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AP News Summary At 10:42 P.m. EDT https://digitalarkansasnews.com/ap-news-summary-at-1042-p-m-edt/ Floods trap many in Florida as Ian heads to South Carolina FORT MYERS, Fla. (AP) — Hurricane Ian has regained some strength after exiting Florida and taking aim at South Carolina. The National Hurricane Center said the storm spent only a few hours as a weakened tropical storm over Florida before it spun up into a Category 1 hurricane on Thursday in the Atlantic Ocean. Rescue crews were wading through water and using boats to rescue Florida residents stranded in the wake of Hurricane Ian. The Orange County fire department posted photos of crews in a flooded neighborhood in the Orlando area. At least four people in Florida were confirmed dead on the state’s eastern coast. Forecasters have issued a hurricane warning for coastal South Carolina and southeastern North Carolina ahead of another landfall Friday. Russia to annex more of Ukraine on Friday at the Kremlin KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Russia is planning to annex more of Ukraine on Friday. The move represents an escalation of the seven-month war that is expected to isolate the Kremlin further, draw more international punishment and bring extra support to Ukraine. An annexation ceremony is planned in the Kremlin. The annexation would come just days after voters supposedly approved Moscow-managed “referendums” that Ukrainian and Western officials have denounced as illegal, forced and rigged. In an apparent response, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy called an emergency meeting Friday of his National Security and Defense Council. Russia opens more border draft offices amid call-up exodus Russian authorities are opening more military enlistment offices near Russia’s borders in an apparent effort to intercept Russian men of fighting age who are trying to avoid getting called up to fight in Ukraine. Saratov regional officials said a new draft office opened Thursday at a checkpoint on Russia’s border with Kazakhstan. Another military enlistment center was to open at a crossing in the Astrakhan region, also on the border with Kazakhstan. Earlier this week, makeshift Russian draft offices were set up near a border crossing into Georgia and on Russia’s border with Finland. Russian officials say they would hand call-up notices to all eligible men who were trying to leave the country. 1/6 chairman: Ginni Thomas reiterates false election claims WASHINGTON (AP) — Virginia “Ginni” Thomas, the wife of Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas, has stood by the false claim that the 2020 election was fraudulent during an interview with the House panel investigating the Jan. 6 insurrection. That is according to Rep. Bennie Thompson, the panel’s Democratic chairman. The committee has for months sought an interview with Thomas in an effort to know more about her role in trying to help former President Donald Trump overturn his election defeat. She texted with White House chief of staff Mark Meadows and contacted lawmakers in Arizona and Wisconsin after the election. Thomas’ attorney says his client was solely focused on ensuring reports of voter fraud and irregularities were investigated. Hurricane Ian sweeps away homes, memories on barrier islands FORT MYERS BEACH, Fla. (AP) — Cars are left abandoned where they stalled on the road into Fort Myers Beach when Hurricane Ian’s storm surge flooded their engines and their drivers couldn’t continue. Broken trees, boat trailers and other debris litter the path. It’s even worse in the seaside tourist town, much of which was flattened by the fierce winds and powerful storm surge generated by the Category 4 hurricane. The barrier islands along the southwest Florida coast are famed for their seashells, fishing and laid-back lifestyle. They took major hits from Ian when it came ashore Wednesday and residents tried to salvage what they could Thursday. Trump records probe: Tensions flare over special master WASHINGTON (AP) — The FBI search of Donald Trump’s Florida estate has spawned a parallel “special master” process that has slowed the Justice Department’s criminal investigation and exposed simmering tensions between department prosecutors and lawyers for the former president. The probe into the presence of top secret information at Mar-a-Lago continues. But barbed rhetoric in the past week’s court filings has laid bare deep disagreements related to the special master’s work and made clear that a process the Trump team initially sought has not been playing to the president’s advantage. The special master, Raymond Dearie, is a former federal prosecutor and served as a U.S. District judge in Brooklyn. S. Korea, US and Japan hold anti-N. Korean submarine drills SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — South Korea, U.S. and Japanese warships have launched their first anti-submarine drills in five years, after North renewed ballistic missile tests this week. South Korea says Friday’s one-day trilateral training off the Korean Peninsula’s east coast is meant to cope with a North Korean push to advance its ability to fire missile from submarines. North Korea has been building bigger submarines including a nuclear-powered one and testing sophisticated missiles that can be fired from them in recent years. The North’s recent five missiles launches, the first such tests in a month, also came before and after U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris visited South Korea. Tagovailoa stretchered off field with head, neck injuries CINCINNATI (AP) — Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa sustained neck and head injuries after being slammed to the ground in Thursday’s game against the Cincinnati Bengals, and was stretchered from the field. The Dolphins said Tagovailoa was conscious and had movement in all his extremities after being taken by stretcher from the field. He was taken to University of Cincinnati Medical Center. Tagovailoa was chased down and sacked by Josh Tupou with about six minutes left in the first half. He remained down for more than seven minutes before being loaded on a backboard, stabilized and removed via stretcher. Dolphins players gathered around as he was rolled off the field and the crowd chanted “Tua! Tua!.” Study finds that climate change added 10% to Ian’s rainfall A quick study by two scientists calculates that climate change made Hurricane Ian 10% rainier than it would have been if there were no such thing as global warming. Thursday’s analysis, which was not peer reviewed, is based on 20 computer simulations of a world with no climate change from the burning of coal, oil and natural gas. Scientists then compared those scenarios to what was playing out in real time with Hurricane Ian. The authors compared the highest rainfall rates over three hours. Biden vows US commitment to Pacific Islands at summit WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden has told visiting leaders from more than a dozen Pacific Island countries that the U.S. is committed to bolstering its presence in their region and becoming a more collaborative partner as they face the “existential threat” of climate change. The president on Thursday addressed the leaders who gathered in Washington for a summit as the White House looks to improve relations in the Pacific amid heightened U.S. concern about China’s growing economic and military influence. Biden hosted the leaders for a dinner at the White House on Thursday evening. Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Read More Here

Trevor Noah Announces He Will Leave ‘The Daily Show’ https://digitalarkansasnews.com/trevor-noah-announces-he-will-leave-the-daily-show/ Telling his Comedy Central audience that it has been seven years since he replaced Jon Stewart, he says he will depart at a time to be determined. Send any friend a story As a subscriber, you have 10 gift articles to give each month. Anyone can read what you share. Trevor Noah was a 31-year-old South African comic not yet well known in the United States when he became the host of one of the crown jewels of the Comedy Central lineup. Credit…Danny Moloshok/Invision, via Associated Press Sept. 29, 2022, 10:40 p.m. ET Trevor Noah, the South African comedian who took over the hosting reins of “The Daily Show” after the departure of Jon Stewart seven years ago, announced on Thursday that he would be leaving the program. “We’ve laughed together, we’ve cried together,” Mr. Noah said during a taping of the show on Thursday that was released before the show aired. “But after seven years, I feel like it’s time.” Comedy Central said in a statement that the network had been working with Mr. Noah “for a long time to figure out how he can maintain the demanding schedule.” The network added that “with no timetable for his departure, we’re working together on next steps.” Mr. Noah, 38, said on Thursday that after presiding over the show for a turbulent seven years — writing jokes about the presidency of Donald J. Trump, the pandemic and other major news events — he had realized that there was “another part of my life that I want to carry on exploring.” Read More Here

FDNY EMS Lieutenant Stabbed To Death By Man In Queens, Suspect In Custody https://digitalarkansasnews.com/fdny-ems-lieutenant-stabbed-to-death-by-man-in-queens-suspect-in-custody/ ASTORIA, Queens (WABC) — A suspect has been taken into custody after a 61-year-old on-duty FDNY Emergency Medical Services lieutenant was stabbed to death in Queens Thursday. The incident happened near the intersection of 20th Avenue and Steinway Street in Astoria around 2:15 p.m. Police say the victim, identified as EMS Lieutenant Alison Russo-Elling, was stabbed to death in an unprovoked attack while on duty and standing outside of FDNY EMS Station 49. They say the suspect, wearing a light gray t-shirt, brandished a knife and stabbed Russo numerous times. ALSO READ | Long Island restaurant owner owes workers thousands of dollars in back wages, NY State says She was taken to Mount Sinai Queens Hospital, where she was pronounced dead. Police say the suspect then fled the scene and ran to 19-80 and 41st Street and barricaded himself inside his third floor apartment. Members of the hostage negotiating team and emergency service unit talked the suspect out of the building. Police walked him across the street. He had not a trace of emotion on his face. Neighbors describe him just that way, as a loner they would often see walking, expressionless, around the block. “He seemed to have a routine,” neighbor Camilla Groth said. “Just walking around the block maybe a two or three block radius, always solitary, not on his phone, never talking to anyone and always by himself and just very self-contained. And I noticed that.” But now he’s accused of incomprehensible violence. An unprovoked attack on a public servant. He was taken into custody with charges pending. Meanwhile, the 25-year veteran of the FDNY was also a 9/11 first responder. Russo was appointed to the FDNY as an EMT in 1998. She was then promoted to paramedic in 2002, and to lieutenant in 2016. She worked at multiple EMS stations across the city, including Station 20, Station 17, Station 16, Station 45, Queens Tactical Response and Station 49, where she had been working for the last year. The lieutenant also served as a rescue paramedic in her career and had training for performing pre-hospital emergency medical care. The 61-year-old was a Long Island resident and is survived by her daughter, grandchildren and her parents. “We lost one of our heroes, she provided a service to the city for over 24 years, her assailant has been apprehended and will be held accountable for his actions,” New York City Mayor Eric Adams said. There was an outpouring of emotion and sympathy outside the hospital. When word got out that an EMS lieutenant had been attacked on the job and did not make it, FDNY EMS members gathered at the hospital to console one another and to mourn. Acting Fire Commissioner Laura Kavanaugh and an FDNY chaplain led a prayer circle in the area where ambulances pull into the hospital. There were a lot of tears and hugs. Russo’s body emerged from an emergency room Wednesday night surrounded by uniformed FDNY personnel. The FDNY Firefighters and Fire Officers associations released a joint statement in response to Russo’s death: “The death of Alison Russo is a tragic reminder of the dangers faced by each and every member of the FDNY and uniformed services. Her senseless killing brings sorrow to every member of the FDNY. We stand in solidarity with our brothers and sisters in the Department with bowed heads, and we will forever be here to support our FDNY family in this unspeakably difficult time. We extend our deepest sympathies and condolences to Alison’s family, loved ones, and colleagues.” Mayor Adams ordered flags on all city buildings to be lowered to half-staff Thursday night. New York Governor Kathy Hochul has also requested that flags be flown at half staff in honor of Lieutenant Russo from sunrise Friday until after her funeral. There’s no word yet on when that will be. The NY Police and Fire Widows’ & Children’s Benefit Fund, also known as Answer the Call, announced they will be providing Russo’s family with $50,000 to help them financially. ———- * More Queens news * Send us a news tip * Download the abc7NY app for breaking news alerts * Follow us on YouTube Submit a tip or story idea to Eyewitness News Have a breaking news tip or an idea for a story we should cover? Send it to Eyewitness News using the form below. If attaching a video or photo, terms of use apply. Copyright © 2022 WABC-TV. All Rights Reserved. Read More Here

Tropical Storm Ian Regains Hurricane Strength – Live https://digitalarkansasnews.com/tropical-storm-ian-regains-hurricane-strength-live-2/ Hurricane Ian: Waves flood roads in Key West as storm strengthens to category 4 After spending most of Thursday as a tropical storm, Ian was upgraded to a hurricane again as it takes aim at the South Carolina coastline. The National Hurricane Center stated in its 5pm ET update that Hurricane Ian was “taking aim at the Carolinas and Georgia with life-threatening flooding, storm surge and strong winds.” The hurricane is now moving north-northwest at around 10 mph with maximum sustained winds increasing to 75 mph with strong gusts. “Ian could slightly strengthen before landfall tomorrow, and is forecast to rapidly weaken over the southeastern United States late Friday into Saturday,” the advisory said. Dozens of rescue operations have been taking place across Florida after unprecedented flooding from one of the most powerful hurricanes ever recorded in the United States. Thousands of people are stranded across the state as coastguard helicopters were seen plucking people from roofs after several feet of water surged into neighorboods. Some 2.5million people were currently without power. Florida Governor Ron DeSantis described the hurricane as a “500-year flood event” and said that major infrastructure had been badly damaged including the Sanibel Causeway in southwest Florida and the bridge to Pine Island, near Fort Myers. President Joe Biden declared a major disaster in Florida following the catastrophic impacts. “This could be the deadliest hurricane in Florida history,” he said later during a briefing at the Federal Emergency Management Agency headquarters. Registration is a free and easy way to support our truly independent journalism By registering, you will also enjoy limited access to Premium articles, exclusive newsletters, commenting, and virtual events with our leading journalists Email Please enter a valid email Please enter a valid email Password Must be at least 6 characters, include an upper and lower case character and a number Must be at least 6 characters, include an upper and lower case character and a number Must be at least 6 characters, include an upper and lower case character and a number First name Please enter your first name Special characters aren’t allowed Please enter a name between 1 and 40 characters Last name Please enter your last name Special characters aren’t allowed Please enter a name between 1 and 40 characters You must be over 18 years old to register You must be over 18 years old to register Year of birth I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent.  Read our Privacy notice You can opt-out at any time by signing in to your account to manage your preferences. Each email has a link to unsubscribe. Already have an account? sign in Registration is a free and easy way to support our truly independent journalism By registering, you will also enjoy limited access to Premium articles, exclusive newsletters, commenting, and virtual events with our leading journalists Email Please enter a valid email Please enter a valid email Password Must be at least 6 characters, include an upper and lower case character and a number Must be at least 6 characters, include an upper and lower case character and a number Must be at least 6 characters, include an upper and lower case character and a number First name Please enter your first name Special characters aren’t allowed Please enter a name between 1 and 40 characters Last name Please enter your last name Special characters aren’t allowed Please enter a name between 1 and 40 characters You must be over 18 years old to register You must be over 18 years old to register Year of birth I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent.  Read our Privacy notice You can opt-out at any time by signing in to your account to manage your preferences. Each email has a link to unsubscribe. Already have an account? sign in Read More Here

No One Hurt In ‘fully-Involved’ House Fire, Cause Under Investigation https://digitalarkansasnews.com/no-one-hurt-in-fully-involved-house-fire-cause-under-investigation/ JONESBORO, Ark. (KAIT) – Fire crews are at the scene of a “fully-involved” house fire in Jonesboro. Jonesboro police dispatch confirmed the fire was at a home in the 800-block of Richsmith Lane off North Patrick Street around 7:50 p.m. The Jonesboro Fire Department said six people were in the home at the time of the fire. They said the people smelled smoke, opened the back door, and saw fire. Firefighters added the people were able to get out and the fire is out, but Red Cross had to be called in since the house is a “total loss”. The cause of the fire is unknown and is under investigation. Region 8 News will continue to bring you the latest on this developing story. Copyright 2022 KAIT. All rights reserved. Read More Here

William Clark Green Wraps Up 'Baker Hotel' Trilogy With 'Best Friends' https://digitalarkansasnews.com/william-clark-green-wraps-up-baker-hotel-trilogy-with-best-friends/ William Clark Green has released “Best Friends,” the third and final installment in his three-part Baker Hotel music video storyline. “I wrote “Best Friends” with one of my best buds, Jake Freeman,” Green says. “You don’t hear many songs about the special bonds in a brotherhood, so we got drunk and wrote about our friendship.” While WCG did release Live at Cheatham Street Warehouse back in November of ’19, this year Baker Hotel became his first new solo studio album since ’18. But he’s been stayed busy, he makes up one-quarter of The Panhandlers; the Texas super group comprised of Josh Abbott, William Clark Green, John Baumann, and Cleto Cordero of Flatland Cavalry — who came together like Voltron to release their debt album in ’20. He told us earlier this year to be expecting a new Panhandlers project soon. WILLIAM CLARK GREEN’S ALL YOU GOT FALL/WINTER 2022 TOUR 10/1 – Winnie, TX – Texas Rice Festival 10/5 – Madison, WI – High Noon Saloon 10/6 – Grand Rapids, MI – The Stache 10/7 – St. Paul, MN – Amsterdam Bar & Hall 10/8 – Milwaukee, WI – Shank Hall 10/12 – Detroit, MI – The Shelter 10/14 – Indianapolis, IN – Hi-Fi Annex 10/15 – Louisville, KY – Zanzabar 10/20 – Atlanta, GA – Terminal West 10/21 – West Chester Township, OH – Lori’s Roadhouse Live 10/22 – Cleveland, OH – Templelive 10/27 – Pittsburgh, PA – Thunderbird’s Café & Music Hall 10/28 – Columbus, OH – The Bluestone 10/29 – Huntington, WV – The Loud 11/3 – Savannah, GA – District Live 11/4 – Isle of Palms, SC – The Windjammer 11/5 – Charlotte, NC – The Underground 11/10 – Asheville, NC – The Grey Eagle 11/11 – Raleigh, NC – Lincoln Theatre 11/12 – Macon, GA – The Crazy Bull 11/23 – Austin, TX – Antone’s 12/1 – Dallas, TX – Studio at the Factory 12/2 – Fort Smith, AR – Templelive 12/3 – Wichita, KS – Templelive 12/7 – Annapolis, MD – Rams Head On Stage 12/8 – Richmond, VA – The Broadberry 12/9 – Sellersville, PA – Sellersville Theater 12/10 – Worcester, MA – Off the Rails 12/31 – Tulsa, OK – Cain’s Ballroom Read More Here

AP News Summary At 9:41 P.m. EDT https://digitalarkansasnews.com/ap-news-summary-at-941-p-m-edt-2/ Floods trap many in Florida as Ian heads to South Carolina PUNTA GORDA, Fla. (AP) — Hurricane Ian has regained some strength after exiting Florida and taking aim at South Carolina. The National Hurricane Center said the storm spent only a few hours as a weakened tropical storm over Florida before it spun up into a Category 1 hurricane on Thursday in the Atlantic Ocean. Rescue crews were wading through water and using boats to rescue Florida residents stranded in the wake of Hurricane Ian. The Orange County fire department posted photos of crews in a flooded neighborhood in the Orlando area. At least four people in Florida were confirmed dead on the state’s eastern coast. Forecasters have issued a hurricane warning for coastal South Carolina and southeastern North Carolina ahead of another landfall Friday. Russia to annex more of Ukraine on Friday at the Kremlin KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Russia is planning to annex more of Ukraine on Friday. The move represents an escalation of the seven-month war that is expected to isolate the Kremlin further, draw more international punishment and bring extra support to Ukraine. An annexation ceremony is planned in the Kremlin. The annexation would come just days after voters supposedly approved Moscow-managed “referendums” that Ukrainian and Western officials have denounced as illegal, forced and rigged. In an apparent response, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy called an emergency meeting Friday of his National Security and Defense Council. Russia opens more border draft offices amid call-up exodus Russian authorities are opening more military enlistment offices near Russia’s borders in an apparent effort to intercept Russian men of fighting age who are trying to avoid getting called up to fight in Ukraine. Saratov regional officials said a new draft office opened Thursday at a checkpoint on Russia’s border with Kazakhstan. Another military enlistment center was to open at a crossing in the Astrakhan region, also on the border with Kazakhstan. Earlier this week, makeshift Russian draft offices were set up near a border crossing into Georgia and on Russia’s border with Finland. Russian officials say they would hand call-up notices to all eligible men who were trying to leave the country. 1/6 chairman: Ginni Thomas reiterates false election claims WASHINGTON (AP) — Virginia “Ginni” Thomas, the wife of Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas, has stood by the false claim that the 2020 election was fraudulent during an interview with the House panel investigating the Jan. 6 insurrection. That is according to Rep. Bennie Thompson, the panel’s Democratic chairman. The committee has for months sought an interview with Thomas in an effort to know more about her role in trying to help former President Donald Trump overturn his election defeat. She texted with White House chief of staff Mark Meadows and contacted lawmakers in Arizona and Wisconsin after the election. Thomas’ attorney says his client was solely focused on ensuring reports of voter fraud and irregularities were investigated. Hurricane Ian sweeps away homes, memories on barrier islands FORT MYERS BEACH, Fla. (AP) — Cars are left abandoned where they stalled on the road into Fort Myers Beach when Hurricane Ian’s storm surge flooded their engines and their drivers couldn’t continue. Broken trees, boat trailers and other debris litter the path. It’s even worse in the seaside tourist town, much of which was flattened by the fierce winds and powerful storm surge generated by the Category 4 hurricane. The barrier islands along the southwest Florida coast are famed for their seashells, fishing and laid-back lifestyle. They took major hits from Ian when it came ashore Wednesday and residents tried to salvage what they could Thursday. Trump records probe: Tensions flare over special master WASHINGTON (AP) — The FBI search of Donald Trump’s Florida estate has spawned a parallel “special master” process that has slowed the Justice Department’s criminal investigation and exposed simmering tensions between department prosecutors and lawyers for the former president. The probe into the presence of top secret information at Mar-a-Lago continues. But barbed rhetoric in the past week’s court filings has laid bare deep disagreements related to the special master’s work and made clear that a process the Trump team initially sought has not been playing to the president’s advantage. The special master, Raymond Dearie, is a former federal prosecutor and served as a U.S. District judge in Brooklyn. Biden vows US commitment to Pacific Islands at summit WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden has told visiting leaders from more than a dozen Pacific Island countries that the U.S. is committed to bolstering its presence in their region and becoming a more collaborative partner as they face the “existential threat” of climate change. The president on Thursday addressed the leaders who gathered in Washington for a summit as the White House looks to improve relations in the Pacific amid heightened U.S. concern about China’s growing economic and military influence. Biden hosted the leaders for a dinner at the White House on Thursday evening. GOP states sue Biden administration over student loan plan WASHINGTON (AP) — Six Republican-led states are suing the Biden administration to try and halt its plan to forgive student loan debt for millions of Americans. They’re accusing it of overstepping its executive powers. It’s at least the second legal challenge this week to the sweeping proposal laid out by President Joe Biden in late August, when he said his administration would cancel up to $20,000 in education debt for millions of borrowers. As the lawsuit was being filed, the administration quietly scaled back eligibility rules for the debt relief, eliminating a relatively small group of borrowers who are the subject of legal debate in the suit. ALS drug wins FDA approval despite questionable data WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. health officials have approved a much-debated drug to treat the deadly illness known as Lou Gehrig’s disease. The approval Thursday follows an intense lobbying campaign by patients and advocates, though it’s also likely to raise questions about the standards used to review experimental medicines. The Food and Drug Administration approved the medication from Amylyx Pharmaceuticals based on results from one small, mid-stage study. The agency’s internal scientists repeatedly said the company’s results were not convincing. But thousands of patients have urged the FDA to be flexible and grant patients’ access. Lou Gehrig’s disease has no cure and most patients die within five years of initial symptoms. Cubans suffer as hurricane-caused power outage drags on HAVANA (AP) — Ivette Garrido hurried last week to get the 6 kilograms of subsidized chicken allotted to her family by Cuba’s government and put it in the freezer, happy to have meat to get through Hurricane Ian. Now she is considering giving the chicken to her three dogs before it goes bad, as a huge power blackout caused by the storm extends beyond two days and everything in her freezer thaws amid scorching temperatures. Cuban authorities have not said what percentage of the population remains without electricity or when things will return to normal, but the Electric Union says only 10% of Havana’s 2 million people have power. Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Read More Here

AP News Summary At 9:41 P.m. EDT https://digitalarkansasnews.com/ap-news-summary-at-941-p-m-edt/ Floods trap many in Florida as Ian heads to South Carolina PUNTA GORDA, Fla. (AP) — Hurricane Ian has regained some strength after exiting Florida and taking aim at South Carolina. The National Hurricane Center said the storm spent only a few hours as a weakened tropical storm over Florida before it spun up into a Category 1 hurricane on Thursday in the Atlantic Ocean. Rescue crews were wading through water and using boats to rescue Florida residents stranded in the wake of Hurricane Ian. The Orange County fire department posted photos of crews in a flooded neighborhood in the Orlando area. At least four people in Florida were confirmed dead on the state’s eastern coast. Forecasters have issued a hurricane warning for coastal South Carolina and southeastern North Carolina ahead of another landfall Friday. Russia to annex more of Ukraine on Friday at the Kremlin KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Russia is planning to annex more of Ukraine on Friday. The move represents an escalation of the seven-month war that is expected to isolate the Kremlin further, draw more international punishment and bring extra support to Ukraine. An annexation ceremony is planned in the Kremlin. The annexation would come just days after voters supposedly approved Moscow-managed “referendums” that Ukrainian and Western officials have denounced as illegal, forced and rigged. In an apparent response, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy called an emergency meeting Friday of his National Security and Defense Council. Russia opens more border draft offices amid call-up exodus Russian authorities are opening more military enlistment offices near Russia’s borders in an apparent effort to intercept Russian men of fighting age who are trying to avoid getting called up to fight in Ukraine. Saratov regional officials said a new draft office opened Thursday at a checkpoint on Russia’s border with Kazakhstan. Another military enlistment center was to open at a crossing in the Astrakhan region, also on the border with Kazakhstan. Earlier this week, makeshift Russian draft offices were set up near a border crossing into Georgia and on Russia’s border with Finland. Russian officials say they would hand call-up notices to all eligible men who were trying to leave the country. 1/6 chairman: Ginni Thomas reiterates false election claims WASHINGTON (AP) — Virginia “Ginni” Thomas, the wife of Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas, has stood by the false claim that the 2020 election was fraudulent during an interview with the House panel investigating the Jan. 6 insurrection. That is according to Rep. Bennie Thompson, the panel’s Democratic chairman. The committee has for months sought an interview with Thomas in an effort to know more about her role in trying to help former President Donald Trump overturn his election defeat. She texted with White House chief of staff Mark Meadows and contacted lawmakers in Arizona and Wisconsin after the election. Thomas’ attorney says his client was solely focused on ensuring reports of voter fraud and irregularities were investigated. Hurricane Ian sweeps away homes, memories on barrier islands FORT MYERS BEACH, Fla. (AP) — Cars are left abandoned where they stalled on the road into Fort Myers Beach when Hurricane Ian’s storm surge flooded their engines and their drivers couldn’t continue. Broken trees, boat trailers and other debris litter the path. It’s even worse in the seaside tourist town, much of which was flattened by the fierce winds and powerful storm surge generated by the Category 4 hurricane. The barrier islands along the southwest Florida coast are famed for their seashells, fishing and laid-back lifestyle. They took major hits from Ian when it came ashore Wednesday and residents tried to salvage what they could Thursday. Trump records probe: Tensions flare over special master WASHINGTON (AP) — The FBI search of Donald Trump’s Florida estate has spawned a parallel “special master” process that has slowed the Justice Department’s criminal investigation and exposed simmering tensions between department prosecutors and lawyers for the former president. The probe into the presence of top secret information at Mar-a-Lago continues. But barbed rhetoric in the past week’s court filings has laid bare deep disagreements related to the special master’s work and made clear that a process the Trump team initially sought has not been playing to the president’s advantage. The special master, Raymond Dearie, is a former federal prosecutor and served as a U.S. District judge in Brooklyn. Biden vows US commitment to Pacific Islands at summit WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden has told visiting leaders from more than a dozen Pacific Island countries that the U.S. is committed to bolstering its presence in their region and becoming a more collaborative partner as they face the “existential threat” of climate change. The president on Thursday addressed the leaders who gathered in Washington for a summit as the White House looks to improve relations in the Pacific amid heightened U.S. concern about China’s growing economic and military influence. Biden hosted the leaders for a dinner at the White House on Thursday evening. GOP states sue Biden administration over student loan plan WASHINGTON (AP) — Six Republican-led states are suing the Biden administration to try and halt its plan to forgive student loan debt for millions of Americans. They’re accusing it of overstepping its executive powers. It’s at least the second legal challenge this week to the sweeping proposal laid out by President Joe Biden in late August, when he said his administration would cancel up to $20,000 in education debt for millions of borrowers. As the lawsuit was being filed, the administration quietly scaled back eligibility rules for the debt relief, eliminating a relatively small group of borrowers who are the subject of legal debate in the suit. ALS drug wins FDA approval despite questionable data WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. health officials have approved a much-debated drug to treat the deadly illness known as Lou Gehrig’s disease. The approval Thursday follows an intense lobbying campaign by patients and advocates, though it’s also likely to raise questions about the standards used to review experimental medicines. The Food and Drug Administration approved the medication from Amylyx Pharmaceuticals based on results from one small, mid-stage study. The agency’s internal scientists repeatedly said the company’s results were not convincing. But thousands of patients have urged the FDA to be flexible and grant patients’ access. Lou Gehrig’s disease has no cure and most patients die within five years of initial symptoms. Cubans suffer as hurricane-caused power outage drags on HAVANA (AP) — Ivette Garrido hurried last week to get the 6 kilograms of subsidized chicken allotted to her family by Cuba’s government and put it in the freezer, happy to have meat to get through Hurricane Ian. Now she is considering giving the chicken to her three dogs before it goes bad, as a huge power blackout caused by the storm extends beyond two days and everything in her freezer thaws amid scorching temperatures. Cuban authorities have not said what percentage of the population remains without electricity or when things will return to normal, but the Electric Union says only 10% of Havana’s 2 million people have power. Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Read More Here

Trump Mar-A-Lago Records Probe: Tensions Rise Over Special Master https://digitalarkansasnews.com/trump-mar-a-lago-records-probe-tensions-rise-over-special-master/ The FBI search of Donald Trump’s Florida property has spawned a parallel “special master” course of that has slowed the Justice Department’s legal investigation. WASHINGTON — The parallel special master course of spawned by the FBI search of Donald Trump’s Florida estate has slowed the Justice Department’s criminal investigation and uncovered simmering tensions between division prosecutors and legal professionals for the previous president. As the probe into the presence of top-secret information at Mar-a-Lago continues, barbed feedback in current courtroom filings have laid naked deep disagreements associated to the special master’s work — not simply amongst legal professionals however judges, too. And the filings have made clear that a course of the Trump group initially requested for has not constantly performed to the ex-president’s benefit. A have a look at the place issues stand: WHO IS THE SPECIAL MASTER AND WHAT IS HIS ROLE? A federal choose in Florida appointed at the Trump team’s request an unbiased arbiter to examine the hundreds of paperwork seized from Mar-a-Lago and to weed out from the investigation any that is likely to be protected by claims of both attorney-client privilege or govt privilege. That arbiter, formally generally known as a special master, is Raymond Dearie. He’s a former federal prosecutor who was appointed a U.S. District choose in Brooklyn by then-President Ronald Reagan. He additionally has served on the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court. He was initially tasked by U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon, a Trump appointee, with reviewing all the records taken from Mar-a-Lago. But a federal appeals courtroom shrunk the scope of his duties final week, ruling that the Justice Department didn’t must share with him the roughly 100 paperwork with categorized markings that have been taken through the Aug. 8 search. That leaves for his analysis the roughly 11,000 other, unclassified documents — which a Trump lawyer stated really complete roughly 200,000 pages — recovered by the FBI. Cannon, in the meantime, has additionally reined in a few of Dearie’s work. WHAT HAS HAPPENED SINCE THEN REGARDING CLASSIFIED DOCUMENTS? The previous week has revealed stark divisions in how each side envision the method taking part in out, in addition to the exact function the special master ought to have. An early trace surfaced when the Trump team resisted Dearie’s request for any information to help the concept the paperwork had been declassified, as Trump has repeatedly asserted. A lawyer for Trump, James Trusty, stated that inquiry was “premature” and “slightly past” what Cannon had in thoughts on the time she appointed the special master. The following day, in a setback for the Trump group, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the eleventh Circuit overruled an order from Cannon that had briefly halted the Justice Department’s potential to make use of the seized categorized paperwork in its probe. Besides restoring the department’s access, the order additionally lifted Cannon’s mandate that investigators give the special master these records. More battle adopted, this time associated to the scanning and processing of non-classified authorities records that have been seized. Government legal professionals revealed in a letter Tuesday that not one of the 5 document-review distributors that they had really useful for the job was “willing to be engaged” by the Trump group. The Justice Department stated it was assured it might be capable of safe the preparations by itself whereas noting that it continued to anticipate the Trump group to pay. But Trusty responded with his own letter Wednesday attributing the problem in securing a vendor to the sheer amount of paperwork, which he stated totaled roughly 200,000 pages — a quantity the Justice Department has not itself said in courtroom filings. He stated the division’s deadlines for the manufacturing of paperwork was overly “aggressive” — “It would be better to base deadlines on actual data and not wistful claims by the Government,” he noted at one point — and scolded the department for what he said were “antagonistic” feedback. “DOJ continues to mistake itself as having judicial authority. Its comments are not argument, but proclamations designed to steamroll judicial oversight and the Plaintiff’s constitutional rights,” Trusty wrote. WHAT IS LIKELY TO HAPPEN NEXT? The FBI’s investigation took a significant step ahead when the appeals courtroom lifted Cannon’s maintain on its potential to scrutinize the seized categorized paperwork because it evaluates whether or not Trump or anybody else ought to face legal prices. Dearie’s work as special master will proceed alongside that probe, although there’s little likelihood any motion he takes at this level might considerably alter the result of the FBI investigation or have an effect on main selections that lie forward. But early disagreements between Cannon and Dearie over the scope of his duties additionally bear watching. For occasion, Cannon on Thursday overturned a directive from the special master that might have required the Trump group to say whether or not it had any objections to an in depth FBI property stock cataloging all the gadgets brokers faraway from the house. That response might have been illuminating provided that Trump and a few of his allies have raised unsupported recommendations that the brokers who searched his residence might have planted proof. If his legal professionals have been to affirm the stock’s accuracy, they might possible be contradicting their very own consumer’s claims whereas additionally acknowledging the presence of categorized supplies within the residence. The Justice Department this week made what it called minor revisions to the inventory, however stated it was an in any other case full and correct accounting of what was taken. Yet newly disclosed correspondence confirmed the Trump group balking at being compelled to evaluate the stock’s accuracy. Trusty stated in a letter Sunday that the directive that it achieve this goes past what Cannon had envisioned when she appointed Dearie. Cannon herself agreed, canceling Dearie’s requirement Thursday and writing that her “appointment order did not contemplate that obligation.” The Justice Department, for its half, had earlier recommended that the Trump group shouldn’t be capable of keep away from stating its place on the document or following different of Dearie’s directives. “The Special Master needs to know that he is reviewing all of the materials seized from Mara-Lago on August 8, 2022 — and no additional materials — before he categorizes the seized documents and adjudicates privilege claims,” the division stated in a single submitting. The letter Tuesday ended with this tart reminder to Trump and his legal professionals: “Plaintiff introduced this civil, equitable continuing. He bears the burden of proof.” Read More Here

AP News Summary At 7:54 P.m. EDT https://digitalarkansasnews.com/ap-news-summary-at-754-p-m-edt/ Floods trap many in Florida as Ian heads to South Carolina PUNTA GORDA, Fla. (AP) — Hurricane Ian has regained some strength after exiting Florida and taking aim at South Carolina. The National Hurricane Center said the storm spent only a few hours as a weakened tropical storm over Florida before it spun up into a Category 1 hurricane on Thursday in the Atlantic Ocean. Rescue crews were wading through water and using boats to rescue Florida residents stranded in the wake of Hurricane Ian. The Orange County fire department posted photos of crews in a flooded neighborhood in the Orlando area. At least one person in Florida was confirmed dead on the state’s eastern coast. Forecasters have issued a hurricane warning for coastal South Carolina and southeastern North Carolina ahead of another landfall Friday. Russia to annex more of Ukraine on Friday at the Kremlin KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Russia is planning to annex more of Ukraine on Friday. The move represents an escalation of the seven-month war that is expected to isolate the Kremlin further, draw more international punishment and bring extra support to Ukraine. An annexation ceremony is planned in the Kremlin. The annexation would come just days after voters supposedly approved Moscow-managed “referendums” that Ukrainian and Western officials have denounced as illegal, forced and rigged. In an apparent response, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy called an emergency meeting Friday of his National Security and Defense Council. Russia opens more border draft offices amid call-up exodus Russian authorities are opening more military enlistment offices near Russia’s borders in an apparent effort to intercept Russian men of fighting age who are trying to avoid getting called up to fight in Ukraine. Saratov regional officials said a new draft office opened Thursday at a checkpoint on Russia’s border with Kazakhstan. Another military enlistment center was to open at a crossing in the Astrakhan region, also on the border with Kazakhstan. Earlier this week, makeshift Russian draft offices were set up near a border crossing into Georgia and on Russia’s border with Finland. Russian officials say they would hand call-up notices to all eligible men who were trying to leave the country. 1/6 chairman: Ginni Thomas reiterates false election claims WASHINGTON (AP) — Virginia “Ginni” Thomas, the wife of Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas, has stood by the false claim that the 2020 election was fraudulent during an interview with the House panel investigating the Jan. 6 insurrection. That is according to Rep. Bennie Thompson, the panel’s Democratic chairman. The committee has for months sought an interview with Thomas in an effort to know more about her role in trying to help former President Donald Trump overturn his election defeat. She texted with White House chief of staff Mark Meadows and contacted lawmakers in Arizona and Wisconsin after the election. Thomas’ attorney says his client was solely focused on ensuring reports of voter fraud and irregularities were investigated. Hurricane Ian sweeps away homes, memories on barrier islands FORT MYERS BEACH, Fla. (AP) — Cars are left abandoned where they stalled on the road into Fort Myers Beach when Hurricane Ian’s storm surge flooded their engines and their drivers couldn’t continue. Broken trees, boat trailers and other debris litter the path. It’s even worse in the seaside tourist town, much of which was flattened by the fierce winds and powerful storm surge generated by the Category 4 hurricane. The barrier islands along the southwest Florida coast are famed for their seashells, fishing and laid-back lifestyle. They took major hits from Ian when it came ashore Wednesday and residents tried to salvage what they could Thursday. Trump records probe: Tensions flare over special master WASHINGTON (AP) — The FBI search of Donald Trump’s Florida estate has spawned a parallel “special master” process that has slowed the Justice Department’s criminal investigation and exposed simmering tensions between department prosecutors and lawyers for the former president. The probe into the presence of top secret information at Mar-a-Lago continues. But barbed rhetoric in the past week’s court filings has laid bare deep disagreements related to the special master’s work and made clear that a process the Trump team initially sought has not been playing to the president’s advantage. The special master, Raymond Dearie, is a former federal prosecutor and served as a U.S. District judge in Brooklyn. GOP states sue Biden administration over student loan plan WASHINGTON (AP) — Six Republican-led states are suing the Biden administration to try and halt its plan to forgive student loan debt for millions of Americans. They’re accusing it of overstepping its executive powers. It’s at least the second legal challenge this week to the sweeping proposal laid out by President Joe Biden in late August, when he said his administration would cancel up to $20,000 in education debt for millions of borrowers. The announcement became immediate political fodder ahead of the November midterms while fueling arguments from conservatives about the program’s legality. ALS drug wins FDA approval despite questionable data WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. health officials have approved a much-debated drug to treat the deadly illness known as Lou Gehrig’s disease. The approval Thursday follows an intense lobbying campaign by patients and advocates, though it’s also likely to raise questions about the standards used to review experimental medicines. The Food and Drug Administration approved the medication from Amylyx Pharmaceuticals based on results from one small, mid-stage study. The agency’s internal scientists repeatedly said the company’s results were not convincing. But thousands of patients have urged the FDA to be flexible and grant patients’ access. Lou Gehrig’s disease has no cure and most patients die within five years of initial symptoms. ‘Crown,’ ‘Interview With the Vampire’ among TV highlights LOS ANGELES (AP) — What’s fall got to do with the fall TV season? “The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power” and “House of the Dragon” are among the major series that arrived early. The broadcast tradition of a strict September-to-May season has been undermined by streaming and cable efforts to keep audiences glued to TV year-round. But there’s still an expectation that people watch more TV when days grow shorter and colder, so long-awaited and promising new shows are rolling out. Among them: Season five of “The Crown,” the journalism drama “Alaska Daily” starring Oscar-winner Hilary Swank, and the quirky comedy “Sherman’s Showcase.” Cubans suffer as hurricane-caused power outage drags on HAVANA (AP) — Ivette Garrido hurried last week to get the 6 kilograms of subsidized chicken allotted to her family by Cuba’s government and put it in the freezer, happy to have meat to get through Hurricane Ian. Now she is considering giving the chicken to her three dogs before it goes bad, as a huge power blackout caused by the storm extends beyond two days and everything in her freezer thaws amid scorching temperatures. Cuban authorities have not said what percentage of the population remains without electricity or when things will return to normal, but the Electric Union says only 10% of Havana’s 2 million people have power. Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Read More Here

What If We’re Already Fighting The Third World War With Russia? https://digitalarkansasnews.com/what-if-were-already-fighting-the-third-world-war-with-russia/ Nuclear blackmail, illegal annexation of territory, hundreds of thousands of Russian men rounded up and sent to the front lines in Ukraine, undersea gas pipelines to Europe mysteriously blowing up. After endless speculation, we can now say it for sure: this is how Vladimir Putin responds when he is backed into a corner. Throughout seven awful months of war in Ukraine, President Joe Biden has held to a steadfast line when it comes to the Russian invasion: his goal is to help Ukraine win while also insuring that victory does not trigger a Third World War. But as Russian forces have experienced U.S.-aided battlefield setbacks in recent days, Putin has reacted by ratcheting up the pressure. It’s far from clear how Washington will be able to continue to pursue both goals simultaneously, given that Putin is holding Ukraine—and the rest of the world—hostage to his demands. On Friday, Putin plans to affirm the results of what the Biden Administration has sternly termed “sham ‘referenda’ ” as a pretext to declare Russian-occupied territories in Ukraine part of the Russian state. How could Biden, or the Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, or anyone else who believes in international order agree to that? And yet Donald Trump and the growing faction of pro-Putin cheerleaders in the conservative media—Tucker Carlson, I’m thinking of you—are demanding still more concessions to Russia in response to Putin’s escalating threats. The other night, Carlson, citing no evidence, blamed the United States for somehow playing a role in attacks on the Nord Stream gas pipelines. Charlie Kirk, one of the most outrageous of the junior Trumpists, speculated that it was “a potential midterm election operation” and that U.S. intelligence agencies should be considered “guilty until proven innocent”—an appalling smear gleefully parrotted on Russian state TV. The ex-President—who during his time in office did so much to weaken NATO and undermine American allies while also praising Putin—even offered himself up as a mediator. On Wednesday, in a post on Truth Social, his Orwellian-named social-media platform, he insisted, “get a negotiated deal done NOW.” Which, of course, is exactly what Putin wants Trump to say. After a Ukrainian counter-offensive in the eastern Kharkiv region this month pushed Russian forces back to its own border, Putin responded with new provocations designed to force the West to the bargaining table, since his exceptionally brutal yet inept application of military force failed to do so. That, at least, is the consensus view of many of America’s smartest Kremlin watchers. As Alexander Vershbow, who served as the U.S. Ambassador to Moscow during my tenure there as a correspondent for the Washington Post, put it to me: “Having failed to stop the Ukrainians on the battlefield, Putin is trying to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat by political means.” Russia’s leader, Vershbow added, hopes that “he can weaken the Alliance consensus and scare the West into scaling back its military support for Kyiv for fear of precipitating Russian use of nuclear weapons to defend the ‘homeland.’ The sabotage of the Nord Stream pipelines further reinforces the image of Putin as madman, which might persuade some allies to push for a ceasefire and negotiations that would inevitably mean Ukraine giving up significant amounts of territory.” Talk about a bad deal. Earlier this week, undersea gas pipelines to Europe mysteriously blew up. Tucker Carlson, citing no evidence, blamed the United States for somehow playing a role.Source video from Scopal / Reuters It seems clear that negotiating now would be an extraordinary concession in and of itself to Putin’s barbarism and willingness to threaten nuclear conflict. Yet it’s not just Trumpists who have been calling with more urgency for a negotiated peace ever since Putin vowed, in early September, to “make use of all weapons systems available to us” and warned, “This is not a bluff.” Or is it? Over the weekend, Biden’s national-security adviser, Jake Sullivan, promised a “catastrophic” response if Putin were to deploy battlefield nuclear weapons in Ukraine. American military officials have no doubt produced many serious options for the United States to consider in such a scenario, including directly entering the war on Ukraine’s side—just the Third World War scenario that Biden has been so determined to avoid. Watching all of this, it’s hard not to think of how often over the past two decades the West has collectively failed to get Putin right—or to get him at all. Over the summer, the Aspen Strategy Group asked me to give a presentation about Russia at war, and what stood out to me in my research was the number of times, and variety of ways, in which the U.S. and its allies had missed the mark in understanding Putin at critical junctures in his long tenure as Russia’s modern tsar. Again and again, Putin has profited from the application of military force to achieve otherwise unattainable political gains. He came to power by promoting war in the separatist Russian province of Chechnya. He sent Russian troops to Georgia and Syria and, in 2014, to Ukraine. Each time, there were endless rounds of speculation in Western capitals about how to create an “exit ramp” that would finally entice Putin to end his incursion. Putin just kept barrelling down the highway. So, yes, I’m skeptical when I hear the latest round of “exit ramp” talk. If there’s one thing I’ve learned from watching Putin all of this time, it’s that he is not one to walk away from a fight or back down while losing—escalation is his game, and by now he is very, very practiced at it. As the Moscow Times put it, in a fascinating piece of reporting from inside the Kremlin, “Putin always chooses escalation.” On Thursday, I spoke with the Russia expert Fiona Hill. She told me she believes there’s an element of self-delusion to much of the current commentary about the possibility of Washington and the West continuing to back Ukraine while avoiding conflict with Putin—who, after all, launched his war against Ukraine not in February but eight years ago when he invaded the country and illegally annexed the Crimean Peninsula. As far as Hill is concerned, we are already fighting in the Third World War, whether we acknowledge it or not. “We’ve been in this for a long time, and we’ve failed to recognize it,” she said. Her chilling thought raises a searing question about U.S. policy: If the goal is to avoid a conflict in which we are already fighting, then does the rest of Washington’s approach to Russian aggression need to be reconsidered? Hill’s line of thinking is one reason why there are increased calls from many Russia watchers not to kowtow to Putin’s demands at a moment when both his weaknesses and those of his system have been so clearly revealed. There is also the matter of Putin getting the West wrong. We in Washington hardly have a monopoly on misguided assumptions being a driving factor in international affairs. Many indicators suggest, in fact, that they were a major reason why this war happened. Putin not only failed to understand that Ukrainians would stand and fight against his aggression; he also failed to foresee the U.S. and its NATO allies remaining united and funding the Ukrainian resistance. Moscow’s bogus annexations of more Ukrainian territory seems likely to produce only more Western sanctions—and the possible extension of the war that Putin looks increasingly like he is losing. “The problem is, of course, us misreading him, but also him misreading us,” Hill observed. Nuclear brinksmanship between a wounded, sulking Russian dictator and an increasingly alarmed NATO alliance—with Ukraine trapped in the middle—is just about a worst-case scenario for a world that hardly needs another crisis. Will Washington stay the course?  Read More Here

CIVIL WAR: Ron DeSantis Privately Calling Trump A “Moron” https://digitalarkansasnews.com/civil-war-ron-desantis-privately-calling-trump-a-moron/ Florida Governor Ron DeSantis is going after Donald Trump in what’s likely a preview of the 2024 Republican presidential primary. DeSantis is on record calling Trump a “moron,” trashing him in private, and saying he’s a “TV personality.” Imagining himself next to Trump on the debate stage, DeSantis says he would attack the ex-president “head-on” and go after his record and lack of competence. He claims he’d say, “why didn’t you fire Fauci? You said you would build the wall, but there is no wall. Why is that?” Trump has also been going after DeSantis in private, calling him “fat” and a “phony.” Eventually, these two will come to blows in a more public setting and the Republican infighting can only be good for the Democrats who will look much more qualified to hold office in comparison. The David Pakman Show is a news and political talk program, known for its controversial interviews with political and religious extremists, liberal and conservative politicians, and other guests. Missed an episode?  Check out David Pakman on our Youtube Channel  anytime or visit the show page for the latest clips. #FreeSpeechTV is one of the last standing national, independent news networks committed to advancing progressive social change.  #FSTV is available on Dish, DirectTV, AppleTV, Roku, Sling and online at freespeech.org  “TV personality.” #davidpakmanshow DeSantis Donald Trump Florida Governor Republican Ron DeSantis Read More Here

FDA Approves First ALS Drug In 5 Years After Pleas From Patients https://digitalarkansasnews.com/fda-approves-first-als-drug-in-5-years-after-pleas-from-patients/ The Food and Drug Administration on Thursday overcame doubts from agency scientists and approved a fiercely debated drug for ALS, a move that heartened patients and advocates who pushed for the medication but raised concerns among some experts about whether treatments for dire conditions receive sufficient scrutiny. “It’s a huge deal,” said Sunny Brous, 35, who was diagnosed with ALS seven years ago after she had trouble closing her left glove while playing softball. She plans to begin taking the drug as soon as she can. “Anything that shows any amount of efficacy is important,” the resident of Pico, Tex., added. Even a small change, Brous said, “might be the difference between signing my own name and someone else signing it for me.” The newly approved therapy, which will be sold under the brand name Relyvrio, is designed to slow the disease by protecting nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord destroyed by ALS — amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. The ailment paralyzes patients, robbing them of their ability to walk, talk and eventually breathe. Patients typically die within three to five years, though some live much longer with the condition sometimes called “Lou Gehrig’s disease” for the renowned baseball player diagnosed in 1939. “This approval provides another important treatment option for ALS, a life-threatening disease that currently has no cure,” Billy Dunn, director of the FDA’s Office of Neuroscience, said in a statement. The agency said the efficacy of Relyvrio, the first new therapy approved for ALS in five years, was demonstrated in a 24-week study in which 137 patients were randomized to receive Relyvrio or placebo. The patients treated with the drug experienced a 25 percent slower rate of decline in performing essential activities such as walking, talking and cutting food compared with those receiving a placebo. In addition, the FDA said, a long-term analysis showed that patients who originally received Relyvrio vs. those who took the placebo lived longer. Amylyx, the Cambridge, Mass., biotech company that makes the drug, said that survival benefit was a median of about 10 months. During reviews of the drug, the FDA staff expressed concerns about the medication’s effectiveness and posed questions about the clinical trial. On Thursday, the agency acknowledged there were “limitations” to the data that resulted in uncertainty about the drug’s degree of effectiveness. But the agency said that regulatory flexibility was acceptable because of the “serious and life-threatening nature of ALS and the substantial unmet need” for treatments. Amylyx officials said they plan to move as quickly as possible to make the drug available. “[Amylyx’s] goal is that every person who is eligible for Relyvrio will have access as quickly and efficiently as possible as we know people with ALS and their families have no time to wait,” co-CEOs Josh Cohen and Justin Klee said in a statement. The company said information on the price would be coming soon. Patients, advocates and ALS specialists hailed what they called a landmark approval, saying the drug represents the kind of modest advance needed to make progress against the disease. About 30,000 people in the United States have ALS, with 6,000 new cases diagnosed every year. Two other drugs — including Radicava, which came to the U.S. market in 2017 — are approved for the ailment but have extremely limited effectiveness. Some drug policy experts, however, said insufficient evidence exists that the drug works. A trial with 600 patients won’t be completed until late 2023 or early 2024. “There is some evidence to support the efficacy of the product, but I don’t think it hits the bar that the FDA typically requires,” said G. Caleb Alexander, an internist and epidemiologist at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health who serves on the FDA advisory committee that reviewed the drug. “How much should the FDA lower the bar — if at all — for products for a devastating disease” that lacks effective treatments? Diana Zuckerman, president of the of National Center for Health Research, a think tank, agreed. “How many ineffective ALS drugs do we need?” Zuckerman said. “It would be better to have one that has been proven to make a meaningful difference to live longer.” But Jinsy A. Andrews, an associate professor of neurology and director of neuromuscular clinical trials at Columbia University, applauded the approval and said she plans to start prescribing the drug as soon as it is available. Other ALS specialists agreed. “I see patients living with this disease, and I diagnose them every day,” Andrews said. “So to have another therapy for the tool kit is helpful.” Andrews is an investigator in the large trial for the drug now underway. The drug consists of two components — a prescription drug called sodium phenylbutyrate used to treat rare liver disorders and a nutritional supplement called taurursodiol. The drug comes in a powder that is dissolved in water and can be swallowed or given through a feeding tube. Two Brown University undergraduates — Cohen and Klee — came up with the idea for the therapy almost a decade ago, initially thinking it would be for Alzheimer’s disease. ALS advocates said the approval shows the importance of patients and advocates getting involved in efforts to bring drugs to the market. “We still have a lot of work to do to cure ALS, but this new treatment is a significant step in that fight,” said Calaneet Balas, president and CEO of the ALS Association. In 2014, the organization raised $115 million in six weeks from the Ice Bucket Challenge and provided $2.2 million of that to help pay for testing AMX0035, the drug’s name during development. The medication is the first funded by the organization to receive FDA approval. Amylyx has agreed to use proceeds from sales of the medication to repay the organization 150 percent of its investment. In 2019, Brian Wallach, a staffer in the Obama White House, and his wife founded a group named I AM ALS after Wallach was diagnosed. That organization made getting the Amylyx drug onto the market a priority. The two groups pressed the FDA to be faster and more flexible in clearing ALS drugs, saying patients would accept treatments with increased safety risks in return for even a small benefit — a viewpoint incorporated into the agency’s 2019 guidance to the pharmaceutical industry on developing ALS therapies. In 2020, the two ALS organizations submitted more than 50,000 signatures to the FDA calling for approval of AMX0035. In a do-it-yourself effort, some ALS patients in the United States already are taking the ingredients of the medication. Because sodium phenylbutyrate was already approved, doctors may prescribe it off-label to ALS patients. The nutritional supplement taurursodiol, also called TUDCA, can be bought online. Steve Kowalski, 58, who lives in Boston and takes the components of the drug, along with the other two approved ALS drugs, credits the regimen for slowing his deterioration. With careful planning and the help of his three adult children, he can still go see his beloved Red Sox but is exhausted when he gets home, he said. Kowalski welcomed the FDA action on the drug. He prefers to get a high-quality, approved version of the medication rather than having to buy a supplement online. The company’s application to the FDA was based largely on the 24-week clinical trial and follow-up data from an “open label” study in which all trial participants were offered the drug. Typically, the FDA expects drugmakers to submit “substantial evidence of effectiveness” provided by two well-designed clinical investigations. But the agency says a single trial may be sufficient if the study demonstrates a “clinically meaningful and statistically very persuasive effect” on extending survival or some other aspect of the disease. In March, however, the FDA staff issued a mostly negative assessment — suggesting the data was not persuasive — and the agency’s advisers agreed, voting 6-4 to recommend against FDA approval. Patients and advocates flooded the FDA with more than 10,000 emails pleading for approval, advocates said. In a rare move, the FDA held a second advisory meeting this month to consider additional analyses submitted by the company. Once again, the FDA staff suggested in a memo that there was not enough evidence of effectiveness to approve the drug. But the tone of the meeting differed markedly from that of the first session. At the outset, Dunn acknowledged the data for the drug raised numerous questions but also stressed the “tremendous unmet medical need” for ALS and the seriousness of the disease. He said the agency had the legal authority to be flexible. And in a highly unusual move, Dunn asked the Amylyx officials whether they would voluntarily withdraw the drug from the market if the large trial failed; they said they would. With a few of the outside experts on the advisory committee changing their position, the panel recommended approval 7-2. The debate over the drug has echoes of the battle over Aduhelm, the controversial Alzheimer’s drug approved by the agency in June 2021. Critics said there was scant evidence of efficacy for that medication, and Medicare declined to cover it except in trials. The drug collapsed in the marketplace, never gaining traction with patients or physicians. But ALS doctors insist the ALS drug is different. It reached its primary goal in the trial, even if the benefit was modest, they noted. And even small gains are meaningful to people with the disease, they argued. The FDA said the drug did not pose major safety concerns; the most common adverse reactions were diarrhea, abdominal pain, nausea and upper respiratory tract infection. The agency added that taurursodiol, a bile ac...

No. 16 Razorbacks Compete On Home Course In 34th Annual Chile Pepper Festival https://digitalarkansasnews.com/no-16-razorbacks-compete-on-home-course-in-34th-annual-chile-pepper-festival/ FAYETTEVILLE – Competing in the 34th annual Chile Pepper Festival, No. 16 Arkansas races on its home course at Agri Park on Friday afternoon at 5 p.m. Admission is free with collegiate races occurring on Friday while high school, junior high and open races are held on Saturday. Information on parking for each day is available here: https://www.chilepepperfestival.org. A free live stream of all races will be made available by Hoka via RunnerSpace at the following link: chilepepperfestival.runnerspace.com. Chile Pepper Festival – Schedule – Friday, Sept. 30, 2022 3:15 p.m. Women’s Collegiate Prairie Fire Pepper 5k 3:45 p.m. Men’s Collegiate Prairie Fire Pepper 8k 4:30 p.m. College Women’s 5k 5:00 p.m. McDonnell Memorial College Men’s 8k 6:00 p.m. Awards “We’re going to run our full team this weekend and we’ll really open up to see where we’re at this week,” stated Arkansas men’s head coach Chris Bucknam. “The course is in great shape and it’s going to be fast. “That’s one of the advantages of this meet at this time of the year. It’s a challenge, not so much a hill challenge as it is a speed challenge. Both of those things are difficult to deal with. I think we’ll have some really fast times this weekend.” Tulsa, ranked No. 5 in nation after placing fifth in the Oklahoma State Jamboree this past weekend, headlines a field of 35 teams competing in the 5 p.m. race with the Razorbacks. Division I schools competing include Abilene Christian, Arkansas State, Central Arkansas, Houston, Kansas State, Little Rock, Louisiana, Oklahoma, Sam Houston State, SFA, UL Monroe, and UT Arlington. Nationally ranked Division II schools in the field include No. 6 Missouri Southern, No. 19 Mississippi College, and No. 21 Nebraska-Kearney. “We’re coming off two consecutive years where we finished on the podium at the national championships,” noted Bucknam of the Razorbacks pair of fourth place finishes at the NCAA Cross Country Championships. “A lot of those kids on those two teams have graduated. Now we have some new people in the mix. “So, it’s going to be a challenge for us. We won the last couple of SEC championships and have been on the NCAA podium the last two years. But I’m just as excited coaching this team as I was last year or the year before. Because I love to see improvement and see kids get better.” Myles Richter was the top Razorback finisher in the 2021 Chile Pepper Festival race, placing second while covering the 8,000m course in 23:33.5, as Arkansas finished fourth in team scoring with 192 points. Jacob McLeod, who has competed in two NCAA championship meets as a Razorback, will contest his first Chile Pepper race. A crew of Arkansas freshmen who competed unattached in last year’s race includes Elias Schreml (15th 24:22.7), Ben Shearer (23rd 24:35.2), and Jack Williams (70th 25:25.5). “We’ve got some young kids competing this week and they’re going to have to step up and fill a big void,” said Bucknam. “I’m really excited about watching this team compete and seeing if we can get to a point where we can challenge for a SEC championship.” In addition to testing the young Razorback squad on its familiar home Agri Park course, this meet enables Arkansas to observe talented runners from the high school and junior college levels. “This meet is a big recruiting opportunity on all levels now with the transfer portal,” stated Bucknam. “We’ve gotten some junior college athletes out of this race, such as Frankline Tonui and Stanley Kebenei, where we get a chance to see them run. We get a great benchmark since we know the course and know how fast it is and it doesn’t change from year to year, so we can compare times a little bit. “So, it’s very helpful for the high schools and junior colleges, for sure, being able to see the talent this meet attracts. It’s a great opportunity.” Nationally ranked schools among junior colleges racing in the Chile Pepper Festival include Iowa Central, Hutchinson, Garden City, and Ranger. Arkansas alum Josphat Boit is the head coach at a new junior college program at Northwest Arkansas, who will compete in the 3:15 p.m. women’s race and 3:45 p.m. men’s race. Read More Here

Tropical Storm Ian Regains Hurricane Strength – Live https://digitalarkansasnews.com/tropical-storm-ian-regains-hurricane-strength-live/ Hurricane Ian: Waves flood roads in Key West as storm strengthens to category 4 After spending most of Thursday as a tropical storm, Ian was upgraded to a hurricane again as it takes aim at the South Carolina coastline. The National Hurricane Center stated in its 5pm ET update that Hurricane Ian was “taking aim at the Carolinas and Georgia with life-threatening flooding, storm surge and strong winds.” The hurricane is now moving north-northwest at around 10 mph with maximum sustained winds increasing to 75 mph with strong gusts. “Ian could slightly strengthen before landfall tomorrow, and is forecast to rapidly weaken over the southeastern United States late Friday into Saturday,” the advisory said. Dozens of rescue operations have been taking place across Florida after unprecedented flooding from one of the most powerful hurricanes ever recorded in the United States. Thousands of people are stranded across the state as coastguard helicopters were seen plucking people from roofs after several feet of water surged into neighorboods. Some 2.5million people were currently without power. Florida Governor Ron DeSantis described the hurricane as a “500-year flood event” and said that major infrastructure had been badly damaged including the Sanibel Causeway in southwest Florida and the bridge to Pine Island, near Fort Myers. President Joe Biden declared a major disaster in Florida following the catastrophic impacts. “This could be the deadliest hurricane in Florida history,” he said later during a briefing at the Federal Emergency Management Agency headquarters. Read More Here

Ian Regains Hurricane Strength As It Tracks Toward South Carolina; Set To Drench NC On Friday https://digitalarkansasnews.com/ian-regains-hurricane-strength-as-it-tracks-toward-south-carolina-set-to-drench-nc-on-friday/ RALEIGH, N.C. (WTVD) — Tropical Storm Warnings are now in effect for much of central North Carolina as Ian continues track toward the Tar Heel State. As of late Thursday afternoon, Ian regained hurricane status as a Category 1 and was expected to make landfall Friday afternoon near Charleston, South Carolina, as a hurricane. The storm continued to move north-northeast movement at 9 mph. This all comes after the storm devastated Florida, knocking out power to more than 2 million people and reportedly causing multiple deaths. Timeline Wind gusts began to pick up in North Carolina on Thursday. Gusts could be around 20 miles per hour throughout Thursday, which means people should go ahead and secure loose items outside. The rain will not begin until late Thursday or early Friday morning. Friday will be a complete washout with pretty much all of North Carolina seeing heavy rainfall during an approximately 18-hour window. In central North Carolina, heavy rain will likely begin before the morning commute and last into the evening hours. However, by late Friday evening the majority of the rain will be over. Saturday will include some scattered showers, especially in the morning. What to expect Most people in central North Carolina can expect to see tropical storm conditions, meaning heavy rain and strong winds. ABC11 Meteorologist Kweilyn Murphy said central North Carolina can expect anywhere from 3-7 inches of rain from Ian. Flooding will not be widespread, but localized flooding is possible in areas that see heavy downpours. There is also an isolated tornado risk — mainly south and east of the Triangle. Big Weather’s hurricane emergency kit Wind gusts could get up to 40 miles per hour at times. That is strong enough to lift and move some unsecured items. Tropical Storm Warnings are also in effect along the North Carolina coast from the South Carolina border up past Morehead City. No storm surge warnings are yet in effect in North Carolina. North Carolina prepares for Ian Gov. Roy Cooper declared a State of Emergency on Wednesday ahead of the arrival of the remnants of Hurricane Ian. Cooper is scheduled to give an update on preparations at 3 p.m. ABC11 will broadcast that update live on television and in all of our apps. North Carolina’s price gouging law against overcharging in a state of emergency is also in effect statewide. Cooper also authorized the activation of about 80 members of the North Carolina National Guard to assist as needed. Officials at Duke Energy said they’ve kept their North Carolina crews at home just in case we see widespread outages. They’ve spent the last couple of days making grid improvements and securing equipment, so if there is an outage, they’ll be able to respond quickly. “We do expect to see outages. Where those are going to be were continue to monitor. But certainly it’s a real storm. People should take it seriously until it’s out of the area and we can move ahead,” said Jeff Brooks, Duke Energy. Right now, they say they have three major concerns: wind, rain and flooding. “This is just an all hands on deck kind of storm. It’s going to be a historic storm. The damage we’re seeing in some areas the entire grid will have to be rebuilt. Those are the kind of conditions they’re dealing with there. We’re thankful that we’re probably not going to see that here. But we could still see a lot of outages,” Brooks said. If you do experience an outage at your home, Duke energy wants you to report it. You can text the word OUT to 57801, use the Duke energy app or call them at 800.769.3766. Once the storm moves out of the area, Duke Energy will reevaluate and assign crews based on the hardest hit areas. Meanwhile, home repair experts suggest homeowners take time before Ian arrives to prepare their homes and check their insurance. WATCH: People living in Triangle flood zones ‘nervous’ about Ian Destruction in Florida Hurricane Ian left a path of destruction in southwest Florida, trapping people in flooded homes, damaging the roof of a hospital intensive care unit and knocking out power to 2 million people before aiming for the Atlantic Coast. One of the strongest hurricanes to ever hit the United States barreled across the Florida peninsula overnight Wednesday, threatening catastrophic flooding inland, the National Hurricane Center warned. The center’ said Ian became a tropical storm over land early Thursday and was expected to emerge over Atlantic waters near the Kennedy Space Center later in the day. Flooding rains continued across the state, and a stretch of the Gulf Coast remained inundated by ocean water, pushed ashore by the massive storm. “Severe and life-threatening storm surge inundation of 8 to 10 feet above ground level along with destructive waves is ongoing along the southwest Florida coastline from Englewood to Bonita Beach, including Charlotte Harbor,” the center said. In Port Charlotte, along Florida’s Gulf Coast, the storm surge flooded a lower-level emergency room in a hospital even as fierce winds ripped away part of the roof from its intensive care unit, according to a doctor who works there. Water gushed down onto the ICU, forcing staff to evacuate the hospital’s sickest patients — some of whom were on ventilators – to other floors, said Dr. Birgit Bodine of HCA Florida Fawcett Hospital. Staff members used towels and plastic bins to try to mop up the sodden mess. The medium-sized hospital spans four floors, but patients were forced into just two because of the damage. Bodine planned to spend the night there in case people injured from the storm arrive needing help. “As long as our patients do OK and nobody ends up dying or having a bad outcome, that’s what matters,” Bodine said. Law enforcement officials in nearby Fort Myers received calls from people trapped in flooded homes or from worried relatives. Pleas were also posted on social media sites, some with video showing debris-covered water sloshing toward homes’ eaves. More than 250 people have been rescued in Orlando as the city experienced “historic flooding” from Hurricane Ian, according to Orlando Chief Charlie Salazar. A total of 91 people were rescued from the Maxwell apartment complex, and 175 people were rescued from the Dockside apartment complex, said Chief Salazar. The city received 14 inches of water from the storm, according to Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer. About 25% of Orlando remains without power, said Dyer. Flooding has affected the entire city, with a number of lakes and other bodies of water “out of their boundaries,” according to the mayor. Crews will continue to assess storm damage in Orlando as the city prepares for more rain in the coming days. Search and rescue missions will continue. WATCH: First Alert to Hurricane Season Brittany Hailer, a journalist in Pittsburgh, contacted rescuers about her mother in North Fort Myers, whose home was swamped by 5 feet (1.5 meters) of water. “We don’t know when the water’s going to go down. We don’t know how they’re going to leave, their cars are totaled,” Hailer said. “Her only way out is on a boat.” Hurricane Ian turned streets into rivers and blew down trees as it slammed into southwest Florida on Wednesday with 150 mph (241 kph) winds, pushing a wall of storm surge. Ian’s strength at landfall was Category 4 and tied it for the fifth-strongest hurricane, when measured by wind speed, to ever strike the U.S. Ian dropped to a tropical storm early Thursday over land, but was expected to intensify again once its center moves over the Atlantic Ocean and menace the South Carolina coast Friday at near-hurricane strength. Storm surges as high as 6 feet (2 meters) were expected on both sides of the peninsula. At 5 a.m. Thursday, the storm was about 40 miles (70 km) southeast of Orlando and 35 miles (55 kilometers) southwest of Cape Canaveral, carrying maximum sustained winds of 65 mph (100 kph) and moving toward the cape at 8 mph (13 kmh), the Miami-based hurricane center said. Hurricane warnings were lowered to tropical storm warnings across the Florida peninsula, with widespread, catastrophic flooding remaining likely, the hurricane center said. Tropical-storm-force winds extended outward up to 415 miles (665 km) from the center, and nearly the entire state was getting drenched, with up to a foot (30 centimeters) of rain forecast for parts of Northeast Florida, coastal Georgia and the Lowcountry of South Carolina. As much as 6 inches (15 centimeters) could fall in southern Virginia as the storm moves inland over the Carolinas, the center said. No deaths were reported in the United States from Ian by late Wednesday. But a boat carrying Cuban migrants sank Wednesday in stormy weather east of Key West. The U.S. Coast Guard initiated a search and rescue mission for 23 people and managed to find three survivors about two miles (three kilometers) south of the Florida Keys, officials said. Four other Cubans swam to Stock Island, just east of Key West, the U.S. Border Patrol said. Air crews continued to search for possibly 20 remaining migrants. The storm previously tore into Cuba, killing two people and bringing down the country’s electrical grid. The hurricane’s eye made landfall near Cayo Costa, a barrier island just west of heavily populated Fort Myers. As it approached, water drained from Tampa Bay. More than 2 million Florida homes and businesses were left without electricity, according to the PowerOutage.us site. Nearly every home and business in three counties was without power. Sheriff Bull Prummell of Charlotte County, just north of Fort Myers, announced a curfew between 9 p.m. and 6 a.m. “for life-saving purposes,” saying violators may face second-degree misdemeanor charges. “I am enacting this...

Arkansas Military Veterans Find Mental Health Help On Harleys To Combat PTSD https://digitalarkansasnews.com/arkansas-military-veterans-find-mental-health-help-on-harleys-to-combat-ptsd/ LITTLE ROCK, Ark — Local Veterans are on the road to healing and they’re putting on helmets and hopping on two wheels to get there, as motorcycles are being used as a therapy tool.  Veteran Sandy Spangler says he served in the United States Army in 1969 through 1971, he also fought in Vietnam.  “I went in the army in ’69 and got out in ’71, I was in Vietnam in ’70 and ’71,” said Spangler.  Spangler says although a lot of time has gone by since then, riding motorcycles still helps him deal with the trauma during that time.  “It really has helped me to think through some of the things that have been difficult to process even 50 years after being in the military,” said Spangler.   Spangler is a member of Rock City Harley Davidson Central Arkansas’ Hog Group, Combat Veterans, and Patriot Guard. His road name is ‘Preacher’  he says he and other Veterans ride motorcycles for the same reason.  “If you served in the military then it’s kind of like a brotherhood riding motorcycles is similar,” said Spangler.  20 year Air Force Veteran, Brian ‘Smokey’ Wall fought in Afghanistan and Iraq and is also a part of Combat Veterans. He says it’s not just riding on motorcycles that helps him overcome difficult times but also leaning on his fellow Veterans on and off the road.  “I think all of us that have served especially in combat deal with it in some form or fashion,” said Wall.  4 year Army Veteran, Joseph Little says he works with and rides motorcycles which doing both has given him a sense of calm.  “It helps me have tunnel vision and block everything out which is a relief from some of the things that are going on inside my head so freedom is the biggest thing,” said Little.  They all say they want to help their fellow Veterans and if they would like to reach out to them it doesn’t have to be by them getting on a bike.  “If they’re having issues like PTSD, mental issues, whatever there’s been a long standing stigma that there’s a weakness to ask for help and a lot of people have worked really hard to squash that mentality because it really isn’t a sign of weakness it’s a sign of strength,” said Wall.  To contact The Arkansas Department of Veteran Affairs you can call  (501) 683-2382.   For Veteran Motorcycle Organizations you can go to the Rock City Harley Davidson Central Arkansas’ Hog Group, The Patriot Guard, Combat Veterans. Read More…

Trump Records Probe: Tensions Flare Over Special Master https://digitalarkansasnews.com/trump-records-probe-tensions-flare-over-special-master-2/ Judge Aileen Cannon on Thursday overturned a directive from the special master that would have required the Trump team to say whether it had any objections to a detailed FBI property inventory cataloging all of the items agents removed from Mar-a-Lago. WASHINGTON (AP) — The parallel special master process spawned by the FBI search of Donald Trump’s Florida estate has slowed the Justice Department’s criminal investigation and exposed simmering tensions between department prosecutors and lawyers for the former president. As the probe into the presence of top-secret information at Mar-a-Lago continues, barbed comments in recent court filings have laid bare deep disagreements related to the special master’s work — not just among lawyers but judges, too. And the filings have made clear that a process the Trump team initially asked for has not consistently played to the ex-president’s advantage. Courthouse News’ podcast Sidebar tackles the stories you need to know from the legal world. Join our hosts as they take you in and out of courtrooms in the U.S. and beyond. A look at where things stand: WHO IS THE SPECIAL MASTER AND WHAT IS HIS ROLE? A federal judge in Florida appointed at the Trump team’s request an independent arbiter to inspect the thousands of documents seized from Mar-a-Lago and to weed out from the investigation any that might be protected by claims of either attorney-client privilege or executive privilege. That arbiter, formally known as a special master, is Raymond Dearie. He’s a former federal prosecutor who was appointed a U.S. District judge in Brooklyn by then-President Ronald Reagan. He also has served on the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court. He was initially tasked by U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon, a Trump appointee, with reviewing all of the records taken from Mar-a-Lago. But a federal appeals court shrunk the scope of his duties last week, ruling that the Justice Department did not have to share with him the roughly 100 documents with classified markings that were taken during the Aug. 8 search. That leaves for his evaluation the roughly 11,000 other, unclassified documents — which a Trump lawyer said actually total roughly 200,000 pages — recovered by the FBI. Cannon, meanwhile, has also reined in some of Dearie’s work. WHAT HAS HAPPENED SINCE THEN REGARDING CLASSIFIED DOCUMENTS? The past week has revealed stark divisions in how both sides envision the process playing out, as well as the precise role the special master should have. An early hint surfaced when the Trump team resisted Dearie’s request for any information to support the idea that the documents had been declassified, as Trump has repeatedly asserted. A lawyer for Trump, James Trusty, said that inquiry was “premature” and “a little beyond” what Cannon had in mind at the time she appointed the special master. The following day, in a setback for the Trump team, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 11th Circuit overruled an order from Cannon that had temporarily halted the Justice Department’s ability to use the seized classified documents in its probe. Besides restoring the department’s access, the order also lifted Cannon’s mandate that investigators give the special master those records. More conflict followed, this time related to the scanning and processing of non-classified government records that were seized. Government lawyers revealed in a letter Tuesday that none of the five document-review vendors they had recommended for the job was “willing to be engaged” by the Trump team. The Justice Department said it was confident it would be able to secure the arrangements on its own while noting that it continued to expect the Trump team to pay. But Trusty responded with his own letter Wednesday attributing the difficulty in securing a vendor to the sheer quantity of documents, which he said totaled roughly 200,000 pages — a number the Justice Department has not itself stated in court filings. He said the department’s deadlines for the production of documents was overly “aggressive” — “It would be better to base deadlines on actual data and not wistful claims by the Government,” he noted at one point — and scolded the department for what he said were “antagonistic” comments. “DOJ continues to mistake itself as having judicial authority. Its comments are not argument, but proclamations designed to steamroll judicial oversight and the Plaintiff’s constitutional rights,” Trusty wrote. WHAT IS LIKELY TO HAPPEN NEXT? The FBI’s investigation took a major step forward when the appeals court lifted Cannon’s hold on its ability to scrutinize the seized classified documents as it evaluates whether Trump or anyone else should face criminal charges. Dearie’s work as special master will continue alongside that probe, though there’s little chance any action he takes at this point could substantially alter the outcome of the FBI investigation or affect major decisions that lie ahead. But early disagreements between Cannon and Dearie over the scope of his duties also bear watching. For instance, Cannon on Thursday overturned a directive from the special master that would have required the Trump team to say whether it had any objections to a detailed FBI property inventory cataloging all of the items agents removed from the home. That response could have been illuminating given that Trump and some of his allies have raised unsupported suggestions that the agents who searched his home may have planted evidence. If his lawyers were to affirm the inventory’s accuracy, they would likely be contradicting their own client’s claims while also acknowledging the presence of classified materials in the home. The Justice Department this week made what it called minor revisions to the inventory, but said it was an otherwise full and accurate accounting of what was taken. Yet newly disclosed correspondence showed the Trump team balking at being forced to assess the inventory’s accuracy. Trusty said in a letter Sunday that the directive that it do so goes beyond what Cannon had envisioned when she appointed Dearie. Cannon herself agreed, canceling Dearie’s requirement Thursday and writing that her “appointment order did not contemplate that obligation.” The Justice Department, for its part, had earlier suggested that the Trump team should not be able to avoid stating its position on the record or following other of Dearie’s directives. “The Special Master needs to know that he is reviewing all of the materials seized from Mara-Lago on August 8, 2022 — and no additional materials — before he categorizes the seized documents and adjudicates privilege claims,” the department said in one filing. The letter Tuesday ended with this tart reminder to Trump and his lawyers: “Plaintiff brought this civil, equitable proceeding. He bears the burden of proof.” __ By ERIC TUCKER Associated Press Read the Top 8 Sign up for the Top 8, a roundup of the day’s top stories delivered directly to your inbox Monday through Friday. Read More Here

Ginni Thomas Falsely Asserts To Jan. 6 Panel That Election Was Stolen, Chairman Says https://digitalarkansasnews.com/ginni-thomas-falsely-asserts-to-jan-6-panel-that-election-was-stolen-chairman-says/ Virginia “Ginni” Thomas, the wife of Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas, reiterated her belief that the 2020 election was stolen during her interview Thursday with the committee investigating the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol, according to the committee’s chairman, Rep. Bennie G. Thompson (D-Miss.). Her false assertion, nearly two years after Joe Biden’s victory, came during a five-hour closed-door interview with the committee. Ginni Thomas, a conservative activist, drew the attention of the committee after investigators obtained emails between her and lawyer John Eastman, who had advocated a fringe legal theory that Vice President Mike Pence could block the congressional certification of Biden’s electoral college win. She also repeatedly pressed White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows to find ways to overturn the election, according to messages she sent to him weeks after the election. The messages represent an extraordinary pipeline between Thomas and one of Trump’s top aides as the president and his allies were vowing to take their efforts all the way to the Supreme Court. The committee says it may use clips from her appearance, if they are warranted, in a future hearing. But lawmakers have not yet scheduled their next hearing. Mark Paoletta, an attorney for Thomas, said in a statement that she appeared before the panel “to clear up the misconceptions about her activities surrounding the 2020 elections.” “As she has said from the outset, Mrs. Thomas had significant concerns about fraud and irregularities in the 2020 election,” the lawyer said. “And, as she told the Committee, her minimal and mainstream activity focused on ensuring that reports of fraud and irregularities were investigated. Beyond that, she played no role in any events after the 2020 election results.” The panel had previously contemplated issuing a subpoena to compel her testimony. Read More Here

Trump's 'ultimate Grift' Was Getting Himself Nobel Peace Prize Nomination For 'fake Nuclear Deal': Reporter https://digitalarkansasnews.com/trumps-ultimate-grift-was-getting-himself-nobel-peace-prize-nomination-for-fake-nuclear-deal-reporter/ New Yorker reporter Susan Glasser revealed to The Bulwark’s Charlie Sykes this week what she believed to be former President Donald Trump’s “ultimate grift.” While appearing on Sykes’ podcast, Glasser talked about how Trump lobbied to get himself nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize for his ultimately unfruitful efforts to get North Korea to give up its nuclear weapons. “Donald Trump bragged and bragged and bragged about his, by the way, nonexistent nuclear deal with Kim Jong-un,” Glasser said. “And he would go to rallies and say, ‘Would you believe it, the prime minister of Japan has nominated me for a Nobel Peace Prize!'” There was much more to Trump’s nomination for the prestigious prize than met the eye, however. IN OTHER NEWS: Experts slam Judge Cannon’s latest pro-Trump ruling: ‘Hilarious, corrupt, shameless, and obvious’ “Then we learn, in the course of reporting for this book, that, in fact, the reason Shinzo Abe nominated Donald Trump for a Nobel Peace Prize is that Donald Trump had him to a private dinner, just the two of them, at Trump Tower in the fall of 2018 at which he asked Shinzo Abe to nominate him.” Trump ultimately didn’t care about winning the prize, said Glasser, as much as being able to brag about having been nominated. “To me that is the ultimate grift,” she said. “A fake nuclear deal, a fake nomination for the Peace Prize, it’s got it all.” Trump ultimately was not awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. Listen to the full interview at this link. Read More Here

Case Against Source For Trump Dossier Advances, Barely https://digitalarkansasnews.com/case-against-source-for-trump-dossier-advances-barely/ Case against source for Trump dossier advances, barely –  CBS19 News Read More Here

Capitol Riot Jury Picked For 1st Seditious Conspiracy Trial https://digitalarkansasnews.com/capitol-riot-jury-picked-for-1st-seditious-conspiracy-trial/ MICHAEL KUNZELMAN, Associated Press Sep. 29, 2022Updated: Sep. 29, 2022 4:42 p.m. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate 1of6Thomas Caldwell of Berryville, Va., a defendant charged with seditious conspiracy in one of the most serious cases to emerge from the Jan. 6, 2021 attack on the U.S. Capitol, arrives at the federal courthouse, Wednesday, Sept. 28, 2022, in Washington.Manuel Balce Ceneta/APShow MoreShow Less 2of6Thomas Caldwell of Berryville, Va., a defendant charged with seditious conspiracy in one of the most serious cases to emerge from the Jan. 6, 2021 attack on the U.S. Capitol, arrives at the federal courthouse on the third day of jury selection, Thursday, Sept. 29, 2022, in Washington.Manuel Balce Ceneta/APShow MoreShow Less 3of6 4of6Thomas Caldwell of Berryville, Va., a defendant charged with seditious conspiracy in one of the most serious cases to emerge from the Jan. 6, 2021 attack on the U.S. Capitol, arrives at the federal courthouse on the third day of jury selection, Thursday, Sept. 29, 2022, in Washington.Manuel Balce Ceneta/APShow MoreShow Less 5of6FILE – Stewart Rhodes, founder of the citizen militia group known as the Oath Keepers speaks during a rally outside the White House in Washington, on June 25, 2017. Rhodes formally launched the Oath Keepers in Lexington, Massachusetts, on April 19, 2009, where the first shot in the American Revolution was fired.Susan Walsh/APShow MoreShow Less 6of6 WASHINGTON (AP) — A jury was selected Thursday in the seditious conspiracy case against the founder of the Oath Keepers extremist group and four associates in the highest profile prosecution stemming from the Capitol riot to reach a trial. A panel of 12 jurors and four alternates was chosen after three days of questioning about their feelings concerning the insurrection on Jan. 6, 2021, and potential biases against the far-right group accused of plotting to use force to stop the transfer of presidential power. Opening statements are expected to begin Monday in federal court in the case against Stewart Rhodes and his associates — the first Jan. 6 defendants to go to trial on the Civil War-era charge of seditious conspiracy. The stakes are high for the Justice Department, which will try to prove that Rhodes spent weeks rallying his followers to prepare to use violence in a desperate bid to keep Republican Donald Trump in the White House. If convicted of seditious conspiracy, they could face up to 20 years behind bars. Court records show the Oath Keepers, in the weeks leading up to Jan. 6, discussing paramilitary training and setting up a “quick reaction force” that could get weapons into Washington quickly if they were needed. Oath Keepers stashed weapons for the “quick reaction force” at a Virginia hotel and equipped themselves with communication devices, helmets, vests and other battle gear before storming the Capitol with the large mob of angry Trump supporters, prosecutors say. Rhodes is not accused of going inside the Capitol, but telephone records show he was communicating with Oath Keepers who did enter around the time of the riot and he was seen with members outside afterward. Rhodes, Kelly Meggs, Jessica Watkins, Kenneth Harrelson and Thomas Caldwell face several other charges in addition to seditious conspiracy. Drawing from an original pool of 150 potential jurors, the judge and lawyers individually questioned about half of them over three days. U.S. District Judge Amit Mehta disqualified dozens of the prospective jurors, mainly based on concerns about whether they could be fair and impartial. Thomas Caldwell’s lawyer, David Fischer, asked many of the prospective jurors for their opinions about supporters of former President Donald Trump. “I don’t understand the allegiance to him,” said a woman who is an elementary school principal. The judge rejected defense lawyers’ request to dismiss her. One of the many lawyers from the jury pool described Trump’s die-hard supporters as “misinformed” and referred to the Jan. 6 attack as an “insurrection.” The judge disqualified him. Many members of the jury pool said they did hold have strong opinions about Trump or could at least set aside their political views. “People are entitled to believe what they believe,” said a woman who is a marketing and communications professional. A man who described the Oath Keepers as a paramilitary group intent on keeping Trump in office also expressed concern about the safety of him and his family if he were picked to serve on the jury, calling it a “very high-profile case.” Mehta disqualified him. Rhodes has said he believed Trump was going to invoke the Insurrection Act and call up a militia to support his bid to stay in power. Rhodes’ lawyers have said they will tell jurors that he is not guilty of seditious conspiracy because his actions in anticipation of what he believed would have been lawful orders from Trump under the Insurrection Act. His lawyers have said the “quick reaction force” outside Washington was meant for defensive purposes if Trump did so. Lawyers for the other Oath Keepers have said they came to Washington only to provide security for figures such as Trump ally Roger Stone at events before the riot. Nearly 900 people have been charged so far in the Jan. 6 riot and more than 400 have pleaded guilty or been convicted at trial. Sentences for the rioters so far have ranged from probation for low-level misdemeanor offenses to 10 years in prison for a retired New York City police officer who used a metal flagpole to assault an officer at the Capitol. ___ For full coverage of thee Capitol riot, go to https://www.apnews.com/capitol-siege Read More Here

Putin Says Mistakes Of Military Mobilisation Should Be Corrected https://digitalarkansasnews.com/putin-says-mistakes-of-military-mobilisation-should-be-corrected/ This content was produced in Russia, where the law restricts coverage of Russian military operations in Ukraine. MOSCOW, Sept 29 (Reuters) – President Vladimir Putin said on Thursday that “all mistakes” made in a call-up to reinforce Russia’s military operation in Ukraine should be corrected, his first public acknowledgment that the “partial mobilisation” he announced last week had not gone smoothly. There have been widespread public expressions of discontent from officials and citizens over the way the mobilisation has been handled, including complaints about enlistment officers sending call-up papers to clearly ineligible men. Thousands of men have fled Russia to avoid a draft that was billed as enlisting those with military experience and required specialities but has often appeared oblivious to individuals’ service record, health, student status or even age. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com Some 2,000 people have also been arrested at unsanctioned anti-war protests in over 30 towns and cities, and some of them promptly given call-up papers – something the Kremlin said was perfectly legal. “In the course of this mobilisation, many questions are coming up, and all mistakes must be corrected and prevented from happening in the future,” Putin said. Russian President Vladimir Putin chairs a meeting via video link in Sochi, Russia September 27, 2022. Sputnik/Gavriil Grigorov/Pool via REUTERS/File Photo “For example, I’m thinking of fathers of many children, or people suffering from chronic diseases, or who those who are already past conscription age.” Russia’s announcement on Sept. 21 of its first public mobilisation since World War Two had even attracted criticism from the Kremlin’s own official supporters, something almost unheard of in Russia since it sent its army into Ukraine seven months ago. “They’re infuriating people, as if on purpose, as if out of spite. As if they’d been sent by Kyiv,” the strongly pro-Kremlin editor of Russia’s state-run RT news channel, Margarita Simonyan, said on Saturday. On Monday, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov acknowledged that some call-ups had been issued in error, saying mistakes were being corrected by regional governors and the ministry of defence. Putin notably refrained from assigning blame for the errors – either to the ministry, led by his close ally Sergei Shoigu, or to the regional officials entrusted with deciding precisely who call-up papers should go to. Shoigu said last week that Moscow planned to enlist only 300,000 personnel. The Kremlin later denied a report by the independent Novaya Gazeta Europe that an undisclosed clause in Putin’s mobilisation decree provided for one million reservists to be called up. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com Reporting by Reuters; writing by Kevin Liffey; editing by Philippa Fletcher Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles. Read More Here

Former Trump Adviser Peter Navarro: Learn From Past Mistakes To Win Back The White House https://digitalarkansasnews.com/former-trump-adviser-peter-navarro-learn-from-past-mistakes-to-win-back-the-white-house/ As former president Donald Trump prepares to win the White House a second time, he now understands the importance of appointing loyal personnel who will not obstruct his agenda, as often happened during his first term, says former Trump adviser Peter Navarro. Navarro said while he expects that a second Trump term “will not be afflicted by that,” he is convinced that “part of making sure that happens is getting out the information about what went wrong sometimes in [the] West Wing.” The day after Trump won the 2016 presidential election, a decision was made “to invite the RINO [Republicans In Name Only] Republicans into the Trump tents,” Navarro said on EpochTV’s “Crossroads” program on Sept. 23. Navarro called this “a very bad decision” and added that Steve Bannon, CEO of Trump’s 2016 campaign and his later chief strategist, dubbed Trump’s alliance with establishment RINOs the “the original sin” of the Trump administration. ”And that set in motion, particularly in the early part of the administration, a set of really bad choices for both the cabinet and the West Wing.” To give an example, Navarro said that when working on Trump’s trade tariff policies, he often had to contend with opposition from White House officials who previously helped to finance offshoring to China. “RINOs in the Trump administration embraced three out of four points of Navarro’s economic growth policy: tax cuts, deregulation, and an expansion of the petroleum sector in a way that would make the United States energy independent,” Navarro wrote in his recently released book “Taking Back Trump’s America: Why We Lost the White House and How We’ll Win It Back.” However, those establishment RINOs were “vehemently opposed to any kind of trade actions that would prevent their corporate donors from offshoring American jobs,” Navarro wrote. Despite these challenges, “Trump still wound up being the best president in modern history, certainly on the economy, and the first president to make communist China the single most important threat to this country in the minds of the American people,” Navarro said. Undermining the President’s Policy Agenda Chinese Vice Premier Liu He and U.S. President Donald Trump display the signed trade agreement between the United States and China in the East Room of the White House in Washington, D.C., on Jan. 15, 2020. (Saul Loeb/AFP via Getty Images) Trump’s policy agenda was often undermined by his appointees and White House staff, the former adviser said. Staff responsible for delivering documents to the president for his signature continually buried things that Trump wanted to get done, Navarro said. Navarro cited an executive order related to the South Korea trade deal. Trump asked him to prepare the document and put it on his desk for his signature, but Trump’s chief economic adviser, Gary Cohn, made the document “disappear into the ether.” The document Navarro drafted at Trump’s request was to pull the United States out of a “toxic trade treaty with South Korea within a specified timeframe,” Navarro explained in the book. “These kinds of presidential actions were designed not necessarily to exit such agreements but rather to put pressure on other countries like South Korea so that we could quickly negotiate better deals for American workers and companies,” Navarro wrote. Trump’s then-national security adviser, H.R. McMaster, later confirmed that Cohn took the document out of the president’s desk. In addition, the White House staff member responsible for assembling the press kit each night for the president to read would “skew” the information presented, Navarro recounted. That staff member was not supposed to have any input on policy. Nonetheless, he tended to include articles critical of Trump’s tariff policy, while leaving out articles expressing different views. Further, Navarro was dismayed that there were three generals among Trump’s top-level officials who consistently disobeyed the president’s direct orders. For any military organization to work, he emphasized, “the first commandment and the most important commandment” is to obey the chain of command, adding “if you do not do that, everything breaks down.” Pandemic Response The Trump administration was not as tough on China as it should have been, and this extended to policies enacted in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, said Navarro, a noted China scholar. Navarro prepared an executive order for Trump that he believes would have “shift[ed] the blame for the pandemic off the shoulders of President Trump—where it did not belong—to the communist Chinese.” Trump was ready to sign the order, but some of his staff who supported soft-on-communist-China policies fought Navarro “tooth and nail” to prevent the directive from being signed, due to “the silly presumption that they didn’t want to rock any political boats,” Navarro said. Executive Order Would Have Changed the Course of the Election Navarro believes that if that executive order had been signed, it might have changed the outcome of the 2020 election. While it is unclear whether the coronavirus escaped from the Wuhan lab accidentally or whether it was released intentionally, it helped the Chinese communist regime to advance its geopolitical interests, Navarro said. The adviser said that in 2017, the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the parent of Dr. Anthony Fauci’s agency, resumed its funding for gain-of-function research on pandemic pathogens—funding that had been paused by the Obama administration in 2014. The research was intended to create or enhance pathogens to be highly contagious and highly lethal to humans, according to the NIH. Fauci awarded grants for the research to the Wuhan Institute of Virology through EcoHealth Alliance, an international non-profit organization headed by Peter Daszak. Problematic Appointments Navarro has also criticized some of Trump’s choices for his cabinet. For instance, if Ben Carson had been made head of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) instead of being placed in “the backwater” of Housing and Urban Development, “we would have had much more cerebral, robust, and quick response to the pandemic,” the adviser said. Realizing that he had appointed personnel who were not intent on carrying out his aims was “a slow awakening” for Trump, Navarro said. He recounted the story of a top-level meeting in 2017, as Trump was becoming increasingly frustrated “with the slow walking” of his trade and tariff policies. When Trump’s cabinet members and advisers gathered for that meeting, Navarro was “the only guy in the room who [wanted] to get tough on China and impose the tariffs.” It was the first concrete sign to Trump, “that he had assembled a group of people who he was going to have to overcome or persuade,” Navarro said. “It was just a tough, tough road. We got it done. Tariffs on China, tariffs on steel and aluminum—it all worked and it helped create jobs, but it took too long, it was slow,” Navarro said. “By the time four years rolled around, we should have had more and higher tariffs on China because they were just screwing us, which is what the communists always do.” The China trade deal signed by Trump was diluted and “effectively gutted” by elements in the Trump cabinet and among his advisers. Even the “watered down” trade deal was not honored by the Chinese party, Navarro added. Economy the ‘Tip of the Spear’ “What we did [in terms of economic policies] was structural in nature, designed to increase the real wages of American workers, the productivity of American workers, the prosperity of the middle class,” said Navarro, a professor emeritus of economics. “We did that beautifully through structural elements, not just the traditional Republican tax cuts and lower regulatory burdens, but by securing the southern border, which prevents a flood of uneducated, low-income workers coming in and pressing hard on the wages of black, brown, and blue-collar Americans, [and] by bringing in our supply chains and our manufacturing base.” Navarro said of the current economic crisis: “I think the only one who fully understands how to get out of that is Donald Trump.” Follow Ella Kietlinska is a reporter for The Epoch Times focusing on U.S. and world politics. Follow Joshua Philipp is an award-winning investigative reporter with The Epoch Times and host of EpochTV’s “Crossroads” program. He is a recognized expert on unrestricted warfare, asymmetrical hybrid warfare, subversion, and historical perspectives on today’s issues. His 10-plus years of research and investigations on the Chinese Communist Party, subversion, and related topics give him unique insight into the global threat and political landscape. Read More Here

‘Historic Storm’: Floods Strand Florida Residents As Hurricane Ian Heads To South Carolina – Live https://digitalarkansasnews.com/historic-storm-floods-strand-florida-residents-as-hurricane-ian-heads-to-south-carolina-live/ ‘Historic storm’: floods strand Florida residents as Hurricane Ian heads to South Carolina Emergency crews on boats and helicopters were racing to reach stranded residents of Florida’s Gulf Coast after Ian, one of the strongest storms ever to hit the US mainland, left behind deadly floodwaters, downed power lines and widespread damage. Ian flooded Gulf Coast communities before plowing across the peninsula to the Atlantic Ocean, where it regained hurricane strength as it spun towards South Carolina. It is expected to make a second landfall there on Friday morning. The extent of deaths and injuries remained uncertain. President Joe Biden, speaking earlier at Federal Emergency Management Agency (Fema) headquarters in Washington, said Ian could prove to be the deadliest in Florida history. “The numbers are still unclear, but we’re hearing early reports of what may be substantial loss of life,” Biden said. Officials locally were more cautious. Chris Constance, commissioner of Charlotte county, said he knew of six confirmed fatalities, but was unaware of the circumstances. In Lee county, sheriff Carmine Marceno said he was aware of “roughly five”. Authorities confirmed at least one Florida death — a 72-year-old man in Deltona who fell into a canal while using a hose to drain his pool in the heavy rain, the Volusia County Sheriff’s Office said. Two other storm deaths were reported in Cuba. “,”elementId”:”d5b180ef-babf-4047-b5e6-5c88769a077f”},{“_type”:”model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement”,”html”:” Here’s where things stand: “,”elementId”:”2995fa99-1707-49ea-9831-53f105de7d29″},{“_type”:”model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement”,”html”:” n US president Joe Biden warned a short time ago, of the storm’s effects: “It is still moving across the state today. This could be the deadliest hurricane in Florida’s history. The numbers are still unclear but we are hearing early reports of what may be substantial loss of life.” The death toll so far is not known. n The National Hurricane Center said that, after making landfall in south-west Florida, the monster storm is expected to take: “A turn toward the north-northeast … later today, followed by a turn toward the north and north-northwest with an increase in forward speed Friday and Friday night.” The center of the hurricane is expected to move off the east-central coast of Florida and will make its way to the coast of South Carolina on Friday. n Florida governor Ron DeSantis said this morning that: “We’ve never seen a flood event like this. We’ve never seen storm surge of this magnitude.” n Biden approved a Florida disaster declaration. The move by the president sends federal money to help state, tribal and local recovery efforts, including debris removal, emergency protective measures and hazard mitigation. Crucially, it also makes federal funds available to individuals in specific counties. n “,”elementId”:”fa9b1953-acd1-4d56-9ad0-4831be767733″}],”attributes”:{“pinned”:false,”keyEvent”:true,”summary”:false},”blockCreatedOn”:1664475819000,”blockCreatedOnDisplay”:”14.23 EDT”,”blockLastUpdated”:1664482670000,”blockLastUpdatedDisplay”:”16.17 EDT”,”blockFirstPublished”:1664476442000,”blockFirstPublishedDisplay”:”14.34 EDT”,”blockFirstPublishedDisplayNoTimezone”:”14.34″,”title”:”Today so far”,”contributors”:[],”primaryDateLine”:”Thu 29 Sep 2022 17.58 EDT”,”secondaryDateLine”:”First published on Thu 29 Sep 2022 06.41 EDT”},{“id”:”6335d1fb8f0883d28b5849b0″,”elements”:[{“_type”:”model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement”,”html”:” There are reports of “what may be substantial loss of life,” president Joe Biden said while speaking at the FEMA headquarters in Washington DC this afternoon. “,”elementId”:”6a72b2e6-3f0a-4c0f-a847-e48db164a4cb”},{“_type”:”model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.BlockquoteBlockElement”,”html”:” n Speaking about Hurricane Ian, Biden said, “It is still moving across the state today. This could be the deadliest hurricane in Florida’s history. The numbers are still unclear but we are hearing early reports of what may be substantial loss of life.” n “,”elementId”:”be3776a3-58cd-4d78-9082-96fa78fa22a5″},{“_type”:”model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.BlockquoteBlockElement”,”html”:” n The president continued, “My message to the people of Florida and to the country: At times like this, America comes together. We’re going to pull together as one team, as one America.” n “However long it takes, we’re going to get there,” Biden said, adding, “That’s my commitment to you.” n “,”elementId”:”bcdff943-205e-40cb-ad7c-3395ffe034e5″}],”attributes”:{“pinned”:false,”keyEvent”:true,”summary”:false},”blockCreatedOn”:1664471547000,”blockCreatedOnDisplay”:”13.12 EDT”,”blockLastUpdated”:1664472440000,”blockLastUpdatedDisplay”:”13.27 EDT”,”blockFirstPublished”:1664471708000,”blockFirstPublishedDisplay”:”13.15 EDT”,”blockFirstPublishedDisplayNoTimezone”:”13.15″,”title”:”Biden: early reports show ‘what may be substantial loss of life’”,”contributors”:[],”primaryDateLine”:”Thu 29 Sep 2022 17.58 EDT”,”secondaryDateLine”:”First published on Thu 29 Sep 2022 06.41 EDT”},{“id”:”6335a4318f086841b84c4872″,”elements”:[{“_type”:”model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement”,”html”:” Hurricane Ian is moving toward the north-east near 8 mph (13 km/h), according to an advisory released by National Hurricane Center this morning. “,”elementId”:”679df134-19db-4143-9b20-14a28b7bf59d”},{“_type”:”model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.BlockquoteBlockElement”,”html”:” n “A turn toward the north-northeast is expected later today, followed by a turn toward the north and north-northwest with an increase in forward speed Friday and Friday night,” it said. n “,”elementId”:”f151cbb4-c76b-4de0-9a2b-68c626afbd73″},{“_type”:”model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement”,”html”:” The center of the hurricane is expected to move off the east-central coast of Florida and will make its way to the coast of South Carolina on Friday. “,”elementId”:”956456e3-884c-4964-8187-0967cb1b737b”},{“_type”:”model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement”,”html”:” On Friday night and Saturday, the center will move farther inland cross the Carolinas, the advisory said, adding that maximum sustained winds will remain near 65 mph (100 km/h) with higher gusts. “,”elementId”:”8c1c2a39-2a1d-4627-a31b-5f80032e089a”},{“_type”:”model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.InteractiveBlockElement”,”url”:”https://interactive.guim.co.uk/uploader/embed/2022/09/ian-zip/giv-6562lHUxo5wX7bze/”,”alt”:”Guardian graphic on Hurricane Ian’s path”,”scriptUrl”:”https://interactive.guim.co.uk/embed/iframe-wrapper/0.1/boot.js”,”isMandatory”:false,”elementId”:”ac62b79c-f896-426d-8349-69b8b85067ef”}],”attributes”:{“pinned”:false,”keyEvent”:true,”summary”:false},”blockCreatedOn”:1664459825000,”blockCreatedOnDisplay”:”09.57 EDT”,”blockLastUpdated”:1664463100000,”blockLastUpdatedDisplay”:”10.51 EDT”,”blockFirstPublished”:1664460132000,”blockFirstPublishedDisplay”:”10.02 EDT”,”blockFirstPublishedDisplayNoTimezone”:”10.02″,”title”:”Hurricane Ian moving toward the north-east”,”contributors”:[],”primaryDateLine”:”Thu 29 Sep 2022 17.58 EDT”,”secondaryDateLine”:”First published on Thu 29 Sep 2022 06.41 EDT”},{“id”:”6335a1388f084e56bac5823d”,”elements”:[{“_type”:”model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement”,”html”:” A section of the Sanibel Causeway – a major roadway connecting the Sanibel and Captiva Islands to the mainland – has been destroyed by Hurricane Ian. “,”elementId”:”c12c8136-0a35-4143-b64b-4cedbb62461f”},{“_type”:”model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.BlockquoteBlockElement”,”html”:” n “Where the bridge rises from the mainland toward the island, one of the first sections of the span has disappeared. Crumbled pavement lies near the water’s edge. The rest of the bridge stretches forward, unreachable,” the Tampa Bay Times reported. n “,”elementId”:”69b68e44-eddb-4053-ab7a-344294a16dd8″},{“_type”:”model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement”,”html”:” The pavement surrounding the bridge is described to have “folded up like an accordion, ripped to ribbons.” “,”elementId”:”c2ce759d-1410-4498-879d-d665523e3d80″},{“_type”:”model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.BlockquoteBlockElement”,”html”:” n “Two cars tried to pass out to the island about 1:30 a.m., including a group of young men hoping to reach their friend. They had to turn around,” the outlet added. n “,”elementId”:”26078784-7941-4f36-8a1a-ec9ea8d48002″},{“_type”:”model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TweetBlockElement”,”html”:” #BreakingNews: An approximately 50-65 foot section of the Sanibel Causeway Bridge has fallen into the Gulf of Mexico. @NBC2 pic.twitter.com/vOI2EvyVOY — Gage Goulding – NBC2 (@GageGoulding) September 29, 2022 n”,”url”:”https://twitter.com/GageGoulding/status/1575433281100824578?s=20&t=kr-OSZ7W0l94TdoBaQYKfw”,”id”:”1575433281100824578″,”hasMedia”:false,”role”:”inline”,”isThirdPartyTracking”:false,”source”:”Twitter”,”elementId”:”7a43fc73-8b84-4e67-8fd4-3515b1d3cbf3″}],”attributes”:{“pinned”:false,”keyEvent”:true,”summary”:false},”blockCreatedOn”:1664459064000,”blockCreatedOnDisplay”:”09.44 EDT”,”blockLastUpdated”:1664459611000,”blockLastUpdatedDisplay”:”09.53 EDT”,”blockFirstPublished”:1664459437000,”blockFirstPublishedDisplay”:”09.50 EDT”,”blockFirstPublishedDisplayNoTimezone”:”09.50″,”title”:”Section of major Florida bridge destroyed by hurricane”,”contributors”:[],”primaryDateLine”:”Thu 29 Sep 2022 17.58 EDT”,”secondaryDateLine”:”First published on Thu 29 Sep 2022 06.41 EDT”},{“id”:”633598768f084e56bac581bf”,”elements”:[{“_type”:”model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement”,”html”:” “We’ve never seen a flood event like this. We...

COVID-19 In Arkansas: Active Cases See Steady Decline Over The Past Week https://digitalarkansasnews.com/covid-19-in-arkansas-active-cases-see-steady-decline-over-the-past-week/ Can omicron hit you with back-to-back COVID infections? (Photo: Getty Images) Can omicron hit you with back-to-back COVID infections? (Photo: Getty Images) by: Chris Counts Posted: Sep 29, 2022 / 04:35 PM CDT Updated: Sep 29, 2022 / 04:35 PM CDT LITTLE ROCK, Ark. – New data from the Arkansas Department of Health Thursday shows that active cases continued to trend down over the past week. The ADH data showed the number of active cases went down by 303 to 5,137 in the last 24 hours, also with a drop of 2,211 over the past week. The data showed 343 new cases reported, driving the total number of cases reported during the pandemic to 951,283. Thursday’s update also showed 12,148 deaths attributed to COVID-19, which is an increase of 17 since Wednesday. The ADH data also reported 231 patients currently hospitalized with COVID-19, down 19 since Wednesday. The number of patients on ventilators was up by four and now sits at 17, while 47 patients remain in ICU due to the virus, seeing no change in the last 24 hours. The ADH also reported 2,605 new vaccine doses being given out since Wednesday’s report. There are now 1,667,807 Arkansans who are fully immunized, with another 289,649 who are partially immunized. Read More…

Symphony Of Destruction: Megadeth Live In Hershey, PA (Photos) https://digitalarkansasnews.com/symphony-of-destruction-megadeth-live-in-hershey-pa-photos/ Hershey, Pennsylvania – a town which might be the purest possible manifestation of both chocolate and capitalism – is also home to the Hersheypark Stadium, which is where Megadeth played last Saturday, on tour with Five Finger Death Punch, The Hu, and Fire from the Gods – an unusually rock-focused lineup to see Megadeth in (photographer Nadine noted it’s one of the oddest she’s ever attended), but hey, it’s post-COVID touring, anything goes. For those unfamiliar with the openers, The Hu play a mix of metal and rock rooted in Mongolian folk metal, relying on throat singing and traditional instruments, and Fire from the Gods plays socially-conscious rap metal. Megadeth’s latest album, The Sick, The Dying… and the Dead! released on September 2nd, continuing their penchant for thrash metal rooted in war, sickness, and other forms of human-driven misery. Their lineup right now is the ever-present Dave Mustaine plus Kiko Loureiro (guitar, ex-Angra), Dirk Verbeuren (drums), and James LoMenzo (bass). The thrashers’ high-octane set included career highlights like “Hangar 18,” “Peace Sells,” and “Symphony of Destruction,” with “We’ll Be Back” from the new album also featured. The set concluded with the legendary “Holy Wars… The Punishment Due” as an encore. We’ve got photos from the show below – keep scrolling. Photo Credit: Nadine Maziarz … Five Finger Death Punch, Megadeth, The Hu, and Fire from the Gods Tour Dates: 09/30/2022 Tinley Park, IL @ Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre – Chicago 10/01/2022 Noblesville, IN @ Ruoff Music Center 10/04/2022 Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio @ Blossom Music Center 10/05/2022 Detroit, MI @ Pine Knob Music Theatre 10/07/2022 Milwaukee, WI @ American Family Insurance Amphitheater 10/08/2022 Maryland Heights, MO @ Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre – St. Louis 10/10/2022 Alpharetta, GA @ Ameris Bank Amphitheatre 10/12/2022 Rogers, AR @ Walmart AMP 10/14/2022 Denver, CO @ Ball Arena 10/15/2022 Salt Lake City, UT @ USANA Amphitheatre Megadeth – Festival Appearances: 12/04/2022 Hell & Heaven Metal Fest – San Mateo Otzacatipan, MX @ Foro Pegaso … Read More Here

Slim Chickens Announces Gameday Promotion: Arkansas Razorbacks Vs. Alabama Crimson Tide On October 1 | RestaurantNews.com https://digitalarkansasnews.com/slim-chickens-announces-gameday-promotion-arkansas-razorbacks-vs-alabama-crimson-tide-on-october-1-restaurantnews-com/ The Leader in the Better Chicken Segment Will Celebrate the Victorious Team with Free Tender Mac Bowls for the first 100 guests at each Slim Chickens location in the winning city. Fayetteville, AR  (RestaurantNews.com)  Slim Chickens, a leader in the “better chicken” segment of fast-casual restaurants, will be celebrating the winner of the upcoming faceoff between the Arkansas Razorbacks and the Alabama Crimson Tide. Whichever team comes out on top, all Slim Chickens locations in the winning city will be offering FREE Tender Mac Bowls for the first 100 guests on October 3. “The SEC is a great place for fun rivalries and the Arkansas/Alabama game is one of the most anticipated games of the season. With our new franchise partners in Tuscaloosa and the start of our fan favorite Tender Mac Bowls it seemed natural to have some fun between our Fayetteville and Tuscaloosa locations.” said Slim Chickens Chief Marketing Officer Chris Allison. The Original Tender Mac & Cheese Bowl features Slim Chickens’ signature mac and cheese topped with buttermilk-marinated, hand-breaded chicken tenders and a three-cheese blend of shredded Cheddar, Colby and Aged Parmesan. The Buffalo Tender Mac & Cheese Bowl also features the brand’s signature mac and cheese topped with buttermilk-marinated, hand-breaded chicken tenders, house sauces Buffalo and Cayenne Ranch, fried onions, green onions, and a three-cheese blend of shredded Cheddar, Colby and Aged Parmesan. “Slim Chickens in Tuscaloosa is proud to support the Crimson Tide! Cheering on our hometown team this weekend and ready to take the win to bring free Tender Mac bowls to the Tuscaloosa community,” said Slim Chickens Tuscaloosa owner Rodney Ramsey. By focusing on providing only 100% all-natural chicken tenders that are buttermilk-marinated, hand-breaded and always cooked to order, the brand has committed to providing a “better chicken” experience that can’t be found anywhere else. In addition, a choice of 17 house sauces adds exceptional flavor and has earned admiration from both guests and critics alike. Slim Chickens also offers fresh sandwiches, salads, wraps and southern sides. To offset the savory side of the menu, rotating desserts served in Mason jars are also available. About Slim Chickens Slim Chickens opened in 2003 in Fayetteville, Arkansas with a focus on delicious chicken with a southern flair in a fast-casual setting. Guests can always expect buttermilk-marinated, hand-breaded chicken tenders and perfectly fried wings cooked to order and served with house dipping sauces. With nearly 175 locations opened and a fanatical following in 30 U.S. states, as well as international locations in the United Kingdom, the eternally cool brand is an emerging national and international franchise leading the “better chicken” segment with a goal to grow over 600 restaurants over the next decade. Southern hospitality is not just for the South; everyone, everywhere can appreciate honest food to socialize with friends and neighbors. To learn more about the brand, visit slimchickens.com. Contact: Julie Maw Mainland 209-617-6518 jmaw@hellomainland.com More from Slim Chickens Read More Here

Trump Can Duck Special Master Ask To Verify Mar-A-Lago Inventory, Judge Rules https://digitalarkansasnews.com/trump-can-duck-special-master-ask-to-verify-mar-a-lago-inventory-judge-rules/ Former President Donald Trump doesn’t have to confirm whether the FBI’s list of classified documents and other items seized in last month’s Mar-a-Lago raid is correct before he and his legal team review the haul, a Florida federal judge ruled Thursday. Special master Raymond Dearie had asked the 45th president’s team to file a declaration or affidavit about the validity of the inventory after Trump claimed that agents may have planted some of the documents removed from his Palm Beach resort during the Aug. 8 operation. But US District Judge Aileen Cannon agreed with the former president’s attorneys, who argued that Dearie’s request overstepped the bounds of Cannon’s order that asked the government for a certified inventory list. “The Court’s Appointment Order did not contemplate [Trump’s] obligation,” wrote Cannon in her six-page ruling, adding that “the parties and the Special Master now are situated to proceed forward with the review process.” Former US President Donald Trump, pictured in 2018. Trump’s attorneys pushed back against a special master’s request. AFP via Getty Images Dearie, appointed by Cannon at Trump’s request, had asked the DOJ to issue a detailed inventory list and certify it was full and accurate by this past Monday. The government complied with an updated list that is roughly the same as its initial inventory showing more than 100 documents marked “CONFIDENTIAL,” “SECRET, or “TOP SECRET” were removed from Mar-a-Lago. Investigators said they sought authorization to raid Trump’s home on suspicion he might have been improperly keeping government documents since leaving the White House in 2021. Trump has made various claims in an attempt to discredit the raid, including accusations that agents planted documents, as well as that he had declassified the records he held.  If Trump’s lawyers had affirmed the inventory’s accuracy, they would have contradicted their own client’s claims and also acknowledged the presence of classified materials in the home. Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort, where FBI agents raided and seized a trove of allegedly sensitive documents. Getty Images A sitting president has broad authority to declassify records, but Trump’s legal team hasn’t produced evidence that he gave the order while in office to change the status of any of the records seized. Even if the records were “all declassified” as Trump has claimed, the former president could still face charges for improperly holding government documents after leaving office, experts have said. As part of the schedule set by the special master, Trump’s team was to note in its certification whether there were items on the government’s inventory list that weren’t seized during the raid. The attorneys were also to list in the certification any documents that were taken but not listed by the government. “This submission shall be Plaintiff’s final opportunity to raise any factual dispute as to the completeness and accuracy of the Detailed Property Inventory,” Dearie wrote on Sept. 23. The two sides would then get a chance to respond to any factual disputes. The special master initially gave Trump’s team until Friday to submit its claims, but later pushed the deadline back to Oct. 7. In her Thursday order, Cannon gave Trump and the DOJ until Oct. 5 to find a document review vendor to scan the seized documents. Cannon also set an Oct. 13 deadline for the government to make all the records available to Dearie and the Trump team except those subject to attorney-client privilege claims. The Florida judge also gave Dearie until Dec. 16 to complete his review of the documents for attorney-client, executive privilege and other protections. The Justice Department, for its part, suggested earlier this week that the Trump team should not be able to avoid stating its position on the record or following Dearie’s directives. “The Special Master needs to know that he is reviewing all of the materials seized from Mara-Lago on August 8, 2022 — and no additional materials — before he categorizes the seized documents and adjudicates privilege claims,” the department said. The Tuesday filing ended with a pointed reminder to Trump and his lawyers: “Plaintiff brought this civil, equitable proceeding. He bears the burden of proof.” With Post wires Read More Here

New York Attorney General Seeks Trump Trial By End Of 2023 (1) https://digitalarkansasnews.com/new-york-attorney-general-seeks-trump-trial-by-end-of-2023-1/ By Chris Dolmetsch New York Attorney General said in a court filing she wants to go to trial in the state’s fraud lawsuit against and the by the end of next year. James filed a letter with a New York state judge Thursday saying she intends to seek an expedited conference to set the trial date. Because the case “involves allegations of an ongoing scheme and conspiracy to obtain obtain millions of dollars through fraudulent activity, and that defendants repeatedly have sought to delay the conclusion of OAG’s investigation, it is imperative that this case proceed … To read the full article log in. © 2022 The Bureau of National Affairs, Inc. All Rights Reserved Read More Here