NY judge strikes Democratic-drawn maps

By Colby Itkowitz Washington Post

A New York judge on Thursday struck down the state’s new congressional and legislative maps as defying a voter-backed constitutional amendment that aimed to end partisan gerrymandering, dealing a blow to Democrats hoping to hold onto their fragile majority in the House this November.

State Supreme Court Judge Patrick McAllister in Steuben County ordered the state legislature to draw bipartisan maps by April 11 or the court will appoint an independent map drawer to do it. The state will appeal the decision, triggering an automatic stay until the state appeals court takes it up.

New York Democrats drew a new congressional map with boundaries that could gain their party as many as three new seats, a crucial advantage at a time when the House majority will come down to just a handful of wins.

How redistricting is shaping the 2022 U.S. House map

The judge’s order was the latest redistricting disappointment Democrats have faced in recent weeks after what had been several initial legal wins. A Maryland judge invalidated a Democratic-drawn congressional map, the U.S. Supreme Court threw out Wisconsin court-approved legislative maps that added a new majority-Black district, and an Ohio map that heavily favored Republicans, thrown out by the state Supreme Court, is now expected to remain in place for 2022.

How redistricting is shaping the 2022 U.S. House map

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Updated storm forecast: Nasty stuff to start around 4 p.m. including 60-mph winds, possible tornadoes

New Jersey is expected to see fierce thunderstorms, up to 60-mph wind gusts and possible tornadoes later today. Here’s when.
New Jersey is expected to see fierce thunderstorms, up to 60-mph wind gusts, and possible tornadoes later today.

By Nicole Rosenthal, Patch staff

NEW JERSEY – Severe thunderstorms, ferocious winds, and a chance of tornadoes are in the cards for the Garden State today. But when will nasty weather strike the region?

As of Thursday at 3 p.m., New Jersey is under a severe weather outlook per the National Weather Service, with “scattered severe storms expected” across the state. Portions of northwestern New Jersey, including Warren, Hunterdon, and Sussex counties, have been upgraded to “enhanced risk” status in which “numerous severe storms” are expected.

Major storms aren’t expected to begin hitting the state until 4 p.m., although lighter storms could trek through the state sooner.

“Damaging winds will be an ongoing threat, but it should also be mentioned rainfall could be quite heavy and this could result in at least urban, small stream, and poor drainage flooding,” the National Weather Service said in a forecast discussion Thursday morning.

“In coastal areas of the mid-Atlantic from northeastern North Carolina to New York City and the Hudson Valley, most of the day [Thursday] may be free of thunderstorms with windy and warmer conditions,” AccuWeather Meteorologist Paul Pastelok said. “It may take until the [Thursday] evening rush hour or perhaps a bit later for any severe thunderstorm to hit in these coastal locations of the Northeast,” he added.

Here’s what’s expected to happen:

  • Strong to severe storms with localized wind gusts up to 60 mph are expected to be ushered into the state around 4 p.m. today, starting from the state’s western border.
  • The I-95 corridor should see storms pick up by 7 p.m., while the Jersey Shore will see thunderstorms starting around 10 p.m. until around midnight. Tornadoes and flash flooding are both possible during this time period, per the National Weather Service.
  • Thunderstorms will move offshore after 3 a.m. on Friday, although a chance of showers will still linger through Friday afternoon. Friday is expected to be partly sunny with a high approaching the upper 50s. However, winds can gust up to 30 mph.

Read the full story here

Previous storm post:
Murphy says delay your Friday morning commute as storm is set to bring ice, snow

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Alex Jones Found In Contempt Of Court In Sandy Hook Lawsuit


Alex Jones of Infowars visits U.S. Senate as Twitter CEO Dorsey testifies at Senate Intelligence Committee hearing on Capitol Hill in Washington

By Barbara Goldberg Reuters

A Connecticut judge on Wednesday held conspiracy theorist Alex Jones in contempt and fined him $25,000 a day until he sits for a deposition in a defamation lawsuit filed by relatives of the victims of the 2012 Sandy Hook school shooting.

Jones, the founder of the right-wing Infowars website who claimed the shooting was a hoax, failed to comply with court orders to appear at a deposition on March 23 and 24, Connecticut Superior Court Judge Barbara Bellis said during an online hearing.

His lawyers had sought to explain his absence by claiming that “Jones was remaining at home under his doctor’s supervision when, in fact, he was working at his studios and broadcasting his show,” Bellis said, referring to a podcast produced by Jones.

The judge set an April 15 deadline for Jones to complete a two-day deposition, a goal that would “purge” the contempt ruling. Starting April 1, the court would assess a fine of $25,000 each weekday until he sits for the deposition, the judge ruled.

“Alex Jones willfully and in bad faith violated without justification several clear court orders requiring his attendance at his depositions,” the judge said.

The defamation suit has already been decided in favor of the families of the shooting victims, with the judge saying in November that Jones defaulted by failing to provide documents and is responsible for damages to the plaintiffs.

The online hearing on Wednesday took place a day after Sandy Hook families rejected an offer by Jones to pay $120,000 to each of the 13 plaintiffs to settle the lawsuit.

The plaintiffs are suing Jones in response to his claims that the shooting, which left 20 children and six school employees dead, never happened. He had claimed the incident at the Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut, was fabricated by gun-control advocates and mainstream media.

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[UPDATE] Marquette University bans use of its $929M endowment for direct fosil fuel investments

The Church of the Gesu can be seen on the Milwaukee campus of Marquette University in this winter 2020 photo. (CNS/Courtesy of Marquette University)The Church of the Gesu can be seen on the Milwaukee campus of Marquette University in this winter 2020 photo. (CNS/Courtesy of Marquette University)

UPDATE: Contains the correct link to the full story

By Brian Roewe EarthBeat

Student climate activists at Marquette University celebrated after the Jesuit school in Milwaukee moved last week to prohibit direct investments in fossil fuels through its $929 million endowment.

Marquette announced an update on March 24 to its university investment policy that bars investments in public securities whose primary business involves the exploration and extraction of coal, oil and gas. The move was approved by its board of trustees.

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In addition, the new policy formalizes measures the endowment office has been practicing for several years, including monitoring funds for indirect exposure to fossil fuels and moving to “wind down” other private investments in fossil fuel-related holdings “in accordance with the terms of the partnership agreements.”

A spokeswoman told EarthBeat the university retains the ability to maintain fossil fuel exposure “on a case-by-case basis,” particularly with companies adapting their business models toward solutions to climate change.

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NJ Gov. Murphy says delay Friday morning commute as storm is set to bring ice, snow

By Brent Johnson | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com

UPDATE: N.J. school closings, delayed openings due to snow, ice storm for Friday

Though he said the weather forecast has taken a “slightly positive turn” and he has not issued a state of emergency, Gov. Phil Murphy on Thursday urged residents to avoid the Friday morning commute as a winter storm is set to bring a messy mix of snow and ice to the northern half of New Jersey.

“If you have the ability to work later than usual or work from home, that’s probably a good time to exercise that option,” Murphy said during a virtual weather briefing. “This is a good one to sit out.”

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Russian hackers probing Texas energy infrastructure

Utility companies and key oil and gas transportation hubs are on high alert as Russian hackers have been probing energy infrastructure’s digital networks for weak points.

An employee of Vistra Corp.’s Midlothian Power Plant adjusts the wiring of power unit on October 15, 2021. Energy providers…
A power plant employee adjusts the wiring of a power unit in North Texas. The Texas energy sector has been increasingly probed for weaknesses by computer hackers from Russia, according to a cybersecurity expert whose company has monitored cyber threats in Texas. Credit: Shelby Tauber for The Texas Tribune

BY MITCHELL FERMAN The Texas Tribune

Russian hackers have been probing Texas’ energy infrastructure for weak points in digital systems that would allow them to steal sensitive information or disrupt operations, according to interviews with energy companies, state officials, and cybersecurity experts.

State regulators and energy companies — from utilities to oil and gas transportation hubs to their associated vendors — said they have been aware of the elevated Russian cyber threats since the Russian invasion of Ukraine last month, but they’re careful to not say too much.

“We are on super high alert,” said Thad Hill, CEO of Texas power giant Calpine, adding that he has been closely monitoring Russia’s cyber actions.

Read the full story here

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