Rudy Giuliani ordered to pay more than $148 million to two Georgia election workers he defamed
A Washington, DC, jury has ordered Rudy Giuliani to pay nearly $150 million to two Georgia election workers for the harm caused by defamatory statements he made about them following the 2020 election.
Ruby Freeman was awarded $16,171,000 for defamation and $20 million for emotional distress. Shaye Moss, Freeman’s daughter, was awarded $16,998,000 for defamation and $20 million for emotional distress. The jury also awarded $75 million in punitive damages to both plaintiffs.
CNN
Trump said undocumented immigrants were ‘poisoning the blood of our country,’ in speech Biden campaign said ‘parroted Adolf Hitler’
Donald Trump said undocumented immigrants were “poisoning the blood of our country” in an inflammatory campaign speech in New Hampshire on Saturday.
Business Insider
The Quest for Racial Equality Has Always Been Different for Rural Americans
Eighty-three-year-old Corine Woodson is poised to suffer a devastating blow: the loss of the home she shared with her late husband—who died in 2022—for over 60 years.
Her land, 40 acres set amid rolling pines outside of Auburn, Ala., was purchased in 1911 and passed down through generations, a rare example of Black land ownership in the Deep South. But in recent years, this once rural property, now parsed out among various family members in a form of ownership known as “tenants in common,” has caught the attention of investors who hope to purchase and develop properties they consider prime real estate. Cleveland Brothers Incorporated bought out Woodson’s relatives, accumulating 49% ownership of the previously Black-owned property. Now, the case is making news as it heads toward the Alabama Supreme Court, with the company declaring that it will suffer “financial harm” if Woodson delays the sale of her share. (A representative of Cleveland Brothers told WTVM that Woodson could stay on the property for a year even if the sale goes through.)
Time
Confederate memorial to be removed in coming days from Arlington National Cemetery
A Confederate memorial is to be removed from Arlington National Cemetery in northern Virginia in the coming days, part of the push to remove symbols that commemorate the Confederacy from military-related facilities, a cemetery official said Saturday.
The decision ignores a recent demand from more than 40 Republican congressmen that the Pentagon suspend efforts to dismantle and remove the monument from Arlington cemetery.
Audacy
A New Orleans neighborhood confronts the racist legacy of a toxic stretch of highway
Aside from a few discarded hypodermic needles on the ground, the Hunter’s Field Playground in New Orleans looks almost untouched. It’s been open more than nine years, but the brightly-painted red and yellow slides and monkey bars are still sleek and shiny, and the padded rubber ground tiles still feel springy underfoot.
For people who live nearby, it’s not a mystery why the equipment is still relatively pristine: Children don’t come here to play.
“Because kids are smart,” explains Amy Stelly, an artist and urban designer who lives just over a block away on Dumaine Street. “It’s the adults who aren’t. It’s the adults who built the playground under the interstate.”
NPR
Biden Stands to Lose More to Third-Party Candidates Than Trump Does
Third-party candidates are emerging as a potentially crucial obstacle to reassembling Joe Biden’s winning 2020 election coalition, particularly younger voters, in the battleground states likely to decide the US presidency.
Interest in independent candidates such as Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the offspring of a celebrated Democratic political dynasty, and possibly moderate West Virginia Senator Joe Manchin, who is considering a run, is the highest in at least 20 years, according to a Gallup Poll.
Bloomberg
Texas abortion case reveals conundrum facing Republicans in 2024
Republican presidential contenders and endangered incumbents this past week were once again forced to answer complicated questions on abortion rights, as a Texas case demonstrated why the issue that dominated the 2022 and 2023 elections is poised to play a central role next year.
CNN
Sen. Van Hollen bemoans ‘unacceptably high’ number of civilian deaths in Gaza
Democratic Sen. Chris Van Hollen on Sunday said the Biden administration is not being heeded in its entreaties for Israel to reduce the civilian death toll from the military campaign against Hamas extremists in Gaza, which is being carried out with U.S. support.
“I don’t think it’s getting through clearly enough because we continue to see unacceptably high levels of civilian casualties,” Van Hollen told ABC “This Week” co-anchor Jonathan Karl. “And when it comes to the humanitarian crisis [in Gaza], we still have a near-total siege.”
ABC News
Let This Hanukkah Be a Chance to Bring Light to a Dark Time
Of course, Hanukkah is considered a relatively minor holiday in the Jewish tradition, with many festivals carrying more weight in our liturgical calendar. So, most years, seeing Hanukkah pushed to the sidelines doesn’t bother me. But this year, things feel different. With a horrific war underway in Gaza and terrible upticks in antisemitism and Islamophobia, Hanukkah feels simultaneously like a much-needed chance to brighten a difficult moment and like it’s out of touch with the darkness in our world.
Teen Vogue
How much gerrymandering is too much? In New York, the answer could make or break Dems’ House hopes
New York’s highest court last week gave Democrats a chance to redraw the state’s congressional districts, a major victory as the party tries to win control of the U.S. House next year.
Now the question is how far the state’s Democrat-dominated Legislature will try to push the boundaries in crucial battleground districts to give their party an advantage, and how far the courts will let them.
AP News
Black American solidarity with Palestinians is rising, testing longstanding ties to Jewish allies
Wallace, and a growing number of Black Americans, see the Palestinian struggle in the West Bank and Gaza reflected in their own fight for racial equality and civil rights. The recent rise of protest movements against police brutality in the U.S. has connected Black and Palestinian activists under a common cause.
The Detroit News
Senate Democrat says Netanyahu has ‘shut the door’ on two-state solution
Asked on ABC News’s “This Week” about Netanyahu’s recent comment that he was “proud” he prevented the establishment of a Palestinian state, Van Hollen called it a “direct response” to President Biden’s call for a two-state solution, which the senator described as the “only political settlement that’s viable.”
“[Netanayu] has continued to weaken the Palestinian Authority — this is the organization that recognized Israel’s right to exist decades and decades ago,” Van Hollen said. “Instead of trying to find peace or at least preventing the conditions on the ground from changing with additional settlements to allow a two-state solution, he has shut the door on that effort.”
The Hill
Austin to press Israeli defense officials to define war milestones
Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin will push Israeli officials to define
CNN
milestones for its war against Hamas in Gaza, marking the second visit
of a top Biden administration official to the region aimed at
communicating US expectations as civilian casualties mount.
For decades, Biden has lavished attention on Philadelphia. It might save his presidency.
Biden’s hometown of Scranton is roughly 120 miles away from Philly. As a senator, Biden represented neighboring Delaware for 36 years. And the president, an Eagles and Phillies fan, can get to Philly from his Wilmington home in under an hour.
So it’s no surprise that Biden last Monday marked his ninth visit to Philadelphia this year, which was also his 19th trip to the city since becoming president in 2021.
And as Biden ramps up his 2024 campaign, Philadelphia will be key to his reelection bid as the most populous city in Pennsylvania, one of the most important swing states that he’ll need to hold to remain in the Oval Office.
Business Insider
Some young Black voters undecided about Biden over lack of support for Palestinians
“There is a moral imperative that Biden is choosing to ignore, and it can very well cost him and down ticket candidates the election,” said Jason Williams, associate professor of justice studies at Montclair State University in New Jersey.
USA Today
Rep. Edgar Gonzalez, Jr., on Becoming the Youngest Latino in Illinois House of Representatives
As a young legislator, the motives that drive your decision to run for office consistently get put under a microscope, especially when compared to those who have spent decades in their political careers. On one hand, critics often view career politicians with cynicism, assuming their motives revolve around money and power. Meanwhile, inexperienced candidates face doubts about their ability to perform the job. This contrast underscores the challenges faced by young individuals entering politics, as their motivations and capabilities are frequently questioned.
Teen Vogue
The Gerontocracy Waged War on Gen Z. Now They’re Fighting Back
A generation that came of age during the pandemic and under Trump is demanding more from our aging politicians — but will the D.C. establishment listen?
Rolling Stone
A historian’s advice to the Democrats trying to build stuff
These days, political leaders and commentators talk often about “industrial policy” and stimulating supply in the economy, rather than just demand. Whether it’s to spur new construction to tackle the nation’s affordable housing crisis, or decarbonize the country through clean energy tax credits, or pour subsidies into a nascent US microchip sector, policymakers have paid a lot more attention to the idea of government playing a more proactive role in private-sector development.
But central to the debate over this idea known as “supply-side liberalism” is whether the government should attempt to do more on top of these efforts to stimulate businesses, like leveraging public subsidies to strengthen unions and environmental protections, or helping women and people of color access new jobs and opportunities.
Vox
Book bans are harming LGBTQ people, advocates say. This online library is fighting back.
The Queer Liberation Library (QLL, pronounced “quill”) is entirely online. Since launching in October, more than 2,300 members have signed up to browse its free collection of hundreds of ebooks and audiobooks featuring LGBTQ stories, Lundstrom said.
CNN
In a Major Snub to Obama, Biden Is Sticking With Trump When It Comes to Cuba Policy
One of Obama’s most significant foreign policy achievements was his move toward normalizing relations with Cuba. Trump and Biden have torn that up.
The Intercept
Irish dancers stand up for trans competitors amid backlash against teen trans dancer
A group of Irish dancers is voicing support for trans competitors in response to backlash following a trans teen’s victory in a recent competition held by the Irish Dance Teachers Association of North America (IDTANA) Southern Region.
“We, the Irish dancing community, voice our unequivocal support for transgender dancers and for these dancers to continue competing as their true selves in the category that best aligns with their gender identity,” states a Change.org petition started by Connecticut-based adult Irish dancer Gabrielle Siegel. “We recognize the right of transgender dancers to succeed in our sport, and celebrate their wins without exception.”
LGBTQ Nation
Inside Vogue, The Life-Changing Dance Phenomenon in Puerto Rico
Members of the LGBTQ+ community escape discrimination, heal emotional wounds, and find family under the neon lights of the region’s voguing scene.
World Crunch
Trans Latinxs Talk Connecting with Spirituality Beyond Religious Institutions
Catholicism is often aligned with a strict and conservative nature of beliefs and followers. Within the Latinx community, we have witnessed how Catholic beliefs along with machismo have contributed to transphobia and ignorance toward the experiences of Latinxs who are part of the trans community. Yet, in Phoenix, Arizona trans Latinas feel a connection to the emblematic figure of Catholicism for Latinxs, La Virgen de Guadalupe. Victoria Lafayette, Karolina Lopez, Alexa Vela, and Reni Celayn find themselves connecting to their faith through the Lady of Guadalupe despite the push back they receive from Catholicism. As reported by The Arizona Republic, these Latinas have fostered a bond with the patroness, seeing her as a maternal figure that accepts them as they are as opposed to the ostracism they face from many Catholic institutions and leaders.
Hip Latina
Wisconsin Democrats Seek to Write Marriage Equality Into Law
Wisconsin Democratic legislators are looking to write marriage equality and parental rights for same-sex couples into state law.
While the U.S. Supreme Court’s 2015 ruling in Obergefell v. Hodges made bans on same-sex marriage unenforceable, they remain on the books in several states. Wisconsin’s constitution and state statutes still define marriage as the union of one man and one woman. Democratic lawmakers unveiled legislation Wednesday that would change that.
They announced two bills at a press conference, The Cap Timesreports. One proposes a state constitutional amendment that would remove the “one man and one woman” language, which was added in 2006. If legislators approve the amendment in two consecutive sessions, it will go to voters for ratification. The sponsors hope to get it on next November’s ballot.
Advocate
White House and Senate negotiators race to reach a border deal, with Ukraine aid on the line
Democrats and Republicans are urgently trying to reach an agreement on border policy changes before Senators leave town for the holidays, but several congressional aides are skeptical a deal can be reached as sizeable differences remain.
CNN
If We Want the Surviving Children of Gaza to Recover, We Need a Ceasefire Now
Even before the ongoing tragedy that has led UN officials to call Gaza “a graveyard for children,” the children of Gaza were traumatized from past wars and horrors witnessed. A study of over 1,000 school-age children in Gaza published in 2020 found that more than 88% had experienced personal trauma and more than 83% witnessed trauma done to others. In a 2022 report by Save The Children, more than three quarters of children were found to be living with depression, fear, and grief. The report found that there seems to have been an increase in young people considering or attempting suicide. Given all they’ve been through, this isn’t surprising: A 17-year-old child witnessing the current war would have already lived through five wars since 2008.
Teen Vogue
Serbian polls close in snap election called by Vucic
Serbians have voted in snap elections that are forecast to keep President Aleksandar Vucic’s party in power.
BBC
Ugandan gay man fears for his life as he gets deported: “I have nowhere to go”
Canada is set to deport a gay man back to Uganda next week, where he fears he could be arrested and even tortured.
“I’m stranded and even the place I thought would comfort me is forcing me out,” the 25-year-old, identified as “Sue” to protect him, told Global News. “It’s hard to explain the feeling, but right now I feel like I have nowhere to go.”
LGBTQ Nation
‘I was going to lose my life’: LGBTQ Saudis reveal the truth about the regime
As Saudi Arabia prepares for the 2034 World Cup, LGBTQ Saudis reveal why they had to flee for their lives
i News
Thousands flee as war reaches Sudan’s second-largest city
Heavy fighting reported in Wad Madani, where thousands of displaced people had sought shelter.
AlJazeera
Japan and ASEAN summit focuses on security, economy amid tensions with China
Leaders from Japan and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, at a special summit in Tokyo on Sunday, adopted a joint vision that emphasizes security and economic cooperation while respecting the rule of law, amid growing tensions with China in regional seas.
PBS
Kenya’s discreet church set up to welcome LGBT worshippers
A church in Kenya has survived for the last decade by operating discreetly. It does not publicise its services in this very religious country because it welcomes gay worshippers.
BBC
Ukrainian special ops commandos are freelancing top-secret sabotage missions, poisonings, and assassinations in Russia, says military source
Ukrainian special ops commandos are freelancing sabotage missions in Russia, a military source told The Times of London.
The officer, named only as Mykola, told The Times operatives are being trained to carry out sabotage, poisonings, assassinations, and diversions behind enemy lines.
Business Insider
Chile votes in second attempt to renew constitution
Chileans headed to the polls Sunday to once again vote on a referendum aimed at replacing the country’s dictatorship-era constitution.
This is the second time in as many years that Chile has held a ballot to replace its current text that dates back to the time of military dictator Augusto Pinochet.
Deutsche Welle
Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu vows to ‘fight to the end’ amid calls for cease-fire in Gaza
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed to continue fighting in Gaza on Sunday amid calls for a cease-fire after three Israeli hostages were mistakenly killed by Israeli soldiers.
UPI
Pope speaks out after IDF sniper kills two women inside Gaza church, per Catholic authorities
n Israeli military sniper shot and killed two women inside the Holy Family Parish in Gaza on Saturday, according to the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem.
The mother and daughter were walking to the Sister’s Convent, the patriarchate said, when gunfire erupted. “One was killed as she tried to carry the other to safety,” it added.
Seven others were also shot and wounded in the attack at the complex, where most Gaza’s Christian families have taken refuge since the start of the war, according to the patriarchate, which oversees Catholic Churches across Cyprus, Jordan, Israel, Gaza and the West Bank.
CNN
Kuwaiti leader Sheikh Nawaf al-Ahmed dies aged 86
Kuwait’s leader Emir Sheikh Nawaf al-Ahmad al-Jaber al-Sabah has died at the age of 86, Kuwaiti state TV announced.
BBC
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