8 minutes
Thousands of people are expected to attend two rallies in Selma and Montgomery on Saturday to protest what organizers call a concerted Republican effort to dilute the voting power of Blacks throughout the South. The All Roads Lead to the South National Day of Action is response to attempts by southern state legislatures to reconfigure […]
Thousands of people are expected to attend two rallies in Selma and Montgomery on Saturday to protest what organizers call a concerted Republican effort to dilute the voting power of Blacks throughout the South. The All Roads Lead to the South National Day of Action is response to attempts by southern state legislatures to reconfigure […]
13 minutes
Guerras, bloqueios econômicos, militarização e avanço da extrema direita fazem parte de uma mesma reorganização imperial do mundo, marcada pela disputa de territórios, destruição de soberanias nacionais e aprofundamento das desigualdades sociais. A avaliação foi compartilhada por lideranças da Palestina, Cuba e Brasil durante a mesa “Imperialismo, guerra e desordem global: uma resposta da esquerda”, […] Fonte
Guerras, bloqueios econômicos, militarização e avanço da extrema direita fazem parte de uma mesma reorganização imperial do mundo, marcada pela disputa de territórios, destruição de soberanias nacionais e aprofundamento das desigualdades sociais. A avaliação foi compartilhada por lideranças da Palestina, Cuba e Brasil durante a mesa “Imperialismo, guerra e desordem global: uma resposta da esquerda”, […] Fonte
16 minutes
伊朗国家电视台周五报道称，伊朗革命卫队海军允许更多船只通过霍尔木兹海峡。前一天，伊朗革命卫队已允许30多艘船只通过这条重要的贸易通道
16 minutes
伊朗国家电视台周五报道称，伊朗革命卫队海军允许更多船只通过霍尔木兹海峡。前一天，伊朗革命卫队已允许30多艘船只通过这条重要的贸易通道
16 minutes
伊朗國家電視台周五報道稱，伊朗革命衛隊海軍允許更多船隻通過霍爾木茲海峽。前一天，伊朗革命衛隊已允許30多艘船隻通過這條重要的貿易通道
16 minutes
伊朗國家電視台周五報道稱，伊朗革命衛隊海軍允許更多船隻通過霍爾木茲海峽。前一天，伊朗革命衛隊已允許30多艘船隻通過這條重要的貿易通道
16 minutes
Nos dias 20 e 21 de junho, será realizada a Vivência Agroecológica Sem Terra, no Lar de Pesquisas Agroecológicas Abacateiro, localizado no Assentamento Agroecológico Egídio Brunetto 01, em Lagoinha, no Vale do Paraíba (SP). A atividade – organizada pelos formandos de Técnica em Cooperativismo do Instituto Educacional Josué de Castro de Viamão (RS) – tem […] Fonte
Nos dias 20 e 21 de junho, será realizada a Vivência Agroecológica Sem Terra, no Lar de Pesquisas Agroecológicas Abacateiro, localizado no Assentamento Agroecológico Egídio Brunetto 01, em Lagoinha, no Vale do Paraíba (SP). A atividade – organizada pelos formandos de Técnica em Cooperativismo do Instituto Educacional Josué de Castro de Viamão (RS) – tem […] Fonte
17 minutes
Sign up for Chalkbeat New York’s free daily newsletter to get essential news about NYC’s public schools delivered to your inbox.New York City’s public school system has long been defined by inequities of concentrated wealth and poverty, and nowhere is that more pronounced than in parent-teacher association fundraising. Of the money PTAs raised last year, the top 30 schools, or just 2.5% of them, raised nearly half of the total amount of the 1,540 schools included in recently released Education Department data for the 2024-25 school year. Meanwhile, roughly 390 PTAs — about a third of the schools — reported no income last year, suggesting their parent-teacher associations are inactive or struggling. Another 330 PTAs appear to have failed to report anything to the Education Department. Though schools are mandated to have PTAs, some may not have the capacity to sustain such groups.PTA money can fund enrichment, not core classroom teachers, and is often used to bolster things like the arts or fund teaching assistants. When a school can use PTA money to cover these costs, it could free their school up to pay more for core classroom teachers.That could, in turn, make a school more desirable, said Carolyn Abott, a Baruch College assistant professor of political science who has been researching PTAs. It could create a snowball effect, she said, attracting families to a particular school zone and potentially even pushing up housing prices.“And you are pulling those politically and community active families away from schools that are already sort of resource-deprived, which again, exacerbates the situation,” Abott said.Noah Strote, a parent of a fourth grader at P.S. 199, an affluent school on the Upper West Side in Manhattan’s District 3, said the funding disparities can show up in different ways, from the number of air conditioners or bathroom supplies to the quantity of enrichment programs. “They can also fund all the little things that add up, such as teacher and staff appreciation events with food and drink and gifts, that help create a culture where those people want to stay year after year,” Strote wrote in an email. “It’s obviously not the only factor contributing to outcomes for children, but it’s definitely not an insignificant one.” P.S. 199, which is typically a high-rolling PTA, failed to report any data to the Education Department, revealing some of the shortcomings of the public data. The data, which is self-reported, appeared to have some errors and inaccuracies. (For example, P.S. 60 in Woodhaven, Queens, was among the top 10 for reported income, reportedly bringing in more than $2 million. But looking at the school’s full balance, that appeared to be a decimal error, and the school likely only brought in about $20,000.)Drilling down on the dataFourteen schools brought in more than $1 million each, led by P.S. 29, an elementary school in Brooklyn’s Cobble Hill; New Explorations into Science, Technology and Math, a K-12 gifted and talented school on the Lower East Side; and P.S. 8, or The Emily Warren Roebling School, an elementary school in Brooklyn Heights. Another 14 schools raised more than $500,000. Looking at the data on the district level reveals another set of extremes. PTAs in Manhattan’s District 2, which includes such affluent areas as the Upper East Side, Greenwich Village, and TriBeCa, brought in the most money, with nearly $18 million in total income. That was 600 times greater than what PTAs raised in District 23, which spans Brooklyn’s high-poverty neighborhoods of Ocean Hill/Brownsville. PTAs in District 23, which is also one of the city’s smallest districts, brought in about $29,000. Because school funding formulas send more money to schools with higher-need students, more affluent schools tend to spend less per pupil — an argument that some PTA fundraiser powerhouses point out. P.S. 29, for instance, spent $17,310 per pupil last year, compared to P.S. 150 in District 23, which spent $46,198 per pupil, according to public data. About 4% of the school’s funding, or $154,000, came from federal dollars given to schools with more than 60% student poverty. Education Department spokesperson Chyann Tull said the city recognizes that PTA fundraising varied “significantly” across school communities and reiterated that the city’s funding formula aims to allocate additional resources to schools serving kids with the greatest needs. “We remain committed to ensuring equitable access to resources through the funding streams we directly control,” she said. With executive boards turning over each year, newly minted PTA members might not know what they’re getting into and lack training and the understanding of the PTA’s role, said Antonia Martinelli, the PTA Link coordinator at Appleseed, which helps fill the “information gap” for PTAs. Though the rules governing PTAs make it clear they can supplement, rather than supplant, school budgets, PTAs can change their schools’ ability to hire more teachers, Martinelli echoed. “Now they’re inadvertently impacting the academic outcomes of the students,” she said.Martinelli also raised concerns about the end balance of the city’s PTAs, which totaled about $46.5 million. “PTAs are supposed to target their fundraising to a specific goal,” she said. “They are not supposed to be running quasi endowments.” Efforts to bolster PTA fundraisingPTAs raise money in various ways: direct appeals, bake sales, or carnivals, galas, and other events. Some schools raise money by organizing after-school programs, like P.S. 20, in Clinton Hill, Brooklyn, which raised more than $1.16 million last year, putting the school in the top 10 citywide. About 85% of the PTA’s income came from P.S. 20’s “wildly successful” after-school program serving kids from prekindergarten through fifth grade, said PTA co-president Sarah Durand McGuigan.At P.S. 20, it covers an art teacher, pays for a gardening and beekeeping program, and helps fund arts residencies, Durand McGuigan said. It helped the school build a library as well as facility upgrades. It pays for full- and part-time school assistants working in the cafeteria, office, and hallways. It also covers the costs of teacher professional development training. P.S. 20, which had nearly 700 students, sits in District 13, a racially and socioeconomically diverse district that schools Chancellor Kamar Samuels previously oversaw as superintendent. And while it’s not among the most affluent like some of the other elementary schools in the top 10, with just 38% of students from low-income families, the school is still among the top 100 schools in the city with the smallest share of students in poverty. Citywide, about 75% of students come from low-income families. The school community is aware of the different needs of families, offering scholarships to the after-school program, for instance, and the PTA jumped into action last year when public food assistance was going to be restricted, raising about $10,000 for grocery gift cards to families in need, Durand McGuigan said.“The haves and the have nots in the New York City public school system are huge,” she said. “We have people living in $3 million brownstones, and we have people in public housing.”The PTA at Arts & Letters 305 United, also in District 13, was among the top 30 fundraisers, bringing in more than $546,000 last year. It used the money to support tutoring, school trips, stepping-up ceremonies, enrichment teachers, and for many community-building events, said LaMeane Isaac, PTA president at the Bedford-Stuyvesant school where Samuels had led a merger between a popular affluent school and an under-enrolled one serving more low-income families.The school’s PTA also helped provide about $2,000 in seed money for a districtwide fund bringing together families, local businesses, and community organizations to support 28 under-resourced schools across the district that lacked PTA funding. “We are willing to help and commit towards supporting other schools who may not be as financially fortunate as we are,” Isaac said.“If we can be helpful and supportive to other schools, everyone wins, right?” Amy Zimmer is the bureau chief for Chalkbeat New York. Contact Amy at azimmer@chalkbeat.org.
Sign up for Chalkbeat New York’s free daily newsletter to get essential news about NYC’s public schools delivered to your inbox.New York City’s public school system has long been defined by inequities of concentrated wealth and poverty, and nowhere is that more pronounced than in parent-teacher association fundraising. Of the money PTAs raised last year, the top 30 schools, or just 2.5% of them, raised nearly half of the total amount of the 1,540 schools included in recently released Education Department data for the 2024-25 school year. Meanwhile, roughly 390 PTAs — about a third of the schools — reported no income last year, suggesting their parent-teacher associations are inactive or struggling. Another 330 PTAs appear to have failed to report anything to the Education Department. Though schools are mandated to have PTAs, some may not have the capacity to sustain such groups.PTA money can fund enrichment, not core classroom teachers, and is often used to bolster things like the arts or fund teaching assistants. When a school can use PTA money to cover these costs, it could free their school up to pay more for core classroom teachers.That could, in turn, make a school more desirable, said Carolyn Abott, a Baruch College assistant professor of political science who has been researching PTAs. It could create a snowball effect, she said, attracting families to a particular school zone and potentially even pushing up housing prices.“And you are pulling those politically and community active families away from schools that are already sort of resource-deprived, which again, exacerbates the situation,” Abott said.Noah Strote, a parent of a fourth grader at P.S. 199, an affluent school on the Upper West Side in Manhattan’s District 3, said the funding disparities can show up in different ways, from the number of air conditioners or bathroom supplies to the quantity of enrichment programs. “They can also fund all the little things that add up, such as teacher and staff appreciation events with food and drink and gifts, that help create a culture where those people want to stay year after year,” Strote wrote in an email. “It’s obviously not the only factor contributing to outcomes for children, but it’s definitely not an insignificant one.” P.S. 199, which is typically a high-rolling PTA, failed to report any data to the Education Department, revealing some of the shortcomings of the public data. The data, which is self-reported, appeared to have some errors and inaccuracies. (For example, P.S. 60 in Woodhaven, Queens, was among the top 10 for reported income, reportedly bringing in more than $2 million. But looking at the school’s full balance, that appeared to be a decimal error, and the school likely only brought in about $20,000.)Drilling down on the dataFourteen schools brought in more than $1 million each, led by P.S. 29, an elementary school in Brooklyn’s Cobble Hill; New Explorations into Science, Technology and Math, a K-12 gifted and talented school on the Lower East Side; and P.S. 8, or The Emily Warren Roebling School, an elementary school in Brooklyn Heights. Another 14 schools raised more than $500,000. Looking at the data on the district level reveals another set of extremes. PTAs in Manhattan’s District 2, which includes such affluent areas as the Upper East Side, Greenwich Village, and TriBeCa, brought in the most money, with nearly $18 million in total income. That was 600 times greater than what PTAs raised in District 23, which spans Brooklyn’s high-poverty neighborhoods of Ocean Hill/Brownsville. PTAs in District 23, which is also one of the city’s smallest districts, brought in about $29,000. Because school funding formulas send more money to schools with higher-need students, more affluent schools tend to spend less per pupil — an argument that some PTA fundraiser powerhouses point out. P.S. 29, for instance, spent $17,310 per pupil last year, compared to P.S. 150 in District 23, which spent $46,198 per pupil, according to public data. About 4% of the school’s funding, or $154,000, came from federal dollars given to schools with more than 60% student poverty. Education Department spokesperson Chyann Tull said the city recognizes that PTA fundraising varied “significantly” across school communities and reiterated that the city’s funding formula aims to allocate additional resources to schools serving kids with the greatest needs. “We remain committed to ensuring equitable access to resources through the funding streams we directly control,” she said. With executive boards turning over each year, newly minted PTA members might not know what they’re getting into and lack training and the understanding of the PTA’s role, said Antonia Martinelli, the PTA Link coordinator at Appleseed, which helps fill the “information gap” for PTAs. Though the rules governing PTAs make it clear they can supplement, rather than supplant, school budgets, PTAs can change their schools’ ability to hire more teachers, Martinelli echoed. “Now they’re inadvertently impacting the academic outcomes of the students,” she said.Martinelli also raised concerns about the end balance of the city’s PTAs, which totaled about $46.5 million. “PTAs are supposed to target their fundraising to a specific goal,” she said. “They are not supposed to be running quasi endowments.” Efforts to bolster PTA fundraisingPTAs raise money in various ways: direct appeals, bake sales, or carnivals, galas, and other events. Some schools raise money by organizing after-school programs, like P.S. 20, in Clinton Hill, Brooklyn, which raised more than $1.16 million last year, putting the school in the top 10 citywide. About 85% of the PTA’s income came from P.S. 20’s “wildly successful” after-school program serving kids from prekindergarten through fifth grade, said PTA co-president Sarah Durand McGuigan.At P.S. 20, it covers an art teacher, pays for a gardening and beekeeping program, and helps fund arts residencies, Durand McGuigan said. It helped the school build a library as well as facility upgrades. It pays for full- and part-time school assistants working in the cafeteria, office, and hallways. It also covers the costs of teacher professional development training. P.S. 20, which had nearly 700 students, sits in District 13, a racially and socioeconomically diverse district that schools Chancellor Kamar Samuels previously oversaw as superintendent. And while it’s not among the most affluent like some of the other elementary schools in the top 10, with just 38% of students from low-income families, the school is still among the top 100 schools in the city with the smallest share of students in poverty. Citywide, about 75% of students come from low-income families. The school community is aware of the different needs of families, offering scholarships to the after-school program, for instance, and the PTA jumped into action last year when public food assistance was going to be restricted, raising about $10,000 for grocery gift cards to families in need, Durand McGuigan said.“The haves and the have nots in the New York City public school system are huge,” she said. “We have people living in $3 million brownstones, and we have people in public housing.”The PTA at Arts & Letters 305 United, also in District 13, was among the top 30 fundraisers, bringing in more than $546,000 last year. It used the money to support tutoring, school trips, stepping-up ceremonies, enrichment teachers, and for many community-building events, said LaMeane Isaac, PTA president at the Bedford-Stuyvesant school where Samuels had led a merger between a popular affluent school and an under-enrolled one serving more low-income families.The school’s PTA also helped provide about $2,000 in seed money for a districtwide fund bringing together families, local businesses, and community organizations to support 28 under-resourced schools across the district that lacked PTA funding. “We are willing to help and commit towards supporting other schools who may not be as financially fortunate as we are,” Isaac said.“If we can be helpful and supportive to other schools, everyone wins, right?” Amy Zimmer is the bureau chief for Chalkbeat New York. Contact Amy at azimmer@chalkbeat.org.
17 minutes
In 2025, the New Hampshire House and Senate split their education committees in two. One committee handled education policy related bills and the other education finance bills; leaders said the division was necessary to manage heavy workloads. This year, that instinct appears justified. Republican lawmakers have churned out a deluge of bills affecting public schools, […]
In 2025, the New Hampshire House and Senate split their education committees in two. One committee handled education policy related bills and the other education finance bills; leaders said the division was necessary to manage heavy workloads. This year, that instinct appears justified. Republican lawmakers have churned out a deluge of bills affecting public schools, […]
18 minutes
El senador Esteban Velásquez (FRVS) valoró la publicación del llamado a licitación internacional para el Nuevo Establecimiento Penitenciario de Calama, resaltando que la iniciativa es fruto de un trabajo de largo aliento. El parlamentario destacó el diseño y financiamiento impulsado durante la administración del expresidente Boric y agradeció la gestión del exministro Jaime Gajardo para "destrabar" esta inversión de 8,6 millones de UF, que será clave para la seguridad de la capital loína. Este artículo Senador Velásquez por nueva cárcel de Calama: “hablamos de un trabajo serio y coordinado que trasciende gobiernos” fue publicado originalmente en El Diario de Antofagasta.
El senador Esteban Velásquez (FRVS) valoró la publicación del llamado a licitación internacional para el Nuevo Establecimiento Penitenciario de Calama, resaltando que la iniciativa es fruto de un trabajo de largo aliento. El parlamentario destacó el diseño y financiamiento impulsado durante la administración del expresidente Boric y agradeció la gestión del exministro Jaime Gajardo para "destrabar" esta inversión de 8,6 millones de UF, que será clave para la seguridad de la capital loína. Este artículo Senador Velásquez por nueva cárcel de Calama: “hablamos de un trabajo serio y coordinado que trasciende gobiernos” fue publicado originalmente en El Diario de Antofagasta.
19 minutes
The Alaska Legislature passed a bill requiring the state to develop guidelines for mental health instruction in Alaska school districts. The aim is to place mental health education for K-12 students on par with physical education. House lawmakers passed Senate Bill 41 by a 27 to 13 vote late Thursday night, and the bill now […]
The Alaska Legislature passed a bill requiring the state to develop guidelines for mental health instruction in Alaska school districts. The aim is to place mental health education for K-12 students on par with physical education. House lawmakers passed Senate Bill 41 by a 27 to 13 vote late Thursday night, and the bill now […]
19 minutes
Conservative organizations — including one that helped with the West Virginia Legislature’s passage of a 2023 religious freedom law — have filed briefs arguing the law does in fact add religious exemptions to the state’s strict school vaccine mandates. The Alliance Defending Freedom and the Heritage Foundation are among the organizations that have filed amicus […]
19 minutes
Conservative organizations — including one that helped with the West Virginia Legislature’s passage of a 2023 religious freedom law — have filed briefs arguing the law does in fact add religious exemptions to the state’s strict school vaccine mandates. The Alliance Defending Freedom and the Heritage Foundation are among the organizations that have filed amicus […]
21 minutes
MOUNT PLEASANT — The State Ports Authority will move some of its vehicle export operations to North Charleston to help protect Upstate-built BMWs and other cars from flooding while also freeing up space at the Port of Charleston’s current — and low-lying — export hub for new cargo. The authority’s board of directors on Friday […]
21 minutes
MOUNT PLEASANT — The State Ports Authority will move some of its vehicle export operations to North Charleston to help protect Upstate-built BMWs and other cars from flooding while also freeing up space at the Port of Charleston’s current — and low-lying — export hub for new cargo. The authority’s board of directors on Friday […]
23 minutes
Debate continues over expansion of 340B discount drug program
Debate continues over expansion of 340B discount drug program
24 minutes
The ostensibly apolitical song contest is once again combining crystals and controversy. Cue the fire and violins. It’s Eurovision time. Cue the fire and violins. The post Are you ready to vote? It’s Eurovision time. appeared first on Good Authority.
The ostensibly apolitical song contest is once again combining crystals and controversy. Cue the fire and violins. It’s Eurovision time. Cue the fire and violins. The post Are you ready to vote? It’s Eurovision time. appeared first on Good Authority.
25 minutes
The first installment of the federal government’s promised $608 million reimbursements for the so-called “Alligator Alcatraz” lockup will hit Florida in the coming days, newly obtained correspondence shows. “Your payment request … in the amount of $58,292,145 has been approved. The payment was accepted by our financial system on 5/15/2026,” reads a email sent Friday […]
The first installment of the federal government’s promised $608 million reimbursements for the so-called “Alligator Alcatraz” lockup will hit Florida in the coming days, newly obtained correspondence shows. “Your payment request … in the amount of $58,292,145 has been approved. The payment was accepted by our financial system on 5/15/2026,” reads a email sent Friday […]
26 minutes
وزارت دادگستری ایالات متحده روز جمعه ۲۵ اردیبهشت از آغاز محاکمه محمدباقر سعد داوود السعدی، تبعه عراقی و عضو ارشد کتائب حزبالله خبر داد و او را به همکاری با سازمانهای تروریستی تحت حمایت رژیم ایران و هدایت حملات علیه شهروندان و منافع ایالات متحده متهم کرد.
وزارت دادگستری ایالات متحده روز جمعه ۲۵ اردیبهشت از آغاز محاکمه محمدباقر سعد داوود السعدی، تبعه عراقی و عضو ارشد کتائب حزبالله خبر داد و او را به همکاری با سازمانهای تروریستی تحت حمایت رژیم ایران و هدایت حملات علیه شهروندان و منافع ایالات متحده متهم کرد.
26 minutes
(The Center Square) – A Florida judge on Friday heard arguments on a lawsuit to block a new congressional redistricting plan in Florida that could give Republicans a four-seat gain in the upcoming midterm elections. Opponents are seeking a temporary injunction barring the state from using the new districts. They say the plan violates a state constitutional amendment approved by voters that prohibits using redistricting for partisan purposes. Florida 2nd Judicial Circuit Judge Joshua Hawkes did not issue an immediate ruling. Second-term Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis last month called a special session of the Legislature to approve his redrawn congressional districts, citing an upcoming U.S. Supreme Court decision. That ruling in a Louisiana case, was issued as the Legislature was debating the new maps. It limits the use of race in redistricting. DeSantis said the ruling “compelled” Florida to draw new districts, in part to correct “racial gerrymandering" in a South Florida district. Opponents of the plan say it violates a state constitutional amendment approved by voters in 2010. The Fair District Amendment that makes it illegal to use redistricting for partisan purposes. “This case is unusual because the map drawer admitted on the public record that the districts were drawn with partisan data and without the need to comply with the Fair District Amendment,” Christina Ford, attorney for Equal Ground Education Fund, a nonprofit group and one of the group’s challenging Florida the new maps, told the judge Friday. There is “staggering” evidence of partisan intent in the new lines, she said. “Defendants do not meaningfully even attempt to rebut that evidence,” Ford said. “They do not defend how a single line was drawn.” The case is also unusual because state leaders are not defending the Fair District Amendment of the Florida constitution. Mohammed Jazil, an attorney for the secretary of state, said that the Fair District Amendment was modeled after Section 2 and Section 5 of the federal Voting Rights Act. The groups challenging the recent Florida redistricting plan have suggested reverting back to the previous maps approved in 2022. The challengers have the burden of showing that the 2022 maps were constitutional in the way it used race as a factor, Jazil said. “They are going to show that by saying that race either was or not a factor or that race was appropriately considered,” Jazil said. He added that “there is no need to rush,” a decision in this case. “There should be a trial, there should be a proper assessment of the facts, a testing of the evidence, a testing of the expert witnesses before another plan is imposed other than the one the Florida Legislature enacted,” the attorney told the judge.
(The Center Square) – A Florida judge on Friday heard arguments on a lawsuit to block a new congressional redistricting plan in Florida that could give Republicans a four-seat gain in the upcoming midterm elections. Opponents are seeking a temporary injunction barring the state from using the new districts. They say the plan violates a state constitutional amendment approved by voters that prohibits using redistricting for partisan purposes. Florida 2nd Judicial Circuit Judge Joshua Hawkes did not issue an immediate ruling. Second-term Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis last month called a special session of the Legislature to approve his redrawn congressional districts, citing an upcoming U.S. Supreme Court decision. That ruling in a Louisiana case, was issued as the Legislature was debating the new maps. It limits the use of race in redistricting. DeSantis said the ruling “compelled” Florida to draw new districts, in part to correct “racial gerrymandering" in a South Florida district. Opponents of the plan say it violates a state constitutional amendment approved by voters in 2010. The Fair District Amendment that makes it illegal to use redistricting for partisan purposes. “This case is unusual because the map drawer admitted on the public record that the districts were drawn with partisan data and without the need to comply with the Fair District Amendment,” Christina Ford, attorney for Equal Ground Education Fund, a nonprofit group and one of the group’s challenging Florida the new maps, told the judge Friday. There is “staggering” evidence of partisan intent in the new lines, she said. “Defendants do not meaningfully even attempt to rebut that evidence,” Ford said. “They do not defend how a single line was drawn.” The case is also unusual because state leaders are not defending the Fair District Amendment of the Florida constitution. Mohammed Jazil, an attorney for the secretary of state, said that the Fair District Amendment was modeled after Section 2 and Section 5 of the federal Voting Rights Act. The groups challenging the recent Florida redistricting plan have suggested reverting back to the previous maps approved in 2022. The challengers have the burden of showing that the 2022 maps were constitutional in the way it used race as a factor, Jazil said. “They are going to show that by saying that race either was or not a factor or that race was appropriately considered,” Jazil said. He added that “there is no need to rush,” a decision in this case. “There should be a trial, there should be a proper assessment of the facts, a testing of the evidence, a testing of the expert witnesses before another plan is imposed other than the one the Florida Legislature enacted,” the attorney told the judge.
26 minutes
Падзеі 16 траўня ў Беларусі і сьвеце.
Падзеі 16 траўня ў Беларусі і сьвеце.
27 minutes
2026年5月16日《VOA今日焦点》重点新闻内容包括：特朗普总统称美中元首峰会达成贸易协议 中国同意购买超过200架波音飞机；特朗普总统返国途中与日本首相高市早苗通话，两人重申美日同盟“坚定不移”；特朗普总统证实向中国国家主席习近平提出对台军售与人权议题。
27 minutes
2026年5月16日《VOA今日焦点》重点新闻内容包括：特朗普总统称美中元首峰会达成贸易协议 中国同意购买超过200架波音飞机；特朗普总统返国途中与日本首相高市早苗通话，两人重申美日同盟“坚定不移”；特朗普总统证实向中国国家主席习近平提出对台军售与人权议题。
27 minutes
(The Center Square) – A proposed law could allow child services to consider a child’s gender identity and access to abortion in determining placement in the care of someone in a state outside of Illinois. The bill drew significant pushback from conservatives in a senate hearing. Nora Collins, with ACLU Illinois, said the bill is important to her organization’s goals surrounding youth, family and foster care. House Bill 4966, nicknamed the SECURE Act, also includes language that seeks to protect children from discrimination. Having already passed the House of Representatives, the bill has been amended in the Senate. “Without these protective measures at the state level, our young people are exposed to federal attempts to erode non-discrimination protections and access to lawful health care,” Collins said. Collins said aside from the bill aiming to protect children under the purview of DCFS from discrimination, the bill will also allow the department to take new healthcare factors, such as reproductive and gender-based care, into consideration when placing a child in the care of someone out of state. The bill faced pushback in a Senate hearing, where Ralph Rivera, a representative of Illinois Right to Life Action, and Republican lawmakers argued it threatens parental rights and applies inappropriately to children as young as 8. “This is a lawsuit waiting to happen on the parental rights issue,” Rivera said. “I will be remiss if I didn't point out that this bill seeks to put into Illinois statute, to public policy that children can affirm a different gender without any parent’s involvement.” Sen. Jil Tracy, R-Quincy, grilled Collins about the bill and why the consideration of gender identity and access to related care begins as early as 8 years old. Collins said the bill would only allow the agency to take such medical care access into consideration, and would help to determine if placement into other states would impact a child due to laws on abortion access or gender transition being more restrictive than Illinois. “The young person is under the jurisdiction of an Illinois court, just by merely placing a young person out of state, we don't need to deprive them of the laws of the state of Illinois,” Collins said. As for the age of 8 years old, Collins said they wanted to be able to consider medical access before children could need it, and to allow DCFS to have the time the agency might need to plan for those needs. The committee voted to recommend the Senate pass the legislation, Republicans opposed. The bill, which has already passed the House, may come to a vote as early as this week.
(The Center Square) – A proposed law could allow child services to consider a child’s gender identity and access to abortion in determining placement in the care of someone in a state outside of Illinois. The bill drew significant pushback from conservatives in a senate hearing. Nora Collins, with ACLU Illinois, said the bill is important to her organization’s goals surrounding youth, family and foster care. House Bill 4966, nicknamed the SECURE Act, also includes language that seeks to protect children from discrimination. Having already passed the House of Representatives, the bill has been amended in the Senate. “Without these protective measures at the state level, our young people are exposed to federal attempts to erode non-discrimination protections and access to lawful health care,” Collins said. Collins said aside from the bill aiming to protect children under the purview of DCFS from discrimination, the bill will also allow the department to take new healthcare factors, such as reproductive and gender-based care, into consideration when placing a child in the care of someone out of state. The bill faced pushback in a Senate hearing, where Ralph Rivera, a representative of Illinois Right to Life Action, and Republican lawmakers argued it threatens parental rights and applies inappropriately to children as young as 8. “This is a lawsuit waiting to happen on the parental rights issue,” Rivera said. “I will be remiss if I didn't point out that this bill seeks to put into Illinois statute, to public policy that children can affirm a different gender without any parent’s involvement.” Sen. Jil Tracy, R-Quincy, grilled Collins about the bill and why the consideration of gender identity and access to related care begins as early as 8 years old. Collins said the bill would only allow the agency to take such medical care access into consideration, and would help to determine if placement into other states would impact a child due to laws on abortion access or gender transition being more restrictive than Illinois. “The young person is under the jurisdiction of an Illinois court, just by merely placing a young person out of state, we don't need to deprive them of the laws of the state of Illinois,” Collins said. As for the age of 8 years old, Collins said they wanted to be able to consider medical access before children could need it, and to allow DCFS to have the time the agency might need to plan for those needs. The committee voted to recommend the Senate pass the legislation, Republicans opposed. The bill, which has already passed the House, may come to a vote as early as this week.
27 minutes
Recent polling suggests it’s unlikely that two Republicans would lock Democrats out of the November gubernatorial election.
27 minutes
Recent polling suggests it’s unlikely that two Republicans would lock Democrats out of the November gubernatorial election.