Six for North Carolina House try fake political party affiliation
https://www.thecentersquare.com/north_carolina/article_2922e29b-45ff-48bf-809d-bef7f7f906aa.html
Excerpt:
.....A half-dozen former Democrats will need more than luck after failing one of the first tests for any stripe of politician: trust. Six people now registered Republicans running for the North Carolina House of Representatives were Democrats last summer, and their campaign stumps are a dead giveaway nothing else really changed.
Can they win?
“In a word, no,” Dr. Chris Cooper told TCS. He’s director of the Haire Institute for Public Policy Institute at Western Carolina University in Cullowhee and veteran politico of state politics.
“All of these Democrats are running as Republicans in strongly Republican districts,” he said. “Indeed, that’s likely why they’re making the switch – because, as unlikely as they are to win as a Republican, they’re even more unlikely to win as a Democrat.”
Absentee voting in a 51-day window started Monday. Super Tuesday is March 3.
It is a coordinated effort, replete with group photo for campaign purposes. Pamela Ayscue is trying to win House District 32, Michele Joyner-Dinwiddie HD35, Pamela Zanni HD81, Lisa Deaton Koperski HD89, Kelly VanHorn HD105 and Dr. Christopher Wilson HD117.
.....House District 32, for Ayscue, is a run against former Rep. Frank Sossamon in the Republican primary. Both are Henderson residents. Incumbent Democratic Rep. Bryan Cohn chose family and his business over a second term, leaving Henderson’s Melissa Elliott and Oxford’s Curtis McRae in the Democratic primary.
Cohn flipped the seat in 2024, helping Democrats climb out from a 72-48 hole against Republican majority that couldn’t stop a veto override to within 71-49.
In the other five races, there are no other candidates and the primary winners move on to Jones Street in Raleigh.
House District 35, for Joyner, is a run against incumbent Republican Rep. Mike Schietzelt. Both are Wake Forest residents.
House District 81, for Zanni, is a run against incumbent Republican Rep. Larry Potts. Both are Lexington residents.
House District 89, for Koperski, is a run against incumbent Republican Rep. Mitchell Setzer. She’s from Maiden, he’s from Catawba.
House District 105, for VanHorn, is a run against incumbent Republican Rep. Tricia Cotham. Both are Charlotte residents.
And House District 117, for Wilson, is a run against incumbent Republican Rep. Jennifer Balkcom. Each is a Hendersonville resident.
Changing parties for political gain prior to an election isn’t new. Walter B. Jones Jr. lost a 1992 run for Congress in the 1st Congressional District as a Democrat, then ran two years later in a redrawn 3rd Congressional District as a Republican and won. He got at least 61% of the votes in each of his next five reelections, too.
Cooper notes Chris Anglin, changing from Democrat to Republican in 2018 three weeks before the filing deadline for state Supreme Court, was accused of taking votes from incumbent Justice Barbara Jackson. Democrat Anita Earls won the seat, and a liberal majority for the bench in the process; she’s up for reelection this year pressed against Republicans on the cusp of a 6-1 majority if state Rep. Sarah Stevens wins.
Pirelli Could Be Locked Out of the US Because of Its Chinese Ownership
Pirelli’s biggest problem in the US isn’t performance. It’s ownership, and Washington is paying close attention.
https://www.autoblog.com/news/pirelli-could-be-locked-out-of-the-us-because-of-its-chinese-ownership
Excerpt:
Pirelli: Still Italian, But With a Twist
Pirelli is one of the default names for drivers who care about performance. From high-end road cars to Formula 1, the Milan-based tire maker is renowned for its premium rubber and proprietary technology. To regular consumers, it’s Italian through and through, both in image and in heritage.
Here’s what most people don’t realize: over a third of Pirelli is owned by Sinochem, a Chinese state-run chemical giant. That 34 percent stake is now a major headache, the Financial Times reports. The US is getting ready to enforce new rules aimed at Chinese-backed tech in vehicles, and Pirelli could end up locked out of the American market if nothing changes.
Pirelli doesn’t just sell basic tires in the US. Most of what it offers is high-end, packed with its own tech – the exact kind of thing regulators are now watching closely. Company leaders have explored ways to curb Sinochem’s influence, even discussing selling off the stake, but so far, nothing concrete has happened.
Rome Watches Closely—and Prepares to Act
Italy’s government has been in the mix for a while, but now the pressure is back on. With US restrictions coming in March, Rome is ready to step in again if talks don’t move forward.
Under Italy’s so-called “golden powers” legislation, the government can impose limits on foreign shareholders in companies deemed strategically important. That power has already been used once. In 2023, Italy restricted information-sharing between Pirelli and Sinochem and raised the voting threshold for key board decisions, citing the need to protect sensitive know-how.
If negotiations fall apart, Italy could go as far as freezing Sinochem’s voting rights. Officials would rather avoid that, hoping for a deal that keeps Pirelli strong without picking a fight with China.
Supreme Court Issues Big Immigration Ruling, Could Benefit Trump
https://conservativebrief.com/supreme-court-ruling-c-98171/
Excerpt:
The U.S. Supreme Court ruled that federal courts lack the authority to review visa revocations in cases involving sham marriages for immigration purposes, affirming that such decisions fall under the discretion of the Department of Homeland Security.
The unanimous ruling clarified that while courts may review initial visa denials, they do not have the authority to intervene after the Department of Homeland Security revokes an approved visa.
The decision highlights DHS’s broad authority in visa matters and could impact immigration enforcement, including President Trump’s plans to overhaul immigration policies and carry out mass deportations.
Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson, an appointee of President Joe Biden, wrote for the court and described the decision as “a quintessential grant of discretion” to the DHS.
“Congress did not impose specific criteria or conditions limiting this authority, nor did it prescribe how or when the Secretary must act. Context reinforces the discretionary nature of §1155,” the majority wrote, referring to the statute surrounding the revocation of approved visa petitions.
“Section 1155 is a quintessential grant of discretion: The Secretary ‘may’ revoke a previously approved visa petition ‘at any time’ for what the Secretary deems ‘good and sufficient cause,’” the 9-0 ruling said.