::THE SLICE REPORT WITH MONA AUSTIN

    Today the U.S. Department of State announces a series of reforms to the United States Foreign Service to ensure that America’s diplomats are prepared to meet the challenges of the 21st century and effectively advocate for our national interests across the globe. These modernization reforms impact both the selection and orientation processes for the Foreign Service. Applicants will be tested on American history, foreign policy concepts, and logical reasoning, while questions intended to test alignment with ideological agendas have been eliminated. Foreign Service orientation will now focus on training on core skills, including public speaking and negotiation, as well as lectures on essential topics like economic strategy, commercial diplomacy, and diplomatic history. The State Department invites patriotic Americans to apply to join the Foreign Service. Testing registration is now open. Tests will be held from May 15th to May 22nd. “The Trump administration is modernizing th...

The Department of War, in partnership with Boeing and Lockheed Martin, today announced a landmark framework agreement to triple the production capacity of seekers for the Patriot Advanced Capability-3 (PAC-3®) Missile Segment Enhancement (MSE). This agreement marks a pivotal step in executing President Trump and Secretary Hegseth's vision to build the Arsenal of Freedom, accelerate the delivery of critical capabilities to the warfighter, and create thousands of jobs across the defense industrial base.   This seven-year agreement with Boeing, a crucial supplier for the PAC-3 missile, directly supports the recently announced agreement with prime contractor Lockheed Martin to more than triple the output of the PAC-3 MSE all-up round.  It is a direct application of the Department's new Acquisition Transformation Strategy, which prioritizes engaging directly with key suppliers at all levels of the industrial base.    This approach ensures the entire supply chain – no...

In a major victory for public broadcasting a federal judge struck down Donald Trump’s executive order that attempted to defund PBS and NPR, ruling that the order violated the First Amendment. The judge said the administration’s move amounted to viewpoint discrimination — essentially punishing public media for reporting on what the president didn’t like. This ruling makes the order unlawful and unenforceable. Key points from the ruling The judge said the government cannot cut funding to media organizations as retaliation for their past reporting. The order targeted NPR and PBS because Trump claimed they were biased. The court emphasized that public media serves the public interest, not political agendas. Funding for NPR and PBS must be restored. Why it matters This decision protects: Independent journalism Local public media stations, especially in rural areas Educational programming that relies on federal support

B lack Bird Smart Innovations, a leader in life-saving wearable technology solutions, is proud to announce Dr. Liz Black as the company’s official Brand Ambassador. This strategic partnership strengthens Black Bird’s mission to empower caregivers and protect communities by bridging critical information gaps through innovative wearable technology. https://blackbirdtech.app/ Dr. Liz Black is a respected media personality, entrepreneur, and advocate who has built a powerful network of caregivers, families, and community leaders dedicated to improving the quality of life and access to critical resources. She is the founder and owner of Inspired Living Network LLC. She is also the visionary behind the nonprofit Dr. Liz Black Community Impact, which focuses on providing outreach, support services, and resources to underserved communities. Through her work, Dr. Liz Black has become a trusted voice and leader among caregivers, championing their needs, amplifying their challenges, and equipping...

Today, the U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights (OCR) opened a complaint into the Contoocook Valley School District (the District) in Peterborough, New Hampshire based on reports that the District is allowing biological men to use girls’ restrooms and locker rooms. OCR will determine whether the District violated Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 (Title IX) by allowing students to access intimate facilities based on “gender identity,” not biological sex.   The District allegedly violates federal law by applying state law and district policy to allow boys in girls-only spaces, despite complaints from female students about the privacy and safety issues that their presence presents. It is alleged that discrimination based on sex is also notably absent from Contoocook Valley High School’s non-discrimination policy, with the clause only explicitly promising “a   learning environment that is free from discrimination based on race, religion, disabili...

  The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) is issuing a public health alert for various raw beef and pork products that were produced without the benefit of federal inspection and may bear a false mark of inspection. Food produced without inspection may contain undeclared allergens, harmful bacteria, or other contaminants that put consumer health and safety at risk. FSIS is continuing to investigate and may add additional products to this alert as more information is obtained. The beef and pork items were produced from April 2024 through March 2026. The following products subject to the public health alert are [ view labels ]: 5-lb. box of 8-oz. packages containing a VACUUM-PACKED piece of "BLACKWING ORGANIC MEATS ORGANIC BEEF NEW YORK STRIP STEAK," with "EST. 1996" inside the USDA mark of inspection. 10-lb. box of 16-oz. packages containing a VACUUM-PACKED package of "BLACKWING ORGANIC MEATS ORGANIC GROUND BEEF." ...