The Political Thread

[Bobby Barrows]

Oklahoma Supreme Court rules publicly funded religious charter school is unconstitutional

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — An Oklahoma board's approval of what would be the nation's first publicly funded religious school is unconstitutional and must be rescinded, the state Supreme Court ruled on Tuesday.

The high court determined the Statewide Virtual Charter School Board's 3-2 vote last year to approve the application by the Catholic Archdiocese of Oklahoma for the St. Isidore of Seville Virtual Charter School violates both the Oklahoma and U.S. constitutions, as well as state law.

“Under Oklahoma law, a charter school is a public school,” the court wrote. "As such, a charter school must be nonsectarian.

“However, St. Isidore will evangelize the Catholic school curriculum while sponsored by the state.”
The online public charter school would have been open to students across the state in kindergarten through grade 12, and part of its mission would have been to evangelize its students in the Catholic faith.

The case is being closely watched because supporters of the school believe recent U.S. Supreme Court decisions have indicated the court is more open to public funds going to religious entities.

A group of parents, faith leaders and a public education nonprofit sued to stop the establishment of the school.

Oklahoma's Republican Gov. Kevin Stitt and State Superintendent Ryan Walters supported the board's approval of the school.

 

[Chris]

Live Updates: Police Fire Arms Amid Tax Protests in Kenya; 5 Reported Killed

Demonstrators breached the Parliament to protest the passage of a bill that raises taxes. At least five people have been killed and more than 30 others were wounded, according to Amnesty International and several prominent civic organizations.

www.nytimes.com

Police fired tear gas and shots rang out Tuesday as thousands of demonstrators flooded the streets around Kenya’s Parliament in the capital, Nairobi, after lawmakers passed tax increases that critics say will make life onerous for millions.

At least five people have died from gunshot wounds and more than 30 others were wounded in clashes between protesters and police, according a joint statement by Amnesty International and several prominent Kenyan civic organizations. That could not be independently confirmed. A video posted to social media by the Kenya Human Rights Commission showed police firing as protesters marched toward them.

 

[Chris]

https://www.cnbc.com/2024/06/25/trump-gag-order-partly-lifted-in-hush-money-case-ahead-of-first-presidential-debate.html

A New York judge on Tuesday lifted parts of a gag order imposed on former President Donald Trump in his criminal hush money case, but kept some restrictions in place until Trump is sentenced.

The decision from Judge Juan Merchan came two days before Trump is set to face off against President Joe Biden in the first of two presidential debates.

 

[Chris]

Rep. Lauren Boebert wins GOP primary after switching Colorado districts; Hurd, Crank also notch wins

U.S. Rep. Lauren Boebert of Colorado has won the Republican primary in a House race she jumped into last year after switching districts.

apnews.com

DENVER (AP) — U.S. Rep. Lauren Boebert won the Republican primary in a U.S. House race that she jumped into last year, surviving a scandal over a video of her at a Denver theater and accusations of carpetbagging after fleeing what could have been a tough reelection bid in her current district.

 

[Bobby Barrows]

 

[Chris]

Rep. Jamaal Bowman, a vocal Israel critic and 'squad' member, loses primary

NBC News projects that Westchester County executive George Latimer defeated Bowman after a bitter and expensive Democratic race in New York’s 16th District.

www.nbcnews.com

Progressive Rep. Jamaal Bowman, D-N.Y., lost his primary Tuesday to a moderate challenger who was backed by pro-Israel groups, NBC News projected, following a bitter and expensive race that exposed the party’s divisions.

The race in New York’s 16th District between Bowman and Westchester County executive George Latimer drew more ad spending — $25 million, according to the ad tracking firm AdImpact — than any House primary in history. Nearly $15 million of that spending came from the United Democracy Project, a super PAC linked to the powerful pro-Israel lobby American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC), which backed Latimer.

 

[Butters]

Rep. Lauren Boebert wins GOP primary after switching Colorado districts; Hurd, Crank also notch wins

U.S. Rep. Lauren Boebert of Colorado has won the Republican primary in a House race she jumped into last year after switching districts.

apnews.com

DENVER (AP) — U.S. Rep. Lauren Boebert won the Republican primary in a U.S. House race that she jumped into last year, surviving a scandal over a video of her at a Denver theater and accusations of carpetbagging after fleeing what could have been a tough reelection bid in her current district.

It’s like living in a sitcom

 

[Death By Looch]

It’s like living in a sitcom

A horrible sitcom

 

[Bobby Barrows]

It’s like living in a sitcom

Was so scared about losing in that district because she genuinely fucking sucks as both a person and politician that she jumped to a whole different one.

I feel like I've seen that premise somewhere.

 

[Death By Looch]

Was so scared about losing in that district because she genuinely fucking sucks as both a person and politician that she jumped to a whole different one.

Another one for the "Why is that even fucking possible" Book...

 

[Death By Looch]

In other news

Election betting: Fifth Tory investigated in growing scandal

Exclusive: Welsh politician Russell George told by Gambling Commission he is part of inquiry as Tories drop Craig Williams and Laura Saunders

www.theguardian.com

A fifth Conservative Party member is investigated in the United Kingdom for involvement in the ongoing election betting scandal.

 

[Chris]

https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2024/06/26/journalist-evan-gershkovich-russia-trial/

The closed-door trial of American journalist Evan Gershkovich began in the Russian city of Yekaterinburg on Wednesday, 15 months after he was arrested and charged with espionage while on a reporting trip.

The case marks the first time since the Cold War that an American journalist has been put on trial for espionage in Russia. Gershkovich appeared calm in court Wednesday, smiling and nodding at colleagues who had traveled to Yekaterinburg — almost 900 miles to the east of Moscow — to report on the opening moments of the trial. Gershkovich’s head had been shaved, as is typical for prisoners in the Russian penitentiary system.

 

[Chris]

https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2024/06/26/supreme-court-social-media-white-house/

The Supreme Court on Wednesday rejected a Republican-led effort to sharply limit White House officials and other federal employees from pressuring social media companies to remove posts from their platforms that the U.S. government deems problematic.

State leaders in Missouri and Louisiana, in addition to individual social media users, filed a lawsuit accusing the Biden administration of violating the First Amendment by operating a sprawling federal “censorship enterprise” to improperly influence platforms to modify or take down posts related to public health and elections.

 

[Chris]

Live Updates: Police Fire Arms Amid Tax Protests in Kenya; 5 Reported Killed

Demonstrators breached the Parliament to protest the passage of a bill that raises taxes. At least five people have been killed and more than 30 others were wounded, according to Amnesty International and several prominent civic organizations.

www.nytimes.com

Police fired tear gas and shots rang out Tuesday as thousands of demonstrators flooded the streets around Kenya’s Parliament in the capital, Nairobi, after lawmakers passed tax increases that critics say will make life onerous for millions.

At least five people have died from gunshot wounds and more than 30 others were wounded in clashes between protesters and police, according a joint statement by Amnesty International and several prominent Kenyan civic organizations. That could not be independently confirmed. A video posted to social media by the Kenya Human Rights Commission showed police firing as protesters marched toward them.

https://www.cnn.com/2024/06/26/africa/kenyan-president-rejects-finance-bill-intl/index.html

Kenyan President William Ruto said Wednesday that he will not sign a controversial finance bill that had sparked deadly protests in the country and left at least six people dead.

“Having reflected on the continuing conversation regarding the content of the finance bill 2024, and listening keenly to the people of Kenya who have said loudly that they want nothing to do with this Finance Bill 2024, I concede, and therefore I will not sign the 2024 finance bill,” Ruto said during a television address Wednesday.

 

[Chris]

Supreme Court Poised to Allow Emergency Abortions in Idaho

The US Supreme Court is poised to allow abortions in medical emergencies in Idaho, according to a copy of the opinion that was briefly posted on the court’s website.

www.bloomberg.com

The US Supreme Court is poised to allow abortions in medical emergencies in Idaho, according to a copy of the opinion that was briefly posted on the court’s website.

The decision would reinstate a lower court order that had ensured hospitals in the state could perform emergency abortions to protect the health of the mother. The briefly posted version indicated the majority will dismiss appeals by Idaho and Republicans leaders in the state without resolving the core issues in the case.