Latest news with #Bennettsville
CTV News
09-07-2025
- Politics
- CTV News
Trump administration sues California over transgender athlete policies
Gov. Gavin Newsom speaks to a crowd gathered at an event space during a two-day swing through South Carolina on Tuesday, July 8, 2025, in Bennettsville, S.C. (AP Photo/Meg Kinnard) WASHINGTON — U.S. President Donald Trump's administration sued the California Department of Education on Wednesday for allowing transgender girls to compete on girls sports teams, alleging the policy violates federal law. The move escalates an ongoing battle between the Republican administration in Washington and Democratic-led California over trans athletes competing in girls and women's sports. The lawsuit filed by the U.S. Justice Department says California's transgender athlete policies violate Title IX, the federal law that bans discrimination in education based on sex. The department says California's rules 'are not only illegal and unfair but also demeaning, signaling to girls that their opportunities and achievements are secondary to accommodating boys.' 'These discriminatory policies and practices ignore undeniable biological differences between boys and girls, in favor of an amorphous 'gender identity,'' the lawsuit says. 'The results of these illegal policies are stark: girls are displaced from podiums, denied awards, and miss out on critical visibility for college scholarships and recognition.' California has a more than decade-old law on the books that allows students to participate in sex-segregated school programs, including on sports teams, and use bathrooms and other facilities that align with their gender identity. Trump criticized the participation of a transgender high school student-athlete who won titles in the California track-and-field championships last month. Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon wrote in a letter after the meet that the sports body running the final violated the Equal Protection Clause of the Constitution by allowing trans girls to compete against other female athletes. The federal Education Department earlier this year launched an investigation into California's policies allowing athletes to compete on sports teams consistent with their gender identity. The agency said last month that the policies violate Title IX, and it gave the state 10 days to agree to change them. But the state this week refused. Trump also sparred with Maine's Democratic governor over the state's transgender-athlete policies. Gov. Janet Mills told the president in February, 'We'll see you in court,' over his threats to pull funding to the state over the issue. His administration filed a lawsuit in April alleging Maine violated Title IX by allowing trans girls and women to compete against other female athletes. Meantime, on his podcast in March, Gov. Gavin Newsom, D-Calif., angered some party allies when he questioned the fairness of trans girls competing in girls sports. GOP critics have called on the governor to back a ban, saying his remarks do not square with his actions. The issue is part of a nationwide battle over the rights of transgender youth in which states have limited transgender girls from participating on girls sports teams, barred gender-affirming surgeries for minors and required parents to be notified if a child changes their pronouns at school. More than two dozen states have laws barring transgender women and girls from participating in certain sports competitions. Some of the policies have been blocked in court. Trump signed an executive order in February aimed at barring trans girls and women from participating on sports teams consistent with their gender identity. Proponents of a ban, including the conservative California Family Council, say it would restore fairness in athletic competitions. But opponents, including the 2SLGBTQ+ advocacy group Equality California, say bans are an attack on transgender youth. The Associated Press
Yahoo
08-07-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Gavin Newsom swings through South Carolina, where Democrats will play pivotal 2028 nominating role
BENNETTSVILLE, S.C. (AP) — California Gov. Gavin Newsom on Tuesday launched a two-day tour of South Carolina, calling on voters across rural areas — some tucked in GOP strongholds — to exercise their 'moral authority' in standing up to President Donald Trump and Republicans in next year's midterm elections. But more than that, Newsom's foray into the state, which for years has held one of the earliest voting contests on the Democratic presidential primary calendar, serves as a strong signal that the governor of the most populous state is eyeing a 2028 White House bid. Newsom spent Tuesday in small towns across northeastern South Carolina, speaking to crowds in coffee shops and small businesses, shaking hands or posing for photos with scores of them. In Florence, he focused his comments on what he said is the need to address the nation's divisions by being intentional in having conversations with people of diverse viewpoints. 'I think it's really important for Democrats that we spend time in parts of our states, parts of our country, that frankly, we haven't spent enough time in, and so that's why I'm here,' Newsom said. In Mullins, Newsom arrived at another coffee shop nearly an hour late, a delay attributed to him stopping by an annual gathering of some 2,500 AME bishops. Newsom said the sermon left him 'spellbound.' Later Tuesday afternoon in Bennettsville — where Democratic state Rep. Jason Luck said 'no one remembers' the last time even the state's own governor, let alone one from another state, visited — state Democratic Party Chair Christale Spain thanked Newsom for being 'generous with his cash.' It was a nod to a recent fundraising email sent by the governor that Newsom said had raised $160,000 for the South Carolina party. At each stop, Newsom called on Democrats to show their strength in next year's midterm elections, a peg for potential national candidates to begin introducing themselves to voters in early primary states such as South Carolina. Increasing Democrats' numbers in Congress, he argued in Bennettsville, would diminish Donald Trump's power, allowing Democrats to 'leverage this country." The investment of time in a state pivotal to picking his party's presidential nominees, and Newsom's trajectory across some of its reddest areas, suggest that the term-limited governor is angling to shed his image as a San Francisco liberal and get ahead of what is sure to be a crowded 2028 Democratic primary field. The visit also will help him make inroads with the diverse Democratic electorate whose buy-in has long been seen as critical for their party's nominee. On Wednesday, Newsom turns toward the conservative Upstate, among the state's most GOP-rich areas. He will kick off with an event in the small town of Seneca, which four-term GOP Sen. Lindsey Graham calls home. In last year's general election, Trump won more than 75% of votes cast in surrounding Oconee County. Treading in that territory fits with the image that Newsom has been cultivating for himself ahead of a possible White House bid. Increasingly willing to break from some of the policies that have defined his brand and his deeply Democratic state, Newsom has hosted Trump's allies on his podcast, even stunning some members of his own party by agreeing with podcast guests on issues such as restricting transgender women and girls in sports. The state is embroiled in a fight with the Trump administration over whether transgender athletes can compete in girls' high school sports, with the U.S. Department of Education finding that the state violated Title IX, the federal law that bans sex discrimination in education. Newsom also said dismantling police departments was 'lunacy," and he kept silent when another of his podcast guests, longtime Trump ally Steve Bannon, falsely said Trump won the 2020 presidential election against Democrat Joe Biden. Although the 2028 Democratic primary calendar won't be set for many months, potential candidates for the party's upcoming presidential slate have already started visiting South Carolina, with the expectation that the state will continue to play a pivotal role. At the urging of Biden — whose 2020 candidacy was saved by his resounding South Carolina primary win — the state led off Democrats' 2024 calendar, and the state party intends to make the argument that it should retain the No. 1 position in the next cycle. South Carolina has long been the first Southern state to hold a primary, giving it a unique role in the Democratic nomination process because of its diverse electorate, particularly the significant influence of Black voters. In May, a pair of governors — Minnesota's Tim Walz and Maryland's Wes Moore — headlined a weekend of events hosted by South Carolina Democrats, introducing themselves and testing their possible candidacy arguments in front of the party faithful. Both also addressed attendees at Rep. Jim Clyburn's World Famous Fish Fry, a storied night of cold drinks, hot fried fish and raucous political stumping in which scores of Democratic presidential hopefuls have participated through the years. ___ Kinnard can be reached at
CNN
08-07-2025
- Politics
- CNN
Newsom blasts Trump during South Carolina tour as California governor stokes 2028 speculation
California Gov. Gavin Newsom embarked Tuesday on a two-day swing through rural South Carolina as the high-profile Democrat seeks to position himself as a leader for a party in rebuilding mode while simultaneously stoking fresh speculation about a potential 2028 presidential bid. Newsom alternated between defiance toward President Donald Trump and familiarity with voters in the early primary state during his roughly 15-minute address at a stop in Bennettsville, sharply criticizing the administration and referring to the opening of Trump's second term as 'an alarming six months.' 'It's not what happens to us, it's how we respond to it. And our opportunity presents itself anew. In 18 months, you have the power to end Donald Trump's presidency,' Newsom said, to loud applause from the full room. 'We'll have to deal with the tweets, we'll have to deal with the attacks and the bullying. But the legislative agenda is effectively over,' Newsom continued. 'You have that power in these midterms.' Throughout his remarks, Newsom touted his own efforts to stand up to the Trump administration and help rebuild the Democratic Party. He made repeated references to his efforts to support the Democratic presidential ticket in 2024 and promoted California as 'the most un-Trump state,' while also slipping in the occasional 'y'all' in a nod to the South. He commented on several recent news developments, including the Trump administration's latest immigration crackdown in his state and the tragic flooding last week in Texas, taking both opportunities to lambaste the president's leadership. 'Donald Trump,' Newsom said of the immigration raids in Los Angeles, 'decided to send hundreds and hundreds of military troops into the park, into the playground, in the middle of the day, where kids this old were at summer camp.' Newsom went on, 'Not one arrest was made. But what he was doing – he wanted to make a point. Cruelty is the point. Cruelty is the point.' And commenting on Texas, Newsom continued criticizing Trump's leadership. 'Do you remember his response to the disaster in California? He blamed every single person – not a peep of blame in Texas,' Newsom remarked, referencing his clashes with the administration during severe wildfires that devastated Los Angeles earlier this year. Speaking at the White House on Tuesday, Trump didn't mention Newsom by name but called him 'one of the worst governors in our country, who I used to get along with, actually.' Trump also defended the federal response to the wildfires. 'If we didn't step in, Los Angeles would have been burned to the ground,' he said. At one point, while invoking his support for former President Joe Biden, Newsom noted that included the 'not so easy' role of being a surrogate on the night of the first presidential debate hosted by CNN in June 2024. 'I say this with love in my heart – with love in my heart – but love for my party and love for my country.' Newsom also touted his recent defamation lawsuit against Fox News, drawing applause from the audience. 'Lies. Myths. And misrepresentations. You think I'm lying? Take a look at what I did last week – I sued Fox News,' he remarked. The California governor's visit to the key presidential primary state is the latest in a series of moves laying the groundwork for a potential 2028 campaign, with several high-profile contenders already making visits to longtime early primary states. Attendees at Newsom's midday event in Marlboro County underscored the anticipation. 'I came to see the next president of the United States, who should really be the current president, if we are being honest,' said Samantha Sherman, who drove from her home near the state line with her 10-year-old son Patrick to see Newsom. Ken Stroman, a Bennettsville native, told CNN he didn't know much about Newsom coming into Tuesday's visit. 'I knew people described him as a potential front-runner. Now I see why,' said Stroman. 'I don't know if he will be the nominee, but if he is, I could support him.' 'The way Trump has treated California, we get that. Poor Black people in the South, that is how we are treated. He sees that.' Trump improved his performance in Marlboro County in each of his three campaigns. In 2016, he lost it to Democrat Hillary Clinton by about 16 points. Four years later he cut his deficit to less than 11 points against Biden. Last November, he lost it by less than 3 points against former Vice President Kamala Harris. South Carolina Republicans responded to Newsom's trip on social media by mocking him and the state of California. 'Gavin Newsom in South Carolina today is like a kale salad at a Waffle House — confused, unwelcome, and about to get sent back,' said Republican Rep. Russell Fry on X.
CNN
08-07-2025
- Politics
- CNN
Newsom blasts Trump during South Carolina tour as California governor stokes 2028 speculation
California Gov. Gavin Newsom embarked Tuesday on a two-day swing through rural South Carolina as the high-profile Democrat seeks to position himself as a leader for a party in rebuilding mode while simultaneously stoking fresh speculation about a potential 2028 presidential bid. Newsom alternated between defiance toward President Donald Trump and familiarity with voters in the early primary state during his roughly 15-minute address at a stop in Bennettsville, sharply criticizing the administration and referring to the opening of Trump's second term as 'an alarming six months.' 'It's not what happens to us, it's how we respond to it. And our opportunity presents itself anew. In 18 months, you have the power to end Donald Trump's presidency,' Newsom said, to loud applause from the full room. 'We'll have to deal with the tweets, we'll have to deal with the attacks and the bullying. But the legislative agenda is effectively over,' Newsom continued. 'You have that power in these midterms.' Throughout his remarks, Newsom touted his own efforts to stand up to the Trump administration and help rebuild the Democratic Party. He made repeated references to his efforts to support the Democratic presidential ticket in 2024 and promoted California as 'the most un-Trump state,' while also slipping in the occasional 'y'all' in a nod to the South. He commented on several recent news developments, including the Trump administration's latest immigration crackdown in his state and the tragic flooding last week in Texas, taking both opportunities to lambaste the president's leadership. 'Donald Trump,' Newsom said of the immigration raids in Los Angeles, 'decided to send hundreds and hundreds of military troops into the park, into the playground, in the middle of the day, where kids this old were at summer camp.' Newsom went on, 'Not one arrest was made. But what he was doing – he wanted to make a point. Cruelty is the point. Cruelty is the point.' And commenting on Texas, Newsom continued criticizing Trump's leadership. 'Do you remember his response to the disaster in California? He blamed every single person – not a peep of blame in Texas,' Newsom remarked, referencing his clashes with the administration during severe wildfires that devastated Los Angeles earlier this year. Speaking at the White House on Tuesday, Trump didn't mention Newsom by name but called him 'one of the worst governors in our country, who I used to get along with, actually.' Trump also defended the federal response to the wildfires. 'If we didn't step in, Los Angeles would have been burned to the ground,' he said. At one point, while invoking his support for former President Joe Biden, Newsom noted that included the 'not so easy' role of being a surrogate on the night of the first presidential debate hosted by CNN in June 2024. 'I say this with love in my heart – with love in my heart – but love for my party and love for my country.' Newsom also touted his recent defamation lawsuit against Fox News, drawing applause from the audience. 'Lies. Myths. And misrepresentations. You think I'm lying? Take a look at what I did last week – I sued Fox News,' he remarked. The California governor's visit to the key presidential primary state is the latest in a series of moves laying the groundwork for a potential 2028 campaign, with several high-profile contenders already making visits to longtime early primary states. Attendees at Newsom's midday event in Marlboro County underscored the anticipation. 'I came to see the next president of the United States, who should really be the current president, if we are being honest,' said Samantha Sherman, who drove from her home near the state line with her 10-year-old son Patrick to see Newsom. Ken Stroman, a Bennettsville native, told CNN he didn't know much about Newsom coming into Tuesday's visit. 'I knew people described him as a potential front-runner. Now I see why,' said Stroman. 'I don't know if he will be the nominee, but if he is, I could support him.' 'The way Trump has treated California, we get that. Poor Black people in the South, that is how we are treated. He sees that.' Trump improved his performance in Marlboro County in each of his three campaigns. In 2016, he lost it to Democrat Hillary Clinton by about 16 points. Four years later he cut his deficit to less than 11 points against Biden. Last November, he lost it by less than 3 points against former Vice President Kamala Harris. South Carolina Republicans responded to Newsom's trip on social media by mocking him and the state of California. 'Gavin Newsom in South Carolina today is like a kale salad at a Waffle House — confused, unwelcome, and about to get sent back,' said Republican Rep. Russell Fry on X.
Yahoo
01-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Downtown Myrtle Beach employees say armed teenagers disrupt tourist district
Teenagers and young adults who come to downtown Myrtle Beach to party have become a public safety issue, business owners and employees said. The group will walk up and down the strip while not patronizing businesses, said a beach store owner who we will call Tom. He spoke on the condition of anonymity. The teenagers, who bring their guns, stand in front of his building and block customers while often drinking and smoking cigarettes or marijuana. Tom stated he feared retaliation from city officials if he spoke out against the city leaders. Other store owners declined to be interviewed, citing the same reason. At best, these teens are an annoyance; at worst, they are unpredictable young adults with deadly weapons. On April 26 at about 11:50 p.m., Jerrius Davis, 18, shot four rounds into a group on North Ocean Boulevard near Mr. Fries, a Myrtle Beach Police video shows. In response, officer Brandon O'Rourke shot five rounds, which killed the Bennettsville teenager. In total, 11 people were hurt in the shooting. It's unclear how many injuries were caused by Davis, as at least one person said she was allegedly shot by a Myrtle Beach police officer, The Sun News reported. When The Sun News asked employees if downtown feels safe or dangerous, we got a variety of responses. One gift shop employee said he is from New York City and he has seen much worse, while Tom said people have flashed their guns at him in a threatening manner. 'It's kids with weapons, guns, thinking they can do whatever they want, that they are immune. It has a strong effect on the locals,' Tom said. Downtown employees had different responses on the crime in downtown Myrtle Beach and the city's reaction. Some applauded the local police officers, stating that they respond quickly when the boulevard turns ugly, while others blamed the increase in police presence for a drop in sales. The traffic loop, which shuts down the left-bound lane of North Ocean Boulevard on Friday and Saturday nights, is the most controversial. Gustavo Alonso, who works at a gift shop on North Ocean Boulevard, said closing the lane causes the store to lose customers but he also does not blame police. 'I can't think of something else to do,' Alonso said. Other employees, who declined to give their names, said the increased number of officers may scare away vacationers. There were a few police officers out at 6 p.m., but more appeared as the night went on. Tom and Keko Henry, the manager at Shopicana Resort Wear, said they have been working with police to improve safety. For example, officers advised them to leave their lights on at night to deter people from standing outside the stores after hours. Depending on the night, some stores will close early. Alonso said if it is too rowdy, he will shut down the store. 'During these times, we'd be closing around 12 o'clock, 1 o'clock. But since spring break, we have been closing at like 10 o'clock. 11 o'clock is pushing it,' Tom said. The summer season has not begun, but Tom and Alonso said they have fewer customers than normal, although they do not blame this on the recent shooting. Tom said his sales had been declining prior to the shooting. This is again blamed on the crowds. Alonso said he worries the large crowds of young people may scare away other tourists. Tom and Alonso also blamed their lack of sales on the ban on vapes and drug paraphernalia in downtown Myrtle Beach. They said CBD products and pipes used to be popular items. In an attempt to make the city more family-friendly in 2018, city council voted to ban the sale of these items on Ocean Boulevard from 6th Avenue South to 16th Avenue North, The Sun News reported. In a press conference following the April shooting, Myrtle Beach Mayor Bethune said she does not want cheap motel rooms and sexually explicit T-shirts attracting the wrong kind of person to the city. Tom disagreed with this, stating that inappropriate t-shirts are not the real issue. 'I don't think any business selling a shirt that says 'I heart country boys' or 'Henny-thing can happen' or any of those sorts is affecting what's going on out there,' Tom said. 'What needs to be monitored is kids are walking around drunk with bottles of liquor.'
