Boris Johnson turned away from polling station after forgetting to bring photo ID

Boris Johnson was turned away from his local polling station when trying to cast his vote in Thursday’s elections after forgetting to bring the required photo identity.

The former prime minister was initially told by polling station staff he would not be allowed to vote in the police and crime commissioner election in South Oxfordshire without proving his identity.

The misstep was embarrassing for Johnson because the requirement to bring photo ID is a stipulation of the Elections Act he introduced in 2022 while in Downing Street.

The Electoral Commission has warned that hundreds of thousands of people could be excluded from voting because of the law, which it said could have a disproportionate effect on some groups.

https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/article/2024/may/02/minister-sorry-as-veterans-find-id-card-not-valid-for-english-elections

Trump trial updates: Prosecution plays Cohen's secret recording of Trump discussing payment to Karen McDougal

Source: Yahoo News

During testimony by forensic analyst Douglas Daus, prosecutors played a secret recording Cohen made of Trump in September 2016. During the conversation, Cohen is heard telling Trump, “I need to open up a company for the transfer of all of that info regarding our friend David,” in reference to then-National Enquirer publisher David Pecker, who paid McDougal $150,000 as part of an arrangement to bury negative stories about Trump during the 2016 presidential campaign. On the tape, Cohen informs Trump that he has spoken to Trump Organization CFO Allen Weisselberg about the transaction, and refers to “financing.” In response, Trump is heard asking, “What financing?”

Recordings played for jury: Daus, who works for the Manhattan District Attorney’s office and examined the contents of Cohen’s phones, obtained photographs, calendar meetings, contact listings and recordings that were all presented as evidence on Thursday. Cohen, who often secretly recorded his conversations with others, taped one he had with Trump in September 2016. It appeared to bolster the prosecution’s claim that Trump not only knew about the deal with the Enquirer to “catch and kill” negative stories about Trump to bolster his presidential campaign, but that he had authorized it.

In another recording, Cohen is heard referencing what he said Trump told him about paying $130,000 to adult film actress Stormy Daniels. “I can’t even tell you how many times he said to me, 'I hate the fact that we did it,' and my comment to him was, 'But every person that we’ve spoken to tells you it was the right move,’" Cohen says on the recording.

‘What have we done?’: Earlier in the day, Keith Davidson, a lawyer who represented Daniels and McDougal in financial negotiations regarding their allegations of extramarital affairs with Trump, wrapped up his testimony. Prosecutors showed the jury a text message Davidson had sent National Enquirer editor Dylan Howard after Trump was declared the winner of the 2016 election. “What have we done?” Davidson texted in an apparent reference to the deal that paid McDougal $150,000 but kept her story from going public before votes were cast. Davidson testified that “there was an understanding” that their efforts “may have in some way assisted the presidential campaign of Donald Trump.”


Read more: https://www.yahoo.com/news/trump-trial-updates-prosecution-plays-cohens-secret-recording-of-trump-discussing-payment-to-karen-mcdougal-211935575.html

Face of a 75,000-year-old Neanderthal woman revealed by scientists

Source: NBC News

Biden: 'Destroying property is not a peaceful protest'

Source: Washington Post

Man says his emotional support alligator, known for its big social media audience, has gone missing

"If you strike at the King you must kill him" (Ralph Waldo Emerson).

Despite the obvious impending failure, Marjorie Taylor Greene plans to carry on with her Motion to Vacate.

At any other time, if a Member attempted to dethrone a Speaker and failed, their political career would be over. Welcome to the modern Republican House Caucus.

Police breaking up pro-Gaza camp at UCLA (live on CNN)

UCLA Gaza protestors apparently have a loyalty test...

Introducing Amtrak Borealis trains with Expanded Service between St. Paul and Chicago via Milwaukee

ST. PAUL, Minn., and CHICAGO – Tickets are now available for a second daily Amtrak service between the Twin Cities and Chicago, via Milwaukee: new state-sponsored Borealis trains originate from St. Paul at midday and from Chicago in the late morning. Travelers seeking a more comfortable, sustainable and productive choice than driving will have double the current rail options, starting May 21, 2024.
Amtrak Borealis coach fares start at $41 each way between St. Paul and Chicago for adults, with everyday discounts for children ages 2-12, students, seniors, veterans, military personnel and families, groups, and others.

Amtrak Borealis trains will offer Coach and Business Class in addition to a café car featuring regional items. Customers will enjoy wide reclining seats with ample legroom, no middle seats, free Wi-Fi, and views of the Mississippi River between St. Paul and La Crosse, Wisc., in daylight in both directions across Wisconsin.

The trains will make the current Empire Builder stops between St. Paul and Milwaukee and Hiawatha stops between Milwaukee and Chicago (see schedule). Another benefit of the Amtrak Borealis service is a new eastbound Amtrak origination from Ramsey County’s Union Depot in St. Paul.

“A second daily passenger rail service connecting St. Paul to Chicago via Milwaukee is a welcome addition to our transportation system, providing more choices and travel flexibility for passengers,” said Commissioner Nancy Daubenberger, Minnesota Department of Transportation. “We appreciate our partnerships with communities, federal, state and local governments, the host railroad CPKC, and Amtrak that were needed to get this service on-track, and to provide another safe, reliable transportation option. We look forward to continuing these partnerships as we work toward further building out passenger rail options in the Midwest.”

“This route includes eight stations in Wisconsin, and doubling the frequency of the service will better connect the many businesses, universities and tourist attractions along this corridor,” WisDOT Secretary Craig Thompson said. “This expansion is thanks to the work WisDOT was able to do together with Minnesota, Illinois and Amtrak, as well as the opportunities provided by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. We will continue to work with federal and state partners to explore more passenger rail options in Wisconsin.”

“We are proud to collaborate with neighboring states and our federal partners to offer more Amtrak service in the Midwest,” said Illinois Transportation Secretary Omer Osman.

“Ensuring passenger rail that’s safe, reliable and accessible is one of the many reasons Illinois continues to distinguish itself as the transportation hub of North America under Gov. JB Pritzker.”

The new service is sponsored by the states of Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Illinois. Amtrak now operates 29 state-supported routes with 18 state partners.

“Through the Federal Railroad Administration’s Corridor Identification Program we are working with grantees on dozens of other possible new Amtrak routes,” said President Roger Harris.

“Thanks to the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, interest from state transportation departments and others for new or expanded Amtrak service across the country is at an all-time high.”

“This is a win for passenger rail expansion in America, and more importantly, it’s a win for a growing number of Americans who rely on passenger rail and benefit from it,” said Federal Railroad Administrator Amit Bose. “Investments in rail have long helped Midwesterners and the region’s economy, and this new service will mean additional access for people traveling between Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Illinois while contributing to economic growth.
“The Federal Railroad Administration applauds the strong partnership between the states and Amtrak, and through President Biden’s infrastructure package, we know even more progress is underway,” Bose added.

https://media.amtrak.com/2024/04/introducing-amtrak-borealis-trains-with-expanded-service-between-st-paul-and-chicago-via-milwaukee/

Arizona may be one vote away from a repeal of its Civil War-era abortion law