Latest news with #Mayor
CTV News
3 days ago
- General
- CTV News
Smooth Rock Falls mayor takes a seat in the Mayor's Chair
Northern Ontario Watch This week, Ian Campbell catches up with what's going on in the Smooth Rock Falls with Mayor Robert Hope for another edition of the Mayor's Chair.
Washington Post
4 days ago
- Business
- Washington Post
Bowser bets on business-friendly D.C. budget while cutting some programs
D.C. Mayor Muriel E. Bowser (D) unveiled a $21.8 billion fiscal year 2026 budget Tuesday that seeks to invest in business growth and D.C.'s sports and entertainment economy to offset what could be more than $1 billion in cuts to city programs and services over the next several years if the city's financial trajectory does not improve.
Washington Post
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Washington Post
Rio's mayor loosens restrictions on live beach music after an outcry
RIO DE JANEIRO — Rio de Janeiro's mayor on Tuesday loosened new restrictions on live music on the city's beaches after many people warned of a threat to the dynamic cultural scene. Mayor Eduardo Paes earlier this month introduced the measures and reinforced existing ones, citing the need to protect public safety and the environment and promote peaceful relations between tourists and residents.
Yahoo
4 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Federal lawsuit aims to make recordings of Oakland County court proceedings public
Getty Images A federal lawsuit filed by the American Civil Liberties Union of Michigan aims to make the audio and video recordings of Oakland County court proceedings available to the public and the parties or attorneys in a given case, a move that could maximize public engagement with the courts. The lawsuit, Hallman v. Reeds, was filed in April in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan. Aside from increased public engagement, a win for the plaintiffs could also serve as a way to hold judges accountable when they are accused of courtroom errors or misconduct. That last aspect could be beneficial to voters when it comes time to select local and statewide judicial candidates in election years. Several Michigan courts made live streams of proceedings available to the public during the COVID-19 pandemic. The Michigan Supreme Court routinely streams its proceedings and for a time encouraged local courts statewide to continue live streams even after the pandemic, but each court had discretion on the matter. Some courts have since completely retreated from the virtual sphere and no longer live stream their proceedings. Other courts have continued on, but with the caveat of producing a live stream without archiving the proceeding. Philip Mayor, an attorney with the ACLU of Michigan and the plaintiff's counsel in the Hallman case, told Michigan Advance that streaming proceedings is now technologically feasible, so the courts should be making their recordings available. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX The named defendants in the case are Oakland District Court judges Travis Reeds and Lisa Asadoorian, as well as Oakland Chief Circuit Judge Jeffery Matis. A message seeking comment from Oakland County was not immediately returned. Aside from courts that do make their proceedings public, the court sued in Hallman only provides a transcript when asked. Mayor said a transcript is inadequate compared to an audio or video recording in capturing the tone, tenor and demeanor of a given judge, especially when an attorney or a party is seeking to highlight a judicial error upon appeal. 'Judges know this, because our appellate courts defer to trial judges when they make credibility findings, or when they talk about a witness's demeanor, because they say that judge was there to see that and experience that in person,' Mayor said. 'We recognize that that's meaningful. The Michigan Judicial Tenure Commission recognizes this when it evaluates judges accused of misconduct because it looks at the videos and it discusses not just the words that were said, but the demeanor with which it was said, and the way people are treated by judicial officials.' Mayor said that from a democracy standpoint, the public had a right to be informed about what goes on in Michigan's courthouses. 'It's just not realistic that [members of] the public are going to read a 40-page transcript, but it is realistic that the public, in informing themselves before an election, may watch a five minute clip of something that happens in the courthouses,' he added. The lawsuit's complaint also details that paradigm as a taxpayer return-on-investment issue. 'Taxpayer dollars are used throughout Michigan to create recordings of courtroom proceedings, but those same taxpayers are routinely denied access to the very recordings their hard-earned funds pay to create,' the complaint said. 'This lack of transparency violates the First Amendment by denying the public the right to access and disseminate records of critical judicial proceedings, many of which constitute the bedrock upon which a functioning democracy is built.' The Hallman lawsuit centers around one such instance where a recording of the court's proceedings was suppressed, implicating access and First Amendment issues. The lead plaintiff, Dr. Samantha Hallman, said her brother was subjected to alleged abusive conduct from an Oakland District Court judge. A lawsuit in the Oakland Circuit Court followed to ferret out issues of the district judge's demeanor and the fact that her brother was denied an audio recording of the proceeding. A local administrative order ultimately denied dissemination of that recording. Hallman then attempted to get a copy to inform voters about the judge's courtroom conduct and demeanor, but she was denied under the same policy. She was later allowed to view a recording of the proceeding but was denied permission to disseminate the copy to the public, legislators and other policy makers. Her lawsuit in the federal district court notes that a transparent and open court was one of the hallmarks of American democracy, and that civic engagement and government accountability depended upon open access. 'It was once a civic expectation that the public would attend trials and directly engage with democratic governance by doing so,' the complaint said. 'That is not possible in the modern world, but providing the public with access to existing recordings of what happens in our courts is the closest modern analog to this historical practice.' The case is awaiting an answer from the defendants and possibly a motion to dismiss, Mayor said. He noted that the issue wasn't specific to Oakland County. Mayor said there was a similar recent instance in Hamtramck where a judge had allegedly berated a cancer patient who had been sued on a civil offense for not keeping his lawn mowed. Someone had recorded the hearing, potentially in violation of the same policies Mayor and the ACLU of Michigan were suing to overturn in Oakland County. The video went public and drew voter attention, leading the judge to apologize. 'That just shows that a transcript of that hearing wasn't going to capture the public's attention, but the video did,' Mayor said.
Auto Express
4 days ago
- Business
- Auto Express
London congestion charge to rise by 20% as EV exemption chopped
Transport for London has revealed plans to increase the cost of the London congestion charge by 20 per cent and end the exemption for electric vehicles, with its new proposal set to kick in from 2 January. The current charge – £15 per day – has been in place since 2020, and TfL's suggested increase to £18 is, it said, below the rate of inflation over the past five years. The electric vehicle congestion charge exemption is also set to be culled, with EV drivers instead getting a 25 per cent discount on the new £18 charge, dropping to 12.5 per cent on 4 March 2030, if registered for the Auto Pay system. That will mean EV drivers going from the current exemption to £13.50 from the beginning of next year, and £15.75, if there are no further price rises, in March 2030. Advertisement - Article continues below TfL said the increase in the number of EVs being sold means maintaining the '100 per cent discount would lead to worsening traffic levels and congestion'. Electric vans, HGVs and quadricycles will be given a 50 per cent discount from next year, dropping to 25 per cent on 4 March 2030. 'It is timely to review whether a further increase is necessary in order to maintain the deterrent effect of the charge', said the TfL statement. 'This increase would help to maintain the traffic management effects of the Congestion Charge scheme in central London, support the other aims of the Mayor's Transport Strategy, and meet the Mayor's aims to improve air quality in London, achieve a net zero carbon city by 2030 and cut congestion in the capital.' In an attempt to promote policies on reducing private car use 'in favour of active, efficient and sustainable modes', only new applicants with electric vehicles will be eligible for a 90 per cent residents' discount from 1 March 2027. However, existing residents will retain their discounts, provided they renew their registration every year. The proposed changes are now subject to a 10-week consultation, closing on Monday 4 August. Tell us which new car you're interested in and get the very best offers from our network of over 5,500 UK dealers to compare. Let's go… Find a car with the experts It's only a matter of time before Jaguar Land Rover builds a factory in the USA It's only a matter of time before Jaguar Land Rover builds a factory in the USA Mike Rutherford thinks Jaguar's 'Reimagine' strategy will result in the company exploring further opportunities in the USA Labour hints at major luxury car tax U-turn to boost EV sales Labour hints at major luxury car tax U-turn to boost EV sales Is pressure from retailers and car makers finally cutting through with ministers? Car Deal of the Day: Ford Explorer gives you practicality, style and EV power for £228 a month Car Deal of the Day: Ford Explorer gives you practicality, style and EV power for £228 a month Family-friendly SUV is arguably Ford's best electric car, and great value, too. It's our Deal of the Day for 24 May
