Suspected Stockton serial killer caught with gun while ‘out hunting,’ police chief says – KCRA Sacramento
Suspected Stockton serial killer caught with gun while ‘out hunting,’ police chief says – KCRA Sacramento
STOCKTON, Calif. —

A man has been arrested in Stockton in connection to a series of killings in the city and one in Oakland, authorities announced on Saturday. He could face charges for the murders of six men that were linked through ballistics.

Wesley Brownlee, 43, was arrested overnight “while out hunting,” police Chief Stanley McFadden said at a news conference with City Manager Harry Black, Mayor Kevin Lincoln and San Joaquin County District Attorney Tori Verber Salazar.

McFadden believes they “stopped another killing.”

    The police chief said the arrest was made possible thanks to community tips and the work of the police department.

    “Our surveillance team followed this person while he was driving. We watched his patterns and determined early this morning he was on a mission to kill. He was out hunting,” McFadden said.

    | LEARN MORE | Stockton serial killings: Everything we know and don’t know so far about the victims and suspect

    He was caught around 2 a.m. at Winslow Way and Village Green Drive and was wearing dark clothing with a mask around his neck and armed with a firearm in his waistband, police confirmed to KCRA 3.

    Authorities are now working to identify if the weapon found is linked to the other shootings.

    Police confirmed that he is the sole suspect “at this time” and is believed to be the person of interest captured on video from shooting scenes.

    Authorities said that Brownlee has lived in Stockton off and on, while also living in other cities. He has a criminal record, though police did not detail the previous crimes.

    Public records from San Joaquin County show two traffic violations in 2021 and 2022, along with a felony in 2017 and a DUI in 2009.

    Stockton’s mayor said the city will be able to get past this and that public safety is their number one priority.

    “I want to make this very very clear, to the people of Stockton, to the United States and around the world. When the people of Stockton come together and we unite we can get things done. Stockton will be a place where people can live, raise a family and grow a business,” Mayor Kevin Lincoln said.

    • Video below: Stockton mayor speaks on arrest

    Salazar on the arrest of Brownlee said, “The crime was solved because we’re Stockton. You don’t come to our house and bring this reign of terror.”

    • Video below: San Joaquin County DA speaks on arrest

    Brownlee will appear in court on Tuesday afternoon, officials said. Salazar said the district attorney’s office is working to determine the charges against him.

    Officials are still unsure what the motive behind the killings are, but said his patterns were consistent.

    It’s unclear if the gun police found on Saturday is linked to all seven shootings.

    “I am grateful for the work of the Stockton Police Department and law enforcement agencies who lent their support to this investigation, including the California Department of Justice’s Bureau of Firearms and Bureau of Forensic Services,” Attorney General Rob Bonta said in a statement. “When we face a challenge or threat to the safety of Californians, we stand stronger when we stand together. Because of our collaborative work, the citizens of Stockton and California communities can feel comfort in knowing that this suspect is now in custody.”

    Who are the victims?

    | MORE | What we’re learning about victims of the Stockton serial killings

    Six men were killed — five in Stockton this year and one in Oakland last year. The victims were identified by police as:

    The victim in Oakland was a 40-year-old Hispanic man. Affiliate KTVU reported that the coroner identified the man as Juan Miguel Vasquez Serrano.

    A 46-year-old Black woman is the only known survivor of the shootings. Stockton Police Chief Stanley McFadden said the woman biked to an encampment at Park and Union streets in Stockton where she was shot on April 16, 2021, at around 3:30 a.m.

    The woman was by a tent when she saw a man, dressed in all dark clothing, wearing a dark face mask and a dark jacket. She said the man was anywhere between 5 foot 10 inches to 6 foot 2 inches.

    The woman told police that no words were exchanged between them and that she tried defending herself by advancing toward him. She was hit multiple times by gunfire.

    Where did the shootings happen?

    Most of the deadly shootings happened in Stockton within a four-mile radius of one another. The shooting where the woman survived happened to the south of the five deadly shootings.

    Here’s a map with more information:

    Authorities ask for people to continue to send in tips

    McFadden said it is still a “very active investigation.”

    “Just because an arrest was made, does not mean the investigation stops,” McFadden said.

    He said they still need more tips to come in.

    A tip line will remain open for people to submit information at 209-937-8167. People can email tips to at policetips@stocktonca.gov. Video surveillance can be submitted to Stocktonpdca.evidence.com.

    This is a developing story. Stay with KCRA 3 as we learn more about the suspect arrested and the series of killings.

    Here is where you can download our app for the latest.

    -KCRA 3’s Hilda Flores contributed to this report.

Source Article from https://www.kcra.com/article/suspected-stockton-serial-killer-arrested-while-out-hunting-police-chief-says/41631651

12 views no comments
Xi Jinping’s expected coronation begins as China’s Communist Party Congress gets underway – CNN
Xi Jinping’s expected coronation begins as China’s Communist Party Congress gets underway – CNN

The expected coronation for China’s supreme leader Xi Jinping has officially begun, as the ruling Communist Party convenes a week-long meeting to extoll his first decade in power – and to usher in a likely new era of strongman rule.

Amid heightened security, escalated zero-Covid restrictions and a frenzy of propaganda and censorship, the party kicks off its most consequential national congress in decades in Beijing on Sunday morning.

At the 20th Party Congress, Xi, who came to power in 2012, is poised to secure a third term as the party’s general secretary, breaking with recent precedent and paving the way for potential lifelong rule.

The expected anointment will cement the 69-year-old’s status as China’s most powerful leader since late Chairman Mao Zedong, who ruled China until his death aged 82. It will also have a profound impact on the world, as Xi doubles down on an assertive foreign policy to boost China’s international clout and rewrite the US-led global order.

At the heart of the Chinese capital, nearly 2,300 handpicked party delegates from around the country have gathered in the Great Hall of the People for the highly choreographed event.

Sitting in neat rows with face masks on, they await Xi to deliver a lengthy work report that will take stock of the party’s achievements over the past five years and lay out in broad strokes its policy priorities for the next five.

A sense of crisis has defined Xi’s rule. It will shape China well into the future

Observers will be closely watching for signs of the party’s policy direction when it comes to its uncompromising zero-Covid policy, handling of steep economic challenges, and stated goal of “reunifying” with Taiwan – a self-governing democracy Beijing claims as its own despite never having controlled.

The meetings will be mostly held behind close doors throughout the week. When delegates reemerge at the end of the congress next Saturday, they will conduct a ceremonial vote to rubber stamp Xi’s work report and approve changes made to the party constitution – which might bestow Xi with new titles to further strengthen his power.

The delegates will also select the party’s new Central Committee, which will hold its first meeting the next day to appoint the party’s top leadership – the Politburo and its Standing Committee, following decisions already hashed out behind the scenes by party leaders before the congress.

The congress will be a major moment of political triumph for Xi, but it also comes during a period of potential crisis. Xi’s insistence on an uncompromising zero-Covid policy has fueled mounting public frustration and crippled economic growth. Meanwhile, diplomatically, his “no-limits” friendship with Russian President Vladimir Putin has further strained Beijing’s ties with the West following Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine.

Zero-Covid

In the lead-up to the congress, officials across China drastically ramped up restrictions to prevent even minor Covid outbreaks, imposing sweeping lockdowns and increasingly frequent mass Covid tests over a handful of cases. Yet infections caused by the highly transmissible Omicron variant have continued to flare. On Saturday, China reported nearly 1,200 infections, including 14 in Beijing.

Public anger toward zero-Covid came to the fore Thursday in an exceptionally rare protest against Xi in Beijing. Online photos showed two banners were unfurled on a busy overpass denouncing Xi and his policies, before being taken down by police.

Anger at China’s zero-Covid policy is rising, but Beijing refuses to change course

“Say no to Covid test, yes to food. No to lockdown, yes to freedom. No to lies, yes to dignity. No to cultural revolution, yes to reform. No to great leader, yes to vote. Don’t be a slave, be a citizen,” one banner reads.

“Go on strike, remove dictator and national traitor Xi Jinping,” read the other.

The Chinese public have paid little attention to the party’s congresses in the past – they have no say in the country’s leadership reshuffle, or the making of major policies. But this year, many have pinned their hopes on the congress to be a turning point for China to relax its Covid policy.

A series of recent articles in the party’s mouthpiece, however, suggest that could be wishful thinking. The People’s Daily hailed zero-Covid as the “best choice” for the country, insisting it is “sustainable and must be followed.”

On Saturday, on the eve of the congress, party spokesman Sun Yeli told a news conference China’s Covid measures have ensured the country’s extremely low rate of infections and deaths, and enabled “sustained and stable operations of the economy and society.”

“With everything considered, China’s epidemic prevention measures are the most economical and effective,” Sun said.

“Our prevention and control strategies and measures will become more scientific, more accurate, and more effective,” he said. “We firmly believe that the dawn is ahead, and persistence is victory.”

Source Article from https://www.cnn.com/2022/10/15/china/china-party-congress-opening-day-intl-hnk/index.html

7 views no comments
Elon Musk U-turns, says will keep funding Starlink in Ukraine – Al Jazeera English
Elon Musk U-turns, says will keep funding Starlink in Ukraine – Al Jazeera English

Elon Musk has announced his company will continue to pay for Starlink satellite internet services in war-torn Ukraine a day after suggesting he cannot keep funding the project.

“The hell with it,” the world’s richest man wrote on Saturday on Twitter.

“Even though Starlink is still losing money & other companies are getting billions of taxpayer $, we’ll just keep funding Ukraine govt for free.”

Although it was not immediately clear whether Musk’s change of mind was genuine, he later appeared to indicate it was. When a Twitter user told Musk “No good deed goes unpunished”, he replied, “Even so, we should still do good deeds”.

A day earlier, Musk had said on Twitter that SpaceX would not be able to pay for Starlink in Ukraine indefinitely. And the US military confirmed it was communicating with the billionaire’s company about funding for the critical network.

The discussions come as Musk has been embroiled in public spats with Ukrainian leaders who were angered by his controversial proposals for de-escalating the conflict.

While Ukraine has long maintained it will never agree to relinquish land taken by force, Musk suggested that it permanently cede the Crimea region to Russia, that new referendums be held under United Nations auspices to determine the fate of Russian-controlled territory, and that Ukraine agree to neutrality.

Starlink, a constellation of more than 3,000 small satellites in low Earth orbit, has been vital to Ukraine’s communications as it fights against Russia’s invasion.

Musk activated Starlink in late February after Ukraine’s internet services were disrupted because of Russia’s invasion. Its internet terminals have since been crucial in keeping the Ukrainian military online.

SpaceX has donated some 25,000 ground terminals to Ukraine, according to an updated figure given by Musk last week.

The disruption of the service may have dire consequences for Ukraine. Vice Prime Minister Mykhailo Fedorov said this week that Starlink services helped restore energy and communications infrastructure in critical areas after more than 100 Russian cruise missile attacks.

Encrypted satellite messages have been used for military communications after the local mobile phone network was severed during heavy shelling.

Mykola Balaban, the deputy head of the Ukraine Centre for Strategic Communications and Information Security, told Al Jazeera that Musk’s support is crucial for Ukrainian military efforts.

“For the last six months, Ukraine has showed very good strategic communication,” he added. “Of course there is sometimes lags in the communication and some misunderstanding, but at the end of the day, as you see with this tweet [from Musk], we managed to communicate to our partners around the world the importance of supporting Ukraine and Ukrainian people in their fight against the war from Russia.”

Source Article from https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2022/10/15/in-reversal-musk-says-will-continue-funding-starlink-in-ukraine

6 views no comments
Suspected Stockton serial killer caught with gun while ‘out hunting,’ police chief says – KCRA Sacramento
Suspected Stockton serial killer caught with gun while ‘out hunting,’ police chief says – KCRA Sacramento
STOCKTON, Calif. —

A man has been arrested in Stockton in connection to a series of killings in the city and one in Oakland, authorities announced on Saturday. He could face charges for the murders of six men.

Wesley Brownlee, 43, was arrested overnight “while out hunting,” police Chief Stanley McFadden said at a news conference with City Manager Harry Black, Mayor Kevin Lincoln and San Joaquin County District Attorney Tori Verber Salazar.

McFadden believes they “stopped another killing.”

    The police chief said the arrest was made possible thanks to community tips and the work of the police department.

    “Our surveillance team followed this person while he was driving. We watched his patterns and determined early this morning he was on a mission to kill. He was out hunting,” McFadden said.

    | MORE | Stockton serial killings: Everything we know and don’t know so far about the victims and suspect

    He was caught around 2 a.m. at Winslow Way and Village Green Drive and was wearing dark clothing with a mask around his neck and armed with a firearm in his waistband, police confirmed to KCRA 3.

    Authorities said that Brownlee has lived in Stockton off and on, while also living in other cities. He has a criminal record, though police did not detail the previous crimes.

    Police confirmed that he is the sole suspect “at this time” and is believed to be the person of interest captured on video from shooting scenes.

    Stockton’s mayor said the city will be able to get past this and that public safety is their number one priority.

    “I want to make this very very clear, to the people of Stockton, to the United States and around the world. When the people of Stockton come together and we unite we can get things done. Stockton will be a place where people can live, raise a family and grow a business,” Mayor Kevin Lincoln said.

    • Video below: Stockton mayor speaks on arrest

    Salazar on the arrest of Brownlee said, “The crime was solved because we’re Stockton. You don’t come to our house and bring this reign of terror.”

    • Video below: San Joaquin County DA speaks on arrest

    Brownlee will appear in court on Tuesday afternoon, officials said. Salazar said the district attorney’s office is working to determine the charges against him.

    Officials are still unsure what the motive behind the killings are, but said his patterns were consistent.

    It’s unclear if the gun police found on Saturday is linked to all seven shootings.

    “I am grateful for the work of the Stockton Police Department and law enforcement agencies who lent their support to this investigation, including the California Department of Justice’s Bureau of Firearms and Bureau of Forensic Services,” Attorney General Rob Bonta said in a statement. “When we face a challenge or threat to the safety of Californians, we stand stronger when we stand together. Because of our collaborative work, the citizens of Stockton and California communities can feel comfort in knowing that this suspect is now in custody.”

    | MORE | What we’re learning about victims of the Stockton serial killings

    Six men were killed — five in Stockton this year and one in Oakland last year. The victims were identified by police as:

    The victim in Oakland was a 40-year-old Hispanic man. Affiliate KTVU reported that the coroner identified the man as Juan Miguel Vasquez Serrano.

    A 46-year-old Black woman is the only known survivor of the shootings. Stockton Police Chief Stanley McFadden said the woman biked to an encampment at Park and Union streets in Stockton where she was shot on April 16, 2021, at around 3:30 a.m.

    The woman was by a tent when she saw a man, dressed in all dark clothing, wearing a dark face mask and a dark jacket. She said the man was anywhere between 5 foot 10 inches to 6 foot 2 inches.

    The woman told police that no words were exchanged between them and that she tried defending herself by advancing toward him. She was hit multiple times by gunfire.

    Where did the shootings happen?

    Most of the deadly shootings happened in Stockton within a four-mile radius of one another. The shooting where the woman survived happened to the south of the five deadly shootings.

    Here’s a map with more information:

    Authorities ask for people to continue to send in tips

    McFadden said it is still a “very active investigation.”

    “Just because an arrest was made, does not mean the investigation stops,” McFadden said.

    He said they still need more tips to come in.

    A tip line will remain open for people to submit information at 209-937-8167. People can email tips to at policetips@stocktonca.gov. Video surveillance can be submitted to Stocktonpdca.evidence.com.

    This is a developing story. Stay with KCRA 3 as we learn more about the suspect arrested and the series of killings.
    Here is where you can download our app for the latest.

    -KCRA 3’s Hilda Flores contributed to this report.

Source Article from https://www.kcra.com/article/suspected-stockton-serial-killer-arrested-while-out-hunting-police-chief-says/41631651

17 views no comments
Elon Musk reverses course, says SpaceX will keep funding Ukraine Starlink service for free – CNN
Elon Musk reverses course, says SpaceX will keep funding Ukraine Starlink service for free – CNN

Sign up for CNN’s Wonder Theory science newsletter. Explore the universe with news on fascinating discoveries, scientific advancements and more.

US billionaire Elon Musk tweeted on Saturday that SpaceX will continue funding Starlink internet service in war-torn Ukraine, apparently reversing course after SpaceX asked the United States military to pick up the tab.

SpaceX’s Starlink satellite internet services have been a vital source of communication for the country’s military during the war with Russia, but as CNN exclusively reported earlier this week, SpaceX warned the Pentagon that it may stop funding the service in Ukraine unless the US military kicks in tens of millions of dollars per month, according to documents obtained by CNN.

The letter also requested that the Pentagon take over funding for Ukraine’s government and military use of Starlink, which SpaceX claims would cost more than $120 million for the rest of the year and could cost close to $400 million for the next 12 months. The report elicited a torrent of tweets from social media users both defending and criticizing the move.

A tweet from Musk’s verified account posted Saturday said, “The hell with it … even though Starlink is still losing money & other companies are getting billions of taxpayer $, we’ll just keep funding Ukraine govt for free.”

Since they first started arriving in Ukraine last spring, the Starlink satellite internet terminals made by Musk’s SpaceX have allowed Ukraine’s military to fight and stay connected even as cellular phone and internet networks have been destroyed in its war with Russia.

Exclusive: Musk’s SpaceX says it can no longer pay for critical satellite services in Ukraine, asks Pentagon to pick up the tab

A Pentagon spokesperson said Friday that it had been in communication with SpaceX but did not say whether it was over the funding of the Starlink satellite communication product.

In response Saturday to a follower who replied to Musk’s tweet, “No good deed goes unpunished,” Musk said, “Even so, we should still do good deeds.”

Musk on Friday had doubled down on SpaceX’s request to the Pentagon in a series of tweets.

“SpaceX is not asking to recoup past expenses, but also cannot fund the existing system indefinitely *and* send several thousand more terminals that have data usage up to 100X greater than typical households. This is unreasonable,” read one post from Musk’s verified account.

He also said that in asking the Pentagon to pick up the bill for Starlink in Ukraine, he was following the advice of a Ukrainian diplomat who responded to Musk’s Ukraine peace plan earlier this month, before the letter was sent to the Pentagon, with: “F*** off.”

Ukraine’s ambassador to Germany, Andrij Melnyk, responded earlier this month to Musk’s claimed peace plan for Russia’s Ukraine war by saying: “F*** off is my very diplomatic reply to you @elonmusk.”

SpaceX’s suggestion that it would stop funding Starlink also came amid rising concern in Ukraine over Musk’s allegiance. Musk recently tweeted a controversial peace plan that would have Ukraine give up Crimea and control over the eastern Luhansk and Donetsk regions.

After Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky raised the question of who Musk sides with, he responded that he “still very much support[s] Ukraine” but fears “massive escalation.”

One Ukrainian official, Mykhailo Podolyak, an adviser to Zelensky, appeared to extend an olive branch in a tweet posted Friday, writing, “Let’s be honest. Like it or not, @elonmusk helped us survive the most critical moments of war.”

“Business has the right to its own strategies,” Podolyak’s tweet read. “(We) will find a solution to keep #Starlink working. We expect that the company will provide stable connection till the end of negotiations.”

Source Article from https://www.cnn.com/2022/10/15/business/elon-musk-starlink-ukraine-scn/index.html

7 views no comments
Belgorod shooting: Gunmen kill 11 in attack on Russian trainee soldiers – BBC
Belgorod shooting: Gunmen kill 11 in attack on Russian trainee soldiers – BBC

During a firearms training session, two men opened fire on a group who had volunteered to fight in Ukraine, state-owned news agency Ria reported.

Source Article from https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-63273599

8 views no comments
Fire, gunshots at Tehran jail holding political prisoners, dual nationals – Reuters
Fire, gunshots at Tehran jail holding political prisoners, dual nationals – Reuters

DUBAI, Oct 15 (Reuters) – A fire broke out on Saturday in Tehran’s Evin prison, where many of Iran’s political and dual-national detainees are held, and witnesses reported hearing gunfire.

State news agency IRNA said eight people were injured in the unrest, which erupted after nearly a month of protests across Iran over the death in detention of Mahsa Amini, a 22-year-old Kurdish Iranian woman.

The protests have posed one of the most serious challenges to the Islamic Republic since the 1979 revolution, with demonstrations spreading across the country and some people chanting for the death of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

An Iranian judiciary statement said a prison workshop was set on fire “after a fight among a number of prisoners convicted of financial crimes and theft”. Tehran’s fire department told state media the cause of the incident was under investigation.

The prison, located in the foothills at the northern edge of the Iranian capital, holds criminal convicts as well as political detainees.

“Roads leading to Evin prison have been closed to traffic. There are lots of ambulances here,” said a witness contacted by Reuters. “Still, we can hear gunshots.”

Another witness said families of prisoners had gathered in front of the main prison entrance. “I can see fire and smoke. Lots of special forces,” the witness said.

A security official said calm had been restored at the prison, but the first witness said ambulance sirens could be heard and smoke still rose over the prison.

“People from nearby buildings are chanting ‘Death to Khamenei’ from their windows,” the witness said.

Early on Sunday, IRNA carried a video it said showed prison areas damaged by fire. Firemen were seen dousing the debris with water, apparently to prevent the blaze from re-igniting.

The prison mostly holds detainees facing security charges, including Iranians with dual nationality. It has long been criticised by Western rights groups and was blacklisted by the U.S. government in 2018 for “serious human rights abuses”.

Siamak Namazi, an Iranian American imprisoned for nearly seven years on espionage-related charges rejected by Washington as baseless, returned to Evin on Wednesday after being granted a brief furlough, his lawyer said.

Other U.S. citizens held in Evin include environmentalist Morad Tahbaz, who also has British nationality, and businessman Emad Shargi, according to human rights lawyer Saeid Dehghan.

He added that several other dual nationals are held at Evin, including French-Iranian academic Fariba Adelkhah and Iranian-Swedish Ahmadreza Djalali, a disaster medicine doctor.

Asked about the prison fire, U.S. President Joe Biden told reporters during a campaign trip to Portland, Oregon: “The Iranian government is so oppressive.”

1/5

A prison guard stands along a corridor in Tehran’s Evin prison June 13, 2006./File Photo

He said he was surprised by “the courage of people and women taking (to) the street” in the recent protests and had enormous respect for them. “It’s been really amazing,” he added. “They’re not a good group, in the government.”

U.S. State Department Spokesman Ned Price tweeted, “we are following reports from Evin Prison with urgency. We are in contact with the Swiss as our protecting power. Iran is fully responsible for the safety of our wrongfully detained citizens, who should be released immediately.”

Human Rights Watch has accused authorities at the prison of using threats of torture and of indefinite imprisonment, as well as lengthy interrogations and denial of medical care for detainees.

“No security (political) prisoner was involved in today’s clash between prisoners, and basically the ward for security prisoners is separate and far from the wards for thieves and those convicted of financial crimes,” an unnamed official told the Tasnim news agency.

‘CLERICS GET LOST’

The unrest at Evin prison occurred after nearly a month of protests across Iran since Amini – a 22-year-old woman from the country’s Kurdish region – died on Sept. 16 while being held for “inappropriate attire”.

Although the unrest does not appear close to toppling the system, the protests have widened into strikes that have closed shops and businesses, touched the vital energy sector and inspired brazen acts of dissent against Iran’s religious rule.

On Saturday protesters across Iran chanted in the streets and in universities against the country’s clerical leaders.

A video posted by the Norway-based organisation Iran Human Rights purported to show protests in the northeastern city of Mashhad, Iran’s second-most populous city, with demonstrators chanting “Clerics get lost” and drivers honking their horns.

Videos posted by the group showed a strike by shopkeepers in the northwestern Kurdish city of Saqez – Amini’s home town. Another video on social media showed female high school students chanting “Woman, Life, Freedom” on the streets of Sanandaj, the capital of Kurdistan province.

Reuters could not independently verify the videos. Phone and internet services in Iran have been frequently disrupted over the last month and internet watchdog NetBlocks reported “a new major disruption” shortly before Saturday’s protests began.

The Iranian activist news agency HRANA said in a posting online that 240 protesters had been killed in the unrest, including 32 minors. It said 26 members of the security forces were killed and nearly 8,000 people had been arrested in protests in 111 cities and towns and some 73 universities.

Among the casualties have been teenage girls whose deaths have become a rallying cry for more demonstrations demanding the downfall of the Islamic Republic.

Protesters called on Saturday for demonstrations in the northwestern city of Ardabil over the death of Asra Panahi, a teenager from the Azeri ethnic minority who activists alleged was beaten to death by security forces.

Officials denied the report and news agencies close to the Revolutionary Guards quoted her uncle as saying the high school student had died of a heart problem.

Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Source Article from https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/iranian-protesters-defy-crackdown-with-nationwide-demonstrations-2022-10-15/

5 views no comments
What Was That Badge Herschel Walker Flashed in His Debate? – The New York Times
What Was That Badge Herschel Walker Flashed in His Debate? – The New York Times

When Mr. Wilkins was sworn in, a sheriff’s spokeswoman noted to The Cobb County Courier that Mr. Wilkins did not have the same authority as a regular deputy sheriff to carry a weapon and arrest people. She characterized his role as being a liaison and partner.

In 2021, the sheriff’s office in Henry County, Ga., which is about 30 miles southeast of Atlanta, gave a member of the N.B.A. Hall of Fame, Shaquille O’Neal, the title of director for community relations.

Neil Warren, who was the Cobb County sheriff when he named Mr. Walker an honorary deputy sheriff, endorsed his Senate bid in July.

In a statement at the time, Mr. Warren said that Mr. Walker “partnered with the Cobb County Sheriff’s Office for over 15 years” and “led trainings on leadership, advocated for mental health, encouraged countless officers, and was always there to lend a hand whenever we needed him.”

But many others express significant skepticism about the kind of honorary recognition granted by law enforcement.

“Georgia sheriffs were seriously handing out those badges like candy in a candy dish,” J.Tom Morgan, a former district attorney in DeKalb County, Ga., who was elected as a Democrat, said in an interview on Saturday. “That badge gives you no law enforcement authority. He doesn’t have the power to write a traffic ticket.”

Mr. Morgan, who is now a professor at Western Carolina University, said the badges became so widely abused that the Georgia Sheriffs’ Association curtailed the practice of giving them out.

Source Article from https://www.nytimes.com/2022/10/15/us/walker-warnock-debate-police-badge.html

8 views no comments
Florida governor Ron DeSantis will fly migrants to Illinois and Delaware – The Guardian US
Florida governor Ron DeSantis will fly migrants to Illinois and Delaware – The Guardian US

The Republican governor of Florida, Ron DeSantis, plans to continue flying undocumented migrants to Democratic strongholds, his spokeswoman said on Saturday, a day after released records showed the state paid nearly $1m to arrange two sets of flights to Delaware and Illinois.

Documents released on Friday showed that the planned flights will transport about 100 migrants. They were scheduled for before 3 October but were halted or postponed. The contractor hired by Florida extended the window for the trips until 1 December, according to memos released by the state transportation department.

Asked why the lights were postponed, DeSantis’ communications director, Taryn Fenske, said Florida had been busy dealing with the aftermath of Hurricane Ian.

“While Florida has had all hands on deck responding to our catastrophic hurricane, the immigration relocation program remains active,“ Fenske said.

The flights would be a follow-up to 14 September flights from Texas to Martha’s Vineyard, Massachusetts, that carried 49 mostly Venezuelan migrants to the island where the former president Barack Obama owns a home. Local officials were not told in advance that the migrants were coming.

DeSantis claimed responsibility for the flights as part of a campaign to focus attention on what he has called the Biden administration’s failed border policies. He was joining the Republican Texas governor, Greg Abbott, in sending migrants to Democratic strongholds without advance warning.

DeSantis is also thought likely to run for the Republican presidential nomination in 2024.

Earlier this year, the Florida legislature approved a $12m budget item to relocate people from Florida to another location. The money came from interest earned from federal funds given to Florida under the American Rescue Plan, legislation passed to help states recover from the Covid pandemic.

While the migrant flights to Martha’s Vineyard originated in Texas, the charter plane carrying them made a stop in Florida. DeSantis has said that the migrants’ intention was to come to Florida.

The documents released on Friday gave no details of how migrants were recruited in San Antonio for the Martha Vineyard flights or who was hired to conduct that part of the operation.

The Martha’s Vineyard flight has also spawned lawsuits accusing Florida of lying to the migrants to get them to agree to the flights.

Source Article from https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2022/oct/15/florida-governor-ron-desantis-fly-migrants-illinois-delaware

8 views no comments
Mega Millions ticket sold in San Jose hits jackpot – KTLA Los Angeles
Mega Millions ticket sold in San Jose hits jackpot – KTLA Los Angeles

A Mega Millions ticket sold in San Jose is one of two jackpot-winning tickets from Friday night’s drawing.

The ticket, which was sold at a 7-Eleven in San Jose, hit on all six of the numbers in Friday’s drawing, including the Mega number. A second winning ticket was sold in Florida.

The winning numbers were: 41-22-26-9-44 and Mega number 19, according to the California Lottery.

The two winning tickets will split the estimated $494 million jackpot. The store where the ticket was sold will also receive a $1 million bonus.

The winner will remain unknown to lottery officials until they come forward to claim their prize. They have one year to come forward, otherwise the prize will go to California public schools, lottery officials said.

Last week, the California Lottery said a ticket sold in Culver City was worth $3.1 million. Six other tickets sold in the Los Angeles area were also winners of more than $1 million.

Another Mega Millions drawing will take place Tuesday with the jackpot rolling back to the starting point of $20 million.

Suggest a Correction

Source Article from https://ktla.com/news/local-news/mega-millions-ticket-sold-in-san-jose-hits-jackpot/

9 views no comments
Herschel Walker and Raphael Warnock face off over abortion and the economy in highly anticipated Senate debate – CBS News
Herschel Walker and Raphael Warnock face off over abortion and the economy in highly anticipated Senate debate – CBS News

Savannah –  Senate hopefuls Sen. Raphael Warnock and Herschel Walker faced off Friday night in their first and only scheduled debate before the election, addressing an array of topics, ranging from the economy to abortion.  

Both candidates pledged in their opening statements to be strong advocates for Georgia in Washington, D.C. Warnock said he grew up in public housing down the road from where the debate was being held, telling viewers that “only in America is my story possible.” 

The candidates discussed many issues critical to the state, including the economy, election integrity and abortion. Throughout the debate, Walker repeatedly tried to link Warnock to President Joe Biden, telling voters that Warnock has voted 96% of the time with the president. 

Warnock declined to say whether he would back Mr. Biden if he ran for office again in 2024, telling voters, “I have not thought for a minute about who should run.” 

Walker, on the other hand, said he’d fully support former President Donald Trump if he ran again, saying Trump is his “friend” and “I won’t leave my allies.” Both candidates, however, acknowledged that Mr. Biden won the 2020 election, and both pledged to respect the results of Georgia’s race. 

In another notable moment later in the debate, Warnock criticized Walker for having “a problem with the truth” and referenced reports that he had previously pretended to be a member of law enforcement. Walker then appeared to flash some kind of badge, saying he’s worked “with many police officers,” which prompted a moderator to chastise him for bringing what she called a “prop.”

“It’s not a prop, this is real,” Walker responded.   

Abortion has brought an extra level of attention to the race in recent days, due to a recent report by The Daily Beast that Walker, an abortion access opponent, paid for a woman’s abortion. The news outlet later reported that the woman is the mother of one of Walker’s children. Walker has repeatedly denied the allegation. CBS News has not confirmed the Daily Beast’s reporting.

Walker on Friday night said once again that the allegation is a “lie,” telling voters that “I’m a Christian, I believe in life.” 

And as he did in an interview with ABC News earlier this week, Walker continued to soften his previous stance on abortion, though he denied Friday this was the case. He said in the debate that he supports the Georgia “heartbeat” bill, which is the 2019 abortion law that went into effect after Roe v. Wade was overturned by the Supreme Court, ending the federal right to an abortion.

“I say I support the heartbeat bill,” Walker said Friday. “And I say I support the Georgia heartbeat bill because that’s the bill of the people from Gov. Kemp. And I said that has exceptions in it. I said I’m a Christian, but I’m also representing the people of Georgia, and that’s who I represent. So, what the people at Georgia stand for, I’m gonna stand with them.”

The Georgia law allows exceptions for rape and incest if a police report is filed. There is also an exception if the mother’s life is at risk, or the fetus becomes unviable.

Earlier this year, though, Walker filled out a candidate survey for an anti-abortion group, the Georgia Life Alliance, in which he indicated he supported an abortion ban without exceptions for rape, incest or the health of the mother.

“There’s no exception in my mind,” Walker told reporters in May at the Georgia Sports Hall of Fame in Macon, Georgia, adding, “Like I say, I believe in life. I believe in life.”

Ahead of the debate, supporters of each candidate who spoke with CBS News said they planned to tune in. 

In Walker’s hometown of Wrightsville, where a brand new football field bearing his name sits near the town center, some local residents said they were looking forward to seeing the University of Georgia football great take the stage.    

Republican Senate candidate for Georgia, Herschel Walker speaks to media at a campaign event on September 9, 2022 in Gwinnett, Georgia. 

Megan Varner / Getty Images


“I’m planning to watch everything I get my fingers on because I like to be well-informed on both sides,” said Robert Colson, a Walker supporter. “If I can find truth out of a candidate, that will impress me.”

Not far from Raphael Warnock Way in Savannah, Tammie Jenkins, who went to high school with Warnock, said she hoped the debate would stay focused on the issues. 

“He was always smart,” Jenkins said of Warnock. She supported him in 2020 but is keeping an open mind. “I want to know and see everyone’s opinions.”

Sen. Rev. Raphael Warnock speaks to supporters during his campaign tour, outside of the Liberty Theater on October 8, 2022 in Columbus, Georgia. 

Megan Varner / Getty Images


Many of the voters CBS News spoke to were with Jenkins — they wanted to hear about issues they care about, like the economy.

“All the backslashing and all that doesn’t matter, it mostly gets down to what are you going to do if you get into the Senate seat,” said Jennifer Jordan, who worries about the economy and rising gas and food prices.

Most polls have the pair virtually tied, and the CBS News Battleground Tracker has Georgia as a “toss up” state, with just 25 days until Election Day. Republicans nationwide are keeping their eyes on the Peach State as they try to work to take back control of the Senate, currently split 50-50, but under Democratic control because Vice President Kamala Harris breaks any tie. 

Early voting starts Monday. Traditionally, Democrats do better in early voting, so heavy turnout could be an indicator that favors Warnock, while lighter turnout could be positive for Walker.

Source Article from https://www.cbsnews.com/news/herschel-walker-raphael-warnock-debate-georgia-senate/

11 views no comments
Russian soldiers killed in military range shooting; Elon Musk mulls Starlink in Ukraine: Updates – USA TODAY
Russian soldiers killed in military range shooting; Elon Musk mulls Starlink in Ukraine: Updates – USA TODAY

Source Article from https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2022/10/15/ukraine-live-updates-putin-massive-strikes-elon-musk-starlink-spacex/10508793002/

7 views no comments
Biden admin releases initial student loan handout application weeks before midterms – Fox Business
Biden admin releases initial student loan handout application weeks before midterms – Fox Business
video

Marsha Blackburn: Student loan handout is Biden’s gift to the rich

Tennessee Republican Sen. Marsha Blackburn reacts to the IRS going after the gig economy and President Biden’s student loan handout on ‘Kudlow.’

President Biden’s administration rolled out an application site Friday for the White House’s student loan handout program.

The website, still in beta, allows individuals eligible for student loan forgiveness to submit self-certifying applications for the debt relief.

The website and debt forgiveness application process are currently being handled by the Department of Education.

HARVARD’S ENDOWMENT HAS FIRST YEAR OF NEGATIVE RETURNS SINCE 2016

President Joe Biden speaks about student loan debt forgiveness in the Roosevelt Room of the White House on Aug. 24 in Washington. (AP/Evan Vucci / AP Images)

The student debt handout, which was announced by the White House in August and is estimated to cost over $500 billion, qualifies those with a gross income of $125,000 as individuals or $250,000 for couples who file joint taxes. 

Federal Pell Grant recipients are eligible to receive up to $20,000, while non-Pell Grant recipients are eligible for up to $10,000. These qualifications are listed as a disclosure at the top of the application webpage. 

BIDEN’S STUDENT LOAN HANDOUT COST $426 BILLION, BOOSTED 2022 BUDGET DEFICIT TO $1.4 TRILLION: CBO

The announcement of the massive taxpayer-funded loan handout was met with sharp criticism from Republicans and independents.

FILE: Activists attend a rally outside of the White House to call on U.S. President Joe Biden to cancel student debt on July 27, 2022, in Washington, D.C. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images / Getty Images)

Several lawsuits have been filed in response, including one in Missouri that is set for a federal court hearing on Wednesday. Legal arguments focus on whether the executive branch has the authority to hand out such a significant sum.

THE NEXT US DEBT CRISIS: MAKING HUNDREDS OF BILLIONS IN INTEREST PAYMENT

The policy has been largely celebrated in Biden’s own party, with many commentators speculating the loan forgiveness could be a major shake-up ahead of the midterms.

President Biden speaks about lowering costs for American families at Irvine Valley Community College, in Irvine, California, Friday, Oct. 14, 2022. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster / AP Newsroom)

However, members of the Democratic Party further to the left than Biden have said the measure doesn’t go far enough, demanding full student loan forgiveness for all borrowers.

CLICK HERE TO READ MORE ON FOX BUSINESS

Borrowers on average in the U.S. owe $37,667 in student loans according to the Education Data Initiative, though amounts owed can vary based degree and location. 

The administration also said it considers the plan to be “fully paid for” by 2022 revenue earnings alone, which are on pace to lower the U.S. deficit by $1.7 trillion.

GET FOX BUSINESS ON THE GO BY CLICKING HERE

Fox News’ Caitlin McFall and Patrick Hauf contributed to this report.

Source Article from https://www.foxbusiness.com/politics/biden-admin-releases-initial-student-loan-handout-application-weeks-before-midterms

59 views no comments
D.A. to charge Raleigh shooting suspect as an adult as chilling 911 calls describe chaos, bodies on the ground – NBC News
D.A. to charge Raleigh shooting suspect as an adult as chilling 911 calls describe chaos, bodies on the ground – NBC News
7 views no comments
Winning ticket for Mega Millions $494 million jackpot sold in Florida – WFLA
Winning ticket for Mega Millions $494 million jackpot sold in Florida – WFLA

TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) — Two people have won the jackpot from Friday night’s Mega Millions drawing, according to the Mega Millions website.

A Mega Millions release said the two winning tickets were sold in California and Florida. Both tickets matched the numbers 9, 22, 26, 41, and 44, plus the gold Mega Ball 19.

The Florida Lottery said one of the winning jackpot tickets was sold at a 7-Eleven in Fort Myers. Coincidentally, the California Lottery said its winning jackpot ticket was sold at a 7-Eleven in San Jose.

Both ticketholders will now share the $494 million jackpot, taking home $247.9 million each.

This is the first jackpot win since someone in Illinois won the $1.337 billion jackpot from the July 29 drawing.

Mega Millions also said this is the first time in five years that multiple people won the jackpot — the last time being two winners in Michigan and Rhode Island splitting a $42 million prize.

The next drawing will be next Tuesday with a starting jackpot of $20 million.

Source Article from https://www.wfla.com/news/florida/winning-ticket-for-mega-millions-494-million-jackpot-sold-in-florida/

13 views no comments
New UK Treasury chief: Mistakes were made, tax rises coming – The Associated Press – en Español
New UK Treasury chief: Mistakes were made, tax rises coming – The Associated Press – en Español

LONDON (AP) — Britain’s new Treasury chief on Saturday acknowledged mistakes made by his predecessor and suggested that he may reverse much of Conservative Prime Minister Liz Truss’ tax-cutting plans in order to bring stability to the country after weeks of economic and political turbulence.

Jeremy Hunt, who was brought in Friday to replace Kwasi Kwarteng as Treasury chief and restore order in Truss’ administration, warned of “difficult decisions” to come. He said taxes could rise and public spending budgets would likely be squeezed further in the coming months.

Truss on Friday fired Kwarteng and ditched her pledge to scrap a planned increase in corporation tax as she sought to hang on to her job — after just six weeks in office.

Truss, a free-market libertarian, had previously insisted that her tax-cutting plans were what Britain needs to boost economic growth. But a “mini-budget” that she and Kwarteng unveiled three weeks ago, which promised 45 billion pounds ($50 billion) in tax cuts without explaining how the government would pay for them, sent the markets and the British pound tumbling and left her credibility in tatters.

The policies, which included cutting income tax for those on the highest incomes, were also widely criticized for being tone-deaf in the face of Britain’s cost-of-living crisis.

Hunt said Truss recognizes her mistakes and he is going to put them right. Hunt is expected to meet with Treasury officials later and with Truss on Sunday.

“It was wrong to cut the top rate of tax for the very highest earners at a time where we’re going to have to be asking for sacrifices from everyone to get through a very difficult period,” Hunt told the BBC Saturday.

“And it was wrong to fly blind and to announce those plans without reassuring people with the discipline of the Office for Budget Responsibility that we actually can afford to pay for them,” he added. “We have to show the world we have a plan that adds up financially.”

Hunt also indicated that taxes could rise and warned “it’s going to be difficult,” though he declined to give details about how he plans to balance the books ahead of a full fiscal statement expected on Oct. 31.

“Spending will not rise by as much as people would like and all government departments are going to have to find more efficiencies than they were planning to. And some taxes will not be cut as quickly as people want,” he said.

Hunt, who twice ran in the Conservative Party’s leadership contests, is an experienced lawmaker who previously served in top government posts including as foreign secretary.

His comments Saturday suggested he may dismantle much of the economic pledges that Truss campaigned for and tried to implement during her first weeks in office.

Truss’ U-turn on her pledge to stop a planned rise in corporation tax came after an earlier climbdown on her plans to cut the top rate of income tax for the highest earners.

Her position remains fragile. She has faced heavy pressure from across the political spectrum, including reports that senior members of her Conservative Party were plotting to force her from office.

On Friday she avoided repeated questions about why she should remain in office when she and Kwarteng were equally responsible for the government’s economic plan and the fallout it triggered.

“I am absolutely determined to see through what I have promised,” she said.

Asked Saturday how long Truss would remain as leader, Hunt said that “what the country wants now is stability” and she would be judged by what she delivers until the next general election in 2024.

“She has been prime minister for less than five weeks and I would just say this – I think that she will be judged at an election,” he said.

Source Article from https://apnews.com/article/business-liz-truss-government-and-politics-9e0dae3468c8863a550aa731c0d870c7

11 views no comments
Oil protesters appear in court after throwing soup at Van Gogh painting – CNBC
Oil protesters appear in court after throwing soup at Van Gogh painting – CNBC

The climate activists who threw soup over Vincent Van Gogh’s famous “Sunflowers” painting on Saturday appeared in a London court on charges of criminal damages, several outlets reported.

The two women were protesting as part of the campaign group Just Stop Oil, and they pleaded not guilty at the Westminster Magistrates’ Court during two brief hearings.

After dumping two cans of tomato soup over the Van Gogh oil painting Friday, the protesters also glued themselves to the gallery wall. They were removed by specialists and taken into custody, according to the London Metropolitan Police.

A spokesperson for the National Gallery confirmed that there was no damage to the painting, which is one of the iconic versions of “Sunflowers” that Van Gogh painted in the late 1880s. It has an estimated value of $80.99 million.

“There is some minor damage to the frame but the painting is unharmed,” the spokesperson told CNBC. The painting was covered by glass, and it was cleaned and returned to the National Gallery Friday afternoon.

Just Stop Oil has been protesting in London for the past two weeks, and the group said in a press release that its actions were “in response to the government’s inaction on both the cost of living crisis and the climate crisis.”

“What is worth more, art or life? Is it worth more than food? Worth more than justice? Are you more concerned about the protection of a painting or the protection of our planet and people?” one activist said in a video of the event.

Just Stop Oil has received widespread criticism from environmental groups and politicians from the opposition Labour Party following the protest.

Source Article from https://www.cnbc.com/2022/10/15/oil-protesters-appear-in-court-threw-soup-van-gogh-painting.html

11 views no comments
Five takeaways from the Georgia Senate debate – CNN
Five takeaways from the Georgia Senate debate – CNN

When Democratic Sen. Raphael Warnock and Republican Herschel Walker met to debate in the already contentious Georgia Senate race, all the focus was on how personal allegations against Walker would roil the first – and likely only – debate in the campaign.

Walker continued to deny allegations that he paid for a woman to terminate her pregnancy and then, two years later, encouraged the same woman to have the procedure a second time, calling them “a lie.” That, however, was just a blip in the hour-long contest, which instead centered on Warnock’s ties to President Joe Biden, the vast differences between the two candidates on abortion and even, however briefly, Walker’s use of what appeared to be a sheriff’s badge.

Warnock, as he has on the campaign trail, did not engage on the controversy over the allegations against Walker, instead choosing to question his Republican opponent’s relationship to the truth.

“We will see time and time again, as we have already seen, that my opponent has a problem with the truth,” Warnock said. “And just because he says something doesn’t mean it’s true.”

For Walker, the debate was as much about touting his own candidacy as it was about tying Warnock to Biden, who was invoked early and often. His effort, in the closing moments, to assuage fence-sitting voters about his readiness to serve also included a jab at Warnock and Biden.

“For those of you who are concerned about voting for me, a non-politician, I want you to think about the damage politicians like Joe Biden and Raphael Warnock have done to this country,” Walker said.

Here are five takeaways from Friday’s debate:

Walker tries to bring Biden on stage

Biden wasn’t on the stage Friday night, but Walker tried repeatedly to convince viewers that the Democratic President was ostensibly there with his Democratic opponent.

From the outset of the event, Walker repeatedly invoked Biden, hoping to tie his Democratic opponent to the President’s low approval ratings.

“This race isn’t about me. It is about what Raphael Warnock and Joe Biden have done to you and your family,” Walker said at the top of the debate.

Later, when pressed on voter fraud in the 2020 election, he added, “Did President Biden win? President Biden won, and Sen. Warnock won. That’s the reason I decided to run.”

He then synthesized his point: “I am running because he and Joe Biden are the same.”

Warnock did little to distance himself from Biden, even at times touting the legislation he passed with the President’s help. But during a question on foreign policy, he took the chance to note a specific time he stood up to the Biden administration.

“I am glad we are standing up to Putin’s aggression and we have to continue to stand up, which is why I stood up to the Biden administration when it suggested we should close the Savanah Combat Readiness Training Center,” Warnock said. “I told the President that was the exact wrong thing to do at the exact wrong time. … We kept that training center open.”

Walker went back to his message in response: “He didn’t stand up. He had laid down every time it came around.”

“It is evident,” said a somewhat exasperated Warnock, “that he has a point that he tried to make time and time again.”

‘That is a lie’

Headed into the debate, the focus was on how Walker – and arguably less predictably, Warnock – would address the accusations that the Republican candidate allegedly paid for a woman to terminate her pregnancy and then, two years later, encouraged the same woman to have the procedure a second time.

Walker did what he has done repeatedly as the allegations roiled an already contentious Senate race: Label the allegations a lie.

“As I said, that is a lie,” Walker said in response to a question from the moderator. “I put it in a book, one thing about my life, I have been very transparent. Not like the senator, he has hid things.”

Walker added: “I said that is a lie and I am not backing down. And we have Sen. Warnock, people that would do anything and say anything for this seat. But I am not going to back down.”

CNN has not independently verified the allegations about Walker.

Warnock, as he has done previously, did not address the allegations, instead choosing to let Walker fight them off without pushing them himself.

Instead, the senator took a broad approach, focusing on Walker’s “problem with the truth” and less on the specific allegations.

Abortion was a flash point

The candidates also clashed on abortion rights more generally, with Walker insisting he did not support a federal ban, in contrast to past statements, and pointing to the state’s restrictive “heartbeat” law. The law prohibits abortions as soon as early cardiac activity is detectable, which can be as early as six weeks, before many women know they are pregnant.

“On abortion, I’m a Christian. I believe in life. Georgia is a state that respects life,” Walker said.

The Georgia law makes exceptions for cases of rape or incest, pending a timely police report, and in some cases where the pregnant person’s health is at risk.

Before the Supreme Court’s ruling overturning Roe v. Wade, state law had allowed abortions up to 20 weeks.

Warnock, who supports abortion rights, repeated an argument he’s made on the trail: “A patient’s room is too narrow and small and cramped for a woman, her doctor and the US government. … I trust women more than I trust politicians.”

Walker then shot back, invoking Warnock’s support for the Black Lives Matter movement against police brutality.

“He told me Black lives matter… If Black lives matter, why are you not protecting those babies? And instead of aborting those babies, why aren’t you baptizing those babies?,” Walker said.

Warnock, as he did throughout the debate, didn’t directly answer Walker’s provocation. Instead, he repeated his position.

“There are enough politicians piling into the rooms of patients,” the senator said, “and I don’t plan to join them.”

Warnock argues for Medicaid expansion while Walker is unclear

Georgia is one of 12 states not to expand Medicaid and currently has an estimated 1.5 million uninsured residents.

Walker, when asked by the moderator if the federal government should step in to make sure everyone has access to health care, began a confusing non-response.

“Well, right now, people have coverage for health care. It’s according to what type of coverage do you want. Because if you have an able-bodied job, you’re going to have health care,” he said. “But everyone else – have health care is the type of health care you’re going to get. And I think that is the problem.”

Walker continued to say that Warnock wants people to “depend on the government,” while he wants “you to get off the government health care and get on the health care he’s got.”

To note: Warnock, as a US Senator, is on a government health care plan.

Walker also gave a puzzling response to Warnock’s attack on his opposition to federal legislation capping the price of insulin for people with diabetes.

“I believe in reducing insulin, but at the same time, you have to eat right,” Walker said. “Unless you have eating right, insulin is doing you no good. So you have to get food prices down and you got to get gas prices down so they can go and get insulin.”

Warnock responded by telling viewers who require the drug that Walker was, in effect, blaming them for their struggles accessing it.

Warnock, on the subject of his pledge to close the Medicaid gap, was asked how he would pay for it.

“This is not a theoretical issue for me,” he replied, invoking the story of a nurse in a trauma ward who lost coverage when she became sick and, as he put it, died “for lack of health care.”

“Georgia needs to expand Medicaid,” Warnock continued. “It costs us more not to expand. What we’re doing right now is we’re subsidizing health care in other states” – a reference to the state’s refusal to accept federal funds that residents already pay into.

‘You have a prop’

The debate within the debate over Warnock’s support for police, in which the senator pointed to his support for legislation that backed smaller departments, was briefly derailed when Walker pulled out what appeared to be a police badge.

The moderator quickly admonished Walker, reminding him that props were not allowed onstage.

“You have a prop,” the surprised moderator said. “That is not allowed, sir.”

Moments earlier, Warnock – in response to Walker’s claims that he has “called (police officers) names” and caused “morale” to plummet – said that his opponent “has a problem with the truth.”

Warnock then hit Walker with a callback to a more than two-decade-old police report in which the Republican discussed exchanging gunfire with police and a subsequent false claim from Walker that he previously served in law enforcement.

“One thing that I haven’t done is I haven’t pretended to be a police officer and I’ve never, ever threatened a shootout with police,” he said.

Warnock also argued that his support for greater scrutiny of police didn’t undermine his support for law enforcement.

“You can support police officers, as I’ve done, through the COPS program, through the invest-to-protect program, while at the same time, holding police officers, like all professions, accountable,” he said.

Source Article from https://www.cnn.com/2022/10/14/politics/georgia-senate-debate-takeaways/index.html

10 views no comments
Could Trump testify? Subpoena sets up prospect of dramatic political spectacle – The Guardian US
Could Trump testify? Subpoena sets up prospect of dramatic political spectacle – The Guardian US

The House January 6 select committee’s unanimous move to subpoena Donald Trump, demanding that he testify about his knowledge of the Capitol attack, sets up the prospect of a political spectacle as the congressional investigation races towards what could be an explosive conclusion.

The former US president may decide to ignore the subpoena and decide not to cooperate with the inquiry, or alternatively, believing that he is his own best spokesman and can answer for his actions to anyone, may agree to a dramatic deposition.

But whatever path Trump chooses, the decision of constitutional consequence appears certain to also become a pitched political spectacle – with each side seeking to achieve their own goals as the congressional investigation into the Capitol attack prepares to finish its work.

The driving factor pushing Trump to want to testify has centered around a reflexive belief that he can convince investigators that their own inquiry is a supposed witch-hunt and convince them that he committed no crimes over January 6, according to sources familiar with the matter.

Trump has previously expressed an eagerness to appear before the select committee and “get his pound of flesh” as long as he can appear live before an audience, the sources said – a thought he reiterated to close aides on Thursday after the panel voted to issue him a subpoena.

But Trump also appears to have become more aware about the pitfalls of testifying in investigations, with lawyers warning him about mounting legal issues in criminal inquiries brought by the justice department and a civil lawsuit brought by the New York state attorney’s office.

The former president invoked his fifth amendment right against self-incrimination more than 440 times in a deposition with the New York state attorney’s office before it filed a fraud lawsuit against him, three of his children, and senior Trump Organization executives.

Trump also ultimately took the advice of his lawyers during the special counsel investigation into ties between his 2016 campaign and Russia, submitting only written responses to investigators despite initially telling advisers he wanted to testify in person to clear his name.

The issue for Trump with the select committee remains whether the panel would accept a demand to testify live. The select committee has rejected testimony with conditions for virtually all witnesses, with the exception of former Trump White House aide Cassidy Hutchinson.

If Trump does make his appearance contingent on conditions that the select committee cannot countenance, it is not clear what options are available to compel his testimony given his position as a former president.

The chairman of the select committee, congressman Bennie Thompson, said in advance of the vote to issue Trump a subpoena that chief among the reasons the panel sought his testimony was because his singular role in driving events towards January 6 necessitated full accountability.

Members on the select committee believe securing Trump’s testimony could answer several unresolved issues – such as his contacts with political operatives at the Trump war room at the Willard hotel, sources say – but Thompson added it went beyond evidence-gathering.

“He must be accountable. He is required to answer for his actions,” Thompson said.

But the select committee is expected to face difficulty should it seek to enforce its subpoena through the courts, with Trump’s lawyers focusing on the justice department’s office of legal counsel opinions contending that former presidents have absolute immunity from testifying to Congress.

The panel’s previous attempts to force Trump White House officials to comply with subpoenas have resulted in protracted legal battles over executive privilege that were mostly resolved through some partial cooperation, such as with Trump’s former chief of staff Mark Meadows.

Attempts to seek judicial enforcement against Trump would be even more time-consuming and given the justice department’s internal position on absolute immunity – a stronger protection than executive privilege – the effort might be wholly unsuccessful, legal experts said.

The select committee could alternatively refer the former president to the justice department for contempt of Congress as it did with former aides Steve Bannon and Peter Navarro, but the justice department would probably decline to prosecute on the immunity standard, the experts said.

The calculus appears to leave Trump with a political prisoner’s dilemma, one person directly familiar with the investigation said – adding that they believed the panel will be perceived in history as having done as much as it could to uncover Trump’s connection to the Capitol attack.

Source Article from https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2022/oct/15/trump-testify-january-6-subpoena-capitol-attack

20 views no comments
Raphael Warnock and Herschel Walker Debate in Georgia – The New York Times
Raphael Warnock and Herschel Walker Debate in Georgia – The New York Times

Mr. Warnock declined to say whether he thought Mr. Biden should run for re-election, saying: “You’re asking me who’s going to run in ’24? The people of Georgia get to decide who’s going to be their senator in three days.” He also embraced many of the policies the president has pushed, like student loan forgiveness.

At times, Mr. Walker tripped up on his language and policy details, including when he said he wanted Georgians to move away from government health care to the kind of insurance Mr. Warnock has — which is government-subsidized health care.

At one point, Mr. Walker also seemed to blame people with diabetes for their condition, saying during a discussion on insulin costs that while he believed in reducing the price of the drug, “at the same time, you got to eat right,” adding that “unless you’re eating right, insulin is doing you no good.”

But overall, Mr. Walker held his own after he and his campaign had assiduously tried to lower expectations ahead of the debate. A month beforehand, the candidate half-jokingly told reporters that he was “a country boy” and “not that smart.” Mr. Warnock, he said, was “going to show up and embarrass me.”

How Times reporters cover politics. We rely on our journalists to be independent observers. So while Times staff members may vote, they are not allowed to endorse or campaign for candidates or political causes. This includes participating in marches or rallies in support of a movement or giving money to, or raising money for, any political candidate or election cause.

That did not happen, but Mr. Walker’s biggest task was to quell doubts about his qualifications for the office.

It is unclear if he succeeded. He continued his outright denial of the abortion claims by his former girlfriend. “I said that was a lie, and I’m not backing down,” he said.

In perhaps Mr. Warnock’s most combative move, he pivoted from a question about “defunding police” to Mr. Walker’s history of violent altercations and exaggerations of his résumé, including a claim that he had been in law enforcement.

Source Article from https://www.nytimes.com/2022/10/14/us/politics/walker-warnock-georgia-senate-debate.html

13 views no comments
Trump writes letter to Jan. 6 committee after its vote to subpoena him and boasts about crowd size – CBS News
Trump writes letter to Jan. 6 committee after its vote to subpoena him and boasts about crowd size – CBS News

A day after the House Jan. 6 select committee voted unanimously to subpoena former President Trump, he responded with an angry letter to committee Chairman Bennie Thompson to complain about its work. The select committee has been investigating the Capitol riot on Jan. 6, 2021, and its root causes, with the aim of determining who was responsible for the mayhem and preventing it from happening again.

Trump did not mention the subpoena, and instead railed at the committee; he said he was writing “to express our anger, disappointment, and complaint that with all of the hundreds of millions of dollars spent on what many consider to be a Charade and Witch Hunt.” He also attacked the committee for not looking into election fraud and appeared to defend the targets of the committee, who, he claimed were just acting “as concerned American Citizens, protesting the Fraud itself.” 

Thompson said in Thursday’s hearing that Trump “is the one person at the center of the story of what happened on Jan. 6. So we want to hear from him.” 

The former president also brought up crowd size in the letter, complete with an appendix of photos of the crowd, and assailed the committee in his first line in all capital letters: “THE PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION OF 2020 WAS RIGGED AND STOLEN!” 

The ex-president’s attempts to challenge the results of the 2020 presidential election have all failed in court, and election security officials nominated or appointed by Trump declared the 2020 election the “most secure in history.” 

Trump claimed he recommended and authorized “thousands of troops to be deployed to ensure that there was peace, safety and security at the Capitol and throughout Washington, D.C., on January 6th because I knew, just based on instinct and what I was hearing, that the crowd coming to listen to my speech, and various others, would be a very big one, far bigger than anyone thought possible.”

“As it turns out, it was indeed one of the largest crowds I have ever spoken [at] before, a very wide swath stretching all the way back to the Washington Monument,” he continued. “The massive size of this crowd, and its meaning, has never been a subject of your Committee, nor has it been discussed by the Fake News Media that absolutely refuses to acknowledge, in any way, shape or form, the magnitude of what was taking place.” 

Here is Trump’s response to the Jan. 6 committee.

This is a developing story.

Kathryn Watson

Kathryn Watson is a politics reporter for CBS News Digital based in Washington, D.C.

Source Article from https://www.cbsnews.com/news/trump-jan-6-committee-letter-crowd-size/

17 views no comments