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Ron DeSantis’s Next Ideological Coup: “Judicial Gerrymander” in Florida

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:21:26 GMT

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has been slowly taking over the mechanisms of governance in the state by swapping out officials he doesn’t like — even if they were elected by voters — and replacing them with people who will bend to his will.Lately, DeSantis has set his sights on the justice system. Earlier this month, he removed an elected prosecutor from office over a political disagreement — the second he has taken out. State Attorney for Orange-Osceola counties Monique Worrell, the governor claimed, hadn’t pursued the charges he wanted. A year earlier, he suspended former Hillsborough County State Attorney Andrew Warren, who had said he wouldn’t criminally charge people who sought abortion care under Florida’s latest abortion ban. Now, Florida is opening a new front in the battle between state politicians and elected stewards of the law, taking the first steps to launch what could become an ideological gerrymandering of the justice system. In Florida, 20 circuit courts serve two m...

Alabama Trans Health Care Ruling Is a Worrying Omen for a Future SCOTUS Decision

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:21:26 GMT

A person holds up a sign reading “Trans People Belong in Alabama” during a rally outside the Statehouse in Montgomery, Ala., on International Transgender Day of Visibility on March 31, 2023.Photo: Kim Chandler/APThree Trump-appointed federal judges ruled on Monday to allow one of the country’s harshest bans on gender-affirming care for minors to go into effect. In Alabama, a doctor who treats a trans person under 19 years old with puberty blockers or hormones could now face felony charges carrying up to 10 years in prison. The 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals decision reverses an injunction that temporarily blocked the health care ban and stands at odds with the majority of federal court decisions on the issue so far. The disturbing ruling gives the clearest outline yet of the reactionary judicial logic that could be used to decimate trans peoples’ right to necessary health care, should the issue be taken up by the far-right Supreme Court: the very same reasoning used...

Brazil’s former President Jair Bolsonaro in hospital for routine exams

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:21:26 GMT

RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) — Former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro was admitted to a hospital in Sao Paulo on Wednesday for what a close aide described as routine health examinations. Bolsonaro has been in and out of hospitals since he was stabbed in his abdomen at a campaign event before Brazil’s 2018 presidential election. The conservative leader underwent several surgeries during his presidency from 2019-2022.He was admitted Wednesday to Vila Nova Star Hospital in Sao Paulo. “These exams aim to assess his clinical condition, especially in the digestive system,” Fabio Wajngarten, a lawyer and close Bolsonaro aide, said on his official account on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter.Bolsonaro left office at the end of 2022, after losing a reelection bid against leftist Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva.Bolsonaro is under mounting pressure, targeted by several investigations for activities while he was president, and in relation to a rampage by his supporters in the national capital...

Foot Locker lowers full-year outlook again, pauses dividend as 2Q sales fall on cautious consumers

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:21:26 GMT

Foot Locker is cutting its full-year outlook again and pausing its quarterly dividend as sales dropped in its fiscal second quarter with consumers continuing to be more cautious about their purchases. Shares tumbled more than 33% in morning trading Wednesday. The footwear and clothing retailer said quarterly sales declined to $1.86 billion from $2.07 billion. That’s short of the $1.88 billion that analysts polled by Zacks Investment Research were calling for. Same-store sales, a key indicator of a retailer’s health, dropped 9.4% in the quarter.“We did see a softening in trends in July and are adjusting our 2023 outlook to allow us to best compete for price-sensitive consumers,” President and CEO Mary Dillon said in a statement. Dillon joined the company as CEO last August. Consumers being more selective in their purchases due to inflation concerns is an issue plaguing the retail sector. Macy’s has heavily discounted its spring goods to make room for fall and holida...

Northern Va. leaders talk economic development, affordable housing at regional summit

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:21:26 GMT

This article was written by WTOP’s news partner, InsideNoVa.com, and republished with permission. Sign up for InsideNoVa.com’s free email subscription today.Elected officials participated Tuesday in the Northern Virginia Regional Elected Leaders Summit. Pictured, from left, are Jummy Olabanji of NBC Washington; Libby Garvey, vice chair of the Arlington County Board; Jeffrey McKay, chair of the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors; Phyllis Randall, chair of the Loudoun County Board of Supervisors; Ann Wheeler, chair of the Prince William Board of County Supervisors; and Alexandria Mayor Justin Wilson. (Courtesy Ben Peters/InsideNoVa)Prince William Board of County Supervisors Chair Ann Wheeler on Tuesday participated in the Northern Virginia Regional Elected Leaders Summit, during which local officials assessed the region’s economy and brainstormed how it can be improved through intergovernmental collaboration.Officials at the eighth annual event, held in Arlington County at Marymount ...

¿Por qué vertirá Japón agua radioactiva de Fukushima al mar? ¿Qué peligros hay?

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:21:26 GMT

(CNN) — Después de meses de controversia y expectación, Japón está listo para comenzar a liberar aguas residuales radiactivas tratadas de su planta nuclear de Fukushima a finales de esta semana, a pesar de las fuertes objeciones de algunos países.El plan ha estado en preparación durante años, con las autoridades advirtiendo en 2019 que el espacio se estaba agotando para almacenar el material y que no tenían “ninguna otra opción” que liberarlo.Mientras que algunos gobiernos han expresado su apoyo a Japón, otros se han opuesto firmemente a la liberación de aguas residuales, con muchos consumidores en Asia acaparando sal y mariscos ante el temor de una futura contaminación.Fukushima descargará este jueves en el mar sus aguas radioactivas tratadas, dijo el primer ministro japonésEsto es lo que sabemos hasta ahora.¿Cuándo y cómo se liberará?El primer ministro de Japón, Fumio Kishida, dijo este martes que el Gobierno había decidido formalmente empezar a verter el agua a ...

Sports on TV for Thursday, August 24

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:21:26 GMT

(All times Eastern)Schedule subject to change and/or blackoutsThursday, August 24AUSTRALIAN RULES FOOTBALL5:30 a.m. (Friday)FS2 — AFL: Collingwood at EssendonAUTO RACING6:25 a.m. (Friday)ESPN2 — Formula 1: Practice, CM.com Circuit Zandvoort, Zandvoort, NetherlandsCFL FOOTBALL8:30 p.m.CBSSN — Montreal at WinnipegFISHING4 p.m.CBSSN — SFC: The San Juan International Billfish Tournament – Day 1, Club Nautico de San Juan, Puerto RicoGOLF7 a.m.GOLF — DP World Tour: The D+D Real Czech Masters, First Round, Albatross Golf Resort, Prague, Czech Republic1 p.m.GOLF — PGA Tour: The TOUR Championship, First Round, East Lake Golf Course, Atlanta6:30 p.m.GOLF — LPGA Tour: The CPK Canadian Women’s Open, First Round, Shaughnessy Golf Course, Vancouver, British Columbia9:30 p.m.GOLF — Korn Ferry Tour: The Albertsons Boise Open, First Round, Hillcrest Country Club Inc., Boise, Idaho (Taped)HORSE RACING1 p.m.FS2 — Saratoga Live: From Saratoga Springs, N.Y.LITTLE LEAGUE BASEBALL3 p.m.ESPN — Little...

Public Enemy, Ice-T to headline free D.C. concerts, The National Celebration of Hip Hop

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:21:26 GMT

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Hip-hop, the most popular genre in America, turned 50 this August. Born in the Bronx and spread to every corner of the world, it’s hard to find the words to express the culture’s influence and legacy — but, hey, that’s what the music is for.To celebrate this momentous milestone, pioneers Public Enemy and Ice-T will headline The National Celebration of Hip-Hop, free concerts held at the West Potomac Park on the National Mall in Washington D.C. on Oct. 6 and 7.“Hip-hop is beyond, not just a musical genre,” said Public Enemy ‘s Chuck D in a statement. “It’s a cultural movement that has dominated art, fashion, politics, poetry, academia, film and every corner of the world for the past 50 years. This National Celebration brings it all together in one place for the people, by the people.”Legendary acts like Kurtis Blow, Kid ’n Play, Soulsonic Force, Roxanne Shante, CL Smooth, Melle Mel and Scorpio, The Sugarhill Gang, Peter Gunz, DJ Kevie Kev Roc...

Jail where Trump will be booked in Georgia has long been plagued with violence

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:21:26 GMT

ATLANTA (AP) — Former President Donald Trump is expected to surrender on Thursday at the jail in Georgia’s most populous county — an overcrowded facility with a reputation for violence and neglect that has prompted a federal investigation into conditions there.Trump will be released from Fulton County Jail in Atlanta, known colloquially as the Rice Street jail, once he is booked on charges of illegally scheming to overturn his 2020 election loss in Georgia. Not all criminal defendants are handled that way. Others have spent months, or even years, there before they were indicted. Here’s a look at the jail and what Trump might experience when he turns himself in:WHAT MIGHT TRUMP’S BOOKING LOOK LIKE?When defendants arrive at the building, they typically pass through a security checkpoint before checking in for formal booking in the lobby. They are taken into a large, open room that has stations for fingerprinting, mugshots, and medical evaluations, said attorney Micha...

Hate the ‘pock-pock’ noise of pickleball? Arlington Co. has a plan

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:21:26 GMT

The fast-growing sport of pickleball is popular with players — but the persistent “pock-pock” sound of a plastic ball hitting paddles is annoying for neighbors living near Walter Reed Community Center in South Arlington.Next week, Arlington County’s government plans to erect a tall acoustic fence around the combination pickleball/tennis courts at Walter Reed, which is located near South 16th Street and Walter Reed Drive, south of Columbia Pike.The acoustic fence will be installed between Monday, Aug. 28 and Friday, Sept. 1, weather permitting, according to the county, ahead of long-term plans to build dedicated pickleball courts as part of the Walter Reed Outdoor Pickleball Court project.However, the major project, which would include six pickleball courts with permanent sound mitigation measures and landscaping built into the design, may not begin for up to two years.Neighbors — some who have considered legal action because of the noise — say the courts affect the...