Democrats in the US Congress on Tuesday failed to pass a legislative package intended to protect voting rights across the country.
The failure came during a Republican push to enact sweeping new voting laws in states they control.
The legislation failed to advance by a 50-50 party-line tie after Democrats fell short of the 60 votes needed to pass the legislation as the result of a procedural mechanism in the upper chamber called the filibuster.
President Joe Biden appointed Vice President Kamala Harris to oversee the protection of voting rights. But if this failed vote is any indication, she will continue to face an uphill battle.
"Democracy is in peril, here, in America," the White House said before the vote in a statement supporting the legislation.
“The right to vote – a sacred right in this country – is under assault with an intensity and an aggressiveness we have not seen in a long time.”
The White House said the bill would have expanded "the tools available to the Justice Department to enforce the voting rights of all Americans".
“In state after state, new restrictive laws on voting and efforts to replace non-partisan election administration with partisan processes designed to overturn the will of the voters have become more widespread.”
Republican legislatures in at least 14 states have enacted 22 voter restriction laws this year, the Brennan Centre for Justice at the New York University School of Law said.
"In a backlash to 2020's historic voter turn-out and unprecedented vote-by-mail usage, state lawmakers have imposed a variety of significant restrictions on mail voting and in-person voting," the Brennan Centre wrote in an analysis of the latest crop of voting laws.
This year's wave of legislation surpasses the record set in 2011, when 14 states passed 19 voting laws.
These laws, passed mainly in Republican-held states during the administration of Barack Obama, largely focused on increasing voter identification requirements, despite the lack of evidence that doing so would substantially prevent voter fraud.
Critics argued that the laws would hinder turn-out among non-white voters, who are statistically less likely to have an acceptable form of identification.
Similarly, voting rights advocates say that the latest crop of voter laws, described by Republicans as "election integrity" laws, would largely reduce turn-out among non-white voters, who overwhelmingly vote for Democrats.
Republicans have largely relied on former president Donald Trump's unsubstantiated claims of widespread voter fraud in the 2020 elections as a political justification for the new laws.
Conversely, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell derided Democrats' failed voting legislation as a "partisan power grab" on the Senate floor before the vote.
Democrats walked out of the Texas state legislature last month to deny Republicans the quorum they needed to pass an expansive new voting law, although the governor has called a special session next month to push the law through.
Ms Harris met Texas Democrats in Washington last week to praise their walkout, which she framed as an attempt to protect the right of Texans to vote.
"What we are seeing are examples of an attempt to interfere with that right and attempt to marginalise and take from people a right that has already been given," Ms Harris said.
“What’s happening right now in Texas is, of course, a very clear and current example of that.”
Among other things, the Texas voting bill would curtail postal voting, introduce new limits on voter registration, reduce polling locations largely used by non-white voters and increase criminal penalties for breaches of these proposed laws.
It would also ban voting before 1pm on Sundays, hindering black churches that traditionally drive voters to the polls after services – although Republicans now say the provision was a mistake.
Key swing states such as Arizona, Florida, Georgia and Michigan passed similar laws this year.
These laws would also reduce access to ballot drop-off locations, make it harder to vote by mail, increase voter identification requirements and curtail efforts by municipalities to shorten voter lines.
The wait time to vote in-person typically varies based on the racial demographics of a given locality, with white voters throughout the US usually enjoying much shorter, sometimes instantaneous wait times at the polling locations that primarily serve them.
Conversely, queues at polling stations that primarily serve non-white communities can be notoriously long, often forcing voters to wait for hours to cast their ballots.
Black voters face some of the longest queues in Georgia, which in March passed one of the most restrictive voting laws, including a provision to make it illegal to provide food and water to voters queuing up for hours at the polls.
The Supreme Court opened up the floodgates for many of these laws to pass in 2013 when the justices voted five to four in favour of dismantling key provisions of the 1965 Voting Rights Act which sought to protect the rights of black Americans to vote after decades of racist Jim Crow-era policies severely limited their access to the polls.
Although the Voting Rights Act required certain states – largely in the south – that had upheld segregationist policies to obtain federal permission before altering their voting laws, the Supreme Court ruling eliminated this requirement.
The court’s conservative justices argued the requirement was no longer necessary because it was based on data that was more than 40 years old.
The conservative-dominated Supreme Court is expected to rule on additional cases later this year that could further curtail the Voting Rights Act.
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Rating: 4 stars
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Profile of VoucherSkout
Date of launch: November 2016
Founder: David Tobias
Based: Jumeirah Lake Towers
Sector: Technology
Size: 18 employees
Stage: Embarking on a Series A round to raise $5 million in the first quarter of 2019 with a 20 per cent stake
Investors: Seed round was self-funded with “millions of dollars”
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
UAE jiu-jitsu squad
Men: Hamad Nawad and Khalid Al Balushi (56kg), Omar Al Fadhli and Saeed Al Mazroui (62kg), Taleb Al Kirbi and Humaid Al Kaabi (69kg), Mohammed Al Qubaisi and Saud Al Hammadi (70kg), Khalfan Belhol and Mohammad Haitham Radhi (85kg), Faisal Al Ketbi and Zayed Al Kaabi (94kg)
Women: Wadima Al Yafei and Mahra Al Hanaei (49kg), Bashayer Al Matrooshi and Hessa Al Shamsi (62kg)
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
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The five pillars of Islam
1. Fasting
2. Prayer
3. Hajj
4. Shahada
5. Zakat
The Birkin bag is made by Hermès.
It is named after actress and singer Jane Birkin
Noone from Hermès will go on record to say how much a new Birkin costs, how long one would have to wait to get one, and how many bags are actually made each year.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The Voice of Hind Rajab
Starring: Saja Kilani, Clara Khoury, Motaz Malhees
Director: Kaouther Ben Hania
Rating: 4/5
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
Milestones on the road to union
1970
October 26: Bahrain withdraws from a proposal to create a federation of nine with the seven Trucial States and Qatar.
December: Ahmed Al Suwaidi visits New York to discuss potential UN membership.
1971
March 1: Alex Douglas Hume, Conservative foreign secretary confirms that Britain will leave the Gulf and “strongly supports” the creation of a Union of Arab Emirates.
July 12: Historic meeting at which Sheikh Zayed and Sheikh Rashid make a binding agreement to create what will become the UAE.
July 18: It is announced that the UAE will be formed from six emirates, with a proposed constitution signed. RAK is not yet part of the agreement.
August 6: The fifth anniversary of Sheikh Zayed becoming Ruler of Abu Dhabi, with official celebrations deferred until later in the year.
August 15: Bahrain becomes independent.
September 3: Qatar becomes independent.
November 23-25: Meeting with Sheikh Zayed and Sheikh Rashid and senior British officials to fix December 2 as date of creation of the UAE.
November 29: At 5.30pm Iranian forces seize the Greater and Lesser Tunbs by force.
November 30: Despite a power sharing agreement, Tehran takes full control of Abu Musa.
November 31: UK officials visit all six participating Emirates to formally end the Trucial States treaties
December 2: 11am, Dubai. New Supreme Council formally elects Sheikh Zayed as President. Treaty of Friendship signed with the UK. 11.30am. Flag raising ceremony at Union House and Al Manhal Palace in Abu Dhabi witnessed by Sheikh Khalifa, then Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi.
December 6: Arab League formally admits the UAE. The first British Ambassador presents his credentials to Sheikh Zayed.
December 9: UAE joins the United Nations.
The biog:
Languages: Arabic, Farsi, Hindi, basic Russian
Favourite food: Pizza
Best food on the road: rice
Favourite colour: silver
Favourite bike: Gold Wing, Honda
Favourite biking destination: Canada
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The biog
Family: He is the youngest of five brothers, of whom two are dentists.
Celebrities he worked on: Fabio Canavaro, Lojain Omran, RedOne, Saber Al Rabai.
Where he works: Liberty Dental Clinic
Explainer: Tanween Design Programme
Non-profit arts studio Tashkeel launched this annual initiative with the intention of supporting budding designers in the UAE. This year, three talents were chosen from hundreds of applicants to be a part of the sixth creative development programme. These are architect Abdulla Al Mulla, interior designer Lana El Samman and graphic designer Yara Habib.
The trio have been guided by experts from the industry over the course of nine months, as they developed their own products that merge their unique styles with traditional elements of Emirati design. This includes laboratory sessions, experimental and collaborative practice, investigation of new business models and evaluation.
It is led by British contemporary design project specialist Helen Voce and mentor Kevin Badni, and offers participants access to experts from across the world, including the likes of UK designer Gareth Neal and multidisciplinary designer and entrepreneur, Sheikh Salem Al Qassimi.
The final pieces are being revealed in a worldwide limited-edition release on the first day of Downtown Designs at Dubai Design Week 2019. Tashkeel will be at stand E31 at the exhibition.
Lisa Ball-Lechgar, deputy director of Tashkeel, said: “The diversity and calibre of the applicants this year … is reflective of the dynamic change that the UAE art and design industry is witnessing, with young creators resolute in making their bold design ideas a reality.”
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Transmission: 9-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 6.9L/100km
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if you go
The flights
Etihad and Emirates fly direct to Kolkata from Dh1,504 and Dh1,450 return including taxes, respectively. The flight takes four hours 30 minutes outbound and 5 hours 30 minute returning.
The trains
Numerous trains link Kolkata and Murshidabad but the daily early morning Hazarduari Express (3’ 52”) is the fastest and most convenient; this service also stops in Plassey. The return train departs Murshidabad late afternoon. Though just about feasible as a day trip, staying overnight is recommended.
The hotels
Mursidabad’s hotels are less than modest but Berhampore, 11km south, offers more accommodation and facilities (and the Hazarduari Express also pauses here). Try Hotel The Fame, with an array of rooms from doubles at Rs1,596/Dh90 to a ‘grand presidential suite’ at Rs7,854/Dh443.
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre turbo 4-cyl
Transmission: eight-speed auto
Power: 190bhp
Torque: 300Nm
Price: Dh169,900
On sale: now
KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Zayed Sustainability Prize
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
