Business & Politics News and Discussions

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Kansas election law ruled unconstitutional as federal judge sides with voter advocates
https://www.yahoo.com/news/kansas-elect ... GlOJb8fpEq
Opinion | Democracy Docket

A federal judge struck down portions of a controversial Kansas election law on Thursday, ruling them unconstitutional.

U.S. District Court Judge Kathryn Vratil struck down provisions in statute KSA 25-1122 banning out-of-state entities from mailing advance ballot applications and prohibiting the applications from containing any pre-filled information.

Both provisions had previously been temporarily blocked, and Vratil last year permanently enjoined the state from enforcing the out-of-state mail provisions.

That left only the personalized application ban remaining to address in Thursday's ruling from the federal courthouse in Kansas City, Kan.

"Defendants have not established that the Personalized Application Prohibition is narrowly tailored to achieve the state's alleged interests in the enhancement of public confidence in the integrity of the electoral process and avoiding fraud, the avoidance of voter confusion or the facilitation of orderly and efficient election administration," Vratil wrote. "The Personalized Application Prohibition cannot withstand strict scrutiny and is therefore an unconstitutional infringement on plaintiff’s First Amendment rights to speech and association."

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DeSantis Signs Bill to Void Disney Development Deals

May 5, 2023 at 4:40 pm EDT By Taegan Goddard 51 Comments

https://politicalwire.com/2023/05/05/de ... ent-deals/

"SNIP........

“Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis on Friday signed legislation that effectively voids the development agreements Disney struck shortly before the governor chose a new board of supervisors to oversee the company’s Orlando parks,” CNBC reports.

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OR: Senate president clamps down on absences as walkout continues
Senate President Rob Wagner promised senators he would only grant excused absences for extraordinary circumstances when the GOP-led walkout persisted into its third day on Friday.

On Saturday, as the Senate failed to reach its required two-thirds quorum for the fourth day, Wagner, D-Lake Oswego, is enforcing that – even for senators who want time off for religious observances.

Ten senators had unexcused absences, all of them Republicans except for Sen. Brian Boquist, I-Dallas. That’s twice the number of unexcused absences for the first three days of the walkout. Two other senators, one Republican and one Democrat, had excused absences.

Twenty senators are needed for a quorum. No Democratic senators had an unexcused absence.

Republican senators say they’re protesting an unconstitutional process of passing bills that fails to meet about an eighth-grade reading level. Democratic Senate leaders say the Republicans are trying to block a vote on House Bill 2002, House Bill 2002, a reproductive and gender-affirming health care measure.

One of those absent on Saturday, Sen. Cedric Hayden, R-Fall Creek. Hayden had requested to be absent Saturday and the seven remaining Saturdays in the session. The reason: “duties scheduled as elder of my church,” Hayden wrote in the request, noting that he is scheduled to preach on Saturday.

https://oregoncapitalchronicle.com/2023 ... continues/

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18-to-20-year-olds can’t be barred from buying handguns, judge rules
https://www.washingtonpost.com/dc-md-va ... year-olds/

A federal judge in Virginia has declared unconstitutional a set of laws and regulations that prohibit federally licensed firearms dealers from selling handguns to 18-to-20-year-olds, finding that the measures violated the Second Amendment.

“Because the statutes and regulations in question are not consistent with our Nation’s history and tradition, they, therefore, cannot stand,” U.S. District Judge Robert E. Payne, who sits in Richmond, concluded in a 71-page opinion.

Advocates say the decision, if allowed to stand, would significantly increase gun access for a population that research shows is more impulsive and responsible for a disproportionate number of fatal shootings. But attorneys on both sides of the case said they expected the Justice Department to appeal and request a stay, which would prevent Payne’s ruling from taking effect while higher courts weigh the case.

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Ramaswamy proposes raising voting age to 25, unless people serve in military or pass a test

By MEG KINNARD
May 12, 2023

COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — Republican presidential hopeful Vivek Ramaswamy on Thursday voiced support for changing the overall U.S. voting age to 25, unless younger Americans fulfill at least six months of service in the military or as a first responder — or pass the same citizenship test administered to those seeking to become naturalized citizens.

Ramaswamy’s campaign announced the biotech entrepreneur and “anti-woke” activist’s push for a U.S. Constitutional amendment promoting “civic duty voting,” which he announced in a news release and detailed during a campaign event in Urbandale, Iowa.

Revising the Constitution is no simple task, requiring overwhelming support in Congress and in state legislatures. Still, Ramaswamy said in his release that the “absence of national pride is a serious threat to the future of our country” and argued his proposal “can create a sense of shared purpose and responsibility amongst young Americans to become educated citizens.”

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Read more: https://apnews.com/article/vivek-ramasw ... 7b027f4ab9

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I have no idea about how reliable Joseph Allen or Distractify is, but MSN carried a news story by Allen indicating that Ingram was not fired. I guess we will know for sure in the next few days.

Fox News Is Standing by Laura Ingraham Following Reports That She Was Fired
by Jospeh Allen
“One Hour Ago”

Introduction:

(Distractify) For many regular viewers of Fox News, it may seem unthinkable to suggest that Laura Ingraham could be fired from the network. Of course, the same could have been said about Tucker Carlson, which is why so many interested viewers have taken rumors about Laura quite seriously.

The rumors that Laura would be fired first started spreading following a story in The Drudge Report which suggested that Fox would be significantly revamping its primetime lineup. Now, many want to know what the exact status of Laura's job is. Has Fox News really fired her?
Was Laura Ingraham fired from Fox?

Despite the rumors that have been spread by Drudge, it seems like Fox News is standing by Laura. The network released a statement suggesting that Laura was still with the network, although the statement also made some wonder whether she might be moving to a new time slot.

“Reports based on various tweets by left wing activists are wildly inaccurate — Laura Ingraham, the top-rated woman in cable news, is now and will continue to be a prominent host and integral part of the Fox News lineup,” the statement read.

Read more here: https://www.msn.com/en-us/tv/news/fox- ... AA1bmsp5

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Here is a report form a news source I am more familiar with and which I have a certain level of trust:

Fact Check: Has Fox News Fired Laura Ingraham?
by Tom Norton
May 19, 2023

Extract:

(Newsweek) However, claims that Ingraham has been fired by Fox, for whatever reason, are incorrect.

Responding directly, Fox News told Newsweek that the claims about Ingraham were "wildly inaccurate" and that she would remain at the station.

Read more here: https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/fact ... AA1bpv9d

[wjfox]

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Texas lawmakers recommend impeaching Attorney General Ken Paxton after Republican investigation

AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton teetered on the brink of impeachment Thursday after years of scandal, criminal charges and corruption accusations that the state’s Republican majority had largely met with silence until now.

In an unanimous decision, a Republican-led House investigative committee that spent months quietly looking into Paxton recommended impeaching the state’s top lawyer. The state House of Representatives could vote on the recommendation as soon as Friday. If the House impeaches Paxton, he would be forced to leave office immediately.

The move sets set up a remarkably sudden downfall for one of the GOP’s most prominent legal combatants, who in 2020 asked the U.S. Supreme Court to overturn President Joe Biden’s victory. Only two officials in Texas’ nearly 200-year history have been impeached.

Paxton has been under FBI investigation for years over accusations that he used his office to help a donor and was separately indicted on securities fraud charges in 2015, but has yet to stand trial.

Read more: https://apnews.com/article/texas-attorn ... ab1672e1bd

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Texas Republicans pass voting bills targeting large Democratic county
Source: Washington Post

The new law would single out Houston, with its sizable Black population, for a different election process

By Patrick Marley
May 28, 2023 at 8:55 p.m. EDT

Texas Republicans wound down their regular legislative session Sunday by changing election policies for a single populous Democratic stronghold but not other parts of the state.

The measure gives the secretary of state under certain conditions the power to run elections in Harris County, home to Houston and 4.8 million residents. It follows a bill approved days earlier that shifts the oversight of elections from its appointed elections administrator to the county clerk and county assessor.

Harris County officials at a news conference last week said they would bring a lawsuit challenging the measures as soon as Gov. Greg Abbott (R) signs them into law.

“These bills are not about election reform,” said Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo, the county’s chief executive. “They’re not about improving voters’ experience. They are entirely about suppressing voters’ voices. The reasoning behind these bills is nothing but a cynical charade.”

Read more: https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics ... ic-county/

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Most Floridians Disapprove of State's Direction, DeSantis' Approval Rating Drops by 19 Points
Most Floridians Disapprove of State’s Direction, DeSantis’ Approval Rating Drops by 19 Points in New Poll

Before this spring’s state legislative session, a majority of Floridians believed the state was on the right track (46% right track / 42% wrong track). As the session came to a close, however, 50% believe the state is headed in the wrong direction, while only 42% think it’s on the right track.

Pollsters Florida Watch and Progress Florida, collectively known as the Florida Communications and Research Hub (Hub), attribute this shift in their surveys to Floridians’ growing dissatisfaction with the agenda carried out by Gov. Ron DeSantis and legislators in Tallahassee.

“When we look back on this legislative session, it is clear Floridians do not believe that Gov. DeSantis and legislative leaders focused on the priorities they believed would improve their lives,” said Progress Florida Executive Director Mark Ferrulo.

In February, before the legislative session, the Hub’s polling showed DeSantis with a 60% approval rate and the Florida Legislature with 49% support from voters. But by the time the legislative session was winding down, in late April and Early May, their surveys found that the governor’s approval rating dropped by a whopping 19 points (50% approve / 49% disapprove).

https://theamericanonews.com/floricua/2 ... -new-poll/

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DeSatan's "woke" obsession is costing Fla. taxpayers millions in legal fees

As a result of the mounting lawsuits against DeSantis, the governor’s legal costs, which the Miami Herald reported last December to cost at least $16.7m, have been soaring.

In DeSantis’s legal fight against Disney following the corporation’s condemnation of his anti-LGBTQ+ laws, it is going to cost the governor and his handpicked board nearly $1,300 per hour in legal fees as they look into how the corporation discovered a loophole in DeSantis’s plan to acquire governing rights over Disney World, Insider reports.

“Disney is a perfect example. It doesn’t hurt any Floridians. There is nothing. It’s creating a legal issue out of nowhere and now Disney sued so they have to respond and that is going to cost taxpayers’ money. The whole Disney case is just because of DeSantis’s ego and his hurt feelings,” the Democratic state senator Tina Polsky said.

*snip*

Meanwhile, in another case covered by the Orlando Sentinel, DeSantis’s administration has turned to the elite conservative Washington DC-based law firm Cooper & Kirk to defend the governor against his slew of anti-woke laws. The firm’s lawyers charge $725 hourly, according to contracts reviewed by Orlando Sentinel. As of June 2022, the state authorized nearly $2.8m for legal services from just Cooper & Kirk alone, the outlet reports.

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/202 ... -taxpayers

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Are We Living Through De-dollarization?
by Justin Podur
June 24, 2023

Introduction:

(Alternet) De-dollarization is apparently here, “like it or not,” as a May 2023 video by the Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft, a peace-oriented think tank based in Washington, D.C., states. Quincy is not alone in discussing de-dollarization: political economists Radhika Desai and Michael Hudson outlined its mechanics across four shows between February and April 2023 in their fortnightly YouTube program, “Geopolitical Economy Hour.” Economist Richard Wolff provided a nine-minute explanation on this topic on the Democracy at Work channel. On the other side, media outlets like Business Insider have assured readers that dollar dominance isn’t going anywhere. Journalist Ben Norton reported on a two-hour, bipartisan Congressional hearing that took place on June 7—“Dollar Dominance: Preserving the U.S. Dollar’s Status as the Global Reserve Currency”—about defending the U.S. currency from de-dollarization. During the hearing, Congress members expressed both optimism and anxiety about the future of the dollar’s supreme role. But what has prompted this debate?

Until recently, the global economy accepted the U.S. dollar as the world’s reserve currency and the currency of international transactions. The central banks of Europe and Asia had an insatiable appetite for dollar-denominated U.S. Treasury securities, which in turn bestowed on Washington the ability to spend money and finance its debt at will. Should any country step out of line politically or militarily, Washington could sanction it, excluding it from the rest of the world’s dollar-denominated system of global trade.

But for how long? After a summit meeting in March between Russia’s President Vladimir Putin and China’s President Xi Jinping, Putin stated, “We are in favor of using the Chinese yuan for settlements between Russia and the countries of Asia, Africa, and Latin America.” Putting that statement in perspective, CNN’s Fareed Zakaria said, “The world’s second-largest economy and its largest energy exporter are together actively trying to dent the dollar’s dominance as the anchor of the international financial system.” Already, Zakaria noted, Russia and China are holding less of their central bank reserves in dollars and settling most of their trade in yuan, while other countries sanctioned by the United States are turning to “barter trade” to avoid dependence on the dollar.

Read more here: https://www.alternet.org/Bank/us-dollar/

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