Good morning, and welcome to The Epoch Times News Brief for Tuesday, Sept. 3, 2024. I’m Bill Thomas, we’ve got some compelling stories to share with you right now, and here’s what’s going on.
Ballots in one critical swing state can’t be rejected even if they’re dated incorrectly, the first ballots in the country head to voters this week, and Elon Musk’s social media platform X is blocked from the internet in a major South American country. Also, mass protests break out in Israel, and China is condemned on the world stage over its behavior at sea toward the Philippines.
Officials Can’t Reject Mail-In Ballots With Incorrect Dates: Pennsylvania Court
This stems from a ruling issued by a Pennsylvania court, which also ruled that election officials cannot reject mail-in ballots with no dates on them, so long as the ballots were submitted before the filing deadline. A panel of the Commonwealth Court, which is a state appeals court, says the ruling applies in Philadelphia and Allegheny counties.The law in question featured some updates to the mail-in ballot system, including a provision that requires voters to date the envelope in which the mail-in ballots are placed. The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) challenged that and other regulations, and sued the Pennsylvania secretary of state as well as the Boards of Elections for Philadelphia and Allegheny counties, arguing the provisions are unconstitutional.
The majority of justices declined to rule against other provisions of the law, but agreed with the ACLU on the date requirement.
Pennsylvania’s Department of State praised the ruling, saying that several court cases have now confirmed that the dating of a mail-in ballot envelope serves no real purpose, because election officials are able to confirm if it was sent and received within the legal voting window.
So you know, the executive director of the Pennsylvania ACLU said this ruling preserves the votes of thousands of voters who make the mistake of incorrectly dating their ballot envelopes in every election.
You should also know that according to data presented to the court, more than 10,000 mail-in ballots were not counted in the 2022 midterm election and 4,000 were rejected in the primary elections this year because the voters did not comply with the ballot date requirement.
First 2024 Election Mail Ballots Scheduled to Go out This Week
The first batch of ballots is typically sent out to military and overseas voters, because federal law dictates they be sent out at least 45 days before an election—which is Sept. 21.However, North Carolina, which is considered a key battleground state, will begin sending mail-in ballots to all voters who requested them this Friday, according to the state’s board of elections.
By the way, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who endorsed former President Donald Trump last month, will remain on the ballot after election officials said 2 million ballots statewide have already been printed with his name on them.
You should know that voter registration deadlines vary by state, with most falling between eight and 30 days before the election, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures.
That deadline is Oct. 7 in Georgia, one of this year’s critical presidential battlegrounds, while in Pennsylvania, ballots will be mailed out 50 days before the general election, which is Sept. 16.
Interesting to note that the first presidential debate is set for Sept. 10 between former President Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris. Their running mates, Ohio Sen. JD Vance and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, have agreed to an Oct. 1 debate hosted by CBS News in New York City.
Brazil’s Supreme Court Upholds Ban on Elon Musk’s X Platform
Three judges of a five-member panel on Brazil’s Supreme Federal Court formed a majority to uphold Justice Alexandre de Moraes’s previous ruling, which shut down X for not complying with local regulations.De Moraes and Musk have been locked in a monthslong dispute after X was required to block accounts implicated in investigations of the alleged spreading of distorted news and what Brazilian court officials claimed is hate speech.
So you know, de Moraes ordered X to be taken down in Brazil last Saturday, after the platform missed a court-imposed deadline to name a legal representative in Brazil as required by local law. In that order, the judge wrote that X has to be shut down until it complies, and he also set a daily fine of $8,900 for individuals or firms who attempt to circumvent the ban.
Meanwhile, over the weekend, Musk fired off multiple X posts critical of de Moraes, with one saying that “he should be impeached” and that his “actions are against the will of the Brazilian people he is supposed to represent.”
You should know that Brazil’s president has issued public statements in support of de Moraes’s decision to block X, as has Brazil’s Supreme Court Chief Justice Luís Roberto Barroso.
By the way, Brazil is one of the biggest markets for X, with tens of millions of users, according to a research company.
Mass Protests Erupt in Israel Following Execution of 6 Hostages by Hamas
Yesterday, at least 500,000 people took to the streets in Jerusalem, Tel Aviv, and other cities, demanding that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu accept a cease-fire deal to bring the remaining 101 hostages home.Early Sunday, Israeli officials announced they discovered the remains of four men and two women in Gaza shortly after an Israeli operation rescued another hostage nearby. An Israeli health ministry spokesman says that a forensic examination determined they were shot to death by Hamas terrorists at close range 48–72 hours earlier.
To refresh your memory, Israel’s war in Gaza began after Hamas killed about 1,200 people and took 250 people hostage, including women and children, in attacks on Israel on Oct. 7, 2023.
You should know that the head of the Histadrut union, which represents hundreds of thousands of workers across the economy, called for the strike. He said, “This is not a matter of right or left; it is a matter of life and death,” and said it is the government’s responsibility to bring the hostages home.
As a result of yesterday’s strike, some services at Ben Gurion Airport, Israel’s main air transport hub, were suspended as well as services at Haifa, which is Israel’s main commercial port.
For his part, Netanyahu says that Israel will not rest until they have caught those responsible. Meanwhile, Israeli leadership has faced mounting calls to accept a deal for months, although extended negotiations between Israel and Hamas have not been successful.
Interesting to note, a senior leader of the terrorist group blamed Netanyahu for the deaths, and went on to say that Israel should choose between Netanyahu and a deal.
US, Others Condemn China After New Vessel Collision With Philippine Ship
The State Department along with ambassadors from the UK, Australia, New Zealand, and Japan, condemned the People’s Republic of China (PRC) after its coast guard ship collided with a Philippine vessel over the weekend.The latest skirmish between the Chinese regime and the Philippines took place near the Sabina Shoal, which China refers to as the Xianbin Reef and the Filipinos call the Escoda Shoal. So you know, it’s part of the disputed Spratly Islands over which both Beijing and Manila claim sovereignty.
State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said the Chinese ship caused damage to the vessel and jeopardized the safety of the Philippine crew onboard.
Miller went on to condemn “a series of dangerous and escalatory actions” by China throughout August, saying that the regime’s unlawful claims of “territorial sovereignty” over ocean areas and its aggressive actions to enforce them, threaten the freedoms of navigation of all nations.
It’s the fourth sea incident and the third collision incident in a month between the two countries. However, if you include incidents by aircraft, it’s the seventh altercation between the two nations.
You should know that MaryKay Carlson, the U.S. ambassador to the Philippines, says the Biden administration condemns “the multiple dangerous violations of international law by the PRC,” and stands with Manila in upholding international law. The New Zealand Embassy in Manila also published a statement saying that the latest incident “is profoundly troubling and fits a recent pattern of dangerous and destabilising actions in the region.”
And with that, it looks like our time is just about up for today, so we’re going to call it a wrap for the Tuesday edition of The Epoch Times News Brief.
*(Don’t forget the News Brief Motto): We’re portable, affordable, and always on-demand.
And finally, as we do each and every day on this program, we wrap everything up with a very notable quote, and this one comes to us from Franklin P. Jones, who said: “Love doesn’t make the world go ‘round. Love is what makes the ride worthwhile.”
Before we go, today is National Welsh Rarebit Day. It’s a meal made with toast that has hot cheese poured over it. Doesn’t sound too healthy, but it sure sounds tasty. And today is also U.S. Bowling League Day. Join a league and shoot for that perfect 300.
For all of us here at The Epoch Times News Brief, I’m Bill Thomas.
Thank you for making us your one-stop source for a concise, accurate, and unbiased daily synopsis of many of the news stories you need to know about.
Enjoy the remainder of your Tuesday and we’ll see you right back here next time for another edition of The Epoch Times News Brief. For now, let’s all continue to watch out for one another, and have an absolutely superb day today! Bye for now.
