Good morning, and welcome to The Epoch Times News Brief for Thursday, Oct. 3, 2024. I’m Bill Thomas, we have some really interesting stories to share with you right now, and here’s what’s going on.
Former President Donald Trump says he’s committed to leaving the issue of abortion to individual states, a judge rules against a student in a First Amendment case in California, and a school board in Virginia pays a former teacher big bucks to settle a pronoun dispute.
Also, the Israelis did not suffer any casualties when Iran fired nearly 200 missiles into Israel, and when it comes to healthier food options, Europe has us beat.
Trump Comments on Abortion Policy Following VP Debate
He confirmed his position following the vice presidential debate Tuesday night between his running mate, Ohio Sen. JD Vance, and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz when the issue came up.You should know that Trump stated he would not support a federal abortion ban “under any circumstances” because he believes that states should be able to decide on abortion restrictions “based on the will of their voters.”
He also said that he fully supports the three exceptions for abortion, which include rape, incest, and the life of the mother, but does not support the Democrats’ “radical position of late term abortion like, as an example, in the 7th, 8th, or 9th month or, in case there is any question, the possibility of execution of the baby after birth.”
During the debate, Vance described himself as a Republican who “wants to protect innocent life in this country” and said he wants the party to be “pro-family in the fullest sense of the word.” He also said that the Republican Party will need to do a better job of earning the people’s trust on certain issues.
Walz meanwhile, criticized Trump for his role in appointing three U.S. Supreme Court justices who were part of a majority ruling that overturned Roe v. Wade in the Dobbs v. Jackson decision in 2022.
So you know, Vice President Kamala Harris has been saying that abortion is a fundamental right for women and has also expressed support for legislation to restore a federal right to abortion as per Roe v. Wade.
Student Wearing Black Paint on Face Isn’t Protected by First Amendment: Judge
The Muirlands Middle School student, named J.A. in court documents, said he put on the paint during a football game back in October 2023 to show team spirit. School officials said that he was wearing blackface despite the black paint being used often by athletes, and also accused him or his friends of uttering racial slurs.You should know that the football game was at a different school, and officials there forwarded their concerns to Muirlands Middle School officials who suspended him for two days.
In her ruling earlier this week, U.S. District Judge Linda Lopez denied a request for a preliminary injunction that would have in part removed J.A.’s two-day suspension from school records. She cited previous rulings in making her decision, saying that it’s not likely the plaintiff can prevail on the merits of his First Amendment claim, nor are there serious questions about it.
Lopez also said that First Amendment protection only applies to wearing particular clothing or insignia where it’s established that an unmistakable communication is being made.
A lawyer who is representing J.A. and his parents told The Epoch Times that just three years ago, the Supreme Court held that schools can only punish students for their off-campus speech in very limited circumstances, which she said are not present here.
She went on to say there was no disruption at the game that would have warranted punishing her client under binding Supreme Court precedent. She added that J.A. had the right to engage in expressive activity by wearing black on his face to show spirit on the sidelines of a football game and that they believe he will ultimately be vindicated.
School Board Settles Transgender Pronoun Dispute
The West Point School Board has agreed to pay $575,000 in damages and legal fees to settle a lawsuit brought by former high school French teacher Peter Vlaming. He was dismissed after refusing to use a transgender student’s preferred pronouns, citing his religious convictions.The settlement, which was announced earlier this week by the legal advocacy group Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF), resolves the case Vlaming filed against the school board. Vlaming argued that his dismissal violated his First Amendment rights after he refused to comply with the superintendent’s demand that he refer to a transgender student by pronouns inconsistent with the student’s biological sex.
He instead opted to use the student’s preferred name while avoiding any use of pronouns. However, school administrators insisted he use the student’s preferred male pronouns in accordance with the district’s anti-discrimination policy, and when Vlaming refused, the school board fired him.
A senior counsel for ADF, which represented Vlaming in his lawsuit, praised the settlement, saying that “Peter wasn’t fired for something he said; he was fired for something he couldn’t say.” He also said that “no school board or government official can punish someone for that reason.”
You should know that Vlaming’s case, which began in 2019, became a focal point in the ongoing national debate over free speech, religious liberty, and transgender rights in education. The case gained steam in December 2023, when the Virginia Supreme Court reinstated his lawsuit after it had been dismissed by a lower court.
A final note. Under the terms of the settlement, along with the money paid to Vlaming covering damages and legal fees, the board has also cleared the termination from his record, allowing him to pursue teaching positions without the stigma of having been fired.
How Israel Defended Itself Against Iran’s Missile Attacks
Just two days ago, Iran fired 181 long-range ballistic missiles into civilian areas, with each missile capable of killing dozens in a single strike. But, Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari, a spokesman for the Israel Defense Forces, says he was not aware of a single reported casualty.The reason for that, according to military analyst Tim Ripley, is Israel’s multi-layered missile defense system, built with the assistance of the United States.
He explains it this way: Ballistic missiles go into space before dropping down, and the first line of defense—known as the Arrow system—fires missiles that intercept the ballistic missiles at the tops of their trajectories. The next layer—David’s Sling—targets the missiles in the “mid-atmosphere.” Those that make it past that layer are then intercepted by the Iron Dome system. Ripley goes on to say that the overriding structure relies on artificial intelligence (AI)-driven algorithms, which he says are very advanced.
You should know that the Iron Dome specializes in shooting down projectiles fired at short range and has been used countless times to defend against Hamas rockets fired from the Gaza strip and Hezbollah attacks from southern Lebanon. While it has intercepted thousands of rockets, and has a success rate of more than 90 percent, it has a limited range of about 45 miles.
So you know, due to constant attacks by neighbors on all sides, Israel continues to develop new systems to intercept emerging threats.
Interesting to note: The newest system, which is still in development, is called Iron Beam. Rafael, the Israeli firm building it along with U.S.-based Lockheed Martin, says this high-energy laser weapon will be a game changer. Rafael’s CEO says they hope it becomes operational in 2025.
Healthier McDonald’s Options Available in Europe, But Not in the US
Food activist Vani Hari detailed some differences at a recent Senate roundtable discussion.For instance, Hari says in the United States, McDonald’s fries contain 11 ingredients, while the UK version has only three, with salt being optional. Hari says such disparities indicate that U.S. foods are filled with unsafe chemicals.
Another concern discussed at the roundtable is the significant rise in artificial food dye consumption, particularly among American children, which has increased by 500 percent in the last 50 years. Hari says these dyes have been linked to various health issues, including hyperactivity and allergic reactions, raising serious concerns for parents.
So you know, she used Kellogg’s as a case study and pointed out the difference between U.S. and Canadian Fruit Loops cereal. In Canada, it’s colored naturally with juice from watermelons and carrots, while the U.S. version contains artificial dyes and preservatives.
Jennifer Pomeranz, associate professor of public health policy and management at NYU School of Global Public Health, says it’s due to the law, because, here in the United States, there’s nothing that requires the industry to submit safety data. As a result, companies can self-regulate and designate ingredients as GRAS (generally recognized as safe) without notifying the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) or the public, she says.
Pomeranz adds that Europe tends to take a proactive approach, looking to see if there’s evidence something is bad in order to protect the public, whereas the United States is more company-friendly and requires evidence to remove unsafe ingredients from the food supply.
Hari is calling for stricter regulations and greater transparency with ingredient lists to protect consumers, especially children. She says simply removing artificial dyes from foods will make a big difference.
Meanwhile, Pomeranz is also proposing several policy recommendations, including requiring companies to notify the FDA of how they determined that a substance is safe and sharing their safety data before adding those substances to foods. She went on to say that both the FDA and Congress can do more to enable the FDA to meet its mission of ensuring a safe food supply.
And now, it looks like our time is just about up for today, so we’re going to call it a wrap for the Thursday edition of The Epoch Times News Brief.
*(Don’t forget the News Brief Motto): We’re portable, affordable, and always on-demand.
And finally, as we do each and every day on this program, we wrap everything up with a very notable quote, and this one comes to us from American humorist Erma Bombeck, who said: “Worry is like a rocking chair: it gives you something to do but never gets you anywhere.”
For all of us here at the Epoch Times News Brief, I’m Bill Thomas.
The Epoch Times News Brief program was written today by the incomparable Sharon Reardon.
Thank you for making us your one-stop source for a concise, accurate, and unbiased daily synopsis of many of the news stories you need to know about.
Enjoy the remainder of your day, and we’ll see you right back here next time for another edition of The Epoch Times News Brief. For now, let’s all continue to watch out for one another, and have an absolutely superb day today. Bye for now.
