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Details of Massive $3 Billion Aid Package to Ukraine

Details of Massive $3 Billion Aid Package to Ukraine

Antiwar.com’s Dave DeCamp details the $3 billion weapons package Biden approved this week.

The Pentagon detailed the contents of the $2.98 billion package and said it demonstrates the US commitment to “supporting Ukraine over the long term.” The Pentagon said the new aid represents “multi-year investments to build the enduring strength of Ukraine’s Armed Forces.”

The new weapons package includes:

Six additional National Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile Systems (NASAMS) with additional munitions for NASAMS
Up to 245,000 rounds of 155mm artillery ammunition
Up to 65,000 rounds of 120mm mortar ammunition
Up to 24 counter-artillery radars
Puma Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) and support equipment for Scan Eagle UAS systems
VAMPIRE Counter-Unmanned Aerial Systems
Laser-guided rocket systems
Funding for training, maintenance, and sustainment

Read the full article at Antiwar.com

ACLU Sues Arizona Over Law that Criminalizes Filming Cops

ACLU Sues Arizona Over Law that Criminalizes Filming Cops

The ACLU and media groups have filed a lawsuit against the state of Arizona. It aledges the state’s law that prevents filming within eight feet of a police officer is Constitution’s First Amendment right to record.

The plaintiffs hope to prevent the law from taking effect in September.

Reuters reports filming police has increased accountability.

In recent years, the act of filming law enforcement officials has become a way of exposing misconduct.

The most high-profile example of such filming is cellphone video footage taken by bystanders of the arrest and murder of George Floyd, a Black man, who died after his neck was pinned to the ground by a police official for nine minutes in May 2020. Floyd’s death sparked demonstrations against racism and police brutality in the United States and across the world.

Read the full story at Reuters

Navy to Pay BAE Systems Over $100 Million to Update Battleship

Navy to Pay BAE Systems Over $100 Million to Update Battleship

The USS Ross is set to undergo over $100 million in repairs and upgrades. The Pentagon awarded the contract to BAE systems which could be worth $124 million. The Ross will be in drydock until 2024.

Defense News reports the upgrade on the Ross come as the Navy is struggling to keep its fleet in good condition.

The U.S. Government Accountability Office has raised concerns multiple times in the last few years about whether the Navy can keep up with its ships’ maintenance needs. A GAO report from August 2020 found that about 75% of planned maintenance periods were delayed for aircraft carriers and submarines in Navy shipyards over a five-year period.

Read the rest of the article at Defense News

 

 

 

A Conversation with Keith Knight and Dave Smith on The Voluntaryist Handbook

A Conversation with Keith Knight and Dave Smith on The Voluntaryist Handbook

Keith Knight, our Managing Editor and host of the Don’t Tread On Anyone podcast, went on Dave Smith’s Part of the Problem to discuss Keith’s new book (Amazon’s #1 bestseller in anarchism!) The Voluntaryist Handbook: A Collection of Essays, Excerpts, and Quotes.

Keith and Dave cover the principles of voluntaryism, discuss what it means to be a true anarchist, delve into some political news, and detail the ways in which peace, consenting relationships, voluntary exchanges, contracts, and arrangements make our lives immeasurably better and more prosperous. Whereas the State, and forced association more generally, is a detriment to humanity that makes all of our lives worse.

This show was recorded on August 22nd, 2022. Check it out!

 

Biden Says He Will Cancel Up to $20K in Student Load Debt Per Barrower

Biden Says He Will Cancel Up to $20K in Student Load Debt Per Barrower

President Joe Biden rolled out his plan to cancel up to $20,000 in student loan debt. Anyone who made under $125,000 during the pandemic is eligible for $10,000 in forgiveness. Borrowers who received Pell grants can get an additional $10,000 relieved.

President Donald Trump suspended student loan payments in 2020. While announcing his plan Wednesday, Biden extended Trump’s repayment pause through 2022.

Time reports some other details of Biden’s student loan plan.

Another feature of the loan relief plan is that it caps undergraduate loan payments to 5% of a borrower’s monthly income, as opposed to the previous 10% threshold.

Additionally, the plan forgives loan balances of $12,000 or less after 10 years of payments, instead of the current 20 years. It also fully covers the borrower’s unpaid monthly interest, so that unlike with current income-driven repayment plans, a borrower’s loan balance won’t grow as they are making their required monthly payments.

The White House claims Biden’s student loan action will eliminate debt for 20 million Americans. The White House fact sheet did not explain how Biden has the unilateral authority to cancel the loans.

Food Truck Owners Punished After Police Open Fire on a Crowd on Bystanders

Food Truck Owners Punished After Police Open Fire on a Crowd on Bystanders

In July, a Denver police officer saw a man in a crowd carrying a gun. A group of cops responded by opening fire, injuring six people. Rather than addressing the police officers who fired on a group of innocent people, the city has responded by restricting where food trucks can operate.

Fiona Harrigan writing at Reason explains how Denver’s new policy hurts business owners and immigrants.

At 1:30 a.m. on July 17, Denver Police Department officers were monitoring the crowds of people departing nightclubs. They witnessed an altercation involving Jordan Waddy, with one officer observing that he “may have had a firearm concealed in his hoodie or waistband.” An officer saw Waddy “reaching into his waistband or pocket in a motion consistent with pulling out a firearm,” so the cops began to shoot (bodycam video later revealed that Waddy removed his handgun from his hoodie and tossed it to the ground). Six bystanders were injured in the ordeal.

Following the shooting, Denver officials wanted to find a way to combat crime downtown. So even though the police admitted that something went wrong “from a tactics standpoint,” the city moved to ban food trucks from operating in Lower Downtown on Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays. Officials “touted moving food trucks off those streets as one way to decrease crowds, chaos and crime,” according to the Denver-based outlet Westword. Food truck owners were instead forced to park blocks away from the area, much further from the bars and their crowds. The truck owners say they weren’t consulted, and now worry about how they’ll stay afloat without the profitable weekend slots.

Read the whole article at Reason. 

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