Democracy Now!: “In Texas, two people were killed and nearly three dozen treated for chemical exposure Thursday following a leak of toxic hydrogen sulfide gas at a Houston-area oil refinery operated by Pemex, the Mexican state-owned petroleum company. Authorities issued a shelter-in-place order for Deer Park and neighboring Pasadena for several hours, telling residents to…
“‘Spectacular’: Georgia reports record turnout as early voting begins in pivotal battleground state”
USA Today: “Voters in Georgia turned out in record numbers as the battleground state opened early voting for the Nov. 5 presidential election between Democrat Kamala Harris and Republican Donald Trump, state officials said on Tuesday. At least 252,000 voters had cast ballots at early-voting sites as of 4 p.m. EDT, nearly double the 136,000 who participated in the first…
“Lilly Ledbetter, and the wage gap that followed her to retirement and death”
WaPo: “Lilly Ledbetter never stopped fighting, never kicked back on her porch in Alabama, sipped a glass of sweet tea and savored her victory…. But when she died on Saturday at 86 of respiratory failure, the wage gap she spent decades trying to close remained. … She was paid less than the lowest-paid male newbie…
“John Grisham: Texas courts have failed Robert Roberson”
WaPo: “Before it’s too late, say a prayer for Robert Roberson. Barring a miracle, he will be killed on Thursday in the death chamber at Texas’s Huntsville Prison. Roberson has spent the past 22 years on death row for a crime that perhaps never occurred, and now Texas is hellbent on executing him. The death…
“North Carolina authorities arrest armed man after threats against FEMA workers”
WaPo: “Threats against federal emergency response personnel have hampered relief work in parts of western North Carolina hard hit by Hurricane Helene, prompting disaster workers to relocate because of safety concerns and feeding a cycle of fear and anxiety. On Monday, the Rutherford County Sheriff’s Office said in a statement that it had arrested William…
“Ten Commandments have no place in public school classrooms”
The Tulane Hullabaloo: “On June 19, 2024, Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry signed a bill making Louisiana the first state to require the Ten Commandments to be displayed in all public classrooms, which will be enforced starting Jan. 1, 2025. The bill states that there must be a four-paragraph “context statement,” which states, among other things, that the Ten Commandments…
“Ex-Florida GOP Chair Backs Harris”
Political Wire: “Florida Republican Party chairman Al Cárdenas said he’s supporting Kamala Harris after “trolling” from other Republicans over the federal government’s response to Hurricane Helene, The Hill reports.”
“As Milton misinformation swells, some Republicans try to course correct”
Politico: “A handful of Republicans are pushing back against misinformation emanating from their own party about Hurricane Milton hours before the massive storm is set to pummel Florida’s Gulf Coast. Former President Donald Trump and his allies have made increasingly bizarre and misleading claims about the federal response to Milton and Hurricane Helene, which hammered…
“Federal Appeals Court Backs [FL] on Protest Law”
CBS News: “After seeking help from the Florida Supreme Court on the meaning of the word “riot,” a federal appeals court Monday overturned an injunction against a 2021 state law aimed at cracking down on violent demonstrations. A three-judge panel of the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals said the law is not unconstitutionally vague…
“Yolanda Robinson, Wife of Mark Robinson, Has Had Scandals of Her Own”
NY Times: “Ms. Robinson, 56, is sometimes seen by her husband’s side at campaign stops, occasionally planting a kiss on him before he speaks at rallies and events. (She has appeared on the campaign trail at least once since the CNN report.) But during Mr. Robinson’s short political career, she has also drawn attention for…