And another day of a democracy win, alarm bells for Republicans, ‘abortion trafficking,’ search warrants, vowing to keep talking, FL schools dropping AP psych, fire in Maui, the ‘Sound of Freedom,’ and nursing pillows comes to a close:
“I fear we've still only scratched the surface on how ugly this is all going to get.” — Justin Baragona
Direct Democracy—and Abortion Rights—Win in Ohio. A Republican-driven effort to make it harder to amend the Ohio constitution failed in a special election on Tuesday. The defeated measure, known as Issue 1, would have effectively torpedoed the state’s direct democracy process, raising the vote threshold required to amend the state constitution from a simple majority to 60 percent, and requiring the supporters of would-be amendments to gather signatures from all 88 counties in Ohio, rather than half of them. With 37 percent of the vote counted when the Associated Press called the election, 61 percent of voters had rejected it. On paper, the measure before voters on Tuesday had nothing to do with abortion. But in practice, Issue 1 was “100 percent” about abortion, to quote Republican Secretary of State Frank LaRose. That’s because, in just three months, Ohioans will vote on a referendum to guarantee the right to “reproductive freedom” in the state constitution—an effort currently projected to receive 50 to 60 percent approval from voters…Ohio voters not only turned out to protect abortion rights, but also to rebut the actions of the heavily gerrymandered GOP-controlled legislature, where Republicans hold 67 percent of seats in the state house and 79 percent in the state senate despite Trump winning the state with 53 percent of the vote. Issue 1 was viewed as yet another power grab by a legislature that has insulated itself from voters. — I very rarely get to lead with good news.
Abortion setback in Ohio alarms GOP, as Democrats see a 'roadmap for 2024'. A decisive defeat for abortion foes in the red state of Ohio, the seventh such loss since the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, has sent alarm bells ringing among some Republicans and prominent conservatives over the clear salience of the issue.
Red states are threatening to criminalize out-of-state abortions. These blue states are fighting back. Back in May, the Legislature and governor of Idaho conceived of a new crime, which they called "abortion trafficking." The supposedly trafficked victims were pregnant minors who don't want their parents to know they're seeking an abortion. The state made it illegal for anyone to help them obtain an abortion, including by medical means, as well as "recruiting, harboring, or transporting the pregnant minor" within the state. The law calls for jail terms of two to five years. The law also empowers many members of the minor's extended family — parents, siblings, the minor's other children — and the father of the unborn child — to sue even out-of-state abortion providers for damages of $20,000 or more. If you're a doctor in California, the chilling effect means that every time you see a patient, you have to wonder what state are they from, and are they telling you the truth?...The blue states assert that the Idaho law's reach extends far beyond the state's borders. The law, their brief says, "threatens to punish, and will chill, the ability of healthcare providers, counselors, and trusted adults" to provide their Idaho patients with "vital information and support about lawful healthcare" in their states. They raise an important point. The Idaho law is an example of how anti-abortion fanatics aren't inclined to stop at merely throwing the healthcare systems of their own states into chaos. They want to create the same anarchy nationwide. Travel restrictions are a tool in their arsenal. -- This is just plain evil. Fuck Republicans.
DeSantis suspends another elected prosecutor. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis on Wednesday once again suspended an elected Florida prosecutor from office, this time removing a central Florida Democrat that the governor contended was too lenient with criminals and was endangering the public…This is the second time that DeSantis has removed an elected prosecutor from office during his time as governor.
Special counsel got a search warrant for Twitter to turn over info on Trump’s account, documents. Special counsel Jack Smith’s team obtained a search warrant in January for records related to former President Donald Trump’s Twitter account, and a judge levied a $350,000 fine on the company for missing the deadline to comply.
Trump vows to keep talking about criminal cases despite prosecutors pushing for protective order. Former President Donald Trump on Tuesday kept up his attacks on special counsel Jack Smith and vowed to continue talking about his criminal cases even as prosecutors sought a protective order to limit the evidence that Trump and his team could share.
Trafficking Survivors and Advocates Are Being Harassed by ‘Sound of Freedom’ Fans. “It’s just really interesting to me how people are more than willing to hear a wealthy rich man’s superhero story, and aren’t willing to trust and listen to those who have actually lived through it.”
Facing unclear guidance, multiple Florida school districts drop AP Psych. At least nine school districts in Florida will be dropping the Advanced Placement (AP) Psychology course and switching to alternatives this upcoming school year to avoid potential conflict with state law. — As long as DeFascist and Republicans govern Florida, it will be a shithole state.
Inside the Kafkaesque Process for Determining Who Gets Federal Disability Benefits. “Disabled is a legal term, not really a medical term.”…“The only unusual things about Albert’s case are that the injustice was fought and the right thing eventually happened. Other than that, absolute bullshit like this is routine.”
Shakespeare gets caught in Florida's 'Don't Say Gay' laws. Students in a Florida school district will be reading only excerpts from William Shakespeare’s plays for class rather than the full texts under redesigned curriculum guides developed, in part, to take into consideration the state’s new laws that restrict classroom materials whose content can be deemed sexual.
A wildfire on Maui kills at least 6 as it sweeps through historic town, forcing some into the ocean. A wildfire tore through the heart of the Hawaiian island of Maui in darkness Wednesday, reducing much of a historic town to ash and forcing people to jump into the ocean to flee the flames. At least six people died and dozens were wounded. The fires continued to burn Wednesday afternoon, fueled by strong winds from Hurricane Dora as it passed well south of the Hawaiian islands. Officials feared the death toll could rise.
Covid, flu, RSV vaccines urged as health officials brace for respiratory virus season. On Tuesday, state health officials urged eligible Americans to get the vaccines ahead of what many believe could be an intense winter respiratory season, especially after several years of unpredictable viral activity.
Nursing pillows are associated with more than 160 infant deaths. Federal officials are poised to propose the first safety requirements for nursing pillows. An industry-supported group is fighting back, arguing that government regulation of the widely used product could discourage breastfeeding...At least 162 babies under a year old have died in incidents involving nursing pillows since 2007, according to a first-of-its-kind analysis based on hundreds of public records as well as internal federal data. Some of the babies slumped down on the pillows or arched backward off of them, constricting their airways. Others turned their faces into the plush surface, suffocating as their parents slept feet away. In some cases, the cause of death wasn’t clear, but the babies were found on or with nursing pillows, sometimes while co-sleeping with parents or alongside soft bedding that also poses a suffocation risk. At least three incidents involved mothers who fell asleep while feeding their baby with a nursing pillow and awoke to find they couldn’t rouse their child...But infants left unsupervised on the cushions or allowed to sleep with them — against the products’ warning labels — can stop breathing within minutes...Federal regulators have been aware of the hazard for decades. But it was not until 2020 that the Consumer Product Safety Commission warned consumers that nursing pillows and other similar products “are not designed for sleep and are not safe for sleep.” The agency added that it was investigating fatal incidents but did not say how many. -- “Years.” The danger has been known for years.
Wegovy shown to cut risk of stroke and heart attacks, company says. The findings are the first to demonstrate that a weight-loss drug has medical benefits beyond weight reduction.
ESPN to launch new sports betting platform. ESPN is launching a new gambling platform, ESPN BET, which fans in the U.S. can use to engage in sports betting.
Just 4,000 daily steps may lower your risk of death, study finds, with additional benefits the more you walk. The least active people in the studies took around 4,000 steps per day and still saw a reduced risk of death from any cause. The more steps people took, the lower their risk of dying...The study suggested that for people under age 60, walking between 7,000 and 13,000 steps per day lowered the overall risk of death by 49%. For those ages 60 and older, walking 6,000 to 10,000 daily steps lowered the risk by 42%.
A Mega Millions ticket sold in Florida wins $1.58 billion jackpot, the third-largest in US history. A Publix grocery store in Neptune Beach sold the winning ticket, according to the Florida Lottery. The winning numbers drawn Tuesday night were 13, 19, 20, 32, 33 and the yellow ball 14.
RIP Robbie Robertson. He was 80.
Life’s short. Live, love, create, and help others.
Until next time, my friends. Stay safe and stay sane. Good night.
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