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As President-elect Donald Trump's second term approaches — along along with his guarantees of mass deportation — the Somerville City Council is reaffirming town's status as a city “friendly community” for immigrants.

“The national political climate remains increasingly hostile toward immigrants and refugees,” a resolution approved Tuesday notes. Trump's return to the White House “also poses increased risks to immigrant communities across the country, including in Somerville,” the document said.

Tuesday's resolution included some minor changes from a version discussed at a City Council meeting earlier this month that called on city leaders to reaffirm Somerville's decades-old status as a city “City of the Sanctuary”. Somerville had already re-established itself as a sanctuary city after Trump's election in 2016.

The recent resolution commits to “protecting the safety, dignity and rights of immigrants, migrants, asylum seekers, asylum seekers and refugees living in Somerville.” It also emphasizes a commitment to supporting and funding resources for immigrants, including legal assistance for residents facing deportation or deportation.

The City Council also called on the Somerville Police Department to honor its commitment to avoid cooperating with outside law enforcement agencies on matters related to immigrant detention.

“Regardless of the external pressures or challenges facing sanctuary cities, the Somerville City Council remains committed to its values ​​of inclusion, equity and justice and will not hesitate to support our immigrant neighbors, who are an integral part of the strength and diversity of our community “,” the resolution says.

The Council approved the revised resolution after a temporary discussion and sent a replica to the Legislative Affairs Committee for further motion.

policy

Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren spoke about reproductive rights and promoted the disclosing of the Harris-Walz campaign's upcoming “Fighting for Reproductive Freedom” bus tour with greater than 50 stops across the country on Friday.

“Trump thinks women are stupid and we can be manipulated,” Warren said at a press conference. “He seems to think he can do one thing when he's talking to his extremist base and then turn around and smile when the overwhelming majority of Americans want to see access to abortion and IVF protected.”

Warren’s comments come after Republican vice presidential candidate JD Vance on Sunday in an interview with ' to not impose an abortion ban if he and former President Donald Trump were elected.

Warren outlined the differences between the 2 campaigns' stances on reproductive rights.

“Elections are about choices, and the contrast between Donald Trump and Kamala Harris on abortion and IVF couldn't be greater,” Warren said. “They are going in exactly opposite directions.”

Warren can be co-sponsor of a The invoice which goals to guard access to assisted reproductive technology nationwide and provides health care providers and insurers the fitting to cover the services. The bill got here within the wake of Alabama Supreme Court ruling which has virtually banned IVF within the state.

“Women in America are living a nightmare,” Warren said. “In November, voters have the opportunity to vote to protect IVF by voting for Kamala Harris.”

The “Fighting for Reproductive Freedom” bus tour, which goals to carry Trump “directly responsible for the devastating impact of the Roe v. Wade overturn, including jeopardizing access to IVF,” is scheduled to start Sept. 3 in Trump's backyard, Palm Beach, Florida, the campaign announced.

The bus tour is meant to focus on the “stark contrast” between the Harris-Walz candidate team – which guarantees to revive the protections of Roe v. Wade through appropriate congressional laws – and the Trump-Vance team on reproductive rights.

“Our campaign is going on the road to meet voters in their communities, highlight the importance of this election for reproductive freedom, and introduce them to the Harris-Walz campaign's vision for moving our country forward, which stands in stark contrast to Donald Trump's plans to take us backwards,” Harris-Walz campaign manager Julie Chavez Rodriguez said in a press release. “The 'Fighting for Reproductive Freedom' bus tour will make it clear to voters that this threat to our fundamental freedoms affects every American.”

Warren was joined by Latorya Beasley, a mother and social employee who had sought IVF treatment but was denied access attributable to the Alabama Supreme Court ruling.

Beasley blames Trump “directly” for the suspension of her fertility services.

“Our dreams of starting a larger family were nipped in the bud,” said Beasley, who will accompany the campaign on the bus tour. “It felt like my entire future was taken away from me in an instant.”

Governor Gavin Newsom and Democratic lawmakers in California are suddenly taking a troublesome stance on crime – and the state's voters could face competing referendums in November.

In response to a Republican-backed ballot initiative to repeal House Bill 47 – a 2014 measure that downgraded some property crimes from felonies to misdemeanors – and toughen penalties for certain theft and drug offenses, Newsom and Democratic lawmakers this week announced their very own, barely milder, competing initiative to combat shoplifting and the deadly drug fentanyl.

“The subtext of this initiative is, 'I'm tough on crime too, and even if I'm not quite as tough as the others, I'm also very smart about it,'” says Dan Schnur, a political science professor at UC Berkeley and former Republican strategist.

Newsom's initiative takes the shape of Senate Bill 1381 and requires House approval to make it onto the November ballot. Shoplifters who’re convicted 3 times inside a three-year period might be sentenced to up to 3 years in prison. In addition, accused thieves might be charged based on the entire value of multiple thefts over three years, which could raise the charge from a misdemeanor to a felony.

The initiative also targets fentanyl, the synthetic cousin of heroin that kills 1000’s of Californians annually. People who knowingly sell or pass on drugs laced with fentanyl without informing the recipient withstand six years in prison. People convicted of selling fentanyl might be charged with murder in the event that they later sold the drug to someone who died of an overdose.

In addition, public agencies that provide drug and mental health treatment would receive more cash diverted from a grant program designed to enhance student performance in public schools.

“This ballot measure is a critical step forward in our efforts to strengthen California's public safety laws and provide law enforcement with additional tools to address growing concerns about property crime and the fentanyl crisis,” Newsom said in a press release. “This balanced approach tackles crime and protects our communities.”

But Republican lawmakers sharply criticized Newsom and his allies, saying the contradictory measures could confuse voters. Newsom has defended Prop 47 prior to now.

State Senate Minority Leader Brian Jones attacked the brand new bill on social media platform X on Sunday, calling it a “weaker crime initiative designed to compete with the one already on the ballot in November” and a “blatant attempt to undermine the will of the people.”

If the 2 competing initiatives are put to the vote together, the initiative with probably the most yes votes would take effect.

The Newsom-backed initiative would seem on the ballot together with the initiative to combat homelessness, drug addiction and shoplifting, which was approved for the November ballot earlier this month. It is supported by San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan and San Francisco Mayor London Breed, in addition to state associations of police chiefs, sheriffs and district attorneys, and businesses from small Bay Area restaurants to Walmart, Target and Home Depot. That initiative, too, targets theft and medicines.

Both proposals would reverse provisions of Prop 47 that downgraded most drug possession and property crimes valued at $950 or less to misdemeanors and allowed resentencing of those convicted of those offenses. The goal was to alleviate overcrowded prisons and address social justice issues.

According to the nonpartisan California Budget and Policy Center, crime rates in California, including theft, have been declining for a long time. But critics say the numbers are unreliable because many business owners fail to report incidents like shoplifting because police in lots of areas don’t reply to or investigate minor crimes. Widely circulated photos and videos of brazen shoplifters and robberies have helped bring shoplifting to the forefront of public concern.

“Newsom has recognized what many other members of his party have observed in recent years: crime and public safety have once again become central issues for California voters,” Schnur said.

The proposal, backed by Newsom, won the endorsement of the California Retailers Association, which advocates for reform of Prop 47. The group's president, Rachel Michelin, called the plan “a smart solution that will protect our stores, employees and customers.”

Newsom and Democratic lawmakers could rating political points if their initiative passes, said Melissa Michelson, a political scientist at Menlo College.

“Now it's no longer the public taking the lead,” Michelson said. “Now it's the governor and other elected officials who are in control of this issue.”

Kimberly Guilfoyle showed an odd sense of timing this week when she announced the discharge of her dog-themed children's book — just as her friends within the Trump campaign grapple with nationwide outrage over revelations from South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem that she shot her misbehaving dog, Cricket, and buried the puppy in a gravel pit.

Guilfoyle, an adviser to Trump's 2020 campaign, presented her book, “The Princess and the Puppy,” on Monday. It incorporates a character named “Princess Kimberly” and her frightened “little puppy” friend. the Daily Beast reported. Guilfoyle's self-description “Pro-God, Pro-America” Publisher said that the book tells the story of a “sweet and caring” princess who’s “afraid of almost everything” until she “meets a little puppy who is also afraid.”

Guilfoyle, the fiancée of Trump's eldest son Don Jr., said on X (formerly Twitter) that her book's “heartfelt story” “teaches children that it's easier to be brave when you have a friend by your side.” She also said that 10% of all proceeds go to Furry Friends Adoption, Clinic and Ranch, a non-profit organization based in Jupiter, Florida, that operates a no-kill shelter and rescue of abandoned dogs and cats.

But Guilfoyle's joyful announcement sparked widespread contempt on social media due to Noem's recent revelation in regards to the killing of Cricket, a wirehaired dog who lived on her family's farm in South Dakota, the Daily Beast reported.

Noem is a rising star in Republican politics who was widely viewed as Trump's top alternative for vice presidential nominee, the Daily Beast said. Cricket's murder was detailed in Noem's upcoming memoir, “No Going Back.” as The Guardian first reported. Cricket displayed an “aggressive personality, lacked hunting skills and was “untrainable,” said Noem, who is understood for her combative public demeanor. While Noem revealed that she “hated that dog,” she also portrayed herself as someone strong enough to make the difficult decision to kill the dog herself by leading her to a gravel pit and shooting her.

Noem's revelations sparked widespread outrage in any respect ends of the political spectrum and led pundits to query whether the governor had committed “political suicide” and effectively dropped herself as Trump's running mate. the Daily Beast reported.

Paws Animal Rescue, a South Dakota-based animal rescue group, also released a press release that didn’t comment on Noem's specific situation, but said it had “never met a dog so untrainable that it deserved to be treated.” to be shot.” Daily Beast said in one other report.

Noem's revelations also led to people replying to Guilfoyle's X account not having the ability to help but link the 2 women's dog stories together.

“Send a signed copy to @GovKristiNoem?” one X user wrote in response to the book announcement from the previous first lady of San Francisco and ex-wife of California Gov. Gavin Newsom. “Dedicate it to cricket,” the X user also said.

Another asked if her children's book ended “with the puppy in a gravel pit.” A 3rd wondered if the work was a “remake of 'The Governor Shot Her Pup'”?

And a fourth said: “Perfect timing Kimmy! Now you can write a sequel called “The Princess, Her Puppy, and the Visit to Farmer Kristi’s Gravel Pit.”

Even amid the outrage over Cricket's death, Noem has defended her actions and tried to view the killing as an indication of her ability to make difficult decisions, the Daily Beast said. On Sunday, she said she could understand “why some people are upset.” She wrote on X: “As I explained in the book, it wasn’t easy,” she wrote. “But often the easy way is not the right way.”

But The Daily Beast also reported that Noem's “graphic and shocking” description of Cricket's murder was poorly received by many, “including those in Trumpworld.”

Associates near the previous president “are fixated on the ads that would run if she were involved anywhere in President Trump's campaign,” the Daily Beast said. One Trump aide said: “I mean, this thing is devastating. There's nothing more popular in politics than dogs, and he or she killed one – and he or she continues to discuss it… That's what's astounding and shows uncontrolled judgment.”

TikTok doesn't need to promote negative body comparisons and is cracking down on posts about eating disorders, dangerous weight reduction habits and potentially harmful weight management products.

The hugely popular social media app updated its community guidelines last week, introducing a series of recent rules that it hopes will make the platform safer for its roughly 1 billion users worldwide.

The initiative comes as TikTok, owned by Beijing tech company ByteDance, faces increased scrutiny of its operations and content amid the fight possible ban within the USA

Weight loss videos are a big category on TikTok, with influencers detailing and demonstrating how they lost weight. Such videos have turn out to be popular in recent times with the appearance of injectable prescription medications corresponding to: B. increased OzempicWegovy and Mounjaro, which many individuals use to shed weight quickly.

Critics say the soaring demand for the drugs has exposed the cracks within the body positivity movement and shown that there continues to be enormous pressure to look thin in any respect costs. They say TikTok and Instagram, anti-aging filters, selfie culture and relentless self-promotion by celebrities and influencers have contributed to the issue.

TikTok already had policies on body image and eating disorders, however the updated guidelines explicitly divide such content into 4 categories: allowed; not allowed; limited to users 18 years and older; and ineligible for the “For You Feed,” TikTok’s personalized suggestion algorithm. They come into force on May seventeenth.

The recent guidelines are intended to “increase understanding and provide greater transparency about our rules and how we enforce them,” Adam Presser, TikTok's head of operations and the corporate's trust and safety department, said in a press release.

In the past, TikTok creators said they generally saw posts restricted or removed without understanding why they were flagged.

TikTok now clearly states that it bans videos “that show, describe, promote, offer, or request coaching for eating disorders or dangerous weight loss behaviors.”

The company defines these behaviors as extremely low-calorie diets, binge eating and intentional vomiting, misuse of medicines or supplements for weight reduction, and exercise during serious injury or illness.

TikTok has specifically banned content that shows or promotes unhealthy body measurements and “body checking” trends, corresponding to comparing the scale of body parts to home items. The facilitation of trade or marketing of products for weight reduction or muscle constructing can also be on the decline.

Content restricted to users 18 and older – and in addition ineligible for the For You feed – includes showing or promoting “potentially harmful weight management behaviors,” corresponding to: B. restrictive low-calorie diets; using medications or supplements to shed weight or construct muscle; and exercises designed for rapid and significant weight reduction, corresponding to “cardio routines that promise to help you lose a waistline in a week,” the corporate said.

TikTok also said it might restrict before-and-after transformation photos that promote weight reduction and muscle-building products, in addition to videos that promote body types as “ideal or perfect” in the event that they are related to potentially harmful weight management behaviors.

“We want TikTok to be a place that promotes self-esteem,” the corporate said.

Creatives who’ve documented their weight reduction journey with the brand new class of classy drugs said they were disenchanted by the approach. TikTok, they said, has turn out to be a crucial resource and close-knit community for individuals who have struggled for years to shed weight and get healthy.

“I think countless lives have been saved by being able to communicate through these medications,” said Kelsey Martinez, 32, who posted in September 2022 about using Mounjaro, a drug used to treat type 2 diabetes. to shed weight weighed 232 kilos when she began weekly injections; last fall it had dropped to 153.

“It's about providing access for obese people, and that's something we don't always have,” said Martinez, who lives in Los Angeles and has 296,000 TikTok followers. “So I think it will be very damaging. You are simply shutting down and isolating a group of people who are already so used to being shamed and cornered.”

A TikTok spokesperson said content about medically needed health interventions under the guidance of a health care provider or healthcare skilled is allowed, including discussions of glucagon-like peptide-1 drugs, which include the diabetes drug Ozempic. The spokesperson added that content about using GLP-1 drugs for weight reduction could still be discovered through other means, corresponding to through search tools or by following an account, even when it shouldn’t be eligible for the For You feed.

show or describe eating contests; Fitness programs, sports, and nutrition that usually are not primarily focused on extreme weight reduction, marathon training, or bodybuilding competitions; and spiritual weight-reduction plan and fasting remain permitted.

Michelle York, a full-time content creator from Moorpark, said she understands the app is currently in a “really difficult position” as a consequence of a divestment or ban law within the United States, where it has 170 million users was pending.

“TikTok is under a lot of scrutiny and they need to do everything they can to make sure it’s a safe place,” York, 40, said. But “I think they are overcompensating by issuing these new policies.”

Although she believes her content is helpful and removed from promoting “supplements to lose weight quickly,” and although her follower base of 203,000 people begs her to proceed offering weight reduction content, she already has a few of her old ones Mounjaro videos are shot privately and can focus much more on lifestyle and wonder content in the long run.

“It's really disheartening to be told I can't share this anymore, and now my platform that I've worked so hard to build is at risk,” York said. “The problem is that this is my job now – I rely on it for my income and I can't post things that jeopardize that.”

TikTok's latest Community Guidelines also include recent and updated definitions of the corporate's policies on hate speech and health misinformation.

In announcing the updated rules, TikTok said it might implement a “warning strike” the primary time a creator violates the platform's community guidelines.

“The strike will not count toward an account’s strike list, but any future violations will,” Presser said. “We notify creators of what rule they violated and how to appeal if they believe an error was made. Zero-tolerance policies (e.g., incitement to violence) are out of the question for these memories. Accounts will be suspended immediately.”

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