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Showing posts from March, 2025

US ready to offer Russia a 30-day ceasefire"

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 US ready to offer Russia a 30-day ceasefire: "Ukraine has said it is ready to accept an immediate 30-day ceasefire with Russia proposed by the United States, which emerged after U.S.-Ukraine talks in Saudi Arabia." US Secretary of State " Marco Rubio"  said he would put the proposal to Russia and that " the ball is  now in Russia's court" — while Moscow has not yet commented publicly on the matter. Ukrainian President "Volodymyr Zelensky " said it was now the US's responsibility to persuade Russia to accept the "positive" proposal. The talks in "Jeddah" on Tuesday were the first formal meeting between the two countries since an extraordinary spat between Zelensky and President " Donald Trump " at the White House on "February 28" In a joint statement, the United States said it would immediately restore "intelligence sharing" and "security assistance" to Ukraine, which it had sus...

House hearing on addressing transgender member of Congress ends with bitter exchange

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  House hearing on addressing transgender member of Congress ends with bitter exchange | A congressional hearing ended abruptly and in a tense atmosphere Tuesday when a standoff over the identity of the first openly transgender member of Congress erupted. " Republican Keith Self ", a Texas senator and chairman of the " House Foreign Relations Subcommittee ", sparked the controversy when he addressed "Representative Sarah McBride" (a Democrat from Delaware) as “Mr. McBride.” McBride, who was elected in November, addressed Self as “Madam Chairperson” before beginning her speech. A heated exchange of words over the matter led to the hearing being ended. "Representative Bill Keating" (of Massachusetts) asked the Chairperson to speak again. Self then addressed McBride as “Mr..” Keating angrily said: " Have you no decency ?" He added: "I know you to some extent, but this behavior is in no way appropriate." Keating made it clear that...

USDA ends over $1 billion in funding for schools and local food purchases

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  USDA ends over $1 billion in funding for schools and local food purchases: The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has eliminated two federal programs that spent more than $1 billion each year helping schools and food banks buy food from local farms and ranches, according to a report published Monday by a school group and Politico. The School Nutrition Association, which represents cafeteria workers and directors nationwide, said in a press release that the USDA is eliminating the" Local Food for Schools Program" by 2025, which cost $660 million annually. "Politico"quoted a USDA spokesperson as saying that the department is also eliminating the **Local Food Purchase Assistance Cooperative Agreement Program**, which provided about $500 million this year to help food banks. The USDA declined to immediately comment on the cuts. The program cuts are part of an aggressive effort by President "Donald Trump's administration to drastically reduce the size of th...