Culture & Society
U.S. Supreme Court nominee Barrett avoids specific questions on abortion and other contentious issues
U.S. Supreme Court nominee Amy Coney Barrett dodged detailed questions on landmark abortion cases that ensure women can have access to abortions. In what was an expected line of questioning on the second day of her confirmation hearing before the U.S. Committee on the Judiciary, Barrett said she has not made any commitment on how […]
“Gay or not — we are Americans and we should be protected;” members of FL’s LGBTQ community talk elections
In their early 50s, Lori Geist and Janette Wagner have been married for five years and together for 14 years. The two women live in St. Augustine. Geist works as a licensed message therapist while her wife is president of Capital City Bank for Putnam and St. Johns County. With the November election just a […]
When it comes to COVID-19, Republicans don’t need no stinkin’ science. They invent their own
POTUS tested positive for COVID-19, but pretended he could beat it into submission with a show of maskless machismo and spluttering non sequiturs. FLOTUS tested positive too, and is taking time off from her private war on Christmas to quarantine in the East Wing while a leaked FEMA memo says nearly three dozen Trump staffers, […]
U.S. Supreme Court confirmation hearings to plow ahead starting Monday, amid COVID-19 pandemic
Federal Judge Amy Coney Barrett will face the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee beginning Monday for what’s expected to be an unusual and contentious four days of hearings on her nomination for the Supreme Court. Democrats sought unsuccessfully to block those hearings, raising concerns about the short time frame before Election Day, the urgent need to […]
Judge orders damages of nearly $1.5 billion for family of kidnapped former Florida FBI agent Levinson
U.S. District Judge Timothy J. Kelly has ordered the Islamic Republic of Iran to pay $1.457 billion in damages to the family of former Florida FBI Agent Robert Levinson, who was kidnapped by Iranian officials in 2007 and apparently died in captivity. He was the longest held civilian hostage in American history when his family […]
Few precedents for presidential candidates unable to stay on the ticket
President Donald Trump’s diagnosis with COVID-19 just a month before Election Day raises the question of what happens in the unlikely case a nominee is unable to continue as a candidate for the presidency. The answer is murky at best, and complicated, with little precedent to follow. Trump arrived at Walter Reed National Military Medical […]
President Trump taken to Walter Reed National Medical Center for “the next few days”
WASHINGTON—President Donald Trump was to taken to Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in suburban Maryland Friday, where White House officials said he is expected to stay for “the next few days” for treatment of COVID-19. White House Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany described Trump, who disclosed his diagnosis earlier Friday, as having mild symptoms and […]
U.S. House passes new pandemic relief bill, but talks lag on a bipartisan deal
WASHINGTON—The U.S. House on Thursday night narrowly passed a slimmed-down $2.2 trillion Democratic coronavirus relief bill that retains hundreds of billions in aid for states and local governments, boosts unemployment benefits and extends another round of $1,200 checks for each taxpayer. But the package, passed on a 214-207 vote, with 18 Democrats splitting from their party, is […]
Poll suggests narrow lead in FL for Biden and support for LGBTQ-rights initiatives
A poll of battleground states conducted for the Human Rights Campaign shows Democrat Joe Biden with a 6-point lead in Florida over President Donald Trump and that opposition by candidates to LGBTQ rights could backfire with voters. The poll shows Biden drawing support in Florida from 51 percent of the likely voters surveyed against 46 […]
Trump picks Amy Coney Barrett for the Supreme Court, and D.C. girds for a fight
President Donald Trump at the White House on Saturday introduced federal appeals court Judge Amy Coney Barrett as his Supreme Court nominee, setting off a confirmation battle that could secure a conservative court for generations. “She is a woman of unparalleled achievement, towering intellect and sterling credentials and unyielding loyalty to the Constitution,” Trump said […]
Months into the pandemic, digital divide still leaves poor kids at a disadvantage
Members of the U.S. Senate are pushing for $4 billion in the next coronavirus relief package to help students in rural and low-income areas gain access to high speed internet. A digital divide that emerged as a major problem when schools shut down amid the pandemic last spring has persisted into the new academic year, […]
Gov. DeSantis plans to loosen COVID restrictions: Let restaurants fully open
Gov. Ron DeSantis announced Thursday that he plans to allow restaurant owners to reopen to the degree they’re “comfortable,” meaning they’ll be able to exceed the 50 percent capacity requirement that’s been in place for several months. “I don’t think that the closure of restaurants has proven to be effective. I get how you could […]