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☆ In a first, women poised to become mayors of Philadelphia and Jacksonville
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-17 | by ( Brendan O'Brien | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Democrat Donna Deegan pulled off an upset in Jacksonville, defeating front-running candidate Republican Daniel Davis on Tuesday to become the city's first female mayor. In Philadelphia, former state representative and City Council member Cherelle Parker won the Democratic nomination for mayor. She now faces Republican David Oh in the general election in November, a race she will most likely win in the largely Democratic city. Parker pledged to hire more police officers if she becomes Mayor of Philadelphia, where violent crime remains a chief concern across the nation's sixth largest city. She, like Deegan, would become her city's first female mayor if she wins, taking over for incumbent Democratic mayor Jim Kenney, who was term limited.

☆ Wisconsin lawmaker from the city where a teacher was suspended for playing Miley Cyrus' 'Rainbowland' now wants to make it so that teachers can be sued for 'obscene' books
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-17 | by ( Kenneth Niemeyer | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Wisconsin lawmakers introduced a bill that would allow parents to sue teachers over "obscene" books. In April, the district suspended a teacher who played the song "Rainbowland," which is about acceptance. The first bill recommends that the state strip school employees and teachers of their protections against prosecution for "displaying obscene material," the release says. The other bill would prohibit the use of public funds to purchase "obscene material." In April, the Waukesha School District suspended Melissa Tempel after she included "Rainbowland," as part of a planned performance with her first-grade class.

On top of the GOP gubernatorial primary in Kentucky, there are other contests taking place on Tuesday that could provide some clues about 2024 — even though it’s hard to draw too many lessons from individual races. Voters are also heading to the polls in Pennsylvania, which is hosting a crowded Democratic primary for Philadelphia mayor. Two races will also provide some insight into voter attitudes in two key counties in two crucial battlegrounds. In other Pence news, he will attend Iowa GOP Sen. Joni Ernst’s “Roast and Ride” event next month, per Fox News (former United Nations Ambassador Nikki Haley is also attending). Jumping in: Former state Rep. Leslie Love jumped into the Democratic Senate primary in Michigan on Monday.

CNN —North Carolina’s Republican-led General Assembly moved Tuesday to ban most abortions after 12 weeks, voting to override a veto from Democratic Gov. The state House voted 72-48 along party lines hours after the state Senate voted 30-20 to do the same. A three-fifths vote in both chambers, where Republicans hold supermajorities, was needed to override the governor’s previous rejection of the measure. “We are going to have to kick it into an even higher gear when that veto stamp comes down. Cotham, who had campaigned in favor of abortion rights as a Democrat and sponsored legislation earlier in the legislative session to codify Roe v. Wade, was one of the Republicans who voted for the abortion ban.

☆ Cherelle Parker Wins Democratic Mayoral Primary in Philadelphia
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-16 | by ( Campbell Robertson | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

After a crowded primary, Cherelle Parker, a former state representative and City Council member who campaigned on hiring more police, won the Democratic nomination for Philadelphia mayor on Tuesday night, emerging decisively from a field of contenders who had vied to be seen as the rescuer of a struggling and disheartened city. If she wins in November, which is all but assured in a city where Democrats outnumber Republicans more than seven to one, Ms. Parker will become the city’s 100th mayor, and the first woman to hold the job. Of the five mayoral hopefuls who led the polls in the final stretch, Ms. Parker, 50, was the only Black candidate, in a city that is over 40 percent Black. She drew support from prominent Democratic politicians and trade unions, and throughout the majority Black neighborhoods of north and west Philadelphia. But she said that many of her proposed solutions had roots in Philadelphia’s “middle neighborhoods” — working and middle-class areas that have been struggling in recent years to hold off decline.

Erdogan got 49.5% in Sunday's vote and fell just short of the majority needed to avoid a runoff in a vote seen as a referendum on his autocratic rule. But many of his supporters, including first-time voter Asim, were gloomy about Kilicdaroglu's chances in the runoff vote. The election is being closely followed in Washington, Europe and across the region, where Erdogan has asserted Turkish power. Opinion polls had shown Erdogan trailing Kilicdaroglu, but Sunday's outcome suggested he and his Islamist-rooted AKP were able to rally conservative voters despite Turkey's economic woes. Kilicdaroglu and his alliance want to restore a parliamentary system of government and scrap the powerful executive presidency introduced by Erdogan.

"The winner has undoubtedly been our country," Erdogan said in a speech to cheering supporters at the headquarters of his ruling Islamist-rooted AK Party in the capital Ankara overnight. Going into the election, the opposition had sensed its best chance yet of unseating Erdogan, encouraged by polls showing him trailing his main challenger Kemal Kilicdaroglu. But the results suggested Erdogan and his AK Party had been able to rally conservative voters despite a cost-of-living crisis. [1/4] Supporters of Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan and AK Party (AKP) gather on election night, in Istanbul, Turkey May 15, 2023. "During the campaign period ahead of the runoff, President Erdogan is likely to emphasise stability as he already retains the majority in the parliament," Dalay said.

☆ Turkey election rivals both claim early lead, but runoff is likely
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-14 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Supporters of Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan attend a rally ahead of the May 14 presidential and parliamentary elections, in Istanbul, Turkey May 12, 2023. Turkey appears headed for a presidential election runoff, with the parties of Tayyip Erdogan and opposition rival Kemal Kilicdaroglu claiming the lead. Early results put Erdogan comfortably ahead, but as the count continued his advantage eroded, with a runoff on May 28 beckoning. Ankara's opposition mayor Mansur Yavas said a count by his party suggested Kilicdaroglu was ahead with 47.42%, while Erdogan had 46.48%. His government's slow response to a devastating earthquake in southeast Turkey that killed 50,000 people added to voters' dismay.

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis speaks at a press conference at the American Police Hall of Fame & Museum in Titusville. The group has raised more than $225 million for DeSantis and currently boasts nearly $86 million in cash on hand. Friends of Ron DeSantis could soon try to transfer a moneybag roughly 800 times the size of Donalds'. The state committee, Friends of Ron DeSantis, appears to be positioning itself for the transfer. Friends of Ron DeSantis is allowed to accept unlimited contributions from donors, and it shows.

☆ Atlanta Prosecutors Drop Effort to Remove Defense Lawyer in Trump Inquiry
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-10 | by ( Richard Fausset | Danny Hakim | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +4 min

The Georgia investigation could potentially result in another state-level criminal indictment of Mr. Trump, following his indictment in New York in early April. Ms. Willis indicated late last month that any indictments, initially anticipated in May, would not come until mid-July at the earliest. Ms. Willis also said at the time that Ms. Debrow was representing people who were making accusations against another one of her clients, amounting to an untenable conflict. He was, for a time, Ms. Debrow and Ms. Pierson’s client, but is now represented by Ms. Pierson and another lawyer. Both Ms. Pierson and Ms. Debrow have been paid by the state Republican Party.

Ahead of Sunday's elections, a cost of living crisis is now hitting Erdogan's support in the southeast as elsewhere, threatening his prospects in a tough battle to maintain power. A survey published this week by pollster Rawest showed 76.3% support for opposition presidential candidate Kemal Kilicdaroglu in Diyarbakir province, with backing for Erdogan at just 20.5%. The Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK), deemed a terrorist group by Turkey and its Western allies, took up arms against the state in 1984. Those talks collapsed in 2015, unleashing a period of ferocious urban warfare in the southeast, including in the streets near Aydin's shop. CHANGE IN ERDOGANThe HDP, parliament's third largest party, has itself declared its support for Kilicdaroglu.

☆ Dianne Feinstein returning to U.S. Senate after health-related absence
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-09 | by ( Richard Cowan | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Senator Dianne Feinstein, 89, will return to Washington on Tuesday after a months-long absence due to illness, her spokesman said, restoring Democrats' 51-49 majority to full strength. The trailblazing lawmaker had been sidelined since February as she recovered from a bout of shingles, which had led to calls from some fellow Democrats to step aside and allow someone else to take her place. “I’m glad that my friend Dianne is back in the Senate and ready to roll up her sleeves and get to work," Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said in a written statement. Democrats' worries were further heightened as lawmakers have been spending 2023 arguing over raising the nation's borrowing authority. Feinstein could provide crucial support for whatever debt limit bill comes before the Senate that would avert a first-ever default on U.S. debt.

☆ GOP turns on Texas lawmaker investigated for having sex with a teenage intern after he resigned but didn't apologize
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-09 | by ( Katie Balevic | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Rep. Bryan Slaton, 45, resigned after a Texas House investigative committee recommended he be expelled. The committee said Slaton had sex with a teenage intern and then pressured her and others to keep the conduct a secret. Some of Slaton's fellow Republicans expressed outrage at his conduct and his resignation, which notably lacked an apology, according to the Texas Tribune. Texas House of Representatives. Slaton also asked a fellow lawmaker to "support" him and keep the situation a secret, the investigation report said.

☆ In Shift, Texas House Advances Bill to Raise Age to Buy Assault Weapons
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-08 | by ( J. David Goodman | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

AUSTIN, Texas — What had for years been a solid wall of opposition among Texas Republicans to gun control showed small signs of cracking on Monday as a bipartisan committee of the State Legislature voted to advance a bill raising the minimum age to purchase AR-15-style rifles. The preliminary vote was remarkable in a State Capitol dominated by Republicans, all the more so because it had been entirely unexpected: When the day began, the 13-member committee had not been scheduled to meet at all. But the killing of eight people, including several children, at a shopping center in Allen, Texas, on Saturday has exerted an unexpectedly raw and emotional force on the Legislature. “It was the most emotional vote I’ve ever taken, and I started crying after I made it,” said State Representative Sam Harless, a Republican from the Houston area who voted to keep the bill moving toward the House floor. “That means my heart told me I made the right vote.”

☆ Texas tragedy: One weekend spotlights two distinctly American political fissures
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-08 | by ( Stephen Collinson | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

CNN —The national season of violence deepened with a weekend of tragedy in Texas that hit two of the rawest political divides, guns and immigration. It was the latest in a string of mass shootings in Texas and across the country that have killed many innocent people but have brought no action to end the cycle of loss. Then, on Sunday, a driver slammed into a group of migrants waiting at a bus stop outside a shelter in the Texas border town of Brownsville. But as in the case of mass shootings, there is little chance that the nation’s polarized politics will ease in order to offer the space for meaningful resolution. The latest mass shooting in Texas came after a spree of such killings in schools, supermarkets, at community parades, a bank and places of worship nationwide.

☆ Two Florida state lawmakers weigh in on the DeSantis vs. Disney feud
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-08 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

In this videoShare Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailTwo Florida state lawmakers weigh in on the DeSantis vs. Disney feudState representatives Anna Eskamani (D-Florida), and Mike Beltran (R-Florida) join 'Last Call' to give their opposing takes on the ongoing feud between Florida Governor Ron DeSantis and Walt Disney World.

☆ DeSantis collects wins as Florida Legislature caps whirlwind session, teeing up possible White House bid
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-05 | by ( Kevin Breuninger | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +10 min

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis speaks during a conference titled "Celebrate the Faces of Israel" at Jerusalem's Museum of Tolerance, on April 27, 2023. Measures like the restrictive abortion law DeSantis signed could help him in a GOP primary, but may reduce his appeal in a general election. Lawmakers have also passed multiple measures that could help clear DeSantis' path to the White House, if and when he decides to run. "The entire session was focused on Governor DeSantis' run for president," said Jim Clark, a University of Central Florida senior lecturer and political commentator, in an interview. On top of those issues, DeSantis in March waded into the "school choice" debate by signing a bill expanding Florida's school voucher system.

☆ North Carolina House passes 12-week abortion ban
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-04 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

If the state Senate passes the bill on Thursday as expected, Democratic Governor Roy Cooper will almost certainly veto it. Under the North Carolina proposal, elective abortions after the first trimester would be banned except in instances of rape, incest, life-limiting fetal anomalies and medical emergencies. Key to the North Carolina House Republicans' veto-proof majority is former Democratic state Representative Tricia Cotham, who in April changed her party affiliation to Republican. Abortions in North Carolina rose by 37%, more than any other state, in the first two months after the Supreme Court revoked federal abortion rights in June 2022, according to a study by the Society of Family Planning, a nonprofit organization that promotes abortion rights and research. In the six months after the ruling, there were 3,978 monthly abortions on average in North Carolina, up 788 from the average in the two months beforehand, the society said.

Programming note: The full interview with Richard Glossip will air Friday, May 5, on “The Lead with Jake Tapper,” which starts at 4 p.m. Lea Glossip, left, wife of death row inmate Richard Glossip, listens with death penalty opponent Sister Helen Prejean, right, during a news conference on Thursday, May 4, in Oklahoma City. Sneed admitted to killing Van Treese, but at trial, prosecutors portrayed the killing as a murder-for-hire plot orchestrated by Glossip. Ultimately, Reed Smith concluded “that no reasonable juror hearing the complete record would have convicted Richard Glossip of first-degree murder,” said Stan Perry, a partner at the firm. The Oklahoma State Penitentiary in McAlester, where Richard Glossip is set to be executed, is seen in 2015.

☆ One Family Has Spearheaded Montana’s Unflinching Conservatism
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-04 | by ( Mike Baker | Jacey Fortin | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

During a legislative hearing in 2011 that was a prelude to Montana’s debates on abortion, State Representative Keith Regier displayed an image of a cow and made the argument that cattle were more valuable when pregnant. The comparison drew a prompt rebuke from some women in the room, but Mr. Regier, a Republican, declined to apologize. Mr. Regier has now emerged as the patriarch of a new family political dynasty that has injected fresh conservative intensity into debates over abortion, diversity training and, this spring, transgender rights. Mr. Regier chairs the Senate’s powerful judiciary committee, while his daughter, Amy, leads its counterpart in the House. The trio of legislators, each wielding a similar brand of unflinching conservatism, were among the most powerful proponents of a set of bills that took particular aim at the rights of transgender people.

☆ Pornhub blocks access in Utah in response to age verification law
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-03 | by ( Will Gendron | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

The move was made in response to a new law that requires age verification to access adult content. Utah residents trying to access Pornhub are in for an unexpected — and likely disappointing — surprise. "In addition, mandating age verification without proper enforcement gives platforms the opportunity to choose whether or not to comply. DeVille goes on to advocate for an alternative method of age verification, which would require users to identify themselves through their devices. Another Utah law that won't go into effect until March 2024 will require all social media users to verify their ages.

☆ 2 Wisconsin Republicans want 14-year-olds to be allowed to serve alcohol in restaurants
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-02 | by ( Erin Snodgrass | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

New proposed legislation would make it legal for kids as young as 14 to serve alcohol in Wisconsin. The move comes amid a seeming broader push by Republicans nationwide to roll back child labor laws. In the memo this week, Stafsholt and Green cited "workforce issues" stemming from underage employees only being allowed to do "part of their job," if they aren't allowed to serve alcohol, according to the outlet. A wide-reaching Iowa bill would allow 16 and 17-year-olds to serve alcohol in restaurants as long as their parent signs off on it. Only two other states in the country — Maine and West Virginia — allow teenagers that age to to serve alcohol, according to The National Institutes of Health.

☆ A photo of women snickering at trans lawmaker Zooey Zephyr in Montana looks a lot like the photos of white people snickering at Black people in the 1950s
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-02 | by ( Katie Balevic | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

The vote meant Zephyr could no longer enter the House chamber, so she worked from a public bench in the hallway outside. State Rep. Zooey Zephyr sits on a bench just outside the main chamber of the House on April 27 in Helena, Montana. The censure prevents Zephyr from entering the House floor, so she has instead been working from a public bench outside the chamber. Photos from the time show authorities in different cities escorting Black children to school through throngs of glaring white protestors. Similarly, a group of supporters on Tuesday managed to hold Zephyr's seat outside the chamber for her, the lawmaker said.

☆ Montana transgender legislator loses court bid to return to floor
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-02 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/5] Montana State Representative Zooey Zephyr, who was barred from accessing the House chamber, works remotely from a bench outside of the House chamber at the Montana State Capitol in Helena, Montana, U.S. May 2, 2023. NO ARCHIVESMay 2 (Reuters) - Censured Montana transgender Representative Zooey Zephyr on Tuesday lost a last-minute legal attempt to rejoin debate on the House floor, as a Montana judge rejected her attempt to overturn the legislature's punishment that silenced her. The censure was punishment for breaking decorum during debates on transgender bills including one that would deny healthcare treatment for transgender youth. District Court Judge Mike Menahan found the court's authority was limited due to the constitutional separation of powers between the legislative and judicial branches. Montana's governor signed the bill denying gender-affirming care to minors into law on Friday, two days after the House voted to censure Zephyr.

☆ Transgender Lawmaker Sues Over Removal From Montana House Floor
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-01 | by ( Jacey Fortin | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

The NewsA state representative in Montana asked a court on Monday to allow her to return to the House floor for the rest of the state’s legislative session, arguing that her First Amendment rights had been violated after an escalating standoff over her remarks on transgender issues. Representative Zooey Zephyr, a Democrat from Missoula, was barred last week from participating in deliberations in the House chamber after she made impassioned comments in opposition to a ban on hormone treatments and surgical care for transgender minors. The bill, which passed, has since been signed by Gov. “I’m determined to defend the right of the people to have their voices heard,” Ms. Zephyr, who is transgender, tweeted on Monday when announcing her lawsuit, adding that the rights of her 11,000 constituents had also been violated. Four of them were also named as plaintiffs in the lawsuit, which was filed by the American Civil Liberties Union of Montana and other lawyers.

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