NLR Educator Named 2023 Arkansas Teacher Of The Year
NLR Educator Named 2023 Arkansas Teacher Of The Year https://digitalarkansasnews.com/nlr-educator-named-2023-arkansas-teacher-of-the-year/
Capri Salaam, a social studies teacher at North Little Rock Middle School, received a surprise of a lifetime today when she was named the 2023 Arkansas Teacher of the Year.
Salaam, a multi-classroom lead teacher, was one of four state semi-finalists for the award and was chosen by the ATOY selection committee for her innovate teaching practices, her ability to connect with students from diverse backgrounds, and her efforts to stay engaged with her students after they leave her classroom.
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Russias New Ukraine Commander Signals Civilian Removals From tense Kherson
Russia’s New Ukraine Commander Signals Civilian Removals From ‘tense’ Kherson https://digitalarkansasnews.com/russias-new-ukraine-commander-signals-civilian-removals-from-tense-kherson/
The new commander of Moscow’s army in Ukraine has announced that civilians were being “resettled” from the Russian-occupied southern city of Kherson, describing the military situation as “tense”.
“The enemy continually attempts to attack the positions of Russian troops,” Sergei Surovikin said in his first televised interview since being appointed earlier this month, adding that the situation was particularly difficult around the occupied southern city of Kherson.
Surovikin’s statements on Tuesday came amid repeated military setbacks for Russian forces prompting Moscow’s dependence on Iran, which is sending missiles and drones.
On Tuesday, the New York Times reported that military advisers from Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps were on Ukrainian soil, at a Russian military base in occupied Crimea. The Iranians were reported to have been deployed to help Russian troops deal with problems with the Tehran-supplied fleet of Shahed-136 drones, rebranded as Geran-2 by the attackers.
Russian forces have been trying to hold off a fierce Ukrainian counter-assault in Kherson, a region in the south of Ukraine that Moscow claimed to have annexed last month after staging a sham referendum.
Surovikin admitted that the situation in Kherson was “not easy”.
“Further actions and plans regarding the city of Kherson will depend on the developing military-tactical situation, which is not easy. We will act consciously, in a timely manner, without ruling out difficult decisions,” he added.
The comments appeared to mark a rare acknowledgment of the difficulties facing Russian forces. But it was not immediately clear whether Surovikin, the ruthless general now in charge of the war, was hinting at a looming Russian withdrawal from Kherson or a fresh round of airstrikes.
Kherson, which lies near the mouth of the Dnipro on the west bank, was one of the first cities to fall to Russia after the invasion on 24 February and is a crucial strategic and symbolic target for Ukraine’s government.
Gruelling fighting has been reported in the region since the start of Ukraine’s counter-offensive at the end of the summer, with both sides suffering steep casualties.
The Ukrainian army has sought to pinch off Russian supply lines to Kherson by destroying the two main road bridges across the Dnipro. Kyiv has recently introduced a news blackout in the south of the country, leading to speculations that it was preparing a new major offensive on Kherson.
“When the Ukrainians have a news blackout it means something is going on. They have always done this before when there is a big offensive push on,” Michael Clarke, a former director general of the Royal United Services Institute, told Sky News.
“I am guessing in the next 48-72 hours they might tell us what is happening,” he added.
Shortly after Surovikin’s statements, the Russian-installed head of Kherson, Vladimir Saldo, said in a video address that people in four towns in the Kherson region were being moved, in anticipation of a “large-scale offensive”.
Kirill Stremousov, the Russian-installed deputy administrator of the Kherson region, echoed the message on Telegram late on Tuesday. “The battle for Kherson will begin in the very near future. The civilian population is advised, if possible, to leave the area of the upcoming fierce hostilities,” he said.
Since Surovikin’s appointment on 8 October, Moscow has unleashed a barrage of cruise missiles and “kamikaze” drones targeting Ukrainian critical infrastructure as well as the civilian population.
Ukraine’s president, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, said that Moscow’s use of Iranian-made drones was a symbol of the Kremlin’s “military and political bankruptcy”.
“The very fact of Russia’s appeal to Iran for such assistance is the Kremlin’s recognition of its military and political bankruptcy,” Zelenskiy said in his daily address on Tuesday.
“For decades, they spent billions of dollars on their own military industrial complex. And in the end, they bowed down to Tehran in order to secure quite simple drones and missiles.”
But, Zelenskiy added, “strategically, it will not help them anyway. It only further proves to the world that Russia is on the path of defeat and is trying to draw someone else into its accomplices in terror.”
The bombing is often inaccurate and civilians have been killed in residential buildings in Kyiv and other big cities. But enough have got through to cause problems for a power grid already short of generation after the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant was shut down.
Nearly a third of Ukraine’s power stations have been destroyed by Russian attacks since Monday last week – prompting Nato’s secretary general to announce that new counter-drone defences would be delivered within days.
Kyrylo Tymoshenko, the deputy head of the presidential office, said energy infrastructure and power supply were targeted overnight in an eastern district of Kyiv, where two people were killed, and in the cities of Dnipro and Zhytomyr.
“The situation is critical now across the country because our regions are dependent on one another … it’s necessary for the whole country to prepare for electricity, water and heating outages,” Tymoshenko told Ukrainian television.
Jens Stoltenberg, Nato’s secretary general, said member countries would “step up” and deliver more air defences to help stabilise the situation. “Nato will in the coming days deliver counter-drone systems to counter the specific threat of drones, including those from Iran,” he said.
Although there are signs that Moscow is running short on guided missiles, it has acquired up to 2,400 Iranian drones, according to Ukraine, and is using them as cheaper substitutes to hit the energy targets and strike fear into civilians.
Iran denies supplying the drones to Russia, while the Kremlin spokesperson, Dmitry Peskov, said he did not have any information about their origin. “Russian equipment with Russian names is being used,” Peskov said.
Ukraine, experts and western governments believe the Gerans are rebranded Shahed drones, identifiable by their distinctive delta wing shape and from an examination of fragments recovered from the ground.
A western official, speaking on condition of anonymity in a briefing on Tuesday, said they believed Russia was “pursuing a deliberate strategy of attempting to destroy Ukraine’s electricity network”.
Reuters reported that Iran had promised to provide Russia with surface-to-surface missiles, in addition to more drones, citing two senior Iranian officials and two Iranian diplomats.
The UK defence secretary, Ben Wallace, and the foreign secretary, James Cleverly, flew to Washington on Tuesday to discuss how to respond to Iran’s intervention, as officials briefed that a new air defence package for Ukraine was being prepared.
Last week Germany delivered the first of four Iris-T air defence systems it had promised to supply Ukraine, but the US has been wary of strengthening Ukraine’s air force and defences for fear it would be seen as an escalation.
Kevin McCarthy, the Republican leader in the US House of Representatives, warned on Tuesday that Congress would not “write a blank cheque to Ukraine” if his party wins next month’s midterm elections.
Hours later, however, another senior Republican, Michael McCaul, said that he thought that the Ukrainians should “get what they need” – including longer-range missiles than those the Biden administration has so far been prepared to supply.
Analysts say the mixed messages reflect an internal debate between traditional national security conservatives and the Trumpist wing of the party, where pro-Russian sentiment is much stronger.
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Nevada Senate Candidate Laxalt Is Courting The Latter-Day Saint Vote
Nevada Senate Candidate Laxalt Is Courting The Latter-Day Saint Vote https://digitalarkansasnews.com/nevada-senate-candidate-laxalt-is-courting-the-latter-day-saint-vote/
If you could have peered into one of the luxury boxes lining the Las Vegas Raiders’ Allegiant Stadium on Oct. 8, you would have found former Raider and current Utah Congressman Burgess Owens, seated with a who’s who of GOP leaders who also happened to be members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
The group included Republican National Committee chair, and niece to Mitt Romney, Ronna McDaniel, Fox News contributor and former Utah Congressman Jason Chaffetz, former U.S. national security adviser Robert C. O’Brien and former deputy political director of the Trump White House Gregory Smith. They were gathered to cheer on Brigham Young University — the alma mater of McDaniel, Chaffetz and Smith — in its gridiron fight against the University of Notre Dame, but they were also in Nevada to show their support for Republican U.S. Senate candidate Adam Laxalt.
Smith posted a picture the next day showing the group at the game, accompanied by local Republican congressional candidate April Becker and former political director for the Trump White House Brian Jack. The caption read, “all discussing how great of a U.S. Senator @AdamLaxalt will be for the state of Nevada.”
Laxalt, while not a member of the church, had planned earlier that day to engage in a fundraising and outreach activity among the Latter-day Saint community. Although the plans were canceled over a scheduling conflict with the Trump rally in Reno, Laxalt’s desire to reach out to Latter-day Saint voters in the community highlights the closeness of the race in the silver state.
At 6% of population, Latter-day Saints make up the second largest religious voting bloc in Nevada, and have nearly double the congregations of any other religious group. Despite their minority status, strong political involvement can make Latter-day Saints a key constituency in determining the outcome of close elections, said David Campbell, professor of political science at the University of Notre Dame and author of “Seeking the Promised Land: Mormons and American Politics”, with John Green of the University of Akron and Quin Monson of Brigham Young University.
Though the church has issued statements declaring itself strictly “neutral in matters of party politics,” it encourages church members to “engage in the political process in an informed and civil manner, respecting the fact that members of the church come from a variety of backgrounds and experiences and may have differences of opinion in partisan political matters.”
And in a race as close as Laxalt’s, Latter-day Saints’ willingness to mobilize could potentially help decide the campaign’s fate and, as a result, a Republican majority in the U.S. Senate. With the Senate divided 50-50, the stakes couldn’t be much higher. Despite the expectation of a “red wave”, following the historical trend for off-year elections, it looks like a Senate majority could come down to just a few states.
“This race is the key to the Senate majority,” Laxalt said in a phone call with the Deseret News. “I think everyone knows it’s the top race in America right now.”
Nevada is one of four “toss up” races in the Senate, along with Georgia, Wisconsin and Pennsylvania, according to the The Cook Political Report, with analysts saying that Laxalt’s opponent, Catherine Cortez Masto, is the most vulnerable Democrat in the Senate.
As Nevada’s former attorney general, Laxalt has focused his campaign on rising crime, as well as inflation and border security — issues that have affected Nevada as much, or more, than most states. This approach has seen some success, including with Latino voters, whose support for Masto has dropped below Latino support for Biden in 2020. Recent polls have shown Laxalt with a slight lead over Masto among the general population.
The Masto campaign did not respond to request for comment. But in an email the national director of Latter-day Saints for Biden-Harris, Rob Taber, accused Laxalt of embracing “the worst elements of MAGA extremism,” while praising Sen. Masto for “working to reopen our schools and businesses, lower health care costs, and make the U.S. more self-reliant in energy and manufacturing.”
With House races in and around Las Vegas also in a dead heat, it looks like the state could possibly go from having five Democrats and one Republican in Congress, to the exact opposite.
Mark Robertson, the Republican candidate for Nevada’s 1st Congressional District, is running in a tight race against five-term Democratic incumbent Dina Titus. He says the campaign’s success so far is the result of broad community support from numerous Christian groups, the Republican Jewish Coalition, law enforcement officers and in particular, the Latter-day Saint community.
“I do believe that the Latter-day Saint community was behind me and did have an impact, an oversized impact, on my campaign,” said Robertson, who is himself a Latter-day Saint.
Democrat-led redistricting in 2020 moved parts of inner-city Las Vegas into the 3rd and 4th districts in a gamble to shore up Democratic Reps. Susie Lee and Steven Horsford. The move, however, made the 1st District competitive for Republicans for the first time in more than a decade, with Robertson’s district now containing the more conservative community of Boulder City, as well as Henderson, the second largest city in Nevada, which has more than 30 Latter-day Saint congregations in the area.
The Titus campaign did not respond to a request for comment.
“I won the primary without doing any television or radio ads. I didn’t even send mailers to people’s homes,” Robertson said. “But I did meet and greets, probably close to a thousand meet and greets in people’s homes. And I would suspect that half of those meet and greets were in the homes of Latter-day Saints who introduced me to neighbors.”
The church doesn’t endorse political candidates, and it prohibits the use of local church facilities, membership records or email lists for political or other solicitation purposes, according to a church statement. While remaining neutral in matters of party politics, the church encourages voting and civic participation.
Campbell says the data is clear: Latter-day Saints are “definitely” more politically active than the average American. Not only in terms of voter turnout, but in campaign participation as well. Communication through personal networks more than makes up for the restrictions on sharing political views from the pulpit.
“As a group, Latter-day Saints, they kind of have in their DNA the ability, the skills, in order to be involved in a campaign. So, they’re often a very important resource for candidates,” Campbell said, referring to skills gained serving missions and participating in volunteer opportunities for the church. “It’s not just that they vote Republican, it’s that they will show up and work on behalf of a campaign.”
However, the fact that politicians can’t address congregations directly does pose a challenge for Republicans and Democrats trying to capture Latter-day Saint votes. Candidates can get around this, Campbell said, by trying to invoke language or symbols that Latter-day Saints can relate to or by holding targeted events outside the church context.
Laxalt said he had planned to highlight his consistent support of Latter-day Saint values at last Saturday’s “Faith and Freedom Rally,” which would have featured prominent Republicans who are members of the church, such as McDaniel and Chaffetz.
The candidate’s website features family photos and, in a scene most family-focused voters might identify with, includes a video of his family gathered to watch “Star Wars.”
“I ran on being someone that was going to stand up for conservative values, someone that would fight for things like religious liberty,” Laxalt said, referencing the multiple religious liberty cases fought by his office when he was attorney general.
Polling suggests that American Latter-day Saints, particularly in the West, are more inclined to vote Republican. But church members have been encouraged by leaders to study issues and make a decision on how to vote based on their own best judgement.
“I feel very strongly about the idea that our faith doesn’t dictate our vote,” said Christopher D. Cunningham, a Latter-day Saint living in Las Vegas and the managing editor of Public Square magazine. Cunningham, who plans to vote for Masto this fall, says that his decision is informed by the values he holds as a Latter-day Saint, and that despite identifying as a Democrat, he would vote for a Republican candidate if they were to reflect those values.
“For me, I am a Latter-day Saint first, and so then that implicates everything about the way I see the world, about my values, about the role I see for government. And then from there I am trying to find the best candidate based on my values,” he said. Cunningham, however, assumes he’s in the minority and that most of his co-religionists in the area will break for Laxalt.
One of the nation’s most influential Nevadans of the last half-century was the late Democratic Sen. Harry Reid, who was also a Latter-day Saint. In 2007, Reid spoke at church-sponsored BYU about the intersection of his faith and politics. “It is not uncommon for members of the church to ask how I can be a Mormon and a Democrat,” he said. “I say that my faith and political beliefs are deeply intertwined. I am a Democrat because I am a Mormon, not in spite of it.”
Robertson also attributes his political beliefs to his Latter-day Saint faith, saying it is a driving force behind his decision to run for Congress and that it informs his conservative values.
However, despite Latter-day Saints being one of the most conservative religious groups in the U.S., Republican politicians should not take their vote for g...
Shami Will Prove To Be A Trump Card For India In The T20 World Cup After The Performance In The Practice Match Many Teams Are Worried People News Chronicle
Shami Will Prove To Be A Trump Card For India In The T20 World Cup, After The Performance In The Practice Match, Many Teams Are Worried – People News Chronicle https://digitalarkansasnews.com/shami-will-prove-to-be-a-trump-card-for-india-in-the-t20-world-cup-after-the-performance-in-the-practice-match-many-teams-are-worried-people-news-chronicle/
Mohammed Shami, who was included in Team India in place of Jasprit Bumrah, can prove to be a trump card for India in the T20 World Cup. In fact, the manner in which Mohammed Shami’s performance against Australia in the warm-up match has increased the concerns of many teams. Mohammed Shami can do wonders with his bowling on the fast and bouncy pitches of Australia. Along with this, he can also trap the batsmen in the net of his swing. This was also seen in the first warm-up match. When Mohammed Shami, who was sitting comfortably throughout the match, snatched the victory from the Kangaroos as soon as he came in the last over. The warm-up match was played against Australia on Monday. Captain Rohit Sharma remembered Mohammed Shami in the last over in this match when Australia needed 11 runs to win and had four wickets.
Also read: Anglo-Indian Roger Binny became the 36th President of BCCI, was the hero of 83 World Cup, there was controversy over the selection of son
But Mohammed Shami bowled like this in this over, the Australian batsmen were stunned. Mohammed Shami overturned the entire game by taking 4 wickets in the last 4 balls. However, he gave away 4 runs in the first two balls. In the remaining four wickets, three were the victims of Mohammed Shami. While 1 was run out. Mohammad Shami clean bowled two batsmen. The manner in which Mohammed Shami has been seen in the warm-up match, it must have raised concerns for many teams. In recent times, the performance of India’s bowlers has not been special. In such a situation, seeing this form of Mohammed Shami, cricket lovers must be getting some relief.
Also read: Four semi-final teams of T20 World Cup 2022 revealed, Sachin Tendulkar predicted
magic will work against pakistan too
India has to play its first official match against Pakistan on 23 October. The loss in the last World Cup is to be avenged by Pakistan. In the absence of Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Shami can be an important player of Team India. India has been placed in Group II, where apart from Pakistan, South Africa and Bangladesh also have teams. Apart from Mohammed Shami, Bhuvneshwar Kumar is also an experienced bowler. In such a situation, it can be a relief for bowlers like Hustle Patel and Arshdeep Singh to have Mohammed Shami in good form.
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Key Oath Keepers Witness Testifies Jan. 6 Plans Potentially ‘treasonous’ https://digitalarkansasnews.com/key-oath-keepers-witness-testifies-jan-6-plans-potentially-treasonous/
A key government witness in the seditious conspiracy trial of Oath Keepers founder Stewart Rhodes and four other members said defendants on Jan. 6, 2021, were prepared to stop Congress from confirming the 2020 election result “by any means necessary” — including armed combat — and understood their plans to be potentially “treasonous.”
The testimony Tuesday by Jason Dolan was the first in the trial from several cooperating Oath Keepers witnesses who have pleaded guilty in the Capitol attack investigation. The Florida man and others are expected to be critical to the prosecution because they have admitted under oath to what Rhodes and co-defendants are charged with: plotting to obstruct and disrupt Congress by, as Dolan put it in plea papers, “intimidating and coercing governmental personnel.”
Prosecutors must show that even though Rhodes did not enter the building that day, he and co-defendants conspired to oppose by force the lawful transition of presidential power, culminating in the Capitol attack, making Dolan a direct witness.
Dolan, a 19-year former Marine and infantry unit leader, recalled to jurors how he sent an encrypted message to other Oath Keepers members in Florida on Dec. 6, 2020, agonizing over whether after serving five overseas deployments he should ask his family to let him go into combat again. But this time it would be against fellow Americans, “with no pay, no coming back, no awards, no homecoming and if I’m lucky I get a prison sentence, tagged with treason, or a bullet from the very people I would protect.”
On the stand, Dolan said he understood it “would be treasonous fighting against what I saw as an illegitimate form of government,” but that Oath Keepers had discussed and Rhodes had declared that even if President Donald Trump took no action, they would. That meant, Dolan said, “We will act to stop the certification of the election … by any means necessary. That’s why we brought our firearms.”
Dolan said his understanding was that if Trump called on a private militia to keep him in office, “We would be fighting with pro-Trump forces basically against pro-Biden forces.”
“Within the United States government?” U.S. prosecutor Jeffrey S. Nestler asked.
“Yes,” Dolan answered, saying the pro-Trump side would have battled forces loyal to Congress and Democrats on the other.
Dolan, 46, pleaded guilty in September 2021 to conspiracy and aiding and abetting the obstruction of Congress’s confirmation of the 2020 election results.
A former security guard and head of shipping and receiving for a Four Seasons resort in Palm Beach, Fla., Dolan admitted being among a group that forced entry through the Capitol’s East Rotunda doors after marching single file up the steps, wearing camouflage vests, helmets, goggles and Oath Keepers insignia.
Cooperating in hopes of trimming a likely prison term of five to seven years, Dolan said he brought a rifle, pistol and ammunition to the Washington area with others in the group who were stashing weapons at a Ballston hotel in case a “Quick Reaction Force” (QRF) was needed. Dolan said he communicated, met with and identified at the defense table Rhodes and Florida co-defendants Kelly Meggs and Kenneth Harrelson.
Audio excerpts from a conference call with Stewart Rhodes and other Oath Keepers on Nov. 9, 2020, detail plans for a “guerrilla fight” on Jan. 6, 2021. (Video: U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia)
Inside the Capitol, Dolan testified, he repeatedly chanted “Treason!” He also believed lawmakers could be “scared into doing the right thing,” and later obstructed the investigation by resetting his cellphone, deleting photographs from inside the Capitol and encrypting communications, he said.
Dolan’s appearance at Rhodes’s trial, now in its third week, and testimony by any of three others who have admitted to seditious conspiracy, could be central to whether prosecutors can distinguish Rhodes’s and his co-defendants’ actions from those of nearly 300 who are accused of trying or conspiring to obstruct Congress, but not using force to oppose the government. .
Only 19 people — all affiliated with the extremist right-wing groups Oath Keepers and Proud Boys — have been charged with seditious conspiracy, accused of playing an outsize role in mobilizing and planning for violence that day. Both conspiracy and seditious conspiracy charges are punishable by the same maximum prison sentence of 20 years.
Rhodes and four co-defendants have pleaded not guilty. Their attorneys have said the QRF was for defensive purposes only if Trump invoked the Insurrection Act to mobilize the military and militia to stay in power. Their attorneys have also said that they complied with all firearms laws and that they came to Washington as a peacekeeping force and security guards for Republican VIPs.
Through more than a dozen witnesses so far, prosecutors have shown jurors many of the military-style rifles Oath Keepers members brought to the area, including Dolan’s, which he said he recognized because he built it himself.
On Monday, FBI Special Agent Sylvia Hilgeman testified that Rhodes spent as much $20,000 on his way to Washington to purchase at least three rifles and a semiautomatic shotgun, part of $150,000 he withdrew from an Oath Keepers bank account for January 2021.
“The point of the QRF was to prevent Biden from taking power in whatever form that took,” Hilgeman testified. “I think the QRF was meant to occupy D.C.”
Dolan testified that he was prepared to take up arms with divided federal forces. But he said his path to that point was “pretty naive and downright stupid” in hindsight. He said he was thankful Trump did not unleash further violence.
Dolan was not charged with seditious conspiracy, an offense that, if he had been convicted, would have ended his military benefits, which help support his wife and daughter. He said he left his hotel job just before undergoing hip-replacement surgery in 2018 or 2019 — the culmination of five or six procedures for “long-term issues, gut issues and really bad hip and feet injuries” from military service.
In 2020, he said he spent “a lot of time in the garage in the evenings drinking and trying to kill the pain” with anything from a six-pack of beer to a half-bottle of vodka by himself before discovering the Oath Keepers.
“It felt good to know there were other people out there who felt the same way I did,” Dolan said. He viewed the group as “patriotic for our country” and believed “The same idea of the election having been stolen, or at least thinking that it had been stolen.”
Dolan said if a handful of people fight against what they see as “an illegitimate form of government, [they] would be tossed in prison.”
By contrast, the Oath Keepers said on Signal, “10,000 people” would get you a war. As he headed to the Capitol on the afternoon of Jan. 6, Dolan told jurors: “Here you had 100,000 people who looked like they were [angry] that day. For me at least, it seemed if anything was going to happen to stop the certification of the election, that was going to be it.”
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Kakao Co-CEO Resigns After Mass Outage Locked 53 Million Users Out
Kakao Co-CEO Resigns After Mass Outage Locked 53 Million Users Out https://digitalarkansasnews.com/kakao-co-ceo-resigns-after-mass-outage-locked-53-million-users-out/
A top executive at Kakao Corp., the operator of South Korea’s top mobile messenger KakaoTalk, will step down. His resignation comes after a fire at a data center led to a mass outage over the weekend and disrupted services for its messenger’s 53 million users worldwide.
Co-CEO Namkoong Whon apologized following the outage and said he would resign.
“I feel the heavy burden of responsibility over this incident and will step down from my position as CEO and lead the emergency disaster task force overseeing the aftermath of the incident,” Namkoong said at a press conference at the company’s office in the outskirts of Seoul on Wednesday.
“We will do our best to restore our users’ faith in Kakao and make sure incidents like these never happen again,” he said, according to a CNBC translation.
Namkoong was appointed CEO in March, according to the company’s website. Kakao reported 47.5 million monthly active users in Korea during the second quarter. That’s more than 90% of South Korea’s population of 51.74 million people, as of Nov. 1, 2021.
Hong Eun-taek, who led the company alongside Namkoong as co-CEO, will remain the sole head of the company, according to a company filing.
“We sincerely apologize to all those that have suffered from the disruptions during the outage,” Hong said as he bowed alongside Namkoong.
Shares of the company traded 4% higher in Korea’s morning session ahead of the press conference.
This is breaking news. Please check back for updates.
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Body Of 12-Year-Old Girl Found In Plastic Box In A Case That Has Shocked France | CNN
Body Of 12-Year-Old Girl Found In Plastic Box In A Case That Has Shocked France | CNN https://digitalarkansasnews.com/body-of-12-year-old-girl-found-in-plastic-box-in-a-case-that-has-shocked-france-cnn/
Paris CNN —
“She’s wearing white jeans,” the girl’s mother posted on Facebook, “a white hoodie and her grey backpack.” “Help us to find her,” she pleaded.
Beneath Delphine Daviet’s message, two pictures completed the post. In one, a young girl, 12-year-old Lola, smiles at the camera, in the other, a pixelated snapshot from security camera footage shows a woman in a doorway.
In a case that has gripped France, Lola’s body was found mutilated and stuffed into a plastic box, just hours after her mother posted this message on October 14. Caught on camera, her mother said, is the woman with Lola that last time she was seen alive, in the building where the family lives.
The two were spotted on security camera at 3:15 p.m. on Friday, just minutes after Lola had left school, entering the building where she lived, according to statement from the Paris police prosecutor.
Around 5 p.m., the woman left the building, alone, carrying heavy luggage. Three hours later, Lola’s father sounded the alarm, alerting officers to Lola’s disappearance, the statement added.
A little after 11 p.m., Lola’s body was found in a wheeled plastic box, abandoned in the communal areas outside the family’s building, where Lola’s father works as concierge, according to the statement.
On Monday, French authorities opened an official judicial investigation into the case into the charges of “murder of a minor under the age of 15, accompanied by rape of a minor, torture or acts of savagery; rape of a minor with torture or acts of savagery; and concealment of a corpse,” the statement said.
An autopsy of Lola revealed that she died of cardiorespiratory failure with signs of asphyxiation and cervical compression, according to the statement. She had multiple other injuries, “notably to her face, back and with large cuts to her neck, which did not play a role her death according to the coroner’s conclusions of her cause of death,” the police statement said. There was no sign of injuries from sexual trauma, the police prosecutor said, and a zero and one were written in red under each of the young victim’s feet.
Police detained the main suspect in the case, a 24-year-old woman who has not been named, a little before 8 a.m. Saturday, the day after Lola was killed, in the northwest suburbs of Paris, according to Paris police prosecutor.
CNN has reached out to the suspect’s lawyer.
Under interrogation, the woman’s account “veered between acknowledgment and contestation of the facts,” according to the police prosecutor’s statement, but she revealed that she had led Lola to the apartment of her sister, who lived in the same block of flats. She is currently under official investigation relating to Lola’s murder, the statement said.
There, according to the statement, she said she forced the girl to take a shower before “committing sexual assaults and other violence on her that resulted in her death,” before she hid the child’s body in the plastic box.
Speaking to CNN affiliate BFMTV, Hafida, a schoolfriend of Lola’s said: “It doesn’t want to go into my head. I’m telling myself, ‘No, I’m going to see her later at recess, but no.’”
Bamba, the mother of a friend of Lola’s who used to sleep over at their house, also expressed her shock at what had happened. “I can’t believe it,” she told BFMTV, “I’m telling myself that it’s not possible, that could happen to anyone, even to me.”
On Tuesday afternoon, flowers were piling up outside the building where Lola lived, as locals paid homage to a life brutally cut short. Local authorities in the 19th arrondissement of Paris where the killing occurred have also opened a support center for local people, especially schoolchildren, along with bolstered police patrols around schools, the 19th arrondissement mayor said in a statement.
Police have also detained a 43-year-old man, an acquaintance of the main suspect, who confessed to having transported the 24-year-old woman with her suitcases and the plastic box to his home outside Paris and then arranging for her to return to the capital with the box and cases in a taxi, according to the prosecutor’s statement.
Investigations continue, according to the police prosecutor statement, to determine the exact events surrounding the killing.
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On The Road With The Pig Trail: Moon’s Rare Books https://digitalarkansasnews.com/on-the-road-with-the-pig-trail-moons-rare-books/
by: Will Moclair
Posted: Oct 18, 2022 / 09:09 PM CDT
Updated: Oct 18, 2022 / 09:16 PM CDT
by: Will Moclair
Posted: Oct 18, 2022 / 09:09 PM CDT
Updated: Oct 18, 2022 / 09:16 PM CDT
FAYETTEVILLE, AR. (KNWA/KFTA) – The Pig Trail Nation goes on the road to Provo, Utah for the BYU game.
While there, the team checked out all the sights and found one hidden gem in an average shopping center.
It’s called Moon’s Rare Books, and the owner collects the craziest of things.
He then shares them in his store and on his Tik Tok which has over half a million followers.
Here we’ll post the aired version and the full uncut tour.
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Fort Smith-Area High School Football Predictions For Week 8
Fort Smith-Area High School Football Predictions For Week 8 https://digitalarkansasnews.com/fort-smith-area-high-school-football-predictions-for-week-8/
Who makes it to the playoffs will begin to be determined this week as area teams look to shore up their seedings.
Class 3A No. 5 Charleston (6-1) at No. 2 Booneville (6-1)
The battle for the 3A-1 title is on the line Friday night. Both teams will likely land in the postseason, so the game also goes a long way to determine the seeding.
Both teams are unbeaten in the league. Booneville has Lavaca (3-1) and Cedarville (1-3) remaining on the schedule. Charleston finishes with West Fork (1-3) and Lavaca.
Prediction: Booneville 34, Charleston 31
North Little Rock (4-3) at Northside (3-4)
The Grizzlies eye securing the No. 4 seed for the Class 7A playoffs. North Little Rock is 3-1 in 7A Central but was only tested against Conway this season and still has No. 1 Bryant and No. 2 Cabot remaining.
After back-to-back league wins, Northside suffered a 63-20 setback to Conway last week.
Prediction: Northside 34, North LR 31
ARKANSAS STATE RANKINGS:Arkansas high school football statewide rankings for Week 8
LAST WEEK’S TOP FOOTBALL PERFORMERS:The top football performers for Week 7 in Arkansas and Oklahoma
Prairie Grove (6-1) at Alma (5-2)
Alma looks to upset Prairie Grove at home to help solidify its postseason berth. The Airedales suffered a setback last week at Harrison. Joe Trusty had 120 yards passing with three touchdowns and an interception with 97 yards rushing. Harrison rolled out 472 yards on the ground to defeat the Airedales.
Prairie Grove is on a four-game winning streak before it faces Shiloh Christian (4-0) and Farmington (3-1).
Prediction: Alma 36, Prairie Grove 33
Lavaca (6-1) at Mansfield (4-3)
The Golden Arrows aim to get back on track after a late two-point conversion handed Lavaca its first loss of the season as Greenland won, 29-28.
Maddox Noel completed 12 passes for 102 yards and had 172 yards rushing for two touchdowns. Mansfield has struggled with three straight losses.
The Golden Arrows are 7-5 against Mansfield since 2001.
Prediction: Lavaca 27, Mansfield 23
MARTIN, GOLDEN ARROWS FACE TESTS:‘The next six weeks are going to be a war’: Fischer Martin, Lavaca football facing tests
Hector (4-3-1) at Magazine (3-4)
The Rattlers are fighting to secure a higher seed for the playoffs after a 43-14 loss to Bigelow. Hector tries for back-to-back 2A-1 conference wins.
Magazine leads the series 5-2, but the Wildcats won last season 42-3.
Prediction: Hector 29, Magazine 25
No. 6 Greenwood (6-1) at Russellville (4-3)
The Bulldogs take the show on the road to Cyclone Stadium. After dropping its first two, Russellville has won its last four 6A West contests this season.
Russellville has been a regular opponent for Greenwood since 2011, but the Cyclones’ only win is a 2016 post-season game.
Greenwood can’t look past Russellville with the inevitable showdown against No. 5 Pulaski Academy (7-0) next week.
Prediction: Greenwood 36, Russellville 31
GREENWOOD RALLIES PAST NORTHSIDE:How Greenwood high school football erased 2-touchdown deficit in last 1:19, beat Northside
Madill (3-4) at Stilwell (4-3)
Stilwell is fighting to stay in the playoff hunt, and with Poteau (5-2) and Broken Bow (6-1) remaining on the schedule, it controls its fate.
Stilwell was shut out by Ada last week, 55-0. Madill snapped a three-game loss string to beat Ft. Gibson, 58-27.
Prediction: Stilwell 31, Madill 26
Roland (1-6) at Tahlequah Sequoyah (1-6)
The Rangers aim to snap a three-game loss string with a trip to Sequoyah. Both teams are 1-3 in the 2A-5 District, along with Henryetta, who Roland plays next week.
Roland came up short on Okemah last week, 32-27. Sequoyah lost to Okemah, 42-26, back on Sept. 23
Prediction: Roland 29, Sequoyah 24
Haskell (4-3) at Pocola (4-4)
Pocola eyes getting back on the winning track after last week’s two-point loss to Panama, 30-28. Haskell has won its last three games this season but has not faced Gore (7-0) or Panama (5-2).
Prediction: Pocola 35, Haskell 30
Southside (2-5) at Har-Ber (1-6)
The Mavericks will secure their second 7A West game with a trip to Northwest Arkansas. Southside will need another big game from Isaac Gregory to keep the momentum.
Gregory had one of his biggest games of the season with 249 yards as the Mavericks defeated Rogers Heritage, 45-19. Gregory has rushed for 1,118 yards this season.
Prediction: Southside 36, Har-Ber 31
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Analyst Acquitted At Trial Over Discredited Trump Dossier
Analyst Acquitted At Trial Over Discredited Trump Dossier https://digitalarkansasnews.com/analyst-acquitted-at-trial-over-discredited-trump-dossier/
Igor Danchenko, a think tank analyst accused of lying to the FBI about his role in the creation of a discredited dossier about former President Donald Trump, leaves Albert V. Bryan United States Courthouse in Alexandria, Va., on Nov. 4, 2021. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta, File)
Alexandria, Va. — A jury on Tuesday acquitted a think tank analyst accused of lying to the FBI about his role in the creation of a discredited dossier about former President Donald Trump.
The case against Igor Danchenko was the third and possibly final case brought by Special Counsel John Durham as part of his probe into how the FBI conducted its own investigation into allegations of collusion between the 2016 Trump campaign and the Kremlin.
The first two cases ended in an acquittal and a guilty plea with a sentence of probation.
Danchenko betrayed no emotion as the verdict was read. His wife wiped away tears after the clerk read the final “not guilty” to the four counts he faced.
Danchenko didn’t comment after the hearing, but his lawyer, Stuart Sears, spoke briefly to reporters, saying, “We’ve known all along that Mr. Danchenko is innocent. We’re happy now that the American public knows that as well.”
The jury reached its verdict after roughly nine hours of deliberations over two days. One juror, Joel Greene of Vienna, Va., said there were no real disputes among the jury and that jurors just wanted to be thorough in reviewing the four counts.
The acquittal marked a significant setback for Durham. Despite hopes by Trump supporters that the prosecutor would uncover a sweeping conspiracy within the FBI and other agencies to derail his candidacy, the three-year investigation failed to produce evidence that met those expectations. The sole conviction — an FBI lawyer admitted altering an email related to the surveillance of a former Trump aide — was for conduct uncovered not by Durham but by the Justice Department’s inspector general, and the two cases that Durham took to trials ended in full acquittals.
Durham declined comment after the hearing, but he said in a statement issued through the Justice Department: “While we are disappointed in the outcome, we respect the jury’s decision and thank them for their service. I also want to recognize and thank the investigators and the prosecution team for their dedicated efforts in seeking truth and justice in this case.”
He issued an identical statement after the first trial ended in acquittal.
The Danchenko case was the first of the three to delve deeply into the origins of the “Steele dossier,” a compendium of allegations that Trump’s 2016 presidential campaign was colluding with the Kremlin.
Most famously, it alleged that the Russians could have blackmail material on Trump for his supposed interactions with prostitutes in a Moscow hotel. Trump derided the dossier as fake news and a political witch hunt when it became public in 2017.
Danchenko, by his own admission, was responsible for 80% of the raw intelligence in the dossier and half of the accompanying analysis, though trial testimony indicated that Danchenko was shocked and dismayed about how Steele presented the material and portrayed it as factual when Danchenko considered it more to be rumor and speculation.
Prosecutors said that if Danchenko had been more honest about his sources, the FBI might not have treated the dossier so credulously. As it turned out, the FBI used material from the dossier to support applications for warrantless surveillance of a Trump campaign official, Carter Page, even though the FBI never was able to corroborate a single allegation in the dossier.
Prosecutors said Danchenko lied about the identity of his own sources for the material he gave to Steele. The specific charges against Danchenko allege that he essentially fabricated one of his sources when the FBI interviewed him to determine how he derived the material he provided for the dossier.
Danchenko told the FBI that some of the material came when he received an anonymous call from a man he believed to be Sergei Millian, a former president of the Russian-American Chamber of Commerce.
Prosecutors said Danchenko’s story made no sense. They said that phone records show no evidence of a call, and that Danchenko had no reason to believe Millian, a Trump supporter he’d never met, was suddenly going to be willing to provide disparaging information about Trump to a stranger.
Danchenko’s lawyers, as a starting point, maintain that Danchenko never said he talked with Millian. He only guessed that Millian might have been the caller when the FBI asked him to speculate. And they said he shouldn’t be convicted of a crime for making a guess at the FBI’s invitation.
That said, Danchenko’s lawyers say, he had good reason to believe the caller may well have been Millian. The call came just a few days after Danchenko had reached out to Millian over email after a mutual acquaintance brokered a connection over email.
And Danchenko’s lawyers say it’s irrelevant that his phone records don’t show a call because Danchenko told the FBI from the start that the call might have taken place over a secure mobile app for which he had no records.
The jury began deliberations Monday afternoon after hearing closing arguments on four counts. On Friday, U.S. District Judge Anthony Trenga threw out a fifth count, saying prosecutors had failed to prove it as a matter of law.
Trenga nearly threw out all of the charges before the trial began, citing the legal strength of Danchenko’s defense, but allowed the case to proceed in what he described as “an extremely close call.”
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AP News Summary At 9:49 P.m. EDT https://digitalarkansasnews.com/ap-news-summary-at-949-p-m-edt-2/
Biden vows abortion legislation as top priority next year
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden is promising that the first bill he sends to Capitol Hill next year will be one that codifies Roe v. Wade — if Democrats control enough seats in Congress for Biden to sign abortion protections into law. In a speech designed to energize his party’s voters just three weeks before the November midterms, Biden said, “If you care about the right to choose, then you gotta vote.” Democrats tried repeatedly in this Congress to enshrine abortion rights into law, only to be thwarted by GOP filibusters and the unwillingness of their own members to change the Senate’s rules. That dynamic is likely to persist no matter what happens in the November elections.
Ukraine’s power, water supplies under Russian attack again
KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Airstrikes cut power and water supplies to hundreds of thousands of Ukrainians. That’s part of what the country’s president called an expanding Russian campaign to drive the nation into the cold and dark and make peace talks impossible. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said nearly a third of Ukraine’s power stations have been destroyed in the past week, causing massive blackouts. The mayor of Zhytomyr said all of the city was without electricity and water after a double missile strike Tuesday on an energy facility. Authorities said missile strikes also hit an energy facility in Kyiv and severely damaged another in the south-central city of Dnipro.
Worry grows for Iran athlete who competed without her hijab
SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — An Iranian competitive climber has left South Korea after competing at an event in which she climbed without her nation’s mandatory headscarf covering. Farsi-language media outside of Iran have warned that she may have been forced to leave early by Iranian officials and could face arrest back home. The decision by climber Elnaz Rekabi comes as protests sparked by the September death of a 22-year-old woman detained by the country’s morality police have entered a fifth week. Iran’s Embassy in Seoul denied “all the fake, false news and disinformation” about Rekabi. A later Instagram post on Rekabi’s account claimed she “unintentionally” didn’t wear it and was rushed, though video of the event showed her relaxed at the time.
Biden to release 15M barrels from oil reserve, more possible
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden will announce the release of 15 million barrels of oil from the U.S. strategic reserve Wednesday as part of a response to recent production cuts announced by OPEC+ nations. That’s according to senior administration officials who spoke Tuesday on the condition of anonymity to outline Biden’s plans. He will also say more oil sales are possible this winter, as his administration rushes to be seen as pulling out all the stops ahead of next month’s midterm elections. The strategic reserve now contains roughly 400 million barrels of oil, its lowest level since 1984.
Demings goes on attack against Rubio in Fla. Senate debate
MIAMI (AP) — Democratic U.S. Rep. Val Demings of Florida went on the attack in her first debate against Republican Sen. Marco Rubio, accusing him of being a serial liar, while Rubio criticized her for supporting President Joe Biden’s economic agenda. Each accused the other of being an extremist on abortion. The two faced questions on topics including inflation, voting rights, gun violence, immigration and foreign policy. When asked to explain his position on abortion, Rubio skirted a question on whether he would support a federal abortion ban with no exceptions. He instead called Demings’ position extreme because she would not say what limits on abortion she would support.
Missouri school to close after radioactive waste report
FLORISSANT, Mo. (AP) — A Missouri school board has decided to shut down a grade school that sits near a contaminated creek after a study funded by law firms involved in a class-action lawsuit found high levels of radioactive material inside the school. Contamination was found in classrooms, the playground and elsewhere at Jana Elementary School in Florissant, Missouri, according to a report last week by Boston Chemical Data Corp. It follows another study by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, made public in the summer, that found contamination stemming from World War II-era nuclear weapons production in a wooded area near Coldwater Creek.
Analyst acquitted at trial over discredited Trump dossier
ALEXANDRIA, Va. (AP) — A jury has acquitted on all counts a think tank analyst accused of lying to the FBI about his role in the creation of a discredited dossier about former President Donald Trump. The case decided Tuesday involving Igor Danchenko was the third and possibly final case brought by Special Counsel John Durham as part of his probe into how the FBI conducted its own investigation into allegations of collusion between the 2016 Trump campaign and the Kremlin. The first two cases ended in an acquittal and a guilty plea with a sentence of probation. It was the first of the three cases to delve deeply into the origins of the “Steele dossier.”
Rape allegations aired against ’70s Show’ actor Masterson
LOS ANGELES (AP) — A Los Angeles prosecutor says rape allegations by three women against “That ’70s Show” actor Danny Masterson contain some of the same disturbing elements. A deputy district attorney said in opening statements Tuesday that the women were either woozy or unconscious after a couple drinks or woke up to Masterson having sex with them. A defense lawyer says the allegations seem similar because the alleged victims contaminated the case by speaking with each other. The prosecutor says the women didn’t initially report the two-decade-old crimes because they feared being ostracized by the Church of Scientology where they and Masterson were members.
Review: ‘Black Adam,’ a superhero franchise born on a Rock
“Black Adam,” with Dwayne Johnson making his big-screen superhero debut, isn’t bad, says Associated Press critic Mark Kennedy. It’s just predictable and color-by-numbers, stealing from other films like an intellectual property super-villain. But Johnson is a natural in the title role, mixing might with humor and able to deliver those necessary wooden lines. The film has a convoluted origin story that stretches back thousands of years and fulfills a whacko destiny, a clutch of secondary level heroes and pockets of humor that DC has not always done well. The PG-13-rated “Black Adam” opens Friday in movie theaters.
Stanton, Judge bash Yanks to 5-1 win, into ALCS vs Astros
NEW YORK (AP) — Giancarlo Stanton and Aaron Judge staggered Cleveland with early homers, and the New York Yankees rocked past the Guardians 5-1 in the decisive Game 5 of their AL Division Series to set up another rematch with Houston for the pennant. Yankees manager Aaron Boone won his gamble by starting Nestor Cortes on three days’ rest over Jameson Taillon, making the late switch after Monday night’s rainout. Cleveland starter Aaron Civale struggled. With two on and two outs in the ninth and ace Gerrit Cole warming up in case, Yankees second baseman Gleyber Torres stepped on the bag to end it, then mimicked rocking a baby with the ball — a jab at Guardians slugger Josh Naylor, who made the motion rounding the bases after a homer off Cole in Game 4.
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
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Judge Conducting Special Master Review Questions Trump's Claim Of Privilege Over White House Documents: 'Where's The Beef?'
Judge Conducting Special Master Review Questions Trump's Claim Of Privilege Over White House Documents: 'Where's The Beef?' https://digitalarkansasnews.com/judge-conducting-special-master-review-questions-trumps-claim-of-privilege-over-white-house-documents-wheres-the-beef/
Former President Donald Trump speaks at a rally in Wilkes-Barre, Pa., Saturday, Sept. 3, 2022.Mary Altaffer/AP
Trump’s lawyers have claimed attorney-client or executive privilege over documents seized by FBI.
A judge agreed to appoint a special master who can review documents to check for privileged info.
The special master said there has been insufficient evidence of privileged information so far.
A judge who was appointed special master to review thousands of White House documents seized from former President Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago home in August challenged the former president’s legal claim of privilege over certain records on Tuesday, according to The New York Times.
Trump and his lawyers have claimed that the documents are protected by either attorney-client or executive privilege, therefore, blocking the Justice Department’s access to certain documents for its criminal probe into Trump’s handling of sensitive government records.
But so far, Judge Raymond R. Drearie, the special master, said in a hearing that the batch of documents he reviewed lacked enough evidence to support the privilege claim, The Times reported.
“It’s a little perplexing as I go through the log,” Dearie said, according to The Times. “What’s the expression: ‘Where’s the beef?’ I need some beef.”
The judge seemingly makes a reference to a catchphrase from the fast food chain Wendy’s — “Where’s the beef?” — that first appeared in 1984.
Drearie’s doubts revolved around a small batch of records that the DOJ already set aside from the larger trove of records that were seized from Trump’s resort, according to The Times
In one case, Drearie challenged how Trump’s lawyers could claim that a document was Trump’s personal property while also claiming that it’s protected by executive privilege, which is only reserved for government records.
“Unless I’m wrong, and I’ve been wrong before, there’s certainly an incongruity there,” Dearie said in the hearing.
The concern from Drearie is the latest roadblock in the documents scandal for Trump, who has hoped to undermine the DOJ’s investigation and downplay the severity of taking classified records, some of which may have pertained to national security intelligence.
In September, Drearie requested evidence that proved FBI agents planted documents in Mar-a-Lago or that the former president declassified records with highly sensitive information, as Trump claimed. Judge Aileen M. Cannon later overruled Drearie’s request for the information.
Trump’s lawyers also raised issues with finding a vendor to digitize thousands of documents so that they can be reviewed by Drearie. They argued in a court filing that they can’t find a vendor willing to do the job and that the deadlines for handing over the documents were too rigid.
Judge Cannon extended the deadline to complete the special master review by December 16.
Read the original article on Business Insider
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Trump Subpoena Coming https://digitalarkansasnews.com/trump-subpoena-coming/
October 18, 2022 07:55 PM
Rep. Liz Cheney (R-WY) said Tuesday that the Jan. 6 committee‘s subpoena of former President Donald Trump is imminent.
Speaking at a forum at Harvard University, Cheney stressed the subpoena, which the House select committee approved unanimously last week, is for Trump’s testimony and for documents related to events surrounding the Jan. 6 Capitol riot.
‘POTENTIALLY VERY CRIMINAL’: KINZINGER CRITICIZES SECRET SERVICE FOR JAN. 6 BEHAVIOR
“So we’ll be issuing a subpoena shortly, both for his testimony under oath as well as for documents. And we’ll take whatever next steps we have to take assuming that he will fulfill his legal obligation and honor the subpoena, but if that doesn’t happen, we’ll take the steps after that,” Cheney said.
Cheney, who is vice chairwoman of the Jan. 6 committee, made the remarks days after Rep. Adam Kinzinger (IL), the other Republican member of the panel, told George Stephanopoulos on This Week that Trump is “required by law to come in.”
CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER
Trump responded to the Jan. 6 committee’s vote to approve a subpoena with a 14-page statement on Friday.
He denounced the panel as being made up of “highly partisan political Hacks and Thugs” and criticized Congress for funding the investigation into the Capitol riot despite it being what he calls a “Charade and Witch Hunt,” but the former president did not directly say whether he intends to cooperate with the subpoena.
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Audiobook Features Talks Between Trump And Bob Woodward
Audiobook Features Talks Between Trump And Bob Woodward https://digitalarkansasnews.com/audiobook-features-talks-between-trump-and-bob-woodward/
Former President Donald Trump pauses while speaking at a rally at the Minden Tahoe Airport in Minden, Nev., Saturday, Oct. 8, 2022. (AP Photo/José Luis Villegas,…
Former President Donald Trump pauses while speaking at a rally at the Minden Tahoe Airport in Minden, Nev., Saturday, Oct. 8, 2022. (AP Photo/José Luis Villegas, Pool)
by: Associated Press
Posted: Oct 18, 2022 / 06:52 PM CDT
Updated: Oct 18, 2022 / 06:57 PM CDT
NEW YORK (AP) — More than eight hours of conversations between Donald Trump and Bob Woodward will be released next week as an audiobook.
Simon & Schuster Audio announced Tuesday that “The Trump Tapes” will be published Oct. 25. Woodward, along with Washington Post colleague Robert Costa, interviewed Trump in 2016, when he was seeking the Republican nomination for president. Woodward then interviewed the then-president 19 times in 2019-2020 for his bestselling book on the Trump administration, “Rage.”
“I’m doing something here that I’ve never done before, presenting the lengthy, raw interviews of my work,” Woodward comments in the introduction. “I wanted to put as much of Trump’s voice, his own words, out there for the historical record so people can hear and make their own assessments.”
Former first lady Melania Trump, Donald Trump Jr. and Vice President Mike Pence are among those who stopped by while Woodward and the president were speaking. The audiobook also includes Woodward’s discussions with Trump’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner, and national security adviser Robert O’Brien.
Washington DC Headlines
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Sunshine State Senate Debate: Marco Rubio And Val Demings Square Off In Florida
Sunshine State Senate Debate: Marco Rubio And Val Demings Square Off In Florida https://digitalarkansasnews.com/sunshine-state-senate-debate-marco-rubio-and-val-demings-square-off-in-florida/
Florida GOP Sen. Marco Rubio and Democratic challenger Val Demings jousted Tuesday over abortion, gun control, immigration, and basic qualifications during an aggressive and intense debate that will be the only one of their hotly contested U.S. Senate race.
During an exchange over Rubio’s opposition to gun control, Demings said Florida voters must have wondered “what in the hell did he just say?”
In criticizing Demings over lax border security, Rubio asked: “Which boots does she want on the ground?”
Demings hit Rubio for backing abortion bans with no exceptions; Rubio said Demings supports abortions with no restrictions whatsoever. Each accused the other of lying about them.
Rubio, seeking a third term in the Senate, leads in the polls, but Democrats are hopeful that Demings – a three-term U.S. House member and former police chief in Orlando – has the wherewithal to pull an upset.
“Of course it’s hard, but it’s not impossible,” Demings told CNN recently.
Every Senate race is crucial as the parties battle for control. The chamber is currently divided 50-50, with Democrats in charge because Vice President Kamala Harris has the power to break tie votes.
Every Senate race is crucial as the parties battle for control. The chamber is currently divided 50-50, with Democrats in charge because Vice President Kamala Harris has the power to break tie votes.
Demings asked about nuclear ‘Armageddon’
“We have to hold those who are not our friends accountable,” Demings said, adding that this includes Russia.
“We have to continue to support Ukraine and our NATO allies,” Demings said.
She said the country should use diplomacy to protect against nuclear war.
Demings said, “we cannot afford to have a nuclear attack,” adding that the U.S. government should do everything in its power to prevent that from happening.
– Savannah Kuchar
Candidates dispute processors at the border
In his rebuttal, Rubio said Demings has opposed the border wall and supported policies that banned border funding. He added that Demings is arguing for more processors simply to get people through the border faster, not for improved security.
Demings responded that even with more processors, if immigrants do not meet the standard for asylum seekers they will be sent back.
She added that we need to secure our border with more boots on the ground.
– Rachel Looker
Demings on immigration: “We are a nation of laws”
Demings calls for more resources at the border, including more personnel, technology and processors, to secure the border but also to be able to determine individuals who are seeking asylum and those needing to be arrested.
“We’re a nation of laws. We have to enforce the law, but we also obey the laws that says that people who are in trouble can seek asylum in this country.”
– Sarah Elbeshbishi
Social security is priority for Demings
Demings said protecting Social Security is a priority for her as a public official.
“We have to think about what the promise of Social Security was,” she said. It should help older Americans retire “with dignity and respect.”
– Savannah Kuchar
Candidates debate school safety clearinghouse
Rubio said the gun legislation Demoingsd supports would not have stopped any shootings, adding that every one of the shooters would have passed the background check Demings supports.
He referenced the Department of Homeland Security’s website and said there is a clearinghouse that tells schools what works for safety and what doesn’t. Rubio said the Biden administration is hoping to take it down because having a school safety clearinghouse is discriminatory against minority students.
“He thought he could get a pass for the mass shootings that we’ve had in our state and doing nothing significant to do anything about it,” Demings rebutted.
– Rachel Looker
Rubio on immigration
Rubio said he supports a recent policy by President Biden denying asylum for Venezuelan immigrants, because it is the same as policy by President Trump.
“I sympathize deeply with what these people are facing,” Rubio said.
But he added that he does not believe the U.S. can support the number of immigrants.
“This cannot continue. It has to be fixed,” Rubio said. “No country in the world can tolerate that.”
– Savannah Kuchar
Rubio reverses on gun buys by 18-year-olds
Rubio said he would no longer support a statement he made in 2018 that a solution to gun violence is to prevent those as young as 18 from buying rifles.
He said denying the right to buy a rifle is not going to prevent mass shootings.
“The fundamental issue is why are these people going out and massacring people,” he said.
– Rachel Looker
Rubio rebuts on property insurance
During his rebuttal on property insurance, Rubio said the Florida State Senate has a special session where the Senate passed a reform bill.
Rubio turned to Demings, asking if she knew who the governor was at the time before supplementing that it was Charlie Crist, who Demings endorsed as the Democratic candidate for Florida governor against GOP incumbent Ron DeSantis, Rubio said.
-Sarah Elbeshbishi
Rubio defends records on guns
Rubio repeatedly defended his opposition to gun control by saying that Democratic proposals “would have done nothing” to stop the spate of mass shootings.
Demings said Rubio is letting down the victims of shootings, including the 2016 massacre at a nightclub in her hometown of Orlando.
– David Jackson
Demings said Rubio has done nothing about gun violence
After Rubio responded first to a question on gun violence, Demings said family members of victims are “asking themselves what in the hell did he just say?”
Demings said that in his time in office, Rubio has not addressed the issue.
“You’ve done nothing” to reduce gun violence, Demings told her opponent.
– Savannah Kuchar
Demings on democracy: “I took an oath”
Demings shared a story about how her parents always voted, emphasizing the need to do “everything within our power” to protect the Constitution, rule of law, democracy and right to vote.
“That’s what I did as a police officer and a police chief,” Demings said. “I took an oath that I would protect and serve, defend the Constitution not just for people who looked like me, or the richest of the rich. For all people.”
– Sarah Elbeshbishi
Demings tries to rattle Rubio over all the issues
Demings is just trying to rattle Rubio, in this case by saying he did nothing about the cost of flood and property insurance during his years in the state legislature.
Rubio, who was indeed knocked off course during 2016 presidential debates, hasn’t taken the bait yet, and extols his legislative record on insurance.
– David Jackson
Rubio says he will support election outcome
When asked if he will support the outcome of the election, Rubio said he has never denied an election, adding that Florida has great elections laws.
When asked again if he will support the outcome, he responded: “Sure, because I’m going to win so I look forward to supporting that.”
Rubio said elections need to have rules that are designed to make sure the system works. He added that rules are not suppressing anyone’s votes, but allow people to have confidence that their vote counted and matters.
“We have to have rules and we have to have laws and those laws have to be followed,” Rubio said.
– Rachel Looker
Rubio calls insurance reforms a state issue
When asked about homeowners insurance improvements, Rubio responded, “obviously this is a state issue.”
“You don’t want the federal government involved,” he added.
Rubio said he himself worries about property insurance. He also said he supports reauthorizing and reforming the flood insurance program.
“We are facing a looming crisis,” he said.
– Savannah Kuchar
Demings takes on abortion
Demings invoked her past role as Orlando police chief when taking Rubio on about supporting a federal abortion ban with no exceptions, saying that she doesn’t “think it’s OK for a 10-year-old girl to be raped and have to carry the seed of her rapist.”
Demings went on to say that she doesn’t think it’s acceptable for Rubio, as a Senator, to make decision on women’s bodies.
– Sarah Elbeshbishi
‘When is that?’
More arguing about abortion.
Demings says she would support restrictions on abortion after “viability,” but does not define the term.
“When is that?” Rubio said – though he won’t say what exceptions to an abortion ban he might permit.
Each accuses the other of more lying. The moderators move on to another topic.
– David Jackson
Rubio says he backs abortion bills with exceptions
The moderator asked Rubio whether he would vote in favor of a federal abortion ban with no exceptions.
Rubio said he is interested in saving human lives, but added that the only law that can pass in the country is a law that has exceptions.
“That’s where the majority of the American people are and I respect and understand that,” he said.
– Rachel Looker
Demings on abortion: ‘We are not going back’
Demings repeated again that Rubio “has been clear that he supports no exceptions.” Demings said she meanwhile supports a woman’s right to choose.
“We are not going back,” Demings said, “to a time when women are treated like second class citizens or property.”
– Savannah Kuchar
Deming hits back at Rubio: “I think there was a time where you did not lie.”
After Rubio attacked her record in Congress, Demings said she was “disappointed” in Rubio, that “I think there was a time where you did not lie in order to win.”
She said she doesn’t know “what happened” to Rubio before correcting him on her record, noting that she passed legislation helping law enforcement with mental health programs during her first term in Congress.
She turned ...
Wayland Baptist Women Favored In SAC https://digitalarkansasnews.com/wayland-baptist-women-favored-in-sac/
Staff Reports | Lubbock Avalanche-Journal
PLAINVIEW — Wayland Baptist, coming off its biggest winning season in more than 40 years, is the favorite in the Sooner Athletic Conference preseason women’s basketball poll.
The Flying Queens went 33-4 last season, winning the SAC regular-season and tournament titles for the third year in a row. They reached the round of 16 in the NAIA Tournament.
Wayland received nine of 12 first-place votes, with one each going to Texas Wesleyan, Mid-America Christian and the University of Science & Arts of Oklahoma, who wound up second through fourth in the polling. The top four teams all made the NAIA Tournament last season.
The Queens return two-time all-American Jenna Cooper (now Cooper-Jackson after she married Wayland baseball player Ty Jackson), all-conference third-team honoree Kaitlyn Edgemon and 30-game starter Ashlyn Shelley. They lost SAC player of the year Kaylee Edgemon and point guard Angel Hayden.
Wayland opens the season with an Oct. 27 home game against University of the Southwest.
LCU volleyball
Lubbock Christian University will try to snap out of a slump when the Lady Chaps host No. 11 West Texas A&M in Lone Star Conference action at 6 p.m. Wednesday at the Rip Griffin Center.
LCU (9-14, 5-7) has lost two matches in a row and four of its past six. Conference leader West Texas A&M (18-4, 10-0) has won 11 in a row. WT’s leaders include Torrey Miller with 293 kills, Taytum Stow with 85 blocks and Blair Moreland with 413 assists.
LCU has five players with triple-digit kills counts, led by Lily Bickley with 195, Kiana Fallaha with 193 and Sage Chain with 185. Behind them are Aaliyah Gray with 170 and Kalli Dalland with 103.
The Lady Chaps’ Kayton Genenbacher ranks second in the LSC in assists with 844, Chain ranks second in blocks with 88 and Kendall Mahaney is fourth in digs with 379.
LCU takes on Cameron (5-20, 0-10) at 2 p.m. Saturday in Lawton, Oklahoma.
LCU women’s golf
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — Alexandra Escamilla tied for 13th place individually, leading Lubbock Christian University to 11th out of 15 teams in the Nick Turner Invitational that concluded Tuesday at Arroyo Del Oso Golf Course.
Escamilla carded rounds of 72-78 to finish the 36-hole event at 6 over par.
In the field of 78 players, the Lady Chaps’ Prestley Hammond (77-78) tied for 31st and Lily Griffin (81-75) tied for 38th. Rounding out the LCU lineup were Aspen Escamilla (85-81) and Kyra Schmuhl (81-85). Freshman Jordyn Hall (90-79) played as an individual.
LCU shot 311-312, and the 47-over 623 was a season low.
St. Mary’s won the team championship by three strokes, shooting a 19-over 595. Sydney Williams of Arkansas-Fort Smith defeated Caroline Wales of Cal State San Marcos for the individual championship in a five-hole playoff after both shot 1-over for 36 holes.
LCU women’s soccer
Lubbock Christian University and Midwestern State will go after a much-needed victory when the Lady Chaps host the Mustangs at 7 p.m. Wednesday at the LCU soccer and track facility.
LCU (6-2-6, 3-2-3 in the Lone Star Conference) has two losses and a tie since it started the season unbeaten in its first 11 matches. The Lady Chaps are coming off a 1-1 draw with Texas Woman’s on Saturday.
Midwestern State (5-7-1, 2-5-1) has dropped two in a row and has only one victory and one tie to show for its past six matches.
LCU men’s soccer
Lubbock Christian University will go for its third win in a row when the Chaparrals play Texas A&M International at 7 p.m. Wednesday in Laredo.
LCU (6-5-3, 3-1-1) has moved to second place in the Lone Star Conference after shutout victories Wednesday at Eastern New Mexico and Saturday against UT Tyler.
Chaps forward Pablo Galietero Diez scored a goal in each match and was named the LSC offensive player of the week. The senior from Madrid, Spain, has six goals and three assists for the season and 17 goals and 42 points for his career, ranking tied for fourth in both categories in the program’s history.
Texas A&M International (3-5-6, 1-2-2) blanked No. 18 Midwestern State 1-0 on Saturday and had ties in its two matches before that.
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Suspected Stockton Serial Killer Wesley Brownlee Charged With 3 Counts Of Murder
Suspected Stockton Serial Killer Wesley Brownlee Charged With 3 Counts Of Murder https://digitalarkansasnews.com/suspected-stockton-serial-killer-wesley-brownlee-charged-with-3-counts-of-murder/
Suspected Stockton serial killer Wesley Brownlee charged with 3 counts of murder
FIRST, IN STOCKTON, THE MAN ARRESTED IN CONNECTION TO SIX MURDERS FACED A JUDGE FOR THE FIRST TIME. TY: WESLEY BROWNLEE IS CHARGED WITH 3 COUNTS OF MURDER RIGHT NOW, BUT PROSECUTORS SAY HE IS CONNECTED TO THE OTHER THREE HOMICIDES. PROSECUTORS ALSO SPOKE AFTER THE COURT APPEARANCE AND DETAILED MORE ON HOW THEY WERE ABLE TO MAKE THE ARREST. LISA: IN MONTEREY COUNTY, TWO SEPARATE JURIES DELIVERED THEIR VERDICTS IN THE KRISTIN SMART CASE. PAUL FLORES HAS BEEN FOUND GUILTY OF FIRST DEGREE MURDER IN DEATH OF CALIFORNIA COLLEGE FRESHMAN KRISTIN SMART 25 YEARS AGO. HIS SENTENCING IS SET TO TAKE PLACE IN DECEMBER. A SEPARATE JURY ACQUITTED PAUL FLORES’ FATHER RUBEN OF BEING AN ACCESSORY TO MURDER AFTER THE FACT. RUBEN FLORES ANSWERED QUESTIONS AFTER HE WALKED OUT OF THE COURTHOUSE, A FREE MAN. ITS ABOUT FEELINGS, NOT ABOUT FACTS. MOSTLY ABOUT FEELINGS, I THINK THAT IS WHAT HAPPENED WITH MY SON. LISA: A NEWS CONFERENCE FROM THE PROSECUTION IN THIS CASE, IS EXPECTED TO START AT ANY MOMENT. WE’LL BRING YOU THAT LIVE, AS SOON AS IT BEGINS. TY: AND A MAN HAS DIED AFTER BEING SHOT BY TWO SACRAMENTO COUNTY SHERIFF’S DEPUTIES. THE SHOOTING HAPPENED NEAR 41ST STREET AND 14TH AVENUE AROUND 11:30 THIS MORNING. DEPUTIES WERE RESPONDING TO A DOMESTIC VIOLENCE CALL. THE DEPUTIES SAY THEY SHOT THE MAN AFTER HE CAME OUT OF A HOME WITH A SHOTGUN, WHILE HOLDING HIS GIRLFRIEND AND USING HER AS A SHIELD. RIGHT NOW, WE HAVE TO GO BACK TO STOCKTON. THE FIRST COURT APPEARANCE FOR THE MAN ACCUSED IN THE SERIES OF KILLINGS. LISA: WESLEY BROWNLEE IS FACING MURDER CHARGES IN THE KILLINGS OF THREE PEOPLE, JONATHAN HERNANDEZ, JUAN CARRANZA CRUZ, AND LAWRENCE LOPEZ. HE ISN’T FACING CHARGES FOR THE THREE OTHERS, BUT THAT COULD CHANGED. WE HAVE TEAM COVERAGE ON THIS COURT HEARING, INCLUDING THE REACTION FROM VICTIM’S FAMILIES, AND A SURVIVOR. TY: BUT FIRST, WE START WITH KCRA 3’S BRITTANY HOPE. BRITTANY, WHAT DID WE LEARN FROM PROSECUTORS TODAY? BRITTANY: — WE LEARNED A LOT MORE ABOUT WHO WESLEY BROWNLEE IS. WE LEARN FOR THE VERY FIRST TIME, HE WAS A TRUCK DRIVER. HE LIVED MAINLY IN THE BAY AREA, BUT HAD RECENTLY MOVED TO STOCKTON. WE WANT TO SHOW YOU THE FIRST VIDEO OF HIM WALKING INTO THE COURTROOM TODAY. HE IS FACING THREE MURDER CHARGES IN CONNECTION TO THE MURDERS OF JONATHAN RODRIGUEZ HERNANDEZ, JUAN CRUZ, AND LAWRENCE LOPEZ. HE IS ALSO CHARGED WITH BEING A FELON IN POSSESSION OF A FIREARM. THERE ARE THREE OTHER HOMICIDES AND AN ATTEMPTED HOMICIDE. THE DISTRICT ATTORNEY’S OFFICE SAYS THEY ARE STILL WORKING TO CHARGE HIM WITH. THOSE HAVE NOT BEEN FILED AS OF TODAY. WE DID ASK THE DISTRICT ATTORNEY IF HATE CRIMES ARE NOW INVOLVED, IF TARGETING HISPANIC MEN OR PEOPLE EXPERIENCE AND HOMELESSNESS COULD HAVE BEEN HIS MOTIVE. WE ARE LOOKING INTO THAT. THAT IS PART OF THE ONGOING INVESTIGATION. WE ARE DEVELOPING THAT. THE DEFENDANT WAS APPREHENDED BY THE STOCKTON POLICE DEPARTMENT AND WAS FOUND TO HAVE A FIREARM. THAT FIREARM IS COMMONLY KNOWN AS A GHOST GUN. BRITTANY: OFFICIALS SAID THAT A GHOST GUN WAS USED IN THE THREE HOMICIDES THAT BROWNLEE IS CURRENTLY CHARGED IN. WE ASK THE BELIEF CHIEF — POLICE CHIEF — WE DON’T KNOW HOW MANY CASES THERE ARE, THAT IS WHY WE STILL HAVE OUR TIP LINES AND WE ARE STILL PARTNERING WITH OUR NEIGHBORING AGENCIES. THAT IS WHY WE STILL HAVE THIS INCREDIBLE TASK FORCE TO OVERTURN EVERY STONE AND SEE WHAT WE HAVE. BRITTANY: WE ARE LEARNING THAT THIS INVESTIGATION IS STILL IN ITS EARLY STAGES. WE KNOW HE WILL BE HELD WITHOUT BAIL, BECAUSE THE JUDGE AND PROSECUTORS BELIEVE THAT HE IS TOO MUCH OF A VIOLENT RISK TO THE COMMUNITY. LOOKING FORWARD TO HIS SENTENCING, THAT IS A LONG TIME DOWN THE ROAD. HE IS FACING A MINIMUM OF LIFE IN PRISON, AND A MAXIMUM OF DEATH. TY: WE KNOW THAT BROWNLEE DID SPEAK IN COURT TODAY, WHAT DID HE SAY? HE DIDN’T REALLY SAY MUCH. HE WAS VERY QUIET. HE SAID HE UNDERSTOOD THE CHARGES AGAINST HIM AND THAT HE WANTED AN ATTORNEY. I DID TRY TO SPEAK WITH HIS FAMILY AND LOVED ONES WHO WERE HERE, THEY SAID THEY DO NOT WANT TO SPEAK. TY: THANK YOU BRITTANY. AFTER THE SUSPECT APPEARED IN COURT, WE HEARD FROM SEVERAL FAMILY MEMBERS, WHOSE LOVED ONES WERE KILLED. LISA: KCRA 3’S MARICELA DE LA CRUZ IS ALSO LIVE IN STOCKTON. MARICELA, YOU SPOKE TO SOME OF THOSE FAMILIES. MARICELA: THERE WAS A LOT OF EMOTION WE SAW SEVERAL FAMILIES, MOST DIDN’T WANT TO SPEAK BUT WE DID HEAR FROM JERRY LOPEZ AND HIS MOTHER, PAULINA LOPEZ, WERE OUT HERE. IT WAS EMOTIONAL AT ONE POINT. HIS BROTHER, JERRY, DID CRY A BIT. LORENZO LOPEZ, THAT MURDER WAS CONNECTED TO THIS INVESTIGATION. HE WAS KILLED ON AUGUST 27. THE LOPEZ FAMILY WEREN’T IN THE PCOURTROOM DURING THE HEARING, THEY WERE LISTENING TO THE CHARGES AGAINST BROWNLEE. THEY THINK THE STOCKTON POLICE DEPARTMENT AND THE ENTIRE COMMUNITY FOR THE ARREST THAT CAME OVER THE WEEKEND. HIS BROTHER JERRY TOLD US THAT HE COULDN’T EVEN MAKE EYE CONTACT WITH BROWNLEE DURING THE HEARING, AND HE ALSO TOOK SOME TIME TO TALK ABOUT THE WORK THAT NEEDS TO BE DONE HERE IN STOCKTON TO TRY TO REDUCE THE CRIME. LET’S LISTEN. YOU REALLY HAVE A HEART OF GOLD. THANK YOU, STOCKTON POLICE DEPARTMENT. THANK YOU TO ALL THE COMMUNITY; THE HOMELESS COMMUNITY EVEN STEPPED UP AND I WAS REALLY GLAD TO SEE THAT THEY CAME THROUGH AND THEY WERE TRYING TO DO WHAT THEY COULD TO HELP OUT MY BROTHER AND ALL THE OTHER VICTIMS THAT WERE INVOLVED IN THIS MARICELA: WE ALSO HEARD FROM NATOSHA, THE ONLY SURVIVOR IN THIS INVESTIGATION. WE WILL HEAR MORE FROM HERE AT 5:00. I AM IN STOCKTON, MARICELA DE LA CRUZ, KCRA3. LISA: THANK YOU. STOCKTON POLICE SAY JUST BECAUSE AN ARREST WAS MADE IN THESE STRING OF SERIAL KILLINGS DOES NOT MEAN THE INVESTIGATION IS OVER. AS YOU HEARD THEM MENTION, THEY ARE ENCOURAGING PEOPLE TO STILL SUBMIT TIPS THROUGH THE DEPARTMENT’S TIP LINE. THAT NUMBER IS ON YOUR SCREEN. 209-937-8167. YOU CAN ALSO EMAIL INFORMATION, TO POLICETIPS@STOCKT
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Suspected Stockton serial killer Wesley Brownlee charged with 3 counts of murder
The man arrested in connection with the recent serial killings in Stockton is being charged with three counts of murder, among other charges, according to a criminal complaint. He will appear in court on Tuesday afternoon. Wesley Brownlee, 43, was arrested Saturday morning “while out hunting,” Stockton Police Chief Stanley McFadden said at a news conference.| DIG DEEPER | Stockton serial killings: Everything we know and don’t know so far about the victims and suspectCourt documents obtained by KCRA 3 show that Brownlee is being charged with the murders of Jonathan Rodriguez Hernandez, Juan Cruz and Lawrence Lopez, previously identified as Lorenzo Lopez. Hernandez Rodriguez was killed Aug. 30, Cruz was killed Sept. 21 and Lopez was killed Sept. 27. | MORE | What we’re learning about victims of the Stockton serial killingsThe other counts include being a felon in possession of a fiream, as well as possession of ammunition.Prosecutors said that Brownlee used a ghost gun for the three murders he was charged with. Brownlee is being held on no bail, with his next arraignment set for Nov. 14. Stockton police previously said they believed two other murders, that of 35-year-old Paul Alexander Yaw and 43-year-old Salvador William Debudey Jr., were also connected to the serial killings, but Brownlee currently is not charged with their deaths. Authorities also believe a deadly shooting in Oakland and an attempted homicide of a Stockton woman are also connected to the serial killings.The District Attorney’s Office is still investigating the three other murders. “We charged the cases today because we believe we have sufficient evidence to pursue these charges and prove them beyond a reasonable doubt. We are also confident that additional charges will be added,” said District Attorney Tori Verber-Salazar in a news conference after Brownlee appeared in court. | MORE | 2 more shootings linked in Stockton serial killings; woman survived 2021 attackStockton police have confirmed that ballistics tests have linked the shootings to one another, but police are not saying if all shootings are linked to the same gun.”We would like to remind the public that this investigation is ongoing and in no way does our charging determination today end or conclude this investigation. We have more work to do,” Verber-Salazar said.She said he is a truck driver who recently moved from the Oakland area to Stockton where he has some relatives.Brownlee was caught driving on Winslow Way and Village Green Drive. He was wearing dark clothing with a mask around his neck and was armed with a firearm in his waistband, police confirmed to KCRA 3.Brownlee is believed to have lived in Stockton off and on, while also living in other cities, and has a criminal record. According to public records, Brownlee has a criminal history in California and Arizona connected to past drug violations, traffic violations, and a DUI.| RELATED | What was suspected Stockton serial killer Wesley Brownlee’s criminal history before slayings?Police said that Brownlee is the only suspect in the case “at this time.”They had previously said they weren’t sure whether one person or more than one person had been involved.
STOCKTON, Calif. —
The man arrested in connection with the recent serial killings in Stockton is being charged with three counts of murder, among other charges, according to a criminal complaint. He will appear in court on Tuesday afternoon.
Wesley Brownlee, 43, was arrested Saturday morning “while out hunting,” Stockton Police Chief Stanley McFadden said at a news conference.
| DIG DEEPER | Stockton serial killings: Everything we know and don’...
Netflix Adds A Better-Than-Expected 2.4 Million Subscribers
Netflix Adds A Better-Than-Expected 2.4 Million Subscribers https://digitalarkansasnews.com/netflix-adds-a-better-than-expected-2-4-million-subscribers/
Updated Oct. 18, 2022 7:14 pm ET / Original Oct. 18, 2022 2:30 am ET
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Netflix snapped a two-quarter drop in subscribers in the latest quarter. The company said The Gray Man featuring Ryan Gosling was one of its most-watched films.
Paul Abell/Netflix
Netflix shares were trading sharply higher after the streaming giant posted better-than-expected subscriber growth for the third quarter.
The company added 2.41 million net new subscribers in the quarter, beating its own forecast of 1 million additions. Netflix (ticker: NFLX) said it expects to add another 4.5 million subscribers in the December quarter.
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Tax U-Turns Were Painful, Liz Truss Tells Tory MPs https://digitalarkansasnews.com/tax-u-turns-were-painful-liz-truss-tells-tory-mps/
Image source, PA Media
Image caption,
The prime minister was pictured leaving Downing Street on Tuesday night to meet Eurosceptic MPs
By Paul Seddon
Politics reporter
Liz Truss has told right-wing Tory MPs her tax U-turns were “painful,” as she continues to try and shore up her support within the party.
The PM told Eurosceptic backbenchers she was still committed to boosting growth through economic reforms, No 10 sources said.
She has been meeting MPs to appeal for support, with her authority undermined after she abandoned flagship tax cuts.
She will appear at PMQs for the first time since the U-turns later.
This is only the third time since taking office that Ms Truss will face PMQs and it will be a crucial test of her leadership.
Her performance will be closely watched, particularly after she faced accusations of avoiding MPs on Monday after rejecting a request to explain her U-turns in the Commons.
Some Tory MPs have been talking privately about how she might be ejected from office, despite party rules preventing a formal challenge for a year.
But cabinet ministers have been calling for unity, saying that Ms Truss had been right to jettison her plans to ensure economic stability.
Chancellor Jeremy Hunt tore up most of last month’s mini-budget on Monday, leaving Ms Truss’s economic agenda in tatters after weeks in No 10.
In an attempt to rally support among her MPs, she hosted backbenchers at Downing Street on Tuesday evening and separately met the European Research Group (ERG) of Brexiteer MPs, an influential group on the right of the party.
After the ERG meeting, the prime minister’s deputy press secretary told reporters she had expressed her “disappointment” at “not being able to follow through on the tax cuts”.
“She said she found it painful and that she did it because she had to,” the press secretary added.
Ian Liddell-Grainger, a Tory backbencher who attended the No 10 meeting, said those in attendance were “very blunt about where we feel we are”.
Adding that “a lot of where we’re going is what I want to hear,” he warned colleagues against ejecting Ms Truss, calling it a “recipe for disaster”.
“I think changing horses at this stage would just be ridiculous,” he added.
Image source, EPA
Image caption,
Ms Truss told cabinet ministers at a meeting on Tuesday that difficult decisions lie ahead
Ms Truss also told the ERG group she stood by her commitment to increase defence spending to 3% by 2030.
The target – a key plank of her Tory leadership pitch – is a red line for Defence Secretary Ben Wallace, according to his allies.
However, she has not ruled out further tax hikes and spending cuts to provide further reassurance to investors of her commitment to control UK debt.
All government departments have been told to find savings, ahead of a further economic statement by Mr Hunt on 31 October.
Triple lock pledge
Ms Truss has not ruled out raising working-age benefits below inflation to save billions from the social security budget, despite coming under pressure from Tory MPs to guarantee a rise in line with prices.
On Monday, her spokesman also said she was no longer committed to ensuring the state pension keeps pace with inflation, despite making the commitment two weeks ago.
Welsh Secretary Robert Buckland has said: “I think the more the Conservative Party change leaders, the stronger the case for a general election comes.”
Labour wants the Tory party to “chop and change another leader” but an early election “serves nobody any good”, he said, speaking on BBC Newsnight.
“Not least the Conservative Party and certainly not the country.”
Five of the PM’s own MPs have called publicly on her to resign, with others briefing journalists that they think her time in office is up.
Tactics reportedly under consideration to oust her include submitting no-confidence letters in an attempt to force her into resigning.
There has also been speculation some MPs could push party bosses into changing the rules to allow an early leadership challenge.
However, there is little agreement over who should take over from Ms Truss if she is removed.
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Supporters Claim Arkansas Issue 3 Protects Religious Freedom Opponents Warn It Could weaponize Faith
Supporters Claim Arkansas Issue 3 Protects Religious Freedom, Opponents Warn It Could ‘weaponize’ Faith https://digitalarkansasnews.com/supporters-claim-arkansas-issue-3-protects-religious-freedom-opponents-warn-it-could-weaponize-faith/
LITTLE ROCK, Ark. – A ballot measure looking to codify religious freedom into the Arkansas constitution saw support at the state capitol Tuesday, even as opponents say the bill is unnecessary.
The stated intent of Issue 3 is to create an amendment to the state constitution barring the government from burdening a person’s freedom of religion without demonstrating a compelling interest.
The issue was placed on the ballot by the 93rd General Assembly’s passage of Senate Joint Resolution 14, sponsored by Republican state Sen. Jason Rapert of Perryville.
The long-time politically active Arkansas Family Council is pushing to see the “Arkansas Religious Freedom Amendment” passed in this election. Executive director Jerry Cox said the proposed bill would prevent “the future erosion of religious freedom” in Arkansas.
Cox added that the group’s action committee will be working with faith leaders and churches across Arkansas to educate about the ballot issue and encourage voting in favor of it.
“What we want to do is be sure that that freedom that we enjoy right now is preserved for generations to come,” he said.
The bill does have opposition. Grant Tennille, chairman of the Democratic Party of Arkansas, said the party was working to defeat the amendment and called it an attempt to “power grab” by the state legislature.
“[The] bottom line is that the First Amendment to the Constitution is pretty plain spoken and doesn’t need much help,” he said. “Religious freedom has served for a few hundred years for Americans as a shield, and there are some people who are trying to turn it into a sword.”
The Democratic chair added that he was also concerned about how this ballot issue could be used if passed.
“Well, I think that if you go back to what the Supreme Court itself said about 150 years ago, ‘If you weaponize religious freedom in this country, then no one is subject to the law,’” Tennille said.
In addition to pushing for support of Issue 3 on the November ballot, the Family Council has also been encouraging Arkansans to vote against Issue 4, the adult-use marijuana amendment.
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How Will Kanye Elon And Trumps Social Media Moves Shake Out?
How Will Kanye, Elon, And Trump’s Social Media Moves Shake Out? https://digitalarkansasnews.com/how-will-kanye-elon-and-trumps-social-media-moves-shake-out/
Elon Musk, who appears to be moving forward with his precarious deal to buy Twitter, seemed to be basking in the prospect of a changing social media landscape, with himself, Donald Trump, and Kanye West at the helm. On Tuesday, he shared a meme of their heads superimposed on the Three Musketeers: “In retrospect, it was inevitable,” he captioned the now deleted image. And in a since deleted tweet from Monday, Musk shared a meme depicting himself and West using Twitter and Parler to combine their powers: “Fun times ahead!”
West, a star rapper, producer, and fashion mogul who now goes by Ye, said Monday that he is planning to buy Parler, the minor Rebekah Mercer–funded social media network that launched in 2018 as a safe space for the Trump wing of the Republican Party, and has become an online home for anti-government militia groups, QAnon fanatics, and the like. The announcement came days after West himself was temporarily banned from Twitter for a series of antisemitic remarks. The news, while surprising, can be rationalized; George Farmer, the CEO of Parler’s parent company, is married to right-wing influencer Candace Owens, who has been by West’s side throughout his yearslong evolution into a conservative champion. Owens seems to pop up whenever West sparks controversy. (Like earlier this month, when the two posed in “White Lives Matter” T-shirts during Paris Fashion Week or when Owens defended West saying he would go “death con 3 on JEWISH PEOPLE,” among other things.)
But more unclear is what will come of West’s ownership of Parler. Parler received roughly 1.3 million visits over the month of August, according to traffic-monitoring site Similarweb, a minuscule amount of traffic even in the already niche world of conservative social platforms, as noted by tech blogger Jay McKenzie. For comparison, data accumulated by Similiarweb showed Trump’s Truth Social—the Twitter alternative he founded after his expulsion from Twitter and Facebook—was up to 9 million visits the same month, and Gab, perhaps the most extreme Twitter alternative, logged 12.8 million in that span. On Parler, even the platform’s prospective owner has only accrued about 18,000 followers, despite being an A-list celebrity. (West has 31.5 million followers on Twitter.)
Moreover, Musk’s memes of the trio taking the internet by storm aside, if the Tesla and SpaceX CEO follows through with the Twitter deal and his promises to do away with some of the content restrictions that led conservatives to build their own platforms, would Parler have a raison d’être? Surely, West would find his way back onto Twitter if his old friend were running things.
The rationale behind Musk and Trump’s investments in social media seems clear as day: Both heavily depend on their online persona to boost their standing as celebrities. Musk’s tweets have even influenced the stock market and are instrumental in building the Tesla brand. Likewise, Trump needs a social media outlet to rebuild the online following that helped propel him to the White House in 2016.
Maybe, a celebrity face like West can turn around the Parler operation, but it seems far more likely that he will be stuck with a dud product—one he can at least use to shout into the online void without fear of reprisal. That said, the planned acquisition has seemingly strengthened West’s friendship with Trump. Pitching Parler as a safe space for those who have been “bullied by the thought police,” the rapper told Bloomberg News on Monday that he plans to have dinner with the former president to ask him to join the platform, despite it being an obvious competitor to Truth Social. While conservative platforms might only appeal to a small corner of the market—a corner that is far more crowded than it was a couple of years ago—a new Pew Research study found that some 15% of accounts on alternative social media sites like Gettr, Telegram, and Truth Social joined those networks after being suspended, banned, or demonetized by one of the mainstream platforms. So there is a notable number of social media exiles who remain reliant on Parler and Truth Social for their posting fix—at least until the Musk revolution comes to Twitter.
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Audiobook Features Talks Between Trump And Bob Woodward KESQ
Audiobook Features Talks Between Trump And Bob Woodward – KESQ https://digitalarkansasnews.com/audiobook-features-talks-between-trump-and-bob-woodward-kesq/
NEW YORK (AP) — More than eight hours of conversations between Donald Trump and Bob Woodward will be released next week as an audiobook. Simon & Schuster Audio announced Tuesday that “The Trump Tapes” will be published Oct. 25. Woodward and Washington Post colleague Robert Costa interviewed Trump in 2016, when he was seeking the Republican nomination for president. Woodward then interviewed the then-president Trump 19 times in 2019-2020 for this bestselling book on the Trump administration, “Rage.” Former first lady Melania Trump, Donald Trump Jr. and Vice President Mike Pence are among those who stopped by while Woodward and the president were speaking.
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Wheres The Beef?: Special Master Says Trumps Mar-A-Lago Records Claims Lack Substance
‘Where’s The Beef?’: Special Master Says Trump’s Mar-A-Lago Records Claims Lack Substance https://digitalarkansasnews.com/wheres-the-beef-special-master-says-trumps-mar-a-lago-records-claims-lack-substance/
Donald Trump’s assertions of executive and attorney-client privilege over certain documents that the FBI seized from his Mar-a-Lago resort appeared to lack evidence sufficient for him to rule in the former US president’s favor, the special master reviewing the records suggested on Tuesday.
The special master, senior US district court judge Raymond Dearie, complained during a conference call in the case that the log of documents Trump is trying to withhold from the justice department did not give enough information about the validity of the privilege claims.
Dearie encouraged Trump’s lawyers to elaborate on why they believed the documents could be excluded from the justice department’s criminal investigation into the potential willful retention of national defense information, removal of government records and obstruction of justice.
“It’s a little perplexing as I go through the log,” Dearie said. “What’s the expression – ‘Where’s the beef?’ I need some beef.”
The discussion on the conference call was the latest development in the ongoing review that is examining whether any of the 11,000 documents without classified markings seized from Mar-a-Lago are legally privileged and cannot be used by prosecutors in the criminal investigation.
Trump sought the appointment of a special master and argued to US district court judge Aileen Cannon in Florida – a Trump appointee – that the justice department should not itself decide whether some of the documents were potentially protected by executive or attorney-client privilege.
The request was granted in an unprecedented ruling – partly because of Trump’s status as a former president, Cannon said – that also prevented federal investigators from examining both the 11,000 documents and an additional 103 documents bearing classified markings.
That prompted the justice department to seek to reverse elements of Cannon’s ruling in order to regain access to the 103 documents, which the US court of appeals for the 11th circuit granted and the US supreme court last week upheld over Trump’s objections.
The conference call touched only on privilege disagreements concerning a small subset of the seized materials that remains, for now, in the special master’s purview. The justice department has since appealed the appointment of the special master in its entirety.
The dispute could foreshadow what could be a messy argument between Trump’s lawyers seeking to limit what documents can be used in the criminal inquiry, and the justice department, which is trying to keep as many records in play.
The Guardian has previously reported that Trump is seeking to withhold from federal prosecutors letters and signing sheets with the National Archives, among a number of documents that were scooped up by the FBI that appear germane to the criminal investigation.
On the call, Dearie specifically asked Trump’s lawyers to give him a better sense of how one document, for instance, could both be subject to executive privilege – a designation applying to presidential records – and simultaneously be a non-governmental, personal document.
“Unless I’m wrong, and I’ve been wrong before, there’s certainly an incongruity there,” Dearie said, appearing to cast doubt on the notion that a document could carry both characterizations.
The special master also asked Trump’s lawyers to provide more details on documents they asserted were protected by attorney-client privilege, as he suggested that some of the documents in question had been seen by a third party, which would make the communications no longer confidential.
Dearie also grew frustrated that the two sides were unable to resolve more disagreements among themselves, at one stage criticizing the government for not saying whether one of the documents, concerning the 2017 special counsel investigation, had been sent to the justice department.
The conference call, however, did resolve why Trump’s legal team had been told at one stage that there could be 200,000 pages to examine but the actual number was 21,792 pages: a company hired to digitize the seized materials for the special master review had overestimated the page count.
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New Nursing Home Being Built In South Fort Smith Talk Business & Politics
New Nursing Home Being Built In South Fort Smith – Talk Business & Politics https://digitalarkansasnews.com/new-nursing-home-being-built-in-south-fort-smith-talk-business-politics/
A new $20-million, skilled nursing facility is in the works for U.S. 71 South in Fort Smith. A building permit was issued Oct. 5 for the nursing home that will be owned and managed by a Fort Smith-based company.
The permit was for construction of a commercial building with a C-5 zoning and institutional/incapcitated occupancy type at 9000 U.S. 71 South, according to Fort Smith building permits.
Jimmie Deer, director of building services, said the project was for a nursing home facility. Jerry Sams with Fort Smith-based Central Arkansas Nursing Centers said the facility will have 140 beds and will be mostly private rooms.
“It’s going to be really nice,” Sams said.
The building permit lists the building at 91,741 square feet with a $20 million full estimated value. The owner is listed as STS RE, LLC. Construction contractor is Van Buren-based Rick Mooney Construction.
Construction, which has just begun, is expected to take 18 to 19 months to complete, Sams said. He did not provide info on the total project cost, a name for the facility, or how many the facility will employ.
The nursing home project will further push the Fort Smith metro into record territory with building permit values. As of September, the year-to-date permit value in the three cities is $352.604 million, up 42.6% compared with the same period in 2021. The metro set a record in 2021 with combined building permit values of $343.289 million, above the previous record of $265.975 million in 2020.
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Jury Convicts Paul Flores Of Murdering Kristin Smart In 1996
Jury Convicts Paul Flores Of Murdering Kristin Smart In 1996 https://digitalarkansasnews.com/jury-convicts-paul-flores-of-murdering-kristin-smart-in-1996/
The California student went missing after Mr. Flores, a fellow student, escorted her to the dorms after an off-campus party. She was never seen again.
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Paul Flores during his trial in Monterey County Superior Court in Salinas, Calif., in July.Credit…Pool photo by Daniel Dreifuss
Oct. 18, 2022Updated 5:50 p.m. ET
More than a quarter century after Kristin Smart, a California Polytechnic State University student, disappeared after an off-campus party, Paul Flores, a fellow student, was convicted of murdering her, a jury in California announced on Tuesday.
A separate jury found his father, Ruben Flores, 81, not guilty of helping to hide the body. Ms. Smart’s remains have never been found.
The verdicts were announced in Monterey County Superior Court in Salinas, Calif., capping a long-running case that began on May 25, 1996, when Ms. Smart left an off-campus party around 2 a.m. accompanied by Paul Flores. He later told investigators that he had walked her as far as his dorm, where they parted ways.
Friends who spoke to investigators reported that she was intoxicated, and that Paul Flores repeatedly told them that he could accompany her to her dormitory alone, because she needed support to walk, court documents say.
Ms. Smart, a freshman who was 19, was never seen again. A missing persons report was filed three days later.
The search for Ms. Smart ranged from remote areas of the campus to her dorm room in Muir Hall, where investigators found her wallet and reminders to turn in class work. A billboard seeking help in finding her was organized by her family. Paul Flores’s dorm room was searched and he was interviewed by investigators.
Ms. Smart’s family had their daughter declared legally dead in 2002.
Nearly two decades later, in 2021, the authorities described Paul Flores as a “prime suspect” and executed search warrants, including at his Los Angeles home. Investigators used dogs trained to detect human remains and ground-penetrating radar to search Ruben Flores’s property in Arroyo Grande, Calif.
Paul Flores was taken into custody at his home in Los Angeles on April 13, 2021, and was charged with murder during a rape or attempted rape. Ruben Flores was arrested at his home and charged with being an accessory after the fact.
Dan Dow, the San Luis Obispo County district attorney, said Paul Flores had “caused the death” of Ms. Smart “while in the commission of, or attempted, rape.” Ruben Flores helped to hide her remains, he said.
Paul Flores, 45, faces 25 years to life in prison, prosecutors said.
The trials of Paul and Ruben Flores were not live-streamed, but local media organizations covered them intensively over the last three months.
The trials had been moved about 140 miles north of San Luis Obispo to Monterey County, at the request of the defense team, because of the extensive publicity around the case.
Image
Ruben Flores, father of Paul Flores, sits in court in August in San Luis Obispo, Calif.Credit…Laura Dickinson/The Tribune, via Associated Press
In his closing argument earlier this month, a San Luis Obispo County prosecutor, Christopher Peuvrelle, told the court that Ruben Flores had helped his son by hiding Ms. Smart’s body under the backyard deck of his house.
Mr. Peuvrelle cited soil samples, a 6-foot-by-4-foot anomaly in the ground, blood staining, fibers that matched Ms. Smart’s clothing and alerts from cadaver dogs.
He also said that Paul Flores had been “hunting” Ms. Smart and had called his father to ask for help burying Ms. Smart’s body. Robert Sanger, Paul Flores’s lawyer, said there was a “missing person” but no evidence of a murder.
Harold Mesick, Ruben Flores’s lawyer, said there was no evidence that his client had tried to hide the body, KSBY reported.
“Paul Flores and his dad didn’t bury this woman,” Mr. Mesick said.
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Kristin Smart went missing on May 25, 1996, while attending California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo and has not been heard from since.Credit…Axel Koester/Sygma via Getty Images
On Oct. 13, one juror in Ruben Flores’s case was dismissed for asking his priest for guidance because of the stress he said he was enduring, and a new juror was sworn in, resetting the deliberations from the beginning, KSBY reported.
In July, Ms. Smart’s parents and her brother, Matt, testified about their search for Ms. Smart after she disappeared.
“For the next 25 years, I did whatever I could and looked for answers wherever I could,” Denise Smart, Ms. Smart’s mother, told the court, according to the local CBS affiliate in Sacramento.
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30% Of Ukraine's Power Stations Destroyed By Strikes; Zelenskyy Urges Troops To Take More Russian Prisoners
30% Of Ukraine's Power Stations Destroyed By Strikes; Zelenskyy Urges Troops To Take More Russian Prisoners https://digitalarkansasnews.com/30-of-ukraines-power-stations-destroyed-by-strikes-zelenskyy-urges-troops-to-take-more-russian-prisoners/
Photos show life in the recently retaken town of Kupiansk, Ukraine.
Women walk past a billboard reading “Citizens, you are free!”, amid Russia’s attack on Ukraine, in the recently retaken town of Kupiansk, Ukraine, October 18, 2022.
Clodagh Kilcoyne | Reuters
Local residents line up to receive a meal provided by the World Central Kitchen NGO, amid Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, in the town of Kupiansk in Kharkiv region, Ukraine October 14, 2022.
Viacheslav Ratynskyi | Reuters
A boy plays on ruins of his grandmother’s house, amid Russia’s attack on Ukraine, in Kupiansk, Ukraine October 16, 2022.
Anastasia Vlasova | Reuters
Local residents Natalia, 59, and her granddaughter Ilona, 9, stand on ruins of their house, amid Russia’s attack on Ukraine, in Kupiansk Vuzlovyi, Ukraine October 17, 2022.
Viacheslav Ratynskyi | Reuters
A man looks down as he pushes his bicycle along the edge of a shelled missing section of bridge featuring the colours of the Russian flag, amid Russia’s attack on Ukraine, in the recently retaken town of Kupiansk, Ukraine, October 18, 2022.
Clodagh Kilcoyne | Reuters
A Ukrainian artist paints a wall of a building covered with traces of bullets and shrapnel, amid Russia’s attack on Ukraine, in Kupiansk, Ukraine October 16, 2022.
Vyacheslav Madiyevskyy | Reuters
Fuel tanks are seen damaged by Russian strikes, amid Russia’s attack on Ukraine, in the recently retaken town of Kupiansk, Ukraine, October 18, 2022.
Clodagh Kilcoyne | Reuters
A man walks through a shopping street destroyed by Russian strikes, amid Russia’s attack on Ukraine, in the recently retaken town of Kupiansk, Ukraine, October 18, 2022.
Clodagh Kilcoyne | Reuters
— Reuters
U.S. has provided nearly $18 billion in military aid to Ukraine since the start of Russia’s invasion
A serviceman of Ukrainian military forces holds a FGM-148 Javelin, an American-made portable anti-tank missile, at a checkpoint, where they hold a position near Kharkiv, on March 23, 2022.
Sergey Bobok | AFP | Getty Images
The Biden administration has committed more than $17.6 billion in military aid to Ukraine since Russia’s late February invasion.
The security assistance includes more than 1,400 Stinger anti-aircraft systems, 8,500 Javelin anti-armor systems, more than 140 155 mm Howitzers, more than 10,000 grenades and more than 62,000 rounds of small arms and ammunition.
Read the Pentagon’s full list of security assistance support here.
— Amanda Macias
U.S. Air Force intercepts two Russian bombers operating near Alaskan air space
A U.S. Air Force F-16 receives fuel from a KC-135 Stratotanker in support of Operation Inherent Resolve over Iraq, Nov. 8, 2018.
U.S. Air Force photo
Two U.S. Air Force F-16 fighter jets intercepted two Russian bombers that were identified operating in Alaska’s air defense identification zone.
The Russian aircraft “remained in international airspace and did not enter American or Canadian sovereign airspace,” said the North American Aerospace Defense Command, or NORAD.
“NORAD routinely monitors foreign aircraft movements and as necessary, escorts them from the ADIZ,” the Pentagon wrote in a release.
“The recent Russian activity in the North American ADIZ is not seen as a threat nor is the activity seen as provocative,” the release added.
— Amanda Macias
‘We are completely ready,’ Pentagon says in response to ‘reckless’ Russian threats to use nuclear weapons
Pentagon Press Secretary Air Force Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder speaks during a news briefing at the Pentagon September 6, 2022 in Arlington, Virginia. Brig. Gen. Ryder held a news briefing to answer questions from members of the press.
Alex Wong | Getty Images
The U.S. takes Russian president Vladimir Putin’s “reckless” comments about the potential use of nuclear weapons seriously and is closely monitoring the situation, the Pentagon said.
“We are completely ready,” Pentagon press secretary Air Force Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder said when asked if the U.S. was prepared if Russia decided to use nuclear weapons.
Ryder added that the U.S. had not found cause to change Washington’s strategic nuclear posture.
He also reiterated that the U.S. assesses that Putin has not yet decided whether to use nuclear weapons in Ukraine.
— Amanda Macias
Nearly 8 million metric tons of agricultural products have left Ukrainian ports under UN-backed deal
An aerial view shows ships at the anchorage area of the Bosphorus southern entrance in Istanbul, on October 12, 2022.
Yasin Akgul | AFP | Getty Images
The organization overseeing the export of grain from Ukraine said that more than 350 vessels have left the besieged country under an agreement to reopen ports.
The Black Sea Grain Initiative, a deal among Ukraine, Russia, the United Nations and Turkey, reopened three Ukrainian ports in August.
So far, 7.8 million metric tons of grain and other food products have left Ukrainian ports.
Read more about the Black Sea Grain Initiative here.
— Amanda Macias
McDonald’s reopens restaurants in second Ukrainian city
Women walk away with their food and drink as people line-up in front of a McDonald’s restaurant in the western Ukrainian city of Lviv, on October 18, 2022 during reopening of the US fast-food giant after the closure following the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
Yuriy Dyachyshyn | Afp | Getty Images
McDonald’s has reopened restaurants in Lviv nearly eight months after temporarily shuttering them due to the Kremlin’s invasion.
Lviv is the second Ukrainian city to see the Golden Arches resume service since the war began. In August, the Chicago-based company announced that it would reopen locations in Kyiv and western Ukraine in phases.
At that time, McDonald’s said it would be implementing “enhanced procedures and protocols” for the safety of employees and customers.
— Amelia Lucas
Four vessels to leave Ukraine carrying 49,000 metric tons of agricultural products
A picture shows a view of the stern of the grain-laden Syrian-flagged ship Laodicea, docked in Lebanon’s northern port of Tripoli, on July 30, 2022. A Lebanese prosecutor ordered “the seizure of the ship until the investigation is completed”, instructing the police to consult the Ukraine embassy after it claimed that the grain cargo was loaded from a region occupied by Russian forces.
Fathi Al-masri | AFP | Getty Images
The organization overseeing the export of grain from Ukraine said it has approved four vessels to leave the besieged country.
The Black Sea Grain Initiative, a deal among Ukraine, Russia, the United Nations and Turkey, said the vessels are carrying 49,000 metric tons of grain and other crops.
Two ships carrying wheat and soybeans will depart from Chornomorsk and are destined for Turkey. The other two ships will depart from Odesa for Israel and Turkey and are carrying wheat.
Read more about the Black Sea Grain Initiative here.
— Amanda Macias
Lockheed Martin will boost production of key weapon, CEO says
US military personnel stand by a M142 High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS) during Saudi Arabias first World Defense Show, north of the capital Riyadh, on March 6, 2022.
Fayez Nureldine | Afp | Getty Images
Lockheed Martin will increase production of its High Mobility Artillery Rocket System, or HIMARS, as Russia’s war in Ukraine enters its eighth month.
The defense titan is poised to boost HIMARS production to 96 launchers annually, up from its current level of 60 launchers. Lockheed Martin CEO Jim Taiclet announced the increase during a third-quarter earnings call.
Sales from Lockheed Martin’s Missiles and Fire Control unit, which manufactures the HIMARS launchers, rose to $2.83 billion, 1.8% higher than the prior-year period. However, profit margins dipped slightly compared to the same time period a year before.
So far the U.S. has transferred 20 HIMARS to Ukraine as it has proven to be effective in countering Russian missile strikes.
— Amanda Macias
U.S. Treasury Secretary Yellen speaks with Ukrainian prime minister about additional financial aid
US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen during a naturalization ceremony at George Washingtons residence in Mount Vernon, Virginia on July 4, 2022.
Stefani Reynolds | Afp | Getty Images
U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen held a virtual meeting with Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal to discuss more financial aid for the war-weary country.
Yellen said the U.S. is working to disburse $4.5 billion in budget support for Ukraine, which brings total economic support to approximately $13 billion.
“Secretary Yellen also emphasized the need for inclusive coordination across international partners to help Ukraine begin to rebuild and recover,” according to a Treasury readout of the call.
— Amanda Macias
WHO records more than 620 attacks on vital health services in Ukraine since the start of Russia’s invasion
Members of the Ukrainian military receive treatment for concussions and light injuries from Ukrainian military medics at a frontline field hospital on May 10, 2022 in Popasna, Ukraine.
Chris Mcgrath | Getty Images
Since Russia invaded Ukraine on Feb. 24, there have been at least 623 attacks on vital health services in the country, the World Health Organization’s Surveillance System for Attacks on Health Care estimates.
The organization reports that health care facilities were damaged 541 times, ambulances were targeted in 82 cases and at least 154 attacks affected crucial medical supplies. The group also estimated that attacks on health services led to at least 100 deaths and 129 injuries.
The Kremlin has previously denied that it targets civilian infrastructure like hospitals, schools and apartment buildings.
— Amanda Macias
UK and France agree to provide more support ...
Palestinian Government Still Pays Terrorists As U.S. Aid Dollars Flow
Palestinian Government Still Pays Terrorists As U.S. Aid Dollars Flow https://digitalarkansasnews.com/palestinian-government-still-pays-terrorists-as-u-s-aid-dollars-flow/
National Security
Non-public State Department report confirms Palestinians are not living up to promises
Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas / Getty Images
Adam Kredo • October 18, 2022 5:25 pm
The Palestinian government is still paying imprisoned terrorists stipends and inciting violence against Israel, even as the Biden administration provides nearly half a billion dollars in American taxpayer funds to the government, according to a non-public State Department report recently furnished to Congress.
The Palestinian Authority, which committed to stop these acts to receive new tranches of U.S. aid money, “continued payments to Palestinian prisoners who had committed acts of terrorism, as well as the families of so-called ‘martyrs’ who died while committing acts of terrorism,” according to the report, a copy of which was reviewed by the Washington Free Beacon. Official Palestinian government media organizations and social media accounts also “broadcast or published content praising or celebrating acts of violence.”
Details from the State Department report are likely to fuel congressional opposition to the Biden administration’s renewed funding of the Palestinian Authority, which almost immediately resumed when the Democratic administration entered office. U.S. aid was slashed by the Trump administration due to the Palestinian Authority’s support for terrorism, as well as a bipartisan U.S. law mandating that American aid be frozen until the Palestinian government ends its terrorist payment policy, also known as “pay-to-slay.” That law, the Taylor Force Act, was passed in 2018 and banned the State Department from allocating aid to the Palestinian government until it could certify that payments to terrorists and incitement against Israel ceased.
The State Department did not respond to a request for comment on its findings and compliance with the Taylor Force Act.
Information contained in the latest State Department report indicates the requirements for aid set forth under the law are not being met. Since April 2021, the United States has provided “over half a billion dollars in assistance for the Palestinians,” according to the State Department. In July, President Joe Biden announced that another $316 million would be awarded to “support the Palestinian people,” according to the White House.
“First, the administration tried to mislead Congress about Palestinian terrorists and payments to terrorists, which unfortunately worked long enough for them to move money to the Palestinian government,” one senior congressional official who works on Middle East issues told the Washington Free Beacon. “Now, they just don’t care.”
The State Department collected evidence showing that “elements of Palestinian leadership made individual statements that appeared to support violence,” according to the report. The Palestinian Authority’s “conventional media and social media also broadcast problematic comments and videos.” This occurred as Palestinian Authority president Mahmoud Abbas condemned a recent spate of terrorist attacks in Israel and “maintained a public position against incitement of violence and terrorism.”
Official Palestinian government media outlets were labeled as “inconsistent” in their enforcement of prohibitions on terror incitement, according to the State Department. Social media accounts affiliated with Abbas’s Fatah Party, for instance, have “featured content praising or condoning acts of violence.”
The Fatah Youth Movement at Najah University in the West Bank territory “praised the December 2021 killing” of an Israeli civilian as a “heroic operation,” according to the information compiled by the State Department. Palestine TV also broadcast footage of “a young girl at a primary school in Jenin” reciting a poem “asking God to banish the Jews from the region.”
In March, the Palestinian Authority’s official news agency, Wafa, posted a celebration on Facebook of terrorist Dalal al-Moghrabi, who killed 38 Israelis, including 13 children, in a 1978 attack. The outlet praised al-Moghrabi as “the icon of struggle and resistance,” according to the State Department.
The Biden administration has given more than $417 million in humanitarian assistance to Palestinian refugees through the United Nations Relief and Works Agency, which is known to advocate against Israel, and terrorists have used its schools as a base of operations. The U.S. Agency for International Development has awarded some $75 million in humanitarian assistance, and $20.5 million was allocated for COVID relief and “Gaza recovery assistance,” according to the State Department.
Jonathan Schanzer, a regional expert and senior vice president for research at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, said the Palestinian Authority and its splinter groups are becoming increasingly polarized.
“Incitement continues unabated by the Palestinian Authority,” Schanzer told the Free Beacon. “In recent months, this has been accompanied by violent splinter factions of entities closely tied to the P.A. All of this could backfire rather badly on the P.A., which has not exactly been popular or stable. Washington has a duty to not only enforce its own policies. It has an obligation to preserve the system that it created, which now appears increasingly brittle.”
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