Government plans announced at the Home Office national drugs summit last week, including the expansion of football banning orders to include those convicted of drug possession offences, herald a significant shift in rhetoric and approach as the war on drugs meets the culture wars. Labour can now score an easy win by presenting itself as the party of rationality, evidence and reform.

Policing ministers Kit Malthouse has outlined a range of plans designed to reduce demand from what he calls middle-class coke heads ahead of an upcoming drug policy white paper. Some of the prospective measures included: five-year football banning orders for drug offences; the confiscation of passports and driving licences; use of electronic tags and skin detectors to detect signs of drug use; and the roll-out of US-style random drug testing across society.

These are worrying developments, raising profound human rights and civil liberties concerns, and paving the way for the eventual criminalisation of people being found to have drugs and/or their metabolites in their system, something that does not currently constitute a criminal offence only the production, supply or possession of controlled substances is against the law.

The Tories alarming but predictable authoritarian turn on drugs, doubling down on 50 years of policy failure, gives Labour a golden opportunity to put clear red water between themselves and the government, and embrace evidence-based, cost-effective positions that we already know are popular with the public (the wider rollout of diversion schemes, drug testing services and the legalisation of cannabis, for example).

Keir Starmer himself backed the use of diversion schemes where people found in possession of small quantities of drugs are dealt with outside of the criminal justice system during the Labour leadership debates in 2020, but risks further undermining his credibility with sections of the party by failing to offer his support for such schemes which are already used widely across the country.

Senior party figures including Sadiq Khan and David Lammy, meanwhile, have signalled their support for changing our approach to cannabis with Lammy calling for full legalisation, regulation and taxation of the drug. But Labour, which issued online adverts attacking the Lib Dems for being soft on drugs during the recent local elections,risks being outflanked on drug policy by the Greens and the Lib Dems who have much more progressive and substantive policy agendas.

Whilst the Greens advocate for the legal regulation of all drugs, and the Lib Dems call for both diversion schemes and the legalisation of cannabis, Labour has said it does not support changing the law[s] on drugs, and will absolutely look at naming and shaming those caught in possession of illegal drugs. This sort of policy-by-focus-group populism, undoubtedly formulated with an eye on Red Wall voters, is both unsatisfactory and unnecessary.

Polls have consistently shown that on issues from trans rights to the four-day working week, the Red Wall isnt as socially conservative as the media narrative and the shadow cabinet WhatsApp leaks might suggest. Even if it was, Labour has spearheaded progressive change against the will of public opinion before (reform of laws on abortion, death penalty, divorce, contraception and homosexuality in the 1960s and 70s) because politicians have the ability to shape and lead public opinion, as well as react to it.

Keir Starmer is an outstanding case in point. As a former director of public prosecutions and eminent human rights lawyer, he is in a uniquely credible position with the public, his colleagues in parliament and the legal and policing establishment to embrace and advocate for desperately needed reform to our current drug laws enabling a future Labour government to save thousands of lives and billions of pounds in the process.

With a general election likely over two years away, we are yet to truly find out if Labours principles of security, dignity and respect apply to drug policy. But the rhetoric isnt encouraging. Labour under Starmer has a once in a generation chance to own the issue, overhaul our laws on drugs and change societal attitudes towards people who use drugs in the process. Failure to do so would constitute nothing less than a dereliction of duty to the most vulnerable in our society and would come at huge human, financial and political cost.

Starmer describes himself as a box-to-box midfield general, and the Tories draconian proposed reforms have provided an open goal for Labour on drug policy. Its time for the midfield general to show the required leadership and beat the war on drugs once and for all.

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An authoritarian turn from the Tories on drug policy leaves Labour an open goal - LabourList

Theres always a lot of discussion about fighters pay in the UFC. Often its implied that it depends upon how many eyeballs one can bring in. Social media plays a big part in engaging with fans, but what would happen if the platforms restrict or limit ones audience? Joe Rogan shared his thoughts about the matter.

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The JRE podcast host had exciting UFC prospect, Khalil Rountree Jr., on the JRE MMA Show #124. In the episode, the TUF alumni unveiled a shocking fact that is typically overlooked.

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Rountree said, Likes & replays and all that stuff is also a currency A lot of these companies that want to do business with me its like, how many followers do you have? Whats your Twitter engagement? Whats your Instagram engagement? Oh, this video only got 70,000 plays.'

Thereafter, Rountree suggested that all these play a role in if a company would stick with an athlete. Upon hearing Rountrees concern, Rogan reflected on another identical issue.

The UFC color commentator said, Oh, thats why shadow-banning is so sneaky. Shadow-banning is so insidious because youre limiting a persons ability to grow. And they do that all the time with people.

As Rogan mentioned, the phenomenon is very common; Even Elon Musk, who took over Twitter courtesy of a massive $44 billion deal, had recently addressed the process.

The richest man in the world posted a meme about the former holder of the record, Bill Gates; The Tesla CEO, in continuation to the tweet to Gates, posted another meme & captioned it, shadow ban council reviewing tweet

DIVE DEEPER

Joe Rogan Once Got 2 Weeks of Explosive Diarrhea After Trying the MonotrophicDiet

4 months ago

However, as Musk now has authority over the company, he could change this scenario. Thus, it would be interesting to see if he takes any steps to ban the shadow-banning.

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On Joe Rogan Experience #1238, Brian Redban speculated whether shadow-bans were a real thing. To that, the JRE host pointed out the bigger question and expressed, Shadow-banning for what?

The former Fear Factor host showed curiosity about the reason behind not banning someone entirely from the platform and enforcing a restriction instead.

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WATCH THIS STORYUFC 274: Date, Time, Venue, Tickets, And Livestream

What do you think of the revelations about shadow-banning on the JRE podcast?

Read the original:

Youre Limiting a Persons Ability to Grow Joe Rogan About the Sneaky & Insidious Shadow-Banning That Allegedly Even Elon Musk Encountered -...

Kentucky lawmakers have been hard at work to erode access to abortion in the state long before the leak of a draft opinion on May 2 indicating the U.S. Supreme Court might overturn Roe v. Wade and remove federal protections for abortion as early as June.

In April, the Republican-led legislature overrode Democratic Gov. Andy Beshears veto to pass a law that halted abortions statewide. The law was in place for more than a week before a federal judge stepped in to block the bill with a temporary restraining order.

People in Kentucky can now access abortion in one of the states two clinics that provide them. But many advocates for abortion rights fear the experience is a shadow of whats to come if Roe falls.

Were all staring down the barrel of how much more time do we even have left, said Stevie Benge, a medical receptionist at Planned Parenthoods Louisville health center.

While the Supreme Courts decision is not yet final, protests have erupted nationwide in the wake of the news, including in Kentucky, which is one of 13 states where a trigger law would ban abortion automatically if Roe falls. More than 200 people marched through the streets of downtown Louisville on May 4, protesting the potential end of Roe.

Roughly half of all states are certain or likely to ban or severely restrict access to abortion if given the chance.

That means most people in the Midwest wont have access in their states.

The inevitability is eventually that anyone that wants an abortion is going to have to go to Illinois, Benge said.

Thats because Illinois is likely one of the only states in the Midwest where abortion will still be allowed if Roe is overturned.

Illinois is getting ready hiring staff and opening more clinics, said Megan Jeyifo, director of the Chicago Abortion Fund, which provides financial, logistical and emotional support for people coming to Illinois for abortions.

The organization typically gets about 500 calls a month from people seeking help getting abortions in the state, which she said is roughly double what it was last year.

When access was cut off for that week in April in Kentucky, Jeyifo and her team saw an uptick in calls from people there.

The number of people traveling to Illinois from other states has steadily risen over the past five years to about 10,000 a year, according to data from Illinois public health department.

People are coming into Illinois from as far as Texas, from as far as Kentucky, just all across the nation right now, Jeyifo said.

Planned Parenthood of Illinois CEO and President Jennifer Welch told The Chicago Tribune she expects between 20,000 and 30,000 additional patients a year seeking abortions in the state if Roe is overturned.

Efforts to ban abortion in Kentucky date back years

The more than 70-page bill passed by the Republican-led legislature last month included restrictions on minors and abortion medication, and bans abortion at 15 weeks.

Kentucky state Sen. Stephen Meredith, one of 107 state lawmakers who voted to override the governors veto of that bill, spoke at a hearing in April, saying he wants to see the end of abortion.

This is a stain upon our country, he said. Its our greatest sin. It needs to be reversed.

Although the law doesnt specifically ban abortions, providers said they were forced to halt the service because they couldnt comply with new regulations not yet in place.

The federal judge who temporarily blocked the bill will soon consider its constitutionality.

In 2019, the Kentucky legislature passed a law that would automatically ban abortions if Roe is overturned, only allowing them if a pregnant patient is at risk of death or permanent impairment. That same year, the legislature passed a law banning abortion around six weeks, which is currently blocked in court.

In November, Kentucky voters will decide whether to pass a constitutional amendment, which would remove any protections for abortion in the state.

During the week abortions were blocked in Kentucky, Benge said many patients the Planned Parenthoods Louisville Center were not aware that their choices had shifted dramatically.

Most folks for that week and the following week had no idea that the law had passed, Benge said. And so they would walk in for their abortion consultation and we were the first person to tell them that they couldnt get an abortion in Kentucky.

She said reactions ranged from anger to hopelessness. Almost every patient they spoke with cried.

Working with Planned Parenthood clinics in Indiana, the Louisville provider tried to ease the burden by continuing to provide pre-abortion consultations in town so that people seeking an abortion wouldnt have to stay multiple days out of state.

Brenda Rosen, executive director at the Kentucky chapter of the National Association of Social Workers, which advocates for human rights and reproductive justice, said the leaked Supreme Court opinion has caused panic among clients.

Weve had an increase in calls from families and other social workers who are sharing that their middle schoolers and teenagers are terrified now of What will happen, Mom, if Im raped? Will I be forced to have the baby?

She said overturning Roe would be detrimental.

Its as if were taking 100 steps 100 years backward in our country right now, she said. And its terrifying. Its causing a great deal of anxiety.

Concerns about what the end of Roe could mean for the most vulnerable

Among the hundreds of people who gathered in downtown Louisville on May 4 to protest the potential end of Roe was Summer Dickerson, founder of Women of the Well Ministry, an organization that aims to raise awareness about human trafficking and domestic violence.

Dickerson said shes a survivor of human trafficking and had an abortion after learning she was pregnant by her trafficker.

I was protecting my baby, in my eyes, Dickerson said. And as much as that affected me, this telling me I cant have an abortion would have affected me more. I was a slave, I was sold and auctioned off to the highest bidder many times, and then after that trauma, I decide to make a judgement call for me and my child and then to be judged for that as well its not OK.

She said hearing the court could be set to overturn Roe blew her mind.

Theyre not going to stop anything; all theyre going to do is stop safe abortions, she said. That message time and time again is: If you have a uterus we dont care about you.

Being forced to travel across state lines to get an abortion will be difficult for many of the patients the Planned Parenthood clinic in Louisville serves, Benge said. Many are low income and may not have their own car.

They're trying to figure out how they can get to Bloomington or Indianapolis when they don't even have a physical means of transportation, she said. And then suddenly theyre thinking about having to have an abortion and then taking a bus home.

Providers say abortion bans that take effect in states like Kentucky in the wake of Roe will disproportionately affect young people and other already-vulnerable populations like people of color and those with low or no income.

They may not have funds to pay for an abortion, a way to travel or the freedom to take multiple days off work.

Jeyifo, with the Chicago Abortion Fund, says existing restrictions already harm these groups by making abortion costly and clinics hard to reach.

This will just make it more excruciating than it already is, she said. Roe is the bare minimum. And it's just devastating to think that we're going to lose even that.

A final Supreme Court decision on Roe v. Wade is expected to come in June or July.

WFPL Reporter Ryan Van Velzer contributed reporting.

This story comes from a partnership between WFPL and Side Effects Public Media a public health news collaborative based at WFYI. Follow Aprile on Twitter @Aperoll27.

Original post:

If Roe falls, many in the Midwest will have to travel to access abortion - WFYI

With help from Daniel Lippman.

Editors note:Morning Energy is a free version of POLITICO Pro Energys morning newsletter, which is delivered to our subscribers each morning at 6 a.m. The POLITICO Pro platform combines the news you need with tools you can use to take action on the days biggest stories.Act on the news with POLITICO Pro.

The Commerce Department's probe into Southeast Asian solar imports could keep fossil fuels on the grid longer, undermining President Joe Biden's climate goals.

CEQ Chair Brenda Mallory testifies before the Senate Wednesday.

House and Senate committees continue to examine Biden's budget requests this week, including for the Agriculture Department and DOE's science and energy programs.

WELCOME TO MONDAY! Im your host, Matthew Choi, still dragging my feet through Covid. Martin Edwards of Taft Advisors gets the trivia for knowing The Inn at Little Washington is the only restaurant in the D.C. area with three Michelin stars, but it was great to hear from so many foodies! For today: Which NSYNC member voiced Chip Skylark in The Fairly Odd Parents? Send your tips, trivia answers and restaurant recs to [emailprotected]. Find me on Twitter @matthewchoi2018.

Check out the POLITICO Energy podcast all the energy and environmental politics and policy news you need to start your day, in just five minutes. Listen and subscribe for free at politico.com/energy-podcast. On today's episode: How renewables can grow in fossil fuel-dependent states.

A SOLAR SHOWDOWN COULD LEAD TO A RENEWABLE SLOWDOWN: Solar power has enjoyed meteoric growth over the past 10 years, with lower-than-expected prices incentivizing development and even changing models away from fossil fuel baseload generation toward a more central role for renewables. But all that could change with a Commerce Department probe into the solar supply chain chilling investment in new projects, POLITICOs Kelsey Tamborrino and Catherine Morehouse report.

Its just the math, said Richard McMahon, senior vice president of energy supply and finance at the Edison Electric Institute. You need to maintain reliability on the grid and if you cant count on those solar projects coming online in a timely way, then you have to get the power from somewhere.

The tariff petition, brought on by small California solar manufacturer Auxin Solar over parts imported from Southeast Asia, already delayed the retirement of a coal plant in Indiana, and utilities, industry groups and analysts warn more fossil fuel generation could stay on line longer as well. Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm joined the chorus of concern, telling senators Thursday the country could miss President Joe Bidens goal of decarbonizing the electricity sector by 2035 if the probe isnt resolved quickly. The Solar Energy Industries Association forecasts that going through with the tariff petition could lead to an additional 364 million metric tons of carbon by 2035.

A Commerce Department spokesperson told Kelsey and Catherine that the probe doesnt take into account political considerations and Commerce is committed to holding foreign producers accountable to playing by the same rules as U.S. producers. And Auxin Solar CEO Mamun Rashid said in a statement that industry concern over the supply chain crystallizes the need to completely on-shore the solar supply chain and to stop putting our countrys clean energy future in the hands of the Chinese. Read more from Kelsey and Catherine here.

RELATED READ: Zooming out for a 10,000-foot view of the Biden administrations trade policy, POLITICOs Gavin Bade takes a deep dive into the shifting politics of global trade as the Russian invasion of Ukraine and the economic pain of pandemic supply chain disruptions turn past assumptions on trade on their head.

As Gavin puts it: Trumps election in 2016 transformed a pro-globalization GOP and shocked Democrats into refocusing on working class voters hurt by trade deals. Then, shortages of masks and medical gear early in the Covid pandemic revealed the danger of Americas reliance on China. The supply chain crunches and inflation of the late pandemic disproved the thesis that free trade always lowers consumer prices. And then Russia destroyed the postwar European peace that all the free trade was supposed to support ushering in a new era of world politics."

IN COMMITTEE: Welcome back to another busy week on the Hill. White House Council on Environmental Quality Brenda Mallory heads before the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee on Wednesday to discuss the councils work over the past year. The oversight hearing comes as CEQ continues work on its Justice40 screener to determine communities eligible for greater environmental prioritization. The White House announced Jalonne White-Newsome would take charge of CEQ's environmental justice work Thursday.

Both chambers continue to tackle the presidents budget request this week, with a Senate Appropriations subcommittee meeting Tuesday to go over the Department of Agricultures budget and a House Appropriations subcommittee meeting Tuesday for the Transportation Department's proposal.

The House Appropriations Energy and Water Development Subcommittee meets Wednesday to go over the budget request for the National Nuclear Security Administration and environmental management, and itll meet Thursday to go over DOEs science and energy programs.

Also on Thursday, the House Energy and Commerce Committee will dive into licensing reforms for hydropower, particularly proposals between environmentalists and the industry to create sustainable generation as waterways degrade from climate change.

On the legislation front: the House Natural Resources has a few subcommittee hearings this week including a Thursday Energy and Mineral Resources Subcommittee meeting on reforming the Mine Act of 1872. House Natural Resources Chair Ral Grijalva is leading legislation, The Clean Energy Minerals Reform Act (H.R. 7580), in the House to update hardrock mining legislation, particularly as elements such as copper, lithium and nickel grow in importance amid the clean energy transition. Sen. Martin Heinrich is leading companion legislation in the Senate.

The Water, Oceans and Wildlife Subcommittee and the Subcommittee on Indigenous Peoples also have legislative hearings on Thursday on a number of bills in their jurisdiction, including the WaterSMART Access for Tribes Act (H.R. 6238) to increase tribal water conservation grants and the Desalination Research Advancement Act (H.R. 7612) to promote desalination innovation. The National Parks, Forests, and Public Lands Subcommittee has a hearing on Wednesday on four recreation and forestry bills. The Senate Energy National Parks Subcommittee will also hear testimony on a series of national parks and federal lands bills Wednesday.

A message from ExxonMobil:

At ExxonMobil, were working to supply the energy the world needs today, while developing solutions for tomorrow. Heavy transportation needs big solutions. Innovations like renewable diesel made from plants could help reduce emissions from trucks by about 3 million metric tons per year, compared to conventional fuel. Learn more about how were helping society move toward a net-zero future at ExxonMobil.com/fuels.

BIDENS HOSTING AGENDA: Biden will host Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi at the White House on Tuesday to discuss both European sanctions on Russia (more on that in a bit) and ways to ensure European energy security. Before the invasion of Ukraine, Italy was one of Russias top natural gas customers. But it has since made moves to cut down on its reliance on Moscow, looking at other suppliers including Algeria.

Biden will also host ASEAN leaders at the White House for dinner Thursday, followed by a summit Friday at the State Department. ASEAN members Indonesia and Malaysia are among the worlds top natural gas producers.

RENEWED TSA CHIEF: Biden plans to nominate David Pekoske for another stint leading the Transportation Security Administration, the White House announced Friday. The agencys role in overseeing pipeline security has come under increased scrutiny since the Colonial Pipeline cyberattack last year and TSAs contentious cybersecurity standards earlier this year. Pekoske was first confirmed for the job in 2017, but left briefly for stints with the Department of Homeland Security, including serving as acting secretary and acting deputy secretary during the Colonial hack. POLITICOs Oriana Pawlyk has more.

THE CENTRAL EUROPEAN EXCEPTION: European negotiators are still working out a deal on sanctioning Russian oil without tanking the economies of some of their more Moscow-reliant states. Negotiators put forth a proposal that would give Hungary and Slovakia until the end of 2024 and the Czech Republic until the summer of 2024 to comply with the EU-wide sunset of Russian oil imports, POLITICOs Jacopo Barigazzi reports.

But negotiators couldnt reach a deal over the weekend after the Hungarian government continued to object. One diplomat told Jacopo and POLITICOs Leonie Kijewski: They want something like a total opt-out. But that's crazy. Talks are expected to resume today or Tuesday.

G-7 members who include EU members France, Germany and Italy committed to phasing out or banning the import of Russian oil during a meeting Sunday, the White House announced. The members met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and "committed to work together to ensure stable global energy supplies, while accelerating our efforts to reduce dependence on fossil fuels."

WARMING WARNING IN CALIFORNIA: Climate change could spell more power outages in California this summer, the California Energy Commission warned Friday. Increased demand for air conditioning brought on by heatwaves, wildfire damage to transmission and growing cost of natural gas could all spell outages and we have to be prepared for that, Mark Rothleder, senior vice president for the California Independent System Operator, said according to The New York Times. The states energy officials made the assessment during a presentation Friday, where they warned electric bills would likely shoot up, with the average Pacific Gas & Electric customer paying 9 percent more by 2025. Read more from the Times here.

Related: Electricity Shortage Warnings Grow Across U.S, via The Wall Street Journal.

Max Levy is now deputy digital director for fundraising at Stacey Abrams' Georgia gubernatorial campaign. He most recently was manager for partnerships and special projects at the EPA.

Billionaire George Kaisers Bank Drills Deeper Into the Oil Patch, via The Wall Street Journal.

Conservatives urge Ottawa to intervene in new threat to Enbridges Line 5 pipeline from Indigenous band in Wisconsin, via The Globe and Mail.

Canada in talks with Repsol, Pieridae Energy about LNG export terminals, via Reuters.

Energy Stocks Still Have Gas in the Tank, via The Wall Street Journal.

Giving old dams new life could spark an energy boom, via The Washington Post.

THATS ALL FOR ME!

A message from ExxonMobil:

Energy and innovation. Were producing both.

At ExxonMobil, were working to supply the energy the world needs and were committed to playing a leading role in societys transition to a lower-emission future.

With partners around the globe, were working to develop renewable diesel derived from plants, advanced biofuels made from wood waste, and eFuel made with hydrogen and captured CO2. One day, these engine-ready fuels could power cars, trucks, and even planes and ships with up to 85% fewer emissions compared to conventional diesel.

Learn more about how we are advancing climate solutions to keep society moving toward net zero atExxonMobil.com/fuels.

Originally posted here:

The shadow over solar- POLITICO - POLITICO

The Senate votes today on codifying Roe v. Wade. While there are bipartisan proponents for the concept, window-dressing disagreements unrelated to womens rights dim the prospects for passage.

The House has already adopted a bill that would preserve Roe and Planned Parenthood of Southeastern Pennsylvania v. Casey. Senatorial give-and-take to preserve the right to choose would be easy if Republicans Susan Collins and Lisa Murkowski were truly committed to womens right to choose.

Two competing Senate bills afford an opportunity for compromise to protect Roe and Casey. Those settled Supreme Court decisions are in imminent jeopardy, as was confirmed by the leak last week of a draft majority opinion by Justice Samuel Alito overturning them.

The dueling bills contain two differences in language with no real-world consequences. Underlying the conflict is a more real disagreement: the filibuster. More on that after looking at why the variations in language are so superficial.

One Senate bill is sponsored by Collins and Murkowski. It expressly incorporates the Supreme Courts standard in Casey: A State may not impose an undue burden on the ability of a woman to choose whether or not to terminate a pregnancy before fetal viability.

The Democrats proposal invalidates any abortion ban or restriction before viability. The differing Collins-Murkowski language, Democrats argue, would allow the Supreme Court to permit abortions to be restricted after only 15 weeks, as Mississippis statute does, rather than the current viability standard of approximately 24 weeks.

But wait. Without congressional legislation, the Supreme Court is about to allow states to ban all abortions. And Democrats have not been paying attention if they think their bills language would prevent the Court from upholding Mississippi-type statutes. Why fight over next to nothing?

The second difference is that the Collins-Murkowski bill includes an express provision shielding medical providers with religious objections to abortion: Nothing in this Act shall be construed to have any effect on laws regarding conscience protection.

Collins says she wont support the Democrats bill because it does not protect . . . Catholic hospitals. Schumer says that any assertion that his bill jeopardizes their rights is false.

Goodness, with or without the Collins-Murkowski language, this Supreme Court majority is certain to allow Catholic medical providers to refuse to perform abortions. In the last year, the Court has upheld the constitutional rights of Catholic Philadelphia foster agencies to refuse to provide services to LGBTQ couples and struck down California COVID-19 crowd size restrictions against those conducting religious services.

Again it looks like the two sides are shadow-boxing.

That brings us to the real disagreement: Collinss and Murkowskis apparent opposition to creating a carve-out in the filibuster, which requires 60 votes to pass a measure.

Such a carve-out would not, as Collins has said previously, irreparably harm the Senate any more than the Senate was harmed by more than 100 previous carve-outs.

A Collinss spokeswoman announced last week that the Senator has not changed her position. If that is the case for her and Murkowski, Democrats have no incentive to compromise. Even if they wholly accepted the Republican senators bill, it would not become the law.

Notwithstanding research showing that banning abortion would raise pregnant womens deaths by more than 20%, it looks like reproductive freedom is not important enough for the two Republican senators to make an exception. If it were, they have a ready explanation.

Lets start with Collins. Following the Alito opinion leak, she was the subject of severe, renewed criticism for having voted to confirm Neil Gorsuch and Brett Kavanaugh. Collins defended herself by suggesting that she got hoodwinked. She stated that the draft decision is completely inconsistent with what [they] said in their hearings and in our meetings.

Collins going all-in on legislation codifying Roe would prove wrong her skeptics who say she doesnt put her vote where her pro-choice mouth is.

Murkowski is in a similar boat. She stated that the draft decision overturning Roe was not . . . the direction that I believed that the court would take based on statements that have been made about Roe being settled and being precedent.

Murkowski, too, has reason to prove that her support for womens reproductive freedom is more than a fig leaf. Her vote for Amy Coney Barrett came despite the now-Justice having said in her confirmation hearings that Roe is not a case that everyone has accepted, having joined lower court dissents that signaled her antipathy to abortion, and having signed a letter advocating the end of Roe.

These facts have created an enormous credibility gap for Murkowski and Collins. Their votes for a filibuster carve-out would close the gap and ensure that Roe and Casey remain the law of the land, regardless of what Democratic filibuster-supporters Joe Manchin and Kyrsten Sinema do, especially with Democratic Pennsylvania Senator Bob Casey just announcing that he would support Schumers bill.

Unless Collins and Murkowski are willing to codify Roe and vote to exempt the bill from the filibuster, the Republican senators claims that Supreme Court nominees misled them will look as hollow as a drum banged a few hundred times too many. Their votes today will likely tell us that they care more about staying in step with McConnells Marching Band than about protecting womens reproductive freedom.

Go here to see the original:

With Womens Lives on the Line, a Senate Vote Today Will Expose Collins and Murkowski on Choice - Justia Verdict

CITY SOFTBALL

SOFTBALL

OPEN DIVISION

Quarterfinals, Wednesday, 3 p.m.

#8 Eagle Rock at #1 El Camino Real

#5 Wilmington Banning at #4 San Pedro

#6 Carson at #3 Birmingham

#7 Granada Hills Kennedy at #2 Granada Hills

DIVISION I

First round, Tuesday unless noted

#9 Palisades at #8 South Gate, Wednesday, 3 p.m.

Legacy 8, Sun Valley Poly 1

Bravo 5, Sylmar 3

Chavez 21, Chatsworth 0

Los Angeles Roosevelt 4, Fairfax 3

Quarterfinals, Thursday, 3 p.m.

#8 South Gate/#9 Palisades winner at #1 Los Angeles Marshall

#5 Legacy at #4 Bravo

#6 Chavez at #3 Venice

#10 Los Angeles Roosevelt at #2 San Fernando

DIVISION II

Play-in games, Tuesday

#17 Marquez at #16 Sherman Oaks CES, result not reported

Garfield 19, Grant 0

Harbor Teacher Prep 10, South East 6

North Hollywood 12, West Adams 1

First round, Thursday, 3 p.m.

Sherman Oaks CES/Marquez winner at #1 Port of Los Angeles

#9 Los Angeles Wilson at #8 Taft

#12 Los Angeles Hamilton at #5 Arleta

#13 Garfield at #4 King/Drew

#14 Harbor Teacher Prep at #3 Gardena

#11 Lincoln at #6 Cleveland

#10 Northridge at #7 Verdugo Hills

North Hollywood/West Adams winner at #2 Franklin

DIVISION III

Play-in games, Tuesday

#17 Monroe at #16 Lakeview, result not reported

Locke 17, Bright Star 6

#19 Reseda at #14 Valley Arts/Sciences, result not reported

Panorama 28, Sun Valley Magnet 18

First round, Thursday, 3 p.m.

Lakeview/Monroe winner at #1 Santee

#9 Jefferson at #8 Fremont

#12 Los Angeles University at #5 Contreras

#20 Locke at #4 Canoga Park

Valley Arts/Sciences/Reseda winner at #3 Alliance Smidt Tech

#11 Torres at #6 Triumph

#10 Orthopaedic at #7 Dorsey

#18 Panorama at #2 Mendez

DIVISION IV

Play-in games, Tuesday

CALS Early College 9, Los Angeles Jordan 8

Hawkins 30, Animo South Los Angeles 24

Central City Value 20, Washington 2

USC-Media Arts/Engineering 28, Dymally 2

First round, Thursday, 3 p.m.

#16 CALS Early College at #1 Bernstein

#9 Westchester at #8 East Valley

#12 Animo Robinson at #5 Camino Nuevo

#13 Hawkins at #4 Middle College

#19 Central City Value at #3 Maywood CES

#11 Manual Arts at #6 University Prep Value

#10 Angelou at #7 Belmont

#18 USC-Media Arts/Engineering at #2 Roybal

NOTES: Quarterfinals, (Div. II-IV), Monday, 3 p.m.; semifinals (Open Division and Div. I), May 17, 3 p.m.; semifinals (Div. II-IV), May 18, 3 p.m. Championships, May 20 at Birmingham (Div. IV at 3 p.m., Div. III at 3:30 p.m.) and May 21 at Cal State Northridge (Div. II at 9 a.m., Div. I at noon, Open Division at 3 p.m.).

SOUTHERN SECTION SOFTBALL

DIVISION 1

Second round, Tuesday

Oaks Christian 13, Chino Hills 3

Murrieta Mesa 12, Norco 8

Los Alamitos 1, Beaumont 0

Camarillo 3, Esperanza 2

Eastvale Roosevelt 3, La Mirada 0

Garden Grove Pacifica 2, South Torrance 1

Gahr 7, La Serna 5

Orange Lutheran 2, Villa Park 1

Quarterfinals, Thursday, 3:15 p.m.

#1 Oaks Christian at Murrieta Mesa

Los Alamitos at #4 Camarillo

Garden Grove Pacifica at #3 Eastvale Roosevelt

Gahr at Orange Lutheran

DIVISION 2

Second round, Tuesday

Corona Centennial 10, Royal 0

Warren 1, North Torrance 0 (8)

Millikan 6, La Habra 5

South Hills 6, Segerstrom 3

Torrance 2, Glendora 1

Yucaipa 9, Charter Oak 1

Don Lugo 2, Arcadia 1

Mission Viejo 3, Sonora 0

Quarterfinals, Thursday, 3:15 p.m.

#1 Corona Centennial at Warren

Millikan at #4 South Hills

Yucaipa at #3 Torrance

#2 Mission Viejo at Don Lugo

DIVISION 3

Second round, Tuesday

Bonita 5, La Palma Kennedy 0

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High school softball: City and Southern Section playoff results and updated pairings - Los Angeles Times

Last Call A prime-time read of whats going down in Florida politics.

First Shot

Billionaire businessman Elon Musk reached an agreement to buy Twitter for $44 billion on Monday, and Florida Chief Financial Officer Jimmy Patronis is a fan of the move.

Patronis, echoing the sentiment of many other Republican politicians, asserted the acquisition would prevent the social network from silencing certain viewpoints conservatives have accused Twitter and other social media companies of blocking or shadow banning users who post controversial opinions online.

The CFO also used the announcement to ask Musk once again to bring business to the Sunshine State he previously called for the Tesla founder to move production facilities to Florida, among other things.

This acquisition is both a win for free speech and a win for Floridas pension system. With Elon now in full control of the company, I will continue my campaign of attracting Twitter to Florida, Patronis said.

While I do believe Elon has the right intentions, he will be battling a culture that lives, works and plays in San Francisco, which is the epicenter of wokeness, groupthink and speech codes. No doubt, Elons pro-freedom sentiments, as well as Twitters margins, would benefit from a move to the Sunshine State.

We have no income tax, we love freedom, and we believe in public safety. With Elon at the helm, Florida and Twitter would be a match made in heaven.

Musk seems like he will deliver on the censorship front he has described himself as a free-speech absolutist. However, whether the little blue bird migrates east remains to be seen.

___

Attorney General Ashley Moody is urging Congress to pass the Public Safety Officer Support Act of 2022.

The legislation would address gaps in support for public safety officers who suffer from job-related post-traumatic stress disorder as a line-of-duty injury, making them eligible for certain benefits. The legislation would also allow families of officers who die from trauma-linked suicide to apply for death benefits.

The Public Safety Officer Support Act of 2022 would apply to public safety personnel, including police, firefighters and emergency medical technicians. Compared to the general public, public safety workers are 25.6 times more likely to develop PTSD, which increases the risk of suicide.

According to BlueHelp.org, more than 220 first responders nationwide have taken their own lives since 2021, including 20 from Florida.

Not all scars suffered while serving the public are visible, and sometimes its the invisible scars that take the longest to heal, Moody said. Law enforcement officers suffer these mental scars in service to us, so the least we can do is support them in the healing process. That is why I am supporting the Public Safety Officer Support Act of 2022 and encouraging Congress to also support this necessary piece of legislation.

Moody expressed her support in a letter to Congress signed by attorneys general from 52 other states and territories.

The letter reads, in part, Each of our jurisdictions is served by thousands of brave first responders who show up for us in tragic situations every day. Now we need to show up for them. These individuals deserve access to quality treatment, and their loved ones deserve the benefits they have earned.

Evening Reads

Will Black voters punch back at the polls against Ron DeSantis over redistricting map? via Zac Anderson and Mark Harper of the Tallahassee Democrat

The extreme bias of Floridas new congressional map via Nathaniel Rakich of FiveThirtyEight

DeSantis endorses Wilton Simpson for Agriculture Commissioner via Jacob Ogles of Florida Politics

How Floridas war with Disney could change the park experience via Hannah Sampson of The Washington Post

Dear Disney: Will you fight back vs. DeSantis, Florida? (Im not sure you need to.) via Scott Maxwell of the Orlando Sentinel

DeSantiss attack on Disney obviously violates the First Amendment via Ian Millhiser of Vox

He fuels the rights cultural fires (and spreads them to Florida) via Trip Gabriel of The New York Times

Ahead of election, Gov. DeSantis approval nears 60% via Caden DeLisa of The Capitolist

Charlies message is resonating: Shevrin Jones endorses Charlie Crist for Governor via Jesse Scheckner of Florida Politics

Mitch McConnells nightmare scenario via Russell Berman of The Atlantic

As lawmakers avert their eyes, condo insurers flee Florida or jack up prices post-Surfside via Ben Conarck of the Miami Herald

Elon Musk agrees to buy Twitter in $44 billion deal via Cara Lombardo, Meghan Bobrowsky and Georgia Wells of The Wall Street Journal

Quote of the Day

I got rid of my Disney+. Im not planning on going back to the park.

U.S. Sen. Rick Scott, swearing off the Happiest Place on Earth.

Bill Days Latest

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Last Call for 4.25.22 A prime-time read of what's going down in Florida politics - Florida Politics

The growing pains of making a follower base on TikTok is something youd never want to start from scratch again if you can help it, right? But, TikTok sometimes has different plans as you might wake up one day with an upsetting account ban.

If you find this scenario resonating a bit too much with your current situation, then it is time to pick yourself up again. We have gathered here for you all the legitimate ways to appeal an account ban on TikTok.

There are many reasons for an account to get banned, however, the foundation of it is the violation of one or multiple clauses in the TikTok community guidelines. The graver the nature of the offense, the more severe the penalty.

There are 4 kinds of bans on TikTok and 3 of them are related to the account. They are shadow bans (which block your videos from other users For You page); temporary bans (account suspension for a certain period of time limiting account activity like video uploading), permanent bans (account gets permanently removed), and live stream ban (when you are banned from participating or commenting in a certain live stream).

The first step to getting your TikTok account unbanned is figuring out the cause that triggered such action from TikTok.

Related: If I Turn Off Profile Views on TikTok, Will They Know?

The nature of bans on TikTok can be classified into two temporary and permanent. If your account gets temporarily banned, you will be restricted from posting videos or engaging in certain activities on your account through the course of the period of suspension. The period of suspension is determined on the basis of the nature or severity of the guideline violation and it may take from 24 to 48 hours for it to be lifted.

Be it temporary or permanent, TikTok notifies you of the event. So, if the message informs you that your account is temporarily suspended, then there is still hope for you to recover the account. Shadow bans and temporary bans lift themselves after a certain period of time without any action from your end.

On the other hand, if your account gets banned on a permanent basis, then, hate to break it to you, you just cannot get it back. TikTok only sentences an account to a permanent ban when the user is directly found to have committed some unpardonable offense like multiple and repeated violations of community guidelines, or propagation and participation in criminal, anti-social, illegal, or violent activities or propaganda.

Related: How to Add Friends on TikTok in 5 Ways: Step-by-step guide

Shadowbanning can be considered as a soft ban that keeps your video from reaching the target audiences For You page or showing up under relevant tags. The direct consequence is a stark plummet in the viewer engagement with your content in terms of views, comments, and likes.

If you notice that your videos are receiving a little less attention than they used to, then it is because you have been shadowbanned. The reasons for getting shadowbanned include hashtag stuffing, community guideline violation, any problem with the quality of content you upload, or resorting to illegitimate means to gain followers or viewer traction.

If TikTok catches you using third-party apps or mediums to gain fake followers or bot engagements, consider yourself immediately shadowbanned. Using VPNs is similarly grossly frowned upon by TikTok devs, which leads to the imposition of temporary bans or shadowbans.

Shadowbans may last for a few days or up to 2 weeks depending on the charge levied on you. To fix shadowbans, you can use the Report a problem under account settings to use the Support Tickets feature to contact the TikTok help desk we shall break down the steps involved shortly, hang on!

If you commit a relatively serious or multiple violations of its community guidelines, TikTok doesnt hesitate to slap you with a temporary ban on your account whereby you cannot use the account for significant engagement like posting new content. You will also receive a notification in the Inbox informing you that your account has been temporarily suspended.

For a first-time offense, you could get away with 24-48 hour limitations or account suspension to a view-only state for up to 72 hours (during this period, you wont be able to upload videos, or leave likes or comments.) The punitive measures taken depend upon the gravity of your offense and how frequently you violate community guidelines.

Finally, if you test TikToks zero-tolerance policies, then, you can only nurse the wounds of a lost account as TikTok doesnt waste any time but would directly impose a permanent ban on any account that disregards its caveats to refrain from any of the forbidden activities like promoting or engaging in activities related to terrorism, ammunition or arms, human or drug trafficking, pornography, abusive behavior, harassment, and blackmailing, etc.

Well, if you are under 13 and discovered by TikTok, that is also a reason to get your account permanently banned. Sometimes, TikTok fortifies it with a ban on the device itself to stop you from creating new accounts on that device.

Related: How to Remove Watermark on TikTok Video

The only way to get an account ban repealed is by making an appeal with the TikTok Support desk and there are 5 ways to reach out to TikTok to do this. Lets take a detailed look at each method now.

When your account gets a temporary ban, you will get notified in the Inbox about the event.

Step 1: Launch TikTok.

Step 2: Tap the Inbox icon to view the notifications.

Step 3: You will see the system notification informing you about the ban. Tap Appeal to request account recovery.

A plain and direct way to make an appeal on TikTok to reverse an account ban is through the Support Tickets feature. Here is how it is done.

Launch TikTok.

Tap the profile icon to go to your profile.

Hit the burger button on the top right corner.

Tap Settings and privacy.

Under SUPPORT, tap Report a problem.

Tap the writing board icon on the top-right corner of the screen.

You will land on the Your feedback page. Tap the compose icon on the top right corner of the page.

In the text box enter your message. Make sure to compose it with a personal touch explaining your plight and appeal well. If you have media to substantiate a reasonable cause to reinstate your account, tap the picture and video icons to attach them accordingly.

Tap Reportto submit the request.

It typically takes anywhere between 1 to 3 days to get a response from the help desk, however, it might take longer (like really long) to get a reply or any form of acknowledgment. So, hang in there! Help should be on the way as long as you have valid reasons to claim back your account.

Related: How to Save TikTok Videos Without Posting

TikTok has more than one official email account always ready to receive feedback or offer redressal to user complaints. If you dont get any satisfactory reply following the Support Tickets route mentioned above, you can try emailing the official TikTok feedback reception.

Open your choice email service provider. For demonstration, we shall go with Gmail and tap Compose on the left side panel.

In theTofield, enter the address [emailprotected]Send the content of the email separately to each of the following email IDs as well [emailprotected], in[emailprotected], and [emailprotected].

Enter a short and appropriate subject line. In the composition box, explain your situation with specific details related to when your account got banned, and reasons (if any) to justify why you believe or behest the account to be reinstated. Attach files if necessary.

HitSend and wait for a reply from TikTok Help.

feedbacktiktok.com is reputed to give fast responses or solutions to users. So, you should get an acknowledgment and solution to your problem without much delay.

Related: How to repost on TikTok

Launch TikTok.

Tap the profile icon to go to your profile.

Hit the burger button on the top right corner.

Tap Settings and privacy.

Under SUPPORT, tap Report a problem.

TapAccount and profileunder Topics.

TapProfile page to expand.

Select Other from the options.

On the Report a problem page, tap Need more help?to proceed.

In the text box enter your message. Make sure to compose it with a personal touch explaining your plight and appeal well. If you have media to substantiate a reasonable cause to reinstate your account, tap the picture and video icons to attach them accordingly.

Tap Reportto submit the request.

It takes a few days for the TikTok team to get back to you. So, dont get disheartened if you do not hear from them immediately.

Related: Does TikTok Notify When You Save Someones Video?

Share your feedback form allows you to intimate TikTok team with issues or problems with user experience or account. It is a direct portal to contact TikTok Help regarding your banned or suspended account.

Go to Share your feedback page.

Enter your email id in the designated text box.

Username is not a mandatory field. Fill it out if you find it necessary.

Tap the dropbox to select Account ban/suspension for the Topic.

In the dropbox under Tell us more, you will find the following options Livestream, banned account (not age-related), banned account (age-related), and Other. Select one according to your situation.

In the text box, input a detailed and personalized message informing them about the issue at hand and how you hope to get it resolved.

If you have photos or videos to supplement your argument or request, tap Uploadto attach related files.

Tap both the checkboxes to agree with the Declaration statements.

Finally, tapSubmit to complete the process.

It might take a few days before you get a reply from TikTok help. So. dont lose hope yet if no action or response immediately follows your submission.

More:

5 Ways to Get TikTok Account Unbanned and Reasons You Got Banned - NerdsChalk

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

In a sudden, inexplicable, and chilling act of censorship, The Onion has been permanently banned from Twitter. This is a dark day for journalism and sets a grim precedent for the freedom of expression in America.

On Apr. 21, 2022, The Onion was found guilty of the truth in a sham trial presided over by Judge Jack Dorsey and his jury of sycophant moderators. We now publish this press release on our Twitter account in a desperate effort to show these corporate tyrants that their barbarity will not go unchallenged.

The truth perishes in the night.

We call on all defenders of free speech to retweet our tweet about Twitter banning us. Feel free to quote-tweet our tweet too, but only to say something nice. Dont let Twitter get away with this.

This is a tragic moment in the history of Americas Finest News Source. Our reporters are deeply troubled by this unfounded attack on their principles, and many of them say they no longer recognize the website they live in. We havent seen such a brutal challenge to the notion of a free press since a chlamydia outbreak in our newsroom back in 2012 rendered most of our staff unable to work.

In that painful, secretion-filled summer, as now, The Onion could only imagine what nefarious forces were really behind an attempt to muzzle us. We suspect that our Twitter ban is but the end of a thread that, once unraveled, would lead us deep into Americas chasm of lies. We wish we could find out who these shadowy powers are, but we cant, obviously, because Twitter banned us. Keep up.

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Sadly, this is not The Onions first time being silenced. Weve long suspected that Facebook shadow-banned us in 2015 when our finances nosedived because Facebook censored the fact that they were just making up engagement numbers. We also surmise that hidden powers have colluded to gag us by placing so many ads on our website as to render it functionally unreadable. Finally, a glance at the New York Times bestseller list reveals not a single one of The Onions many books, a clear act of journalist-on-journalist censorship with horrific significance. Each one of these fearless volumes is not only a treasure trove of reportage, but a brave paean to the very notion of a free and fair press. We urge all those who want to avoid becoming complicit in censorship to buy a copy.

Yet we know we are not alone. Every day, journalists, activists, and political truth-tellers are censored for their views in a bunch of examples that we didnt feel like looking up. While these suppressions naturally dont compare with what weve suffered, they were nonetheless stepping stones on the path to the wanton annihilation of The Onions Twitter presence. If nothing else, we hope that our tweetannouncing our Twitter ban will stand as a testament to the creeping rise of authoritarianism online, and presumably offline as well.

If youre reading this because you clicked the link on Twitter, youll understand the gravity of the situation. Youll know that we stand athwart a pivotal moment in the arc of history, when journalists and lesser Americans must decide on our collective future. We must determine whether the right to speak freely is something we value, or whether we will consign it to the dustbin of history alongside voting rights, housing rights, privacy rights, and all the other human rights that are already there and are frankly too complicated to deal with. The choice is oursor rather, Twitters. Or maybe its still ours. Or yours? Were not sure.

We urge our readership to stay with us as the situation develops. The easiest way to get the latest updates on our Twitter ban is by following us on Twitter.

If Americas Finest News Source can be the victim of mass suppression, no one is safe.

###

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BREAKING: The Onion Has Been Permanently Banned From Twitter - The Onion

I could sense a dark mass behind him, a man. "ALBERT!" I screamed as I lunged forward. My blade pierced through the assassin, and as I got closer, a light revealed my enemy.

Grim Adversity (Page 4)

Shadow AssassinSpecial Behavior

Can teleport to attack a certain teammate

500k- 370M

Shadow Assassins spawn as Mini-Bosses in The Catacombs on Floor 3 and above. Their health and damage scales by their floor and dungeon progress; if spawned in a yellow room, it is significantly buffed.

4 Shadow Assassins spawn in each corner of the arena during the 2nd phase of Necrons fight. They have 20M each.

The Shadow Assassin can teleport and is extremely agile. It has the highest melee damage of any mini-boss and does additional damage when attacking from behind. However, it does not have a healing ability.

The Shadow Assassins protect the four control pads for the crushers at the four corners of the room. Necron will try to protect them, attacking any player who attacks them.

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Shadow Assassin | Hypixel SkyBlock Wiki | Fandom