Politics

Justice Department intensifies efforts to combat crime in Washington, D.C. | Image Credit: foxnews.com The Justice Department is deploying additional resources and prosecutors to combat gun violence and carjackings in Washington, D.C. Why this matters With the increased spending, the nation's capital hopes to reverse an upsurge in violent crime, which is unusual for large cities where homicide rates generally decreased last year. Between the lines: In a year when President Biden is running for office, the federal government is becoming more involved in D.C.'s anti-crime campaign. Republicans used D.C. to make crime a national issue for a portion of 2023, calling on local authorities to testify on Capitol Hill regarding city administration. Read Also: Ohio Issue 1: A Tale of Two...

Ohio Issue 1: A Tale of Two Ballots (August 2023 & November 2023) | Image Credit: dispatch.com Ohio's voters have grappled with two very different Issue 1s in the past six months, each reflecting the state's complex political landscape and the evolving national conversation on key issues. Understanding the results of these ballot initiatives requires delving into the specific measures, the campaigns surrounding them, and the lived experiences of Ohioans who cast their ballots. August 2023: Voter Initiatives on Hold The first Issue 1, appearing on the August 8th ballot, aimed to significantly tighten the process for amending the Ohio State Constitution through voter initiatives. Proponents, led by a coalition of business groups and conservative organizations, argued the measure...

Donald Trump to pay $83.3 million to E Jean Carroll for Defamation | Image Credit: abc7chicago.com Donald Trump was found guilty by a New York jury of defaming writer E Jean Carroll in 2019 while he was US president, and he must pay $83.3 million (£65 million). $18.3 million in compensatory damages and $65 million in punitive penalties make up the punishment in the civil trial. In a prior legal action, it was determined that Mr. Trump had sexually abused Ms. Carroll in the 1990s and defamed her. Declaring the case a witch hunt and the result "Absolutely ludicrous," he pledged to challenge the most recent decision. The purpose of the compensatory damages is to make up for the harm the jury determined his remarks had caused to her reputation and psychological health. The pa...

New Hampshire presidential primary • Primary election | Image Credit: abcnews.go.com Amid all the important items you’re keeping in mind as you vote today, things like the future of democracy in America, there are some not-quite-as-important items to also consider. Here are a few: Voting machines If your polling place uses a ballot-counting machine, give it a loving pat because you might never see it again. New Hampshire has finally chosen successors to the aging AccuVote machines that have been part of our elections since before today’s college students were born. It’s possible that some of the new units may be rolled out by March 12, the annual town meeting voting day, although state certification may not be completed by that deadline.  Two models have been given the thumb...

Fani Willis - Election subversion case | Image Credit: ktvz.com One of the key cases against former President Donald Trump has been agitated by claims of an inappropriate relationship between the district attorney of Fulton County and a prosecutor she selected. This is just another development in the years-long campaign to penalise individuals responsible for trying to sabotage Joe Biden's victory in the 2020 presidential contest. Legally speaking, the lawsuit is unlikely to be dismissed, but Trump, who wants to paint the Georgia allegations as politically driven and illegitimate, may receive a significant political boost from this. Also Read: Destiny of democracy to decide by Wisconsin supreme court elections Observe the following: What accusations are made? Nathan Wa...

Wisconsin Elections of Supreme Court | Image Credit: courthousenews.com Voters showed a strong commitment to upholding democracy in 2023 by participating in elections all the way down the ballot. Elections that were once unknown have become popular. Voters in state supreme court contests, which will decide whether or not they can get abortions, whether or not their ballots are tallied, and how their voting districts are created, turned out in unprecedented numbers. The significance of state courts in defending our basic liberties and democratic processes in 2024 is demonstrated by the election of Janet Protasiewicz to the Wisconsin Supreme Court in April and Dan McCaffery to the Pennsylvania Supreme Court in November. The anti-democratic movements' centers of gravity for contestin...

Wisconsin Supreme Court Election maps | Image Credit: theguardian.com The Wisconsin Supreme Court ruled in a 4-3 ruling on Friday afternoon, December 22, that the state's present voting maps are unconstitutional and need to be redrew in time for the 2024 election. State legislative districts in Wisconsin are required by the Wisconsin Constitution to be composed of "contiguous territory." However, "the number of state legislative districts containing territory completely disconnected from the rest of the district is striking," according to the majority decision. Justice Jill Karofsky wrote the majority ruling, which finds that "at least fifty of ninety-nine assembly districts and at least twenty of thirty-three senate districts include separate, detached territory." The ruling,...

New Hampshire Trump's advantage against Nikki Haley | Image Credit: cnbc.com According to a recent CNN survey by the University of New Hampshire, which was done in the wake of former President Donald Trump's 30-point victory in last week's Iowa caucuses, the fight for the Republican presidential primary in New Hampshire looks to be his to lose. In the Granite State, Trump has 50% of the probable Republican primary voters' support, compared to 39% for his closest rival, former South Carolina governor Nikki Haley. Since the last CNN/UNH survey in early January, when Trump led Haley 32% to 39%, both have gained support as the number of serious competitors has dwindled. According to UNH polls on the race, both Trump and Haley are now enjoying their greatest level of popularity since 2021...

Hunter Biden agrees to private deposition with House Republicans | Image Credit: wpr.org In order to prevent a vote to hold President Biden in contempt, House Republicans claim they are in talks with Hunter Biden's attorneys about setting up his son to appear before a Congressional committee. Hunter Biden's legal team is reportedly in talks to testify, according to House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan. This comes one week after Republicans started a campaign to find the president's son in contempt. After departing a House Republican conference meeting on Wednesday morning, the Ohio Republican made the comments. Jordan told NPR that so far, their conversations with Hunter Biden's lawyer, Abbe Lowell, have gone smoothly. Jordan announced, "Hunter Biden is coming in." "Ou...

informed Biden about the person who brought cocaine into White House | Image Credit: bloomberg.com According to a story published last Sunday (August 6) by Soldier of Fortune, the US Secret Service has provided President Joe Biden with the identity of the individual who carried cocaine into the White House last month. On July 2, a white material was found in the White House library. A preliminary field test on this material was carried out in the course of an inquiry, and the findings showed that cocaine was present. But according to the Soldier of Fortune claim, which cited three security sources, both President Biden and investigators know who carried cocaine into the White House. Ask Joe Biden for the name if you want it. One of the insiders told the magazine, "He knows who it is....