
Hip-hop turns 50, reinventing itself and swaths of the world along the way
In the five decades since hip-hop emerged out of New York City, it has spread around the country and the world
2023-08-09 18:21

Abortion rights advocates win major victory in Ohio as voters reject GOP plan to thwart ballot measure
Ohio voters have resoundingly rejected a measure that would make it more difficult to amend the state’s constitution, a proposal that Republican officials bluntly admitted was an effort to kneecap an upcoming ballot measure asking voters to enshrine a right to abortion care. That proposal has failed, with roughly 65 per cent of the vote tallied by Tuesday night after polls had closed, according to projections from the Associated Press. Issue 1 would have required that proposed amendments to the state constitution receive at least 60 per cent of the vote, raising the threshold substantially from a current simple majority vote. It also would have increased the minimum number of petition signatures that groups would have to collect before qualifying an issue to get on a ballot. The proposal’s failure means that a November referendum on abortion rights will need only 50 per cent of the vote to enshrine those protections into the state’s constitution, a major victory for abortion rights advocates and democratic campaigns in the aftermath of the US Supreme Court’s decision to strike down Roe v Wade. President Joe Biden called the measure a “blatant attempt to weaken voters’ voices and further erode the freedom of women to make their own health care decisions.” “Ohioans spoke loud and clear, and tonight democracy won,” he said in a statement. Within the last year, voters have also turned out in record numbers to protect abortion rights in California, Kansas, Michigan and Vermont, underscoring the overwhelming unpopularity of the Supreme Court’s decision and the volatile landscape for reproductive healthcare in its wake, while scrambling anti-abortion campaigns from Republican officials emboldened by the ruling. Issue 1 campaign Protect Our Constitution was largely supported by GOP mega-donor and Illinois businessman Richard Uihlein. A coalition of abortion right, civil rights and democratic advocacy groups joined a No On Issue 1 campaign. “Tonight was a major victory for democracy in Ohio,” the group said in a statement following projections of the measure’s defeat. “The majority still rules in Ohio, and the people’s power has been preserved – because Ohio voters showed up and overwhelmingly voted down Issue 1.” Ohio voters saw the proposal for “what it was: a deceptive power grab designed to silence their voices and diminish their voting power,” the group added. Kelly Hall, executive director of the Fairness Project, said the results mark an “incredibly profound and inspiring day for democracy”. “When faced with the choice of whether to allow politicians and special interests to consolidate power and strip voters of their rights, Ohioans fought back,” she said in a statement. “The defeat of Issue 1 should send a clear message to other extremist officials around the country that democracy will not die; people are ready to defend their rights against blatant attacks like Issue 1.” The upcoming proposal for a constitutional amendment in November will ask Ohio voters whether “every individual has a right to make and carry out one’s reproductive decisions.” After the Supreme Court’s ruling in Dobbs v Jackson Women’s Health Organization last June, Ohio lawmakers swiftly outlawed most abortion after roughly six weeks of pregnancy, a law that is currently suspended by a state court injunction but could be reinstated by the state Supreme Court. A vote to enshrine abortion rights in the state’s constitution would effectively overrule any such law. Abortion rights advocates and providers have warned that Ohio’s ban, which does not include exceptions for pregnancies from rape or incest, ignited a healthcare crisis that endangered patients and their families across the state, forcing people to seek care hundreds of miles out of state and navigate complicated legal and medical minefields while experiencing pregnancy complications. Ohio Republicans initially canceled August elections altogether, which have historically low turnout. But in May, they reversed that decision to put Issue 1 on the ballot – a decision that appears to have backfired for them. Nearly 600,000 Ohio voters cast their ballots early, with voters reporting busy polling locations across the state on election day. Read More Texas judge sides with women after harrowing testimony over anti-abortion law DeSantis won’t rule out national abortion ban but suggests there’s no ‘mileage’ left in Congress
2023-08-09 11:28

WeWork warns it might go out of business
Embattled office-sharing firm WeWork on Tuesday warned US regulators that it is worried...
2023-08-09 10:51

India’s Grain Stockpiles Are Key to Modi’s Pre-Election Strategy
Last year, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said India could feed the world. This year, the world’s top rice
2023-08-09 10:25

Abortion rights advocates push for 2024 ballot initiative in Arizona
Abortion rights advocates plan to ask Arizona voters to create a constitutional right to abortion
2023-08-09 06:25

What is Ohio's Issue 1- and why is the vote so controversial?
A seemingly tedious constitutional amendment could have a significant impact on abortion rights.
2023-08-09 01:51

Toto Wolff offers theory over Red Bull decision to ditch Nyck de Vries
Mercedes boss Toto Wolff has speculated as to why Red Bull suddenly cut Nyck de Vries from their sister AlphaTauri team midway through the season. One of the biggest shocks of the first half of the campaign was when F1 rookie De Vries was jettisoned by AlphaTauri after just 10 races and veteran Daniel Ricciardo was suddenly brought in from the cold to replace the young Dutchman. While De Vries had underperformed in his first season at motorsport’s highest level – failing to secure a single point and consistently being outpaced by teammate Yuki Tsunoda – his immediate sacking was seen as harsh by many in the sport, with four-time world champion Sebastian Vettel calling it “brutal”. And, perhaps unsurprisingly given his fierce rivalry with Red Bull and team boss Christian Horner in particular, Wolff claims he falls into this camp. “Maybe he needed more time. If he had been given the season, who knows?” Wolff told Sky F1. “Maybe he would have been a really good candidate for the Red Bull seat too.” The Austrian offered his own theory as to why De Vries was cast aside, believing Sergio Perez’s poor form at Red Bull meant Horner and adviser Helmut Marko wanted to evaluate 34-year-old Ricciardo – who has won eight grands prix in his career – as a potential replacement for the Mexican as Max Verstappen’s teammate in the grid’s fastest car next year. “They wanted, I think, to do some benchmarking with Ricciardo to see if Daniel might be able to take Checo’s [Perez] seat,” said Wolff. “And once you’ve made that decision, then of course you’ll fall through the cracks.” Wolff also offered his sympathy to 28-year-old De Vries and revealed that he had met with the Dutchman in the days after his AlphaTauri sacking. Wolff said: “I’m a fan of his because he’s incredibly intelligent for vehicle development and has always contributed a lot.” De Vries’ next move in motorsport is still up in the air, although he has been linked with a return to Formula E, where he won the 2020-21 world championship. His manager Guillaume Le Goff told Formule1.nl: “There is plenty of interest in Nyck. I’ve had quite a few calls in the last week. Endurance, Le Mans, GTs, Formula E, also Formula 1. We’ll see.” Read More Nyck de Vries breaks silence after AlphaTauri exit Lewis Hamilton reacts to Nyck de Vries axing: ‘That’s how Red Bull work’ Daniel Ricciardo is back - and this time he wants to go out on top F1 2023 calendar: All 23 Grand Prix this year F1 2023 mid-season awards: Best driver, worst race and biggest surprise F1 2023 race schedule: When is the Dutch Grand Prix?
2023-08-08 23:21

The first Olympian and mother-daughter duo are about to go to space. Here's how to watch.
Virgin Galactic is about to send three private passengers to space, including the first mother-daughter-duo
2023-08-08 18:45

The World Food Program slowly resumes food aid to Ethiopia after months of suspension and criticism
The United Nations World Food Program is slowly resuming food aid to Ethiopia nearly five months after taking the extraordinary measure of suspending aid following the discovery of a massive scheme to steal donated grain
2023-08-08 18:27

Modi May Give Farm Handouts as Food Export Bans Hit Rural India
Prime Minister Narendra Modi may offer handouts to Indian farmers ahead of the elections as food commodity export
2023-08-08 14:59

Bus offers a last way out to Belarusians fleeing repression
Lyudmila, 70, has fond memories of travelling freely to Europe from her native Belarus, before its repressive government was slapped with waves of...
2023-08-08 13:17

From East to West to southern trap, 50 years of hip hop
From the disco samples of old school hip hop to the deadpan delivery of today's drill, American hip hop has morphed in every direction over...
2023-08-08 09:48