Czech Opposition Party Pledges to End Austerity If Wins Election
The central European nation of 11 million will hold a parliamentary ballot in less than two months as voters decide whether to extend the mandate of an administration that's placed its bets on budget belt-tightening — or replace it with a populist billionaire who aims to return to office on promises for ramped up spending.
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Yahoo
20 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Gov. Cox worries about what will be lost in national redistricting battle
Utah Gov. Spencer Cox said on Thursday the redistricting battle taking place in states across the country ahead of the 2026 midterm elections could backfire in the long term. Referencing the principle of 'Chesterton's Fence,' Cox said it is unwise to eliminate a system without fully understanding why it was established in the first place. 'Sometimes, I think we make changes to long-standing norms and policies, not realizing the consequences of those changes to those norms and policies,' Cox said. 'I fear that this may be one of those.' Speaking at his monthly PBS news conference, Cox returned to a regular theme of his, emphasizing the deep divides in U.S. politics, and worrying that a redistricting race to the bottom will only make it worse. On Wednesday, the Texas House approved new district maps at the behest of President Donald Trump that will increase the number of congressional seats Republicans are likely to win in the state. The California Legislature is poised to approve its own map changes this week that could secure them an extra five seats next year — the same number Republicans are expected to flip in the Lone Star State — as long as voters approve the maps in November. 'We just see the escalation that continues to happen,' Cox said. 'It just continues to ratchet up the toxicity — and the stakes, quite frankly — and so I would be very cautious about doing that.' A gerrymandering arms race Since Trump called on Texas Republicans last month to break with redistricting tradition, Democrats have accused the GOP of gerrymandering tactics that border on election interference, and have threatened to retaliate in kind. Meanwhile, Republicans have cited Democrats' history of gerrymandering in blue states, and recent Supreme Court rulings that allow for politically motivated redistricting in what is fundamentally a political process. The finger-pointing by both sides could accelerate a worrying trend toward norm breaking and partisan tribalism, according to Cox, who gained recognition for his Disagree Better campaign as National Governors Association chair. 'We are so polarized as a country with the trust in institutions falling,' Cox said. 'I can't see a scenario where every two or four years we're redistricting, I can't see a scenario where that makes life better for anybody.' Utah's congressional boundaries are currently being litigated in federal court over allegations that state lawmakers violated the Utah Constitution by ignoring recommendations from an independent redistricting commission created by voter initiative. The maps approved in 2021 redrew the Beehive State's congressional districts in a way that split up Democratic voters between the state's four House districts and made it more difficult for a Democrat to represent the state in Congress. Shifting the census consensus Republicans have partially justified their redistricting revolution by alleging the 2020 census may have undercounted in Republican-led states and overcounted Democratic-held states by including noncitizens. The U.S. Constitution mandates a national census every decade to count all residents. Earlier this month, Trump announced his administration will work on a new census that excludes 'People who are in our Country illegally.' On Thursday, Cox said there are questions about whether noncitizens should be factored into the distribution of Electoral College votes. But he said the census should still count every resident to provide the best data. In an interview with the Deseret News earlier this month, Utah Rep. Mike Kennedy, of the state's 3rd Congressional District, said he agrees with the president that 'citizens should be counted, not undocumented individuals.' 'Citizens are what the Founders intended,' Kennedy said. 'I don't believe the founders ever foresaw the possibility that our country would have tens of millions of people in this country that are living illegally in this country.' Modern technology has made it possible to conduct a census at least every five years, according to Kennedy, which he said would help elected officials govern better amid a rapidly changing population. Not all mail-in voting created equal On Monday, Trump also took on the form of voting used by a majority of Utahns, announcing he would lead an effort to 'get rid of mail-in ballots' by signing an executive order to 'help bring HONESTY to the 2026 Midterm Elections.' Utah Sen. Mike Lee responded in favor of Trump's initiative while Utah Lt. Gov. Deidre Henderson reiterated that the 'constitutional right' of states to decide how to 'conduct secure elections is a fundamental strength of our system.' 'The Constitution is very clear that it's in the purview of the states and not the federal government,' Cox agreed, during Thursday's press conference. 'And I think states should defend that.' However, Cox said Trump is right to be 'extremely cautious when it comes to mail-in voting' because, unlike Utah, most states implemented a vote-by-mail system 'virtually overnight' in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Utah started rolling out vote by mail in 2012 before implementing it statewide in 2019. The Legislature continues to enhance safeguards for the process, voting in 2025 to implement ballot deadlines and a new identification measure. For this reason, many of the criticisms levied toward mail-in ballots do not apply to Utah, according to Cox. When skeptics get a chance to view the process, Cox said they come away with increased confidence in election security. 'We can do both things,' Cox said. 'We can defend the role of the states and be very serious about voter integrity. And I think more states need to be more serious about voting integrity.'
Yahoo
20 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Contributions for Decatur mayoral candidates total almost $122K in final week before election
Aug. 21—With less than a week left before Decatur's 2025 municipal elections, contributions for two of the four mayoral candidates are officially up to $121,838. According to the Alabama Secretary of State's Office's website Wednesday, Kent Lawrence leads in these final days with $82,784 in contributions. Billy Jackson reported $39,054 in contributions through Monday. The election is Tuesday. A candidate does not have to report contributions or expenses to the state if he or she doesn't cross the $1,000 threshold. Butch Matthews said Wednesday that he reported a single $100 contribution to the Secretary of State. Matthews, who is making his fourth attempt at becoming mayor, said he doesn't have as many signs as in the past. "I'm talking to people and waving at people," Matthews said. "I'm paying for the campaign myself." Wiley had not passed the $1,000 threshold as of Wednesday, according to an official in the Secretary of State's Office. However, Wiley said she received $1,800 in contributions and spent $1,600 of it on her campaign. "I don't owe anybody anything," Wiley said. "I don't have a consultant, an image maker or an entourage. I'm a self-confident woman who can go into a room and talk to anyone. I'm talking to a boatload of people, one coffee cake at a time, three or four people at a time. That's how I am." Jess Brown, a retired political science professor, said it's important to look at financial disclosures. He said often candidates get support from friends and close business associates, many of whom would already have access to the candidates if elected even if they didn't give money. "The questions become who gave money and how much did they give," Brown said. "If they don't know the candidate well, they could be looking for access and influence." Brown said there are some with vested interests in municipal elections, particularly developers, contractors and real estate investors. "Those people know that city government always impacts their business," Brown said. Brown said he was surprised that $82,000 was the most any mayoral candidate had received so far in Decatur. He said $500 or $1,000 is a small contribution in most municipal elections. Jackson said Tuesday that he is pleased with where his campaign sits financially at this point in the race. "Our goal initially was to be somewhere between $45,000 and $50,000," Jackson said. "We thought that this would allow us to run a viable and productive campaign." According to the state, Lawrence reported 175 contributions averaging $597. In contrast, Jackson's 122 contributions averaged $433. Lawrence's largest contributions came from three groups. He got $3,500 from the Alabama Builders Political Action Committee, $2,294 from the Alabama Realtors Association and $2,000 from Gobble Fite. His largest individual contributors were $2,500 each from Brandon Price and Jack Fite, both builders, and Michael Ceci of Madison. Jackson's biggest contribution was $5,000 from E&F Group Homes, whose chief executive officer is listed as Tommy Cook. Henry Jackson and attorney Carl Cole each gave $2,000 to Jackson, who loaned his campaign $3,000 at the start of the race. Jackson said it means a lot to him that he's getting a large number of smaller contributions. "People are giving what they can," Jackson said. "And we're very grateful for every contribution. You know it's harder on some people who are stretching their budgets to give to our campaign. They believe in our campaign and what we're doing." Lawrence has spent more than all of his competitors combined, with $59,316 in reported expenditures to the state. He reported that he has paid $38,100 to Strategy Management, a Montgomery public relations firm that specializes in running political campaigns. The firm's website says it ran the campaigns of Gov. Kay Ivey, Huntsville Congressman Dale Strong and local state Rep. Parker Moore. Jackson reported spending $21,303 so far on his campaign. Most of his expenses were on signs, billboards and T-shirts. His highest expense is $3,621 to Red Clay Strategies Political Consulting Firm, a Huntsville company founded by April Hodges. Jackson said the campaign has been "very conservative in our spending," using the campaign funds on the basic necessities. "We're approaching this campaign with a lot of door-knocking, canvassing, phone banking and leg work," Jackson said. "Our campaign is a grassroots effort focused on meeting and seeing people. I've wore out a pair of shoes just trying to get out there." In response to an interview request, Lawrence sent The Decatur Daily an email through his political consultant. Here is a portion of that response: "When I got into this race I had one mission in mind: bring people together to move our city forward, restore trust in local government, and work with every citizen to ensure every voice is heard and our needs are met. I am incredibly thankful for all of the support I've received from people who have volunteered their time to help knock on doors, make phone calls, contribute to the campaign, host events, and more." The candidates were asked what they think the biggest focus of their campaign will in the final week. Wiley said safety, roads and "a lack of unity. We're always split 50-50" over certain issues. Jackson said his campaign's focus will be talking to as many people as possible who have not decided how they will cast their vote and explaining that he has the best qualifications, experience, education and training to be mayor. "When people say they want to move Decatur forward and still they're not necessarily picking the most qualified candidate, then it comes across as being insincere," Jackson said. "I want a Decatur where there's accountability and transparency, and I want a Decatur where everybody's voice is heard. I want people to be able to trust city government again." Lawrence said he thinks the biggest issue in the final stretch of the campaign is making sure everyone goes to vote. "It shouldn't matter who you support, you should vote. We are fortunate to have control of who our elected leaders are, and I would encourage everyone to make your voice heard by voting. Of course, I want to earn as many votes as I possibly can, so that is what I will be doing: talking to folks, meeting citizens, and working to earn their support," he said in the email. — Council races The contributions in the City Council races and the single school board race are lower than the mayoral race. District 1's Nick Perkins leads all council candidates with $15,065 in contributions. This haul features the single largest contribution of all of Decatur's races, $11,000 from Roy Priest, of Huntsville. In District 3, incumbent Carlton McMasters has the most contributions with $10,700. Opponent Mike Faruqui reported $5,331. This includes $815 in contributions from supporters while personally putting $4,519 into his campaign. Two of the four District 4 candidates reported contributions. Pam Werstler received $5,350, including $1,500 from North Alabama Forward PAC. Sarah French got $2,500 in contributions, including $1,500 from supporter Tommy Cook. In the two-man race in District 5, Barry Bullard received $7,949 in contributions while Harold Gilmore reported $1,250. — or 256-340-2432 Play Farm Merge Valley
Fox News
23 minutes ago
- Fox News
Russia strikes US electronics plant in latest attack on Ukraine
Fox News reporter Stephanie Bennett reports on a new airstrike by Russia that impacted a U.S. electronics plant near the Hungary border on 'Special Report.'
