Tennessee law regarding HIV-positive sex workers could soon be revised
Tennessee would no longer be the only U.S. state to impose a lifetime registration as a “violent sex offender” on anyone convicted of engaging in sex work while living with HIV under a proposal that advanced Tuesday in the legislature. The controversial statute still on the books is being challenged in federal court by LGBTQ+ and civil rights advocates. They argue that the law stems from the decades-old AIDS scare and discriminates against HIV-positive people. The U.S. Department of Justice has also weighed in on the decades-old law after completing an investigation in December, saying that it violates the Americans with Disabilities Act and called on the state to repeal the measure. However, Republican Sen. Page Walley on Tuesday stopped short of fully removing the law and instead introduced legislation that would remove those convicted of aggravated prostitution of having to register as a violent sex offender. CANCER IS NOW LEADING CAUSE OF DEATH AMONG HIV-POSITIVE PEOPLE, REPORT SAYS: ‘OF GREAT CONCERN’ “It maintains the charge,” Walley said. “But removes the sex offender registration.” Prostitution has long been criminalized as a misdemeanor in Tennessee. But in 1991, Tennessee lawmakers enacted an even harsher statute that applied only to sex workers living with HIV. Nearly 20 years later, the state legislature revised the law once more by requiring lifetime sex offender registration for those convicted under the controversial statute. In the years since, the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has warned that laws criminalizing HIV exposure — many of which were enacted amid the height of the AIDS epidemic — are outdated and ineffective. Black and Latino communities have been particularly affected by these laws even as the same standards do not apply to other infectious diseases. Some states have taken steps to repeal their HIV criminal laws, such as Illinois, which repealed all of its HIV-specific criminal laws in 2021. That same year, New Jersey and Virginia repealed all their felony HIV-specific laws. In Republican-dominant Tennessee, lawmakers have expressed resistance to outright repealing the aggravated prostitution charge. Instead, the GOP-controlled Senate Judiciary Committee on Tuesday agreed to advance a proposal that would drop the lifetime sex offender registration requirement. Walley described his bill as “anti-trafficking,” arguing that the current framework hurts those who may be victims of sexual assault and hinders attempts to get their lives back on track. According to court documents, 83 people are currently registered sex offenders for aggravated prostitution convictions in Tennessee. The majority of those convictions took place in Shelby County, which encompasses Memphis. The plaintiffs challenging the law in federal court, all named Jane Doe, have described years of harassment and hardships in finding housing and employment that complies with Tennessee’s violent sex offender registry. The legislation would still need to clear the full Senate and House chambers before it could make it to Gov. Bill Lee’s desk for consideration. The Republican governor has not weighed in publicly on the bill. Meanwhile, the federal lawsuit is ongoing. It’s currently scheduled to go to trial in 2026.
Open-air drug use, overdoses push Democrats to introduce overhaul of first-in-the-nation decriminalization law
Oregon Democrats unveiled their plan to roll back the state’s pioneering drug decriminalization law in response to rampant public drug use and rising overdose deaths, immediately drawing criticism from both Republicans and pro-decriminalization advocacy groups. “We need to urgently expand drug treatment and addiction prevention in our state while stopping drug dealers, confiscating hard drugs, and cleaning up trash and graffiti,” Senate Majority Leader Kate Lieber said. “We won’t solve this problem overnight, but this plan will get people the help they need, clean up our communities, and save lives.” ‘ENORMOUS MISTAKE’: BUSINESS LEADERS, RESIDENTS FED UP WITH BLUE STATE DRUG LAWS ISSUE 2024 ULTIMATUM Lawmakers on the Joint Committee on Addiction and Community Safety Response propose making drug possession a Class C misdemeanor, reversing the key part of Measure 110, the first-in-the-nation decriminalization law passed by 58% of voters in 2020. The plan includes higher sentences for drug dealing in certain locations, like near parks or homeless shelters. It would also make it easier for people to get treatment, housing and insurance. Partnership for Safety and Justice Executive Director Andy Ko criticized the Democrats’ plan for re-instituting criminal penalties. “Treating the tens-of-thousands of Oregonians suffering from addiction as criminals is pointless, irresponsible, and profoundly wasteful,” he said in a statement. “Regressive policies of the past half-century too often elevated punishment as if it were health care.” Republicans, who introduced similar legislation earlier this month, don’t think the proposal is tough enough. A Class C misdemeanor is the lowest crime classification, punishable by up to 30 days in jail, a $1,250 fine, or both. The Democratic proposal also allows people to avoid charges if they complete a behavioral health screening and meet with a caseworker. ‘FENTANYL NEXUS’: PORTLAND POLICE’S BIKE SQUAD FACES ‘EXPLOSION’ OF OPEN-AIR DRUG USE “Anything short of reclassifying deadly drugs as a Class A misdemeanor crime will be inadequate to effectively steer more people into more treatment more quickly,” the Coalition to Fix & Improve Measure 110 said in a statement. The coalition of political and business leaders in Oregon lobbied the legislature to reform Measure 110 and promises to send a ballot measure to the voters if lawmakers don’t take action. The Republican bill would make possession of drugs like fentanyl, heroin and meth a Class A misdemeanor and would require treatment to avoid jail. If convicted, drug users could face up to a year in jail, a $6,250 fine, or both. Lawmakers will meet for a special legislative session beginning Feb. 5 that is expected to last no more than 35 days. ‘FAMILY HAS POWER’: RECOVERING ADDICT WHO WITNESSED MORE THAN 100 OVERDOSES RESCUED BY LONG LOST SISTER Measure 110 decriminalized small amounts of all drugs. Police can cite people for possession with a $100 ticket, which drug users can waive by calling a hotline for service. But almost no one calls the hotline or pays the fine, and open-air drug use has surged in some areas. Addiction rates and overdose deaths have skyrocketed in Oregon and nationwide as fentanyl swept across the country. Numerous polls show Oregonians favor re-criminalizing hard drugs and making treatment required, not voluntary, as a jail alternative. “The only reason that the current power structure and the political power class in Oregon is even dealing with this right now is because they can read the polls,” Clackamas County Commissioner Ben West told Fox News on Monday. West doesn’t think the Democrats proposal goes far enough, agreeing that a Class A misdemeanor would have more teeth. “Stop pandering to special interest groups,” he said. “Stop worrying about the next election and worry about the bodies we’re stepping over in our cities.” In Portland, where the effects of Oregon’s drug laws are most stark, city officials have been urging the state to act. “We need to give tools to our first responders so they can take action,” City Commissioner Dan Ryan previously told Fox News. “If someone is smoking fentanyl in public and it’s causing harm to those who are trying to access the sidewalk, then the police need to be able to respond to that … It’s just common sense.” Portland’s City Council unanimously passed an ordinance banning public drug use in September. But city officials said the law couldn’t go into effect until state lawmakers pass legislation allowing them to enforce it.
Delhi traffic advisory for Republic Day 2024: Check restrictions, alternative routes, and more
No traffic movement is being allowed on Kartavya Path from Vijay Chowk to India Gate from 6 pm on Wednesday.
Mamata Banerjee reveals Burdwan car accident details: ‘ I survived due to…’
Mamata Banerjee got a minor head injury. After reaching Kolkata, she said she was feeling unwell.
T-Squared: A message from our CEO
A group of Tribune employees has announced their intent to unionize.
Delaware House passes ‘human composting’ bill with broad support
A bill to allow composting of human bodies as an alternative to burial or cremation received overwhelming approval in the state House on Tuesday. The measure passed the House on a 37-2 vote and now goes to the Senate. It authorizes a practice called “natural organic reduction,” often referred to as “human composting.” Chief sponsor Rep. Sean Lynn, a Dover Democrat, called the practice a “gentle, respectful, environmentally friendly death care option.” DELAWARE GOV. JOHN CARNEY DELAYS STATE OF THE STATE ADDRESS OVER ILLNESS “Natural organic reduction is a sophisticated process that applies cutting-edge technology and engineering to accelerate the natural process of turning a body into soil,” he said. Testing in other states that allow the practice found the resulting soil to be “high quality and regenerative,” Lynn added. Human composting is currently legal in Washington, Colorado, Oregon, Vermont, California, New York and Nevada, and legislation has been introduced in more than a dozen other states, according to Recompose, a Seattle-based company that offers the service and advocates for its expanded use. Lynn said the Delaware measures takes into account the precedent from other states, but it includes additional environmental and health safeguards. If the bill is enacted into law, specific regulations would be developed over the ensuing year, he said. The organic reduction process involves putting a body into a large tank that also holds straw, wood chips or other natural materials for about 30 days. The human remains and organic materials would mix with warm air and be periodically turned until the body is reduced to a soil-like material that can then be given to the dead person’s family. Supporters of the bill have said human composting is a more environmentally friendly alternative to cremation that uses less energy and doesn’t involve the use of formaldehyde or the release of carbon dioxide and mercury into the atmosphere. Under the bill, remains could not be accepted for composting if they contain radioactive implants, or if the person died as the result of a radiological incident. Also off-limits would be the remains of those suspected of having certain infections, such as the Ebola virus or diseases that can affect both animals and humans and lead to incurable neurodegenerative disorders, such as mad cow disease. Lynn said he expects human composting will become more popular amid greater emphasis on environmental sustainability and land-use issues regarding cemetery space.
Haley allies admit she has ‘steeper road ahead’ facing Trump in South Carolina
Americans for Prosperity Action, the political wing of the influential and deep-pocketed fiscally conservative network founded by the billionaire Koch Brothers, admitted that GOP presidential candidate Nikki Haley has a “steeper road ahead” facing former President Trump in South Carolina. Reacting after Trump clinched his second straight victory in the New Hampshire primaries Tuesday, Americans for Prosperity Action Senior Advisor Emily Seidel said the results in New Hampshire “show that Nikki Haley is closing the gap and that she is the clear alternative for voters who are ready to close the book on the toxic Biden-Trump political era.” “This is still an uphill battle. Now all eyes turn to South Carolina, where she has a steeper road ahead,” Seidel said in a statement obtained by Fox News Digital. “For the past several months, we’ve been engaged in races for the U.S. House, U.S. Senate, and presidential levels to prevent a scenario where one party progressive rule comes to Washington, D.C. at a time when our country can least afford it. If Republicans nominate Donald Trump, we risk a repeat of the past three elections and the very real threat of full progressive control increases dramatically.” Seidal went on to say of Trump, “This is why Joe Biden and the Democrats want him to be the nominee. The stakes for our country simply couldn’t be higher.” RAMASWAMY: ‘SINISTER FORCES AT PLAY’ IF HALEY DOESN’T DROP OUT OF PRESIDENTIAL RACE: ‘THAT GETS UGLY’ “Our teams will continue talking to South Carolina voters in support of Nikki Haley. We are laser focused on electing the candidates who can be the firewall preventing one party progressive rule of the federal government. We have three ways to win the Senate, the House, and the presidential primary. Through our multi-pronged effort we are prepared to get this done. I’m proud of our activists’ ongoing efforts. Despite challenging conditions, their support shows that AFP Action consistently takes principled and tough action when our country needs it most.” A conservative group with powerful grassroots outreach, Americans for Prosperity Action endorsed Haley in November and pledged to spend tens of millions of dollars to help push the GOP past Trump. After knocking out most of the field with a commanding win in Iowa, Trump achieved another victory in New Hampshire, but Haley still vows to stay in the race. She is set to campaign in the U.S. Virgin Islands and in South Carolina on Wednesday as the race for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination moves beyond the first two voting states. HALEY LIVES TO FIGHT ANOTHER DAY AGAINST TRUMP, BUT FACES ‘CHALLENGING ROAD’ AHEAD IN GOP PRESIDENTIAL RACE Trump flew back to Florida on Tuesday night after a strong performance in New Hampshire. It was his third straight New Hampshire primary victory, tying a record previously held by Richard Nixon, who won the event in 1960, 1968 and 1972. Trump is the first presidential candidate to win three consecutive New Hampshire primaries. The next primary is scheduled for Feb. 3 in South Carolina on the Democratic side, while the South Carolina Republican primary is Feb. 24. Despite Haley previously serving as South Carolina’s governor, the current governor, a slew of statewide officials and four out of the six Republican U.S. House members from the Palmetto State are backing Trump, as well as both the state’s U.S. senators, Sen. Lindsey Graham and former GOP presidential rival Sen. Tim Scott. President Biden, who also won his respective primary in New Hampshire, said it was “now clear” Trump would be the Republican nominee and that the “stakes could not be higher.” Fox News’ Paul Steinhauser and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Trump, Biden agree on one thing about the Republican primary
Former President Donald Trump and President Biden don’t agree on much — but both say their election rematch is set after convincing wins in New Hampshire’s first-in-the-nation primary. Trump, who faces one remaining primary challenger in former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley, claimed an 11-point victory in the Granite State on Tuesday night. In an exclusive interview with Fox News Digital, Trump said he was “very honored by the result” and is “looking forward to going against the worst president in the history of our country.” Biden said Tuesday the “stakes could not be higher” after winning the New Hampshire primary as a write-in candidate, trouncing Rep. Dean Phillips, D-Minn., who launched a long-shot bid against the incumbent president by arguing Biden is too old and unpopular to win in November. “It is now clear that Donald Trump will be the Republican nominee,” Biden declared in a statement. “And my message to the country is the stakes could not be higher. Our Democracy. Our personal freedoms — from the right to choose to the right to vote. Our economy — which has seen the strongest recovery in the world since COVID. All are at stake.” 2024 NEW HAMPSHIRE PRIMARY RESULTS Though Trump and Biden may think the race is over, Haley has vowed to stay in and battle Trump in her home state of South Carolina, and perhaps beyond. “You’ve all heard the chatter among the political class. They’re falling all over themselves saying this race is over. Well, I have news for all of them: New Hampshire is first in the nation. It is not last in the nation. This race is far from over,” Nikki Haley told supporters Tuesday at her election night watch party in Manchester, New Hampshire. Haley, the former governor of South Carolina, is not going down without a fight. She will travel to Charleston on Wednesday for the first in a series of campaign stops in the Palmetto State ahead of the Feb. 24 primary. The campaign announced a new $4 million ad blitz in the state this week, showing every intention of fighting Trump for each delegate. Speaking to Fox News Digital’s Brooke Singman, Trump argued it was time for Haley to suspend her campaign so he could begin targeting Biden with an eye towards the general election in November. RECORD GOP TURNOUT, CALLS FOR HALEY TO LEAVE RACE ROUND OUT TOP 5 MOMENTS FROM THE NEW HAMPSHIRE PRIMARIES “She should because, otherwise, we have to keep wasting money instead of spending on Biden,” the former president emphasized. “If she doesn’t drop out, we have to waste money instead of spending it on Biden, which is our focus.” Trump’s victory in New Hampshire came eight days after he captured a majority of the vote and crushed the competition in Iowa’s low-turnout Republican presidential caucuses. And it came two days after Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis suspended his campaign, making the race a two-candidate contest between Trump and Haley. TRUMP ‘HONORED’ BY NEW HAMPSHIRE WIN, SAYS REPUBLICAN PARTY IS ‘VERY UNITED’ New Hampshire — where independent voters who make up roughly 40% of the electorate can vote in either major party’s contest and have long played an influential role in the state’s storied presidential primary — was widely seen as Haley’s best chance to stop Trump. But Haley came up short, a fact Trump hammered over and over in his victory speech. He said Haley “ran up to the stage all dressed up nicely” and delivered “a speech like she won. She didn’t. She lost.” “Let’s not have somebody take a victory when she had a very bad night. She had a very bad night,” Trump said. When asked for a response, a Haley campaign spokesperson referred to her remarks Tuesday night and recent public polling, which suggested Trump would win by as much as 22 points. “The political elites never learn. The same naysayers who said Nikki Haley couldn’t defeat a 30-year incumbent state legislator or win the governor’s race in South Carolina are the same people declaring the presidential race over after only two states have voted,” said Haley communications director Nachama Soloveichik. “Nikki Haley has never taken her cues from the establishment, and she’s not going to start now. Keep underestimating us — that will be fun.” Fox News Digital’s Paul Steinhauser contributed to this report.
House GOP threatens Harvard with ‘compulsory measures’ after ‘inadequate’ response to antisemitism probe
The House Education and Workforce Committee is threatening retaliatory action against Harvard University after accusing the Ivy League school of an insufficient response to its antisemitism investigation. Committee Chairwoman Virginia Foxx, R-N.C., slammed Harvard’s response to the House GOP probe as “unacceptable.” “Upon initial review, Harvard’s production to the Committee in response to its antisemitism investigation is woefully inadequate,” Foxx said. “Rather than answering the Committee’s request in a substantive manner, Harvard has chosen to provide letters from nonprofits and student handbooks, many of which are already publicly available.” HARVARD ANNOUNCES ANTISEMITISM, ISLAMOPHOBIA TASK FORCES AMID ISRAEL-HAMAS WAR “This is unacceptable. Harvard must produce the remaining documents in a timely manner, or risk compulsory measures,” she warned. It is continued fallout from former Harvard President Claudine Gay’s testimony before Congress late last year in which she failed to definitively say that calls for genocide against Jewish students on campus constituted harassment. As scrutiny and demands for her resignation swelled from Republicans and pro-Israel groups, it was also revealed that Gay was found to have plagiarized dozens of past academic works. CRITICS CHEER RESIGNATION OF ‘ANTISEMITIC PLAGIARIST’ HARVARD PRESIDENT CLAUDINE GAY Foxx sent a letter formally requesting records from the school earlier this month. “As you are aware, the Committee on Education and the Workforce (the Committee) is investigating Harvard University’s response to antisemitism and its failure to protect Jewish students. We have grave concerns regarding the inadequacy of Harvard’s response to the antisemitism on its campus,” the chairwoman wrote. “While Dr. Gay has since resigned, Harvard’s institutional failures regarding antisemitism extend well beyond one leader. There is evidence antisemitism has been pervasive at Harvard since well before the October 7, 2023, terrorist attack.” WELCOME TO HARVARD, WHERE YOU CAN SPEND $317,800 TO LEARN ABOUT ‘QUEERING THE WORLD,’ THREESOME DATING APPS The committee asked for all documents and communications going back to January 2021 that reference antisemitism, including disciplinary records and Harvard Board of Overseers meeting minutes. Harvard responded to Foxx’s Wednesday statement, “Harvard is committed to cooperating with the Committee’s inquiry and providing information, including the submission made today, which addresses important questions raised by the Committee.” “We denounce any form of antisemitism in the strongest possible terms and are committed to the safety and well-being of our students. We intend to continue to engage with the Committee in a dialogue to respond to their ongoing requests.” The December hearing that precipitated Gay’s resignation also drove out University of Pennsylvania President Liz Magill, who gave similar answers to Gay when broaching the topic of genocidal calls on campus. Meanwhile, a group of Jewish students sued Harvard earlier this month, accusing the college of having “become a bastion of rampant anti-Jewish hatred.”
Rahul Gandhi to be arrested after Lok Sabha elections: Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma
The Assam police suo motu registered an FIR against Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and several other leaders for ‘wanton acts of violence’ in state.