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☆ As threats grow, funds for election security see a squeeze
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-21 | by ( Bob Ortega | Anna-Maja Rappard | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +17 min

That’s why Maricopa County has spent over $864,000 in federal funds and more than $3 million in county funds to bolster its election security and processes over the past four years. Officials readily shared their worries with CNN, citing death threats, harassment, baseless lawsuits, onerous public-records requests and various security threats spurred by false claims about voter fraud. Amid these challenges, budgets for election security have been squeezed in several ways. Thousands of election workers across the country have reported receiving harassing, offensive or hostile communications, including since the 2022 midterms, according to the Department of Justice’s Election Threats Task Force. As recently as Tuesday, Trump threatened to prosecute and imprison election officials if he wins in November, as he cast doubt on the integrity of the upcoming election.

Persons: ”, Bill Gates, MAGA, Donald Trump’s, —, Ben Hovland, ” Hovland, ” Ben Hovland, Patrick Semansky, Hovland, Joe Biden, Biden, Sen, James Lankford, “, Louisiana hasn’t, they’ll, Colorado —, CNN they’ve, “ We’re, they’ve, John Michael Catalano, Elijah Nouvelage, Isaac Cramer, Katharine Clark, we’re, Cramer, Mark Zuckerberg, Priscilla Chan, Zuckerberg, Trump, Chan, George Christenson, Republicans don’t, Jim Jordan of, Alex Jones swooped, Kelli Ward, Rudy Giuliani, Mark Meadows, Jenna Ellis, Kari Lake, She’s, Stephen Richer, Michael Chow, who’ve, Judge Scott Blaney, denialism, Kamala Harris, Arizona’s, Jeff Woolf, ” Woolf Organizations: Phoenix CNN, county’s, Supervisors, CNN, “, U.S, Election, Commission, National Association of, State, Help, Congress, FBI, US Postal Service, Tech, Civil, Center, Election Innovation, Research, Department, Force, South Carolina, South, Charleston County, Facebook, Democratic, Biden, Trump, FEC, GOP, Republicans, Democrats, Arizona Senate Republican, USA, Network, Arizona Superior Court, Republican Locations: Maricopa, Maricopa County, Washington, California , Georgia, Nevada , Oregon , Texas, Arizona , Georgia, North Carolina, Takoma Park , Maryland, Oklahoma, “ Louisiana, Nevada, Michigan, Louisiana, Delaware, Virginia, Colorado, Arizona, Georgia, Oregon, South, South Carolina, Fulton County, Atlanta, Charleston, Santa Fe , New Mexico, Pennsylvania, In Wisconsin, Milwaukee County, Wisconsin, Jim Jordan of Ohio, China, Republic

CNN —Suspicious packages were sent this week to election offices in more than 20 states, leading to an FBI investigation, triggering evacuations and rattling staff, according to a CNN survey of state offices and Associated Press reporting. Karen Brinson Bell, the executive director of the North Carolina State Board of Elections, told CNN that that the battleground state was also targeted this week. Officials in Kansas and New York said in statements and interviews that, after the letters were noticed, they evacuated their offices. Postal Inspection Service are investigating a series of suspicious mailings sent to election officials in several states,” the FBI said in a statement. A source involved with a group that coordinates with election officials across the country told CNN the 2023 incident led many of these offices to step up precautions and safety measures, so they were better protected this time around.

Persons: Brad Raffensperger, “ We’re, ” Raffensperger, Karen Brinson Bell, Bell, ” Bell, “, ” David Becker, ” Becker, Democrats ”, ” Organizations: CNN, Associated Press, US Postal Service, North Carolina State Board, Election Innovation, Research, Democrats, FBI, U.S . Postal, Service Locations: Alaska , Arizona , California , Colorado , Connecticut, Georgia, Indiana , Iowa , Kansas , Kentucky , Massachusetts , Mississippi , Missouri , Nebraska , New York, North Carolina , Ohio , Oklahoma, Rhode Island , Tennessee, Wyoming, Fulton County, Kentucky, Kansas, New York, Oklahoma, Takoma Park , Maryland

☆ In Maryland’s Democratic Senate primary, a high-stakes clash between a history-making pick and a candidate with deep pockets
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-11 | by ( Simone Pathe | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +11 min

Silver Spring, Maryland CNN —The farmers market in this suburb of Washington, DC, was a ripe crowd for Angela Alsobrooks, who’s locked in an increasingly contentious Senate Democratic primary on Tuesday. “I would really like to see a Black woman in the Senate. If elected in November, Alsobrooks, the executive of Prince George’s County, could become only the third Black woman ever elected to the Senate. (The one Black woman currently serving — California’s Laphonza Butler — was appointed and isn’t running to stay beyond this year.) “Electing women is not just good for Maryland,” Alsobrooks told supporters assembled outside her campaign office.

Persons: Angela Alsobrooks, who’s, “, Kathy Pruitt, California’s Laphonza Butler —, Alsobrooks, David Trone, ”, Mileah Kromer, Trone, Larry Hogan, ” Pruitt, Hogan, Brian Snyder, “ I’ve, ” —, it’s, ” Alsobrooks, ” Ellen Malcolm, —, Maryland’s Barbara Mikulski, Wes Moore, Sen, Ben Cardin, Barbara Lee, Lisa Blunt Rochester, Pamela Luckett, “ It’s, that’s, he’ll, Alsobrooks hasn’t, doesn’t, Joanne Benson, Donald Trump, It’s, Prince, Krystal Oriadha, you’re, — who’s, — doesn’t, ” Benson, She’s, Glynda Carr, Black, ” Carr, hasn’t, Pruitt Organizations: Maryland CNN, Democratic, Takoma Park, Prince, Senate, Goucher College Poll, Maryland, House Democratic, GOP Gov, Maryland Gov, Saint Anselm College, Reuters, Bowie, Democrats, PAC, Washington Post, Gov, California Rep, Spring, Republicans, NBC, CNN, Capitol, ”, GOP, AFI, NRA, Higher Locations: Maryland, Washington, Alsobrooks, Prince George’s County, George’s, Manchester , New Hampshire, Black, America, who’s, Delaware, Prince George’s, Higher Heights

☆ Cicadas 2024: What to expect from the 2024 periodical cicada emergence and how to prepare
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-24 | by ( Katie Hunt | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

The insects will infiltrate a much bigger geographical area than similar occurrences in most years because they’re part of the dual emergence of two particular periodical cicada broods. Although the full-scale emergence isn’t underway yet, experts have some guidance on how to prepare for cicada season. A periodical cicada that has just shed its outer skeleton crawls among holes dug by emerging cicada nymphs on May 20, 2021, in Takoma Park, Maryland. A young tree in Takoma Park, Maryland, is draped in netting in May 2021 to protect its small branches from being damaged by periodical cicadas laying their eggs in them. It’s not clear why periodical cicadas evolved to emerge every 13 or 17 years.

Persons: Louis —, Chip Somodevilla, “, ”, Paula Shrewsbury, ” Shrewsbury, John Lill, sapling, Lill, Jason Whitman, Shrewsbury, They’re Organizations: CNN, Naturalists, Southern, University of Maryland, North, George Washington University, US Food and Drug Administration Locations: Chicago, Nashville, St, Northern Illinois, Takoma Park , Maryland, North America, United States

☆ For Carla Hall, It’s Been a Bumpy Climb to a ‘Top Chef’ Life
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-20 | by ( Kim Severson | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Astrology, numerology, psychics, the Chinese zodiac — she’s open to all manner of metaphysical messaging. Then I went to wait in her airy kitchen, which happens to have the most expertly arranged, hand-labeled spice drawer I have ever encountered. All stars point to ‘this is your year.’ ’’Indeed, Ms. Hall seems to be everywhere. She’s selling $88 carrot cakes and nesting bowls decorated with okra flowers from her Sweet Heritage line on QVC. (She’s a Taurus.)

Persons: Carla Hall’s, ”, ’, Hall Organizations: Washington , D.C, QVC Locations: Takoma, Washington ,, Doritos

☆ Opinion | Teaching Practical Skills Like Home Ec and Shop in School
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-25 | by ( ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +4 min

Children need to do more physical and practical work at school, and schools need to integrate more movement into students’ routines. Attending Back to School Night at my son’s middle school, I was saddened to see that instruction is done mostly via large screens and that the students have no recess. My grandchildren would love the opportunity to experience the life skills that I was lucky enough to enjoy. And of course she taught sewing and cooking. Today’s students could surely benefit by learning practical life skills like home ec and shop.

Persons: Pamela Paul, Paul, I’ve, Joshi, Pamela Paul’s, Cindy Jenkins Plymouth, Roger Ramsey Buxton, “, Robin Weintraub Rochester Organizations: U.C.L.A Locations: Md, Roger Ramsey Buxton , Maine, Los Angeles, N.Y

☆ What a Long, Strange and Unsatisfying EV Trip It’s Been
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-20 | by ( James Freeman | ) www.wsj.com time to read: +1 min

Secretary of Energy Jennifer Granholm and Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg charge an electric vehicle in Takoma Park, Maryland in 2021. Photo: michael reynolds/ShutterstockIt’s a hard life on the road, especially when the journey involves politically correct transportation. Regular readers are familiar with the travails of Secretary of Energy Jennifer Granholm and Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg as they have bravely attempted to promote impractical travel. The Times identifies David Gelles as “a correspondent on the Climate desk,” suggesting he’s at least open to the idea of inefficient transport. Sure enough, Mr. Gelles reports in the Times’s Climate Forward newsletter that he’s had good experiences with Tesla and its charging network.

Persons: Energy Jennifer Granholm, Transportation Pete Buttigieg, michael reynolds, Shutterstock, David Gelles, Gelles, he’s, Tesla Organizations: Energy, Transportation, New York Times Locations: Takoma Park , Maryland, Minneapolis

☆ How gas station economics will change in the electric vehicle charging future
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-19 | by ( Cheryl Winokur Munk | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +8 min

Here's what gas station owners need to know about the EV charging trend and their future. By contrast, gas stations along major highways between highly traveled destinations can be ideal for electric charging hubs. While there can be a first-mover advantage for gas stations, some owners, like Blake Smith, founder of SQRL Holdings, a gas station and convenience store operator, are taking it slow. His company operates more than 150 convenience store gas station locations and offers electric charging in select locations in Florida. "I would never recoup my investment," he said, adding that a move to all electric charging could be decades away.

Persons: Seth Cutler, Neha Palmer, Shubhendra Anand, Biden, Barbara Stoyko, Sujay Sharma, Sharma, Yair Nechmad, Michael Hughes, Rohan Puri, Hughes, Albert Gore, Gore, Blake Smith Organizations: EV Connect, Gas, EV, TeraWatt, Automotive, Shell, Research, Shell Americas, BP, GM, Ford, National Automobile Dealers Association, ChargePoint Holdings, Stable Auto Corporation, U.S . Department of, Administration, U.S . Department of Energy, Royal, Emission Transportation Association, EVs, SQRL Holdings Locations: California , Arizona, New Mexico, Takoma Park, Md, Fulham, England, China, Netherlands, U.S, Local, Wawa, Florida, Arkansas

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