Gun Advocates Fight For Bump Stocks In Latest Court Hearing
Gun Advocates Fight For Bump Stocks In Latest Court Hearing https://digitalarkansasnews.com/gun-advocates-fight-for-bump-stocks-in-latest-court-hearing/
NEW ORLEANS (AP) — A federal appeals court was told Tuesday that there is no basis in federal law for a Trump administration ban on bump stocks — devices that enable a shooter to fire multiple rounds from semi-automatic weapons with a single trigger pull.
The ban was instituted after a sniper using bump stock-equipped weapons massacred dozens in Las Vegas in 2017. Gun rights advocates are challenging it in multiple federal courts.
At issue is not the Second Amendment but whether bump stocks qualify as illegal “machine guns” under federal law. The rule banning the devices issued by the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives said that they — a reversal, attorneys said, of a position held prior to the Las Vegas killings.
Opponents of the ban say the ATF’s rule doesn’t comply with federal law, and that it would take an act of Congress to ban bump stocks nationally.
So far, the ban, now being defended by the Biden administration, has survived challenges at the Cincinnati-based 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals and the Denver-based 10th Circuit. Decisions on whether the Supreme Court will hear appeals in those cases are pending. It has also survived a challenge at the federal circuit court in Washington.
A panel of three judges at the 5th Circuit in New Orleans also issued a ruling in favor of the ban, but the full New Orleans-based court, currently with 16 active members, opted to hear new arguments. It’s unclear how quickly the full court will issue a ruling. Some judges raised the possibility in questions that they could await Supreme Court action in the other cases.
According to the ATF, bump stocks harness the recoil energy of a semiautomatic firearm so that a trigger “resets and continues firing without additional physical manipulation of the trigger by the shooter.” The shooter must maintain constant forward pressure on the weapon with the non-shooting hand, and constant pressure on the trigger with the trigger finger, according to Tuesday’s arguments.
But, opponents of the ATF rule argue that the trigger itself functions multiple times when a bump stock is used, so therefore bump stock weapons do not qualify as machine guns under federal law. They site language in the law that defines a machine gun as one that fires multiple times with a “single function of the trigger.”
“The trigger is going to function multiple times,” Richard Samp, arguing for a Texas gun owner, told the judges.
U.S. Department of Justice lawyer Mark Stern said the key is the action of the shooter.
“You only have to do one thing,” Stern told the judges. “Your trigger finger isn’t doing anything other than sitting still.”
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
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Eight Sarasota Conspiracy Theories That Range From The Very Absurd To The Very Real
Eight Sarasota Conspiracy Theories That Range From The Very Absurd To The Very Real https://digitalarkansasnews.com/eight-sarasota-conspiracy-theories-that-range-from-the-very-absurd-to-the-very-real/
The anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks leads many to reexamine one of the most significant events in modern American history, and many Americans believe that, 21 years later, our government is still not telling the full truth about what happened that day. Conspiratorial thinking has exploded, and become a mainstream phenomenon.
But to be called a “conspiracy theorist” is no compliment. If you are accused of being one, you are a tinfoil hat-wearing, schizophrenic paranoiac who believes in lizard people and a flat Earth.
This might be a little unfair. History shows us that governments and shadowy networks have conspired to illicit and nefarious ends. From the Iran-Contra scandal to oil companies hiding data about climate change and CIA-funded mind control programs, real conspiracies abound. And what is a conspiracy anyway? The legal definition is “an agreement between two or more people to commit an illegal act, along with an intent to achieve the agreement’s goal.” That’s pretty broad. What doesn’t fall under that rubric?
By that very loose definition, Sarasota is filled with conspiracies that go back more than a century and, these days, in the time of loony politics and social media, we’ve landed on the national radar. A New York magazine article dubbed our beach town the “Conspiracy Coast,” while Vice wrote a story calling Sarasota “the Conspiracy Capital of the United States.” The Sarasota Herald-Tribune’s Chris Anderson goes even further, claiming Sarasota County “has somehow become the Conspiracy Capital of the World.”
Are we really a hub for conspiracies? Is there something in the water? Or is it the white quartz crystal sand?
Here are eight common conspiracy theories that involve Sarasota—ranging from the very absurd to the very real.
9/11
Conspiracies are born out of coincidences, so we’ll start with the big one—9/11. Sarasota has a bizarre number of connections to this defining moment in world history, and we still don’t know the whole truth about what really went on here leading up to that fateful day.
Sarasota was destined to be in the 9/11 spotlight because President George W. Bush was reading to a classroom of second graders at Emma E. Booker Elementary when he was told a second plane had hit the World Trade Center. But, in a strange and eerie coincidence, three of the hijackers, including Mohamed Atta, lived and trained here, too.
Stranger still is the al-Hijji family, who lived in a gated Sarasota neighborhood. It would take 10 years, but it was eventually revealed that this Saudi family, who had connections to the Saudi government, had fled in a hurry days before the attacks. They also had reportedly hosted Mohamed Atta and the other hijackers at their home in the year leading up to 9/11.
To make matters more suspicious, the FBI and CIA worked in tandem to prevent the public from knowing about this family’s possible involvement with the terrorists. The information discovered in Sarasota would later lead to the revelation of Operation Encore, an internal investigation by a small group of FBI agents that showed Saudi involvement in the attacks.
Mysteries remain about what really happened in Sarasota. Of the many unanswered questions about that day is why the Secret Service did not immediately hustle Bush to a secure location, as it apparently did with Vice-President Dick Cheney, or why Air Force One left Sarasota without a fighter jet escort while a hijacked plane was still in the sky.
Even more mysterious is a largely ignored incident that allegedly took place on the morning of the attacks at the Colony Beach and Tennis Resort on Longboat Key. A couple weeks after 9/11, a story in the Longboat Observer claimed that a van full of what the Tampa Bay Times described as “men of Middle Eastern descent” arrived at the Colony on the morning of Sept. 11 and said they had a poolside interview scheduled with the president. While the FBI and Secret Service have disputed this claim, and allegedly asked the publication’s editor to stop writing about the matter, the Observer continues to stick to its reporting.
Katherine Harris and the 2000 Election
The Sept. 11 attacks weren’t the first time Sarasota was involved in shaping the course of history. Our sleepy county featured prominently in the hot mess that was the 2000 presidential election. A quick refresher: Republican George W. Bush defeated Democrat Al Gore thanks to a 537-vote margin in the state of the Florida. A state recount of the vote was challenged by the Bush team and the case made its way to the U.S. Supreme Court, where the justices ruled 5-4 to stop the Florida recount. As a result, Bush won Florida by a 0.009 percent margin and, subsequently, the electoral vote.
But even before the hanging chads and the “Brooks Brothers riot” (an orchestrated anti-recount protest in Miami that Roger Stone took credit for), Sarasota socialite and Florida Secretary of State Katherine Harris had overseen a controversial effort to purge Florida’s voter rolls of ineligible voters. The firm hired for the job removed more than 173,000 Floridians from the rolls, but the list was flawed, and thousands of voters were wrongfully turned away. In an election decided by 537 votes, this might have made all the difference. Harris would later certify the election results that favored Bush.
Siesta Key and the Lost City of Atlantis
On a lighter note, many woo-woo Sarasotans love to say that the fine quartz sand of Siesta Key comes from the Lost City of Atlantis. It’s unclear who started this claim, but since quartz is one of the favored crystals among the New Age crowd, finding a beach full of the stuff would be tantamount to stumbling upon Nirvana. Some say that, because of the Atlantis sand, Sarasota has received mysterious protection from hurricanes, and that the sand creates high vibrational energy for anyone who plops down and meditates on the beach.
While there’s nothing nefarious afoot on the white sands of Siesta Key, the myth of Atlantis was a favorite of Nazi leader Henrich Himmler, who commanded the SS. Atlantis, he believed, was home to a super-race of Aryans that fell into the sea. According to the theory, refugees from Atlantis scattered across the world and helped found great civilizations throughout history, providing pseudo-historical evidence for the superiority of the German people.
We Build the Wall
Just last week, Steve Bannon surrendered to officials in the state of New York as part of charges related to his role in the We Build the Wall scheme. Back in 2018, Bannon and his associates started a GoFundMe and raised more than $25 million to privately build a wall along the United States’ southern border. Two years later, members of the group were accused of ripping off donors by siphoning money from the project and were arrested on wire fraud and money laundering charges. One of the co-conspirators was local businessman Andy Badolato.
Badolato, who owned the home on Casey Key that Steve Bannon listed as his place of residence during the 2016 election, pleaded guilty to wire fraud earlier this year. (Bannon pleaded not guilty to the charges against him last week.) But what makes the case of Badolato curious is how long he was able to skirt the law. According to reporting by the Sarasota Herald-Tribune‘s Chris Anderson, Badolato and Bannon had working together for decades, and Badolato had assisted the FBI on more than one occasion. In 2008, Badolato worked with the FBI to record conversations with Louis Caputo, who claimed he had ties to the mafia and who loaned Badolato $12,500 at an interest rate of 500 percent. According to the Department of Justice, Caputo threatened Badolato when Badolato did not pay him back, and in 2013 Caputo pleaded guilty to extortion.
Skunk Ape
Tales of the Skunk Ape—Florida’s very own version of Bigfoot—have been around for more than 200 years. There are reports dating back to 1818 of a “man-sized monkey” stalking fishermen and stealing food, and there have been a total of 325 Skunk Ape sightings in Florida, eight of which allegedly took place in Sarasota County.
As with Bigfoot, most experts believe Skunk Ape to be a case of mistaken identity; they write off the mythological creature as people confusing it with a bear. And, for the most part, Skunk Ape has just become a fun mascot for the state of Florida.
But it’s also attracted anti-government and magical thinking types. In a Smithsonian Magazine article, the author interviewed an earnest Skunk Ape expert whom the magazine called “the Jane Goodall of skunk apes.” The expert went on to tell the author that on a night when he saw the creature, a government helicopter arrived and hovered above the site for hours. He also claimed that some Skunk Ape hairs he had collected were confiscated by unidentified federal agents who came to his home.
Art Nadel, the “Mini-Madoff”
Nicknamed the “mini-Madoff” of Sarasota, Art Nadel ran a complex scam from his office in downtown Sarasota that swindled $168 million from nearly 400 investors.
Nadel, a disbarred lawyer, moved to Sarasota in 1978 and lived a quiet life at first. He played jazz piano in restaurants and drove a $4,000 used car. Years later, he started small investment clubs with returns that attracted a father-and-son investment team who, in 1999, turned it into the hedge fund Scoop Management Co. Nadel managed the fund and became the purveyor of the biggest Ponzi scheme in Southwest Florida. He raised $330 million by claiming returns as high as 55 percent.
When people started asking for their money, the whole thing unraveled. The fund had been losing money from the beginning. Scores of Sarasota residents lost fortunes; some lost their entire net worth. Nadel briefly went on the lam, but surrendered to...
Trump Returns With Another Hindi Slogan: 'Bharat US Sabse Achhe Dost' Odisha News In English
Trump Returns With Another Hindi Slogan: 'Bharat, US Sabse Achhe Dost' – Odisha News In English https://digitalarkansasnews.com/trump-returns-with-another-hindi-slogan-bharat-us-sabse-achhe-dost-odisha-news-in-english/
Washington, Sep 13: Former US President Donald Trump is back with another Hindi slogan: “Bharat and US Sabse Achhe Dost (India and US are best friends)”.
Trump recorded this new catchphrase at his Mar-a-Lago residence recently for Shalabh Kumar, a Chicago-based businessman, Republican donor and strategist, who was also behind Trump’s first Hindi slogan in 2016: “Ab ki bar, Trump Sarkar”, which was inspired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s poll slogan “Ab ki bar, Modi sarkar”.
Kumar said Trump, who doesn’t speak any Hindi at all, had an easier time recording the slogan than many people in Kumar’s own team, who had trouble pronouncing the word ‘Bharat’ correctly. Most of them couldn’t get it right, Kumar recalled with a laugh, despite “hundreds of takes”.
The former President got it in “just three takes”, Kumar said.
Trump had a far more difficult time with the first slogan though. In Kumar’s telling, Trump had done 12 takes to finally get it right, recording it at his campaign headquarters at Trump Tower, which also served as the head office of the Trump Organization and, then, his residence. The former President now lives in Florida at his Mar-a-Lago club resort.
“We will use the slogan in the upcoming midterm elections in November,” Kumar said, discussing the creation of the new slogan exclusively with this reporter.
The slogan is intended to mobilise Indian/Hindu American voters in support of Republicans, especially the key candidates endorsed by the former President – J.D. Vance in Ohio, Herschel Walker in Georgia, Mehmet Oz in Pennsylvania, Ron Johnson in Wisconsin – and party candidates in Arizona, a one-time Republican stronghold that President Joe Biden, a Democrat, won in 2020, blocking Trump’s path to re-election.
Indian Americans have emerged as a crucial vote bank in swing states where election outcomes can turn on thin margins, as slim as a thousand or few thousands.
A 2020 report by US think-tank Carnegie Endowment for International Peace noted that “in select swing states, the Indian American population is larger than the margin of victory that separated (Democratic Presidential nominee) Hillary Clinton and Trump in the closely-contested 2016 Presidential race”.
The Indian American community has grown to more than four million — said to be slightly more than 1 pert cent of the total population — but registered voters among them are less than the total registered voters, which stood at 160 million in 2020. They are located all over the country — the largest concentrations are in California, Texas, New Jersey, New York and Illinois.
But they matter more in swing states such as Wisconsin, Michigan, Pennsylvania, Virginia and, now, Georgia and Arizona, where their numbers, though smaller, are more than the margins of victory or defeat — Biden had won Wisconsin by 20,000 votes (Trump had won the state by 22,000 in 2016), Pennsylvania by 80,000 votes (Trump won it by 50,000 in 2016), and Georgia by 12,000 votes (Trump had won it by 2,11,141 votes in 2016).
Both the Democratic and Republican parties now woo Indian Americans aggressively. Kumar said Trump’s slogan will feature in an ad that will play on TV channels viewed mostly by Indian Americans, starting October when candidates will be in the last month of campaigning for US House of Representatives, Senate (a third of the 100 seats) and state-wide officials such as governors and state legislatures.
Kumar has been working with Trump since 2016 but things cooled between them towards the end of the former President’s terms. Kumar stayed away from Trump’s 2020 re-election campaign, but is back in the good graces of the former President. They recently appeared together in an NDTV interview.
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Graham Introduces Bill To Ban Abortions Nationwide After 15 Weeks
Graham Introduces Bill To Ban Abortions Nationwide After 15 Weeks https://digitalarkansasnews.com/graham-introduces-bill-to-ban-abortions-nationwide-after-15-weeks/
Sen. Lindsey O. Graham (R-S.C.) on Tuesday introduced a bill that would ban abortions after 15 weeks of pregnancy nationwide, the most prominent effort by Republicans to restrict the procedure since the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in June.
“I think we should have a law at the federal level that would say, after 15 weeks, no abortion on demand except in cases of rape, incest or to save the life of the mother,” Graham said at a news conference. “And that should be where America is at.”
Graham’s measure, which stands almost no chance of advancing while Democrats hold the majority in Congress, comes just weeks after he and most Republicans had defended the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe by arguing that allowing states to decide on abortion rights would be the most “constitutionally sound” way of handling the issue.
On Tuesday, Graham vowed that, if Republicans took back the House and Senate in the midterm elections, there would be a vote on his 15-week abortion bill.
“Abortion is a contentious issue,” Graham said. “Abortion is not banned in America. It is left up to elected officials in America to define the issue … States have the ability to do [so] at the state level and we have the ability in Washington to speak on this issue if we choose. I have chosen to speak.”
Graham was joined at the news conference by Marjorie Dannenfelser, president of Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America, along with other antiabortion leaders. Rep. Christopher H. Smith (R-N.J.) introduced a version of the bill in the House on Tuesday as well. Senior GOP aides in the House have indicated the bill would be a top priority for them if Republicans take back the majority.
The name of the bill — which includes the nonmedical phrase “late-term abortions” — drew sharp criticism from abortion rights activists. Used almost exclusively by antiabortion activists, the phrase is generally understood to refer to abortions between or after 21 and 24 weeks of pregnancy.
“15 weeks is not ‘late term,’ particularly given the significant challenges to access around the country,” Christina Reynolds, vice president of communications at Emily’s List, wrote in a tweet.
While most people undergo abortions earlier in pregnancy, 15-week and 20-week abortion bans disproportionately affect patients with fetal anomalies, which are often detected at a 20-week anatomy scan, along with those who take longer to realize they are pregnant. These kinds of bans will also affect more people in a post-Roe America as abortion clinics struggle to accommodate a swell of patients from states where abortion is now banned.
The White House criticized the bill, saying it is “wildly out of step with what Americans believe.”
“President Biden and congressional Democrats are committed to restoring the protections of Roe v. Wade in the face of continued radical steps by elected Republicans to put personal health care decisions in the hands of politicians instead of women and their doctors, threatening women’s health and lives,” said White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre in a statement.
Other Democrats swiftly responded to reports of Graham’s efforts with anger, and vowed that the measure would go nowhere. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) called the bill the “latest, clearest signal of extreme MAGA Republicans’ intent to criminalize women’s health freedom in all 50 states and arrest doctors for providing basic care.”
“I will block any efforts in the Senate to advance a nationwide abortion ban — full stop,” tweeted Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.), who is locked in a tough reelection bid. “We don’t need any more male politicians telling women what we can and can’t do with our own bodies.”
“I will never understand the Republican obsession with what goes on in your bedroom or your doctor’s office, but I do know it belongs nowhere near government. Your right to privacy is fundamental,” Rep. Gerald E. Connolly (D-Va.) tweeted.
The timing of Graham’s announcement is curious — two months before the midterm elections, after abortion has already shown to be a galvanizing issue for some Democratic voters. While Republicans generally have praised the ruling overturning Roe, many have preferred not to focus on the issue ahead of the midterms.
“There’s a narrative forming in America that the Republican Party and the pro-life movement is on a run. No, no, no, no, no, no,” Graham, who in the past favored a 20-week ban, told reporters. “We welcome the debate. We welcome the vote in the United States Senate as to what America should look like in 2022.”
Graham said he had not spoken to Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) about the bill.
Last month, Kansas voters soundly rejected a referendum that would have allowed state lawmakers to regulate abortion, the first time state voters decided on such an amendment since Roe was overturned. Last week, South Carolina Republicans fell short in their bid for a near-total abortion ban in the state. Planned Parenthood announced last month that it plans to spend a record $50 million in an effort to elect abortion rights supporters across the country this November, banking on the belief that abortion will help turn out Democratic voters.
Moreover, several red states already have stricter bans in place. Abortion is now banned or mostly banned in 15 states, while laws in several others are in various legal limbos. Last month, Indiana passed a near-total abortion ban, the first to do so after Roe was struck down.
Before the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in June, many Republican lawmakers and advocates had been pushing for a strict nationwide “heartbeat” ban on abortions, which would have outlawed the procedure after cardiac activity is detected, at around six weeks of pregnancy. Sen. Joni Ernst (R-Iowa) had been planning behind-the-scenes to introduce the legislation.
But months after the landmark abortion ruling, those plans have quietly fizzled. While that bill has been drafted, there is no timeline for Ernst or any other senator to introduce it, according to several antiabortion advocates close to the situation.
Instead, some leading antiabortion advocates are hoping that Republicans will rally around a 15-week ban, long denounced by many in the antiabortion movement because it would allow the vast majority of abortions to continue.
Dannenfelser, the president of Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America, said she expects that Graham’s bill will be “universally accepted,” offering a path forward that a variety of Republican senators can support.
“I think the place to begin is where Graham is beginning,” said Dannenfelser in an interview before Graham’s bill was released. “Graham is the momentum and it will increase when he introduces [his bill].”
Some Republicans are not so sure. Since the Supreme Court decision, many have said publicly that they think abortion should be left to the states.
Even before an antiabortion amendment was resoundingly defeated in his home state, Sen. Roger Marshall (R-Kan.) told The Washington Post that he doubted that there was a future for any kind of national abortion ban.
“I just don’t see the momentum at the federal level,” Marshall said in a July 25 interview. “I think the legislative priority should be at the states.”
A nationwide ban would be extremely difficult to pass, requiring 60 votes in the Senate to overcome a filibuster. The measure would encounter resistance from nearly all Democrats in addition to a handful of Republicans who support abortion rights. Neither party is likely to gain in the midterm elections the number of seats necessary for a filibuster-proof majority.
Republicans have been forced to reckon with a growing trove of data suggesting that abortion could be a decisive issue in the midterms, motivating Democratic and independent voters far more than was widely expected. Candidates who support abortion rights have overperformed in recent special elections, while key battleground states have seen a spike in Democratic and independent women registering to vote.
Some Republicans have grown increasingly hesitant to discuss the subject of a national abortion ban on the campaign trail. In Arizona, Republican Senate candidate Blake Masters removed any mention of his support for a “federal personhood law” from his website, legislation that probably would have banned abortion nationwide after conception. Masters’s website now says he would support a ban on abortions in the third trimester, at around 27 weeks of pregnancy, a far more popular position.
Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America applauded the change in a news release, saying that Masters “rightfully centered his position on what is achievable at the federal level.”
Abortion rights groups have seized on the looming threat of a national abortion ban, hoping to mobilize voters around the issue all over the country, including those in states where abortion rights are protected.
“For anyone who is in a state where abortion is not yet restricted or banned, we especially want to tell those voters, ‘This is everybody’s issue. It could come to your state too if they’re voting against efforts to protect abortion,’ ” said Jacqueline Ayers, senior vice president at Planned Parenthood Action Fund.
Marianna Sotomayor and Rachel Roubein contributed to this report.
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Stock Market Today: Dow Plunges 800 Points CPI Report Shows U.S. Inflation Slowed To 8.3% In August
Stock Market Today: Dow Plunges 800 Points, CPI Report Shows U.S. Inflation Slowed To 8.3% In August https://digitalarkansasnews.com/stock-market-today-dow-plunges-800-points-cpi-report-shows-u-s-inflation-slowed-to-8-3-in-august/
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Last Updated: Sep 13, 2022 at 1:04 pm ET
Follow The Wall Street Journal’s full markets and consumer-price inflation report coverage.
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FBI Warns Of Increased Sextortion Schemes Involving Children In Northwest Arkansas
FBI Warns Of Increased Sextortion Schemes Involving Children In Northwest Arkansas https://digitalarkansasnews.com/fbi-warns-of-increased-sextortion-schemes-involving-children-in-northwest-arkansas/
HARRISON, Ark. (KY3) – FBI agents have noted an increase in sextortion schemes targeting children in the northwest Arkansas area.
The FBI and local police in northwest Arkansas have received numerous reports of predators attempting to coerce young boys into sending sexual videos of themselves and extorting money from these victims.
“The FBI recently, with this increase in sextortion, has seen a number of juvenile victims feel like they are so isolated, that they feel there is nowhere they can turn for help, and they take their own lives,” said Connor Hagan, public affairs officer with FBI Little Rock. “That is unacceptable. We are here to help them. No one should ever be in the position that they cannot come forward and ask for help.”
Hagan says coercion of a child by an adult to gain sexual child material is a serious crime that can lead to life sentences.
Parents need to speak with children and be aware of their apps. Encourage social media literacy, and refrain from encrypted apps like WhatsApp or Signal.
“I think the most basic information to tell teens is that they should not be speaking to anyone online that they do not know in real life,” said Hagan.
April Benefiel is the director at Grandma’s House in Harrison and also a children’s victim advocate. She says the increasing rate of these extortion schemes is alarming.
“It’s not about whether they’re a good kid or a bad kid, they’re all doing it, and they have to be taught,” she said. “Anytime you put something on the web, it’s out there. It doesn’t matter if it’s Snapchat and you think it’s deleted. It’s still out there.”
If you know someone who may be a victim of sextortion in Arkansas, contact the FBI’s Arkansas Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force at 501-221-9100. Resources like the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children are also available. CLICK HERE: https://www.missingkids.org/theissues/sextortion
Learn more about the FBI’s efforts to prevent sextortion. CLICK HERE: https://www.fbi.gov/scams-and-safety/common-scams-and-crimes/sextortion
To report a correction or typo, please email digitalnews@ky3.com
Copyright 2022 KY3. All rights reserved.
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AR Lawmakers Comment On VA Report On Care Delay https://digitalarkansasnews.com/ar-lawmakers-comment-on-va-report-on-care-delay/
by: C.C. McCandless
Posted: Sep 13, 2022 / 11:28 AM CDT
Updated: Sep 13, 2022 / 11:28 AM CDT
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. (KNWA/KFTA) — On September 12, the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Office of Inspector General (OIG) released a report on community care coordination delays involving a patient with oral cancer at the Veterans Health Care System of the Ozarks in Fayetteville.
That patient died, and a healthcare inspection was made to assess whether care coordination delays may have contributed to his death. The report states that the OIG “evaluated the facility’s coordination of radiation therapy and chemotherapy for the patient.” It also evaluated a “related concern” regarding scheduling appointments for the patient’s radical resection surgery.
It noted that the patient was in his 70s, and had “a history of head and neck cancers, including laryngeal cancer and oral verrucous carcinoma.” An initial consult for his surgery was set for March 8, 2020 but he did not undergo the necessary surgery until September 29, 2020.
The OIG determined that caility OCC staff failed to schedule community care appointments for the patient within 30 days of the clinically indicated date determined by the provider, per Veterans Health Administration (VHA) policy. The OIG found that facility OCC staff did not thoroughly review the patient’s EHR when coordinating community care services for the patient, which ultimately delayed access to care and the patient’s surgery. Facility OCC staff did not take action for over three months on the first consult for community care, entered March 8, 2020. The OCC staff told the OIG the delays were due to not having ‘the time to put in enough effort’ to follow up on scheduling an appointment, and ‘missing information’ needed to schedule the patient with a community provider.
Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General report, September 12
The report also details delayed coordination of chemotherapy appointments for the patient. Three state lawmakers released statements about the report’s findings:
The report details an unacceptable failure on behalf of one of our heroes. Actions, or lack thereof, which jeopardize the health and well-being of any veteran breach the required and deserved standard of care. It’s a situation never to be repeated—and those liable must be held accountable. I will be working alongside my colleagues to ensure those obligations are met
Congressman Steve Womack
The report states that the seven-month surgical delay “placed the patient at a greater risk for disease progression.”
In this instance, the Fayetteville VA Medical Center failed to live up to its mission. Negligence in ensuring a veteran receives the quality and timely care they deserve is unacceptable. I will be working with my colleagues to ensure those responsible will be held accountable and this never happens again, in Arkansas or elsewhere
Senator John Boozman, a member of the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee
The facility ENT provider acknowledged “unnecessary delays” in scheduling the patient’s surgery, but noted it was impossible to know the exact effect of the delay.
The Fayetteville VA Medical Center’s staff failed in their duty to this veteran—completely unacceptable. I will work with my colleagues to investigate this incident, hold to account those responsible, and prevent this negligence in the future
Senator Tom Cotton
In addition to the report, the OIG has provided “an acceptable action plan” and stated that it “will follow up on the planned actions until they are completed.”
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Prince William Just Inherited A 685-Year Old Estate Worth $1 Billion
Prince William Just Inherited A 685-Year Old Estate Worth $1 Billion https://digitalarkansasnews.com/prince-william-just-inherited-a-685-year-old-estate-worth-1-billion/
London (CNN Business)Royal wills are never made public. That means what happens to much of the Queen’s personal wealth following her death last week will remain a family secret.
Forbes estimated last year that the late monarch’s personal fortune was worth $500 million, made up of her jewels, art collection, investments and two residences, Balmoral Castle in Scotland and Sandringham House in Norfolk. The Queen inherited both properties from her father, King George VI.
“[Royal wills] are hidden, so we have no idea actually what’s in them and what that’s worth, and that’s never ever made public,” Laura Clancy, a lecturer in media at Lancaster University and author of a book on royal finances, told CNN Business.
But the vast bulk of the Royal family’s wealth — totaling at least £18 billion ($21 billion) in land, property and investments — now passes along a well-trodden, centuries-old path to the new monarch, King Charles, and his heir.
The line of succession makes Prince William, now the first in line to the British throne, a much wealthier man.
The future king inherits the private Duchy of Cornwall estate from his father. The duchy owns a sprawling portfolio of land and property covering almost 140,000 acres, most of it in southwest England.
Created in 1337 by King Edward III, the estate is worth around £1 billion ($1.2 billion), according to its accounts for the last financial year.
Revenue from the estate is “used to fund the public, private and charitable activities,” of the Duke of Cornwall, its website says. That title is now held by Prince William.
By far the biggest slice of the family’s fortune, the £16.5 billion ($19 billion) Crown Estate, now belongs to King Charles as reigning monarch. But under an arrangement dating back to 1760, the monarch hands over all profits from the estate to the government in return for a slice, called the Sovereign Grant.
The estate includes vast swathes of central London property and the seabed around England, Wales and Northern Ireland. It has the status of a corporation and is managed by a chief executive and commissioners — or non-executive directors — appointed by the monarch on the recommendation of the prime minister.
In the last financial year, it generated net profit of almost £313 million ($361 million). From that, the UK Treasury paid the Queen a Sovereign Grant of £86 million ($100 million). That’s equivalent to £1.29 ($1.50) per person in the United Kingdom.
Most of this money is spent on maintaining the Royal family’s properties and paying their staff.
The Sovereign Grant is usually equivalent to 15% of the estate’s profits. But, in 2017, the payment was bumped up to 25% for the next decade to help pay for refurbishments to Buckingham Palace.
King Charles also inherits the Duchy of Lancaster, a private estate dating back to 1265, which was valued at about £653 million ($764 million) according to its most recent accounts. Income from its investments cover official costs not met by the Sovereign Grant, and helps support other Royal family members.
Restrictions apply
Despite the vast sums, the monarch and his heir are restricted in how much they can personally benefit from their fortunes.
The King can only spend the Sovereign Grant on royal duties. And neither he nor his heir are allowed to benefit from the sale of assets in their duchies. Any profit from disposals are reinvested back into the estate, according an explainer published by the Institute for Government’s (IfG).
The UK Treasury must also approve all large property transactions, the IfG said.
Still, unlike the Sovereign Grant generated by the Crown Estate, both duchies are private sources of wealth, meaning their owners are not required to give any details beyond reporting their income, the IFG said.
Last year, King Charles, then the Duke of Cornwall, paid himself £21 million ($25 million) from the Duchy of Cornwall estate.
Neither Prince William nor King Charles are obliged to pay any form of tax on their estates, though both duchies have voluntarily paid income tax since 1993, according to the IfG.
That move came a year after the Royal family faced strong criticism for planning to use public money to repair Windsor Castle, which had suffered damage in a fire, Clancy said.
“Of course, voluntary income tax [is] not a fixed rate, and they don’t have to declare how much income they’re making their tax on. So actually it’s just like plucking a figure out of thin air,” Clancy said.
Buckingham Palace did not immediately respond to CNN Business when reached for comment.
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Obituaries For The Sept. 14 2022 Edition Of The Pea Ridge TIMES
Obituaries For The Sept. 14, 2022, Edition Of The Pea Ridge TIMES https://digitalarkansasnews.com/obituaries-for-the-sept-14-2022-edition-of-the-pea-ridge-times/
Pamela M. Bolerjack
Pamela M. Bolerjack, 68, died Tuesday, Sept. 6, 2022, in Eureka Springs, Ark. She was born May 27, 1954, in Natchez, Miss.
At her birth, she required a blood transfusion. The call went out to the community and a clown from the Shriners Circus responded and gave Pamela the blood she needed. Thus her life began.
She grew up in Mississippi with her much loved older brother, Gerald Smith. After college, Pamela moved to the Ozarks where she married her beloved David Shane Bolerjack. Her two sons, Derek Sheridan and Timothy Bolerjack, were a source of delight, consternation and abundant roars of laughter. How proud she was of her boys.
Pamela was relieved to have such fine and fierce women as daughters-in-law, Jennifer Mathews and Leah Sheridan, whom she loved and admired. Two magical and clever grandsons filled her life with adventure and fun. She loved and adored Shane Bolerjack and Lewis Sheridan, always treasuring her time with them.
Throughout her life Pamela made deep and abiding friendships full of hilarity, wine, honesty, and love. The wise and wonderful women of her posse included Peggy, Annie, Sarah, Deb, Teresa, Malissa, Kathleen, Patti and Carol.
Pamela lived an artful – art filled – life. She was deeply spiritual, wickedly funny and always had a new project in mind.
No services are scheduled at this time.
Memorials can be made in her honor to Good Shepherd Humane Society, 6486 East U.S. Hwy. 62, Eureka Springs, AR 72632.
Cremation arrangements were under the direction of Nelson Funeral Services.
Online condolences may be sent to the family at nelsonfuneral.com.
Editor’s note: Bolerjack was pastor of Mt. Vernon Presbyterian Church, Pea Ridge, in the 1990s.
Kathleen Griffin Snyder
Kathleen Griffin Snyder, 96, of Pea Ridge died Sept. 11, 2022, in Rogers.
Visitation will begin at 3 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 17, in Sisco Funeral Chapel, Pea Ridge, before the service.
Service is set for 4 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 17, 2022, in Sisco Funeral Chapel in Pea Ridge.
A full obit will be published in next week’s edition.
Online condolences may be made at siscofuneralhome.net.
Wanda Lavonne Wright
Wanda Lavonne Wright, 90, of Garfield, Ark., died Thursday, Sept. 8, 2022, in Mercy Hospital in Rogers. She was born May 26, 1932, in Garfield, Ark., to Ambrose Bartee Green and Gladys Broam Green.
She was a homemaker for her family, worked at Emerson, Pel-Freeze, the downtown drugstore in Pea Ridge and the Seligman Laundrymat. She was unselfish, compassionate, was a mother, grandmother, nurse and friend to many in the community. Wanda was the “rock” of her family and deeply loved babies, children and every living creature that God made.
She was a member of the First Baptist Church in Garfield.
She was preceded in death by her parents; her husband of 70 years, Lemoine Earl Wright whom she married Feb. 3, 1948; children, Gary, Mike and June; and siblings, L.D. Green, Vontrice “Sis” Brandon, Celia Joe “Toodie” Noland and Kenneth Green.
Survivors are her children, J.L. Wright (Fredia) of Garfield, Joey Wright (Wendy) of Washburn, Mo., Jimmy Wright of Garfield, Julie Safarik (Carl) of Garfield and Gina Arthur (Ben) of Garfield; siblings, Wilma Bridges of Garfield, Billy Green (Sally) of Bella Vista, Larry Green (Brenda) of Bella Vista and Donnie Green (Sarah) of Pea Ridge; and many grandchildren, great-grandchildren, great-great grandchildren and extended family and friends.
Visitation will be from 6-8 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 13, 2022, in Sisco Funeral Home, Pea Ridge.
Service is set for 10 a.m. Wednesday, Sept. 14, 2022, in the First Baptist Church in Garfield.
Arrangements are by Sisco Funeral Home in Pea Ridge.
Burial will be in Ruddick Cemetery.
Online condolences may be made at siscofuneralhome.net.
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Many Crimes: Hannity Mocked For Defending Trump By Scrolling Long List Of Investigations
‘Many Crimes’: Hannity Mocked For Defending Trump By Scrolling Long List Of Investigations https://digitalarkansasnews.com/many-crimes-hannity-mocked-for-defending-trump-by-scrolling-long-list-of-investigations/
Fox News personality Sean Hannity Monday night tried to defend Donald Trump by scrolling a long list of dozens of investigations into the now-former president, suggesting they are evidence of political persecution rather than actual misdeeds or criminal acts.
In a 34-second clip Hannity manages to list about 30 investigations and related actions, including the Mar-a-Lago “raid.”
Last month Vox published an explainer of the “4 major criminal probes into Donald Trump,” including, “The DOJ’s Mar-a-Lago classified documents investigation,” “The Justice Department investigation into January 6,” “The Georgia election investigation,” and “The New York investigations into the Trump Organization.”
Also last month Vanity Fair published what it calls, “The Complete Guide to All the Ways Donald Trump Is Legally Screwed,” promising “Every single criminal investigation and civil lawsuit the ex-president is currently facing, including the ones you’ve probably never heard about.”
The nonprofit and nonpartisan watchdog Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW) in March published “President Trump’s staggering record of uncharged criminal misconduct.” They write: “Donald Trump has been credibly accused of committing at least 48 criminal offenses while he was serving as President of the United States or campaigning for that office.”
And on January 20, 2021, McSweeney’s published a 360-page compendium titled, “Lest We Forget the Horrors: A Catalog of Trump’s Worst Cruelties, Collusions, Corruptions, and Crimes,” which includes 1056 “atrocities.”
Hannity’s list does not include all of those.
Civil liberties and national security journalist Marcy Wheeler took to Twitter to thank Hannity “for laying out the reason Trump is so desperate to try to claw back information from the FBI, [because] Trump literally obstructed every single one of these investigations, every time with Hannity’s assistance.”
Journalist Aaron Rupar observed, “it’s remarkable that Hannity doesn’t realize he’s actually owning Trump with this scroll.”
National security attorney Brad Moss commented, “Sean Hannity basically just made a contribution” to the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee.
“Some of these have gotten lost in the mists of time,” noted journalist and professor Bill Grueskin, thanking Hannity “for reminding us of Trump’s many crimes.”
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Stocks Fall Sharply As Hot Inflation Report Points To More Aggressive Fed Nasdaq Slides 3%
Stocks Fall Sharply As Hot Inflation Report Points To More Aggressive Fed, Nasdaq Slides 3% https://digitalarkansasnews.com/stocks-fall-sharply-as-hot-inflation-report-points-to-more-aggressive-fed-nasdaq-slides-3/
Long road to go until inflation is in check, strategist says
Investors are getting a rude awakening that high inflation could be here to stay after August’s hot CPI report.
“Today’s CPI reading is a stark reminder of the long road we have until inflation is back down to earth,” said Mike Loewengart, head of model portfolio construction at Morgan Stanley. “Wishful expectations that we are on a downward trajectory and the Fed will lay off the gas may have been a bit premature.”
Prior to Tuesday, the S&P 500 gained for four days in a row and had enjoyed its first winning week in four.
“The market has been on a winning streak these last few days so it shouldn’t be a surprise to see it take a breather as investors come to the realization that inflation may remain elevated for longer,” Loewengart said.
— Yun Li
Stocks fall sharply at the open
Stocks tumbled at the open on Tuesday as investors reacted to the hot August inflation report.
The Dow opened down more than 500 points. The S&P 500 was down about 2%, and the Nasdaq Composite lost almost 3%.
— Jesse Pound
Fed could now raise three-quarters of a point in November too, Nomura says
Next week’s Federal Reserve policy meeting is bound to raise the fed funds lending rate at least three quarters of a percentage point (75 basis points), but there’s even a remote, outside chance that the central bank hikes by a full percentage point next week, according to Nomura economist Rob Dent.
“In terms of the Fed, this feels like it absolutely locks in 75 for the September meeting but maybe increasing the risk for 100, though that’s not the base case,” Dent said. “People will have to consider that they could raise 75 basis points in November, given how strong this report is,” Dent said, referring to the miserable August inflation numbers.
August showed surprisingly broad based inflation, Dent said. Previously, “we saw this tug of war between goods moderating and services remaining strong. This is not a tug of war. They both moved up,” said Dent. “Right now I think the Fed is going to be looking at this with a lot of concern. This is no good news across this report.”
— Patti Domm
Market prices in bigger than 75 basis point rate hike for next week
Traders are betting that the August inflation report will force the Federal Reserve to be more aggressive in the near and longer terms with its rate hikes.
The Fed has widely been expected to hike by three quarters of a point, or 75 basis points next week. The hot CPI report now has some investors thinking a 1 percentage point hike is possible.
“Probably 75 (basis points) is the most likely play, but the market is pricing 79 basis points. So there’s a shot at 1,” said Michael Schumacher of Wells Fargo.
In the fed funds futures market, expectations for the terminal rate, or rate where the Fed is expected to stop hiking, also shot up.
“It exploded. It’s 4.19 and it was at 3.99” before CPI, Schumacher said. That means traders are betting the Fed will take fed funds target to 4.19% by March. The fed funds rate range is currently 2.25 to 2.5%.The market had been trading on the view that if CPI showed moderation, the Fed might be able to pause its rate hiking early next year. The last CPI report was a surprise to the downside, and the jobs number was strong.
“This ends the whole fairy tale that the Fed would get three good reports in a row.” Said Schumacher. “Too bad, Cinderella, it’s after midnight.”
— Patti Domm
Tech leading the decline following the CPI report
After inflation unexpectedly rose in August and rates surged, technology shares were leading the way lower in premarket trading.
Shares of Amazon and Tesla fell 3% apiece in early trading. Microsoft and Alphabet shed 2% each. Nvidia lost 4%. Traders fear higher rates will slow the growth of the tech sector and expose their relatively high valuations, not to mention cause investors to shed risk.
Declines were broad in premarket trading with most stocks in the S&P 500 set to decline. Banks were down on fears the Federal Reserve will push the economy into a recession. Bank of America and JPMorgan each lost about 1.5%.
Energy shares declined on recession fears as well. Exxon and Chevron each fell about 1%.
—John Melloy
Treasury yields soar after hot CPI report
U.S. Treasury yields jumped on Tuesday as investors bet that a hot inflation reading will keep the Federal Reserve aggressive in tightening monetary policy.
The yield on the benchmark 10-year Treasury note surged 7 basis points, trading at 3.43%. The yield on the 30-year Treasury bond was up about 4 basis points at 3.55%.
Meanwhile, the yield on the two-year Treasury, soared 14 basis points to 3.70%, hitting its highest level since November 2007. Yields move inversely to prices, and a basis point is equal to 0.01%.
— Yun Li
Inflation rises 0.1% in August even after decline in gas prices
The consumer price index unexpectedly rose month over month in August even as gas prices eased, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported.
The index gained 0.1% for the month and was up 8.3% year over year. Economists polled by Dow Jones expected a month-over-month decline of 0.1%.
Core CPI, which strips out volatile food and energy costs, rose 0.6% from July and 6.3% year over year.
— Jeff Cox
Stock futures reverse, fall after inflation report
A surprisingly hot CPI report led to a quick reversal in stock futures. Dow futures, which were up more than 200 points shortly before 8:30 a.m., were down more 300 points following the release. Nasdaq 100 futures saw a negative swing of nearly 3%.
— Jesse Pound
Stocks face risks in the short-run as earnings estimates get hit, Bernstein says
Economic headwinds and investor pessimism presents downside risk for stocks, especially in Europe, according to Bernstein.
Strategists Sarah McCarthy and Mark Diver said in a note to clients on Tuesday that earnings estimates in Europe could be cut another 10% or more, putting pressure on equities.
“The European market is up 4% from the start of September, but down 13% year to date (in local currency terms). We expect further downside in the short run as in our view a) the earnings downgrade cycle has further to run and b) we expect more outflows from equity funds. Sentiment measures are not pessimistic enough yet to take a bullish stance on positive short-term returns,” the note said.
Europe isn’t the only area showing weakness. The Bernstein note also said that global equity funds have seen three straight weeks of outflows.
— Jesse Pound, Michael Bloom
Treasury yields slide ahead of CPI
U.S. Treasury yields were in retreat on Tuesday morning less than an hour before the release of a key inflation report.
The yield on the benchmark 10-year Treasury note and the 2-year Treasury were lower by about 5 basis points each, trading at 3.314% and 3.525% respectively. The yield on the 30-year Treasury bond was down about 4 basis points at 3.477%.
Bond yields move opposite of price, and a basis point is equal to 0.01%.
Treasury yields have moved higher in September as Federal Reserve officials have pledged to continue their fight against inflation even if it causes short-term damage to the economy.
— Jesse Pound
Steer clear of Rent the Runway, Barclays says
Barclays downgraded shares of Rent the Runway to neutral from outperform, citing concerns over the company’s active subscriber growth.
“The significant deterioration in Active Customer trends in the quarter (QoQ active sub growth slowed to -8% in 2Q vs Street +7%, decelerating from +17% in 1Q) suggest that RENT is more susceptible to macro pressure on the aspirational consumer than we expected,” analyst Michael Binetti wrote in a note.
Rent the Runway shares fell more than 22% in the premarket after the company announced it was laying off 24% of its corporate workforce.
—Sarah Min
Dollar falls for fifth day in a row
The dollar index, which tracks the U.S. currency’s performance against six others, fell for a fifth straight day, potentially giving stocks a boost. Many large U.S. companies get a big chunk of their revenue from outside the U.S., meaning that a weaker dollar could boost their revenue.
The index traded 0.5% lower at 107.76.
— Fred Imbert
Chinese EV maker BYD can rally nearly 40%
BYD, a Chinese electric vehicle maker, could make big gains going forward, according to Barclays.
“BYD (Build Your Dream) became the #1 global EV maker in terms of deliveries in 2Q22, dethroning Tesla from that pedestal for the first time, and its triple-digit revenue growth rate is likely to continue for the rest of 2022, despite its already sizable base,” analyst Jiong Shao wrote in a Tuesday note.
The analyst also has a $40 per share price target on the stock, implying upside of 38% from Monday’s close.
CNBC Pro subscribers can read the full story here.
— Sarah Min
UK unemployment hits 48-year low while real wages fall sharply
U.K. unemployment fell to 3.6% in the three months to July, its lowest since 1974.
The economic inactivity rate, meanwhile, rose by 0.4 percentage points to a five-year high of 21.7%.
The Office for National Statistics attributed the change to a rise in long-term sickness designations and students leaving the jobs market. The increasing tightness of the labor market may fuel further inflationary pressure and cause headaches for the Bank of England.
Annual growth in real wages — taking into account inflation — excluding bonuses fell by 2.8% in the three months to the end of July.
“People will understandably be looking to their employers for help during the cost of living crisis while Andrew Bailey will be hoping that businesses don’t up salaries too high too quickly and compound inflation,” said Marcus Brookes, chief investment off...
U.S. Takes Aim At Some Trump Offshore Safety Rule Rollbacks OHS Canada Magazine
U.S. Takes Aim At Some Trump Offshore Safety Rule Rollbacks – OHS Canada Magazine https://digitalarkansasnews.com/u-s-takes-aim-at-some-trump-offshore-safety-rule-rollbacks-ohs-canada-magazine/
By Janet Mcconnaughey
The U.S. Department of the Interior said Monday that it wants to reverse some Trump administration rollbacks of offshore safety rules to prevent blowouts like the BP catastrophe that killed 11 people and fouled the Gulf of Mexico in 2010.
“This proposed rulemaking will help ensure that offshore energy development utilizes the latest science and technology to keep people safe,” Interior Secretary Deb Haaland said in a news release. “As our nation transitions to a clean energy economy, we must commit to strengthening and modernizing offshore energy standards and oversight.”
The changes are a step in the right direction but not far enough, said Diane Hoskins of the ocean environmental nonprofit Oceana.
“No operator can promise there won’t be another disaster like BP’s Deepwater Horizon blowout. The only way to prevent offshore drilling disasters is to permanently protect our coasts and workers from new offshore leasing,” she said in an emailed staatement.
Under Trump, the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement acted in 2019 to change rules put in place three years earlier while Barak Obama was president.
The agency is proposing to change seven out of the scores of revisions and additions made in 2019, director Kevin M. Sligh Sr. said during a phone news conference with Haaland.
He said one would require the bureau to accredit independent agencies that inspect offshore rigs and equipment.
Another would require blowout preventers — the equipment that failed in 2010 — to always be able to handle the well’s maximum gas flow specifications.
Others would require operators to send failure data to the federal offshore safety agency rather than to designated third parties, and would cut a month off the time allowed to begin failure analyses and investigations, allowing three months rather than four.
“The 2019 revisions to the Well Control Rule addressed technical problems and cleared up ambiguity,” changing 68 of the original rule’s 342 provisions, said Erik Milito, president of the National Ocean Industries Association, which represents oil and gas companies. “Any further updates … should follow a similar tailored approach.”
Environmental groups sued in 2019, claiming the changes would make oil and gas exploration and development off the Pacific, Atlantic, Alaska, and Gulf coasts “significantly more dangerous.”
“We are still reviewing the proposed rule to determine the best way forward with the lawsuit,” said Chris Eaton, senior attorney at Earthjustice, which filed the lawsuit.
Scientists still worry about effects of the nation’s worst offshore oil spill on dolphins, whales, sea turtles, small fish vital to the food chain and ancient corals in the cold, dark depths.
The proposal opens a 60-day public comment period, which ends Nov. 14.
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10 Avengers Comics That Lived Up To The Hype https://digitalarkansasnews.com/10-avengers-comics-that-lived-up-to-the-hype/
The Avengers are Earth’s Mightiest Heroes and Marvel legends. The team hit hard from the beginning and stayed at the top of the company for years. While the ’90s weren’t the best for the team, in stories or sales, they came roaring back to the top of the heap in the ’00s, dominating the publisher once again. Over the years, there have been some brilliant Avengers stories.
Not every comic story can live up to the expectations, especially when it’s a team as big as Avengers. However, there have been plenty of great Avengers stories out there that not only met expectations, but smashed through them, cementing the Avengers’ legend.
10 Operation: Galactic Storm Was A Massive Avengers Crossover
As the ’90s dragged on, the Avengers star fell farther and farther, but Operation: Galactic Storm was a bright spot in the waning years of the franchise. The story crossed through Avengers, Avengers West Coast, Captain America, Quasar, Iron Man, Thor, and Wonder Man. In it, the Kree and the Shi’Ar went to war and the Avengers got involved, like in the Kree-Skrull War before it, in order to keep the conflict from spreading to Earth.
The 19-part series was a sprawling Avengers epic, one that both played off nostalgia for “The Kree-Skrull War” story of the ’70s while also being its own thing. It was the last great Avengers story until the late ’90s and well worth the hype.
9 Secret Avengers: Secret Histories Introduced A New Avengers Team
Post-Dark Reign, the Avengers franchise got bigger than ever. The most intriguing new Avengers title was Secret Avengers. Launched by writer Ed Brubaker and artist Mike Deodato Jr., the book introduced a black ops Avengers team led by Steve Rogers and consisting of Black Widow, Beast, Ant-Man III, Moon Knight, Valkyrie, Sharon Carter, War Machine, and Nova.
When the Serpent Crown is found, the team has to vie with the mysterious Shadow Council to keep it safe. Brubaker and Deodato Jr. made an amazing team and the first storyline, titled “Secret Histories,” found a way to meld black ops with big Avengers action expertly.
8 Avengers Forever Cleaned Up Avengers Continuity While Presenting An Exciting Story
Avengers Forever, by writers Kurt Busiek and Roger Stern and artist Carlos Pacheco, was an ambitious story that did a lot of heavy lifting. Starring a team of Avengers from the team’s past, present, and future, it embroiled them in a scheme by Immortus and the Time Keepers to destroy humanity because of their actions in the future.
Avengers Forever served as a history lesson for the team, while also cleaning up some of the more confusing aspects of Avengers history. It’s a brilliant epic with a unique roster and some of the most unlikely Avengers allies ever.
7 Siege Closed Out The Dark Reign In Epic Style
Not every Marvel event is created equally, with some being much better than the others. Siege, by writer Brian Michael Bendis and artist Olivier Coipel, began with Loki and Norman Osborn manufacturing an excuse to attack Asgard. Granted authorization by the government, the Dark Avengers and the Superhero Initiative attack the Earthbound city, which brings the Avengers out of hiding to stop them.
The four-issue event book cuts the trademark fat of a Bendis-written event for a taut action thriller. Event books can sometimes disappoint, but this one never does. Siege closes out the Dark Reign era of Marvel with a bang.
6 Avengers: Avengers World Kicked Off A Bold Era Of The Avengers
Jonathan Hickman has cemented his place among Marvel’s most beloved creators. His Fantastic Four run was the most beloved in decades, and after Avengers Vs. X-Men, he got the nod to take over the Avengers franchise. His first story was Avengers: Avengers World, with artist Jerome Opeña. This three-issue story kicked into high gear immediately.
When a mysterious threat arises on Mars and captures a team of Avengers, Iron Man unveils his Avengers Machine, the most powerful roster of Avengers ever. Traveling to Mars, they are presented with enemies unlike anything they’ve faced before.Readers were expecting good things, but what they got was brilliant beyond anything they expected.
5 Avengers (Vol. 3) #1-3 Was A Return To Form For The Team
The ’90s saw the Avengers fall from grace. Marvel tried everything to make the team a big deal again, including the abortive Heroes Reborn. 1998 saw things look up for the team for the first time in years as writer Kurt Busiek and artist George Pérez relaunched Avengers, and their run would become legendary.
Of course, the inaugural story still had to grab readers, and Avengers (Vol. 3) #1-3 did that better than anyone expected. Putting the team in a medieval adventure against old foe Morgan Le Fay, it succeeded beyond everyone’s expectations and made the Avengers a huge deal again.
4 Avengers: Ultron Unlimited Is The Best Ultron Story
The Avengers have starred in amazing adventures over the years. Even among those momentous tales, Avengers: Ultron Unlimited stands tall. Writer Kurt Busiek and artist George Pérez brought Ultron back for his most destructive attack on humanity. With millions dead in minutes, the Avengers jump into action to defeat their most dangerous foe.
Fans expected a lot from Busiek and Pérez on an Ultron story, and the creative team delivered better than anyone imagined. Ultron stories were always pretty good, but this one blew the rest away. It was peak Avengers, reminding everyone just why the team was the best.
3 Avengers Disassembled Brought The Team To A New Level Of Popularity
While Busiek and Pérez brought the Avengers to the mountain, the X-Men were still the pinnacle of Marvel when it came to sales. The early 2000s saw Avengers fall down the charts once Busiek and Pérez left. Marvel was working to revitalize their flagging franchises at this point, and it was announced that fan favorite writer Brian Michael Bendis and artist David Finch would take the reins of the book.
Avengers Disassembled would blow the doors off the franchise. Bendis at this point was known for his street level stories, so him taking to the Avengers this well was a welcome surprise. Fans loved Avengers Disassembled, and it led to the most fertile Avengers era in years.
2 Infinity Took The Avengers To All New Heights
Marvel and sci-fi go together wonderfully, something that is proven by Infinity. The mid-point in writer Jonathan Hickman’s Avengers/New Avengers saga, this tale was told in a six-issue mini-series, with artists Jerome Opeña, Jim Cheung, and Dustin Weaver, with crossover issues in Avengers, with art by Leinil Yu, and New Avengers, with art by Mike Deodato Jr.
Chronicling the intergalactic war against the Builders, with the Avengers taking the lead of multiple alien empire’s forces, the story presented the team like never before. Meanwhile, on Earth, as the Illuminati watches for Incursions, Thanos shows up for a mission of revenge. It’s an epic story in every sense of the word.
1 Dark Avengers: Assemble Presents The Most Unique Avengers Team Ever
The Avengers have always boasted rosters of powerful heroes, but one roster was different from the rest. Norman Osborn’s Dark Avengers recast villains in heroic mantles, with Akihiro, Venom, Bullseye, and Moonstone taking the identities of Wolverine, Spider-Man, Hawkeye, and Ms. Marvel, and Osborn repurposing StarkTech armor as the Iron Patriot. Rounding the team out was Ares, the Sentry, and Noh-Varr as Captain Marvel.
The team was introduced in Dark Avengers: Assemble, by writer Brian Michael Bendis and artist Mike Deodato Jr. That first story saw the group get used to being heroes before being called on to bail out Doctor Doom when Morgan Le Fay comes calling. Fans expected a lot from the book, and it stuck the landing completely.
NEXT: 10 Avengers Comics So Thrilling, You Can’t Stop Reading Them
Read More Here
Live Updates: Ukraine Steps Up Information War Seeking To Exploit Russian Setbacks
Live Updates: Ukraine Steps Up Information War, Seeking To Exploit Russian Setbacks https://digitalarkansasnews.com/live-updates-ukraine-steps-up-information-war-seeking-to-exploit-russian-setbacks/
KYIV, Ukraine — As Ukrainian forces consolidated control over thousands of square miles of newly reclaimed terrain in the northeast, military officials sought to capitalize on the momentum of the ground offensive by taking aim at another target: the morale of retreating Russian forces.
Ukraine’s military redoubled calls for Russian soldiers to surrender and claimed it was already taking large numbers of Russian prisoners of war. The country’s military high command, without citing evidence, claimed on Tuesday that Moscow had ceased sending new units into battle because many volunteers “categorically refuse the prospect of service in combat conditions.”
The claims could not be verified. But senior Ukrainian officials are framing Moscow’s sudden and embarrassing loss of territory as a fresh opportunity to persuade Russian soldiers that they have been fighting for a lost cause.
The Ukrainian military is also pushing an offensive in the south, although it has released only limited information and has barred access to the front for journalists, making many claims hard to verify. It has not released the number of Russian prisoners it has taken, but convincing Russians to surrender is a central part of the strategy in the offensive.
Ukrainian military intelligence has released what it says are intercepted calls from Russian soldiers complaining of a lack of military supplies as well as basics like food and water. Those intercepts, too, could not be independently verified.
Here are other developments:
Russian shelling escalated sharply in Bakhmut, a key Ukrainian stronghold in the Donbas region, as Moscow’s forces seek to keep pressure on Ukraine in the east amid setbacks elsewhere.
Armenia said that at least 49 service members had died in clashes with the Azerbaijani Army, the worst escalation of hostilities between the countries since a 2020 war over the disputed region of Nagorno-Karabakh. The fighting heightened fears that Russia, an ally of Armenia, could find itself entangled in a second war in addition to its invasion of Ukraine.
The strategy behind Ukraine’s recent advances began to take shape months ago during a series of conversations between Ukrainian and American officials about the way forward in the war, U.S. officials said.
The Ukrainian prosecutor general’s office said it was investigating possible war crimes in a recently liberated northeastern village. Law enforcement officials said they had discovered the tortured bodies of four civilians in Zaliznychne, in the Kharkiv region.
Sept. 13, 2022, 9:18 a.m. ET
Sept. 13, 2022, 9:18 a.m. ET
Marc Santora
Reporting from Kyiv, Ukraine
Around 150,000 people in some 300 communities in northeastern Ukraine are living in areas reclaimed from Russian control, Hanna Malyar, Ukraine’s deputy minister of defense, said on Tuesday. “The resilience and spirit of Ukrainians is impressive, because the Russians deprived them of communication here,” she said. “They were told that there is no Ukraine.”
Sept. 13, 2022, 9:30 a.m. ET
Sept. 13, 2022, 9:30 a.m. ET
Marc Santora
Reporting from Kyiv, Ukraine
Ukrainian officials estimate that there are around 1.2 million people still living under Russian control. That includes almost 300,000 in the eastern Donbas region, 500,000 in the southern Kherson region and roughly 350,000 in the southern Zaporizhzhia region, said Iryna Vereshchuk, a deputy prime minister, on Ukrainian television on Monday night.
Sept. 13, 2022, 8:16 a.m. ET
Sept. 13, 2022, 8:16 a.m. ET
Shashank Bengali
Ukraine’s foreign minister, Dmytro Kuleba, said Germany was sending “disappointing signals” in response to urgent requests for more military aid, including Leopard tanks. “Not a single rational argument on why these weapons can not be supplied,” he tweeted, using unusually pointed language, adding: “What is Berlin afraid of that Kyiv is not?”
Image
Credit…Fabian Bimmer/Reuters
Sept. 13, 2022, 7:50 a.m. ET
Sept. 13, 2022, 7:50 a.m. ET
After Russia’s military abandoned efforts to capture Kyiv in April, it shifted to a narrower war in eastern Ukraine, inching forward for months as it relied on brutal and indiscriminate artillery fire to flatten cities and slowly gain ground.
With a lightning offensive in the northeast, Ukraine regained 3,400 square miles in the last week, more territory than Russia had in the last five months.
Even after the advance, however, Russia still holds vast swaths of eastern and southern Ukraine. One critical question is whether Ukraine can extend its recent gains to the east, into the Luhansk region, where Russian forces will try to reestablish a defensive line.
Sept. 13, 2022, 6:33 a.m. ET
Sept. 13, 2022, 6:33 a.m. ET
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Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan of Armenia addressing the country’s Parliament on Tuesday.Credit…Handout/National Assembly of the Republic of Armenia
The leader of Armenia said on Tuesday that at least 49 of the country’s servicemen had died overnight in clashes with the Azerbaijani Army. It was the worst escalation of hostilities between two countries since the 2020 war over Nagorno-Karabakh, a disputed mountain enclave, and a threat to both a loyal Russian ally and a cease-fire that Russia brokered.
The clashes — which erupted early Tuesday, with both sides accusing each other of initiating them — resumed the decades-long armed conflict over Nagorno-Karabakh, which is internationally recognized as part of Azerbaijan but claims independence and is closely allied with Armenia.
The escalation between the two former Soviet states in the South Caucasus has heightened fears that Russia could find itself entangled in a second war in addition to its invasion of Ukraine. Some military analysts suggested that Azerbaijan may have been emboldened by Russia’s recent setbacks in northeastern Ukraine.
Speaking in Armenia’s Parliament, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said that the intensity of hostilities had decreased but “attacks on one or two fronts from Azerbaijan continue,” according to a statement on the Parliament’s website.
Azerbaijan’s defense ministry accused Armenia of a number of “large-scale provocations” that forced it to retaliate, according to a statement on the ministry’s website. Mr. Pashinyan denied that his country had engaged in provocations and accused Azerbaijan of attacking the Armenian territories.
RUSSIA
GEORGIA
Area self-declared as the
Nagorno-Karabakh Republic
ARMENIA
Baku
AZERBAIJAN
TURKEY
NAGORNO-KARABAKH
former Soviet region
IRAN
50 Miles
He convened Armenia’s Security Council which decided to turn to Russia for help. Russia and Armenia are part of the C.S.T.O., a Moscow-led military alliance whose charter stipulates that an attack against one member would be perceived as an aggression against all. Russia also has a military base in Armenia.
In Moscow, Russia’s foreign ministry called on both sides to exercise restraint and observe the agreements that ended the 2020 war, adding that it had brokered a renewed cease-fire to come into effect at 9 a.m. Wednesday.
In 2020, President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia helped sign a broad cease-fire after Azerbaijan went to war, recapturing some of the territory it had lost during another war that started during the collapse of the Soviet Union in the late 1980s.
For years, Moscow has been trying to strike a balance between Yerevan and Baku, but this has turned into an increasingly difficult task as the war in Ukraine forced the Kremlin to focus its attention and strength elsewhere.
As part of the agreement Mr. Putin sent about 2,000 peacekeeping troops to the area, demonstrating Russia’s role as a potent arbiter in the Caucasus region, which for decades has been plagued by conflicts and volatility.
Sept. 13, 2022, 6:20 a.m. ET
Sept. 13, 2022, 6:20 a.m. ET
Matthew Mpoke Bigg
Russian shelling killed three civilians in the city of Kharkiv over the past day, said the head of the regional military administration, Oleh Syniehubov. Russian strikes have continued even after Ukraine has recaptured most of the surrounding region in a rapid counteroffensive.
Sept. 13, 2022, 6:22 a.m. ET
Sept. 13, 2022, 6:22 a.m. ET
Matthew Mpoke Bigg
Russian strikes again knocked out power in the Kharkiv region, said a senior official in the Ukrainian president’s office, Kyrylo Tymoshenko. President Volodymyr Zelensky warned overnight that Russia would continue targeting Ukrainian infrastructure in the northeast as its forces retreat.
Sept. 13, 2022, 6:15 a.m. ET
Sept. 13, 2022, 6:15 a.m. ET
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Trucks burned in Bakhmut, in eastern Ukraine, after shelling there on Sept. 8.Credit…Sergey Shestak/EPA, via Shutterstock
While the Ukrainian military sweeps through the northeast, liberating towns and villages from Russian control, the opposite is true farther south in the Bakhmut area of the Donbas region, a Ukrainian soldier serving near the front line said on Tuesday.
“Our walls now shake every day from shelling,” said the soldier, who could not be identified because of the sensitivity of his position. In Bakhmut, he added in a phone interview, Russian forces attack daily and are slowly gaining ground.
Russian artillery fire has increased, the soldier said, as Moscow’s forces, which have hastily retreated from northeastern Ukraine, apparently seek to put more pressure on Ukrainian forces in the Donbas, the eastern area combining the provinces of Donetsk and Luhansk where Russia still holds large amounts of territory. Bakhmut is a key Ukrainian stronghold in the Donbas, whose total capture is one of Moscow’s main military objectives in the war.
The industrial Donbas region is where the conflict with Russia began in 2014, after Russian-backed separatists staged a rebellion. Russia’s leader, President Vladimir V. Putin, supplied...
Cities With The Fastest-Growing Home Prices In Arkansas
Cities With The Fastest-Growing Home Prices In Arkansas https://digitalarkansasnews.com/cities-with-the-fastest-growing-home-prices-in-arkansas/
Stacker compiled a list of cities with the fastest growing home prices in Arkansas using data from Zillow.
Cities with the fastest-growing home prices in Arkansas
Updated 30 min ago
Stacker compiled a list of cities with the fastest growing home prices in Arkansas using data from Zillow. Cities are ranked by the dollar change in Zillow Home Values Index for all homes from the twelve months ending July 2022. The charts in this story were created automatically using Matplotlib. Data was available for 490 cities and towns in Arkansas. Home values in the top city on the list grew by $113,057 over the last 12 months.
Metros with the most cities in the top 50
#1. Fayetteville-Springdale-Rogers: 29
#2. Hot Springs: 8
#3. Little Rock-North Little Rock-Conway: 4
#4. Jonesboro: 3
#5. Searcy: 2
#6. Fort Smith: 1
#6. Memphis: 1
#6. Mountain Home: 1
Read on to see which cities made the list.
You may also like: Best counties to raise a family in Arkansas
ungvar // Shutterstock
#50. Fountain Lake
Updated 30 min ago
– Typical home value: $200,532
– 1-year price change: +$30,959 (+18.3%)
– 5-year price change: +$90,297 (+81.9%)
– Metro area: Hot Springs
Stacker
#49. Romance
Updated 30 min ago
– Typical home value: $183,134
– 1-year price change: +$31,124 (+20.5%)
– 5-year price change: +$60,938 (+49.9%)
– Metro area: Searcy
Stacker
#48. Eureka Springs
Updated 30 min ago
– Typical home value: $238,451
– 1-year price change: +$31,816 (+15.4%)
– 5-year price change: +$70,233 (+41.8%)
– Metro area: not in a metro area
Stacker
#47. Winslow
Updated 30 min ago
– Typical home value: $247,804
– 1-year price change: +$32,064 (+14.9%)
– 5-year price change: +$106,586 (+75.5%)
– Metro area: Fayetteville-Springdale-Rogers
Stacker
#45. Piney
Updated 30 min ago
– Typical home value: $217,174
– 1-year price change: +$32,551 (+17.6%)
– 5-year price change: +$89,993 (+70.8%)
– Metro area: Hot Springs
Stacker
#44. Cammack Village
Updated 30 min ago
– Typical home value: $275,224
– 1-year price change: +$32,797 (+13.5%)
– 5-year price change: +$74,458 (+37.1%)
– Metro area: Little Rock-North Little Rock-Conway
Stacker
#43. Brookland
Updated 30 min ago
– Typical home value: $196,303
– 1-year price change: +$32,810 (+20.1%)
– 5-year price change: +$67,360 (+52.2%)
– Metro area: Jonesboro
Stacker
#42. Canehill
Updated 30 min ago
– Typical home value: $246,198
– 1-year price change: +$33,697 (+15.9%)
– 5-year price change: +$96,996 (+65.0%)
– Metro area: Fayetteville-Springdale-Rogers
Stacker
#41. Jessieville
Updated 30 min ago
– Typical home value: $143,293
– 1-year price change: +$33,793 (+30.9%)
– 5-year price change: +$61,141 (+74.4%)
– Metro area: Hot Springs
You may also like: Best places to raise a family in Arkansas
Stacker
#40. Greenwood
Updated 30 min ago
– Typical home value: $198,577
– 1-year price change: +$33,856 (+20.6%)
– 5-year price change: +$64,722 (+48.4%)
– Metro area: Fort Smith
Stacker
#39. Clarkedale
Updated 30 min ago
– Typical home value: $297,263
– 1-year price change: +$34,477 (+13.1%)
– 5-year price change: +$85,165 (+40.2%)
– Metro area: Memphis
Stacker
#38. Clarkridge
Updated 30 min ago
– Typical home value: $221,932
– 1-year price change: +$35,654 (+19.1%)
– 5-year price change: +$75,943 (+52.0%)
– Metro area: Mountain Home
Stacker
#37. El Paso
Updated 30 min ago
– Typical home value: $208,116
– 1-year price change: +$36,098 (+21.0%)
– 5-year price change: +$68,260 (+48.8%)
– Metro area: Searcy
Stacker
#36. Jonesboro
Updated 30 min ago
– Typical home value: $208,417
– 1-year price change: +$37,945 (+22.3%)
– 5-year price change: +$66,705 (+47.1%)
– Metro area: Jonesboro
You may also like: Best high schools in Arkansas
Stacker
#35. Royal
Updated 30 min ago
– Typical home value: $278,779
– 1-year price change: +$38,134 (+15.8%)
– 5-year price change: +$115,595 (+70.8%)
– Metro area: Hot Springs
Stacker
#34. Decatur
Updated 30 min ago
– Typical home value: $209,635
– 1-year price change: +$38,847 (+22.7%)
– 5-year price change: +$104,187 (+98.8%)
– Metro area: Fayetteville-Springdale-Rogers
Stacker
#33. Pearcy
Updated 30 min ago
– Typical home value: $254,592
– 1-year price change: +$39,055 (+18.1%)
– 5-year price change: +$101,065 (+65.8%)
– Metro area: Hot Springs
Stacker
#32. Hot Springs
Updated 30 min ago
– Typical home value: $234,440
– 1-year price change: +$39,228 (+20.1%)
– 5-year price change: +$97,030 (+70.6%)
– Metro area: Hot Springs
Stacker
#31. Hindsville
Updated 30 min ago
– Typical home value: $248,520
– 1-year price change: +$39,998 (+19.2%)
– 5-year price change: +$91,889 (+58.7%)
– Metro area: Fayetteville-Springdale-Rogers
You may also like: Most rural counties in Arkansas
Stacker
#30. Evansville
Updated 30 min ago
– Typical home value: $218,455
– 1-year price change: +$42,632 (+24.2%)
– 5-year price change: +$92,846 (+73.9%)
– Metro area: Fayetteville-Springdale-Rogers
Stacker
#29. Maumelle
Updated 30 min ago
– Typical home value: $284,165
– 1-year price change: +$43,505 (+18.1%)
– 5-year price change: +$72,072 (+34.0%)
– Metro area: Little Rock-North Little Rock-Conway
Stacker
#28. Roland
Updated 30 min ago
– Typical home value: $307,128
– 1-year price change: +$43,608 (+16.5%)
– 5-year price change: +$64,093 (+26.4%)
– Metro area: Little Rock-North Little Rock-Conway
Stacker
#27. Elkins
Updated 30 min ago
– Typical home value: $238,617
– 1-year price change: +$44,291 (+22.8%)
– 5-year price change: +$102,591 (+75.4%)
– Metro area: Fayetteville-Springdale-Rogers
Stacker
#26. Gentry
Updated 30 min ago
– Typical home value: $228,057
– 1-year price change: +$48,300 (+26.9%)
– 5-year price change: +$107,869 (+89.8%)
– Metro area: Fayetteville-Springdale-Rogers
You may also like: Most popular boy names in the 80s in Arkansas
Stacker
#25. West Fork
Updated 30 min ago
– Typical home value: $264,110
– 1-year price change: +$48,863 (+22.7%)
– 5-year price change: +$126,186 (+91.5%)
– Metro area: Fayetteville-Springdale-Rogers
Stacker
#24. Prairie Grove
Updated 30 min ago
– Typical home value: $269,079
– 1-year price change: +$49,393 (+22.5%)
– 5-year price change: +$119,310 (+79.7%)
– Metro area: Fayetteville-Springdale-Rogers
Stacker
#23. Siloam Springs
Updated 30 min ago
– Typical home value: $253,403
– 1-year price change: +$50,947 (+25.2%)
– 5-year price change: +$111,671 (+78.8%)
– Metro area: Fayetteville-Springdale-Rogers
Stacker
#22. Farmington
Updated 30 min ago
– Typical home value: $284,629
– 1-year price change: +$51,455 (+22.1%)
– 5-year price change: +$119,635 (+72.5%)
– Metro area: Fayetteville-Springdale-Rogers
Stacker
#21. Gravette
Updated 30 min ago
– Typical home value: $260,382
– 1-year price change: +$51,959 (+24.9%)
– 5-year price change: +$124,892 (+92.2%)
– Metro area: Fayetteville-Springdale-Rogers
You may also like: Best private high schools in Arkansas
Stacker
#20. Springdale
Updated 30 min ago
– Typical home value: $286,701
– 1-year price change: +$53,328 (+22.9%)
– 5-year price change: +$129,076 (+81.9%)
– Metro area: Fayetteville-Springdale-Rogers
Stacker
#19. Hot Springs Village
Updated 30 min ago
– Typical home value: $287,280
– 1-year price change: +$54,185 (+23.2%)
– 5-year price change: +$116,147 (+67.9%)
– Metro area: Little Rock-North Little Rock-Conway
Stacker
#18. Lake Hamilton
Updated 30 min ago
– Typical home value: $417,478
– 1-year price change: +$54,339 (+15.0%)
– 5-year price change: +$158,092 (+60.9%)
– Metro area: Hot Springs
Stacker
#17. Gateway
Updated 30 min ago
– Typical home value: $268,325
– 1-year price change: +$54,924 (+25.7%)
– 5-year price change: +$131,659 (+96.3%)
– Metro area: Fayetteville-Springdale-Rogers
Stacker
#16. Highfill
Updated 30 min ago
– Typical home value: $278,983
– 1-year price change: +$59,728 (+27.2%)
– 5-year price change: +$143,485 (+105.9%)
– Metro area: Fayetteville-Springdale-Rogers
You may also like: What to know about workers’ compensation in Arkansas
Stacker
#15. Fayetteville
Updated 30 min ago
– Typical home value: $334,617
– 1-year price change: +$61,201 (+22.4%)
– 5-year price change: +$143,667 (+75.2%)
– Metro area: Fayetteville-Springdale-Rogers
Stacker
#14. Lowell
Updated 30 min ago
– Typical home value: $311,477
– 1-year price change: +$61,871 (+24.8%)
– 5-year price change: +$139,079 (+80.7%)
– Metro area: Fayetteville-Springdale-Rogers
Stacker
#13. Pea Ridge
Updated 30 min ago
– Typical home value: $288,870
– 1-year price change: +$62,485 (+27.6%)
– 5-year price change: +$134,058 (+86.6%)
– Metro area: Fayetteville-Springdale-Rogers
Stacker
#12. Bethel Heights
Updated 30 min ago
– Typical home value: $311,572
– 1-year price change: +$62,679 (+25.2%)
– 5-year price change: +$142,640 (+84.4%)
– Metro area: Fayetteville-Springdale-Rogers
Stacker
#10. Rockwell
Updated 30 min ago
– Typical home value: $359,236
– 1-year price change: +$65,652 (+22.4%)
– 5-year price change: +$142,327 (+65.6%)
– Metro area: Hot Springs
Stacker
#9. Rogers
Updated 30 min ago
– Typical home value: $335,815
– 1-year price change: +$69,696 (+26.2%)
– 5-year price change: +$151,903 (+82.6%)
– Metro area: Fayetteville-Springdale-Rogers
Stacker
#8. Centerton
Updated 30 min ago
– Typical home value: $321,095
– 1-year price change: +$69,717 (+27.7%)
– 5-year price change: +$142,098 (+79.4%)
– Metro area: Fayetteville-Springdale-Rogers
Stacker
#7. Bella Vista
Updated 30 min ago
– Typical home value: $318,474
– 1-year price change: +$70,046 (+28.2%)
– 5-year price change: +$150,646 (+89.8%)
– Metro area: Fayetteville-Springdale-Rogers
Stacker
#6. Little Flock
Updated 30 min ago
– Typical home...
Rubicon Enters Technology Partnership With Samsara
Rubicon Enters Technology Partnership With Samsara https://digitalarkansasnews.com/rubicon-enters-technology-partnership-with-samsara/
LEXINGTON, Kentucky–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Rubicon Technologies, Inc. (“Rubicon”) (NYSE: RBT), a leading digital marketplace for waste and recycling and provider of innovative software-based products for businesses and governments worldwide, today announced that it has entered a technology partnership with Samsara Inc. (“Samsara”) (NYSE: IOT), the pioneer of the Connected Operations Cloud, to unlock new value for shared municipal customers.
Together, Rubicon and Samsara’s complementary technology suites will help enable heavy-duty municipal fleet operations to optimize routes and citizen services, which will improve efficiency, empower drivers, lock in community safety gains, and save tax-payer dollars.
Samsara is the pioneer of the Connected Operations Cloud, built to access, analyze, and act on the world’s vast expanse of operations data. Thousands of customers spanning transportation, government, food and beverage, and more use mission-critical insights from Samsara to shape their operations. Streamlined data sharing made possible by Samsara’s open API provides customers with a single source of truth to improve efficiency, reduce costs, and maintain operational resilience.
RUBICONSmartCity is a proprietary, cloud-based technology suite that helps municipal governments run faster, smarter, and more effective waste, recycling, and heavy-duty municipal fleet operations. As part of this partnership, RUBICONSmartCity is now available on the Samsara App Marketplace to further improve efficiency and sustainability in government fleets. Shared municipal customers will have access to fault code, speeding, fuel level, and GPS data as well as complete visibility into vehicle diagnostics information and full operational data across the platforms, which will result in increased safety and transparency.
“Rubicon’s mission is to end waste,” said Conor Riffle, Senior Vice President of Smart Cities at Rubicon. “Our mission refers to waste in the physical sense, but also to wasted time and, in the case of Rubicon’s smart city technology products, wasted government resources. This technology partnership with Samsara allows both companies to deliver a superior solution for city solid waste departments and fleets as a whole, while continuing to save tax-payer dollars.”
Waste is a global challenge and a global opportunity. Rubicon partners with businesses and governments around the world to advance its mission through zero-waste, landfill diversion, and smart city solutions. The Company’s suite of cloud-based products helps waste collection organizations to digitize their operations, confirm service, optimize routes, and deliver exceptional customer service while improving sustainability outcomes.
“With billions of data points flowing through Samsara each day, we’re able to act as a command center for customers to run every part of their municipal operations,” said Sean McGee, Vice President, Platform and Infrastructure at Samsara. “Through this integration, we look forward to coupling the scale of Samsara’s Connected Operations Cloud with Rubicon’s smart city technology to give customers the visibility they need to provide smarter and safer citizen services.”
In 2021, RUBICONSmartCity was listed in Fast Company’s World Changing Ideas Awards in the “AI & Data” and “Spaces, Places, and Cities” categories, and it was featured in the Amazon Web Services (AWS) documentary series, Climate Next, now streaming on Amazon Prime.
RUBICONSmartCity has been rolled out in more than 80 cities across the United States, including Asheville, NC; Baltimore, MD; Columbus, OH; Durham, NC; Fort Collins, CO; Fort Smith, AR; Glendale, AZ; Greenville, NC; Hartford, CT; Houston, TX; Kansas City, MO; Memphis, TN; Montgomery, AL; Santa Fe, NM; San Antonio, TX; Savannah, GA; Scranton, PA; Spokane, WA; and Roseville, CA. The solution is available for purchase on Sourcewell, the AWS Marketplace, the HGACBuy consortium, and Marketplace.city.
About Rubicon
Rubicon Technologies, Inc. (NYSE: RBT) is a digital marketplace for waste and recycling, and provider of innovative software-based products for businesses and governments worldwide. Striving to create a new industry standard by using technology to drive environmental innovation, the company helps turn businesses into more sustainable enterprises, and neighborhoods into greener and smarter places to live and work. Rubicon’s mission is to end waste. It helps its partners find economic value in their waste streams and confidently execute on their sustainability goals. To learn more, visit www.Rubicon.com.
About Samsara
Samsara is the pioneer of the Connected Operations Cloud, which allows businesses that depend on physical operations to harness IoT (Internet of Things) data to develop actionable business insights and improve their operations. Samsara operates in North America and Europe and serves tens of thousands of customers across a wide range of industries including transportation, wholesale and retail trade, construction, field services, logistics, utilities and energy, government, healthcare and education, manufacturing, and food and beverage. The company’s mission is to increase the safety, efficiency, and sustainability of the operations that power the global economy.
Forward-Looking Statements
This press release includes “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. All statements, other than statements of present or historical fact included in this press release, are forward-looking statements. When used in this press release, the words “could,” “should,” “will,” “may,” “believe,” “anticipate,” “intend,” “estimate,” “expect,” “project,” the negative of such terms and other similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements, although not all forward-looking statements contain such identifying words. Such forward-looking statements are subject to risks, uncertainties, and other factors which could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are based upon estimates and assumptions that, while considered reasonable by Rubicon Technologies, Inc. (“Rubicon”) and its management, are inherently uncertain; factors that may cause actual results to differ materially from current expectations include, but are not limited to: 1) the outcome of any legal proceedings that may be instituted against Rubicon or others following the closing of Rubicon’s business combination with Founder SPAC (the “business combination”); 2) Rubicon’s ability to meet the New York Stock Exchange’s listing standards following the consummation of the business combination; 3) the risk that the business combination disrupts current plans and operations of Rubicon as a result of consummation of the business combination; 4) the ability to recognize the anticipated benefits of the business combination, which may be affected by, among other things, the ability of the combined company to grow and manage growth profitably, maintain relationships with customers and suppliers and retain its management and key employees; 5) costs related to the business combination; 6) changes in applicable laws or regulations; 7) the possibility that Rubicon may be adversely affected by other economic, business and/or competitive factors; and 8) other risks and uncertainties set forth in the sections entitled “Risk Factors” and “Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements” in Rubicon’s Registration Statement on Form S-1 filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”), and other documents of Rubicon filed or to be filed with the SEC. Although Rubicon believes the expectations reflected in the forward-looking statements are reasonable, nothing in this press release should be regarded as a representation by any person that the forward-looking statements set forth herein will be achieved or that any of the contemplated results of such forward looking statements will be achieved. There may be additional risks that Rubicon presently does not know of or that Rubicon currently believes are immaterial that could also cause actual results to differ from those contained in the forward-looking statements. You should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date they are made. Rubicon does not undertake, and expressly disclaims, any duty to update these forward-looking statements, except as otherwise required by applicable law.
Read More Here
Republican Senator Lindsey Graham Set To Propose National Abortion Ban Live
Republican Senator Lindsey Graham Set To Propose National Abortion Ban – Live https://digitalarkansasnews.com/republican-senator-lindsey-graham-set-to-propose-national-abortion-ban-live/
This will be the sixth time Republican senator Lindsey Graham has introduced his national abortion ban in Congress, only now, the South Carolina lawmaker has made it even more strict.
Previous versions of the bill have outlawed abortion after 20 weeks of pregnancy, but Graham is now expected to propose a ban that takes effect after 15 weeks. That would align federal law with Florida, which outlaws the procedure after the same period of time, with some medical exceptions.
The GOP is in an uncertain spot when it comes to such legislation. Data has shown an increase in women registering to vote after the supreme court overturned Roe v Wade in June and allowed states to outlaw abortion, while in Republican-dominated Kansas, voters there resoundingly rejected an attempt to lay the groundwork for a statewide ban. It’s also worth remembering that Graham proposed his national abortion ban during a period when Republicans controlled both Congress and the White House, and it didn’t pass then.
Yet outlawing the procedure retains a strong constituency within the Republican party. After Roe was overturned, former vice-president Mike Pence called for a national ban, while Graham’s measure we co-sponsored by most Republican senators when it was last introduced.
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“When it comes to criminality, that’s not our role,” Kinzinger said in an interview on MSNBC, describing the justice department as in the midst of a “pretty fulsome investigation.”
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“And that’s going to be where this baton, so to speak, is handed to. Not by us, we may have a criminal referral, I think that’s likely, but with their investigation from here on out.”
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Rep. @AdamKinzinger (R-IL) says a criminal referral from the 1/6 committee to the Department of Justice is “likely”:
“If the rule of law says, ‘You can attempt a coup as long as you fail,’ … that is way more dangerous for this country than fear of short-term violence.” pic.twitter.com/YGK6JLTZad
— The Recount (@therecount) September 13, 2022
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The January 6 committee has publicly aired a trove of evidence about Donald Trump’s efforts to disrupt the 2020 election and his actions before and during the attack on the US Capitol. It’s been unclear what the end result of the bipartisan House panel’s investigation will be, but Kinzinger’s comments make it clear he thinks the justice department may act on their findings.
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The January 6 committee is expected to resume its hearings later this month, which Kinzinger described as “must-watch TV” for those who care about the fate of the US government:
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“It’s gonna be … must-watch TV, not from an entertainment perspective, but from a if you care about the United States of American government perspective.”
— Rep. Adam Kinzinger (R-IL), who says there will be “a lot more evidence” against Trump at the next 1/6 committee hearing pic.twitter.com/HRrMA9Xsvn
— The Recount (@therecount) September 13, 2022
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New data released by the Bureau of Labor Statistics today showed prices continuing to rise across the country in August, defying expectations for a decrease in the most potent inflation wave since the 1980s. Here’s a look at the numbers from The Guardian’s Dominic Rushe:
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Prices in the US surged again in August but the pace of inflation slowed for the second consecutive month as energy costs fell.
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The Consumer Price Index (CPI), the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ monthly cost of living survey, found prices were 8.3% higher last month compared with August last year. The figure was down from an annual rate of 8.5% recorded in July and 9.1% in June, the highest rate in four decades.
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Falling gas prices were the major contributor to the drop. Gas prices have fallen for 13 weeks in a row. Nationally, a gallon of gas currently costs an average of $3.71, according to AAA, down from a high of over $5 in June.
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Used and new car prices – once a major driver of inflation – fell, as did airfares.
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Good morning, US politics blog readers. Republicans will give the country a preview of what they’d like to see happen to abortion rights today, when senator Lindsey Graham proposes a national ban on the procedure after 15 weeks of pregnancy, according to The Washington Post. Democrats control the Senate and there is no chance of the bill going anywhere as long as that is the case, so instead, the proposal will serve as a reminder to both abortion supporters and opponents alike of what they can expect should the GOP return to the majority in Congress.
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Besides that, there’s a lot going on:
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By the time you read this, the labor department will have released its August inflation data, which is expected to show consumer price growth moderating, though by how much remains to be seen.
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Speaking of inflation, president Joe Biden will hold a White House event to celebrate his Inflation Reduction Act spending bill at 3 pm eastern time. Vice-president Kamala Harris will speak as well.
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Delaware, New Hampshire and Rhode Island are holding the final primary elections in the nation today, setting the stage for the November 8 midterm elections.
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The United Nations General Assembly begins today in New York City.
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January 6 committee member says criminal referral ‘likely’ over attack
A criminal referral from the January 6 committee to the justice department is “likely”, Adam Kinzinger, one of the committee’s two Republican members, said on Tuesday.
“When it comes to criminali...
SEPTEMBER HARVARD-CAPS HARRIS POLL: BIDEN APPROVAL REMAINS UNDERWATER BUT DEMOCRATS ARE EVEN IN THE MIDTERMS
SEPTEMBER HARVARD-CAPS HARRIS POLL: BIDEN APPROVAL REMAINS UNDERWATER BUT DEMOCRATS ARE EVEN IN THE MIDTERMS https://digitalarkansasnews.com/september-harvard-caps-harris-poll-biden-approval-remains-underwater-but-democrats-are-even-in-the-midterms/
OVERTURN OF ROE VS. WADE INCREASES LIKELIHOOD TO VOTE DEMOCRATIC, BUT STUDENT DEBT RELIEF HAS LITTLE NET EFFECT ON DEMOCRATS’ OUTLOOK
MOST AMERICANS WANT A NEUTRAL SPECIAL MASTER AFTER DOJ’S TRUMP RAID AND THEY OPPOSE BIDEN CALLING MAGA REPUBLICANS AN EXISTENTIAL THREAT TO THE COUNTRY
, /PRNewswire/ — Stagwell (NASDAQ: STGW) today released the results of the September Harvard-CAPS Harris Poll, a monthly collaboration between the Center for American Political Studies at Harvard (CAPS) and the Harris Poll.
President Joe Biden’s approval rating remains underwater at 41% and inflation is still the biggest concern for voters, over half of whom say the Inflation Reduction Act is more likely to increase rather than decrease inflation. But the midterms are competitive, with the Congressional ballot split at 51% Democrat, 49% Republican.
Results also show the FBI’s raid of Donald Trump’s residence has not hurt the standing of the former president, whom voters would still pick in a presidential election over Joe Biden if the 2024 election were held today,. Americans are evenly split on whether the raid was politically motivated, but a clear majority, 58%, think appointing a special master to review the documents taken by the Department of Justice’s is reasonable.
Other topics surveyed in this month’s poll include voter views on Biden’s Philadelphia speech and his criticism of MAGA Republicans, which is seen as divisive; the president’s student debt cancellation which has received a lukewarm reception ahead of the midterms; and voters’ call for a special prosecutor to investigate the Hunter Biden laptop story. Download key results here.
“The dynamics for a Republican surge are here but the Democrats have held the dam as the midterms remain a dead heat,” said Mark Penn, Co-Director of the Harvard-CAPS Harris Poll and Stagwell Chairman and CEO. “The Democrats’ most recent moves may have killed their momentum, though, as most Americans disapproved of Biden’s speech calling MAGA Republicans a threat to the country. His executive order cancelling student debt has not attracted new voters, either. Americans want less politicization, not more.”
DEMOCRATS HOLD THE DAM AS INFLATION REMAINS TOP CONCERN
Biden’s approval has ticked up slightly to 41% as voter sentiment on his administration’s handling of inflation and unemployment improve.
The generic Congressional ballot remains tight, 51-49 in favor of the Democrats.
Inflation remains the biggest concern for both Democrats and Republicans, followed by abortion rights for Democrats and immigration for Republicans.
The Inflation Reduction Act faces skepticism: 53% of voters believe it will increase inflation.
DOJ RAID SPLITS THE COUNTRY WITHOUT HURTING TRUMP
After the DOJ raided Mar-a-Lago, Trump is still the 2024 favorite: 6 in 10 GOP voters would pick Trump if the Republican presidential primary were held today. Trump would win the presidential election against Biden or Kamala Harris if it were held today.
The raid is dividing Americans: Voters are evenly split on whether the Mar-a-Lago search was required by DOJ protocols or a politically motivated use of force, and whether the DOJ took more documents than the warrant allowed.
Americans want the DOJ to use other methods: 60% think that if the DOJ wanted Trump’s documents, it should have asked a judge to order it through open court rather than use a search warrant to seize them. 58% think the appointment of a special master to assess what the DOJ took is reasonable.
BIDEN’s SPEECH ON MAGA REPUBLICANS IS UNPOPULAR AS AMERICANS WORRY ABOUT DIVIDING THE COUNTRY
Biden’s September 1 speech in Philadelphia, in which he called Trump and MAGA Republicans a threat to the country, is viewed as divisive: 56% of voters, including 62% of Independents, opposed it.
But Biden’s new rhetoric may motivate the base: 73% of Democrats think it is not a gross exaggeration to say that there are tens of millions of dangerous MAGA Republicans.
Most Americans want Biden to be a unifying figure: 60% say a speech such as his September Philadelphia address divides and holds back the country, and 55% think Biden should be unifying the country instead.
More Americans are concerned about the socialist left rather than MAGA Republicans gaining power, 55-45.
AMERICANS WANT TO INVESTIGATE THE HUNTER BIDEN LAPTOP STORY
The Hunter Biden laptop story is not going away: 59% of Americans think the laptop story is genuine, not Russian disinformation. 63% of voters think the FBI helped suppress the story by telling tech companies it could be Russian disinformation.
Americans are suspicious of the investigation process: 55% think the DOJ and FBI are slow-walking the Hunter Biden investigation to protect President Biden.
63% of voters think the DOJ should appoint a special prosecutor to investigate the Biden laptop.
BIDEN’S STUDENT LOAN RELIEF DOES NOT AFFECT MANY AMERICANS OR MAKE THEM WANT TO VOTE DEMOCRATIC
Americans are evenly split on Biden’s cancellation of up to $20,000 of debt for couples making up to $250,000.
Only 17% of Americans say they will be personally helped by the program.
Voters are skeptical of Biden’s method: 56% think it was wrong of Biden to act without Congress, and 52% think his executive order will ultimately be deemed unconstitutional.
Debt relief is having little net effect on voters’ likelihood to vote Democratic: 35% say it will make them more likely to vote blue, but 37% say it will make them less likely.
The September Harvard-CAPS Harris Poll survey was conducted online within the United States from September 7-8, 2022, among 1,854 registered voters by The Harris Poll and HarrisX. Follow the Harvard CAPS Harris Poll podcast at https://www.markpennpolls.com/ or on iHeart Radio, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and other podcast platforms.
About The Harris Poll
The Harris Poll is a global consulting and market research firm that strives to reveal the authentic values of modern society to inspire leaders to create a better tomorrow. It works with clients in three primary areas: building twenty-first-century corporate reputation, crafting brand strategy and performance tracking, and earning organic media through public relations research. One of the longest-running surveys in the U.S., The Harris Poll has tracked public opinion, motivations, and social sentiment since 1963, and is now part of Stagwell, the challenger holding company built to transform marketing.
About the Harvard Center for American Political Studies
The Center for American Political Studies (CAPS) is committed to and fosters the interdisciplinary study of U.S. politics. Governed by a group of political scientists, sociologists, historians, and economists within the Faculty of Arts and Sciences at Harvard University, CAPS drives discussion, research, public outreach, and pedagogy about all aspects of U.S. politics. CAPS encourages cutting-edge research using a variety of methodologies, including historical analysis, social surveys, and formal mathematical modeling, and it often cooperates with other Harvard centers to support research training and encourage cross-national research about the United States in comparative and global contexts. More information at https://caps.gov.harvard.edu/.
Media Contact:
Sarah Arvizo
[email protected]
SOURCE Stagwell Inc.
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Jared Kushner Says 6 Other Muslim-Majority Countries Discussed Joining Abraham Accords The Media Line
Jared Kushner Says 6 Other Muslim-Majority Countries Discussed Joining Abraham Accords – The Media Line https://digitalarkansasnews.com/jared-kushner-says-6-other-muslim-majority-countries-discussed-joining-abraham-accords-the-media-line/
Then-US President Donald Trump meets with then-Saudi Deputy Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in the Oval Office of the White House, Washington, DC, March 14, 2017. White House senior adviser Jared Kushner, right, listens. (Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post via Getty Images)
The Media Line Staff
09/13/2022
Former White House senior adviser Jared Kushner, who is also the son-in-law of former President Donald Trump, criticized the Biden administration for failing to get other countries to sign on to the Abraham Accords, the normalization agreements between Israel and the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Morocco, and Sudan. “I think the biggest disappointment so far is that more countries haven’t been brought into it,” Kushner said at an event in Washington marking the second anniversary of the agreements. The event was held with the Abraham Accords Peace Institute – which was founded by Kushner, and the American First Policy Institute, an organization founded following Trump’s inauguration. Kushner said during the event that there were active discussions with six additional Muslim-majority countries, which he did not name, about joining the accords prior to President Trump leaving office. “I think that there’s a lot more to build on. But I do hope that the current administration will focus on that and work to do that because once the whole Arab-Israeli conflict is over, I think that you will have an era of prosperity and peacefulness in that region that will endure for a very, very long time,” Kushner also reportedly said.
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Post Politics Now: Biden To Host White House Celebration Of The Inflation Reduction Act
Post Politics Now: Biden To Host White House Celebration Of The Inflation Reduction Act https://digitalarkansasnews.com/post-politics-now-biden-to-host-white-house-celebration-of-the-inflation-reduction-act/
Today, thousands of supporters from across the country are expected at the White House as President Biden stages a celebration of the Inflation Reduction Act, a sprawling new law that aims to lower prescription drug costs, address global warming, raise taxes on some billion-dollar corporations and reduce the federal deficit. Biden and fellow Democrats are trying to promote the bill in advance of the November midterm elections, citing it as evidence that their party can get important things done in Washington.
Hours ahead of the event, the federal government is scheduled to release the consumer price index for August, offering a snapshot of the state of inflation. Both parties are eager to spin the numbers, with Biden arguing that he is trying to rein in inflation while Republicans counter that it remains unacceptably high.
Your daily dashboard
8:30 a.m. Eastern time: The Bureau of Labor Statistics releases the consumer price index for August.
1:35 p.m. Eastern: White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre briefs reporters. Watch live here.
3 p.m. Eastern: Biden hosts a celebration of the Inflation Reduction Act. Watch live here.
6:50 p.m. Eastern: House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) swears in three new members: Mary Peltola (D-Alaska), Pat Ryan (D-N.Y.) and Joe Sempolinski (R-N.Y.).
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.
On our radar: A record number of Black candidates for higher offices aim to reshape U.S. politics
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A record number of Black men and women are running for U.S. Senate and governor this fall, with the potential to increase diversity in the nation’s top elected offices, which are still overwhelmingly held by White men.
The Post’s Tim Craig writes that since Reconstruction, voters have elected just seven Black senators and two Black governors. This year, 16 Black candidates — 13 Democrats and three Republicans — are major party nominees, from Florida and across the Deep South to traditional Midwestern battlegrounds such as Wisconsin. Per Tim:
Noted: Schumer doles out cash to Democrats in tight contests
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As the final primary contests wrap on Tuesday, Senate Majority Leader Charles E. Schumer (D-N.Y.) is dishing out $15 million from his Friends of Schumer campaign account to Senate candidates and the Democratic Senate Campaign Committee.
Writing in The Early 202, The Post’s Theodoric Meyer and Leigh Ann Caldwell note that Schumer’s cash haul is his biggest transfer yet, an aide familiar with the action said. It’s also the first election where he’s trying to maintain his spot as majority leader. Per our colleagues:
On our radar: Thousands expected at White House for celebration of Inflation Reduction Act
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Thousands of supporters from across the country are expected at the White House on Tuesday as President Biden stages a celebration of the Inflation Reduction Act, a sprawling new law that aims to lower prescription drug costs, address global warming, raise taxes on some billion-dollar corporations and reduce the federal deficit.
In addition to members of Congress and his Cabinet, Biden has invited governors, mayors, climate and environmental leaders, health-care activists, union workers and others to join him on the South Lawn to celebrate what Biden will call “one of the most consequential pieces of legislation in American history,” according to a White House official who spoke on the condition of anonymity to preview the event.
On our radar: Voters to cast ballots in final primaries, with heated GOP fights in N.H.
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The 2022 primaries are concluding Tuesday on a familiar note — with voters in Republican races choosing between far-right, election-denying candidates and more moderate rivals, and party leaders divided in contests factoring into the battle for control of Congress.
The Post’s Colby Itkowitz and David Weigel report that voters are heading to the polls in three states, marking the end of this year’s nominating process for the two major parties: Delaware, New Hampshire and Rhode Island. Per our colleagues:
Analysis: Biden’s flimsy claim he has the ‘strongest’ manufacturing jobs record
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“Right now, I have the strongest record of growing manufacturing jobs in modern history,” President Biden tweeted on Saturday.
Writing in The Fact Checker, The Post’s Glenn Kessler says regular readers know we are often wary when a president proclaims success in creating jobs. Per Glenn:
Presidential decisions and new laws can certainly impact job creation — over time. But it is hard to disentangle the importance of those factors from broader economic forces that are beyond a president’s control.
That’s why it’s often misleading to measure job creation by presidential term — an artificial metric beloved by presidents and the public alike.
You can read Glenn’s full analysis, and find out how many Pinocchios he awarded Biden, here.
The latest: U.S. sent $1.3 billion in small-business covid aid abroad, raising new fraud fears
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As the U.S. government raced to shore up small businesses’ finances at the height of the pandemic, it may have erroneously awarded more than $1.3 billion to foreign applicants — raising new suspicions that the program might have helped fund overseas crime syndicates.
The Post’s Tony Romm reports that the top watchdog for the Small Business Administration, which reported its findings on Monday, said the spending posed a “significant risk of potential fraud.” Per Tony:
The latest: Justice Dept. signals it would accept Trump’s candidate for special master
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The Justice Department filed court papers Monday signaling that it would accept a former chief federal judge in New York as a special master charged with reviewing papers seized by the FBI from former president Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago residence and club.
The Post’s Devlin Barrett and Perry Stein report that U.S. District Judge Aileen M. Cannon must approve Raymond J. Dearie’s appointment for the document review — which has stalled the Justice Department’s criminal probe — to go forward. Per our colleagues:
The latest: Judge rejects ex-Trump aide Navarro’s selective prosecution claim
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A federal judge on Monday rejected former Trump White House trade adviser Peter Navarro’s claim that he is the victim of a Biden administration political vendetta, denying his request to probe why he has been charged with criminal contempt of Congress for refusing to comply with a subpoena from the House committee investigating the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol.
The Post’s Spencer S. Hsu reports that Navarro asserted that he was selectively prosecuted compared to two other former high-ranking Trump White House aides against whom the Justice Department declined to bring charges — chief of staff Mark Meadows and deputy chief Dan Scavino. Spencer writes:
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NWA Outdoor Briefs https://digitalarkansasnews.com/nwa-outdoor-briefs-3/
Hikers cross a creek. (Contributed photo by Getty Images)
Shoot a straight arrow
A three-session program on archery fundamentals will be held today through Thursday at the Hunt Family Ozark Highlands Nature Center from 6 to 8 p.m. Students are expected to attend all three sessions of the free program.
It’s designed for archers 16 and older to improve their accuracy and distance by hitting bull’s eyes standing and sitting with different types of bows. All equipment is furnished.
Email [email protected] to register.
Hike two trails
Hill ‘N Dale hiking club will hike Wednesday from the Centerpoint trailhead northeast of Ponca to the Buffalo National River Steel Creek campground on the Old River Trail. This hike includes spurs to the Goat Trail overlook and Granny Henderson’s cabin. The hike is 8.8 miles with seven river crossings.
The group will hike Sept. 22 along Stage Coach, Coyote Cave, Fitzgerald and Butterfield trails on Fitzgerald Mountain in Springdale. This will be a 4.7 mile loop hike.
All hikers are welcome. Those interested should contact Bev Munstermann at (479) 721-2193 or [email protected] Visit bvhikingclub.com for more information.
See birds at Beaver Lake
Northwest Arkansas Audubon Society will host a field trip at the Beaver Lake nursery pond at 9 a.m. Saturday. All are welcome. Audubon membership is not required.
The trip will be 1 mile of easy walking around the 30-acre pond that is adjacent to Beaver Lake. Arkansas Game and Fish Commission raises different species of fish in the pond for stocking into Beaver Lake.
To reach the pond, travel on Arkansas 12 east of Rogers approximately 9 miles to Key Road. Turn south on Key Road and go approximately 3 miles. The road ends at the nursery pond parking area. There are no restrooms on site. For details call Joe Neal, (479) 521-1858.
Catch catfish in Centerton
Arkansas Game and Fish Commission will host a fall family fishing derby from 9 a.m. to noon Sept. 24 at Centerton Lake in Centerton.
Game and Fish will stock the lake with channel catfish. Fishing is open to all ages. Anglers should provide their own tackle, bait and container to take their fish home.
Work honors public land
A volunteer outdoor work day in observance of Public Lands Day will be held from 8:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. Sept. 24 at Hobbs State Park-Conservation Area.
Chores include planting native wildflowers, removing invasive plants and sprucing up existing gardens near the visitor center. Please arrive promptly at 8:30 a.m. for instructions. Lunch will be served at 11:30 a.m.
Register with volunteer coordinator Avery Blair, [email protected]
Tours explore wetlands
Osage Park in Bentonville will host free wetland expedition field trips for people of all ages from 10 a.m to 11:30 a.m. Sept. 24 and Oct. 1.
Trips will visit various stations in the park to learn about macroinvertebrates, beaver dams, erosion, water quality, invasive species management and more.
Wetland field trips for seventh-grade classrooms will cover the same topics. They will be offered from 10 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. on Oct. 12-14. Visit peelcompton.org to register for the all-ages trips or to register a seventh-grade classroom.
Forest walk for kids
Hobbs State Park-Conservation Area will host The Living Forest event from 1 to 4 p.m. Oct. 22.
Guided hikes on the 0.25-mile Ozark Plateau Trail will feature volunteers in nonscary costumes as various animals of the forest. They’ll explain to children and adults why they’re important to the forest and what people can do to help them. Hikes with no more than 15 people depart the visitor center every five minutes.
Hikes are geared for children ages 4-7. Children are encouraged to wear costumes if they’d like. Children and adults can make crafts while waiting for their hike to start. After each hike, s’mores and cider will be served in the outdoor education pavilion.
Check in at the visitor center no later than 3 p.m. For details, call the visitor center, (479) 789-5000. Volunteers are needed to help at the event. Email volunteer coordinator Avery Blair, [email protected], to help.
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A Far-Right Politician Is Poised To Become Italys First Female Leader
A Far-Right Politician Is Poised To Become Italy’s First Female Leader https://digitalarkansasnews.com/a-far-right-politician-is-poised-to-become-italys-first-female-leader/
ROME — The favorite to be Italy’s next prime minister has rocketed almost from out of nowhere.
Her party, until recently, was on the fringes. She was overlooked for years by Italy’s male-dominated political class. She is an unmarried mother with a heavy Roman accent, always casual and blunt, gesturing with hands to the sky, lambasting “woke ideology” and cancel culture.
By any account, Giorgia Meloni’s rise is astonishing. In a matter of weeks, if all goes as expected, she stands to become Italy’s first female leader. She’s also set a benchmark for a far-right politician in Western Europe, earning a level of power that’s been out of reach for her counterparts in Germany and France, and doing so even after the forces propelling nationalism on the continent — a migration backlash and Euroskepticism — have waned.
But Meloni’s profile is distinctive, as is the path she’s found for political success.
Amid war in Europe, she has notably avoided the pitfalls of nationalist figures elsewhere. She’s a strong NATO supporter and shows no affinity for Russian President Vladimir Putin. She has pledged not to disrupt Italy’s stability and Atlantic alliances. The country, she says, won’t take some authoritarian turn.
What will surely change, though, is Italy’s tone. Meloni takes shots at the “LGBT lobby” and the “globalist” left. She highlights anecdotes about immigrant crime. She has said that “everything we stand for is under attack” — Christian values, gender norms. Some of her stances — like opposition to gay adoptions, for instance — don’t get much traction among Italian voters, but she cites them as evidence that she cares more about principles than popularity.
“In a political world where everyone’s saying one thing and doing another, our [party’s] system of values is pretty clear,” Meloni said in an interview with The Washington Post. “You may like it or not, but we aren’t misleading.”
If Meloni, 45, prevails, she’ll wind up with a hard job: running a country in a generation-long economic decline that is somewhat wary of her powers.
Those on the left have sounded the alarm, saying that Meloni could push Italy into Europe’s illiberal bloc, alongside Hungary and Poland, fighting against diversity and agitating against Brussels. Her opponents argue that her views can veer into the extreme. They cite past remarks — such as a speech from 2017 — in which Meloni said mass-scale illegal immigration to Italy was “planned and deliberate,” carried out by unnamed powerful forces to import low-wage labor and drive out Italians. “It’s called ethnic substitution,” Meloni said at the time, echoing the far-right “great replacement” conspiracy theory.
Her allies, on the other hand, say Meloni has the kind of serious plans her predecessors have lacked, and that she chiefly wants to address Italy’s economic woes. Her stump speech is theatrical, but it deals mostly with ideas about boosting investment and curbing welfare. Her party’s recently released platform has 25 proposals — everything from extending high-speed rail lines to jump-starting university research. Voters inclined toward Meloni tended to cite, in interviews with The Post, her perceived honesty and coherence as the reasons for their support.
For now, Meloni’s Fratelli d’Italia party — the Brothers of Italy, a name that echoes lyrics in the national anthem — is the most popular in the country, favored by roughly one-quarter of voters. It has a coalition agreement with other parties on the right, giving it overwhelming odds to prevail against a fractured and reeling left. The right-wing bloc has said that the premier job should go to the leader of the party with the most votes. Still, following the Sept. 25 general election, the president, Sergio Mattarella, has final say on who gets the mandate.
Meloni acknowledged in her Post interview that Italy is facing extraordinary challenges. She mentioned the rising cost of energy and raw materials, uncertainty about whether the pandemic might come roaring back, and Italy’s towering public debt — which perpetually leaves the country several missteps away from crisis. There’s a reason Italy has had 11 governments in the past 20 years.
“I cannot say that, faced with such a responsibility, my hands aren’t shaking,” she said. “Because we’d find ourselves governing Italy during what’s perhaps one of the most complex situations ever.”
A savvy campaign strategy
Meloni’s ascent owes something to the fading star of another far-right politician, Matteo Salvini.
Salvini, as recently as several years ago, was seen as Italy’s political dynamo — holding raucous rallies, banning the docking of immigrant ships and echoing former president Donald Trump with his pledge to put “Italians first.”
From his perch as interior minister in 2018 and 2019, Salvini dominated the national discourse, and his League party had grown so popular that he thought he could vault into the prime minister’s seat. But his plan backfired. When he broke apart his government coalition to force new elections, other parties joined hands to freeze him out. He tumbled into the opposition. He lunged for new ways to stand out and contradicted himself with shifting positions. Eventually, Salvini took his party back into government, supporting former European Central Bank President Mario Draghi, the embodiment of the European establishment.
“Salvini had won the lottery ticket,” said Giovanni Orsina, director of the school of government at Luiss Guido Carli University in Rome. “Then he lost it and Meloni got it.”
Even those who disagree with Meloni’s politics concede that she strategized wisely.
As Salvini tumbled, she built ties with like-minded parties in Europe — including Spain’s Vox and Poland’s Law and Justice party — and she made trips to address Republicans in the United States.
To Italians, she framed her party’s perpetual opposition role as a matter of principle: The Brothers of Italy would only join a government if elected, as opposed to entering a majority through backroom deals. Meantime, she tried to show that her party would still be constructive players if it believed in a cause.
Meloni, while speaking with The Post, mentioned supporting Draghi on handling aspects of fallout from the Ukraine war amid division in the prime minister’s coalition.
“When help was needed, we offered it,” Meloni said.
Especially as it pertains to her positions on Europe, she has moderated more noticeably than the other Western European nationalist who earlier this year made a run for power, France’s Marine Le Pen. While Le Pen’s platform had ideas that would have led to standoffs with Brussels — like prioritizing national law over E.U. law — Meloni’s does not, said Luigi Scazzieri, a senior research fellow at the Center for European Reform.
“This kind of sanitization and Europeanization has gone a lot further in Meloni’s case than in Le Pen’s,” Scazzieri said.
The catch now for Meloni is that to enter government, she’ll need Salvini, whose party is part of the right-wing coalition. On the trail, Salvini — who once wore a Putin T-shirt while touring Red Square — has suggested that the West should rethink sanctions against Russia, arguing that the measures are causing pain in Europe and failing to change the Kremlin’s calculus.
Analysts say there’s already reason to wonder about the durability of any Meloni-led coalition, given the potential for competition and rivalry with Salvini. In theory, Salvini could complicate Meloni’s trajectory even before she gets the top job, by suggesting the party leaders stand back and pick an alternative representative.
Enrico Letta, the president of Italy’s center-left party and Meloni’s chief sparring partner on social media, made the point in an interview with The Post that Italy isn’t in the midst of a sudden far-right surge. In European elections in 2019, Salvini’s League got 34 percent of the vote. Meloni’s party got 6 percent. As then, roughly two-fifths of Italians still favor the far-right parties; the difference is that Meloni has siphoned off much of Salvini’s support.
“It’s not a wave — it’s her,” Letta said. “Part of the country is betting on her, because she is young and new.”
He predicted that her honeymoon would “end soon,” and that the inevitable compromises would sully her reputation.
Meloni, and those around her, said she has built her party up with no shortcuts.
“We took the longer route,” she said. “Italians today understand that we’re a very reliable party.”
Well prepared for confrontation
Meloni says she learned at a young age the importance of having enemies.
Her childhood in the Roman outskirts was difficult. She was abandoned by her father, who sailed off to the Canary Islands. She was raised by her mother, a right-winger who wrote romance novels. Playing with candles, she accidentally burned down the family home. And she was bullied for being overweight. In her autobiography, she recounts the story of being called a “fatso” when trying to get into a volleyball game. She dieted and slimmed down.
“Years later I’m grateful to those rednecks,” Meloni wrote.
All these years later, Meloni references her adversaries all time, sometimes with glee. On Facebook, she cites skeptical or critical news headlines. On the trail, she talks about how the left is obsessed with trashing her and is doing “everything to stop us.” Even in a video she released last month, rejecting any party ties with Italy’s fascist past, she noted that suggestions to the contrary had been “inspired by the powerful media circuit of the left.” In her interview with The Post, she explicitly cited the “globalist” left as an enemy, and said the West is “paying for the weakness” of its ideology, which she said seeks to flatten differences in identity.
Italy has had all s...
This Morning https://digitalarkansasnews.com/this-morning-4/
This morning’s top headlines: Tuesday, Sept. 13
(13) updates to this series since 1 min ago
King Charles III is flying to Northern Ireland on the latest leg of his tour of the nations that make up the United Kingdom as thousands of people have lined up through the night to pay their last respects to his mother’s coffin in Edinburgh. On Monday night, Charles and his siblings, Anne, Andrew and Edward, their heads bowed, briefly stood vigil around their mother’s flag-draped coffin as members of the public filed past. The British monarchy draws mixed emotions in Northern Ireland, where there are two main communities: mostly Protestant unionists who consider themselves British and largely Roman Catholic nationalists who see themselves as Irish.
President Joe Biden is urging Americans to come together for a new “national purpose” — his administration’s effort to end cancer “as we know it.” At the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum, Biden on Monday channeled JFK’s famed moonshot speech 60 years ago, likening the space race to his own effort. Biden hopes to move the U.S. closer to the goal he set in February of cutting U.S. cancer fatalities by 50% over the next 25 years and dramatically improving the lives of caregivers and those suffering from cancer. Experts say the objective is attainable — with adequate investments.
The Emmy Awards have spread honors around repeat winners – Zendaya, Jason Sudeikis and Jean Smart – and some first timers, like Sheryl Lee Ralph and Quinta Brunson of “Abbott Elementary.” Zendaya and Sudeikis won their second acting Emmys Monday, while Smart won back-to-back trophies for “Hacks.” So did Sudeikis’ comedy “Ted Lasso,” which claimed the top comedy prize and “Succession,” which took home the top drama honor. Ralph gave a rousing speech after winning supporting comedy actress on her first nomination. Brunson, who created “Abbott Elementary” also took home a trophy, with the best comedy series still to come. Lee Jung-jae of “Squid Game” won best drama actor.
Former President Donald Trump is sitting on top of more than $115 million across several political committees. He’s positioned himself as a uniquely indomitable force in the GOP and would almost certainly have the resources to swamp his rivals if he launched another presidential campaign. But that massive pile of money is also emerging as a potential vulnerability. His chief fundraising vehicle, Save America PAC, is under new legal scrutiny after the Justice Department issued a round of grand jury subpoenas that have included questions about the political action committee’s fundraising practices.
The Justice Department says it’s willing to accept one of Donald Trump’s picks for an independent arbiter to review documents seized during an FBI search of the former president’s Florida home last month. The accommodation could help accelerate the selection process and shorten any delays caused by the appointment of the so-called special master. The judge in the case, granting a request from the Trump team, said last week that she would appoint a neutral arbiter to go through the records and weed out any that may be covered by executive privilege or attorney-client privilege.
A Connecticut jury is set to hear opening arguments about how much money conspiracy theorist Alex Jones should pay relatives of victims of the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting for calling the massacre a hoax. The trial is scheduled to begin Tuesday in Waterbury, only 18 miles from Newtown, where 20 children and six educators were killed in 2012. Lawyers for the Sandy Hook families say Jones caused the families emotional and psychological harm. Jones says he now believes the shooting did occur, but has cited free speech rights in saying it was a hoax. A Texas jury last month ordered Jones to pay nearly $50 million in damages to Sandy Hook parents in a similar lawsuit over the hoax lies.
A staunchly conservative, retired Army general is favored to win New Hampshire’s Republican Senate nomination and face potentially vulnerable Democratic Sen. Maggie Hassan. That means Tuesday’s primary could again raise questions about whether hard-right candidates could hurt the GOP in November. National Republicans see Hassan as beatable. But the favorite in New Hampshire’s GOP primary is Don Bolduc, who has falsely claimed that Donald Trump won the 2020 presidential election. New Hampshire is holding the country’s last major primaries along with Delaware and Rhode Island, just eight weeks before Election Day.
Azerbaijani forces have shelled Armenia’s territory in a large-scale attack that killed at least 49 Armenian soldiers and fueled fears of even broader hostilities. The hostilities erupted minutes after midnight Tuesday, with Azerbaijani forces unleashing an artillery barrage and drone attacks in many sections of Armenian territory, according to the Armenian Defense Ministry. Azerbaijan charged that its forces returned fire in response to “large-scale provocations” by the Armenian military, claiming that the Armenian troops planted mines and repeatedly fired on Azerbaijani military positions, resulting in unspecified casualties and damage to military infrastructure. Russia moved quickly to broker a cease-fire, but it wasn’t immediately clear whether it was holding.
Heavy rains unleashed mudslides in a mountain area east of Los Angeles that burned two years ago, sending boulders and other debris across roads and prompting evacuation and shelter-in-place orders for thousands of residents. Firefighters went street by street in the community of Forest Falls Monday to make sure no residents were trapped. Crews hadn’t found anyone who needed to be rescued and no one was reported missing. The rains were the remnants of a tropical storm that brought high winds and some badly needed rainfall to drought-stricken Southern California last week, helping firefighters largely corral a wildfire that had been burning out of control about 20 miles south of the mudslides.
R. Kelly’s lead attorney is getting her chance to deliver her closing argument to federal jurors in Chicago. That comes a day after a prosecutor told jurors that weeks of evidence proved the R&B superstar parlayed his fame to sexually abuse minors and record the abuse on video. Kelly faces charges of production of child pornography, enticing minor girls for sex and obstruction of justice by successfully rigging his 2008 child pornography trial in state court in 2008, at which he was acquitted. Jurors are expected to began deliberating later Tuesday. In her Monday closing, prosecutor Elizabeth Pozolo described Kelly as a secret sexual predator who “has committed horrible crimes against children.”
Director Jean-Luc Godard, icon of French New Wave cinema, has died at age 91, according to French media.
Renowned jazz pianist Ramsey Lewis has died. He was 87. His son, Bobby Lewis, says Ramsey Lewis died Monday at his Chicago home. Lewis’ music entertained fans over a more than 60-year career. He’s revered in jazz circles for such 1960s hits as “The ‘In’ Crowd,” “Hang on Sloopy” and “Wade in the Water.” He earned three Grammy awards and seven gold records. The Chicago native began composing large-scale musical works later in his career. He spent his early days using his gospel and classical roots to create his own jazz style in neighborhood venues that hired young jazz musicians.
Geno Smith threw two first-half touchdown passes, Denver fumbled twice at the 1-yard line in the second half, and the Seahawks beat the Broncos 17-16 in Russell Wilson’s return to Seattle. Brandon McManus missed a 64-yard field goal attempt with 20 seconds left and the Seahawks escaped with another wild victory involving Wilson at quarterback. Except this time Wilson was the opponent and there will be plenty of questions about Denver coach Nathaniel Hackett’s late-game clock management and decisions in his first game. Denver faced fourth-and-5 at the Seattle 46 and had three timeouts left, but the Broncos ran significant time off the clock before Hackett called timeout and decided to have McManus try the long field goal.
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Lobbyists Peel Off From Harris https://digitalarkansasnews.com/lobbyists-peel-off-from-harris/
The number of federal lobbyists turning to Vice President Kamala Harris’s office to influence White House policy has contracted under the Biden administration, according to a review of federal records by the Washington Examiner.
About half as many companies and outside groups have hired lobbyists to influence Harris’s office during her first two years compared with her predecessor, Mike Pence.
Among those lobbying Harris and her aides were representatives of drug companies, technology firms, and energy businesses, according to the records.
Some have contacted her office to highlight their efforts to ensure diversity in clinical trials or add diversity to the semiconductor workforce, the filings show. Others have sought support on regulatory matters tied to tariffs, immigration, student loan relief, or drug decriminalization.
BIDEN SETS UP POST-ELECTION ‘FIGHT’ AS HE DRAGS OUT CHINA TARIFFS DECISION
In numerous cases, the issues align with the vice president’s policy interests on broadband access, voting rights, or black maternal healthcare. The Immigration Hub, an organization backed by Laurene Powell Jobs’s sprawling Emerson Collective philanthropy and led by a former Harris aide, has focused on a dizzying range of issues, from a Justice Department counterespionage program to Title 42 exceptions for Ukrainians to abortion care.
Often, the companies are lobbying the White House and other departments and agencies at the same time.
Federal records indicate how the spending scale differs between the vice president and president’s offices, as well as the issues a company might target.
In a first-quarter filing that covered the vice president’s office, White House, and Congress, Blue Origin, an aerospace company founded by billionaire Jeff Bezos, spent $50,000 on lobbyists to assist with aerospace regulations and policies and other government relations issues, according to federal records.
By comparison, the firm racked up $560,000 in lobbyist fees for their work on Build Back Better, the Defense Appropriations Act of 2022, and other legislation in the first quarter of 2022, when a filing shows they targeted the White House, Pentagon, Congress, Federal Aviation Administration, and NASA.
The numbers for Harris’s office mark a dramatic shift from the previous administration, during which a record 377 companies and interests lobbied Pence and his aides in the administration’s final year, up from 235 in 2017.
In 2021, 134 interests lobbied Harris’s office, according to the Center for Responsive Politics. A further 77 registered to do so in he first two quarters of 2022.
While the number of lobbyists covering the president and vice president’s offices jumped after former President Donald Trump came into office, the increase was most stark for Pence’s office.
Pence served “as a kind of second White House chief of staff on regulatory issues” and his office “as a key entryway to reach officials” with whom he had helped staff federal agencies,” the Washington Post wrote in 2018 of the former vice president’s draw.
The numbers for Harris are historically closer to the mean and higher than any year when Joe Biden was vice president under Barack Obama.
But Biden’s White House has not seen the same drop in lobbying interests. Over 1,400 companies hired lobbyists to advance their interests inside Biden’s White House last year, more than lobbied Trump’s White House in any year.
“Unless you have the ear of [chief of staff] Ron Klain or [White House counselor Steve] Ricchetti … you’re wasting your time, basically,” said one source with clients seeking to advance their business interests with the Biden administration on a broad range of economic and trade issues.
The leveling-off corporate interest in lobbying the vice president’s office suggests Harris occupies a more traditional role. The vice president’s influence with Biden has also been called into question, as their schedules show fewer one-on-one meetings.
Approaching the end of their second year in office, Harris and Biden now meet less frequently for lunch than in their first year, according to a review of their schedules.
As lobbyists flock to the White House and Biden’s aides, it is not unusual for those with close ties to officials to see their client lists surge.
That is true of lobbyist Jeff Ricchetti, whose brother is one of Biden’s closest aides. Jeff Ricchetti’s firm pulled in $1.7 million in fees during the first half of 2022 and was paid more than $3.1 million in 2021 to work for clients such as General Motors and Amazon, disclosures show.
His firm’s client list grew rapidly after Biden was elected, doubling its fees over the previous year.
Jeff Ricchetti has long been a registered lobbyist and has worked in the past alongside his brother, Biden’s counselor.
Jeff Ricchetti’s work on Biden’s infrastructure bill as a lobbyist for GM and for pharmaceutical and energy companies drew attention last year to the president’s promise to turn the page on the Trump administration’s ethics handling.
While running for office, Biden pledged to “restore ethics in government.”
Biden’s appointment of Anita Dunn, who during two earlier White House stints bypassed traditional disclosure obligations with a temporary role, has also drawn scrutiny. Dunn’s 93-page filing lists nearly 20 clients, including Pfizer, AT&T, Micron, the American Clean Power Association, Lyft, Salesforce, Reddit, and Melinda French Gates’s company, Pivotal Ventures, as well as an extensive investment portfolio.
CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER
The White House has said she intends to divest her assets, valued from $16.8 million to $48.2 million, according to an estimate by CNBC. Dunn joined the White House in May, leaving some ethics attorneys questioning the Biden administration’s promise to run the most upstanding administration in history.
“Why have three months gone by with these massive conflicts of interest?” Walter Shaub, director of the Office of Government Ethics under Obama and briefly under Trump, told the Washington Examiner last month.
Shaub also said Dunn likely held the same financial interests during her earlier stints at the White House but that these were shielded from view by technicalities.
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Newly Seized Phones Can Put Trump 'at Center Of A Conspiracy: Former US Attorney
Newly Seized Phones Can Put Trump 'at Center Of A Conspiracy: Former US Attorney https://digitalarkansasnews.com/newly-seized-phones-can-put-trump-at-center-of-a-conspiracy-former-us-attorney/
Reacting to an NBC report late Monday that the Department of Justice issued a wave of subpoenas last week and seized the phones of two of Donald Trump’s closest associates, former U.S. Attorney Barbara McQuade claimed that the law is closing in on the former president.
Appearing on MSNBC’s “Morning Joe,” the legal analyst speculated that data retrieved from the phones could be used to come after Trump as the possible center of a criminal conspiracy.
“Barbara, I would take it’s not great news for you whenever the Department of Justice seizes cell phones from your aides,” McQuade was asked by host Joe Scarborough. “What does that tell you about, first of all, where they’re going, where this investigation, and how aggressive they are, how possibly close they are to charging the president?”
“Yeah, you know, Joe, you see that the circles are closing in on the highest levels of government here, close aides to the former president,” she replied. “As I read these subpoenas, it seems we are seeing the fake elector scheme meets seditious conspiracy. So what they’re really looking for is a commonality to connect these two threads together.”
RELATED: Senate Judiciary announces investigation into Trump DOJ for serious ethical breaches
“If you can make the connection, you can put Donald Trump right at the center of a conspiracy,” she elaborated. “Talked about seizing telephones. It says to me they have looked at phone records they have been able to get from the phone company but there may be encrypted phone messages they can only get from the phones themselves. These tend to be the ones that are done in secret, the ones that might be the most sensitive.”
“So getting the phones, it’s where we are our most candid, our text messages, our list of people we have made phone calls to,” she continued. “Those can be useful in tying the threads together and text messages can be a gold mine. As we saw in the January 6th hearings, people speak candidly, admissions come in. I think it can be a veritable gold mine.”
Watch the video below or at this link.
MSNBC 09 13 2022 06 03 22 youtu.be
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Sebastian County Election Chairmans Voting Power And Position Stripped After Felony Conviction Comes To Light
Sebastian County Election Chairman’s Voting Power And Position Stripped After Felony Conviction Comes To Light https://digitalarkansasnews.com/sebastian-county-election-chairmans-voting-power-and-position-stripped-after-felony-conviction-comes-to-light/
A roll of stickers awaiting distribution to early voters sits on a table at the check-in station at the Pulaski County Courthouse Annex in Little Rock.
FORT SMITH — Sebastian County’s prosecuting attorney determined the chairman of the county Election Commission ineligible to vote Monday due to a felony conviction, barring him from service.
Prosecutor Dan Shue wrote in a legal opinion to County Clerk Sharon Brooks on Monday it’s her duty to cancel Jason Andrew Vineyard’s voter registration. Brooks said Vineyard, 43, is no longer an active voter in the county as of Monday.
A person has to be a qualified elector of Arkansas to serve on an election commission, according to the 2020 edition of the County Board of Election Commissioners Procedures Manual prepared by the Arkansas State Board of Election Commissioners. The manual states under the Arkansas Constitution, a qualified elector can’t have been convicted of a felony without their sentence having been discharged or pardoned.
The county’s Republican Committee removed Vineyard from the commission Monday. Larry Bishop, chairman of the committee, said Monday the committee will interview interested individuals to find a qualified replacement.
Vineyard pleaded guilty to one count of felony overdraft on July 11, 2003, according to Shue. The county Circuit Court suspended the imposition of Vineyard’s sentence for a 10-year period with the condition of good behavior and that Vineyard pay $20,055 in restitution, as well as a $500 fine and $150 in court costs.
However, Shue said Vineyard has yet to pay the obligation in full. This means Vineyard hasn’t satisfied the terms of his sentence and, by extension, hasn’t discharged his sentence. Shue noted Vineyard hasn’t been pardoned either.
“For some yet to be determined reason, the Circuit Clerk (at that time) either failed to notify the County Clerk (at that time) of this conviction in 2003 or the County Clerk did not cancel his voter registration back in 2003,” Shue wrote.
Amendment 51 of the Arkansas Constitution states a county’s permanent registrar, meaning County Clerk, has the duty to cancel the registration of voters who have been convicted of felonies and haven’t either discharged their sentence or been pardoned, according to Shue.
Shue said the amendment also outlines that every county Circuit Clerk has to promptly notify the County Clerk whenever someone who’s a resident of the County Clerk’s jurisdiction has been convicted of a felony. A convicted felon who wants to register to vote has to provide the County Clerk a certified copy of their original judgement and proof from the appropriate probation office they have been discharged from probation, paid all fees and satisfied all terms of their sentence.
Jail records show Vineyard was arrested in 2020 after a petition to revoke was issued over nonpayment of restitution and court fines related to his suspended sentence. However, court records show the petition was withdrawn due to substantial payments being made.
Voter history records show Vineyard has voted in every major election since his conviction.
Vineyard didn’t respond to a phone call and text message requesting comment Monday.
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Highway Crashes Touch Two School Districts In Garland County
Highway Crashes Touch Two School Districts In Garland County https://digitalarkansasnews.com/highway-crashes-touch-two-school-districts-in-garland-county/
Two Garland County school districts are coping with the loss of a classmate and the injuries of others in two separate wrecks over the weekend.
A four-vehicle crash on U.S. 70 East claimed the lives of four people, including a Mountain Pine student, Saturday afternoon, according to an Arkansas Department of Public Safety preliminary fatal crash summary and a school official on Monday.
In a separate incident Saturday, four students on the Jessieville School District football team were involved in a collision with another vehicle late at night, according to Melissa Speers, Jessieville School District superintendent.
In the fatal wreck, Linda Godwin, 67, of Royal was westbound on U.S. 70 East on Saturday and swerved to avoid a collision with an eastbound 2020 Hyundai driven by Andres Gonzalez, 43, of Glenwood. The Hyundai had veered into Godwin’s lane, causing her vehicle to strike a 2015 Chevrolet that was traveling westbound parallel to her vehicle. Godwin and two passengers in her vehicle, Rebekah Shaffer, 35, of Royal and her daughter, Bridgette Shaffer, were killed in the collision.
(The preliminary crash summary gave Rebekah Shaffer’s name as Schaffer; the Piney Fire Department said Shaffer is the correct spelling.)
Julieanna Gonzalez, 57, of Glenwood, a passenger in Gonzalez’s vehicle, was also killed. Gonzalez was injured and airlifted to the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences in Little Rock.
Linda Godwin and Rebekah Shaffer are the wives of Piney Fire Department firefighters/EMS Mark Godwin and Mike Shaffer, respectively. Bridgette is the Shaffers’ daughter.
According to a GoFundMe page set up by the fire department for funeral expenses for Rebecca and Bridgette Shaffer, Rebecca worked for Startek in Hot Springs and taught gymnastics on the weekends at Hot Springs Gymnastics, while Bridgette attended first grade at Mountain Pine School.
A second GoFundMe set up by the department for Linda Godwin said she worked for New Home Missionary Baptist Church and was “very dedicated and passionate about serving the Lord.”
Piney firefighter/EMS Carla Woods said Monday that Linda Godwin is her mother’s “best friend and my father’s her husband’s best friend. She leads Bible school at Missionary Baptist Church in Royal, she runs a Sunday school class for the kids, she plays the organ during services at church. That’s just her community impact.
“She was a friend to everyone, she always made everyone laugh … her and Rebekah took up really quickly and became the best of friends … Rebekah helped with children’s church with Linda … she was an amazing wife and supporter … completely put herself second to (Mike) and that baby,” Woods said.
“Bridgette went to Mountain Pine school, and she was on the cheering team and softball, just a really active little girl. My favorite thing about Bridgette was she played in the dirt, she was a full tomboy at heart but she always had on her Sunday best … a little Sunday dress. Rebekah and Bridgette wore big smiles, huge smiles,” she said.
On the day of the wreck, Godwin, Rebekah Shaffer and her daughter were on their way to Searcy, where Rebekah Shaffer was going to participate in her first fashion show, appearing on stage.
“Our fire department is a big family and everybody lost three loved ones on that day,” she said.
“Linda always talked about how she knows that God went ahead and prepared a place for her, and now they’re in it. So, we’re just jealous that they got to get there first and enjoy it before us. I guarantee that the only message that they would want to come from this is make sure that you’re prepared so you can be there with them,” she said.
On Monday, students at Mountain Pine School District released balloons in memory of Bridgette Shaffer. Sunday was Bridgette’s birthday, said Sheila Gadberry, Mountain Pine School District public relations coordinator.
“There were several students scheduled to go to a birthday party for her, so they kind of held a birthday celebration/life celebration [Monday] morning in her first-grade classroom. They do have a plan to do a memorial at the rock garden (in Mountain Pine) that our high school built last year. From what I understand people are bringing flowers and memorial rocks to the rock garden there,” Gadberry said.
On Monday morning, three of the Jessieville students were still in Arkansas Children’s Hospital, while one was released.
At 2 p.m. Sunday, the school district opened up its football field for students, parents and faculty to hold a prayer vigil and on Monday, Jessieville students and faculty wore blue in support of the injured students and their families, Speers said.
“On behalf of the families, we ask that people continue to pray,” she said.
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Mental Exam Delays Rape Trial Of Gassville Man https://digitalarkansasnews.com/mental-exam-delays-rape-trial-of-gassville-man/
The trial of a Gassville man facing three counts of rape has been delayed.
Thirty-seven-year-old Bradley Thomas Uren was scheduled to go on trial next week, but his attorney filed motions to have his client mentally evaluated.
The attorney, Anthony Pirani, Jr., of Fayetteville, asked the court to approve examinations to determine if Uren is fit to proceed in his case and mentally capable of being held responsible for his acts.
A court order signed by retired Circuit Judge Gordon Webb was filed Tuesday approving the request. All activity in cases where an evaluation is pending stops until a report is prepared.
Judge Webb is handling cases in various counties in the 14th Judicial District on assignment from the Arkansas Supreme Court to help clear backlog created by restrictions on court operations caused by the Covid-19 pandemic.
CAN MEAN LONG DELAYS
For some time, it has been taking six months or longer to have psychological evaluations conducted and a report returned to the court.
Uren has been an inmate in the Baxter County jail since March 6, 2020 with bond set at more than $500,000.
This is not the first time action in the case has been halted. Shortly after charges were initially filed, the Arkansas Public Defender’s Commission appointed Little Rock lawyer Latonya Honorable to represent Uren.
Honorable, however, filed a motion to withdraw citing “safety concerns” in dealing with Uren and the request was granted in an order filed March 2.
The Little Rock attorney is black and Uren has been known to direct racial slurs at a member of the Baxter County jail staff who is also African-American.
After Honorable withdrew, Pirani was appointed, filing his entry of appearance May 6.
Much of the information in the rape case is sealed by court order.
COUPLE FILED FOR PROTECTION
Some information has come to light in petitions to obtain protective orders filed by Bradley Uren seeking to keep his now ex-wife away from him.
Jennifer Uren has filed similar petitions against her now ex-husband.
In one of his petitions, Bradley Uren accuses his then estranged wife of wanting to sell one of their children to relatives of hers for $10,000. He alleges Jennifer Uren and others “have a conspiracy” to get him “out of the picture.”
In a petition filed by Jennifer Uren, she charges her husband with being violent toward her and the children and of “molesting” them.
She said during their marriage, Bradley Uren had hit her, tried to break her arm and threatened her life and the lives of the couple’s children.
Jennifer Uren wrote that her husband had installed “peek holes” in the home enabling him to watch “every move” made by his wife and children.
A divorce decree was granted in late November last year.
Court records show that the children are in the custody of the Arkansas Department of Human Services.
CURRENT SEX OFFENDER
Bradley Uren is currently a registered sex offender. His records show he is required to register during his lifetime after being convicted of sexual battery in August 2005.
According to the Baxter County Sheriff’s website, his sex offender status stemmed from an incident in another state involving an 18-year-old Bradley Uren and a 14-year-old female.
He was convicted of encouraging the minor female to come to his house where he forced her to remove her clothing at knifepoint.
DOES NOT WANT TO TESTIFY
Recently, the lawyer representing Jennifer Uren in her case in which she faces permitting child abuse charges filed a notice in Bradley Uren’s rape case giving notice she did not intend to testify in his trial.
Her lawyer wrote that since her charges arose out of the same set of circumstances that led to the allegation against her ex-husband, she would invoke her right against self-incrimination. The state is expected to object.
Currently, Jennifer Uren’s case is set for trial next week.
JAIL ATTACKS
In addition to his rape charges, Bradley Uren also faces allegations stemming from two altercations in the Baxter County jail.
The latest came on February 7 when Uren and another inmate were reported to have attacked a fellow prisoner.
According to the probable cause affidavit, the victim had to be transported to Baxter Health for treatment and then transferred to a hospital in Springfield.
The other altercation took place in late September last year in which Uren attacked jail staff.
The incident began when Uren was reported to have begun kicking the door to his cell and then throwing the morning meal cart and contents at jail staff. He was alleged to have screamed at jailers – cursing and using a number of racial slurs.
After being subdued, Uren was taken to an isolation cell where he was to be locked down for a 24-hour-period.
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