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New Zogby Poll Shows Biden Much Stronger Among Dems Than Thought And Beating Trump https://digitalarkansasnews.com/new-zogby-poll-shows-biden-much-stronger-among-dems-than-thought-and-beating-trump/ Biden Challenger Jerome Segal Also Beats Trump, Gets 1/5 of Democrats Against Biden 47% want Biden: , /PRNewswire/ — A new poll by John Zogby Strategies showed that 47% of Democrats want President Biden as their nominee in 2024, 23% do not, and 30% are undecided. Previous polls had showed that a majority of Democrats did not want the President to run again. In July, a New York Times – Siena College poll reported that 63% of Democrats preferred that the nominee be someone other than Biden, and in September a Washington Post – ABC poll found that among Democrats and Democrat-leaning Independents, by 56% to 35%, voters preferred that he not be the candidate. The new poll surveyed 1006 likely voters on-line. It was conducted Oct 5th and has a margin of error of +/- 3.2 % for all voters and +/- 5.3 % for when only Democrats were queried. The poll was commissioned by “2024 – Segal For President” the campaign committee of social philosopher and peace activist Jerome Segal who is challenging Biden for the Democratic nomination. Commenting on these results Segal said, “The new data make clear that it will be more difficult than previously thought for anyone to prevent Biden from getting the nomination, if he decides to run. And this may discourage some from deciding to challenge him. On the other hand, 47% is not a strong showing; less than half of Democrats want a sitting president to run again. The 30% who said they were “undecided” were mostly saying, “It depends on who the alternative is.” “Also, the poll did not measure depth of support. In 2020, Biden won the nomination because it was widely believed that he had the best shot at beating Trump. He needs to show that he can do it again, both against Trump or any other likely Republican candidate. If other candidates show they can also beat Trump, they will have strong support; and if someone shows that they are stronger against Trump or DeSantis than Biden, it’s a whole new ball game.” Biden beats Trump 45% to 41%: The poll gave Biden the critical element that he needs to retain party support, that he can beat off a challenge by former President Trump. Biden won, 45% to 41%, with 7% saying they would vote for “other” and “6.5%” saying they were unsure. Segal also beats Trump:  The poll also examined how Segal would do against Trump. It showed Segal beating the former President by 40% to 39%. Trump actually got fewer votes against Segal than against Biden, declining from 41% to 39%. Segal’s margin of victory was narrower because those choosing “unsure” almost doubled, going to 12.7%, from 6.5% in the Biden v Trump contest. Segal commented: “This for me is the big news. It puts the campaign in an entirely different light. If you say to voters, “Here are two Democrats, both of them can beat Trump, which one do you prefer?” it totally transforms the race, as it undermines the primary reason Democrats coalesced around Biden. That was his main selling point. No one is really passionate about him.” Segal gets 22% against Biden: The poll also pitted Segal in a head-to-head contest with Biden. The President won handily. Segal got 22% of the Democratic vote to Biden’s 56%, with another 22% undecided.  Segal commented: “If it had been known that I could beat Trump, my vote total against Biden would have, at least, been doubled. Democrats overwhelmingly support the new kind of socialism I am advocating. I’m held back because the assumption is that a socialist, especially one without wide name recognition, can’t beat Trump. Once it’s clear that I can, attention will focus more on what I’m for than on Trump.” Democrats Support Socialism: Segal is the founder of bread and roses socialism. In the poll this was described to voters as: “A new set of ideas that blends Bernie Sanders type policies with a key goal of simple living: being able to meet basic needs with a modest income so that one is free to reduce the amount of time one puts in at the job. This would involve a cultural shift towards lives with more leisure time, or more meaningful work, rather than more money and more stuff. Under this approach, everyone would have a legal right to a 3-day job. And with policies such as higher minimum wages and strong limits on the costs of meeting core needs of healthcare, education, housing, transportation and childcare, everyone could have a vibrant life even without a super job. The other 4 days a week could be devoted to pursuing our passions, whatever they might be, with or without pay, or just having more time with friends and family.” Asked how they felt about this new form of socialism, 62% of Democrats said they either “love it” or “like it” and only 12% saying “dislike” or “hate it.” Even among Republicans, 33% said “love or like,” and 46% said “dislike or hate.” Segal commented: “This again shows the real potential of the campaign. With this underlying support for my policies, as I get better known, and as it is clear that I can beat Trump, support will surge.” Separate releases will detail voter preferences that were surveyed on eight separate questions about bread and roses socialism and its policy agenda, as well as on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, both central aspects of Segal’s program. For more information contact Dr. Segal at [email protected] or 445-216-3846 SOURCE Jerome Segal Read More Here

‘FBI Doesn’t Play’: Morning Joe Says Trump Lawyers Finding Out The Hard Way That Rules Apply To Them https://digitalarkansasnews.com/fbi-doesnt-play-morning-joe-says-trump-lawyers-finding-out-the-hard-way-that-rules-apply-to-them/ Read More Here

Russia's War In Ukraine | CNN https://digitalarkansasnews.com/russias-war-in-ukraine-cnn-3/ ‘The day war came back to all of Ukraine:’ Russia’s deadly missile attacks 02:50 Air raid sirens sounded in several regions of Ukraine on Tuesday after Russia launched more missile attacks against the country. It comes after at least 19 people were killed and more than 100 injured in a wave of Russian missile strikes that hit Kyiv and other Ukrainian cities Monday as Moscow targeted critical energy infrastructure. International leaders have condemned the Russian attacks, and the G7 is holding an emergency meeting via video conference with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Tuesday morning. Russia’s deputy foreign minister warned that Moscow could take “countermeasures” against the US and its European allies due to their “increasing involvement” in the conflict, according to state media. The Russian Federal Financial Monitoring Service has added the US multinational tech company Meta to its registry of organizations involved in terrorism and extremism.  The parent company of Facebook and Instagram has been banned in Russia, says Rosfinmonitoring.  That ban now requires banks to freeze funds for companies on that list and suspend services to their accounts. On March 21, the Tverskoy District Court of Moscow recognized Meta as an extremist organization, claiming that Meta’s management allowed users from Ukraine to call for violence against the Russian military. The court denied the appeal by the American company. The March court decision did not apply to the WhatsApp messenger, also owned by Meta, since it does not publicly disseminate information. Russian President Vladimir Putin will meet the IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi in St. Petersburg Tuesday, the Kremlin’s spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said in a regular call with journalists. The two will discuss the security issues at the “Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant,” according to Peskov. CNN has asked the IAEA for more information. Some background: Last week, Grossi had said he will travel to Moscow to discuss nuclear safety and the situation at the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant, after he met with Ukrainian President Volodymir Zelensky in Kyiv. While he had not specified dates of travel or who he would be meeting at the time of his comments, he had said that he believed the conversations would be at a “very high level.” “My work is to prevent a nuclear accident, and this is what I am doing,” Grossi told reporters at a press conference in Kyiv. The staff at the plant are working in “unbearable circumstances,” but that the IAEA staff will continue their rotation at the plant, he added, saying there have been indications that there are mines in the perimeter of the plant, but not inside the plant itself. President Volodymyr Zelensky in his office in Kyiv, Ukraine, on a call with US President Joe Biden on October 10. (President of Ukraine) Ukraine says it intercepted 18 cruise missiles on Tuesday morning, in two waves of attacks.  The Air Force Command of the Armed Forces of Ukraine said it “shot down” four missiles around 9 a.m. local time, and a further 14 between 9.30 a.m. and 1 p.m. local time.  President Volodymyr Zelensky is appealing to Ukraine’s allies for more air defense equipment. “Air defense is currently the number 1 priority in our defense cooperation,” he said on Twitter late Monday after a call with US President Joe Biden.  Zelensky met with Ukraine’s Defense Minister, the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces and other government and military officials on Tuesday. “Those present … emphasized the urgent need to provide the [Ukrainian] army with modern air defense and missile defense systems,” his office said.  Rescuers at the aftermath of a missile attack in Zaporizhzhia, southeastern Ukraine, on October 11. (Albert Koshelev/Ukrinform/Abaca/Sipa USA/AP) Former Russian Foreign Minister Andrei Kozyrev told CNN Tuesday that “terror is the only thing left” for Russian President Vladimir Putin, “like for any miserable terrorist in the world.” Putin has launched missiles attacks at Ukraine on Monday and Tuesday because he “is desperate, because he made miscalculations,” Kozyrev told CNN’s John Berman. Kozyrev detailed what he thinks are Putin”s “three major miscalculations.” “One, that Ukraine could be defeated in two, three days. Second, that the United States and the West will not come to the rescue to help Ukrainians. And third, that he brought the war back home when he announced this mobilization.” “He’s desperate and he returns to what he’s doing: intimidation, that is, threatening nuclear weapons — which he will not use — and terror actions in Ukraine and in Russia,” he said. Kozyrev explained why he doesn’t think Putin will use nuclear weapons. “He is human being, so he does not want to commit suicide with strategic nuclear weapons,” Kozyrev added. Smoke rises over power lines after Russian missile strikes in Lviv, Ukraine, on October 10. (Pavlo Palamarchuk/Reuters) Russia is targeting Ukrainian military and energy facilities in attacks on Tuesday, according to the Ministry of Defense in Moscow. “Today, the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation continue launching the massive attack using high-precision long-range air- and sea-based armament at the facilities of military control and energy system of Ukraine,” the ministry said in a post on Telegram.  Air raid sirens sounded across Ukraine on Tuesday as regional governors reported explosions at various “energy facilities.”  Maksym Kozytskyi, head of the Lviv regional military administration, said there were “three explosions at two energy facilities in the Lviv region.”  The Ladyzhynska power plant in the west-central city of Vinnytsia was also hit by so-called “kamikaze drones,” according to the plant’s owner, the DTEK Group. Tuesday’s attacks targeted some of the same facilities that were hit on Monday, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said. “Primary targets of Russian strikes are energy facilities. They’ve hit many yesterday [Monday] and they hit the same and new ones today,” Kuleba said on Twitter. “These are war crimes planned well in advance and aimed at creating unbearable conditions for civilians — Russia’s deliberate strategy since months.” As Russia ramps up military strikes across Ukraine, the Kremlin threatened countermeasures against the US and other European allies due to their “increasing involvement” in the war. Here are the latest developments: Russia launches new strikes: Russia cast a fresh round of missile attacks across central Ukraine early Tuesday, according to the Ukrainian military. Air raid sirens sounded in multiple regions, with officials appealing to residents to stay in shelters.  Embassy calls shelling on Ukraine “logical consequence”: Moscow’s fatal strikes on Kyiv and other major Ukrainian cities Monday were a “logical consequence” of recent events in the war, said Alexander Makogonov, a spokesperson for the Russian Embassy in France, referring to a huge explosion on the Crimean bridge Saturday. G7 meeting: The G7 is having an emergency meeting via video with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky Tuesday morning. Moscow in state of “desperation”: Russia is running thin on military weapons and staving off “desperation at many levels inside Russian society,” Jeremy Fleming, director of Government Communications Headquarters — the UK’s intelligence, cyber and security agency — told the BBC. Children’s doctor died in Kyiv attack: Oksana Leontieva, a doctor at the Okhmatdyt children’s cancer hospital in the Ukrainian capital, was among the 19 people killed by Russian missile strikes across the country Monday. Belarus-Russia deployment is “defensive”: The Belarusian Ministry of Defense said on Tuesday that the joint deployment of forces with Russia is a “purely defensive” measure. Earlier Monday, a senior Russian Duma official said “there is no need” for Belarusian troops to participate in Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine. Destroyed armored vehicles and tanks belonging to Russian forces outside the city of Lyman in the Donetsk region, Ukraine, on October 5. (Metin Aktas/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images) Moscow is running thin on military weapons and staving off “desperation at many levels inside Russian society,” according to the head of the UK’s largest spy agency. “We believe that Russia is running short of munitions, it’s certainly running short of friends,” Jeremy Fleming, director of Government Communications Headquarters (GCHQ), told BBC Radio 4’s ‘Today’ program. “We’ve seen, because of the declaration for mobilization, that it’s running short of troops. So I think the answer to that is pretty clear. Russia and Russia’s commanders are worried about the state of their military machine,” Fleming said Tuesday. When asked if the Kremlin is desperate amid President Vladimir Putin’s faltering military campaign in Ukraine, Fleming added: “We can see that desperation at many levels inside Russian society and inside the Russian military machine.” Fleming’s comments came after Russia launched a wave of deadly strikes across Kyiv and other Ukrainian cities Monday, damaging critical infrastructure and killing at least 19 people. “Russia, as we’ve seen in the dreadful attacks yesterday, still has a very capable military machine. It can launch weapons, it has deep, deep stocks and expertise. And yet, it is very broadly stretched in Ukraine,” Fleming said. The violent strikes follow Putin’s announcement of immediate military escalation in September, in which he threatened the possibility of nuclear retaliation. “I think any talk of nuclear weapons is very dangerous and we need to be very careful about how we’re talking about that,” Fleming said when asked about Putin’s nuclear threats. GCHQ Director Jeremy Fleming delivers a speech at the Watergate House in London, England, on February 14, 2019. (Hannah McKay/Reut...

SEC Round-Up, Week Six: Vols Dominant Win In Death Valley Highlights Wild Week In The SEC https://digitalarkansasnews.com/sec-round-up-week-six-vols-dominant-win-in-death-valley-highlights-wild-week-in-the-sec/ Check your pulse, Vols fans, I promise it’s not a dream. Tennessee is off to its best start since 2016 with a complete demolition of LSU, a Alabama narrowly survives at home against A&M without Bryce Young, and Mike Leach and Mississippi State continue to silence doubters en route to a 5-1 start. Let’s take a look at the SEC standings thus far: Standings SEC East 1 Georgia | 6-0 (3-0) | +173 PD (237 F, 64 A) 6 Tennessee | 5-0 (2-0) | +145 PD (234 F, 89 A) South Carolina | 4-2 (1-2) | +52 PD (202 F, 150 A) 22 Kentucky | 4-2 (1-2) | +60 PD (158 F, 98 A) Florida | 4-2 (1-2) | +33 PD (185 F, 152 A) Vanderbilt | 3-3 (0-2) | -22 PD (199 F, 221 A) Missouri | 2-4 (0-3) | +3 PD (151 F, 148 A) SEC West 3 Alabama | 6-0 (3-0) | +191 PD (266 F, 75 A) 9 Ole Miss | 6-0 (2-0) | +151 PD (238 F, 87 A) 16 Mississippi State | 5-1 (2-1) | +105 PD (231 F, 126 A) LSU | 4-2 (2-1) | +77 PD (191 F, 114 A) Auburn | 3-3 (1-2) | -28 PD (122 F, 150 A) Texas A&M | 3-3 (1-2) | +16 PD (129 F, 113 A) Arkansas | 3-3 (1-3) | -16 PD (177 F, 193 A) SEC EAST Tennessee: Rocky Top rolls in Death Valley, 40-13; up to 6 in polls What a season so far in Knoxville. Tennessee was riding high heading into the bye week after their long awaited victory against Florida, and with an extra week of rest and preparation, Josh Heupel’s squad went into Death Valley and made the Tigers roll over from the very first play. LSU return man, Jack Bech, fumbled the opening kickoff, Tennessee recovered, and a Jabari Small 1-yard touchdown later, it was 7-0 Tennessee, and LSU never saw a closer deficit the rest of the day. Tennessee ran the ball up and down Tiger Stadium to the tune of 263 yards and two touchdowns. Jabari Small had his best game this season, totaling 127 rush yards on 22 carries, good for 5.8 yards per carry. Though he didn’t have to do as much as usual, Hendon Hooker was his normal self, throwing for 239 yards and two touchdowns to Jalin Hyatt. Hyatt and McCoy were once again sensational in this one. The two touchdowns made up half of Hyatt’s catches for 63 yards, and McCoy looked dominant, hauling in all seven of his targets for 140 yards. Mind you, this offense is doing all of this without Cedric Tillman. A huge contributor to this game becoming the blowout it ended up being the middle eight once again. Heupel and the Vols pride themselves on controlling the middle eight minutes of the game, and it was especially prevalent here. Within the middle eight, LSU turned the ball over on downs which led to a Tennessee field goal to end the half. The Vols then scored to open the second half, resulting in a 20-7 game with 23 seconds left in the first half turning into 30-7 before the 10 minute mark of the third quarter, essentially putting this game to bed. The real stars of this game, however, were Tennessee’s pass rushers. Byron Young, Tyler Baron, Joshua Josephs, and Roman Harrison wrecked LSU’s entire offense all afternoon. We touched on how underrated Tennessee’s pass rush has been this season, and those sacks finally came with all the pressures. Tennessee was second in total pressures in the SEC coming into the game, and they added 15 more, five turning into sacks. Byron Young shined bright, tallying 2.5 sacks and 2.5 TFLs, something else the Vols’ defensive front racked up. The Vols rush defense has been very good outside of the Pittsburgh game this year, and they absolutely shut down LSU on the ground. The Vols defense held LSU to 55 rushing yards on 28 attempts to go with 9 tackles for loss. For the first time this season, Tennessee’s secondary wasn’t a liability. Trevon Flowers played his best game this season at corner, moving over following the injury to Warren Burrell, and Wesley Walker saw more snaps this week and also played well. Overall, there weren’t as many blown coverages, but I would be cautious in expecting this consistently. LSU was set to start two freshman offensive tackles, and one got hurt leaving their line depth in total shambles. The pressure Tennessee generated created a lot of rushed throws and didn’t let Jaylen Daniels extend plays to create. Alabama does not have those same issues up front, and if Bryce Young plays, this secondary will have its hands full. That being said, this is as big as the Third Saturday in October has felt in a very long time. Alabama is coming to Neyland, and for the first time since the pre-Saban era at Alabama, it feels like the Vols have a fighting chance as Tennessee is looking to end another drought: 15 in a row. Georgia: Deep South’s Oldest Rivalry once again belongs to Dawgs Georgia once again dominated Auburn, this time 42-10. Auburn has now scored 57 points in the last six meetings and haven’t eclipsed 14 points since 2017. There’s a real concern with Georgia’s offense. We’ve now touched on it three weeks in a row. Yes, Georgia scored 42 points, but 28 of those came in the second half when Georgia’s ground game took over. Georgia ran for 292 yards and six touchdowns, and though Kendall Milton went down with an injury early on, junior Daijun Williams and freshman Branson Robinson took over the game. Stetson Bennett has now failed to throw a touchdown three games in a row. Georgia lacks the playmakers on the outside right now, and it is becoming a very disconcerting issue. This problem has caused the returning champs to feel a lot more vulnerable this year. Georgia gets one more easy week within conference play as they host Vanderbilt, but the World’s Largest Cocktail Party kicks off a tough stretch to end the season. We’ll see if they slip up or not. South Carolina: Gamecocks upset depleted Kentucky, 24-14 A certain someone said this after week three, and it came to fruition on Saturday. Does Kentucky win this game with Will Levis? Probably, but the game still has to be played, and that doesn’t change what happened. The Gamecocks defense bottled up a banged up, one-dimensional offense, and it overcame their own offensive struggles. Spencer Rattler turned the ball over twice in a 7-7 game, but neither came back to hurt South Carolina. Marshawn Lloyd had a great day on the ground, rushing for 110 and a score. This was a good win for Shane Beamer and company, but it doesn’t change my outlook on them at all. Their weaknesses are still the same, they just lucked out and didn’t have to face Will Levis to make them pay for their turnovers. Kentucky: Questions loom everywhere in Lexington This was supposed to be a bounce back game for Kentucky. At home against South Carolina after a crushing loss seemed like a sure fire thing. Thursday rolled around, however, and Mark Stoops didn’t seem too confident in Will Levis playing through a foot injury, and that started the spiral that led to the loss on Saturday. Backup QB Kaiya Sheron struggled mightily, and while Kentucky was finally able to run the ball, their offense couldn’t do much else outside of Chris Rodriguez Jr. What started out as a promising start to the season that saw the ‘Cats peak at seven in the AP Poll, but with Levis now out, all that’s buzzing in Lexington now are the questions about their quarterback. Florida: Gators hold off Mizzou, 24-17 Remember when we talked about the heavy variance of Anthony Richardson? Well, after two weeks of really good AR-15, the bad came here. Richardson completed just 8 of 14 passes for 66 yards, a touchdown, an interception, and a fumble lost. Luckily for Richardson and the Gators, Brady Cook was on the other side, and his struggles were just as pronounced. Florida went up 10-0 in the first thanks to a field goal and a Jaydon Hill 49 yard pick-six, and while Missouri answered with 10 in the second quarter to send the game to half tied, Florida’s defense shut down the Tigers in the second half, holding them to a Nathaniel Peat touchdown late in the fourth quarter. This is kind of who Florida is. You never know who they’re going to beat or who’s going to beat them or how Anthony Richardson is going to play. It’s a pretty freaky circle. Florida will need good Anthony Richardson for the coming weeks as they host LSU, get a bye week, then go play Georgia. Vanderbilt: Vandy gives Ole Miss a game for 30 minutes, falls 52-28 Would you believe that at one point in the second quarter, Vanderbilt held a 10 point lead over the number nine team in the country? Well that’s exactly what happened here. Vandy very quickly gave up a touchdown at the end of the half, so it didn’t last very long, but hang the banner: Vandy led at half against Ole Miss. In all seriousness, Vandy is eventually going to develop into something more than a sharpied W on the schedule a year in advance. Their offense can do damage. AJ Swann has shown real competency and downfield ability, two things they’ve not had since Kyle Shurmur was under center. Missouri: Another close call, another close loss If there’s one thing you can say about Missouri, it’s that Eli Drinkwitz’s squad will give anyone a competitive game, win or loss. Offensively, this team is very hampered by their quarterback play. Nathaniel Peat and Cody Schrader are both averaging 5.0-plus yards per carry, and they have weapons on the outside, but sheesh…Brady Cook is just not the guy. Cook certainly won’t win you games, but as this game against Florida proved, he can definitely lose them. His first interception was housed by Jaydon Hill, and his second pick, as you can see below, was a bad read and even worse throw that subsequently led to a 91-yard touchdown drive for Florida. Mizzou will only be as competitive as he lets them be. Defensively, I have been very impressed by this team’s improvement against the run. A year ago, they gave up 227.8 yards per game and 5.3 yards per carry. This season, that number is down almost...

Jury Trial Set For Civil-Rights Lawsuit Against 3 Officers In Crawford County https://digitalarkansasnews.com/jury-trial-set-for-civil-rights-lawsuit-against-3-officers-in-crawford-county/ FILE – Randal Worcester walks out of the Crawford County Justice Center in Van Buren, Ark., on Aug. 22, 2022. Two Arkansas deputies who were caught on video violently arresting Worcester outside a convenience store in August have been fired, Crawford County Sheriff Jimmy Damante said Thursday, Oct. 6, 2022. (AP Photo/Andrew DeMillo, File) FORT SMITH — A jury trial has been set for a man’s federal civil- rights lawsuit against three law enforcement officers who were shown holding him down and beating him in a video in August. A counterclaim also has been filed in the suit. The trial is scheduled to begin at 9 a.m. Sept. 11 in Fort Smith before U.S. District Judge P.K. Holmes, according to an initial scheduling order filed Friday. The legal team for Randal Worcester, 27, of Goose Creek, S.C., filed the lawsuit Aug. 29 after Zack King and Levi White, then-deputies of the Crawford County sheriff’s office, and officer Thell Riddle of the Mulberry Police Department were recorded using force while arresting Worcester. The arrest occurred at 10:40 a.m. Aug. 21 outside the Kountry Xpress convenience store off Interstate 40 in Mulberry. The video depicted the officers repeatedly punching and kneeing Worcester, as well as telling a bystander to get away from the scene. One of the officers, identified as White in Worcester’s lawsuit, was also shown slamming Worcester’s head to the pavement. Worcester’s lawsuit accuses the three men, along with Mulberry Police Chief Shannon Gregory, Crawford County Sheriff Jimmy Damante, Mulberry, the Mulberry Police Department, Crawford County and the Crawford County sheriff’s office of violating Worcester’s rights under the Fourth and Fourteenth amendments of the U.S. Constitution and, by extension, federal law. It also accuses them of committing negligence, battery and assault against Worcester. White filed a counterclaim to the lawsuit Thursday that accuses Worcester of battery and asks for a judgment against Worcester for the damages Worcester reportedly inflicted on him Aug. 21, along with a request that the lawsuit be dismissed. King and White are both represented by attorneys Russell Wood and Jason Owens. White was speaking to Worcester at the Kountry Xpress when Worcester “viciously attacked” him by grabbing him around the legs and driving him back onto the concrete parking lot, according to the counterclaim. White hit his head, which knocked him unconscious, after which Worcester reportedly climbed on top of him and started hitting his face and head. “As a direct and proximate result of conduct, White suffered a severe concussion, concussion symptoms and cuts and bruises,” the counterclaim states. “White has also suffered extreme physical pain.” The extent of White’s injuries has yet to be fully realized, with White being scheduled for another magnetic resonance imaging examination by his neurologist, according to the counterclaim. The attorneys for the other defendants in this case filed their answers Sept. 20 in which they also called for Worcester’s lawsuit to be dismissed, according to court records. Worcester was arrested on charges of second-degree battery, first-degree assault, second-degree assault, resisting arrest, possessing an instrument of crime, criminal trespass, second-degree criminal mischief and first-degree terroristic threatening after the incident, according to the sheriff’s office online inmate roster. He was released from jail on $15,000 bail Aug. 22. Linda Phillips, administrative assistant for the sheriff’s office, confirmed Thursday that King and White had been fired. They had been suspended after Worcester’s arrest. Sherry Jones, administrative assistant to the financial director of Mulberry, said Thursday Riddle is still on administrative leave. Attorney Emily White has said she was appointed as special prosecuting attorney for the Arkansas State Police’s independent investigation into the use of force. She received the investigative file from the state police Sept. 2. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Arkansas, the Department of Justice and the FBI’s field office in Little Rock also opened a civil-rights investigation into the incident, according to authorities. Read More Here

Washington U. Economics Professor Awarded Nobel Prize For Insights On Financial Crises https://digitalarkansasnews.com/washington-u-economics-professor-awarded-nobel-prize-for-insights-on-financial-crises/ Washington University professor Philip Dybvig was among three economists awarded a Nobel Prize on Monday, Oct. 10, 2022. ST. LOUIS — Three economists were awarded a Nobel Prize on Monday for research on financial crises, including a Washington University professor whose work on bank runs has become foundational in the field of economics. The winners were recognized for papers published in the early 1980s that helped shape the way economists think about banks and their roles in times of financial calamity. Washington University professor Philip Dybvig and University of Chicago finance professor Douglas Diamond were awarded the Nobel Prize in Economic Sciences for a paper they co-authored on bank runs, when depositors believe a bank is about to fail and rush en masse to withdraw money. They received the prize alongside Ben Bernanke, who chaired the Federal Reserve during the Great Recession. Bernanke was awarded for a 1983 paper on the role of banks in the Great Depression. Dybvig and Diamond’s paper cast bank runs as not just a symptom of economic damage but a contributor. The work delves into the instability they create and the role of protections like deposit insurance. “People, before that time, largely thought of bank runs as manias or psychological phenomena,” Dybvig said in an interview Monday. But bank runs are based on rational fears, he said, and with appropriate measures in place, they can be prevented. The “Diamond-Dybvig model” has become one of the basic frameworks economics students are taught about financial institutions, said Gaetano Antinolfi, a Washington University economics professor. The ideas in the paper have gone on to generate “a colossal literature,” he said. Dybvig, 67, was raised in Kettering, Ohio, outside of Dayton. He received a bachelor’s degree from Indiana University, where he double-majored in math and physics. He said he chose the school in part because of its music program — Dybvig is a classically trained piano player and still enjoys playing blues and jazz on the keyboard. He went on to earn a master’s degree and Ph.D. from Yale University. The Journal of Political Economy published the Nobel Prize-winning paper in 1983, when Dybvig was in his late 20s. Dybvig joined Washington University’s Olin Business School in 1988. He said Robert Virgil Jr., then dean of the business school, played a large part in bringing him to St. Louis. Over the years, people have suggested that the oft-cited paper on bank runs could receive a Nobel Prize, Dybvig said. But winning the prize with Bernanke, who “took what academics were doing and used it to help steer the country through some really difficult times,” was a welcome surprise, he said. Bernanke’s paper showed that the banking crisis both contributed to the Great Depression and extended the downturn. “People didn’t think of the financial system as being an important part of the business cycle, an important part of what was driving the economy,” Bernanke said Monday at the Brookings Institution, a nonprofit public policy organization in Washington. “As one professor told me when I gave this paper, ‘The financial system is just a veil. It just tells you who owns what.’” The Nobel Prize has been awarded to 26 people at Washington University — most in the fields of physiology and medicine. Dybvig is the second to receive the prize for economics. The late Douglass North, a Washington University professor, received the 1993 Nobel Prize in Economic Sciences alongside Robert Fogel, a University of Chicago economist. The business news you need Get the latest local business news delivered FREE to your inbox weekly. Read More Here

Post Politics Now: Biden Seeks To Make His Party’s Case In Prime-Time TV Interview https://digitalarkansasnews.com/post-politics-now-biden-seeks-to-make-his-partys-case-in-prime-time-tv-interview/ Today, with the midterm elections only four weeks off, President Biden will seek to make his party’s case in a sit-down interview airing in prime time on CNN. The conversation with the network’s Jake Tapper offers Biden an opportunity to discuss the economy, abortion rights and other issues at top of mind for voters. Biden gives such interviews infrequently. Earlier, Biden is scheduled to participate in a virtual meeting of the Group of Seven nations — Britain, Germany, France, Japan, Italy, Canada and the United States — to discuss Russia’s latest aggressions and to renew support for Ukraine. The meeting comes at a critical point as Russian President Vladimir Putin attempts to escalate the conflict in Ukraine. Your daily dashboard 8 a.m. Eastern: Biden and other G-7 leaders hold a virtual meeting to discuss support for Ukraine. 1:15 p.m. Eastern: White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre briefs reporters. Watch live here. 2:30 p.m. Eastern: Biden delivers virtual remarks at the Summit on Fire Prevention and Control. Watch live here. Got a question about politics? Submit it here. After 3 p.m. weekdays, return to this space and we’ll address what’s on the mind of readers. On our radar: Biden to sit for prime-time interview with CNN Return to menu President Biden plans to sit for a one-on-one interview with CNN’s Jake Tapper that is scheduled to air Tuesday night in prime time. Biden, who grants such interviews infrequently, is expected to make his party’s case ahead of the November midterms, which are now just four weeks off. CNN plans to air the interview at 9 p.m. Eastern time. Biden has previously taken part in CNN-hosted town halls but has not granted the network a one-on-one interview. His most recent such interview aired last month on CBS’s “60 Minutes.” Noted: ‘Nobody should have to go to jail for smoking weed,’ Harris says Return to menu Vice President Harris on Monday urged both governors and Congress to take action in the wake of President Biden’s announcement last week that he is offering mass pardons to people convicted of a federal crime for simply possessing marijuana. “Nobody should have to go to jail for smoking weed, right?” Harris said during an appearance on NBC’s “Late Night with Seth Meyers.” Harris, a former prosecutor, reiterated Biden’s plea to governors to take similar actions at the state level, where the vast majority of marijuana-related convictions take place. On our radar: Abortion rights advocates eye ballot measures for 2024 Return to menu Abortion rights advocates are exploring ballot measures to enshrine access to the procedure in state constitutions in 2024, including in a handful of Republican-led states with restrictions on the books. The Post’s Rachel Roubein reports that the effort represents an emerging strategy for abortion rights advocates and a growing belief that public opinion is on their side. After the Supreme Court overturned the decision granting a constitutional right to abortion, activists know that appealing directly to voters is one of the only ways to counteract bans in conservative states and reshape access in a post-Roe America. Per Rachel: Noted: How Trump’s legal expenses consumed GOP donor money Return to menu Donald Trump’s political operation has spent more money since he left office on lawyers representing him and a pair of nonprofits staffed by former Cabinet members than it has on Republican congressional campaigns, according to a review of financial filings. The Post’s Isaac Stanley-Becker and Josh Dawsey report that Trump’s leadership PAC, Save America, has blitzed supporters in recent days with fundraising solicitations that focus on next month’s high-stakes contest for control of Congress. “It is IMPERATIVE that we win BIG in November,” blared an email last week. The latest: Ohio Senate candidates play to center in debate Return to menu Both of Ohio’s Senate candidates played to the center Monday at their first debate, attempting to define themselves as the common-sense alternative to ideologically extreme opponents. Democratic Rep. Tim Ryan (R) praised the trade and military funding policies of former president Donald Trump, while saying President Biden should not run again and Vice President Harris was “absolutely wrong” when she said the southern border was secure. He cast Republican J.D. Vance as an “extremist” supplicant to Trump. Noted: New book details how McCarthy came to support Trump after Jan. 6 Return to menu A new book details a Republican-wide campaign to whitewash the details of what happened on Jan. 6, 2021, in the aftermath of the second impeachment of President Donald Trump, including the role played by House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.). The Post’s Marianna Sotomayor reports on the book, “Unchecked: The Untold Story Behind Congress’s Botched Impeachments of Donald Trump,” by Washington Post reporter Karoun Demirjian and Politico reporter Rachael Bade. A copy was obtained by The Post ahead of its release next week. The latest: Biden scrambles to avert cracks in pro-Ukraine coalition Return to menu President Biden is pushing hard to hold together what has become a central mission of his presidency: maintaining the global and domestic coalition supporting Ukraine against Russia’s aggression. The Post’s Yasmeen Abutaleb and John Hudson report that as the war heads into its first winter, probably a bitter and brutal one, some U.S. allies face economic head winds propelled by the war, while at home some Republicans voice skepticism about the billions in aid going to Ukraine. Per our colleagues: These efforts face a major test Wednesday when the United Nations votes on a draft resolution condemning Russia’s annexation of four parts of Ukraine. Biden and U.S. officials have been working to convince nonaligned countries in Latin America, Asia and Africa to refrain from taking a neutral position and condemn the Kremlin outright, an effort analysts said might be bolstered by Russia’s barrage of missile attacks Monday on Kyiv and other major Ukrainian cities. U.S. leaders are hoping at least 100 of the 193 U.N. member states — the number that supported a 2014 U.N. resolution condemning Russia’s annexation of Crimea — will support the draft resolution, several senior administration officials said. You can read the full story here. Read More Here

US Midterms 2022: The Key Candidates Who Threaten Democracy https://digitalarkansasnews.com/us-midterms-2022-the-key-candidates-who-threaten-democracy/ There are several races on the ballot this fall that will have profound consequences for American democracy. In several states, Republican candidates who doubt the election 2020 election results, or in some cases actively worked to overturn them, are running for positions in which they would have tremendous influence over how votes are cast and counted. If these candidates win, there is deep concern they could use their offices to spread baseless information about election fraud and try to prevent the rightful winners of elections from being seated. Here’s a look at some of the key candidates who pose a threat to US democracy: Doug Mastriano Mastriano, the Republican nominee for governor in Pennsylvania, played a key role in efforts to overturn the 2020 election. He was the “point person” for the Trump campaign in Pennsylvania as lawyers put together fake slates of electors for Trump, according to emails obtained by the New York Times. He also organized an event with Rudy Giuliani after the 2020 election in which speakers spread misinformation about the 2020 election. He hired buses and offered rides to the US Capitol on January 6 and was there himself. He has supported the idea of decertifying the presidential race in Pennsylvania, a key battleground state, which is not possible. If elected, Mastriano would wield considerable power over elections in Pennsylvania. The state is one of a handful where the secretary of state, the chief election official, is appointed by the governor. Mastriano has said he has already picked someone, but hasn’t said who. The Philadelphia Inquirer has speculated he could pick Toni Shuppe, an activist who has spread voting misinformation and theories linked to the QAnon movement. Mastriano has also said he would decertify election equipment and cause all voters in the state to re-register to vote. Mark Finchem Finchem is the Republican nominee for Arizona secretary of state, which would make him Arizona’s chief election official. Finchem, a member of the Oath Keepers, was at the US Capitol on January 6. He introduced a resolution earlier this year to decertify the election. In 2020, he was one of several lawmakers who signed a joint resolution asking Congress to reject electors for Joe Biden. He has said, falsely, that Joe Biden did not win the election in Arizona in 2020, which is false. “It strains credibility,” he told Time magazine in September of Biden’s victory. “Isn’t it interesting that I can’t find anyone who will admit that they voted for Joe Biden?” When a reporter asked him whether it was possible that people he didn’t know voted for Biden, Finchem said: “In a fantasy world, anything’s possible.” Kari Lake A former news anchor with no prior political experience, Lake made doubting the 2020 election a centerpiece of her successful bid to win Arizona’s GOP nomination for governor. If she wins the governor’s race, Lake would be one of the statewide officials charged with certifying the results of the presidential election. She has called the 2020 election “corrupt and stolen” and said she would not have certified it. She joined an unsuccessful lawsuit to require ballots in Arizona to be counted by hand, which experts say is unreliable and costly. She has backed ending mail-in voting, which is widely used in Arizona. Jim Marchant Marchant is the Republican nominee for secretary of state in Nevada. He is linked to the QAnon movement; he has said he was pushed to run for the position by Trump allies and a prominent QAnon influencer. He leads a coalition of far-right candidates seeking to be secretary of state in key battleground states. He lost a 2020 congressional race by more than 16,000 votes, but nonetheless challenged the result by alleging fraud. He has since traveled around the state pressuring counties to get rid of electronic voting equipment and instead only hand-count paper ballots. Such a switch would be unreliable – humans are worse at counting large quantities of things than machines – as well as costly, and take a long time, experts say. He has falsely said voting equipment is “easy” to hack and said that Nevadans’ votes haven’t counted for decades. He has claimed there is a global “cabal” that runs elections in Nevada and elsewhere. Kristina Karamo Karamo, the GOP nominee for secretary of state, became nationally known after the 2020 election when she claimed she witnessed wrongdoing as ballots were being counted in Detroit. The allegations were debunked, but Karamo, a community college professor who has never held elective office, went on to rise in conservative circles. She appeared on Fox News and was a witness at a high-profile legislative hearing about election irregularities. She joined an unsuccessful lawsuit to try to overturn of the election. She has claimed “egregious crimes” were committed during the 2020 election and said on a podcast: “It’s time for us decent people in the Republican party … to fight back. We cannot have our election stolen,” according to Bridge Michigan. She has also come under fire for comments on her podcast comparing abortion to human sacrifice and opposing the teaching of evolution in schools, according to Bridge Michigan. Matthew DePerno DePerno, a lawyer who has never held elected office, became a celebrity in conservative circles for his work after the 2020 election. He helped lead a lawsuit in Antrim county, in northern Michigan, where a clerk made an error and posted incorrect information on election night. He claimed election equipment was corrupted, and a judge authorized an investigation of the county’s election equipment that became the basis of an inaccurate report that Trump allies used to spread misinformation about the election. A Republican-led inquiry into allegations of fraud found his actions to be “​​misleading and irresponsible”. DePerno has said he would arrest Jocelyn Benson, a Democrat serving as Michigan’s top election official, as well as Dana Nessel, his Democratic opponent in the attorney general’s race. DePerno also faces potential criminal charges for unauthorized access to voting equipment. A special prosecutor is investigating the matter. Read More Here

Fraud Charges: Trump Allegedly Overvalued His Properties To Obtain Loans And Benefits https://digitalarkansasnews.com/fraud-charges-trump-allegedly-overvalued-his-properties-to-obtain-loans-and-benefits/ But the New York Attorney General’s Office is accusing the former U.S. president of “the art of the steal,” alleging that he grossly misrepresented the value of several of his properties. The lawsuit alleges misconduct at nearly two dozen properties owned by Trump in the U.S. and abroad, many of them quite well known. They include Trump Tower in New York City, where the… This article is available to INNsider Pro subscribers only. Sign in or register to be an INNsider Pro and access all locked articles. Read More Here

'Her Door Was Open': Call Reveals What Savannah Toddler's Mother Told Police When Child Disappeared https://digitalarkansasnews.com/her-door-was-open-call-reveals-what-savannah-toddlers-mother-told-police-when-child-disappeared/ Above video: Listen to the 911 dispatch callIt has been nearly a week since 20-month-old Quinton Simon disappeared from his Savannah home.In that time, multiple law enforcement agencies, as well as neighbors, have scoured the area hoping for any sign of the toddler.On Monday, Chatham County Police Chief Jeff Hadley said the 911 call placed by Quinton’s mother would not be publicly released, so as not to hurt the ongoing investigation.Below: Chatham County police chief gives Monday update in search for toddler Quinton SimonTRENDING STORIESPolice re-investigate pool in search for missing Savannah toddler, block release of 911 callTimeline: The Search for Missing Savannah Toddler Quinton SimonMissing in Georgia: Police searching for 13-year-old boy who disappeared during the weekendBut a dispatch call obtained by WJCL sheds some light on what authorities were told the morning of Quinton’s disappearance.”Complainant advised her 1-year-old son is missing,” the dispatcher is heard saying. “She woke up, her door was open. Advised he’s unable to open a door. Thinks someone came in and took him.”That was Wednesday, October 5. Quinton was last seen at the home around 6 a.m. He was noticed missing about three hours later.On Monday, Chatham Fire was called out to the home to begin pumping the backyard pool. It’s unclear if they found any clues. In all, more than 40 FBI agents and personnel are assisting with the investigation.Chatham County Police previously said they don’t believe there was any foul play involved and hope Quinton is still alive.Court documents obtained by WJCL show that the family was at odds before Quinton’s disappearance.The documents show that Billie Jo Howell, Quinton’s grandmother, attempted to remove the child’s mother, Leilani, and her boyfriend, Daniel Youngkin, from the home.Billie Jo, Leilani’s mother, said in the document “They have damaged my property and at this point no one is living in peace.”She added that she wanted Leilani and Daniel out “as soon as possible.” Documents also show that Quinton’s grandparents, Billie Jo and her husband, are the ones who have custody of Quinton and his 3-year-old brother. Below video: Hear from Quinton’s grandparents”She hasn’t always done the right thing,” Billie Jo said of her daughter on Thursday. “Sometimes she does really great, sometimes she doesn’t. I don’t know what to think right now. I don’t know what to believe, because I don’t think anybody ever believes this is going to happen to them. I don’t know if I can trust her or I don’t. I just know I’m hurting and I want this baby home. He’s my baby.”Chief Hadley says police will leave no stone unturned in the search. “There’s a very sequential process that takes place here,” Hadley said Friday. “It may be frustrating to the general public, it may be frustrating to y’all that things aren’t developing as quickly as you may like. But we’ve got to make sure that we’re doing the right thing, that we’re being lawful, making sure we dot our I’s and cross our T’s. So that if we discover evidence, it can be admissible in court and we can use it in court if we have to.” Police say a search has been conducted of the home, the backyard pool and a nearby pond.A tipline has been established for information regarding the case: 912-667-3134. Below video: Initial coverage of disappearance Above video: Listen to the 911 dispatch call It has been nearly a week since 20-month-old Quinton Simon disappeared from his Savannah home. In that time, multiple law enforcement agencies, as well as neighbors, have scoured the area hoping for any sign of the toddler. On Monday, Chatham County Police Chief Jeff Hadley said the 911 call placed by Quinton’s mother would not be publicly released, so as not to hurt the ongoing investigation. Below: Chatham County police chief gives Monday update in search for toddler Quinton Simon TRENDING STORIES Police re-investigate pool in search for missing Savannah toddler, block release of 911 call Timeline: The Search for Missing Savannah Toddler Quinton Simon Missing in Georgia: Police searching for 13-year-old boy who disappeared during the weekend But a dispatch call obtained by WJCL sheds some light on what authorities were told the morning of Quinton’s disappearance. “Complainant advised her 1-year-old son is missing,” the dispatcher is heard saying. “She woke up, her door was open. Advised he’s unable to open a door. Thinks someone came in and took him.” That was Wednesday, October 5. Quinton was last seen at the home around 6 a.m. He was noticed missing about three hours later. On Monday, Chatham Fire was called out to the home to begin pumping the backyard pool. It’s unclear if they found any clues. In all, more than 40 FBI agents and personnel are assisting with the investigation. Chatham County Police previously said they don’t believe there was any foul play involved and hope Quinton is still alive. Court documents obtained by WJCL show that the family was at odds before Quinton’s disappearance. The documents show that Billie Jo Howell, Quinton’s grandmother, attempted to remove the child’s mother, Leilani, and her boyfriend, Daniel Youngkin, from the home. Billie Jo, Leilani’s mother, said in the document “They have damaged my property and at this point no one is living in peace.” She added that she wanted Leilani and Daniel out “as soon as possible.” Documents also show that Quinton’s grandparents, Billie Jo and her husband, are the ones who have custody of Quinton and his 3-year-old brother. Below video: Hear from Quinton’s grandparents “She hasn’t always done the right thing,” Billie Jo said of her daughter on Thursday. “Sometimes she does really great, sometimes she doesn’t. I don’t know what to think right now. I don’t know what to believe, because I don’t think anybody ever believes this is going to happen to them. I don’t know if I can trust her or I don’t. I just know I’m hurting and I want this baby home. He’s my baby.” Chief Hadley says police will leave no stone unturned in the search. “There’s a very sequential process that takes place here,” Hadley said Friday. “It may be frustrating to the general public, it may be frustrating to y’all that things aren’t developing as quickly as you may like. But we’ve got to make sure that we’re doing the right thing, that we’re being lawful, making sure we dot our I’s and cross our T’s. So that if we discover evidence, it can be admissible in court and we can use it in court if we have to.” Police say a search has been conducted of the home, the backyard pool and a nearby pond. A tipline has been established for information regarding the case: 912-667-3134. Below video: Initial coverage of disappearance Read More Here

Donald Trump Backs Cory Mills In CD 7 https://digitalarkansasnews.com/donald-trump-backs-cory-mills-in-cd-7/ The former President had not backed anyone in the GOP Primary. Former President Donald Trump on Monday endorsed Republican nominee Cory Mills in an open Central Florida congressional race. Mills, an Army veteran and cable news fixture, won the Republican nomination in Florida’s 7th Congressional District in August. While multiple candidates in that competitive Primary were accused of inferring the former President’s support, Trump never actually backed any Republican over another in that contest. But now that Mills faces Democratic nominee Karen Green in the Nov. 8 General Election, Trump made clear he thinks the GOP nominee deserves to win. “A wonderful patriot, Cory Mills, is running for Congress in Florida’s 7th Congressional District as a Pro-America, Pro-Law Enforcement, and Pro-Trump Champion for our beloved Make America Great Again movement,” said Trump in a statement released by his Save America PAC. “Cory has long been a great fighter for our Country, and he is a decorated U.S. Army combat Veteran who has fought bravely all over the World. He has served in Iraq, Afghanistan, Kosovo, and has even traveled to Ukraine recently to provide information for USAID and State Department officials. When everyone else is running away from the tough fights, Cory Mills is willing to stay back and fight. He loves our Country, loves the Great State of Florida, and he will never let us down. Cory Mills has my Complete and Total Endorsement!” Capitalization in the statement is Trump’s own. Mills publicized the support on social media and promoted his own message on the need for a Republican-controlled House of Representatives. “In 21 months, the Dems have caused record inflation, cost of living increases, increased crime, begging OPEC for oil and emptying SPR, and tens of billions of taxpayer’s money in a foreign war that has led to nuclear war threats,” Mills tweeted. “We must stop out of control spending by Dems.” The race offers a critical pickup opportunity for Republican efforts to retake a majority. U.S. Rep. Stephanie Murphy, a Winter Park Democrat who chose not to seek re-election, currently represents the district. On a new congressional map signed by Gov. Ron DeSantis, the district shifts more Republican. Under the old lines, in which Murphy won election three times, Democrat Joe Biden won over Trump in the 2020 election by 10 percentage points, but under the new boundaries, more than 52% of voters went for Trump and fewer than 47% voted for Biden. Post Views: 0 Read More Here

MARC HYDEN:: To The Dismay Of Partisans, Georgia Has Legitimate Elections https://digitalarkansasnews.com/marc-hyden-to-the-dismay-of-partisans-georgia-has-legitimate-elections/ Oct. 11—Over the past several years, Republicans and Democrats have both questioned the validity of election results that didn’t go in their favor. These claims have particularly cast a shadow over the Peach State’s handling of its elections, given its key role in determining the 2020 presidential winner and controversies around the 2018 governor’s race. While a host of these allegations have already been litigated ad nauseam, a slow-moving case centered around Georgia’s elections — Fair Fight Action vs. Raffensperger — has finally been decided in federal court. And it turns out that Georgia’s elections are in better shape than many might believe. The case arose following Georgia’s 2018 gubernatorial election in which then-Secretary of State Brian Kemp, a Republican, eked out a narrow victory. The election was quickly mired in controversy and tainted with claims of illegitimacy, and it became a flashpoint as some of those on the political left claimed that the election had been stolen. The Atlanta Journal Constitution found that “no evidence emerged of systematic malfeasance — or of enough tainted votes to force a runoff election.” Nevertheless, plaintiffs led by Fair Fight Action, which is a darling of the political left, sued the state. It alleged serious, racially discriminatory impediments to voting. The group “challenged Georgia’s absentee ballot provisions, oversight of voter rolls and the state’s “exact match” law, which mandates that a voter’s name on their voter application be identical to their government identification,” wrote the New York Times. After presenting their cases, both parties awaited the court’s decision, and just days ago, it finally came down. U.S. District Court Judge Steven Jones rejected all of Fair Fight Action’s claims. “Although Georgia’s election system is not perfect, the challenged practices violate neither the constitution nor the Voting Rights Act,” Jones ruled. Ultimately, Jones determined that the plaintiffs failed to show “direct evidence of a voter who was unable to vote, experienced longer wait times, [or] was confused about voter registration status.” Before anyone impugns Jones and accuses him of being some sort of right-wing judicial activist, it’s important to remember that he was a nominee of President Obama. He’s not the kind of person you’d expect to rule against Fair Fight Action without good reason, but the legal fight came at a cost. The Georgia Attorney General’s office reportedly expended more than $6 million defending the state, and it would appear that the attorney general believes the vindication was worth it. “This ruling confirms what I have said all along: There is not one single eligible Georgian in 2018 who was prohibited from voting,” Attorney General Chris Carr, a Republican, explained. Meanwhile, Fair Fight Action lambasted Jones’ decision — calling it a “significant loss for the voting rights community in Georgia and across the country.” Love the decision or hate it, this was one of just many cases in which the courts have upheld the validity of our elections despite Republicans and Democrats increasingly claiming that they are rigged. However, these allegations aren’t limited to just Georgia’s statewide contests — far from it. Most notably, former President Trump became one of history’s most prominent election deniers after losing his re-election bid. “[The 2020] election is about great voter fraud, fraud that has never been seen like this before. … It’s about ballots that poured in and nobody but a few knew where they came from. … It’s about machinery that was defective,” Trump complained. He honed his ire particularly on states like Georgia, which flipped in favor of his opposition, but after audits, dozens of lawsuits, and expert analyses, no evidence has emerged to prove his claims that he won re-election. In fairness to Trump, he wasn’t the first national figure to chart this path, although he took it to extreme lengths. After Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton lost her presidential bid in 2016, she suggested that the election had been “stolen” and called Trump an “illegitimate president.” “I believe [Trump] understands that the many varying tactics they used, from voter suppression and voter purging to hacking to the false stories — he knows that — there were just a bunch of different reasons why the election turned out like it did,” she asserted. Like Trump’s claims, Clinton’s don’t seem to hold any water either. While it is critically important to safeguard our elections and investigate legitimate claims of fraud and voter suppression, increasing numbers of politicians are instead using the media and courts as outlets to vent their anger over losing fair and square, which undermines faith in voting. Thankfully, the courts have been a steadfast firewall against unfounded elections claims that threaten the fabric of our form of government, and to date, we’ve learned that faith in Georgia’s elections isn’t misplaced. Read More Here

Series Of Public Dialogues Scheduled https://digitalarkansasnews.com/series-of-public-dialogues-scheduled/ A series of public dialogues on the topics of election security, food scarcity, free speech on college campuses and prevention of mass shootings will take place in Central Arkansas starting this month. The series will continue through June 2023. The Winthrop Rockefeller Institute, the University of Arkansas Clinton School of Public Service and Central Arkansas Library System are working with the Kettering Foundation’s Partnership for Democratic Practices in Arkansas to host the series, which will be both online and in-person. In-person dialogues will be held at the Main Library of the Central Arkansas Library System, 100 S. Rock St., Little Rock, and will include sessions in both English and Spanish. Virtual sessions will be available via Zoom in English. The first of the dialogues will focus on the security of the nation’s election systems. The dialogue will explore whether the election systems are too easy to manipulate, whether there are rules that make voting fair and accessible to all and whether enough is being done to ensure accuracy and credibility. The dialogues on election systems are scheduled for the following dates and times: • Oct. 17: 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at Central Arkansas Library System’s Main Library (Spanish). • Oct. 17: 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. online (English). • Oct. 31: 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at CALS Main Library (English). The second topic of the dialogue series is titled “Land of Plenty: How Should We Ensure that People Have the Food They Need?” The dates and times are: • Jan. 23: 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at CALS Main Library (Spanish). • Jan. 23: 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. online (English). • Jan. 30: 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at CALS Main Library (English). The third topic of the series will be “Free Speech & The Inclusive Campus: How Do We Foster the Campus Community We Want?” The dates and times for the discussions are: • April 10: 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at CALS Main Library (Spanish). • April 10: 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. online (English). • April 17: 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at CALS Main Library (English). The dates and times for the dialogue on “How Should We Prevent Mass Shootings in Our Communities?” will be: • June 5: 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at CALS Main Library (Spanish). • June 5: 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. online (English). • June 12: 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at CALS Main Library (English). The Partnership for Democratic Practices in Arkansas is part of a national initiative with the Kettering Foundation and the National Issues Forums Institute. The collaboration between national and local organizations is intended to support the core functions and basic skills of a functioning democracy, including the ability to talk with one another on issues that are divisive or controversial. The dialogues will use the National Issues Forums discussion guides and will include guidance from trained facilitators. The discussion guides explore divisive topics by breaking them down into distinct options and exploring the pros and cons of each approach. Dialogue participants are asked to share their personal opinions on each option and the experiences that led to those opinions.The forum are not to be debates but exploration of why each participant feels a particular option will or will not work. More information and registration is available from Aaron Keith Kennard at [email protected], or rockefellerinstitute.org/dialogue. Read More…

Analysis | Biden Faces New Tests On Ukraine https://digitalarkansasnews.com/analysis-biden-faces-new-tests-on-ukraine/ Good morning, Early Birds! Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson will sit down with CNN’s Jake Tapper tonight at 9 p.m. ET. Who plans on watching? Oh yeah, he’s also talking to President Biden. Tips: earlytips@washpost.com. Thanks for waking up with us. In today’s edition …  Isaac Stanley-Becker and Josh Dawsey examine how Trump’s legal expenses consumed GOP donor money … Ryan and Vance squared off in a fiery debate … What we’re watching: The Court is back in session today …  but first … Biden works to maintain coalition on Ukraine as Russia escalates its attacks The war in Ukraine is at a critical inflection point as Russian President Vladimir Putin attempts to escalate the conflict despite a hampered military, with Ukraine’s allies skittish about high energy prices ahead of winter and the United Nations set to vote on a draft resolution condemning Russia. President Biden will attend a virtual meeting of the Group of Seven — Britain, Germany, France, Japan, Italy, Canada and the United States — today to discuss Russia’s latest aggressions and to renew support for Ukraine. Biden is “pushing hard to hold together what has become a central mission of his presidency: maintaining the global and domestic coalition supporting Ukraine. As the war heads into its first winter, probably a bitter and brutal one, some U.S. allies face economic head winds fueled by the war, while at home some Republicans voice skepticism about the billions in aid going to Ukraine.” our colleagues Yasmeen Abutaleb and John Hudson report. Biden’s “efforts face a major test Wednesday when the United Nations votes on a draft resolution condemning Russia’s annexation of four parts of Ukraine. Biden and U.S. officials have been working to convince nonaligned countries in Latin America, Asia and Africa to refrain from taking a neutral position and condemn the Kremlin outright, an effort analysts said might be bolstered by Russia’s barrage of missile attacks Monday on Kyiv and other major Ukrainian cities,” Yasmeen and John write. The challenges for Biden aren’t just abroad: “cracks are showing in political support at home for the billions in aid the United States is sending Ukraine. Those fissures are likely to widen significantly if Republicans recapture the House on Nov. 8.” “So far, the White House has been able to maintain bipartisan support for several multibillion-dollar aid and weapons packages to Ukraine, but some Republicans aligned with former president Donald Trump have begun raising questions about why the United States is spending so much money on a distant war overseas. And a decision last week by a Saudi- and Russian-led coalition to slash oil production is likely to send gas prices climbing again, which could sour the public even further.” Biden’s coalition strengthening efforts comes as Ukraine is pushing for more military support after a series of Russian attacks on Ukrainian cities, including the capitol Kyiv on Monday where at least 14 people have been killed. Putin has said it was in retaliation for the explosion of a key bridge. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky gave an address to his nation Monday night where he said 84 missiles hit Ukrainian cities and he reassured Ukrainians “that the country was working to get modern air-defense systems and strengthen its forces,” The Post’s Praveena Somasundaram reports.  “Ukraine cannot be intimidated,” he said. “We are united even more instead.” Zelensky will also address the G7 virtual meeting today, and “Ukraine’s calls for additional military aid are also set to be discussed this week at two meetings in Brussels, one involving NATO defense ministers and the other the Ukraine Defense Contact Group, a collection of about 50 countries created to provide assistance to Ukraine,” The Post’s Emily Rauhala, Rick Noack, Loveday Morris and Alex Horton report. The New York Times‘ Valerie Hopkins and Anton Troianovski write: “With his escalation, Putin is also betting that Russian elites — and the public at large — do indeed see it as a sign of strength rather than a desperate effort to inflict more pain on Ukrainian civilians in a war that Russia appears to be losing militarily.” How Trump’s legal expenses consumed GOP donor money Follow the money: “Donald Trump’s political operation has spent more money since he left office on lawyers representing the former president and a pair of nonprofits staffed by former Cabinet members than it has on Republican congressional campaigns,” according to financial filings reviewed by our colleagues Isaac Stanley-Becker and Josh Dawsey. “Trump’s leadership PAC, Save America, has blitzed supporters in recent days with fundraising solicitations that focus on next month’s high-stakes contest for control of Congress.” “It is IMPERATIVE that we win BIG in November,” blared an email last week. “The group has contributed about $8.4 million so far directly to Republican campaigns and committees, while devoting $7 million to Trump’s lawyers and another $2 million to the nonprofits, which employ former members of his administration, including former White House chief of staff Mark Meadows. Legal fees are expected to climb, Trump advisers say, as he employs a growing retinue of lawyers to fend off federal, state and county-level investigations.” Save America sent — $3-million — its single biggest check in the last 20 months “to a Florida law firm representing the former president in the Justice Department’s investigation of his handling of government documents at Mar-a-Lago and its probe of the riot on Jan. 6, 2021, aimed at keeping Trump in power.” Ryan and Vance square off in fiery debate Democratic Rep. Tim Ryan and Republican J.D. Vance aggressively attacked each other in a much anticipated Ohio Senate campaign debate Monday night over abortion, the border and Vance’s charity. “Vance said Ryan had supported policies that led to a 10-year-old girl in Ohio being raped. Ryan said Vance had started a “fake nonprofit” to help people overcome addiction issues. The two accused each other of being beholden to their party, with Ryan echoing a comment from former president Donald Trump in calling Vance an “a — kisser” and Vance saying Ryan’s 100% voting record with President Biden means he’s not the reasonable moderate he says he is,” Julie Carr Smyth of the Associated Press writes. Partisans on Twitter reacted to the back and forth like professional wrestling fans amazed at the rehearsed attack lines they were witnessing: Holy shit, @JDVance1 just KO’d Tim Ryan!!! “You voted so many times against border wall funding…If you had done your job, she would have never been raped in the first place. Do your job on border security, don’t lecture me about opinions I don’t actually have.” #OHSenDebate pic.twitter.com/MzDLevzKeI — Donald Trump Jr. (@DonaldJTrumpJr) October 10, 2022 From The Post: “During a heated exchange at a debate Monday night, [Ryan] accused [Vance] of ‘running around’ with extremists and supporting rioters who broke into the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021 … ‘You’re running around with Marjorie Taylor Greene, who is the absolute looniest politician in America,’ Ryan added. ‘This is a dangerous group.’” The congressman also said Vance fundraised for “the insurrectionists.” “Those people are election deniers, who call into question the most fundamental act we have — the foundation of this country,” Ryan said. “He’s called into question the presidential election. That’s a threat to our democracy.” Vance attempted to link the abortion and border security debates in an attack on Ryan. “ “Vance agreed with Ryan that a 10-year-old Ohio rape victim should not have had to leave the state for an abortion, but he said the fact the suspect was in the country illegally was a failure of weak border policies. ‘You voted so many times against the border wall funding, so many times for amnesty, Tim,’ Vance said. ‘If you had done your job, she would have never been raped in the first place,’ Smyth writes. Ryan went after Vance’s charity, questioning whether it did any good or was a cynical attempt to boost his profile. Our former colleague David A. Fahrenthold looked into the charity recently for another news organization. The Supreme Court is back after a holiday weekend and will hear two cases today: Reed v. Goertz: The case, which considers an appeal from Texas death row inmate Rodney Reed, focuses on the statute of limitations for DNA testing of crime-scene evidence. National Pork Producers v. Ross: This case revolves around animal welfare and how farmers should raise their pigs. “A Supreme Court ruling in favor of the pork producers could more broadly undermine states’ rights,” per E&E News’s Niina H. Farah. Russia’s nuclear weapons, visualized: “As Russia’s military retreats on the battlefield, Putin’s rhetoric about using nuclear weapons is escalating,” our colleague Karoun Demirjian reports. “It is very unlikely that Russia would use its most powerful nuclear weapons to settle scores with Kyiv; Moscow is far more likely, experts agree, to use a smaller nuclear weapon in the hopes of achieving a specific battlefield objective … [that] likely candidate is the 9K720 Iskander missile system, classified by NATO as the SS-26, which is a ground-based ballistic missile.” Early reeeads While you were asleep – maybe Thanks for reading. You can also follow us on Twitter: @theodoricmeyer and @LACaldwellDC. Read More Here

Stock Market News https://digitalarkansasnews.com/stock-market-news/ About this page Last Updated: Oct 11, 2022 at 6:54 am ET Follow The Wall Street Journal’s full markets coverage. Read More Here

War In Ukraine: No Sign Russia Considering Nuclear Weapons – GCHQ https://digitalarkansasnews.com/war-in-ukraine-no-sign-russia-considering-nuclear-weapons-gchq/ Image source, EPA Image caption, A destroyed tank near Izyum in the Kharkiv area of Ukraine By Gordon Corera Security correspondent, BBC News There are no current signs that Russia is considering the use of nuclear weapons in the Ukraine war, the head of GCHQ has said. Like other US and western officials recently, Sir Jeremy Fleming did not suggest there had been any signs of suspicious activity. Speaking on Radio 4’s Today programme, Sir Jeremy warned that any talk of nuclear weapons was “very dangerous”. GCHQ would hope to see “indicators” if Russia planned to use them, he said. “Any talk of nuclear weapons is very dangerous and we need to be very careful of how we are talking about that. “It’s clear to me that whilst we might not like and in many ways abhor the ways the Russian military machine and President Putin are conducting this war, they are staying within the doctrine that we understand for their use, including for nuclear weapons.” He added: “I’m sure Putin’s worried about the dangers of escalation. He thinks about those in different terms. But I think it is a sign that he has not reached for these other forms of waging war.” The comments come as the head of the intelligence agency plans to say in a speech on Tuesday that Ukraine is turning the tide against “exhausted” Russian forces. He will say President Vladimir Putin’s decision-making has proved “flawed”. “We know – and Russian commanders on the ground know – that their supplies and munitions are running out,” Sir Jeremy will say in his speech at the annual Royal United Services Institute security lecture. He will argue that the mobilisation of prisoners and inexperienced men “speaks of a desperate situation” – and will also directly criticise President Putin as isolated and making mistakes. Speaking on Radio 4’s Today programme about the state of the Russian military, Sir Jeremy said it was “running short of munitions” and “is certainly running short of friends”. “The word I have used is desperate,” he said. “We can see that desperation at many levels inside Russian society and Russia’s military machine.” But he warned that the missile attacks on targets across Ukraine on Monday showed Russia was still “very capable” of causing damage. He added: “Russia’s military machine can launch weapons, it has deep stocks and expertise. And yet, it is very broadly stretched in Ukraine.” Media caption, ‘No indicators’ Putin considering nuclear weapons – GCHQ chief The intelligence chief will also assert that the UK and its allies are at a defining moment when it comes to China. The director of the intelligence, cyber and security agency will say the costs to Russia of the war in Ukraine – in terms of both people and equipment – are “staggering” as early gains are now reversed. “With little effective internal challenge, his decision-making has proved flawed. It’s a high stakes strategy that is leading to strategic errors in judgement.” Sir Jeremy also claims the Russian people are now starting to understand the problems caused by what he describes as Putin’s “war of choice”. “They’re seeing just how badly Putin has misjudged the situation,” he will say. “They’re fleeing the draft, realising they can no longer travel. They know their access to modern technologies and external influences will be drastically restricted.” In a speech in March, Sir Jeremy said intelligence had showed some Russian soldiers in Ukraine had refused to carry out orders, sabotaged their own equipment and accidentally shot down one of their own aircraft. Image source, Getty Images Image caption, Sir Jeremy Fleming will warn against buying in Chinese technology with “hidden costs” The bulk of his lecture on Tuesday focuses on China. He will describe the UK as being at a “sliding doors moment” in which different paths taken will define the future. He argues the Chinese Communist Party is aiming to manipulate the technology that underpins people’s lives to embed its influence at home and abroad and provide opportunities for surveillance. But the intelligence chief said he would not stop children using TikTok – which is owned by Chinese firm ByteDance – but said young people should be more aware of their personal data and how it could be shared. “No, I wouldn’t (stop children from using TikTok), but I would speak to my child about the way in which they think about their personal data on their device,” he told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme. “I think it’s really important from a very early age that we understand that there is no free good here. When we are using these services we are exchanging our data for that and if it’s proportionate and we’re happy with the way that data is safeguarded then that’s great. “Make the most of that, make those videos, use TikTok – but just think before you do,” he added. He will also warn that China is seeking to create “client economies and governments” by exporting technology to countries around the world, saying these countries risk “mortgaging the future” by buying in Chinese technology with “hidden costs”. He will say this includes areas like: new standards for the internet which could provide tracking methods and greater government control; Chinese digital currencies – which could be used to monitor the transactions of users and try to evade the type of sanctions imposed on Russia; and plans for a Chinese satellite system, citing fears it could be used to track individuals. Chinese control of these areas is not inevitable, he will say, adding: “Our future strategic technology advantage rests on what we as a community do next.” Read More Here

September Jury Trial Set For Mulberry Use-Of-Force Incident That Went Viral https://digitalarkansasnews.com/september-jury-trial-set-for-mulberry-use-of-force-incident-that-went-viral/ FORT SMITH — A jury trial has been set for a man’s federal civil rights lawsuit against three law enforcement officers who were shown holding down and beating him in a video in August. A counterclaim also has been filed in the suit. The trial is scheduled to begin at 9 a.m. Sept. 11 in Fort Smith before U.S. District Judge P.K. Holmes, according to an initial scheduling order filed Friday. The legal team for Randal Worcester, 27, of Goose Creek, S.C., filed the lawsuit Aug. 29 after Zack King and Levi White, then-deputies of the Crawford County Sheriff’s Office, and officer Thell Riddle of the Mulberry Police Department were recorded using force while arresting Worcester. The arrest occurred about 10:40 a.m. Aug. 21 outside the Kountry Xpress convenience store off Interstate 40 in Mulberry. The video depicted the officers repeatedly punching and kneeing Worcester, as well as telling a bystander to get away from the scene. One of the officers, identified as White in Worcester’s lawsuit, was also shown slamming Worcester’s head to the pavement. Worcester’s lawsuit accuses the three men, along with Mulberry Police Chief Shannon Gregory, Crawford County Sheriff Jimmy Damante, Mulberry, the Mulberry Police Department, Crawford County and the Crawford County Sheriff’s Office, of violating Worcester’s rights under the Fourth and Fourteenth amendments of the U.S. Constitution and, by extension, federal law. It also accuses them of committing negligence, battery and assault against Worcester. White filed a counterclaim to the lawsuit Thursday that accuses Worcester of battery and asks for a judgment against Worcester for the damages Worcester reportedly inflicted on him Aug. 21, along with a request that the lawsuit be dismissed. King and White are both represented by attorneys Russell Wood and Jason Owens. White was speaking to Worcester at the Kountry Xpress when Worcester “viciously attacked” him by grabbing him around the legs and driving him back onto the concrete parking lot, according to the counterclaim. White hit his head, which knocked him unconscious, after which Worcester reportedly climbed on top of him and started hitting his face and head. “As a direct and proximate result of conduct, White suffered a severe concussion, concussion symptoms and cuts and bruises,” the counterclaim states. “White has also suffered extreme physical pain.” The extent of White’s injuries has yet to be fully realized, with White being scheduled for another magnetic resonance imaging examination by his neurologist, according to the counterclaim. The attorneys for the other defendants in this case filed their answers Sept. 20 in which they also called for Worcester’s lawsuit to be dismissed, according to court records. Worcester was arrested in connection with suspicion of second-degree battery, first-degree assault, second-degree assault, resisting arrest, possessing an instrument of crime, criminal trespass, second-degree criminal mischief and first-degree terroristic threatening after the incident, according to the Sheriff’s Office’s online inmate roster. He was released from jail on $15,000 bail Aug. 22. Linda Phillips, administrative assistant for the Sheriff’s Office, confirmed Thursday that King and White had been fired. They had been suspended following Worcester’s arrest. Sherry Jones, administrative assistant to the financial director of Mulberry, said Thursday that Riddle is still on administrative leave. Attorney Emily White has said she was appointed as special prosecuting attorney for the Arkansas State Police’s independent investigation into the use of force. She received the investigative file from the State Police on Sept. 2. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Arkansas, the Department of Justice and the FBI’s field office in Little Rock also opened a civil rights investigation into the incident, according to authorities. Read More Here

Hannity Airs Joe Biden https://digitalarkansasnews.com/hannity-airs-joe-biden/ Fox News host Sean Hannity aired a voicemail left by President Joe Biden for his son Hunter Biden during his show on Monday as the president’s son may be facing federal charges. Hannity played the audio which had been obtained by The Daily Mail and was reportedly recorded on October 15, 2018—three days after Hunter Biden allegedly made a false statement while purchasing a gun. The Washington Post reported last week that federal agents investigating Hunter Biden believe there may be enough evidence to bring charges against him for that gun purchase as well as alleged tax crimes. His foreign business dealings could also become the subject of congressional investigations if Republicans take control of the House of Representatives in this year’s midterm elections. US President Joe Biden (L) waves alongside his son Hunter Biden after attending mass at Holy Spirit Catholic Church in Johns Island, South Carolina on August 13, 2022. Fox News’ Sean Hannity played a 2018 voicemail from Biden to his son on Monday. NICHOLAS KAMM/AFP/Getty Images In the 2018 voicemail, Joe Biden can be heard to say: “It’s Dad. I called to tell you I love you. I love you more than the whole world, pal. You gotta get some help. I know you don’t know what to do. I don’t either.” Hunter Biden has been open about his history of drug use and his struggles with addiction, while his father has previously said he’s proud of his son for overcoming addiction. After he aired the voicemail on Monday, Hannity said: “It’s actually sad.” “Now that voicemail reportedly came at the exact same time Hunter lied on a gun application to buy a handgun,” he said. “By the way, replace the name Biden with Trump and imagine how the mob and the media would be covering all of this,” the Fox News host added. “Instead, they’d rather perpetuate one hoax after another, just like they did with the dirty Steele dossier.” Hannity was referring to a disputed opposition research report about former President Donald Trump which contained many claims that have not been verified. Some social media users were critical of Hannity for airing the voicemail and defended Biden’s comments to his son. “A parent expressing love and concern for their child is scandalous? Not sure I understand,” wrote podcast host Rachel Vindman. Journalist Aaron Rupar shared a still showing a quote from the voicemail displayed during Hannity’s show and wrote: “what a monster.” Newsweek has asked the White House and an attorney for Hunter Biden for comment. In a statement to The Washington Post last week, Chris Clark, a lawyer for Hunter Biden, accused investigators of leaking information which he said was a federal felony. “As is proper and legally required, we believe the prosecutors in this case are diligently and thoroughly weighing not just evidence provided by agents, but also all the other witnesses in this case, including witnesses for the defense. That is the job of the prosecutors. They should not be pressured, rushed, or criticized for doing their job,” Clark said. The Mail said on Monday that the voicemail had been left on an “abandoned laptop” belonging to Hunter Biden. Hunter Biden has been a focus of controversy since the 2020 presidential election, with former President Trump taking aim at him during a debate with then former Vice President Biden. “My son, like a lot of people … had a drug problem,” Biden said in response to Trump at the time. “He’s overtaken it. He’s fixed it. He’s worked on it. And I’m proud of him.” Read More Here

Returns Revisited https://digitalarkansasnews.com/returns-revisited/ Little Rock Parkview quarterback Eric McGehee completed a 26-yard pass last Friday to give his team a 14-0 lead over Hope. The next time he and the Patriots’ offense put points on the scoreboard, it was to extend the lead to 41-7. Thanks to the special teams and defensive exploits of sophomore Omarion Robinson, the offense was tasked with scoring a total of 21 points in Parkview’s 48-21 win at War Memorial Stadium in Little Rock. Between those two passing touchdowns by McGehee, Robinson went to work on special teams. He returned the kickoff following Hope’s first score 60 yards for a touchdown, returned a punt 93 yards for a touchdown and brought a second punt back 62 yards for his third score to make it 35-7. “I want to thank my teammates for helping me. On the kickoff, they set up the wall, I see the hole [and] I just go,” Robinson said. On the first punt return touchdown, Robinson evaded seven would-be tacklers on his way to the end zone. He said it’s the kind of thing he’s been doing his whole life. “It’s just kind of like backyard football,” he said. “Get the ball and go. Do what you know what to do.” Robinson’s scoring wasn’t done there. His primary position is as a ball-hawking safety at the back end of the defense for Parkview (4-2, 3-0 5A-South). In the second quarter, Robinson jumped a flat route and returned an interception 28 yards for a touchdown, making the score 48-7. “Anytime anybody scores four touchdowns in a half, you’re always really impressed,” Parkview Coach Brad Bolding said. “He didn’t do it on offense. He did it in the other two phases, which is great because those are a little bit harder to come by than just lining up and scoring something offensively. It was an impressive night.” On the season, Robinson has returned 4 kicks for touchdowns, intercepted 3 passes and scored 3 touchdowns as a part-time member of the offense. By this point in the season, some teams have keyed in on Robinson’s return ability and have purposely kicked away from him. For those who don’t, Robinson said he wants to make them regret the decision. “I find it a little disrespectful when they’re kicking it to me,” he said. “I’ve got to make them pay.” In their initial rankings of the 2025 class, 247Sports and Rivals had Robinson among their top-100 lists, coming in at Nos. 83 and 75, respectively. ” I don’t really look at the rankings,” he said. “I just keep playing just to get better. But it feels good to know that I’m ranked that high.” College coaches have begun taking notice of the sophomore’s talents in recent weeks. He currently holds eight Division I scholarship offers, including ones from the University of Arkansas, Ole Miss, TCU and Arkansas State University. Read More…

What It Will Take To Make AOC The Next Bernie Sanders? https://digitalarkansasnews.com/what-it-will-take-to-make-aoc-the-next-bernie-sanders/ There are a few Democrats on the short list for becoming the next Bernie Sanders, a candidate that was able to mobilize an entire generation while running for president, twice. There’s Pete Buttigieg, Gavin Newsom, Ro Khanna, and, most obvious but least likely, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, aka AOC. Amie Parnes, senior correspondent for The Hill newspaper in Washington covering the Biden White House and national politics, joined The New Abnormal podcast to talk through this list of Democratic contenders with host Andy Levy, and discuss why they would or wouldn’t be fit for the job of Bernie’s protégé, as well as why the New York congresswoman made the list—with a grain of salt. Subscribe to The New Abnormal on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, Amazon Music, or Overcast. “If you took Bernie and turned him into a brown woman, you would expect it to just drive Republicans absolutely insane,” jokes Andy. “It has and it will continue to, but, I don’t know. She’s done really, really well obviously, and has a huge, huge, huge following and has been able to do things that so many other Democrats haven’t been able to do. But I had to research like when she’ll actually be of age to run and it’s on Inauguration Day,” says Parnes, who recently reported a piece on this alongside colleague Hanna Trudo (a former Daily Beast reporter.) But, she adds: “I think AOC is sort of, kind of on our list, but is also an eye roll for a lot of people. That would never happen so soon. Even though a lot of people think that [the Democratic Party] is leaning more left, I think when you talk to people they obviously say that the moderate lane is how you win…. The Squad will come up obviously and be the next generation, but I think they have kind of a lot to prove to people. I think the Democratic party in general and the progressive wing has to do a better job of kind of grooming these people to kind of come up.” Filmmaker Andy Ostroy, who hosts the podcast The Back Room, also joins the pod and plays a little game of Sophie’s Choice with Andy Levy: Would people rather see Trump in jail for the rest of his life or Fox News shut down forever? Plus, he shares what it felt like to interview the killer of his late wife, actress Adrienne Shelly, who was murdered in her apartment in 2006, as well as his take on said killer being an undocumented immigrant. It’s not what you expect. Listen to The New Abnormal on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon and Stitcher. Read More Here

Trump Lawyer Names 2 Other Attorneys In Meeting With Federal Investigators About Classified Mar-A-Lago Materials: Report – Digital World Acq (NASDAQ:DWAC) https://digitalarkansasnews.com/trump-lawyer-names-2-other-attorneys-in-meeting-with-federal-investigators-about-classified-mar-a-lago-materials-report-digital-world-acq-nasdaqdwac/ Donald Trump’s attorney, Christina Bobb, who was present when Mar-a-Lago was raided by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, reportedly held talks with federal investigators on Friday and named two of the former president’s attorneys. What Happened: The lawyer, who signed a letter that certified that all sensitive records in Trump’s possessions had been turned over to the government, did not draft that statement, people familiar with the matter told NBC News. Bobb reportedly told investigators that it was Evan Corcoran, the lead lawyer involved in the case at the time, that asked her to sign it. She also named Trump’s legal adviser Boris Epshteyn to the investigators, who was minimally involved in the discussions about the records. Before Bobb signed the letter certifying the transfer of records, she insisted that a disclaimer be inserted. The wording certified that Trump had no more records “based upon the information that has been provided to me,” the NBC sources revealed. See Also: How To Buy TMTG IPO Stock  Why It Matters: Bobb insisted on the disclaimer twice, according to a source named by NBC. She talked with investigators without an immunity deal and is not “criminally liable,” a source was quoted as saying. “She is not going to be charged. She is not pointing fingers. She is simply a witness for the truth.” It was reported earlier that both Bobb and Corcoran could be called as witnesses or get entangled in an obstruction investigation linked to the matter. Trump had described the raid on his Florida home as “not necessary or appropriate” on Truth Social, a part of the Trump Media & Technology Group, which is set to go public through a merger with Digital World Acquisition Corp. DWAC. Read Next: Trump’s Claims About Former Presidents Mishandling Official Records Debunked By Fact Checkers © 2022 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved. Read More Here

Putin Unleashes Deadly Strikes Across Ukraine After Crimea Bridge Blast https://digitalarkansasnews.com/putin-unleashes-deadly-strikes-across-ukraine-after-crimea-bridge-blast/ After a series of humiliating battlefield setbacks that have piled pressure on Putin, the attacks were a sudden escalation that showed Moscow retained the capacity to terrorize Ukraine’s population, if not defeat its military. They shattered months of relative calm in Kyiv and other areas far from the front lines. At least six people were killed and 51 others were injured in the capital, the city’s military administration said. Across the country, at least 19 people were dead and 105 were others injured as of early Tuesday, according to the State Emergency Service of Ukraine. NBC News has not verified the numbers. Russia used missiles and Iranian-built drones to target civilians and energy facilities throughout the country, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in a recorded video. “They want panic and chaos. They want to destroy our energy system. They are hopeless,” he said. Critical infrastructure facilities were damaged in Kyiv and 12 regions of the country, Ukraine’s state emergency services said, with electricity supply partly disrupted in 15 regions. Significant internet outages were also reported across the country by the monitoring group NetBlocks. The blasts came hours after Putin first accused Ukraine of “terrorism” over the huge explosion that severely damaged the bridge connecting Russia and annexed Crimea on Saturday, dealing a strategic and symbolic blow to his campaign. Kyiv has not taken responsibility for the incident, which the Russians said killed at least three people and was caused by a truck bomb. A series of failures on the battlefield and the chaotic call-up of hundreds of thousands of military reservists have led to growing criticism of the Kremlin at home, with some prominent figures urging escalation to reverse the course of the conflict. Ukraine was braced for retribution, which soon arrived. NBC News heard a number of blasts in the center of Kyiv early Monday. Smoke rose off buildings, while images and videos verified by NBC News showed incinerated cars and a crater near a playground in a city park. Residents scrambled for shelter in underground subway stations, while air raid sirens sounded in other major cities across the country. Vitali Klitschko, Kyiv’s mayor, said the explosions occurred in the central distinct of Shevchenko, where several key government offices are. He later said that some of the city’s critical infrastructure was hit and that the threat of new strikes remained. Kyiv’s authorities also warned of possible power and water supply interruptions and urged people to charge their phones and stock up on water. Read More Here

Stock Futures Fall After The Nasdaq Composite Closes At A 2-Year Low https://digitalarkansasnews.com/stock-futures-fall-after-the-nasdaq-composite-closes-at-a-2-year-low/ Traders on the floor of the NYSE, Aug. 8, 2022. Source: NYSE U.S. stock futures traded lower on Tuesday morning after the Nasdaq Composite closed at its lowest in two years during the regular session. Dow Jones Industrial Average futures fell by 250 points, or 0.9%. S&P 500 and Nasdaq 100 futures slipped 0.88% and 0.89%, respectively. Stocks closed lower Monday, with the Nasdaq Composite falling 1% following a drop in semiconductor stocks. The Dow Jones Industrial Average shed nearly 94 points, or 0.3%, while the S&P 500 declined about 0.8%. Investors weighed comments from JPMorgan CEO Jamie Dimon, who warned that the U.S. would likely fall into a recession over the next “six to nine months,” and said the S&P 500 could fall another 20% depending on whether the Federal Reserve engineers a soft or a hard landing for the economy. Those remarks came at the start of a big week for third quarter bank earnings, and ahead of Wednesday’s producer price report, Thursday’s consumer price index report for September and Friday’s retail sales numbers, also for last month. Investor reaction is focused solely on how the Federal Reserve will react to the economy as it works to dampen inflation. “There’s always this idea of a Fed pivot coming right around the corner, and they’re just going to tighten their belts to bring inflation down without affecting the economy more broadly,” Dan Greenhaus, chief strategist and economist at Solus Alternative Asset Management, said Monday on CNBC’s “Closing Bell: Overtime.” “All of that was always hopes and dreams. And the most likely outcome was … what history shows always happens, which is the Fed tightens, they tighten too much, they cause an economic dislocation, the market goes down. Full stop,” he added. European markets slide as global growth concerns persist European markets retreated on Tuesday as concerns persisted over the global growth outlook and the prospect of more monetary policy tightening from central banks. The pan-European Stoxx 600 index fell 0.8% in early trade, with basic resources shedding 2% to lead losses as all sectors and major bourses slid into negative territory. – Elliot Smith UK labor market remains tight; retail spending rises Shoppers pass along the main high street in Whitstable, UK, on Tuesday, Aug 16, 2022. Bloomberg | Bloomberg | Getty Images The U.K. employment rate dipped 0.3 percentage points in the period from June to August, but remained robust at 75.5%. The unemployment rate also fell by 0.3 percentage points to hit 3.5%, the lowest level since 1974, and the number of unemployed people per job vacancy fell to a record low of 0.9. Meanwhile, the number of people who were economically inactive due to long-term sickness was at an all-time high. The British Chambers of Commerce said labor market tightness was holding back the ability for businesses to service existing customers and grow. Figures also published Tuesday by the British Retail Consortium showed retail sales were up 2% year-on-year. However, the BRC said this was likely due to inflation as overall sales volumes fell, and noted weakening consumer confidence. — Jenni Reid Bank of England intervenes in bond markets again, warns of ‘material risk’ to UK financial stability The Bank of England on Tuesday announced an expansion of its emergency bond-buying operation as it looks to restore order to the country’s chaotic bond market. The central bank said it will widen its purchases of U.K. government bonds — known as gilts — to include index-linked gilts from Oct. 11 until Oct. 14. Index-linked gilts are bonds where payouts to bondholders are benchmarked in line with the U.K. retail price index. “The beginning of this week has seen a further significant repricing of UK government debt, particularly index-linked gilts. Dysfunction in this market, and the prospect of self-reinforcing ‘fire sale’ dynamics pose a material risk to UK financial stability,” the bank said in a statement Tuesday. Read the full story here. – Elliot Smith U.S. Treasury yields climb, 30-year hits highest level since 2013 The yield on the 30-year U.S. Treasury note climbed as high at 3.941%, reaching its highest level in nine years. The 10-year yield rose to 3.963% and the 2-year yield inched higher to 4.318%. Rates fell earlier this month but started to rise again after positive economic data in the U.S. led investors to increase bets on further rate hikes by the Fed. Bond yields move inversely to prices and one basis point is equivalent to 0.01%. — Abigail Ng CNBC Pro: Wall Street is bullish on some corners of tech again, as Citi gives one stock 115% upside Some Wall Street banks have started making the case for buying into tech again, naming specific sectors they are bullish on. Citi and Morgan Stanley both said they have upgraded tech to overweight. CNBC Pro subscribers can read more about the areas they are looking at and the global stocks to buy. — Weizhen Tan All sectors in the S&P 500 are more than 10% off their recent highs All 11 sectors in the S&P 500 closed more than 10% off their recent highs on Monday. Communication services is more than 41% lower than its 52-week high. Information technology, consumer discretionary, and real estate are all more than 33% off their recent highs. Financials and materials are down more than 23%, and industrials is more than 20% lower. — Chris Hayes, Sarah Min Kevin Simpson’s top stock picks include UPS, Qualcomm Kevin Simpson said his top stock picks include UPS and Qualcomm as he looks for names with strong dividend growth in a volatile market. The founder and CIO at Capital Wealth Planning said he has a 5% allocation to UPS, noting its healthy dividend yield of nearly 4%. “Over the past 10 years, they just continue to raise that dividend, and that’s our playbook,” Simpson said Monday on CNBC’s “Closing Bell: Overtime.” “If we can have stocks that turn a profit, they have an EBITDA, they return cash to shareholders, certainly in a time period like this, that type of methodology can work.” Simpson said he’s using the decline in semiconductor stocks to build a position in Qualcomm, which has a 2.6% dividend yield. Chip stocks slumped on Monday after the Biden administration announced new measures that would limit U.S. companies’ ability to sell advanced computing chips to China. The investor, who said he has a 14% cash allocation, said he expects “the next three to six months are going to provide ample opportunity to buy amazing names” as the Federal Reserve maintains a hawkish stance against inflation. — Sarah Min Stock futures open little changed U.S. stock futures were little changed on Monday night after the Nasdaq Composite closed at its lowest in two years during the regular session. Dow Jones Industrial Average futures rose by 14 points, or 0.05%. S&P 500 and Nasdaq 100 futures climbed 0.06% and 0.09%, respectively. — Sarah Min Read More Here

Los Angeles Council President Steps Down After Audio Leak Of Racist Comments https://digitalarkansasnews.com/los-angeles-council-president-steps-down-after-audio-leak-of-racist-comments/ Oct 10 (Reuters) – A Los Angeles city councilwoman resigned as president of the council on Monday after the release of an audio recording in which she makes racist and other disparaging comments, including remarks about the Black son of a colleague. Nury Martinez, a Democrat, apologized to fellow Democratic Councilman Mike Bonin and his family in a statement announcing that her resignation would be effective immediately. She continues to represent Los Angeles’ sixth district. Martinez came under fire after the Los Angeles Times reported comments she made during a recorded October 2021 meeting, in which she said Bonin, who is white, treated his Black son as if he were an “accessory” and compared him to a “changuito,” which translates as “little monkey.” Bonin was not present. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com Martinez also disparaged Mexicans from Oaxaca and voiced her displeasure with Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascón, saying “he’s with the Blacks,” the Times reported. “I take responsibility for what I said and there are no excuses for those comments. I’m so sorry,” Martinez said in the statement. “As someone who believes deeply in the empowerment of communities of color, I recognize my comments undercut that goal.” Two other Democratic members of the council – Gil Cedillo and Kevin de León – and labor leader Ron Herrera, who resigned on Monday night, were present during the conversation, according to the Times. It reported that De León accused Bonin of not supporting Latinos and likened him to being the council’s “fourth Black member.” The three issued statements acknowledging that inappropriate remarks were made at the meeting, according to the Times. The Los Angeles County Federation of Labor did not respond to a request for comment on Herrera’s resignation. Bonin issued a statement on Sunday calling for the city council to remove Martinez as president and for her to resign from the legislative body. “Any parent reading her comments will know she is unfit for public office,” Bonin said. The local chapter of activist group Black Lives Matter said Martinez, Cedillo, de León and Herrera should resign from their posts. Martinez was the first Latina to become president of the city’s council in January 2020, according to her office website. She was first elected to city council in 2013. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com Reporting by Tyler Clifford in New York. Additional reporting by Kanjyik Ghosh. Editing by Rosalba O’Brien and Gerry Doyle Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles. Read More Here

Trump Shares Bizarre Nature Documentary Video About Himself https://digitalarkansasnews.com/trump-shares-bizarre-nature-documentary-video-about-himself/ Donald Trump has shared a bizarre video clip of himself during his presidential days – but with a voiceover imitating a nature documentary valorising the lion. The clip, roughly one minute and 20 seconds long, was posted on his Truth Social account late on Monday and shows him waving to people while the narrator can be heard saying, “This lion, he’s the king of the jungle… huge mane, he’s so big, he’s so hot”. “Now when the lion comes, they start messing with him, biting his tail, biting his ears. He doesn’t do anything. The lioness, she starts messing with him, coming over, making trouble. Still, nothing,” the voiceover continues, as the clip shows Melania Trump with him during his oath-taking ceremony. “Now, the other animals, they notice this. They start to move in. The Jackals. Hyenas. Barking at him. Laughing at him,” the narrator continues as footage is shown of Democrat leaders, including of Nancy Pelosi tearing up Mr Trump’s State of the Union address in early 2020. “One day the lion gets up and scares the shit out of everybody. Runs like the wind. Eats everything in his path. ‘Cause every once in a while, the lion has to show the jackals who he is.” This comes after the one-time US president claimed that former president George HW Bush “took millions and millions of documents to a former bowling alley pieced together with what was then an old and broken Chinese restaurant”. Mr Trump’s comment on Bush senior drew a sharp response on Twitter from his son, Jeb Bush. “I am so confused,” he said. “My dad enjoyed a good Chinese meal and enjoyed the challenge of 7 10 split. What the heck is up with you?” he tweeted, resharing a clip of Trump making the accusatory remarks. A 7-10 split is a bowling term that describes when a player takes out all but the last two pins in the line-up. Meanwhile, former White House aide Cassidy Hutchinson is reportedly cooperating in an investigation into Mr Trump and his allies’ effort to overturn the 2020 election. Ms Hutchinson, a key witness during the hearing for the House Select Committee investigating the 6 Jan insurrection at Capitol Hill, is cooperating with the inquiry led by Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis, CNN reported, citing sources. Read More Here

The Supreme Court Is Poised To Redefine Protected Waters https://digitalarkansasnews.com/the-supreme-court-is-poised-to-redefine-protected-waters/ If you want to cross the Rillito River in Tucson, Arizona, anytime between October and July, you probably won’t need a boat, a bridge, waders, or even waterproof shoes. During most of the year, the river is an arroyo, a curvy strip of dry sand that holds no more than the memory of water: braided serpentine patterns in the sand, erosion-smoothed stones, debris wrapped around the trunks of the few hardy deciduous trees. But when the Rillito springs to life, as it did on multiple occasions this summer, it becomes a river like any other, swelling up to 5,000 cubic feet per second or more, and rivaling the Southwest’s largest, fastest streams. The river carries silt and stones and seeds, chunks of wood and leaves, bugs and animal carcasses, not to mention all the garbage and whatever else has been dumped into the arroyo, tumbling all the way down to the Santa Cruz River. Folks have been known to kayak the Rillito in waters so tempestuous that helicopters are occasionally needed to rescue them. On October 3, the Rillito River and thousands of other ephemeral or intermittent rivers, streams, arroyos, gullies, wetlands, marshes, and prairie potholes went to court — the Supreme Court. The justices heard Sackett vs. Environmental Protection Agency, and their decision could yank many of the Southwest’s waterways out from under federal jurisdiction, ripping the guts out of the Clean Water Act just in time for its 50th birthday this year. The specific case dates back to 2007, when EPA officials ordered Chantell and Michael Sackett to stop backfilling their soggy half-acre lot on the shores of Idaho’s Priest Lake, where they wanted to build a cabin. The EPA had determined the wetlands were “waters of the United States,” or WOTUS, and therefore protected by the Clean Water Act. The Sacketts disagreed and took the feds to court. As the case wound its way through the legal system, the Sacketts’ cabin site transformed into the front line of a 50-year ideological battle over the definition of what constitutes legally decreed “waters.” The court’s decision — expected early next year — will have especially weighty implications for the arid West. For years, the EPA and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers — the agencies charged with enforcing the Clean Water Act — agreed that everything from arroyos to prairie potholes to sloughs to mudflats fell under the heading of WOTUS, as long as their destruction or degradation might ultimately affect the nation’s traditionally navigable waters. It was a broad definition, and it gave the agencies latitude to “restore and maintain the chemical, physical, and biological integrity of the Nation’s waters,” as Congress mandated when it passed the Clean Water Act in 1972. But developers, big agriculture, extractive industries, and private property-rights ideologues have long pushed back, arguing that the definition is too broad. SCOTUS has considered WOTUS a handful of times over the decades, tinkering with the definition in ways that have sometimes only further muddied the waters. The EPAs of various presidential administrations made their own adjustments based on their political leanings: Industry-friendly folks tended to exclude as much as they possibly could, while greener ones took a more inclusive tack. Then, in 2006, the High Court handed down a divided, albeit landmark, decision in the Rapanos v. United States case, which started in 1989, when a Michigan developer drained and backfilled 22 acres of wetlands to build a shopping mall. He never applied for a permit and ignored federal and state officials’ cease-and-desist orders, arguing that the wetlands were immune from the Clean Water Act because they were not traditionally navigable waters. The High Court’s 4-1-4 decision remanded the case back to the Appeals Court, so was not in itself definitive. But the late Justice Antonin Scalia’s plurality opinion sent ripples throughout the water world. He wrote that it was “beyond parody” to include “‘ephemeral streams,’ ‘wet meadows’ … and dry arroyos in the middle of the desert” under “waters of the United States.” He argued that WOTUS should only include “geographic features that are described in ordinary parlance as streams, oceans, rivers, and lakes.” Scalia’s opinion not only confirmed his partiality towards the agriculture industry and real estate developers, many of who would gladly do away with the Clean Water Act altogether, but also his hostility toward what he called the “immense arid wastelands” of the Western U.S. His pronouncement was interpreted as meaning that scores of Southwestern rivers, streams, and arroyos were not worthy of protection, even if they were as important to the communities and landscapes through which they ran as the mighty rivers of the Midwest or Northwest. The Sacketts’ cabin site transformed into the front line of a 50-year ideological battle over the definition of what constitutes legally decreed “waters.” Justice Anthony Kennedy worried that Scalia’s arroyo-phobic definition would leave even major tributaries of the Los Angeles River without protection. He argued that a body of water needed only a “significant nexus” with a navigable stream to put it under federal jurisdiction. Justice John Paul Stevens noted that Scalia’s interpretation would allow agencies to go after polluters that damaged year-round streams. But any polluter who dumped into such a stream’s tributary — one that flowed only 290 days of the year, say — would get off scot-free, even if the pollution would affect the year-round stream equally. Still, the anti-regulation crowd took Scalia’s definition and ran with it. George W. Bush’s EPA issued a rule excluding most ephemeral streams and isolated wetlands. The Obama administration later replaced it with a broader rule, but in 2020, the Trump administration released its own rule, which reverted to Scalia’s reading of WOTUS. Most significantly, it excluded ephemeral features, such as arroyos that “contain water only during or in response to rainfall,” as well as isolated wetlands and groundwater — thereby removing up to 94 percent of Arizona’s and 66 percent of California’s streams and rivers from federal oversight. Now the Biden administration is working on a new rule to replace Trump’s, even as the court decision looms. The plaintiffs in Sackett, represented by the far-right Pacific Legal Institute, want Scalia’s definition to be set in stone, leaving it up to the states to decide whether to stop industry and developers like the Sacketts from dredging, filling and polluting arroyos and wetlands. Given the Supreme Court’s recent rulings, there’s a good chance it will follow Scalia’s lead — and maybe even go further. That kind of ruling would make it far easier to build the sprawling housing developments planned for the Arizona desert, such as Superstition Vistas outside of Phoenix or the Villages at Vigneto in the southeastern corner of the state, allowing developers to fill in or pave over arroyos, gullies, and washes without even bothering to apply for a permit. From the air, the arroyo networks of the West resemble circulatory systems, with tiny capillaries leading to veins and arteries, and all of it carrying lifeblood to the great body of the desert, even when they are temporarily dry. After the rains, the Rillito carries water and nutrients and elements through a riverside park in northern Tucson to the Santa Cruz River. The Santa Cruz, which drains 8,200 square miles in Arizona and Mexico, was once a year-round stream, the land along its banks lush and shaded by towering leafy trees and mesquite forests, the waters sustaining the Hohokam people for millennia. Then the white settlers arrived, drilled groundwater wells and bled the river dry. Now, the often-dusty arroyo no longer makes it to its mother river, the Gila, thanks to all the diversions and development and depleted aquifers. Jonathan Thompson reports for High Country News. Read More Here

Donald Trump-Linked SPAC Delays Shareholder Vote Once Again https://digitalarkansasnews.com/donald-trump-linked-spac-delays-shareholder-vote-once-again/ The acquisition firm that agreed to merge with Donald Trump’s social media company postponed its shareholder vote until 3 November after failing to gain enough support. At least 65% of shareholders of Digital World Acquisition Corp need to agree to a 12-month extension. After it failed to secure enough votes, the special purpose acquisition company (SPAC) opted to push back the deadline to find more votes, according to Reuters. This is not the first time the SPAC has pushed back the vote, having failed to secure the required votes several times this past month. Trump’s social media company, Trump Media & Technology Group (TMTG), stands to receive over US$1bn private investment in public equity after Digital World inked a go-public deal with the social media firm last October. Last month, Digital World said it received termination notices from investors who were pulling out nearly US$139mln. The deal is currently on hold due to criminal and civil investigations surrounding the agreement, with Digital World yet to receive approval from the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). Digital World is set to liquidate on 8 December, after managing to extend its life by three months in September, said Reuters. Read More Here

Analysis | These Stricter China Chips Rules Are Terribly Timed https://digitalarkansasnews.com/analysis-these-stricter-china-chips-rules-are-terribly-timed/ A new set of restrictions on Chinese access to US semiconductor technology may arguably have commercial and geopolitical merit, but the timing couldn’t be worse. Shares of chip-industry leaders from Lam Research Corp. to Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. plunged across the globe after the Biden administration announced stricter rules. These new measures are a natural evolution of Washington tightening the noose that got lowered around Beijing’s neck under President Donald Trump. China is determined to catch up to foreign semiconductor leaders, and the US is just as adamant that this cannot be allowed to happen. The latest curbs halt access to equipment, software, and other technologies that Chinese chipmakers can use to make chips at 14-nanometers or less. Right now, the majority of manufacturing capacity in the country is at 28-nanometer or older. Smaller metrics indicate more advanced production, with TSMC currently offering 5-nanometer to clients. Nobody should be surprised by these stiffer actions: Washington has been telegraphing its policies for months. And we should be careful not to overdramatize the impact on China, or the companies that wish to sell to the country: With a few exceptions, chipmakers there have so far failed to advance beyond 14-nanometers. Yet, markets are having a meltdown. The Philadelphia Semiconductor Index, a widely tracked gauge of the sector, lost more than 9% in two days. That overreaction may be less about perceived loss of business in China, and more a function of the escalating troubles facing the semiconductor sector overall. The Biden administration’s action serves to amplify existing problems. For the past two years, the global technology industry has been grappling with shortages while being forced to tackle escalating inflation. Now, central banks are stepping in to raise interest rates, and a recession seems almost inevitable. That will hit demand for chips used in devicesfrom Apple Inc. iPhones to Amazon.com Inc. datacenters. Even before this phase of monetary tightening was in full stride, there were clear signs that important pockets of the chip industry were facing a glut. Exacerbating the situation for both chipmakers, and those who supply them, has been an inability over the past year to deliver the crucial equipment required for expansion and technology advancement. ASML Holding NV, the Dutch company that has a lock on cutting-edge extreme ultraviolet machinery, is struggling to keep up with demand. That’s forced it to delay revenue recognition. To understand why this market overreaction is not simply about a more aggressive US stance on chips, look at some of the key movers.  Lam Research’s 12% two-day slide makes sense because 31% of its sales come from China, so stricter rules will surely have an impact on its future sales trajectory. Yet TSMC’s US depositary receipts dropped 9% over the same two-day period, while its Taiwan-listed shares plunged as much as 7.1% on Tuesday (following a National Day holiday Monday) for the biggest intra-day drop in 27 years.  This outsized decline defies logic, if we’re to tie it simply to the latest US action, because the company gets just 10% of revenue from China. In fact, the world’s largest chip foundry has already borne the brunt of Washington’s actions after Trump banned it from supplying to Huawei Technologies Co., and Biden continued the policy. TSMC is likely to say that the latest rules will have limited impact when it holds its earnings conference Thursday. Yet analysts will be listening intently for any signs of trouble beyond Washington, including a change to its spending plans, revenue-growth targets, or inventory levels.  Financial markets may not care much about the details contained inside the Commerce Department’s 139-page missive. Instead, what investors see is yet another reason why chips stocks are too risky to hold. The semiconductor sector was already sliding, Washington just gave it a nudge. More From This Writer and Others at Bloomberg Opinion: • US Chip Curbs Highlight Cracks in China AI Strategy: Tim Culpan • Oops, India’s Industrial Policy Misfires – Again: Andy Mukherjee • Glut Brewing in a $161 Billion Slice of Chip Sector: Tim Culpan This column does not necessarily reflect the opinion of the editorial board or Bloomberg LP and its owners. Tim Culpan is a Bloomberg Opinion columnist covering technology in Asia. Previously, he was a technology reporter for Bloomberg News. More stories like this are available on bloomberg.com/opinion ©2022 Bloomberg L.P. Read More Here

Almost 1 In 2 Americans Didn't Tell The Truth About COVID, Study Finds https://digitalarkansasnews.com/almost-1-in-2-americans-didnt-tell-the-truth-about-covid-study-finds/ A national survey conducted in the United States suggests public honesty and compliance were lacking in the first two years of the COVID-19 pandemic. Just over 40 percent of 1,733 adult respondents admitted to breaking quarantine rules or misrepresenting the preventative measures they were taking to reduce viral spread. A quarter of respondents told someone they were with – or intended to be with – that they were taking more precautions to avoid contracting SARS-CoV-2 than they were in reality. Meanwhile, 22.5 percent confessed to breaking quarantine rules, and 21 percent avoided testing for COVID-19 even when they suspected they might have it. When entering a doctor’s office, 20 percent of those who completed the survey said they omitted mentioning if they thought they had, or knew they had the virus. There are multiple reasons respondents gave for their dishonesty and non-compliance. Some wanted their lives to feel ‘normal’. Others wanted to exercise their freedom, or they believed personal information on their state of health was private. Many said they were following guidance from a public figure they trusted, whether that be a politician, scientist, news presenter, or celebrity. When vaccine requirements were later enstated in numerous states and businesses, many respondents admitted to lying about their vaccination status. Reasons included: “I didn’t think COVID-19 was real”, “I didn’t think COVID-19 was a big deal”, “I didn’t want someone to judge or think badly of me”, and “I needed to be able to attend college classes”. “Some individuals may think if they fib about their COVID-19 status once or twice, it’s not a big deal,” says population health scientist Angela Fagerlin from the University of Utah. “But if, as our study suggests, nearly half of us are doing it, that’s a significant problem that contributes to prolonging the pandemic.” The goal of the survey was to figure out where the US might have gone wrong when it came to handling COVID-19, and one of the authors, Alistair Thorpe, recognizes in a video accompanying the study that there are systemic factors that influence dishonestly and noncompliance among the public. The COVID-19 pandemic has shown the world how important it is to create clear, consistent and achievable public health measures. It’s also essential to ensure the public understands the consequences if these measures are not followed. In New Zealand, for instance, an online survey published last year found that the nation’s super-strict lockdown gave many people a greater sense of positive mental health. The community spirit and cohesion exhibited during these trying times tended to relieve people of stress. Taking actionable measures to reduce the spread of COVID-19 also appeared to give the public a greater sense of control. “This reasoning highlights the crucial role of clear government messaging,” researchers of the New Zealand survey wrote. “The New Zealand government provided daily updates on case numbers, recoveries, and testing; the high transparency received international recognition.” The US government handled the coronavirus outbreak in a very different way. On 3 February 2020, the Trump administration declared a public health emergency. By March 13, the spread of a novel coronavirus was deemed a national emergency and a travel ban was put into place for non-residents flying from Europe. For two months, from late April to late June, the White House Coronavirus Task Force did not hold a press briefing. During this time, testing and quarantining requirements were left up to individual states, and in many cases, stay-at-home orders were suggestions, not mandatory. One of the biggest problems was a lack of financial relief for those who couldn’t work from home. Employers in the US are also not federally required to provide sick leave, forcing many with the virus to leave home to receive a paycheck. Under these conditions, not disclosing a positive COVID-19 test is not necessarily due to a lack of care, or a preference for personal freedom over the health of others. For instance, 38 percent of respondents said they couldn’t miss work engagement to stay at home. Meanwhile, 33 percent of respondents said they broke quarantine because they were confused about the rules for meeting face-to-face. The fact that many respondents didn’t think of COVID-19 as a big deal also suggests a communication breakdown between experts and the public that needs to be remedied in the future. The online sample is not fully representative of the entire US, but it is one of the largest sample sizes on the topic to date. Obviously, it’s hard to fully trust survey respondents when they are already admitting to lying in the past, but the findings do suggest that honesty is a serious public health challenge that needs to be addressed in the US, and likely elsewhere, too. The findings have researchers calling for more studies on what strategies can best educate the public on the importance of honesty and adherence to public health measures. “It also underscores the importance of public health officials, policymakers, and media personalities fostering trust and engagement in these public health measures to reduce the occurrence and therefore the impact of misrepresentation and non-adherence,” the team concludes. The study was published in JAMA Network Open. Read More Here

On Trump And The Political Process https://digitalarkansasnews.com/on-trump-and-the-political-process/ The debate over Donald Trump is not going to end anytime soon, if ever, but two things are known for sure. He is a masterful manipulator of the political process including redefining how to win elections. The best example was after he won the 2016 nomination from a crowded field of supposedly more experienced and savvy career politicians, the national media began the drum beat, “When will he pivot? When will he start the methodical sojourn from the far right, needed to win a GOP primary, to a broader based coalition near the so-called sensible center of the political spectrum in order to win the general election?” And the media waited. And it waited and finally it became obvious he was no basketball player and he single-handedly dissembled the popular wisdom that pivoting was the only way to win. It wasn’t. Secondly, he is also a masterful fundraiser, which is the topic of our exchange here and his brain trust is never at a loss for crafty messages to get Trump supporters to part with their money. The most recent one is a bit of a classic. The heading on the email is dramatic and seemingly important: “2022 Internal GOP Data Survey. Your service card is 1108-2245-D.” And then his ominous warning: “This is only for YOU. DO NOT SHARE.” Holy cow for the unsuspecting recipient, you conclude this must really be important and somehow, little ole me up here in God’s country has an important role to play. You bet as the hook continues. “We need the best possible data if we want to stop the Democrats from DESTROYING the country…our records show you’re a reliable source for on-the-ground information.” Double Holy Cow. The reader has now been elevated to someone who can help save the nation, but you had to “respond in the next 30 minutes.” (And if you respond in 31 minutes would they return your money?) This is not the first time the Trump money machine has used the “survey” angle and when you took the survey you were asked if you liked Nancy Pelosi, if you were not a fan of Joe Biden, and if you felt the election was stolen from Mr. Trump. And this “best possible data” somehow will save the country? As fate would have it, there were three places to click to take the survey, but all three clicks took you to a page that read, “Link is invalid.” Now what? Perhaps some got their check book out and sent the money anyway. Just after the 2020 election, the former president raised $255 million on the election fraud claim alone. In the run up to this midterm election he gobbled up $100 million and while he has been prolific at endorsing candidates all over the map, reportedly only 1% of his cash has ended up in their coffers while remaining in his. And just after the FBI raid on his digs in Florida, he raised a million dollars a day. There is apparently no end to the inventive solicitations. They all have a sense of urgency, play on your ego as being a very important player, and they even use guilt, noting that “I’m going to show my father this list and I hope your name is on it.” That’s from son Donald Jr. And it works. But perhaps the easiest way to get a million dollars a day is for the president to invite the FBI back for another visit? Today’s breaking news and more in your inbox Read More Here