Saturday, April 27

POLITICS

Deciding Cases On Guns And Regulations — The Supreme Court Super-majority Will Clarify Its Constitutional Revolution This Year
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IN OTHER NEWS, POLITICS

Deciding Cases On Guns And Regulations — The Supreme Court Super-majority Will Clarify Its Constitutional Revolution This Year

Supreme Court supermajority will clarify its constitutional revolution this year, deciding cases on guns and regulations. The first Monday in October, the traditional date for the beginning of the U.S. Supreme Court’s term, is almost here: On Oct. 2, 2023, the court will meet after the summer recess, with the biggest case of the term focused on the limits of individual gun rights. The other core issue for the coming year is a broad reassessment of the power of the administrative state. Both issues reflect a court that has announced revolutionary changes in doctrine and must now grapple with how far the new principles will reach. Two years ago, the court began what many consider to be a constitutional revolution. The new supermajority of six conservative justices rapidly introduced new ...
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Shopping For A Bag Of Coffee Beans? It Might Be Time To Change Your Usual Beans And Buy Something More Ethical
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POLITICS, TOP FOUR

Shopping For A Bag Of Coffee Beans? It Might Be Time To Change Your Usual Beans And Buy Something More Ethical

Lost in the coffee aisle? Navigating the complex buzzwords behind an ‘ethical’ bag of beans is easier said than done. You’re shopping for a bag of coffee beans at the grocery store. After reading about the effects of climate change and how little farmers make – typically $0.40 per cup – you figure it might be time to change your usual beans and buy something more ethical. Perusing the shelves in the coffee aisle, though, you see too many choices. First up is the red tub of Folgers “100% Colombian,” a kitchen staple – “lively with a roasted and rich finish.” On the side of the tub, you see the icon of Juan Valdez with his donkey, Conchita – a fictional mascot representing the Colombian Coffee Growers Federation. Next might be Starbucks “Single-Origin Colombia.” One side of the green bag t...
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Poll Finds Remote Work May Help Decrease Sexual Harassment And Assault
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POLITICS, TOP FOUR

Poll Finds Remote Work May Help Decrease Sexual Harassment And Assault

Remote work may help decrease sexual assault and harassment, poll finds. Leslie Pineda’s boss first told her he had feelings for her in early 2021, when she stayed late one night to finish a project. As a person, he was gregarious, funny even. But he was a mercurial boss. If he wasn’t happy with her work as a senior graphic designer, she could expect a long lecture or knee-jerk feedback like, “This is kooky” and “I expect more from you.” He was also a talker, and he told everyone about his troubles with his wife. She’d listen because, she said, she didn’t mind it and because she thought it might make him go easier on her. After Pineda told her boss she didn’t reciprocate his feelings, their relationship became even more odd. He’d joke about “running away together” and reprimand her and ...
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Essential Reads — How Rupert Murdoch And Fox News Shaped The American Media And Political Landscapes
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POLITICS

Essential Reads — How Rupert Murdoch And Fox News Shaped The American Media And Political Landscapes

Rupert Murdoch: His Fox News legacy is one of lies, with little accountability, and political power that rose from the belief in his power − 3 essential reads. Rupert Murdoch, 92, one of the world’s most influential modern media figures, announced on Sept. 21, 2023, that he is stepping down as chair of Fox Corp. and executive chairman of News Corp. By mid-November, he will no longer be at the helm of the multibillion-dollar media empire that has stirred so much controversy over decades. Through Fox News, Murdoch is leaving a lasting impression on American journalism and politics. It just may not be what most people think. Here are three essential reads from The Conversation about Murdoch and Fox News and how they have shaped the American media and political landscapes. 1. So-called jou...
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Did You Hear The News Corp News? — Media Mogul Rupert Murdoch Resigns
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POLITICS

Did You Hear The News Corp News? — Media Mogul Rupert Murdoch Resigns

Media mogul Rupert Murdoch resigns − extending Joe Biden’s ongoing good luck streak with the media. Joe Biden was inaugurated as the 46th president of the United States of America on Jan. 20, 2021. Imagine if someone could go back in time and inform him and his communications team that a few pivotal changes in the media would occur during his first three years in office. There’s the latest news that Rubert Murdoch, 92, stepped down as the chairperson of Fox Corp. and News Corp. on Sept. 21, 2023. Since the 1980s, Murdoch, who will be replaced by his son Lachlan, has been the most powerful right-wing media executive in the U.S. While it’s not clear whether Fox will be any tamer under Lachlan, Murdoch’s departure is likely good news for Biden, who reportedly despises the media baron. Add...
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Lifeline For Children With Long-Term Health Conditions Offered By California
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Journalism, POLITICS

Lifeline For Children With Long-Term Health Conditions Offered By California

California’s Enhanced Care Management program, offered through Medi-Cal, could help parents who are caring for children with complex physical, behavioral, and social needs. It was a typical week for Nancy Netherland of Berkeley, California. Her 15-year-old daughter, Amelia, who has a rare autoinflammatory disease that causes multiple chronic physical and developmental health problems, needed a new course of treatment involving genetic testing and immune-system medication. The recommendation came from Amelia’s immunology team at UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital. But there were seven other doctors who regularly worked with Amelia that needed to know about this change too. So did Amelia’s private therapist, her family therapist, and the school psychologist. Getting the new treatment also re...
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In The Effort To Combat The US Opioid Crisis FDA Approval Of Over-The-Counter Narcan Is An Important Step
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HEALTH & WELLNESS, POLITICS, TOP FOUR

In The Effort To Combat The US Opioid Crisis FDA Approval Of Over-The-Counter Narcan Is An Important Step

FDA approval of over-the-counter Narcan is an important step in the effort to combat the US opioid crisis. On March 29, 2023, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved Narcan for over-the-counter sale. Narcan is the 4-milligram nasal spray version of naloxone, a medication that can quickly counteract an opioid overdose. The FDA’s greenlighting of over-the-counter naloxone means that it will be available for purchase without a prescription at more than 60,000 pharmacies nationwide. That means that, for 90% of Americans, naloxone nasal spray will be accessible at a pharmacy within 5 miles from home. It will also likely be available at gas stations, supermarkets and convenience stores. The transition from prescription to over-the-counter status is expected to take a few months. We are ...
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It’s Time To Talk About How Patents Might Not Reward Inventions As They Are Meant To
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BUSINESS, POLITICS

It’s Time To Talk About How Patents Might Not Reward Inventions As They Are Meant To

Patents were meant to reward inventions. It’s time to talk about how they might not. For hundreds of years, we’ve been told patents help deliver big new inventions, such as life-saving drugs. They are meant to be a bargain between the inventor and the public: tell us how your invention works, and we’ll give you a fixed time – a patent protection period – in which you’re the only person who can make use of it. Such exclusive rights make it easier for inventors to profit from their investments in research and development, and in theory encourage innovation we wouldn’t get otherwise, which benefits us all. We’ve long had to accept this bargain on faith. But those core assumptions about patents are increasingly being subject to empirical testing, and – as we detail in a new podcast starting...
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How Federal And State Prosecutors And Judges Work Out Conflicts Of Where Will Trump Go On Trial First?
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POLITICS

How Federal And State Prosecutors And Judges Work Out Conflicts Of Where Will Trump Go On Trial First?

Where will Trump go on trial first? How federal and state prosecutors and judges work out conflicts. If a person is charged by federal and state prosecutors – or prosecutors in different states – at the same time, which case goes first? A county grand jury in Atlanta indicted former President Donald Trump and 18 associates on Aug. 14, 2023, on a collective 41 felony counts, including racketeering and forgery. The charges are linked to Trump’s alleged criminal conspiracy to overturn the 2020 election results. The latest, sweeping state charges come on top of other mounting legal trouble Trump is facing at the state and federal levels. Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg first charged Trump in April 2023 with 34 felony counts of falsifying business records. Then, in June 2023, the Ju...
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Trump’s Actions Have Disqualified Him From The Presidency — The Georgia Indictment And Post-Civil War History Makes That Clear
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POLITICS

Trump’s Actions Have Disqualified Him From The Presidency — The Georgia Indictment And Post-Civil War History Makes That Clear

Georgia indictment and post-Civil War history make it clear: Trump’s actions have already disqualified him from the presidency. After three indictments of former President Donald Trump, the fourth one in Georgia came not as a surprise but as a powerful exposition of the scope of Trump’s efforts to remain in power despite losing the 2020 presidential election. New conservative legal scholarship spells out how and why those actions – which were observed by the public over many months – disqualify Trump from serving in the presidency ever again. And our read of the Georgia indictment, as longtime lawyers ourselves, shows why and how that disqualification can be put into effect. The key to all of this is the 14th Amendment to the Constitution, which states that “No person shall … hold any of...
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