Death Of 16-Year-Old Protester Adds New Fuel To Iran Uprising https://digitalarkansasnews.com/death-of-16-year-old-protester-adds-new-fuel-to-iran-uprising/ The death of a 16-year-old girl during Iran’s ongoing anti-government protests — and the apparent attempt by authorities to cover it up — has given demonstrators another rallying cry. Nika Shakarami disappeared in Tehran on Sept. 20 after burning her headscarf in protest and being followed by security forces, her family told BBC Persian, citing the account of a friend who was with her at the time. The government then refused to disclose her whereabouts, stole her body for a secret burial and pressured relatives to make false statements about how she died, the family alleges. Her story is eerily similar to that of Mahsa Amini, the 22-year-old Kurdish woman whose death on Sept. 16 in the custody of Iran’s “morality police” provided the first spark for the largest demonstrations Iran has seen in several years. Authorities said Amini had a heart attack after being arrested for an alleged violation of Iran’s strict dress code, releasing edited footage as evidence. But her family believes she was abused, and at her funeral, mourners yelled, “Death to the dictator” — a taboo reference to Iran’s supreme leader — before being attacked by police. The protests now sweeping the country are a formidable challenge to Iran’s clerical leadership, reflecting decades of pent-up fury over poverty, repression, gender segregation and human rights violations. Iran’s leaders blamed the West for the popular uprising and have launched a violent crackdown, cutting internet access and killing at least 80 people, according to rights groups. Authorities have also threatened the families of those arrested and killed, seeking to intimidate them into silence. Despite the danger, Shakarami’s aunt, Atash Shakarami, shared news of the teen’s disappearance on social media. Soon, her story began to circulate online and gain attention in Iran. A video of Shakarami wearing black baggy pants and a black T-shirt, her jet-black hair cut short, while singing a Persian love song went viral. For days, Iranian authorities did not publicly comment on the case, but the family says they were privately pressured to keep quiet. Shakarami’s aunt told BBC Persian that the teenager left the house on Sept. 20 with a water bottle in her bag, supposedly to visit her sister. The family later realized she was going to protest and probably took the water to rinse tear gas from her eyes. They lost contact with her around 7 p.m. Sept. 20, the aunt said, and her Instagram and Telegram accounts were deleted that night. Security forces often demand detainees give them access to their social media accounts. The family filed a missing persons report and searched for her in hospitals and police stations. But they heard nothing until 10 days later, when they found her body in a morgue. “When we went to identify her, they didn’t allow us to see her body, only her face for a few seconds,” Atash Shakarami told BBC Persian. As a condition for releasing the body, authorities demanded that the family bury her privately — a common tactic to avoid the funeral turning into a protest, as in the case of Amini. The family brought her body to Shakarami’s father’s hometown in the west of Iran on Sunday, but they never got the chance to hold a funeral. That same day, authorities took back Shakarami’s body and buried her in a village about 25 miles away. They also arrested her aunt, Atash Shakarami. Realizing they could no longer ignore her case, Iranian authorities finally commented Tuesday on Shakarami’s death, claiming that her body was found Sept. 21 in the backyard of a building after she had fallen to her death. Authorities also said they had arrested eight workers allegedly at the building when she died, according to Tasnim News. The news agency is close to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corp whose police force, the Basij, have been a key part of the crackdown on protesters. Fars News, which is also IRGC-affiliated, released video footage Wednesday that it said showed Shakarami entering the building, though the person is not identifiable. State television also aired footage Wednesday of Shakarami’s aunt corroborating the government narrative, saying that the teen fell from the roof of the building. Her uncle appeared as well and criticized the protests. But as he spoke, a shadow appeared and someone seemed to whisper in Persian, “Say it, you scumbag!” Iran’s government has long made use of forced confessions, according to rights groups, and on Thursday, Shakarami’s mother told Radio Farda, the Persian arm of U.S.-funded Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, she was also being intimidated. “They killed my daughter, and now they are threatening me into a forced confession,” she said. Read More Here

Elon Musk Seeks To Stop Oct. 17 Trial Date To Close Twitter Deal On Original Terms https://digitalarkansasnews.com/elon-musk-seeks-to-stop-oct-17-trial-date-to-close-twitter-deal-on-original-terms/ The Twitter profile page belonging to Elon Musk is seen on an Apple iPhone mobile phone. Nurphoto | Nurphoto | Getty Images Three Days after Elon Musk said he wanted to return to his original agreement to buy Twitter for $54.20 a share, the Tesla CEO is asking the social media company to end all litigation in order to close the deal. In a filing with Delaware’s Court of Chancery on Thursday, Musk’s side said Twitter should drop the court date scheduled for Oct. 17, so that the necessary financing can be pulled together to wrap up the acquisition by Oct. 28. “Twitter will not take yes for an answer,” the filing says. “Astonishingly, they have insisted on proceeding with this litigation, recklessly putting the deal at risk and gambling with their stockholders’ interests.” Musk’s attorneys allege that by Twitter failing to agree set aside its litigation, the upcoming court trial would “impede the deal moving forward.” “Instead of allowing the parties to turn their focus to securing the Debt Financing necessary to consummate the transaction and preparing for a transition of the business, the parties will instead remain distracted by completing discovery and an unnecessary trial,” the attorneys wrote. Twitter sued Musk in July to try and force the world’s richest person to stick to his purchase agreement, which was signed in April. Musk appeared ready to take the case to court, as legions of his text messages were released in preliminary filings. While Twitter shareholders, at the company’s recommendation, agreed to Musk’s purchase price in September, Twitter may now be reluctant to walk away from its lawsuit without certainty that all the financing is available to close the deal. Musk’s attorneys said that “By far the most likely possibility is that the debt is funded in which case the deal will close on or around October 28,” although they didn’t elaborate on to how exactly the debt would be funded. The lawyers added that “counsel for the debt financing parties has advised that each of their clients is prepared to honor its obligations under the Bank Debt Commitment Letter on the terms and subject to satisfaction of the conditions set forth therein.” Morgan Stanley and Bank of America are among the banks that originally agreed to provide $12.5 billion in debt for Musk. Since then the markets have tanked, particularly for risky tech assets. This is breaking news. Please check back for updates. Read More Here

Obituaries In Fort Smith, AR | Times Record https://digitalarkansasnews.com/obituaries-in-fort-smith-ar-times-record-63/ Nellie Marie Dreggors, 54, of Barling, Arkansas, passed from this life on Sunday, October 2, 2022. She was born February 20, 1968, in Fort Smith, Arkansas to James and Betty Jo McCormick. She spent her early life and graduated school in Mansfield. As anyone that knew her, even though she was the youngest of 9 brothers and sisters, she was the heart and soul of her family. She lived all throughout the U.S. and the world with her husband and children, always making the perfect home wherever she landed. She loved her dogs, always making sure they were there for the adventure. She especially enjoyed movies, any show that fulfilled her imagination, especially westerns with John Wayne and of course movies with her hero, Batman. She is preceded in death by her parents before mentioned; sisters, Jackie Williams and Lana Snook; and brother, Jimmy Snook. Funeral services are scheduled for 2:00 pm on Friday, October 7, 2022, at Roberts Memorial Chapel, with burial at Union Ridge Cemetery in Huntington, under the direction of Roberts Funeral Home. Prior to the service on Friday, visitation will be held from 1:00 – 2:00 pm. Nellie is survived by her husband, Charlie Dreggors of the home; son, Eric Dreggors of Fayetteville, Arkansas; daughter, Ashley Dreggors-Ashcraft and son in law, Ryan Ashcraft of Seguin, Texas; brother, Bill Snook of Charleston, Arkansas; sisters, Norma Jo Earp of Mountainburg, Arkansas, Bobbie June Hughes of Silver Springs, Nevada, Emily Adamson of Van Buren, Arkansas, and Julie McCarley of Las Vegas, Nevada; and 3 grandchildren, Owen Ashcraft, Maci Beth Ashcraft, and Noah Ashcraft. Pallbearers: Charlie Dreggors, Ryan Ashcraft, John Paul Adamson, Eric Dreggors, John Paul Adamson Jr, and Mike Snook www.robertsfh.com Posted online on October 06, 2022 Read More Here

In Pennsylvania, Mastriano Has The Fervent Base, But Oz Trying To Reach Swing Voters https://digitalarkansasnews.com/in-pennsylvania-mastriano-has-the-fervent-base-but-oz-trying-to-reach-swing-voters/ PHILADELPHIA — When Republican Senate candidate Mehmet Oz held a rally in Bucks County, he brought in Louisiana Sen. John Kennedy, a fairly traditional Republican who laces his political attacks with a Southern drawl and comic delivery. When Doug Mastriano went to Bucks, the Republican nominee for governor invited Jack Posobiec, a bomb-throwing conspiracist who has targeted some prominent Jewish people with an antisemitic Twitter meme. The two events in one of Pennsylvania’s most moderate swing counties reflect how the state’s top GOP candidates have diverged in their pitches to voters. Mastriano has a devoted base of support who chanted his name at a September rally with former President Donald Trump. But even some fellow Republicans are cringing because he’s done little to expand his backing. Calling Mastriano an extremist, some have endorsed his Democratic rival, Attorney General Josh Shapiro. Oz, at that same Trump rally, generated much less vocal enthusiasm. Republican voters still appear lukewarm toward him, according to polling. But unlike Mastriano, Oz is aiming for broader, if less excited, backing. After clinging to Trump in the primary, the celebrity surgeon has tried to soften his profile and reach out to suburban swing voters and even some voters in deep-blue Philadelphia. Oz’s approach has Republicans talking up their hopes for “Shapiro-Oz” voters as a key to a Senate race that has shown signs of tightening. Those hopes are a tacit admission that many Republicans are writing off Mastriano, and hoping Oz can outperform him in a nationally watched race that could determine control of the U.S. Senate. “There are a lot of more moderate Republicans who are just not going to vote for Doug Mastriano but they’re OK with Oz,” said Jason High, who worked for former GOP gubernatorial nominee Scott Wagner. It helps, of course, that, unlike Mastriano, Oz has run a more traditional campaign, with millions of dollars of national GOP money behind him, helping pound his Democratic opponent, John Fetterman, on TV. Mastriano, until this week, hadn’t run a single ad. “Mehmet’s focus from the day after the primary was building a very broad-based general election coalition that could represent the whole commonwealth,” said Montgomery County Republican Jeff Bartos, an Oz primary rival who now chairs his Senate campaign. (Bartos’ wife recently hosted a fundraiser for Shapiro.) While both Mastriano and Oz have deeply negative public images, according to polling, Mastriano’s stances — on overturning election results and banning abortion entirely — and his ties to antisemitism appear more likely to be viewed as disqualifying than simply disagreeable. “The differentiation between Mastriano and Shapiro is so dramatic, and that’s why a lot of Republicans are going for Shapiro,” said Jim Greenwood, a former Republican congressman from Bucks County who is supporting the Democrat for governor. Jane Galli, a retired math teacher and former Republican Radnor committeeperson, is one example. “In all good conscience, I can’t vote for Mastriano,” said Galli, 71, pointing to his opposition to all abortions, without exceptions. But she attended a recent Oz event in Delaware County and plans to support him. The Delaware County event was part of a string of recent Oz events in and around Philadelphia, and he was in Pittsburgh last weekend, targeting Democratic strongholds and the suburbs that surround them. Recent polls, however, show Oz with roughly the same amount of support as Mastriano — suggesting his gains might come not from swing voters, but from skeptical Republicans who have come around, and were always likely to support their party’s nominee eventually. “A lot of what you’re seeing is Oz just bringing Republicans home” after a brutal GOP primary, High said. Democrats say Oz’s hope for crossover votes is hamstrung by his deep-seated image problems, and what they say are equally unpopular policies beneath his general election pivot. The celebrity surgeon’s favorability was about 20 percentage points underwater in a recent Marist poll, worse than Mastriano’s. And Democrats see abortion rights as an issue that will make Oz toxic to many swing voters. A recent Fetterman news release linked Oz and Mastriano, noting that both have described abortion as “murder.” “If you needed any more evidence that Dr. Oz is one of the most radical anti-abortion candidates in the country, this is it,” Fetterman said in a statement. Fetterman, meanwhile, on Tuesday launched a “Republicans for Fetterman” campaign highlighting GOP voters who support him. “I want to elect someone who has the best interest at heart for everyone in Pennsylvania, not when it’s convenient in an election year,” Vince Tulio, a Republican from Montgomery County, said in a Fetterman news release. But in a state where Democrats still outnumber Republicans, the GOP is more reliant on swing voters. Oz’s approach in some ways mirrors the GOP tactics in 2016, when Sen. Pat Toomey took a different approach than Trump and outperformed him in the Philadelphia suburbs, a key to the senator’s victory. Oz has even used Toomey, the senator he’s running to replace, as a surrogate at events in Philadelphia and Pittsburgh. (Toomey isn’t seeking reelection.) There’s at least one difference now at play: Toomey ran with the support of gun safety groups that praised his support for broader background checks, a key selling point in the suburbs. Oz opposes that idea, and is now facing attacks from one of those same groups. It’s an open question, though, how many swing voters still exist. “Politics has become so tribal and so polarized and so much based on party … that I’m not convinced there’s a lot of ticket-splitting that’s going to happen this time,” Greenwood said. Other Republicans point to recent elections to argue that there are still enough to make a difference in a close race. In Chester County, for example, the GOP candidates for treasurer and auditor won more votes than Trump did in 2020, and triumphed statewide, while the former president lost. “Are there a ton of Shapiro-Oz voters walking around out there? And the answer is no,” Muhlenberg College pollster Chris Borick said. “Is there a segment that could be important in a tight race? And the answer is probably yes.” His polling found weaknesses for Fetterman with older suburban voters who favor Shapiro. “A lot of it is the product of Oz’s focus over this fall and his spending on making Fetterman look soft on crime, too radical for Pennsylvania on a bunch of social issues,” Borick said, pointing to legalizing marijuana, a top Fetterman priority, as one stance that is less appealing to older voters. “Then you get to Fetterman’s brand: really attractive to some voters, younger, working class,” Borick said. But “for a more buttoned-down, older audience, [it] isn’t a natural fit.” Since winning the GOP primary Oz has tried to shave the edges off some of his key positions. After emphasizing his anti-abortion credentials during the primary, telling some supporters the procedure amounts to “murder,” he has since said he doesn’t believe in prosecuting doctors who perform abortions. He has sidestepped questions about a proposed national ban after 15 weeks of pregnancy. Last Call Daily Get top headlines from The Morning Call delivered weekday afternoons. And after nodding to Trump’s baseless claims about the 2020 election — saying “we cannot move on” — Oz recently said he would have certified Pennsylvania’s vote if he had been in the Senate. His campaign refused to answer that question when The Philadelphia Inquirer asked during the primary. Democrats chalk up Oz’s gains on Fetterman to a money-bomb from Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., whose affiliated super PAC has been bombarding television with attacks on Fetterman, including $18 million since the May primary, according to AdImpact, which tracks political advertising. The governor’s race appears to be trending more strongly Democratic because Fetterman is lagging Shapiro, who has had the benefit of facing few attack ads. The gap on the Democratic side suggests there might still be a sizable swath of Democratic votes available to Fetterman. But so far he hasn’t closed the deal with some voters willing to support his party. That might leave a door open for Oz — even if the governor’s race turns into a rout. Staff writer Julia Terruso contributed to this article. ©2022 The Philadelphia Inquirer. Visit inquirer.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. Read More Here

House Republicans Urge Biden To Reject California’s Bid To Ban Sales Of Gas-Powered Cars https://digitalarkansasnews.com/house-republicans-urge-biden-to-reject-californias-bid-to-ban-sales-of-gas-powered-cars/ More than 150 House Republicans pushed President Biden on Thursday to reject a forthcoming request by California to move forward with its plan to ban the sale of new gas-powered vehicles by 2035. The ambitious proposal to give the boot to gas guzzlers — an effort to combat climate change by slashing emissions by transportation — received final approval from state officials in August. But California will first need the Environmental Protection Agency to issue a waiver under the Clean Air Act because the policy is more stringent than federal regulations. In a letter to the administration Thursday that was signed by 158 House Republicans, lawmakers urged Mr. Biden to reject such a waiver over concerns about the power grid’s reliability and America’s dependence on foreign countries for critical minerals used in electric vehicle batteries. “We urge you to reject California’s forthcoming request for this waiver due to widespread concerns for the negative impact it will have on the electric grid, the need for additional power generation, the overreliance on foreign adversaries for critical minerals, and the right of Americans to choose for themselves which vehicles they wish to drive,” they wrote. The White House did not respond to a request for comment. The administration has shown no indication it plans to reject a waiver but has not yet received the needed formal request for one. SEE ALSO: White House doubles down on calls for Big Oil to reduce profits as Democrats fret over OPEC cuts Currently, Republicans lack the power in Washington to prevent its approval. Red states could mount legal challenges, or a future Republican administration could reverse such a decision, as was done under former President Donald Trump. Under the Clean Air Act, waivers are approved unless it’s determined that California’s reasons are “arbitrary and capricious.” California’s plan requires auto manufacturers to meet zero-emission sales targets on a sliding scale, starting with 35% of vehicles sold in 2026 being electric, 68% by 2030 and 100% by 2035. Roughly 16% of new vehicles sold in the first half of this year in the state were zero-emission, which also includes electric vehicles and plug-in hybrids, according to the California Energy Commission. But rolling blackouts frequently afflict the state due to a strain on the electric grid, a point raised by the GOP lawmakers. Residents received warnings this summer during record heat waves to limit their electricity usage by ticking up their thermostats and unplugging power-draining devices. “California residents may face a future where they will be unable to get to work, shop for groceries at the local market, or pick up their kids from school because they will be unable to charge their vehicles when they want or need,” the Republicans wrote. Automakers, for their part, say they are ready to make a more aggressive switch from gas-powered vehicles to those powered by electricity. Federal and state policies could determine how fast or slow that transition occurs. Other blue states have intentions to follow California’s lead, which has the strictest emissions rules in the country. For example, New York Gov. Kathy Hochul, a Democrat, directed her state’s Department of Environmental Conservation last week to take steps that would pave the way for a similar ban by 2035. In their letter, the Republicans said that on top of their “technical and logistical” concerns, they hold “philosophical concerns with telling the American people what products they can and cannot buy.” Read More Here

Get Ready For Elon Musk To Turn Twitter Into A Right-Wing Cesspool That Could Hand Trump 2024 https://digitalarkansasnews.com/get-ready-for-elon-musk-to-turn-twitter-into-a-right-wing-cesspool-that-could-hand-trump-2024/ Earlier this week, Elon Musk woke up and decided that he wanted to buy Twitter. If you haven’t been keeping up with the daily whims of the richest man in the world, you might have thought he already expressed such a desire some time ago. And that’s right, he did— even made it official and everything!—before characteristically trying to back out of the deal, a move that landed him in court. Why the most recent change of heart? Obviously, no one can truly know what’s going on inside this guy’s head, but many people believe it probably had to do with the fact that it looked like he was going to lose at trial and be forced to buy the site anyway. Or perhaps it was that he didn’t want himself and his billionaire friends, whose text messages were recently revealed via court documents, to suffer further humiliation. Or maybe he just woke up that morning and decided to fuck with people, as he frequently does. Again, no one can say for sure, but one thing we can say with a high level of confidence is that if Musk actually buys Twitter this time—and that remains a big if!—he’s very likely going to turn it into a right-wing cesspool featuring the worst people on earth—starting with Donald Trump. Though Trump was quite famously banned from Twitter after inciting a violent insurrection that left multiple people dead—and then tweeting that it was justified—Musk has made it clear that he would re-welcome the ex-president to the site. “I do think it was not correct to ban Donald Trump. I think that was a mistake,” Musk said in May, promising to reverse the ban if he became the company’s owner. For his part, Trump insisted last spring, “I am not going on Twitter, I am going to stay on Truth,” referring to his sad Twitter “competitor,” Truth Social. But it’s important to remember that Trump is a well-known pathological liar, and literally nothing he say can be trusted. Of course he would rejoin Twitter given the opportunity. No one on earth is more obsessed with Twitter than Donald Trump who, when he was supposed to be running the country, spent 97% of his time tweeting. This is a man who once tweeted 200 times in one day. That he would give up the chance to share every thought that comes into his head with a significantly larger audience than he has on Truth Social is a virtual impossibility—particularly if he makes good on his threat to run for president again in 2024. Oh, and about the election. If Musk actually follows through this time, it’s possible he could own Twitter before the November 8 midterms. That’s probably not enough time to impact those races, but as The New York Times’ Kevin Roose writes: The 2024 election, though, will be a different story. By then, if the deal is consummated, Mr. Musk will have been able to more fully mold Twitter in his own image. The platform could look radically different by then—more right-wing trolls, fewer guardrails against misinformation and extremism—or it could be largely the same. But Mr. Musk will be firmly in charge, and if Twitter still plays anywhere near the role in American political and media culture that it does today, he will emerge as a central, polarizing figure in the 2024 election cycle. Republicans are, for obvious reasons, excited about Mr. Musk’s taking over. But the ultimate political consequences of his ownership are harder to predict. It’s theoretically possible—though, I concede, probably unlikely—that Mr. Musk’s owning Twitter could be good for Democrats in 2022 and 2024, if it allows more Republican politicians to stake out extreme positions on Twitter that end up backfiring on them at the ballot box. But whatever moves Mr. Musk makes before 2024, it’s a good bet that they will be closely scrutinized for signs that he is putting his thumb on the scale. As Andrew Bleeker, president of the progressive political public affairs firm Bully Pulpit Interactive, told Politico, Trump coming back to Twitter could have a “tremendous impact on 2024 elections, especially if Donald Trump is a presidential candidate. You can think of it as a $40 billion donation to the Trump campaign.” Of course, Trump won’t be the only font of disinformation and hate returning to the platform should Musk take the reins. Per the Times’ Roose: Mr. Musk, who styles himself a centrist but often crusades against the “woke left,” has made no secret of his plans to make Twitter a friendlier platform for right-wing voices. He has expressed support for The Babylon Bee, a conservative satire site whose Twitter account was suspended after it published a transphobic humor piece about a Biden administration official. And Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene, whose personal Twitter account was suspended this year for repeatedly sharing misinformation about COVID-19 vaccines, has urged Mr. Musk to reinstate her along with other right-wing commentators, including Alex Jones, the founder of Infowars. “I think there’s a serious threat to democracy,” Jessica González, co-CEO of Free Press, a nonpartisan media advocacy organization, told Politico. “I think we’ll see prolific conspiracy theories, and white supremacists return to the platform and a lot more people who hold power and who are willing to use platforms to spread hate and harassment campaigns.” Musk has previously stated that Twitter should avoid getting involved in content regulation, and given his long, well-documented history of spreading misinformation, attacking his perceived enemies, and retaliating against people who he thinks have wronged him, it’s easy to see why. Which is pretty concerning to people who think Twitter already has a problem with misinformation and abuse (especially toward women and minorities). He’s also claimed that his interest in buying Twitter is all about his love for free speech though, obviously, he’s only actually a defender of free speech when it suits him. Anyway, be afraid. Read More Here

Jan. 6 Committee Schedules Ninth And Perhaps Final Hearing For Oct. 13 https://digitalarkansasnews.com/jan-6-committee-schedules-ninth-and-perhaps-final-hearing-for-oct-13/ The congressional committee investigating the Jan. 6 storming of the Capitol has scheduled its next public hearing on Thursday, Oct. 13, less than three weeks before the midterm election that will determine control of Congress. The session, which was rescheduled due to Hurricane Ian, is expected to be the bipartisan panel’s final one, although its leaders haven’t ruled out holding more hearings if new evidence emerges. Rep. Bennie Thompson (D-Miss.), the committee’s chairman, has given few clues about what to expect but told reporters last week to expect revelations about Save America PAC, Trump’s chief fundraising vehicle. It is facing legal scrutiny after the Justice Department issues a round of grand jury subpoenas seeking detailed information about the political action committee’s fundraising practices. The House select committee investigating the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol. (J. Scott Applewhite/AP) The nationally televised hearing will start at 1 pm Eastern and is expected to include never-before-seen interview footage of witnesses the committee has deposed since late July. That could include Virginia “Ginni” Thomas, the wife of Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas, who was interviewed last week behind closed doors. The committee probed Thomas about her role in trying to help Trump overturn his election defeat, including her correspondence with White House chief of staff Mark Meadows and lawmakers in Arizona and Wisconsin in the weeks after the 2020 presidential election. The committee is aiming to wrap up its work by the end of the year and issue a final report and legislative recommendations, but its investigative work is not yet complete as lawmakers explore several unanswered questions. Panel members still want to get to the bottom of missing Secret Service texts from Jan. 5-6, 2021, which could shed further light on Trump’s actions during the insurrection, particularly after earlier testimony about his confrontation with security as he tried to join supporters at the Capitol. Thompson said earlier this month that the committee has recently obtained “thousands” of documents from the Secret Service. Another decision for the committee is how aggressively to pursue testimony from Trump and former Vice President Mike Pence. Some members have downplayed the value of taking that step and time is running short of requesting their testimony. If Republicans take the majority in November’s elections, they are expected to dissolve the committee in January. The panel plans to issue a final report by the end of December that will include legislative reforms it says would help prevent future attempts to subvert democracy. With News Wire Services Read More Here

Hogan Targets DeSantis Over What He Charges Was ‘publicity Stunt’ Sending Migrants To Martha’s Vineyard https://digitalarkansasnews.com/hogan-targets-desantis-over-what-he-charges-was-publicity-stunt-sending-migrants-to-marthas-vineyard/ GOFFSTOWN, N.H. – Gov. Larry Hogan, in his most forceful language to date, charges that the controversial move last month by GOP Gov. Ron DeSantis of Florida to fly migrants from Texas to the progressive bastion of Martha’s Vineyard in Massachusetts was a “terrible idea” and a “publicity stunt.” “He grabbed 50 people and sent them to Martha’s Vineyard as a publicity stunt and I think I was a terrible idea. Let’s just try to address the issue seriously and fix the problem rather than try to get on TV,” the term-limited Republican governor of blue state Maryland argued as he took questions from the audience during a stop in New Hampshire on Thursday. “It’s not a serious discussion. It’s not a good solution.” Hogan, who’s mulling a potential bid for the 2024 GOP presidential nomination, made his comments as he headlined the latest edition of “Politics and Eggs.” The speaking series at Saint Anselm College’s New Hampshire Institute of Politics for two decades has been a must stop for potential or actual White House contenders visiting the first-in-the-nation presidential primary state. The governor claimed the that move by DeSantis was “really was just to get attention, I think. Didn’t solve any problem. There’s tens of thousands of people crossing the border and 50 people dropping off in Martha’s Vineyard, I don’t think is going to fix it.” POLL: DO FLORIDA VOTERS SUPPORT DESANTIS MIGRANTS FLIGHTS ? Taking a question from Fox News Digital following the event, Hogan noted that he hadn’t talked directly with the Florida governor, and he reiterated that “I just didn’t think that was a smart idea. I thought it was a publicity stunt. And I would tell him that to his face.” DeSantis, whose popularity has soared among conservatives in Florida and across the country the past two and a half years, courtesy of his forceful pushback against coronavirus pandemic restrictions and his aggressive actions as a culture wars warrior, sparked a new controversy last month with the flying of the migrants to Martha’s Vineyard. CLICK HERE FOR THE LATEST FOX NEWS REPORTING, ANALYSIS, AND OPINION ON RON DESANTIS While igniting outrage among Democrats, the calculated move spotlighted the combustible issue of illegal immigration and border security, which fires up the GOP base but also connects with independent voters who may be frustrated with the Biden administration efforts in handling the surge in border crossings into the U.S. over the past year and a half. DeSantis has repeatedly defended his move and says outrage over the flight was misplaced. “It’s really frustrating. Millions of people since Biden’s been president, illegally coming across the southern border. Did they freak out about that? No,” DeSantis said last month in an appearance on Fox News’ “Hannity.” “You’ve had migrants die in the Rio Grande — you had 50 die in Texas in a trailer because they were being neglected. Was there a freakout about that? No, there wasn’t,” DeSantis added. Pushing back against criticism, the governor’s office said in a statement that “Florida gave them [the migrants] an opportunity to seek greener pastures in a sanctuary jurisdiction that offered greater resources for them.” Political prognosticators also view DeSantis as a potential 2024 Republican presidential hopeful, and Hogan’s comments could serve as a preview of things to come when the next GOP nomination battle officially gets underway following November’s midterm elections. “I think we’ve got to secure the border and then find a pathway to citizenship,” Hogan told the audience in New Hampshire. “I did join in with 23 other governors with a border strike force to try and secure the border because I think the federal government is failing in that regard.” WHAT TEXAS GOV. GREG ABBOTT SAYS ABOUT SENDING MIGRANTS NORTH Hogan also said the move by longtime Republican Gov. Greg Abbott of Texas to bus migrants who crossed from Mexico into his state to progressive northern cities “a mistake.” Among the cities where Abbott’s transported the migrants is Washington D.C, which borders Maryland. Hogan told Fox News that he had a face-to-face conversation with Abbott and told the Texas governor “I don’t think it’s a great idea to be dropping off thousands of people on my state border” and said he asked Abbott to “please stop dropping them off next to us.” FIRST ON FOX: HOGAN UNVEILS EDUCATION PLAN TO EXPAND OPPORTUNTIES ‘OUTSIDE OF PRESTIGIOUS UNIVERSITIES’ The trip by Hogan to New Hampshire was his third since July, which is sparking more speculation about his national ambitions. The governor told the audience that when it comes to a potential GOP presidential nomination run, “I think there are 15-20 that are potentially thinking about doing this.” Asked if there’s room for someone who’s a vocal critic of former President Donald Trump in today’s Republican Party, Hogan said “Is there a lane? I don’t know. That’s part of what we’re trying to find out. I think there are 10 people who want to be the next Donald Trump and I think there may be a different lane.” Hogan later touted to reporters that “whenever you talk about the five or six people who might be running for president, I’m included in that discussion….. obviously, it’s a longshot and it’s not what everybody’s focused on right now. But the election is two years from now and there’s a lot of things that can change… I think that it’s going to look a lot different than it looks right now.” HOGAN PREDICTS TRUMP’S SWAY OVER GOP ‘DIMINISHED’ Asked by Fox News about a meeting he held last week with political advisers and top donors, Hogan said “I was updating some of my strongest supporters on exactly where we were,” but added that no decisions about 2024 will come until after his second and final term as governor ends in mid-January.” Republican Gov. Larry Hogan of Maryland signs the iconic wooden eggs before addressing “Politics and Eggs,” on Oct. 6, 2022. The speaking series at the New Hampshire Institute of Politics is a must stop for potential or actual White House hopefuls. (Fox News) But Hogan said he told his donors “that we’ve been to 25 states. We’ve done hundreds of national interviews and we’ve been meeting people everywhere….The crowd was very excited.” CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP Hogan said he’ll hold a leadership summit he’s holding in late November in Maryland with thought leaders from around the country together to try to talk about the path forward and what we can do to get the country moving in a different direction.” “We’re all going to gather at the end of November and try to figure out what the path forward is the for the country and what my potential future might be,” he told Fox News. Paul Steinhauser is a politics reporter based in New Hampshire.  Read More Here

Dominion Lawsuit Alleges Fox News CEO Warned Staffers About ‘The Crazies’ After 2020 Election https://digitalarkansasnews.com/dominion-lawsuit-alleges-fox-news-ceo-warned-staffers-about-the-crazies-after-2020-election/ According to Dominion Voting Systems, which is seeking $1.6 billion from Fox in a defamation lawsuit, Fox News CEO Suzanne Scott told staffers “we can’t give the crazies an inch”, after the network called Arizona for now-President Joe Biden during the 2020 Presidential election. Fox News was the first network to call the state for Biden, which eventually propelled him to the Presidency. A report from NPR details that Dominion’s lawyers claimed the company should receive the employment contracts of 13 Fox News executives, including Scott. A Delaware Superior Court Judge agreed. Justin Nelson, Dominion’s lead attorney, claims Fox News executives tried to block Lou Dobbs and Maria Bartiromo from featuring Trump attorneys Sidney Powel and Rudy Giuliani from appearing on network shows to repeat false claims that the election was stolen from Trump. Fox’s attorney did not dispute or refute either the claims made by Nelson. An upcoming book, The Divider, claims Fox News anchor Bret Baier shared he was receiving “intense pressure” from the Trump campaign to reverse the network’s call that Biden had won Arizona. The book alleges Baier asked Fox News President Jay Wallace to retract the call, which he has denied. In a statement given to Barrett News Media by a Fox News spokesperson, Baier said “The full context of the e-mail is not reported in this book. I never said the Trump campaign ‘was really pissed’ – that was from an external email that I referenced within my note. This was an email sent AFTER election night. “In the immediate days following the election, the vote margins in Arizona narrowed significantly and I communicated these changes to our team along with what people on the ground were saying and predicting district by district. I wanted to analyze at what point (what vote margin) would we have to consider pulling the call for Biden. I also noted that I fully supported our decision desk’s call and would defend it on air.” Read More Here

Herschel Walker Says Abortion ‘nothing To Be Ashamed Of,’ But Supports Ban https://digitalarkansasnews.com/herschel-walker-says-abortion-nothing-to-be-ashamed-of-but-supports-ban/ Herschel Walker, the Republican nominee for U.S. Senate in Georgia, is denying the latest reports from the Daily Beast that he paid a former girlfriend to have an abortion — and that the woman is the mother of one of his children. In an interview Thursday morning with conservative radio host Hugh Hewitt, Walker reiterated his denials of the Daily Beast’s reporting. “I know this is untrue. I know it’s untrue, and they keep telling me things like that, and it’s totally, totally untrue,” Walker said on the “Hugh Hewitt Show.” “And I’m not sure why that would be told. I know nothing about any woman having an abortion. And they can keep coming at me like that, and they’re doing it because they want to distract people.” In a muddled answer, Walker repeatedly brought up that he had already been forgiven. And although he has campaigned in support of a national abortion ban at 15 weeks of pregnancy, Walker suggested to Hewitt that there would have been no shame in having undergone the procedure. “I hate to say I’ve been born again, but I have a new life. And I’ve been moving forward, and had that happened, I would have said it, because it’s nothing to be ashamed of there,” Walker said. “You know, people have done that, but I know nothing about it. And if I knew about it, I would be honest and talk about it, but I know nothing about that.” The Daily Beast reported Monday that Walker had paid for a girlfriend’s abortion in 2009, and that the woman had provided proof of their relationship, along with a “get well” card Walker had sent her after the procedure. After Walker publicly denied the story as a “flat-out lie” and said he didn’t know who the former girlfriend could be, the woman — whom the Daily Beast had kept anonymous — went back to the news outlet to say she was the mother of one of Walker’s children. “Sure, I was stunned, but I guess it also doesn’t shock me, that maybe there are just so many of us that he truly doesn’t remember,” she told the Daily Beast. “But then again, if he really forgot about it, that says something, too.” The Washington Post has not been able to independently confirm the Daily Beast reports. Herschel Walker, the GOP nominee for U.S. Senate in Georgia, denied a report that he paid for a girlfriend’s abortion in 2009 on Fox News on Oct. 3. (Video: Fox News) “As I have already said, there is no truth to this or any other Daily Beast report,” Walker’s campaign said in a statement Wednesday night. Roger Sollenberger, the Daily Beast reporter who broke the stories — as well as others earlier this year about “secret” children Walker had fathered with women who were not his ex-wife — said the outlet was standing by its reporting. “Just want to point out that while Herschel Walker claims ‘there’s no truth’ to ‘any’ Daily Beast report, he literally confirmed *both* of my Daily Beast reports about his secret kids,” Sollenberger said in a series of Twitter posts. “He confirmed the reports himself and has never asked for a correction … I mean, the campaign can just have him pull up his bank statements and see for themselves.” Walker is challenging Democratic Sen. Raphael G. Warnock in one of the most closely watched Senate contests of the year. The outcome of the race, which polls show is competitive, is expected to help determine which party controls the Senate for the next two years. As he runs for Senate, Walker has campaigned as a strict opponent of abortion rights. He has said he opposes abortion without any exceptions and has voiced support for a proposed national ban on the procedure after 15 weeks of pregnancy. The Daily Beast’s latest reports also prompted one of Walker’s children, who previously supported his father, to publicly criticize Walker on social media. On Monday evening, Christian Walker alleged in a video posted to Twitter that his father “threatened to kill us” and caused him and his mother to move six times in six months “running from your violence.” “I don’t care about someone who has a bad past and takes accountability,” Christian Walker tweeted. “But how DARE YOU LIE and act as though you’re some ‘moral, Christian, upright man.’ You’ve lived a life of DESTROYING other peoples lives. How dare you.” Annie Linskey and Cleve R. Wootson Jr. contributed to this report. Read More Here

Bombers Travel To Meet No. 5 Little Rock Christian https://digitalarkansasnews.com/bombers-travel-to-meet-no-5-little-rock-christian/ The Mountain Home Bombers reach the end of the gauntlet Friday night. For the fourth game in five weeks, the Bombers will face a top-five ranked team in Class 6A when they travel to meet No. 5 … Read More…

Toyota Restarts Output Of First EV After Fixing Safety Issues https://digitalarkansasnews.com/toyota-restarts-output-of-first-ev-after-fixing-safety-issues/ TOKYO, Oct 6 (Reuters) – Toyota Motor Corp said it would restart production of its first electric vehicle, the bZ4X, on Thursday after fixing potential safety problems that had halted sales of the new battery-powered model for more than three months. Japan’s largest automaker, a laggard in the EV market, recalled 2,700 bZ4Xs globally in June after discovering that there was a risk the car’s wheels could come loose. Subaru Corp (7270.T), a fifth owned by Toyota, also had to recall units of the related Solterra model that it jointly developed with Toyota. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com A recall notice submitted to Japan’s transport ministry by Toyota in June said that sharp turns and sudden braking could cause a hub bolt to loosen, raising the risk of a wheel coming off the vehicle. The automaker on Thursday said in a filing to the ministry that it would make sure hub bolts were replaced and properly tightened in new versions of the bZ4X. In addition, Toyota said it had identified and fixed a potential problem with airbags in the car. Some airbags had been improperly installed at the factory and were at risk to fail or cause injury because of the placement of a strap inside the airbag assembly. Toyota had not previously disclosed that problem. 2023 Toyota bZ4X all-electric SUV is displayed during the 2021 LA Auto Show in Los Angeles, California, U.S. November, 17, 2021. REUTERS/Mike Blake Masahiko Maeda, Toyota’s chief technology officer, told a briefing the automaker only became aware of the airbag issue in the last month or two. “We apologise again for the concern, anxiety, and inconvenience we have caused to our customers, our dealers and our stakeholders,” Maeda said. He declined to comment on how much the recall had cost. Toyota has faced criticism from environmental groups and investors who want the company to expand faster into battery EVs. Toyota has pushed back, saying it needs to offer car choices to suit different markets and customers. Hybrids such as the Prius remain far more popular in Toyota’s home market. Pure battery-electric vehicles accounted for just 1% of the passenger cars sold in Japan last year, according to industry data. The bZ4X is available for lease only in Japan – a service which will resume on Oct. 26, Maeda said. He did not specify when U.S. sales would recommence. Only 232 units of crossover, pitched as Toyota’s answer to Tesla’s (TSLA.O) Model Y and the Volkswagen’s (VOWG_p.DE) ID.4, have been sold this year in the United States. Last year, the Japanese automaker committed about $30 billion to develop battery electric vehicles. It expects the company’s annual sales of such cars to reach only 3.5 million vehicles by the end of the decade, about one-third of current annual sales of its gasoline-powered cars. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com Reporting by Satoshi Sugiyama and Maki Shiraki; Editing by Kevin Krolicki and Edwina Gibbs Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles. Read More Here

Thailand Massacre: Ex-Cop Kills 24 Children In Knife And Gun Rampage https://digitalarkansasnews.com/thailand-massacre-ex-cop-kills-24-children-in-knife-and-gun-rampage/ Total death toll including shooter is 37 – police Attacker kills 24 children, 13 adults in rampage Thai daycare centre was for children aged 2-5 Most child victims were stabbed – police Attacker killed his wife, child, and shot himself NA KLANG, Thailand, Oct 6 (Reuters) – A former policeman killed 34 people, including 23 children, during a knife and gun rampage at a daycare centre in northeast Thailand on Thursday, police said, before later shooting dead his wife and child at home and turning his weapon on himself. In one of the world’s worst child death tolls in a massacre by a single killer in recent history, most of the children who died at the daycare centre in Uthai Sawan, a town 500 km (310 miles) northeast of Bangkok, were stabbed to death, police said. The age range of children at the daycare centre was from two to five years, a local official told Reuters. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com Police identified the attacker as a former member of the force who was dismissed from his post last year over drug allegations and he was facing trial on a drugs charge. The man had been in court earlier in the day and had then gone to the daycare centre to collect his child, police spokesperson Paisal Luesomboon told broadcaster ThaiPBS. When he did not find his child there, he began the killing spree, Paisal said. “He started shooting, slashing, killing children at the Uthai Sawan daycare centre,” Paisal said. “It’s a scene that nobody wants to see. From the first step when I went in, it felt harrowing,” Piyalak Kingkaew, an experienced emergency worker heading the first responder team, told Reuters. “We’ve been through it before, but this incident is most harrowing because they are little kids.” A large van that police said contained bodies of 22 people, mostly children, was seen by Reuters departing from a police station headed towards the city of Udon Thani, 80 km (50 miles) away, where autopsies would be performed. ‘I BEGGED HIM FOR MERCY’ A Reuters photographer also saw late on Thursday the body of the shooter, Panya Khamrapm, being moved in a bodybag from a van to a police station in the province. Photographs taken at the daycare centre by the rescue team and shared with Reuters showed the tiny bodies of those killed laid out on blankets. Abandoned juice boxes were scattered across the floor. “He was heading towards me and I begged him for mercy, I didn’t know what to do,” one distraught woman told ThaiPBS, fighting back tears. “He didn’t say anything, he shot at the door while the kids were sleeping,” another woman said, becoming distraught. Police said the attacker’s weapon was a 9 mm pistol and it had been obtained legally. Thailand’s police chief said the perpetrator had tried to break into the premises and had mostly used a knife in the killings. People gather outside a day care center which was the scene of a mass shooting, in the town of Uthai Sawan, around 500 km northeast of Bangkok in the province of Nong Bua Lam Phu, Thailand October 6, 2022. REUTERS/Athit Perawongmetha “Then he got out and started killing anyone he met along the way with a gun or the knife until he got home. We surrounded his house and then found that he committed suicide in his home,” Damrongsak Kittiprapas told reporters. He said a few children had survived, without giving details. About 30 children were at the facility – a pink, one-storey building surrounded by a lawn and small palm trees – when the attacker arrived, fewer than usual, as heavy rain had kept many people away, said district official Jidapa Boonsom, who was working in a nearby office at the time. “The shooter came in around lunch time and shot four or five officials at the childcare centre first,” Jidapa told Reuters. The attacker forced his way into a locked room where the children were sleeping, Jidapa said. A teacher who was eight months pregnant was also among those stabbed to death, she said. The massacre is among the worst involving children killed by one person. Anders Breivik killed 69 people, mostly teenagers, at a summer camp in Norway in 2011, while the death toll in other cases include 20 children at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown Connecticut in 2012, 16 at Dunblane in Scotland in 1996 and 19 at a school in Uvalde, Texas, this year. The Beslan school hostage crisis in Russia in 2004 saw 186 children killed by a group of hostage takers. Reuters Graphics DRUGS CHARGE Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-Ocha was expected to visit the region on Friday. In a statement on Facebook, he called Thursday’s rampage a “shocking incident”. Prayuth ordered all government departments to fly the national flag at half mast on Friday to mark a tragedy that “had caused grief to the entire nation”, his spokesperson Anusha Burapchaisri said. King Maha Vajiralongkorn and Queen Suthida will visit families of the victims in Udon Thani on Friday, according to a local announcement. The government said it would provide financial aid to the families to help cover funeral expenses and medical treatment. The White House and the United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres both expressed shock at the attack and sent condolences to the victims’ families. Gun laws are strict in Thailand, where possession of an illegal firearm carries a prison sentence of up to 10 years. But ownership is high compared with some other countries in Southeast Asia. Illegal weapons, many brought in from strife-torn neighbouring countries, are common. Mass shootings in Thailand remain rare, although in 2020, a soldier angry over a property deal gone sour killed at least 29 people and wounded 57 in a rampage that spanned four locations. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com Additional reporting by Poppy McPherson and Jiraporn Kuhakan in Na Klang, Orathai Sriring, Panarat Thepgumpanat, Chayut Setboonsarng and Juarwee Kittisilpa in Bangkok; Writing by Kanupriya Kapoor, Robert Birsel and Raissa Kasolowsky; Editing by Kim Coghill, Clarence Fernandez, Mark Heinrich and Gareth Jones Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles. Read More Here

Interior Reaches Deal To Revisit Trump-Era Timber Salvage Rule https://digitalarkansasnews.com/interior-reaches-deal-to-revisit-trump-era-timber-salvage-rule/ The Bureau of Land Management agreed to take steps to eliminate a Trump administration rule aimed at streamlining timber salvage projects, in a settlement with environmental groups who challenged the rule. Judge Ann Aiken of the US District Court for the District of Oregon granted the parties’ joint motion to dismiss on Wednesday. Environmental groups claimed the agency failed to prepare an environmental impact statement or environmental assessment when it issued the final Salvage CX rule. The categorical exclusion exempts timber salvage projects smaller than 3,000 acres from more extensive environmental review. The rule would destroy forest ecosystems that are … To read the full article log in. © 2022 The Bureau of National Affairs, Inc. All Rights Reserved Read More Here

US Appeals Court Expedites DOJ Appeal Of Special Master Appointment In Trump Documents Investigation https://digitalarkansasnews.com/us-appeals-court-expedites-doj-appeal-of-special-master-appointment-in-trump-documents-investigation/ US appeals court expedites DOJ appeal of special master appointment in Trump documents investigation The US Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit Wednesday issued an order to expedite the ongoing appeal of a third-party review of documents seized by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) from former-President Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago home in August. Wednesday’s order expedites hearings on the issue; Trump’s brief in the case is now due on October 14. The court has not yet scheduled oral arguments but announced that “the appeal will be assigned to a special merits panel from the classified appeals log randomly selected by the Clerk. That panel will decide when and how to hear oral argument.” On September 5, judge Aileen Cannon of the US District Court for the Southern District of Florida granted Trump’s request for the appointment of a third party to determine whether the seized materials exceeded the scope of the FBI’s search warrant. The Department of Justice (DOJ) claims the third-party review will slow their investigation and is an unnecessary obstacle to justice. On September 22, the Eleventh Circuit ruled that 100 classified documents seized in the FBI raid must be included in the investigation. Trump appealed that ruling to the Supreme Court this Tuesday. Read More Here

5 Things To Know For October 6: Mar-A-Lago, Ukraine, Gas Prices, Covid-19, Thailand – KRDO https://digitalarkansasnews.com/5-things-to-know-for-october-6-mar-a-lago-ukraine-gas-prices-covid-19-thailand-krdo/ By Alexandra Meeks, CNN Hundreds of companies are testing out a four-day work week to determine if employees can maintain the same level of productivity despite the reduction in work time. So far, the experience has been positive, and some experts say the results could shift the perspective of remote work in the near future. Here’s what else you need to know to Get Up to Speed and On With Your Day. Here’s what else you need to know to Get Up to Speed and On with Your Day. (You can get “5 Things You Need to Know Today” delivered to your inbox daily. Sign up here.) 1. Mar-a-Lago A new court filing has revealed new details about what the FBI seized from former President Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago residence during its search this summer. Among the items seized were clemency requests, health care documents, IRS forms and paperwork that appears to be related to the 2020 election, according to a Justice Department list made public this week. The collection also included apparent communications about Trump’s various business connections. Full details of the documents aren’t available, but taken together, experts say the list offers a glimpse into a handful of the thousands of documents Trump was keeping at his Florida resort after his presidency. 2. Ukraine The US intelligence community believes that the car bombing that killed Darya Dugina, the daughter of prominent Russian political figure Alexander Dugin, was authorized by elements within the Ukrainian government, sources briefed on the intelligence told CNN. Russia had accused Ukrainian nationals of being responsible for the attack, which Ukraine had strongly denied in the aftermath of the explosion. In response to the latest reports, Ukrainian defense officials told CNN that Ukraine had nothing to do with Dugina’s death. Meanwhile, Russian forces today fired several missiles on the city of Zaporizhzhia in southern Ukraine, officials said. Zaporizhzhia is one of four areas of Ukraine that Russia claims to have annexed — in violation of international law and despite the protests of Western governments. 3. Gas Prices Gas prices in the US are starting to rise again and some industry analysts say more increases are likely on the way. Prices increased nearly 3 cents a gallon in AAA’s daily reading on Wednesday to an average of $3.83 a gallon — the biggest one-day hike in nearly four months. This comes after OPEC+ said Wednesday it will slash oil production by about 2 million barrels a day. The Biden administration criticized the decision by the group of major oil producers, which includes Saudi Arabia and Russia, calling it “shortsighted” and saying that it will hurt low- and middle-income countries already struggling with elevated energy prices the most. 4. Covid-19 Covid-19 boosters could prevent about 90,000 US deaths this winter, but only if more people get the shots, a new analysis suggests. The study, published Wednesday by The Commonwealth Fund, said if booster vaccinations continue at their current pace, the nation could see a peak of more than 1,000 Covid-19 deaths per day this winter. On average, there are now more than 400 daily Covid-19 deaths in the US, data shows. About two-thirds of the US population is fully vaccinated with at least their initial series, according to the CDC. But only about a third of the population has received a booster dose. 5. Thailand At least 22 children were among 34 people killed in a mass shooting at a child care center in northeastern Thailand today, officials in the country said. Authorities had immediately launched a manhunt for the suspected shooter, who was later identified as a 34-year-old former policeman who had been involved in an ongoing court case for allegedly selling drugs. Investigators later confirmed the suspect had killed his wife and child before taking his own life. The mass shooting took place at the Child Development Center in Nong Bua Lamphu province, according to the prime minister’s office. While gun ownership in Thailand is relatively high compared with other countries in Southeast Asia, mass shootings in the country are rare. THIS JUST IN Annie Ernaux wins Nobel Prize in literature French author Annie Ernaux has won the Nobel Prize in literature, organizers announced in Stockholm today. Ernaux, 82, has written a number of celebrated novels, many of which are autobiographical. Her first book, “Les armoires vides,” was published in French in 1974, and in English as “Cleaned Out” in 1990. Her fourth work, “La place” (1983) or “A Man’s Place” (1992), elevated her to prominence. She was given the prestigious award “for the courage and clinical acuity with which she uncovers the roots, estrangements and collective restraints of personal memory.” BREAKFAST BROWSE Classical statue of Hercules nearly 2,000 years old found in Greece Archaeologists unearthed a stunning artifact after digging on a main street in Greece. Take a look at the classical statue here. How a 12-foot skeleton became the hottest Halloween decoration around Halloween enthusiasts are racing to Home Depot to get their hands on this massive yard decoration affectionately known as “Skelly.” Fat Bear Week 2022: It’s time to vote The annual Fat Bear Week has arrived at Katmai National Park & Preserve — and they want you to decide which bears should be crowned chubby champions of 2022. Hilary Swank is pregnant and expecting twins Actress Hilary Swank is going to be a mom — of two! The rise of sleep tourism Soundproof walls. Pillow menus. Bedtime teas. A growing number of sleep-focused rooms are popping up in hotels and resorts across the world. IN MEMORIAM Kim Jung Gi, an acclaimed comic book artist, died suddenly this week, his US agent told CNN. He was 47. The influential South Korean artist crafted sprawling, intricately detailed scenes with unbelievable speed, often before a live audience. Kim was in Paris for an exhibition of his work when he experienced chest pains. He was transported to a hospital where he died, according to a statement shared on his verified social media accounts. TODAY’S NUMBER 15,000 That’s how many rainbow-colored fentanyl pills were recently found in a Lego box as part of a drug trafficking scheme in New York City. It is the largest seizure of the drug in the city’s history, US Drug Enforcement Administration authorities said, adding that a 48-year-old woman has been charged with possession of the controlled substance. According to Special Narcotics Prosecutor Bridget G. Brennan, fentanyl is involved in more than 80% of overdose deaths in New York City. TODAY’S QUOTE “We’re absolutely concerned about rebuilding. This could happen again, and it will happen again. However, we will be prepared. We will rebuild, and we will rebuild stronger and better than we were before.” — Richard Johnson, vice mayor of Florida’s Sanibel Island, on communities working to rebuild in the aftermath of Hurricane Ian. Every home on Sanibel Island was damaged in one way or another, and people have lost everything in some cases, Johnson said. At least 125 people died as a result of the storm, officials said — 120 of them in Florida and five in North Carolina. TODAY’S WEATHER Check your local forecast here AND FINALLY The beauty of deep-sea creatures Watch this short video to see some of the otherworldly creatures that emerge from the deep ocean at night. (Click here to view) The-CNN-Wire & © 2022 Cable News Network, Inc., a Warner Bros. Discovery Company. All rights reserved. Read More Here

Most Hispanic Voters Don’t Support Open Borders https://digitalarkansasnews.com/most-hispanic-voters-dont-support-open-borders/ The assumption that Hispanic voters embrace a policy of unrestricted immigration is false, as is the belief that Latinos uncritically support the Democratic Party. A new national telephone and online survey by Rasmussen Reports and NumbersUSA finds that, the question of illegal immigration, 55% of Hispanic Likely U.S. voters believe the government is doing too little to reduce illegal border crossings and visitor overstays. Only 15% of Hispanic voters think the government is doing too much to stop illegal immigration, while 25% say the current level of action on illegal immigration is about right. (To see survey question wording, click here.) This finding for Hispanic voters is little different from all Likely U.S. Voters, 54% of whom feel the government is already doing too little to reduce illegal border crossings and visitor overstays.   Sign up: Free daily newsletter By a 22-point margin, more Hispanic voters identify as Democrats (47%) than Republicans (25%), while 20% identify as independent, five percent (5%) identify with some other party, and another four percent (4%) are not sure. However, among Hispanics unaffiliated with either major party, 35% say they lean more toward Republicans, while 31% lean toward Democrats. (Want a free daily e-mail update? If it’s in the news, it’s in our polls). Rasmussen Reports updates are also available on Twitter or Facebook. The survey of 2,754 Hispanic Likely U.S. Voters was conducted on April 19-May 12, 2022 by Rasmussen Reports and NumbersUSA. The margin of sampling error is +/- 2 percentage points with a 95% level of confidence. Field work for all Rasmussen Reports surveys is conducted by Pulse Opinion Research, LLC. See methodology. The survey found that 49% of Hispanic voters approve of the job Joe Biden has been doing as president, including 21% who Strongly Approve. Forty-eight percent (48%) disapprove of Biden’s performance, including 34% who Strongly Disapprove. These findings for Hispanic voters can be compared to the Rasmussen Reports Daily Presidential Tracking Poll, where the latest survey of U.S. Likely Voters finds Biden’s job approval at 45%, with disapproval at 54%. Thirty-four percent (34%) of Hispanic voters say that over the last few years, they have moved closer to the Republican Party, 30% have moved closer to the Democrat Party, and 34% say their preference has stayed about the same. Results of the survey are featured in a new book, Political Migrants: Hispanic Voters on the Move, by Jim Robb, Vice President of Operations for NumbersUSA. Among other findings of the Rasmussen/Numbers USA survey: – Sixty-three percent (63%) speak mostly English at home, while nine percent (9%) speak mostly Spanish at home. Twenty-seven percent (27%) speak about the same amount of English and Spanish at home. – Eighty percent (80%) feel the United States is open and welcoming to Hispanics like themselves, including 43% who say the U.S. is Very Open and Welcoming. Only 16% don’t feel the U.S. is opening and welcoming for Hispanics. – Hispanic voters are somewhat more favorable to big government than voters in general. Forty-seven percent (47%) of Hispanic voters favor a bigger government providing more services, while 41% would rather have a smaller government providing fewer services. In November 2020, 52% of U.S. Likely Voters preferred smaller government and 37% wanted bigger government instead. – In the 2020 election, 52% of Hispanic Likely Voters say they voted for Biden, 37% voted for former President Donald Trump. Siix percent (6%) voted for some other candidate and five percent (5%) didn’t vote in 2020. – In this year’s congressional election, 45% of Hispanics say they would vote for the Democratic candidate, while 41% would vote for the Republican candidate. – Hispanic voters are almost evenly divided on the question of which political party they trust more on the issue of immigration, with 40% saying they trust Democrats more and 39% saying they trust Republicans more. Twelve percent (12%) trust both parties about the same. — On the question of which issues are most important to them personally, 36% of Hispanic voters name the economy, while inflation and health care are both top issues for 13%. Just 10% of Hispanic voters consider immigration the most important political issue, while education and climate change are each the top issue for seven percent (7%). Five percent (5%) or less consider crime, race relations and political unity to be the top issue. – Thirty-six percent (36%) of Hispanic voters believe abortions should be legal under any circumstances, while 46% think it should be legal only under certain circumstances and 13% say abortion should be illegal in all circumstances. Looking ahead to 2024, Hispanic voters are almost evenly divided over who should be the next president. Forty-two percent (42%) say they’d vote to reelect Biden, if the 2024 election were held today, while 41% would vote for Trump. Eleven percent (11%) would vote for some other candidate. Most voters believe violent crime is getting worse and expect the issue to be important in next month’s midterm elections. The deadly synthetic opioid drug fentanyl is a serious problem that has gotten worse, voters overwhelmingly agree.   Additional information from this survey and a full demographic breakdown are available to the public as well as to Platinum Members. Please sign up for the Rasmussen Reports daily e-mail update (it’s free) or follow us on Facebook. Let us keep you up to date with the latest public opinion news. The survey of 2,754 Hispanic Likely U.S. Voters was conducted on April 19-May 12, 2022 by Rasmussen Reports and NumbersUSA. The margin of sampling error is +/- 2 percentage points with a 95% level of confidence. Field work for all Rasmussen Reports surveys is conducted by Pulse Opinion Research, LLC. See methodology. Read More Here

Donald Trump's Triumphant Return To Twitter? Elon Musk Could Be Asking For Trouble By Bringing Trump Back https://digitalarkansasnews.com/donald-trumps-triumphant-return-to-twitter-elon-musk-could-be-asking-for-trouble-by-bringing-trump-back/ Twitter has been a relatively peaceful place since the lifetime ban of former President Donald Trump. Article continues below advertisement Relatively – because Twitter is never really peaceful. But political stirrings and public vitriol has slowed to a gentle boil instead of a raging volcano. However, the temporary tranquility may soon be coming to an end. Tesla and SpaceX founder Elon Musk has said in the past that if he owned Twitter, he would rescind Trump’s lifetime ban and allow the FPOTUS back on the platform. Now, it looks like Musk may be in a position to do exactly that – and it could hit him in the pocketbook. Article continues below advertisement If Musk Buys Twitter, Trump Comes Back? Article continues below advertisement It’s been a bitter back-and-forth between Musk and Twitter as they battle over his original offer to buy the social media giant for $44B. Musk tried to walk back his offer and the two camps were poised for a complicated and high-stakes court battle which would have kicked off this week with a deposition by the billionaire. At the 11th hour, Musk sent word to Twitter that he would agree to buy Twitter for the original purchase terms of $44B, and Twitter’s board seems amenable to it, so the sale will likely proceed. Article continues below advertisement That means that Musk will have a chance to literally put his money where his mouth is, and rescind Trump’s ban soon. But should he? The one thing that may slow his roll is advertising. Advertisers know that their brand will suffer if it appears along content that is too controversial or too offensive – two things Trump excels at posting. Article continues below advertisement So if Trump is allowed back, Twitter will need to come up with a system that protects advertisers from having their content plastered alongside content they consider not brand friendly. Yahoo! Finance explains; “‘It’s a much bigger problem to solve,’ Rohit Kulkarni, senior analyst at MKM Partners, said on Yahoo Finance Live (video above) about content moderation at Twitter. ‘Even Facebook and even larger companies have not been able to solve it in a more convincing manner.’ Kulkarni explained that if Musk wanted to keep advertisers on the platform, he would have to install guardrails to protect brands from appearing alongside controversial content. ‘There would need to be a mechanism for advertisers to be able to choose where their ads are being shown and in a way the [advertisers] feel to be next to content they view as brand-safe,’ the analyst stated.” Article continues below advertisement Investors Are Already Shying Away from Truth as Word Spreads Trump May Return to Twitter Trump himself has suggested that he would not return to Twitter, and would rather stick it out with his own ailing platform Truth Social. Article continues below advertisement But investors clearly believe he will return to Twitter, as stocks for the companies running Truth have dropped considerably in the wake of news that Musk will likely be signing on the dotted line to purchase Twitter. CNBC reports, “Shares of Digital World Acquisition Corp., the special-purpose acquisition company seeking to take Trump Media and Technology Group public, slid Tuesday after Elon Musk reversed course and proposed going through with his deal to buy Twitter. Shares of DWAC fell more than 5% Tuesday to $17.10. The stock’s 2022 peak was about $97 in March. Trump Media and Technology Group owns Truth Social, the platform founded by former President Donald Trump after he was banned from Twitter following the Jan. 6, 2021 Capitol insurrection.” Article continues below advertisement It’s a frustrating move for Trump, who has been struggling to get his platform up and running with lackluster investors and a battle with several major app stores over whether or not the social media company has adequate moderation. But investors be damned, Trump said to a crowd in Michigan over the weekend; “If they don’t come with the financing I’ll have it private. Easy to have it private.” Unfortunately for Trump, that ability relies on every lawsuit and criminal investigation currently against him fizzling to nothing – a bet few gamblers would take. Read More Here

Fake Covid Tests To Get Notice Before Destruction Under FDA Rule https://digitalarkansasnews.com/fake-covid-tests-to-get-notice-before-destruction-under-fda-rule/ Makers of unauthorized Covid-19 test kits and other devices refused entry into the US would have a chance to testify before the FDA destroys the product under a proposed rule released Thursday. The proposal (RIN 0910-AI59) outlines the Food and Drug Administration’s plans for carrying out its authority granted in a Trump-era law to destroy counterfeit, adulterated, or misbranded devices sent to the US that are valued at $2,500 or less. The measure was signed into law in January 2021 amid reports of FDA refusals of fake test kits, face masks, and respirators sent to the US via … To read the full article log in. © 2022 The Bureau of National Affairs, Inc. All Rights Reserved Read More Here

Bethany Christian Services Bringing https://digitalarkansasnews.com/bethany-christian-services-bringing/ Bethany Christian Services bringing ‘Family Changes Everything’ event to Little Rock  KATV Read More…

Potential Tropical Cyclone 13 Forms, Expected To Strengthen https://digitalarkansasnews.com/potential-tropical-cyclone-13-forms-expected-to-strengthen/ SHORT. THIS MORNING, WE ARE ONCE AGAIN TREKKING THE TROPICS. SHELDON: WE METEOROLOGIST KELLIANNE KLASS HAS BEEN MONITORING THAT SYSTEM IN THE CARIBBEAN. WHERE IS IT HEADED? KELLIANNE: THERE ARE TWO THAT WE ARE WATCHING. WE HAVE TROPICAL DEPRESSION 12 AND INVEST 91-L THAT IS EXPECTED TO MOVE WESTWARD. HAPPY TO SAY, NONE OF THESE SYSTEMS ARE GOING TO IMPACT CENTRAL FLORIDA. IT IS JUST A GOOD REMINDER THAT WE ARE NOT DONE WITH HURRICANE SEASON JUST YET. TROPICAL DEPRESSION 12 IN THE EASTERN ATLANTIC IS EXPECTED TO BECOME A REMNANT LOW LATER ON TODAY, NOT LOOKING LIKELY THAT IT WILL BE NAMED. THEN, WE HAVE INVEST 91. IT COULD BE OUR NEXT TROPICAL DEPRESSION IN THE NEXT DAY OR SO, AS IT CONTINUES THAT WESTWARD TREK. IT LOOKS LIKE IT WILL CLIP THE NORTHERN PORTIONS OF SOUTH AMERICA AND CONTINUE ON ITS WESTWARD JOURNEY THROUGH THE CARIBBEAN AND INTO CENTRAL AMERICA. IT GETS NAMED, IT WOULD BE JULIA, BUT IT HAS TO BECOME A TROPICAL STORM OR HIGHER TO GET A NAME. BACK AT HOME, WE WI Potential Tropical Cyclone 13 forms, expected to strengthen Potential Tropical Cyclone 13 formed Thursday morning in the South Caribbean Sea.The system was located about 150 miles east-southeast of Curacao and had winds of 35 mph. The storm was moving west at 15 mph.”The system could become a tropical depression by tonight, and is forecast to become a tropical storm on Friday. The system is then expected to become a hurricane by Sunday as it approaches the coast of Nicaragua,” the National Hurricane Center said.SUMMARY OF WATCHES AND WARNINGS IN EFFECT: A tropical storm warning is in effect for… * Colombia from the Colombia/Venezuela border to Riohacha A tropical storm warning means that tropical storm conditions are expected somewhere within the warning area, in this case within the next 24 hours.Additionally, Tropical Depression 12 was about 635 miles west of the Cabo Verde islands Thursday. The storm had winds of 35 mph and was moving west-northwest at 13 mph.”Slow weakening is forecast, and the depression is expected to become a remnant low on Thursday,” the National Hurricane Center said.Neither of these systems is expected to impact Florida. KNOW WHAT TO DO WHEN A HURRICANE WATCH IS ISSUEDStay tuned to WESH 2 News, WESH.COM, or NOAA Weather Radio for storm updates.Prepare to bring inside any lawn furniture, outdoor decorations or ornaments, trash cans, hanging plants, and anything else that can be picked up by the wind.Understand hurricane forecast models and cones.Prepare to cover all windows of your home. If shutters have not been installed, use precut plywood.Check batteries and stock up on canned food, first-aid supplies, drinking water, and medications.The WESH 2 First Warning Weather Team recommends you have these items ready before the storm strikes.Bottled water: One gallon of water per person per dayCanned food and soup, such as beans and chiliCan opener for the cans without the easy-open lidsAssemble a first-aid kitTwo weeks’ worth of prescription medicationsBaby/children’s needs, such as formula and diapersFlashlight and batteriesBattery-operated weather radioWHAT TO DO WHEN A HURRICANE WARNING IS ISSUEDListen to the advice of local officials. If you are advised to evacuate, leave.Complete preparation activities.If you are not advised to evacuate, stay indoors, away from windows.Be alert for tornadoes. Tornadoes can happen during a hurricane and after it passes over. Remain indoors, in the center of your home, in a closet or bathroom without windows.HOW YOUR SMARTPHONE CAN HELP DURING A HURRICANEA smartphone can be your best friend in a hurricane — with the right websites and apps, you can turn it into a powerful tool for guiding you through a storm’s approach, arrival and aftermath.Download the WESH 2 News app for iOS | AndroidEnable emergency alerts — if you have an iPhone, select settings, then go into notifications. From there, look for government alerts and enable emergency alerts.If you have an Android phone, from the home page of the app, scroll to the right along the bottom and click on “settings.” On the settings menu, click on “severe weather alerts.” From the menu, select from most severe, moderate-severe, or all alerts.PET AND ANIMAL SAFETYYour pet should be a part of your family plan. If you must evacuate, the most important thing you can do to protect your pets is to evacuate them too. Leaving pets behind, even if you try to create a safe space for them, could result in injury or death.Contact hotels and motels outside of your immediate area to see if they take pets.Ask friends, relatives and others outside of the affected area whether they could shelter your animal. ORLANDO, Fla. — Potential Tropical Cyclone 13 formed Thursday morning in the South Caribbean Sea. The system was located about 150 miles east-southeast of Curacao and had winds of 35 mph. The storm was moving west at 15 mph. “The system could become a tropical depression by tonight, and is forecast to become a tropical storm on Friday. The system is then expected to become a hurricane by Sunday as it approaches the coast of Nicaragua,” the National Hurricane Center said. This content is imported from Twitter. You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site. JUST IN – Invest 91-L is now PTC13. While it will not have an impact to Central Florida, it could be the next hurricane of the 2022 season… pic.twitter.com/NfwdYpfYmS — Kellianne Klass WESH (@KellianneWX) October 6, 2022 SUMMARY OF WATCHES AND WARNINGS IN EFFECT: A tropical storm warning is in effect for… * Colombia from the Colombia/Venezuela border to Riohacha A tropical storm warning means that tropical storm conditions are expected somewhere within the warning area, in this case within the next 24 hours. Additionally, Tropical Depression 12 was about 635 miles west of the Cabo Verde islands Thursday. The storm had winds of 35 mph and was moving west-northwest at 13 mph. “Slow weakening is forecast, and the depression is expected to become a remnant low on Thursday,” the National Hurricane Center said. Neither of these systems is expected to impact Florida. KNOW WHAT TO DO WHEN A HURRICANE WATCH IS ISSUED Stay tuned to WESH 2 News, WESH.COM, or NOAA Weather Radio for storm updates. Prepare to bring inside any lawn furniture, outdoor decorations or ornaments, trash cans, hanging plants, and anything else that can be picked up by the wind. Understand hurricane forecast models and cones. Prepare to cover all windows of your home. If shutters have not been installed, use precut plywood. Check batteries and stock up on canned food, first-aid supplies, drinking water, and medications. The WESH 2 First Warning Weather Team recommends you have these items ready before the storm strikes. Bottled water: One gallon of water per person per day Canned food and soup, such as beans and chili Can opener for the cans without the easy-open lids Assemble a first-aid kit Two weeks’ worth of prescription medications Baby/children’s needs, such as formula and diapers Flashlight and batteries Battery-operated weather radio WHAT TO DO WHEN A HURRICANE WARNING IS ISSUED Listen to the advice of local officials. If you are advised to evacuate, leave. Complete preparation activities. If you are not advised to evacuate, stay indoors, away from windows. Be alert for tornadoes. Tornadoes can happen during a hurricane and after it passes over. Remain indoors, in the center of your home, in a closet or bathroom without windows. HOW YOUR SMARTPHONE CAN HELP DURING A HURRICANE A smartphone can be your best friend in a hurricane — with the right websites and apps, you can turn it into a powerful tool for guiding you through a storm’s approach, arrival and aftermath. Download the WESH 2 News app for iOS | Android Enable emergency alerts — if you have an iPhone, select settings, then go into notifications. From there, look for government alerts and enable emergency alerts. If you have an Android phone, from the home page of the app, scroll to the right along the bottom and click on “settings.” On the settings menu, click on “severe weather alerts.” From the menu, select from most severe, moderate-severe, or all alerts. PET AND ANIMAL SAFETY Your pet should be a part of your family plan. If you must evacuate, the most important thing you can do to protect your pets is to evacuate them too. Leaving pets behind, even if you try to create a safe space for them, could result in injury or death. Contact hotels and motels outside of your immediate area to see if they take pets. Ask friends, relatives and others outside of the affected area whether they could shelter your animal. Read More Here

U.S. Tourist Smashed Ancient Roman Sculptures At Vatican, Authorities Say https://digitalarkansasnews.com/u-s-tourist-smashed-ancient-roman-sculptures-at-vatican-authorities-say/ ROME — Police detained an American tourist at a Vatican museum after he disfigured two ancient Roman sculptures by hurling them to the floor, authorities said Thursday. The man toppled the artwork on Wednesday at the Chiaramonti Museum, which is part of the Vatican Museums and home to one of the most important collections of Roman portrait busts. Italian newspapers reported that the man grew angry because he was not allowed “to see the Pope.” A representative for the Vatican Museums told The Washington Post that his motive was unclear. Photos shared on social media, and confirmed by the museum representative to The Post, showed the damaged busts strewn on the marble floor. One had lost part of its nose and an ear, the museum said. The Vatican police had handed the man over to Italian authorities on Wednesday, Matteo Bruni, director of the Holy See Press Office, told The Post. A police spokesman said the 65-year-old had been in Rome for about three days and appeared to be “psychologically distressed.” He was given an aggravated property damage charge and released, the spokesman said. The man had a paid ticket and appeared to be there alone, one of 20,000 visitors that day, Vatican Museums spokesman Matteo Alessandrini said. “He smashed the two busts to the ground, one after the other,” Alessandrini said. Both of the toppled heads were from the ancient city of Rome, with one depicting an elderly man, and the other, a young man. When the first hit the ground, “the loud bang echoed through the long gallery,” he said. Two Vatican police officers stationed within the museum arrived within minutes and took the man into custody. Technicians are now working to reassemble the damaged sculptures, which had been swiftly taken to the museum’s restoration lab after the incident. The pieces were fixable but would require 300 hours of restoration work, according to Alessandrini. “The scare was bigger than the actual damage,” he said. Rick Steves, who runs a Europe travel business, said that although all artifacts in the museum could be considered precious, the damaged pieces were relatively insignificant. For Steves, the downside of such incidents may also be “the loss of access to beautiful art in general.” To avoid other incidents, the museum could choose to put more security up, as was the case after a notorious artwork assault in 1972. That year, a Hungarian geologist attacked Michelangelo’s Pietà in St. Peter’s Basilica with a hammer, damaging the Carrara marble sculpture depicting the Virgin Mary holding Jesus after the crucifixion. The statue was later repaired and put behind bulletproof glass. “The reality is you can’t even see the Pietà from the angle Michelangelo wanted you to see it,” Steves said. “He wanted you to be up close.” The Vatican museums, where millions of people a year flocked before the pandemic, reopened last year after coronavirus restrictions closed them or curbed opening hours. Francis reported from London. Compton reported from D.C. Read More Here

Celsius Execs Cashed Out $40 Million Before Halting Withdrawals https://digitalarkansasnews.com/celsius-execs-cashed-out-40-million-before-halting-withdrawals/ Celsius founder and recently resigned CEO Alex Mashinsky as he appeared in a promotional video for Celsius uploaded to YouTube. The video was deleted after the company imploded. Screenshot: YouTube Three executives at crypto trading platform Celsius cashed out at least $40 million in cryptocurrency shortly before the company halted withdrawals for all users earlier this year, according to a financial disclosure form filed in New York bankruptcy court late Wednesday. The withdrawals by Celsius executives, first reported by CoinDesk, don’t look good from an optics perspective, given how many users were stopped from being able to pull their money out during the liquidity crisis just a few months ago. Celsius halted all withdrawals indefinitely in June and filed for bankruptcy the following month, leaving users with nothing. Celsius owes roughly $4.7 billion to users but doesn’t have the money to pay them. The three execs who pulled out the combined $40 million in crypto were former CEO Alex Mashinsky, former Chief Strategy Officer Daniel Leon, and current CTO Nuke Goldstein. Mashinsky resigned as CEO in September, but is still at the center of the investigation over whether Celsius was little more than a Ponzi Scheme—something that over 40 states are currently looking into. Leon resigned just yesterday. The Financial Times previously reported that Mashinsky withdrew roughly $10 million from Celsius before the collapse of the company, citing unnamed sources, but we now know Leon and Goldstein were also pulling their money out before the public knew there were any problems with liquidity at Celsius. Leon withdrew at least $11 million, and Goldstein withdrew at least $20.8 million, including millions in the Celsius token. Gizmodo has uploaded the latest Celsius court filing, which totals over 14,000 pages, to the Internet Archive for anyone who really wants to get into the nitty gritty of the bankruptcy case. It appears the filing is so large because it seems to have the names and recent transactions of every user on the platform. Screenshot showing just some of the withdrawals made by the former Celsius CEO in May of 2022. Screenshot: PACER Curiously, Mashinsky’s wife Kristine appears to have withdrawn over $2 million in the Celsius token on May 31, according to the documents. Mashinsky did not immediately respond to an email early Thursday. The Celsius token is currently trading at $1.28, down roughly 78% from a year ago. Bitcoin, the most popular crypto in the world, is currently trading at $20,175, down 63% from a year ago. Ethereum, the second most popular coin, is currently trading at $1,360, down 62% from a year ago. Goldstein’s lawyers said in a statement: Your report that Mr. Goldstein withdrew millions of dollars in advance of the “pause” is flatly mistaken. The reality is that Mr. Goldstein did not withdraw even one dollar in the four weeks prior to the pause—to the contrary, he deposited over $90,000 in CEL tokens in late May, just three weeks before the pause. Most of the supposed “withdrawals” from our client’s account were, in fact, regular-course transfers between his accounts and involved corresponding deposits. Indeed, in the year before the pause, Mr. Goldstein had net positive deposits into Celsius (including interest), not withdrawals. Your account unfortunately distorts Mr. Goldstein’s position, as he currently has millions locked up in Celsius, making him one of the Company’s largest unsecured creditors. Nuke is proud of his work to create a secure platform for Celsius users, and has been working tirelessly day in and day out to help restructure the Company to the benefit of all its creditors. Update, Oct. 6, 11:29 am ET: Updated with a statement from Nuke Goldstein’s lawyers. Read More Here

What Channel Is Arkansas Mississippi State On? https://digitalarkansasnews.com/what-channel-is-arkansas-mississippi-state-on/ Arkansas will look to bounce back from a two-game skid as they hit the road and take on the No. 23 Mississippi State Bulldogs inside Davis Wade Stadium in Starkville (Miss.). This will be the 33rd meeting between the two programs and the 16th game in Starkville. Arkansas owns an 18-13-1 lead in the all-time series, including an 8-7 record in road games. The Razorbacks have won each of their two meetings with the Bulldogs under head coach Sam Pittman. “We’ll be ready to play,” Pittman said. “We’re excited to go to Starkville and play Mississippi State. They’re playing extremely well. Obviously, Will Rogers is a great quarterback. I love their receivers; they’re playing great. A lot of challenges that they give for us, but we’re excited to go down there and play them.” Kickoff between the Razorbacks and Bulldogs is set for 11 a.m. (CDT), and the game will be on SEC Network. WHO: No. 23 Mississippi State (4-1, 1-1 SEC) vs. Arkansas Razorbacks (3-2, 1-2 SEC) WHEN: Saturday, Oct. 8 at 11 a.m. (CDT) WHERE: Davis Wade Stadium (61,337 cap.) | Starkville (Miss.) TV/STREAM: SEC Network | Stream available via the ESPN App or HERE | fuboTV RADIO: Sirius Ch. 99, XM Ch. 190 | Batesville KWOZ-FM 103.3 | Batesville KBTA-AM 1340 | Camden KCXY-FM 95.3 | Camden KAMD-FM 97.1 | Crossett KAGH-AM 800 | Crossett KAGH-FM 104.9 | De Queen KDQN-FM 92.1 | DeWitt KDEW-FM 97.3 | El Dorado KMRX-FM 96.1 | Fayetteville KAKS-FM 99.5 | Fayetteville KUOA-AM 1290 | Fayetteville KQSM-FM 92.1 | Fayetteville KUOA-FM 95.3 | Fayetteville KBVA-FM HD3 106.5 | Forrest City KBFC-FM 93.5 | Fort Smith KERX-FM 95.3 | Glenwood KHGZ-AM 670 | Glenwood KHGZ-FM 98.9 | Hot Springs/Mena KTTG-FM 96.3 | Jonesboro KEGI-FM 100.5 | Little Rock KABZ-FM 103.7 | Magnolia KZHE-FM 100.5 | Marshall KBCN-FM 104.3 | 96.3 Monett (Mo.) KKBL-FM 95.9 | Monticello KGPQ-FM 99.9 | Morrilton KCON-FM 99.3 | Mountain Home KOMT-FM 107.5 | Ozark KDYN-FM 96.7 | Ozark KDYN-AM 1540 | Ruston (La.) KWXM-FM 102.3 | Searcy KSMD-FM 99.1 | Texarkana (Texas) KKTK-AM 1400 | Wynne KWYN-FM 92.5 | TuneIn WEATHER: Forecast calls for 66 degrees at kickoff and a 0% chance of precipitation BETTING LINE: Mississippi State is favored by 9.5 points, and the over/under is set at 59 MISSISSIPPI STATE BULLDOGS SNAPSHOT Mike Leach is in his third year as the Mississippi State head coach and holds a 15-14 record with the Bulldogs. Mississippi State is off to a strong start in 2022 and joined the Top 25 after beating Texas A&M, 42-24. The Bulldog offense currently ranks 4th in the SEC in scoring at 38.2 points per game. Quarterback Will Rogers leads a potent passing attack, which ranks second in the SEC at 346.6 yards per game. The Mississippi State defense currently ranks 7th in the SEC in total defense (333.0 yards per game) and 9th in scoring defense (21.8 points per game) ARKANSAS RAZORBACKS SNAPSHOT Pittman is in his third season as the Arkansas head coach and holds a 15-13 record. The Razorbacks are coming off of their first nine-win season since 2011 and their first bowl victory since 2015. Arkansas has won eight of its last nine games dating back to last season. Arkansas will look to bounce back after suffering back-to-back losses against Texas A&M and Alabama. The Razorback offense is led by a terrific run game (232.4 rushing yards per game, 3rd in SEC), but quarterback KJ Jefferson’s status for the game remains unclear. The Razorbacks have struggled mightily on defense. The Hogs allowed the second-most yards and points in the SEC, behind only Vanderbilt. “247Sports Read More Here

Civil+Structural Engineer Media Announces Opening Of 2022 Yearbook Of Engineering Achievement Award https://digitalarkansasnews.com/civilstructural-engineer-media-announces-opening-of-2022-yearbook-of-engineering-achievement-award/ Fayetteville, AR, Oct. 06, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Civil + Structural Engineer Media is thrilled to announce the second annual Yearbook of Engineering Achievement (YEA) Competition.  This competition identifies AEC projects that have demonstrably moved the industry forward through community and environmental impact, innovative technical processes, or groundbreaking vision and execution. Firms are invited to submit any project completed, or scheduled to be completed, within the 2022 calendar year.  To submit a project, firms must complete a project information form, which consists of a few questions about the project as well as links to submit media pertaining to the project including photos and videos.  The deadline to enter your project in the 2022 YEA Awards is October 21st, 2022.  Each entry will be hosted on csengineermag.com/yea through the duration of the first voting period.  Website visitors will be encouraged to vote once per day for the project they feel best represents the best of the best in the AEC industry. The winning projects from the 2022 YEA competition will be featured in the December issue of Civil+Structural Engineer Magazine. The 2022 Yearbook of Engineering Achievement features six categories: Housing/Residential Transportation/Infrastructure Water/Stormwater/Wastewater Environmental/Sustainability Energy Small Firm There is no fee to submit a project.  Firms may only submit one project per category.  To be eligible for the small firm category, firms must have less than 50 employees. If you have any questions about the submission process, please contact Luke Carothers (lcarothers@zweiggroup.com) Luke Carothers Zweig Group 800.466.6275 lcarother@zweiggroup.com Copyright 2022 GlobeNewswire, Inc. Read More Here

Post Politics Now: Biden Heads To New York To Herald IBM’s Major Investment In Hudson Valley https://digitalarkansasnews.com/post-politics-now-biden-heads-to-new-york-to-herald-ibms-major-investment-in-hudson-valley/ Today, President Biden is traveling to New York to tour IBM’s facility as the company promotes a $20 billion investment in the Hudson Valley over 10 years, focused on semiconductors, computers, artificial intelligence and other programs. Ahead of the midterm elections, Biden and Democrats have highlighted the bipartisan law to boost production of domestic semiconductor chips. Biden late Wednesday criticized a federal appeals court ruling that said a program to protect nearly 600,000 young immigrants, known as “dreamers,” from deportation is illegal. The three-judge panel on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 5th Circuit allowed those already enrolled to renew their status, but the future of the program — commonly known as DACA — is uncertain. Your daily dashboard 2 p.m. Biden delivers remarks on job creation at the IBM plan. Watch live here. 4 p.m. Vice President Harris swears in Arati Prabhakar to be director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy. 5 p.m. Biden participates in a reception for the Democratic National Committee in Red Bank, N.J. 8 p.m. Biden participates in a reception for the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee in New York City. Got a question about politics? Submit it here. After 3 p.m. weekdays, return to this space and we’ll address what’s on the mind of readers. Noted: In Ariz., Cheney urges voters to reject GOP nominees for governor, secretary of state Return to menu Rep. Liz Cheney (R-Wyo.) is urging Arizona voters to reject GOP gubernatorial nominee Kari Lake and secretary of state candidate Mark Finchem, calling them threats to democracy and urging voters to back their Democratic rivals. “If you care about democracy, and you care about the survival of our republic, then you need to understand, we all have to understand, that we cannot give people power who have told us that they will not honor elections,” Cheney said. The congresswoman is one of former president Donald Trump’s fiercest critics and vice chair of the House committee investigating the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol by a pro-Trump mob. She spoke late Wednesday at the McCain Institute’s “Defending American Democracy Series” at Arizona State University. Noted: Fetterman campaign says it raised $22 million in third quarter Return to menu Pennsylvania Lt. Gov. John Fetterman (D) on Thursday announced that his campaign for Senate had raised $22 million in the third quarter — doubling his second quarter total of $11 million. Fetterman is running against Republican Mehmet Oz to fill the seat of Sen. Patrick J. Toomey (R-Pa.), who is retiring. The massive reported fundraising haul indicates Fetterman’s campaign has not slowed down, despite fears that it might be hampered after he suffered a stroke in May and was absent from the campaign trail for weeks. On our radar: Republicans target a House seat in deep-blue Rhode Island Return to menu JOHNSTON, R.I. — Seth Magaziner, the Democratic nominee for an open House seat in Rhode Island, stood in a senior center in this Providence suburb on Wednesday morning, trying to convince Democrats frustrated with high inflation and a weakening economy not to vent their frustrations by voting Republican. The race should not be competitive. President Biden won the district by nearly 14 points in 2020. Democratic Rep. Jim Langevin has held the seat with little trouble for more than two decades, winning by almost 17 points two years ago. A Republican has not won a House seat in Rhode Island in 30 years. This is an excerpt from a full story. Noted: Governor races in at least five states could determine abortion legality Return to menu The future of abortion access in a handful of battleground states may be determined by the winners of their governor’s mansions in November. Democrats are leaning into that message on the campaign trail, seeking to make the November elections a referendum on what they describe as the Republican Party’s extreme position on abortion. This dynamic is playing out in gubernatorial contests in Wisconsin, Michigan, Pennsylvania, Georgia and Arizona — all of which have GOP-controlled state legislatures. As Rachel Roubein reports in The Health 202: This is an excerpt from a full story. On our radar: Biden’s visit to Hudson Valley a reminder of Democrats’ win Return to menu One of the highlights for Democrats this past summer was a surprising win in New York’s 19th Congressional District, which encompasses the Catskills and the mid-Hudson Valley. Democrat Pat Ryan — who made abortion rights the centerpiece of his campaign — defeated Republican Marc Molinaro in a special election in August by just over two percentage points. President Biden had won the district by a little more than one point in 2020. Democratic leaders were buoyed by the results as they face the traditional head winds that cause a party in power to lose seats in a midterm year. They also remain convinced that the Supreme Court decision that took away a national right to an abortion will energize voters as they cast their ballots in the coming weeks. On our radar: Majority of GOP nominees — 299 in all — deny 2020 election results Return to menu A majority of Republican nominees on the ballot in November for the House, Senate and key statewide offices — 299 in all — have denied or questioned the outcome of the last presidential election, according to a Washington Post analysis. Candidates who have challenged or refused to accept Joe Biden’s victory are running in every region of the country and in nearly every state. Republican voters in four states nominated election deniers in all federal and statewide races that The Post examined. Although some are running in heavily Democratic areas and are expected to lose, most of the election deniers nominated are likely to win: Of the nearly 300 on the ballot, 174 are running for safely Republican seats. Another 51 will appear on the ballot in tightly contested races. This is an excerpt from a full story. Noted: Biden ‘disappointed’ in ruling that DACA program is unlawful Return to menu President Biden said he was disappointed in a ruling late Wednesday by an appeals court that the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, or DACA, was unlawful. The ruling ordered a lower court review of the program, which was started in 2012 under the Obama administration and prevents “dreamers” — undocumented immigrants who were brought to the United States as children — from being deported. While the program is intact for now, the decision by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 5th Circuit stops new DACA applications. Read More Here

Fox News CEO Warned Against 'crazies' After 2020 Election, Dominion Says – WABE https://digitalarkansasnews.com/fox-news-ceo-warned-against-crazies-after-2020-election-dominion-says-wabe/ Besieged by angry viewers, denounced by then-President Trump, questioned by some of its own stars, Fox News found itself in a near-impossible spot on Election Night 2020 after its election analysis team announced before any other network that Joe Biden would win the pivotal swing state of Arizona. Fox News CEO Suzanne Scott proved so flummoxed by what ensued that she warned colleagues, “We can’t give the crazies an inch.” That’s according to the account of a lawyer for Dominion Voting Systems, which is seeking $1.6 billion from Fox in a defamation suit over false allegations on the network that the company committed election fraud. A trial date is set for April in Delaware. The voting machine and technology company’s attorney, Justin Nelson, revealed Scott’s remarks in a court proceeding on Tuesday in which he argued that Dominion’s legal team is entitled to receive the employment contracts of 13 Fox News executives, including Scott. She has served as CEO since 2018. (Dominion is also suing Fox Corp, the network’s parent company.) In a ruling yesterday, Delaware Superior Court Judge Eric M. Davis affirmed that Dominion should receive the contracts – the point of contention in Tuesday’s hearing. For days after the election, Trump and his top aides demanded the network rescind its announcement of Biden’s victory in Arizona, even pressuring the network’s controlling owners, Rupert and Lachlan Murdoch. In the weeks that followed, a cadre of Fox News stars hosted Trump’s advisers – and even Trump himself – to peddle baseless conspiracy theories of election fraud. Many of those false claims asserted without evidence that Dominion’s technology and machines had been used to rig the vote and to cheat Trump of the White House. According to Nelson’s remarks at the hearing, senior Fox News executives interceded to try to block Fox Business stars Lou Dobbs and Maria Bartiromo from having Trump’s campaign attorneys, Sidney Powell and Rudy Giuliani, on their shows to repeat such lies. In late 2020, Dobbs and Bartiromo hosted Trump’s advocates to make those accusations. Fox’s attorney, Justin Keller, did not dispute the remarks attributed by Nelson to Fox News CEO Scott. Nor did he deny that executives sought to intervene in the two programs’ efforts to book Powell and Giuliani even though their claims had been discredited. Instead, Fox’s attorney made a broader argument against allowing scrutiny of the executives’ contracts, saying they were unnecessary given how many documents the network has already turned over to Dominion. Why Dominion hopes Fox News CEO’s warning could help make its case Fox News and its chief trial attorney, Dan Webb, declined to comment for this article, as did Dominion’s lawyers. However, the arguments that played out during a hearing Tuesday reflected a looking-glass world. Dominion depicted the network’s executives scrambling to rein in the chaos engendered by its stars, while Fox’s attorneys were effectively arguing the executives had little time, ability or inclination to do so. In his exchanges with the judge, Keller drew a line distinguishing between a host or producer “who are sometimes pre-scripting material for the show, that is going to be tethered to a specific channel’s telecast” and a network executive. “That person is going to be far removed from the day-to-day operations of editorial control and discretion over the particular channel’s telecast,” he said. Beyond Scott, the executives whose contracts are being sought also include Jay Wallace, Fox News’ president and executive editor and Meade Cooper, the executive vice president of primetime programming, among others. Nelson, the Dominion attorney, retorted by citing a document obtained from Fox that “talks about the daily editorial meeting that occurs, including almost all of these executives that we’re looking at right now.” Dominion appears to be drilling down on its argument – hotly disputed by Fox – that the network’s executives knowingly allowed such false conspiracies to air on its programs to boost their audiences – because their pro-Trump viewers abandoned them after the Arizona call. Under U.S. Supreme Court rulings, Dominion has to prove Fox demonstrated “actual malice” to win a defamation case. That means either knowingly broadcasting false and damaging information, or doing so with reckless disregard for the truth. “Fox sought to profit off a lie. That’s the allegation,” Judge Davis summarized. “Whether that’s true or not, we’ll stay for the trial.” Dominion appears to be drilling down on its argument – hotly disputed by Fox – that the network’s executives knowingly allowed such false conspiracies to air on its programs to boost their audiences – because their pro-Trump viewers abandoned them after the Arizona call. A new book reveals how Fox journalists acted behind scenes In their new book on Trump, The Divider, journalists Peter Baker and Susan Glasser reveal that anchor Bret Baier cited intense pressure from Trump’s team to explore whether and under what circumstances the Arizona call could be reversed. Fox did not withdraw its projection. The authors also reported that Wallace, the head of news, overruled his election unit and instructed his anchors to not announce that Biden had won Nevada, too. What ensued involved a split screen. Fox became the last network to project Biden’s win of the presidency despite being the first to make the Arizona call that proved accurate. And while its reporters often unraveled election fraud allegations, many of Fox’s biggest stars tolerated, amplified and even embraced them, Dominion’s lawyers noted. No one at Fox would directly comment on Baker and Glasser’s assertions, other than Baier, who released a statement taking some issue with how his objections were framed. One person inside Fox with direct knowledge of its election coverage told NPR the delay in calling the full White House win for Biden involved a technical glitch in a control room as one show transitioned to the next at the top of the hour. In hosting Fox’s first post-election interview with Trump that November, Bartiromo echoed Trump’s disproven allegations of electoral fraud, saying, “This is disgusting, and we cannot allow America’s election to be corrupted.” She told viewers in mid-December that “an intel source” told her that Trump had won the election. Bartiromo, officially designated as a news anchor, never returned to explain on what grounds the source made that statement. (Fox no longer publicly characterizes her as an anchor, which had rooted her in the news side of Fox, as opposed to an opinion host.) In December 2020, Dobbs contended on the air that Trump’s opponents within the government had committed “treason,” and later suggested any action by a Republican officeholder to uphold Biden’s victory might have been “criminal.” His departure from the network was hastily announced the day after another election software company, Smartmatic, filed its own $2.7 billion lawsuit against Fox for defamation surrounding similarly false accusations of fraud. That case is not as far along in the process. Fox News’ lawyers argue Trump’s claims on election fraud – even though false – are ‘inherently newsworthy’ Fox has dismissed both suits as efforts to stifle legitimate coverage of inherently newsworthy allegations – election fraud – made by inherently newsworthy people – including the then-sitting U.S. president and his top campaign advisers. Fox never did back down from its projection of Arizona for Biden, its original sin in the eyes of Trump and his campaign. As viewers abandoned the network for harder-edged fare on Newsmax, OAN and elsewhere, some Fox stars served up incendiary rhetoric and challenged the legitimacy of Biden’s pending certification in early January. In recent weeks, Dominion has argued that Fox host Jeanine Pirro – a former district attorney and New York state judge as well as a Trump confidant – sits at the heart of its case. NPR previously revealed the existence of an anguished email from a Fox News producer begging colleagues to keep Pirro off the air because she was circulating lies about election fraud from dark corners of the Internet. Dominion’s legal team asked the court to compel additional testimony from Pirro late last month, arguing that after Fox invoked a reporter’s privilege to shield her from some questions during her deposition. A ruling on whether Pirro must return for questioning has not been made public. As with the Scott admonition about “the crazies,” Dominion’s legal team is seeking to use those exchanges to show that Fox knowingly allowed Dobbs, Pirro, Bartiromo and their guests to peddle false claims that defamed the company and set the country on edge ahead of the Jan. 6, 2021 siege of the U.S. Capitol. According to filings reviewed by NPR, Dominion is also asking the court to compel additional testimony from Fox star Sean Hannity, a close adviser to Trump. Dominion’s attorneys are seeking to bar “improper assertions of reporter’s privilege,” arguing that Fox inappropriately asserted reporter’s privilege for Hannity during earlier questioning as well, though the full filing is sealed. He was deposed in late August, according to court records. Fox News has repeatedly defended its conduct by invoking the importance of American free speech principles bound up in the First Amendment, saying the Smartmatic and Dominion cases are attempts to chill independent reporting and commentary. Fox Corp CEO and Executive Chairman Lachlan Murdoch has taken a seemingly conflicting stance halfway across the globe in Australia, where the media magnate and his family now live. A political columnist for the magazine Crikey accused the Murdochs of being “unindicted co-conspirato...

Falsehoods, Harassment Stress Local Election Offices In US https://digitalarkansasnews.com/falsehoods-harassment-stress-local-election-offices-in-us/ CARROLLTON, Ohio — With early voting less than three weeks away, Nicole Mickley was staring down a daunting to-do list: voting machines to test, poll workers to recruit, an onslaught of public records requests to examine. And then, over a weekend, came word that the long-time county sheriff had died. To Mickley, director of elections in a small Ohio county, that added one more complication to an election season filled with them. It meant a new contest was needed to fill the position, so she and her small staff would have to remake the ballots for the fall election for the second time in a week. “I feel like ever since we took office in ’19, it’s just been a constant rollercoaster,” said Mickley, whose 36 months on the job qualify her as the senior member of her four-person staff in the Carroll County elections office. The office Mickley oversees is tucked in a corner of the 137-year-old county courthouse in Carrollton, a close-knit town of 3,200 that sits amid the farm fields and fracking wells of eastern Ohio. She and Deputy Director Cheri Whipkey’s son graduated from high school together. The director and her deputy seem an unlikely pair to be contending with the wrath of a nation. Yet ever since former President Donald Trump began falsely claiming that the 2020 presidential election was stolen, Mickley, Whipkey and local election workers like them across the country have been inundated with conspiracy theories and election falsehoods, and hounded with harassment. They’ve been targeted by threats, stressed by rising workloads and stretched budgets. The stress and vitriol have driven many workers away, creating shortages of election office staff and poll workers. During Ohio’s second primary in August — an added burden for election officials stemming from partisan feuding over redistricting — Mickley’s two clerks darted around the county all day filling in for absent poll workers. Two staff members’ husbands were enlisted to help. And then there’s the stream of misinformation falsely alleging that voting systems across the country are riddled with fraud. Unfounded conspiracy theories about voting machines, manipulation of elections by artificial intelligence or ballot fixing have found a wide audience among Republicans. The claims sometimes lead voters — usually friends and neighbors of the Carroll County election staff — to question them about voting equipment and election procedures, no longer clear what to believe about a system they’ve trusted all their lives. The false claims about the 2020 presidential election also have led believers to inundate election offices around the country with public records requests related to voting processes or equipment, demands to retain the 2020 ballots instead of destroying them, and attempts to remove certain voters from the rolls. Carroll County hasn’t been immune, even though it’s heavily Republican and voted for Trump by nearly 53 percentage points over President Joe Biden in 2020. The county of nearly 27,000 people was flooded over the summer with form-letter emails from self-proclaimed “aggrieved citizens.” They were protesting electronic voting machines, vowing to sue or demanding the county retain thousands of records from past elections. Follow-up letters warned that election officials will “be met with the harshest possible criminal and civil repercussions available under the law” if they destroy any election records. In response, a floor-to-ceiling locked cabinet in Mickley’s office is now jammed with boxes of ballots and other records from 2020, papers that normally would have been destroyed by now to make way for the records of the 2022 election. “We’re already busting at the seams,” she said. “It’s a small office in the bottom basement of the courthouse that was built in the 1800s. Space is not our friend.” Whipkey notes that none of the complaint letters are from local residents, so many of whom she knows personally after 16 years managing the local McDonald’s. She and Mickley both feel lucky they are only receiving letters — not the death threats experienced by some election officials around the country. Still, the accusations sting. Whipkey said she hates being called a liar. “If they wanted the answer, they would have come and asked us. We could give it to them,” she said. “But they don’t want the answer; they just want to harass.” Mickley said attending national conferences has persuaded her that election workers across the U.S. are just as honest, hard-working and passionate as her staff is: “I’m starting to get defensive and angry for them, too.” Behind a Plexiglas window in the front of the office, the other two election staffers answer calls and process voter registration forms and change-of-address and absentee ballot requests. They’re also preparing the precinct kits that will go to poll workers — positions the office is still trying to fill for the Nov. 8 election, when they expect heavy turnout partly because Ohio has one of the most closely watched U.S. Senate races in the country. Clerks Sarah Dyck, a Democrat, and Deloris Kean, a Republican, keep their personal feelings about the movement spawned by Trump’s election lies out of the office. They don’t want to bring politics into their work helping run the county’s elections. When she’s out in the community, Dyck said neighbors are mostly sympathetic about how stressful elections work has become in recent years. “People all the time say, ‘I don’t know about this, but I know you guys are doing a good job,'” she said. “It’s like with congressmen, right? ‘Well, I don’t like Congress, but my congressman’s okay.’ The closer you are to it, you know the people, and so it’s about those relationships.” That’s not always been the experience of members of the Carroll County Board of Elections. The four members of the bipartisan panel — a retired railroad worker, a farmer, a facilities operator and the owner of a local yoga studio — hold their meetings at a table wedged between Mickley’s and Whipkey’s desks in the cramped office. A collection of whiskey bottles shaped like elephants and donkeys sits atop a metal filing cabinet nearby. Some members said they must work constantly to dispel false information that is rampant in the Republican-dominated county. Roger Thomas, one of the board’s two Republicans and the operator of a popular pumpkin stand, said he’s frustrated that many of his friends “are unwilling to get past what they think they know with the facts.” “It doesn’t matter what you say to them, you can’t convince them,” he said. “I don’t know how we combat that. They don’t care if they gum up the works of these elections, and that’s the problem. If these elections go haywire, go south — as the elections go, so goes the country.” Mickley said she is a perfectionist who would never tolerate the slightest interference with carrying out secure and accurate elections. She chokes up when talking about how seriously she takes her job and how she and her staff long to ease the worries of skeptical voters. The widespread belief in election conspiracy theories and hostility toward front-line election workers leaves Mickley questioning the country’s future. “I think about my kids,” she said, “and I think about what I want to leave for them and what I want to build now to make sure that they still have it in 20, 30 years. And I’m not alone in that.” ——— Associated Press writer Holly Ramer in Concord, New Hampshire, contributed to this report. ——— Associated Press coverage of democracy receives support from the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation. The AP is solely responsible for all content. ——— Follow AP for full coverage of the midterms at https://apnews.com/hub/2022-midterm-elections and on Twitter at https://twitter.com/ap—politics Read More Here

Semi-Truck Driver Dies At Hospital After Crash On Hwy 58 In Lane County https://digitalarkansasnews.com/semi-truck-driver-dies-at-hospital-after-crash-on-hwy-58-in-lane-county/ LANE COUNTY, Ore. (KPTV) – One person died after a crash on Highway 58 in Lane County on Wednesday morning, according to Oregon State Police. The crash happened just after 8 a.m. on the highway near milepost 60. OSP said an investigation revealed a westbound Freightliner CMV crossed into the eastbound lanes and overturned. The semi-truck then slid until it collided with the guardrail on the eastbound shoulder. The driver of the semi-truck, identified as 38-year-old Joshua Stewart, of Fort Smith, Arkansas, was taken to an area hospital where he later died. Traffic on Highway 58 was affected for about one hour during the crash investigation. OSP was helped at the scene by the Lane County Sheriff’s Office, Oakridge Fire, La Pine Fire, and ODOT. Copyright 2022 KPTV-KPDX. All rights reserved. Read More Here

Bank Of England Says Pension Funds Were Hours From Disaster Before It Intervened https://digitalarkansasnews.com/bank-of-england-says-pension-funds-were-hours-from-disaster-before-it-intervened/ Buses pass in the City of London financial district outside the Royal Exchange near the Bank of England on 2nd July 2021 in London, United Kingdom. Mike Kemp | In Pictures | Getty Images LONDON — The Bank of England told lawmakers that a number of pension funds were hours from collapse when it decided to intervene in the U.K. long-dated bond market last week. The central bank’s Financial Policy Committee stepped in after a massive sell-off of U.K. government bonds — known as “gilts” — following the new government’s fiscal policy announcements on Sep. 23. related investing news The emergency measures included a two-week purchase program for long-dated bonds and the delay of the Bank’s planned gilt sales, part of its unwinding of pandemic-era stimulus. The plunge in bond values caused panic in particular for Britain’s £1.5 trillion ($1.69 trillion) in so-called liability driven investment funds (LDIs). Long-dated gilts account for around two-thirds of LDI holdings. Many LDIs are owned by final salary pension schemes, workplace pension plans popular in the U.K. that provide a guaranteed annual income for life upon retirement, based on the worker’s final or average salary. The LDIs needed to liquidate substantial portions of their long-term gilt positions as the values of the bonds fell early last week, and could have done so in an orderly fashion providing gilt prices did not deteriorate too rapidly. In a letter Wednesday to Conservative Party lawmaker Mel Stride, chairman of the Treasury Select Committee, Bank of England Deputy Governor Jon Cunliffe revealed that LDIs issued dire warnings on the evening of Sep. 27, as 30-year gilt yields rose by 67 basis points from their position that morning. Yields move inversely to prices. “The Bank was informed by a number of LDI fund managers that, at the prevailing yields, multiple LDI funds were likely to fall into negative net asset value. As a result, it was likely that these funds would have to begin the process of winding up the following morning,” Cunliffe explained. “In that eventuality, a large quantity of gilts, held as collateral by banks that had lent to these LDI funds, was likely to be sold on the market, driving a potentially self-reinforcing spiral and threatening severe disruption of core funding markets and consequent widespread financial instability.” Bank of England staff worked through the night on Tuesday, Sep. 27 to come up with an intervention that would avert this potential crisis, in “close communication” with the U.K. Treasury, which agreed the next morning to indemnify the Bank’s rescue operation. The 30-year gilt yield fell more than 100 basis points after the Bank announced its emergency package on Wednesday Sep. 28, offering markets a much-needed reprieve. Cunliffe noted that the scale of the moves in gilt yields during this period was “unprecedented,” with two daily increases of more than 35 basis points in 30-year yields. “Measured over a four day period, the increase in 30 year gilt yields was more than twice as large as the largest move since 2000, which occurred during the ‘dash for cash’ in 2020,” he said. “It was more than three times larger than any other historical move. Gilt market functioning was severely stretched, particularly at the long end of the curve.” Read More Here