As Ukraine contends with a war raging on its eastern front and Russian attacks on its cities, one lawmaker is working on something that he says could help the nation: legalizing pornography.Yaroslav Zhelezniak, deputy chairman of the Ukrainian Parliament’s finance committee, is leading a push to ditch what he sees as outdated Soviet-era legislation that bans the possession, production and distribution of pornography.Doing so, he said, would remedy what he and people making pornographic content say is an unfair contradiction.Violations of Ukraine’s laws on pornography — Article 301 of the criminal code — are punishable by three to five years…
Author: Team_Benjamin Franklin Institute
The Trump administration isn’t letting up on the tech giants.On Monday, the Federal Trade Commission will face off with Meta in court over claims that the social media giant snuffed out nascent competitors when it bought Instagram and WhatsApp. And on April 21, the Justice Department will argue that a federal judge should force Google to sell its Chrome web browser to limit the power of its search monopoly.Both cases, which helped set into motion a new era of antitrust scrutiny, were filed during President Trump’s first term in office. They were advanced by the Biden administration, which also filed…
US commerce secretary Howard Lutnick has warned that smartphones and other consumer electronics imported to America from China will still face tariffs, dealing a blow to hopes of a reprieve for Big Tech companies such as Apple, Nvidia and Microsoft.Donald Trump’s administration this weekend excluded phones, chipmaking equipment and certain computers from steep “reciprocal” tariffs in what was a significant boost for tech groups whose stocks plunged after the president unleashed a global trade war on “liberation day”.But speaking on ABC’s This Week on Sunday, Lutnick said such products would be re-examined as part of a government probe into semiconductors,…
Credit: U.S. Forest Service via Wikimedia Commons Colorado Gov. Jared Polis Thursday signed a controversial gun control bill that requires a permit and safety training to buy firearms that accept detachable magazines. Senate Bill 25-003 was originally a ban on the sale or purchase of most semi-automatic rifles or shotguns that take detachable magazines. But it was amended to allow for purchases if the buyer gets a “firearms safety course eligibility card” from their sheriff department and completes a firearm education course. The bill also prohibits the purchase and sale of all rapid fire conversion devices, like bump stocks and binary…
During an interview, Eady, who joined the series during season 16, reflected on Moore’s decision to share explicit photos of her during an all-cast event and blasted Moore for being “brutal” and “disgusting.”Eady also discussed where her relationship with Kenya Moore is today and revealed that the former Miss USA blocked her after their incident.Article continues below advertisementEady Says Kenya Moore Blocked Her After Sharing Her Explicit PicturesIn episode 5 of season 16, Moore took things to another level when she displayed suggestive photos on a poster board of Eady allegedly performing an oral sex act on a man while…
HIGH STAKES However, failure would aggravate fears of a wider conflagration across a region that exports much of the world’s oil. Tehran has cautioned neighbouring countries that have US bases that they would face “severe consequences” if they were involved in any US military attack on Iran. “There is a chance for initial understanding on further negotiations if the other party (US) enters the talks with an equal stance,” Araqchi told Iranian TV. Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who has the final say on key state matters, has given Araqchi “full authority” for the talks, an Iranian official told Reuters. Iran has ruled out negotiating…
At least 500 Palestinian children have been killed by sustained Israeli air attacks and bombardments in Gaza since Israel broke the ceasefire with Hamas last month, said Mahmoud Basal, spokesperson of the Gaza Civil Defence, while a UN official described the war-torn territory as a “post-apocalyptic” killing zone. Meanwhile, Israeli air raids in Gaza on Saturday killed at least six people, including a child, bringing the death toll in the last 24 hours to more than 20. More than 1,500 people have been killed since Israel resumed its bombardment of Gaza on March 18, according to figures from the Palestinian…
Most MLB players will never admit it publicly, but money is a significant factor in choosing a team during free agency. That’s why Athletics right-hander Luis Severino saying the quiet part out loud is so believable. Severino spoke to The New York Post’s Mike Puma before a three-game series between the New York Mets and Athletics in Sacramento. “Sevy” essentially divulged that he took more money to head out West because the Mets “had other plans.” The 31-year-old starter spent last season in Queens, where he pitched to a solid 3.91 ERA over 31 starts, his most in a single…
This week’s newsletter is a brief advertisement: As of this week, I have a new show, “Interesting Times,” with fresh episodes every Thursday, and I want to encourage you to subscribe.The idea behind “Interesting Times” — which will be available in audio and video — starts with a case that I made soon after Donald Trump’s 2024 victory: I argued that we have entered a much more open and uncertain historical epoch, that the post-Cold War era has been left behind decisively and that the set of challenges and opportunities before us look very different from what we faced under…
Amazon CEO Andy Jassy said on Thursday that Amazon sellers would probably respond to President Donald Trump’s tariffs by raising prices for consumers.”I think they [sellers] will try and pass the cost on,” Jassy told CNBC in an interview.Trump levied a 10% tariff on all trading partners and an “at least” 145% tariff on China earlier this week that could impact consumer prices. The tariff news has thrown Amazon sellers into a panic because the majority of goods on the platform, up to 70% of products per Wedbush Securities estimates, come from China. Related: Amazon CEO Andy Jassy Says There’s…