One person hospitalized after Saturday wreck near Hollywood

By

Brian Wellmeier

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December 16, 2024

12.16.24 Hollywood IMG_8054 — A three-vehicle wreck blocks Hollywood Highway Saturday night (Rob Moore/Habersham County)

One person was sent to the hospital Saturday, Dec. 14, after a multi-vehicle collision near 3408 Hollywood Highway.

Habersham County first responders took the call of a head-on collision involving three vehicles just after 7:25 p.m.

The wreck, which occurred between Buckhorn Road and Muscadine Lane, shut down Hollywood Highway until about 8:20 p.m.

A Chevrolet truck involved in Saturday night’s wreck on Hollywood Highway rests
partially in a private driveway (Rob Moore/Habersham County)

One person was transported by Habersham County Emergency Services Med 9 to Northeast Georgia Medical Center in Gainesville.

Georgia State Patrol is investigating the incident.

Judge rejects Trump’s bid to toss hush money conviction because of Supreme Court immunity ruling

By

Michael R. Sisak, Jake Offenhartz and Jennifer Peltz

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December 16, 2024

NEW YORK (AP) — A judge Monday refused to throw out President-elect Donald Trump’s hush money conviction because of the U.S. Supreme Court’s recent ruling on presidential immunity. But the overall future of the historic case remains unclear.

Manhattan Judge Juan M. Merchan’s decision blocks one potential off-ramp from the case ahead of the former and future president’s return to office next month. His lawyers have raised other arguments for dismissal, however. It’s unclear when — or whether — a sentencing date might be set.

Prosecutors have said there should be some accommodation for his upcoming presidency, but they insist the conviction should stand.

A jury convicted Trump in May of 34 counts of falsifying business records related to a $130,000 hush money payment to porn actor Stormy Daniels in 2016. Trump denies wrongdoing.

The allegations involved a scheme to hide the payout to Daniels during the final days of Trump’s 2016 presidential campaign to keep her from publicizing — and keep voters from hearing — her claim of a sexual encounter with the married then-businessman years earlier. He says nothing sexual happened between them.

A month after the verdict, the Supreme Court ruled that ex-presidents can’t be prosecuted for official acts — things they did in the course of running the country — and that prosecutors can’t cite those actions to bolster a case centered on purely personal, unofficial conduct.

Trump’s lawyers then cited the Supreme Court opinion to argue that the hush money jury got some improper evidence, such as Trump’s presidential financial disclosure form, testimony from some White House aides and social media posts made while he was in office.

In Monday’s ruling, Merchan denied the bulk of Trump’s claims that some of prosecutors’ evidence related to official acts and implicated immunity protections.

The judge said that even if he found that some evidence related to official conduct, he’d still conclude that prosecutors’ decision to use “these acts as evidence of the decidedly personal acts of falsifying business records poses no danger of intrusion on the authority and function of the Executive Branch.”

Even if prosecutors had erroneously introduced evidence that could be challenged under an immunity claim, Merchan continued, “such error was harmless in light of the overwhelming evidence of guilt.”

Prosecutors had said the evidence in question was only “a sliver” of their case.

Trump communications director Steven Cheung on Monday called Merchan’s decision a “direct violation of the Supreme Court’s decision on immunity, and other longstanding jurisprudence.”

“This lawless case should have never been brought, and the Constitution demands that it be immediately dismissed,” Cheung said in a statement.

Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg’s office, which prosecuted the case, declined to comment.

Merchan’s decision noted that part of the Supreme Court’s immunity ruling declared that “not everything the president does is official.” Trump’s social media posts, for example, were personal, Merchan wrote.

He also pointed to a prior federal court ruling that concluded that the hush money payment and subsequent reimbursements pertained to Trump’s private life, not official duties.

Trump, a Republican, takes office Jan. 20. He’s the first former president to be convicted of a felony and the first convicted criminal to be elected to the office.

Over the last six months, his lawyers have made numerous efforts to get the conviction and the overall case dismissed. After Trump won last month’s election, Merchan indefinitely postponed his sentencing — which had been scheduled for late November — so defense lawyers and prosecutors could suggest next steps.

Trump’s defense argued that anything other than immediate dismissal would undermine the transfer of power and cause unconstitutional “disruptions” to the presidency.

Meanwhile, prosecutors proposed several ways to preserve the historic conviction. Among the suggestions: freezing the case until Trump leaves office in 2029; agreeing that any future sentence won’t include jail time; or closing the case by noting he was convicted but that he wasn’t sentenced and his appeal wasn’t resolved because he took office.

The last idea is drawn from what some states do when a defendant dies after conviction but before sentencing.

Trump’s lawyers branded the concept “absurd” and took issue with the other suggestions, too.

Trump was indicted four times last year. The hush money case was the only one to go to trial.

After the election, special counsel Jack Smith ended his two federal cases. They pertained to Trump’s efforts to overturn his 2020 election loss and allegations that he hoarded classified documents at his Mar-a-Lago estate.

A separate state election interference case in Fulton County, Georgia, is largely on hold.

Trump denies wrongdoing in all.

Fantasy sports company expands presence in Georgia as Senate lawmakers punt on gaming expansion

By

Stanley Dunlap

-

December 16, 2024

Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp, left, and Mike Ybarra, CEO of fantasy sports company Daily PrizePicks, weighed in on the prospects of legalized online sports betting heading into 2025 legislative session. PrizePicks is opening a new headquarters in midtown Atlanta as it expands its operations. (Stanley Dunlap/Georgia Recorder)

(Georgia Recorder) — The expansion of a fantasy sports headquarters in midtown Atlanta was hailed last week by Gov. Brian Kemp as evidence of the industry’s role in the state’s booming technology innovation.

A ribbon-cutting ceremony was held Thursday in the unfinished office space, where the Republican governor, local and state officials, and PrizePicks executives met inside the future headquarters of a growing brand that expects to hire 1,000 new employees within the next seven years.

Sports gambling supporters have been trying to persuade lawmakers to legalize sports gambling in Georgia, arguing that the revenue could be used to fund college scholarships and other programs.

In 2018, the U.S. Supreme Court struck down a federal law that prohibited sports betting in most of the country, allowing states to regulate mobile sportsbooks. Despite legal uncertainty, the mobile sports industry has exploded across the country, with PrizePicks offering users more than 30 fantasy sports categories to wager on.

A bill sponsored by Athens Republican Sen. Bill Cowsert would have put sports betting on the ballot this fall. Cowsert’s measure cleared the Senate but failed to pass in the House, marking yet another setback after numerous versions of sports betting legislation have failed to pass both chambers in recent years.

The debates have largely centered on how to divide revenue among causes like rural health care and needs-based college scholarships, as well as pre-K, which has been a preference of both political parties’ caucuses.

Kemp said Thursday that he has maintained a neutral stance regarding legalized sports betting, emphasizing his push for job growth to boost the economy while staying protective of Georgia’s lottery-funded HOPE scholarship program.

“My position has been very clear on gaming. That being said, the Legislature, especially, if they’re trying to do a constitutional amendment, it doesn’t really matter what I think,” Kemp said. “My whole thing is if they’re going to do something like that we need to make sure it does not cannibalize the lottery and HOPE scholarship.”

Mike Ybarra, CEO of PrizePicks, stressed the importance of maintaining a positive working relationship with the governor’s staff and keeping its focus on the daily fantasy sports space.

“It’s where we come from, it’s where our business is,” Ybarra told reporters Thursday. “You asked the governor a question about (online sports betting). We’re not pushing online sports. We love our relationship with the governor and his team and the growth of our business.”

Ybarra said there is a difference between more “skill based” fantasy sports and the standard sports betting which is based on certain factors such as the how many points a team will outscore their opponent.

“Fantasy sports is a very different profile of entertainment for us,” he said.

Sen. Clint Dixon, sponsor of a sports betting regulation measure in 2024, describes the chances that sports betting passes in 2025 as low.

The Buford Republican’s bill in 2024 proposed that the Georgia Lottery oversee the bidding process to award seven licenses to sports gambling companies. The other licenses would be distributed among Atlanta’s five major professional sports franchises: NASCAR, Georgia Lottery, PGA, and Augusta National.

He also said he would be glad to carry any sports betting bill that passes through the House next year. He said he believes legalizing online sports betting as well as a broader array of fantasy sports could bring an additional $40 million in revenue annually. The new legislative session begins Jan. 13.

During the past few years, the movement to legalize horse racing and casinos has faced stronger opposition. Powerful conservative religious organizations, including the Georgia Baptist Mission Board, oppose the sports betting industry that is supported by the Georgia Chamber of Commerce and an alliance of Atlanta-based professional sports franchises.

“We passed it through the Senate with a constitutional amendment fairly quickly, but it got bogged down in the House,” Dixon said Friday. “From what I understand, the House will take it up this year, it won’t be starting in the Senate, and we’ll see if they can get it across to us.”

Earlier this year, Cowsert said he would defer action on sports betting legislation to the House next session and see if they show interest. He expressed his frustration with the House putting a halt to a sports betting plan this year that incorporated input from various parties.

“From the Senate standpoint, we think this year’s version, in particular, was very well crafted,” Cowsert told the Recorder earlier this year. “All the different players in the industry were in agreement and we had fantastic provisions to prevent problem gaming that I think addressed a lot of people’s concerns. Yet the House still didn’t act on it so perhaps there’s not the political will in the state of Georgia to pass it.

“My recommendation is that the Senate refer to the House next go round and let’s see if they have any appetite or interest in passing sports betting,” Cowsert said.

Georgia Recorder reporter Ross Williams contributed to this report.

Fire breaks out at nursing home laundry facility

By

Joy Purcell

-

December 16, 2024

Willowood Nursing Home laundry fire — Hall County firefighers respond to an early morning blaze near the Willowood Nursing Home in Flowery Branch on Dec. 16, 2024. (Hall County Fire Rescue)

FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. – A detached laundry facility behind Willowwood Nursing Home in Flowery Branch caught fire early Monday morning, according to Hall County Fire Rescue (HCFR).

The fire broke out around 1:30 a.m. on Dec. 16 at the small commercial building located in the 4500 block of Cantrell Road. HCFR Station 5 arrived to find the laundry facility partially engulfed in flames, says HCFR spokesperson Kimberlie Ledsinger.

Firefighters quickly extinguished the fire from inside the structure, preventing it from spreading to the nursing home. HCFR confirmed that no residents were affected by the fire.

The Hall County Fire Marshal’s Office is investigating the unknown cause of the fire.

Search continues for suspect who shot Towns County deputy

By

Brian Wellmeier

-

December 16, 2024

The search continues for the suspect who shot a Towns County deputy during a traffic stop last week. Deputy Austin Bradburn remains hospitalized, according to organizers of a GoFundMe account set up to help the wounded deputy.

According to the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, Bradburn stopped a silver 2010 or similar model Honda without a tag on Plott Town Road in Young Harris early Friday morning. Following the stop, authorities say the suspect exited the vehicle and approached Bradburn.

After an unsuccessful attempt to tase the suspect, police say there was a struggle between Bradburn and the suspect, who shot Bradburn with Bradburn’s own weapon. The suspect then fled the scene in his vehicle, leaving the deputy’s firearm behind.

Bradburn was taken to a metro hospital to be treated for non-life-threatening injuries.

“Bradburn has a recovery period that is unknown at this time, but he is alive,” Bradburn’s GoFundMe states. “He will be out of work, and workman’s comp can only cover so much. This GoFundMe is being started to assist him with any expensive [sic] that may be needed outside of workman’s comp.”

Search continues

The GBI is now looking for the suspect, who is described as a white man about 6 feet tall and weighing between 170 and 180 pounds. He was driving a 2010 or similar silver Honda four-door sedan. According to the GBI, the suspect wore a black beanie, gray hoodie, and black athletic pants.

The GBI on Monday said the suspect has not been identified and remains at large.

The investigation is active and ongoing. The GBI and the Towns County Sheriff’s Office are asking for the public’s help in identifying the suspect. Anyone with information is asked to call Towns County 911 or the GBI Tipline at 800-597-TIPS (8477). Tips can also be submitted online.

Michael Handlon “Mike” Crawford

By

Now Habersham

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December 16, 2024

Michael Handlon “Mike” Crawford, age 77 of Cornelia, passed away peacefully on Sunday, December 15, 2024.

He was a lifelong resident of Habersham County, born on June 23, 1947, to his late parents, Gloria Schwager Crawford and Linton Kimzey Crawford, Sr.

Mike was a 1965 graduate of South Habersham High School. Following high school, he attended the University of Georgia. Then, he joined the United States Navy in 1968 and served during the Vietnam War. Following his time in the service, he attended John Marshall Law School and earned his law degree. He went on to serve as Assistant District Attorney for 9 years and then as District Attorney for the Mountain Judicial Circuit for 24 years. He retired in 2007 with 32 years of service to the State of Georgia. He was Scout Master for Boy Scouts Troop 605 for many years and enjoyed hiking, bowling, and playing and writing music in his spare time. Mike was a lifelong member of First Presbyterian Church, Cornelia.

In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by his loving wife, Elizabeth “Beth” Dawson Crawford; brothers, Linton Kimzey “Kim” Crawford, Jr. and Matthew Brian Crawford.

Survivors include daughter Cathy Crawford; son and daughter-in-law, Michael & Sharla Crawford; daughter-in-love Natalie A. Crawford; grandchildren, Chloe Evelyn Crawford, Michael Thomas Crawford, and Benjamin Michael Crawford; great-grandson, Gabriel Ezekiel Crawford; great-granddaughter on the way, Elizabeth Rose Crawford; bonus grandchildren, Abraham Parker Patrick and Sky A. Barnett; sister, Sharon Ann Crawford; sister-in-law, Sonja Crawford; several nieces, nephews, other relatives and friends.

Funeral services are at 11 am on Friday, December 20, 2024, at First Presbyterian Church, Cornelia, with Rev. Andy Chambers officiating.

The family will receive friends from 6-8 pm on Thursday, December 19, 2024, at the funeral home.

In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to First Presbyterian Church, Cornelia, P.O. Box 165, Cornelia, Georgia 30531.

An online guest register is available and may be viewed at www.mcgaheegriffinandstewart.com.

McGahee-Griffin & Stewart Funeral Home of Cornelia, Georgia (706/778-8668) is in charge of arrangements.

Drone sighting epidemic spurs Dems in Congress to urge more transparency from feds

By

Jacob Fischler

-

December 16, 2024

Members of Congress are among those calling for greater transparency from the federal government as a spate of reported drone sightings concentrated in New Jersey and New York have raised questions beyond the Northeast.

Reported sightings of drones, officially known as unmanned aerial systems, or UAS, have spiked since Nov.18, when authorities received several reports of suspicious drone activity near critical infrastructure in New Jersey, according to an FBI official in the state who briefed reporters over the weekend.

The increased activity has worried some and led to calls from lawmakers for the federal agencies to provide more information on drone activity, even as security officials urged caution.

In a statement that described an “epidemic of non-stop drone sightings,” U.S. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer called for the federal government to deploy more drone-detection systems and to share information with local authorities.

“I want it deployed widely across New York and New Jersey to help give us concrete answers on what is going on, and from where,” Schumer, a New York Democrat, said of a drone-detection system that the federal government uses. “What we need right now is data. The briefings I have had tell me there is no evidence that this is a government or foreign activity, and so, we have to answer the logical of question of: who?”

Schumer called on Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas to deploy the drone-detection system and said he would cosponsor a bill that would give local law enforcement more authority to respond to drone sightings.

Drones, like planes and other users of the national airspace, are regulated by the Federal Aviation Administration.

“We still have very few answers on where some of these drones come from and who may be operating them,” Schumer said Monday on the Senate floor. “The people of New York and New Jersey have a lot of questions and haven’t gotten many answers. We know one thing, though. Local officials now don’t have the resources nor the authority to get to the bottom of what’s happening.”

On CBS’ Sunday morning news show “Face the Nation,” Sen. Amy Klobuchar, a Minnesota Democrat who is a senior member of the Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee with jurisdiction over the FAA, called for federal officials to brief U.S. senators.

“We need more transparency,” she said.

‘No evidence’ of threat, says DOD

U.S. Defense Department spokesman Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder told reporters Monday that there was “no evidence at this time that the reported drone sightings pose a national security or public safety threat or have a foreign nexus.”

Regardless, he said he wanted to take the public’s concerns seriously, but also offered further context.

The drone industry is expanding, with more than 1 million hobbyist and commercial drones licensed by the FAA and 8,000 in use daily.

He likened the drone sightings, even those near military installations or other important sites, to drivers who may get lost and turn up in their cars at places they are not supposed to be, something he said happens regularly without incident.

“The point being is that flying drones is not illegal,” he said. “There are thousands of drones flown around the U.S. on a daily basis. So, as a result, it’s not that unusual to see drones in the sky, nor is it an indication of malicious activity or any public safety threat.”

New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy, a Democrat, noted Monday that federal investigators had not found any malicious activity and urged residents to “calm down” about drone sightings.

Many recent reports of drones, noted by non-experts, turned out to be commercial planes flying regularly scheduled nighttime routes.

More than 5,000 tips

The New Jersey-based FBI official said that the vast majority of the more than 5,000 tips his office received in the past month related to unidentified objects in the night skies have not been “actionable.”

The official, who briefed reporters along with officials from other agencies on the condition their names not be used, said the FBI was working to identify the 100 or so tips that did warrant further investigation.

“I don’t want to cause alarm and panic, but you can’t ignore the sightings that have been there, and we are concerned about those just as much as anybody else is,” the FBI official said. “We’re doing our best to find the origin of that specific — of those drone activities. But I think there has been a slight overreaction.”

Olene Smith Loudermilk

By

Now Habersham

-

December 16, 2024

Olene Smith Loudermilk, 91, of Mt. Airy, passed away Sunday, December 15, 2024, at her residence.

Born in the Batesville Community on January 31, 1933, Mrs. Loudermilk was the daughter of the late Taft and Della Trotter Smith. She was an inspector at Piedmont Automotive and a homemaker. Mrs. Loudermilk enjoyed gardening, sewing, and reading. In addition to her parents, Mrs. Loudermilk is preceded in death by husband Haskell Loudermilk, son Ray Loudermilk, grandson Nicholas Ray Loudermilk, brothers Lewis Smith, Ronald Smith, and Maurice Smith, and an infant sister.

Survivors include daughter Sheila Ramsey of Mt. Airy, sons William Loudermilk of Mt. Airy, Tim Loudermilk (Kathy) of Cullman, Alabama, and Haskell Loudermilk of Mt. Airy, grandchildren Brittany Loudermilk, Jennifer Littleton, Benny Loudermilk (Kaitlin), Rebekah Murray (Dalton), Kelly Maxwell (Will), Casey Martin (Harry), Ben Loudermilk and Charles Loudermilk, sixteen great-grandchildren and another on the way, as well as numerous nieces, nephews and extended family.

Graveside services will be held on Wednesday, December 18, 2024, at 11:00 AM at Antioch Baptist Church Cemetery, with Rev. David Stancil officiating. The family will receive friends at the funeral home on Tuesday, December 17, 2024, from 5-8 PM.

An online guest book is available for the family by visiting www.hillsidememorialchapel.com.

Arrangements are in the care and professional direction of Hillside Memorial Chapel & Gardens, Clarkesville. 706-754-6256

UNG ranks among ‘best’ schools for vets

By

Brian Wellmeier

-

December 16, 2024

UNG — Jeremiah Morgan, an Air Force veteran from Chatsworth, Georgia, is pursuing a Bachelor of Fine Arts in visual arts with a concentration in digital arts (University of North Georgia)

The University of North Georgia is now ranked as the second-best public university in Georgia on the 2024 “Best for Vets: Colleges” list released by Military Times.

UNG (ranked 77), Georgia Southern University (ranked 46) and the University of Georgia (ranked 100) were the only public universities in the state to earn a spot in the top 100 of the list, which included 304 colleges and universities.

“This recognition reflects our dedication to providing resources, community and guidance that help veterans transition to academic life and achieve success. By fostering an environment where veterans feel valued and empowered, we’re not only honoring their service but also enhancing the diverse perspectives and strengths they bring to our campus community,” Christy Orr, executive director of Student Orientation and Success, said. “Moving up on the list motivates us to keep improving our programs, ensuring that our veterans, active-duty members and their families find a true sense of belonging and purpose at UNG.”

Jeremiah Morgan, an Air Force veteran from Chatsworth, is working toward a bachelor of fine arts in visual arts with a concentration in digital arts. He worked at his hometown newspaper before deciding to come to UNG on the GI Bill. Morgan, the vice president of Student Veterans Association, described UNG as ideal for opportunity.

“When I came into UNG, it felt like home. I felt instant camaraderie,” Morgan said. “They make us all feel important, that we can contribute in some way to give back to the community. We get opportunities to be engaged in the veteran community. That really means a lot.”

Raul Segovia, a student from Mexico pursuing a Bachelor of Science in Nursing, served in the United States Marine Corps and as a police officer before he started at UNG.

Segovia, now a junior, applauded the resources the university has in place for veterans. “The help is there for you. You’re here to improve yourself,” Segovia said. “So if you’re struggling, ask for help.”

Trump at press conference backs polio vaccine but won’t commit to others, attacks media

By

Joy Purcell

-

December 16, 2024

Trump press conference Dec. 16, 2024 — U.S. President-elect Donald Trump speaks at a news conference at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort on Dec. 16, 2024 in Palm Beach, Florida. (livestream image)

WASHINGTON (States Newsroom) — President-elect Donald Trump pledged Monday to keep the polio vaccine available throughout his presidency but didn’t extend that protection to other vaccines, saying he expects his administration will look closely at safety — something the U.S. Food and Drug Administration already does before granting approval.

Trump’s comments came during an hour-long press conference where he hinted at trying to privatize the Postal Service and said he planned to file a lawsuit against a presidential preference poll published by The Des Moines Register that found him trailing Vice President Kamala Harris in the last days before the election.

Trump, who will take the oath of office on Jan. 20, also said he would solve the war between Ukraine and Russia and establish the Middle East as a “good place,” though he declined to provide details.

“Starting on day one, we’ll implement a rapid series of bold reforms to restore our nation to full prosperity,” Trump said in his first formal back-and-forth with reporters since the Nov. 5 election. “We’re going to go full prosperity and to build the greatest economy the world has ever seen, just as we had just a short time ago.”

Trump said he expects Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the vaccine denier he has said he will nominate to lead the Department of Health and Human Services, will be “much less radical” than some people expect.

Trump said Kennedy and others in his administration will file reports sharing what they think about vaccines, but didn’t say what actions might be taken after those reports are released.

Trump said he didn’t like the idea of mandating vaccines, but didn’t go as far as saying he’d change vaccine policy for parts of the federal government, like the Defense Department, which has numerous requirements for troops, including the so-called peanut butter shot.

Kennedy is notorious for spreading misinformation about vaccine safety, one of the many issues that could imperil his attempts to garner U.S. Senate confirmation and actually lead HHS.

Trump said he wanted this administration to look at why autism rates have increased in recent decades. Multiple research studies have debunked any connections between vaccines and autism.

His administration, Trump said, would also look at ways to lower the costs of health care and prescription drugs within the United States, but he didn’t provide details.

Lawsuit threats

Trump doubled down on his grievances with news organizations during the press conference at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida, saying he planned to file several lawsuits in the days and weeks ahead against people or organizations he believes have wronged him.

The announcement came just days after Trump’s legal team reached a settlement with ABC News in which the news organization agreed to pay $15 million to Trump’s presidential library.

The suit centered on anchor George Stephanopoulos saying during an interview that a New York state jury had found Trump liable for the rape of writer E. Jean Carroll, when the jury had found him civilly liable for “sexual misconduct.”

Trump said during his press conference that he would likely file lawsuits against Iowa pollster J. Ann Selzer, the news show “60 Minutes” and the Pulitzer Prize organization for awards given to the New York Times and Washington Post.

“In my opinion, it was fraud and election interference,” he said of the Iowa Poll published by the Des Moines newspaper. “She’s got me right, always. She’s a very good pollster. She knows what she was doing, and she then quit before and we’ll probably be filing a major lawsuit against them today or tomorrow.”

Selzer, a longtime pollster, said last week on Iowa PBS that she hadn’t yet figured out what went wrong with the poll she released just ahead of Election Day that showed Democratic presidential nominee Harris outperforming Trump in the state by 3 percentage points. Trump won Iowa in the election with 56% of the vote to her 42.7%.

“There wasn’t anything that we saw that needed to be fixed. The reality is that more people supporting Donald Trump turned out,” she said. “I’m eagerly awaiting the secretary of state’s turnout reports that will happen in January to see what we can glean from that.

“But there wasn’t an adjustment to my data when we saw that it was going to be a shocker that I would have said okay, let’s adjust it. It’s not like I know ahead of time what the right numbers are going to be in the future. So, you kind of take the data designed to reveal to me our best shot at what the future is going to look like.”

Selzer said during the PBS interview that she was “mystified” about allegations that she sought to interfere in the election results through the poll. Carol Hunter, executive editor of The Des Moines Register, could not be reached for comment.

Trump said he also planned to sue the CBS News program “60 Minutes” over how it edited an interview with Harris that was released before the election.

He said he wants to sue the Pulitzer Prize organization for awarding staff at The New York Times and The Washington Post the national reporting award in 2018 for their reporting on “Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election and its connections to the Trump campaign, the President-elect’s transition team and his eventual administration.”

“I want them to take back the Pulitzer Prizes and pay big damages,” Trump said.

The Pulitzer Prize Board announced in July 2022 that it would not revoke the prizes in response to an inquiry from Trump and two independent reviews of the work.

“Both reviews were conducted by individuals with no connection to the institutions whose work was under examination, nor any connection to each other,” the board wrote. “The separate reviews converged in their conclusions: that no passages or headlines, contentions or assertions in any of the winning submissions were discredited by facts that emerged subsequent to the conferral of the prizes.

“The 2018 Pulitzer Prizes in National Reporting stand.”

Israel and Ukraine

Trump said during his press conference that he would address the ongoing Israel-Gaza war as well as Russia’s invasion of Ukraine once he takes office, but didn’t say exactly how he’d encourage those countries to end their conflicts.

Trump said he believed that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is doing a “fantastic job” and said he thinks his second administration will be able to solve longstanding issues throughout the Middle East.

“I think the Middle East will be in a good place,” Trump said. “I think actually more difficult is going to be the Russia-Ukraine situation. I see that as more difficult.”

Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022 and has refused to leave the country’s borders. In the years since Russia launched a war, numerous organizations, including the United Nations, Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch have all made allegations of war crimes against Russia.

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken released a statement in February 2023 that “Russia’s forces and other Russian officials have committed crimes against humanity in Ukraine.”

Russia, he wrote, had engaged in torture, rape, execution-style killings and “deported hundreds of thousands of Ukrainian civilians to Russia, including children who have been forcibly separated from their families.”

Trump said during his press conference that he didn’t believe the Biden administration should have allowed Ukraine to shoot long-range missiles into Russia’s sovereign territory and said he may reverse the policy once in office.

“I thought it was a very stupid thing to do,” Trump said of the Biden administration’s policy.

On the Israel-Hamas war, Trump declined to clarify exactly what he meant when he said there would be “hell to pay” if Hamas had not released the remaining hostages abducted in October 2023 before Trump took over the Oval Office. He simply added that it “would not be pleasant.”

Postal Service, TikTok, primary challengers

Trump left many questions about his agenda unanswered following the press conference.

He declined to clarify whether he would press to privatize the U.S. Postal Service, saying only that there was “talk” about severing the agency and that his team is “looking at that.”

He didn’t divulge whether his administration would seek to force social media giant TikTok to divest from its Chinese parent company if it wants to remain operational within the United States. TikTok on Monday asked the U.S. Supreme Court for a stay of an appeals court order preserving a bipartisan law forcing ByteDance, the parent company of TikTok, to cease operations in the United States.

“We’ll take a look at that,” Trump said.

He left open supporting Republican primary challenges against GOP senators who don’t support his nominees to lead federal departments and agencies.

A senator voting against one of his nominees “for political reasons or stupid reasons” would likely earn them a primary challenger, he said. But Trump added that wouldn’t have anything to do with him.

Trump also declined to say whether he expected Chinese leader Xi Jinping to attend his inauguration after extending an invitation.

“If he’d like to come, I’d love to have him, but there’s been nothing much discussed,” Trump said. “I have had discussions with him, letters, etc, etc, at a very high level. You know, we had a very good relationship until COVID. COVID didn’t end the relationship, but it was a bridge too far for me.”

Trump then added he believes Xi is “an amazing person.”

Iowa Capital Dispatch reporter Robin Opsahl contributed to this report.

Donald Benson “Donny” Cornell, Jr.

By

Now Habersham

-

December 16, 2024

Donald Benson “Donny” Cornell, Jr., age 69, of Clayton, Georgia, went to be with the Lord on Sunday, December 15, 2024.

Mr. Cornell was born on February 4, 1955, in Miami, Florida, to the late Donald Benson Cornell, Sr. and Patsy Jean Crosby Cornell. In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by his son, JT Cornell, and sister, Sherry Cornell.

Survivors include his loving wife of 32 years, Gayle James Cornell, of Clayton; son and daughter-in-law, Ryan and Anna Cornell, of Cleveland; son, Robert and Donna Cornell, of North Carolina; step-sons, Jason and Jackie Holcomb, of Hoschton; Jeremy Holcomb, of Clayton; Tim Holcomb, of Peachtree Corners; grandchildren, Trinity Cornell, of Carnesville; Skylar Fain, of Carnesville; RJ Cornell, of Martin; Rachelle Higdon, of Cleveland; and brother, Mike Cornell, of Mt. Airy.

A Private Family Memorial Service will be held.

Arrangements have been entrusted to the Whitfield Funeral Home, North Chapel at 245 Central Avenue, Demorest, Georgia 30535. Telephone: 706-778-1700.

Wisconsin school shooting reported by 2nd-grader, police say

By

Henry Redman and Erik Gunn

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December 16, 2024

Madison, Wisconsin, Police Chief Shon Barnes delivers updates about the Dec. 16, 2024 school shooting at Abundant Life Christian School on Madison's east side. (Henry Redman/Wisconsin Examiner)

MADISON, Wis. (Wisconsin Examiner) — Three people are dead and another six are in the hospital after a shooting at Abundant Life Christian School in Madison, Wisconsin, Monday morning. The shooter, who was a student at the school, is among the dead, according to Madison Police Chief Shon Barnes.

Two of the injured victims, both students, remain in critical condition while the other four have non-life threatening injuries, Barnes said at a mid-afternoon press conference.

Barnes identified the shooter at a Monday night press conference as Natalie Rupnow, 15, who went by the name “Samantha,” and said she appeared to have died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound.

Gov. Tony Evers issued a statement decrying the shootings and announced he would order flags to fly half-staff across the state through Sunday, Dec. 22.

“As a father, a grandfather, and as governor, it is unthinkable that a kid or an educator might wake up and go to school one morning and never come home. This should never happen, and I will never accept this as a foregone reality or stop working to change it,” Evers said.

Chief Barnes said a second-grade student called 911 at 10:57 a.m. Monday to report a shooting at the school.

“Let that sink in,” he repeated twice at a news briefing, AP reports. Police arrived within four minutes, he said. The shooting occurred in a study hall, police said.

Officers responded to the shooting at the K-12 private school shortly before 11 a.m. on Dec. 16, Barnes said. While clearing the building, officers found the person they believe to be responsible already dead, along with the other two people who were killed, one a teacher and the other a student. No officers fired their weapons during the incident.

Police searched a home on Madison’s North Side late Monday afternoon and evening and said the search was in connection with the shooting.

The shooter used a handgun, Barnes said. Her family was cooperating in the investigation, but there was no immediate information about what the individual’s motives may have been.

“You ask me about why, but I don’t know why, and I felt like if we did know why, we could stop these things from happening,” Barnes said.

In a statement, President Joe Biden called the shooting “shocking and unconscionable” and urged Congress to enact “Universal background checks. A national red flag law. A ban on assault weapons and high-capacity magazines.”

Biden was brief earlier Monday about the shooting according to the White House press pool.

At an earlier news conference, Barnes lamented the incident and its impact on the school and the community.

“I’m feeling a little dismayed now, so close to Christmas, every child, every person in that building is a victim and will be a victim forever,” Barnes said. “These types of trauma don’t just go away. We need to figure out how to piece together what exactly happened right now. My heart is heavy for my community. My heart is heavy for Madison. We have to come together as a community and figure out what happened here and make sure that it doesn’t happen at any other place that should be a refuge for students in our community.”

Families of students showed up at the school before noon and at mid-afternoon were still lined up in their cars down Buckeye Road on Madison’s East Side waiting to be reunited with their children. Officials said they would not release information about the victims until families had been notified.

Madison Mayor Satya Rhodes-Conway emphasized the community-wide impact of the incident.

“This is a whole of government response,” Rhodes-Conway said. “It is not just police and fire. It is not just the city of Madison, and we have folks from all around the country, we have folks from multiple agencies engaged in both the initial immediate response and the ongoing support.”

Barnes said he has been in contact with officials at the Department of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms and the FBI.

Although the Madison Police Department had earlier reported five deaths in the shooting, spokesperson Stephanie Fryer said that was based on information from the hospital where the victims were taken. Hospital personnel later updated the number of deaths to three people, she said.