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A Wisconsin appeals court ruled Wednesday that disabled people are not allowed to receive absentee ballots by email, overturning a lower court’s ruling less than three weeks before the April 1 election.The initial ruling by a Dane County Circuit Court judge allowing for the ballots to be emailed, made in June, was appealed by the Republican-controlled Legislature. The appeals court in August put the ruling on hold and no ballots were emailed ahead of the November presidential election.The 2nd District Court of Appeals ruling on Wednesday means that disabled voters will not be able to receive absentee ballots by email for the April 1 election, either. Voters are choosing a new Wisconsin Supreme Court justice who will determine majority control of the court, and electing the state’s top education official. Early voting begins Tuesday.Disability Rights Wisconsin, the League of Women Voters and four disabled voters brought the lawsuit a year ago. They argued that not having the email absentee voting option violated their right to independence and privacy while voting.Dane County Circuit Judge Everett Mitchell ruled in June that disabled people should be allowed to have absentee ballots emailed to them, a privilege currently available only to military and overseas voters.But the appeals court overturned that ruling, saying Wednesday that the lower court was wrong to issue a temporary injunction that would have changed and “significantly disrupted the status quo.”The status quo in Wisconsin allows for absentee ballots to be emailed only to military and overseas voters, “no one else,” appeals court judges Mark Gundrum, Shelley Grogan and Maria Lazar wrote.The ruling was limited to whether granting a temporary injunction to immediately allow for emailing of ballots was warranted.The ruling will not be appealed, Disability Rights Wisconsin and the League of Women Voters said in a joint statement. Instead, they will pursue the merits of the case in circuit court, they said.Neither those who brought the lawsuit, or the Wisconsin Elections Commission, had any estimates of how many disabled voters would request absentee ballots by email.More than one million Wisconsin residents over age 18 have some kind of a disability, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Nearly 100,000 Wisconsin adults suffer from vision difficulties, according to statistics compiled by state health officials.The judge’s ruling last year, before it was put on hold and now overturned, would have allowed for emailed ballots to be sent only for voters who self-certify that they can’t read or mark a paper ballot without help.The voters could have cast their ballots electronically at home using devices that help them read and write independently. The voters would then have been required to print and mail the ballots back to the clerks or return them in person.Other absentee voters can request ballots electronically, but they are then sent in the mail and not electronically. Voters then physically mark the paper ballots before returning them in person or via the mail.The Wisconsin Department of Justice, which represented the state elections commission, argued that the process was open to security risks and could cause confusion. The Legislature also intervened.Republican Senate Majority Leader Devin LeMahieu hailed the ruling, calling it a “victory for the rule of law and election security in Wisconsin.”“Allowing courts to decide who can vote from home, using the internet, would weaken election integrity and hurt voters’ faith in our elections,” LeMahieu said in a statement. Scott Bauer, Associated Press
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The Trump administration has launched a review of organizations that provide temporary housing and other aid to migrants, suggesting they may have violated a law used to prosecute smugglers.The Department of Homeland Security has “significant concerns” that federal grants used to address a surge of migration under former President Joe Biden were used for illegal activities, wrote Cameron Hamilton, acting administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency.His letter, dated Tuesday and obtained by The Associated Press, asks recipients of grants from FEMA’s Shelter and Services Program to provide names and contact information for migrants served and “a detailed and descriptive list of specific services provided” within 30 days. The letter says funding will be withheld during the review.While it doesn’t explicitly threaten criminal prosecution, it raises concerns that recipients may have violated U.S. Criminal Code Section 1324, a felony offense against bringing people across the border illegally or transporting them within the United States. It also says executive officers must sign sworn statements that they have no knowledge or suspicions of anyone in their organizations violating the smuggling law.FEMA did not immediately respond to a request for comment late Wednesday.The demand appears to be a new salvo against organizations that provide food, housing and travel aid to people who cross the border. Migrants often arrive exhausted, low on money, and unsure how to navigate on their own through bus stations and airports.Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, a Republican who was at odds with the Biden administration over immigration and is closely aligned with the Trump White House, took a similar tack against migrant aid groups but was blocked in court.FEMA’s Shelter and Services Program awarded $641 million to dozens of state and local governments and organizations across the country in the 2024 fiscal year to help them deal with large numbers of migrants who crossed the border from Mexico. They include the cities of New York, Philadelphia, Chicago, and Denver, as well as the United Way of Miami, the San Antonio Food Bank, and several branches of Catholic Charities.It was unclear if any any governments received the letters, but the Trump administration has fiercely criticized states, counties, and cities that limit cooperation with federal immigration authorities. Last month, it sued Chicago over laws that it said thwarted federal law enforcement. Valerie Gonzalez, Associated Press
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Donatella Versace has been replaced as creative director of the fashion house founded by her late brother Gianni Versace, assuming the new role of chief brand ambassador, Versace’s U.S. owner Capri Holdings announced on Thursday.Versace will be replaced by Dario Vitale, who most recently was design director at the Miu Miu brand owned by the Prada Group. His appointment is effective on April 1.The creative shift comes amid speculation that the Prada Group is in talks to buy Versace from Capri Holdings, which paid 2 billion euros (currently $2.2 billion) for the fashion house in 2018. The U.S. group also owns Michael Kors and Jimmy Choo.Miuccia Prada acknowledged interest in the brand on the sidelines of Milan Fashion Week last month, while Versace made no comment at what was to be her last runway show. Versace, 69, took over as creative director in 1997, after her brother’s murder in Miami.Capri Holding’s statement made no mention of any plans to sell Versace, but the arrival of a designer from Miu Miu is only likely to fuel speculation of a possible deal.Versace CEO John D. Idol said in a statement that the creative shift was “part of a thoughtful succession plan for Versace.” He called Vitale “a strong leader,” and expressed confidence that “his talent and vision will be instrumental to Versace’s future growth.”As chief brand ambassador, Versace “will continue to champion the Versace brand and its values,” Idol said.Versace said she was “thrilled” as a champion of the next generation of designers that Vitale would join Versace and that she was “excited” to see the brand her brother founded in 1978 “through new eyes.”“It has been the greatest honor of my life to carry on my brother Gianni’s legacy. He was the true genius, but I hope to have some of his spirit and tenacity,” she said in a statement. “In my new role as chief brand ambassador, I will remain Versace’s most passionate supporter. Versace is in my DNA and always in my heart.”Versace represented 20% of Capri Holdings 2024 revenue of 5.2 billion euros. Capri recently laid out strategic plans to rebalance the Versace portfolio to return the brand to its more daring roots, increase sales of accessories and win back entry-level consumers put off by a post-pandemic focus on higher net-worth clients. Colleen Barry, AP Fashion Writer
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