Idaho politician convicted of sexually assaulting intern
On Friday, former Republican legislator Idaho Aaron von Ehlinger was found guilty of raping a 19-year-old woman who once served as his intern. Ehlinger announced his resignation in 2021, shortly after his alleged prurient behavior had come to light.
Read full storyTexas governor claims that trans hormone treatment constitutes "child abuse"
Photo of Texas Governor Greg AbbottWikimedia Commons. Texas Governor Greg Abbott is currently endeavoring to change how Texas state law classifies medical treatments provided to transgender youths. Specifically, he would like to classify practices such as hormone treatments and puberty-suppressing drugs as a form of child abuse.
Read full storyIndiana rejects bill that would have banned trans girls from sports
Swimming pool at Likas Sports ComplexWikimedia Commons. On March 21, Indiana's governor Eric Holcomb made a decision that was relatively unorthodox for a Republican governor: He vetoed a bill that would have restricted the participation of transgender girls in school sports.
Read full storyCalifornia congressman proposes a four-day workweek
Photo of Mark Takano at Legislative ConferenceWikimedia Commons. In the industrialized world, the US is known for having one of the most intense work cultures. Americans work substantially more hours per week than most Europeans do, for instance, and our culture imposes a stringent work ethic that leaves many Americans exhausted day to day.
Read full storySouth Carolina approves firing squad executions for death row inmates
Photo of a recreational prison yardWikimedia Commons. As of March 18th, South Carolina is now one of the few states in the US where firing squad executions are legal. The method will only be implemented on the basis of individual choice. Each inmate will be given the option to choose between a lethal injection, death by firing squad, and an electric chair execution.
Read full storyBoston is putting homeless people in hotels instead of letting them freeze on the streets
It's no exaggeration to say that Boston's blisteringly cold winters are brutal -- even for those who are fortunate enough to have access to indoor heating. But for homeless folks, they're even more unbearable.
Read full storyDeSantis likely to win 2022 election, latest polls show
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis at the 2021 Student Action Summit in Tampa, FloridaWikimedia Commons. Policy wonks and DeSantis enthusiasts around the country have been fastidiously following Florida's upcoming gubernatorial election.
Read full storyOpinion: Stacey Abrams appears on Star Trek as "president of earth"
Stacey Abrams at the Mesa Arts Center in Mesa, ArizonaWikimedia Commons. It's not everyday that the worlds of politics and sci-fi collide. But they did so in the recent season four finale of Star Trek, titled "Coming Home." Georgia gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams made an appearance in the venerable role of "president of the United Earth."
Read full storyOpinion: Florida law bans "critical race theory" from workplace training or classroom discussions
Charlie Kirk and Governor Ron DeSantis speaking at the 2021 Student Action SummitWikimedia Commons. On March 10, the Florida Senate passed House Bill 7, which conservatives have proudly dubbed the "Stop WOKE Act." Now that the bill has received a stamp of approval from both houses of the Florida legislature, it will be sent to the desk of Governor Ron DeSantis. Since he has signaled support for this measure, it's all but a foregone conclusion that it will be passed.
Read full storyFlorida poised to ban LGBTQ content in schools
Photo of Florida Governor Ron DeSantis and his wife Casey DeSantisWikimedia Commons. What critics have disparagingly called the "Don't Say Gay" bill has now been passed by both houses of Florida's state legislature. It will soon land on Governor DeSantis's desk. Given his vituperative rhetoric around the bill, he is expected to pass it. If passed, it will go into effect on July 1st, 2022.
Read full storyFlorida legislators ban abortion after 15 weeks
Photo of Florida Governor Ron DeSantis at the 2017 Conservative Political Action ConferenceWikimedia Commons. On March 3, the Florida state legislature voted to approve a bill that will prohibit abortions received after 15 weeks of pregnancy. It is now awaiting Governor Ron DeSantis's signature.
Read full storyOpinion: Here’s why Bill Gates’ “solutions” to climate change are utterly foolish
Bill Gates is one of the most privileged people on the planet. He’s the fourth wealthiest, behind Jeff Bezos, Elon Musk, and Bernard Arnault. He’s amassed a total of $129 billion.
Read full story6 Queer Historical Figures You Thought Were Straight
From da Vinci to Malcolm X, these icons are straight-washed in most history books. I’m embarrassed to admit that up until a few days ago, I was completely unaware that Angela Davis is a lesbian. It made me think — if I, a bisexual leftist and passionate devotee of Angela Davis, was not aware, how many other people must be unaware?
Read full storyJudge deems Georgia's anti-BDS law unconstitutional
Georgia's anti-BDS law, which has been on the books since April 26, 2016, has recently been imperiled by a lawsuit filed against it. The law was initially signed by Nathan Deal, who was governor at the time, and it stipulated that "any person or company contracting with the state for services valued at $1,000 or more must agree not to boycott Israel."
Read full storyVirginia welcomes first flight of Afghan evacuees fleeing Taliban
Early Friday morning, over 200 Afghan evacuees arrived in Virginia on a flight that had departed from Kabul, the capital of Afghanistan. After exiting the air craft, they were taken to Fort Lee, Virginia, where they will complete the visa application process, a final medical assessment, and Department of Homeland Security processing. They will stay at Fort Lee for approximately one week.
Read full storyCalifornia Dixie Fire has now scorched over 240,000 acres
In recent weeks, various U.S. states have been ravaged by wildfires which, thanks to climate change, have now become a fixture of California summers. The largest current active wildfire in California is the Dixie Fire, which has now scorched over 240,000 acres of land in the past two weeks. Its size grew immensely when it merged with the Fly Fire raging through the Plumas and Lassen forests.
Read full storyDisney World will now require employees to become vaccinated
Photo of Disney World Orlando from Wikimedia Commons. As the delta variant of the coronavirus has recently caused a spike in cases, many businesses and local governments in Orange County have reinstituted more cautious policies related to Covid-19. For instance, Orange County mayor Jerry Demings recently issued a state of emergency related to the pandemic. He also urged businesses to start requiring masks and vaccinations once again.
Read full storyJudge declares California's assault weapons ban unconstitutional
On June 4th, a federal judge declared that California's longstanding assault weapons ban does not comply with the U.S. Constitution. According to the Los Angeles Times, U.S. District Judge Roger Benitez "issued a permanent injunction against enforcement of much of California’s ban on purchasing assault rifles." Notably, Benitez was nominated by George W. Bush as district court judge in 2003.
Read full storyAsheville removes Jim Crow-era Vance monument from downtown square
In May of this year, the city of Asheville began the process of demolishing the contentious Zebulon Baird Vance monument which stood in downtown Asheville. The obelisk-shaped stone monument was erected in 1898 in honor of the Civil War-era governor of North Carolina. The cornerstone of the monument was laid in December of 1897 as a band played the song "Dixie," which was known as a de facto national anthem of the Confederacy and as one of the most celebrated songs to emerge from blackface minstrelsy.
Read full storyFloridians in Delray Beach hold pro-Israel rally outside Ben & Jerry's
This Wednesday, on July 28th, 2021, Delray Beach residents expressed their outrage against Ben & Jerry's recent decision to stop selling its products in Israeli-occupied Palestinian territories.
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