Police Beat https://digitalarkansasnews.com/police-beat/
Police investigate
knife chase
Little Rock police are investigating a knife chase that took place in a residential neighborhood early Sunday, according to a police report.
Officers responded to the call at 5:04 a.m. in the area of Fair Park Boulevard.
Upon arrival, the 29-year-old victim told police an unknown male jumped into the passenger seat of his Jeep and tried to hit him.
The suspect began chasing the victim down the yard with a knife and trying to stab him. The victim ran north down the street, banging on neighbors’ doors until someone called the police for him.
Police arrived at the scene and escorted the victim back to his Jeep. Officers said there were no suspects on the scene when they arrived.
The victim told police that his Samsung Galaxy S22 and wallet were both missing from the Jeep. Officers helped the victim look for his belongings, but could not find the missing items.
Store manager hit
in head with gun
Little Rock police are investigating an incident that happened late Saturday involving a Circle K manager and an unknown suspect.
The Circle K manager told police he was struck in the back of the head by an unknown male’s gun while leaving work.
The victim said the man came into the Circle K asking to borrow a phone. The man then left the building and proceeded to wander in the parking lot as if he was looking for something.
The 38-year-old victim told police the man approached him later as he was headed to his car, saying “give me all you got.”
He told the man to leave him alone, the report says. The suspect placed a firearm against the manager’s back, leading him to fight back.
According to the report, that’s when the victim was struck in the back of the head by the suspect’s firearm.
The victim told police he was carrying his own firearm — which he fired once into the air.
The suspect managed to get both firearms and ran into an unknown direction, the report says.
The victim was treated for his injuries at Baptist Hospital following the altercation. He appeared stable when officers left the hospital, the report says.
Print Headline: Police probe chase of man with knife Store manager hit in head with gun
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Hurricane Ian Makes Landfall In Cuba- Follow Live https://digitalarkansasnews.com/hurricane-ian-makes-landfall-in-cuba-follow-live/
Central Florida stores struggle to keep water on shelves ahead of Tropical Storm Ian
Heavy rain and strong winds are lashing western Cuba after Hurricane Ian made landfall on Tuesday.
Earlier in the day Ian strengthened into a category 3 storm, before making landfall in Cuba’s Pinar del Rio province.
According to the US National Hurricane Center, the island’s west coast could see as much as 14 feet (4.3 metres) of storm surge.
Authorities in Cuba have evacuated 50,000 people, set up at least 55 shelters and rushed in emergency personnel.
According to the National Hurricane Center Ian won’t linger over Cuba but will slow down over the Gulf of Mexico, growing wider and stronger, “which will have the potential to produce significant wind and storm surge impacts along the west coast of Florida”.
Meanwhile, mandatory evacuations are also underway in parts of Florida amid warnings of life-threatening conditions from the potentially category 4 storm in the coming days.
There is a risk of flash flooding, strong winds, storm surge of up to 10 feet, and possible isolated tornadoes along Florida’s Gulf Coast with impacts beginning up to 36 hours before the peak.
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Read More Here
Hurricane Ian Makes Landfall In Western Cuba As A Category 3 Storm Threatening A Path Of Destruction As It Churns Toward Florida | CNN
Hurricane Ian Makes Landfall In Western Cuba As A Category 3 Storm, Threatening A Path Of Destruction As It Churns Toward Florida | CNN https://digitalarkansasnews.com/hurricane-ian-makes-landfall-in-western-cuba-as-a-category-3-storm-threatening-a-path-of-destruction-as-it-churns-toward-florida-cnn/
CNN —
Rapidly intensifying Hurricane Ian made landfall in western Cuba early Tuesday morning while on its trek toward Florida, where residents in some coastal areas are already evacuating.
The hurricane, packing maximum sustained winds of 125 mph, made landfall just southwest of the town of La Coloma in the Pinar del Rio Province of Cuba at 4:30 a.m., the National Hurricane Center said.
The region is enduring significant wind and storm surge, which could raise water levels by as much as 14 feet above normal tide levels along the coast of Cuba the hurricane center said.
The storm is expected to move north-northwest and across the island, leaving devastating wind damage in its path, according to the center.
It is expected to emerge over the southeastern Gulf of Mexico and continue churning toward Florida, passing west of the Florida Keys late Tuesday, and approaching the west coast of Florida late Wednesday into Thursday.
The hurricane is expected to bring life-threatening storm surge along much of Florida’s west coast by mid-week, as well as hurricane-force winds.
While its exact path remains uncertain, projections show the Tampa area could get its first direct hit from a hurricane since 1921, and impacts on the area could be devastating.
Photos: Bracing for Hurricane Ian
ALEXANDRE MENEGHINI/X03465/REUTERS
Farmer Cito Braga puts plastic on a window of his home ahead of the arrival of Hurricane Ian in Coloma, Cuba, Monday, September 26.
Photos: Bracing for Hurricane Ian
Shannon Stapleton/Reuters
Rich Reynolds and his son John fill sandbags at Ben T. Davis Beach in Tampa, Florida.
Photos: Bracing for Hurricane Ian
Ramon Espinosa/AP
Waves kick up under a dark sky along the shore of Batabano, Cuba.
Photos: Bracing for Hurricane Ian
Yamil Lage/AFP/Getty Imagaes
A man helps pull small boats out of Havana Bay in Cuba.
Photos: Bracing for Hurricane Ian
Mike Lang/USA Today Network
Ryan Copenhaver, manager of Siesta T’s in Sarasota, Florida, installs hurricane panels over the store’s windows on Monday.
Photos: Bracing for Hurricane Ian
John Raoux/AP
People in Orlando fill sandbags Monday to help protect their homes from flooding.
Photos: Bracing for Hurricane Ian
NOAA/NASA
This satellite image, taken Monday at 1 p.m. ET, shows Hurricane Ian near Cuba, right.
Photos: Bracing for Hurricane Ian
Martha Asencio-Rhine/Tampa Bay Times via ZUMA Press Wire
Cathie Perkins, emergency management director in Pinellas County, Florida, references a map that indicates where storm surges would impact the county. During a news conference, she urged anyone living in those areas to evacuate.
Photos: Bracing for Hurricane Ian
Gregg Newton/AFP via Getty Images
Shelves are empty in a supermarket’s water aisle in Kissimmee, Florida, on Monday.
Photos: Bracing for Hurricane Ian
Andrew West/USA Today Network
Sarah Peterson fills sandbags in Fort Myers Beach, Florida, on Saturday, September 24.
Photos: Bracing for Hurricane Ian
Andrew West/USA Today Network
Besnik Bushati fills gas containers at a gas station in Naples, Florida, on Saturday. The station had only premium gas that morning.
“This is something that we haven’t seen in our lifetime … So we definitely need to take it seriously,” said Meteorologist Rick Davis of the National Weather Service’s Tampa office.
A hurricane warning is in place from Bonita Beach to the Anclote River, including Tampa Bay, according to the latest advisory from the hurricane center. This means “hurricane conditions are expected somewhere within the warning area, in this case, within 24 to 36 hours,” the center said.
Additionally, a tropical storm warning was issued for the Middle Florida Keys and portions of the state’s east and west coasts. A tropical storm watch was issued for the southeast coast from Deerfield Beach north to Jupiter Inlet, the hurricane center said.
The hurricane’s menacing approach to Florida triggered preparations across the state as officials announced school closures and flight cancellations, and the military began moving ships and aircraft.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis warned of power outages as well as possible evacuations and fuel shortages, telling people to “make preparations now.”
All along Florida’s west coast, officials are urging residents to get out of harm’s way instead of staying to protect their property. “This is nothing to mess around with. If you can leave, just leave now,” Tampa Mayor Jane Castor said Monday.
Mandatory evacuation orders have been issued for parts of Pinellas and Hillsborough counties and emergency shelters were opened.
“When we issued that mandatory evacuation, what that means is if you don’t and you call for help, we’re not coming because we’re not going to put our people in harm’s way and put them in peril because you didn’t listen to what we told you to do,” said Pinellas County Sheriff Bob Gualtieri.
Evacuation orders also went into effect for low-lying areas of Charlotte County as well as the counties of Sarasota, Hernando and Manatee.
Floridians should expect more evacuations Tuesday for counties north of the bay, inland and some south of the bay, said Kevin Guthrie, director of the Florida Division of Emergency Management.
With tropical storm conditions possibly beginning Tuesday night, officials are concerned about Ian’s storm surge – a rise in water level caused by a strong storm’s wind pushing water onshore.
A storm surge warning is effect for the Anclote River southward to Flamingo and Tampa Bay, where the inundation of water could reach 10 feet.
The Tampa Bay region is particularly vulnerable to storm surge and could see catastrophic damage from flooding – even if the area doesn’t get a direct hit from the hurricane.
Tampa Electric said it may have to proactively shut down power in the southern tip of downtown early Wednesday in an effort to “avoid serious damage to the underground equipment from saltwater storm surge, which will significantly shorten restoration time after the storm.”
Tampa Bay International Airport will suspend operations at 5 p.m. Tuesday, DeSantis said Monday. The Port of Tampa Bay is also planning to suspend operations at 8 a.m. Tuesday, the governor said.
Around the state, residents were queuing in long lines Monday to fill up bags of sand or pick up bottled water in preparation for the storm’s arrival.
Resident Khadijah Jones told CNN she was in line for three hours Monday to get free sandbags in Tampa, uncertain if her home will flood.
“Just doing the basics… securing loose materials in the yard, sandbags in low areas, and getting items to prep for no power,” she said.
As the storm approaches a slew of closures and cancellations have been announced.
The HCA Florida Pasadena Hospital in St. Petersburg announced it has suspended services and transferred patients.
Colleges and universities across the state – like Bethune-Cookman University in Daytona Beach and University of South Florida in Tampa – are taking steps to prepare, including campus evacuations or a shift to online classes.
On the K-12 level, Hillsborough County Schools said it had “no choice” but to cancel classes as campuses become storm shelters. And surrounding counties, including Citrus, Pasco, Manatee and Hernando have also announced closures this week.
Disney World announced some temporary resort closures from Wednesday through Friday due to the weather conditions. At least three cruise lines also began rerouting passengers due to the hurricane.
In an effort to ease congestion on the roadways for those leaving evacuation zones, the Florida Department of Transportation will likely authorize emergency shoulder use, which allows drivers to use shoulders at slower speeds, Guthrie, the state emergency management director, said.
As residents are urged to leave, officials are staging people and equipment to quickly respond when recovery begins.
With widespread power outages likely, Florida Power and Light announced it activated its emergency response plan, mobilizing 13,000 personnel. The company will work to restore power “as long as it’s safe to do so,” the release said, including using smart grid technology to remotely restore power to customers where possible.
Resources from outside the state are also pouring in, Guthrie said.
The Florida National Guard activated 5,000 Florida soldiers and 2,000 additional soldiers from Tennessee, Georgia, and North Carolina, DeSantis announced Monday.
President Joe Biden on Saturday approved a disaster declaration for Ian.
“The President’s action authorizes the Department of Homeland Security, Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), to coordinate all disaster relief efforts which have the purpose of alleviating the hardship and suffering caused by the emergency on the local population,” the White House said in a news release.
US Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra declared a public health emergency for the state of Florida – a move meant to give health care providers and suppliers greater flexibility in meeting emergency health needs, his office said.
“We will do all we can to assist Florida officials with responding to the health impacts of Hurricane Ian,” Becerra said. “We are working closely with state, local, and tribal health authorities, as well as our federal partners, and stand ready to provide additional public health and medical support.”
Read More Here
3 Charts That Show The UK's Market Meltdown https://digitalarkansasnews.com/3-charts-that-show-the-uks-market-meltdown/
A so-called “mini-budget” by the U.K.’s new government Friday has sparked a level of market volatility not seen in the country since the Covid crash or the Great Financial Crisis.
A package of tax cuts expected to total £45 billion in the coming years, combined with a massive spending increase to help households and businesses deal with higher energy bills, left investors nervous about the U.K.’s future as it takes on higher levels of debt. That was despite Finance Minister Kwasi Kwarteng’s target of a 2.5% growth trend and pledge to release a plan to reduce debt as a percentage of GDP in the medium term.
It comes as inflation remains at 9.9% and the country has likely already entered a recession.
Here was some of the fallout:
Pound plunge
Sterling’s response to the government’s announcement was near-immediate and extreme.
The pound lost nearly 3.6% against the dollar Friday and continued to fall Monday when the market reopened. It hit an all-time low below $1.04 early Monday morning in London.
It has since recovered slightly, trading around $1.08 at 8:30 a.m. Tuesday, but remains at what was — until last week — a 37-year low. It has fallen from $1.35 at the start of the year.
While some supporters of the government’s plan have pointed to the dollar’s bull run this year as the cause of sterling’s slide, the pound also fell against the euro.
The euro is currently trading around £0.89 — up from £0.84 at the start of the year — despite the euro zone facing its own significant challenges, ranging from an energy crisis to growing recession risks.
Bond moves
Yields on U.K. government bonds have rocketed following the government’s budget — meaning their prices have fallen drastically (bond yields move inversely to prices).
Gilt yields are now set for their biggest monthly rise since at least 1957, according to a Reuters analysis of both Refinitiv and Bank of England data.
The yield on 10-year gilts, which influences mortgages and other borrowing rates, has climbed from 2.882% to 4.073% so far in September.
Soaring yields and a slumping pound have led some mortgage lenders to pause new home loans and withdraw certain mortgage offers.
More rate hikes?
A key question now is whether the Bank of England, which has already raised interest rates from 0.1% to 2.25% over the last nine months, will be pushed into faster and higher rate rises.
On Monday, Governor Andrew Bailey said the bank would “not hesitate to change interest rates as necessary.” However, he said a decision would be made at its next scheduled meeting in November, playing down speculation of an emergency rate hike or intervention to prop up the pound.
The U.K. overnight indexed swap market now points to an 80% chance of a hike to 3.5% by Nov. 3, which would be a 125 basis points rise, and a 20% chance of an even higher hike to 3.75%.
Read More Here
EXCLUSIVE: $20 Billion Payday: Biden’s Border Surge Sends Smuggling Prices Soaring https://digitalarkansasnews.com/exclusive-20-billion-payday-bidens-border-surge-sends-smuggling-prices-soaring/
The migrant smuggling economy at the U.S.-Mexico border now tops $20 billion and the cartels have made at least $2.6 billion in profit over the past 12 months just from controlling the routes illegal immigrants use, according to a Washington Times analysis.
Both amounts are up substantially from the Trump and Obama years because more people are coming to the border and because they are paying higher prices.
Mexican migrants are paying an average of $8,600 in total smuggling fees this year, according to The Washington Times’ database of smuggling cases. That’s up roughly $2,000 from 2019, the last pre-pandemic year under the Trump administration. Migrants from El Salvador, Honduras and Guatemala are paying about $11,500 for the trip, up from $9,000 in 2020 and $7,900 in 2019, The Times’ data shows.
Those rates are averages across the southern border. Migrants pay a little less in parts of Texas and a little more in California.
“There’s an inflationary pressure on the number,” said Ronald Vitiello, a former chief of the Border Patrol. “Everything else being equal, things are more expensive. Employees, gasoline, logistics — things are more expensive.”
The migrant surge that began at the start of the Biden administration is still going strong 20 months later. The numbers paint a grim picture of how the surge has fattened the wallets of the cartels that control the smuggling economy.
One yardstick is the mafia fee, or “piso” — literally, the tax — migrants pay to cartels to use their routes into the U.S. Nearly every migrant pays, and the rate has increased to $1,300 per person. That is up more than 50%, from about $850 in the Trump years.
The Border Patrol nabbed nearly 2.2 million people trying to sneak into the country from Mexico over the past 12 months. Subtracting repeat crossers who may have paid only once for multiple attempts, adding in estimated “gotaways” who avoid capture, and figuring conservatively that 90% of migrants pay the piso means the cartels have made $2.6 billion over the past year on crossing fees alone.
That’s free and clear profit just for use of their smuggling routes. Any money they make from the rest of the smuggling journey, such as operating stash houses or coordinating foot guides and drivers, comes on top of that.
“They’re printing money,” Mr. Vitiello said.
All the extra money is bad news for the U.S., said former Homeland Security Secretary Chad Wolf.
He told The Times’ “Politically Unstable” podcast that the cash helps fuel cartels’ other deadly activities, such as producing and smuggling in fentanyl, the synthetic opioid that is responsible for record drug overdose deaths in the U.S.
“It’s all the same enterprise,” Mr. Wolf said. “So the money that they make on the human trafficking, the $10,000 to $12,000 per head, they’re using to either import from China or make fentanyl and push that across the border.”
Mr. Vitiello said the cartels are cashing in under President Biden.
“Reasonable people can understand this has a shelf life,” he said. “They’re taking advantage of the maximum flow because they know it’s not going to last.”
The $20 billion for the total smuggling economy includes the money migrants pay to the recruiters in their home countries, those who shepherd them to the U.S. border, foot or raft guides who get them across the boundary, stash house operators who shelter them on the U.S. side and drivers who take them deeper into the U.S.
The gross domestic product of Honduras or El Salvador is less than $30 billion.
Border monopoly
A simple supply-and-demand curve might suggest prices should be falling. The pool of migrants is larger, meaning a bigger supply for the smugglers to share.
That doesn’t account for the cartels’ monopolies. The cartels control ground and all the activities that go through there, including drug and migrant smuggling, and they set the prices they want.
Victor Manjarrez, a longtime Border Patrol agent who now teaches at the University of Texas at El Paso, said there is a logic to how prices are established, though the smugglers don’t exactly advertise their thinking.
In general, those from Mexico pay the least and those from the Northern Triangle countries of Central America pay a couple of thousand dollars more per person.
The going rate for a Mexican to cross in Laredo, Texas, is $7,400, up from about $6,400 in 2020 and $5,900 a year before. Someone from Honduras or Guatemala crossing through Laredo is paying about $10,000, up from $7,700 in 2019.
Those from South America might pay closer to $20,000, and those from outside the hemisphere can pay even more.
Other factors contribute to the exact price.
Those willing to walk more often pay less. Making a five-day trek through the deserts of Arizona or the Otay Mountain Wilderness in Southern California saves thousands of dollars compared with getting bused to the border, hopping across, and quickly getting picked up and driven north.
Even more expensive is being crammed into a trunk or a modified gas tank and brought through a border crossing or stuck on the back of personal watercraft and ridden up the California coast. Mexican migrants can pay more than $15,000 for those trips. Chinese migrants have told officers that they paid more than $50,000 for their journey.
“It’s based on level of comfort, mode of transportation, how quick you want to do it,” Mr. Manjarrez said.
He said wealthier migrants from more urban areas are willing to pay for a few hours of serious discomfort in a car trunk over the days-long, life-threatening slog through the desert.
Smugglers also have adapted to the new conditions on the border. Because of the Biden administration’s leniency, many illegal immigrants from beyond Mexico are hoping to get caught. They believe, usually correctly, that they will be quickly released.
Mr. Manjarrez said smugglers coach migrants on how to take advantage of the Biden policies, such as by lodging claims for political asylum, as part of their package.
What particularly troubles him are the implications that a migrant from a country where the average annual income is $5,000 manages to pay $10,000 for the trip.
“Most of these folks who are crossing usually come from the poorest of the poor in their country. So these fees get paid, but then you get the exploitation,” Mr. Majarrez said.
The lucky migrants end up owing relatives already in the U.S. The unlucky ones have to work off their debts to the smuggling cartels in any way they can.
The Biden administration recognized the dangers of the smuggling networks and announced a major initiative to try to detect and arrest the smuggling leaders.
In a major raid this month, authorities said, they unraveled an organization working in the Laredo area to bring migrants across the border to Texas and up to San Antonio, where they could fan out to destinations throughout the country.
The organization charged about $8,000 per person. Migrants were smuggled in suitcases stuffed inside pickup trucks, stacked inside empty water tanker trucks or sealed into wooden crates strapped to flatbed trailers, according to court documents.
Prosecutors said the organization raked in “at least millions of dollars in proceeds,” and they specifically traced $2.3 million that they were seeking to forfeit as proceeds from the smuggling venture.
Border security experts commended those efforts but said it’s not a substitute for policies that discourage the flow of people.
‘The borders are open’
The Times’ database uses affidavits filed by Border Patrol agents, Customs and Border Patrol officers and Homeland Security Investigations agents in border smuggling cases in which there are witnesses — namely migrants who were being smuggled. The authorities often elicit the smuggling fees the migrants pay and include that information in the affidavit.
The Times’ calculations are based on those numbers.
Juan Jose Reyes-Mazariegos, who was arrested by the Border Patrol on Interstate 10 in Arizona on Sept. 13, told agents he paid roughly $13,000 for his trip. That’s 50,000 Guatemalan quetzals — about $6,400 — to go from Guatemala to the U.S. border, $6,000 for crossing and smuggling fees, and $700 to get him from Phoenix to New York.
Jesus Ivan Garcia-Torres, a Mexican pulled from the water off the coast of California after he was dumped from a personal watercraft he rode across the international boundary, said he paid 120,000 pesos, or roughly $6,000, for his trip. It was the second time he was caught that week.
Last week, agents nabbed Deylin Denisel Salazar-Enriquez, a Guatemalan woman, as she was being driven through a checkpoint outside Laredo. She told agents that a family member was paying $23,000 to have her smuggled to North Carolina.
That price is exceptionally high. The court documents didn’t shed light on the reasons.
The Times calculated the cartels’ mafia fee income by taking the total number of people arrested by the Border Patrol over the previous 12 months and adjusting for recidivists and gotaways who were never captured.
The Times calculated that 90% of migrants pay a mafia fee — some experts say the rate is closer to 100%, while others say it’s lower, in part because the cartel in the Del Rio area doesn’t charge a piso.
Together, that amounts to a little more than 2 million payments over 12 months. At $1,300 per payment, that works out to $2.6 billion.
Getting a handle on the exact size of the smuggling picture is tricky, but The Times used rough approximations from its data. Of the illegal immigrants caught by Border Patrol agents this year, about 34% are Mexican, 24% are from Honduras, Guatemala and El Salvador, and the rest are from elsewhere.
Using the average payment rates for Mexicans, that works out to roughly $6 b...
Readers Sound Off On Senior Student Loans Horn Honking And The Little Mermaid
Readers Sound Off On Senior Student Loans, Horn Honking And ‘The Little Mermaid’ https://digitalarkansasnews.com/readers-sound-off-on-senior-student-loans-horn-honking-and-the-little-mermaid/
Warwick, N.Y.: There is a grave problem that is affecting many seniors (65 and older) struggling to pay high-cost financial loan debt.
I am 67, with a $72,000 student loan debt for which I was unable to retain a job based on this costly education, a degree in human services. I got the degree in my 50s due to my husband becoming disabled and the only way to get a job that paid enough to support my family was under the pretense, by a school counselor, that this degree in the “people-helping” field was in demand. Not so much, I found out. You’re only able to make enough money in the for-profit world. What a shame.
Well, family hardships continued, like with many families, and I was unable to keep up with payments, went into forbearances, took more loans, etc.
Currently, I am divorced, live in senior housing on a fixed income with two jobs, am on Social Security and am still struggling to live affordably. I’ve always worked. I’m not looking for handouts, just practical payments. The president’s $10,000 is a drop in the bucket.
If there are other seniors out there struggling, please write state Commissioner of Education Betty Rosa, your congressman, senator and President Biden, as I did. Seniors need a break in these troubled times. We shouldn’t have to choose between what we can afford: medical, food, housing or student loans! Joy Hansen
Seniors need a break in these troubled times. (Shutterstock)
Manhattan: Does the NYPD enforce excessive horn-blowing anymore? A few years ago, the number of tickets given for this offense was 75, down from almost 400. What’s the current number? A black car driver, honking every corner, said a fine is $300 but the police officer had to appear in court and didn’t, so his ticket was dismissed. Trucks’ air horns at 3 a.m. are simply noise pollution and the city could use the money. Robert J. Katz
Brooklyn: Thank you, Voicer Gregory Coston, for stating exactly what I was thinking. Every day, the traffic at Atlantic and Flatbush Aves. in Brooklyn is snarled beyond compare, with agents standing back and watching it happen. To give them their due, the timing on those and all adjacent traffic lights has been changed to additionally freeze traffic. But I believe it’s time for a refresher course! Susan Caprio
Wappingers Falls, N.Y.: It is so apparent that it hurts Mike Lupica’s mouth to say anything nice about the Yankees. Even when forced to point out the obvious, it’s done in such a fashion as to make certain that his sarcasm is on full display. Oh, and while I’m at it, do we have to get weekly updates on the comings and goings of his family? It’s gotten so that I feel guilty for not sending birthday and anniversary cards. Michael Lanza
Whitestone: No, Voicer Frederick Bedell Jr., your heartfelt prayers, unfortunately, will not prevent the horrors of war or the wounding and killing of so many innocent people in countries all over the world! People must protest vigorously this terrible threat to humanity, as you declared. Every person should protest to the politicians they elected to keep their country peaceful, as well as provide all the basic, necessary options required to enable them to finally exist in a society that will allow them to thrive! There is never a winner in a nuclear war! Leonore Brooks
The Daily News Flash
Weekdays
Catch up on the day’s top five stories every weekday afternoon.
Jersey City: The movement to remove Columbus statues and rename Columbus Day to honor the indigenous people of the Western Hemisphere alarms many Americans. Columbus has been erroneously heralded as an intrepid hero for more than 500 years. Accurate portrayals of him and his ruthless band of conquistadors, however, have now been brought to light. Columbus and his henchmen were not heroes. They were genocidal terrorists. They subjugated, exploited, brutalized and decimated the Native Americans with their brand of terrorism, atrocities, warfare, diseases, famines, post-conquest enslavements and forced labor. Even though the tenets of Catholicism and royal Spanish edicts against maltreatment of natives existed, Columbus and his butchers continued with their brutality in their quest for fame, glory and fortune. The genocide of the Native Americans began with Columbus. How can we continue to honor such a man? Ivan Y. Genic
Astoria: Sorry, Leonard Greene, you miss the whole point of the backlash against a Black woman being cast as a mermaid (”Black ‘Mermaid’ outrage,” column, Sept. 25). White people are simply tired of diversity being shoved down our throats, especially because diversity itself is not diverse — Blacks can celebrate blackness, Asians can celebrate their ethnicity, Hispanics too, and so can every other racial denomination except whites. Whites are the only racial category expected to be diversified. Want to see a similar casting backlash? Cast a white actor as Shaft — who was created by a white screenwriter, Ernest Tidyman, by the way. That’s cultural appropriation, isn’t it? Bradley Morris
Margate, Fla.: Has anyone noticed that on the new Botox commercials, there is a warning that if you take Botox, you may develop ALS, Lou Gehrig’s disease? Is it really worth it to get a few lines out of your forehead and die an excruciating, humiliating inevitable death from ALS? Richard Sherman
Manhattan: Voicer Richie Degasperi says to buy American. Any car made in America today and for the last decade or two has parts either made or assembled all over the world. The entirely American-made car was bypassed by Americans long ago because the foreign cars (notably Japanese and Korean) were a better buy. Why? Because American unions caused prices to balloon and unions gave job security to undeserving workers who helped manufacture inferior autos. American union members could learn from non-American non-union workers. There are reasons why Americans are buying more foreign than domestic autos. Mr. Degasperi just speaks nonsense. Chris Lee
Long Beach, L.I.: Ron DeSantis and Greg Abbott both have stated that sending migrants to NYC and other Democratic cities is a humanitarian gesture. The rationale is that these are sanctuary cities and as such are prepared to deal with the influx of migrants. We in New York appreciate doing what would be best for the migrants coming across the border. Winter is coming and NYC and most Democratic cities experience a real winter. Temperatures are devastating to the homeless. They would have a much easier existence in the South, where temperatures are much more manageable. I propose we poll our homeless. For those who would like to spend their winter in the South, we give them a bus ticket to southern Texas and Florida and openly accept the migrants who are willing to work and start a new life as viable citizens of our wonderful country and state. Ben Waxman
Tappan, N.Y.: I read Voicer Bob Pascarella’s diatribe concerning the wisdom of Govs. Abbott, DeSantis and Doug Ducey’s (a.k.a. Moe, Larry and Curly) decision to share some of the immigrants with Democratic cities. Since I’m sure that Bobby Baby (unlike these Democratic mayors) has ounces (if not pounds) of decency and integrity, maybe he could offer to place a few of these “weary and downtrodden” guests of the city some sanctuary in his neighborhood. Unlike Moe, Larry and Curly, we would give Bob ample notice. Ray Hayes
Fort Worth, Texas: Wow, Donald Trump brags that he’s a stable genius and that he could stand in the middle of Fifth Ave. and shoot somebody and not lose any voters. But until now, I had no idea that he was so smart that he could declassify top-secret documents by just using his brilliant mind. But when you think about how he’s been able to get away with sexually assaulting women, defrauding New York taxpayers, advising a bleach cure for COVID-19, orchestrating a Jan. 6 coup attempt, bribing a foreign power, misusing government funds and committing crimes too numerous to mention, I’d have to admit: He truly is a genius. Sadly, it appears just a very unstable one. Sharon Austry
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ENTERTAINMENT NOTES: Chamber Singers Host Guest Conductors For The Season
ENTERTAINMENT NOTES: Chamber Singers Host Guest Conductors For The Season https://digitalarkansasnews.com/entertainment-notes-chamber-singers-host-guest-conductors-for-the-season/
Lorissa Mason will guest-conduct the Arkansas Chamber Singers in their 2022-23 season-opening concerts, Oct. 14 and Oct. 16 at Little Rock’s St. James United Methodist Church. (Democrat-Gazette file photo/Kimberly Dishongh)
Elsewhere in entertainment, events and the arts:
MUSIC: Singers’ season
The Arkansas Chamber Singers open their 2022-23 season “with music of life, love and light,” according to a news release, 7:30 p.m. Oct. 14 and 3 p.m. Oct. 16 at St. James United Methodist Church, 321 Pleasant Valley Drive, Little Rock. Following the retirement of longtime director John Erwin, the concerts will feature a series of guest conductors, starting with Lorissa Mason, director of choral activities at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock.
The rest of the season lineup:
South Arkansas Tour, 3 p.m. Dec. 4 — First Presbyterian Church, 717 W. 32nd Ave., Pine Bluff; 7:30 p.m. — Fine Arts Center, University of Arkansas-Phillips Community College, 1000 Campus Road, Helena-West Helena. Seasonal tunes, classical and popular, with additions from the vocal jazz repertoire. Memphis-based conductor Gabriel Statom will be on the podium. Free, underwritten by the Warfield Concert Series.
“An English Christmas,” arrangements of traditional carols and original choral works from Great Britain, 7 p.m. Dec. 9, 3 p.m. Dec. 10-11, at the Old State House Museum, 300 W. Markham St., Little Rock. With harpist Anna Kathryn Pepper; Statom conducts. Free.
“Spring Is Near,” 7:30 p.m. March 3, 3 p.m. March 5, St. Edward Catholic Church, 805 Sherman St., Little Rock. The program includes Benjamin Britten’s “Five Flower Songs” and “Make Our Garden Grow” from Leonard Bernstein’s “Candide.” Andrew Morgan, conductor of the Hendrix College Choir, will be on the podium.
“Heavenly Home,” 7:30 p.m. May 12, 3 p.m. May 14, Christ Episcopal Church, 509 Scott St., Little Rock. Joshua Brown, director of choral activities at Ouachita Baptist University, will conduct Shawn Kirchner’s three-song cycle “Heavenly Home” and works by Maurice Durufle, Johannes Brahms, Daniel Gawthrop, Blake Henson and Marques Garrett.
Season tickets are $36, $24 for students. Individual tickets are $15, $10 students in advance, $18 and $12 at the door. Call (501) 377-1121 or visit ar-chambersingers.org.
TICKETS: Fly comedy
Comedian DC Youngfly of MTV/VH1’s show “Wild’n Out” and the 85 South Podcast performs at 8 p.m. Nov. 2 at Little Rock’s Robinson Center Performance Hall, 426 W. Markham St. at Broadway. Tickets are $43-$129. Call (501) 244-8800 or visit ticketmaster.com.
Monster trucks
Champions and would-be champions and their 12,000-pound monster trucks tear up the dirt in competitions of speed and skill for the Monster Jam Arena Championship Series West, 7 p.m. March 25 and 3 p.m. March 26, North Little Rock’s Simmons Bank Arena. The truck lineup (subject to change) includes Grave Digger, driven by Krysten Anderson; El Toro Loco, driven by Elvis Lainez; Earth Shaker, driven by Tristan England; Jurassic Attack, driven by Dalton Widner; Monster Mutt Dalmatian, driven by Bailey Shea; and Raminator, driven by Mark Hall.
Tickets — $22-$57 (plus service charges; there is an eight-ticket limit) — are available at the arena box office or online at ticketmaster.com. Fans can see the massive trucks up close, meet their favorite drivers and crews, get autographs, take pictures and enjoy other family-friendly activities at the pre-show Pit Party, 4:30-6 p.m. Saturday, 12:30-2 p.m. Sunday; tickets are an additional $20; for a post-show meet-and-greet, an additional $25.
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Column: Someone Supporting Traci Park Goes Negative Placing Anti-Darling Posters On Public Property! Yo! Venice!
Column: Someone Supporting Traci Park Goes Negative, Placing Anti-Darling Posters On Public Property! – Yo! Venice! https://digitalarkansasnews.com/column-someone-supporting-traci-park-goes-negative-placing-anti-darling-posters-on-public-property-yo-venice/
Park claims no knowledge of placards. While Mike Bonin is not on the ballot, his presence weighs heavily in race to succeed him in CD-11!
By Nick Antonicello
Describing Erin Darling as a “clone” of Mike Bonin in the race to succeed him in CD-11, mysterious posters placed on public property with no paid for tagline are sprouting around Venice and the rest of CD-11.
In an effort to link the retiring Mike Bonin with Erin Darling as a carbon copy of his policies and proposals, someone supporting Traci Park or opposing Erin Darling have stepped up their efforts to run against someone not on the ballot and no longer in the race in Bonin versus the actual first-place finisher in Darling, the June Primary winner.
We contacted candidate Traci Park directly and while she didn’t condemn the posters, she told us in an e-mail response she had nothing to do with the printing or placement.
“No, (the posters) were not created or placed by my campaign and no, I was not aware of it,” said the first-time candidate and Venice lawyer.
“All of my campaign materials have clear language indicating they are paid for by Traci Park for City Council 2022 – General. The same rules apply to all Independent Expenditure efforts,”
So who created these rather expensive vinyl posters as well as take the time to place them around the district?
That question remains unknown and unanswered.
We asked the candidate directly in what way her opponent Erin Darling was a “2.0” version of Mike Bonin?
Park in a submitted statement said Darling’s support of 41.18 while also claiming Darling “has been connected to the defund/abolish police movement.”
“Erin supports wasteful, ineffective projects like the Venice Median and projects that have made our communities less safe.”
The centerpiece of the Park campaign has been her law and order, right-of-center positions that have secured her strong support from the collective bargaining units that represent police and sheriff’s officers as well as firefighters at the municipal and county levels.
Park has been disturbed by comments she contributed to Darling as describing the failed recall efforts as “right wing,” and attributing a description of police unions as a “special interest.”
Darling was quick to retort.
“The bottom-line is obvious. Traci Park cannot win an issue-oriented exchange of ideas and her only hope of winning is running a nasty, negative campaign,” charged the candidate.
“Traci Park is a former Republican who is the most conservative candidate on the ballot for city council. She has accepted scores of financial support from GOP sources like former gubernatorial candidate Bill Simon, a former trustee of The Heritage Foundation which launched the presidential ambitions of Ronald Reagan. Mr. Simon was a supporter of former New York City Mayor and Trump lawyer Rudy Giuliani and the powerful Apartment Owner’s Lobby is supporting Park, an Alex Villanueva version of being a Democrat,” cautioned Darling.
Park stated Darling is a proponent of the Bonin road diets as well.
“Erin supports road diets and wants the Venice Blvd one extended, and just like Bonin, has never acknowledged the detrimental community and public safety impacts the Mar Vista road diet created,” noted Park in support of the premise made in these posters no one is seemingly taking credit or ownership.
Darling had a comfortable lead over Park in the June Primary that eliminated six other hopefuls. To date, none of the losing candidates have made an endorsement of either finalist, but Jim Murez, the President of the Venice Neighborhood Council has indicated Park as his preference.
“I think the reason I finished first is because we stayed the course and tried to tackle the tough issues with real responses and proposals,” offered the civil rights attorney who played varsity baseball and soccer in high school.
“Using the term 2.0, Traci Park is hinging her efforts on what can best be best described as political guilt by association. I have many elected Democrats supporting me. I am the Democratic preference in this race and she is the candidate of the right,” charged the Venice resident and surfer.
“I’m my own man. I have scores of supporters and overcame a 10-1 money advantage Park enjoyed in the primary and I’m no Democrat for political convenience. I’m talking to the issues and she is talking political rhetoric. I’m not sinking to that level of engagement,” offered the renter’s right advocate.
Calling Darling “more of the same” of Mike Bonin, the candidate himself called the posters “a dog that just won’t hunt.”
“This is certainly not a positive message of change. The voters know better and will see through it,” said the candidate.
“Traci’s campaign unfortunately is a one-trick pony and that single premise is to link me negatively to Mike no matter how false the narrative. Because you repeat something over and over again does not make it true,” offered Darling.
In response, Park countered and accused Darling of a “belated effort” to distance himself from Bonin, including removing Bonin’s endorsement from the materials he is distributing in the community.” But a review of the Darling website (www.erindarling11.com) still displayed Bonin as a prominent endorsee of the Venice tenant advocate and civil rights attorney. Darling has also picked up the support of the prominent 35,000 member United Teachers Los Angeles (UTLA), one of the most powerful public employee unions in all of southern California as well as the support of LAUSD board trustee and former state legislator, Jackie Goldberg (District-5).
“Traci is intentionally avoiding a side-by-side comparison with me. She is avoiding a direct comparison of my record versus hers. Let’s compare my commitment to Venice and the district with Traci. Let’s compare my career as a lawyer assisting working families and tenants versus the path she took. Unfortunately for Traci, Mike Bonin is not in this race and not on the ballot. I know she wants to run against him, but that isn’t the reality. I’m running a positive and issue-oriented campaign centered around a 5-point plan to tackle homelessness and street encampments. After running for a year, maybe Traci will finally offer a plan of her own,” countered Darling.
Darling also stressed that all the elected officeholders that currently represent the neighborhood of Venice at the city, county and state levels have endorsed him over Traci Park.
“Assemblymember Tina McKinnor, Senator Ben Allen, Supervisors Sheila Kuehl & Holly Mitchell, Assemblymember Richard Bloom along with the LA County Democratic Party and the Los Angeles Times are all backing me because I’m offering real solutions to problems like homelessness that demand results now. I was never a Republican like Traci and I never moved to Mono Lakes like my opponent. I’m a lifelong Venetian, born and bred and it would be an honor to serve this community, not trash it with this kind of mudslinging that in the end never works, but just infuriates voters who demand solutions to the challenges we all face like the unhoused that must be addressed now,” said Darling.
Nick Antonicello is a longtime Venetian covering the race in CD-11 to succeed Mike Bonin and how it will impact the neighborhood of Venice. Have a take or a tip on the race? Contact Antonicello via e-mail at nantoni@mindspring.com
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Could Justice Eye U.S. Senate Seat In 2024? https://digitalarkansasnews.com/could-justice-eye-u-s-senate-seat-in-2024/
WHEELING — West Virginia Gov. Jim Justice said he may not be done with public office when his second term as governor concludes in 2024, and that a seat in the U.S. Senate just might pique his interest.
The next time one of West Virginia’s two Senate seats will be on the ballot is 2024, when the seat of current U.S. Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., will be up for grabs. That coincides with Justice’s term as governor coming to an end.
While he would not commit 100% to a Senate run, Justice said it is something he’s considering. And if he runs against Manchin, it would mean a potential matchup of arguably the two strongest personalities in West Virginia.
“I don’t really know what I’m going to do right yet,” Justice said. “Maybe you’ll see me … you know … sticking around and running for national office. But right now, I don’t know.”
When asked directly, Justice acknowledged it is a U.S. Senate seat that has grabbed his interest.
“I guess it’s possible,” he continued. “Who knows?”
The avid sportsman keeps photos of West Virginia sunsets on his phone, but Justice said he is not yet ready to ride off into a sunset on his ATV with hunting rifle in hand.
“I really believe the good Lord made me, Jim Justice, for a reason,” he continued. “That reason does not mean for me to just go home and go hunting. That’s what I love to do. I love to hunt and fish and be outdoors.”
Justice said some might believe he has earned the right to go hunting and fishing now, but he still thinks he should continue to serve.
“What I deserve to do is not just hang out on the beach if I can help somebody,” he said. “Until I can’t do it, until God decides not to give me any more breath, that’s what I’m going to keep doing.”
Justice was elected to his first term as governor in 2016 as a Democrat with the backing of Manchin. After taking office, Justice appointed Manchin’s wife, Gayle Manchin, as the state’s Secretary of Education and the Arts.
Justice in August 2017 announced he was switching his political affiliation to Republican. Gayle Manchin later was removed from the secretary’s job in March 2018, and the position was abolished.
Justice was mum on who he thinks should succeed him as governor. He said he just wants someone in the office “who cares about the people.”
“Most (politicians) are looking for all the perks, looking for the next parties and all the tips. And all that’s not going to work. We’ve proven that time and time again,” Justice said.
He also isn’t certain whether his long-time friend, former President Donald Trump, will be atop the ballot as a presidential candidate in 2024.
“I think Trump did a lot of really good things. I really do,” he said. “I know the family really well. I see a lot of things happening with our (former) president that are not very fair. When the FBI just invades your home and does that kind of stuff, it doesn’t make much sense to me.
“I know he has his hands full with a lot of personal things right now, and I don’t think it’s very fair. He has not directly talked to me saying, ‘I’m going to run,’” Justice said.
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Ukrainians Involved In Russian-Backed Referendums Face Treason Charges Prison Term
Ukrainians Involved In Russian-Backed Referendums Face Treason Charges, Prison Term https://digitalarkansasnews.com/ukrainians-involved-in-russian-backed-referendums-face-treason-charges-prison-term/
Hundreds of collaborators face treason charges, says Ukraine
Heavy fighting as Russian referendums enter last day
Russian conscription sparks protests, exodus
No decisions taken on closing Russian border, Kremlin says
KYIV, Ukraine, Sept 27 (Reuters) – Ukrainians who help Russian-backed referendums to annexe large swathes of the country will face treason charges and at least five years in jail, Ukraine’s presidential adviser said, as voting in four regions entered its last day.
“We have lists of names of people who have been involved in some way,” presidential adviser Mikhailo Podolyak said in an interview with Swiss newspaper Blick.
“We are talking about hundreds of collaborators. They will be prosecuted for treason. They face prison sentences of at least five years.”
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Podolyak said Ukrainians who were forced to vote would not be punished. Ukrainians officials have reported ballot boxes being taken door to door and residents being coerced into voting in front of Russian-backed security.
Moscow hopes to annex the provinces of Kherson, Luhansk, Donetsk and Zaporizhzhia, in the east and south, which make up about 15 percent of Ukraine.
None of the provinces are fully under Moscow’s control and fighting has been under way along the entire front line, with Ukrainian forces reporting more advances since they routed Russian troops in a fifth province, Kharkiv, earlier this month.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has issued a veiled threat to use nuclear weapons to protect Russian soil, which would include the four provinces if annexed.
Voting on whether to join Russia began on Friday in the regions and is due to end on Tuesday, with the Russian parliament possibly approving the annexation within days.
The British Ministry of Defence said on Tuesday that Putin is likely to announce the accession of the occupied regions of Ukraine to the Russian Federation during his address to parliament on Sept. 30. read more
Kyiv and the West have dismissed the referendums as a sham and pledged not to recognise the results.
Ukrainian and Russian forces were locked in heavy fighting in different parts of Ukraine on Tuesday.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said the Donetsk region in the east remained his country’s — and Russia’s — top strategic priority, with fighting engulfing several towns as Russian troops try to advance to the south and west.
There were also clashes in Kharkiv region in the northeast — focus of a Ukrainian counter-offensive this month. And Ukrainian forces pressed on with a campaign to put out of action four bridges and other river crossings to disrupt supply lines to Russian forces in the south.
The Ukrainian Armed Forces southern command said on Tuesday that its counter offensive in Kherson had resulted in enemy losses of 77 servicemen, six tanks, five howitzers, three anti-aircraft installations and 14 armoured vehicles.
Reuters could not immediately verify battlefield reports.
CONSCRIPTION
In Russia, the call-up of some 300,000 reservists has led to the first sustained protests since the invasion began, with one monitoring group estimating at least 2,000 people have been arrested so far. All public criticism of Russia’s “special military operation” is banned.
Flights out of Russia have sold out and cars have clogged border checkpoints, with reports of a 48-hour queue at the sole road border to Georgia, the rare pro-Western neighbour that allows Russian citizens to enter without a visa.
Asked about the prospect of the border being shut, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters on Monday: “I don’t know anything about this. At the moment, no decisions have been taken on this.”
Russia counts millions of former conscripts as official reservists. The authorities have not spelled out precisely who is due to be called up, as that part of Putin’s order is classified.
The mobilisation has also seen the first sustained criticism of the authorities within state-controlled media since the war began.
But Sergei Tsekov, a senior lawmaker who represents Russian-annexed Crimea in Russia’s upper house of parliament, told RIA news agency: “Everyone who is of conscription age should be banned from travelling abroad in the current situation.”
Two exiled news sites – Meduza and Novaya Gazeta Europe – both reported that the authorities were planning to ban men from leaving, citing unidentified officials.
Ukraine’s presidential adviser Podolyak said his country was well positioned to counter Russia’s mobilisation, with 700,000 men in reserve or fighting.
“We already have an effective army that is well positioned and has experienced forces,” he said.
Moscow says it wants to rid Ukraine of nationalists and protect Russian-speaking communities. Kyiv and the West describe Russia’s actions as an unprovoked war of aggression.
Late on Monday, Zelenskiy described the military situation in Donetsk as “particularly severe.”
“We are doing everything to contain enemy activity. This is our No. 1 goal right now because Donbas is still the No. 1 goal for the occupiers,” he said, referring to the wider region that encompasses Donetsk and Luhansk.
Russia carried out at least five attacks on targets in the Odesa region using Iranian drones in the last few days, according to the regional administration.
Russian missiles hit the airport in Kriviy Rih, Zelenskiy’s home town in central Ukraine, destroying infrastructure and making the airport unusable, Valentyn Reznichenko, governor of Dnipropetrovsk region, said on Telegram.
More U.S. funding looks to be on the way as negotiators of a stop-gap spending bill in Congress have agreed to include nearly $12 billion in new military and economic aid to Ukraine, according to sources. read more
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Reporting by Reuters bureaus; Writing by Michael Perry and Costas Pitas; Editing by Shri Navaratnam
Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.
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Meadows Was Central To Hundreds Of Texts About Overturning 2020 Election Book Says
Meadows Was Central To Hundreds Of Texts About Overturning 2020 Election, Book Says https://digitalarkansasnews.com/meadows-was-central-to-hundreds-of-texts-about-overturning-2020-election-book-says/
Mark Meadows, Donald Trump’s former White House chief of staff, was at the center of hundreds of incoming messages about ways to aid Trump’s efforts to overturn the 2020 election results, according to texts he turned over to the House January 6 select committee that have been published in a new book.
The texts included previously unreported messages, including a group chat with Trump administration cabinet officials and plans to object to Joe Biden’s election certification on January 6 by Republican members of Congress and one former US attorney, as well as other Trump allies.
The book, The Breach, was obtained by the Guardian in advance of its scheduled publication on Tuesday. Written by the former Republican congressman and senior adviser to the investigation Denver Riggleman, the work has already become controversial after being condemned by the panel as “unauthorized”.
Though most of the texts sent to and from Meadows that Riggleman includes have been public for months, the book offers new insight and fills some gaps about how all three branches of government were seemingly involved in strategizing ways to obstruct the congressional certification on January 6.
Less than an hour after the election was called for Biden, for instance, Rick Perry, Trump’s former energy secretary, texted a group chat that included Meadows; the housing secretary, Ben Carson; and the agriculture secretary, Sonny Perdue, that Trump should dispute the call.
“POTUS line should be: Biden says hes [sic] president. America will see what big data says,” Perry wrote. “This sets the stage for what we’re about to prove.” While Carson was more cautious, Perdue appeared unconcerned about seeing concrete proof of election fraud. “No quit!” he wrote.
The former president’s final White House chief of staff also fielded a text from the Republican senator Kevin Cramer, who forwarded a note from North Dakota’s then US attorney, Drew Wrigley, who offered his own advice for overturning the results because “Trump’s legal team has made a joke of this whole thing”.
“Demand state wide recount of absentee/mail-in ballots in line with pre-existing state law with regard to signature comparisons,” Wrigley wrote. “If state officials refuse that recount, the legislature would then act under the constitution, selecting the slate of electors.”
The suggestion from Wrigley echoed what the Trump legal team would ultimately pursue in having fake electors sent to Congress on January 6 to have the then vice-president, Mike Pence, refuse to certify Biden’s win – a scheme now part of a criminal investigation by the US attorney in Washington DC.
The text from Wrigley is significant since the justice department is supposed to remain above the political fray. Wrigley’s note appears to mark an instance of a federal prosecutor endorsing a legally dubious scheme when there was no fraud sufficient to alter the outcome of the 2020 election.
A justice department spokesman could not immediately be reached for comment. Wrigley, now the North Dakota state attorney general, also could not be immediately reached for comment.
Texts to Meadows also show Republican lawmakers started to finalize objections to the certification of the 2020 election only hours after Trump sent a tweet about a “big protest” that the House January 6 committee has said mobilized far-right groups to make preparations to storm the Capitol.
The electoral college vote certification for President-elect Joe Biden on 6 January 2021. Photograph: Reuters
The former president sent the pivotal tweet in the early hours of 19 December 2020. The panel previously described it as the catalyst that triggered the Proud Boys and Oath Keepers groups, as well as “Stop the Steal” activists, to target obstructing the certification.
But the tweet also coincided with efforts by Republican lawmakers to finalize objections to the congressional certification of Joe Biden’s election win, new texts from some of Trump’s most ardent supporters on Capitol Hill sent to Meadows show.
Hours after Trump sent his tweet, according to texts published in the book, the Republican congressman Jody Hice messaged Meadows to say he would be “leading” his state’s “electoral college objection on Jan 6” – days before Trump is known to have met with Republicans at the White House to discuss it.
The congressman also told Meadows that Trump “spoke” with Marjorie Taylor Greene, a far-right Republican who had been elected to a House seat in Georgia but had yet to be sworn in, and was interested in meeting with the ultra-conservative House Freedom Caucus.
Hice’s messages to Meadows came at a critical juncture: it was the Saturday after a contentious Friday meeting at the White House, where Trump entertained seizing voting machines and installing a conspiracy theorist lawyer, Sidney Powell, as special counsel to investigate election fraud.
The meeting to discuss objecting to Biden’s win on January 6 was originally scheduled for the next Monday, 21 December 2020, but it was rescheduled to take place on the next Tuesday, according to the book, citing additional messages sent by the Republican congressman Brian Babin.
Nine days after the meeting with Trump, the Republican members of Congress seemed to finish their objection plans, and Babin texted Meadows to say the “objectors” would be having an additional strategy session at the Conservative Partnership Institute, which played host to other January 6 efforts.
The timing of the new texts to Meadows raised the prospect that Trump’s tweet moved ahead several plans that worked in concert, with the Republican objections about supposed fraud giving Pence a pretext to throw out Biden votes as rioters obstructed proceedings.
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Andrew Giuliani Texted Oath Keeper Charged In Jan. 6 Riot: Report
Andrew Giuliani Texted Oath Keeper Charged In Jan. 6 Riot: Report https://digitalarkansasnews.com/andrew-giuliani-texted-oath-keeper-charged-in-jan-6-riot-report/
A senior member of the far-right organization Oath Keepers engaged in text exchanges with former Trump White House aide Andrew Giuliani “about election issues,” NBC News reports, in what is said to be evidence of a growing connection between fringe groups and the Trump administration. Kellye SoRelle, the general counsel for the organization, pleaded not guilty earlier this month to four charges surrounding the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol, including conspiracy to obstruct an official proceeding and obstructing justice by telling others to delete information from their phones. Along with the Giuliani texts, SoRelle also attempted to text a “White House number” on Dec. 20, according to a new book from former Rep. Denver Riggleman (R-VA). When told of the connection between the pair, Riggleman told NBC News, “I wish I could say I was surprised.” SoRelle said she was aware of a communication with Giuliani in November but could not check her phone for details as it had been seized by the FBI. She also confirmed the December text attempting to contact the White House. Giuliani confirmed to NBC News that “the last contact with SoRelle on his phone was on Nov. 10, 2020.”
Read it at NBC News
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TikTok Deal Remains Elusive As Biden Administration Works To Solve Data Concerns
TikTok Deal Remains Elusive As Biden Administration Works To Solve Data Concerns https://digitalarkansasnews.com/tiktok-deal-remains-elusive-as-biden-administration-works-to-solve-data-concerns/
The Biden administration and TikTok are working on an agreement that would let the video-sharing site keep operating in the US, but negotiations have stalled over concerns that the company’s Chinese ownership poses a national security threat, people with knowledge of the matter said.
Once reached, the agreement would allow the platform to continue operating in the US, though it would place additional restrictions on how data from US users is stored, said the people, who asked not to be named discussing a national security matter.
The app has been under scrutiny by US officials since 2019, when the Committee on Foreign Investment in the US — or Cfius — began reviewing a merger between the app’s parent company ByteDance Ltd. and Musical.ly.
The deal still needs to be cleared by some agencies that make up the committee, including the Justice Department, the people said. The department’s No. 2 official, Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco, is concerned the agreement doesn’t go far enough to keep the data of US users safe from Chinese actors, one of the people said.
The news about the pending agreement was reported earlier by the New York Times.
A spokesperson for the Treasury Department said Cfius is committed to taking all actions within its authority to safeguard national security, but doesn’t comment on transactions it may be reviewing.
“We will not comment on the specifics of confidential discussions with the US government, but we are confident that we are on a path to fully satisfy all reasonable US national security concerns,” a TikTok spokesperson said.
Regulators and lawmakers have long feared that Chinese authorities could access US user data via TikTok. These anxieties were revived following a report by BuzzFeed in June that US user data had been repeatedly accessed from China.
The same day as the BuzzFeed story, TikTok said it was routing all US user traffic through Oracle Corp.’s cloud, and that the database giant is auditing its algorithms. TikTok and Oracle are expected to continue working together on a storage setup that satisfies US national security concerns, according to a person familiar with the process.
While TikTok’s one billion active users makes it smaller than some of its social media peers, it’s growing quickly — particularly among young people. In June, the app was the second-most-likely used app among Gen Z users, trailing behind Instagram in the top spot, according to analysis from data.ai. It’s also swiftly building its ad business, with eMarketer estimating revenue of $12 billion this year, up from $4 billion in 2021.
China hawks on Capitol Hill are expected to criticize any agreement that stops short of forcing the sale of the platform to a US company. Senator Josh Hawley, a Missouri Republican, wrote to Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen last week urging her to require TikTok to sever all ties with Chinese companies and to force ByteDance to divest itself from TikTok.
Hawley hasn’t yet received a response from the department, though Treasury has acknowledged receipt, according to Philip Letsou, Hawley’s communications director.
Former President Donald Trump stopped short of banning the app in an effort to broker a deal to sell the platform to a US buyer, which never came to fruition. ByteDance had sought US approval to sell a stake in the app to Oracle and Walmart Inc., but the transaction didn’t materialize. Efforts by the Trump administration to boot TikTok from the Apple and Google app stores were blocked by a US court.
A top TikTok executive told senators this month that the company is negotiating with US officials on restricting access to US data for employees in China but declined to commit to a total cutoff.
As the Cfius review process continues, the administration is weighing other action, including by the Commerce Department, which is considering a rule that would give the Commerce Secretary more oversight over apps owned by foreign adversaries. If enacted, the rule change would empower the Commerce Department to force TikTok to undergo third-party audits — or even restrict the app in the US.
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Governor Jim Justice Says Hes Intrigued By Future Senate Run
Governor Jim Justice Says He’s Intrigued By Future Senate Run https://digitalarkansasnews.com/governor-jim-justice-says-hes-intrigued-by-future-senate-run/
photo by: Derek Redd
Wheeling resident Pamela Bonawitz, left, talks to Gov. Jim Justice as she pets Babydog, Justice’s English bulldog, on Friday at Wheeling’s Centre Market.
WHEELING — West Virginia Gov. Jim Justice said he may not be done with public office when his second term as governor concludes in 2024, and that a seat in the U.S. Senate just might pique his interest.
The next time one of West Virginia’s two Senate seats is up is 2024, when the seat of current U.S. Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., will be on the ballot. That coincides with Justice’s term as governor coming to an end.
While he would not commit 100% to a Senate run, Justice said it is something he’s considering. And if he runs against Manchin, it would mean a potential matchup of arguably the two strongest personalities in West Virginia.
“I don’t really know what I’m going to do right yet,” Justice told The Intelligencer. “Maybe you’ll see me … you know … sticking around and running for national office. But right now, I don’t know.”
When asked directly, Justice acknowledged it is a U.S. Senate seat that has grabbed his interest.
“I guess it’s possible,” he continued. “Who knows?”
The avid sportsman keeps photos of West Virginia sunsets on his phone, but Justice said he is not yet ready to ride off into a sunset on his ATV with hunting rifle in hand.
“I really believe the good Lord made me, Jim Justice, for a reason,” he continued. “That reason does not mean for me to just go home and go hunting. That’s what I love to do. I love to hunt and fish and be outdoors.”
Justice said some might believe he has earned the right to go hunting and fishing now, but he still thinks he should continue to serve.
“What I deserve to do is not just hang out on the beach if I can help somebody,” he said. “Until I can’t do it, until God decides not to give me any more breath, that’s what I’m going to keep doing.”
Justice was elected to his first term as governor in 2016 as a Democrat with the backing of Manchin. After taking office, Justice appointed Manchin’s wife, Gayle Manchin, as the state’s Secretary of Education and the Arts.
Justice in August 2017 announced he was switching his political affiliation to Republican. Gayle Manchin later was removed from the secretary’s job in March 2018, and the position was eliminated.
Justice was mum on who he thinks should succeed him as governor. He said he just wants someone in the office “who cares about the people.”
“Most (politicians) are looking for all the perks, looking for the next parties and all the tips. And all that’s not going to work. We’ve proven that time and time again,” Justice said.
He also isn’t certain whether his long-time friend, former President Donald Trump, will be atop the ballot as a presidential candidate in 2024.
“I think Trump did a lot of really good things. I really do,” he said. “I know the family really well. I see a lot of things happening with our (former) president that are not very fair. When the FBI just invades your home and does that kind of stuff, it doesn’t make much sense to me.
“I know he has his hands full with a lot of personal things right now, and I don’t think it’s very fair. He has not directly talked to me saying, ‘I’m going to run,’” Justice said.
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Bidens Mixed Record Forces Some Democrats Into Odd Balancing Act
Biden’s Mixed Record Forces Some Democrats Into Odd Balancing Act https://digitalarkansasnews.com/bidens-mixed-record-forces-some-democrats-into-odd-balancing-act/
Carol Discher, a volunteer for the reelection campaign for Rep. Marcy Kaptur, D-Ohio, stacks yard signs in Toledo, Ohio, on Saturday, Sept. 17, 2022. Kaptur appeared with President Joe Biden during his July visit to Ohio but has since produced an ad saying she “doesn’t work for Joe Biden,” evidence of how some Democrats are struggling with how much to embrace — or distance themselves — from the president ahead of November’s midterm elections. (AP Photo/Will Weissert)
CINCINNATI (AP) — Democratic House candidate Greg Landsman can tick off how his party’s control of Congress and the White House has benefited his city.
The bipartisan infrastructure deal will mean upgrades to the heavily traveled highway bridge linking Cincinnati with its airport and northern Kentucky while bolstering a vital westside viaduct. COVID-19 relief funding meant training for more new police academy recruits. A sprawling spending package capped insulin prices.
But Landsman won’t say whether President Joe Biden, who signed those measures into law, will help or hurt his campaign to unseat longtime Republican Rep. Steve Chabot. He doesn’t think the president will visit the southwest Ohio swing district before the November midterm elections and insists that, in thousands of conversations while campaigning, Biden usually “just doesn’t come up.”
Officeholders and top candidates often distance themselves from their party’s unpopular president. Some Republicans shunned Donald Trump ahead of the 2018 midterms when Democrats flipped the House, just as many Democrats ran away from Barack Obama as 2010’s red wave loomed. George W. Bush and Bill Clinton suffered similar midterm election fates.
But this cycle presents conflicting political incentives that have forced some front-line Democrats into delicate balancing acts. While improving lately, Biden’s approval ratings remain low and inflation is still running near record highs. Yet unemployment is down, wages are up and the White House has notched key congressional wins applauded by many Democrats in close races.
The predicament underscores the lack of a national Democratic playbook on how to run in relation to Biden ahead of the midterms.
“These issues become, especially in places like Cincinnati, Greater Cincinnati, very local very quickly,” said Landsman, a City Council member whose hesitancy to mention Biden is a change from his appearance with the president in Cincinnati in May.
Two hundred miles north in Toledo, Democratic Rep. Marcy Kaptur, the longest-serving woman in House history, has been more direct, producing an ad saying she “doesn’t work for Joe Biden” mere weeks after greeting the president at the Cleveland airport in July.
Democratic Rep. Tim Ryan, running for Ohio’s open Senate seat, appeared with the president at the recent groundbreaking of an Intel computer chip factory outside Columbus. But he suggested then of the possibility of Biden seeking reelection in 2024 that both parties need “new leadership” and “it’s time for a generational move.”
When Biden visited Milwaukee on Labor Day, Democratic Gov. Tom Evers, who is up for reelection, appeared with him, but Democratic Lt. Gov. Mandela Barnes, competing against Republican Sen. Ron Johnson, did not. In Maine, Democratic Rep. Jared Goldenhas an ad saying he opposed “trillions of dollars of President Biden’s agenda because I knew it would make inflation worse.” Democratic Arizona Sen. Mark Kelly is giving Biden’s performance “mixed reviews.”
Landsman says he appeared with the president because he supported White House-backed microchip legislation that helped make the new Intel facility a reality. Kaptur says she appeared with Biden because he was announcing $1 billion for Great Lakes improvements and got a firsthand look at the town of Lorain, which has been devastated by steel mills closing.
“There’s some other things I don’t agree with the president on. But that one — getting attention to Lorain, Ohio, which has endured such a battering in the international markets, and the people are still so positive and so constructive,” she said, “it was a great moment.”
Phil Heimlich, a former Cincinnati City Council member and Republican county commissioner who opposes Trump and has endorsed Landsman, said Democrats’ struggles with Biden are real but pale in comparison to GOP candidates contending with a national party increasingly beholden to his predecessor.
“I think the national stuff still plays a role,” Heimlich said, “but that cuts both ways.”
When Trump held a rally recently in Youngstown, Ohio, Chabot didn’t attend. Kaptur’s opponent, J.R. Majewski, did. But they aren’t letting their opponents escape Biden’s political shadow.
“I think people know Pelosi and Biden. Some people are favorable. But I don’t think that’s the majority,” said Chabot, who has criticized Landsman for briefly working in Nancy Pelosi’s Washington office in 1999, before she was House speaker. He’s also tagged tweets about rising prices #Bidenflation.
Majewski said in his first TV ad that “Biden and Kaptur are spending more and more while inflation goes up and up.”
Chabot was first elected to Congress in 1994 and has won several hotly contested reelection races. But Ohio’s new congressional maps mean his territory encompasses more of Democrat-friendly Cincinnati.
A recent Landsman campaign event included his releasing a 5-year-old wire-haired dachshund named Jerome in a wiener dog race as Oktoberfest celebrations thronged the city’s downtown. Chabot, that same weekend, greeted would-be voters at a smaller, Catholic church-sponsored street festival in the nearby town of Reading, where he was born.
“I know a lot of people who are not Democrats and they are definitely going to be voting,” Jean Huneck, a 67-year-old who owns a small mechanical engineering business, said of the new, ostensibly bluer district. Huneck is a registered Democrat but supports Chabot and said the GOP needs big November wins to counter Biden.
“I feel like our livelihoods are depending on it,” she said.
Kaptur has held her seat since 1983 but faces circumstances opposite from Chabot’s. Redistricting swapped parts of her district’s largely blue Cleveland suburbs for a conservative, eastern swath of the state that hugs Lake Erie and reaches the Indiana border.
Some of the new territory is dotted with cornfields and bait and tackle shops. An occasional yard sign says “Trump 2024 or Before,” a reference to the former president’s spurious suggestions he could be reinstated into power.
Majewski is Trump-endorsed, and Kaptur has branded him as a past devotee of QAnon conspiracy theories who passed police barricades during last year’s deadly insurrection at the U.S. Capitol. Kaptur says in a TV ad that her opponent is “too dangerous to serve in Congress.”
The National Republican Campaign Committee, the party’s House campaign arm, promoted a photo of Biden kissing Kaptur’s hand upon arriving in Cleveland and a video of her saying that, after a year in office, the president’s “report card is outstanding” juxtaposed with headlines about inflation and the president’s sinking approval ratings.
Following an Associated Press report that Majewski misrepresented his military career, the NRCC canceled TV ads it had booked to support his campaign.
Brendan McHugh, a 31-year-old who works in investment real estate in Toledo, said linking Biden and Kaptur isn’t a bad thing because “Democrats have been getting some wins recently.”
“I’ve been pleased with the progress that the Biden administration’s been making,” McHugh said, calling that “a net positive” for Kaptur.
Michael Jones, a 56-year-old attorney who lives in the same Old Orchard neighborhood near the University of Toledo, said that he’s a Kaptur supporter and that controlling things like inflation is largely out of Biden’s hands. But he added, “There’s a lot of challenging things happening right now.”
“People may look at who’s at the top right now,” Jones said. “And it may impact how an undecided person might vote.”
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Asia-Pacific Markets Mixed Following Negative Start To The Week
Asia-Pacific Markets Mixed Following Negative Start To The Week https://digitalarkansasnews.com/asia-pacific-markets-mixed-following-negative-start-to-the-week/
The Fed is ‘very fortunate’ to be raising rates while unemployment levels are low, former governor says
The U.S. Federal Reserve is “very fortunate” that current unemployment levels are below 4%, Randy Kroszner, professor of economics at University of Chicago Booth School of Business told CNBC’s “Squawk Box Asia.”
“When the unemployment is still relatively low, they’re not getting the same kind of pressure” to slow down the pace of its rate hikes, the former Fed governor said.
“It’s rare that a central bank can raise interest rates as much as they have,” he said. “In addition to maintaining credibility, it’s really important for the Fed to be moving fast.”
–Jihye Lee
Asian stock markets could outperform in 2023, led by China, portfolio manager says
China is likely to loosen its zero-Covid policy in 2023 and economic activity will recover, which bodes well for the stock market, according to Jun Bei Liu, portfolio manager at Tribeca Investment Partners.
Authorities have provided “so much stimulus,” which will help domestic activity, she said.
Meanwhile, risks of recession remains very high for developed markets in the West, Liu said, adding entrenched inflationary pressures will hurt consumption and economic activity.
“With that sort of environment, when corporate earnings [are] going backwards — very hard to see equity markets do substantially better,” she said.
— Abigail Ng
World Bank slashes growth forecasts for East Asia and Pacific region
The World Bank has slashed its 2022 full-year growth forecast for the East Asia and Pacific region to 3.2% from its April prediction of 5%, it said in its latest report released Tuesday.
“The slowing growth is mostly due to China,” it said, adding the organization also cut its 2022 forecasts for the nation to 2.8% from 5%. The World Bank expects China to grow 4.5% in 2023.
The report said the median headline inflation is seen to surpass 5% this year, an upward revision from 3% previously forecasted in April.
–Jihye Lee
CNBC Pro: Here’s where Dan Niles is putting his money
“We made money today. We are up in August. We’re up for the year,” fund manager Dan Niles told CNBC.
As major stock markets remain deep in the red this year, the investment veteran shares what he’s buying in this volatile market.
Pro subscribers can read more.
— Zavier Ong
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 Monday, hitting its highest level since 2002.
Meanwhile, futures for West Texas Intermediate crude fell 2.58% to $76.08 per barrel. That is the U.S. benchmark’s lowest settle since Jan. 3, meaning nearly all of oil’s year to day gains have been erased.
— Jesse Pound, Christopher Hayes
Treasury yields rising at rapid clip
Treasury yields are rising at a rapid clip, as global rates jump and investors anticipate a more aggressive Federal Reserve.
The benchmark U.S. 10-year yield rose above 3.9% for the first time since 2010. It was at about 3.75% on Friday. The 2-year yield Monday rose by about 13 basis points to 4.33%. A basis point equals 0.01 of a percentage point.
The U.K. 10-year gilt yield was at 4.24%. It was at 3.15% just a week ago.
Bond yields move opposite price. A sharp sell-off in U.K. bonds led the selling, as investors weigh the Bank of England’s potential response to a U.K. government plan to cut taxes and raise spending. The pound fell to an all-time low against the dollar, as U.K. rates jumped Monday.
The Fed sent shockwaves across global rates markets Wednesday with a more aggressive forecast for interest rate hikes. “I think there’s three things” moving the market, said AmeriVet’s Greg Faranello. “It’s the repricing of the Fed. It’s the global rates story, and it’s a function of liquidity,” he said.
Andy Brenner of National Alliance said he sees no signs of support in the chart of the 10-year yield until 4%.
“This could also be the bond vigilantes seeing nothing to stop them,” said Brenner.
–Patti Domm
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Hurricane Ian's Latest Path: Hurricane Warning Issued For Tampa Bay Area
Hurricane Ian's Latest Path: Hurricane Warning Issued For Tampa Bay Area https://digitalarkansasnews.com/hurricane-ians-latest-path-hurricane-warning-issued-for-tampa-bay-area/
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Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has declared a “state of emergency.”
Last Updated: September 26, 2022, 11:35 PM ET
Hurricane Ian strengthened to a Category 2 hurricane on Monday as it took aim at Cuba and Florida.
Ian is currently forecast to make landfall on the west coast of Florida or the Florida Panhandle by midday Thursday, though there is uncertainty about the hurricane’s track and intensity.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has declared a “state of emergency” for the entire state, with storm conditions “projected to constitute a major disaster.”
The National Hurricane Center has advised residents of Cuba, the Florida Keys and the Florida Peninsula to have a hurricane plan in place and to closely follow forecast updates.
Hurricane Ian continued to intensify Monday night, with maximum sustained winds now at 105 mph.
The hurricane is about 105 miles east-southeast of the western tip of Cuba, which is expected to see significant wind and storm surge impacts soon.
The storm is expected to become a major hurricane overnight or Tuesday morning.
-ABC News’ Melissa Griffin
Tampa International Airport will stop all operations starting 5 p.m. Tuesday to secure its airfield and terminals ahead of Hurricane Ian’s expected landfall later this week.
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has declared a public health emergency for the state of Florida.
HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra made the declaration Monday to address the possible health impacts for Florida residents once Hurricane Ian nears the state.
“We will do all we can to assist Florida officials with responding to the health impacts of Hurricane Ian,” Becerra said in a statement. “We are working closely with state, local, and tribal health authorities, as well as our federal partners, and stand ready to provide additional public health and medical support.”
HHS has pre-positioned two 15-person health and medical task force teams from its National Disaster Medical System, as well as a 13-person incident management team and two pharmacists to assist with the response in Florida.
“These teams are highly trained and ready to respond if, when, and where they may be needed following the storm,” HHS Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response Dawn O’Connell said.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis declared a state of emergency on Saturday. That declaration was approved by President Joe Biden on Sunday.
The National Hurricane Center has issued a hurricane warning for the Tampa Bay area just after its 5 p.m. advisory for Hurricane Ian.
The hurricane, currently a Category 2, is forecast to strengthen before it slows down as it approaches land. It is then expected to hover off the coast of Tampa from Wednesday into Thursday before making landfall.
A hurricane watch has also been issued for Big Bend, Florida, near the panhandle, and tropical storm warnings are in effect for much of southwest Florida.
Tropical storm watches are in effect for Orlando toward the northeast portion of the state, from Fort Pierce to Jacksonville.
-ABC News’ Melissa Griffin
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UAMS Researchers Find Explanation For Rapid Spread Of Monkeypox
UAMS Researchers Find Explanation For Rapid Spread Of Monkeypox https://digitalarkansasnews.com/uams-researchers-find-explanation-for-rapid-spread-of-monkeypox/
Monkeypox is not generally fatal, but researchers in Arkansas are now looking at a similar, more deadly disease to try and get ahead of the outbreak.
LITTLE ROCK, Arkansas — Monkeypox has continued to spread across the world, and there was even a confirmed case of Monkeypox in an Arkansas school recently.
In order to help scientists better understand why the virus has spread so quickly, experts have been doing research right here in Arkansas.
There are more than 25 thousand confirmed cases of Monkeypox in the United States— 61 of those in our state.
Throughout the previous years of Monkeypox outbreaks, the disease stayed localized to one area This year, the virus spread from Africa, then Europe, then across the world.
UAMS researchers have discovered that the virus has been mutating and they’ve mapped out those mutations to show what’s different from the previous outbreaks.
This could explain how it has spread so far and so fast.
“Identifying those mutations is the first step, and then what those mutations do is now the next step,” said David Ussery, the lead researcher on the study.
Monkeypox is not generally fatal, but Ussery has looked at a similar, more deadly disease to try and get ahead of this outbreak.
“When you put it into the context of smallpox… from a genomic point of view, it’s essentially the same thing well now that’s scary,” explained Ussery.
Smallpox was eradicated after the introduction of the vaccine.
Since the two viruses are so similar, now that monkeypox has been mutating, Ussery explained that it could become more deadly.
So far, the U.S. has had one death from the virus in California. The person was immunocompromised and was in the hospital for monkeypox.
UAMS will soon begin to look at samples collected from Monkeypox cases here in Arkansas to add to their research.
Ussery stated that vaccines are the best way to combat viruses like this.
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Russia Detains Japanese Consul On Spying Charge; Tokyo Hints At Retaliation
Russia Detains Japanese Consul On Spying Charge; Tokyo Hints At Retaliation https://digitalarkansasnews.com/russia-detains-japanese-consul-on-spying-charge-tokyo-hints-at-retaliation/
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MOSCOW/TOKYO, Sept 27 (Reuters) – Russia’s FSB security agency said on Monday it had detained a Japanese consul in Russia’s Pacific port city of Vladivostok for suspected espionage and ordered him to leave the country.
The consul was released after a few hours of detention by the Russian agency. Tokyo has lodged a “strong protest” about the detention and signalled it may retaliate, Japan’s Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno told a media briefing on Tuesday.
The FSB said the consul, Motoki Tatsunori, was declared persona non grata after he was caught “red-handed” receiving secret information on the effects of Western sanctions on the economic situation in Russia’s far east.
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It said the classified information, which also concerned Russia’s cooperation with an unnamed Asia-Pacific country, had been obtained in return for a “monetary reward”.
Moscow has protested to Tokyo over the consul’s actions through diplomatic channels, it said.
Japan’s top government spokesperson Matsuno said Moscow took the consul into custody in an “intimidating manner” blindfolding and restraining him, which was “a clear violation of the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations”.
“The detained consul was not engaging in any illegal activity,” Matsuno said, adding the Japanese deputy foreign minister told the Russian ambassador to Japan that Tokyo “needs to take equivalent steps” and demanded a formal apology from Moscow.
The released consul has had no problem with health conditions and will depart Russia by Wednesday, Matsuno said.
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Reporting by Reuters, Kantaro Komiya in Tokyo; Editing by Nick Macfie, Gerry Doyle and Muralikumar Anantharaman
Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.
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WATCH: Eric Musselman Players Talk About First Full Practice And More
WATCH: Eric Musselman, Players Talk About First Full Practice And More https://digitalarkansasnews.com/watch-eric-musselman-players-talk-about-first-full-practice-and-more/
FAYETTEVILLE, Ar. (KNWA/KFTA) – The Arkansas men’s basketball team had their first full practice of the year on Monday.
Before practice, Eric Musselman, and two of his players, Trevon Brazile and Ricky Council IV, spoke to the media about this year’s team.
See those full press conferences in the videos below.
Arkansas opens up their season on Nov. 21 against Louisville in the Maui Invitational.
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Political Ponderings https://digitalarkansasnews.com/political-ponderings/
Political Ponderings is a new column covering national, state and local political news and events through the Midterm Elections in November.
Last week recapped the Jan. 6 Committee hearings. This week includes coverage of the Supreme Court decision overturning Roe v. Wade and the FBI raid of former President Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago residence.
Overturning Roe v. Wade
On Friday, June 24, 2022, the Supreme Court ended federal protection for the right to an abortion with the 6-3 ruling in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization. The Dobbs decision overturned Roe v. Wade from 1973.
The majority opinion was written by Justice Samuel Alito and joined by Justices Clarence Thomas, Neil Gorsuch, Brett Kavanaugh, Amy Coney Barrett and Chief Justice John Roberts.
Justices Stephen Breyer, Sonia Sotomayor and Elena Kagan were in the dissent.
“With sorrow — for this Court, but more, for the many millions of American women who have today lost a fundamental constitutional protection — we dissent,” the three liberal justices wrote.
The conservative court majority decision ended the protection of abortion as a fundamental right to privacy as outlined in the 14th Amendment and sent regulation of abortion to the state legislatures.
Alito’s opinion states that any state restrictions on abortion are valid to serve “legitimate state’s interests.”
Abortion is now illegal in all or most cases in 15 states across the U.S., with many of those states reverting to pre-Roe laws immediately following the Supreme Court ruling.
Wisconsin reverted back to its abortion ban passed in 1849, just one year after establishing its statehood.
Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers called a special legislature session in June to repeal the 173-year-old ban. The republican-controlled state senate adjourned the session after 15 seconds, despite objections from senate democrats.
Abortion rights are likely to be an important topic in Wisconsin and the country heading into the November elections and candidates are already heavily debating the issue.
Raid in Mar-a-Lago
Later in the summer, news of another event made headlines when the FBI conducted a raid on former President Trump’s residence in Mar-a-Lago.
On Aug. 8, the FBI entered the Florida mansion to search for classified documents that were suspected to be illegally taken from the White House when Trump left the office in January of 2021.
The FBI seized 33 boxes of evidence including over 100 documents with classifications ranging from “confidential” to “top secret” according to a CBS News report.
The FBI and the Department of Justice are now in a complicated legal battle with the former president. The case is ongoing and still developing.
Trump has claimed he declassified the documents in question before leaving the White House, even telling FOX News host Sean Hannity he could do so just by thinking it.
“You’re the president of the United States, you can declassify just by saying it’s declassified, even by thinking about it,” Trump said in an exclusive interview.
As the legal battle continues to unfold, Trump could face conviction for federal crimes.
Mohr can be reached at [email protected]
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Special Master In Classified Mar-A-Lago Documents Case Still Plans To Preside Over NY Trial Of Man Who Threatened To Kill Trump
Special Master In Classified Mar-A-Lago Documents Case Still Plans To Preside Over NY Trial Of Man Who Threatened To Kill Trump https://digitalarkansasnews.com/special-master-in-classified-mar-a-lago-documents-case-still-plans-to-preside-over-ny-trial-of-man-who-threatened-to-kill-trump/
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John Annese – New York Daily News (TNS)
9 min ago
NEW YORK — The special master in the Mar-a-Lago documents case still plans to preside over the November trial of a man who threatened to kill former President Donald Trump — another signal that the veteran jurist will make quick work of his role in the classified papers probe.
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A few weeks ago I sat in my car on 8th Street in Benton Harbor, ready to cross Britain Avenue, patiently waiting as a car made its way down the street that lay before me. While they obviously weren’t in a rush, they had the right of way and so I waited, but they didn’t pass in front of me. G…
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John Annese – New York Daily News (TNS)
Sep 26, 2022
9 min ago
NEW YORK — The special master in the Mar-a-Lago documents case still plans to preside over the November trial of a man who threatened to kill former President Donald Trump — another signal that the veteran jurist will make quick work of his role in the classified papers probe.
Judge Raymond Dearie is presiding over the case of Thomas Welnicki, a 72-year-old Rockaway Beach resident who federal prosecutors say made several calls to the Secret Service last year threatening to kill Trump.
Copyright 2022 Tribune Content Agency.
Outdoor activities, dining, entertainment and lodging in Southwest Michigan
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Roger Stone Is Heard Saying 'let's Get Right To The Violence' In Unearthed Footage From 2020 Election Handed Over To January 6 Committee
Roger Stone Is Heard Saying 'let's Get Right To The Violence' In Unearthed Footage From 2020 Election Handed Over To January 6 Committee https://digitalarkansasnews.com/roger-stone-is-heard-saying-lets-get-right-to-the-violence-in-unearthed-footage-from-2020-election-handed-over-to-january-6-committee/
Roger Stone, a former adviser and confidant to former U.S. President Donald Trump, addresses reporters in front of the Thomas P. O’Neill Jr. Federal BuildingAnna Moneymaker/Getty Images
New footage obtained by CNN shows Roger Stone calling for violence before the 2020 election.
In the footage, Stone is also heard saying “fuck voting” and “you see antifa, shoot to kill.”
The footage filmed by Danish producers could become crucial evidence for the Jan. 6 committee.
Former Trump adviser Roger Stone was shown calling for violence on the day before the 2020 election as seen in documentary footage obtained by CNN.
In clips previewed by the network, Stone and his associates are seated in a van returning home from a Doug Collins rally in Georgia on November 2, 2020, the day before the general election. In the car, Stone can be heard explaining his game plan to his colleagues.
“Fuck the voting, let’s get right to the violence,” Stone is heard saying. “Shoot to kill, you see an antifa — shoot to kill.”
According to CNN, Danish filmmakers Christoffer Guldbrandsen and Frederik Marbell nestled with Stone for three years on and off in the process of their documentary. Some of their clips will be used by the House select committee investigating the Capitol riot, the outlet reported.
In another clip from election night, Stone can be heard telling his crew that even if Trump loses, “the key thing to do is to claim victory … No we won, sorry fuck you.”
A spokesperson for Stone did not immediately return Insider’s request for comment. In a statement shared with CNN, Stone claimed that the videos were doctored.
The January 6 committee is looking at the links between Stone and extremist groups like the Proud Boys and the Oath Keepers, both of whom have had multiple members plead guilty to crimes committed on the day of the insurrection.
In December 2020, within the last month of the Trump presidency, the former president pardoned Stone, who had been convicted of multiple felonies in 2019. Before Trump’s pardon, a jury found Stone guilty of seven felonies which included witness tampering, obstructing Robert Mueller’s 2016 Russia investigation, and making false statements.
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Trump Nominee Is Voted Out As Head Of Inter-American Development Bank
Trump Nominee Is Voted Out As Head Of Inter-American Development Bank https://digitalarkansasnews.com/trump-nominee-is-voted-out-as-head-of-inter-american-development-bank-2/
The Inter-American Development Bank, the hemisphere’s premier international lending institution, voted Monday to fire its president. Mauricio Claver-Carone was terminated following a unanimous recommendation by the 14-member executive board, the organization said.
The termination was first reported by Reuters.
In a statement, the IDB said Claver-Carone, whose term was set to expire in 2025, “will cease to hold the office of President of the Bank” effective Monday.
The statement did not refer to a well–publicized investigation into him. Two people familiar with the probe said it was the results of that investigation that led to the vote. The individuals spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak about the inner workings of IDB or the results of the investigator’s report, which has not been made public.
One of the individuals said investigators found evidence to conclude Claver-Carone had a relationship with a staff member who reported directly to him, and to whom he gave raises totaling more than 45 percent of base pay in less than one year. Claver-Carone’s leadership of the organization also resulted in employees fearing retaliation from him, the person said.
Vice President Reina Irene Mejía Chacón will lead the organization until a new president is elected, the statement said.
The Biden administration appeared to welcome Claver-Carone’s ouster.
A spokesperson for the Treasury Department said the United States “supports the dismissal of the IDB President.” The department said Claver-Carone’s “refusal to fully cooperate with the investigation, and his creation of a climate of fear of retaliation among staff and borrowing countries, has forfeited the confidence of the Bank’s staff and shareholders and necessitates a change in leadership.”
Claver-Carone had previously criticized the nature of investigation, saying in a statement to the Associated Press that the probe “failed to meet international standards of integrity that both the IDB and the region strive to exemplify.”
He had added: “In clear and direct contravention of IDB ethics rules, neither I nor any other IDB staff member has been given an opportunity to review the final investigative report, respond to its conclusions, or correct inaccuracies.”
In a statement after the vote, Claver-Carone also claimed without evidence that ousting him from his position would embolden China, the AP reported.
In June 2020, President Donald Trump announced the nomination of Claver-Carone, then a senior figure at the National Security Council whom the Trump administration credited with boosting private-sector investment in Latin America and the Caribbean. His election that September marked the first time the United States — by far the bank’s biggest donor — held the top position at the six-decade-old organization.
Claver-Carone’s defenders described him as a reformer leading a long-beleaguered organization rife with corruption. According to his biography on the IDB’s website, he had led “a comprehensive reform of the Bank’s business model” and was “overseeing a broad effort to improve operational efficiency, productivity and transparency to facilitate better results, impact and monitoring effectiveness.”
Critics describe him differently. Investigators said there was evidence he conducted an affair with a staffer at the National Security Council, which prompted one official to warn that it posed a counterintelligence security risk, the AP reported. The Biden administration — which has sought to reaffirm America’s relationship with multinational organizations — had indicated it was taking the allegations against Claver-Carone seriously.
Michael Shifter, former president of the Inter-American Dialogue think tank and an adjunct professor at Georgetown University, said Claver-Carone’s lack of high-level diplomatic expertise made him an unusual choice for the IDB role. “There was a basic question of how qualified was he, given his background,” Shifter said in an interview. “There was always a cloud, or at least a big question.”
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King Charles Bank Notes Wont Circulate Until Mid-2024
King Charles Bank Notes Won’t Circulate Until Mid-2024 https://digitalarkansasnews.com/king-charles-bank-notes-wont-circulate-until-mid-2024/
Business|King Charles Bank Notes Won’t Circulate Until Mid-2024
https://www.nytimes.com/2022/09/26/business/king-charles-currency.html
The likenesses of King Charles III and Queen Elizabeth II will be in circulation simultaneously in Britain, the Bank of England said.
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Sept. 26, 2022Updated 10:06 p.m. ET
Currency emblazoned with the image of King Charles III is not expected to enter circulation until mid-2024, the Bank of England said in a statement released early Tuesday morning, though the portrait of the king to be featured on the bank notes will be revealed by the end of this year.
King Charles will appear on four bank notes — the £5, £10, £20 and £50 notes — and there will be no changes to those notes beyond replacing Queen Elizabeth II’s image with King Charles’s, according to the statement from the bank.
Queen Elizabeth’s image won’t disappear from the currency overnight. In keeping with guidance from the royal family to “minimize the environmental and financial impact of the change of monarch,” notes with Queen Elizabeth’s image on them will be removed from circulation only if they become “worn or damaged,” the bank said. New notes with King Charles’s image will be made to “replace worn bank notes and to meet any overall increase in demand for bank notes.”
A similar transition will occur with British coins featuring Queen Elizabeth. According to the Royal Mint, the process of producing and putting into circulation coins featuring the portrait of King Charles will take at least several months.
And the transition to the King Charles coins will be gradual. Coins bearing the effigy of Queen Elizabeth will stay in circulation as coins with King Charles on them are introduced. There are nearly 30 billion coins with Queen Elizabeth’s face on them, which, like the bank notes, will be replaced only once they are damaged or to meet a demand for more coins, according to a statement also on Tuesday from the Royal Mint.
“This means the coinage of King Charles III and Queen Elizabeth II will co-circulate in the U.K. for many years to come,” said Anne Jessopp, the chief executive of the Royal Mint.
While details have not been released about the image of King Charles that will appear on the coins, it must be approved by the Privy Council, a group of high-level advisers to the monarch.
On the coins that feature Queen Elizabeth, she faces to the right. Since the reign of Charles II in the 17th century, monarchs have faced in the opposite direction of their predecessors, with the exception of Edward VIII. The Royal Mint has not confirmed which way King Charles will face.
Queen Elizabeth’s death has raised questions about the use of her image on not just currency but also on everyday items — like ketchup bottles, stamps and mailboxes. Experts say replacing her image on these objects will not be a major expense compared with the overall cost of the monarchy.
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