Former President Jimmy Carter enters home-hospice
Thirty-ninth President of the United States Jimmy Carter entered home-hospice care Feb. 20 after a series of recent hospital stays, the Carter Center has confirmed. Carter is 98 years old, making him the longest-living president.
A statement from the Carter Center said the former president “decided to spend his remaining time at home with his family and receive hospice care instead of additional medical intervention.”
Carter’s grandson and Chair of the Carter Center’s governing board Jason Carter said in a tweet he “saw both of my grandparents yesterday. They are at peace and—as always—their home is full of love.”
Carter ran for president in 1976 while serving as the governor of Georgia, his home state. He defeated incumbent Gerald Ford as a Washington outsider with the fallout of Watergate and the Vietnam War dominating the election cycle.
Carter served one turbulent term and his presidency was marred by the Iranian Hostage Crisis and the 1979 Oil Crisis. He was a champion of energy policy and human rights, and during his term, he established the Department of Energy and the Department of Education, according to the White House. Carter also brokered the Camp David Accords between Israel and Egypt.
He was defeated by Republican Ronald Reagan in 1980. Shortly after, he founded The Carter Center with his wife, Rosallyn. Carter was awarded a Nobel Prize for his work with the center in 2002.
Nikki Haley announces presidential run, challenging Trump
Nikki Haley, former South Carolina governor and United Nations ambassador, announced her candidacy for president in the 2024 election Feb. 14, reported the Associated Press.
Haley, 51, is the first Republican to become a major challenger against former President Trump. The announcement was made in a video posted on Twitter and came in contrast to the ambassador’s previous comments that she wouldn’t challenge Trump.
“You should know this about me. I don’t put up with bullies. And when you kick back, it hurts them more if you’re wearing heels,” Haley said. “I’m Nikki Haley, and I’m running for president.”
During her Feb. 15 campaign launch, Haley said Americans should “put your trust in a new generation,” and called for a generational change in Washington.
“America is not past its prime,” she told a crowd in Charleston, reported AP. “It’s just that our politicians are past theirs.”
Haley is the first in a line of Republicans expected to make their presidential announcements in the coming months, including Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, former Vice President Mike Pence and South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott.
Trump said he is “glad” Haley is running, reported Fox News.
“I want her to follow her heart — even though she made a commitment that she would never run against who she called the greatest president of her lifetime,” said Trump.
Wu vetoes elected Boston school committee after proposal passed in City Council
In a letter sent to the Boston City Council on Feb. 17, Mayor Michelle Wu vetoed a proposal to convert the Boston school committee into an elected body.
The letter came days after the council voted to restore an elected school committee, reported WBUR. The committee has been appointed by the mayor since 1991, according to the Boston Globe.
“I deeply respect that the proponents of this proposal are motivated by a commitment to supporting Boston’s young people — a commitment I share with urgency. Respectfully, I cannot support legislative changes that would compromise our ability to stabilize and support the Boston Public Schools during this critical period,” Wu wrote.
The bill, which passed in the council with a 7-5 vote, would increase the number of school committee members from seven to 13. Supporters are arguing that it will bring democratic accountability to Boston’s school system, reported the Boston Globe.
According to WBUR, “79% of voters in Boston supported switching from an appointed to elected school committee” in the fall of 2021.
