Florida voter bill, Biden in Louisiana, National Nurses Day: 5 things to know Thursday
Florida governor to sign controversial voter bill
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis is expected Thursday to sign into law the controversial election reform legislation SB 90 — one in a series of nationwide measures opponents say are aimed at suppressing voting. Some of the legislation's more contentious features are limits on drop boxes for hand-delivered voting, restrictions on third-party voter registration efforts and requirements that voters sign up for vote-by-mail in more frequent intervals. One voter advocacy group has vowed to lodge a legal challenge. “We have multiple grounds to challenge this, especially attacks on vote-by-mail,” said Jorge Vasquez, an attorney for the Advancement Project civil rights organization. However Jason Snead, executive director of the Honest Elections Project, a conservative group, said the bill is a sensible, preventive measure. The signing ceremony at a West Palm Beach area hotel is scheduled to be hosted by the pro-Donald Trump fan organization Club 45.
- Florida governor invalidates COVID-19 restrictions statewide: DeSantis says there's no need 'to be policing people at this point'
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- More from the Florida legislature: Bill banning transgender female athletes from women's sports teams passes
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Biden to tout jobs plan during visit to Louisiana
President Joe Biden will visit Louisiana Thursday to tout the American Jobs Plan. Biden will deliver remarks in Lake Charles and then tour the Carrollton Water Plant in New Orleans later in the afternoon, according to president's official public schedule. Biden unveiled the massive $2 trillion plan March 31, which includes rebuilding the nation's aging infrastructure and boosting access to caregivers and their pay in a massive undertaking that would be the centerpiece of his economic agenda. On Wednesday, Biden touted another government program, the Restaurant Revitalization Fund, while ordering tacos and enchiladas during a Cinco de Mayo visit to Taqueria Las Gemelas, a Mexican restaurant in Washington. The new $28.6 billion program offers grants to eateries slammed by the coronavirus pandemic.
- Judge strikes down federal moratorium on evictions: The Biden administration says it will appeal
- Green jobs’ path to middle class, sustainability largely blocked to Native Americans
Charges could be announced in San Francisco stabbings
Two Asian women, ages 63 and 84, were stabbed without warning in downtown San Francisco on Tuesday. A man was arrested after the crime, and the District Attorney said charges could be announced Thursday. While police didn’t immediately say whether the victims — who remained hospitalized Wednesday — were targeted for their race, the incidents add to the growing number of recent attacks against people of Asian descent.
- Asian women attacked in New York City; one hit with hammer, police say
- Anti-Asian hashtags increased after Trump’s COVID-19 tweet, according to a study
The show will go on: Broadway tickets back on sale
The lights will go back on Broadway, as tickets will go on sale starting Thursday. New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo said Wednesday that shows will resume Sept. 14. Broadway was forced to shutter more than a year ago because of the coronavirus pandemic. The move comes after New York lifted capacity restrictions on arts venues and restaurants, but there still may be some limit on attendance to ensure social distancing. Nonetheless, tickets for the shows this fall will be sold at 100% capacity, according to Cuomo, and any seating limits will be addressed in the coming months. The Broadway League said preparations are underway, and that specific plays and their reopenings will be announced in the coming weeks.
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- Tourists are back in New York City as COVID-19 restrictions ease
It's National Nurses Day! Thank a nurse
Kicking off with National Nurses Day Thursday, National Nurses Week goes through May 12, when health care pioneer Florence Nightingale was born. Nurses are some of the most trusted professionals: In a 2020 Gallup poll, they earned a record 89% very high/high score for their honesty and ethics, which was four percentage points greater than in 2019. Dunkin’ and Chipotle are just two of many businesses that are giving a little extra love to nurses with freebies and discounts.
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