US agency sues Exxon for discrimination after nooses found at plant

Thu, March 2, 2023 


(Reuters) - Exxon Mobil Corp was sued for racial discrimination by a U.S. federal agency on Thursday, with charges alleging that the oil major failed to protect workers from harassment after nooses were found at one of its facilities in 2020.

The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) said in a statement that a Black employee at Exxon's chemical plant in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, found a hangman's noose at his work site in January 2020.

The EEOC said that at the time of this report, Exxon was already aware of three other such instances of nooses being displayed at the complex and a nearby refinery, and that a fifth noose was reported later in 2020.

According to the EEOC, Exxon investigated some of these incidents, but not all, and "failed to take measures reasonably calculated to end the harassment."

The federal agency alleged that Exxon's actions and omissions regarding the noose incidents "created a racially hostile work environment."

Exxon said it disagreed with the EEOC's findings and allegations.

"We encourage employees to report claims like this, and we thoroughly investigated. The symbols of hate are unacceptable, offensive, and in violation of our corporate policies", Exxon said in a statement.

(Reporting by Mrinmay Dey in Bengaluru; Editing by Christopher Cushing)

B.C. to offer residents free prescription birth control. Should Quebec do the same?

Thu, March 2, 2023

Proponents of British Columbia's move to provide free prescription contraception say the policy could spur other provinces to follow suit. (Rich Pedroncelli/The Associated Press/The Canadian Press - image credit)

Montreal-area gynecologist Dr.Diane Francœur says the conversations with patients about affording birth control are getting tougher.

"Asking them 'can you afford this?' and 'can you afford that?'" she said.

"What is even worse is when you see them back and you say: 'Oh, your pill didn't work?' And they answer back: 'I wasn't able to pay for them so I didn't use them.'"

British Columbia will soon become the first jurisdiction in Canada to make prescription birth control free. Quebec resident Maïté Aubry-Massé believes the province should follow suit.

She said she was lucky that her contraceptive of choice was covered by her private insurance, but that's not the reality for other women in Quebec.

"We're supposed to have free health care. Since when is birth control and everything surrounding that not health care?" Aubry-Massé said.

"We should be prioritizing women's health."

Ella Teasdale feels the same way. She said it's long overdue and it would mean younger people wouldn't have to worry about whether they need to buy groceries or whether they need to get the prescription.

"This would be amazing for young people who obviously do have more sexual contact with sexual partners," said Teasdale.

CBC

Starting April 1, the British Columbia will cover the following prescription contraceptives:

Oral hormone pills, commonly known as the pill.


Subdermal (under-the-skin) injections and implants.


Copper and hormonal intrauterine devices, also known as IUDs.


Plan B, also known as the morning-after pill.

Free prescription contraception will also be made available to men, including trans men.

Quebec Public Health closely monitors the evolution of drug coverage needs, particularly the health needs of women, said spokesperson Noémie Vanheuverzwijn.

Unlike British Columbia, Quebec is the only province to have a general prescription drug insurance plan that covers its entire population, she said.

"The list of medications covered in Quebec is much more extensive than that of British Columbia," said Vanheuverzwijn, noting the provincial plan provides free drug coverage for economically vulnerable clienteles and that includes contraceptives.

"Compared to Quebec, people residing in other provinces do not benefit from any drug insurance coverage and must reimburse the full cost of their drugs, which can reach several thousand dollars annually."

Francœur said offering free birth control is a big win for health-care providers, and every province should do what British Columbia is doing.

She said it would be beneficial to the overall health of women across the country.

Judge grants woman interim injunction for exemption from Alberta opioid restrictions

Thu, March 2, 2023 



CALGARY — A Calgary woman says she can finally look forward to the future after a judge granted an interim injunction Thursday that allows her to continue taking a potent opioid three times a day.

Ophelia Black, 22, was diagnosed with severe opioid use disorder after she became dependent on the drug as a teen.

She had asked for an exemption until the resolution of her lawsuitagainst the Alberta government over new standards that require service providers to refrain from prescribing opioids for at-home use unless approved by a medical director.

Black's lawsuit says she currently follows a treatment regimen that allows her to effectively manage her condition with hydromorphone instead of using street-sourced opioids, such as fentanyl. She picks up the drugs at a pharmacy, crushes and injects them.

"Ophelia Black is addicted to opioids. Her addiction has nearly killed her several times. I am satisfied that this is an appropriate case in which to grant an interim injunction," said Court of King's Bench Justice Colin Feasby in his ruling.

"The evidence at this stage of the litigation shows that Miss Black has a strong position that her constitutional rights have been infringed, that she would suffer irreparable harm and it is clear that the balance of convenience weighs in her favour."

Black said in a statement that she felt like a vice was closing over her stomach after she learned about the government changes. Now that feeling is gone.

"Being unable to access my medication would have been a death sentence. I am so relieved that I can continue to access my treatment without sacrificing the time and freedom to live a full life and without having to make terrible choices," she said.

"I do not want to die and I will forever appreciate what was done today. Now that access to my prescription feels more secure, I'm looking forward to the future, researching university options and continuing to build a life for myself."

The judge said the injunction will remain in effect until Black's lawsuit over Alberta's new standards is resolved in court. He directed that the woman's service providers be allowed to provide her with the treatment she requires.

"It merely permits her service providers to treat her in the interim period without the limitations imposed by the regulations, standards and policies," Feasby said.

Black is suing the province under the Charter of Rights and Freedoms to put a halt to the new restrictions and to provide her with an exemption so she can continue to access the treatment.

Her statement of claim says she began using opioids to cope with childhood trauma and that she was regularly sexually, physically and mentally abused by older men preying on her vulnerable condition. As a result, she began suffering from suicidal ideation, depression and other mental health issues.

Black's claims have not been tested in court and no statement of defence has been filed.

Alberta government lawyer Nate Gartke had argued that other options are available for Black and that she is making an active decision not to take the government treatment even though it's safer.

"I think it's largely a devil you know than the devil you don't situation," Gartke said in courtWednesday.

"It's probably safer to crash and inject something you know than crashing and injecting something that is unknown."

Gartke said Alberta Health Services is willing to help Black gain access to other treatments.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 2, 2023.

Bill Graveland, The Canadian Press

Experts cast doubt on economic benefits of proposed arena in downtown Regina

Thu, March 2, 2023 

The City of Regina's catalyst committee has recommended the construction of a new arena in downtown Regina. (Alexander Quon/CBC - image credit)

Nearly a week after the publication of the catalyst committee's final report on where to build a series of mega projects in downtown Regina, the debate over whether they are needed at all continues.

One of the largest lightning rods is the proposal for a new event centre/arena that would serve as a replacement for the aging Brandt Centre.

The report recommends that Regina construct its new arena somewhere in the city's downtown core. It's an idea that Mayor Sandra Masters expressed support for after Wednesday's meeting of Regina executive committee.

"I think our downtown needs some investment and if we're not getting any private investment — and haven't for a number of years in some respects in terms of construction — [and] if the city is going to build something, perhaps then that's when you focus it on downtown," she said.

The catalyst report says there are established benefits to the presence of an arena downtown.

"A new Events Centre is expected to have a large positive economic impact," the report reads.

However, two experts CBC spoke with for this story say that the picture is far less clear.

"There are lots of reasons to consider putting an arena in. It's a fun amenity, but hoping to make a bunch of money from it is is one of the things you shouldn't count on," Victor Matheson, a professor of economics at College of the Holy Cross in Worcester, Mass., told The Morning Edition with Stefani Langenegger.

LISTEN| 'If you build it, they won't come' says sports economist about downtown arenas

The proposed 10,000-seat arena, with an estimated price tag of $156 million, is larger than the 6,500 seat Brandt Centre. However, it will still likely draw most of its patrons from in and around Regina, he says. Mega events are unlikely to head to Regina with larger centres such as Winnipeg or Saskatoon nearby.

Matheson, who studies the economics of stadiums, says one of the main things in play with arenas is the substitution effect.

While people might end up spending money at the arena or commercial stores around it, he says, it's just money that would have otherwise been spent in different areas of the town. There's not a significant amount of new spending.

The arena is at the bottom of the list of projects recommended by the catalyst committee in its report, which means it could be awhile before construction begins.

The committee has been clear that if any of the proposed projects is delayed by a decade inflation could boost the price tag by as much as 80 per cent.

Depending on the cost, another expert says, the benefits might not be worth the cost.

"If I had $250 million to improve the downtown, would I spend it on in arena? No," said Rylan Graham, an assistant professor with the University of Northern British Columbia's school of planning and sustainability.

"I think that there are other interventions that could have more significant impact on improving the downtown than an arena."

Masters expressed some caution over any of the touted economic benefits of an arena, citing concerns over the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.

However, she believes that the construction of an arena could be important for drawing people to the downtown core.

LISTEN| Walking trail, aquatic centre and arena among the planned mega-projects for Regina

The planned arena would be built to last 50 years, according to the catalyst committee report. For context, 2023 will mark 46 years since the Brandt Centre opened.

Location, location, location

The final report provides a list of five possible but broad locations. All of them are downtown, but the committee has declined to provide specific locations citing concerns over land speculation.

However, the catalyst committee's report published a compilation of artist renderings.

While the renderings are not meant as serious examples of the final version of the arena, they do potentially reveal some of the locations up for consideration.

City of Regina

According to the catalyst report, the preferred location in downtown Regina is somewhere on 12th Avenue.

One of the renderings shows an arena located across from a sign that can be found outside of the Regina Public Library's central branch.

The rendering matches up with a block north of the library that currently houses a number of heritage buildings as well as offices for Sask Sport.

The location that ranked third in the committee's preferences is simply called Broad Street.

A different rendering clearly shows buildings clustered around a major street. That buildings around the arena mock up match with existing architecture at the northeast corner of Broad Street and 12th Avenue.

The spot where the arena is located in the renderings comprises parking lots and small retail stores.

The executive committee has directed city administration to get more public feedback before it makes any decisions.

However, it doesn't have long as council is scheduled to vote on most of the projects — including the arena — on March 22.

Council will vote March 8 on an item at the top of the catalyst list of projects, a new aquatic centre, with $128 million in federal funding riding on their decision.

LA REVUE GAUCHE - Left Comment: SKYDOME 

Serbia's LGBTQ groups rally after spate of attacks on gays

Fri, March 3, 2023 


BELGRADE, Serbia (AP) — Serbia's beleaguered LGBTQ activists on Friday rallied to demand state action following a spate of violence against gays, including a stabbing that injured a young man.

The gathering dubbed “Hate kills!” was held in the park in central Belgrade that was the site of the attack, in connection with which police have arrested two suspects.

Three more gay men were attacked in late February, activists said, including one hit with a bottle.

“We will no longer tolerate such attacks that have become frequent,” said activist Aleksandar Savic.

Participants held flags and rainbow banners as they urged the authorities to act decisively to curb violence against LGBTQ community and promote tolerance.

Serbia is a staunchly conservative nation where right-wing extremists have gained strength in recent years under a populist government.

Authorities have pledged to boost LGBTQ rights as Serbia seeks European Union membership, but harassment and violence against LGBTQ people remain widespread.

Friday's gathering was held under heavy protection from riot police. No incidents were reported.

Activist Ana Petrovic hailed police arrests of suspected attackers but said they should be followed by an efficient legal procedure.

“We are calling on the institutions to start doing their job,” Petrovic said. “Arrests should be just a beginning.”

Rights groups have reported a total of 68 attacks on gays since August.

Last year, authorities banned a pan-European pride march over threats from extremists. The march was later held following international criticism, but along a limited route and amid clashes between police and soccer hooligans.

The Associated Press

Thousands march in Greece as anger builds over train deaths

GREECE-RAILWAY ACCIDENT-PROTEST-ATHENS
Demonstration protesting the deaths of dozens of people in Greece's deadliest rail accident, between a passenger train carrying more than 350 people and a freight train on Tuesday evening in Tempi valley, near the city of Larissa. In Athens, Greece on March 3, 2023 

(Photo by Nick Paleologos / SOOC / SOOC via AFP) 

Fri, March 3, 2023 

ATHENS, Greece (AP) — Protests have intensified in Greece days after the country's deadliest rail disaster, as thousands of students took to the streets in several cities and some protesters clashed with police in Athens.

At least 57 people — including several university students — died when a passenger train slammed into a freight carrier just before midnight Tuesday. The government has blamed human error and a railway official faces manslaughter charges.

Friday night's violence was not extensive, and the protests were otherwise peaceful. Clashes also occurred in Greece's second largest city, Thessaloniki.

In Athens, riot police outside parliament fired tear gas and flash grenades to disperse a small number of protesters who hurled petrol bombs at them, set fire to garbage bins, and challenged police cordons. No arrests or injuries were reported.

The protests called by left-wing and student groups were fueled by anger at the perceived lack of safety measures in Greece’s rail network. The largest on Friday was in the central Greek city of Larissa, not far from the crash site, where several thousand people marched peacefully. Similar protests were held Wednesday and Thursday.
First funeral in northern Greece

The accident at Tempe, 380 kilometers (235 miles) north of Athens shocked the nation and highlighted safety shortcomings in the small but dated rail network.

As recovery teams spent a third day scouring the wreckage Friday and families began receiving the remains of their loved ones, the funeral for the first of the victims was held in northern Greece.

Athina Katsara, a 34-year-old mother of an infant boy, was being buried in her home town of Katerini. Her injured husband was in hospital and unable to attend.
Harrowing Identification Process

The force of the head-on collision and resulting fire complicated the task of determining the death toll. Officials worked round the clock to match parts of dismembered and burned bodies with tissue samples to establish the number.

The bodies were returned to families in closed caskets following identification through next-of-kin DNA samples — a process followed for all the remains.

Relatives of passengers still listed as unaccounted-for waited outside a Larissa hospital for test results. Among them was Mirella Ruci, whose 22-year-old son, Denis, remained missing.

“My son is not on any official list so far and I have no information. I am pleading with anyone who may have seen him, in rail car 5, seat 22, to contact me if they may have seen him,” Ruci, who struggled to stop her voice from cracking, told reporters.
Flags at half staff

Flags at the ancient Acropolis, parliament and other public buildings around Greece remained at half-staff on the third day of national mourning. National rail services were halted by a strike for a second day, with more strikes planned over the weekend.

Police early Friday searched a rail coordination office in Larissa, removing evidence as part of an ongoing investigation. The facility's 59-year-old station manager was arrested and charged with multiple counts of negligent manslaughter.

Stelios Sourlas, a lawyer representing a 23-year-old victim of the collision, said responsibility for the deaths went beyond the station manager.

“The station manager may have the principle responsibility ... but the responsibility is also broader: There are the rail operators and public officials whose job it was to ensure that safety measures and procedures were properly in place,” Sourlas said.

Rail unions say the network was poorly maintained despite upgrades to provide faster trains in recent years.

Election plans delayed?

Greece's center-right government had been widely expected Friday to call national elections for early April, but the announcement and likely date was likely to be delayed.

The passenger train involved in the crash was traveling along Greece's busiest route, from Athens to Thessaloniki. The freight train was heading in the opposite direction, on the same track.

Two of the victims were identified Friday as Cypriot students Anastasia Adamidou and Kyprianos Papaioannou. Cyprus President Nikos Christodoulides said the state would cover the cost of their repatriation and funerals.

Neighboring Albania's Prime Minister Edi Rama announced that flags on public buildings will be lowered to half-staff Sunday, as a mark of respect for the victims in Greece. ___ Gatopoulos reported from Athens. Vassilis Kommatas and Giannis Papanikos in Larissa, Greece, Costas Kantouris in Thessaloniki, Greece, and Menelaos Hadjicostis in Nicosia, Cyprus, contributed to this report.

Derek Gatopoulos, The Associated Press

2/15

GREECE-TRAINS/CRASH-PROTESTS
Protesters shout slogans during a demonstration, following the collision of two trains, near the city of Larissa, in Thessaloniki, Greece, March 3, 2023. REUTERS/Alexandros Avramidis
Alexandros Avramidis / reuters

3/15

GREECE-RAILWAY ACCIDENT-PROTEST-ATHENS
Demonstration protesting the deaths of dozens of people in Greece's deadliest rail accident, between a passenger train carrying more than 350 people and a freight train on Tuesday evening in Tempi valley, near the city of Larissa. In Athens, Greece on March 3, 2023 (Photo by Nick Paleologos / SOOC / SOOC via AFP) (Photo by NICK PALEOLOGOS/SOOC/AFP via Getty Images)
NICK PALEOLOGOS via Getty Images


4/15

GREECE-RAILWAY ACCIDENT-PROTEST-ATHENS
Demonstration protesting the deaths of dozens of people in Greece's deadliest rail accident, between a passenger train carrying more than 350 people and a freight train on Tuesday evening in Tempi valley, near the city of Larissa. In Athens, Greece on March 3, 2023 (Photo by Nick Paleologos / SOOC / SOOC via AFP) (Photo by NICK PALEOLOGOS/SOOC/AFP via Getty Images)
NICK PALEOLOGOS via Getty Images

5/15

GREECE-TRANSPORT-ACCIDENT-DEMONSTRATION
A woman holds a placard reading "corruption-timeless, justice now" in front of the Greek Parliament in Athens, on March 3, 2023, as parallel demonstrations take place, following the deadly accident near the city of Larissa, where 57 people, mainly students lost their lives. - Thousands of Greek students staged sit-ins and demonstrated in Athens and other cities on March 3 to demand justice for the victims of the train tragedy, which occured on February 28, as authorities admitted failures overseeing the rail network. In Athens, over 5,000 people gathered outside the headquarters of Greek rail operator Hellenic Train to voice anger and sorrow over the country's worst-ever rail disaster. (Photo by Louisa GOULIAMAKI / AFP) (Photo by LOUISA GOULIAMAKI/AFP via Getty Images)
LOUISA GOULIAMAKI via Getty Images

6/15

GREECE-TRANSPORT-ACCIDENT-DEMONSTRATION
A woman holds a placard reading "We are angry" during a silent demonstration in front of the Greek parliament in Athens on March 3, 2023, following the deadly accident near the city of Larissa, where 57 people, mainly students lost their lives. - Thousands of Greek students staged sit-ins and demonstrated in Athens and other cities on March 3 to demand justice for the victims of the train tragedy, which occured on February 28, as authorities admitted failures overseeing the rail network. In Athens, over 5,000 people gathered outside the headquarters of Greek rail operator Hellenic Train to voice anger and sorrow over the country's worst-ever rail disaster. (Photo by Louisa GOULIAMAKI / AFP) (Photo by LOUISA GOULIAMAKI/AFP via Getty Images)


7/15

GREECE-TRAINS/CRASH-PROTESTS
A protester holds a piece of paper reading "Criminals", during a demonstration, following the collision of two trains, near the city of Larissa, in Thessaloniki, Greece, March 3, 2023. REUTERS/Alexandros Avramidis
Alexandros Avramidis / reuters

Protesters use fireworks against riot police during a demonstration in front of the parliament building following the collision of two trains, near the city of Larissa, in Athens, Greece, March 3, 2023. REUTERS/Alkis Konstantinidis

Riot police run amid tear gas as they clash with protesters during a demonstration in front of the parliament building following the collision of two trains, near the city of Larissa, in Athens, Greece, March 3, 2023. REUTERS/Alkis Konstantinidis

Protesters attack riot police officers as clashes take place during a demonstration in front of the parliament building following the collision of two trains, near the city of Larissa, in Athens, Greece, March 3, 2023. REUTERS/Alkis Konstantinidis

Protesters leave flowers in Thessaloniki's train station, following the collision of two trains, near the city of Larissa, in Thessaloniki, Greece, March 3, 2023. REUTERS/Alexandros Avramidis


Candles are lit during a silent protest in front of the parliament building following the collision of two trains, near the city of Larissa, in Athens, Greece, March 3, 2023. The candles form the phrase "Call me when you get there". REUTERS/Alkis Konstantinidis

Vigil Held In Front Of Greek Parliament For Train Crash Victims
ATHENS, GREECE - MARCH 03: Greek people pay respect during a vigil outside Greek parliament to commemorate the victims of Tuesday's train collision on March 3, 2023 in Athens, Greece. Fifty-seven people died when a passenger train collided head-on with a freight train on Tuesday near the city of Larissa. (Photo by Milos Bicanski/Getty Images)

Two women hold candles during a silent protest in front of the parliament building following the collision of two trains, near the city of Larissa, in Athens, Greece, March 3, 2023

REUTERS/Alkis Konstantinidis

People hold candles and black balloons during a silent demonstration in front of the Greek Parliament in Athens, on March 3, 2023, as parallel demonstrations take place, following the deadly accident near the city of Larissa, where 57 people, mainly students lost their lives. - Thousands of Greek students staged sit-ins and demonstrated in Athens and other cities on March 3 to demand justice for the victims of the train tragedy, which occured on February 28, as authorities admitted failures overseeing the rail network. In Athens, over 5,000 people gathered outside the headquarters of Greek rail operator Hellenic Train to voice anger and sorrow over the country's worst-ever rail disaster. (Photo by Louisa GOULIAMAKI / AFP) 

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez might have violated House rules with Met Gala gifts, watchdog says

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez's 2021 Met Gala appearance could lead to an investigation

Erin Mansfield and Rachel Looker, USA TODAY
Fri, March 3, 2023

A congressional watchdog says Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez might have violated House rules when she received gifts associated with her attendance at a prestigious fashion event in 2021.

The Office of Congressional Ethics recommended the House ethics committee continue investigating an allegation against the New York Democrat “because there is substantial reason to believe that she accepted impermissible gifts” associated with the Met Gala, according to a release Thursday from the agency.

In 2021, Ocasio-Cortez attended one of the fashion world's biggest nights at New York City's Metropolitan Museum of Art wearing a Brother Vellies white dress with "Tax the Rich" written in large red letters on the backside.

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Ocasio-Cortez was provided with the dress, a handbag, shoes and jewelry for the event, according to a report from the Office of Congressional Ethics. She also received hair, makeup and transportation services as well as the use of a hotel room for the event.

The review said Ocasio-Cortez paid for the items, including the rental value of the dress, only after the watchdog office started its review. Investigators said that if the office hadn’t opened the inquiry, “it appears that Rep. Ocasio-Cortez may not have paid for several thousands of dollars’ worth of goods and services provided to her.”

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., with designer Aurora James, attends the 2021 Met Gala in September 2021 in New York City.

Ocasio-Cortez told investigators she was not privy to the details about the payments, relying instead on a campaign staffer to handle the matter. She also told the office “there was a ball that was dropped," calling the situation “deeply regrettable.”

The congresswoman’s office said in a statement Thursday that none of the findings rise to the level of an ethics violation because she has always "understood that she had to pay for these expenses from her own personal funds."

The issue has been that those costs have yet to be reimbursed, delays Ocasio-Cortez finds "unacceptable," the statement said. "And she has taken several steps to ensure nothing of this nature will happen again."

AOC's 'tax the rich' dress: Who qualifies as wealthy? And how much are they getting taxed?

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez has told ethics office investigators “there was a ball that was dropped" on her handling of items and services provided to her for her high-profile appearance at the Met Gala in New York in 2021.

Ocasio-Cortez made headlines at the star-studded fundraiser that year with the Brother Vellies dress. The ethics office's report noted that she did not pay any rental fee for the dress, and it added that Brother Vellies, designer Aurora James and Janna Pea of the public relations firm BerlinRosen declined to provide requested information to investigators and therefore did not cooperate with the review. The report recommended that the House Committee on Ethics subpoena them.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Met Gala dress: AOC might have violated House rules, watchdog says

DC conflict reflects wider efforts undermining local control


Fri, March 3, 2023 



WASHINGTON (AP) — Congress' expected vote next week to overturn District of Columbia laws dealing with criminal justice and voting has created a political tempest in the nation’s capital — and reflects a contentious political dynamic that is playing out more broadly across the country:

Predominantly white legislative bodies are seeking to curb or usurp the authority of local governments in cities with large Black populations, particularly on issues related to public safety and elections.

Local activists decry it as the latest effort to undermine cities' ability to determine their own future.

U.S. senators — lawmakers from all 50 states — are expected to vote on a measure to reject a sweeping rewrite easing some penalties in the city's criminal code, approved unanimously last year by the District's 13-member council. The measure killing the local changes seems likely to pass despite the slim Democratic majority in the Senate, and President Joe Biden has indicated he will sign it.

It's a fresh chapter in a tortured relationship between Congress and Washington’s local elected leaders, who have long complained about congressional interference in their affairs. Similar inroads on local authority are happening elsewhere around the country, often intertwined with issues of race.

In Missouri, the state House of Representatives has approved a bill that would effectively give Republican Governor Mike Parson control of the St. Louis police department. Last month, the same body voted to strip power from St. Louis' elected prosecutor.

In Mississippi, the state House has approved a measure to create a new court district in part of the capital city of Jackson with judges who would be appointed rather than elected. It also would expand areas of the city patrolled by a state-run Capitol police force.

The Mississippi Senate has voted to create a regional board to take control of Jackson's water system. Democratic state Sen. John Horhn calls that "a symbolic decapitation of Black elected leadership.”

Amir Badat, with the NAACP Legal Defense Fund, draws a connection between the “seemingly discrete and unconnected events" in Missouri, Mississippi and Washington, D.C.

“I do think that there’s an overall, overarching connection between what we’re seeing, and that is predominantly white governments trying to exert control and authority over Black communities and large Black jurisdictions in the states.” He also pointed to the recent push by Georgia's State Election Board to review elections in Fulton County, which includes Atlanta.

“Here are all sorts of measures that we’ve seen in the elections context that really go to this, and now we’re seeing that pop up in other contexts, as well, like public safety," he said.

In Washington, the issue is strongly flavored by the District's deeply emotional quest for independence and statehood. Under terms of Washington's Home Rule authority, all District of Columbia laws are automatically reviewed by Congress.

Although it has been decades since Congress completely overturned a District law, members of Congress regularly use budget riders to limit or influence those laws. Such riders have been used to block the District from using the city budget to help women seeking abortions or to create a regulatory framework for cannabis sales despite a referendum approving legalization.

In a separate item, the Senate next week also is expected to vote on whether to overturn a District law that would grant non-citizens the right to vote in local elections, as they are allowed to do in about 15 municipalities around the country. The prospects for that measure are unclear.

District officials seem resigned to the crime bill's rejection.

One Democrat, Sen. Joe Manchin of West Virginia, already has said he will vote to overturn the law. Another, John Fetterman of Pennsylvania, is in the hospital. Hopes for presidential intervention were squashed this week when Biden stated that he would not use his veto if the measure reaches his desk.

“It's done,” said District Councilmember Charles Allen in a Friday radio interview. “This is just the beginning of what we’re going to see Republicans being able to do.”

Allen, the former head of the council’s Committee on Judiciary and Public Safety, told WAMU's “The Politics Hour ” that Republican objections to the new criminal code are “not about substance” and mask a long-term plan to neuter the District of Columbia's political independence on a host of issues.

“The revised criminal code is tougher on crime than most of the state laws of the Republicans who are voting against it,” he said. “This is about nationalizing the politics of public safety.”

But the debate is complicated by the fact that Washington's own Democratic mayor, Muriel Bowser, opposes the new criminal code. Bowser vetoed the measure in January but was overridden by the council.

In vetoing the measure, Bowser said she opposed provisions such as a reduction in the maximum penalties for burglary, carjacking, robbery and other offenses.

“Anytime there’s a policy that reduces penalties, I think it sends the wrong message,” she said in January.

Bowser has said she prefers that Congress stay out of the District's affairs, but her veto is frequently cited by critics in Congress as proof that the criminal code revision was out of step with mainstream Democratic thought.

On Friday, appearing on the same radio program, Bowser said the council ignored her input and had essentially fumbled the political dynamics — presenting a controversial measure before a newly Republican-held House of Representatives that may have been looking for an opportunity to step in.

Bowser said it had been anticipated for months that Republicans would win control of the House in last November's midterm elections and that the council could have presented the revised criminal code last year, when Democrats were in control.

“Until we are the 51st state, we live with that indignity. And as infuriating as it is, it’s incumbent on all of us to make sure that we’re smart and strategic about getting our laws enacted,” she said. “This is not a new issue. The District having to navigate muddy waters with the Congress and the White House isn’t new.”

For residents such as Josh Burch, founder of Neighbors for D.C. Statehood, opposition is not surprising. The city, he said, is seen as “too liberal, too urban, too Democratic and too Black. All those things play a role in the paternalistic attitude that Congress, especially Republicans, have."

But he holds Democrats accountable, too.

“Joe Biden did not have to do this. He could have vetoed it," Burch said.

He said overriding the revised criminal code won't make the city safer. Instead, he said Biden's decision was a matter of optics, so Democrats would not be painted as soft on crime ahead of next year's elections.

“I just know that as a lifelong District resident, when it comes to national politics I know we can trust no one," he said.

___

Emily Wagster Pettus in Jackson, Mississippi, and Summer Ballentine in Jefferson City, Missouri, contributed to this report.

Ashraf Khalil And Gary Fields, The Associated Press

Arizona governor won't proceed with execution set by court

Fri, March 3, 2023 



PHOENIX (AP) — Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs vowed Friday that her administration won't carry out an execution even though the state Supreme Court scheduled it over the objections of the state’s new attorney general.

The Democratic governor’s promise not to execute Aaron Gunches on April 6 for his murder conviction in a 2002 killing came a day after the state Supreme Court said it must grant an execution warrant if certain appellate proceedings have concluded — and that those requirements were met in Gunches’ case.

Last week, Hobbs appointed retired U.S. Magistrate Judge David Duncan to examine the state’s procurement of lethal injection drugs and other death penalty protocols due to the state’s history of mismanaging executions.

“Under my administration, an execution will not occur until the people of Arizona can have confidence that the state is not violating the law in carrying out the gravest of penalties,” Hobbs said in a statement Friday.

Attorney General Kris Mayes’ office has said it won’t seek court orders to carry out executions while Hobbs’ review is underway.

Mayes, a Democrat who took office in January, tried to withdraw a request by her Republican predecessor, Mark Brnovich, for a warrant to Gunches. The court declined to withdraw the request on Thursday.

The court said Hobbs' review “does not constitute good cause for refraining from issuing the warrant.”

Mayes’ office declined to comment on Hobbs’ promise not to carry out the execution next month.

Hobbs maintains that while the court authorized Gunches’ execution, its order doesn’t require the state to carry it out.

Dale Baich, a former federal public defender who teaches death penalty law at Arizona State University, said Hobbs can use her authority as the state’s chief executive when the state believes it cannot carry out an execution in a constitutionally acceptable manner.

“What the governor did is not unique,” said Baich, who applauded Hobbs’ move. “Governors in Alabama, Ohio and Tennessee recently used their authority to pause executions because they had serious questions about the protocols in their states.”

The Maricopa County Attorney's Office, which prosecuted Gunches, issued a statement saying it believes Hobbs “has a constitutional and statutory responsibility to carry out all sentences, including the execution of Aaron Gunches.”

Arizona, which has 110 prisoners on death row, carried out three executions last year after a nearly eight-year hiatus following criticism that a 2014 execution was botched and because of difficulties obtaining execution drugs.

Since resuming executions, the state has been criticized for taking too long to insert an IV for lethal injection into a prisoner’s body in early May and for denying the Arizona Republic newspaper’s request to witness the last three executions.

Gunches is scheduled to be executed on April 6 for the 2002 killing of Ted Price, his girlfriend’s ex-husband, in Maricopa County.

Gunches, who isn’t a lawyer, represented himself in November when he asked the Supreme Court to issue his execution warrant so justice could be served and the victims could get closure. In Brnovich’s last month in office, his office asked the court for a warrant to execute Gunches.

But Gunches withdrew his request in early January, and Mayes asked for the execution warrant submitted during Brnovich’s tenure to be withdrawn.

In her statement, Hobbs also said Arizona's prison system has deep problems that require attention, citing a scathing court ruling that concluded the state had violated the rights of inmates in state-run prisons by providing them with inadequate medical and mental health care.

In her first month in office, Hobbs announced the creation of a commission to study a range of problems in Arizona’s prisons, including staffing levels, conditions inside prisons and the health care offered to those behind bars.

Jacques Billeaud, The Associated Press

John Mellencamp donates archives to Indiana University


Fri, March 3, 2023 

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. (AP) — Hoosier rocker John Mellencamp is donating an archived collection of his life and work to Indiana University, IU President Pamela Whitten announced Friday.

The collection will include original creative works, photographs, instruments and other significant memorabilia related to his music, artwork, social activism and philanthropy, Whitten said.

“His collection will be an incredible resource for arts scholars and a clear source of inspiration to our students," Whitten said.

A sculpture honoring Mellencamp’s artistic legacy will be commissioned for the Bloomington campus, Whitten said. The sculpture will sit near the Fine Arts Plaza on the campus and symbolize the strong connection Mellencamp has to his southern Indiana roots.

The Associated Press