Four-term US Sen. Christopher “Kit” Bond remembered for training a generation of Missouri leaders

Four-term US Sen. Christopher "Kit" Bond remembered for training a generation of Missouri leaders

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) — Christopher "Kit" Bond, a Republican who was Missouri's youngest governor before serving four terms in the U.S. Senate, was remembered Tuesday as a beloved statesman who helped train a generation of leaders. The Missouri State Highway Patrol escorted his body from St. Louis, where hediedlast week at the age of 86, to the Missouri Capitol in Jefferson City, where hundreds of people gathered for a memorial service. Bond is to lie in state through Wednesday so members of the public can pay their respects. "Over and over again, Kit launched the careers of young people, talented, committed, dedicated people who later, after appointment, found opportunity beckoning them to achievement levels they hadn't anticipated," said John Ashcroft, who was a governor, senator and attorney general under President George W. Bush. "Kit was a person of both individual and governmental integrity. I have no recollection of anytime where Kit failed to live up to his commitments." As a member of the powerful Senate Appropriations Committee, Bond secured federal money for big and small projects in Missouri, scoffing at government watchdog groups that considered him a master of pork-barrel spending. Democratic U.S. Rep. Emanuel Cleaver recalled that while he was serving as mayor of Kansas City, a monument to honor World War I veterans known as Liberty Memorial had fallen into disrepair. He likened the 217-foot (66-meter) tall structure that was built after a burst of postwar patriotism to the Leaning Tower of Pisa. He said Bond stepped in with federal dollars to help restore it. "Working together as friends was the propellant that allowed us, with others, to alter the landscape of Kansas City," Cleaver said. Early in his career, Bond was considered a political wunderkind. When he took office at age 33 as Missouri's youngest governor, he was also the state's first Republican chief executive in about three decades and garnered consideration as a vice presidential candidate. His early success stalled when he lost a reelection bid, but he later rebounded to win another term as governor before being elected to the Senate in 1986 and eventually becoming the patriarch of the Missouri Republican Party. Testaments to Bond's longevity in the public arena are stamped across Missouri. A federal courthouse in Jefferson City and a life sciences center at the University of Missouri-Columbia are named after him. A highway bridge crossing the Missouri River in Hermann and one in Kansas City also carry his name. "Kit Bond was an exceptional person who was blessed with many talents," said former U.S. Sen. John Danforth. "He was very smart. He was highly educated. He had boundless energy. He wanted for nothing. He could have clung on to what was his and lived comfortably only for himself. But that was not what he did. He invested his talents, put them at risk, and he produced such a great return to the state." ___ Hollingsworth reported from Kansas City, Missouri.

byDaniel Coleman

in

May 20, 2025

Four-term US Sen. Christopher “Kit” Bond remembered for training a generation of Missouri leaders

Four-term US Sen. Christopher "Kit" Bond remembered for training a generation of Missouri leaders JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) — Chris...

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Judge Rules in Favor of New Hampshire Bakery in Fight Over Donut Mural

Judge Rules in Favor of New Hampshire Bakery in Fight Over Donut Mural

A New Hampshire bakery has won a crucial victory in its fight to preserve a mural of donuts and other baked goods above its storefront. While town officials have attempted to force the bakery to remove the mural, citing zoning regulations, a federal court ruled on Monday that the city cannot enforce its sign rules against the bakery. In 2022, Sean Young, the owner of Leavitt's Country Bakery, a popular bakery in Conway, New Hampshire,collaboratedwith a local high school art class to paint a mural for the bakery's storefront. The students' mural depicted baked goods forming the shape of a mountain range, with a multicolored sunrise in the background. Initially, the mural didn't cause any controversy—and it was even covered positively by local media. However, about a week after being installed, Conway's Code Enforcement Officer Jeremy Gibbs told Young that the mural violated town zoning rules. According to the town, the mural violated local laws that regulate signs. Because the mural depicted baked goods—which the bakery obviously sells—it was deemed a "sign," not a mural, and signs are subject to rules limiting their size. While the town's rules define a sign incredibly broadly, in practice, the town only enforces its sign regulations on speech it perceives as commercial in nature. If Leavitt's Country Bakery had erected a mural of just a sunrise, for example, the town would have no problem with it, even though the rules on the books would apply to both. "Imposing different burdens on speech depending on who is speaking and what is being said is content based and speaker based restriction on free speech," reads a 2023complaintfrom the Institute for Justice, a public interest law group, whichrepresentedthe bakery in its lawsuit against Conway. On Monday, a judgeagreed. While the judge noted that the town's sign rules, as written, don't necessarily violate the Constitution, the selective nature of the town's enforcement does. "The court rules only that Conway's application of its sign code, and specifically its enforcement of the sign code to the Leavitt's sign in the particular manner it employed in this case, does not withstand any level of constitutional scrutiny," reads arulingfrom District Judge Joseph N. Laplante enjoining the town from forcing Young to remove the mural. "Although the display may have violated the sign code because of its size, Gibbs' determination was based on a rationale with no textual basis in the sign code, which does not distinguish between displays based on content." The ruling is a major victory for the bakery's ability to paint a mural on its own property—without government meddling. "Towns can certainly regulate signs. They can regulate the size of signs or the number of signs permitted, but what they can't do is pick and choose what signs to regulate based on what they depict," Institute for Justice Attorney Betsy Sanz said in a Mondaypress release. "Today's ruling makes it clear that what Conway was doing was discriminating against certain signs based on what officials thought they depicted. And that's a clear First Amendment violation." The postJudge Rules in Favor of New Hampshire Bakery in Fight Over Donut Muralappeared first onReason.com.

byDaniel Coleman

in

May 20, 2025

Judge Rules in Favor of New Hampshire Bakery in Fight Over Donut Mural

Judge Rules in Favor of New Hampshire Bakery in Fight Over Donut Mural A New Hampshire bakery has won a crucial victory in its fight to pres...

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IRS nominee who sponsored legislation to abolish the agency faces pointed questions

IRS nominee who sponsored legislation to abolish the agency faces pointed questions

WASHINGTON (AP) — A former congressman whosponsored legislationto abolish the IRS and is now the nominee to lead that agency faced pointed questions from senators Tuesday about his past promotion of questionable tax credits, his lack of background in tax administration and the political contributions he received after being picked to lead the agency. Former U.S. Rep. Billy Long of Missouri appeared before the Senate Finance Committee for his confirmation hearing. He was grilled by Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., who questioned whether Long believed the president could legally direct the IRS to take away a taxpayer's tax-exempt status. Her questions came asPresident Donald Trump, a Republican, has said he wants Harvard University and other non-profit organizations to losetheir tax-exempt status. Federal law prohibits the executive branch from exerting influence over taxpayer audits and other investigations. "I'm going to follow the law," Long said, adding "I'd have to go to the lawyers," to interpret the law. "What do you understand this law to be saying?" Warren asked. Long said he would not be able to answer. After the back and forth, Warren told Long, "You shouldn't be within a thousand miles of the directorship of the IRS." Long told senators he had "the opportunity to make real, transformational change to an agency that needs it more than any other." The IRS, like other federal agencies, has hemorrhaged employees due to cuts spearheaded by the Department of Government Efficiency, all while the agency churns through acting leaders as it awaits a confirmed one. Douglas O'Donnell, the Trump administration's first acting IRS commissioner, announced his retirement in February as furor spread over DOGE gaining access to IRS taxpayer data.Melanie Krause, the second acting commissioner, resigned in April over a deal between the IRS and the Department of Homeland Security to share immigrants' tax data with Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Gary Shapley, an IRS whistleblower who previously testified about investigations into Hunter Biden's taxes, was acting commissioner for amatter of days before being replacedby Treasury's deputy secretary, Michael Faulkender. If confirmed, Long would be the first confirmed Trump nominee to lead the tax collection agency. Democratic senators on the committee have railed against Long's nomination, based primarily on his past work for a firm pitching a fraud-ridden pandemic-era tax break as well as campaign contributions he received after he was nominated to serve as IRS commissioner by Trump. After serving in Congress, Long worked with a firm that distributed the pandemic-era employee-retention tax credit. That tax credit program was eventually shut down in 2023 after then IRS Commissioner Daniel Werfel determined that it was fraudulent. Democrats have also called fora criminal investigationinto Long's connections to other alleged tax credit loopholes. The lawmakers allege that firms connected to Long — like White River Energy Corp. — duped investors into spending millions of dollars to purchase fake tax credits. A representative from White River did not respond to an Associated Press request for comment. Democratic lawmakers have also written to Long and his associated firms detailing concerns with what they call unusually timed contributions made to Long's defunct 2022 Senate campaign committee shortly after he was nominated to serve as IRS commissioner by Trump. "Bottom line, the American people have the right to know whether the future IRS commissioner is a crook," said Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore. Republicans, however, were open to supporting Long. Committee Chair Sen. Mike Crapo of Idaho said he was confident Long "will be fully transparent to Congress and the American people." Long pointed to his work in Congress as relevant experience to serve as IRS commissioner. "By being familiar with the workings of Congress," he said, "we will have a comprehensive understanding of Congress' intent." "I think there's a lot of wasted brain cells" at the IRS, Long said. He did not offer clarity on whether the Direct File program — the freeelectronic tax return filing systemdeveloped during the Biden administration — should be ended. But Long said it would be one of the first programs that come up for discussion if he is confirmed.

byDaniel Coleman

in

May 20, 2025

IRS nominee who sponsored legislation to abolish the agency faces pointed questions

IRS nominee who sponsored legislation to abolish the agency faces pointed questions WASHINGTON (AP) — A former congressman whosponsored legi...

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Supreme Court sides with a lawmaker who made a controversial Facebook post about a trans athlete

Supreme Court sides with a lawmaker who made a controversial Facebook post about a trans athlete

WASHINGTON – TheSupreme Courton May 20 sided with a lawmaker from Maine who was barred from voting until she apologized for a controversial Facebook post about a transgender athlete. Maine state Rep. Laurel Libby in February made a post criticizing the fact that a transgender high school athlete was allowed to compete in – and win − a pole vaulting competition. Libby's posts on Facebook and X went viral, putting Maine's policy in the spotlight and, according to a majority of her colleagues, endangering the athlete. They barred her from voting until she apologizes. TheSupreme Courtsaid she can vote while she challenges her punishment as unconstitutional. Libby argues that her First Amendment right to free speech is being violated and her constituents are being disenfranchised. Two of the court's three liberal justices − Sonia Sotomayor and Ketanji Brown Jackson − dissented. Jackson said the court has watered down its standard for granting emergency relief, which she called an "unfortunate development." The majority, she wrote, has opted to "dole out error correction as it sees fit, regardless of the lack of any exigency, and even when the applicants' claims raise significant legal issues that warrant thorough evaluation by the lower courts that are dutifully considering them." The majority gave no explanation for its decision, as is common in responses to emergency requests. Their decision is the latest chapter in a dispute that drew the attention of the Trump administration, which has sued Maine forrefusing to ban transgender athletesfrom participating in women's and girls' sports. Libby appeared at Attorney General Pam Bondi's April news conferenceannouncing the lawsuit. Her February social media posts criticized the Maine Principals' Association for allowing the transgender athlete to compete in the girls' division a year after competing as a male. The posts identified the student's high school, named the student, and drew a yellow circle around photos of the athlete. The national attention the post generated prompted the school to increase security. Maine House Speaker Ryan Fecteau asked Libby to remove the post, citing concerns for the student's health and safety. After Libby refused, the House voted 75-70 to censure her for violating lawmakers' ethics code. Theapproved resolutionsays it's a "basic tenet of politics and good moral character that children should not be targeted by adult politicians, especially when that targeting could result in serious harm." Libby was barred from voting or participating in floor debates during the remainder of the legislative term unless she apologizes or the House votes to lift the sanction, which lawmakers have declined to do at least twice. The Supreme Court's decision today allows her to resume voting. Libby and six of her constituents sued the legislature after the punishment was issued. A federal district judge in Maine rejected Libby's request that her punishment be suspended. U.S. District Judge Melissa DuBose said the Supreme Court has long considered legislators immune from being sued for their legislative acts. This case doesn't meet the exceptions to that general rule, she said. "The censure and its sanction on Representative Libby is, at bottom, an internal Maine House affair,"DuBose wrote. That's wrong, Libby's attorneys told the Supreme Court, because it would mean that U.S. House SpeakerMike Johnsoncould insist all members declare "Trump is Making America Great Again" as a condition of voting. "The Constitution's promise of equal representation is not conditioned on whether the majority party approves of a legislator's speech," her attorneys wrote in afiling. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:Supreme Court sides with lawmaker over transgender athlete post

byDaniel Coleman

in

May 20, 2025

Supreme Court sides with a lawmaker who made a controversial Facebook post about a trans athlete

Supreme Court sides with a lawmaker who made a controversial Facebook post about a trans athlete WASHINGTON – TheSupreme Courton May 20 side...

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The EU says it will lift sanctions on Syria but leave those on the former Assad regime

The EU says it will lift sanctions on Syria but leave those on the former Assad regime

BARCELONA (AP) — The European Union will lift sanctions onSyria'seconomy but keep those in place targeting the former Assad regime, the EU's top diplomat announced Tuesday. Foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas spoke after chairing a meeting of foreign ministers from the 27-member bloc. She said the decision was designed to avert poverty and radicalism in the country after more than a decade of civil war sent millions fleeing, including to Europe. The sanctions are "conditional" and could be resumed if the new government of Ahmad al-Sharaa doesn't keep the peace, Kallas said. "Saving lives must be our top priority on Syria," she said. The announcement came a week after U.S.President Donald Trump's meeting with al-Sharaa and his announcement thatthe U.S. would ease sanctions on Syria. Lifting sanctions could bringmuch-needed investmentto Syria, which needs tens of billions of dollars torestore its battered infrastructure. An insurgency late last year unseated former Syrian PresidentBashar Assadand ended the civil war that decimated much of the country's infrastructure. The United Nations estimates that 90% of Syrians live in poverty and state-supplied electricity comes as little as two hours every day. Earlier in the day, Kallas acknowledged concerns aboutsectarian conflictbut said "we don't have a choice" but to lift sanctions and bolster the Syrian economy: "We actually either give them possibility to stabilize the country or we don't do that and we have something like what we have in Afghanistan." Kallas added: "There can be no peace without the path to economic recovery, and we all need a stable Syria." She did not provide details or timing on the lifting of sanctions. But a European Council statement said it would keep "sanctions based on security grounds, including arms and technology that might be used for internal repression. In addition, the EU will introduce additional targeted restrictive measures against human rights violators and those fueling instability in Syria." Syrians had celebrated in streets across the country after Trump's announcement, and Arab leaders in neighboring nations that host millions of refugees who fled Syria's war praised it.

byDaniel Coleman

in

May 20, 2025

The EU says it will lift sanctions on Syria but leave those on the former Assad regime

The EU says it will lift sanctions on Syria but leave those on the former Assad regime BARCELONA (AP) — The European Union will lift sanctio...

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