Former President Donald Trump Slams 'Disgusting' Report He Nearly Fired Ivanka Trump & Jared Kushner Via Twitter
Former President Donald Trump Slams 'Disgusting' Report He Nearly Fired Ivanka Trump & Jared Kushner Via Twitter https://digitalarizonanews.com/former-president-donald-trump-slams-disgusting-report-he-nearly-fired-ivanka-trump-jared-kushner-via-twitter/
Firing back … over an alleged near-firing!
On Saturday, October 1, former President Donald Trump slammed prominent White House reporter Maggie Haberman over a report in her new book in which she alleged the then-POTUS nearly axed daughter Ivanka Trump, and her husband, Jared Kushner, from their prominent administration roles via tweet.
“I had a story the other day that I wanted to fire my daughter Ivanka; that didn’t happen.” the controversial politician said of Haberman, who he dubbed “maggot” as her first name is Maggie, speaking at a rally in Warren, Michigan.
Read More Here
Former Uber Security Chief Convicted Of Covering Up 2016 Data Breach
Former Uber Security Chief Convicted Of Covering Up 2016 Data Breach https://digitalarizonanews.com/former-uber-security-chief-convicted-of-covering-up-2016-data-breach/
SAN FRANCISCO — A former chief security officer for Uber was convicted Wednesday of federal charges stemming from payments he quietly authorized to hackers who breached the ride-hailing company in 2016.
Joe Sullivan was found guilty of obstructing justice for keeping the breach from the Federal Trade Commission, which had been probing Uber’s privacy protections at the time, and of actively hiding a felony.
The verdict ended a dramatic case that pitted Sullivan, a prominent security expert who was an early prosecutor of cybercrimes for the San Francisco U.S. attorney’s office, against his former government office. In between prosecuting hackers and being prosecuted, Sullivan served as the top security executive at Facebook, Uber and Cloudflare.
Judge William H. Orrick did not set a date for sentencing. Sullivan may appeal if post-trial motions fail to set the verdict aside.
“Mr. Sullivan’s sole focus — in this incident and throughout his distinguished career — has been ensuring the safety of people’s personal data on the internet,” Sullivan attorney David Angeli said after the 12-member jury rendered its unanimous verdict on the fourth day of deliberations.
Even without Sullivan’s job history, the trial would have been closely watched as the first major criminal case brought against a corporate executive over a breach by outsiders.
It also may be one of the last: In the five years since Sullivan was fired, payoffs to extortionists, including those who steal sensitive data, have become so routine that some security firms and insurance companies specialize in handling the transactions.
“Paying out the ransom I think is more common than we’re led to believe. There is an attitude that’s similar to a fender bender,” said Michael Hamilton, founder of security firm Critical Insight.
FBI leaders, while officially discouraging the practice, have said they will not pursue the people and companies that pay ransoms if they don’t violate sanctions prohibiting payments to named criminal groups especially close to the Russian government.
“This case will certainly make executives, incident responders and anybody else connected with deciding whether to pay or disclose ransom payments think a little harder about their legal obligations. And that’s not a bad thing,” said Brett Callow, who researches ransomware at security firm Emsisoft. “As is, too much happens in shadows, and that lack of transparency can undermine cybersecurity efforts.”
Most security professionals had been anticipating Sullivan’s acquittal, noting that he had kept the CEO and others who were not charged informed of what was happening.
“Personal liability for corporate decisions with executive stakeholder input is a new territory that’s somewhat uncharted for security executives,” said Dave Shackleford, owner of Voodoo Security. “I fear it will lead to a lack of interest in our field, and increased skepticism about infosec overall.”
John Johnson, a “virtual” chief information security officer for multiple companies, agreed. “Your company leadership could make choices that can have very personal repercussions to you and your lifestyle,” he said. “Not saying everything Joe did was right or perfect, but we can’t bury our head and say it will never happen to us.”
Prosecutors argued in Sullivan’s case that his use of a nondisclosure agreement with the hackers was evidence that he participated in a coverup. They said the break-in was a hack that was followed by extortion as the hackers threatened to publish the data they took, and so it should not have qualified for Uber’s bug bounty program to reward friendly security researchers.
But the reality is that as the hacking of corporations has gotten worse, the way companies have dealt with it has moved far past the letter of the law when Sullivan was accused of breaking it.
Bug bounties usually require nondisclosure deals, some of which last forever.
“Bug bounty programs are being misused to hide vulnerability information. In the case of Uber, they were used to cover up a breach,” Katie Moussouris, who established a bug bounty program at Microsoft and now runs her own vulnerability resolution company, said in an interview.
The case against Sullivan started when a hacker emailed Uber anonymously and described a security lapse that allowed him and a partner to download data from one of the company’s Amazon repositories. It emerged that they had used a stray digital key Uber had left exposed to get into the Amazon account, where they found and extracted an unencrypted backup of data on more than 50 million Uber riders and 600,000 drivers.
Sullivan’s team steered them toward Uber’s bounty program and noted that the top payout under it was $10,000. The hackers said they would need six figures and threatened to release the data.
A protracted negotiation ensued that ended with a $100,000 payment and a promise from the hackers that they had destroyed the data and would not disclose what they had done. While that looks like a coverup, testimony showed that Sullivan’s staff used the process to get clues that would lead them to the real identities of the perpetrators, which they felt was necessary leverage to hold them to their word. The two were later arrested and pleaded guilty to hacking charges, and one testified for the prosecution in Sullivan’s trial.
The obstruction charge drew strength from the fact that Uber at the time was nearing the end of a Federal Trade Commission investigation following a major 2014 breach.
A charge of actively hiding a felony, or misprision, could also apply to many of the corporate chiefs who send bitcoin to overseas hackers without telling anyone else what happened. While the number of those hush-ups is impossible to get, it is clearly a large figure. Otherwise, federal officials would not have pressed for recent legislation that will require ransomware notifications from critical infrastructure victims to the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency.
The Securities and Exchange Commission is also pushing for more disclosure. The conviction stunned corporate security and compliance leaders and will rivet their attention on the details of those rules.
The case against Sullivan was weaker in some respects than one might expect from a trial aimed at setting a precedent.
While he directed the response to the two hackers, many others at the company were in the loop, including a lawyer on Sullivan’s team, Craig Clark. Evidence showed that Sullivan told Uber’s then-chief executive, Travis Kalanick, within hours of learning about the threat himself, and that Kalanick approved Sullivan’s strategy. The company’s chief privacy lawyer, who was overseeing the response to the FTC, was informed, and the head of the company’s communications team had details as well.
Clark, the designated legal lead on breaches, was given immunity to testify against his former boss. On cross-examination, he acknowledged advising the team that the attack would not have to be disclosed if the hackers were identified, agreed to delete what they had taken and could convince the company that they had not spread the data further, all of which eventually came to pass.
Prosecutors were left to challenge “whether Joe Sullivan could have possibly believed that,” as one of them put it in closing arguments Friday.
Sullivan’s attorney Angeli said that the real world functioned differently from bug bounty ideals and the policies laid out in company manuals.
“At the end of the day, Mr. Sullivan led a team that worked tirelessly to protect Uber’s customers,” Angeli told the jury.
After Kalanick was forced out of the company for unrelated scandals, his successor, Dara Khosrowshahi, came in and learned of the breach. Sullivan depicted it to him as a routine payoff, prosecutors said, editing from one email the amount of the payoff and the fact that the hackers had obtained unencrypted data, including phone numbers, on tens of millions of riders. After a later investigation turned up the full story, Khosrowshahi testified, he fired Sullivan for not telling him more, sooner.
Eager to show that it was operating in a new era, the company helped the U.S. attorney’s office build a case against Sullivan. And the prosecutors in turn unsuccessfully pressed Sullivan to implicate Kalanick, who would have been a far bigger prize but was not damned by the surviving written evidence, according to people familiar with the process.
Bug bounties were never meant to offer as much money to hackers as criminals or governments would pay. Instead, they were designed to offer some cash to those already inclined to stay above board.
But the companies are the ones paying the bill even when the programs are run by outside vendors such as HackerOne and Bugcrowd. Disputes between the researchers reporting the security holes and the companies with the holes are now common.
The two sides differ over whether a bug was “in scope,” meaning inside the areas where the company said it wanted help. They differ over how much a bug is worth, or if it is worthless because others had already found it. And they differ over how, or even if, the researcher can disclose the work after the bug has been fixed or the company opts not to change anything.
The bounty platforms have arbitration procedures for those disputes, but since the companies are footing the bill, many hackers see bias. Too much protesting, and they get booted from the platform entirely.
“If you’re hacking on a bug bounty program for the love of hacking and making security better, that’s the wrong reason, because you have no control over whether a company decides to patch in a timely matter or not,” said John Jackson, a researcher who cut back on his bounty work and now sells vulnerability information when he can...
US Appeals Court Agrees To Expedite Justice Dept. Appeal In Trump Documents Case Reports UrduPoint
US Appeals Court Agrees To Expedite Justice Dept. Appeal In Trump Documents Case – Reports – UrduPoint https://digitalarizonanews.com/us-appeals-court-agrees-to-expedite-justice-dept-appeal-in-trump-documents-case-reports-urdupoint/
WASHINGTON (UrduPoint News / Sputnik – 06th October, 2022) The 11th Circuit Court of Appeals issued a ruling agreeing to hasten consideration of the appeal by the US Justice Department in a lower court to review 11,000 documents seized by the FBI from former President Donald Trump‘s residence in Florida, Politico reported.
The US Court of Appeals for the 11th Circuit granted the request from Federal prosecutors to shorten the timeline for the Justice Department and Trump‘s lawyers to file briefs in the dispute, the report said on Wednesday.
Trump opposed the request, arguing in a filing to the 11th Circuit on Monday that he would be prejudiced if the appeal were expedited, the report said.
The Justice Department argued that the review is an unnecessary barrier to their investigation into Trump‘s alleged unlawful possession of classified documents, the theft of government records and obstruction of justice, the report said.
Judge Adalberto Jordan‘s one-page order stipulates that under the new schedule, Trump‘s lawyers would have to fully explain their position in the dispute by November 10 and that briefing would be complete by November 17, the report said.
The judge made it clear that no extensions will be allowed, the report added.
In August, Trump sued the Justice Department after the search of his Florida residence, where investigators seized several dozen boxes with about 11,000 documents. The Trump team also asked Judge Aileen Cannon to appoint a special master to review the seized materials for any privileged documents and prohibit Justice Department investigators from using the materials in their probe until they were reviewed.
Read More Here
Trump Says Mar-A-Lago Documents Coverage Has Given The Palm Beach Club '$5 Billion-Worth Of Free Publicity'
Trump Says Mar-A-Lago Documents Coverage Has Given The Palm Beach Club '$5 Billion-Worth Of Free Publicity' https://digitalarizonanews.com/trump-says-mar-a-lago-documents-coverage-has-given-the-palm-beach-club-5-billion-worth-of-free-publicity/
The DOJ is investigating Trump over his post-presidential handling of classified documents.
Trump said the coverage of the FBI’s search of his home provided tons of free publicity.
He called the investigation a “documents hoax” and a “charade.”
Loading
Something is loading.
MIAMI, Florida — Former President Donald Trump on Wednesday blasted the FBI’s Mar-a-Lago search for classified documents at his Florida home, but shared that he saw one silver lining in the ordeal.
In a speech at the Intercontinental Miami, Trump said the news “helicopters” flying over Mar-a-Lago since the search only boosted business for the private oceanfront club in Palm Beach, Florida.
“They’ve given us about $5 billion of free publicity,” Trump said at the Hispanic Leadership Conference in Miami, organized by America First Works.
“People say, ‘That’s a nice house,'” he added. “If it weren’t so nice they probably wouldn’t be doing it.”
Mar-a-Lago’s membership is private and paid through annual fees. It’s not clear whether membership has changed since the August raid, given that the club has been closed since Mother’s Day and doesn’t reopen until October 31, Insider previously reported.
Only members and their guests are allowed to use the facilities. It costs $200,000 to join, according to Town and Country, with another $14,000 in annual dues for access to the club’s dining amenities, spas, tennis courts, and other Trump properties.
Trump disclosed last month on his social media platform Truth Social that he’d returned to Mar-a-Lago to survey his home. During the FBI search he was at Trump Tower in New York, though he’d been spending much of the summer at his Bedminster, New Jersey, golf course.
During the hourlong speech Wednesday, Trump largely defended himself in the investigation, saying he had done “nothing wrong,” He called the DOJ’s investigation a “document hoax” and a “charade.”
“They are targeting me because they want to silence me, silence you, and silence our amazing MAGA movement,” Trump said.
Federal investigators found dozens of classified and top secret documents at Mar-a-Lago, and are investigating whether Trump violated laws about record keeping and subsequently put national security at risk, according to court filings.
Earlier on Wednesday, a federal appeals court sided with the Justice Department and agreed to fast-track the appointment of a third party to review the seized records.
Trump has fundraised off the FBI search and has often faced scrutiny during his presidency for his business ties. When he was president he frequently stayed at Mar-a-Lago and used other Trump properties for events.
Post-presidency, GOP political hopefuls continue to flock to Mar-a-Lago, holding fundraisers and other events there as they hope to get some face time with Trump and perhaps even land a coveted endorsement.
Read More Here
During Florida Visit Biden And DeSantis Put Politics (Largely) On Hold
During Florida Visit, Biden And DeSantis Put Politics (Largely) On Hold https://digitalarizonanews.com/during-florida-visit-biden-and-desantis-put-politics-largely-on-hold/
Send any friend a story
As a subscriber, you have 10 gift articles to give each month. Anyone can read what you share.
President Biden met with Gov. Ron DeSantis on Wednesday during a visit to Fort Myers, Fla., a popular beach town that was devastated by Hurricane Ian. Credit…Doug Mills/The New York Times
Oct. 5, 2022Updated 7:35 p.m. ET
FORT MYERS, Fla. — President Biden, standing amid the devastation a week after Hurricane Ian slammed into southwest Florida, said on Wednesday that the federal government would provide “every element” of its resources to support the recovery effort.
Gov. Ron DeSantis, a potential Republican rival to the president in 2024, stood near Mr. Biden and praised the work the White House had done to pump federal resources into his state “from the very beginning.”
“We have very different political philosophies,” Mr. Biden said as he toured the area with Mr. DeSantis, putting it lightly. “In dealing with this crisis, we’ve been in complete lock step.”
In any other political era, such an appearance would have been standard fare. It would not be an open question whether the leader of a state brought to its knees by a natural disaster would actually appear with the visiting president of another political party. But it took a Category 4 hurricane to temporarily dull the animosity between Mr. Biden and Mr. DeSantis, two men who share a streak of intense competitiveness but whose ideologies, temperaments and political styles could hardly be more different.
“We are cutting through the red tape, and that’s from local government, state government, all the way up to the president, so we appreciate the team effort,” Mr. DeSantis said before Mr. Biden took the podium.
A brief flash of civil partnership may have been what Floridians were looking for as they try to piece their lives back together. As relief and recovery efforts continue, the estimate for the cost of the storm is rising into the billions, and the death toll is still climbing. The area that Mr. Biden toured by helicopter and on foot Wednesday had been damaged or outright destroyed, homes and livelihoods wiped away in a rush of wind and water.
“Today we have one job and only one job,” Mr. Biden said, “and that’s to make sure that people in Florida get everything that they need to fully, thoroughly recover.”
But for those looking for evidence of the tension between them — apparent most recently over the stunt engineered by Mr. DeSantis to fly migrants from Texas to Martha’s Vineyard as a way of criticizing the administration over its immigration policy — there were subtle signs that their rivalry is alive and well.
Mr. DeSantis, who in recent days has been touring hard-hit communities dressed in jeans and waterproof shrimping boots, has been emphasizing that it is hard to get an understanding for the extent of the devastation from the air. In this deeply conservative part of the state, Mr. DeSantis has said little as his constituents lashed out about what they saw as a lack of federal support.
As the governor swept through a relief station set up at Monroe Canal Marina on Tuesday, residents swarmed to take photos and thank him for his work. “To hell with Joe Biden,” bellowed one man. “Where the hell is he?”
“You can go over it in a helicopter, and you can see damage, but it does not do it justice until you are actually on the ground,” Mr. DeSantis said during a solo appearance on Wednesday.
Arriving to a news conference later that day after an hourlong helicopter ride in which he surveyed the effects of the storm with the first lady, Jill Biden, Mr. Biden seemed eager to emphasize that he had toured a number of disaster areas as president. (He traveled to Florida two days after visiting storm-battered Puerto Rico.) He also pointed out that he was able to see a large amount of damage, including flooding and leveled homes, from Marine One.
“I’m sure it’s much worse on the ground,” Mr. Biden said. “But you can see a whole hell of a lot of the damage from the air. And you can imagine.”
Even in the midst of nature’s wreckage, there were more overt signs that the president was visiting unfriendly political territory. Mr. Biden landed in Florida near Fort Myers Beach, a laid-back strip of sand and road that attracts rowdy spring breakers and margarita-toting snowbirds. The town was all but leveled when Hurricane Ian slammed into the coast with wind speeds exceeding 150 miles per hour.
How Times reporters cover politics. We rely on our journalists to be independent observers. So while Times staff members may vote, they are not allowed to endorse or campaign for candidates or political causes. This includes participating in marches or rallies in support of a movement or giving money to, or raising money for, any political candidate or election cause.
As he traveled to meet Mr. DeSantis in a wharf area near Fort Myers, the president passed people who were taking photos. Others were holding up their middle fingers.
Still, Mr. Biden stressed that personal politics would not affect the federal government’s response to the storm. Ahead of his visit, the White House announced that it would fulfill a request from the Florida government to extend the period of time the federal government would fully fund debris removal and emergency response efforts. The funding will last for 60 days rather than 30 days, though Mr. Biden said Mr. DeSantis would likely have to request more.
It is unclear whether the two leaders’ delicate détente will hold longer than Mr. Biden’s four hours on the ground, but they must now work together on a lengthy recovery effort, which could soon bleed into the midterm election season.
Mr. Biden and Mr. DeSantis will also have to contend with the influence of former President Donald J. Trump, another South Florida resident who has demonstrated little interest in ceding the political spotlight to rivals in either party.
While the president and the governor have stayed in regular telephone contact in recent days, they showed little interest in publicly detailing their conversations or suggesting that the nature of their relationship had changed.
Gestures of solidarity in a moment of crisis can carry political risk: Mr. Biden’s visit recalled the 2012 trip by President Barack Obama to New Jersey after Hurricane Sandy, when Chris Christie, the state’s governor at the time and a rising star in the Republican Party, was photographed conspicuously embracing Mr. Obama. Mr. Christie, who ran unsuccessfully for president in 2016, was considerably maligned over the awkward embrace.
On Wednesday, the president and the governor settled for a handshake. While Mr. Biden views Mr. Trump as a threat to democracy, he speaks of Mr. DeSantis, 44, as an emerging force in a party he says he no longer recognizes.
“This is not your father’s Republican Party,” Mr. Biden said this spring, targeting Mr. DeSantis, a former congressman who is running for re-election against Charlie Crist, a centrist Democrat. “It’s not even conservative in a traditional sense of conservatism. It’s mean, it’s ugly.”
Before the storm, the two publicly tangled over everything from mask mandates for teachers during the coronavirus pandemic to the contents of mathematics textbooks. In February, Mr. DeSantis accused the president of being a “fellow that just hates Florida.”
Image
Hurricane Ian caused widespread damage in Florida, where the death toll continues to climb and the estimate for the cost of recovery is rising into the billions.Credit…Jason Andrew for The New York Times
When Mr. DeSantis’s government proudly flew exhausted and confused migrants, some of them children, to Martha’s Vineyard last month, the president called the stunt “reckless” and “un-American.”
During his visit, Mr. Biden only briefly touched on their disagreements, including their differing beliefs over what might have caused the storm.
While Mr. DeSantis and other Florida Republicans have remained hostile to the idea that climate change could be causing more powerful storms, the president said that the brutality of the storm and the forces that caused it were a direct result of a warming planet.
“I think the one thing this has finally ended is any discussion about whether or not there’s climate change, we should do something about it,” Mr. Biden said.
As federal relief funds have flowed unimpeded to his state since Hurricane Ian, Mr. DeSantis — who as a freshman congressman voted against a funding plan that would have helped victims of Hurricane Sandy in 2013 — has turned from a rhetorical bomb thrower into an agreeable partner. He has spoken several times by phone with Mr. Biden in recent days. He has also played nice on television, even with more combustible personalities like Tucker Carlson of Fox News.
By the time they were through on Wednesday, both men reiterated their commitment to helping Florida without letting politics get in the way, and Mr. Biden even threw in a compliment for Mr. DeSantis: “I think he’s done a good job.” But Mr. Biden was not able to resist pointing out that he had been the one to reach out first.
“Look, I called him,” the president added. “I think even before he called me, when I heard this storm was on its way.”
Reporting was contributed by Patricia Mazzei from Miami; Emily Cochrane from St. James City, Fla.; Neil Vigdor from Greenwich, Conn.; Zolan Kanno-Youngs from Washington; and Eliza Fawcett from North Fort Myers, Fla.
Read More Here
These Are The 22 Postseasons Best Walk-Up Songs WFIN Local News
These Are The ’22 Postseason’s Best Walk-Up Songs – WFIN Local News https://digitalarizonanews.com/these-are-the-22-postseasons-best-walk-up-songs-wfin-local-news/
22 minutes ago
BLUE JAYS: Alejandro KirkSong: “El Mech?n” by Banda MS de Sergio Liz?rraga
The Blue Jays pitching staff has some warm-up songs that fit perfectly, like Alek Manoah opening to “No Friends in the Industry” by Drake, but just as All-Star catcher Alejandro Kirk has become a fan favorite, his song choice El Mech?n by Banda MS de Sergio Liz?rraga has too. While Kirk has emerged as one of the most consistent offensive forces in the lineup, there have been a handful of times this season when he’s stepped on deck as a pinch-hitter and the unmistakable horns of his walk-up song have brought a roar from the crowd. There are plenty of options to choose from in the lineup, but you always know when Kirk is about to bat.
RAYS: Isaac ParedesSong: “A Toda Prueba” by Miguel Y Miguel
The Rays’ most iconic walk-up selection isn’t even a song. It’s the “Ji! Man! Choi!” chant that breaks out stadium-wide every time the popular first baseman steps up to the plate. But if we must pick an actual song, there are a few fun ones to choose from. Shane McClanahan warms up to “Simple Man” despite a pregame playlist of pop-punk powerhouses. Randy Arozarena’s walk-up song gets people moving. And Paredes cycles through slower, romantic ballads that might seem out of place at a ballpark, including his latest selection.
YANKEES: Aaron JudgeSong: “Hello” by Pop Smoke
OK, so it has more to do with the player than the tune, but nothing has made Yankee Stadium ‘all rise’ like Pop Smoke’s “Hello” — Aaron Judge’s chosen walk-up song. Especially recently, as Judge took aim at Roger Maris’ single-season home run record, the rapper’s beats prompted crowds of 40,000-plus to stand in the aisles and reach for their phones, all hoping to capture a slice of history. The song features rapper A Boogie wit da Hoodie announcing himself as the “king of New York City” — given the reaction to each of Judge’s at-bats, he has competition.
Is there anything more fitting than a player on MLB’s youngest roster having a walk-up song that begins by yelling, “Are you ready, kids?” Guardians outfielder Oscar Gonzalez won over fans’ hearts the second he made his big league debut earlier this year by walking up to the theme from SpongeBob Squarepants. Gonzalez has walked to the plate to this music since he was in Triple-A, as he wants to appeal to the children in the crowd because “it’s a kid’s game after all.” Fans at Progressive Field chant “SpongeBob Squarepants” along with the tune and often finish the song when the music gets cut short.
Nothing gets the Minute Maid Park crowd singing quite like Alex Bregman strolling to the plate to “Wanna Be a Baller” by hip-hop artist Lil’ Troy. Once the lyrics fade, the crowd keeps chanting the lyrics … “but there’s got to be a better way!/A better way, better way, yeah.” Of course, Bregman has been known to change his walk-up song frequently throughout the season, so you never know what to expect. This year, he’s also walked to the plate to Garth Brooks’ “Callin’ Baton Rouge” – a nod to his LSU days – and “Set it Off” by Lil Boosie.
For as unassuming and personably gentle as he is off the mound, Logan Gilbert is anything but on it, a fiery competitor who mostly lets his pitching do the talking rather than any excessive celebrations. Those differing personalities depending on the situation makes his selection of “Gangsta’s Paradise” by Coolio quite the juxtaposition, but in a quirky way, and it really seems to fit the towering right-hander. He’s used it as his walk-up song since college, always played well before first pitch as he walks in from the bullpen.
BRAVES: William ContrerasSong: “Narco” by Blasterjaxx and Timmy Trumpet
Travis d’Arnaud creates good vibes every time he strolls to the plate with Baby Boy da Prince’s “The Way I Live” blaring, but William Contreras’ choice “Narco” is now the most beloved at-bat song by Braves fans. It’s a great song and it created some good social media chatter this year. When some Mets fans realized Contreras used the same song as Edwin D?az, they argued the song belonged to their closer. So, Blasterjaxx and Timmy Trumpet’s hit gained even more attention as Atlanta and New York fans battled for more than just NL East supremacy.
METS: Edwin D?azSong: “Narco” by Blasterjaxx and Timmy Trumpet
With respect to Jacob deGrom’s chilling “Simple Man” entrance, there’s a reason why Edwin D?az received all that hype for “Narco” by Blasterjaxx and Timmy Trumpet. It’s the best closer entrance going, and it’s become an audio/visual production at Citi Field. For Mets opponents in October, there is no sound they’ll want to hear less than the drum beats and trumpet blasts that accompany D?az’s jog onto the field.
PHILLIES: Bryce HarperSong: “Flower” by Moby
Bryce Harper has a few walk-up songs, but he starts every game with Moby’s “Flower.” It brings a dramatic flair to the first inning when the chant starts and he walks to the plate. “Green Sally up and green Sally down, lift and squat, gotta tear the ground.” Then the music starts. Harper’s at-bats always bring a charge to Phillies fans at Citizens Bank Park, and this song only adds to the moment.
CARDINALS: Adam WainwrightSong: “God’s Country” by Blake Shelton
Adam Wainwright uses a distinct run-out song instead of a walk-up song with the DH now in the NL, but his music of choice has become synonymous with the 41-year-old pitcher sprinting to the mound before a start. Wainwright, an aspiring country music singer who has recorded a few tracks already, sprints out of the dugout to Blake Shelton’s “God’s Country,” which is a nod to his Georgia roots. The music has worked well for Wainwright, who teamed with catcher Yadier Molina earlier this season to set the AL/NL record for starts among batterymates. The duo’s start in Sunday’s regular-season finale was their 328th – an AL/NL record that likely will never be broken.
DODGERS: Freddie FreemanSong: “Baila Conmigo” by Dayvi & V?ctor Cardenas
There are a couple of great contenders to choose from in L.A. Clayton Kershaw has pitched to “We are Young” by fun. for quite some time. When opposing teams listen to that song, they know the future Hall of Famer is on the bump. But Freddie Freeman’s “Baila Conmigo” has been a fan favorite this season. It gets the crowd going, especially Freeman’s son, Charlie, who is the one responsible for selecting the catchy tune.
PADRES: Jorge AlfaroSong: “Volver Volver” by Vicente Fern?ndez
Jorge Alfaro has only spent one season in San Diego, but he’s already a cult hero. That might be the five walk-offs. It might be a laid-back personality that seems to fit the city. But manager Bob Melvin has a different theory: “It’s his walk-up song, I’m convinced,” Melvin quipped. That song is “Volver Volver,” a classic from legendary Mexican singer/songwriter Vicente Fern?ndez — and it’s generally sung in unison by Padres fans at Petco Park.
Read More Here
Iranian Authorities Arrest Eight After Teenage Protester's Death | CNN
Iranian Authorities Arrest Eight After Teenage Protester's Death | CNN https://digitalarizonanews.com/iranian-authorities-arrest-eight-after-teenage-protesters-death-cnn/
02:41 – Source: CNN
Iranian media says 8 arrested over death of Nika Shahkarami
CNN —
Iranian security forces have arrested eight people over the death of a 16-year-old teenager, Nika Shahkarami, in Tehran last month, Iranian media said on Tuesday.
Family members told BBC Persian that her whereabouts was unknown for 10 days before they found her body in a morgue in the capital.
Her aunt, Atash Shahkarami, told BBC Persian in an interview Friday that her niece left her home on September 20 around 5 p.m. local time, and that she was in contact with her until 7 p.m.
The aunt said she was told by Shahkarami’s friend that the teenager posted a story to Instagram showing her burning her headscarf, and that Shahkarami told her she was being followed by security agents.
After that, the family lost contact with Shahkarami, the aunt told BBC Persian. The family found her 10 days later at a morgue in at a detention center in the capital.
“When we went to identify her, they didn’t allow us to see her body, only her face for a few seconds,” Atash Shahkarami told BBC Persian.
State-aligned news agency Tasnim said Shahkarami was found dead on September 21 in the backyard of a house in Tehran. Tasnim said that police watched surveillance footage of Shahkarami entering an adjacent building and that it remains unclear how she died. Tasnim said there is “no evidence” of claims by “foreign media” that that the teenager was killed by the police.
The semi-official Fars News agency on Wednesday published CCTV footage that it claimed showed the last moments of Shahkarami’s life.
The video, which the agency said it obtained from police and judicial authorities, shows a person walk into an alley and enter a home, pulling down their face mask as they walk through the door. The person is not immediately identifiable.
The video’s timecode indicates that it was filmed just after 12 a.m. local time; lights in the doorway of a neighboring home and shadows on the street suggest that the video was recorded at night.
“This is the last video of Nika Shahkarami, 7 hours before her body was discovered,” Fars News said, claiming that it showed the teenager going into a half-finished home near her aunt’s alley while talking on her mobile phone.
The eight people arrested were workers in the building where Shahkarami allegedly entered, Tasnim reported.
Tehran’s prosecutor Ali Salehi said a judicial criminal case has been launched and expressed his condolences to Shahkarami’s family, state-run IRNA said.
CNN reached out to the family for comment.
Shahkarami’s death comes as nationwide protests take Iran by storm following the death in September of Mahsa Amini, a 22-year-old Kurdish-Iranian woman who died after being detained by the country’s morality police for how she was dressed.
Girls and women across the country have been protesting at school and university campuses and out on the streets. Social media videos show Iranian women and girls chanting “death to the dictator” and are seen taking off their mandatory headscarves, known as hijabs, in protest.
Anti-regime demonstrations have also penetrated the Islamic Republic’s power bases, including the Shia holy cities of Mashhad and Qom. Ethnic minorities – notably Kurds in the country’s north and northwest, and Baloch people in the southeast – have also staged protests, enduring what appear to be some of the most brutal crackdowns, with scores reportedly killed.
The ferocious clampdown on protesters from Iranian authorities has drawn attention from the US, which is expected to issue new sanctions this week against law enforcement officials and those directly involved, a source familiar with the planned movement told CNN.
President Joe Biden, who has moved quickly to throw his support behind the demonstrators, issued an intentionally vague statement Monday promising further costs “on perpetrators of violence against peaceful protestors.” A source told CNN those costs are expected to be in the form of additional sanctions this week, with more action to potentially follow.
On Wedneday, state-affiliated media and other outlets shared video of pro-government demonstrators on the streets of Tehran – many of them women – waving flags and holding signs in support of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei.
School teacher Fatemeh Shahvelayati who was at the gathering told Agence France-Presse: “Hijab was the excuse of our enemies to destroy our unity, while we all lived together with different beliefs and it was never a problem.”
A day earlier, CNN saw girls from a vocational high school in Tehran protesting on a street near their school. They were heard shouting “woman, life, freedom” and “dignified Iranian support” as well as “death to the dictator” – a popular chant heard amid demonstrations across the country over the past days.
In a tribute to her niece posted on Instagram, Atash Shahkarami wrote: “May thousands and thousands of brave people be born from the death of brave people!
Read More Here
US Court Allows Justice Dept To Fast-Track Appeal In Trump Case
US Court Allows Justice Dept To Fast-Track Appeal In Trump Case https://digitalarizonanews.com/us-court-allows-justice-dept-to-fast-track-appeal-in-trump-case/
Trump is facing a criminal investigation by the Justice Department for retaining government records – some marked as “top secret” – at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida after leaving office, and for possible obstruction.
Trump is being investigated for keeping classified documents in his home after he left office [Getty]
A US appeals court on Wednesday agreed to fast-track a legal challenge to a third-party review of most of the records seized by the FBI from former President Donald Trump’s home, after prosecutors complained the process is hampering their investigation.
The decision by the Atlanta-based US Court of Appeals for the 11th Circuit represented a small victory for the Justice Department, which had sought an expedited appeal, and a blow to Trump, who had tried to slow-walk the litigation.
At the heart of the dispute is a decision by US District Judge Aileen Cannon, a Trump appointee, who last month appointed Senior Judge Raymond Dearie as special master to review more than 11,000 records recovered from Mar-a-Lago to weed out any that could be privileged and should be shielded from investigators.
Reuters: U.S. APPEALS COURT GRANTS JUSTICE DEPT REQUEST TO EXPEDITE APPEAL IN DISPUTE OVER SPECIAL MASTER APPOINTMENT IN TRUMP DOCUMENTS PROBE -COURT FILING
— Kyle Griffin (@kylegriffin1) October 5, 2022
Trump is facing a criminal investigation by the Justice Department for retaining government records – some marked as highly classified, including “top secret” – at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida after leaving office, and for possible obstruction. The FBI seized the records in a court-approved search in August.
Cannon’s order, however, effectively paused the investigation by ruling that prosecutors could not continue using the documents for their criminal probe until Dearie’s review was complete.
In its filing, the Justice Department said this prohibition was hampering its probe into the mishandling of records and possible obstruction, and that it needs to be able to examine non-classified records that may have been stored in close proximity to classified ones.
Those non-classified records, the department said, “may shed light” on how the documents were transferred to or stored at the Mar-a-Lago estate, and who might have accessed them.
This marks the second time now that the 11th Circuit has ruled favourably for the Justice Department.
Last month, the Justice Department appealed another portion of Cannon’s order which also blocked them from using approximately 100 seized records marked as classified for their criminal probe, and required prosecutors to make those classified materials available to Dearie for his review.
A panel of three judges, two of whom were appointed by Trump, sided with the Justice Department’s request, finding that Cannon had erred by including those records in the special master review and precluding the Justice Department from accessing them for its probe.
Trump on Tuesday asked the Supreme Court in an emergency request to overturn a portion of the 11th Circuit’s ruling, saying the 100 records marked as classified should be part of the special master’s review.
In the Justice Department’s latest and broader appeal over the special master appointment before the 11th Circuit, a different three-judge panel will review the case.
A date for oral arguments has not yet been set.
A ruling in the government’s favour would have the potential to end the litigation over materials seized in the search as well as the outside review of those documents.
(Reuters)
Read More Here
How A Big Move Spurred Higleys Jamar Malone To Success
How A Big Move Spurred Higley’s Jamar Malone To Success https://digitalarizonanews.com/how-a-big-move-spurred-higleys-jamar-malone-to-success/
The COVID-19 pandemic forced the Malone family to make some major decisions, which included moving from Los Angeles to Gilbert. (Photo provided by the Malone family)
Alex Wakefield is an ASU Cronkite School of Journalism student assigned to cover Higley for AZPreps365.com
A chorus of whistles directs Higley High School’s offensive unit towards midfield. The sanitized version of Kanye West’s “Power” blasts from Higley’s stadium speakers.
It’s 4:54 p.m. on a cloudless 99-degree Tuesday in Gilbert, and Higley’s varsity football practice is coming to a close the way it always does: a final run through of the Knights’ hurry-up offense.
A nightmare for opposing defenses and those keeping stats, Higley’s hurry-up requires elite conditioning and breakneck speed. Higley has the athletes for it: short passes to junior running back Daxen Hall at full speed are a staple, and it often concludes with a touchdown pass to one of the Knights’ dynamic duo of senior wide receivers, Dominic Esposito and Carter Hancock. At its best, the scheme can operate with machine-like precision.
A machine, however, is only as reliable as its engine. And the Knights may have among the strongest engines in Arizona high school football with sophomore quarterback Jamar Malone II.
Listed on MaxPreps as 6-foot-3, 205 pounds, Malone II uses his encyclopedic knowledge of Higley’s offense to communicate plays to his line and receivers, and calmly executes. It is a complicated and fast-paced offensive system made to look easy by a quarterback of equal parts size and precision.
However, Malone II’s road to stardom as Higley football’s QB1 was hardly easy.
The COVID-19 pandemic hit the United States in the spring of Malone II’s seventh-grade year. Living in Los Angeles at the time, the Malone family faced the same challenges as every other family — with the added pressure of ensuring Jamar could continue to develop on the football field.
“In LA things were shut down basically,” Jamar Malone Sr., Jamar’s father, said. “We were pretty much on house arrest for 18 months. Football was completely canceled at the collegiate, high school, and youth level.”
After a completely upended 2020 high school football season across the state of California, the fate of LA’s 2021 season — Malone II’s freshman year — remained unclear well into the summer. For a family with strong roots in Southern California, this presented a difficult choice.
“It put us in a situation of trying to make a determination on what we were going to do his freshman year,” Malone Sr. said. “We know how important freshman year is to the development of an athlete.”
The Malones had traveled to Arizona a number of times for club football tournaments, and had developed a familiarity with the Phoenix area. Uncertainty surrounding LA’s high school football schedule led the Malone family to consider whether, for the sake of Malone II’s development, it was time to make a move.
“It came down to the decision entering into high school of what were we going to do?” said Malone Sr., who was born and raised in Los Angeles. “Were we going to not have a season or have an augmented season? Or were we going to move him somewhere where he could play a full season and really get that year of development that’s crucial for his position and for an athlete in general? So, we decided to make the move to Arizona.”
Malone II is now four games into his second season at Higley. Many may hear a big-time player has moved to an Arizona high school and assume they’ve arrived at a nationally recognized program like Chandler or Saguaro. Although Malone II certainly has the talent to play a premier role at any program in Arizona (and likely the country), the Malones sought a different track for Jamar.
“We decided to put him in a program that really allowed for his development,” Malone Sr. said. “[We] visited Higley, went on a tour, met Coach [Eddy] Zubey, got a good tour from the athletic director [Aaron Dille], got an opportunity to talk to Coach Zubey about football, and it just really looked like it was an opportunity to help a program grow, and to help Jamar develop all of the things that a quarterback needs to develop outside of throwing, running, and reading a defense. You know, to help him with leadership, how to win in other ways and facing adversity.”
To those who have seen Malone II play this season, the development is clear. The improvement has not only been stark from last season to now, it’s also clear from game to game. Malone II named and credited nearly every wide receiver on Higley’s roster before explaining that his own play wasn’t at the top of his mind.
“As of right now, I’m not really paying attention to that stuff,” Malone II said. “I’m more focused on the team-oriented goals, making the playoffs and making it to state. I’m not really concerned with what my personal stats are.”
For those who are concerned, Malone II leads the state in both total touchdowns (19) and total yards (1,559) among players who have played in four games (via MaxPreps). That comes out to 4.75 TDs and 390 yards per game. His standout performances have earned him a plethora of Division I offers, including Tennessee, Oregon and Utah.
As for Malone II’s team-oriented goals? The Knights are 4-0 and ranked third among azcentral’s 5A conference rankings. Zubey believes Malone II is a key part of that success.
“Jamar is the steward of our offensive ship,” Zubey said. “He’s the trigger man. His football IQ is off the charts. It’s really good. Just having him back there, just making sure when I screw up calls or the calls are screwed up that he makes us right.”
Malone II said that his family’s move has also paid dividends off the field.
“It’s been great, moving from California to Gilbert,” he said. “Slower pace, quiet, not the busy city, I kind of like that vibe. You can stroll around at night, walk around and see squirrels and stuff running around.”
Zubey said Malone II is also known as a standout in the classroom, taking the Honors or AP equivalent of each available class. Malone II’s Twitter bio includes his GPA (3.9), and he said he often works on homework after football games on Friday nights. Despite a rigorous school and training schedule, Malone II still finds ways to balance his life and enjoy football.
“My parents tell me to act like a kid,” he said. “You’re only going to be a kid for so long. So they say, just relax, have fun while you’re doing this. It’s a sport so you’re supposed to have fun. I would like to relax while I’m doing it.”
Not often do you hear nearly five touchdowns and almost 400 yards per game described as relaxing. But that’s exactly what it is for Jamar Malone II.
Read More Here
Appeals Court Orders Another Review Of Revised 'DACA'
Appeals Court Orders Another Review Of Revised 'DACA' https://digitalarizonanews.com/appeals-court-orders-another-review-of-revised-daca/
NEW ORLEANS (AP) — A federal appeals court Wednesday ordered a lower court review of Biden administration revisions to a program preventing the deportation of hundreds of thousands of immigrants brought into the United States as children.
The 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals said a federal district judge in Texas should take another look at the program following the revisions adopted in August. The ruling, for now, leaves the future of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals up in the air.
“It appears that the status quo for DACA remains,” said Veronica Garcia, an attorney for the Immigrant Legal Resource Center, an advocacy organization.
DACA was adopted by former President Barack Obama’s administration and has had a complicated ride through federal court challenges.
Texas-based U.S. District Judge Andrew Hanen last year declared DACA illegal. He found that the program had not been subjected to public notice and comment periods required under the federal Administrative Procedures Act. But he left the program temporarily intact for those already benefiting from it, pending the appeal.
Wednesday’s ruling by three judges of the New Orleans-based 5th Circuit upholds the judge’s initial finding. But it sends the case back to him for a look at a new version of the rule issued by the Biden administration in late August. The new rule takes effect Oct. 31.
“A district court is in the best position to review the administrative record in the rulemaking proceeding,” said the opinion by Chief 5th Circuit Judge Priscilla Richman, nominated to the court by President George W. Bush. The other panel members were judges Kurt Engelhardt and James Ho, both appointees of President Donald Trump.
The new rule’s 453 pages are largely technical and represent little substantive change from the 2012 memo that created DACA, but it was subject to public comments as part of a formal rule-making process intended to improve its chances of surviving legal muster.
In July arguments at the 5th Circuit, the U.S. Justice Department defended the program, allied with the state of New Jersey, immigrant advocacy organizations and a coalition of dozens of powerful corporations, including Amazon, Apple, Google and Microsoft. They argued that DACA recipients have grown up to become productive drivers of the U.S. economy, holding and creating jobs and spending money.
Texas, joined by eight other Republican-leaning states argued that they are harmed financially, incurring hundreds of millions of dollars in health care, education and other costs, when immigrants are allowed to remain in the country illegally. They also argued that the White House overstepped its authority by granting immigration benefits that are for Congress to decide.
DACA is widely expected to go to the Supreme Court for a third time. In 2016, the Supreme Court deadlocked 4-4 over an expanded DACA and a version of the program for parents of DACA recipients, keeping in place a lower court decision for the benefits to be blocked. In 2020, the high court ruled 5-4 that the Trump administration improperly ended DACA by failing to follow federal procedures, allowing it to stay in place.
DACA recipients have become a powerful political force even though they can’t vote, but their efforts to achieve a path to citizenship through Congress have repeatedly fallen short. Any imminent threat to lose work authorization and to expose themselves to deportation could pressure Congress into protecting them, even as a stopgap measure.
The Biden administration disappointed some pro-DACA advocates with its conservative legal strategy of keeping age eligibility unchanged. DACA recipients had to have been in the United States in June 2007, an increasingly out-of-reach requirement. The average age of a DACA recipient was 28.2 years at the end of March, compared to 23.8 years in September 2017.
There were 611,270 people enrolled in DACA at the end of March, including 494,350, or 81%, from Mexico and large numbers from Guatemala, Honduras, Peru and South Korea.
Read More Here
Free Tour Lets The Public See Local Jewish Artists At Work
Free Tour Lets The Public See Local Jewish Artists At Work https://digitalarizonanews.com/free-tour-lets-the-public-see-local-jewish-artists-at-work/
The annual art event, Hidden in the Hills Artist Studio Tour (HITH), allows the public to peek into the private studios of artists to learn about their methodology and process and purchase art directly from creators.
The free, self-guided tour, presented by the nonprofit Sonoran Arts League, is celebrating its 26th year and features 174 artists at 47 private studios throughout the communities of Cave Creek, Carefree and North Scottsdale.
This year, the event runs Nov. 18-20 and 25-27 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
HITH attracts both nationally recognized and emerging artists. Includedn i this year’s tour are a few local Jewish artists.
BOBBY HARR
When Bobby Harr was in junior high school, his art teacher told him that he would never become an artist — and her prediction stuck with him for years.
He never went to museums or galleries unless someone took him. Harr was a partner in a company in Phoenix that designed and built displays for retail stores, shopping centers and themed special events. He was one of the “vision” people at the company, artistic but never involved in the actual creation of the pieces they produced.
In 1998, Harr gave himself permission to explore his artistic side.
“I tried a few mediums and then found fused glass,” he said. “I basically had to teach myself since I couldn’t find any classes at the time.
“I love working with the glass because I can lay it out and play around with the pieces before I fire it. The glass is very forgiving — my pieces don’t need to be perfect.”
Harr creates Judaica and art objects using Dichroic glass, which displays vibrant, multiple colors depending on the way light hits it.
His work has been featured in over 200 galleries and shops across the United States and Canada, including The Jewish Museum in New York City and the Skirball Cultural Center in Los Angeles.
He has taught more than 900 students how to create fused, kiln-formed glass in Greater Phoenix, including at the Valley of the Sun Jewish Community Center.
These days, he doesn’t have time for teaching as he is on the road doing art shows across the Midwest for five months of the year.
“My biggest challenge is that I don’t have a permanent studio,” said Harr. “I am an apartment dweller, so I put everything in storage when I leave Phoenix each April and then get a new apartment in October when I return. I am limited on how much supplies I can take with me as I only have a standard cargo van, which is mostly taken up with my art-show tent and set up.”
Currently unaffiliated, Harr was a member of Ruach Hamidbar in Phoenix for several years and a founding member of a small congregation called Kol Ahava. He also was one of the founders of a group, no longer active, called Jewish Artists of the Valley (J.A.V.A.) that at one time had 300 members.
“I try to infuse an emotional connection to Judaism into my pieces. I know that except for mezuzahs and menorahs, many Jewish people do not buy much Judaica,” said Harr. “I joke that my work is not our ‘grandparent’s Judaica,’ it is for their life and decor today. I get great personal satisfaction that I am providing art that fulfills that emotional connection to Judaism many Jewish people want.”
For more information, visit bobbyharr.com.
LINDA SINGER
Scottsdale resident Linda Singer moved to Phoenix in 1981. Born in Rochester, N.Y., Singer’s mother taught her how to knit and crochet when she was 10 years old, thus beginning her creative journey.
Black lava stone and large round hand-made clay beads necklace by jewelry artist Linda Singer.
Courtesy of Linda Singer
Singer is the owner and designer of Soup to Nuts Jewelry. She started her jewelry business in 2014 and before that, she owned an event planning company for 16 years with the same name, Soup to Nuts.
“My friend was taking a class in jewelry making, so I tagged along,” said Singer. “I immediately loved it and decided that it would be a great hobby.”
Her hobby soon morphed into a business when a small boutique called Femme, located in Scottsdale, asked to sell her jewelry in their store and others asked her to create custom pieces.
“The materials I use are mostly fresh-water pearls, semi-precious stones, Swarovski crystals, sterling silver, gold and leather,” said Singer. This is her first time participating in HITH.
A member of Congregation Beth Israel for many years, Singer said that her children both had their bar and bat mitzvah there and it was also where her daughter was married.
“As a child, our family was Conservative and I became a bat mitzvah before my 13th birthday,” said Singer. “I learned my organizational skills and perfectionism from my mom.”
When asked how her Judaism impacts her art, she said, “I believe that somehow it is all tied together.”
For more information, visit souptonutsjewelry.com.
GENIE SWANSTROM
Genie Swanstrom began her artistic career as a painter. Ever since she was young, she wanted to be an artist and received encouragement from both her parents and teachers. Her mother was an ikebana (Japanese flower arranging) artist and a horticulturalist, so she remembers her childhood was filled with flowers and nature.
“I am very inspired by nature. All its beauty and intricacy speak to me and clay seems to be the perfect medium to portray the life, movement and texture of the natural world,” said Swanstrom.
The lovebirds on this ceramic jar were inspired by the birds that visit Genie Swanstrom’s neighborhood.
Courtesy of Genie Swanstrom
She took a pottery class at the University of Minnesota and she was hooked. She believes clay is the most expressive and most frustrating medium in the art world.
“It practically cracks when you look at it, especially here in Arizona,” said Swanstrom. “You can create a beautiful piece and the kiln can misfire and make it a piece of trash. I have been working in clay for 20 years and still haven’t explored the depths of this great medium.”
She studied art in Minnesota at Hamline University and the University of Minnesota as well as taking workshops from the best ceramic artists in the country. While studying for her master’s degree, she was impressed by the universal human desire to create art.
“I love experiencing new cultures and lived for a year in a third-world country,” said Swanstrom. “I love to travel and a couple of years ago, I stayed a month in China, taking the opportunity to study the art there.”
Lately, she has been incorporating more personally meaningful imagery in her pieces. “When I was young, my aunt Rose took me bird watching and watching birds became a life-long hobby,” shared Swanstrom. “Arizona lovebirds recently moved into my neighborhood — and onto my pottery. Birds have become a permanent part of my work. I have also added my mother’s flowers to my artwork as a kind of tribute to her and her influence in my life.”
She enjoys experimenting with different techniques but admits that throwing and hand-building are her favorites. She adds underglazes to the clay so that she can carve through it and occasionally adds metal pieces to her sculptures.
“I spend a lot of time glazing my work, layering oxides, stains and multiple glazes to get a rich surface,” she said. “I love experimenting with new techniques and even creating my own glazes. There’s always that pull to get the perfect surface for my work.”
Active in the local art community, she has served on several boards and run art shows in the Phoenix area. Swanstrom’s work is showcased through Practical Art in Phoenix and at the store inside the Mesa Arts Center. She has taught ceramic classes at the center for more than 13 years.
A member of Temple Beth Sholom of the East Valley, Swanstrom believes that anything a Jewish artist pours their soul into relates intrinsically to their Judaism.
“I am specifically interested in the idea of tikkun olam, the repairing of the world,” she shared. “Art is very therapeutic, and it is joyful for me to share my abilities with the community and help them grow as artists and humans. The imagery I put into my work is all about nature and at the core of it, is that the appreciation of nature leads to the protection of nature. It’s not in your face or obvious but that’s what I’m aiming for.”
For more information, visit swanstromstudios.com. JN
Downloadable maps for Hidden in the Hills Artist Studio Tour and details about participating artists will be available prior to the event at hiddeninthehills.org. For more information, call 480-575-6624.
Read More…
Tucson Man Sentenced To 17 Years For Distributing Fentanyl Resulting In Death
Tucson Man Sentenced To 17 Years For Distributing Fentanyl Resulting In Death https://digitalarizonanews.com/tucson-man-sentenced-to-17-years-for-distributing-fentanyl-resulting-in-death/
TUCSON, Ariz. – Alexandro Luis Gomez, 30, of Tucson, Arizona, was sentenced on September 28, 2022, by United States District Judge Rosemary Márquez to 17 years in prison, followed by five years of supervised release. Gomez previously pleaded guilty to Distribution of a Controlled Substance connected to the overdose death of a young man in December 2019. The Court also ordered Gomez to pay $12,727 in restitution to the decedent’s family as compensation for expenses related to the young man’s funeral and burial .
In December 2019, Gomez sold the decedent six pills containing fentanyl for $90, which caused the decedent to overdose and die from fentanyl toxicity.
As part of the law enforcement investigation into Gomez, agents witnessed him selling drugs to two other customers. When Gomez was arrested, he had 462 fentanyl pills and a handgun inside his vehicle. During a search of his residence, agents found drugs of various types, four additional firearms, multiple cellular telephones, and $10,625 in drug proceeds.
“Drug dealers are responsible for the consequences when young Americans die from the poison they sell,” said United States Attorney Gary Restaino. “This lengthy sentence for a $90 sale of six pills should serve both as a deterrent to other traffickers and as an homage to the victim’s family as they mourn his unexpected death.”
The Oro Valley Police Department, the Tucson Police Department, and the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration conducted the investigation in this case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Thomas Forsyth handled the prosecution.
CASE NUMBER: CR-20-1707-TUC-RM-EJM
RELEASE NUMBER: 2022-170_Gomez
# # #
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
Court Agrees To Expedite Justice Department Appeal In Trump Special Master Case Mountain Top Media
Court Agrees To Expedite Justice Department Appeal In Trump Special Master Case – Mountain Top Media https://digitalarizonanews.com/court-agrees-to-expedite-justice-department-appeal-in-trump-special-master-case-mountain-top-media/
Court agrees to expedite Justice Department appeal in Trump special master case
mountain top media
Article Updated: October 5, 2022
Leave a comment
A federal appeals court agreed to fast-track the Justice Department’s appeal of a lower court order requiring a third-party special master review hundreds of documents seized from former President Donald Trump’s home.
Post navigation
Previous post
Rancher sentenced to 11 years in prison for $244 million ‘ghost cattle’ scheme
Posted in:
Global News
More Articles
By the same author
Nicki Minaj releases greatest hits album ‘Queen Radio: Volume 1’
mountain top media
Aug 26, 2022
Singer Nicki Minaj had a surprise for fans: a greatest hits album titled “Queen Radio: Volume 1.”
Famous birthdays for Nov. 1: Anthony Ramos, Matt Jones
mountain top media
Nov 1, 2021
Actor Anthony Ramos turns 30 and actor Matt Jones turns 40, among the famous birthdays for Nov. 1.
Sources: Suns finalizing deal to land Chris Paul
mountain top media
Nov 16, 2020
The Suns are finalizing a trade to acquire Thunder guard Chris Paul, sources told ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.…
Streets, border closed in Burkina Faso after second military coup in 8 months
mountain top media
Oct 1, 2022
Americans at the U.S. embassy in Burkina Faso were told to shelter in place overnight because of gunfire…
Judge orders Cushman & Wakefield to comply with AG’s subpoena in Trump probe
mountain top media
Apr 26, 2022
A New York judge has ordered commercial real estate firm Cushman & Wakefield to comply with subpoenas…
Terps’ Locksley creates minority coaches coalition
mountain top media
Aug 6, 2020
A nonprofit organization created by Maryland’s Mike Locksley will generate a list of candidates vetted…
Bipartisan group of state attorneys general to investigate TikTok
mountain top media
Mar 2, 2022
A group of attorneys general in multiple states announced plans Wednesday to investigate TikTok and…
NHL Playoff Watch Daily: Who wants the West’s No. 4 seed?
mountain top media
Apr 26, 2021
The Coyotes, Blues, Sharks and Kings are battling for the final spot in the playoffs. Get caught up…
Shelling of Ukraine nuclear power plant exposes multiple risks
mountain top media
Aug 22, 2022
Shelling has intensified at the Russian-controlled Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, raising international…
Read More Here
Trump Forced Aide To Play Fox News Clip Where He Was Called 'the Most Masculine Person' Over And Over: Book
Trump Forced Aide To Play Fox News Clip Where He Was Called 'the Most Masculine Person' Over And Over: Book https://digitalarizonanews.com/trump-forced-aide-to-play-fox-news-clip-where-he-was-called-the-most-masculine-person-over-and-over-book/
New York Times reporter Maggie Haberman released her new book “Confidence Man,” a 600-plus-page volume of the decades she spent reporting on former President Donald Trump.
MSNBC’s Nicolle Wallace, speaking to Haberman, noted that there were several anecdotes in the book.
One Haberman recalled was an illustration of Trump’s obsession with his manliness and his intelligence. She explained that Trump gets mad when people talk about how much he watches television because he interprets it as a slight on his intellect.
In another incident, she recalled Trump obsessing over his virility, as the accusation by adult film star Stormy Daniels about the appearance of his genitals was a serious issue to him.
READ MORE: ‘No other president has been harassed and persecuted!’ Trump delivers angry rant at Hispanic Leadership Conference
Trump’s obsession with manliness cropped up again after the January 6th Capitol riots when Fox News asked spokesman Hogan Gidley if he felt “emasculated” after having his Twitter account suspended.
“I wouldn’t say emasculated,” Gidley replied. “The most masculine person, I think, to ever hold the White House is the president of the United States.”
According to Haberman, this thrilled Trump.
“Trump called his former adviser to tell him he was correct, and had aides play the video of Gidley speaking several times,” Haberman writes.
Another incident in the book recalls Trump’s obsessive display of manhood on full display as he would “him brandishing photos of scantily clad women with whom he claimed to have been involved,” former employees told Haberman. “He appeared to keep the photos on hand to illustrate his boastful rendering of masculinity.”
See Haberman’s take below and read more about Haberman’s book here.
Trump’s obsession with masculinity www.youtube.com
Read More Here
The 50 Most Powerful Women https://digitalarizonanews.com/the-50-most-powerful-women/
Maria Aspan, Erika Fry, Emma Hinchliffe, Beth Kowitt, Megan Leonhardt, Taylor Locke, Jessica Mathews, Paige McGlauflin, Alexa Mikhail, Anne Sraders, Phil Wahba, Vivienne Walt, and Claire Zillman.
Read More Here
Biden Administration Steps Up Protection Against Student Loan Forgiveness Scams
Biden Administration Steps Up Protection Against Student Loan Forgiveness Scams https://digitalarizonanews.com/biden-administration-steps-up-protection-against-student-loan-forgiveness-scams/
The Biden administration is increasing its efforts to fight scams aimed at taking advantage of borrowers applying for its expansive student loan forgiveness plan, senior administration officials announced Wednesday.
The administration’s forgiveness program will cancel up to $20,000 in student loan debt for borrowers making less than $125,000 or $250,000 for households. The plan, which is projected to cost $400 billion, could benefit as many as 40 million Americans.
Since the relief was announced in August, the administration has released very little concrete information about what the application will look like or when it will be released. That vacuum has created an opportunity for scammers: As NPR reported last month, some borrowers have already encountered student loan relief scams and misinformation in text messages, phone calls and emails, and experts say it’s getting worse.
“This Biden forgiveness thing is Christmas, Thanksgiving and the Fourth of July all rolled into one for the scammers,” says Betsy Mayotte, the president of the Institute of Student Loan Advisors, a nonprofit that offers free counseling to borrowers.
“The release they did today is a great step,” Mayotte added. “There’s only two things we can do as a community [to prevent fraud]. One is to educate borrowers and the other is enforcement.”
The administration is aiming to do both.
In order to hold scammers accountable, the administration plans to increase collaboration between the Department of Education and other federal agencies, including the Federal Trade Commission and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. The administration will also share scam complaints with states more frequently, so state attorneys general can act faster to stop scams in their own jurisdictions, and plans to partner with social media influencers on a public awareness campaign.
“It’s an all-government approach, because what we know is it’s already happening, that there are evil people who will be trying to use a program like this, that’s trying to help people, and run their own frauds and scams to somehow get money or personal information about people,” says Richard Cordray, the chief operating officer of Federal Student Aid, a branch of the Education Department.
“What we’re trying to do here is to get as much relief as possible to the hard working former students who deserve this relief,” Cordray added. “We’re moving at warp speed to get the application and the process going here.”
Student loan forgiveness was ripe for fraud well before the Biden administration’s sweeping plans to cancel debt. According to a July report from the Tech Transparency Project, more than 10% of Google ads that popped up in searches related to student loan forgiveness were fraudulent. And in the last year and a half, the FTC has reached nearly $30 million in settlements for borrowers who were falsely promised relief on their student loan payments.
The administration’s efforts to stop these types of scams fall heavily on the shoulders of borrowers themselves: Much of the announced plans focus on increasing efforts to educate the public on how to catch and report scams on their own.
“You are your own best protection against scammers,” says Cordray, who was also formerly the director of the CFPB.
The White House also released a “Do’s and Don’ts” tip sheet. Among the tips included:
Don’t pay anyone who promises loan forgiveness. The application will be free.
Don’t give anyone personal account information for the Federal Student Aid website. The Education Department and federal student loan servicers will not call or email asking for that information.
Don’t give personal or financial information over the phone to a caller that’s unfamiliar. When in doubt, borrowers should hang up and call their loan servicer directly.
The administration urged borrowers to sign up to be notified when the application is available, to make sure their loan servicers have their current contact information and to report any scams they encounter to the FTC.
This month, the application window for student debt relief will open.
Learn more about the steps you should take ahead of time, and how to avoid student debt relief scams. pic.twitter.com/76ERkrvEAr
— The White House (@WhiteHouse) October 5, 2022
One way to avoid scam vulnerability in the first place would be to release more specific information on what the forgiveness application will look like or when to expect it.
“One of the most critical ways to prevent scams and protect borrowers from being taken advantage of is developing a clear, simple, and secure site for borrowers to apply for debt relief and have the most up to date information from trusted sources,” the administration wrote in a fact sheet outlining their efforts to combat scams.
But in a briefing Wednesday, senior administration officials would not provide any more concrete details on when the application will go live or what the process will look like.
Mayotte says releasing the application might not actually be all that helpful in preventing bad actors.
“In one way, it’ll help,” she says. “But if I know the scammers, they’ll use that as an opportunity too: ‘The application’s out. You have to hurry. Time is short. Now that the applications are out, let us help you to make sure you don’t miss it.’ So it’s a catch-22.”
Read More Here
Putin Seizes Europe https://digitalarizonanews.com/putin-seizes-europe/
Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a decree Wednesday claiming ownership of the beleaguered Zaporizhzhia power plant, even as the director of Ukraine’s nuclear power company said he would assume operations of the plant, which is Europe’s largest nuclear facility.
The announcement came hours after Putin signed laws annexing the Zaporizhzhia region. Earlier in the day, Energoatom chief Petro Kotin said he would be running the Russian-held plant from the capital, Kyiv.
The plant has been the focus of deep global concern. Both sides blame each other for bombings that have damaged parts of the plant and threaten to trigger a catastrophe, international nuclear experts warn.
“The need for a Nuclear Safety and Security Protection Zone (NSSPZ) around #Zaporizhzhya Nuclear Power Plant is now more urgent than ever,” tweeted Rafael Grossi, director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency.
The plant’s Ukrainian director was kidnapped Friday and released this week by Russian forces who occupy the facility. Ukrainian workers continue to operate the plant, which halted power generation last month.
TURNING POINT?: As Russia admits defeat in Kharkiv, Ukraine regains land, confidence
Other developments:
►A former Russian state TV journalist charged with spreading false information after staging an on-air protest against the war said in a Facebook post Wednesday that she has released herself from house arrest. Marina Ovsyannikova’s ex-husband says she fled with her young daughter.
►Russian troops used six Iranian drones to strike the town of Bila Tserkva in the Kyiv region, leaving one person wounded, Ukraine’s presidential office said. The strikes were the first on the town since March, when the Russians retreated from the area around the Ukrainian capital.
UKRAINE DRIVES RUSSIANS FROM MORE VILLAGES:Elon Musk peace plan sparks outrage; Biden, Zelenskyy talk:
Putin signs law annexing Ukraine land despite military setbacks
Putin, ignoring international outrage and the struggles of his military, signed laws Wednesday ratifying the annexation of four Ukraine regions, including two that make up the crucial Donbas region he has targeted since the war began.
“I want the Kyiv authorities and their real masters in the West to hear me, so that everyone remembers this – people living in Luhansk and Donetsk, Kherson and Zaporizhzhia become our citizens forever,” Putin said.
The paperwork is vague on the boundaries of the land Russia is claiming, but Russian media said Putin annexed about 43,000 square miles. Ukraine, almost the size of Texas, estimates about 15% of its territory was annexed.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters the land grab might not be done, saying “certain territories will be reclaimed, and we will keep consulting residents who would be eager to embrace Russia.”
Some of the territory has already been retaken by Ukrainian forces in recent weeks, and most of the world does not recognize the annexations.
“The worthless decisions of the terrorist country are not worth the paper they are signed on,” Andriy Yermak, head of the Ukraine President’s Office, said on Telegram.
Reduced oil production by OPEC+ benefits Russia
Wednesday’s decision by an alliance of oil-exporting countries to significantly reduce production could boost Russia’s war efforts, as the expected rise in oil prices helps replenish the country’s coffers and blunts the impact of efforts by the U.S. and its allies to cut into the Kremlin’s leading source of revenue.
The move by OPEC+ will also make it easier for member Russia to withstand a European ban on most of Moscow’s oil due to start in December, though only to a certain extent because countries in the oil cartel already can’t meet their quotas.
President Joe Biden called the decision “short-sighted’’ in light of the negative effects Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has had on the global economy, according to White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre, who added: “It’s clear that OPEC+ is aligning with Russia with today’s announcement.”
The European Union agreed Wednesday on new sanctions that are expected to include a price cap on Russian oil, meant to diminish the funding President Vladimir Putin has available for his war machine. But with tighter oil supplies on the market, major buyers like China and India could be less likely to join the effort, limiting its impact.
Increasing signs of torture in liberated towns
The continued liberation of towns in the east and south of the country is reason to celebrate for Ukrainian troops. What they find is not.
Retreating Russian troops are not only leaving behind barren, destroyed communities, but also disturbing signs of abuse and torture.
Serhiy Bolvinov, who heads the investigative department of the national police in the northeastern Kharkiv region, said authorities are investigating an alleged Russian torture chamber in the village of Pisky-Radkivski. He posted a photo of a box with what looked like teeth and dentures, presumably extracted from those held at the site.
Andriy Kostin, Ukraine’s prosecutor general, told The Associated Press four bodies had been found in Kharkiv towns with signs of torture. Authorities were trying to confirm whether they were civilians. All four had their hands bound or linked by handcuffs. Kostin also said the bodies of 24 civilians, including 13 children and one pregnant woman, were found in six cars near Kupiansk, also in Kharkiv.
Russian military struggles could topple Belarusian leader
Belarus’ opposition leader says she believes that Russian military setbacks in Ukraine could shake Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko’s hold on power. Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya said Wednesday at a security conference in Warsaw that Russia appears to be “about to lose this war.” That could make it impossible for Putin to prop up Lukashenko, Putin’s closest global ally, she said.
Tsikhanouskaya fled to Lithuania after Lukashenko claimed victory in August 2020 elections that were decried in the West as fraudulent.
In annexed Luhansk, Ukrainian leader says de-occupation has begun
Ukrainian troops have begun driving Russian troops out of the Luhansk region and are “raising the Ukrainian flag” in some settlements, regional Gov. governor Serhiy Haidai announced on social media. Russia had taken almost complete control of the crucial province and had seized half of neighboring Donetsk before the Ukrainian counteroffensive began a month ago. About one-third of Luhansk was controlled by Russian-backed militias before the war began. Militia leaders tried to form the Luhansk People’s Republic, but only Russia and a few other nations recognized the republic.
EU approves 8th round of Russian sanctions
The European Union, citing the annexations, agreed Wednesday to impose new sanctions on Russia, including an expected price cap on Russian oil. Details of the sanctions were expected to be released as soon as Thursday, but curbs on EU exports of aircraft components to Russia and limits on Russian steel imports are expected to be included in the package.
EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced the eighth round of sanctions, saying Europe is “determined to continue making the Kremlin pay” for invading Ukraine.
Contributing: The Associated Press
Read More Here
Obama Characterised Netanyahu As A 'Putinism' Subscriber Transcript Says
Obama Characterised Netanyahu As A 'Putinism' Subscriber, Transcript Says https://digitalarizonanews.com/obama-characterised-netanyahu-as-a-putinism-subscriber-transcript-says/
The former US president included Netanyahu in a list of leaders he felt were on the opposing side to the US in ‘the war of ideas’
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (R) and Israeli Deputy Foreign Minister Tzipi Hotovely pose for a selfie on election night on 10 April 2019 (AFP)
US President Barack Obama accused Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of subscribing to what he called “Putinism” in his final days in office, according to newly declassified documents.
A transcript from the Department of Justice, first published by Bloomberg, details Obama’s off-the-record discussion with reporters three days before leaving office.
“But what I worry about most is, there is a war right now of ideas, more than any hot war, and it is between Putinism – which, by the way, is subscribed to, at some level, by [Turkish President Reccep Tayyip] Erdogan or Netanyahu or [then-Philippine President Rodrigo] Duterte and [then-President-elect Donald] Trump,” Obama said, according to the transcript.
He described the idea of “Putinism” as an opposing force to “a vision of a liberal market-based democracy” which, even with its flaws, was “responsible for most of the human progress we’ve seen over the last 50, 75 years”.
The document was obtained by Bloomberg’s Jason Leopold in a response to a five-year-old Freedom of Information Act request to the DOJ. It highlights a broad range of issues Obama addressed with reporters just days before Trump assumed office.
He primed his statement on Putinism with a credit to the degree to which the US needed to “underwrite the world order”.
“If we don’t initiate a conversation around human rights or women’s rights, or LGBT rights, or climate change, or open government, or anti-corruption initiatives, whatever cause you believe in, it doesn’t happen,” Obama said, according to the transcript.
“Almost everything – every multilateral initiative function, norm, policy that is out there – it’s underwritten by us.”
A history of murky relations
Netanyahu and Obama harboured a strained relationship during the US president’s time in office. Years of tension were further marred by issues including Russia’s 2014 entry into Syria’s civil war in support of Bashar al-Assad – while the US supported opposition groups – and Russia’s 2012 granting of political asylum to Edward Snowden.
Netanyahu, then prime minister, boasted of friendly relations with Russia’s president, even using their general warmth as a campaigning point leading up to Israel’s 2019 elections. His multiple visits to Moscow to meet with Putin were understood as a sign of amiability.
Trump’s presidency brought closer ties with Netanyahu – demonstrated by staunch support of the Abraham Accords normalisation deals – as well as with Putin, whom Trump regarded as “highly respected”.
Obama’s comments reaffirm the known tumult of his relationship with the Russian president – a legacy that has taken on greater significance during Joe Biden’s tenure as president and the war between Russia and Ukraine.
Read More Here
Walker Cites Mental Health Battle In New Ad Amid Fallout From Allegations
Walker Cites Mental Health Battle In New Ad Amid Fallout From Allegations https://digitalarizonanews.com/walker-cites-mental-health-battle-in-new-ad-amid-fallout-from-allegations/
Associated Press/Bill Barrow
Republican Senate nominee Herschel Walker campaigns Wednesday, Sept. 7, 2021, in Emerson, Georgia, north of Atlanta. Walker told supporters they must “take back” the seat now held by Sen. Raphael Warnock, a Democrat. Walker and Warnock are locked in a tight race, and the two campaigns are jousting publicly over when the two men might debate. (AP Photos/Bill Barrow)
Georgia Republican Senate nominee Herschel Walker discusses his past battle with mental health in an ad released Wednesday amid fallout over allegations that the GOP candidate paid for a former girlfriend’s abortion.
“As everyone knows, I had a real battle with mental health. I even wrote a book about it. And by the grace of God, I’ve overcome it,” Walker says in the ad, referencing his 2008 memoir “Breaking Free: My Life with Dissociative Identity Disorder.”
The former football star was diagnosed with Dissociative Identity Disorder “as a result of trauma he experienced in childhood,” according to his campaign site.
The ad released Wednesday is Walker’s first since The Daily Beast reported earlier this week that Walker, who has campaigned as an opponent of abortion, encouraged a then-girlfriend to get an abortion in 2009 and reimbursed her.
The Hill has not independently verified the report and the Senate candidate has vehemently denied the allegations.
In the new ad, called “Grace,” Walker knocks his Democratic opponent, Sen. Raphael Warnock (Ga.), accusing him of “running a nasty, dishonest campaign” and asserting that the Democrat “doesn’t even believe in redemption.” Walker concludes by saying he has been “saved by grace.”
Walker, who is running on a “conservative family values” platform that is “pro-life and pro-family,” dropped behind Warnock in an InsiderAdvantage-Fox 5 poll conducted a day after the allegations were published, stoking Republicans’ concerns about the already tight Georgia race.
The Republican Party has closed rank to defend Walker after the report, while accusing the media of stirring the pot five weeks out from the election.
Former President Trump issued a statement Tuesday saying Walker “is being slandered and maligned by the Fake News Media and obviously, the Democrats.”
Read More Here
Trump Said The FBI Found Classified Documents At His Home Because Federal Workers Packed Them. But Emails Bloomberg Got Show Boxes Were Already Packed When Movers Arrived.
Trump Said The FBI Found Classified Documents At His Home Because Federal Workers Packed Them. But Emails Bloomberg Got Show Boxes Were Already Packed When Movers Arrived. https://digitalarizonanews.com/trump-said-the-fbi-found-classified-documents-at-his-home-because-federal-workers-packed-them-but-emails-bloomberg-got-show-boxes-were-already-packed-when-movers-arrived/
Bloomberg News got emails revealing information about boxes packed during Trump’s White House move.
Trump said the FBI found classified documents at his home because federal workers packed them.But the emails with GSA show the boxes were already packed when the movers arrived.
Donald Trump’s boxes may have already been packed when movers arrived at the White House after his presidential election loss, according to emails and documents that Bloomberg News obtained through a Freedom of Information Act request.
Trump previously and publicly said one of the reasons the FBI found classified documents at his Palm Beach estate, Mar-A-Lago, when it was searched on August 8, 2022, was that federal workers had packed the boxes.
“It’s key to note that the GSA they’re the ones that packed up and moved these documents. It’s not like President Trump put him in his briefcase and hopped aboard Air Force One on January 20th and said, ‘Okay. I’ll see you guys later,'” Patel said on the “The Clay Travis and Buck Sexton Show.”
But Bloomberg’s Jason Leopoldand Jack Gillum reported Wednesday that the email correspondence between the GSA and Trump’s operations team tells a different story.
According to the documents Bloomberg obtained, former chief of staff Mark Meadows signed an agreement on January 11, 2021, laying out the guidelines for them to use Mar-A-Lago as a “temporary office space” for both Trump and then-Vice President Mike Pence for six months. The agreement also allotted $2 million for Trump and $520,000 for Pence so they could acquire “office space, furniture, shipping costs and other expenses,” the documents show.
Trump aides used kitchen space and resort rooms at Mar-A-Lago and GSA-provided office space in Arlington, Virginia, to process and appraise gifts for the National Archives, requiring at least 100 boxes at one time, Bloomberg reported.
The documents show that in April 2021, Desiree Thompson Sayle, the correspondence director for the Office of Donald Trump, emailed the GSA, asking what she described as a “weird” question: “Does GSA work with a contractor for interstate shipping? We have a portrait of President Trump and it needs to be shipped to FL, but in its crate it is 300 lbs, 6 x 8 feet.”
Kathy Geisler, a GSA facilities manager, responded that the painting was considered “personal property,” meaning it was not eligible to be shipped using taxpayer dollars, the documents show.
Another GSA spokesperson made it clear that their contract solely covered shipping and not packing. The documents show that the spokesperson told Trump’s office, “the outgoing transition team was responsible for putting the boxes on pallets and shrink-wrapping each pallet.”
Bloomberg reported that another email sent in July 2021 shows Thompson Sayle informing the GSA that the first pallet of boxes was ready for shipment, weighing in at 598 pounds.
One email shows Thompson Sayle sending the GSA multiple pictures of boxes stacked on pallets, wrapped in cellophane, and ready for shipment to Florida.
FOLLOW BUSINESS INSIDER AFRICA
Our newsletter gives you access to a curated selection of the most important stories daily.
Thanks for signing up for our daily insight on the African economy. We bring you daily editor picks from the best Business Insider news content so you can stay updated on the latest topics and conversations on the African market, leaders, careers and lifestyle. Also join us across all of our other channels – we love to be connected!
Unblock notifications in browser settings.
Read More Here
Rise48 Equity Buys More Than $60M Of Metro Phoenix Apartments In 7 Days AZ Big Media
Rise48 Equity Buys More Than $60M Of Metro Phoenix Apartments In 7 Days – AZ Big Media https://digitalarizonanews.com/rise48-equity-buys-more-than-60m-of-metro-phoenix-apartments-in-7-days-az-big-media/
Rise48 Equity has acquired $60,200,000 worth of new apartment communities in the Phoenix, Arizona market.
• Aspire Glendale Apartments is a $29,200,000, 120-unit multifamily apartment property located in Glendale, Arizona.
• Brookfield Apartments is a $31,000,000, 124-unit multifamily apartment property located in Phoenix, Arizona.
READ ALSO: Arizona No. 2 for largest house price appreciation
READ ALSO: Here’s how build-to-rent housing is impacting Arizona real estate
Rise48 Equity plans to spend over $6,600,000 renovating the properties’ exteriors and interiors. They will upgrade unit interiors to the Rise48 Equity Platinum level finish, which includes brand new quartz countertops, modern lighting packages, all new Stainless Steel appliances, beautiful kitchen backsplashes, and more. The company will also upgrade the landscaping and transform the look of the properties with fresh 3-tone exterior paint. The properties will be rebranded with a brand new monument sign at each property with an LED backlight. They will rebrand Aspire Glendale as “Rise at The Meadows,” and Brookfield as “Rise on Cactus.” These upgrades will completely transform the properties and increase the curb appeal to attract new residents.
Since 2019, Rise48 Equity has completed $1,725,751,000 in total transactions, and currently has $1,285,186,000 of Assets Under Management, all located in the Phoenix MSA. All of the company’s assets under management are managed by Rise48 Equity’s own property management company; Rise48 Communities.
Rise48 Equity CEO, Zach Haptonstall, said “We’re excited to have acquired two new solid assets in separate off-market transactions. We were able to secure attractive interest rates a couple months ago with a conservative low leverage financing strategy. Both properties have significant value-add potential in addition to operational upside. We’ll implement our professional vertically integrated property management platform and drastically increase the value of these assets to achieve strong returns for our investors. We had very strong investor demand for these great opportunities.”
Rise48 Equity is a Phoenix based Multifamily Investment Group. “At Rise48 Equity, we provide opportunities for accredited and non-accredited investors to protect and grow their wealth and achieve passive cash-flow. Our team brings expertise to acquire, reposition and return capital to investors upon reaching our business plan. Through our research and strategically formed partnerships, we acquire commercial multi-family apartment properties, strategically add value to the properties, and create passive income for our investors through cash-flow and profits from sale.”
Read More…
Journalism And The Threat Of Neo-Populism | Geopolitical Monitor
Journalism And The Threat Of Neo-Populism | Geopolitical Monitor https://digitalarizonanews.com/journalism-and-the-threat-of-neo-populism-geopolitical-monitor/
The first live debate ahead of presidential elections in Brazil saw the candidates indulging in extremely heated and offensive oratory, but at one point the populist President Jair Bolsonaro crossed all possible redlines while answering a question from one journalist. “I think you go to sleep thinking about me. You have a crush on me,” Bolsonaro told Vera Magalhães after she asked him about Brazil’s COVID-19 vaccination rate. “You are a disgrace to journalism in Brazil,” he continued acidly.
Magalhães, a columnist working for Jornal O Globo, in contrast, reacted in a rather somber and professional tone, stating that Bolsonaro’s attitude was “absolutely out of control, unnecessary, and… harmful to himself.” She said she believed Bolsonaro “doesn’t like to be questioned by women.” Bolsonaro’s insulting comments to Magalhães come after he has faced ample criticism over his attitude toward women in general. The far-right populist disagrees of course, pointing to his government’s support for laws in favor of women’s rights and claiming that “a large part of women in Brazil love me” because he opposes legalizing drugs.
The episode outlined above sounds quite familiar, echoing a similar incident on August 27 when, addressing a gathering in Jhelum, former prime minister Imran Khan also snobbishly lashed out at all journalists who dared criticize him or ask “difficult” questions. He referred to all those journalists as “lifafay and zameer farosh” (corrupt and conscious sellers) who were advising him to temporarily pause his protest campaign because of the ongoing humanitarian catastrophe caused by devastating floods in Pakistan. Even further back, it resembles the notorious incident of Donald Trump raging against CNN’s Jim Acosta, when Trump’s morning post-midterms presser devolved into an historic White House fracas when Acosta poked the presidential bear with his line of questioning about Trump’s caravan invasion rally rhetoric. “That’s enough! Put down the mic!” Trump shouted. “CNN should be ashamed of itself having you working for them. You are a rude, terrible person. You should not be working for CNN. The way you treat Sarah Huckabee is horrible. The way you treat other people is horrible!” Trump hissed at Acosta.
In recent years, a long line of populist leaders has suddenly popped up on the global political radar – Donald Trump, Imran Khan, Boris Johnson, Narendra Modi, Emmanuel Macron, and Viktor Orban to name a few. All of them share a lot in common, particularly their theatrical demeanor and extreme disdain for the legacy media and professional journalists. This wave of radicalized populism has produced numerous such episodes where the populist politicians have directly and aggressively bullied and slighted journalists – and particularly female journalists – who happen to ask them any pricking questions or challenge their preferred narratives. This aggressive anti-journalist trend, arising out of their intrinsic fear of being exposed and challenged publicly, is a relatively new phenomenon that traces its roots to the introduction of social media as an overwhelmingly powerful propaganda tool in this new era of emerging technologies.
The level to which journalism is being challenged and threatened is certainly unprecedented throughout the history of the profession. The content and authority of traditional news outlets are both being questioned, and their former monopoly on people’s attention is being increasingly diluted due to social media platforms.
The emergence of populist politics is yet another momentous challenge, manifested in some cases by players openly hostile to journalists and even to the idea of press freedom in general.
By exploiting the electoral mandate to undermine core institutions like the courts or news media, populism creates a political tribalism and cultism that inflames divisions, blunts civil discourse, and eschews political compromise. Populism mostly mobilizes people who have not been politically involved. At the same time, the relationship between populist communicators and the media has typically been thorny and strained. Populist leaders mostly receive massive coverage in the mainstream press, and the news media outlets are typically portrayed by populist actors as part of a “corrupt” elite; yet ironically, on the other hand, these populist actors are also addicted to the “steroids of publicity” that these outlets can provide
The populist impulse affects a big chunk of the public, which makes it quite difficult for the legacy media to provide balanced coverage amid mounting pressure from populist leaders. Yet some populist actors have systematically targeted the media as fake, lying, or unfair. That’s a challenge for journalists. There’s reason to think that journalist-bashing by politicians has very negative effects on the followers of these populist leaders, who have at times resorted to using violence against dissenting journalists.
Populist politicians don’t trust the media. They believe that the press is prejudiced and not a true representation of society. What populist leaders like Donald Trump, Bolsonaro, and Imran Khan either don’t comprehend, or don’t care about, is that their own offensive actions against a journalist directly encourages their “fanatic devotees” to take it a step further. One day a political leader attacks the media, and the next day journalists are not merely the target of critiques, but death threats. A disproportionate number of those threats are aimed at female journalists, who experience sexualized abuse, gender-related threats, and gutter-talk behavior. The general public appears to have little understanding of populism, and might see it as a fresh development or something that is entirely benign. But make no mistake: the rise of populist politics poses very serious challenges to journalists, legacy media, and democracy in general.
The views expressed in this article belong to the authors alone and do not necessarily reflect those of Geopoliticalmonitor.com
Read More Here
Maine GOP Gubernatorial Hopeful Struggles With Abortion Questions In Debate
Maine GOP Gubernatorial Hopeful Struggles With Abortion Questions In Debate https://digitalarizonanews.com/maine-gop-gubernatorial-hopeful-struggles-with-abortion-questions-in-debate/
During his two terms as Maine governor, Republican Paul LePage attended antiabortion rallies, argued that “we should not have abortion” and said in 2018 that if the Supreme Court were to make a case for overturning Roe v. Wade, “let’s do it.”
But on a gubernatorial debate stage Tuesday night, LePage was much more circumspect about his views on reproductive rights, struggling to respond directly when asked what he would do if the Maine legislature introduced additional restrictions to abortion in the state. Multiple times, he avoided answering questions directly, protesting that it was a hypothetical issue or that he did not understand the question.
LePage’s awkward performance Tuesday highlights the position many antiabortion Republicans are in, four months after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, the 1973 decision that for nearly a half-century guaranteed the right to an abortion in the United States. The decision has galvanized Democratic voters — and put some GOP candidates on the defensive — in a midterm election cycle that would typically favor the party not in power.
On Tuesday night, a moderator first asked whether Maine Gov. Janet Mills (D) would support removing the “viability” restriction in Maine’s current abortion law, which allows abortion until the point “when the life of the fetus may be continued indefinitely outside the womb by natural or artificial life support.” After that, an abortion may be performed only when it is necessary to preserve the life or health of the mother.
Mills, who has served as Maine’s governor since 2019, said she had no plans to change the state law, which she said reflected Roe v. Wade.
“I believe a woman’s right to choose is just that: It’s a woman’s right, not a politician’s and most certainly not Mr. LePage’s or anybody sitting in public office,” Mills said. “As long as I’m governor, the right to reproductive health care will never be considered dispensable. My veto pen will stand in the way of any effort to undermine, roll back or outright eliminate the right to safe and legal abortion in Maine.”
“I have never wavered in that position, never equivocated, never flip-flopped,” she added pointedly.
As the moderator began asking LePage the same question, he jumped in on his own.
“I served eight years as the governor of Maine. Never once did I attempt, ever, to do — even talk about the abortion bill, because I believe in — the bill that’s in place right now is a good bill,” said LePage, who was governor of Maine from 2011 to 2019. “I believe in protecting the mother’s life for rape … and incest. I also believe in the viability.”
Thirteen states will immediately outlaw abortion now that Roe v. Wade is overturned. These restrictions on reproductive rights resurface a key question. (Video: Hannah Jewell, Lindsey Sitz, Casey Silvestri/The Washington Post)
The moderator pointed out that the question had actually been different. What would he do as governor if the state legislature were to bring a bill to him that added additional restrictions, such as reducing the viability period to 15 weeks or requiring parental consent before a minor could receive an abortion?
“I support the current law as it is,” LePage said.
“And if they brought those bills to you, you would not sign them?” the moderator asked.
“That is correct,” LePage said.
Mills interrupted: “Well, would you let it go into law without your signature?” she asked.
“I don’t know …” Le Page started.
“That’s the alternative,” Mills said. “You know that. You were governor. You know what the options are. Would you allow it to go into law without your signature?”
A visibly flustered LePage dropped his pen on the ground and then leaned over to pick it up as he shot back at Mills: “Would you allow a baby to take a breath? Would you allow the baby to take a breath …”
Mills paused and repeated her questions more slowly. “Would you let a restrictive law go into effect without your signature? Would you block a restriction on abortion?”
“Would I block? Or would-?” LePage said. “This is what I would do. The law that’s in place right now, I have the same exact place you have. And I would honor the law as it is. You’re talking about a hypothetical.”
“Oh, we’re not,” Mills replied, smiling and shaking her head.
“If you’re saying, we’re gonna take the restriction away, making it illegal for the viability?” LePage continued. “No, I would not sign that. I would veto that. The viability is in law now.”
After a brief pause, the moderator pointed out that LePage still had not answered the question. Would he veto additional restrictions that came to him? LePage asked for examples. The moderator provided them once again.
“If you’re talking about would I veto a bill that would change the viability, I would go to the medical professionals to tell me,” LePage said, shrugging. “I don’t know what you mean by 15 weeks or 28 weeks. Because I don’t know. I mean, I’m not sure I understand the question.”
There was another pause.
“I understand the question,” Mills said flatly. “I would not let such law become effective. My veto can and will stand in the way of any restrictions on the right to abortion.”
“When you say restriction — I’m, I’m trying to understand the question,” LePage said.
A different moderator asked the question one last time.
“So, Governor LePage, if the legislature came to you and said we want to change Maine’s law, and instead of viability which currently stands at 28 weeks, now Maine’s law is going to say no abortions after 15 weeks — would you veto that?” she asked.
“Yes,” LePage said at last.
Abortion has become a key issue in many races this November, with polls showing that the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade remains unpopular. While Republicans generally have praised the ruling overturning Roe, many have preferred not to focus on the issue ahead of the midterms. But avoiding the topic became more difficult for GOP candidates after Sen. Lindsey O. Graham (R-S.C.) introduced a bill last month that would ban abortions after 15 weeks of pregnancy nationwide.
Several red states already have stricter bans in place. Abortion is now banned or mostly banned in 15 states, while laws in several others are in various legal limbos. In August, Indiana passed a near-total abortion ban, the first to do so after Roe was struck down.
In August, Kansas voters soundly rejected a referendum that would have allowed state lawmakers to regulate abortion, the first time state voters had decided on such an amendment since Roe was overturned. Last month, South Carolina Republicans fell short in their bid for a near-total abortion ban in the state. Planned Parenthood recently announced that it plans to spend a record $50 million in an effort to elect abortion rights supporters across the country in November, banking on the belief that abortion will help turn out Democratic voters.
Read More Here
There's Going To Be A Fight: Oath Keepers Trial Reveals Violent Plans To Keep Trump In Office Free Speech TV
“There's Going To Be A Fight”: Oath Keepers Trial Reveals Violent Plans To Keep Trump In Office – Free Speech TV https://digitalarizonanews.com/theres-going-to-be-a-fight-oath-keepers-trial-reveals-violent-plans-to-keep-trump-in-office-free-speech-tv/
The Oath Keepers trial, in which senior leaders of the right-wing extremist group are accused of plotting violence at the January 6 insurrection, began Monday in federal court in Washington, D.C. Prosecutors played a secret audio recording Tuesday of a meeting held by the Oath Keepers after the 2020 election in which founder Stewart Rhodes discussed plans to bring weapons to the capital to help then-President Trump stay in office. We speak to Arie Perliger, author of “American Zealots,” who says the Trump administration lended extremist groups legitimacy and access to a more mainstream audience. “For them, that was a disastrous situation, losing this kind of access,” says Perliger.
Democracy Now! produces a daily, global, independent news hour hosted by award-winning journalists Amy Goodman and Juan González. Our reporting includes breaking daily news headlines and in-depth interviews with people on the front lines of the world’s most pressing issues.
On DN!, you’ll hear a diversity of voices speaking for themselves, providing a unique and sometimes provocative perspective on global events.
Missed an episode? Check out DN on FSTV VOD anytime or visit the show page for the latest clips.
#FreeSpeechTV is one of the last standing national, independent news networks committed to advancing progressive social change.
#FSTV is available on Dish, DirectTV, AppleTV, Roku, Sling, and online at freespeech.org.
American Zealots Arie Perliger January 6 hearing January 6 insurrection Oath Keepers Oath Keepers trial
Read More Here
Hunter Bidens Former Business Partner Says Top Ex-FBI Official Needs To Answer Questions
Hunter Biden’s Former Business Partner Says Top Ex-FBI Official Needs To Answer Questions https://digitalarizonanews.com/hunter-bidens-former-business-partner-says-top-ex-fbi-official-needs-to-answer-questions/
Former Hunter Biden business partner Tony Bobulinski says questions need to be asked of a top former FBI official who was involved in leading the investigation into the president’s son and resigned from the agency while under scrutiny.
Mr. Bobulinski, a Navy veteran and the former head of SinoHawk Holdings, described as a partnership between the CEFC Chinese energy conglomerate and James and Hunter Biden, appeared on Fox News Channel’s Tucker Carlson Tonight on Tuesday.
He described during the interview how he handed over allegedly incriminatory information about the first son’s business deals that involved the president’s brother, James Biden, Chinese and other foreign interests, and reportedly President Biden himself.
A top official in the Washington field office whom he said led the investigation never bothered to follow up with him after Mr. Bobulinski met with FBI investigators, and the official resigned from the agency recently.
After The Washington Times first reported in late August that assistant special agent in charge Timothy Thibault, who dodged interviewing Mr. Bobulinski about Hunter Biden, had resigned from the bureau after accusations by Republicans of anti-Trump bias, a flood of FBI whistleblowers came forth to Congress, with some describing political bias at the FBI.
“It sounds like they’re coming out of the woodwork, and I think it will continue to accelerate and, apparently, a variety of these whistleblowers claim that Tim Thibault was suppressing facts,” Mr. Bobulinski said. “I’m in Europe traveling, and I called my lawyers and I ask, ‘Why haven’t I been called in front of a grand jury? This makes no sense to me.’ They said they were going to follow up within a week and do follow-up interviews.”
Mr. Bobulinski says Mr. Thibault never met with him face-to-face despite telling his lawyers that he would follow up with him, after Mr. Bobulinski spent five hours talking to six federal agents in Washington D.C. about his business dealings just days before the 2020 presidential election.
“They were supposed to be working a follow-up interview, and Tim Thibault, in his last discussion with my legal counsel was like ‘Listen, we know Tony’s cooperating. We appreciate all the information he’s provided. We will follow up with you. We’re definitely going to have them come in for a follow up interview or spend some more time on this.’ And I haven’t heard from him since.”
“I was trying to respect the Department of Justice, but then when you hear the person that you’re told was assigned to run point on 1000s of documents, and text messages and calendars and travel and all that just walked out of the FBI headquarters in DC, you gotta start asking questions.”
He said during the interview that he decrypted subtle word choices by Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg from his interview with UFC commentator and podcaster Joe Rogan.
He also explained how it reportedly showed the FBI must have known how harmful his information on the Biden family was to Mr. Biden when he was running for the White House.
Mr. Zuckerberg told Mr. Rogan earlier in the year that FBI officials cautioned Facebook executives about “a lot of Russian propaganda in the 2016 election” and to be on notice “there’s about to be some kind of dump — that’s similar to that, so just be vigilant.”
“He used the word ‘dump,’ right? He said the FBI beat us [to] that a dump might be coming. They didn’t say there might be a story. The FBI was well aware there was a laptop … well aware there were hundreds of thousands of emails and text messages and stuff like that,” Mr. Bobulinski said.
“The New York Post published a couple of emails trying to make the American public aware of it. But Mark Zuckerberg just casually said, oh, yeah, the FBI came to us and warned us of a dump,” he said, noting the company “throttled” the story’s reach across the platform.
Read More Here
Gary Burlog https://digitalarizonanews.com/gary-burlog/
Gary Burlog, 80 of Sioux Falls, SD died Saturday, October 1, 2022 at Good Samaritan Society, Sioux Falls, SD. A celebration of life service will be held at 10:30 a.m. Friday, October 21, 2022 at George Boom Funeral Home and On-Site Crematory, Sioux Falls, SD.
Gary was born on January 23, 1942 the son of George and Stella (Johnson) Burlog in Flom, MN. Gary grew up in Grand Forks ND, where he graduated from Central high. He enlisted in the United States Navy in 1960, and received an honorable discharged in 1964. Gary was united in marriage to Joyce Adam on July 29, 1963 in Grand Forks. They eventually made their home in Williston, ND where Gary worked as a North Dakota State Trooper and then on to a long fulfilling career with UPS. Gary also did years of work as a community service volunteer for the Castle Rock County Sheriff’s Dept. and spent years volunteering at the Avera McKennan Hospital in Sioux Falls.
Gary enjoyed target shooting, detailing his cars and manicuring his lawn. He cherished time spent with friends and family.
Gary is survived by his loving wife, Joyce Burlog of Sioux Falls, SD; daughter, Jodie (Alan) Schafer of Apple Valley, MN; son, Chris (Debbie) Burlog of Mesa, AZ; three grandchildren, Emily and Lindsey Burlog and Annika Schafer; brother, Wayne (Peggy) Burlog of Grand Forks, ND; numerous nieces and nephews.
Gary was preceded in death by his parents.
In lieu of flowers memorials may be made to the South Dakota Alzheimer’s Association (5915 S. Remington Place Suite 110 Sioux Falls, SD 57108). https://www.alz.org
Read More Here
U.S. Attorneys Office For The District Of Arizona Joins Transnational Elder Fraud Strike Force To Protect Older Adults
U.S. Attorney’s Office For The District Of Arizona Joins Transnational Elder Fraud Strike Force To Protect Older Adults https://digitalarizonanews.com/u-s-attorneys-office-for-the-district-of-arizona-joins-transnational-elder-fraud-strike-force-to-protect-older-adults/
PHOENIX, Ariz. – The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Arizona announced today that, as part of its continuing efforts to protect older adults and to bring perpetrators of fraud schemes to justice, it is joining the Justice Department’s Transnational Elder Fraud Strike Force, as one of 14 additional U.S. Attorney’s Offices. Since 2019, current Strike Force members — including the Department’s Consumer Protection Branch, six U.S. Attorneys’ Offices, the FBI, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, and Homeland Security Investigations — have brought successful cases against the largest and most harmful global elder fraud schemes and worked with foreign law enforcement to disrupt criminal enterprises, disable their infrastructure and bring perpetrators to justice. Expansion of the Strike Force will help to coordinate the Department’s ongoing efforts to combat sophisticated fraud schemes that target or disproportionately impact older adults. The expansion will increase the total number of U.S. Attorneys’ Offices comprising the Strike Force from six to 20, including all of the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices in the states of California, Arizona, Texas, Florida, Georgia, Maryland, and New York.
“We are intensifying our efforts nationwide to protect older adults, including by more than tripling the number of U.S. Attorneys’ offices participating in our Transnational Elder Fraud Strike Force dedicated to disrupting, dismantling and prosecuting foreign-based fraud schemes that target American seniors,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “This expansion builds on the Justice Department’s existing work to hold accountable those who steal funds from older adults, including by returning those funds to the victims where possible.”
“I am pleased to announce the District of Arizona’s selection as one of the Transnational Elder Fraud Strike Force Districts. The U.S. Attorney’s Office is dedicated to bringing those who defraud the elderly to justice, whether they commit such crimes in the United States or from abroad,” said Gary Restaino, U.S. Attorney for the District of Arizona.
The Strike Force expansion will further enhance the Department’s existing efforts to protect older adults from fraud and exploitation. During the period from September 2021 to September 2022, Department personnel and its law enforcement partners pursued approximately 260 cases involving more than 600 defendants, both bringing new cases and advancing those previously charged. The matters tackled by the Department and its partners ranged from mass-marketing scams that impacted thousands of victims to bad actors scamming their neighbors. Substantial efforts also were made over the last year to return money to fraud victims.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Arizona, along with its federal partners, successfully prosecuted various cases involving scams targeting the elderly. Notable examples are as follows:
United States v. Joseph Batts et al., CR-18-2216-TUC-RCC – David McIntosh was sentenced to 160 months in prison and ordered to pay approximately $1.8 million in restitution. McIntosh was a leader in an international lottery fraud ring that targeted thousands of elderly victims around the United States. McIntosh’s co-defendant, Joseph Batts, received a sentence of 70 months in prison for his role as a “lead list” distributor. In the related case of United States v. Sheldon Hibbert, CR-19-1973-TUC-SHR, Mr. Hibbert received a sentence of 48 months in prison for his role in laundering portions of the fraudulent proceeds. The District of Arizona has also sought the extradition of co-defendant Ferlando McCoon from Jamaica. Mr. McCoon is currently challenging his extradition to the United States.
United States v. Onovughe Ighorhiohwunu, CR-21-1119-TUC-SHR – Onovughe Ighorhiohwunu was found guilty by a jury for his role as a money launderer in an international romance fraud scheme targeting vulnerable and elderly victims. Ighorhiohwunu received 130 months in prison and was ordered to pay approximately $1.3 million in restitution.
United States v. Koreasa M. Williams, CR-19-1276-TUC-JGZ – Koreasa M. Williams, formerly a licensed insurance agent, embezzled money from elderly insurance clients. Williams was sentenced to 51 months in prison and ordered to pay $330,923 in restitution. In a related case, CR-21-3136-TUC-JGZ, Williams defrauded a separate elderly victim by embezzling over $1.3 million. Williams was sentenced to 136 months in prison and ordered to pay restitution.
United States v. Michael Tagle Santos et al., CR-20-2707-TUC-JGZ – Michael Tagle Santos and Cherry Mae De Los Reyes Santos, husband and wife, were caretakers of an elderly disabled victim. The couple embezzled money from the victim and used the funds for personal expenses. Mr. Santos received 33 months in prison. Mrs. Santos was sentenced to 16 months in prison. The couple was also ordered to pay $362,266 in restitution.
United States v. Jacoby, CR-21-452-PHX-JJT – Michael Jacoby defrauded an elderly widower out of his retirement savings (approximately $1 million) by offering investment management services, but instead taking the money for himself. Jacoby pleaded guilty and is pending sentencing.
United States v. Mehaffey, CR-20-626-PHX-DWL – Brannen Mehaffey operated a money service business exchanging cash for bitcoin. He was charged after the IRS conducted a sting operation where Mehaffey exchanged cash for bitcoin despite believing the cash came from drug sales. Most of Mehaffey’s actual business arose from fraud: perpetrators of schemes, such as romance scams, would direct their victims to send cash or deposit money into Mehaffey’s accounts, and Mehaffey would in turn send bitcoin to the people running the schemes. Mehaffey was sentenced to 41 months in prison and ordered to pay a total of $562,000 in restitution to a number of elderly victims.
As part of the District of Arizona’s elder fraud efforts in addition to prosecution, it engages in outreach to the community and industry to raise awareness about scams and exploitation and preventing victimization. On September 29, 2022, the U.S. Attorney’s Office, along with its federal partners, the IRS Criminal Investigation and United States Postal Inspection Service, conducted an outreach event entitled “Protect Yourself and Your Money” hosted by the Pima Council on Aging. This event took place at The Katie Dusenberry Healthy Aging Center in Tucson, Arizona. On October 3, 2022, the U.S. Attorney’s Office and the Secret Service conducted a similar event at the Handmaker Assisted Living Center in Tucson, Arizona. The U.S. Attorney’s Office will continue to provide similar events with its federal partners in the future.
The Department also highlighted national efforts in returning money to victims. In the past year, the Department has notified over 550,000 people that they may be eligible for payments. Notifications were made to consumers whose information was sold by one of three data companies prosecuted by the Department and were later victims of “sweepstakes” or “astrology” solicitations that falsely promised prizes or individualized services in return for a fee. Also notified were consumers who paid fraudsters perpetrating person-in-need scams and job scams via Western Union. In the past year, the Department has identified and contacted over 300,000 consumers who may be eligible for remission. Since March of 2020 more than 148,000 victims have received more than $366 million as a result of a 2017 criminal resolution with Western Union for the company’s willful failure to maintain an effective anti-money laundering program and its aiding and abetting of wire fraud.
Reporting from consumers about fraud and fraud attempts is critical to law enforcements efforts to investigate and prosecute schemes targeting older adults. If you or someone you know is age 60 or older and has been a victim of financial fraud, help is available through the National Elder Fraud Hotline: 1-833 FRAUD-11 (1-833-372-8311). This Department of Justice Hotline, managed by the Office for Victims of Crime, is staffed by experienced professionals who provide personalized support to callers by assessing the needs of the victim and identifying next steps. Case managers will identify appropriate reporting agencies, provide information to callers to assist them in reporting or connect them with agencies, and provide resources and referrals on a case-by-case basis. The hotline is staffed seven days a week from 6:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m. [ET]. English, Spanish, and other languages are available. More information about the Department’s elder justice efforts can be found on the Department’s Elder Justice website: www.elderjustice.gov.
Some of the cases that comprise today’s announcement are charges, which are merely allegations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
RELEASE NUMBER: 2022-169_Elder Justice Release
# # #
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
A Strong Dollar Is Wreaking Havoc On Emerging Markets. A Debt Crisis Could Be Next.
A Strong Dollar Is Wreaking Havoc On Emerging Markets. A Debt Crisis Could Be Next. https://digitalarizonanews.com/a-strong-dollar-is-wreaking-havoc-on-emerging-markets-a-debt-crisis-could-be-next/
Low-income countries, like Ghana and Pakistan, were already struggling during the pandemic. The dollar’s strength is adding to their woes.
Send any friend a story
As a subscriber, you have 10 gift articles to give each month. Anyone can read what you share.
Ghanaians have seen major increases in food prices since the start of the pandemic, prompting the distribution of free meals to vulnerable communities.Credit…Francis Kokoroko/Reuters
Oct. 5, 2022Updated 2:15 p.m. ET
The average household in Ghana is paying two-thirds more than it did last year for diesel, flour and other necessities. In Egypt, wheat is so expensive that the government has fallen half a billion dollars short of its budget for a bread subsidy it provides to its citizens. And Sri Lanka, already struggling to control a political crisis, is running out of fuel, food and medical supplies.
A strong dollar is making the problems worse.
Compared with other currencies, the U.S. dollar is the strongest it has been in two decades. It is rising because the Federal Reserve has increased interest rates sharply to combat inflation and because America’s economic health is better than most. Together, these factors have attracted investors from all over the world. Sometimes they simply buy dollars, but even if investors buy other assets, like government bonds, they need dollars to do so — in each case pushing up the currency’s value.
That strength has become much of the world’s weakness. The dollar is the de facto currency for global trade, and its steep rise is squeezing dozens of lower-income nations, chiefly those that rely heavily on imports of food and oil and borrow in dollars to fund them.
“We are living in a world with little fires everywhere,” said Mohamed El-Erian, president of Queens’ College, part of Cambridge University, and former chief executive of PIMCO, the $2 trillion bond manager. “If we don’t pay attention, these little fires could become much bigger.”
Higher food and energy costs resulting from Russia’s war with Ukraine were already hurting some emerging market countries. The rising dollar, whose strength is measured against a basket of currencies representing America’s major trading partners, has exacerbated those problems by making it even more expensive to import vital commodities using weaker currencies.
A strong dollar forces countries to use more of their own currency to buy the same quantity of goods. That higher price means they are inadvertently importing more inflation along with their grain and fuel. And because they borrow in dollars, they have to pay interest in dollars, which adds to their financial distress.
Some countries are already in default. Others are teetering on the brink. A sovereign debt crisis could soon spread, derailing the fragile recovery from the pandemic and amplifying the likelihood of a severe global downturn.
“Things are looking a little shaky at the moment,” said Leland Goss at the International Capital Markets Association, a trade body. “There does seem to be a consensus that we could face for the first time in a while not one but a whole raft of countries going into restructurings.”
Image
A baker in Cairo in September. Over the past month, Egypt, Pakistan and Ghana have all reached out to the International Monetary Fund for a bailout as they struggle to meet their debt financing needs.Credit…Khaled Elfiqi/EPA, via Shutterstock
Image
Lebanese locals lined up outside a bakery in Beirut in July to receive subsidized bread. S&P Global Ratings identified Lebanon as being in “severe stress.”Credit…Joseph Eid/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images
Four emerging market countries have defaulted on their debts so far this year, according to S&P Global Ratings — Russia, Sri Lanka, Belarus and Ukraine. Ten others are in “severe stress” — Argentina, Lebanon, Ghana, Suriname, Zambia, Ethiopia, Burkina Faso, the Republic of Congo, Mozambique and El Salvador, according to the ratings agency. Of the 94 emerging market sovereigns S&P rates around the world, over a quarter rank as B-minus, a low-quality rating indicative of a high-risk investment.
The bleak situation is part of the collateral damage from Russia’s war with Ukraine and the Fed’s fight against inflation, and it highlights the global connections that have left the fate of countries around the world inextricably linked to decisions made in Moscow and Washington.
Our Coverage of the Investment World
The decline of the stock and bond markets this year has been painful, and it remains difficult to predict what is in store for the future.
A Bad Year for Bonds: This has been the most devastating time for bonds since at least 1926 — and maybe in centuries. But much of the damage is already behind us.
Discordant Views: Some investors just don’t see how the Federal Reserve can lower inflation without risking high unemployment. The Fed appears more optimistic.
Weathering the Storm: The rout in the stock and bond markets has been especially rough on people paying for college, retirement or a new home. Here is some advice.
College Savings: As the stock and bond markets wobble, 529 plans are taking a tumble. What’s a family to do? There’s no one-size-fits-all answer, but you have options.
“We are in a fragile situation,” Mr. El-Erian said. “Country after country is flashing amber, and some are already flashing red.”
Many lower-income countries were already struggling during the pandemic.
Roughly 22 million people in Ghana, or a third of its population, reported a decline in their income between April 2020 and May 2021, according to a survey from the World Bank and UNICEF. Adults in almost half of the households with children surveyed said they were skipping a meal because they didn’t have enough money. Almost three-quarters said the prices of major food items had increased.
Image
Devastating floods in Pakistan have displaced millions of people, destroying homes and harvests and adding to the country’s financial distress.Credit…Kiana Hayeri for The New York Times
Image
A produce market in Colombo, Sri Lanka, in July. Already struggling to control a political crisis, Sri Lanka is also running out of fuel, food and medical supplies.Credit…Atul Loke for The New York Times
Then came Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The war between two of the world’s largest exporters of food and energy led to a big surge in prices, especially for importers like Ghana. Consumer prices rose 30 percent for the year through June, according to data from the research firm Moody’s Analytics. For household essentials, annual inflation has reached 60 percent or more this year, the S&P data shows.
To illustrate this, consider the price of a barrel of oil in dollars versus the Ghanaian cedi. At the beginning of October last year, the price of oil stood at $78.52 per barrel, rising to nearly $130 in March before falling back to $87.96 at the beginning of this month, a one-year increase of 12 percent in dollar terms. Over the same period, the Ghanaian cedi has weakened over 40 percent against the dollar, meaning that the same barrel of oil that cost roughly 475 cedi a year ago now costs over 900 cedi, almost twice as much.
Adding to the problem are large state-funded subsidies, some taken on or increased through the pandemic, that are now weighing on government finances.
Ghana’s president cut fuel taxes in November, losing roughly $22 million in projected revenue for the government — the latest available numbers.
In Egypt, spending on what the government refers to as “supply commodities,” almost all of which is wheat for its long-running bread subsidy, is expected to come in at around 7 percent of all government spending this year, 12 percent higher — or more than half a billion dollars — than the government budgeted.
As costs ballooned throughout the pandemic, governments took on more debt. Ghana’s public debt grew to nearly $60 billion from roughly $40 billion at the end of 2019, or to nearly 80 percent of its gross domestic product from around 63 percent, according to Moody’s.
It’s one of four countries listed by S&P, alongside Pakistan, Nigeria and Sri Lanka, where interest payments alone account for more than half of the government’s revenues.
“We can’t forget that this is happening on the back end of a once-in-a-century pandemic in which governments, to try and support families as best they could, did borrow more,” said Frank Gill, an analyst at S&P. “This is a shock following up on another shock.”
In May, Sri Lanka defaulted on its government debt for the first time in its history. Over the past month, the governments of Egypt, Pakistan and Ghana have all reached out to the International Monetary Fund for a bailout as they struggle to meet their debt financing needs, no longer able to turn to international investors for more money.
“I don’t think there is a lot of appetite to lend money to some of these countries,” said Brian Weinstein, co-head of credit trading at Bank of America. “They are incredibly vulnerable at the moment.”
Image
A protest outside the prime minister’s office in Sri Lanka in July. The demonstrations led to the resignations of President Gotabaya Rajapaksa, and Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa.Credit…Atul Loke for The New York Times
Image
Protests over economic hardships, in Accra, Ghana, in June. Demonstrators denounced rampant inflation and other government economic policies.Credit…Francis Kokoroko/Reuters
That vulnerability is already reflected in the bond market.
In 2016, Ghana borrowed $1 billion for 10 years, paying an interest rate of just over 8 percent. As the country’s financial position has worsened and investors have backed away, the yield — indicative of what it would now cost Ghana to borrow money until 2026 — has risen abov...
