Republican introduces transgender bathroom ban for Capitol Hill
History will be made four times over when the 119th Congress meets for the first time in just a few weeks. However, some current representatives introduced legislation to create a transgender bathroom ban that targets a new coworker.
In the House of Representatives, Sarah McBride will become the firstopenly–transgender person to be elected to Congress after winning Delaware’s only open House seat. Delaware will also see its first Black U.S. senator, who will simultaneously be the first woman to represent the state in the Senate. Maryland will also be represented by its first Black U.S. senator, and New Jersey will see the first Korean-American senator.
The measure would prohibit any lawmakers and House employees from “using single-sex facilities other than those corresponding to their biological sex.”
“Sarah McBride doesn’t get a say in this,” Mace said when asked by reporters whether the move was meant to target a marginalized person. “He’s a biological man trying to force himself in women’s spaces and I’m not gonna tolerate it. You have the radical left that are trying to erase women and erase women’s rights.”
“This is about women, this is about girls, this is about our rights and being protected in our private spaces,” Mace added. “I don’t want to see a man in a women’s restroom.”
Every day Americans go to work with people who have life journeys different than their own and engage with them respectfully, I hope members of Congress can muster that same kindness.
“Every day Americans go to work with people who have life journeys different than their own and engage with them respectfully, I hope members of Congress can muster that same kindness,” McBride wrote.
McBride went on to say the move is an attempt from far-right wing extremists to distract from the real problems facing Americans, like the cost of housing, health care and child care.
Six Flags shuts down Kingda Ka, world’s tallest roller coaster, for good
It’s the end of the line for Six Flags’ Kingda Ka, the tallest roller coaster in the world. However, that doesn’t mean thrill seekers are out of luck when it comes to record-breaking thrills.
Six Flags Great Adventure announced it is shutting down the 456-foot high coaster on Thursday, Nov. 14, after nearly 20 years in service. The move will make way for new additions to the Jackson, New Jersey, park. Great Adventure is removing its Green Lantern coaster as well.
The changes come as parent company Six Flags Entertainment announced an investment of more than $1 billion over the next two years to enhance guest experiences at its 42 parks. This includes Six Flags Great Adventure unveiling a record-breaking launch coaster in 2026.
In a statement provided to Straight Arrow News, Six Flags Great Adventure park president Brian Bacica said, “We understand that saying goodbye to beloved rides can be difficult, and we appreciate our guests’ passion. These changes are an important part of our growth and dedication to delivering exceptional new experiences. We look forward to sharing more details next summer.”
Kingda Ka wasn’t the world’s tallest roller coaster, but also the fastest in North America, going from zero to 128 mph in 3.5 seconds.
For a few years, Kindgda Ka was also the fastest in the world but dropped, as roller coasters do, to No. 2 in 2010. The Formula Rossa coaster in Abu Dhabi claimed the top spot with a maximum speed of 149 miles per hour.
But this all leaves thrill seekers wondering: With Kingda Ka no longer in play, what’s now the tallest coaster on Earth?
As of Friday, Nov. 15, that answer appears to be the Top Thrill 2 coaster at the Cedar Point amusement park in Ohio, also part of the Six Flags brand. This coaster has a height of 420 feet.
But this roller coaster ranking is about to be thrown for another loop when Six Flags Qiddiya in Saudi Arabia opens. The launch is tentatively set for 2025.
The park will feature the roller coaster Falcons Flight which will become the tallest and fastest coaster on Earth. It will have a max speed of 155 mph and a height of 640 feet, equivalent to a 60-story building.
Tourism problems may have you paying more in Japan if you’re a foreigner
Wildfires on East and West Coasts continue to burn as one turns deadly
Crews on both sides of the U.S. coast continue to battle wildfires as one turned deadly in New York and New Jersey. Officials said a tree fell on an 18-year-old park employee, killing him on Sunday, Nov. 10.
New York state officials said while they do all they can to protect themselves, there are always dangers.
“Wildland firefighting is a very dangerous profession, and we try to take as many precautions as we can to mitigate some of the hazards that are out there in the wild land fire environment, but occasionally, accidents do happen. Unfortunately, one of our firefighters did pass away yesterday assisting with fire line construction,” Jeremy Oldroyd from the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation said.
Meanwhile, New Jersey officials said on Sunday that the Jennings Creek Fire, located on the border between New York and New Jersey, threatened more than two dozen structures and was only 10% contained.
However, New Jersey firefighters did make progress on the 175-acre Cannonball 3 Fire in the northeastern portion of the state, reaching 100% containment.
Additionally, New Jersey prosecutors announced arson charges in connection with the Jackson Township Fire that started on Wednesday, Nov. 7. They said a shotgun round with magnesium shards sparked the 350-acre fire. New Jersey authorities say that firing an “incendiary or tracer ammunition” is barred in the state.
As a result of the smoke from the fires, New Jersey and New York officials issued health advisories for at-risk populations and urged many to stay indoors or avoid strenuous activity.
On the West Coast, in California, firefighters are making progress against the Mountain Fire northwest of Los Angeles.
The fire has forced thousands of Californians to evacuate their homes, and more than 130 structures have been destroyed by the fire fueled by strong winds and dry conditions. The fire was at 32 square miles on Sunday as it continues to threaten Ventura County communities.
Monday, Nov. 11 is Veteran’s Day in the United States. As Americans thank those for their service, numbers are coming on how veterans voted in the recent presidential election. It seems many backed President-elect Donald Trump.
According to exit polling from The Washington Post, 12% of voters served in the U.S. military. Of those, 65% say they voted for, Trump while 34% said they cast a ballot for Vice President Kamala Harris.
The Trump campaign played up its ties to the military as Vice President-elect JD Vance served in the U.S. Marine Corps in Iraq.
Trump advocate Tulsi Gabbard also served in the military. She served in the Army National Guard and was deployed to the war in Iraq. She was also later stationed in Kuwait. Gabbard campaigned heavily for Trump during the election.
The veteran turnout for Trump exceeded polling expectations. A recent Pew Research poll found that 61% of registered voters who are veterans, said they would vote for Trump while 37% favored Harris.
The most recent census data shows Alaska, Virginia and Montana have the highest population when it comes to veterans. All three have rates between 9% and 10.5%.
The District of Columbia, New York and New Jersey have the lowest percentages.
Trump speaks of ‘incredible’ win after projected to be next US president
Donald Trump is poised to win the presidency again. How Georgia, North Carolina and Pennsylvania helped put him over the top. And while Republicans have picked up seats in the Senate, will they also take the House? A look at where things stand. These stories and more highlight your Unbiased Updates for Wednesday, Nov. 6, 2024.
Trump speaks of ‘incredible’ win after projected to be next U.S. president
Former President Donald Trump declared victory while addressing supporters in Florida early Wednesday morning, Nov. 6, as his lead over Vice President Kamala Harris grew. He picked up critical wins in key battleground states Pennsylvania, Georgia, and North Carolina.
“We overcame obstacles that nobody thought possible, and it is now clear that we’ve achieved the most incredible political thing,” Trump said. “Look what happened — is this crazy? But it’s a political victory that our country has never seen before, nothing like this. I want to thank the American people for the extraordinary honor of being elected your 47th president and your 45th president.”
Harris’ path to the 270 electoral votes has become less of a possibility, with most media outlets projecting Trump as the winner Wednesday morning. As of the time this article was published, Fox News, ABC, NBC, CBS, the Associated Press and Decision Desk HQ, a forecasting and analysis organization, have projected him to be the winner.
Donald Trump wins presidency for second time, completing improbable comeback https://t.co/VGPT8X5I88
Trump, who survived two assassination attempts during the campaign, was surrounded by family, Republican leaders, and his running mate Ohio Sen. JD Vance as he addressed the crowd inside the Palm Beach Convention Center around 2:30 a.m. ET Wednesday.
“America has given us an unprecedented and powerful mandate,” he told supporters. “Many people have told me that God spared my life for a reason and that reason was to save our country and to restore America to greatness and now we are going to fulfill that mission together.”
Vice President Harris, who picked up wins in California and New York, did not speak Tuesday night, Nov. 5, but earlier in the evening campaign co-chair Cedric Richmond spoke to supporters at Howard University. He said the vice president was not giving up the fight despite how the numbers were going.
“We will continue overnight to fight to make sure that every vote is counted, that every voice has spoken, so you won’t hear from the vice president tonight, but you will hear from her tomorrow,” he said. ”She will be back here tomorrow to address not only the HU family, not only to address our supporters, but to address the nation.”
Multiple news networks have confirmed Harris is slated to speak Wednesday morning. However, it is worth noting there reportedly has been no concession call yet from Harris to Trump.
Ray Bogan recaps election night from Washington
Washington is going to look a lot different in January.
Donald Trump made an extraordinary comeback. He lost the electoral and popular votes in 2020 after stinging defeats in Georgia, Arizona and Pennsylvania. This time around Trump won back both Georgia and Pennsylvania. He also took Wisconsin.
Republicans also won a majority in the Senate, with key victories in Ohio and West Virginia pushing them over the top. This will give them a key advantage as they work to confirm Trump’s cabinet picks and judicial nominations.
It’s important to remember that the majorities in Congress are razor-thin and nowhere near filibuster-proof in the Senate. So passing legislation will require bipartisanship.
The big question now is – who will be the Senate majority leader? The three candidates are John Thune from South Dakota, John Cornyn from Texas and Rick Scott from Florida.
Balance of power in Congress shifts, GOP retakes control of Senate
As Ray mentioned, the balance of power is shifting in Congress. Republicans will retake control of the Senate for the first time in four years.
The GOP flipped seats in West Virginia and Ohio, giving Republicans at least a 51-seat majority in the Senate.
In West Virginia, Republican Gov. Jim Justice is slated to replace the outgoing Sen. Joe Manchin, an independent who caucused with Democrats. In Ohio, Republican Bernie Moreno is projected by multiple outlets to defeat incumbent Democrat Sen. Sherrod Brown.
How the House of Representatives will play out remains to be seen. Republicans are hoping to retain control of the chamber.
They currently hold a slim majority, yet there are still over 100 races yet to be determined as of the time of publishing. Going into the night, Democrats needed to flip four seats to gain.
Stein wins in NC governor’s race, Republicans see victory in other states
Voters in 11 states also chose their next governors. While Republicans won big, Democrats did manage to retain power in several states.
North Carolina remained blue after the state’s Democratic attorney general, Josh Stein, beat out controversial Republican Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson. Robinson — who made history as the first Black lieutenant governor in the state — was already trailing in the polls, but his numbers took a dive in mid-September after CNN released a report detailing comments he allegedly made on a pornography website message board more than a decade ago on race, gender and abortion.
Thank you, North Carolina! I am honored to serve as your next governor. Tonight, we came together to resoundingly embrace a vision that is optimistic, forward-looking, and welcoming. I couldn't have done this without each of you. pic.twitter.com/3eeGGTVHed
In Delaware, Democrat Matt Meyer wins the race for governor. Meyer defeated Republican Mike Ramone and will take over from two-term Democratic Gov. John Carney.
Washington state will stay blue after Attorney General Bob Ferguson beat out Republican challenger Dave Reichert for the job. The seat was up for grabs after Democratic Gov. Jay Inslee said he would not be running again after serving three terms.
Indiana went from blue to red, with Republican Mike Braun defeating Democrat Jennifer McCormick. McCormick is a former Republican who split with the party after serving as the state’s schools superintendent.
Meanwhile, Republican Missouri remained red. The state’s Lt. Gov. Mike Kehoe is set to replace term-limited Republican Gov. Mike Parson.
North Dakota stayed red, as well. Kelly Armstrong is projected to succeed Gov. Doug Burgum, who also chose not to run again after serving three terms. It is possible Burgum will get a place in the Trump administration.
Republicans will now have governors in 27 states; Democrats in 23.
*Editor’s Note: This story has been updated since our recording to correct that North Carolina did not flip blue as the current governor, Roy Cooper, is a Democrat.
Voters in four states chose whether to enshrine abortion as a constitutional right. The measure did not pass in Florida, Nebraska or South Dakota, but did in Colorado and Nevada.
Nebraska voters actually had two abortion-related measures on their ballot. While the constitutional right to an abortion failed, the other measure, which would prohibit abortions after the first trimester, passed.
Five other states were deciding on the right to an abortion. The measures passed in Arizona, Maryland, Missouri, and New York and is expected to make it through in Montana.
3 newly elected senators, 1 congresswoman making history
History was made in three states on Election Day.
In Delaware, Lisa Blunt Rochester — who already made history as the first woman and first Black person to represent the state in Congress — will now become the first Black woman to represent Delaware in the U.S. Senate.
Maryland Democrat Angela Alsobrooks will be the first Black candidate to represent her state in the Senate.
We just won our Senate race! As a son of immigrants, a public school kid, I never could’ve imagined I’d get to serve as a US Senator. I’m deeply humbled and grateful to NJ and for everyone who got us here. I promise I’ll serve with honor and integrity as a public servant for all. pic.twitter.com/qpuobm9Vf3
New Jersey Democrat Andy Kim will become the first Korean-American ever elected to the Senate. At 42 years old, he’ll also be the Senate’s third youngest member.
Finally, Sarah McBride, who won Delaware’s only open House seat, will be the first openly transgender person to be elected to Congress.
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Kim will take the seat of former Sen. Bob Menendez, who resigned after being found guilty of bribery, fraud, extortion and acting as a foreign agent.
Kim was first elected to the House in 2018 after flipping the third district in central New Jersey. The district covers portions of central New Jersey. Kim currently sits on the House Armed Services and Foreign Affairs committees.
Before Congress, Kim worked at the Pentagon, State Department and the White House National Security Council. Kim also served as an advisor to Gens. David Petraeus and John Allen in Afghanistan.
Cyberattack hits US water utility, affecting 14 million customers
American Water Works, the largest regulated water and wastewater utility in the United States, reported a cyberattack on Monday, Oct. 7. The breach impacted more than 14 million customers across 14 states and 18 military installations.
The Camden, a New Jersey-based company, said it detected unauthorized activity within its computer networks on Oct. 3, prompting immediate protective measures, including shutting down certain systems to contain the breach.
American Water emphasized that its water and wastewater operations were not affected by the attack. However, the company paused its billing systems as a precaution and assured customers they will not face late fees while the systems are offline.
The company is working with third-party cybersecurity experts and law enforcement to investigate the incident and determine its full scope.
In a regulatory filing, American Water said it could not yet predict the full impact of the breach but it does not expect the incident to materially affect its financial condition or operations. The company operates more than 500 water and wastewater systems in about 1,700 communities.
The cyberattack comes as U.S. officials express increasing concern over vulnerabilities in critical infrastructure. Recently, U.S. authorities warned of foreign actors, including Chinese intelligence services, targeting sectors like water treatment facilities and broadband providers.
Uber wins case based on terms and conditions agreement over 2022 crash
In what may serve as another reminder to read the fine print, a court blocked a New Jersey couple from suing Uber after a crash left them with broken bones and hefty medical bills. The cases dismissal reported by several outlets on Wednesday, Oct. 2, is because the couple accepted the terms and conditions from the rideshare app before taking the ride, which requires any complaint to be handled outside of court.
The pair tried to take Uber to court for a jury trial after their Uber driver ran a red light and got hit by another car in 2022, but an appeals court judge sided with the rideshare giant instead.
The couple contended that it was their underaged daughter who clicked the most recent agreement with Uber Eats in 2022 while ordering a pizza. For that reason, the couple believes the case should move forward.
However, Uber argued back that it wasn’t their daughter who signed agreements in 2015 and 2021, both of which waived the couple’s right to a court trial with arbitration clauses. It also didn’t reportedly help the couple’s case that they couldn’t “surmise” whether or not their daughter actually clicked the button to agree to the terms.
The husband reacted to the judge’s ruling by saying that they are “heartbroken,” but said that they expect to attempt to bring their case to the New Jersey Supreme Court.
The lawsuit that was tossed by the appellate demanded that Uber pay for physical, emotional and financial damages the crash caused the couple.
It’s not the first time that this has happened, in fact, it happened earlier this year. In August, Disney used a similar defense, but later reversed course, on a dispute over terms of service in a wrongful death suit.
The case was brought against the entertainment company by a man whose wife died after an allergic reaction at a Disney resort restaurant.
Disney tried to have the lawsuit tossed because the plaintiff signed up for a Disney+ trial years earlier. However, after backlash, Disney said that the case can now move forward in court.
New Jersey offshore wind farm faces delay due to turbine supply issues
The planned Leading Light Wind offshore wind farm, off the coast of New Jersey, has hit a monthslong delay due to challenges in securing turbine blades. The project, set to be located 40 miles off Long Beach Island and comprising up to 100 wind turbines, is expected to generate enough electricity to power approximately one million homes.
However, Invenergy, the power company behind the development, requested earlier in September that the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities pause the project until late December. The delay comes as the company struggles to secure turbine blades from three different suppliers.
“We are committed in New Jersey to our offshore wind goals,” Christine Guhl-Sadovy, president of the utilities board, said. “This action will allow Invenergy to find a suitable wind turbine supplier. We look forward to delivering on the project that will help grow our clean energy workforce and contribute to clean energy generation for the state.”
GE Vernova, the project’s initial supplier, has experienced multiple incidents this year involving turbine blade failures, with debris spilling into the ocean both in the U.S. and internationally.
The manufacturer ultimately informed Leading Light Wind developers just three weeks after the project’s approval that it would no longer build the specific turbine type required.
Turbines from the company Vestas had been considered as a substitute, but were later deemed unsuitable for the project’s needs. Meanwhile, Siemens Gamesa Renewable Energy, the last available supplier, has significantly raised the cost of its turbines, adding another hurdle to the project’s progress.
Invenergy stated that the pause would give them more time to coordinate with supply chain partners to acquire the necessary materials while continuing to advance other development activities during the delay.
This setback is the latest in a series of challenges for New Jersey’s offshore wind ambitions. Last year, two projects from wind energy giant Ørsted were canceled due to rising costs.
Convicted Kansas cult members forced children to work 16 hour days, beat them
Six members of a Kansas-based cult were convicted on Monday, Sept. 16, of conspiracy. Federal prosecutors said that they forced children as young as eight to work 16-hour long days and live under “deplorable” conditions. The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) said the former members of the United Nation of Islam left dozens of child workers in overcrowded facilities with mold and rats.
The children were reportedly under strict dress codes and the cult controlled what they ate. Prosecutors note that one victim was so thirsty that she drank water out of a toilet.
The defendants included former high-ranking members of the Kansas-based cult or wives of the founder, Royall Jenkins, who died in 2021. The organization operated businesses across the country, which included Kansas City, Kansas; New York City; Atlanta; Newark, New Jersey, Cincinnati, Ohio; and Dayton, Ohio. The victims worked in cult-owned and operated restaurants, bakeries, clothing stores and gas stations.
The cult never paid workers for their services and the children rarely saw a doctor, according to the DOJ. The DOJ said that if child workers broke any set rules, they would be punished with beatings, isolation or more work.
Kaaba Majeed, Yunus Rassoul, Jame Staton, Randolph Rodney Hadley, Daniel Aubrey Jenkins and Dana Peach were all convicted of conspiracy to commit forced labor following a nearly-month-long trial. The jury also convicted Majeed on five counts of forced labor. The sentences carry up to 20 years for Majeed and up to five years for the other convicts.