Share to Twitter Share to Linkedin Topline President Joe Biden on Saturday morning signed into law a bipartisan gun control bill that swiftly passed Congress this week, marking the most significant action the federal government has taken on gun control in decades. Key Facts Biden gave a brief speech before signing the bill, listing the measures the bill takes and saying it is a "monumental day" for America and “lives will be saved.” The president's signature clears the way for new federal grants to encourage states to enact red-flag laws, enhances background checks for gun buyers under the age of 21 and closes the so-called "boyfriend" loophole, which allowed non-spousal domestic abusers to own guns. The bill also creates a new statute making gun trafficking a federal crime and includes around $11 billion to improve mental health programs, among other provisions. Crucial Quote "While this bill doesn't do everything I want, it does … [Read more...] about Biden Signs Gun Control Bill Into Law: ‘Lives Will Be Saved’
Federal paternity leave law
Congress Approves Gun Control Bill—Biden To Sign Into Law
Share to Twitter Share to Linkedin Topline The House of Representatives voted 234-193 Friday afternoon to approve a bipartisan gun control bill the Senate passed Thursday, marking the most significant gun legislation Congress has passed in decades. Key Facts The bill includes enhanced background checks for gun buyers under 21, a new federal grant program to encourage states to enact red-flag laws and the creation of a federal statute banning gun trafficking. Fourteen Republicans joined all 220 House Democrats in voting to pass the bill. Cheers erupted among Democrats after the vote closed, with several members hugging each other on the House floor. President Joe Biden has vowed to sign any “commonsense” gun control legislation into law. Key Background The Senate passed the bill Thursday night with 15 Republican senators joining all 50 Democrats in backing the legislation—more than enough to overcome the 60-vote filibuster … [Read more...] about Congress Approves Gun Control Bill—Biden To Sign Into Law
Abortions Can Resume In Louisiana—At Least For Now—As Trigger Bans Blocked In State Court
Share to Twitter Share to Linkedin Topline A Louisiana court granted a request by abortion providers to temporarily block trigger bans that outlawed the procedure in the state Monday, as pro-choice advocates try to claw back access to abortion after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade and a series of states immediately banned it. Key Facts Louisiana state Judge Robin M. Giarusso signed a temporary restraining order blocking Louisiana’s trigger laws, which took effect Friday and outlawed all abortions in the state, while the abortion providers’ challenge is heard. Giarusso scheduled a hearing for July 8 on whether to grant the abortion providers’ request for a preliminary injunction that would keep the laws blocked or put them back in effect. Abortion providers and advocates filed a lawsuit in state court against Louisiana Attorney General Jeff Landry and state Health Secretary Courtney Phillips that argues the state’s abortion … [Read more...] about Abortions Can Resume In Louisiana—At Least For Now—As Trigger Bans Blocked In State Court
Roe Dies. America Divides – And It Ain’t All About Women
Share to Twitter Share to Linkedin “ Women are just roadkill in this fight, it’s all about men .” (Quote from the upcoming documentary Fairplay by Jennifer Siebel Newsom.) The end of Roe v Wade is the first big wave of the Conservative Supreme Court’s impact on America. It won’t be the last. The Trumped-up Court is now muscling up its macho-retro stance, and five robed judges have just robbed some 36 million American women of their right to an abortion. While it will drown women’s rights to bodily control, it also reveals the scarily undemocratic dance this divided nation is now locked in. After all, a majority of Americans support abortion. Yet what became a constitutional right a half-century ago has just been reversed - it is unlikely to be won back anytime soon. It’s a move that should worry at least as many men as women. Almost all 38 OECD countries allow abortion. American exceptionalism is going down a dark, backward slide. Women are always … [Read more...] about Roe Dies. America Divides – And It Ain’t All About Women
Opinion: The aftershocks of America’s abortion earthquake will be felt for decades
(CNN) Following the US Supreme Court's decision to overturn Roe v. Wade, CNN Opinion asked a group of contributors to weigh in on the cultural, legal and political ramifications of this monumental legal opinion undoing nearly 50 years of federal abortion protection. The views expressed in these commentaries are those of the authors. SE Cupp: What politicians get wrong about the abortion debate I'm deeply worried for our country. Read More No matter where you stand on the issue -- I'm pro-life but do not support a ban on abortions -- this ruling represents a seismic shift in American life as most of us knew it. I'm 43, and Roe is older than I am. There are more people alive today who have never known an America without Roe than there are people who lived without it. Stripping away what many women have only known as a right for nearly 50 years, without putting anything in its place is dangerous. Criminalizing … [Read more...] about Opinion: The aftershocks of America’s abortion earthquake will be felt for decades
BARR: Did Republicans Who Voted For The Gun Control Bill Actually Read It?
It is now the law of the land, signed last Saturday by President Biden — the “Bipartisan Safer Communities Act.” Hidden deep within one of its most controversial provisions, dealing with Extreme Risk Protection Orders (ERPOs), more commonly known as “Red Flag Laws,” is language that provides a clever way for judges to ignore the “constitutional rights” that purport to guard against abusing these problematic provisions. The bill itself — S.2938 — is 81 pages long; somewhat short by today’s standards, when bills running to hundreds of pages are not uncommon. It is not until a reader is well into the text of the bill that the “Firearms” provisions are laid out in any detail, and this is where the real problem becomes clear — clear, that is, if you read carefully the provisions regarding ERPOs. As is standard operating procedure for federal legislation, S.2938 does not directly mandate that states or local governments implement red flag laws. It does so by offering states money to … [Read more...] about BARR: Did Republicans Who Voted For The Gun Control Bill Actually Read It?
Inside The Process To Legalize Recreational Cannabis In Germany
Share to Twitter Share to Linkedin When the German government announced in late 2021 its plan to legalize recreational cannabis sales in Germany , experts and cannabis enthusiasts put great expectations on the so-called "traffic light" government's plan to regulate the industry. Although Germany and other European countries focused in recent months on the war in Ukraine following the Russian invasion in February and the resulting efforts to detach themselves from Russian energy dependence, German officials had time to speed up the process of legalizing recreational cannabis . The consultation process Commissioner for Addiction and Drug Issues Burkhard Blienert officially announced on July 13 the kickoff of the first of five expert hearings to prepare for the planned legislative process to legalize recreational cannabis. More than 200 leading German and international experts will exchange their views on the legalization. The planned … [Read more...] about Inside The Process To Legalize Recreational Cannabis In Germany
SM Faisal’s ex-wife to serve seven days in jail for contempt of court
- A + A KUALA LUMPUR (June 27): Emilia Hanafi, the former wife of well-known businessman Datuk SM Faisal SM Nasimuddin Kamal, was sent to Kajang Prison to serve a seven-day jail sentence starting Monday (June 27), for failing to comply with a Syariah High Court order on visitation dates for her three children. On Sept 4, 2019, the Syariah High Court sentenced Emilia to seven days in prison for contempt of court after her disobeying an order by unilaterally rescheduling the visitation dates for her children, aged 10 to 16, to be with their father SM Faisal. However, she was released on bail of RM5,000, pending appeal. Emilia, 43, in a white long dress and shawl, arrived at the Syariah Court here at 9.50am accompanied by her lawyer and family members. Syariah lawyer, Nazri Yahya, who represented Emilia, told reporters that his client was calm and mentally ready when she surrendered at the Kuala Lumpur Syariah Court police office on Monday. In fact, he said that his … [Read more...] about SM Faisal’s ex-wife to serve seven days in jail for contempt of court
Why Finland Is So Happy (and the U.S. Is So Depressed)
For the past two years, the United Nations has ranked Finland as the world's happiest country. The U.S. has never scored in the top 10 since the index was launched in 2011, and in 2019 it plummeted to 19th. While Finland seems perennially chirpy, the U.S. is seeing growing rates of depression, drug addiction, and suicide . Here are six reasons that residents of Finland (7.1 percent of whom are immigrants, BTW) are so happy when compared with their American counterparts: 1. Finns pay higher taxes but see more results. According to the conservative think tank the Brookings Institute, Finland collects 44 percent of its gross domestic product (GDP) in taxes versus the 26 percent of GDP that the U.S. collected in 2015. (For comparison, Denmark collects 46 percent and Mexico 17 percent.) So taxes are relatively high in Finland, which you'd think would tend to reduce overall happiness. However, higher taxes don't seem to bother the Finns, for two reasons: … [Read more...] about Why Finland Is So Happy (and the U.S. Is So Depressed)
After Wimbledon, Novak Djokovic Might Not Play Another Major Until The 2023 French Open
Share to Twitter Share to Linkedin Novak Djokovic is especially motivated to win his fourth straight Wimbledon title and 21st Grand Slam singles crown in part because he knows it will probably be a while before he plays in another major. The 35-year-old Serb expects to miss the U.S. Open later this summer because he’s unvaccinated against Covid-19 and thus cannot travel to the U.S. as a foreigner, and he faces a three-year ban from the Australian Open after having been deported ahead of the tournament in January, although that ban could end early. “The crazy thought is that he might not be in a major after this one until the French next year because he potentially got his visa revoked for three years in Australia, [he’s] not in the [U.S.] Open,” ESPN tennis analyst Brad Gilbert said on air after Djokovic advanced over South Korea’s Kwon Soon Woo in four sets, 6-3, 3-6, 6-3, 6-4 to reach the second round at Wimbledon. “I mean, it’s a lot to have … [Read more...] about After Wimbledon, Novak Djokovic Might Not Play Another Major Until The 2023 French Open