Good morning.
1. Hand of Hope is suing the city of Raleigh.
A crisis pregnancy center, blocked by the Raleigh City Council in July from rezoning a property directly next to an abortion clinic, has filed a lawsuit against the city in federal court. From our story about it yesterday:
“Pregnant women in Raleigh should be allowed to choose Hand of Hopes’ free help and support and should not be limited to an abortion clinic. Those who go to Preferred Women’s Health will not be fully informed about their choices.” Hand of Hope executive director Tonya Baker Nelson said in a statement.
“It’s a clear violation of federal law,” attorney Noel Sterett told the INDY. “There’s no basis for Raleigh to make the decision that they did…everything recommended approval, but politics came into play despite the future land use map that said this was how Raleigh was being planned. Our civil rights are being violated.”
The firm representing Hand of Hope is the Alliance Defending Freedom. The ADF was cited by Mother Jones in an April article as having created the “model legislation” for anti-trans bills.
Here’s the kicker: one of the ways they’re seeking damages is “on behalf of unborn children.”
Note that any money awarded for this wouldn’t go to those “unborn children,” – how would that work, anyway – but rather Hand of Hope. Hmm.
2. Trump.
Trump gave a speech in Charlotte where he didn’t overtly insult everyone. Please clap.
Trump referred obliquely to recent controversial statements he has made that have drawn unfavorable attention to his campaign.
“Sometimes, in the heat of debate and speaking on a multitude of issues, you don’t choose the right words, or you say the wrong thing,” Trump said. “I have done that. And believe it or not, I regret it. And I do regret it, particularly where it may have caused personal pain.”
He called for “law and order,” “extreme vetting” of immigrants and refugees, an end to drug cartels, restructuring or pulling out of trade deals and putting “the American people first again.”
“Those who believe in oppressing women, gays, Hispanics, African-Americans and people of different faiths are not welcome to join our country,” Trump said at one point. Maybe that means Trump and ninety percent of the national Republican Party are going to self-deport, but I won’t hold my breath.
By the way, Trump just released another ad that screams, “Be afraid of brown people.” So there’s that.
3. Dallas Woodhouse is destroyed by his own brother on Twitter.
Dallas Woodhouse is the executive director of the North Carolina GOP. Brad Woodhouse is the president of Correct the Record, a “strategic research and rapid response team designed to defend Hillary Clinton from baseless attacks.”
Brad savagely owned Dallas yesterday.
Dallas got so mad online that he released a statement that ended with this incredible quote.
“Meanwhile, the Republicans will keep fighting for our positions to preserve the integrity of the voting process so everyone’s vote is properly counted, and any other positions we deem fit— because the Democrats haven’t made it a crime to be Republican— YET.”
Brad tried to smooth things over by saying his brother wasn’t “personally racist,” but supports policies that are. OK.
4. Kittens!
WNCN:
A worker heard three kittens crying and discovered them in the under carriage of an excavator.
A crew member told CBS North Carolina they think mother cat hid the kittens in the piece of equipment at their shop off the Beltline.
Workers didn’t hear the kittens until they started working near Cameron Village.
They tried to find the kitten’s mother, but couldn’t. The kittens are doing well and are at a shelter.
Here’s a picture.
That’s all for today. Go forth and be merry.
