by | Oct 12, 2024 | The Hill
Florida’s
y (OECS) released a report Friday accusing several organizations of forging signatures in favor of a new amendment that would overturn the state’s six-week abortion ban.
The state agency issued an initial
alleging individuals were paid to sign the petition.
Floridians Protecting Freedom and the American Civil Liberties Union of Florida, among others, co-sponsored the bill known as Amendment 4 by submitting over 900,000 signatures. The organizations said they plan to contest the state’s findings.
OECS claims they discovered discrepancies when reviewing statewide data revealing a significant number of “known” or “suspected fraudsters.” Investigations were then spurred in several counties in which they said they found clear circumstances of fraud.
“This campaign has been run above board and followed state law at every turn,” Lauren Brenzel, campaign director of advocacy organization Yes for 4, said in a
to the Tampa Bay Times about the report. “What we are seeing now is nothing more than dishonest distractions and desperate attempts to silence voters.”
A local state representative agreed with their argument.
“It’s an attempt to mislead and confuse voters about three weeks ahead of an election,” said State Rep. Anna Eskamani (D) told
. “They’re sending the report to a lame-duck speaker and Senate president.”
Some have criticized DeSantis for creating OECS two years ago in an effort to crack down on alleged election fraud cited by the GOP after former President Trump’s 2020 loss.
The Hill has reached out to Floridians Protecting Freedom and the American Civil Liberties Union of Florida for comment.
by | Oct 12, 2024 | The Hill
One person was fatally shot and nine others were injured after a gunman opened fire Saturday on the campus of Tennessee State University (TSU).
Nashville Police said bullets rang out on Jefferson Street and 27th Avenue N. at around 5:00 p.m. Shortly after, the university sent a campus alert via text warning of an active shooter on campus.
“A total of 10 gunshot wound victims are now at area hospitals. 5 were transported by NFD. 5 arrived by private vehicles. A 24-year-old man is deceased,” read a
released by local police on the social media platform X.
They added that three juvenile victims were being treated at Vanderbilt Children’s Emergency Medicine. At least 1 of the injured is suspected to have been involved in the gunfire.
TSU, a historically black university, was hosting homecoming celebrations and welcomed the city’s community in the area surrounding campus.
“The innocence in this event was taken away and lives were endangered,” Nashville Fire Department spokesperson Kendra Loney told the
.
The incident comes a year after other HBCUs including
and
had similar issues with violence during homecoming celebrations.
by | Oct 12, 2024 | The Hill
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis announced that three gas stations would provide free fuel to the state’s residents at a Saturday press conference after multiple cities were hit by Hurricane Milton.
The three sites are located in Plant City, Bradenton and St. Petersburg, Fla.
“We just want people to be able to get what they need,” DeSantis told reporters.
As of Friday,
of Florida’s 7,915 fuel pumps are out of commission, according to GasBuddy. While hundreds try to return to their homes or leave the area, many are left without options to purchase the gasoline needed for travel.
Before the hurricane hit, DeSantis
that there would be
, but
quickly changed after stations in the Sunshine state lost power.
“If they [gas stations] don’t have the power to run the pumps, then it’s an academic issue,” DeSantis said during the
. “What we’re doing in the state of Florida, Kevin Guthrie [Executive Director, Florida Division of Emergency Management] and his team, they have generators that can be deployed.”
made landfall Wednesday evening as a Category 3 storm, two distinctions lower than predicted. However, the rainfalls caused massive flooding and damage, knocking out power, conjuring tornadoes and sinking cars in addition to homes.
Milton’s death toll rose to 10 as search and rescue teams began operations Thursday morning.
by | Oct 12, 2024 | The Hill
Colorado Gov. Jared Polis (D) hit former President Trump over his
and political opponents Friday evening, questioning if the former president’s remarks were a sign of “cognitive decline.”
“I don’t know if it’s, you know, some say it’s cognitive decline, whatever — whatever it is,” Polis
CNN’s Kaitlan Collins.
“But the more he’s distracted, and attacking people like [Georgia Gov. Brian] Kemp or me, whether they’re Republican or Democrat, maybe he’s forgotten who he’s running against,” Polis told CNN’s “The Source.”
“And I think that’s great. Because I support Kamala Harris. I think she’ll be a great president,” he continued. “So, let him attack all these other people, and try to settle all these grudges he has. And I don’t think that’s what the American people want.”
His comments came after Trump
in Aurora, Colo., a city that he said
“war zone,” claiming an influx of migrants coming into the city is a threat to American communities. The city was pushed into the spotlight after the former president amplified stories of Venezuelan gang activity involving the group Tren de Aragua.
Trump told the crowd of supporters on Friday that he hoped to invoke the Alien Enemies Act of 1798 — which would allow for prosecution of migrants associated with gangs. The move, he said, would be called “Operation Aurora,” if he’s reelected in November.
Trump criticized Polis and the city during a separate
in September.
“Under Border Czar Harris, Venezuelan gangs have taken over entire apartment buildings in Aurora, Colorado,” Trump said at that rally, using a nickname for his Democratic rival that Republicans have latched onto in recent months.
“The governor is petrified in Colorado,” he added, while turning his ire on Polis. “He’s a liberal governor; he doesn’t know what to do. The guy is so scared of these guys, and maybe you can’t blame him.”
State and local officials in Aurora have
that the city is overrun with migrants. In the CNN interview Friday, Polis
Aurora as an “incredible city,” claiming that crime is down 31 percent.
The Hill has contacted the Trump campaign for comment.
