Author: Brooke Hopkins

WASHINGTON – Former U.S. President Donald Trump stated in a speech that former President Harry Truman would not have dropped atomic bombs on Japan during World War II if he had been concerned about facing criminal prosecution for it. “A president should be given immunity,” Trump asserted at a rally in New Hampshire on Saturday. “Otherwise, Truman would not have dropped atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki.” While acknowledging that the atomic bombings were “not exactly a nice act,” Trump argued that they ultimately brought an end to the war. The August 1945 attacks, occurring during the final days of World…

Frankfurt (3/12 – 12) The relatively rapid cohesion of disparate nations, historically competitive or even at war with one another, into the European Union came about in part because of the ongoing threat from the Soviet Union. The specter of a tank invasion from Warsaw Pact nations, today forgotten, was such a reality that the German government kept a major portion of its gold bullion across the Atlantic. The USSR, an ally in World War II after being double-crossed by Hitler – remember the “Non-Aggression Pact signed in Moscow by von Ribbentrop and Molotov – was soon appraised as a…

South Carolina’s Nikki Haley is leading in the polls ahead of the third GOP debate on November 8. “If you saw the polls today in Iowa, I am now in second place in Iowa … I’ve got one more fella I’ve got to catch up to,” Ms Haley told reporters at a press conference. Former president Donald Trump led the poll, with 43 per cent of GOP caucusgoers saying they would vote for him, and Ms Haley had the support of 16 per cent, 10 per cent higher than she had in the same poll in August. Mr Trump said…

A former Sebring native was named to serve on a newly formed School Bus Safety Working Group for Ohio. Ohio Governor Mike DeWine announced that Judith French, Director of the Ohio Department of Insurance, along with 12 other individuals have joined the working group following the death of 11-year-old Aiden Clark, a Northwestern Local School District student who was killed in a school bus-vehicle collision in Clark County. “There is always more that can be done when it comes to the safety of children, and I believe we have an obligation to take a holistic look at the safety of…

More than 250 people from around the globe are scheduled to gather in Portland, Sept. 6-7, for Seagriculture USA, an international seaweed innovation conference that explores the potential of seaweed as a food source, bioplastic, medicine and sustainable model of economic development. As the largest producer of farmed kelp in the U.S., and with a 50-year history in wild seaweed harvesting, Maine is seen as a leader in the nation’s seaweed economy. There are over 40 farms along the coast, plus processors and producers. Maine farmers harvested over 1 million pounds of kelp in 2022. “Maine’s seaweed industry is experiencing…

CHICAGO — Thousands of religious and spiritual leaders have gathered in Chicago this week for the Parliament of the World’s Religions conference at McCormick Place. The weeklong event is designed to bring together leaders of hundreds of different religious and spiritual communities to promote engagement, understanding, and respect as they all seek to help create a better world. Mayor Brandon Johnson spoke on the opening day of the conference, saying religious leaders are the best people to connect with community members. “Your spiritual traditions have the power to guide people to a path of peace, and nurture a spirit of mutual…

Gov. Ned Lamont announced that the Connecticut Department of Transportation has entered into a contract with Alstom for the purchase of 60 new single-level rail coach cars. Valued at $315 million, this investment is part of the state’s ongoing rail car-renewal program and aims to provide a modernized and comfortable transit experience for commuters. The new rail cars are slated for delivery beginning in 2026 and will primarily serve the Hartford Line and the branches of the New Haven Line. Lamont emphasized the significance of the deal, stating, “Having a modernized transit system with safe, comfortable, and convenient access to…

Thousands of Connecticut families can get free food thanks to the state expanding its school meals program. In Waterbury, there are about 18,000 students enrolled in the public school district. Leaders say during the 2023-2024 school year, they’ll serve nearly 5,000 breakfast meals and 13,000 lunches each day at no cost. Isa Alves, a wife and mother of two teenagers, says they’re grateful to take advantage of the state program. “We benefit from it,” Alves said. “I can’t imagine how our community benefits from it, just parents having that security knowing that ‘You know, my kid’s being fed.” Waterbury Public…

More than 700 bridges across Georgia can’t handle the increased weight limits approved earlier this year by lawmakers, officials say. Deputy Chief Engineer Andrew Heath told the State Transportation Board on Wednesday that the Georgia Department of Transportation and local governments will post signs with weight restrictions on the additional bridges by Sept. 2, reported The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. The tally includes 306 state-owned bridges and 427 local bridges. Gov. Brian Kemp signed a law this year that allows a weight limit of 88,000 pounds (40,000 kilograms) for trucks hauling some commodities, including logs and farm products. The previous limit on…

Brazil federal police say Maxwell Simões Corrêa helped plan 2018 assassination; two former police officers are already awaiting trial Brazilian police have arrested a new suspect over the killing of the Rio de Janeiro city councillor Marielle Franco, the first major development for some years in a murder case that shocked Brazil and prompted international outcry. Franco, an outspoken defender of marginalised populations, was killed with her driver Anderson Gomes in a drive-by shooting in March 2018. Two former police officers accused of carrying out the murders were arrested a year later – but they are yet to stand trial by jury and…