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Miami Herald
5 days ago
- Politics
- Miami Herald
Why the surprise over Scots' reaction to Trump? Respect must be earned
Re: Mary Anna Mancuso's Aug. 1 op-ed, 'Scotland's protests should concern every American.' Why is she surprised by the Scots' reaction to President Trump's visit? What does she expect? Respectfully disagreeing with Trump gets one libeled on his online platform. Continuing to disagree gets one taken to court (and paying for that may require filing for bankruptcy). If one continues to strongly disagree, then threats of bodily harm against one and one's family begin. And when one is physically assaulted, Trump and his people laugh! The Scots are only giving Trump what he gave them: insults. His Scottish neighbors protested how he ran roughshod over the environment surrounding his golf courses, his attempts to stop energy-producing windmills from spoiling his view and his superior attitude toward them. They actually have to live with the results of his schemes. To get respect, one has to earn it. Threatening everyone who refuses to bow down to you won't earn you any respect. Corey Mass, Miami Beach Senate's carelessness In early 1972, I accepted an appointment by then-U.S. Sen. Edward J. Gurney of Florida to serve as an attorney to the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee. I traveled to Washington with aspirations of improving the federal judicial system. Then Watergate broke out. During the next two years, while assisting Gurney, who served on the Judiciary and Watergate Committees, I had a worm's eye view of the tumult, including revelations great and terrible. I witnessed young men of great promise and ability go to jail, but I also watched the testimony of Elliott Richardson and Bill Ruckleshouse, who resigned office rather than carry out an order they deemed wrong (if not legally, then morally). It made me realize that principles matter and that our government requires constant loyalty to the Constitution and the rule of law. Today, I see many parallels to the Watergate years, particularly when young lawyers disregard ethical considerations to further political ends, as by counseling defiance of court orders. Yet one distinction glares: during Watergate, the Senate joined the courts in investigating wrongdoing. I have every confidence today's courts will suffice under the doctrine of separation of powers, as federal judges are demonstrating daily, regardless who appointed them. I also have confidence that our military will withstand attempts to politicize it. However, it surely would help if the Senate were as concerned with the Constitution and the usurpation of their powers as they are with just getting reelected. R. Thomas Farrar, Miami Multiple articles have been published about the horrific boating accident last week on Biscayne Bay. Many of them referred to which boat had the 'right of way.' This terminology is misleading. On water, no boat has the 'right of way.' There is the 'give-way vessel,' which must take action to avoid a collision, or yield the right of way. There also is the stand-on vessel, which is supposed to maintain course. However, if it appears that the give-way vessel is not taking appropriate or adequate action to avoid a collision, the stand-on vessel then has the responsibility to maneuver to avoid a collision. While this might seem like semantics, it is important for all individuals operating a boat to know and understand. As has been mentioned in several articles, the determination of the give-way vessel and stand-on vessel varies based on many situations. Boating is a wonderful activity. Over the past few years, there have been many new recreational boat owners on our South Florida waters. Hopefully, they have been thoroughly educated in boating safety and operation and take care to avoid accidents. None of this will bring comfort to the victims and families of the recent tragedy, but education and knowledge will hopefully prevent future incidents. Seth Rosen, Pinecrest As a former high school social studies teacher, I would have to give Gov. Ron DeSantis a failing grade in American history and an A+ in making it up as he goes along. His 'civics excellence' program for Florida teachers is full of flat out lies, delusions, distortions and derangements, which fit very well within the core curriculum of his role model in the White House. Reconstructing the past to fit a delirious present is a slippery slope and depends on the assumption that Floridians are as ignorant as their chief executive. If that is the case, Florida has much larger problems than its residents can possibly comprehend. A search and destroy mission against the truth will have major unintended consequences. Undermining democracy requires the proper combination of fake news and fake history. Good luck with that recipe, Chef Ron. Craig Corsini, San Rafael, CA Last week's departure of ABC from WPLG Channel 10, after seven decades of affiliation, is quite alarming. I am old enough to remember when there was no ABC, but a Blue Network which was part of NBC, before breaking off into two networks. Apparently, Disney, which now owns ABC, offered less programming and higher fees, according to WPLG, hence their breakup. I also remember Disney when it was just happy producing films, then theme parks and now controlling Paramount and a broadcast network. Maybe Mickey is getting too big for his britches. Roger Shatanoff, Coral Gables In the Aug. 1 op-ed, 'Red states lead the charge to healthier living,' a Heritage Foundation analyst asserts that Florida's fluoride ban is an example of states' political and cultural realignments that will 'begin to change the health trajectory for their constituents.' True, but not in a good way. Why would anyone desire a political legacy that includes rotting kids' teeth? Bob Ross, Pinecrest As a high school senior who actively rides the Metrorail, I've been following the Miami Herald's recent stories on the impact of construction delays on local traffic. According to a July 7 report, the Future-Ready Modernization in Action plan to expand Miami International Airport will result in a 20 million passenger increase by 2040. Even though 2,240 additional parking spaces are planned to accommodate this growth, it's unclear that our roads can absorb the increase in rental cars, taxis and Ubers. Projects like the Signature Bridge will increase highway capacity; however, the completion date has been delayed by two years. Short-term solutions should be made available to daily commuters. We should use something like Miami-Dade's 'Better Bus Plan.' I took Metrorail to school using this six-week, fare-free promotion. It was clean, efficient and reduced my commute. Charles Holleman, Miami The detention center dubbed 'Alligator Alcatraz,' hosted by Gov. Ron DeSantis, President Trump and their own military with cult followers, mirrors what Argentina experienced during its period of dictatorship. That regime's detention center/prison held in isolation those it snatched from daily life, then deported them. Without human rights, legal process or outside communication, detainees were drugged, abused and tortured. Pregnant women were allowed to live until after giving birth. In some cases, their babies were given to military officers' families wanting a child. View some of the documentaries about Argentina's 'Dirty War' to understand our own political unrest. Our political climate is repeating this history. Are U.S. citizens so blinded with loyalty to this type of leadership, or lack thereof, not to realize the destruction to our Constitution? It's time to take back control of public education, fact-based news and publications and the judicial system. Reel in religious institutions that spew hate and white supremacy in preaching while enjoying a tax-free platform. Jail the real criminals. Kimberly Cole, Kendall
Yahoo
03-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Trump seeks to reshape judiciary as first nominees face Senate
By Nate Raymond (Reuters) -U.S. President Donald Trump's first batch of judicial nominees since returning to the White House is set to go before a U.S. Senate panel as the Republican looks to further reshape a judiciary whose members have stymied parts of his agenda. Five of the 11 judicial nominees Trump has announced so far are slated to appear on Wednesday before the Republican-led U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee, which will weigh whether to recommend them for the full Senate's consideration. Those nominees all have conservative bona fides that their supporters say will help Trump shift the ideological balance of the judiciary further to the right after making 234 appointments in his first term, which was a near-record for a president's first four years in office. Trump's first-term appointees included three members of the U.S. Supreme Court, which since gaining a 6-3 conservative majority has curtailed abortion rights, rejected affirmative action policies on university campuses and limited the power of administrative agencies. White House spokesperson Harrison Fields said in a statement that Trump was committed to "restoring integrity to the judicial system, which begins with appointing America First judges, not unelected politicians in robes." Among Wednesday's nominees is Whitney Hermandorfer, who as a lawyer serving under Tennessee's Republican attorney general has defended the state's abortion ban and challenged federal protections for transgender youth. Hermandorfer, who is nominated to a seat on the Cincinnati-based 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, will appear before the Senate panel with four nominees to fill trial court vacancies in Missouri. Those include Joshua Divine, Missouri's solicitor general, who challenged Democratic former President Joe Biden's student loan forgiveness efforts and has defended abortion and transgender healthcare restrictions. The hearing comes days after Trump broke with conservative legal activist Leonard Leo of the Federalist Society, who advised Trump on judicial appointments in his first term. 'I am so disappointed in The Federalist Society because of the bad advice they gave me on numerous Judicial Nominations,' Trump wrote. 'This is something that cannot be forgotten!" Leo in response said he was grateful Trump transformed the courts. He said the judiciary "is better than it's ever been in modern history, and that will be President Trump's most important legacy." Trump's attack on Leo came a day after a three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of International Trade that included a Trump-appointed judge blocked most of his tariffs. It is one of several rulings White House officials describe as part of a "judicial coup" by judges who have blocked his policies. Mike Davis, whose conservative Article III Project backs Trump's judicial nominees, said that in his second term Trump "doesn't need to appease the D.C. establishment with weak and timid judges." "He is picking bold and fearless judges, like Emil Bove, who will follow the Constitution instead of seeking establishment favor." Bove, a Justice Department official who previously served as Trump's defense lawyer in the New York criminal trial over hush money paid to a porn star, was nominated last week to join the Philadelphia-based 3rd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. His nomination drew criticism from Democrats and Ed Whelan, a conservative legal commentator who in a piece in the National Review called Bove's nomination "disturbing." "Clearly you have some folks agitating for MAGA-type nominees, and the White House will be open to those folks so long as they also have good legal qualifications," Whelan said in an interview. But he said most of Trump's nominees, as well as candidates in the pipeline, have fit within the rubric of what Trump would have sought in his first term. "It's going to be very hard for Trump to pick people other than people with traditional conservative qualifications," Whelan said.
Yahoo
29-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
US bill with backing from SC legislator heads to president's desk
Rep. Brandon Guffey, R-Rock Hill, testifying at a U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee meeting on Wednesday, Feb. 19, 2025. A bill for which Guffey advocated strengthening protections for children online passed the U.S. House of Representatives Monday, April 28, 2025. (Screenshot courtesy of C-Span) A federal bill that would require social media platforms to remove falsified intimate images and so-called 'revenge porn,' which a South Carolina state legislator has been pushing for, advanced to the president's desk Monday. State Rep. Brandon Guffey has repeatedly called on Congress to pass legislation protecting children online after his 17-year-old son, Gavin Guffey, died by suicide three years ago while being extorted with intimate photos he had shared by direct message on Instagram. Guffey, R-Rock Hill, recounted the story of his son's suicide to the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee earlier this year during a general discussion about protections for children online. The bill passed the House with a vote of 409-2 on Monday. SC House passes bill requiring parental consent for social media Every South Carolina representative in Congress voted for the bill, which will go to President Donald Trump for his signature. 'I think that's a big first step,' Guffey told the SC Daily Gazette. The bill, dubbed the TAKE IT DOWN Act, is among several for which Guffey has been advocating. Another federal proposal that would make social media platforms legally responsible for protecting children on their apps and websites from sexual exploitation has yet to get a vote in either chamber. The passage of the first proposal could lead to others, Guffey said. 'Hopefully it'll begin that snowball,' Guffey said. In recent years, the state has put in place some of its own protections for children online. Gavin's Law, named after Guffey's son, passed in 2023, banning sexual extortion, also known as 'sextortion.' Several other proposals have advanced but not reached the finish line, including a bill requiring children to get permission from their parents before creating social media profiles that passed the House earlier this year. A Senate committee Tuesday advanced a proposal to ban intimate photos circulated without a person's consent, dubbed revenge porn, as well as fake nude photos. The bill, which passed the House unanimously, will go to the Senate floor.
Yahoo
20-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
SC House passes bill requiring parental consent for social media
Rep. Brandon Guffey, R-Rock Hill, testifying at a U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee meeting on Wednesday, Feb. 19, 2025. (Screenshot courtesy of C-Span) COLUMBIA — A bill requiring children to get permission from their parents before signing up for social media profiles passed the House on Wednesday. As the state House debated, Rep. Brandon Guffey, R-Rock Hill, testified in front of a U.S. Senate committee about his son's suicide over a sextortion scam. Under the proposal representatives passed 90-17, parents would have to give consent for their children to create a social media account. And social media companies would have to put safeguards in place for children using their platforms, such as limiting who can message them and what they can see. A similar bill passed the House 113-1 last year. This time around, legislators raised concerns over parental rights, privacy concerns and a requirement that the state create educational programs about social media. Another perfunctory vote, expected Thursday, will send the bill to the Senate, which did not take up last year's similar version. Representatives agreed that overuse of social media can be a problem for children's mental health. The question became whether it should be up to legislators to control how people use social media. 'Why does the government need to do what any parent can already do, given the evils of social media?' said House Minority Leader Todd Rutherford, D-Columbia. 'We agree they're evil, but if they're evil and you're a parent, why don't you do it?' As technology rapidly develops, parents who didn't grow up with the same challenges are overwhelmed trying to protect their children, said Rep. Travis Moore, a sponsor on the bill. 'These are not issues parents individually can handle, in my opinion,' the Roebuck Republican replied. The proposal would affect more than just parents, said Rep. Justin Bamberg, D-Bamberg. SC teens would need parent permission for social media under House bill Social media sites would be required to verify the ages of everyone making an account in order to prevent people under the age of 18 from signing up. Bamberg, the only 'no' vote last year, said that lead to adults needing to provide personal information to social media companies. 'I ain't giving my Social Security number to anybody to have a damn Facebook,' Bamberg said. 'I don't believe in that.' But Moore said there's nothing in the bill requiring that. Verification won't go that far, he said. 'Acceptable methods' listed in the bill for obtaining consent include providing a toll-free number for the parent to call, allowing the adult to respond to an email, coordinating a video conferencing call, or collecting information from a 'government-issued identification of the minor's parent,' then deleting it. Bamberg proposed requiring companies create a separate platform for children to use, similar to YouTube Kids, a version of the video site designed for children. The child-friendly sites would require parental consent and put in place the safeguards required in the bill without requiring proof from adults, Bamberg said. His proposed amendment failed 73-30. Some of the representatives who changed their minds to oppose the bill included members of the ultra-conservative Freedom Caucus, who pointed to a section that would require the state Department of Education to develop programs teaching students how to safely use social media. Rep. Jordan Pace, a Goose Creek Republican who leads the Freedom Caucus, attempted to remove that part of the bill, claiming that the educators involved in developing the curriculum might attempt to add liberal viewpoints. That won't happen with GOP Superintendent Ellen Weaver at the helm of the agency overseeing public K-12 schools, said Rep. John McCravy, a leader in the Legislature's Family Caucus. Before her 2022 election, Weaver led the conservative think tank Palmetto Promise Institute and before that, worked for former GOP U.S. Sen. Jim DeMint. If the education department did create programs with which the Statehouse's ruling Republicans disagreed, they have the power to intervene, said McCravy, R-Greenwood. 'I think it's worth it to educate our children of the dangers that are on the internet, of the dangers that are on social media,' he said. Legislators threw out Pace's amendment 91-15. At the same time as his colleagues were debating the bill, Guffey gave an emotional recounting of his son's suicide to the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee during a general discussion on protections for children online. Guffey's 17-year-old son, Gavin Guffey, died by suicide July 27, 2022. Guffey had sent explicit photos to an Instagram account he believed to be a young woman. The person running the account threatened to leak those photos unless Guffey continued to send him money. A 24-year-old Nigerian man was brought to the U.S. last month to face federal charges of child exploitation resulting in death, child pornography distribution, coercion and enticement of a minor, cyberstalking resulting in death, and interstate threats with the intent to extort. Meta, the company that owns Instagram and Facebook, removed the profile with which Guffey had been interacting but didn't erase others believed to be connected, Rep. Guffey told the committee Wednesday. Nigerian man faces life in a US prison for sextortion that led to death of SC legislator's son Those accounts attempted to extort Gavin Guffey's 16-year-old brother and 14-year-old cousin, the legislator said. At one point, he received a message reading, 'Did I tell you your son begged for his life?' the Rock Hill Republican told the committee. 'I vowed at that moment I would make it my life's mission to protect children online and would not stop,' Guffey told the committee. Since his son's death, Brandon Guffey has done advocacy work relating to children's internet safety. In his two years of advocacy, he's worked with families of about 40 teens who died by suicide after being sexually exploited on the internet. He called online safety 'the greatest threat to the next generation' and criticized Congress for not doing more to thwart it. 'Right now, we have too many politicians making decisions based on their next election and not enough leaders making decisions based on the next generation,' Guffey said. SC Daily Gazette reporter Shaun Chornobroff contributed to this article.
CBS News
13-02-2025
- Politics
- CBS News
Erek L. Barron, the first Black U.S. Attorney for Maryland, announces resignation
BALTIMORE -- Erek L. Barron, the first Black U.S. Attorney in Maryland's history, resigned from his role effective immediately. Barron, who has served in the role since Oct. 7, 2021, announced his resignation in a statement on Wednesday. "Serving as United States Attorney has been the honor of a lifetime," Barron said. "The office's career attorneys and administrative staff are public servants of exceptional caliber. In support of our mission, they perform their responsibilities with excellence while maintaining the highest standards of professional conduct and working with them has been a great privilege. I am immeasurably proud of the justice we have done together." He was previously a partner at the law firm Whiteford Taylor & Preston LLP and has been a member of the Maryland legislature since 2015. He served as Counsel and Policy Advisor for then-Senator Biden from 2007 to 2009 on the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee's Subcommittee on Crime and Drugs. Barron was also a federal prosecutor in the DOJ from 2006 to 2007 and a Maryland prosecutor in Prince George's County and Baltimore City. He received his Master of Laws degree from Georgetown University Law Center in 2007 and his Juris Doctor from the George Washington University Law School in 1999 and his bachelor's from the University of Maryland at College Park in 1996. Barron was nominated by President Joe Biden for the U.S. Attorney in Maryland in July 2021. Focus on stopping youth violence In 2023, Barron spoke with WJZ about an effort to curb gun violence impacting Maryland's youth. "We have to be relentless about it. We have to be relentless, and we have to work as a team," Barron said. Barron pushed for the community to be involved. He unveiled a new public service announcement during the Baltimore Ravens home opener in 2023. The message highlighted a young person dealing with the loss of a loved one and featured Barron, along with Baltimore City police. You can watch it here. "We have to get the message out, and the purpose of this public service announcement in particular is to highlight the very real and significant collateral consequences of gun violence," Barron said. "It has a huge impact on households, those we love, families, and it's not something that you hear enough about." Barron said the public service campaign was an attempt to get the entire community to pay attention. "All of us can have a role in ending gun violence, and all of us need to be working together for us to be successful. That's law enforcement, community-based organizations and private citizens," Barron said.
