RandySF
RandySF's JournalFlorida is one day away of becoming the latest state to enact a rigid six-week abortion ban
Since the U.S. Supreme Court struck down a woman’s federal right to an abortion in 2022, Florida has been a refuge and haven for women across the Southeast who needed abortion care as bans swept the Deep South. That changes on Wednesday, however, when Florida’s six-week abortion ban goes into effect.
Under the state’s current law, which allows for abortions up until 15 weeks of pregnancy, there were more than 84,000 abortions provided in Florida last year, according to state records – and 7,736 were performed on women who crossed state lines to access abortion care here.
Of the 16 states that ban abortion outright, eight are in the South (Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, Arkansas, Texas, Oklahoma, Kentucky, Tennessee), according to the Guttmacher Institute, a research and policy organization that focuses on reproductive rights worldwide. Now Florida will join Georgia and South Carolina with six-week abortion bans — a time when a woman may not be aware she is even pregnant.
“We know that Florida prior to this bill going into effect has really been an important point for access in a region as a whole,” says Kimya Forouzan, a principal policy advisor with the Guttmacher. “We saw in 2023 8,940 more abortions provided in Florida compared to 2020, which was a 12% increase. And we know that looking at the policies of nearby states, so much of this is because Florida is in the region that it’s in and was the state that had policies that still allowed people to access care, and obviously with this upcoming change, that’s really going to change things for the whole region.”
https://floridaphoenix.com/2024/04/30/florida-is-one-day-away-of-becoming-the-latest-state-to-enact-a-rigid-six-week-abortion-ban/
Amarillo council may reconsider abortion travel ban after residents gather 10,000 signatures
LUBBOCK — Anti-abortion activists in Amarillo say they have collected enough signatures — more than 10,000 — to force the City Council to reconsider a policy that would outlaw using local streets to access an abortion in other states.
Organizers submitted the petition to the city last week.
If they were indeed successful in collecting the required number of signatures — the city secretary must validate the signatures — the council would be required to take up the issue early this summer.
However, voters in the Texas Panhandle city may have the final say. The council can accept, reject, or amend the ordinance presented to them. Depending on the council’s decision, the residents behind the signature gathering can demand the issue go to the voters.
https://www.texastribune.org/2024/04/30/amarillo-texas-abortion-travel-ban-ordinance/
Critical incident declared in London after 'several people stabbed'
A critical incident has been declared in London following reports of several people being stabbed. The Metropolitan Police says one man has been arrested in connection with the incident this morning (April 30).
It took place at a Tube station in Hainault, north east London. The area's MP, Wes Streeting, said a 'critical incident' has been declared.
He wrote on X (formerly Twitte): “A critical incident has been declared in Hainault. There are station and road closures in place.
"The police, ambulance service and fire brigade are responding. One male detained.”
The Metropolitan Police said on social media: “Police are at an incident in the Hainault area. Please follow the instructions of police officers on the ground.
https://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/uk-news/breaking-critical-incident-declared-london-29083601
You're Not Imagining It: Queer Vibes Abound in 'Dead Boy Detectives'
If you picked up on a queer vibe in the new Netflix series "Dead Boy Detectives," it's more than wishful thinking. The characters, co-created by Neil Gaiman, have LGBTQ+ origins, and that comes across from the very first episode of the series.
In various comic book incarnations, the story of Edwin Payne (brought to life on Netflix by George Rexstrew) and Charles Rowland (Jayden Revri) have been revealed as gay and bisexual, respectively, according to The Direct. However, the two – who share adventures and solve mysteries in the afterlife, having lived and died decades apart – have remained best friends and are not been depicted as having a sexual relationship.
The Netflix series seems to be shaping up as a faithful retelling of those comic book adventures, and that charged (but platonic) relationship. But, The Direct noted, that's just based on Season 1.
Just because the boys aren't pursing any amorous (if amorphous) supernatural hookups with each other doesn't mean there's no potential for same-sex romance, though. A character called the Cat King – played by out actor Lukas Gage – is purring for Edwin and, true to his feline nature, he's given to toying with the object of his desire.
"Because Edwin has his walls up so much, it's suddenly a game to him," Gage told the LA Times.
https://www.edgemedianetwork.com/story/332869#
VP stops by Atlanta in latest courting of Georgia voters by Biden administration officials
Vice President Kamala Harris came to Georgia Monday to kick off a nationwide tour promoting the White House’s record on economic issues and pledge to continue to support small businesses, particularly minority-owned ones.
“None of us have achieved success without support. None of us,” she said during a panel discussion at the Georgia International Convention Center in College Park. “And without someone or people who understood our talent and our dreams and encouraged us to achieve it and showed us how to achieve it. And as much as anything, the spirit behind the push for access to capital, and in particular on this tour, focusing on minority small businesses and Black-owned small businesses and small businesses and entrepreneurs who are Black men, is to recognize the disparities that have existed around the access to the opportunity to achieve success.”
Harris highlighted what the administration calls the fastest creation of Black-owned small businesses in more than 30 years, the lowest Black unemployment rate on record and the lowest gap between Black and white unemployment, as well as increasing the wealth of American families with Black wealth up by 60% relative to before the COVID-19 pandemic.
She spoke about “The Stitch,” a park project in downtown Atlanta intended to reconnect minority communities split by the construction of I-75 and I-85 in the 1950s and 60s.
https://georgiarecorder.com/2024/04/30/vp-stops-by-atlanta-in-latest-courting-of-georgia-voters-by-biden-administration-officials/
Hawaii House And Senate Pass Resolution Calling For Cease-Fire In Gaza
Hawaii’s House of Representatives joined the state’s Senate in calling for a cease-fire in the war between Israel and Hamas in Gaza, becoming the first state to pass such a resolution, according to Hawaii News Now.
The Senate passed the cease-fire resolution with a 24–1 vote in March, and the House passed it on a 48–3 vote Friday. Though the lawmakers are the first to pass a cease-fire resolution, the state legislature’s Public Access Room told HuffPost that it “does not have the force and effect of law” and does not need a signature from the governor.
According to the resolution, the lawmakers are pushing for the Biden administration to call for an immediate and permanent cease-fire.
In addition, the Hawaii lawmakers are demanding that the administration “facilitate the de-escalation of hostilities to end the current violence, promptly send and facilitate the entry of humanitarian assistance into Gaza, including fuel, food, water, and medical supplies, and begin negotiations for lasting peace.”
https://www.huffpost.com/entry/hawaii-house-senate-pass-resolution-cease-fire-gaza_n_66302847e4b0eb5fda51573d
5,000 miles away, a Michigan (Dearborn) mayor at the center of the Gaza storm
Hammoud has not yet decided whether he will vote for Biden. But he gets asked that nearly every day, and he knows he can only postpone the decision for so long.
“The whole community wants to know, how do we all march together in one direction? … How do we demonstrate our power come November, and what are the trade-offs?” he said. “Because we also understand that a losing Biden is a winning Trump.”
Khalid Turaani, co-chair of Michigan’s “Abandon Biden” campaign, commended Hammoud for deftly navigating these political crosscurrents. But he said he is worried the mayor may ultimately feel pressured to support Biden as a fellow Democrat, which Turaani said would be a “betrayal.”
“It would be a huge disservice to our community, because our community is not going to matter if we don’t stand our ground,” Turaani said.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2024/04/28/5000-miles-away-michigan-mayor-center-gaza-storm/?utm_campaign=wp_main&utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter
Bronson (R), LaFrance (D) challenge each other's record during Anchorage Chamber mayoral debate
The two candidates in Anchorage’s mayoral runoff election faced off in a debate Monday hosted by the local Chamber of Commerce. Incumbent Mayor Dave Bronson and his challenger Suzanne LaFrance took turns critiquing the other’s record.
In his opening statement, Bronson acknowledged several issues facing the city, including a looming natural gas shortage and homelessness. He said the city will be on track to fix those issues, if he’s reelected.
“I’m really encouraged again about the future and the amount of outside investment that’s coming in to build this city,” Bronson said. “And I think quite frankly, you should all be encouraged as well, because this is truly a really good city. We just got to fix a couple of problems.”
LaFrance, the former chair of the Anchorage Assembly, used her opening remarks to criticize Bronson’s plans for addressing homelessness, as well as the city’s outmigration and low staffing levels.
https://alaskapublic.org/2024/04/29/bronson-lafrance-challenge-each-others-record-during-anchorage-chamber-mayoral-debate/
Anti-abortion ad taking over Minnesota airwaves makes misleading claims
MINNEAPOLIS — You may have seen an anti-abortion ad that's taken over Minnesota airwaves recently.
The ad put out by Minnesota Citizens Concerned For Life (MCCL) says that Minnesota has the "most extreme abortion law in the country."
That claim is misleading. It is true that Minnesota has one of the most pro-abortion rights laws in the nation.
Abortion laws differ and can be interpreted differently.
The anti-abortion group, the Family Research Council, puts Minnesota in a group of more than 20 states that it says "do not protect unborn life." But the pro-abortion rights group, Center for Reproductive Freedom, put Minnesota in the same category as ten other states permitting full access.
https://www.cbsnews.com/minnesota/news/anti-abortion-ad-taking-over-minnesota-airwaves-contains-misleading-information/
CA: RICHMOND TO DISCUSS RANKED CHOICE VOTING
On Tuesday, the Richmond City Council will consider a possible ballot measure to transition to a ranked choice voting system.
If approved, it would direct staff to further examine the issue and draft a ballot measure language and related ordinance for the city council to consider at a future meeting. Thus, moving away from its current municipal voting method.
Currently, Richmond uses what’s known as a “plurality election” system, in which the candidate who receives the most votes in their particular race becomes the elected official for that seat. The staff report highlights several issues with plurality voting, which include:
https://contracosta.news/2024/04/29/richmond-to-discuss-ranked-choice-voting/
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Gender: MaleHometown: Detroit Area, MI
Home country: USA
Current location: San Francisco, CA
Member since: Wed Oct 29, 2008, 02:53 PM
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