Florida Governor Ron DeSantis is expected to make a move into the 2024 presidential race in the next few weeks, with the relocation of his political operation to a new headquarters in Tallahassee triggering a 15-day window for filing federal election disclosures. This move comes as former President Donald Trump had to cancel a planned outdoor rally in Florida, and DeSantis was in the western part of the state mingling with voters. The relocation and the cancellation mark the beginning of a new chapter in the 2024 presidential race, as DeSantis appears to be gearing up to make a bid for the White House.
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President Joe Biden addressed the graduating class of Howard University, a leading historically Black university, warning of the dangers of white supremacy and racism. He spoke of the need to recognize and confront the history of racism in the United States, and warned that “hate never goes away” and that “silence is complicity.” Biden also addressed the recent bomb scares made to HBCUs, and urged the graduates to “stand up for the best in us” and to confront the threats to American democracy and to suppress Black history.
Dallas police have arrested 22-year-old Harold Thompson for the fatal shooting of his girlfriend, 26-year-old Gabriella Gonzalez. Thompson is believed to be the father of the child and allegedly shot Gonzalez after learning she had traveled to Colorado for an abortion. Despite abortion access restrictions in Texas, Thompson is being held on a charge of murder. Gonzalez's death is a tragic reminder of the dangers of abortion access restrictions and the need for comprehensive reproductive health care.
On April 28th, a tragic accident on Folly Beach, South Carolina, resulted in the death of a bride on her wedding day. Jamie Lee Komoroski, 25, was driving her rental car at 65 miles per hour in a 25-mile-per-hour zone when she slammed into a golf cart carrying the bride. Komoroski had a blood alcohol content of 0.261%, more than three times the legal limit, and has been charged with one count of reckless homicide and three counts of felony DUI resulting in great bodily harm. The Folly Beach Department of Public Safety is continuing to investigate the incident.
Lori Vallow Daybell, an Idaho mom accused of murder in the deaths of her two children, is awaiting the verdict of her seven-week trial. Prosecutors have argued that she was a power-hungry manipulator who killed for money, while the defense team has claimed she was a normally protective mother. The jury adjourned after four hours of deliberation, and the verdict will be announced on Friday. The case has had a lasting impact on the families of the victims and the community of Rexburg, Idaho, where the children were last seen alive.
A federal judge in Virginia has ruled that a law banning licensed federal firearms dealers from selling handguns to young adults under 21 violates the Second Amendment and is unconstitutional. U.S. District Judge Robert Payne argued that many of the rights and responsibilities of citizenship are granted at the age of 18, including the right to vote, enlist in the military and serve on a federal jury, and that excluding 18-to-20-year-olds from the Second Amendment’s protection would impose limitations on the Second Amendment that do not exist with other constitutional guarantees. The ruling is being seen as a major victory for gun rights advocates, but is likely to be challenged by gun control advocates, and the debate over gun rights is far from over.
The Social Security Administration has released its list of the most popular baby names of 2022, with Olivia topping the list for girls and Liam for boys. The rankings usually don’t change much from year to year, but there were still some interesting shifts between 2021 and 2022. Names are shaped by society and history, and the SSA has been releasing lists of the top U.S. baby names since 1997, with popular culture playing a role in influencing the popularity of certain names.
Federal prosecutors have requested a judge to stop former President Donald Trump from being deposed in a four-year-old civil lawsuit filed by two former FBI officials who allege they were wrongfully terminated. The Justice Department is seeking to protect Trump from being deposed in a civil case while they are still investigating him in a criminal case and have asked the lower court judge to reconsider their ruling. If not, they will appeal to the U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals for Washington, D.C.