Colorado GOP asking US Supreme Court to overturn ruling disqualifying Trump from 2024 ballot
The Colorado Republican Party said it’s asking the U.S. Supreme Court to overturn a ruling that barred former President Donald Trump from appearing on the state’s 2024 ballot. Earlier this month, the Colorado Supreme Court, in a 4-3 vote, overturned a lower court ruling that allowed Trump to appear on the ballot as a presidential candidate. The initial ruling said a president is not among the officials subject to disqualification on a ballot. “By excluding President Trump from the ballot, the Colorado Supreme Court engaged in an unprecedented disregard for the First Amendment right of political parties to select the candidates of their choice and a usurpation of the rights of the people to choose their elected officials,” attorneys for the state Republican party wrote in a petition of the Dec. 19 ruling. POLL SHOWS BIDEN HITTING RECORD LOW APPROVALS, FALLING BEHIND AGAINST TRUMP IN 2024 MATCHUP Fox News Digital has reached out to the Colorado GOP. In their opinion, the justices on the state’s high court wrote that Trump “incited and encouraged” the use of violence to prevent the peaceful transfer of power on Jan. 6, 2021, when many of his followers stormed the U.S. Capitol as congressional lawmakers were certifying President Biden’s election win. The case is being appealed based on three main arguments: whether the president is among those officials subject to disqualification by Section Three of the 14th Amendment, the so-called insurrection clause; whether Section Three is “self-executing,” meaning that it allows states to remove candidates from a ballot in absence of any congressional action. The last point rests on whether denying a political party the ability to choose a candidate of its choice in a presidential primary and general election violates the First Amendment Right of Association. The attorneys said by excluding Trump, Colorado’s highest court has concluded that individuals, courts and election officials can possess legal authority to enforce Section Three. “Rejecting a long history of precedent, a state Supreme Court has now concluded that individual litigants, state courts, and secretaries of state in all 50 states plus the District of Columbia have authority to enforce Section Three of the Fourteenth Amendment,” the state party wrote. The party also said that other states may follow Colorado’s lead and exclude Trump from their ballots as well. Disqualification lawsuits relating to Trump’s appearance on the ballot are pending in 13 states, including Texas, Nevada and Wisconsin. “With the number of challenges to President Trump’s candidacy now pending in other states, ranging from lawsuits to administrative proceedings, there is a real risk the Colorado Supreme Court majority’s flawed and unprecedented analysis will be borrowed, and the resulting grave legal error repeated,” the petition states. In the lower court ruling, Colorado District Judge Sarah B. Wallace allowed Trump to stay on the ballot, but found that he “engaged in insurrection” for his role in the Jan. 6 Capitol riot. Biden won Colorado by 13.5 points in 2020. On Wednesday, the Michigan Supreme Court rejected an attempt to remove Trump from the state’s 2024 Republican primary ballot. “Significantly, Colorado’s election laws differ from Michigan’s laws in a material way that is directly relevant to why the appellants in this case are not entitled to the relief they seek concerning the presidential primary election in Michigan,” Justice Elizabeth Welch wrote Wednesday, explaining the court’s ruling.
In bid to counter China, US ramps up effort to boost military ties in Asia
On May 30, the United States accused China of intercepting one of its spy planes in an “unnecessarily aggressive manoeuvre” over the South China Sea. The American RC-135 plane, according to the US military, was conducting routine operations over the sensitive waterway when the Chinese fighter jet flew directly in front of its nose. A video shared by the US Indo-Pacific Command showed the cockpit of the RC-135 shaking in the wake of turbulence of the Chinese jet. Days later, on June 5, the US again accused China of carrying out what it said was an “unsafe” manoeuvre near one of its vessels. This time it was around a warship in the Taiwan Strait. The US Indo-Pacific Command again released a video of the incident, showing a Chinese navy vessel cutting sharply across the path of a US destroyer at a distance of some 137 metres (150 yards), forcing the latter to slow down to avoid a collision. Washington said the near misses showed China’s “growing aggressiveness”, but Beijing said the US was to blame, accusing its rival of deliberately “provoking risk” by sending aircraft and vessels for “close in reconnaissance” near its shores – moves it said posed a serious danger to its national security. The close calls evoked memories of a deadly incident on April 1, 2001, when a Chinese fighter jet and a US surveillance plane collided in the sky over the South China Sea. The impact caused the Chinese jet to crash and killed the pilot, while the US plane was forced to make an emergency landing in China’s Hainan. Beijing held the 24 American aircrew members for 11 days and only released them when Washington apologised for the incident. While the two countries were able to de-escalate tensions then, there are worries that a similar mishap today could widen into a bigger conflict due to the deterioration in relations between the rivals. The US views China as the biggest challenge to the Western-dominated international order, pointing to Beijing’s rapid military buildup – the biggest in peacetime history – as well as its claims over the self-governed island of Taiwan and in the East and South China Seas. The US military’s so-called “freedom of navigation exercises” in the contested waterways near China are part of a push by the administration of President Joe Biden to deepen and expand its diplomatic and military presence in the Asia Pacific. The campaign – which has accelerated over the past year – stretches from Japan to the Philippines and Australia, and from India to Papua New Guinea and the Solomon Islands. The “once in a generation effort,” as Gregory Poling, director of the Southeast Asia Program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, puts it, involves the opening of new embassies in the region, deployment of troops and more advanced military assets, as well as obtaining access to sites in key areas facing the South China Sea and the Taiwan Strait. For its part, China accuses the US of pursuing a policy of “containment, encirclement and suppression”, all aimed at holding back its economic development. And its leaders have pledged to resist. Chinese President Xi Jinping said the US campaign has “brought unprecedented severe challenges to our country’s development”, and in a speech in March called on his countrymen to “dare to fight”. His former Defence Minister Li Shangfu, during an address at the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore, condemned what he called Washington’s “Cold War mentality”, and said Beijing would not be intimidated and would “resolutely safeguard national sovereignty and territorial integrity, regardless of any cost”. Analysts say tensions will only heighten further as competition between China and the US – a contest about who gets to set the rules on the global stage – intensifies. While the superpower rivalry could bring benefits to countries in the Asia Pacific in the short term – particularly in the form of infrastructure loans and foreign direct investments – these nations could, in the future, find having to navigate between China and the US more challenging. “This is a competition over what the rules-based order looks like, at least in Asia,” Poling told Al Jazeera. “It’s about whether or not the existing global rules continue to apply to Asia or whether China gets to carve out a huge area of exemption in which its preferred rules predominate. “Clearly, the next couple of decades at least are going to be characterised by this growing competition. Unless China changes its strategy on this … then we’re going to see competition continue to heighten and tensions continue to heighten not just between the US and China, but also between China and most of its neighbours.” China’s rise Japan’s defeat in World War II ushered in an age of US dominance in Asia. But in recent decades, China’s growing military and economic might has brought an end to that uncontested primacy. Under Xi, who took office in 2012 championing what he calls the “Chinese dream of national rejuvenation”, a vision to restore China’s great-power status, Beijing has invested heavily in modernising its military. According to the International Institute for Strategic Studies, a London-based think tank, China has more than doubled its military spending over the past decade, with expenditure reaching $219bn in 2022 – although this is still less than a third of US spending during the same year. China has also embarked on a naval shipbuilding programme that has put more vessels to sea between 2014 and 2018 than the total number of ships in the German, Indian, Spanish and British navies combined. The People’s Liberation Army (PLA) has since also commissioned guided missile cruisers as well as nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarines. In June 2022, it launched its third aircraft carrier, the Fujian. The PLA’s rocket force has also modernised its capabilities, including with the development of hypersonic missiles and anti-ship ballistic missiles. According to the US military, the PLA also plans to accelerate the expansion of its nuclear arsenal to as many as
When death metal becomes one of 84,000 ways to practise Buddhism
Taipei, Taiwan – In the past few years, many of Taiwan’s largest music festivals have seen the unlikely ensemble of a shaven Buddhist nun introducing a band of five black-clad musicians whose faces are smeared blood red. When the first riffs break through the sound system, their hard yet atmospheric music immediately sounds like death metal – an extreme sub-genre of heavy metal that emerged in the United States in the mid-1980s and is characterised by guttural vocals, abrupt tempo and relentless, discording guitar riffs. But the beastly growl of the band’s Canadian singer is not conveying the genre’s typical lyrics of sickness. He is actually chanting genuine Buddhist mantras, blessing everyone in the audience. Taiwan’s Dharma are probably the first band in the world to combine ancient Buddhist sutras in Sanskrit or Mandarin Chinese with the contemporary sound of death metal. Since their beginnings in 2018, they have stood out from thousands of other heavy metal bands around the world with their distinctive style, and have even had two Buddhist nuns, Master Song and Master Miao-ben join them on stage. Last month, the band played its first overseas show – at the International Indie Music Festival in Kerala – and is ready to bring Buddha’s message further afield after receiving offers of interest from North America and Europe. “We believe that in the 21st century, both heavy metal and ancient religions need to change,” said Jack Tung, Dharma’s founding member and drummer, a pivotal figure in Taipei’s underground music scene. Heavy with spiritual strokes Dharma is unique because the group subverts most people’s understanding of metal music and its fans – an obnoxious, loud genre for degenerates. Since the 1990s, heavy metal has been often associated with Satanism and delinquency – think of the second wave of Norwegian black metal, with bands like Mayhem, Emperor and Burzum, whose alienated teenage musicians shocked the world with their behaviour – from burning churches to murder – in the name of “musical authenticity”. A Dharma fan crowd-surfs in the lotus position [Courtesy of Joe Henley/Dharma] For heavy metal and its subgenres, these events constituted the climax of what British sociologist Stanley Cohen described as “moral panics” in his book Folk Devils and Moral Panics, a 1972 study on the then-emerging British subcultures of mods and rockers. Cohen argued that moral panics were characterised by an intense feeling of fear, largely exaggerated, about a specific subcultural group that a community perceives as tarnishing its core values. Thirty years later, with heavy metal and its derivatives underpinning music scenes in countries from Botswana to Egypt and Iraq, Dharma believes the genre’s globalised tropes can be changed into an effective vehicle for Buddhist teachings. Founding member Tung had his spiritual awakening back in 2000, when he was greatly surprised to hear the Lion’s Roar of Buddhism “as it was completely different from the Buddhist scriptures I had heard since childhood”, he told Al Jazeera. In the Mahayana school of Buddhism prevalent in East Asia, the “Lion’s Roar” is a metaphorical principle signifying the awe-inspiring power of Buddha and the Bodhisattvas when expounding the Dharma (which means, in a nutshell, the Buddha’s teachings and practice), bringing peace and auspiciousness. At the time, Tung was already a metalhead and a drummer and sensed a connection between the chanting style of the Lion’s Roar and the driving rhythms of a metal band. For him, death metal’s stereotypical imagery and lyrics were just an outlet to release emotions and a form of representation not dissimilar to the way Buddhism spread from India to China and other places using Buddha statues with angry features. “From my understanding, this angry appearance was used mainly to protect monks and believers, and we think that it is somewhat similar to how death metal musicians propose their messages,” said Tung. “We hope to use the tremendous energy of death metal music to increase the power of the spells and use music and costumes to manifest the anger or protection of Buddha and Bodhisattva. […] We have not changed the essence of Buddhist scripture mantras, but rather hope to strengthen them [with death metal].” A special kind of dedication It took Tung about a decade from conceiving Dharma’s concept to finding the right people to form his “enlightened” band because being a member also meant being highly involved with the teachings of Buddhism. In 2018, Tung recruited a former bandmate, guitarist Andy Lin, to start working on Dharma’s first songs, and in 2019, welcomed Canadian singer Joe Henley, a freelance writer and long-term Taiwan resident, on vocals. Prior to making his live debut, Henley spent months studying the sutras he would sing on stage under the guidance of Master Song, a devout Buddhist nun, until he entered the Three Jewels, becoming a Buddhist himself and receiving Song’s ultimate blessing to perform the sutras in public. Master Song, who due to health reasons can no longer perform on stage with Dharma, passed their duties to Master Miao-ben and discussed the issues extensively with Tung before endorsing the band. She hopes they may play a subtle role in spreading Buddhist beliefs among young people on the self-ruled island and beyond. “Through music, we hope to influence the younger generation, especially those who like different music genres, as we are born equal, and no one should be abandoned because of their preferences for any specific music style,” Master Song told Al Jazeera. “We believe that faith does not necessarily have to be Buddhism, Taoism, Christianity, Catholicism or Islam, as it can also be the sheer belief in goodness and love for the world.” Master Miao-ben and Joe Henley, right, on stage [Courtesy of Joe Henley/Dharma] Given the general reluctance of heavy metal fans to accept bands that deviate from metal’s well-defined style, Dharma’s successful reception in Taiwan came as a huge surprise to Henley. “It seems that from day one, and our very first show, opening for [Swedish black metal band] Marduk, we were welcomed with open
Russia-Ukraine war: List of key events, day 673
As the war enters its 673rd day, these are the main developments. Here is the situation on Thursday, December 28, 2023. Fighting Two people were killed and four others injured in the southern Odesa region after Russian forces sent dozens of attack drones over Ukraine in a nighttime air raid. The Ukraine air force said it shot down 32 of the 46 Iranian-made drones that Russia had launched with the others mostly hitting near the front line, mainly in the southern Kherson region. Regional Governor Oleksandr Prokudin said the attack on the Kherson region and its capital hit residential areas and a mall as well as striking the power grid, leaving about 70 percent of households in Kherson city without electricity. The Institute for the Study of War said that Russia’s claimed capture this week of Maryinka in eastern Ukraine would not provide it with a springboard for major battlefield gains. But it noted that “localised Russian offensive operations are still placing pressure on Ukrainian forces in many places along the front in eastern Ukraine”. Ukraine opened a war crimes investigation into the alleged execution by Russian forces of three Ukrainian prisoners of war earlier this month near the village of Robotyne in the southeastern Zaporizhia region, the general prosecutor’s office said. Politics and diplomacy India’s Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar met Russian President Vladimir Putin, who said relations between the countries were progressing even amid turbulent times. Jaishankar, who is on a five-day visit to Moscow, also met his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov, who said they discussed “the prospects for military-technical cooperation, including the joint production of modern types of weapons”. India’s Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, left, is on a five-day visit to Moscow [Alexander Nemenov/Pool via AP Photo] Russia condemned sanctions imposed by the United States against the Arctic LNG 2 project as an “unacceptable” move that would undermine global energy security. The sanctions are part of an attempt to limit Moscow’s financial ability to continue its war in Ukraine. Russia charged six Danes for joining the Russia-Ukraine war as “foreign mercenaries” on Ukraine’s side, the Russian embassy in Denmark said in a statement. The six face as many as 15 years in prison if they are found guilty. The embassy said 20 Danes had been identified as mercenaries and some had been killed. Weapons The US announced a $250m military aid package for Ukraine that officials say could be the last unless a $61b funding bill currently held up by Republicans in Congress is passed. The latest aid includes air defence munitions, additional ammunition for high-mobility artillery rocket systems, artillery ammunition, anti-armour munitions and more than 15 million rounds of ammunition. Oleksandr Kamyshin, Ukraine’s minister of strategic industries, told a briefing that the defence sector would increase production of weapons and military equipment significantly next year and that output was three times higher in 2023 than in the previous year. Kamyshin said Ukraine was now producing six Bohdana self-propelled artillery units per month. Bohdanas are the only Ukrainian-made self-propelled gun using NATO-standard 155mm rounds instead of the 152mm rounds used by artillery based on Soviet technology. Russia warned Japan that its plan to provide Patriot air defence systems to Ukraine would have “grave consequences” for Russia-Japan ties. Sergei Chemezov, the head of the Rostec state defence company, said Russia would soon deploy its newest howitzers against Ukrainian forces. Chemezov told the RIA news agency that testing of the new Coalition-SV self-propelled artillery units had been completed and mass production was under way. Adblock test (Why?)
11 killed as bus catches fire in collision with dumper truck in MP’s Guna
“Around 14 people are admitted to the Guna District Hospital and 11 people are reportedly dead,” the SP said.
Your trial feed URL has expired on Wed Dec 27, 2023
Please create a new one for free or upgrade your subscription plan to get a persistent URL at MySitemapGenerator.com
New Mexico native will oversee the state’s $49B savings portfolio amid windfall from petroleum
SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — A state cabinet secretary and former economist to the Legislature was selected Wednesday to oversee New Mexico‘s $49 billion nest egg of savings and trust accounts at the State Investment Council. As state investment officer, Albuquerque native Jon Clark will oversee financial assets including the New Mexico land grant permanent fund — built largely from petroleum production on state trust lands since the 1970s to benefit schools, hospitals and other public institutions. NEW MEXICO WWII SOLDIER’S REMAINS IDENTIFIED NEARLY 80 YEARS LATER The 11-member investment council — a board of elected and appointed officials with Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham serving as chair — conducted a nationwide search that generated more than 80 applications. Clark in 2019 joined the Economic Development Department and rose this year to acting cabinet secretary at an agency that administers annual incentives worth hundreds of millions of dollars aimed at creating private employment opportunities, from job-training grants to film production “rebates” that can offset nearly one-third of local spending. Prior to that, he worked as an analyst and chief economist to the budget and accountability office of the Legislature. Steve Moises retired on Oct. 1 after a 13-year stint as state investment officer. Clark starts work at an annual salary of $285,000. Management of New Mexico‘s state investments has taken on increasing significance amid an unprecedented surge in state government income from oil and natural gas production in the Permian Basin that overlaps southeastern New Mexico and portions of western Texas. Voters last year approved an increase in annual distributions from the land grant fund to public schools and early childhood education programs. At the same time, state lawmakers have been setting aside billions of dollars in surplus state income each year in a variety of trust accounts for the future, in case the world’s thirst for oil falters. The State Investment Council oversees New Mexico’s early childhood education trust, created in 2020 to generate investment earnings and underwrite an ambitious expansion of public preschool, no-cost child care and home nurse visits for infants. The fund already holds roughly $6 billion.
Former Baltimore prosecutor Marilyn Mosby faces possible disbarment amid ongoing legal battles
The Maryland Bar Counsel has filed a petition to suspend former Baltimore City State’s Attorney Marilyn Mosby’s law license, following alleged misuse of her finances during the COVID-19 pandemic. A new petition, filed Tuesday, asked the Maryland Supreme Court to immediately suspend Mosby because she was found guilty of a “serious crime” as defined under state ethics rules for lawyers. The petition requests Mosby to “be suspended immediately from the practice of law pending the imposition of sentence and entry of a judgment of conviction.” Mosby, who gained a national profile for prosecuting Baltimore police officers after Freddie Gray, a Black man, died in police custody, faced perjury charges after she lied about her finances during the COVID-19 pandemic. FORMER BALTIMORE PROSECUTOR MARILYN MOSBY FACES PERJURY TRIAL FOR ALLEGED MISUSE OF RETIREMENT Mosby was found guilty in 2022 and charged with two counts of perjury and two counts of making false statements on a loan application. The former top prosecutor allegedly withdrew $90,000 from Baltimore city’s deferred compensation plan in 2020. FORMER TOP BALTIMORE PROSECUTOR MARILYN MOSBY’S REQUEST FOR VENUE CHANGE IN PERJURY TRIAL DENIED Modby then used the $90,000 as down payments to buy a home in Kissimmee, Florida, and a condominium in Long Boat Key, Florida. Mosby also falsely claimed that she had suffered financial hardships from the pandemic, despite receiving her full salary of $250,000. Prosecutors said that the money in the retirement account was held in a trust and belongs to the city until a planned participant is eligible to make a withdrawal. BALTIMORE’S FORMER TOP PROSECUTOR MARILYN MOSBY HAS TRIAL DELAYED AFTER ENTIRE DEFENSE TEAM QUITS They argued that Mosby wasn’t entitled under federal law to access the funds in 2020 because her business, Mahogany Elite Enterprises, did not suffer any “adverse financial consequences” from the pandemic. Delaney said Mosby’s business had no clients or revenue. Jury selection for that trial will begin on January 18, 2024. A judge ruled that Mosby would not be sentenced until the completion of her second federal trial. Mosby’s lawyer in her criminal case, Federal Public Defender James Wyda, did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.
Fox News Politics: Gender-neutral Christmas grift
Welcome to Fox News’ Politics newsletter with the latest political news from Washington D.C. and updates from the 2024 campaign trail. Subscribe now to get Fox News Politics newsletter in your inbox. What’s Happening? – Blinken, Mayorkas meet with Mexican president over migrant crisis – Senator Fetterman snaps at questions over Biden’s popularity – Melania Trump celebrates Christmas with ailing mother California stores with more than 500 employees will soon be fined for not having a “gender-neutral” toy section once a new state law kicks in Jan. 1. The bill, signed in 2021 by Democrat Gov. Gavin Newsom, will force stores that sell childcare items or toys to pay a $500 fine should the store fail to create a gender-neutral toy section for kids 12 years old and under. A childcare item, according to the legislation text, “means any product designed or intended by the manufacturer to facilitate sleep, relaxation, or the feeding of children, or to help children with sucking or teething.” Traditional boys and girls sections won’t be outlawed, but a gender-neutral section must also be created. Failure to comply after Jan. 1, 2024, may result in civil penalties, enforced through legal action by the state attorney general, district attorney, or city attorney, with penalties ranging from $250 to $500 for subsequent violations. RULES FOR THEE: VP Harris again ridiculed for gas stove pic …Read more ‘NOTHING’ JUSTIFIES A DELAY: Prosecutors reject Menendez’s plea to delay federal bribery trial …Read more FUNDING DEADLINE APPROACHES: Senate will have to pass key spending bills after holiday recess …Read more ‘SHUT THE F— UP’: John Fetterman has choice words for Democratic strategist who warned of Biden’s waning popularity …Read more UNLIKELY ALLIES: Democratic, Jewish member of Congress says his friendship with ‘Squad’ member Rashida Tlaib is ‘not easy’ …Read more ESTABLISHMENT ‘PUPPET’: Trump Jr. says he’ll ‘make sure’ this GOP candidate doesn’t join dad’s campaign …Read more REJECTED: State Supreme Court shoots down attempt to keep Trump off ballot …Read more NORTH DAKOTA BLUES: North Dakota Republican lawmaker under scrutiny after slurs to police during DUI stop …Read more CARING FOR MOM: Melania Trump celebrates Christmas with her ailing mother …Read more RED LADY: New York Times faced intense scrutiny in 2023 over Israel-Hamas coverage …Read more Get the latest updates from the 2024 campaign trail, exclusive interviews and more on FoxNews.com.
Florida Democrat mayor slammed over Confederate monument removal: ‘Blatant overreach’
A century-old monument honoring the women of the Confederacy was removed from a Florida park Wednesday, sparking accusations that the city’s mayor was overstepping her authority. Nick Howland, a Republican who sits on Jacksonville’s City Council, called Jacksonville Mayor Donna Deegan’s actions to remove the “Women of the Southland” statue from Springfield Park, formally Confederate Park, a “blatant overreach” and an abuse of power. “Deegan is our Mayor, not our Monarch,” he wrote Wednesday on X. “Waiting until nightfall before taking a backhoe to the Women of the South monument is blatant overreach. This was Council’s decision to make. Regardless of your opinion of the monument, this is abuse of power & disregard for transparency.” GOP LAWMAKERS DEMAND PENTAGON STOP REMOVAL OF CONFEDERATE MEMORIAL IN ARLINGTON NATIONAL CEMETERY In a statement, Deegan, a Democrat, said the monument honoring women of the Confederacy was being removed with funding made through a grant from the Jessie Ball duPont Fund and anonymous donations made to 904WARD, a local racial justice group. The memorial was erected in the early 20th century as part of a widespread campaign to promote and justify Jim Crow laws in the South and intimidate African Americans, she said. In 2020, the city renamed the park from Confederate Park to Springfield Park “amid protests ignited by the City and the nation’s call for change on racism,” according to the city’s website. The 41-foot-tall memorial features a mother embracing her two children at the top with a plaque that reads: “Let this mute but eloquent structure speak to generations to come of a generation of the past. Let it repeat perpetually the imperishable story of our women of the ’60s, those noble women who sacrificed their all upon their country’s altar.” “Symbols matter. They tell the world what we stand for and what we aspire to be,” Deegan said in a statement. “By removing the confederate monument from Springfield Park, we signal a belief in our shared humanity. That we are all created equal. The same flesh and bones. The same blood running through our veins. The same heart and soul.” In addition to the monument, the plaques and engravings are being removed and will be covered with temporary plaques. The cost of the work is $187,000 as part of an agreement between 904WARD and ACON Construction, the mayor’s office said. MILITARY INSTALLATIONS, SHIPS NAMED AFTER CONFEDERATES BEGIN RENAMING PROCESS Jacksonville’s General Counsel, Michael Fackler, said Deegan has the executive authority to order the removal because City Council approval was unnecessary since it was being done with private funds. “Our legal analysis finds that Mayor Deegan has the authority as executive of the City – and because city funds are not being utilized – to control the property, the park, and the monument,” Fackler said. After her election, Deegan promised to remove the statue but was unsuccessful in getting the City Council to go along with the plan. Last month, a Republican state representative introduced a measure to fine local officials who vote to remove historical monuments, The Washington Post reported. In endorsing Wednesday’s move, 904WARD said such monuments “often serve as painful reminders of a divisive past and contribute to a climate that perpetuates inequality.” Florida state Rep. Dean Black, a Republican, said the statue’s removal was an example of cancel culture gone too far. “This action, undertaken in the middle of the night, during the holidays, without consultation of city leaders or a vote by the council, is another in a long line of woke Democrats’ obsession with Cancel Culture and tearing down history,” he said in a statement. “Choosing to erase our history is not ‘brave’ — it is a cowardly act done by a lawless Mayor who hides under the cover of night!” Deegan argued the removal isn’t an attempt to erase history but to “show that we’ve learned from it.” “That when we know better, we do better by and for each other,” she said. “My prayer today is for our beautiful city to continue embracing unity and bending the arc of history towards justice. Let’s keep lifting as we climb.”