All posts tagged: declaration

Declaration of Independence Painting Appears on Trump’s US Passports

Declaration of Independence Painting Appears on Trump’s US Passports

Published by Jenni Sidey

Alongside Donald Trump’s face, you can expect to soon see a piece of American art history on your US passport. As reported yesterday by Fox News, Trump’s State Department has revealed a limited-edition passport for the nation’s 250th anniversary that will feature John Trumbull’s 1817 painting Declaration of Independence. Contrary to popular belief, the 18-foot-long painting does not depict the signing of its titular document but merely the presentation of a draft of it Congress in 1776. (Fox News, which had the exclusive on the new passport design, itself erroneously reported that the painting represents the signing of the Declaration of the Independence.) Some 42 of the Declaration of Independence’s signatories are present, though Trumbull, one of the most celebrated American painters of his day, had initially intended to feature the remaining 14. Related Articles The painting is held in the US Capitol Rotunda, though a smaller version of it can also be found in the American art galleries of the Yale University Art Gallery in New Haven, Connecticut. An engraving by Asher B. Durand …

What the Declaration of Independence does – and doesn’t – say about God

What the Declaration of Independence does – and doesn’t – say about God

Published by Sam Flores

(The Conversation) — On the Fourth of July 1776, the congressional delegates in Philadelphia adopted the Declaration of Independence, then ordered that it be widely “proclaimed.” Couriers carried the printed version by stagecoach and horseback to every colony, where officials posted it and newspapers circulated it. But the declaration was also meant to be read aloud. Thomas Jefferson’s rough draft has marks signaling where the reader should pause briefly, or take a longer pause. And there were ceremonial public readings: first in Philadelphia and then in town squares, courthouses, churches and taverns up and down the Eastern Seaboard. Not everyone listening would have agreed with the declaration, and religion was one dividing point. Loyalists who sided with England and the official Church of England dissented on both spiritual and political grounds. Two-thirds of its ministers left for England after the Revolution began. Members of the historic pacifist churches like the Quakers, the Mennonites and the Brethren had tough choices to make after hearing the declaration’s call to arms. Even some who clearly sided with the …

GOP Senator Opposes More Than 60 Days Of War On Iran Without War Declaration

GOP Senator Opposes More Than 60 Days Of War On Iran Without War Declaration

Published by Jenni Sidey

In what could become a key milestone in an unpopular US-Israeli war on Iran that has the world on the edge of economic catastrophe, a Republican senator from one America’s reddest states has announced his opposition to continued action against Iran beyond 60 days from the Feb 28 commencement of hostilities — unless Congress approves it.  “I support the president’s actions taken in defense of American lives and interests,” wrote first-term Sen. John Curtis in an opinion piece published by the Desert News. “However, I will not support ongoing military action beyond a 60-day window without congressional approval.”  I stand by the President’s actions taken in defense of our national security interests in the Middle East. But we must be clear-eyed about history and the Constitution. While I support maintaining our readiness and replenishing stockpiles, I cannot support funding for further… — Senator John Curtis (@SenJohnCurtis) April 3, 2026 Walking a careful and arguably untenable line as he represents a reliably red state that Trump won by 22 points in 2024, Curtis gave full backing to Trump’s …

‘A declaration of war’: How councils are resisting one of Labour’s core objectives | Politics News

‘A declaration of war’: How councils are resisting one of Labour’s core objectives | Politics News

Published by Sam Flores

Councils are ignoring explicit instructions to approve planning projects from ministers – as the scale and cost of their resistance to development is revealed for the first time. It comes as tensions between councils of all political stripes are rising with ministers, who are desperate to hit their target of 1.5 million new homes in England by the end of the parliament. Politics Hub: Latest updates from Westminster In one case shared with Sky News, a council northwest of London refused a planning application for a 256-home development despite housing minister Matthew Pennycook directing councillors to approve the case 24 hours earlier. Councillors on a planning committee at Three Rivers District Council rejected the application last week, with 10 votes to refuse and one abstention, on the grounds the plan might harm the green belt, concern over flooding, and the loss of hedgerows. However, the council’s own planning officer had recommended the site be approved for development, concluding it met the government definition of “grey belt” and that while “adverse impacts would arise to the …

Judge Rules US Government Overreached With Transgender Health Care Declaration

Judge Rules US Government Overreached With Transgender Health Care Declaration

Published by Sam Flores

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — A federal judge said the government overreached by issuing a declaration that called treatments like puberty blockers, hormone therapy and surgeries unsafe and ineffective for young people experiencing gender dysphoria, according to a ruling Thursday in Oregon. Judge Mustafa Kasubhai ruled that Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. didn’t go through the proper administrative procedures in December when issuing the declaration, which warned doctors that they could be excluded from federal health programs like Medicare and Medicaid if they provide these treatments. The ruling grants preliminary relief to health professionals who provide the treatments. The judge also denied the government’s motion to dismiss the case. “Today’s win breaks through the noise and gives some needed clarity to patients, families, and providers,” Letitia James, the Democratic New York attorney general who led the lawsuit, said in a statement Thursday. “Health care services for transgender young people remain legal, and the federal government cannot intimidate or punish the providers who offer them.” A spokesperson for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services …

Brooklyn Beckham and Nicola Peltz put on united front at Oscars party – after his public declaration for mother-in-law

Brooklyn Beckham and Nicola Peltz put on united front at Oscars party – after his public declaration for mother-in-law

Published by Daniella Wilson

Brooklyn Beckham and Nicola Peltz stepped out for a star-studded date night on Sunday, as they attended his godfather Sir Elton John’s annual Oscars viewing party.  It comes amid Brooklyn’s estrangement from his parents, David and Victoria Beckham, and just hours after he appeared to snub his mum on Mother’s Day on Sunday. © Michael Loccisano/Getty ImagesBrooklyn Peltz Beckham and Nicola Peltz Beckham stepped out for Elton John AIDS Foundation’s 34th Annual Academy Awards Viewing Party on Sunday While Brooklyn paid tribute to his mother-in-law, Claudia Heffner Peltz, with a sweet message on social media, he did not publicly acknowledge his own mother, Victoria.  Brooklyn and Nicola looked super loved up at Sunday’s star-studded event, which raises funds for the Elton John AIDS Foundation each year. While Nicola wore a fitted black gown, Brooklyn opted for a classic black suit and crisp white shirt.  WATCH: Cruz Beckham reveals he is hopeful about a reconciliation with his brother Brooklyn Brooklyn’s Mother’s Day post Brooklyn and Nicola’s date night follows the 27-year-old’s gushing message about his mother-in-law, …

Was Josephus’ Description of Jesus, a Glowing Declaration or a Grudging Admission? – OpentheWord.org

Was Josephus’ Description of Jesus, a Glowing Declaration or a Grudging Admission? – OpentheWord.org

Published by Sam Flores

Jesus teaching on the Mountain by Sealino, Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0 One of the more compelling statements by ancient historians on the existence of Jesus was made by Josephus, a Jewish General and historian who died in 100 AD. In his book, Antiquities of the Jews, Josephus wrote: “And in this time, there was a certain Jesus, a wise man, if indeed one ought to call him a man, for he was a doer of incredible deeds, a teacher of men who receive truisms with pleasure. And he brought over many from among the Jews and many from among the Greeks. He was [thought to be] the Christ. And, when Pilate had condemned him to the cross at the accusation of the first men among us, those who at first were devoted to him did not cease to be so, for on the third day it seemed to them that he was alive again given that the divine prophets had spoken such things and thousands of other wonderful things about him. And up till now, …

Orbán slams EU membership plan for Ukraine as ‘declaration of war’ – POLITICO

Orbán slams EU membership plan for Ukraine as ‘declaration of war’ – POLITICO

Published by Sam Flores

That would be “an open declaration of war against Hungary,” the Hungarian premier warned Wednesday in a post on X. Orbán said that POLITICO had “published Brussels’ and Kyiv’s latest war plan, the five-point Zelenskyy plan.” “They have decided that Ukraine will be admitted to the Union as early as 2027,” he added. “They disregard the decision of the Hungarian people and are determined to remove the Hungarian government by any means necessary.” Hungarians go to the polls in April for a fiercely contested general election. Orbán, who has been in power for the last two decades, is lagging in the polls and his Fidesz party will face off against an ascendant opposition, which has vowed to root out corruption and restore rule of law. The Hungarian leader has repeatedly clashed with Zelenskyy and has used Ukraine’s future EU membership on the campaign trail, portraying Kyiv and Brussels as threats to Budapest’s independence. “This April, at the ballot box, Hungarians must stop them,” he said. “Fidesz is the only force standing between Hungary and Brusselian …