Latest news with #PropertyRights
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Gov. DeSantis signs anti-squatting legislation in Sarasota
SARASOTA, Fla. (WFLA) — Gov. DeSantis held a press conference in Sarasota on Monday morning where he signed two pieces of anti-squatting legislation. He signed Senate Bill 322, 'Property Rights,' which authorizes sheriffs to remove people 'unlawfully occupying' commercial property. 'Under current law, the remedies to remove unauthorized applicants or occupants of a commercial property can unfortunately be lengthy and time-consuming, which then incentivizes people to take advantage of the situation,' DeSantis said. 'And we're not going to allow that to happen.' The governor signed similar legislation regarding personal property, such as homes, last year. When officials can remove squatters under new Florida law He also signed SB 606, 'Public Lodging and Public Food Service Establishments,' which will make it easier for hotels, motels and other hospitality businesses to remove squatters or uncooperative guests from their property. 'Property rights are really important,' DeSantis said. 'If you don't have private property rights, you cannot have a free society.' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
10-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Texas moves closer to land ban for non-resident citizens of China, Russia, others
AUSTIN (Nexstar) — The Texas Legislature voted to make it illegal for citizens of China, North Korea, Iran and Russia to own Texas land if they're not legally residing in the United States. On Friday, the Texas House voted to pass Senate Bill 17 after adding seven amendments to the bill on Thursday evening. The bill will now head back to the Senate to either adopt the House's changes, or to start a conferencing committee to find common ground. In 2021, the Texas Legislature unanimously passed Senate Bill 2116, preventing China, North Korea, Iran and Russia from connecting to critical Texas infrastructure due to national security concerns. In 2023, State Sen. Lois Kolkhorst, R-Brenham, tried to build off the legislation by preventing citizens of the same nations from buying Texas land. 'Texans have raised concerns of national security ranging from energy security to food security,' Kolkhorst wrote in her statement of intent. 'Preventing private property rights from being controlled by entities from adversarial nations is key to ensuring national security.' The bill underwent several changes due to concerns over rights violations and was eventually killed in the Texas House. State Sen. Matt Shaheen, R-Plano, introduced an amendment to make those who live in the U.S. legally eligible to buy land regardless of nationality. While the amendment passed 120-19, it immediately drew backlash from some conservative activists and lawmakers on social media. '3/4 of Republicans vote to allow Chinese nationals with student visas to buy land,' Former Texas GOP Chairman Matt Rinaldi said on X. 'Just enroll in an ESL course at a local community college and you are good.' 'Here's a short explanation on how this guts the bill,' Rinaldi said in a follow-up post. 'Chinese nationals (even those who are members of the CCP) are not prohibited from getting tourist visas (B-2). Once in the United States, immigration lawyers will advise them to enroll in an ESL or other course at a local community college, so they can change their status to a student visa (F-1), which can last 5 years.' Rinaldi supported three other amendments brought forward by Republicans. The first, by State Rep. Steve Toth, R-Spring, prevented citizens of China, Russia, North Korea and Iran from leasing land for more than a year. Previously, the bill allowed for 99-year leases. The second, brought forward by State Rep. Mitch Little, R-Dallas, prevented those who are 'a member of the ruling political party or any subdivision of the ruling political party in a designated country,' from owning Texas land. The last, brought by State Rep. Nate Schatzline, R-Fort Worth, allows the governor to designate new nations to the designated country list at will. Schatzline specifically mentioned Venezuela and the gang Tren de Aragua as a reason the governor may have to act quickly. On Friday before the third reading, two attempts were made to undo the controversial Shaheen amendment. Both times the amendments failed because they didn't receive the two-thirds majority needed to amend a bill on third reading, but both times they received a majority vote. 'The [Shaheen] amendment… it's not in the Senate bill,' Chuck Guo said. Guo is a Chinese citizen who practices immigration law in Texas on a H-1B visa. 'They will maybe listen to the proponents of the bill to strengthen the bill and to strip the [Shaheen] amendment from the bill that will eventually become law.' Guo has been concerned about SB 17 since it was first floated as SB 147 in 2023. On Saturday morning, he's helping host a rally outside the Texas Capitol in opposition to the bill. 'Discrimination is still discrimination,' Guo said. 'It is targeting the entire community and is creating a chilling effect.' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Time of India
04-05-2025
- Science
- Time of India
ICAR: World's first genome-edited rice varieties to boost yields 30%
NEW DELHI: The Indian Council of Agricultural Research ( ICAR ) - the country's premier agriculture research organisation - has developed the world's first genome-edited improved varieties of rice to boost yields by 20-30%, conserve water and reduce emission of methane - a potent greenhouse gas. Releasing the two genome-edited varieties - ' DRR Dhan 100 (Kamala)' and ' Pusa DST Rice 1 ' - Union agriculture minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Sunday said these two climate-resilient and high yielding varieties would ensure a second green revolution in the country. He instructed ICAR officials to make these seeds available to farmers at the earliest. "Scientists are currently in the process of getting Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) of these two varieties. Certified seeds will reach farmers for cultivation in minimum two years," said an official. Genome-editing, particularly the CRISPR-Cas technology , is being recognised as a breakthrough in precision breeding. It enables scientists to make targeted changes in the native genes of living organisms, and creating new and desirable traits without introducing foreign DNA. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Insiders Swear By This Risky Forex Strategy – Find Out Why! Expertinspector Learn More Undo ICAR claimed that the cultivation of these improved rice varieties in about five million hectares of the recommended area will produce 4.5 million tons of additional paddy, save a minimum 7,500 million cubic meters of irrigation water due short-duration maturity (20 days early), and reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 20%. "Development of these two varieties using genome-editing technology has paved the way for using this innovative method in other crops too for higher yields, climate resilience and improved quality to achieve the targets of 'Viksit Bharat'," said an ICAR statement. Genome-edited 'Kamala' is recommended for cultivation across major rice-growing states, including Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Puducherry, Kerala, Chhattisgarh, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Odisha, Jharkhand, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal. The other new variety - 'Pusa DST Rice 1' - is also recommended for cultivation in most of these states. Recognizing the transformative potential of the new technology, ICAR initiated a genome-editing research project in rice in 2018 and selected two widely cultivated mega rice varieties - 'Samba Mahsuri (BPT5204)' and 'MTU1010 (Cottondora Sannalu)' - to further enhance their qualities through technological interventions. ICAR scientists eventually enhanced these varieties with better stress tolerance, improved yield, and climate adaptability without compromising their existing strengths, and developed the two new genome-edited varieties 'Kamala' and 'Pusa DST Rice 1'.
Yahoo
26-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Who is the conservative 'superstar' lawyer and potential SCOTUS pick that will help in Eric Adams case?
Paul Clement, a former solicitor general and previous potential Trump Supreme Court pick, was tapped by a federal judge Friday to weigh in on the motion to dismiss the corruption case against New York City Mayor Eric Adams. U.S. District Judge Dale Ho decided to adjourn the case against Adams until further notice, while also appointing Clement to serve as an independent party. Ho wrote that bringing in Clement was "appropriate" in this case, "particularly so in light of the public importance of this case, which calls for careful deliberation." Former assistant U.S. attorney and Fox News contributor Andy McCarthy noted to Fox News Digital that it is "unusual" for courts to entertain amicus briefs in criminal cases and "it is highly unusual to appoint an amicus to assist the court in the manner contemplated in the Adams case." Judge Adjourns Case Against New York City Mayor Eric Adams, Stops Short Of Dismissing The Charges Clement, a seasoned appellate lawyer who has argued more than 100 cases before the U.S. Supreme Court, served as solicitor general under the Bush administration from 2005-2008. He was notably on President Donald Trump's short list of Supreme Court nominees during his first term. Read On The Fox News App Before taking on the role of the federal government's top appellate lawyer, Clement served as a deputy solicitor general. Clement earned his bachelor's degree from Georgetown University's School of Foreign Service and a master's in economics from Cambridge University. He went on to earn his law degree from Harvard Law School, where he was the Supreme Court editor of the Harvard Law Review. Following graduation, Clement clerked for Judge Laurence H. Silberman of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit as well as for Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia. Ny Gov Hochul Decides Nyc Mayor Adams' Fate; Ramps Up Oversight Of City's Top Official He went into private practice after his clerkships, joining Kirkland & Ellis' Washington, D.C., office. Clement also served as chief counsel of the U.S. Senate Subcommittee on the Constitution, Federalism and Property Rights before returning to private practice and working as a partner at King & Spalding in D.C., where he headed the firm's appellate practice. Clement is currently a distinguished lecturer in law at the Georgetown University Law Center, where he initially served as an adjunct professor starting in 1998. He is also partner at Clement & Murphy in D.C. Clement's advocacy in the high court includes recently arguing Loper Bright v. Raimondo, which effectively overturned the Chevron doctrine. The doctrine previously gave deference to an agency's interpretation of a federal regulation. Clement also litigated against the Obama administration, challenging the constitutionality of the Affordable Care Act. Nyc Mayor Adams Refuses To Resign In Sermon: 'I Have A Mission To Finish' McCarthy said he thinks "very highly of Paul Clement, who is among the top appellate lawyers in the United States," saying the Adams case "calls for a faithful interpretation" of federal law and "I can't think of anyone better than Clement to give a judge impartial, solid advice on that issue." Ho's decision to adjourn the case came just days after U.S. Acting Deputy Attorney General Emil Bove asked prosecutors to drop all corruption charges against the mayor. In the motion to dismiss, Bove said the legal proceedings against Adams were detracting from other Justice Department priorities, such as illegal immigration and violent crime. Ho appointed Clement to weigh in on the DOJ's motion to drop the case. Among the questions posed to Clement, the court asks, "Under what circumstances, if leave is granted, dismissal should be with or without prejudice." "The main point of the rule is to protect the defendant's rights," McCarthy said. "The judge has no authority to order DOJ to persist in prosecuting Adams, or to appoint a 'special prosecutor,' but Clement is an excellent lawyer and can give Judge Ho good advice on whether to accept the plea with the 'without prejudice' term in it." Parties are expected to submit briefings by early March, with oral arguments expected shortly thereafter. The charges against Adams will remain intact until Ho agrees to dismiss them. Fox News Digital's Breanne Deppisch contributed to this article source: Who is the conservative 'superstar' lawyer and potential SCOTUS pick that will help in Eric Adams case?
