Seattle Mayor signs bill to protect sex change, abortion providers from prosecution in honor of Transgender Day of Visibility | The Post Millennial– thepostmillennial.com
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Excerpt:“Seattle is a city where diversity is celebrated, and the LGBTQ+ community is not just accepted but embraced.”
On Monday, Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell, accompanied by city leaders and LGBTQ+ community advocates, signed new legislation to strengthen protections for people seeking gender reassignment procedures and abortions in response to recent actions by the Trump administration.
Harrell signed the legislation into law to celebrate Transgender Day of Visibility. He said, “Seattle is a city where diversity is celebrated, and the LGBTQ+ community is not just accepted but embraced. The egregious attempts by the Trump administration to target, discriminate, and dehumanize LGBTQ+ people, particularly transgender individuals, and strip them of their rights goes directly against our city’s values. This legislation shows our commitment to a Seattle where everyone – regardless of their gender identity or sexual orientation – can live openly and be treated with dignity and respect.”
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State Farm seeks 39% rate hike for 430,000 Californians who have extra liability insurance – San Francisco Chronicle
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Estee Lauder faces US legal challenge over China sales practices – Reuters
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US automakers lobby to exclude low-cost parts from tariffs – The Straits Times
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House passes bill to increase transparency on China funding U.S. universities– www.thecollegefix.com
House passes bill to increase transparency on China funding U.S. universities– www.thecollegefix.com
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Excerpt:
That money comes with ‘hidden agendas,’ Rep. Baumgartner says
Higher education institutions would be required to report as little as $1 in funding from China under legislation that passed the U.S. House on Thursday.
The Defending Education Transparency and Ending Rogue Regimes Engaging in Nefarious Transactions Act would close loopholes that U.S. Rep. John Moolenaar says the Chinese Communist Party is using to “infiltrate and influence our academic institutions.”
“The passage of the DETERRENT Act is a powerful response to China’s aggressive attempts to use financial leverage to undermine our universities and national security,” the Michigan Republican (pictured) stated in a news release.
“This legislation enhances transparency, closes dangerous loopholes, and holds institutions accountable for their dealings with foreign adversaries like the CCP,” Moolenaar stated. He chairs the House Select Committee on China.
The legislation, which now heads to the U.S. Senate, would lower universities’ “foreign gift reporting threshold from $250,000 … to $0 for countries of concern like China,” the news release states. For other countries, the threshold would be $50,000.
Karoline Leavitt Brings The Receipts, Exposes Allies’ Sky-High Tariffs On U.S. Goods– trendingpoliticsnews.com
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Excerpt:On the eve of President Donald Trump’s much-anticipated “Liberation Day,” the date when he is expected to launch a flurry of new tariffs intended to level the trade U.S. deficit with foreign nations, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt pushed back aggressively on media claims that they will only lead to consumer pain and higher prices.
Waving the receipts, Leavitt spoke in depth about some of the most egregious examples of U.S. goods being taxed at a higher rate by other countries. She cited a 700% markup on rice being imported to Japan and a 300% tariff in Canada on American butter and cheese.
“This makes it virtually impossible for American products to be imported into these markets, and it has put a lot of Americans out of business and out of work over the past several decades,” she declared.
One Washington Post headline on Tuesday — “Trump aides draft tariff plans as some experts warn of economic damage” — summed up the narrative that outlets are spinning ahead of President Trump’s economic upheaval. Most goods being imported into the U.S. will face a 20% tariff, according to details about the plans shared by sources.
The outlet writes that the tariffs, if enacted, “would almost immediately” cause Trump’s economy to “tumble into a recession that would last for more than a year,” citing an economist at Moody’s who called the outcome a worst-case scenario.
White House considering roughly 20% tariff on most imports, report says– www.cnbc.com
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Excerpt:
US President Donald Trump, alongside Secretary of Treasury Scott Bessent (L) and Secretary of Commerce nominee Howard Lutnick (R), signs an executive order to create a US sovereign wealth fund, in the Oval Office of the White House on February 3, 2025, in Washington, DC.
Jim Watson | Afp | Getty Images
White House aides have drafted a proposal that would levy tariffs of roughly 20% on most imports, The Washington Post reported Tuesday.
The report cited three people familiar with the matter. It also said White House advisors cautioned that several options are still on the table, meaning the 20% tariffs may not come to pass. Another plan being considered is the country-by-country “reciprocal” approach, according to the Post.
The report comes a day before April 2, when President Donald Trump is set to announce his larger plans for global trade. The date has loomed over Wall Street, where stocks have been struggling in part due to uncertainty around rapidly changing global trade policy.
Thousands flee Gaza’s Rafah after Israel issues new evacuation orders– www.euronews.com
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Excerpt:
UNRWA chief Philippe Lazzarini said 140,000 people are impacted by the Israeli military’s latest displacement orders, which indicate it could soon launch another major ground operation in Gaza’s southernmost city.
Thousand of Palestinians fled Gaza’s southernmost city of Rafah on Monday after the Israeli military issued new sweeping evacuation orders, indicating it could soon launch another major ground operation.
At least 140,000 people were affected by the evacuation order, according to Philippe Lazzarini, the head of UNRWA, the UN agency helping Palestinian refugees.
“People are treated like pinballs with constant military orders playing with their fate and lives,” Lazzarini wrote on the social platform X.
Germany Turns to U.S. Playbook: Deportations Target Gaza War Protesters – The Intercept
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Israel participating in joint air force drills in Greece with 11 other countries, including Qatar – The Times of Israel
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Outcry in Guinea as ex-military leader Camara pardoned by junta chief – RFI
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Poland charges Ukrainian man with spying for Russia – Al Arabiya English
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Kenyan police in Haiti sustain wounds in clashes with gangs – The EastAfrican
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Starmer dismisses claims he’s been ‘played’ by Trump, and says future trade deal could lessen impact of tariffs – UK politics live | Politics– www.theguardian.com
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Excerpt:
Keir Starmer has dismissed claims that he has been “played” by President Trump over tariffs.
In an interview with Sky News this morning, echoing what Jonathan Reynolds said in his morning interview round (see 8.58am), Starmer said that a future trade deal with the US might lead to the UK getting some exemptions from the tariffs coming tomorrow. He said:
We are of course negotiating an economic deal which will, I hope … mitigate the tariffs.
Asked if he had been “played” by US President Donald Trump, Starmer replied:
The US is our closest ally. Our defence, our security, our intelligence are bound up in a way that no two other countries are.
So it’s obviously in our national interest to have a close working relationship with the US, which we’ve had for decades, and I want to ensure we have for decades to come.
He said talks on an economic deal would normally take “months or years” but “in a matter of weeks we have got well advanced in those discussions”.
Starmer also confirmed that it was likely the UK would be affected by the tariffs being announced tomorrow.
We are obviously working with the sectors most impacted at pace on that.
Nobody wants to see a trade war but I have to act in the national interests.
Illinois bill aims to provide more oversight of homeschooling – WBEZ Chicago
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China, Japan, South Korea will jointly respond to US tariffs, Chinese state media says – Reuters
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Le Pen conviction ‘a very big deal’ – Trump — RT World News– www.rt.com
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Excerpt:US President Donald Trump has said that the criminal prosecution of French opposition leader Marine Le Pen reminds him of his own legal battles under the Biden administration.
On Monday, Le Pen, the ex-leader of the conservative National Rally (RN) party, was sentenced to four years in prison, two of which will be suspended, and was barred from holding public office for five years. The embezzlement conviction effectively bars her from the 2027 presidential race.
When asked by reporters in the Oval Office about the verdict, Trump replied, “That’s a very big deal.”
“I know all about it, and a lot of people thought she wasn’t going to be convicted of anything,” Trump said.
“But she was banned [from] running for five years, and she’s the leading candidate. That sounds very much like this country,” he added.
Trump has often claimed that the court cases and investigations into his activities were part of a politically motivated “witch hunt” led by the Biden administration and the Democrats.
Appeals court won’t delay block on US military’s transgender ban – Hindustan Times
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Signs ‘threatening’ deportation of Harvard pro-Hamas students put up, students ‘distressed’– www.thecollegefix.com
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Excerpt:
Caused ‘fear’ among many ‘already feeling deeply vulnerable’
This past week, Harvard Law School officials removed a pair stickers adhered to a pole near the campus’ main plaza which “threatened” the deportation of pro-Hamas students.
The first sticker read “Don’t be Mahmood [sic] Khalil,” a reference to the Columbia University grad student recently detained by ICE for, The Crimson claims, “serving as a negotiator on behalf of participants in Columbia’s pro-Palestine encampment.”
The sticker also included “Be a racist if you want, Just keep it to yourself #JFB (Jews fight back).”
The group Dissent Collective snapped a photo (pictured) of the sticker, which by that time had the phrase “Free Palestine” scrawled into it. A second sticker reading “I am a green card holder who loves America. I will never be deported. Are You?” soon was placed over the original.
Niger withdraws from Lake Chad military force fighting terrorist groups – Arab News
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Apple donates to relief efforts after Myanmar-Thailand earthquake – AppleInsider
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‘Planet killer’ asteroid to shoot past Earth in just DAYS – MSN
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Israel estimates Houthis only have ‘few dozen’ ballistic missiles left; PM Netanyahu praises ‘forceful’ US strikes in Yemen – All Israel News
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House to Debate Bill Blocking Illegal Aliens from Voting in Federal Elections – Federation for American Immigration Reform
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Congressional Democrats Demand Explanation for “Disturbing Arrest and Detention” of Tufts University Student Seemingly Arrested for Her Political Views, Lawmakers Demand Due Process – Sierra Sun Times
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‘City-killer’ asteroid YR4 might not hit Earth in 2032. But can it still be a threat? – Firstpost
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Musk must face fraud lawsuit over disclosure of Twitter stake – Business Insurance
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Sweden pledges $1.6 billion in new Ukraine aid, including air defense– www.yahoo.com
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Excerpt:
PARIS — Sweden announced additional military aid for Ukraine to the tune of 16 billion Swedish kronor ($1.6 billion), in response to a Ukrainian request for capabilities in air defense, artillery, satellite communications and the maritime domain.
The new military aid package, Sweden’s biggest yet, brings support for Ukraine’s defense to 29.5 billion kronor this year, the government said on Monday. The Nordic country said it has provided 80 billion kronor of military aid to Ukraine since 2022.
“We are stepping up the support and we are increasing it in strength and scope, and there are strong reasons to do this in light of the very serious situation in Ukraine,” Minister for Defence Pål Jonson said at a press briefing in Stockholm on Monday. “Russia has the initiative in the war, and we need to support Ukraine to break that trend right now.”
The Swedish government has proposed to provide 40 billion kronor in aid in Ukraine in 2025, partially by moving funds earmarked for 2026 to this year.
WARNING: Adversaries attempt to recruit spies in wake of federal government layoffs – MyCG
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