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A Republican state senator from West Virginia is being asked to step down by his local GOP party chair after being arrested on a drunk driving charge — his second arrest in as many months. State Sen. Mike Maroney, who was first elected in 2016, was arrested in August on a charge of indecent exposure. “While the legal process must take its course, the perception of impropriety and the repeated legal entanglements surrounding Senator Maroney have brought discredit to the West Virginia Senate,” Ethan Moore, chairman of the Monongalia County Republican Executive Committee, said in a statement. Jim Justice, who is seeking a U.S. Senate seat, to empower the the state Senate to expel or censure him if he does not voluntarily step down. State Sen. Mike Maroney, R-W.Va. West Virginia LegislatureMaroney did not immediately respond to an email for comment Friday night.

Persons: Sen, Mike Maroney, Maroney, ” Ethan Moore, ”, Jim Justice Organizations: Republican, GOP, West Virginia Senate, U.S, Senate, Health, Human Resources, Associated Press, Intelligencer, Wheeling News Locations: West Virginia, Monongalia, West, Glen Dale

☆ Japan's ruling party votes to elect new leader and country's next prime minister
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-27 | by ( Dylan Butts | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Candidates in the upcoming leadership race for the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) join hands after giving speeches for the Liberal Democratic Party presidential election in Osaka, Japan on September 18, 2024. Japan's ruling party will elect the successor to outgoing Prime Minister Fumio Kishida on Friday in a race likely to decide the next leader of the nation. Kishida had thrown the Liberal Democratic Party for a loop when he announced in August that he would not be running for its top office, effectively ending his three-year term. The party has a majority in both chambers of the legislature, effectively ensuring its chief becomes the next prime minister. Polls suggest that the favorites in the election include ex-environment minister Shinjiro Koizumi, economic security minister Sanae Takaichi and former defense minister Shigeru Ishiba.

Persons: Japan's, Fumio Kishida, Kishida, Shinjiro Koizumi, Sanae Takaichi, Shigeru Ishiba Organizations: Liberal Democratic Party, Liberal Democratic Locations: Osaka, Japan

☆ Voters in Dalton, Georgia, stick with Trump despite Biden’s clean energy law that revived growth there
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-27 | by ( Phil Mattingly | Andrew Seger | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +11 min

Dalton, Georgia CNN —The face of a new era in American manufacturing is here, just off Interstate 75, tucked into this northwest corner of Georgia. That’s where you’ll find the Qcells plant that pumps out 32,000 solar panels a day and has a total panel production capacity of 5.1 gigawatts. They’re contributing back into the local community, paying taxes,” Nash said. The Qcells solar panel plant in Dalton, Georgia CNNTrump strikes a chordLocated in the congressional district represented by GOP firebrand Marjorie Taylor Greene, Dalton is Trump country. “You want to ask me that after November?” Nash, the Qcells plant manager, responded when asked about the future for the industry.

Persons: Dalton, ”, Lisa Nash, “, didn’t, it’s, ” Nash, Biden, “ We’ve, Scott Moskowitz, Kamala Harris, Andi Rice, she’s, Kimberly Richardson, Harris, Richardson, Qcells, ” Richardson, Donald Trump, ” Kasey Carpenter, Dalton , Georgia CNN Trump, Marjorie Taylor Greene, ” Carpenter, Trump, George, Kasey Carpenter CNN, Brian Kemp –, can’t, Matt Santini, CNN's Phil Mattingly, “ It’s, ” Santini, Carpenter, –, there’s, Mattingly, It’s, ‘ Don’t Organizations: Georgia CNN, CNN, Bloomberg, Getty, Republican, Dalton , Georgia CNN, GOP, Republican Gov, Biden, Trump, Oakwood Locations: Georgia, That’s, Dalton, Qcells, Dalton , Georgia, United States, Trump, Cartersville , Georgia, Atlanta

☆ Gavin Newsom vetoes bill to help Black families reclaim land for being 'impossible to implement'
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-26 | by ( The Associated Press | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +3 min

Gavin Newsom vetoed a bill Wednesday that would have helped Black families reclaim or be compensated for property that was unjustly taken by the government. The proposal by itself would not have been able to take full effect because lawmakers blocked another bill to create a reparations agency that would have reviewed claims. The California Legislative Black Caucus has backed a series of reparations packages in the state. The caucus cited concerns that the Legislature would not have oversight over the agency’s operations and declined to comment further on the reparations fund bill because it wasn’t part of the caucus’ reparations priority package. The administration’s Department of Finance said earlier this year it opposed the eminent domain bill because it was not specifically included in the budget.

Persons: Gavin Newsom, “, ” Newsom, Carolyn Cole, Sen, Steven Bradford, Bradford, ” Bradford, Newsom Organizations: —, California Legislative Black Caucus, Black Americans, Los Angeles Times, Getty, California State University, Associated Press, administration’s Department of Finance Locations: SACRAMENTO, Calif, — California, California, Los Angeles

☆ Korean adoptees say they were ‘commodified’ and governments ignored fraud, investigation finds
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-24 | by ( The Associated Press | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +7 min

“It showed the callous way in which children going to the US. At a hearing in 1977, a U.S. congressman asked why so many children were still coming from South Korea. But with hundreds of stories to verify in a single week, only a tiny fraction of adoptions were denied. How is that possible?” said Susan Jacobs, a retired State Department official who has worked on adoption reform efforts. Robert Ackerman, immigration attache at the U.S. Embassy in Seoul, told reporters in 1988 that he had heard allegations of birth mothers being bribed.

Persons: Patricia Nye, “, ” Nye, ”, Susan Jacobs, Laws, Homer Stark, ” Stark, David Will, ” Will, Stark, Donald Wells, “ I’ve, Robert Ackerman, Ackerman, ” Ackerman, Michelle Bernier, Toth, adoptees, Elizabeth Bartholet Organizations: Social Service, U.S, Embassy, University of Minnesota Libraries, ISS, State Department, State, United Press International Locations: Seoul, Asia, U.S, South Korea, Tokyo, Gwinnett County , Georgia, strollers, Georgia, United States, Europe, Hague, Korea

☆ In a blow to Trump, Nebraska governor will not call a special session to change state's electoral votes
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-24 | by ( Https | Media-Cldnry.S-Nbcnews.Com Image Upload Newscms Head_Shot.Jpeg | Bridget Bowman | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +3 min

Jim Pillen announced Tuesday he will not call a special legislative session to change how the state allocates its electoral votes, dashing Republican hopes that the switch could happen before November. Former President Donald Trump and his allies have been pushing state lawmakers to switch to a winner-take-all system, in which the presidential candidate who carries the state receives all five of its electoral votes. Currently, three of the state’s votes are awarded to the candidate who wins each of its three congressional districts. Jim Pillen, a Republican, will not call a special session to change the way the state allocates its Electoral College votes. "Based on the lack of 33 votes, I have no plans to call a special session on this issue prior to the 2024 election.

Persons: Jim Pillen, Donald Trump, Pillen, Sen, Mike McDonnell, Jim Watson, Joe Biden, Trump, Kamala Harris, Don Bacon, Bacon Organizations: Nebraska GOP Gov, Nebraska Gov, Republican, Electoral College, Getty, Trump, Truth, Republicans, Democratic, GOP, NBC, Press Locations: Omaha, Nebraska

☆ Police believe the Birmingham, Alabama, mass shooters used ‘conversion devices.’ Here’s what that means
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-24 | by ( Eric Levenson | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

Birmingham Police Chief Scott Thurmond called the devices “a huge problem,” adding they were still investigating whether the shooters used a switch or another type of weapon. “Machine gun conversion devices have no place in our community,” US Attorney Prim Escalona said. Woodfin, the Birmingham mayor, noted that conversion devices are illegal federally but not under state law, and he called on the state legislature to ban the devices. Last week he participated in a demonstration at a Montgomery shooting range in which trained firearm experts tried (and failed) to aim while using the conversion devices. This year, the city of Chicago filed a lawsuit against Glock, alleging the handgun company has failed to prevent the use of conversion devices on its weapons.

Persons: “ Glock, Glock, Birmingham Mayor Randall Woodfin, Scott Thurmond, “, ” Thurmond, Houston, William “ Bill ” Jeffrey, Prim Escalona, Woodfin, ”, Phillip Ensler, ” Ensler, “ That’s, he’s, “ I’m Organizations: CNN, Birmingham Mayor, . Birmingham Police, US, Office, Northern, Northern District of Alabama, Northern District of, ATF, Metro Alabama, US Attorney’s, Birmingham, Mayor, Police, Sheriff, District, Alabama, Glock, Chicago Locations: Birmingham , Alabama, State, Birmingham, United States of America, Northern District, ShotSpotter, Sacramento , California, Washington , DC, Alabama, Northern District of Alabama, Metro, Tuscaloosa, Montgomery, Chicago

☆ A bid to change the electoral math hits a roadblock: From the Politics Desk
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-23 | by ( The Politics Desk | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +7 min

In today's edition, our team breaks down a key Nebraska state senator's decision to stand in the way of a Trump-backed drive to change how the state allocates its electoral votes. Trump allies have pushed for a special legislative session intended for the Republican-controlled legislature to change Nebraska to a winner-take-all system instead of awarding electoral votes by congressional district. The developments appear to cap months of deliberations over whether Nebraska lawmakers could change the way the state apportions its electoral votes in a way that would benefit Trump. Nebraska allocates its electoral votes by congressional district, and the swing district around Omaha has twice gone to Democrats in recent years, giving them one electoral vote from an otherwise ruby-red state. But if lawmakers changed that to a winner-take-all model, Trump would be all but certain to win all of Nebraska’s electoral votes.

Persons: Jonathan Allen, Bridget Bowman, Adam Edelman, Katherine Doyle, Allan Smith, Ben Kamisar, Donald Trump, Sen, Mike McDonnell, Trump, Kamala Harris, Mark Murray, Democratic Party — Harris, Harris, —, Biden’s favorability, Harris ’, Trump’s favorability, Trump’s, ”, Jeff Horwitt, J D, Joh, Hou, ari, us jobs, Rea Organizations: NBC, White House, Capitol, Trump, Key, Key Nebraska Republican, Nebraska Republican, Republican, NBC News, Nebraska, Electoral, Democratic Party, Democrats, Democratic, New York Times, aig Locations: Nebraska, Key Nebraska, “, Omaha, Michigan, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, Siena, Arizona , Georgia, North Carolina

Trump allies have pushed for a special legislative session intended for the Republican-controlled legislature to change Nebraska to a winner-take-all system instead of awarding electoral votes by congressional district. The developments appear to cap months of deliberations over whether Nebraska lawmakers could change the way the state apportions its electoral votes in a way that would benefit Trump. Nebraska allocates its electoral votes by congressional district, and the swing district around Omaha has twice gone to Democrats in recent years, giving them one electoral vote from an otherwise ruby-red state. But if lawmakers changed that to a winner-take-all model, Trump would be all but certain to win all of Nebraska's electoral votes. Maine is the only other state that does not have a winner-take-all system for electoral votes.

Persons: Donald Trump, Sen, Mike McDonnell, Loren Lippincott, Lippincott, Pillen, ” Lippincott, McDonnell, Trump, Kamala Harris, Harris, Jane Kleeb, Nebraskans, Kleeb, Sen Lindsey Graham, Graham, “, Merv Riepe, Charlie Kirk Organizations: Nebraska Republican, Trump, Republican, NBC News ., NBC News . Nebraska GOP, NBC, Omaha, Nebraska, Electoral, U.S . House, Republicans, Nebraska Democrats, “, Nebraska Democratic Party, Washington Post, Nebraska's Electoral, Pillen, Electoral College Locations: Nebraska, NBC News . Nebraska, Pillen, Omaha, Michigan, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, “ Nebraska, . Maine, Maine

☆ She was accused of murder after losing her pregnancy. SC woman now tells her story
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-23 | by ( Lauren Sausser | Kff Health News | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +14 min

Orangeburg, South Carolina KFF Health News —Amari Marsh had just finished her junior year at South Carolina State University in May 2023 when she received a text message from a law enforcement officer. South Carolina state Rep. Seth Rose, a Democrat in Columbia and one of Marsh’s attorneys, called it a “really tragic” case. But at the hospital, Marsh learned that her infant, a girl, had not survived. Historically, birth outcomes for Black women in Orangeburg County, where Marsh lost her pregnancy, have ranked among the worst in South Carolina. She is taking classes at a local community college and hopes to reenroll at South Carolina State University to earn a four-year degree.

Persons: Amari Marsh, ” Marsh, Marsh, ”, Amari's, Herman Marsh, Regina, “, ’ ” Sam Wolfe, KFF, James Clyburn, ’ ” Clyburn, ‘, ’, “ I’ve, I’ve, Seth Rose, Zipporah, Amari, ” Sumpter, Sam Wolfe, Marsh “, y’all, David Pascoe, Pascoe, Dana Sussman, Court’s Dobbs, Dobbs, Holly Gatling, Michele Heisler, ” Chelsea Daniels, ” Daniels, Sumpter, Dr, Sanjay Gupta, God, Daniel Chang Organizations: South Carolina KFF Health, South Carolina State University, Calhoun Regional Detention, KFF Health, U.S, Supreme, Jackson, Health Organization, White, Rep, Carnegie Hall, Democrat, Regional Medical, South Carolina’s Republican, South, Judicial, Pregnancy, Local, The Times, South Carolina Citizens, Life, National, Physicians, Human Rights, Medical University of South, CNN, CNN Health, Health News, Health, KFF Locations: Orangeburg, South Carolina, Calhoun, “, Columbia, South, South Carolina’s, Miami, Florida, Montana , Missouri, Maryland, Medical University of South Carolina, Orangeburg County, Health News Florida

☆ Trump is unlikely to get a last-minute Electoral College change that would have helped him win the election
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-23 | by ( Brent D. Griffiths | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Nebraska Republicans dominate the state's politics, including its officially non-partisan, one-house legislature. The Nebraska Examiner reported that without McDonnell, Republicans have "no path" unless a Democrat or nonpartisan lawmaker changes their mind. Nebraska and Maine are the only states that award some of their Electoral College votes by congressional district. In 2020, President Joe Biden carried the Omaha-area 2nd District and its one Electoral College vote. If she carries the Omaha-area vote, she could win by holding onto Pennsylvania, Michigan, and Wisconsin — the so-called "Blue Wall" states.

Persons: —, Donald Trump's, Kamala Harris, Sen, Mike McDonnell, US Sen, Lindsey Graham, McDonnell, Jim Pillen, Trump, Chris LaCivita, Harris, Joe Biden, Don Bacon, Biden Organizations: Service, White, US, Trump, Business, Nebraska Republicans, Nebraska Examiner, Republicans, Republican, Mayor, Nebraska, Politico, GOP, White House, Electoral, Omaha -, Rep, Representatives Locations: Nebraska, Omaha, Maine, District, Pennsylvania , Michigan, Wisconsin, Arizona , Nevada , Pennsylvania, North Carolina, Nevada

Sen. Lindsey Graham told NBC News’ “Meet the Press” on Sunday that North Carolina Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson “has an obligation to defend himself” following reports last week that Robinson made lewd posts on a pornographic website over a decade ago. Currently, Nebraska splits its three Electoral College votes by congressional district, with the Republican nominee usually taking two votes and the Democratic nominee taking one. Maine is the only other state in the nation to participate in the Electoral College this way. On Thursday, Nebraska GOP Sen. Pete Ricketts told NBC News that 48 states have a winner-take-all electoral vote system and Nebraska should too.

Persons: Sen, Lindsey Graham, Mark Robinson “, ”, Robinson, Graham, ” Graham, I’d, Robinson “, CNN didn’t, Josh Stein, Donald Trump, “ Robinson, ” “ Mark Robinson, ” Stein, Trump, Roy Cooper, “ Trump, Jim Pillen, Kamala, Harris, —, Nebraska GOP Sen, Pete Ricketts, Ricketts Organizations: NBC, Gov, South Carolina Republican, CNN, NAZI, , North, Democrat, Press, Electoral College, Democratic Gov, GOP, Republican Gov, Electoral, Republican, Democratic, Nebraska —, Nebraska GOP, NBC News, College Locations: Carolina, ,, , North Carolina, North Carolina, Nebraska, , Nebraska, Maine

☆ California governor signs law banning all plastic shopping bags at grocery stores
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-22 | by ( Associated Press | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

Gavin Newsom that bans all plastic shopping bags. California had already banned thin plastic shopping bags at supermarkets and other stores, but shoppers could purchase bags made with a thicker plastic that purportedly made them reusable and recyclable. The new measure, approved by state legislators last month, bans all plastic shopping bags starting in 2026. “Californians voted to ban plastic grocery bags in our state almost a decade ago, but the law clearly needed a redo. With the Governor’s signature, California has finally banned plastic bags in grocery checkout lanes once and for all.”As San Francisco’s mayor in 2007, Newsom signed the nation’s first plastic bag ban.

Persons: Gavin Newsom, Sen, Catherine Blakespear, Newsom, Christy Leavitt, ”, Jenn Engstrom Organizations: CNN, Gov, Consumers, Oceana, Environment America Research & Policy, California Legislature, California Public Interest Research Group, Francisco’s Locations: California, California’s, solidifies California

☆ Election experts raise alarms about vote counting delays in battleground states
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-22 | by ( Fredreka Schouten | Sara Murray | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +14 min

Election observers worry that delays in counting mail ballots could give the public a false sense of who’s winning the election. In Wisconsin and Pennsylvania, election officials are still barred from beginning to process mail ballots before 7 a.m. on Election Day – even though election workers in both states have clamored for change. Georgia's State Election Board members discuss proposals for election rule changes at the State Capitol in Atlanta on September 20, 2024. The new law could delay by an hour or more – depending on the county – the posting of unofficial early results, state election officials have said. In Maricopa County, the general election ballot covers both sides of two pages – twice the length of the ballot voters encountered four years ago.

Persons: CNN —, Seth Bluestein, Ann Jacobs, “, Al Schmidt, Donald Trump, Chris McGrath, Joe Biden, Donald Trump baselessly, Rudy Giuliani, Biden, Trump, ” Jacobs, parroting, Daniel Acker, ” Schmidt, ”, Jacobs, David Becker, Sen, Jeremy Moss, Moss, Mike Stewart, Harris, “ It’s, Karen Brinson Bell, I’ll, won’t, Robyn Beck, Stephen Richer, ” Richer, Katie Hobbs, Jennifer Liewer, Liewer, “ We’ve, ” CNN’s Ethan Cohen, Marshall Cohen, Jason Morris Organizations: CNN, Republican, Democratic, Keystone State, ” Police, Philadelphia Convention Center, White, Democratic Milwaukee, Biden, Wisconsin State Assembly, Trump, Reuters, ”, Workers, US, Department, Election Innovation, Research, National Conference of State Legislatures, Democratic Detroit, Capitol, Michigan Senate, State Capitol, North Carolina State Board, Getty, Republicans, Gov, Democrat Locations: Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, “, Wisconsin, Georgia, Keystone, Democratic, Kenosha , Wisconsin, Michigan, Detroit, Atlanta, North Carolina, Phoenix, AFP, Arizona, Maricopa County, Maricopa

☆ How promises of a ‘post-Roe future’ have fallen short
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-22 | by ( Edward-Isaac Dovere | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +17 min

Few address child care, for infants or beyond. Since Dobbs, seven states have had ballot initiatives on the topic, with the abortion rights position winning in each state. In November, at least 10 more initiatives aimed at restoring or protecting abortion rights will be in front of voters across the country. But Brahm has also rallied an array of political, faith, academic, medical and advocacy leaders into a coalition called “Building a Post-Roe Future” that calls for more affordable health care and child care, expanded child tax credits, paid parental leave, flexible work hours and enforced pre-natal support. Though paid parental leave has been a big topic of discussion around the country, the only states to enact such measures since Dobbs are those where abortion rights are protected.

Persons: CNN — Weeks, Roe, Wade, ”, Mike Johnson, Dobbs, Johnson hasn’t, there’s, It’s, ’ ”, Samuel Lee, that’s, haven’t, Josh Brahm, Brahm, Kamala Harris, Donald Trump, Tate Reeves –, Chris Seward, Phil Berger, Lee, ” Lee, “, Louis, Angela Weiss, Brenda Shields, Shields, ” Shields, Mike Parson, Crystal Quade, Parson, ” Quade, aren’t, they’re, Kim Reynolds, Pat Grassley, Grassley, ” Grassley, Zach Wahls, couldn’t, Reynolds, Kent Nishimura, Johnson, Taylor Haulsee, Claudia Tenney, York –, Tenney, Mariannette Miller, Meeks, Miller, Young Kim, Kim, Callie Strock, Dave Schweikert, tweeting, Schweikert, Utah Sen, Mitt Romney, Republican Sen, Marco Rubio, ” Brahm Organizations: CNN, Social, Republican, Rights Institute, IT, Lifeline, North, North Carolina Senate, Democratic, National Center for Health Statistics, Getty, Republicans, Missouri Chamber of Commerce, Republican Gov, ”, “ Iowa Press, Food and Drug Administration, Energy, Commerce Committee Locations: Louisiana, Roe America, Washington, Iowa, Missouri, Roe, Georgia, Atlanta, America, Wilmington , North Carolina, Mississippi, ” In Mississippi, , Kentucky, Ohio, North Carolina, Raleigh, St, Washington , DC, York, California, Arizona, Utah, Marco Rubio of Florida

☆ South Carolina restarts executions after 13 years
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-21 | by ( The Associated Press | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +7 min

His last chance to avoid death was for Republican South Carolina Gov. South Carolina first tried to add the firing squad to restart executions after its supply of lethal injection drugs expired and no company was willing to publicly sell them more. South Carolina law allows condemned people to choose lethal injection, the new firing squad or the electric chair built in 1912. South Carolina restarts the death penaltySouth Carolina’s last execution was in May 2011. South Carolina has put 43 people to death since the death penalty was restarted in the U.S. in 1976.

Persons: Freddie Owens, couldn’t, Owens, Hillary Taylor, Freddie Eugene Owens, Chris Carlson, gurney, ”, Owens ’, Henry McMaster, thoughtfully, ” Owens, Khalil Divine Black Sun Allah, Irene Graves, Graves ’, Christopher Lee, Lee, Graves, Steven Golden, Prosecutors, “ Mr, Owens’s, Gerald “ Bo ” King Organizations: COLUMBIA, U.S, Supreme, Republican South Carolina Gov, McMaster, Correctional Institution, South Carolina, Prosecutors Locations: —, Carolina, Greenville, Columbia, Carolina’s, Broad, . South Carolina, U.S

☆ 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

ANN ARBOR, Mich. — Al Schmidt, Pennsylvania’s top state election official, outlined Thursday how administrators in the nation’s biggest battleground state are preparing to take on election misinformation and even potential violence before and after ballots are cast this year. But he said election officials have learned a lot since 2020. Election officials also faced threats and attacks from furious voters, with one local election official reporting that a third of the state’s 67 county election directors retired or resigned after the 2020 election. To help combat some of the threats against election workers that emerged around the 2020 race, Pennsylvania has established a new election threats task force to monitor the situation. After a drawn-out court battle, the Pennsylvania state Supreme Court ruled earlier this month that mail-in ballots without correctly written dates can be tossed out.

Persons: — Al Schmidt, Schmidt, Donald Trump, peddled, “, ” Schmidt, Josh Shapiro, ” It’s, ”, Trump, hasn’t, didn’t, You’ve, they’re, It’s Organizations: Republican, NBC, Democratic Gov, Capitol, ” Locations: Mich, Pennsylvania’s, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, “

“They’ve already been trying to tie legislative candidates to Robinson for months. “Our state legislative candidates have already been running on kind of the dangers of having someone like Mark Robinson in office. A Democratic operative in North Carolina predicted the latest Robinson bombshell would be used as a vehicle to attempt to depress Republican turnout while also “amping up” Democrats. No Republican legislative candidates in North Carolina had publicly denounced Robinson after the CNN report as of late Friday afternoon. An official with the Republican State Leadership Committee, which has pledged to raise and spend $50 million in state legislative races this cycle, didn’t respond to questions Friday.

Persons: Mark Robinson, Robinson, he's, Roy Cooper, Josh Stein, Kamala Harris, ”, Vicky Hausman, Hausman, ” Hausman, haven't, “ They’ve, —, “, ” Simone Leiro, Leiro, ” Leiro, Will Rusche, Donald Trump, Trump, Sam Newton, ” Newton Organizations: GOP, National, Democratic, Republicans, Democratic Gov, PAC, Forward, Republican, The States, —, North Carolina House Republicans, Democratic Legislative, Committee, Democrats, Democratic National Committee, CNN, NBC, Trump, White, North Carolina Republican Party, NAZI, General, Republican State Leadership Committee, Republican Governors Association, Democratic Governors Association Locations: North Carolina, Carolina, “, Wilmington, N.C

“There’s only one explanation for this staggering difference in maternal mortality,” said Nancy L. Cohen, president of the GEPI. “All the research points to Texas’ abortion ban as the primary driver of this alarming increase.”“Texas, I fear, is a harbinger of what’s to come in other states,” she said. Among Hispanic women, the rate of women dying while pregnant, during childbirth or soon after increased from 14.5% in 2019 to 18.9% in 2022. While maternal mortality spiked overall during the pandemic, women dying while pregnant or during childbirth rose consistently in Texas following the state’s ban on abortion, according to the Gender Equity Policy Institute. Tatum, who was not involved with the GEPI study, said that requests for sterilization procedures among her patients doubled after the state’s abortion ban.

Persons: “, ”, Nancy L, Cohen, Roe, Wade —, Greg Abbott, Bill, ” Cohen, I’d, Leah Tatum, Tatum, ” Tatum, wouldn’t, ‘, Kaitlyn Kash, Kash, “ It’d, Cory, ” Kash, ” “ It’s Organizations: Gender Equity, Institute, Centers for Disease Control, NBC News, U.S, Supreme, Texas Gov, Republican, OB, GYN, NBC Locations: Texas, “ Texas, ” Texas, Austin , Texas, Kansas

☆ Trailblazing Black trans singer Jackie Shane finally gets her due in Tennessee
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-20 | by ( Dan Allen | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +9 min

Hers is the most unconventional of success stories, but Jackie Shane wouldn’t have had it any other way. The memorial is especially significant for its setting in the capital of Tennessee, where trans rights have recently been targeted. A gifted young Nashville soul singer who saw too few opportunities for herself as a Black trans performer in the Jim Crow South of the late 1950s, Shane joined a traveling carnival. Jefferson Street in North Nashville on March 19. Flash forward to the 2010s, when a series of Canadian music connoisseurs rediscovered Shane and resurrected her career in absentia.

Persons: Jackie Shane wouldn’t, ”, Sarah Calise, Crys Matthews, Nashville Mayor Freddie O’Connell, Olivia Hill, ” Calise, Jackie Shane, Jim Crow, Shane, Seth Herald, William Bell’s “, “ Jackie, Lorenzo Washington, “, ” Shane, Jackie Shane Story, Michael Mabbott, Lucah Rosenberg, Lee, Elliot Page, ” Mabbott, could’ve, Mabbott, Jeff Goode, Jackie, Jason Kempin, ’, Museum Services Michael Gray, Washington, ’ ” Organizations: Nashville, Historical Commission, Nashville Mayor, NBC News, Getty, Jefferson Street Sound Museum, North Nashville . Washington, Toronto, Toronto Star, North Star, PageBoy Productions, Country Music Hall of Fame, Music Hall of Fame, Music, Museum Services, NBC Locations: Tennessee, city’s, Jefferson, North Nashville, Nashville, Black, AFP, Canada, Toronto, Los Angeles, North Nashville .

“If we’re going to put up affordable housing, we don’t just want to house one family. We want to house five or six or eight or 25 families,” said Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey, who has overseen the Minneapolis 2040 plan. Trump campaign national press secretary Karoline Leavitt blamed the higher housing costs on the current administration’s policies, as well as an “unsustainable invasion of illegal aliens.” The campaign broadly said Trump’s housing plan involves freeing up federal land for housing and cutting regulations. Walz, whom Frey said was “committed to the mission” on affordable housing, signed the measure into law in May. We also need to have more active state, local and federal government policies that look to support the housing market.”

Persons: ”, Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey, Ben Brewer, Donald Trump, Kamala Harris, Harris, Tim Walz, Karoline Leavitt, It’s, Frey, Hennepin, Ryan Allen, “, ” Allen, Cody Fischer, ” Fischer, ” Jeremy Wieland, Wieland, didn’t, it’s, ” Wieland, Fischer, ’, Walz, University of Minnesota’s Allen, that’s Organizations: National Association of Realtors, Minneapolis Mayor, Currie, Bloomberg, Getty, Minnesota Gov, Trump, Pew Research, NBC, Ford Motor Co, Minn, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, California Bay Area, Minnesota Environmental, Minnesota Supreme, University of Minnesota’s Locations: MINNEAPOLIS, United States, Minnesota, Minneapolis, U.S, Harrison, Hennepin County, St, Paul, California Bay, San Francisco, Oakland, ”, Northeast Minneapolis, “

☆ Two Hong Kong men jailed for seditious acts under new security law
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-20 | by ( Https | Media-Cldnry.S-Nbcnews.Com Image Upload Newscms | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +3 min

Chu pleaded guilty to having seditiously worn a T-shirt with the protest slogan “Liberate Hong Kong, revolution of our times.”The slogan was chanted on the streets during the months of pro-democracy demonstrations that rocked Hong Kong in 2019. Chu told police the “Liberate Hong Kong” slogan called for the return of Hong Kong to British rule and that he wore the shirt to remind people of the protests, the court heard. Chung pleaded guilty on Thursday to three counts of seditious acts for writing slogans advocating Hong Kong independence and “Liberate Hong Kong, revolution of our times” on the back of bus seats in March and April. Beijing imposed a national security law in 2020 to quash the months-long protests in the financial hub. In March 2024, Hong Kong passed a second new security law.

Persons: Victor So, Chu Kai, “, ”, Chu, “ FDNOL, Chung, Sarah Brooks Organizations: Hong Locations: HONG KONG, Hong Kong, Beijing, Western, China

☆ Maine Democrats have likely run out of time to change Electoral College laws if Nebraska GOP acts
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-20 | by ( Https | Media-Cldnry.S-Nbcnews.Com Image Upload Newscms Alex-Seitz-Wald-Circle-Byline-Template.Jpg | Alex Seitz-Wald | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +6 min

LINCOLNVILLE, Maine — As Republicans in Nebraska consider changing state law to give Donald Trump an extra Electoral College vote this fall, their Democratic counterparts in Maine have little recourse to even the score. In 2020, Trump won one electoral vote from Maine’s rural 2nd Congressional District and is heavily favored to do so again, while Joe Biden won one from Nebraska’s Omaha-based 2nd Congressional District. And Maine GOP leaders have already signaled they have no interest in helping Democrats do away with their unusual formula for awarding electoral votes. “Maine has the gold standard of presidential election processes in the United States,” state House Minority Leader Billy Bob Faulkingham told the Bangor Daily News on Thursday. But unlike the previous times, there no longer appears to be a good way for Maine — and therefore national Democrats — to counter a change in Nebraska.

Persons: Donald Trump, Trump, Joe Biden, Sen, Lindsey Graham, Billy Bob Faulkingham, “, ”, Kamala Harris, Harris, Biden, Harris ’, JD Vance, Democrats —, Dan Ankeles, ” Alex Seitz, Wald, Ben Kamisar Organizations: Republicans, Electoral, Democratic, Republican, Nebraska Republicans, Maine Democrats, Trump, Congressional, Maine Legislature, Maine GOP, Bangor Daily, Electoral College, Representatives, Maine, Democrats, National Locations: LINCOLNVILLE, Maine, Nebraska, Nebraska’s Omaha, “ Maine, United States, Bangor, Pennsylvania, Michigan, Wisconsin, R, Ohio, Lincolnville, Washington ,

☆ Georgia election board requires ballots be hand-counted despite warning from key GOP state officials
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-20 | by ( Marshall Cohen | Jason Morris | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

CNN —Allies of former President Donald Trump who control the Georgia State Election Board approved a controversial new rule Friday requiring counties to hand-count the number of ballots cast at polling places on Election Day, despite bipartisan objections from election officials and poll workers. State Election Board member Janelle King, one of the three Republican members of the state election board who was praised by former President Donald Trump last month, told reporters before the meeting that the changes are necessary. “The overwhelming number of election officials that have reached out to me have been opposed to this,” State Election Board chairman John Fervier an independent who opposed the move, said before the vote. The state election board in Georgia does not certify the results of any election. The state election board also investigates election irregularities.

Persons: Donald Trump, Chris Carr, ” Elizabeth Young, Young, Brad Raffensperger, “, ”, we’re, it’s, Janelle King, ” King, John Fervier, Trump, Sara Tindall Ghazal, King, Raffensperger, CNN’s Sara Murray, Mounira Elsamra Organizations: CNN — Allies, Trump, Democratic, GOP, Republican, Georgia, CNN, Board, Peach State Locations: Georgia, ”, Peach

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