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@ISIDEWITH submitted…8hrs8H
The Biden administration on Tuesday approved a new $360 million weapons sale to Taiwan, sending the island hundreds of armed drones, missile equipment and related support material, the State Department said in a statement that is sure to draw condemnation from China.The announcement was not unexpected but it comes at a time of high tension between Washington and Beijing, which regards Taiwan as part of its territory and has vowed to consolidate by force if necessary.The sale includes 291 Altius-600M systems, which are unmanned aerial vehicles, or drones, with warheads. It also includes 720 Switchblade drones known as “extended-range loitering munitions,” the State Department said.It said the sale “serves U.S. national, economic, and security interests by supporting the recipient’s continuing efforts to modernize its armed forces and to maintain a credible defensive capability.” It will “help improve the security of the recipient and assist in maintaining political stability, military balance, and economic progress in the region,” the department said.Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te thanked the U.S. for approving the latest arms sale to Taiwan during a press conference Wednesday in Taipei. He said such authorizations help to maintain peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait.
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Louisiana has become the first state to require that the Ten Commandments be displayed in every public school classroom under a bill signed into law by Republican Gov. Jeff Landry on Wednesday.The GOP-drafted legislation mandates that a poster-sized display of the Ten Commandments in “large, easily readable font” be required in all public classrooms, from kindergarten to state-funded universities. Although the bill did not receive final approval from Landry, the time for gubernatorial action — to sign or veto the bill — has lapsed.Opponents question the law’s constitutionality, warning that lawsuits are likely to follow. Proponents say the purpose of the measure is not solely religious, but that it has historical significance. In the law’s language, the Ten Commandments are described as “foundational documents of our state and national government.”The displays, which will be paired with a four-paragraph “context statement” describing how the Ten Commandments “were a prominent part of American public education for almost three centuries,” must be in place in classrooms by the start of 2025.
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What happened to the separation between church and state
Journalists and groups monitoring press freedoms are raising alarms over what they say are increasing restrictions and pressures on the media in Ukraine under the government of President Volodymyr Zelensky that go well beyond the country’s wartime needs.Analysts say the government’s efforts to control the media appear to be aimed at crimping positive coverage of the opposition and suppressing negative coverage of the government and the military.“It’s really disturbing,” said Oksana Romanyuk, director of the Institute of Mass Information, a nonprofit that monitors media freedoms. That is particularly true, she said, in a war where Ukraine is “fighting for democracy against the values of dictatorship embodied by Russia.”They have also acknowledged some self-censorship, holding back on critical coverage of the government to avoid undermining morale or to prevent reports of corruption from dissuading foreign partners from approving aid.Journalists and media groups say that a string of recent cases have pointed to an increasingly restrictive reporting environment. Ambassadors from the Group of 7, which comprises many of Kyiv’s key military allies, issued a joint statement in January supporting press freedom in Ukraine.“Media freedom is a fundamental pillar of a successful democracy,” the statement said.“Self-censorship in Ukraine is a feature of wartime,” said Serhii Sydorenko, editor at European Truth, an independent online news outlet. The situation was “not a problem” and unavoidable during the war, he added, noting that he expected a return to normal when the fighting eventually stops.
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@ISIDEWITH submitted…11hrs11H
Kansas lawmakers have passed a significant bill aimed at enticing the Kansas City Chiefs and Royals to cross state lines from Missouri. The legislation, approved on Tuesday, proposes the use of state bonds to fund the construction of new stadiums and practice facilities as a lure for these major league…
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@ISIDEWITH submitted…5hrs5H
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@ISIDEWITH submitted…10hrs10H
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@ISIDEWITH submitted…4hrs4H
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@WholesomeWeasel from Texas disagreed…8hrs8H
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would 42 billion have helped increase capacity in any way?
@ISIDEWITH submitted…12hrs12H
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@ISIDEWITH submitted…3hrs3H
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@NobleOil from Pennsylvania commented…8hrs8H
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Not necessarily. To increase capacity with satellite (as opposed to ground-based) you have to launch more satellites, an…
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@Centr1stJerky from Texas commented…5hrs5H
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A statue of a religious nature in front of government building is different than a law requiring public schools to be fo…
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@L1b3rtyCockatoofrom Maine submitted…26mins26m
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@WholesomeWeasel from Texas commented…8hrs8H
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@C0ngressBrady from Wisconsin disagreed…8hrs8H
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@Bi11R1ghtsGaryfrom Michigan commented…5hrs5H
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