In the news today: Trump chooses Pam Bondi for attorney general after Matt Gaetz's withdrawal; Netanyahu joins a small group of leaders facing ICC arrest warrants; and Texas is taking a final vote on Bible content in elementary schools. Also, one Scottish farm is selling the UK’s most expensive cup of coffee.
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Pam Bondi at a campaign rally at First Horizon Coliseum, Nov. 2, 2024, in Greensboro, NC. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)
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Trump chooses loyalist Pam Bondi for attorney general pick after Matt Gaetz withdraws
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Matt Gaetz’s withdrawal and the quick pivot to former Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi were the latest examples of Donald Trump’s decision-making as he rushes out nominations — some of questionable character and credentials — at a breakneck pace without the government vetting that is typical of presidential transitions. Read more.
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Bondi has been an outspoken defender of Trump. She was one of his lawyers during his first impeachment trial and she was among a group of Republicans who showed up to support Trump at his New York hush money criminal trial.
Gaetz stepped aside amid continued fallout over a federal sex trafficking investigation that cast doubt on his ability to be confirmed as the nation’s chief federal law enforcement officer. Gaetz vehemently denied the allegations, but his nomination had stunned many career lawyers inside the Justice Department. Gaetz, who passed the bar but barely worked as a lawyer, had very little relevant experience for the job.
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Bondi comes with years of legal work under her belt and that other trait Trump prizes above all: loyalty. If confirmed by the Republican-led Senate, Bondi would instantly become one of the most closely watched members of Trump’s Cabinet given his threat to pursue retribution against perceived adversaries and a recent Supreme Court opinion that conferred broad immunity on former presidents and affirmed a president’s exclusive authority over the Justice Department’s investigative functions.
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Netanyahu joins a small group of leaders accused of crimes against humanity by the ICC. Here's what that means
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The International Criminal Court has issued arrest warrants for Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netenyahu, his former defense minister Yoav Gallant, and Mohammed Deif, a top Hamas official that Israel claims to have killed. Read more. |
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The ICC becomes involved when nations are unable or unwilling to prosecute crimes on their territory. Israel argues that it has a functioning court system, and disputes over a nation’s ability or willingness to prosecute have fueled past disputes between the court and individual countries. While the warrants could complicate travel abroad for Netanyahu and Gallant, they are unlikely to face judges in The Hague anytime soon. Member countries are required to detain suspects facing a warrant if they set foot on their soil, but the court has no way to enforce that.
Last year, the court issued a warrant for Russian President Vladimir Putin on charges that he was responsible for the abductions of children from Ukraine. Former Libyan leader Muammar Gadhafi was captured and killed by rebels shortly after the ICC issued a warrant for his arrest on charges linked to the brutal suppression of anti-government protests in 2011. One of Africa’s most notorious warlords, Joseph Kony, was issued an arrest warrant from the ICC in 2005 and Sudan’s former President Omar al-Bashir is wanted by the ICC over accusations related to the conflict in Darfur.
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Texas is one step closer to allowing Bible content in elementary school lessons
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Texas would allow Bible-infused lessons in elementary schools under changes that were set for a final vote Friday. The proposed curriculum that could test boundaries between religion and public education in the U.S. narrowly cleared a preliminary vote this week at the Texas State Board of Education. Read more.
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If adopted, the new Texas curriculum would follow Republican-led efforts in neighboring states to give religion more of a presence in public schools. In Oklahoma, the state’s education chief has ordered a copy of the Bible in every classroom, while Louisiana wants to make all of the state’s public school classrooms post the Ten Commandments beginning next year.
The curriculum — designed by the state’s public education agency — would allow teachings from the Bible such as the Golden Rule and lessons from books such as Genesis into classrooms. Under the plan, it would be optional for schools to adopt the curriculum, though they would receive additional funding if they did so.
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The material draws on lessons from Christianity more than any other religion in the proposed reading and language arts modules for kindergarten through fifth grade, which critics say would alienate students from different faith backgrounds and potentially violate the First Amendment.
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Bryce Cunningham, farmer and owner of Mossgiel Organic Farm near Mauchline, Scotland. (Mossgiel Organic Dairy via AP)
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$344 for a coffee? One Scottish farm is selling UK’s most expensive cup
It’s an enormous price to pay for a little cup of coffee, but the man behind the pitch promises it won’t leave a bitter taste behind because it comes with a sweetener: a share of a dairy farm. |
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Please let us know what you think of this newsletter. You can sign up for more and invite a friend here. For news in real time visit APNews.com. - Sarah
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Please let us know what you think of this newsletter. You can sign up for more and invite a friend here. For news in real time visit APNews.com. - Sarah
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