She questioned the school board at a public meeting last month about the books’ availability in high school libraries. As she quoted from explicit passages in the book, a school board member interrupted her and chastised her for using explicit language. The school system then announced that it was pulling Gender Queer by Maia Kobabe and Lawn Boy by Jonathan Evison from circulation pending a more detailed review. Gender Queer, an illustrated memoir, contains explicit illustrations of oral sex and masturbation. The novel Lawn Boy contains graphic descriptions of sex between men and children link to article

A  Minnesota  school board chairwoman has stirred outrage after she demanded that parents announce their home address if they want to speak at public meetings. Jodi Sapp, the chairwoman of the Mankato school board, opened the meeting on October 18 by telling parents they cannot ask any questions unless they revealed their home address, according to the now viral video. 'Each speaker is asked to state his or her name and home address for the record. Failure to do so will result in an individual not being allowed to speak,' Sapp read aloud. link to article

Cuba has agreed a new deal with China to upgrade its power grid, inviting Chinese firms to invest and build It is just the latest of Beijing's loans, building projects, and investments to Latin America and the Caribbean  China has also rapidly increased trade with the region which rose from $12bn in 2000 to $315bn in 2020  America has been muscled out of its own back yard, as diplomats warn the US is 'giving up without a fight' All of which gives China leverage  that it uses to get its own way on the international stage, from winning votes at the UN to isolating its enemies link to article

A report from the Financial Times, which cited five unnamed intelligence sources, said the Chinese military launched the Long March rocket in August carrying a 'hypersonic glide vehicle' into low orbit. It circled the globe before descending towards its target, which it missed by about two dozen miles. The system would be able to overcome US anti-ballistic missile defence systems that are based in Alaska and set up to shoot down projectiles coming over the North Pole - the Chinese system would be able to strike the US from the south. link to article

Maybe gulags aren’t needed when the entire society is living in one. On Oct. 6, the Los Angeles City Council proclaimed, nearly unanimously (11–2), COVID-19 mandates that require proof of vaccination to enter indoor restaurants, movie theaters, salons, shopping centers, and just about every other public indoor space you could think of in the entertainment capital. Others, with the encouragement of our federal government, will soon be following suit in varying degrees or already have. link to article

Katie Couric has admitted to 'protecting'  Ruth Bader Ginsburg  from public backlash by cutting out negative comments she made about people who kneel during the national anthem.  The former Today show host reveals in her new book that she let her personal political views influence her editing decisions after her interview with the late Supreme Court justice in 2016.  In new memoir,  Going There , Couric writes that she edited out a part where Ginsburg said that those who kneel during the national anthem are showing 'contempt for a government that has made it possible for their parents and grandparents to live a decent life.'  link to article

China  has proposed banning all news organisations that are not directly funded by the Communist Party.  The new law, drafted by the National Development and Reform Commission, would ban any private investment in 'news gathering, editing, and broadcasting'. link to article It marks the ruling CCP's latest crackdown on private enterprise, after the country's booming tech sector and billionaire owners were hammered earlier this year.

“No matter who you are, as long as the CCP says that you tested positive in a nucleic acid test, it will deprive you of all your rights. The CCP’s quarantine sites are actually an alternative form of   concentration camp .” “If there is no nucleic acid test, all the CCP’s epidemic prevention measures are the same as political campaigns. For example, you can be quarantined at any time and put in a quarantine site. And the quarantine sites can also be a place of political persecution,” Lin said. link to article

The  Los Angeles  City Council on Oct. 6 approved one of the strictest COVID-19 vaccination mandates in the country, requiring proof of vaccination to enter indoor restaurants, movie theaters, salons, shopping centers, and many more indoor venues. People will have to provide vaccination proof at gyms, sports arenas, museums, spas, indoor government facilities, malls, restaurants, and bars. link to article

The Pentagon's first ever chief software officer resigned last month in protest at the slow pace of technological transformation in the U.S. military, claiming the failure to respond to China winning the Artificial Intelligence battle is putting the U.S. at risk. Nicolas Chaillan, 37,  told the Financial Times  after resigning: 'We have no competing fighting chance against China in 15 to 20 years.' link to article

There have been multiple reports of military planes arriving at Bagram airbase in  Afghanistan , just hours after images emerged showing that power was restored to the base for the first time since US forces evacuated the stronghold in July. Images circulating on social media appear to show the airbase's floodlights blazing in the distance, amid reports that several military planes have taken off and landed at the base in recent hours. Several sources suggest that the aircraft are Chinese, given the  Taliban  are not thought to possess the expertise needed to power the base or maintain and fly several military aircraft.  Link to article

Harris flew out of Joint Base Andrews in  Maryland  at 11am Friday and arrived in Palm Springs - a little more than 100 miles east of  Los Angeles  - around 7pm.  Reporters were not permitted to watch Harris leave Maryland, according to the Washington Times.   And no reason has been given for this secret trip. Link to article

Louisiana 's largest health system is ratcheting up the pressure to get people vaccinated against  COVID-19  and will start fining employees hundreds of dollars each month if they are married to someone who is unvaccinated.  Link to article