Read More Here

Twins Share Passion For Sports At Cesar Chavez https://digitalarizonanews.com/twins-share-passion-for-sports-at-cesar-chavez/ Elizabeth (right) and Isabella (left) Hermosillo pose in their volleyball uniforms. (Photo courtesy of Gilbert Hermosillo) Josh Bootzin is an ASU Cronkite School of Journalism student assigned to cover Cesar Chavez High School for AZPreps365.com. Elizabeth (Liz) and Isabella (Bella) Hermosillo are seniors at Cesar Chavez High School and stars of the varsity volleyball team. With an older brother in professional baseball and a father in the Chavez Booster Club – a voluntary organization for parents that helps raise money for school sports – Liz and Bella have been surrounded by sports their entire lives.  Their shared passion for sports and competition has bonded the sisters since childhood despite otherwise distinct personalities. This connection is all the more important given the lack of space and individuality that comes from a four-minute age difference and sharing a bedroom through high school.  Liz and Bella began their volleyball careers as fourth graders and have played every year since. “The adrenaline,” Liz said, describing why she loves volleyball. “When you’re winning and you just keep scoring points and points, and the cheers, especially from your teammates right after that play, it’s just a good feeling.” The first school the twins attended after moving to the Phoenix area was a small charter school. They could have stayed at that school through high school, but they and their friends decided that their personalities were better suited for a larger public school where they would have room to breathe, expand, and prosper. Many of the girls making up Chavez’ varsity volleyball team transferred with the Hermosillos and remain friends to this day. “We’re really close with our team,” Bella said. “Because we have 11 girls that are seniors, and we’ve been together forever. Half the girls we’ve been with since sixth grade.” Liz and Bella have a knack for surrounding themselves with like-minded people. “I don’t think I have one real friend that’s super close to me that doesn’t play sports,” Liz said. “It’s just like surrounding yourself with people who are in the same situation as you, always on their best behavior, good grades, just athletes who know what they need to get done.” The volleyball team is not just a school-affiliated extracurricular for these girls. It’s a community of friends who support each other and a place where they can be themselves – a perfect outlet for Liz and Bella, who prefer to be known as Liz and Bella, not “the twins”. Once you get to know them, the dissimilarities between their personalities become more and more apparent.  Bella, who plays catcher for Chavez softball in the spring, excels at math and has dreams of taking her talents to a big city like New York or Chicago. She is the more social of the two, preferring hanging out with friends to relaxing at home. Bella is also the more responsible twin, taking charge when someone needs to step in. And Liz is more than OK with letting Bella be the responsible one. Liz is a social butterfly when she wants to be, but she falls prey to the prospect of relaxing at home with a good book. As opposed to Bella’s knack for math, Liz’ best subject is English. She aspires to be an editor in the publishing industry one day, and is looking at colleges much closer to home.  Liz also aspires to continue playing volleyball in college. She loves watching film and keeping track of her team’s stats. Despite the future looking like diverging paths for Liz and Bella, their parents praise volleyball for what it’s done to keep them together and help them grow together. “The sisterly ‘I’m there to protect you’ type thing, you know,” Gilbert Hermosillo, the twins’ father, said. “I’m your teammate on top of your sister, and I’ve got your back.” “They’ve pretty much done everything together their entire life, including sports, and it’s kept them together, it’s kept them strong,” Krysta Hermosillo, their mother, said. “It’s helped them keep their straight A’s, it’s kept them where they need to be by being good sisters and playing together.” On top of sports and social lives and hobbies, Liz and Bella’s parents are most proud of them for their performance in school. Both twins are top 30 in their class. “First, more than anything, they’re student-athletes,” Gilbert said. “They’re students. They both have exceptional grades.” Once they started high school, Liz and Bella saw less of each other during the days, choosing different electives that better suited their skills and personalities. Somehow, everything came full circle and they have practically the same schedule for their senior year. One might expect to get tired of another person if they had to wake up in the same room, play for the same team, and take the same classes as them, but Liz and Bella don’t mind. “It’s nice because we can rely on each other,” Bella said. Eureka Hall, Chavez varsity volleyball’s head coach, couldn’t have more praise for Liz and Bella’s leadership, intelligence, and work ethic. “In life, I just feel like these girls are 10 steps ahead,” Hall said. “It’s going to benefit them in the real world because they’re smart. They know how to figure things out quicker than everybody else.” At this point, neither Liz nor Bella have decided where they will be attending college next year or what they will be studying.  Neither plan on following their brother, Michael, into a professional sports career, making this last year of high school sports all the more important for them.  Two things are certain regarding the Hermosillo twins: they know how to surround themselves with good, competitive people that will push them to achieve their full potential, and they absolutely know how to compete. Read More Here

Tempe Roads Are Set To Close For The Ironman 70.3 On October 16th https://digitalarizonanews.com/tempe-roads-are-set-to-close-for-the-ironman-70-3-on-october-16th/ TEMPE, AZ — Several Tempe streets will be closed or restricted for the Ironman 70.3 on October 16th. According to the City of Tempe, road restrictions and closures have been identified, however, others could be put in place to address public safety concerns that could occur during the event. The most significant closures are due to the three-lap, 56-mile bike course that stretches as far as Priest to McClintock. CC: World Triathlon Corporation Ironman 70.3 Arizona bike course It should also be noted that during the event closures, Orbit Earth will not serve the Tempe Transportation Center. Additionally, Route 48 and Orbit Earth will not serve Tempe Marketplace. Some of the most considerable traffic restrictions are listed below: Rio Salado Parkway will be closed between Priest Drive and Mill Avenue. All traffic exiting the Loop 202 eastbound at Priest Drive will be required to turn south onto Priest Drive. There will be no access to the Loop 202 eastbound on-ramp from Priest Drive or from Center Parkway. All traffic exiting the eastbound Loop 202 at Scottsdale Road will be required to turn northbound onto Scottsdale Road. Southbound Mill Avenue will be closed between Washington Street/Curry Road and Second Street. Northbound Mill Avenue will be closed at Rio Salado Parkway. All northbound traffic must turn right onto eastbound Rio Salado Parkway. Southbound Scottsdale Road will be closed at the SR202L. Local access will be provided to area businesses and residents south of the SR202L. All southbound traffic will be required to turn right onto westbound Rio Salado Parkway. Northbound Hardy Drive will be closed between First Street and Rio Salado Parkway.  Access to the Tempe Center for the Arts will be granted on a limited basis. McClintock Drive will be closed in both directions at Rio Salado Parkway. All southbound traffic will be required to turn right onto westbound Rio Salado Parkway. If you need to get a storefront on Mill Avenue, the City of Tempe recommends contacting the business directly. Copyright 2022 Scripps Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Sign up for the Headlines Newsletter and receive up to date information. Read More Here

Dry Cleaning Share “No Decent Shoes For Rain” Off Upcoming Album 'Stumpwork' https://digitalarizonanews.com/dry-cleaning-share-no-decent-shoes-for-rain-off-upcoming-album-stumpwork/ UK band Dry Cleaning have released another single off their upcoming LP Stumpwork, out October 21 via 4AD (pre-order it on white vinyl). “’No Decent Shoes for Rain’ is inspired by grief, grief over past relationships, grief for loved ones who have died, and all the things that come with that; loneliness, numbness, yearning, ruminating about the past,” says singer Florence Shaw. With cynical lyrics and dissonant but rhythmic guitars, “No Shoes for Rain” finds dark humor against a grungy instrumental. Watch the music video below. Dry Cleaning have been touring Europe this fall and will continue onto Japan, New Zealand, Australia, North America, and back to the UK and Europe through the beginning of 2023. NYC is the last stop on their North American leg, with a Brooklyn show on February 2 at Pioneer Works. Last night, the band hosted a roller skating and advance listening party at Rockefeller Center. All upcoming dates are listed below. DRY CLEANING — 2022-23 TOUR DATES Thu. Oct. 20 – London, UK @ Peckham Audio Tue. Oct. 25 – Kingston, UK @ Pryzm (Banquet Outstore) Tue. Nov. 8 – Paris, FR @ Le Trabendo Wed. Nov. 9 – Cologne, DE @ Club Volta Fri. Nov. 11 – Utrecht, NL @ Le Guess Who? Festival Sat. Nov. 12 – Kortrijk, BE @ Sonic City Wed. Nov. 30 – Tokyo, JP @ Liquid Room Thu. Dec. 1 – Osaka, JP @ Club Quattro Tue. Dec. 6 – Auckland, NZ @ Tuning Fork Wed. Dec. 7 – Wellington, NZ @ San Fran Fri. Dec. 9 – Brisbane, AU @ The Brightside Sat. Dec. 10 – Meredith, AU @ Meredith Festival Mon. Dec. 12 – Melbourne, AU @ The Corner Hotel Tue. Dec. 13 – Melbourne, AU @ The Corner Hotel Wed. Dec. 14 – Sydney, AU @ Manning Bar Fri. Dec. 16 – Perth, AU @ Rosemount Hotel Tue. Jan. 10, 2023 – Montreal, QC @ La Tulipe Wed. Jan. 11, 2023 – Toronto, ON @ Phoenix Fri. Jan. 13, 2023 – Chicago, IL @ Thalia Hall Sat. Jan 14, 2023 – Minneapolis, MN @ Fine Line Tue. Jan. 17, 2023 – Vancouver, BC @ Rickshaw Wed. Jan. 18, 2023 – Seattle, WA @ Neptune Thu. Jan. 19, 2023 – Portland, OR @ Crystal Ballroom Sat. Jan. 21, 2023 – San Francisco, CA @ August Hall Sun. Jan. 22, 2023 – Los Angeles, CA @ The Belasco Mon. Jan. 23, 2023 – Phoenix, AZ @ Crescent Ballroom Tue. Jan. 24, 2023 – Tucson, AZ @ Congress Plaza Thu. Jan. 26, 2023 – Dallas, TX @ Texas Theatre Fri. Jan. 27, 2023 – Austin, TX @ Mohawk Sat. Jan. 28, 2023 – New Orleans, LA @ Toulouse Theatre Sun. Jan. 29, 2023 – Atlanta, GA @ Terminal West Tue. Jan. 31, 2023 – Washington, DC @ The Howard Theatre Wed. Feb. 1, 2023 – Philadelphia, PA @ Union Transfer Thu. Feb. 2, 2023 – Brooklyn, NY @ Pioneers Works Tue. Feb. 14, 2023 – Dublin, IE @ Vicar Street Wed. Feb. 15, 2023 – Belfast, UK @ Mandela Hall Fri. Feb. 17, 2023 – Glasgow, UK @ Barrowlands Sat. Feb. 18, 2023 – Leeds, UK @ O2 Academy Mon. Feb. 20, 2023 – Liverpool, UK @ Invisible Wind Factory Tue. Feb. 21, 2023 – Nottingham, UK @ Rock City Wed Feb. 22, 2023 – Sheffield, UK @ O2 Academy Fri. Feb. 24, 2023 – Manchester, UK @ Albert Hall Sat. Feb. 25, 2023 – Birmingham, UK @ O2 Institute Sun. Feb. 26, 2023 – Bristol, UK @ O2 Academy Tue. Feb. 28, 2023 – Cardiff, UK @ Tramshed Wed. March 1, 2023 – Brighton, UK @ Chalk Fri. March 3, 2023 – London, UK @ O2 Academy Brixton Mon. Mar. 13, 2023 – Copenhagen, DK @ VEGA Wed. Mar. 15, 2023 – Stockholm, SE @ Debaser Strand Thu. Mar. 16, 2023 – Oslo, NO @ Parkteatret Sat. Mar. 18, 2023 – Hamburg, DE @ Knust Sun. Mar. 19, 2023 – Groningen, NL @ Vera Mon. Mar. 20, 2023 – Amsterdam, NL @ Paradiso Tue. March 22, 2023 – Offenbach, DE @ Hafen2 Thu. Mar. 23, 2023 – Munich, DE @ Strom Fri. Mar. 24, 2023 – Vienna, AT @ Flex Sat. Mar. 25, 2023 – Prague, CZ @ Futurum Mon. Mar. 27, 2023 – Warsaw, PL @ Hybrydy Tue. Mar. 28, 2023 – Leipzig, DE @ UT Connewitz Wed. Mar. 29, 2023 – Berlin, DE @ Festsaal Kreuzberg Fri. Mar. 31, 2023 – Rotterdam, NL @ Maassilo Sat. Apr. 1, 2023 – Antwerp, BE @ Trix Read More…