• Slug: CN2Go.
• Runtime: 5:16.
• Downloadable audio here. (Note: Some web browsers may not support media download)

(Music)

THIS IS YOUR CRONKITE NEWS 2GO BRIEFING.

(Bring up music briefly and duck below and out )

I’M Athena Ankrah ( go to story )

Stepped up security (Sadie / ap )
THE SHERIFF IN METROPOLITAN PHOENIX SAID MONDAY HE’S STEPPED UP SECURITY AROUND BALLOT DROP BOXES. THAT’S AFTER A SERIES OF INCIDENTS INVOLVING LOCAL PEOPLE KEEPING WATCH ON THE BOXES AND TAKING VIDEO OF VOTERS. THEY ARE APPARENTLY INSPIRED BY FALSE CLAIMS ABOUT THE 2020 ELECTION’S LEGITIMACY.
IN A PRESS CONFERENCE LAST WEEK, BILL GATES WITH THE MARICOPA COUNTY BOARD OF SUPERVISORS MADE IT CLEAR THAT THIS YEAR’S ELECTION PROCESS IS MORE TRANSPARENT THAN BEFORE, AND THAT UNLAWFUL VOTER INTIMIDATION WILL NOT BE TOLERATED.

“WE’RE RUNNING THE MOST TRANSPARENT ELECTION IN MARICOPA COUNTY’S HISTORY, AND WE’RE ALSO PROTECTING OUR ELECTION WORKERS. WE CAN DO BOTH, AND IF THE CAMPAIGNS HAVE ISSUES, THEY CAN CONTACT US.”
GATES SAYS THEY ARE WORKING WITH THE FBI AND ARIZONA COUNTER TERRORISM INFORMATION CENTER TO MAKE SURE ELECTION ACTIVITIES ARE SAFE FOR EVERYONE. THIS INCLUDES DE-ESCALATION TRAINING FOR POLL WORKERS WHO MAY ENCOUNTER UPSET VOTERS.
ON FRIDAY, DEPUTIES RESPONDED WHEN TWO MASKED PEOPLE CARRYING GUNS AND WEARING BULLETPROOF VESTS SHOWED UP AT A DROP BOX IN MESA. THE SECRETARY OF STATE SAID HER OFFICE HAS RECEIVED SIX CASES OF POTENTIAL VOTER INTIMIDATION TO THE STATE ATTORNEY GENERAL AND THE U.S. DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE, AS WELL AS A THREATENING EMAIL SENT TO THE STATE ELECTIONS DIRECTOR.

Hand count vote ( Sadie / ap )

MEANWHILE IN ELECTION NEWS ELSEWHERE…. REPUBLICANS ON A COUNTY BOARD IN RURAL ARIZONA APPROVED A HAND-COUNT OF ALL BALLOTS IN THE NOV. 8 ELECTION. THE DECISION BY COCHISE COUNTY SUPERVISORS CAME AFTER REJECTING A DIFFERENTLY WORDED MOTION DURING A CHAOTIC MEETING ON MONDAY.
THE COCHISE COUNTY ATTORNEY URGED THE BOARD NOT TO APPROVE THE PLAN. BUT TWO OF THREE VOTING MEMBERS OF THE SUPERVISING BOARD ALLOWED IT TO PASS. COCHISE COUNTY ATTORNEY BRIAN MCINTYRE CALLED THE MOVE UNLAWFUL. REPUBLICAN LAWMAKERS IN THE COUNTY HAVE BEEN UNDER PRESSURE FROM VOTERS IN THE HEAVILY REPUBLICAN COUNTY WHO BELIEVE FORMER PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP’S FALSE CLAIMS OF FRAUD IN THE 2020 ELECTION.
UNDER STATE LAW, A SMALL PERCENTAGE OF BALLOTS IN SELECTED RACES ALREADY GO THROUGH A MANDATORY HAND-COUNT WITH BIPARTISAN TEAMS. THAT’S TO CHECK THE ACCURACY OF VOTE-COUNTING MACHINES AFTER ALL THE VOTES ARE COUNTED.

Griner Sentence update (Voicer/Damon)

A RUSSIAN COURT TUESDAY REJECTED PHOENIX MERCURY STAR BRITTNEY GRINER’S APPEAL OF HER NINE YEAR PRISON SENTENCE FOR DRUG POSSESSION. CRONKITE NEWS’ DAMON FAIRALL EXPLAINS.
—
GRINER WAS DETAINED UPON HER ENTRY INTO THE COUNTRY IN FEBRUARY. THAT’S AFTER POLICE FOUND VAPE CARTRIDGES CONTAINING CANNABIS OIL IN HER POSSESSION AT A MOSCOW AIRPORT.

NED PRICE IS A SPOKESPERSON WITH THE STATE DEPARTMENT.

“This process has been a sham from the start. Today has been another sad day for justice in Russia. I use that term justice very loosely of course because justice has eluded this case from the start.”

THE REJECTED APPEAL REPRESENTS THE END OF THE LEGAL PROCEEDINGS FOR GRINER. NOW, IT IS UP TO THE WHITE HOUSE TO NEGOTIATE HER RELEASE. PRICE SAYS THEY ARE WORKING TO GET A U.S. MARINE VETERAN RELEASED AS WELL.

“There have been active discussions, including in recent days, but our imperative is to see Paul Whelan and Brittney Griner return home. We are not going to do anything, or say anything publicly that could impair that ability.”

THE BIDEN ADMINISTRATION OFFERED A PRISONER SWAP, BUT ACCORDING TO U.S. OFFICIALS, RUSSIA IS YET TO SEND A PRODUCTIVE COUNTER OFFER. IT IS INCREASINGLY LIKELY THAT RUSSIAN PRESIDENT VLADIMIR PUTIN WILL NOT OPEN UP TALKS UNTIL AFTER THE U.S. MIDTERM ELECTIONS ON NOVEMBER 8th.
DAMON FAIRALL, CRONKITE NEWS.

Gas prices (C&C/Sydnee)
MARICOPA COUNTY CURRENTLY HAS THE HIGHEST GAS PRICES IN ARIZONA. THIS IS DUE TO CALIFORNIA NOT PRODUCING ENOUGH FUEL IN THE PAST FEW WEEKS, ACCORDING TO TRIPLE A.

MARICOPA COUNTY GETS FUEL PIPED IN FROM CALIFORNIA, WHILE THE REST OF THE STATE GETS FUEL TRUCKED IN FROM TEXAS. JOHN TREANOR (TRAIN-ER) WITH TRIPLE A SAYS THAT’S WHY THE PRICES ARE LOWER IN NORTHERN AND SOUTHERN ARIZONA.

(sot: John Treanor) “the problem is for a few weeks oil refineries were struggling to meet demand… had really high gas prices.”

GAS BUDDIES HEAD OF PETROLEUM ANALYSIS, PATRICK DE HAAN (Deh-HAWN) SAYS THE PRICES HAVE ALREADY DECREASED AND HE EXPECTS TO SEE THOSE PRICES COME DOWN EVEN FURTHER.

((**SOT**))(this is your 2nd video sequence/timeline) @3:31
“keeping in mind that refinery outages can happen at any time and that’s something that could cause price decreases to end and we can see prices go up if there are any new refinery issues.”

TRIPLE A SAYS DEMAND FOR FUEL IS THE BIGGEST DRIVER FOR PRICES. THE PRICES WILL STAY THE SAME OR KEEP DROPPING IF DEMANDS STAYS LOW.

(bring up music under very last track and post up in the clear for a couple of seconds and duck below)

WE HAD HELP TODAY FROM SYDNEE WILSON AND SYDNEY WITTE. A BIG THANKS TO DAMON FAIRALL FOR PRODUCING OUR SHOW.

(Bring up music and duck below)

YOU CAN LEARN MORE ABOUT THE STORIES YOU HEARD IN TODAY’S NEWS UPDATE, BY GOING TO CRONKITENEWS-DOT-AZPBS-DOT-ORG.

THAT’S ALL FOR YOUR CRONKITE NEWS 2 GO. I’M Athena Ankrah .

(Music out)