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☆ Georgia’s Ruling Party Secures a Contentious Law on Foreign Influence
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-28 | by ( Ivan Nechepurenko | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Georgia’s Parliament overrode a presidential veto to give final approval on Tuesday evening to a contentious bill that has plunged the country into a political crisis and threatened to derail the pro-Western aspirations of many Georgians in favor of closer ties with Russia. The law will require nongovernmental groups and media organizations that receive at least 20 percent of their funding from abroad to register as organizations “pursuing the interests of a foreign power.” The country’s justice ministry will be given broad powers to monitor compliance. Violations could result in fines equivalent to more than $9,000. The passage of the bill is likely to represent a pivotal moment for Georgia, which has been one of the most pro-Western states to emerge from the collapse of the Soviet Union. The bill has already unsteadied Georgia’s relationship with the United States and the European Union, and it could upset the fragile geopolitics of the Caucasus, a volatile region where the interests of Russia, Turkey, Iran and the West have long come into conflict.

Organizations: Soviet Union, European Union Locations: Russia, Georgia, Soviet, United States, Caucasus, Turkey, Iran

CNN —Colombia has approved a bill banning bullfights, marking a significant victory for animal rights activists over advocates who argued to uphold the sport in the South American country. On Tuesday, 93 congressmen voted in favor of banning bullfighting – with only two against it – sending the bill to President Gustavo Petro for final approval. Colombia is one of only eight countries where bullfighting still takes place. The others are France, Portugal, Mexico, Ecuador, Peru, Spain and Venezuela, where the controversial sport still commands audiences but also firm opposition. Other countries in South America which have already banned the practice include Brazil and Argentina.

Persons: Gustavo Petro, Petro, ”, “, Alejandro Garcia, Juan Carlos Losada Organizations: CNN Locations: Colombia, France, Portugal, Mexico, Ecuador, Peru, Spain, Venezuela, South America, Brazil, Argentina

☆ Bill Walton, basketball Hall of Famer and colorful commentator, dies of cancer at 71
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-27 | by ( Kevin Dotson | Eric Levenson | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

CNN —Bill Walton, the basketball Hall of Fame center who won two national titles at UCLA, two NBA championships in Portland and Boston and later put the “color” in color commentator, died Monday following a prolonged battle with cancer, the National Basketball Association announced. “Bill Walton was truly one of a kind,” NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said in a statement. He was named the NBA Finals Most Valuable Player in that playoffs, and the next season he was named the NBA’s regular season MVP. Boston Celtics Bill Walton battles Los Angeles Lakers Kareem Abdul-Jabbar during the 1985 NBA Finals. I am the luckiest guy on earth.”NBC basketball announcers Bill Walton and Marv Albert pose before the start of Game 4 of the NBA Finals in East Rutherford, New Jersey, on June 12, 2002.

Persons: Bill Walton, Walton, “ Bill Walton, Adam Silver, “ Bill, John Wooden, Wooden, Robert Parish, Kevin McHale, Boston Celtics Bill Walton, Los Angeles Lakers Kareem Abdul, Jabbar, Bob Riha, It’s, ”, I’ve, I’d, Marv Albert, Mike Blake, Jay Blakesberg, Bill Walton’s, ” Mick Cronin, it’s Organizations: CNN, of Fame, UCLA, NBA, National Basketball Association, Fame, Bruins, Portland Trail Blazers, San Diego, Los Angeles Clippers, Boston Celtics, Houston Rockets, Los Angeles Lakers, Naismith, Basketball Hall of Fame, NCAA, ESPN, NBC Locations: Portland, Boston, Vietnam, East Rutherford , New Jersey, Santa Clara , California

☆ Bill Walton, one of basketball’s most eccentric characters, dies at 71
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-27 | by ( Jason Quick | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +15 min

There was the satisfaction and appreciation of a team coming together to win the 1977 NBA title. The next day, before a Trail Blazers home game, Walton explained his emotions to a group of reporters. I regret the circumstances in which I left the Portland Trail Blazers’ family. “The Portland Trail Blazers deplore Bill Walton’s statement calling for the rejection of the United States Government. “And you are never the same again.”Related reading(Top photo of Bill Walton: NBA Photos / Getty Images)

Persons: Bill Walton, Walton, Adam Silver, Bill, Bill’s, Lori, Adam, Nate, Luke, Chris, ”, ” Walton, “, Ted Kulongoski, it’s, Jack Ramsay, Hank Delespinasse, Robert Parrish, Ricky Pierce, Eddie Johnson, Larry Bird, Kevin McHale, Steve James, Bird, Walton . Bird, James, ” James, Dave Twardzik, Tom Shanahan, don’t, Jack, Micki Scott, Patty Hearst, Walton’s, Herman Sarkowsky, Larry Weinberg, Harry Glickman, Bill Walton’s, Arthur Ashe, Kareem Abdul, Jabbar, Bill Russell, Muhammad Ali …, White, Hal Bock, …, Marty Glickman, —, Bill Walton's, Sir Isaac Newton’s, Fabricio Roberto, you’ve, Taylor, ” “ John Stockton Organizations: Fame, NBA, UCLA, Portland Trail Blazers, Boston Celtics, Naismith Hall of Fame, Blazers, The Athletic, Trail Blazers, Celtics, NCAA, Memphis State, Florida State, Getty, Philadelphia, Portland, LA Clippers, Sixth, Walton, Athletic, Associated Press, Wilshire, FBI, Scotts, Symbionese Liberation Army, United, United States Government, National Basketball Association, “ Sports, The Associated Press, New York Knicks, Prime Ticket Network, NBC, ABC, CBS, FOX, ESPN, Turner Sports Locations: La Mesa, Calif, Portland, Oregon, “, Blazermania, Los Angeles, Vietnam, United States, San Francisco, Walton, Utah, America

☆ This high schooler won $10,000 because he saw a mysterious outbreak killing sea turtles in his Hawaii hometown and decided to do something about it
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-24 | by ( Morgan Mcfall-Johnsen | Ellyn Lapointe | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +9 min

He kept seeing green sea turtles with cauliflower-like tumors. And it would just encapsulate the green sea turtles," he said. A green sea turtle afflicted with fibropapillomatosis at the Turtle Hospital in Marathon, Florida in the Florida Keys. Green sea turtles are crucial for the health of reefs worldwide, as they eat algae that would otherwise suffocate the coral. He donned his diving gear and set up motion-sensing underwater cameras to snap photos of green sea turtles.

Persons: —, Maddux Alexander Springer, Springer, fibropapillomatosis, Pablo Cozzaglio, Peggy Scripps, It's, Hugh Gentry, they're, salicornia, Narrissa, Mitchell Pettigrew, that's, he'll Organizations: Service, Business, Turtle Hospital, Getty, National Oceanic, Atmospheric Administration, Google, Springer, Communication, Regeneron, Science, Engineering, Reuters, Hawaii Division, Nature, Hawaii's Department of Health, Honolulu Civil, University of Oregon, Oregon State University Locations: Kāneʻohe, Marathon , Florida, Florida, AFP, Oahu, Hawaii, Kāneʻohe Bay, Kāneʻohe Bay . State, Cavan, Hawaii's, cesspools, Honolulu

☆ Senate border bill exposes Democratic divisions as White House attempts to ramp up pressure on GOP
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-23 | by ( Priscilla Alvarez | Lauren Fox | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

CNN —The Senate will vote Thursday on a border security bill that is dividing the Democratic caucus and failed earlier this year, exposing rifts within the party even as they try to shift the narrative on border security. Sources say those talks included reviving the stalled border security measure that initially failed after former President Donald Trump told GOP lawmakers to knock it down. “I will not vote for the bill coming to the Senate floor this week because it includes several provisions that will violate Americans’ shared values. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer acknowledged over the weekend that not every Democrat may vote for the bill in a letter to colleagues. They think we’re nuts.”But Republican Sen. James Lankford, a key negotiator on the border bill, said he’ll vote against the measure Thursday.

Persons: Donald Trump, “, ’, ” Sen, Cory Booker, Booker, Chuck Schumer, Sen, Alex Padilla, “ It’s, ” Padilla, Virginia Democratic Sen, Mark Warner, ”, Republican Sen, Lisa Murkowski, ” Murkowski, James Lankford, CNN’s Kaitlan Collins, Tom Suozzi, Murphy, Schumer, ” Robyn Barnard, ” Barnard, We’ve, Brian Schatz, Maine Sen, Angus King, CNN’s Sam Fossum Organizations: CNN, Democratic, White, New, New Jersey Democrat, Republicans, GOP, Senate, Virginia Democratic, Republican, CNN’s Kaitlan Collins Tuesday, Democrats, Democratic Rep, of, Human, ”, Democrat Locations: Ukraine, New Jersey, Virginia, Alaska, New, Hawaii, Maine

☆ Chemical toxin exposure in the womb linked to greater health risks for children ages 6 to 11
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-23 | by ( Sandee Lamotte | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +11 min

CNN —Chemical toxins are everywhere — in our water, food, air and soil. Children born to European mothers exposed to four families of chemicals that disrupt the body’s endocrine (hormone) system had elevated levels of metabolic syndrome at ages 6 to 11. Metabolic syndrome can include obesity, elevated blood pressure, and abnormally high cholesterol and insulin resistance, which is a precursor to type 2 diabetes. Metabolic syndrome is typically associated with adult cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes and stroke, but the growing epidemic of childhood obesity has seen symptoms appearing in kids at younger and younger ages. Having metabolic syndrome as a child is highly predictive of chronic disease as an adult, experts say.

Persons: Nuria Güil, ”, Oumrait, Vicente Mustieles, Mariana Fernández, Carmen Messerlian, Messerlian, phthalates, “, Jane Houlihan, ” Houlihan, Houlihan, PFAS, EWG Organizations: CNN, Icahn School of Medicine, JAMA, Biomedical Research, University of Granada, Harvard, of Public Health, International Council for Chemical Associations, American Chemistry Council, EPA, Food, Food and Drug Administration, FDA, NSF, National Sanitation Foundation Locations: Mount Sinai, New York City, Spain, Messerlian, Chan, Boston, United States

☆ Louisiana lawmakers send bill that would classify abortion drugs as controlled dangerous substances to governor’s desk
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-23 | by ( Piper Hudspethblackburn | Dianne Gallagher | Piper Hudspeth Blackburn | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —Louisiana lawmakers on Thursday gave final approval to a bill that would classify the abortion-inducing drugs misoprostol and mifepristone as Schedule IV controlled dangerous substances in the state, placing them in the same category as highly regulated drugs such as narcotics and depressants. The state Senate voted 29-7 to pass the bill, which the state House approved earlier this week. If signed into law, Louisiana would become the first state to classify the drugs as controlled dangerous substances. Senate Bill 276 would make it a crime to give abortion medication to a person without their consent. Pregnant women in possession of mifepristone and misoprostol for their own consumption would be exempt from such penalties under the legislation.

Persons: misoprostol, Jeff Landry, Bill, Sen, Thomas Pressly, “, Pressly, CNN’s Shawn Nottingham, John Bonifield Organizations: CNN, Republican Gov, Republican Locations: Louisiana

☆ Schumer Plans Vote on Contraception Access, Teeing Up a Campaign Issue
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-22 | by ( Annie Karni | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Senator Chuck Schumer, Democrat of New York and the majority leader, plans next month to fast-track a Senate vote on a bill to protect access to contraception nationwide, the start of an election-year push to highlight Republicans’ record of opposing reproductive rights that voters view as at risk of being stripped away. The Right to Contraception Act is expected to be blocked in the closely divided Senate, where most Republicans are against it. But a vote on the bill is a crucial plank of Democrats’ strategy as they seek to protect their majority in the Senate, in part by forcing G.O.P. Access to contraception is a constitutional right regarded by many voters as possibly the next to go after the Supreme Court’s overturning of Roe v. Wade. Glenn Youngkin, a Republican, vetoed legislation to protect access to contraception.

Persons: Chuck Schumer, Roe, Wade, Glenn Youngkin Organizations: Gov, Republican Locations: New York, Virginia

Taipei CNN —Thousands of mostly young protesters surrounded Taiwan’s legislature late into the night on Tuesday, protesting a push by opposition parties to subject the island’s new leader and his administration to tighter scrutiny from a parliament controlled by lawmakers who favor closer ties to China. Meanwhile, the president would be required to deliver an annual address to the parliament on key policy issues. Yasuyoshi Chiba/AFP/Getty ImagesOn Tuesday, as the parliament resumed its meeting to discuss the bill, protesters gathered outside the Legislative Yuan – Taiwan’s unicameral parliament – from morning until midnight, braving downpours in the afternoon. Lai, 64, a former doctor and vice president, was inaugurated Monday alongside new Vice President Hsiao Bi-khim, who recently served as Taiwan’s top envoy to the United States. Both leaders and their party are openly loathed by Beijing for championing Taiwan’s sovereignty.

Persons: Lai Ching, TPP, Yasuyoshi Chiba, Yuan –, braving, Ricky Li, “ I’m, ”, Lai, Hsiao Bi, China’s Organizations: Taipei CNN, Democratic Progressive Party, Taiwan’s, Kuomintang, KMT, Taiwan People’s Party, DPP, –, Communist Party Locations: Taipei, Taiwan’s, China, Beijing, Taiwan, AFP, United States

☆ Abortion Pills May Become Controlled Substances in Louisiana
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-22 | by ( Pam Belluck | Emily Cochrane | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Louisiana could become the first state to classify abortion pills as dangerous controlled substances, making possession of the pills without a prescription a crime subject to jail time and fines. A bill that would designate the abortion pills mifepristone and misoprostol as Schedule IV drugs — a category of medicines with the potential for abuse or dependence — passed the state’s Republican-controlled House of Representatives on Tuesday by a vote of 63 to 29. The measure — which would put abortion pills in the same category as Xanax, Ambien and Valium — contradicts the way the federal government classifies mifepristone and misoprostol. The federal Food and Drug Administration does not consider abortion pills to be drugs with the potential for dependence or abuse, and decades of medical studies have found both to be overwhelmingly safe. Pregnant women would be exempt from those penalties; most abortion bans and restrictions do not punish pregnant women because most voters oppose doing so.

Persons: Jeff Landry, — Organizations: Republican, Gov, Food and Drug Administration Locations: Louisiana

☆ Here’s Why Republicans Are Focusing on Voting by Noncitizens
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-21 | by ( Minho Kim | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

House Republicans are pushing legislation to crack down on voting by noncitizens, part of an effort to sow doubts about the election outcome and take aim at immigrants who they say have no business participating in elections in the United States. They are planning to push through a bill this week that would roll back a Washington, D.C., law allowing noncitizen residents of the nation’s capital to vote in local elections. And they are pushing legislation that would require states to obtain proof of citizenship, such as a birth certificate or passport, in person when registering an individual to vote and require states to remove noncitizens from voter rolls. Neither is likely to pass the Democratic-led Senate or be signed by President Biden, but both are ways for Republicans to call attention to their false claims of widespread illegal voting by noncitizens. Former President Donald J. Trump has long claimed in the face of evidence to the contrary that presidential and congressional elections are susceptible to widespread voter fraud and illegal voting by undocumented immigrants who have skewed the outcomes in favor of Democrats — a charge that House Republicans have echoed.

Persons: noncitizens, Biden, Donald J, Trump, — Organizations: Republicans, D.C, Democratic, noncitizens Locations: United States, Washington

☆ Over 100 basic-income pilots have run in US cities. Now states are getting creative to fund no-strings-attached cash payments.
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-21 | by ( Allie Kelly | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +12 min

Basic income has become a trending strategy to combat poverty in cities nationwide. ARPA funds have been used to partially or fully fund most US basic-income pilots so far, but funds are set to expire. While philanthropy and nonprofit work have been central to basic-income pilots, they are not always a long-term or large-scale funding solution. More GBI programs are electing to focus on specific groups of participants, like low-income parents with children and foster youth. The program is funded through the Temporary Aid to Needy Families Program (TANF), an existing federal cash assistance program for low-income families.

Persons: —, Michael Tubbs, Tubbs, It's, Tubbs —, GBI —, Marcela Díaz, let's, Díaz, Teri Olle, Olle, John Gillette, Ken Paxton, Dustin Palmer, GiveDirectly, Palmer, Shafeka Hashash, Hashash, Hashah, GBI Organizations: Service, Business, SNAP, Medicaid, Somos Un, Somos Un Pueblo Unido, Economic Security, New, New Mexico House, California Senate, Republican, South Dakota Republicans, ARPA, Pew Charitable Locations: Stockton , California, Durham , North Carolina, Birmingham, Chicago, Antonio, San Antonio, Denver, Seattle, California, New Mexico, State, Mexico, Somos, Somos Un Pueblo, Economic Security California, Arizona, Iowa, Harris County , Texas, Flint , Michigan

☆ Adams vs. Adams: A Power Struggle in New York City Turns Ugly
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-21 | by ( Dana Rubinstein | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Amid growing public dissatisfaction with Mayor Eric Adams’s job performance, the New York City Council speaker, Adrienne Adams, was about to make a power play. Ms. Adams was preparing to introduce legislation on Thursday that would require the mayor to obtain Council approval on 21 commissioner-level appointments, according to a draft of the bill that the speaker’s office shared with The New York Times. The move would significantly curtail the mayor’s authority by adding a level of Council oversight. It would require a citywide voter referendum, because it proposes to curb the power of the mayor. Only one member was named; other names, the release said, would be forthcoming.

Persons: Eric Adams’s, Adrienne Adams, Adams Organizations: New, New York City Council, The New York Times, Times, Commission Locations: New York City

☆ Abortion politics have changed so drastically that a GOP Senate candidate is airing an ad saying he would vote to codify Roe into law
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-21 | by ( Brent D. Griffiths | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

President Joe Biden and Democrats have tried unsuccessfully to restore nationwide abortion rights since the Supreme Court issued its landmark reversal of Roe in 2022. AdvertisementHogan's position makes him one of the few prominent Republicans to support abortion rights. When he first announced his Senate run, Hogan initially said he needed to think more about his position on abortion rights. Democrats have already placed abortion rights on the Florida ballot this November. No Republican Senate is going to make a serious effort to codify Roe, given the party's near-universal support to restrict abortion rights.

Persons: —, Larry Hogan, Roe, Hogan, Wade, he's, Joe Biden, Angela Alsbrooks, Alsobrooks, David Trone, Susan Collins of, Lisa Murkowski, codifying Roe, Donald Trump, Mitch McConnell, Court's Dodds, hasn't, it's, Trump Organizations: Service, Maryland Gov, GOP, Democrats, Business, Prince, Wine, Republicans, Press, Senate, Biden, Republican Senate Locations: Prince George's County, Susan Collins of Maine, Alaska, Maryland, Florida, Arizona

☆ House G.O.P. Moves to Crack Down on Noncitizen Voting, Sowing False Narrative
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-21 | by ( Luke Broadwater | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Republicans are using their majority in Congress to reinforce former President Donald J. Trump’s false claims of widespread illegal voting by noncitizens, sowing the seeds of an effort to delegitimize the outcome of the 2024 election if Mr. Trump loses by pushing legislation that purports to crack down on a problem that barely exists. House Republicans have introduced a series of bills to take aim at voting by noncitizens, which is already a felony in federal elections, where those who study the issue say it almost never occurs. This week, they are planning to push through a bill that would roll back a District of Columbia law allowing noncitizens to vote in local elections, which they contend is needed to prevent Democrats from expanding the practice to other jurisdictions. And Republicans are advancing another measure that would require states to obtain proof of citizenship, such as a birth certificate or passport, when registering a person to vote. The legislation has virtually no chance of becoming law, but it serves to amplify one of Mr. Trump’s favorite pre-emptive claims of election fraud.

Persons: Donald J, Trump, noncitizens, Trump’s Organizations: Republicans, noncitizens, Columbia Locations: United States

☆ Opinion: Hardened like diamonds, these Gen Z protesters fight for a European future
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-20 | by ( Opinion Will Cathcart | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

They snatch protesters from the crowd and drag them back into a mass of black uniforms. Will Cathcart Will CathcartHundreds of thousands of people have taken to the streets across Georgia in recent weeks to protest the government’s adoption of a Kremlin-inspired “foreign agents” bill. As with the foreign agents law, the bill’s authors claim it promotes transparency, an absurd notion. The foreign agents bill is a symptom of a deeper issue – money. The pressures of authoritarian intimidation and systematic violence have hardened Georgia’s young protestors like diamonds.

Persons: Will Cathcart, Mikheil Saakashvili, Cathcart Will Cathcart, Vladimir Putin’s, Putin, Hans Gutbrod, ”, Salome Zourabichvili, aren’t, Gen Z, Europe –, Giorgi Arjevanidze, Bidzina Ivanishvili, Party ” –, Mamuka Mdinaradze, Shalva Papuashvili, – “, “, James O’Brien’s, Ivanishvili, Zviad Organizations: CNN, Tbilisi CNN — Riot, Georgian, Ilia State University, European Union, Getty, Global, Party, Georgian Orthodox Church, US, State, Eurasian Affairs, Fletcher School of Law, NATO, Special Forces Exchange Locations: American, Tbilisi, Georgia, Russia, Belarus, Kyrgyzstan, Europe, AFP, Georgian, Soviet, Russian, United States, Brussels, Washington, Moscow, EU

☆ Ocasio-Cortez Backs N.Y. Bill Limiting Donations to Israeli Settlements
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-20 | by ( Karen Zraick | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

A long-shot effort by left-leaning New York state lawmakers to curtail financial support for Israeli settlements has drawn a big-name backer — but she doesn’t have a vote in Albany. Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, who rarely wades into state politics, publicly backed a bill on Monday that could strip New York nonprofits of their tax-exempt status if their funds are used to support Israel’s military and settlement activity. Her involvement underscores the extent to which the war in Gaza and Israel’s treatment of Palestinians more broadly have animated the left flank of the Democratic Party as a pivotal election approaches. “It is more important now than ever to hold the Netanyahu government accountable for endorsing and, in fact, supporting some of this settler violence that prevents a lasting peace,” Ms. Ocasio-Cortez said at a news conference. It was widely criticized by Albany lawmakers and declared a “nonstarter.” Now its sponsors say they plan to revise the bill to prohibit “aiding and abetting” the resettling of the Gaza Strip or providing “unauthorized support” for Israeli military activity that violates international law.

Persons: —, Representative Alexandria Ocasio, Cortez, Netanyahu, ” Ms, Ocasio, Zohran Mamdani, Jabari Brisport, ” Organizations: Representative, Democratic Party, West Bank, Albany Locations: New York, Albany, York, Gaza, New York State

☆ Senate to Vote Again on Border Deal as Democrats Seek Political Edge
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-20 | by ( Luke Broadwater | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Senator Chuck Schumer, Democrat of New York and the majority leader, plans to push forward this week with a second vote on a bipartisan border enforcement bill that Senate Republicans killed earlier this year at the urging of former President Donald J. Trump. The measure is almost certain to be blocked again, but Democrats hope to use the failed vote to sharpen an election-year contrast with the G.O.P. on a critical issue that polls show is a major potential liability for President Biden and their candidates. Democrats will aim to neutralize the issue by showing voters that they and Mr. Biden have tried to get migration at the U.S. border with Mexico under control, but have been thwarted repeatedly by Republicans following the lead of Mr. Trump. “On cue, many of our Republican colleagues abruptly reversed course on their prior support, announcing their newfound opposition to the bipartisan proposal.”

Persons: Chuck Schumer, Donald J, Trump, Biden, “, Mr, Schumer, ” Organizations: Republicans, Republican Locations: New York, U.S, Mexico

☆ Artist Kehinde Wiley denies accusations of sexual assault
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-20 | by ( Stephy Chung | Nicole Mowbray | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

CNN —Kehinde Wiley, the American artist best known for painting former US President Barack Obama’s official portrait, has denied accusations of sexual assault. In an Instagram post shared Sunday, British-Ghanaian artist and curator Joseph Awuah-Darko alleged Wiley sexually assaulted him twice in 2021. Awuah-Darko said the first incident occurred on June 9, 2021, at a dinner held at the Noldor Artist Residency in Ghana, to celebrate Wiley’s work. In Sunday’s Instagram post, he wrote that reporting the assault in Ghana “would have been problematic at best — dangerous at worst,” given the country’s broader attitudes towards LGBTQ people. Wiley rose to international fame in 2017, when he was chosen to paint Obama’s official portrait for the Smithsonian’s National Portrait Gallery.

Persons: CNN — Kehinde Wiley, Barack Obama’s, Joseph Awuah, Darko, Wiley, Awuah, ” Awuah, ”, ” Wiley, “, Kehinde Wiley, Barack Obama, Mark Wilson, I’m Organizations: CNN, New York Times, Getty, ” CNN, Wiley, Ghana “, Yale University Locations: British, Ghanaian, Ghana, Accra, Washington , DC, Nigeria, New York, Ghana’s

☆ A New Centrism Is Rising in Washington
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-19 | by ( David Leonhardt | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

The Republican Party has moved to the right by many measures, and the Democratic Party has moved to the left. One consequence of this polarization, politicians and pundits often say, is gridlock in Washington. These years have been arguably the most productive period of Washington bipartisanship in decades. After the bill’s passage, far-right House Republicans tried to oust Speaker Mike Johnson because he did not block it — and House Democrats voted to save Johnson’s job. Last week, the House advanced another bipartisan bill, on disaster relief, using a rare procedural technique to get around party-line votes.

Persons: Washington bipartisanship, Biden, Mike Johnson Organizations: Republican Party, Democratic Party, Republicans, Postal Service, Trump, House Democrats Locations: Washington, Ukraine

☆ Georgian president vetoes ‘foreign agents’ bill after widespread opposition
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-18 | by ( Michael Rios | Kathleen Magramo | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

CNN —Georgia’s President Salome Zourabichvili has vetoed a controversial “foreign agents” bill that sparked weeks of widespread protests across the country. The divisive legislation would require organizations receiving more than 20% of their funding from abroad to register as “agents of foreign influence” or face a fine. Opponents say the bill was modeled after similar laws in Russia that the Kremlin has used to snuff out opposition and civil society. “This law, in its essence and spirit, is fundamentally Russian, contradicting our constitution and all European standards,” President Zourabichvili said after vetoing the bill on Saturday. Demonstrators protest against the foreign agents bill in Tbilisi, Georgia on May 13, 2024.

Persons: CNN —, Salome Zourabichvili, Zourabichvili, Zurab Organizations: CNN, European Union, EU Locations: Russia, Tbilisi , Georgia, Georgia, Soviet, Russia . Georgia, Soviet Union, Moscow, Europe, –, Ukraine

☆ Donald Trump addresses an embattled NRA as he campaigns against Biden’s gun policies
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-18 | by ( Steve Contorno | Daniel Strauss | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

Significantly less clear, though, is how much the NRA can help Trump’s bid to win the White House once again. “Donald Trump is winning no new voters when he boasts about doing nothing about gun violence during his presidency. Period,” said Nick Suplina, a senior vice president at Everytown for Gun Safety, a group founded in the aftermath of the 2012 Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting. Suplina said Trump’s NRA appearance “shows that both the organization and the man are a bit desperate for each other. Among both gun safety advocates and gun rights groups, there’s little disagreement about the stakes in 2024.

Persons: Donald Trump, Trump, Wayne LaPierre, It’s, ”, “ It’s, I’ve, ” Trump, Kristi Noem, Donald Trump Jr, Joe Biden’s, Bryan Lanza, “ Donald Trump, ” Lanza, “, Biden, Nick Suplina, Sandy, Suplina, Aidan Johnston, Johnston, ” Suplina, ” Biden, Karoline Leavitt, CNN’s Kristen Holmes, Alayna Treene Organizations: Dallas CNN —, National Rifle Association, NRA, White House, New, Political, Mar, CNN, North Dakota Gov, Libertarian Party, Republican, Trump, Biden, Safety, Sandy Hook Elementary, Gun Owners of America, White, U.S Locations: New York, Manhattan, Jersey, Washington ,, Minnesota, United States, Wyoming, Pennsylvania, Parkland , Florida

It’s just the latest sign that the pilgrimage to Trump’s criminal trial in New York has become a new litmus test for Trump loyalty inside the GOP ahead of November. Then, the GOP members joined Trump in his motorcade – including the Republican candidate challenging GOP Rep. Bob Good, who has tried to cozy up to Trump after initially endorsing Florida Gov. President, we’ve got your back,” GOP Rep. Andy Ogles said outside the courthouse. Gaetz along with Boebert and GOP Rep. Anna Paulina Luna, who were all in New York on Thursday, missed the vote. GOP Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene sparked outrage when she went after Democratic Rep. Jasmine Crockett’s appearance and Democratic Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s intelligence, with the committee meeting devolving into a heated sparring match.

Persons: Donald Trump, Trump’s, Trump, GOP Sen, Rick Scott of, Mike Johnson – who’s, “ There’s, It’s, it’s, Johnson, Lauren Boebert, Ralph Norman of, ”, Doug Burgum, Ohio Sen, J.D, Vance, Rick Scott, Vivek, Ramaswamy, Todd Blanche, Sen, We’ve, Eric, Bob Good, Ron DeSantis –, “ Mr, we’ve, Andy Ogles, ” Norman, “, Matt Gaetz, Stormy Daniels, Andrew Kelly, Reuters Legislating, Merrick Garland, Joe BIden’s, Robert Hur –, Andy Biggs, Biden, Anna Paulina Luna, Marjorie Taylor Greene, Jasmine Crockett’s, devolving, haven’t, “ Greene, johnny, suzy, latelys, Greene –, –, Boebert, Greene, “ Lauren Boebert, ” Boebert Organizations: CNN, Trump, he’s, GOP, Republicans, ”, North Dakota Gov, Manhattan Criminal, Caucus, Capitol, White House, Republican, Florida Gov, US Capitol Police, U.S, Reuters, Judiciary, Democratic Rep Locations: Manhattan, New York, Rick Scott of Florida, Colorado, Ralph Norman of South Carolina, Ohio, New York City, Trump, U.S, Capitol Hill, Israel, Gaza, Gaetz, Alexandria

☆ Lawmakers Make End Run Around Speaker Johnson on Disaster Bill
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-17 | by ( Carl Hulse | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

The success of the tactic underscores how tenuous a hold Republicans have on the House given their minuscule majority, and how divisions within the G.O.P. have fueled the emergence of a bipartisan coalition determined to get things done amid the dysfunction. In this case, Democrats and Republicans are attempting an end run around Speaker Mike Johnson to force a vote on legislation that would provide tax relief to victims of disasters around the country. The effort succeeded through a combination of backing from conservative Republicans from states hit hard by disasters and Democrats once again flexing their muscle in the narrowly divided House. It is just the latest example of how, during the chaotic congressional session, the House has deviated from the traditional procedural norms.

Persons: Mike Johnson Organizations: Republicans

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