General Politics Three: But what is left/right?

[Broken_Erika]

DeSantis wins as judge dismisses Disney's lawsuit against him​

A US judge has sided with Florida governor Ron DeSantis in his fight with Disney, rejecting a lawsuit that had accused the Republican of organising a campaign of "government retaliation".

Judge Allen Winsor said the actions that Disney opposed were legal and it lacked standing to sue the governor.

Florida moved to tighten its oversight of Disney's amusement park last year.

The change came after the company criticised a state law that limited the teaching of sexuality in schools.

In his ruling Judge Winsor said the changes were clearly detrimental to Disney, which had enjoyed unusual power over the special tax district where its Walt Disney World park is located since 1967.

They gave Mr DeSantis the power to appoint members to the district's governing board, removing that authority from landowners in the 25,000-acre district, of which Disney is by far the biggest.

But the judge said state legislators had the right to make the changes and the company had failed to prove it faced any imminent harm from the governor.

In dismissing the suit, the judge wrote that courts cannot rule that a law is unconstitutional solely because lawmakers may have had an "illegitimate motivation" in enacting it.

"Because that is what Disney seeks here, its claim fails as a matter of law," he wrote.

Disney said it would press forward with its case, which had argued that the moves threatened its business and violated its free speech rights.

• Disney sues Florida governor Ron DeSantis

"This is an important case with serious implications for the rule of law, and it will not end here," the company said.

"If left unchallenged, this would set a dangerous precedent and give license to states to weaponize their official powers to punish the expression of political viewpoints they disagree with."

The dispute between Disney and Mr DeSantis began last year as the Republican was preparing to launch his campaign for president.


Mr DeSantis dropped out of the race this month, after a poor showing in the Iowa caucuses.

He did not immediately comment on the decision.
https://www.bbc.com/news/business-68157268

 

[Bonyduck Campersang]

US Senator moment

https://twitter.com/x/status/1752761046593401197

 

[Farm Boy]

Affiliated?

 

[Arwon]

Can't reasonably expect an elected US official to know there are multiple whole ass countries in Asia

 

[Farm Boy]

Totes not understanding the implications of "affiliated," eh?

 

[Arwon]

Can you try just saying what you mean for one single time in 26000 posts

 

[Farm Boy]

Totes did.

Short sentence, too.

 

[Gorbles]

The implication of "affiliated" is your opinion. You haven't put it forward, you've just left it hanging as though the mere mention of the word justifies Cotton's question.

So no, you didn't say what you mean at all. If people have to guess at why you're defending the use of "affiliated" from a US senator at a Singaporean tech company CEO, it's because you're not being upfront with whatever argument is driving your need to justify Cotton, here.

 

[Bonyduck Campersang]

India court allows Hindus to pray inside disputed mosque in Varanasi

Centuries-old mosque torn down in Indian capital

India sliding more and more into religious fascism, and no-one showing any signs of trying to stop them

 

[Farm Boy]

The implication of "affiliated" is your opinion. You haven't put it forward, you've just left it hanging as though the mere mention of the word justifies Cotton's question.

So no, you didn't say what you mean at all. If people have to guess at why you're defending the use of "affiliated" from a US senator at a Singaporean tech company CEO, it's because you're not being upfront with whatever argument is driving your need to justify Cotton, here.

You should use Merriam Webster.

 

[Gorbles]

You should use Merriam Webster.

So should you. Should be pretty easy to demonstrate in-context, if such an affiliation exists.

 

[Farm Boy]

I already did. It's painfully straightforward.

But you don't need to if you don't want to. I'm fine with the state of you.

 

[Gorbles]

You said "affiliated". You didn't say anything else.

Go on, explain how the person being interviewed is "officially attached or connected" with the CCP. Do a better job than Cotton did. And if you didn't want to or mean to say that, we cycle back to arwon's point about actually having clarity of opinion. But you don't have to, of course.

 

[Farm Boy]

I am not going to. The man himself said he isn't working for the CCP. He's Singaporean, after all.

Wait, there's more than one country? Amazing. Such, wow!

 

[Gorbles]

Many of them have coastlines, too.

Alrighty then, let's move on:

John Podesta to succeed John Kerry as Biden’s top climate adviser

Senior adviser will take over responsibilities, but not title, of John Kerry, who stepped down to work on Biden’s re-election campaign

www.theguardian.com

This is low-stakes stuff hopefully, given that it's Hell Year once more. Avoiding talking about Hell Year because I think we have a thread for it.

 

[Sommerswerd]

US Senator moment

https://twitter.com/x/status/1752761046593401197

Eerily reminiscent of the infamous McCarthy hearings "Are you now, or have you ever been a Communist?"

That clip definitely makes it seem like Cotton didn't know that Singapore was a different country from China. I'll concede that I didn't watch the whole hearing so I don't have the full context, but that clip was hilarious

Reminds me of:

 

[Farm Boy]

Oh! Yeah. One's identity definitely defines who they work for and don't. "Cotton" should know that very well.

 

[Broken_Erika]

Texas AG Paxton sues five cities, including Austin and San Marcos, over marijuana policies​

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has filed lawsuits against five cities -- Austin, San Marcos, Killeen, Denton and Elgin -- ordinances that aim to eliminate enforcement of low-level marijuana possession offenses.

Paxton alleges the cities' actions violate state law and the Texas constitution. The lawsuits ask the courts to declare the ordinances void and order the cities to fully enforce state drug laws.

The ordinances were passed after being approved by voters in local ballot propositions. They prohibit police from making arrests or issuing citations for misdemeanor marijuana possession in most cases.

However, Paxton argues the Texas Local Government Code forbids cities from adopting policies not to fully enforce drug laws. He also says the ordinances violate a section of the Texas Constitution stating that city ordinances cannot conflict with state law.

“I will not stand idly by as cities run by pro-crime extremists deliberately violate Texas law and promote the use of illicit drugs that harm our communities,” said Paxton.

In the lawsuits , Paxton states the cities and their police chiefs "lack legal authority" to adopt ordinances that do not fully enforce laws prohibiting marijuana possession and distribution.

The lawsuits ask the courts to temporarily and permanently bar enforcement of the city ordinances. They also seek orders for the cities to repeal the ordinances, enforce state drug laws and not discipline police employees who make marijuana possession arrests.
https://cbsaustin.com/news/local/te...austin-and-san-marcos-over-marijuana-policies

 

[Samson]

India court allows Hindus to pray inside disputed mosque in Varanasi

Centuries-old mosque torn down in Indian capital

India sliding more and more into religious fascism, and no-one showing any signs of trying to stop them

Also they blocked multiple hate crime monitoring websites in the run up to the election. That cannot be for any bad reasons, surely?

 

[Broken_Erika]

Imran Khan: Pakistan ex-PM and wife Bushra Bibi jailed for illegal marriage​

A Pakistani court has jailed Imran Khan and his wife for seven years after voiding their marriage, in the latest sentence against the ex-prime minister.

The court ruled that Khan's 2018 marriage with Bushra Bibi, a faith healer, was un-Islamic and illegal.

He is already in jail for corruption. Last Wednesday, a week before a general election, the pair were convicted of profiting from state gifts.

Khan, 71, has said the numerous cases against him are politically motivated.

Pakistan's former cricket captain-turned-politician was ousted as prime minister in 2022.

A court was set up inside the Adiala Jail in Rawalpindi, where Khan is serving his previous sentences, for the latest case.

The complaint was filed by Bibi's ex-husband, who said her marriage with Khan had been fraudulent.

Under Muslim family law, women are prohibited from remarrying for a few months after their husband dies or they are divorced. The court found that Bibi had remarried before the completion of the stipulated time following her divorce.

As well as the seven-year jail sentence, the court imposed a fine of 500,000 rupees ($1,800; £1,420) on Khan and Bibi.

The couple married in 2018, months before Khan was elected prime minister. Bibi, a spiritual healer believed to be in her 40s and always wears a veil in public, is Khan's third wife.

Khan had a playboy reputation in his cricketing years before he settled down to a society marriage with British socialite Jemima Goldsmith in 1995. The marriage lasted nine years and produced two sons.

A second marriage in 2015, to journalist and former BBC weather presenter Reham Khan, lasted less than a year.

• A jailed star and former convict: Pakistan's election, explained
• Who is Bushra Bibi, the mystical wife of Imran Khan?
• The cricket star and former PM who is dividing Pakistan

The former PM has been detained since his arrest last August.

Saturday's prison sentence is Khan's third in less than a week. On Tuesday, he was jailed for 10 years for leaking classified documents.

Wednesday's court case centred on accusations that he and his wife had sold or kept state gifts received in office, including jewellery from the Saudi Crown Prince.

Both were given 14-year sentences in that case. The court ruled that Bushra Bibi was allowed to serve hers under house arrest.

Khan's Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party has said he was tried by "kangaroo courts".

Even before the latest sentences were handed down, many were questioning the credibility of next week's election as Khan and his party have been sidelined.

The authorities deny carrying out a crackdown, but many of PTI leaders are behind bars or have defected.

Thousands of the party's supporters were rounded up after protests - at times violent - when Khan was taken into custody last year.

The man tipped to win is three-time former PM Nawaz Sharif.

He was jailed for corruption ahead of the 2018 election that Imran Khan won. Many analysts say he is now favoured by Pakistan's powerful military establishment.
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-68192196