Furious House Democrats accuse GOP states of having ‘foisted’ migrants on New Jersey
A group of House Democrats from New Jersey are complaining that Texas Gov. Greg Abbott and other Republican border state governors have “foisted” a “humanitarian crisis” on the Garden State. Buses of undocumented migrants have been dropped off at various NJ Transit train stations in recent days, New Jersey officials have said. Many of the migrant families being dropped off there have then made their own trek to New York City. New York City Mayor Eric Adams signed an executive order in late December mandating that charter bus companies give at least 32 hours’ notice before dropping migrants off in the sanctuary city. “We members of the New Jersey Delegation in Congress write to you in hopes of working together to address the growing humanitarian crisis that has been foisted upon New Jersey from a number of Southern Governors,” four lawmakers wrote to Democratic Gov. Phil Murphy on Thursday. GOP REBELS TARGET GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN FEARS IN LATEST PUSH FOR STRICTER BORDER POLICIES The group named Abbott in particular, who was the first Republican border state governor to begin sending migrants to Democrat-run cities in a bid to ease the burden on Texas communities. “Governor Abbott’s motivation for busing is purely political as he exploits the lives of those escaping from hardship and turmoil,” the lawmakers wrote. “He and other governors who have sent people north are doing so without the care of the individuals in mind.” “Despite the actions of those leaders, it is our solemn duty as Americans to do what we can to ensure that we help those fleeing from conflicts, wars and disasters.” KEY LAWMAKERS RETURN TO THE HILL EARLY TO CONTINUE BORDER SECURITY TALKS AS HOUSE REPUBLICANS VISIT BORDER The Democrats asked Murphy whether there has been any communication between his office and Republican governors who have been sending the buses, and whether he has communicated with Adams as well. They also asked what kind of resources are being provided to the migrants and to the localities where they’re being dropped off. “We would also like to request a meeting with your Office to discuss the plan moving forward on how to handle the incoming buses,” they wrote. BIDEN DOJ SEEKS SUPREME COURT INTERVENTION OVER TEXAS RAZOR WIRE AT SOUTHERN BORDER The letter was signed by New Jersey Democratic Reps. Bonnie Watson Coleman, Donald Payne Jr., Bill Pascrell Jr. and Rob Menendez. Murphy’s office released a statement on Tuesday regarding the buses: “Our Administration has tracked the recent arrival of a handful buses of migrant families at various NJ TRANSIT train stations. New Jersey is primarily being used as a transit point for these families — all or nearly all of them continued with their travels en route to their final destination of New York City. We are closely coordinating with our federal and local partners on this matter, including our colleagues across the Hudson.” Fox News Digital reached out to Abbott’s office for comment on the letter but did not immediately hear back.
Wisconsin Gov. Evers to consider medical marijuana legalization proposal by Republicans
Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers, who has pushed for full legalization of recreational marijuana, said Wednesday that he is open to a more limited medical marijuana legalization being promoted by Republicans. “I would think that getting it all done in one fell swoop would be more thoughtful as far as meeting the needs of Wisconsinites that have asked for it,” Evers said in an interview with The Associated Press. “But if that’s what we can accomplish right now, I’ll be supportive of that.” Republicans have been working behind closed doors for years on a medical marijuana bill and Assembly Speaker Robin Vos said in December that they would unveil it this month. Republicans have repeatedly rejected calls from Evers and other Democrats to legalize all uses of marijuana, including medical and recreational. WISCONSIN GOV. EVERS FACES SCRUTINY OVER USE OF BASEBALL HALL OF FAMER’S NAME IN STATE EMAIL Vos said the proposal would be limited and modeled after the medical marijuana law that had been in place in neighboring Minnesota before it moved to full legalization. Evers said he was open to a limited medical marijuana program but that he had not yet seen the Republican proposal. WISCONSIN GOV EVERS VETOES BILL TO BAN GENDER TRANSITION TREATMENTS FOR KIDS Wisconsin remains an outlier nationally. Thirty-eight states have legalized medical marijuana and 24 have legalized recreational marijuana. The push for legalization in Wisconsin has gained momentum, as its neighbors have loosened laws. Marquette University Law School polls have shown large majority support among Wisconsin residents for legalizing marijuana use for years.
Washington state lawmakers convene to address fentanyl crisis, housing and climate change
Lawmakers in Washington state will return to Olympia on Monday to address housing, climate change and the fentanyl crisis in an abbreviated legislative session that marks Jay Inslee’s final one as governor. During a session preview this week, the Democratic governor described climate as the biggest long-term issue he wants to address this session. He referenced his six grandchildren and his fear about what the environment will look like when they’re his age. “I am going to do everything I can in the next 60 days to make sure we have a brighter vision for everybody’s grandkids,” he said. GOV. JAY INSLEE WON’T SEEK RE-ELECTION, ENDING SPECULATION OVER UNPRECEDENTED 4TH TERM Majority Democrats will also be playing defense. A conservative group has submitted hundreds of thousands of signatures in support of initiatives that threaten some of their biggest recent wins, including the 1-year-old Climate Commitment Act, a landmark policy that created a “cap and invest” system for carbon emissions. The initiatives have been provisionally certified and will end up on the November ballot, Democratic House Speaker Laurie Jinkins said. “I do look forward to the conversation with Washington voters … I don’t think the voters in this state particularly want to turn our backs on climate change,” she said. The 60-day election-year session will feature hundreds of bills and see lawmakers approve a supplemental budget based on a proposal by Inslee. Democrats control the House by a margin of 58-40 and the Senate by 29-20. Here are some key proposals that will be considered: HOUSINGAfter a 2023 legislative session filled with proposals to address the housing crisis, lawmakers are once more facing off against staggeringly high home and rental prices. One bill would require that 10% of the units in new housing around transit hubs, including bus rapid transit and light rail, be affordable for lower income residents. Another would focus on rent stabilization, barring landlords from increasing rent by more than 5% annually during a rental agreement term. Democratic Sen. Yasmin Trudeau, who is sponsoring both proposals, called the rental market “untenable.” “People are having to make decisions about whether they buy food or whether they pay rent,” she said. “And that’s not a society I think any of us want to live in.” House Minority Leader Drew Stokesbary, a Republican, said the focus should be on increasing the supply of housing, referencing a proposal that would provide additional property tax credits for builders to add affordable multi-family housing. “The biggest and maybe the only thing we can really meaningfully do is grow the supply of housing stock,” he said. “We need more housing, period. Housing of all types.” CLIMATE CHANGELawmakers on both sides are proposing legislation related to the Climate Commitment Act, which works to cap and reduce climate pollution while creating revenue for climate investments. It includes quarterly auctions in which emission allowances are sold to businesses covered under the act, and they raised $1.8 billion dollars in 2023, according to the Department of Ecology. Some Democratic lawmakers are pushing to increase transparency surrounding oil prices in the face of high gas prices and complaints that the climate act is to blame. Others want to link the carbon market with California and Quebec — which also have emission allowance auctions — so the auctions of emission allowances would include all three jurisdictions. At the same time, Republican lawmakers have proposed requiring that utility companies list on bills charges resulting from the climate act. Outside of the climate act, there will be efforts to electrify school buses statewide and a push to make tires more efficient so vehicles get better mileage. “It makes the program more durable and stable, and provides more opportunities for the market to do what it’s supposed to do, which is to provide investments for us to invest in non-fossil economies,” said state Rep. Beth Doglio, chair of the House Environment & Energy Committee. DRUGSAs overdose deaths rise in Washington, some lawmakers are doubling down on the fight against fentanyl by proposing legislation that would increase access to opioid overdose reversal medications and education. BLUE STATE’S $143 MILLION HOMELESS PROGRAM GOT LESS THAN A THOUSAND PEOPLE HOUSED One bill would require all school districts make naloxone available in high schools, instead of only districts with at least 2,000 students. Another proposal would help bring information about fentanyl into K-12 public schools. “It has become a significant problem in our society. It’s incredibly powerful and it’s being mixed with everything and it’s very available,” said Democratic Sen. Lisa Wellman, of Mercer Island, who sponsored the bill. Last year, there were more than 1,000 fentanyl overdose deaths in King County, which includes Seattle, according to the King County Medical Examiner’s Office. The work comes less than eight months after the state approved a major new drug policy that keeps controlled substances illegal while boosting resources to help those struggling with addiction.
Indian navy commandos board hijacked ship with 15 Indians off Somalia coast, warns pirates
The Indian crew on board are safe and Marine Commandos MARCOS are ready for operations, said military officials.
Divya Pahuja murder case: How she was killed in Gurugram hotel, met gangster Gadoli | Explained
Divya Pahuja, who was reportedly Gadoli’s girlfriend, was granted bail in June last year.
New Mexico Gov. Grisham proposes spending increase for housing, education and health care
New Mexico’s governor is proposing a nearly 10% general fund spending increase for the coming fiscal year to shore up housing opportunities, childhood literacy and health care access, with additional payouts for electric vehicles purchases. Democratic Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham on Thursday published the $10.5 billion budget plan for the fiscal year running from July 2024 through June 2025. It would increase general fund spending by roughly $950 million over current annual obligations. The Democratic-led Legislature develops its own competing spending plan in advance of a 30-day legislative session that begins Jan. 16. Lujan Grisham can veto any and all budget provisions approved by legislators. NEW MEXICO GOV. GRISHAM PROPOSES PLAN TO TURN OILFIELD WASTE INTO CLEAN WATER SUPPLY The nation’s No. 2 oil-producing state anticipates a multibillion-dollar surplus for the coming fiscal year, driven largely by oil and natural gas production in the Permian Basin that underlies southeastern New Mexico and western Texas. The governor has signaled affordable housing as a major priority, proposing one-time spending of $500 million to expand opportunities through down-payment assistance, and to finance affordable housing and related infrastructure. The state separately would use $40 million to launch a statewide homelessness initiative. In November, voters signaled frustration with surging home prices in fast-growing Santa Fe by approving a tax on mansions to pay for affordable-housing initiatives. Spending on public education would increase by $283 million, or 6.8%, to nearly $4.5 billion — the single largest chunk of annual general fund appropriations. One goal is to bolster specialized literacy programs, while founding a state literacy institute. Additional funds would help extend annual instructional time at public schools across the state. Republicans in the legislative minority oppose the push to expand public school calendars. The Lujan Grisham administration hopes to add 2,000 slots for infant and toddler childcare and expand early preschool by 1,380 slots through increased state spending, while also bolstering aid to children being raised by grandparents. Legislators have expressed frustration in recent months with the results of sustained spending increases on public education. Statewide, the share of students who can read at their grade level is 38%. Math proficiency is at 24%. The state’s high school graduation rate hovers at 76% — well below the national average of 87%. Lujan Grisham pledged in a statement to “continue to spend within our means, responsibly and with an eye toward accountability.” Her budget proposal includes a 3% increase in pay for workers at executive agencies and public schools statewide — and larger increases of 8% for corrections officers and 14% for state police. US JUDGE UPHOLDS NEW MEXICO GOV. GRISHAM’S SUSPENSION ON GUN-CARRY RIGHTS IN PUBLIC PARKS, PLAYGROUNDS Economists for state agencies say New Mexico’s income surge is slowing down, but far from over, as lawmakers wrestle with how much to spend now or set aside for the future in case the world’s thirst for oil falters. The governor’s budget outline leaves as much as $500 million in leeway for legislators to approve tax cuts and tax incentives that spur the adoption of electric vehicles and other low-pollution cars and trucks. New Mexico regulators recently adopted an accelerated timetable for automakers to nearly phase out deliveries of gas- and diesel-burning cars and trucks — amid concerns about the affordability of electric vehicles in a state with high rates of poverty. In many other states, an era of soaring budget surpluses and cuts to broad-based taxes may be coming to a close this year as a pandemic-era revenue surge fueled by federal spending and inflation recedes.
‘Not banana republic’: West Bengal Governor’s ‘Constitution’ warning to TMC over ED attack
The Governor also summoned the Home Secretary and the Director General of Police (DGP) in connection with the incident.
Pennsylvania schools prepared to return to court if state budget falls short on funding
The poor schools that won a landmark school funding court case in Pennsylvania last year are prepared to go back to court if the Legislature and governor don’t adequately address shortfalls as key junctures approach, the schools’ lawyers said Thursday. Public schools in Pennsylvania are currently underfunded by roughly $6.2 billion, according to the lawyers for the schools and public education advocates. Lawyers for the schools that sued are calling on the Legislature to announce a multiyear funding plan to address the gaps and to begin acting on it this year. They have proposed lawmakers add an extra $2 billion to public education funds in this budget — echoing unanswered calls from last year — followed by $1 billion a year for each of the next four years to address shortfalls by the 2029-30 school year. PENNSYLVANIA POISED TO ALLOW LONGER SCHOOL DAYS, SHORTER WEEKS “We cannot accept a plan that is politically convenient but fails our students,” said Deborah Gordon Klehr, executive director of the Education Law Center, one of the nonprofit legal organizations that represented the schools. The proposal advanced Thursday follows the court ruling last year that the state’s $35 billion school-funding system is unconstitutional and shortchanges students in poor zip codes. It comes as the deadline approaches for the final report of a commission tasked with recommending how to update the formula that distributes state aid to Pennsylvania’s 500 school districts. The commission is composed of lawmakers and members of Democratic Gov. Josh Shapiro’s administration. Its commission report will conclude two months of work and 11 hearings. IN 2024, PA GOV. SHAPIRO WILL FACE DEMANDING SCHOOL FUNDING CHALLENGES, PREPARE FOR PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION Shapiro has acknowledged the court’s ruling looms large over his forthcoming budget proposal, due in February. He has supported calls for equity in school funding, but in recent weeks he suggested that footing the bill for the money is an important consideration. “It’s a big number,” said Dan Urevick-Ackelsberg, senior attorney for the Public Interest Law Center, which also represented the schools. “We don’t pretend that’s not a big number, but it’s also an urgent problem.” Lawyers for the school districts that sued have said they will return to court to ask a judge to compel Shapiro and lawmakers to better close the funding gap among districts across the state if a distribution plan isn’t put into place with a reasonable timeframe. The lawyers analyzed the spending of districts that perform well based on Pennsylvania’s goals and compared that to what the state estimates those districts’ needs are, determining how much every school district should have in order to mirror that same success. On average, school districts are short $2,500 per student, they said. Their proposal calls on the state to develop a system that finds how much funding is needed to reach the state’s adequacy goals, determine how much funding is missing from each district, and allocate the funds in a consistent, predictable manner beginning in the 2024-25 year. The state should not rely on local tax dollars to fill the gap, they said. It should also consider facilities and pre-K funding. PENNSYLVANIA SENATE CLEARS WAY FOR SPENDING ON SCHOOL CHOICE, STUDENT-TEACHER STIPENDS “The court decision in early 2023 changed the game,” said Susan Spicka, executive director of Education Voters of Pennsylvania. “Lawmakers and the governor can no longer base school funding levels on how much they feel like investing each year as they have in the past. There is a new standard that they must meet, which is ensuring universal access to a comprehensive, effective and contemporary education.” Public school advocates are likelier to find more support for their plan from the Democratic-controlled House than the Republican-controlled Senate. The majority of state senators are resistant to spending billions of new dollars on public schools and instead have pushed to send more state money to subsidize private schools. Additionally, while Shapiro made significant investments in public education in his first budget cycle, it did not go as far as public education advocates and other Democrats were hoping. “Our governor has touted the extraordinary work of the Commonwealth and the city of Philadelphia to repair I-95 in less than two weeks, and we urge that that same resolve and ambition be adopted by the governor and all parties in stopping the school funding lawsuit,” said Donna Cooper, executive director of Children First.
The (not so) surprising revelations of the Epstein list
What do former United States presidents Bill Clinton and Donald Trump have in common with Hyatt Hotels executive chairman Thomas Pritzker and celebrity lawyer Alan Dershowitz? In addition to being white American men who have usurped a disproportionate share of the planet’s wealth, they were among the first names recently exposed in previously sealed court documents identifying associates of paedophile financier and sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein, who died by suicide in a US prison in 2019. Assorted other members of the international elite were also named, including Britain’s Prince Andrew and the late Michael Jackson. More than 150 identities in total are expected to be released. Of course, the naming of names in itself does not constitute a criminal accusation and while media outlets have raced with orgasmic fervour to exploit the tabloidesque potential of the news story, we are not actually talking about any shocking revelations here. After all, in a world defined by US-led patriarchal capitalism – in which women suffer a particular sort of objectification and commodification – it’s no surprise that those at the top of the hierarchy would fully endorse the whole brutal arrangement. Take Donald Trump, for example, who has faced all manner of rape and sexual harassment allegations while also intermittently emitting lewd comments about his own daughter, among them: “If Ivanka weren’t my daughter, perhaps I’d be dating her.” Is it so astounding, in the end, that he would hobnob with the likes of Epstein? Meanwhile, Bill Clinton’s name appears no fewer than 73 times in the documents released thus far, including in Epstein victim Johanna Sjoberg’s testimony, according to which Epstein once informed her that Clinton ”’likes them young’, referring to girls”. Tell us something we didn’t know. Anyway, ethics have never been the strong point of any head of state of a global superpower that has long been dedicated to, well, slaughtering and otherwise making life hell for folks worldwide. For his part, billionaire Thomas Pritzker of the Hyatt Hotels empire comes up in the unsealed court documents as one of the men whom Epstein victim Virginia Roberts Giuffre was allegedly forced to service. He is also an “amateur scholar of Chinese history,” as per his bio on the website of the Washington, DC-based Aspen Institute – just another charmingly cultured super-capitalist whose existence is predicated on crippling inequality and other nice things. And then, of course, there’s criminal lawyer and former Harvard Law professor Alan Dershowitz, who appears in the documents as someone Epstein “required” an underage woman to have sex with various times, according to the woman’s allegations. As Al Jazeera reported on January 4, Dershowitz furthermore “played a significant role in negotiating an agreement that provided immunity from federal prosecution in the Southern District of Florida not only for Epstein but also for ‘any potential co-conspirators of Epstein’, the documents say”. Of all the contenders on the so-called “Epstein list” to date, the Dershowitz case is perhaps the most deserving of consideration at the present moment, given that he has potentially been tapped by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to defend Israel at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in The Hague. Israel will appear before said court to contest the accusation, made by South Africa, that it is committing genocide in the Gaza Strip, where the Israeli military has killed more than 22,000 Palestinians in less than three months. In other words, the “genocide” case is a no-brainer in theory. But Dershowitz happens to specialise in that brand of “criminal law” that defends criminals against fact and logic. He has already brandished his beyond-fanatically Zionist credentials on numerous occasions – like during the summer 2006 Israeli war on Lebanon that killed 1,200 people in 34 days, the vast majority of them civilians. One week into the assault, Dershowitz took to the pages of the Wall Street Journal in an appeal titled “Arithmetic of Pain”, where he proposed a “continuum of civilianality” to basically argue that, contrary to international opinion, there simply weren’t that many bona fide “civilians” in places like Lebanon. On the Dershowitzian “continuum”, not even women and children could “always be counted as civilians, as some organisations do”. Such notions will no doubt come in handy in the event that Dershowitz does indeed become the face of Israel at the ICJ. In 2012, during Israel’s brief “Pillar of Defence” offensive in the Gaza Strip, Dershowitz took media outlets to task for their failure to specify that Israel only commits “lawful actions” while Hamas only commits war crimes. In this particular offensive, Israel killed 87 Palestinian civilians in eight days, among them 35 children and 14 women – at least in the view of those of us who continue to subscribe to the concept of “civilians”. Fast forward to the current genocide, and Dershowitz has predictably slammed “radical feminists” for obsessing over the Epstein stuff rather than “condemning Hamas”. To be sure, the Epstein list comes not so much as a shock as a reminder that lots of horrifying behaviour is being conducted by the powers that be in a nasty system where elite domination remains above the law. But as the tabloidesque coverage rolls on, remember that this is not really news at all. The views expressed in this article are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect Al Jazeera’s editorial stance. Adblock test (Why?)
Pakistan’s senate approves resolution to delay February 8 general elections
Independent senator moves the non-binding resolution to delay the vote, citing security concerns and harsh weather. Islamabad, Pakistan – Pakistan’s senate has passed a non-binding resolution demanding a delay in the national general elections, scheduled on February 8. The upper house of the country’s parliament on Friday approved the resolution at a session attended by just 14 of the 97 senators, with one member voting against the resolution. The resolution, moved by independent legislator Dilawar Khan, sought to push the election date, citing the “prevailing security conditions” in the country as well as the cold weather. In his resolution, Khan said Pakistan’s interior ministry has “conveyed serious threats to [the] lives of prominent politicians” and highlighted an increasing number of security incidents, mainly in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan provinces. He further said the harsh winter makes it difficult for the political parties to campaign, which might also affect the voter turnout in the polls. “The elections scheduled for 8th February 2024 may be postponed to facilitate the effective participation of people from all areas of Pakistan and belonging to all political shades in the electioneering process,” the resolution said. Out of 11 previous general elections in Pakistan’s 75-year history, three (1985, 1997 and 2008) took place in the month of February. Pakistan was scheduled to hold the general elections in November last year after its lower house of parliament was dissolved in August. A caretaker government under Prime Minister Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar was then set up to oversee the vote. But the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) said it needed more time to redraw constituencies based on the country’s population census, which concluded last year. The South Asian country of 241 million people has been in a political and economic turmoil for years. Former Prime Minister Imran Khan, leader of the main opposition party, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), has been in jail since August where he is being tried for allegedly leaking state secrets. His party, meanwhile, faced a severe crackdown from the previous government, led by Shehbaz Sharif, with many PTI leaders deserting the party, allegedly under the pressure of the powerful military, which has directly ruled over the country for nearly half of its independent history through coups. Recently, Khan’s nomination papers for the February 8 elections were rejected by the election commission on account of his conviction in a corruption case. The papers of thousands of other opposition candidates were also rejected by the commission. Khan’s party is also fighting a legal battle to save its election symbol – a cricket bat – from a possible ban. Meanwhile, the security situation in the country has also deteriorated, with 2023 witnessing more than 600 attacks by armed groups, an increase of more than 60 percent from 2022, according to the Pakistan Institute for Conflict and Security Studies (PICSS), an Islamabad-based research organisation. The PICSS data says almost 93 percent of those attacks took place in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan provinces. Adblock test (Why?)