West Virginia U.S. Senator Joe Manchin switches parties and registers as an Independent

Source: WTRF-TV

West Virginia Senator Joe Manchin has switched parties and registered as an Independent

Manchin released the following statement,”

“From my first day in public service in 1982, I have always focused on doing what’s best for my state and my country, without regard to party or politics. Throughout my days in elected office, I have always been proud of my commitment to common sense, bipartisanship and my desire to bring people together. It’s who I am. It’s who I will always be. I have never seen America through a partisan lens.”

“However, since becoming a United States Senator in 2010, I have seen both the Democrat and Republican parties leave West Virginia and our country behind for partisan extremism while jeopardizing our democracy. Today, our national politics are broken and neither party is willing to compromise to find common ground. To stay true to myself and remain committed to put country before party, I have decided to register as an independent with no party affiliation and continue to fight for America’s sensible majority,” said Manchin

Read more: https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.wtrf.com/west-virginia/west-virginia-u-s-senator-joe-manchin-switches-parties-and-registers-as-an-independent/amp/

Protesting pro-Palestinian US college students have a new fan

Harvard board bars 13 pro-Palestine student protesters from graduating, overruling faculty

Source: The Hill

Harvard University’s governing board rejected an effort from faculty Wednesday to allow a group of 13 students sanctioned due to their participation in pro-Palestine protests to receive their degrees and graduate.

The Harvard Corporation veto of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences (FAS) decision, which The Harvard Crimson described as “unprecedented,” underlines tensions between the university’s faculty and administration in the wake of mass pro-Palestine protests that have roiled college campuses this year.

FAS voted Monday to recommend that the 13 sanctioned students be allowed to receive degrees and graduate despite their disciplinary violations, going against a decision from the university’s administrative board last week. The corporation’s veto of that faculty vote again bars the students from graduating.

“Because the students included as the result of Monday’s amendment are not in good standing,” the corporation wrote in a statement, referring to the 13 students, “we cannot responsibly vote to award them degrees at this time.”

Read more: https://www.google.com/amp/s/thehill.com/homenews/education/4680598-harvard-board-bars-13-pro-palestine-student-protesters-from-graduating-overruling-faculty/amp/

All hail King Ludd!

Gov. Ron DeSantis signs bill to protect Florida’s cattle industry, stop lab grown meat

HARDEE COUNTY, Fla. – Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis held a press conference Wednesday morning where he gave Hardee County officials a $6 million check to help build an industrial site in the region.

DeSantis signed Senate Bill 1084 at the Hardee County Cattleman’s Arena to ban the sale and manufacture of synthetic meat, which he denounced as “fake meat,” and also prevent local governments from regulating electric vehicle charging stations.

“Today, Florida is fighting back against the global elite’s plan to force the world to eat meat grown in a petri dish or bugs to achieve their authoritarian goals,” said DeSantis. “Our administration will continue to focus on investing in our local farmers and ranchers, and we will save our beef.”

More: https://www.local10.com/news/local/2024/05/01/gov-ron-desantis-holds-press-conference-with-department-of-agriculture-commish/

Biden Delays Ban on Menthol Cigarettes

Source: New York Times

The Biden administration said on Friday that it was delaying a decision on whether to ban menthol cigarettes as federal officials take more time to consider the move.

The White House has faced considerable opposition from the big tobacco companies that could lose billions of dollars from the move. But the proposal has also posed risks for President Biden in an election year because of his weakening support among Black voters, some of whom view it as heavy-handed.

“This rule has garnered historic attention, and the public comment period has yielded an immense amount of feedback, including from various elements of the civil rights and criminal justice movement,” Xavier Becerra, the health and human services secretary, said in a statement.

“It’s clear that there are still more conversations to have, and that will take significantly more time.”



Read more: https://www.nytimes.com/2024/04/26/health/menthol-cigarettes-ban-biden-fda.html

Florida man had no idea he was being deported to Haiti amid surge of gang violence

Source: NBC Miami

An Orlando man, who built a life for himself in Florida, is now stuck in Haiti.

Gerson Joseph was on the deportation flight last week that went from Louisiana to Miami to Haiti.

Joseph had no idea he was being sent out of the country.

“I have no idea what I’m going to do,” he said on a phone call from Haiti. “I barely sleep man, I am not going to lie to you, I barely sleep, I am moving from place to place.”

Read more: https://www-nbcmiami-com.cdn.ampproject.org/v/s/www.nbcmiami.com/news/local/orlando-man-deported-to-haiti-trying-to-get-back-home/3294474/?amp=1&amp_gsa=1&amp_js_v=a9&usqp=mq331AQGsAEggAID#amp_tf=From%20%251%24s&aoh=17140522013959&csi=0&referrer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.google.com&ampshare=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.nbcmiami.com%2Fnews%2Flocal%2Forlando-man-deported-to-haiti-trying-to-get-back-home%2F3294474%2F

Guess where a lot of these campus protesters will be August 19-22?

This had the potential to mske 1968 look like a church picnic.

Supreme Court declines to hear Kari Lake voting machine lawsuit

Source: The Hill

The Supreme Court declined Monday to take up a case brought by Republicans Kari Lake and Mark Finchem over the use of voting machines in Arizona elections, the latest blow to the duo of GOP candidates who have seen their lawsuit rejected several times.

Lake and Finchem asked the Supreme Court to review a federal appellate judge’s decision to dismiss their case last October. The suit sought to block electronic voting machines from being used in the state, questioning their accuracy and reliability.

Lawyers for Lake, who is running for a Senate seat in Arizona this cycle, and Finchem, who is seeking a state Senate seat, argued in a court filing to the Supreme Court that they had sufficiently argued that “[a]ll Arizona-certified optical scanners and ballot marking devices, as well as the software on which they rely, have been wrongly certified for use”; Arizona’s voting machines had been “hacked” and “manipulated”; and that there were apparent discrepancies in the Maricopa County’s vote count after the 2020 election.

The lawsuit was filed ahead of the November 2022 midterms, when Lake was running for governor and Finchem was running for secretary of state. Both lost their elections.

Read more: https://thehill-com.cdn.ampproject.org/v/s/thehill.com/homenews/campaign/4611220-supreme-court-declines-to-hear-kari-lake-voting-machine-lawsuit/amp/?amp_gsa=1&amp_js_v=a9&usqp=mq331AQGsAEggAID#amp_tf=From%20%251%24s&aoh=17138015389541&csi=0&referrer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.google.com&ampshare=https%3A%2F%2Fthehill.com%2Fhomenews%2Fcampaign%2F4611220-supreme-court-declines-to-hear-kari-lake-voting-machine-lawsuit%2F

White House Thoroughly Denounces Columbia University Protests: 'Blatantly Antisemitic, Unconscionable, and Dangerous'

Source: Mediaite

President Joe Biden’s White House denounced Columbia University’s pro-Palestinian protests as “blatantly anti-Semitic and dangerous.”

Over the last week, hundreds of pro-Palestinian protesters have gathered to demand an end to the war between Israel and Hamas in Gaza. The student protesters set up what they called a “Gaza Solidarity Encampment” and included tents, signs, and more. The actions have led to hundreds of activists being arrested, including the daughter of Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN).

The White House on Sunday issued a statement condemning the protests after videos on social media captured demonstrators praising Hamas and denouncing the Israeli government.

“While every American has the right to peaceful protest, calls for violence and physical intimidation targeting Jewish students and the Jewish community are blatantly Antisemitic, unconscionable, and dangerous – they have absolutely no place on any college campus, or anywhere in the United States of America,” said White House deputy press secretary Andrew Bates.

Read more: https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.mediaite.com/biden/white-house-thoroughly-denounces-columbia-university-protests-blatantly-antisemitic-unconscionable-and-dangerous/amp/

Title IX: Athletes can play amid sexual misconduct inquiries

Source: ESPN

New federal regulations released Friday will prevent colleges and coaches from suspending athletes accused of sexual misconduct while school officials investigate complaints against them.

The due process provision is one of several outlined in the U.S. Department of Education's final version of regulations governing how K-12 schools, colleges and universities respond to complaints of sexual harassment and violence under Title IX. The regulations, a draft version of which the Biden administration proposed in June 2022, are scheduled to go into effect Aug. 1.

Friday's release did not include provisions regarding the eligibility of transgender athletes, which had been included in an earlier Department of Education proposal. Officials separated that issue from the broader Title IX rules, and those regulations are not expected until after November's presidential election. Asked during a call with reporters Thursday whether the delay was politically motivated, a senior administration official said those rules have a separate process, which is several months behind.

The due process provision was originally adopted in 2020 under the Trump administration by former Education Secretary Betsy DeVos. While it has been championed by male athletes facing accusations and organizations advocating for stronger due process protections, it has been decried and criticized by survivors and their supporters for intimidating those who report violations and putting other students at risk.

Read more: Title IX: Athletes can play amid sexual misconduct inquiries