Author: nick
After a counterprotester was killed at the 2017 Unite the Right rally in Charlottesville, many members of the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) condemned its Virginia chapter for defending the First Amendment rights of the white supremacists who organized the demonstration. The critics included Waldo Jaquith, who expressed his displeasure by resigning from the ACLU of Virginia’s board of directors. In an interview with Slate’s Dahlia Lithwick a few weeks later, Jaquith noted that “the ACLU gets to pick” which cases it takes. For example, he said, “you will not see the ACLU taking on any Second Amendment cases, as…
The Kremlin said some progress has been made toward ending the war in Ukraine and that Russia would welcome President Donald Trump’s assistance in mediating talks. During Russia’s Victory Day celebrations on Saturday, Russian President Vladimir Putin indicated progress had been made towards a negotiated settlement to end the war in Ukraine. On Tuesday, Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Moscow was optimistic the conflict could end soon. Ukrainian President Zelensky expressed doubt that Russia was prepared to end the conflict. “Russia has no intention of ending this war. And we are, unfortunately, preparing for new attacks,” he said Monday. “The…
Happy Tuesday, and welcome to another edition of Rent Free. This week, we have stories on: A new report finds that Portland, Maine’s inclusionary zoning law is crushing housing development. A New York Times-hosted gubernatorial forum where everyone tried to sound like a YIMBY. President Donald Trump’s rapid reversion to supporting an effective ban on build-to-rent housing. But first, we cover how Massachusetts’ particular approach to zoning reform makes it too easy for local governments to be pricks. Marblehead, Massachusetts, resident David Modica has gone viral for asking at a recent Town Meeting whether people in town were “being pricks”…
The recent Food and Drug Administration (FDA) rejection of RP1, an experimental immunotherapy for advanced melanoma, has sparked frustration among oncologists and patients who see it as another promising therapy kept out of reach. Last month, the agency issued a “complete response letter” declining to approve the therapy, citing insufficient evidence of effectiveness and concerns about the trial’s design. Oncologists and researchers have pushed back, arguing that the FDA dismissed encouraging response data and applied standards that may not fit patients with few remaining options. For patients with advanced melanoma who have exhausted standard treatments, that decision is not an abstract regulatory judgment—it can mean the…
A proposed law to ban outdoor smoking in San Francisco is pitting the city’s government against its bars and breweries. While indoor and outdoor smoking at restaurants in the city has been banned for years, patrons of certain bars and taverns have been allowed to enjoy smoking outdoors in peace. The new ordinance would “eliminate exceptions” like these and “prohibit smoking in outdoor patios of bars and taverns.” The measure will go before a city committee on May 18, and if it passes, the Board of Supervisors will vote on it in June. If it’s approved, the smoking ban would…
As Wall Street moves onchain, the year’s biggest crypto hack and DeFi crisis is forcing a rethink of risk, security and market structure, industry insiders told CoinDesk. What to know: A $292 million exploit of Kelp DAO rattled crypto lending markets but is seen by industry insiders as a temporary setback rather than a fundamental barrier to institutional adoption of DeFi. Wall Street firms including Apollo Global Management and BlackRock are continuing to push into onchain finance, increasing pressure on DeFi protocols to harden security and governance. Experts say DeFi must adopt stricter baseline safeguards and institutional-grade standards — such…
The Handshake in Beijing Source link
In 2013, Minnesota Lieutenant Governor Peggy Flanagan was the 34-year-old director of the state chapter of the Children’s Defense Fund. Source link
The Virginia redistricting ruling ignited a political fight over judicial authority, constitutional law, and separation of powers. Source link
Trump is a businessman who sees matters of policy from a business perspective. So it’s no surprise that his attacks on his enemies, and America’s, operate along economic lines. Source link