TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) — Republican state lawmakers in Florida have filed two bills that would roll back gun control measures passed in the wake of the 2018 shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland. Even with a conservative supermajority in the Legislature, the measures are expected to face some resistance in the state Senate, where the chamber’s new president has expressed opposition to certain gun rights proposals. After a gunman killed 17 people and injured 17 others at the suburban Broward County high school in 2018, survivors of the Parkland massacre and family members of the victims descended on the state capitol in an extraordinary feat of advocacy, demanding action from the Republican-led legislature that had previously shunned gun control measures but nonetheless passed wide-ranging legislation just weeks after the shooting. That included establishing a red flag law , which allows courts to take away guns from people who pose a danger to themselves or others, and a measure raising the age for buying a rifle from 18 to 21. Since then, gun rights advocates have been working to undo those provisions . RELATED COVERAGE Florida lawmaker’s party switch increases Republican supermajority in the House Trump’s Cabinet picks set off political chain reaction in Florida congressional races DeSantis appointee says he won’t help his elected replacement take office “I look forward to our state once again earning the title of the Gunshine State, where citizens are no longer asked to trade God-given freedoms for a politician’s empty promise of security,” Republican State Rep. Joel Rudman said in a statement announcing a bill he’s sponsoring that would allow the open carry of firearms and repeal the red flag law . Republican Sen. Randy Fine filed a measure that would roll back the law preventing people under the age of 21 from buying rifles. Both Rudman and Fine are running in crowded primaries for seats in the U.S. House after President-elect Donald Trump nominated two congressmen from Florida to serve in his incoming administration . While the Florida House has advanced gun rights bills in the years since Parkland, leaders in the state Senate have blocked certain measures . Last month, newly-sworn in Senate President Ben Albritton told reporters that he doesn’t support open carry and is skeptical of rolling back other measures passed in the wake of the 2018 shooting. “I’ve supported law enforcement my entire life (...) And I stand with them today in opposition,” Albritton said of open carry. ___ Kate Payne is a corps member for The Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues.
Former prime minister Gordon Brown has declared his opposition to legalising assisted dying, which will soon be debated by MPs. The former Labour PM said the death of his newborn daughter in 2002 did “not convince me of the case for assisted dying; it convinced me of the value and imperative of good end-of-life care”. In a rare intervention ahead of the Commons debate on the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill on Friday, November 29, Mr Brown shared a glimpse of the time he and his wife Sarah spent with their baby, Jennifer, who died when she was only 11 days old. Writing in the Guardian newspaper, Mr Brown said: “We could only sit with her, hold her tiny hand and be there for her as life ebbed away. She died in our arms. “But those days we spent with her remain among the most precious days of my and Sarah’s lives.” While he acknowledged that at the heart of the assisted dying debate is a “desire to prevent suffering”, the former Labour MP called for a commission on end-of-life care to be set up, instead of the law change which MPs will consider. This commission, he said, should work to create a “fully-funded, 10-year strategy for improved and comprehensive palliative care”. “When only a small fraction of the population are expected to choose assisted dying, would it not be better to focus all our energies on improving all-round hospice care to reach everyone in need of end of life support?” he said. Mr Brown added: “Medical advances that can transform end-of-life care and the horror of people dying alone, as with Covid, have taught us a great deal. “This generation have it in our power to ensure no-one should have to face death alone, uncared for, or subject to avoidable pain.” Kim Leadbeater, the Labour MP sponsoring the assisted dying Bill through the Commons, said she was “deeply touched” by Mr Brown’s decision to share his story. The Spen Valley MP said she agreed completely with his calls for better end-of-life care. But Ms Leadbeater added: “He and I agree on very many things but we don’t agree on this. “Only legislation by Parliament can put right what Sir Keir Starmer calls the ‘injustice that we have trapped within our current arrangement’. “The need to address the inability of the current law to provide people with safeguards against coercion and the choice of a better death, and to protect their loved ones from possible prosecution, cannot wait. “So for me it isn’t a case of one or the other. My Bill already includes the need for the Government to report back to Parliament on the availability and quality of palliative care, and I strongly support further detailed examination of its provision. We need to do both.” Though Ms Leadbeater made reference to the Prime Minister as she set out her difference from Mr Brown’s position, Sir Keir has opted not to say whether he will support the Bill. MPs will be given a free vote on the legislation, meaning their political parties will not require them to vote for or against it, and it will be a matter for their personal consideration. Home Secretary Yvette Cooper is the latest senior minister to disclose her position on assisted dying, signalling to broadcasters on Friday that she may support the Bill. “I continue to support the principle of needing change but also to ensure that we’ve got the proper safeguards and systems in place,” she told ITV’s Good Morning Britain. Asked if that meant a “yes” when the Bill comes to the Commons, she replied: “I think I last voted on this about 20 years ago and so I have supported the principle in the past and continue to believe that change is needed but we do need to have that debate on the detail and I’ll continue to follow that debate next Friday.”
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PHOENIX — Attorney General Kris Mayes is going to court with a largely untested legal theory to force a Saudi company to stop “excessively pumping groundwater’’ at its western Arizona alfalfa operations and require it to set aside funds to compensate neighbors it has damaged. The lawsuit filed Wednesday claims that Fondomonte LLC, the Arizona subsidiary of the company, has created a “public nuisance” by pumping so much water it has dried up nearby wells and resulted in subsidence of the land around Vicksburg in La Paz County. It also says the damage is threatening sediment buildup that reduces water quality and damages appliances, pumps and pipes. None of that pumping violates state water laws, Mayes acknowledged. Portions of the state are within “active management areas’’ where pumping of groundwater is regulated. Pumping pretty much everywhere else — including where Fondomonte operates — is ungoverned. Discussions at the state Capitol about imposing new rules on these areas have broken down. Mayes blames the problem here on “legislative failure to address a water crisis with catastrophic effects on the groundwater level in the Ranegras Basin’’ of La Paz County. She said that’s the reason Fondomonte came here to grow alfalfa to feed dairy cattle in Saudi Arabia, where such farming is banned. “Fondomonte is taking advantage of Arizona’s failure to protect its precious groundwater resources,’’ Mayes said. Mayes wants a Maricopa County judge to rule that Fondomonte’s pumping violates the “public nuisance’’ provision of the state criminal code. “Dangerous precedent,” company says Fondomonte is gearing up to fight the use of the nuisance law to curb what it says are its legal operations. “We believe the attorney general is setting a dangerous precedent attempting to penalize farming and the wider agricultural industry within the state of Arizona,’’ said company spokesman Barrett Marson. “The company complies with all state and local regulations.’’ Mayes isn’t disputing that. Her claim is that Fondomonte’s operations are harming its neighbors and, under Arizona law, creating a nuisance. “Arizona law is clear on this point: No company has the right to endanger an entire community’s health and safety for its own gain,’’ Mayes said. Marson, however, said the allegations are “totally unfounded’’ and the company will fight the litigation. Arizona’s nuisance law has two methods of enforcement. One makes it a Class 2 felony to maintain a public nuisance. In this case, since the defendant is a limited liability company, jail time is off the table. That would leave a fine of $750, which would make no difference in a case like this. The other method, though, allows the Attorney General’s Office to ask a court to enjoin the activity. That is the order Mayes seeks, as well as a requirement for Fondomonte to set up an “abatement fund’’ to reimburse others who have been affected. It will be up to a judge to decide whether the nuisance law fits what is happening here. There really is no precedent. The only known use of the law in a situation like this came earlier in Mayes’ tenure, when she used it to go after a company’s plan to mine rock and gravel on a 25-acre parcel it owned in a neighborhood in a rural area near Chino Valley. The site was within 100 feet of homes. State Mine Inspector Paul Marsh said at the time he had no choice under existing law but to approve the mining plan. So Mayes, claiming nuisance, got a court to issue a preliminary injunction. But there never was a final ruling on whether the mine was a nuisance, or whether the nuisance law applies: The lawsuit went away after the company abandoned its plan after someone else bought it. Land sinking In this case, Mayes said there is clear evidence of the effects of Fondomonte’s operations. Operating in the Ranegras Basin since 2014, the company has multiple wells, each capable of pumping up to 4,000 gallons of water per minute. She said in 2023 alone, Fondomonte used about 31,196 acre-feet of groundwater within the basin. That is considered enough to serve about 93,000 single-family homes. But the attorney general said there are more immediate and visible consequences. Mayes said a well less than a mile from Fondomonte’s properties went dry about five years ago. And in late 2017, the same happened to a well for the Friendship Baptist Church about 1.8 miles away. “The land is literally sinking in La Paz County with as much as 9.8 inches of subsidence documented in the immediate vicinity of Fondomonte’s farms,’’ she said. Mayes said she is not arguing that the growing of alfalfa itself is a nuisance, acknowledging it is grown throughout the state by others — and that much of it is shipped overseas, including to China. She said the future of growing the water-intensive crop here “is a question for the Legislature.’’ But she said there is no excuse for lawmakers. “They have been completely AWOL when it comes to addressing rural Arizona’s water needs and these situations where people are being harmed,’’ she said. The attorney general isn’t the only one. La Paz County Supervisor Holly Irwin decried the lack action by state lawmakers to place any restrictions on water use in her area. “That is why we are seeing foreign companies come over to these areas, purchase land and pump water out so that they can supplement their alfalfa and send it back home,’’ said Holly. “Attorney General Kris Mayes is the first one who has stepped up and done anything about it,’’ the Republican supervisor said of the Democratic prosecutor. “I know my constituents will be thrilled that somebody’s actually paying attention to the real problems here, which are wells that are going dry, the land subsidence that we’ve seen, and the concern that we have for the future of our basin.’’ Agricultural wins at Legislature Efforts to address the problem have been stalled at the Capitol amid a dispute over not just whether regulation is needed but who should determine any restrictions. Irwin and other rural supervisors want both monitoring and conservation of groundwater, pointing out that farms don’t even have to report how much they are pumping. But that has bumped up against agricultural interests who argue that, in many cases, they were here first and, even with the current targets being out-of-state and foreign firms, they fear any potential state interference on their own operations. So far, the agricultural interests have won out. In fact, lawmakers have carved out special protections. For example, there is a state statute that says agricultural operations that were around before surrounding residential development “are presumed to be reasonable and do not constitute a nuisance.’’ Mayes, however, said that doesn’t apply, and not only because residents were there long before Fondomonte started farming alfalfa and pumping groundwater in 2014. She also pointed out that same law does not apply if “the agricultural operation has a substantial adverse effect on public health and safety.’’ Mayes, in her lawsuit, spoke to the exception, calling the excessive pumping “injurious to health’’ and even “indecent’’ because it interferes with the ability of people to enjoy their property. Republican lawmakers, anticipating what Mayes was going to do, tried to undermine her ability to sue. Sen. Sine Kerr, R-Buckeye, added a provision to HB 2124 last year dealing with agricultural water use, to strip the attorney general of the right to bring any sort of nuisance action, regardless of the reason. That bill was vetoed by Democratic Gov. Katie Hobbs. She said lawmakers need to address water issues “in a holistic manner’’ rather than tinkering with water laws on a piece-meal basis. If Mayes’ new lawsuit succeeds, she already has her next target in mind: Riverview Dairy’s pumping in the Willcox Basin of Cochise County. Howard Fischer is a veteran journalist who has been reporting since 1970 and covering state politics and the Legislature since 1982. Follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter, Bluesky , and Threads at @azcapmedia or email azcapmedia@gmail.com . Respond: Write a letter to the editor | Write a guest opinion Subscribe to stay connected to Tucson. A subscription helps you access more of the local stories that keep you connected to the community. Get Government & Politics updates in your inbox! Stay up-to-date on the latest in local and national government and political topics with our newsletter.
Taurus – (20th April to 20th May) Daily Horoscope Prediction says, egos are not your playmates Settle down in a romantic affair by sharing emotions. Look for pleasant occasions to ensure your career growth. Avoid major investments in the stock market. Have open communication with the lover and resolve all existing issues. You will be successful in accomplishing your professional goals today. Minor financial hurdles in the morning will be resolved later. Be careful about your health today. Taurus Love Horoscope Today Consider taking the love affair to the next level. Expect minor tremors but they won’t be serious. A previous relationship may haunt you but learn to overcome this. It is wise to be vigilant about the interference of a friend or a relative in the love affair as your partner may be influenced by the person, causing turbulence in the love affair. Married natives may have troubles in the family of the spouse and it is crucial to communicate with the spouse. Single natives may go back to the ex-flame today. Taurus Career Horoscope Today Continue with the commitment and you will see positive results at the office. Observing your dedication, the management or seniors may assign new tasks that will also test your caliber. Prove them right by accomplishing the tasks without compromising on the quality. Those who are into sales and marketing will travel today. Team leaders and managers need to be impartial with the team members and must take the team along with them. Taurus Money Horoscope Today Have control over the expenditure today. Children will need to meet the educational expenses today. You might think of making some suitable investments. But, this isn’t a good time for investing in speculations, particularly shares, and stocks. There will be celebrations within the family and you are expected to contribute a decent amount. Some businessmen will clear the due and will also make new financial deals with partners. The second part is if the day is good to invest in real estate or a vehicle. Taurus Health Horoscope Today Today is good to start attending the gym as well as a yoga class. While you need to maintain a positive attitude in life, you must also stay away from alcohol and tobacco. Pregnant females must avoid adventure sports while on vacation today. Drink plenty of water and give up both alcohol and aerated drinks. Taurus Sign Attributes Strength - Passionate, Practical, Meticulous, Patient, Artsy, Compassionate Weakness Intolerant, Reliant, stubborn Symbol Bull Element Earth Body Part Neck & Throat Sign Ruler Venus Lucky Day Friday Lucky Color Pink Lucky Number 6 Lucky Stone Opal Taurus Sign Compatibility Chart Natural affinity: Cancer, Virgo, Capricorn, Pisces Good compatibility: Taurus, Scorpio Fair compatibility: Aries, Gemini, Libra, Sagittarius Less compatibility: Leo, Aquarius By: Dr. J. N. Pandey Vedic Astrology & Vastu Expert Website: www.astrologerjnpandey.com E-mail: djnpandey@gmail.com Phone: 91-9811107060 (WhatsApp Only)HE Adviser to the Prime Minister and Official Spokesperson of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Dr Majid bin Mohammed al-Ansari, has said that Qatar’s priority in handling the situation in Syria is currently humanitarian to ensure providing all the essential help to maintain stability there. During the weekly media briefing organised by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Dr al-Ansari said the air bridge being operated by Qatar to help the brotherly people of Syria is underway, as long as, there is a need for that. He reiterated Qatar’s call for the essential lifting of the international sanctions on Syria as soon as possible to ensure there would be no hindrance in getting all kinds of humanitarian aid to the brotherly people of Syria and extend the Qatari air bridge to all airports within the Syrian territories, thereby facilitating the delivery of these aids. Dr al-Ansari added the Qatari position regarding the lifting of sanctions on Syria is crystal clear, especially since the reasons behind sanctions, which are represented in the former regime, have been diminished, implying that they no longer exist, and it is incumbent on international community to promptly act to lift those sanctions. Within the framework of the Qatari delegation’s visit to Damascus led by HE the Minister of State at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Dr Mohammed bin Abdulaziz bin Saleh al-Khulaifi, aboard the first flight of Qatar Airways to Damascus International Airport, the foremost needs were discussed there, alongside how Qatar can directly contribute to meeting those needs, pointed out Dr al-Ansari, underling that the State will spare no effort in providing the essential support for the brotherly people of Syria. He pointed out that the technical team that accompanied HE Dr al-Khulaifi to Damascus was intended to get familiarized with the airport’s technical needs and discussed how Qatar can perform a positive role in this respect to ensure it is swiftly recommissioned as an international airport, especially that it had been neglected for a very long time and came under shelling from the Israeli occupation. He highlighted that the symbolic message associated with the landing of the Qatar Airways plane in Damascus International Airport reflects Qatar’s commitment to taking all essential measures to ensure the airport’s recommissioning and resuming flights to Syria, noting that flights will return to the airport simultaneously when technical requirements are in place. He pointed out that the embassy of the Syrian opposition in Qatar is the first of the new Syrian embassies - a stance that reflects Qatar’s unchanged position since the first day of the Syrian crisis, and supports the aspirations of the brotherly Syrian people by all available means. He highlighted the resumption of the Qatari embassy in Syria on Dec 17, and the appointment of Khalifa Abdullah al-Mahmoud al-Sharif as charge d’affaires there. He said that the resumption of embassy operations comes after about 13 years since all diplomatic relations were severed with the Syrian regime in 2011, expressing Qatar’s principled stance in support of the Syrian people’s revolution and its steadfast support for their demands for a dignified life, freedom, and social justice. It also reaffirms Qatar’s unequivocal rejection of all the oppressive policies of the Syrian regime against its own people. Dr al-Ansari added that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs indicated that the resumption of the embassy’s work in conjunction with the victory of the Syrian peoples revolution reflects the continued firm and supportive position of Qatar towards the Syrian people and their struggle to obtain their legitimate rights to a decent life, and enhances its relief efforts that began with an air bridge to help the Syrian people overcome the requirements of the transition process, noting the raising of the Qatari flag on December 21 in Damascus for the first time in 13 years. Regarding the negotiations for a ceasefire in Gaza, Dr al-Ansari stated that the negotiations are ongoing, with technical talks taking place in Doha and other tracks occurring in Cairo with continuous co-ordination with Egypt in this regard, adding that no one can predict a specific timeline for reaching an agreement. He confirmed that the situation in Gaza has not improved at all, and the humanitarian crisis is worsening, reiterating the call to all parties to engage seriously with the Qatari-Egyptian-American mediation without any actions that might hinder the success of these negotiations. Separately, Dr al-Ansari affirmed that Qatar-Iran relations are strong and solid, with both sides collaborating on certain gas projects in the region, praising the bilateral relationship with Iran, adding that their discussions on regional events are ongoing. Regarding Qatar’s relations with Russia, he said it remains ongoing and positive, highlighting Qatar’s involvement in another mediation between Russia and Ukraine, aimed at reuniting children affected by the war with their families. He reaffirmed Qatar’s steadfast position towards Lebanon, its unity, and territorial integrity, and its continued support for the Lebanese people. 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Rape allegation against Jay-Z will not affect NFL relationship, says chiefSACRAMENTO, Calif. , Dec. 19, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Reviver ® is proud to support the Winter Fest SoCal Car Show and Toy Drive, bringing joy to children and families in need. This past weekend, the Winter Fest SoCal Car Show and Toy Drive in Pomona, California , brought together car enthusiasts from across Southern California to celebrate the holidays and of course, all things cars. Attendees celebrated the season by decking out their cars, motorcycles and trucks, and supporting a good cause. This year's Winter Fest supported the Community Family Guidance Center (CFGC). CFGC helps southeast Los Angeles County's under-served children and their families heal from trauma, abuse, emotional, behavioral and mental health issues through proven interventions and compassionate guidance. "We're proud to partner with our community and fellow auto enthusiasts to make the holidays brighter for those who need it most," said Reviver Founder and Chief Strategy Officer Neville Boston . "Together, we can help create joy and ensure that every child experiences the magic of the season." If you missed Winter Fest or are not local to Los Angeles County , there are still many ways to give back. Reviver is inviting the community to join in spreading holiday cheer wherever they are by supporting a local toy drive . ABOUT REVIVER ® Reviver ® is a technology company on a mission to modernize the driving experience. As developer of the world's first digital license plate platform, Reviver products transform the license plate into a connected vehicle platform, enabling consumers and commercial businesses to digitize vehicle registration renewals and experience a growing set of personalization, convenience, and safety features, all managed through a mobile or web app interface. Reviver's digital license plates are legal for sale in Arizona and California , along with Texas for commercial fleet vehicles. Ten additional states are in various stages of adoption. Founded in 2009, Reviver is headquartered in Northern California , and is the official patch partner of the Sacramento Kings and the official innovation partner of the Sacramento Kings and Golden 1 Center. To purchase an RPLATE click here . To learn more about the RPLATE, click here . View original content to download multimedia: https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/reviver-helps-drive-the-spirit-of-giving-this-holiday-season-302336678.html SOURCE Reviver
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