POLITICS

Mar 22 2026POLITICS

Japan Mulls Clearing Mines in Hormuz if War Stops

Japan’s foreign minister said the country might send its forces to sweep naval mines in the Strait of Hormuz if a ceasefire ends the U. S. -Israeli conflict with Iran. The minister explained that such an operation would only happen after a complete stop to fighting and if mines were blocking shippin

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Mar 22 2026POLITICS

Quincy Faces Big Decision: New Firefighter Gear Costs $2. 6 Million

The city council is set to meet again on March 23 to decide whether to issue a $2. 6 million bond that would buy new firefighter turnout gear free of PFAS chemicals. The current equipment has tested positive for these substances, which are linked to health risks such as certain cancers. Some council

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Mar 22 2026POLITICS

Local Schools Seek More Control Over Charter Budgets

In Charleston County, a group of school leaders wants state lawmakers to give local districts more say in how charter schools use their money. Daniel Prentice, the district’s chief finance officer, is urging representatives to add a clause that would require charter budgets to be approved by the

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Mar 22 2026POLITICS

Friendship Across the Party Line: A Debate That Matters

David Axelrod, a former Obama adviser, and Scott Jennings, who has worked for President Bush, met on March 17 at Arizona State University to discuss big national issues. They were joined by former Senator Jeff Flake, now a university director. The event was part of ASU’s Dialogues for Democracy seri

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Mar 22 2026POLITICS

Missing Butcher Holds Family Hope After Complex Strike

A young Iranian butcher who had worked for two decades finally opened his own shop just before the Persian New Year. He was last seen after a double strike hit the commercial complex where his shop sat, destroying homes, stores and a laundry floor. Every day since, two of his older brothers have sco

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Mar 22 2026POLITICS

Plane Crash Investigation Stalled, No Answers After Four Years

The crash of a China Eastern Boeing 737-800 in Guangxi on March 21, 2022 killed all 132 passengers and crew. That day, the aircraft went down a hillside about an hour after takeoff, making it the worst aviation disaster in China for thirty years. Aviation rules normally demand an initial report with

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Mar 22 2026POLITICS

Texas Faces a Question About Islam and Its Rights

The debate in Texas this month centers on a planned Muslim community near Dallas that many see as evidence of an “Islamization” threat. A church in Fort Worth recently hosted a panel that suggested banning Islam or treating it as a political ideology. Meanwhile, after a shooting in downtown Austin,

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Mar 22 2026POLITICS

U. S. Counterterrorism: A Broken System in a Time of War

The United States is currently lacking an effective counterterrorism plan, especially as it faces new threats from the Iran conflict. In early March a naturalized citizen opened fire in an Austin bar, killing three people before police ended the attack. A week later, teens with ties to Islamic S

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Mar 22 2026POLITICS

City Council Steps in to End Clerk’s Suspension

The council of a small Alabama town decided last Thursday that the mayor’s four‑day pause on City Clerk Laverne Knight was not justified. The mayor had placed Knight on hold last week, but the council did not back that decision when they met in the evening. Three council members said no, two s

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Mar 22 2026POLITICS

A Rough Road: How Mentors Shaped a Controversial Legacy

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. grew up in the shadow of tragedy and chaos, a young boy who lost his father to assassination and later his wife in 2013. He turned to drugs at fourteen, was expelled from boarding schools, and drifted toward a life of public scrutiny. Yet his path was not walked alone; three ke

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