Time - USA (2022-02-28)

7

A shot in

the dark

One million miles

from home, the

James Webb

Space Telescope is

preparing for its job

of peering deeper

into space than

any telescope ever

has before. But on

Feb. 11, an onboard

camera looked

much closer, taking

this selfie of the

telescope’s 21-ft.-

wide, 18-segment

main mirror.

Each of those

segments can be

moved in seven

axes for pinpoint

focusing; in this

image, the single

bright segment is

pointed directly at a

star. —Jeffrey Kluger

THE BULLETIN

What Florida’s ‘Don’t Say Gay’ bill means for LGBTQ kids

On Feb. 8, President JOe biden cOn-

demned legislation swiftly moving through

Florida’s state legislature that would ban

public school districts from “encouraging”

classroom discussion of sexual orienta-

tion or gender identity. Supporters of the

bill claim it would keep parents involved in

their kids’ educations; critics have labeled

it a discriminatory attempt by GOP law-

makers to stir support among their base at

the expense of LGBTQ students.

TARGETED EFFORTS The “Don’t Say Gay”

bill is part of a wave of legislation target-

ing what can and cannot be said in public

school classrooms across the U.S. A Feb. 15

report by PEN America, a nonprofit orga-

nization that advocates for free expression,

found that 2022 has seen a rise in “educa-

tional gag orders” in state legislatures, in-

cluding 15 bills that would ban discussion

of LGBTQ identities. GOP lawmakers also

introduced a record number of bills in 2021

targeting LGBTQ students, limiting their

ability to play sports or access medical care.

CURRICULUM CHANGES Specifically, the

Florida bill seeks to ban LGBTQ instruction

at “primary grade levels.” (Florida doesn’t

have a statutory definition for that term at

the moment, however, so critics argue it’s

unclear what age range it would apply to.)

At a recent state senate hearing, a lawmaker

gave the example of math problems framed

with details like “Sally has two moms.”

That, the bill’s sponsor said, is “exactly”

what it aims to prevent.

LEGAL THREATS The legislation also allows

parents to sue school districts over class-

room discussions they deem inappropriate—

opening the door to “frivolous lawsuits,”

argues Kara Gross, legislative director and

senior policy counsel of the American Civil

Liberties Union of Florida. Critics say the

bill will stop students from discussing

LGBTQ friends or family members—and

prevent LGBTQ students, who often al-

ready face increased rates of stigma and

isolation, from speaking about their very

existence. —MAdeLeine cArLisLe

NEWS TICKER

Prince

AndrewAndrewAndrew settles settles settles

sex-abuse casesex-abuse case

British royal Prince British royal Prince

Andrew has Andrew has settled

a lawsuit brought

by Virginia Giuffre,

who accused him of

sexually assaulting her sexually assaulting her

when she was 17, per when she was 17, per

a Feb. 15 court filing. a Feb. 15 court filing.

(Andrew has denied the (Andrew has denied the

allegations.) The prince allegations.) The prince

will pay an undisclosed will pay an undisclosed

sum to Giuffre, and will sum to Giuffre, and will

also make a donation to also make a donation to

her charity in support of her charity in support of

victims’ rights.victims’ rights.

Senators: CIA

has secret data has secret data

on Amon Amon Americansericansericans

Partially declassified Partially declassified

on Feb. 10, a 2021 on Feb. 10, a 2021

letter from Senators letter from Senators

Ron Wyden and Martin Ron Wyden and Martin

Heinrich to intelligence Heinrich to intelligence

officials officials alleges that

the CIA has for years

been collecting data in

bulk that could affect

Americans’ privacy, Americans’ privacy,

without a warrant. The without a warrant. The

Senators are calling for Senators are calling for

the agency to publicly the agency to publicly

release more details release more details

about the program.about the program.

U.S. plans to

beef up Pacific beef up Pacific

presencepresence

The U.S. said Feb. 12 The U.S. said Feb. 

that it plans to that it plans to reopen

an embassy in the

Solomon Islands for

the first time since the first time since

1993, as part of efforts 1993, as part of efforts

to counter China’s to counter China’s

expanding influence expanding influence

in the Pacific region. in the Pacific region.

The island nation The island nation

switched its diplomatic switched its diplomatic

allegiance from Taiwan allegiance from Taiwan

to China in 2019. to China in 2019.

NASA/AFP/GETTY IMAGES