Month: February 2024

Politico: “Florida’s Supreme Court justices on Wednesday were critical of state officials’ challenge to a ballot initiative that would enshrine abortion protections in the state Constitution. Florida GOP Attorney General Ashley Moody asked the state Supreme Court to intervene to block the proposed amendment, arguing that the language of the initiative is too complicated for…

Politico: “Florida Democrats don’t know why Taylor Swift is naming an upcoming song on her new album “Florida!!!” or the reason she chose to hold three concerts in Miami less than a month before the November elections. But their excitement around the news is less about “why?” and more about leveraging Swift’s celebrity status to…

AP: “Authorities issued cease-and-desist orders Tuesday against two Texas companies they believe were connected to robocalls that used artificial intelligence to mimic President Joe Biden’s voice and discourage people from voting in New Hampshire’s first-in-the-nation primary last month. New Hampshire Attorney General John Formella said investigators have identified the source of the calls as Life Corporation and said they…

NY Times: “Each time Jackson faced a water crisis, local and state leaders cast blame in familiar directions. Lawmakers criticized city officials for ignoring leaky pipes and failing to collect payments from customers. City officials pointed to Jackson’s shrinking population and decades of economic decline. And they said state officials, mostly white and Republican, had…

The Daily Beast: “Add another ignoble credential to Rep. Nancy Mace’s résumé. As of Monday, according to three sources familiar with the matter, Mace’s entire D.C. staff has turned over since Nov. 1, 2023. That’s nine staffers in the span of a few short months—with all but one of those employees leaving on their own…

The Guardian: “The Georgia state senate passed legislation on Thursday mostly outlawing bail funds for protest groups, and added dozens of offenses to the list of charges requiring cash bail to secure release. The passage of SB63 by a 30-17 vote in the Republican-dominated state senate arrives as three activists operating the Atlanta Solidarity Fund face state-level…

WBUR: “A federal appeals court has denied a request to revisit a ruling that could undermine a key tool for enforcing the Voting Rights Act’s protections against racial discrimination in the election process. It’s the latest move in an Arkansas state legislative redistricting case, filed by civil rights groups representing Black voters in the southern state, that…

AP: “Standing solemnly under gray skies, President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden joined grieving families at Dover Air Force Base on Friday to witness the return of three American service members killed in last weekend’s drone attack in Jordan. It’s a ritual honoring fallen troops that is one of a commander-in-chief’ s most somber duties…. The first transfer…

CNN: “South Carolina, the state that launched Joe Biden to the Democratic nomination four years ago, is set Saturday to deliver the president his first official primary victory of the 2024 campaign. Minnesota Rep. Dean Phillips and author Marianne Williamson are also on the ballot. But Biden remains the overwhelming favorite to win as he begins his quest…

WaPo: ” Fulton County District Attorney Fani T. Willis (D) acknowledged that she had a personal relationship with an outside prosecutor she appointed to manage the election interference case against former president Donald Trump and his allies. But she denied claims that the relationship had tainted the proceedings. In a 176-pagecourt filing on Friday, Willis called the claims against her “meritless”…