Newly sworn in, Louisiana's governor calls for special session to draw new congressional map

Source: Yahoo! News

BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) — In his first hours in office, Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry on Monday called a redistricting special session, giving lawmakers the opportunity to draw and replace the state's current congressional map that a federal judge said violates the Voting Rights Act by diluting the power of Black voters.

Landry, a Republican, assumed office at noon on Monday and only a few hours later issued an executive order for a special session, calling lawmakers back to the Capitol from Jan. 15 to Jan. 23. But the session looks to go beyond just tackling Louisiana's congressional map, with the governor issuing a list of other issues to address, including redrawing state Supreme Court districts and moving away from Louisiana's current open primary election system to a closed one.

“The courts have mandated that the state of Louisiana redraw our congressional districts," Landry said in a press release. “Redistricting is a state legislative function. That is why today, I followed the court order and made the call to convene the legislature of Louisiana into a special session on redistricting.”

Louisiana’s current GOP-drawn map, which was used in the November congressional election, has white majorities in five of six districts — despite Black people accounting for one-third of the state’s population. Another mostly Black district could deliver a second congressional seat to Democrats in the red state.

Read more: https://news.yahoo.com/newly-sworn-louisianas-governor-calls-232247443.html

Australia bans Nazi salute, swastika, other hate symbols in public as antisemitism spikes

Source: CBS News

Australian lawmakers have banned the performance of the Nazi salute in public and outlawed the display or sale of Nazi hate symbols such as the swastika in landmark legislation that went into effect in the country Monday. The new laws also make the act of glorifying OR praising acts of terrorism a criminal offense.

The crime of publicly performing the Nazi salute or displaying the Nazi swastika is punishable by up to 12 months in prison, according to the Reuters news agency.

Mark Dreyfus, Australia's Attorney-General, said in a press release Monday that the laws — the first of their kind in the country — sent "a clear message: there is no place in Australia for acts and symbols that glorify the horrors of the Holocaust and terrorist acts."

"No one in Australia will be allowed to glorify or profit from acts and symbols that celebrate the Nazis and their evil ideology," the press release said.

Read more: https://www.cbsnews.com/news/australia-bans-nazi-salute-swastika-amid-antisemitism/

John Fetterman Praised by Conservatives: 'Better Than Oz'

American Research Group New Hampshire primary poll: Trump 37%, Haley 33%

Trump 37%
Haley 33%
Christie 10%
DeSantis 5%
Ramaswamy 4%

https://americanresearchgroup.com/pres2024/rep/nhrep.html

Will she upset him on Tuesday, January 23rd?

Pentagon waited three days to inform White House that the defense secretary was hospitalized in ICU

Source: NBC News

WASHINGTON — Amid tensions in the Middle East, Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin was hospitalized, including spending four days in the intensive care unit, according to two senior administration officials.

The Pentagon did not inform senior officials in the White House’s National Security Council of Austin’s hospitalization until Thursday — three days after he arrived at Walter Reed Medical Center, a U.S. official confirms. Politico first reported the delay.

Austin was admitted to the hospital Monday night for “complications following a recent elective medical procedure,” Pentagon press secretary Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder said in a statement Friday evening.

Austin released a statement Saturday taking responsibility for not disclosing his condition sooner.

Read more: https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/secretary-defense-lloyd-austin-hospitalized-middle-east-missions-rcna132612

Why do so many otherwise intelligent people think that "a lot" is one word?

I have many professionals in my circle of friends, some who make over $300,000 a year and are highly educated. Yet a lot (pardon the pun) of them think that "a lot" is "alot." Worse yet, when I politely tell them, most of them get mad. Hell, I've even seen "alot" posted here in DU.

Another of my friends didn't get mad, but he looked it up and was like "wow, you're right. I'm surprised that I didn't know that." Yet guess what he's still doing? Writing "alot" every chance he gets. Should I remind him again?

I myself was guilty of this up until 18, but when I found out that I was wrong, I corrected it. Why do so many either not know that it's two words or simply ignore it?

Colorado Secretary of State certifies 2024 presidential primary election ballot, Trump to appear on ballot

Italian Premier Meloni says curbing migrant arrivals from Africa is about investment, not charity

Source: Associated Press

ROME (AP) — Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni told her European Union partners Thursday that curbing migration flows from African countries has less to do with offers of charity than strong partnerships coupled with strategic investments in those nations.

Meloni told reporters at a year-end news conference that last month’s deal on the EU’s Migration and Asylum Pact partially improved the situation for Italy and other asylum countries, but does not represent a solution to increasing migrant arrivals.

“What needs to be done in Africa is not charity,” she said. “What needs to be done in Africa is to build cooperation and serious strategic relationships as equals, not predators.”

Meloni also stressed the need “to defend the right not to have to emigrate ... and this is done with investments and a strategy.”

Read more: https://apnews.com/article/italy-eu-africa-migration-strategy-energy-bfffac3ff93ad2a97aead324caa11130

Judge dismisses lawsuit asking to keep Trump off Virginia ballot

Source: CBS News

RICHMOND, Va. (CBS19 NEWS) -- A lawsuit seeking to keep former President Donald Trump off of the ballot in Virginia has been dismissed.

The ruling, issued on Friday, says the plaintiffs lacked standing to file the suit and had numerous procedural issues in it.

The civil and political activists asked a judge for an injunction to keep Trump's name off the ballot, citing the 14th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution and the U.S. Voting Rights Act.

"Although this increasingly litigated legal question of whether former President Trump may be disqualified from running for or serving in public office raises issues of the utmost importance in our democratic system of self-governance, the court cannot reach the merits of plaintiffs' claims because it lacks subject-matter jurisdiction," wrote the judge.

Read more: https://www.cbs19news.com/story/50294849/judge-dismisses-lawsuit-asking-to-keep-trump-off-virginia-ballot

Hundreds of migrants dropped off in New Jersey, bypassing New York City restrictions

Source: CNN

Transit points in New Jersey have been used by buses to evade new rules aimed at curbing the massive numbers of arrivals in New York City. This weekend, at least four buses stopped at the Secaucus Junction train station in New Jersey, according to a news release from Secaucus’ mayor.

“From what we understand after being dropped at the train station the migrants then took trains to New York City,” Michael Gonnelli said. “At this point in time it seems train tickets are being secured for the migrants and they have been making their way to their final destination.”

It appeared “bus operators have figured out a loophole in the system in order to ensure the migrants reach their final destination, which is New York City,” he said.

The arrivals in the New York area come as US-Mexico border authorities in December encountered more than 225,000 migrants, the highest monthly total recorded since 2000, according to preliminary Homeland Security statistics shared with CNN.

Read more: https://www.cnn.com/2024/01/02/us/new-jersey-migrant-buses-nyc/index.html