Latest news with #Dittmar
Miami Herald
5 days ago
- Politics
- Miami Herald
Could political violence have a chilling effect on office seekers in Minnesota?
MINNEAPOLIS - After the shootings of state legislators and their family members, Minnesota DFL Chair Richard Carlbom feared that enthusiasm he was seeing among people interested in running for office would fade. But that wasn't what he found when he attended a DFL fish fry in northern Minnesota the Monday after the attacks. "The room was somber, but resolute," he said, noting one person told the crowd they planned to honor Democratic House Leader Melissa Hortman by running for the Legislature. "I hope that, in this moment, people will think carefully about what service means to them, what it means to their fellow Minnesotans, and ultimately choose to serve in the example that Melissa Hortman served for us all." Across the country, increased threats and harassment in recent years have had a chilling effect on local elected officials' willingness to engage in political activities, from running for re-election to working on controversial issues to attending public events, according to surveys by Princeton University's Bridging Divides Initiative and nonprofit CivicPulse. The assassination of Rep. Hortman and the shooting of Sen. John Hoffman this month was categorically different than threats and harassment. And while the attacks have made some people more determined to serve, it has also prompted officeholders, party officials and community members to wonder: In a state that has long prided itself on civic participation, who exactly will be willing to run for office? Elected officials say harassment has become an unfortunate but predictable part of public service - so common it often goes unreported. There are signs the problem is getting worse. Officeholders and potential candidates increasingly mention political violence and threats when talking to staff at the Center for American Women and Politics, said Kelly Dittmar, the center's director of research. While those issues are not new in the U.S., she said the internet makes divisiveness and danger more "in-your-face." Elected officials also seem to be more willing to talk about threats and harassment, particularly gender or race-focused threats, which is an important step to address the problem, Dittmar said. She pointed to congresswoman Pramila Jayapal - who had been threated by an armed man outside her Seattle home - sharing threatening voicemails in 2022 and U.S. Rep. Ayanna Pressley's staff talking about putting mugshots from Capitol police on their office wall so they knew the faces. But Dittmar worries those considering a bid for office may say, "It's not worthwhile." Already, politicians are operating in an environment where national and state polarization has made serving in local offices throughout Minnesota -which are nonpartisan and often come with low pay - more fraught. "We used to say all politics are local, but increasingly, we're starting to say that all politics are national," said Luke Fischer, the executive director of the League of Minnesota Cities. At the same time, local officials can sometimes find themselves the subject of withering national scrutiny, said Shannon Hiller, executive director of the Bridging Divides Initiative at Princeton University, which studies political violence. In the last presidential election cycle, false claims about Haitian immigrants in Springfield, Ohio, became a flashpoint, including in a presidential debate. In that environment, a "consistently high" baseline of threats has consequences for representative government, Hiller said. In fact, local officials - Democrats and Republicans report that threats affect their behavior in similar ways - are changing the way they interact with constituents because of the current political environment. Before the shootings of Hortman and Hoffman, there was little evidence that increased toxicity had dampened people's desire to seek office in Minnesota, said Cassondra Knudson, with the Minnesota Secretary of State's Office. "We haven't noticed any fewer candidates," she said, noting uncontested races are very uncommon and there are usually candidates from multiple parties running for seats in the November general election. And though it remains to be seen how the attacks will affect Minnesotans' willingness to run, there is little doubt it shifted the landscape for political hopefuls. While difficult to quantify, "it's hard not to to expect that this is going to have a deterring effect on people deciding to serve, and we do, of course, need people to serve in these roles," said Patricia Nauman, executive director of the Association of Metropolitan Municipalities, a group that represents cities in the seven-county metro. "It's the underpinnings of our government and our democracy." House Speaker Lisa Demuth, R-Cold Spring, echoed that sentiment: "I would say that this situation is going to cross everyone's mind." In addition to potentially affecting the number of people willing to run and serve, the violence could also affect the type of candidates, some officials said. Candidate recruitment, even at the most local level, is already a challenge for Greg Davis, chair of the Le Sueur/Scott County DFL who also serves on the board for Washington Township, a deep-red area where DFLers often get just over 30% of the vote. In the current environment, people who are willing to run sometimes fall on the "political fringes," both on the left and right, rather than representing the majority, Davis said, something he worries will only get more common going forward. Sen. Jim Abeler, R-Anoka, shares that concern, saying the shootings could broaden partisan divides. "Now when it comes to people that are going to run, some people that are just regular citizens are now going to be disinclined to even think about it," he said. "That's going to bring in more of the people on the extreme side, and we desperately need more people with regular life experience." ------------ -Allison Kite and Nathaniel Minor of the Minnesota Star Tribune contributed to this story. ------------- Copyright (C) 2025, Tribune Content Agency, LLC. Portions copyrighted by the respective providers.
7NEWS
7 days ago
- Sport
- 7NEWS
Wild accusation emerges behind AFL's club memo on illegal boot studs
There has been an intriguing layer added to the AFL's illegal boot studs drama with claims that a 'top club' is going to extreme lengths to 'break the rules'. It emerged on Channel 7's The Agenda Setters on Tuesday that the league has sent a memo to clubs, reminding them they are liable to a $40,000 sanction should a player be caught in metal or illegal stops. 'This is a timely reminder regarding the type of football boots which may be worn in AFL matches, specifically the prohibition of metal stops, which pose a serious risk of injury to players,' the memo said. 'To prioritise player safety, the AFL strictly enforces regulations that prohibit the use of metal stops or studs on football boots. 'As such, it is the responsibility of all AFL clubs and players to ensure that boots worn during matches fully comply with these rules. 'Under AFL regulations 4.8, clubs may be sanctioned up to $40,000 breach.' Despite the memo, veteran AFL reporter Caroline Wilson said coaches around the league were still concerned because the injuries keep happening. 'According to many coaches and footy bosses I've spoken to today, these boots, often the stops, are really sharp and dangerous. The coaches say this is happening more and more; horrible injuries from boots,' she said on Tuesday. South Australian radio host Chris 'Ditts' Dittmar has accused one club of a wild act of deception, saying the players are deliberately breaking the rules to get an advantage. 'I've delved a bit deeper into this. So what's happened is the rules did change and it turns out that clubs were told previously, you can't wear that's those types of boots any longer, and it will be a fine, OK, $40,000, quite hefty,' Dittmar said on Triple M Breakfast. 'Going on from Caro's story, what I've learned ... is that there's a club, and I'll say they're a top club, they're going pretty well, one of the top clubs, have got players, would you believe, painting the studs on their boots to make them look different? 'So they're deliberately wearing illegal studs for better grip.' Dittmar said fans and commentators 'get frustrated' when they see players 'slipping over'. 'So I asked a leading player one of these questions (about the boots). He said, 'Well, we have to wear these moulded soles that are slippery. They've got too many studs in them,' according to this player. 'Whereas if you wear the other ones that are better for wet, longer stops, less studs, that makes it better to grip, believe it or not, with less studs. '(But) there's a club out there that are breaking the rules, and we think that's why this memo has been sent again this week.' Channel 7 commentator Dale Thomas speculated that the new plastic blade-style boot could actually cause more damage. 'The plastic, blade style, they become more sharp than the metal ... it's a longer blade along the boot, rather than just a stud, it's almost making it worse,' he said. On the weekend North Melbourne's Jack Darling suffered a large gash in his shin when he tangled with Carlton's Jack Silvagni during the first quarter. The veteran was in immediate discomfort by the large wound, which raised concerns around infection. But he heroically managed to play out the match, but was taken to hospital after the match where he had the wound stitched up. Silvagni was cleared of any wrongdoing with his boots given the tick of approval.
Yahoo
23-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Weak oil prices, limited shale acreage to hit energy M&A in 2025, Enverus says
By Georgina McCartney HOUSTON (Reuters) -The U.S. upstream oil and gas M&A market is bracing for the most challenging conditions since the COVID-19 pandemic as oil prices slump and prime acreage dries up, analytics firm Enverus said on Wednesday, even though dealmaking jumped last quarter to the second-best start to the year since 2018. The expected downturn in mergers and acquisitions follows a series of blockbuster takeovers by oil and gas majors in recent years, which culminated in a record $192 billion worth of deals done in 2023. There were $17 billion worth of deals disclosed in the quarter ended March 31, but activity was disproportionately driven by Diamondback Energy, which accounted for almost half of total value, said Enverus Intelligence Research principal analyst, Andrew Dittmar. Diamondback Energy acquired Double Eagle IV in the Midland basin for $4.083 billion in February. It also sold minerals to Viper Energy for $4.26 billion in January, the two largest deals done in the first quarter. Outside of Diamondback, buyers were already feeling the pressure of limited acquisition opportunities and high asking prices for undeveloped drilling inventory, Dittmar said. 'Upstream deal markets are heading into the most challenging conditions we have seen since the first half of 2020. High asset prices and limited opportunities are colliding with weakening crude," he added. West Texas Intermediate crude futures tumbled to multi-year lows this month after U.S. President Donald Trump unveiled trade tariffs on April 2, stoking concerns of an economic slowdown. Eight OPEC+ countries also unexpectedly agreed to advance plans to phase out oil output cuts by increasing output by 411,000 barrels per day in May. Sellers are aware there is a scarcity of high-quality shale inventory, making them reluctant to unload their assets at a discount, but buyers cannot afford to pay recent M&A prices now that oil prices are lower, Dittmar said. "The standoff between those two groups around fair asset pricing is set to sink M&A activity,' he said. Other major deals done included Paloma Natural Gas selling Haynesville assets in February to an undisclosed buyer for $1.2 billion. U.S. natural gas producers and investment firms are gearing up for more activity in Louisiana's Haynesville shale basin, positioning themselves for a boom in liquefied natural gas exports boosted by new approvals from Trump.
Reuters
23-04-2025
- Business
- Reuters
Weak oil prices, limited shale acreage to hit energy M&A in 2025, Enverus says
HOUSTON, April 23 (Reuters) - The U.S. upstream oil and gas M&A market is bracing for the most challenging conditions since the COVID-19 pandemic as oil prices slump and prime acreage dries up, analytics firm Enverus said on Wednesday, even though dealmaking jumped last quarter to the second-best start to the year since 2018. The expected downturn in mergers and acquisitions follows a series of blockbuster takeovers by oil and gas majors in recent years, which culminated in a record $192 billion worth of deals done in 2023. There were $17 billion worth of deals disclosed in the quarter ended March 31, but activity was disproportionately driven by Diamondback Energy (FANG.O), opens new tab, which accounted for almost half of total value, said Enverus Intelligence Research principal analyst, Andrew Dittmar. Diamondback Energy acquired Double Eagle IV in the Midland basin for $4.083 billion in February. It also sold minerals to Viper Energy for $4.26 billion in January, the two largest deals done in the first quarter. Outside of Diamondback, buyers were already feeling the pressure of limited acquisition opportunities and high asking prices for undeveloped drilling inventory, Dittmar said. 'Upstream deal markets are heading into the most challenging conditions we have seen since the first half of 2020. High asset prices and limited opportunities are colliding with weakening crude," he added. West Texas Intermediate crude futures tumbled to multi-year lows this month after U.S. President Donald Trump unveiled trade tariffs on April 2, stoking concerns of an economic slowdown. Eight OPEC+ countries also unexpectedly agreed to advance plans to phase out oil output cuts by increasing output by 411,000 barrels per day in May. Sellers are aware there is a scarcity of high-quality shale inventory, making them reluctant to unload their assets at a discount, but buyers cannot afford to pay recent M&A prices now that oil prices are lower, Dittmar said. "The standoff between those two groups around fair asset pricing is set to sink M&A activity,' he said. Other major deals done included Paloma Natural Gas selling Haynesville assets in February to an undisclosed buyer for $1.2 billion. U.S. natural gas producers and investment firms are gearing up for more activity in Louisiana's Haynesville shale basin, positioning themselves for a boom in liquefied natural gas exports boosted by new approvals, opens new tab from Trump.
Yahoo
22-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Latinas hold more state legislature seats than ever before
The number of Latinas serving in state legislatures this year marks a new record for Latinas in this level of government. In all, 214 Latinas hold seats in state legislatures nationwide, up from 192 in 2024, according to the Center for American Women and Politics (CAWP). Latinas weren't the only ones to set records in last year's elections, though. Black, Asian American and Pacific Islander women, as well as women of Native backgrounds, also broke new ground in state legislative elections. 'Across the board, we actually did see a net gain in women's representation at the state legislative level, which was notable because we did not see that at the congressional level or at the statewide executive level,' Kelly Dittmar, the director of research at CAWP, told The 19th. 'When we're seeing these gains, they're coming among racially and ethnically diverse women.' Only White women hold fewer legislative seats this year in 2025 than they did in 2024. The rise in the number of Latinas serving in state houses, in particular, follows an important political trend in the United States: Latinx voters accounted for nearly half of newly eligible voters in 2024 and Latinas vote at higher rates than Latinx voters overall. Dittmar noted that early data on the 2024 electorate indicates that the Latinx voting population went up 12 percent last year — mirroring the rate of gains Latinas made in state legislatures. 'The more Latinos we have who are politically both eligible and engaged, the more likely it is that we're going to see greater representation,' Dittmar said. Of the 214 Latinas serving in a state house, 182 are Democrats, 31 are Republicans and one identifies as nonpartisan. Latinas now hold 2.9 percent of state legislative seats nationwide and make up 9.6 percent of the population. The gains by Black and Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) women in state legislatures this year were largely for Democratic women legislators. Latinas, on the other hand, saw gains among Democrats and Republicans. 'When you think about opportunities, especially in a year where Republican women actually did fare better, if you look at the net gains among state legislators who are women, Republican women really account for most of the net gain,' Dittmar explained — something particularly pronounced among newly elected Latinas at this level of government. 'Among Latinas, we're seeing at least slightly more partisan diversity. That allows for them to see success in this overall racial and ethnic group, inclusive of both parties doing well.' Native American, Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian women also saw a significant increase in their numbers in state legislatures, according to CAWP. Forty-four women of Native backgrounds currently hold seats in state legislatures, up from 36 in 2023, when they set their record. That amounts to 0.6 percent of state legislative seats; Native women comprise 1.1 percent of the U.S. population. There are now 107 AAPI women serving in these roles; the previous record, from 2023, was 100. Black women, who have made the largest gains in politics among women from historically marginalized groups, amount to 399 members in state legislatures, 13 more than last year. 'We're seeing more and more diversity in terms of race and ethnicity and, in my mind, that is a good thing — it brings more perspectives and lived experiences to the table,' Dittmar said. 'It means we're just moving closer to the representativeness of these bodies that is supposedly promised in a representative democracy.' The post Latinas hold more state legislature seats than ever before appeared first on The 19th. News that represents you, in your inbox every weekday. Subscribe to our free, daily newsletter.
