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Black America Web
29-05-2025
- Politics
- Black America Web
Op-Ed: Trump's New Nominee For Federal Judgeship Advocated For Literacy Tests For Voters Despite Racist History
Source: SDI Productions / Getty In today's episode of The President Sure Can Pick'em! President Donald Trump has nominated to a federal judgeship a man who, in college, believed Americans should be required to take literacy tests in order to vote, despite the history of literacy tests being used historically to prevent Black people from engaging in the nation's electoral process. Meet Josh Divine, the solicitor general of Missouri and director of special litigation in the state attorney general's office. Trump has nominated Divine for 'a lifetime federal judgeship on the U.S. District Court for the Eastern and Western Districts of Missouri,' HuffPost reported. In 2010, when Divine was a junior at the University of Northern Colorado, he wrote an opinion piece for his school's newsletter, The Mirror, arguing that a literacy test isn't such a bad thing, in and of itself, as long as every American is required to take it, as opposed to only requiring it for Black Americans, which is how literary tests were used until they were banned under the Voting Rights Act of 1965. 'In the Civil Rights Act, literacy tests were banned because they were used as a form of discrimination in that they were only administered to a certain group of people, but literacy tests themselves are not a bad thing,' Divine wrote. 'People who aren't informed about issues or platforms — especially when it is so easy to become informed these days — have no business voting, which is why I propose state-administered literacy tests,' he continued. Divine's piece — which, unsurprisingly, specifically took aim at people who voted for former President Barack Obama — made little logical sense considering the fact that literacy tests don't test how well people are 'informed about issues or platforms.' Literacy tests test literacy — how well people can read, write and comprehend. Here's an interesting question, though: Could Trump pass either test in 2025? Could the president who just discovered the word 'groceries,' insist on using the word 'interpose' even though he has no idea what it means, and is demonstrably incapable of speaking in complete, coherent, grammatically correct sentences pass a literacy test if he had to take one on the spot in order to vote in a U.S. election? If literacy tests did test political knowledge, would the sitting commander-in-chief, who answered 'I don't know' to a reporter who asked him if he's obligated to uphold the Constitution, pass? What about Trump's other Cabinet picks? Would they do well on an exam that tested how informed they are on the issues? Could Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, who failed to correctly define habeas corpus, pass? How about ICE director Thomas Homan, who thinks informing immigrants of their legal rights is an arrestable offense? At the end of the day, requiring literacy tests for voters in a nation where 54% of adults read below a sixth-grade reading level is probably a bad idea. And if they were required today, they would probably still be aimed at disenfranchising Black voters, much like Republican congressional maps and Trump's factless claims regarding voter fraud in the 2020 election, a lie the president is still telling as recently as last week. Of course, Divine wrote his opinion piece in 2010, when he was in college. Who knows if he still feels that literacy tests should be required to vote in 2025? After all, Vice President JD Vance — Trump's favorite professional butt-sniffer who spearheaded the propaganda about Haitian migrants eating pets in Springfield, Ohio, — wrote a piece in 2012, while he was in college, criticizing the GOP for being 'openly hostile to non-whites' and alienating 'Blacks, Latinos, [and] the youth.' Hell, in 2016, Vance called Trump an 'idiot' and 'reprehensible,' and compared him to Adolf Hitler. Still, some judicial advocacy groups are already critical of Trump nominating Divine, who previously worked as a clerk for Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas and served as chief counsel to Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) 'Josh Divine's op-ed advocating for literacy tests at the polls and arguing against the idea of democracy itself is one of the most disturbing writings we've ever seen in a judicial nominee's record,' said Jake Faleschini, the justice program director at Alliance for Justice. 'It should be unquestionable that a voter suppression tool rooted in the racism of the Jim Crow South has no place in our democracy. He may have written some of them in college, but college wasn't very long ago for Divine. He's a radically young nominee to be a lifetime judge and doesn't have even close to the minimal legal experience expected of federal judges.' SEE ALSO: Ben Crump Rips Trump Administration Decision To End Police-Reform Agreement Reached In Wake Of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor Op-Ed: Unpacking Trump's Factless Claims About 'White Genocide' SEE ALSO Op-Ed: Trump's New Nominee For Federal Judgeship Advocated For Literacy Tests For Voters Despite Racist History was originally published on Black America Web Featured Video CLOSE
Yahoo
15-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Ohio Senate passes bill banning students using cellphones during school day
(Photo by SDI Productions via Getty Images) Ohio students are one step closer to being banned from using cellphones during the school day. The Ohio Senate passed Senate Bill 158 by a vote of 30-2 during Wednesday's Senate session. The bill would require schools to create a policy banning students from using cellphones during the school day. Ohio state Sens. Bill DeMora, D-Columbus, and Beth Liston, D-Dublin, voted against the bill, which now goes to the Ohio House for consideration. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX Ohio Sen. Jane Timken, R-Jackson Township, introduced the bill about a month ago. Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine was quick to voice his support for it, saying last month that 'we need to be sure that our classrooms, frankly, are now cellphone free.' 'This legislation is a common sense approach to unplug our children from the constant flow of distractions during the vital school time in which they are in the classroom,' Timken said during Wednesday's Senate session. 'It will boost in-person relationships and reduce distractions.' A 2024 Pew Research study reported 72% of U.S. high school teachers said cellphone distraction is a major problem in classrooms. Students receive nearly 200 alerts per day on their cellphones, according to Statista. Ohio law currently requires all school districts to have a policy for student cellphone use by July 1. Some schools already ban cellphones while other schools limit cell phone use to only certain times of the day. S.B. 158 would take the law a step further by banning the use of cellphones in school. School districts would have to ban cellphones in school by Sept. 1, according to the bill. 'The facts are clear, school districts that have restricted student cellphone use during the instructional day have seen a return to noisy classrooms, fostering real face-to-face conversations and relationships,' Timken said. 'Eliminating cellphones in schools leads to improved academic performance and allows them to develop academically and socially and thrive.' State Sen. Catherine D. Ingram, D-Cincinnati, echoed Timken's comments. 'There are distractions, and we need to make sure that when our children are in school, they are learning,' she said. There are some exceptions to the bill. A school board can allow a student to use a cellphone to monitor a health concern if the board receives a written statement from the student's doctor. The bill also requires public school administrators to include protocol addressing cellphone use during an active shooter situation in the emergency management plan for each building. At least 21 states require school districts to ban or restrict students' cellphone use in schools, according to Education Week. Florida, Louisiana, South Carolina, and Utah have a statewide restriction. Follow Capital Journal Reporter Megan Henry on Bluesky. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
Yahoo
30-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Anti-distraction policy in schools becomes law in NM
New Mexico public school districts and charters have until Aug. 1 to implement a phone-free policy for students. (Photo by SDI Productions via Getty Images) Public school districts have about three months to develop phone-free policies for students, an initiative passed during the recent legislative session and signed by Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham this month. Senate Bill 11, sponsored by Sen. Crystal Brantley (R-Elephant Butte), requires all New Mexico school districts and charter schools to develop rules for students' use during instructional time of cell phones, smart watches, tablets, laptops and gaming devices in an effort to limit distractions and improve student performance. 'This bill isn't just about test scores. It's about showing our kids that we care enough about their future to take practical steps forward when we can,' Brantley said in a written statement. 'Reducing distractions helps not only academic outcomes but also our students' mental health, safety, and focus.' According to the bill, districts have until Aug. 1 to create and implement a 'wireless communication device policy.' The bill also states that the Public Education Department will provide districts with guidelines for minimum policy requirements, and outlines possible requirements such as: limiting device usage during instructional hours; allowing teachers to grant students permission to use devices during instructional time; allowing students to use devices in emergency situations or for accessibility needs; and establishing consequences for violating the policy. Lujan Grisham signed the bill on April 10, ahead of the April 11 deadline she had for taking action on legislation passed by the Legislature and sent to her desk. In a legislative message, Lujan Grisham described SB11 as a 'first step towards meaningful regulation' of electronic devices in New Mexico schools. However, she called out lawmakers for amending the original bill and making participation in creating policies optional for districts. 'The Legislature squirmed out of taking a meaningful step to improve education under the auspice[s] of local control,' Lujan Grisham wrote. 'That is all well and good until this same body blames the Public Education Department—and now the local bodies—for poor educational outcomes of New Mexico students. I once again encourage the Legislature to hold local school districts accountable for educational outcomes. Our students deserve it.' Kelly Jameson, director of communications for Las Cruces Public Schools, told Source NM in a written statement that the district supports the 'intent of SB11 to create safer, more focused learning environments for all students.' She added that the LCPS Board of Education adopted a policy in 2009 concerning the use of electronic communication devices in school. The policy notes that having a device in school is 'a privilege' that can be taken away. The LCPS board also adopted a regulation in 2023 that outlines by grade level when students may use devices during the school day. For example, elementary students may only use devices before or after school. Middle school students may use their devices during lunch periods, but not during passing periods between classes and regulations for high school students are more lenient. Violating the LCPS policy can mean devices are confiscated; devices must be left in the school's front office during the school day; or other disciplinary actions are taken with multiple violations. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
New Statesman
30-04-2025
- General
- New Statesman
My mother is in hospital
Photo by SDI Productions / Getty Images 'I hope you had a smashing Easter,' begins an email from someone who goes on to ask me for some work which I am late with. It's a nice, friendly opening, but it failed to hit the right note because, as it turned out, I had an absolutely lousy one. The weekend before, I had come back to London to cook a Sunday lunch for my mother to celebrate her 98th birthday. But she had fallen in the night and my brother had to come at 1am to put her back to bed and see she was all right. When I got there she was still a bit woozy but I had cooking to do, other family members to talk to and a train back to Brighton to catch. But the next morning my brother called to tell me that her carer had found her on the floor in the morning, and that our mother was now in hospital; oh, and that he was leaving for the US for a couple of weeks. So here I am, back in the childhood home in East Finchley again, typing this up in my childhood bedroom, prior to my daily visit to see an increasingly distressed and confused woman who believes she is being held prisoner against her will. Well, in a sense, she is. 'Why aren't they screaming?' asks Larkin, of the old, approaching death. A very good question, I've always thought. But in the ward my mother has been relocated to there is a lady in the next bed who talks gibberish loudly and then goes 'WOOOOOOOOO' a few dozen times until she gets tired of it. My mother thinks she's in an attic because the ward is on the sixth floor and for the first time in the eight days she's been there, she has a view. Stress increases her dementia; or, if you prefer, drastically reduces her ability to comprehend the world around her. From what I have gathered, it is as if the membrane between dream and reality has popped: she thought I'd had a party in her house and spilled Champagne and there was now a girl in my room. Damn – sounds like that's a good party. Wish I'd gone to it. Or she asks me if I've seen the cat's adorable new kittens. (The cat was fixed many years ago.) My eldest visited and my mother suggested they go down to the hotel bar and get a drink, perhaps a nice dry martini. As delusions go, there are worse ones, I suppose, but the distress in her eyes when I say I have to leave is supremely painful. I, too, would not want to be left in a room full of Struldbruggs either. The Struldbruggs, you might recall, were the people discovered by Gulliver on one of his travels, identified at birth by a red dot on their foreheads. They were immortal, but continued to age, and after the age of 80, 'they had not only all the follies and infirmities of other old men, but many more, which arose from the dreadful prospect of never dying. They were not only opinionative, peevish, covetous, morose, vain, talkative, but incapable of friendship, and dead to all natural affection, which never descended below their grandchildren.' I am not saying that my mother or the other inhabitants of the ward are like that, but you can understand why they are not all happy campers. For me, things could be worse: she could be in the house with me. The last time I looked after her after a fall she became – how to put this? – somewhat needy, and you could have picked a few adjectives from that list above and not been too far off the mark. So I shall think about the cat instead. The cat is of course graceful and aloof except around mealtimes; then she decides that I am a lovely chap who happens to have opposable thumbs, and aren't they good for tearing open the sachets of Felix ('As good as it looks!' No, seriously, they say that on the package; it looks like cat food; so I shall just take their word for it), hint hint? Subscribe to The New Statesman today from only £8.99 per month Subscribe Actually, the cat is being more friendly than that. She sleeps on the fold-out bed with me, she follows me around companionably; when the weather is nice in the evening she joins me on the rickety bench in the garden's last sunny spot of the day. What is it about cats? Why am I so drawn to them, enjoy their company so much? I heard a theory that says you can catch a virus from them which basically makes you their slaves and I must have had it for a long time. If she is at the kitchen door I will get up to open the door to let her in, when there is a perfectly good cat flap right there. She is not a vocal cat, except to say 'feed me', which she pronounces 'mew' in a small plaintive voice that would melt the heart of a tyrant. Sometimes I try to be a disciplinarian and say, 'It's too early for your supper; show some self-restraint,' but then I remember that the clocks went forward a month ago and she's probably not used to the time change yet, poor thing. I had a conversation the other day with someone who rang while also walking two dogs in the park. The conversation went something like: 'How's your mother? BARK BARK BARK Oh God, Lionel's smelled some food BARK BARK BARK Oh God, now Louie's run off with the ball BARK BARK BARK Look, I'll call you back later.' Imagine if cats were like that. Or people. [See also: The nastiness and cowardice of Kneecap] Related This article appears in the 30 Apr 2025 issue of the New Statesman, The War on Whitehall
Yahoo
24-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
General Assembly passes bill giving schools more say on classroom phone rules
A group of teenagers checking their cellphones. (Photo courtesy of SDI Productions via Getty Images) Virginia school boards may soon have more control over how cell phones and smart devices are governed in classrooms. Legislation granting local districts the authority to craft their own policies cleared the General Assembly on Friday and now heads to Gov. Glenn Youngkin for consideration. House Bill 1961, introduced by Sam Rasoul, D-Roanoke, and it's companion measure, Senate Bill 738 by Sen. Stella Pekarsky, D-Fairfax, comes amid growing concerns over the impact of smartphones on children's health. While research has linked excessive phone use to adverse effects on students' well-being, advocates also recognize the role devices play in providing educational resources and communication tools. Last year, a similar measure aimed at allowing school boards to ban phones and other 'handheld communication devices' during school hours failed to pass. However, many schools had already implemented their own restrictions. Unlike Yougkin's existing guidelines, Rasoul emphasized that his proposal provides more local flexibility and ensures age-appropriate policies across different schools. It also includes critical exceptions for students with disabilities who rely on electronic devices for communication. Importantly, Rasoul said the legislation prevents harsh disciplinary measures, ensuring that violating a school's phone policy alone wouldn't lead to suspension or expulsion. 'We just wanted to ensure that this new cell phone policy wasn't weaponized against the students and that would lead to suspension and expulsion,' Rasoul said. 'While the student can be pulled from the classroom, of course, if they're acting up, we want to ensure that we are not utilizing this new policy in a way that, in and of itself, just by violating the policy would lead to expelling a student.' Last summer, Youngkin signed Executive Order 33, directing his administration to implement cell phone-free policies amid rising concerns over children's mental health and declining academic performance. Citing research by the American Psychological Association, the order highlights that adolescents who spend more than three hours daily on social media daily are twice as likely to experience poor mental health. It also references studies showing that children spend an average of 4.8 hours a day on social media and that students who use their phones during class learn less and earn lower grades. Under the guidelines, which took effect on Jan. 1, elementary, middle, and high school students are required to be phone-free during the entire school day, with middle and high schoolers permitted to use their phones only before or after school. Local school divisions have the flexibility to tailor specific rules to their district's needs. The policy also includes exemptions for students with disabilities and English Learner students with documented language barriers. During a Senate Education and Health subcommittee hearing last month, Pekarsky said that the response to Youngkin's order was 'successful' and 'positive.' However, she stressed the need to formally establish these policies in state law to ensure consistency and local control. 'We just need to codify this to make sure that everyone knows that you have to have a policy, you have to talk with your community [and] discuss what policy works for you,' Pekarsky said. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
