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BEIJING (AP) — China announced sanctions on Friday against the CEOs of American defense contractors Raytheon and Boeing Defense over a major U.S. arms sale to rival Taiwan.
Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning did not specify what the sanctions would be against Gregory Hayes, chairman and CEO of Raytheon Technologies Corp., and Ted Colbert, president and CEO of Boeing Defense, Space and Security.
It wasn’t immediately clear what impact they would have on the executives or their companies, but such sanctions are often mainly symbolic in nature.
The U.S. announced a $1.09 billion arms sale to Taiwan last week, including $355 million for Boeing’s Harpoon missiles and $85 million for Raytheon’s Sidewinder missiles.
“We once again urge the U.S. government and relevant parties to … stop arms sales to Taiwan and military contact with Taiwan, and stop creating new factors that could lead to tensions in the Taiwan Strait,” Mao said at a daily briefing.
China claims Taiwan, a self-governing island of 23 million people off its east coast, as its territory and says it must eventually come under its control. Taiwan and China split in 1949 during a civil war that brought the Communist Party to power in Beijing.
The U.S. does not formally recognize Taiwan under its one-China policy but is the island’s main supplier of military equipment and is bound by its own laws to ensure Taiwan can defend itself.
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| 2022-09-21T08:15:05Z
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PARIS (AP) — Many domestic and some international flights were canceled in France Friday as air traffic controllers went on a national strike over pay and recruitment issues.
French civil aviation authority DGAC warned that domestic traffic would be “severely disrupted” with many flights canceled and other experiencing long delays. Travelers have been advised to postpone their trip if possible.
Air France said it has canceled 55% of its short- and medium-haul flights and 10% of its long-haul flights. The company could not rule out further delays and last-minute cancellations, it said in a statement.
Other companies operating in France, including Ryanair, Easyjet and Volotea, have also canceled flights.
Mamadou Souré, 42, arrived Friday morning at Paris’ Charles de Gaulle airport from Abidjan, Ivory Coast.
“We were supposed to take a flight to Milan at 9:30 a.m. but it was canceled, but thank God we found a flight at 1:30 p.m. for Turin. We’ll see if we can make it to Milan from there,” he said.
Maria Oudon, from Orlando, Florida, was relieved to see her flight mentioned as “on time” on the airport’s board. “We did spend all night worrying about it because they said to possibly change your flight or have other options. And we still came because we had to take our daughter to school,” she said.
France’s main union of air traffic controllers, the SNCTA, called the one-day strike to demand higher pay amid soaring inflation and demanding more staff to be hired in the coming years.
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| 2022-09-21T08:15:20Z
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BERLIN (AP) — Germany is taking control of three Russian-owned refineries in the country to ensure energy security before an embargo on oil from Russia takes effect next year, officials said Friday.
Two subsidiaries of Russian oil giant Rosneft — Rosneft Deutschland GmbH and RN Refining & Marketing GmbH — will be put under the administration of Germany’s Federal Network Agency, the Economy Ministry said in a statement.
As a result, the agency will also control the companies’ shares in the refineries PCK Schwedt, MiRo and Bayernoil, located in the east and south of Germany.
“This is a far-reaching energy policy decision to protect our country,” German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said. “We’ve long known that Russia isn’t a reliable supplier of energy anymore.”
“With today’s decision, we’re ensuring that Germany is supplied with oil in the medium- and long-term as well,” Scholz said. “That is particularly true for the Schwedt refinery.”
The facility provides petroleum products to much of northeastern Germany, including Berlin.
Rosneft accounts for about 12% of Germany’s oil refining capacity, importing oil worth several hundred million euros (dollars) every month, the ministry said.
It said the move would help ensure continued energy supplies and was initially due to last for six months.
Rosneft had previously made clear it had no intention to stop imports of oil via the Druzhba pipeline, which runs from Russia through Ukraine to refineries in central Europe, despite a looming EU embargo coming into force on Jan 1, 2023.
Scholz said a 1-billion-euro (dollar) aid package would secure jobs for about 1,200 people currently working at the PCK refinery in Schwedt and help with its long-term transformation as part of the transition toward a green economy.
Economy Minister Robert Habeck said the refinery would in the future receive oil through a pipeline from the port city of Rostock and via neighboring Poland, which had refused to provide supplies as long as there was a risk that Rosneft might profit from them.
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| 2022-09-21T08:15:27Z
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JANOW, Poland (AP) — Poland on Friday sealed $3 billion in deals with South Korea for the purchase of 48 Korean FA-50 fighter planes as the central European country takes urgent steps to increase its deterrence and defense capabilities amid Russia’s war on neighboring Ukraine.
The two deals for the purchase of Fighting Falcon combat and training planes follow contracts signed last month for the acquisition by Poland of $5.8 billion worth of South Korean tanks and howitzers.
Poland’s President Andrzej Duda, who is the armed forces’ supreme commander, and South Korea’s Minister of Defense Acquisition Program Administration, Eom Dong-hwan, attended the signing ceremony at a military airport in Janow, near the air force base of Minsk Mazowiecki, in central Poland.
The documents were signed by Poland’s deputy prime minister who is also the defense minister, Mariusz Blaszczak, who said it was “another historic day when new perspectives are opening before Poland’s armed forces.”
Eom said with the contracts, the cooperation is being raised to a higher level.
“Until recently, we were partners. Now we can say that we are allies,” he said.
Under one agreement, worth $700 million, the first 12 planes are to be delivered in the second half of next year. The second deal, estimated at $2.3 billion, is for 36 planes to be delivered between 2025 and 2028.
According to Duda, the purchase of the FA-50 fighters will “make it possible for us to fully give up the use of the (Soviet-made) MiG-29 and the Su-22 ” that Poland’s armed forces now have, as an inheritance from the times, decades ago, when it belonged to the Moscow-led Warsaw Pact.
Duda said Korea sees the deals as an “opening for the Korean fighter planes to the European Union and NATO markets.”
The light, two-seater planes are made by Korea Aerospace Industries jointly with U.S. company Lockheed Martin, and are compatible with the U.S.-made F-16 fighters that Poland’s air force is equipped with and with the contracted F-35A fighters, according to Poland’s Defense Ministry.
The deals include training, logistics and transfer of some service technologies. Warsaw says this is one of Poland’s biggest and most important defense deals in recent years.
Poland, like other European nations and the United States, has sent military equipment to Ukraine since the Russian invasion. Warsaw is seeking to replace some of that equipment, including with U.S.-made Abrams tanks. ___
Follow all AP developments related to the war in Ukraine at https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine.
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| 2022-09-21T08:15:35Z
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SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — The head of China’s legislature called for cooperation with South Korea in advanced technology and supply chains, as he met South Korean leaders Friday amid concerns that their moves to solidify a military alliance with Washington could hamper Seoul’s ties with Beijing.
Li Zhanshu, third in the Chinese Communist Party hierarchy and one of President Xi Jinping’s closest confidants, is the highest-level Chinese official to visit South Korea since his predecessor did so in 2015. His trip is seen as part of efforts by Beijing to boost ties with neighboring countries ahead of a Communist Party congress next month that will likely grant Xi a third five-year term as leader.
Li’s visit is also crucial for South Korea’s government, which wants to assure Beijing that its push to strengthen its alliance with the U.S. and participate in U.S.-led regional initiatives won’t target China, its biggest trading partner.
Li, chairman of the standing committee of China’s National People’s Congress, told a joint news conference with his South Korean counterpart that China supports “realizing cooperation in cutting-edge technology sectors and managing supply and industrial chains smoothly and stably.”
He didn’t elaborate. His comments are likely to reflect concerns in Beijing that its intensifying competition with the United States may lead to supply chain disruptions as some U.S. companies shift sourcing and production away from China. China also opposes South Korea’s possible participation in a U.S.-led semiconductor alliance involving Taiwan and Japan.
Li’s closeness to Xi suggests his comments reflect the thinking of Xi and his inner circle. Li, who is leading a 66-member Chinese delegation to South Korea, met South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol and other top officials later Friday.
Earlier this month, Li visited Russia, where he decried international sanctions against Moscow, underscoring Beijing support for Russia in its war on Ukraine despite claims of neutrality. On Thursday, Xi met Russian President Vladimir Putin on the sidelines of a regional gathering in Uzbekistan. Putin thanked Xi for his “balanced” approach to the Ukrainian crisis and blasted Washington’s “ugly” policies.
Li’s talks with Yoon have drawn keen attention because Yoon last month skipped an in-person meeting with U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who visited Seoul after a trip to Taiwan that angered China, which claims the self-ruled island as its territory. Yoon, who was on vacation, spoke by phone with Pelosi but faced domestic criticism that he had intentionally shunned her so as not to provoke China. Yoon was the only head of government who didn’t meet Pelosi face-to-face during her Asian trip, which also included Singapore, Malaysia and Japan.
Kim Heung-kyu, director of the U.S.-China Policy Institute at Ajou University in South Korea, said Li’s visit is different from Pelosi’s because she arrived after her contentious Taiwan trip. But he said China would still likely see symbolic significance in Li meeting with a South Korean president whom Pelosi failed to meet.
Some worry that Yoon’s tilt toward Washington could trigger economic retaliation by China, as it did in 2017 when South Korea allowed the United States to base a Terminal High-Altitude Area Defense radar system, or THAAD, on its soil. China, which says the radar can spy on its territory, suspended group tours to South Korea and conducted an unofficial boycott of South Korean products.
During their meeting, Yoon said the THAAD issue must not be a sticking point in bilateral ties, and Li agreed on the need for close coordination to resolve sensitive issues, according to Yoon’s office.
China is likely to be more cautious about launching another economic retaliation because it would push South Korea closer to the United States and worsen anti-Chinese sentiment in South Korea, according to Professor Kim Han-kwon of the Korea National Diplomatic Academy.
“In the case of the THAAD dispute, China shook public opinion in South Korea and caused South Korea to suffer economic losses,” he said. “But eventually, they failed to get THAAD scrapped and anti-China sentiment grew in South Korea. There was also a public reevaluation of a boosting of the South Korea-U.S. alliance and of South Korea-U.S.-Japan security cooperation.”
South Korea, the world’s 10th-largest economy, is a major supplier of semiconductors, automobiles, smartphones and other electronic products. This makes it an attractive partner to both the United States and China.
Unless South Korea “openly pursues an anti-China policy, China will likely continue to stress a message of amity and cooperation with South Korea, rather than pressure, conflict and confrontation,” said Kim, the institute director.
Cooperative relations with China are essential in efforts by Seoul and Washington to convince North Korea to give up its nuclear program. While there are questions about how much influence China has on North Korea, it’s still believed to have the greatest leverage among regional powers because it is North Korea’s last major diplomatic ally and main economic pipeline.
In his meeting with Li on Friday, South Korean National Assembly Speaker Kim Jin Pyo said South Korea hopes that China will play a constructive role with North Korea. Li said he and Kim agreed that establishing peace on the Korean Peninsula through dialogue would serve the interests of both nations.
___
Associated Press writers Kim Tong-hyung in Seoul and Joe McDonald in Beijing contributed to this report.
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| 2022-09-21T08:15:50Z
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KAMPALA, Uganda (AP) — Uganda’s leader warned Friday that his government could “find someone else to work with” as French partner TotalEnergies faced mounting pressure to pull out of a partnership to construct a pipeline opposed by climate activists.
The comments by Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni followed a resolution by the European Union’s Parliament urging the international community “to exert maximum pressure on Ugandan and Tanzanian authorities, as well as the project promoters and stakeholders,” to stop oil activities around Lake Albert.
That resolution cited human rights concerns centered around fair compensation for affected communities as well as environmental fears. More than 120,000 people will lose land to make way for the oil project, according to an evaluation by the environmental group Friends of the Earth.
The 897-mile (1,443-kilometer) East Africa Crude Oil Pipeline, planned by TotalEnergies and the China National Offshore Oil Corporation, is increasingly in trouble as activists, charging that it violates the spirit of the Paris climate accord, try to starve it of funds by petitioning banks and insurers.
But in Uganda, an East African country whose authorities see the pipeline as key to economic development, opposition to the project has sparked indignation. Ugandan authorities say oil wealth can lift millions out of poverty and that stopping the pipeline now would be detrimental to the country’s interests.
The national assembly issued a statement Thursday asserting Uganda’s sovereignty and condemning the EU parliament’s resolution.
Museveni said TotalEnergies had assured him that the pipeline — which would link oil fields in western Uganda to the Indian Ocean port of Tanga in Tanzania — would proceed but warned on Twitter that “if they choose to listen to the EU Parliament, we shall find someone else to work with.”
“Either way, we shall have our oil coming out by 2025 as planned. So the people of Uganda should not worry,” he said.
Uganda is estimated to have recoverable oil reserves of at least 1.4 billion barrels. The China National Offshore Oil Corporation and TotalEnergies said in February that the total investment would be more than $10 billion.
Oil wells will also be drilled within western Uganda’s Murchison Falls National Park. Here the Nile plummets 130 feet (40 meters) through a gap just 20 feet (6 meters) wide and the surrounding wilderness is home to hippos, egrets, giraffes and antelope. The pipeline would then pass through seven forest reserves and two game parks, running alongside Lake Victoria, a source of fresh water for 40 million people.
That ecological fragility is one reason why some activists oppose the project despite assurances from TotalEnergies that the pipeline’s state-of-the-art-design will ensure safety for decades.
___
Follow all AP stories on climate change issues at https://apnews.com/hub/climate-and-environment
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| 2022-09-21T08:15:58Z
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FORT WALTON BEACH, Fla. (WKRG) – Thomas “Mykel” Gordon started his shift at Chick-fil-A like any normal Wednesday – the 26-year-old from Florida had no idea his decisive action later that day was about to go viral.
“I was getting some orders done, taken out on the POS and I just heard a call for help and all I could do is respond as fast as possible,” said Gordon.
The suspect, William Branch, is charged with threatening a military wife and young child with a sharpened plank to steal their car in the parking lot.
Gordon instantly ran to the commotion and pulled William Branch out of the car.
“As soon as I arrived, I saw him trying to get into the vehicle. I just pulled him out and I put him in a headlock,” said Gordon.
Gordon kept Branch on the ground until deputies arrived on the scene. Witnesses recorded the incident and the video quickly went viral across the nation.
Gordon said the tackle was the second run-in he had with Branch. A moment earlier, Gordon said he ran him off from trying to steal a woman’s keys in the drive-thru line.
Branch did get a swing on Gordon, hitting him on his chin. The day-shift manager was back at work the next day serving sandwiches with a smile.
Gordon honored for his actions
Sheriff Eric Aden stopped by Gordon’s Thursday shift to present a challenge coin and community service award.
“What we say a lot of times is service is in our DNA. That’s our mantra, that’s our motto,” said Sheriff Aden. “You clearly have service in your DNA from the job that you do here but you served and protected yesterday and that is what we do on a daily basis.”
While much of his Thursday shift was filled with media coverage, the community stopped by the drive-thru to tell Mykel thank you, giving cards and gifts to the young man.
“I joined this team 14 years ago, I never really saw this coming and never really expected that to ever happen,” said Gordon. “A very rare occasion.”
Suspect on a crime spree
It wasn’t the suspect’s only crime that day, according to Orange County Sheriff’s Office officials.
“The same suspect had burglarized a local home earlier the same day in the city of Fort Walton Beach, attempting to steal a purse before being confronted by the homeowner,” said Chief Deputy Ken LaPee.
Branch faces robbery with a firearm, robbery with carjacking and burglary charges.
Gordon has worked for Chick-fil-A for 14 years, and this is not his first time saving a life in the parking lot. Previously, he pulled two people from a car after a nearby crane collapsed on top.
“A vehicle that just came around this corner over here off of Beal Parkway. He hit the curve a little hard. It came down on top of a white sedan,” said Gordon. “The white sedan only had a few moments of just being able to stay on all four of the tires without them being compressed and compressed by the vehicle. So I was able to get her out and the other one out safely.”
OCSO offered Gordon a sponsored spot at cadet school if he wants to take his talents into law enforcement. Gordon however, sees his future working up the Chick-fil-A management ladder with the tagline “My Pleasure.”
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https://www.ktalnews.com/news/chick-fil-a-employee-honored-for-saving-mother-child-from-carjacking-suspect/
| 2022-09-21T08:16:05Z
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CADDO PARISH, La. (KTAL/KMSS) — Three Shreveport men are charged in connection with a violent attack in which three men beat a co-worker in the head with a hammer, according to the Caddo Parish Sheriff’s Office.
It happened early Thursday morning at a direct-mail production facility in the 9100 block of Youree Drive. Deputies were called to the business just before 8 a.m. to investigate and learned that the attack was captured on security video.
CPSO Detective Vincent Jackson said in a release Friday that the video showed 33-year-old Darius Coleman hit the victim in the back of the head multiple times with a hammer.
When the victim tried to defend himself, Det. Jackson says 21-year-old Kerrick Jones and 20-year-old Ty Whitaker joined in the attack. All three men punched and kicked the victim in the head and neck while he was on the ground. Deputies say the men left the scene in a grey Ford Focus.
Witnesses called law enforcement and the victim was taken to the hospital by the Shreveport Fire Department. The victim was treated for what police say are non-life threatening injuries Thursday night and was discharged from the hospital.
Caddo detectives were led to the Cambridge Court Apartments on Mansfield Road where they found the suspects in one of the apartments. CPSO says it took several hours for the suspects to open the door and surrender.
Detectives executed a search warrant and found illegal drugs, a stolen gun, and the hammer used in the battery.
Coleman, Jones, and Whitaker are booked into Caddo Correctional Center on Thursday night. Coleman is charged with aggravated second-degree battery and Jones and Whitaker are charged with second-degree battery.
Deputies say more charges are pending.
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| 2022-09-21T08:16:12Z
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The Bunch O' Roses: 200-year-old Edinburgh pub once crowned Evening News ‘Pub of the Year’ up for sale
A popular local boozer once crowned Edinburgh Evening News ‘Pub of the Year’ has been placed up for sale.
The Bunch O’ Roses, which is found in Restalrig Village, and has traded since 1781, is on the market for £275,000.
The pub remains at the heart of the Restalrig and Craigentinny community and is known for its live sports, pub quizzes and karaoke evenings.
In 2017, the Bunch O’ Roses was crowned ‘Pub of the Year’ in the Edinburgh Evening News. The Evening News’ Euan McGrory presented Bunch O’Roses with the award – which had been won in the previous two years by The Bowlers’ Rest.
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Euan said: “This is a great accolade because it is voted for by the people of Edinburgh. It was a hard fought contest in the end. The Bunch O’Roses is a very worthy winner.”
The sale listing states: “The Bunch O’ Roses public house is situated in Restalrig Village in the Craigentinny area of Edinburgh.
“The Craigentinny area is on the east side of Edinburgh approximately 2 miles from the city centre, close to the Meadowbank, Willowbrae and Leith areas of the city.
“Meadowbank Sports Stadium, Easter Road football ground as well as Leith are all located close by. The east end of Princes Street and the top of Leith Walk are all within a 5 to 10 minute drive.
“The business has been in our client's hands for nearly 20 years during which time our client has continued to operate the pub and in the latter years doing so in a less hands on fashion."
“At present, the business is run with the assistance of a management team and the pub is on the market as our client is looking to consider his retirement.
“We strongly feel that the business would be of interest to those who would be interested in offering food.
“At present the business acts as a very active community pub hosting a variety of different pub sports, quizzes, karaoke as well as events. In addition, the business operates with Sky TV and is well renowned for showing live sports.
“The business is offered on a freehold basis. Our client may lease the premises, for more information, please contact the agent.
“The asking price is £275,000 to represent the heritable property, goodwill, fixtures and fittings."
For more information the sale, visit businessesforsale.com
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https://www.edinburghnews.scotsman.com/business/the-bunch-o-roses-200-year-old-edinburgh-pub-once-crowned-evening-news-pub-of-the-year-up-for-sale-3849922
| 2022-09-21T08:16:17Z
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BOONE COUNTY, Ark. (KARK) – An Arkansas man who claimed to be both Jesus and Satan, amputated his own leg in front of his 5-year-old, according to court documents.
An arrest affidavit filed Sept. 8 in Boone County shows deputies responded to a home on Aug. 2 where a man was found lying in front of the residence naked and missing part of his right leg.
According to deputies, 48-year-old Shannon Cox said his leg had been taken off “with a chop saw.” Deputies found a trail of blood leading to a large chop saw and the detached limb lying on the tool.
Investigators said Cox’s 5-year-old child was present during the ordeal.
Cox was taken to a nearby hospital by helicopter, authorities said.
The day after the incident, deputies interviewed Cox’s wife, Sandy, who claimed her husband had been “acting odd all day,” telling her that he was “Jesus Christ” and saying she needed to “get right with the lord.” She claimed he began to get violent and claimed to be “Satan.”
Sandy Cox also told deputies her husband threatened to “twist her head off” and made other threats. She noted, however, that he didn’t follow through with physical violence, only verbal abuse.
According to the documents, she said she left the home in fear of her husband. She told deputies she didn’t take her child with her because she was worried about what her husband would do to her if she did, adding that she wasn’t worried about her child.
Investigators also interviewed the child, who confirmed being there when Shannon Cox cut off his own leg. Deputies noted the child still appeared to be in shock.
Both Shannon and Sandy Cox were charged with felony counts of endangering the welfare of a minor. The judge in the case issued a no-contact order to Shannon Cox for both the child and Sandy Cox.
Shannon and Sandy Cox are scheduled to be back in court in mid-October.
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| 2022-09-21T08:16:20Z
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SHREVEPORT, La. (KTAL/KMSS) – Police say they have arrested a suspect in a road rage shooting that left one person wounded early Thursday morning in West Shreveport.
It happened just before 8 a.m. on West 70th and Terry Bradshaw Passway. Officers called to the scene were notified before they arrived that the victim drove to a local hospital and was suffering from a non-life-threatening gunshot wound to the leg.
SPD says investigators with the Violent Crimes and Crime Scene Unit were able to determine that the victim was driving on Buncombe Road when a beige Malibu attempted to get over in traffic and reportedly cut him off. The driver of the Malibu then allegedly followed the victim to 3132 and fired numerous shots into the victim’s vehicle, striking him in the lower body.
Detectives identified 21-year-old Jaylen Stewart of Shreveport as the suspect and arrested him Friday morning. He is charged with one count of attempted second-degree murder.
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| 2022-09-21T08:16:32Z
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NEW ORLEANS (AP) — The Grammy-nominated hip-hop performer Mystikal is scheduled for arraignment on charges accusing him of raping and choking a woman and illegally possessing drugs at his Louisiana home.
Charges the performer will face during his arraignment Monday will include first-degree rape, which carries an automatic life sentence if Tyler is convicted.
“My client is innocent of all charges,” attorney Joel Pearce said in a text message Thursday. He said the rapper, whose given name is Michael Tyler, had a court order to protect him from the woman, and he is “the true victim.”
Pearce said he hopes he will be allowed to present evidence supporting bond for Tyler, who has been held without bond since the end of July. A judge denied bond on Aug. 4, but Pearce, who did not then represent the performer, said it was not a full bond hearing that would take evidence in Tyler’s favor.
Tyler was arrested July 31 on charges accusing him of choking and raping the woman at his home in Prairieville, an Ascension Parish community of about 33,000 near Baton Rouge.
A news release Wednesday from the district attorney’s office said Tyler was indicted last week on 10 counts including rape, domestic abuse battery by strangulation and false imprisonment. Investigators who searched his home found “evidence to corroborate the victim’s account of the rape along with a variety of illegal narcotics,” the statement said.
An Ascension Parish grand jury brought the charges in two indictments handed up Sept. 6, The Advocate reported.
District Attorney Ricky Babin said in an email that because they are part of an ongoing criminal matter, the indictments are not public records under state law.
Pearce represented Tyler on rape and kidnapping charges that prosecutors in northwest Louisiana dropped in December 2020. Those charges, brought in 2017, had kept him jailed for nearly 18 months before he was released on $3 million bond.
Mystikal told The Associated Press in April 2021 that he now is proud of lyrics he can imagine rapping to God.
His 2000 hit “Shake (It Fast) earned a 2001 Grammy nomination for best rap solo. In 2003, his “Tarantula” was nominated for best rap album and the single “Bouncin’ Back” for best male rap solo.
He pleaded guilty to sexual battery later in 2003. He served six years in prison.
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| 2022-09-21T08:16:39Z
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TEXARKANA, Ark. (KTAL/KSHV) – The Texarkana Arkansas School District is enhancing its curriculum with a new technology center.
This year the district brought Smart Labs to the Fairview Elementary School, North Heights Community School, Harmony Leadership Academy, and Arkansas High School campuses. The labs will provide students with more science, technology, engineering, and math opportunities through project-based learning.
Earlier this year, the TASD Board of Directors approved the purchase of Smart Labs. The district’s Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief and American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 funds paid for the cost.
Students on either campus are eligible to take the course. The district hopes this will give students the skills they need after graduating high school.
“They have to be able to communicate and collaborate in the real world, and they also have to be able to meet deadlines. They have to learn how to problem solve,” said Assistant Principal at Arkansas High School J.R. Arnold. “What we’re doing is we’re learning how to give them problems, and they’re learning how to solve them on their own and finding the resources and the ability to do it. Not only by themselves but learning how to do it with others; others that they’re not used to.”
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| 2022-09-21T08:16:46Z
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BOWIE COUNTY, Texas (KTAL/KMSS) – Bowie County officials are taking steps to make voting more accessible for the midterm elections this November, particularly for people with disabilities.
Come election day, every polling location in the county will be handicap-accessible and offer an ExpressVote machine. The ExpressVote machine caters to those who are hearing impaired as well as people who have vision problems.
Bowie County will also have curbside voting, where the ExpressVote machine is brought to the person’s car. Before, curbside voting was only available for early voters.
“In evaluating our county-wide voting system, we wanted to make sure that every voter had access to be able to vote,” said Bowie County Elections Administrator Pat McCoy. “And in doing that we made the decision to review all of the options we could have for individuals that are disabled.”
Voters with disabilities can call 903-628-6810 to learn more about accommodations at polling sites in Bowie County.
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| 2022-09-21T08:16:52Z
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COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) — A company employing thousands of people in central Ohio is asking its workers to pay the company. Honda sent a memo to employees at its Marysville factory, saying it overpaid bonuses and needs that extra money back.
Employees say returning the money will be hard for their families, but an attorney not involved with this case said Honda is properly going about collecting the overpayments.
“Not a lot of people can handle this kind of a hit,” said the wife of a Honda employee, who spoke with NBC4 on the condition that she or her husband not be identified.
She provided a copy of the memo her husband received from his employer Tuesday, informing him that his recent bonus was overpaid.
“I asked him that. I said, you know, ‘Was this… the highest check you’d ever gotten for a bonus check? [Did you think] that it seemed weird?’ And he said no, it wasn’t the highest he’d ever gotten.”
According to the memo, the employee owed back just shy of 8% of his bonus payment, amounting to hundreds of dollars.
“That’s, you know, a car payment. That’s half of our mortgage,” his wife said. “That’s two, three weeks worth of groceries. That’s a lot of money for us.”
Sarah Cole is a law professor at the Ohio State University, specializing in employment and labor. She said aside from the company’s initial mistake of overpaying employees, Honda is handling this situation correctly.
“Under the Fair Labor Standards Act, which applies to all employers in the United States, it’s quite clear that overpayments of bonuses or wages can be recouped by the employer,” Cole said.
The memo gives employees until Sept. 22 to choose whether they’d like the amount they owe to be taken out of future paychecks, deducted from future bonuses or paid upfront. Otherwise, Honda will deduct from future bonuses by default.
Cole’s advice to employees is to choose the best option for them.
“Honda could pursue this in court. But of course, that would be very expensive for them to do and obviously not look very positive from a publicity standpoint,” Cole said. “So I’m sure they’re hoping to have voluntary agreement with the employees that the employee just willingly repays the overpayment.”
Honda has not responded to messages from NBC4, via phone or email.
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LONDON (AP) — Two minutes of silence will be observed Monday across the United Kingdom at the end of Queen Elizabeth II’s state funeral at Westminster Abbey, giving British public across the nation a chance to pay their respects to the late monarch.
Buckingham Palace released more details Thursday about the state funeral of the queen who died Sept. 8 at 96 and her private interment later Monday. Her death at her beloved Balmoral Castle summer retreat ended the monarch’s 70-year reign.
Edward William Fitzalan-Howard, the official in charge of arrangements, said the funeral and events over coming days are intended to “unite people across the globe and resonate with people of all faiths, whilst fulfilling her majesty and her family’s wishes to pay a fitting tribute to an extraordinary reign.”
Tens of thousands were standing in a line Thursday that snaked for more than four miles along the River Thames in London, waiting to file in silence past her coffin.
“The queen held a unique and timeless position in all our lives. This has been felt more keenly over the past few days, as the world comes to terms with her demise,” Fitzalan-Howard said.
On Friday evening, King Charles III and his siblings will stand vigil at their mother’s coffin for 15 minutes as it lies in state at the 900-year-old Westminster Hall at the Houses of Parliament. Charles, Princess Anne, Prince Andrew and Prince Edward also stood vigil with the coffin when it lay in St. Giles’ Cathedral in Edinburgh earlier this week.
After the state funeral on Monday, attended by 2,000 guests, including U.S. President Joe Biden and other visiting heads of state, Elizabeth’s coffin will be carried through the historic heart of London, from Westminster Abbey to Wellington Arch near Buckingham Palace on a horse-drawn gun carriage with Charles and other royals walking behind.
Also among the funeral guests will be nearly 200 people honored by the late queen for their work responding to the COVID-19 pandemic and in sectors including charities, healthcare and education.
Amid pomp and pageantry, the coffin will travel along virtually the same route, including down the flag-lined Mall to the one it passed Wednesday in front of hushed throngs of mourners when it was taken from the palace to the Houses of Parliament.
London’s Heathrow Airport announced it will halt all flights for 15 minutes before the two-minute national silence on Monday, until 15 minutes after it has finished “to avoid noise disruption.”
From London, the queen’s coffin will then be driven in the state hearse to Windsor for a committal service at St. George’s Chapel near Windsor Castle, attended by 800 people, including members of the queen’s household and Windsor estate staff.
At the end of the service, the coffin will be lowered into the Royal Vault and the sovereign’s piper will play a lament. The Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, will pronounce the blessing and the congregation will sing “God Save The King.”
Members of the royal family will then hold a private burial service at the King George VI Memorial Chapel, where the queen will be interred with her late husband, Prince Philip, who died last year at 99.
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| 2022-09-21T08:17:05Z
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BOSSIER CITY, La (KTAL/KMSS) — In a unanimous vote, the Bossier City Fire & Police Civil Service Board has removed police chief Christopher Estess after less than six months on the job.
The board made the decision during a special meeting Friday afternoon, one day after Mayor Tommy Chandler requested Estess’s removal under a state law that allows the removal of a classified police officer who has served less than six months in office.
Before the vote, City Attorney Charles Jacobs told the board that Estess failed to supervise BJ Sanford and allowed his criminal activity to go unchecked. Sanford was indicted Tuesday on federal drug charges and pleaded not guilty on Wednesday. He remains on administrative leave.
Jacobs also said Estess missed 20 days in less than five months on the job. In fact, Jacobs said, while Sanford was in federal court entering his not guilty plea, Estess was requesting more time off to go to an LSU game and concert this weekend. Estess asked for Friday through Sunday off and was not present for Friday’s vote to remove him as chief.
“Regrettably, I have been forced by the actions of Estess to move forward with a request for approval from the Civil Service Board to remove him from the position of Chief of Police,” Chandler said in a statement shortly after the vote. “I appreciate the work of the Civil Service Board and thank them for their careful consideration of this difficult decision. On behalf of the men and women who wear the badge, I am committed to appointing a leader who can unite the department and lead them with confidence, fairness, and respect.”
Estess remains employed with the department and would come back into the ranks as a Sargeant if he chooses to return. There is no word yet on who Chandler will tap to take over as interim until Mayor Chandler appoints a new chief.
“As I lead Bossier City into the future, I am faced with making many difficult decisions. The citizens of Bossier City deserve and expect excellence from their public servants, especially those who have taken an oath to serve and protect. The Bossier City Police Department has long been a great source of pride for our community and it will remain so under my leadership as Mayor of Bossier City.”
Estess had been running the department since the day after Chandler took office in July 2021 when the newly installed mayor reassigned former police chief Shane McWilliams to the reception desk. After an internal investigation and a legal battle, McWilliams retired in January. He was formally appointed to the permanent position on April 26, 2022.
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| 2022-09-21T08:17:12Z
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SHREVEPORT, La. (KTAL/KMSS) – One of the region’s largest healthcare providers on Friday weighed in on the debate over the City of Shreveport’s health insurance coverage plans for employees and retirees.
Ochsner LSU Health plays a major role in the region’s health care. As the City of Shreveport debates a new healthcare plan for its employees and retirees, Chief Medical Officer Dr. Charles Fox wants to lay to rest any misconceptions or fears people may have regarding access to the system’s doctors.
“People are not going to lose their relationships with their current provider. I think there was a lot fear I heard at the meetings about people having to lose that provider relationship. That’s preserved. That’s not going away. The costs are not going to go up. In fact, there’s options for the costs to go down,” said Dr. Charles Fox.
The Health Care Trust Fund Board has approved an optional Medicare Advantage plan for retirees as a cost savings option for both patients and the city. The city council approved it to move forward.
“The Medicare Advantage plan is basically an option for those retirees and their families if they would like to join and have their care at Ochsner LSU. They are some price differences when you look at the different plans, and you choose to participate in. The good news is for those in an existing plan that the cost of that plan is not going to change. It’s not going to go up. You’re not going to lose that coverage. But if you want to change to a different health care system, you have that option. There are some cost differences between the different options that may be appealing to some folks and maybe not to others depending on what your health care needs are at that point in your life.”
As the Health Care Trust Fund Board develops a new overall plan, Ochsner LSU Health is supportive of the Tier One plan proposed for 2023.
“Tier One, the pricing on that would be slightly less than the other two tiers,” Dr. Fox said.
He said under the tiered plan, patients receiving care at any of the systems or independent providers will see little to no cost increase. The proposed plan is just like the existing plan except those who choose Tier One will pay less, plus the city will pay less, the tiers are not mutually exclusive, and patients can go to different doctors in different tiers.
“The whole purpose of the trust fund’s proposal to the city council is to create more options for individuals. More choices. I think we have three great health care systems in the city and we found that some people use one or the other, and they want to preserve that choice, and the good news is that is preserved by all these different things that are being preserved,” Fox said.
The Health Care Trust Fund Board will bring the new plan to the city council, which has 15 days to ratify it or send it back to the board.
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| 2022-09-21T08:17:18Z
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SHREVEPORT, La. (KTAL/KMSS) – Shreve Memorial Library is celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month.
The library offers a place that brings people together from different backgrounds while supporting Language Arts and History.
“It’s a place where everyone is welcomed, and we want every member of our community to feel reflected in our programming and our collection. Our Hispanic population is a part of our community,” said Samantha Bonnette, Shreve Memorial Library spokesperson.
Each library system is offering something fun and educational to do. From story time and movie events to art projects and events for families, challenging readers to try Spanish literature and even cooking classes to create traditional recipes.
“We have so many fun things planned. We have everything from arts and crafts programs to family fun days. We have adult game days. We’ll be doing movie screenings and book discussions and special Hispanic Heritage Month storytime programs. So there’s really something for all ages to come out and help us celebrate”
She said it is a time to honor the culture, celebrate its diversity, and educate the community about Hispanic authors.
“It’s great for us to take that time to recognize them and celebrate the wonderful things about Hispanic culture and recognizes how diverse a culture it is.”
The Hispanic Heritage series runs through October 15. Visit their website to learn more about upcoming events.
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| 2022-09-21T08:17:24Z
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WASHINGTON D.C. (Nexstar) — As both praise and backlash grow over Governor Greg Abbott’s initiative to bus migrants out East, questions loom as to who these immigrants are and what happens to them next.
Residents in Martha’s Vineyard, a Massachusetts island, welcomed roughly 50 migrants who were dropped off Thursday after boarding a plane chartered by the state of Florida. On the same day, Texas sent two bus-loads of immigrants to the steps of Vice President Kamala Harris’ residence in D.C.
One woman from Venezuela told reporters in Martha’s Vineyard that she was told they would arrive in Boston. She spoke, in Spanish, about uncertainty of what will come next — translating in English to “We still don’t know our destiny. If we are gonna stay here, if we are going to leave, we don’t know,” she said.
It’s unclear if the state of Florida is following Texas’ lead on giving migrants consent forms to fill out, before being transported. Texas has Spanish versions of the form, specifying that the individual agrees to take state transportation to either New York City or Washington D.C.
Nexstar reached out to Gov. Ron DeSantis’ office for clarification on how the migrants are being recruited and whether they are signing similar consent forms. We did not receive a response.
In April, Abbott began sending busloads of migrants outside of the state in April, saying it will ease the burden of immigration on Texas cities.
Immigration advocates have slammed efforts by both Florida and Texas governors, calling it a “political stunt.”
“Shame on you, Governor Abbott. Shame on you, Governor DeSantis,” LULAC president Domingo García said during a Thursday press conference. “They were just literally dumped like human garbage in front of the Vice President’s house.”
Texas Republicans are doubling down on the legality of their initiative. In a Friday interview on Fox News Channel, Attorney General Ken Paxton said what the Lone Star State is doing is “completely legal.”
“We have the right to send these people out if we want to,” Paxton told Fox News Channel. “Now what the president is doing by letting people come here illegally? That is illegal.”
Immigration experts say it is hard to know for certain how each of these immigrants came into the United States. But once they are processed by the federal government, migrants can stay in America while they wait for a court date to further decide their immigration status.
Julia Gelatt, senior policy analyst and the Migration Policy Institute, said the immigrants being bused and flown around the country would’ve had to be processed by U.S. Customs and Border Patrol — making rhetoric referring them as “illegals” inaccurate.
“Some of them already have a notice to appear in immigration court. Some of them have a piece of paper telling them to check in with the government,” she said. “So they’ve been released into the United States into border communities. And that’s where they connected with the buses or the planes and were moved from there.”
Backlogs for migrants waiting for a court date can take years, and upward of seven years for those seeking asylum.
“Many of them are fleeing really difficult and dangerous situations and might ultimately win their asylum claims,” she said. “If we were to reform our immigration laws and have more legal pathways for people to come, there wouldn’t be so many people coming to the border, coming without authorization without advanced permission. Congress is really the one that could reform our immigration laws.”
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| 2022-09-21T08:17:32Z
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LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — New data shows that Arkansas unemployment is rising, but slightly less than the national rate.
A report released Friday by the Arkansas Division of Workforce Services Bureau of Labor Standards program stated that unemployment in the state for August was at 3.4%, an increase from July’s 3.3%.
This is an overall increase in the past year. Compared to August 2021, Arkansas has 28,185 more people employed, BLS program manager Susan Price stated.
For August, Arkansas had a total of 1,317,900 non-farm payroll jobs. Educational services saw the largest gains, with jobs in that category including state and local government education positions adding 3,000 jobs since July.
In the past 12 months the trade, transportation and utilities category saw the largest gains, with 8,000 new jobs. Manufacturing, and also the leisure and hospitality category saw gains of over 7,000 jobs each since August 2021.
The United States jobless rate increased two-tenths of a percentage point in the July to August period, moving from 3.5 percent in July to 3.7 percent.
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| 2022-09-21T08:17:44Z
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LITTLE ROCK, Ark. – Sarah Huckabee Sanders released a statement Friday revealing that she underwent surgery earlier Friday after learning she had thyroid cancer.
In the statement, Sanders said that she underwent surgery to remove her thyroid and surrounding lymph nodes. She added that she is now cancer free.
Sanders thanked Arkansas doctors and nurses for their treatment. She also noted that she looks forward to returning to her campaign for Arkansas governor soon.
“This experience has been a reminder that whatever battle you may be facing, don’t lose heart,” Sanders said. “As governor, I will never quit fighting for the people of our great state.”
Dr. John R. Sims stated that Sanders is recovering from surgery and is expected to be back on her feet within the next 24 hours. He added that her stage 1 cancer is the most common type of thyroid cancer and has a good prognosis.
“While she will need adjuvant treatment with radioactive iodine, as well as continued long term follow up, I think it’s fair to say she’s now cancer free, and I don’t anticipate any of this slowing her down,” Sims stated.
Many Arkansas republican leaders including Governor Asa Hutchinson, Senators John Boozman and Tom Cotton, Representative Bruce Westerman and state Attorney General Leslie Rutledge offered shows of support to Sanders.
She also received well-wishes from her opponents in the November election, Chris Jones and Ricky Harrington.
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LAFAYETTE, La. (KLFY) – As the British Crown changes hands for the first time in 70 years, it’s interesting to note that Acadiana has had its own ties to the late Queen Elizabeth II over her lifetime. One Acadiana man, Warren A. Perrin, shares with News 10 his story on how the British Crown officially apologized for its role in some of the darkest moments in Cajun history.
A brief history:
The Acadian story begins in 1604, as French colonists began to settle in Acadie in Canada, where they were able to prosper as fishers and farmers.
Acadie, now known as Nova Scotia, transferred ownership several times over the course of the century. That is, until 1713 when Great Britain gained permanent control of Acadie (Nova Scotia).
According to the National Park Service (NPS), the settlers under new control maintained their independence while refusing to swear allegiance to the British Crown and remained on the land for the next 40 trying years.
In 1755 however, the British Crown began the removal of Acadians, herding them onto British ships and setting sail for unknown destinations.
While many of those destinations were in France, the Caribbean, and various British colonies, according to NPS, many of the exiles created their new homes in South Louisiana.
By the early 1800s, nearly 4,000 Acadians had settled in Louisiana.
According to NPS, as Cajuns settled across South Louisiana and Acadiana, their French, architecture, music, and food began to change. Today, the Cajuns of Louisiana are renowned for their food, music, and their ability to maintain tradition.
The tie to Queen Elizabeth II
1988 saw the beginning of Warren A. Perrin’s effort to seek an apology from Queen Elizabeth II and the British Crown for the deportation of Acadians from Nova Scotia and an acknowledgment of their wrongdoings.
According to the Acadian Museum, the initiative was launched in January of 1990 when a petition on behalf of Acadians was delivered to Queen Elizabeth II.
“I served both Margaret Thatcher and Queen Elizabeth II and gave them 30 days to respond to my request for an apology,” said Perrin.
Perrin did not want monetary compensation, however, he just wanted to clear the names of his ancestors who were wrongly deported in violation of British Law.
He told News 10 that the process took 12 years, and with the support of the Canadian Government, the document was finally signed.
In 2003, a representative of Queen Elizabeth II signed a Royal Proclamation that acknowledged the wrongdoings committed in the name of the English Crown during the Acadian deportation of 1755.
“The document was prepared in the name of the Queen of England and it clearly did a couple of things that had never taken place, surprisingly, for the first time, England admitted there was an Acadian deportation,” Perrin said.
In addition, the Proclamation set July 28th of every year as “a day of commemoration of the Great Upheaval.“
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BATON ROUGE, La. (BRPROUD) — Louisiana is in an insurance crisis and lawmakers are searching for answers on how to keep companies and lower rates. On Friday, the Insurance Commissioner proposed a way to get companies to come to the state.
During the legislative session, lawmakers created a fund to incentivize insurance companies to come to Louisiana, write new policies, and to even look at getting some of the companies that left to return. But they didn’t put any money into it. Now the Insurance Commissioner is presenting a plan on how to fill it.
Since Hurricane Ida, seven insurance companies have pulled out of Louisiana and more have stopped writing new policies. Over 110,000 people are left on Citizens, the high-priced insurer of last resort, which recently asked the insurance department for a 63% rate hike.
The Insurance Commissioner proposed using the millions of dollars in excess from his department to put into the incentive fund. The money comes from charging companies for licenses among other typical costs of business.
“I hope to get the authority from you and the governor to utilize that $20 million to create an incentive program like the one we had in and utilized after Katrina and Rita,” Insurance Commissioner Jim Donelon said.
He hopes this will draw companies with cheaper premiums than Citizens to come and they’d have a deal to stay for at least five years.
“For my money in this program I would prefer that 100% has to come out of Citizens to benefit those 110,000 people first to benefit those who are paying through the nose,” Donelon said.
The excess money typically goes into the state general fund at the end of each year, which legislators were not in favor of removing in the regular legislative session. Donelon said as the insurance crisis grows, the governor and legislative leadership are supportive of the move to shift the money. Lawmakers voiced their concerns about prioritizing getting people off of Citizens to more affordable plans.
Commissioner of Administration Jay Dardenne said it is not a cut-and-dry solution. There are some uncertainties about what it takes to shift the money away and how long it will take.
“I’m not sure we have an avenue to go about identifying the money right now that could immediately be converted. It may take committee action. It may take some legislative action,” Dardenne said.
The Insurance Commissioner said he hopes it can be done without legislation because it would require a special session, which is unlikely he said, or waiting until the 2023 regular session in April. He is hoping to get the ball rolling to provide relief to policyholders sooner.
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| 2022-09-21T08:18:03Z
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AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — A federal appeals court Friday ruled in favor of a Texas law targeting major social media companies like Facebook and Twitter in a victory for Republicans who accuse the platforms of censoring conservative speech.
But the decision by the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in New Orleans is unlikely to be the last word in a legal battle that has stakes beyond Texas, and could impact how some of the world’s biggest tech companies regulate content by their users.
The Texas law, signed by Republican Gov. Greg Abbott last year, has been challenged by tech trade groups that warn that it would prevent platforms from removing extremism and hate speech. A similar law was also passed in Florida and ruled unconstitutional by a separate appeal court.
The final say is likely to come from the U.S. Supreme Court, which earlier this year blocked the Texas law while the lawsuit played out.
“Today we reject the idea that corporations have a freewheeling First Amendment right to censor what people say,” U.S. Circuit Court Judge Andrew Oldham wrote.
NetChoice, one of the groups challenging the law, expressed disappointment in a statement that pointed out the ruling was the opposite of the decision made in the lawsuit over the Florida law.
“We remain convinced that when the U.S. Supreme Court hears one of our cases, it will uphold the First Amendment rights of websites, platforms, and apps,” said Carl Szabo, NetChoice’s vice president and general counsel.
Republican elected officials in several states have backed laws like those enacted in Florida and Texas that sought to portray social media companies as generally liberal in outlook and hostile to ideas outside of that viewpoint, especially from the political right.
Justice Samuel Alito wrote in May that is not clear how the high court’s past First Amendment cases, many of which predate the internet age, apply to Facebook, Twitter, TikTok and other digital platforms.
The Florida law, as enacted, would give Florida’s attorney general authority to sue companies under the state’s Deceptive and Unfair Trade Practices Act. It would also allow individual residents to sue social media companies for up to $100,000 if they feel they have been treated unfairly.
The Texas law only applies to the largest social media platforms that have more than 50,000 active users.
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| 2022-09-21T08:18:18Z
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TEXAS (KETK) — A study conducted by Top Data has ranked the top five burgers chains in the U.S. by state, and Whataburger did not make the list for Texas.
“To determine the favorite burger chains, TOP Data used a combination of GPS tracking data from the largest burger chains mixed with a survey of 1,000 Americans,” the study said.
In Texas the top five burger chains were found to be:
- A&W Restaurants
- In-N-Out Burger
- Steak ‘n Shake
- Shake Shack
- Culver’s
Since the release of the list, many fans of the Texas-based company, Whataburger, have taken to social media to speak out against the company not making the list at all.
“Thanks for highlighting these atrocities Paul,” @Whataburger said in a reply to one user on Twitter.
The company also replied to one user who said the rankings were wrong for two other states in addition to Texas.
“Haha where’s the real map,” @Whataburger wrote.
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| 2022-09-21T08:18:24Z
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The ride-hailing service Uber said Friday that all its services were operational following what security professionals are calling a major data breach, claiming there was no evidence the hacker got access to sensitive user data.
But the breach, apparently by a lone hacker, put the spotlight on an increasingly effective break-in routine involving social engineering: The hacker apparently gained access posing as a colleague, tricking an Uber employee into surrendering their credentials.
They were then able to locate passwords on the network that got them the level of privileged access reserved for system administrators.
The potential damage was serious: Screenshots the hacker shared with security researchers indicate they obtained full access to the cloud-based systems where Uber stores sensitive customer and financial data.
It is not known how much data the hacker stole or how long they were inside Uber’s network. Two researchers who communicated directly with the person — who self-identified as an 18-year-old to one of them — said they appeared interested in publicity. There was no indication they destroyed data.
But files shared with the researchers and posted widely on Twitter and other social media indicated the hacker was able to access Uber’s most crucial internal systems.
“It was really bad the access he had. It’s awful,” said Corben Leo, one of the researchers who chatted with the hacker online.
The cybersecurity community’s online reaction — Uber also suffered a serious 2016 breach — was harsh.
The hack “wasn’t sophisticated or complicated and clearly hinged on multiple big systemic security culture and engineering failures,” tweeted Lesley Carhart, incident response director of Dragos Inc., which specializes in an industrial-control systems.
Leo said screenshots the hacker shared showed the intruder got access to systems stored on Amazon and Google cloud-based servers where Uber keeps source code, financial data and customer data such as driver’s licenses.
“If he had keys to the kingdom he could start stopping services. He could delete stuff. He could download customer data, change people’s passwords,” said Leo, a researcher and head of business development at the security company Zellic.
Screenshots the hacker shared — many of which found their way online — showed sensitive financial data and internal databases accessed. Also widely circulating online: The hacker announcing the breach Thursday on Uber’s internal Slack collaboration system.
Leo, along with Sam Curry, an engineer with Yuga Labs who also communicated with the hacker, said there was no indication that the hacker had done any damage or was interested in anything more than publicity.
“It’s pretty clear he’s a young hacker because he wants what 99% of what young hackers want, which is fame,” Leo said.
Curry said he spoke to several Uber employees Thursday who said they were “working to lock down everything internally” to restrict the hacker’s access. That included the San Francisco company’s Slack network, he said.
In a statement posted online Friday, Uber said “internal software tools that we took down as a precaution yesterday are coming back online.”
It said all its services — including Uber Eats and Uber Freight — were operational and that it had notified law enforcement. The FBI said via email that it is “aware of the cyber incident involving Uber, and our assistance to the company is ongoing.”
Uber said there was no evidence that the intruder accessed “sensitive user data” such as trip history but did not respond to questions from The Associated Press including about whether data was stored encrypted.
Curry and Leo said the hacker did not indicate how much data was copied. Uber did not recommend any specific actions for its users, such as changing passwords.
The hacker alerted the researchers to the intrusion Thursday by using an internal Uber account on the company’s network used to post vulnerabilities identified through its bug-bounty program, which pays ethical hackers to ferret out network weaknesses.
After commenting on those posts, the hacker provided a Telegram account address. Curry and other researchers then engaged them in a separate conversation, where the intruder provided the screenshots as proof.
The AP attempted to contact the hacker at the Telegram account, but received no response.
Screenshots posted online appeared to confirm what the researchers said the hacker claimed: That they obtained privileged access to Uber’s most critical systems through social engineering.
The apparent scenario:
The hacker first obtained the password of an Uber employee, likely through phishing. The hacker then bombarded the employee with push notifications asking they confirm a remote log-in to their account. When the employee did not respond, the hacker reached out via WhatsApp, posing as a fellow worker from the IT department and expressing urgency. Ultimately, the employee caved and confirmed with a mouse click.
Social engineering is a popular hacking strategy, as humans tend to be the weakest link in any network. Teenagers used it in 2020 to hack Twitter and it has more recently been used in hacks of the tech companies Twilio and Cloudflare, said Rachel Tobac, CEO of SocialProof Security, which specializes in training workers not to fall victim to social engineering.
“The hard truth is that most orgs in the world could be hacked in the exact way Uber was just hacked,” Tobac tweeted. In an interview, she said “even super tech savvy people fall for social engineering methods every day.”
“Attackers are getting better at by-passing or hi-jacking MFA (multi-factor authentication),” said Ryan Sherstobitoff, a senior threat analyst at SecurityScorecard.
That’s why many security professionals advocate the use of so-called FIDO physical security keys for user authentication. Adoption of such hardware has been spotty among tech companies, however.
The hack also highlighted the need for real-time monitoring in cloud-based systems to better detect intruders, said Tom Kellermann of Contrast Security. “Much more attention must be paid to protecting clouds from within” because a single master key can typically unlock all their doors.
Some experts questioned how much cybersecurity has improved at Uber since it was hacked in 2016.
Its former chief security officer, Joseph Sullivan, is currently on trial for allegedly arranging to pay hackers $100,000 to cover up that high-tech heist, when the personal information of about 57 million customers and drivers was stolen.
___
This story has been updated to correct the spelling of the Contrast Security expert’s last name. It’s Kellermann, not Kellerman.
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| 2022-09-21T08:18:30Z
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After winking at QAnon for years, Donald Trump is overtly embracing the baseless conspiracy theory, even as the number of frightening real-world events linked to it grows.
On Tuesday, using his Truth Social platform, the Republican former president reposted an image of himself wearing a Q lapel pin overlaid with the words “The Storm is Coming.” In QAnon lore, the “storm” refers to Trump’s final victory, when supposedly he will regain power and his opponents will be tried, and potentially executed, on live television.
As Trump contemplates another run for the presidency and has become increasingly assertive in the Republican primary process during the midterm elections, his actions show that far from distancing himself from the political fringe, he is welcoming it.
He’s published dozens of recent Q-related posts, in contrast to 2020, when he claimed that while he didn’t know much about QAnon, he couldn’t disprove its conspiracy theory.
Pressed on QAnon theories that Trump allegedly is saving the nation from a satanic cult of child sex traffickers, he claimed ignorance but asked, “Is that supposed to be a bad thing?”
“If I can help save the world from problems, I’m willing to do it,” Trump said.
Trump’s recent postings have included images referring to himself as a martyr fighting criminals, psychopaths and the so-called deep state. In one now-deleted post from late August, he reposted a “q drop,” one of the cryptic message board postings that QAnon supporters claim come from an anonymous government worker with top secret clearance.
A Trump spokesperson did not respond to a request for comment.
Even when his posts haven’t referred to the conspiracy theory directly, Trump has amplified users who do. An Associated Press analysis found that of nearly 75 accounts Trump has reposted on his Truth Social profile in the past month, more than a third of them have promoted QAnon by sharing the movement’s slogans, videos or imagery. About 1 in 10 include QAnon language or links in their profile bios.
Earlier this month, Trump chose a QAnon song to close out a rally in Pennsylvania. The same song appears in one of his recent campaign videos and is titled “WWG1WGA,” an acronym used as a rallying cry for Q adherents that stands for “Where we go one, we go all.”
Online, Q adherents basked in Trump’s attention.
“Yup, haters!” wrote one commenter on an anonymous QAnon message board. “Trump re-truthed Q memes. And he’ll do it again, more and more of them, over and OVER, until (asterisk)everyone(asterisk) finally gets it. Make fun of us all you want, whatever! Soon Q will be everywhere!”
“Trump Sending a Clear Message Patriots,” a QAnon-linked account on Truth Social wrote. “He Re-Truthed This for a Reason.”
The former president may be seeking solidarity with his most loyal supporters at a time when he faces escalating investigations and potential challengers within his own party, according to Mia Bloom, a professor at Georgia State University who has studied QAnon and recently wrote a book about the group.
“These are people who have elevated Trump to messiah-like status, where only he can stop this cabal,” Bloom told the AP on Thursday. “That’s why you see so many images (in online QAnon spaces) of Trump as Jesus.”
On Truth Social, QAnon-affiliated accounts hail Trump as a hero and savior and vilify President Joe Biden by comparing him to Adolf Hitler or the devil. When Trump shares the content, they congratulate each other. Some accounts proudly display how many times Trump has “re-truthed” them in their bios.
By using their own language to directly address QAnon supporters, Trump is telling them that they’ve been right all along and that he shares their secret mission, according to Janet McIntosh, an anthropologist at Brandeis University who has studied QAnon’s use of language and symbols.
It also allows Trump to endorse their beliefs and their hope for a violent uprising without expressly saying so, she said, citing his recent post about “the storm” as a particularly frightening example.
“The ‘storm is coming’ is shorthand for something really dark that he’s not saying out loud,” McIntosh said. “This is a way for him to point to violence without explicitly calling for it. He is the prince of plausible deniability.”
Bloom predicted that Trump may later attempt to market Q-related merchandise or perhaps ask QAnon followers to donate to his legal defense.
Regardless of motive, Bloom said, it’s a reckless move that feeds a dangerous movement.
A growing list of criminal episodes has been linked to people who had expressed support for the conspiracy theory, which U.S. intelligence officials have warned could trigger more violence.
QAnon supporters were among those who violently stormed the Capitol during the failed Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection.
In November 2020, two men drove to a vote-counting site in Philadelphia in a Hummer adorned with QAnon stickers and loaded with a rifle, 100 rounds of ammunition and other weapons. Prosecutors alleged they were trying to interfere with the election.
Last year, a California man who told authorities he had been enlightened by QAnon was accused of killing his two children because he believed they had serpent DNA.
Last month, a Colorado woman was found guilty of attempting to kidnap her son from foster care after her daughter said she began associating with QAnon supporters. Other adherents have been accused of environmental vandalism, firing paintballs at military reservists, abducting a child in France and even killing a New York City mob boss.
On Sunday, police fatally shot a Michigan man who they say had killed his wife and severely injured his daughter. A surviving daughter told The Detroit News that she believes her father was motivated by QAnon.
“I think that he was always prone to (mental issues), but it really brought him down when he was reading all those weird things on the internet,” she told the newspaper.
The same weekend a Pennsylvania man who had reposted QAnon content on Facebook was arrested after he allegedly charged into a Dairy Queen with a gun, saying he wanted to kill all Democrats and restore Trump to power.
Major social media platforms including YouTube, Facebook and Twitter have banned content associated with QAnon and have suspended or blocked accounts that seek to spread it. That’s forced much of the group’s activities onto platforms that have less moderation, including Telegram, Gab and Trump’s struggling platform, Truth Social.
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| 2022-09-21T08:18:43Z
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CHICAGO (AP) — Two Chicago police officers face felony charges for allegedly shooting and seriously wounding an unarmed man during a July shootout on the city’s southwest side that also wounded a second man, authorities said Friday.
Sgt. Christopher Liakopoulos, 43, and Officer Ruben Reynoso, 42, have been charged with one count each of aggravated battery with a firearm, aggravated discharge of a firearm and official misconduct, said Cook County State’s Attorney Kim Foxx.
Foxx said the officers were relieved of their police powers on Thursday before they turned themselves in to authorities.
Foxx said both officers “are being charged with having fired their shots” that wounded an unarmed 23-year-old man — identified separately Friday through a civil court filing as Miguel Medina — on July 22 in the city’s Pilsen neighborhood. That man has since recovered and is cooperating with the investigation, she said.
“The victim who was shot and injured in this incident was not in possession of a weapon, nor did he fire a weapon at these two officers,” Foxx said during a news conference.
After the shooting, police said in a statement that two officers who had observed four people loitering in front of a closed store stopped to investigate and identified themselves as police.
Police said one of the four in the group then displayed a handgun and an exchange of gunfire ensued in which Medina suffered gunshot wounds and was transported to a hospital in serious condition.
Foxx said that based on a review of the evidence, including video surveillance footage, prosecutors believe “the officers involved in this incident did not have provocation or justification to shoot the unarmed” Medina.
“The evidence does not support the use of deadly force related to the shooting of the unarmed victim, and was not lawful,” Foxx said.
Assistant State’s Attorney Alyssa Janicki said Friday at the officers’ bond hearing that a juvenile and Medina initially approached the unmarked police vehicle when questioned by the officers.
The juvenile ran, but Medina showed both hands to the officers as Reynoso and Liakopoulos both pointed their guns out the vehicle’s passenger window and started shooting. Medina was shot in the back and leg.
The juvenile, who Janicki said had a gun in a satchel across his chest, kept running before turning and firing shots at the officers who shot back. A pedestrian near the juvenile suffered a grazing wound.
The officers were heading to a morning training course and were in plain clothes at the time of the shooting. Neither had on their police body cameras because they were going to training, Janicki said.
Prosecutors later obtained surveillance video from the area.
After the shooting, Foxx said, the two officers “made representations to legal authorities, including the Cook County state’s attorney’s office, that was directly contradicted by the videotaped evidence.”
Brian Sexton, Reynoso’s attorney, said during Friday’s hearing that his client was focused on the 17-year-old with the gun and never shot in the direction of Medina.
Sexton said that after Reynoso watched a surveillance video of the shooting, he told the Civilian Office of Police Accountability and the state’s attorney’s office that he “just didn’t remember” the shooting.
Tim Grace, Liakopoulos’ attorney, told the judge that the officers were confronted “by an armed assailant who points a gun at them and eventually fires at them.”
“We are supposed to see if the police officer’s actions were objectively reasonable,” Grace said. “We don’t use 20/20 hindsight. We don’t second-guess. We don’t slow down video like the state’s attorney’s office does.”
Medina filed a federal lawsuit on Friday against Liakopoulos and the city accusing the officer of using excessive force and battery during their interaction and falsely arresting him afterward.
Medina alleges that he and others were walking when the officers drove up in police vehicle and started questioning the group. Medina says he showed his hands and began walking away when Liakopoulos fired shots at him from the vehicle, striking him several times.
Medina was treated at a hospital for his wounds and then held for several hours at a police station, though he was never charged, according to the lawsuit, which doesn’t say how much Medina is seeking and requests a jury trial.
The Civilian Office of Police Accountability is investigating the shooting and has a deadline of Sept. 22 to release materials related to the shooting, including videos, the Chicago Sun-Times reported.
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| 2022-09-21T08:18:49Z
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JUNEAU, Alaska (AP) — Residents on Alaska’s vast and sparsely populated western coast braced Friday for a powerful storm that forecasters said could be one of the worst in recent history, threatening hurricane-force winds and high surf that could knock out power and cause flooding.
The storm is the remnants of what was Typhoon Merbok, which University of Alaska Fairbanks climate specialist Rick Thoman said is also influencing weather patterns far from Alaska — a rare late-summer storm now is expected to bring rain this weekend to drought-stricken parts of California.
“All this warm air that’s been brought north by this ex-typhoon is basically inducing a chain reaction in the jet stream downstream from Alaska,” he said.
“It’s a historic-level storm,” Thoman said of the system steaming toward Alaska. “In 10 years, people will be referring to the September 2022 storm as a benchmark storm.”
Hurricane-force winds were forecast in parts of the Bering Sea, while in the small communities of Elim and Koyuk, around 90 miles (145 kilometers) from the hub community of Nome, water levels could be up to 18 feet (5 meters) above the normal high tide line, according to the National Weather Service. Flood warnings were in effect until Monday in parts of northwest Alaska.
In Nome, which has about 3,500 residents, Leon Boardway was working as usual Friday at the Nome Visitors Center, a half-block from the Bering Sea. “I just want to keep my door open and the coffee pot on,” he said after it had begun to rain and the winds picked up.
But few people were coming by. Residents, visitors and businesses in the town, famous for being at the end of the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race and the setting for the dredging-for-gold reality show “Bering Sea Gold,” were boarding up windows and otherwise bracing for the storm.
“The ocean is getting worse out there,” said Boardway, 71, as he checked out the center’s webcam, which from its high perch has a good view of the swells.
“I hope everybody stays calm and everybody just gets in a good, safe position,” he said.
Typhoon Merbok formed farther east in the Pacific Ocean than where such storms typically appear. Water temperatures are unusually warm this year so the storm “was able to spin up,” Thoman said.
Meanwhile, a low-pressure system was expected to drop from the Gulf of Alaska and park off the coast of Northern California, producing gusty ridgetop winds before rains set in late Saturday, the National Weather Service said.
In the Sierra Nevada foothills northeast of the state capital of Sacramento, fire crews have been fighting what has become the largest wildfire in that state so far this year. While rain is needed, the storm was predicted to also bring winds that could spread the Mosquito Fire.
The storm will slow but not end California’s fire season because fuels are critically dry and a period of warmer, drier weather will follow, said Courtney Carpenter, a National Weather Service meteorologist.
Forecasters said the weather system will spread rain down the state’s central coast but little if any is expected in most of Southern California, where mountain and desert communities are dealing with the aftermath of too much rain.
Crews were clearing head-high mud flows in the San Bernardino Mountains east of Los Angeles, following flash-flooding Monday. Downpours from remnants of a Pacific hurricane caused the devastation in Southern California, with winds topping 100 mph (160 kph) last weekend.
First responders on Thursday found the body of a woman missing since the mudslides tore through her mountain town. Her remains were discovered buried under mud, rocks and other debris near her home.
The deluges added to road and infrastructure damage in desert national parks from the summer’s punishing monsoonal thunderstorms.
___
Thiessen reported from Anchorage, Alaska. Antczak reported from Los Angeles.
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| 2022-09-21T08:18:56Z
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PHOENIX (AP) — The Republican leaders of the Arizona Legislature will not try to defend a new law limiting up-close filming of police that has been blocked by a federal judge, a decision that essentially ends the fight over the contentious proposal.
Senate President Karen Fann and House Speaker Rusty Bowers both said they would not intervene in the case by the Friday deadline set by the federal judge when he temporarily blocked the new law from taking effect last week on First Amendment grounds.
And the bill’s sponsor, Republican Rep. John Kavanagh, said Friday that he has been unable to find an outside group to defend the law, which was challenged by news media organizations and the American Civil Liberties Union.
The groups will now ask that the law, which was set to take effect next week, be permanently blocked.
Kavanagh said he will review U.S. District Judge John J. Tuchi’s ruling and see if he can craft a law that passes constitutional muster. He said the law is needed to keep people from distracting police while they are trying to make an arrest, but Tuchi agreed with the challengers that it runs afoul of precedents that say the public and press have a right to film police doing their jobs.
Tuchi noted that there are already Arizona laws barring interfering with police, and that singling out people for taking videos appears to be unconstitutional on its face. And he wrote in his ruling that barring someone from using a phone or news video camera to record — without banning other actions — is a content-based restriction that is illegal.
“If the goal of HB2319 is to prevent interference with law enforcement activities, the Court fails to see how the presence of a person recording a video near an officer interferes with the officer’s activities,” Tuchi wrote.
The law makes it illegal to knowingly film police officers 8 feet (2.5 meters) or closer if the officer tells the person to stop. And on private property, an officer who decides someone is interfering or the area is unsafe can order the person to stop filming even if the recording is being made with the owner’s permission.
Bystander cellphone videos are largely credited with revealing police misconduct — such as with the 2020 killing of George Floyd at the hands of Minneapolis officers — and reshaping the conversation around police transparency. But Republican Arizona lawmakers say the legislation was needed to limit people with cameras who deliberately impede officers.
Kavanagh and the Legislature were warned repeatedly by the ACLU and the National Press Photographers Association that the proposal would violate the First Amendment, but it passed anyway with only Republican support. The NPPA, on behalf of itself and more than two dozen press groups and media companies including The Associated Press, also wrote to Republican Gov. Doug Ducey after the measure was passed, telling him as well that it was unconstitutional and urging a veto. Ducey signed the bill anyway.
Mickey H. Osterreicher, the general counsel for the photographers association, called the law “an unconstitutional solution in search of a non-existent problem.”
“It’s always a lot easier to write a letter than it is to have to file a lawsuit,” he said. “But some people like to do it the easy way and other people are forced to do it the hard way.”
Once a coalition of media groups and the ACLU sued, Republican Attorney General Mark Brnovich refused to defend the law, as did the prosecutor and sheriff’s office in Maricopa County, home to Phoenix.
Bowers said he and fellow Republicans disregarded opponents who said the bill was unconstitutional and essentially said “let’s just try and see what happens.”
“But when you get right down to where you to have to start spending money, no,” Bowers said. “We’ll just wait till next year.”
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| 2022-09-21T08:19:03Z
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SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a sweeping package of bills Friday to expand California’s reliance on clean energy and reduce carbon emissions, moves he said further establish the state as a global climate leader.
The new laws include proposals aimed at reducing exposure to gas and oil pollution in communities of color, expanding clean energy jobs and accelerating the state’s timeline for getting most of its electricity from renewable energy sources. Newsom signed them following a record-breaking heat wave that forced California to rely more heavily on natural gas for its electricity production.
“We could talk about the way the world should be and protest it,” Newsom said while standing underneath an array of solar panels. “Or we can actually make demonstrable progress.”
State Sen. Lena Gonzalez, a Democrat, was an author of one bill aimed at protecting vulnerable communities from pollution coming from oil and gas production sites. It bans the drilling of any new oil and gas wells with 3,200 feet (975 meters) of homes, schools and other neighborhood sites and requires wells in those zones to enact stricter safety measures. Neighborhood oil drilling is prominent around Los Angeles and oil-rich parts of the Central Valley.
“The reason why we do this, first and foremost, is because some of us are parents,” said Gonzalez, who represents the southern part of Los Angeles County.
Another bill Newsom signed requires California to reach carbon neutrality by 2045, meaning it will remove as much carbon from the atmosphere as what it emits.
The state’s accelerated carbon reduction targets are a “big win for California,” Kassie Siegel, of the Center for Biological Diversity Action Fund, said in a statement.
The oil industry has broadly criticized Newsom’s climate package, saying it will harm an industry that still provides many jobs throughout the state. California is the seventh-largest oil producing state.
Some environmental groups were critical as well, though for different reasons. Food and Water Watch California, a nonprofit aimed at addressing climate and water issues, opposed a bill in the package that creates a permitting system for carbon capture projects. Such efforts rely on technology to remove carbon from the atmosphere to store underground.
Critics of the technology say it’s dangerous, unproven and a means for oil companies to keep emitting.
“Carbon capture is a smokescreen for fossil fuel industry players to protect their bottom lines at the expense of our climate and communities,” Food and Water Watch California Director Chirag G. Bhakta said in a statement.
Newsom, a Democrat, also took the opportunity to swipe at Republican political leaders in Texas. He compared California’s energy production to that of Texas, another major producer, where a winter storm in February 2021 left millions without power.
“And they’re talking to us about keeping our lights on?” Newsom said of Texas.
___
Sophie Austin is a corps member for the Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues. Follow her on Twitter at https://twitter.com/sophieadanna.
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| 2022-09-21T08:19:09Z
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YEREVAN, Armenia (AP) — The speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives, Nancy Pelosi, said Friday she plans to make a weekend visit to Armenia, where a cease-fire held for a second day after an outburst of fighting with neighboring Azerbaijan that killed more than 200 troops from both sides.
Pelosi told reporters in Berlin she would to travel to Armenia on Saturday with a delegation that includes Rep. Jackie Speier, D-Calif., who is of Armenian descent. Pelosi declined to give further details about the trip, saying that traveling members of the Congress “don’t like to be a target.”
“In any case, it is all about human rights and the respecting the dignity and worth of every person,” she said.
The Armenian Defense Ministry said the situation on the border with Azerbaijan has remained quiet since the cease-fire took effect at 8 p.m. Wednesday, and no violations were reported. The cease-fire declaration followed two days of heavy fighting that marked the largest outbreak of hostilities in nearly two years.
Armenia and Azerbaijan traded blame for the shelling, with Armenian authorities accusing Baku of unprovoked aggression and Azerbaijani officials saying their country was responding to Armenian attacks.
Speaking in parliament Friday, Armenia’s Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said at least 135 Armenian troops were killed in the fighting. Azerbaijan’s Defense Ministry said Friday it had lost 77.
Edvard Asryan, the chief of the General Staff of the Armenian armed forces, told foreign ambassadors in Yerevan that Azerbaijani forces had forged 7.5 kilometers (4.7 miles) into Armenian territory near the town of Jermuk, a spa resort in southern Armenia.
Asryan said the Azerbaijani troops also went 1-2 kilometers (1 mile) into Armenian territory near the villages of Nerkin Hand in Syunik province and Shorja in Gegharkunik province. He noted that the Azerbaijani forces have remained in those areas.
The ex-Soviet countries have been locked in a decades-old conflict over Nagorno-Karabakh, which is part of Azerbaijan but has been under the control of ethnic Armenian forces backed by Armenia since a separatist war there ended in 1994.
During a six-week war in 2020, Azerbaijan reclaimed broad swaths of Nagorno-Karabakh and adjacent territories held by Armenian forces. More than 6,700 people died in the fighting, which ended with a Russia-brokered peace agreement. Moscow deployed about 2,000 troops to the region to serve as peacekeepers.
Pashinyan said his government has asked Russia for military support amid the latest fighting under a friendship treaty, and also requested assistance from the Moscow-dominated Collective Security Treaty Organization, which has sent a team of top officials to Armenia.
Armen Grigoryan, the secretary of Armenia’s Security Council, said the government in Yerevan was dissatisfied with the security alliance’s response so far and expected it to offer “military and military-political assistance to protect Armenia’s sovereignty.”
Pashinyan called Russian President Vladimir Putin when the hostilities erupted, and they had another call Friday to discuss the situation.
Yerevan’s plea for help has put the Kremlin in a precarious position as it has sought to maintain close relations with both Armenia, which hosts a Russian military base, and energy-rich Azerbaijan.
Speaking Friday at a summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization summit in the Uzbekistan city of Samarkand, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev accused Armenia of “a large-scale military provocation” that derailed efforts to negotiate a peace treaty.
“The Armenian provocation has dealt a heavy blow to the process of normalizing ties between our countries,” Aliyev said.
During a meeting with Putin on the sidelines of the summit, Aliyev thanked him for helping to halt the fighting and said “the most important thing now is to save the process of normalization of ties from collapse.” Putin voiced satisfaction that the cease-fire has held, but noted the situation remained tense.
Asked by reporters whether the latest hostilities became possible because Moscow has been too busy with Ukraine, Putin dismissed the claim, emphasizing that the cease-fire was brokered by Russia.
“Mostly thanks to Russia’s influence, this conflict has been localized,” he said.
Putin also held talks with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, whose country has strongly backed Azerbaijan, but neither of them mentioned the fighting in their opening remarks.
Pashinyan told lawmakers earlier this week that Armenia was ready to recognize Azerbaijan’s territorial integrity in a future peace treaty, provided that it relinquishes control of areas in Armenia its forces have seized.
The opposition saw that as a sign of Pashinyan’s readiness to submit to Azerbaijani demands and recognize Azerbaijan’s sovereignty over Nagorno-Karabakh. Thousands of angry protesters have besieged the government’s headquarters and parliament during the past two days, accusing Pashinyan of treason. Protests were also held in other Armenian cities.
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Jan M. Olsen in Copenhagen contributed to this report.
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| 2022-09-21T08:19:17Z
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SAMARKAND, Uzbekistan (AP) — Russian President Vladimir Putin vowed Friday to press his attack on Ukraine despite Ukraine’s latest counteroffensive and warned that Moscow could ramp up its strikes on the country’s vital infrastructure if Ukrainian forces target facilities in Russia.
Speaking to reporters Friday after attending a summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization in Uzbekistan, Putin said the “liberation” of Ukraine’s entire eastern Donbas region remained Russia’s main military goal and that he sees no need to revise it.
“We aren’t in a rush,” the Russian leader said, adding that Moscow has only deployed volunteer soldiers to fight in Ukraine. Some hard-line politicians and military bloggers have urged the Kremlin to follow Ukraine’s example and order a broad mobilization to beef up the ranks, lamenting Russia’s manpower shortage.
Russia was forced to pull back its forces from large swaths of northeastern Ukraine last week after a swift Ukrainian counteroffensive. Ukraine’s move to reclaim control of several Russian-occupied cities and villages marked the largest military setback for Moscow since its forces had to retreat from areas near the capital early in the war.
In his first comment on the Ukrainian counteroffensive, Putin said: “Let’s see how it develops and how it ends.”
He noted that Ukraine has tried to strike civilian infrastructure in Russia and “we so far have responded with restraint, but just yet.”
“If the situation develops this way, our response will be more serious,” Putin said.
“Just recently, the Russian armed forces have delivered a couple of impactful strikes,” he said in an apparent reference to Russian attacks earlier this week on power plants in northern Ukraine and a dam in the south. ”Let’s consider those as warning strikes.”
He alleged, without offering specifics, that Ukraine has attempted to launch attacks “near our nuclear facilities, nuclear power plants,” adding that “we will retaliate if they fail to understand that such methods are unacceptable.”
Russia has reported numerous explosions and fires at civilian infrastructure in areas near Ukraine, as well munitions depots and other facilities. Ukraine has claimed responsibility for some of the attacks and refrained from commenting on others.
Putin also sought Friday to assuage India’s concern about the conflict in Ukraine, telling Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi that Moscow wants to see a quick end to the fighting and alleging that Ukrainian officials won’t negotiate.
“I know your stand on the conflict in Ukraine and the concerns that you have repeatedly voiced,” the Russian leader told Modi. “We will do all we can to end that as quickly as possible. Regrettably, the other side, the leadership of Ukraine, has rejected the negotiations process and stated that it wants to achieve its goals by military means, on the battlefield.”
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says it’s Russia that allegedly doesn’t want to negotiate in earnest. He also has insisted on the withdrawal of Russian troops from occupied areas of Ukraine as a precondition for talks.
Putin’s remarks during the talks with Modi echoed comments the Russian leader made during Thursday’s meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping when Putin thanked him for his government’s “balanced position” on the Ukraine war, while adding that he was ready to discuss China’s unspecified “concerns” about Ukraine.
Speaking to reporters Friday, Putin said he and Xi “discussed what we should do in the current conditions to efficiently counter unlawful restrictions” imposed by the West. The European Union, the United States and other Western nations have put sanctions on Russian energy due to the war in Ukraine.
Xi, in a statement released by his government, expressed support for Russia’s “core interests” but also interest in working together to “inject stability” into world affairs. China’s relations with Washington, Europe, Japan and India have been strained by disputes about technology, security, human rights and territory.
Zhang Lihua, an international relations expert at Tsinghua University, said the reference to stability “is mainly related to China-U.S. relations,” adding that “the United States has been using all means to suppress China, which forced China to seek cooperation with Russia.”
China and India have refused to join Western sanctions against Russia over its war in Ukraine while increasing their purchases of Russian oil and gas, helping Moscow offset the financial restrictions imposed by the U.S. and its allies.
Putin also met Friday with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to discuss bolstering economic cooperation and regional issues, including a July deal brokered by Turkey and the United Nations that allowed Ukrainian grain exports to resume from the country’s Black Sea ports.
Speaking at the Uzbekistan summit on Friday, Xi warned his Central Asian neighbors not to allow outsiders to destabilize them. The warning reflects Beijing’s anxiety that Western support for democracy and human rights activists is a plot to undermine Xi’s ruling Communist Party and other authoritarian governments.
“We should prevent external forces from instigating a color revolution,” Xi said in a speech to the leaders of Shanghai Cooperation Organization member nations, referring to protests that toppled unpopular regimes in the former Soviet Union and the Middle East.
Xi offered to train 2,000 police officers, to set up a regional counterterrorism training center and to “strengthen law enforcement capacity building.” He did not elaborate.
His comments echoed longtime Russian grievances about the color-coded democratic uprisings in several ex-Soviet nations that the Kremlin viewed as instigated by the U.S. and its allies.
Xi is promoting a “Global Security Initiative” announced in April following the formation of the Quad by the U.S., Japan, Australia and India in response to Beijing’s more assertive foreign policy. U.S. officials complain it echoes Russian arguments in support of Moscow’s actions in Ukraine.
Central Asia is part of China’s multibillion-dollar Belt and Road Initiative to expand trade by building ports, railways and other infrastructure across an arc of dozens of countries from the South Pacific through Asia to the Middle East, Europe and Africa.
The Shanghai Cooperation Organization was formed by Russia and China as a counterweight to U.S. influence. The group also includes India, Pakistan and the four ex-Soviet Central Asian nations of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. Iran is on track to receive full membership.
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Follow all AP stories about the war in Ukraine at https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine.
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FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (AP) — Attorneys for Florida school shooter Nikolas Cruz asked for the judge in his murder case to remove herself on Friday, two days after she scolded them when they abruptly rested their case after calling only a fraction of their expected witnesses.
The Broward Public Defender’s Office said in a motion that Circuit Judge Elizabeth Scherer held a longstanding animosity toward lead defense lawyer Melisa McNeill.
The motion cited Florida’s Judicial Code of Conduct that states a judge shall disqualify himself or herself if the judge’s impartiality might reasonably be questioned, including but not limited to instances where the judge has a personal bias or prejudice concerning a party or a party’s lawyer. Defense attorneys said Scherer’s repeated improper and unjustified attacks on the defense counsel undermine the public’s confidence in the judicial system and have also caused Cruz to fear that he will not receive a fair trial.
Prosecutors said in a response that Scherer has been respectful to both sides.
Cruz’s attorneys had told the judge and prosecutors they would be calling 80 witnesses but surprisingly rested at the start of Wednesday’s court session after calling only about 25 of them.
There were 11 days of defense testimony overall, the last two spotlighting experts about how his birth mother’s heavy use of alcohol during pregnancy might have affected his brain’s development and led to his murdering 17 people at Parkland’s Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School four years ago.
The sudden announcement by lead attorney McNeill led to a heated exchange between her and Scherer, who called the decision without warning to her or the prosecution “the most uncalled for, unprofessional way to try a case.”
The 12-member jury and 10 alternates were not present but were lining up outside the courtroom to enter. The sudden announcement also meant prosecutors weren’t ready to start their rebuttal case.
Scherer then accused Cruz’s attorneys of being inconsiderate to all involved, but especially the jurors for wasting their trip to court.
Cruz, 23, pleaded guilty last October to murdering 14 Stoneman Douglas students and three staff members on Feb. 14, 2018. His trial, now ending its second month, is only to determine whether he is to be sentenced to death or life without parole. For a death sentence, the jury must be unanimous.
After his attorneys rested, Cruz told Scherer he agreed with the decision.
Prosecutors said they will need more than a week to prepare their rebuttal case. The trial is now tentatively scheduled to resume Sept. 27 and conclude the week of Oct. 10.
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| 2022-09-21T08:19:32Z
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DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — A British man accused by Denmark of masterminding a $1.7 billion tax fraud has been ordered by a Dubai court to pay Copenhagen’s tax authority $1.25 billion, court filings seen Friday show, just days after another Dubai court rejected an extradition order for him.
The order by the Dubai Court of Appeal against Sanjay Shah comes as part of a civil case filed four years ago by Denmark’s tax authority, who have been pursuing him as part of their investigation in one of the country’s largest-ever tax fraud case.
Shah has maintained his innocence in the case while fighting extradition. Lawyers representing Shah in the separate civil case did not immediately respond to a request for comment Friday.
Denmark has accused Shah of masterminding an elaborate tax scheme for three years beginning in 2012 involving foreign businesses pretending to own shares in Danish companies and claiming tax refunds for which they were not eligible.
The Danish tax authority, Skattestyrelsen, filed the civil case against Shah in 2018 through a local Dubai law firm. In its decision Wednesday, the Dubai Court of Appeal said Denmark had sought $1.9 billion from Shah and his alleged accomplices.
Shah’s lifestyle on Dubai’s luxurious palm-shaped island over the past few years had sparked outrage in Denmark. After Danish authorities signed an extradition agreement with the UAE, Dubai police arrested Shah in June. Shah is one of several suspects in the tax scheme sought by Danish authorities.
During his time in Dubai, the hedge fund manager ran a center for autistic children that shut down in 2020 as Denmark tried to extradite him. He also oversaw a British-based charity, Autism Rocks, which raised funds through concerts and performances.
On Monday, another Dubai court ruled Shah cannot be extradited to Denmark to face charges. Lawyers representing Shah in the case told The Associated Press on Thursday that prosecutors had filed an appeal seeking to overturn that decision.
The extradition case targeting Shah comes as pressure grows on Dubai, the region’s financial hub, over its alleged weaknesses in combating illicit finance.
The UAE, a federation of seven emirates, has long invited the wealthy, including disgraced public figures, to invest in the country without questioning where they made their money. Scrutiny of Dubai has intensified as the flashy city-state becomes a haven for Russian money amid Moscow’s war on Ukraine.
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Follow Malak Harb on Twitter at www.twitter.com/malakharb.
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| 2022-09-21T08:19:47Z
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BEIJING (AP) — A massive fire sent flames and black smoke pouring Friday from a 42-story skyscraper in central China belonging to the country’s largest telecoms operator, but no casualties were reported, officials said.
Dozens of floors burned in the China Telecom building in the city of Changsha, the capital of central Hunan province. The city’s fire department said it sent 280 firefighters who were able to quickly extinguish the blaze on the 218-meter (720-foot) building.
No injuries or deaths have been reported, China Telecom said in a statement. It said there was no disruption to cellphone service, but social media users complained of being unable to use their phones.
Videos of the blaze showed one side of the building scorched black, with debris falling to the ground. Other videos from local media showed workers inside managing to evacuate the building.
There was no immediate information on the cause of the blaze.
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| 2022-09-21T08:20:02Z
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FLAMING GORGE RESERVOIR, Wyo. (AP) — Tony Valdez wasn’t worried about being left high and dry when he bought Buckboard Marina three years ago, but that’s changed with the receding waters of Flaming Gorge Reservoir.
This year, he has already dredged 10 feet (3 meters) so boats could still use the marina. Now, with Flaming Gorge becoming a crucial emergency water supply for the region, Valdez worries the reservoir has nowhere to go but lower still.
“I mean, this is our natural resource and it’s going away,” he said. “Water is the most precious thing we have.”
As a 20-year drought creeps ever farther up the Colorado River Basin and seven Western states vie for their fair share of water under the century-old Colorado River Compact, this boating and fishing paradise on the Wyoming-Utah line is a new flashpoint.
Nobody disputes the root of the problem: The agreement dates to a cooler, wetter time and is based on assumptions about precipitation that simply no longer apply, in part due to climate change.
But as business owners like Valdez are finding out firsthand, recreation is just one of many competing priorities while growing demand in the basin’s more populous downstream states — California, Nevada and Arizona — conflicts with dwindling supply from the more rural states upstream — Utah, Colorado, New Mexico and Wyoming.
EDITOR’S NOTE: This is part of a collaborative series on the Colorado River as the 100th anniversary of the historic Colorado River Compact approaches. The Associated Press, The Colorado Sun, The Albuquerque Journal, The Salt Lake Tribune, The Arizona Daily Star and The Nevada Independent are working together to explore the pressures on the river in 2022.
Amid jostling by farmers, ranchers, businesses, industries, municipalities and government officials, it’s anyone’s guess who will come out ahead or get left behind — including natural ecosystems that need water, too.
“It’s a complicated mess. And right now the environment is akin to a snake den because everybody is just out for themselves,” said Kyle Roerink, director of the Great Basin Water Network conservation group.
In August, U.S. Bureau of Reclamation Commissioner Camille Touton agreed for now to let Upper Basin states keep working together on drought plans that emphasize voluntary water conservation rather than have the bureau dictate reservoir releases.
That’s a decision welcomed by Wyoming State Engineer Brandon Gebhart, the state’s chief water regulator. “Reclamation reinforced a position that Wyoming has long agreed with,” Gebhart said. “The solution to our challenges relies on the bedrock of a century of collaboration and partnership.”
Gebhart acknowledged, though, that continued drought could lead to an even lower Flaming Gorge, with the next decision about any new drawdowns due in April.
Fed by the Green River and rimmed by spectacular cliffs and scrubby desert, Flaming Gorge is by far the biggest reservoir in the Upper Basin, which refers to the vast area covering all waters upstream of Lees Ferry on the Colorado River in northern Arizona.
Built in the 1960s to store and control water in the Green River, which flows into the Colorado in southeastern Utah, Flaming Gorge is the Colorado River system’s third-biggest reservoir. It’s now about 75% full, compared to just 25% or so in Lake Mead and Lake Powell, the bigger reservoirs downstream.
Snaking over 66 square miles (170 square kilometers) south of Green River, Wyoming, Flaming Gorge remains a renowned spot to catch giant lake trout or take a boat to a secluded cove for a dip in cool, aquamarine waters.
Just be careful about jumping in at places that were deeper a few years ago.
In April, the Bureau of Reclamation announced that under a drought plan for the Upper Basin states, it would release enough water to draw down Flaming Gorge by 15 feet (4.6 meters). The goal is to help ensure that Glen Canyon Dam in northern Arizona can still generate electricity some 450 miles (725 kilometers) downstream.
So far, drawdowns this year and last have left Flaming Gorge about 6 feet (1.8 meters) lower than a year ago and 12 feet (3.7 meters) lower than two years ago, reaching lows unseen since 2005.
Besides boats not being able to use his marina, Valdez worries about the reservoir’s kokanee salmon, which are important food for prized lake trout and tasty game fish in their own right.
Lately, kokanee numbers have been down for unknown reasons. The trend could continue as the reservoir falls, reducing spawning habitat and causing lake trout to eat more kokanee, said Wyoming Game and Fish Department Regional Fisheries Supervisor Robert Keith.
“As the reservoir drops, the available habitat for the two species is going to become compacted, so they’re going to overlap more,” Keith said. “So the opportunity for predation is going to be greater.”
Although Wyoming uses only about 60% of the water it’s entitled to under the compact, Gebhart says the Upper Basin states have little to spare given recent flows.
The vast majority of Colorado River Basin water used in Wyoming goes to irrigating grass and alfalfa for cattle. Industry — mainly power plants and minerals processing — accounts for about 9% and cities and towns about 3%.
More conservation by southwestern Wyoming’s 2,500 water rights holders could help keep water in the system. For example, ranchers can install more efficient irrigation with assistance from government grants and other funding, said Cory Toye with Trout Unlimited.
The fish habitat and angler advocacy group has been working with ranchers on such projects in Wyoming for years and the Flaming Gorge drawdowns have heightened awareness of the problem, Toye said.
States in the compact have been funding efforts to boost snowfall by releasing silver iodide from airplanes and ground-based devices in Wyoming and elsewhere in the Rocky Mountains.
Cloud seeding can increase snow somewhat, research shows. But the technique is unlikely to fully offset or reverse drought or bring Flaming Gorge back up from levels threatening Buckboard Marina.
Lucerne Valley Marina, just south of the Utah line, will need to adapt if levels keep falling but could still operate.
“We’re anchoring in 200 feet (61 meters) of water when full,” owner Jerry Taylor said. “We have quite a bit of ability for lake drop. But Buckboard does not.”
In a worst-case scenario, Buckboard would be stranded some distance away from where the Green River flowed more than 60 years ago.
For now, Valdez hopes to lure back tourists who’ve stayed home amid high gasoline prices and the lower water. And he says Wyoming residents also need uncrowded places like Buckboard to enjoy.
“People just don’t get raised like this anymore, get to hunt and fish,” Valdez said. “And have a sustainable source of water.”
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AP photographer Rick Bowmer contributed to this report.
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Follow Mead Gruver at https://twitter.com/meadgruver
___
The Associated Press receives support from the Walton Family Foundation for coverage of water and environmental policy. The AP is solely responsible for all content. For all of AP’s environmental coverage, visit https://apnews.com/hub/climate-and-environment
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| 2022-09-21T08:20:09Z
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CANTIANO, Italy (AP) — Flash floods swept through several towns Friday in hilly central Italy after hours of exceptionally heavy rain, leaving 10 people dead and at least four missing. Dozens of survivors scrambled onto rooftops or up into trees to await rescue.
Floods invaded garages and basements and knocked down doors. In one town, the powerful rush of water pushed a car onto a second-story balcony, while elsewhere parked vehicles were crumpled on top of each other in the streets. Some farm fields near the sea were meters (yards) under water.
“It wasn’t a water bomb, it was a tsunami,” Riccardo Pasqualini, the mayor of Barbara, told Italian state radio about the sudden downpour Thursday evening that devastated his town in the Marche region near the Adriatic Sea.
He said the overnight flooding left the town’s 1,300 residents without drinking water. A mother and her young daughter were missing after trying to escape the floods, Pasqualini told the Italian news agency ANSA. Elsewhere in town, a boy was swept away from the arms of his mother, who was rescued.
Premier Mario Draghi told a news conference in Rome that 10 people were dead and four were missing in the flash floods. He thanked rescuers “for their professionalism, dedication and courage.” Officials said some 50 people were treated at hospitals for injuries.
Draghi, who is serving in a caretaker role ahead of Italy’s Sept. 25 national election, planned to tour some devastated towns later Friday and his government announced 5 million euros (dollars) in aid to the region.
“It was an extreme event, more than an exceptional one,″ climatologist Massimiliano Fazzini told Italian state TV. He said, based on his calculations, the amount of rain that fell, concentrated over four hours that included an especially heavy 15-minute period, was the most in hundreds of years.
In a space of a few hours, the region was deluged with the amount of rainfall it usually receives in six months, state TV said. A summer of virtually no rain meant hillsides were unusually hard and dry, so the water ran faster down the slopes, increasing its impact.
The fire department tweeted that dozens of people trapped in cars or who had climbed up to rooftops or trees to escape rising floodwaters had been rescued. Police in the town of Sassoferrato, unable to reach a man trapped in a car, extending a long tree branch to him and pulled him to safety.
Helicopter crews rescued seven people in remote towns of the Apennine Mountains.
Hundreds of firefighters struggled Friday to remove toppled tree trunks and branches amid thick mud as they searched for people who could have been buried by debris. They waded through waist-high water in flooded streets, while others paddled in rubber dinghies to scoop up survivors.
In the town of Ostra, a father and his adult son were found dead in their building’s flooded garage where they had gone to try to get their car out, and another man who tried to remove his motorcycle from a garage also perished, state TV said. Elsewhere, a man was found dead in his car.
“As it (the flood) played out, it was far, far worse than forecast,” said Civil Protection chief Fabrizio Curcio. A bad weather watch had been issued on Thursday, but not at the highest level.
Hundreds of people fled or were evacuated from their homes until the premises could be checked for safety and mountains of mud cleared away.
Some of the worst flooding hit the town of Senigallia, where the River Misa overflowed its banks. Hamlets in the hills near the Renaissance tourist town of Urbino were also inundated when fast-moving rivers of water, mud and debris rushed through the streets.
In the town of Cantiano, people shoveled mud from stores and homes and an excavating machine was deployed to clear the town square.
“I was lucky because I live in a house up on a slope, so basically, the water didn’t reach the point of covering it,” said Mirco Santarelli, a Cantiano resident. “But all around here, with the people living in the valley area, it became a bowl (of water). It was panic.”
“You could see cars in the middle of the road that drifted away in the flood, debris everywhere, screams. It was chaos,” Santarelli told The Associated Press.
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Follow all AP stories on climate change at https://apnews.com/hub/climate-and-environment.
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| 2022-09-21T08:20:16Z
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BERLIN (AP) — A town in central Germany has voted in favor of letting all swimmers bathe topless at its four municipal pools.
German news agency dpa reported Friday that officials in Goettingen had initially permitted topless bathing on weekends after a person who identified as neither male nor female objected to being told to cover up last year.
Dpa quoted a town spokesperson saying that “the overwhelming majority” of swimmers approved of the measure and following a council vote it would now apply throughout the week.
A court in Berlin this week separately rejected a discrimination lawsuit filed by a woman who was told by officials to cover her breasts at an open-air water playground in the capital, while men were not asked to do so. The ruling can be appealed.
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| 2022-09-21T08:20:23Z
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SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (AP) — South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem faced a Friday deadline to appeal a state ethics board’s finding that there was evidence she improperly intervened in her daughter’s application for a real estate appraiser license.
The Government Accountability Board voted unanimously last month that there was enough evidence to believe the Republican governor had committed malfeasance and engaged in a conflict of interest.
Noem has maintained she did nothing wrong, but so far the process has been conducted in private. Neither her office nor her reelection campaign answered questions Friday on whether she would proceed to a contested case hearing that would give her a chance to make her case publicly.
The board took unspecified “action” against the governor, and board member Gene Kean said last month that Friday would be the deadline for Noem to respond.
If there is no public hearing, it’s not clear whether the board will release details of the action it took. The board closed the complaint last month but suggested it could be reopened.
A lawyer who has represented the governor before the board also did not respond to questions.
The Associated Press first reported that shortly after a state agency moved in July 2020 to deny Noem’s daughter, Kassidy Peters, an appraiser license, the governor held a meeting with Peters and key decision-makers in her licensure. Days after the meeting, Peters signed an agreement that gave her another opportunity to meet the licensing requirements. The South Dakota Legislature’s audit committee, controlled by Republicans, unanimously approved a report in May that found Noem’s daughter got preferential treatment.
Noem previously requested the ethics complaint be dismissed without a hearing by arguing that the person who brought it, former Republican Attorney General Jason Ravnsborg, was out for revenge after she successfully pushed for his impeachment and removal from office for his conduct in a 2020 fatal car crash.
In that April motion to the board, Noem’s attorneys also said she could counter the accusations against her. Her campaign spokesman, Ian Fury, on Friday referred a reporter to an August statement that branded the board’s action as “illegal.”
But declining to fight the evidence in a contested case hearing would allow the board’s “action” against her while potentially avoiding further public scrutiny.
The Government Accountability Board, which has never handled such a high-profile case since its inception in 2017, has not publicly said what action it has taken. It has deliberated over the complaints for nearly a year in a series of closed-door meetings, navigating untested laws.
Board member David Gienapp, at the board’s August meeting, verbally moved to invoke a statute — SDCL 3-24-7 — that states the board “shall” hold a contested case hearing “to afford the accused person the opportunity to respond to the allegation.” But the board’s draft minutes, posted two days later, make no mention of that statute. Instead, the draft minutes state that the board acted to “make an initial determination” that the complaint “alleges facts” that the governor engaged in misconduct.
The board’s minutes state that it took “appropriate action,” but the board has kept that action a secret so far. The board is allowed under state law to issue a private reprimand. But the statute says it may take that action at the conclusion of a contested case hearing and after it has determined, by a majority vote, that there has been misconduct.
“Their official actions, whatever they may be, should be a public record,” said David Bordewyk, who directs the South Dakota Newspaper Association and advocates for open records and meeting laws.
“Given the nature of this board, which is to hold public officials accountable, the public has a right to know what those accountability measures are, regardless of the official.”
Board members this week either declined to comment or did not return a request for comment. An attorney hired by the board, Mark Haigh, has previously said it “fully complied” with all the requirements in the laws governing it.
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| 2022-09-21T08:20:30Z
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CONAKRY, Guinea (AP) — Guinea will try the alleged perpetrators of a 2009 stadium massacre that killed at least 157 people and left dozens of women raped, the justice minister announced Friday, drawing praise from victims’ families who have waited nearly 13 years.
Justice Minister Charles Alphonse Wright said he hoped the trial — set to begin on this year’s anniversary of the Sept. 28 massacre — “will revisit our history, our past, that we all emerge from this trial with a new vision of our Guinea.”
More than a dozen suspects including former junta leader Moussa “Dadis” Camara have been charged with crimes in connection to the massacre, but years had passed without a trial date ever being set. Last year, human rights groups complained there was “an evident lack of will to complete preparations.”
“This date that we have been waiting for a long time has come today. It was time for this trial to take place,” said Bissiri Diallo, who lost her 18-year-old son in the massacre. “We hope that all the truths will come out.”
“The death of my child at the stadium on Sept. 28, 2009 has extinguished forever a light in my soul,” she added. “I don’t feel any joy, any desire to live since that day. I hope that this trial will rekindle this light in my soul.”
Security forces that day opened fire at a stadium in Conakry where people were protesting then-coup leader Camara’s plans to run for president. Camara fled into exile after he survived an assassination attempt several months after the stadium massacre. Last year he finally returned to Conakry, where he told supporters he had faith in the country’s justice system and was “fully prepared to tell my part of the truth.”
For years Guinea’s government had sought to prevent his homecoming, fearing it could stoke political instability. However, another coup last year put a military junta in power that was more amenable to Camara’s return.
Camara’s junta says “uncontrolled” elements of the army carried out the rapes and killings. But Camara’s top aides were at the stadium and did nothing to stop the mass killings and rapes, a Human Rights Watch report said.
Human Rights Watch said its investigation showed that Camara’s red-bereted presidential guard surrounded the stadium where opposition supporters had gathered and blocked the exits. The troops entered and immediately opened fire on the crowd with AK-47s as panicked demonstrators tried to flee.
Many were crushed to death, while others were gunned down as they tried to scale the stadium’s walls.
Human Rights Watch also has said dozens of women were seized from the stadium where the Sept. 28 massacre took place and from clinics in Guinea’s capital, Conakry, where they were seeking medical treatment. They were driven in military vehicles to villas, where they were gang-raped by uniformed men over several days.
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| 2022-09-21T08:20:38Z
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HONG KONG (AP) — Hundreds of Hong Kong residents are lining up in front of the British Consulate General for hours each day to pay their respects to Queen Elizabeth II, leaving piles of flowers and handwritten notes.
The collective outpouring of grief after her death last week is perhaps the most ardent among the former British colonies, where mourning has been generally subdued. It’s seen by some experts as a form of dissent against increasingly intrusive controls by communist-ruled Beijing, which took over the territory in 1997.
Some Hong Kongers are nostalgic for what they view as a past “golden age” under Britain’s not entirely democratic colonial rule, when the city of about 7 million people gained stature as a world financial center and tourism destination.
The queen’s death has sparked a flurry of interest in British memorabilia, among other things.
The Queen is nicknamed “si tau por” in Hong Kong. Pronounced “see-tao-POHR” In the local Cantonese dialect, that translates to “boss lady.”
“We used to call her ‘si tau por’ when we were under her rule. It’s simply a way of showing respect to her. There was a feeling of kindness from her, she’s not the kind of boss who is up above you,” said CK Li, a resident who queued for over two hours to pay his respects.
Another resident, 80-year-old Eddie Wong, said she was there “out of true feelings” from her heart.
“People in Hong Kong love her,” said Wong. “Because when we were under her rule, we enjoyed democracy and freedom and we were very grateful. I want to bid farewell to ‘si tau por’ who is in heaven.”
With its July 1, 1997, takeover China promised to leave Hong Kong’s Western-style civil liberties and institutions intact for at least 50 years. Many raised in the former territory grew up hoping for still greater freedoms.
But following months of anti-government protests in 2019, Beijing imposed a tough national security law on the city, seeking to stamp out public dissent.
News outlets deemed overly critical of Beijing have been forced to shut down and dozens of activists have been arrested. The mass protests ended. Tens of thousands of Hong Kong residents have chosen to emigrate to the U.K. and other places such as Taiwan.
So far, the authorities have allowed the orderly, somber shows of respect to continue.
“I would imagine that some people are going there not so much for nostalgia reasons, but as a kind of protest, now that dissent is suppressed,” said John Burns, an honorary professor of politics and public administration at the University of Hong Kong.
“Some people, for example, who agree with the kind of universal values that the U.K. stands for, and that were incorporated in our Bill of Rights at the end of colonialism could participate in this as a form of protest,” Burns said.
Emotions in Hong Kong are running high, said former Democratic Party chairwoman and ex-lawmaker Emily Lau, given the city’s political situation and its struggles in fighting COVID-19.
“There are some who are genuinely nostalgic and have sentimental feelings for the Queen, but there are also people who have grievances about the current situation in Hong Kong,” Lau said.
“We cannot rule out that some have used this occasion to express that,” she said.
At the same time, public figures in Hong Kong are being scrutinized over their response to the queen’s passing, and drawing criticism if they are viewed as too admiring of her reign or British rule in general.
Commenters on mainland Chinese social media sites have blasted veteran actor Lau Kar-ying, for posting a selfie outside the British Consulate on Instagram with a caption including the line, “Hong Kong was a blessed land under her reign.”
Harshly criticized for attributing Hong Kong’s prosperity to British rule, Lau deleted the post and issued a video apology on the Chinese microblogging site Weibo. He appealed to people not to read too much into what he said.
“I am Chinese and I will forever love my motherland. I’m sorry,” Lau said.
Not all Hong Kongers are sentimental about British rule. Some resent London’s decision not to grant them full British citizenship, instead giving them British National Overseas passports before the handover, which do not guarantee a right to live in the U.K.
“The British took away the rights of those born in Hong Kong before 1997. They didn’t protect those rights,” said Leslie Chan, who said he had no plans to show his respects to the queen. “When the British government discussed with China about the future of Hong Kong, Hong Kongers were cut off from the discussion,” he said.
Some in Hong Kong are only focusing on the last few decades of British rule before the handover to China, when the city became increasingly prosperous and the colonial government burnished its legacy with new parks, train lines and other modern amenities.
British rule in Hong Kong benefited the territory in some ways but colonialism is ultimately harmful for its hegemony and racism, said Burns.
“When you’re talking about the benefits of colonialism, you cannot just take the last 10 years or 20 years in Hong Kong,” he said. “You have to look at the whole thing.”
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| 2022-09-21T08:20:45Z
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MOSCOW (AP) — Kazakhstan’s parliament on Friday voted unanimously to support constitutional amendments that would extend the presidential term to seven years and rename the country’s capital.
The changes are part of an array of political and economic reforms President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev has called for after violent protests rocked the country in January, killing more than 200 people. The unrest was sparked by a sharp rise in fuel prices, but also reflected widespread dismay with the country’s politics, which for over 30 years had been dominated by Nursultan Nazarbayev and his party.
The amendments passed in two readings by the Kazakh parliament on Friday extend the presidential term to seven years from the current five, but also bar any president from running for a second term in office. They also move to rename the country’s capital, Nur-Sultan, back to Astana.
Astana became the capital of Kazakhstan in 1997 when Nazarbayev, who led the country for three decades under the Soviet Union and after it gained independence in 1991, moved it there from Almaty. After he stepped down in 2019, his successor Tokayev moved to name it Nur-Sultan — in honor of Nazarbayev, who retained enormous influence as head of the county’s ruling party and security council.
But Tokayev removed him from those posts after deadly unrest in January that hinged partly on dissatisfaction with the power that Nazarbayev still wielded, and announced sweeping reforms.
Earlier this month, he called for snap presidential elections and announced the move to bring back the old name of the country’s capital.
Tokayev has previously said that he would run in the election. It wasn’t immediately clear whether the new amendments would allow him to, but similar constitutional reforms in Russia and Belarus allowed incumbent leaders to run again under the new constitution.
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| 2022-09-21T08:20:53Z
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A judge on Friday slashed nearly four years off the prison sentence of a star witness in the plot to kidnap Michigan’s governor, assuring he’ll be free in 2023.
Ty Garbin’s sentence of 6 1/4 years was reduced to 2 1/2 years, a reward even greater than prosecutors had sought.
U.S. District Judge Robert Jonker cited Garbin’s “substantial assistance” to the government and his own assessment of the 26-year-old airplane mechanic, who cooperated soon after his arrest, pleaded guilty and testified at two trials.
Prosecutors had requested a 36-month reduction while Garbin’s attorney asked for 51 months. Jonker settled on a 45-month break.
Garbin has been in custody since he and five other men were arrested in October 2020.
He testified at two trials. The first, last spring, ended with acquittals for Daniel Harris and Brandon Caserta and no verdicts for Adam Fox and Barry Croft Jr.
Fox and Croft were convicted at a second trial that ended on Aug. 23 in federal court in Grand Rapids, Michigan.
Garbin said the goal was to kidnap Gov. Gretchen Whitmer from her vacation home and spark a civil war, known among right-wing extremists as the “boogaloo.” The FBI, which had agents and informants inside the group, stopped the plot.
Defense attorney Mark Satawa said Garbin will likely testify for prosecutors in separate but related cases filed against others in state court.
Kaleb Franks, 28, also pleaded guilty and assisted the government. He has not been sentenced yet.
___
White reported from Detroit. Follow him at http://twitter.com/edwritez
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| 2022-09-21T08:21:00Z
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LONDON — King Charles III and his three siblings have stood vigil around their mother’s coffin as it lies in state at Westminster Hall in London
Charles, Princess Anne, Prince Andrew and Prince Edward stood with their backs to the flag-draped coffin of Queen Elizabeth II, their heads bowed.
Members of the public who had lined up for hours to pay their last respects continued to file past as the royals stood vigil in the historic event.
On Saturday, the queen’s eight grandchildren will hold a similar vigil.
___
KEY DEVELOPMENTS:
— Queen’s death is a reminder of the UK’s World War II generation
— Stories of UK’s disappearing World War II generation
— What to know about the queen’s lying in state
— Reflections from the queue to mourn the queen
— New Zealand republic debate complicated by Māori treaty
— Charles’ history with US presidents: He’s met 10 of past 14
— In Hong Kong, public grief over queen doubles as dissent
— Palace reveals details of queen’s state funeral on Monday
— Find more AP coverage here: https://apnews.com/hub/queen-elizabeth-ii
___
OTHER DEVELOPMENTS:
LONDON — The line organized by British authorities for people to view Queen Elizabeth II’s coffin as she lies in state has reopened after being closed for more than seven hours due to a surge in numbers.
But officials said Friday afternoon that people may have to stand in line for more than 24 hours before reaching Westminster Hall.
And they say that it will be cold during the night.
The line was about 5 miles (8 kilometers) long, snaking along the banks of the River Thames.
Authorities laid on more than 500 portable toilets, while around 1,000 stewards and marshals were on duty at any given time.
Hundreds of thousands of people are expected to pay their respects before Monday’s state funeral.
___
ISTANBUL — Planeloads of Turkish carnations are headed to the United Kingdom for Queen Elizabeth II’s funeral next Monday.
Flower producers in southern Turkey are working to meet high demand for the event in London.
Turkish Cargo said Friday that after the queen’s death last week orders for flowers shot up by 90%. Suppliers chose air transport over trucks to cope with demand and deliver on time.
The cargo company said more than 500,000 flower stems, weighing around 13 metric tons, are being sent to London.
Turkey is a major exporter of cut flowers, principally carnations, to Europe.
___
CARDIFF, Wales — King Charles and Camilla, the Queen Consort, have encountered the Royal Welsh goat.
As they left Cardiff Castle on a visit to Wales on Friday, the royal couple passed by the official mascot of the Third Battalion of The Royal Welsh.
The goat is known as Lance Corporal Shenkin IV. The furry white goat, which has metal tips on its horns, has its own Twitter account and Facebook page.
King Charles appeared to share a joke about the military mascot with his wife.
___
LONDON — Soccer great David Beckham has joined the miles-long queue of people waiting to pay their respects to Queen Elizabeth II as she lies in state.
People spotted the former England captain in the line of mourners near Britain’s Houses of Parliament at lunchtime on Friday. He is believed to have joined the queue at 2 a.m. and to have lined up for more than 10 hours with thousands of others.
Officials temporarily halted people joining the back of the line on Friday after a park at the farthest end became full. People who arrived were directed to holding areas and slowly allowed to join the queue.
The queen is due to lie in state at Westminster Hall in Parliament until Monday morning, when her funeral will be held at nearby Westminster Abbey.
___
CARDIFF, Wales — King Charles III has spoken of his late mother’s love of Wales as he addressed the Welsh parliament.
Charles is wrapping up his tour of the four nations of the U.K. with a visit to Cardiff, following previous trips to Scotland and Northern Ireland.
He told members of the parliament, or Senedd, on Friday that Wales “could not have been closer to my mother’s heart.”
He said he felt “immense gratitude for the privilege” of serving for decades as Prince of Wales, the title traditionally bestowed on the heir to the throne. Prince William now has that title.
Charles said: “I am resolved to honor that selfless example, in the spirit of the words by which I have always tried to live my own life: Ich Dien, I Serve.”
The king and Camilla, the queen consort, were greeted by cheering crowds in Cardiff — and by a handful of anti-monarchy protesters. Some carried the flag of Owain Glyndwr, a medieval leader who was Prince of Wales before the title was taken by the English Crown after the English conquest of Wales in the 14th century.
___
CARDIFF, Wales — King Charles III has spoken in Welsh during a visit to Cardiff.
The new monarch addressed the Welsh parliament, called the Senedd, on Friday after receiving its condolences on the death last week of his mother, Queen Elizabeth II.
Before acceding to the throne, Charles was the Prince of Wales and often used a smattering of Welsh in official speeches after taking lessons.
Charles and Camilla, the Queen Consort, received a warm welcome in Cardiff. Schoolchildren squealed with excitement and waved Welsh flags, the crowds cheered, and there were shouts of “God save the king” as the royal couple greeted well-wishers.
The events ran later as King Charles prepared to visit Cardiff’s 2000-year-old castle, where the Welsh flag hung at half-staff.
___
LONDON — London police say Queen Elizabeth II’s funeral on Monday will be the largest single policing event the force has ever handled.
Metropolitan Police Deputy Assistant Commissioner Stuart Cundy said Friday that the massive police operation surpasses even the 2012 Olympics, which were held in the British capital, and the celebrations earlier this year of the queen’s 70 years on the throne.
“As a single event this is larger than the 2012 Olympics, it is larger than the Platinum Jubilee weekend,” he said.
“The range of officers, police staff and all those supporting the operation is truly immense,” he added.
Royalty and heads of state from around the world are expected to be among the 2,000 people attending the funeral service.
___
LONDON — British Prime Minister Liz Truss will hold one-on-one meetings with U.S. President Joe Biden and several other world leaders who are flying to London for the queen’s funeral.
The prime minister’s office says Truss and Biden are due to meet Sunday at the prime minister’s 10 Downing St. office. They previously met when Truss was British foreign secretary.
Truss has been prime minister for just 10 days, and the start of her term has been upended by the queen’s death last week, which has put everyday politics on hold.
The funeral on Monday will provide her first chance to meet with other leaders. Truss is also meeting Sunday at Downing St. with Irish Prime Minister Micheal Martin, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Polish President Andrzej Duda.
On Saturday, she is due to meet the prime ministers of Australia and New Zealand, Anthony Albanese and Jacinda Ardern, at the government’s Chevening country residence outside London.
___
VATICAN CITY — The Vatican says the Holy See’s foreign minister will represent Pope Francis at the funeral in London on Monday of Queen Elizabeth II.
Vatican spokesman Matteo Bruni said in a brief written statement Friday that Archbishop Paul R. Gallagher, who is secretary for relations with states and international organizations, would attend the funeral at Westminster Abbey.
Gallagher, a career diplomat, is a native of Liverpool in northwest England.
___
CARDIFF, Wales — King Charles III and Camilla, the Queen Consort, have arrived in Wales for an official visit.
They went Friday to a service at Llandaff cathedral in Cardiff.
They were later due at the Welsh parliament and Cardiff castle.
For more than 50 years up to his mother Queen Elizabeth II’s death last week, Charles was the Prince of Wales — a title that has now passed to his son, Prince William.
The royal couple previously visited to Scotland and Northern Ireland, the other nations making up the United Kingdom, following last week’s death of Queen Elizabeth II at age 96.
Later Friday, the new king is scheduled to receive faith leaders at Buckingham Palace in London before joining his siblings for a vigil around the queen’s coffin in Westminster Hall.
___
LONDON — All eight of Queen Elizabeth II’s grandchildren will stand vigil beside her coffin on Saturday as it lies in state at Westminster Hall.
Officials said Friday that King Charles III’s sons, Prince William and his brother Prince Harry, will attend the 15-minute vigil.
William, who is heir to the throne, will stand at the head of the coffin and Harry at the foot. Both princes, who are military veterans, will be in uniform.
Also attending will be Princes Anne’s children, Zara Tindall and Peter Philips; Prince Andrew’s daughters, Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie; and the children of Prince Edward, Lady Louise Windsor and Viscount Severn.
The ceremony will follow a vigil by the queen’s four children on Friday evening.
Hundreds of thousands of people are expected to pay their last respects by filing past the coffin during the lying-in-state, which began Wednesday and concludes Monday, the day of the queen’s funeral.
___
LONDON — People are being told not to join the line to view Queen Elizabeth II’s coffin after a surge in numbers.
British officials said Friday morning that the organized line was at capacity and no one will be allowed to join it for at least six hours.
The line stretched for 5 miles (8 kilometers) from Parliament to Southwark Park in south London.
People at the back of the line faced a 14-hour wait to reach the front.
The government says the park is now full and entry to the queue is being “paused.”
It said: “Please do not attempt to join the queue until it re-opens.”
___
LONDON — Geopolitics is intruding in the somber pageantry surrounding the Queen Elizabeth II’s death amid a reported spat between British and Chinese officials.
A report Friday said that a Chinese delegation has been barred from visiting the historic hall in Parliament where the queen is lying in state.
The con text is that the Chinese ambassador to the U.K. has been banned from Parliament for a year after Beijing sanctioned seven British legislators last year for speaking out against China’s treatment of its Uyghur minority in the far-west Xinjiang region.
The office of House of Commons Speaker Lindsay Hoyle declined to comment on the report in Politico of the Chinese delegation being barred from visiting the queen’s coffin at the Houses of Parliament.
In Beijing, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said she had not seen the report, but said that as host of the queen’s funeral, the U.K. should “follow the diplomatic protocols and proper manners to receive guests.”
A Chinese delegation is expected to attend the queen’s funeral on Monday, which is in Westminster Abbey rather than in Parliament. Organizers of the funeral have not published a guest list and it is unclear who from China might attend.
___
LONDON — Thousands of mourners are standing in line for at least 14 hours to see Queen Elizabeth II’s coffin while she lies in state in London.
Authorities said Friday the designated line was about 5 miles (8 kilometers) long, snaking along the banks of the River Thames, with more than 500 portable toilets available and some 1,000 stewards and marshals working at any given time.
Preparations are continuing for the queen’s state funeral in the British capital on Monday, when royalty and heads of state from around the world are expected to be among the 2,000 people attending the service in Westminster Abbey.
King Charles III and Camilla, the Queen Consort, were due to visit Wales on Friday.
They were due in Cardiff for a service at Llandaff cathedral, later going to the Welsh parliament and Cardiff castle.
They previously visited to Scotland and Northern Ireland, the other nations making up the United Kingdom.
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| 2022-09-21T08:21:08Z
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LONDON (AP) — A foreign correspondent, a consultant, a businessman, a retired accountant and his wife stand in a line for nearly eight hours.
That is how this story begins, once I claim my spot among a growing queue of mourners coming from all corners of the United Kingdom and the world to pay their last respects to Queen Elizabeth II in England’s capital.
It ends when the five of us exit the majestic hall — each in awe, in our own individual way, of the forces of change that swirl around us.
One step into the line, a volunteer named Kofi jots down my number; a wristband later confirms I am No. 3,017 in the queue.
I look back, and the chain of people has already grown by a dozen. It will stretch for miles along the south bank of the River Thames toward Westminster Hall, where the late queen is lying in state ahead of her funeral on Monday.
We were told to expect this. Long waiting times, potentially for 30 hours, in lines that could stretch more than five miles.
A single-zip backpack was all we were allowed to bring; food and drink would be tossed before entering the hall. I packed as I would for a hostile assignment: Layers and waterproofs to account for the notoriously moody weather. Protein bars and a fully charged power bank. An obscene number of pens. And good shoes.
___
The first challenge is finding the end of the ever-moving queue. I start from the beginning, near the Albert Embankment, and work my way through the sea of humans from all walks of life who are lined up in single file.
My fellow queuers and I assess each other silently. There is Ramakant and his wife Usha, a retired pair with a passion for mountains. Daniel, a jolly businessman from Essex, specializes in office refurbishment. There is a consultant whose identity I’ve sworn to secrecy because she was skipping work to stand in line.
In the course of our normal lives, we are unlikely to ever cross paths. But the forces of history have somehow bound us together, at least for these next few hours. Quietly, not explicitly, a sense of community has mysteriously formed between us.
We have different reasons for coming. Ramakant and Usha adored the queen. Daniel admired her dedication. For the unnamed consultant, saying goodbye to the queen was something she had to do “for myself.”
Me? I was curious. Death has been on my mind lately.
A week prior, I had been in southern Iraq to witness thousands of pilgrims make their way to the holy city of Karbala to mark the Shiite religious observance of Arbaeen — a 40-day mourning period to commemorate the death of Imam Hussein, Prophet Mohammed’s grandson.
I watched an endless procession of pious Iraqis recreate scenes from seventh-century Islam under the scorching 105-degree (40 degrees Celsius) sun. Men rode camels in Hejazi regalia and black-clad youth waved religious flags. Food stalls that dotted the many miles to the shrine gave out rice and beans.
Now I am witness to a dramatically different queue of mourners, there to mark the passing of a monarch whose 70-year reign encompassed the end of an empire. Unlike in the parched terrain of Iraq, people here are fearful it may rain.
___
The queue, observed: Readers engrossed in thick novels. Groups of friends chatting and sharing large bottles of champagne. A woman practicing tai chi.
“This is a once-in-a-lifetime experience,” Ramakant says.
Usha marvels at how Elizabeth worked up until hours before she died, handling the transition of power from Boris Johnson to Liz Truss two days before her demise.
“Imagine all the things she has done behind the scenes, in the background, none of us know anything about,” she says.
They can’t believe Elizabeth is dead, despite the fact they knew she could not live forever. “Did you notice her fingertips?” Daniel says of Elizabeth’s last appearance two days before her death. “They were see-through almost, weren’t they?”
We are silent, listening to the gentle soundtrack of the Thames.
It’s a good thing, he adds, that she died soon after Prince Philip, her husband of 74 years. It had been the same with his parents; they died within two weeks of each other. “It’s the best death, really.”
The consultant ducks to avoid a TV crew. Later she scrolls social media, hoping not to find herself on international news broadcasts. A colleague calls, and she tells them she is just “getting lunch.”
I ask: Why not just tell them you are here?
“It’s just one of those things I want to do for myself, and not have to explain.” ___
Suddenly, the line is moving. The queen’s coffin has arrived in the Hall.
Everything that follows is the epitome of order. The line snakes quickly around the bank, down to the embankment, where we watch boats cruise by. Before us, in the late-afternoon sun, the gothic complex of Westminster glimmers.
Ramakant was an accountant and has spent his retirement years traveling the world with his wife. From Niagara Falls to Mt. Kilimanjaro, they have been everywhere. “The key,” says Usha, “is not to wait until tomorrow.”
“You might be dead,” Ramakant says. To our left is the National COVID Memorial Wall, with one heart for each life lived and lost.
The consultant has to use the bathroom, but the line is now moving rapidly. So we share our location with her and, moments later, wave when we are many yards ahead and are reunited.
At the final stretch, we eye the security check just before the hall entrance. We are surprised by how fast the line has moved. A woman behind me complains to the volunteers who come to take away drinks: “I’ve got 30 hours’ worth of alcohol in here!”
Ramakant is stopped from taking off his shoes before the X-ray. “This isn’t like Gatwick!” jokes one policeman, invoking the name of one of London’s airports.
Inside the hall, all falls silent and still. We look up at the lofty wood-beam ceilings. We look down, and there it is — the queen’s coffin on a raised platform, surrounded by honor guards. On top, the imperial state crown glitters with its 3,000 diamonds.
The line divides in two, and each of us is given three seconds to pay last respects. A man in a tartan kilt and with a walking stick salutes. An elderly woman rises from her wheelchair and makes the sign of the cross. Daniel gets on one knee. Ramakant and Usha bow their heads. Then it is my turn. Outside, the sun is setting.
“We probably would never have met if it weren’t for this,” Daniel says afterward. Everyone exchanges numbers. “Even in death, she’s still doing her work.”
Total time elapsed: Just over 7½ hours.
Ramakant turns to me. “So,” he says. “What will you write about us?”
___
Samya Kullab, Iraq correspondent for The Associated Press, is on assignment in London covering the death of Queen Elizabeth II. Follow her on Twitter at http://twitter.com/samya_kullab
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| 2022-09-21T08:21:15Z
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EDGARTOWN, Mass. (AP) — The chief executive of Martha’s Vineyard Community Services was wrapping up work when she looked outside to see 48 strangers at her office with luggage, backpacks and red folders that included brochures for her organization.
The Venezuelan migrants who were flown to the wealthy Massachusetts island from San Antonio on Wednesday by Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said they were told they were going to Boston.
DeSantis took from the playbook of a fellow Republican, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, by surprising Democratic strongholds with large influxes of migrants and providing little or no information.
“They were told that they would have a job and they would have housing,” said Elizabeth Folcarelli, who leads Martha’s Vineyard Community Services and described the scramble for shelter as a “huge challenge.”
Julio Henriquez, an attorney who met with several migrants, said they “had no idea of where they were going or where they were.”
Two flights to Martha’s Vineyard stopped in the Florida Panhandle, Henriquez said. While on board, migrants got brochures and maps of Massachusetts.
An unsigned letter told migrants to notify U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services of address changes, though U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement is actually responsible for tracking migrants, Henriquez said. “This is terrible advice,” he said.
Many immigrants have appointments with ICE on Monday in San Antonio. Others were ordered to report to immigration authorities in two weeks to three months in cities including Philadelphia and Washington.
U.S. officials told immigration attorneys that required check-ins would be postponed, Henriquez said. Homeland Security officials didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment Friday.
In San Antonio, a Latina woman approached migrants at a city-run shelter and put them up at a nearby La Quinta Inn, where she visited daily with food and gift cards, Henriquez said. She promised jobs and three months of housing in Washington, New York, Philadelphia and Boston.
The woman, who introduced herself to migrants as Perla, promised jobs, housing and support for their immigration cases, said Oren Sellstrom of Lawyers for Civil Rights, which offered free consultations.
The city of San Antonio was unaware of the flights, said Maria Villagomez, deputy city manager.
Pedro Luis Torrelaba, 36, said he was promised work, food and housing. He thought he was going to New York.
“I am not a victim,” he said Friday, expressing gratitude to residents of Martha’s Vineyard for their hospitality. “I simply feel misled because they told a lie and it has come to nothing.”
The migrants were being moved voluntarily Friday to a military base on nearby Cape Cod. Republican Gov. Charlie Baker said he would activate up to 125 National Guard members to assist the Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency.
DeSantis said Friday that most migrants intended to come to Florida and that the trip to Martha’s Vineyard was voluntary. He did not address the migrants’ claims that they were told they were going elsewhere.
Florida’s governor defended picking up migrants in Texas and vowed to continue transportation to immigrant-friendly “sanctuary” jurisdictions.
“Our view is that you’ve got to deal with it at the source, and if they’re intending to come to Florida or many of them are intending to come to Florida, that’s our best way to make sure they end up in a sanctuary,” he said.
Texas has bused about 8,000 migrants to Washington since April, including more than 100 Thursday to Vice President Kamala Harris’ home. It also has bused about 2,200 to New York and 300 to Chicago.
Arizona has bused more than 1,800 migrants to Washington since May, but has kept officials on the receiving end informed of the plans. The city of El Paso, Texas, has sent at least 1,135 migrants on 28 buses to New York since Aug. 23 and, like Arizona, shares passenger rosters and other information.
Last week, a 2-year-old who arrived in New York from Texas was hospitalized for dehydration and a pregnant woman on the same bus was in severe pain, according to advocates and city officials.
Volunteer groups often wait hours for buses arriving from Texas in a designated space of Manhattan’s Port of Authority Bus Terminal. They rely on tipsters for help.
“It’s a problem because we don’t know when the buses are coming, how many buses are coming, if anyone on these buses has medical conditions that they will need help with, if they need a wheelchair,” said Manuel Castro, commissioner of the New York City Mayor’s Office of Immigrant Affairs. “We at least want to know that so that we can best help people as they arrive.”
A contractor that Texas hired to bus migrants signed an agreement that prohibits them from talking to New York officials, Castro said.
Some fathers have arrived in New York while their spouses and children were sent to Washington, said Ilze Thielmann, a volunteer director with TLC NYC, a group working to reunite them.
Illinois Democratic Gov. J.B. Pritzker said his administration has reached out to Texas but gets no information. The first migrants arrived at Chicago’s Union Station from Texas on Aug. 31.
Abbott’s office dismissed complaints about lack of coordination and keeping cities guessing about the governor’s next moves as he tries to stoke opposition to President Joe Biden’s border policies.
“Instead of complaining about fulfilling their sanctuary city promises, these Democrat hypocrites should call on President Biden to do his job and secure the border — something the president continues failing to do,” spokeswoman Renae Eze said Thursday.
Arizona has been working since May through the Regional Center for Border Health, which runs clinics for low-income patients in Yuma. Several days a week, a bus heads east from a clinic office in suburban Somerton.
Amanda Aguirre, the health care provider’s CEO, said she told Republican Gov. Doug Ducey’s staff that she wouldn’t participate without close coordination. Arizona established information-sharing protocols from the start with Carecen, a nonprofit group that assists migrants in Washington, Aguirre said.
“I will never allow people just being dropped in the street because that’s what I’m trying to prevent here in Yuma, being just dropped in the street,” Aguirre said.
Some migrants seem unaffected by the chaos.
Cleiver Rodriguez of Venezuela said he appreciated the free ride from Texas to New York, where he came looking for work.
“I don’t have any kind of opinion because at least they helped me get here,” Rodriguez, 24, said as he left a shelter.
___
Salomon reported from Miami and Torrens from New York. Associated Press writers Anthony Izaguirre in Tallahassee, Florida; Elliot Spagat in Somerton, Arizona; Jake Bleiberg in Dallas; Morgan Lee in Santa Fe, New Mexico; and Paul Weber in Austin, Texas, contributed to this report.
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| 2022-09-21T08:21:23Z
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ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) — Museums in New York that exhibit artworks looted by Nazis during the Holocaust are now required by law to let the public know about those dark chapters in their provenance through placards displayed with the stolen objects.
At least 600,000 pieces of art were looted from Jewish people before and during World War II, according to experts. Some of that plunder wound up in the world’s great museums.
New York Gov. Kathy Hochul signed a law in August requiring museums to put up signs identifying pieces looted by the Nazis from 1933 through 1945.
The new rule comes as many museums in the U.S. and Europe are also reckoning with collections that contain numerous objects looted from Asia, Africa and other places during centuries of colonialism.
It isn’t clear how many pieces of art now on display will wind up being labeled as Nazi loot, and disagreements have already arisen over certain artworks with a complicated history.
The Metropolitan Museum of Art, in New York City, said it had identified 53 works in its collection as having been seized or sold under duress during the Nazi era.
All of those objects were obtained by the museum after being returned to their rightful owners. But Andrea Bayer, the museum’s deputy director for collections and administration, said the public still should know about their history.
“People should be aware of the terrible cost to people during World War II as these confiscations took place, and how these peoples’ treasures that they loved and had been in their families, had been torn from them at the same time their lives were disrupted,” she said.
The museum, however, does not intend to put up such a sign on a Picasso painting called “The Actor,” which it received as a gift in 1952.
That painting was once owned by Jewish businessman Paul Leffmann, who fled Germany — first for Italy, then ultimately to Brazil — to escape the Nazis. As Leffmann liquidated assets in 1938, he sold the painting to Paris art dealers for $13,200.
Leffmann’s great-grandniece, Laurel Zuckerman, sued the Metropolitan Museum in 2016, claiming it was a bargain-basement sale price that reflected the family’s desperation to flee Europe. The museum countered that the price was actually high for an early Picasso at the time. A U.S. court eventually dismissed the lawsuit.
Lawrence Kaye, one of the lawyers who represented Zuckerman, said that despite that outcome, the museum should still put up a placard with the painting’s disputed history.
“I believe the law would cover this piece. It was dismissed on technical grounds and I believe under the broad definition of what this law means under the statute, it should be covered,” Kaye said.
Researching the provenance of an object has gotten easier in the digital age and some museums have launched efforts to identify artworks with a problematic ownership history.
New York law had already required museums to report works believed to have been stolen during the Nazi period to the Art Loss Register, the world’s largest database on stolen art.
A U.S. law passed in 2016 provides victims of Holocaust-era persecution and their heirs a fair opportunity to recover works of art taken by the Nazis.
“This law did things legally that made it possible for people to make claims and sue,” said Wesley Fisher, the director of research for the Claims Conference, a group that represents the world’s Jews in negotiating for compensation for victims of Nazi persecution and their heirs.
“It isn’t perfect, but it’s better,” he said.
In 2018, New York City’s Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum returned an Ernst Ludwig Kirchner painting titled “Artillerymen” to the family of Jewish art dealer Alfred Flechtheim, who was forced to abandon his collection after fleeing Berlin in 1933.
A Guggenheim spokesperson said the museum is not aware of any other work in its collections that was looted by Nazis, but is continuing its research.
In 2019, the Arkell Museum in upstate New York returned a painting after it was made known that it was stolen by Nazis from a Jewish family in 1933. The museum’s director, Suzan Friedlander, said they “fully support the recent legislation regarding work seized by the Nazis.”
Last year, the Jewish Museum, in New York City, dedicated an entire exhibition to the topic of looted art and ceremonial objects.
While signage for Nazi-looted artwork is a policy unique to New York, other U.S. museums have undertaken efforts to trace the origin of potentially stolen artworks.
Boston’s Museum of Fine Arts launched a Nazi-era provenance research of their artwork in 1998, where they identify objects in the collection that were lost or stolen during the Nazi era and never returned to their rightful owners.
The Paul Getty Museum in Los Angeles researched German art trade between 1900 and 1945 and now provides digital access to auction sales catalogs related to Germany, Austria, and Switzerland.
Among the 53 pieces at the Metropolitan Museum of Art that will get signage identifying them as having once been looted is a Turkish helmet dating to the late 15th and 16th century that had been seized by Nazis from its owner Baron Alphonse Mayer Rothschild in 1938. It was returned to Rothschild’s widow in 1949 and sold to the museum in 1950.
Another is a 1695 painting titled “Gamepiece with a Dead Heron” by Dutch painter Jan Weenix. It was also seized by the Nazis from Rothschild in 1939, later returned to his widow in 1948 and sold to the museum in 1950.
In the last two decades, the museum has returned or reached settlements on 10 artworks that changed hands during the Nazi period, including a Claude Monet painting.
New York Sen. Anna M. Kaplan, who sponsored the legislation, said the new law is partly about educating younger people unfamiliar with the Holocaust.
“Because the survivors of the Holocaust are a generation that is dying out, this becomes much more important,” said Fisher, of the Claims Conference. “The object become much more important. The idea that students and general public should go through museums to understand where these items come from, is important.”
___
Khan is a corps member for the Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues.
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| 2022-09-21T08:21:37Z
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MOSCOW (AP) — Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan on Friday agreed to a cease-fire on a shared border where clashes earlier in the day wounded dozens of people.
The Kyrgyz border service said in a statement that the two countries’ security chiefs agreed to cease the hostilities starting from 4 p.m. local time (1000 GMT). According to Kyrgyz health officials, a total 42 people have been hospitalized with injuries in Kyrgyzstan as the result of the clashes.
According to the Kyrgyz border service, the fighting erupted early in the morning, when Tajik forces fired at Kyrgyz border guards. As tensions mounted, the border service accused Tajikistan of using mortars, tanks and armored vehicles to shell Kyrgyzstan’s positions, as well as shelling an airport in the town of Batken near the border with multiple rocket launchers and destroying civilian infrastructure.
Tajik border officials, meanwhile, charged that the Kyrgyz forces subjected Tajik villages near the border “to intensive mortar bombardment and shelling” from “all types of available heavy weapons and firearms.” Tajik authorities said they proposed negotiations and a cease-fire, but Kyrgyz troops reportedly ignored the offers.
It was not immediately clear what ignited the clashes. However, the serpentine Tajikistan-Kyrgyzstan border is often a tense area. In 2021, at least 55 people died in clashes that erupted near the border in a dispute over water rights and the installation of surveillance cameras by Tajikistan.
The Kyrgyz parliament on Friday announced plans to hold an emergency session to discuss the situation on the border.
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| 2022-09-21T08:21:52Z
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BELGRADE, Serbia (AP) — Organizers of European LGBTQ events in Belgrade this week said Friday they will hold a planned Pride march on the streets of the Serbian capital despite a police ban and threats from anti-gay groups.
Serbian police have banned Saturday’s parade, citing a risk of clashes with far-right activists who said they will gather to protest the march. Several legal appeals against the ban have been rejected by Serbia’s authorities.
“’We have been put in a situation where we have no choice,” said Goran Miletic, one of the organizers of the largest annual Pride event in Europe. “’Despite the ban, we will gather. This is a completely different Pride than the usual ones we have had.”
Earlier Friday, organizers submitted another formal request to Serbia’s interior ministry with a proposed shorter route for the walk. This was supported by 27,000 signatures. But Serbia’s interior minister said the ban stands.
“The Ministry of Internal Affairs did not give in to the pressures of the great powers of the West,” minister Aleksandar Vulin said.
Members of the European Pride Organizers Association chose Serbia’s capital three years ago to host the annual event, hoping it would represent a major breakthrough for a Slavic country that is traditionally conservative and strongly influenced by the Orthodox Church.
EU and other Western officials, as well as domestic and international rights groups, have urged the populist Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic to allow the holding of the Pride march. But has said police can’t cope with possible riots by right-wing groups amid the energy crisis and other events that have hit the Balkan country.
Those right-wing groups, which are considered close to Vucic’s conservative government, were also banned from gathering on Saturday, but they also said they will ignore the ruling.
“I will not deal with that topic (of Pride week), it is imposed on the Serbian people with evil intensions,” Vucic said Friday. “All those who are in favor, but also those who are extremely against the walk, are all participating in a hybrid war against their country.”
Amnesty International said the ban on the Euro Pride march “for purported security reasons is shameful.”
“Instead of giving in to hateful rhetoric towards and threats against LGBTI people, authorities must take all necessary measures to provide adequate protection for the participants and enable them to enjoy their rights without fear of harassment, intimidation or violence,” said Eve Geddie, Amnesty International’s Director at the European Institutions Office
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| 2022-09-21T08:22:00Z
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LONDON (AP) — The long good-bye for Queen Elizabeth II is a reminder of a broader truth playing out with little fanfare across Britain: The nation is bidding farewell to the men and women who fought the country’s battles during World War II.
The queen, who served as a mechanic and truck driver in the last months of the war, was a tangible link to the sailors, soldiers, airmen, marines and others who signed up to do their bit in a conflict that killed 384,000 service personnel and 70,000 British civilians.
But like the queen, even the youngest veterans of the war are now nearing their 100th birthdays, and a steady stream of obituaries tells the story of a disappearing generation.
“It’s extraordinary how that sense of the passing of time is felt very keenly at the moment,″ said Charles Byrne, director general of the Royal British Legion, the nation’s largest armed services charity.
“The queen was a personification of that generation … and with her passing, it just drives home the sense that time is moving relentlessly, as it does.”
That loss is, perhaps, felt more widely in the United Kingdom than a country like the United States, because the U.K.’s very existence was threatened during the war. Bombs fell on cities from London to Belfast, women were conscripted into war work and wartime rationing didn’t end until 1954.
Elizabeth, who famously saved ration coupons to make her wedding dress in 1947, led a ceremony of remembrance for all the nation’s fallen service personnel each year on the anniversary of the end of World War I.
“She is the epitome of that sense of service and stoic contribution,″ Byrne said. “And that is treasured more than ever.”
British authorities don’t know exactly how many World War II veterans are left because the nation’s census takers didn’t track military service until last year. Those figures are due to be released next month.
The Royal Air Force says it knows of only one surviving Battle of Britain pilot, the men Winston Churchill immortalized as “the few” who helped turn the tide of the war. Group Captain John Hemingway celebrated his 103rd birthday in July.
But the number of survivors is dwindling.
Among those who died this year were Henriette Hanotte, who ferried downed Allied pilots across the French border as they made their way home. And Harry Billinge, who was just 18 when he joined the first wave of troops to land on Gold Beach in Normandy on D-Day, as well as Douglas Newham, who survived 60 bombing raids as a Royal Air Force navigator, but was haunted by those who didn’t return.
It was a time of shared sacrifice. Then Princess Elizabeth, like many teenagers, had to persuade her father to let her join the army in 1945.
When Elizabeth turned 18, King George VI exempted her from mandatory military service because he said her training as the heir to the throne took precedence over the wartime need for manpower.
But the princess, who began her war work at the age of 14 with a broadcast to displaced children and later tended a vegetable garden as part of the government’s “Dig for Victory” program, got her way.
She enlisted in the Auxiliary Territorial Service in February 1945 and trained to become a military truck driver and mechanic. The ATS was the largest of the auxiliary services deploying women to non-combat rolls such as clerks, drivers and dispatch riders to free up men for front line duties.
The first female member of the royal family to serve in the armed forces, Elizabeth was promoted to honorary junior commander, the equivalent of an army captain, after completing five months of training. But the war ended before she could be assigned to active duty.
On May 8, 1945, Princess Elizabeth appeared in uniform on the balcony of Buckingham Palace as the royal family greeted the crowds celebrating Germany’s surrender. That night, she and her sister, Princess Margaret, slipped out of the palace to take part in the festivities.
“We cheered the king and queen on the balcony and then walked miles through the streets,” she later recalled. “I remember lines of unknown people linking arms and walking down Whitehall, all of us just swept along on a tide of happiness and relief.”
Many of those who took part in that joy are now gone.
Among them is Frank Baugh, a Royal Marine who helped guide a landing craft to Sword Beach during the June 6, 1944, D-Day landings. He later campaigned for a memorial to be built to commemorate the 22,442 men and women who died under British command during the Battle of Normandy.
A few months before his death in June at the age of 98, Baugh toured the British Normandy Memorial, which overlooks the beach where he fought.
“I would like to see children coming all of the time,″ he said. “Because they’re the people we need to tell what’s happened, and those lads that didn’t get back — to remember them.”
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| 2022-09-21T08:22:07Z
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LONDON (AP) — The death of Queen Elizabeth II is a reminder that the World War II generation is aging. Like the queen, even the youngest veterans of the war are now nearing their 100th birthdays, and a steady stream of obituaries tells the story of a disappearing generation.
Here are the stories of a few veterans who died this year.
HENRIETTE HANOTTE:
Aug. 10, 1920- Feb. 19, 2022
Henriette Hanotte began her wartime career ferrying Allied airmen to safety almost by accident.
On May 23, 1940, as British forces retreated toward Dunkirk, two soldiers asked her parents for help crossing the Belgian frontier as they tried to make their way back to England. Hanotte, then 20, volunteered to take them to the French city of Lille, some 20 kilometers (12.5 miles) away.
That chance encounter brought her to the attention of British operatives who later asked her to join a network of resistance fighters guiding downed Allied airmen across Belgium, France and Spain to safety in Gibraltar.
Hanotte was especially valuable to the operation, known as the Comet Line, because she grew up traveling between her home in Rumes, on the Belgian side of the border, and the nearby French town of Bachy, where she took music lessons. This gave her an intimate knowledge of the border and helped her guide her “packages” to safety.
“She knew the border like the back of her hand, the patrol schedule, customs officers, the little roads, the barking of dogs, the habits of the neighborhood,” according to a brochure about her exploits published by Rumes and Bachy.
Known by the code name Monique, she is believed to have helped 135 airmen to safety before she was forced to flee to England to avoid capture by the Gestapo. There she joined the Auxiliary Territorial Service and trained as a secret operative but was prevented from returning to Europe when she broke her leg in parachute training.
“I was trying to protect my family, and they were trying to protect me,” Hanotte told the Times of London last year on her 100th birthday. “It was our natural instinct to help.”
____
FLIGHT LT. DOUGLAS NEWHAM:
Nov. 13, 1921-March 14, 2022
Douglas Newham survived 60 bombing raids as a Royal Air Force navigator from 1942 to 1945, but he was haunted for the rest of his long life by those who didn’t return.
Some 55,573 of the men who flew with Bomber Command during World War II — 44% of its air crews — were killed in action, the highest attrition rate of any Allied unit.
For Newham that meant losing his friends in groups of seven, the standard crew complement of the Halifax bombers he flew during the later stages of the war.
“In my darker moments now, I still remember coming back dead tired from perhaps a 10-hour trip … and maybe one or two aircraft were still missing and you’d hope that maybe they’d landed somewhere for fuel, or they’d got battle damage and they’d be along later,” he told the BBC in 2020. “And, of course, then they wouldn’t come.”
When the war began, Newham was a teenage post office engineering trainee who helped install early-warning radar and repair radar stations damaged by German bombers.
In 1941, he joined the RAF. During his first combat tour, Newham dropped mines into U-boat lanes and flew bombing raids over occupied Europe before he was sent to North Africa. Returning to England, he received advance training then returned to combat duty, serving as navigation leader for multiple squadrons on some large-scale raids over Germany.
One night over the English Channel, he realized the responsibility he’d been given.
“My skipper said, `Doug, come back here … put your head up in the astro dome and have a look behind,’” Newham told the International Bomber Command Centre in 2017. “And, of course, there were 350 bloody aircraft following me. I don’t want to know!”
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SAPPER HARRY BILLINGE:
Sept. 15, 1925-April 5, 2022
Harry Billinge and his comrades had a single task when they landed on Gold Beach at 6:30 a.m. on D-Day: capture the German radar station at Arromanches.
They succeeded, but only four of the 10 men in the unit survived the day.
“It was hell,” Billinge said in an interview recorded by the British Normandy Memorial Trust. “I never seen anything like it in me life. You had the ships firing over your head and you had the Germans firing from inland — 88 millimeter guns they used, which will blow you off the face of the Earth.”
Billinge was an 18-year-old army commando that day. After surviving the war, the boy from London moved to Cornwall, where he became a barber.
He rejected the idea that he was a hero, always shifting the focus to those who died on June 6, 1944.
In his later years, Billinge dedicated himself to raising funds for the British Normandy Memorial in France, even when age forced him to do so from a comfortable chair at the local market. In 2020, Queen Elizabeth II pinned a Member of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire, or MBE, to Billinge’s lapel after he raised 50,000 pounds ($57,500) for the project.
“It means more to me than life itself, knowing I’m doing all I can for the memorial and my mates — 22,442 men died on that beach,” he said.
___
SIGNALLER FRANK BAUGH:
Nov. 26, 1923-June 20, 2022
Frank Baugh was an 18-year-old coal worker when he joined the Royal Navy in 1942. Two years later he was a crewman onboard a landing craft carrying 200 soldiers into battle on D-Day.
As the craft approached Sword beach in the early morning hours of June 6, 1944, it suffered a direct hit. The soldiers were able to scramble ashore, but the landing craft was stranded for thee hours as the crew made emergency repairs under enemy fire.
“We couldn’t get off the beach,” Baugh said in a 2018 interview. “We were flooded, we weren’t seaworthy, so we were sat there in a very awkward situation. It wasn’t a place you wanted to be.”
Baugh said he and his crew mates owed their survival to two bits of luck. Advance troops had already killed the German soldiers manning a fort that guarded the beach directly in front of the landing site, and a navy destroyer laid down a smokescreen to shield Baugh’s boat from guns at the other end of the beach.
Repairs made, Baugh and his shipmates turned their boat around and headed back out to sea to pick up another load of soldiers.
He was believed to have been the last surviving British marine to see the Royal Navy’s white ensign raised over Sword Beach as allied forces advanced.
“The men and women of today’s Royal Navy treasure the bonds they have with those who served in World War II, and Frank’s remarkable longevity was testament to a life well-lived serving his country,” First Sea Lord Admiral Sir Ben Key said in a eulogy read at Baugh’s funeral.
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MIAMI (AP) — Tropical Storm Fiona was forecast to move across the Caribbean’s easternmost islands Friday night before slowing to a spot just south of the Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico late Saturday and Sunday, the U.S. National Hurricane Center said.
Friday’s forecast increased the estimated rainfall totals for the affected islands, to as much as a foot (30 centimeters)in places across eastern and southern Puerto Rico and 16 inches (41 centimeters) in the eastern Dominican Republic. That much rain may cause flash floods and mudslides in higher terrain, and life-threatening surf possible as Fiona’s winds blow ashore, the Miami-based center said.
The Atlantic Hurricane Season’s sixth named storm was sustaining top winds of about 50 mph (85 kph) when an Air Force Reserve Hurricane Hunter aircraft measured its progress Friday morning, the center said. Little change in strength is forecast during the next few days.
At 11 a.m. EDT on Friday, Fiona was moving at 14 mph (22 kph), about 135 miles (215 kilometers) east of Guadeloupe. Tropical storm warnings were in effect for the Leeward Islands, St. Maarten, Guadaloupe, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands, and a tropical storm watch was issued for Dominica and British Virgin Islands.
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| 2022-09-21T08:22:29Z
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LONDON (AP) — Two London police officers were hospitalized after being stabbed in the city’s busy West End on Friday, the Metropolitan Police force said. The attack is not being treated as terrorism.
The force said officers patrolling near Leicester Square encountered a man with a knife early Friday morning and were stabbed while trying to detain him.
The officers — a man and a woman — were taken to hospital with injuries that are not life-threatening.
Police chief Mark Rowley said the female officer suffered a serious stab wound to her arm which may be life-changing, while her colleague was stabbed in the neck and chest, but should make a full recovery.
A man believed to be in his 20s was arrested on suspicion of grievous bodily harm and assaulting an emergency worker. Police said a Taser was used during the arrest and the suspect was briefly taken to a hospital as a precaution.
The incident comes as London is flooded with mourners for Queen Elizabeth II’s lying-in-state, but the stabbing did not occur near any commemorative sites and police said the injured officers were not part of the royal operation.
London Mayor Sadiq Khan called the attack “utterly appalling.”
“These brave officers were doing their duty and assisting the public at this momentous time for our country,” he said. “My thoughts and prayers are with them, their loved ones and police colleagues following this disgraceful attack.”
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| 2022-09-21T08:22:37Z
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IZIUM, Ukraine (AP) — Investigators searching through a mass burial site in Ukraine have found evidence that some of the dead were tortured, including bodies with broken limbs and ropes around their necks, Ukrainian President Volodymr Zelenskyy said Friday.
The site near the northeastern city of Izium, recently recaptured from Russian forces, appears to be one of the largest discovered in Ukraine.
Zelenskyy spoke in a video he rushed out just hours after the exhumations began, apparently to underscore the gravity of the discovery. He said more than 440 graves have been found at the site but that the number of victims was not yet known.
Digging in the rain, workers hauled body after body out of the sandy soil in a misty pine forest near Izium. Protected by head-to-toe suits and rubber gloves, they gently felt through the decomposing remains of the victims’ clothing, seemingly looking for identifying items.
Associated Press journalists who visited the site saw graves marked with simple wooden crosses. Some of the markers bore people’s names and had flowers hanging from them.
Before digging, investigators with metal detectors scanned the site for explosives, and soldiers strung red and white plastic tape between the trees.
Zelenskyy said hundreds of civilian adults and children, as well as soldiers, had been found near Izium’s Pishchanske cemetery after being tortured, shot or killed by artillery shelling.
He cited evidence of atrocities, such as a body with a rope around its neck and broken arms. In another sign of possible torture, one man was found with his hands tied, according to Serhiy Bohdan, the head of Kharikiv police investigations, and Ukraine’s commissioner for human rights, Dmytro Lubinets.
Ukrainian authorities warned that their investigation was just beginning, and the scale of the killings could rise dramatically.
“The harsh reality indicates that the number of dead in Izium may be many times higher than the Bucha tragedy,” Oleg Kotenko, an official with the Ukrainian ministry tasked with reintegrating occupied territories, said on Telegram.
Bucha is a Kyiv suburb where authorities have said 458 bodies were found after a 33-day Russian occupation. Authorities say they have uncovered the bodies of more than 1,300 people elsewhere, many in mass graves in the Kyiv-area forest.
Zelenskyy, who visited the Izium area Wednesday, said the discoveries showed again the need for world leaders to declare Russia a state sponsor of terrorism.
Meanwhile, in his first public comments on Ukraine’s recent battlefield gains, Russian President Vladimir Putin vowed to press on with the war and warned that Moscow could ramp up its strikes on the country’s vital infrastructure if Ukrainian forces target facilities in Russia.
“If the situation develops this way, our response will be more serious,” Putin told reporters Friday after attending a summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization in Uzbekistan.
Russia has reported numerous explosions and fires at civilian infrastructure sites near Ukraine, as well munitions depots and other facilities. Ukraine has claimed responsibility for some of the attacks and refrained from commenting on others.
The “liberation” of Ukraine’s entire eastern Donbas region remained Russia’s main military goal, Putin said.
“We aren’t in a rush,” he said, adding that Russia has only deployed volunteer soldiers to fight in Ukraine.
Some hard-line Russian politicians and military bloggers have lamented manpower shortages and urged the Kremlin to follow Ukraine’s example and order broad mobilization to beef up the ranks.
Ukrainian forces gained access to the site near Izium after recapturing the city and much of the wider Kharkiv region in a lighting advance that suddenly shifted the momentum in the nearly seven-month war. Ukrainian officials also found evidence of torture elsewhere in the region.
The U.N. human rights office said it would investigate, and the human rights group Amnesty International said the discovery of the mass burial site confirmed “our darkest fears.”
“For every unlawful killing or other war crime, there must be justice and reparation for victims and their families and a fair trial and accountability for suspected perpetrators,” said Marie Struthers, the group’s director for Eastern Europe and Central Asia.
Most of the people buried at the site were believed to be civilians, but a marker on one mass grave said it contained the bodies of 17 Ukrainian soldiers.
Russian officials distanced themselves from responsibility for the site.
The Khariv region’s Russian-installed governor, Vitaly Ganchev, told Russia’s state-run Tass news agency that Ukrainian, not Russian, forces were responsible for civilian casualties in Izium. Tass also quoted a member of Russia’s parliament, Alexander Malkevich, claiming that Ukrainian troops had abandoned their dead, so Russian forces buried them.
Elsewhere in Ukraine, the war continued to claim lives and wreak destruction.
— Ukraine’s presidential office said Russian shelling killed five civilians and wounded 18 in a 24-hour span. Missile strikes were also reported, with Zelenskyy’s hometown of Kryvyi Rih among the targets for a third consecutive day Friday. Air raid sirens howled in the capital, Kyiv.
— More killings targeting pro-Russian separatist officials were reported in areas under their control. Separatist authorities said a blast killed the prosecutor-general and his deputy of the self-proclaimed republic in the Luhansk region. Moscow-backed authorities said two Russian-installed officials were also killed in Berdyansk, a city in the Zaporizhzhia region occupied earlier in the war. And local authorities reported three people were killed in a Ukrainian missile strike on an administrative building in Russian-occupied Kherson.
— To bolster the Ukrainian offensive, the Biden administration announced another $600 million package of military aid.
Izium resident Sergei Gorodko said that among the hundreds buried in individual graves were dozens of adults and children killed in a Russian airstrike on an apartment building, some of whom he pulled out of rubble “with my own hands.”
Izium was a key supply hub for Russian forces until they withdrew in recent days. Izium city council member Maksym Strelnikov told reporters that hundreds of people had died during the fighting and after Russia seized the town in March. Many couldn’t be properly buried, he said.
His claims could not be immediately verified, but similar scenes have played out in other cities Russian forces captured, including Mariupol.
Ukraine’s national police chief, Ihor Klymenko, said “torture chambers” have been found in the Kharkiv region’s recaptured towns and villages. The claim could not be independently verified.
Seven Sri Lankan students who fell into Russian hands in Kupiansk, also in the Kharkiv region, have also said that they were held and mistreated, he said.
“They are scared, they were abused,” Klymenko said. They include “a woman who can barely speak” and two people with torn toe nails.
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This story has been updated to correct that seven, not six, Sri Lankan students said they fell into Russian hands.
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Associated Press journalists Hanna Arhirova and Jon Gambrell in Kyiv and Jamey Keaten in Geneva contributed reporting.
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Follow AP war coverage at https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine
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| 2022-09-21T08:22:44Z
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UNITED NATIONS (AP) — The U.N. General Assembly voted Friday to allow Ukraine’s president to deliver a pre-recorded address to next week’s gathering of world leaders because of his need to deal with Russia’s invasion, making an exception to its requirement that all leaders speak in person.
The 193-member world body approved Volodymyr Zelenskky’s virtual address by a vote of 101-7 with 19 abstentions including China. The seven countries voting “no” were Belarus, Cuba, Eritrea, Nicaragua, North Korea, Russia and Syria.
The assembly first voted on an amendment put forward by Belarus, a close ally of Russia, that would have allowed any leader facing exceptional difficulties and unable to attend to deliver a pre-recorded address. It was defeated by a vote of 23-67 with 27 abstentions.
The document that was approved expresses concern that leaders of “peace-loving“ U.N. sovereign nations can’t participate in person “for reasons beyond their control owing to ongoing foreign invasion, aggression, military hostilities that do not allow safe departure from and return to their countries, or the need to discharge their national defense and security duties and functions.”
The document, which was proposed by Ukraine and had more than 50 co-sponsors, permits Zelenskyy to submit a pre-recorded statement to be played in the General Assembly hall. It stresses that this will not set a precedent for future high-level assembly meetings.
Ukrainian Ambassador Sergiy Kyslytsya expressed satisfaction that the assembly will have a chance to hear directly from Zelenskyy “about how he sees the end of this war and how he evaluates the impact of this war on global affairs and on the United Nations in particular.”
He expressed gratitude in an interview with The Associated Press that 101 U.N. member nations gave such strong support to hearing from Zelenskyy, saying it was “pathetic” that Russia mustered only six other countries to oppose his speech.
Kyslytsya said Zelenskyy was scheduled to address the assembly Wednesday afternoon and there is no reason that would be changed.
The document refers to the General Assembly resolution adopted at an emergency special session on March 2 — six days after Russia’s Feb. 24 invasion of Ukraine — demanding an immediate halt to Moscow’s offensive and withdrawal of all Russian troops. The vote on the resolution, titled “Aggression against Ukraine,” was 141-5 with 35 abstentions.
British Counsellor Philip Reed told the assembly before the votes that the reason it is necessary “is because Russia has invaded its neighbor and for that reason Ukraine’s president cannot travel to New York for the General Debate,” the official name of the high-level meeting.
Nicaragua’s representative, whom its mission refused to identify, said the proposed decision “reflects a clear trend towards exceptionalisms” and violates the U.N. Charter’s principle “of sovereign equality of all members.” He urged members to oppose the proposal and avoid “double standards” and “selfish interests.”
As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, the annual meeting of world leaders at the General Assembly was all virtual in 2020 and hybrid in 2021. But this year the assembly decided that all speeches must be in person.
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| 2022-09-21T08:22:51Z
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Floodwaters are receding in Pakistan’s worst-hit southern Sindh province, officials said Friday, a potentially bright sign in an ongoing crisis that has left hundreds of thousands of people homeless in the impoverished South Asian country.
The Indus River, which remained swollen until earlier this month, was now rushing at “normal” levels towards the Arabian Sea, according to Mohammad Irfan, an irrigation official in hard-hit Sindh. The water level in the past 48 hours receded as much as three feet in some of the inundated areas nearby, including the Khairpur and Johi towns, where waist-high water damaged crops and homes earlier this month.
A day earlier, engineers had opened a key highway in the southwestern Baluchistan province, allowing rescue workers to speed aid to those suffering in a race against the spread of waterborne diseases and dengue fever.
Still, hundreds of thousands of people in Sindh are living in makeshift homes and tents. Authorities say it will take months to completely drain the water in Sindh.
Nationwide, floods have damaged 1.8 million homes, washed away roads and destroyed nearly 400 bridges, according to the National Disaster Management Authority. The deluge has killed 1,508 people since mid-June, inundated millions of acres of land and affected 33 million people. More than half a million people have been left homeless. At one point, nearly a third of the impoverished country was underwater. Several economists say the cost of the disaster may reach $30 billion.
Pakistani Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif has urged developed countries, especially those behind climate change, to scale up aid to his country. Sharif on Friday met with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Uzbekistan on the sidelines of a summit of a security group and thanked him for sending aid, Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry said.
The previous day, scientists and experts in the latest study about ongoing floods in Pakistan said that the country’s overall vulnerability, including people living in harm’s way, was the chief factor in the disaster. But “climate change” also played a role in causing heavy rains, which triggered flooding in the country.
August rainfall in the Sindh and Baluchistan provinces — together nearly the size of Spain — was at least seven times normal amounts, while the country as a whole had more than triple its normal rainfall. That’s according to the report by World Weather Attribution, a collection of mostly volunteer scientists from around the world who do real-time studies of extreme weather to look for evidence of climate change.
In Pakistan, the country’s minister for climate change, Sherry Rehman, was the first to publicly blame the developed world for causing climate-induced unusually heavy monsoon rains, which started in June and are expected to continue this month.
“Pakistan, at least in the south, is totally inundated. Outside of Karachi, go a little further up in Sindh and you will see an ocean of water, with no break,” she tweeted recently. “Where to place the tents, where to find dry ground? How to feed 33 million people plus? How to get them healthcare? Help us.”
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| 2022-09-21T08:22:59Z
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JUNEAU, Alaska (AP) — A vast swath of western Alaska could see flooding and high winds as the remnants of Typhoon Merbok move toward the Bering Sea region.
The National Weather Service has coastal flood warnings in place, beginning Friday, spanning from parts of southwest Alaska all the way up to the Chukchi Sea coast in northwest Alaska. The agency warned Thursday that water levels in Nome could be up to 11 feet (3.3 meters) above the normal high tide line, and in Golovin up to 13 feet (4 meters).
The weather service’s Fairbanks office on social media said some locations “may experience their worst coastal flooding in nearly 50 years. Peak water levels will persist for 10 to 14 hours before water recedes.”
The coastal flood warning for the southern Seward Peninsula coast, including Nome, was in effect from Friday evening until Sunday morning.
Damaging winds were possible, with widespread power outages expected on St. Lawrence Island and communities including Wales, Nome, Golovin and Kotzebue, the weather service said.
Meteorologist Ed Plumb said the storm is strong and on a “perfect track to bring significant severe coastal flooding to parts of western Alaska … for the Yukon Delta up to the southern Seward Peninsula and Norton Sound.”
“Interestingly with this storm, it looks like for the northern Bering Sea, this will be the deepest or strongest storm we’ve ever seen in September, so this is quite an unusual storm,” Plumb said Thursday morning.
Beach and shoreline erosion is possible in areas, with wind-driven waves and storm surge, he said.
Warnings from the weather service said roads could be closed and low-lying property could be “inundated” for areas such as the southern Seward Peninsula coast, St. Lawrence Island and the Bering Strait coast.
John Handeland, Nome’s mayor, said Thursday that officials were getting weather updates and have been preparing. He said a recreation center has been set up for use as an emergency shelter, if needed.
“We do know the drill and where things normally are impacted” from past storms, he said. Residents were being asked to secure their boats and items around their homes, yards and fish camps.
Jeremy Zidek, a spokesperson with Alaska’s emergency management office, said officials planned Thursday to speak with community leaders and others about the forecast, resources and preparations.
There is a large area under warnings, and “it’s a powerful storm,” he said.
“We have seen storms like this, like in 2011, that did serious damage across the western coast of Alaska and we’ve seen similar storms that have not done a lot of damage. So we really have to see what’s going to happen and then we’ll respond appropriately,” he said.
Plumb, the meteorologist, said the storm is expected to weaken as it moves further north into the Chukchi Sea on Sunday.
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| 2022-09-21T08:23:07Z
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WATERBURY, Conn. (AP) — Conspiracy theorist Alex Jones, who is on trial in Connecticut for calling the 2012 Sandy Hook massacre a hoax, continued Friday to describe the proceedings as a “kangaroo court” from his Infowars studio in Texas.
Jones’ commentary became a focus of testimony on the fourth day of the trial, with a lawyer for the Sandy Hook families questioning a corporate representative for Jones’ Infowars brand about how seriously the company was taking the trial.
The lawyer, Christopher Mattei, showed the jury a photo he said was of an Infowars webpage, depicting the judge in the trial with lasers shooting out of her eyes.
“On a scale of one to 10, how seriously is Infowars taking this trial,” Mattei asked the corporate representative, Brittany Paz.
“Ten. It’s serious to me,” Paz responded.
The exchange occurred as Jones prepares to attend the trial in Waterbury next week and the judge, Barbara Bellis, considers a request by the families’ lawyers to limit what Jones and his lawyer can say and argue in court. Jones is expected to testify,, but it’s not clear yet when.
“They are pretending to the world that it’s an actual trial, but I’m guilty when I get there and I can’t say I’m innocent,” Jones said on his Infowars web show Friday. “Everybody fundamentally knows that’s a fraud.”
He has previously said the judges’ default rulings against him — finding him liable without trials — were unfair and suggested they were part of a conspiracy to put him out of business and silence him.
Jones and his Free Speech Systems company are on trial in a lawsuit brought by an FBI agent who responded to the shooting and relatives of eight of the 20 first-graders and six educators killed in the December 2012 massacre in Newtown. They say Jones inflicted emotional and psychological harm on them, and they have been threatened and harassed by Jones’ followers.
Jones has already been found liable for spreading the myth that the shooting never happened, and the six-member jury will be deciding how much he and his company should pay the plaintiffs in damages.
In a motion filed Thursday, the families’ lawyers asked Bellis for several limitations on what Jones and his lawyer, Norman Pattis, can say and argue at the trial, including barring them from alleging that holding Jones and Free Speech Systems accountable for their actions offends the First Amendment.
Pattis outlined Jones’ defense in a motion filed Friday in response to the families’ motion.
“The defendants have argued, and intend to argue, that the plaintiffs have motives, biases and interest in exaggerating their claims against the defendants, to wit: their interest in gun control regulation and their hostility to Mr. Jones,” Pattis wrote.
Pattis also said Jones is challenging the amount of any damages to be awarded and is focusing on the families’ motives for “overstating their damages: to wit: their desire to silence Alex Jones not just because he harmed them, but because they find his politics and political affiliations repugnant.”
Pattis added, “Mr. Jones’ conspiracy theory may by offensive to some, and ridiculous to others, but he has not gained millions of listeners by compelling people to tune in. He speaks a language that many Americans seem prepared to accept.”
Mattei has showed the jury evidence that Jones’ viewership and sales of products such as nutritional supplements and clothing on his website soared around the times he talked about the Sandy Hook shooting, suggesting Jones was profiting off the shooting.
Pattis countered in court Friday that the jury should be allowed to hear that Jones believes there is a conspiracy to take guns away and enslave people.
“They have put before this jury the theory that Jones merchandizes fear for the sake of making a buck,” Pattis said. “Our claim is that he recognizes the fear of the people and makes a dollar to support that premise.”
Last month, a jury in Texas awarded the parents of one of the slain Sandy Hook children nearly $50 million in a similar lawsuit against Jones and his company over the hoax claims. Jones also faces a third trial in Texas later this year over how much he should pay the parents of another child killed in the shooting.
The Connecticut trial is expected to resume Tuesday with the judge indicating she will decide then whether to further limit what the defense may argue when it comes to the worth of Jones’ holdings.
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Associated Press writer Pat Eaton-Robb contributed to this story from Connecticut
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| 2022-09-21T08:23:14Z
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BEIJING (AP) — Five years ago, Bekzat Maxutkanuly was a small-time clothes merchant in Kazakhstan, uninterested in politics but worried over rumblings of a brewing crackdown across the border in China’s Xinjiang region, the land of his birth.
Now this week, as soldiers goose-stepped to anthems welcoming Chinese leader Xi Jinping on a visit to Kazakhstan, Maxutkanuly is preparing to drive from village to village across his country’s vast hinterlands to sign people up for a political party that will challenge Beijing, not welcome it.
“I never had plans to engage in politics,” said the 46-year-old Chinese-born ethnic Kazakh. “But then I started to realize the situation in Xinjiang was a huge problem, one that wouldn’t blow over in a year or two.”
The story of his political awakening illustrates how China’s crackdown on Uyghurs and other Muslim groups in Xinjiang has alienated many people in Central Asia, even as Beijing holds sway among its governments.
When the arrests in Xinjiang began, thousands of Kazakhs, Kyrgyz, Uzbeks and others of Central Asian ethnicity were abducted by authorities along with Uyghurs and swept into a vast network of camps and prisons.
Behind closed doors, Kazakhstan’s government pleaded with Beijing to release Kazakhs swept up in the crackdown. But in public, they said nothing and abstained from U.N. votes on whether to condemn or support China’s policies in Xinjiang.
China is a major investor in Kazakhstan’s oil and gas industries and loans billions of dollars to build railroads and highways. This week, Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev met Xi on the airport tarmac when he arrived and treated him to a lavish state banquet.
Maxutkanuly calls the visit “humiliating,” given Xi’s treatment of ethnic Kazakhs.
“Now’s really not the time for him to visit,” he said.
Born to farmers in a small, heavily Kazakh village on China’s western frontier, he lived modestly but tested well, landing him a spot in college in Xinjiang’s capital.
There, he said, he was bullied relentlessly for his halting Mandarin. Professors, officials and classmates criticized him, making him feel an outsider. In the late 1990s, his family moved to Kazakhstan, leaving behind a country they felt never truly welcomed them.
For decades, he worked as a teacher, then translator, then trader. His political awakening began five years ago, when friends and relatives back in Xinjiang stopped calling and texting. He felt something was amiss.
He spotted speeches online by Serikzhan Bilash, a Chinese-born Kazakh activist who spoke out about growing accounts of brutality and mass detentions in the region.
Maxutkanuly joined Bilash’s movement, an unregistered organization called Atajurt. He organized petitions and news conferences, drawing the world’s attention — and soon the government’s attention as well.
Undercover police shadowed their meetings. Key figures were called in for questioning. In 2019, officers tackled Bilash in a hotel bathroom and took him to jail. Later that year, Bilash fled the country and named Maxutkanuly the new leader of Atajurt.
Now, after beatings, protests, and dozens of police run-ins, Maxutkanuly wants Atajurt to bring fundamental change: A democratic Kazakhstan, where Chinese-born Kazakhs and others will be free to air their concerns.
He said years of struggle under state repression has taught him and other members of his group that actual power is necessary to get results. That’s why a formal political party is necessary, not just a grassroots group, he said.
“The Kazakh government is helping the Chinese government. They’re trying to block us,” Maxutkanuly said. “To achieve our goals, we need to change the political situation in Kazakhstan first.”
The odds of success are slim. For nearly three decades, Kazakhstan was ruled by a Soviet-era strongman. His successor, a former Soviet diplomat in Beijing, looks no less inclined toward democracy. Political opponents are monitored, harassed, and at times hounded out of the country.
Still, Kazakhstan cultivates good relations with the West to balance the power of its neighbors, Russia and China. In a part of the world populated with brutal rulers, Kazakhstan’s leaders model themselves after technocratic Singapore instead — leaving some space for organizing and civil society.
The plan, Maxutkanuly said, is to sign up 50,000 people, 10 times more than the legally mandated minimum necessary to register a political party.
It will be tough, requiring him to go door-to-door to register elderly people deep in the countryside, some of whom are illiterate or don’t have cellphones.
The Chinese-born Kazakh community is riven with divisions, fueled by suspicions of spies and fear of the state. Some are skeptical of Maxutkanuly, wondering what his motives are and how far he can go in challenging the state.
Still, he has supporters. Nurlan Kokteubai, a former schoolteacher who spent seven months in a camp in Xinjiang, joined the party. He will do anything, he said, to draw more attention to the plight of Chinese-born Kazakhs.
“The Kazakh government doesn’t support us. Tokayev listens to Xi,” Kokteubai said, referring to the current Kazakh president, Kassym-Jomart Tokayev. “If you don’t have a party, what kind of power do you have? It’s better this way.”
Kazakhstan is going through turmoil. Protests in January turned violent after thuggish men swept in, smashing cars and setting buildings ablaze. The Kazakh government invited Russian troops to quash the uprising, and hundreds were killed.
Maxutkanuly was among those protesting in January at a march in Kazakhstan’s capital. He said his nose was beaten bloody by police and he spent the night in jail.
Still, he is determined to press on.
“If I get arrested, so be it. If I don’t say anything, who’s going to help the Kazakhs in Xinjiang?” he said. “Someone needs to speak up.”
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| 2022-09-21T08:23:22Z
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MURFREESBORO, Ark. (KARK) – An Arkansas man uncovered the Crater of Diamonds State Park’s 35,000th diamond registered since the opening of the park 50 years ago.
Park officials said that Scott Kreykes, of Dierks, has been visiting the diamond-loaded site for four years. On Sept. 6, he created another milestone in the state park’s history.
Kreykes spent the day at the park sifting dirt from the East Drain of the diamond search area, park officials said. After taking his sifted gravel home, park officials said that Kreykes found a pearl-shaped diamond. This find marks Kreykes’ 50th diamond in the past four years he has visited the park, officials said.
Officials with the park said Kreykes knew that the park was preparing to celebrate the 35,000th diamond find since 1972, so he left for the park to register his diamond find.
“This could be the 35,000th diamond!” Kreykes said to his wife.
The park staff registered it as a 3-point white diamond. Park interpreter Tayler Markham explained how they are weighed.
“Diamonds are weighed in points and carats. One hundred points is equal to one carat, like pennies to a dollar. Most diamonds found at the park weigh between 20 and 25 points,” Markham said.
Park staff also informed Kreykes that he had registered the 35,000th diamond. For creating the milestone, park officials said, he received a free two-night stay at an Arkansas State Park, recognition from Murfreesboro officials and a display for his diamond and a registration card.
As of Wednesday, 512 diamonds have been registered at Crater of Diamonds State Park in 2022.
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| 2022-09-21T08:23:29Z
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(The Hill) — Former President Donald Trump suggested to his aides while he was president that the United States could trade Puerto Rico to Denmark for Greenland, according to a new book from two reporters.
The New York Times journalist Peter Baker and The New Yorker magazine journalist Susan Glasser revealed in their book, “The Divider: Trump in the White House, 2017-2021,” that Trump’s plan to buy Greenland came from Ronald Lauder, a New York cosmetics heir who had known Trump since college.
Baker wrote in an article Wednesday that Lauder discussed the idea of purchasing Greenland with Trump from the early days of his presidency, and Lauder offered to serve as a back channel to negotiate with Denmark, which owns Greenland.
Reports in 2019 revealed Trump’s interest in purchasing Greenland, an autonomous Danish territory, and that some of his advisers supported it while others dismissed it as a fascination.
John Bolton, who was serving as national security adviser at the time, directed his aide Fiona Hill to form a team to consider ideas to acquire Greenland, Baker reported. Bolton believed increasing U.S. presence in Greenland made sense to oppose Chinese influence in the Arctic region, but buying it outright was not feasible.
Trump continued to press for acquiring the island, the world’s largest, suggesting that the U.S. take federal money away from Puerto Rico to buy Greenland or trade the two islands.
Trump said in an interview for the book that the idea to buy Greenland was his own idea.
“I love maps. And I always said: ‘Look at the size of this. It’s massive. That should be part of the United States,” Trump reportedly said.
Denmark’s prime minister rejected the idea of selling Greenland to the U.S., calling it “absurd.”
The Trump administration faced strong criticism for its response after Hurricane Maria hit Puerto Rico in 2017, with local officials slamming the White House at the time for being slow to respond.
A former Department of Homeland Security official said in 2020 that Trump called Puerto Rico “dirty” and asked to trade it for Greenland after officials visited the island following the hurricane.
Trump did not immediately return a request from The Hill for comment.
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| 2022-09-21T08:23:44Z
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YAKIMA, Wash. -- The Yakima Training Center (YTC) and U.S. Army Environmental Command officials found another 31 residents with an unhealthy amount of PFAS chemicals in their drinking water. The third and final round tested 192 water wells from July 25th to August 5th. YTC and officials are hosting an open discussion with community members at the Yakima Convention Center from 2 to 4 p.m. and 6 to 8 p.m. September 29th.
For many nearby residents, it's been nearly a year of living off bottled water from YTC. Since October 2021, YTC provided bottled water for drinking, cooking and even bathing.
"I really don't expect that they will do anything significant in my lifetime, I just don't," said Charlene Ostrom, a nearby resident in her 70s.
Lance and Charlene Ostrom decided to take matters into their own hands and installed a water filter. They said they paid more than 7,000 dollars and have to change it yearly, but it's worth it. Since installment in May, they said PFAS chemicals are no longer detected in their running water.
"We're grateful that we were able to do that and feel badly for those who can't afford to do that, and they're still stuck with the toxic water," said Charlene.
The Ostrom's said YTC denied them reimbursement for the water filter until further research and deem it necessary, which can take up to 30 years.
"Lance and I will be dead by then, we’re old, so that doesn’t help us," said Charlene.
The Ostrom's said they got their water well results back full of PFAS chemicals in February and have been in the dark ever since.
"We really didn't that sense of the military having great concern about the well-being of the people affected," said Charlene.
"I haven't heard a thing about anything," said Lance.
They still drink from YTC provided water jugs. They said they're trying to conserve filter usage because it needs to be changed every 100,000 gallons of water.
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| 2022-09-21T08:23:47Z
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VISTA, Calif. (KSWB) — A Southern California high school has forfeited their football games scheduled for this week amid an assault investigation, it was announced Thursday.
The investigation stems from an incident that occurred inside the Vista High varsity football locker room on August 31 where cellphone video showed a 14-year-old student being assaulted.
Vista High has forfeited the freshman, junior varsity and varsity football games scheduled for this week against Poway High and the games will not be rescheduled, Poway High football head coach Kyle Williams said.
After-school activities were also canceled for the rest of the week, with the district saying the assault investigation is causing disruptions.
Some students feel it is the right thing to do while others don’t agree with the decision.
“I hope the whole season is canceled,” student Johana Farias said.
“Why mess it up for the kids who had absolutely nothing to do with it?” questioned freshman football player Kaleb Zavala.
Rena Marrocco, who is a community member running for school board, says she understands both sides of the issue.
“On the one hand it’s kind of unfair to penalize the entire team and school for the actions of the few, but on the other hand, it does send a message that at least they are hearing that much,” Marrocco said.
Parents, students and community members rallied Wednesday outside of Vista High, demanding justice and accountability against the players suspected of being involved in an attack that was caught on video and spread on social media.
An online petition, calling for suspension or expulsion for the students involved has gathered over 9,000 signatures.
The Vista varsity head football coach has since been placed on leave until the investigation is complete, according to Vista Unified School District. The freshman football coach has been let go and Nexstar’s KSWB was told the boys in the video have all been taken off the team pending the investigation.
The Vista Unified School District and the San Diego County Sheriff’s Department are conducting investigations into the incident.
KSWB’s Alani Letang contributed to this story.
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| 2022-09-21T08:23:51Z
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BOSTON (AP) — The sex lives of constipated scorpions, cute ducklings with an innate sense of physics, and a life-size rubber moose may not appear to have much in common, but they all inspired the winners of this year’s Ig Nobels, the prize for comical scientific achievement.
Held less than a month before the actual Nobel Prizes are announced, Thursday’s 32nd annual Ig Nobel prize ceremony was for the third year in a row a prerecorded affair webcast on the Annals of Improbable Research magazine’s website.
The winners, honored in 10 categories, also included scientists who found that when people on a blind date are attracted to each other, their heart rates synchronize, and researchers who looked at why legal documents can be so utterly baffling, even to lawyers themselves.
Even though the ceremony was prerecorded, it retained much of the fun of the live event usually held at Harvard University.
As has been an Ig Nobel tradition, real Nobel laureates handed out the prizes, using a bit of video trickery: The Nobel laureates handed the prize off screen, while the winners reached out and brought a prize they had been sent and self-assembled into view.
Winners also received a virtually worthless Zimbabwean $10 trillion bill.
Curiosity Ig-nited? Learn more about some of the winners:
GET YOUR DUCKS IN A ROW
“Science is fun. My sort of a tagline is you’re not doing science if you’re not having fun,” said Frank Fish, a biology professor at West Chester University in Pennsylvania who shared the physics Ig Nobel for studying why ducklings follow their mothers in single-file formation.
It’s about energy conservation: The ducklings are drafting, much like stock cars, cyclists and runners do in a race, he said.
“It all has to do with the flow that occurs behind that leading organism and the way that moving in formation can actually be an energetic benefit,” said the appropriately named Fish, whose specialty is studying how animals swim.
He shared the prize with researchers at the University of Strathclyde in Glasgow, Scotland, who found that the ducklings actually surfed in their mother’s wake.
THAT SYNCING FEELING
Eliska Prochazkova’s personal experiences inspired her research on dating that earned her and colleagues the cardiology Ig Nobel.
She had no problems finding her apparent perfect match on dating apps, yet she often found there was no spark when they met face-to-face.
So she set people up on blind dates in real social settings, measured their physiological reactions and found that the heart rates of people attracted to each other synchronized.
So is her work evidence of “love at first sight”?
“It really depends, on how you define love,” Prochazkova, a researcher at Leiden University in the Netherlands, said in an email. “What we found in our research was that people were able to decide whether they want to date their partner very quickly. Within the first two seconds of the date, the participants made a very complex idea about the human sitting in front of them.”
A CRUEL STING
Solimary García-Hernández and Glauco Machado of the University of São Paulo in Brazil won the biology Ig Nobel for studying whether constipation ruins a scorpion’s sex life.
Scorpions can detach a body part to escape a predator — a process called autotomy. But when they lose their tails, they also lose the last portion of the digestive tract, which leads to constipation — and, eventually, death, they wrote in the journal “Integrated Zoology.”
“The long-term decrease in the locomotor performance of autotomized males may impair mate searching,” they wrote.
THAT’S A MOOSE, DUMMY
Magnus Gers won the safety engineering Ig Nobel for making a moose “crash test dummy” for his master’s thesis at KTH Royal Institute of Technology in Stockholm, which was published by the Swedish National Road and Transport Research Institute.
Frequent moose vs. vehicle collisions on Sweden’s highways often result in injuries and death to both human and animal, Gers said in an email. Yet automobile makers rarely include animal crashes in their safety testing.
“I believe this is a fascinating and still very unexplored area that deserves all the attention it can get,” he said. “This topic is mystical, life threatening and more relevant than ever.”
CAN YOU SPEAK LEGALESE?
Anyone who has ever read a terms of service agreement knows that legal documents can be downright incomprehensible.
That frustrated Eric Martinez, a graduate student in the brain and cognitive science department at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology who also has a law degree from Harvard.
He, Francis Mollica and Edward Gibson shared the literature Ig Nobel for analyzing what makes legal documents unnecessarily difficult to understand, research that appeared in the journal “Cognition.”
“Ultimately, there’s kind of a hope that lawyers will think a little more with the reader in mind,” he said. “Clarity doesn’t just benefit the layperson, it also benefits lawyers.”
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| 2022-09-21T08:23:58Z
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(NEXSTAR) – The U.S. Department of Education is honoring the winners of 2022’s National Blue Ribbon School Awards, recognizing a total of 297 U.S. schools for their exemplary test performances or efforts to close achievement gaps between students.
“I applaud all the honorees for the 2022 National Blue Ribbon Schools Award for creating vibrant, welcoming, and affirming school communities where students can learn, grow, reach their potential, and achieve their dreams,” said Miguel Cardona, the U.S. Secretary of Education, in a press release issued by the Department of Education on Thursday. “As our country continues to recover from the pandemic, we know that our future will only be as strong as the education we provide to all of our children.”
Cardona added that 2022’s honorees had all gone “above and beyond” to keep students safe while making a “positive difference in students’ lives.”
Created in 1982, the National Blue Ribbon School Program recognizes public, parochial and private learning facilities from across the country, as nominated by the chief educational officers in each state (for public schools) or the Council for American Private Education (for private or parochial schools).
Schools can be recognized for a Blue Ribbon School Award in one of two performance categories: high achievement as measured “by state assessments or nationally normed tests,” and greatest advancements in closing achievement gaps.
This year, schools from 45 different states as well as DC and the Department of Defense Education Activity (DoDEA) were recognized: 273 public schools and 24 parochial and private. Texas boasted the most Blue Ribbon Schools with a total of 31, followed by California (29), New York (20), Illinois (17) and Ohio (13).
A complete list of 2022’s winners can be found at the National Blue Ribbon Schools Program website.
Five states did not participate in the Blue Ribbon awards, including Idaho, Maine, Maryland, Oregon and Vermont, the latter two of which have not participated since 1998 and 1994, respectively. Schools in all U.S. territories and those under the jurisdiction of the Bureau of Indian Education (BIE) are eligible for consideration. Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands and the BIE also did not participate in 2022.
The National Blue Ribbon Schools Program, an initiative of the U.S. Department of Education, has issued approximately 10,000 Blue Ribbon School Awards to over 9,000 different schools since its inception. In order to qualify for an award, schools must meet the wide set of requirements set forth by the Education Department before being submitted for consideration by a state official. Up to 421 schools may be nominated in a given year, including 50 total private schools. In addition, a school can only be nominated once within a five-year period, per the program’s official rules.
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| 2022-09-21T08:24:06Z
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INDIANAPOLIS (WXIN) – The FDA is urging parents to talk to their children about the dangers of misusing drugs amid recent social media trends involving medicine.
In one recent trend, the FDA said people are encouraged to cook chicken in NyQuil or another over-the-counter cough and cold medication, presumably to eat. While the challenge may seem silly and unappetizing, it could also be very unsafe.
The FDA said boiling a medication can make it much more concentrated and change its properties in other ways. Even if you don’t eat the chicken, inhaling the vapors while cooking could cause high levels of the drugs to enter your body and possibly hurt your lungs.
Another TikTok challenge involving medicine turned out to be deadly. In the challenge, people were encouraged to take large doses of diphenhydramine to try to induce hallucinations. This medicine is sold in many products, including some under the brand name Benadryl.
The challenge was blamed for the hospitalization of at least three Texas teens in May 2020 along with the death of a 15-year-old Oklahoma girl in August 2020.
The FDA urges parents to keep over-the-counter and prescription drugs away from children and lock them up to prevent accidental overdose. They should also sit down with their children to discuss the dangers of misusing drugs and how social media trends can lead to real, sometimes irreversible, damage.
If you believe your child has taken too much medication and is hallucinating, can’t be awakened, has had or is having a seizure, has trouble breathing, has collapsed, or is showing other signs of drug misuse, call 911 to get immediate medical attention. Or contact poison control at 1-800-222-1222 or online.
If you have a question about a medication, including an OTC drug, call your health care provider or pharmacist or the FDA.
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| 2022-09-21T08:24:13Z
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(NewsNation) — Desperate to find missing newcomer Irene Gakwa, the Gillette, Wyoming, community has showed up with searches covering hundreds of miles. The search is being led by volunteer Stacy Koester.
Gakwa’s fiancé, Nathan Hightman, a person of interest in the case, sought a protective order against Koester. They squared off in court Thursday with the judge ultimately ruling in favor of Koester. How did the lead searcher end up here?
Social media posts by Koester about the search for Gakwa raised the ire of Hightman, resulting in him pushing for a protective order.
“I think he is worried that we’re closing in on him by sharing Irene’s story so much,” Koester said.
In court Thursday, the judge addressed Hightman, saying, “I can’t find that, sir, you met your burden of proof to prove that an act of stalking occurred in this case.”
Koester hopes the judge’s decision will give the community a better chance at finding Gakwa. Vindicated, she will be back out searching and sharing her opinions of Hightman on TikTok once again, all in the hopes of finding Gakwa or her body.
“I am searching for his missing fiancée, because I made a promise to Irene’s family, who is my family now, that I won’t stop searching until we bring her home and she has answers,” Koester said.
Gakwa, 32, is a recent immigrant from Kenya who lived with family in Idaho before moving to Wyoming with Hightman, who she reportedly met on Craigslist.
Her family grew concerned when they noticed Gakwa’s text messages had changed from a mixture of English and Swahili to solely English. They reported her missing in March.
Hightman told police that Gakwa packed clothing into two plastic bags and announced that she was leaving Gillette, Wyoming. He said she entered a dark-colored SUV and left the area.
Soon after that, police arrested Hightman and charged him with draining Gakwa’s bank accounts, deleting her email account and using her credit card at Walmart to buy a shovel, a pair of boots and a pair of pants. Police report that Hightman said he did it to force her to contact him in the event she needed money.
Hightman entered not guilty pleas to the charges he used Gakwa’s bank account and credit card.
Anyone with information on the case is urged to call the Gillette Police Department at 307-682-5155.
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| 2022-09-21T08:24:28Z
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BULLHEAD CITY, Ariz. (AP) — Authorities are trying to identify a mummified body found by police in the bathtub of a northwestern Arizona home as they investigated a burglary.
Bullhead City police said officers responding to a burglary in progress around 3:30 a.m. Saturday discovered 65-year-old Christine Lee Walters rummaging through items inside the house.
They said there were pry marks on the door, indicating forced entry into the home, and that Walters had been going inside for days and taking clothing, purses and other items she allegedly planned to sell online.
Police said officers searched the house and found the body in the tub in a natural mummified state, which occurs when a corpse is exposed to very dry conditions that slow typical decomposition.
Police said Walters told officers she didn’t know the body was in the house.
It’s unknown how long the body was in the bathtub. Neighbors told police they believed that the house was vacant and that the homeowner may have moved away because they hadn’t been seen for about a year.
The Mohave County Medical Examiner’s Office was trying to determine the cause of death.
Detectives found the homeowner’s birth certificate, credit cards, driver’s license and income tax paperwork during searches of Walters’ home and vehicle. She was booked into jail on suspicion of two counts of burglary. Police said they are seeking additional charges after methamphetamine and drug paraphernalia were found in her possession.
It was unclear Thursday if Walters has a lawyer who can speak on her behalf.
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TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) — Guests at Disney World appeared frightened as a large funnel-shaped cloud loomed in dark skies above the Florida resort on Thursday.
“No lines on this ride,” one man joked as he took video of the menacing cloud formation at the entrance to EPCOT theme park.
The National Weather Service responded to a comment on the video, saying it looked like it could have been a funnel cloud.
“Hard to tell if there is any rotation in the video though,” the tweet said.
No tornado was confirmed as having touched down. One local Orlando meteorologist said it was possibly “a scud cloud.”
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| 2022-09-21T08:24:43Z
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COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Almost three months after Roe v. Wade was overturned, the landscape of abortion access is still shifting significantly in some states, sometimes very quickly.
Changing restrictions and litigation in neighboring Indiana and Ohio this week illustrate the whiplash for providers and patients navigating sudden changes in what is allowed where.
Sister clinics who just weeks ago were sending patients from Ohio, where most abortions were banned, to Indiana, where the procedure was allowed, have now flip-flopped roles after the two states’ access restrictions reversed, at least temporarily.
Here is a deeper look at the current state of the shifting national landscape:
WHAT CHANGED THIS WEEK?
An Ohio judge blocked enforcement on Wednesday of the state’s ban on most abortions after fetal cardiac activity is detected. The ban had been in effect since shortly after the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe on June 24. The judge’s action allows abortions to resume in pregnancies up to 20 weeks’ gestation for 14 days.
Then, on Thursday, a new Indiana law took effect that bans most abortions, marking its status as the first state in the nation to approve new abortion restrictions since the high court’s abortion ruling. Republican Gov. Eric Holcomb signed the ban into law Aug. 5.
Under the new law, abortions are permitted only in cases of rape and incest before 10-weeks post-fertilization; to protect the life and physical health of the patient; or if a fetus is diagnosed with a lethal anomaly. A doctor who performs an illegal abortion or who fails to file required reports must lose their medical license.
HOW IS THIS AFFECTING PROVIDERS?
All seven Indiana abortion clinics lost their licenses Thursday under the state’s new law, which allows abortions to only be performed in hospitals or outpatient surgical centers owned by hospitals. More than 98% of the state’s abortions were done by those clinics in 2021.
Abortion clinics in the state told The Associated Press they will remain open to refer patients out of state, including to neighboring Ohio.
“I thought that today would be the worst day,” Dr. Katie McHugh, a provider at the Indianapolis abortion clinic Women’s Med, told the AP on Thursday. “But I think the worst day was yesterday, knowing that the patients that we saw in the office yesterday were the last ones that we would see, and knowing how much it meant for all of us that were there — the staff, the physicians and the patients — that we were able to provide that care to the last moment.”
Dr. Alison Case — who since 2020 provided medication abortions at the South Bend abortion clinic Whole Woman’s Health — will continue her work as a family practice doctor in Indianapolis.
She said she worries for the labor and delivery patients she oversees at a hospital in the city.
“I think there’s going to be more people forced to carry their pregnancies to term, so I think we’ll see more deliveries,” she said. “But I think, important to note, we’re also going to see more of these complications.”
In Ohio, clinics were preparing for a high volume of patients coming in from surrounding states following the judge’s ruling — though they realize it could be short-lived.
“Well, I never expected to be a surge state,” said Iris Harvey, president and CEO of Planned Parenthood of Greater Ohio, using the new lingo of the field. “For 14 days, we might be.”
Ohio clinics that had been prohibited from performing most abortions will resume those services beginning Friday.
HOW IS THIS AFFECTING PATIENTS?
The shifting legal landscape has required patients in affected states to regroup, sometimes repeatedly. Kellie Copeland, executive director of Pro-Choice Ohio, an abortion rights advocacy group, said some have been unable to terminate their pregnancies.
Harvey said Planned Parenthood has set up a central location for abortion requests and hired additional staff, oftentimes social workers, to help people navigate various states’ laws as they change.
McHugh said Women’s Med received “dozens” of calls Wednesday from patients who could not schedule an abortion that day due to Indiana’s 18-hour waiting period on the procedure.
“Every time it was a difficult conversation, because every time it was like breaking the news to someone that they couldn’t get their care,” McHugh said.
Lawyers were still reviewing whether patients traveling from Indiana to Ohio would be able to get anything but a surgical abortion. The two-pill regimen used in medication abortions would generally mean taking one pill in a permissive state and one in a restrictive state, the latter potentially breaking the law, providers said.
Anti-abortion groups continue to tout existing restrictions and the new ones being passed in the states in the wake of the Supreme Court’s ruling.
“Ohio is pro-life and this law was supported by the people,” said Margie Christie, president of the Right to Life Action Coalition of Ohio. “Women do not need abortion in Ohio. We have abundant resources for mothers and their children to thrive.”
WHEN WILL THE LANDSCAPE SHIFT AGAIN?
With Indiana’s ban taking effect, the nation has 13 states with current bans on abortion at any point in pregnancy and one more, Georgia, with a ban on abortions after fetal cardiac activity can be detected — usually around six weeks, often before women realize they’re pregnant.
Though it had not yet been signed by the governor, a ban approved by West Virginia lawmakers Wednesday had already prompted the state’s only abortion clinic to close, pushing potentially more patients to neighboring Ohio. Arizona’s ban is scheduled to kick in Sept. 24, with legal cases and legislative action expected to continue to change the status of abortion access of some states.
Then, on Nov. 8, abortion-related measures will be on ballots in at least five states. In California, Michigan and Vermont, voters will be asked to protect the right to abortion. In Kentucky, the question is whether to amend the state constitution to declare that it does not include the right to abortion. And Montana voters will decide on a measure to require medical care for infants born alive after an attempted abortion.
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(The Hill) — Uber is investigating a possible breach of its network after a hacker gained access on Thursday to the company’s internal system.
The transport company shut off a number of its internal services, including messaging and engineering services, during the investigation, according to The New York Times.
The person claiming responsibility for the hack told the Times that he gained access to Uber’s internal systems by posing as a corporate information technology person and convincing a company employee to share a password with him.
The hacker accessed the internal messaging service Slack through one person’s account and sent employees a message saying, “I announce I am a hacker and Uber has suffered a data breach.”
The person also posted an explicit photo on a webpage used to communicate with employees, an Uber spokesperson told the Times.
The alleged hacker sent images of Uber’s internal systems, including email, cloud storage and code repositories, to the Times and shared information with cybersecurity researchers.
“They pretty much have full access to Uber,” said Yuga Labs Security Engineer Sam Curry to the Times after corresponding with the alleged hacker.
The hacker, who said he was 18 years old, claimed that he broke into Uber because of its weak security and used his access to its Slack messaging service to call for higher pay for Uber drivers.
“We don’t have an estimate right now as to when full access to tools will be restored, so thank you for bearing with us,” wrote Uber Chief Information Security Office Latha Maripuri in an internal email seen by the Times.
The Hill has reached out to Uber for comment on the network breach.
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| 2022-09-21T08:25:05Z
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YAKIMA, Wash. (WXIN) — A federal indictment has charged a Washington woman and her now-closed company with manufacturing and distributing tainted fruit juice, some of which were supplied to the National School Lunch program.
The indictment, filed Thursday, alleges Mary Ann Bliesner and her company, Valley Processing Inc., conspired with others to distribute tainted and potentially unsafe apple and grape juice concentrate to customers in the United States and abroad.
The document alleges that between October 2012 and June 2019, the juice products were made under unsanitary conditions. They contained potentially harmful levels of contaminants, such as arsenic.
The indictment also alleges that Bliesner and her company, in some instances, sold juice products after storing them for years outside and exposing them to the elements. At least some of those products were sold to customers who supplied the National School Lunch Program, which provides free or reduced-cost lunches to children.
The indictment also alleges that Blieser and her company lied to customers about the age and quality of their products. They also failed to register two facilities they used to store fruit juice products and lied to FDA inspectors about the existence and use of those facilities, according to the indictment.
The company closed after a November 2020 civil complaint. In January 2021, the company promised that they were no longer processing, manufacturing, preparing, packing, holding, or distributing any type of food, and would not do so in the future without first notifying and receiving approval from the FDA.
Bliesner faces 12 felony counts of fraud, conspiracy, false statements, and violating the Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act. If convicted, she faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison.
An initial hearing is scheduled for Oct. 5.
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| 2022-09-21T08:25:19Z
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220917-N-EH998-1038 EILAT, Israel (Sept. 17, 2022) Guided-missile destroyer USS Nitze (DDG 94) pulls into the port of Eilat, Israel, Sept. 17. Nitze is deployed to the U.S. 5th Fleet area of operations to help ensure maritime security and stability in the Middle East region. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Cryton Vandiesal)
This work, USS Nitze Pulls Into Israel [Image 11 of 11], by PO2 Cryton Vandiesal, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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DECATUR, Ga. (AP) — Stacey Abrams, Georgia Democrats’ nominee for governor, is launching an intensive effort to get out the vote by urging potential supporters to cast in-person ballots the first week of early voting as she tries to navigate the state’s new election laws.
The strategy, outlined to The Associated Press by Abrams’ top aides, is a shift from 2018, when she spent generously in her first gubernatorial bid to encourage voters to use mail ballots. It also moves away from Democrats’ pandemic-era emphasis on mail voting, a push that delivered Georgia’s electoral votes to President Joe Biden and helped Raphael Warnock and Jon Ossoff win concurrent U.S. Senate runoffs to give Democrats control of Capitol Hill.
Republicans, including Abrams’ opponent, Gov. Brian Kemp, answered in 2021 with sweeping election changes that, among other provisions, dramatically curtailed drop boxes for mail ballots, added wrinkles to mail ballot applications and ballot return forms, and made it easier to challenge an individual voter’s eligibility. But it also expanded in-person voting.
“It’s self-evident we have to have a big early vote in-person,” said Abrams campaign manager Lauren Groh-Wargo, arguing the new mail ballot procedures make it risky for Democrats to rely too heavily on that option. “What’s not self-evident,” Groh-Wargo continued, “is how the hell you do that.”
Primary elections this midterm season have suggested a national decline in mail balloting, which spiked in 2020 because of COVID-19. Still, Abrams’ approach, which is shared by some liberal voting rights activists, represents a pivot from Democrats’ pre-COVID tactics and demonstrates how the left intends to try to maximize their votes in jurisdictions where Republicans remain in control of election procedures.
Abrams’ push, timed to begin a month before early voting begins, comes with some polls suggesting she trails Kemp slightly after losing their first matchup by about 55,000 votes out of 4 million.
Beginning Sunday, the Democrat’s campaign will ask supporters to commit to vote at in-person polling sites during the first week of early voting, which opens Oct. 17. The campaign will send digital commitment cards to targeted supporters via email and texts, with direct mail to follow. Field workers will ask voters to fill out commitment cards, with 2 million households slated for in-person visits. And the Abrams campaign will make pledge cards a standard part of its campaign events.
The week-one commitment, with a voter going beyond simply committing to cast a ballot before early voting ends on Nov. 4, is intentional. After adding an individual’s commitment to their profile in the campaign’s voter database, Abrams’ team will use publicly available turnout data to identify anyone who hasn’t followed through or had trouble casting a ballot. Anyone denied early ballot access will be routed to Georgia Democrats’ voter protection operation.
“If they’re not able to successfully vote there’s plenty of time left to still ensure that their vote can be cast,” said Esosa Osa, a senior adviser to the campaign. “That gets much harder when we’re talking about Election Day voting.”
Groh-Wargo said that’s better than having mail ballots rejected or waiting until Election Day and, under new laws, not getting a provisional ballot until late on Nov. 8, with no other recourse.
Georgia Democrats aren’t abandoning mail voting altogether. The state party and Abrams campaign together have targeted 500,000 reliable Democratic voters to cast mail ballots. They were identified based on their long history of using that method, rather than anything they did from 2018 forward when Democrats ratcheted up an emphasis on a mail and absentee process that Georgia Republicans had dominated previously.
In her first campaign against Kemp, Abrams took the unusual step of sending nearly completed mail ballot applications to 1.6 million Georgians her campaign identified as sporadic but Democratic-aligned voters — a tactic that exceeded even the most ambitious one-time mailers sent by earlier Democratic presidential campaigns. With a cost approaching seven figures, Abrams knew it would be inefficient; such applications generally coax participation from less than 10% of participants.
But the campaign identified tens of thousands of new voters from the effort. Abrams ended up outpacing Kemp in mail support by 53,709 votes, though she lost the early in-person vote by 19,895 and the Election Day vote by nearly 94,000. She won about two-thirds of 10,000-plus provisional ballots. She ended up about 19,000 votes short of forcing a runoff, since Georgia law requires a majority to win statewide offices.
Republicans 2021 voting overhaul prohibits the kind of mailer that Abrams sent, allowing only blank state-issued forms. Those now require voter ID — a state ID number or photocopy of the ID — and a voter’s birthday. Much of the information must be repeated with the returned ballot, creating the possibility of more mismatches that could result in the ballot being tossed out.
Groh-Wargo wouldn’t offer a specific early voting turnout goal. But she said Abrams’ 2018 early in-person support — 930,131 of her 1.92 million votes — fell short of internal targets. Yet Abrams’ overall total, even in defeat, exceeded any Democrat in Georgia history at the time. It was eclipsed by Biden, Warnock and Ossoff as the overall electorate continued to grow.
“All of that makes early voting that much more important,” said Nsé Ufot, who now leads the New Georgia Project, a voting rights group Abrams founded when she was a young state lawmaker.
Ufot said her outlet and others like it are pressing early in-person voting in their outreach efforts. New Georgia Project, she said, has registered 30,000 new voters and knocked on 1.3 million doors since the 2021 Senate runoffs, with 1 million more planned before Nov. 8.
Redesigning voter turnout plans, Groh-Wargo said, doesn’t change Democrats’ underlying necessity to expand the electorate if they hope to win in a historically conservative-leaning state like Georgia. That means many of the 1.6 million households who got Abrams’ mail ballot application in 2018 and didn’t vote will still be getting a visit about early in-person voting.
That expansion strategy, Ufot said, still runs into skepticism among some Democratic donors. “It’s so clear that people have no idea how 2020 happened or 2018 for that matter,” Ufot said.
Behind-the-scenes pressure has intensified, Ufot said, with polls conducted since the beginning of July suggesting a tight race or narrow Kemp lead. Groh-Wargo said she hears the narrative of Abrams “struggling.” She acknowledged a “nasty environment” for Democrats given global inflation and Biden being less popular in Georgia than when he won the state. But the worry, she said, remains rooted in misunderstanding Abrams’ path.
“A lot of our constituencies are ‘persuasion voters,’” Groh-Wargo said. That doesn’t mean swing voters, she said, because they’re not choosing between Abrams and Kemp — they’re deciding whether to back Abrams or not vote at all.
Still, Ufot said, the dynamics put enormous pressure on Abrams and her campaign to succeed so the left’s donor base doesn’t start short-changing voter turnout networks she said are necessary to tap diverse electorates in traditionally Republican states.
“This is going to be a game of inches,” she said. “We just have to widen the aperture to see what’s at play here.”
___
Follow AP for full coverage of the midterms at https://apnews.com/hub/2022-midterm-elections and on Twitter, https://twitter.com/ap_politics.
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| 2022-09-21T08:25:34Z
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ATLANTA (AP) — Sensitive voting system passwords posted online. Copies of confidential voting software available for download. Ballot-counting machines inspected by people not supposed to have access.
The list of suspected security breaches at local election offices since the 2020 election keeps growing, with investigations underway in at least three states — Colorado, Georgia and Michigan. The stakes appeared to rise this week when the existence of a federal probe came to light involving a prominent loyalist to former President Donald Trump who has been promoting voting machine conspiracy theories across the country.
While much remains unknown about the investigations, one of the most pressing questions is what it all could mean for security of voting machines with the midterm elections less than two months away.
Election security experts say the breaches by themselves have not necessarily increased threats to the November voting. Election officials already assume hostile foreign governments might have the sensitive data, and so they take precautions to protect their voting systems.
The more immediate concern is the possibility that rogue election workers, including those sympathetic to lies about the 2020 presidential election, might use their access to election equipment and the knowledge gained through the breaches to launch an attack from within. That could be intended to gain an advantage for their desired candidate or party, or to introduce system problems that would sow further distrust in the election results.
In some of the suspected security breaches, authorities are investigating whether local officials provided unauthorized access to people who copied software and hard drive data, and in several cases shared it publicly.
After the Georgia breach, a group of election security experts said the unauthorized copying and sharing of election data from rural Coffee County presented “serious threats” to the November election. They urged the state election board to replace the touchscreen devices used throughout the state and use only hand-marked paper ballots.
Harri Hursti, a leading expert in voting security, said he is concerned about another use of the breached data. Access to the voting equipment data or software can be used to develop a realistic looking video in which someone claims to have manipulated a voting system, he said.
Such a fake video posted online or to social media on or after Election Day could create chaos for an election office and cause voters to challenge the accuracy of the results.
“If you have those rogue images, now you can start manufacturing false, compelling evidence — false evidence of wrongdoing that never happened,” Hursti said. “You can start creating very compelling imaginary evidence.”
There has been no evidence that voting machines have been manipulated, either during the 2020 election or in this year’s primaries. But conspiracy theories widely promoted among some conservatives have led to calls for replacing the machines with hand-marked and hand-counted ballots and raised concerns that they could be targeted by people working inside election offices or at polling places.
The suspected breaches appear to be orchestrated or encouraged by people who falsely claim the 2020 election was stolen from Trump. In several of the cases, employees of local election offices or election boards gave access to voting systems to people who were not authorized to have it. The incidents emerged into public view after the voting system passwords for Mesa County, Colorado, were posted online, prompting a local investigationand a successful effort to replace the county clerk from overseeing elections.
MyPillow CEO Mike Lindell, who has organized or attended forums around the U.S. peddling conspiracy theories about voting machines, said this week that he had received a subpoena from a federal grand jury investigating the breach in Colorado and was ordered to hand over his cellphone to FBI agents who approached him at a fast-food restaurant in Minnesota.
“And they told me not to tell anybody,” Lindell said in a video afterward. “OK, I won’t. But I am.”
Lindell and others have been traveling the country over the past year, holding events where attendees are told that voting machines have been corrupted, that officials are “selected” rather than elected and that widespread fraud cost Trump the 2020 election.
In an interview with the Star Tribune of Minneapolis, Lindell said FBI agents questioned him about the Colorado breach and Dominion Voting Systems. The company provides voting equipment used in about 30 states and has had its machines targeted in the Colorado, Georgia and Michigan breaches.
When agents asked him why he flies between different states, Linden told them, “I’m going to attorney generals and politicians, and I’m trying to get them to get rid of these voting machines in our country.”
The Justice Department did not respond when asked for details about its investigation.
Dominion has sued Lindell and others, accusing them of defamation. In a statement this week, the company said it would not comment about ongoing investigations but said its systems are secure. It noted that no credible evidence has been provided to show that its machines “did anything other than count votes accurately and reliably in all states.”
The scope of the federal grand jury probe in Colorado isn’t known, but local authorities have charged Mesa County clerk Tina Peters in what they described as a “deceptive scheme which was designed to influence public servants, breach security protocols, exceed permissible access to voting equipment and set in motion the eventual distribution of confidential information to unauthorized people.”
Peters has pleaded not guilty and said she had the authority to investigate concerns that the voting equipment had been manipulated. She has appeared at numerous events with Lindell over the past year, including Lindell’s “cybersymposium” last August in which a digital copy of Mesa County’s election management system was distributed.
David Becker, a former U.S. Justice Department attorney who now leads the Center for Election Innovation & Research, notes the irony of those who raise alarms about voting equipment being involved in allegations of breaches of the same systems.
“The people who have been attacking the integrity of elections are destroying the actual integrity of elections,” he said.
___
Associated Press writer Michael Balsamo contributed to this report.
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Follow the AP’s voting coverage at: https://apnews.com/hub/voting
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| 2022-09-21T08:25:49Z
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WASHINGTON (AP) — A gold judicial collar made of glass beads that belonged to the late Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg has sold at auction for $176,775.
The piece was part of a collection of about 75 items of Ginsburg’s that were sold to benefit charity. In total, bidders paid nearly $517,000 for items in the online auction which ended Friday. Sunday marks the two-year anniversary of the liberal icon’s death at 87.
The judicial collar was the item with the highest purchase price, and its sale marks the first time any of the late justice’s signature neckwear has been available for purchase. Her family donated some of the justices’ most well-known collars to the Smithsonian.
In addition to the collar, other items that were auctioned included: a gavel that sold for $20,400, a pair of Ginsburg’s opera glasses that sold for $10,837.50 and a shawl that sold for $12,750. A pair of her black lace gloves sold for $16,575 while a cream pair sold for $12,750.
The auction was conducted by Bonhams, which also conducted an online auction of her books in that brought in $2.3 million. In April, some 150 items — including art Ginsburg displayed in her home and office — raised more than $800,000 for Washington National Opera, one of the late justice’s passions.
Proceeds from the latest sale will fund an endowment in Ginsburg’s honor benefitting SOS Children’s Villages, a organization that supports vulnerable children around the world. Ginsburg’s daughter-in-law, Patrice Michaels, is on the organization’s advisory board.
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| 2022-09-21T08:25:57Z
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WASHINGTON (AP) — A Michigan man was sentenced on Friday to five years in federal prison for his role in the U.S. Capitol attack by a mob that disrupted Congress from certifying President Joe Biden’s 2020 electoral victory.
Chief Judge Beryl Howell also sentenced Anthony Robert Williams, 47, of Southgate, Michigan, to three years of supervised release after his prison term and ordered him to pay $2,000 in restitution and a $5,000 fine, according to a U.S. Justice Department news release.
In June, a jury convicted Williams of a felony count of obstructing the Jan. 6, 2021, joint session of Congress for certifying the Electoral College vote. Jurors also convicted him of four related misdemeanor offenses.
Prosecutors had recommended a prison sentence of five years and four months for Williams, who was arrested in Detroit in March 2021.
In a Facebook post three days after the riot, Williams called himself an “Operation Swamp Storm veteran” and referred to Jan. 6 as the “proudest day of my life.” He added that it “felt like the founding fathers were smiling down on us in that room, and I guarantee my dad and gramps, both vets, would be proud.”
“Williams’ participation in the riot was purposeful, extensive, enthusiastic, and remorseless,” prosecutors wrote in a court filing.
Outside the Capitol, Williams stole water bottles that police intended to use for decontaminating themselves from chemical spray, according to prosecutors. They said Williams entered the Capitol through the Senate Wing doors and joined other rioters in overwhelming police officers in the Crypt area.
“Williams advanced to the Rotunda where he celebrated with other rioters and smoked marijuana,” prosecutors wrote. “When the police tried to force Williams out of the Rotunda, he joined with other rioters and actively resisted and mocked the police.”
Williams’ attorneys requested a sentence of 15 months of incarceration.
“Mr. Williams has learned from his experience and from listening to the testimony at trial and during jury selection. He will not become involved in something like this ever again,” they wrote.
More than 870 people have been charged with federal crimes for the conduct on Jan. 6. More 260 of them have been sentenced, with roughly half of them receiving a term of imprisonment ranging from seven days to 10 years. Only five other Capitol riot defendants have been sentenced to a longer prison term than Williams.
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| 2022-09-21T08:26:04Z
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WASHINGTON (AP) — Russia’s setbacks and stretched resources in Ukraine show its forces are incapable of achieving President Vladimir Putin’s initial aims in invading the country as things stand now, the Pentagon’s intelligence chief said Friday.
“We’re coming to a point right now where I think Putin is going to have to revise what his objectives are for this operation,” Lt. Gen. Scott Berrier, director of the Defense Intelligence Agency, told an intelligence and national security conference outside Washington. “Because “it’s pretty clear right now that he’s … not going to be able to do what he initially intended to do.”
Putin sent troops into neighboring Ukraine in February with what U.S. officials say was the objective of unseating Ukraine’s Western-friendly government. Ukrainian forces drove Russian fighters from their positions around Ukraine’s capital earlier in the war. And Russia suffered another major setback last week, when a Ukrainian counteroffensive forced its troops back from large swaths of Ukraine’s northeast.
“The Russians planned for an occupation, not necessarily an invasion, and that has set them back,” Berrier said, citing Putin’s reluctance so far to fully mobilize Russian forces to get more manpower into the fight.
President Joe Biden and other administration officials have taken care not to call Russia’s latest retreat a Ukrainian victory or turning point in the war, and analysts caution it’s impossible to assess what may lie ahead.
“He’s coming to a decision” point,” Berrier said of Putin. “What that decision will be we don’t know. But that will largely drive how long this conflict lasts.”
Berrier spoke at a panel with other senior officials at the intelligence community’s Intelligence and National Security Summit at National Harbor in Maryland just outside Washington.
Asked about concerns that Putin could unleash weapons of mass destruction if he’s thwarted on the battlefield by U.S. and NATO-backed Ukrainian forces, CIA Deputy Director David Cohen said, “I don’t think we should underestimate Putin’s adherence to his original agenda, which was to control Ukraine. I don’t think we’ve seen any reason to believe he has moved off that.”
Nor should the U.S. underestimate Putin’s “risk appetite,” Cohen said. Putin and his officials early in the war made allusions to Russia’s nuclear arsenal and to massive retaliation in warning NATO not to get involved in the conflict.
“That being said, we have not seen concrete evidence of planning for the use of WMD,” Cohen said. The more likely form of any Russian retaliation against the United States would be more attempts at interfering with the U.S. political system, other security and intelligence officials said.
Separately, in a major regional summit in Uzbekistan on Friday, Putin vowed to press the attack on Ukraine and warned that Moscow could ramp up its strikes on the country’s infrastructure if Ukrainian forces target facilities in Russia.
The conference included the leaders of China, India, Turkey and several other countries.
Putin said the “liberation” of Ukraine’s entire eastern Donbas region was Russia’s main military goal and that he saw no need to revise it.
“We aren’t in a rush,” the Russian leader said.
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| 2022-09-21T08:26:12Z
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WASHINGTON (AP) — When a government document mysteriously appeared earlier this week in the highest profile case in the federal court system, it had the hallmarks of another explosive storyline in the Justice Department’s investigation into classified records stored at former President Donald Trump’s Florida estate.
The document purported to be from the U.S. Treasury Department, claimed that the agency had seized sensitive documents related to last month’s search at Mar-a-Lago and included a warrant ordering CNN to preserve “leaked tax records.”
The document remained late Thursday on the court docket, but it is a clear fabrication. A review of dozens of court records and interviews by The Associated Press suggest the document originated with a serial forger behind bars at a federal prison complex in North Carolina.
The incident also suggests that the court clerk was easily tricked into believing it was real, landing the document on the public docket in the Mar-a-Lago search warrant case. It also highlights the vulnerability of the U.S. court system and raises questions about the court’s vetting of documents that purport to be official records.
The document first appeared on the court’s docket late Monday afternoon and was marked as a “MOTION to Intervene by U.S. Department of the Treasury.”
The document, sprinkled with spelling and syntax errors, read, “The U.S. Department of Treasury through the U.S. Department of Justice and the U.S. Marshals Service have arrested Seized Federal Securities containing sensitive documents which are subject to the Defendant Sealed Search Warrant by the F.B.I. arrest.”
It cited a federal statute for collecting financial records in federal investigations. The document also included the two supposed warrants, one that claimed to be sent to CNN in Atlanta and another to a towing company in Michigan.
Those supposed warrants, though, are identical to paperwork filed in another case in federal court in Georgia brought by an inmate at the prison medical center in Butner, North Carolina. The case was thrown out, as were the array of other frivolous lawsuits the man has filed from his prison cell.
The man has been in custody for several years since he was found not competent to stand trial after an arrest for planting a fake explosive outside the Guardian Building, a skyscraper in Detroit. Since his incarceration, he has filed a range of lawsuits and has impersonated the Treasury Department, claimed to be a federal trustee and claimed to be a lawyer for the Justice Department, a review of court records shows.
In the Georgia case, the man alleged that Trump and others had “acquired ‘millions of un- redacted classified tax returns and other sensitive financial data, bank records and accounts of banking and tax transactions of several million’ Americans and federal government agencies,” court documents say.
The judge in that case called his suit “fanatic” and “delusional,” saying there was no way to “discern any cognizable claim” from the incoherent filings.
The man has repeatedly impersonated federal officials in court records and has placed tax liens on judges using his false paperwork, two people familiar with the matter told the AP. Because of his history as a forger, his mail is supposed to be subjected to additional scrutiny from the Bureau of Prisons.
It’s unclear how the documents — the fake motion and the phony warrants — ended up at the court clerk’s office at the courthouse in West Palm Beach, Florida.
A photocopy of an envelope, included in the filing, shows it was sent to the court with a printed return address of the Treasury Department’s headquarters in Washington. But a postmark shows a Michigan ZIP code, and a tracking number on the envelope shows it was mailed Sept. 9 from Clinton Township, Michigan, the inmate’s hometown.
The AP is not identifying the inmate by name because he has a documented history of mental illness and has not been charged with a crime related to the filing.
“There is simply nothing indicating that he has any authorization to act on behalf of the United States,” the judge in the Georgia case wrote.
But despite the clear warning signs — including a stamp noting the Georgia case number on the phony warrants — the filing still made its way onto the docket.
Spokespeople for the Justice Department and the Treasury Department would not comment. They declined to answer on the record when asked if the document was false and why the government had not addressed it.
Representatives in the court clerk’s office and the magistrate judge overseeing the search warrant case did not respond to requests for comment.
___
Associated Press writers Eric Tucker and Fatima Hussein in Washington, Kate Brumback in Atlanta and Anthony Izaguirre in Tallahassee, Florida, contributed to this report.
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| 2022-09-21T08:26:20Z
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WASHINGTON (AP) — The Biden administration is moving one step closer to developing a central bank digital currency, known as the digital dollar, saying it would help reinforce the U.S. role as a leader in the world financial system.
The White House said on Friday that after President Joe Biden issued an executive order in March calling on a variety of agencies to look at ways to regulate digital assets, the agencies came up with nine reports, covering cryptocurrency impacts on financial markets, the environment, innovation and other elements of the economic system.
Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said one Treasury recommendation is that the U.S. “advance policy and technical work on a potential central bank digital currency, or CBDC, so that the United States is prepared if CBDC is determined to be in the national interest.”
“Right now, some aspects of our current payment system are too slow or too expensive,” Yellen said on a Thursday call with reporters laying out some of the findings of the reports.
Central bank digital currencies differ from existing digital money available to the general public, such as the balance in a bank account, because they would be a direct liability of the Federal Reserve, not a commercial bank.
According to the Atlantic Council nonpartisan think tank, 105 countries representing more than 95% of global gross domestic product already are exploring or have created a central bank digital currency.
The council found that the U.S. and the U.K. are far behind in creating a digital dollar or its equivalent.
Treasury, the Justice Department, the Consumer Finance Protection Bureau, the Securities and Exchange Commission and other agencies were tasked with contributing to reports that would address various concerns about the risks, development and usage of digital assets. Several reports will come out in the next weeks and months.
Eswar Prasad, a trade professor at Cornell who studies the digitization of currencies, said Treasury’s report “takes a positive view about how a digital dollar might play a useful role in increasing payment options for individuals and businesses” while acknowledging the risks of its development.
He said the report sets the stage for the creation of agency regulations and legislation “that can improve the benefit-risk tradeoff associated with cryptocurrencies and related technologies.”
The Blockchain Association, which lobbies lawmakers on Capitol Hill, said in a statement that the White House reports are “a missed opportunity to cement U.S. crypto leadership.”
“These reports focus on risks — not opportunities,” the statement reads, “and omit substantive recommendations on how the United States can promote its burgeoning crypto industry, including job creation, improvements to the financial system, and expanded access for all Americans.”
On Capitol Hill, lawmakers have submitted various pieces of legislation to regulate cryptocurrency and other digital assets.
Sheila Warren, CEO of the Crypto Council for Innovation, said in an emailed statement that the report “seem to kick the can down the road” she said, “we don’t see clear recommendations.”
The director of the National Economic Council, Brian Deese, told reporters that “we’ve seen in recent months substantial turmoil in cryptocurrency markets and these events really highlight how, without proper oversight, cryptocurrencies risk harming everyday Americans’ financial stability and our national security.”
“It is why this administration believes that now more than ever,” he said, “prudent regulation of cryptocurrencies is needed.”
He said on Friday that the Administration plans to “execute a comprehensive action plan with priority steps to mitigate key risks of cryptocurrencies — among others, money laundering and financing for terrorism.”
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Follow the AP’s coverage of cryptocurrency at https://apnews.com/hub/cryptocurrency.
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| 2022-09-21T08:26:28Z
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Spurred by conspiracy theories about the 2020 presidential election, activists around the country are using laws that allow people to challenge a voter’s right to cast a ballot to contest the registrations of thousands of voters at a time.
In Iowa, Linn County Auditor Joel Miller had handled three voter challenges over the previous 15 years. He received 119 over just two days after Doug Frank, an Ohio educator who is touring the country spreading doubts about the 2020 election, swung through the state.
In Nassau County in northern Florida, two residents challenged the registrations of nearly 2,000 voters just six days before last month’s primary. In Georgia, activists are dropping off boxloads of challenges in the diverse and Democratic-leaning counties comprising the Atlanta metro area, including more than 35,000 in one county late last month.
Election officials say the vast majority of the challenges will be irrelevant because they contest the presence on voting rolls of people who already are in the process of being removed after they moved out of the region. Still, they create potentially hundreds of hours of extra work as the offices scramble to prepare for November’s election.
“They at best overburden election officials in the run-up to an election, and at worse they lead to people being removed from the rolls when they shouldn’t be,” said Sean Morales-Doyle of The Brennan Center for Justice, which has tracked an upswing in voter challenges.
The voter challenges come as activists who believe in the election lies of former President Donald Trump also have flooded election offices across the country with public records requests and threats of litigation, piling even more work on them as they ready for November.
“It’s time-consuming for us, because we have to consult with our county attorneys about what the proper response is going to be,” said Rachel Rodriguez, an elections supervisor in Dane County, Wisconsin, which includes Madison, the state capital.
She received duplicate emails demanding records about two weeks ago: “It’s taking up valuable time that we don’t necessarily have as election officials when we’re trying to prepare for a November election.”
Michael Henrici, the Democratic commissioner of elections in New York’s Otsego County, received a single-line email last week warning of unspecified “election integrity” litigation, then a follow-up complaining he hadn’t responded.
“These aren’t people with specific grievances,” Henrici said. “They’re getting a form letter from someone’s podcast and sometimes filling in the blanks.”
Multiple investigations and reviews, including one by Trump’s own Department of Justice, found no significant fraud i n the 2020 presidential election, and courts rejected dozens of lawsuits brought by Trump and his allies. But Trump has continued to insist that widespread fraud cost him re-election. That has inspired legions of activists to become do-it-yourself election sleuths around the country, challenging local voting officials at every turn.
In Linn County, Iowa, which includes the city of Cedar Rapids, Miller said he and the auditors who run elections in the state’s other 98 counties have been deluged with both records requests and voter challenges.
“The whole barrage came in a two-week period,” Miller said, following the tour by Frank, who uses mathematical projections to make claims of a vast conspiracy to steal the election from Trump, “and it’s happening to auditors across the state.”
Election offices routinely go through their voter rolls and remove those who have moved or died. Federal law constrains how quickly they can drop voters, and conservative activists have long complained that election officials do not move swiftly enough to clean up their rolls.
The recent challenges stem from activists comparing postal change-of-address and other databases to voter rolls. Election officials say this is redundant, because they already take the same steps.
Sometimes the challenges come after election conspiracists go door-to-door, often in heavily minority neighborhoods, seeking evidence that votes were cast improperly in 2020.
Texas’ heavily Democratic Harris County, which includes Houston, received nearly 5,000 challenges from a conservative group that went door-to-door checking voter addresses. The election office said it dismissed the challenges it legally had to review before the election and will finish the remainder after Nov. 8.
Activists in Gwinnett County, which stretches across the increasingly Democratic northern Atlanta suburbs, spent 10 months comparing change-of-address and other databases with the county’s voter rolls. They submitted eight boxes of challenges last month. About 15,000, they said, were complaints that specific voters improperly received mail ballots in 2020. Another 22,000 were for voters they contend are no longer at their registered address.
There are so many challenges that election officials have yet to even count them all. But Zach Manifold, Gwinnett’s election supervisor, said that, in every single mail ballot complaint the office has sampled, the voter properly received a mailed ballot.
But if any of the address-challenged voters do try to cast a ballot in November, the county’s elections board will need to decide whether that vote should count. They’ll only have six days to make a decision, as they have to certify their vote total by the Monday after Election Day under Georgia law.
Manifold estimated his office has a month to log and research the challenges, before mail ballots go out for the November elections: “It is a tight window to get everything done,” he said.
Many of the large counties facing voter roll challenges are places where President Joe Biden beat Trump in 2020, including Gwinnett and Harris. Yet those behind the effort dispute the notion that they are targeting Democratic-leaning counties and say they’re working on behalf of all voters. In Florida’s Nassau County, for example, Trump won with more than 72% of the vote.
“They should be glad that the voter rolls are being cleaned up so they can make sure their votes count,” said Garland Favorito, a conservative activist who has teamed up with supporters of Trump’s election lies and is helping with voter challenges in Georgia.
Favorito said more challenges are coming in other Georgia counties.
Under legislation passed last year by the Republican-controlled Legislature, there are no limits on the number of voter challenges that can be filed in Georgia. Most states implicitly set restraints on challenges, said Morales-Doyle of the Brennan Center. They require a complainant to have specific, personal information about the voters they target and establish penalties for making frivolous challenges.
Florida is an example. Its voter challenge law only permits the filing of challenges 30 days before an election, requiring election officials to contact each voter challenged before Election Day. It is a misdemeanor to file a “frivolous” challenge. But voter challenges almost derailed Florida’s primary last month in heavily-Republican Nassau County, in the northeastern part of the state.
Two women who belonged to a conservative group, County Citizens Defending Freedom, dropped off the nearly 2,000 challenges at the county elections office six days before the Aug. 23 primary.
Luckily for the office, the challenges were filed in an incorrect format. Elections Supervisor Janet Adkins told the activists they would review them, anyway — after the primary.
“To take away a person’s right to vote is a very serious thing,” Adkins said.
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Holly Ramer in Concord, New Hampshire, contributed to this report.
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| 2022-09-21T08:26:35Z
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WASHINGTON (NEXSTAR) — Some lawmakers say it is time to remove some federal barriers and allow advanced practice registered nurses to better provide care to the patients they serve.
“It’s gonna make a huge difference for patients,” Rep. Lucille Roybal-Allard (D-Calif.) said.
Roybal-Allard wants Congress to recognize the role advanced practice registered nurses have in the U.S healthcare system.
“They include nurse practitioners, nurses, anesthetists, nurse midwives and clinical nurse specialists,” Roybal-Allard said.
Her legislation aims to improve healthcare access for Medicare and Medicaid beneficiaries by expanding the authority the highly trained nurses have to treat these patients. The bill’s Republican co-sponsor, Rep. Dave Joyce (R-Ohio) says the country can’t, “afford to undervalue the essential contributions our nurses make.”
The bill looks to remove federal requirements for physician oversight of APRNs when they do things like writing a prescription or supervising medical rehab.
“These law and negotiations reduce access to care and create disruptions in care,” Roybal-Allard said.
The American Association of Nurse Practitioners says the current regulations prevent these nurses from administering proper care.
“The I CAN Act would remove these barriers, fully realizing the potential of our np workforce at a time, when it is needed the most,” AANP President April Kapu said.
Roybal-Allard says she is confident they will get more lawmakers to recognize that fewer regulations will benefit patients.
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| 2022-09-21T08:26:43Z
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KEY WEST, Fla. (AP) — The Southernmost Point marker in Key West, Florida, a landmark delineating the continental United States’ southernmost spot of land, became a memorial to Queen Elizabeth II on Friday when city workers installed a British flag and royal purple banner at the much-photographed site beside the Atlantic Ocean.
The tribute was particularly fitting because the long-reigning monarch, who died Sept. 8 at age 96, visited the Florida Keys in 1991.
“We do have a connection with the queen; we had the privilege of actually having her visit us,” Key West Mayor Teri Johnston said.
“We join the world today in mourning the loss of such an incredible human being,” Johnston said.
Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip stopped at Dry Tortugas National Park and Fort Jefferson, 70 miles (113 kilometers) west of Key West in the Gulf of Mexico, on the royal yacht. They were welcomed by then-Florida Keys Mayor Wilhelmina Harvey, who presented them with a conch shell, an enduring symbol of the island chain.
The red, yellow, black and white Southernmost Point marker, a 20-ton concrete monument that resembles a giant marine navigational buoy, was installed in 1983 and has become a popular photo stop for travelers.
Plans call for the memorial to Queen Elizabeth to stay in place through her funeral on Monday,.
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| 2022-09-21T08:26:55Z
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BERLIN (AP) — German customs officials say a trail of slime led them to a stash of almost 100 giant African land snails and other items hidden inside bags at Duesseldorf Airport this month.
In a statement Friday, authorities said officials stumbled over one of the snails on a baggage truck and initially thought it was a toy until it started moving. By following the trail left by the 20-centimeter (8-inch) snail, they found a bag with a hole, with another snail already peeping out of it — possibly preparing a dash for freedom.
In total, officials found six bags containing 93 giant snails, 28 kilograms (62 pounds) of fish and smoked meat, and a suitcase full of rotting meat. All had been imported from Nigeria and were destined for an African goods store in western Germany.
The snails were handed to an animal rescue service in Duesseldorf and the meat was destroyed, customs officials said.
“Never in the history of the Duesseldorf customs office has a trail of slime led us to smuggled goods,” said its spokesman Michael Walk.
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| 2022-09-21T08:27:01Z
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Which paddle board for kids is best?
Paddle boarding is a hybrid of surfing and kayaking. You stand on a paddle board as you would on a surfboard and paddle as you would a kayak. Also called stand-up paddle boarding, it’s a great way to have fun on the water while getting a full-body workout.
The biggest difference between paddle boarding, surfing and kayaking is that surfers and kayakers can handle waves and rough water, but paddle boarding is typically an activity that needs smooth water to have the most fun. If you are looking for a lightweight inflatable paddle board, take a look at the Atoll 11-Foot Inflatable Stand-Up Paddle Board.
What to know before you buy a paddle board for kids
Paddle boards are also called stand-up paddle boards and are referred to by insiders as SUPs. They’re a great way to get out and have fun on the water. Before you choose one, here are some things to take into account.
Inflatable or rigid?
- Inflatable paddle boards blow up like beach rafts — the more air you put in, the stiffer they get. Hand or foot pumps are usually included, as are repair kits. Inflatable paddle boards are the easiest to transport and store.
- Rigid paddle boards are made of fiberglass, epoxies and resins that are more durable and offer better performance than inflatables because their shapes are sleeker. A few are made of aluminum.
Dimensions
- Length: All paddle boards are measured by how long they are. Lengths range from as short as 6 feet to as long as 15 feet.
- Width: Generally speaking, a paddle board’s width is proportionate to its length. Wider paddle boards are more stable while longer ones are easier to paddle.
What to look for in a quality paddle board for kids
Paddle boards come in four basic shapes, each designed for a different activity. Most kids want full-sized paddle boards and the industry labels most paddle boards as for kids and adults.
All-around paddle boards
This is the most popular type of paddle board and is great for beginners. All-around boards are 10 or 11 feet long, have rounded noses and come in inflatable and rigid versions.
Touring paddle boards
This design is a compromise between speed and stability. Touring boards are typically 12 to 13 feet long. Their long decks have plenty of room for bringing along camping gear. Touring boards may be rigid or inflatable.
Surfing
These are the shortest of the four types, usually 8-10 feet long. They have pointed noses and hulls made to skim on the surface of the water. Serious surfers use only rigid paddle boards.
Racing
These are the longest and skinniest of the paddle boards, 11 to 14 feet long, with pointed noses and narrow tails. Because they are so narrow, they are the easiest to tip over. Most serious racers use rigid paddle boards.
Paddles
- Length is the key to being able to maintain proper, efficient paddling form. Look for paddles that are long enough that you don’t have to stoop over to paddle.
- Blade size and shape determine how much energy it takes to paddle through the water. Choose paddles for kids that are easy to use.
- Materials determine the weight and stiffness of a paddle. Lightweight paddles are the best for kids.
How much you can expect to spend on a paddle board for kids
Most standup paddle boards cost from $100-$300. Racing boats cost in the thousands.
Paddle board for kids FAQ
Are all paddle boards inflatable?
A. No, but because they are cushiony, cost less to make and ship and are easy to transport, inflatables have taken over the paddle board industry.
Who invented paddle boarding?
A. Legend tells that back in the 1940s, Hawaiian surf instructors stood up on their boards to better instruct student surfers. The addition of a paddle let them speed up or slow down and also was useful as a balancing device.
What is the farthest anyone has gone on a paddle board?
A. According to the Guinness Book of Records, Shilpika Gautam traveled 1,641 miles along the Ganges River in India to raise awareness of the need for clean water.
What’s the best paddle board for kids to buy?
Top paddle board for kids
Atoll 11-Foot Inflatable Stand-Up Paddle Board
What you need to know: This ultralight board is 32 inches wide, weighs only 19 pounds and has a tri-fin design for maneuverability.
What you’ll love: You get a heavy-duty travel backpack with mesh sides that allow water to drain away. Inside is a reinforced three-piece travel paddle, leash, and repair kit and the whole thing breaks down and sets up quickly.
What you should consider: Some say its light weight makes it hard to handle in windy conditions.
Where to buy: Sold by Amazon
Top paddle board for kids for the money
Cooyes 10-Foot Inflatable Stand Up Paddle Board with Premium SUP Accessories
What you need to know: This 10-foot, 6-inch board is 30 inches wide and holds up to 300 pounds.
What you’ll love: The removable center fin slides in and out and the bungee cords on the nose of the board hold your gear. The anti-slip pad is comfortable on your feet and knees and the whole rig fits neatly into the backpack.
What you should consider: Some say the bag is poor quality.
Where to buy: Sold by Amazon
Worth checking out
Bluefin Cruise Package Stand-Up Inflatable Paddle Board with Kayak Conversion
What you need to know: This 32-pound board converts from a stand-up paddle board into a kayak in seconds.
What you’ll love: You can clip on the comfortable padded seat and swap the stand-up paddle for a kayak blade you can use while seated. The rail layers and paddles are made of carbon fiber, and this ultra-rigid board has a separate central air chamber. The bungee cords on deck hold your gear securely.
What you should consider: The added weight does not appeal to small kids.
Where to buy: Sold by Amazon
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David Allan Van writes for BestReviews. BestReviews has helped millions of consumers simplify their purchasing decisions, saving them time and money.
Copyright 2022 BestReviews, a Nexstar company. All rights reserved.
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What’s the best antivirus software?
It’s a gross misconception that only Windows-based computers can get a virus or be infected with malware. However, most infections are on computers using Microsoft’s Windows operating system.
It’s a simple economy of scale and how Apple built the macOS system. There are far more Windows computers than MacBooks or iMacs, and the operating system is easier to break into. That’s because Apple strictly enforces which apps you can install.
But no matter your operating system, you must get excellent antivirus to protect your personal information and files. One of the best is Norton 360 Deluxe, which offers real-time protection and works on multiple devices.
What to know before you buy antivirus software
It’s not a silver bullet
Criminals can hack almost any device that connects to the internet and continually update their hacking tools to make detection harder. Antivirus makers protect you from all known threats, but some will slip through the cracks as new ones are developed.
It’s essentially a cat-and-mouse game between cyberattacks and preventing them from happening. Even if you have the latest version, updated with a list of the most recent threats, there is no guarantee that you’ll always be protected. However, installing an antivirus dramatically reduces the chances of malware making it onto your computer.
It can be complex
Antivirus software can be relatively complex depending on your technical knowledge and understanding of cyber threats. You’ll have to get to grips with industry jargon and different processes and methods for scanning your computer.
For example, one antivirus blocks all internet traffic when installed, so you can’t browse or check your emails. It’s only after turning on a specific setting that you can access the internet again. And not a lot of users know where to find that configuration.
Free antivirus is never really free
There are several free antivirus applications, but that isn’t a risk you should consider. For the most part, they deliver on their promises, but it often comes with a caveat. For example, the free version might only protect you from certain threats, and you must pay for additional protection.
And since the software is free, others serve you with advertising, either through the computer program or directly on your desktop with pop-ups. Many users see this as an invasion of privacy or unsolicited marketing.
What to look for in quality antivirus software
Devices you want to protect
Whether you have a Windows or Apple computer, you should consider the devices you want to protect. The initial purchase of most antivirus programs includes a license for one device. However, a good-quality antivirus protects multiple devices using the same license key. This often includes one program for your PC and access to one mobile app for your phone.
Built-in virtual private network
When you want to browse the internet with full anonymity, you must use a VPN. The technology obscures your geographical location, letting you access websites which might be unavailable in your region.
It also adds another layer of security. A VPN makes it much harder for cybercriminals and hackers to locate your computer’s address, preventing them from breaching your system and stealing your files. So look for a good-quality antivirus that provides a VPN.
Personal information monitoring
You might have your life stored on a computer, but much of your information is also online. Every website or service you sign up for has your name, email address and telephone number. If it’s a paid service, you’ve likely provided your credit card information, too.
If hackers breach the service’s data center, your information could be sold on the notorious dark web. However, while a good-quality antivirus can’t prevent that, it can monitor the dark web and alert you to any personal information it finds.
How much you can expect to spend on antivirus software
The price depends on the developer, the level of protection and how many devices it covers. For basic protection, one device costs $15-$20 a year, but multiple devices with full-featured antivirus costs $30-$40 a year.
Antivirus software FAQ
Is there an upfront cost?
A. Antivirus works on the software-as-a-service model, where you must pay a monthly or annual subscription fee. There are rare cases where you can buy the software for a one-time fee, but it’s a monthly charge for the most part. Some developers do offer a discount if you pay for an annual subscription rather than monthly.
How do you update the software?
A. That depends on the software, as it can be set up to update automatically or to notify you every time an update or new software version is available.
What’s the best antivirus software to buy?
Top antivirus software
Norton 360 Deluxe 2022 Antivirus for 5 Devices
What you need to know: This bundle protects up to five Windows computers, mobile phones and Apple products.
What you’ll love: The antivirus scans your computer in real time to block any incoming threats. It has a built-in VPN to keep you safe and monitors the dark web for personal information. It comes with 50 gigabytes of cloud storage to secure backups.
What you should consider: It comes with LifeLock Select, which only monitors one credit bureau instead of all three.
Where to buy: Sold by Amazon and Staples
Top antivirus software for the money
Trend Micro Maximum Security 2022
What you need to know: A three-year subscription to protect three devices is all that you need.
What you’ll love: In addition to the typical virus and malware protection, it also ensures that you are on legitimate websites when making purchases. It has a kid-friendly setting, so kids can only browse the internet on approved sites.
What you should consider: Some users said setup can be tricky.
Where to buy: Sold by Amazon
Worth checking out
Bitdefender Total Security 2022
What you need to know: This bundle lets you install malware and virus protection on up to five devices for two years.
What you’ll love: This antivirus software has a built-in secure browser for online banking and comes with a built-in VPN. It offers real-time protection against malware, ransomware, social media threats and identity fraud.
What you should consider: It only lets you use 200 megabytes of data for the VPN.
Where to buy: Sold by Amazon and Staples
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Charlie Fripp writes for BestReviews. BestReviews has helped millions of consumers simplify their purchasing decisions, saving them time and money.
Copyright 2022 BestReviews, a Nexstar company. All rights reserved.
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| 2022-09-21T08:27:14Z
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The best frames to proudly display your football jersey
A jersey frame is an excellent way to display your love for football proudly. Whether you want to show off an autographed jersey of your favorite player or preserve your old high school or college uniform, a jersey frame is what you need.
You can certainly keep your treasured jerseys safely tucked away in a drawer, but it’s better to show them off and keep them well-protected in a frame. The best frames are made with high-quality materials, keep your jersey safe and are easy to mount on a wall.
What to consider before buying a jersey frame
Size
Before you buy any jersey frame, it’s best to ensure it’s big enough to hold the jersey you want to put in it. Football jerseys tend to be larger than other sports, so you should look for one with a sufficient vertical length. As a rule of thumb, a frame case should be at least 30 inches long and 23 inches wide.
Flat vs. shadowbox frame
A flat jersey frame looks identical to a picture portrait and can typically hold one jersey. However, a shadowbox frame is more suitable if you want to display other memorabilia along with your sports uniform. A shadowbox frame is essentially a thicker flat frame, so it has more depth and room.
Display methods
Jersey frames come with mounting materials to you can hang them on a wall. Some only let you hang them vertically, but others can be positioned horizontally. The best frames come with a pin board and two hangers, one metal and the other wood, so you can display your jerseys in three ways.
What to look for in a quality jersey frame
Build quality
There are jersey frames made with cheap plastic materials, but for your most treasured uniforms or as a thoughtful gift, it’s best to get one made with premium wood. Wood gives it a sturdy build and a sophisticated look, which is only made better with a fine finish in the color of your choosing. Popular finishes include matte black and mahogany.
Security
Getting a frame with a lock is a good idea if you have a rare jersey or just want to keep any jersey safe. Some cases have anti-theft hinges, while others come with a key for opening and closing the door. A jersey frame with gold-plated anti-theft locks is the way to go for a premium look.
Ultraviolet protection
You don’t need to worry about UV protection if you want to hang your jersey frame in a basement or somewhere where the sun doesn’t shine. But if you keep your frame near a window, you will want the glass panel to offer UV protection to protect your jersey from fading.
Best jersey frames
High-end jersey frame cases
EBEYT MDF Solid Wood Jersey Case
Keep your jerseys protected from fading, and display them proudly in your home with this high-quality frame. The interior is lined with protective fabrics, and it has rustproof hinges and two serrated hooks for mounting it on the wall. Sold by Wayfair
Pinnacle Shadowbox Black Picture Frame
This frame measures approximately 40 by 30 inches, making it large enough to display a sports jersey and even a more oversized garment, such as a wedding dress and cheerleading uniform. It has a black finish, glass-resistant plexiglass and works vertically and horizontally. Sold by Kohl’s
This jersey frame looks fantastic and keeps your treasured uniform or jersey well protected against dust and dirt. It has an acrylic panel and eco-friendly lacquer finish for a sophisticated look and comes with a key for locking the door. Sold by Wayfair
This frame is made with anti-fade black finished wood and has a 92% transparency acrylic glass panel. It has a 98% UV-protection feature to protect your jersey from fading, two security locks and can be positioned in three ways. Sold by Wayfair
Jersey frames under $80
IHEIPYE Jersey Display Frame Case
This shatterproof frame is made with premium wood and has an anti-fade black matte finish. It has a velvet-like felt lining with two gold-plated anti-theft locks and can be displayed in three ways using the included hangers and pin board. Sold by Amazon
This glossy black shadow jersey case has an ultraviolet acrylic front door and has pre-installed gator tooth hangers, so it’s ready to hang right out of the box. It’s made with solid hardwood basswood and a solid wood backer for durability. Sold by Etsy
JackCubeDesign Jersey Display Case
This handcrafted faux leather jersey frame has a traditional design for an elegant look and requires no assembly. It has a transparent acrylic door for easy access, two locks for added security and the interior has protective felt lining. Sold by Amazon
Snail Store Jersey Display Frame Case
This frame case is made with premium solid wood and has an elegant anti-fade mahogany finish. The panels are made of high-grade acrylic material and won’t yellow over time, and the interior is enveloped in 360-degree foam for optimal protection. Sold by Amazon
Jaxpety MDF+Solid Wood Jersey Case
This jersey case is excellent for displaying jerseys of almost any size. It has a high-quality wood and glass construction, a suspension on the rear for hanging and a lock on the frame to keep your jerseys from falling out. Sold by Wayfair
TidyMe Jersey Frame Display Case
Made with 100% solid wood, this jersey case is excellent for anyone looking to display their nostalgic uniforms and keep them in pristine condition. It’s made with solid wood, has a black matte finish and can be mounted in three different ways in minutes. Sold by Amazon
DisplayGifts Jersey Display Frame Case
This solid wood frame will keep your jersey safe and display it in an elegant case featuring a matte black finish. It includes a hanger and a pin board to mount it in two ways, and the 3.5-millimeter acrylic glass protects it from dust and dirt. Sold by Amazon
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Kevin Luna writes for BestReviews. BestReviews has helped millions of consumers simplify their purchasing decisions, saving them time and money.
Copyright 2022 BestReviews, a Nexstar company. All rights reserved.
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Celebrating the legacies of Serena Williams and Roger Federer
We may be losing two of the greatest tennis players of all time this year, Serena Williams and Roger Federer, but their impact on the sport will not be forgotten. Williams and Federer are the kinds of competitors who not only make their way into the record books, they become part of history. Celebrate their decades of achievements with these bestselling tennis-themed items.
What makes Serena Williams and Roger Federer so special?
Williams and Federer are two bona fide GOATs in the world of tennis. Just taking a brief glance at their careers and lives, it’s easy to see what makes these fierce competitors the best.
Ranking
It’s not subjective, these two players are the best. Williams was ranked No. 1 in the world by the Women’s Tennis Association for 319 weeks, while Federer was ranked No. 1 in the world by the Association of Tennis Professionals for 310 weeks.
Longevity
Neither athlete’s success was a fluke. Both had impressively long careers. Williams’ professional career lasted for 27 years, while Federer’s was nearly a quarter century.
Public behavior
Both on and off the tennis court, Williams and Federer were known for being exceptional role models. While each was highly competitive, both were described as humble, kind and polite. One of the most admirable traits that each of these world champions has is the ability to gracefully accept both victory and defeat.
Bestselling tennis must-haves
From water bottles to Funko Pop toys, here are some of the must-have Williams and Federer memorabilia.
Emma Sports Designs Serena Williams Poster/Canvas Wrap
This powerful piece of art featuring Serena Williams is available as a poster or canvas wrap in a variety of sizes. Over 6,000 of these beautiful handmade pieces have already sold.
Sold by Etsy
Funko Pop Legends: Roger Federer
This 3.5-inch vinyl figure from the popular toy company features an intense Federer just daring you to serve the ball.
Sold by Amazon
Gatorade Gx Serena Williams 2022 Limited-Edition Bottle
The Gatorade limited-edition Serena Williams bottle features a design that celebrates the unmatched strength and resilience of the legendary player.
Sold by Dick’s Sporting Goods
Wilson Roger Federer Junior Tennis Racket
If you know a junior tennis player, this Roger Federer youth recreational tennis racket by Wilson makes an excellent gift. It has a lightweight frame, bumper guards and a comfortable grip.
Sold by Amazon and Dick’s Sporting Goods
Little Lady A Homemade Serena Williams Hat
If you want to show the world how big a fan you are, this Serena Williams embroidered cap is a great way to proclaim your admiration for the queen of tennis.
Sold by Etsy
Zuzuu Tees The Goat Roger Federer T-Shirt
To show your appreciation for Roger Federer, consider this popular T-shirt. It’s available in a wide range of colors and sizes.
Sold by Etsy
Serena Williams’ first children’s book, “The Adventures of Qai Qai,” is currently available for preorder. Be one of the very first to own this magical tale about the power of believing.
Sold by Amazon
“Federer: Portrait of a Tennis Legend”
If you’d like to learn more about Roger Federer, this book contains quotes from the people who know this revered sportsman best: his coaches, his opponents and the media.
Sold by Amazon
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Allen Foster writes for BestReviews. BestReviews has helped millions of consumers simplify their purchasing decisions, saving them time and money.
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| 2022-09-21T08:27:37Z
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ST. LOUIS (AP) — Albert Pujols hit his 698th home run, a two-run drive that pulled the St Louis Cardinals into a sixth-inning tie with the Cincinnati Reds on Friday night.
Pujols hit a first-pitch slider Raynel Espinal 427 feet into the left-field stands for his 19th home run of the season, tying the score 4-4. Pujols trails only Barry Bonds (762), Hank Aaron (755) and Babe Ruth (714) on the career list.
With 2,203 RBIs, Pujols moved within 11 of Ruth for second, behind Aaron’s 2,297.
Pujols has hit 15 home runs in 47 games since July 10 in his 22nd major league season. He intends to retire at the end of the season.
St. Louis has 17 games remaining.
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More AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/MLB and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports
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| 2022-09-21T08:27:44Z
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ST. LOUIS (AP) — Albert Pujols hit his 698th home run, a tying two-run drive in the sixth inning that sparked the St. Louis Cardinals over the Cincinnati Reds 6-5 on Friday night.
Pujols hit a first-pitch slider from Raynel Espinal 427 feet into the left-field stands for his 19th home run this season, tying the score 4-4. Pujols trails only Barry Bonds (762), Hank Aaron (755) and Babe Ruth (714) on the career list.
“It’s just being out there and contributing to this ballclub and this organization,” Pujols said. “I think just getting every opportunity that I’ve been getting, especially lately, and just trying to help this ballclub to win.”
With 2,203 RBIs, the 42-year-old Pujols moved within 11 of Ruth for second, behind Aaron’s 2,297.
Ryan Helsley struck out Kyle Farmer, Jake Fraley and Donovan Solano on nine pitches for his 18th save in 22 chances, the third immaculate inning in Cardinals history after Bob Gibson in 1969 and Jason Isringhausen in 2002.
“That’s pretty cool history to be a part of,” Cardinals catcher Andrew Knizner said. “I could tell from his first pitch, Helsley, I was like, ‘OK, he’s ready to go.'”
Pujols is hitting .324 (45 for 139) with 15 homers and 35 RBIs in 47 games since July 10. Five of his last six home runs have come in the sixth inning or later, and his last five homers have tied the game or put St. Louis ahead.
“He continues to do it in meaningful situations,” “That was a big swing,” Cardinals manager Oliver Marmol said. “It’d be one thing if he was just chasing it, but the thing is he’s taking an unbelievable approach and delivering when we need it most.”
Pujols hit a drive to T.J. Friedl at the left-field wall in the seventh. He is in his 22nd major league season and intends to retire at the end of the season.
“This feels like a playoff atmosphere with the fans and the last year of myself and Yadi,” Pujols said, referring to catcher Yadier Molina. “I think everybody’s really excited about it, and I think for us we just try to go out there, play the game, and just enjoy it.”
St. Louis (85-60), which maintained a 7 1/2-game lead over second-place Milwaukee in the NL Central, has 17 games remaining.
After Farmer homered off JoJo Romero to give Cincinnati a 5-4 lead in the seventh, Brandon Donovan walked against Ian Gibaut (1-2) leading off the bottom half, and Paul Goldschmidt and Nolan Arenado followed with consecutive RBI doubles.
“These games are fun to play in,” Reds manager David Bell said. “Our team literally gave everything they had to win that game. Obviously, when you do that it’s disappointing, but there’s no question that that’s how you play this game and that pays off.”
Chris Stratton (9-4) got the final out of the seventh. Cardinals starter Jack Flaherty allowed four runs, six hits, two walks and two hit batters in five innings.
Goldschmidt doubled twice and got his 111th RBI.
Reds starter Fernando Cruz, wearing No. 21 to honor Roberto Clemente, retired his first five batters as an opener before hitting Pujols with a pitch and coming out of the game.
ARMS OF CHAMPIONS
Pitcher Jason Motte of the 2011 champion Cardinals and goaltender Jordan Binnington of the 2019 Stanley Cup champion St. Louis Blues threw out ceremonial first pitches.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Reds: RHP Hunter Greene (right shoulder strain) will be activated off the injured list to start the night game of Saturday’s doubleheader, his first start since Aug. 1 at Miami.
Cardinals: OF Dylan Carlson (sprained left thumb) started in center field for Triple-A Memphis Friday night at Iowa and hit a pair of doubles in three at bats. He is expected to start for Memphis Saturday and Sunday and could rejoin the big league club Tuesday.
UP NEXT
RHP Dakota Hudson (7-7, 4.43 ERA) will be recalled from Triple-A Memphis to start Saturday’s day game against LHP Mike Minor (4-11, 5.78 ERA) who has not won a start against St. Louis since Aug. 25, 2013 while pitching for Atlanta. LHP José Quintana (5-6, 3.34 ERA), who starts the night game, is 2-1 with a 2.93 ERA in nine starts sincehe was acquired from Pittsburgh on Aug. 1.
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More AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports
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| 2022-09-21T08:27:51Z
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HOUSTON (AP) — Ace Justin Verlander had just wrapped up another strong start and was in the dugout in the fifth inning when Yordan Alvarez launched his third monster home run of the night for the Houston Astros.
The cameras panned to Verlander, eyes wide as he admired his teammate’s handiwork.
“It’s pretty cool when a major league player can make other major league players be in awe,” Verlander said. “It’s not something that happens all too often. And that was kind of one of those moments where everybody is just like: ‘My goodness.’ It’s just incredible what he’s able to do.”
Alvarez homered in his first three at-bats, Verlander threw five hitless innings in his return from the injured list and the Astros clinched a postseason berth with a 5-0 win over the Oakland Athletics on Friday night.
The Astros (95-50) won their sixth straight game to join the Los Angeles Dodgers as the first two teams to secure playoff spots, reaching their sixth straight postseason.
There was no big celebration for this team with much bigger goals, but the Astros did share a quiet toast in the clubhouse postgame.
“You’ve got to keep in perspective … how hard it is to get to the playoffs and to stay on top like this for a while,” Verlander said. “It’s not easy. So I’m glad we were able to take a moment.”
Alvarez, tied for second in the AL with a career-high 36 home runs, had solo shots off Adrián Martínez in the first, third and fifth innings. He capped his big night with a single in the seventh to tie his career high with four hits.
“Hitting one home run feels great, imagine hitting three,” Alvarez said in Spanish through a translator. “Just a very special night.”
It is his second three-homer game and first since Aug. 10, 2019, a season when he won AL Rookie of the Year. There have been only 15 three-homer games in Houston history and Alvarez joined Glenn Davis and Jeff Bagwell as the only Astros to have more than one.
Alvarez’s homers totaled 1,329 feet— 434, 431 and 464. He joined Nelson Cruz on July 25, 2019, as the only players with three 400-plus foot homers in a game since Statcast started tracking in 2015.
“Yordan was unbelievable,” manager Dusty Baker said. “Those balls he hit, I don’t know what the combined feet were, but boy that’s a lot of mileage.”
Verlander (17-3) didn’t miss a beat in his return after injuring a calf on Aug. 28. He walked one and struck out nine to extend his season-long winning streak to nine games and lower his MLB-leading ERA to 1.78.
His performance moved him past Max Scherzer (3,173) for 13th on the career strikeout list with 3,176 in 17 seasons.
Manager Dusty Baker said Verlander would be on a pitch-count but wouldn’t reveal what his limit was. He was lifted without giving up a hit after throwing 79 pitches.
Verlander plunked Ramon Laureano with one out in the second. He didn’t allow another baserunner until walking Seth Brown with two outs in the fourth. He then sat down the next four batters he faced to end his night.
Phil Maton took over for the sixth and Nick Allen singled on his first pitch to break up the no-hit bid.
There were two outs in the first when Alvarez connected on a shot to straightaway center field to make it 1-0.
Alvarez’s second homer came with two outs in the third to extend the lead to 2-0.
Jeremy Peña hit his 18th homer to left field with one out in the fifth. The Astros went back-to-back when Alvarez sent the next pitch from Martinez into center field to extend the lead to 4-0 and send Houston’s dugout and the crowd into a frenzy.
Martínez (4-5) pitched five innings, walking three and the only hits he allowed were the four homers, which were a career-high.
“You take Alvarez out of the lineup and the line’s a lot different,” Oakland manager Mark Kotsay said. “Yordan is a guy that I referred to before the season started as a possible MVP candidate. And and he showed why tonight.”
The Athletics, who have baseball’s worst record at 52-93, managed just three singles and tied a season high by striking out 16 times.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Athletics: LHP Sam Moll was placed on the 15-day IL with a strained left shoulder and LHP Jared Koenig was recalled from Triple-A Las Vegas.
Astros: RHP Seth Martinez was optioned to Triple-A Sugar Land to make room for Verlander. … RHP Josh James was recalled from his rehabilitation assignment because of forearm discomfort.
UP NEXT
RHP José Urquidy (13-6, 3.75 ERA) opposes LHP Cole Irvin (8-11, 3.73) on Saturday night.
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More AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports
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| 2022-09-21T08:27:59Z
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Ross Chastain, the driver with a growing list of enemies, heads into the first elimination race of NASCAR’s playoffs in a pretty comfortable position above the cutline.
It’s Kyle Busch, and Austin Dillon, Chase Briscoe and Kevin Harvick, who are trying to stave off elimination Saturday night at Bristol Motor Speedway.
And yet Chastain can’t relax, even as he sits ninth in the 16-driver field. The bottom four in the standings will be eliminated when the checkered flag falls at the Tennessee short track, and Chastain can’t guarantee he won’t be knocked below that cutline. He’s angered enough fellow drivers this year that any payback headed his way could be delivered at a most inopportune time.
“I can’t speak for what other people are thinking,” Chastain said before Friday’s practice and qualifying at Bristol. “I just know that I hit the wall nice and hard at Pocono.”
Pocono is where Denny Hamlin refused to give Chastain even an inch of room on the track on a late restart because of previous incidents between the two. Hamlin had already declared “I’ve reached my peak” with Chastain before his aggressive retaliation forced Chastain into the wall.
Since then, Busch has made “Chastained” a verb in reference to when a driver gets hit by the eighth-generation Florida watermelon farmer, who has had a breakout first season with Trackhouse Racing. An anti-Chastain sentiment has developed and it wasn’t helped last week when hard racing between Chastain, Harvick and Bubba Wallace caused Harvick to crash and lodge the first three-race DNF streak of Harvick’s career.
Chastain acknowledged he “didn’t lift in time, didn’t leave him enough room, forced him into the wall” and that Harvick’s crash “was still my fault.”
Chastain even apologized to the 2014 NASCAR champion, who heads into Saturday night last in the 16-driver field because of Harvick’s terrible opening two playoff races. Harvick is essentially in a must-win situation Saturday night for any shot at advancing into the second round.
Because non-playoff drivers Erik Jones and Wallace won the first two playoff races, only Christopher Bell of Joe Gibbs Racing has locked himself into the second round via points. And Bristol, a .533-mile bullring, has a long history of bumping and banging and heated tempers after the checkered flag.
“You look at Bristol the last few years, it has been wild finishes and there is a lot on the line and there’s a lot of points,” said Joey Logano, who is ranked fourth headed into Saturday night.
NASCAR this season introduced a new spec Next Gen car that has equalized the competition, but Bristol was covered in dirt in the spring when the Cup Series made its first visit to the track. The race Saturday night is on the traditional concrete surface.
“I think Bristol has the most entertaining racing of any track we go to, period. I don’t think there’s a track better than this one, but I also think everyone’s expectations are unrealistic of what things you can possibly get out of it,” Logano added. “Whether it’s dirt or concrete, it’s been pretty intense lately and the end of the races have ended in fireworks in a lot of them.
“So, I don’t know why you would be expecting anything different than that.”
ELLIOTT ON THE SCHEDULE
NASCAR this week released its 2023 schedules to much feedback from its participants, particularly 2020 Cup champion Chase Elliott.
Elliott called for a more compact schedule, more night races, and argued against NASCAR continuing its season into November and going head-to-head with the NFL.
“I’m a firm believer that less is more in the sense of the timing of a schedule and when we could end our season to make the most for our TV ratings,” Elliott said Friday. “I mean, 36 (races)? 45? 50? I don’t think it matters how many races we have, but I don’t see any reason to be competing against NFL football when that starts. In my opinion, that’s not a battle we’re ever going to win.”
He also took exception to only Daytona in the summer, Bristol in the playoffs and one Atlanta race being scheduled to run at night. Elliott suggested the spectators in attendance would enjoy more races under the lights.
“There’s a lot of Sunday afternoons we spend in some really hot environments, which is fine, I’m good with that, but if I was a fan sitting in the bleachers, I wouldn’t be,” Elliott said. “You know, three or four hours in August? I’d much rather do that at night.”
NASCAR lastly didn’t leave a hole in the Cup schedule for any active drivers to miss a race to compete in the 24 Hours of Le Mans as part of NASCAR’s special project to participate in the race. The Le Mans project is with Hendrick Motorsports, so many have assumed that Elliott or teammate Kyle Larson would be part of a three-driver all-star lineup.
Elliott said he was never skipping a race to go to Le Mans, which will run the same weekend NASCAR is scheduled to be at Sonoma in California.
“I don’t have any interest in it, and the reason being is because there is no competition in the class,” Elliott said. NASCAR’s entry won’t count for points or position and is an exhibition event at Le Mans.
“I want to go and compete and that’s the part that I enjoy, seeing where you stack up against other competitors and where I need to be better and challenging myself and pushing myself. When there’s no other cars in the class, that would take a large piece of the fun out of it for me. We can’t do it anyway, but I don’t have a ton of interest in the way it is right now. Not this one.”
ODDS AND ENDS
Joey Logano will make his 500th Cup Series start Saturday night. Logano is 32 years old and made his Cup debut at age 18. … Austin Dillon said Richard Childress Racing gave the pit crew of his No. 3 Chevrolet five-year contracts to build continuity and enhance the team culture at RCR. … Petty GMS Motorsports will use Joe Gibbs Racing pit crews next season. The No. 42 team began using JGR crews last weekend at Kansas Speedway; both the GMS cars will use Gibbs crews next season.
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More AP auto racing: https://apnews.com/hub/auto-racing and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports
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| 2022-09-21T08:28:06Z
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GENEVA (AP) — Chile has lost its appeal to replace Ecuador at the World Cup in Qatar, but Friday’s verdict by FIFA will lead the case to the Court of Arbitration for Sport.
FIFA dismissed Chile’s argument that Ecuador player Byron Castillo was actually Colombian and ineligible to play in World Cup qualifying games. Castillo played in eight of them for Ecuador.
FIFA said its appeal judges “deemed that on the basis of the documents presented, the player was to be considered as holding permanent Ecuadorian nationality in accordance” with soccer’s legal statutes.
The verdict, which upholds a FIFA disciplinary ruling from June, keeps Ecuador on track to play Qatar in the opening game of the World Cup in Doha on Nov. 20. The Netherlands and Senegal are also in Group A.
“In silence, we continue to defend what we achieved on the pitch,” Ecuadorian soccer federation president Francisco Egas wrote on Twitter.
However, Chile’s legal challenge can continue.
The Chilean soccer federation will appeal against FIFA’s verdict to CAS in Lausanne, Switzerland. Sport’s highest court can organize an urgent hearing and ruling in the nine weeks left until the World Cup starts.
“It is a sad day for soccer and for fair play. The message is clear — tricks are allowed,” Chilean federation lawyer Eduardo Carlezzo said, adding “there is an enormous amount of documents which prove that the player undoubtedly was born in Colombia.”
Chile prepared its case after the World Cup draw was made on April 1, and after FIFA and Qatari organizers sold thousands of tickets and accommodation rooms to Ecuador fans.
Had Ecuador forfeited all eight games Castillo played, Chile would have risen to the fourth automatic qualification place in the South American qualifying group. Ecuador would have dropped out of contention.
The appeal to FIFA also involved the soccer federation of Peru, which placed fifth in the group and advanced to an intercontinental playoff in June, which was won by Australia.
FIFA’s legal statues include a section on national team eligibility when a state government has granted citizenship to players.
“Any person holding a permanent nationality that is not dependent on residence in a certain country is eligible to play for the representative teams of the association of that country,” according to the statutes.
Castillo’s lawyer, Andrés Holguín, said his player had no doubt about the result.
“We always knew we were going to win this case,” Holguín told The Associated Press. “Today is a simple ratification of something we knew would succeed.”
The appeal hearing on Thursday was held remotely from Zurich with only the three judges present. The chief judge overseeing the case was Neil Eggleston, an American who is a former White House Counsel in the second administration of Barack Obama.
The FIFA appeals committee rarely overturns a ruling by the soccer body’s disciplinary committee.
Chile has filed complaints against an opponent’s player in back-to-back World Cup qualifying programs.
In the 2018 World Cup qualifying group, Bolivia forfeited two games in which it fielded an ineligible player as a late substitute. FIFA got complaints from Chile and Peru about Bolivia defender Nelson Cabrera, who was born in Paraguay and had previously played for Paraguay.
Bolivia lost an appeal at the Court of Arbitration for Sport, which said FIFA was right to investigate even when protests were filed weeks after the games were played.
That case ultimately harmed Chile. Three extra points awarded to Peru lifted it above Chile and into an intercontinental playoff that it won to advance to the 2018 tournament in Russia.
FIFA then wrote stricter rules for the 2022 World Cup requiring all players in qualifying games to produce a “valid permanent international passport” for inspection by match officials.
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Associated Press writers Mauricio Savarese in São Paulo and Eva Vergara in Santiago contributed to this report.
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More AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports
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| 2022-09-21T08:28:13Z
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IRVING, Texas (AP) — Shelby Jordan, whose spectacular career at Washington University in St. Louis earned him a spot in the College Football Hall of Fame and an 11-year NFL career, has died. He was 70.
Jordan died on Sept. 9, according to statements released Friday by the College Football Hall of Fame and the New England Patriots. Neither provided a cause of death or said where his death occurred.
Jordan, a linebacker in college, was a seventh-round draft pick by the Houston Oilers in the 1973 NFL Draft but he was cut after training camp. He signed with New England as a free agent in 1974 and got hurt in training camp. He transitioned to offensive tackle and saw his first NFL action in 1975.
Jordan played in 95 games with 87 starts at right tackle during his eight seasons with the Patriots. He finished his career with the Raiders and was a member of the Super Bowl XVIII Championship team in 1983.
In 2013, Jordan was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame.
Jordan and his wife, Donzella, founded a Los Angeles-based nonprofit economic-development corporation to provide affordable urban housing and services for families and seniors.
He was born on Jan. 23, 1952, in St. Louis, Missouri, and later attended East St. Louis (Illinois) High School.
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More AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl and https://twitter.com/AP_NFL
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| 2022-09-21T08:28:21Z
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NAPA, Calif. (AP) — Max Homa moved into position to defend his title at the Fortinet Championship, shooting a 5-under 67 on Friday to share the 36-hole lead with Danny Willett at the PGA Tour’s season opener.
Homa, a two-time winner last season and a captain’s pick for next week’s Presidents Cup, had an eagle, four birdies and a bogey — his first of the week — for a two-day total of 12-under 132 at Silverado Resort & Spa.
“The course fits my eyes,” Homa said. “I hit a lot of wedges today and I’ve been hitting the wedges really well, so when I get a lot of wedges from fairways like these, I feel like I can attack the pins.”
The four-time PGA Tour winner played collegiately at California.
“I’ve got a great support system here,” said Homa, who won the 2013 NCAA individual title. “I’ve got friends and family up here and a bunch of, you know, people who appreciate I went to school up here.”
Willett, winless in the United States since his triumph at the Masters in 2016, shot a bogey-free 64. The English player kept his PGA Tour card for this season because of players defecting to the Saudi-funded LIV Golf series.
“Yeah, we kind of got handed a lifeline with the guys leaving, which was nice,” Willett said. “We kind of had to reassess things and decided we’d press on and play a little bit more this fall over here and really try to get some points up early.”
Willett has eight titles on the European tour, most recently last October at the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship in Scotland.
He had eight birdies in his second round and is bogey-free for the week.
“You know, the rough is hit and miss and with the greens being firm as they are. To go bogey-free is really good,” said Willett, who has only six top-10 finishes on the PGA Tour since winning his lone major. “The field game is pretty sharp, the short game’s pretty sharp.”
First-round leader Justin Lower and Byeong Hun An were two shots back. Lower had a 71. His best finish in 28 previous PGA Tour events dating to 2013 was a tie for eighth. An birdied the 18th and shot 68.
“It’s always hard to follow up a very low round with another good round or even lower,” Lower said. “But I will take one under today. Could it have been better? Yes, but it definitely could have been worse as well.”
Taylor Moore (68), Matt Kuchar (68) and Sahith Theegala (69) were four shots off the lead.
Jason Day, Harris English, Charley Hoffman and Webb Simpson were among the players who missed the cut.
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More AP golf: https://apnews.com/hub/golf and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports
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| 2022-09-21T08:28:28Z
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SUGAR GROVE, Ill. (AP) — Dustin Johnson already is approaching $10 million in the Saudi-funded LIV Golf series and he’s playing like that number is going to keep soaring.
Johnson ran off nine birdies Friday, none longer than about 12 feet, and posted a 9-under 63 at Rich Harvest Farms to build a three-shot lead after the first of three rounds in the LIV Golf Invitational-Chicago.
Johnson is coming off a playoff win two weeks ago outside Boston, and with his team having won the last two events, his earnings in four starts already is just over $9.9 million. That’s more than his best season on the PGA Tour over 22 starts.
British Open champion Cameron Smith rediscovered his putting form toward the end of the round and finished with a two-putt birdie on the par-5 second hole for a 66.
Matthew Wolff had a 67, while the group at 66 includes Charles Howell III, whose round was marred by a double bogey, and Henrik Stenson, who missed the Boston event while coping with vertigo.
Phil Mickelson had five birdies and might have been a little closer to Johnson except for his one mistake, and it was a big one. He took triple bogey on the par-3 fifth hole, his sixth of the day in the shotgun start. He shot 70.
Johnson closed out the front nine with four straight birdies, three of the from 8 feet or closer. He put on a clinic on Rich Harvest Farms, built in the southwest suburbs and best known for hosting the Solheim Cup in 2009.
Even with a week off — and playing for only the sixth time in four months — Johnson kept the groove in his swing.
His one miss was on the par-5 18th and that only kept him from reaching in two. He missed a 10-foot birdie putt.
“I didn’t hole a lot of putts outside 10 feet. I didn’t have many long putts,” Johnson said with a smile.
“I’ve got my swing in a nice groove,” he said. “As long as I hit a couple of balls every other day, I can keep it there. Fortunately, I’m keeping it going right now.”
Smith made only two birdies on his opening nine holes until changing his approach and seeing more birdies go in.
“I made an adjustment out there the last five or six holes. I just wasn’t quite hitting them into the back of the hole,” he said. “A little speed adjustment and a few started to go in.”
Johnson and Talor Gooch, who birdied his first three holes and was 1 over the rest of the way for a 70, are the only players to have finished in the top 10 in all four LIV Golf Invitational events.
Twenty-seven players from the 48-man field broke par on a pleasant day in the suburbs. David Puig, who gave up his senior year at Arizona State to turn pro this week, had a 73.
Patrick Reed also struggled, posting a 74 despite making three birdies and an eagle.
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More AP golf: https://apnews.com/hub/golf and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports
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The timing of it all hardly could be more symbolic: Within a span of two weeks, Serena Williams plays what is believed to be her last match at age 40, Roger Federer announces he’ll be retiring at 41, Iga Swiatek wins her third Grand Slam title at 21, and Carlos Alcaraz gets his first at 19.
After so much handwringing in recent years about what would become of tennis once transcendent superstars such as Williams and Federer leave the game — he told the world Thursday he will exit after the Laver Cup next week; she made her plans public last month, then lost in the third round of the U.S. Open on Sept. 2 — the sport does seem to be in good hands as it prepares to move on.
“They helped mold tennis into what it is today. We will miss them,” Nick Bollettieri, a Hall of Fame coach, said about Federer and Williams.
“Having these youngsters being No. 1,” said Bollettieri, who worked with the Williams sisters, Andre Agassi, Jim Courier, Monica Seles and Maria Sharapova, among others, “is going to make a big difference for the tours.”
First of all, let’s not forget: Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic are still around — even if injuries, in Nadal’s case, and vaccination status, in Djokovic’s case, have limited their ability to compete at their best or always. They combined to win three of the year’s four Grand Slam titles, boosting Nadal’s total to 22, the most for a man, and Djokovic’s to 21.
Williams has 23, and Federer 20, and both have dozens of other trophies, Olympic medals, hundreds of weeks at No. 1 in the rankings, and so on.
They are standard-bearers not merely because of such statistics.
Williams became a celebrity as much as a record-breaking athlete and someone who helped expand the sport’s audience while inspiring plenty of kids to take up tennis. She paid tribute to Federer on her Instagram account, saying “Welcome to the retirement club.”
Federer became a widely respected ambassador of the game, attracting fans and new players from around the globe, too.
Now some of those fresh faces are prepared to step into the space that will open up for new champions, new prime-time slots on TV, new sponsorship deals, new interest.
One never knows how things will go in sports, of course, or what might happen in terms of injuries, say, or other potential roadblocks to a long and distinguished career, but Swiatek and Alcaraz sure do appear to be set up for success.
From their athleticism and shot-making, to their on- and off-court demeanors, to the teams that surround them — both work with a sports psychologist, for example — they are preternaturally mature.
Swiatek, No. 1 since Ash Barty’s retirement six months ago, is the first woman to win two Grand Slam titles in a single season since 2016.
Alcaraz, No. 1 since Monday, is the youngest man to occupy that spot since the computerized rankings began in 1973. He’s also the first teenager to win the U.S. Open men’s championship since Pete Sampras in 1990 and to win any men’s major since Nadal at the 2005 French Open.
Both turned to Twitter to remark on Federer’s impending departure.
Swiatek’s message, in part: “I want to thank you for everything you’ve done and everything you are for our sport. It’s been a privilege to witness your career.”
Alcaraz’s, in part: “Roger has been one of my idols and a source of inspiration! Thank you for everything you have done for our sport!”
Because of his age — born two months before Federer’s first Grand Slam title and two years before Nadal’s first — Alcaraz grew up admiring both of those giants of the game.
Similarly, Swiatek was 2 when Federer’s initial Slam arrived, 4 when Nadal’s did. She was yet to be born when Williams captured her first major trophy at the 1999 U.S. Open.
Swiatek and Alcaraz learned tennis, learned what it takes to be champions, learned what success beyond the lines looks like, during as golden an era as their sport ever enjoyed.
With those two at the forefront, and plenty of other talent around — Naomi Osaka and Coco Gauff, Frances Tiafoe and Jannik Sinner, Casper Ruud and Ons Jabeur and so on — tennis just might be able to survive. Thrive? Could be.
“Roger certainly had the era of Novak and Rafa, two of the most incredible athletes and tennis players ever. That’s what people know today. But there were other rivalries with Roger before them. And together, they understood, all of them, the importance of growing the game,” said Tony Godsick, Federer’s longtime agent. “Tennis is in such a good place. You look at this young kid, Alcaraz — he is coming. And there are other ones behind him. So tennis is in for a nice little pop here.”
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More AP tennis: https://apnews.com/hub/tennis and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports
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| 2022-09-21T08:28:43Z
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ROME (AP) — Costly construction delays, a leadership vacancy linked to a volatile political climate and a lack of sponsors amid a spreading financial crisis has prompted International Olympic Committee president Thomas Bach to acknowledge the “challenges” facing organizers of the 2026 Winter Games in Milan and Cortina d’Ampezzo.
With the IOC’s coordination commission visit to the Milan and Cortina venues postponed by three months to December because of national elections in Italy slated for later this month, it was left to Bach to handle matters during a visit with outgoing premier Mario Draghi before receiving an award from the Italian Olympic Committee.
“As always before Olympic Games, there are challenges — in particular light of this new emerging world order and the financial and economic crisis,” Bach said Friday.
“But we have overcome some challenges in the last couple of years,” Bach added, referring to games held in Tokyo and Beijing amid the coronavirus pandemic. “So I’m not too worried because we know about the enthusiasm, efficiency and the dedication of our Italian friends.”
In an era of increasing sensitivity about the cost of Olympics — and the typical overspends funded by taxpayers — Bach said one of the most expensive venue upgrades for 2026 would not be included in official Milano-Cortina budgets.
Italian authorities have set aside more than 80 million euros ($80 million) to renovate the historic sliding track in Cortina for bobsled, luge and skeleton races.
Bach explained “this would be a touristic and sport project which would go ahead anyway and regardless of the Olympic Winter Games.”
Bach also supported local authorities who are waiting until after the election to appoint a new CEO of the organizing committee after the departure of Vincenzo Novari — a move which has paralyzed construction and other plans, such as the recruitment of sponsors.
“The new CEO must have and should have the support of the new government,” Bach said. “It would not be advisable to appoint such a CEO right now, a couple of (weeks) before national elections.”
The 2026 Games will be the most widespread Olympics ever, with venues spread out over 22,000 square kilometers (nearly 10,000 square miles) across a vast swath of northern Italy — from the regions of Lombardy and Veneto to the provinces of Trento and Bolzano.
The 2026 organizers have followed the IOC’s plans for modern Olympics to cut costs and not build taxpayer-funded white elephant venues.
“Thanks to the new rules we were able to imagine a candidacy like Milan-Cortina,” 2026 committee coordinator Diana Bianchedi told Bach. “I promise to you we won’t let you down.”
SLIDING CENTER
There had been discussions of holding sliding at an existing venue just beyond Italy’s border in St. Moritz, Switzerland, or Innsbruck, Austria.
The IOC recently created a panel for cost cutting, which makes the move to keep sliding in Cortina surprising.
The $100 million sliding track built for the 2006 Turin Games — the last time Italy hosted the Winter Olympics — was dismantled in 2012 amid rising maintenance costs.
But Ivo Ferriani, the president of the International bobsled and skeleton federation — who was the general manager of the Turin track — pointed to a century of sliding history in Cortina.
The Cortina track was built in 1923 and the resort known as the “Queen” of the Italian Dolomites was home to bobsledding great Eugenio Monti, who won six Olympic medals between 1956 and 1968.
“There’s a tradition and (sliding) culture in Cortina,” Ferriani told The Associated Press. “The legacy isn’t about the venue; it’s about the people.”
Ferriani added that plans are already being made to host World Cup bobsled races at Cortina in 2026-27 followed by the world championships in 2027-28 — plus European Cup and Paralympic races.
“This will be the best venue (worldwide), because it will be completely accessible,” Ferriani said, adding that its proximity to other tracks in Austria, Switzerland and Germany makes it a natural fit for the circuit.
SPEEDSKATING QUESTIONS
Bach had little to say about debate over the plan to hold speedskating on an outdoor track in Baselga di Piné in the Trentino region.
The last time Olympic speedskating was held outdoors was for the 1992 Albertville Games, with the IOC having since preferred the controlled environment of indoor venues.
Outdoor ice is notoriously tough to keep in shape for all competitors to have a fair chance at a medal.
High temperatures made matters even worse in Albertville, where one recurring term was “slush,” with skaters ploughing through soft ice that sometimes had a thin sheet of water on top.
“I don’t have the chair of the coordination commission here with me,” Bach said. “What I can tell you is before coming here I did not get an alert that I would absolutely have to address something.”
Told that this was a topic better handled by Christophe Dubi, the executive director of the Olympic Games, Bach added, “I guess that consultations are going on.”
RETIREMENT
Bach’s 12 years as IOC president expires in 2025, a year before the Milan-Cortina Games.
“I am really looking very much forward to (2026), because by then I will be able to really enjoy the bella vita Italiana and Olympic sport to its fullest,” he told the crowd at CONI, “if you still invite me.”
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RUSSIAN BAN
Bach was also asked about comments a day earlier by U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee chair Susanne Lyons, who said the IOC is discussing “whether there is a pathway” for the return of Russian and Belarussian athletes to international sports following the ban because of the invasion of Ukraine.
“It goes without saying that from the very first moment when we said we are in this dilemma, that we are looking for ways out of this dilemma,” Bach said. “But this is about it. I cannot report any concrete steps or a deadline.”
The longer Russian athletes stay banned from international competition, the more qualification events for the 2024 Paris Olympics will be missed.
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AP Sports Writer Graham Dunbar in Geneva contributed to this report.
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More AP sports coverage from Europe: https://apnews.com/hub/sports-europe and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports
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Andrew Dampf is at https://twitter.com/AndrewDampf
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