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Every living past American president is paying tribute to Queen Elizabeth II, following the longest-serving British monarch’s death at 96.
Elizabeth died on Thursday at her estate in Scotland, Buckingham Palace announced.
During her lifetime, the queen had met with all but one of the American presidents, Lyndon Johnson, since Harry Truman.
Former President Trump praised Elizabeth’s “exceptional service to the people,” saying in a post on Truth Social, “May God bless the Queen, may she reign forever in our hearts, and may God hold her and Prince Philip in abiding care.”
U.S. President Donald Trump and Britain’s Queen Elizabeth II inspect a Guard of Honour, formed of the Coldstream Guards at Windsor Castle in Windsor, England, Friday, July 13, 2018. (AP Photo/Matt Dunham, Pool)
The 45th president appeared to share a special affinity for the queen, who he had described as being beloved by his mother. Trump called Elizabeth an “incredible woman” ahead of his 2018 visit to Windsor Castle to meet with her.
“What a grand and beautiful lady she was,” Trump said in a Thursday statement, “there was nobody like her!”
Former President Obama issued a lengthy remembrance of the queen just hours after her death was announced.
“Michelle and I were lucky enough to come to know Her Majesty, and she meant a great deal to us,” Obama said.
In this May 25, 2011, file photo, President Barack Obama and first lady Michelle Obama welcome Britain’s Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip for a reciprocal dinner at Winfield House in London. (AP Photo/Charles Dharapak, File)
The ex-commander in chief highlighted his personal experience with Elizabeth during a 2009 visit to England.
“Back when we were just beginning to navigate life as President and First Lady, she welcomed us to the world stage with open arms and extraordinary generosity,” Obama said.
“Time and again, we were struck by her warmth, the way she put people at ease, and how she brought her considerable humor and charm to moments of great pomp and circumstance.”
Obama lauded Elizabeth for her “dedicated leadership,” saying he and the former first lady “are awed by her legacy of tireless, dignified public service.”
In this Saturday, June 4, 1994, file photo, Britain’s Queen Elizabeth II smiles as she sits alongside President Bill Clinton at a dinner in the Guildhall in Portsmouth, England, commemorating the 50th anniversary of D-Day. (AP Photo/Doug Mills, File)
Former President Bill Clinton said he and his wife, former secretary of State Hillary Clinton, were joining with people “all around the world” in “giving thanks for [Elizabeth’s] life.”
Calling the queen a “source of stability, serenity and strength,” the 42nd president said he was thankful “for the kindness she showed us through the years, particularly during our visits to Buckingham Palace in 1995 and 2000.”
In this May 7, 2007, file photo, President Bush and Queen Elizabeth II arrive to take part in arrival ceremonies on the South Lawn of the White House in Washington. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert, File)
Former President George W. Bush recalled when he and wife Laura Bush spent time at Buckingham Palace, saying in a statement that “having tea with Her Majesty — and her Corgis — is among our fondest memories of the presidency.”
“Our world benefitted from her steady resolve, and we are grateful for her decades of service as sovereign,” Bush said.
In this file photo dated May 1977, U.S. President Jimmy Carter, right, and Britain’s Queen Elizabeth II are photographed with French President Valery Giscard d’Estaing, at Buckingham Palace in London. (Pool Photo via AP, File)
Ninety-seven-year-old former President Jimmy Carter, who was born two years before Elizabeth, said he and wife Rosalynn extended their condolences to the monarch’s family and the citizens of the U.K.
“Her dignity, graciousness, and sense of duty have been an inspiration,” Carter said of Elizabeth in a statement, “and we join the millions around the world in mourning a remarkable leader.”
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| 2022-09-21T03:04:33Z
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Fewer Americans said inflation is their top issue going into November’s midterm elections than in recent months, according to a new poll released on Thursday.
Thirty percent of respondents in the NPR-PBS Newshour-Marist poll listed inflation as their top issue in the upcoming elections — down from 37 percent in July — as inflation showed signs of slowing.
Even as fewer Americans placed inflation at the top of their list of concerns, it remained the issue most frequently cited as being “top of mind,” ahead of abortion and health care, according to the poll.
However, the issue of abortion gained ground on inflation: The portion of respondents listing it as their top election issue rose slightly from 18 percent in July to 22 percent in September, the poll found.
After the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in June, 61 percent of respondents said the decision made them more likely to vote in November’s elections. This number had decreased slightly by the September poll, with 58 percent saying the decision encouraged them to vote.
Democrats also maintained a slight edge over Republicans among the poll’s respondents, with 48 percent saying they would support a Democratic candidate for Congress in November and 44 percent saying they would support a Republican candidate. However, Republicans have narrowed the gap since June, when 41 percent said they would support one of the party’s candidates.
Democrats’ expectations for the upcoming elections have improved slightly in recent weeks amid a series of wins for the party, including the passage of the Inflation Reduction Act and President Biden’s announcement about student loan debt forgiveness.
The NPR-PBS Newshour-Marist poll was conducted from Aug. 29 to Sept. 1 with 1,236 adults and is statistically significant within plus or minus 4.1 percentage points.
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| 2022-09-21T03:04:41Z
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Fewer Americans said inflation is their top issue going into November’s midterm elections than in recent months, according to a new poll released on Thursday.
Thirty percent of respondents in the NPR/PBS Newshour/Marist poll listed inflation as their top issue in the upcoming elections — down from 37 percent in July — as inflation showed signs of slowing.
Even as fewer Americans placed inflation at the top of their list of concerns, it remained the issue most frequently cited as being “top of mind,” ahead of abortion and health care, according to the poll.
However, the issue of abortion gained ground on inflation, as the portion of respondents listing it as their top election issue rose slightly from 18 percent in July to 22 percent in September, the poll found.
After the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in June, 61 percent of respondents said the decision made them more likely to vote in November’s elections. This number had decreased slightly by the September poll, with 58 percent saying the decision encouraged them to vote.
Democrats also maintained a slight edge over Republicans among the poll’s respondents, with 48 percent saying they would support a Democratic candidate for Congress in November and 44 percent saying they would support a Republican candidate. However, Republicans have narrowed the gap since June, when 41 percent said they would support one of the party’s candidates.
Democrats’ expectations for the upcoming elections have improved slightly in recent weeks, amid a series of wins for the party, including the passage of the Inflation Reduction Act and President Joe Biden’s announcement of student loan debt forgiveness.
The NPR/PBS Newshour/Marist poll was conducted from Aug. 29 to Sept. 1 with 1,236 adults and is statistically significant within plus or minus 4.1 percentage points.
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| 2022-09-21T03:04:49Z
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House Republicans told the Department of Defense that they are “gravely concerned” about President Biden using Marines as “political props” during his Sept. 1 speech in Philadelphia.
In a letter to Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, the lawmakers said it appeared that the Marines “participated in a political event” that “jeopardizes their compliance” with Pentagon regulations against participating in political activities while in uniform.
“We are gravely concerned that throughout the entirety of this partisan, politically charged, and divisive address to the nation, two United States Marines were visibly present flanking the President in the background,” the lawmakers wrote.
“The President’s use of active-duty Marines as political props undermines the apolitical nature of our servicemembers and erodes trust in our military,” they continued.
The letter was signed by House Republican Conference Chairwoman Elise Stefanik (N.Y.), House Armed Services Committee ranking member Mike Rogers (R-Ala.) and House Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense ranking member Ken Calvert (R-Calf.).
The Pentagon referred questions on the use of the Marines to the White House, but said “as with any letter the Secretary receives from lawmakers, his team will reply to the authors of the letter in due time.”
Biden’s use of the Marines during his speech sparked debate, with many who liked the president’s remarks criticizing the positioning of Marines behind him during a speech that was largely seen as political.
White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre later insisted that Biden had the Marines there out of respect for the military and its role in defending democracy.
“It is not abnormal. It is actually normal for presidents from either side of the aisle to give speeches in front of members of the military,” she added. “It is not an unusual sight or is not an unusual event to have happen.”
Pentagon spokesman Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder declined to comment on the use of the Marines during Biden’s speech on Tuesday, referring to comments made by Jean-Pierre last week.
In their letter, the lawmakers asked Austin to respond to questions regarding his knowledge of Biden’s use of the Marines during the speech.
They asked if anyone in the Defense Department knew of the contents of Biden’s speech before he gave it, if the agency knew that two active-duty service members would be involved and what guidance was given to the White House regarding their participation in the event, among other things.
“You’ve expressed your concern about politicization of the military and have insisted the military will not become a political instrument under your watch. Unfortunately, that is exactly what happened with the participation of the Marines at this political event,” the lawmakers wrote.
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| 2022-09-21T03:04:57Z
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Queen Elizabeth II, who passed away on Thursday after being placed under medical supervision, was a stabilizing force for her country and the world during her remarkable 70-year reign.
She worked alongside 15 prime ministers, met every U.S. president since Harry Truman, with the exception of Lyndon Johnson, and was the second longest reigning monarch in world history.
But she was also at times a transformative influence while steering the British royal family through rapidly changing times. Here are a few of the ways that she reshaped the British monarchy.
Use of social media
FILE – Britain’s Queen Elizabeth II waves as she watches the flypast, with Prince Philip, to right, Prince William, centre, with his son Prince George, front, Kate, Duchess of Cambridge holding Princess Charlotte, centre left, with The Prince of Wales standing with The Duchess of Cornwall, and Princess Anne, fourth left, on the balcony during the Trooping The Colour parade at Buckingham Palace, in London, on June 11, 2016. (AP Photo/Tim Ireland, File)
During her time on the throne, the royal family utilized technology to stay engaged and grow their brand beyond Britain’s borders.
From Prince Harry’s viral mic drop with his grandmother as part of a challenge to the Obamas promoting the Invictus Games to photos of the youngest royals that routinely melt the internet’s heart, social media has played a critical role in the monarchy’s ability to keep up with changing times.
In addition to helping the royals better connect with their followers, social media has also transformed the family’s ability to break news, control the narrative about them and get ahead of negative news.
Currently on Twitter, the @RoyalFamily account has 4.8 million followers, the @KensingtonRoyal account has 2.4 million followers and the @ClarenceHouse account has 1.1 million followers.
Stance on divorce
FILE – Diana, Princess of Wales, left, and Britain’s Queen Elizabeth II smile to well-wishers outside Clarence House in London on Aug. 4, 1987. (AP Photo/Martin Cleaver, File)
For hundreds of years, marrying a divorced person was considered out of the question for members of the British monarchy.
Over time, Queen Elizabeth allowed divorces and remarriages within her family in an unprecedented split from tradition.
Her sister, Princess Margaret, split up with divorced air force officer Peter Townsend in 1953, partly due to the fact that she would have had to give up her royal status if she married him. However, she later got a divorce from her husband, photographer Antony Armstrong-Jones, in 1978.
Three of Queen Elizabeth’s four children — Prince Charles, Prince Andrew and Princess Anne — also ended up getting divorces. The queen famously marked the end of 1992, which saw the splits of Prince Charles and Princess Diana as well as Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson, as an “Annus Horribilis,” Latin for “a horrible year.”
Prince Charles ultimately married Camilla, the Duchess of Cornwall, in 2005. Earlier this year, Queen Elizabeth announced in a letter commemorating the 70th anniversary of her reign that she wished for Camilla to assume the title of Queen Consort when Prince Charles becomes king.
Television addresses
An image of Queen Elizabeth II and quotes from her historic TV broadcast commenting on the coronavirus epidemic are displayed at Piccadilly Circus in London, Wednesday April 8, 2020. An estimated 24 million people in the UK watched Sunday evening’s TV broadcast when the Queen addressed the nation. (Yui Mok/PA via AP)
Although the queen’s televised addresses were rare — she only delivered TV addresses five times outside of her traditional Christmas Day messages and her Diamond Jubilee message in 2012 — they had a notable impact in allowing her to connect with people around the world in ways that monarchs before her had not been able to do.
Her special addresses included one about the Gulf War in 1991; perhaps her most famous address, about Princess Diana’s passing in 1997; a tribute to the queen mother after her death in 2002; and her latest address in 2020, about the coronavirus.
The queen’s coronation was also the first to be broadcast live on television and was viewed by 20 million people, according to the BBC.
Walkabout
FILE – In this file photo from April 2, 1970, Britain’s Queen Elizabeth II chats with children in Hobart, Australia. The Queen narrowly escaped disaster in 1970 when a large wooden log was placed on a railroad track in an apparent attempt to derail her train as she traveled across Australia, a retired detective said Wednesday, Jan. 28, 2009. (AP Photo/File)
During an official tour of Australia and New Zealand in 1970, the queen transformed how members of the British royal family interact with the crowds of people who gather to see them.
On a 1970 tour, Queen Elizabeth walked alongside the crowds instead of waving at them from a protected distance, as had been the norm for royals up until that point. This change helped create a new standard for how the royal family interacts with crowds both in Britain and around the world, as the “walkabout” is now a regular practice for royals at public events.
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| 2022-09-21T03:05:05Z
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The newly ascended King Charles III said in a statement on Thursday that the royal family is mourning the loss of “a cherished Sovereign and a much-loved Mother,” following the death of Queen Elizabeth II.
“The death of my beloved Mother, Her Majesty The Queen, is a moment of the greatest sadness for me and all members of my family,” the king said.
“I know her loss will be deeply felt throughout the country, the Realms and the Commonwealth, and by countless people around the world,” he added. “During this period of mourning and change, my family and I will be comforted and sustained by our knowledge of the respect and deep affection in which The Queen was so widely held.”
Queen Elizabeth II died on Thursday at the age of 96, after a 70-year reign. Charles immediately ascended to the throne following his mother’s death.
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| 2022-09-21T03:05:13Z
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King Charles III will deliver a televised address on Friday following the death of his mother, Queen Elizabeth II.
The series of official protocols and rituals following the death of a monarch, known in the case of Queen Elizabeth as Operation London Bridge, includes an address by the new king and the prime minister. King Charles’s address will be broadcast at 6 p.m. U.K. time, according to the Operation London Bridge plans.
He will be proclaimed king Friday by the Accession Council at St. James’s Palace, according to reports. Parliament will swear allegiance to King Charles and other parliamentary activities will be suspended for 10 days.
The newly ascended king put out a statement earlier today following the news of the queen’s death, writing that the royal family is mourning the loss of “a cherished Sovereign and a much-loved Mother.”
“The death of my beloved Mother, Her Majesty The Queen, is a moment of the greatest sadness for me and all members of my family,” King Charles wrote.
Queen Elizabeth II died on Thursday at the age of 96, after a 70-year reign.
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| 2022-09-21T03:05:21Z
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Vandals have defaced the Washington Monument tonight. One reportedly in custody. pic.twitter.com/b4pDINyFta
— Andrew Leyden (@PenguinSix) September 21, 2022
U.S. Park Police say a man is in custody after the base of the Washington Monument was vandalized with red paint Tuesday night.
The area around the Washington Monument was closed, police said in a Tweet at 8:23 p.m.
The vandalism was laced with profanity reading "Have you been [expletive] by this? Gov says tough [expletive]."
Police have not yet released the man's name or any charges against him.
The National Park Service will begin the restoration process Wednesday.
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| 2022-09-21T03:05:23Z
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Lawmakers on both sides of the aisle were quick to share their condolences Thursday after news broke that Queen Elizabeth II died at her Balmoral Castle in Scotland, as well as celebrating the legacy she leaves behind after a record-breaking reign.
“When it comes to Queen Elizabeth II, the combination of longevity, impeccable character, and incredible leadership over seven decades of war and peace is likely never to be seen again,” Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) wrote on Twitter. “Well done, Your Majesty.”
The monarch “bent the arc of history over her 70-year reign,” said Sen. Cory Booker (D-N.J.).
“She took the throne at an age when most people are beginning their adult lives and was tasked with the immense responsibility of leading her nation in the aftermath of World War II,” wrote Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.) of the queen.
“In her 70 years on the throne, she bore witness to the most consequential events that our world has ever seen and helped foster the close and important relationship that the United States shares with the United Kingdom,” she added.
The Royal Family announced Thursday that the queen had died peacefully after Buckingham Palace announced earlier in the day that he doctors were concerned about her health.
Among the many members of the upper chamber who posted to lament the queen’s passing was Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas), who called the late queen “an example for leaders around the world” and praised her “life of steadfast service” as Britain’s leader.
“Today is a sad day. Queen Elizabeth II was an extraordinary leader and historic friend of the U.S. who strengthened America’s relationship with the United Kingdom and helped bring stability to the world,” wrote Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.).
From the House, Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) remembered being present on the House floor when Queen Elizabeth addressed Congress in 1991, and welcoming the monarch as Speaker when she visited the U.S. in 2007.
The queen “helped advance a new global order of security, prosperity and peace” and “offered a masterclass in grace and strength, power and poise,” Pelosi wrote on Twitter.
House Minority Leader Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) said the late monarch “represented what it means to lead with conviction, selflessness, and faith in God and in her people.”
Rep. Carolyn Maloney (D-N.Y.) added that Queen Elizabeth “will go down in history as one of the most consequential monarchs.”
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| 2022-09-21T03:05:29Z
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WAILUKU, Hawaii (KITV4) -- Before clearing an 8-1 vote in front the Maui County Council Tuesday, Bill 21 saw staunch support and criticism. The measure proposes to limit the blue light content in outdoor fixtures to 2 % or less, as well as have lights pointed down and covered.
Low wattage lights for holiday decorations and cultural festivals, non-ocean front homes, and sporting events would be exempt from the rule.
Nearshore properties, however, must only follow the mandate between May and December during the birds' nesting and fledgling season.
"The fact that these special events with temporary lighting at various locations, except hotel properties, is very punitive," said Lisa Paulson of the Maui Hotel and Lodging Association.
Others agreed the proposal seemed arbitrary and feared some events would have to be shutdown.
"It blows my mind that people think a seabird's going to be able to identify, 'oh that's a non-profit event, so that's okay, that's a paid event, I'm going to crash,' that's bizarre," light company owner Kalani Rodrigues said.
Councilmember Kelly King, who introduced the bill, mentioned events at hotels will not get a pass because of the high levels of light they emit.
Opponents also complained about the costs involved with adjusting their lights, but King claimed compliant lights are more efficient.
"So it appears that the change to this other lighting will actually save on utility bills," King said.
"I'm not sure why all of this 'threat of having to close down events' is happening."
Jay Penniman, of the Maui Nui Seabird Recovery Project, said compliant lighting is "available, it continues to become more accessible. I do not believe that it will be that big of an economic impact."
If passed into law, Bill 21 would go into effect next July, but residents and business owners would have three years to comply.
'A'ali'i is a reporter with KITV. He was born and raised on the island of Maui and graduated from the University of Southern California with a bachelor's degree in Journalism.
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| 2022-09-21T03:05:36Z
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Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) opened his morning remarks on the floor Thursday by expressing his concern over Queen Elizabeth II’s medical condition and praising her as a “historic friend of the United States.”
The GOP leader said “our thoughts and our prayers” are with the queen as she battles illness.
McConnell said he and many Americans are closely following reports about the British queen’s health as members of the royal family have rushed to her side. The queen is the longest-reigning British monarch in the country’s history.
“The Senate and the American people are watching the news regarding our friends in the United Kingdom and the health of their beloved Queen Elizabeth,” McConnell said.
McConnell praised the 96-year-old queen, who was coronated in 1953, as “an exemplar of steady leadership and a beloved figure around the world.”
“She’s been a historic friend of the United States,” he added. “The decades of her reign have seen a profound deepening of the special relationship between our two countries that has literally changed the world.”
Prince Harry and his wife Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex, have also arrived in Britain from the United States. The two stepped back from their royal duties in 2020.
The queen’s appearance sparked concern earlier this week when she met with new British Prime Minister Liz Truss at Balmoral Castle in Scotland. Photographs of the meeting revealed purplish blue markings on the back of the queen’s hand.
Updated at 11:54 a.m.
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| 2022-09-21T03:05:36Z
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https://www.kitv.com/news/local/hawaii-is-the-most-expensive-state-in-the-country-to-buy-a-home-study-finds/article_78e51b74-394e-11ed-8b54-ab7838951763.html
| 2022-09-21T03:05:42Z
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A large majority of Americans favor a maximum age limit for elected officials, a new CBS News/YouGov poll found.
When asked if there should be an upper age restriction at which point lawmakers are forced to leave office, 73 percent of poll respondents agreed. Only 27 percent of those surveyed did not agree with the idea.
The majority across all political parties polled were in favor of the maximum age limit, with 71 percent of Democrats, 75 percent of Republicans and 75 percent of independents supporting it.
The majority support also held through every age group of respondents.
Most of those polled (40 percent) said 70 would be an appropriate cut-off age. The other ages offered were age 50 (8 percent), age 60 (26 percent), age 80 (18 percent) and age 90 (2 percent).
Currently, the oldest members of Congress are 87-year-olds Sen. Diane Feinstein (D-Calif.) and Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa). President Biden is 79 years old.
The poll, conducted on a sample of 2,085 U.S. adults between August 29-31, 2022, has a margin of error of 2.6 points points.
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https://www.ktalnews.com/hill-politics/most-americans-want-maximum-age-limit-for-elected-officials-poll/
| 2022-09-21T03:05:44Z
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A Maui mother and son reported missing on Monday have been located and are safe, according to .
"As of Tuesday, September 20, 2022, the Maui Police Department has made contact with Ms. Gomez and Mr. Texeria. The Maui Police Department thanks the public for their assistance," a police spokesperson wrote in a press release Tuesday afternoon.
Authorities did not say where 33-year-old Michaela Gomez and her son, 4-year-old Kanawai Texeira, were or how they got in contact with the two.
WAILUKU, Hawaii (KITV4) -- The Maui Police Department are seeking help locating a missing mom and her son.
Michaela Gomez, 33, and Kanawai Texeira, 4, were reported missing on Monday, September, 19.
Family members are concerned for their safety and well-being after Gomez failed to respond to calls/texts from family members.
Her family reported having contact with her on Monday, September 19, 2022, at approximately 2:00 a.m., but have not heard from her since.
As of Monday, September 19, 2022, at 1:00 p.m., Gomez was known to be in the Pukalani area. She may be driving a green, four-door Pontiac sedan.
Gomez is described as Hawaiian, 5 feet tall, weighs about 140 pounds, and has brown hair and hazel eyes. Her son is described as Hawaiian, 3 feet tall, weighs about 40 pounds, and has light brown hair and brown eyes. It is unknown what type of clothing either was last wearing.
If you know the whereabouts of Gomez or Texeira, contact the Maui Police Department’s non-emergency number at (808)244-6400.
it’s an emergency, dial 9-1-1 and refer to MPD report #22-030002.
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https://www.kitv.com/news/local/missing-maui-mom-4-year-old-son-found-safe-mpd-says/article_c7d40f40-38bf-11ed-a61a-4f3b516f2f6b.html
| 2022-09-21T03:05:48Z
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Officials said Stephen Bannon was the “architect” of a scheme to defraud donors who gave money to build a wall on the United States-Mexico border.
Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg (D) said at a press conference on Thursday that Bannon and the organization We Build the Wall Inc. were indicted for a yearlong fundraising scheme that took in more than $15 million from thousands of people across the country based on false pretenses.
He said Bannon and other leaders of the group promised that all donations to the organization would go toward building a wall on the country’s southern border and “not a penny” would go to paying the salary of the group’s president, Brian Kolfage.
Bragg said the group’s fundraisers repeatedly used the phrase “not a penny” in soliciting donations through media appearances, emails and social media posts.
But he said Kolfage received a salary of more than $250,000 that was funded by donations, and at least $140,000 of it was laundered by Bannon. Prosecutors also allege that Bannon used some funds to pay for personal expenses.
Bragg said Bannon directed We Build the Wall to transfer tens of thousands of dollars at a time to a nonprofit company throughout 2019. The company then paid Kolfage’s salary, which obscured the source of the funds, prosecutors allege.
Bragg said prosecutors in New York began investigating Bannon, former President Trump’s onetime chief strategist, after he received a pardon from Trump in January 2021 for federal charges he faced in relation to the fundraising scheme.
“We then began investigating and determined that Mr. Bannon must be held accountable in this jurisdiction, the jurisdiction of New York State, for his conduct as the architect of this scheme, which impacted hundreds of Manhattan residents,” he said.
Bragg said Bannon and We Build the Wall are facing two counts of second-degree money laundering, two counts of fourth-degree conspiracy, one count of first-degree scheme to defraud and one count of fifth-degree conspiracy.
Bannon has slammed the investigation as politically motivated, saying that “this is all about 60 days from the day,” referencing the upcoming November midterm elections. He said prosecutors did the “same thing” to him in August 2020 when he faced federal charges shortly before the 2020 presidential election.
Bragg said Bannon will be arraigned Thursday afternoon.
Two other men, including Kolfage, pleaded guilty to charges related to the We Build the Wall project in April. A third defendant had a mistrial.
New York Attorney General Letitia James (D) said at the press conference that the indictment is a result of joint efforts between her office and Bragg’s.
“Today is an important day for justice, our justice system and our continued efforts to uphold the law,” she said. “Regular everyday Americans play by these rules, and yet too often, the powerful, political interest, they ignore these rules. They think that they are above the law.”
James said Bannon was the “architect” of Trump’s plan to build a wall on the southern border, so he stole millions of dollars when he undertook a plan to fund the wall.
“And the most egregious of them take advantage of hardworking Americans in the process, and Steve Bannon stands out as a perfect example of this blatant inequality,” she added.
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| 2022-09-21T03:05:52Z
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Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) ordered flags at the U.S. Capitol to be flown at half-staff to honor Queen Elizabeth II, who died on Thursday at the age of 96.
“Speaker Pelosi has ordered the flags at the U.S. Capitol to be flown at half-staff due to the passing of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II,” Pelosi spokesperson Drew Hammill wrote on Twitter.
The royal family announced the queen’s death on Twitter Thursday afternoon after Buckingham Palace earlier that day said she was “under medical supervision” following evaluation because doctors were “concerned for Her Majesty’s health.”
“The Queen died peacefully at Balmoral this afternoon. The King and The Queen Consort will remain at Balmoral this evening and will return to London tomorrow,” the royal family wrote.
Elizabeth assumed the role of queen in 1952, when she was 27 years old, after her father’s death. Her reign spanned 15 prime ministers and 14 U.S. presidents, the first being Harry Truman. She met 13 of the 14 American leaders, with the exception of Lyndon Johnson.
In May 1991, Queen Elizabeth delivered an address to a joint meeting of Congress, becoming the first British monarch to address the legislative chambers.
A number of congressional lawmakers released statements on Thursday mourning the queen’s loss.
“Today, Americans join the people of the United Kingdom in mourning the sad passing of Queen Elizabeth II,” Pelosi wrote in a statement. “Over her seven decades on the throne, Her Majesty was a pillar of leadership in the global arena and a devoted friend of freedom. On behalf of the United States Congress, I extend our deepest and most sincere condolences to the Royal Family during this sad time.”
Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) in a statement said, “The British people’s loss is the entire world’s loss.”
“Elaine and I extend our deepest sympathies to the Royal Family and to the many millions of people across the United Kingdom, the Commonwealth, and the entire world who have drawn reassurance and inspiration from her historic reign, sterling character, and shining example,” he added.
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https://www.ktalnews.com/hill-politics/pelosi-orders-capitol-flags-at-half-staff-to-honor-queen-elizabeth/
| 2022-09-21T03:06:00Z
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Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) on Thursday blasted the side deal that Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) and Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) struck earlier this summer to pass a controversial proposal to make it easier to develop fossil fuel-based energy projects.
Schumer told reporters Wednesday that he plans to attach Manchin’s permitting reform bill to the stopgap spending measure that needs to pass by Sept. 30 to prevent a government shutdown.
Sanders slammed the agreement as “a huge giveaway to the fossil fuel industry” and angrily warned that it would undermine President Biden’s pledge to reduce carbon emissions by 50 percent by the year 2030.
“I rise this morning to express by strong opposition to the so-called side deal that the fossil fuel industry is pushing to make it easier for them to pollute the environment and destroy our planet,” Sanders said.
He said the legislation crafted by Manchin would make it easier for the fossil fuel industry to receive permits and complete what he called “some of the dirtiest and most polluting oil and gas projects in America.”
He added the bill would speed the approval of a pipeline spanning from West Virginia to North Carolina that would “generate emissions equivalent to 37 coal plants or over 27 million cars each and every year.”
“Really, at a time when climate change is threatening the very existence of our planet, why would anybody be talking about substantially increasing carbon emissions and expanding fossil fuel production in the United States?” Sanders asked.
Sanders said he understood the power of oil, gas and coal companies “in our corrupt political system” but called on his colleagues to vote against the deal.
Pairing permitting reform to a continuing resolution gives it a very good chance of passing, even though opposition is building among progressive House Democrats.
Schumer said he promised to pass the bill in exchange for securing Manchin’s vote last month for the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), which will invest more than $300 billion in programs to combat climate change and further develop domestic energy production.
“Permitting reform is part of the IRA, and we will get it done,” Schumer said.
The Democratic leader admitted last month that he was not thrilled to agree to permitting reform, but he noted that it could help the development of renewable energy projects as well as those to extract fossil fuels.
“In terms of the permitting reform, I didn’t like it but it was something that Sen. Manchin wanted,” Schumer told reporters in early August. “And in fact it has some very good things for the environment. It’s going to make permitting easier for clean energy.”
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https://www.ktalnews.com/hill-politics/sanders-vows-to-oppose-controversial-schumer-manchin-side-deal/
| 2022-09-21T03:06:08Z
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Former President Trump responded to news that Britain’s Queen Elizabeth II has passed, leaving her son Prince Charles to take the throne as King Charles III.
“Queen Elizabeth’s historic and remarkable reign left a tremendous legacy of peace and prosperity for Great Britain. Her leadership and enduring diplomacy secured and advanced alliances with the United States and countries around the world,” Trump said in a statement from his website 45office.com.
The former president shared condolences on behalf of himself and former first lady Melania Trump.
“Melania and I will always cherish our time together with the Queen, and never forget Her Majesty’s generous friendship, great wisdom, and wonderful sense of humor. What a grand and beautiful lady she was—there was nobody like her!”
Trump said during his presidency that he was a “tremendous fan” of Queen Elizabeth, telling British newspaper The Sun that “she has really never made a mistake.”
After a state visit to the United Kingdom in 2019, Trump famously said the monarch had more fun with him during the trip than she’d had in 25 years. He was the 12th sitting U.S. president welcomed at Buckingham Palace by the late queen.
“May God bless the Queen, may she reign forever in our hearts, and may God hold her and Prince Philip in abiding care,” Trump concluded in his Thursday statement.
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https://www.ktalnews.com/hill-politics/trump-offers-statement-on-queen-elizabeth-iis-death/
| 2022-09-21T03:06:17Z
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Former President Trump’s Justice Department pushed for a criminal investigation of former Secretary of State John Kerry, an ex-U.S. attorney revealed in a new book, according to The New York Times.
The push for an investigation of Kerry was one of several instances in which Trump’s Justice Department pressured the U.S. attorney’s office in Manhattan to take action against the then-president’s critics, according to Geoffrey Berman, the former U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York. Berman was fired by Trump in June 2020.
In May 2018, the Justice Department told Berman’s office it would be investigating Kerry’s Iran-related conduct, Berman details in his new book “Holding the Line,” out Tuesday, according to the Times.
The request came days after Trump publicly attacked Kerry on Twitter over the Iran nuclear deal, which he helped negotiate as head of the State Department in the Obama administration, Berman said. Trump withdrew the U.S. from the accords around the same time.
“The conduct that had annoyed the president was now a priority of the Department of Justice,” Berman wrote, according to the Times.
After Berman’s office declined to prosecute Kerry, the request was sent to another U.S. attorney’s office, in Maryland, which also declined to prosecute, Berman said in his book, according to the Times.
In another case of what he described as a “clear” and “outrageous” pattern, Berman said the Justice Department referred a case against Gregory Craig, former White House counsel for the Obama administration, to his office.
Berman claims he was asked to charge Craig prior to the midterm elections in order to “even things out,” according to the Times. The case was similarly shuffled around to another U.S. attorney’s office after Berman declined to prosecute.
Trump’s Justice Department also sought to block cases against the former president’s allies, including his personal lawyer Michael Cohen, Berman noted in his book, according to the Times.
The Hill has reached out to a Trump spokesperson for comment.
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https://www.ktalnews.com/hill-politics/trumps-doj-pushed-for-legal-action-against-john-kerry-says-ex-us-attorney/
| 2022-09-21T03:06:25Z
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The United States intends to send another $2 billion in military support to Ukraine and 18 nearby countries at risk of Russian attack, Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced Thursday during a visit to Kyiv.
Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin also on Thursday announced another package of weapons to Ukraine worth up to $675 million, a pledge made as he met with allies working to keep Ukraine equipped “over the long haul” amid the Russian invasion.
“Yesterday, President Biden approved the latest tranche of U.S. assistance to Ukraine. It’s valued at up to $675 million,” Austin told reporters following a meeting of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group at Ramstein Air Base, Germany.
A list later released by the Pentagon detailed the contents of the package, which includes four 105mm Howitzers and 36,000 accompanying artillery rounds, ammunition for High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS), additional High-speed Anti-radiation missiles (HARM), 100 Humvees, 50 armored ambulances, anti-tank systems, small arms and more.
Blinken notified Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky of the latest U.S. lethal aid when the two met Thursday in Ukraine’s capital. It was Blinken’s second visit to Ukraine since Russia first attacked the country on Feb. 24.
In a statement, Blinken said he informed Zelensky of the $675 million presidential drawdown, noting that President Biden “has been clear we will support the people of Ukraine for as long as it takes. I reiterated this message to President Zelenskyy and his team today in Kyiv, which remains — and will remain — the capital of a sovereign, independent Ukraine.”
The new aid would push the U.S. security assistance commitment to Ukraine past the $15 billion mark since August 2021, and more than $14.5 billion since the Russia invasion began.
Both the Pentagon and State Department also announced that the Biden administration has informed Congress of its “intent to make a further $2.2 billion available in long-term investments under Foreign Military Financing to bolster the security of Ukraine and 18 of its neighbors; including many of our NATO Allies, as well as other regional security partners potentially at risk of future Russian aggression.”
Roughly half of that money will go toward Ukrainian security and the other half split between Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Georgia, Greece, Kosovo, Latvia, Lithuania, Moldova, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, and Slovenia.
As Blinken visited Kyiv, Austin met with representatives from around 50 countries at the fifth gathering of the Ukraine Contact Group, a group that first met in April to coordinate the flow of military assistance to Ukraine. Those in attendance included NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg and Ukrainian Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov.
“Ukrainian forces have begun their counteroffensive in the south of their country. And they are integrating the capabilities that we all have provided to help themselves to fight and reclaim their sovereign territory,” Austin said earlier on Thursday as he sat down with the group.
“Today, this Contact Group needs to position itself to sustain Ukraine’s brave defenders for the long haul. And that means a continued and determined flow of capability now,” he continued. “And it means renewing and deepening our resolve to stand by Ukraine — with support and strength that doesn’t hinge on any one particular battle.”
Austin added that NATO and the United States are working to host a special session in the next few weeks that will bring together senior national armaments directors from the 50 countries in the contact group.
“They will discuss how our defense industrial bases can best equip Ukraine’s future forces with the capabilities that they need,” he said.
Ukrainian forces are working to push Russian troops from the northeast part of the country around Kharkiv and in the south near Kherson, with Zelensky on Wednesday highlighting “good news” about recapturing unnamed settlements from the Kharkiv region.
But Russia is showing no sign of backing down, with President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday defiantly claiming his country has “not lost a thing” from the war in Ukraine and the tight sanctions it has triggered.
U.S. officials, meanwhile, estimated in August that Russia has suffered around 70,000 to 80,000 casualties in under six months.
This story was updated at 12:57 p.m.
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https://www.ktalnews.com/hill-politics/us-to-send-2b-to-ukraine-18-other-countries-at-risk-of-russia/
| 2022-09-21T03:06:33Z
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SHREVEPORT, La. (KTAL/KMSS) –Imagine running out of gas and being lucky enough to cross paths with the Cares Krewe just a few minutes later! It happened for this young father, Austin.
28-year-old Austin said this is a “huge blessing” for his family. His wife, Grace, stays at home with the baby.
“I’m the only one that works, and that was our decision. So it makes things tough because everything was kind of fine, and I was okay. And then, as much have things have changed lately, things are a little tight,” said Austin. “We talk about how expensive it is all the time.”
Jezzamine and Austin made a surprise call to Austin’s wife, Grace, to share the good news.
Stay tuned on where Cares Krewe is next!
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https://www.ktalnews.com/ktalcares/cares-krewe/dad-in-need-cares-krewe-is-there-to-help/
| 2022-09-21T03:06:41Z
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SHREVEPORT, La. (KTAL/KMSS) – As 9/11 approaches, several cities across the ArkLaTex are planning events to remember the nearly 3,000 people that died in the attacks by Al-Qaida. Memorials and events across the region offer the public a chance to honor those lost in the shocking events.
The Texarkana Regional Airport hosts an annual memorial that includes a piece of the Pentagon on display.
A steel beam from the original World Trade Center is featured at Bossier City’s Liberty Garden, open to the public year-round. The City of Bossier City and Keep Bossier Beautiful hold an annual 9-11 Remembrance Ceremony at the Bossier City Municipal Complex. This year the event will host a presentation by Ret. Major Bryan C. Sprankle of the U.S. Marine Corps and the student essay winner “What is a Hero” from Bossier Elementary.
The Barksdale Global Power Museum houses memorabilia from President George W. Bush’s visit and historic address to the nation from Barksdale Air Force Base. The museum is open to members of the public who apply and are approved for a Barksdale AFB Museum Access Pass beforehand. Visitors with a Common Access Card or military sponsor do not need to complete the visitor request form. Masks are required.
We created an interactive map listing memorial services and monuments marking the somber anniversary. You can visit static displays now or at any time to honor those who died and reflect on the day that changed America in many ways.
Arkansas
Cossatot Community College Memorial Garden
183 AR-399, De Queen, AR, 71832
Arkansas 9/11 Memorial
El Dorado Conference Center
Corner of Locust and West
311 S. West Ave., El Dorado, AR 71730
SouthArk Outdoor Expo Hero 5k Run/Walk
Packet Pickup
El Dorado Conference Center
Enter West Foyer at 300 South West Ave. in front of Murphy Hall
Fri Sep. 9, 2022, at 11:00 AM – 03:00 PM
Race Day Registration
South Arkansas Community College El Dorado Conference and Student Center
Sat Sep 10, 2022, at 06:15 AM – 09:30 AM
E Cedar St. & Jefferson Ave., El Dorado, AR 71730
Texarkana Regional Airport
201 Airport Drive, Texarkana, AR 71854
Louisiana
Barksdale Global Power Museum
Mon. through Fri. from 9:00 AM-3:30 PM
*Except on federal holidays
88 Shreveport Road, Bossier City, LA 71112
9-11 Remembrance Ceremony
Bossier Civic Center
Sun. Sept. 11, 2022, 9:00 AM
620 Benton Road, Bossier City, LA 71111
Annual 9/11 Commemorative Stair Climb
BHP Billiton YMCA
Sun. Sep. 11, 2022
Begins at 1:00 PM
3455 Knight Street Shreveport, LA 71105
JRTC Fort Polk 9/11 Remembrance Ceremony
South Fort Fire Station
Fri. Sep. 9, 2022
Begins at 9:00 AM
1803 Louisiana Ave. Fort Polk, LA 71459
Texas
Longview Fire Department Memorial
Longview Fire Department Training Center
411 American Legion Blvd., Longview, TX 75601
Veterans Park
1216 E. Park Ln., Longview, TX 75601
ESD3 9/11 Memorial Stairclimb 2021
ETBU School of Nursing/Marshall Grand
Sat Sep. 10, 2022, AT 09:03 AM
210 E Houston St, Marshall, TX 75670
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| 2022-09-21T03:06:49Z
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Even if the world somehow manages to limit future warming to the strictest international temperature goal, four Earth-changing climate “tipping points” are still likely to be triggered with a lot more looming as the planet heats more after that, a new study said.
An international team of scientists looked at 16 climate tipping points — when a warming side effect is irreversible, self-perpetuating and major — and calculated rough temperature thresholds at which they are triggered. None of them are considered likely at current temperatures, though a few are possible. But with only a few more tenths of a degree of warming from now, at 1.5 degrees Celsius (2.7 degrees Fahrenheit) warming since pre-industrial times, four move into the likely range, according to a study in Thursday’s journal Science.
The study said slow but irreversible collapse of the Greenland and West Antarctic ice sheets, more immediate loss of tropical coral reefs around the globe and thawing of high northern permafrost that releases massive amounts of greenhouse gases trapped in now frozen land are four significant tipping points that could be triggered at 1.5 degrees Celsius of warming, which is three-tenths of a degree (half a degree Fahrenheit) warmer than now. Current policies and actions put Earth on a trajectory for about 2.7 degrees Celsius (4.9 degrees Fahrenheit) of warming since pre-industrial times, according to some projections.
“Let’s hope we’re not right,” said study co-author Tim Lenton, an Earth systems scientist at the University of Exeter in the United Kingdom. “There’s a distinct chance some of these tipping points are going to be unavoidable. And therefore it’s really important we do some more thinking about how we’re going to adapt to the consequences.”
Timing is a key issue for tipping points in two ways: when they become triggered and when they cause harm. And in many cases, such as ice sheet collapses, they could be triggered soon but their impacts even though inevitable take centuries to play out, scientists said. A few, such as the loss of coral reefs, cause more harm in only a decade or two.
“It’s a future generation issue,” said study lead author David Armstrong McKay, a University of Exeter Earth systems scientist. “That ice sheets collapsing is kind of that thousand-year timescale, but it’s still bequeathing an entirely different planet to our descendants.”
The concept of tipping points have been around for more than a decade but this study goes further looking at temperature thresholds for when they may be triggered and what impacts they would have on people and Earth and in the past 15 years or so “the risk levels just keep going up,” Lenton said.
Lenton likes to think of tipping points like someone leaning back on a folding chair.
“When you start tipping over backwards you have in that case a very simple kind of feedback on the forces of gravity operating on propelling you backwards until SPLAT,” Lenton said.
Study co-author Johan Rockstrom, director of the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research in Germany, likened it to someone lighting a fuse on a bomb “and then the fuse will burn up until the big bang and the big bang may be further down the line.”
While the ice sheets with several meters or yards of potential sea rise can reshape coastline over centuries, Rockstrom said to him the loss of coral reefs is his biggest concern because of the “immediate impacts on human livelihoods.” Hundreds of millions of people, especially poorer tropical area residents, depend on fisheries linked to the coral reefs, McKay said.
With just a few more tenths of a degree new tipping points become more possible and even likely that includes a slow down of northern polar ocean circulation that can ripple into dramatic weather changes especially in Europe, loss of certain areas of Arctic sea ice, glaciers collapsing worldwide and utter failure of the Amazon rain forest.
Some of these tipping points, like the permafrost thaw, add to and accelerate existing warming, but don’t think “it’s game over” if temperatures hit 1.5 degrees of warming, which is quite likely, McKay said.
“Even if we do hit some of those tipping points, it will still lock in really substantial impacts we want to avoid, but it doesn’t trigger some sort of runaway climate change process,” McKay said. “That’s not the case at 1.5 degrees. And that means that how much further warming occurs beyond 1.5 is still mostly within our power to effect.”
That’s a crucial point that these are tipping points for individual regional disasters not the planet as a whole, so it’s bad, but not world ending, said climate scientist Zeke Hausfather of the tech company Stripe and Berkeley Earth, who wasn’t part of the study, but said it was important nuanced research that quantified tipping points better than before.
“Have we really contemplated what happens when you mess with our global and ecological systems to that degree?” said University of Miami climate risk scientist Katharine Mach, who wasn’t part of the study. She said it shows ripples and cascades that are troublesome. “This is a profound reason for concern in a changing climate.”
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Follow AP’s climate and environment coverage at https://apnews.com/hub/climate-and-environment
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Follow Seth Borenstein on Twitter at @borenbears
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Associated Press climate and environmental coverage receives support from several private foundations. See more about AP’s climate initiative here. The AP is solely responsible for all content.
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| 2022-09-21T03:07:03Z
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(NEXSTAR) – Britain’s Queen Elizabeth II died on Thursday at the age of 96.
The royal family posted a statement on their official site saying: “The Queen died peacefully at Balmoral this afternoon. The King and The Queen Consort will remain at Balmoral this evening and will return to London tomorrow.”
Her 73-year-old son Prince Charles automatically becomes king, though the coronation might not take place for months. It is not known whether he will call himself King Charles III or some other name.
The BBC played the national anthem, “God Save the Queen,” over a portrait of her in full regalia as her death was announced, and the flag over Buckingham Palace was lowered to half-staff as the second Elizabethan age came to a close.
In a statement, Charles called the death of his mother “a moment of the greatest sadness for me and all members of my family,” adding: “I know her loss will be deeply felt throughout the country, the Realms and the Commonwealth, and by countless people around the world.”
Elizabeth had marked 70 years on the throne in February 2022. She had increasingly handed over duties to her heir, Prince Charles, and other members of the royal family in recent months as she struggled to get around.
Britain’s longest-serving monarch is the only sovereign most Britons have ever known. The queen had been a constant presence as Britain navigated the end of empire, the swinging ’60s, the labor strife of the 1980s, international terrorism, Brexit and the COVID-19 pandemic.
Buckingham Palace had said on Sept. 8 that the queen was under medical supervision because doctors were “concerned for Her Majesty’s health,” as members of her family traveled to be with the 96-year-old monarch in Scotland.
“Following further evaluation this morning, the Queen’s doctors are concerned for Her Majesty’s health and have recommended she remain under medical supervision,” the palace said in a statement that sparked deep concern.
The announcement came a day after the queen canceled a meeting of her Privy Council and was told to rest. Earlier in the week, she had presided over the ceremonial handover of power to new Prime Minister Liz Truss at her summer residence at Balmoral Castle in Scotland.
Queen Elizabeth II ascended to the throne in 1952 after the death of her father, King George VI, and five years after marrying Prince Philip, also known as the Duke of Edinburgh, at London’s Westminster Abbey. She and Prince Philip have four children, eight grandchildren and 12 great-grandchildren.
Prince Philip died at age 99 in April 2021.
The youngest great-grandchild, the daughter of Princess Beatrice and husband Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi, was born Sept. 20, 2021.
The queen had delegated one of her most important public duties to Prince Charles in May, having him preside over the state opening of Parliament and delivering the Queen’s Speech laying out the government’s legislative program. The event is a symbol of the monarch’s constitutional role as head of state and is accompanied by centuries of tradition designed to demonstrate the strength of Britain’s political institutions.
The queen was diagnosed with COVID-19 in February 2022, shortly after both her eldest son Prince Charles, 73, and her 74-year-old daughter-in-law Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, also contracted the disease.
In remarks released for the 70th anniversary of her rule, the monarch expressed a “sincere wish’’ that Camilla should be known as “Queen Consort” when her son succeeds her as expected. With those words, Elizabeth sought to answer once and for all questions about the status of Camilla, who was initially shunned by fans of the late Princess Diana, Charles’ first wife.
After recovering from COVID, the monarch made her first public appearance in months at a service of thanksgiving for her beloved husband, Prince Philip. She entered the church on the arm of her second son, Prince Andrew, then separated from him to walk to her seat alone, easing concerns about her health. The monarch was deeply involved in planning the service, which included hymns and tributes from Philip’s charities. Such touches weren’t possible during his funeral because of rules surrounding the pandemic.
About 1,800 family members and guests attended the memorial. Only 30 people attended Philip’s funeral, conducted under the strict COVID-19 lockdown rules then in place that forced the queen to sit alone wearing a black mask as she mourned the loss of her husband, who she called her rock.
The queen missed the traditional royal garden party season in 2022 after it resumed for the first time in three years. The guests, who have all served their community in different ways, had previously had the opportunity to speak with the queen and other royal family members at the parties. The queen was represented by other members of the royal family.
A fixture in the life of the nation, Elizabeth was in robust health for most of her reign and had been photographed riding a horse as recently as 2020. In the past year, she had been seen using a walking stick at a major public event for the first time (a Westminster Abbey service marking the centenary of the Royal British Legion in Oct. 2021) and she spent a night in a London hospital for unspecified tests.
The queen’s doctors ordered her to rest afterward, and she was forced to cancel appearances at several key events, including Remembrance Sunday services and the COP26 climate conference in Glasgow, Scotland, in November. The queen also missed out on a Remembrance Sunday service to pay tribute to Britain’s war dead in November 2021 because she had sprained her back. The service is one of the most important events on the monarch’s calendar and was meant to be her first public appearance after taking a few weeks off to rest under doctors’ orders.
The queen served in World War II as an army driver and mechanic and is head of Britain’s armed forces. She attaches great importance to Remembrance Sunday, a solemn ceremony to remember the sacrifices made by fallen servicemen and women. The national service, which follows Armistice Day on Nov. 11, is traditionally marked by the wearing of poppies and a national two-minute silence observed at 11 a.m.
- ‘I’ll walk if you walk’: Why Prince Philip walked with Harry, William at Diana’s funeral
- UK’s Princess Beatrice gives birth to daughter
- Judge orders Philip’s will sealed to protect royal ‘dignity’
- Queen enters ‘twilight’ of reign after farewell to Philip
- Prince Philip laid to rest at Windsor Castle
Despite her advanced age, the monarch politely declined the honor of being named “Oldie of the Year” by a British magazine. The magazine published the queen’s response to its suggestion that she follow in the footsteps of former recipients, such as actor Olivia de Havilland and artist David Hockney.
“Her Majesty believes you are as old as you feel, as such The Queen does not believe she meets the relevant criteria to be able to accept, and hopes you will find a more worthy recipient,” said a letter from her assistant private secretary, Tom Laing-Baker.
Liang-Baker ended the letter “with Her Majesty’s warmest best wishes.”
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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| 2022-09-21T03:07:11Z
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OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Major freight railroads, in a bid to apply pressure on unions and Congress, say a strike that could come after a key deadline passes next week would cost the economy more than $2 billion a day and disrupt deliveries of all kinds of goods and passenger traffic nationwide.
The Association of American Railroads trade group on Thursday issued a report estimating the dire consequences of a strike. Their report came a day after Labor Secretary Marty Walsh took part in talks in a bid to hammer out an agreement.
A strike or lockout won’t be allowed until next Friday at the soonest under the federal law that governs railroad negotiations.
Five of the 12 unions involved that together represent some 115,000 workers have announced tentative agreements covering over 21,000 workers based on a set of recommendations that a special panel appointed by President Joe Biden made last month. But several key unions are holding out in the hope that the railroads will agree to go beyond those recommendations and address some of their concerns about working conditions.
The Presidential Emergency Board recommended a five-year deal, retroactive to 2020, that includes 24% raises and $5,000 in bonuses. But it wants unions to take their concerns about attendance policies, paid leave and expenses to arbitration or to negotiate separately with the railroads. Unions say their workloads have become unbearable after railroads eliminated nearly one-third of their workforces over the past six years.
The railroad trade group said a strike would idle some 7,000 freight trains a day run by CSX, Union Pacific, BNSF, Norfolk Southern, Kansas City Southern and other railroads and disrupt passenger operations nationwide because Amtrak and half of all commuter rail systems rely at least partly on tracks owned by the freight railroads.
The AAR also said it would be impossible for trucks to pick up the slack if railroads shut down because roughly 467,000 additional trucks a day would be needed to handle all the freight railroads deliver, and there is already a shortage of trucks and drivers.
AAR CEO Ian Jefferies said the unions should accept the recommendations of the Presidential Emergency Board because they would deliver the biggest raises in nearly 50 years and they represent a compromise.
“Should negotiations fail and result in a work stoppage, Congress must act to implement the PEB recommendations,” Jefferies said.
A Labor Department spokesman confirmed that Walsh took part in the talks Wednesday. If this contract dispute does fall to Congress to resolve, lawmakers might be forced to make some difficult decisions in an election year.
A coalition of 31 large agricultural groups sent a letter to Congress Thursday urging lawmakers to be prepared to intervene and block a strike if the two sides can’t reach an agreement before next Friday’s deadline. They say they are already dealing with delayed deliveries because railroads are shorthanded, and the problems would get much worse in a strike even if it were brief.
“Most freight railroads currently lack extra capacity to make up for down time,” the agricultural groups said in their letter. “Thus, a sizable portion of freight backlogged due to a stoppage may never be made up leading to less production from rail-dependent businesses to the detriment of producers and consumers.”
Edward Jones analyst Jeff Windau said lawmakers’ decisions would be put under a magnifying glass with the midterm elections looming, but they’ll “definitely want to keep the economy moving smoothly” if they do have to settle the contract dispute. But Windau said he’s optimistic the two sides will reach an agreement over the next week.
Independent railroad analyst Anthony Hatch said the unions are trying to take advantage of the current environment with Democrats in control of the White House and Congress and a tight job market, but ultimately he doesn’t think a strike will happen.
“It makes sense for them to hold on until the last minute and try to get the best deal that they can. For the railroads, it makes perfect sense for them to say a disruption would be cataclysmic,” Hatch said.
Even if a strike were to happen, Hatch predicted it would “last not weeks, not days, not hours but minutes” because Congress would intervene. And the long-term cost of these deals may have a bigger impact on the railroads than the short-term crisis of a strike.
Ultimately, ongoing local negotiations on the railroads’ proposals to reduce crew sizes from the current two down to one might prove more important to the industry than these wage deals because they will affect how competitive railroads can remain against trucking as autonomous trucks are developed, he said.
That topic has been pushed out of the current national wage negotiations to talks at each individual railroad, although a proposed Federal Railroad Administration rule that would require two-person crews in most instances would make it difficult for railroads to cut crews. The unions have also vigorously opposed reducing crew size because of safety and job concerns.
The heads of the two biggest rail unions — the Sheet Metal, Air, Rail and Transportation Workers — Transportation Division union that represents conductors, and the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen union that represents engineers — said in a joint statement last week that Congress should remain on the sidelines because that would put more pressure on the railroads and help them reach an agreement workers will approve.
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| 2022-09-21T03:07:18Z
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LOS ANGELES (AP) — Years of soaring home prices and sharply higher mortgage rates remain hurdles for many would-be homebuyers, but new data shows that they’re regaining some leverage at the negotiating table as the housing market slows.
An analysis of home sales data by Redfin shows that, on average, U.S. homes purchased during a four-week period in August sold for less than what sellers were asking. That hasn’t happened since at least March 2021, according to the real estate brokerage.
“The only times you get homes going above list price is when there’s a bidding war, and those used to not be a regular occurrence,” said Daryl Fairweather, Redfin’s chief economist. “And we’re back to a place where bidding wars are unusual, not the norm.”
The average sale-to-list price ratio, a measure of how closely homes are selling to their asking prices, fell to 99.8% in the four weeks that ended August 28, Redfin said. The ratio was 101.4% in the same stretch last year. Ratios above 100% indicate homes on average are selling at or above their asking price.
For most of last year and this year, fierce competition for relatively few homes on the market and rock-bottom interest rates fueled bidding wars that often led homes to sell for well above their list price.
That remained the prevailing trend until recently, even though the housing market has cooled significantly since the spring as mortgage rates surged sharply above where they were last year. Higher mortgage rates make homes less affordable, thinning out the pool of home hunters, which leaves sellers with less leverage when negotiating with buyers.
On average, 7.5% of homes for sale in the four weeks in August that Redfin tracked had a price drop each week, a record high, the company said.
That the typical home is now selling for below the asking price is a sign that the housing market is becoming a bit more balanced, or less skewed, toward sellers.
“It’s significant that now buyers know that when they’re bidding on a home chances are they can get it for less than the asking price and without a competing offer, which was not the case earlier this year,” Fairweather said.
That doesn’t mean some homes aren’t still drawing multiple offers. Some 37% of homes purchased in the four-week stretch of August analyzed by Redfin sold for more than their list price. That was down from 50% a year earlier, Redfin said.
And buyers must still contend with rising home prices, albeit not as sharply as before. The national median home price jumped 10.8% in July from a year earlier to $403,800, according to the National Association of Realtors.
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| 2022-09-21T03:07:26Z
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TOKYO (AP) — Asian benchmarks rose Friday, cheered by gains on Wall Street as comments from the Federal Reserve chairman assured markets on the expected rate rise.
Japan’s benchmark Nikkei 225 rose 0.4% in morning trading to 28,181.50. Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 added 0.5% to 6,881.30. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng jumped 2.3% to 19,282.70, while the Shanghai Composite added 07% to 3,256.79. Trading was closed in South Korea for a holiday.
“Ongoing recovery in the risk environment could provide a positive backdrop for the Asia session to end the week, although Chinese equities still seem to be finding some difficulty in tapping on the improved environment for some relief,” said Yeap Jun Rong, market strategist at IG in Singapore.
China has been releasing a slew of economic data, with more expected next week. Interest is high because of how China’s zero-COVID policy has impacted economic activity in the world’s second-largest economy.
Investors are also eyeing interest rates, as the European Central Bank made its largest-ever rate increase to fight inflation. The move is in line with steps taken by the U.S. Federal Reserve and other central banks.
Investors also heard from Fed Chair Jerome Powell, who reaffirmed the central bank’s commitment to keep rates high as long as necessary to get inflation under control. Some market observers remain skeptical.
“Given the tremendous challenges ahead on the energy front, the war front, and with broad-based inflation already impacting people’s lives, it might be wiser to maintain rates at slightly stimulatory levels to help offset the general economic pain rather than adding to it,” said Clifford Bennett, chief economist at ACY Securities.
Stocks bounced back on Wall Street, keeping the major indexes on track for their first weekly gain in four weeks. The S&P 500 rose 26.31 points, or 0.7%, to 4,006.18. The Dow swung from a 259-point loss to a gain of 193.24 points, closing at 31,744.52. The Nasdaq gained 70.23 points to 11,862.13. Smaller company stocks also gained ground after an initial pullback. The Russell 2000 rose 14.90 points, or 0.8%, to 1,846.91.
Stocks have been mostly losing ground in recent weeks after the Federal Reserve indicated it will not let up anytime soon on raising interest rates to bring down the highest inflation in decades. The interest rate policies of the Fed and other central banks, which also have a powerful influence on stock and bond markets, have become a major focus for investors.
On the same day the European Central Bank delivered its big rate increase, Powell told a conference on monetary policy hosted by the Cato Institute, a think tank that promotes libertarian ideas, that the Fed would keep rates high “until the job is done” in getting inflation back down to its 2% goal.
“There is a record of failed attempts to get inflation under control, which only raises the ultimate costs to society,” Powell said.
The Fed has already raised rates four times this year and markets expect it to deliver another jumbo-sized increase of three-quarters of a percentage point at its next meeting in two weeks.
Powell “sounded very resolute in the (Fed’s) mission to squelch inflation, and as a result probably gave more credence to the possibility of a 75-basis point hike at the September meeting,” Sam Stovall, chief investment strategist at CFRA, said.
“But once investors realized that he wasn’t really saying anything different than what he had said before, the markets swung back,” he said.
One of the Fed’s biggest fears is that households and businesses begin to expect inflation to stay high in the long term, which could lead them to start buying in a way that creates a vicious cycle making inflation even harder to shake.
A big question remains about whether inflation ravaging economies around the world is a one-off created by the pandemic or the start of something more persistent.
Bond yields rose broadly as traders weighed Powell’s remarks and the ECB’s rate hike. The two-year Treasury yield, which tends to track expectations for Fed action, rose to 3.52% from 3.44%. The yield on the 10-year Treasury, which influences interest rates on mortgages and other loans, rose to 3.32% from 3.27% late Tuesday.
aging study data on an anti-blindness drug.
In energy trading, benchmark U.S. crude rose 27 cents to $83.81 a barrel. Brent crude, the international standard, added 44 cents to $89.59 a barrel.
In currency trading, the U.S. dollar fell to 143.64 Japanese yen from 144.09 yen. The euro cost $1.0071, inching up from $1.0002.
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AP Business Writers Damian J. Troise and Alex Veiga contributed to this report.
Yuri Kageyama is on Twitter https://twitter.com/yurikageyama
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| 2022-09-21T03:07:34Z
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FRANKFURT, Germany (AP) — The European Central Bank made its largest-ever interest rate increase Thursday, following the U.S. Federal Reserve and other central banks in a global stampede of rapid rate hikes meant to snuff out the inflation that is squeezing consumers and pushing Europe toward recession.
The bank’s governing council raised its key benchmarks by an unprecedented three-quarters of a percentage point for the 19 countries that use the euro currency. The ECB usually moves rates by a quarter-point and had not raised its key bank lending rate by three-quarters of a point since the euro’s launch in 1999.
Bank President Christine Lagarde said the ECB would keep hiking rates “over the next several meetings” because “inflation remains far too high and is likely to stay above our target for an extended period.”
Lagarde stopped short of predicting a recession, though many economists foresee one at the end of the year and beginning of 2023 as high energy and food prices sap people’s spending power. The bank’s assumption is economic output would not fall outright but “stagnate” later this year and early next, she said.
The bank’s jumbo increase is aimed at raising the cost of borrowing for consumers, governments and businesses, which in theory slows spending and investment and cools off soaring consumer prices by reducing the demand for goods.
Analysts say it’s also aimed at bolstering the bank’s credibility after it underestimated how long and how severe this outbreak of inflation would be. After reaching a record 9.1% in August, inflation may rise into double digits in coming months, economists say.
The war in Ukraine has fueled inflation in Europe, with Russia sharply reducing supplies of cheap natural gas used to heat homes, generate electricity and run factories. That has driven up gas prices by 10 times or more.
European officials decry the cutbacks as blackmail aimed at pressuring and dividing the European Union over its support for Ukraine. Russia has blamed technical problems and threatened this week to cut off energy supplies completely if the West institutes planned price caps on Moscow’s natural gas and oil.
The ECB has lagged other central banks in raising rates. Central banks worldwide have scrambled after being wrong-footed by inflation fed by the war in Ukraine and the lingering effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, which have sent energy prices higher and restricted supplies of parts and raw materials.
The sudden campaign to raise interest rates follows years in which borrowing costs and inflation stayed low because of broad trends such as globalization, aging populations and digitalization.
Lagarde rejected comparisons, saying that “we’re not trying to mimic any other central bank” and pointing out that the ECB started tightening monetary policy in December, when it decided to phase out its pandemic stimulus through bond purchases.
Some economists say the ECB’s interest rate hikes, including a half-point hike at its last meeting in July, could deepen a European recession predicted for the end of this year and the beginning of 2023, caused by higher inflation that has made everything from groceries to utility bills more expensive.
Lagarde said a 2022-23 recession would occur only under a “really dark” worst-case scenario where all Russian natural gas is cut off, alternative supplies are not available and governments have to resort to energy rationing.
She praised efforts by the EU’s executive Commission to contain energy prices, such as through electricity market regulation, and noted that while rate hikes send “a strong signal” of the bank’s commitment to fight inflation, “I cannot reduce the price of energy.”
But the bank has reasoned that rate hikes will prevent higher prices from being baked into expectations for wage and price deals and that decisive action now will forestall the need for even bigger hikes if inflation gets ingrained.
Europe’s central bank “wants to fight inflation — and wants to be seen as fighting inflation,” said Holger Schmieding, chief economist at Berenberg bank.
However, energy prices and government support programs to shield consumers from some of the pain will “have a much bigger impact on inflation and the depth of the looming recession than monetary policy,” he said.
Rate hikes often support a currency’s exchange rate — but the euro has been under pressure because of more general fears about recession and economic growth. It has recently fallen under $1, the lowest level in 20 years. The euro slid about a half-cent after the ECB decision, to around 99.5 U.S. cents.
The ECB’s benchmark is now 1.25% for lending to banks. The Fed’s main benchmark is 2.25% to 2.5% after several large rate hikes, including two of three-quarters of a point. The Bank of England’s key benchmark is 1.75%, and the Bank of Canada raised rates Wednesday by three-quarters of a point, to 3.25%.
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| 2022-09-21T03:07:50Z
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WASHINGTON (AP) — Average long-term U.S. mortgage rates jumped again this week, hitting the highest levels in almost 14 years and pushing even more would-be buyers out of the market.
Mortgage buyer Freddie Mac reported Thursday that the 30-year rate jumped to 5.89% from 5.66% last week. That’s the highest the long-term rate has been since November of 2008, just after the housing market collapse set off the Great Recession. One year ago, the rate stood at 2.88%.
The average rate on 15-year, fixed-rate mortgages, popular among those looking to refinance their homes, rose to 5.16% from 4.98% last week. That’s the first time the 15-year rate has been above 5% since 2009, as the real estate market went into a years-long slump. Last year at this time the rate was 2.19%.
Rising interest rates — in part a result of the Federal Reserve’s aggressive push to tamp down inflation — have cooled off a housing market that has been hot for years. Many potential home buyers are getting pushed out of the market as the higher rates have added hundreds of dollars to monthly mortgage payments. Sales of existing homes in the U.S. have fallen for six straight months, according to the National Association of Realtors.
Mortgage rates don’t necessarily mirror the Fed’s rate increases, but tend to track the yield on the 10-year Treasury note. That’s influenced by a variety of factors, including investors’ expectations for future inflation and global demand for U.S. Treasurys.
Recently, faster inflation and strong U.S. economic growth have sent the 10-year Treasury rate up sharply, to 3.27%.
The Fed has raised its benchmark short-term interest rate four times this year, and Chairman Jerome Powell has said that the central bank will likely need to keep interest rates high enough to slow the economy “for some time” in order to tame the worst inflation in 40 years.
The government reported that U.S. economy shrank at a 0.6% annual rate from April through June, a second straight quarter of economic contraction, which meets one informal sign of a recession. Most economists, though, have said they doubt that the economy is in or on the verge of a recession, given that the U.S. job market remains robust.
Applications for jobless aid fell last week to their lowest level since May, despite the Fed’s moves to tame inflation, which usually tends to cool the job market as well.
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| 2022-09-21T03:08:06Z
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ANKARA, Turkey (AP) — Firefighters brought a wildfire in southern Turkey under control Thursday, a day after more than 1,000 people were evacuated from homes and hotels, officials said.
The fire broke out Wednesday in the district of Gulnar in the Mediterranean coastal province of Mersin and spread to parts of the nearby district of Silifke, fanned by strong winds.
At least 29 water-dropping helicopters, 11 planes and about 850 personnel were involved in efforts to extinguish the blaze, according to Turkey’s disaster and emergency management agency, AFAD.
Hundreds of homes and at least two hotels were evacuated as a precaution, the agency said. At least eight people were hospitalized due to the fire, one in serious condition, Health Minister Fahrettin Koca said on Twitter.
Deputy Agriculture and Forestry Ministry Veysel Tiryaki said around 1,500 hectares (3,700 acres) of forest was burned before the blaze was contained.
A highway linking Mersin to the nearby province of Antalya was closed temporarily but was reopened on Thursday, the state-run Anadolu Agency reported.
Last summer, blazes that were fed by strong winds and scorching temperatures tore through forests in Turkey’s Mediterranean and Aegean regions, killing at least eight people and countless animals.
The government came under criticism for its inadequate response and preparedness to fight large-scale wildfires, including a lack of modern firefighting planes.
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Follow all AP stories on the environment at https://apnews.com/hub/climate-and-environment.
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| 2022-09-21T03:08:13Z
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RAMSTEIN AIR BASE, Germany (AP) — NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg warned Thursday that Ukraine and its supporters face a tough winter in coming months but he urged the public in Western nations to keep faith in their efforts, saying that the war is at a critical point as Russia loses some territory.
“We need at least to be prepared for this winter, because there is no sign of Russia giving up its goal of taking control of Ukraine,” Stoltenberg told The Associated Press on the sidelines of a U.S.-led Ukraine backers meeting in Ramstein, southwest Germany.
“The war in Ukraine is approaching a pivotal moment where we see that the Russian offensive in Donbas has stalled. We see that the Ukrainians have been able to fight back, to strike back and regain some territory,” he said.
Hardest of all is the task facing the Ukrainian armed forces, more than six months into a conflict once seen by Russian President Vladimir Putin as a military intervention likely to last a few days, but which has now turned into a grinding war of attrition.
While Ukraine has sought weapons and ammunition, it now needs winter equipment. During Thursday’s meeting, German Defense Minister Christine Lambrecht said her country would deliver electricity-generating equipment, tents and other material. But more is needed.
“Winter’s coming, and winter’s going to be hard on the battlefield in Ukraine. We know that the size of the Ukrainian army is now roughly three times as big as what it was last winter,” Stoltenberg said. “They are in urgent need for more winter uniforms, for generators that create electricity, warmth, and also of course tents and other things that can help them through the winter.”
Stoltenberg also said that NATO is working with the defense industry to explore ways to boost arms production to better meet Ukraine’s needs and replenish the arsenals of allies who have been providing all kinds of weapons and defense systems.
“We saw that during the COVID crisis, the industry was able to ramp up production of vaccines and now we need to have, to some extent, the same approach; ramp up quickly production of weapons and ammunition,” he told the AP.
Turning to U.S, Canadian and European publics suffering under high energy prices, inflation and concerns about food supplies, Stoltenberg urged them to keep the faith, saying that the price of ending support now would be a price that’s too high to pay.
“I understand that many people are frustrated and actually feel the pain in NATO countries with increasing energy prices, the cost of living. But at the same time, we have to remember that the price we pay is measured in money, in U.S. dollars or pounds or euros, while the price that Ukrainians are paying is measured in lives lost every day,” he said.
“If President Putin wins in Ukraine, then the world will become more dangerous. Then he will see that he is rewarded, that he can get this way by using brutal military force, by invading a neighbor, by blatantly violating international rule and attacking innocent civilians,” the former Norwegian prime minister said.
Stoltenberg wouldn’t be drawn on how long the conflict might run for, but he said that it will end at some point, at the negotiating table. He said that Ukraine, as a sovereign, independent country, must be helped through this war to strengthen its hand in any future peace talks.
“If President Putin and Russia stop fighting, then we will have peace. If Ukraine stops fighting, then Ukraine will cease to exist as an independent nation. So therefore, we need to continue to provide support,” he said.
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Geir Moulson in Berlin contributed to this report.
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Follow the AP’s coverage of the war at https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine
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WASHINGTON (AP) — The last time the Federal Reserve faced inflation as high as it is now, in the early 1980s, it jacked up interest rates to double-digit levels — and in the process caused a deep recession and sharply higher unemployment.
On Thursday, Chair Jerome Powell suggested that this time, the Fed won’t have to go nearly as far.
“We think we can avoid the very high social costs that Paul Volcker and the Fed had to bring into play to get inflation back down,” Powell said in an interview at the Cato Institute, referring to the Fed chair in the early 1980s who sent short-term borrowing rates to roughly 19% to throttle punishingly high inflation.
Powell also reiterated that the Fed is determined to lower inflation, now near a four-decade high of 8.5%, by raising its short-term rate, which is in a range of 2.25% to 2.5%.
Even so, he did not comment on what the Fed may do at its next meeting in two weeks. Economists and Wall Street traders increasingly expect the central bank to raise its key short-term rate by a hefty three-quarters of a point for a third straight time. That would extend the most rapid series of rate hikes since Volcker’s time.
The Fed’s benchmark rate affects many consumer and business loans, which means that borrowing costs throughout the economy will likely keep rising.
On Thursday, the European Central Bank increased its key rate by three-quarters of a point, the largest in its relatively short history, as Europe also struggles with record-high inflation and a stumbling economy.
Central banks around the world are scrambling to keep up with rising prices. The Bank of Canada on Wednesday lifted rates by 0.75 percentage point and earlier this week the Reserve Bank of Australia implemented a half-point increase.
Despite Powell’s assurances, many economists worry that the Fed will have to allow unemployment to rise much more than is currently expected to get inflation back to its 2% target.
The Fed has projected that unemployment will rise only to 4.1% by the end of 2024 as higher rates bring down inflation. New research released Thursday under the auspices of the Brookings Institution says that such a scenario requires “quite optimistic” assumptions and finds that unemployment may have rise much higher to bring inflation down.
Powell warned two weeks ago at an economic conference in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, that the Fed’s inflation-fighting efforts will inevitably “bring some pain to households and businesses.” But, he added, “a failure to restore price stability would mean far greater pain.”
Still, on Thursday, he reiterated that the Fed’s goal is to achieve a “soft landing,” in which it manages to slow the economy enough to defeat high inflation yet not so much as to tip it into recession.
“What we hope to achieve,” the Fed chair said, “is a period of growth below trend, which will cause the labor market to get back into better balance, and then that will bring wages back down to levels that are more consistent with 2% inflation over time.”
Other central bank officials have recently echoed Powell’s message.
“We’re not trying to engineer a recession,” Loretta Mester, president of the Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland, said Wednesday in an interview with the newswire MNI. “We’re trying to engineer a slowdown or moderation of activity.”
At the same time, Mester acknowledged that the Fed’s rate hikes will likely lead to job losses and will be “painful in the near term.”
And Fed Vice Chair Lael Brainard, also in remarks Wednesday, pointed out that there are signs that supply chain snarls are easing, which could boost factory output and moderate prices.
In addition, she noted that auto makers and retailers enjoyed hefty profit margins when goods were scarce and Americans were spending robustly. As consumers start to pull back in the face of high inflation, Brainard said, retailers and car companies may have to cut prices to boost sales. That would help slow inflation.
Yet many economists say that as borrowing rates keep rising, employers will cut jobs, consumers will slash spending and a downturn will eventually result. And some have issued starker warnings about the consequences of the Fed’s aggressive pace of rate hikes.
Larry Summers, a Treasury secretary under President Bill Clinton, has said he thinks the unemployment rate, now 3.5%, might have to reach 7.5% for two years to reduce inflation close to the Fed’s 2% target.
The new paper released Thursday concluded that the Fed may have to lift unemployment as high as Summers has suggested to curb inflation. The research, by Laurence Ball, an economist at Johns Hopkins, and two colleagues, found that the pandemic has made the job market less efficient in matching unemployed workers with jobs — a trend that would accelerate unemployment as the economy weakens.
In addition, Americans expect higher inflation over the next few years, the research found. Typically, when that happens, employees demand higher pay, and their employers raise prices to make up for their increased labor costs, thereby fueling inflation. As prices accelerate, the Fed feels pressure to step up its rate hikes, putting the economy at further risk.
Still, not all economists accept that darker scenario. Jan Hatzius, an economist at Goldman Sachs, argued in a note earlier this week that there are “some encouraging signs” that a soft landing is still possible.
Hatzius cited slower economic growth, a decline in the number of open jobs, a downshift in hiring and a drop in the prices of oil and other commodities as factors that could lower inflation in the coming months without necessitating a recession.
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BERLIN (AP) — Clean energy now provides more employment than the fossil fuel industry, reflecting the shift that efforts to tackle climate change are having on the global jobs market, according to a report Thursday.
The International Energy Agency said a post-pandemic jobs rebound in the sector has been driven by emissions-cutting technologies such as electric vehicle production, building insulation, solar projects and wind farms.
Clean energy, which under IEA’s definition also includes nuclear power, is now estimated to account for more than half the 65 million energy sector jobs across all regions except Russia and the Middle East.
However, the Paris-based agency said high energy prices including for fossil fuels have seen an upswing in employment, notably for liquefied natural gas infrastructure. Many countries in Europe are scrambling to find alternatives to Russian gas supplies due to t he war in Ukraine.
It also noted that wages in clean energy jobs lag behind those in the fossil fuel industry, where unionization rates are higher and risky work has been compensated with higher pay. The exception is nuclear, due to the highly skilled labor needed, the agency said.
“Countries around the world are responding to the current crisis by seeking to accelerate the growth of homegrown clean energy industries,” said IEA’s executive director, Fatih Birol. “The regions that make this move will see huge growth in jobs.”
He urged companies, labor representatives and governments to ensure that clean energy projects provide high quality employment and attract a diverse workforce. Women are significantly underrepresented in the energy sector, which as a whole accounts for about 2% of the global workforce, IEA said.
Where possible, fossil fuel workers should be given the option to retrain for clean energy jobs, the agency said. It predicted could up to 14 million new clean energy jobs could be created by 2030, with an additional 16 million workers switching to new roles related to clean energy.
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IEA report: https://www.iea.org/reports/world-energy-employment
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Associated Press climate and environmental coverage receives support from several private foundations. See more about AP’s climate initiative here. The AP is solely responsible for all content.
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| 2022-09-21T03:08:37Z
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PORTLAND, Maine (AP) — Some retailers are taking lobster off the menu after an assessment from an influential conservation group that the harvest of the seafood poses too much of a risk to rare whales and should be avoided.
Whales can suffer injuries and fatalities when they become entangled in the gear that connects to lobster traps on the ocean floor. Seafood Watch, which rates the sustainability of different seafoods, said this week it has added the American and Canadian lobster fisheries to its “red list” of species to avoid.
The organization, based at Monterey Bay Aquarium in California, said in a report that the fishing industry is a danger to North Atlantic right whales because “current management measures do not go far enough to mitigate entanglement risks and promote recovery of the species.”
Thousands of businesses use Seafood Watch’s recommendations to inform seafood buying decisions, and many have pledged to avoid any items that appear on the red list. A spokesperson for Blue Apron, the New York meal kit retailer, said the company stopped offering a seasonal lobster box prior to the report, and all of the seafood it is currently using follows Seafood Watch’s guidelines. HelloFresh, the Germany-based meal kit company that is the largest such company operating in the U.S., also pledged shortly after the announcement to stop selling lobster.
“HelloFresh is committed to responsible sourcing and follows guidelines from the Monterey Bay Aquarium Seafood Watch program,” said Saskia Leisewitz, a spokesperson for HelloFresh.
Seafood Watch assigns ratings of “best choice,” “good alternative” and “avoid” to more than 2,000 seafood items based on how sustainably they are managed. The organization’s recommendations have been influential in the past, such as when it red-listed the Louisiana shrimp fishery, prompting efforts to better protect sea turtles. The fishery was later removed from the red list.
The lobster fishing industry has come under scrutiny from Seafood Watch because of the threat of entanglement in fishing gear. The North Atlantic right whales number less than 340 and entanglement is one of the two biggest threats they face, along with collisions with ships, scientists with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and other groups have said. The population of the giant animals, which were decimated during the commercial whaling era generations ago, has fallen in recent years.
Members of the lobster fishing industry, which is also coping with increased federal fishing restrictions to protect the whales, pushed back against the Seafood Watch rating. The lobster industry in Maine, where most of the U.S.’s lobster comes to land, has not had a documented interaction with a right whale in almost two decades, said Patrice McCarron, executive director of the Maine Lobstermen’s Association.
“Lobster is one of the most sustainable fisheries in the world due to the effective stewardship practices handed down through generations of lobstermen. These include strict protections for both the lobster resource and right whales,” McCarron said.
American and Canadian lobster fishermen target the same species, the American lobster, which is popular as live seafood and in processed products such as lobster rolls and lobster ravioli. The vast majority of the world’s American lobster comes to the shore in New England and eastern Canada, and the crustaceans are both a key piece of the economy and a cultural marker in both places.
The U.S. lobster fishery is also one of the most lucrative in the country and was worth more than $900 million at the docks in 2021, when fishermen caught more than 130 million pounds (59 million kilograms) of the crustaceans.
Seafood Watch partners with numerous major seafood buyers on its recommendations. Some of the buyers, such as Compass Group and Cheesecake Factory, did not respond to requests for comment from The Associated Press. A spokesperson for one, Mars Petcare, said the company doesn’t have lobster in its supply chain.
Environmental groups said Seafood Watch’s decision places a spotlight on the fishery and the need to do more to protect whales.
“Fishery managers must increase protections to save North Atlantic right whales so seafood retailers, consumers, and restaurants can put American lobster and crab back on the menu,” Oceana campaign director Gib Brogan said.
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BERLIN (AP) — Europe smashed previous temperature records this summer, with long periods of sunshine causing sweltering conditions and droughts across much of the continent but also helping boost much-needed solar power, according to data published Thursday.
The European Commission said average temperatures from June to August were 0.4 degrees Celsius (0.7 degrees Fahrenheit) higher on the continent this year than the previous record set in 2021. In August alone, the previous monthly record from 2018 was exceeded by 0.8 C (1.4 F) this year, it said.
“European temperatures were most above average in the east of the continent in August, but were still well above average in the southwest, where they had been high also in June and July,” the commission said, citing data gathered by its Copernicus climate program, which has used satellites to monitor surface air temperatures since 1991.
Separately, energy think tank Ember said the European Union set a new record for solar power this summer, reducing the need for natural gas imports.
The group said the 27-nation bloc generated 12% of its electricity from solar power from May to August, up from 9% during the same period last year. Solar energy narrowly topped the share provided from wind or hydropower, while coming in just below that produced from burning coal.
Ember said that without the 99.4 terrawatt hours of electricity provided by solar, the EU would have had to buy 20 billion cubic meters of gas, costing about 29 billion euros (nearly $29 billion) during the four-month period.
The Netherlands and Germany, not known for their sunny climates, had the highest share of electricity from solar, followed by Spain. Poland saw the biggest increase in solar power generation compared with 2018, increasing installed capacity 26-fold, the report said.
“The solar records set this summer helped keep the lights on and reduced the EU’s now critical gas consumption, providing short-term relief to the soaring cost of energy,” its authors said.
With Europe trying to wean itself off Russian gas because of the war in Ukraine, and high fossil fuel prices expected to last for years, they urged governments to ensure that solar power use can expand further, including by removing regulatory hurdles.
The authors noted this would also help the EU achieve its climate goal, saying solar power — which provides much less electricity in the winter months — would need to increase up to nine-fold by 2035 for the bloc to meet the emissions targets set in the 2015 Paris accord.
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Follow all AP stories on climate change at https://apnews.com/hub/climate-and-environment.
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KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — The head of Ukraine’s atomic energy operator accused Russia on Thursday of trying to “steal” Europe’s largest nuclear plant by cutting it off from the Ukrainian electricity grid and leaving it on the brink of a radiation disaster.
The Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant has been without an outside source of electricity since Monday and receives power for its own safety systems from the only one of its six reactors that remains operational, Enerhoatom chief Petro Kotin told The Associated Press.
“We are trying to keep this unit running as much as possible, but eventually it will have to be shut down and then the station will switch to diesel generators,” he said, adding that such generators are “the station’s last defense before a radiation accident.”
Ukraine and Russia have traded blame for shelling that has damaged parts of the plant as well as the transmission lines that connect it to Ukraine’s electricity network and provide power for the crucial cooling systems that are needed to prevent a meltdown.
The head of the U.N.’s International Atomic Energy Agency, Rafael Grossi, warned the U.N. Security Council this week that “something very, very catastrophic could take place” at the plant and urged Russia and Ukraine to establish a “nuclear safety and security protection zone” around it.
Kotin said the Russians “have a crazy idea to switch the ZNPP to the Russian power system; in fact they are trying to steal the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant of Ukraine and steal all the electricity it produces.”
He said the Russians gave the plant management a 10-page plan about three or four weeks ago to connect the plant to the electricity grid in Crimea, which Russia seized from Ukraine in 2014.
On the same day, the Russians started shelling the power lines that connect the plant to the Ukrainian grid, and on Monday, the last line was cut, Kotin said.
This left the plant in “island mode,” meaning it receives power from its only operational reactor, a highly unusual and unstable way of operating a nuclear plant that he said shouldn’t last for more than two hours but has now been in effect for more than three days.
“At any moment, the unit can be stopped completely, and after that, the only power source for the entire nuclear plant will be a diesel generator,” he said. While there are 20 generators on site, “if one of these diesel generators fails, the consequences can be very deplorable and bad for the radiation danger of the ZNPP.”
Kotin said the plant has enough diesel fuel for 10 days. After that, about 200 tons of diesel fuel would need to be brought in daily for the generators, which he said was “impossible” while the plant was occupied by Russian forces.
He said connecting the plant to the Russian grid also was practically impossible given the hostilities in the area.
“There is no other solution than the de-occupation of the ZNPP, the transfer of the plant to the control of the Ukrainian side or international security organizations,” Kotin told AP.
The ZNPP was seized by Russian forces early in the war but is still run by Ukrainian engineers, who Kotin said are working under heavy psychological pressures.
“I can say that most of the people who work there are pro-Ukrainian. Anyone who openly expressed this pro-Ukrainian position was grabbed, abused, beaten,” he said.
Meanwhile, fighting continued near the plant as the towns of Nikopol and Marhanets, which face the plant across the Dnieper River, came under Russian shelling overnight that left apartment buildings, a school, some industrial facilities and power lines damaged, Dnipropetrovsk province Gov. Valentyn Reznichenko said.
“The nuclear threat isn’t abating because of Russia’s mad actions and we need to consider all possible scenarios, including the worst one,” Reznichenko said in televised remarks.
Ukrainian Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk urged residents of Russian-occupied areas near the power plant to evacuate, adding that Ukrainian authorities have urged the Russians to set up humanitarian corridors to evacuate residents but received no response.
In the northeastern Kharkiv region, Ukrainian forces retook portions of Russian-held territory there as a Ukrainian counteroffensive in the south drained some of Moscow’s resources in the area, according to a report released Wednesday.
Ukrainian forces in the Kharkiv region are “likely exploiting Russian force reallocation” to areas near the occupied city of Kherson in the south “to conduct an opportunistic yet highly effective counteroffensive” in the province, the Washington-based think tank Institute for the Study of War said.
Ukrainian forces likely used “tactical surprise” to advance at least 12 miles (20 kilometers) into Russian-held territory in the Kharkiv region on Wednesday, recapturing approximately 155 square miles (400 square kilometers), the report said.
Brig. Gen. Oleksiy Gromov, the head of the main operational department of the Ukrainian military’s General Staff, said at a briefing Thursday that Ukrainian troops had reclaimed control of over 20 settlements in the Kharkiv region and forged up to 30 miles (50 kilometers) deep into Russian-occupied areas this week.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Thursday said Balakliya, a city of 25,000 and an important railroad junction, was one of the communities Ukrainian forces have recaptured.
“Everything is in its place. The flag of Ukraine in a free Ukrainian city under a free Ukrainian sky!,” he said on the Telegram messaging app.
The gains came as Ukraine continued to mount a counteroffensive in the southern Kherson region.
IN OTHER DEVELOPMENTS:
— Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan expressed agreement on Thursday with Russian President Vladimir Putin’s complaint that most of the grain from Ukraine’s reopened ports have gone to richer parts of the world. Putin said this week that practically all of the grain exported from Ukraine under a deal brokered by Ankara and the United Nations that lifted Russia’s blockade on Ukrainian ports had gone to European Union nations instead of poorer countries. Speaking in Zagreb, Croatia, on the last day of his three-day Balkan tour, Erdogan said Turkey wished for the grain “to be delivered to really poor countries,” and urged that the shipment of food and fertilizers from Russia to begin soon.
— The chief of the Ukrainian military, Gen. Valerii Zaluzhnyy, acknowledged in an article that explosions and fires at air bases in the Russian-annexed Crimean Peninsula last month were caused by a “successful series of rocket strikes on Crimean air bases.” It marked the first official acknowledgement of responsibility for the attacks by Ukrainian authorities.
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Follow the AP’s coverage of the war at https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine
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LONDON (AP) — New British Prime Minister Liz Truss announced Thursday that her Conservative government will cap domestic energy prices for homes and businesses to ease a cost-of-living crisis that has left residents across the United Kingdom facing a bleak winter.
The moves are a huge government intervention in the economy by Truss, who sees herself as a small-state, free-market conservative. She says she favors tax cuts over handouts, but she has been forced to act by the scale of the crisis as Russia’s war in Ukraine has sent energy prices surging.
Truss also said she will approve more North Sea oil drilling and lift a ban on fracking to increase the domestic energy supply.
It was a huge policy announcement from a prime minister who only took office on Tuesday. And it was overshadowed by concerns about Queen Elizabeth II, who died Thursday afternoon at 96 after 70 years on the throne.
In her energy statement, Truss said “we are supporting this country through this winter and next and tackling the root causes of high prices so we are never in the same position again.”
Truss said the two-year “energy price guarantee” means average household bills for heating and electricity will be no more than 2,500 pounds ($2,872) a year.
Bills had been due to rise to 3,500 pounds ($4,000) a year beginning in October, an 80% jump from the current average annual bill of 1,971 pounds. Energy costs are skyrocketing at a time when many people and businesses are still reeling from the economic aftershocks of COVID-19 and Brexit.
Business and public institutions like hospitals and schools will also get support, but for six months rather than two years.
The government says the cap will cut the U.K.’s soaring inflation rate by 4 to 5 percentage points. Inflation hit 10.1% in July and has been forecast to rise to 13% before the end of the year, triggering a prolonged recession, the Bank of England has said.
The British government hasn’t said how much the price cap will cost, but estimates have put it at over 100 billion pounds ($116 billion). Truss has rejected opposition calls to impose a windfall tax on oil companies’ profits. The cap will be paid for out of Treasury funds and by borrowing.
The opposition Labour Party says that means British taxpayers will have to foot the bill.
Labour leader Keir Starmer said “the bill will be picked up by working people,” rather than oil companies that are forecast to make 170 billion pounds ($195 billion) in windfall profits over next two years because of soaring energy prices.
Thursday’s announcement will bring relief to many, though critics say the government help should be targeted at the most vulnerable. Those already straining to keep up with relentlessly rising costs say they will still struggle — though maybe not as much as feared.
“I’m not optimistic at all. It’s already too much of a struggle on what we’re getting. I will be in debt without a doubt, there’s no way I can pay 2,500 pounds,” said Sharron Anderson, 60, a former government worker in London who recently became dependent on welfare payments after suffering a heart attack.
After paying for essential bills, Anderson said she’s left with 23 pounds ($27) a week to shop for food.
“They should be taxing those energy companies more, that’s what they should be doing. All those profits they’re getting and they’re not taxing them — that alone makes me have no confidence (in Truss),” she added.
The announcement comes after a summer in which the Conservative government refused to say how it would respond. Former Prime Minister Boris Johnson was not able to make major decisions after announcing in July that he would resign. Truss, who won the Conservative Party contest to replace Johnson as leader, declined to announce her plans before she was in office.
The invasion of Ukraine has caused an energy crisis across Europe. Russia has reduced the supplies of cheap natural gas that the continent depended on for years to run factories, generate electricity and heat homes, sending prices soaring.
Britain imports most of its natural gas — though largely from Norway, not Russia — and so is vulnerable to shifts in global prices. Truss’ move will reduce inflation and limit the size of the recession but also lead to higher interest rates and government debt, said Paul Dales, chief U.K. economist for Capital Economics.
“The reason we are in this difficult situation is because of (Russian President Vladimir) Putin’s appalling war in Ukraine,” Truss said. “But we do need to make sure that our energy supplies are more resilient and more secure, so we are never in this situation again.”
Truss announced a new “energy supply task force” that will negotiate long-term energy contracts with suppliers and said Britain would ramp up all domestic energy sources. The U.K. has dramatically increased the amount of energy generated by wind power in recent years and plans to build more nuclear power stations.
Truss also said she would issue more than 100 new licenses for North Sea drilling and end a ban on fracking in Britain. Both measures will be condemned by environmentalists, who worry Truss may backtrack on the U.K.’s legally binding commitment to reduce carbon emissions to net zero by 2050.
Britain suspended fracking in November 2019, saying it wasn’t possible to accurately predict tremors associated with the drilling.
Truss says she supports the net zero commitment to fighting climate change but that it should not come at a huge cost to people and businesses.
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Follow all AP stories on climate change at https://apnews.com/hub/climate-and-environment.
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| 2022-09-21T03:09:09Z
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FORT WORTH, Texas (WXIN) — Ear muffs designed to protect young children from excess noise are being recalled because the batteries can rupture, possibly causing hearing, projectile or burn injuries.
The Consumer Product Safety Commission said the recall involves four models of Children’s HearMuffs sound compression ear muffs.
Models included in the recall are:
- LA-infant-AM-WH
- LA-infant-ASM-WH
- LA-infant-ASM-WHPlus
- LA-kids-AM-WH
The model is printed on the original packaging. The CPSC said they were sold in multiple colors and have a multi-mode power button to switch from Off, Active or Soothe Mode.
The recall was initiated after Hearing Lab Technology received 19 reports of rupturing batteries. So far, no injuries have been reported.
The recalled products were sold nationwide and online at Sam’s Club, Kroger and other stores between January 2018 and December 2021.
Consumers are advised to stop using the ear muffs immediately.
Anyone with the recalled ear muffs can contact Hearing Lab Technology LLC toll-free at 833-408-0479 Monday through Friday from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. CT, or online to receive two new replacement AAA batteries free of charge.
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https://www.ktalnews.com/news/consumer-alerts/childrens-protective-ear-muffs-recalled-over-ruptured-batteries/
| 2022-09-21T03:09:17Z
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(WKBN) – More than 17 million masks for BiPAP and CPAP machines have been recalled, according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
The FDA said that Philips Respironics (Philips) has recalled certain masks used with bilevel positive airway pressure (also known as Bilevel PAP, BiPAP or BPAP) machines and continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) machines due to a safety concern that involves magnets.
The machines help people with conditions that include obstructive sleep apnea, respiratory insufficiency or respiratory failure as well as health conditions that cause pauses in breathing during sleep.
Five mask types are affected by the recall: the DreamWisp, DreamWear, Amara View, Wisp and Wisp Youth masks, according to a press release from the FDA.
The magnets can affect the movement of certain implanted metallic medical devices, which could cause injury or death to the mask user or the person sleeping near the mask user.
The FDA said the magnets could also affect people or those near them who have metallic objects in their bodies, such as shrapnel or splinters in their eyes.
Philips reported 14 serious injuries, including pacemaker failure, arrhythmia, seizures and irregular blood pressure related to the use of the recalled masks.
The FDA has provided recommendations for users, caregivers and health care providers concerning the use of the recalled masks, including the submission of medical device reports by health professionals and manufacturers.
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| 2022-09-21T03:09:25Z
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SHREVEPORT, La. (KTAL/KMSS) – The Caddo Coroner’s Office has released the name of the woman shot and killed Wednesday night in Shreveport‘s Cedar Grove neighborhood.
The coroner’s office says officers called to the 800 block of Wyngate Circle to investigate reports of gunfire arrived to find 21-year-old Makaree Rayson suffering three gunshot wounds to the neck. She was pronounced dead at the scene.
Shreveport police say the suspect fled the scene and the investigation is ongoing.
The homicide is the 38th in Caddo Parish in 2022, according to the coroner’s office.
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| 2022-09-21T03:09:33Z
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BOSSIER CITY, La. (KTAL/KMSS) – Police were called to the scene of a shooting in Bossier City late Thursday night.
Officials say a man was shot multiple times just before 10:00 p.m. in the parking lot of a liquor store on the 1600 block of E. Texas St. He was taken to the hospital for treatment of his wounds.
Police say they do not have a suspect yet. The shooting remains under investigation.
This is a developing story. More information will be provided as it becomes available.
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| 2022-09-21T03:09:41Z
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SAN MARCOS, Texas (Nexstar) — In San Marcos, two kids in the Hays County Juvenile Detention Center are on their second month of waiting to be transferred to Texas Juvenile Justice Department state schools.
They — and more than 100 other minors — are supposed to be starting their court-ordered rehabilitation and treatment programs on TJJD campuses.
Instead, the agency is scrambling to develop and start treatment for kids stuck in 43 local juvenile detention facilities scattered across the state — while it works to fix crippling staffing shortages at the state level.
The agency’s Director Shandra Carter announced on June 29 it would temporarily not be able to take any of the youth awaiting transfer to TJJD.
The department has let some minors into the facility since then. This week, the agency had 135 youth on the waitlist and says it will likely have 126 minors still pending at the week’s end.
In a letter, Carter said she was concerned about providing “basic supervision” to the youth already in their custody, some of whom are experiencing “increasing suicidal behaviors,” the Texas Tribune reported.
“The impact on juvenile justice is enormous.”
Kameron Johnson, Travis County Public Defender
The state’s juvenile justice department has also had to cut its own treatment programs, including one aimed at the facilities’ most violent youth.
Some county detention facilities are faring better than others. According to TJJD, larger counties like Harris, Denton and Bexar told the agency they would help youth start treatment while at their local detention facilities.
But that is not the case in smaller, more rural counties — and even some in urban cores.
The 114-bed Hays County Juvenile Detention Center is currently only capable of caring for a little more than 30 minors at a time due to staffing, according to administrator Brett Littlejohn.
“We do not have access to those programs here,” Littlejohn said. “Now, we do have certain services here — minimal.”
Officials with TJJD said Wednesday all minors on the waitlist for state facilities will get credit for time spent waiting in local detention facilities.
But for most of the minors on the waitlist, their time in state custody — and release — is entirely dependent on their progress through the agency’s treatment programs.
The agency is struggling to implement that in every county impacted.
“The nature of that work can be highly variable and individualized, depending on the child and the capacity of the detention center,” department spokesperson Bobbi Kessler said. “County detention centers are, in some cases, struggling with the same staffing shortfalls that have afflicted TJJD.”
TJJD officials said they are trying to assess minors while they are still on the waitlist so that they can start their treatment programs as soon as they are transferred to one of the state facilities.
“This shouldn’t be happening.”
Kameron Johnson, Travis County Juvenile Public Defender
Travis County Juvenile Public Defender Kameron Johnson worries how those on the waitlist facing the harshest sentences will be affected when they are considered for release.
He’s particularly concerned with those on the waitlist with determinate sentences — which allow them to start their time in the juvenile system and then be considered for adult parole at age 19, instead of transferring to the adult prison.
“Imagine if you got a 16- or 17-year-old and you are talking about six months to a year where you can’t even get into a program,” Johnson said. “When it comes time to be able to see and look whether you’ll be released to adult parole or to the institutional division, you know — prison — then the court has less to work with.”
“They also are in school and have access to services at the county level while awaiting transfer to TJJD. Their cases are being reviewed while they’re on the intake list and their behaviors and progress recorded,” Kessler pointed out.
Another concern shared by juvenile probation officers in the state is if the waitlist, and ongoing staffing problems on the state level, will impact how minors are sentenced in the state.
“If it continues on, or if it becomes a political issue and it drags out session to session, it’s not going to be good,” Littlejohn said. “You are going to have kids probably instead of getting committed to TJJD, all of a sudden certified as an adult and you are going to clog up that side of the house — right, wrong or otherwise.”
The number of juveniles who are sentenced as adults in Texas has not changed significantly since 2011, according to data from the Office of Court Administration.
The Interim House Committee on Justice Reform heard from the agency and local probation officers about the ongoing issues with the waitlist in late August. The committee’s chairman said he talked to Gov. Abbott about ways to intervene before lawmakers convene in January.
“My hope is it will be a major item in the session we can address immediately,” Rep. Jeff Leach (R-Plano) said. “But even between now and the next session, the next four to five months, we have options. We have available tools at our disposal to devote more resources to make sure our staffing issues are fixed.”
Survey reveals how many Texas senior living facilities have backup power
Hundreds of Texas nursing homes and assisted living facilities have generators on-site for backup power, but hundreds still do not, according to a survey conducted by Texas Health and Human Services.
In the months following the 2021 winter storm, KXAN spoke with families of residents who died in long-term care facilities during the freeze. Lawmakers and advocates worked to address problems that led to days-long power outages in some of these homes housing vulnerable Texans.
One proposal to require generators in these facilities failed, and lawmakers instead decided to send out a survey in order to get a better idea of what backup power sources already exist.
- Explore the survey results here
The survey revealed 99% of nursing homes that responded to the survey had a generator, and 47% of responding assisted living facilities reported having them.
According to the report, state law does not require assisted living facilities to have a generator, while new nursing facilities have faced that requirement since 1996. Federal law has also required generators in new nursing facility buildings since 2016.
When asked why more than half of responding assisted living facilities don’t use generators, the Vice President of Public Policy for the Texas Assisted Living Association Carmen Tilton said she believed high costs and location constraints specific to assisted living were major factors.
Tilton said many assisted living facilities are located in residential neighborhoods that may have homeowners’ association rules. Meanwhile, these properties are still considered health care facilities and therefore must abide by National Fire Protection Association standards — meaning “if a generator is located outside of the building, it must be in its own separate fire resistant protective structure” and if it is “located inside the building, it must be in a separate closed off space with fire rated walls/doors and specialty ventilation,” she said.
Tilton went on to say facilities in some parts of the state had contradictory risks to consider, such as tornados or wildfires, that could be complicated by having a large on-site fuel tank and generator. She also noted many of the facility operators she spoke with expressed interest in installing generators or backup power, but supply chain issues were slowing them down.
These are all considerations and conversations State Rep. Ed Thompson (R-Pearland) said he wants to have with industry leaders and experts next year. He brought forward the original bill and said the survey proved to be “enlightening.”
After the survey results were released, the representative said he was pleasantly surprised by the number of homes that reported having generators, but said there was still work to be done.
In the survey, facility operators with generators were asked to indicate which systems it powered. Most facilities answered that their generators powered emergency evacuation equipment, such as emergency lighting, exit signs and fire alarm system. Less than 60% of facilities responded that their generators served air conditioning equipment or heating equipment.
Tilton confirmed more facilities likely prioritize emergency evacuation systems because state regulation and fire protection rules require these kinds of systems to be hard-wired to a power source. Additionally, residents at assisted living facilities can be evacuated more easily than those in a nursing facility.
Assisted living facilities “faced with a prolonged outage are going to evacuate if they need to,” she explained, adding these operations are already required to have emergency preparedness and evacuation plans in place.
“I think assisted living communities, much like all Texas residents and businesses, are still working through the best way to appropriately respond [to] the risk of an extended blackout,” Tilton said.
Thompson said he did not want to be “overly onerous” for facilities, as a small business owner himself, but said it was important to “do the best we can for as many people as we can.”
He told KXAN he plans to re-submit the bill this fall for consideration during the 88th legislative session, but the filing would likely look a bit different. He believes the survey will help in crafting better legislation the second time around.
“I’m willing to work with anybody, anytime, anyway,” he said.
Death in Texas raises questions about response to monkeypox
On Tuesday, Texas confirmed its first death of a person infected with monkeypox. The Department of State Health Services said the adult patient lived in Harris County and was “severely immunocompromised.” Health investigators are trying to determine what role monkeypox played in the death.
While case numbers are growing nationwide, deaths are rare.
“It’s not a very lethal disease,” said Dr. Gerald Parker, Director of the Pandemic and Biosecurity Policy Program at the Scowcroft Institute for International Affairs at Texas A&M University.
“It is related to smallpox…but it’s not smallpox,” Parker added. “Monkeypox does not have that high lethality, but it can cause very painful sores.”
Parker said the response nationwide to the monkeypox outbreak has faced some of the same problems as the response to COVID-19.
“I think we dropped the ball, nationally, with testing and just not making it readily available quick enough,” Parker said. “It’s getting better now. But I think we had the same problem with COVID-19 very early on with some of the stumbles in testing.”
Parker also said the vaccine rollout has been too slow. But he pointed to the fact that there are already vaccines available as an encouraging sign.
“We worked very hard over the last 20 years to make sure that we had a vaccine available, actually for smallpox, because we were worried about smallpox and a potential bioterror attack,” Parker explained.
He said the JYNNEOS vaccine currently being used to help control the monkeypox outbreak is the result of those preparations.
“I think we can thank some of our investments over the last 20 years and in public health preparedness that is a reason and rationale we even have a vaccine available today for this unusual outbreak,” Parker said.
Parker said another lesson from COVID-19 could help better track monkeypox: wastewater surveillance. That’s the process of testing wastewater to detect viruses.
“It sounds simple, but it’s an extremely novel approach to do genomic surveillance of wastewater,” Parker said. “Certainly, we need to turn the gain up for that for monkeypox and other infectious diseases as well.”
Ads highlight importance of women’s vote in race for Texas Governor
Women will play a critical part in deciding who becomes the next governor of Texas. Right now, the race to win their votes appears to be close.
The latest polling on the Texas governor’s race from the University of Texas at Tyler and The Dallas Morning News shows an almost evenly divided electorate among female voters. The women who responded to the August poll said 44% of them plan to vote for Abbott, while 42% said they’re going to support his Democratic challenger Beto O’Rourke.
The importance of the women’s vote can be seen in some of the campaign ads on the air right now across Texas.
A catchy country song accompanies a new political ad showing the familiar routine of a mother getting her child ready to go back to school, but it concludes with the startling image of the boy holding a “first day of school” sign dressed in body armor. Words then appear on a black screen reading, “Our children are not soldiers. Vote for change on November 8th.”
The ad, which debuted in August, came from the Mothers Against Greg Abbott political action committee. The group formed after Nancy Thompson posted a photo of herself on Aug. 6, 2021, protesting alone at the Texas Capitol with a homemade sign reading “Mothers Against Greg Abbott” which went viral on social media. Her grievance centered at that time on Abbott’s executive order banning mask mandates.
She created a private Facebook page with the same name soon thereafter, and it’s now grown to include almost 57,000 members. Thompson, who lives in Austin, created a PAC earlier this year and has since rolled out several political ads targeting issues where the grassroots group feels Abbott is most vulnerable, like school safety, abortion rights and stability of the power grid.
“Our children are not soldiers — they’re not, and we’re taking away their childhood,” Thompson said. “We need to start thinking about this seriously, and it’s no longer okay to be okay with the way things are.”
A day after the back-to-school ad went live, Texans for Greg Abbott, the governor’s reelection campaign, put out its first commercial of the year voiced by his wife. It begins with the smiling couple sitting at a table, as Cecilia Abbott talks about how they met, what it was like raising their daughter and the accident that paralyzed Abbott. She concludes the ad saying, “Hard work, perseverance and family — that’s what defines Greg Abbott and how he governs Texas.”
Emily Sydnor, a political science professor at Southwestern University in Georgetown, said both ads take vastly different approaches to emotionally connect with a key demographic: women. She explained the Abbott team is possibly seeking to remind them about who he is after a politically contentious time.
“If you think about a set of maybe moderate Republican women in particular,” Sydnor said, “that are frustrated with the decisions in the wake of the Dobbs court case and the overturning of Roe v. Wade, who are worried about their kids going to Texas public schools in the wake of Uvalde — you want to convince them that he is still a good leader, that he shares their values, that he’s going to protect and serve you.”
It’s a message Abbott’s campaign believes can resonate with many Texans, women and men.
“As far as reaching out to women voters, it’s the same as what we’re doing with all Texas voters,” explained Renae Eze, communications advisor for Texans for Greg Abbott.
“It’s making sure that we’re engaging them on the issues that they care about, the issues that are facing our state,” Eze continued. “Whether it’s female voters or male voters, young or old, people are concerned about can I put food on the table? Can I take care of my family? Do I have a say in my kid’s education? Is my community safe?”
Without knowing what types of pro-Abbott ads will come out next, Sydnor said it makes sense to roll out a more personal, positive one first. That’s because she argues that kind of messaging tends to not have as much of a rallying effect as, say, what Mothers Against Greg Abbott is putting out now.
“The Mothers Against Greg Abbott ad is trying to target different emotions, right?” Sydnor explained. “They don’t want you enthusiastic about Greg Abbott. They want you angry and anxious about the safety of your child, and those are mobilizing emotions in a different way. The anger in particular tends to get people raring to go, excited to get out there and vote [and] to cast their ballot potentially against Abbott.”
She also said voters should start noticing more and more campaign ads and other political activities picking up now.
“We’re seeing the ramp-up of voter registration efforts, discussions around civic holidays and getting people more engaged from that perspective,” Sydnor said, “so I can only imagine that both campaigns are really going to turn up the volume also.”
According to its latest campaign finance report, the Mothers Against Greg Abbott PAC received more than $106,000 in donations between May and June and still has a little more than that ($107,647.84) of cash on hand. Thompson said her group plans to release a new ad every week targeting Abbott on different issues between now and Election Day.
“Women make the world go round in Texas,” Thompson said, “but when you start treating us like second-class citizens, and you don’t take care of our families, and you don’t take care of our health, and you don’t take care of the things that matter the most to us…then we’re just going to come after you, and we’re going to make sure that you’re not elected.”
O’Rourke is making abortion rights a big part of his campaign. He released campaign ads on the day the Texas trigger law took effect, highlighting his support for allowing women to have more access to abortion. One of the ads includes a voiceover saying some women will die because of the Texas law backed by the Governor.
“An abortion ban with no exception for rape or incest, that is not us. That may be Greg Abbott. It is not the people of Texas,” O’Rourke said at a news conference in Houston.
Eze said that she does not believe that abortion will be a decisive factor in the campaign.
“We just haven’t seen that be a top issue,” said Eze of abortion rights. “Texas is a pro-life state, and the Governor through his time has continued to promote policies that protect not only the life of the mother but also the life of the child,” she added.
While acknowledging that some voters are passionate about abortion rights, Eze said she believes it’s not top of mind for most Texans.
“There are other issues that are more important to voters,” Eze said.
License plates stolen amid paper tag crackdown
An unexpected and unintended consequence of Texas’ crackdown on its paper tag problem — which has ballooned into a $200 million criminal black market — could be putting motorists at risk of fraud.
Anecdotally, some in law enforcement, like Central Texas deputy David Kohler, are seeing an increase in the theft of “hard” aluminum license plates following efforts to stop temporary tag abuse.
“Every day is different. Sometimes, we’ll have several victims in a neighborhood where their plates have been stolen,” Kohler said. “If we’re seeing an uptick in stolen license plates, it’s a possibility [it’s because] of the dent that has been done in fraudulent paper tags.”
Travis County deputies are investigating a burglary that took place on Aug. 21 near Wells Branch. The suspect’s vehicle “had metal plates, stolen from another vehicle on it,” explained Kristen Dark with the Travis County Sheriff’s Office.
This type of crime is “not new,” or specifically tracked by law enforcement, Dark said, noting thieves have been doing this “for years and years.” One tactic is to target license plates that match the make and model of a stolen vehicle.
Kohler, who fought successfully to get the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles to go after paper tag fraud, believes the state’s efforts, along with more eyes in the sky tracking license plates, are driving thieves to now steal aluminum plates.
“We have victims who call and report their license plates — either the front, or the back or sometimes both — have been stolen off their vehicle,” he said. “The primary reason [for the theft] is to conceal their criminal activity.”
It’s the same reason crooks found a way to infiltrate the TxDMV database in order to fraudulently print, and sell, real temporary tags. Recent efforts to stop that, sparked in part by a series of KXAN investigations, could have more thieves turning to what they see as an easier score: the one on your vehicle, Kohler said.
In February, Kevin Breeland traded in his 2018 Dodge Ram for a 2021 Honda CR-V.
“The dealer asked if we wanted to take the plates off the truck or just let them do it,” he recalled, saying he asked the Austin dealership to properly dispose of them.
Fast forward to July — five months after he thought his license plates were destroyed — he received a bill in the mail from TxTag for a toll he didn’t use, tied to a license plate he no longer owns, records show.
“I thought it was a mistake,” Breeland said. “Just bizarre that this popped up months later on another vehicle. And, how did that happen?”
Breeland said he was “just dumbfounded” when he saw the $7.15 bill. The charge, his bill shows, stems from a toll fee on May 31.
“With all of the issues regarding temporary tags I was really shocked when I got this bill in the mail,” he said. “Sure, it was only for $7, but those are plates that should have been destroyed. They shouldn’t be on another vehicle.”
That small charge, he said, could carry a potentially big problem.
“No one wants to have the police knock on their door in the middle of the night because a crime occurred,” he said. “And you’re the one that the plate is registered to.”
Under state law, the dealership should have destroyed Breeland’s license plates.
When a car is traded in or sold, the dealer must destroy the plate or have them “disposed of in a manner that renders the license plates unusable or that ensures the license plates will not be available for fraudulent use on a motor vehicle,” state law requires. If the plate isn’t destroyed, it must be returned to the customer, the TxDMV said.
The Austin dealership Breeland went to says it believes his license plates were stolen off its lot. Police were not called, the owner said, citing a belief that he “sincerely doubt[ed] that they would take any action on a scenario like that.” After KXAN started asking questions, the dealership said it is retraining staff “on proper license plate disposal.”
KXAN is focusing on the larger, systemic issues of paper tag and license plate fraud, which is why we haven’t named the dealer.
TxDMV said it doesn’t know how often license plates are stolen because it doesn’t track that information. The FBI, Austin Police and TxDOT also could not say.
While TxDMV does not track the number of license plate thefts, it does track how often license plates are replaced. Plates can be replaced if they are lost, damaged, stolen, or for cosmetic/readability reasons.
In 2020, records show 529,730 license plates were replaced. That number jumped to 651,278 in 2021. So far this year, 465,996 Texas license plates were replaced.
Whether the thefts are in any way new, old or simply an ongoing problem, tag fraud is taking a toll on law enforcement’s efforts to catch criminals, Kohler said.
“The car you’re behind could be a stolen vehicle,” he said, explaining if the license plate matches the type of car, it would not necessarily raise an immediate red flag. “You just don’t know.”
So, how can you protect yourself?
Experts say when selling or trading in your car, you should: make sure your plates are removed and destroyed if you don’t plan on transferring them to another vehicle; ensure any toll stickers are removed and deactivated; notify TxDMV and TxTag about the sale; and notify law enforcement immediately if your license plate is stolen.
“If the customer does not choose to transfer or keep their license plates, a dealer should deface and dispose of the license plates so they may not be used in a fraudulent manner,” said TxDMV spokesperson Adam Shaivitz, “One way TxDMV recommends to deface license plates is by drawing a large ‘X’ on the face of each place with indelible marker. After defacing the license plates, a dealer would then dispose of them by delivering the defaced plates to an aluminum recycling center.”
Breeland said TxTag waived his bill after he proved the plate didn’t belong to him. TxTag said it bills customers based on information in the TxDMV database. That’s why, Shaivitz said, it’s important for the customer and dealer to report a vehicle sale by filing a Vehicle Transfer Notification Form (VTR-346) with TxDMV in order to protect against toll charges incurred after the sale date. TxTag said customers should also contact its customer service center at (888) 468-9824 after receiving confirmation of the title transfer.
The dealership Breeland went to said customers should “demand…proof that their former vehicle is no longer in their name from a DMV standpoint.” Any dealer should easily be able to provide the customer a “submission confirmation” to verify the Vehicle Transfer Notification has been completed, the owner said.
Breeland’s name is no longer “currently assigned” to his old license plate, Shaivitz confirmed.
TxTag said toll charges received after a license plate has been changed can be resolved if a customer provides proof the vehicle was sold.
“It’s important for people to follow the TxDMV’s process when they sell a vehicle and to update their TxTag account so they will not be billed for tolls charged to a vehicle they no longer own,” TxTag spokesperson Veronica Beyer said. “If a toll is incurred before DMV updates its database, TxTag will work with the customer to ensure the tolls are charged to the registered owner of the vehicle….All vehicle owner information is provided by the TxDMV database which is why it is important to ensure all customer information is up to date.”
Breeland contacted KXAN after watching our investigations into paper tag fraud. He hopes what happened to him steers other drivers, and dealers, toward being more alert.
“I don’t want this to happen to somebody else,” he said.
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SHREVEPORT, La. (KTAL/KMSS) – After seven days of testimony in the trial of the man accused of shooting and killing a couple who gave him a ride home from the mall in Shreveport, DeWayne Watkin’s defense attorney called for a mistrial Thursday.
That motion was ultimately denied, but it came amid a series of objections from the defense that delayed the start of testimony until late in the morning.
Watkin, 37, is charged with two counts of first-degree murder in the Nov. 8, 2018, shooting deaths of Heather and Kelly Jose, whose charred bodies were found in a burning car later that night in the driveway of an unoccupied house in Shreveport‘s Queensborough neighborhood. Prosecutors say Watkins shot them both after they gave him a ride from Mall St. Vincent on the night of the slayings and burned their bodies to destroy evidence.
Capt. Shannon Mack, digital forensics expert at the Bossier Parish Sheriff’s Digital Forensics Lab, was originally on deck to testify Wednesday afternoon, but because of the defense’s lengthy questioning of other witnesses, she never took the stand.
Before Mack could take the stand on Thursday, the defense called her into the courtroom before the jury was seated to ask her questions about her methodology. Mack explained that she reviewed records given to her by Shreveport police but also did her own investigation. Mack has been certified as an expert witness in numerous criminal cases in Louisiana for more than a decade.
After questioning her about the software program she uses, which she said was specifically created for law enforcement, she was sent back outside the courtroom to wait until she was called as a witness almost two hours later.
The defense then objected to testimony from a witness who testified last week, claiming they had not been informed of one of the things he said on the witness stand, and asked for a mistrial to be declared. It was the sixth time since the trial began that the defense asked for a mistrial.
In this case, the objection was in reference to the testimony of Bryan Adler, who testified on the day before the Joses’ were killed, he was at the Job Corps waiting to pick up his daughter and had a litter of rescue puppies he was trying to sell. He said Watkins came to his truck and expressed an interest in the puppies but said he would need to talk to his girlfriend.
Adler said Watkins wanted him to take him to where his girlfriend was, but Adler didn’t let him inside his truck, so Watkins rode in the back. When they got there, she wasn’t there, so they exchanged cell numbers and parted.
Later, on the evening of Nov. 7, Adler said Watkins called him and asked him to meet him at a house in the 3400 block of Penick Street. Adler took a neighbor with him to the location, but when he got there, he said he went into the carport but was uneasy and left before meeting Watkins.
After hearing about the Joses’ murder and subsequent burning, Adler contacted police because he recognized the house where the couple’s charred bodies were found.
The police, and later the district attorney’s office, interviewed Adler, but defense attorney Sean Collins said they did not tell the defense that Adler said he went into the carport of the Penick Street house.
Caddo Parish Assistant District Attorney Bill Edwards, however, claimed he did not know anything about pulling into the carport either and only heard it when Adler testified seven days ago, so he could not have added it to the discovery handed over to the defense.
Still, outside of the purview of the jury, presiding Judge John Mosely called SPD Sgt. Angie Willhite, the lead homicide detective in the case, to the witness stand. Willhite conducted the interviews with Adler. She, too, testified under oath that Adler had never mentioned the carport until he was on the witness stand.
With that, Mosely denied the defense’s motion for a mistrial, and the jury was finally seated just before noon when Mack was called to the stand to testify.
In a darkened courtroom, Heather and Kelly Joses’ families stoically watched as Mack tracked Heather Jose’s cellphone on the night of the murders on a Google map flashed up on the screen before the jury.
Mack illustrated Heather’s route in pink, starting at 8:31 p.m. when she and Kelly drove out of Mall St. Vincent with their alleged killer in the back seat, driving west and ultimately into the Queensborough neighborhood, where it appeared she was driving in circles before the cellphone and Google tracking quit working. The last phone hit was at 9:08 p.m., Mack said, adding that by 9:35 p.m., neither was working.
Asked to explain, Mack said the phone was off at that point and that it could have been destroyed or the battery had run out.
After the state finished, the defense began its cross-examination, asking for records that Mack did not have available. However, she said she could download them, so the court recessed for another hour so she could do so.
When finished, the jury was brought back into the courtroom, and the defense asked a few more questions about other phones that were tracked before finally stopping.
A few questions followed from the prosecution, and then Mack was dismissed, and the jury was sent home for the evening.
But court still was not finished. The defense stated they had a few more objections, and after a call to the bench, the judge recessed the trial at around 5:45.
Arguments on those objections will resume Friday morning.
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MEMPHIS, Tenn. (WREG) — A shooting rampage across Memphis came to an end Wednesday night, and Memphis police took 19-year-old Ezekiel Dejuan Kelly into custody.
Kelly was arrested at 9:20 p.m., and city leaders held a press conference just after midnight.
Memphis Police Director Cerelyn “CJ” Davis said during a news conference early Thursday that four people were killed and three others were wounded in seven shootings and at least two carjackings.
On social media — where Kelly is accused of livestreaming one of the killings — he went by various spellings of the name Zeek Huncho. In a Facebook Live video seen by a WREG staff member, a suspect who appeared to be Kelly was seen getting out of a car, walking into an AutoZone and firing shots. The video was later removed from the platform.
In 2020 at age 17, Kelly faced four felony charges, including two counts of attempted murder, one count of reckless endangerment and one count of possession of a firearm, according to court records.
Sources told WREG he pleaded guilty to the lesser charge of aggravated assault in the case in 2021. He received three years in that case.
Memphis Mayor Jim Strickland said Kelly was released March 16 after serving 11 months of a three-year sentence.
During Wednesday’s shooting rampage, the first killing was at 12:56 a.m., and officers responded to three more crime scenes before receiving a tip at 6:12 p.m. that the suspect was livestreaming himself threatening to cause harm to citizens, Davis said.
Police then sent out an alert warning people to be on the lookout for an armed and dangerous man responsible for multiple shootings and reportedly recording his actions on Facebook.
Three more shootings and two carjackings followed. Police said the suspect killed a woman in Memphis as he took her grey Toyota SUV, which, they say, he left behind when he stole a man’s Dodge Challenger across the state line in Southaven, Mississippi.
Kelly was arrested without incident two hours after the initial police alert when he crashed the Challenger during a high-speed chase and two guns were found in the vehicle, Davis said.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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Fox News personality Geraldo Rivera said in a new tweet that he’s not going to support former President Trump again.
Rivera on Wednesday stressed the former president’s “shameful” claims that the 2020 election was stolen.
“Election Deniers depress me,” Rivera said. “I blame President Trump for his shameful campaign to slander and undermine American faith in our elections.”
“For all his positive accomplishments, and there are many, I could never support him again,” Rivera added. “Without fealty to the Constitution, we’re 2d rate.”
The former syndicated talk show host has been a frequent critic of Trump in the past few years, previously saying that Trump hadn’t spoken to him after Rivera declared that the 2020 election result had been decided.
Rivera, who in January, 2021 said that Trump should be impeached for his role in the rioting at the Capitol, said in August that the former president still rules the GOP, adding that he’s disappointed in many if not most Republicans for still believing Trump’s election claims.
Rivera last month tweeted a response to James Carville’s interview with The Hill during which the Democratic strategist said that GOP voters are “stupid” for believing that Trump did not lose the 2020 election.
“James Carville is wrong. Trump does rule the GOP. Many, if not most Republicans believe Trump was robbed in 2020. That doesn’t make them ignorant or racist,” Rivera said at the time. “It makes them disappointing. They’re drunk on Trump Koolaid, and either don’t believe he lost, or worse, don’t care.”
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| 2022-09-21T03:10:20Z
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WASHINGTON (NEXSTAR) — Republican senators are calling for lawsuits to block President Joe Biden’s order forgiving student loan debt, calling it an illegal overreach and abuse of executive power.
“There’s no authority for the president to wave a wand and to forgive billions of dollars of student loan debt and yet he did it anyway,” Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., said.
He and Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, say they hope a lawsuit could push a court to block the plan before it goes into effect this winter.
“This would really be a tremendous win for the fight against inflation, it would be a tremendous win against the unfairness that it brings to people that don’t go to college that pay for people to go to college,” Grassley said.
The White House contends the president is on solid legal ground and has encouraged Americans to apply for forgiveness next month. Sen. Tammy Duckworth, D-Ill, said Republicans are wrong to try to undercut the relief.
“Why would they want to keep this financial burden on the backs of so many young graduates and so many middle-class families?” she said.
But not all Democrats are on board with the president’s approach.
“I just don’t think that the Band-Aid approach works,” Rep. Elissa Slotkin, D-Mich., said.
She said it is Congress’ responsibility, not the White House’s, to decide how to help students.
“The legislative branch is the one that appropriates money and this was a decision taken by the executive branch. That’s not common,” she said.
No suits have been filed yet, but the Arizona state attorney general has hinted he and other AGs could take action soon.
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LONDON (AP) — From her ambulance service during World War II to being immortalized by a Beatles song, Queen Elizabeth II has been the only monarch that most people in Britain have ever known. She reigned for seven decades over a Britain that rebuilt from war and lost its empire before dying at age 96 on Thursday at Balmoral Castle in Scotland.
She endured through 15 prime ministers, from Winston Churchill to Liz Truss, becoming an institution and an icon — a fixed point and a reassuring presence even for those who didn’t like the royals. She was the longest reigning-monarch in British history, famous for her life of public service but also for her beloved corgis and a mischievous sense of humor in private.
Ten things to know about the life of Queen Elizabeth II:
BRITAIN’S LONGEST-REIGNING MONARCH
Elizabeth, who marked 70 years on the throne this year, is the oldest and longest-reigning monarch in British history. In September 2015 she surpassed her great-great-grandmother Queen Victoria, who reigned for 63 years and seven months.
In 2016, Elizabeth also became the longest-reigning monarch in the world with the death of King Bhumibol Adulyadej of Thailand. In 2022, she became the second-longest-reigning monarch in world history, behind 17th century French King Louis XIV, who took the throne at age 4.
Apart from Elizabeth and Victoria, only four other monarchs in British history have reigned for 50 years or more: George III (59 years), Henry III (56 years), Edward III (50 years) and James VI of Scotland (58 years.)
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HOME-SCHOOLING
Like many royals of her time and before, Elizabeth never went to a public school and was never exposed to other students. Instead, she was educated at home with Margaret, her younger sister.
Among those who taught her was her father, along with a senior teacher at Eton College, several French and Belgian governesses who taught her French, and the Archbishop of Canterbury, who taught her religion.
Elizabeth’s schooling also included learning to ride, swim, dance and the study of fine art and music.
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“NO. 230873”
During World War II, young Princess Elizabeth briefly became known as No. 230873, Second Subaltern Elizabeth Alexandra Mary Windsor of the Auxiliary Transport Service No. 1.
After months of campaigning for her parents’ permission to do something for the war effort, the heir to the throne learned how to drive and service ambulances and trucks. She rose to the rank of honorary Junior Commander within months.
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‘GREAT MIMICKER’
Elizabeth often gave the impression of a serious demeanor, and many have noted her “poker face,” but those who knew her described her as having a mischievous sense of humor and a talent for mimicry in private company.
Rowan Williams, the former Archbishop of Canterbury, has said the queen could be “extremely funny in private — and not everybody appreciates how funny she can be.”
Bishop Michael Mann, the monarch’s domestic chaplain, once said that “the queen imitating the Concorde landing is one of the funniest things you could see.” Ian Paisley, the Northern Irish clergyman and politician, also noted that Elizabeth was a “great mimicker” of him.
More recently, she showed her mischievous side during the Platinum Jubilee celebrations, when she starred in a comic video alongside an animated Paddington Bear and spoke of hiding marmalade sandwiches in her purse.
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ROYAL TAXPAYER
She may have been the queen, but she paid taxes too — at least since 1992.
When Windsor Castle, the queen’s weekend residence, was ravaged by fire in 1992, the public rebelled against paying millions of pounds for repairs.
But she voluntarily agreed to pay tax on her personal income. She said she would meet 70 percent of the cost of restoration work, and she also decided to open her home at Buckingham Palace to the public for the first time to generate extra funds from admission fees.
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LITTLE LILIBET
The queen was christened Elizabeth Alexandra Mary Windsor of York, in honor of her mother, paternal grandmother and paternal great-grandmother. But as a child, she was endearingly known as young Lilibet by her family — said to be because she couldn’t pronounce “Elizabeth” properly.
In a letter to her grandmother Queen Mary, the young princess wrote: “Dear Granny. Thank you very much for the lovely little jersey. We loved staying at Sandringham with you. I lost a top front tooth yesterday morning,” before signing off, “Love from Lilibet.”
The nickname became more widely known after Prince Harry and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, named their daughter Lilibet Diana in 2021.
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A STEADFAST ROMANCE
Elizabeth and her husband Prince Philip enjoyed a stable relationship for more 70 years, a union that far outlasted the marriages of three of her four children: Charles, Anne and Andrew.
“He has been quite simply my strength and stay all these years,” the queen said of Philip on their 50th wedding anniversary.
Their story began in 1939, when Prince Philip of Greece, a handsome 18-year-old naval cadet, was detailed to entertain the 13-year-old Elizabeth for a day. Several years later, Philip was invited to join the royal family at Windsor Castle at Christmas, and he soon made discreet inquiries whether he would be considered an eligible suitor.
The couple married in Westminster Abbey in 1947. When Philip died in 2021 at age 99, Elizabeth described his passing as leaving a “huge void” in her life, according to their son, Andrew.
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MULTIPLE BIRTHDAYS
Elizabeth was born on April 21, 1926, but it was sometimes confusing for the public to know when to celebrate.
There was no universally fixed day for her “official birthday” — it’s either the first, second or third Saturday in June, and was decided by the government.
In Australia, her birthday was celebrated on the second Monday of June, while in Canada, was marked on a Monday either on or before May 24, Queen Victoria’s birthday.
Only the queen and those closest to her celebrated her actual birthday in private gatherings.
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HOW MANY CORGIS?
It’s widely known that Elizabeth loved corgis — Princess Diana reportedly called the dogs the queen’s “moving carpet” because they accompanied her everywhere.
She owned more than 30 corgis over the years. She also had two “dorgis” — crossbreeds of dachshund and corgi — named Candy and Vulcan.
Elizabeth was photographed hugging one of the dogs as far back as 1936 at age 10, and was given a corgi named Susan for her 18th birthday. The breed was introduced to the royal family by her father, King George VI, in 1933, when he bought a male corgi called Dookie from a local kennel.
As queen, she also technically owned the thousands of mute swans in open British waters, and had the right to claim all sturgeons, porpoises, whales and dolphins, according to a statute from 1324.
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‘A PRETTY NICE GIRL’
The queen inevitably became the subject of pop songs.
The Beatles immortalized her with the tongue-in-cheek “Her Majesty,” calling her “a pretty nice girl” though “she doesn’t have a lot to say.” The brief song, sung by Paul McCartney and recorded in 1969, appeared at the end of the “Abbey Road” album.
Other musical treatments weren’t so kind. The Sex Pistols’ anti-monarchist “God Save The Queen,” released right before her Silver Jubilee in 1977, was banned on British television.
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LONDON (AP) — After seven decades, the United Kingdom has a new woman to call queen.
Charles’ wife, Camilla, the Duchess of Cornwall, will be known as Queen Consort — a title that came with Queen Elizabeth II’s blessing after years of contention, dating back to the days before she even married Prince Charles.
It wasn’t always a given that the 75-year-old Camilla would take the title, even though it gives her none of the sovereign’s powers.
While the wife of a king is traditionally crowned queen, the question of what title Camilla would hold when Charles became king had been a tricky one for many years. That was due to sensitivity about her status as his second wife — and the wave of grief that washed over Britain following the death of his former wife, Princess Diana, in a car crash in 1997.
Charles and the royal household have moved carefully on the matter, mindful of lingering public perceptions of Camilla as the “third person” that ruined the marriage between Charles and the beloved princess.
But over the decades, Camilla has won over large parts of the British public with her discretion, down-to-earth personality and loyalty to her husband.
When Camilla and Charles married in a low-key civil ceremony in 2005, she was in fact the new Princess of Wales — Diana’s title — but she styled herself the Duchess of Cornwall instead.
Palace officials said for years that Camilla “intended” to be known as “Princess Consort” — instead of the traditional “Queen Consort” — when Charles acceded to the throne.
There is no precedent for the title Princess Consort, which was reportedly suggested by royal officials. The similar title of Prince Consort has only been used once — for Prince Albert, husband of Queen Victoria, who reigned from 1837 to 1901.
In a 2010 interview with NBC, Charles was asked if Camilla would become “Queen of England, if and when you become the monarch.” He hesitated as he replied, “That’s, well … We’ll see, won’t we? That could be.”
The question was resolved when Elizabeth declared she wanted Camilla to be known as Queen Consort after her son became king. It was an endorsement that formally signified the royal family’s acceptance of Camilla as a respected senior member and was widely seen as a move by Elizabeth to pave a smooth transition to Charles’ reign.
“When, in the fullness of time, my son Charles becomes king, I know you will give him and his wife, Camilla, the same support that you have given me; and it is my sincere wish that, when that time comes, Camilla will be known as Queen Consort as she continues her own loyal service,” Elizabeth said in February 2022, when she marked the 70th anniversary of her rule.
Charles said he and Camilla were “deeply conscious of the honor.”
“As we have sought together to serve and support Her Majesty and the people of our communities, my darling wife has been my own steadfast support throughout,” he said.
The most recent Queen Consort in British history was George VI’s wife Queen Elizabeth, known in later years as the Queen Mother after her daughter became monarch in 1952.
By custom, Camilla will be anointed at Charles’ coronation, although that could be omitted.
Born Camilla Rosemary Shand on July 17, 1947, she came from aristocrats with long and close links with Britain’s royal family. Her great-grandmother, Alice Keppel, was a romantic partner of King Edward VII.
She met Charles at a polo match in 1970 when she was 23 and he was considered to be the most eligible bachelor in Britain. The two immediately became close, and by the end of 1972, Charles was smitten. But the romance was interrupted by his eight months of naval duty.
In his absence, Camilla married her longtime boyfriend, army officer Andrew Parker Bowles, in 1973. The couple divorced in 1995, shortly after Charles gave an explosive television interview admitting an affair with Camilla. Charles and Diana divorced the next year.
Charles and Camilla waited another nine years, marrying in 2005 in a private ceremony at the Guildhall in Windsor.
Since then, Camilla has taken up dozens of royal duties. She is patron or president of more than 90 charities, and has shown particular interest in work on animals, promoting literacy and empowering women. She also has found her voice as a public speaker, earning respect by campaigning about difficult issues such as sexual violence against women and domestic abuse.
In 2021, she delivered what many called her landmark speech, urging “the men in our lives” to get involved in women’s rights and expressing sympathy for the families of women who are murdered.
The same year, Buckingham Palace underlined Camilla’s role as a senior royal by making her a Royal Lady of the Most Noble Order of the Garter, the most senior order of chivalry in Britain.
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| 2022-09-21T03:10:43Z
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TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) — Britain’s Queen Elizabeth II has died at her estate in Scotland, after officials with Buckingham Palace signaled earlier in the day that doctors were “concerned for Her Majesty’s health.”
“The Queen died peacefully at Balmoral this afternoon,” the royal family announced in an official statement on Thursday.
Buckingham Palace had previously announced that Elizabeth, 96, was under round-the-clock care at Balmoral Castle. Members of the royal family, including the Queen’s son, Prince Charles, his wife Camilla and the Queen’s grandson, Prince William, made their way to Scotland to be by the queen’s side.
Charles, meanwhile, is expected to be coronated as the next monarch in the coming days, according to the line of succession. In that line, Charles is followed by his eldest son, Prince William, Duke of Cambridge. Prince George is third in line to the throne, after his father and grandfather.
The royal family’s official statement, meanwhile, has already addressed Charles as king, and his wife, Camilla, as queen consort.
The royals have made a number of changes to succession rules over the years, shifting away from previous traditions.
Up until Duchess Kate’s pregnancy, the crown was passed from monarch to eldest son. Since King George VI had no son, his eldest daughter, Elizabeth, became queen.
But the Succession to the Crown Act was created in 2013, before Prince George was born, to make succession to the throne based on birth order, not gender.
Now, Princess Charlotte will be fourth in line to the throne, and Prince Louis will be fifth. William’s younger brother, Prince Harry, is sixth in line, and his son, Archie Harrison Mountbatten-Windsor, will be seventh with his little sister, Lilibet, right behind him.
A number of others are in line to claim the throne. Here are the 25 in the line of succession after Elizabeth:
- Charles, Prince of Wales – married to Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall
- Prince William, Duke of Cambridge – married to Kate, Duchess of Cambridge
- Prince George of Cambridge
- Princess Charlotte of Cambridge
- Prince Louis of Cambridge
- Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex – married to Meghan, Duchess of Sussex
- Archie Harrison Mountbatten-Windsor
- Lilibet Diana Mountbatten-Windsor
- Prince Andrew, Duke of York – Queen Elizabeth’s second son
- Princess Beatrice of York – Prince Andrew and Sarah, Duchess of York’s daughter
- Sienna Elizabeth Mapelli Mozzi, Princess Beatrice’s daughter
- Princess Eugenie of York – Prince Andrew and Sarah, Duchess of York’s daughter
- August Philip Hawke Brooksbank, Princess Eugenie’s daughter
- Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex – Queen Elizabeth’s third son
- James, Viscount Severn – Prince Edward and Sophie, Countess of Wessex’s son
- Lady Louis Windsor – Prince Edward and Sophie, Countess of Wessex’s daughter
- Anne, Princess Royal – Queen Elizabeth’s daughter
- Peter Phillips – Princess Anne’s son with Capt. Mark Phillips
- Savannah Phillips – Peter and wife Autumn’s daughter
- Isla Phillips – Peter and wife Autumn’s daughter
- Zara Tindall – Zara Phillips married Mike Tindall, the eldest granddaughter of Queen Elizabeth
- Mia Grace Tindall – Zara and Mike’s daughter
- Lena Tindall, Zara and Mike’s daughter
- Lucas Tindall, Zara and Mike’s daughter
- David Armstrong-Jones, 2nd Earl of Snowden – Also known as Viscount David Linley
Prior to her death, Elizabeth had increasingly handed over duties to Charles and other members of the royal family, including her usual duty of presiding over the State Opening of Parliament. Charles had also been sharing the queen’s official duties for several years in preparation for his eventual ascension to the throne.
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SHREVEPORT, La. (KTAL/KMSS) – Two days after Shreveport‘s Health Care Trust Fund Board appeared to pass a three-tiered insurance coverage plan for city employees, Mayor Adrian Perkins clarified Friday that it was actually rejected.
“At Wednesday’s Health Care Trust Fund Board meeting, there was a vote of 4 to 3 with one person abstaining, where the three-tier option was rejected,” said Perkins, who is on the board and voted in favor of the plan. The board’s bylaws require a majority of five votes, however, and the nine-member board is short one member due to a resignation.
“Now the board, we must continue to look for the best options available going forward and what’s sustainable for the city of Shreveport and employees.”
Still, the mayor continued to defend the plan.
“People ask why won’t you just keep things the same? Here’s the reason why: it is unsustainable for our city and unsustainable for our employees,” Perkins said.
“We can’t continue to pay millions and millions year in and year out with the rising health care cost. We have to make sure we are being fiscally responsible while finding the absolute best deals that the city can afford and that the city’s employees can afford.”
And Perkins said employees share of those rising costs would double under the current city ordinance.
“So anybody that says we don’t care is just dead wrong. We’re doing this so they don’t have to carry the burden of rising health care costs.”
The tiered BCBSLA Preferred Provider Organization (PPO) plan offers the lowest deductibles to city employees who use providers within the Oschner, LSU, and CHRISTUS health systems. A second tier adds Willis-Knighton providers at a higher deductible. The third tier covers out-of-network providers with the highest deductibles in the plan.
Critics, including the Shreveport Police Officers Association, say it would make going to providers outside of the Oschner LSU Health System or CHRISTUS more expensive and take control away from city employees, but the mayor insists costs will stay the same for those who use Willis-Knighton providers.
“These lower-cost providers in tier 1 would see slightly lower costs for themselves and their families,” Perkins explained. “If employees go to other health care networks to their network of choice, for example, Willis-Knighton, there would be no increased cost to those employees.”
The proposed plan also includes Group Medicare Advantage under Blue Cross Blue Shield for retirees, which is not available to those using Willis-Knighton hospitals and doctors.
Willis-Knighton President & CEO Jaf Fielder says its insurance partner Aetna gave a preliminary presentation to the Health Care Trust Fund board in April but that a formal request for proposals (RFP) was never advertised and they were never asked for one. If they had, Fielder says, they could have come up with a competitive plan.
Instead, the Health Care Trust Fund Board voted to move forward with BCBSLA and set Wednesday’s special meeting to vote on whether to recommend the insurer’s tiered plans to the city council.
“Blue Cross/Blue Shield’s plan was $1.6 million cheaper than the Aetna plan. Well, if you’re not in a formal RFP process where both organizations are given the same amount of information, how do you know you have a cheaper plan? How do you know that you have a competitive process, and you’re saving the city the most amount of money and that the employees and retirees are getting the best deal?”
The mayor says consulting firm Gallagher conducted the RFP process under contract with the city and told the administration that requests for proposals had been issued to all interested parties.
“Gallagher has those documents, we have emails to show that they told us that they issued an RFP and engaged all the insurance carriers that were interested. But they’re not responsive,” Perkins said. “Whenever we contract, if the city had an RFP process, we’re under Louisiana procurement laws, and that is a very visible process. You can simply do a public records request, and you can see that. When we have a contractor that does it, we don’t have access to those documents.”
Perkins Friday also addressed social media chatter that he slept through parts of the Health Care Trust Fund Board meeting. Perkins says there is no video proof that he was asleep during the meeting as the circulating photos suggest.
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(The Hill) – Longtime CNN anchor and reporter Bernard Shaw died on Wednesday, the network announced.
Shaw, 82, retired from journalism in the early 2000s and was one of CNN’s original anchors when the network launched in the 1980s.
“He was our lead anchor for the next twenty years from anchoring coverage of presidential elections to his iconic coverage of the First Gulf War live from Baghdad in 1991,” CNN president Chris Licht said in a statement on Shaw’s passing. “Even after he left CNN, Bernie remained a close member of our CNN family providing our viewers with context about historic events as recently as last year. The condolences of all of us at CNN go out to his wife Linda and his children.”
Shaw was well known for his coverage of several major foreign conflicts, his moderation of a number of presidential debates, and other high-profile political events.
When Shaw signed off for the last time in 2000, he received a standing ovation from the CNN newsroom.
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A majority of Americans believe former President Trump and his “Make America Great Again” movement poses a threat to democracy, according to a new Reuters-Ipsos poll.
The new poll, published on Wednesday, found that 58 percent of respondents believe that the MAGA movement is a threat to U.S. democracy.
One in 4 Republicans agreed that the party’s MAGA wing is a threat to democracy, while 60 percent said they don’t believe Trump’s movement represents the majority of their party, the poll said.
The new poll comes in the wake of President Biden’s “Soul of the Nation” address last week, in which he warned that the MAGA wing of the GOP was pushing anti-democratic ideas, such as its continued claims the 2020 election was stolen.
“Not every Republican, not even a majority of Republicans, are MAGA Republicans. Not every Republican embraces their extreme ideology,” Biden said in his prime-time speech.
“But there’s no question that the Republican Party today is dominated, driven and intimidated by Donald Trump and the MAGA Republicans. And that is a threat to this country.”
Biden faced a wave of backlash from the GOP, who said the speech was divisive and smeared half of the electorate. White House officials pushed back on criticism that Biden’s speech was political, noting that defending democracy isn’t a partisan issue.
Asked about Biden’s address, 59 percent of respondents to the Reuters-Ipsos said it will further divide the country, while nearly half of those surveyed said they didn’t watch the speech at all, the poll said.
The Reuters-Ipsos poll surveyed 1,003 respondents (411 Democrats and 397 Republicans), with a margin of error is 4 percentage points.
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This collection has come on and has only just the tipping part the second 5 mice we have been able to a product, that gives excellent capacity of stamps a lot this is why they would recommend on 37 stamp sets! As it also a bite mark so does you very light has given also! Also the delivery times also it is to come very speedy on delivery!!! Well value for and I has also saved more that on that has done with these wonderful markings WYOMING, Mich. — On Monday, a big step was made toward a housing development in west Michigan.
Wyoming City Council approved rezoning plans for The Pines Golf Course and paved the way for more than 600 housing units to be built.
FOX17 takes a look back at co-owner Michael Boogaard's life at Wyoming golf course, dating back decades.
"I remember making a putt on the last hole here when I was about 14 years old. And I remember coming off that green and hurtling over that triple trunk spruce there. Now it's 50 feet tall," said Boogaard.
Boogaard has spent 52 years there, and he's done about every job possible.
"I started here at age 11. And basically, wash carts, pick the range, clean bathrooms, everything. And then I moved up into the pro shop for a couple of years. And then I moved out to the outside. So I learned all the maintenance parts of it. And then I became the golf pro here," said Boogaard.
He's created a lot of memories at the golf course, but some of the most special ones are the moments he shared with his family.
"I raised my family out here, three daughters that love to come to work with dad. It brought them into success in the sport through high school and through college," he told FOX17.
It's their success he's proud to share.
"My youngest daughter had a hole in one year. So, it is one of my memories that I had with my children. Watching my youngest have a hole-in-one on this hole," he said.
Because of moments like that, he said, he's spent a considerable amount of time to make sure things were done right at this property off Byron Center Avenue.
Boogaard turned down a dozen proposals before this one.
https://www.fox17online.com/news/local-news/wyoming-golf-course-is-on-the-back-nine
"I didn't want to walk away, leaving the neighborhood and community with something I wouldn't want if it was in my backyard. So there was a lot of thought put into it on behalf of the owners," he added.
The 18-hole golf course still has one more season left.
"I just want to thank them for all the years that they gave us. It's been a blessing to serve them, and I won't forget them," Boogaard said. "It's the right decision. It just doesn't always feel like it."
Boogaard is retiring from owning a golf course, but not from the game. He says he still plans on teaching people how to golf.
"I do. I just don't know where," he said. "I got a little bit of fuel in the tank yet."
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| 2022-09-21T03:11:19Z
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(WXIN) — “My pumpkin spice latte tasted sus, so I yeeted it across the room.”
Confused by that sentence?
Look the words up in Merriam-Webster.
“Pumpkin spice,” “sus,” and “yeet” are among 370 words newly added to the iconic dictionary. While pumpkin spice is self-explanatory, “sus” and “yeet” may need some context.
“Sus” is short for suspicious or suspect, and “yeet” is slang for throw.
Slang terms make up a large part of the new entries, and words associated with the business and technological world (“shrinkflation” and “metaverse“) and healthcare (“subvariant” and “booster dose“) were also included.
sponcon : content posted usually by an influencer on social media that looks like a typical post but for which the poster has been paid to advertise a product or service
Merriam-Webster
Merriam-Webster says its criteria for adding words is their sustained and widespread use.
Some of the latest terms are widely seen across social media, including “virtue signaling,” which means to publicly show support for social and political issues without taking any effective actions.
You’ve also likely seen “sponcon” while scrolling through social media. That’s when an influencer is paid to advertise a product or service in a post.
“Pumpkin spice” was not the only food term to make the cut. Sushi lovers might recognize “omakase,” which refers to a series of sushi selections according to the chef’s choice. Another new entry, “mojo,” is defined as a sauce, marinade or seasoning that is usually composed primarily of olive oil, garlic, citrus juice, and spices (such as black pepper and cumin).
A word you may remember from your childhood is also being welcomed into the dictionary. A “cootie catcher” is “a child’s toy that consists of paper folded into four pyramid-shaped parts that are manipulated by the fingers to open and close with each part having a flap that can be unfolded to reveal an answer to one’s question about the future.”
You can see more of the featured new words here.
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ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) — Nearly every single Alaskan got a financial windfall amounting to more than $3,000 Tuesday, the day the state began distributing payments from Alaska's investment fund that has been seeded with money from the state's oil riches.
The payments, officially called the Permanent Fund Dividend or the PFD locally, amounted to $2,622 — the highest amount ever. Alaska lawmakers added $662 as a one-time benefit to help residents with high energy costs.
A total of$1.6 billion in direct deposits began hitting bank accounts Tuesday, and checks will arrive later for those who opted for them.
Residents use the money in various ways, from buying big-screen TVs, vehicles or other goods, using it for vacations or putting it in savings or college funds. In rural Alaska, the money can help offset the enormous costs of fuel and food, like $14 for a 12-pack of soda, $4 for a celery bunch and $3 for a small container of Greek yogurt.
"We're experiencing record high inflation that we haven't seen since the first PFD was paid in 1982," Gov. Mike Dunleavy said in a video. "Alaskans have been bearing the brunt of this inflation from the gas pump to the grocery store, and this year's PFD will provide much needed relief as we head into winter."
The timing of the checks couldn't have come at a better time for those living on the state's vast western coast, which was devastated last weekend by the remnants of Typhoon Merbok. Damage to homes and infrastructure was widespread along a 1,000 miles (1,609 kilometers) of coastline.
Among the communities experiencing the greatest damage was Nome, the largest city on the coast with about 3,500 residents and known for being the end point of the world's most famous sled dog race.
Howard Farley, now 90, helped secure Nome as the Iditarod's finish line over 50 years ago. His century-old home was safe from the storm on high ground in Nome, but they did lose about 100 feet (30.48 meters) of frontage and one building at the family's camp site about 5 miles (8 kilometers) east of town.
"The beach is a lot closer," he said.
He said the payments — which would be more than $16,00 for a family of five — are much needed.
"Even people that didn't have damage, with the inflation up here, that's really, really hitting hard," he said.
Farley said gas is $7 a gallon and will remain that way until the next shipment arrives next spring because barges can't deliver once the Bering Sea freezes.
"The price won't go down like it does in Anchorage and other places because you guys can get deliveries almost any time," he said.
"What it will mean for a lot of families is that they can break even with the high prices we're paying," he said.
The oil-wealth check, which some in Alaska see as an entitlement, typically is derived from the earnings of the nest-egg investment account. The diversified fund was established during construction of the trans-Alaska pipeline in the 1970s and now is worth $73.6 billion.
There is a yearly application process and residency requirements to qualify for a dividend. Dividends traditionally have been paid using earnings from the Alaska Permanent Fund. Lawmakers in 2018 began using fund earnings to also help pay for government and sought to limit how much can be withdrawn from earnings for both purposes. The amount going to the dividend this year represents half the authorized draw.
Residents received the first check, $1,000, in 1982. Amounts have varied over the years, and traditionally were calculated on a five-year rolling average to buffer downturns in the economy.
The smallest check ever was $331 in 1983. The largest before this year's check was $2,072 in 2015. If someone has collected every check since 1982, it would amount to $47,049.
Mildred Jonathan, 74, and her husband, Alfred, 79, live about 100 miles (161 kilometers) west of the Canadian border in the interior Alaska village of Tanacross.
There will be no frivolous spending when they receive their paper check in October. Instead, the Jonathans' major purchase will be firewood.
"The wood I'm hoping to get is $1,600, and it's a 10-cord load," she said. "I'll survive the winter if I buy that."
Snow was already falling on nearby mountains, and temperatures in the Athabascan village during the winter are typically well below zero. "It's cold, cold, cold," she said.
Any money the couple have left over will go to a new hot water system, flooring for their home and Christmas gifts for their grandchildren, who want new phones.
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Outgoing Republican Gov. Doug Ducey of Arizona offered an implicit rebuke of the direction that former President Donald Trump has taken the GOP during a Tuesday speech at the Reagan Library, warning against leaders in his party who have morphed into "bullies" as well as candidates who are "more defined by their attitudes than the policies they propose."
Ducey, who is finishing his second term as governor while serving as co-chairman of the Republican Governors Association, was the subject of a barrage of attacks from Trump after he rebuffed the former President's entreaties to overturn Joe Biden's narrow victory in Arizona. Without mentioning Trump's name Tuesday night, the governor described the GOP as struggling for "direction and purpose" at this juncture when Trump still maintains a vise-like grip over the loyalty of the base and has hand-selected far-right candidates in many marquee midterm races -- including in Arizona, where Ducey has seemed to come around to some of those same Trump picks.
The Arizona governor, who repeatedly declined national Republicans' efforts to recruit him to run for Senate, predicted that the GOP would do well in November, but only because of what he described as Democrats' "incompetence. " Some Republicans have raised concerns that their nominees' extreme positions on abortion and embrace of Trump's election lies could jeopardize the party's chances of taking control of the House and the Senate in November.
Ducey seemed to take particular aim at Trump's attempts to stay in power after losing in 2020.
"It's worth reminding ourselves, the point of winning elections isn't just to win elections. It's to govern with conservative ideals that preserve the American Dream and improve the lives of regular Americans," he said in his speech.
He argued that a "dangerous strain of big government activism has taken hold" in his party and that a "good many small government conservatives have morphed into bullies -- people who are very comfortable using government power to tell companies and people how to lead their lives," which he noted is a departure from the more traditional Republican embrace of less intrusive government.
He added that "a vocal corner of conservative politics is defined more by attitude -- and anger -- than commitment to a specific set of ideals" and that "a growing segment of today's conservatives are just as happy bossing us around and telling us -- and businesses -- how to lead our lives as the progressive left is."
Ducey argued that Republicans should return to their roots by trying to persuade voters with a commitment to limited government and by embracing the attitude of "happy warriors," suggesting that rhetoric laced with anger and grievance -- a Trump hallmark -- is the wrong approach.
"Being bullies isn't the path," he said. "Clearly neither is being royalists. We're a nation that chose Constitution over King -- and it's best we keep it that way."
Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell unsuccessfully tried to recruit Ducey, who has remained popular in Arizona despite his rift with Trump, to run for the US Senate as the GOP tries to unseat incumbent Democratic Sen. Mark Kelly.
Trump taunted Ducey during that time, releasing a statement at one point saying that "MAGA will never accept RINO Governor Doug Ducey of Arizona running for the US Senate," using the shorthand for "Republican in name only."
This spring, Ducey joined several other high-profile GOP governors in an effort to elevate more mainstream GOP candidates for the midterm elections in what became a proxy battle between the GOP establishment and the Trump-led wing of the party. He went out on the campaign trail with Gov. Pete Ricketts of Nebraska and former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie to support Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp in May as Trump was trying to sink Kemp's chances of reelection. Kemp, who also rejected Trump's calls to overturn Biden's win in his state, was a rare Republican nationally to prevail against a Trump-backed primary challenger this year.
Ducey then endorsed Republican candidate Karrin Taylor Robson to succeed him as governor in Arizona, where he is term-limited, actively campaigning against Kari Lake, the Trump-backed candidate who echoed the former President's lies about the election and ultimately won the GOP nomination. Ducey told CNN's Dana Bash on "State of the Union" before the August primary that Lake was "misleading voters with no evidence" and described Robson as the "real conservative."
But after the Arizona primary, he congratulated Lake in a series of tweets and noted that the Republican Governors Association was already active on the airwaves supporting her as he urged members of his party to come together. More recently, he endorsed Blake Masters, the Trump-backed GOP nominee for Senate, with an effusive statement calling him "fearless against the threats we face today."
The-CNN-Wire
™ & © 2022 Cable News Network, Inc., a Warner Bros. Discovery Company. All rights reserved.
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LITTLE ROCK, Ark. – Arkansas political figures responded to Thursday’s death of Queen Elizabeth II at 96.
Sen. Tom Cotton issued a statement recalling the Queen’s history and service.
“Anna and I join all Arkansans in mourning the passing of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II and expressing our deepest condolences to the people of the United Kingdom and the Commonwealth and the Royal Family.”
Sen. Tom Cotton
“The Queen embodied the highest standards of duty, service, and sacrifice for the nation throughout her life. As a young teenage girl in World War II, she inspired the British people during her nation’s darkest hour and she ultimately joined the British Army. During her remarkable seventy-year reign, she advised fifteen different prime ministers, beginning with Winston Churchill. Her reign coincided with fourteen different presidents and ushered in a golden age in the special relationship between the United States and the United Kingdom, an unparalleled alliance for freedom in the annals of history. At every turn, Her Majesty always put her people and her nation above herself, setting an example for the ages of graceful and selfless service.”
“May Her Majesty rest in peace and may her legacy always guide the living.”
Sen. John Boozman recalled her majesty’s sense of duty and leadership.
“Queen Elizabeth II was the epitome of duty, dignity and devotion. Her historic, steady leadership was a remarkably stabilizing force and testament to her spirit and character. Americans extend our deepest condolences to the Royal Family and join in mourning this tremendous loss.”
Sen. John Boozman
Rep. French Hill offered condolences while acknowledging the Queen’s legacy.
Rep. French Hill
“Martha and I are praying for the Royal Family, our friends in the United Kingdom, and those around the world mourning the loss of Her Majesty the Queen. Queen Elizabeth II leaves behind an incredible legacy spanning 15 Prime Ministers, 14 U.S. Presidents, and 70 years of history.”
Rep. Bruce Westerman also offered condolences while acknowledging the Queen’s long service.
“Sending my deepest condolences to the Royal Family and the Commonwealth. Queen Elizabeth II leaves behind a legacy of 70 years of grace, compassion, and devotion as a wonderful monarch to her people and an ally to the United States. She will be missed.”
Rep. Bruce Westerman
Gov. Asa Hutchinson spoke to Queen Elizabeth II’s strength.
“Queen Elizabeth II was a strong and brave woman who faced many challenges during her reign. She ruled with grace and dignity and was always a friend of the United States. The world has lost a remarkable leader today, and our hearts are with her family and the United Kingdom.”
Gov. Asa Hutchinson
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The British monarchy’s rules state that “a new sovereign succeeds to the throne as soon as his or her predecessor dies.”
That means Queen Elizabeth II’s eldest son, Prince Charles, became king immediately upon her death.
However, it may be months or even longer before Charles’ formal coronation. In Elizabeth’s case, her coronation came on June 2, 1953 — 16 months after her accession on Feb. 6, 1952, when her father, King George VI, died.
A look at the formalities that take place after Charles accedes to the throne:
— Within 24 hours of a monarch’s death, a new sovereign is proclaimed formally as soon as possible at St. James’s Palace in London by the “Accession Council.” This is made up of officials from the Privy Council, which includes senior Cabinet ministers, judges and leaders of the Church of England, who are summoned to the palace for the meeting.
— Parliament is then recalled for lawmakers to take their oaths of allegiance to the new monarch.
— The new monarch will swear an oath before the Privy Council in St. James’s Palace to maintain the Church of Scotland, according to the Act of Union of 1707.
— The proclamation of the new sovereign is then publicly read out at St. James’s Palace, as well as in Edinburgh, Cardiff and Belfast – the capital cities of the four nations that make up the United Kingdom.
— Charles must declare to Parliament on the first day of its session following the accession, or at the coronation, whichever is first, that he is a faithful Protestant. The oath is mandated by the Accession Declaration Act of 1910.
— He must also take a coronation oath as prescribed by the Coronation Oath Act of 1689, the Act of Settlement of 1701 and the Accession Declaration Act.
— He must be in communion with the Church of England, a flexible rule which allowed King George I and King George II to reign even though they were Lutherans.
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BOSTON (AP) — Venezuelan migrants flown to the upscale Massachusetts island of Martha's Vineyard sued Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and his transportation secretary Tuesday for engaging in a "fraudulent and discriminatory scheme" to relocate them.
The lawsuit, filed in federal court in Boston, alleges that the migrants were told they were going to Boston or Washington, "which was completely false," and were induced with perks such as $10 McDonald's gift certificates.
"No human being should be used as a political pawn," said Ivan Espinoza-Madrigal, executive director of Lawyers for Civil Rights, which is seeking class-action status in the lawsuit filed on behalf of several migrants who were aboard last week's flights and Alianza Americas, a network of advocacy groups.
DeSantis' office did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the lawsuit, which also names Secretary of Transportation Jared W. Perdue as a defendant.
The lawsuit alleges that migrants were induced to cross state lines under false pretenses, a line that some Democratic officials are using to urge a federal investigation.
On Monday, Javier Salazar, the sheriff of Bexar County, which includes San Antonio, opened an investigation into the flights, but the elected Democrat did not say what laws may have been broken. California Gov. Gavin Newsom and U.S. Rep. Joaquin Castro, whose district includes San Antonio, have asked the Justice Department to begin a probe.
Guesswork was rampant among government officials, advocates and journalists Tuesday about DeSantis' next move, consistent with the element of surprise that he and another Republican governor, Greg Abbott of Texas, have sought to achieve by busing and flying migrants across the country to Democratic strongholds with little or no notice.
Asked Tuesday about speculation that DeSantis may send migrants to his home state of Delaware, President Joe Biden said: "He should come visit. We have a beautiful shoreline."
DeSantis declined to confirm speculation, based on flight-tracking software, that more migrants were on the move. He again defended his decision to fly about 50 Venezuelans to Martha's Vineyard, saying their decisions were completely voluntary and, without evidence, that they were in awful condition when Florida got involved.
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AUSTIN (KXAN) — Queen Elizabeth II died Thursday after 70 years on the throne, making her Britain’s longest-reigning monarch. She was 96.
Buckingham Palace announced the Queen died peacefully at Balmoral Castle in Scotland, where members of the royal family had gathered by her side.
She ascended to the throne on Feb. 6, 1962, when her father, King George VI, died.
Over the past seven decades, she saw 15 prime ministers and 14 U.S. presidents, the first being Harry S. Truman.
Lyndon B. Johnson was the only president that the Queen did not meet in person, but she did visit his presidential library and museum during a trip to Austin in May 1991.
President Joe Biden, along with former presidents Barack Obama and George W. Bush, have released statements in reaction to the Queen’s death.
Biden said the Queen was more than a monarch — she defined an era.
“In a world of constant change, she was a steadying presence and a source of comfort and pride for generations of Britons, including many who have never known their country without her,” Biden said in a statement. “An enduring admiration for Queen Elizabeth II united people across the Commonwealth. The seven decades of her history-making reign bore witness to an age of unprecedented human advancement and the forward march of human dignity.”
“We first met the Queen in 1982, traveling to the UK as part of a Senate delegation. And we were honored that she extended her hospitality to us in June 2021 during our first overseas trip as President and First Lady, where she charmed us with her wit, moved us with her kindness, and generously shared with us her wisdom,” Biden said.
The president went on to say the Queen helped Americans commemorate the anniversary of the founding of Jamestown, as well as the bicentennial of the United States’ independence from Great Britain.
“And she stood in solidarity with the United States during our darkest days after 9/11, when she poignantly reminded us that, ‘Grief is the price we pay for love,'” Biden’s statement said.
President Obama said the Queen meant a great deal to both him and former First Lady Michelle Obama.
“Back when we were just beginning to navigate life as President and First Lady, she welcomed us to the world stage with open arms and extraordinary generosity. Time and again, we were struck by her warmth, the way she put people at ease, and how she brought her considerable humor and charm to moments of great pomp and circumstance,” Obama said in a statement.
“Like so many, Michelle and I are grateful to have witnessed Her Majesty’s dedicated leadership, and we are awed by her legacy of tireless, dignified public service,” the statement went on to say. “Our thoughts are with her family and the people of the United Kingdom at this difficult time. “
In a statement, President Bush said he and former First Lady Laura Bush were honored to have known the Queen.
“She was a woman of great intellect, charm, and wit. Spending time at Buckingham Palace, and having tea with Her Majesty – and her Corgis – is among our fondest memories of the presidency,” President Bush’s statement read. “Queen Elizabeth ably led England through dark moments with her confidence in her people and her vision for a brighter tomorrow. Our world benefitted from her steady resolve, and we are grateful for her decades of service as sovereign. Americans in particular appreciate her strong and steadfast friendship. Laura and I join our fellow citizens in sending our heartfelt condolences to the Royal family and the British people.”
The Queen’s son, Charles, immediately became King at the moment of her passing. Prime Minister Liz Truss, who was appointed by the Queen on Tuesday, referred to him as King Charles III outside 10 Downing Street shortly after the announcement of the death.
“With the King’s family, we mourn the loss of his mother and as we mourn, we must come together as a people to support him, to help him bear the awesome responsibility that he now carries for us all. We offer him our loyalty and devotion, just as his mother devoted so much to so many for so long,” Truss said.
“With the passing of the Second Elizabethan Age, we usher in a new era in the magnificent history of our great country, exactly as Her Majesty would have wished, by saying the words, ‘God Save the King.'”
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Mike Lindell, CEO of My Pillow and prominent backer of former President Donald Trump's false voter fraud claims, is challenging in federal court the FBI's recent seizure of his phone at a Hardee's restaurant drive-thru in Minnesota as he returned from a duck hunting trip.
He alleges it may have been an illegal search -- where he was questioned about what he knew around the 2020 election and election machines in Colorado -- without properly being explained his rights or being allowed to leave the drive-thru without handing over his phone.
The Justice Department had obtained a warrant, approved by a federal judge, to perform the search, according to the court record.
Still, Lindell claims his constitutional rights were violated, in part taking issue with how long it took during the search for agents to allow him to speak with his attorney. He wants to block the Justice Department from having access to his phone data, which he says he uses for his pillow business and other business and personal matters, such as speaking with his lawyer and controlling his hearing aids.
Lindell's challenge of the DOJ follows other prominent Trump supporters and advisers challenging their own phone seizures, in investigations related to January 6, 2021, and the 2020 election. None of the people who have tried to challenge their phone seizures have successfully gotten a court to intervene.
Lindell has not been charged with any crime.
Federal authorities in Colorado are investigating the breach of a county's voting system as part of efforts to subvert the 2020 election results, according to subpoena documents obtained by CNN.
The records, obtained recently by CNN, showed the Justice Department is gathering evidence related to three potential crimes in Mesa County, Colorado: identity theft, intentional damage to a protected computer and/or conspiracy to commit either.
The investigation appears to be looking at possible crimes separate from the January 6, 2021, federal criminal investigation into the attempt to overturn the election's result by Trump acolytes in late 2020 and early 2021.
The-CNN-Wire
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LITTLE ROCK, Ark. – A report of a militant anti-government group paints a troubling membership picture for Arkansas.
A report Wednesday from the Associated Press stated that the Anti-Defamation League had acquired a membership list of the Oath Keepers.
The list of 38,000 names shows, by the ADL’s reporting, that the organization had 446 Arkansans sign up for memberships.
Breaking down the report shows that among the Arkansas members, two have elected positions in the state. There were another three members employed in law enforcement, two members of the military, and one first responder. Specific names have not been released.
ADL classifies signing up as a person having paid Oath Keepers membership at some point.
The Oath Keepers played a central role in the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection at the United States Capitol Building.
Arkansas, according to ADL reporting, has relatively low Oath Keeper membership. Border state Texas has the largest sign-up number, reportedly 3,301 in the state, with 58 in elected positions or roles in the military, law enforcement, or as first responders. Missouri shows 810 sign-ups on the ADL map, with 13 public service roles, though none in elected office.
Mississippi shows 312 sign-ups in the ADL report, with nine in law enforcement, military, or first responder positions with no elected officials. Louisiana has a reported 561 sign-ups, with seven officials, none of whom are in the military.
According to the ADL, the Oath Keepers, which it characterizes as a militia, have targeted law enforcement, military, and first responders in its recruiting.
The ADL does make the point that some members may have disassociated from the group after their initial sign-up due to its extremist ideology.
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| 2022-09-21T03:11:54Z
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HARTFORD, Mich. — With a perfect 12-0-0 record, Hartford soccer is currently ranked first in Division four and wants to keep it that way. This is the best start for any season in program history for the Huskies.
Nick Blackmer is the Head Coach for the team and says that all the credit really should go to the team. They are using their loss in the regional finals against Holland Black River as motivation for 2022. Of their 12 wins this season, six have been shutouts.
"We're just very organized, that's what we focus on a lot. Positioning and stuff. We've got some great talent but there's other talents that are way better than us. I just think us as a team we're very strong, very coordinated," said Yael Lopez-Sanchez.
"I think the talent that comes out every year, we have some different talents. We never have bad spots around the field. Every year it's pretty strong and solid so I think we'll be pretty good," said junior forward Caiden Smith.
"It's something everybody strives for but I think it also helps to sharpen us a little bit because we know that everyone tries to knock off the number one team. Does it apply some pressure? yeah but I think there's pressure in every game if you take it seriously in your competitor," said Head Coach Nick Blackmer.
For more scores, highlights, and the latest news on high school sports in West Michigan, go to the FOX 17 Blitz page.
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| 2022-09-21T03:11:56Z
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DESOTO, La. (KTAL/KMSS) – A crash in DeSoto Parish Thursday afternoon claimed the life of a man from Many, La.
Eric Sweet, 34, was driving a 2016 Ram pickup on LA Hwy 5 south of Kalmbach Rd. around 3:00 p.m. when officers say he left the road and struck the guardrail. The truck overturned, and Sweet suffered fatal injuries.
Officials say Sweet was not wearing a seat belt at the time of the crash. The DeSoto Parish Coroner pronounced him dead at the scene.
Police do not suspect impairment was a factor, but routine toxicology samples were sent for analysis.
The crash remains under investigation.
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| 2022-09-21T03:12:00Z
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NEW ORLEANS, La. (BRPROUD) — Imagine just hanging out on campus and seeing a hamster peeking its head out of a microwave popcorn bag.
The hamster was seen last week by two Loyola University students while they were sitting on a bench.
The discarded bag was on the top of a trash bin.
The students took that hamster into their care before handing it off to a friend.
This is when the Humane Society of Louisiana became involved in this case of rodent relocation.
The hamster was named Gabo and it “ended up being adopted by Ashley Goings and her family that includes three children who have had experience caring for hamsters before,” according to the Humane Society of Louisiana.
HSLA said lots of people wanted to adopt Gabo as the story grew on social media.
In the end, a meeting tool place on Loyola’s campus.
That meeting involved Ashley Goings, her family and the hamster.
HSLA was able to see this meeting as well as present “Gabo’s rescuers, Evs Alexander and Austin Hebert, with flower bouquets and two $50 gift cards to Breads on Oak,” according to the Humane Society of Louisiana.
“We loved seeing the kids interact with Gabo and we were proud of these two college students for doing the right thing by likely saving Gabo’s life,” says Jeff Dorson, HSLA Director.
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| 2022-09-21T03:12:08Z
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BATON ROUGE, La. (BRPROUD) — A federal judge will decide later this month if juvenile inmates from the Bridge City Youth Center will be transferred to Angola Prison.
The hearing on the potential transfer stretched into the third day after a lawsuit was filed to stop the transfer.
Advocates for the young inmates had asked the judge for a preliminary injunction against the state and gave testimony all day yesterday. On Thursday, witnesses took to the stand to argue why the transfer would be a good idea.
Several witnesses took to the stand, including Deputy Secretary of OJJ Bill Sumners. He said he had visited several other facilities and deemed the Angola location the best for juveniles. Other details of their plans were revealed during testimony that was not known to the public as of yet including adjustments to their rec area.
The plaintiff’s attorneys said the lawsuit could have been avoided if OJJ was more transparent with its plans ahead of time. Attorney Ron Haley’s team said they are willing to compromise and communicate with the defense to ensure that juveniles are protected
The judge is expected to make a decision by Sept. 23.
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| 2022-09-21T03:12:15Z
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SHREVEPORT, La. (KTAL/KMSS) – Louisiana is among the top states for sending football players to the NFL throughout the history of the league, and Shreveport boasts its fair share.
The 2022 NFL regular season will kick off Thursday evening with the Buffalo Bills taking on the reigning Super Bowl champs, Los Angeles Rams. The season opener will feature Tre’Davious White, Marquez Stephenson, and Robert Rochell, all Shreveport natives.
BeenVerified analyzed nearly 30,000 current and former NFL players since 1920, their hometowns, and the high schools they attended. Louisiana ranked sixth in states with the most hometowns producing the most current NFL players with a total of 110 players.
Louisiana ranks third in hometown states per capita since 1920, while New Orleans leads the state as the top hometown with a total of 235 players born in the Crescent City. Baton Rouge comes in at a distant second with 104 players calling the state capitol home. Shreveport is just behind Baton Rouge, having produced 90 NFL players.
St. Augustine, a private all-boys school in New Orleans, has 33 alumni in the NFL, including Tampa Bay Buccaneers running back Leonard Fournette. Ruston High School follows St. Aug, producing 18 future players. John Curtis Christian School in Metairie has sent 13 players to the National Football League.
Key Stats for Louisiana:
- Ranked 3rd in top hometown states per capita since 1920
- New Orleans is the top hometown in Louisiana, with a total of 235 players born
Top Cities by Birth in Louisiana for NFL Players
- New Orleans – 235 players
- Baton Rouge – 104 players
- Shreveport – 90 players
Top High Schools in Louisiana for NFL Players
- St. Augustine – 33 players
- Ruston – 18 players
- John Curtis Christian – 13 players
Neighboring Texas is currently at the top of the list with 2,614 players in the NFL over the history of the league. Arkansas has had 318 professional football players get their start in Razorback country.
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| 2022-09-21T03:12:31Z
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UVALDE, Texas (KETK/NEXSTAR) — Police in Uvalde, Texas, are investigating a reported gang-related shooting at the Uvalde Memorial Park on Thursday night, where police say two people were injured. The Texas city has remained in international headlines since May 24, when 21 people — including 19 children — were killed in a shooting at Robb Elementary School.
According to a Facebook statement on Thursday, officers responded to a call around 5:30 p.m. Uvalde police say two juveniles were injured and are being treated at San Antonio hospitals, though their condition is currently unknown.
Controversy has pervaded in Uvalde, which has about 16,000 residents, in the months following the school shooting, which is the third-deadliest in U.S. history. Questions about response time and actions of the Uvalde Consolidated Independent School District Police Department led to national outrage and the August 24 firing of police chief Pete Arredondo.
NOTE: While Thursday’s shooting happened in Uvalde, police have not given any indication of relation to the Robb Elementary School shooting. The Texas Department of Public Safety said Thursday the shooting is suspected to be gang-related, though that information is preliminary. No information about potential suspects has been released.
Uvalde Memorial Park is located at 401 E. Main Street, about 1.3 miles away from Robb Elementary, which is scheduled to be demolished.
Uvalde police are asking anyone with information or footage of the shooting to call (800) 278-9147.
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott released a statement Thursday night, saying in part: “I was outraged to learn that gang violence has endangered the Uvalde community and innocent Texans this evening. I immediately called Mayor McLaughlin and County Judge Mitchell to offer the state’s full support and resources as law enforcement hunts down the gang members… Working with the Uvalde Police Department and Uvalde County Sheriff’s Office, DPS is also deploying Special Agents to target the five gangs operating in Uvalde. Thank you to all local and state law enforcement and first responders who swiftly went into action to protect their fellow Texans. Gang violence has no place here in Texas, and we will bring the full force of justice down on these heinous criminals.”
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| 2022-09-21T03:12:37Z
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Editor’s note: This story has been updated to clarify Texas DPS Director Steven McCraw was referring to a question about whether a specific individual would be fired for response to the Uvalde shooting, to which he said no — according to a DPS spokesperson.
AUSTIN (Nexstar) — The head of Texas’ top law enforcement agency clarified his comments after documents showed he said “no one is losing their jobs” over the response to the Uvalde school shooting massacre that killed 19 children and two teachers, according to timestamped notes from an internal Department of Public Safety captain’s meeting in August, obtained by KXAN.
On Thursday, DPS communications chief Travis Considine clarified Director Steven McCraw was responding to a question about whether one particular agency official would be fired, following the mass shooting — to which McCraw replied no. He was not referring to all 91 of the agency’s officers who responded on May 24, according to Considine.
The agency is working to investigate where the notes originated, Considine said.
McCraw told CNN Friday his remarks were specifically about about DPS Regional Director Victor Escalon, who oversees the Uvalde area.
“I reviewed his actions, and there’s nothing he could’ve done otherwise than what he did … Victor Escalon is not going to be fired, period,” McCraw told CNN.
On Tuesday, DPS revealed five of its officers are being investigated by the Office of Inspector General regarding their actions during the response to the school shooting. The agency did not respond to questions asking when the officers were suspended and have not identified them.
Two of those officers were suspended with pay, pending the outcome of the investigation.
McCraw referenced the internal review process and told CNN “no one will get a pass.”
McCraw told his staff that leaders overseeing the Uvalde region “did what they are supposed to do” and “stepped up to meet the moment,” according to the meeting notes. At the same time, McCraw acknowledged the department will be changing protocol for active shooter response after criticism of law enforcement response on all levels.
“We had almost a hundred on site [sic] and more on the way. Initial information was positive for law enforcement, but some was found to be inaccurate causing confusion,” said the notes transcribed from meetings held on Aug. 15 and 16. “We are not responding to critics in the media and politics, but are relying on the facts to come out from the investigation.”
After saying DPS would wait on results from the agency’s internal investigation into their response to the shooting at Robb Elementary, the August notes outline that McCraw said “and oh, by the way, no one is losing their jobs.”
“It will however change how we respond to active shooter events, as it should,” he continued. “We should continue to our school safety program to be present on campuses when we can. Many schools are vulnerable.”
In July, DPS said an internal committee would review the actions of every trooper, special agent and Texas Ranger who responded to Robb Elementary to determine if officers violated policy or their rapid response training, according to the same email. Still, McCraw and his agency have largely blamed local Uvalde police officers for delayed action, despite DPS responders outnumbering them 2:1.
A Texas House committee investigation found after officers were initially held back by gunfire, they waited more than an hour before taking action against the gunman. More than 370 law enforcement officers responded to the massacre.
The investigation indicated the delays stemmed from confusion over who was actually in command of the scene. Last month, the school board fired embattled Uvalde CISD Police Chief Pete Arredondo over how he handled the response. Arredondo has disputed points in the state lawmakers’ report.
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| 2022-09-21T03:12:45Z
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HOUSTON (CW39) — The latest poll for November’s election for Texas governor, lieutenant governor and attorney general shows that Republicans maintain a lead, but not as strong as in years past.
The latest poll comes from the University of Houston and Texas Southern University, which shows Gov. Greg Abbott leading Democratic challenger Beto O’Rourke, 49% to 42%, with 7% undecided.
The poll shows that while O’Rourke maintains big advantages with Black and Latino voters, he is even with Abbott with women voters, with both getting 45%.
Abbott remains strong with white voters with a 29% lead over O’Rourke, along with support from older voters from Silent Generation/Baby Boomers to Generation X voters.
The race for lieutenant governor is a little tighter, with Republican incumbent Dan Patrick leading Democratic challenger Mike Collier 49% to 43%, with 8% undecided.
Even though Collier holds leads on Patrick in key demographics, he is leading Patrick by only one percentage point with women voters (46% to 45%), while Patrick has 26% leads among white voters and older voters.
In the attorney general race, GOP incumbent Ken Paxton holds a narrow lead over Democratic challenger Rochelle Garza, 45% to 42%, with 10% undecided. Libertarian candidate Mark Ash got 3% in the poll.
Garza holds big leads over Paxton among Black, Latino and younger voters, while leading women voters 45% to 40%. Paxton has leads among white voters, men and older voters.
To look at the information from the poll, click here.
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| 2022-09-21T03:12:52Z
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UVALDE, Texas (KXAN) — The Uvalde Police Department said four suspects are in custody after a shooting took place in the downtown area Thursday evening.
Police said it happened around 5:30 p.m. in the Uvalde Memorial Park area, a little over a mile away from Robb Elementary School, where mass shooting took the lives of 19 students and two teachers.
This comes as the community is still healing from the school shooting. Schools started back just this week after the district delayed the start of the school year so security improvements could be made to campuses.
The Texas Department of Public Safety tweeted it is “working with the Uvalde Police Department and Sheriff’s Office following a suspected gang related shooting at Memorial Park.”
Two victims were treated at San Antonio hospitals, Uvalde Police said. One was identified as 18-year-old Bruce Brown, who is reported to be in stable condition. The other was a 16-year-old, whose name is not being released, reported to be in stable but critical condition.
Four suspects were taken into custody around 8:45 p.m. Thursday. They were identified Friday by UPD:
- Donavan Hill, 17, was charged with engaging in organized criminal activity and aggravated assault with a deadly weapon (nine counts)
- Karlyn Valdez, 22, was charged with engaging in organized criminal activity, aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, and endangering a child
- Brandon Alba, 18, is currently in a hospital but will be served an arrest warrant upon being released for engaging in organized criminal activity and aggravated assault with a deadly weapon (nine counts)
- A 16-year-old suspect was taken into custody for engaging in organized criminal activity and aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. They were transported to a juvenile detention facility in Del Rio.
The investigation is still open and active, UPD said.
UPD asked that anyone who was in the area at the time, who may have any information, videos or photos of the shooting, to call the police department’s Criminal Investigations Division at (830) 278-9147 or private message its Facebook page. Information can also be reported anonymously through the SafeWatcher app, which will go directly to UPD.
Gov. Greg Abbott released a statement in response to the shooting:
I was outraged to learn that gang violence has endangered the Uvalde community and innocent Texans this evening. I immediately called Mayor McLaughlin and County Judge Mitchell to offer the state’s full support and resources as law enforcement hunts down the gang members. After speaking with the mayor and the county judge about the immediate need for more law enforcement support, I have directed the Department of Public Safety to conduct patrol operations in the gang hotspots, send an additional six DPS trooper units to work around the clock, and begin coordinating an anti-gang effort with the city. Working with the Uvalde Police Department and Uvalde County Sheriff’s Office, DPS is also deploying Special Agents to target the five gangs operating in Uvalde. Thank you to all local and state law enforcement and first responders who swiftly went into action to protect their fellow Texans. Gang violence has no place here in Texas, and we will bring the full force of justice down on these heinous criminals.
Gov. Greg Abbott
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| 2022-09-21T03:13:00Z
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State use of federal infrastructure dollars to prioritize highway expansions over repairs could waste billions of dollars and worsen the impacts of climate change, a new report has found.
The report, published on Thursday by the U.S. Public Interest Research Groups (U.S. PIRG), urged state lawmakers to reexamine proposed highway expansion projects — while taking into account the evolving transportation needs of the American public.
“Every time we spend money on infrastructure, we have an opportunity to re-envision the future,” Matt Casale, director of the U.S. PIRG Education Fund’s environment campaigns, said in a statement.
“We should not invest in highway boondoggles that will exacerbate our pollution and global warming problems,” Casale continued. “The projects that we choose to invest in should be ones that are going to make American lives better.”
States have found themselves with funds to make such decisions following November’s passage of the bipartisan infrastructure law, which seeks to modernize transportation across the U.S.
But the infrastructure law, the report authors noted, gives states the flexibility to choose how best to spend much of the funds they receive. Many states are advancing billions of dollars’ worth of highway expansion projects, funds for which the authors argued would be better spent on attending to maintenance backlogs.
After highlighting 66 highway boondoggles in seven previous reports, the U.S. PIRG Education Fund focused in Thursday’s edition on seven new highway projects that would cost a total of more than $22 billion.
“America can’t afford to squander our historic investment in infrastructure on boondoggle projects,” lead author James Horrox, a policy analyst at the Frontier Group, a Denver-based nonprofit organization, said in a statement.
“And yet, across the country, wasteful and damaging highway expansion projects are often first in line for public dollars,” Horrox added.
The most expensive project is a $16 billion proposal to widen the New Jersey Turnpike and the Garden State Parkway — plans that would result in the addition of hundreds of miles of new lanes on two of the country’s busiest roads, according to the report.
Realizing these ambitions could mean “undermining New Jersey’s emissions reduction goals,” the authors argued.
A $2.8 billion plan to construct a 10-lane, double-decker bridge across the Ohio River could “exacerbate congestion at one of the country’s worst traffic bottlenecks,” the report stated.
Another $1.3 billion would go to Maryland’s proposed Montgomery County M-83 highway, which has been discussed since the 1960s.
The construction of this highway would “pose a a direct threat to 25 residential neighborhoods, 100 acres of public forest, 14 wetlands, six streams, natural floodplains and 60+ acres of agricultural reserve,” the authors contended.
Widening Interstate 205 in Oregon would cost $900 million and could endanger “the long-term financial security of the region’s transportation system” while contradicting the state’s climate goals, according to the report.
A proposed $750 million 8-mile bypass in southwestern Virginia would threaten hundreds of acres of forest, wetlands and farmlands and force 21 households to relocate, the authors stated.
Another contentious project is the $510 million reconstruction of I-35 in Minnesota, which would be the first of a series of major highway projects in downtown Duluth, the report explained.
The final project of focus is the $66 million-$100 million redesign of the Erie Bayfront Parkway in Pennsylvania, which the authors argued would attract more traffic to Erie’s developing bayfront and fail to meet community demands for improved pedestrian access.
The authors recommended that instead of investing in such projects, state and local governments should finance solutions that minimize dependence on automobile travel.
They also stressed the importance of directing funding toward repairing existing roads and granting priority to projects that decrease growth in vehicle-miles traveled.
“State bureaucrats still have a misplaced appetite for costly, polluting and ineffective highway expansion projects,” Casale said.
“Rather than costly highway boondoggles, we need to start using our money more wisely by investing in public transit, walking and biking instead,” he added.
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| 2022-09-21T03:13:08Z
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WARREN, Mich. (AP) — Even though battery costs are rising, auto companies are rolling out more affordable electric vehicles that should widen their appeal to a larger group of buyers.
The latest came Thursday from General Motors, a Chevrolet Equinox small SUV with a starting price somewhere around $30,000 and a range-per-charge of 250 miles (400 kilometers). You can get range of 300 miles (500 kilometers) if you pay more.
GM won’t release the exact price of the Equinox EV until closer to the date it goes on sale, about this time next year. But the SUV is at the low end of Edmunds.com’s list of prices for electric vehicles sold in the U.S., where the average cost of an EV is around $65,000.
Hitting a price around $30,000 and a range per charge close to 300 miles is key to getting mainstream buyers to switch away from gasoline vehicles, industry analysts say.
“You’re kind of at that sweet spot,” said Ivan Drury, director of insights for Edmunds.com. “You’re basically at the price point that everyone is clamoring for.”
Auto industry analysts say that if the Equinox makes efficient use of interior space with plenty of cargo and passenger room, and if it is styled similar to current gas-powered small SUVs, it should be a hit in the most popular segment of the U.S. auto market. About 20% of all new vehicles sold in the U.S. are compact SUVs.
“It’s a perfect vehicle for a lot of different users, whether it’s a small family, maybe an empty nester,” said Jeff Schuster, president of global forecasting for LMC Automotive, a Detroit-area consulting firm. “You’ve got space to haul things, but it’s easy to drive.”
A $30,000 EV that checks all of the boxes is just a little above the price of a comparable small gas-powered SUV. The Toyota RAV4, the top seller in the segment and the top-selling vehicle in the U.S. that isn’t a pickup, starts at just over $28,000.
Until the last few years, electric vehicles were either expensive and aimed at affluent luxury buyers, or cheaper but with limited travel ranges. For example, a base version of Tesla’s Model 3, the lowest-price model from the top-selling EV brand in the U.S., starts at more than $48,000. A larger Tesla Model X SUV starts at over $120,000.
The only EVs with starting prices under $30,000 (including shipping) now are versions of the Nissan Leaf and Chevrolet Bolt. Both are smaller than a typical gas-powered compact SUV. The Mini Cooper Electric, Mazda MX30 and Hyundai Kona Electric are in the $30,000s, according to Edmunds.
Kia’s Niro EV, Hyundai’s Ioniq 5, Ford’s F-150 Lightning pickup, the Volkswagen ID.4, Kia EV6, Toyota b24x, Ford’s Mustang Mach E, Audi’s Q4 e-tron, the Subaru Solterra, Polestar 2, and Tesla Model 3 all have starting prices in the $40,000s.
GM may find it difficult to keep the Equinox price around $30,000, largely because minerals such as lithium, copper, cobalt and nickel that are key components of batteries have been rising fast. There’s a finite number of mines and increasing demand as nearly all automakers introduce new EVs.
Drury says that even if GM is able to keep the Equinox starting price around $30,000, demand likely will be high enough so the company builds mainly higher-priced versions. And some dealers have been marking up EVs beyond the automaker’s sticker price due to high demand. In the first half of the year, U.S. EV sales rose 68% from the same period a year ago, to nearly 313,000.
Some EVs could get a whole lot cheaper in the U.S., too, with federal tax credits starting next year of up to $7,500 that are part of the Inflation Reduction Act. But meeting federal requirements may be difficult.
The vehicles and batteries have to be assembled in North America, and the new law phases in requirements that battery minerals and parts have to come from the continent. Most minerals such as lithium, a key battery ingredient, are now imported from China and other countries.
The Equinox checks the North American assembly box. It will be made in Mexico. The company won’t say where the battery will be made, but GM has announced three joint-venture battery factories in the U.S., including one that’s operating already in Warren, Ohio.
From there, GM is working on meeting the other criteria for getting the tax credit. “We’re really working through the rules and the regulations right now,” said Steve Majoros, vice president of marketing for Chevrolet. “We think it’s all lining up nicely, but more details to come on that.”
Majoros hinted that it may take a couple of years to meet all the government’s requirements to get the full credit as GM takes more control of its supply chain for EV parts.
The Equinox EV, Majoros said, is longer, wider and a bit shorter than the gas versions of the same vehicle. GM used new interior packaging methods to create comparable passenger and cargo space to the gas Equinox, he said. The relatively small price difference between the two should get many customers to consider EV over gas, he said.
“It does a lot of things right,” Majoros said. “So when it does that, the (sales) volume follows.”
GM CEO Mary Barra has said the company will overtake Tesla as the nation’s largest seller of EVs by the middle of this decade. The Equinox EV is a step toward that.
“We think it’s going to be one of the products that’s really going to help that mainstream adoption really take off in the marketplace,” Majoros said.
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| 2022-09-21T03:13:16Z
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BRUSSELS (AP) — Hundreds of cab drivers clogged traffic in Brussels in an international demonstration against the online ride company Uber, which is seen as unfairly distorting the market.
The drivers want Belgian and European Union authorities to curb the spread of Uber and say the service does not face the tax burdens and regulations that they do.
Protesters came as far and wide as Switzerland and Spain for the demonstration that started at morning rush hour and continued into the afternoon.
Over the past decade, Uber has won an increasing part of the European market with its low prices and tech-savvy reservation system. Still, the company has come under criticism and accusations that it treats its drivers poorly, fails to pay a fair amount of taxes and uses aggressive lobbying and tactics to get an edge.
“What we are asking is — to follow the rules, work like everybody else, have a proper licence, a proper vehicle, properly insured,” said Kamel Abdellaoui, a taxi driver who came from London to join the protest.
On top of concerns over Uber, the cab driving federations also want EU authorities to push back deregulation in their sector and demand EU help to move to climate neutral vehicles.
“Drivers they are just here to say: enough is enough,” said Abdellaoui.
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| 2022-09-21T03:13:22Z
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DETROIT (AP) — Jeep will start selling two fully electric SUVs in North America and another one in Europe over the next two years.
The new EVs, Jeep’s first, are part of the Stellantis brand’s plans to convert half of its U.S. sales and all of its European sales to battery-electric vehicles by 2030. They’re the first for the brand, and executives are promising that they’ll be fully capable of off-road travel.
The new vehicles include the Jeep Recon, a four-wheel-drive midsize SUV about the size of the Jeep Wrangler and rival Ford’s gas-powered Bronco Sport. It will be produced at an undisclosed North American factory starting in 2024. No range, performance figures or prices were released.
Jeep also will start making an all-electric Wagoneer S midsize luxury SUV in 2024 that also can go off road. The electric extension of the Wagoneer sub-brand is expected to go 400 miles (650 kilometers) on a single charge, have 600 horsepower, and be able to travel from zero to 60 miles per hour (100 kilometers per hour) in about 3.5 seconds.
The Wagoneer S also will be built in North America at a yet-to-be disclosed factory. No prices were released on this SUV either.
Heading for Europe next year will be the Jeep Avenger compact SUV, the brand’s first fully electric vehicle. Jeep says the small Avenger, with 250 miles (400 kilometers) of range per charge, won’t be coming to the U.S. It’s better suited for Europe, where there’s a strong market for smaller vehicles, executives said.
The Avenger will be officially unveiled Oct. 17 at the Paris Motor Show. It will arrive in showrooms early next year.
Jeep also plans to introduce four all-electric SUVs in North America and Europe by the end of 2025, the executives said.
The Recon, though, will not replace the Jeep Wrangler small SUV, said Christian Meunier, the brand CEO. “The Wrangler is the icon,” he said, without saying there would be an electric Wrangler.
Jeep, he said, is on a path to become the leading zero-emission SUV brand across the globe. The company has a goal of selling the SUVs in China, executives said.
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| 2022-09-21T03:13:28Z
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NEW YORK (AP) — A key decision over whether Donald Trump’s social media platform Truth Social will merge with a cash-rich company and get $1.3 billion to take on Twitter has been put off for another month.
The potential partner, Digital World Acquisition Corp., on Thursday postponed a shareholder vote to extend by a year a deadline to close its merger with Trump’s company and release funds to pay its bills. At least 65% of shareholders need to approve the extension, a threshold not reached in tallies earlier in the day.
Shares of Miami-based Digital World, which have been generally falling after small-pocketed investors pushed them over $100 last year, closed Thursday up 1% to $23.35.
If a new deal deadline isn’t approved at a shareholder meeting on Oct. 10, Digital World can still play for time. It can delay the deadline by three months if sponsors backing its company pay nearly $3 million into a trust account, then delay again for another three months for the same payment. The company has said previously it would chose to delay three months if necessary.
If the deal is not closed by the new deadlines, Digital World must liquidate and Truth Social’s parent, Trump Media & Technology Group, will have to find other sources of cash. It could do that by borrowing, finding private investors, or having Trump himself contribute the money, something he has avoided in many of his business ventures but has hinted he might do.
“I don’t need financing, ‘I’m really rich,'” Trump posted on Truth Social earlier this month. “Private company anyone???”
Digital World’s deal with Trump’s company was troubled almost from the start. In November, the Securities and Exchange Commission requested documents from Digital World following news reports that it had talked with Trump representatives about joining forces before selling its own stock to the public for the first time, a possible violation of security rules.
Digital World and Trump’s business have also been subpoenaed in a federal criminal probe. The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority is looking into violations of stock trading rules, too.
The SEC probe in particular is a serious setback for the company because the agency needs to sign off on the Digital World-Trump merger for it to go through. Trump has called the investigations politically motivated “witch hunts.”
A merger would release to Trump Media $290 million held by Digital World and another $1 billion that private investors had committed to the combined company. Until then, Trump’s company is on its own, paying staff, leases and other expenses from $36 million raised from sales of promissory notes last year and earlier this year.
Truth Social was launched as a free speech, “big tent” alternative to Twitter after Trump was banned by the platform following last year’s Jan. 6 Capitol insurrection. Trump rarely posted on the app in the weeks after it was launched in February, but now is regularly sending his version of tweets — called truths — to rally supporters following the FBI seizure of confidential government documents at his Mar-a-Lago club in Florida last month.
In the proposed merger, Trump is hoping to cash in on a recent investing trend involving risky shell companies called special purchase acquisition companies, or SPACs, that have no product or service to sell and are set up solely to merge with a business with one.
Once wildly popular, stocks of many highflying SPACs have plunged in price and many others have been liquidated without completing mergers. SPACs, also called blank-check companies, are allowed a quick path to go public without many disclosures but only if they have not yet had substantial discussion with a possible merger partner, a possible focus of the Digital World investigations.
“The SEC has needlessly delayed its review of our proposed merger, causing real and unnecessary financial harm” to investors, said Trump Media in a statement. “The SEC needs to set aside any improper political considerations and bring its review to a swift conclusion.”
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| 2022-09-21T03:13:34Z
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BATON ROUGE, La. (BRPROUD) — We are in the peak of hurricane season, and it just takes one storm to knock out 911 services, as we have seen in the past in our region. On Wednesday, Governor John Bel Edwards sat with FCC leaders to work on strengthening our communication network.
The governor had a round table talk with the FCC on how to save lives better during and after a hurricane. This includes communication network resiliency and policy changes.
“If we’ve got problems with our 911 systems, we should laser-like focus on how to improve them,” said Jessica Rosenworcel, the chairwoman of the Federal Communication Commission.
Edwards and Rosenworcel want better telecommunication for all of Louisiana. After several very active hurricane seasons, 911 operations have failed, and state and federal leaders want to fix that before we get hit with another big storm.
“It’s the one call that has to go through,” Rosenworcel said.
And after having issues with people not being able to call for help, carriers are now required to roam on each other’s networks and give 911 operators information on locating you.
“That you won’t have those cell phone outages nearly as often because even if your wireless carrier goes down that you will be able to roam on other networks and the connectivity program where qualifying families can get a voucher of $30 per month towards the internet bill,” explained Governor Edwards.
In the future, the FCC hopes to advance the way you contact 911.
“Where you can not just call, where you can text, where you can share images, where you can share video, where you can share medical information. We can bring all of that into our nine one-one systems and create a federal fund to support it. We’re going to update public safety not just in Louisiana, but nationwide,” said Rosenworcel.
Rosenworcel said she cannot give an exact date on when you will be able to text 911 but says it is within arm’s reach.
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| 2022-09-21T03:13:34Z
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A federal judge’s ruling granting former President Trump’s request for a special master has generated a range of intense reactions from legal experts, who have called it unusual, lacking in legal reasoning, “absurd” and offering undue favoritism to a former president.
The ruling in favor of Trump by federal district court Judge Aileen Cannon has been a head-scratcher for many attorneys, who say the court left behind many unanswered questions while also blocking an unprecedented investigation of a former president.
“It does seem to reflect a fair amount of bending and stretching of the law in numerous different respects,” said Jeff Robbins, a former federal prosecutor and congressional investigative counsel.
Cannon surprised observers by indicating last month before she had heard any arguments in the case that she was inclined to grant Trump’s request.
It’s a detail that has gotten renewed attention, as experts say the ruling fails to deliver meeting the legal tests lawyers are trained to analyze while asking the special master to resolve major legal questions as Trump argues executive privilege should allow him to withhold executive branch documents from the current administration.
In her Labor Day ruling, Cannon repeatedly stressed optics as a rationale for having a third-party special master review the more than 10,000 documents taken during the search.
“A commitment to the appearance of fairness is critical, now more than ever,” she wrote, noting that Trump may gain little from the exercise.
“Plaintiff ultimately may not be entitled to return of much of the seized property or to prevail on his anticipated claims of privilege. That inquiry remains for another day,” she wrote.
The order puts the DOJ’s investigation on ice, barring investigators from reviewing any evidence until the special master is appointed and completes their review.
Robbins said in order to grant an injunction to block a party from taking an action, the plaintiff must show not only a likelihood of ultimately succeeding in the case, but that they would be irreparably harmed if the request was not granted.
“There was essentially not even lip service paid for these requirements. … That’s sort of, you know, frankly, injunction law 101,” he said.
Much of Cannon’s ruling focused on potential damage to Trump’s reputation that could stem from the investigation, musing that details about the investigation could be leaked to the media.
But much of what the public knows about the investigation has been through court-ordered unsealing of DOJ records as well as from Trump himself.
“And matter of fact, the only leak that has occurred in this is a leak by the former president himself of the existence of the search. So that to me is a glaring example of just ignoring the standards for granting an injunction,” Robbins said.
Others see the consideration of his status as a former president as inappropriately elevating Trump compared to others who would be unlikely to get similar treatment if their home were searched in the course of a criminal investigation.
“The judge said that she thought that the fact that Donald Trump is a former president gives him heightened reputational interests, that there’s more reason in this case to be worried about the reputational damage that a criminal charge could inflict than there is in a normal case. That strikes me as wrong and troubling in a country where nobody’s supposed to be above the law,” said David Alan Sklansky, a professor at Stanford Law School and an expert in the Fourth Amendment and constraints on prosecutorial power.
Sklansky said Trump has a greater ability than most people caught up in criminal investigations to air their side of the story.
“His brand at this point is kind of tied up in his battles against the government. So I think that he’s suffering less reputational injury than most people do when it’s announced that they’re the subject of a criminal investigation,” he added.
While the order spends ample time considering Trump’s arguments it spends relatively little considering the government’s argument that a special master would seriously hamper its investigation, covering one of the Department of Justice’s principal objections with just a few sentences.
But experts say some of the more perplexing aspects of the order are those surrounding executive privilege, warning the ruling sets a dangerous precedent for allowing a former executive to hamstring a successor.
The Department of Justice (DOJ) argued that Trump’s very claim that some of the documents were protected by executive privilege proves their point — that they are government property and must be maintained by the National Archives.
But Cannon said the DOJ “arguably overstates the law” on the limits a former president has, leaving it to the special master to review the documents for both attorney-client protected materials — a relatively common service they provide to the court — and materials covered by executive privilege, which is an entirely unprecedented role.
“It’s the kind of legal issue that courts and judges resolve generally, not special masters,” said Slansky, who himself has served as a special master.
While Cannon’s ruling directs the special master to consider executive privilege, she does not lay out how.
“Why would you outsource it? If you’ve got some basis for believing that these documents are protected by executive privilege, let’s lay out what the standard is,” Robbins said.
“It’s not enough to say ‘I’m not persuaded that that executive privilege can never be invoked by a former president.’ Okay. That’s fine. So what are the standards that you’re giving to a special master?”
Peter Shane, a visiting scholar at New York University and an expert in executive privilege, said he’s unsure what exactly the special master is supposed to assess.
“You don’t need a special master to identify whether the documents are potentially the subject of executive privilege. All of these documents, I assume, were communicated to the president or he wouldn’t have them,” he said.
But he and Sklansky also see major risks to allowing a former president to withhold documents from the current administration.
“That strikes me as completely wrongheaded because the government continues. And when we have a new administration come in, they have to continue the work of governing. And it strikes me as completely unworkable to say that when a new administration comes into office, they’re restricted from knowing what kinds of discussions went on in the previous administration, that official government documents can be shielded from the current administration. That just strikes me as completely unacceptable,” he said, adding that’s something courts should not be eager to take ownership of.
He noted that even Cannon doesn’t offer a wholesale endorsement of the idea, allowing the intelligence community to access the records so they can do their own damage assessment.
Shane said the issues are even more pressing when considering the national security information Trump has in the tranche of records.
He said it’s the constitutional duty of the president “to protect the national security from the moment of inauguration to the last minute of that person’s term.”
“Protecting the national security right now is not Donald Trump’s job; it is Joe Biden’s job. And the idea that he might be shielding information relevant to our national security from the current administration, whose constitutional job it is to protect the national security, is absurd. It’s an absurd claim,” Shane said.
The damage that could result from affording Trump any right to executive privilege in this case is something that could unfold for years, he said.
“It creates the idea that privilege belongs to a human being as opposed to the institution and the office of the presidency. That somehow the constitution imbues individual human beings with power in perpetuity — which is itself opposed to the idea of the rule of law and the idea that no one is above the law,” he said.
“The responsibility of taking care that the law be faithfully executed is a job that belongs to whoever is president now. Not who was president four or 12 or 16 or 40 years ago … It needs to be available to the current president to see the records of prior administrations in order that they can do their job to the fullest.”
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| 2022-09-21T03:13:40Z
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HAMILTON, Ala. (WIAT) — When a classmate told Anna Claire Cantrell of Queen Elizabeth II’s death, she had to hold back the tears.
“I’ve been very upset,” Anna Claire said Thursday, just hours after the announcement that the reign of Great Britain’s longest-serving monarch was over. “I didn’t want to cry in school in front of everybody.”
Since age 5, Anna Claire has had a royal obsession: a fascination that’s garnered national headlines and made the sixth grader Marion’s County, Alabama’s resident British expert.
On multiple occasions, Anna Claire has even become Queen Elizabeth — donning Her Majesty’s cape, crown, and even her own two corgis, named Maddie Elizabeth and Winston.
A few years ago, when she was 7, Anna Claire reached out to the queen to tell her a little about herself.
“I’m writing to you because even though I live in another country, you are my favorite person,” Anna Claire wrote. “And one day I want to come to England and see where you live.”
It wasn’t long before Anna Claire received a response.
“The queen wishes me to write and thank you for the card, your message and the photograph you sent,” a Lady-in-Waiting wrote to Anna Claire.
Anna Claire was ecstatic.
“It was very exciting,” she said. “I was so happy to see that she cared about me and cared about what I had to say about her.”
Because of her reputation for loving all things royal, when folks in Marion County come across British souvenirs or trinkets, they save them for Anna Claire. She’s gotten British money, magazines and books about the royal family, and much more. Once, she received a car window cling of Queen Elizabeth’s silhouette.
“I gave her a week to let that be on my car,” her mother said. “And I said I can’t do this no more. People would almost wreck staring at our car.”
The day of Queen Elizabeth’s death has understandably been difficult for Anna Claire.
After learning about the royal death, Anna Claire’s teacher asked that students look up and write down facts about the queen to share. Anna Claire didn’t need to look anything up. She wrote down a quote delivered by Queen Elizabeth on her 21st birthday in 1947.
“I declare before you all that my whole life — whether it be long or short — shall be devoted to your service and the service of our great imperial family to which we all belong,” the monarch said.
Anna Claire said that she’d like to travel to London to pay her respects, but whether that’s possible or not, she’ll remember the queen as a great leader and role model.
“I looked up to her for a very long time,” Anna Claire said of the late queen. “And I’m going to miss her very much.”
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| 2022-09-21T03:13:48Z
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COPENHAGEN, Denmark (AP) — Four European countries that border Russia will take regional steps this month to limit people from Russia from entering Europe’s visa-free zone by land because they “are increasingly concerned about the substantial and growing influx of Russian citizens.”
“We believe that this is becoming a serious threat to our public security and to the overall shared Schengen area,” Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas said Thursday. “There are people coming with the aim of undermining the security of our countries.”
Poland and the three Baltic countries — Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania — have agreed on a common regional approach with the “political will and firm intention to introduce national temporary measures for Russian citizens holding EU visas.”
Such measures should take effect in each of the four countries by Sept. 19.
“We emphasize that this is not an outright entry ban and commonly agreed legitimate exceptions will remain,” Kallas said, adding exceptions include dissidents, humanitarian cases, family members and holders of residence permits, among others.
“Travel to the European Union is a privilege, not a human right,” Kallas said, adding it was “unacceptable that citizens of the aggressor state are able to freely travel in the EU, whilst at the same time people in Ukraine are being tortured and murdered.”
In Poland, one of the staunchest supporters of Ukraine in its fight against Russia’s invasion, the government said the goal was to “prevent direct threats to the public order and security.”
Kallas added that most visas issued to Russians were given before Russia invaded Ukraine in February.
Estonia and Latvia border the Russian mainland, while Lithuania and Poland share borders with Russia’s exclave of Kaliningrad on the Baltic Sea.
At a European Union summit last month, the bloc’s 27 members were divided over whether to slap a broad visa ban on Russian citizens, torn between a desire to ramp up pressure on Russian President Vladimir Putin and concerns about punishing ordinary Russians who may not even support his war on Ukraine.
The EU already tightened visa restrictions on Russian officials and businesspeople in May, but Poland and the Baltic countries have called for a broader ban on tourists. Germany and France are leading a push to tighten visa restrictions on Russians rather than impose an outright ban.
“What we have seen in the last couple of weeks and months is that number of border crossings by Russian citizens holding Schengen visas has dramatically increased,” said Latvian Foreign Minister Edgars Rinkevics during a news conference after a meeting of Nordic and Baltic foreign ministers in Lithuania on Wednesday. “This is becoming also a public security issue. This is … an issue of a moral and political nature.”
The EU already has banned air travel from Russia after it invaded Ukraine. But Russians can still travel by land to Estonia and apparently are then taking flights to other European destinations.
The four countries are EU members and part of Europe’s travel zone — known as the “Schengen area” — where people and goods move freely between these countries without border checks.
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Follow all AP stories on developments related to the war in Ukraine at https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine.
____ Monika Scislowska in Warsaw, Poland and Jari Tanner in Helsinki contributed to this report.
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| 2022-09-21T03:13:55Z
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LONDON (AP) — Condolences poured in from around the world Thursday after the death of Queen Elizabeth II, who became a global icon of calmness and fortitude through decades of political upheaval and social changes at home and abroad.
Elizabeth, who had been on the throne since 1952, when the nation was still rebuilding from the destruction of World War II, died Thursday afternoon at age 96 at Balmoral Castle, her summer residence in Scotland.
Here are some reactions to her death:
___
In India, once a British colony, Prime Minister Narendra Modi called Elizabeth “a stalwart of our times.”
“She personified dignity and decency in public life,” Modi tweeted.
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Royalty across Europe mourned Elizabeth’s death.
Her life “set an example for all of us and will remain as a solid and valuable legacy for future generations,” Spanish King Felipe VI said in a telegram sent to her eldest son, now known as King Charles III.
“We will miss Her dearly,” he wrote, speaking for himself and his wife.
King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden called her “a constant presence, not only in British society but internationally.”
In Norway, King Harald said that for “nearly a century, Her Majesty devoted her life to the service of the Commonwealth, following the British people through good days and bad, in times of happiness and sorrow.”
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President Joe Biden was informed of her death by senior advisers during a meeting in the Oval Office.
Elizabeth, who had met more than a dozen American presidents, “was a stateswoman of unmatched dignity and constancy who deepened the bedrock alliance between the United Kingdom and the United States,” he and first lady Jill Biden said in a statement, saying she “she defined an era.”
They later went to the British Embassy to offer condolences. “We mourn for all of you. She was a great lady,” Biden could be heard telling embassy staff.
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France, Britain’s historic rival and contemporary ally, honored Elizabeth with flags at the presidential palace and public buildings ordered lowered to half-staff Friday.
President Emmanuel Macron hailed her “immutable moral authority” and her intimate knowledge of French.
He said no other foreign sovereign had visited the presidential palace more often than Elizabeth, who knew all eight presidents of contemporary France.
“The woman who stood alongside the giants of the 20th century on the path of history has left to join them,” Macron said in a statement.
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Mourners also gathered at the British Embassy in Paris.
“She’s been a constant in my life,” said 70-year-old Robert Miller, a London resident in Paris for a conference.
“Whilst I know she was very old, she was still doing her work until yesterday,” he said. “Like anybody’s mother, you know, even if you think things are going well, at some point the end of an era comes, and you’re very sad. “
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Russian President Vladimir Putin sent a telegram to King Charles III.
“For many decades, Elizabeth II rightfully enjoyed the love and respect of her subjects, as well as authority on the world stage. I wish you courage and perseverance in the face of this heavy, irreparable loss.”
___
At the United Nations, the Security Council stood in silent tribute at the start of a meeting on Ukraine. France’s U.N. Ambassador Nicolas De Riviere, the council president, sent condolences on behalf of its 15 members.
Queen Elizabeth II presided “over a period of historic changes both for her country and the world,” he said. “Her life was devoted to the service of her country.”
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Elizabeth was mourned across the 54-nation Commonwealth, a group built around Britain and its former colonies.
In Ghana, President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo recalled Elizabeth’s visits to his country and praised “the friendliness, elegance, style and sheer joy she brought to the performance of her duties.”
“We shall miss her inspiring presence, her calm, her steadiness, and, above all, her great love and belief in the higher purpose of the Commonwealth of Nations, and in its capacity to be a force for good in our world,” he said in a statement.
____
“For most Canadians, we have known no other sovereign,” Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said. He called her “a constant presence in our lives — and her service to Canadians will forever remain an important part of our country’s history.”
“I’m having trouble believing that my last sit-down with her was my last,” Trudeau said later. “I will so miss those chats.”
Elizabeth, who was Canada’s head of state, visited the country 22 times as monarch.
____
The queen’s death comes as a growing number of British territories in the Caribbean seek to replace the monarch with their own heads of state amid demands that Britain apologize for its colonial-era abuses and award its former colonies slavery reparations.
Still, Caribbean leaders from Jamaica to Bermuda and beyond mourned her death.
Jamaican Prime Minister Andrew Holness said that for many years she visited the island every decade.
“Undoubtedly, she formed a special bond with the people of Jamaica,” he said. “We are saddened that we will not see her light again, but we will remember her historic reign.”
Bermuda Premier David Burt noted that her reign “has spanned decades of such immense change for the United Kingdom and the world.”
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Elton John said in a tweet that she was “an inspiring presence to be around, and lead the country through some of our greatest, and darkest, moments.”
The acclaimed musician reworked his hit “Candle in the Wind” as a tribute to Princess Diana when she died unexpectedly in 1997.
___
All the living former U.S. presidents issued statements soon after Elizabeth’s death.
Donald Trump said on his social media platform that Elizabeth “will always be remembered for her faithfulness to her country and her unwavering devotion to her fellow countrymen and women.”
“Melania and I will always cherish our time together with the queen, and never forget Her Majesty’s generous friendship, great wisdom, and wonderful sense of humor. What a grand and beautiful lady she was – there was nobody like her!”
Barack Obama and his wife, Michelle, said she made “the role of Queen her own — with a reign defined by grace, elegance, and a tireless work ethic, defying the odds and expectations placed on women of her generation.”
He said she welcomed him and his wife — the first Black American president and first lady — to the world stage “with open arms and extraordinary generosity” and said they were struck by her ability to put people at ease.
George W. Bush called her “a woman of great intellect, charm, and wit.”
“Spending time at Buckingham Palace, and having tea with Her Majesty – and her Corgis – is among our fondest memories of the presidency,” he said in a statement.
Bill Clinton said he and his wife, former U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, joined people around the world “in giving thanks for her extraordinary life.”
“Throughout her remarkable 70-year reign, she led Britain through great transformations with unfailing grace, dignity, and genuine care for the welfare of all its people. In sunshine or storm, she was a source of stability, serenity, and strength,” he said in a statement on Twitter.
Jimmy Carter said in a statement that Elizabeth’s “dignity, graciousness and sense of duty have been an inspiration and we join the millions around the world in mourning a remarkable leader.”
___
In Washington, U.S. Sen. Tim Kaine recalled how Elizabeth had joked with him when she visited Virginia in 2007 while he was governor.
He asked the queen’s security detail whether he should offer the queen his arm while going up a steep set of Capitol steps. They assured him she’d be fine. But when she arrived a few weeks later, she looked at him and deadpanned, “they expect me to go up this?”
Kaine was momentarily flustered.
“She was just pulling my leg. She just walked up just as fast as can be,” Kaine said.
The queen’s visit came not long after a gunman at a Virginia university, Virginia Tech, killed dozens of people. The queen met with people from the university and well as grieving family members.
“That really meant a lot,” Kaine said.
___
“She lived history, she made history. And with her passing, she leaves a magnificent, inspirational legacy,” Israeli President Isaac Herzog said.
___
Praise even came from the fictional Paddington Bear, the beloved British children’s book character. The bear shared tea with the queen in a video shown in June during her Platinum Jubilee celebrations.
“Thank you Ma’am, for everything,” said a statement Thursday on the Paddington Bear Twitter feed.
___
Follow all AP stories on the British royals at https://apnews.com/hub/queen-elizabeth-ii.
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| 2022-09-21T03:14:03Z
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LONDON (AP) — Prince Charles has been preparing for the crown his entire life. Now, at age 73, that moment has finally arrived.
Charles, the oldest person to ever assume the British throne, became King Charles III on Thursday following the death of his mother, Queen Elizabeth II. No date has been set for his coronation.
After an apprenticeship that began as a child, Charles embodies the modernization of the British monarchy. He was the first heir not educated at home, the first to earn a university degree and the first to grow up in the ever-intensifying glare of the media as deference to royalty faded.
He also alienated many with his messy divorce from the much-loved Princess Diana, and by straining the rules that prohibit royals from intervening in public affairs, wading into debates on issues such as environmental protection and architectural preservation,
“He now finds himself in, if you like, the autumn of his life, having to think carefully about how he projects his image as a public figure,” said historian Ed Owens. “He’s nowhere near as popular as his mother.”
Charles must figure out how to generate the “public support, a sense of endearment” that characterized the relationship Elizabeth had with the British public, Owens said.
In other words, will Charles be as loved by his subjects? It’s a question that has overshadowed his entire life.
A shy boy with a domineering father, Charles grew into a sometimes-awkward, understated man who is nevertheless confident in his own opinions. Unlike his mother, who refused to publicly discuss her views, Charles has delivered speeches and written articles on issues close to his heart, such as climate change, green energy and alternative medicine.
His accession to the throne is likely to fuel debate about the future of Britain’s largely ceremonial monarchy, seen by some as a symbol of national unity and others as an obsolete vestige of feudal history.
“We know the monarch and certainly the monarch’s family – they’re not meant to have political voices. They’re not meant to have political opinions. And the fact that he’s been flexing, if you like, his political muscle is something that he will have to be really careful with … lest he be seen as unconstitutional,” said Owens, who wrote “The Family Firm: Monarchy, Mass Media and the British Public, 1932-53.”
Charles, who will be the head of state for the U.K. and 14 other countries, including Australia, Canada, New Zealand and Papua New Guinea, has defended his actions.
“I always wonder what meddling is, I always thought it was motivating,” he said in “Prince, Son and Heir: Charles at 70,” a 2018 documentary. “I’ve always been intrigued if it’s meddling to worry about the inner cities, as I did 40 years ago and what was happening or not happening there, the conditions in which people were living. If that’s meddling, I’m very proud of it.”
In the same interview, however, Charles acknowledged that as king, he wouldn’t be able to speak out or interfere in politics because the role of sovereign is different from being the Prince of Wales.
Charles has said he intends to reduce the number of working royals, cut expenses and better represent modern Britain.
But tradition matters, too, for a man whose office previously described the monarchy as “the focal point for national pride, unity and allegiance.”
That has meant a life of palaces and polo, attracting criticism that Charles was out of touch with everyday life, being lampooned for having a valet who purportedly squeezed toothpaste onto his brush.
But it was the disintegration of his marriage to Diana that made many question his fitness for the throne. Then, as he aged, his handsome young sons stole the limelight from a man who had a reputation for being as gray as his Saville Row suits.
Biographer Sally Bedell Smith, author of “Prince Charles: the Passions and Paradoxes of an Improbable Life,’’ described him as being constantly overshadowed by others in the family, despite his destiny.
“I think the frustrations are not so much that he’s had to wait for the throne,” Smith told PBS. “I think his main frustration is that he has done so much and that … he has been sort of massively misunderstood. He’s sort of been caught between two worlds: the world of his mother, revered, now beloved; and Diana, the ghost of whom still shadows him; and then his incredibly glamorous sons.”
It took years for many in Britain to forgive Charles for his admitted infidelity to Diana before “the people’s princess” died in a Paris car crash in 1997. But the public mood softened after he married Camilla Parker Bowles in 2005 and she became the Duchess of Cornwall.
Although Camilla played a significant role in the breakup of Charles and Diana, her self-deprecating style and salt-of-the-earth sense of humor eventually won over many Britons.
She helped Charles smile more in public by tempering his reserve and making him appear approachable, if not happier, as he cut ribbons, visited houses of worship, unveiled plaques and waited for the crown.
Her service was rewarded last February, when Queen Elizabeth II said publicly that it was her “sincere wish” that Camilla should be known as “Queen Consort” after her son succeeded her, answering questions once and for all about her status in the Royal Family.
Prince Charles Philip Arthur George was born Nov. 14, 1948, in Buckingham Palace. When his mother acceded to the throne in 1952, the 3-year-old prince became the Duke of Cornwall. He became Prince of Wales at 20.
His school years were unhappy, with the future king being bullied by classmates at Gordonstoun, a Scottish boarding school that prides itself on building character through vigorous outdoor activities and educated his father, Philip.
Charles studied history at Cambridge University’s Trinity College, where in 1970 he became the first British royal to earn a university degree.
He then spent seven years in uniform, training as a Royal Air Force pilot before joining the Royal Navy, where he learned to fly helicopters. He ended his military career as commander of the HMS Bronington, a minesweeper, in 1976.
Charles’ relationship with Camilla began before he went to sea, but the romance foundered and she married a cavalry officer.
He met Lady Diana Spencer in 1977 when she was 16 and he was dating her older sister. Diana apparently didn’t see him again until 1980, and rumors of their engagement swirled after she was invited to spend time with Charles and the royal family.
They announced their engagement in February 1981. Some awkwardness in their relationship was immediately apparent when, during a televised interview about their betrothal, a reporter asked if they were in love. “Of course,” Diana answered immediately, while Charles said, “Whatever ‘in love’ means.”
Although Diana giggled at the response, she later said that Charles’ remark “threw me completely.”
“God, it absolutely traumatized me,” she said in a recording made by her voice coach in 1992-93 that was featured in the 2017 documentary “Diana, In Her Own Words.”
The couple married on July 29, 1981, at St. Paul’s Cathedral in a globally televised ceremony. Prince William, now heir to the throne, was born less than a year later, followed by his brother, Prince Harry, in 1984.
The public fairy tale soon crumbled. Charles admitted to adultery to a TV interviewer in 1994. In an interview of her own, Diana drew attention to her husband’s relationship with Camilla, saying: “There were three of us in this marriage.”
The revelations tarnished Charles’ reputation among many who celebrated Diana for her style as well as her charity work with AIDS patients and landmine victims.
William and Harry were caught in the middle. While the princes revered their late mother, they said Charles was a good father and praised him as an early advocate for issues like the environment.
Tensions persist inside the royal family, underscored by the decision of Harry and his wife, Meghan, to step away from their royal duties and move to California in 2020. In a televised interview, they later said a member of the royal family had raised “concerns and conversations” about the color of their baby’s skin before he was born. The explosive revelation forced William to publicly declare the family wasn’t racist.
Charles soldiered on, increasingly standing in for the queen in her twilight years. In 2018, he was named the queen’s designated successor as head of the Commonwealth, an association of 54 nations with links to the British Empire. The process accelerated after the death of her husband, Prince Philip, on April 9, 2021.
As Elizabeth declined, he sometimes stepped in at the last moment.
On the eve of the state opening of Parliament this year, on May 10, the queen asked Charles to preside, delegating one of her most important constitutional duties to him — evidence that a transition was underway.
Camilla said in a 2018 documentary that Charles was comfortable with the prospect of being king.
“I think his destiny will come,’’ she said. “He’s always known it’s going to come, and I don’t think it does weigh heavily on his shoulders at all.”
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| 2022-09-21T03:14:11Z
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NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Hoping to beef up a dwindling police force amid a rise in violent crime, New Orleans officials announced a three-year $80 million plan Thursday offering raises for all officers, free health care and $30,000 in incentive payments for new hires.
Mayor LaToya Cantrell, under growing political pressure amid increasing police response times to pandemic-era crime hikes, announced the plan accompanied by Police Superintendent Shaun Ferguson and Fausto Pichardo, a former chief of patrol for the New York City Police Department. Pichardo’s hiring as a temporary “consulting Chief of Operations” for New Orleans was announced last week.
The plan — elements of which need City Council and Civil Service board approval — also includes a revival of a take-home car policy for officers, which city Chief Administrative Officer Gilbert Montano said will require the purchase of 600 new vehicles.
Aside from the hiring and retention incentives, Ferguson also said patrol officers also will have more backup in the short term, provided by police assigned from time to time to patrol duty from other specialized areas within the department.
Another change: Arlinda Westbrook, longtime head of the police Public Integrity Bureau that deals with complaints against officers, was reassigned to the city CAO’s office to coordinate continuing efforts to address police reforms required under a decade-old court-approved “consent decree” agreement with the U.S. Justice Department. She will be replaced by attorney Keith Sanchez. Police union officials have complained about overzealousness and unfairness by the bureau.
As of early this week there have been 203 homicides in New Orleans this year, according to the nonprofit Metropolitan Crime Commission, an increase of 142% over 2019 and a 46% increase over 2021. Carjackings are up 12% over last year, the organization said.
Meanwhile, the number of New Orleans police officers has dwindled to well under 1,000 people, down from more than 1,300 a few years ago. Officials said the $80 million program is aimed at recruiting 200 officers and could be expanded.
Montano said the much of the money for the changes will come from the city’s share of federal pandemic recovery dollars.
Cantrell and others acknowledged that the American Recovery Act dollars aren’t recurring revenue but stressed the need to address public safety and said they believe the city can cover the costs in future budgets as city revenue recovers from the pandemic.
Businessman John Casbon, a board member of a local foundation that supports police, stressed his support for the spending. “Economic development and public safety are handcuffed together,” he said. “You cannot have one without the other.”
Once known for corruption and scandals involving deadly force, the New Orleans department has been held up by national experts as a model of reform under the 2013 consent decree. But a federal judge overseeing the city’s reform efforts said last month that some of those reforms are endangered by the department’s dwindling manpower and resources.
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| 2022-09-21T03:14:27Z
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CANBERRA, Australia (AP) — Australia’s Parliament on Thursday enshrined in law the government’s elevated target of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 43% below 2005 levels by the end of the decade.
The Senate passed legislation supporting the target in a vote of 37 to 30 even though several senators who supported it wanted a more ambitious 2030 target.
The center-left Labor Party government officially committed Australia to the 43% target after it came to power for the first time in nine years at May elections. But entrenching it in law has made it more difficult for any future government to reduce the target.
Climate Change and Energy Minister Chris Bowen said the Senate vote provided certainty to clean energy investors while strengthening transparency and accountability in Australia’s carbon reduction processes.
“The message to investors is that Australia is open for business,” Bowen told Parliament.
The conservative opposition party voted against the bill. The opposition has advocated since 2015 a target of reducing emissions by between 26% and 28%.
Independent senator David Pocock insisted on several amendments touching on transparency and accountability before he supported the bill.
These were soon passed by the House of Representatives, where the government holds a majority. The government holds only 26 of the 76 Senate seats.
Greens party senators supported the 43% ambition although their proposed amendments to increase the target to at least 75% and ban future Australian coal and gas projects were defeated.
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| 2022-09-21T03:14:34Z
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BERLIN (AP) — United Nations chief Antonio Guterres has proposed a veteran Austrian diplomat to head the global body’s human rights office at a time when it is facing harsh criticism from China for accusing Beijing of abuses against Muslim minorities.
The proposal circulated to member states late Wednesday of Volker Tuerk, currently undersecretary-general for policy in Guterres’ office, needs to be approved by the U.N. General Assembly.
Tuerk, who spent many years working for the U.N. refugee agency, would succeed Michelle Bachelet of Chile as High Commissioner for Human Rights, based in Geneva.
Bachelet’s term ended in August with the release of a highly anticipated report on human rights in China’s western region of Xinjiang. The report accused Beijing of serious human rights violations against Uyghurs and other mostly Muslim ethnic groups that may amount to “crimes against humanity.”
China blasted the report, accusing the U.N. rights office of fabrication and allowing itself to be used by Western nations.
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| 2022-09-21T03:14:42Z
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NEW YORK (AP) — Former President Donald Trump’s longtime ally Steve Bannon pleaded not guilty Thursday to duping donors who gave money to build a wall on the U.S. southern border. The case, brought by New York prosecutors, is a state-level reboot of a federal case cut short last year by a presidential pardon.
Bannon, 68, was released after his arraignment on money laundering, conspiracy, fraud and other charges related to the “We Build the Wall” campaign. He is the second person pardoned by Trump and later charged by the Manhattan district attorney’s office for the same alleged conduct.
“It’s all nonsense. They will never shut me up,” Bannon said as he left court.
Manhattan prosecutors working in conjunction with the state attorney general’s office say that although Bannon promised all donations would go to constructing the wall, he was involved in transferring hundreds of thousands of dollars to third-party entities and used them to funnel payments to two other people involved in the scheme.
The indictment didn’t identify those people by name, but the details match those of Brian Kolfage and Andrew Badolato, who pleaded guilty to federal charges in April.
Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg said that after Bannon was pardoned, Manhattan prosecutors decided they had to hold him accountable because the alleged scheme ripped off hundreds of Manhattan residents. The top charge against Bannon carries a maximum sentence of five to 15 years in prison.
“The simple truth is: It is a crime to profit off the backs of donors by making false pretenses,” Bragg said at a news conference.
Bannon’s New York charges stem from the same alleged conduct as an attempted federal prosecution that ended abruptly, before trial, when Trump pardoned Bannon on his last day in office. Manhattan prosecutors also charged WeBuildTheWall, Inc., the nonprofit entity that Bannon and his former co-defendants used to solicit donations. The company pleaded not guilty Thursday.
Presidential pardons apply only to federal crimes, not state offenses. Last year, the Manhattan district attorney’s office charged Ken Kurson, a friend of Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner, with cyberstalking months after Trump pardoned him in a similar federal case. Like Bannon, Kurson was pardoned early in his federal case, before acquittal or conviction, negating any double jeopardy argument.
Arriving at the Manhattan district attorney’s office shortly after 9 a.m. Thursday, Bannon said it was “an irony” that New York City’s mayor has been objecting to busloads of migrants sent to the city from Texas while prosecutors “are persecuting people here, that try to stop them at the border.”
Bannon accused Bragg of pursuing “phony charges” against him, saying the Democratic prosecutor targeted him ahead of November’s midterm elections because he and his radio show are popular among Trump’s Republican supporters.
He claimed federal prosecutors had the same intent when he was first charged in August of 2020 ahead of the presidential election.
But New York Attorney General Letitia James said it was about holding “powerful political interests” to account.
“They think they are above the law. And the most egregious of them take advantage of hardworking Americans in the process. Steve Bannon stands out as a perfect example of this blatant inequality,” said James, a Democrat.
In 2020, federal agents pulled Bannon from a luxury yacht off the Connecticut coast and arrested him on charges he pocketed more than $1 million in donations to the wall-building effort. In all, more than $25 million was raised, prosecutors said.
In that case, federal prosecutors alleged Bannon and his co-defendants capitalized on public fervor over border security — a pillar of Trump’s presidential campaign — and tricked thousands of people into thinking 100% of their donations would go to building a wall along the 1,933-mile (3,110-kilometer) U.S.-Mexico line.
Instead, according to federal prosecutors, Bannon used some of the money to pay personal expenses for himself and a secret salary to Kolfage, a “We Build the Wall” co-founder.
“All the money you give goes to building the wall,” Bannon told donors at a June 2019 fundraising event, according to the New York indictment unsealed Thursday. Kolfage, who is not charged in the state case, repeatedly pledged: “I won’t take a penny from these donations, not a penny,” the indictment said.
Charitable organizations are allowed to pay their executives, sometimes handsomely, but must disclose that compensation in documents available to the public.
Bannon, who had pleaded not guilty to the federal charges, was dropped from the federal case when Trump pardoned him.
Kolfage, a U.S. Air Force veteran who lost both legs in a mortar attack in Iraq, and Badolato, a Florida financier, had been scheduled to be sentenced this week, but that was recently postponed to December. A third defendant’s trial ended in a mistrial in June after jurors said they could not reach a unanimous verdict.
In another case not covered by Trump’s pardon, Bannon was convicted in July on contempt charges for defying a congressional subpoena from the House committee investigating the Jan. 6 insurrection at the U.S. Capitol. He is scheduled to be sentenced in October and faces up to two years in federal prison.
A voice of nationalist, outsider conservatism, Bannon led the conservative Breitbart News before becoming chief executive officer of Trump’s 2016 campaign in its critical final months. As the president’s chief strategist, he was at the forefront of many of the administration’s most contentious policies, including its travel ban on several majority-Muslim countries, but was pushed out after less than a year.
___
Associated Press writer Jennifer Peltz contributed. Follow Michael Sisak on Twitter at twitter.com/mikesisak. Send confidential tips by visiting https://www.ap.org/tips/.
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KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Underscoring determined U.S. support, Secretary of State Antony Blinken paid an unannounced visit to Kyiv on Thursday and the Biden administration ramped up military aid by more than $2.8 billion to Ukraine and other European countries threatened by Russia.
The new assistance came as the U.S. sought to boost momentum in Ukraine’s counteroffensive against Russia — and amid fears that public support is waning as the war drags on. President Joe Biden, Blinken and Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin all participated in meetings aimed at showing U.S. resolve to stand behind Ukraine.
In Kyiv, Blinken said the administration would provide $2.2 billion in long-term military financing to Ukraine and 18 of its neighbors “potentially at risk of future Russian aggression.” That’s on top of a $675 million package of heavy weaponry, ammunition and armored vehicles for Ukraine alone, announced by Austin and Gen. Mark Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, earlier in the day.
“I thought it was particularly meaningful (to visit) at this time as Ukraine is starting this counteroffensive in the south, also in the east,” Blinken told reporters in Kyiv before boarding a train for Poland after meeting Ukrainian President Volodomyr Zelenskyy and his top aides.
“It’s early days, but we’re seeing real effectiveness on the ground, and we’re proud of the fact that our support, the support of so many other countries, is helping to enable what the Ukrainians are doing and working to liberate territory seized by Russia in this aggression,” Blinken said.
He told Zelenskyy when they met, “We know this is a pivotal moment, more than six months into Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine, as your counteroffensive is now underway and proving effective.”
Zelenskyy replied, “We are grateful for the signal, for this enormous support that you’re providing on a day-to-day basis.”
The new funding and military weapons are designed to provide enduring training and support for what Gen. Milley called a “very deliberate” counteroffensive that Ukrainian troops have launched.
Meeting virtually, Biden and the leaders of major U.S. allies all emphasized their countries’ strong support “for Ukraine as it defends itself from Russian aggression,” according to a White House readout.
“Russia’s weaponization of energy” and what to do about it — a major concern for this winter in Europe — was also discussed, said press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre. Those on the call included the leaders of Germany, Italy, the United Kingdom, Poland, Romania, NATO, Canada and Japan and representatives from France and the European Union.
Austin and Milley announced the package of heavy weaponry, ammunition and armored vehicles for Ukraine alone at a conference in Ramstein, Germany.
“We are seeing real and measurable gains from Ukraine in the use of these systems,” said Milley. He said Russia is suffering significant equipment and troop losses. But, he added, “The war is not over. Russia is a big country. They have very serious ambitions with respect to Ukraine. So sustainment of Ukraine to continue their fight for their survival will be necessary.”
The $2.2 billion in so-called Foreign Military Financing has already been appropriated by Congress, but lawmakers, some of whom have expressed concerns about the massive amounts of money going to Ukraine, must still approve the actual allotments. Just two weeks ago, the administration had announced a $3 billion package of support for Ukraine.
About $1 billion of the total will go to Ukraine and the rest will be divided among Albania, Bosnia, Bulgaria, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Georgia, Greece, Kosovo, Latvia, Lithuania, Moldova, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Poland, Romania, Slovakia and Slovenia, the State Department said.
It will help those countries “deter and defend against emergent threats to their sovereignty and territorial integrity” by enhancing their military integration with NATO and countering “Russian influence and aggression,” the department said.
Asked about continued congressional support for the massive aid packages, Austin said the administration will provide its rationale to lawmakers, and “I fully expect that it will continue to receive broad bipartisan support because our leaders recognize how important this is.”
Foreign Military Financing allows recipients to purchase U.S.-made equipment, often depending on their specific needs.
The package for Ukraine includes howitzers, artillery munitions, Humvees, armored ambulances, anti-tank systems and more to assist the country with its shorter-term needs as it presses its counteroffensive.
“The capabilities we are delivering are carefully calibrated to make the most difference on the battlefield,” Blinken said.
He will visit NATO headquarters in Brussels on Friday to further emphasize coordinated support. And Austin announced the U.S. will convene a meeting of international senior leaders to discuss how their defense industrial bases can best equip Ukraine’s forces into the future.
“The war is at another key moment,” Austin said. “Now we’re seeing the demonstrable success of our common efforts on the battlefield,” he said at a meeting of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group, which was attended by NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg and Ukraine’s defense minister as well as officials from allied countries.
Germany and the Netherlands will provide training in de-mining to Ukrainian soldiers as well as de-mining equipment, the countries’ defense ministers said on the sidelines of the meeting with Austin. The training will be carried out in Germany. The two countries previously joined forces to send howitzers.
Thursday’s contributions bring total U.S. aid to Ukraine to $15.2 billion since Biden took office.
Fighting between Ukraine and Russia has intensified in recent days, with Ukrainian forces mounting a counteroffensive to retake Russian-held areas.
Ukrainian forces in the northeastern Kharkiv region have retaken portions of Russian-held territory as efforts in the south have drained some of Moscow’s resources in the area, according to a report from the Washington-based think tank Institute for the Study of War.
Meanwhile, shelling continued near Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, Europe’s largest, with the warring sides again trading blame amid dire warnings from the U.N. atomic watchdog, which has urged the creation of a safe zone to prevent a catastrophe.
Separately, on Wednesday, the U.S. accused Moscow of interrogating, detaining and forcibly deporting hundreds of thousands of Ukrainians to Russia. Russian officials rejected the claim as “fantasy.”
Before leaving Ukraine, Blinken visited the devastated city of Irpin outside Kyiv where he toured damage caused by Russian forces during their 25-day occupation. He was told there that Ukrainian investigators have 30,000 open cases related to war crimes.
“There has to be accountability for those who committed atrocities” he said.
Before meeting Zelenskyy and Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba, Blinken made a short stop at the U.S. Embassy and then the National Specialized Children’s Hospital Ohmatdyt, where he saw boys and girls injured during Russian bombardments, including Maryna, a 6-year-old from the city of Kherson who lost a leg after a rocket struck her house.
In the hospital lobby, Blinken also met Patron, a Jack Russell terrier that has helped Ukraine’s military find more than 200 mines laid by Russian forces. Blinken knelt down, petted the dog and presented him with treats, saying he was “world famous.”
In one ward, Blinken brought a basket of stuffed animals, which the children quickly dangled in front of Patron to get his attention.
Blinken told parents that “the spirit of your children sends a very strong message around the world.”
___
AP Diplomatic Writer Matthew Lee reported from Rzeszow, Poland. Lolita C. Baldor contributed from Washington.
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| 2022-09-21T03:14:58Z
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LOS ANGELES (AP) — California avoided rolling outages during extreme heat, as operators of the state’s electricity grid continued to warn that unprecedented demand on energy supplies could force them to periodically cut power to some customers.
The California Independent System Operator on Wednesday thanked residents and businesses for heeding another “flex alert,” a request to reduce electricity consumption during peak evening hours.
“With your help, we made it through another day without rotating #poweroutages,” Cal-ISO said on Twitter. Another flex alert was issued for Thursday from 3 p.m. to 10 p.m. as temperatures were expected to spike again.
Targeted blackouts were avoided a day after miscommunication led utilities to mistakenly cut power to customers in several California cities.
The confusion occurred Tuesday afternoon between a dispatcher at the Northern California Power Agency, which owns and operates power generating facilities for 16 members including a dozen cities, and the California Independent System Operator as the grid it manages was perilously close to running out of energy amid record-breaking temperatures.
“That is certainly concerning to me,” Elliot Mainzer, president and CEO of Cal-ISO, said Wednesday. “There was a lot happening on the grid for everybody last night. And so we’ll double down on the communication to make sure that doesn’t happen again.”
With record demand on power supplies across the West, California snapped its record energy use around 5 p.m. Tuesday with 52,061 megawatts, far above the previous high of 50,270 megawatts set July 24, 2006.
As residents and businesses cranked air-conditioning to escape withering heat across the West and solar power supplies began to wane, Cal-ISO issued a stage 3 energy emergency alert to prepare utilities to initiate outages if demand didn’t decrease. The state’s legal marijuana regulatory agency also urged businesses to turn off lights and reduce power or use backup generators.
The Northern California Power Agency said its dispatcher misinterpreted Cal-ISO’s order to prepare to cut power and immediately undertook the process to cut 46 megawatts — enough to serve about 35,000 customers — in the cities of Alameda, Lodi, Santa Clara, Palo Alto, Healdsburg, and Ukiah.
It wasn’t clear how many customers lost power, though the agency said no outage lasted more than an hour.
“Once the outages had been initiated, our dispatcher contacted (Cal-ISO) to inform them that the curtailment action had been undertaken, and was then notified there had been a misunderstanding of the initial order,” NCPA said.
With the state on the brink of outages, Gov. Gavin Newsom for the first time triggered a wireless emergency alert system at 5:45 p.m. Tuesday that sent messages to 27 million cellphones urging them to turn off or reduce non-essential power.
Within moments, there was a reduction of more than 2,000 megawatts, bringing the state “back from the edge,” Mainzer said.
“It took a very loud signal,” Mainzer said. “I think they now recognize that we’re not messing around. This is a real issue. And we need real response.”
Newsom, speaking Wednesday in Beverly Hills, said he had debated pushing that button for the past four to five days. He ultimately decided to test it and concluded it was a game- changer, though he’s reluctant to use it too often because he fears weakening its effectiveness. The emergency alert was not repeated Wednesday.
Western states are struggling through one of the hottest and longest September heat waves on record. Temperatures began soaring last week, and the National Weather Service warned that dangerous heat could continue through Friday, despite some slight moderation.
Nearly 54 million people were under heat warnings and advisories across the West as temperature records were shattered in many areas.
California’s state capital of Sacramento hit an all-time high Tuesday of 116 degrees (46.7 C), breaking a 97-year-old record. Salt Lake City tied its all-time high temperature Wednesday at 107 degrees (41.6 C). The heat wave was expected to last until Saturday.
Reno, which sits just across the Nevada line along the Sierra’s eastern front at an elevation of 4,500 feet (1,372 meters), topped the century mark for the ninth day in a row on Wednesday with its seventh consecutive daily record-high — reaching 104 degrees (40 C) after recording its hottest September day ever on Tuesday at 106 degrees (41.1 C), according to weather service records dating to 1893.
Scientists say climate change has made the West warmer and drier over the last three decades and will continue to make weather more extreme and wildfires more frequent and destructive. In the last five years, California has experienced the largest and most destructive fires in state history.
On the Northern Plains, the unusually late heat wave peaked Wednesday following a prolonged string of scorching days.
Along a main thoroughfare in downtown Billings, where the temperature set a daily record at 102 degrees (39 C), Gale Spotted Bear, native of the Blackfeet Reservation, sought shelter from the punishing heat in the shade of a vacant building.
“This year has been hotter than hell,” said Spotted Bear, adding that homeless people can be hit the hardest if they have nowhere to go. “It’s hard out here.”
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Associated Press writers Christopher Weber in Los Angeles; Michael R. Blood in Beverly Hills; Scott Sonner in Reno, Nevada; and Matthew Brown in Billings, Montana, contributed to this report.
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LONDON (AP) — After seven decades, the United Kingdom has a new woman to call queen.
Charles’ wife, Camilla, the Duchess of Cornwall, will be known as Queen Consort — a title that came with Queen Elizabeth II’s blessing after years of contention, dating back to the days before she even married Prince Charles.
It wasn’t always a given that the 75-year-old Camilla would take the title, even though it gives her none of the sovereign’s powers.
While the wife of a king is traditionally crowned queen, the question of what title Camilla would hold when Charles became king had been a tricky one for many years. That was due to sensitivity about her status as his second wife — and the wave of grief that washed over Britain following the death of his former wife, Princess Diana, in a car crash in 1997.
Charles and the royal household have moved carefully on the matter, mindful of lingering public perceptions of Camilla as the “third person” that ruined the marriage between Charles and the beloved princess.
But over the decades, Camilla has won over large parts of the British public with her discretion, down-to-earth personality and loyalty to her husband.
When Camilla and Charles married in a low-key civil ceremony in 2005, she was in fact the new Princess of Wales — Diana’s title — but she styled herself the Duchess of Cornwall instead.
Palace officials said for years that Camilla “intended” to be known as “Princess Consort” — instead of the traditional “Queen Consort” — when Charles acceded to the throne.
There is no precedent for the title Princess Consort, which was reportedly suggested by royal officials. The similar title of Prince Consort has only been used once — for Prince Albert, husband of Queen Victoria, who reigned from 1837 to 1901.
In a 2010 interview with NBC, Charles was asked if Camilla would become “Queen of England, if and when you become the monarch.” He hesitated as he replied, “That’s, well … We’ll see, won’t we? That could be.”
The question was resolved when Elizabeth declared she wanted Camilla to be known as Queen Consort after her son became king. It was an endorsement that formally signified the royal family’s acceptance of Camilla as a respected senior member and was widely seen as a move by Elizabeth to pave a smooth transition to Charles’ reign.
“When, in the fullness of time, my son Charles becomes king, I know you will give him and his wife, Camilla, the same support that you have given me; and it is my sincere wish that, when that time comes, Camilla will be known as Queen Consort as she continues her own loyal service,” Elizabeth said in February 2022, when she marked the 70th anniversary of her rule.
Charles said he and Camilla were “deeply conscious of the honor.”
“As we have sought together to serve and support Her Majesty and the people of our communities, my darling wife has been my own steadfast support throughout,” he said.
The most recent Queen Consort in British history was George VI’s wife Queen Elizabeth, known in later years as the Queen Mother after her daughter became monarch in 1952.
By custom, Camilla will be anointed at Charles’ coronation, although that could be omitted.
Born Camilla Rosemary Shand on July 17, 1947, she came from aristocrats with long and close links with Britain’s royal family. Her great-grandmother, Alice Keppel, was a romantic partner of King Edward VII.
She met Charles at a polo match in 1970 when she was 23 and he was considered to be the most eligible bachelor in Britain. The two immediately became close, and by the end of 1972, Charles was smitten. But the romance was interrupted by his eight months of naval duty.
In his absence, Camilla married her longtime boyfriend, army officer Andrew Parker Bowles, in 1973. The couple divorced in 1995, shortly after Charles gave an explosive television interview admitting an affair with Camilla. Charles and Diana divorced the next year.
Charles and Camilla waited another nine years, marrying in 2005 in a private ceremony at the Guildhall in Windsor.
Since then, Camilla has taken up dozens of royal duties. She is patron or president of more than 90 charities, and has shown particular interest in work on animals, promoting literacy and empowering women. She also has found her voice as a public speaker, earning respect by campaigning about difficult issues such as sexual violence against women and domestic abuse.
In 2021, she delivered what many called her landmark speech, urging “the men in our lives” to get involved in women’s rights and expressing sympathy for the families of women who are murdered.
The same year, Buckingham Palace underlined Camilla’s role as a senior royal by making her a Royal Lady of the Most Noble Order of the Garter, the most senior order of chivalry in Britain.
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KAMPI ya SAMAKI, Kenya (AP) — Winnie Keben had felt blessed to be raising her children in her husband’s childhood home in the community of Kampi ya Samaki – just over a quarter mile (500 meters) from the shoreline of Lake Baringo.
The vast freshwater lake buzzing with birds and aquatic life in the semi-arid volcanic region of Kenya’s Great Rift Valley had long been an oasis. It attracted fishers and international tourists to the community, about a five-hour drive from Nairobi.
But over the past decade Lake Baringo has doubled in size, due primarily to heavy rainfall tied to climate change, according to scientists, and its fast-rising waters are increasingly becoming a menace. The expanding lake has swallowed up homes and hotels and brought in crocodiles and hippos that have turned up on people’s doorsteps and in classrooms.
“It was not like this in the past,” Keben said. “People would move when the water moves, but it would go back soon enough.”
Keben had never imagined leaving.
Then the lake took away almost everything.
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EDITOR’S NOTE: This is part of an ongoing series exploring the lives of people around the world who have been forced to move because of rising seas, drought, searing temperatures and other things caused or exacerbated by climate change.
___
In her last moments in Kampi ya Samaki, Keben was washing off garden dirt in Lake Baringo’s refreshing waters. It had been a day of working her maize fields with her husband. Evening was falling. Her mind was on getting back to the house to make dinner.
Then something moved.
“No sooner had I bent down to wash my right leg, than I saw a crocodile pop up from the waters,” she said. “I screamed so loudly but unfortunately, I fell into the lake.”
The crocodile dragged her into deeper water as she tried to fight it off. Her husband ran from the fields toward her screams. But she was struggling to stay above the surface.
She managed to reach her hand above the water and wiggle her fingers, hoping her husband, now at the shore, would see them.
Laban Keben saw, jumped in and grabbed her but the ferocious animal held on. Laban tried again. And again. After his third attempt, his wife and the mother of their children lost consciousness, he said.
“I saw her dying, leaving me behind,” he said.
He thought of their daughter, barely six months old, and their two other children.
Not knowing what else to do, he started screaming for help. Another man ran over with a machete and struck at the crocodile, Laban said, and suddenly, it swam away, leaving Winnie’s limp body behind.
_____
Her leg was nothing but bones with hanging flesh, said Laban, who along with local residents carried Winnie past flooded roads to the nearest paved one where vehicles could get her to medical care. But at the hospital in the next town, doctors said they were not equipped to treat such a severe injury.
Two hospitals later, she feared she would not survive.
“I told my husband to pick up my children and to take them to my mum, as I knew I was not going to make it,” she said.
Doctors ended up amputating the leg to save her life. Her mom stayed by her bedside until she was discharged from the hospital.
The family was forced to sell their chickens, and goats to cover her medical costs.
But while she was healing, an incessant rain continued to fall. The lake took still more from the Kebens. It flooded their home and farmland.
_____
They left their community, the final loss.
A resident from another village, Meisori, learned of their ordeal and offered to take them in, a gesture of kindness for which she is grateful.
But leaving Kampi ya Samaki, where her husband and children were born, still hurts.
“I loved my place very much, as I could do farming with my husband and raise money for food and school fees,” Winnie said.
With only one leg, Winnie said she no longer can farm. Her husband earns a meager living digging pit latrines and working at area farms to support their growing family. She gave birth to her sixth child last month.
“Now we are land beggars,” she said.
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Baringo is one of ten lakes in Kenya’s Rift Valley that have been expanding over the past decade. The entire Eastern African rift system, which stretches south to Mozambique, and the Western Rift – all the way to Uganda – are also affected. The rainfed waters have submerged villages and islands and brought the fierce Nile crocodiles face-to-face with residents.
The rising lake waters have displaced more than 75,000 households, according to a 2021 report on the expanding lakes by Kenya’s Ministry of the Environment and Forestry and the United Nations Development Program.
Flooding around Lake Baringo has been among the most severe, according to the report, with more than 3,000 households destroyed.
Lake Baringo remains an important source of freshwater for villagers, livestock, fisheries, and wildlife. But scientists fear it could someday merge with a large salt lake not far away, the also-expanding Lake Bogoria, contaminating the freshwater.
Keben remembers when the shoreline was a short walk from their home and the hippos and crocodiles stayed deep inside the lake.
“They never attacked people or animals,” Keben said. “Today they attack everything.”
Keben, 28, is still haunted by her attack a decade ago. She has not returned to her family’s village — even for a brief visit — and with good reason. The risks of such attacks have only increased: Since she left, more crocodiles and hippos have turned up in Kampi ya Samaki.
It’s not rare now to see village children scarred by sharp teeth marks.
Others, like Keben, have lost limbs, and an unknown number have died.
A 10-year-old boy was recently dragged off by a hippo and has not been found.
Keben said she doesn’t plan to ever return to Kampi ya Samaki. Though she longs for the community.
“That is the place I called home,” she said, her voice still filled with pain.
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Watson reported from San Diego.
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Associated Press climate and environmental coverage receives support from several private foundations. See more about AP’s climate initiative here. The AP is solely responsible for all content.
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LONDON (AP) — Queen Elizabeth II, Britain’s longest-reigning monarch and a symbol of stability in a turbulent era that saw the decline of the British empire and disarray in her own family, died Thursday after 70 years on the throne. She was 96.
The palace announced she died at Balmoral Castle, her summer residence in Scotland, where members of the royal family had rushed to her side after her health took a turn for the worse.
A link to the almost-vanished generation that fought World War II, she was the only monarch most Britons have ever known.
Her 73-year-old son Prince Charles automatically became king and will be known as King Charles III, it was announced. British monarchs in the past have selected new names upon taking the throne. Charles’ second wife, Camilla, will be known as the Queen Consort.
A funeral was to be held after 10 days of official mourning.
The BBC played the national anthem, “God Save the Queen,” over a portrait of Elizabeth in full regalia as her death was announced, and the flag over Buckingham Palace was lowered to half-staff as the second Elizabethan age came to a close.
The impact of her loss will be huge and unpredictable, both for the nation and for the monarchy, an institution she helped stabilize and modernize across decades of enormous social change and family scandals, but whose relevance in the 21st century has often been called into question.
The public’s abiding affection for the queen has helped sustain support for the monarchy during the scandals. Charles is nowhere near as popular.
In a statement, Charles called his mother’s death “a moment of the greatest sadness for me and all members of my family,” adding: “I know her loss will be deeply felt throughout the country, the Realms and the Commonwealth, and by countless people around the world.”
The changing of the guard comes at a fraught moment for Britain, which has a brand-new prime minister and is grappling with an energy crisis, double-digit inflation, the war in Ukraine and the fallout from Brexit.
Prime Minister Liz Truss, appointed by the queen just 48 hours earlier, pronounced the country “devastated” and called Elizabeth “the rock on which modern Britain was built.”
British subjects outside Buckingham Palace wept when officials carried a notice confirming the queen’s death to the wrought-iron gates of the queen’s London home. Hundreds soon gathered in the rain, and mourners laid dozens of colorful bouquets at the gates.
“As a young person, this is a really huge moment,” said Romy McCarthy, 20. “It marks the end of an era, particularly as a woman. We had a woman who was in power as someone to look up to.”
World leaders extended condolences and paid tribute to the queen.
In Canada, where the British monarch is the country’s head of state, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s eyes were red with emotion as he saluted her “wisdom, compassion and warmth.” In India, once the “jewel in the crown” of the British empire, Prime Minister Narendra Modi tweeted: “She personified dignity and decency in public life. Pained by her demise.”
U.S. President Joe Biden called her a “stateswoman of unmatched dignity and constancy who deepened the bedrock alliance between the United Kingdom and the United States.”
Since Feb. 6, 1952, Elizabeth reigned over a Britain that rebuilt from a destructive and financially exhausting war and lost its empire; joined the European Union and then left it; and made the painful transition into the 21st century.
She endured through 15 prime ministers, from Winston Churchill to Truss, becoming an institution and an icon — a reassuring presence even for those who ignored or loathed the monarchy.
She became less visible in her final years as age and frailty curtailed many public appearances. But she remained firmly in control of the monarchy and at the center of national life as Britain celebrated her Platinum Jubilee with days of parties and pageants in June.
That same month she became the second longest-reigning monarch in history, behind 17th-century French King Louis XIV, who took the throne at age 4. On Tuesday, she presided at a ceremony at Balmoral Castle to accept the resignation of Boris Johnson as prime minister and appoint Truss as his successor.
When Elizabeth was 21, almost five years before she became queen, she promised the people of Britain and the Commonwealth that “my whole life, whether it be long or short, shall be devoted to your service.”
It was a promise she kept across more than seven decades.
Despite Britain’s complex and often fraught ties with its former colonies, Elizabeth was widely respected and remained head of state of more than a dozen countries, from Canada to Tuvalu. She headed the 54-nation Commonwealth, built around Britain and its former colonies.
Married for more than 73 years to Prince Philip, who died in 2021 at age 99, Elizabeth was matriarch to a royal family whose troubles were a subject of global fascination — amplified by fictionalized accounts such as the TV series “The Crown.” She is survived by four children, eight grandchildren and 12 great-grandchildren.
Through countless public events, she probably met more people than anyone in history. Her image, which adorned stamps, coins and banknotes, was among the most reproduced in the world.
But her inner life and opinions remained mostly an enigma. Of her personality, the public saw relatively little. A horse owner, she rarely seemed happier than during the Royal Ascot racing week. She never tired of the companionship of her beloved Welsh corgi dogs.
Elizabeth Alexandra Mary Windsor was born in London on April 21, 1926, the first child of the Duke and Duchess of York. She was not born to be queen — her father’s elder brother, Prince Edward, was destined for the crown, to be followed by any children he had.
But in 1936, when she was 10, Edward VIII abdicated to marry twice-divorced American Wallis Simpson, and Elizabeth’s father became King George VI.
Princess Margaret recalled asking her sister whether this meant that Elizabeth would one day be queen. “Yes, I suppose it does,” Margaret quoted Elizabeth as saying. “She didn’t mention it again.”
Elizabeth was barely in her teens when Britain went to war with Germany in 1939. While the king and queen stayed at Buckingham Palace during the Blitz and toured the bombed-out neighborhoods of London, Elizabeth and Margaret spent most of the war at Windsor Castle, west of the capital. Even there, 300 bombs fell in an adjacent park, and the princesses spent many nights in an underground shelter.
She made her first public broadcast in 1940 when she was 14, sending a wartime message to children evacuated to the countryside or overseas.
“We children at home are full of cheerfulness and courage,” she said with a blend of stoicism and hope that would echo throughout her reign. “We are trying to do all we can to help out gallant soldiers, sailors and airmen. And we are trying, too, to bear our own share of the danger and sadness of war. We know, every one of us, that in the end all will be well.”
In 1945, after months of campaigning for her parents’ permission to do something for the war effort, the heir to the throne became Second Subaltern Elizabeth Alexandra Mary Windsor in the Auxiliary Territorial Service. She enthusiastically learned to drive and service heavy vehicles.
On the night the war ended in Europe, May 8, 1945, she and Margaret managed to mingle, unrecognized, with celebrating crowds in London — “swept along on a tide of happiness and relief,” as she told the BBC decades later, describing it as “one of the most memorable nights of my life.”
At Westminster Abbey in November 1947 she married Royal Navy officer Philip Mountbatten, a prince of Greece and Denmark whom she had first met in 1939 when she was 13 and he 18. Postwar Britain was experiencing austerity and rationing, and so street decorations were limited and no public holiday was declared. But the bride was allowed 100 extra ration coupons for her trousseau.
The couple lived for a time in Malta, where Philip was stationed, and Elizabeth enjoyed an almost-normal life as a navy wife. The first of their four children, Prince Charles, was born in 1948. He was followed by Princess Anne in 1950, Prince Andrew in 1960, and Prince Edward in 1964.
In 1952, George VI died at 56 after years of ill health. Elizabeth, on a visit to Kenya, was told that she was now queen.
Her private secretary, Martin Charteris, later recalled finding the new monarch at her desk, “sitting erect, no tears, color up a little, fully accepting her destiny.”
“In a way, I didn’t have an apprenticeship,” Elizabeth reflected in a BBC documentary in 1992 that opened a rare view into her emotions. “My father died much too young, and so it was all a very sudden kind of taking on, and making the best job you can.”
Her coronation took place more than a year later, a grand spectacle at Westminster Abbey viewed by millions through the still-new medium of television.
Prime Minister Winston Churchill’s first reaction to the king’s death was to complain that the new queen was “only a child,” but he was won over within days and eventually became an ardent admirer.
In Britain’s constitutional monarchy, the queen is head of state but has little direct power; in her official actions she does what the government orders. However, she was not without influence. The queen, officially the head of the Church of England, once reportedly commented that there was nothing she could do legally to block the appointment of a bishop, “but I can always say that I should like more information. That is an indication that the prime minister will not miss.”
The extent of the monarch’s political influence occasionally sparked speculation — but not much criticism while Elizabeth was alive. The views of Charles, who has expressed strong opinions on everything from architecture to the environment, might prove more contentious.
She was obliged to meet weekly with the prime minister, and they generally found her well-informed, inquisitive and up to date. The one possible exception was Margaret Thatcher, with whom her relations were said to be cool, if not frosty, though neither woman ever commented.
The queen’s views in those private meetings became a subject of intense speculation and fertile ground for dramatists like Peter Morgan, author of the play “The Audience” and the hit TV series “The Crown.” Those semi-fictionalized accounts were the product of an era of declining deference and rising celebrity, when the royal family’s troubles became public property.
And there were plenty of troubles within the family, an institution known as “The Firm.” In Elizabeth’s first years on the throne, Princess Margaret provoked a national controversy through her romance with a divorced man.
In what the queen called the “annus horribilis” of 1992, her daughter, Princess Anne, was divorced, Prince Charles and Princess Diana separated, and so did her son Prince Andrew and his wife, Sarah. That was also the year Windsor Castle, a residence she far preferred to Buckingham Palace, was seriously damaged by fire.
The public split of Charles and Diana — “There were three of us in that marriage,” Diana said of her husband’s relationship with Camilla Parker Bowles — was followed by the shock of Diana’s death in a Paris car crash in 1997. For once, the queen appeared out of step with her people.
Amid unprecedented public mourning, Elizabeth’s failure to make a public show of grief appeared to many to be unfeeling. After several days, she finally made a televised address to the nation.
The dent in her popularity was brief. She was by now a sort of national grandmother, with a stern gaze and a twinkling smile.
Despite being one of the world’s wealthiest people, Elizabeth had a reputation for frugality and common sense. She turned off lights in empty rooms, and didn’t flinch from strangling pheasants.
A newspaper reporter who went undercover to work as a palace footman reinforced that down-to-earth image, capturing pictures of the royal Tupperware on the breakfast table and a rubber duck in the bath.
Her sangfroid was not dented when a young man aimed a pistol at her and fired six blanks as she rode by on a horse in 1981, nor when she discovered a disturbed intruder sitting on her bed in Buckingham Palace in 1982.
The image of the queen as an exemplar of ordinary British decency was satirized by the magazine Private Eye, which called her Brenda, apparently because it sounded working-class. Anti-monarchists dubbed her “Mrs. Windsor.” But the republican cause gained limited traction while the queen was alive.
On her Golden Jubilee in 2002, she said the country could “look back with measured pride on the history of the last 50 years.”
“It has been a pretty remarkable 50 years by any standards,” she said in a speech. “There have been ups and downs, but anyone who can remember what things were like after those six long years of war appreciates what immense changes have been achieved since then.”
A reassuring presence at home, she was also an emblem of Britain abroad — a form of soft power, consistently respected whatever the vagaries of the country’s political leaders on the world stage. It felt only fitting that she attended the opening of the 2012 London Olympics alongside another icon, James Bond. Through some movie magic, she appeared to parachute into the Olympic Stadium.
In 2015, she overtook her great-great-grandmother Queen Victoria’s reign of 63 years, seven months and two days to become the longest-serving monarch in British history. She kept working into her 10th decade, though Prince Charles and his elder son, Prince William, increasingly took over the visits, ribbon-cuttings and investitures that form the bulk of royal duties.
The loss of Philip in 2021 was a heavy blow, as she poignantly sat alone at his funeral in the chapel at Windsor Castle because of coronavirus restrictions.
And the family troubles continued. Her son Prince Andrew was entangled in the sordid tale of sex offender businessman Jeffrey Epstein, an American businessman who had been a friend. Andrew denied accusations that he had sex with one of the women who said she was trafficked by Epstein.
The queen’s grandson Prince Harry walked away from Britain and his royal duties after marrying American TV actress Meghan Markle, who is biracial, in 2018. He alleged in an interview that some in the family -– but pointedly not the queen -– had been less than welcoming to his wife.
She enjoyed robust health well into her 90s, although she used a cane in an appearance after Philip’s death. Months ago, she told guests at a reception “as you can see, I can’t move.” The palace, tight-lipped about details, said the queen was experiencing “episodic mobility issues.”
She held virtual meetings with diplomats and politicians from Windsor Castle, but public appearances grew rarer.
Meanwhile, she took steps to prepare for the transition to come. In February, the queen announced that she wanted Camilla to be known as “Queen Consort” when “in the fullness of time” her son became king. It removed a question mark over the role of the woman some blamed for the breakup of Charles’ marriage to Princess Diana in the 1990s.
May brought another symbolic moment, when she asked Charles to stand in for her and read the Queen’s Speech at the State Opening of Parliament, one of the monarch’s most central constitutional duties.
Seven decades after World War II, Elizabeth was again at the center of the national mood amid the uncertainty and loss of COVID 19 — a disease she came through herself in February.
In April 2020 — with the country in lockdown and Prime Minister Boris Johnson hospitalized with the virus — she made a rare video address, urging people to stick together.
She summoned the spirit of World War II, that vital time in her life, and the nation’s, by echoing Vera Lynn’s wartime anthem “We’ll Meet Again.”
“We should take comfort that while we may have more still to endure, better days will return. We will be with our friends again. We will be with our families again. We will meet again,” she said.
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The late Associated Press writers Gregory Katz and Robert Barr contributed material to this report.
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Follow AP coverage of Queen Elizabeth II at https://apnews.com/hub/queen-elizabeth-ii
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CAIRO (AP) — Egypt’s prosecutors have charged four journalists from one of the country’s few remaining independent news outlets of spreading false news and disturbing public peace, the news website said in a statement.
Mada Masr said late Wednesday that the journalists were released on bail following their interrogation. At issue is an article saying that senior members of a pro-government political party were implicated in a corruption case.
Mada Masr Editor-in-Chief Lina Attalah and the three female authors of the article — Rana Mamdouh, Sara Seif Eddin and Beesan Kassab — also were charged with slander and defamation of Nation’s Future Party members, according to the outlet’s statement.
After Wednesday’s interrogation, Attalah was charged with running an unlicensed news website. The outlet has said in previous statements that it has applied for a license but did not receive a response.
Bail for Atallah was set at LE20,000 ($1,052) and at LE5,000 ($263) for the three other journalists, according to Mada Masr statement.
An Egyptian government media officer did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the new charges filed against the journalists.
Media are required to have permission to work in Egypt, but that requirement is often used as a pretext to silence reporting the state sees as critical.
Mada Masr is one of hundreds of websites blocked by the Egyptian government in recent years, but it has continued to publish independent investigative pieces through other sites. Such stories are not produced by other Egyptian media. Nearly all newspapers and television channels are closely aligned with the government or the military.
Egyptian authorities have previously targeted Mada Masr journalists. In 2020, Attalah was arrested outside Cairo’s Tora prison complex while interviewing the mother of prominent jailed activist Alaa Abdel Fattah. She was released later.
In 2019, security forces raided the news site’s office, seized laptops and phones and detained three staff members, including the editor. All three were later released.
In recent years, Egypt has imprisoned dozens of reporters and occasionally expelled some foreign journalists.
It remains among the world’s worst jailers of journalists, along with Turkey and China, according to 2021 data gathered by the U.S.-based Committee to Protect Journalists.
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COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — South Carolina senators rejected a ban on almost all abortions Thursday in a special session called in the aftermath of the U.S. Supreme Court decision overturning Roe v. Wade after five Republicans, including all the chamber’s women, refused to support it.
The 30 Republicans in the 46-member chamber had a majority to pass the ban, but did not have the extra votes to end a threatened filibuster by Republican Sen. Tom Davis.
Davis, the chief of staff for former Gov. Mark Sanford before being elected to the Senate in 2009, was joined by the three Republican women in the Senate, a fifth GOP colleague and all Democratic senators to oppose the proposed ban.
Davis said he promised his daughters he would not vote to make South Carolina’s current six-week abortion ban stricter because women have rights, too.
“The moment we become pregnant we lost all control over what goes on with our bodies,” Davis said, recalling what his daughters told him. “I’m here to tell you I’m not going to let it happen.
After a recess to work through their options, Senate Majority Leader Shane Massey conceded the abortion ban likely couldn’t pass.
“We were never going to pass a total abortion ban,” Massey said. “We never had the votes to pass even what the House passed.”
Senators did pass a few changes to the six-week ban, including cutting the time that victims of rape and incest who become pregnant can seek an abortion from 20 weeks to about 12 weeks and requiring that DNA from the aborted fetus be collected for police. The bill goes back to the House, which passed a ban with exceptions for rape or incest.
South Carolina’s six-week ban is currently suspended as the state Supreme Court reviews whether it violates privacy rights. In the meantime, the state’s 2016 ban on abortions 20 weeks after conception is in effect.
South Carolina’s General Assembly was meeting in a special session to try to join more than a dozen other states with abortion bans.
Most of them came through so-called trigger laws designed to outlaw most abortions when the U.S. Supreme Court threw out the constitutional right to end a pregnancy in June. Indiana’s Legislature passed a new ban last month that has not taken effect.
The debate started Wednesday with the three Republican women in the South Carolina Senate speaking back to back, saying they couldn’t support the bill unless the rape or incest exceptions were restored.
Sen. Katrina Shealy said the 41 men in the Senate would be better off listening to their wives, daughters, mothers, granddaughters and looking at the faces of the girls in Sunday School classes at their churches.
“You want to believe that God is wanting you to push a bill through with no exceptions that kill mothers and ruins the lives of children — lets mothers bring home babies to bury them — then I think you’re miscommunicating with God. Or maybe you aren’t communicating with Him at all,” Shealy said before senators added a proposal allowing abortions if a fetus cannot survive outside the womb.
Massey helped broker the compromise among Republicans that briefly returned the exceptions to the bill. He pointed out state health officials recorded about 3,000 abortions in 2021 within the first six weeks of a pregnancy.
“Heartbeat is great, but this I think is better,” Massey said. ”I don’t think abortion should be used as birth control.”
Senate Minority Leader Brad Hutto said Republican women stood up for all women in South Carolina, while Republican men let them down. He said Democrats didn’t want any changes to current laws.
“There may be a sentiment that this is the same as what we already had. It’s not. It’s worse in many regards,” Hutto said.
Republican Gov. Henry McMaster, who has said before he would be happy if there were no abortions in the state, thought the Senate version struck an appropriate balance, governor’s spokesman Brian Symmes said
“It is the governor’s hope that the House and Senate will soon come to an agreement and send a bill to his desk for signature,” Symmes said.
Republican Sen. Sandy Senn, who didn’t vote for the six-week ban in 2021, said a total ban would be an invasion of the privacy against every woman in the state.
“If what is going on in my vagina isn’t an unreasonable invasion of privacy for this legislature to get involved in, I don’t know what is,” Senn said.
___
Associated Press writer James Pollard contributed to this report.
___
Follow Jeffrey Collins on Twitter at https://twitter.com/JSCollinsAP.
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BEIRUT (AP) — A bomb detonated outside of a Hezbollah-backed Lebanese minister’s home on Thursday in the eastern Bekaa valley.
The press office of caretaker Public Works Minister Ali Hamieh said in a statement that the explosive wrapped in electrical wires was detonated in his garden outside his home in the village of Taraya.
The statement did not report any casualties or further details.
Hamieh’s spokesperson did not immediately reply to The Associated Press’ inquiry about the incident.
Security forces are currently investigating the matter.
Crime rates are usually higher in the eastern Bekaa valley than in other parts of Lebanon. Violent crime has soared across the crisis-hit country as it continues to suffer from an economic crisis that has plunged three-quarters of its population into poverty.
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CHARLESTON, W.Va. (AP) — Jason Arnie Owens helped carry his father’s casket to the hearse, then turned to embrace a relative. He never made it to the cemetery.
As mourners gathered outside a northern West Virginia funeral home on Aug. 24, two plainclothes officers with a fugitive warrant swooped in from separate vehicles, called Owens’ name and shot him dead, spattering his 18-year-old son’s shirt with blood as horrified loved ones looked.
“There was no warning whatsoever,” family friend Cassandra Whitecotton said.
In the blink of an eye, stunned friends and family already mourning one member lost another. Now, they want answers — not just why Owens was shot but why the encounter happened the way it did.
Law enforcement officials aren’t explaining much right now, citing an ongoing investigation. Owens, 37, was wanted on a fugitive warrant, but the U.S. Marshals Service hasn’t said what it was for. The agency also said in a statement that he had a gun when members of a fugitive task force approached. Multiple witnesses contend that’s not true.
Whitecotton and others who stood just feet away said Owens was unarmed, had been hugging his aunt, Evelyn O’Dell, and was fired on immediately after his name was called. Witnesses also dispute the U.S. Marshals’ assertion that first aid was performed right away, before emergency medical services arrived.
“They yelled Jason’s name. They just said ‘Jason’ and then started firing,” Whitecotton said. “There was no identifications they were U.S. Marshals — anything. They did not render this man any aid at all. Never once they touched him to render any aid whatsoever.”
As relatives prepared for services Friday for Owens, a state police investigation of the shooting was underway. But patience in the community is wearing thin.
Relatives and supporters protested outside the Harrison County Courthouse last week, accusing law enforcement authorities of overreach in the death of Owens, who was white. A Facebook page called Justice for Jason Owens has swelled to about 800 members — more than half of the population of Nutter Fort, where Owens was killed.
Underlying the unanswered questions is whether some boundary of decency had been crossed in arresting a man in the midst of burying his father.
“If they’ve been searching for someone and they finally figure out where they are, they’re going to get them,” said Tracy L. Hahn, a Columbus, Ohio-based security consultant who retired after 32 years in law enforcement, including as deputy police chief at Ohio State University.
Hahn said she knows agencies that have gone to funerals but have waited until afterward to approach the person.
“There must be some extenuating circumstance that they felt the urgency to arrest him then instead of waiting, if there was some risk factor, an escape risk or something like that,” Hahn said.
Family members aren’t so sure. They say it only adds to their sense of disrespect that the agencies involved feel no obligation to address their questions.
“We want to know why you would do this in front of his family,” said Owens’ cousin, Mandy Swiger. “And what gives you the right to do that to an unarmed man?”
Acting U.S. Marshal Terry Moore said he couldn’t answer questions during the investigation and messages left with state police weren’t returned.
It’s not clear whether video exists from police bodycams, a police vehicle dashboard or the funeral home itself. Unlike major cities where detailed incident reports and video footage are released after fatal police shootings — sometimes within hours — that rarely happens in West Virginia.
West Virginia law exempts police from having to release video footage during an investigation. And the U.S. Marshals Service office said it did not write a detailed incident report about the shooting, referring to the news release that withheld Owens’ name and other details.
Owens had been in trouble with the law before. He was sentenced in 2018 to three to 13 years in prison for fleeing a Harrison County sheriff’s deputy and trying to strangle him during a scuffle. He was released on parole in April 2021.
But Swiger said he committed a parole violation “for not checking in just once. And that’s why he promised his mom after the funeral he would turn himself in.”
Whitecotton said she was smoking a cigarette after the service when an SUV came flying down the side street where the hearse would pull out.
“It about hit me, so I jumped back up on the curb and kind of looked at him like, ‘What’s your problem?’” she said. A man in shorts and a T-shirt jumped out, leaving his door open.
Swiger said a white truck with another plainclothes officer inside almost hit her mother’s vehicle as the truck sped into the parking lot. Swiger said Owens was shot from different directions and estimated as many as 40 people were in the area. She, too, said she didn’t see a gun in Owens’ hands.
Some mourners instinctively rushed toward Owens after he fell to the ground, Swiger said, but were told by one of the officers, “You step back or I’ll shoot you.”
Whitecotton said she has lived in much larger cities such as Houston, Dallas and Fort Worth.
“Never in my life have I dealt with anything like this,” she said. “I would expect it there, honestly. But not here.”
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JUBA, South Sudan (AP) — Frantic civilians are drowning as they flee a new eruption in fighting in South Sudan and perhaps hundreds have died in the attacks, the United Nations said Thursday.
“Initial reports describe unimaginable scenes of Adidiang (town) set ablaze, humanitarian structures established as recent as two weeks ago destroyed and civilians fleeing the fighting by canoes and boats, leading to several people drowning,” the U.N. peacekeeping mission said in a statement.
South Sudan has struggled with violence between armed groups in the years since civil war ended in 2018. Thousands of people have been displaced since mid-August by fighting in and around the town of Tonga in Upper Nile state. On Wednesday, fighting broke out near Adidiang, where thousands of displaced people had taken refuge.
According to unconfirmed reports nearly 300 people have been killed in the attacks, the U.N. said.
“This kind of violence, in an area hosting displaced civilians, is unconscionable,” said the U.N. humanitarian coordinator for South Sudan, Sara Beysolow Nyanti.
According to an internal U.N. report seen by The Associated Press, the field office in the city of Malakal on Wednesday afternoon received a report that the White Army, an armed group, had attacked the camp for displaced people at Adidiang and fighting was ongoing. It was not clear what led to the attack.
“A rescue mission was immediately sent,” the U.N. report said.
But it said more than 100 people had drowned.
“All partners are engaged in a race against time to save those at risk of drowning in their haste to flee the violence,” the U.N.’s public statement said.
The Danish Refugee Council said it tried to reach the scene but could not.
“Yesterday, on the way to Adidiang to assess the situation and verify the numbers of people there, our team was advised to return back to Malakal,” country director Alana Mascoll told the AP in an email. “They reported heavy civilian movement on the river towards Malakal. There were canoes and larger boats with people heading toward the camp.”
She said concerns are especially high for unaccompanied children, the elderly and people with disabilities since the journey of up to three days is especially difficult for them.
“As traumatized civilians start arriving in Malakal, humanitarian partners estimate that up to 5,000 people could arrive in the coming hours and days,” the U.N. said. But fighting occurred even within the camp for displaced people in Malakal on Wednesday night, it added, saying the violence was contained but concerns remained about the spreading tensions.
The White Army is loyal to Gen. Gatwich Dual, the leader of the SPLM-IO Kitgwang armed group and a former army chief of staff for former opposition fighter and current Vice President Riek Machar.
The White Army is thought to be fighting Agwelek forces loyal to Gen. Johnson Olony, a former senior army officer under Machar.
Upper Nile state’s minister of information, Luke Sadallah, blamed the fighting on SPLM-IO Kitgwang splinter groups and called on them to stop their confrontation and stop harming civilians.
“There is no benefit in this battle,” Sadallah told the AP by phone.
___
Cara Anna in Nairobi, Kenya, contributed.
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ATLANTA (AP) — A pastor, political operative and former high-ranking Atlanta city official was sentenced Thursday to 14 years in prison after a jury found her guilty of charges stemming from a long-running federal investigation into corruption at City Hall.
U.S. District Judge Steve Jones told Mitzi Bickers that the evidence showed that she was involved in “a deliberate, calculated plan to cheat” the taxpayers of Atlanta over a number of years. In addition to the prison time, he ordered Bickers to pay nearly $3 million in restitution to the city and to serve three years of supervised release once she’s out.
Bickers, 56, was the first person to go to trial in the investigation into corruption during the administration of former Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed. She helped Reed win election and then worked as his director of human services for several years. Prosecutors said she used her influence to funnel roughly $17 million in business to city contractors Elvin “E.R.” Mitchell Jr. and Charles P. Richards Jr. in exchange for more than $2.9 million in bribes for herself and others.
A jury in March found Bickers guilty on charges including money laundering, wire fraud and conspiracy to commit bribery.
Prosecutors had asked Jones to sentence Bickers to serve 17 and a half years in prison. Her lawyers asked for a much lower sentence, pointing to the five years that Mitchell got and the two years Richards got.
Bickers told the judge that what prosecutors said about her was a “mischaracterization.”
“I pray and believe that God is not through with this situation and that you, sir, will see beyond this awful picture that has been painted,” she said.
Her mother, Ethel Bickers, said in court that her daughter “has been the glue that keeps our family and our church together” and that “her absence from the community would be a great loss.”
Bickers’ father served alongside Martin Luther King Jr. in the civil rights movement and founded Emmanuel Baptist Church next to an Atlanta housing project, according to a court filing. When her father died in 1998, she took over as pastor of the church.
She also was elected to the Atlanta Board of Education at 26 and held the position for a decade. And she was an effective political operative known for getting voters to turn out.
Defense attorney Drew Findling said prosecutors previously offered to recommend a five-year sentence if she took a plea deal and that she was being punished for going to trial. He has said they plan to appeal.
Prosecutor Jeff Davis said cases like this are difficult because “you have to try and balance an otherwise meaningful and productive life against egregious criminal conduct.” Bickers used the formidable skills that made her so effective in her honest pursuits to commit crimes, he said.
Public corruption convictions must carry harsh penalties, Davis argued, because they “damage the public’s faith in its government.”
Jones told Bickers that it’s clear that she has a “caring heart” and is “obviously a very smart person.” Referencing the roughly four dozen Bickers supporters in the courtroom, he said he was touched by her community’s support.
But he noted that 12 jurors who sat through a weekslong trial found her guilty on nine of 12 counts. He disputed the notion that her sentence was harsher because she went to trial.
Her actions were not accidental, he said, adding that she had a “deliberate plan” to put money in her pocket and in the pockets of the two contractors. Her actions “cast a shadow” over the many honest city employees in Atlanta, he said.
The corruption investigation became public in early 2017 when prosecutors accused Mitchell and Richards of conspiring to pay city officials to get contracts for emergency snow removal, sidewalk maintenance and bridge reconstruction from 2010 to 2015. Over the next several years, a half dozen others were charged, including high-ranking members of Reed’s administration. Reed himself was never charged, but the investigation loomed over his final year in office.
A 2018 indictment against Bickers said she accepted bribes from Mitchell and Richards and failed to disclose that companies she controlled received payments from the pair while she worked for the city. She also did not declare the income to the IRS and falsified tax documents, the indictment said.
The “pay-to-play” scheme continued after Bickers stopped working for the city, prosecutors said. When a January 2014 snowstorm paralyzed Atlanta, she used her influence to secure a multimillion dollar contract for Mitchell’s company, even though it “owned no snow-clearing or other equipment.”
She used the money for big purchases, like a lakefront home, a 2014 GMC Denali SUV and four Yamaha WaveRunners, and spent lavishly on travel and personal expenses, prosecutors said.
Bickers is to be under house arrest and to wear an ankle monitor until the federal Bureau of Prisons summons her to start her sentence, Jones said.
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PARIS (AP) — A French police officer was in custody Thursday after fatally shooting a driver who failed to obey an order to stop, the latest in a string of events that are raising questions about the use of deadly force by police.
They are also calling attention to the use of vehicles as weapons. The latest incident took place Wednesday in the southern city of Nice as the trial for the 2016 Bastille Day truck attack that killed 86 people in Nice started this week in Paris.
Police authorities said the driver refused to obey an order to stop after officers noted he was dangerously driving but he instead accelerated to flee.
Deputy prosecutor of Nice Maud Marty said at some point the car “turned back to be in front of the police car and rammed into it twice.” She said the 23-year-old officer fired a single shot at the driver.
A video on the social media show the car, in front of the damaged police vehicle, driving backwards while an officer in the street points his gun at the driver’s window. The officer shoots just after the driver appears to stop the car.
Authorities said the man was driving a stolen car. The passenger has been placed in custody on suspicion of attempted murder of police officers.
Nice Mayor Christian Estrosi thanked police officers on Twitter.
“In front of a driver who deliberately drove toward them, they had to use their weapon to neutralize him,” he wrote. “Refusals to obey are multiplying.”
Police unions said the police officer acted in self-defense.
Benoit Barret, of the Alliance police union, told France 3 television that a vehicle can be used as a weapon. “Police officers, to save their lives, use their weapon simply to avoid being killed.”
French researcher Christian Mouhanna, from France’s National Center for Scientific Research (CNRS), an expert on police issues, said a major factor explaining why French police are using their weapons more than before is legal changes introduced in 2017.
The new rule allowing officers to shoot is “more vague” than the previous, stricter self-defense rule, Mouhanna said. It provides that officers can use their weapon “in case of absolute necessity and in a strictly proportionate manner” when they have no other means to stop a vehicle whose driver disobeys the order to stop and represents a threat.
The legal changes were notably made after a series of attacks by extremists in the country in 2015-2016.
“It is seen by some police officers as allowing them to shoot when someone, with a vehicle, is fleeing,” Mouhanna said.
In another incident Wednesday in the western city of Rennes, a 22-year-old woman was killed after police opened fire on the car she was in during an anti-drug operation. The driver of the car was wounded.
Earlier this year, a French police officer was charged with involuntary manslaughter after shooting dead two men in a car as they sought to escape a police check on the Pont-Neuf bridge in central Paris, on the night of French President Emmanuel Macron’s reelection.
News broadcaster France Info said, according to its own count in the absence of recent official statistics, nine people have been killed by police in similar situations this year. Last year, four people were shot dead in such circumstances, according to police figures.
According to a report from the Inspectorate General of the National Police (IGPN), the use by officers of weapons to fire at “moving vehicles” has increased, from about 110 annually in 2012-2014 to over 150 in recent years.
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TOKYO (AP) — Japan’s governing party said Thursday that an internal survey found that nearly half of its national lawmakers had ties to the Unification Church, in a widening controversy that emerged after the assassination of former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.
Abe was shot to death during a campaign speech in the western city of Nara in July. The suspect, Tetsuya Yamagami, reportedly told police he killed Abe because of his apparent link to the Unification Church. A letter and social media postings attributed to him said large donations by his mother to the church bankrupted his family and ruined his life.
That led to revelations of widespread ties between the governing Liberal Democratic Party and the South Korea-based church, which experts say urges Japanese followers to make large donations to make amends for their ancestral sins, including Japan’s past colonialization of the Korean Peninsula.
LDP Secretary General Toshimitsu Motegi said in the survey, 179 of the 379 party parliamentarians reported links to the church and related organizations. The relationships ranged from attending church events to accepting donations and receiving election support. However, Motegi denied there were any ties between the conservative governing party as an organization and the church.
”I take the results of the party survey seriously,” Prime Minister Fumio Kishida told reporters. “In the future, the party will sever ties to organizations with known social problems and make it a party policy, so we won’t invite suspicion from the public.”
The Unification Church has been accused of inappropriate recruitment and business tactics and of pressuring adherents to make large donations, which the church denies.
Ninety-six of the LDP lawmakers reported attending events organized by the church or its affiliates, while 20 said they had made speeches. Nearly 50 said they paid money at events, while 29 accepted donations. Abe’s younger brother, former Defense Minister Nobuo Kishi, and former Economy and Industry Minister Koichi Hagiuda were among 17 who accepted church followers as election campaign volunteers.
Abe, a conservative nationalist who was one of Japan’s most influential politicians, recorded a video message last year for the Universal Peace Federation, a church-affiliated group, in which he praised federation co-founder Hak Ja Han Moon, who also heads the Unification Church, for her efforts in promoting traditional family values.
Opposition lawmakers criticized the survey for having excluded Abe because he is deceased. The survey also did not include LDP lawmakers in local assemblies, where church followers are also active in influencing policies, critics say.
The Unification Church was founded in South Korea in 1954 and came to Japan a decade later. It has built close ties with LDP lawmakers over shared interests in conservative causes, including opposing Communism. Abe’s grandfather, former Prime Minister Nobusuke Kishi, helped found the church’s political unit in Tokyo in 1968.
Kishida, despite a Cabinet shuffle in August in which he purged seven ministers with acknowledged church links, including Kishi, ended up with more in his new Cabinet.
Support for Kishida’s government has tumbled in recent media surveys, apparently because of party members’ church links and plans for a rare state funeral for Abe.
A family funeral for Abe was held in July at a Tokyo temple, but Kishida wants to hold a state funeral on Sept. 27 at the Budokan martial arts arena with about 6,000 invited guests. The only other state funeral for a former prime minister in recent decades was for Shigeru Yoshida in 1967. It was criticized as having been decided undemocratically and an inappropriate use of taxpayers’ money.
Critics say Kishida’s decision to hold a state funeral for Abe is an attempt to please lawmakers belonging to Abe’s former faction within the governing party to maintain party unity and buttress Kishida’s own grip on power. He has said Abe deserves a state funeral as the longest-serving post-World War II leader and for his diplomatic and economic achievements.
Kishida’s government initially put the funeral cost at 250 million yen ($1.7 million) but recently said it will require at least 1.4 billion yen ($9.7 million) more for security, transportation and hospitality for foreign dignitaries and other guests. Some say the cost could further increase.
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BEIJING (AP) — Heavy rains are complicating earthquake recovery efforts in southwestern China, where the death toll from Monday’s disaster has risen to 82.
More than 20,000 people have been moved to temporary shelters amid the threat of landslides and buildings collapsing in the mountainous region of Sichuan province, state media reported Thursday. The rains are expected to last at least through Friday.
Another 35 people are missing and 270 have been hospitalized with injuries from the magnitude 6.8 quake that leveled building and sent boulders tumbling onto roads in Sichuan’s Ganze Tibetan Autonomous Region and neighboring Ya’an city, the reports said.
Buildings were also shaken in the provincial capital of Chengdu, where 21 million people are among the 65 million Chinese under a strict COVID-19 lockdown confining them to their homes and residential compounds.
Following the quake, police and health workers in Chengdu refused to allow anxious residents outside, adding to public frustration over the government’s strict zero-COVID policy mandating lockdowns, quarantines and other restrictions, even while the rest of the world has largely reopened.
Despite the impact on the economy and public sentiment, the policy has become closely identified with president and Communist Party leader Xi Jinping in what has been called a politicization of health care.
The government is also discouraging domestic travel during the mid-autumn festival on Saturday and the weeklong national holiday at the start of October.
Virus outbreaks have been reported in 103 cities, the highest since the early days of the pandemic in early 2020.
Monday’s quake was centered in a mountainous area of Luding county, which sits on the edge of the Tibetan Plateau roughly 200 kilometers (125 miles) from Chengdu.
Friction between tectonic plates in the region frequently cause earthquakes, including China’s deadliest in recent years, a 7.9 magnitude temblor in 2008 that killed nearly 90,000 people in Sichuan.
That quake devastated towns, schools and rural communities outside Chengdu, leading to a years-long effort to rebuild with more resilient materials.
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