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☆ Opinion | Republicans Did Something Most People Don’t Like, So They’re Changing the Rules
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-25 | by ( Jamelle Bouie | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

There’s still room for innovation, however, and in the past year Republicans have opened new fronts in the war for minority rule. One element in these campaigns, an aggressive battle to limit the reach of the referendum process, stands out in particular. It’s an abrupt change from earlier decades, when Republicans used referendums to build support and enthusiasm among their voters on both social and economic issues. If they get their way, the measure could go to voters in an August special election (previously, Ohio Republicans had opposed August special elections). One proposal would require 60 percent of the vote; the other two would require a two-thirds vote.

☆ State leaders targeting climate investing have quiet stakes in the fossil fuel industry
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-24 | by ( Brian Schwartz | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +12 min

Fitzpatrick is among a group of powerful Republican state leaders who have waged similar fights against environmentally conscious investing as they held personal investments in, or saw political support from, the fossil fuel industry. Some of the state officials have received campaign donations from fossil fuel companies or their executives. "He has never 'had private briefings tied back to the fossil fuel industry' nor does he personally direct or execute trades himself. Hegar co-signed an open letter in 2021 with other state financial officers that was addressed to the U.S. banking industry and defended the fossil fuel industry. He also co-signed the 2022 letter to Biden from a slate of other state financial officers defending the fossil fuel industry.

The Supreme Court temporarily halted court orders that would have impacted the availability of an abortion drug. A Supreme Court decision Friday to keep available — for now — the widely used abortion pill mifepristone was met with relief from one side of the debate, disappointment from the other and a vow from both to keep fighting. Maura Healey of Massachusetts called the court’s decision a “victory” for abortion patients and providers. While statements of muted celebration poured in from elected Democrats and groups supporting abortion rights, comment from Republicans and anti-abortion groups was noticeably sparser. Attorney General Andrew Bailey of Missouri, who opposes abortion, said through a spokesman that the decision was a disappointment.

☆ Man Gets Nearly 22 Years in Prison for Shooting Teen in Hate Crime
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-20 | by ( Eduardo Medina | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Mr. Robinson and M.S. Jeffrey Alan Gedbaw, a lawyer for Mr. Robinson, did not immediately respond to an email and call seeking comment on Thursday. The sentencing of Mr. Robinson came as hate crimes continue to plague the country. documented about 8,700 victims of hate crimes, including about 1,680 victims of hate crimes motivated by sexual orientation and gender identity. Those totals were a slight decrease from 2020, when the agency tallied about 11,000 victims of hate crimes, including about 2,500 victims of hate crimes motivated by sexual orientation and gender identity.

☆ Senate Republicans who backed Trump's election fraud claims say Fox News settling Dominion case leaves things 'a little murky'
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-20 | by ( Warren Rojas | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Several Senate Republicans predicted the settlement wouldn't change much at Fox or in journalism. "A bad settlement is a lot better than going to court," one Trump backer told Insider. "I think that it leaves a few things a little murky," Braun said while walking through the Senate subway. "The trial was likely to be pretty ugly," Cruz told Insider. "It's no problem — if you don't lie," Romney told Insider between votes.

☆ The cost of college room and board is rising even faster than tuition. It's driving students into even more debt.
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-19 | by ( Madison Hall | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

In many public universities, the cost of room and board has risen faster than the cost of tuition. Using the Internet Archive's Wayback Machine, Insider documented the reported tuition and room and board costs from ten public universities from 2012-2013 versus the 2022-2023 academic year. The data matches a trend that the College Board found, which noted that between 2009 and around 2014, the cost of room and board rose by more than 20 percent. Paying more for room and board leads to more debtAs students are forced to pay even more for room and board, they're often putting themselves into increasingly more debt. The sticker price of tuition, room, and board, however, isn't what it seems once interest is factored in.

☆ A Missouri official called the ATF 'unconstitutional' but says it's not because the agency raided his brother's gun shop
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-19 | by ( Katie Balevic | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Ike Skelton's brother, Jim, had his gun shop raided by the ATF in 2021 and lost his federal firearms license. They cited Missouri's Second Amendment Preservation Act (SAPA), which penalizes authorities who enforce federal gun laws. Kevin L. Jamison, Jim Skelton's attorney, told Insider that his client did not receive "sufficient advice" before opening his shop. We're not restricting them from enforcing their unconstitutional law," Ike Skelton told Insider. The only thing that my brother's raid did was confirm everything I thought about the ATF," Ike Skelton told Insider.

☆ Ralph Yarl shooting: The White homeowner accused of shooting a Black teen who rang his doorbell turns himself in to face criminal charges
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-18 | by ( Nouran Salahieh Taylor Romine Holly Yan | Nouran Salahieh | Taylor Romine | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +10 min

Andrew Lester faces two felony charges – assault in the first degree and armed criminal action – in the April 13 shooting of Ralph Yarl. While he was hospitalized, Ralph told police he did not pull on the door, according to the document. Charlie Riedel/APLester opened the interior door and “saw a black male approximately 6 feet tall pulling on the exterior storm door handle,” Lester told police. While the teenager was still on the ground, the man then fired again, shooting him in the arm, Ralph told police. Crump likened Ralph’s shooting to the shootings of 17-year-old Martin in Florida and 25-year-old Arbery in Georgia.

☆ A huge win in Wisconsin shows Dems how fiercely defending abortion rights can kneecap the GOP in 2024
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-16 | by ( Nicole Gaudiano | Brent D. Griffiths | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

Expect Democrats to make abortion rights a dominant theme in 2024. The Democratic party chair there says it's "vital" that party members convey their position. Expect Democrats to make sure of that, especially after a recent Wisconsin election further demonstrated the power of abortion rights at the ballot box. Abortion rights advocates protest outside the White House in July 2022. Dems shift to talking openly about abortionThe Democratic Party has rapidly changed its views on abortion.

☆ Missouri's attorney general opened a new front in the GOP's attacks on transgender people: banning treatment for any adult with depression
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-13 | by ( Chris Panella | Brent D. Griffiths | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Adults with depression are banned from seeking care until their mental health issues are resolved. Attorney General Andrew Bailey's sweeping regulation would prohibit medical providers from providing gender-affirming care unless a number of requirements are met. The ACLU of Missouri previously said that the attorney general, a Republican, overstepped his authority when it condemned Bailey's initial announcement of the policy in March. The state attorney general is basing his regulation on a law aimed at fraudulent business practices, The Missouri Independent reported. Republicans and conservatives have moved to restrict gender-affirming care and other trans rights in recent years.

☆ The Missouri official refusing to comply with the ATF has past experience with the bureau. His brother's gun shop was previously raided by the feds.
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-12 | by ( Katie Balevic | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Ike Skelton's brother, Jim, had his gun shop raided by the ATF in 2021 and lost his federal firearms license. I can't just take their packet, slap it to my forehead and absorb it," Jim Skelton told KRCG-TV at the time. Kevin L. Jamison, Jim Skelton's attorney, told Insider that his client did not receive "sufficient advice" before opening his shop. We're not restricting them from enforcing their unconstitutional law," Ike Skelton told Insider. The only thing that my brother's raid did was confirm everything I thought about the ATF," Ike Skelton told Insider.

☆ This former Trump White House official says Republicans are 'such nerds' for pushing a 'ridiculous' ban on TikTok
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-06 | by ( Bryan Metzger | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

But John McEntee, a former Trump White House official, thinks that's "ridiculous." But John McEntee, who worked as a top White House staffer when former President Donald Trump attempted to ban the app via executive order, says he's unabashedly "pro-TikTok" and insists the push from the right to ban the Chinese-owned app is "ridiculous." "I think Republicans are such nerds for even doing this," McEntee, the one-time Director of the Official of Presidential Personnel, told Insider in an interview on Thursday. In that job, he reportedly scrutinized White House staffers for their perceived loyalty and played a significant role in the effort to pressure Vice President Mike Pence to overturn the election results on January 6, 2021. In one widely-viewed TikTok, McEntee dances to Demi Lovato's "La La Land" while riffing on liberals attending their first protest, making hand-horns as Lovato sings the phrase "converse with my dress."

☆ Multiple killed and injured after tornado slices through southeastern Missouri
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-05 | by ( David K. Li | Kathryn Prociv | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

The tornado caused widespread destruction and killed and injured multiple people. A "significant" tornado tore through southeastern Missouri on Wednesday morning, leaving multiple people dead and widespread destruction as authorities warned of more twisters. Mike Parson posted an aerial picture of the devastation in Bollinger County, saying that "fatalities have been confirmed and others have been injured." There are at least "four weather-related deaths" in or around Bollinger County, Highway Patrol Sgt. The highway patrol has urged people to avoid the area as first responders work to find injured.

☆ Trump says his fans didn't just give him $5 million in 48 hours — more than 16,000 people also signed up to become campaign volunteers within 2 days of his indictment
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-03 | by ( Matthew Loh | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Trump's 2024 campaign said it raised $5 million in the 48 hours after he was indicted, per Axios. More than 16,000 people also signed up to volunteer on Trump's website in the first 24 hours after his indictment, Axios reported, citing Trump's campaign spokesperson. On Friday, Trump's campaign said it raised $4 million in the 24 hours after the indictment announcement. More than a quarter of these contributions came from first-time donors, and the average sum given was $34, the Trump campaign said. In a Sunday message to supporters seen by Insider, Trump's campaign bragged that it had "OUTRAISED THEM ALL!"

Kashtanova received a copyright in September, and declared on social media that it meant artists were entitled to legal protection for their AI art projects. Copyright Office suddenly reversed itself, and Kashtanova became the first person in the country to be stripped of legal protection for AI art. A spokesperson for the copyright office declined to comment. Copyright Office, petitioned the U.S. Supreme Court and has a patent case before the U.K. Supreme Court. REUTERS/Shannon Stapleton 1 2 3 4Meanwhile, many artists and companies that own creative content fiercely oppose granting copyrights to AI owners or users.

The lobbying comes amid a sustained effort by TikTok to play down fears raised by lawmakers who want to ban the app, which has 150 million monthly active users in the U.S. She defended the work of TikTok's team in Washington and said the company is trying to address lawmakers' privacy and safety concerns. At the furthest end of the extreme is the legislation from Hawley and Buck that simply seeks to ban TikTok outright by directing the president to block transactions with ByteDance. Hawley has not eased his campaign to ban TikTok. But after, "our phones were ringing off the hook," with the majority of callers voicing opposition to a TikTok ban.

☆ Sen. Rand Paul says the GOP would 'permanently lose elections for a generation' if TikTok is banned
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-29 | by ( Bryan Metzger | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Sen. Rand Paul is speaking out against a possible ban on TikTok, contradicting much of his own party. He said a ban amounts to a "national strategy to permanently lose elections for a generation" for the GOP. "Before banning TikTok, these censors might want to discover that China's government already bans TikTok," wrote Paul. In recent weeks, calls to ban TikTok over concerns over Chinese government surveillance have only grown in Washington. Marco Rubio of Florida and Josh Hawley of Missouri, who have both introduced nationwide TikTok ban bills.

☆ Josh Hawley splits Senate GOP over 'duplicative' idea to create a new office tracking US aid to Ukraine
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-28 | by ( Bryan Metzger | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

The Senate rejected a bill from Josh Hawley to establish a new office to oversee Ukraine aid. Many Republicans said they were confident in the Biden administration's aid tracking efforts. "We already have a very extensive operation to oversee spending in Ukraine," said Sen. Mitt Romney of Utah. Hawley's bill did win over at least one Republican who's a vocal supporter of aiding Ukraine: Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina. The underlying AUMF repeal bill, which is backed by a large bipartisan majority of senators and has been endorsed by the White House, is expected to pass the Senate on Wednesday.

☆ Senate GOP populists push Republican colleagues to back railway regulations, arguing 'their voters' are the most affected by disasters
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-22 | by ( Bryan Metzger | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Vance, Hawley, and Rubio are touting a bill to enact new regulations on the rail industry. They're trying out a new argument for their Republican colleagues: these are your voters. Josh Hawley of Missouri, and Marco Rubio of Florida, are touting the Railway Safety Act of 2023. "When derailments occur, it is predominantly Republican voters—their voters—who bear the brunt and who rush to put out the fires." "Look, I think if the vote were held today, we'd get 65 votes in the Senate," he told Insider.

☆ A student-loan borrower was promised a $5,000 refund on payments after Biden's broad debt relief. Months later, she's still waiting — and no one is picking up the phone to help.
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-19 | by ( Ayelet Sheffey | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Roxanne Dougherty, 31, is waiting for a $5,000 refund on her student-loan payments. The Education Department directed Insider to guidance on refunds posted on Federal Student Aid's website. "No one is taking the time to help me or to listen to me when it comes to MOHELA," Dougherty said. "It just seems like there's something in it for them to not help," Dougherty said. Are you still waiting for a refund on your student-loan payments?

☆ We asked the GOP senators who've endorsed Trump for 2024 if an indictment might change their mind. They said it wouldn't.
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-16 | by ( Oma Seddiq | Bryan Metzger | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Trump may soon face an indictment in New York over a "hush-money" payment to Stormy Daniels. Insider asked all five GOP senators who back Trump in 2024 whether him being charged would alter their support. And Republican senators who have already endorsed his third White House bid appear to be sticking with him regardless. Schmitt, for his part, abruptly declined to comment when asked about the possibility of an indictment of Trump. Trump also recently suggested that an indictment could be politically beneficial for him — a notion that Tuberville agreed with on Thursday.

☆ Ted Cruz's publisher shaved off his mullet on the cover of his new book about 'cultural Marxism'
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-13 | by ( Bryan Metzger | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Ted Cruz's infamous mullet was edited out of a photo on the cover of his new book by the publisher. The Texas Republican announced last week that he's writing his third book, titled "Unwoke: How to Defeat Cultural Marxism in America." A person familiar with the matter told Insider that the decision to edit Cruz's mullet out of the picture was made by his publisher, the conservative outfit Regnery Publishing, and not the senator himself. "Is the routine touching up of a photo for a book cover considered newsworthy?" Cruz later began sporting a mullet fade as the Senate began debating impeachment charges against former President Donald Trump for incitement of an insurrection, prompting the Houston Chronicle to ask "What the hell is going on with Ted Cruz's hair?"

☆ Congress sends bill to Biden requiring his administration to declassify intelligence on COVID-19's origins
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-10 | by ( Oma Seddiq | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

The House passed a bipartisan bill that would require the Biden administration to declassify information related to COVID-19's origins. The origins of COVID-19 have long been debated and theorized. The House of Representatives unanimously approved the bill, titled the COVID-19 Origin Act of 2023, in a 419-0 vote on Friday. The bill comes after the US Energy Department recently concluded with "low confidence" that the pandemic was likely the result of a lab leak. Indeed, lawmakers could likely override a potential veto with a two-thirds vote in both the House and Senate.

☆ Live updates: East Palestine, Ohio train derailment Senate hearing
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-09 | by ( Chris Isidore | Aditi Sangal | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

In the lead-up to a Senate committee hearing on the toxic train derailment that spilled chemicals in the Ohio town of East Palestine last month, a bipartisan group of senators is introducing a new bill aimed at shoring up rail safety. The Railway Safety Act of 2023 will be introduced by Republican Sens. Vance of Ohio, Marco Rubio of Florida and Josh Hawley of Missouri, and Democratic Sens. It has a provision requiring “well-trained, two-person crews aboard every train.” And it boosts the maximum fines for rail carriers for wrongdoing. Data compiled by the nonprofit OpenSecrets show that Norfolk Southern, the company involved in the Ohio derailment, spent $1.8 million on federal lobbying last year.

☆ Netflix's expected password-sharing crackdown puts college students on edge
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-08 | by ( Noah Sheidlower | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +9 min

Sam Figiel, a sophomore at Mercer University in Georgia, said access to Netflix is required for many of his peers' classes. Yet the gradual password-sharing changes have created uncertainty for college students who might not have, or want to spend, disposable income for their own subscriptions. People in the 18-to-34 age group, which accounts for 30% of all Netflix users, are more likely to exchange passwords than older viewers. "There are a lot, lot, lot of U.S. users that are not paying for it, and so I think they're very sensitive to the backlash that they're going to get when they institute this," Nollen said. Staying or leavingEven if the cost of a subscription could rise for borrowers, some college students think Netflix is too important to give up.

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