Republican delegates in North Carolina voted Saturday at their annual convention to censure Thom Tillis, the state’s senior US senator, for backing LGBT+ rights, immigration and gun violence policies. As Sen Tillis has gained influence in Congress for his willingness to work across the aisle, his record of supporting some key policies has raised concerns among some state Republicans that the senator has strayed from conservative values. Several delegates in Greensboro criticised Mr Tillis, who has held his seat in the Senate since 2015, for his work last year on the Respect For Marriage Act, which enshrined protections for same-sex and interracial marriages in federal law. Both the state and national GOP platforms oppose same-sex marriage. But Mr Tillis, who had opposed it earlier in his political career, was among the early supporters of the law who lobbied his GOP colleagues in Congress to vote in favor of it. Others criticised him for challenging former President Donald Trump’s immigration policies and for supporting a measure that provided funds for red flag laws, which allow state courts to authorize the temporary removal of firearms from people who they believe might pose a danger to themselves or others. The North Carolina senator initially opposed Mr Trump’s plan to use military construction dollars to build a wall along the nation’s southern border, but he eventually shifted his position. Tillis spokesperson Daniel Keylin defended the senator’s voting record, writing in an email to The Associated Press that he “keeps his promises and delivers results.” “He will never apologize for his work passing the largest tax cut in history, introducing legislation to secure the border and end sanctuary cities, delivering desperately-needed funding to strengthen school safety and protecting the rights of churches to worship freely based on their belief in traditional marriage,” Mr Keylin said. While the vote Saturday, which took place behind closed doors, cannot remove Mr Tillis from office, supporters said they hope it sends a firm message of dissatisfaction. A two-thirds majority of the state party’s 1,801 voting delegates was needed for the resolution to pass, party spokesperson Jeff Moore said. “We need people who are unwavering in their support for conservative ideals,” said Jim Forster, an 81-year-old delegate from Guilford. “His recent actions don’t reflect the party’s shift to the right — in fact, they’re moving in the exact wrong direction.” Several state legislators, including Sen Bobby Hanig of Currituck County, criticised the decision, saying it’s a bad idea to create more divisions within the party ahead of an election year when party unity will be paramount. “I believe that a mob mentality doesn’t do us any good,” Mr Hanig said. “Senator Tillis does a lot for North Carolina, he does a lot for the coastal communities, so why would I want to make him mad?” State Sen Jim Burgin of Harnett County said the vote to censure Mr Tillis sets a dangerous precedent and does not allow enough flexibility for individual interpretation of party values. Burgin questioned whether his own vote last month for North Carolina’s 12-week abortion ban would similarly put him at risk of being censured because it’s out of line with the Republican platform, which states that life begins at conception. “I don’t think we need to be attacking our own,” he said. “You don’t shoot your own elephants.” Read More ‘We’re here to love each other in the face of hatred:’ Colorado Springs celebrates first Pride since Club Q massacre ‘I don’t hold my husband’s hand in the street’: The sobering reality of being a queer parent Biden marks LGBTQ+ Pride Month with White House South Lawn celebration Scott rolls out dozens of South Carolina lawmakers and local leaders endorsing his presidential bid North Carolina Republicans rally around Trump after indictment Trump pledges to endorse Mark Robinson for North Carolina governor

Hopefully being a Wizard King is next in line for Asta after fighting for Clover Kingdom

CHANDLER, Ariz.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Oct 17, 2023--

Meta will launch a paid-for, subscription-based version of Facebook and Instagram. The company will allow people to pay up to €13 to have no ads appear on those apps. The change has been made to comply with European Union regulations, it said. As such, it will only be available to people in the EU, the European Economic Area and Switzerland. The monthly subscription plans for users in the EU, European Economic Area and Switzerland, will cost 9.99 euros ($10.58) for web users, while iOS and Android users will have to shell out 12.99 euros a month. The difference is to account for the fees taken by Apple and Google for payments on its platforms, Meta said – a move that follows a similar price difference for Twitter’s premium offering. The EU regulations threaten to curb Meta’s ability to personalize ads for users without their consent and hurt its major revenue source. Users across the world will continue to be able to use the site for free, and will see no change to their experience as a result, Meta said. But offering the paid-for subscription version allows Meta to comply with “the requirements of European regulators”, the company said, after a recent ruling. Having the option of paying for a version of Facebook and Instagram with no ads means that people will have more clearly consented to having their data used for marketing, Meta suggested it in its announcement. That in turn means it will better comply with European regulations, it said. The world’s most popular social media network has been under antitrust pressure in the EU. In July, it lost its fight against a German data curb order as Europe’s top court backed the German antitrust watchdog’s power to also investigate privacy breaches. Offering a choice between a free, ad-supported plan and an ad-free paid subscription might lead to users opting for the former, helping Meta to comply with the regulations without affecting its ad business. Meta was fined 390 million euros earlier this year by Ireland’s Data Privacy Commissioner, and was told it cannot use the so-called “contract” as a legal basis to send users ads based on their online activity. The company later said it intended to ask users in the EU for their consent before allowing businesses to target ads in order to address evolving regulatory requirements in the region. Additional reporting by agencies Read More Threads is not dying, Mark Zuckerberg insists Letitia James and 32 other attorneys general sue Meta for ‘harming youth’ People’s Instagram posts are showing where they are not expected

A daredevil has died after falling from the 68th floor of a Hong Kong skyscraper. Frenchman Remi Lucidi was known for climbing tall structures around the world. The 30-year-old reportedly lost his life after getting trapped outside a penthouse at the Tregunter Tower complex. Investigators stated that Lucidi had told security staff that he was visiting a friend on the 40th floor of the building. However, he then made his way to the top floor. The South China Morning Post reports that he then got trapped outside and knocked on the window at around 7.30pm. Sign up to our free Indy100 weekly newsletter A maid inside the building was startled by the commotion and the police were called. However, Lucidi lost his footing and died instantly from the fall. Lucidi’s camera was recovered by police at the scene and contained videos of extreme sports. An official statement and the cause of the stuntman’s death are yet to be revealed by the Hong Kong police. Lucidi started climbing skyscrapers in 2016 and he recently posted a photograph of the Hong Kong skyline on his Instagram profile. His social media shows that he had previously attempted stunts in various parts of the world, such as Bulgaria, Portugal, France, Ukraine and Dubai. Have your say in our news democracy. Click the upvote icon at the top of the page to help raise this article through the indy100 rankings.

Atlanta Falcons defensive tackle Grady Jarrett is out for the season with a knee injury

A weird situation.

New Zealand has won the toss and chose to field in its Cricket World Cup match against Australia at Dharamsala, India

Zac Gallen did a whole lot of talking after the Arizona Diamondbacks beat the Philadelphia Phillies in Game 7. Now, Phillies fans clapped back.

Jazz Chisholm is facing another extended absence, and the second of the season for the Miami Marlins is quickly turning sour.If someone had told you on April 1 that the Miami Marlins would be in second place in the NL East on July 4, you wouldn't have believed them. But here they are, at 49...

Chelsea manager Mauricio Pochettino labelled his side "soft" after a 4-1 defeat to a depleted Newcastle on Saturday...

Hurricane Hilary is headed for Mexico’s Baja California with “life-threatening and potentially catastrophic” rain and flash flooding, while officials as far north as Los Angeles are scrambling to get the homeless off the streets, set up shelters and prepare for evacuations