List of All Articles with Tag 'pol'

The largest and oldest civil rights organisation in the United States has issued a formal advisory warning travelers to Florida that the state is “openly hostile” towards Black people, people of colour and LGBT+ people. An advisory issued by the NAACP on 20 May comes as a response to a series of laws signed by Florida’s Republican Governor Ron DeSantis targeting classroom instruction around race and racism, gender and sexuality, and bills and administration policy aimed at LGBT+ people. “Let me be clear – failing to teach an accurate representation of the horrors and inequalities that Black Americans have faced and continue to face is a disservice to students and a dereliction of duty to all,” NAACP president and CEO Derrick Johnson said in a statement. “Under the leadership of Governor Desantis, the state of Florida has become hostile to Black Americans and in direct conflict with the democratic ideals that our union was founded upon,” he added. “He should know that democracy will prevail because its defenders are prepared to stand up and fight. We’re not backing down, and we encourage our allies to join us in the battle for the soul of our nation.” The advisory states that “due to this sustained, blatant, relentless and systemic attack on democracy and civil rights, the NAACP hereby issues a travel advisory to African Americans, and other people of color regarding the hostility towards African Americans in Florida.” On 17 May, Gov DeSantis approved a slate of bills that restrict gender-affirming care for minors, threaten drag shows, forbid people from using bathrooms that match their gender identity, and prevent people from using their chosen pronouns at schools. The legislation also follows administration policy targeting affirming healthcare for trans youth, over the objections of major health organisations and LGBT+ advocates. Mr DeSantis also recently expanded a measure labelled by opponents as the “Don’t Say Gay” law prohibiting classroom instruction on issues related to gender and sexuality, which critics argue will have a chilling effect on LGBT+ people in schools as part of an effort to erase LGBT+ people from public life. Mr DeSantis, who is reportedly preparing to launch his campaign for the GOP presidential nomination in 2024, also has spearheaded a series of measures around honest discussions of race and racism in schools, including a law that blocks public spending on diversity, equity and inclusion efforts. Florida also is at the centre of a nationwide trend of challenges against books and materials in libraries and schools. This week, Penguin Random House and several prominent authors and families filed a federal lawsuit against a school district where activists have challenged dozens of books, largely involving or written by people of colour or LGBT+ people. In April, advocacy group Equality Florida issued a similar travel advisory that warned that the state may “not be a safe place to visit or take up residence”. “As an organization that has spent decades working to improve Florida’s reputation as a welcoming and inclusive place to live work and visit, it is with great sadness that we must respond to those asking if it is safe to travel to Florida or remain in the state as the laws strip away basic rights and freedoms,” according to a statement from Nadine Smith, Equality Florida’s executive director. The Independent has requested comment from the governor’s office. Read More Disney cancels $1bn Florida theme park extension amid war with DeSantis Penguin Random House sues Florida school district over ‘unconstitutional’ book bans DeSantis v Disney: Why Florida’s governor is at war with the Mouse

ATHENS Greek conservatives were leading over the leftist Syriza in elections on Sunday, a joint exit poll by

House Speaker Kevin McCarthy said he expects to speak with President Joe Biden within the next hour on

Over the past week, a story alleging that homeless military veterans were booted from New York hotel rooms being used as temporary shelters to make way for newly arrived migrants dominated right-wing networks and tabloid newspapers. The front page ofThe New York Post ran with “VETS KICKED OUT FOR MIGRANTS” on 13 May, and the story was picked up by Fox News and Newsmax, where former Republican vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin claimed that “our veterans again are being kicked to the curb”. Republican officials immediately seized on the story as purported evidence for the “crisis” at the US-Mexico border and in Democratic-led US cities. But that story was false. The claims appear to have originally come from founder of a veterans’ advocacy group, according to The Mid Hudson News and The Times Union of Albany. The story’s unraveling has also placed that woman, Sharon Toney-Finch, and her nonprofit, Yerik Israel Toney Foundation, under the scrutiny of state investigators and raised questions about her own military history. Over the last year, New York City’s Democratic Mayor Eric Adams has struggled to find shelters and long-term housing for hundreds of migrants who are being bused north from Republican border states. Earlier this month, the Adams administration reportedly clashed with officials in Orange County, upstate New York, over his plans to send two buses of migrants to the Crossroads Hotel in Newburgh. That plan was paused on 10 May. On 12 May, The New York Post ran a story alleging that “nearly two dozen struggling homeless veterans have been booted from upstate hotels to make room for migrants”. Ms Toney-Finch’s group was cited as the source for the information. But reporters from The Times Union and Mid Hudson News, two outlets based in upstate New York, could not find any of the allegedly displaced veterans, and Crossroads, the hotel at the centre of the controversy ,said it did not have any records of veterans recently staying there. Homeless men told The Times Union that they were approached by unidentified “recruiters” at a shelter in Poughkeepsie, New York, taken to a diner, offered money and bags of toiletries, then transported to a nearby veterans centre to pose as veterans who were kicked out of a hotel. Asked by the Associated Press about the alleged scheme, Ms Toney-Finch did not say whether the claims were fabricated but stated that “we should have verified better”. The Independent has requested comment from Ms Toney-Finch and the foundation. New York Governor Kathy Hochul condemned the apparent scheme, telling reporters that people seeking asylum “were sent there with a legal contract between the city of New York and a hotel owner”. “They are allowed to contract that way and if people want to fabricate stories to undermine the whole process, I think it’s reprehensible,” she added. New York Attorney General Letitia James is “looking into” the allegations, her office told Politico. Yerik Israel Toney Foundation works to help “homeless and low-income military service veterans in need of living assistance,” according to the group’s website. Ms Toney-Finch was inducted into the New York State Senate Veterans’ Hall of Fame in 2022 and is listed in the National Purple Heart Hall of Honor. Last week, she was honoured by New York State Senator Rob Rolison as a “woman of distinction”, who also noted that she is a Purple Heart recipient. However while Ms Toney-Finch has received several military honours, there is nothing to indicate that she is a Purple Heart recipient, according to a review of her military records by The Daily Beast. The fake story played into the right-wing outrage that has reached fever pitch since the expiration of Title 42, a Trump-era border policy, that Republican officials and pundits predicted would result in immigration “chaos”. Prominent New York Republicans used the apparent story to condemn Democratic officials. Congresswoman Elise Stefanik sharedThe Post’s front cover on social media on 13 May. “Biden’s America. Kathy Hochul’s New York. Eric Adams’s New York City,” she wrote. “A disgrace.” Congressman Mike Lawler called the alleged incident a “debacle.” “If Mayor Eric Adams had a shred of decency, he would drive up to Orange County tomorrow and apologize to these veterans himself,” he said, in a statement on 12 May. It was later removed from his website. Mr Lawler later called the bogus story and Ms Toney-Finch “appalling.” “Her decision to exploit our veterans – and the genuine admiration and love our community has for them – could have turned an already tense situation into something much worse,” he said in a statement. Brian Maher, a Republican state assembly member, told Fox News on 15 May that the claims were “a slap in the face to veterans, to citizens of New York in this country, who are really being cast aside to allow for asylum seekers to come here”. He later apologised for spreading the foundation’s false claims and distanced himself from the group. “While I believed Sharon was telling the truth, I do want to apologize for those that have been negatively impacted since this news broke,” he said. Mr Maher also called for investigations by the New York State Attorney General and the Orange County District Attorney into the incident. Mayor Adams has repeatedly pressed for federal assistance while continuing to search for housing options for tens of thousands of people who have arrived in New York in the past year. With the end of Title 42, the state is preparing for “several thousand additional people seeking shelter each week,” according to the governor’s recent emergency order. “[U]pwards of 500 people” arrived each day as the city prepared for the end of Title 42, according to the mayor’s spokesperson Fabien Levy. In 2022, NYC agencies sheltered more than 61,000 asylum seekers, with roughly 37,500 people in city shelters and emergency housing. New York City shelters house more than 75,000 people on any given night, while countless remain on the streets, according to Coalition for the Homeless. Read More Eric Adams weakens shelter mandate as New York City anticipates more migrant arrivals after Title 42 expires What comes next after Title 42?

A top attorney to former President Donald Trump is leaving his legal defence effort, and blaming Mr Trump’s top aide Boris Epshteyn for supposedly being dishonest and unforthcoming in his work to assist the ex-president’s lawyers with his defence against an investigation into whether he retained classified documents illegally. His exit comes as the National Archives announced it found a trove of records proving that Donald Trump and his advisors knew they were breaking rules by taking those classified documents to Mar-a-Lago, according to a report. The agency sent a letter, obtained by CNN, to Mr Trump this week revealing it had found 16 records showing he and his top advisers were aware of the correct declassification process when he was president. “The 16 records in question all reflect communications involving close presidential advisers, some of them directed to you personally, concerning whether, why, and how you should declassify certain classified records,” wrote archivist Debra Steidel Wall. These records will be turned over to Special Counsel Jack Smith as part of the criminal investigation into Mr Trump’s handling of classified documents. Read More Trump campaign knocks DeSantis over Disney’s cancelled Florida expansion Ron DeSantis mocked over bizarre video of roaring laughter: ‘A faulty robot’ Trump’s White House lawyer predicts ex-president will end up in jail as Mar-a-Lago probe heats up Trump whines that he is a ‘victim’ of ‘weaponisation of justice’

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy suggested his country was losing control of Bakhmut after months of fierce fighting but

Nuclear power must be treated on par with renewable sources in all European legislation as the bloc pursues

Here are the AP’s latest coverage plans, top stories and promotable content. All times EDT. For up-to-the minute information on AP’s coverage, visit Coverage Plan. —————————— TOP STORIES ——————————- RUSSIA-UKRAINE-WAR — Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says, “Bakhmut is not occupied by the Russian Federation as of today,” contesting Moscow’s claims that it controls the city. It’s impossible to confirm the situation on the ground in the invasion’s longest battle. By Zeke Miller, Elise Morton and Susie Blann. SENT: 1,250 words, video, photos, audio. G7 SUMMIT — Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy huddled with some of his biggest backers as the Group of Seven summit closed in Hiroshima. Zelenskyy’s in-person appearance in his trademark olive drab underscored the centrality of the war for the G7 bloc of rich democracies. It also stole much of the limelight from other priorities, including security challenges in Asia and outreach to the developing world, that the leaders focused on at the three-day gathering. By Adam Schreck, Foster Klug and Zeke Miller. SENT: 1,160 words, photos. MASS KILLING-ANNIVERSARIES — As the number of people who die in mass killings in the U.S. continues to rise, thousands more are left to handle the trauma of losing someone they love. One of the hardest days they confront each year is the anniversary of the killing. They grapple with the same question, sometimes after many years have passed: What do I do with myself on the date that changed everything? Some people throw a party to get through the pain. Others prefer to be completely alone. By Trisha Ahmed. SENT: 1,420 words, photos. This is the Monday Spotlight. DEBT-LIMIT — President Joe Biden says Republicans in the U.S. House must move off their “extreme positions” on the now-stalled talks over raising America’s debt limit and that there will be no agreement to avert a catastrophic default only on their terms. By Zeke Miller and Josh Boak. SENT: 680 words, photos. SENATE-FEDERMAN — Before Pennsylvania Sen. John Fetterman checked himself in to a hospital for clinical depression in February, he used to walk the halls of the Senate stone-faced and dressed in formal suits. These days, he’s back to wearing the hoodies and gym shorts he was known for before he became a senator. People close to Fetterman say his more relaxed style is a reflection of the progress he’s made after six weeks of inpatient treatment for clinical depression. By Mary Clare Jalonick and Marc Levy. SENT: 1,200 words, photos. HOMELESS ENCAMPMENTS — Democratic leaders in major U.S. cities are finding themselves politically squeezed when it comes to addressing homelessness. A unanimous New York City Council has passed a “Homeless Bill of Rights.” It not only codifies a long-standing right to shelter but would establish the right to sleep outside. New York would be the first big U.S. city to establish the right if Mayor Eric Adams allows the measure to become law. By Bobby Caina Calvan and Christopher Weber. SENT: 1,040 words, photos. ——————————————————— MORE ON G7 ———————————————————- G7-JAPAN-ECLIPSED BY ZELENSKYY — Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s participation in the Group of Seven summit is making some atomic bomb survivors feel the visit is overshadowing their pursuit of nuclear abolishment. They say Zelenskyy’s inclusion at the summit, where discussion is expected to focus on more provisions of weapons, doesn’t fit Hiroshima’s pacifist identity and sends the wrong message. SENT: 620 words, photos. With G7-JAPAN-SOUTH KOREA — Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol have prayed together at a memorial for Korean victims of the 1945 atomic bombing in Hiroshima on the sidelines of the Group of Seven summit. SENT: 550 words, photos. ———————- MORE NEWS ———————- GENDER PRONOUNS-FIRINGS — The firing of two employees at a religious school in western New York is fanning the culture wars roiling parts of the United States. Shua Wilmot and Raegan Zelaya were dismissed as dorm directors at Houghton University because they refused to remove gender pronouns from their work email signatures. SENT: 710 words. MEXICO-RAPE SENTENCE — Mexican prosecutors say they are dropping a case against a woman who was sentenced to six years in prison for killing a man as he raped and attacked her. SENT: 680 words, photos. XGR-INDIANA UNIVERSITY-KINSEY INSTITUTE — Unfounded claims about Indiana University’s sex research institute, its founder and child sex abuse have persisted over the years. The legislature has now prohibited the institute from using state dollars, and funding from the university remains unclear, but the largely symbolic move does not halt the Kinsey Institute’s work, which ranges from studies on sexual assault prevention to contraception use among women. SENT: 870 words, photos. AIR QUALITY-SMOKE-CANADA FIRES — Officials in Colorado and Montana have issued air quality alerts due to smoke from dozens of wildfires in Canada that has drifted south into the United States. SENT: 310 words, photos. ——————————————————— WASHINGTON/POLITICS ———————————————————- ELECTIONS-LOCAL TURMOIL — Far-right conservatives who won majorities on local boards and commissions across the U.S. last year are now pressing agendas that include election distrust, skepticism of government and a desire to have religion play a greater role in public decisions. The consequences are becoming apparent in places like Sumner County, Tennessee, with potential implications for how elections play out in 2024. UPCOMING: 2,100 words, video, photos, 980-word abridged version. TRUMP-CLASSIFIED DOCUMENTS — A lawyer who quit Donald Trump’s legal team this past week is attributing his decision to strategy disagreements with a close adviser to the former president. SENT: 400 words, photo. ———————- NATIONAL ———————- FATAL SHOOTING-KANSAS CITY — Police say two people were killed at the scene and a third victim died at a hospital following a shooting at a Kansas City, Missouri, bar early Sunday. SENT: 120 words. ————————————— INTERNATIONAL —————————————- GREECE-ELECTIONS — Greeks are voting in the first parliamentary election since their country’s economy ceased to be subject to strict supervision and control by international lenders who had provided bailout funds during its nearly decade-long financial crisis. The two main contenders in Sunday’s vote are conservative Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, a Harvard-educated former banker, and Alexis Tsipras, who heads the left-wing Syriza party and served as prime minister during some of the financial crisis’ most turbulent years. SENT: 900 words, photos. Developing. ISRAEL-PALESTINIANS — An extremist Israeli Cabinet minister has visited a sensitive Jerusalem holy site at a time of heightened tensions with the Palestinians. The visit by National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir on Sunday, his second known visit since becoming a member of Israel’s most right-leaning government ever, drew condemnations from the Palestinians and neighboring Jordan and Egypt. SENT: 660 words, photo. SUDAN — Sudan’s warring factions have agreed to a new short-term ceasefire after several previous attempts to broker a truce that holds have failed. SENT: 230 words, photos. EL SALVADOR-SOCCER STAMPEDE — At least nine people have been killed and dozens more injured when stampeding soccer fans pushed through one of the access gates at a quarterfinal match in El Salvador. SENT: 360 words, photos. NORTHERN IRELAND-LOCAL ELECTIONS — Irish nationalist party Sinn Fein has made sweeping gains in Northern Ireland’s local elections. SENT: 400 words. AFGHANISTAN — The Ministry of Defense says an Afghan military helicopter crashed in the country’s north after hitting a power line base, killing at least two crewmembers. SENT: 190 words, map. IRAN-BORDER CLASH — Iranian state TV says five Iranian border guards were killed in a clash with an unknown armed group trying to enter the country near the Pakistani border. SENT: 220 words, map. ———————— SPORTS ———————— RAC-PREAKNESS — Bob Baffert’s National Treasure has won the Preakness Stakes, hours after another of the Hall of Famer’s horses was euthanized on the track with a racing injury. Derby winner Mage finished third. SENT: 820 words, photos. BKN-NUGGETS-LAKERS — Jamal Murray scored 37 points, Nikola Jokic added 24 points and eight assists, and the Denver Nuggets rolled to a 3-0 lead in the Western Conference finals with a 119-108 victory over the Los Angeles Lakers. SENT: 950 words, photos. HKN-PANTHERS-HURRICANES — Matthew Tkachuk finished a feed from Sam Reinhart at the 1:51 mark of overtime to help the Florida Panthers beat the Carolina Hurricanes 2-1 for a 2-0 series lead in the Eastern Conference final. SENT: 880 words, photos. ———————- HOW TO REACH US ———————- The Nerve Center can be reached at 800-845-8450 (ext. 1600). For photos, ext. 1900. For graphics and interactives, ext. 7636. Expanded AP content can be obtained from AP Newsroom. For access to AP Newsroom and other technical issues, contact apcustomersupport@ap.org or call 844-777-2006. Read More Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide AP News Digest 3 am Back in hoodies and gym shorts, Fetterman tackles Senate life after depression treatment Biden: GOP must move off 'extreme' positions, no debt limit deal solely on its 'partisan terms'

By Khalid Abdelaziz and Mohamed Nureldin KHARTOUM (Reuters) -Sporadic fighting between Sudan's warring factions could be heard in the capital

Greeks headed to the polls on Sunday to elect a premier for the next four years with voters

Ron DeSantis is going to run for president talking about his record in Florida. Joe Biden is too. Biden advisers believe they can hold up what the GOP governor calls his "Florida blueprint" as a warning to the country about what would happen if DeSantis wins the White House in 2024

President Joe Biden has asked to speak with House Speaker Kevin McCarthy once his meetings conclude in Japan, in hopes of helping to put negotiations to raise the US debt ceiling -- which have appeared mostly stalled since Friday -- back on track.