brokered Ukraine peace talks on hold due to the war in the Middle East, Russian President Vladimir Putin is expected to try to expand his military gains via new offensives against his neighbor that could put even more pressure on Kyiv. Windfall revenues from surging global oil prices are filling Moscow’s war coffers and U.S. air defense assets are being drained quickly by Iranian attacks across the Gulf, raising concerns that little will be left available for Ukraine in the fifth year of Russia’s full-scale invasion. Ukraine’s European allies have promised to maintain their steadfast support, but continuous bickering over...
Texas Accepts Some Islamic Schools Into Voucher Program After Lawsuits
The Texas comptroller has accepted several Islamic private schools into the state’s voucher program after the institutions sued to gain admittance. Four Muslim parents and three Islamic private school providers that operate four campuses had sued Texas leaders for excluding the schools while accepting hundreds of other non-Islamic schools. The two federal lawsuits asked the court to block the private school voucher program from discriminating on the basis of religion. As part of the dispute, U.S. District Judge Alfred Bennett has extended the voucher application deadline to March 31 and ordered the state to consider the schools’ request to join...
Reality TV Star Joseph Duggar Waives Extradition, Will Face A Child Molestation Charge In Florida
Former reality TV star Joseph Duggar on Friday waived his right to an extradition hearing in Arkansas, which set in motion his transfer to Florida to face a child molestation charge. Duggar, 31, was arrested Thursday in Tontitown, Arkansas, where he lives with his family. Authorities in Bay County, Florida, now have 30 days to transfer him from the jail in Washington County, Arkansas, authorities said. Joseph Duggar is charged with lewd and lascivious behavior on a child under 12 years old, according to an arrest affidavit from the Bay County Sheriff’s Office in Panama City, Florida. Charges have also...
One Teen Protester Detained Over Scuffle With Pennsylvania Police Chief Enters Probation Program
The first of five high school protesters detained for days in Pennsylvania after a scuffle with an older man who turned out to be the local police chief entered a probationary program designed to spare him a criminal record. Three other Quakertown teens delayed their juvenile court hearings in suburban Bucks County on Friday, while a lawyer for the fifth wants the assault charges dropped entirely. “I think the way these kids have been persecuted for protesting and speaking their minds is absolutely shameful,” lawyer Ettore “Ed” Angelo said before a Friday afternoon hearing for his client, a 15-year-old girl....
Departed Counterterrorism Official Who Resigned Over Iran War Denies Leaking Classified Documents
Joe Kent, the former counterterrorism director who resigned this week in protest of the Iran war, on Friday denied allegations that he improperly shared classified information. The Associated Press reported that the FBI is investigating whether Kent leaked such information, citing someone familiar with the matter. The person said the investigation preceded his resignation on Tuesday. No additional details were available. “As for the leak allegations, I’m not concerned because I know I did nothing wrong,” Kent said on SiriusXM’s “The Megyn Kelly Show.” He suggested he was targeted because he spoke out. “I am concerned because we’ve all seen...
Cuba Refuses To Let US Embassy In Havana Import Diesel For Its Generators
The Cuban government has refused a request by the U.S. Embassy in Havana to allow it to import diesel for its generators while the Trump administration continues to impose a fuel blockade on the island, according to two U.S. officials familiar with the matter. The Cuban government turned down the request as the U.S. State Department has been weighing a reduction in staffing at the embassy in Havana because of the lack of diesel. Such a move would likely lead to a U.S. demand for a similar reduction in staffing at the Cuban Embassy in Washington, say the officials, who...
Chuck Norris, Martial Arts Master And Actor Whose Toughness Became Internet Lore, Dies At 86
Chuck Norris, the martial arts grandmaster and action star whose roles in “Walker, Texas Ranger” and other television shows and movies made him an iconic tough guy — sparking internet parodies and adoration from presidents — has died at 86. Norris died Thursday, in what his family described as a “sudden passing.” “While we would like to keep the circumstances private, please know that he was surrounded by his family and was at peace,” the family said in a statement posted to social media. Before he would become a star in movies and on TV, Norris was wildly successful in...
Brazil’s Finance Minister Haddad Resigns To Launch A High-Stakes Bid For Sao Paulo Governor
Brazilian Finance Minister Fernando Haddad, who is seen as the potential political heir of 80-year-old President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, has resigned, according to a decision published in Brazil’s official gazette Friday. Haddad, who lost against former President Jair Bolsonaro in the 2018 run-off vote, said Thursday he will run for governor of Sao Paulo state. He will likely be up against current Gov. Tarcísio de Freitas, an ally of the embattled far-right ex-leader who has said he will run for reelection in the state. Haddad was replaced by Dario Durigan, according to the decision signed by Lula. Durigan...
