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☆ Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers thwarted Republicans with a creative veto that increases school funding for the next 400 years
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-05 | by ( Brent D. Griffiths | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Tony Evers used a creative veto to secure more funding for public education. The Democrat's move will increase funding for the next 400 years. Tony Evers has his way, a record-increase in state funding for education will almost last until then. Evers veto regarding per-pupil school funding," Assembly Speaker Robin Vos said in a statement. "My vetoes reflect my belief system,"Evers told Wisconsin Public Radio.

Persons: Tony Evers, —, Evers, Robin Vos Organizations: Wisconsin Gov, Republicans, Service, The Capital Times, Capital Times, National Conference of State Legislatures, Wisconsin Public Locations: Wisconsin, Madison, United States

☆ He crushed the bar exam, but the legal profession remains disproportionately White
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-02 | by ( Meron Moges-Gerbi | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

In most states you would have to get at least a 260 score on the bar exam to pass. This year the minimum passing score for the Maryland bar exam is 266, according to the National Conference of Bar Examiners. The LSAT costs more than $200 and the bar exam is close to $1,000. The non-profit also offers programs to introduce undergraduate and high school students to law school and other legal career opportunities. Those responsibilities can lead to less time to prepare for the bar exam, which is extremely important because the bar exam decides how well you are prepared for the exam and not how well you know the law, George said.

Persons: Matthew Graham, Thurgood Marshall, Marshall, Graham, ” Graham, Ciara Graham, Celine Graham, Genise Thomas, I’ve, Verna Williams, It’s, ” Williams, Williams, Angela Winfield, Winfield, “, ” Winfield, ” “, Erika George, ” George, George, Ciara, Celine, Matthew, Genise Thomas Graham, Black, doesn’t Organizations: CNN, Black, Alpha Phi Alpha, American, American Bar Association, National Conference of Bar, Maryland, Washington DC, “, The Law, Princeton, University of Utah’s, Quinney College of Law, University of Baltimore School of Law Locations: Baltimore , Maryland, Maryland

☆ The New Bar Exam Puts DEI Over Competence
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-21 | by ( Jay Mitchell | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Journal Editorial Report: Evanston, Ill., tries to dilute advance-placement qualifications. Images: Taylor Glascock for The Wall Street JournalThe bar exam is about to get a nationwide overhaul. The National Conference of Bar Examiners, or NCBE, which creates and administers the uniform bar exam, plans to roll out a revamped version of the bar exam, which it calls the “NextGen” exam, in 2026. After attending the NCBE’s annual meeting this month, I have serious concerns about how this test will affect law students, law schools and the legal profession.

☆ Body Cameras Can Be a Powerful Tool. But Not All Police Forces Wear Them.
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-19 | by ( Sean Keenan | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Still, the use of body cameras continues to vary widely, and only seven states have enacted requirements for them, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures. In Georgia, the police chiefs association reported that nearly 90 percent of the 254 local agencies it surveyed in 2021 were using body cameras in some fashion. But the Georgia State Patrol, with nearly 800 troopers, does not routinely equip its officers with them, relying instead on dashboard cameras. Nor does the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, which was part of the forest-clearing task force and led the investigation of Terán’s death. Some other state police forces share that policy, said John Bagnardi, executive director of the American Association of State Troopers.

☆ South Africa, due to host Putin, rows back from pledge to quit war crimes court
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-26 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Ramaphosa had said on Tuesday that the ruling African National Congress would aim to repeal South Africa's membership of the Hague-based court, which hears cases of genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity. Moscow denies committing war crimes including forced deportations of children, and says the ICC has no authority as Russia is not a member. Putin is due to visit South Africa in August for a summit of the BRICS group of emerging economies comprising Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa. As an ICC member, South Africa would be required to detain him. The presidency said on Wednesday that South Africa would work towards establishing an African continental criminal court that would complement the ICC as a court of last resort.

☆ In victory for labor unions, Michigan governor repeals 'right-to-work' law
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-24 | by ( Dan Whitcomb | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer makes a campaign stop at the IBEW Local 58 union hall in Detroit, Michigan, U.S. November 5, 2022. REUTERS/Rebecca CookMarch 24 (Reuters) - Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer on Friday signed a package of bills repealing the state's so-called "right to work" law that allowed workers to opt out of unions, a long-sought victory for labor organizers facing an era of diminished power. "Michigan workers are the most talented and hard-working in the world and deserve to be treated with dignity and respect," Whitmer, a two-term Democrat, said in a statement. House Bill 4007 requires that contractors hired by the state pay a so-called prevailing wage, the amount used when hiring union workers. The Michigan state legislature, controlled at the time by Republicans, in 2012 passed a right-to-work law over the objections of union activists.

The bar exam assesses knowledge and reasoning and includes essays and performance tests meant to simulate legal work, as well as multiple choice questions. Less than four months ago, two of the same researchers concluded that OpenAI's earlier large language model, ChatGPT, fell short of a passing score on the bar exam, highlighting how rapidly the technology is improving. “I heard so many people say, ‘Well, it might get the multiple choice but it will never get the essays,'” Katz said. AI has also performed well on other standardized tests, including the SAT and the GRE, but the bar exam has garnered more attention. Bar exam tutor Sean Silverman attributed the focus on the bar exam to its widely recognized difficulty.

☆ Daylight-saving time is one of the most controversial and impossible issues of our age
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-10 | by ( Shayanne Gal | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

No policy — permanent daylight-saving time, permanent standard time, keep switching back and forth — is near a majority. Interestingly, respondents in the West are 14 percentage points more likely to prefer permanent standard time compared to respondents from the Northeast. When asked by the poll to rank those benefits, the ones favoring permanent standard time won out, big. The three most important values for respondents – keeping the time in line with circadian rhythms, promoting morning safety, and better sleep – are all specifically benefits of permanent Standard Time over permanent daylight-saving time. On a federal level, there have been political moves towards ending the status quo and pushing for permanent daylight-saving time.

☆ Some schools are switching to the 4-day workweek to bring in and keep teachers, but education officials say it's not a 'magic pill' to fix the educator shortage
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-28 | by ( Korie Wilkins | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

"Right now, the climate across the country with educators is that they are exhausted and they are tired," Gabe Dannenbring, a middle-school-science teacher and popular TikToker, told Insider. His studies include deep dives on how the four-day schedule impacts student success, and he is considering future studies on how this schedule change can help curb educator burnout. As of 2020, about 550 districts nationwide have adopted a four-day schedule, according to the National Conference of State Legislature. Heather Luke Drozlek teaches in a small private school in Indiana, which is on a four-day school week. "I can see the benefits, but I can also see that it could cause systemic issues," Tell Williams, a preschool teacher and social-media influencer, told Insider.

☆ In Mexico, a reporter published a story. The next day he was shot dead
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-21 | by ( Sarah Kinosian | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +10 min

One man got out, walked inside and shot the 42-year-old journalist dead. As he lay dead, a nearby patrol car responded to an emergency call, intercepted the pickup and arrested the two men. "In silence zones people don't get access to basic information to conduct their lives," said Jan-Albert Hootsen, CPJ's Mexico representative. One of those killed was Gustavo Sanchez, a journalist shot at close range in June 2021 by two motorcycle-riding hitmen. "You would think the biggest enemy would be armed groups and organized crime," said journalist Patricia Mayorga, who fled Mexico after investigating corruption.

☆ In Mexico, a reporter published a story. The next day he was dead
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-21 | by ( Sarah Kinosian | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +10 min

A day earlier, Lopez–who ran two online news sites in the southern Oaxaca state–had published a story on Facebook accusing local politician Arminda Espinosa Cartas of corruption related to her re-election efforts. As he lay dead, a nearby patrol car responded to an emergency call, intercepted the pickup and arrested the two men. "In silence zones people don't get access to basic information to conduct their lives," said Jan-Albert Hootsen, CPJ's Mexico representative. The infrastructure was a part of the Interoceanic Corridor–one of Lopez Obrador's flagship development projects in southern Mexico. "You would think the biggest enemy would be armed groups and organized crime," said journalist Patricia Mayorga, who fled Mexico after investigating corruption.

☆ New Year’s pay boost: These states are raising their minimum wage
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-31 | by ( Alicia Wallace | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

Minneapolis CNN —The current period of high inflation that has significantly impacted the US economy will also influence a New Year’s tradition: The annual state minimum wage increases. By January 1, hourly minimum wages in 23 states will rise as part of previously scheduled efforts to reach $15 an hour or to account for cost-of-living changes. Additionally, nearly 30 cities and counties across the US will increase their minimum wage, according to the EPI, a left-leaning think tank. “The fact that there’s high inflation really just underscores how necessary these minimum wage increases are for workers,” said Sebastian Martinez Hickey, a research assistant at the EPI. “That also means that prices aren’t going to go up at [places like] restaurants.”The federal minimum wage of $7.25 per hour hasn’t budged since 2009, and 20 states have a minimum wage either equal to or below the federal level, making $7.25 their default baseline.

☆ Miami's mayor said the 'single hottest city in the world' will keep attracting tons of transplants in 2023
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-31 | by ( Kimberly Leonard | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Miami Mayor Francis Suarez predicted people from all over the world would move to Miami in 2023. Suarez predicted Miami would effectively weather a recession. As the top executive for the city, Miami Mayor Francis Suarez has shepherded along much of the city's economic changes by encouraging tech and venture capital companies to plant offices downtown. Miami Mayor Francis Suarez, a Republican, predicted the Magic City would be able to weather a recession. As some analysts forecast a global recession hit in 2023, the mayor predicted Miami would be able to weather it.

☆ Miami Mayor Francis Suarez voted for DeSantis in 2022 after supporting his Democratic opponent 4 years ago and not voting for Trump in 2020
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-29 | by ( Kimberly Leonard | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Miami Mayor Francis Suarez voted for DeSantis for governor after supporting his challenger in 2018. Ron DeSantis' victory in Miami-Dade County included support from at least one high-profile politician who didn't vote for him four years ago: Miami Mayor Francis Suarez. In 2018, Suarez, a Republican, voted for DeSantis' Democratic challenger, then-Tallahassee Mayor Andrew Gillum. Miami mayor Francis Suarez Lynne Sladky/APSuarez has been forthcoming about certain areas in which he and DeSantis disagree. Suarez told Punchbowl News in October that he'd consider a presidential run, but told Insider on Wednesday that he wasn't close to making a decision.

☆ South Africa's ANC gathers to vote on new leader
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-18 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] South African President Cyril Ramaphosa attends the nomination process of the top African National Congress (ANC) officials in the 55th National Conference of the ruling African National Congress (ANC) at the Nasrec Expo Centre in Johannesburg, South Africa, December 18, 2022. REUTERS/Sumaya HishamJOHANNESBURG, Dec 18 (Reuters) - Delegates of South Africa's ruling African National Congress (ANC) gathered on Sunday to choose a new party leader, pitting President Cyril Ramaphosa against former health minister Zweli Mkhize. They will vote on Sunday after the ANC nominated the two candidates late on Saturday. Ramaphosa's backers were singing songs in support of him and were holding up two fingers signalling a second term as leader. Former president Jacob Zuma's supporters are seeking to use the scandal to oust Ramaphosa.

[1/2] South African President Cyril Ramaphosa attends the 55th National Conference of the ruling African National Congress (ANC) at the Nasrec Expo Centre in Johannesburg. REUTERS/Sumaya HishamJOHANNESBURG, Dec 17 (Reuters) - Party allies, and even some rivals, of South African President Cyril Ramaphosa on Saturday condemned opponents who disrupted his opening speech with chants and shouting at a conference of the ruling ANC on Friday. Ramaphosa, who was speaking at a five-day gathering of the African National Congress (ANC) to elect candidates for 2024 national elections, is seeking a second term and is widely seen as the party's strongest candidate. We are all interested to emerge here with a very solid, strong leadership," ANC deputy presidential hopeful and Eastern Cape ANC Chairperson Oscar Mabuyane told reporters. What they did yesterday soiled (their) campaign," Zamani Saul, Northern Cape ANC chairperson told SABC news.

☆ Oregon Gov. Kate Brown commutes sentences of 17 people on death row
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-14 | by ( Zoë Richards | Zoë Richards Is The Evening Politics Reporter For Nbc News. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +2 min

Kate Brown announced plans Tuesday to commute the sentences of the 17 people on death row to life in prison without the possibility of parole, most likely using her executive clemency powers for the last time as governor. “Unlike previous commutations I’ve granted to individuals who have demonstrated extraordinary growth and rehabilitation, this commutation is not based on any rehabilitative efforts by the individuals on death row. Instead, it reflects the recognition that the death penalty is immoral." Brown said the commutations were consistent with a moratorium on the death penalty Gov. The death penalty was first legalized in Oregon in the 19th century, but it has been abolished and reinstated three times since then.

☆ These 7 states are the safest in the country for identity theft and fraud
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-09 | by ( Tom Huddleston Jr. | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Residents of Montana and Arkansas experience less identity theft — or other types of fraud — than the rest of the country. Montana residents were least vulnerable to identity theft and other types of fraud — recording the second-fewest identity theft complaints per capita in 2021, with just 106 complaints per 100,000 residents, according to the report's analysis of Federal Trade Commission data. By comparison, Rhode Island recorded the most identity theft complaints per capita, with 2,857 reports per 100,000 residents in 2021, according to FTC data. Here are the seven least vulnerable states for identity theft and fraud, based on NerdWallet's rankings:Montana Arkansas Indiana Maine Wyoming Oklahoma WashingtonCases of fraud, including identity theft, have risen in recent years, spurred partially by the Covid-19 pandemic and an uptick in data breaches flooding the black market with stolen personal information. Earlier this year, the FTC reported that consumers filed more than 5.7 million fraud reports in 2021, roughly a quarter of which were identity theft complaints.

☆ These 7 states face the highest risk of identify theft and fraud
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-08 | by ( Tom Huddleston Jr. | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Online fraud cases, including identity theft, have hit all-time highs in recent years — which means you're likely more at risk than ever of having your personal information targeted by hackers or other bad actors. Consumers filed more than 5.7 million fraud reports with the Federal Trade Commission last year, including nearly 1.4 million reports of identity theft. Online fraudsters can seek you out anywhere, but identity theft and fraud are more prevalent in some states than others. Here are the country's seven most vulnerable places for identity theft and fraud, according to the report:Washington D.C. Delaware Louisiana Rhode Island Colorado Pennsylvania GeorgiaWashington D.C. tops the list as the place with the most online fraud and identity theft. The rankings give the most weight to the number of identity theft and fraud complaints per capita, as well as the average losses for the victims of those complaints.

Cassaundra Brownell, a self-described “serial entrepreneur” from Maryland, was relieved when she found the Justis Connection, a company that links potential clients with Black attorneys. Her case illuminates a point Black lawyers and advocates have been making for some time: Black clients feel that they receive heightened support and more favorable results from Black lawyers than with non-Black legal aid. And unlike Black lawyer associations like the National Conference of Black Lawyers and The National Black Lawyers, which some have relied on to find Black legal representatives in their cities, the Justis Connection specifically works on making those client-attorney connections. “And the thing about a Black attorney is that he or she would be much more relatable to Black clients,” Davidson said. But it’s probably not going to be the same.”However, even with connections being made, a significant problem still exists: There are not enough Black attorneys to address the needs of Black clients.

☆ Reaction to expert panel report on South Africa's Ramaphosa
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-01 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/2] Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, former minister and chairwoman of the African Union Commission, attends the 54th National Conference of the ruling African National Congress (ANC) at the Nasrec Expo Centre in Johannesburg, South Africa December 17, 2017. REUTERS/Siphiwe SibekoJOHANNESBURG, Dec 1 (Reuters) - Cyril Ramaphosa's future as South African president was in question on Thursday, a day after a panel report found preliminary evidence he may have committed serious misconduct. "We need to look at the report, study its implications very carefully, follow the parliamentary processes and allow matters to take their course." NKOSAZANA DLAMINI-ZUMA, EX-WIFE OF FORMER PRESIDENT JACOB ZUMA"I think the president has to step aside now and answer to the case." JOHN STEENHUISEN, LEADER OF MAIN OPPOSITION PARTY, THE LIBERAL DEMOCRATIC ALLIANCE (DA)"The report is clear and unambiguous.

☆ Fact Check-Experts dispute claims that GPS data leads to election fraud by helping cast illegal ballots
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-15 | by ( Reuters Fact Check | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +8 min

More examples of the image, which says GPS data can help “tip the election/s to their preferred candidates” (without identifying who “they” are), are viewable (here), (here). But GPS accuracy is degraded by satellite signal blockage (due to buildings, bridges and trees), indoor and underground use, as well as signals reflected off buildings, among other factors (here). There is no mention of using online surveillance via GPS and geolocation to verify who voted, contrary to the social media claims. For example, by monitoring the sites an individual visits or the posts they create on social media, Google “can have some idea on” voter preferences. Read more about our work to fact-check social media posts here .

A UN study last year found "negligible" correlation between household food waste and gross domestic product, indicating most countries "have room to improve." "We do have a long way to make the goal," said Jean Buzby, the food waste liaison at the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The USDA, the Environmental Protection Agency and the Food and Drug Administration agreed in 2018 to tackle America's food waste together. A spokesman for New Zealand's environment ministry said the country is finalizing its baseline food waste estimate so it can establish a target. SLOWEST GAZELLEIn California, which has America's most ambitious climate policies, officials are trying to ensure food waste goes to composting, not landfills.

☆ Here's how Donald Trump could theoretically run for president in 2024 and govern the US from prison, according to 9 legal scholars
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-13 | by ( Robin Bravender | Tina Sfondeles | Dave Levinthal | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +17 min

If Trump landed in prison, nothing in the Constitution would block him from another White House run, according to nine legal experts interviewed by Insider. He served eight years in federal prison after being convicted on public-corruption charges. In the Oval Office, Trump conducted business at the ornate Resolute Desk. If he wound up in federal prison, he'd likely have more sway over his fate. Hochul would all but certainly reject calls to cut Trump legal slack in any fashion, pardons included.

In Arizona Senate, Democratic Sen. Mark Kelly is ahead of Republican Blake Masters by 115,000 votes with 80% in. On Dobbs, the national exit poll showed 27% of voters picking abortion as their No. And remember that our final NBC News poll found Trump as one of the most unpopular political figures we measured, especially compared with President Biden. In each state, those Democratic secretaries of state nominees were running against Republicans who cast doubt on the 2020 election result. Two of those five feature Democrat vs. Democrat contests, thanks to the state’s Top 2 primary, so those will stay in the Democratic column.

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