Latest news with #Shiner
Yahoo
24-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Are Aging Democrats Finally Getting the Message?
Democratic Sen. Dick Durbin of Illinois announced on Wednesday he will not be seeking reelection next year. Durbin, who is 80, has spent more than half of his life serving first in the House and then the Senate, where he was elevated to Democratic Whip, party leadership's second-highest role. 'I truly love the job of being a United States senator, but in my heart, I know it's time to pass the torch,' Durbin said in a video message. Meredith Shiner, a communications professional, was in a Zoom training for work when news of Durbin's retirement broke. Her phone exploded with texts. A former Senate reporter, Shiner has promoted the idea of 'primarying every Democrat' — and particularly Durbin, who represents her home state of Illinois. She is part of an increasingly vocal subset of Democrats furious at the lack of initiative their own elected leaders have shown in the face of America's rapid descent into autocracy. Others include DNC vice chair David Hogg, whose PAC, Leaders We Deserve, announced it would put $20 million toward primarying 'ineffective, out-of-touch Democrats,' and TikTok-famous political commentator Kat Abughazaleh who declared her intention to run for the seat currently occupied by liberal stalwart Jan Schakowsky. Abughazaleh told me shortly before she entered the race last month that she didn't take issue with Schakowsky's positions so much as the fact she had been in office for the entirety of Abughazaleh's life. Schakowsky, also 80, is now reportedly planning to retire. Saikat Chakrabarti, the 39-year-old former chief of staff to Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, meanwhile, announced his intention to primary former Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who is 85, citing Pelosi's backing of Rep. Gerry Connolly, the cancer-stricken 75-year old congressman, over Ocasio-Cortez to lead Democrats on the House Oversight Committee. 'I respect what Nancy Pelosi has accomplished in her career, but we are living in a totally different America than the one she knew when she entered politics 45 years ago,' Chakrabarti wrote on X. Shiner articulated her complaints — with the Democratic Party broadly, and Durbin specifically — in a piece for the New Republic in February, in which she 'announced' she was forming an exploratory committee to oust Durbin from office. She didn't want to be a senator, she wrote, but railed that two weeks into the Trump administration, 'it is clear that Democrats on Capitol Hill are failing so spectacularly to confront a constitutional crisis (which their own political incompetence helped create) that I am willing to channel the anger coursing through my body and finally put my country before my own personal well-being.' The threat was only half tongue-in-cheek, Shiner told me by phone hours after Durbin's announcement. 'As someone who had covered the United States Senate for almost a decade, I think one of the things that I was able to see clearly is that so many of the stakeholders in Congress care more about the norms and the pageantry of Congress and less about the responsibility of actually representing the people who sent them there,' she says. Durbin in particular, she adds, 'has been in Congress longer than the average Illinois resident has been alive.' He took over the role leading the Senate Judiciary committee after 90-year-old Democratic Sen. Dianne Feinstein died in office. 'When we think about some of the most devastating impacts of the past 10 years, many spring from the fact the judiciary has been wholesale hijacked. Senate Democrats went from Dianne Feinstein leading the Judiciary Committee to Dick Durbin, and there was no clear articulation of why these [issues that committee worked and voted on] mattered. There was no effort to make clear to the average person why things that were happening in Washington really impacted them.' Durbin is the fifth sitting senator to announce they are retiring before 2026 — all five are over the age of 65. In the House, meanwhile, two Democrats — Reps. Raúl Grijalva and Sylvester Turner — both died while serving this session, votes that could make a difference with this House's razor-thin Republican majority. Shiner recalls covering the Obama-era fight to pass the Affordable Care Act, when Ted Kennedy's death derailed the legislation's passage. 'One of the things that's really scary to think about is that we've built a 'democratic system' where any one person dying could throw the whole thing out of balance,' Shiner says. The arguments that seniority is its own kind of currency are increasingly out of date, she adds: Who cares if you have a senior role on the Appropriations Committee 'in a world where the executive is acting extra-constitutionally and saying that it doesn't matter what Congress has appropriated'? Shiner's argument for primarying Durbin 'started as a rhetorical device,' but she says she's contemplating it more seriously. 'It's not enough for some of these people who have been in office too long to retire — the people who come after them have to believe in the right things and talk about things in a way that really makes sense for this moment. And I worry that some of the candidates who have been groomed by this party culture aren't really willing to stake out a territory that actually helps recapture people's imaginations — especially as we might have already run out of time to do that right. We might have already missed the opportunity to win an election when they were free and fair.' Among the names that have already tossed around to fill Durbin's seat are former Chicago mayor Rahm Emanuel. 'I think it would be catastrophic at every level if he were to become a United States senator,' Shiner says. In every role he's held, she says, Emanuel 'has consistently shown that he's been willing to compromise core values if he thinks that it's politically expedient. At the end of the day, our country and the people of Illinois are not well served by someone who thinks that political expedience is a priority — and who has also completely misread what is politically expedient. He was quoted in Politico saying that Democrats just could concede USAID as a little treat to Donald Trump, because maybe he'll be satisfied, and USAID might not be popular. We're going to put millions of lives across the world at risk. Why isn't that something worth fighting for?' More from Rolling Stone 'Democrats Lost Them': Here's Why 2020 Biden Voters Sat Out the 2024 Election Democrats Are (Slowly) Learning How to Fight Trump Liberals' 'Abundance' Discourse Is Good for Trump and Musk - and Bad for Dems Best of Rolling Stone The Useful Idiots New Guide to the Most Stoned Moments of the 2020 Presidential Campaign Anatomy of a Fake News Scandal The Radical Crusade of Mike Pence
Yahoo
18-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Optus to hike prices for Aussie customers in second blow in a year: 'Will receive an email or SMS'
Optus is hiking the price of its monthly mobile phone plans for customers. The telco giant cited investments in its network and technology as the reasons behind the price hike. Australia's second-biggest telco will increase the price of some mobile plans by between $2 and $6 per month from June 4, 2025. The price hike was revealed in an email to customers, which covers some of the telco's popular Choice, Choice Plus and Business Mobile Plus plans. Optus managing director of customer solutions Anthony Shiner told Yahoo Finance the price increases would support the telco's commitment to keeping Australians connected and allow it to 'continue to invest in improving the speed, coverage and reliability of our network, as well as enhancing technology'. RELATED Woolworths shopper's simple trick to get $70 off grocery bill each month: 'Really easy' ATO warning for every Aussie who plays lottery after $70 million Oz Lotto jackpot Pay rise coming for half a million Aussies after 'landmark' ruling: 'Up to 35 per cent' 'Any device payments customers are currently paying will remain the same,' Shiner said. 'Customers whose plans are changing will receive an email or SMS message explaining the changes.' Optus will also increase data inclusions for impacted customers with increases of between 20GB to 40GB per month, depending on the plan."Data inclusions will also be increasing so customers can continue browsing, streaming and enjoying their favourite activities on their mobile devices," Shiner said. 'Optus understands that many of our customers are coping with a range of increases in expenses and for customers in need, or who just have questions, our team is here to help." The change means Aussies on the telco's cheapest postpaid plan, the small Optus Choice Plus plan will see prices increase from $52 to $55 a month. This will still be cheaper than Telstra's mobile plans, which start at $65 per month for 50GB. Vodafone plans start at $39 per month for the first 12 months, $49 per month thereafter, for 100GB, normally 50GB of data. Optus last increased its postpaid phone plans in August last year, with plans increasing by $3 or $6 per service. It cited 'increasing costs' required to maintain and provide its in to access your portfolio
Axios
28-02-2025
- Entertainment
- Axios
Hops with history: Texas Special beer revived decades later
K. Spoetzl Brewery, home of Shiner, revived its historic Texas Special beer, a crowd-pleaser first brewed in 1933. Why it matters: The American-style lager hasn't been around since the 1960s, and now it's back with Texas Special Light, a lighter take on the classic. The latest: Cans and packs of the beer hit the shelves on Sunday, coinciding with Texas Independence Day. Flashback: The beer has some history — it was first brewed to celebrate the repeal of Prohibition. Pro tip: The brewery recommends pairing Texas Special with brisket, ribs and sausage, while the light version tastes best with barbecued chicken and seafood.
Telegraph
12-02-2025
- Politics
- Telegraph
Attorney General defended disgraced lawyer Phil Shiner
The Attorney General stood by a disgraced human rights lawyer after he pursued British soldiers over fake war crimes, it has emerged. Lord Hermer defended Phil Shiner, whose allegations of atrocities being committed in Iraq were dismissed by the High Court. He is said to have described Shiner – It is the latest revelation about Sir Keir Starmer's chief legal adviser, who has already faced calls for his resignation. In March 2015, Lord Hermer defended Shiner at a legal event – despite him being investigated by the solicitor's watchdog following the High Court's judgment, in which his claims about British soldiers were dismissed as 'deliberate lies, reckless speculation and ingrained hostility'. 'Phil has caused the Government a great deal of aggravation over the last 15 years,' Lord Hermer said in the recording. 'He's brought successfully some extraordinarily important cases that have exposed systemic use of torture, for example, by the British Army in Iraq.' He went on to say that human rights lawyers expected attacks from the media, adding: 'I think it's a rare example of something that steps beyond that.' The comments came despite a £31 million public inquiry finding that claims of murder and torture from Shiner and another firm were based on deliberate lies. Shiner was investigated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) before eventually being struck off in 2017. Sources close to Lord Hermer said that, once the SRA's case was concluded, he condemned Shiner's behaviour, according to The Times. Last year, Shiner was convicted of three counts of fraud as he tried to secure £200,000 to fund a judicial review into fake war crimes. His sentencing – in which he walked free from court – was branded an 'insult to our veterans' and he was described as a 'modern-day traitor'. A series of conflict of interest rows have engulfed the Attorney General since it was revealed that On Monday, The Telegraph revealed that Lord Hermer had previously advised A leading Labour peer then described the Attorney General as an A spokesman for the Attorney General's Office told the paper: 'Law officers such as the attorney-general will naturally have an extensive legal background, and may have previously been involved in a wide number of past cases. 'It is a feature and cornerstone of our legal system that legal professionals operate the cab-rank rule when it comes to clients, and barristers do not associate themselves with their clients' opinions.'
Yahoo
10-02-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Ganado quarterback, Stamford linebacker lead Texas Class 2A all-state football team
BRYAN, Texas (AP) — Ganado quarterback Bryce Ullman and Stamford linebacker Kaston Vega are the players of the year on the 73rd annual Blue Bell/Texas Sports Writers Association Class 2A all-state football team. Ullman threw for 2,779 yards with 47 touchdowns and rushed for 300 yards and seven more touchdowns in leading Ganado to the Division I state championship. Vega had 238 tackles, 35 of them for losses for Stamford, which was the Division I runner-up. FIRST TEAM Offense Guards — Jessie Rodriguez, Stamford, 5-8, 260, sr.; Brayden Henderson, Refugio, 6-0, 270, sr. Tackles — Wesley Maupin, Gruver, 6-4, 260, sr.; Zach Smith, Muenster, 6-1, 220, sr. Center — Juan Hernandez, Weimar, 6-2, 230, sr. Wide receivers — Jayden Edwards, Overton, 6-0, 165, sr.; Cooper Ellison, Miles, 5-11, 170, sr. Tight end — (tie) Camden Ables, Hawley, 6-4, 220, soph.; Garrett Hess, Muenster, 6-3, 185, jr. Quarterback — Bryce Ullman, Ganado, 5-10, 170, sr. Running backs — Ian Vergara, Post, 5-7, 150, sr.; Jordan King, Refugio, 5-10, 215, sr.; HD Davis, Wolfe City, 6-0, 205, jr. Fullback — Kaegan Ash, Mount Enterprise, 6-0 205, jr. All-purpose — Coldyn Horn, Axtell, 5-8, 165, sr. Place-kicker – Marcos Estrada, Junction, 5-8, 150, sr. Offensive player of the year – Ullman, Ganado Defense Linemen — Gavin Pollard, Garrison, 6-3, 270, sr.; Victor Saenz, Ropes, 6-0, 210, jr.; Jackson Graves, Wheeler, 6-5, 225, jr.; Jared Werner, Shiner, 6-1, 205, sr. Linebackers — Kaston Vega, Stamford, 5-11, 185, sr.; Kaden Riker, Ropes, 6-2, 185, soph.; Garrett Trevino, Collinsville, 5-10, 220, sr.; (tie) Kye Adamek, Shiner, 6-0, 185, sr.; Levi Beavers, Honey Grove, 6-0, 215, sr. Secondary — Stephen Cowan, Gruver, 6-1, 170, sr.; Jake Simper, Shiner, 5-10, 150, jr.; Keith Crawford, Somerville, 6-0, 196, sr.; Luke Sanderson, Goldthwaite 5-9, 170, sr. Punter — Brandon Berend, Windthorst, 6-4, 245, sr. Utility — Logan Bures, Ganado, 5-8, 155, soph. Kick returner — Brandon Kennedy, Elysian Fields, 5-10, 170, jr. Defensive player of the year — Vega, Stamford Coach of the year — Josh Ervin, Ganado ___ SECOND TEAM Offense Guards — Chris Turner, Three Rivers, 6-4, 330, sr.; Tyler Gilchrist, Lovelady, 5-10, 210, sr. Tackles — Diego Cantu, Stamford, 5-10, 275, sr.; Rickie Gilmore, Grapeland, 6-5, 265, sr. Center — Rylan Todd, Mason, 5-9, 220, sr. Wide receivers — Carson Kahlig, Rosebud-Lott, 6-0, 185, sr.; (tie) Carter Snider, Hawkins, 6-1, 175, sr.; Caden Klement, Muenster, 6-3, 185, sr. Tight end — Tyson Oden, Beckville, 6-2, 200, sr. Quarterback — DJ Barnes, Shelbyville, 5-11, 185, sr. Running backs — Elijah Hardison, Joaquin, 5-9, 175, sr.; Sutten Silerio, Mason, 5-11, 185, sr.; (tie) Walker Maupin, Gruver, 5-9, 160, sr.; Jordan Prince, Beckville, 6-0, 180, jr. Fullback — Shiloh Peckham, Cayuga, 5-11, 205, sr. All-purpose — De Montrel Medlock, Mart, 6-1, 226, sr. Place-kicker — Sam De La Mata, Muenster, 6-2, 180, sr. Defense Linemen — Brysen Maxwell-Steele, Marlin, 6-1, 310, jr.; Case Beeson, Stamford, 6-1, 210, sr.; Cody Mahan, Honey Grove, 6-3, 230, sr.; Jackson Bates, Hamilton, 5-11, 180, sr. Linebackers — Tank Scott, Bremond, 5-6, 160, jr.; Eddy Carrizales, Bremond, 5-9, 180, jr.; Landon Hicks, Ganado, 5-11, 155, jr.; Bobby Rogers, Tom Bean, 6-1, 215, sr. Secondary — Garrett Ashurst, Wheeler, 5-10, 165, jr.; Branson Simental, Ropes, 5-8, 155, soph.; Tate Bass, Joaquin, 5-10, 165, sr.; Nate Harlow, Electra, 5-8, 162, sr. Punter — Cole Bruister, Timpson, 6-1, 150, sr. Utility — Maziq Gunnell, Kerens, 5-10, 187, sr. Kick returner — Maverick Bayer, Muenster, 5-7, 165, soph. ___ THIRD TEAM Offense Guards — Cason Serna, Tioga, 6-2, 225, sr.; and (tie) Jose Gonzalez, Shelbyville 5-6, 225, jr. and Jon Conley, Sudan, 5-11, 285, sr. Tackles — Nick Adams, Hamilton, 6-2, 275, sr.; Jarrell Wright, Centerville, 6-1, 265, jr. Center — Tatum Banker, Honey Grove, 5-11, 245, sr. Wide receivers — Tim Bond, Alto, 5-10, 155, sr.; (tie) Chad Davidson, Collinsville, 5-8, 140, jr.; Johnny Dorpinghaus, Tioga, 5-8, 175, sr. Tight end — Caleb Strickland, Wellington, 5-10, 210, sr. Quarterback — Casen Carney, Muenster, 5-9, 165, jr. Running backs — Cortavies Whitaker, Lovelady, 5-11, 185 sr.; Kernyd Faciane, Wink, 5-8, 185, soph.; Julius Atherton, Wheeler, 5-11, 215, sr. Fullback — Nate Espy, Waskom, 6-0, 195, jr. All-purpose — Michael Daniels, Ozona, 5-9, 150, sr. Place-kicker — Isiah Smith, Collinsville, 5-10, 140, jr. Defense Linemen — Miguel Rincon, Wellington, 5-10, 185, sr.; Asher Price, Honey Grove, 6-4, 215, sr.; Cadynn Villarreal, Mart, 6-0, 250, sr.; (tie) Zander Pruitt, Bremond, 5-10, 225, jr.; Aden Standley, Corrigan-Camden, 6-0, 220, sr. Linebackers — Simon Johnson, Muenster, 5-9, 160, jr.; Clancy Osbourn, Mason, 6-1, 205, jr.; Zander Wills, Refugio, 6-0, 190, jr.; (tie) James Contreras, Three Rivers, 6-0, 210, jr.; Mason Banker, Honey Grove, 5-7, 160, jr. Secondary — Xavier Carranza, Three Rivers, 5-11, 170, sr.; Aiden Harris, Beckville, 5-10 160, sr.; Caiden Crook, Panhandle, 6-2, 170, sr.; Keyandre Jefferson, Post, 5-9, 150, sr. Punter — Brady McCullough, Lovelady, 5-9, 155, jr. Utility — Dereion Mitchell, Hearne, 6-5, 210, sr. Kick returner — Kasen Wiles, Windthorst, 5-9, 155, sr. The Associated Press
