Town Hall News

By Daniel Trotta (Reuters) – The writers’ group PEN America, authors and parents on Wednesday sued a Florida school district over its book bans, alleging educators violated the First Amendment right to free speech and their own policies in removing titles from school libraries. The Escambia County School District and School Board have targeted books dealing with race and LGBTQ issues for removal, depriving students of access to a wide […]

MEXICO CITY (Reuters) – A strong earthquake struck Guatemala on Wednesday, shaking the Central American nation and parts of Southern Mexico, though the quake’s deep hypocenter of more than 150 miles underneath the earth’s surface seems to have averted damage. The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) said the magnitude 6.4 quake struck at a depth of 252 kilometers (156.6 miles) and its epicenter was some 2 kilometers southeast of the municipality […]

By Alexandra Valencia QUITO (Reuters) -Ecuador’s President Guillermo Lasso dissolved the National Assembly by decree on Wednesday, bringing forward legislative and presidential elections and heading off an attempt by opposition politicians to impeach him. Police and military decked in riot gear guarded the National Assembly building from behind barricades in capital Quito, allowing no one inside. Opposition politicians wanted to impeach Lasso over accusations he disregarded warnings of embezzlement related […]

By Nerijus Adomaitis OSLO (Reuters) – A former commander of Russia’s Wagner group who sought asylum in Norway after crossing the Russian-Norwegian border in January said on Wednesday he wanted to return to Russia even though he believed this could pose a risk to his life. Andrei Medvedev, who has previously spoken about his time fighting in Ukraine, said in one of several videos posted on YouTube that he had […]

Crisis in the Classroom: Israeli Students Dip in Literacy Levels A 2021 study reveals a significant decline in Israeli fourth graders’ literacy levels, indicating a crisis in the education system and prompting calls for a balanced approach to assessment and an emphasis on literacy in all subjects By Keren Setton/The Media Line A recent international study reveals a significant decline in the literacy levels of Israeli fourth graders over the […]

Fatah-Affiliated Group Loses University Election, Suggesting Public Dissatisfaction with PA The Hamas-linked Islamic Allegiance Bloc won the student council elections at An-Najah National University in Nablus, indicating waning popularity for Fatah and dissatisfaction with the Palestinian Authority’s leadership By Mohammad Al-Kassim/The Media Line Tuesday night brought yet another indication of Fatah’s rapidly sinking popularity. Although the party controls the West Bank, the Fatah-affiliated Student Youth Movement lost the student council […]

WASHINGTON (AP) — An optimistic President Joe Biden declared Wednesday he is confident the U.S. will avoid an unprecedented and potentially catastrophic debt default, saying talks with congressional Republicans have been productive. He left for a G-7 summit in Japan but planned to return by the weekend in hopes of approving a solid agreement. Biden’s upbeat remarks came as a select group of negotiators began meeting to try and hammer […]

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) — Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis signed bills Wednesday that ban gender-changing medical procedures for minors, target drag shows, restrict discussion of personal pronouns in schools and force people to use certain bathrooms. DeSantis has made pro-traditional family legislation a large part of his agenda as he prepares to seek the Republican presidential nomination. He signed the bills in front of a cheering crowd at the evangelical Cambridge […]

(Refiles to add dropped word ‘euro’ in headline) By Andrew Gray BRUSSELS (Reuters) -European Union foreign policy chief Josep Borrell has proposed adding 3.5 billion euros ($3.85 billion) to a fund used to finance military aid for Ukraine, EU sources said on Wednesday. The sources, speaking on condition of anonymity, said Borrell had asked EU governments to raise the financial ceiling on the European Peace Facility (EPF), a fund that […]