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Bill introduced to award 1980 ‘Miracle On Ice’ US hockey team with Congressional Gold Medals

By
Stephen Whyno
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FILE - In this Feb. 22, 1980, file photo, the U.S. hockey team celebrates with goalie Jim Craig after a 4-3 victory against the Soviet Union in a medal round match at the the 1980 Winter Olympics in Lake Placid, N.Y. (AP Photo/File)

WASHINGTON (AP) — A bill was introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives on Tuesday to award Congressional Gold Medals to the 1980 “Miracle on Ice” Olympic hockey team that defeated the heavily favored Soviet Union in Lake Placid, New York, at a period of high tension during the Cold War.

Congressman Pete Stauber, R-Minn., introduced the Miracle on Ice Congressional Gold Medal Act along with co-sponsors Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y., Mike Quigley, D-Ill., and Bill Keating, D-Mass.

“What they did for our country at that moment, I’ll never forget,” Stauber said in a phone interview. “It’s one of the defining sports moments in my lifetime, and I am so proud that we can give this Congressional Medal to each member of that Olympic team to say thank you for the memories we will never forget as a nation.”

The plan would be for the creation of three medals: one to go on display at the U.S Hockey Hall of Fame in Eveleth, Minnesota, another at the Lake Placid Olympic Center and the third at the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Museum in Colorado Springs, Colorado.

Stefanik, whose district includes Lake Placid, said the team “taught our nation how to believe in miracles.”

“(The) community is proud to be home of this historic and inspiring event, and as we work to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the ‘Miracle on Ice,’ this legislation honors our Olympic victors for their legendary achievement,” Stefanik said.

Keating said the victory “remains a timeless symbol of teamwork and unity in the face of adversity.” Quigley called the medals “yet another chance to show the world where we stand in the fight for freedom.”

Stauber, who was 13 at the time before going on to play at Lake Superior State and a handful of years professionally in the minors, and his staff have been working with USA Hockey to get this to the House floor for consideration. USA Hockey executive director Pat Kelleher urged fans to contact their congressional representatives to voice support for the measure, which is expected to be debated for consideration only after the election in the lame-duck session of Congress.

“I don’t think anybody really has to think about whether they support it or not,” Stauber said. “I hope all 535 members of Congress reach a conclusion, yes, they deserve it, and then the president signs it.”

Commissioner Gary Bettman said the NHL enthusiastically supports the bill, calling the 1980 team’s run “perhaps the most memorable and impactful achievement in the history of athletics.”

The deaths of players in recent years, Mark Wells in May and Mark Pavelich in 2021, along with coach Herb Brooks in 2003, have added urgency to the process.

“The timing for all of us is of the essence because we want these members to be able to cherish and appreciate this during their lifetime,” Stauber said. “I think that bestowing this highest honor upon them is important.”

Stauber said he was going to work as hard as he can to pass the legislation “the sooner the better.” Feb. 22 marks the 45th anniversary of the Americans upsetting the Soviets 4-3 on the way to Olympic gold on home ice days later with a victory against Finland to close out the medal round.

“We’re going to push it, I’m going to push it as hard and as fast as I can so we can celebrate in Lake Placid with the remaining living members of that team that gave us that glorious moment in February of 1980,” Stauber said.

TFS students learn the importance of serving others

By
Staff Report
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Fifth graders load water onto TFS bus at Get Real Ministries before taking it to the Habersham County Airport to be delivered to Western Carolina for those impacted by Hurricane Helene. (Elisha Boggs/Tallulah Falls School)

In the wake of Hurricane Helene, Tallulah Falls School (TFS) students dedicated their Service Day to assisting community members in need. On Tuesday, October 1, fifth-grade students visited Get Real Ministries in Baldwin, where they cleared storm debris and packed Halloween candy bags for the community.

The students also transported a pallet of water from Get Real Ministries to the Habersham County Airport for delivery to Western North Carolina.

A group of ninth graders clean up debris at North Georgia Christian Camp during Service Day. (Elisha Boggs/Tallulah Falls School)
TFS fifth grader Riley McCracken cleans up debris on the Get Real Ministries property during the Be The Light service project. The group cleaned debris on the Get Real property left behind by Hurricane Helen. (Elisha Boggs/Tallulah Falls School)
(Elisha Boggs/Tallulah Falls School)
Fifth graders Maizee Fleming, Ellery Flanders, and Emma Kate Bryant prepare to load water onto the TFS bus to take to the Habersham County Airport to be delivered to Western Carolina for those impacted by Hurricane Helene. (Elisha Boggs/Tallulah Falls School)

“We are so blessed; we are sharing with others. We want to bring hope, bring a light to our community,” said TFS Dean of Students Jimmy Franklin. This initiative was part of the school’s “Be the Light” program, which sees a different grade level partnering with Get Real Ministries each month on service projects.

An important life skill

On Friday, October 5, over 300 upper school students participated in Service Day, contributing their efforts to various organizations, including Circle of Hope, Rabun Paws 4 Life Shelter, Sharing and Caring, Food Bank of Northeast Georgia, North Georgia Christian Camp, Lighthouse Learning Coop, and the Tallulah Gorge State Park Interpretive Center.

Students engaged in a range of activities, including cleaning up storm debris, organizing and sorting donations, teaching a STEM class, painting fences, and caring for animals.

ninth graders Veronica VerBerkmoes and Lily Smith sort clothes at Caring and Sharing in Clarkesville during the TFS upper school Service Day. (Elisha Boggs/Tallulah Falls School)
A group of upper school students paint the fence at the TFS cross country course as part of the TFS upper school Service Day. (Elisha Boggs/Tallulah Falls School)

“Together, we can transform things like painting a fence into a symbol of our unity and commitment to our community,” said TFS junior Selah Wiltshire, a student participant. “We can paint a brighter future one stroke at a time.”

Jeremy Stille, upper school academic dean, highlighted the importance of Service Day in providing students with an opportunity to give back and reflect on their blessings, stating, “Especially with the recent devastation from Hurricane Helene, our students’ choice to give time and energy to help others shows strong character and a sense of caring that we want our students to develop.”

TFS junior Kaylin Pickett said the out-of-classroom experience taught her about gratitude and “one of the most important life skills – the importance of serving others.”

“I am grateful to have the ability to help others,” she said.

Harris calls Trump ‘incredibly irresponsible’ for spreading misinformation about Helene response

By
Will Weissert
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Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris arrives at LaGuardia Airport, Monday Oct. 7, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)

WASHINGTON (AP) — Vice President Kamala Harris on Monday called former President Donald Trump “incredibly irresponsible” for spreading falsehoods about the federal response to Hurricane Helene’s destruction, offering especially sharp words as a new storm bears down on Florida with just weeks until Election Day.

“There’s a lot of mis- and disinformation being pushed out there by the former president about what is available, particularly to the survivors of Helene,” Harris told reporters before boarding Air Force Two to fly to New York. “It’s extraordinarily irresponsible. It’s about him. It’s not about you.”

Helene has killed more than 220 people in six states, and Category 5 Hurricane Milton is on a path toward Florida’s Gulf Coast.

Trump has made a series of false claims in the wake of Helene, including saying incorrectly that the federal government is intentionally withholding aidto Republican disaster victims. He also falsely claimed the Federal Emergency Management Agency had run out of money because all of it had gone to programs for immigrants in the country illegally.

Harris said “the reality is that FEMA has so many resources that are available to folks who desperately need them now, and resources that are about helping people get back on their feet and rebuild and have places to go.”

“People are entitled to these resources, and it is critically important that people apply for the help that is there to support,” the vice president added. “All those resources were created for just these types of moments, in an emergency situation, knowing that folks are entitled to have the relief that they so rightly need.”

Trump also said during a visit to Valdosta, Georgia, last week that President Joe Biden was “sleeping” and not responding to calls from Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp. Biden had, in fact, spoken with Kemp and said of Trump, “He’s lying, and the governor told him he was lying.”

Harris also criticized another high-profile Republican, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, suggesting he’s “playing political games” and engaging in “political gamesmanship” in Helene’s aftermath.

Harris office says the vice president reached out to DeSantis after the storm. DeSantis said Monday afternoon that he “didn’t know that she had called” and “they didn’t call me.”

“It wasn’t anything anybody in my office did in saying that it was political,” DeSantis said.

But Harris, asked about DeSantis, said “people are in desperate need of support right now and playing political games at this moment in these crisis situations … is utterly irresponsible.”

“It is selfish and it is about political gamesmanship instead of doing the job that you took an oath to do, which is to put the people first,” Harris said without naming DeSantis.

DeSantis later spoke with Biden to discuss preparations for Milton. The president, according to the White House, asked DeSantis “to call him directly if there is anything that can be done to further support the response and recovery efforts.”

Florida’s governor latter responded to Harris, telling Fox News Channel host Sean Hannity that the vice president was “delusional” for criticizing him when he’s been focused on the people of his state.

“She has no role in this,” said DeSantis, who noted he’d been in contact with Biden and federal officials. “In fact, she’s been vice president for three and a half years. I’ve dealt with a number of storms under this administration, and she has never contributed anything to any of these efforts.”

DeSantis said Harris was “trying to blunder into this,” adding that he’d worked well with Biden and Trump during past hurricanes and the vice president is “the first one who’s trying to politicize the storm and she’s doing that just because of her campaign.”

“I don’t have time for political games,” DeSantis said.

Habersham resident describes ‘terrifying’ experience during Helene

By
Jerry Neace
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A large oak tree destroyed Laine Richardson's home on New Liberty Road on Friday, September 27. (Laine Richardson)

As Hurricane Milton bears down on the Florida coast, it’s stirring dreadful reminders of what happened less than two weeks ago. On Sept. 27, the Southeast was slammed by Hurricane Helene, leaving behind a path of death and destruction that has so far claimed 227 lives.

While the worst of the storm struck the Florida Big Bend area, East-Central Georgia, and western North Carolina, some in Northeast Georgia felt Helen’s fury, too.

Laine Richardson of Habersham County lost her home in the storm. She recalls the exact moment when a tree crashed into it.

The large oak tree sticks out the front of Richardson’s home after falling on it during Hurricane Helene. (Laine Richardson)

“It happened at 6:58 a.m.,” she says, pulling up a text she sent to a friend saying, ‘A tree just fell through my roof.'”

“It was terrifying,” Richardson tells Now Habersham.

Richardson moved to Habersham County on New Liberty Road just a year and a half ago. She is originally from Winter Garden, a suburb of Orlando, in central Florida. The Orlando area felt the effects of Hurricane Helene with strong winds and heavy rain.

The interior of Richardson’s home after a tree crashed through it. (Laine Richardson)

Orlando is now in the forecasted path of Hurricane Milton that is churning in the western Gulf of Mexico, heading for central Florida. That hurricane is expected to make land fall late Wednesday near Tampa as a major category storm.

A large oak tree in her back yard crashed through her kitchen coming to rest near her front door in her living room. The tree basically cut her house in half, leaving destruction in its wake.

Richardson said that after the tree fell, she wanted to run through the house but couldn’t.  “At that point, there was no place to be safe in the house.”

A lamp sits on a table undisturbed just feet from the tree that crashed through Laine Richardson’s home. (Jerry Neace/NowHabersham.com)

That night, it was just Richardson and her four cats alone in the house. She said that they didn’t sleep much during the night as she could hear the winds picking up and hearing trees cracking around her.

“I heard the crack and I was standing, it couldn’t have been more than a foot away from when the ceiling dropped down,” she said.

Richardson said that being nervous during the storm is what saved her. She was pacing back and forth as she listened to the fury of the storm. ”I was so scared,” she said.

Time to flee

After the tree fell, she said her thought was to flee but it was dark and she couldn’t see. Richardson said that her keys were by her front door. In order to get to them. She had to crawl under the tree to get her keys.

The gapping hole left in Laine Richardson’s home after the tree was removed. (Jerry Neace/NowHabersham.com)

After retrieving her keys and her purse, she was able to make her way out of the house to her car. She said that she couldn’t move her car because trees were blocking her driveway and more trees were falling.

Habersham emergency response

Immediately after the tree fell, she called 911. Habersham Emergency Services responded to her call. “I can’t say enough good things,” she said about the emergency response team. They tried helping her retrieve her cats but since the guys were strangers, the cats were terrified.

The team told her that she needed to leave due to all of the trees still falling at that time. They helped her get turned around and cleared her driveway enough for her to leave.

“I was actually kind of trapped until they came,” she said.

Unfortunately, she had to leave her cats for several hours until the storm passed. She has a friend from Florida that lives in Clarkesville, just a few miles away. That is where Richardson escaped to after leaving her cats.

However, as the storm moved out, she and her friend returned to her house later and were able to retrieve her cats and survey the damage.

Laine Richardson with her cats Persie, Spud, Anya, and Wally escaped a tree falling through their house during Hurricane Helene. (Laine Richardson)

Even with her harrowing experience, Richardson considers herself fortunate to have survived the storm despite the damage to her home. “It’s little blessings along the way,” she said.

Hurricane experience

She is no stranger to hurricanes having grown up in Florida, living through several in her lifetime. She is aware of their strength and the destruction they bring first hand.

That is the main reason why she moved to northeast Georgia, to get away from the storms and the aftermath.

Richardson lived in her family home that was 100 years old. She said that the cost of maintaining it over the years had just become too much.

Football Power Rankings: Week 8

By
BLITZ Sports
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We’ve got some major shuffling going on following an interesting Week 8 in high school football. Here are the new BLITZ Power Rankings!

  1. Jefferson (RECORD: 5-2 / LAST RANK: #1 (N/A)
  2. Commerce (RECORD: 4-3 / LAST RANK: #4 (^2)
  3. Rabun County (RECORD: 5-2 / LAST RANK: #2 (-1)
  4. Lumpkin County (RECORD: 4-2 / LAST RANK: #5 (^1)
  5. Stephens County (RECORD: 4-3 / LAST RANK: #3 (-2)
  6. Habersham Central (RECORD: 2-5 / LAST RANK: #6 (N/A)
  7. White County (RECORD: 2-4 / LAST RANK: #7 (N/A)
  8. Union County (RECORD: 3-4 / LAST RANK: #8 (N/A)
  9. Towns County (RECORD: 4-3 / LAST RANK: #9 (N/A)
  10. Dawson County (RECORD: 2-4 / LAST RANK: #10 (N/A)
  11. Banks County (RECORD: 0-6 / LAST RANK: #11 (N/A)

Rev. Robert Andrew “Andy” Witt

By
Now Habersham
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Rev. Robert Andrew “Andy” Witt, age 51, of Gainesville, Georgia, joined his wife, Cheryl Marie Mallard Witt, in Heaven on Saturday, October 5, 2024.

Rev. Witt was born on January 4, 1973, in Decatur, Georgia. He was a retired minister of the gospel, having served at Acworth United Methodist Church, Wesley Chapel United Methodist Church, and Redwine United Methodist Church. Rev. Witt was a devoted father and friend.

In addition to his parents and his two siblings, survivors include his daughter, Rebekah Marie Witt, of Gainesville; sons and daughters-in-law, Charles Davis Witt and Cally, of Pensacola, FL; Jesse Troy Witt and Emily, of Gainesville.

Funeral Services will be at 2:00 pm, Friday, October 11, 2024, at the Redwine Methodist Church in Gainesville, Georgia, with Rev. Mike Devine officiating. Interment will follow the service at St. Thomas the Apostle Anglican Church Cemetery in Alto, Georgia.

The family will receive friends from 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. on Friday at the church before the service.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the family’s GoFundMe: https://gofund.me/f54903db

Arrangements have been entrusted to Whitfield Funeral Homes & Cemetery, South Chapel at 1370 Industrial Boulevard, Baldwin, Georgia 30511. Telephone: 706-778-7123.

Clarkesville green lights new restroom at Mary Street Park

By
Brian Wellmeier
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Clarkesville City Council. (Brian Wellmeier/Now Habersham)

Construction of a new restroom at Mary Street Park in Clarkesville will soon be underway.

Clarkesville City Council approved just over $72,000 in SPLOST and general funds to proceed with construction of a women’s and men’s restroom Monday.

The new restroom area will replace a previous structure that had been torn down after it was deemed unsound.

City officials ruled out an option that would’ve brought in a “prebuilt bathroom,” which was found to be overly-complicated and cost prohibitive. Instead, a small facility with stainless steel fixtures and floor drains will be built between the pickleball court and soccer field in December.

Construction of the facility is expected to be complete before the end of the year.

City Manager Keith Dickerson said officials could look to construct another restroom on the property in the future.

Other business

Council members also approved a slight budget amendment, which aimed to clean up finances before completion of the city’s audit. Dickerson said the item addressed insurance-related expenses regarding a “busted pipe” that has since been repaired.

Baldwin will hold first millage rate public hearing Tuesday

By
Jerry Neace
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The Baldwin City Council will hold its first of three millage rate public hearings on Tuesday, October 8, at 6:30 p.m. (Jerry Neace/NowHabersham.com)

The Baldwin City Council will hold its first millage rate public hearing during the council’s work session Tuesday afternoon.

The public hearing set for Tuesday will be the first of three public hearings to receive public comments on the proposed 2024 millage rate increase. The city’s millage rate is set to increase .689 mills from 8.481 to 9.170 mills. The increase will result in the city collecting $237,000 more in property taxes in 2024. A 27.4% increase when compared to 2023.

According to the city, property with a fair market value of $125,000 with a homestead exemption will see a property tax increase of approximately $16.11. Property of the same value without a homestead exemption will see a property tax increase of approximately $34.45.

The public will have two more opportunities to provide comments about the millage rate increase. The second millage rate public hearing will be held on Tuesday, October 15. The third millage rate public hearing being held on Monday, October 28.

The Baldwin City Council will meet for its work session on Tuesday, October 8, at 6:30 p.m. The meeting will be held in the Baldwin Police Department Training Facility, behind the Baldwin Police Department located at 155 Willingham Avenue in Baldwin.

Harris on ‘60 Minutes’ says Congress would work with her as president if she’s elected

By
Jennifer Shutt
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Vice President Kamala Harris was interviewed on the CBS news show “60 Minutes” that aired Monday night. In this photo, she speaks at at an Atlanta rally, July 30, 2024. (Ross Williams/Georgia Recorder)

WASHINGTON (States Newsroom) — Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris said during an interview with the CBS News show “60 Minutes” that aired Monday she believes Congress would work with her to implement economic and tax policies if she’s elected.

She also criticized Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump for declining to sit for an interview with the news program but noted that voters interested in his goals for the country should just listen to one of his rallies.

“You’re going to hear conversations that are about himself and all of his personal grievances — and what you will not hear is anything about you, the listener,” Harris said. “You will not hear about how he’s going to try to bring the country together, find common ground. And that is why I believe in my soul and heart, the American people are ready to turn the page.”

Harris reinforced her support for Ukraine during the interview, saying she wouldn’t sit down to bilateral talks with Russian leader Vladimir Putin about the conflict.

“Ukraine must have a say in the future of Ukraine,” Harris said, though she declined to say if her administration would support bringing Ukraine into the North Atlantic Treaty Organization.

Harris argued that were Trump president when Russia invaded Ukraine, “Putin would be sitting in Kyiv right now,” the Ukrainian capital.

“He talks about, ‘Oh, he can end it on day one.’ You know what that is? It’s about surrender,” Harris said of Trump.

Trump and immigration

Harris focused many of her answers to questions about immigration and border security on Trump, criticizing him for working behind the scenes to scuttle bipartisan legislation that took months to negotiate.

She also noted more than once that Congress is responsible for writing laws governing immigration policy and questioned why lawmakers didn’t approve a bill President Joe Biden sent up in the first days of his administration.

Harris said she believes Americans will vote for her over Trump, in part, because they want a president who doesn’t make the types of comments about immigrants that Trump regularly makes on the campaign trail.

“I believe that the people of America want a leader who’s not trying to divide us and demean,” Harris said. “I believe that the American people recognize that the true measure of the strength of a leader is not based on who you beat down, it’s based on who you lift up.”

Harris said she was confident that members of Congress would work with her, if she’s elected president, to implement some of her core policy proposals, including expanding the Child Tax Credit and establishing a tax credit for first-time home buyers.

She said paying for those proposals could be achieved through making “sure that the richest among us, who can afford it, pay their fair share in taxes.”

“It is not right that teachers and nurses and firefighters are paying a higher tax rate than billionaires and the biggest corporations, and I plan on making that fair,” she said.

When Harris talks with lawmakers on Capitol Hill, many of them understand the points she’s making about the tax code, she said.

“There are plenty of leaders in Congress who understand and know that the Trump tax cuts blew up our federal deficit,” Harris said. “None of us, and certainly I, cannot afford to be myopic in terms of how I think about strengthening America’s economy.”

Harris provided more details during the interview on her gun ownership, revealing that she owns a Glock and has fired it at shooting ranges.

“I have a Glock, and I’ve had it for quite some time,” Harris said. “And I mean, look, Bill, my background is in law enforcement. And so there you go.”

One year since Oct. 7 attack on Israel, U.S. leaders honor victims and protesters march

By
Ashley Murray
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President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden participate in a candle-lighting ceremony in commemoration of the one-year anniversary of the October 7, 2023 Hamas terrorist attacks in Israel, Monday, October 7, 2024, in the Blue Room of the White House. (Official White House Photo by Erin Scott)

WASHINGTON (States Newsroom) — U.S. leaders marked one year Monday since Hamas militants launched a shocking attack on Israel, murdering more than 1,000 civilians, taking hundreds prisoner and igniting an all-but-declared regional war and a deadly Israeli offensive in the Gaza Strip that the U.S. has failed to halt despite months of cease-fire negotiations.

Demonstrations against Israel’s continued retaliatory bombing of the Hamas-controlled Palestinian territory cropped up again ahead of the anniversary, including one man attempting to set himself on fire outside the White House Sunday during an otherwise peaceful protest.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation warned that synagogues, mosques and vigil gatherings could be targeted by violent extremists.

President Joe Biden lit a yahrzeit candle Monday at the White House alongside first lady Jill Biden and Rabbi Aaron Alexander of the Washington-based Adas Israel Congregation, who recited a Jewish prayer to honor those who died.

Biden also spoke by phone to Israeli President Isaac Herzog to express his condolences and reaffirm the U.S. commitment to Israel’s security, according to a White House readout of the call.

“On this day last year, the sun rose on what was supposed to be a joyous Jewish holiday. By sunset, October 7 had become the deadliest day for the Jewish people since the Holocaust. Today marks one year of mourning for the more than 1,200 innocent people of all ages, including 46 Americans, massacred in southern Israel by the terrorist group Hamas,” Biden said in a statement early Monday, also acknowledging Hamas’ “horrific acts of sexual violence.”

Twelve Americans were among the hostages forcefully taken and still held by the militants, though many have died in captivity.

The past 12 months have been punctuated by protests against a U.S. surge in weapons to Israel since the attack. Health officials in Gaza say over 41,000 have been killed in the strikes that critics describe as indiscriminate to civilians, but Israel maintains are targeted at Hamas, an ally of Iran.

Prior to dropping his bid for reelection, Biden’s campaign events were regularly interrupted by demonstrators who accused the president of supporting “genocide” of Palestinians.

A pomegranate tree for hope

The chanting of protesters and sirens could be heard as Vice President Kamala Harris, the Democratic presidential nominee, and second gentleman Doug Emhoff honored the Oct. 7 victims Monday by planting a pomegranate tree, an important symbol in the Jewish faith, at the vice president’s residence at the U.S. Naval Observatory in Washington, according to reporters who were present.

Harris said during brief remarks that “we must uphold the commitment to repair the world” and “work to relieve the immense suffering of innocent Palestinians in Gaza who have experienced so much pain and loss over the year.”

“For years to come, this pomegranate tree will stand here, spreading its roots and growing stronger to remind future vice presidents of the United States, their families and all who pass through these grounds, not only of the horror of October 7, but the strength and the endurance of the Jewish people. It will remind us all not to abandon the goal of peace, dignity and security for all, and it will remind us all to always have faith,” Harris said.

Emhoff, the first Jewish spouse of any U.S. president or vice president, said he is “still filled with pain and despair.”

In response to a shouted question about a cease-fire, Harris replied: “We’re not giving up. We’re doing everything we can possibly do to get the cease-fire hostage deal done. It’s one of the most important ways we will be able to end this war and bring any type of stability to the region. It’s one of the highest priorities of this administration.”

Earlier in the day Harris issued a statement saying she will “never forget the horror” that occurred on this day last year.

“Women raped on the side of the road. 250 people kidnapped. … What Hamas did that day was pure evil — it was brutal and sickening,” she said.

Harris has repeatedly said her commitment to Israel’s security is “unwavering.”

Schumer at Brooklyn synagogue

Democratic Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer of New York spent the morning at his synagogue in Brooklyn continuing to call for the release of hostages.

“When I went to Israel days after October 7th to express American solidarity with the Israeli people and Israel’s right to self-defense, we gathered with the families of American victims of Hamas’s attack. I will never forget the meeting. I still remember when one of the family members told me every minute is an hour, every day is a year not knowing the fate of their loved ones held in Hamas’s captivity,” Schumer said in a statement.

“We must not and we cannot waver in our efforts to bring the hostages home. It is long past time.”

Schumer, who on the Senate floor in March heavily criticized Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s handling of Israel’s retaliatory bombardment of Gaza, honored the death of American Israeli Hersh Goldberg-Polin, who was murdered after nearly 11 months in captivity. Goldberg-Polin was taken hostage as Hamas militants terrorized and killed hundreds at a desert music festival as part of their surprise attack.

The Senate majority leader also listed the names of several of his New York constituents who remain in captivity, including three whose bodies Hamas hasn’t returned.

GOP slams Biden, Harris

The Republican National Committee hosted a “remembrance press call” ahead of former President Donald Trump’s attendance at an Oct. 7 memorial event in Miami, Florida, Monday night.

The call largely focused on blaming Biden and Harris for the gruesome Hamas attack and for the rise of antisemitism.

“None of this happened under President Trump when he was in office, because America was respected in the eyes of this world, and President Trump created peace through his strength, strong foreign policy,” Karoline Leavitt, the Trump campaign’s national press secretary, said.

The call featured former Democratic Florida Congressman Peter Deutsch announcing his endorsement of Trump for president.

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell said time “has not dulled the pain inflicted on the people of Israel one year ago today, nor eased the grief left in its wake.

“October 7th confronted the world with the irredeemable evil of Iran-backed terror, and drew emboldened strains of the world’s oldest hatred out of the shadows,” the Kentucky Republican continued in a statement issued Monday.

McConnell’s comments did not mention Biden, Harris or Trump.

Speaker of the House Mike Johnson released a video featuring footage from the Hamas attack and clips of him shaking hands with Netanyahu when the Israeli leader visited the Capitol to address a joint session of Congress.

“The terror and antisemitism we’ve witnessed have demanded full resolve from America’s leaders, which is why Congress passed legislation in the spring to provide Israel with necessary military aid and support,” Johnson, of Louisiana, said in a statement.

“Today, at this critical time, following a second direct attack by Iran and ongoing terror from Hezbollah, Americans must insist that the Biden-Harris Administration stand unequivocally with Israel and against the terrorist regime in Iran, as we continue to pray for peace and security in Israel,” Johnson continued.

Johnson’s video also featured footage of protesters carrying Palestinian flags on college campuses and of him speaking at Columbia University.

In the months following the Oct. 7 attack, House Republicans fixated on anti-war university encampments and demonstrations — some, but not all, of which featured blatant antisemitism and violence. The party continues to laud GOP Conference Chair Elise Stefanik’s heated questioning in December about antisemitism to University of Pennsylvania’s Liz Magill and Harvard’s Claudine Gay, which contributed to both the university presidents’ resignations.

Georgia Supreme Court reinstates six-week abortion ban while state appeals

By
Jill Nolin
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Georgia Supreme Court justices listen to arguments in a case challenging whether the state’s six-week abortion ban should be considered void since it was passed before Roe v. Wade was overturned. Jill Nolin/Georgia Recorder (2023 file photo)

(Georgia Recorder) — Georgia’s six-week abortion ban will soon be back in effect after a Georgia Supreme Court decision Monday shut off access to expanded services just one week after a Fulton County judge ruled that the 2019 law is unconstitutional.

The state’s highest court ruled that the six-week ban will be back in effect as of 5 p.m. Monday while the state’s appeal is being considered.

Local prosecutors, though, will continue to be blocked from acquiring health records where an abortion has been performed under the state Supreme Court’s ruling.

Six justices – Michael P. Boggs, Sarah Hawkins Warren, Charles J. Bethel, Carla Wong McMillian, Shawn Ellen LaGrua and Verda M. Colvin – backed the decision to block the lower court’s ruling.

Justice Nels S.D. Peterson was disqualified from the proceeding for an unstated reason, and Justice Andrew A. Pinson did not participate.

Justice John J. Ellington dissented on the decision to let the ban go back into effect while the appeal is pending.

“Fundamentally, the State should not be in the business of enforcing laws that have been determined to violate fundamental rights guaranteed to millions of individuals under the Georgia Constitution,” Ellington wrote in his dissent.

“The ‘status quo’ that should be maintained is the state of the law before the challenged laws took effect,” he wrote.

The last week was reminiscent of 2022 when Fulton County Superior Court Judge Robert C. I. McBurney first struck down the law because it was passed before the U.S. Supreme Court ended the federal right to an abortion.

Then, too, the Georgia Supreme Court reinstated the six-week ban after a week and at Attorney General Chris Carr’s behest.

The Supreme Court ultimately sided with the state a year ago on what was considered a narrow legal issue. Now, the court is taking up the heart of the legal challenge: Does the Georgia Constitution’s protections for liberty and privacy include a right to an abortion?

This is a developing story. Check back for updates. 

Georgia elections chief doesn’t expect Helene damage to have big effect on voting in the state

By
Kate Brumback
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FILE.- Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger participates during an election forum, Sept. 19, 2024, in Ann Arbor, Mich. (AP Photo/Carlos Osorio, file)

ATLANTA (AP) — Georgia’s top elections official said Monday that he doesn’t expect damage from Hurricane Helene to cause major disruptions in next month’s general election in the state.

After coming ashore in Florida, Helene hit Georgia hard, leaving destruction and power outages in its wake. Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger said during a news conference that, for the most part, elections offices in the state’s 159 counties did not sustain serious damage, and no equipment was affected.

“What has been on everyone’s mind is what will happen to elections,” Raffensperger said. “Good news: Absentee ballots are going out this week as scheduled, and early voting will start next Tuesday, on Oct. 15.”

Blake Evans, the elections director for the secretary of state’s office, said county election officials have been dealing with power and internet outages in some parts of the state. But he said emergency management officials have helped prioritize elections offices to make sure they get power restored, and by Monday there were “minimal, if any, power outages to election offices across the state.”

Election equipment testing and poll worker training was paused in some locations immediately after the storm tore through, but that activity has largely resumed, Evans said. County officials are still assessing the roughly 2,400 Election Day polling locations across the state, and at least three — one each in Columbia, Lowndes and Richmond counties — will have to be changed because of damage, he said, adding that updates will be posted on the secretary of state’s website.

Gabriel Sterling, chief operating officer in the secretary of state’s office, said that “a handful” of U.S. Postal Service offices remain closed in areas hard hit by the hurricane. It looks like just under 700 absentee ballots could be affected by that, and they’re working to either make it so people can pick up their ballots at another nearby post office or to arrange an alternative delivery method, Sterling said.

While absentee ballots are delivered to voters by mail, Sterling noted they don’t have to be returned by mail. He recommended returning absentee ballots to elections offices by hand to ensure that they arrive on time.

With hurricane season still underway, uncertainty remains, Sterling said. Hurricane Milton, swirling now in the Gulf of Mexico, is gaining momentum as it speeds toward Florida. It is expected to be a major hurricane by the time it reaches the Sunshine State on Wednesday.

But as of now — if no other storm strikes Georgia and causes problems — Sterling said he expects things to run smoothly.

“The bad part is the storm hit at all,” he said of Helene. “The good part is it hit far enough out for us to be able to recover and make plans, so I think most people should be OK.”

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