On Tuesday, Alabama provided even more evidence of what we already know to be true: Abortion rights win elections. 

Democrat Marilyn Lands won a special election for an Alabama state House seat, flipping a Republican-held seat by campaigning on abortion rights in the deep-red state that bans abortion with no exceptions for rape or incest. Lands won 62 percent of the nearly 6,000 votes cast, while her challenger, Republican Teddy Powell, won 37.5 percent, according to the unofficial election night results from the Alabama Secretary of State. The candidates were running to replace Republican David Cole, who resigned last year after he was arrested on a voting fraud charge. (Lands ran against Cole in 2022 and lost by just under 1,000 votes, or about 7 percentage points—making her win last night all the more significant.)

Lands—a licensed professional counselor whose website says her “Christian values deeply influence her life and work”—campaigned on repealing the state’s abortion ban, as well as expanding Medicaid, investing in community mental health resources, and improving the local economy and education. Days after the state Supreme Court‘s decision threatening IVF last month, Lands released a campaign ad in which she and another Alabama woman, Alyssa Gonzales, each shared their personal stories of getting emergency abortions following nonviable pregnancies. For Lands, it happened 20 years ago; for Gonzales, it happened after the Dobbs decision was handed down in 2022. 

“We will not stand by and watch our most basic human rights be stripped from us,” Lands says in the ad.  

I’m sharing my abortion story because Alabama's no exceptions abortion ban is putting lives at risk. We must repeal this legislation, and if I'm elected on March 26th, I'll work tirelessly to do just that.

Noted thumb resembler Tucker Carlson, erstwhile Fox host, defender of white boys’ honor in battle, television’s largest baby, the guy with a fixed look you can only call “constiperplexed”—they say he’s smart. I have things to do, so I don’t watch his vlog, but I’ve read enough YouTube titles like “Tucker Carlson DEMOLISHES Antifa Ukraine Supporter” to get the deal: Tuck shreds the lies of the Judeo-Bolshevik deep state by saying what others won’t, plus Kate Middleton updates.

Tucker just got got. Bad. It was the Kate Middleton updates.

Background: Kate Mid-Vibes, daughter-in-law of Charles from The Crown, is missing, dead, or on strike; theories abound, especially after wire services pulled an “infamous edited photo” of a studiously normal Kate gilded by her three kids. My colleague Julianne McShane:

It all began when Kensington Palace announced in January that Catherine, the Princess of Wales, had undergone “planned abdominal surgery,” would be in the hospital for up to two weeks, and was “unlikely to return to public duties until after Easter.” As the weeks ticked by and she wasn’t spotted in public, various theories on her whereabouts—and her well-being—began to percolate: Was she getting treatment for an eating disorder? Had she been a victim of domestic abuse? Were she and William on the brink of divorce? Is she even alive? Or is she simply recovering from a Brazilian butt lift? (Yes, really.)

Tucker TV was minding its own business exposing white genocide when two whistleblowers wrote to say they knew how the Middleton pic was edited—because they’d done it. They had proof: one offered a royal job contract with “a clause stating that the palace had a right to amputate one of his limbs should he fail his probation period.” In principle, UK labor law discourages this. But Tucker promptly put them on his show, which runs on X, Elon Musk’s Great Replacement blog.

Aaron Ramsdale could still return to being Arsenal’s number one, according to Gareth Southgate.

While naming his England Three Lions squad for the March internationals, most Gooners were waiting to see if Ramsdale would get a call, which he did.

Gareth Southgate, in fact, revealed he continues to believe in the ‘wantaway’ Arsenal goalkeeper. He considers the 25-year-old one of the best three England goalkeepers. He is disappointed by the fact that the Gunner has not gotten much playing time, but they still value him. That’s why they give him a chance on the national team.

Strangely, while many believe Ramsdale is leaving Arsenal, Southgate hints he may not need to. He confesses that he believes the ex-Sheffield custodian still has a future as a Gunner; he only needs to keep pushing, and he could return to be their first choice.
Southgate explained: “We have chosen the three goalkeepers who we think are the best.

“It is not ideal that Aaron does not play. But he showed last week that he has the mental toughness to play for England when he responded to the mistake that he made.

Chris Sutton is confident that Arsenal can overcome Bayern Munich and advance to the Champions League semi-finals when they meet in the quarterfinals.

Arsenal secured their spot in the last eight by defeating FC Porto via penalties, showcasing their determination and resilience.

In previous seasons, Bayern Munich would have been considered the clear favourites in such a matchup, given their consistent success in European competition.

However, this year, Arsenal presents a different challenge. The Gunners currently sit atop the Premier League standings and have displayed formidable form throughout 2024.

Conversely, Bayern Munich is facing challenges in their domestic league, losing their grip on the Bundesliga title to Bayer Leverkusen.

Benjamin Sesko has caught the attention of Arsenal, and it wouldn’t come as a surprise if the Gunners pursued him for their squad.

The young striker has been performing well at RB Leipzig since his move from their sister club RB Salzburg.

During his time at Salzburg, Sesko attracted interest from several top clubs across Europe. However, he opted to continue his development by moving to Leipzig.

Leipzig recognises Sesko’s potential as a top talent and understands that they may be unable to retain him for an extended period.

Journalist Ben Jacobs has shed light on Arsenal’s intentions to bolster their striker options, highlighting Sesko as a potential target alongside Viktor Gyokeres.

Harry Kane will return to London to face Arsenal in the Champions League quarterfinals this season after the Gunners were drawn against his Bayern Munich team.

The striker moved to Germany in the summer and has continued his fine run of form in the Bundesliga and the Champions League.

He always enjoyed facing Arsenal as a player of Tottenham, and when the Gunners thought they would no longer need to worry about him in the Premier League, he is now set to face them in Europe.

Everyone knows Kane is a dangerous striker, and Martin Keown has warned the Arsenal’s defence about facing the Euro 2020 finalist.

He said, as quoted by Metro Sport:

Since the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade nearly two years ago, supporters of the right to choose have won every ballot initiative, in every state, in which an abortion-related measure has been put before voters. The trend is as true in red states like Kansas and Kentucky as it is in blue California and Vermont, and the in-between battlegrounds.

And so, as the 2024 election approaches, with reproductive rights activists pushing to get abortion-rights amendments on ballots in almost a dozen states, Republican politicians have been throwing spaghetti at the wall to find a way to stop them. The most recent example comes from South Dakota, where state law currently prohibits all abortions, except those needed to save a pregnant person’s life. There, a group called Dakotans for Health is collecting signatures to get a limited right to abortion enshrined in the state constitution.

As they’ve done in other states, Republicans are trying to stop the amendment from going before voters: On Friday, Republican Gov. Krisiti Noem signed a bill to allow people to revoke their signatures from ballot initiative petitions.

The campaign needs to collect 35,017 signatures by May 7 to qualify for the ballot. Dakotans for Health co-founder Rick Weiland says they’re already there, with 50,000 signatures in the bag. Based on history, the prognosis is good if the amendment does get to the ballot: South Dakota voters rejected abortion-ban measures in 2006 and 2008, long before the Supreme Court’s Dobbs decision sent support for abortion rights soaring. 

To South Dakota’s anti-abortion Republicans, this an emergency. Literally: The new signature revocation law includes an emergency clause allowing it to take effect immediately. Under the new law, voters who want to revoke their signature from a ballot initiative petition have to send a notarized letter using registered mail to the secretary of state. The bill is transparently targeting the abortion-rights initiative. Its main sponsor, Republican Rep. Jon Hansen—who sits on the board of directors for South Dakota Right to Life—claimed to South Dakota Searchlight that people had been “misled, or frankly, fraudulently induced,” into signing Dakotans for Health’s abortion rights petition. “People have approached me and they said, ‘Hey, I signed that abortion petition because I thought it was pro-life. That’s what they led me to believe,’” Hansen alleged.

Joshua Zirkzee has emerged as one of the most sought-after strikers in Europe, impressing with his performances at Bologna.

The Dutch striker is enjoying a stellar season, showcasing his talent and making a significant impact in one of Europe’s top leagues.

Bologna, traditionally fighting for survival in Serie A, find themselves in contention for a European place this season, largely due to Zirkzee’s brilliance along with the contributions of his teammates.

With his standout performances, Zirkzee has attracted interest from clubs across Europe, including Arsenal, who are closely monitoring his progress. Valued at around 80 million euros, Zirkzee’s price tag is within the reach of Premier League clubs.

Despite Arsenal’s interest, reports from FC Inter News suggest that their pursuit of Zirkzee may not be as serious as portrayed in the media. As a result, it’s likely that Zirkzee will remain in Italy.

Fabrizio Romano has provided an update on the future of Arsenal’s Champions League hero, David Raya, affirming that the Gunners are keen on retaining him.

Raya has been on loan at the Emirates since the beginning of the season, and his performances have left a positive impression on Arsenal.

Quickly establishing himself as the club’s first-choice goalkeeper over the highly-rated Aaron Ramsdale, Raya initially faced criticism. However, he has silenced doubters with consistent and impressive displays.

Raya’s standout moment came in Arsenal’s Champions League round of 16 match against FC Porto, where he emerged as the club’s hero.

Given his contributions and form, Arsenal is eager to secure Raya’s services beyond his loan spell.

Former Liverpool legend turned pundit Graeme Souness believes that Arsenal squandered the opportunity to win the Premier League title last season, but he commends them for overcoming that setback and using it as motivation for improvement.

Souness highlights that at this stage of the previous campaign, Arsenal began dropping points against teams they were expected to defeat, allowing Manchester City to mount a successful title challenge.

The collapse came as a surprise to many, given Arsenal’s strong start to the season and consistent form throughout much of the campaign. Souness attributes this setback to a lack of experience on Arsenal’s part.

However, in the current season, Arsenal has shown significant improvement compared to the same stage of the previous campaign. Souness is impressed by their progress and how they have addressed the issues that plagued them last season.

He writes in the Daily Mail:

Arsenal is reportedly eyeing a move for Real Madrid attacker Brahim Diaz and may launch a bid for him in the upcoming summer transfer window.

As Arsenal aims to maintain their upward trajectory in the Premier League, bolstering their squad with new signings becomes crucial for sustained success.

According to a report from Football 365, Diaz has emerged as one of the talents on Arsenal’s radar. The Spanish attacker, who previously featured for Manchester City and enjoyed a successful loan spell at AC Milan, is now part of Real Madrid’s squad.

While Real values Diaz highly, they could be open to offloading him if a suitable offer is presented. The report suggests that Diaz’s market value is around 60 million euros, a figure that Arsenal should be capable of meeting once the current season concludes.

Just Arsenal Opinion

Ivan Toney has spoken about what an ideal summer will be for him as Arsenal and several clubs show an interest in the attacker.

Toney has been one of the best goalscorers in the Premier League for much of his time as a Brentford player in the English top flight.

He missed most of this term due to a ban but is still expected to leave Brentford in the summer, as the Bees have already signed a replacement for him.

Toney could remain in London, where Arsenal and Chelsea are battling to add him to their group.

However, the striker was asked what an ideal summer would be for him, and he revealed, as quoted by Goal.com:

Kylian Mbappe has addressed a request for him to join Arsenal as he prepares to announce his next club.

The striker has been linked with moves to several top clubs across Europe, as he has yet to finalise his decision on his next destination.

It’s been communicated to PSG that he will not be extending his stay, sparking interest from elite European clubs vying for the signature of the 2018 World Cup winner.

Real Madrid has long been considered a likely destination for Mbappe, with the club having tracked him since the early stages of his career.

While Arsenal would undoubtedly benefit from his addition, it appears unlikely that Mbappe will consider a move to the Emirates at the end of this season.

It was 2018 when Mateo Jaime was admitted to North Star Behavioral Health, a psychiatric hospital in Anchorage, Alaska. He didn’t need acute psychiatric care, he says. Rather, Jaime was a teenager in the foster system, and Alaska’s Office of Children’s Services didn’t have a foster home for him. Jaime would spend two months at the facility, during which time he was held in seclusion and witnessed the forcible injection and physical restraint of other patients. He still has PTSD from the experience.

Jaime wasn’t alone. A yearlong Mother Jones investigation found that foster kids have been admitted hundreds of times to North Star, where some spend months or even years. Despite the facility’s troubling track record of assaults, escapes, and improper use of seclusion, state officials have admitted what foster youth have long suspected: Foster children are warehoused at North Star when there’s nowhere else for them to go. 

Now, two bills introduced in the state legislature aim to reform psychiatric treatment for vulnerable youth in Alaska. Though neither bill mentions North Star by name, it looms large as the state’s only private psychiatric hospital for children.

HB 363 would require a court to review a foster child’s placement at a psychiatric hospital within 72 hours to determine if that child meets medical criteria for hospitalization. (There’s no statute on when an initial hearing should take place, though a preliminary injunction requires a hearing within 30 days.) 

Jaime was among those who testified at an emotional hearing on Thursday. “I felt like a zombie for two months,” he said. “I had no control and no voice over the situation.”

On Wednesday, CNN’s Pamela Brown and Jake Tapper reported that New York Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers—who is (or at least was) reportedly being considered as independent candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s presidential running mate—had told at least two people that the 2012 mass murder at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut, never happened. One of those two people was Brown herself, who recounted how Rodgers approached her at a Kentucky Derby after-party in 2013 to complain about the media’s coverage of the shooting:

Brown recalls Rodgers asking her if she thought it was off that there were men in black in the woods by the school, falsely claiming those men were actually government operatives. Brown found the encounter disturbing.

CNN has spoken to another person with a similar story. This person, to whom CNN has granted anonymity so as to avoid harassment, recalled that several years ago, Rodgers claimed, “Sandy Hook never happened…All those children never existed. They were all actors.”

Rodgers responded on Thursday in a manner that, viewed within a narrow context, could be considered to be a denial: “As I’m on the record saying in the past, what happened in Sandy Hook was an absolute tragedy,” he wrote on X, the emaciated husk of a social-media platform formerly known as Twitter. “I am not and have never been of the opinion that the events did not take place. Again, I hope that we learn from this and other tragedies to identify the signs that will allow us to prevent unnecessary loss of life.”

It feels strange to parse the statements of a Super Bowl-winning quarterback as if they are from a candidate for a constitutional office, but under the circumstances, apparently, we must. So I’ll just note the obvious: Rodgers did not deny the substance of the story, which reported that he said these things in 2013. Given that Alex Jones was recently handed a $1.5 billion judgment for his years-long campaign to defame grieving Sandy Hook parents—spreading false conspiracies that bear a strong resemblance to what Rodgers is reported to have said—it’s not surprising that a guy who maybe wants to be vice president, and definitely does not want to be bankrupt, is not repeating them now. 

On Wednesday, the Dwight D. Opperman Foundation announced the 2024 recipients of the Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg Leadership Award. The winners: businessman Elon Musk, right-wing media kingpin Rupert Murdoch, lifestyle guru Martha Stewart, felonious Wall Streeter turned philanthropist Mike Milken, and actor Sylvester Stallone. The Foundation hailed these “iconic individuals” for their “extraordinary achievements.”

Veteran corporate lawyer Brendan Sullivan, who was Oliver North’s attorney during the Iran-contra scandal and who now chairs the RBG Award, noted, “The honorees reflect the integrity and achievement that defined Justice Ginsburg’s career and legend.” And the chair of the foundation, Julie Opperman, a big Republican donor and the widow of publishing titan Dwight Opperman, who once was CEO of Thomson Reuters, remarked that the award embraces “the fullness of Justice Ginsburg’s legacy.”

Attaching Ginsburg’s name to Musk, who has amplified racist and antisemitic posts and ideas on X, and Murdoch, whose Fox News purposefully spread Trump’s disinformation about the 2020 election and has repeatedly deployed falsehoods to challenge and undermine the values that Ginsburg fought for her entire life, seemed an odd and inappropriate choice. That’s what Ginsburg’s family believes. 

It has released a statement denouncing the awards:

The decision of the Opperman Foundation to bestow the RBG Women’s Leadership Award on this year’s slate of awardees is an affront to the memory of our mother and grandmother, Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. Her legacy is one of deep commitment to justice and to the proposition that all persons deserve what she called “equal citizenship stature” under the Constitution. She was a singularly powerful voice for the equality and empowerment of women, including their ability to control their own bodies. As it was originally conceived and named, the Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg Woman of Leadership Award honored that legacy by recognizing “an extraordinary woman who has exercised a positive and notable influence on society and served as an exemplary role model in both principles and practice.” This year, the Opperman Foundation has strayed far from the original mission of the award and from what Justice Ginsburg stood for.

A prominent election denier who wore multiple hats while aiding GOP efforts to overturn the 2020 election will serve as a top lawyer at the Republican National Committee. Christina Bobb, a former reporter for the fringe pro-Trump broadcaster One America News, will oversee the party’s “election integrity” operations. In Trumpworld, what puts a person in line for such a role is having worked tirelessly to subvert an election—and “election integrity” simply means anything needed to help Trump win.

Bobb has the necessary qualifications in spades. As the New York Times reported in 2022, Bobb embraced “conspiracy theories with a fervor that has at times seemed over the top even to her colleagues.” Indeed, she promoted the Big Lie with such zeal that she was sued for defamation. And not only does she appear to be a true believer, she’s been willing to sacrifice herself for the Trump cause, such as when she signed an affidavit to the Justice Department related to his stolen documents case that protected Trump and that she knew might be false. Such loyalty seems to have landed her this new job.

Last week, the RNC elected Trump’s picks to run the party ahead of the 2024 elections, including installing his daughter-in-law, Lara Trump, as co-chair, ally Michael Whatley as chair, and campaign adviser Chris LaCivita as chief of staff. The new leadership is moving swiftly to remove a significant number of staff, including those in top leadership roles, and hire new people more aligned with Trump. Enter Bobb. 

As a correspondent for OAN, Bobb promoted the Big Lie—enough that she was a named a defendant in Dominion Voting Systems’ defamation suit against the network. But Bobb was not just a purveyor of the Big Lie—she was also part of the operation. Weeks after the 2020 election, Trump brought in a new team of lawyers, including Rudy Giuliani, to help him subvert the results and remain in office. Though Bobb has not been charged with any crimes, she worked with that team to help coordinate the scheme to certify fake slates of electors in states Biden won, a plot that is part of both the criminal indictment against Trump in Georgia and the federal charges brought by Special Counsel Jack Smith.

After Biden was certified the winner on January 6, Bobb remained a pro-Trump activist, raising money for bogus election audits while also touting the Big Lie in her on-air role at OAN. In Arizona, Bobb played a significant part in  the GOP-controlled state senate’s audit of Maricopa County’s votes, all while covering it as a reporter. As the Arizona Republic‘s Laurie Roberts recently recounted, Bobb helped orchestrate the audit, raised money for it, and then surreptitiously advised the auditor, Cyber Ninjas, throughout the process. Ultimately, the audit confirmed that Biden had won Arizona. It’s the upside down version of journalistic ethics.

Amid a surge of support for organized labor and the general realization that work sucks, Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) is leading a renewed push to make the 32-hour workweek, without a loss in wages or benefits, an American reality.

The Vermont senator on Thursday unveiled a bill that seeks to establish a four-day workweek over the next four years, a proposal Sanders’ office described as critical to reducing workers’ toil, as well as timely considering the advancements workplaces will see thanks to artificial intelligence and automation.

“It is time to reduce the stress level in our country and allow Americans to enjoy a better quality of life,” a statement read. “It is time for a 32-hour workweek with no loss in pay.”

The four-day workweek enjoys overwhelming public support. Studies have shown that it can vastly improve job satisfaction and often does not lead to a loss in productivity (but actual implementation plans are vital). The United Auto Workers called for a 32-hour work week during their historic 2023 strike. Though it was ultimately cut at the bargaining table, UAW President Shawn Fein made a fresh call to enact the measure at Thursday’s hearing.

Bernie Sanders is holding a Senate hearing today on making a 32-hour workweek with no reduction in pay the standard in America.

This story was originally published by the Guardian and is reproduced here as part of the Climate Desk collaboration.

Cesc Fabregas is confident that Arsenal will be too strong for Sheffield United in the upcoming Premier League match on Monday. Mikel Arteta’s side has displayed impressive form in 2024, maintaining an unbeaten streak in league games since the start of the year.

The Gunners’ outstanding run positions them well ahead of the game against Sheffield United, and the Blades are expected to face challenges in containing Arsenal’s performance. With Liverpool continuing their formidable run, Arsenal finds itself in a situation where maintaining a winning streak is crucial.

While Arsenal faces several tougher matches before the end of the season, securing maximum points in the upcoming match against Sheffield is imperative for Arteta’s side.

Fabregas said, as quoted by the BBC:

“I see Arsenal at the moment as too strong. I see them confident.