The Georgia state Senate on Tuesday passed legislation that would require voters to submit a driver’s license number, state identification card number or a photocopy of an approved form of identification in order to vote absentee in the state. Senate Bill 67 passed the upper chamber in 35-18 vote on Tuesday and now heads to the state House for consideration, The Associated Press reports . The bill has already been met with opposition from Democrats and voting rights groups who say the legislation would make it difficult for voters who don't have a driver’s license or state identification card to vote absentee. According to the AP, absentee ballots are currently tallied using signature verification. ADVERTISEMENT State Sen. Larry Walker, one of the Republicans sponsoring the bill, said the bill would not affect about 97 percent of voters, according to the AP. The remaining percentage of voters, Walker said, could vote in person. In a statement on Tuesday afternoon, voting rights group Fair Fight Action said the bill would add “needless barriers to voting in Georgia” and accused proponents of the measure of ignoring voters who would be affected by the legislation. “In Georgia, with more than 7,692,567 registered voters, that means that 230,777 electors may not have the requisite identification and will therefore incur a burden in complying with the law,” the group said, while also adding that the “discriminatory policy” shows “Georgia has not moved past the racist motivations for which it was included in preclearance under the Voting Rights Act of 1965.” The bill, which has more than 25 Republican co-sponsors, is one of a number of bills Republicans have filed in the Georgia General Assembly that would directly impact voting, particularly absentee voting , and voter registration in the state. Another bill advanced by a state Senate subcommittee in a party-line 3-2 vote would, if passed, require Georgians who wish to vote by absentee to ...
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At Least 5 Deaths Reported in Bloodiest Day of Myanmar Coup Protests
The crackdown against opponents of Myanmar’s military takeover intensified Sunday as security forces were reported to have fired on protesters, killing at least five people in the deadliest day of demonstrations since the February 1 coup. Witnesses say police used tear gas, rubber bullets, water cannons and in some cases live ammunition in the country’s biggest city Yangon. According to the Associated Press, photos of shell cases from live ammunition were posted on social media. Police also aggressively sought to break up protests in Mandalay and Dawei. Popular protests have been staged across Myanmar on a daily basis since the military detained de facto leader Aung San Suu Kyi and other members of the civilian government last month, claiming widespread fraud in last November’s election, which Suu Kyi’s National League for Democracy party won in a landslide. The junta has declared a one-year state of emergency. Its commander, Senior General Min Aung Hlaing, has pledged that new elections will be held to bring about a "true and disciplined democracy,” but did not specify when they would take place. In Pictures: Bloodiest Day of Myanmar Coup Protests The crackdown against opponents of Myanmar’s military takeover intensified Sunday as security forces were reported to have fired on protesters, killing and injuring several people in the deadliest day of demonstrations since the February 1 coup Myanmar’s electoral commission denied the military’s claims of election fraud. The United States and other Western nations have demanded the release of Suu Kyi and her lieutenants and called on the junta to restore power to the civilian government. The country’s crisis was complicated further Friday when Myanmar’s U.N. envoy, Kyaw Moe Tun, appealed to a special meeting of the United Nations General Assembly to reject the military coup and “use any means necessary” to protect the people. On Saturday, Myanmar state television reported Kyaw ...
Cancun loosens COVID-19 restrictions ahead of spring break travel
close Video 'Spring break's done': Florida beaches close amid coronavirus outbreak Miami-Dade County Mayor Carlos Gimenez speaks out on the need for social distancing. Unlike some spring-break hot spots in Florida , Cancun is actually easing its COVID-19 restrictions. With spring-break travel fast approaching, popular tourist destinations in Mexico like Cancun, Playa del Carmen and Tulum are raising capacity limits from 30% to 60% at hotels, restaurants and beaches, Quintana Roo government officials announced on Twitter. Attractions and group tours will also be allowed to operate at 60% capacity. Nightclubs and bars will stay closed, the guidance says. Playa Del Carmen, Mexico. (iStock). Travelers visiting Mexico also need to register with the government online and show proof of registration via a QR code received once they arrive. Face masks must be worn at all times inside the country’s restaurants, hotels and at airports. U.S. travelers will also need to present a negative COVID-19 test upon departure for re-entry into the states. FLORIDA OFFICIALS CRACKING DOWN ON SPRING BREAKERS OVER COVID-SAFETY CONCERNS: 'GO SOMEWHERE ELSE' Meanwhile, Florida officials in popular destinations like Miami Beach and Fort Lauderdale were taking almost the opposite approach, implementing new restrictions to slow the spread of COVID-19. South Beach imposed a curfew between midnight and 6 a.m., prohibited alcohol consumption on beaches, which were also subject to limited-capacity requirements, among other things. And in Fort Lauderdale, Mayor Steve Gellar said residents and visitors can expect more law enforcement at busy areas, with social distancing and mask-wearing mandates being heavily enforced. FOLLOW US ON FACEBOOK FOR MORE FOX LIFESTYLE NEWS Mexico, meanwhile, has been experiencing a tourism bump as of late, with nearly half of those tourists coming from the U.S. as of January, ...
The GOP’s uncertain future
What if President Donald Trump throws out the political playbook yet again and starts his own political party? Many conservatives believe the left stole the 2020 presidential election and hope to save the country from the socialist squad of Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez Democrats don't trust GOP on 1/6 commission: 'These people are dangerous' Progressives fume over Senate setbacks Budget Committee chair pledges to raise minimum wage: 'Hold me to it' MORE (D-N.Y.). Would those conservatives join a new national political party? They just might. ADVERTISEMENT Don’t believe me? A recent Rasmussen poll found that 61 percent of Republicans agree that President Biden did not win the election fairly . This is an astonishing share for a viewpoint that our social institutions do not tolerate. It is a thought crime according to many in the mainstream media, social media, Hollywood and academia. The campaign to alter these Americans’ view has failed, but not for lack of trying. Where should these Republicans turn? They are not about to give up on civic engagement merely because they are supposedly unwelcome in polite society. They know better than to wallow aimlessly in despair of ever winning another election. Would they join a new party that better represents them? Almost half of Republican voters said in a recent poll that they would join a new Trump-led political party, and less than one-third would stay with the Republican Party. Howls of “you will lose every future election if you divide the Republican party in half” will not resonate with those who felt certain that President Trump Donald Trump Noem touts South Dakota coronavirus response, knocks lockdowns in CPAC speech On The Trail: Cuomo and Newsom — a story of two embattled governors McCarthy: 'I would bet my house' GOP takes back lower chamber in 2022 MORE would win reelection based on his record of achievements . Many ...
Russia Seeks to Strengthen Old Ties with Myanmar Junta
PHNOM PENH, CAMBODIA - Russia’s appetite for influence and lucrative arms sales in Southeast Asia has been whetted by the latest coup in Myanmar, where isolated generals remain distrustful of China but still require allies on the United Nations Security Council. Chinese investments had flourished in Myanmar under the now-deposed civilian government effectively led by former opposition figure Aung San Suu Kyi, and the military, also known as Tatmadaw, benefitted through state owned enterprises brought under its control before Suu Kyi’s National League for Democracy won historic 2015 elections. However, relations between junta leaders and Beijing have long been strained over Chinese interference across their common border – an existential threat not shared with Russia – and Beijing’s assistance to long-running ethnic insurgencies, including the sale of weapons to rebels. Bradley Murg, a senior research fellow at the Cambodian Institute for Cooperation and Peace, said Russia and China are both maneuvering to protect their vested interests in Myanmar. “We’ve seen Russia step up to the plate twice with its actions in the Security Council on the Myanmar question and again joining with China and others in the human rights council to potentially oppose any form of condemnation of the new regime,” he said. Russia and China used their power in the Security Council to water down the world body’s response to the coup, led by Senior General Min Aung Hlaing. China labeled the coup a “cabinet reshuffle” while Russia called it a “purely domestic affair,” and, according to The Irrawaddy , a news site, even asked the international community for “practical assistance to the new authority of Myanmar." That was despite the message from U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, who said he would do everything in his power to pressure Myanmar and “make sure that this coup fails.” Guterres has also consistently slammed the repression and violence inflicted upon protesters. ...
