Rep. Tim McGough, a Republican from Merrimack, wants to add "Live Free or Die" to the current state flag. (Rep. Tim McGough)
A group of state lawmakers have unfurled a proposal to change New Hampshire’s official state flag: They want to add the phrase “Live Free or Die,” which would be the first update to the flag’s design in more than 90 years.
The bill, HB 1016, seeks to print the famous words of General John Stark from 1809 — now the state motto — beneath the current state seal.
“It's time,” said the bill’s lead sponsor Rep. Tim McGough, a Republican from Merrimack. He said the current flag doesn’t inspire residents or visitors to the state and doesn’t stand out from other state flags with similar designs. (Read More)
Government entities in Florida might be barred from flying or displaying a Pride flag on its premises under a "don’t display gay" bill introduced by a conservative Republican for the upcoming 2024 legislative session.
Earlier this week Florida State Rep. David Borrero filed HB 901, which would prevent certain government buildings, including public schools, from displaying any form of the Pride flag. (Read More)
MINNEAPOLIS — The panel tasked with replacing key state symbols finalized the new flag on Tuesday after four months of discussion and several spirited debates.
The State Emblems Redesign Commission overwhelmingly approved the new design after making tweaks to the final concept it chose from over 2,000 submissions from the public. It includes two motifs that prevailed across many designs and throughout their process of eliminating ideas to get to a finalist: a star, which is a nod to the state's motto "The Star of the North" and blue to symbolize Minnesota's vast and distinct waterways. (Read More)
ST. PAUL, Minn. — Minnesota is one step closer to a new state flag after the commission tasked with reimagining it landed on the top three designs.
The State Emblems Redesign Commission on Tuesday voted to cut the group of finalists in half after it had narrowed more than 2,000 submissions to just six last month. They allowed the public to give feedback online and received thousands of comments. (Read More)
Nathan Feldman allegedly asked to put a straight pride flag alongside the Progress Pride flags displayed at his children's school. In his lawsuit, he claims the school violated both the First Amendment and the equal protection clause of the 14th Amendment. (Screenshot via lawsuit)
A Colorado father is suing the state's largest school district, claiming staff refused to let him display a "straight pride" flag alongside the Progress Pride flags on view throughout his children's Denver school
...
The conflict began in October 2022 when Feldman visited Slavens School, where his twin children were second grade students. He noticed dozens of Progress Pride flags displayed in classrooms and hallways, according to the suit.
The Progress Pride flag is a redesigned version of the rainbow flag with additional stripes to specifically honor transgender individuals and people of color.
Feldman told his children's teachers the flags were "not inclusive of all Slavens School students and only represent one viewpoint on the topic of sex," the suit claims. He asked if he could place an identically-sized flag representing his children's views on the same topic alongside the existing flags and allegedly offered an example of a "straight pride flag."
The teachers did not respond, but Feldman continued to raise concerns. Then the Slavens School principal allegedly replied in an email that the district supports the right of employees to post a "rainbow flag or other sign of support for LGBTQIA+ students or staff, because these are symbols consistent with the District’s equity-based curriculum."
"The District doesn't allow for other flags," the principal allegedly told Feldman. (Read More)
A man wearing a Kyrgyz national hat poses with national flags before a rally marking the Day of Flag and the Day of Kolpak in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan March 4, 2013. (Reuters/Shamil Zhumatov)
BISHKEK, Nov 29 (Reuters) - Kyrgyzstan's parliament voted on Wednesday to tweak the design of the national flag after critics, including President Sadyr Japarov, said its central element looked like a sunflower which in the local culture symbolises fickleness and servility.
The Central Asian nation's flag, adopted in 1992 after it gained independence from the Soviet Union, depicts a yellow sun - which doubles as the pinnacle of a traditional Kyrgyz yurt tent - with 40 rays on a red background.
But the wavy rays caught the eye of some parliament deputies in September who pointed out that they look more like sunflower petals. (Read More)
Submission F29 State Emblems Redesign Commission (CBS Minnesota)
MINNEAPOLIS -- It took hours Tuesday night, for the 13 member State Emblems Redesign Commission to choose the best options. The more than 2,600 design options were whittled down to six. Each flag was meticulously analyzed.
"I have mixed feelings," said Angie Brust from Eden Prairie, in regard to the final chosen designs. "Not what I would have expected."
Some were at a loss for words.
"Um... well... eh," said Calvin White from Brooklyn Center.
"I don't feel like anything I love about Minnesota is captured in any of these six flags," said BG Tucker from Minneapolis.
Ohio bill allowing 'unapproved' flags in HOA, condo communities called unconstitutional (WSYX)
COLUMBUS, Ohio (WSYX) — A dispute over an Israeli flag hanging outside of an Ohio condo is revealing government attempts to block homeowner associations in the state from banning certain flags. While legal experts say the First Amendment does not apply to an HOA or COA prohibiting some flags from flying, violations do occur when state lawmakers try to take control. (Read More)
A Palestinian flag flies below the American and POW-MIA flags on the North Andover Town Common flagpole after it was raised on Tuesday, Nov. 14. (Boston 25 News)
A Massachusetts town approved flying the Palestinian flag for a month despite heated debates among its residents in the wake of Hamas terrorists’ attack on Israel in October.
The black, white, green and red flag of the Palestinian Liberation Organization was hoisted below both the American flag and POW-MIA flag on the North Andover Town Common flagpole. (Read More)
MONTGOMERY, Ala. – Flying certain flags on public property would become a criminal offense in Alabama under a newly filed bill by State Sen. Gerald Allen, R-Tuscaloosa.
Among the first bills filed for the 2024 legislative session, Senate Bill 4 would make it a Class C misdemeanor for an individual to place, hoist, or display a flag on public property outside of 11 exceptions, including the United States flag and the Boy Scouts of America flag. (Read More)
Flag submission No. F816 (State Emblems Redesign Commission)
Minnesotans hoping to influence the look of their new state flag like their stars and their loons — lots and lots of loons. There are loony ideas, too, including a pitch with a hot dish at the fore.
The State Emblems Redesign Commission unfurled what could be Minnesota's biggest art critique in history by publishing more than 2,100 proposed flag designs sent in by the public. Wednesday’s debut of a website will give people a chance to see what others recommended, but the decision will fall to the appointed commission. (Read More)
Planet Ant Theatre hung an LGBTQ+ flag in front of theatre in Hamtramck, Mich. on June 13, 2023 amid a controversy over a flag neutrality ordinance that would prohibit Pride flags from being displayed on city property. (Robin Buckson, The Detroit News)
Two former members of Hamtramck's Human Relations Commission are suing the city, mayor and City Council over their controversial decision to ban LGBTQ+ flags from city-owned property, alleging it violates a host of federal and state laws, including the free speech provision of the First Amendment. (Read More)
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Sherrod Brown (D-OH) announced that the Senate unanimously passed his bipartisan All-American Flag Act. This bill would require the federal government to only buy flags completely produced and manufactured in the United States. In July, the bill passed on a bipartisan vote out of the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs. (Read More)
WOULD YOU BE MINE?: Arkansas PBS announces a Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood Sweater Drive this November. (Arkansas PBS)
Arkansas PBS is partnering with more than 80 organizations across the state this November to collect sweaters as the cold weather emerges.
As part of the Mr. Rogers’ Neighborhood Sweater Drive, Arkansas PBS will distribute all of the goods collected next month to various local charities. Make it a beautiful day for a neighbor and donate a sweater. Donations in Little Rock can be made at many of the Central Arkansas Library System locations. (Read More)
Note: Donations can be made at Flag and Banner's Little Rock location
A player with flag decals for both the U.S. and Tonga on the back of their helmet. (Getty Images)
The NFL has increased its effort to grow the game outside of North America, with a number of matchups being played overseas and a few programs put in place to recruit international players.
With the increase in diverse backgrounds among the players, the league is shining a light on the different nations that are represented on the gridiron, as the NFL Heritage program is back again this season.
Starting Week 7, fans will notice a plethora of players and coaches wearing flag decals either on their helmets or jackets. Participants can choose to wear the flag of an international country in which either they lived for more than two years or relatives have been born.
Last year, the NFL introduced the program with more than 200 players and coaches taking part. It was a hit in 2022, and it's back even bigger in 2023, as the league has stated the number is now beyond 330. (Read More)
Dana White: Fighters Now Allowed To Carry Flags Into Octagon.
UFC President Dana White has axed one of the promotion's most controversial policies amidst an outcry from numerous fighters.
UFC Fight Night: Dawson vs. Green was capped off by a wild finish in the main event on Saturday in Las Vegas. Despite entering the fight as a significant betting underdog, Green swarmed Dawson and finished the fight in just 33 seconds for his biggest win in recent years.
The co-main event featured a middleweight matchup between Dana White's Contender Series alum Joe Pyfer and Abdul Razak Alhassan. After finishing Alhassan in the Octagon, Pyfer donned an American flag, a previously discouraged act by the promotion over the past year.
The UFC had banned fighters from walking out or leaving the Octagon with country flags, but White says Saturday's event marked the end of the policy. (Read More)
Philadelphia vexillophile Simon Joseph at the Tomb of the Unknown Revolutionary War Soldier in Washington Square, which flies flags associated with all original 13 states. (Courtesy Simon Joseph)
If your family member is exhibiting signs of vexillophilia, should you be alarmed?
For the more than 120 flag experts and enthusiasts descending on Philadelphia next month, the answer is most definitely not — even if they recognize it might not be for everyone.
“It’s a weird hobby,” said Simon Joseph, a Norris Square resident helping organize the North American Vexillological Association’s 57th Annual Meeting at the 23rd Street Armory in Center City. “I think it’s weird, and I’m totally into it. I like that it is design, I like that it’s history, I like that it is physical.”
Vexillology is the study of flags, including their history, how they’re used, and how they’re made. Joseph described it as an “obscure subject.” (Read More)
Protesters burn an American flag in response to Aldean's lyrics. (News2Share / YouTube)
A group of self-described communists crashed country singer Jason Aldean’s concert near Chicago on Saturday to protest his controversial song “Try That In A Small Town.”
Aldean has received praise and condemnation since the release of the track, which has been described as a violent “pro-lynching song” by critics who also took issue with the song’s politically charged music video.
Members of the Revolution Club of Chicago called “Try That In A Small Town” a “fascist anthem” and “rallying cry for Civil War” before gathering over the weekend. (Read More)
Ukraine's military released balloons carrying the national flag into the sky from Avdiyivka, eastern Ukraine, on Saturday. (Europe)
Russian soldiers accidentally revealed their positions after they tried to shoot down a Ukrainian flag suspended from balloons flying over occupied territory, a Ukrainian official said.
The large flag, attached to dozens of helium balloons, was released from the Ukrainian-controlled town of Avdiyivka on Sunday by the military.
The launch was to commemorate the 245th anniversary of the city's founding, Vitalii Barabash, the head of the Avdiivka city military administration, said.
Barabash told national television the flag eventually flew over the Russian-occupied city of Donetsk in eastern Ukraine, where Russian soldiers attempted to shoot it down, The Kyiv Independent reported. (Read More)
Ann Arbor's official city flag flies outside Larcom City Hall along Ann Street on March 17, 2022. (Ryan Stanton | The Ann Arbor News)
ANN ARBOR, MI — More than a year since the idea was floated by Mayor Christopher Taylor, Ann Arbor is moving ahead with plans to come up with a new official city flag.
City Council voted unanimously this week to OK a resolution sponsored by Taylor and Council Member Cynthia Harrison, D-1st Ward, to ask the Public Art Commission to develop a project plan to design a new flag in honor of the city’s bicentennial celebration in 2024. It could be done through a community design contest.
“A well-designed municipal flag can bring joy to a community, unifying its members and instilling civic pride,” the resolution states. “The lack of widespread usage and display of the current city flag throughout Ann Arbor indicates that a redesigned flag could benefit the community.” (Read More)
The Minnesota state flag is displayed in the state Capitol building rotunda, March 24, 2022, in St. Paul, Minn. (Mohamed Ibrahim/Report for America via AP, File)
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — A state commission went to work Tuesday on designing a new state flag and seal for Minnesota to replace a current emblem in both that’s considered offensive to Native Americans.
One of the main elements of Minnesota’s state flag includes a prominent state seal against a blue background. The seal depicts a Native American riding off into the sunset while a white settler plows his field with his rifle leaning on a nearby stump. The imagery suggests to many that the Indigenous people were defeated and going away, while whites won and were staying.
Not only do the state’s Dakota and Ojibwe tribes consider that offensive, but experts in the scientific and scholarly study of flags — known as vexillology — say it’s an overly complicated design. (Read More)
Shown arriving at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii, on Aug. 7, 2023, the USS Carl M. Levin was named after a longtime senator from Michigan who championed veterans’ rights. (Lt. Autumn Estrada/U.S. Navy photo)
The Navy destroyer USS Carl M. Levin arrived in Hawaii for its official homecoming in early August with a novel sight flapping from its mast: a brand-new battle flag featuring a fearsome pirate ship, a legendary sea monster and mythical phoenix.
The Arleigh Burke-class guided missile destroyer pulled into Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam on Aug. 7, just six weeks after the Navy commissioned the vessel as the newest to join the fleet in Baltimore. (Read More)
A memorial to the victims of the mass shooting on August 31, 2019 in Odessa, TX. (Your Basin)
ODESSA, Texas (KMID/KPEJ)- If you’re driving down 42nd Street this week, you may notice a tribute to the victims of a mass shooting that rocked the Basin four years ago. Those who erected the memorial today said the yellow flags are a reminder of a terrible day, as well as a loving tribute to those injured or killed. (Read More)
BOSTON — Governor Maura T. Healey has sent a letter to President Biden requesting that he lower flags to half-mast on August 31, 2023, in observance of International Overdose Awareness Day and in remembrance of the millions of American lives lost to the overdose crisis. This action would allow Massachusetts to lower its flags as well.
“The overdose crisis has taken the lives of hundreds of thousands of Americans and Massachusetts residents. This loss has been devastating to their families, to their communities, and to our entire state and country,” said Governor Maura Healey. “We are truly in mourning – and lowering the flags on International Overdose Awareness Day will help us to honor their memories, call attention to the overdose crisis that continues to ravage our communities, and break down the stigma that prevents too many people from seeking lifesaving treatment. We are grateful to the Biden Administration for their importance work to address substance use disorder and hope that they will consider taking this step to raise awareness.” (Read More)
A high school student is refusing to remove large American flags from his truck that school officials want to be removed. (WSET, Christina Kingery, CNN)
BEDFORD COUNTY, Va. (WSET) - A Virginia high school student is not backing down regarding flying his American flags.
The school is demanding he remove two large American flags from his truck, but he’s refusing to do so.
High school student Christopher Hartless said he is just exercising his First Amendment rights by flying the flags.
“My family fought for America, and I feel like I should be able to represent the flags that they fought for,” Hartless said.
His stepmom, Christina Kingery, said last Wednesday, Hartless went to school with the flags mounted on his truck, but school administrators told him he needed to take them down because it was a distraction. (Read More)
A business owner was fatally shot Friday after someone allegedly took issue with a Pride flag she had displayed at her clothing store in Cedar Glen, Calif. Here, a Progress Pride Flag is held above a crowd of LGBTQ+ activists in West Hollywood, Calif., in April 2023. (Allison Dinner, AFP)
A Southern California business owner was shot and killed Friday by a man who objected to an LGBTQ+ Pride flag displayed at her clothing store, officials said.
San Bernardino County sheriff's deputies responded to the Mag.Pi clothing store in Cedar Glen, Calif., at around 5 p.m. local time for reports of a shooting.
Deputies discovered the victim, 66-year-old Laura Ann Carleton, suffering from a gunshot wound. Carleton was pronounced dead at the scene, the San Bernardino Sheriff's Department said in a news release.
The suspect, who was not identified by officials, fled the scene on foot. (Read More)
Hundreds of people gathered to watch the Creggan bonfire on Tuesday night (BBC)
The placing of poppy wreaths on a bonfire is being investigated by police as a potential hate crime.
Hundreds of people gathered on waste ground in Creggan in Londonderry when the bonfire was lit on Tuesday night.
It featured several poppy wreaths, a number of flags - including a King Charles Coronation flag and UVF flag - and a Traditional Unionist Voice election poster.
Police described the material placed on the bonfire as a "provocative display". (Read More)
Australian Mia Chloe said there are 'too many' American flags after noticing an abundance of them during her travels. (TikTok/Twitter)
A young Australian woman visiting the US has been told to leave the country by a state politician after complaining there are "too many American flags" hanging around.
TikTok user Mia Chloe made the comments in a video reportedly shared on social media last week after noticing the abundance of flags during her travels. But her remarks ruffled a few American feathers.
"I'm just going to say it. There are too many American flags," she begins in the 43-second clip which has since been re-shared on Twitter. Her own social media accounts appear to be deleted entirely.
"They're on houses. They're on cars. Some are on couch cushions," she said. "You're the only country that I know that does this". (Read More)
CHICAGO — A 9-year-old boy hoped to spark some change to the Oswego flag after he pitched a new design to the village board.
In March, Caden Stagl discovered a passion for the world’s flags on a family trip to Minnesota while reading a knowledge encyclopedia.
“(Caden was) quizzing us the whole way there whole way back and started memorizing them falling in love with flags,” Caden’s mother Jody Stagl said. “We’re trying to figure out who he belongs to because of neither of us really likes flags or know any of them but he knows all of them – he does.”
But a few months back, Caden decided his hometown flag of Oswego needed an update. (Read More)
Flag of Illinois fluttering in the wind against a cloudy sky
Illinois’ current state flag has remained largely unchanged for more than a century, but Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker paved the way to a new banner for the Land of Lincoln by signing a bill this week.
Senate Bill 1818, appropriately named after the year Illinois became a state, creates a commission to evaluate the state’s current flag, and decide whether or not it is time to design a new one.
Pritzker officially applied his signature to the bill on Monday after it was approved by the General Assembly. (Read More)
The current Minnesota flag, which lawmakers hope to soon retire, flies during a snowstorm. (Stephen Maturen, Getty Images)
Lee Herold is willing to bet money that more Minnesotans know what the Texas flag looks like than the flag of their home state. “It doesn’t stick with you. It doesn’t stick in your memory,” the owner of Herold Flags in Rochester, Minnesota, tells KARE 11’s Boyd Huppert.
Today, the flag that flies near the State Capitol in St. Paul is difficult to distinguish from the flags of New Hampshire, Nebraska and other states that also feature a state seal on a blue background.
The current flag representing the North Star State also includes “offensive imagery,” said Mike Freiberg, a state representative, on the floor of the Minnesota House of Representatives in May, per CBS News Minnesota’s Caroline Cummings. (Read More)
A U.S. flag flies at Patriot Park where a collection of monuments stand in tribute to veterans in Columbia Falls, Maine, May 27. The Worcester family hopes to build a $1 billion world's tallest flagpole theme park nearby. (Robert F. Bukaty, Associated Press)
Lobster boat engines rumble to life, lumberjacks trudge into the woods and farmers tend wild blueberries just like they have for generations here at the nation's northeastern tip, where the vast wilderness and ocean meet in one of the last places on the East Coast unspoiled by development.
It's a striking backdrop to a family's bold vision for the region: a flagpole jutting upward from the woodlands toward spacious skies — reaching higher than the Empire State Building and topped with an American flag bigger than a football field. (Read More)
North Carolina property developer Brock Fankhauser on the patriotic development that would have U.S. flags flying at each home. (Fox News, Elizabeth Heckman)
An upcoming North Carolina housing development is billing itself as patriotic community where homeowners will "pledge" to fly the American flag year-round and uphold the nation's values.
Brock Fankhauser, founder of 1776 Gastonia, said his mission is to blend American patriotism with the American dream of homeownership. (Read More)
Cole finishes his knitted American flag to a cheering crowd. (KNWA, Alex Angle)
People from around Northwest Arkansas visited the Momentary on the Fourth of July to see for themselves the world’s largest knitted American flag.
Artist Dave Cole finished the 25 feet wide and 15 feet tall flag on July 4th with people cheering him on.
"Knitting is a medium that lends itself to a certain type of accessibility that everybody can relate to it and that done on this scale, it sort of shines a light on that and I find that really gratifying," Cole said. (Read More)
Redfin reports nearly 1 in 3 surveyed homebuyers said seeing a rainbow flag in their neighborhood would make them more likely to make an offer. Roughly half of respondents would be less likely to make an offer if they saw a Confederate flag. (Business Wire)
Nearly one-third (29.5%) of U.S. homebuyers said that seeing a rainbow flag in a neighborhood would make them more likely to make an offer on a home there, according to a new survey from Redfin (redfin.com), the technology-powered real estate brokerage. But respondents were divided: 22.3% of buyers said the presence of a rainbow (LGBTQ+ pride) flag would make them less likely to submit an offer, and roughly half (48.2%) said it would have no impact on their decision. (Read More)
We spoke with Brian Rodgers at the Mosiac Templars Cultural Center about 9th Street's vibrant history and their hope to revive the area as a historic neighborhood. (Hayden Balgavy, THV11)
This Saturday the City of Little Rock and the rest of the country will celebrate Juneteenth, a federal holiday in the United States commemorating the emancipation of enslaved African Americans
“This shouldn’t be just a Black holiday; we’re celebrating freedom for all Americans," said Brian Rodgers with the Mosaic Templars Cultural Center.
The holiday also gives people a chance to understand the history of Little Rock's 9th Street. (Read More)
In its glory days, the ballroom attracted the most influential Black musicians of the time. They included Ray Charles, B.B. King, Sammy Davis Jr., Ella Fitzgerald, Nat King Cole, and Louis Armstrong, just to name a few. (Melanie Johnson, Only In Your State)
With a name like Dreamland Ballroom, I can only imagine how magical this once-abandoned ballroom in Arkansas was. With ties to famous Black musicians like Ray Charles, Sammy Davis Jr., Ella Fitzgerald, and more, this iconic ballroom was a popular entertainment mecca in Little Rock. The nightclub was housed inside the Taborian Hall, which was a hub for other prominent Black-owned businesses, social clubs as well as entertainment venues. Let’s explore the Dreamland Ballroom during its glory days as well as the restoration efforts of the building over the last 30 years. (Read More)
June 15 marks 187 years since Arkansas became the 25th American state in 1836.
The congressional act admitting the state to the Union was signed by President Andrew Jackson, the result of an Arkansas constitution drawn up in January of that year. The four-page neatly handwritten document formed the foundation of the current laws in the state.
The state’s population of 60,000 — slightly less than the current population of Conway — was enough to justify statehood, which had a minimum requirement of 40,000.
The state’s name dates back to its earliest time, with Arkansas being the name Ohio Valley native people gave to the Quapaw tribe that inhabited the state. The name means “south wind.” (Read More)
The Dreamland Ballroom at Taborian Hall. (Ashley Clayborn, AR Times)
An average of 111,000 drivers pass by downtown Little Rock on Interstate 30 every day, but when it’s time to plan our summer, do we think enough about the rich history embedded in this city? Not just the big moments, but the smaller glimmers of humanity rooted deep in paint-flaked brick walls. If you want to stroll through lesser-known Arkansas history in downtown Little Rock on a weekday afternoon — or on your summer staycation — all that is required is a little planning ahead. (Read More)
Drivers spotted protesters outside Disney World in Orlando, Florida, flying Nazi flags and DeSantis flags. (Patrick Colson-Price, USA Today)
About 15 people with flags displaying Nazi insignia gathered outside Walt Disney World theme park in Orlando, Florida, on Saturday, according to the Orange County Sheriff's Office, as others displayed messaging in support of Gov. Ron DeSantis.
The Orange County Sheriff's Office said deputies responded to the demonstration, which dissipated after about two hours with no arrests. Two counter-protesters also showed up, the office said. (Read More)
The front side of the Seal of the Commonwealth of Virginia depicts the Roman goddess Virtus standing over a slain tyrant, as seen in a government pamphlet. (The Virginian-Pilot)
There’s one state flag with a nipple.
Virginia is the only state in the union boasting a flag bearing the image of a bare-breasted woman, her drooping toga exposing the left side of her chest.
She represents the Roman goddess of virtue, Virtus, and once again she has public officials pondering nudity and appropriateness for schoolchildren. But such considerations are far from new.
The discussion and the creation of visual symbols for the commonwealth date to 1776 and a young country wanting to appear strong during a war for its survival. (Read More)
A Pride flag flies with U.S. flags at the entrance to the Biloxi VA Medical Center and the Biloxi VA Veterans Cemetery in Biloxi, Miss., on Monday. (NBC News)
Congressional Republicans from Mississippi are demanding that the Department of Veterans Affairs remove a temporary Pride flag from Biloxi National Cemetery, arguing its presence is disrespectful to veterans.
In a letter Monday to Veterans Affairs Secretary Denis McDonough, the five GOP lawmakers, including Sens. Roger Wicker and Cindy Hyde-Smith, called adding the flag during Pride Month a "political stunt."
The flag was added to a display of American flags last week. McDonough has authorized all VA facilities to fly the Pride flag — designed by Army veteran Gilbert Baker — for up to 30 days during Pride Month. (Read More)
"This week marks the 100th anniversary of one of the more bizarre controversies in Maine history.
It was June 1, 1923, when then-Governor Percival Baxter’s beloved dog, Garry, died. So, the governor did something that made national headlines, he ordered the state house flags to fly at half-staff for his dog.
Flags at half-staff are a symbol of mourning for noted officials, dignitaries, or first responders killed in the line of duty. It's a relatively rare and somber event, which is why it got attention 100 years ago." (Read More)
A woman waves the flag of Puerto Rico during a news conference on Puerto Rican statehood on Capitol Hill in Washington, Tuesday, March 2, 2021. (Patrick Semansky, AP)
"A TikTok video claims that in Florida displaying Puerto Rico’s flag, including in cars, will no longer be allowed. The video blames Gov. Ron DeSantis...
PolitiFact found no law signed by DeSantis that prohibits raising the Puerto Rican flag in Florida. We also found no statement from him about signing a future bill that does what the video said. PolitiFact contacted the governor’s office but didn’t get a response." (Read More)
Should Minnesota redesign its state flag? There’s a redesign bill in the legislature, but WCCO’s Marielle Mohs shows us how a classroom of 7th graders is already one step ahead of lawmakers. (CBS News)
"Minnesota's state seal and flag could get a revamp thanks to a bill moving forward in the state legislature.
The state House on Friday approved a state government spending package, which includes a provision to create a 13-member State Emblems Redesign Commission that will submit a report to the legislature with new designs by January 1, 2024, for lawmakers to consider.
Minnesota's current flag is its state seal on a blue backdrop. Supporters of making a change say it doesn't abide by the tenets of "good flag" design and suggest the current symbolism has racist undertones. It depicts Native American on horseback riding as a farmer tills the land." (Read More)
More than two dozens volunteers pause for a photo before spreading out across the 46-acre Greenwood Cemetery on Saturday morning to place flags on the graves of more than 930 veterans who are buried there. (Dan Irwin, New Castle News)
"The most important lessons aren’t always taught in classrooms. Sometimes, they are learned on rainy mornings amid 46 acres of wet, knee-high grass. That was the case for a handful of Kennedy Catholic students Saturday who were among the roughly two dozen volunteers that turned out to place flags on veterans’ graves at Greenwood Cemetery." (Read More)
"Protesters and a large installation representing Russian atrocities in Ukraine blocked the path of Russia's ambassador to Poland as he sought Tuesday to place a wreath at a Warsaw memorial to Soviet soldiers on Russia's Victory Day holiday." (Read More)
Posted May 10, 2023
Kerry McCoy in The News Girl Power -KARK (Arkansas Style)
Kerry McCoy is a self-made woman who founded several businesses and whose story of grit and perseverance is a true gift to our town. (KARK)
Royal fans who excessively decorate their cars face prosecution if the vehicle represents a danger to other road users following the modifications (ThisIsMoneyUK)
"Royal fans run the risk of fines of £2,500, a trip to court and possible driving bans if they are too enthusiastic decorating their cars to celebrate this weekend's coronation. As King Charles III is anointed in a solemn ceremony in Westminster Abbey on Saturday, searches on Google for 'coronation decorations' have increased by 313 per cent over the past three months..." (Read More)
"Bartow County middle school student Redman Porter loves flags and creates them for fun. The City of Frankfort, Indiana, adopted a flag he designed as their own." (Watch the Video)
Flags that would and wouldn't be protected under a new Florida bill. (Fox 30)
"A Florida bill protecting homeowners’ right to fly certain flags outside of their homes cleared its second Senate committee Wednesday morning. In 2017 Action News Jax brought you the story of a homeowner in St. Johns County who was told by their homeowner’s association, they had to take down the Thin Blue Line flag displayed outside their home...." (Read More)
"Utah Gov. Spencer Cox signed legislation on Tuesday approving a new state flag, set to go into effect in March 2024. But Utah's current, or now historic, flag isn't going away entirely. In addition to signing Senate Bill 31 – which, despite some pushback and controversy prompting changes to the bill, was narrowly passed by the Utah legislature earlier this month..." (Read More)
“Réincarnation des Morts,” Myrlande Constant. (Photo: David D’Arcy)
"One of the dozen vodou flags by Myrlande Constant in the showDrapo (through March 25) atFort Gansevoortin New York City is a scene with St. Patrick, clad in green, with snakes on each side. For outsiders like myself observing Haitian art, St. Patrick is the last figure that you might expect to see in a Haitian context..." (Read More)
The state flag of Massachusetts (FlagandBanner.com)
"A local organization in Massachusetts is seeking to have the state's flag changed citing the flag's offensive imagery to indigenous individuals. "The imagery of the Massachusetts Flag and Seal - a white hand holding a Colonial sword over the head of an Indigenous person, above a Latin motto that translates: "She Seeks by the Sword a Quiet Peace under Liberty"—is seen by many as a symbol of violence against Indigenous people, and a memorial to the violent colonization of their homelands," the organization, Change the Mass Flag, says on their website..." (Read More)
A U.S. Navy Leap Frog parachutes into Cheyenne Frontier Days Arena with an American flag, July 23, 2022, in Cheyenne, Wyo. A memo issued Feb. 10, 2023, from the Defense Department’s public affairs office is prohibiting the use by service members of giant U.S. flags during sporting events and parachute jumps. (Sarah Post/U.S. Air Force)
"The Defense Department has a message for the service members being cheered on as they unfurl giant American flags horizontally at the Super Bowl and other major events: You're not following the rules. In a Feb. 10 memo to its public affairs offices, the department said that having service members carry the U.S. flag horizontally or land it on the ground after a parachute jump is no longer acceptable..." (Read More)
Protesters painted a giant Ukrainian flag in front of Russia's embassy in London on Thursday, ahead of the one-year mark of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine.(CBS News)
Performers at Dancing into Dreamland 2023 (Richard Davis)
"The historic Dreamland Ballroom was once again filled with music and dancing Feb. 11 for the fundraiser Dancing into Dreamland. Guests were greeted at the third floor ballroom with a glass of champagne and music by board member Rychy St. Vincent..." (Read More)
Matt McCoy, director of Friends of Dreamland, and his mother, Kerry McCoy, who owns Taborian Hall, stand with longtime volunteer Richard Davis. They collaborate each year for Dancing Into Dreamland, which raises money for the restoration of the Dreamland Ballroom, on the third floor of Taborian Hall. (Arkansas Democrat-Gazette/Cary Jenkins)
"Richard Davis danced his way into Dreamland. Then he started taking extra steps to find the best dancers for Dancing Into Dreamland every year. Davis happened upon the event, which aims to raise money to restore the grandeur of the Dreamland Ballroom on the third floor of Little Rock's Taborian Hall, through friends after he started ballroom dancing at the age of 62..." (Read More)
Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders speaks before signing House Bill 1023, which requires flags purchased with public funds to be made in the United States, Thursday at the state Capitol in Little Rock. (Arkansas Democrat-Gazette/Staci Vandagriff)
"Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders on Thursday signed a bill into law that requires all state and national flags purchased with public funds in Arkansas to be made and manufactured in the United States. House Bill 1023, sponsored by Jack Fortner, R-Yellville, applies to purchases made by public entities, including state and local government agencies, courts and school districts. "I don't think there's any Arkansan who doesn't get a sense of pride or excitement when they see both the Arkansas flag and certainly the American flag," Sanders said before signing the bill..." (Read More)
Dancers performing at the annual Dancing Into Dreamland fundraiser. (Dreamland Ballroom)
"We think we're coming down with a case of boogie fever. Just in case, we're dusting off our dancing shoes for the return ofDancing Into Dreamland. The annual fundraiser benefits theFriends of Dreamland, a nonprofit dedicated to restoring the historic Dreamland Ballroom, and is set for 7 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 11..." (Read More)
Louisiana State Highway 1 is seen from a Blackhawk helicopter above Grand Isle, La., on July 27, 2010. According to a federal lawsuit filed Tuesday, Jan. 24, 2023, the Louisiana resort town of Grand Isle is trying to suppress free speech with an ordinance aimed at stopping a contractor from flying flags emblazoned with vulgar insults aimed at President Joe Biden and his supporters. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky, File)
"A Louisiana resort town is trying to suppress free speech with an ordinance aimed at stopping a contractor from flying flags emblazoned with vulgar insults aimed at President Joe Biden and his supporters, according to a federal lawsuit filed Tuesday. The lawsuit against the barrier island town of Grand Isle says contractor Ross Brunet of Cut Off, Louisiana, works on the island regularly and has repeated flown three flags from his truck, according to court documents. One promoted breast cancer awareness. Two bore vulgarities aimed at Biden and people who voted for him..." (Read More)
The FlagandBanner.com building in downtown Little Rock (KARK)
"A bill that would require any flags bought by Arkansas taxpayer money to be made in America passed a House committee on Wednesday. The bill's sponsor said he anticipates easy passage in both chambers when the time comes." (Watch Video)
KARK reporter Andrew Epperson interviews FlagandBanner.com President Kerry McCoy (TJ McDaniel, FlagandBanner.com media)
"In response to AR House Bill 1023, a bill that would require all flags purchased by state agencies to be made or manufactured in America, Kerry McCoy, President and Founder of FlagandBanner.com, has weighed in with her opinion on the bill. While speaking with Andrew Epperson of KARK 4 News this afternoon, Kerry had this to say..." (Read More)
The American flag flying on a flagpole (FlagandBanner.com)
House Republicans this week introduced legislation that would prohibit flags other than the American flag from being flown over U.S. diplomatic and consular posts, after the Biden administration allowed pride flags and Black Lives Matter flags to be flown from U.S. embassies. The Old Glory Only Act, from Rep. Jeff Duncan of South Carolina, is aimed at pushing back at what Republicans say is the politicization of U.S. embassies by the Biden administration..." (Read More)
Stoughton High School students protest against the superintendent's policy banning "political" flags in classrooms, on Tuesday, Jan. 10, 2023. (Marc Vasconcellos/The Enteprise)
"Tensions rose at a Stoughton School Committee meeting Tuesday night as students, parents, teachers and community members gathered outside the school district's administrative building to protest the superintendent's policy banning "political" flags, including the Black Lives Matter and LGBTQ+ Pride flags, from classrooms to keep them politically neutral..." (Read More)
"Israel’s national security minister has ordered police to ban Palestinian flags from public places in the latest crackdown by the country’s new hardline government. Itamar Ben-Gvir’s order follows a series of other punitive steps against the Palestinians since taking office late last month..." (Read More)
Posted Jan. 12, 2023
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