Category Archives: Freedom

Media top headlines September 28

In media news today, Chris Cuomo's sexual harassment accuser says the CNN host hasn't changed since groping her, 'The View' addresses their COVID testing fiasco, and sources say a female CNN producer exited 'Cuomo Prime Time' after feeling 'threatened' by the namesake anchor

The four liberal co-hosts of "The View" on Tuesday clashed with conservative guest host Caitlyn Jenner on the heated issue of forced vaccinations.

Joy Behar, Sunny Hostin, Sara Haines and Whoopi Goldberg all expressed support for mandatory vaccinations against the coronavirus, especially among workers in the health care and education sectors, while Jenner defended "individual freedoms" and the "personal choice" to take the vaccine.

Behar pointed to other vaccines people are already required to take before attending school, such as the polio vaccine, and lamented that, despite those decades-old requirements, the coronavirus vaccine had some sort of "bugaboo" about it that was scaring people away.

NEW YOROK CITY ANTI-VACCINE MANDATE PROTESTORS STORM MALL FOOD COURT: MY BODY, MY CHOICE

"These are the things that science is now providing for us. Imagine if we were in the 19th century when you didnt even have anesthesia and if you got a cut, you would die," Behar said. "We have the means to cure this problem and stop the incessant testing that vaccinated people have to do Its like Im tired of not being able to live my life because people are being irrational everywhere a lot of places in this country."

Before responding, Jenner said she appreciated being able to come on the show to express her opposing viewpoint and said that although she and Behar had a difference of opinion, it didn't make either of them a bad person.

"I got vaccinated. Im fine. But that was my personal choice. I am about individual freedom," Jenner said after explaining she waited until seeing how well her mother did with taking the vaccine before deciding to take it herself. "Why? Why do we have to get mandated ones like you say? Like polio?"

ANTI-VACCINE-MANDATE PROTESTORS MARCH NYC STREETS ON EVE OF ENFORCEMENT FOR HEALTH CARE WORKERS

"Im about individual freedoms. Theres not a one size fits all. What about pregnant women? And I just feel like that is a decision between a doctor and their patient. By far the most important thing is that, not some bureaucrat sitting in Washington, D.C., saying you have to get it. I got it and Im happy I did," she added.

Hostin, visibly frustrated, attempted to refute Jenner's viewpoint by claiming that a true "patriot" would get the vaccine in order to protect their fellow Americans.

"I hear all these people, Well its my constitutional right [to not be vaccinated]. No, its not. Because when it comes to public health, it has to be collaborative," Hostin said.

"And I think the choice thats being made in New York is a good one. If you dont want to be vaccinated, then you cannot work at a public hospital. You can just stay at home You still have your personal freedom and your freedom to stay at home exists," she added, referencing the decision by the state of New York to fire unvaccinated health care workers across the state who didn't take at least the first dose of a coronavirus vaccine by Sep. 27.

NEW YORK GOV. COULD TAP NATIONAL GUARD TO REPLACE UNVACCINATED HEALTH CARE WORKERS

Jenner argued that the health care firings would lead to a critical staffing shortage that could potentially endanger the lives of New Yorkers needing medical treatment.

Haines argued back, claiming that the lack of vaccinations was already affecting hospital staffing nationwide and the ability for people to be treated for conditions other than the coronavirus.

Jenner reiterated her support for personal choice in taking the vaccine and said no system was perfectly fair.

Goldberg turned the argument to race, snapping back by saying that she wouldn't have the right to vote, as a Black woman, if everyone always waited for people to make the right choice.

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"There are times when we just have to suck it up and say, Sorry y'all!' This is what has to get done," Goldberg said. "I'm tired of waiting on folks. I know it's not nice to say, but you know what? You're keeping me back! You're holding us back! So quit it!"

Read the original here:

'The View' co-hosts clash with Caitlyn Jenner over forced vaccinations: 'Your freedom to stay at home exists' - Fox News

The Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press presents the 2021 Freedom of the Press Awards and 50th anniversary celebration, hosted by Kristen Welker, co-anchor of Weekend TODAY and NBC News Chief White House Correspondent.

The celebration, presented by Microsoft, recognizes the exceptional achievements of this years honorees: J. Scott Applewhite, The Associated Press; Theodore J. Boutrous, Jr., Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP; Julie K. Brown, Miami Herald; Amal Clooney, The Clooney Foundation for Justice; Jane Mayer, The New Yorker; and Rising Star Award Winner Laura Moscoso, Centro de Periodismo Investigativo.

In addition to the Freedom of the Press Awards, the Reporters Committee presents the Fred Graham Distinguished Service Award to Tony Mauro, Contributor at ALM Media Properties, LLC, and Saundra Torry, Retired Member of USA TODAYS Editorial Board, in recognition of their outstanding commitment to the Reporters Committee over the years.

Apple, Jane Boon and Norman Pearlstine, and the Chan Soon-Shiong Family Foundation are the Anniversary Champions; Amanda Bennett and Donald E. Graham, The Murray Fromson family, Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP, and Hearst are this years Legacy Champions.

The event is co-chaired by Amanda Bennett; Donald E. Graham, Chairman, Graham Holdings; Norman Pearlstine; Brad Smith, President, Microsoft; and Steven R. Swartz, President & CEO, Hearst.

Past Freedom of the Press Award winners are listed here.

Go here to read the rest:

2021 Freedom of the Press Awards & RCFP 50th anniversary celebration - Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press

For some families in the River Valley, one organization is giving their loved ones the freedom and protection theyneed tohelp themliveauthentic lives.

The Arc for the River Valley, a local non-profit, providesadvocacy, educationand recreation for those with intellectual and developmental disabilities in the region serving more than 450 members.

Carolyn Scotts son, Scott Thomas, has been going to the Arc for over 20 years.

He is very personable, but he is 46 years old and one of the things that regular people who are not in thecommunitydont realize is that these guys need a social network,Scott said.They want to be able to talk to people freely and be able to have a special place to go.

For around 20 people a day, the Arc for the River Valley is that place, Executive Director Francy Ford said.

Membership to Arc for the River Valley costs $15 a year and gives participants access to activities including movie showings, bowling nights,cooking classes, art projects and holiday dances.

Its a little community of like-minded parents and children that can actually function in a social way, Scott said. A lot of people dont think about that when they think about a handicapped person, they dont realize how long the day can be when you dont have an outlet for them.

Thomas started visiting the Arc after the family moved to Fort Smith from Missouri.As he grew out of the publicschool system, he needed a place to be himself and be around others.

When a lot of people with disabilities are in school, they have their friends at school, when they finish up school that social contact is no longer there for them, Ford said.

Gerry McEvoys son Andrew attended the Arc regularly from around 15-21 years old.

While having a place for their loved ones to be around friends is important, their safety is vital.Both Scott and McEvoy talked about the importance of sending their children to a place where they are safe.

Hes one of the vulnerable people that have to be protected, McEvoy said. And the Arc is a place that does that.

Many people lose their understanding of those with disabilities as they grow older, Scott said.

The community is usually very understanding about small children, Scott said. They recognize when a child has Downs Syndrome or has some(type of) physical handicaps. People are usually pretty forgiving and pretty kind to small children. As a disabled person gets older theres less sympathy, less understanding, although mentally and emotionally these individuals have not aged like we do.

At the Arc for the River Valley they understand, they accommodate and they facilitate to fit the needs of their members, McEvoy said.

Theyre still 3 years old although theyre in a 20-year-old body, Scott said. There needs to be an environment where they can be safe and be who they are.

Although his son is no longer a regular at the facility, McEvoy talked about how it gave Andrew something to look forward to and how happy it made him.

Over the summer, Andrew attended a swim outing to the Alma Aquatic Park.

Those outings are rare and special. We need more of those for that population, McEvoy said. Otherwise, theyre mostlycontained to the family setting and its so beneficial that they get things to look forward to, whether it be bowling or swimming or the events that the Arc puts on.

The Arc for the River Valley has been active for over 60 years and its mission of advocacy, education and recreation remains the same.

For the family, it gives them time for these folks to be as independent as possible, Ford said. That really what its all about. The movies we select, the art that we do, how we talk to them theyre adults, theyre not kids.

Abbi Ross is the city reporter at the Southwest Times Record.She can be reached at aross@swtimes or on Twitter at @__AbbiRoss

Originally posted here:

Arc for the River Valley gives members freedom to be themselves - Times Record

Conspiracy theories, religious reasons, personal freedom: Firstpost Explains why convincing some NBA players to take vaccines is proving to be tricky

Brooklyn Nets Kyrie Irving refused to reveal whether he is vaccinated, or plans to get inoculated against COVID-19 by the time the NBA season commences in a few days. Washington Wizards Bradley Beal said he was not vaccinated due to personal reasons. Golden State Warriors Andrew Wiggins tried to get an exemption from the strict vaccine mandate for the upcoming season based on religious grounds. Labelling himself pro-choice, Orlando Magic forward Jonathan Isaac made his reluctance to be vaccinated clear with a tweet which read: "I believe it is your God given right to decide if taking the vaccine is right for you! Period!"

LeBron James admitted but only grudgingly that he had been vaccinated against the virus after repeatedly saying in the past that his vaccination status was his private matter.

After the past two seasons of the NBA were held under the shadow of the coronavirus , the question of players vaccination status is likely to be the biggest talking point in the upcoming season. Firstpost Explains why vaccination against the coronavirus is proving to be a thorny issue in the league for a minority of the players, and how it could affect the league:

Whats the current status of vaccination in the NBA?

In July this year, Michele Roberts, outgoing Executive Director of NBPA (the players association), told Yahoo Sports that around 90 percent of players had already taken the vaccine.

This figure includes some of the biggest names in the league like LeBron, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Steph Curry, and Damian Lillard.

Teams like San Antonio Spurs, New York Knicks, Los Angeles Lakers, Miami Heat, Utah Jazz, Portland Trail Blazers, Houston Rockets, Atlanta Hawks, Toronto Raptors, and Charlotte Hornets will have fully vaccinated rosters when the season starts in October.

While the 90 percent rate is heartening, it pales in comparison to the WNBA the womens basketball league where 99 percent of players were already vaccinated three months ago.

What is the NBAs policy about vaccination?

So far, the league has not made it mandatory for players to get vaccinated. For the NBA to enforce such a mandate, it would need to come to an agreement with the NBPA (the players association).

Meanwhile, the league has incentivised getting vaccinated. Players who are fully vaccinated would not be subjected to regular testing this season. Meanwhile, players who are not fully vaccinated will be tested on all days involving practice or travel. It is likely that they will be tested twice on game days. These players will also have to wear masks at team facilities and during travel.

Players who are vaccinated will be able to sit together in the locker room, and during travel. They also will not be needed to quarantine if a close contact tests positive for the coronavirus (unless the fully vaccinated player starts to show symptoms of COVID-19 ). These exemptions will not be in place for un-vaccinated players.

Besides league rules, cities like New York and San Francisco have mandated that a player should have had at least one vaccine dose to enter a sports arena or practice facility (unless they have been exempted on medical or religious grounds). This means that should a player from New York Knicks, Brooklyn Nets (both based in NY) or Golden State Warriors (based in San Francisco) refused to get inoculated against the coronavirus , they will not be able to play in home games. Should that citys policy stay firm, players could also miss nearly half of the Playoff action.

What about referees and other staff members of teams?

The NBA has informed all 30 teams that anyone working within 15 feet of players, coaches and referees this season must be fully vaccinated. Referees, who officiate games will also be fully vaccinated.

What is Kyries stance? And why does it matter if hes in a minority among players?

Kyrie Irving was elected to NBPA's Executive Committee as a vice president in February last year, and thus has a big say in what the players association does.

As one of the biggest superstars in the NBA, Irving is also a role model, who has used to stature to rally against racial injustice over the past few years. But his stance assumes more importance when you consider that as per demographic vaccination trends published by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Black Americans are currently getting vaccinated at a slower rate than any other race or ethnicity.

He has remained tight-lipped so far regarding his vaccination status. But many media reports, including one in Fox Sports, have said that the mercurial guard is un-vaccinated.

On Tuesday, during the NBAs media day, he was asked multiple times, directly or indirectly, whether he was vaccinated, or planned to get inoculated. He was the only Brooklyn Nets to not be at the venue physically, needing to attend the media day press conference virtually.

Theres just a lot of questions about whats going on in the world of Kyrie and I think Id love to just keep that private and handle it the right way with my team and go forward together with a plan, Irving told journalists. So obviously Im not able to be present there today, but that doesnt mean that Im putting any limits on the future of me being able to join the team.

However, an article in Rolling Stone stated that Irving had recently started following and liking Instagram posts from a conspiracy theorist who claims that secret societies are implanting vaccines in a plot to connect Black people to a master computer for a plan of Satan.

What do other players, who are yet to take the vaccine, say?

Orlandos Isaac has beaten COVID-19 already. So has Wizards' Beal, who missed out on going to the Tokyo Olympics due to the virus.

While the Rolling Stone article claimed that Isaac had been "watching Donald Trumps press conferences" other videos "where he learned about antibody resistance and came to distrust Dr Anthony Fauci", the player insisted on Tuesday that he isn't anti-vaccine, or anti-science, revealing that mother works as a health care professional.

I thank God, Im grateful, that I live in a society where vaccines are possible and we can protect ourselves and have the means to protect ourselves in the first place, Isaac said at a media day press conference. That being said, it is my belief that the vaccine status of every person should be their own choice. ... Im not ashamed to say that Im uncomfortable with taking the vaccine at this time.

Beal, meanwhile, used Tuesdays press conference to question why fully vaccinated people were still getting the virus. I don't think you can pressure anybody into doing things, or putting things in their body. I would ask the question to those who are getting vaccinated, 'why are you still getting COVID? ... You can still get COVID and still pass it along it vaccinated."

At the Warriors press conference, Wiggins said: My back is definitely against the wall. But Im just going to keep fighting for what I believe keep fighting for what I believe is right. Whats right to one person isnt right to the other and vice versa.

If vaccine sceptics dont take the shot, how does it affect the season?

The Brooklyn Nets are a title contender this season with superstars like Kevin Durant and James Harden in their ranks besides Irving. But New Yorks vaccination mandate will mean that superstar will not be able to train at the franchises home arena this season, besides not taking the floor for any of the 41 regular-season home games, which could have an effect on how the Nets play. With the Irving situation threatening to become a pesky and permanent sideshow for this entire season, it could act as a mental diversion for his teammates.

Beal and Wiggins too are important figures for the success of their respective franchises ambitions. The latter, just like Irving, could miss out on 41 of Warriors home games.

Read the original here:

Conspiracy theories, religious reasons, personal freedom: Why some NBA players are resisting vaccination - Firstpost

On Sunday, Zach Dorfman, Sean D. Naylor, and Michael Isikoff reported in an explosive, seven thousand-word story for Yahoo News that in 2017, Donald Trumps CIAthen under the directorship of Mike Pompeo, a future secretary of stateplotted to kidnap Julian Assange, the founder of WikiLeaks, from Ecuadors embassy in London, where he was then holed up, and that high-level Trump administration officials even discussed assassinating Assange and asked for options as to how to do it. Theres no indication that such plans were ever formally approved, and its unclear exactly how serious the assassination talk was, but a number of senior officials were so worried that they privately shared concerns with Congressional oversight panels. The story contends, in perhaps its most attention-grabbing claim, thatafter US intelligence agencies began to suspect Russia of a plan to spirit Assange to Moscow and harbor him therethey prepared a range of possible responses, including potential gun battles with Kremlin operatives on the streets of London, crashing a car into a Russian diplomatic vehicle transporting Assange and then grabbing him, and shooting out the tires of a Russian plane.

Dorfman, Naylor, and Isikoff describe the frenzied CIA campaign against Assange and WikiLeaks as a response to the latter groups publication of details concerning top-secret CIA hacking tools, a document drop known as Vault 7Pompeo and top colleagues were reportedly embarrassed about the disclosures and, in the words of one former national-security official, saw blood. In April 2017, Pompeo publicly described WikiLeaks as a non-state hostile intelligence service; at the time, Isikoff (and others) viewed the remark as a grabby talking point, but a former official said that the phrase was chosen advisedly, and gave the administration a pretext to treat WikiLeaks as it would a state adversary, without jumping through legal hoops or informing Congressional leaders. Nor was Assange the sole target of this effort: under the rubric of offensive counterintelligence, American spooks reportedly surveilled other WikiLeaks associates and stole their electronic devices, while working to seed disharmony between them. According to Yahoo, CIA officials entertained the possibility of killing people who werent Assange but also had access to the Vault 7 cache.

From the magazine: All of It Matters

The Yahoo story is directly tied to the US governments ongoing efforts to extradite Assange from the UKwhere he is now in jail, having finally been kicked out of the embassy in 2019and prosecute him for his work with WikiLeaks; as Dorfman put it on Twitter, Trump administration officials were both worried about the legality of rendering Assange generally, and particularly concerned about kidnapping him absent an indictment, and so reportedly accelerated the drafting of charges against Assange so as to have something ready should he be brought onto US soil. Soon after British police dragged Assange from the embassy, US authorities indicted him only for computer fraud, which briefly assuaged the fears of press-freedom advocates who feared that the charges might criminalize the publication of secrets. Those fears were soon un-assuaged, however, as prosecutors added a bevy of charges under the Espionage Act that had a much more direct bearing on routine journalistic practice.

Other claims in the Yahoo story also bear directly on press freedom, beyond those immediately concerning the charges; indeed, many of them predate Trumps time in office. As Dorfman, Naylor, and Isikoff report, the Obama administration, fearful of the consequences for press freedomand chastened by the blowback from its own aggressive leak hunts, initially limited investigations into Assange and WikiLeaks, only for its approach to become more aggressive over time, following the groups involvement in the Snowden leaks, in 2013, then again after its publication of hacked Democratic Party emails around the time of the 2016 election. In between times, intelligence officials reportedly lobbied Obama to bolster their investigative powers by classifying WikiLeaks as an information broker, and, troublingly, sought the same designation for Glenn Greenwald and Laura Poitras, two journalists at the heart of the Snowden story. (I am not the least bit surprised that the CIA, a longtime authoritarian and antidemocratic institution, plotted to find a way to criminalize journalism, Greenwald told Yahoo.) Trumps administration, of course, had fewer First Amendment qualms than its predecessor. Then came Vault 7.

After Britain took Assange into custody, press-watchers debated old questions as to whether he can really be considered a journalist, and how much professional solidarity he deserves, especially in light of the historic rape claims against him and his links to Russia and its 2016 election-meddling. The espionage charges, by contrast, seemed to focus media minds to a greater extent, given their clear ramifications beyond Assanges very specific circumstances. Some press advocates have reacted similarly to the details in the Yahoo story. The American Civil Liberties Union shared the article and reiterated its past call for the US to drop the charges against Assange on press-freedom grounds. The Freedom of the Press Foundation described the story as shocking and disturbing, and the CIA as a disgrace; Jameel Jaffer, the director of Columbias Knight First Amendment Institute said that the story was mind-boggling, adding, the over-the-top headline actually manages to capture only a small fraction of the lunacy reported here. Many media-watchers shared the story on Twitter, and numerous major news outlets, at home and abroad, covered or at least noted it.

Still, since its publication on Sunday, the story has hardly attracted wall-to-wall attention from other outlets: as far as I can see, the New York Times has yet to even mention it; CNN discussed it a couple of times on air yesterday, but not in prime time. There are a number of potential factors at play here, and they arent mutually exclusive. Rival outlets national-security reporters may still be working to corroborate the story, which is more useful than aggregation and takes time. Stories about national security, in generaland Assange, in particularcan be gnarly, and have been challenged before; the Yahoo article has itself already elicited some pushback. That said, Yahoo claims to have spoken with thirty former officials, eight of whom described the kidnapping plot and three of whom spoke of the assassination discussions; perhaps more to the point, TV talk shows, in particular, frequently give splashy billing to Trump scandal stories that seem less consequential and less extensively sourced. (The relentless cable coverage of a recent slew of books about Trumps last days in office has often been a case in point.) Its more than conceivable thatas with past stories about AssangeYahoos claims havent yet gotten bigger billing because Assange is perceived to be an unsympathetic victim and because, unlike other examples of Trumpian demagoguery, the authoritarian state power at issue here has much deeper, broader roots than Trump himself, involving years of national-security policy under presidents of both parties.

If Yahoos reporting holds up, its bottom line is that senior US officials entertained extreme, violent, and extrajudicial responses to the publication of sensitive information. You dont need to accept the probity of the publisher or the merits of the information to see the slippery slope here for press freedomyou need look, in fact, no farther than Greenwald and Poitras. The plans never came to fruition, but their high-level consideration would be bad enoughand the US government still very much is pursuing Assange on charges that could criminalize reporting, despite another recent change of administration; officials are currently appealing a British judges ruling that blocked the extradition of Assange on health grounds, and recently won the right to expand the terms of that appeal. The charges against Assange are as much a threat to press freedom under Biden as they were under Trump, yet for many media-watchers, they no longer seem close to front of mind.

Below, more on Assange:

Other notable stories:

From the magazine: Retail Politics

TOP IMAGE: Sketch of Julian Assange appearing by video link at the High Court in London, August 11, 2021. Elizabeth Cook, via AP Images.

Original post:

A scary reminder of the press-freedom stakes in the Assange case - Columbia Journalism Review

There have been two major reforms of the Freedom of Information Act since it was introduced by a Labour minister, Eithne Fitzgerald, in 1997.

The first was by Charlie McCreevy in 2003, when he was minister for finance. That particular Fianna Fil government was not thrilled about the large volume of requests coming in.

His reforming zeal might have been inspired by a Sunday Tribune FOI request to the Department of Foreign Affairs in 2002 seeking records on cuts to the budget for overseas aid.

Due to an oversight, the records supplied covered all areas of government spending, including a warning by McCreevy of a deteriorating economic situation and the need for cuts across all departments. Publicly the Government had denied any cuts. It caused huge embarrassment.

McCreevys reform introduced charges of 15 for a request, 150 for an appeal and large retrieval costs for documents. It also redefined the definitions of government and of deliberative process, which had the effect of limiting access to information held by public bodies. It was designed to discourage requests and had the desired impact.

A little over a decade later, a new minister for public expenditure and reform, Brendan Howlin, reversed those changes and again liberalised the law.

The scope of that 2014 reform was wide, and that was recently illustrated by the release of 100 records, prompted by 20 requests, between Simon Coveney and Katherine Zappone relating to her fleeting appointment as a special envoy to the United Nations.

So will the review by Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform Michael McGrath decided at Tuesdays Cabinet meeting be in the mould of McCreevy or Howlin?

The Cork Fianna Fil TD was not giving too much away with an asinine press release that yielded precious little new information.

That said, McGraths instincts would be towards Howlin-like transparency, and he does say that for the system to work effectively, members of the public and media need to be able to access information from public bodies.

He adds that major innovations in communications technology since 2014 have transformed the way in which individuals and public bodies interact with each other, and it therefore represents a challenge to the existing FOI system.

You can take that either way. Could it mean new forms of communication will be included, or excluded, from the legislation?

There also has to be consideration of when a communication on a smart device is personal rather than public.

How can the history of messages and communications be weeded for public content? Can a public servant trawl through an office holders device? Are there issues of privacy that come into play?

McGrath hinted at other areas he might examine. He said that while a full review by the Information Commissioner was available, only 1 per cent of requests actually went forward for a full review. He said the level was consistently and notably low.

He also said there would be a project to estimate the cost of FOI to the exchequer. Does that raise the prospect of new charges? Hardly.

A lot of water has passed under the bridge since 2003.

Continue reading here:

Will Freedom of Information review favour transparency? - The Irish Times

The unsanctioned gathering would take place on the Playa of Black Rock Desert, where Burning Man the annual celebration of free-spiritedness was held each summer since 1990. Many within the community of Burning Man, which formed in San Francisco before moving to Nevada in search of greater freedom, felt the event was irresponsible because it might violate several of the 10 Principles of Burning Man, notably civic responsibility and leaving no trace.

SFGATE reached out to long-time Burning Man volunteer Matthew Reyes (aka Motorbikematt) to share his experience with the Renegade Playa and his hopes for how to heal the divided community. The views expressed here are his own and not those of the Burning Man Project. His account has been edited and condensed for clarity and length.

Screencap of video recorded for social media, showing Matthew Reyes reviewing what he saw and felt immediately after leaving the Renegade Playa in 2021.

Im the producer and co-host of the official Burning Man webcast. Though originally from South Florida, Id lived in the Bay Area for over a decade working for places like NASA, GoPro, and now Dolby Labs before leaving during the pandemic to care for family.

I became infatuated with Burning Man in college after watching a "Nightline" story about it. At my first Burn, in 2010, I knew I would be hooked for life. A few years later, I hosted a live broadcast aboard a mutant vehicle called the Mars Rover Art Car, and I have volunteered my time and equipment ever since.

In 2020, when Black Rock City as the physical location of the yearly Burning Man celebration is called was canceled, most of us werent surprised. We understood the rationale. But that sentiment wasnt universal. A number of Burners, mostly pandemic skeptics, decided to go to the Black Rock Desert no matter what.

Volunteer and staff follow COVID-19 protocols while applying finishing touches to the Man in 2020.

One could assume this defiant group was a reflection of the fringe of the "default world" that behaved the same way. But when it comes to Burning Man, with its roots in San Franciscos Cacophony Society, defiance against authority especially the authority of "BMORG," as the Burning Man Project is derisively called by its critics is a longstanding pastime.

Fast forward to late winter of 2021. Of the nearly 80,000 citizens of Black Rock City in 2019, some just show up for the party. So there were big concerns about how to manage the pandemic, including verifying vaccination status. Many of us still thought it was obvious that the in-person event should be canceled for a second year.

Major theme camps, including Death Guild, which is among the most famous, pre-emptively announced their easy decision not to attend. [W]e do not want to be the next Sturgis, they wrote on Facebook, while citing issues like logistics, safety, concerns about commuting through Indigenous land during a pandemic and the ethics of inadvertently allowing only the economically privileged to attend what is already a diversity-challenged gathering at Black Rock City.

View from 12 Mile Entrance of Black Rock Desert. Dust obscures the crowd of thousands of Burners in the distance on Sept. 3, 2021.

In April, the in-person event was canceled again. But the decision was not without additional strife.

Shortly before the cancellation announcement, Burning Man co-founder Danger Ranger, an original Cacophonist, declared that the gathering, was never intended to be SAFE. He didnt believe vaccinations should be required to Black Rock City.

Having the freedom to play with fire is a part of our ethos, he wrote on Facebook. Requiring a vaccination for entry to BRC not only goes against that ethos, it is against logic.

It soon became clear from social media posts that many frustrated Burners, some clueless or dismissive of the Burning Man Projects (BMorg) year-round efforts to build Black Rock City, were hell-bent on getting to the desert. Those who went to this summers Renegade Burn are a small, and very passionate, minority. My total count of the various Facebook group memberships pre-event ranged from 16,000 to 18,000. While sizable, its not the nearly 80,000 people on the Playa in 2019, the over 500,000 webcast viewers during that years Burn Night, or the nearly 1.4 million followers of the Burning Man Projects Facebook page.

Andrew Ganzon, left, and Matthew Reyes take a moment to appreciate the hard work of the Man Burn video production on Sept. 4, 2021.

Soon after the 2020 cancellation, a small group of dedicated Burners carpenters, planners and others began focusing on building and broadcasting a Man Burn live video from Fly Ranch, the 3,800-acre Burning Man Project-owned property thats a short drive from the Playa. My webcast partner Andrew Ganzon and I were among them.

We kept our plan discreet to protect both the locals and the crew. We were concerned about lookie-loos who werent practicing the same precautions as our tiny group, which had committed to social distancing and masking. I also hoped the surprise of the 2020 webcast would lift the spirits of our community.

While the Playa is a hustle and bustle of parties, sound and unpredictable human activity, the Ranches Fly Ranch, which the Burning Man Project bought in 2016, and the Department of Public Works Ranch next door are serene and protective of the nature surrounding them. My gear is stored in a shipping container at DPW that serves as my webcast studio. That ranch, steeped in the history of Black Rock Cities past, is maintained year-round by a small and universally underappreciated staff. They always support me like family.

Controlling the camera during the Man Burn live video stream production in 2020.

This year, while preparing to livestream from Fly Ranch once again, I started to feel FOMO for the Plan B Burn. I wasnt planning on visiting but, since I was going to be in the neighborhood, I figured why not see it with my own eyes?

So after getting settled at the work ranch, I meandered over to the Black Rock Desert-High Rock Canyon Emigrant Trails National Conservation Area. At the entrance, the renegade event was only visible because of the dust trails kicked up by speeding vehicles.

Then, the outline of encampments emerged like a mirage. I drove the perimeter with my GoPro and spiraled inward. Once on the Playa, I have to admit, I too opened up the throttle. I parked the car a few times, hoping to find people to talk to, but many of the camps felt closed off not welcoming like Id expect in Black Rock City. It felt more like refugee glamping in clusters versus a community of Burners.

Revelers dance to DJs aboard Robot Heart sound mutant vehicle on Sept. 3, 2021.

My trip to the Playa turned into a support mission. Some Rogue Burners livestreaming the event needed a replacement computer part. I'd brought it as a gift to them and the community watching from home, but to deliver it, I had to find the "Robot Heart" mutant vehicle they had trained their camera on. Finding the team was a challenge without city streets. I had to drive, stop and turn off the car to listen. Finally, I heard that dirt rave with the deep bass thumps in the distance. As I got close enough to see the beautiful people cozy in their furs and outfits, the pang of missing Burning Man hit me hard.

Despite my nostalgia, as I was approaching their camera I also found plenty of disgusting MOOP Matter Out of Place in Burning Man speak including puddles of urine and three separate people peeing on the Playa a national conservation area with zero shame. While of course this happens in Black Rock City, Id never seen it so widespread.

A reveler urinates on the Renegade Burn video webcast trailer. To the left are just some of the puddles left behind by dancers on the playa on Sept. 3, 2021.

Leaving the Playa, I had very mixed feelings. I was relieved that the kind of stshow some were expecting did not happen. Yes, the week started off with a few accidents, some serious enough to require medevacs. Yet what I saw was mostly orderly and thoughtful. Still, I was wary about the MOOP, especially human waste and cars speeding in the soft Playa conditions.

Weeks later, after a rainstorm, some of my fears were realized Id learn from online reports when an uncountable amount of bagged, buried excrement floated to the Playa surface, including a completely full portable toilet. Fortunately, a few selfless volunteers managed to clean up the bags, and the original owners of the toilet were shamed into returning to the Playa to retrieve their mess.

But these are the problems that come from poor acculturation of Burning Mans principles. And despite the planning and discussion beforehand, the fact is luck was on the Rogue Burners side. The weather was fantastic and, in spite of a lot of high speed vehicles, no bystanders were seriously injured.

Workers help raise the man during the Man Burn video production on Sept. 4, 2021.

Despite everything, I think its fair to call this Burn a success. All Burners should celebrate that. Unfortunately many of the people who went to the Playa were using their individual successes of this "non-event" as incontrovertible proof that the Burning Man Project should not exist that these loosely affiliated groups can plan an event five or six times as large as this years Rogue Burn. (Several Burners have claimed over 20,000 attendees, but multiple professional estimates range between 13,000 and 16,000.)

Many loud voices online questioning the role of the Burning Man Project simply do not understand or appreciate the cost of dealing with government or the emergency planning required for low probability but high impact risks. If there had been bad weather, a large accident, or something else that the project prepares for, I'd be writing a different story.

The Man effigy fully engulfed in flames in 2021.

Even with the beautifully Instagrammable moments like the drone flight and Robot Heart, I take issue with anyone that claims this event will replace Burning Man. This Renegade Burn was not Black Rock City. Missing were many of the macro and micro levels of expression, art, creativity and civic responsibility that the Burning Man Project nurtures.

I hope everyone on both sides grows quieter and listens more. While snark, cacophony and anarchy are in the DNA of Burners, there needs to be a general rebalancing toward love and respect. We can continue to set an example to the rest of the world on how to listen, how to be civil and how to be self-reliant. I fear we are losing that. Maybe its time to stop shouting on social media and focus on building relationships especially on the Playa. I cant wait for next year.

Matthew Reyes, aka Motorbikematt, is the producer and co-host of the official Burning Man webcast.

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'Freedom to play with fire': A report from the rogue Burning Man event - SFGate

Voters hate gerrymandering.

Voters hate the massive amount spent by a few ultra rich individuals and special interest groups that buy our elections.

Voters love democracy.

The powerful people who speak out against the Freedom to Vote Act are not patriots defending home rule when it comes to election laws. They are trying to make sure that monied interests are the only ones that have a voice in our democracy. The are making sure only people who agree with them have access to the ballot box. They are using false appeals to patriotism in order to destroy what is really great about America. They are demonizing those who are fighting for what the vast majority of Americans really want.Making election day a federal holiday, standardizing ID requirements, ending partisan gerrymandering, putting limits on dark money, and keeping election officials nonpartisan are not controversial things. But if you want to destroy democracy they are terrifying.

Adrienne Larsen lives in Fargo.

This letter does not necessarily reflect the opinion of The Forum's editorial board nor Forum ownership.

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Letter: To be against the Freedom to Vote Act is to side with the swamp - INFORUM

Michael Kovrig, centre right, waves to media after his arrival at Toronto Pearson International Airport, on Sept. 25.

Frank Gunn/The Canadian Press

Negotiations that led to freedom for Michael Spavor and Michael Kovrig ramped up in early August after U.S. President Joe Biden became seriously engaged in ending a legal standoff with China, sources say.

Mr. Biden insisted any deal to drop the U.S. extradition case against Huawei Technologies executive Meng Wanzhou and defer criminal charges could not happen unless the two Canadians were released at the same time, according to three sources with direct knowledge of the talks with China, Huawei and Ms. Mengs lawyers.

With Michael Kovrig and Michael Spavor free, Ottawa now faces a decision on Huawei 5G ban

Chinese President Xi Jinping, who along with Mr. Biden wanted to reset U.S.-China relations on a more stable footing, did not object to the Canadians being released from Chinese prisons as long as Ms. Meng was allowed to return home without having to admit guilt for bank and wire fraud, the sources said.

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No one in the U.S., Chinese or Canadian governments will confirm there was any quid pro quo in the deferred prosecution agreement with Ms. Meng for the release of Mr. Kovrig and Mr. Spavor, the sources said. The Globe and Mail is not identifying the sources because they were not authorized to speak publicly about the matter.

The two Canadians spent 1,019 days in Chinese prisons. They were detained days after Ms. Meng was arrested in Vancouver on a U.S. extradition warrant in December, 2018, to face fraud charges related to violations of U.S. sanctions against Iran. The Canadian government said China was engaging in hostage diplomacy.

At a news conference at the White House on Monday, Mr. Bidens press secretary, Jen Psaki, said the U.S. Justice department decided on its own to grant the DPA to Ms. Meng, while acknowledging the pivotal role played by the President.

Michael Kovrig flew into Toronto on Saturday and spoke briefly to waiting reporters. With wife Vina Nadjibulla by his side, Kovrig said it was fantastic to be back home in Canada. The Globe and Mail

Its important to note that there is no link, she said. We have an independent justice department. We cant determine how the Chinese and others manage their businesses over there.

However, she stressed that Mr. Biden instructed his administration to do everything in its power to win the release of the two Michaels, and raised their cases directly in a Sept. 9 telephone call with Mr. Xi.

These two leaders raised the cases of these individuals, but there was no negotiation about it, Ms. Psaki said. It was President Biden raising and pressing again for the release of the two Michaels, as is something that happens in every engagement we do with the Chinese or had, up to this point in time. It should not come as a surprise that President Xi raised the Huawei official, but again, there was no negotiation on this call.

On Monday, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying confirmed that Mr. Xi also played a direct role and gave personal guidance to resolve the nearly three-year-old dispute, which ended when Ms. Meng and the two Michaels were returned to their home countries on flights that departed near simultaneously.

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Ms. Hua said Mr. Spavor and Mr. Kovrig had applied for and been granted bail for medical reasons.

The talks with China, Huawei and Ms. Mengs legal team took off after U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman met in late July with senior Chinese diplomats in China, according to the sources.

It was the second U.S. effort to resolve the standoff. With prodding from Canada, the Trump administration attempted to reach a DPA with Ms. Meng in late December, 2020, but she refused to co-operate because the United States wanted a guilty plea, one of the sources said.

In early August, the U.S. Justice department again approached Huawei and Ms. Mengs lawyers to renew negotiations on a deferred prosecution agreement, two of the sources said. Under the deal reached last Friday, Ms. Meng did not have to enter a guilty plea, pay a heavy fine or agree to testify against Huawei, the giant Chinese telecom founded by her father, Ren Zhengfei.

She did, however, accept a significant portion of the U.S. governments case against her, including an attempt to evade U.S. sanctions against Iran.

Sources say the outline of the Sept. 24 deal was the outcome of heavy lifting from Canadas ambassador to China, Dominic Barton, who first approached the new Biden administration in April to commit to a deferred prosecution agreement.

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Mr. Barton spent three weeks in Washington, where he met with officials from the White House National Security Council and the departments of Justice, State, Defense, Treasury and Commerce. He also held talks with Cui Tiankai, Chinas ambassador to the United States. At the time, the Biden administration was unable to make any commitment to a DPA as it was still staffing up its departments.

In early August, two of the sources said, Mr. Barton and Kirsten Hillman, Canadas envoy to Washington, were told of the DPA negotiations, as was Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and key members of his government. They said Mr. Barton was also instrumental in making the case to the Chinese that they could save face if Ms. Meng was returned home without having to admit to criminal wrongdoing, and help ease international tensions by freeing the two Michaels.

At the United Nations on Monday, Foreign Affairs Minister Marc Garneau used a speech to the General Assembly to highlight the release of the Michaels, and chastised Beijing for the arbitrary arrest of Mr. Spavor, a businessman who ran tours into North Korea, and Mr. Kovrig, a former diplomat.

Canada observed the rule of law, and two Canadian citizens paid a heavy price for this commitment. We did so as matter of principle, and we are proud of the courage of our two citizens, the good faith and resilience of their families and creativity of our diplomats, Mr. Garneau said. We continue to oppose the way these two fine people were treated.

China locked up the two Canadians in apparent retaliation for the arrest of Ms. Meng, a member of Chinas corporate elite.

China put Mr. Kovrig and Mr. Spavor on trial on charges of spying in March of this year.

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With a report from The Canadian Press

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Biden's intervention led to freedom for two Michaels, sources say - The Globe and Mail

The NSW government has revealed the freedoms people who are vaccinated against COVID-19, and those who are not,will get back before the end of the year.

Once 80 per cent of the eligible population is vaccinated which is expected to happen sometime inOctober those who have had two doses will be able to enjoy community sport again andhave up to 10 guests visit their home among with a swathe of other freedoms.

But unvaccinated people will remain under stay-at-home orders until December 1.

By then, more than 90 per cent of people aged 16 and over are expected to be fully inoculated against the virus.

Some of the restrictions outlined below will come into effect on Monday, October 11 after the state reaches 70 per cent double-dose coverage, while others will be introduced when the state reaches 80 per cent later that month.

These are the COVID-19 restrictions that will be easing onOctober 11.

A lot is changing, this is what you need to know.

The following ruleswill apply only to fully vaccinated people.

Gatherings at home and outdoors

Community sport

Venues including pubs, shops and gyms

Outdoor facilities

Entertainment, information and education facilities

Working from home

Schools

Weddings, funerals and places of worship

Regional travel

Masks

The following changes will apply to all NSW citizens, regardless of their vaccination status.

Gatherings in the home and outdoors

Community sport

Venues including pubs, shops and gyms

Outdoor facilities

Entertainment, information and education facilities

Working from home

Weddings, funerals and places of worship

Travel

Masks

Some aspects of NSW's roadmap to COVID normal still need to be confirmed.

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NSW road to COVID-19 freedom has been revealed this is what you need to know - ABC News