High-Priced Lawyer Trump Brought On To Help Mar-A-Lago Docs Case 'sidelined' In Less Than A Month: CNN
High-Priced Lawyer Trump Brought On To Help Mar-A-Lago Docs Case 'sidelined' In Less Than A Month: CNN https://digitalarkansasnews.com/high-priced-lawyer-trump-brought-on-to-help-mar-a-lago-docs-case-sidelined-in-less-than-a-month-cnn/
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Obituaries In Fort Smith, AR | Times Record https://digitalarkansasnews.com/obituaries-in-fort-smith-ar-times-record-53/
Lillie Troyer
Lillie Troyer, 63, of Barling, passed away on Monday, September 26, 2022. She was born on June 27, 1959 in Mulberry, AR. She was a retired dietary aide for Legacy Healthcare and Rehabilitation. Lillie was a member of First Baptist Church in Van Buren and a member of the Order of the Eastern Star. She is preceded in death by her husband, David M. Troyer; her mother, Wilma Dahl and her step-father, William Turner.
She is survived by four brothers, Allen Arnold of Van Buren, William Turner, Jr. of Fort Smith. Sam Turner (Connie) of Fayetteville, NC and James Turner (Amanda) of Mulberry.
Funeral Services will be 1:00 P.M. Monday, October 3, 2022 at Edwards Funeral Home Chapel, with burial to follow at the Fort Smith National Cemetery. Family will greet friends from 2:00pm to 4:00pm Sunday, October 2, 2022 at Edwards Funeral Home.
Memorial contributions may be made to The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, 3 International Drive, Suite 200, Rye Brook, NY 10573 or go to www.lls.org
To view the online guestbook, please go to www.edwardsfuneralhome.com
Posted online on September 27, 2022
Published in Southwest Times Record
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Trump And N-Word, Part 2: Nobody Cares https://digitalarkansasnews.com/trump-and-n-word-part-2-nobody-cares/
Yesterday, I wrote a piece about Donald Trump baiting his base to yell racial slurs in public. I pointed out that Trump knew the press wouldn’t cover it. Several commenters on the blog asked why. I realized that I missed the biggest punch line of the story: Nobody cares.
It’s almost inconceivable that Trump’s ploy would have been ignored before 2016. In the time before Trump, our country had come to a consensus that racism was socially unacceptable—at least in public. People might be using all kinds of racial slurs behind closed doors, but they weren’t saying them out loud. If they had, the press would have called them out. If they happened at a political rally of either party, incumbents and party leaders would have disavowed and condemned them.
Not today, though. Trump’s racial call and response got barely a notice outside of social media. The press didn’t pick it up. No Republican at the rally distanced themselves from Trump’s little charade and the rest of party ignored it. They’ve dispensed with the dog whistle and embraced the bullhorn.
That’s what normalization looks like. It’s now okay to be racist in public. The media expects such behavior Trump and the people who attend his rallies. They know that no GOP politicians will disavow the behavior, so they don’t even cover it. They don’t ask Mark Robinson, the African American Lieutenant Governor who was at the rally, what he thinks. They don’t ask Ted Budd, who wrapped himself around Trump, his reaction.
They don’t ask because it’s no longer news. It’s not shocking or surprising. People would largely shrug. It’s not going to change any minds or any votes. We know who Trump is and we know who his base. Part of the GOP is blatantly bigoted and nobody really cares. It’s where Trump and the Republican Party has taken our country.
Thomas Mills is the founder and publisher of PoliticsNC.com. Before beginning PoliticsNC, Thomas spent twenty years as a political and public affairs consultant. Learn more
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They Arent Watching: January 6 Panel Fails To Sway GOP Voters
‘They Aren’t Watching’: January 6 Panel Fails To Sway GOP Voters https://digitalarkansasnews.com/they-arent-watching-january-6-panel-fails-to-sway-gop-voters/
As the US congressional committee investigating last year’s Capitol riot resumes its public hearings this week, experts have questioned whether the panel has been able to reach supporters of former President Donald Trump.
Committee members have said one of their primary goals is to make Trump’s role in the January 6, 2021 attack clear to the United States public, and over the course of eight public sessions, they have connected the events of that day to his efforts to overturn the 2020 election results.
But with a ninth hearing set to take place on Wednesday, Trump’s grip on the Republican Party appears to remain firm.
“There’s a simple reason the hearings haven’t impacted Republican opinion: they aren’t watching,” Thad Kousser, a professor of political science at the University of California at San Diego, told Al Jazeera.
“It didn’t attract the eyeballs of people who had already dismissed January 6. If you’ve made up your mind that violently attacking the Capitol to overturn an election wasn’t a big deal, there’s probably not much that could sway you from that.”
Punishing critics
Republican lawmakers largely wrote off the hearings from the start, refusing to cooperate and describing the panel’s work as a partisan effort to slander Trump, who delivered an incendiary speech to a crowd of his supporters just before the riot broke out in Washington, DC.
So far, the committee has said that Trump watched the attack on television as family members and advisers “begged” him to intervene; that he knew his election fraud claims were false, and that he nevertheless pressured Justice Department officials to back those allegations, among other things.
But evidence suggests that Republican voters have not been swayed by those findings.
A Monmouth University poll released on Tuesday found that 60 percent of Republicans still believe that President Joe Biden’s election victory was fraudulent, while another Monmouth poll in August found that 80 percent of Republicans had a positive view of Trump.
“Very few Republicans are even bothering to pay attention [to the hearings]. The party is now driven by loyalty to Donald Trump, so it’s not a surprise,” Patrick Murray, director of the Monmouth University Polling Institute, told Al Jazeera. “There’s a strong partisan undertone to how people take on the information from the hearings, if they take it on at all.”
Murray added that the percentage of Americans who blame Trump for the riot has remained largely unchanged since June, with 38 percent saying Trump is directly responsible, 25 percent saying he encouraged those involved, and 33 percent saying he did nothing wrong.
Despite the committee’s argument that Trump incited the Capitol rioters as well as a string of ongoing legal problems, the former president remains the favourite to receive the party’s nomination in 2024, should he seek re-election.
Voters in Republican primaries ahead of November’s midterm elections also have punished officials who fail to display sufficient loyalty to him or push back against his false claim that the 2020 election was stolen through massive fraud.
The GOP has censured Representatives Liz Cheney and Adam Kinzinger, the two Republicans on the January 6 panel, and neither will return to Congress after the midterms.
Kinzinger decided not to seek re-election amid sustained criticism for joining the committee and voting to impeach Trump for his role in “inciting” the riot, while Cheney lost her August re-election bid in Wyoming to a Trump-endorsed challenger by an overwhelming margin of nearly 40 percentage points.
Increased polarisation
Some critics point out that though Cheney and Kinzinger have leaned into their roles as principled Republicans willing to take on Trump, both largely embraced the ex-president’s agenda during his time in the White House.
Still, their right-wing credentials did little to save them from the ire of Republican voters who increasingly prioritise loyalty to Trump. Other Republican officials who participated in the January 6 hearings have fallen to the same dynamic.
For example, Rusty Bowers, a member of the Arizona state legislature, lost a bid for state Senate after he appeared before the committee and testified that he had rebuffed Trump’s demands to overturn the will of Arizona voters in 2020.
Andrew Garner, a professor of American politics at the University of Wyoming, told Al Jazeera that this fits into a larger pattern of polarisation in US politics.
“People who vote in primaries tend to be more emotionally attached to their political party and view the other party with hatred and disgust,” Garner said. “Those voters will tend to punish candidates not seen as sufficiently loyal to their side, or too accommodating of the other side, regardless of the candidates’ respective policy positions.”
But while the January 6 panel may not have broken through Trump’s hold on Republicans, Kousser noted that this is not the sole metric of its success.
While loyalty to Trump and a willingness to embrace the stolen election lie may remain vital issues for the GOP’s most passionate supporters, they could alienate others, he said. “The committee took pains to connect Trump to January 6,” said Kousser.
“It’s one of many factors that could make his brand a blessing and a curse for Republicans in swing states. It’s reminded people they aren’t just voting against Biden and inflation; they’re voting for the party of Donald Trump.”
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Fact Check-King Charles III Did Not Sign Proclamation Stating Donald Trump Won 2020 U.S. Presidential Election Or Threaten Joe Biden And Kamala Harris With War
Fact Check-King Charles III Did Not Sign Proclamation Stating Donald Trump Won 2020 U.S. Presidential Election, Or Threaten Joe Biden And Kamala Harris With War https://digitalarkansasnews.com/fact-check-king-charles-iii-did-not-sign-proclamation-stating-donald-trump-won-2020-u-s-presidential-election-or-threaten-joe-biden-and-kamala-harris-with-war/
Britain’s King Charles did not sign a proclamation stating that Donald Trump won the 2020 U.S. Presidential election and is therefore the country’s rightful leader. He also did not threaten U.S. President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris with war if they refused “to vacate the premises within 48 hours”.
One Facebook user (here) posted an image of Charles signing a large document on Sept. 10 and accompanied it with the caption: “SHOCKING NEWS OR THE GRANDEST HOAX! King Charles III signs a proclamation stating that Donald Trump won the 2020 Presidential election and is the rightful President by Law. Warns Biden and Kamala to vacate the premises within 48 hours or a state of war will exist between America and England.”
Similar posts can be seen on Facebook (here, here and here), Twitter (here), where it has amassed more than 1,160 shares, and Instagram (here and here). Archived posts with hundreds of shares and interactions can be found (archive.ph/qv9QR, here and archive.ph/r3dZj).
Comments and replies to the posts appear to suggest some people believe the claim. For example, one person wrote: “Unexpected but it was going to be acknowledged somehow.”
Another commented: “Wow! This is good news.”
However, there is no evidence the monarch signed such a proclamation.
The image used in the social media posts comes from a live feed (here) of his accession ceremony on Sep. 10, 2022, at St James’s Palace, during which Charles was proclaimed king following the death of his mother, Queen Elizabeth II.
Footage (here) shows him signing an oath to uphold the security of the Church in Scotland (here and here). This is required under the Act of 1707 by which Scotland joined with England and Wales to form the United Kingdom of Great Britain. This has been done by every Sovereign at their Accession since 1714 (here). At no point does the document mention Donald Trump, the U.S. Presidential election or a threat of war.
Moreover, declaring war is currently a prerogative power of Britain’s Prime Minister, who authorizes military action on behalf of the Crown (here). Parliament is often consulted and informed before action is taken.
The claim has been addressed by other outlets (here and here ).
VERDICT
False. King Charles did not sign a proclamation stating that Trump won the 2020 election, nor did he threaten Joe Biden and Kamala Harris with war.
This article was produced by the Reuters Fact Check team. Read more about our fact-checking work here.
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Live Updates: Ian Makes Landfall In Cuba As Powerful Category 3 Hurricane
Live Updates: Ian Makes Landfall In Cuba As Powerful Category 3 Hurricane https://digitalarkansasnews.com/live-updates-ian-makes-landfall-in-cuba-as-powerful-category-3-hurricane/
When disaster strikes, household pets’ lives are among the most vulnerable. Evacuating animals during any type of emergency — whether a hurricane, wildfire or earthquake — adds a layer of stress in a turbulent situation. However, experts with animal-advocacy organizations say that taking care of our furry, purry, feathered and scaly housemates is an imperative lifesaving effort that can be conducted smoothly with advance planning.
Every attempt should be made not to leave animals behind, the advocates say. You might not be able to return home for longer than you anticipate, and abandoning pets can have “devastating consequences,” said Kelly Donithan, director of animal disaster response for the Humane Society of the United States.
“If you’re leaving for any reason, don’t think that it’s safe to leave them behind,” Ms. Donithan said.
Experts emphasized that successfully evacuating with your pets depends on actions you can take well before the threat of an emergency is imminent.
“Every story is going to be unique,” said Dr. Lori Teller, president of the American Veterinary Medical Association. “Planning ahead definitely makes the whole ordeal a lot easier.”
Prepare to leave.
Ensure your pets are wearing collars with clear, current identification and your contact information. A GPS collar could also come in handy, especially if you have a fearful pet that is prone to making escape attempts in stressful situations, said Jason Cohen, a dog trainer based in New York City.
You’ll need a sturdy leash and a pet carrier or crate labeled with your contact information. Consider getting a backup attachment for your pet’s collar, such as a metal carabiner or double-clip accessory, for added security if a collar accidentally comes off.
Your pets might not be accustomed to traveling, so building their familiarity with different modes of transportation could help. Know the various evacuation routes and practice them in advance.
“If you know where you are going to go, if you know your routes, if you have all the supplies you need, that’s the best-case scenario,” Ms. Donithan said.
Assemble a disaster kit for your pet.
Emergencies can happen at any time, so this kit should be updated regularly and kept in a convenient, easily accessible place in your home, advocates said.
The kit should include enough nonperishable food and water to last at least a week.
It should also contain:
food and water receptacles
a first-aid kit
a couple of weeks’ supply of medications, if needed
a printed document or USB stick with medical records, such as a rabies vaccine certificate, key details about your pet’s diet, any behavioral issues and contact information for your veterinarian, all enclosed in a waterproof container
a toy or two for those idle hours
hygiene supplies such as poop bags or a litter box
a current picture of you and your pet, in case you later need to prove ownership or reclaim it
Consult with your vet.
Microchips, small transponders embedded into a pet’s skin that are linked to identification and the owner’s contact information, can later be scanned if the pet is lost. Getting your pet microchipped by a veterinarian is a must, experts said. It doesn’t end there. You’ll have to register this information with an online database and verify that the registration is linked to your name and phone number. Once registered, microchip numbers can be searched here.
To help ease your pet’s anxiety, there are a variety of supplements available, some by prescription. You could consider speaking to your vet about what might be appropriate for your pet, Dr. Teller said.
Potential remedies include medications such as trazodone and hemp-based CBD products.
These aids should be tested out before an emergency, especially if you already know your pet is anxious in certain situations, such as traveling, Ms. Donithan added.
Keep vaccinations current and consider obtaining pet insurance.
Find accommodations for your pet.
Ideally, you’ll be able to stay with your pet during a disaster, and there are many hotels that allow pets. Emergency shelters in your municipality may not permit pets, so ask local safety officials about their general policies.
If you can’t secure accommodation with your pet, create a backup housing plan by assessing nearby shelters, boarding kennels or out-of-town family members or friends with whom your pet could temporarily stay.
Brush up on training.
Steps such as crate training, which consists of preparing your pet to spend some quiet time in its kennel, could be “a lifesaver in emergency situations,” Mr. Cohen said.
“If a dog is comfortable in a crate, it will help keep them safe and not add more stress,” Mr. Cohen added.
And it goes beyond dogs. Many animals, including ferrets, pigs and rabbits, can be crate-trained, Ms. Donithan said.
To help your pets get used to spending time in the crate, you could regularly feed them meals inside it, which will build comfort and positive connections with their portable home. You can also toss treats in and out of the crate to help them develop their ease with entering and exiting a pet carrier, Mr. Cohen said.
It could also be useful to brush up on the “come” command and good walking practices, and to identify your pet’s hiding spots at home.
Know what to do when disaster strikes.
Don’t wait for the mandatory evacuation order to leave. Stay informed by monitoring different websites, including ready.gov, and opting into receiving emergency alerts through your smartphone settings. You should also monitor updates from your local municipality and emergency responders. Then, evacuate as early as possible. It will give you more flexibility and keep you and your pets calmer.
You can do most of the work before actually evacuating, Ms. Donithan said. In an active emergency, it’s about implementing the plan you’ve already made.
“When it’s happening, it’s going to go as well as you’ve practiced or how well-prepared you are,” Ms. Donithan added.
You’ll want to contact your local emergency management office to see if they have temporary housing options for you and your pet. If not, rely on your alternatives.
Certain pets will require extra care. For birds, depending on the weather, you’ll need a blanket to cover the carrier and trap heat or a spray bottle to moisten feathers. If you have a reptile, you’ll need a sturdy bowl for your pet to soak in and something to warm it with. Snakes can be transported in a pillowcase. There are also special considerations for livestock and horses.
The experience could be traumatic for both you and your pet. Some signs of distress your pet might exhibit, such as panting, moderate nausea and shaking, could be normal. But other indicators — excessive vocalization or dangerous attempts to break out of confinement — might require medical attention, Dr. Teller said. Having a grasp of the basics of pet first aid with an app like this one from the Red Cross can help.
And if you must leave your pets behind, take the appropriate actions. Leave out plenty of food and fresh water and do not restrain your pet. Boost awareness of your pet’s location by notifying local law enforcement, animal control officials, and animal shelters.
Also, post a note outside your home, where rescue teams can see it, indicating that you have a pet and where it is, and listing your contact information. You can order an emergency sticker to affix to your window or door from the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.
If flooding is expected, you should place your pet at the highest point in your residence.
Adjust back to normal.
If your pet is lost, contact your local animal shelters and seek help from neighborhood social media groups. You can also post a notice on microchip databases or print fliers and offer a reward for your pet.
Once you do return home, remember that the transition will not be seamless. The environment, including scents and appearances, may no longer be familiar to your pet. Supervise your pet carefully and help it ease into the home with patience.
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A Night In Vegas Is Coming To Little Rock https://digitalarkansasnews.com/a-night-in-vegas-is-coming-to-little-rock/
by: Miriam Battles
Posted: Sep 27, 2022 / 10:40 AM CDT
Updated: Sep 27, 2022 / 10:46 AM CDT
by: Miriam Battles
Posted: Sep 27, 2022 / 10:40 AM CDT
Updated: Sep 27, 2022 / 10:46 AM CDT
LITTLE ROCK, Ark. – A Night in Vegas is happening in Little Rock this week.
The event will be held Thursday from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. at the Junior League of Little Rock Building.
The event will help to support the Ronald McDonald House Charities of Arkansas, officials said. Event officials said that the casino-theme event will have a silent auction, live entertainment, food and games.
Tickets to the event are sold out, but event planners said that you can still support families at the Ronald McDonald House by registering to participate in the auction at ANightInVegas.org.
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Stock Market Today: Dow Gains Slightly After Lowest Close Since 2020
Stock Market Today: Dow Gains Slightly After Lowest Close Since 2020 https://digitalarkansasnews.com/stock-market-today-dow-gains-slightly-after-lowest-close-since-2020/
About this page
Last Updated: Sep 27, 2022 at 11:30 am ET
Follow The Wall Street Journal’s full markets coverage, a day after the Dow fell into a bear market.
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Meta Says It Disabled Extensive Russian Propaganda Operation
Meta Says It Disabled Extensive Russian Propaganda Operation https://digitalarkansasnews.com/meta-says-it-disabled-extensive-russian-propaganda-operation/
Topline
Meta said Tuesday it had taken down the largest and most complex Russian propaganda social media operation on its platforms to date, a campaign that targeted European countries with Kremlin viewpoints about the war in Ukraine.
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Key Facts
The operation impersonated legitimate websites, including Spiegel, The Guardian and Bild, with articles that “criticized Ukraine and Ukrainian refugees, supported Russia and argued that Western sanctions on Russia would backfire,” according to Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram.
The articles were then promoted across a host of fake accounts and more than 60 websites, including Facebook, Instagram, Telegram, Twitter and petition website Change.org, while the social media accounts of Russian embassies in Europe and Asia would also occasionally amplify the content.
The operation, which Meta said began in May, targeted primarily Germany, France, Italy, Ukraine and the United Kingdom.
The website impersonations and the use of many languages complicated efforts to take down the large network, though Meta was able to automatically detect many fake accounts, pages and ads and disable them before the company began its larger investigation into the propaganda efforts, it said.
Meta began its probe into the propaganda efforts after German journalists reported on the operation in August.
Tangent
One of the fake news stories promoted was titled “Video: False Staging in Bucha Revealed!” an article that claimed Ukraine staged the massacre of hundreds of Ukrainians in a suburb of Kyiv occupied by Russians, according to the Associated Press. Russian President Vladimir Putin has also called the Bucha allegations “fake,” though extensive evidence compiled by human rights groups and journalists led to international condemnation of Russia.
Key Background
Since Russia invaded Ukraine in February, social media companies have struggled to combat a host of Kremlin-supported conspiracy theories and false claims about the war. Meta has faced a host of criticisms in recent years for failing to adequately tackle the spread of disinformation on its platforms, including in 2016, when researchers found Russia used Facebook and other major social media platforms to try and help Donald Trump become president. Facebook has said tens of millions of users viewed Russian ads aimed at fostering political division before and after the 2016 election. Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg has admitted the company made a series of missteps in how it handled fake news and foreign interference during that time and pledged to make changes, though the company has since come under fire again for how it handled misinformation during the 2020 election. Facebook and Twitter have disabled other operations promoting anti-Ukraine talking points and Kremlin propaganda since the war started.
Contra
The Kremlin has attempted to clamp down on those who disagree with its narrative on the war in Ukraine, arresting more than a thousand people during the past week for protesting Putin’s partial military draft and detaining thousands who have spoken out against the war.
Further Reading
Meta disables Russian propaganda network targeting Europe (Associated Press)
Facebook, Twitter remove disinformation accounts targeting Ukrainians (NBC News)
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Photos Show 10-Mile Line At Russian Border As Many Flee Mobilization
Photos Show 10-Mile Line At Russian Border As Many Flee Mobilization https://digitalarkansasnews.com/photos-show-10-mile-line-at-russian-border-as-many-flee-mobilization/
A traffic jam at Russia’s border with Georgia has stretched for nearly 10 miles after President Vladimir Putin’s partial military mobilization order, satellite images show.
The line of cars and trucks trying to leave formed at a crossing point on the Russian side of the border, according to U.S.-based firm Maxar Technologies, which released the photos on Monday. “The traffic jam likely continued further to the north of the imaged area,” the U.S.-based firm said. Aerial photos from the company show vehicles snaking into another long line near Russia’s border with Mongolia.
Cars have also lined up at Russia’s borders with Finland and Kazakhstan since last week, when Putin announced a call-up of hundreds of thousands of reservists to fight in the Kremlin’s faltering war in Ukraine. It marks Russia’s first military mobilization since World War II.
Soon after the speech, tickets sold out to the few cities that still have direct flights from Russia, and Google searches rose for queries like “how to leave Russia.”
Confusion over who could be summoned has also pushed thousands to flee, along with fears that Russia’s borders could shut to men of military age.
They don’t have many options if they don’t want to deploy to Ukraine. Russian flights in E.U. airspace are banned, and Baltic nations closed their land borders. In recent days, piles of abandoned bicycles near border posts appeared in social media footage.
Russian news agency TASS said more than 5,000 cars were waiting for hours at the border with Georgia on Tuesday.
In Kazakhstan, President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev said Tuesday his country would talk with Moscow about the influx and sought to “maintain agreement with neighboring countries.” He called it a “difficult situation” but said there was no reason to panic after tens of thousands of crossings by Russian citizens were reported in recent days.
Finnish authorities said they saw a nearly 80 percent increase in entries from Russia after the mobilization, but the Finnish Border Guard also said Tuesday that “the majority of arrivals move on to other countries.”
The Kremlin has described reports of an exodus as overblown, despite growing signs of a backlash to the mobilization.
Riot police have arrested hundreds of protesters, as rights groups worry the order will disproportionately round up men in remote or impoverished parts of the country. And at an enlistment station in the Irkutsk region, one man shot and wounded a military recruiter on Monday.
Mary Ilyushina contributed to this report.
War in Ukraine: What you need to know
The latest: Russian President Vladimir Putin announced a “partial mobilization” of troops in an address to the nation on Sept. 21, framing the move as an attempt to defend Russian sovereignty against a West that seeks to use Ukraine as a tool to “divide and destroy Russia.” Follow our live updates here.
The fight: A successful Ukrainian counteroffensive has forced a major Russian retreat in the northeastern Kharkiv region in recent days, as troops fled cities and villages they had occupied since the early days of the war and abandoned large amounts of military equipment.
Annexation referendums: Staged referendums, which would be illegal under international law, are set to take place from Sept. 23 to 27 in the breakaway Luhansk and Donetsk regions of eastern Ukraine, according to Russian news agencies. Another staged referendum will be held by the Moscow-appointed administration in Kherson starting Friday.
Photos: Washington Post photographers have been on the ground from the beginning of the war — here’s some of their most powerful work.
How you can help: Here are ways those in the U.S. can help support the Ukrainian people as well as what people around the world have been donating.
Read our full coverage of the Russia-Ukraine crisis. Are you on Telegram? Subscribe to our channel for updates and exclusive video.
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Race For 2024: Ron DeSantis And Greg Abbott Rivalry Builds Ahead Of White House Bids Report Says
Race For 2024: Ron DeSantis And Greg Abbott Rivalry Builds Ahead Of White House Bids, Report Says https://digitalarkansasnews.com/race-for-2024-ron-desantis-and-greg-abbott-rivalry-builds-ahead-of-white-house-bids-report-says/
September 27, 2022 09:48 AM
Gov. Ron DeSantis said he did not have the “good political fortune” of having America’s southern border with Mexico in his state of Florida in the latest sign of a growing 2024 rivalry, according to a new report.
A reference to Gov. Greg Abbott (R-TX), DeSantis told donors last year that Texas’s 1,254-mile border with Mexico was good political fortune that he was not lucky enough to have, according to a report from the New York Times. The comment came as both men eye a possible Republican White House bid in 2024, with DeSantis considered the front-runner if former President Donald Trump does not run.
“No one has ever been elected governor of even a small state who didn’t, somewhere deep in their heart, start dreaming about being president,” Chris Wilson, a pollster who has worked for both men, told the outlet. “So it’s not shocking to see both Abbott and DeSantis jockeying at least a little toward 2024 or beyond.”
HURRICANE IAN NOW A CATEGORY 3 STORM, BRINGING STORM SURGES TO FLORIDA’S WEST COAST
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, gestures as he speaks on Sept. 14, 2021, at the Doral Academy Preparatory School in Doral, Florida. Behind the governor is state Sen. Manny Diaz Jr.
(Wilfredo Lee/AP)
Both governors have dominated the Republican conversation in recent months. Most recently, both governors have transported illegal immigrants from the southern border to liberal “sanctuary” cities. Abbott started the operations in April and has sent a total of 11,000 immigrants to Washington, D.C., New York City, and Chicago so far. DeSantis followed suit earlier this month when he flew immigrants who illegally crossed Texas’s border with Mexico to Martha’s Vineyard in Massachusetts despite being Florida’s governor.
“Every state that wants to help, I’m happy for it,” Dave Carney, Abbott’s top campaign strategist, told the New York Times of DeSantis’s actions.
Both states have passed similar bills that ban transgender students from playing in female sports teams at public schools and cut funding for cities in their respective states that have retracted funding for police departments, including Austin, Texas. Despite the rivalry, both men have a solid working relationship, according to Abbott’s press secretary Renae Eze.
CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER
“Gov. Abbott and Gov. DeSantis have a solid working relationship, having worked together on various initiatives through Republican governors organizations,” Eze said.
Both men are up for reelection during the midterm elections in November, with Abbott facing Democratic opponent Beto O’Rourke (D-TX). DeSantis faces former Rep. Charlie Crist (D-FL).
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Universal Masking No Longer Recommended In All Health Care Settings: CDC
Universal Masking No Longer Recommended In All Health Care Settings: CDC https://digitalarkansasnews.com/universal-masking-no-longer-recommended-in-all-health-care-settings-cdc/
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention no longer recommends universal masking in health care settings unless a facility is in an area with high levels of coronavirus transmission.
Agency officials relaxed the guidance as part of an update that reflects high levels of “vaccine- and infection-induced immunity” to the virus and the availability of COVID-19 treatments.
The update uses the CDC’s transmission metric, which is more stringent than the community levels that take into account severe disease and hospitalizations and guide whether someone should mask up in non-healthcare settings.
Roughly 73% of the country is still considered to be in a high-transmission zone, though the revamped guidance is notable because health settings were adhering to strict rules while masks fell away in schools and businesses and on public transportation.
“When [virus] Community Transmission levels are not high, healthcare facilities could choose not to require universal source control,” the CDC update said, using a technical term for masking.
However, the CDC said health workers in places with lower transmission should mask up if they feel COVID-19 symptoms; were exposed to someone who might have the virus; work or live in an area with a known virus outbreak, or must wear a mask because local authorities mandate it.
The updated guidance is part of a shift from treating the coronavirus as a manageable disease instead of a hair-on-fire emergency. President Biden, for instance, recently used a “60 Minutes” interview to declare the pandemic phase of the crisis was over.
But some experts worry health care facilities might not be able to parse through the nuances of the new CDC guidance, leading to viral exposure among vulnerable patients.
“This nuanced have your cake and eat it too approach hasn’t worked A SINGLE TIME throughout the pandemic. People hear ‘no more masks!’” tweeted Dr. Jerome Adams, who served as U.S. surgeon general in the Trump administration.
For more information, visit The Washington Times COVID-19 resource page.
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Dow Jumps More Than 300 Points To Bounce Back From Lowest Level Since 2020
Dow Jumps More Than 300 Points To Bounce Back From Lowest Level Since 2020 https://digitalarkansasnews.com/dow-jumps-more-than-300-points-to-bounce-back-from-lowest-level-since-2020/
Stocks rose Tuesday, as the Dow Jones Industrial Average and S&P 500 bounced back from their lowest closing levels in nearly two years.
The Dow advanced 328 points, or 1.1%. The S&P 500 gained 1.5%, and the Nasdaq Composite rose 2%.
The British pound rebounded slightly after plunging to a record low against the dollar earlier in the week. Sterling traded more than 1% higher at $1.087 per dollar after hitting an all-time low of $1.0382.
Treasury yields also came off their highs, boosting sentiment. The benchmark 10-year yield dipped nearly 5 basis points to 3.823%.
Chicago Federal Reserve President Charles Evans signaled some apprehension about the central bank raising rates too quickly to fight inflation, in contrast to a slew of Fed officials who recently reiterated a tough stance against rising prices.
The move comes after five straight days of losses for stocks, with the S&P 500 closing at its lowest level since 2020. The Dow dropped more than 300 points on Monday, putting it in a bear market after falling more than 20% below its record high. The 30-stock average also posted its lowest closing level since late 2020.
Technical indicators show that the selling has been historic. According to Bespoke Investment Group, the 10-day advance decline line for the S&P 500 has hit a record low, meaning market breadth is at its worst level in at least 32 years.
The latest round of selling appears to have several catalysts, including an aggressive Federal Reserve and surging interest rates, which in turn have roiled currency markets. On Monday, the British pound slid to a record low against the dollar, unnerving investors on both sides of the Atlantic.
“Typically, US investors wouldn’t care too much about something like this, and especially more recently. And so this to me says that now there is this fear that is gripping investors a lot more than it did before. That in turn will lead to a capitulation moment where we really are at a bottom,” said Max Gokhman, CIO at AlphaTrAI.
Stocks open higher
Stocks rose Tuesday, as the Dow Jones Industrial Average and S&P 500 bounced back from their lowest closing levels in nearly two years.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average advanced 328 points, or 1.1%. The S&P 500 gained 1.5%, and the Nasdaq Composite rose 2%.
— Sarah Min
Home prices in July cooled at the fastest rate in the history of S&P Case-Shiller Index
Home prices continued to cool at a fast pace in July, though they’re still higher than they were a year ago. Prices nationally rose 15.8% over July 2021, and while that is a wide gain, it was well below the 18.1% gain in the previous month, according to the S&P CoreLogic Case-Shiller Indices.
The 10-City composite rose 14.9% year over year, down from 17.4% in June. The 20-City composite gained 16.1%, down from 18.7% in the previous month. July’s year-over-year gains were lower compared with June in each of the cities covered by the index.
“July’s report reflects a forceful deceleration,” wrote Craig J. Lazzara, managing director at S&P DJI in a release, noting the difference in the annual gains in June and July. “The -2.3% difference between those two monthly rates of gain is the largest deceleration in the history of the index.”
— Diana Olick
Bank of America says clients are shifting into defensives
Bank of America said clients snapped up health care and other defensive stocks as markets stumbled in recent weeks.
Health care stocks saw the fifth largest inflow in Bank of America’s weekly history going back to 2008, according to a Tuesday note. The sector reported the biggest inflows of the past six weeks after posting outflows for the majority of this year.
“Defensive sectors in aggregate have seen inflows the last six weeks vs. cyclical sector outflows in five of the last six weeks (a reversal vs. most of this year),” Jill Carey Hall, equity and quant strategist at Bank of America, wrote in a Tuesday note.
Investors piled into communication services, technology and utilities in addition to health care. They sold stocks in seven sectors led by consumer discretionary, energy and financials.
— Sarah Min
Fed’s Evans is getting nervous about central bank raising rates too fast
Chicago Federal Reserve President Charles Evans said he’s worried the central bank is raising rates too far, too fast.
Evans, who is set to retire next year, said there is not much time to look at monthly releases to see the impacts of each current rate hike before the future one comes. The Fed has set three consecutive, 75 basis point rate hike increases, while indicating plans for future rate hikes, as it tries to cool inflation running near four-decade highs.
“There are lags in monetary policy and we have moved expeditiously,” he told “Squawk Box Europe.” “We have done three 75 basis point increases in a row and there is a talk of more to get to that 4.25% to 4.5% by the end of the year, you’re not leaving much time to sort of look at each monthly release.”
Watch the interview here.
— Alex Harring
Tech stocks outperform in premarket trading
Markets got a boost from technology stocks in Tuesday premarket trading as rate spikes eased.
Mega-cap tech stocks led the way higher. Apple advanced 1.5%, Microsoft was up 1.2%, Google-parent Alphabet jumped 1.5% and Amazon rose 1.9%.
Semiconductors outperformed in the premarket. Shares of Nvidia were up nearly 2%. Intel climbed 1.6%. Broadcom rose 1.7%.
— Sarah Min
Here are the stocks making the biggest moves premarket
These companies are making headlines before the bell:
Keurig Dr Pepper — The consumer stock fell 1.5% premarket after Goldman Sachs downgraded the stock to neutral from a buy rating. The Wall Street firm said it sees increased risk to Keurig’s margins as commodity inflation, especially related to coffee, remains elevated.
Lucid Group — Shares of the electric vehicle player jumped 2.7% in premarket trading after Cantor Fitzgerald initiated coverage with an overweight rating. The firm said Lucid’s luxury and premium vehicles provide greater efficiency, longer range, faster charging and more space relative to its peers.
Check out more premarket movers here.
— Yun Li
Oil rises after tumbling to lowest level since January
Oil prices were modestly higher Tuesday morning after crude tumbled to its lowest level since January during the prior session.
West Texas Intermediate crude futures, the U.S. oil benchmark, stood at $77.50 per barrel, for a gain of 1%. Global benchmark Brent crude added 1.3% to trade at $85.19.
Supply cuts in the Gulf of Mexico supported prices Tuesday morning. BP and Chevron have both announced production shut-ins as Hurricane Ian barrels down.
WTI fell to a session low of $76.49 during Monday trading, a price last seen on Jan. 4. Several factors have weighed on prices, including the stronger dollar as well as recession fears.
— Pippa Stevens
British pound bounces after hitting record low, dollar dips
The British pound rebounded Tuesday, trading more than 1% higher against the dollar at $1.083 a day after hitting a record low against the U.S. currency. The move comes as traders awaited clarity on UK monetary policy, with many calling for aggressive rate hikes to stabilize pound.
“The Bank of England’s Monday pledge that ‘the MPC will not hesitate to change interest rates by as much as needed to return inflation to the 2% target sustainably in the medium term’ failed to reassure investors hoping for an emergency rate hike,” BCA Research said in a note.
The U.S. dollar, meanwhile, dipped 0.4% against a basket of currencies.
—Fred Imbert
European markets nudge higher after choppy start to the week
European markets were slightly higher on Tuesday as stocks attempted to rally after choppy trade at the start of the week.
The pan-European Stoxx 600 was 0.6% higher by early afternoon in London, having earlier given back gains of around 1.3% during a volatile session. Travel and leisure stocks added 1.7% to lead gains while banks slipped 0.4%.
Close attention remains on the pound and U.K. bond markets after a historic sell-off on the back of British Finance Minister Kwasi Kwarteng’s fiscal policy announcements on Friday.
Both the U.K. Treasury and the Bank of England attempted to assuage concerns on Monday after a tumultuous market reaction.
– Elliot Smith
Fed’s Mester says it is better to act ‘aggressively’ against high inflation
U.S. inflation is “unacceptably high” and uncertainties make monetary policy decisions “not trivial,” said Cleveland Fed President Loretta Mester in prepared remarks at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
“When there is uncertainty, it can be better for policymakers to act more aggressively,” she said. “Aggressive and pre-emptive action can prevent the worst-case outcomes from actually coming about.”
She said she will be “very cautious” when assessing inflation data.
“I will need to see several months of declines in the month-over-month readings,” she said. “Wishful thinking cannot be a substitute for compelling evidence.”
–Jihye Lee
CNBC Pro: Analysts like Nvidia once again, with Citi giving it almost 100% upside
Analysts are once again starting to get bullish on Nvidia, after the semiconductor giant lost favor amid geopolitical tensions and a slowdown in the chip sector.
Citi and JPMorgan both said last week that solid demand in PC gaming, as well as cloud adoption in data centers, were set to be tailwinds for Nvidia.
So how much upside did they each give Nvidia shares? CNBC Pro subscribers can read more here.
— Weizhen Tan
Oil, U.S. dollar diverge
For the first half of 2022, the price of oil and the U.S. dollar both rose sharply. However, that has changed in recent weeks, with notable moves for both on Monday.
The Dollar Index rose as high as 114.527 on M...
Texas AG Denies He ran To Avoid Subpoenas Says He Felt Threatened
Texas AG Denies He ‘ran’ To Avoid Subpoenas, Says He Felt Threatened https://digitalarkansasnews.com/texas-ag-denies-he-ran-to-avoid-subpoenas-says-he-felt-threatened/
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton (R) “ran” from his home and took off in a truck with his wife, a state senator, when a process server showed up to the residence Monday morning to serve Paxton with subpoenas in an ongoing lawsuit, according to an affidavit filed later that day.
The subpoenas for Paxton’s testimony are part of a lawsuit filed in August by reproductive health groups looking to protect their ability to help patients access legal abortions in states outside of Texas, where performing nearly all abortions became illegal following the Supreme Court’s overturning of Roe v. Wade in June.
On Monday evening, Paxton addressed the process server’s claims, writing on Twitter that, earlier in the day, he had been avoiding a “stranger lingering outside my home” and was concerned for his and his family’s safety.
“This is a ridiculous waste of time and the media should be ashamed of themselves,” Paxton wrote in response to the Texas Tribune, which earlier reported the story. “All across the country, conservatives have faced threats to their safety — many threats that received scant coverage or condemnation from the mainstream media.”
Paxton’s office did not immediately respond to a request for comment from The Washington Post late Monday. A representative for Paxton’s wife, state Sen. Angela Paxton (R), also did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
This is a ridiculous waste of time and the media should be ashamed of themselves. All across the country, conservatives have faced threats to their safety — many threats that received scant coverage or condemnation from the mainstream media.
— Attorney General Ken Paxton (@KenPaxtonTX) September 27, 2022
In the affidavit signed and filed on Monday, process server Ernesto Martin Herrera said that he arrived at Paxton’s residence in McKinney around 8:30 a.m., parking on the street in front of the house. Seeing the silhouette of a man in the living room, Herrera knocked on the front door, according to the affidavit.
A woman answered it, Herrera said, and he explained that he needed to deliver legal documents to Paxton. The woman, who eventually identified herself as “Angela,” said that Paxton was on the phone and was in a “hurry to leave,” the affidavit states. Herrera added that he saw a black Chevrolet truck parked in the driveway. He could not immediately be reached for comment Tuesday morning.
Herrera said he went back to his car and waited, “per my client’s instructions,” according to the affidavit. Around 9:20 a.m., he saw a different vehicle — a black Chevrolet Tahoe — drive up to the home and back into the driveway. About 20 minutes later, Herrera said he saw Paxton walk out of the garage, so he approached Paxton and called him by name.
“As soon as he saw me and heard me call his name out, he turned around and RAN back inside the house through the same door in the garage,” Herrera stated in the affidavit, emphasizing the word “ran” with bold type and an underline.
Less than 10 minutes later, “Angela” emerged from the house and opened one of the truck’s rear doors before getting into the driver’s seat and starting the vehicle, Herrera said in the affidavit. Paxton then ran from his home to the truck, as Herrera called out his name and said he had court documents for him, Herrera claimed.
“Mr. Paxton ignored me and kept heading for the truck,” Herrera stated.
Herrera said he told Paxton that he was going to put the documents on the ground, and then did so beside the truck.
Paxton “got in the truck leaving the documents on the ground, and then both vehicles left,” Herrera wrote.
The subpoenas are seeking Paxton’s appearance and testimony at a court hearing scheduled for Tuesday morning. As of early Tuesday, the hearing remained on the court’s schedule.
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Walmart Names Kindbody As Provider For Associate Fertility And Family-Building Benefits Nationwide
Walmart Names Kindbody As Provider For Associate Fertility And Family-Building Benefits Nationwide https://digitalarkansasnews.com/walmart-names-kindbody-as-provider-for-associate-fertility-and-family-building-benefits-nationwide/
BENTONVILLE, Ark., Sept. 27, 2022 – Today, Walmart Inc. (NYSE: WMT) named Kindbody, a leading family-building benefits provider for employers, as the fertility provider for its new Center of Excellence (COE) for family-building benefits. Associates will have access to Kindbody’s network of facilities across the U.S., including a new state-of-the-art clinic and in vitro fertilization (IVF) lab in Rogers, Arkansas that will provide comprehensive virtual, at-home and in-clinic care. The new facility is expected to open later this year.
“Providing access to high-quality health care is very important to us, and we’ve heard from our associates that improved access to fertility, surrogacy and adoption support is a priority for them and their families,” said Kim Lupo, senior vice president, Walmart Global Total Rewards. “Through Kindbody, Walmart associates in every corner of the country will have access to a variety of services to aid in their family-planning journey.”
Through this new Center of Excellence, Walmart associates and their dependents who are enrolled in a self-insured Walmart medical plan will be able to receive fertility care from Kindbody’s highly-trained team, inclusive of board-certified reproductive endocrinologists and senior embryologists, at one of Kindbody’s Signature Clinics nationwide. Services include fertility assessments and education, fertility preservation, genetic testing, in vitro fertilization (IVF) and intrauterine insemination (IUI).
Kindbody will also be available to help eligible associates access Walmart’s surrogacy and adoption benefits, as well. These Walmart benefits include financial support of up to $20,000, lifetime max, for eligible surrogacy and adoption expenses. Walmart benefits will continue to include enhanced maternity and parental leave for qualified full-time hourly and salaried associates that allows birth moms to receive up to 16 weeks of paid time off. New parents, including adoptive and foster parents, also receive six weeks paid parental leave to bond with a new child.
“We’re incredibly honored to become a Walmart Center of Excellence and provide high-quality care to Walmart associates, furthering our mission to make fertility and family-building care affordable and accessible for all,” said Gina Bartasi, founder and chairwoman of Kindbody. “Our partnership with Walmart signals that fertility benefits have joined medical, dental, and vision as standard workplace benefits for leading employers.”
This center will build on Walmart’s existing COE model, which provides benefit support and coverage for certain heart, spine and joint surgeries and cancer treatments, in partnership with some of the best healthcare providers and facilities in the country. Walmart chooses Centers of Excellence through a highly selective process, which requires health care providers to demonstrate an ability to provide excellent care, a dedication to addressing the root cause of a patient’s condition and an outstanding patient experience, amongst other key criteria that are reviewed.
About WalmartWalmart Inc. (NYSE: WMT) helps people around the world save money and live better – anytime and anywhere – in retail stores, online, and through their mobile devices. Each week, approximately 230 million customers and members visit more than 10,500 stores and numerous eCommerce websites under 46 banners in 24 countries. With fiscal year 2022 revenue of $573 billion, Walmart employs approximately 2.3 million associates worldwide. Walmart continues to be a leader in sustainability, corporate philanthropy and employment opportunity. Additional information about Walmart can be found by visiting corporate.walmart.com, on Facebook at facebook.com/walmart and on Twitter at twitter.com/walmart.
About KindbodyKindbody is a leading fertility clinic network and family-building benefits provider for employers offering comprehensive virtual and in-person care. Kindbody’s clinically managed program includes fertility assessments and education, fertility preservation, genetic testing, in vitro fertilization (IVF), donor and surrogacy services, and adoption, as well as physical, mental, and emotional support from preconception through postpartum. Kindbody is the trusted fertility benefits provider for more than 100 employers, covering more than 2.2 million lives. Many thousands more receive their fertility care directly from Kindbody throughout the country at signature clinics, mobile clinics, and partner clinics. As the fertility benefits provider, technology platform, and direct provider of high-quality care, Kindbody delivers a seamless, integrated experience with superior health outcomes at lower cost, making fertility care more affordable and accessible for all. Kindbody has raised $190 million in funding from leading investors including Perceptive Advisors, GV (formerly Google Ventures), RRE Ventures, Claritas Health Ventures, Rock Springs Capital, NFP Ventures, and TQ Ventures.
Kindbody signature clinics are located in: Atlanta, GA; Aurora, IL; Austin, TX; Century City, CA; Chicago, IL; Crest Hill, IL; Dallas, TX; Denver, CO; Glenview, IL; Geneva, IL; Hoffman Estates, IL; Houston, TX; Minneapolis, MN; New York City, NY; O’Fallon, MO; Orlando, FL; Princeton, NJ; San Francisco, CA; Rogers, AR; Santa Monica, CA; Silicon Valley, CA; Southfield, MI; St. Louis, MO; Swansea, IL; Vancouver, WA; Washington, D.C; and Wauwatosa, WI.
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Benson Holds $3.1 Million Cash Advantage Over Karamo In Michigan Secretary Of State Race
Benson Holds $3.1 Million Cash Advantage Over Karamo In Michigan Secretary Of State Race https://digitalarkansasnews.com/benson-holds-3-1-million-cash-advantage-over-karamo-in-michigan-secretary-of-state-race/
Secretary of State Jocelyn Bensononce againoutraised her GOP challenger Kristina Karamo, according to the final campaign finance reports filed before the upcoming midterm election to decide who will serve as the state’s next chief elections officer. The Democratic incumbent holds a $3.1 million cash advantage over Karamo heading into the Nov. 8 election.
Benson raised $482,966.91 in the period covering Aug. 6-Sept. 10 and had more than $3.3 million cash on hand, according to the report from her campaign. Meanwhile, Karamo pocketed $211,443.29 in the period covering Aug. 12-Sept.16, ending up with $184,734.68 cash on hand, according to her campaign’s report filed late Monday.
Karamo’s report was not available on the secretary of state’s campaign finance database by the 5 p.m. deadline Monday, but did appear later. Her campaign and the Secretary of State’s Office did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
In seeking reelection, Benson has argued that the future of democracy in Michigan is at stake. Karamo — who has falsely claimed that the 2020 election was stolen from former President Donald Trump — rose to national prominence for her unfounded claims of election fraud and misconduct.
She participated in legal efforts to overturn the presidential election two years ago and subsequently scored Trump’s support. He traveled to Michigan in April ahead of the state Republican Party’s endorsement convention to stump for Karamo. During the Macomb County rally, the former president told his supporters that if she wins, Karamo will “protect us from a corrupt election.”
More:Michigan secretary of state candidate Kristina Karamo: I’m a little MAGA warrior
More:Fact-checking allegations of misconduct against Benson: What we found
Republicans have repeatedly blasted Benson’s handling of the 2020 election, expressing particular frustration with her decision to mail absentee ballot applications to every voter in the state during the COVID-19 pandemic. Courts found that Benson had the authority to send out the applications.
Hundreds of audits, court rulings and post-election reviews have upheld the results of the election two years ago in which President Joe Biden defeated Trump by more than 154,000 votes in Michigan.
Karamo is part of a coalition of Trump-backed GOP candidates for secretary of state who deny the validity of the 2020 election based on false claims of misconduct and fraud. Karamo appeared alongside one member of the group — Arizona Republican Secretary of State nominee Mark Finchem — during a recent convention hosted by Church Militant, deemed an anti-LGBTQ hate group by the Southern Poverty Law Center. There, the pair solicited support for their campaigns and cast their races as a spiritual battle for the future of the country.
Benson and Karamo are not currently scheduled to debate one another ahead of the election. Karamo declined an invitation to participate in a debate unless she could select one of the moderators.
Clerks have already begun sending absentee ballots to military and overseas voters and must begin issuing absentee ballots to voters who request one by Thursday.
Clara Hendrickson fact-checks Michigan issues and politics as a corps member with Report for America, an initiative of The GroundTruth Project. Make a tax-deductible contribution to support her work at bit.ly/freepRFA. Contact her at chendrickson@freepress.com or 313-296-5743. Follow her on Twitter @clarajanehen.
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Mitch McConnell: Democrats Need More Moderates Like Sen. Kyrsten Sinema
Mitch McConnell: Democrats Need More Moderates Like Sen. Kyrsten Sinema https://digitalarkansasnews.com/mitch-mcconnell-democrats-need-more-moderates-like-sen-kyrsten-sinema/
Arizona Sen. Kyrsten Sinema is a Democrat, but Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell had high praise for her anyway when he hosted her Monday at his alma mater, the University of Louisville.
“I’ve only known Kyrsten for four years, but she is, in my view … the most effective first-term senator I’ve seen,” he said as he introduced her at an event held by the McConnell Center, which he founded over 30 years ago along with university officials.
“She is, today, what we have too few of in the Democratic Party: A genuine moderate and a dealmaker,” said McConnell, a longtime Republican who earned a reputation for partisan obstruction during former President Barack Obama’s administration.
He said Sinema has been “right in the middle of, if not the principal leader of” negotiations that resulted in bipartisan legislation passed during President Joe Biden’s term, including a $1.2 trillion infrastructure plan and the first big gun reform bill to become federal law since 1994. (McConnell voted for both proposals.)
“As you can tell, I have a very high opinion of the senator from Arizona,” he said. “But my biggest compliment to her is: She protects the institution of the Senate.”
More: Mitch McConnell cautious on GOP’s odds of taking Senate in midterms, rebukes threats to FBI
McConnell was referencing Sinema’s steadfast refusal to get rid of the filibuster, a 60-vote threshold the Senate must meet to advance most bills.
Many congressional Democrats have urged her and fellow Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin of West Virginia to agree to neutralize the filibuster so they can pass priority legislation, such as a bill that would’ve made major changes to federal elections and expanded access to voting.
Sinema and Manchin’s stance has allowed the McConnell-led Senate Republicans to block those Democratic proposals instead.
More: Sen. Kyrsten Sinema backs Inflation Reduction Act, giving Biden the votes for Senate passage
“It took one hell of a lot of guts for Kyrsten Sinema to stand up and say, ‘I’m not going to break the institution in order to achieve a short-term goal,'” said McConnell, who alluded Monday to his own refusal of former President Donald Trump’s demands that Senate Republicans ax the filibuster when they were in control.
McConnell introduced Sinema so she could give a talk on the importance of bipartisanship.
She kicked off her lecture by talking about her friendship with McConnell:
“You know, at first glance Sen. McConnell and I have relatively little, or some could even say nothing, in common. For starters, he drinks bourbon. I drink wine. He’s from the Southeast and I’m from the great Southwest. He wears suits and ties, and I wear dresses and these fair sneakers. And perhaps most obviously, we come from opposing political parties.
“But despite our apparent differences, Sen. McConnell and I have forged a friendship. One that is rooted in our commonalities, including our pragmatic approach to legislating, our respect for the Senate as an institution, our love for our home states and a dogged determination on behalf of our constituents.”
Sinema went on to highlight the work she and several other senators of both parties have done since early 2021 to reach compromises tackling infrastructure needs, gun violence and other issues that managed to become law despite the Senate filibuster.
Sinema echoed McConnell’s arguments in favor of the filibuster on Monday. She said axing it would turn the Senate into the House of Representatives, where lawmakers represent “the passions of the moment” and where each party passes “a little bit of crazy legislation” when they’re in control.
She suggested the Senate is supposed to counterbalance that.
Sinema went a step further than McConnell, though, by saying she’d like to restore that 60-vote threshold for presidential nominations, including for federal judges.
“Not everyone likes that,” she said when some folks applauded. “It would make it harder for us to confirm judges, and it would make it harder for us to confirm executive appointments in each administration. But I believe that if we did restore it, we would actually see more of that middle ground in all parts of our governance.”
Judicial filibusters were rolled back by Democrats and the GOP when each party controlled the Senate.
McConnell led Senate Republicans to nix that for U.S. Supreme Court nominations, specifically. That allowed them to confirm three Trump-nominated Supreme Court justices with a simple majority, ensuring they could overcome Democratic opposition.
The conservative majority they installed on the court went on to eliminate the nationwide right to abortion this summer, which radically restricted abortion access in Kentucky.
Reach reporter Morgan Watkins: 502-582-4502; mwatkins@courierjournal.com; Twitter: @morganwatkins26.
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Tue. 8:38 A.m.: Jury To Be Picked For Oath Keeper Boss Jan. 6 Sedition Case
Tue. 8:38 A.m.: Jury To Be Picked For Oath Keeper Boss’ Jan. 6 Sedition Case https://digitalarkansasnews.com/tue-838-a-m-jury-to-be-picked-for-oath-keeper-boss-jan-6-sedition-case/
Stewart Rhodes, founder of the Oath Keepers, speaks during a June 25, 2017, rally outside the White House in Washington. Jury selection is expected to get underway today in one of the most serious cases to emerge from the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol against the founder of the far-right Oath Keepers extremist group and four associates charged with seditious conspiracy. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh, File)
Jury selection is expected to get underway today in the trial of the founder of the far-right Oath Keepers extremist group and four associates charged with seditious conspiracy, one of the most serious cases to emerge from the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol.
Stewart Rhodes and the others are the first Jan. 6 defendants charged with the the rare Civil War-era offense to stand trial for what authorities allege was a serious, weekslong plot to violently stop the transfer of presidential power from election-denier Donald Trump to Joe Biden.
The case against Rhodes and his Oath Keeper associates is the biggest test yet for the Justice Department in its massive Jan. 6 prosecution and is being heard in federal court in Washington. Seditious conspiracy can be difficult to prove and the last such guilty verdict was nearly 30 years ago.
Hundreds of people have already been convicted of joining the mob that overran police barriers, brutally beat officers and smashed windows, sending lawmakers fleeing and halting the certification of Biden’s electoral victory.
But prosecutors in the case against the Oath Keepers will try to show that the Oath Keepers’ plot to stop Biden from becoming president started before all the votes in the 2020 race had even been counted.
Authorities say Rhodes, a former U.S. Army paratrooper and a Yale Law School graduate, spent weeks mobilizing his followers to prepare to take up arms to defend Trump. The Oath Keepers repeatedly wrote in chats about the prospect of violence, stockpiled guns and put “quick reaction force” teams on standby outside Washington to get weapons into the city quickly if they were needed, authorities say.
The day before the riot, authorities say, Rhodes met with the leader of another far-right extremist group, then-Proud Boys Chairman Enrique Tarrio, in an underground parking garage in Washington, though little is known publicly about what they discussed. Tarrio is charged separately with seditious conspiracy alongside other Proud Boys and is scheduled to stand trial in December.
On Jan. 6, Oath Keepers wearing communication devices, helmets and other battle gear were captured on camera storming the Capitol in military-style “stack” formation. Rhodes isn’t accused of going inside the Capitol, but phone records show he was communicating with Oath Keepers who did enter around the time of the riot and he was seen gathered with members outside afterward.
On trial with Rhodes, of Granbury Texas, are Thomas Caldwell, of Berryville, Virginia; Kenneth Harrelson, of Titusville, Florida; Jessica Watkins of Woodstock, Ohio; and Kelly Meggs of Dunnellon, Florida.
Attorneys for the Oath Keepers have pushed unsuccessfully to get the trial moved, arguing they can’t possibly get a fair jury in Washington.
The court has already dismissed several potential jurors based on their answers to a questionnaire, which asked them about their feelings about Jan. 6 and other matters. Jurors already dismissed include a journalist who has covered the events of Jan. 6. and someone else who described that day “one of the single most treasonous acts in the history of this country.”
Conviction for seditious conspiracy calls for up to 20 years behind bars. The last time prosecutors secured a seditious conspiracy at trial was in 1995 in the case against Islamic militants who plotted to bomb New York City landmarks.
Three of Rhodes’ Oath Keepers followers have pleaded guilty to the charge and are likely to testify against him at trial. Rhodes’ lawyers have claimed those Oath Keepers were pressured into pleading guilty and are lying to get a good deal from the government.
Rhodes’ attorneys have suggested that his defense will focus on Rhodes’ belief that Trump would invoke the Insurrection Act and call up a militia to support his bid to stay in power. Defense attorneys say Rhodes’ actions in the weeks leading up to Jan. 6 were in preparation for what he believed would have been lawful orders from Trump under the Insurrection Act, but never came.
The defense has said that Oath Keepers were dressed in battle gear to protect themselves from possible attacks from left-wing antifa activists and that the “quick reaction force” outside Washington was meant for defensive purposes if Trump invoked the Insurrection Act.
Nearly 900 people have been charged so far in the Jan. 6 riot and more than 400 have pleaded guilty or been convicted at trial. Sentences for the rioters so far have ranged from probation for low-level misdemeanor offenses to 10 years in prison for a retired New York City police officer who used a metal flagpole to assault an officer at the Capitol.
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AP News Summary At 7:46 A.m. EDT https://digitalarkansasnews.com/ap-news-summary-at-746-a-m-edt/
Hurricane Ian strikes Cuba, Florida braces for Cat 4 damage
HAVANA (AP) — Hurricane Ian has made landfall in western Cuba, lashing the island with rain and winds as it barreled north toward the Florida coast. The U.S. National Hurricane Center says Ian hit Cuba early Tuesday as a Category 3 storm as it continued to strengthen, with sustained winds of 125 mph. Authorities in Cuba evacuated more than 50,000 people from Cuba’s tobacco-growing Pinar del Rio province ahead of the flooding that could come from Ian’s heavy rains. The government also set up dozens of shelters. The hurricane is expected to strike Florida as early as Wednesday, possibly as a Category 4 storm.
Vote in Ukraine’s Russia-held areas stokes tension with West
KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — The final day of voting is taking place in Russian-held regions of Ukraine in referendums that are expected to serve as a pretext for their annexation by Moscow. The preordained ballots are heightening tension between the Kremlin and the West, with Russia warning it could resort to nuclear weapons to defend its own territory. Formal annexation of captured chunks of eastern Ukraine, possibly as soon as Friday, sets the stage for a dangerous new phase in the seven-month war. But the nuclear threats haven’t impressed Ukraine or its western allies. France’s foreign minister is the latest high-ranking foreign official to visit Kyiv in a show of support.
Bam! NASA spacecraft crashes into asteroid in defense test
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) — A NASA spacecraft has rammed an asteroid in an unprecedented test to see if a potentially menacing space rock could be knocked off course. The galactic grand slam occurred at a harmless asteroid 7 million miles away Monday. The Dart spacecraft plowed into the small space rock at 14,000 mph. Scientists say the impact should have carved out a crater and hurled streams of rocks and dirt into space. Most importantly, though, scientists are hoping the collision altered the asteroid’s orbit. NASA won’t know how much the spacecraft nudged the asteroid for a couple of months.
Jury to be picked for Oath Keeper boss’ Jan. 6 sedition case
Jury selection is expected to get underway Tuesday in one of the most serious cases to emerge from the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol. The founder of the far-right Oath Keepers extremist group and four associates are charged with seditious conspiracy. Stewart Rhodes and the others are the first Jan. 6 defendants charged with the the rare Civil War-era offense to stand trial. Authorities allege there was a serious, weekslong plot to violently stop the transfer of presidential power from election-denier Donald Trump to Joe Biden.
Senators push to reform police’s cellphone tracking tools
NEW YORK (AP) — Civil rights lawyers and Democratic senators are pushing for legislation that would limit U.S. law enforcement agencies’ ability to buy cellphone tracking tools to follow people’s whereabouts, including back years in time, and sometimes without a search warrant. Concerns about police use of the tool known as “Fog Reveal” raised in an investigation by The Associated Press published earlier this month also surfaced in a Federal Trade Commission hearing three weeks ago. Police agencies have been using the platform to search hundreds of billions of records gathered from 250 million mobile devices, and hoover up people’s geolocation data to assemble so-called “patterns of life,” according to thousands of pages of records about the company.
Russia to medevac wounded in school shooting to Moscow
MOSCOW (AP) — Russia’s health minister says 15 people wounded in a school shooting in central Russia will be medevaced to Moscow for further treatment a day after a gunman killed 17 people and wounded 24 others. Health Minister Mikhail Murashko said Tuesday that a medical evacuation is planned for 15 of the injured including 13 children and two adults. He said three of them are in critical condition. The gunman was a 34-year-old graduate of the school in Izhevsk. He killed himself after the shooting.
World shares mostly gain after Dow tumbles into bear market
Stocks are mostly higher in Europe and Asia after heavy selling on Wall Street put the Dow Jones Industrial Average into what’s known as a bear market. U.S. futures rose Tuesday and oil prices gained. Tokyo, Sydney and Shanghai advanced while Hong Kong declined. The week started out with a bout of selling amid an extended slump for many markets. The benchmark S&P 500 is down more than 7% in September. But buying kicked in on Tuesday, as investors awaited a slew of updates on the U.S. economy, including one on consumer confidence due out later in the day.
Abe’s militaristic funeral captures Japan’s tense mood
TOKYO (AP) — For all the heated arguments ahead of the controversial funeral of assassinated former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe — both for and against — it was the images of Tuesday’s ceremony that most clearly tell the story of a deeply divided nation still struggling to process the legacy of perhaps the most polarizing leader in its modern history. Sections of Tokyo looked more like a police state than the capital of one of the most stable nations in the world. Twenty thousand police officers and more than 1,000 soldiers crammed neighborhoods around the massive funeral hall as thousands of protesters took to the streets.
Rules sought for ‘gooning,’ taking troubled kids to care
ST. LOUIS (AP) — There’s a little-known practice in the U.S. known as “gooning.” Brawny men show up under the cover of darkness and force a teenager into a vehicle, taking them against their will to a boarding school, foster home or treatment center. The process is typically initiated by parents at their wit’s ends over a child they perceive as troubled. For the kids, it’s the traumatic first leg of a journey to placements that can be hundreds of miles from home. Teens who resist might be handcuffed or blindfolded. One secure transport operator was indicted last month, but criminal charges are rare because the industry is virtually unregulated.
Giants take 2 body blows from Cowboys, a loss and injury
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP) — The New York Giants took it on the chin against the Dallas Cowboys. Dropping a hard-fought 23-16 decision to the rival Cowboys on Monday night to lose for the first time under new coach Brian Daboll hurt. What was worse came at the end of the game. Wide receiver Sterling Shepard, the Giants’ longest-tenured player and one of the key leaders on a young team, sustained a leg injury on New York’s final offensive play and it did not look good. Daboll said there’s a possibility the injury is very serious, especially with the receiver returning to action after an Achilles tendon injury last season.
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
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Oath Keepers Founder Stewart Rhodes Takes Path From Yale To Jail
Oath Keepers Founder Stewart Rhodes Takes Path From Yale To Jail https://digitalarkansasnews.com/oath-keepers-founder-stewart-rhodes-takes-path-from-yale-to-jail/
Long before he assembled one of the largest far-right anti-government militia groups in U.S. history, before his Oath Keepers stormed the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, Stewart Rhodes was a promising Yale Law School graduate.
He secured a clerkship on the Arizona Supreme Court, in part thanks to his unusual life story: a stint as an Army paratrooper cut short by a training accident, followed by marriage, college and an Ivy League law degree.
The clerkship was one more rung up from a hardscrabble beginning. But rather than fitting in, Rhodes came across as angry and aggrieved.
He railed to colleagues about how the Patriot Act, which gave the government greater surveillance powers after the Sept. 11 attacks, would erase civil liberties. He referred to Vice President Dick Cheney as a fascist for supporting the Bush administration’s use of “enemy combatant” status to indefinitely detain prisoners.
“He saw this titanic struggle between people like him who wanted individual liberty and the government that would try to take away that liberty,” said Matt Parry, who worked with Rhodes as a clerk for Arizona Supreme Court Justice Mike Ryan.
Rhodes alienated his moderate Republican boss and eventually left the steppingstone job. Since then he has ordered his life around a thirst for greatness and deep distrust of government.
He turned to forming a group rooted in anti-government sentiment, and his message resonated. He gained followers as he went down an increasingly extremist path that would lead to armed standoffs, including with federal authorities at Nevada’s Bundy Ranch. It culminated last year, prosecutors say, with Rhodes engineering a plot to violently stop Democrat Joe Biden from becoming president.
Rhodes, 57, will be back in court Tuesday, but not as a lawyer. He and four others tied to the Oath Keepers are being tried on charges of seditious conspiracy, the most serious criminal allegation leveled by the Justice Department in its far-reaching prosecution of rioters who attacked the Capitol.
Rhodes, Jessica Watkins, Thomas Caldwell, Kenneth Harrelson and Kelly Meggs are the first Jan. 6 defendants to stand trial under a rarely used, Civil War-era law against attempting to overthrow the government or, in this case, block the transfer of presidential power.
The trial will put a spotlight on the secretive group Rhodes founded in 2009 that has grown to include thousands of claimed members and loosely organized chapters across the country, according to Rachel Carroll Rivas, interim deputy director of research with the Southern Poverty Law Center’s Intelligence Project.
For Rhodes, it will be a position at odds with the role of greatness that he has long envisioned for himself, said his estranged wife, Tasha Adams.
“He was going to achieve something amazing,” Adams said. “He didn’t know what it was, but he was going to achieve something incredible and earth shattering.”
Rhodes was born in Fresno, California. He shuttled between there and Nevada, sometimes living with his mother and other times with grandparents who were migrant farm workers, part of a multicultural extended family that included Mexican and Filipino relatives. His mother was a minister who had her own radio show in Las Vegas and went by the name Dusty Buckle, Adams said.
Rhodes joined the Army fresh out of high school and served nearly three years before he was honorably discharged in January 1986 after breaking his back in a parachuting accident.
He recovered and was working as a valet in Las Vegas when he met Adams in 1991. He was 25, she was 18.
He had a sense of adventure that was attractive to a young woman brought up in a middle-class, Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints family. A few months after the couple started dating, Rhodes accidentally dropped a gun and shot out his eye. He now wears an eye patch.
Adams’ family had set aside money for her to go to college, but after their wedding Rhodes decided he should be the first to attend school. He told her she would need to quit her job teaching ballroom and country dancing and instead support them both by working full time as a stripper so he could focus on doing an excellent job in school, according to Adams. They married, but she found stripping degrading and it clashed with her conservative Mormon upbringing, she said.
“Every night the drive was just so bad. I would just throw up every single night before I went in, it was just so awful,” Adams said. Rhodes would pressure her to go further, increase her exposure or contact with men to make more money, she said. “It was never enough … I felt like I had given up my soul.”
She quit when she got pregnant with their first child, and the couple moved back in with her family. They worried about her but didn’t want to push too far for fear of losing her altogether. By then, Rhodes was the center of her orbit.
Rhodes’ lawyer declined to make him available for an interview and Rhodes declined to answer a list of questions sent by The Associated Press.
After finishing college at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, Rhodes went to work in Washington as a staffer for Ron Paul, a libertarian-leaning Republican congressman, and later attended Yale, with stints in between as an artist and sculptor. Paul did not respond to a request for comment.
Rhodes’ college transcripts earned him entry to several top schools, Adams said. While at Yale, Adams took care of their growing family in a small apartment while he distinguished himself with an award for a paper arguing that the George W. Bush administration’s use of enemy combatant status to hold people suspected of supporting terrorism indefinitely without charge was unconstitutional.
After the Arizona clerkship, the family bounced to Montana and back to Nevada, where he worked on Paul’s presidential campaign in 2008. That’s when Rhodes also began to formulate his idea of starting the Oath Keepers. He put a short video and blog post on Blogspot and “it went viral overnight,” Adams said. Rhodes was interviewed by conspiracy theorist Alex Jones, but also more mainstream media figures such as Chris Matthews and Bill O’Reilly.
He formally launched the Oath Keepers in Lexington, Massachusetts, on April 19, 2009, where the first shot in the American Revolution was fired.
“We know that if a day should come in this country when a full-blown dictatorship would come or tyranny, from the left or from the right, we know that it can only happen if those men, our brothers in arms, go along and comply with unconstitutional, unlawful orders,” Rhodes said in his Lexington speech, which didn’t garner any news coverage.
The group’s stated goal was to get past and present members of the military, first responders and police officers to honor the promise they made to defend the Constitution against enemies. The Oath Keepers issued a list of orders that its members wouldn’t obey, such as disarming citizens, carrying out warrantless searches and detaining Americans as enemy combatants in violation of their right to jury trials.
Rhodes was a compelling speaker and especially in the early years framed the group as “just a pro-Constitution group made up of patriots,” said Sam Jackson, author of the book “Oath Keepers” about the group.
With that benign-sounding framing and his political connections, Rhodes harnessed the growing power of social media to fuel the Oath Keepers’ growth during the presidency of Barack Obama. Membership rolls leaked last year included some 38,000 names, though many people on the list have said they are no longer members or were never active participants. One expert last year estimated membership to be a few thousand.
The internal dialogue was much darker and more violent about what members perceived as imminent threats, especially to the Second Amendment, and the idea that members should be prepared to fight back and recruit their neighbors to fight back, too.
“Time and time again, Oath Keepers lays the groundwork for individuals to decide for themselves, violent or otherwise criminal activity is warranted,” said Jackson, an assistant professor at the University at Albany.
A membership fee was a requirement to access the website, where people could join discussion forums, read Rhodes’ writing and hear pitches to join militaristic trainings. Members willing to go armed to a standoff numbered in the low dozens, though, said Jason Van Tatenhove, a former spokesman for the group.
Showdowns with the government began in 2011 in the small western Arizona desert town of Quartzsite, where local government was in turmoil as officials feuded among themselves, the police chief was accused of misconduct and several police employees had been suspended. A couple years later, Rhodes started calling on members to form “community preparedness teams,” which included military-style training.
The Oath Keepers also showed up at a watershed event in anti-government circles: the standoff with federal agents at Nevada’s Bundy Ranch in 2014. Later that year, members stationed themselves along rooftops in Ferguson, Missouri, armed with AR-15-style weapons, to protect businesses from rioting after a grand jury declined to charge a police officer in the fatal shooting of 18-year-old Michael Brown.
The following year Oath Keepers guarded a southern Oregon gold mine whose mining claim owners were in a dispute with the government. Still, Rhodes was never arrested.
As the Oath Keepers escalated their public profile and confrontations with the government, Rhodes was leaving behind some of those he once championed. Jennifer Esposito hired him as her lawyer after the group’s early outing in Quartzsite, but he missed a hearing in her case because he was at the Bundy Ranch standoff. A judge kicked Rhodes off the case, and no lawyer would represe...
SBLive Arkansas High School Volleyball Power 25 Rankings (Sept. 27)
SBLive Arkansas High School Volleyball Power 25 Rankings (Sept. 27) https://digitalarkansasnews.com/sblive-arkansas-high-school-volleyball-power-25-rankings-sept-27/
By Jeff Halpern | Photos by Braeden Botts
NOTE: Records have been adjusted to reflect the Arkansas Activities Association’s new rule in which pool-play matches in tournaments do not count toward the team’s overall record.
1. Fayetteville (15-1)
Previous Rank: No. 1
Last week: def. Springdale Har-Ber 3-0; def. Rogers Heritage 3-1.
This week: at Springdale Tuesday; at Bentonville Thursday.
COMMENT: Brooke Rockwell recorded 1,000 career kills.
2. Benton (14-0)
Previous Rank: No. 2
Last week: def. No. 7 Brookland 3-1; def. No. 17 Hot Springs Lakeside 3-0.
This week: at Hot Springs Tuesday; vs. El Dorado Thursday.
COMMENT: Three of the four games against Brookland were decided by 2 points and all went past 25 points. Two of the three sets against Lakeside were decided by 3 points.
3. Conway (13-2)
Previous rank: No. 3
Last week: def. No. 10 Jonesboro 3-0; def. Bryant 3-0; at Jonesboro Play Day: def. Wynne 2-1; def. No. 8 Valley View 2-1; def. No. 4 Cabot 2-1.
This week: vs. Little Rock Southwest Tuesday; at North Little Rock Thursday.
COMMENT: Very productive week with a 6A-Central victory over Jonesboro and the Jonesboro Play Day title.
4. Cabot (10-4)
Previous rank: No. 4.
Last week: def. North Little Rock 3-1; Jonesboro Play: def. Jonesboro 2-0; def. No. 18 Mountain Home 2-1; lost to No. 3 Conway 2-1.
This week: at Jonesboro Tuesday; vs. Little Rock Southwest Thursday.
COMMENT: Productive week with runner-up finish in Jonesboro Play Day. Sitting in second place in 6A-Central and looking forward to rematch at Conway on Oct. 4.
5. Fort Smith Southside (10-4)
Previous rank: No. 5.
Last week: def. Springdale 3-0; def. Fort Smith Northside 3-1.
This week: at Bentonville West Tuesday; vs. Rogers Wednesday.
COMMENT: Lady Mavericks a solid second in the 6A-West.
6. Brookland (13-4)
Previous rank: No. 7.
Last week: lost to Benton 3-1; def. Blytheville 3-0; def. Batesville Southside 3-0; Rams MXTE Tournament: def. Marion 2-1; def. No. 6 LR Christian 2-1; def. No. 14 Mena 2-0.
This week: at Jonesboro Westside Tuesday; at No. 14 Wynne Thursday.
COMMENT: Busy week. Started with taking Benton down to the wire in three of the four games; and finished by winning the Rams MXTE Tournament.
7. Valley View (9-3–1)
Previous rank: No. 8.
Last week: def. Nettleton 3-0; def. Searcy 3-0; Jonesboro Play Day: def. West Memphis 2-1; lost to No. 3 Conway 2-1.
This week: at Marion Tuesday; at Batesville Thursday.
COMMENT: Lady Blazers continue to distinguish themselves in Class 5A.
8. Little Rock Christian (11–3)
Previous rank: No. 6.
Last week: vs. Beebe 3-0; def. Vilonia 3-2; Rams MXTE Tournament: lost 2-1 to No. 7 Brookland.
This week: vs. No. 12 Mount St. Mary Tuesday; vs. Sylvan Hills Thursday.
COMMENT: Fell to one of the best teams in Class 4A by a combined 7 points. Huge 5A-Central matchup Tuesday night vs. Mount St. Mary.
9. Hackett (15-0)
Previous rank: No. 10
Last week: def. Van Buren 3-0; def. Booneville 3-0; def. Lincoln 3-0.
This week: vs. Waldron Monday; at Charleston Tuesday; vs. Elkins Thursday; vs. No. 5 FS Southside at Fort Smith Tournament Saturday.
COMMENT: Mackenzie Freeman had 18 kills and 15 digs against Van Buren.
10. Greenwood (13-2)
Previous rank: No. 13.
Last week: def. No. 18 Mountain Home 3-1; def. Alma 3-2; def. No. 16 Baptist Prep 3-0; def. No. 15 Paris 3-2.
This week: vs. No. 19 Greenbrier Tuesday; at Russellville Thursday.
COMMENT: Lady Bulldogs distinguishing themselves as the best in the 5A-West.
11. Shiloh Christian (12-3)
Previous rank: No. 11.
Last week: def. Gentry 3-0; def. Berryville 3-0.
This week: vs. Huntsville Tuesday; vs. Gravette Thursday.
COMMENT: Laila Creighton, Brooklyn Bonanno and Reese Jones combined for 32 assists against Gentry.
12. Mount St. Mary (9-3–1)
Previous rank: No. 12.
Last week: def. Maumelle 3-0; def. Sylvan Hills 3-0
This week: at No. 8 LR Christian Tuesday; at Beebe Thursday.
COMMENT: First place at stake in 5A Central on Tuesday.
13. Mena (13-2)
Previous rank: No. 14.
Last week: def. Waldron 3-0; Rams MXTE Tournament: def. No. 21 Van Buren 2-0; def. No. 17 Lakeside 2-0; lost to No. 7 Brookland 2-1.
This week: vs. Magnolia Thursday.
COMMENT: Lady Rams distinguished themselves in tournament play.
14. Wynne (12-3)
Previous rank: Not ranked.
Last week: def. Harrisburg 3-0; def. Highland 3-0; def. Blytheville; Jonesboro Play Day: lost to No. 3 Conway 2-1.
This week: at Nettleton Monday; at No. 6 Brookland Thursday.
COMMENT: Yellowjackets won seven in a row before losing to Conway.
15. Mansfield (11-2)
Previous rank: No. 19.
Last week: def. No. 24 Thaden 3-0; def. No. 22 Life Way Christian 3-0.
This week: at Founders Classical Monday; at Decatur Tuesday; at Ozark Catholic Thursday.
COMMENT: Not much stopping Lady Tigers, who beat two ranked opponents including last year’s Class 2A runner-up.
16. Paris (10-5)
Previous rank: No. 15.
Last week: def. Elkins Tuesday 3-0; def. Green Forest 3-;0 lost to No. 13 Greenwood 3-2; lost to Greenbrier 3-0.
This week: at Episcopal Collegiate Monday; at Booneville Tuesday; vs. West Fork Thursday.
COMMENT: Defending Class 3A champions hit a rare rough patch.
17. Baptist Prep (13-3)
Previous rank: No. 16.
Last week: def. Charleston 3-0; vs. Camden Harmony Grove Tuesday; lost to Greenwood 3-0; lost to Greenbrier 3-1.
This week: at Jessieville Tuesday; vs. Episcopal Collegiate Thursday.
COMMENT: Eagles lost to one of the best teams in 5A (Greenwood) and one (Greenbrier) recovering from a slow start.
18. Hot Springs Lakeside (13-2)
Previous rank: 17.
Last week: lost to Benton 3-0; def. Hot Springs 3-0; Rams MXTE Tournament: def. Vilonia 2-1; lost to No. 14 Mena 2-0.
This week: vs. El Dorado Tuesday; at Lake Hamilton Thursday.
COMMENT: Lakeside ran up some good competition. Head coach Rhonda Thigpen said her team did not play well in bracket play.
19. Greenbrier (8-5)
Previous rank: No ranked
Last week: def. No. 18 Mountain Home 3-2; def. No. 16 Baptist Prep 3-1; def. No. 15 Paris 3-0.
This week: at No. 10 Greenwood Tuesday; at Van Buren Thursday.
COMMENT: Opened the season No. 4 before falling out while losing five in a row. The Lady Panthers have earned their way back into the rankings with several solid victories and a 5-1 conference record.
20. Batesville Southside (11-3)
Previous rank: No. 20.
Last week: def. Forrest City 3-0; lost to No 7 Brookland 3-0
This week: vs. Batesville Monday; vs. Jonesboro Westsiday Thursday.
COMMENT: Gains split in 4A-Northeast, ran into a Brookland team on a roll.
21. Mountain Home (8-5)
Previous rank: Not ranked.
Last week: lost to No. 13 Greenwood 3-1; lost to Greenbrier 3-2; Jonesboro Play Day; def. Dyer County (Tenn.) 2-0; lost to No. 4 Cabot 2-1.
This week: vs. Alma Tuesday; at Siloam Springs Thursday.
COMMENT: Finally in the rankings, Lady Bombers run into good competition and lose 3 of 4.
22. Lavaca (12-2)
Previous rank: No. 23.
Last week: def. Eureka Springs 3-0; def. Mulberry 3-0.
This week: vs. Life Way Christian Monday; at Founders Classical Tuesday; at Decatur Thursday.
COMMENT: Big match with Life Way Christian on Monday.
23. Life Way Christian (8-4)
Previous rank; No. 22.
Last week: lost to Thaden 3-2; def. Decatur 3-1; lost to Mansfield 3-0.
This week: at Lavaca Monday.
COMMENT: Life Way Christian head coach Ross Kelly said his team had trouble with Mansfield’s size.
24. Thaden (10-5)
Previous rank: No. 23.
Last week: def. No. 22 Life Way Christian 3-2; lost to No. 19 Mansfield 3-0; def. Eureka Springs 3-0.
This week: at The New School Monday; vs. Mulberry Tuesday.
COMMENT: Gains split vs. good conference opponents.
25. Valley Springs (11-3)
Previous rank: Not ranked.
Last week: def. Bergman 3-0; def. Alpena 3-0; lost to Rose Bud 3-0.
This week: at Harding Academy Tuesday.
COMMENT: Lady Tigers leading 3A-Northwest at 6-1.
DROPPED OUT
No. 10 Jonesboro, No. 21 Van Buren, No. 25 Farmington
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An Agnostic Teaches Us About Jesus Baptist News Global
An Agnostic Teaches Us About Jesus – Baptist News Global https://digitalarkansasnews.com/an-agnostic-teaches-us-about-jesus-baptist-news-global/
Nearly a decade ago, I had a pleasant surprise. I received an email from a friend I had not seen or heard from since the late 1960s. Charles lived two doors down from us, and we spent many hours playing together, along with his younger brother. Our experience together did not include church or school because his family was Catholic, and he went to Catholic school. It was out of the blue when I received his email. How that happened is a long story for another time.
We talked on the phone and caught up on a lot. He still lived in Colorado, where we grew up, and I was glad to hear about his siblings. Over the next few years, Charles’ wife died, and he did volunteer work in Africa for several years with the Peace Corps. We kept in touch occasionally.
Terry Austin
One of the more interesting things I discovered was that he was no longer a Catholic. In fact, he now identifies as an agnostic. We talked about it, but I was confident it wasn’t my job to bring him back to the Christian fold.
Four years ago, during election season, Charles called to inform me that he would be in Dallas for a few weeks and wanted to get together. He was coming to work for Beto O’Rourke’s campaign for Texas senator. He was shocked when he parked in front of my house to see a yard sign supporting Beto. He knew my father as a Baptist preacher, so he assumed I was an evangelical Christian, which was not a good thing in his mind.
Charles already was on his way out of the church when his son announced that he was gay. After his siblings, who are now evangelical Christians, condemned his son, Charles made the final break. Who can blame him?
Before he saw my yard sign, Charles had been hesitant to tell me this part of the story. We had a great visit. It was good for him to see that I’m not an ogre even though I’m still a believer in Jesus, and it was good for me to see that he’s not an ogre even though he’s not so sure about God at all.
During his time in Africa, he became very interested in the refugee issue around the world. He set off on a project and asked for my help. We are putting together a book to help evangelical pastors (of all people) understand how they can/should help refugees. He also is working to raise funds to give the book away free to thousands of pastors.
Charles has a fascinating life, and I’m enjoying living it with him vicariously. Oh yeah, since I saw him last, he decided there was no reason to stay in Colorado, and Trump had so disgusted him that he sold his house, bought a new one in Portugal, and is now living there as a citizen.
“The truly sad thing is that Christian preachers need to be convinced to care about refugees.”
Here’s the amazing thing: An agnostic has established a massive goal of convincing Christian preachers of the need to care about refugees. That’s a wagon I’m glad to jump on. The truly sad thing is that Christian preachers need to be convinced to care about refugees. Think about that.
Those who call themselves “Christians” because their God is known as “Christ” struggle with how to relate to refugees. Did they totally miss the story and words of Jesus? In the early years of his life, Jesus was a refugee in a foreign country, Egypt. How many times did he tell us that he lived his life for the poor and outcast? It is also obvious that Jesus expects the same from us.
Many Christians understand this, and my friend’s task is not to send a book to every pastor. He plans to single out the evangelical pastors, the ones who have been clear about what they think of refugees.
I’m aware that evangelical pastors have not issued a statement as to their beliefs about refugees, but is there any doubt? I got stuck in a traffic jam yesterday, Sunday, as a church down the road was dismissing its third or fourth (who can keep track) service this weekend, and the streets were flooded with joyful evangelicals who had just done their thing. This church, with more than 20,000 attendees each weekend, is led by a man who was on Trump’s council of supporting pastors, or whatever they called it. I would be shocked if fewer than 90% of those on the street yesterday were not Republican supporters of Texas Gov. Greg Abbott.
We know what Abbot thinks about refugees. He and his Florida buddy and their Arizona cousin are grabbing up refugees off the streets and shipping them to liberal areas of the country. The motive seems to be that once they have scary refugees on their streets, those people will be just as disgusted and want them booted out or locked up. However, they are making the same mistake we all make at times. The mistake is to think our own shortcomings are not so bad because anyone who had our experience would feel the same way. “Walk a mile in my shoes, and you’ll hate these people also,” is what they believe.
“It seems that states with the strongest ‘right to life’ policies are the first in line when it comes to using people as pawns for their political purposes.”
Two things stand out about the recent experience of governors sweeping up refugees off the streets and shipping them to liberal parts of the country. It seems that states with the strongest “right to life” policies are the first in line when it comes to using people as pawns for their political purposes.
As I think about it, it might just be a continuation of the same political thinking. Do you really believe these strident pro-life politicians care that much about children? Probably not. They simply found a way to manipulate the unborn to gain political support. Just as they have been manipulating the unborn, now they are manipulating the already born. Both exemplify little regard for the right to life.
The second thing of note is the response of the communities that were surprised when a busload of refugees suddenly showed up in their neighborhood. They didn’t panic. They didn’t hurl blame at the government. They didn’t stuff the children in cages and put handcuffs on the adults. They went to work doing the things Jesus told us to do. They fed and clothed them, set about the task of finding shelter and sustainable work, and located resource people like attorneys and medical people.
Our book project is back on target now that Charles is settled in Portugal. He knows lots of people and clearly understands the refugees’ needs, which keeps him busy with that part of the project. He also has taken on the task of finding the money people to bring his dream to life and make this project happen.
He has much to do, but I probably have the most difficult job. My assignment is to find a way to convince evangelical preachers to listen to Jesus. I suspect I’ve bitten off more than I can chew.
Terry Austin says from his first day of life he was taught to love the church. He has lived out that passion in various ways as a pastor, church consultant, author and critic. He is currently a full-time writer and book publisher and actively engaged with house churches.
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DeSantis and Abbott working hard to see who can be more cruel to immigrants, faith leaders contend
Evangelical leaders descend on Capitol to advocate for immigration reform now
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Nord Stream Pipelines Hit By Suspicious Leaks In Possible Sabotage; Russia Says It Has 'a Right' To Use Nuclear Weapons
Nord Stream Pipelines Hit By Suspicious Leaks In Possible Sabotage; Russia Says It Has 'a Right' To Use Nuclear Weapons https://digitalarkansasnews.com/nord-stream-pipelines-hit-by-suspicious-leaks-in-possible-sabotage-russia-says-it-has-a-right-to-use-nuclear-weapons/
Nord Stream leaks ‘a severe safety and environmental hazard,’ analysts say
Workers are seen at the construction site of the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline, near the town of Kingisepp, Leningrad region, Russia, June 5, 2019.
Anton Vaganov | Reuters
Suspicious leaks reported on the Nord Stream pipelines from Russia to Germany represent a “severe safety and environment hazard,” according to experts at the Eurasia Group.
Nord Stream operator Nord Stream AG reported Tuesday that both the Nord Stream 1 and 2 pipelines have sustained “unprecedented” damage via three known leaks, adding it was impossible to estimate when the gas network system’s working capability would be restored.
Danish and Swedish authorities declared a no-shipping zone around the location of the suspected leak in their maritime zones while Denmark raised its power and gas safety alert level.
Henning Gloystein, director of energy, climate and resources and senior analyst Jason Bush, both at Eurasia Group, said in a note Tuesday that while German and Danish authorities said the cause of the leaks was unknown, “unplanned leaks to undersea pipelines are rare as they are designed to avert accidental damage.”
“Several EU sources said sabotage seemed likely. Neither pipeline was delivering commercial gas at the time of the leaks, yet given both lines were still pressured and each has the capacity to pipe around 165 million cubic metres of methane-heavy gas per day,” they said, adding: “Leaks of this size are a severe safety and environmental hazard, especially should Russia not stop pumping gas into the system.”
The Nord Stream 1 and 2 pipelines have centered heavily in the breakdown of relations between Europe and Russia because of the war in Ukraine. The new Nord Stream 2 pipeline had not even opened when the German government refused to certify it for commercial operations after Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine.
Meanwhile, the functional Nord Stream 1 pipeline is currently not being used to deliver Russian gas to Europe after Gazprom, the Russian gas giant, said there was a technical fault with a turbine that could not be fixed due to Western sanctions.
The latest report of leaks make it even less likely that gas supplies to Europe will resume before the winter, analysts now say.
“Depending on the scale of the damage, the leaks could even mean a permanent closure of both lines,” Eurasia Group said.
Gazprom declined to comment when approached by Reuters.
Mystery leaks hit Russian undersea gas lines, raising European suspicions
European countries on Tuesday raced to investigate unexplained leaks in two Russian gas pipelines runningunder the Baltic Sea near Sweden and Denmark, infrastructure at the heart of an energy crisis since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Experts and also Russia, which built the network, said the possibility of sabotage could not be ruled out, Reuters reported Tuesday.
Sweden’s Maritime Authority issued a warning about two leaks in the Nord Stream 1 pipeline, shortly after a leak on the nearby Nord Stream 2 pipeline was discovered that had prompted Denmark to restrict shipping in a five nautical mile radius.
Both pipelines have been flashpoints in an escalating energy war between European capitals and Moscow that has pummelled major Western economies, sent gas prices soaring and sparked a hunt for alternative energy supplies.
“There are some indications that it is deliberate damage,” said a European security source, while adding it was still too early to draw conclusions. “You have to ask: Who would profit?”
Russia also said the leak in the Russian network was cause for concern and sabotage was one possible cause. “No option can be ruled out right now,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters.
On Friday, Russian energy supplier Gazprom said it would not resume its supply of natural gas to Germany through the key Nord Stream 1 pipeline, blaming a malfunctioning turbine.
Hannibal Hanschke | Reuters
Neither pipeline was pumping gas to Europe at the time the leaks were found amid the dispute over the war in Ukraine, but the incidents will scupper any remaining expectations that Europe could receive gas via Nord Stream 1 before winter.
“The destruction that occurred on the same day simultaneously on three strings of the offshore gas pipelines of the Nord Stream system is unprecedented,” said network operator Nord Stream AG. “It is not yet possible to estimate the timing of the restoration of the gas transport infrastructure.”
Although neither were in operation, both pipelines still contained gas under pressure.
Denmark’s energy minister Dan Jorgensen said in a written comment leaking gas had been detected in Nord Stream 2 on Monday between Russia and Denmark.
Gazprom, the Kremlin-controlled company with a monopoly on Russian gas exports by pipeline, declined comment.
— Reuters
Kazakhstan to hold talks with Moscow after influx of Russians fleeing the draft
Kazakhstan is to discuss an influx of Russians to the country following President Putin’s partial military mobilization last week.
President of Kazakhstan Kassym-Zhomart Tokayev told Russian news agency Interfax that there is “neither crisis nor panic” in the country in connection with the influx of Russians, but called the situation “difficult.”
“We will hold talks with the Russian side and will solve this problem in the interests of our country,” he said.
“We do not have a crisis or panic. The government must do its job. Visitors from abroad will be assisted, but they will not receive any preferences” the president said, adding that it was important for Kazakhstan to maintain good relations with its Russian neighbor.
“The most important thing is that we maintain agreement with neighboring countries. We will not lose anything from this. In recent days, many people from Russia have been coming to us. Most of them are forced to leave due to the current hopeless situation. We must take care of them and provide their security. This is a political and humanitarian issue. I instructed the government to take the necessary measures,” Tokayev said.
On September 23, the border service of the National Security Committee of Kazakhstan reported that it was registering an increase in the number of foreigners entering the border with Russia. That came a day after President Putin announced the call-up of 300,000 military reservists to fight in Ukraine, prompting a mass exodus from the country as men tried to escape the draft.
Russia says it has right to use nuclear weapons if territory threatened, top official says
Former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev said Russia has the right to use nuclear weapons if Moscow deems it necessary, and if it deems its territory is under threat from conventional weapons.
Medvedev is seen as a close ally of President Putin and is currently the deputy chair of Russia’s Security Council. During the war he has infrequently taken to Telegram to issue aggressive anti-Western and pro-war statements.
On Tuesday, he wrote on the social media site, “Our enemies love to make grandiloquent statements [and] operate with the terms ‘freedom’, ‘democracy’, ‘mission’. In fact, this is just ritual verbal diarrhea,” he said, with the “topic of recent days is the Russian nuclear threat.”
“I have to remind you again … Russia has the right to use nuclear weapons if necessary. In predetermined cases. In strict accordance with the fundamentals of state policy in the field of nuclear deterrence [or] if we or our allies are attacked using this type of weapon. Or if aggression with the use of conventional weapons threatens the very existence of our state,” he wrote.
Russian and PM Dmitry Medvedev and President Vladimir Putin arrive at a meeting at Novo-Ogaryovo State Residence on July 28, 2017 outside of Moscow, Russia.
Mikhail Svetlov | Getty Images
There are heightened concerns that Russia could resort to using a nuclear weapon in Ukraine after it annexes more territory in the country — a move it is expected to announce later this week after a series of sham referendums in occupied parts of the country on joining Russia.
Despite the illegitimacy of the votes, which are widely regarded as rigged and coercive, Russia is expected to announce the annexation of four regions of Ukraine into the Russian Federation. There are concerns that Russia could resort to using nuclear weapons, justifying it on the grounds of defending Russian territory.
Russia has repeatedly insisted it would not use such catastrophic weapons, though Putin has regularly boasted about possessing such weapons. Last week, he warned the world again that he was not “bluffing” that he could use nuclear weapons, a warning the West is taking seriously.
— Holly Ellyatt
Putin expected to announce annexation of Ukrainian regions on Sept. 30
Russian President Vladimir Putin is expected to announce that Russia is annexing four more regions of Ukraine on Friday, after a set of sham referendums held in occupied parts of the country over the last week.
Voting in the referendums, which Western countries say are illegitimate, have been taking place in Donetsk and Luhansk in east Ukraine, and Zaporizhzhia and Kherson in the south. Voting concludes on Tuesday.
President Vladimir Putin is scheduled to address both houses of the Russian Parliament on Friday and is widely expected to use the address to formally announce the accession of the occupied regions of Ukraine to the Russian Federation.
Gavriil Grigorov | Sputnik | via Reuters
President Vladimir Putin is scheduled to address both houses of the Russian Parliament on Friday and is widely expected to use the address to formally announce the accession of the occupied regions ...
Stocks Making The Biggest Moves Premarket: Keurig Dr Pepper CSX Li Auto And More
Stocks Making The Biggest Moves Premarket: Keurig Dr Pepper, CSX, Li Auto And More https://digitalarkansasnews.com/stocks-making-the-biggest-moves-premarket-keurig-dr-pepper-csx-li-auto-and-more/
Check out the companies making headlines before the bell:
Keurig Dr Pepper — The consumer stock fell 1.5% premarket after Goldman Sachs downgraded the stock to neutral from a buy rating. The Wall Street firm said it sees increased risk to Keurig’s margins as commodity inflation, especially related to coffee, remains elevated.
related investing news
Lucid Group — Shares of the electric vehicle player jumped 2.7% in premarket trading after Cantor Fitzgerald initiated coverage with an overweight rating. The firm said Lucid’s luxury and premium vehicles provide greater efficiency, longer range, faster charging and more space relative to its peers.
Norfolk Southern, CSX — Shares of the railroad companies declined more than 1% each after UBS downgraded the duo, citing a deteriorating macro backdrop. The Wall Street firm said it will be hard for Norfolk and CSX to achieve the consensus 25% volume growth going forward.
Li Auto — Shares of the Chinese EV maker edged up 0.5% premarket, even after the company cut its third-quarter delivery guidance by 2,500 vehicles or 9%. The company said the downward revision was due to supply chain constraints.
Amazon, Apple, Microsoft — Big Tech names Amazon, Apple, Alphabet and Microsoft all traded at least 1% higher premarket, a possible rebound from Monday’s sell-off. Treasury yields retreated Tuesday morning after the multi-year highs hit in the previous session put pressure on tech names.
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Philadelphia Armed Carjacking Of Mother Teen Daughter Caught On Video
Philadelphia Armed Carjacking Of Mother, Teen Daughter Caught On Video https://digitalarkansasnews.com/philadelphia-armed-carjacking-of-mother-teen-daughter-caught-on-video/
An early morning armed carjacking in Philadelphia involving a mother and her teenage daughter was caught on video, authorities said.
The pair were leaving their home around 6:20 a.m. on Sept. 19 when they were ambushed by a carjacker with a gun, the Philadelphia Police Department said in a video released Monday asking for help in identifying the suspect.
“It appears he was laying in wait,” police Capt. John Ryan told FOX Philadelphia. “He rode a bicycle up there, left the bicycle behind, we have that.”
The suspect took the woman’s purse as they were both getting into the vehicle. They are heard on security video screaming in fear.
The woman’s Hyundai Santa Fe was taken from a driveway and no one was hurt, police said.
“Our recommendation is always not to resist, and not get yourselves hurt in these situations,” Ryan said. “It’s not worth you being injured or hurt worse than that.”
No arrests have been made in the case, police said.
An early morning armed carjacking in Philadelphia involving a mother and her teenage daughter was caught on video, authorities said.
Philadelphia Police Department
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Greenwood To Consider Buying Property For New Senior Center For $825000 At Monday Meeting
Greenwood To Consider Buying Property For New Senior Center For $825,000 At Monday Meeting https://digitalarkansasnews.com/greenwood-to-consider-buying-property-for-new-senior-center-for-825000-at-monday-meeting/
A welcome sign displays on March 11 in front of the clock tower at Greenwood Town Square in Greenwood. (NWA Democrat-Gazette/Hank Layton)
GREENWOOD — Sebastian County’s second-largest city is ready to make a deal on property for a new senior center.
The City Council was to approve an offer to purchase about two acres at 1917 Excelsior Road outside the city for $825,000 at a special meeting Thursday.
It was also set to consider using some of the city’s American Rescue Plan money — $975,195 — for the senior center project and applying for a $500,000 Community Development Block Grant through the Western Arkansas Planning and Development District to remodel a building on the property.
However, the council couldn’t vote on anything due to lacking four people needed for a quorum. Mayor Doug Kinslow said the council will discuss the project again at its meeting Monday.
Deanna Rice, executive director of the Sebastian Retired Citizens Association, has said a new location for the senior center in Greenwood is important due to the amount of repairs needed to make its present facility safe.
The current center — the Betty Wilkinson Senior Activity Center — is at a remodeled Farmers Bank building at 125 W. Center St. The association runs the facility while the city maintains it and leases the building from Farmers Bank for $1 per year.
Kinslow said Thursday he believes the senior center project is one of the most important projects in which the city has had the opportunity to participate since he’s been in office. He called the meeting due to the urgency of completing the application for the Community Development Block Grant and expressed dissatisfaction at not having a quorum.
“I have two councilmen here, and I thank them very much for taking time out of their day and their work,” Kinslow said. “These two gentlemen have jobs, as the other four do. They’re not all the same jobs; they may have a little bit more liberty, but when you sign up and run for an office, you are to be at a meeting, special-called or not.”
Kinslow described the current senior center facility as both “inadequate” and “dangerous.”
Daniel McDaniel, who holds the Ward 1, Position 1 seat, and Ralph Meeker, who holds the Ward 3, Position 2 seat, were present with Kinslow. Rod Powell, Ward 1, Position 2; Lance Terry and Tim Terry, Ward 2, positions 1 and 2 respectively; and A.C. Brown, Ward 3, Position 1, were absent.
Tracee McKenna, director of community development for the Planning and Development District, said the grant application has to be postmarked by Oct. 14.
Farrah Shoppach with O’Neal Real Estate in Fort Smith, who’s a listing agent for the Excelsior Road property with Steven Shoppach, has said the Gathering Place, an event center, is located on the land.
Steven Shoppach has said the asking price for the property is $899,000.
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AP News Summary At 5:50 A.m. EDT https://digitalarkansasnews.com/ap-news-summary-at-550-a-m-edt/
Hurricane Ian makes landfall in Cuba en route to Florida
HAVANA (AP) — Hurricane Ian has made landfall in western Cuba, lashing the island with rain and winds as it barreled north toward the Florida coast. The U.S. National Hurricane Center says that Ian hit Cuba early Tuesday as a Category 3 storm as it continued to strengthen, with sustained winds of 125 mph. Authorities in Cuba evacuated more than 50,000 people in Pinar del Rio province, the country’s main tobacco-growing region, ahead of Ian’s arrival, which was expected to bring flooding. The government also set up dozens of shelters in the island. The hurricane is expected to strike Florida as early as Wednesday, possibly as a Category 4 storm.
Putin’s call-up fuels Russians’ anger, protests and violence
TALLINN, Estonia (AP) — Five days after President Vladimir Putin announced a partial mobilization to call up hundreds of thousands of reservists to fight in Ukraine, the move has triggered outraged protests across Russia, a fearful exodus of men of fighting age from the country, and acts of violence. There have been demonstrations — not just in the usual places like Moscow and St. Petersburg — but also in the remote far north province of Yakutia and in the poor, southern region of Dagestan. A gunman opened fire in an enlistment office in a Siberian city and gravely wounded the military commandant. One analyst says Putin is risking a lot because of the mobilization and is losing some support.
Vote in Ukraine’s Russia-held areas stokes tension with West
KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — The final day of voting is taking place in Russian-held regions of Ukraine in a referendum expected to serve as a pretext for their annexation by Moscow. The ballot is also heightening tension between the Kremlin and the West over Russia’s warnings it could resort to nuclear weapons. Formal annexation of captured chunks of eastern Ukraine, possibly as soon as Friday, sets the stage for a dangerous new phase in the seven-month war. Russia is warning the West it could resort to nuclear weapons to protect its new territory. Kyiv and its Western allies have dismissed the Kremlin’s nuclear talk as scare tactics.
Japanese former leader Abe honored at divisive state funeral
TOKYO (AP) — Japan’s assassinated hawkish former leader, Shinzo Abe, has been honored by a rare and divisive state funeral that was full of militaristic pomp and surrounded by throngs of mourners as well as by widespread protests. Prime Minister Fumio Kishida says the publicly financed ceremony was a well-deserved honor for Japan’s longest-serving modern political leader, but it has deeply split public opinion. The event was attended by U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris, Japanese Crown Prince Akishino and other foreign and Japanese dignitaries. Kishida praised Abe as a leader with a clear vision for economic growth who promoted national security and the concept of a “free and open Indo-Pacific” as a counter to China’s rise.
Bam! NASA spacecraft crashes into asteroid in defense test
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) — A NASA spacecraft has rammed an asteroid in an unprecedented test to see if a potentially menacing space rock could be knocked off course. The galactic grand slam occurred at a harmless asteroid 7 million miles away Monday. The Dart spacecraft plowed into the small space rock at 14,000 mph. Scientists say the impact should have carved out a crater and hurled streams of rocks and dirt into space. Most importantly, though, scientists are hoping the collision altered the asteroid’s orbit. NASA won’t know how much the spacecraft nudged the asteroid for a couple of months.
Jury to be picked for Oath Keeper boss’ Jan. 6 sedition case
Jury selection is expected to get underway Tuesday in one of the most serious cases to emerge from the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol. The founder of the far-right Oath Keepers extremist group and four associates are charged with seditious conspiracy. Stewart Rhodes and the others are the first Jan. 6 defendants charged with the the rare Civil War-era offense to stand trial. Authorities allege there was a serious, weekslong plot to violently stop the transfer of presidential power from election-denier Donald Trump to Joe Biden.
Pound stabilizes but turmoil continues for UK economy
LONDON (AP) — The British pound has stabilized in Asian trading after plunging to a record low, as the Bank of England and the British government try to soothe markets nervous about a volatile U.K. economy. The instability is having real-world impacts, with several British mortgage lenders withdrawing deals amid concern that interest rates may soon rise sharply. The pound was trading at around $1.08 on Tuesday morning. On Monday it plunged to $1.0373, the lowest since the decimalization of the currency in 1971, on concerns that tax cuts announced Friday by Treasury chief Kwasi Kwarteng would swell government debt and fuel further inflation. but some analysts warned that was “too little, too late.”
At UN, a fleeting opportunity to tell their nations’ stories
UNITED NATIONS (AP) — Pakistan’s new prime minister stepped onto the U.N. podium to spin a tale of floods and climate change. Shahbaz Sharif began: “As I stand here today to tell the story of my country …” At its core, that was what every world leader was here to do during the past week. One after another, they took the fleeting opportunity to craft a story about their nation and the world. They hoped the tales would make others sit up and listen. Some did it better than others.
Vietnam imposes curfew, evacuations ahead of Typhoon Noru
HANOI, Vietnam (AP) — Vietnam has imposed a curfew and evacuated over 800,000 people as a powerful typhoon that had flooded villages and left at least eight dead in the Philippines aimed for the country’s central region. National television VTV says people living near the coast where Typhoon Noru is expected to slam early Wednesday had been ordered to take shelter. Schools were closed and public events canceled. In Da Nang and Quang Nam provinces, a curfew will be in effect starting Tuesday evening. It forbids people from venturing out except those on official duty. Flights at five regional airports were canceled and train service halted until the typhoon passes. The weather agency says Noru is packing maximum sustained winds of 111 miles per hour.
As Cantonese language wanes, efforts grow to preserve it
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Three decades ago, finding opportunities to learn the Cantonese language in San Francisco wasn’t hard. But today in the city that’s drawn Cantonese speakers from South China for over 150 years, there is fear that political and social upheaval are gradually diminishing the language. The Chinese government’s push for wider use of Mandarin, which is already the national language, along with the country’s changing migration patterns have contributed to an undeniable shift away from Cantonese. It’s a change that has reverberated from East to West. From the U.S. to the U.K. and beyond, there is worry that Cantonese won’t survive in some families for another generation.
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
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Judges, Justice, And Donald Trump https://digitalarkansasnews.com/judges-justice-and-donald-trump/
[On the September 23, 2022 episode of The Bulwark’s “Beg to Differ” podcast, guest Ben Wittes, panelist Will Saletan, and host Mona Charen discuss two legal developments relating to former President Donald Trump: his latest defeat in the case involving the trove of classified documents stored at Mar-a-Lago and the New York state attorney general’s lawsuit accusing him and his family of fraud.]
William Saletan: I think this is a great decision by the Eleventh Circuit, and it’s a kind of a vindication of Trump judges. Mitch McConnell and the Republicans shoved through as many of these judges as they could on to the federal bench, on to the appeals courts, on to the Supreme Court. And people said, “Oh, my God, he’s packing the judiciary with Trumpists.” But it turns out that Trump judges are not monolithic, and they are not necessarily Trump loyalists. So we have at the district level in this case Aileen Cannon, and she is a manifestly incompetent or corrupt or something judge who obviously violated all kinds of precedent in the way that she handled this case. . . . However, two judges that Donald Trump put on the Eleventh Circuit, clearly voted correctly, overruling her. And I would remind everyone that the, you know, the Trump judges on the Supreme Court also did not go with Trump in his corrupt attempts to overturn the election. So there’s a difference between loyalist Trump judges or incompetent Trump judges and plain old Federalist Society judges who, when push comes to shove, uphold the Constitution and uphold precedent and that’s what these judges on the Eleventh Circuit did. . . .
Mona Charen: [New York Attorney General Letitia James] is demanding disgorgement of $250 million, but $100 million of that is based on the profit that Trump made from selling his hotel in D.C. and the profit is nothing like $100 million, and so some people think that she was really reaching with that number. Further, you know, a couple more things. I mean, she did campaign saying that she was going to sue Trump. She campaigned that way, which again, can cast a little bit of a cloud over the case, because it looks like she had already made up her mind. And also the use of that term, “the art of the steal”—maybe it’s a good line, but it, you know, a little less than perfectly professional and cool and detached. What do you make of those things?
Benjamin Wittes: So I was a critic of Letitia James at the time of her campaign. I thought her campaign on the basis of a promise to target a particular person was inappropriate, frankly, and raised some of the same issues in a pale sort of way that Trump’s own abuses of law enforcement and prejudgment of cases raised. I thought it was bad. I do think it taints the current case.
And at the same time, the case has to stand or fall on its own merits. And, you know, I am not actually qualified to discern under New York law or for that matter as a matter of accounting and economics, how one should count the profits from sales of Trump hotels or whether they count as fraudulently gained assets for purposes of disgorgement. I do think the volume of fraud involved in running the Trump Organization over a long period of time probably has given rise to a great deal of ill-gotten profits that will probably be recoverable through litigation like this.
The one caution that I would give other than that Tish James . . . has, to some degree, played in a somewhat Trumpy fashion, is that civil litigation takes a very long time. And the appeals associated with civil litigation also take a very long time. And so nobody should delude themselves that this is any kind of quick resolution, even if it ultimately does lead to a good place.
On the Eleventh Circuit matter, I would just add a note of caution to Will’s enthusiasm for Federalist Society judges. Judge Cannon’s ruling that this stay was slapped on was so outrageously wrong, that it actually is a simple matter of professionalism to put a stay on at the Justice Department’s request, which was a stay as to only 100 of the documents—is so manifestly reasonable and called for. So in a Lawfare piece a week and a half ago or so, I and a couple colleagues essentially wrote the Eleventh Circuit opinion, not that they were copying it from us, but that the answer to these questions was so clear that I think anybody who was not playing in overtly bad faith would have come to something very similar to the conclusion that the Eleventh Circuit came to.
And while I very much agree with Will that people shouldn’t assume that no Federalist Society judges can do their jobs—because in fact, they do every day and, you know, people of diverse politics can get together on legal issues and sort them out a lot of the time—I do think that’s a very low bar to clear before we celebrate the mainstreamness of the Trump judicial appointments.
Charen: Yeah, but Ben, the era in which we live is one where we have seen again and again people that we thought were institutionalists betray those norms and jump on to . . . the populist Trumpy bandwagon. . . . I remember thinking that Bill Barr, for example, was going to be—
Wittes: Well, I did too. And, you know, and there are people who remind me of that literally every day on Twitter, that I “vouched for” Bill Barr and Brett Kavanaugh. So I . . . look, I take your point. I do think if we ever come to the place where you can’t count on Article III judges to, in an apolitical fashion, reverse an opinion as outrageously wrong as Judge Cannon’s was, I think we will be in a worse place than we are.
And I do think it is a great thing that the Eleventh Circuit acted in a completely nonpartisan fashion, acted extremely quickly within 24 hours of getting the government’s last brief, wrote the opinion as a per curiam—that is, as an opinion of the court, not in the name of any judge. And also and quite deliciously, I hope everybody noticed that the opinion is captioned Donald Trump v. United States of America.
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The U.S. Wants To Help Bolster Brazil https://digitalarkansasnews.com/the-u-s-wants-to-help-bolster-brazil/
Over the past year, a litany of top Biden administration officials have traveled to Brazil to deliver a simple message to the country’s right-wing president, Jair Bolsonaro: Stop attempting to undermine Brazil’s October elections.
The missives have come from national security adviser Jake Sullivan, the White House’s top foreign affairs adviser; Victoria Nuland, a prominent State Department official; and William Burns, the head of the Central Intelligence Agency.
One name is absent from the list: the U.S. ambassador to Brazil. Because the United States doesn’t have one.
Brazil is hardly unique in that regard. Two years into Joe Biden’s presidency, more than 40 of the United States’ ambassadorships remain vacant, according to the American Foreign Service Association. The U.S. has no top envoy to Italy, a Group of 7 nation, or to India, the world’s largest democracy.
The vacancy in Brazil may soon expose what experts and foreign policy observers increasingly consider an emerging diplomatic crisis.
Bolsonaro has spent the last two years spreading conspiracy theories about Brazil’s Oct. 2 election, which most polls suggest he will lose either in Sunday’s first-round vote or in a subsequent runoff later in the month. He has sought to enlist the Brazilian military ― which overthrew a democratic government in 1964 and established a 21-year dictatorship ― in his efforts, sparking fears of a potential coup attempt. He has called his supporters to the streets for mass rallies, generating concerns of a Brazilian version of the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection at the U.S. Capitol.
The Biden administration is clearly worried. An authoritarian takeover in the world’s fourth-largest democracy, or even an attempt at one, would have ripple effects across the Western Hemisphere. And it would deal a major blow to Biden’s stated goal of counteracting the rise of authoritarianism and promoting democracy worldwide.
The lack of a confirmed ambassador, observers and some U.S. officials say, reflects a relative detachment that has complicated the administration’s efforts to support Brazil’s democracy.
“This is one of our biggest and most important relationships in the Americas, and one of the most important globally,” a senior U.S. official said. “This is arguably the most consequential election for Brazil since the end of the dictatorship. It’s unfortunate and shows a lack of seriousness that we will not have an ambassador in Brazil, and many other places, at this moment.”
A Burgeoning Crisis
Most foreign policy veterans say there’s no single culprit to blame for the glut of ambassadorial vacancies. The Biden White House has at times been slow to nominate candidates, and in some cases hasn’t named a nominee at all. In the Senate, meanwhile, once-routine diplomatic confirmations have become another casualty of GOP obstructionism that has rendered the chamber dysfunctional.
The ambassadorship to Brazil suffers from a confluence of factors: It took Biden seven months to pick a replacement for former Ambassador Todd Chapman after he announced his retirement in June 2021. The nomination of Elizabeth Bagley, who served as ambassador to Portugal under Bill Clinton, then stalled in the Senate after the conservative Washington Free Beacon published comments Bagley made about Jewish and Cuban American voters in 1998.
Brazil’s President Jair Bolsonaro points up during a military parade to celebrate the bicentennial of the country’s independence from Portugal, in Brasília, Brazil, Sept. 7.
AP Photo/Eraldo Peres, File
A deadlocked vote in the Senate Foreign Relations Committee prevented Bagley’s nomination from advancing, but Biden has no plans to abandon his pick. “We remain committed to Ambassador Bagley’s nomination and look forward to the Senate confirming her as the next Ambassador to Brazil,” a National Security Council spokesperson told HuffPost in an email. “Until then, we will continue to engage both in Washington and in Brasilia to strengthen our enduring partnership with Brazil.”
As a result, the ambassadorship won’t be filled before the election, leaving a major void at a time of obvious tension in Brazil, especially in the diplomatic community. In July, Bolsonaro called a meeting of foreign ambassadors and diplomats ― including from the U.S. ― at the presidential palace in Brasilia, using the occasion to further spread lies about the integrity of the country’s electoral system.
“I can’t imagine a worse time not to have an ambassador,” said Thomas Shannon, who served as the U.S. ambassador to Brazil from 2010 to 2013. “Here you are with this very contested election [and] a very complicated political environment, in which the diplomatic corps has been drawn into the election by President Bolsonaro’s meeting … This is when you want to have an ambassador on the ground.”
The effects are both practical and political. An ambassador has authority to steer an embassy’s priorities and interact with foreign governments in ways that a chargé d’affaires — the title given to officials who head an embassy during the periods between ambassadors — cannot. Especially in countries like Brazil, where lawmakers and diplomats tend to adhere closely to diplomatic protocols, ambassadors typically have direct access to the president, government ministers and top political leaders. Their messages and statements, meanwhile, carry far more weight than missives delivered by lower-ranking officials.
Senior envoys like Sullivan or Burns may be direct representatives of the president ― and, as with Burns, may have Senate confirmation ― but they are also intermittent intermediaries who aren’t focused exclusively on Brazil.
“We have a great embassy. But the reality is, ambassadors are nominated by the president and confirmed by the U.S. Senate,” Shannon said. “Especially at this point in time, that brings a very special kind of status or prestige to an ambassador, because the host government knows that that person is the personal representative of the president of the United States.”
Bolsonaro is a close ally of former U.S. President Donald Trump, and he has modeled his own presidency on that of his American counterpart. When record fires in the Amazon rainforest drew global outrage against Brazil in 2019, Bolsonaro found refuge in the close alliance he and Trump had formed. When Trump questioned the results of the 2020 election, Bolsonaro echoed his claims, and refused to congratulate Biden on his victory.
Chapman, who Trump appointed as ambassador in 2020, also forged intimate ties with Bolsonaro’s government, and became a direct conduit for the relationship that had formed between the two leaders. Chapman’s approach to the job generated sharp criticism from both Brazilian and U.S. officials who perceived him as openly political, too cozy with Bolsonaro and his family, and partisan in his dealings. In 2020, Chapman reportedly pushed Bolsonaro’s government to lift tariffs on ethanol in order to boost Trump’s election chances ― a move that generated swift backlash from leaders of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, who drafted a letter to Chapman that expressed “alarm” at his actions and demanded an explanation. Chapman denied the claims in a statement at the time.
After Trump lost, concerns that Bolsonaro would seek to undermine the 2022 election began to percolate through the political establishment ― and the U.S. diplomatic corps — almost immediately. Bolsonaro, who had questioned the Brazilian election system ahead of the 2018 contest he ultimately won, adopted and began to spread Trump-like voter fraud conspiracies in late 2020. When the Capitol insurrection occurred in January 2021, many Brazilians interpreted it as a sign of things to come in Latin America’s largest democracy.
Some U.S. officials began preparing for numerous scenarios, arguing internally that the embassy should deemphasize its relationship with Bolsonaro and begin to outline strategies for how the United States could support the country’s democratic institutions, including Brazil’s Supreme Court and its top election tribunal ― both of which Bolsonaro has targeted with a constant stream of attacks.
Chapman, however, was largely dismissive of those concerns, according to a former U.S. official who spoke on condition of anonymity. Chapman ignored at least one internal memo that raised concerns about Bolsonaro’s threats to the election system, refusing to even respond, the former official said.
Back in Washington, the Biden administration was largely focused on other priorities. Its policy toward Brazil centered on its desires to persuade Bolsonaro to protect the Amazon and rejoin the global push to limit carbon emissions ahead of the 2021 United Nations climate summit ― an effort that Biden saw as key to his own ambitions to rebuild the United States’ international reputation. The administration’s Western Hemisphere policy prioritized limiting Chinese influence in the Americas more broadly, and migration, political corruption and drug issues in the Northern Triangle nations of El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras specifically.
Chapman said that he discussed “a wide range of issues” with Bolsonaro and his top advisers, including “democratic themes” around the election, during various meetings. As ambassador, he said, he encouraged input from and debate among diplomats, and said that criticism of his approach to Bolsonaro and concerns about the election amount to “Monday-morning quarterbacking” from people who don’t have the responsibility of maintaining a relationship with a foreign president.
Chapman said he sees Bolsonaro’s claims about the election ― and the institutional efforts to counter them ― as a sign of healthy democracy, not a threat to it.
“What you’re seeing in Brazil is something that around the world we hope for,” Chapman said. “An election that’s wid...
