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Yahoo
7 hours ago
- General
- Yahoo
Tuesday's Campaign Round-Up, 6.3.25: Ernst gets rival after ‘we all are going to die' flap
Today's installment of campaign-related news items from across the country. * In a highly unusual electoral dynamic, the Democratic lieutenant governor of New York, Antonio Delgado, is now taking on the state's Democratic governor, Kathy Hochul, in a Democratic gubernatorial primary. The move comes roughly three years after Hochul first tapped Delgado to serve in her administration. * In the wake of Sen. Joni Ernst's 'we all are going to die' controversy, Democratic state Rep. J.D. Scholten launched a 2026 Senate campaign against her. Scholten is perhaps best known for narrowly losing to then-Republican Rep. Steve King in 2018, in addition to being a pitcher for the minor league baseball team in Sioux City. * With a week remaining before New Jersey's gubernatorial primaries, Donald Trump headlined a telephone rally on Monday night in support of Jack Ciattarelli, a former Republican state legislator. * With the Republicans' megabill pending in the Senate, the Koch-financed Americans for Prosperity has unveiled a $4 million ad campaign in support of the far-right legislative proposal. * In Georgia, Rep. David Scott was already facing two Democratic primary rivals, and now he's facing a third: State Rep. Jasmine Clark joined the crowded field this week, amid ongoing questions about Scott's health and aptitude. * In Virginia, Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin has scheduled a special election to fill the congressional vacancy left by the late Democratic Rep. Gerry Connolly. Candidates will have until July 11 to file for the race, ahead of a Sept. 9 special election. * On a related note, Democratic Del. Irene Shin kicked off her candidacy to succeed Connolly in this heavily Democratic district in Virginia, joining a crowded field, which includes Fairfax County Supervisor James Walkinshaw, a former Connolly chief of staff who received the late congressman's endorsement after he announced his retirement plans in April. This article was originally published on
Yahoo
9 hours ago
- General
- Yahoo
Abrego Garcia lawyers blast ‘shocking proposition' behind Trump admin resistance
Kilmar Abrego Garcia is still imprisoned in El Salvador after the U.S. government illegally sent him there in March. According to the latest filing from his lawyers, the Trump administration is still resisting facilitating his return, despite having been ordered to do so by judges at every level of the court system. 'The Government asks this Court to accept a shocking proposition: that federal officers may snatch residents of this country and deposit them in foreign prisons in admitted violation of federal law, while no court in the United States has jurisdiction to do anything about it,' Abrego Garcia's lawyers wrote Monday in their opposition to the government's motion to dismiss. The motion, filed last week, is pending before U.S. District Judge Paula Xinis, who ordered the government to facilitate his return nearly two months ago. The Supreme Court largely backed her order in April, but instead of approving it completely in a way that could've ended the matter, the high court's order left open questions while sending the case back to the Maryland judge for further litigation. The Supreme Court said on April 10 that Xinis' order 'properly requires the Government to 'facilitate' Abrego Garcia's release from custody in El Salvador and to ensure that his case is handled as it would have been had he not been improperly sent to El Salvador.' And yet, the government has not done that. Since then, the lower court litigation has been unfolding too slowly to the liking of Abrego Garcia's lawyers, who said in their opposition filing that the administration is just trying to rehash 'recycled arguments' in its dismissal motion. The government can now file a final reply brief before Xinis rules, and that reply would ordinarily be due in two weeks; but Abrego Garcia's lawyers have asked the judge to cut that due date to one week. 'Further briefing on recycled arguments should not prolong a case that has already dragged on far too long for Abrego Garcia and his family,' they wrote. So while news has emerged of yet more immigrants the government has wrongly sent to other countries since Abrego Garcia's illegal removal, his return is still not in sight. Subscribe to the Deadline: Legal Newsletter for expert analysis on the top legal stories of the week, including updates from the Supreme Court and developments in the Trump administration's legal cases. This article was originally published on
Yahoo
a day ago
- General
- Yahoo
Jackson and Sotomayor dissent from colleagues' rejection of race discrimination appeal
Supreme Court Justices Ketanji Brown Jackson and Sonia Sotomayor dissented from their colleagues' refusal to hear a race discrimination case Monday, in a dispute that also tells a bigger story about the current state of the high court. The rejected petition came from adult entertainer Chanel Nicholson, who performed at clubs in Houston. She brought a lawsuit claiming that the clubs had engaged in race discrimination. An appeals court said her claims were barred because they fell outside the statute of limitations. But in her dissent, which was joined by Sotomayor, Jackson wrote that the lower court ruling 'flouts this Court's clear precedents.' It takes four justices to grant review. On a court with six Republican appointees and three Democratic appointees, liberal-leaning petitions are all but doomed, saying nothing of how a majority of the court would rule if review were granted. But Nicholson's case is also the latest example of a case not even garnering all three Democratic appointees' interest, with Justice Elena Kagan not joining the dissent. That's not a new phenomenon — Jackson and Sotomayor have spoken out on their own plenty before, without Kagan — but it reinforces a split within the Democratic appointees' priorities. We saw a split among Republican appointees play out in a separate case Monday, when a Second Amendment appeal fell just short of getting four votes. In that case, however, a statement from Justice Brett Kavanaugh suggested that the right to bear assault weapons could land on the high court docket soon. Yet, when it comes to an appeal like the one Jackson and Sotomayor flagged, it's not a matter of time but a matter of the court's composition. Indeed, the two Democratic appointees didn't just say they wanted the discrimination appeal to be reviewed but that they wanted to summarily reverse the lower court's ruling. That generally takes six votes, showing how much further out of reach their judicial goals are in this case and others. Subscribe to the Deadline: Legal Newsletter for expert analysis on the top legal stories of the week, including updates from the Supreme Court and developments in the Trump administration's legal cases. This article was originally published on
Yahoo
5 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Self-proclaimed misogynist Andrew Tate responds to U.K. rape charges: 'Never give in'
Self-described misogynist Andrew Tate sought to portray himself as a victim on Wednesday after British officials confirmed rape charges have been authorized against the MAGA-supporting influencer. 'The matrix is angry,' Tate wrote in a post on X. 'They do this to ANY man who fights against them. Never give up men. Never give in. Do not be scared. Strength and honor.' Tate and his brother, Tristan Tate — who were born in the United States and hold dual U.S. and U.K. citizenship — already face human trafficking charges in Romania as part of a separate criminal inquiry. British prosecutors announced Wednesday that the brothers faces a total of 21 charges, including rape and human trafficking, in the U.K. As The New York Times reported: British prosecutors said the brothers "would be extradited to the United Kingdom after the conclusion of separate criminal proceedings in Romania. Charges can be lodged against suspects only when they are physically in Britain." The brothers have denied the allegations against them in both Romania and the United Kingdom. Naturally, Andrew Tate, who's amassed a large following online by spewing rank bigotry — particularly toward women — sought the warm embrace of his hypermasculine horde through a conspiratorial social media post framing the U.K. charges as nothing more than an assault on true manhood. I have some better advice than "never give in" for the 38-year-old former professional kickboxer — and for men everywhere: Always get consent. And as an aside, that 'strength and honor' line Tate included in his social media response to the new rape charge appears to be faux-macho schlock pulled from a 'Gladiator' film. Various members of the Trump administration have publicly supported the Tate brothers, despite the allegations against them. And when the brothers visited the U.S. earlier this year, they were treated to a sort of hero's welcome from Ultimate Fighting Championship President Dana White, a close ally of Donald Trump. The greeting caused division in the conservative movement, with some right-wing influencers noting the terrible optics. Florida's Republican attorney general has even opened a criminal investigation into allegations of sexually predatory behavior, showing there's more than a little intraparty uneasiness among Republicans when it comes the these two. One wonders how the president's allies will interact with the brothers going forward. Granted, conservatives have broadly coalesced around Trump, who's been found liable for sexual abuse and who's boasted about groping women without their consent, so sexual misconduct allegations may not deter too many of their MAGA-aligned supporters. This article was originally published on
Yahoo
23-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Kermit the Frog tells Maryland students to ‘take big leaps' in sweet commencement speech
Miss Piggy would surely agree that Kermit the Frog looked dapper in his red robe and graduation cap as he delivered his cheery commencement speech to the University of Maryland's graduating class on Thursday. The iconic green Muppet encouraged the graduates to 'take big leaps' in life and to always 'stay connected to your families, your friends and your dreams.' 'Life's like a movie,' he told the crowd. 'Write your own ending. Keep believing. Keep pretending. You've all done just what you set out to do. And you're just getting started!' The speech — written and spoken by puppeteer Matt Vogel, who has performed Kermit since 2017 — paid tribute to the late Jim Henson, creator of 'The Muppet Show' and a graduate of the University of Maryland class of 1960. 'In the early days, he had a hand in literally everything I did,' Kermit said at one point, eliciting laughter from the crowd. 'Jim believed that everyone had a place,' he continued. 'Jim thought of that and he made us believe it. And so, my whole life I tried to appreciate people for exactly who they are. ... Life is not a solo act. No, it's not. It's a big, messy, delightful ensemble piece, especially when you're with your people.' He added, 'So as you prepare to take this big leap into real life, here's a little advice, if you're willing to listen to a frog. Rather than jumping over someone to get what you want, consider reaching out your hand and taking the leap side by side. Because life is better when we leap together.' And if those sweet remarks weren't enough to inspire, Kermit wrapped his speech with a 'Rainbow Connection' sing-along, reminding everyone of the prism of opportunities before them. Kermit's speech begins around the 2:04:00 mark below. Click here for a transcript of his remarks. This article was originally published on
