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Trump: Presidents Can Declassify Info Just By Thinking It https://digitalarkansasnews.com/trump-presidents-can-declassify-info-just-by-thinking-it/ Trump: Presidents Can Declassify Info Just by Thinking It  TDS-Net Read More Here

Legal Experts See More Challenges For Trump In Records Dispute https://digitalarkansasnews.com/legal-experts-see-more-challenges-for-trump-in-records-dispute/ “It’s really hard to lose an appeal more decisively than Trump just did,” one legal expert said. (CN) — Former President Donald Trump’s court battle over presidential records he claims to have declassified was dealt another blow by the Eleventh Circuit this week and some legal experts doubt the former president will get the legal recourse he seeks. Former Acting U.S. Solicitor General Neal Katyal said he thinks the Eleventh Circuit decision granting the government’s motion to keep using the roughly 100 records it identified as classified in its criminal probe while the appeal plays out is “extremely strong.” “It’s really hard to lose an appeal more decisively than Trump just did,” Katyal said. The ruling, he said, is “not only a straight repudiation of every legal claim Trump has made since Mar a Lago [was] searched, it’s a boomerang.” Katyal highlighted the appellate panel’s finding that Trump has not even tried to show he has a “need to know” the information contained in the purportedly classified documents, and that “even if he had, that, in and of itself, would not explain why plaintiff has an individual interest in the classified documents.” He said the circuit judges “powerfully” explain in their ruling why criminal and national security implications related to the records dispute “are so massive.” And he notes that the 29-page opinion was unanimously agreed upon by an Obama appointee and two Trump-appointed judges. Wednesday’s Eleventh Circuit ruling comes after the FBI raided Trump’s Mar-a-Lago compound on Aug. 8 and seized more than 11,000 documents, including at least 103 documents with classification markings, according to records unsealed by the court last month. The former president brought a motion for judicial oversight of the government’s review of the seized materials last month and U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon granted his request for a special master on Sept. 5 — prompting a swift appeal to the Eleventh Circuit by the Department of Justice, which also filed a motion to stay part of her order. Trump argued in court filings that the Atlanta-based appellate court lacks jurisdiction over the appeal. But the circuit judges agreed with the government’s argument that Cannon likely erred in her finding that the southern Florida federal court had jurisdiction over Trump’s motion for judicial oversight. “The absence of this ‘indispensab[le]’ factor,” the circuit judges wrote, “is reason enough to conclude that the district court abused its discretion in exercising equitable jurisdiction here.” Laurence Tribe, a professor emeritus at Harvard Law School, said it was “refreshing” to read the Eleventh Circuit opinion, which he described as a “demolition” of both Trump and Judge Cannon’s arguments that he describes as “ludicrous evasions of settled law and indisputable fact.” “It reads a lot like a stern but polite reprimand of a child caught red handed who needs to be read the riot act,” he said, Katyal highlighted part of the Eleventh Circuit’s ruling, in which the judges found that Cannon erred when she determined Trump had an interest in some of the seized materials because it included “medical documents, correspondence related to taxes, and accounting information.” The appellate panel found that “none of those concerns apply” to the approximately 100 purportedly classified documents at issue. “In any event, at least for these purposes, the declassification argument is a red herring because declassifying an official document would not change its content or render it personal,” the judges wrote. “For our part, we cannot discern why plaintiff would have an individual interest in or need for any of the one-hundred documents with classification markings.” Katyal said the circuit judges’ ruling “says what all of us have been saying, the whole declassification thing is a red herring.” Former federal prosecutor Neama Rahmani told Courthouse News last week the classification dispute was a red herring that would not impact potential charges under the Espionage Act or Presidential Records Act. “Attorney General Merrick Garland will … need to make the ultimate decision of whether to charge Trump or not,” Rahmani said. As Katyal sees it, the appeals court ruling “justified a prosecution.” Trump is under investigation for removing government records from the White House at the end of his single term as president on Jan. 20, 2021, and storing them at his 12-acre Mar-a-Lago estate in West Palm Beach.  Trump, for his part, denies any wrongdoing and he told Fox News’ Sean Hannity on Wednesday night that, “if you’re president of the United States, you can declassify just by saying ‘it’s declassified,’ even by thinking about it because you’re sending it to Mar-a-Lago or wherever you’re sending it.” Katyal meanwhile said, “Trump can try to go to the U.S. Supreme Court but it’s a loser every day of the week.” Read the Top 8 Sign up for the Top 8, a roundup of the day’s top stories delivered directly to your inbox Monday through Friday. Read More Here

Bank Of England Raises Rates To 2.25%, Despite Likely Recession https://digitalarkansasnews.com/bank-of-england-raises-rates-to-2-25-despite-likely-recession/ Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com LONDON, Sept 22 (Reuters) – The Bank of England raised its key interest rate to 2.25% from 1.75% on Thursday and said it would continue to “respond forcefully, as necessary” to inflation, despite the economy entering recession. The BoE estimates Britain’s economy will shrink 0.1% in the third quarter – partly due to the extra public holiday for Queen Elizabeth’s funeral – which, combined with a fall in output in the second quarter, meets the definition of a technical recession. Economists polled by Reuters last week had forecast a repeat of August’s half-point increase in rates, but financial markets had bet on a three-quarter-point rise, the biggest since 1989, barring a brief, failed attempt in 1992 to support sterling. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com The BoE move follows the U.S. Federal Reserve’s decision on Wednesday to raise its key rate by three quarters of a percentage point, as central banks worldwide grapple with post-COVID labour shortages and the impact of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine on energy prices. “Should the outlook suggest more persistent inflationary pressures, including from stronger demand, the Committee will respond forcefully, as necessary,” the BoE said, using a similar form of words to previous months for its policy intentions. The BoE’s Monetary Policy Committee voted 5-4 to raise rates to 2.25%, with Deputy Governor Dave Ramsden and external MPC members Jonathan Haskel and Catherine Mann voting for an increase to 2.5%, while new MPC member Swati Dhingra wanted a smaller rise to 2%. The MPC also voted unanimously to reduce the BoE’s 838 billion pounds of government bond holdings by 80 billion pounds over the coming year, by allowing bonds to mature and through active sales, which will start next month. This is in line with the goal it stated in August. The BoE now expects inflation to peak at just under 11% in October, below the 13.3% peak it forecast last month, before Liz Truss won the Conservative Party leadership and became Britain’s prime minister with a promise to cap energy tariffs and cut taxes. Workers are silhouetted as they walk past the Bank of England, in London, Britain, August 8, 2022. REUTERS/Toby Melville Inflation would remain above 10% for a few months after October, before falling, the BoE said. Consumer price inflation fell to 9.9% in July from a 40-year high of 10.1% in August, its first drop in almost a year. On Friday, new finance minister Kwasi Kwarteng will give more detail about the government’s fiscal plans, which may amount to more than 150 billion pounds of stimulus. The BoE said it would assess the implications of this for monetary policy at its November meeting. However, it noted that the energy price cap, while reducing inflation in the short term, would boost pressures further out. Before the rate decision, financial markets expected the BoE to raise rates to 3.75% by the end of the year, with a peak of 5% reached in mid-2023. Less than a year ago, BoE rates were at a record-low 0.1%. Sterling fell to its lowest since 1985 against the U.S. dollar after Wednesday’s Fed decision, though it has held up better against the euro. (This story corrects planned gilt reduction in paragraph 7 to 80 billion pounds from 100 billion pounds) Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com Reporting by David Milliken; editing by Farouq Suleiman Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles. Read More Here

UA Professor Receives Outstanding Investigator Award https://digitalarkansasnews.com/ua-professor-receives-outstanding-investigator-award/ UA chemsitry professor Mahmoud Moradi UA chemsitry professor Mahmoud Moradi by: C.C. McCandless Posted: Sep 22, 2022 / 10:42 AM CDT Updated: Sep 22, 2022 / 10:42 AM CDT UA chemsitry professor Mahmoud Moradi UA chemsitry professor Mahmoud Moradi by: C.C. McCandless Posted: Sep 22, 2022 / 10:42 AM CDT Updated: Sep 22, 2022 / 10:42 AM CDT FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. (KNWA/KFTA) — University of Arkansas chemistry professor Mahmoud Moradi, whose research focuses on computational simulations of coronavirus and other diseases, has received an Outstanding Investigator Award from the National Institutes of Health. According to a press release from the university, Outstanding Investigator Awards “support individual scientists who have demonstrated outstanding research accomplishments and seminal contributions to their field.” The awards can be used for any project of the researcher’s choice that fits within the mission of the granting institution.  Moradi, an associate professor of chemistry and biochemistry in the Fulbright College of Arts and Sciences, will receive $1.6 million over five years from the National Institute of General Medical Sciences. He will use these funds to develop, tailor and fine-tune enhanced sampling and path-finding algorithms to address important biological and biomedical questions. Enhanced sampling and path-finding algorithms are two techniques for the study of molecular dynamics simulation. Both benefit from recent advances in structural biology and supercomputing technology.  The aim of the project is to develop robust sampling and analysis protocols for studying functionally relevant conformational changes of various proteins, from fibroblast growth factor to coronavirus spike protein. The computational models will enable researchers to characterize conformational changes at the molecular level, which could deepen our understanding of diseases and design treatments for them.  Moradi previously received attention for developing computational simulations of the behavior of SARS-CoV-2 spike proteins prior to fusion with human cell receptors. SARS-CoV-2 is the virus that causes COVID-19. Trending Stories Read More Here

Tracking Invest 98-L: Will System Pose Threat To Florida? https://digitalarkansasnews.com/tracking-invest-98-l-will-system-pose-threat-to-florida-2/ Tracking Invest 98-L: Will system pose threat to Florida? Hi there. Thanks for checking out the latest on the tropics here on west dot com. I’m first warning meteorologist eric burris. Let’s get right to invest 98. This is *** storm system that is struggling with *** capital s there It is. Where? Right. Well, last night when I was tracking it on Western news at 11, it came ashore here in South America and spent *** good part of the night over land. It’s starting to come back out around the abc islands around Caracas and little by little. It will make its way into more favorable territory, warm waters, lower wind shear, but about the next 12 to 24 hours time that wind shear will be their latest in the hurricane center. Is that There’s *** high likelihood that this gets going. *** 70% likelihood in two days time. *** 90% likelihood in five days time. Okay, gradual development could become *** tropical depression over the next couple of days and then of course *** tropical storm and then *** hurricane. Speaking of that, here’s the intensity models. Okay, so they’re all really in agreement with through the weekend, keeping it relatively weak. But by Monday Tuesday, that’s when the models are going to start to strengthening. So where is it during those time frames? Well, let’s look at the model comparisons together, shall we on the left, you’re gonna have the european model on the right, You’re gonna have the GFS model. Okay, so there’s saturday. Let’s just roll right through getting you to sunday. Okay, we’ll back it up just *** little bit for for discussion sake. So there’s sunday. I want to point out that the two models are starting to show difference of opinion. The GFS wants to try and develop it *** little quicker. You can see those orange shades are getting in *** strong tropical storm force winds, whereas the european south of Jamaica on sunday says it’s probably still winds of about 30 35 miles an hour. Okay, continuing through time, there’s monday 12 30 both storms gradually increasing the Euro around the Caymans, the GFS *** bit further south. All right, let’s continue through time, Tuesday. Both models showing *** hurricane forming, but the GFS is approaching Cancun, whereas the european is getting up toward cuba. This is obviously where things differ because by 9:30 a.m. On Wednesday, you’ve got the GFS around Mexico, the european leaving cuba and approaching the florida coastline. And then of course from there, 6:30 a.m. thursday florida’s west coast would be tracking *** hurricane. Whereas with the GFS wins out, it’s just re emerging into the gulf of Mexico and then eventually tries to recurve anywhere from about Louisiana off toward the east. So the two models are varying significantly in opinion. This if there’s one thing that I hope to impress upon you, it’s that this is our timeline next couple of days land interaction and wind shear is going to keep it week. So it’s not like it’s going to get explosive and intensity any time soon. Late this week though, like I know we’re in thursday, but like friday saturday, that’s when we’re going to start to see this trying to develop and I would say by sunday given its position expectation sunday, that’s when we should start to have *** pretty decent idea of where it goes. And again, you know, where would it be on sunday if we just use the two models? Let’s just back this up by sunday. That’s when the models are starting to show that intensification. Right? So by sunday you’re talking about *** storm system somewhere past Jamaica around the Caymans. That’s when we’re going to start because computer models really struggle with development and forecasting when there’s nothing there, right? Makes sense garbage data in garbage data out. Okay, so it’s definitely something to watch very closely. What about the timing of this? Let’s take *** look hour by hour at the computer forecast models. Okay, so let’s just roll through time. Here’s the spaghetti plots that everybody loves saturday into sunday. There you go. I’ll back it up just *** little bit to make it *** bit more of *** round number. Here’s saturday morning, 11 am around Jamaica, saturday afternoon, into sunday, there’s two p.m. Sunday around the Caymans, right then from there getting closer to cuba by about monday afternoon and then just kind of continuing from there, here’s Tuesday afternoon emerging into the gulf of Mexico and you can kind of see from there, you know, where do the models take it right there’s Wednesday 10 a.m. Into the gulf. *** lot of the models wanting to make *** hard right turn Wednesday night into thursday and then of course it’s, it’s really *** thursday impact somewhere. Um I I want to pause for *** moment from the actual model data. I saw this meme and I, the idea of sharing *** meme online certainly isn’t *** normal thing, but I think that this really tells the story. If you’re highlighted in yellow, you might get *** hurricane. If you’re highlighted in yellow, you might not get *** hurricane. It’s cheesy. I know, but it’s important to remember that in terms of this storm system, we are still seven days out right? Like the models aren’t no matter what direction they go. The models aren’t showing development and intensification until this weekend and they’re not showing landfall until like next thursday, there’s *** lot of model runs between now and thursday, there’s *** lot that’s going to change. I like to call it the windshield wiper effect on the computer forecast models. They’re going to go left, they’re going to go right, you’re going to see many different solutions and some of them are gonna look more scary than others. Right? But just stay tuned stay dialed into the models okay and we’ll keep you up to date. But for now there it is. The storm system just offshore of south America will be working through the caribbean in some of the most potent energy filled water in the entire basin. From there. When you put *** storm in the Gulf of Mexico, that’s, of course where it gets to be concerning. Stay with the West to around the clock. For updates, I will have *** live update on our social channels at 3:30 PM. Take care. GET LOCAL BREAKING NEWS ALERTS The latest breaking updates, delivered straight to your email inbox. Privacy Notice Tracking Invest 98-L: Will system pose threat to Florida? ABOVE: Take a look at the model comparisons to see when and how this may impact Florida WESH 2 meteorologists are keeping a close eye on a tropical disturbance in the Southeast Caribbean Sea.As of Thursday morning, upper-level winds were inhibiting development, but the upper-level wind pattern ahead of the system is forecast to become a little more favorable in a couple of days.The system is given a 70% chance of development in the next 48 hours and a 90% chance of development in the next five days. “We still need to watch this storm very closely,” WESH 2 meteorologist Kellianne Klass said. “The general path still looks the same: into the Gulf and potentially impacts Florida, but the exact path is still unknown. Our two major models are still swapping between the panhandle and the peninsula. Either way, we are expecting this storm to strengthen. Models are also different on the timing. GFS is now slower, while the Euro is still looking like the mid-week/end of workweek timeframe.”Meanwhile, Hurricane Fiona is drifting through the Atlantic as a major Category 4 storm. And Tropical Storm Gaston is not expected to pose a threat to land.KNOW WHAT TO DO WHEN A HURRICANE WATCH IS ISSUEDStay tuned to WESH 2 News, WESH.COM, or NOAA Weather Radio for storm updates.Prepare to bring inside any lawn furniture, outdoor decorations or ornaments, trash cans, hanging plants, and anything else that can be picked up by the wind.Understand hurricane forecast models and cones.Prepare to cover all windows of your home. If shutters have not been installed, use precut plywood.Check batteries and stock up on canned food, first-aid supplies, drinking water, and medications.The WESH 2 First Warning Weather Team recommends you have these items ready before the storm strikes.Bottled water: One gallon of water per person per dayCanned food and soup, such as beans and chiliCan opener for the cans without the easy-open lidsAssemble a first-aid kitTwo weeks’ worth of prescription medicationsBaby/children’s needs, such as formula and diapersFlashlight and batteriesBattery-operated weather radioWHAT TO DO WHEN A HURRICANE WARNING IS ISSUEDListen to the advice of local officials. If you are advised to evacuate, leave.Complete preparation activitiesIf you are not advised to evacuate, stay indoors, away from windows.Be alert for tornadoes. Tornadoes can happen during a hurricane and after it passes over. Remain indoors, in the center of your home, in a closet or bathroom without windows.HOW YOUR SMARTPHONE CAN HELP DURING A HURRICANEA smartphone can be your best friend in a hurricane — with the right websites and apps, you can turn it into a powerful tool for guiding you through a storm’s approach, arrival and aftermath.Download the WESH 2 News app for iOS | AndroidEnable emergency alerts — if you have an iPhone, select settings, then go into notifications. From there, look for government alerts and enable emergency alerts.If you have an Android phone, from the home page of the app, scroll to the right along the bottom and click on “settings.” On the settings menu, click on “severe weather alerts.” From the menu, select from most severe, moderate-severe, or all alerts.PET AND ANIMAL SAFETYYour pet should be a part of your family plan. If you must evacuate, the most important thing you can do to protect your pets is to evacuate them too. Leaving pets behind, even if you try to create a safe space for them, could result in injury or death.Contact hotels and motels outside o...

DeSantis Migrant Flight Funding Revealed – Live https://digitalarkansasnews.com/desantis-migrant-flight-funding-revealed-live/ Related video: More Migrants Arrive In D.C. As White House Slams Republican Governors A group of 48 mostly Venezeulan migrants who the state of Florida transported in a surprise flight to Martha’s Vineyard last week have sued governor Ron DeSantis for the “fraudulent and discriminatory scheme.” The class- action lawsuit comes as at least two law enforcement agencies are also investigating the actions of Ron DeSantis and Greg Abbott for potential illegality. A new report has revelaed the funding for Mr DeSantis’s migrant flights. The contractor hired by the governor is a longtime GOP donor. Meanwhile, a plane reportedly full of asylum-seekers heading from Texas to Delaware so far hasn’t materialised, even as officials there worried they’d be the latest to be surprised with Florida’s highly controversial scheme of flying migrants unannounced to liberal jurisdictions. Governor DeSantis and his aides have defended sending migrants to Democratic-leading states and cities in protest of what they characterise as the president’s “open border” policy. Registration is a free and easy way to support our truly independent journalism By registering, you will also enjoy limited access to Premium articles, exclusive newsletters, commenting, and virtual events with our leading journalists Email Please enter a valid email Please enter a valid email Password Must be at least 6 characters, include an upper and lower case character and a number Must be at least 6 characters, include an upper and lower case character and a number Must be at least 6 characters, include an upper and lower case character and a number First name Please enter your first name Special characters aren’t allowed Please enter a name between 1 and 40 characters Last name Please enter your last name Special characters aren’t allowed Please enter a name between 1 and 40 characters You must be over 18 years old to register You must be over 18 years old to register Year of birth I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent.  Read our Privacy notice You can opt-out at any time by signing in to your account to manage your preferences. Each email has a link to unsubscribe. Already have an account? sign in Registration is a free and easy way to support our truly independent journalism By registering, you will also enjoy limited access to Premium articles, exclusive newsletters, commenting, and virtual events with our leading journalists Email Please enter a valid email Please enter a valid email Password Must be at least 6 characters, include an upper and lower case character and a number Must be at least 6 characters, include an upper and lower case character and a number Must be at least 6 characters, include an upper and lower case character and a number First name Please enter your first name Special characters aren’t allowed Please enter a name between 1 and 40 characters Last name Please enter your last name Special characters aren’t allowed Please enter a name between 1 and 40 characters You must be over 18 years old to register You must be over 18 years old to register Year of birth I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent.  Read our Privacy notice You can opt-out at any time by signing in to your account to manage your preferences. Each email has a link to unsubscribe. Already have an account? sign in Read More Here

White Coats Symbolize New Beginnings For College Of Pharmacy Class Of 2026 – UAMS News https://digitalarkansasnews.com/white-coats-symbolize-new-beginnings-for-college-of-pharmacy-class-of-2026-uams-news/ View Larger Image Daman Singh receives his white coat from Jessica Allred and Katherine Snider. Fifty-five students received their coats in a ceremony held Sept. 9. Image by Bryan Clifton Sept. 22, 2022 | Members of the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences’ (UAMS) College of Pharmacy (COP) Class of 2026 received their white coats in a ceremony Friday, Sept. 9, marking the beginning of their journey in pharmacy school. The event, held at Connor Performing Arts Center at Pulaski Academy in Little Rock, had a lively atmosphere, with hundreds attending and parking overflowing into several lots. Students dressed in their best and snapped photos together before and after the ceremony. Dean Cindy Stowe, Pharm.D., said she hoped the Class of 2026 would embrace the challenges before them.Bryan Clifton “This event marks your class’ transition into the profession of pharmacy as student pharmacists,” said Dean Cindy Stowe, Pharm.D. “The path is not always easy, but I believe that the rewards are great. I hope that as members of the Class of 2026 you embrace these challenges. I think you will be amazed at your accomplishments and who you have become once you finish this program.” Students arrived in August to begin their didactic curriculum, which will continue through their third year. The final and fourth year of pharmacy school is the experiential curriculum, which includes advanced practice experiences also commonly referred to as rotations. Although last year’s ceremony was the college’s first in-person event since the COVID-19 pandemic, friends and family still attended virtually. This time, everyone could clap and cheer together in the same auditorium. Alanna Bramwell, a 2024 Doctor of Pharmacy candidate, served as master of ceremonies and led the first-year students in reciting the pledge of professionalism. Keynote speaker Mary Bradley, Pharm.D., told the students to treat every patient like family.Bryan Clifton “This is the greatest state in America to practice pharmacy,” said John Vinson, Pharm.D., COP ’05, CEO and executive vice president of the Arkansas Pharmacists Association. “The last two or three years I know have been challenging, but for the profession of pharmacy it’s been some tremendous opportunities to advance the services that we provide to save lives. We’re so happy and so proud to have you as part of our profession.” Mary Bradley, Pharm.D., COP ’16, a staff pharmacist at Arkansas Children’s, gave the keynote address and emphasized putting people first. She offered examples of multiple meaningful patient experiences before revealing that each one was a family member who played an important role in her personal and professional growth. “I did not take care of them in a professional capacity, but their hardships, and my role in them, shaped who I am as a professional today,” Bradley said. “I say this to underscore the fact that behind every patient is a family member or a close friend who might find themselves in a helpless situation, and they may need you.” Students recited the pledge of professionalism, like countless classes before them.Bryan Clifton “I am blessed to have had the privilege to earn knowledge through hard work and excellent training at UAMS that helps me care for my patients, all of whom I try to treat like family,” Bradley added. “You now have the privilege of learning to do the same.” Student ambassadors for the event, who assisted with programs, organization and seating, student lineups and coating, were Rilie Vote, Kendall Perkins, Amanda Russell, Jessica Allred, Katherine Snider, Mattie Schanandore, Nicholas Hollowell, Madeline Griffin, Mary Siebenmorgan, Jennifer Portillo, Peyton Dodd, Joe Brill, Alexa Ramick, Emily Carter and Dylan Yowell. Read More…

Obituaries In Fort Smith, AR | Times Record https://digitalarkansasnews.com/obituaries-in-fort-smith-ar-times-record-38/ David LeDat David Vu LeDat, 57, of Conway, AR passed away on Sept. 14, 2022 in his home. He was born in July 18, 1965 in Bien Hoa, Vietnam to Cong LeDat and Christine Nguyen. He was a computer designer for Baldor and of the Christian faith. Memorial service is 12:00PM, Friday, Sept. 23, 2022 at Ocker-Putman Funeral Home of Fort Smith, AR with burial of cremains in Forest Park Cemetery. He is survived by his three daughters, Kim Kerrigan, Jessica LeDat and Rachel Lehman; his mother, Christine Nguyen, two brothers, Tony and Sam LeDat; a sister, Danielle LeDat; three grandchildren, Andrew Cook and Kyle and Kelsey Kerrigan. Posted online on September 22, 2022 Published in Southwest Times Record Read More Here

Thursday, September 22, 2022 | TALKERS Magazine – Talk Media Trade https://digitalarkansasnews.com/thursday-september-22-2022-talkers-magazine-talk-media-trade/ FAIR’s Hold Their Feet to the Fire Radio Row 2022 Brings Hosts and Guests Together in Washington, DC. Today (9/22) is the second day of the two-day radio row presented by Federation for American Immigration Reform. The 15th annual “Hold Their Feet to the Fire” began on Wednesday with more than 65 talk media personalities interviewing politicians and immigration experts and discussing the hot-button issues immigration reform and the problems the nation faces with the recent surges of migrants at the U.S.-Mexico border. Pictured above are two of the hosts taking part in the radio row. Above left is WNRI, Woonsocket, Rhode Island personality John DePetro flanked by U.S. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA), and above right is WRVA, Richmond afternoon host Jeff Katz with the media personalities Diamond and Silk. WPHT, Philadelphia Talent Shuffle Includes New Morning Show; Zeoli Moves to PM Drive. A change in the programming schedule at Audacy’s news/talk WPHT, Philadelphia includes a new morning drive program titled, “Kayal and Company,” led by Nick Kayal and including Dawn Stensland and Greg Stocker (who also serves as station PD). Current morning drive host Rich Zeoli moves to the 3:00 pm to 7:00 pm daypart. Dom Giordano remains in the 12:00 noon to 3:00 pm slot and Stensland continues her solo program from 10:00 am to 12:00 noon. The changes become effective on October 3. Audacy Philadelphia SVP and market manager David Yadgaroff comments, “For the first time ever, WPHT will be live and local from 6:00 am to 7:00 pm, which further cements this fan favorite as the voice of Philadelphia and a reliable destination for our listeners. We’re excited to welcome Nick, who is trading in his sports background for his passion for politics, to our morning drive, and move Rich and his highly-successful program to entertain and inform listeners as they wind down their days.” Kayal previously worked in the market on sports talk WPEN-FM “97.5 The Fanatic.” The Ramsey Network Launches ‘Smart Money Happy Hour’ Podcast. A new podcast from the Ramsey Network is launched titled, “Smart Money Happy Hour,” starring Rachel Cruze and George Kamel. The podcast is described as “a mix of solid advice and snark from two friends who also happen to be money experts.” The show joins the Ramsey Network roster of podcasts that includes “The Ramsey Show,” “The Dr. John Delony Show,” “The Rachel Cruze Show,” “The Ken Coleman Show,” “The Fine Print,” “Borrowed Future” and “The EntreLeadership Podcast.” Ramsey Network EVP Blake Thompson says, “Rachel and George have such unique chemistry. One minute I was laughing along with them, the next I was thinking about money in a whole new way. People are going to love the pop culture references and the casual, pour-a-glass-of-wine environment these two have created in this new podcast.” Some of the “Smart Money Happy Hour” topics include: Is Convenience Culture Worth Being Broke?; HGTV: The Network That Brainwashed Us; How to Leave a Royal Legacy for Your Family; and Can the Middle Class Still Afford to Go to Disney? SmileyAudioMedia Offering ‘Agenda for America’ Election Programming to Stations. As a part of its continuing election coverage, Tavis Smiley, SmileyAudioMedia, Inc. and KBLA, Los Angeles “Talk 1580” announce that they are offering exclusive election programming to urban stations nationwide. SmileyAudioMedia, Inc. and KBLA Talk 1580 are producing a live, four-part series titled, “Agenda for America: An African American Perspective” that is executive produced by Smiley and moderated by KBLA’s radio hosts. The company says these four national conversations featuring influential Black voices will be offered at no charge to other talk- and urban-formatted radio stations and audio platforms across the country. The four programs are: “The State of Black Women in America,” hosted by Areva Martin; “The State of Black Men in America,” hosted by Zo Williams; “The State of Black Youth in America,” hosted by Dominique DiPrima; and, “Why We Can’t Wait: The Urgency of Now,” hosted by Tavis Smiley. The series airs live on Thursdays from 7:00 pm to 9:00 pm PT on KBLA “Talk 1580.” Smiley says, “KBLA ‘Talk 1580’ is not only a portal for talk and opinions for the progressive African American listening audience, but also a content provider of relevant programming for urban stations around the country. We intend for KBLA ‘Talk 1580’ to be the epicenter of election coverage, addressing local, state and national issues, affecting what matters most to our people.” BIA Advisory: WTOP Maintains Top Biller Spot for 2021. A report from BIA Advisory Services tallying radio’s top billers for last year reveals that Hubbard Broadcasting’s all-news WTOP-FM, Washington stayed in the #1 position with an estimated $70 million in revenue in 2021. BIA Advisory says that figure was an increase of 12.9% from $62 million in 2020. It goes on to say, “This surpasses the overall growth rate of 10.3% that BIA forecasts for over-the-air radio from 2020 to 2021, as the industry started to pull out of the pandemic slump. WTOP-FM is also the only station on this list to surpass its pre-pandemic revenue figure of $69.8 million in 2019.” The spoken word stations on the 2021 list that showed improvement include Audacy’s all-news WBBM-AM/WCFS-FM, Chicago – up to the #4 spot from #5 in 2020 ($34 million); Beasley Media Group’s sports talk WBZ-FM, Boston rose from #6 to #5 ($33.4 million); Audacy’s all-news WINS, New York was up from #9 to #8 ($31.6 million); its sports talk WFAN, New York rose from #10 to #9 ($31.5 million); and its all-news WCBS-AM, New York entered the top 10 at #10 ($30.9 million). The big change from the 2020 list to the 2021 list was Cox Media Group’s news/talk WSB-AM/WSBB-FM, Atlanta falling from #4 to #12. BIA also ranked the top billing by radio companies. You can see both charts here. Triton Digital Releases August 2022 U.S. Podcast Report. This report from Triton Digital ranks the most popular podcasts in the U.S. for the month of August based on Average Weekly Downloads. Changes from the July 2022 report include audiochuck’s “Crime Junkie” rising from #3 to #1, bumping Cumulus Podcast Network’s “Ben Shapiro Show” from #1 to #3. Remaining in the #2 spot is NPR’s “NPR News Now.” You can see the complete list of the top 100 U.S. podcasts from Triton Digital here. Inflation/Interest Rate Hike, NY Sues Trump Org, Trump Documents Case, Immigration/Migrant Transportation, Midterms/2024 Presidential Race, Zelenskyy UN Speech, Iran Protests, and Hurricane Fiona Among Top News/Talk Stories Yesterday (9/21). Inflation, the rising price of gasoline, and the Fed’s interest rate hike; New York Attorney General Letitia James files a civil fraud suit against Donald Trump, his children, and Trump Org officers; an Appeals Court rules DOJ can resume criminal probe of Donald Trump documents case; the immigration troubles at the U.S.-Mexico border and the transporting of migrants from Southern states to Northern cities; the November midterm elections and speculation about the nominees for president in 2024; Volodymyr Zelenskyy addresses the UN General Assembly pressing for punishment for Russia’s invasion of Ukraine; the protests in Iran over the death of a woman in custody of the country’s “morality police”; and the destruction caused by Hurricane Fiona were some of the most-talked-about stories on news/talk radio yesterday, according to ongoing research from TALKERS magazine. KWAM Seeks News Staffers. KWAM, Memphis “The Mighty 990” is expanding its local news coverage. KWAM has promoted Ben Deeter – executive producer of “Wake Up Memphis” – to full-time news anchor and anchor of the radio station’s political coverage. KWAM owner Todd Starnes says there are plans to add more reporters and anchors. Email resumes to: info@kwamradio.com. FOX News Media Seeks Freelance Radio Anchor. This onsite position in either Los Angeles, Chicago or New York is a freelance radio anchor for the FOX News Audio family as on-air talent for FOX News Radio Network/FOX News Headlines 24/7 Sirius XM Channel 115. In this position, you will work under tight deadlines and deliver top-notch newscasts. You have a passion for breaking news and the flexibility to work on a day’s notice. Learn more about this position here. Reporter Position Open at FOX News Media in Washington, DC. For this onsite reporter position FOX News Media is looking for an experienced, full-time reporter to join the Washington DC team. You will cover a wide range of political, government, and Congressional stories for FOX News Audio (FOX News Headlines 24/7 and FOX News Terrestrial Radio). You possess strong journalism skills and thrive in a fast-paced, deadline-driven environment.  Most importantly, you have great editorial judgment and the ability to break important news stories. Learn more and apply here. Freelance Producer/Editor Opportunity at FOX News Media. This exciting opportunity is based in New York for a freelance producer/news editor to supervise the staff for our network radio news operations (terrestrial and FOX News Headlines 24/7 – Channel 115 on SiriusXM Radio). In this role you are our editorial leader, working with news anchors to craft the content and structure of a 24/7 news operation. This is fast-moving news environment! Your ability to thrive in a fast-paced, deadline-driven newsroom allows you to deliver top-quality segments/newscasts. You excel at multi-tasking and pay close attention to details. Your writing and editing skills are excellent and your editorial judgment is first-rate. Find out more here. Tags: Agenda for America: An African American Perspective, all news, Areva Martin, Atlanta, Audacy, audiochuck, Beasley Media Group, Ben Shapiro Show, BIA Advisory, Blake Thompson, Boston, Chicago, ...

Attorney General James Sues Donald Trump For Years Of Financial Fraud https://digitalarkansasnews.com/attorney-general-james-sues-donald-trump-for-years-of-financial-fraud/ Donald Trump Falsely Inflated His Net Worth by Billions of Dollars to Further Enrich Himself and Cheat the System Trump, Donald Trump Jr., Ivanka Trump, and Eric Trump Used Fraudulent Statements of Financial Condition to Obtain Millions in Economic Benefits Lawsuit Seeks to Remove Trump and His Children from Their Roles at the Trump Organization; Ban Them from Future Leadership Roles in New York; Repay $250 Million They Illegally Obtained New York – New York Attorney General Letitia James on Wednesday, September 21st, filed a lawsuit against Donald Trump, the Trump Organization, senior management, and involved entities for engaging in years of financial fraud to obtain a host of economic benefits. The lawsuit alleges that Donald Trump, with the help of his children Donald Trump, Jr., Ivanka Trump, and Eric Trump, and senior executives at the Trump Organization, falsely inflated his net worth by billions of dollars to induce banks to lend money to the Trump Organization on more favorable terms than would otherwise have been available to the company, to satisfy continuing loan covenants, to induce insurers to provide insurance coverage for higher limits and at lower premiums, and to gain tax benefits, among other things. From 2011-2021, Mr. Trump and the Trump Organization knowingly and intentionally created more than 200 false and misleading valuations of assets on his annual Statements of Financial Condition to defraud financial institutions. This conduct was in violation of New York Executive Law 63(12), which gives the Office of the Attorney General (OAG) special and broad powers to go after persistent and repeated fraud and illegality, which in this case includes violating other state laws prohibiting the submission of false financial statements, the falsification of business records, and the commission of insurance fraud. As a consequence of these violations, OAG is seeking, among other relief, to: 1) permanently bar Mr. Trump, Donald Trump, Jr., Ivanka Trump, and Eric Trump from serving as an officer or director in any New York corporation or similar business entity registered and/or licensed in New York state; 2) bar Mr. Trump and the Trump Organization from entering into any New York real estate acquisitions for five years; 3) award disgorgement of all financial benefits obtained through the persistent fraudulent practices, estimated to total $250 million. In conjunction with the lawsuit, OAG has referred the matter to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York and the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) for criminal investigation. NYS Attorney General Latitia James “For too long, powerful, wealthy people in this country have operated as if the rules do not apply to them. Donald Trump stands out as among the most egregious examples of this misconduct,” said Attorney General James. “With the help of his children and senior executives at the Trump Organization, Donald Trump falsely inflated his net worth by billions of dollars to unjustly enrich himself and cheat the system. In fact, the very foundation of his purported net worth is rooted in incredible fraud and illegality. Mr. Trump thought he could get away with the art of the steal, but today, that conduct ends. There are not two sets of laws for people in this country; we must hold former presidents to the same standards as everyday Americans. I will continue to ensure that no one is able to evade the law, because no one is above it.” Statements of Financial Condition This years-long fraudulent scheme centers on the annual Statements of Financial Condition (statements) for Donald Trump that contain Mr. Trump’s or his trustees’ assertions of his net worth. From 2011-2021, these statements were compiled by Trump Organization executives, and were issued as a compilation report by Mr. Trump’s accounting firm. The statements are explicit that the preparation was the responsibility of Mr. Trump or, starting in 2016, the trustees of his revocable trust, Donald Trump Jr., and Allen Weisselberg. The statements were personally certified as accurate by Mr. Trump or by one of his trustees when being presented to financial institutions with the purpose and intent that the information contained in the statement would be relied upon by those institutions. Over the course of OAG’s three-year investigation, OAG found that between 2011-2021, Mr. Trump’s statements were fraudulent and misleading in both their composition and their presentation. Mr. Trump made known through Mr. Weisselberg that he wanted his net worth on his statements to increase every year, and the statements were the vehicle by which his net worth was fraudulently inflated by billions of dollars year after year. All told, Mr. Trump, his children, the Trump Organization, and the other defendants as part of a repeated pattern and common scheme, derived more than 200 false and misleading valuations of assets for the 11 statements covering 2011 through 2021. Each statement represented that the values were prepared by Mr. Trump and others at the Trump Organization in consultation with “professionals,” however, no outside professionals were retained to prepare any of the asset valuations for the statements. To the extent Mr. Trump and the Trump Organization received any advice from outside professionals that had any bearing on how to approach valuing the assets, they routinely ignored or contradicted such advice. They also issued statements that were in blatant violation of generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP) in the United States, despite representing that the statements were prepared in accordance with these principles. They ignored the most basic rules and standards for financial reporting, including: Representing that Mr. Trump had cash on hand that he did not; Ignoring critical restrictions that would significantly lower property values when setting valuations; Changing the methodology used to value properties from year to year, without reason or notice; Using vastly different methods to value different properties even in the same year; and Including intangible items, such as brand premiums, when calculating an asset’s value, despite representing in the statements that such items were not included. Values of Properties and Other Assets Presented in the Statements Were Fraudulent, Misleading, and Not Presented in Accordance with GAAP In the 214-page complaint, which is the culmination of our investigation that included more than 65 witness interviews and review of millions of pages of documents, OAG lays out dozens of examples of this fraudulent activity and how Mr. Trump and the Trump Organization routinely and intentionally misvalued assets to further enrich Mr. Trump. The complaint includes fraudulent conduct across more than 23 different properties and other assets owned by Mr. Trump and the Trump Organization. Some examples of this misconduct include: Trump Tower Triplex: Valuations of this property relied on objectively false numbers to calculate property values. For example, Mr. Trump’s own triplex apartment in Trump Tower was valued as being 30,000 square feet when it was 10,996 square feet. As a result, in 2015 the apartment was valued at $327 million in total, or $29,738 per square foot. That price was absurd given the fact that at that point only one apartment in New York City had ever sold for even $100 million, at a price per square foot of less than $10,000, and that sale was in a newly built, ultra-tall tower. In 30 year-old Trump Tower, the record sale at that time was a mere $16.5 million at a price of less than $4,500 per square foot. Trump Park Avenue: This property is included as an asset on Mr. Trump’s Statement of Financial Condition from 2011 to 2021 with values ranging between $90.9 million and $350 million. Unsold residential condominium units owned by Mr. Trump or the Trump Organization represented the lion’s share of reported value for this property (in excess of 95% in some years). Reported values of the unsold residential units of the Trump Park Avenue building were significantly higher than the internal valuations used by the Trump Organization for business planning and failed to account for the fact that many units were rent stabilized. For example, an outside, bank-ordered appraisal in 2010 valued the 12 rent-stabilized at $750,000 total. Yet, in the 2011 and 2012 statements, the rent-stabilized apartments at Trump Park Avenue were valued as market rate for nearly $50 million total. In July 2020, the Trump Organization received an appraisal with a value of $84.5 million but on the 2020 Statement the Trump Organization valued Trump Park Avenue at $135.8 million. 40 Wall Street: The Trump Organization owns a ground lease at 40 Wall Street, meaning it holds a leasehold interest in the land and buildings on the land, but pays rent to the owner. The Trump Organization received a bank-ordered appraisal for the commercial property at 40 Wall Street that calculated a value for the property of $220 million as of November 1, 2012. Yet in the statement that year and the next year (2013), 40 Wall Street was valued at $527 million and $530 million—more than twice the value calculated by the independent, professional appraisers. Even more egregiously, those increased valuations were attributed to information obtained from the same professional appraiser who valued the building at just over $200 million. In 2015, the Trump Organization replaced the existing loan on the building with a loan from Ladder Capital Finance (working with Mr. Weisselberg’s son, a director there). The Ladder loan was approved based in part on an inflated appraisal prepared by Cushman & Wakefield. Ultimately, the final appraisal for the loan came to a valuation of $540 million throug...

House Passes Election Law Overhaul In Response To Jan. 6 – Wilmington News Journal https://digitalarkansasnews.com/house-passes-election-law-overhaul-in-response-to-jan-6-wilmington-news-journal/ WASHINGTON (AP) — The House has passed legislation to overhaul the rules for certifying the results of a presidential election as lawmakers accelerate their response to the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection and Donald Trump’s failed attempt to remain in power. The bill, which is similar to bipartisan legislation moving through the Senate, would overhaul an arcane 1800s-era statute known as the Electoral Count Act that governs, along with the U.S. Constitution, how states and Congress certify electors and declare presidential election winners. While that process has long been routine and ceremonial, Trump and a group of his aides and lawyers unsuccessfully tried to exploit loopholes in the law in an attempt to overturn his defeat to Joe Biden in the 2020 election. Democrats are pushing to pass the bill before the end of the year and ahead of the 2024 election cycle as Trump is considering another run. While at least 10 GOP senators have signed on to the Senate version, the House vote fell mostly along party lines. House Republicans — most of whom are still aligned with Trump — argued that the legislation shouldn’t be a priority and that it is a political vehicle for Democrats ahead of November’s midterm elections. The final vote was 229-203, with nine Republicans joining all Democrats in voting for the bill. None of the nine Republicans is returning to Congress next year. The legislation would set new parameters around the Jan. 6 joint session of Congress that happens every four years after a presidential election. The day turned violent last year after hundreds of Trump’s supporters interrupted the proceedings, broke into the building and threatened the lives of then-Vice President Mike Pence and members of Congress. The rioters echoed Trump’s false claims of widespread fraud and wanted Pence to block Biden’s victory as he presided over the joint session. The legislation intends to ensure that future Jan. 6 sessions are “as the constitution envisioned, a ministerial day,” said Wyoming Rep. Liz Cheney, a Republican who co-sponsored the legislation with House Administration Committee Chairwoman Zoe Lofgren, D-Calif. Both Cheney and Lofgren are also members of the House committee investigating the Jan. 6 attack. Ahead of the vote, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said the legislation is necessary as there have been attempts in states across the country to change election laws to make it easier to nullify future results. “Now we have a solemn duty to ensure that future efforts to undermine our elections cannot succeed,” Pelosi said. The bill would clarify in the law that the vice president’s role presiding over the count is only ceremonial and that he or she cannot change the results. It also sets out that each state can only send one certified set of electors after Trump’s allies had unsuccessfully tried to put together alternate slates of illegitimate pro-Trump electors in swing states where Biden won. “This bill will make it harder to convince people that they have the right to overthrow an election,” Lofgren said. The legislation would increase the threshold for individual lawmakers’ objections to any state’s electoral votes, requiring a third of the House and a third of the Senate to object to trigger votes on the results in both chambers. Currently, only one lawmaker in the House and one lawmaker in the Senate has to object. The House bill would set out very narrow grounds for those objections, an attempt to thwart baseless or politically motivated challenges. In addition, the bill would require courts to get involved if state or local officials want to delay a presidential vote or refuse to certify the results. The House vote comes as the Senate is moving on a similar track with enough Republican support to virtually ensure passage before the end of the year. After months of talks, House Democrats introduced their legislation Monday and held the quick vote two days later in order to send the bill across the Capitol and start to resolve differences. A bipartisan group of senators introduced legislation this summer and a Senate committee is expected to vote on it next week. While the House bill is more expansive than the Senate version, the two bills cover similar ground and members in both chambers are optimistic that they can work out the differences. And despite the mostly party-line vote in the House, supporters are encouraged by the bipartisan effort in the Senate. “Both sides have an incentive to want a set of clear rules, and this is an antiquated law that no one understands,” said Benjamin Ginsburg, a longtime GOP lawyer who consulted with lawmakers as they wrote the bill. “All parties benefit from clarity.” House GOP leaders encouraged their members to vote against the legislation. They said the involvement of courts could drag out elections and said the bill would take rights away from states. The bill is an “attempt to federalize our elections,” Rep. Guy Reschenthaler, R-Pa., said on the House floor. He argued that voters are more focused on the economy and other issues than elections law. “In my area of Pennsylvania, nobody is talking about this,” Reschenthaler said. Illinois Rep. Rodney Davis, Lofgren’s GOP counterpart on the House Administration Committee, said Democrats are “desperately trying to talk about their favorite topic, and that is former President Donald Trump.” Democrats said the bill was not only a response to Trump, but also a way to prevent objections and mischief from all candidates in the future. “If you think that this legislation is an attack on President Trump, you simply haven’t read the legislation because there’s nothing in there attacking President Trump,” said Rep. Jamie Raskin, D-Md., another member of the Jan. 6 panel. “This is about reforming the Electoral Count Act so it works for the American people.” House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, D-Md., was blunter. He criticized Republicans who have defended Trump’s actions that day and who have downplayed the seriousness of the former president’s attempts to overturn the results of the election. Hoyer called the Republican opposition a “rationalization of what I believe is treason. … It was rationalized then, and sadly it is being rationalized now.” The nine Republicans who voted in support of the legislation are all either retiring or were defeated for reelection in their GOP primaries this year. Eight of the nine voted for Trump’s impeachment immediately after the insurrection. The nine Republicans are Cheney and Reps. Adam Kinzinger of Illinois, Fred Upton of Michigan, Peter Meijer of Michigan, Tom Rice of South Carolina, Jaime Herrera Beutler of Washington, Anthony Gonzalez of Ohio, John Katko of New York and Chris Jacobs of New York. ___ AP Congressional Correspondent Lisa Mascaro contributed to this report. This image from House Television shows House Speaker Nancy Pelosi of Calif., presiding as the House passes H.R. 8873 on Wednesday, Sept. 21, 2022, at the Capitol in Washington. The House passed legislation to overhaul the rules for certifying the results of a presidential election as lawmakers accelerate their response to the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection and Donald Trump’s failed attempt to remain in power. (House Television via AP) FILE – Rep. Zoe Lofgren, D-Calif., listens as the House select committee investigating the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol holds a hearing at the Capitol in Washington, July 12, 2022. The central idea behind House and Senate bills to reform an arcane federal election law is simple: Congress should not decide presidential elections.  The bills are a direct response to the Jan. 6 insurrection and former President Trump’s efforts in the weeks beforehand to find a way around the Electoral Count Act, an 1800s-era law that governs how states and Congress certify electors and declare presidential election winners, along with the U.S. Constitution. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin, File) FILE – Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., speaks at a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on domestic terrorism, June 7, 2022, on Capitol Hill in Washington. The central idea behind House and Senate bills to reform an arcane federal election law is simple: Congress should not decide presidential elections.  The bills are a direct response to the Jan. 6 insurrection and former President Trump’s efforts in the weeks beforehand to find a way around the Electoral Count Act, an 1800s-era law that governs how states and Congress certify electors and declare presidential election winners, along with the U.S. Constitution. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin) Read More Here

Fallon Teases Trump Over NY Attorney General’s Lawsuit: ‘He Just Asked Ron DeSantis To Fly Him Somewhere Random’ (Video) – IMDb https://digitalarkansasnews.com/fallon-teases-trump-over-ny-attorney-generals-lawsuit-he-just-asked-ron-desantis-to-fly-him-somewhere-random-video-imdb/ Fallon Teases Trump Over NY Attorney General’s Lawsuit: ‘He Just Asked Ron DeSantis to Fly Him Somewhere Random’ (Video) 22 September 2022 by Benjamin Lindsay The Wrap Former president Donald Trump was met with a civil fraud lawsuit from New York Attorney General Letitia James on Wednesday, and “The Tonight Show” host Jimmy Fallon can tell he’s getting worried. “He just asked Ron DeSantis to fly him somewhere random in the middle of the night,” he joked. Breaking down the contents of the 250 million suit, which accuses the twice-impeached former president of widespread business fraud and inflating the value of his properties, Fallon detailed how Trump claimed his Mar-a-Lago estate is worth 739 million, but it was only appraised at 75 million. Also Read: Trump Claims Presidents Can Declassify Things Just ‘By Thinking About It’ (Video) Putting on his Trump impression, Fallon figured out where he got such a gargantuan number: “Technically, with all the classified documents, it is worth 739 million.” And it’s not the first time that Trump has been accused of exaggerating the size of his wealth, See full article at The Wrap » IMDb.com, Inc. takes no responsibility for the content or accuracy of the above news articles, Tweets, or blog posts. This content is published for the entertainment of our users only. The news articles, Tweets, and blog posts do not represent IMDb’s opinions nor can we guarantee that the reporting therein is completely factual. Please visit the source responsible for the item in question to report any concerns you may have regarding content or accuracy. Read More Here

New York AG's Financial Fraud Suit Against Trump Details Insurance Scenarios https://digitalarkansasnews.com/new-york-ags-financial-fraud-suit-against-trump-details-insurance-scenarios/ Donald Trump and the Trump Organization used false and misleading statements of financial condition to obtain favorable real estate loans and insurance coverage over the last decade, according to a 222- page civil complaint filed by New York Attorney General Letitia James after a three-year investigation. The suit names the Trump Organization, Donald Trump, three of his children — Executive Vice Presidents Ivanka Trump, Eric Trump and Donald Trump Jr. — as well as Chief Financial Officer Allen H. Weisselberg, and other Trump entities and individuals. While the bulk of the fraud charges concern bank loans, the suit also charges the Trumps with insurance fraud under state laws that prohibit the submission of false information as part of an application for commercial insurance or to claim a benefit under an insurance policy. James alleges that each defendant participated in a “continuous, integrated scheme” to use false and misleading information to inflate Donald Trump’s net worth in order to obtain financial benefits of about $250 million. The suit alleges that former President Trump, with the help of his children and senior executives at the Trump Organization, “falsely inflated his net worth by billions of dollars to induce banks to lend money to the Trump Organization on more favorable terms than would otherwise have been available to the company, to satisfy continuing loan covenants, to induce insurers to provide insurance coverage for higher limits and at lower premiums, and to gain tax benefits, among other things.” From 2011-2021, Trump and the Trump Organization “knowingly and intentionally created more than 200 false and misleading valuations of assets on Trump’s annual statements of financial condition to defraud financial institutions,” the lawsuit claims. The Trump financial documents were key components in its insurance submissions As penalty for the alleged misconduct, the attorney general is seeking to: permanently bar the Trumps from serving as officers or directors in any New York corporation; bar Trump and the Trump Organization from entering into any New York real estate acquisitions for five years; award disgorgement of all financial benefits obtained through the persistent fraudulent practices, estimated to total $250 million. In conjunction with the lawsuit, James said she has also referred the matter to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York and the Internal Revenue Service for criminal investigation. Trump’s lawyer, Alina Habba, told the New York Times the charges are “meritless.” The former President took to his Truth Social site to respond, calling the New York AG a “racist” for going after him and his family and labeling the lawsuit a “witch hunt.” His sons, Donald Jr. and Eric, also blasted the suit as a “witch hunt.” Insurance Charges The suit provides details on two insurance scenarios where Aon Risk Solutions was the broker and the Trumps are alleged to have submitted false information: a surety bond program with Zurich North America, and directors and officers liability coverages from Everest National and Tokio Marine HCC. The Trump financial documents were key components in its insurance submissions. They were used to support Trump’s personal guaranty in lieu of collateral and to misrepresent the valuations of Trump properties, according to the complaint, which notes that the Trump Organization only allowed underwriters to review Trump’s financial statements in person at Trump Organization offices. The suit was filed in the state trial court for New York County. There are no allegations that any of the insurance parties did anything illegal or fraudulent. Regarding the D&O coverage, the suit also claims that in addition to submitting false financial statements, Trump and his organization failed to disclose an investigation into Trump and other employees that could have affected their ability to obtain the coverage. The Trump firm later attempted to seek defense coverage under the D&O policy for that probe. Insurance Journal reached out the insurance firms cited in the complaint but had not been able to connect with them by press time. There are no allegations that any of the insurance parties did anything illegal or fraudulent. Trump Surety Program According to insurance excerpts from the AG’s lawsuit: From 2007 through 2021, Zurich North America underwrote a surety bond program for the Trump Organization through insurance broker Aon. Most of the bonds were statutorily required for the Trump Organization’s real estate business, such as liquor license bonds for golf courses or release of lien bonds for construction projects. Over the course of the program, based on the financial disclosures made by the Trump Organization, Zurich agreed to increasingly more favorable terms—periodically increasing the limits and decreasing the rate until the program was canceled in 2021. Over the course of the relationship, Zurich required the Trump Organization to provide an indemnification against any loss should Zurich be required to pay under a bond. The Trump Organization met this indemnification requirement through a General Indemnity Agreement (GIA) under which Donald J. Trump personally agreed to indemnify Zurich for claims. The Trump Organization obtained Zurich’s approval to renew the surety program on at least two occasions through intentional misrepresentations concerning Trump’s statements. Zurich’s underwriter was shown statements listing the Trump Organization’s real estate holdings with valuations that Trump representatives said were determined each year by a professional appraisal firm, which the underwriter took as a sign that they were reliable. But the Trump Organization did not retain any professional appraisal firm; instead the valuations were prepared by Trump Organization personnel. Had Zurich’s underwriter been told the truth, that would have negatively impacted her underwriting analysis, caused her to doubt the veracity of the rest of the information disclosed by the Trump Organization, and called into question Zurich continuing its insurance relationship with the Trump Organization. The Trump Organization also failed to disclose that the golf courses listed on Trump’s statements included a substantial brand premium baked into the reported valuation. Under Zurich’s underwriting guidelines, intangible assets such as brand value are to be excluded. Had the Trump Organization disclosed the brand premium, Zurich would have reduced that valuation. Trump D&O Coverage According to insurance excerpts from the AG’s lawsuit: As of December 2016, the Trump Organization had in place directors & officers (D&O) liability coverage consisting of a single primary policy providing a limit of $5,000,000 from Everest National Insurance Co. at a premium of $125,000. For purposes of that coverage, underwriters were allowed no more than fleeting access to Trump’s statements, through a monitored in-person review at Trump Tower. On December 6, 2016, Aon reached out to a D&O underwriter at Tokio Marine HCC seeking a quote for additional limits of $5,000,000 to sit above the Everest policy. The HCC underwriter received authority to quote a policy for the requested limits subject to reviewing the financials at renewal. But the Trump Organization was looking to rewrite the program on the day of Trump’s presidential inauguration with significantly higher limits of $50,000,000 – a tenfold increase in the D&O coverage that existed under the Everest policy. The underwriters were provided few financials but did see the balance sheet for year-end 2015. In response to specific questioning from the underwriters at their meeting on January 10, 2017, the Trump Organization personnel represented that there was no material litigation or inquiry from anyone that could potentially lead to a claim under the D&O coverage. The HCC underwriter relied on this representation in concluding that there were no investigations that could potentially trigger coverage under the D&O policies. On January 20, 2017, HCC offered terms for a primary $10,000,000 policy, with effective dates of January 30, 2017 to January 30, 2018. Despite the representations made to underwriters by the Trump personnel, there was at the time of the meeting an ongoing investigation by the Office of the Attorney General into the Trump Foundation and Trump family members, all of whom were at the time directors and officers of the Trump Organization. In October 2016, OAG had also issued third-party subpoenas in connection with its investigation. No Trump Organization representatives disclosed to the underwriters the existence of the AG’s investigation, despite their understanding that the AG investigation could potentially lead to a claim, as evidenced by the claim they submitted to the D&O insurers HCC, Starpoint, Swiss Re, Argo, and Allianz through Aon on January 17, 2019 seeking coverage in connection with the AG’s enforcement action. Aon soon tendered other claims notices in June 2017 and January 2018, raising issues for HCC’s underwriter. After being asked, the Trump Organization gave the names of Michael Cohen, Donald Trump, Jr. and four other people who were involved or could reasonably expected to be involved in current investigations. No other individuals were identified in response nor did the Trump Organization disclose during the renewal negotiations in early 2018 the existence of any other investigations or inquiries that could potentially lead to a claim under the D&O policies. HCC agreed to extend its $10,000,000 policy for another 12 months. Based on further correspondence, HCC determined that the exposure on the risk was significantly higher than previously assessed. As a result, on January 24,...

Donald Trump Says He Declassified 'Everything' Before Mar-A-Lago Search: 'There Doesn't Have To Be A Process' https://digitalarkansasnews.com/donald-trump-says-he-declassified-everything-before-mar-a-lago-search-there-doesnt-have-to-be-a-process/ Donald Trump claimed that any documents taken to Mar-a-Lago from the White House were declassified by the time he left office in a new interview with Fox News host Sean Hannity. On Wednesday, Trump, 76, told Hannity, 60, in a pre-recorded interview a president can declassify documents “just by saying it’s declassified, even by thinking about it,” in an interview during which he also suggested without evidence that the FBI planted classified documents in Mar-a-Lago and spread conspiracy theories regarding Hillary Clinton’s private emails, among others. “There doesn’t have to be a process, as I understand it,” Trump said of a president’s power to declassify documents. “Different people say different things, but as I understand it there doesn’t have to be. If you’re the president of the United States, you can declassify just by saying it’s declassified, even by thinking about it.” “Because you’re sending it to Mar a Lago or to wherever you’re sending it, and there doesn’t have to be a process,” the former president added. “There can be a process, but there doesn’t have to be. You’re the president, you make that decision. So when you send it it’s declassified.” Trump claimed again that he “declassified everything,” although the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 11th Circuit in Atlanta noted his legal team has not produced any evidence that any documents found when federal agents searched Mar-a-Lago in August were declassified in its Wednesday ruling that the Department of Justice may continue to review those documents, according to The Washington Post. The court also noted in its ruling Wednesday that Trump’s legal team has actually “resisted providing any evidence that he had declassified any of these documents” in front of the special master appointed to review those same documents. “In any event, at least for these purposes, the declassification argument is a red herring because declassifying an official document would not change its content or render it personal,” the appeals court wrote, according to the Post. Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE’s free daily newsletter to stay up to date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. In August, the release of the warrant used by the FBI to search the property revealed that agents were investigating Trump for removal or destruction of records, obstruction of an investigation and for potentially violating the Espionage Act. On Tuesday, the The New York Times reported that the former president was warned about his handling of secret materials back in 2021 — by a former White House attorney. According to Times journalist Maggie Haberman, Trump was warned about the legal repercussions of holding on to classified government materials in 2021, during a meeting with former White House attorney Eric Herschmann. The alleged conversation, Haberman writes, “is the latest evidence that Mr. Trump had been informed of the legal perils of holding onto material.” The search of Mar-a-Lago came after numerous attempts by the federal government to track down missing documents from Trump’s time in office. In January, after being contacted by the National Archives and Records Administration, Trump and his associates sent 184 documents from Mar-a-Lago to the archives. Then, in early June, FBI agents and a senior Justice Department national security supervisor reportedly visited the resort in regards to boxes of classified documents sitting in the property’s basement. A Trump attorney handed over 38 documents at the time, and officials followed up with instructions to install a stronger lock on the storage room door. Trump reportedly assured officials that he had no more classified materials, but weeks later, “someone familiar with the stored papers told investigators there may be still more classified documents at the private club,” per The Wall Street Journal. In August, agents came back with the warrant, ultimately leaving with more than 100 documents. Read More Here

Stock Market News Today: Dow Drops 100 Points; Currencies Swing As Fed Rate Hike Prompts Others To Move https://digitalarkansasnews.com/stock-market-news-today-dow-drops-100-points-currencies-swing-as-fed-rate-hike-prompts-others-to-move/ About this page Last Updated: Sep 22, 2022 at 9:58 am ET Follow The Wall Street Journal’s full markets coverage, a day after the Federal Reserve raised interest rates again. Read More Here

Ban On Gas Fracking In England Lifted In Push For Energy Independence https://digitalarkansasnews.com/ban-on-gas-fracking-in-england-lifted-in-push-for-energy-independence/ Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com Britain pushing to increase domestic energy supply Moratorium has been in place since 2019 More research needed to assess risk of tremors BGS survey says challenges remain on predicting impact LONDON, Sept 22 (Reuters) – Britain on Thursday formally lifted a moratorium on fracking for shale gas in England that has been in place since 2019, saying strengthening the country’s energy supply was an “absolute priority”. Energy prices have soared in Europe after Russia invaded Ukraine, and Britain is subsidising bills for households and businesses at a predicted cost of more than 100 billion pounds ($113 billion). New Prime Minister Liz Truss said earlier this month that fracking – extracting shale gas from rocks by breaking them up – would be allowed where it was supported by communities. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com Business and Energy Secretary Jacob Rees-Mogg said on Thursday all sources of energy needed to be explored to increase domestic production, “so it’s right that we’ve lifted the pause to realise any potential sources of domestic gas”. Fracking, which has been opposed by environmental groups and some local communities, was banned after the industry regulator said it was not possible to predict the magnitude of earthquakes it might trigger. Rees-Mogg, however, said the practice was “safe”, and the limits on seismic activity should be re-assessed so it could take place in an “effective and efficient way”. read more Cuadrilla, 96% owned by Australia’s AJ Lucas (AJL.AX), had the most advanced fracking wells in Britain and found a natural gas resource, but the rules around earth tremors meant its operations had to keep halting, meaning that neither of its two wells could be fully flow-tested. The company welcomed the decision and said it was committed to returning a portion of any shale gas revenue to local communities. “Lifting the moratorium will help the shale industry unlock UK onshore natural gas in quantities sufficient to meet the UK’s needs for decades to come,”  Cuadrilla CEO Francis Egan said. Chemicals and energy giant INEOS, which holds several British shale gas exploration licences, said the government should treat shale gas development as “a national infrastructure priority.” Experts say restarting the industry will do nothing to ease energy prices this winter, however, since it would take many years for an industry to develop and it remains unclear whether a significant amount of gas could be extracted. read more A fracking rig flares gas during an anti-fracking protest by Greenpeace activists outside the Houses of Parliament in London, Britain February 9, 2016. REUTERS/Stefan Wermuth/Files “Even if the risks proved to be manageable and acceptable, shale gas would only make a significant impact to UK supply if, over the next decade, thousands of successful wells were to be drilled,” said Andrew Aplin, Honorary Professor at Durham University. Moratoriums on fracking in Scotland or Wales will continue, their devolved governments have said. TREMORS A report, requested by the government and published on Thursday by the British Geological Survey (BGS) said since little fracking had taken place in the country it “remains challenging” to estimate the seismic impact it could have. The largest tremor caused by fracking took place at Cuadrilla’s site in Blackpool, northern England, in 2011, registering a magnitude of 2.3 which residents said woke them in the night. After this, the government introduced a traffic-light system which suspended work if seismic activity of 0.5 or above on the Richter scale was detected. The BGS said that threshold was the most conservative of any region where fracking has taken place, with some states in the Unites States, where fracking is commonplace, having a magnitude 4 threshold. Rees-Mogg said activity of 2.5 and below happened “millions of times a year across the world”, adding that the limits on ground level movement for the construction industry were double those ever achieved by fracking in England. Allowing drilling to restart would generate data to understand how shale gas could be safely extracted where there was local support, the government said. It also confirmed its support for a new oil and gas licensing round, expected to be launched by the North Sea Transition Authority (NSTA) in early October. ($1 = 0.8835 pounds) Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com Reporting by Paul Sandle and Susanna Twidale Editing by William James and Mark Potter, Kirsten Donovan Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles. Read More Here

Tracking Invest 98-L: Will System Pose Threat To Florida? https://digitalarkansasnews.com/tracking-invest-98-l-will-system-pose-threat-to-florida/ Tracking Invest 98-L: Will system pose threat to Florida? Hi there. Thanks for checking out the latest on the tropics here on west dot com. I’m first warning meteorologist eric burris. Let’s get right to invest 98. This is *** storm system that is struggling with *** capital s there It is. Where? Right. Well, last night when I was tracking it on Western news at 11, it came ashore here in South America and spent *** good part of the night over land. It’s starting to come back out around the abc islands around Caracas and little by little. It will make its way into more favorable territory, warm waters, lower wind shear, but about the next 12 to 24 hours time that wind shear will be their latest in the hurricane center. Is that There’s *** high likelihood that this gets going. *** 70% likelihood in two days time. *** 90% likelihood in five days time. Okay, gradual development could become *** tropical depression over the next couple of days and then of course *** tropical storm and then *** hurricane. Speaking of that, here’s the intensity models. Okay, so they’re all really in agreement with through the weekend, keeping it relatively weak. But by Monday Tuesday, that’s when the models are going to start to strengthening. So where is it during those time frames? Well, let’s look at the model comparisons together, shall we on the left, you’re gonna have the european model on the right, You’re gonna have the GFS model. Okay, so there’s saturday. Let’s just roll right through getting you to sunday. Okay, we’ll back it up just *** little bit for for discussion sake. So there’s sunday. I want to point out that the two models are starting to show difference of opinion. The GFS wants to try and develop it *** little quicker. You can see those orange shades are getting in *** strong tropical storm force winds, whereas the european south of Jamaica on sunday says it’s probably still winds of about 30 35 miles an hour. Okay, continuing through time, there’s monday 12 30 both storms gradually increasing the Euro around the Caymans, the GFS *** bit further south. All right, let’s continue through time, Tuesday. Both models showing *** hurricane forming, but the GFS is approaching Cancun, whereas the european is getting up toward cuba. This is obviously where things differ because by 9:30 a.m. On Wednesday, you’ve got the GFS around Mexico, the european leaving cuba and approaching the florida coastline. And then of course from there, 6:30 a.m. thursday florida’s west coast would be tracking *** hurricane. Whereas with the GFS wins out, it’s just re emerging into the gulf of Mexico and then eventually tries to recurve anywhere from about Louisiana off toward the east. So the two models are varying significantly in opinion. This if there’s one thing that I hope to impress upon you, it’s that this is our timeline next couple of days land interaction and wind shear is going to keep it week. So it’s not like it’s going to get explosive and intensity any time soon. Late this week though, like I know we’re in thursday, but like friday saturday, that’s when we’re going to start to see this trying to develop and I would say by sunday given its position expectation sunday, that’s when we should start to have *** pretty decent idea of where it goes. And again, you know, where would it be on sunday if we just use the two models? Let’s just back this up by sunday. That’s when the models are starting to show that intensification. Right? So by sunday you’re talking about *** storm system somewhere past Jamaica around the Caymans. That’s when we’re going to start because computer models really struggle with development and forecasting when there’s nothing there, right? Makes sense garbage data in garbage data out. Okay, so it’s definitely something to watch very closely. What about the timing of this? Let’s take *** look hour by hour at the computer forecast models. Okay, so let’s just roll through time. Here’s the spaghetti plots that everybody loves saturday into sunday. There you go. I’ll back it up just *** little bit to make it *** bit more of *** round number. Here’s saturday morning, 11 am around Jamaica, saturday afternoon, into sunday, there’s two p.m. Sunday around the Caymans, right then from there getting closer to cuba by about monday afternoon and then just kind of continuing from there, here’s Tuesday afternoon emerging into the gulf of Mexico and you can kind of see from there, you know, where do the models take it right there’s Wednesday 10 a.m. Into the gulf. *** lot of the models wanting to make *** hard right turn Wednesday night into thursday and then of course it’s, it’s really *** thursday impact somewhere. Um I I want to pause for *** moment from the actual model data. I saw this meme and I, the idea of sharing *** meme online certainly isn’t *** normal thing, but I think that this really tells the story. If you’re highlighted in yellow, you might get *** hurricane. If you’re highlighted in yellow, you might not get *** hurricane. It’s cheesy. I know, but it’s important to remember that in terms of this storm system, we are still seven days out right? Like the models aren’t no matter what direction they go. The models aren’t showing development and intensification until this weekend and they’re not showing landfall until like next thursday, there’s *** lot of model runs between now and thursday, there’s *** lot that’s going to change. I like to call it the windshield wiper effect on the computer forecast models. They’re going to go left, they’re going to go right, you’re going to see many different solutions and some of them are gonna look more scary than others. Right? But just stay tuned stay dialed into the models okay and we’ll keep you up to date. But for now there it is. The storm system just offshore of south America will be working through the caribbean in some of the most potent energy filled water in the entire basin. From there. When you put *** storm in the Gulf of Mexico, that’s, of course where it gets to be concerning. Stay with the West to around the clock. For updates, I will have *** live update on our social channels at 3:30 PM. Take care. GET LOCAL BREAKING NEWS ALERTS The latest breaking updates, delivered straight to your email inbox. Privacy Notice Tracking Invest 98-L: Will system pose threat to Florida? ABOVE: Take a look at the model comparisons to see when and how this may impact Florida WESH 2 meteorologists are keeping a close eye on a tropical disturbance in the Southeast Caribbean Sea.As of Thursday morning, upper-level winds were inhibiting development, but the upper-level wind pattern ahead of the system is forecast to become a little more favorable in a couple of days.The system is given a 70% chance of development in the next 48 hours and a 90% chance of development in the next five days. “We still need to watch this storm very closely,” WESH 2 meteorologist Kellianne Klass said. “The general path still looks the same: into the Gulf and potentially impacts Florida, but the exact path is still unknown. Our two major models are still swapping between the panhandle and the peninsula. Either way, we are expecting this storm to strengthen. Models are also different on the timing. GFS is now slower, while the Euro is still looking like the mid-week/end of workweek timeframe.”Meanwhile, Hurricane Fiona is drifting through the Atlantic as a major Category 4 storm. And Tropical Storm Gaston is not expected to pose a threat to land.KNOW WHAT TO DO WHEN A HURRICANE WATCH IS ISSUEDStay tuned to WESH 2 News, WESH.COM, or NOAA Weather Radio for storm updates.Prepare to bring inside any lawn furniture, outdoor decorations or ornaments, trash cans, hanging plants, and anything else that can be picked up by the wind.Understand hurricane forecast models and cones.Prepare to cover all windows of your home. If shutters have not been installed, use precut plywood.Check batteries and stock up on canned food, first-aid supplies, drinking water, and medications.The WESH 2 First Warning Weather Team recommends you have these items ready before the storm strikes.Bottled water: One gallon of water per person per dayCanned food and soup, such as beans and chiliCan opener for the cans without the easy-open lidsAssemble a first-aid kitTwo weeks’ worth of prescription medicationsBaby/children’s needs, such as formula and diapersFlashlight and batteriesBattery-operated weather radioWHAT TO DO WHEN A HURRICANE WARNING IS ISSUEDListen to the advice of local officials. If you are advised to evacuate, leave.Complete preparation activitiesIf you are not advised to evacuate, stay indoors, away from windows.Be alert for tornadoes. Tornadoes can happen during a hurricane and after it passes over. Remain indoors, in the center of your home, in a closet or bathroom without windows.HOW YOUR SMARTPHONE CAN HELP DURING A HURRICANEA smartphone can be your best friend in a hurricane — with the right websites and apps, you can turn it into a powerful tool for guiding you through a storm’s approach, arrival and aftermath.Download the WESH 2 News app for iOS | AndroidEnable emergency alerts — if you have an iPhone, select settings, then go into notifications. From there, look for government alerts and enable emergency alerts.If you have an Android phone, from the home page of the app, scroll to the right along the bottom and click on “settings.” On the settings menu, click on “severe weather alerts.” From the menu, select from most severe, moderate-severe, or all alerts.PET AND ANIMAL SAFETYYour pet should be a part of your family plan. If you must evacuate, the most important thing you can do to protect your pets is to evacuate them too. Leaving pets behind, even if you try to create a safe space for them, could result in injury or death.Contact hotels and motels outside of ...

Hungry Howie’s Expanding In Houston With Two New Locations https://digitalarkansasnews.com/hungry-howies-expanding-in-houston-with-two-new-locations/ Hungry Howie’s continues to set its focus on expanding its presence throughout the United States with new locations opening in Fayetteville, NC; Little Rock, AR; and Kalamazoo, MI. MADISON HEIGHTS, Mich. (PRWEB) September 22, 2022 Hungry Howie’s, the originator of Flavored Crust® pizza, is continuing to expand with existing franchisee Pizza with a Purpose to bring two new locations to Katy, Texas. Pizza with a Purpose currently has one store opened on Highland Knolls, one opening in September 2022, and another anticipated to open in January 2023. As a result of the additional agreement to open two more units by 2024, there will be a total of five Hungry Howie’s locations in the Katy area by 2024. Behind the franchise agreement are Katy, TX franchisees Caleb Guajardo and Chris Thompson, operators/owners of Pizza with a Purpose. Thompson grew up in Michigan where he was first introduced to Hungry Howie’s delicious Flavored Crust® pizzas and was attracted by the company’s commitment to giving back to the community. As a fan of Hungry Howie’s high-quality products and back-end support system for its franchisees, Thompson brought the brand to Katy, Texas. Pizza with a Purpose was formed in 2019 and with Thompson having over 20 years of restaurant/business experience and Guajardo’s close connection to the community, Pizza with a Purpose’s mission is to make a positive impact with every slice of pizza. Since then, Pizza with a Purpose has partnered with local schools, organizations, charities, and groups to help raise funds that make a difference and benefit residents throughout Katy. “We’re eager to bring more of Hungry Howie’s and its one-of-a-kind products and service to our home in Katy, TX, “said Caleb Guajardo. “Bringing five Hungry Howie’s locations to Katy is just the starting point. Hungry Howie’s has proven to be more than a successful business but a brand we can partner to grow with. As the brand continues to flourish, we’ll continue to spread Hungry Howie’s cheesy goodness throughout Houston.” “Houston, Texas shows great promise for Hungry Howie’s, and we’re thrilled to have Pizza with a Purpose leading the growth,” said Steve Clough, Director of Franchise Development at Hungry Howie’s. “Caleb and Chris have great business acumen and they’re exactly the kind of franchisees we’re looking for to fuel our franchise growth. Their passion for the brand and their commitment to making a difference are what sets them apart. We’re confident they’ll establish a significant presence in the market, and we’re honored to help them serve the Katy community.” The newest location in Houston will open on September 21st. The store is located at 1127 Eldridge Pkwy Houston, TX 77077. Hours of operation are Sunday through Thursday from 11 am to 10 pm and Friday and Saturday from 11 am to midnight. Hungry Howie’s continues to set its focus on expanding its presence throughout the United States with new locations opening in Fayetteville, NC; Little Rock, AR; and Kalamazoo, MI. To learn more about Hungry Howie’s and its franchising opportunities, visit https://franchising.hungryhowies.com/ About Hungry Howie’s Pizza Founded in 1973, Hungry Howie’s Pizza is a national pizza franchise that is loyal to its tradition of providing delicious, high-quality, and original Flavored Crust® pizzas including eight flavors: butter, butter cheese, Cajun, garlic herb, onion, ranch, sesame, and Asiago cheese. Its menu features oven-baked calzone-style subs, Howie Breads®, crisp & cool salads, and flavored wings that create a unique and irreplaceable position in the pizza market. Starting in Taylor, MI, Hungry Howie’s Pizza has grown to over 535 locations in 21 states across the U.S. Share article on social media or email: Read More…

Ohio GOP House Candidate Majewski Has Misrepresented Military Service https://digitalarkansasnews.com/ohio-gop-house-candidate-majewski-has-misrepresented-military-service/ Campaigning for a northwestern Ohio congressional seat, Republican J.R. Majewski presents himself as an Air Force combat veteran who deployed to Afghanistan after the 9/11 terrorist attacks, once describing “tough” conditions including a lack of running water that forced him to go more than 40 days without a shower. What You Need To Know Republican J.R. Majewski has campaigned for a northwestern Ohio congressional seat by presenting himself as an Air Force combat veteran who deployed to Afghanistan after the 9/11 terrorist attacks Military records and an Air Force accounting of his service tell a different story They indicate Majewski never deployed to Afghanistan but instead completed a six-month stint helping to load planes at an airbase in Qatar, a longtime U.S. ally that was a safe distance from the fighting Majewski’s account of his time in the military is just one aspect of his biography that’s suspect Military documents obtained by The Associated Press through a public records request tell a different story. They indicate Majewski never deployed to Afghanistan but instead completed a six-month stint helping to load planes at an air base in Qatar, a longtime U.S. ally that is a safe distance from the fighting. Majewski’s account of his time in the military is just one aspect of his biography that is suspect. His post-military career has been defined by exaggerations, conspiracy theories, talk of violent action against the U.S. government and occasional financial duress. Still, thanks to an unflinching allegiance to former President Donald Trump — Majewski once painted a massive Trump mural on his lawn — he also stands a chance of defeating longtime Democratic Rep. Marcy Kaptur in a district recently redrawn to favor Republicans. Majewski is among a cluster of GOP candidates, most running for office for the first time, whose unvarnished life stories and hard-right politics could diminish the chances of a Republican “red wave” on Election Day in November. He is also a vivid representation of a new breed of politicians who reject facts as they try to emulate Trump. “It bothers me when people trade on their military service to get elected to office when what they are doing is misleading the people they want to vote for them,” Don Christensen, a retired colonel and former chief prosecutor for the Air Force, said of Majewski. “Veterans have done so much for this country and when you claim to have done what your brothers and sisters in arms actually did to build up your reputation, it is a disservice.” Majewski’s campaign declined to make him available for an interview and, in a lengthy statement issued to the AP, did not directly address questions about his claim of deploying to Afghanistan. A spokeswoman declined to provide additional comment when the AP followed up with additional questions. “I am proud to have served my country,” Majewski said in the statement. “My accomplishments and record are under attack, meanwhile, career politician Marcy Kaptur has a forty-year record of failure for my Toledo community, which is why I’m running for Congress.” With no previous political experience, Majewski is perhaps an unlikely person to be the Republican nominee taking on Kaptur, who has represented the Toledo area since 1983. But two state legislators who were also on the ballot in the August GOP primary split the establishment vote. That cleared a path for Majewski, who previously worked in the nuclear power industry and dabbled in politics as a pro-Trump hip-hop performer and promoter of the QAnon conspiracy theory. He was also at the U.S. Capitol during the insurrection on Jan. 6, 2021. Throughout his campaign Majewski has offered his Air Force service as a valuable credential. The tagline “veteran for Congress” appears on campaign merchandise. He ran a Facebook ad promoting himself as “combat veteran.” And in a campaign video released this year, Majewski marauds through a vacant factory with a rifle while pledging to restore an America that is “independent and strong like the country I fought for.” More recently, the House Republican campaign committee released a biography that describes Majewski as a veteran whose “squadron was one of the first on the ground in Afghanistan after 9/11.” A campaign ad posted online Tuesday by Majewski supporters flashed the words “Afghanistan War Veteran” across the screen alongside a picture of a younger Majewski in his dress uniform. A biography posted on his campaign website does not mention Afghanistan, but in an August 2021 tweet criticizing the U.S. withdraw from the country, Majewski said he would “gladly suit up and go back to Afghanistan.” He’s been far less forthcoming when asked about the specifics of his service. “I don’t like talking about my military experience,” he said in a 2021 interview on the One American Podcast after volunteering that he served one tour of duty in Afghanistan. “It was a tough time in life. You know, the military wasn’t easy.” A review of his service records, which the AP obtained from the National Archives through a public records request, as well as an accounting provided by the Air Force, offers a possible explanation for his hesitancy. Rather than deploying to Afghanistan, as he has claimed, the records state that Majewski was based at Kadena Air Base in Japan for much of his active-duty service. He later deployed for six months to Qatar in May 2002, where he helped load and unload planes while serving as a “passenger operations specialist,” the records show. While based in Qatar, Majewski would land at other air bases to transfer military passengers, medics, supplies, his campaign said. The campaign did not answer a direct question about whether he was ever in Afghanistan. Experts argue Majewski’s description of himself as a “combat veteran” is also misleading. The term can evoke images of soldiers storming a beachhead or finding refuge during a firefight. But under the laws and regulations of the U.S. government, facing live fire has little to do with someone earning the title. During the Persian Gulf War, then-President George H.W. Bush designated, for the first time, countries used as combat support areas as combat zones despite the low-risk of American service members ever facing hostilities. That helped veterans receive a favorable tax status. Qatar, which is now home to the largest U.S. air base in the Middle East, was among the countries that received the designation under Bush’s executive order — a status that remains in effect today. Regardless, it rankles some when those seeking office offer their status as a combat veteran as a credential to voters without explaining that it does not mean that they came under hostile fire. “As somebody who was in Qatar, I do not consider myself a combat veteran,” said Christensen, the retired Air Force colonel who now runs Protect Our Defenders, a military watchdog organization. “I think that would be offensive to those who were actually engaged in combat and Iraq and Afghanistan.” Majewski’s campaign said that he calls himself a combat veteran because the area he deployed to — Qatar — is considered a combat zone. Majewski also lacks many of the medals that are typically awarded to those who served in Afghanistan. Though he once said that he went more than 40 days without a shower during his time in the landlocked country, he does not have an Afghanistan campaign medal, which was issued to those who served “30 consecutive days or 60 nonconsecutive days” in the country. He also did not receive a Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal, which was issued to service members before the creation of the Afghanistan campaign medal if they deployed overseas in “direct service to the War on Terror.” Matthew Borie, an Air Force veteran who worked in intelligence and reviewed Majewski’s records at AP’s request, said it’s “odd” that Majewski lacks many of the “medals you would expect to see for someone who deployed to Afghanistan.” There’s also the matter of Majewski’s final rank and reenlistment code when he left active duty after four years of service. Most leave the service after four years having received several promotions that are generally awarded for time served. Majewski exited at a rank that was one notch above where he started. His enlistment code also indicated that he could not sign up with the Air Force again. Majewski’s campaign said he received what’s called a nonjudicial punishment in 2001 after getting into a “brawl” in his dormitory, which resulted in a demotion. Nonjudicial punishments are designed to hold service members accountable for bad behavior that does not rise to the level of a court-martial. Majewski’s resume exaggeration isn’t limited to his military service, reverberating throughout his professional life, as well as a nascent political career that took shape in an online world of conspiracy theories. Since gaining traction in his campaign for Congress, Majewski has denied that he is a follower of the QAnon conspiracy theory while playing down his participation in the Capitol riot. The baseless and apocalyptic QAnon belief is based on cryptic online postings by the anonymous “Q,” who is purportedly a government insider. It posits that Trump is fighting entrenched enemies in the government and also involves satanism and child sex trafficking. “Let me be clear, I denounce QAnon. I do not support Q, and I do not subscribe to their conspiracy theories,” Majewski said in his statement to the AP. But in the past Majewski repeatedly posted QAnon references and memes to social media, wore a QAnon shirt during a TV interview and has described Zak Paine, a QAnon influencer and online personality who goes by the nom de guerre Redpill78, as a “good friend.” During a Fe...

Justice Department Cleared To Review Records Taken From Trump’s Mar-A-Lago – Live https://digitalarkansasnews.com/justice-department-cleared-to-review-records-taken-from-trumps-mar-a-lago-live/ “,”elementId”:”259269cd-8682-4344-8af3-4670ae1edc55″},{“_type”:”model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement”,”html”:” That certainly is not all that’s happening today: “,”elementId”:”35c6c2fd-c5dd-46fb-ad47-d94578364539″},{“_type”:”model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement”,”html”:” n The United Nations General Assembly continues in New York, with the US secretary of state, Antony Blinken, set to meet his Chinese counterpart, Wang Yi, on its sidelines. n Joe Biden is still in New York City, where he is scheduled to meet with president Ferdinand Marcos Jr of the Philippines, visit a Fema office to assess its response to Hurricane Fiona in Puerto Rico, and attend a Democratic National Committee fundraiser. n The House of Representatives will vote today on bills to better fund police departments, answering the demands of vulnerable Democrats looking to improve their record on public safety. n “,”elementId”:”1cd17caa-4d8e-443c-bc1f-575d4e49e3a5″}],”attributes”:{“pinned”:false,”keyEvent”:true,”summary”:false},”blockCreatedOn”:1663850952000,”blockCreatedOnDisplay”:”08.49 EDT”,”blockLastUpdated”:1663850926000,”blockLastUpdatedDisplay”:”08.48 EDT”,”blockFirstPublished”:1663850952000,”blockFirstPublishedDisplay”:”08.49 EDT”,”blockFirstPublishedDisplayNoTimezone”:”08.49″,”title”:”Justice department can begin reviewing Mar-a-Lago records, jeopardizing Trump anew”,”contributors”:[],”primaryDateLine”:”Thu 22 Sep 2022 08.49 EDT”,”secondaryDateLine”:”Last modified on Thu 22 Sep 2022 08.51 EDT”}],”filterKeyEvents”:false,”format”:{“display”:0,”theme”:0,”design”:10},”id”:”key-events-carousel-mobile”}” Key events Show key events only Please turn on JavaScript to use this feature Justice department can begin reviewing Mar-a-Lago records, jeopardizing Trump anew Good morning, US politics blog readers. Justice department investigators are cleared to resume going through documents taken from Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort. Last night, a panel of judges overturned an earlier ruling that temporarily blocked them from reviewing the material as part of the government’s inquiry into whether the former president took secrets with him when he left the White House. The judges’ decision makes clear Trump remains in legal peril, both from that investigation, a New York lawsuit announced yesterday over his business practices and inquiries into his conduct during the 2020 election and January 6 uprising in Washington and Georgia. That certainly is not all that’s happening today: The United Nations General Assembly continues in New York, with the US secretary of state, Antony Blinken, set to meet his Chinese counterpart, Wang Yi, on its sidelines. Joe Biden is still in New York City, where he is scheduled to meet with president Ferdinand Marcos Jr of the Philippines, visit a Fema office to assess its response to Hurricane Fiona in Puerto Rico, and attend a Democratic National Committee fundraiser. The House of Representatives will vote today on bills to better fund police departments, answering the demands of vulnerable Democrats looking to improve their record on public safety. Read More Here

Trump: Presidents Can Declassify Documents Just By ‘Thinking About It’ | National Review https://digitalarkansasnews.com/trump-presidents-can-declassify-documents-just-by-thinking-about-it-national-review/ Trump: Presidents Can Declassify Documents Just By ‘Thinking About It’  National Review Read More Here

New York Attorney General Letitia James Files $250M Lawsuit Against Donald Trump And Three Of His Children https://digitalarkansasnews.com/new-york-attorney-general-letitia-james-files-250m-lawsuit-against-donald-trump-and-three-of-his-children/ New York Attorney General Letitia James has filed a lawsuit against former President Donald Trump, three of his children and the Trump Organization, alleging an illegal scheme that amassed $250 million by fraudulently overvaluing assets. The civil lawsuit, filed in New York State Supreme Court, seeks to recover $250 million that James said was received through deceptive practices. James is also seeking to bar Trump and his children – Eric, Ivanka and Donald Trump Jr. – from serving as officers or directors in any New York company, and Trump himself would also be barred from entering any commercial real estate transactions or applying for loans for five years. James said during a news conference, “I want to be clear, white-collar financial crime is not a victimless crime. When the well-connected break the law to take in more money than they are entitled to, it reduces resources to working people, to regular people, to small businesses and all taxpayers. Everyday people cannot lie to a bank about how much money they have in order to get a favorable loan to buy a home or to send their kid to college. And if they did, the government would throw the book at them. Why should this be any different?” The lawsuit alleges that the Trump Organization deceived lenders, insurers and tax authorities in a fraudulent scheme that touched all aspects of Trump’s business, properties and golf courses. The lawsuit also names former Trump Organization CFO Allen Weisselberg and longtime company executive Jeff McConney and includes 23 properties in the Trump Organization portfolio. Trump lawyer Alina Habba called the allegations politically motivated and meritless, saying in a statement: “Today’s filing is neither focused on the facts nor the law — rather, it is solely focused on advancing the attorney general’s political agenda. We are confident that our judicial system will not stand for this unchecked abuse of authority, and we look forward to defending our client against each and every one of the attorney general’s meritless claims.” Editorial credit: Christian David Cooksey / Shutterstock.com Read More Here

Exclusive: New Book Reveals Trump's Business Practices Included Once Being Paid With Gold Bars https://digitalarkansasnews.com/exclusive-new-book-reveals-trumps-business-practices-included-once-being-paid-with-gold-bars/ By Jeremy Herb, CNN (CNN) — Former President Donald Trump’s business practices included some eyebrow-raising moments, such as once being paid with gold bars that were wheeled into his Trump Tower apartment, according to reporting obtained by CNN from a forthcoming book by New York Times reporter Maggie Haberman. Haberman reveals new details about Trump’s business dealings in the New York City real estate world and beyond, from a veiled threat to the owner of a magazine preparing to report on his inflated net worth to an acknowledgment that his businesses had to sometimes interact with the mob, according to the reporting obtained by CNN. Separately, Trump’s other business practices are now under renewed and intense scrutiny in the wake of the New York attorney general’s sweeping lawsuit, announced Wednesday, against Trump, some of his children and his company alleging scores of fraudulent financial activities that the former President used to enrich himself. In one striking episode, Haberman writes that Trump would occasionally receive portions of lease payments in cash, including when a leaseholder once sent Trump a box of dozens of gold bricks to cover the cash portion of the lease on the parking garage in the General Motors building in Manhattan, which Trump purchased in 1998. Trump told aides he didn’t know what to do with the gold bars, according to Haberman. He ultimately directed Matt Calamari, a onetime security guard who became chief operating officer in the Trump Organization, to wheel the bars up to his apartment in Trump Tower. It’s not clear what happened to the gold bricks. A lawyer for Calamari declined to comment, and Haberman writes that Trump called it “a fantasy question.” Haberman’s book, “Confidence Man: The Making of Donald Trump and the Breaking of America,” is being released on October 4. It includes an examination of Trump’s journey through the New York business world as well as his presidency and the aftermath of his 2020 loss to Joe Biden. Haberman, a CNN political analyst, is a longtime New York-based reporter who has worked for both of the city’s tabloid newspapers, and she covered Trump’s 2016 and 2020 campaigns and the Trump White House for the New York Times. Haberman writes that Trump’s financial situation at his company was often more precarious than people realized, according to former officials. At one point, Trump was said to have borrowed several million dollars from Trump Organization executive George Ross, according to Haberman. Ross acknowledged to the author that he loaned Trump money, but insisted it was to “cover a situation that was disposed of very quickly” and not for payroll expenses. In another episode, Haberman writes that Trump was said to have threatened to go public with rumors that Malcolm Forbes, the deceased owner of Forbes magazine, was gay, when the magazine was preparing to report that Trump’s net worth was far less than what he was claiming publicly. Haberman writes that officials at the Trump Organization operated in silos, and they often were unaware of what was happening elsewhere in the business. When Trump’s hotel and casino company was rebuked by the Securities and Exchange Commission over a misleading earnings statement, Haberman writes that Trump was more involved than the company let on. Trump’s lawyer at the time, Jay Goldberg, blamed company officials for the misleading projections in 1999 and insisted Trump was not involved, Haberman writes. News stories at the time of the SEC action three years later also stated that Trump did not have a role in the financial statement that overstated the company’s earnings. But Haberman reports that a former company consultant, Alan Marcus, said that Trump personally marked up a draft of the release in question and made existing projections rosier. Trump denied that account, according to Haberman. In an interview with Haberman, Trump acknowledged that his business dealings in New York City meant he would sometimes have to interact with the mob, though he downplayed how aware he was of it. “Well, anybody that built in New York City, whether you dealt with them indirectly, or didn’t even know they existed, they did exist,” Trump said. “Well, you dealt, you had contractors and you don’t know if they were mob or controlled or maybe not controlled, but I will tell you getting bids sometimes is very tough. You’d get one bid, it’d be a high end disappointing bid. And then there was nobody else to bid.” The-CNN-Wire & © 2022 Cable News Network, Inc., a Warner Bros. Discovery Company. All rights reserved. Read More Here

Post Politics Now: House To Take Up Police Funding Bills; Senate To Consider Donor Disclosure Bill https://digitalarkansasnews.com/post-politics-now-house-to-take-up-police-funding-bills-senate-to-consider-donor-disclosure-bill/ Today, the House is poised to take up four police-funding bills while Democrats in the Senate will try — and probably fail — to advance legislation to provide disclosure of donors to super PACs. None of the bills is expected to reach President Biden’s desk before the midterm elections, but party leaders think that considering them sends an important message. House Democrats are trying to fend off Republican attacks that they are soft on crime. Senate Democrats will attack Republicans for blocking campaign finance reform. Meanwhile, Biden has several events in New York, including another fundraiser to benefit the Democratic National Committee, before returning to Washington. On Wednesday, he addressed the U.N. General Assembly, decrying Russia’s “brutal, needless war” in Ukraine. Your daily dashboard 10:45 a.m. Eastern time: House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) holds a weekly news conference. Watch live here. 11 a.m. Eastern: Biden hosts a bilateral meeting in New York with Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. 2 p.m. Eastern (1 p.m. Central): Vice President Harris addresses the Democratic Attorneys General Association conference in Milwaukee. Watch live here. 2:15 p.m. Eastern: Biden receives a briefing in New York on Hurricane Fiona’s impact on Puerto Rico. 4:40 p.m. Eastern: Biden participates in a DNC reception in New York. 7:45 p.m. Eastern: Biden returns to the White House. Got a question about politics? Submit it here. After 3 p.m. weekdays, return to this space and we’ll address what’s on the mind of readers. Noted: The status of key investigations involving Donald Trump Return to menu Donald Trump is facing historic legal and legislative scrutiny for a former president, under investigation by the Justice Department, U.S. lawmakers, local district attorneys and a state attorney general. Authorities are examining the handling of nearly government documents stashed at Mar-a-Lago after Trump left the White House, some of them highly classified; looking into Trump and his family business for a medley of possible violations, including his actions leading up to the Jan. 6, 2021, riot at the U.S. Capitol; and investigating how he valued his various assets for loan and tax purposes. Analysis: House office to hold union vote today for first time in history Return to menu For the first time in congressional history, a Capitol Hill office will vote on forming a union. Writing in The Early 202, The Post’s Leigh Ann Caldwell, Theodoric Meyer and Tobi Raji relay that the office of Rep. Andy Levin (D-Mich.) will hold the vote Thursday and the results will be tallied Monday. Per our colleagues: The move follows the emergence of a viral Instagram account earlier this year that posted accounts of toxic working conditions in Hill offices and months of organizing by the Congressional Workers Union and its president, Philip Bennett. If Levin’s staffers do vote to form a union, it will be short-lived. Levin lost his August primary to Rep. Haley Stevens (D-Mich.) after redistricting led the two to face off in the 11th District. But members of the CWU are celebrating the milestone nonetheless. “As long as there are workers, there’s a need for a union,” Taylor Doggett, the CWU’s vice president of communications, told Tobi. “Rep. Levin will still represent Michigan’s 9th Congressional District until January 3, 2022, and staff will be employed up until that date.” You can read the full piece here. On our radar: House poised to take up police funding bills Return to menu The Democratic-led House is poised Thursday to vote on a series of bills that would provide millions of dollars to local law enforcement and attach accountability measures. The four bills include funding to improve responses to situations involving mental illness; to provide “de-escalation” training for police; to establish community-based violence reduction initiatives and to bolster investigations of shootings. The Post’s Marianna Sotomayor and Leigh Ann Caldwell write that some Democrats have urged passage of the package ahead of the midterm elections as a counter to GOP attacks that paint Democrats as anti-police. Per our colleagues: The latest: Trump says presidents can declassify docs ‘even by thinking about it’ Return to menu In his first TV appearance since a court-authorized search of his Florida home last month, Donald Trump reasserted Wednesday that any documents taken from the White House to Mar-a-Lago were declassified while he was in office, adding that a president can carry that out “even by thinking about it.” The Post’s Julian Mark has details: “There doesn’t have to be a process, as I understand it,” Trump told Fox News host Sean Hannity. Prosecutors have said that about 100 of the documents taken from Mar-a-Lago were marked classified, including some labeled top secret. “If you’re the president of the United States, you can declassify just by saying it’s declassified,” the former president added. “You’re the president — you make that decision.” Trump’s comments followed an announcement earlier in the day that New York Attorney General Letitia James was filing a lawsuit accusing him and his three children of manipulating property values to deceive lenders, insurance brokers and tax officials. On Hannity’s program, Trump called the lawsuit part of a politically motivated “witch hunt” that has been brewing since he first ran for office. You can read the full story here. Analysis: The GOP claim that Democrats support abortion ‘up to moment of birth’ Return to menu Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) recently tweeted that his Democratic opponent, Rep. Val Demings (D-Fla.), supports abortion “up until the moment of birth.” Similarly, the web site of Arizona GOP Senate candidate Blake Masters asserts that Sen. Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.) believes in “nationwide abortion on-demand up until the moment of birth.” Writing in The Fact Checker, The Post’s Glenn Kessler says that these accusations are emblematic of a frequent Republican attack on Democrats who support abortion rights. The line provides a vivid image — that a baby could be aborted literally as a mother is about to give birth. Republican National Committee Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel this week even coined a new phrase — “due date abortion.” The latest: Appeals court says Justice Dept. can use Mar-a-Lago documents in criminal probe Return to menu An appeals court sided with the Justice Department in a legal fight over classified documents seized in a court-authorized search of former president Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago home, ruling Wednesday that the FBI may use the documents in its ongoing criminal investigation. The Post’s Devlin Barrett writes that the decision by a three-judge panel of the appeals court marks a victory, at least temporarily, for the Justice Department in its legal battle with Trump over access to the evidence in a high-stakes investigation to determine if the former president or his advisers mishandled national security secrets, or hid or destroyed government records. The latest: Jan. 6 committee reaches deal with Ginni Thomas for an interview Return to menu The House select committee investigating the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection has reached an agreement with Virginia “Ginni” Thomas, the wife of Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas, to be interviewed by the panel in coming weeks, according to her attorney and another person familiar with the agreement. The Post’s Jacqueline Alemany and Azi Paybarah have details: Thomas’s attorney, Mark Paoletta, confirmed the agreement in a statement. “I can confirm that Ginni Thomas has agreed to participate in a voluntary interview with the Committee,” Paoletta said. “As she has said from the outset, Mrs. Thomas is eager to answer the Committee’s questions to clear up any misconceptions about her work relating to the 2020 election. She looks forward to that opportunity.” The panel had contemplated issuing a subpoena to compel her testimony. Thomas, a longtime conservative activist, had pushed lawmakers and top Republican officials to overturn Joe Biden’s victory in the 2020 presidential election, citing baseless claims of widespread voter fraud. You can read the full story here. Read More Here

Western Arkansas Planning And Development District Searching For Land For New Office Space https://digitalarkansasnews.com/western-arkansas-planning-and-development-district-searching-for-land-for-new-office-space/ Sasha Grist, executive director of the Western Arkansas Planning and Development District, speaks Wednesday during a meeting of the district’s Board of Directors at the Peak Innovation Center in Fort Smith. (NWA Democrat-Gazette/Thomas Saccente) FORT SMITH — The Western Arkansas Planning and Development District has set its sights on relocating its office, with the Chaffee Crossing area being a strong possibility. Sasha Grist, district executive director, told the district’s Board of Directors on Wednesday that the sites its Building Committee looked at last month in Chaffee Crossing are feasible for a new office building. Grist believes the next step will be for the committee to discuss these options with Fort Smith-based MAHG Architecture. Grist will also meet with real estate agencies next week to ensure there aren’t any other sites the committee missed in Fort Smith. “I’m assuming maybe the second week of October we get the Building Committee together again and then be able to give you more information in December of what we’re looking at,” Grist told the board. Grist has said the district’s office at 1109 S. 16th St. in Fort Smith was built in 1979 before the district moved in in 1991. She said despite an addition to the building in 2012, the district has insufficient space to be able to carry out the services and hire the staff it needs, having “outgrown” the property. Daniel Rogers, the mayor of Paris and chairman of the Board of Directors, said he believes a new office building will allow the district to do more for the counties and cities in its service area. This has included bringing in millions of dollars for these communities by helping them apply for federal and state grants. “I think Sasha, with her leadership, will get a building plan together that is good for today, but also will be big enough that they know that they can grow this group to take care of the needs of us cities and counties in the district,” Rogers said. The board approved establishing the Building Committee on June 14 to discuss options with Grist to address needs for the office property and recommendations for the board to consider. Along with Rogers, the committee consists of Gary Baxter and Doug Kinslow, the mayors of Mulberry and Greenwood respectively, as well as appointed district board members Gary Briley of Franklin County, Julie Murray of Crawford County and Alex Sanchez of Fort Smith. Grist said the Building Committee went to Chaffee Crossing, located in Fort Smith and Barling, on Aug. 22. Daniel Mann, executive director and CEO of the Fort Chaffee Redevelopment Authority, which oversees the development of the area, provided an overview of some of the available properties. This included existing buildings and land options that were either privately owned or owned by the authority. The committee’s consensus was to look at constructing a new office building if possible, according to Grist. Rogers said the committee believed a space that’s set up specifically to the district’s preferences for now and into the future would fit the district better than an existing location. “Love the location as well of the Chaffee Crossing area,” Rogers said. “Think that’s going to be really central to a lot of the district.” Grist said the district’s “wish list” for an office property includes a room large enough to hold meetings, something the current office doesn’t have. “That was really the main thing that we were looking at, as well as the ability to have enough parking and to build on later if we needed to,” Grist said. Grist said MAHG Architecture told her Tuesday the district would need to purchase 2 1/2 to 3 acres of land to build an office space that would satisfy its wish list. The authority would like for the new office building to be finished within three years of the district purchasing land in Chaffee Crossing, should it decide to do so. The district Board of Directors will have its next meeting Dec. 14. District background The Western Arkansas Planning and Development District is an organization that provides information, support and services concerning a variety of fields to those in Crawford, Franklin, Logan, Polk, Scott and Sebastian counties. This includes community and economic development, workforce development, transportation improvement, 911 emergency services and geographic information system/utility mapping. Source: Western Arkansas Planning and Development District Read More Here

Iran's Revolutionary Guards Issue Warning As Protests Over Woman's Death Spread https://digitalarkansasnews.com/irans-revolutionary-guards-issue-warning-as-protests-over-womans-death-spread/ People attend a protest over the death of Mahsa Amini, a woman who died after being arrested by the Islamic republic’s “morality police”, in Tehran, Iran September 21, 2022. WANA (West Asia News Agency) via REUTERS/File Photo Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com Revolutionary Guards issue warning over unrest Reports of security forces coming under attack Kurdish woman did after detention by morality police Iranian government has pledged inquiry into her death DUBAI, Sept 22 (Reuters) – Iran’s powerful Revolutionary Guards called on the Islamic Republic’s judiciary on Thursday to prosecute “those who spread false news and rumours” about a young woman whose death in police custody has triggered nationwide protests. Protesters in Tehran and other Iranian cities torched police stations and vehicles earlier on Thursday as public outrage over the death showed no signs of easing, with reports of security forces coming under attack. Mahsa Amini, 22, died last week after being arrested in Tehran for wearing “unsuitable attire”. She fell into a coma while in detention. The authorities have said they would launch an investigation into the cause of her death. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com In a statement, the Guards expressed sympathy with the family and relatives of Amini. “We have requested the judiciary to identify those who spread false news and rumours on social media as well as on the street and who endanger the psychological safety of society and to deal with them decisively,” the Guards, who have cracked down on protests in the past, said. Pro-government protests are planned for Friday, Iranian media said. “The will of the Iranian people is this: do not spare the criminals,” said an editorial in the influential hardline Kayhan newspaper. The protests over Amini’s death are the biggest in the Islamic Republic since 2019. Most have been concentrated in Iran’s Kurdish-populated northwest but have spread to the capital and at least 50 cities and towns nationwide, with police using force to disperse protesters. A member of an Iranian pro-government paramilitary organisation, the Basij, was stabbed to death in the northeastern city of Mashhad on Wednesday, two semi-official Iranian news agencies reported on Thursday. The Tasnim and Fars news agencies reports of the stabbing appeared on Telegram as both their websites were not functioning on Thursday. There was no official confirmation of the death. Tasnim also said another member of the Basij was killed on Wednesday in the city of Qazvin as a result of a gunshot wound inflicted by “rioters and gangs”, bringing the total reported number of security force members killed in the unrest to four. In the northeast, protesters shouted “We will die, we will die but we’ll get Iran back” near a police station which was set on fire, a video posted on Twitter account 1500tasvir showed. The account focuses on protests in Iran and has around 100,000 followers. Reuters could not verify the footage. Another police station was set ablaze in Tehran as the unrest spread from Kurdistan, the home province of Amini and where she was buried on Saturday. PERSONAL FREEDOMS Amini’s death has reignited anger over issues including restrictions on personal freedoms in Iran – including strict dress codes for women – and an economy reeling from sanctions. Iran’s clerical rulers fear a revival of the 2019 protests that erupted over gasoline price rises, the bloodiest in the Islamic Republic’s history. Reuters reported 1,500 were killed. Protesters this week also expressed anger at Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. “Mojtaba, may you die and not become Supreme Leader,” a crowd was seen chanting in Tehran, referring to Khamenei’s son, who some believe could succeed his father at the top of Iran’s political establishment. Reuters could not verify the video. Reports by Kurdish rights group Hengaw, which Reuters could not verify, said the death toll in Kurdish areas had climbed to 15. Iranian officials have denied that security forces have killed protesters, suggesting they may have been shot by armed dissidents. With no sign of the protests easing, authorities restricted access to the internet, according to accounts from Hengaw, residents, and internet shutdown observatory NetBlocks. Women have played a prominent role in the protests, waving and burning their veils, with some cutting their hair in public. In northern Iran, crowds armed with batons and rocks attacked two members of the security forces on a motorbike as a crowd cheered, as seen on a video, which Reuters was unable to verify. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com Reporting by Dubai bureau; Writing by Michael Georgy; Editing by Raissa Kasolowsky and Mark Heinrich Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles. Read More Here

Turkey Cuts Interest Rates Again As Country Struggles Under Inflation Exceeding 80% https://digitalarkansasnews.com/turkey-cuts-interest-rates-again-as-country-struggles-under-inflation-exceeding-80/ Russians tourists to Europe decreased dramatically over the summer, but rose in several other destinations, including Turkey (here). Onur Dogman | Sopa Images | Lightrocket | Getty Images Turkey’s central bank surprised markets once again with its decision Thursday to cut its key interest rate, despite inflation in the country surging beyond 80%. The country’s monetary policymakers opted for a 100 basis point cut, bringing the key one-week repo rate from 13% to 12%. In August, Turkish inflation rate was recorded at 80.2%, quickening for the 15th consecutive month and the highest level in 24 years. Turkey also cut rates by 100 basis points in August, and had gradually lowered interest rates by 500 basis points at the end of 2021, setting off a currency crisis. A statement from the central bank said it has “assessed that the updated level of policy is adequate under the current outlook,” according to Reuters. It said that the cut was necessary as growth and demand continued to slow and also cited “escalating geopolitical risk.” It said markets should expect the “disinflation process to begin” on the back of the measures taken, Reuters reported. The policy direction has long stunned investors and economists, who say the refusal to tighten policy is a result of political pressure from Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who has long railed against interest rates and turned against economic orthodoxy by insisting that lowering rates are the way to bring down inflation. The months-long campaign to continuously lower rates as Turkey’s trade and current account deficit balloons and its foreign exchange reserves run low has instead sent Turkey’s currency, the lira, into a multi-year tailspin. The lira has lost more than 27% of its value to the dollar year to date, and 80% in the last five years. Following the bank’s rate decision announcement, the currency was down a quarter of a percentage point, trading at a record low of 18.379 to the dollar. More danger ahead for the lira Many economists predict a further fall in the lira. London-based Capital Economics sees it falling to 24 against the greenback by March 2023.  “Room for further easing is becoming increasingly limited because of the pressure this is putting on the lira and real rates,” Liam Peach, the firm’s senior emerging markets economist, told CNBC. “Turkey is running such a large current account deficit, and it has become dependent on inflows of foreign capital to finance that. FX reserves in Turkey are so low that the central bank is really in no position to step in,” he said. At some point, confidence will run so low that those vital inflows will likely dry up, Peach warned: “Cutting interest rates further makes it more difficult for Turkey to attract those capital flows.”    Erdogan, meanwhile, remains optimistic, predicting that inflation will fall by year-end. “Inflation is not an insurmountable economic threat. I am an economist,” the president said during an interview on Tuesday. Erdogan is not an economist by training.  Read More Here

5-Star Legacy Prospect Impersonates Joe Adams + Other Arkansas Recruiting Nuggets https://digitalarkansasnews.com/5-star-legacy-prospect-impersonates-joe-adams-other-arkansas-recruiting-nuggets/ photo credit: Twitter/SLUHfootball On the same weekend Arkansas football legend Joe Adams was inducted into the UA Hall of Honor and watched the Hogs essentially win a game with his signature play, the younger brother of a former teammate of his turned in a punt return that would have made him proud. While most attention was on Bryce Stephens’ go-ahead 82-yard punt return touchdown in the Razorbacks’ 38-27 win over Missouri State on Saturday, five-star target Ryan Wingo pulled off an impressive 65-yard return for a score of his own Friday night. The St. Louis native fielded a punt on one hop, immediately broke one tackle and then evaded a few more in jaw-dropping fashion as he worked his way across the field and down the opposite sideline. It was just one of several plays the standout wide receiver made in St. Louis University High’s 43-15 win over Vashon, as he also caught four passes for 124 yards and two more scores. With plays and performances like that, it’s easy to see why Wingo — the younger brother of former Arkansas running back Ronnie Wingo Jr. — is so highly regarded in the 2024 class. Despite being just a junior, he already has more than 30 offers from the likes of Arkansas, Florida, LSU, Miami (Fla.), Michigan, Notre Dame, Oklahoma, Oregon, Texas and many others. Wingo is a top-25 recruit on all four major recruiting services, with Rivals already assigning him a five-star rating as the seventh-best player in the country regardless of position and tabbing him as the No. 2 wide receiver in the class. Listed at 6-foot-2, 198 pounds, Wingo has been clocked at 10.55 seconds in the 100-meter dash — making him faster than current Arkansas speedsters Isaiah Sategna and Bryce Stephens. He’s already caught 18 passes for 426 yards through four games this year and has scored nine total touchdowns. That’s coming off a sophomore campaign in which he racked up 32 receptions for 638 yards and 10 touchdowns. Both of Wingo’s older brothers were four-star recruits and played in the SEC. Ronnie Jr. was No. 101 overall on Rivals and signed with the Razorbacks as a running back in 2009, while Raymond was No. 201 overall on 247Sports and signed with Missouri as a defensive back in the 2014 class. That connection to Arkansas has led to Ryan Wingo visiting Fayetteville multiple times. He was in town for the Texas game last season and then again for a prospect camp in March, on a date that also allowed him to attend a baseball game. According to WholeHogSports, Wingo will make a third visit to Arkansas for the Alabama game on Oct. 1. If the Razorbacks can beat Texas A&M on Saturday, it will likely be a top-10 showdown similar to the game 12 years earlier in which his older brother electrified Reynolds Razorback Stadium with a 43-yard touchdown on a wheel route that gave Arkansas a 7-0 lead less than a minute into the game. The Razorbacks will be hoping for a different result than that showdown, which ended in a heartbreaking 24-20 loss, but definitely wouldn’t mind seeing another Wingo in an Arkansas football uniform. The Arkansas-Texas A&M Battle in Tulsa Speaking of that matchup with the Aggies this week, the Southwest Classic isn’t only taking place inside AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas. The Razorbacks are also battling Texas A&M on the recruiting trail, as the Aggies are making a push to flip 2023 four-star commit Micah Tease out of Tulsa. Tease — who committed to Arkansas on July 4 — took an official visit to College Station last weekend. He does not mention Arkansas in his Twitter bio and his avatar is blacked out, but his Instagram account still references the Razorbacks and his commitment announcement is still pinned. Tease posted the above photos on his Instagram and fellow 2023 Arkansas commit Jaylon Braxton replied with a “WPS.” In response to an Arkansas account, Braxton — who himself tweeted about an offer from Tennessee this week — said Tease was “just enjoying his recruitment process” and implied he was still solid to the Razorbacks. However, it probably wouldn’t hurt for the Razorbacks to go ahead and take care of business against the Aggies to shore up his commitment. The Aggies “ramped up their efforts” in recent weeks for four-star wide receiver and Arkansas commit Micah Tease out of Tulsa (OK). He visited the Aggies this weekend, and they hit it out of the park. If they are able to defeat #10 Arkansas this weekend, it will help BIG time. — AggiesToday (AT)  (@AggiesToday) September 20, 2022 Another In-State 5-Star Hooper The state of Arkansas hasn’t produced very many top-100 football recruits over the last couple of decades, but basketball has been a different story. There are routinely multiple players from the Natural State — including those who leave to play at prep schools, such as Moses Moody — in men’s basketball and the 2024 class could produce the next five-star recruit. Not long after 2023 Arkansas commit Layden Blocker, a Little Rock native now playing at Sunrise Christian Academy in Wichita, was bumped up to five-star status in the 247Sports Composite, Little Rock Central’s Annor Boateng jumped up 41 spots to No. 13 in Rivals’ updated 2024 class rankings and is also received that coveted fifth star. If that rating holds, he would become just the sixth five-star prospect to come through the state during the Rivals era. Bobby Portis (2013) and Nick Smith Jr. (2022) each signed with the Razorbacks, while the other three — Archie Goodwin (2012, Kentucky), Malik Monk (2016, Kentucky) and Kel’el Ware (2022, Oregon) — left the state. For a full scouting report on Boateng, click here. Also included in the updated Rivals150 for 2024 is Dallas Thomas, a four-star prospect out of Little Rock Parkview. He fell 12 spots to No. 67. Trio of Arkansas Baseball Commits Win Gold Three members of Arkansas’ top-ranked 2023 baseball recruiting class made USA Baseball’s 2022 18U National Team and helped Team USA capture the gold medal at the WBSC U-18 Baseball World Cup in Florida this weekend. In fact, the two leading hitters for Team USA are committed to the Razorbacks, as Aidan Miller captured the batting title for the event and Kendall George also put up solid numbers when given the opportunity. Miller — the No. 4 recruit in the class, according to Perfect Game — capped his incredible summer by going 11 for 23 with three triples, two home runs, eight RBIs and 12 runs while starting all nine games. He also drew seven walks and was hit by a pitch once, giving him eight free passes to only five strikeouts. That gave him an impressive .478/.594/1.000 slash line. George isn’t quite as heralded, checking in at No. 95 in Perfect Game’s recruiting rankings, but he went 4 for 11 and led the team with three doubles and five stolen bases (on five attempts) despite starting only five of the games and appearing in three others. He struck out just once and walked six times, giving him a .364/.556/.636 slash line. The third Arkansas commitment on the team was a pitcher, left-hander Adam Hachman. He appeared in three games, picking up one win and earning a save while allowing two earned runs on five hits and three walks in 3 2/3 innings. While his 4.91 ERA isn’t great, he did have nine strikeouts. That equates to a whopping 22.1 strikeouts per nine innings. Other Arkansas Recruiting Nuggets After a quiet game the previous week, wide receiver Davion Dozier — a 2023 commit from Alabama — was back to making an impact last Friday. He caught three passes for 86 yards and two touchdowns in Moody’s 32-6 win over Lincoln, which improved his team to 5-0 on the season. In those games, Dozier has caught 21 passes for 618 yards and nine touchdowns. Although he did throw a pair of interceptions, 2024 quarterback target Walker White otherwise had a very solid performance in Little Rock Christian’s 42-14 win over Russellville. He completed 17 of 29 passes for 269 yards and three touchdowns, plus added two rushing touchdowns. Kiandrea Barker, the talented 2025 running back from Beebe, announced he was offered by Ole Miss last Friday. The in-state prospect — who checks in at No. 69 in 247Sports’ initial ranking of the 2025 class — already had plenty of other Power Five school offers, including from Florida State, Mississippi State, Missouri, Penn State, Pitt and Purdue. Defensive end Kavion Henderson, a top-100 recruit in the 2024 class from Alabama, has announced his commitment date. He will choose between Arkansas, Auburn, Oklahoma, Georgia and Alabama at 3 p.m. CT on Nov. 6. Arkansas made the top 10 for 2024 five-star dual-threat quarterback DJ Lagway. The Willis, Texas, native also included Alabama, Baylor, Clemson, Florida, Georgia, LSU, Oklahoma, Texas A&M and USC on his list. It’s worth noting that he is the son of a former Baylor football player and is a talented athlete on the diamond who’s been offered by the Arkansas baseball team, as well. On the basketball front, big men and cousins Baye Fall and Assane Diop — five- and four-star recruits, respectively — were expected to take their official visits this past weekend for the Missouri State weekend, but have postponed them to the weekend of the Alabama football game. Eric Musselman and his staff did welcome a trio of 2024 recruits on unofficial visits over the weekend. Five-star guard David Castillo from Bartlesville, Okla., and in-state four-star forward Dallas Thomas from Little Rock Parkview already had offers from Arkansas, while Jalen Shelley — a top-50 prospect from Texas — left Fayetteville with an offer. It was a dual-purpose visit for him, given his older brother is Missouri State’s talented quarterback Jason Shelley. *** More coverage of Arkansas recruiting from BoAS… Read More…

House To Vote On Election Law Overhaul In Response To January 6 https://digitalarkansasnews.com/house-to-vote-on-election-law-overhaul-in-response-to-january-6/ Rep. Zoe Lofgren, D-Calif., listens as the House select committee investigating the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol holds a hearing at the Capitol in Washington, July 12, 2022. The central idea behind House and Senate bills to reform an arcane federal election law is simple: Congress should not decide presidential elections. The bills are a direct response to the Jan. 6 insurrection and former President Trump’s efforts in the weeks beforehand to find a way around the Electoral Count Act, an 1800s-era law that governs how states and Congress certify electors and declare presidential election winners, along with the U.S. Constitution. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin, File) The House pushed ahead Wednesday with legislation that would revamp the rules for certifying the results of a presidential election as lawmakers accelerate their response to the January 6, 2021, insurrection and Donald Trump’s failed attempt to remain in power. The legislation would overhaul an arcane 1800s-era statute known as the Electoral Count Act that governs, along with the U.S. Constitution, how states and Congress certify electors and declare presidential election winners. The House planned a vote on the bill after afternoon debate. While that process has long been routine and ceremonial, Trump and a group of his aides and lawyers tried to exploit loopholes in the law in an attempt to overturn his defeat in the 2020 election. The bill would set new parameters around the January 6 joint session of Congress that happens every four years after a presidential election. The day turned violent last year after hundreds of Trump’s supporters interrupted the proceedings, broke into the building, and threatened the lives of then-Vice President Mike Pence and members of Congress. The rioters echoed Trump’s false claims of widespread fraud and wanted Pence to block Democrat Joe Biden’s victory as he presided over the joint session. The legislation intends to ensure that future Jan. 6 sessions are “as the constitution envisioned, a ministerial day,” said Wyoming Rep. Liz Cheney, a Republican who co-sponsored the legislation with House Administration Committee Chairwoman Zoe Lofgren, D-Calif. Both Cheney and Lofgren are also members of the House committee investigating the January 6 attack. Maryland Rep. Jamie Raskin, another member of the January 6 panel, said during the start of the House debate that the bill would modernize the elections law “to make sure that the will of the people is vindicated at every level.” The bill, which is similar to legislation moving through the Senate, would clarify in the law that the vice president’s role presiding over the count is only ceremonial and also sets out that each state can only send one certified set of electors. Trump’s allies had unsuccessfully tried to put together alternate slates of illegitimate pro-Trump electors in swing states where Biden won. The legislation would increase the threshold for individual lawmakers’ objections to any state’s electoral votes, requiring a third of the House and a third of the Senate to object to trigger votes on the results in both chambers. Currently, only one lawmaker in the House and one lawmaker in the Senate have to object. The House bill would set out very narrow grounds for those objections, an attempt to thwart baseless or politically motivated challenges. The legislation also would require courts to get involved if state or local officials want to delay a presidential vote or refuse to certify the results. The House vote comes as the Senate is moving on a similar track with enough Republican support to virtually ensure passage before the end of the year. After months of talks, House Democrats introduced the legislation on Monday and are holding a quick vote two days later in order to send the bill across the Capitol and start to resolve differences. A bipartisan group of senators introduced legislation this summer, and a Senate committee is expected to vote on it next week. While the House bill is more expansive than the Senate version, the two bills cover similar ground, and members in both chambers are optimistic that they can work out the differences. While few House Republicans are expected to vote for the legislation — most are still allied with Trump — supporters are encouraged by the bipartisan effort in the Senate. “Both sides have an incentive to want a set of clear rules, and this is an antiquated law that no one understands,” said Benjamin Ginsburg, a longtime GOP lawyer who consulted with lawmakers as they wrote the bill. “All parties benefit from clarity.” House GOP leaders disagree and are encouraging their members to vote against the legislation. They say the involvement of courts could drag out elections and that the bill would take rights away from states. The bill is an “attempt to federalize our elections,” Rep. Guy Reschenthaler, R-Pa., said on the House floor. He argued that voters are more focused on the economy and other issues than on elections law. “In my area of Pennsylvania, nobody is talking about this,” Reschenthaler said. Illinois Rep. Rodney Davis, Lofgren’s GOP counterpart on the House Administration Committee, said Tuesday that Democrats are “desperately trying to talk about their favorite topic, and that is former president Donald Trump.” Democrats said the bill was not only a response to Trump but also a way to prevent objections and mischief from all candidates in the future. “If you think that this legislation is an attack on President Trump, you simply haven’t read the legislation because there’s nothing in there attacking President Trump,” Raskin said. “This is about reforming the Electoral Count Act, so it works for the American people.” Republished with the permission of The Associated Press. Read More Here

Analysis | First House Office Will Hold Union Vote Today https://digitalarkansasnews.com/analysis-first-house-office-will-hold-union-vote-today/ Good morning, Early Birds. This newsletter has the power to declassify information even by thinking about it. Send us your best tips (or just think about sending them to us): earlytips@washpost.com. Thanks for waking up with us. In today’s edition … The House will vote on a package of public safety bills today …  Another day of big legal news for former president Donald Trump …  but first … SCOOP: For the first time in congressional history, a Hill office will vote on forming a union, Tobi Raji reports. Rep. Andy Levin’s (D-Mich.) Capitol Hill office will hold the vote today and the results will be tallied Monday. The move follows the emergence of a viral Instagram account earlier this year that posted accounts of toxic working conditions in Hill offices and months of organizing by the Congressional Workers Union and its president, Philip Bennett. If Levin’s staffers do vote to form a union, it will be short-lived. Levin lost his August primary to Rep. Haley Stevens (D) after redistricting led the two to faceoff in the 11th District. But members of the CWU are celebrating the milestone nonetheless. “As long as there are workers, there’s a need for a union,” Taylor Doggett, the CWU’s vice president of communications, told Tobi. “Rep. Levin will still represent Michigan’s 9th Congressional District until January 3, 2022, and staff will be employed up until that date.” In a last-minute breakthrough, House to vote on public safety bills After weeks of tension between moderates and progressives, Democrats have struck an agreement on legislation to provide more support for police departments. The House will vote today on four separate public safety bills. Some members of leadership and moderate Democrats in competitive races have been pushing for a vote on police aid to show voters they support law enforcement as Republicans make the charge that Democrats are soft on crime a major part of their midterm message. But that push angered progressives still smarting from Congress’ inability to pass legislation to require police departments to follow new policies intended to make them more accountable following killings of Black Americans including George Floyd in Minneapolis in 2020. Amid worries the issue was dividing the party ahead of the midterms, progressives, who were not central to the negotiations in the previous months, engaged with their moderate colleagues in recent days. Ultimately a deal was reached on a bill from Rep. Josh Gottheimer (D-N.J.), called Invest to Protect, that would provide additional funding to police departments with fewer than 125 members. Under the agreement, the new funding can be used toward mental health programs, training, data collection and signing bonuses, but not to directly hire new officers. “It’s critical for policing — that we have the backs of law enforcement because every day they have ours,” Gottheimer said. Congressional Progressive Caucus Chair Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash.), who helped to negotiate the bill alongside Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.), said it won’t be an easy vote for progressives. “It doesn’t take away the call for real accountability of the George Floyd nature,” she said. Jayapal acknowledges the legislation won’t get the support of all progressives, but leadership is still planning to bring it to the floor today. The bills have the support of two major police unions, the Fraternal Order of Police and the National Association of Police Organizations. “While they’re not perfect from our standpoint, that’s how the making of legislation works,” said Jim Pasco, the FOP’s executive director. “We’re going to be supportive of the final product unless there’s some material change.” Our colleague Marianna Sotomayor and Leigh Ann report: “Democrats will also vote on legislation proposed by Reps. Katie Porter (D-Calif.), Steven Horsford (D-Nev.) and Val Demings (D-Fla.) [today] that prioritizes sending unarmed first responders into situations involving people experiencing a mental health crisis; provides federal grants for communities practicing violence intervention and prevention; and offers assistance to law enforcement in solving gun crimes and supporting shooting victims.”  Negotiators decided to pull from the package a bipartisan bill proposed by Rep. Abigail Spanberger (D-Va.) and Rep. Tom Rice (R-S.C.) that would have doubled funding for a Justice Department grant given to local police stations. Spanberger said accountability measures sought by progressives were difficult to include in her proposal because it is a long-standing program and not a new one that can more easily be molded, like the Gottheimer bill for small police departments. Ready to commit: House Republicans will convene this morning to run through legislative priorities they hope will motivate voters to elect them to the majority — a package they are calling The Commitment to America. Members are expected to receive a one-page messaging memo that distills the work seven issue-specific task forces have produced ahead of a public rollout Friday outside of Pittsburgh, per Marianna. The Commitment to America is meant to serve as a set of policies members across all factions of the conference can support and sell to voters. But the rollout has already not gone according to plan: A website listing the House GOP’s policy priorities was briefly launched Wednesday before it was password protected to keep away prying eyes before Friday’s reveal. Our colleague Azi Paybarah caught some screenshots of what’s on offer: ECA action: The House passed its version of legislation to overhaul the Electoral Count Act, which was drafted by Reps. Liz Cheney (R-Wyo.) and Zoe Lofgren (D-Calif.). Nine Republicans voted for bill that seeks to prevent efforts to overturn an election like those undertaken by Donald Trump following his loss in 2020. Eight of them were among the 10 who voted to impeach Trump over the Jan. 6 insurrection; the ninth, Rep. Chris Jacobs (R-N.Y.), isn’t running for reelection. The Senate has its own version of the bill and whether Congress can come to a deal on the legislation will have to wait for the “lame duck” session. Campaign finance: The Senate will take a procedural vote today on the DISCLOSE Act, which seeks to increase transparency in funding political campaigns. The measure by Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.) is not expected to receive the 60 votes necessary to advance. Permitting pressure: “Sen. Joe Manchin III (D-W.Va.) on Wednesday unveiled the long-awaited text of legislation to speed up the nation’s permitting process for energy infrastructure, including polluting fossil fuel projects and the clean energy projects crucial to President Biden‘s climate goals,” our colleague Maxine Joselow reports. (Subscribe to her ace climate newsletter, the Climate 202.) The most controversial part of the bill — which Democratic leaders have said they’ll try to pass next week as part of a government funding bill — would “expedite the Mountain Valley Pipeline, which would transport natural gas about 300 miles from West Virginia to Virginia and is a key priority of Manchin’s.” The bill directs agencies to “take all necessary actions” to issue new permits for the pipeline, which has been delayed by legal setbacks. But the big question is if there are 60 senators who support it. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said he’d attach the permitting bill to the short-term government funding bill, which must pass by next Friday.  Sen. Tim Kaine (Va.) on Wednesday became the latest Democrat to oppose the bill, citing the Mountain Valley Pipeline provisions. “Allowing a corporation that is unhappy about losing a case to strip jurisdiction away from the entire court that has handled the case? Unprecedented,” Kaine told reporters Wednesday evening. “It would open the door for massive abuse and corruption.” Trump’s terrible week gets worse with two new lawsuits, appeals court rejecting Mar-a-Lago ruling Trump’s no good, very bad day week: This week is shaping up to be a bad one for former president Donald Trump and those in his orbit. He faces legal scrutiny from all angles regarding his business conduct, finances, the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection and classified documents stored at Mar-a-Lago. It all came to a head yesterday and Tuesday with the announcement of two new lawsuits and an appeals court ruling regarding the Mar-a-Lago search. Here’s a breakdown of what happened: An appeals court sided with the Justice Department over Trump, greenlighting the use of documents seized from Mar-a-Lago in the FBI’s ongoing criminal investigation. “In the ruling, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 11th Circuit in Atlanta found fault with Trump’s rationale that the classified documents in particular might be his property, rather than the government’s,” our colleague Devlin Barrett writes. “The appeals court also disagreed with the rationale used by U.S. District Court Judge Aileen M. Cannon.” New York Attorney General Letitia James filed a lawsuit accusing Trump and three of his children – Donald Trump Jr., Ivanka Trump and Eric Trump – of business fraud. “The 222-page civil complaint asks the New York Supreme Court to bar Trump [and his children] from serving as executives at any company in New York, and to bar the Trump Organization from acquiring any commercial real estate or receiving loans from any New York-registered financial institution for five years,” per our colleagues Shayna Jacobs and Jonathan O’Connell. “It seeks to recover more than $250 million in what James’s office says are ill-gotten gains received through the alleged deceptive practices. While the lawsuit itself is not a criminal prosecution, James said she has referred possible violations of federal law to the Justice Department and the IRS.” “It seeks to recover more than $250 ...