Polls in Bolivia open for national elections that could empower the right wing
Among voters, there is desperation for change as Bolivia undergoes its worst economic crisis in four decades. But there's also trepidation. The right-wing candidates who served in past neoliberal governments before the era of iconic leftist ex-President Evo Morales (2006-2019) have pledged harsh austerity measures.
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CNN
40 minutes ago
- CNN
How one Long Island school district became the epicenter of Trump's fight to preserve Native American sports mascots
Indigenous people Donald Trump Football Federal agenciesFacebookTweetLink Follow It's no secret how President Donald Trump feels about sports teams turning away from Native American mascots. He's repeatedly called for the return of the Washington Redskins and Cleveland Indians, claiming their recent rebrands were part of a 'woke' agenda designed to erase history. But one surprising team has really gotten the president's attention: the Massapequa Chiefs. The Long Island school district has refused to change its logo and name under a mandate from New York state banning schools from using team mascots appropriating Indigenous culture. Schools were given two years to rebrand, but Massapequa is the lone holdout, having missed the June 30 deadline to debut a new logo. The district lost an initial lawsuit it filed against the state but now has the federal government on its side. In May, Trump's Department of Education intervened on the district's behalf, claiming the state's mascot ban is itself discriminatory. Massapequa's Chiefs logo — an American Indian wearing a yellow feathered headdress — is expected to still be prominently displayed when the fall sports season kicks off soon, putting the quiet Long Island hamlet at the center of a political firestorm. The district is now a key 'battleground,' said Oliver Roberts, a Massapequa alum and the lawyer representing the school board in its fresh lawsuit against New York claiming that the ban is unconstitutional and discriminatory. The Trump administration claims New York's mascot ban violates Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which prohibits recipients of federal funds from engaging in discriminatory behavior based on race, color or national origin — teeing up a potentially precedent-setting fight. The intervention on behalf of Massapequa follows a pattern for a White House that has aggressively applied civil rights protections to police 'reverse discrimination' and coerced schools and universities into policy concessions by withholding federal funds. 'Our goal is to assist nationally,' Roberts said. 'It's us putting forward our time and effort to try and assist with this national movement and push back against the woke bureaucrats trying to cancel our country's history and tradition.' When the NFL team in Washington, DC, retired its Redskins name amid social pressure at the height of the George Floyd protests in the summer of 2020, other sports teams with similar names followed suit. Cleveland's professional baseball team, the Indians, became the Guardians in 2021, and the ripple effect reached amateur teams, too. Joining New York, 10 other states now have legislation restricting Native mascots in schools. Nearly 30 schools abandoned Native-themed mascots in 2020, according to the National Congress of American Indians, which has opposed the monikers for years. Still, more than 1,500 schools nationwide continue to use names affiliated with Indigenous culture. The debate was reignited last month, when Trump posted on Truth Social that Washington's NFL team, now the 'Commanders,' should revert to the Redskins — a dictionary-defined slur — and threatened to hold up the franchise's new stadium deal on federal land in DC. For now, plans for the Commanders to play at the old RFK Stadium site appear to be moving forwad after the DC Council approved the deal earlier this month. A second vote in September is expected to similarly green-light the project, making it unlikely Trump could unilaterally derail it. But the fight is ongoing in Long Island, home to several of New York's Algonquin tribes. Massapequa first got the president's attention in the spring, when the school district board publicly appealed to Trump for help saving the Chiefs mascot. It worked. 'I agree with the people in Massapequa, Long Island, who are fighting furiously to keep the Massapequa Chiefs logo on their Teams and School,' Trump wrote on Truth Social in April, adding that he asked Secretary of Education Linda McMahon 'to fight for the people of Massapequa on this very important issue.' He posted a photo of himself holding up a 'Massapequa Chiefs' sweatshirt with the logo printed largely on the front. McMahon visited Massapequa a month later to announce the Department of Education's investigation found that the New York Department of Education had violated Title VI with its Native American mascot ban. McMahon compared Indigenous mascots to team names like the Vikings, Fighting Irish and the Cowboys, arguing that New York's ban unfairly singled out Native Americans. The case was then referred to the Department of Justice in June. But JP O'Hare, a spokesperson for the New York Education Department, said in a statement that there's been no further action since then, adding that it has been clear from the outset that 'this 'investigation' was nothing but political theater.' The US Department of Education did not respond to CNN's requests for comment. O'Hare said the New York Education Department 'intends to use all of the tools available to ensure the implementation of this regulation,' adding that the district could lose state funding or see board members removed for noncompliance. The vast majority of the roughly 22,000 people in Massapequa are White, according to census records, and the county it's located, Nassau, went for Trump in 2024. The Baldwin brothers and Jerry Seinfeld are among the famous alums of the high school. Long Island's two Indian reservations — the Shinnecock and Poospatuck territories — are within an hour's drive. The tribes have publicly supported New York's ban on mascots with Native culture in the past. Asked whether Massapequa's board of education communicated with leaders from those local tribes, Roberts, the lawyer representing the school district, said, 'We have engaged Native American groups of many different tribes and backgrounds.' He declined to specify whether that included those from the surrounding Long Island area. Germain Smith, a former Shinnecock tribal leader who served on an advisory council of Indigenous leaders for the New York Education Department said he personally communicated with state tribes before recommending the mascot ban. 'There was a consensus that it was hurtful and stereotypical,' he said. In Massapequa, the Chiefs logo with the profile of an American Indian in a headdress is an inaccurate depiction of the actual culture and appearance of the Long Island tribes, according to John Kane, a member of the Mohawk tribe who also served on the advisory council of Indigenous leaders. The host of a radio show in Western New York, Kane has challenged those who say the mascots are intended to honor Indigenous people by asking how they would hypothetically apply the same concept to the Black community. 'I don't know what image you would use to represent your honoring of Blacks as a mascot,' Kane said, adding that coming up with an inoffensive name would also be a hurdle. 'But even if you could get over those two things,' Kane continued, 'how do you think Black people would feel about White people claiming their identity just because it's their school mascot? … I mean, can you imagine a stadium full of people in blackface because they decided that was their mascot?' But Roberts pointed to another organization that has been vocal for years in wanting to keep Native mascots — the Native American Guardians Association, or NAGA. Several of its members joined McMahon in Massapequa during her visit in May. The group's sole issue has been lobbying for the preservation of Native mascots with an 'educate, not eradicate' motto. Washington's past Redskins logo, for example, 'was meant to honor. It represents the warrior spirit, the strength, and the pride of our people,' NAGA said in a statement. Members of the organization's board declined to be interviewed outside of providing a statement. In recent years, prominent Native groups and activists, including Indigenous leaders in New York, have questioned NAGA's legitimacy as the organization's representatives appeared in places like Massapequa to protest Indigenous mascot bans. The group is often cited by sympathetic local non-Natives as the example of American Indian support for the monikers. NAGA first rose to prominence as a fierce backer of the Washington Redskins under previous owner Daniel Snyder, a businessman who for years resisted any name change. NAGA, which received federal nonprofit status in May 2017, is funded through private donations, which has fueled speculation among other Native American activists that the group was accepting money from Snyder. NAGA's website says it 'received ZERO funding from Dan Snyder, the Washington Redskins franchise or any of its charitable divisions or foundations.' The organization claimed to represent 'everyday American Indian families who feel pride seeing our names and faces honored' with more than 84,000 members — a number NAGA said represents those who request membership from the organization's website and follow their social media pages. NAGA has repeatedly pointed to a 2004 National Annenberg Election Survey and 2016 Washington Post poll, both of which said roughly 90% of American Indians supported the Redskins name. But a more recent 2020 study from academics at the University of Michigan and the University of California, Berkeley, had different results after surveying more than 1,000 Native Americans representing all 50 states and nearly 150 tribes. Roughly half of the participants said they were offended by the Redskins' name. Moreover, of those polled for the study, 57% who strongly identify with being Native American were found to be deeply insulted by caricatures of Native American culture. About five hours north of Massapequa, the Oriskany school district in Central New York unveiled the logo for its new mascot, the Skyhawks, at a ceremony in February. Like in other New York school districts, the decision to do away with a beloved decades-old mascot — in this case, the Redskins — was controversial. But unlike Massapequa, Oriskany ultimately complied with New York's mandate. Options for the new moniker were put to a vote, and Skyhawks — for the Douglas A-4 Skyhawk fighter jet that was on the USS Oriskany aircraft carrier — was the winner. 'It was kind of forced upon the district,' said Oriskany Superintendent Gregory Cuthbertson. 'I just made sure that our community was part of the process, and I wanted to make sure that I heard everybody's voice and the different perspectives.' 'But you have some people who would still say that they're a Redskin and they'll always be a Redskin,' he added. Cuthbertson said the rebrand cost Oriskany about $50,000. New York didn't provide the schools that had Native mascots additional funds to replace them, and Cuthbertson said the money went toward new uniforms and alterations to the gymnasium, athletic fields, scoreboards and even official letterheads. Other districts have said changing mascots will be significantly costlier. Roberts said Massapequa estimated a mascot rebrand would cost about $1 million, and a neighboring district in Long Island, Connetquot, calculated its switch from 'Thunderbirds' would cost up to $23 million, according to The New York Post. But Connetquot then struck a compromise with the state Board of Regents in late June that would allow the district to shorten its name to 'T-Birds' in exchange for dropping ongoing legal action against the state logo ban, according to The Post. Four other districts received an extension to rebrand because they were found to be 'acting in good faith to eliminate the use of prohibited mascots,' said O'Hare, the New York Education Department spokesperson. Massapequa's request for more time was denied because 'it has made no efforts to implement the regulation and has, at times, suggested that it has no intention of complying,' O'Hare added. The federal Department of Education announced last month that it had also opened a civil rights probe into Connetquot school district 'for reportedly working to erase its Native American mascot and imagery, the Thunderbirds,' though the school was under pressure from the state to comply with its mandate. The department hasn't yet opened investigations into the other districts, such as Oriskany, that changed mascots under instruction from the state. Deborah Hellman, a law professor at the University of Virginia, said the case for overturning the New York ban based on a Title VI civil rights violation is 'extraordinarily weak.' The statute forbids discrimination against individuals on the basis of race, color or national origin. Because a ban on Native American mascots does not involve treating any person differently from another, the only way for Massapequa and the federal government to state a claim would be to show that removing Native American mascots creates an environment 'that is severe, pervasive and objectively offensive' to Native American students. But because so many in the Indigenous community have said they consider keeping the mascots to be the real offense, meeting the court's 'objectively offensive' standard is likely to be 'an insurmountable hurdle,' Hellman said. Just 10 years ago, the Department of Education under the Obama administration opened a similar Title VI investigation after a school near Buffalo was accused of violating students' civil rights by not taking down its Redskins mascot. Then, the federal government's interference resulted in the district removing the logo. The statute is now being applied in a completely different way, Hellman said. 'The Department of Education is using Title VI quite aggressively,' she said, adding that 'the alleged victims of discrimination, like the conception of what is an instance of discrimination, has shifted.'
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Candidate profile: Prattville Mayor Bill Gillespie Jr. seeks fourth term
The Montgomery Advertiser sent the same questions to each of the candidates in the mayor's races for Prattville and Wetumpka ahead of the Aug. 26 municipal elections. Millbrook Mayor Al Kelley is unopposed. This is part of a series of stories on each candidate containing their responses, which have edited for style and brevity. Bill Gillespie Jr. Age: 67 Occupation: Mayor of the City of Prattville Political experience: Ran unsuccessfully for city council in 2000 for District 6. Then elected in 2004 as District 1 city councilman. Elected council president where he served in that capacity until Jan. 18, 2011, when he was sworn in as mayor. Elected as mayor in 2012, re-elected in 2016 and 2020, and is currently seeking re-election in 2025. Personal: Married to Stephanie for 45 years. The couple has two grown children and three grandchildren. Campaign contact: Mayor Bill Gillespie Jr. on Facebook Gillespie is seeking his fourth full term as mayor of Prattville and faces four challengers. Question: Why are you running for mayor? Answer: Prattville has been very good to the Gillespie family and has always been my home. My father taught me several valuable lessons while serving on the city council. He instilled in me the importance of paying back my civic rent and making Prattville better for our youth and young at heart while ensuring and providing an environment for private enterprise to flourish. My father-in-law, Bobbie Cannady, also taught me a lot about serving. He served our country before retiring from the U.S. Air Force, and then served Prattville as a U.S. Postal carrier for many years. These men helped lead me into public service, and I have a heart for serving our community. What qualifies you to be mayor? As mayor, Prattville is progressing positively as a community, and many projects are on the rise. As we have become fiscally responsible and sound, I'm proud to say that we have approximately $10 million in our general fund. We have been awarded 10 years in a row for our Excellence in Financial Reporting. We've had many successful economic development stories, but Prattville's municipality will always be the never-ending story. We cannot rest on our successes and must continue identifying areas to improve as we move forward. I'm tried, tested, and proven as the mayor of Prattville, and I will continue leading our community into the future. If elected what will be your priority? City services, city infrastructure, educational partnerships and continued fiscal responsibility and transparency are my priorities. We must continue improving our city services and implementing technological advancements as they become available to ensure our citizens' needs are met with the highest quality work product. We must stay ready, willing, and able to support further economic development and educational partnership opportunities as we continue preparing an environment for all to succeed. At the same time, we will continue investing in additional force multiplier opportunities, being fiscally responsible and transparent, and keeping our workforce whole. Which cities will hold elections? Municipal elections are set for cities and towns in Autauga, Elmore and Montgomery counties, with the exception of the City of Montgomery. Municipal elections will also occur in Selma, Tuscaloosa and other cities. Contact Montgomery Advertiser reporter Marty Roney at mroney@ To support his work, please subscribe to the Montgomery Advertiser. This article originally appeared on Montgomery Advertiser: Candidate profile: Prattville's Gillespie seeks fourth term as mayor Solve the daily Crossword
Associated Press
an hour ago
- Associated Press
Myanmar's election commission sets Dec. 28 to hold long-awaited new elections
BANGKOK (AP) — Myanmar's military-appointed election commission announced Monday that elections will begin Dec. 28, setting a date for polls that critics have denounced as a sham intended to normalize the army's 2021 seizure of power even as armed conflict rages throughout much of the country. The Union Election Commission said in a statement sent to journalists that the elections will be conducted in phases over several days and that a full schedule will be released soon. A separate statement from the commission, published Saturday in the state-run Myanma Alinn newspaper, said that all 330 townships in the country have been designated as constituencies for the election. Nearly 60 parties, including the military-backed Union Solidarity and Development Party, have registered to run, according to the list on the commission's website. It is unclear how polling can take place in many areas that are not under control of the military government but are held instead by pro-democracy resistance fighters or ethnic minority rebels. Much of the country is wracked by civil war. Several opposition organizations, including armed resistance groups, have said they will seek to derail the election. Last month, the military government enacted a new electoral law that imposes punishments of up to the death penalty for anyone who opposes or disrupts the elections. Critics have already said the military-planned election will be neither free nor fair because there is no free media and most of the leaders of Aung San Suu Kyi's popular but now dissolved National League for Democracy party have been arrested. Suu Kyi's party won a landslide victory in the last general election in 2020, but the military seized power from her government in February 2021, as it was about to begin a second five-year term. Suu Kyi, 80, is serving prison sentences totaling 27 years after being convicted in a series of politically tainted prosecutions brought by the military. The military justified its seizure of power by claiming massive fraud in the 2020 general election, though independent election observers did not find any major irregularities. The army takeover was met with widespread popular opposition, triggering armed resistance, and large parts of the country are embroiled in conflict. The ruling military said an election was its primary goal but repeatedly pushed back the date. The country's current security situation poses a serious challenge to holding elections, with the military believed to control less than half the country. The military government had previously said the election would be conducted phase by phase in areas under its command. It has currently stepped up military activity, both on the ground and with airstrikes, in order to retake areas controlled by opposition forces ahead of the election, and there have been reports of increasing numbers of airstrikes killing scores of civilians in recent weeks. On Sunday, at least 24 people were reportedly killed and several injured after the military dropped bombs on a hospital in a small town of Mawchi, in Kayah state, also known as Karenni, Myanmar independent online media reported. The town is known as a center for the mining of wolfram and tungsten. In a separate attack, at least 21 people, including a pregnant woman, were killed last Thursday by an airstrike on the town of Mogok, the center of the Southeast Asian country's lucrative gem-mining industry, according to numerous reports. The incidents were not confirmed by the army, which normally responds to similar reports by saying it only attacks legitimate targets of war, accusing the resistance forces of being terrorists.
