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☆ Goldman says shares of this education technology leader have 20% upside
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-18 | by ( Alex Harring | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Shares of education technology company PowerSchool could see upside as the company focuses on cross-selling its large suite of products and expanding internationally, according to Goldman Sachs. Analyst Gabriela Borges upgraded the education technology stock to buy from neutral. Her $24 price target implies the stock will rally 20% from where it closed on Monday. The company saw net revenue retention hit 108% during the pandemic as schools pushed to improve the online learning experience. The company could drive vendor consolidation in the international educational technology market, which she said is current fragmented.

☆ Trump holds wide lead over DeSantis among Georgia GOP voters in a 2024 primary poll despite the ex-president's endorsement flops against top state Republicans last year
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-15 | by ( John L. Dorman | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Donald Trump holds a wide lead over Ron DeSantis in a new Georgia GOP presidential poll. Trump led DeSantis 51%-30% with all candidates in the race and led 51%-41% in a one-on-one matchup. Ron DeSantis of Florida in a recent 2024 presidential poll of Georgia Republican voters. The results show the ex-president's continued dominance over the party despite his high-profile endorsement misfires against GOP Gov. In a poll conducted by the School of Public and International Affairs at the University of Georgia, Trump led DeSantis 51%-30%, with 4% backing former Gov.

☆ A Christian group has amassed more than 12,000 signatures to oust the Tennessee Republican leader who expelled two Black lawmakers
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-15 | by ( Katie Balevic | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Christians are calling for Tennessee House Speaker Cameron Sexton's resignation. A petition gained more than 12,500 signatures after Sexton led a vote that expelled two Black lawmakers. A lone white lawmaker, who stood with the two expelled members, was spared in the expulsion vote. Thousands of Christians are calling for the resignation of Tennessee House Speaker Cameron Sexton, a Republican, who sparked national outrage for heading a vote that expelled two Black lawmakers earlier this month. Audio leaked by The Tennessee Holler last week appeared to reveal infighting among Tennessee Republican lawmakers, some of whom complained that they had been labeled racists following the expulsion vote.

☆ A Florida Republican who sponsored an anti-drag bill 'can't answer' whether his wife's charity event featuring 'sultry performers' would be criminalized under his own law
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-14 | by ( Erin Snodgrass | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

A Florida Republican couldn't say whether his wife's charity event would flout his anti-drag bill. The wife of Rep. Randy Fine is hosting a gala featuring "sultry performers," and kids have attended in the past. The description for the event advertises an "evening filled with sultry performers." But the lawmaker could not ultimately answer whether such an event would be criminalized if his bill becomes law. "That said, whether this law passes or not, I would agree that children should not be invited to an event involving 'sultry performers,'" he added.

☆ ‘You can’t expel our voice’ – second Tennessee Democrat returns
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-14 | by ( Reuters Editorial | ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

Politics‘You can’t expel our voice’ – second Tennessee Democrat returnsPostedTennessee state Representative Justin Pearson was sworn in on Thursday (April 13) after being reappointed to the legislature from which he and a Democratic colleague were expelled for leading a gun protest on the House of Representatives floor. Ryan Chang reports.

☆ Fighting in trenches at Ukraine's front line
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-13 | by ( Jillian Kumagai | ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

Tennessee state Representative Justin Jones returned to the state House on Monday, pumping his fist and declaring "power to the people" as a Nashville-area council restored him to office following his expulsion over a gun protest. Republican lawmakers ousted Jones and another young, Black legislator last week over their gun control protest on the House floor.

☆ Justin Pearson sworn back in to Tennessee House
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-13 | by ( Omar Younis | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/4] Democratic Tennessee state Representative Justin Pearson who was ousted from the Tennessee House of Representatives along with another young Black colleague for breaking decorum with a gun control demonstration on the House floor, is sworn in before returning to the state legislature after being reinstated in Nashville, Tennessee, U.S. April 13, 2023. REUTERS/Kevin WurmNASHVILLE, Tennessee, April 13 (Reuters) - Tennessee state Representative Justin Pearson was sworn in on Thursday morning after he was reappointed to the legislature from which he and another Democratic colleague were expelled for leading a gun protest on the House of Representatives floor. "We've just been expelled, but we're back," Pearson told the crowd. We're going to keep fighting to end environmental racism and injustice," Pearson told reporters after his reappointment. Tennessee House Republicans, who have a supermajority, have said in a statement they will welcome back any expelled state lawmakers returned by county-level governments, so long as those members follow the legislature's rules.

☆ Thailand's Songkran Water Festival washes away bad luck
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-13 | by ( Dave Lucas | ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

☆ Justin Pearson due to be sworn back in to Tennessee statehouse
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-13 | by ( Omar Younis | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

NASHVILLE, Tennessee, April 13 (Reuters) - Tennessee state Representative Justin Pearson is due to be sworn in on Thursday after he was reappointed to the statehouse from which he and another Democratic colleague were expelled for leading a gun protest on the House floor. Pearson on Wednesday was appointed to his vacated seat by the county legislature that includes his Memphis district. Pearson will be sworn in for the third time this year. The state constitution gives local legislative bodies the power to appoint interim state representative to fill vacancies until special elections can be held. Jones and Pearson have said they will run in special elections, for which no date has yet been set.

☆ A Missouri lawmaker defended child marriage, saying kids he knows who got married at age 12 are 'still married'
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-13 | by ( Kelsey Vlamis | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Missouri State Sen. Mike Moon defended child marriage on Tuesday, citing a couple he knows. Moon said the couple married at age 12 and that they were still together. "You said actually that should be the law because it's the parents' right and the kid's right to decide what's best for them. "Do you know any kids who have been married at age 12?" In 2018 the Missouri legislature passed a bill raising the state's minimum marriage age from 15 to 16, with teens under 18 requiring parental consent.

☆ Florida Democrat tried to emulate Disney's power move in a final-ditch effort against Florida's abortion ban, which is now headed to DeSantis for his signature
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-13 | by ( Kimberly Leonard | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

But in the face of a Republican supermajority in the Florida House, Democrats' more than 50 amendments failed as Florida representatives sent a six-week ban to GOP Gov. "Let's delay this abortion ban for as long as we can." During the 2022 midterms, congressional Democrats used abortion rights as a rallying cry and managed to hold onto more seats than expected. The implications of the Florida abortion ban on the 2024 race loomed in the background throughout the day. "It amounts to an outright ban," House Minority Leader Fentrice Driskell of Tampa said on the House floor.

MEMPHIS, Tennessee, April 12 (Reuters) - Local government officials in Memphis, Tennessee, voted on Wednesday to return the second of two Democratic state lawmakers who were expelled last week for protesting gun violence on the chamber floor. Seven of the board's 13 councilors were present for the meeting, and all seven voted in favor of Pearson's return. He is expected to return to the State Capitol in Nashville on Thursday to be sworn back in. Democrats in the U.S. Senate have asked the U.S. Department of Justice to investigate whether the expelled lawmakers' constitutional rights were violated. Before marching with supporters to the commissioners' meeting, Pearson, joined by Jones and Johnson, addressed a crowd of about 500 outside the National Civil Rights Museum in Memphis.

☆ Memphis may send second expelled Tennessee lawmaker back to statehouse
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-12 | by ( Jonathan Allen | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

April 12 (Reuters) - Local officials will meet in Memphis, Tennessee, on Wednesday to decide whether to return the second of two Democratic state lawmakers who were expelled last week for protesting gun violence on the chamber floor. In a rare rebuke, Republicans who control the state House of Representatives voted to kick out Justin Jones and Justin Pearson, two Black men who had recently joined the legislature, over their rule-breaking protest on the House floor on March 30. "I believe the expulsion of State Representative Justin Pearson was conducted in a hasty manner without consideration of other corrective action methods," Lowery said in a statement. Johnson, who unlike Jones and Pearson did not use a megaphone during the protest, narrowly escaped also being expelled. Tennessee's House Republicans, who have a supermajority, have said this week they will "welcome" back any expelled state lawmakers returned by county-level governments, so long as those members follow the legislature's rules.

☆ Walmart's plan to abruptly close 4 Chicago stores slammed as 'unethical' and 'unceremoniously abandoning these neighborhoods'
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-12 | by ( Ben Tobin | Dominick Reuter | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Walmart announced this week that it is closing four stores in Chicago in a matter of days. Elected officials said that the decision to close the stores "worsens food deserts" in the area. In a rare press release on April 11 announcing store closures, Walmart said bluntly that these stores "have not been profitable since we opened the first one nearly 17 years ago." "Walmart's decision to close four stores in predominantly Black and Brown communities not only worsens food deserts, but will also increase grocery costs for families." The four Walmart stores closing in Chicago

☆ Colorado passes first US right to repair legislation for farmers
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-12 | by ( Bianca Flowers | Thomson Reuters | Bianca Flowers Is An Award-Winning Multimedia Journalist Based In Chicago Where She Reports On The Backbone Of The U.S. Labor Market. She Covers Agriculture | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The Consumer Right to Repair Agriculture Equipment Act passed 46-14 in Colorado's Senate late on Tuesday, after winning approval in the state House of Representatives in February. The bill garnered bipartisan support as farmers grew increasingly frustrated with costly repairs and inflated input prices denting their profits. Colorado's legislation would mandate farm machinery manufacturers like Deere and rival CNH Industrial (CNHI.MI) to provide farmers with diagnostic tools, software documents, and repair manuals starting Jan 1. State lawmakers are pushing right to repair legislation even though Deere and CNH signed a memorandum of understanding with the American Farm Bureau Federation to allow farmers to fix their equipment, or go to a third-party repair shop. The agreement does not give farmers total access for repairs, said Kevin O'Reilly, director for the campaign of right to repair at the U.S. Public Interest Research Group.

☆ Memphis-area commissioners vote to reinstate Justin Pearson to the Tennessee House after he was expelled by Republicans over a gun control protest
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-12 | by ( John L. Dorman | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

The Shelby County Commission voted to reinstate Justin Pearson back to his seat in the Tennessee House. Pearson was removed from the body alongside newly-reinstated state Rep. Justin Jones over a gun reform protest. On Wednesday, the Shelby County Board of Commissioners voted unanimously former state Rep. Justin Pearson of Memphis back to the seat that he last occupied just last Thursday. Pearson, along with state Rep. Justin Jones of Nashville, had been expelled from the legislature for what Republicans said was a breach in decorum in leading an unauthorized gun control push on the House floor. Tennessee Republicans have denied that Pearson and Johnson were removed from the body because of race.

April 11 (Reuters) - Florida Governor Ron DeSantis's newly formed oversight board is seeking to assert control over development in two cities where Walt Disney World Resort is located, the latest twist in a battle for authority over the company's Florida theme parks. A resolution, seen on Tuesday by Reuters, would give the Central Florida Tourism Oversight District board the power to review and evaluate development in the 25,000-square acres of property in and around Walt Disney Co's (DIS.N) theme parks. The district would hold "superior authority and control" over planning, zoning and other land use in the cities of Bay Lake and Lake Buena Vista, under a Florida law that formed the state-appointed oversight board. A spokesperson for Lake Buena Vista and Bay Lake did not respond to Reuters' request for comment. A spokesperson for the oversight board referred inquiries to an attorney, who was not immediately available for comment.

Justin Jones pumped his fist and declared "power to the people" as he returned to the state House of Representatives after being restored by the Metropolitan Council of Nashville and Davidson County. His colleague Justin Pearson, the other young Black legislator who was expelled, could get a similar vote for reinstatement on Wednesday when the Shelby County Board of Commissioners will consider reappointing him to his Memphis district. The conflict has captured national attention and served as a rallying cry for Democrats over the issues of democracy, gun violence and racial inequality. Republican lawmakers have remained largely silent since voting to oust Jones and Pearson. Reporting by Sandra Stojanovic and Omar Younis; Additional reporting by Daniel Trotta; Editing by Simon Cameron-MooreOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

NASHVILLE, Tennessee, April 10 (Reuters) - Tennessee state Representative Justin Jones returned to the state House on Monday, pumping his fist and declaring "power to the people" as a Nashville-area council restored him to office following his expulsion over a gun protest. The Metropolitan Council of Nashville and Davidson County voted 36-0 on Monday to make Jones, 27, the interim representative. REUTERS/Cheney Orr 1 2 3 4 5"I want to welcome the people back to the people's house," Jones said in brief remarks upon being reseated. Addressing supporters before the vote, Jones accused the Republicans of operating "plantation politics" and abuse of power. Before the vote, the spokesperson said the House would seat whomever the county legislatures appoint "as the constitution requires."

☆ A Florida GOP lawmaker apologized after calling transgender people 'demons and imps' and comparing them to X-Men mutants
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-11 | by ( Joshua Zitser | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

A GOP member of the Florida House of Representatives called trans people "demons and imps" on Monday. I'm a proud Christian conservative Republican, I'm not on the fence." The Florida lawmaker, who has previously said opening prayers for former President Donald Trump's rallies, then went even further. "That's right, I called you demons and imps, who come and parade before and pretend that you are part of this world.' "I referred to trans people as demons," Barnaby said, per Politico.

☆ Nashville board reinstates Black lawmaker expelled from Tennessee House
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-10 | by ( Omar Younis | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

NASHVILLE, Tennessee, April 10 (Reuters) - A Nashville-area county council on Monday voted to reinstate Representative Justin Jones to the Tennessee House of Representatives, reversing Republican lawmakers who ousted Jones and another young, Black legislator last week for staging a gun control protest on the House floor. The Metropolitan Council of Nashville and Davidson County voted 36-0 to make Jones, 27, the interim representative. Before the vote, the spokesperson said the House would seat whomever the county legislatures appoint "as the constitution requires." Jones and Pearson, 28, have both said they hoped to be reappointed and that they would run again in special elections. Republicans also targeted Gloria Johnson, who is white, for expulsion, as she joined Jones and Pearson in the floor protest.

☆ Nashville-area board may return lawmaker expelled from Republican-controlled statehouse
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-10 | by ( Daniel Trotta | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

April 10 (Reuters) - A Nashville-area county council meeting on Monday may vote to return to the statehouse one of two Democratic Tennessee lawmakers who were expelled from the chamber last week after participating in a gun control protest. Returning Jones would send a pointed message to the Republicans who expelled him. A Memphis-area board of commissioners plans on Wednesday to consider reappointing Pearson on an interim basis to the seat from which he was removed. U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris flew to Nashville on Friday to support the three Tennessee lawmakers targeted for expulsion. Jones, 27, was elected to Tennessee's House of Representatives last year.

☆ Tennessee state legislature has 'always been a toxic work environment,' according to ousted Black lawmakers who say they've had a' target' on them from the start
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-10 | by ( Natalie Musumeci | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Two ousted Tennessee lawmakers said that the state legislature has always been "toxic." Former Reps. Justin Jones and Justin Pearson told NBC News they've always had a "target" on them. Jones and Pearson were expelled last week by their GOP colleagues over their gun control protest. "It has always been a toxic work environment to work in the Tennessee State Capitol," Pearson said during an interview Sunday on NBC News' "Meet the Press" alongside Jones. Jones also accused the GOP-led Tennessee House of Representatives of being "more beholden to the NRA than their own people and their own districts" and specifically called out Tennessee House Speaker Cameron Sexton.

☆ Nashville officials vote to reinstate Justin Jones to the Tennessee House after he was expelled by Republicans over a gun control protest
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-10 | by ( John L. Dorman | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

The Metropolitan Council voted to reinstate Justin Jones back to his seat in the Tennessee House. Jones was ousted from the body over gun control protests alongside then-state Rep. Justin Pearson. The Shelby County Commission will meet on Wednesday to potentially reinstate Pearson to his seat. While Republicans voted to oust Jones and Pearson, they spared state Rep. Gloria Johnson of Knoxville, who had also joined her Democratic colleagues on the floor over the gun reform push. The removals of Jones and Pearson prompted an outcry across the country, including the White House.

REUTERS/Karen Pulfer FochtApril 9 (Reuters) - Two Tennessee Democrats who were expelled from the Republican-dominated state House of Representatives last week over their participation in a gun control protest said on Sunday that they hoped to soon reclaim their seats. Metro Council Member Kevin Rhoten said on Twitter that he had been bombarded with emails since Thursday asking him to vote to appoint Justin Jones for the District 52 seat, and that he planned to do that. "I would be honored to accept the appointment of the Shelby County Commission and to run in a special election," Pearson told NBC on Sunday. Videos posted to Twitter showed the two Black lawmakers, Representatives Jones and Pearson, shouting through a bullhorn on the House floor, saying "No action, no peace!" Only two other Tennessee state representatives have been expelled by their colleagues since the Civil War era: one in 1980 for soliciting a bribe in exchange for blocking legislation and another in 2016 after being accused of sexual misconduct by numerous women.

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