The discussions over removal of Confederate memorials in the United States have been some of the more prominent ones in our current cultural landscape. Gaining momentum from other recent social movements that are happening concurrently, from Black Lives Matter to #MeToo and beyond, the focus of these discussions now seems to have widened to include memorials and statues that go well further back than the American Civil War, and beyond the borders of this country.

Amy Murrell Taylor, the T. Marshall Hahn Jr. Professor of History at the University of Kentucky, last appeared on "Behind the Blue" in September of 2017. On this newest episode, Taylor returns to discuss how this movement has progressed over the past three years, and how the university and Lexington are approaching these conversations. "I think Lexington has gotten past the most contentious part of the monument piece of all of this," says Taylor. "But monuments are just one piece of a much bigger struggle for racial justice."

Taylor also talks about her recent book, "Embattled Freedom: Journeys Through the Civil War's Slave Refugee Camps," and its themes of freedom not just coming to people despite the war and its resolution, but that it had to be sought after in the midst of it.

"Behind the Blue" is available on iTunes, Google Play, Stitcher and Spotify. Become a subscriber to receive new episodes of "Behind the Blue" each week. UK's latest medical breakthroughs, research, artists and writers will be featured, along with the most important news impacting the university.

For questions or comments about this or any other episode of "Behind the Blue," email BehindTheBlue@uky.edu or tweet your question with #BehindTheBlue.

To discover what's wildly possible at the University of Kentucky, click here.

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Behind The Blue: 'Embattled Freedom' And Confederate Memorials - Patch.com

Since the beginning of 2020, Albania has registered a total of nine threats against media freedom on the ECPMF Mapping Media Freedom Website.

This is a concerning number for a country of such a small size and is more than double the incidents from 2019. If you combine the number of threats over the last 12 months, rather than just the last eight months, the total rises to 13

The most recent incident was that of ReportTV journalist Elvis Hila who was obstructed and detained by police as he tried to report on the demolition of properties by the National Inspectorate of the Protection of Territory on a local beach. As he was filming one incident, the Chief of Lezhe police approached him and took the phone from his hands. He was then escorted to a police vehicle where he was kept for some moment while the footage he filmed was deleted. The police and the Ministry of the Interior have not provided any information on why he was detained.

Also recorded was the violent detention of Politiko editor Alfred Lela as he was reporting on the demolition of the National Theatre. Photos and video footage showed him being handcuffed and dragged as well as lying down on the pavement while in the custody of several officers. He claims he was assaulted by the police while in custody.

The recent attempt by the state to close down Ora News was also mentioned. In May, RTV Ora was informed it had to pay a fine by the National Health Inspectorate for supposedly violating COVID-19 measures. It then had additional fines levied against it before the Inspectorate said that the station must close. AMA then backtracked and said there was no decision to close the station.

Exit News also received a mention following a cyber attack it experienced in April of this year. The platform was hit by a targeted cyber-attack which took down the website for 24 hours and tried to delete all data from the websites database. Mapping Media Freedom noted that Exit is one of the few critical media in Albania and had recently published articles criticising the handling of the COVID-19 pandemic. Had the cyber attack been successful, Exit would have lost every article written in the last five years. Thankfully, the attack was stopped but was described as having a high level of sophistication by IT experts engaged by Exit.

Other incidents include harassment against Ora News journalist Sonila Meco, the detention of editor and journalist at FAX News, Bekim Bici, threats against Ora News journalist Elio Laze by employees of government-favourite contractor Salillari, and the voicemail left by Prime Minister Edi Rama advising citizens to protect themselves from the media.

Fjal kye: Albania, ECPMF, media freedom, press freedom

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Mapping Media Freedom: Big Increase in Threats Reported in Albania During 2020 - Exit - Explain Albania

The pilot, a volunteer himself with the Pilots and Paws Organization, along with a local rescue advocate with the Nueces County Animal Services made it all possible.

ROBSTOWN, Texas After a Kingsville family fell homeless during the pandemic they were forced to give up their two retrievers that had been in the family for eight years.

The dogs ended up at the Kingsville Animal Control, with limited time, officials say.

Thats when local animal advocate and volunteer rescue coordinator for Nueces County Animal Services, Lisa Bockholt, stepped in and set out on a mission to find a place for these two dogs to go.

I reached out to my rescue partners with the news, several wanted to help and then one came forward with a plan for the dogs, said Bockholt.

Bockholt then coordinated getting the two dogs, Bailey and Ginger, transported to a local veterinarian and put them on a plane to fly to their temporary foster home in Athens, Texas.

The pilot is a volunteer himself, with the Pilots and Paws Organization. Eventually, the two dogs will be then placed together in a permanent loving forever home by their rescue, Chicagoland Labs.

Rescue can be stressful at times but its times like this that make it all worth it, said Bockholt.

For more information on how you can help shelter dogs in our area contact South Texas Shelter Dogs at (410) 608-2195.

Read the original here:

Flight to Freedom: Pilot lands in Nueces County to pick up two abandoned dogs due to pandemic and flies them to their new foster home - KIIITV.com

Planned Parenthood PAC of Oregons director urges Oregonians to remain united against the White Houses harmful policies

Donald Trump has broken plenty of campaign promises, but this summer, we were reminded of one that he kept. He pledged to appoint justices who would overturn Roe v. Wade and he has been making good on that promise.

Trump has spent the past four years pushing policies that threaten our health, our rights and our lives. He and his right-wing allies are putting our lives at risk every single day they are in office,and Planned Parenthood PAC of Oregon is committed to doing everything we can to vote them out in November.

As the nation grapples with the COVID-19 pandemic and stands up to state-sponsored violence against Black people, its clearer than ever the public wants engaged, competent leaders who will work to keep us safe and increase healthcare access not undermine it.

We know we can win this. Weve done it before, and we will do it again.

Just look at 2018, when our collective power brought in a sea change, radically shifting whos in office. We elected the first pro-reproductive health majority to the U.S. House of Representatives, and here in Oregon, we soundly defeated the anti-abortion Ballot Measure 106.

But, all of those achievements could be undermined by judges who will affect our rights for generations to come. Since 2016, the courts have often become the last and sometimes only line of defense against dangerous and unconstitutional attacks on basic rights. Yet Trump has remade the federal courts with judges hostile to the right to access sexual and reproductive health care. To date, he has appointed nearly 200 judges to the federal bench, with 20% of the federal judiciary appointed by his administration.

In June, the U.S. Supreme Court narrowly struck down an anti-abortion law in Louisiana that was identical to a Texas law that was ruled as unconstitutional four years earlier. The Louisiana law would have forced abortion providers to obtain local hospital admitting privileges, a medically unnecessary move meant to make abortion more difficult to access. Surprisingly, Chief Justice John Roberts joined the majority not because hes newly supportive of abortion rights, but because he felt bound by the Texas precedent.

While access is protected for now, more than a dozen other abortion lawsuits are one step away from the court. These cases include a dangerous Arkansas law that would ban medication abortion, as well as a deeply unethical policy by the Trump-Pence administrations Office of Refugee Resettlement that seeks to prevent young, undocumented women in government custody from accessing abortion.

And its not just abortion. All reproductive care is on the docket. Last month, the Supreme Court upheld Trump administration rules that allow employers and universities to push their religious or moral beliefs on employees and students by denying them access to insurance that covers birth control.

Birth control should not be controversial. Nearly nine in 10 women will use it in their lifetimes. It is essential, time-sensitive care that treats serious conditions and allows people to plan if and when they get pregnant.

IN OREGON:Reproductive rights prevail even as pandemic limits some services

This year marks not only the 100th anniversary of womens right to vote, but also the 60th anniversary of the FDAs approval of the first birth control pill. Since that historic moment, access to birth control has been responsible for one-third of womens wage gains relative to mens. The ability to get the pill before age 21 has been found to be the most influential factor enabling women already in college to stay there.

The Affordable Care Acts birth control benefit expanded contraceptive coverage with no out-of-pocket costs for more than 62 million women. Now, because of the Supreme Courts ruling, many of their health plans may no longer cover birth control based on the personal objections of bosses and universities.

On top of that, the Trump administration has dismantled Medicaid and the Affordable Care Act. It has pushed ineffective abstinence-only-until-marriage programs. It has denied care to immigrants. It has gagged Title X health providers and forced Planned Parenthood health centers out of the federal program that provides affordable reproductive health care to people with low incomes.

OPINION:Adding a citizenship question to census an attack on immigrant health care

Opening the door to reduced health care access would have been a mistake in any environment. But as we struggle against the dual public health crises of COVID-19 and systemic racism, the dire implications of this decision are clearer than ever.

Our ability to control our own bodies and futures lie in jeopardy like never before. Fortunately, Oregonians have elected leaders and have passed landmark laws that will safeguard us from many of Trumps harmful policies. Thats why we must remain vigilant to continue holding politicians accountable for their records targeting our health, rights and safety.

The rest is here:

Opinion | With Trump appointing anti-abortion judges, the fight for reproductive freedom is critical - Street Roots News

LEXINGTON, Ky. (Aug. 10, 2020) The discussions over removal of Confederate memorials in the United States have been some of the more prominent ones in our current cultural landscape. Gaining momentum from other recent social movements that are happening concurrently, from Black Lives Matter to #MeToo and beyond, the focus of these discussions now seems to have widened to include memorials and statues that go well further back than the American Civil War, and beyond the borders of this country.

Amy Murrell Taylor, the T. Marshall Hahn Jr. Professor of History at the University of Kentucky, last appeared on "Behind the Blue"in September of 2017. On this newest episode, Taylor returns to discuss how this movement has progressed over the past three years, and how the university and Lexington are approaching these conversations. I think Lexington has gotten past the most contentious part of the monument piece of all of this, says Taylor. But monuments are just one piece of a much bigger struggle for racial justice.

Taylor also talks about her recent book, Embattled Freedom: Journeys Through the Civil Wars Slave Refugee Camps,and its themes of freedom not just coming to people despite the war and its resolution, but that it had to be sought after in the midst of it.

"Behind the Blue" is available on iTunes, Google Play, Stitcher and Spotify. Become a subscriber to receive new episodes of Behind the Blue each week. UKs latest medical breakthroughs, research, artists and writers will be featured, along with the most important news impacting the university.

For questions or comments about this or any other episode of "Behind the Blue,"emailBehindTheBlue@uky.eduor tweet your question with #BehindTheBlue.

To discover whats wildly possible at the University of Kentucky, clickhere.

Read more:

'Behind the Blue': 'Embattled Freedom' and Confederate Memorials With Amy Murrell Taylor - UKNow

Conservative filmmaker Michael Pack is a true believer in Trumps version of a global war of ideas, as was made evident by a recent editorial penned by the Trump loyalist. That is likely why the Senate confirmed his appointment in June as head of the U.S. Agency for Global Media (USAGM), one of the largest news networks in the world. USAGM runs a number of state media and technology organizations, including Voice of America (VOA), Middle East Broadcasting, Radio Free Asia, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, Office of Cuba Broadcasting (which oversees Radio Televisin Mart) and the Open Technology Fund (OTF), which promotes internet access around the world.

Pack is the former president of the conservative Claremont Institute think tank, and has worked on projects with former Trump political strategist and former executive chairman of the Breitbart News Network, Stephen Bannon. The appointment of Pack to this vast international media agency has stoked fears in journalists and activists that the Trump administration might use this confirmation to recast the federal agency, and the media networks it operates, into a consolidated right-wing mouthpiece for the president, amplifying the hate and chaos Trumps presidency has bred domestically onto a global stage already ravaged by the COVID-19 pandemic and rife with economic and political uncertainty.

The concerns seem well founded. First, Packs aides ordered the broadcasters supervised by his agency to freeze all staff promotions, new hires and other contractual obligations. All decisions were to go through him as CEO. Within one week of taking over the running of the USAGMs vast global network, Pack removed the top chiefs of five of its news organizations, as well as the head of the OTF. The chief editors of Voice of America resigned in protest.

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Pack then dissolved the bipartisan boards that governed and advised media services and replaced board members with political appointees of the Trump administration. Toward the end of the Obama administration, a provision was enacted that replaces the former bipartisan board structure with an advisory board elected by the president. While the Obama administration saw the move as a way to make the agency more efficient, critics of the Trump administration worry that the restructuring gives the new chief executive more unilateral power than previous leaders.

Pack also announced the agency would not renew visas for some foreign agency employees in order to improve management and protect national security, according to a statement from USAGM. Many of the journalists affected by this policy bring critical language skills, and some could actually be endangered if deported.

Trumps increasingly authoritarian regime is tightening its grip on the publicly funded media agency. This slash-and-burn technique has been a tried-and-true element of Trumps political arsenal. Attacks on the press and wholesale restructuring of regulatory and safety net agencies are part of a broader effort to isolate the United States on the international stage, and breed a level and type of confusion that forces a power vacuum which centralizes authority over U.S. institutions into the hands of the executive branch. These strategies mirror the vision of Packs ally and friend, Steve Bannon.

Craig Aaron, co-CEO at the national media rights organization Free Press, says that Packs appointment is a danger to U.S. democracy and democracy around the world. His short time as head of the agency has been even worse than advertised and he was advertised as a Steve Bannon crony unfit for the job, Aaron said in a statement. In a matter of weeks, he has abused the power of the position and is quickly undoing any reputation the agency had for independence and impartiality, seemingly pursuing political vendettas, knocking down firewalls, and sacking the experienced journalists and technologists doing important and independent work.

While the strategy may be domestic, the impact on digital rights and freedom will definitely be felt around the world. When Pack fired the entire OTF leadership, he froze more than $10 million already pledged to internet freedom projects this year. OTF has become integral infrastructure for politically repressed communities worldwide. More than 2 billion people in 60 countries rely on OTF-supported tools like Signal and Tor to connect securely with privacy to the internet. Two-thirds of mobile devices around the world use some piece of OTF-supported technology. By bringing the organization to a standstill, Pack has placed people living under authoritarian regimes who rely on the organization to evade surveillance, navigate censorship and protect their human rights at risk.

The Electronic Frontier Foundation and 17 leading U.S.-based internet freedom organizations filed an amicus brief which successfully urged the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit to rule that Pack violated the First Amendment right of association and assembly in U.S. law when he replaced OTFs president and bipartisan board with political appointees. The U.S. appellate court in Washington temporarily blocked the new USAGM chief executive from installing his appointees.

Perhaps the biggest concern for activists is that the USAGM could become a megaphone for President Trumps authoritarian white supremacy and nationalism. If you are among those that fear these media outlets could be used to stoke the rise of anti-globalist white nationalism through deliberate propaganda at an international scale, youre not alone.

But, while the threat posed by Packs appointment is real and urgent, this isnt the first time the USAGM has been positioned to promote U.S. propaganda. Some critics, like Max Elbaum, a radical historian and author of Revolution in the Air: Sixties Radicals Turn to Lenin, Mao and Che, say the agency was founded with an empire-building agenda, and was never truly independent in the first place.

The purpose of VOA has always been to be propaganda for whatever Americas interests were at the time, oscillating between crude and more sophisticated propaganda, Elbaum told Truthout. This is simply another oscillation, a dangerous one, but one with real precedent.

This sentiment is borne out when you examine the agencys history. The USAGM, formerly the Broadcasting Board of Governors, describes itself as an independent agency of the United States government with a mission to inform, engage, and connect people around the world in support of freedom and democracy. But, the Broadcasting Board of Governors only became an independent agency in 1999. Prior to that, it was called the United States Information Agency (USIA), established by President Eisenhower in 1953 to understand, inform and influence foreign publics in promotion of the national interest. Influence has always been integral to the mission of the USAGM, which has its roots not in journalism but in public relations and propaganda.

VOAs pro-American radio broadcasts were launched as part of the World War II war effort in 1942, with a more official U.S. propaganda program launched in 1946. These forms of soft-power diplomacy grew to include multifaceted messaging campaigns using radio broadcasts, libraries sponsored by the United States Information Service (the overseas name of the USIA), and the publication and distribution of leaflets and other literature in reaction to the global spread of communism.

Then, in 1952, Eisenhower convened a Committee on International Information Activities, which focused on Cold War propaganda efforts that targeted foreign populations with psychological warfare to achieve strategic influence. Under Eisenhower, all information activities were transferred from the State Department to the independent USIA in 1953. As the agency gained some measure of independence from the U.S. government, it also gained a mix of state actors and staff journalists committed to freedom of the press.

Though the USIA was still a neoliberal and anti-communist agency, many staff journalists did attempt to provide unbiased and fair reporting. These attempts often met with pushback: In early 1953, Sen. Joseph McCarthy, the godfather of the investigations that hunted communists and other dissidents, joined the Senate Committee on Government Operations and its Permanent Sub-Committee on Investigation, and immediately turned the committees attention to the Voice of America broadcast network, claiming it was rife with communists, sexual deviants and hippies.

Today, USAGM outlets remain a mix of journalists and state actors. Indeed, in nations with broken or highly censored news media that have been undermined by authoritarian governments or political instability (at times caused by U.S. intervention), these outlets can be as close to a free press as many residents can get.

Meanwhile, right-wing elements, including the current president of the United States, continue to attack the USAGM.

Whether you believe these U.S.-backed media outlets are trusted and authoritative independent global news sources soft-pedaling democratic values for the good of all, or that they are part of our national security infrastructure delivering overt propaganda, the fact is the U.S. has been in the worldwide propaganda business for more than 80 years. It might be time to reassess that strategy.

The U.S. narrative has developed in a centuries-old dance between independence, isolationism and imperialism. Rather than simply choosing to remain a mythical media institution that promotes an imaginary democracy that never truly existed, this political moment of global uprising gives Congress, the courts and civil society activists the opportunity to reinvent the agency beyond the authoritarian imaginings of Trump, Bannon and Pack. While the USAGM cannot run from its history, it can run toward a future that acknowledges the past and fulfills its mandate as powers watchdog, not its lapdog.

As an agency with its roots in producing propaganda, its crucial that the U.S. Agency for Global Media demonstrates transparency and independence, Aaron said. Pack has trashed that and unless Congress or the courts step in it will only get worse.

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Trump's Threat to Press Freedom Is Global - Truthout

(Yasmin Elqutami The Student Life)

For a while, I was trying to figure out what exactly is giving Americans the impression that wearing a mask should be a choice, that banning assault weapons would be an egregious violation of the Constitution and that the police are keeping us safe even when Black, Indigenous and other people of color are subject to unimaginable violence. I was struggling to understand what was driving our nation to have such horrendously privileged and harmful mindsets.

I recently listened to Know Your Rights by The Clash. The song begins, epically, This is a public service announcement, with guitar, know your rights, all three of them, mocking the yet-delivered life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness our government has claimed to pledge to us since 1776.

The first verse begins, You have the right not to be killed, murder is a crime, unless it was done by a policeman or an aristocrat. That checks out. The third right is my favorite: You have the right to free speech, as long as youre not dumb enough to actually try it. The song ominously ends with Get off the streets, run, get off the streets.

Its clear that Americas Achilles heel is our false notion of freedom. Composed by wealthy, white, cis men, freedom has never really existed in America. In fact, the freedom that wealthy, white, cis men have so graciously promised us has completely prevented our country from having true rights, equality and safety.

In the 244 years of our countrys existence, the notion of freedom has become more warped and toxic with each new year. There is a complex duality between rights and freedom in our country that has created an absolute mess of things.

Im going to try to put this as clearly as The Clash you do not have the right to infect other people with a deadly virus. In addition, you do not have the right to accuse the government of trying to control your body, with a mask, while actively trying to control womxns and trans bodies, or remaining complacent in racist systems.

Your freedom only exists until it gets in the way of someone elses freedom. If your freedom is limiting someone elses ability to pursue life, liberty and happiness, you are not exercising freedom, you are exercising supremacy.

Our country is bleeding and crying from every sector and it is because we have somehow managed to rob the majority of our citizens of their basic human rights, while also giving a handful of malicious citizens the impression they can do whatever they want, no matter the impact on others.

Long standing social inequities and systemic racism within our nations health care system have put minorities at a severely greater risk of contracting and dying from COVID-19. Black, Latinx and Native American communities across the U.S. are now suffering in-part because of white Americans racist, supremacist attitude towards wearing masks.

When there is a horribly painful and deadly virus sweeping the globe that disproportionately affects minorities, and you choose not to wear a mask because it feels like a violation of your freedom, your behaviors are racist.

If you dont wear a mask and thus infect others with COVID-19, their illness is a result of your moral failing. That is a direct violation of everyone elses life, liberty and happiness. Your sense of freedom has put on a hood and become supremacy.

If you dont want your body to be controlled, and yet insist that womxns and trans bodies be controlled, your freedom has put on a hood and become supremacy.

In direct contrast to this nightmarish, tarnished freedom being viciously upheld, none of the real rights we deserve as humans are being provided. This duality is what is making the U.S. an unbearable place to try to survive.

In the U.S. we have mostly negative rights. Negative rights do not require action by the government or private citizens to be upheld. We are supposedly allowed to say whatever we want, believe in whatever religion we want and organize when we want, without enlisting the work of others. The government is happy to champion negative rights because they dont cost that much.

Because negative rights require (in theory) less work and are (in theory) easier to maintain, they have become the backbone of our country. But what about positive rights?

Everyone supposedly has the right to a lawyer when they are arrested, and everyone should have food, shelter, security and health care provided to them based on their positive rights. But because positive rights demand more work, more empathy and support, theyve been completely abandoned.

Our country has weak, racist, homophobic and sexist social services. We have not found a way to defund the police because, for 244 years, we have focused solely on negative rights. If our nation demanded that positive rights be delivered upon as much as negative rights, defunding the police would have already happened. An emphasis on positive rights in our country, from the beginning, would have provided funding to social services and forced a proportionate distribution of funds between agencies like the police and mental health rehabilitation based on what the people of America need.

Lack of balance between positive and negative rights is a large contributor to the lack of equality in our country. The overwhelming presence of negative rights only help rich, white, cis men who rule the country. An increase in positive rights would help the people in our country being suppressed gain equality.

Emphasis on negative rights is a major reason why we are one of the only developed nations without a universal health care system. Without positive rights, it makes sense that police, the very people charged with protecting us, are killing Black people at up to six times the rate of white people.

There isnt equal representation in our voting process, and mass incarceration and the prison industrial complex have taken over the economy. Our education system has one of the lowest funding rates (6.2 percent), compared to overall GDP in the world.

The government is actively dismantling regulations that protect transgender people against health care discrimination, despite 44 percent of transgender people reporting that transgender-inclusive health care is their most significant need. We have the second highest CO2 emissions rate in the world. Clearly, in terms of basic human rights, which are frequently classified as positive rights, we are utterly failing.

We need to completely rethink freedom as a nation and how we can create a society where everyone can truly access life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. Freedom will never exist until everyone is assured basic human rights, both negative and positive. Until our country understands more elementary concepts such as empathy, compassion and generosity, there is no freedom.

Georgia Scott PZ 23 is from San Anselmo, California. Her sister Isabella Scott just got a piece of work selected to be shown in the Ogden Museum of Southern Art. Learn more through her Instagram @isabellasartofficial.

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OPINION: What freedom means to the United States - The Student Life

A California woman claiming to be from a group called the Freedom to Breathe Agency was seen in a viral video warning a grocery store employee in Orange County that she could face legal consequences after reportedly being told masks were required in the store.

The worker and store supervisor, Liz Chavez, told BuzzFeed News the confrontation occurred shortly after she approached the woman, who was seen along with another woman in the video donning FTBA badges and hats, about the businesss mask policy on Thursday.

"I went up to them like, 'Hey, in order to be inside the store youre required to wear a mask.' They told me, 'No, were not required to wear a mask,'" Chavez recalled to the outlet.

In footage of the moment that has racked upmillions of viewson TikTok and Twitter, the women could be seen initially handing Chavez papers and informing her of their group, which they claimed to be a "We the People" organization.

These people are attempting to intimidate essential workers by pretending to work for a bogus federal agency. pic.twitter.com/fah5T2YGi6

"So, we are with FTBA, the Freedom to Breathe Agency. We are a 'We the People' organization making sure that peoples constitutional rights, civil and federal laws are not broken," one woman, identified by BuzzFeed News as Lenka Koloma, the founder of the group, tells Chavez in the clip.

And so you personally need to take this to your manager because you personally can be sued for this OK?she continues while pointing atpiece ofpaper she handed to Chavez.

"Im just following my store policy," Chavez starts to saybefore the woman interjects, holding up her hand, saying, "I am telling you. You are probably paid $15 an hour or $12 an hour, OK?"

OK, Chavez responds.

But you are putting yourself into major legal liability, you personally, Koloma continues.

Chavez told BuzzFeed News the paper Koloma handed her was basically telling me I could go to prison for up to 3 to 5 years and I could get fined up to 10,000 dollars for telling them to wear a mask if Im not a doctor.

She added that she thinks the women werent there to shop and were probably just waiting for somebody to come up to them and ask them to wear a mask so they could do this.

The moment comes more than a month after the Department of Justice (DOJ) issued a warning about fraudulent face mask exempt cards online thatfeaturedthe agencys seal along witha symbol for the FTBA.

The card stated, I am exempt from any ordinance requiring face mask usage in public. Wearing a face posses a mental and/or physical risk to me. Under the Americans with Disability Act (ADA), I am not required to disclose my condition to you.

The card appeared to be referring to the Americans with Disabilities Act.

At the time, the department warned that such postings, cards, and flyers were not issued by the Department of Justice and are not endorsed by the Department.

U.S. Attorney Matthew Martin also cautioned the public in a statement then not to be fooled by the chicanery and misappropriation of the DOJ eagle, saying, These cards do not carry the force of law. The Freedom to Breathe Agency, or FTBA, is not a government agency.

In interview with BuzzFeed News, Koloma called the Freedom to Breathe Agency a legitimate organization and said theres nothing illegal or fraudulent.

She also claimed she and the woman she was seen with in the store dont wear masks, despite California issuing a statewide mask mandate in Juneto curb the spread of COVID-19, because both of them have medical, health conditions and also religious beliefs that do not allow us to wear a mask. She reportedly would not divulge further details about her condition to BuzzFeed News.

Chavez said she doesnt know why wearing a mask is such a big deal for some customers.

"They just give us all sorts of excuses for why they shouldnt wear one. ... We have to wear them for out entire shift, they only have to wear them for the 10, 20 minutes theyre in the store, she said.

I just want to say people really need to be nice to these grocery workers, we work our butts off during this pandemic. Just give us a little break, its just our store policies, were following the rules. We dont need to be attacked every day, she added to the outlet.

See more here:

Woman claiming to be from 'Freedom to Breathe Agency' gets into viral exchange with store employee over mask policy | TheHill - The Hill

The University of New South Wales has been criticised for issuing a letter in Chinese that differs from a letter in English explaining its deletion of a tweet that was critical of Chinas human rights abuses.

On Wednesday, the vice-chancellor of the university, Prof Ian Jacobs, apologised for the universitys deletion of a tweet that quoted Elaine Pearson, the Australian director of Human Rights Watch and an adjunct academic at the university.

Jacobs wrote that the university had an unequivocal commitment to freedom of expression and academic freedom and the tweet should not have been removed.

But an earlier letter, written in Chinese, released on Monday and signed by Laurie Pearcey, the executive officer of UNSW Global, contained no apology for deleting the tweet, and no mention of freedom of speech or academic freedom.

Last Friday, the university published an online news story in which Pearson said the international community should put pressure on China to wind back infringements on human rights and the United Nations should establish a special envoy to monitor the decline of human rights in Hong Kong.

After protests from Chinese students, a tweet from the universitys official account that linked to the news article was deleted.

In an email to staff on Wednesday, Jacobs wrote that the deletion was a mistake, but said it had been removed because the social media post appeared to represent a UNSW view, rather than the view of an individual.

The tweet should not have been removed, he wrote. I apologise for this mistake There is no excuse for our failure in this instance but an explanation is warranted.

In order to protect our role as a place where all views can be expressed, UNSW as an institution does not take a position on political issues. On this occasion the tweet was removed as it appeared to represent a UNSW view, rather than the view of an individual.

At UNSW, we will continue to acknowledge and learn from our mistakes, he wrote. Members of our community can be assured that their right to freedom of expression is no different at UNSW to anywhere else in Australia.

However, the letter from Pearcey was shorter and made no mention of freedom of speech, academic freedom or an admission that the tweet should not have been removed.

The article expressed the views of a part-time lecturer and was forwarded to the schools official social media platform, Pearcey wrote, according to a translation by the Guardian. Therefore the tweet was mistaken as representing the views of the University of New South Wales.

UNSW does not take any political stance, so any political views expressed by its staff or relevant personnel of the school cannot represent the position of the school. Because its content was misleading, the tweet has been deleted by the school.

We are deeply disturbed by the trouble this incident has caused to you. Thank you for your understanding.

Chinese-Australian artist Badiucao wrote that the letter from Pearcey in Chinese was totally opposite to Jacobss letter in English.

UNSW has been contacted for comment.

Additional reporting by Pei Lin Wu

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UNSW criticised for letter in Chinese with no mention of freedom of speech - The Guardian

There has been too much talk in recent weeks about naming names and shaming offenders who break the laws about health and safety, imposed because of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Despite starting well and the public adhering to personal safety rules, complacency seems to have kicked-in, especially after the infection numbers dropped to single-digit levels and were near zero for a while.

With the resurgence of fake news and online doctors arguing the merits of wearing a facial mask, this became part of a greater conspiracy with the state hell-bent on watching our every move, even chipping us to monitor what we say and do.

Members of the public are embarrassed to keep their mask on, many sitting in crowded cafs, breathing into each others face.

Waiters have their mask hanging off their chin, very often without gloves and a thumb protruding on the plate that is about to be served.

There is a 300 fine imposed on individuals who do not respect these rules, with businesses facing a heftier penalty 10 times that amount, and the law implemented not too often.

Why, then, if national health is also a matter of national security, can we not name and shame those arrogant few who think that by bending the rules, nothing will happen?

It makes one wonder what logic lies behind the decision of the Cyprus Chamber of Commerce and Industry to issue a warning to the media calling for the naming of COVID-infected establishments to be avoided.

Is KEVE the new media czar that wants to curb freedom of the press while incapable of doing anything that will upset the hundreds of naysayers and health risk deniers on social media?

A similar unfortunate statement came from the Justice Ministry, that has appeared weak in taking a firm decision on how to deal with the irresponsible woman who is known to have infected at least two dozen people with the coronavirus, knowing she was positive, yet going ahead with organising parties for large crowds, creating a chain and cluster.

The ministry said it was waiting for a report from the health services to decide if there is a case to be prosecuted, in other words, passing the buck for political blame onto others.

In the public eye, the ministry has dragged its feet and failed to calm concerns that well-do individuals with financial or political clout can get away with anything, even the criminal act of knowingly infecting others with a deadly virus.

Instead, it could have acted promptly from the moment that the case became known, and at least seem to be harsh in its use of words.

There is a fine line between freedom of speech, freedom of expression and press freedoms, and these freedoms could go both ways.

If someone neglects to deal with issues related to national health, therefore national security, then it is up to the media to raise these issues, sometimes even helping the authorities by revealing some truths.

By letting this woman get away with it, while jailing a young man for violating the first day of lockdown curfew to see his fiance, simply fuels the argument that it is who you know in Cyprus that is important, and not what you do or say.

Excerpt from:

COVID19: Is there freedom in silence? - Financial Mirror

A quote from Heather Mac Donald, Capital is accumulated effort and innovation, the sum of human achievement and imagination. Its creationist the aim of civilization. But civilization is everywhere and at all times vulnerable to the darkest human impulses. Government exists to rein in those impulses so that the individual initiative can flourish. Americas founders understood the fragility of civil peace and the danger of the lustful, vengeful mob. (Reprinted by permission from Imprimis, a publication of Hillsdale College. May/June 2020)

The darkest human impulses are in need of the rule of law combined with a fair hearing and a determination of justice. Countries where this does not exist are places of anarchy, or places of dictatorship. Those seem to be two extremes. For an individual to flourish there needs to be freedom to pursue desires and dreams within boundaries of the rule of law. Without boundaries of decency and respect for the rights of one another and respect for people and the law no one will be free to be creative and develop individual initiative.

There are many countries that have a thumb on freedom. Some for religious reasons, some for political reasons, some for selfish reasons, and some for a variety of other reasons. When freedom to be a creative individual is held up as a good thing, usually people will surprise us with their creativity innovate, build and pursue a goal. In developing nations (we used to call them third world countries) infrastructure and economic systems are very primitive or nonexistent. Yet, when people are given freedom within the boundaries of laws that respect others and the property of others, they are amazingly entrepreneurial in working toward a better world for all.

The atmosphere or environment for society as a whole to be civil and for individuals to thrive is one that must include laws and moral boundaries that protect people and property and yet leave room for freedom and liberty. As Heather Mac Donald talks about the darkest human impulses, I am reminded of why we need laws and law enforcement.

Murder, stealing, rape, vandalism, disrespect of differing beliefs, of country, of other human beings, of private property, of the list could be long. Without confronting and reforming or removing from society those who would harm others, destroy private property and break laws, a society will be crippled and anarchy or authoritarianism (dictators) will reign to the detriment of freedom, liberty and justice for all.

In the United States we believe that all people are created equal. How true, it reflects what the Bible says about how we people are not inferior to one another or superior to one another. We also believe that all people are endowed by their creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness.

These truths must be protected from the darkest human impulses with laws and law enforcement and justice for all.

The environment in a nation determines if people will have the opportunity to flourish. Injustices need to be addressed and corrected within the boundaries of a due process of justice, respect for all people as equals, respect for private property and respect for all.

The ebb and flow of this process is what will make a nation great. Without it, a free and just society cannot exist.

Dallas Kurt Smith is a pastor (semi-retired) in Aitkin and Baxter.

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Freedom and justice for ALL | Other Opinions - Aitkin Independent Age

Imen Siar performed on this years season of Britains Got Talent, taking the next big step in what she hopes will be a lifelong singing career. The 21-year-old singer spoke on how she hopes the platform will help her prove her talent to her dad.

This years season of Britains Got Talent brought out the best of our emotions, with countless stories that touched our hearts. One contestant that we fell in love with from the minute she began to sing was 21-year-old singer, Imen Siar.

Siar spoke on her passion to inspire girls within the Muslim community as well as, as many young girls as possible headscarf or no head scarf. The singer also spoke on keeping her hidden talent a secret from her deeply religious father, in case hed disapprove.

RELATED: ROMANCE AND SHOCK: WATCH SAME-SEX FILIPINO DANCING ACT RIP EACH OTHERS DRESS MID PERFORMANCE

Thankfully, Imen stunned the judges with her rendition of Alessia Caras Scars To Your Beautiful on the show and in particular, Simon Cowell.

Dad thought I was at work but I couldnt lie. As soon as the audition was over, I called to explain. Thankfully, he was happy and said he trusted me to make the right decisions. He cant wait to see me on the show, Imen said according to The Mirror, after her performance on the show.

RELATED: 77-YEAR-OLD ROCKSTAR DRUMMER LEAVES SIMON COWELL SPEECHLESS ON BRITAINS GOT TALENT

Fans took to Twitter quickly after her audition aired, flooding the platform with heartfelt messages.

Wow she sung that so beautifully, I love that song so much, wrote one user.

Imen Siar is such an amazing singer, so soft and smooth but powerful. I want to download her song on Spotify as it inspires me 4 yeses made me so happy! tweeted another.

RELATED: SIMON COWELL DOUBTS INDIAN BOLLYWOOD DANCERS BUT WATCH THEM SHUT HIM UP

Whilst were not certain who will be taking to the stage at the semi-finals later this year on the show, Siar has a good chance of performing once again for that all-important winners title.

Go here to read the rest:

Girl Hides Audition From Dad, Finds Her 'Freedom In Singing' Watch What Happens Next - Talent Recap

NEW YORK, Aug. 5, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Until Freedom, a racial justice organization co-founded by leading activists Tamika Mallory, Linda Sarsour, hip-hop artist Mysonne Linen and civil rights attorney Angelo Pinto, today criticized the California District Attorneys Association's request for the NFL to pull its Stephon Clark PSA.

The league's Inspire Change platform initially released the educational PSA in late-July that shed light the 2018 murder of Sacramento's Stephon Clark in his grandmother's backyard. However, citing a "misrepresentation of facts," the California District Attorneys Association made the request on Aug. 4 to axe the Inspire Change public service announcement immediately.

Until Freedom is now pushing back on the CDAA's insensitive request.

"The CDAA has one set of facts, but our facts are clear Stephon Clark was unarmed, he was innocent and he was murdered in his grandmother's yard," said Mallory. "It's incredibly problematic and concerning for top law enforcers and officials to tell the NFL, Stephon's family and his community that police have the right to kill you for simply being suspected of a crime. The CDAA's statement is a perfect example of the huge conflict of interest when prosecuting cops and it lacks self-awareness. It is not the role of police officers to be the judge, jury and executioner."

Contact: Linda Sarsour: [emailprotected]

SOURCE Until Freedom

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Tamika Mallory Of Until Freedom Criticizes The California District Attorneys Association's Request For The NFL To Pull Stephon Clark PSA - PRNewswire

Few things bother Americans more than infringements on their Freedom.Freedom is the God-given right of Americans: go spend a day at the beach, go shopping, go to the movie theater, go to work, or go visit ones family.But all these have changed with the recent COVID-19 pandemic.

First, people are told that they have to stay at home or Shelter-in-Place. Then they are told that they have to wear masks.Shelter-in-Place means you are not allowed to leave the house and do those things that you are supposed to be free to do.This restriction absolutely infringes upon your freedom of movement and freedom of assembly.

Masking is even more personal you have to wear this cloth or filter material that covers half your face.Its definitely uncomfortable.This makes it much harder to breathe, especially in hot weather, when walking or exercising.Some argue that you would breathe in the bad carbon dioxide that you exhale, which is unhealthy.If you wear glasses, it fogs up the lens in seconds.In addition, masks are getting expensive, as the prices have risen and most stores have a hard time stocking enough of them.And on top of that, how could a democratic government tell Americans what to wear?What kind of country has this become?

President Trump has called COVID many names its from China, its just a flu, its a hoax by liberals or Democrats to help Biden.For months, he has steadfastly refused to wear a mask.So why did he finally put on a mask himself when visiting the Walter Reed Hospital?

The truth of the matter is that the COVID virus is very different and extremely contagious: it can be transmitted by people carrying the virus without any symptoms.It is airborne, meaning that it can transmit invisibly in midair.Weve all heard of washing our hands for 30 seconds, or maintaining 6-feet social distancing.But it turns out the most important thing everyone can do to stop the transmission of this dangerous and often deadly virus is wearing a mask.

In places like Hong Kong, where the population density is very high with 7.5 million people living in skyscrapers similar to the ones in Manhattan most people use public transportation daily, and social distancing basically is difficult.Many people probably do wash their hands, but certainly not everyone.And yet, since February, there have been only 6 confirmed deaths linked to COVID in Hong Kong.That literally is less than one in a million.Compare this to the latest hot spots far less dense or populous in America: Hot Springs, Arkansass rate is over 21,500 deaths per million; while many small Texas towns such as Scurry, Crockett, Anderson, and Val Verde have an equivalent rate of over 15,000 deaths per million.

How is that possible?

The biggest difference is that 99% of Hong Kong residents wear masks.They wear masks outdoors, while riding buses and subway trains, and they wear masks indoors, at malls and at work.Aside from themask-wearing, life has actually been quite normal in Hong Kong throughout this time without the government ordering Shelter-in-Place.

Goldman Sachs recently released a study showing that mandatory mask-wearing by every American can save the United States GDP by 5%, because if everyone wears a mask, less Shelter-in-Place restrictions would be necessary, allowing the American economy to be reopened.1Meanwhile, another fascinating story has emerged: at a Missouri hair salon, where two stylists, unbeknownst to themselves, contracted the COVID virus, neither their coworkers nor their 139 clients were infected, simply because everyone was wearing masks despite their close proximity.2

Based on what we have learned in the last few months, not wearing masks is not about freedom; its really inconsiderate, reckless, and deadly.Wearing masks is the fastest path to reopening our economy and bringing our freedoms back. While different politicians are still dithering over whether or not to mandate mask-wearing, its time to put factually-based statistics and science above politics.

Just wear masks and let us get back to our daily freedoms.

1 https://www.marketwatch.com/story/wearing-a-mask-to-halt-the-spread-of-coronavirus-has-a-big-impact-on-us-economic-growthand-goldman-has-done-the-math-2020-06-30

2 https://www.marketwatch.com/story/wearing-a-mask-to-halt-the-spread-of-coronavirus-has-a-big-impact-on-us-economic-growthand-goldman-has-done-the-math-2020-06-30

Otto Lee

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Masks to freedom: Wearing masks will bring back freedom - The Milpitas Beat

I overheard them as they left the store: Requiring a mask is an attack on my freedom. It was fairly early in the pandemic, and it was my first curbside pick-up at the lumberyard. They walked by my car as I negotiated this new way of shopping. I was wearing a mask.

Immediately, I thought of my partner. For nearly 20 years, she was the faculty adviser for a campus Amnesty International student group. Amnesty International (AI) is the human rights organization supporting prisoners of conscience: people imprisoned for exercising their fundamental human rights.

There are many ways to think about freedom, but an international human rights perspective grounds your thoughts in the realities of freedoms denied. Members of Amnesty engage in the rituals of human rights work with the humblest of weapons: pen, paper, and emails.

Over many decades, with many friends, we have written thousands of letters and emails to different governments requesting respect for basic human rights. So many people in so many nations are denied fundamental freedoms and access to justice.

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The Pledge of Allegiance has had its controversies in recent years, but freedom and justice for all is an important phrase to repeat to yourself. It should be the worlds mantra. But it is challenging to mix freedom and justice in a way that works for all citizens. That is a dilemma for democracy too much freedom eats away at justice, and too much justice eats away at freedom.

When Europe was divided by a wall, we saw incredible levels of freedom on one side of the wall and an eerie sense of justice on the other. It has not been easy for Europe since that wall came down, and there are now worrisome trends from England to Poland.

Democratic processes that endure are hard to create and maintain. Making them work requires constant work and involvement. Democracies do not tolerate idleness or short attention spans. The hard work of successfully blending freedom and justice greets a democracy every morning. That is why history provides so few examples. Historically, some of the cultures that developed and celebrated democratic principles were slave-based economies. Think Thomas Jefferson.

It appears this century provides a new context for exploring these problematic issues. What does it mean to be free? How do we pursue just resolutions in a messy world? What is democracy in the 21st century?

Democratic processes are dependent upon this elusive blend of freedom and justice. When democratic processes emerge, they fumble and swing from one extreme to another freedom impinging on justice, justice impinging on freedom. In a sense, every democracy carries the seeds of an ongoing civil war.

Separating a democracy into two camps is a formula for disaster. Imagine, for a moment, that you are making a quick, simple salad dressing. You pour a good measure of vinegar into a jar. Then you add a slightly larger amount of oil. Left alone, they separate into two distinct layers. To become a successful dressing for your salad, you must put a lid on the jar and shake vigorously to blend the two.

Democracy is the vigorous shaking that prevents these two principles from separating and following their separate paths. Democracy is the daily process of blending freedom and justice within our lives and the lives of those we encounter.

Put differently: Democracy is the constant work of keeping freedom and justice on the same path.

That is why my partner and I brought together interested students to discuss human rights issues for nearly 20 years. We were shaking the jar.

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For many young people, the simple fact that democratic processes are dependent upon such an elusive blend and balance of values and responsibilities is a revelation. Consumer societies tend to create people who sit and watch rather than people who stand and do. Consumerism creates a world of simple, well-defined transactions rather than a world of listening and then formulating well-reasoned responses and ongoing interactions.

Democracy is hard work.

But there is a necessary third ingredient. Everyone who makes salad dressing from scratch knows our vinegar and oil mix needs one more component. After pouring together the vinegar and oil, add a small amount of water. Then vigorously shake the jar. That little bit of water helps the vinegar and oil blend while slightly muting the vinegar.

Keith Luebke

Compassion is at the heart of Eastern religions and philosophies. As the rift between East and West widens, a conversation about the role compassion plays in creating the sort of democracies we envision might be useful: consider the Easts thoughts about compassion and the Wests focus on balancing freedom and justice. Then consider how often we fail to live up to our aspirations East and West.

The world is in desperate need of conversations that rise above those that came before. Every past conversation matters, but we need new ones.

Rather than getting angry with the people who wont wear masks, maybe we should talk to them. Try to engage with them, not necessarily about not wearing a mask. Ask them if they are stressed or angry. Find the source of their unwillingness to wear a mask. Put yourself in their shoes. Demonstrate compassion. Then ask them to please wear a mask.

Scolding will get us nowhere.

Their souls are simply leaning too far into a perception of freedom inconsistent with our perceptions of justice and community. Be gentle. At some point, they may need to remind some of us that we are leaning too far towards justice. Remember this delicate balancing act and remember the frailty inherent to democratic processes.

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If we start a conversation, there might be an opportunity to remind our mask-less friends of those who need and deserve fundamental freedoms. Those unjustly imprisoned, confined, and tortured should never be left to fend for themselves. Carry them into your thoughts, actions, and discussions. Their lives remind us that people can be picked up, thrown into a dark van, and tossed into a cell for no reason. Could that ever happen in your community?

The basis of our efforts should always start from this point: the never-ending struggle of communities to blend freedom and justice with a dash of compassion.

Keep shaking things up. Mix these vital conversations and thoughts into your daily life.

But in the short term: Please wear a mask, and converse with your fellow citizens while 6 feet apart.

KeithLuebkerecently retired from teaching nonprofit leadership courses and has several decades of experience directing nonprofit organizations.

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The never-ending struggle: blending freedom and justice, with a dash of compassion - MinnPost

August 06, 2020: SOAP #3899: Habakkuk 1-3; John 8 Scripture: John (NIV) 8:33 They answered him, We are Abraham's descendants and have never been slaves of anyone. How can you say that we shall be set free? 34 Jesus replied, I tell you the truth, everyone who sins is a slave to sin. 35 Now []

August 06, 2020: SOAP #3899: Habakkuk 1-3; John 8

Scripture: John (NIV) 8:33 They answered him, We are Abraham's descendants and have never been slaves of anyone. How can you say that we shall be set free? 34 Jesus replied, I tell you the truth, everyone who sins is a slave to sin. 35 Now a slave has no permanent place in the family, but a son belongs to it forever. 36 So if THE SON sets you free, you will be free indeed.

Observation: Sin is a severe task master. It draws a person into its web and turns them into a slave. And they sin again, and again, and again.

Oh, but the verses above tells us that there is a weakness. The slave has no permanent place in the family!!! That means there is a way for a slave to be broken away. Sin is powerful, but not all powerful! Being a slave does not have to be permanent! There is freedom in THE SON!!!

Application: There is not only freedom in THE SON, there is sustaining freedom.If anyone who sins is a slave, then a son is free from the slavery of sin. If the son has a permanent place in the family, then THE SON has the power to keep this son from sinning. I must walk with Him and talk with Him every day and all day long. His thoughts into my mind are not interruptions; they are welcomed input!

Prayer: Holy Spirit, Jesus has set me free from sin. Your presence helps me to daily live free from sin. Especially when I receive the communion elements, and at many other times, remind me of the terrible price Jesus paid for my freedom. May I hate sin for what it did to the Father. May I hate sin for what it did to Jesus. May I hate sin for what it does to your churchand to me. Amen

Pastor LeonMaking friends for time and eternity!

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Freedom in THE SON! - Blogs - The Hutchinson News

Photo courtesy Salina Airport Authority

More than 800 military personnel are set to converge on Salina and the surrounding area for the next several weeks to participate in the joint-service exercise, Jaded Thunder.

The exercise will include joint corps integration by members of Air Force, Marine Corps, Navy and Army units, as well as representatives of the U.S. Special Operations Command, according to information from the Salina Airport Authority.

The training provided during Jaded Thunder is essential for national defense.

All participants will comply with detailed COVID-19 mitigation measures. Exercise participants will maximize social distancing and wear face masks. Facilities will be sanitized daily.

The Salina Regional Airport's close proximity to the Smoky Hill Weapons Range is key for this type of training.Operating from the Salina Airport, military units get realistic and efficient training.The less time pilots spend in the air getting to the training venue, the more time, and fuel, they can spend over the range training with personnel on the ground.The availability of the Smoky Hill Weapons Range, coupled with a supportive community, make the Salina Airport a preferred location for military training.

Salina residents shouldn't worry if they hear any loud noise coming from the weapons range. The military will be using training ordnance during the exercise. The airports FAA air traffic control tower will work with all military aircraft to maintain safe operations in the skies over Salina.

See the article here:

Pardon our noise, it's the sound of freedom: Jaded Thunder returns - Salina Post

Justin Veo hasnt missed the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally in South Dakota in five years, and hes not planning to start now.

Veo, owner of Cruisers Bar and Grill in Stateline, Idaho, will head out for the 12-hour drive on Wednesday and camp at the event for a week to 10 days.

While he wont be deterred by the pandemic that has shut down large gatherings across the country, its not clear how many of his fellow motorcycle enthusiasts will join him.

Sturgis city planners had high hopes for this years music festival and motorcycle rally. For the festivals 80th anniversary , they aimed to draw more than the 490,000 people who attended in 2019. But those ambitions may be foiled as COVID-19 continues its spread .

On Saturday, Veo was hosting Cruisers annual Road to Sturgis Motorcycle Rally, complete with games.

It was a quiet affair during the afternoon, but it was set to go until 11 p.m., with live music, and more people were expected.

The biker bar is a main attraction in Stateline, which had a population of 49 in 2018 and sits across the road from Post Falls. Business has been good since the bar was able to reopen after a statewide shutdowns, Veo said, though more people watch music from outside now.

Maybe bikers shared sense of freedom has prevented a business bust.

Andi Jones has been coming to Cruisers for 15 years, and she said biker culture is all about freedom and family. She and her husband Jonah Jones are about as regular as it gets, and they come in two to four times a week.

All of us are regulars down here, Jones said. Were all family. If you need help, all you gotta do is pick up the phone.

Official sound guy Eric Klages said people lovingly refer to the bar as a barn. A large garage with both ends open, Keo said people dont worry about wearing masks because everything is outdoors and open.

During Saturdays rally, the games were mostly played while riding. In one, participants rode through a painted track sandwiched between the stage and bar, Veo said. In another, known as the egg roll, riders drove tried to drop an egg in a tube while driving past . The slow ride is a backwards race to see who can drive through the garage the slowest without putting their feet on the ground.

Misconceptions about bikers would tell you theyre all rough and tumble, Veo said, but the culture has changed.

Jones described the community as open to everyone. In fact, he said, people dont need a bike to be welcomed at the bar. Though shes garnered a collection of tattoos that mostly connect to her Native heritage as a registered Pomo tribal member her first tattoo is 45 years old she said people dont need tattoos to be accepted either.

What wont work is being superficial, Jones said. People who come in with all new leathers dont know what its all about, she said. Its about noticing beauty other people overlook. Shes been on a million roadtrips, and the difference on a bike is how it feels, she said.

Veo agreed.

That freedom, that adventure, youre in the wind, Veo said. You can smell things, you can hear things, you can feel temperature differences. Its a lot bigger experience.

So coronavirus wont slow the group down. One of the nights planned activities will involve a lime green, alien-looking pinata that has an expletive scrawled in front of COVID in Sharpie. Veo said he appreciates Idahos different approach from Washington in not mandating masks.

With six feet of distance and hand sanitizer around the bar, he said precautions are enough that he isnt worried.

The thing to remember, he said, is that Cruisers is more than a bar. Its a community, and some ideas people have about bikers are was off base.

Jones said she wont be hitting Sturgis this year because its gotten too commercial for her taste and Ill be damned if I wait an hour and half for an $8 beer.

But she came to Cruisers on Saturday for the reason she always comes out: because she appreciates the brotherhood.

Its the freedom of it, Jones said. You get to see beautiful things people dont take time to see in a car.

Continue reading here:

'It's the freedom of it': Bikers rally in Stateline ahead of Sturgis, unconcerned about virus - The Spokesman-Review

Spend a little time reading in-depth news articles and sooner or later youll come across some mention of the Freedom of Information Act, or FOIA, and requests made through it. FOIA is the name of the federal law, and is used as a shorthand term for similar laws in each state, too. Its the way that journalists, citizens, and sometimes even government employees themselves get documents, data and other information released to the public. The idea is relatively new in history, and many freedom of information laws were only passed in the 20th century. They first started in 18th-century Sweden, with the enactment of their Freedom of the Press Act. It stated that information, including documents created or accepted by a government or public authority, must be available to the public and provided upon request. The United States first passed a freedom of information law in 1966, but it wasnt really enforceable or useful until after the Watergate scandal, when more provisions were added. Like Swedens law, the U.S. and each of its states have important exemptions to what can be requested by the public. Private information about an individual, for instance, is not to be released except to that individual. Military and intelligence information, as well as information relating to foreign relations, is also usually exempt from FOIA requests. A complete list of the nine major federal exemptions, as well as other information, is available on the internet at foia.gov/faq.html. Freedom of information was and is seen as an imperative to a society capable of self-governance, or any government responsible to its people. Democracy requires an informed voter base. FOIA laws are a complement to laws concerning court and legislative records, and the Open Meetings Act. These laws together guarantee an individuals access to government records and information. After all, we fund it through our taxes. However, while FOIA requests are powerful tools, there are also many shortcomings and difficulties for members of the public seeking information. The first thing to remember is that FOIA doesnt require a government to create a document or file that doesnt already exist. If you ask for information about how many rubber ducks are sold in the U.P., dont expect an answer, because the government doesnt track that. If you request old documents that havent been digitized or statistics not in a digital spreadsheet, prepare to receive a massive copied file, or unorganized PDF, and have your credit card handy(governments and agencies can, and often do, charge for the labor and copying necessary to fulfill a FOIA request). Further complicating FOIA requests is the inconsistent application of the laws across federal, state and local levels. Requests can be delayed, ignored or slow-walked to frustrate requestors. Some agencies employ creative exemptions to deny otherwise valid requests. Excessive fees can be requested in return for the information. There are ways to appeal these decisions in Michigan, but some states have confusing or non-binding appeals processes for denied FOIA requests, and others have no appeal process at all. Luckily, for those not lucky enough to have learned how to file a FOIA request in college, there are helpful tools. Over the next few installments of Journo Field Training, well look at the why and how of filing a FOIA request, either independently or with the help of the website MuckRock.com.

MuckRock, founded in 2010, has helped individuals file more than 80,000 requests in all 50 states and with the federal government. They have the experience and tools to help even the most novice of public records requesters get started with their freedom of information project. With their help, well review what information might be request-able, writing a request, and following through on getting the information. Making a FOIA request without a computer or the internet is still possible, but it is more difficult. Well be sure to cover non-digital options for filing a request as well.

Joshua Vissers holds a B.A. in multimedia journalism and is associate editor at the Daily Mining Gazette. Send questions to jvissers@mininggazette.com.

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Introduction to the Freedom of Information Act | News, Sports, Jobs - Daily Mining Gazette

Current attitudes are evidence of Australias historically sour relationship with the right to freedom of speech. It is high time this relationship was mended.

As seems to be the case on a daily basis, contrarian views in Australian public debate receive such considerable outrage in response that claims to freedom of speech generate a collective roll-of-the-eyes, if not outright contempt. Views considered to be offensive are somehow beyond the right of free expression and are thus promptly struck down in the court of public consensus.

Sometimes, they are even struck down in real courts. The somewhat overused but nonetheless salient example of this was the Andrew Bolt case, pursued under Section 18C of the Racial Discrimination Act for a series of articles in which Bolt made claims about widespread indigenous opportunism in the seeking of positions of privilege. As bizarre and ill-conceived as the articles were, their contents should have been no matter for the state.

I can picture readily the vexation of many readers at the mere mention of his name. Other causes of such public irritation include the reverberations of the Hanson camp and remarks on immigration from TV host Sonia Kruger. (and, inevitably, Israel Folau Ed). Their right to speak is challenged on the grounds that their views are divisive or unacceptable and, well, because like your parents always made you remember: if you dont have anything nice to say, dont say anything at all.

Even if one does not agree with the views of commentators and public figures, one is nonetheless obliged to offer a throat-clearing before speaking at all. This is precisely because of the incredibly trigger-happy nature of the opposition to freedom of expression in Australia.

Over twenty years ago, across the Pacific but in a remarkably similar context, Christopher Hitchens defined this controlling attitude as the politics of the permissible. Out of this attitude comes the curious assertion that freedom of speech somehow does not exist in Australia because the state has not enshrined such a right into law. Ironically enough, this is from the same people who look to the International Declaration of Human Rights when laying claim over other topics about which they are so passionate.

But such astounding opposition to the free exchange of ideas in Australia has not always prevailed.

At the close of the 1950s, and for some time after, a group of students gathered nightly at the Royal George Hotel in Sydney with the intent of having rows for, well, their own sake. Known as the Sydney Push, the topics for exchange were broad but invariably political. The late Robert Hughes described the Push as a sceptical, anarchist, free-thinking, free-loving bunch of students with whom he often shared a stiff drink and stimulating cigarette. Its members were, among others, Germaine Greer, Clive James, Les Murray, Eva Cox, and Hughes himself.

The values espoused by these rabble-rousing students all those years ago still matter as much today as they ever have. Why? In short: in the margins of its history, Australia has a small but valuable tradition (popularised by those students and their beloved University of Sydney philosopher, John Anderson) that recognises the necessity of free speech in the checking-and-balancing of power and in elevating the quality of public discourse. Unfortunately, this tradition is seldom acknowledged and respected even less.

It would be nice to be optimistic about the state of this tradition, but the facts must be faced. Despite its emergence as a leading liberal democracy, Australia has not had a warm relationship with the notion of rights, and freedom of speech is no exception. The attempt to pass a United States-inspired Bill of Rights at the 1898 Constitutional Convention, just three years before our Federation, remains but a footnote in history. Indeed, every attempt to pass such a bill has failed, always emerging from the political margins with little support. Closer to our time, former Prime Minister John Howard repudiated any attempt to bring forth a referendum on a Bill of Rights for the Constitution and added further restrictions to speech by expanding sedition laws in 2005 (Inside Australias Anti-Terrorism Laws and TrialsAndrew LynchwithNicola McGarrity and George Williams, Sydney: Newsouth Publishing, 2015, p3).

Howards peculiarly illiberal approach to freedom of speech is no doubt an irony that divides his cherished party. Some have tried to advance policy in the other direction. With Attorney-General George Brandis alongside him, former Prime Minister Tony Abbott attempted to water-down the Racial Discrimination Act for the purpose of protecting free speech rights. As expected, their amendment was defeated very quickly in part, due to an effective no-rights-for-bigotry campaign by Bill Shorten.

But as divisive as they may be, even the most extreme opinions have a right to be expressed. This means that yes, bigoted opinions can be voiced; it is the humble task of the rest of us to counter such views in open debate. As German revolutionary Rosa Luxemburg wrote in 1917, freedom of speech is meaningless unless it means freedom for the one who thinks differently.

It is high time for freedom of expression to be given its rightful place in Australian public discourse. The consequences can indeed be offensive, but that is a necessary part of the democratic process. There is much to take from the tradition that supports this principle, and we would do well to apply its lessons.

As Hitchens remarked, It is not enough to have free speech. People must learn to speak freely.

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Australia has a problem with freedom of speech - The Big Smoke Australia