Come next year, Minnesota may be the next state to legalize <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/marijuana" target="_blank" rel="noopener">marijuana</a>.
Minnesota’s Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party (DFL) flipped the state Senate on Tuesday, securing a trifecta for the first time in nearly a decade: both chambers of the state legislature and the governorship. Minnesota Governor Tim Walz reportedly <a href="https://www.clubhouse.com/room/M8n53n6A?t=631" target="_blank" rel="noopener">told</a> former Governor Jesse Ventura in a phone call that marijuana legalization would be one of the first bills passed through this trifecta.
“The sticking point for cannabis in Minnesota were the Republicans and the house they controlled,” stated Ventura. “Well, they’ve lost it now, and the governor reassured me that one of the first items that will be passed — Minnesota, get ready — cannabis is going to have its prohibition lifted.”
Ventura added that Walz also invited him to the bill’s signing. The former governor has reportedly attempted to legalize marijuana for 20 years.
Based on Walz’s remarks this year, the governor may also have an eye on expunging marijuana convictions in the state. Walz’s vision preceded President Joe Biden’s <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/bidens-mass-pardon-for-marijuana-possession-likely-benefitting-offenders-guilty-of-worse-crimes-expert-says" target="_blank" rel="noopener">mass pardon</a> of those convicted of simple marijuana possession last month.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
It&#8217;s time to legalize adult-use cannabis and expunge cannabis convictions in Minnesota.
— Governor Tim Walz (@GovTimWalz) <a href="https://twitter.com/GovTimWalz/status/1516926643864055809?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 20, 2022</a></blockquote>
Legalization of the drug advances as more <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/joint-session-questioning-the-senates-debate-on-the-decriminalization-of-marijuana" target="_blank" rel="noopener">questions</a> arise among legislators and medical professionals on the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/going-green-the-physical-mental-and-emotional-problems-associated-with-marijuana" target="_blank" rel="noopener">connection</a> between marijuana usage and <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/could-marijuana-use-play-a-role-in-mass-shootings" target="_blank" rel="noopener">mental illness</a>.
Just last weekend, pop star icon Aaron Carter was <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/heres-what-police-found-in-the-room-with-aaron-carter-when-he-died" target="_blank" rel="noopener">discovered</a> dead in his bathtub. Carter stated three days prior that he’d been “California sober” for five years — abstaining from all drugs except cannabis and prescribed pharmaceuticals like Xanax. Carter had a lengthy history of addiction and mental illness.
Walz’s initiative wouldn’t be transitioning Minnesota from total prohibition to full legalization of the drug. He directed state agencies to form policies that could be implemented upon legalization.
According to the state’s legislative reference library, the legislature <a href="https://www.lrl.mn.gov/guides/guides?issue=cannabis" target="_blank" rel="noopener">legalized</a> medical marijuana in 2014, but consumption could only take place through pills, oils, or vapor initially. Then last year, the state relaxed this law to allow the smoking of dried marijuana leaves and consumption of “edibles” (gummies and chews). The latter went into effect in August.
The state <a href="https://www.health.state.mn.us/people/cannabis/patients/conditions.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">qualifies</a> 17 conditions for medical marijuana usage: Alzheimer’s disease, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), autism spectrum disorder (must meet DSM-5), cancer, chronic motor or vocal tic disorder, chronic pain, glaucoma, HIV/AIDS, inflammatory bowel disease (e.g., Crohn’s disease), intractable pain, obstructive sleep apnea, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), seizures (e.g., epilepsy), severe and persistent muscle spasms (e.g., multiple sclerosis, or MS), sickle cell disease, terminal illness with a life expectancy of under one year, and Tourette Syndrome.
Those with cancer or a terminal illness must have one or more of the following symptoms: severe or chronic pain, nausea or severe vomiting, or cachexia or severe wasting.
The legislature also implemented a law earlier this year allowing individuals over 21 to purchase products containing five or less milligrams of the psychoactive drug THC derived from hemp. Marijuana and hemp are the same species — the primary difference <a href="https://www.healthline.com/health/hemp-vs-marijuana%23hemp" target="_blank" rel="noopener">exists</a> in their THC content. Hemp has 0.3 percent or less THC, while marijuana has over 0.3 percent, therefore resulting in the drug’s typical high.
November 6 marked the tenth anniversary of Colorado and Washington becoming the first states to legalize recreational marijuana. Since then, Washington, D.C., Guam, and 19 states have followed suit: Alaska, Arizona, California, Connecticut, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Missouri, Montana, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Nevada, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, and Virginia.

Marijuana

Minnesota Governor Promises Marijuana Legalization Will Be One Of First Bills Passed Under Newly-Flipped Legislature

2022 Midterms

Minnesota

Politics

Social Issues

With one week left before the election, a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/new-york" target="_blank" rel="noopener">New York</a> appeals court declined Republican groups’ challenges to New York’s absentee voting laws established during the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/covid" target="_blank" rel="noopener">pandemic</a>.
The New York Appellate Division, Third Department ruled in two cases: Amedure v. New York and Cavalier v. Warren County Board of Elections. The court upheld laws allowing absentee ballots for fear of contracting COVID or other illnesses, requiring ballot processing before Election Day, and preventing legal challenges to processed ballots. The court stated that the Republican petitioners procrastinated too long to file their legal challenge in Amedure, and that granting relief would result in prejudice against certain voters. The court dismissed the Cavalier argument of unconstitutionality.
“[E]lection matters are extremely time sensitive and finding these statutes unconstitutional at this late date would impose ‘impossible burdens’ upon the State and local Boards of Elections to conduct this election in a timely and fair manner,” stated the court. “In our view, granting petitioners the requested relief during an ongoing election would be extremely disruptive and profoundly destabilizing and prejudicial to candidates, voters, and the State and local Boards of Elections.”
Amedure v. New York plaintiffs included the New York State Republican Party, New York State Conservative Party, and the Saratoga County Republican Party. They filed their complaint in late September.
Cavalier v. Warren County Board of Elections plaintiffs included Assemblyman Christopher Tague and the Schoharie County Republican Committee. They filed their complaint in mid-July.
In both cases, the GOP groups challenged the constitutionality of the pandemic-era laws.
Ahead of the ruling last week, Republican election officials resisted processing absentee ballots. According to AP News, the officials <a href="https://apnews.com/article/new-york-court-decisions-albany-government-and-politics-0309d464797da88b0180b98eaf3e5a54" target="_blank" rel="noopener">relented</a> after a warning from New York State Attorney General Letitia James. However, the Democratic Party’s top lawyer, Marc Elias of <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/records-contradict-biden-judicial-nominees-claim-that-she-never-registered-as-lobbyist" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Russiagate</a> notoriety, took credit for making the GOP officials back down.
“We sued one county (Albany),” tweeted Elias. “Ten minutes later, they all started to back down.”
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Two-thirds of Republican county election officials in New York were prepared to violate the law by refusing to process absentee ballots. We sued one county (Albany). Ten minutes later, they all started to back down. Today AP reported they all counted.<a href="https://t.co/lN1XiRtYxo">https://t.co/lN1XiRtYxo</a>
— Marc E. Elias (@marceelias) <a href="https://twitter.com/marceelias/status/1586498885521854465?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 29, 2022</a></blockquote>
Elias’ law firm sued on behalf of Governor Kathy Hochul, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY), Congressman Paul Tonko (D-NY-20), and the New York State Democratic Committee.
Following the ruling, James <a href="https://ag.ny.gov/press-release/2022/attorney-general-james-protects-new-yorkers-right-vote" target="_blank" rel="noopener">issued</a> a press release praising the appeals court for ensuring that voting remains easier.
“I was proud to defend New York’s absentee ballot reforms, and am happy with the decision to keep these commonsense election integrity initiatives in place,” stated James.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
A judge has ruled in our favor and rejected challenges to New York’s commonsense absentee ballot laws. These laws make it easier for New Yorkers to make their voices heard.
I will continue to defend access to the polls and ensure New Yorkers can vote.
— NY AG James (@NewYorkStateAG) <a href="https://twitter.com/NewYorkStateAG/status/1587562331092967432?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 1, 2022</a></blockquote>
Several weeks after former President Donald Trump declared the pandemic a national emergency, James <a href="https://ag.ny.gov/press-release/2020/attorney-general-james-calls-automatic-absentee-voting-ny-presidential-primary" target="_blank" rel="noopener">pressured</a> the state to implement automatic absentee voting.
Tuesday’s ruling is the latest development in a hotly-contested election, in which Republican challenger Lee Zeldin is neck and neck with Democrat Governor Kathy Hochul. The latest polling <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/another-poll-shows-zeldin-leading-hochul-gains-support-from-group-that-votes-overwhelmingly-democratic" target="_blank" rel="noopener">published</a> Monday showed Zeldin with a slim lead of one point; voters polled were largely Democrats, outnumbering Republicans nearly two-to-one.
Not all states have defaulted to controversial pandemic-era practices.
Also on Tuesday, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/pa-supreme-court-rules-state-cannot-accept-undated-incorrectly-dated-mail-in-ballots" target="_blank" rel="noopener">ruled</a> that the state couldn’t accept absentee or mail-in ballots that are undated or marked with the incorrect date. Similarly, the Delaware Supreme Court <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/delaware-supreme-court-blocks-no-excuse-mail-in-voting-same-day-registration" target="_blank" rel="noopener">ruled</a> last month that laws allowing for no-excuse mail-in voting and same-day voter registration violated the state constitution. In July, the Wisconsin Supreme Court <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/wisconsin-supreme-court-bans-uses-of-drop-boxes-in-elections" target="_blank" rel="noopener">banned</a> the drop boxes, following bans from Texas and New Hampshire.
According to data from the National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL), eight states <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/eight-states-have-already-made-universal-mail-in-ballots-permanent" target="_blank" rel="noopener">conduct</a> universal mail-in ballot elections: California, Colorado, Hawaii, Nevada, Oregon, Utah, Vermont, and Washington. Nebraska and North Dakota allow counties to choose to conduct their elections by mail. Nine states allow certain small elections to be conducted by mail: Alaska, Arizona, Florida, Kansas, Maryland, Missouri, Montana, New Mexico, and Wyoming.

New York Appeals Court Rejects GOP Challenges To COVID-Era Absentee Voting Laws

2022 Election

Elections

New York

U.S.

Five <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/texas" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Texas</a> cities may join the growing list of those adopting workarounds to the Lone Star State’s ban on <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/marijuana" target="_blank" rel="noopener">marijuana</a>. It’s the latest development in a growing trend to decriminalize the drug.
Voters in Denton, Elgin, Harker Heights, Killeen, and San Marcos are all deciding on November ballot propositions to legalize marijuana. Austin, the state’s capital, already approved a measure in May decriminalizing marijuana by prohibiting citations or arrests for misdemeanor possession, as well as banning no-knock warrants.
The propositions considered by the five cities <a href="https://norml.org/news/2022/08/11/texas-voters-in-five-cities-to-decide-on-marijuana-depenalization-initiatives/">bear</a> the same language, and similar titles: “[Insert City Here] Freedom Act of 2022.” That’s because the propositions were the coordinated effort of an Austin-based progressive nonprofit, Ground Game Texas. In addition to legalizing marijuana, Ground Game Texas advocates for a $15 minimum wage and expansion of Medicaid. Ground Game Texas was also behind Austin’s marijuana decriminalization and no-knock ban, called the “Austin Freedom Act of 2021.”
Under the cookie cutter proposition language, each city would prohibit citations and arrests for misdemeanor possession of marijuana, unless those citations or arrests for possession involved the investigation of a felony-level narcotics case or violent felony. Police may also not use the smell of marijuana as probable cause for a search or seizure, and they may not use city funds or personnel to conduct THC concentration testing.
On the map, these five cities form a southwest trail starting in Denton and ending in San Marcos. If all five cities decriminalize marijuana, they will join the cities of Cedar Park, Dallas, El Paso, and the counties of Bexar, Harris, Hays, Nueces, Travis, and Williamson, which allow for citations instead of arrests for misdemeanor possession.
In addition to coordinating marijuana decriminalization efforts, Ground Game Texas is advocating for a “<a href="https://www.groundgametexas.org/en/campaigns/sanantonio" target="_blank" rel="noopener">San Antonio Justice Charter</a>” to not only decriminalize marijuana, but abortion. The charter would also implement a slew of California-esque progressive policies, such as hiring a social justice director with authorities similar to a mayor, ban no-knock warrants and police chokeholds, and citation-only punishments for class C misdemeanors, drug possession, theft of property or service less than $750, driving with an invalid license, contraband possession while imprisoned, graffiti with damages less than $2,500, and criminal mischief with damages under $750. They need 20,000 verified signatures by January to make the May municipal ballot.
Ground Game Texas is also advocating for a $15 minimum wage for the city of Edinburg, as well as a climate change and climate justice policy for the city of El Paso.
The mass marijuana decriminalization efforts are coming to a head as more studies are now being <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/joint-session-questioning-the-senates-debate-on-the-decriminalization-of-marijuana" target="_blank" rel="noopener">released</a> on the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/going-green-the-physical-mental-and-emotional-problems-associated-with-marijuana" target="_blank" rel="noopener">potential connection</a> between marijuana usage and <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/could-marijuana-use-play-a-role-in-mass-shootings" target="_blank" rel="noopener">mental illness</a>.
Some of Texas’ Republican state leaders support this decriminalization push. In January, Governor Greg Abbott signaled a softened stance on marijuana decriminalization, according to remarks <a href="https://www.texastribune.org/2022/01/11/austin-decriminalize-marijuana/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">documented</a> by the Texas Tribune during a campaign stop.
“One thing that I believe in, and I believe the state legislature believes in, and that is prison and jail is a place for dangerous criminals who may harm others,” said Abbott. “Small possession of marijuana is not the type of violation that we want to stockpile jails with.”
In a July editorial, Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller <a href="https://www.texasagriculture.gov/News-Events/News-Events-Details/Article/7380/EDITORIAL-STANDING-UP-FOR-COMPASSIONATE-USE" target="_blank" rel="noopener">claimed</a> that marijuana was medically beneficial, and that bans on the drug were racist, classist, authoritarian, and anti-American.
“In a free society, government should only make something illegal for a powerful reason or set of facts,” wrote Miller. “As I look back, I believe that cannabis prohibition came from a place of fear, not from medical science or the analysis of social harm. Sadly, the roots of this came from a history of racism, classism, and a large central government with an authoritarian desire to control others. It is as anti-American in its origins as could be imaginable.”
Abbott and Miller are just several of many Republicans walking away from party disapproval of marijuana and joining a decriminalization push that resonates deeply throughout the Democratic Party all the way to the White House. Democrats at the forefront of voter minds ahead of the November election like Pennsylvania Lieutenant Governor and Senate candidate John Fetterman <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/im-for-decriminalizing-across-the-board-john-fetterman-has-repeatedly-nodded-to-woke-drug-policy" target="_blank" rel="noopener">support</a> decriminalization of marijuana, but view that issue as the tip of the iceberg. Fetterman has consistently advocated for decriminalizing hard drugs as well.
Earlier this month, President Joe Biden <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/breaking-biden-pardons-thousands-with-federal-convictions-for-drug-crimes-orders-states-to-do-the-same" target="_blank" rel="noopener">issued</a> a mass pardon of those convicted of simple marijuana possession. As The Heritage Foundation and other experts <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/bidens-mass-pardon-for-marijuana-possession-likely-benefitting-offenders-guilty-of-worse-crimes-expert-says" target="_blank" rel="noopener">warned</a>, a vast majority of those criminal convictions were the result of plea deals. Meaning, those benefiting from Biden’s pardon likely committed more heinous crimes than marijuana possession. Paul Larkin, Heritage Foundation senior legal research fellow, told The Daily Wire that these plea deals occur nearly all of the time.
“95% of the time, federal prosecutors engage in plea bargaining,” stated Larkin. “Is it possible or likely people are going to benefit from this who don’t deserve it because they actually were accused of a more serious crime? Damn right there is.”

Five Texas Cities May Decriminalize Marijuana In Workaround To State Ban

Drugs

Texas

The number of active duty military <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/suicide" target="_blank" rel="noopener">suicides</a> decreased last year, according to a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/department-of-defense" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Department of Defense</a> (DOD) report issued Thursday.
In 2021, 519 service members died by suicide; by comparison in 2020, 582 died by suicide. The DOD <a href="https://www.defense.gov/News/News-Stories/Article/Article/3195429/active-duty-suicide-rate-drops-austin-says-more-work-needed/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">noted</a> that this decrease represented an average of four fewer suicides per 100,000 service members. Liz Clark, director of the DOD Suicide Prevention Office, said that this decrease marked a slight, not total, decline in a decade-long increase in service member suicides.
“There is an increasing trend for all services between 2011 and 2021,” stated Clark. “In the short term, the Army rate [of suicides] was similar to last year, and there was a decrease with the Navy, the Marine Corps and the Air Force. The Air Force was the only statistically significant decrease.”
Overall, the majority of active service members who die by suicide were young men. Although, the DOD reports that the suicide rates of active duty military and civilians are similar. Even when accounting for age and sex differences, the suicide rates of service members were similar to the suicide rates of the greater U.S. population.
As for military families, 202 individuals died by suicide in 2020. That’s an average of 7.7 per 100,000 family members (spouses and dependents). That breaks down to 13 per 100,000 spouses and 4.3 per 100,000 dependents (minors and non-minors). Just as with active duty military, these rates were similar to the suicide rates within the greater U.S. population, excluding male spouses — according to the DOD, they had a higher rate of suicide.
The DOD noted that they lacked the 2021 data for military family suicides at the time of this latest report due to a lag in CDC data accumulation.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
NEWS: Online Courses Provide Aid to Those Affected by Suicide  <a href="https://t.co/RzyipwTiEu">https://t.co/RzyipwTiEu</a>
— Department of Defense 🇺🇸 (@DeptofDefense) <a href="https://twitter.com/DeptofDefense/status/1572391432803225600?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 21, 2022</a></blockquote>
In a <a href="https://www.defense.gov/News/Releases/Release/Article/3193957/secretary-of-defense-lloyd-j-austin-iiis-statement-on-dod-annual-suicide-report/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">press release</a>, DOD Secretary Lloyd Austin III said that the report was encouraging, but indicated that more work will be required. Austin stated that the most important means of suicide prevention is destigmatizing the process of asking for help. Austin added that service members’ families were priorities in this process as well.
“It’s on all of us to end the stigma of asking for help and support when we or someone we know is feeling distressed, anxious, or isolated,” said Austin. “Reaching out is a marker of strength and resilience.”
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
While I am encouraged to see a decrease in the suicide rate in our Active Component, we recognize we have more work to do. Every death by suicide is a tragedy that impacts our people, our military units, and our readiness. <a href="https://t.co/YxQJXohRhl">https://t.co/YxQJXohRhl</a>
— Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III (@SecDef) <a href="https://twitter.com/SecDef/status/1583255346306379776?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 21, 2022</a></blockquote>
In March, Austin <a href="https://www.defense.gov/News/Releases/Release/Article/2974702/dod-announces-the-establishment-of-the-suicide-prevention-and-response-independ/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">established</a> the DOD’s Suicide Prevention and Response Independent Review Committee (SPRIRC) to improve best practices to prevent suicides. Leading the <a href="https://media.defense.gov/2022/May/17/2002999389/-1/-1/0/USD-PR-MEMO-SUICIDE-PREVENTION-AND-RESPONSE-INDEPENDENT-REVIEW-COMMITTEE.PDF" target="_blank" rel="noopener">SPRIRC</a> is Gayle Iwamasa from the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), serving as the mental health service provider. Remaining SPRIRC members are Rebecca Blais, the sexual assault and suicide expert from Arizona State University (ASU); Rajeev Ramchand, the epidemiologist from RAND Corporation; Stephanie Gamble, the substance use disorder expert from the VA; and Craig Bryan, the lethal means safety expert from Ohio State University (OSU).
SPRIRC consultants are Nadja West, a former senior military officer; Kaleth Wright, a former senior enlisted leader; Jerry Reed, a public health and policy expert; Kathy Robertson, a military family member; and Carl Trost, a chaplain.
The SPRIRC will make recommendations to Austin by the end of December, with a report issued to Congress by next February.
Austin also established a global suicide prevention force totaling over 2,000 personnel.
The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is a free hotline for individuals in crisis or distress or for those looking to help someone else. It is available 24/7 at 1-800-273-8255.

Soldiers

Active Duty Military Suicides Decreased In 2021, Report Finds

Death

Department of Defense

Military

Suicide

<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/texas" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Texas</a>’ capital city will soon have a new $65 million affordable housing community spanning over 30 acres, established through taxpayer and corporate funding.
Business Investment Growth Austin (BiGAUSTIN), a nonprofit <a href="https://www.bigaustin.org/aspire" target="_blank" rel="noopener">backed</a> by local, state, and federal funds broke ground on Thursday for its affordable housing community, called ASPIRE. In a press release, BiGAUSTIN CEO Stacy Rhone said that the development aligns with the community and social impact goals of their organization and their partner organizations.
“As we expand our offerings in northeast Austin and throughout Travis County, our team will continue to pursue meaningful opportunities to support entrepreneurs and job seekers in those areas with the fewest resources and housing options,” stated Rhone.
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BiGAUSTIN described the affordable housing community as “racial economic justice!” in the description of an accompanying YouTube video. The initial layout of the project plan online notes that the community will be diversified, multi-use, and mixed-income development for low-income and minority individuals.
<iframe loading="lazy" title="YouTube video player" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/wdJmvtPsIR8" width="720" height="385" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen">﻿</iframe>
Over the years, Rhone has continuously <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/posts/stacyrhone_hiring-a-chief-diversity-officer-wont-fix-activity-6628650315900088320-cWzl?utm_source=share&amp;utm_medium=member_desktop" target="_blank" rel="noopener">argued</a> for the existence of “white privilege” and the implementation of equity-based initiatives. Prior to joining BiGAUSTIN in 2009, Rhone was the vice president of diversity and recruitment for the National Women’s Political Caucus, an organization that recruits and assists progressive, pro-abortion female political candidates.
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As part of the affordable housing community plan, BiGAUSTIN will get a new, 20,000 square-foot headquarters within the community. In all, ASPIRE will have 400 housing units. BiGAUSTIN partnered with Bank of America in August to develop the community.
BiGAUSTIN’s list of 37 partners boasts some of the biggest names in banking and finance, Big Tech, law firms, and big box stores. These include Capital One, Cadence Bank (formerly BancorpSouth), Comerica Bank, PayPal, Regions Financial, Woodforest National Bank, Google, HP, eBay, Yahoo!, DLA Piper, Baker Botts, Walmart, and HEB.
Government partners include the city of Austin’s Economic Development Department, the Treasury Department’s Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI) Fund, and the State Department.
Of note, BiGAUSTIN has two partners based out of Uzbekistan: the Uzbekistan Business Leaders and the U.S. Embassy in Tashkent, Uzbekistan. No Uzbek cities are <a href="https://www.austintexas.gov/department/sister-and-friendship-cities-program" target="_blank" rel="noopener">named</a> among Austin’s 14 sister cities and three friendship cities.
BiGAUSTIN launched in 1992 through Austin city government funding, later becoming an independent nonprofit in 1995. According to its website, BiGAUSTIN <a href="https://www.bigaustin.org/history" target="_blank" rel="noopener">receives</a> funding currently from the state of Texas, Travis County (whose county seat is Austin), private equity firms, local and national banks, and the federal government.
The nonprofit’s 2019 to 2021 tax filings (filed under “Business Invest in Growth”) aren’t available through the IRS, though ProPublica, a nonprofit news and research organization, has a <a href="https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/742764780" target="_blank" rel="noopener">summary</a> of their 2020 filing, but not their 2019 or 2021 filings. According to ProPublica, the IRS hasn’t released the source documents for BiGAUSTIN’s 2020 filing.
According to BiGAUSTIN, it assists an average of 2,800 small and minority-owned businesses a year and estimates that its efforts contribute over $35 million to the local economy.

Construction

Austin To Establish $65 Million Affordable Housing Community

Austin

Housing

Money

Taxes

A <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/california" target="_blank" rel="noopener">California</a> superintendent defended a 7th-grade boy allegedly caught masturbating in front of his classmates, insisting to shocked parents that it was normal.
The superintendent, Mark McLaughlin of the Conejo Valley Unified School District (CVUSD), admonished parents for bringing up the issue during a school board meeting last month. McLaughlin disclosed that similar offenses occur at least once a year in their district, which he said normalized the incident.
“I don’t think any of you would want us up here chatting about an issue that took place with your child,” said McLaughlin. “I would say that, at least once a year, this comes up from both males and females within a school setting. And so, I don’t think this is anything outside the norm.”
McLaughlin issued those remarks in response to the testimony of Carrie Burgert, the mother of one of the alleged victims. Burgert shared that her daughter and other classmates allegedly witnessed the 7th-grade boy masturbating while in class back in May. Burgert added that the principal informed district leadership, but she has yet to hear back from the district office all these months later.
“I only know this because my daughter told me in the car when I picked her up, saying her friends were disturbed, traumatized, and scared,” said Burgert.
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Burgert blamed CVUSD for the boy’s behavior, accusing the district of a lax dress code and exposing junior high students to inappropriate, adult topics like oral and anal sex.
“My daughter and that boy are victims of this board’s approved content and curriculum, and I hold them each personally responsible for the social and emotional damage to these children,” said Burgert.
CVUSD Board President Karen Sylvester appeared to be unaware of the incident. She insinuated that the teacher and board weren’t to blame, saying that it was something that “just happened.” Parents in the audience challenged Sylvester, claiming that she was aware of the incident and questioned why law enforcement weren’t involved.
After the meeting, CVUSD published a <a href="https://linktr.ee/cvusdfacts?fbclid=IwAR1nRyjK-P5nrm2uRKFfUyQhnKgoJ1tjpOQ_Wo7AfgL3xFEhkz6ej3qErc8">Linktree</a> to counter general disinformation about the district. They made their <a href="https://twitter.com/ConejoValleyUSD">Twitter</a> page private this week as well, after reporter Christopher Rufo shared a clip of Burgert’s testimony and McLaughlin’s remarks.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
A mother in Conejo Valley Unified School District says a 7th-grade boy masturbated in class in front of her daughter. The school superintendent, who has pushed radical gender theory, says he &#8220;[doesn&#8217;t] think that this is anything outside the norm.&#8221;<a href="https://t.co/fzVKYbwvft">pic.twitter.com/fzVKYbwvft</a>
— Christopher F. Rufo ⚔️ (@realchrisrufo) <a href="https://twitter.com/realchrisrufo/status/1580237382724751361?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 12, 2022</a></blockquote>
McLaughlin’s defense of the boy’s actions occurred within the context of an already-contentious board meeting. Parents originally organized to confront the CVUSD board during that meeting over the district’s policies on comprehensive sexual education, social-emotional learning, and transgenderism.
Earlier this year, CVUSD parents concerned about the current state of their district launched multiple grassroots efforts such as <a href="https://conejoalert.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Conejo Alert</a> to inform and engage the community. One of the group’s leaders, Steve Schneider, alleged that his 8-year-old daughter was required to watch a video on transgenderism at Maple Elementary. 

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The parents also work with Gays Against Groomers, who spoke out at that same CVUSD board meeting in September. In clips that have since gone viral, Mario Presents criticized CVUSD policies and curriculum concerning transgenderism. He noted that he has two nephews in the district. 

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Southern California Superintendent Defends 7th-Grade Boy Masturbating In Front Of Classmates, Claims It’s Normal

Southern California Superintendent Defends 7th-Grade Boy Masturbating In Front Of Classmates, Claims It's Normal

California

Crime

Education

Parental Rights in Education

Schools

Transgender

A new <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/california">California</a> law forgave around $50 million of San Francisco’s traffic fine debts, and is expected to forgive around $500 million debts statewide. 
The $50 million accounted for approximately 180,000 traffic tickets, according to a <a href="https://sftreasurer.org/san-francisco-financial-justice-project-announces-50-million-outstanding-debt-eliminated-tens">press release</a> from the San Francisco Treasurer’s Office. Anne Stuhldreher, director for the treasurer’s Financial Justice Project, one of the principal instigators of the legislation, asserted that local courts shouldn’t fund themselves directly from the fees they impose. 
“California should not fund our local courts by asking the courts to impose fees that they benefit from. Courts should be funded separate and apart from these fees,” said Stuhldreher. “Eliminating the debt from this unfair and unnecessary fee and lowering it is a commonsense reform and an important step forward.”
The San Francisco Treasurer’s Office <a href="https://sfgov.org/financialjustice/">established</a> the Financial Justice Project to discover and change fines and fees that adversely or disproportionately impact minority or low-income individuals.
The law — <a href="https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billTextClient.xhtml?bill_id=202120220AB199">Assembly Bill 199</a>, part of the state’s budget bill  — eliminated fees issued before July 1 and provided $10 million in backfill to the courts. It also reduces the civil assessment fee, or late fee, from $300 to $100. Those late fees will now go to California’s general fund rather than the local court.
The bill also expanded eligibility for automatic filing fee waivers to those within 200 percent of the federal poverty guidelines, those participating in the state’s supplemental nutrition program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC), and those receiving unemployment compensation.
According to one of the assembly members that introduced the bill, Phil Tang (D-San Francisco), the main point of the bill was equity. He estimated that late fees were extracting $100 million, which he <a href="https://abc7news.com/assembly-bill-199-california-late-traffic-fees-bay-area-court-remove-fines/12102102/">claimed</a> in an interview with ABC7 News disproportionately impacted low-income families.
&#8220;Unfortunately for too long, our courts have been relying on low-income individuals paying civil assessments to fund many of their operations,” said Ting. 
However, California legislators didn’t come up with the idea for the bill. 
A coalition of activist groups, the Debt Free Justice California (DFJC), pushed the California Assembly and Governor Gavin Newsom to pass the bill. DFJC members include the ACLUs of Northern and Southern California, the Insight Center for Community Economic Development, the Anti-Recidivism Coalition, PolicyLink, and San Francisco’s Financial Justice Project.
The debt forgiveness legislation was largely patterned after a March <a href="https://lccrsf.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/Civil-Assessments-Issue-Brief_v3.pdf">report</a> authored by DFJC and the San Francisco treasurer’s Financial Justice Project claiming that civil assessments, or late fees, were a “poverty penalty” that impacted “Black and brown people” unfairly.
Yet, DFJC said that this latest debt forgiveness law didn’t go far enough. Rio Scharf, a representative of one of the coalition’s member organizations, <a href="https://ebclc.org/cadebtjustice/media/">claimed</a> in a June press release that the state was perpetuating racism and poverty by not eliminating late fees entirely.
“Governor Newsom had the opportunity to eliminate this racist and regressive fee and didn’t step up,” said Scharf. “The continuation of civil assessments will burden many more Californians and undermine the very financial relief the governor seeks to deliver through this year’s budget.”
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
📺What are civil assessments? They are a hidden $300 fee charged to people who already cannot afford to pay a ticket. <a href="https://twitter.com/CAgovernor?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@CAgovernor</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/GavinNewsom?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@GavinNewsom</a> let&#39;s fully end the civil assessment! <a href="https://t.co/EVAJ0BgaXt">pic.twitter.com/EVAJ0BgaXt</a> <a href="https://t.co/7ASgPJ2CJ7">https://t.co/7ASgPJ2CJ7</a>
&mdash; Lawyers&#39; Committee for Civil Rights Bay Area (@lccrsf) <a href="https://twitter.com/lccrsf/status/1537479369714634754?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 16, 2022</a></blockquote>
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Traffic light on street with red signal lit up

New California Law Erasing Traffic Fines Forgives $50 Million Of San Francisco Debt

New California Law Erasing Traffic Fines Forgives $50 Million of San Francisco Debt

San Francisco

Traffic

On Thursday, Tennessee Tech University (TTU) President Phil Oldham canceled two campus groups’ future <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/drag-queen" target="_blank" rel="noopener">drag shows </a>for mocking Christianity and exposing minors to explicit activity.
Oldham declared that TTU wasn’t aware or complicit of these “obscene, lewd, or explicit” drag shows, and that what he saw “disturbed and dismayed” him. TTU will be investigating those behind the drag shows for mocking Christians and involving minors.
“I do not feel the activities in the video represent Tech’s values, and I do not condone explicit activity where minors are present. I also am offended by disparaging mockery toward any religious group,” wrote Oldham.
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Until Thursday, TTU frequently hosted drag shows open to all ages at the Backdoor Playhouse theater. The offending drag show cited by Oldham went viral online earlier this month: children were handing cash to a drag queen performing a dance mocking Christians.
In the video, the drag performer dressed as a sad monk crossing himself as he walked around the stage to the song, “Take Me to Church” by Hozier. Then the music changes to “Middle of the Night” by Elley Duhé, a song about sex, and the drag performer strips down to a bodysuit, caressing his body and gathering cash from a cheering audience and minors who approach him onstage.
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Tennessee Tech University hosted a drag show that had little kids handing cash to the drag queen who was performing a dance clearly meant to mock Christians. Every parent who pays to send their kids to <a href="https://twitter.com/tennesseetech?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@tennesseetech</a> deserves to know that this is what they’re allowing on campus. <a href="https://t.co/Q4I9uR2tcT">pic.twitter.com/Q4I9uR2tcT</a>
&mdash; Landon Starbuck (@LandonStarbuck) <a href="https://twitter.com/LandonStarbuck/status/1567530842875957251?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 7, 2022</a></blockquote>
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Those behind the drag shows were planning on hosting another show open to minors at the end of this month. All of the shows took place at TTU’s Backdoor Playhouse, the campus’ 60-year-old theater.
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Are you ready to RUMBLE?!?! Upper Cumberland Pride VS. Kings Of Khaos will be September 24th at 6:30 PM. There is a $5 cover and is for all ages! <a href="https://t.co/syZKaXqlSo">pic.twitter.com/syZKaXqlSo</a>
&mdash; Upper Cumberland Pride (@ucpridetn1) <a href="https://twitter.com/ucpridetn1/status/1567183219707052034?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 6, 2022</a></blockquote>
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A TTU senior — who asked not to be identified for fear of retaliation — said she was pleased with Oldham’s response. She said a lot of her peers share Oldham’s sentiment.
The senior added that there’s a lack of awareness that drag culture is prevalent in the Cookeville, Tennessee, area where TTU is located.
“A lot of people weren’t aware that this is something that is part of our city now, in a way. I don’t think anybody really knew that this was such an active culture, or whatever drag is,” said the senior. “But we didn’t realize they were performing quite frequently on campus and what their target audience has been. It’s disturbing.”
Those organizing the event were Upper Cumberland Pride, TTU Lambda Gender and Sexuality Alliance, and TTU’s drama club Tech Players. The Daily Wire reached out to one of the principal organizers, Upper Cumberland Pride, for comment. They responded with a statement given to the community in which they conveyed that they were “disheartened and dismayed” by the “misrepresentation” of the drag show.
“The accusations made on social media are not only false but damaging to all those involved. Our hope is to resolve this misunderstanding with the university and continue to educate the community about our organization and the LGBTQIA+ community,” stated the organization.
Upper Cumberland Pride also claimed that the drag performer wasn’t dressed as a member of the clergy, nor did his performance criticize any religion, including Christianity. The organization also claimed that no children were ever present at any of their events, and that no sexual connotation was present in their performances.
“No child was put in any sexual situation, nor have they ever been at any event held by UCP,” said the organization. “When we hold all ages events, performers are asked to ensure that song lyrics are clean and that there is no sexual connotation to their performances. We want everyone in attendance to feel safe, welcome, and to have a good time.”
Upper Cumberland Pride also hosted a Drag Queen Story Hour at TTU in April, in connection with the <a href="https://www.facebook.com/Dqshmidtn/?ref=page_internal">Tennessee chapter</a> of the <a href="https://www.dragqueenstoryhour.org/">Drag Queen Story Hour</a> national network. According to the organization’s Instagram page, their agenda is to free children from “the constraints of prescribed gender roles.”
“Drag points out the silliness, the thrill, and the powerful feelings of challenging societal expectations,” stated the organization.
The latest upcoming drag show TTU canceled was an effort to raise money for Upper Cumberland Pride. As the organization noted in January, previous fundraising efforts average about $1,000 raised.
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The UCPride Board would like to thank all the performers and everyone that came out to support the Upper Cumberland Pride event Stomp the Stage 2.0 Drag Show. We raised almost $1000! Our next Drag at the Backdoor fundraiser is February 26th, SAVE THE DATE.<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ucpride?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#ucpride</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/LGBTQPLUS?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#LGBTQPLUS</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ttu?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#ttu</a> <a href="https://t.co/Zlsweehcg1">pic.twitter.com/Zlsweehcg1</a>
&mdash; Upper Cumberland Pride (@ucpridetn1) <a href="https://twitter.com/ucpridetn1/status/1485428251942174722?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 24, 2022</a></blockquote>
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TTU isn’t the only one to reject drag shows as of late.
As The Daily Wire <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/boise-pride-festival-loses-sponsor-over-scheduled-drag-kids-performance">reported</a> on Thursday, the Boise Pride Festival lost one of their biggest sponsors, Zion Bank, for scheduling a “Drag Kids” show.
These rejections are part of a larger cultural conflict concerning the sexualization of children, with major cities like <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/more-akin-to-disney-than-anything-risque-chicago-tribune-celebrates-drag-shows-for-kids">Chicago</a>, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/catholic-health-ministry-sponsors-texas-drag-queen-event-which-children-attended">Austin</a>, and <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/ny-library-hosts-events-for-young-teens-to-learn-the-art-of-drag">New York City</a> encouraging children’s involvement in drag shows, in addition to <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/i-for-one-am-fed-up-parents-react-to-drag-shows-at-their-childrens-schools">school systems</a> across the nation. The entertainment sector is on board as well: Disney <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/strutting-out-of-the-werkroom-drag-queen-coming-to-disney-in-new-marvel-teen-series">announced</a> last month that it would include a drag queen in its new Marvel teen series.
Disclosure: The Daily Wire has announced plans for <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/videos/introducing-dw-kids">kids entertainment content</a>.

Young man applying drag makeup

Tennessee Tech Cancels Campus Drag Shows For Mocking God, Inviting Minors

Christianity

College

Drag Queens

LGBTQ

Tennessee

Last Friday, a Waldorf, Maryland high school principal’s son, the volunteer track coach, was charged for sexually abusing a student.
According to the Charles County Sheriff’s Office, the alleged abuse <a href="https://www.ccso.us/press-releases/11333/">occurred</a> to a former Westlake High School student where the accused, 32-year-old Jason Roberts, began coaching in the 2017-2018 school year. His mother, Diane Roberts, has been the principal of Westlake High School since 2018. 
According to his LinkedIn, Roberts attends North Carolina Central University Law School, where he’s the vice president of the Christian Legal Society (CLS). Roberts also served as a youth leader with Victory Christian Ministries International for 13 years, where he organized Bible studies, Sunday services, and conferences.
In an April Facebook post, Roberts shared a picture of the Westlake Track and Field Team seniors to congratulate them on graduating.
“Nothing but love for my seniors over the past four years,” wrote Roberts.
Roberts also participated in a Black Lives Matter protest with students the weekend following George Floyd’s death. In a Facebook post, he thanked the Charles County Sheriff’s Office for allowing the protest — the same agency that announced the charges against him this past week. 
“I have to thank the professionalism of the Charles County Sheriff’s Office and the Maryland State Police for allowing us the space and freedom to march out some of the pain, anger, and frustration we are feeling; they provided more support than your fearless leader of color who claims ‘Charles County Matters,’” wrote Roberts. “Also, it was great seeing a lot of students and teachers joining in solidarity this afternoon.”
Charles County Public Schools (CCPS) Superintendent Maria Navarro said in a statement that the district removed Roberts as a coach upon learning of the charges against him. Navarro shared that Roberts had a clear background check on file with the school system. Additionally, Navarro shared that CCPS would host a public meeting to discuss the allegations against Roberts in the near future. 
“CCPS does not condone any inappropriate conduct between staff, volunteers or any other adults affiliated with the school system and students. Anytime a report is shared with us about alleged misconduct, whether it involves students and/or staff, it is provided to police for investigation,” stated Navarro. “Keeping schools, staff and students safe are the main priorities of CCPS and police are not able to investigate what they do not know.”
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Seniors take heed to the advice provided by Principal Roberts &amp; Superintendent Dr. Hill. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WolverinePride?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#WolverinePride</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/Westlake2021?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Westlake2021</a> <a href="https://t.co/J8XtVniTGq">pic.twitter.com/J8XtVniTGq</a>
&mdash; Westlake High School (@Westlake_HS) <a href="https://twitter.com/Westlake_HS/status/1399727547894702082?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 1, 2021</a></blockquote>
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From January to July, Fox News <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/us/181-k-12-educators-charged-child-sex-crimes-2022">reported</a> that at least 181 K-12 educators were arrested on child sex-related crimes. As The Daily Wire reported in April, officials sometimes <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/radical-activist-teacher-got-away-with-shocking-behavior-for-years">overlook</a> egregious cases like that of California high school teacher Matef Harmachis.
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Radical Activist Teacher Got Away With Shocking Behavior For Years <a href="https://t.co/GXIjcTB6d3">https://t.co/GXIjcTB6d3</a> <a href="https://t.co/nSCTl6Eh1l">pic.twitter.com/nSCTl6Eh1l</a>
&mdash; Daily Wire (@realDailyWire) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDailyWire/status/1519768929870045184?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 28, 2022</a></blockquote>
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There have been other sexual abuse charges against educators since Fox News’ analysis in July, such as the charges against another <a href="https://www.theintelligencer.net/news/community/2022/08/former-wetzel-county-teacher-coach-charged-with-sexual-abuse/">former coach</a> in West Virginia earlier this month. There have also been charges against administrators who fail to report sexual abuse. A Connecticut elementary school principal and three staff members were <a href="https://www.wfsb.com/2022/08/24/2-plymouth-school-staff-members-arrested-failing-report-abuse/">charged</a> recently for not reporting abuse allegedly committed by a fourth-grade teacher. 
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Virginia Teacher Charged With Child Porn Possession After Tip Leads To Disturbing Discovery <a href="https://t.co/jT0MuyBg4Q">https://t.co/jT0MuyBg4Q</a> <a href="https://t.co/nhnNpcVySs">pic.twitter.com/nhnNpcVySs</a>
&mdash; Daily Wire (@realDailyWire) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDailyWire/status/1528986794817007616?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 24, 2022</a></blockquote>
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Investigations into Roberts are ongoing. The Charles County Sheriff’s Office requested that anyone with information <a href="https://www.ccso.us/press-releases/11333/">contact</a> the detective on the case. Those who prefer to remain anonymous should contact the Charles County Crime Solvers.
The CCPS community may also <a href="https://www.ccboe.com/community/see-something-say-something">reach out</a> via the school district’s “See Something Say Something” tip line.

Track sprinter taking off from starting block/Getty Images

High School Principal’s Son, A Track Coach, Charged With Sexually Abusing Student

kids sports

Sexual Abuse

Sports

The U.S. has the most monkeypox cases in the world with over 15,400 confirmed cases this week, accounting for nearly 36 percent of all cases worldwide.
<a href="https://www.cdc.gov/poxvirus/monkeypox/response/2022/world-map.html">Globally</a>, there are over 42,900 reported cases and 12 reported deaths. The U.S. has no reported deaths so far. 
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the top ten states with the <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/poxvirus/monkeypox/response/2022/us-map.html">most cases</a> are the following (in order from greatest to least): New York, California, Florida, Texas, Georgia, Illinois, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Maryland, and Washington state. The CDC also included Washington, D.C. in its case counts, which had slightly more cases than the state of Washington. Last month, New York <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/150000-new-yorkers-at-risk-for-monkeypox-officials-declare-public-health-emergency">declared</a> a public health emergency over monkeypox.
Spain comes second to the U.S. in monkeypox cases. They have just over 6,100 cases — less than half of total U.S. cases.
The seven locations abroad that have historically experienced monkeypox outbreaks make up less than one percent of all cases presently. Altogether, they have less than 400 cases. The Democratic Republic of the Congo has 163 cases, Nigeria has 157, Ghana has 47, the Central African Republic has 8, Cameroon has 7, the Republic of the Congo has 3, and Liberia has 2. Three of these locations — Nigeria, Central African Republic, and Ghana — account for 7 of the 12 deaths. 
On Monday, the CDC announced that the monkeypox outbreak caused about 50 percent of gay and bisexual men surveyed to change their sexual behaviors. Multiple studies have indicated that the LGBTQ+ community harbors the vast majority of cases. The CDC <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/poxvirus/monkeypox/response/2022/cdc-response.html">warns</a> on its website that monkeypox mostly affects men who have intercourse with men. 
“Many — though not all — of the reported monkeypox cases have been among gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men,” stated the CDC. “Because of this, CDC has emphasized the need to identify and use specific channels to promote messages that directly reach gay and bisexual men (across racial, ethnic, socioeconomic, and geographic backgrounds).”
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In an online survey of gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men conducted during August 5-15, 2022, respondents reported changing their behavior because of the <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/monkeypox?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#monkeypox</a> outbreak. 
For more data on the 2022 U.S. monkeypox outbreak, visit <a href="https://t.co/QpblepCma5">https://t.co/QpblepCma5</a> <a href="https://t.co/kZld53MB96">pic.twitter.com/kZld53MB96</a>
&mdash; CDC (@CDCgov) <a href="https://twitter.com/CDCgov/status/1561812645312970752?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 22, 2022</a></blockquote>
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CDC data trends <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/poxvirus/monkeypox/response/2022/mpx-trends.html">indicate</a> that monkeypox cases have grown exponentially in the U.S. since the concluding weeks of Pride Month, which is June. The first U.S. case was reported in mid-May. 
As The Daily Wire <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/biden-monkeypox-czar-says-vaccines-will-now-be-available-at-large-lgbt-events">reported</a> last Friday, the White House Monkeypox Response Coordinator, Bob Fenton, said that the administration would distribute up to 50,000 monkeypox vaccines at “large LGBT events.” However, the Biden administration has shown reluctance to connect the monkeypox outbreak with the sexual activities of gay and bisexual men.
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Did you know there are two vaccines that can protect from monkeypox? Here are some facts about the vaccines used to prevent monkeypox infection. <a href="https://t.co/74f9HYKRk1">https://t.co/74f9HYKRk1</a>
&mdash; CDC (@CDCgov) <a href="https://twitter.com/CDCgov/status/1561729912255516672?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 22, 2022</a></blockquote>
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Fenton’s action came several weeks after President Joe Biden <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/biden-names-monkeypox-czar-after-3-states-declare-state-of-emergency">appointed</a> him to the position. The Biden administration <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/biden-admin-says-u-s-may-need-7-billion-for-monkeypox">revealed</a> late last month that they may apply around $7 billion to respond to the monkeypox outbreak. 
Monkeypox illness normally lasts 2-4 weeks. Symptoms include a pox rash that looks like pimples or blisters, fever, swollen lymph nodes, chills, muscle aches, headaches, exhaustion, sore throat, nasal congestion, and a cough.
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<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/DYK?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#DYK</a>? People with <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/monkeypox?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#monkeypox</a> may experience all or only a few symptoms. Monkeypox illness typically lasts 2-4 weeks. If you have a new or unexplained rash or other symptoms, contact a healthcare provider to get checked out. <a href="https://t.co/W06gLLLBNd">https://t.co/W06gLLLBNd</a>.
&mdash; CDC (@CDCgov) <a href="https://twitter.com/CDCgov/status/1560280365633155072?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 18, 2022</a></blockquote>
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Although transmission normally occurs between humans, the CDC now warns that animals may contract monkeypox. The CDC <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/cdc-changes-guidance-after-gay-couple-likely-infected-their-dog-with-monkeypox">updated</a> its guidance in recent weeks after a gay couple from France may have transmitted monkeypox to their dog. The couple contracted monkeypox after engaging in sexual activity with multiple other partners. Two weeks after becoming symptomatic, the couple’s dog tested positive for monkeypox. 
To learn more about the monkeypox epidemic, read The Daily Wire’s in-depth report <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/heres-everything-you-need-to-know-about-the-monkeypox-outbreak">here</a>.

US-HEALTH-VIRUS-MONKEYPOX

U.S. Monkeypox Cases Over 15,400 — More Than Any Other Country

Monkeypox

Officials have been unable to identify the cause of a canine parvovirus-like outbreak killing <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/michigan">Michigan</a> dogs within days — but it bears resemblance to cases seen in <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/mexico">Mexico</a>. 
Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine associate professor Elisa Mazzaferro <a href="https://www.detroitnews.com/story/news/local/michigan/2022/08/22/state-investigating-dog-parvo-virus-spreading-northern-michigan/7864125001/">told</a> The Detroit News on Monday that the virus reminded her of cases treated by a Mexico City emergency clinician. Otsego County <a href="https://dailywire.com/news/texas-woman-wins-award-after-reducing-animal-shelters-kill-rate-from-100-to-0/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">animal shelter</a> director Melissa FitzGerald advised pet owners to head to a veterinarian immediately if their dog experiences parvovirus-like symptoms: loss of appetite, lethargy, bloody stool, vomiting, and diarrhea. 
“Canine parvovirus attacks rapidly, dividing cells, including those of the gastrointestinal tract, and leads to vomiting and diarrhea,” said FitzGerald.
Most of the dogs infected with the mystery virus test negative for canine parvovirus, and even dogs vaccinated for canine parvovirus have fallen ill. The virus usually kills dogs within three days. Over 50 dogs have died from the mystery illness so far. 
Canine parvovirus isn’t contagious to other animals or humans. 
On Monday, the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (MDARD) <a href="https://www.michigan.gov/mdard/about/media/pressreleases/2022/08/22/update-from-state-vet">reported</a> that several preliminary samples of infected dogs tested positive for canine parvovirus during necropsies. However, MDARD didn’t attribute the outbreak to canine parvovirus definitively. State Veterinarian Nora Wineland clarified that they’d just launched their investigation and were awaiting further results. 
“We are still in the early stages of this investigation, but some of the first samples submitted to the Michigan State University Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory were positive for canine parvovirus. However, there are more results pending and more to be learned,” said Wineland.
Michigan State University (MSU) Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory (VDL) director Kim Dodd <a href="https://www.mlive.com/news/2022/08/at-least-30-dogs-dead-of-mysterious-parvo-like-illness-in-one-northern-michigan-county.html">clarified</a> to MLive that the state and university together would “explore novel explanations” like new virus variants if unable to find the cause of the outbreak.
MDARD <a href="https://www.michigan.gov/mdard/about/media/pressreleases/2022/08/19/mdard-encourages-owners-to-protect-their-dogs-and-puppies-through-vaccinations">announced</a> its intervention in the outbreak last Friday.
The first cases appeared across Otsego County, before spreading to Clare County.
Otsego County Animal Shelter explained in a Facebook post earlier this month that most of the dogs who contracted the mystery illness in their area were under two years old and died within three days. On Monday, their director, Melissa Fitzgerald, clarified that they haven’t heard of any survivors. 
The shelter <a href="https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=pfbid0uQKVK9Cv3wQchD8L4942fdniJotvrAjRfMJMcxS2MfS1VdvK5nAC7hvyDmPbPt89l&amp;id=512983878748017" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a> that they spoke with veterinarians throughout their county and MDARD — however, nobody has an explanation for the outbreak.
“No one has an answer. The best ‘guess’ is that this is a strain of parvo,” stated the shelter.
In an update, the shelter <a href="https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=pfbid0SVbdepHiiqsJCEuegBWubqv9VEEFy8Loj21KYmJRAXt5kCEqnsfsUfgTe77TFxMkl&amp;id=512983878748017" target="_blank" rel="noopener">clarified</a> that they’d received more reports beyond northern Michigan to include central Michigan. The shelter reported that properly vaccinated dogs hadn’t died from the virus in their area, in an apparent contradiction to their director’s remarks earlier this week.
However, Clare County Animal Control Director Rudi Hicks reported to the Clare County Board of Commissioners last Wednesday that both vaccinated and unvaccinated dogs infected with the mystery virus all died. Hicks <a href="https://www.clarecountycleaver.net/stories/mystery-virus-killing-dogs,7427">said</a> that the state was “in a panic” over the mystery virus. 
Until further notice, officials are advising Michigan dog owners to refrain from taking their dogs to dog parks and on walks.

Teaching Veterinary Care in Wartime, Kyiv

Mystery Virus Killing Dogs in Michigan Novel to U.S. But Familiar to Mexico City

Animals

Dogs

Mexico

The <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/san-francisco">San Francisco</a> Police Department (SFPD) won’t charge an 11-year-old boy for his role in a group assault and robbery of a 70-year-old Asian woman due to his age.
The three other suspects in the assault and robbery were two juvenile girls, ages 13 and 14, and an 18-year-old male named Darryl Moore.
Police announced that they couldn’t press charges during a Monday press conference. San Francisco District Attorney Brooke Jenkins insisted that the community needed to do more to prevent juvenile crimes.
“I think a greater dialogue and discussion has to begin when we are seeing our children involved in these types of crimes,” said Jenkins, <a href="https://www.ktvu.com/news/4-young-people-including-11-year-old-accused-of-vicious-attack-on-elderly-woman">according</a> to KTVU. “I think it sends a message to us all that we need to do more as a community in San Francisco, more broadly, to discuss how we got to this point.”
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Arrests Made in Assault of 70-year-old Woman
Investigators from our Robbery Unit developed information that identified the suspects as 18-year-old Oakland resident Darryl Moore, and three juvenile suspects, ages 11, 13, and 14. ➡️ <a href="https://t.co/lwQsg6KFyU">https://t.co/lwQsg6KFyU</a> <a href="https://t.co/p2bBuSo4Ge">pic.twitter.com/p2bBuSo4Ge</a>
&mdash; San Francisco Police (@SFPD) <a href="https://twitter.com/SFPD/status/1559295650931519489?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 15, 2022</a></blockquote>
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In 2018, California prevented most children under 12 years old from entering the juvenile court system through Senate Bill 439 (<a href="https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billNavClient.xhtml?bill_id=201720180SB439">SB-439</a>), excluding those children who murder, rape, or sexually assault their victims. The law requires law enforcement to return children under 12 who commit any other crimes to their families or caregivers.
Former Governor Jerry Brown (D-CA) signed the bill into law. The Center on Juvenile and Criminal Justice, Children’s Defense Fund of California, National Center for Youth Law, W. Haywood Burns Institute, Youth Justice Coalition of Los Angeles, and Anti-Recidivism Coalition <a href="http://www.cjcj.org/Policy-analysis/CJCJ-Co-sponsored-Legislation/Senate-Bill-439-2018-.html">cosponsored</a> the bill.
During Monday’s press conference, SFPD Chief Bill Scott called the juveniles’ involvement in the assault and robbery “really, really sad.” Jenkins echoed that sentiment shortly after. She noted in a tweet that the city needed to ensure appropriate consequences for crimes of that nature.
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I appreciate the hard work of <a href="https://twitter.com/SFPD?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@sfpd</a> to catch Mrs. Ren’s attackers. It’s a sad situation across the board &amp; we have to ensure there are appropriate consequences while doubling down on our work to stop violence. <a href="https://t.co/vQ2dsLO5EZ">https://t.co/vQ2dsLO5EZ</a>
&mdash; Brooke Jenkins 謝安宜 (@BrookeJenkinsSF) <a href="https://twitter.com/BrookeJenkinsSF/status/1559293042212737024?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 15, 2022</a></blockquote>
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Jenkins <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/ousted-woke-san-francisco-da-says-he-wont-try-to-get-elected-again-attacks-his-replacement">replaced</a> a progressive predecessor, Chesa Boudin, who was recalled earlier in June. Since taking office, Jenkins has focused on undoing Boudin’s work. Most recently, this included <a href="https://www.sfgate.com/politics/article/jenkins-halts-restorative-justice-referrals-17374491.php">ending</a> referrals to the city’s restorative justice program — which offers offenders an alternative to incarceration — <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/san-francisco-da-revokes-dozens-of-plea-deals-made-by-woke-predecessor-cracks-down-on-drug-dealers">revoking</a> over 30 plea deals given to drug dealers by Boudin, restructuring the district attorney’s office by firing and demoting Boudin’s staffers — which <a href="https://www.kron4.com/news/bay-area/sf-assistant-da-slams-brooke-jenkins-in-resignation-letter/">prompted</a> the assistant district attorney to quit — and <a href="https://missionlocal.org/2022/08/jenkins-removed-prosecutor-police-misconduct-homicide-trial/">removing</a> the prosecuting attorney in a controversial officer-involved shooting case.
Boudin announced earlier this month that he wouldn’t seek re-election. Crime rates <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/i-have-no-intention-of-stopping-belligerent-soros-says-he-will-continue-funding-leftist-das">surged</a> under his tenure.
Moore and the two juvenile girls face charges of robbery, elder abuse, burglary, false imprisonment, and conspiracy.
The assault of the 70-year-old San Francisco woman, <a href="https://abc7news.com/asian-woman-beaten-in-sf-attacked-by-four-people-elderly-kicked-head-san-francisco-senior-attacks/12091867/">identified</a> by local media only as “Mrs. Ren,” occurred on July 31 inside the lobby of a building. The teens hit and kicked Ren in the head and various parts of her body multiple times, taking her iPhone and keys. Ren sustained non-life-threatening injuries that warranted a hospital trip.
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𝟳𝟬-𝗬/𝗢 𝗠𝗿𝘀. 𝗥𝗲𝗻 𝘄𝗮𝘀 𝗯𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗻 &amp; 𝗸𝗶𝗰𝗸𝗲𝗱 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗵𝗲𝗮𝗱 𝗯𝘆 𝟰 𝗷𝘂𝘃𝗲𝗻𝗶𝗹𝗲𝘀 𝗶𝗻 𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝗵𝗼𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗲𝘅 𝗶𝗻 𝗦𝗮𝗻 𝗙𝗿𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗶𝘀𝗰𝗼.
Warning: I’ve seen many attacks but this incident is next-level heinous. ⠀ 🧵⬇️ <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/stopaapihate?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#stopaapihate</a> <a href="https://t.co/7NNYCxLrcF">pic.twitter.com/7NNYCxLrcF</a>
&mdash; Dion Lim (@DionLimTV) <a href="https://twitter.com/DionLimTV/status/1554292158684794882?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 2, 2022</a></blockquote>
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During Monday’s press conference, Jenkins said that there will be an investigation to determine whether a hate crime occurred.
“With regard to hate crimes, they do require proof of motive,” said Jenkins. “That oftentimes requires an expression from an assailant or some investigation into past history.”
Moore, along with the 11-year-old and the 13-year-old, weren’t apprehended until last Wednesday, when they were arrested for an unrelated crime about an hour away in Milpitas, California. The 14-year-old remains at large as of press time.

Police Reform Plan Halts Officer Response To Non-Criminal Calls

11-Year-Old Won’t Face Charges For Beating Elderly Asian Woman With Gang Of Teens In San Francisco

11-Year-Old Won't Face Charges For Beating Elderly Asian Woman With Gang Of Teens In San Francisco

Chesa Boudin

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Corinne Murdock