DIRS.INFO The most relevant business & tech news

Pursuant to a 2013 Supreme Court decision, DOJ monitors only go inside polling places with the agreement of local officials, unless they have a court order. In their federal lawsuits, Missouri and Texas officials argued that their state laws did not permit federal officials to be present at polling places. Florida did not file a lawsuit, but Secretary of State Cord Byrd told the Justice Department in a letter Friday that state law does not allow DOJ officials in polling places. The DOJ was allowed to monitor polling places, he wrote, but was not allowed to send observers inside without a federal court order. Armed federal law enforcement officers are generally prohibited from entering polling places, which are secured by local law enforcement agencies.

Persons: Trump, Jane Nelson, Adam Powell, State Jay Ashcroft, “, ” Ashcroft, John Ashcroft, George W, Bush, Cord Byrd, Louis, Sarah Pitlyk, Matthew Kacsmaryk, Kacsmaryk, Ken Paxton, Victory Preventing Biden, Unlawfully Organizations: GOP, Justice Department, DOJ, “, Department, USA, Network, State, U.S, Federal, District, Texas AG Locations: Missouri, Texas, Florida , Texas, “ Texas, Downtown El Paso, Florida, St, U.S

An amendment that would enshrine abortion access in Missouri's constitution will appear on the state's general election ballot, Missouri Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft's office announced Tuesday. Ashcroft, a Republican, deemed that the petitions to qualify the initiative for the ballot had the sufficient number of signatures. The ballot would also protect abortion rights up until fetal viability, around the 24th week of pregnancy, except to protect the life or health of the mother. Amendments that would protect or expand abortion rights will also appear on the ballot in seven other states this fall. Organizers in Arkansas, Montana and Nebraska have also submitted signatures for similar ballot measures.

Persons: State Jay Ashcroft's, Ashcroft, Rachel Sweet, Roe, Wade Organizations: State, Republican, U.S, Supreme, Voters Locations: Missouri, Arkansas , Montana, Nebraska, California , Michigan , Ohio, Vermont

☆ A 'squad' member and a Trump-impeaching Republican on defense: What to watch in Tuesday's primaries
▼ + stars: | 2024-08-06 | by ( Https | Media-Cldnry.S-Nbcnews.Com Image Upload Newscms Head_Shot.Jpeg | Bridget Bowman | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +9 min

The super PAC also spent millions to defeat a fellow “squad” member, Rep. Jamaal Bowman, D-N.Y., in a June primary. 'Squad' member Cori Bush faces Democratic primary putting a spotlight on IsraelRep. Cori Bush is facing a tough primary in her fight for a third term. In Michigan’s 3rd District, Democratic Rep. Hillary Scholten faces multiple challenges to the seat she has held for nearly two years. So far, Trump has not weighed in on the Republican primary race. But in Kansas’ solidly Republican 2nd District, Trump and Conservatives for American Excellence are on the same side in Tuesday’s primary to replace retiring GOP Rep. Jake LaTurner.

Persons: Donald Trump’s, Cori Bush’s, William Lacy Clay Jr, Bush, Jamaal Bowman, Cori Bush, Allison Robbert, Wesley Bell, Dan Newhouse, David Valadao of, Newhouse, Trump, Jerrod Sessler, Tiffany Smiley, Smiley, Thanedar —, Mary Waters, Mike Duggan, Shakira Lynn Hawkins, Elissa Slotkin, Mike Rogers, Democratic Sen, Debbie Stabenow, Rogers, James Craig, Peter Meijer, Sandy Pensler, Justin Amash, ”, Hill Harper, Hillary Scholten, Scholten, Salim Al, Paul Hudson, Michael Markey, Republican John Gibbs, Joe Biden, Kamala Harris, Biden, Dan Kildee, Paul Junge, Mary Draves, Anthony Hudson, Matt Collier, Sen, Kristen McDonald, Pamela Pugh, Republican Tom Barrett, Curtis Hertel, State Jay Ashcroft, Mike Kehoe, Bill Eigel, Tuesday’s, Lucas Kunce, GOP Sen, Josh Hawley, Bob Onder, Blaine Leutkemeyer, Jake LaTurner, Derek Schmidt, Sharice Davids, Marie Gluesenkamp Perez, Joe Kent, Kent, Gluesenkamp Perez, Leslie Lewallen Organizations: Cori Bush’s Democratic, Democratic 1st District, United Democracy, American Israel Public Affairs Committee, Israel, PAC, Democratic, Bloomberg, Getty, Senate, Capitol, Republicans, Trump, Newhouse, America, Inc, Detroit City Council, GOP, Michigan's Senate, AP, National Republican Senatorial, Detroit Police, Republican Party, ABC, District, Michigan State University, Republican, Democrats, Biden, Congressional District, Democrat, Dow Chemical, Flint, Board of, State, Gov, Marine, American Excellence, Conservatives, American, Kansas Republicans, Army Locations: Missouri, — Missouri, Washington , Michigan, Kansas, Israel, Louis, David Valadao of California, Michigan’s 13th, Shakira Lynn Hawkins . Michigan, Michigan's, Michigan, Michigan’s, Grand Rapids, Rapids, Kent, Trump, Washington’s, Camas, Washington

☆ Emails show how a right-wing group steers GOP leaders on major policy issues
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-17 | by ( Bob Ortega | Daniel Medina | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +18 min

Missouri Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft speaks with reporters on Jan. 23 in Jefferson City, Missouri. In Wyoming, a GOP state senator forwarded an FGA draft bill to Secretary of State Chuck Gray that would prohibit sending out unsolicited absentee ballot request forms. Emails show the group strategized with the secretary of state’s office for weeks leading up to Ashcroft proposing his own such rule last January. FGA notches wins with weakened child labor lawsFGA’s lobbying group, The Opportunity Solutions Project, spearheads its efforts at the state level. Chip Somodevilla/Getty ImagesFGA also continues its push at the state level across the country to enact its policy priorities.

Persons: State Jay Ashcroft, “, Ashcroft, Kacen Bayless, FGA, –, Chuck Gray, ” Gray, Gray, ”, Joe Biden’s, Jay, Daniel Garrett, Garrett, “ It’s, Missouri’s, Scott Fitzpatrick, BlackRock, ” Fitzpatrick, Mark Felix, Fitzpatrick, ALEC, Andy Puzder, Carls Jr, ” Puzder, Kristina Shelton, Puzder, ” Kristina Shelton, they’ve, Tarren Bragdon, Rebecca Burkes, It’s, Tyson, ’, Bragdon, Sarah Bryner, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, Paul Renner, Donald Trump, Chip Somodevilla, Shelton, ” Shelton Organizations: CNN, State, Republican, Foundation, Government, Missouri, Kansas City Star, Tribune, Service, GOP, Ashcroft, Conservative, Missouri Chamber of Commerce, National, University of Pennsylvania, Brookings Institution, Exxon, BlackRock, ” BlackRock, Energy, ExxonMobil, Washington Post, American Legislative Exchange Council, Heritage Foundation, Heritage, Boston, Wisconsin Democratic, FGA, Solutions, Tyson Foods Inc, George’s Inc, US Department of Labor, Solutions Project, Daily, The Heritage Foundation, Alliance, Trump, Florida Governor, Bragdon, Florida House, House, FBI, Justice Department, Department of Education, Center, Pleaides Locations: Missouri, Texas, Jefferson City , Missouri, Wyoming, Kansas , Indiana, BlackRock, Florida, ExxonMobil Baytown, Baytown , Texas, Washington, ” Wisconsin, Wisconsin, Arkansas, Iowa, Park City , Utah, DeSantis, Rome , Georgia

Another threat to election officialsAt least four swatting incidents have been aimed at the homes of senior officials who oversee or work to secure elections since December. Separately, a Department of Justice taskforce launched in 2021 has reviewed more than 2,000 allegations of hostility, harassment, abuse, or threats to election officials and staffers, a department spokesperson said. Swatting was featured in a tabletop exercise for election officials in New Jersey last month, a spokesperson for the secretary of state told CNN. Such incidents have prompted The Elections Group, a consulting group led by former election officials, to begin sharing resources on swatting with election workers and incorporating the topic into trainings. A wave of election officials have departed their roles since November 2020, when false claims of a stolen election proliferated.

Persons: Jay Ashcroft, ” Ashcroft, State Jay Ashcroft, Kacen Bayless, ”, Ashcroft, Gabriel Sterling, “, we’ll, Sterling, Justin Bieber, Ashton Kutcher, swatting, ” Jennifer Doebler, Alan Winston Filion, Filion “, Filion, Jennifer Doebler, Lauren R, Shapiro, Republican Sen, Rick Scott of, Scott’s, Sen, Rick Scott swatting, “ Sir, there’s, “ It’s, Swatting, State Shenna Bellows, Bellows, Donald Trump, Trump, Ashcroft’s, Joe Biden, Tina Barton, ” Barton Organizations: CNN, Missouri’s, Republican, State, Kansas City Star, TNS, Getty, FBI, of Justice, Local, Sandy, John Jay College of Criminal, swatting, ”, Naples Police, “, Trump, Elections, Commission Locations: Jefferson City , Missouri, Missouri, Maine , Georgia, Virginia, Sterling, Britain, Sandy Springs, Kansas, Tennessee, California, Rick Scott of Florida, Naples , Florida, Naples, New Jersey, Georgia, Maine

“This is an extremely undemocratic way to harm access to reproductive health care," said Sofia Tomov, operations coordinator with Access Reproductive Care Southeast, a member of the Mississippi Abortion Access Coalition. The proposal comes days after a Missouri abortion-rights campaign launched its ballot measure effort aiming to enshrine abortion rights into the state constitution. Missouri abortion rights groups also have criticized Republican Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft, saying he is attempting to impede the initiative by manipulating the measure's ballot summary. Ohio abortion rights advocates have said last year’s statewide vote to enshrine abortion rights in the state constitution was as much about abortion as it was a referendum on democracy itself. After Ohio voters approved the abortion protections last year, Republican lawmakers pledged to block the amendment from reversing the state's restrictions.

Persons: “ They’re, Laurie Bertram Roberts, we’ve, Mississippi, Cheikh Taylor, “, ” Taylor, Fred Shanks, Roe, Wade, ”, Jason White, Sofia Tomov, State Jay Ashcroft, Ed Lewis, Sam Lee, John Rizzo, Joe Adams, Deirdre Schifeling, ‘ Will, Summer Ballentine, Emily Wagster Pettus Organizations: CHICAGO, —, U.S, Supreme, Mississippi House, Democratic Rep, Republican Party, Republican, Republicans, Mississippi, Reproductive, Coalition, State, GOP, Democratic, Ohio Republicans, Ohio, ACLU, Press, Associated Press, AP Locations: Missouri, Mississippi, Ohio, . Mississippi, ”, ” In Missouri, Nevada, Jefferson City , Missouri, Jackson , Mississippi

☆ Republican presidential candidate Nikki Haley targeted in swatting incident
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-27 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

"It was determined to be a hoax ... Nikki Haley is not on the island and her son is with her." Law enforcement agencies have not publicly identified a suspect in the Haley case or in other high-profile swatting cases. Reuters has documented at least 27 swatting incidents of politicians, prosecutors, election officials and judges since November 2023, ranging from Georgia Republican state officials to hoaxes this month against Democrat Joe Biden's residence at the White House. Senator Rick Scott on Dec. 27, weeks after he endorsed Trump, according to records from the Naples Police Department. A caller identifying himself as "Jamal" also targeted Georgia Republican state senator John Albers on Dec. 26, according to an incident report from the Roswell Police Department.

Persons: Nikki Haley, Donald Trump, Trump, State Shenna Bellows, Marjorie Taylor Greene, swatting, Haley, Craig Harris, Kiawah, Harris, Joe Biden's, Jamal, Rick Scott, Scott wasn't, John Albers, State Jay Ashcroft, Ashcroft, Scott, Albers, Gabriel Sterling, Sterling Organizations: Grappone, Authorities, South, Republican, Reuters, State, Trump, Federal Bureau of Investigation, FBI, Georgia Republican, White, Republican U.S, Naples Police Department, Police Department, Roswell Police Department, Missouri, Jefferson City Police Department, Atlanta Locations: Concord , New Hampshire, South Carolina, U.S, Maine, Kiawah, South Carolina's, Iowa, New Hampshire, Georgia, Florida, Naples, Missouri

(AP) — A Missouri abortion-rights campaign announced Thursday that it's throwing support behind an amendment that would enshrine access to the procedure in the state constitution while allowing restrictions in later stages of pregnancy. Supporters include the ACLU of Missouri, local Planned Parenthood affiliates and Abortion Action Missouri. Political Cartoons View All 253 ImagesAnd Missourians for Constitutional Freedom has funding difficulties, ending 2023 with no money in the bank. Missourians for Constitutional Freedom's announcement comes as abortion activists nationwide are divided over whether to support constitutional amendments that allow any regulation of abortion after viability. Current Missouri law includes an exception for medical emergencies, but not in cases of rape and incest.

Persons: Freedom, “, ”, Iman Alsaden, State Jay Ashcroft, Roe, Wade Organizations: JEFFERSON CITY, —, Missouri, Constitutional, Republican, State, Freedom, American College of Obstetricians Locations: Mo, Missouri

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — The statewide battles over abortion rights since the U.S. Supreme Court overturned a constitutional right to abortion have exposed another fault line: the commitment to democracy. "We spoke.”Gross told Jackson she wasn't ignoring voters but rather was reflecting opponents' concerns that Ohio voters were led astray. Anti-abortion lawmakers and advocates already have pushed back in a handful of states where voters sided generally with abortion rights. Republican state legislative leaders initially pledged that the fight to restrict abortion rights wasn't over after voters had spoken. Florida’s Republican attorney general is attempting to keep a proposed abortion rights amendment off the 2024 ballot.

Persons: We.Are.Not.Done, Jennifer Gross, Gross, Dobbs, Roe, Wade, Douglas Keith, Brennan, “, ” Keith, Emily Jackson, Jackson, ” Gross, ”, Rick Santorum, Brandon Prichard, Ohio, Sophia Jordán Wallace, Myrna Perez, Andrew Whitehead, God, ” Whitehead, Mike DeWine, Dave Yost, Jason Stephens, Matt Huffman, Stephens, Huffman, State Jay Ashcroft, Kara Gross Organizations: Supreme, Justice’s, AP VoteCast, Associated Press, NORC, for Public Affairs Research, Republican, Rep, University of Washington, Ohio University, Indiana University – Purdue University Indianapolis, Kentucky Republicans, “, Ohio, State, AP Locations: COLUMBUS , Ohio, U.S, ” Ohio, Ohio, Montana and Utah, Alaska and Kansas, Pennsylvania, North Dakota, Montana, ”, In Missouri, Michigan, Florida

That includes Ohio, where voters Tuesday enshrined abortion access in the state constitution. Opponents want to ban abortion throughout pregnancy. The state Supreme Court in 2019 upheld a lower court decision that there is a right to abortion in the state constitution. ___NEBRASKAAbortion rights advocates have submitted language to Nebraska' secretary of state for a ballot question that would expand abortion access. In the third trimester, the state could ban abortion — except when it's needed to save the woman's life.

Persons: Roe, Wade, Ron DeSantis, General Ashley Moody, State Jay Ashcroft, Ashcroft, ___, it's, Jay Inslee Organizations: Ohio, U.S, Supreme, Democratic, ___, Republican Gov, Republican, Republicans, ___ MARYLAND Lawmakers, State, ___ NEVADA Voters, ___ SOUTH DAKOTA Voters, WASHINGTON Democratic Gov, Associated Press Locations: Ohio, Maryland, New York, ARIZONA, ___ COLORADO Colorado, Colorado, ___ FLORIDA, Florida, IOWA, Iowa, MISSOURI, Missouri, ___ NEBRASKA, Nebraska, PENNSYLVANIA, ___, South Dakota

Ballot summaries are used on Missouri ballots to help voters understand sometimes lengthy and complex constitutional amendments and policy changes. “We stand by our language and believe it fairly and accurately reflects the scope and magnitude of each petition,” Ashcroft said in a statement. A measure to ensure abortion access is on the November ballot in Ohio after withstanding legal challenges from opponents. Voters in every state with an abortion-related ballot measure since the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in 2022, effectively making abortion access a state-by-state question, have favored the side supported by abortion rights supporters. ——-Associated Press writer Heather Hollingsworth in Mission, Kansas and Geoff Mulvihill in Cherry Hill, New Jersey, contributed to this report.

Persons: ”, State Jay Ashcroft, ” Ashcroft, Andrew Bailey’s, Emily Wales, “, Roe, Wade, Heather Hollingsworth, Geoff Mulvihill Organizations: COLUMBIA, —, Republican, Western, Appeals, State, “, Voters, Supreme, Associated Press, NORC, for Public Affairs Research Locations: Mo, Missouri, Plains, ” Missouri, Ohio, Maryland, New York, Arizona , Florida , Nevada, South Dakota, Iowa , Nebraska, Pennsylvania, Colorado, U.S, Mission , Kansas, Cherry Hill , New Jersey

The video posted on the X platform, formerly known as Twitter, caught the attention of Jonathan Riley, a liberal activist in Durham, North Carolina, who posted Sunday that it showed “Missouri Republicans at a literal book burning," though he'd later walk that statement back to a “metaphorical” book burning. “It fit a narrative that they wanted to put out there,” Freedom Fest organizer Debbie McFarland said about claims that Eigel burned books. Experts who study political extremism said images involving fire or bonfires have long been associated with extremist groups. Eigel’s critics quickly posted online images involving the Ku Klux Klan and Nazi book burnings before World War II. Talking about book burning enough can plant the idea in people's minds so that ”people think it’s actually a righteous thing to do."

Persons: Louis, Sen, Bill Eigel, ” Eigel, Eigel, ”, Kurt Braddock, Jonathan Riley, he'd, Debbie McFarland, Mike Parson, State Jay Ashcroft, Mike Kehoe, Ashcroft, Gregg Keller, Eigel’s, “, Eric Greitens, Flamethowers, Donald Trump, Kristi Noem’s, Evan Perkoski, it's, ” “, Javed Ali, Braddock, ” Eigel's, Ali, he’s, ___ Hanna, ___, John Hanna Organizations: JEFFERSON CITY, Missouri, Associated Press, ”, American University, Republicans, Twitter, Missouri Republicans, Gov, State, AP, GOP, Ku, Navy, Senate, Name, torching, Ku Klux Klan, University of Connecticut, University of Michigan Locations: Mo, St, Missouri, Washington, Defiance , Missouri, Durham , North Carolina, Jefferson City, U.S, Arizona, Alabama, South Dakota, Topeka , Kansas

(AP) — Abortion advocates asked a judge on Monday to rewrite what they call misleading descriptions of several constitutional amendments on abortion rights that voters could see on Missouri’s 2024 ballot. Missouri is among several states, including Ohio, where abortion opponents are fighting efforts to ensure or restore access to the procedure following the fall of Roe v. Wade last year. In Missouri, summaries of proposed constitutional amendments are provided on ballots to help voters understand what the measures would do. Ballot measures on abortion could also be put before voters in 2024 in states including Arizona, Maryland, New York and South Dakota. In all of them, including generally conservative Kansas and Kentucky, the abortion rights side prevailed.

Persons: Roe, Wade, State Jay Ashcroft, Tony Rothert, Jason Krol Lewis, Lewis, Rothert, Andrew Bailey, Scott, Fitzpatrick, Bailey, —, Geoff Mulvihill Organizations: JEFFERSON CITY, —, State, Supreme, Republican, Missouri Supreme, Associated Press Locations: Mo, Missouri, Ohio, U.S, Arizona , Maryland , New York, South Dakota, Oklahoma, Kansas, Kentucky, Cherry Hill , New Jersey

Search resuls for: "State Jay Ashcroft"

13 mentions found