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☆ Over 200,000 trans people could face voting restrictions because of state ID laws
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-01 | by ( Jo Yurcaba | Jo Yurcaba Is A Reporter For Nbc Out. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +12 min

Seaton showed his state ID. “So I expect that we’re going to hear more stories of trans people being harassed, whether by voters, poll workers, poll monitors or other folks who are present during the election.”Impact of voter ID laws on trans votersVoter identification laws differ widely by state. Eight of those states have strict photo ID laws. Since the 2020 election, 12 states have enacted new or stricter voter ID laws, according to VoteRiders, a nonpartisan voting rights organization. In the 15 states without ID laws, voters’ identities are usually verified by checking them against their voter registration information, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures.

☆ Developers aren't building enough affordable housing despite an unprecedented crisis. A top executive at $3.5 billion Nuveen explains the biggest hurdles, and how builders can tap into a steady source
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-26 | by ( Jennifer Streaks | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

So why aren't developers building more affordable housing? And more recently, the Biden Administration's 2023 budget includes a proposal for $25 billion for Grants for Affordable Housing Production. "Nuveen so far has $3.5 billion in assets under management and has 120 actual affordable housing properties across the country in 25 states," West says about the company's affordable housing portfolio. "Inflation has a direct, immediate effect on the cost of building affordable housing. Research shows that the shortage of affordable housing costs the American economy about $2 trillion a year in lower wages and productivity.

☆ A record number of Americans now have bank accounts
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-25 | by ( The Associated Press | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +6 min

The number of Americans who do not have a bank account fell to a record low last year, as the proliferation of online-only banks and an improving economy is bringing more Americans into the traditional financial system. The benefit programs largely needed a bank account to send the funds quickly to those impacted. The benefit programs largely needed a bank account to send the funds quickly to those impacted. While Americans kept their bank accounts through the coronavirus recession, there is a chance the number of unbanked Americans could rise in the future if inflation continues to damage the economy and unemployment increases. Cash checking services, utility payment services, rent payments without a bank account often come with fees, money that a person with a bank account would not be subject to.

☆ The Big 12 Plans for an Era of College-Sports Domination by the SEC and Big Ten
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-25 | by ( Laine Higgins | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Brett Yormark began his tenure as Big 12 commissioner by saying he wanted the conference to be “younger, hipper, cooler.” Hipness is hard to quantify, but there is one thing about his vision for the Big 12 that is easier to put a number on. “I don’t strive to be No. 3,” Yormark said in an interview. 3 and everything was working, we had great alignment, we were increasing revenue, we became a truly national conference and we’re on the consciousness of future student athletes…. Yeah, I could sleep well at night.”

Oct 24 (Reuters) - Challenges to election results are not new in the United States. That has raised fears among election experts that 2022 will see a wave of baseless rejections of vote tallies. There are multiple points where a rogue official could disrupt the process – by refusing to certify results, for instance. THE FUTURESeveral election experts said they are more concerned about the 2024 election than 2022, given how many Trump-inspired election deniers are running for key positions this year. A Washington Post analysis found more than half of Republican candidates for Congress and key statewide offices have questioned the 2020 results.

☆ Fact Check-No evidence of widespread ballot 'harvesting' ahead of the U.S midterm election
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-20 | by ( Reuters Fact Check | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +7 min

Stuffing ballot boxes, ballot harvesting, gerrymandering, and the lonist goes on and on,” reads a tweet. A Reuters Fact Check explainer exploring examples of how and why voter fraud is exceedingly rare in the U.S. ahead of the midterms can be seen (here). According to Minnite, experts agree there is no evidence of systematic voter fraud happening during absentee voting. They found 491 cases of absentee ballot fraud from 2000 to 2012, a time when 146 million Americans were registered to vote (news21.com/archive/), (here), (here). A Reuters fact check article previously found that the film does not provide verifiable evidence of voter fraud (here).

☆ Covid-19 vaccines will be on the 2023 vaccine schedule, but that doesn’t mean they’re required in schools
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-20 | by ( Deidre Mcphillips | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

CNN —Covid-19 vaccines will be part of recommended immunization schedules in 2023 for both children and adults, after a unanimous vote by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s independent Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices. The board members addressed concerns from the public that adding Covid-19 vaccinations to the schedule would force schools to require the shots. This discussion does not change that.”In fact, Covid-19 vaccines are explicitly banned from being included in school mandates in at least 20 states. “Mandates may not do anything to those people who would pull their kids out of public school,” Hackell said. Schools are public spaces with a level of control, and 95% vaccination coverage is a goal with intent.

☆ Fact Check-U.S. elections: What we know about a new Massachusetts law that allows undocumented migrants to get a driver's license
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-19 | by ( Reuters Fact Check | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +10 min

A law set to go into effect in 2023 in Massachusetts would enable immigrants with non-legal status to obtain a driver’s license. The bill would eliminate a restriction that says a driver’s license cannot be issued unless a person has lawful presence in the United States. “This bill [HB 4805] also fails to include any measures to distinguish standard Massachusetts driver’s licenses issued to persons who demonstrate lawful presence from those who do not. Cecilia Calabrese, a Republican candidate for Massachusetts State Senate, wrote on Twitter: “Because in Massachusetts when you get a Driver’s License you are AUTOMATICALLY registered to vote! Unlawful voter registration and unlawful voting are both deportable offenses (see “falsely claiming citizenship” and “unlawful voters”) (here).

☆ Honda Motorcycles & Scooters India to launch flexi-fuel model by end-2024
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-19 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

Employees work on an assembly line of Honda Motorcycles & Scootesr India at Vithalapur town in the western state of Gujarat, India, February 17, 2016. REUTERS/Amit Dave/File PhotoNEW DELHI, Oct 19 (Reuters) - Honda Motorcycles and Scooters India plans to launch a flexi-fuel model of motorcycle in India by end-2024, the company's CEO said on Wednesday. "Our internal target is minimum, one model, the first model of flexi-fuel motorcycle to be launched by end-2024," Atsushi Ogata, chief executive officer of Honda Motorcycles and Scooters India said at the International Conference on Biofuels in New Delhi. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterReporting by Mohi Narayan, Writing by Tanvi Mehta; editing by David EvansOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ A new four-year project will test the viability of large-scale wave energy in Europe
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-19 | by ( Anmar Frangoul | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

This image shows waters off the coast of Orkney, an archipelago north of the Scottish mainland that's home to the European Marine Energy Centre. A 19.6 million euro (around $19.3 million) initiative centered around commercializing large-scale wave energy projects will be officially launched later on Wednesday, in a move that marks another step forward for the emerging sector. The collaboration, called WEDUSEA, involves 14 partners from academia and industry, with funding coming from Innovate UK and the European Union's Horizon Europe program. WEDUSEA is being coordinated by OceanEnergy, an Irish firm that's developed the OE35, a piece of kit that's been dubbed "the world's largest capacity floating wave energy device." "This will be followed by a two-year grid connected demonstration at the European Marine Energy Centre's … Billia Croo wave energy test site in Orkney, Scotland," the statement added.

☆ India to pitch for global biofuels alliance at G20 - oil minister
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-19 | by ( Mohi Narayan | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

REUTERS/Gary McWilliamsNEW DELHI, Oct 19 (Reuters) - India plans to pitch for a global alliance on biofuels among members of the group of 20 major economies, oil minister Hardeep Singh Puri said on Wednesday, as the world's third biggest oil consumer bids to boost use of cleaner fuels. India will take over the presidency of the group, also called G20, from Indonesia in December. "We will utilise our G20 presidency to try and set up an international biofuels alliance," Puri said at the International Conference on Biofuels. I think we are on our way to setting up an international alliance," he said. India, also the world's third-biggest oil importer, ships in about 85% of its crude needs, but is gradually building capacity to increase its output of biofuels.

☆ Black infants born through assisted reproductive technology at significantly higher risk of death than White infants born through same means, study suggests
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-19 | by ( Jacqueline Howard Raenu Charles | Jacqueline Howard | Raenu Charles | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

CNN —It has been well-known in research that Black babies are about twice as likely to die as White babies before their first birthday. But when conceived by assisted reproductive technology, neonatal mortality was more than four-fold higher among babies of Black women. Assisted reproductive technology, which is used to treat infertility, includes infertility treatments that involve eggs and sperm. Those rates were four-fold higher in infants of Black versus White mothers who used assisted reproductive technology, such as IVF. Black women are about three times more likely to die from pregnancy-related causes than White women, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

☆ Miami Mayor Francis Suarez says he's considering a run for president in 2024
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-17 | by ( Kimberly Leonard | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Miami Mayor Francis Suarez said he would consider running for president in 2024. "It's something that I would consider given the right circumstances and given the right mood of the country," he said. "It's something that I would consider given the right circumstances and given the right mood of the country," Suarez said Monday at a Punchbowl News event. Suarez has been getting national attention given the surge of people and tech companies moving to Florida, particularly to Miami. When asked about how he might stand out in a presidential race, he pointed to his age difference from some of the other potential condenders.

☆ Opinion | Abortion Is Legal in Ethiopia. But Half of These Clinics Won’t Provide Them.
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-17 | by ( Anu Kumar | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +12 min

When Congress passed the Helms Amendment, only six of those countries allowed abortion in circumstances beyond saving a woman’s life. And every year, more than 16,000 of the women and girls who have received these unsafe abortions die from more serious complications. President Biden also has the power to mitigate some of the harms of the Helms Amendment. His administration could also ensure that clinics in countries where abortion is legal understand that U.S. rules allow them to offer abortion information and counseling. The Helms Amendment is an act of international interference and overreach, and it has to end.

Instead, data and child welfare experts suggest the changes may have done the opposite. State child welfare officials say more vigilance in documenting severe cases of abuse likely contributed to the increase. Child welfare experts say these findings cast doubt on the effectiveness of the primary tool that states rely on to protect children: mandatory child abuse reporting. These policies, the bedrock of America’s child welfare system, were first implemented more than half a century ago in response to growing national awareness of child maltreatment. “We are continuing to tell mandated reporters, ‘Report, report, report,’ and nobody can handle it,” Berger said in an interview.

☆ Ibrahim Traore: Who is the soldier behind Burkina Faso's latest coup?
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-04 | by ( Story Reuters | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

Reuters —As a heavily armed convoy drove through a cheering crowd in Burkina Faso’s capital on Sunday morning, the boyish face of the country’s latest military ruler, Captain Ibrahim Traore, emerged from the turret of an armored personnel carrier. Little is known about Traore and his colleagues, who since Friday have delivered statements on national television brandishing guns, ammunition belts, and masks. Army officers initially supported Damiba when he took power in his own coup in January, promising to defeat the Islamists. Growing Russian tiesMeanwhile, Russia has expressed support for the coup just as regional neighbors and western powers condemned it. “I salute and support Captain Ibrahim Traore,” read a statement from Russian businessman Yevgeny Prigozhin, founder of private military company Wagner Group, which has operations across Africa, including in Burkina Faso’s neighbor Mali.

☆ Fact Check-Biden and Obama did win states that required photo ID to vote
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-22 | by ( Reuters Fact Check | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

It shows that in 2020, six states strictly required a photo identification to vote: Georgia, Indiana, Kansas, Mississippi, Tennessee and Wisconsin. OBAMA WON THREE OF 10 PHOTO-ID STATES IN 2012According to the NCSL, four states required strict photo ID to vote in 2012: Georgia, Indiana, Kansas and Tennessee. An election map from 2008 shows that among states requesting photo ID, Obama won in Indiana, Hawaii, Florida and Michigan (here). Obama won in some states that had photo identification laws in both the 2008 and 2012 presidential elections, and Biden won the 2020 vote in five states that required photo ID. Both lost in several states that had no photo ID laws at the time in all three of these elections.

As yet another Alzheimer's drug targeting plaque buildup in the brain fails to improve cognition in patients, leading scientists said a significant shift is underway in the search for effective treatments for the disease. By 2050, that number is projected to rise to nearly 13 million, according to an estimate from the Alzheimer’s Association. Alzheimer’s disease is often referred to as “Type 3 diabetes,” a brain-specific form of diabetes that is the result of the brain’s neurons lacking glucose, said John Didsbury, the CEO of T3D Therapeutics. Data from the longest-ever phase 3 trial of exercise on cognition released at the conference on Tuesday found that exercise may stall cognitive decline in Alzheimer’s patients. He said it’s only a matter of time before we see more research discoveries that show potential for slowing Alzheimer’s disease, possibly within the next year or two.

☆ Republicans' next big play is to 'scare the hell out of Washington' by rewriting the Constitution. And they're willing to play the long game to win.
▼ + stars: | 2022-07-31 | by ( Grace Panetta | Brent D. Griffiths | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +27 min

Whether it happens, he said, is highly dependent on Republicans' success winning state legislatures during the 2022 midterm elections. But not everyone in the conservative constitutional convention movement believes such a gathering is so imminent. Constitutional convention boosters include many of Trump's current and former allies, including conservative legal scholar John Eastman, Florida Gov. In 2012, the Republican National Committee went so far as to pass a resolution formally opposing the convention movement. A convention of states would be the first of its kind since the original Constitutional convention in Philadelphia in 1787.

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