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A federal judge struck down a portion of New Jersey's so-called "sanctuary" law blocking private migrant detention contracts with the Biden administration's federal agencies.  In August 2021, Democrat Gov. Phil Murphy enacted Assembly Bill 5207, prohibiting New Jersey, its political subdivisions and private entities "from prospectively contracting to own or operate any facility that detains individuals for violating civil immigration laws."  At the time of the bill’s passage, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and the division of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) responsible for detaining individuals for civil immigration violations was using four detention facilities in New Jersey, but as the legislation became law, three of those four facilities stopped housing detainees on ICE’s behalf. Now, just one remains – the Elizabeth Detention Center (EDC). Its private operator CoreCivic, Inc.’s federal contract was set to expire on Aug. 31, and afterward, the New Jersey law would have prevented the private contractor from renewing it.  In a Tuesday ruling, U.S. District Court Judge Robert Kirsch sided with CoreCivic’s lawsuit filed earlier this year, ruling the legislation unconstitutional.  "A state law that wholesale deprives the federal government of its chosen method of detaining individuals for violating federal law cannot survive Supremacy Clause scrutiny," the judge wrote. "[The law] would impose on the United States an intolerable choice between either releasing federal detainees or carrying out detention in an entirely novel way." ADAMS SAYS HOCHUL 'WRONG' ON NYC MIGRANT CRISIS, URGES 'REAL LEADERSHIP' TO PUSH ASYLUM SEEKERS ACROSS STATE Biden administration attorneys argued that if New Jersey's neighboring states passed laws similar to AB 5207, "ICE will be unable to detain some (or perhaps many) noncitizens who are public safety or national security risks." The United States claimed "a drastic decrease in ICE'S ability to contract for detention facilities would also result in massively increased costs in terms of both transportation needs and the hiring of more officers to ensure that noncitizens are safely transported to distant facilities."  The administration also asserted that attempting to comply with AB 5207 by building and operating its own detention facility in New Jersey is "not a practical or legal possibility," because constructing and opening a new facility would be more expensive and time-consuming than entering into a contract with a private company or public entity for an existing facility.  The Elizabeth center is the only facility that houses ICE detainees within 60 miles of New York City. As of mid-June 2023, the EDC held approximately 285 detainees. The federal government has been housing immigration detainees in New Jersey since at least 1986. If the state law forces ICE to house detainees outside of New Jersey, ICE would likely need to initiate "a competitive solicitation process for new private contracts in other States to replace the lost capacity in New Jersey," which "wouldn't be available for some time," Kirsch's ruling says. Biden administration attorneys cite the EDC's proximity to two international airports — the Newark Liberty International Airport and the JFK International Airport — that make EDC crucial to ICE'S operations, as well as the operations of other federal agencies.  DHS CALLS FOR IMPROVEMENTS TO NYC’S MIGRANT CRISIS OPERATIONS AS ADAMS PUSHES BACK "While ICE has discretion to release certain noncitizens pending their removal proceedings if they are not flight risks and do not pose a public-security threat, ICE is required to detain categories of noncitizens who are subject to mandatory detention under the immigration laws or those who pose risk to public safety," the opinion says. "Congress has likewise granted DHS discretion over the manner in which it detains individuals for civil immigration violations."  The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals shot down a similar California law in September 2022.  Murphy’s office told Politico that the New Jersey Attorney General’s office will plan an appeal. The state maintains "private detention facilities threaten the public health and safety of New Jerseyans, including when used for immigration purposes."  Last week, all but one of New Jersey’s Democrat congressional delegation penned a letter to U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland demanding the Department of Justice rescind its statement of interest in the CoreCivic lawsuit opposing the state law. The letter cites reports from detainees and legal advocates about "inhuman conditions" at the Elizabeth facility, including lack of proper air quality, sanitation violations, overcrowding, inadequate media and mental health care and alleged "incidents of retaliation and abusive treatment by guards and staff." They also cited "extensive complaints, lawsuits, protests and calls for action" against the facility.

Canada updated its travel advisory Tuesday morning cautioning "2SLGBTQI+" travelers to the U.S. that they may be impacted by some state laws.  "Some states have enacted laws and policies that may affect 2SLGBTQI+ persons. Check relevant state and local laws," the Global Affairs Canada alert states.  The advisory links to another government page with more information that says foreign laws may be different from Canada’s, and informs LGBTQ travelers that they "could face certain barriers and risks when you travel outside Canada." The notification tells travelers to follow local laws when traveling outside the country, "even if these laws infringe on your human rights." PETS LEFT BEHIND IN CANADA DURING WILDFIRE EVACUATIONS RESCUED BY VOLUNTEERS, TO BE REUNITED WITH FAMILIES "Not all countries have the same values and legal system that we have in Canada," the safety travel webpage reads. "As a result, it is important for you to be informed about the legal framework and social customs governing sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression and sex characteristics in your destination country." According to Canada's terminology, "2S" is an abbreviation for "two-spirit" — a term purportedly used by Indigenous people to describe nonbinary gender identity — which the government "recognizes … as the first 2SLGBTQI+ communities." The "I" in the acronym stands for "Intersex," which "considers sex characteristics beyond sexual orientation, gender identity and gender expression." The advisory did not list specific states, but several states have introduced legislation to ban drag shows after Tennessee became the first state to ban them in public spaces. Other laws enacted in Florida, Alabama, Idaho, North Dakota and Oklahoma restrict transgender minors from seeking medical procedures to transition.  MAN FORCIBLY REMOVED FROM SCHOOL BOARD MEETING BY SECURITY WHILE READING FROM LGBTQ BOOK: 'UNCONSTITUTIONAL' Global Affairs spokesperson Jérémie Bérubé told Fox News Digital in a statement Wednesday that since the start of the year, "certain states in the U.S. have passed laws banning drag shows and restricting the transgender community from access to gender affirming care and from participation in sporting events." "The Government of Canada issues travel advice and advisories following a thorough analysis of various information sources, including consular trends observed by Canadian diplomats in the field," the statement said. "The information is provided to enable travellers to make their own informed decisions regarding destinations. The decision to travel is the sole responsibility of the traveller." Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland said during a press conference Tuesday regarding that the advisory the Canadian government "needs to put at the center of everything we do the interests and the safety of every single Canadian, and of every single group of Canadians." "That's what we're doing now. That's what we're always going to do," she said, the Canadian Broadcasting Corp. reported.  FINNISH CHRISTIAN OFFICIALS FACE CHARGES FOR LGBT CRITICISMS AS BIDEN ADMIN ASKED TO STEP IN A U.S. state department spokesperson told Fox News Digital Wednesday the country is committed to promoting tolerance and inclusion while advancing human rights for LGBTQI+ people.  The U.S. is reportedly also listed on travel advisory warnings for some foreign countries, including New Zealand, Australia and France, mainly for violent crimes in urban cities and mass shootings. Venezuela and Uruguay have issued travel warnings against the U.S. since 2019, due to "proliferation of acts of violence and indiscriminate hate crimes," the Miami Herald reported.

State law allows attorney to enter plea on former president’s behalf in election rigging case

• Hurricane Idalia – follow live

Good morning, US politics blog readers. Last week, Donald Trump made a much-watched visit to the Fulton county jail in Atlanta to be formally arrested after his indictment in the Georgia election rigging case. He was set to return to the city next week, when the defendants in the case will appear in a courtroom and plead to the charges brought against them by district attorney Fani Willis. But CBS News reports this morning that he is considering skipping the 6 September court date, as state law allows, and having his attorney enter his plea in writing. That would make Georgia the only one of the four criminal cases he’s facing where he does not enter his plea in person. Willis’s case is still in its early stages, and Trump along with some of his 18 co-defendants have signaled they have no interest in seeing their proceedings resolved anytime soon. But Willis yesterday seized on a motion filed by indicted former Trump attorney Kenneth Chesebro to have his trial start on 23 October to ask a judge to start the other defendants’ trials at the same time – unless they object. Expect plenty of them to do so, perhaps as soon as today. Hurricane Idalia has made landfall in Florida, where Republican governor Ron DeSantis paused presidential campaigning to deal with its potentially catastrophic damage to the Gulf coast. Follow our live blog for the latest on the storm. Joe Biden will at 1.45 pm eastern time speak about the federal response to Idalia, and the deadly wildfire in Maui earlier this month. Harrison Floyd, the only one of Trump’s 18 co-defendants in Georgia who was not released following his arrest last week, left jail after posting a bond, according to media reports. Continue reading...

The congresswoman from New York says she’s different from when she first took office. But she’s not ready to call herself an insider.

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez preparing to do a live TV interview after this year’s State of the Union address.

At a vigil for the shooting victims, Mr. DeSantis had to speak over loud boos from a largely Black crowd. His agenda in Florida has earned him few Black allies.

Gov. Ron DeSantis’s conservative policies have angered the African American community in Florida, particularly one regarding how slavery is taught in schools.

New York City Mayor Eric Adams slammed fellow Democrat Gov. Kathy Hochul for pushing back on his controversial migrant "decompression strategy," urging "real leadership" from Albany to push asylum seekers into communities across the state, lessening the burden on the Big Apple.  During a fireside conversation hosted by New York Law School, a professor asked Adams to respond to concern over tents erected to house migrants in outer boroughs such as Queens. In response, the mayor re-upped his warning last year that the migrant crisis is "going to come to a neighborhood near you," again throwing criticism toward "two Republican governors" – veiled shots at Texas Gov. Greg Abbott and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis – for sending migrants from the border to self-declared liberal sanctuary cities like New York, Houston, Chicago and Washington, D.C. But Adams also went after his own Democrat governor.  "You think I enjoy displacing children playing soccer on Randall's Island? I don't enjoy disrupting the community in Staten Island. I don't enjoy watching this happen to New York City residents. But we are required to provide basic care," Adams said. "And that's why Governor Hochul has been a partner on subway safety, on crime, on a host of things. But I think this issue, I think the governor's wrong. She's the governor of the State of New York. New York City is in that state. Every county in this state should be part of this. We have 0.05 of the landmass in this state, and we have almost 99% of the migrant asylum seekers." DHS CALLS FOR IMPROVEMENTS TO NYC’S MIGRANT CRISIS OPERATIONS AS ADAMS PUSHES BACK "This is a real leadership moment, and all those counties, we are the economic engine of this state," he continued. "New York goes down, the entire state goes down. And New Yorkers, I want to be honest with you, this keeps me up at night. This could erode everything that we have accomplished. This is a humanitarian crisis of a national proportion."  Adams also took aim at New Yorkers complaining about migrants moving into their neighborhoods.  "This is wrong on New Yorkers. When I hear someone that's saying in Middle Village, Staten Island or wherever, say, ’Eric, why is this tent in my block?’ My question is, ‘Where have you been? I told you what we were dealing with,’" Adams said. "Day after day after day, I'm saying, ‘New Yorkers, we have to rise up. We have to speak to our federal lawmakers and let Washington know that this should not be happening to New York City.’ Now, we can't start saying, ‘This is unfair that it's in Middle Village.’ Then tell me what community to move it to. Should I move it to the South Bronx? Should I move it to Harlem? Should I move it to South Jamaica? No community should be going through this, but the reality is, we've run out of space, and I have to open wherever you think."  NYC MIGRANT CRISIS COSTS COULD HIT $12 BILLION, MAYOR ADAMS URGES FEDERAL EMERGENCY DECLARATION The mayor also repeated his claim that it is "un-American" not to allow the approximately 100,000 asylum seekers who have come to New York City to legally work in the United States, citing the 1.3 million people who came through Ellis Island at one point and were "absorbed" by New York City.  "We need to deal with this at the border. We need to have a decompression strategy," Adams said. "We have almost 108,000 cities across our entire country. Everyone should absorb this. They dropped this all on New York City. We're up to 104,000. Two hundred emergency shelters, several HERRCs we've opened. We have to feed, clothe, house, healthcare."

Fierce winds, torrential rain and surging seawater forecast Full story: ‘Extremely dangerous’ hurricane to hit Florida

Hurricane Idalia has officially made landfall near Keaton Beach, just north of Steinhatchee, Florida, the National Hurricane Center said. The hurricane made landfall in Florida’s Big Bend region as a category 3 storm with maximum sustained winds of 125 mph and even higher gusts. It is the strongest storm to make landfall in the area in more than 125 years. Continue reading...

At a vigil for the shooting victims, Mr. DeSantis had to speak over loud boos from a largely Black crowd. His agenda in Florida has earned him few Black allies.

Gov. Ron DeSantis’s conservative policies have angered the African American community in Florida, particularly one regarding how slavery is taught in schools.

A group of politically vulnerable G.O.P. women has backed legislation that purports to expand birth control access but would have little effect. Critics say the bill is meant to distract from their anti-abortion stances.

Representative Mariannette Miller-Meeks, Republican of Iowa, has spent part of the summer congressional recess talking up her support for birth control access to constituents.

The federal election interference case — one of four — is set to start just before Super Tuesday and a cascade of consequential primaries.

Former President Donald J. Trump is scheduled to face a trial on federal charges during the thick of the primary season.

The congresswoman from New York says she’s different from when she first took office. But she’s not ready to call herself an insider.

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez preparing to do a live TV interview after this year’s State of the Union address.

Former president has also seen polling and fundraising boosts with each indictment this year Donald Trump extended his lead over his Republican nomination rivals in a series of polls conducted since the release of his mugshot in Fulton county after he surrendered on charges that he conspired to subvert the 2020 election in Georgia and his absence from the first GOP primary debate. The former US president held commanding advantages across the board in recent surveys done for the Trump campaign and for Morning Consult, leading his nearest challenger, Governor Ron DeSantis of Florida, in the overall race, in a head-to-head matchup, and in favorability ratings. Continue reading...

In today’s newsletter: the 38-year-old entrepreneur has emerged as the most potent threat to Donald Trump in the GOP’s bid for the White House. But what does he stand for? • Sign up here for our daily newsletter, First Edition Good morning. It’s more than a year until Americans choose their next president, but the race to be the Republican nominee is well under way. Their frontrunner is some guy called Donald Trump – you’ve probably heard of him. The one with the mugshot. But today we are looking at the 38-year-old “anti-woke” tech bro who could end up being Trump’s greatest rival. Vivek Ramaswamy, a biotech entrepreneur, was widely viewed as the “winner” of the first Republican TV debate last week. Selling himself as “a patriot who speaks the truth”, he called the climate change agenda a “hoax” and promised “revolution” rather than “incremental reform”. Oh, and he vowed that one of his first acts as president would be to pardon Trump for whatever he may have been convicted of by then. Lovely stuff. Continue reading...

Ukraine’s sense of urgency in obtaining the fighter jet reflects concerns about the war against Russia, but also the political calendar in the West. But training pilots and support crew is a lengthy process.

President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine at the Eindhoven Air Base in the Netherlands earlier this month.

Harrison William Prescott Floyd, who once led a group called Black Voices for Trump, was held longer at an Atlanta jail after turning himself in, apparently because he showed up to his booking without a lawyer.

The Fulton County jail in Atlanta, where Harrison William Prescott Floyd spent time before being granted bond.

The Biden administration Tuesday announced it plans to send $250 million in additional weapons and ammunition to Ukraine in support of the country’s counteroffensive in the capital city of Kyiv. The Associated Press reported that the weapons and ammunition will be pulled from U.S. stockpiles, as per the U.S. State Department, and will include equipment to clear mines along with rockets and artillery rounds. Ambulances, medical gear and spare parts are also going to be included in the U.S. support package. REP LUNA SHREDS BIDEN'S ‘NO COMMENT’ ON DEADLY HAWAII FIRES AFTER HE SHELLED OUT ANOTHER $200M TO UKRAINE "The package will help Ukrainian forces on the battlefield and support its air defenses as Russia continues to launch brutal, brutal strikes against the people of Ukraine, including attacks this past week," White House spokesperson Karine Jean-Pierre said Tuesday. According to the State Department, AIM-9M missile for air defense will be included in the package, as will munitions for High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems, 155mm and 105mm artillery ammunition and over 3 million rounds of small arms ammunition. Secretary Antony Blinken announced the "significant" package for Ukraine in a post on X, formerly Twitter. UKRAINIAN PRESIDENT VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY THANKS DANISH LAWMAKERS FOR SENDING WARPLANES AS RUSSIAN WAR CONTINUES "Today we are announcing a significant new assistance package for Ukraine," the post read. "Guided rockets, anti-armor, and other munitions will help Ukraine’s military forces to defend their country’s sovereignty, territory and people." Since Russia invaded Ukraine last year, the U.S. has sent over $43 billion to Ukraine. UNLIKELY GROUP OF SENATE REPUBLICANS TEAM UP ON AMENDMENT TO AUDIT UKRAINE SPENDING IN DEFENSE BILL The American contribution exceeds $77 billion if financial assistance and humanitarian aid is counted, according to the Kiel Institute for the World Economy’s database. Earlier this month, the State Department announced a $200 million military aid package for Ukraine that included missiles for the High-Mobility Artillery Rocket System and Patriot air defense system, munitions for howitzers and tanks, Javelin rockets, mine-clearing equipment and munitions. The aid came after Undersecretary of Defense for Policy Colin H. Kahl announced an $800 million aid package for Ukraine in July to meet the "urgency of the moment" as Ukrainians continued their counteroffensive. The Associated Press contributed to this report.

The father of a U.S. Marine killed during the terrorist attack at the Kabul airport in Afghanistan two years ago tore into President Biden on Capitol Hill on Tuesday, saying he is a "disgrace to this nation" who has "more American blood" on his hands "than any president in U.S. history." Mark Schmitz, the father of Marine Lance Cpl. Jared Schmitz, who was one of the 13 U.S. service members killed in a bomb blast on Aug. 26, 2021, during the military evacuation at the Kabul airport, participated in a roundtable discussion with other Gold Star family members before the House Foreign Affairs Committee. "Not a single person has been held accountable," Schmitz said. "Our so-called leader can't seem to even utter their names in public, not even once." GOLD STAR FAMILIES SLAM BIDEN ADMIN OVER CHAOTIC AFGHANISTAN WITHDRAWAL AS MILLEY VOWS ‘ACCOUNTABILITY’ "You are a disgrace to this nation," the father continued. "You have no business having ultimate command over our military, and I regret not saying that to your face when I had the opportunity in Dover. I felt it more important to bite my tongue, but I also had more important things on my mind at that time, like receiving my son's lifeless body stateside." "While I stood there on the tarmac watching you check your watch over and over again, all I wanted to do was shout out, 'It's 2 ----ing 30, ---hole.' But out of respect of the other grieving families, I bit my tongue once again. Well, as you can probably tell by now, I'm done biting my tongue. You, sir, stole their lives, their futures, their dreams and have ripped apart 13 families. You cannot even man up and admit that." Schmitz added that Biden likely has "more American blood" on his hands "than any president in U.S. history," and he requested investigations into Biden, Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin and Secretary of State Antony Blinken "for their involvement in intentionally leaving Bagram [Air Base] and all of its assets by knowingly aiding known terrorists, all while abandoning U.S. civilians and allied partners." "In closing, Mr. Biden, Secretary Austin, Secretary Blinken, if trusting and supporting our military is too difficult for you, then I suggest you pack your s--- and enjoy your retirement," he said. "Because from where I sit on my perch, the noose around your doubled-down notion that this was an extraordinary success looks like it's tightening a little bit more each and every day." The Gold Star families at Tuesday's hearing have repeatedly criticized the administration for both the decision-making in the Afghanistan withdrawal and what they said was incomplete or incorrect information given to them. Kelly Barnett, the mother of Marine Corps Staff Sgt. Taylor Hoover, said, "They knew this was going to happen, or it was part of their plan. They were too busy shaking hands with the Taliban, cleaning up and making sure we left it clean and tidy for the Taliban to worry about giving our snipers the OK to make it all OK." As the hearing was about to begin, Gen. Mark Milley — the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff who has received sharp criticism for his role in the withdrawal — released a statement in which he said the U.S. owes Gold Star families "everything." "We owe them transparency, we owe them honesty, we owe them accountability. We owe them the truth about what happened to their loved ones," Milley said in a statement to Fox News. Milley addressed some of the claims from Gold Star families about incorrect information in his statement. "I trust the Army, Navy and Marine Corps did the best they could in briefing the families who had loved ones killed at Abbey Gate. I believe the briefers gave every piece of information that they could. If there was issues with that, we need to take whatever corrective action is necessary," he said. "And our hearts go out to those families." He continued, "This is a personal thing for all of us in uniform. We don't like what happened in Afghanistan. We don't like the outcome of Afghanistan. We owe it to the families to take care of them. Their sacrifices were not in vain." He then said that for those who served in the mission "the cost in blood was high, but every single one of us who served in Afghanistan should hold our heads high." "Each served with skill, dedication and honor. For two decades our nation was not attacked from Afghanistan – that was our mission, and each one can be rightly proud of their service," he continued. The Pentagon also released a statement of its own, expressing "our deepest condolences to the Gold Star Families who lost loved ones during the tragic bombing at Abbey Gate." "We are forever grateful for their service, sacrifice, and committed efforts during the evacuation operations. We also commend the historic and monumental efforts of all our service men and women who served honorably during the withdrawal period from Afghanistan," the statement reads. It went on to say that U.S. Central Command conducted a "comprehensive, credible and definitive" investigation into the attack. "As then CENTCOM commander Gen. McKenzie highlighted, ‘The volume of evidence collected, the testimony of more than 100 people, the analysis of experts, the findings of fact, and the conclusions of the team based upon evidence gives a compelling and truthful examination of the event.' U.S. military commanders on the ground in Afghanistan made the best decisions and provided their best military advice based off what was known at the time and leaders took appropriate action in response to reported threat streams. From the investigation at the tactical level, the Abbey Gate attack was not preventable without degrading the mission to maximize the number of evacuees, and the leaders on the ground followed the proper measures and procedures." Fox News' Adam Shaw, Jennifer Griffin and Aishah Hasnie contributed to this report.

The US president, Joe Biden, tripped and fell after handing out the last diploma at a graduation ceremony at the US air force academy in Colorado. Footage showed Biden, 80, falling to the ground before being quickly helped up by an air force officer and two Secret Service agents. He walked back to his seat unassisted. The White House communications director, Ben LaBolt, tweeted: 'He's fine. There was a sandbag on stage while he was shaking hands'

Biden trips and falls at Air Force Academy graduation ceremony

Biden falls on stage at air force academy ceremony; Senate blocks student relief program – live

Continue reading...

Mike Rogers, the former GOP congressman who chaired the House Intelligence Committee, is expected to soon announce he will run for the Senate in Michigan, giving Republican leaders a key recruit in a state Democrats need to hold to keep their narrow majority, according to two people familiar with his deliberations.

The White House on Tuesday released a list of 10 medications that will be subject to price negotiations under Medicare. Ed O'Keefe reports on how this could affect prices and what other drugs could be added going forward.

It's been five years since a New Mexico judge issued a landmark ruling finding that the state was falling short in providing an adequate education to Native American students and many others, and the pace of progress since has been frustratingly slow for tribal leaders. New Mexico Attorney General Raúl Torrez said he intends to take over the ongoing litigation that led to the ruling from Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham’s office to ensure that the state complies with court-ordered mandates. The announcement was made public Tuesday, just days after Torrez met with Pueblo governors. The leaders welcomed Torrez's move, saying that many students who have graduated over the last five years were unable to reap the benefits of any changes. FEMA CHANGES COMPENSATION RULES IN WAKE OF MOST DESTRUCTIVE WILDFIRE IN NEW MEXICO'S HISTORY "Now, my hope is that policies will finally be put in place and education programs will be developed, along with recurring funding, so that our children get the education they richly deserve both now and in the future," said Randall Vicente, the governor of Acoma Pueblo and a member of the All Pueblo Council of Governors. Torrez, a Democrat, told the tribal leaders during their monthly meeting that the litigation — known as the Yazzie v. Martinez case — identified systemic issues within the state’s education system and was monumental in setting a precedent for Native American and other minority students. New Mexico historically has been at the bottom of the list when it comes to educational outcomes nationwide. Struggles to address lagging test scores and low graduation rates predated the coronavirus pandemic, and lawmakers have been pouring millions of dollars into efforts to boost access to broadband across the rural state as a way to get more students connected to the services they need. The attorney general's office confirmed Tuesday that Torrez and members of his civil rights team already have met with lawyers representing the plaintiffs, including the New Mexico Center on Law and Poverty, and the advocates and experts who helped draft a plan for meeting the needs of Native students. Preliminary discussions also included Lujan Grisham, a Democrat who initially sought to have the case dismissed in 2020. Lujan Grisham has since defended her administration, saying progress has been made. That includes adding more classroom time to the school year, paying teachers more, providing free school lunches and creating an office dedicated to special education. New Mexico last summer partnered with the Navajo Nation, Nambé Pueblo and the Mescalero Apache Nation to expand pre-K programs. The governor said at the time she wanted all 3- and 4-year-olds to have access to early education no matter where they lived. RECORD-BREAKING OIL PRODUCTION IN NEW MEXICO MAY BRING STATE INCOME SURPLUS OF $3.5 BILLION Still, Native American leaders have complained that legislative efforts and funding allocations to address the public education system’s deficiencies have been piecemeal. The state Public Education Department also has yet to finalize its own plan to address the ongoing education lawsuit after soliciting public comment in the summer of 2022. It's too early to say what effects the attorney general's intervention might have, but advocates said they are willing to work with anyone from the state to get results for students. Other plaintiffs include low-income students and those learning English as a second language. Advocates have been talking with students, parents and teachers from different New Mexico communities and hearing similar stories about teacher shortages, scarce resources, limited technology and internet access, and not enough culturally relevant instructional materials. "For years the state has wasted resources on a legal defense that’s protecting the current system, instead of deeply examining and getting to the root of the problems to fix things," Melissa Candelaria, an attorney and the education director at the New Mexico Center on Law and Poverty, said in a statement.

Family members of the 13 US service members killed two years ago in the Abbey Gate bombing during the US withdrawal from Afghanistan demanded accountability and answers from the Biden administration on Tuesday in emotional testimony about the withdrawal and their losses.

Couples filling out marriage certificates in Boston will no longer be required to identify their sex or gender under a new policy adopted by the city Tuesday. The change is the first the city has made based on its new gender-aware guidelines, officials said. BOSTON PLANS HOMELESS ENCAMPMENT CRACKDOWN, CALLS FOR NEW SHORT-TERM SHELTER The goal is to provide more dignity to residents whose gender and sexual identities have historically gone unrecognized or unsupported by government agencies. "Our fundamental charge in public service is ensuring that our services and opportunities reach everyone, and that starts with affirming and supporting constituents of all identities," Mayor Michelle Wu said in a statement. BOSTON MAYOR MICHELLE WU MAY BE REQUIRED TO PRODUCE EVIDENCE, EMAILS ABOUT HER ‘ENEMIES LIST,' COURT ORDERS "Boston must continue to work to dismantle the historic inequities and injustices that persist. This update to Boston marriage licenses is a huge step in building a city that is truly inclusive," she added. Boston residents who are already married and want to remove sex or gender identifiers from their marriage licenses can do so by contacting the city registry.

It would be the only time former President Donald Trump did not appear in-person for his arraignment in the four criminal cases against him.

Franklin Foer, author of The Last Politician, also says experience and calming presence make US president ‘a man for his age’ Amid relentless debate about whether at 80 Joe Biden is too old to be president or to complete an effective second term, an eagerly awaited book on his time in the White House reports that Biden has privately admitted to feeling “tired”, even as it describes his vast political experience as a vital asset. “His advanced years were a hindrance, depriving him of the energy to cast a robust public presence or the ability to easily conjure a name,” Franklin Foer writes in The Last Politician: Inside Joe Biden’s White House and the Struggle for America’s Future. Continue reading...