🪪 Is Kansas's new license plate horrible?

It’s Monday, December 4 — people are talking about the legality of Montana’s TikTok ban, the new license plates in Kansas, and more.

As always, we’ve summarized and organized the different shades of perspective, so you can see the big picture quickly. Here at Shades we believe that seeing multiple points of view is the best way to stay informed.

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- Jeff (co-founder of Shades)

🏛️ Is Montana’s TikTok ban legal?

A judge struck down Montana's TikTok ban, calling it unconstitutional. Is it a win for free speech, or a win for China?

🏛️ A federal judge halted the ban, labeling it an overreach of state power and a free speech infringement. TikTok argued that the ban is excessive, while Montana said it was protection from China's data access.

🏛️ FIRE agreed with the judge: The law infringes on first amendment rights. It's too broad, and it limits free expression online.

🏛️ A TikTok spokesperson also agreed — and the NYT said TikTok has long contested the idea that it shares user info with China, which is the whole basis of Montana's ban.

🏛️ But The Hill thought Montana's TikTok ban is constitutional and necessary to keep user data from the CCP’s (China’s) prying eyes.

🏛️ Either way, the Washington Examiner noted that the judge's decision was preliminary, meaning the decision could still change.

🪪 Is Kansas’s new license plate horrible?

Kansas unveiled a new state license plate that was quickly slammed by voters. It's now back to the drawing board.

🪪 Kansas is scrapping its new license plate design. Fox says many people thought it was boring, and looked like a knockoff of New York's plate.

🪪 The Kansas Reflector called it the product of pure laziness. Whoever designed it obviously didn't care. Nothing about it feels like Kansas — where's the sky, or the wheat?

🪪 But the Kansas City Star defended the plate for being bold and easily recognizable. Kansas needs to get over its love affair with muted plates!

🪪 And a different Kansas City Star opinion wishes the government would listen to people on issues that matter more than license plates.

Quick hits

⚫ Mount Marapi, a volcano in Indonesia, erupted — leaving at least 11 people dead and 12 others unaccounted for. (Al Jazeera)

🇮🇱 Israel says its airstrike killed a Hamas commander who played a role in organizing the October 7 attack. (CNN)

⚫ Divers located wreckage from the Osprey military aircraft that crashed near the coast of Japan. The remains of 5 crew members were also found.

✈ Alaska Airlines agreed to a $1.9 billion deal to buy Hawaiian Airlines. The combined airline plans to keep both brands. (AP News)