Burundi Ruling Party Wins All Seats in National Assembly
Three indigenous lawmakers obtained seats to fulfill so-called ethnic equilibrium, taking the total allocated to 111, National Election Commission President Prosper Ntahorwamiye said Wednesday.
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Yahoo
27 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Two candidates advance in Stearns County Board special election race
Two candidates led the pack in the Stearns County Board of Commissioners District 4 special election primary held Aug. 12. Candidates Amin Ali and Bob Johnson will advance to the Nov. 4 general election. Ali got the most votes with 528 ballots (36.3%) cast in his favor while Johnson got 486 votes (33.4%), according to the Minnesota Secretary of State's Office. St. Cloud City Council member Mike Conway came in third with 277 votes (19%) followed by Frank Imbolte with 97 votes (6.67%), Shawn Blackburn with 53 votes (3.65%) and Darrell Bruestle with 13 votes (0.89%), according to preliminary results posted by the Minnesota Secretary of State's Office. The District 4 seat was vacated by former Commissioner Leigh Lenzmeier on April 23. His wife voiced concerns about cognitive abilities in a guardianship battle that was ultimately dismissed. More: Stearns County combs through staff budget requests, slashes to possible 5.7% levy increase Amin Ali Age: 39 Occupation: Housing expert, youth coach and community organize Why are you running for office? I'm running for Stearns County Commissioner to make a difference, as I have seen the challenges our families are facing from affordable housing, education, public safety and employment. I've spent years serving the community, and I want to bring that experience to the county leadership. We need leadership that listens, leads with compassion, and works for all residents. Public service experience: As a youth coach, mentor and community organizer, I work directly with more than 250 youth and families to create opportunities, stability and growth here in Stearns County. What do you want to improve in Stearns County? My focus is on four key priorities: youth development and opportunity, housing access and affordability, public safety and economic development and workforce growth. I want to build a county where families feel secure, youth are supported and local businesses and workers thrive. We need local solutions that reflect the needs of our community. What is going well in Stearns County? Stearns County is strengthened by its dedicated public servants and administrative leadership who are committed to building a robust and effective local government. What truly defines our community, however, is the remarkable spirit of collaboration and mutual support among neighbors, a foundation that makes our community work. Favorite food: A good cheeseburger. More: New COVID variant, 'Stratus', sweeps through the U.S.; what to know in Minnesota Bob Johnson Age: 76 Occupation: Retired in August 2023. Administrative Director, Michigan Heart Institute; Executive Director CentraCare Heart and Vascular Center, Dialysis program and CentraCare Wound Center; Executive Director Paramount Center for the Arts. Why are you running for office? I am committed to public service, and it has helped to guide my career choices. Throughout my employment I've worked for non-profits that met essential needs for all of us. My strong desire to contribute to the public good and improve the lives of others drives what I've chosen to do, and it gives me great satisfaction to see people's lives and vision for their families move forward in positive ways. I have the experience, interest, energy and passion to serve as a commissioner on behalf of District 4 and all of Stearns Service experience: St. Cloud City Council (3 terms-President in last term), Human Rights Commission-City of St. Cloud, Stearns County Housing Trust Board, NorthStar Corridor Development Authority, Area Planning Organization, Housing and Redevelopment Authority, St. Cloud Library Building Committee, Cathedral of St. Mary Trustee, Good Earth Food Co-op Board, St. John's Boys' Choir Board. What do you want to improve in Stearns County? Stearns County is (among the) largest in Minnesota with a total area of 1,394 sq. miles. 125 lakes, 500 farms, and numerous towns and urban areas make it a great place to live. As the world evolves, and state mandates change, due diligence and cost scrutiny in planning needs to be a continuous process. I will collaborate with leadership, staff, my fellow commissioners and the public, to look at areas of concern whether finances, infrastructure, housing, land use, safety/security etc. to employ the best technology and policy for all of us who pay taxes. What is going well in Stearns County? Stearns County has very competent and capable leadership and staff. They provide a foundation of content expertise, skill and talent focusing their work on what is good for residents. The 'Shape 2040 Stearns' comprehensive plan, a vision for the future, written in part by county leaders and employees, offers a framework with five pillars of major concern (Living, Agriculture, Nature, Business, and Connectivity). As the document fleshes out direction and detail and is used to guide policy and implementation, Stearns County can strategically reach that vision that ultimately serves all of us. Favorite food? Just about everything that is made from scratch. This article originally appeared on St. Cloud Times: Who advanced in the Stearns County Board election? Here's what to know Solve the daily Crossword
Washington Post
29 minutes ago
- Washington Post
Police group endorses Spanberger, Democrat running for Virginia governor
RICHMOND — The Virginia Police Benevolent Association is backing Abigail Spanberger, the Democratic nominee for governor — a switch from four years ago, when the group favored Republicans up and down the statewide ticket. The PBA announced Wednesday that it is splitting its endorsements in statewide races this year, picking the Republican candidates for lieutenant governor and attorney general, John Reid and Jason S. Miyares. The group praised Spanberger for voting to increase local law enforcement funding during her two terms in Congress. That runs counter to the accusations pushed on the campaign trail by Spanberger's Republican rival, Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears, that Spanberger is anti-police. Earle-Sears won the PBA's endorsement in 2021 in the race for her current position. Earle-Sears's campaign spokesperson did not immediately respond to a request for comment. At a time when President Donald Trump has seized control of law enforcement in the nation's capital, the issue of public safety is becoming more prominent in the much-watched Virginia governor's race. The contests in Virginia — which is one of only two states holding statewide elections this year, along with New Jersey — are viewed by both major parties as a referendum on the Trump White House and a proving ground for strategies for next year's congressional midterms. The PBA, a labor union that represents nearly 11,000 law enforcement officers in Virginia, relies on candidate questionnaires in making endorsements and has a long record of supporting candidates in both parties. In recent years, though, the Virginia association has largely favored Republicans in legislative and statewide races. In 2020, when Spanberger was seeking a second term in Congress representing Virginia's 7th District, the PBA endorsed her Republican rival, Del. Nick Freitas (Culpeper). Spanberger won that year and again in 2022 before declining to seek reelection last year to run for governor. In the PBA's statement Wednesday, it lauded Spanberger for voting in Congress 'to increase funding for local police departments and sheriff's offices — and she was relentless in pushing her bipartisan Social Security Fairness Act across the finish line to secure the earned benefits of thousands of Virginia's retired police officers.' Joe Woloszyn, president of the Virginia Police Benevolent Association, added in the statement that Spanberger 'has a deep, expert-level knowledge of the unique challenges facing Virginia's law enforcement officers, and she is a leader who shares our goal of building trust across our communities and working toward a safer, stronger Commonwealth.' Spanberger spent several years working as a federal postal inspector on narcotics and money-laundering cases, and then as an undercover officer for the CIA before running for Congress. 'Law enforcement officers are not making the money they should, and there's a problem with turnover in corrections; they're short-staffed. That's all got to be looked at from a holistic standpoint and Spanberger would come in and have the experience to look at that,' Rich Goszka, the Virginia field representative for the parent group Southern States Police Benevolent Association, said in an interview. He said the group felt comfortable sticking with Miyares, the incumbent state attorney general. 'He's a more law-and-order kind of guy. We felt confident in him to continue leading the state,' Goszka said. Miyares is running against Democratic former delegate Jerrauld 'Jay' Jones, of Norfolk, who last week convened a roundtable in Richmond to showcase his ideas about criminal justice policies. The PBA picked Reid for lieutenant governor over Democratic state Sen. Ghazala Hashmi (Chesterfield) because 'he was very veteran- and police-friendly,' Goszka said. Virginia's statewide races are run individually, not as a ticket, which sometimes results in partisan splits. Earle-Sears, a small-business owner and a former Marine, has claimed repeatedly on the campaign trail that Spanberger favors defunding the police, exposing law enforcement officers to lawsuits and taking away peoples' guns. That would result in 'anarchy,' Earle-Sears told supporters at a campaign event this month in Surry County. 'When we call 911, we say there's a burglar, who's going to get us? Exactly, they're not going to come, there's nobody. And we're not even going to be able to have our guns. Because Abigail is going to get rid of our [Second Amendment] rights. Can we afford her? No. No. I mean, all across the board, this woman is crazy. She's absolutely crazy,' Earle-Sears said. Spanberger has not advocated defunding the police and famously scolded other Democrats in Congress in 2020 for losing elections by taking far-left positions — such as to defund the police. The daughter of a law enforcement officer, Spanberger has said she carried a gun every day in her federal jobs but favors some types of gun control, such as a ban on assault-style weapons. Spanberger signed onto the federal Justice in Policing Act during the racial justice protests of 2020, which included provisions seeking to 'reform' — but not eliminate — qualified immunity, the concept that protects police officers from lawsuits while in the line of duty. Earle-Sears has made law and order a keystone of her campaign this summer, appearing before supporters with the slogan 'Defend & Deliver' on banners in military-style lettering. She lists endorsements from more than 55 sheriffs on her campaign website, as well as several commonwealth's attorneys. 'She has a proven record of supporting law enforcement, restoring order, and backing the blue,' Hopewell Sheriff Travis Stanley said while introducing Earle-Sears at an event in that city this month. 'She will defend our officers against radical efforts to defund or disarm them [and] defend qualified immunity [from] politically motivated lawsuits.' This week, after Trump seized control of law enforcement in the District and condemned the city's crime rate, Earle-Sears cast blame on Spanberger in several posts on X. 'Carjackers. Burglars. Robbers. Abigail Spanberger voted to protect D.C.'s law that goes soft on all of them,' Winsome-Sears wrote, saying her opponent 'fights for criminals.' She cited Spanberger's 2023 refusal to vote in Congress against D.C.'s revised criminal code, which a handful of other Democrats joined Republicans in opposing over its reduction or elimination of mandatory minimum sentences for a variety of crimes. It marked the first time in more 30 years that Congress overturned a law passed by D.C.'s council. Spanberger's office said in a statement at the time that she 'believes there is a high bar for elected officials from Virginia or any other state to intervene in Washington, D.C.'s local affairs, and as D.C.'s local code change would have increased maximum penalties for horrific crimes like attempted sexual assault, attempted murder, and assaulting a police officer. Rep. Spanberger did not vote to interfere.'
Epoch Times
an hour ago
- Epoch Times
Trump Wants to Change Census to Exclude Illegal Immigrants—What to Know
President Donald Trump is seeking to change how the U.S. Census Bureau collects data and exclude illegal immigrants from the U.S. Census. Trump ordered the Commerce Department to do so and announced the plan via a post to Truth Social, writing that the department would begin work on a 'new and highly accurate CENSUS based on modern day facts and figures and, importantly, using the results and information gained from the Presidential Election of 2024.'
