Category Archives: Freedom

Three million Uighur Muslims are estimated to be detained in Chinese concentration camps. Thousands of Yazidis, Christians, and others live on the edge of extinction in their ancient homelands in Iraq and Syria after the Islamic States genocidal rampage against them. Prisoners of conscience around the world are incarcerated for their beliefs, actions, or peaceful advocacy in support of their faith. The United States must continue and expand its work in support of religious freedom worldwide.

This is why it is so important that Congress reauthorize the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom. USCIRF is an independent, bipartisan U.S. federal government commission dedicated to defending the universal right to freedom of religion or belief abroad. Composed of expert commissioners and a dedicated professional staff, USCIRF reviews the facts and circumstances of religious freedom violations and makes policy recommendations to the president, secretary of state, and Congress.

The commission has played a vital role in highlighting horrific abuses of religious freedom, helping to free religious prisoners of conscience, and supporting those around the world who suffer for their religion, beliefs, conscience, or peaceful actions in support of their faith. They incubated an international group of parliamentarians working on these efforts, 14 prisoners of conscience championed by USCIRF have been released, and in the past year alone released 20 reports more than in any other year. This is in addition to a great deal of unity on the issues displayed by commissioners from across the political spectrum.

For the commission to continue its important mission, it soon must be reauthorized, or it will be forced to close. We are grateful to Sens. Dick Durbin of Illinois, Bob Menendez of New Jersey, Jim Risch of Idaho, and Marco Rubio of Florida, who collaborated on a reauthorization measure and encourage them to craft a bill that can pass Congress and maintain bipartisan focus on freedom of religion and belief rights.

Much is at stake. Whatever ones theology, religious freedom is vital to humanity, anchored in numerous international conventions, and a foreign policy priority of the U.S. as articulated in the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998. It is also a key factor in U.S foreign policy, as it helps enhance security, peace, and economic development. Religious freedom advocates, from every faith and none, work diligently to strengthen religious freedom as a core component in U.S. foreign policy. We do this across religious, party, and ideological lines because we understand that the U.S. has a powerful voice and an important role to play within the international community.

USCIRFs important contributions to this cause include robust reporting products, advocacy for prisoners of conscience, resources such as prisoner lists and timely recommendations. Civil society relies on these essential tools to advance this fundamental human right.

Recently the International Religious Freedom Roundtable sent a letter signed by 114 organizations and leaders working for freedom of religion or belief thanking and encouraging key senators on their reauthorization efforts. This letter, one of the most diverse ever delivered to the U.S. government on religious freedom, includes representatives of atheists, Buddhists, Christians, Copts, Falun Gong, humanists, Jews, Muslims, Scientologists, Seventh-Day Adventists, Yazidis, and others.

Our message is clear: We are grateful to the senators and their staff who seek to reauthorize USCIRF. This issue always has received bipartisan support and must remain that way. Indeed, the Senate passed IRFA, the bill that created the Commission by a 98-0 vote. The House passed IRFA by voice vote. The Frank R. Wolf Act that expanded USCIRFs remit passed without opposition.

Bipartisan support is crucial as members of Congress exercise their proper oversight and authorization roles and seek to resolve differences on provisions. We are encouraged that senators and their staff continue to work together on this legislation. In years past, Congress has proven its willingness to work diligently to protect international religious freedom. In fact, Durbin, Menendez, and Rubio earned top scores on the latest International Religious Freedom Congressional Scorecard.

USCIRF is an essential component in helping the U.S. be a beacon for freedom. We encourage Congress to reauthorize USCIRF and send a signal that the U.S. is committed to defending religious freedom and human dignity around the world.

Nathan Wineinger is director of policy and coalitions for 21Wilberforce. Matias Perrtula is advocacy director for International Christian Concern. Both are co-chairmen for the Congressional Working Group, International Religious Freedom Roundtable.

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Reauthorize the US Commission on International Religious Freedom - Washington Examiner

by Amber Wang, with Yan Zhao

Protests that have paralysedHongKongfor nearly six months are pushing residents to seek new lives abroad, with many turning to nearby democratic Taiwan to escape the uncertainty at home.

Taiwan has long attractedHongKongers seeking an alternative to their citys frenetic pace and sky-high rents.

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But the number granted short-term and permanent residency in Taiwan rose nearly 30 percent to over 4,000 between January and September from a year earlier, with investment fromHongKongalmost doubling.

Leonardo Wong was in the southern Taiwanese city of Kaohsiung last month scouting locations for a restaurant he plans to open when he moves to the island in January.

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HongKongis no longer safe. You dont know what would happen tomorrow. There are too many external forces that could change the course of things, the 27-year-old told AFP.

Now it feels rather like things could never go back to the way they were. We cant see what kind of future (HongKong) is heading towards.

Taiwan does not recognise the legal concept of asylum or accept refugee applications, fearful of a potential influx from the authoritarian mainland.

ButHongKongers can apply to live on the island through a variety of means, including investment visas.

A city with hope

Former system analyst Chow Chung-ming recently obtained a residency permit through a scheme that requires a Tw$6 million (US$197,000) investment,a fraction of the costs associated with other popular immigration destinations such as Australia, Canada and the United States.

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The 41-year-old moved to Kaohsiung attracted partly by lower rents, which have helped him realise a childhood dream of opening a cat cafe this July, but also the islands relative freedoms.

In Taiwan, freedom of speech is in the present tense. People can elect the president and lawmakers rights thatHongKongers dont have and I dont see any chance of ever having, he said.

Protests inHongKongerupted in response to proposed legislation that would have allowed extraditions to the mainland, but have snowballed into demands for greater freedoms in the city.

Beijing officially espouses a so-called one country, two systems policy onHongKong, allowing the city greater freedoms and rule of law, but protesters argue that has been gradually eroded.

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A 50-year guarantee of that status will expire in 2047, with manyHongKongers convinced their freedoms will keep shrinking until the city is fully absorbed into the mainland.

I think the tightening on freedom will continue inHongKonguntil its one country, one system, Chow said.

The current departure ofHongKongers abroad is described by some as a third wave, after many residents went overseas ahead of the 1997 British handover and, in smaller numbers, after the 2014 failure of the pro-democracy Umbrella Movement.

Businesswoman Suki Lui has regularly participated in pro-democracy protests, but she now plans to relocate to Taiwan, hoping to give her two-year-old daughter a better future.

My emotions have gone through so many ups and downs and I feel I have endured more emotion than I can handle, the 37-year-old said.

This picture taken on November 13, 2019 shows Chow Chung-ming, a former computer programmer in Hong Kong, speaks during an interview at his coffee shop in Kaohsiung, southern Taiwan. Photo: Yan Zhao in Hong Kong.

I hope she can get a better education, can enjoy freedom, can realise her dreams in the future I hope she can choose and live in a city with hope.

Safeguard Taiwan

But even those who move to Taiwan will live under a cloud cast by China.

Beijing sees the self-ruled island as part of its territory and has vowed to seize it, by force if necessary, even though the two have been governed separately for the past seven decades.

President Tsai Ing-wen, who took office in 2016, refuses to acknowledge that the island is part of one China and has repeatedly voiced support forHongKongs pro-democracy protesters.

In response, Beijing has ramped up economic and military pressure on Taiwan and poached many of the islands few remaining diplomatic allies.

Tsai faces elections in January against an opponent who favours much warmer ties with Beijing and has called the upcoming vote a fight for freedom and democracy.

Some displacedHongKongers hope the island will heed the lessons of the unrest in their home city.

I cant vote yet but I hope people will vote for someone who can safeguard Taiwan, said Chow.

Phoenix Law, 30, said she moved to Taiwan in September drawn by the islands greater freedoms.

If people (in Taiwan) dont accept what the president does, they can resist, she said.

I hope Taiwanese people are on alert after seeing the situation inHongKong. Dont trust the Chinese Communist Party, what they say may sound nice but that are all lies.

Hong Kong Free Press relies on direct reader support. Help safeguard independent journalism and press freedom as we invest more in freelancers, overtime, safety gear & insurance during this summers protests.10 ways to support us.

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'Freedom of speech is in the present tense': Protests send Hongkongers to Taiwan in search of new lives - Hong Kong Free Press

Ukrainian World Congress

The Ukrainian World Congress issued the following media release on November 21.

On November 21, 2013, the people of Ukraine gathered in the capitals Independence Square in defense of their will to live freely in a democracy that respects the choice of the people. This day, which began a spiral of events leading to the Revolution of Dignity with tragic consequences, is now marked as the Day of Dignity and Freedom.

Precipitated by the refusal of the Yanukovych regime to sign the EU-Ukraine Association Agreement, the peaceful protest was answered by authorities with violence spurring the country to rise up in mass demonstrations. Unwilling to hear the voice of the people, the regime took more drastic measures resulting in the deaths of over 100 innocent men and women to whom we pay tribute and remember as the Nebesna Sotnia.

The fight for freedom that began six years ago today continues as the hybrid war of the Russian Federation against Ukraine persistently claims the lives of brave soldiers and innocent civilians alike, and a rampant disinformation campaign aims to discredit Ukraine and its people.

The Ukrainian World Congress (UWC) pays tribute to those who took a stand in defense of the Ukrainian peoples right to live in dignity and freedom, and to those who continue to stand on the frontlines of this modern day war refusing to allow Ukraine to once again be pulled under the yoke of a foreign aggressor, stated UWC President Paul Grod. We urge the international community to remember the sacrifices made by the Ukrainian people in the name of global peace and security, and remain steadfastly on the side of the Ukrainian people by increasing pressure on the Russian Federation to withdraw its troops, mercenaries, weapons and materiel from Ukrainian territory.

Glory to Ukraine! Glory to Heroes!

Ukrainian Canadian Congress

The statement below was released by the Ukrainian Canadian Congress on November 21.

On November 21, Ukrainians all over the world mark the Day of Dignity and Freedom. Six years ago, the Ukrainian people took to the streets to defend their choice to live in liberty and democracy.

On November 21, 2013, demonstrations began in response to the governments decision not to sign the EU-Ukraine Association Agreement. On November 29-30, the regime responded with violence, and security forces attacked and beat student protestors on Kyivs Independence Square (the Maidan). In response, Ukrainians in cities and towns across the country rose up in mass demonstrations. So began the Revolution of Dignity.

Months of demonstrations were met with increasing repression and retribution by the state. But in the face of growing violence ordered by the regime, growing arrests and attacks, the Ukrainian people bravely defended their inalienable right to freedom. The people demanded that their government hear and heed their voice they would not be denied their right to be treated with dignity.

On February 18-20, 2014, at Kyivs Maidan, the Yanukovych regime ordered security forces to open fire upon their own people. But the Maidan withstood the regimes attack, and the regime retreated. Viktor Yanukovych fled Ukraine, abdicating his office, and Ukraines Parliament appointed a new government.

Over 100 brave Ukrainian patriots were killed in those February days. Their names and their faces are today etched upon stone in Ukraines capital. They shall forever be remembered as the Heavenly Hundred and they gave their lives so that Ukraine may be free. We honor their memory. .

The Revolution of Dignity was an expression of a nations resolve to live in freedom, of the Ukrainian peoples centuries-long struggle for self-determination. Through their courage and their unity, the Ukrainian people cemented their right to choose their own common destiny.

Today, as so many times through history, Russia wages war against Ukraine, seeking once again to subjugate the Ukrainian people to Moscows tyranny. On the battlefields and in the trenches of eastern Ukraine, Ukrainians fight for the ideals of the Revolution of Dignity. The Ukrainian people are defending their country and their homes with valor, bravery and unity of purpose. The cause of the Ukrainian people is the cause of free peoples the world over, and with Gods help, they will be victorious.

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Ukrainian Congress Committee of America

The following release was issued by the Ukrainian Congress Committee of America on November 21.

The Ukrainian Congress Committee of America (UCCA), the largest representative organization of Americans of Ukrainian descent, celebrates the indomitable Ukrainian spirit on this Day of Dignity and Freedom Hidnosty ta Svobody.

The historic Revolution of Dignity in 2013-2014, when ordinary people began gathering outside during a cold winter in Kyiv, literally laying down soul and body for [their] freedom as Ukraines anthem declares, came to be when ordinary Ukrainians chose their own destiny. The courage and self-sacrifice of these Euro-Maidan protesters is reminiscent of the daring of another group of people, who, many years ago, because of their love for freedom and their determination, won the right to live in their own independent and democratic nation the United States of America.

On this date, we also recall the estimated 7 million Ukrainians who participated in the historic peaceful protests that came to be known as the Orange Revolution in 2003-2004. In response to the falsification of the final round of the 2003-2004 Ukrainian presidential election, the Ukrainian Congress Committee of America organized the largest election observer mission ever registered by Ukraines Central Election Commission, flying in over 2,000 observers from around the world to ensure that new elections would be transparent, democratic and in accordance with international standards.

On this Day of Dignity and Freedom, we honor the legacy of these wintry revolutions and their transformational legacy of national identity and patriotism in Ukraine and beyond. The Ukrainian Congress Committee of America celebrates this defense of democratic values, rights and freedoms for which the Ukrainian people gathered in mass rallies, supported by the countless hours of heroic humanitarian work by our diaspora community, whose enormous charity and goodwill helped support the people of Ukraine during these historic times.

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Remembering the Day of Dignity and Freedom - The Ukrainian Weekly

The Daughters of the American Revolution -- made up of those who can trace their lineage to early Americans who contributed to the Revolutionary War effort -- once had the reputation of an over-the-hill social club, members of a local chapter admit.

"I think most people thought it was just a bunch of old ladies sitting around drinking tea and having cookies," said Jane Gregga, of Elk Grove Village, who has been a member of the Arlington Heights-based Eli Skinner chapter for 15 years. "But we really are a service organization."

Take their involvement earlier this month in a Stand Down event, where chapter members gave away 700 winter hats to homeless veterans. Many of the hats were handmade by the Daughters working on an assembly line of sewing machines during a recent meeting.

And three or four times a year they deliver carloads of cookies to veterans at the Captain James A. Lovell Federal Health Care Center in North Chicago.

But perhaps one of their biggest volunteer efforts in years is a current undertaking to place wreaths on the graves of all veterans and first responders in Elk Grove Cemetery, and an associated history project that will detail the life stories of all 300 or so people laid to rest in the historic cemetery.

It fits in well with the Daughters' stated goals: to encourage patriotism, preserve American history and promote the education of children.

"It's important that the memories of those that helped found our country and fight for our freedom are not forgotten," said Gregga, who is coordinating the project with chapter regent Mary Arvidson. "We want children to understand what freedom costs. To have an event like this at a cemetery with veterans from pretty much every war -- it's a great teaching opportunity."

Gregga suggested her local Daughters chapter -- which numbers 180 strong -- sponsor a local wreath-laying ceremony in conjunction with Wreaths Across America, which promotes similar events at cemeteries in all 50 states. This fall, she led an online campaign to collect donations for 50 some wreaths at $15 a piece.

What better place to host the ceremony than Elk Grove Cemetery, she thought, since it is the resting place of the local chapter's namesake, Eli Skinner, one of two Revolutionary War patriots buried there.

Skinner, who died in 1851 at the age of 90, enlisted in the Massachusetts militia at 14, and because of his young age, was given the task of playing the flutelike fife instrument as soldiers marched into battle. He didn't arrive in Elk Grove until the end of his life, settling in the area for its good farmland.

The other colonial-era veteran, Aaron Miner, was in the Connecticut militia, who died in 1849 at the age of 92.

He is the namesake of a local chapter of the Children of the American Revolution. Members of that group, with the Sons of the American Revolution and Elk Grove VFW Post 9284, will also be participating in the wreath-laying ceremony at noon Saturday, Dec. 14.

Local historians believe Skinner and Miner are the only two known Revolutionary War veterans buried in Cook County, which underscores the historical significance of their final resting place: a tiny cemetery of some 300 graves tucked in between a Nicor gas pipeline, Arlington Heights Road and the Jane Addams Tollway.

It's a history that has captured the attention of Arvidson, who -- as an outgrowth of the wreath-laying campaign -- decided to dig into online databases, library records and newspaper archives to find out as much as possible about all those buried there.

The graveyard, which dates to the 1830s, is a who's who of Elk Grove history -- with names like Busse and Cosman -- but little is known about many of the others buried there. Arvidson found obituaries for about 100 people but says she still has more work to do. She eventually hopes to give the Elk Grove Historical Society and the private association that maintains the cemetery a binder with a page about each person.

"The survival of that cemetery is a miracle in and of itself when you discover that little piece of land holds an incredible amount of history," she said.

Arvidson, a retired Navy master chief from Palatine, began scouring records to find how many of those buried served in the military and law enforcement, so the Daughters would know how many wreaths they needed.

Her search yielded about 50, including two unknown soldiers, who are unnamed. Arvidson believes they may be veterans of the Civil War or Spanish-American War.

They, like all the others, will receive special treatment during the Dec. 14 ceremony, when volunteers and any known descendants and relatives will mark the graves with the memorial evergreens.

"We'll say the name of person, and stop for a moment, so they are remembered," Arvidson said.

Read this article:

The cost of freedom: Daughters of the American Revolution honor local patriots - Chicago Daily Herald

Theres some backstory to the current Rudy Giuliani drama Id like to share.

After he left the mayoralty at the end of 2001 Giuliani made tens of millions of dollars on his reputation as Americas Mayor and a 9/11-based terrorism and security expert under the shingle Giuliani Partners. In the nature of things that rep was more valuable abroad than at home. He cashed in big time. That went on for about 15 years with a brief timeout for his failed 2008 presidential bid. He also had his own law firm Bracewell Giuliani, before leaving the firm to join Greenberg Traurig in 2016.

A few times, mostly as a reporter and once personally, I crossed paths with Rudys work. As Ive written before, very, very little of this is what could in any sense be called lawyering. Most of it seems to have been a mix of lobbying, influence-peddling, reputation-selling and high stakes bullying. Over these fifteen years Giuliani seems to have acculturated himself to a world suffused in both corruption and impunity. The stage was set for what came next. (Heres a 2016 Post piece about the history of the firm, which can generously be called dubious and opaque, and the reporters efforts to find out just what the firm did.)

In the nature of the things, by 2015 and 2016, the 9/11 juice, for lack of a better word, was getting thin. Donald Trumps election and his close association with Giuliani turbocharged Giulianis ability to make money abroad from mobsters, plutocrats, foreign governments, plutocrats closely allied to dictators. In the great majority of these cases, Giuliani was selling services he had no clear ability to provide. Either he subcontracted the work, the work was actually influence peddling or possibly there was no work at all. When he became the Presidents private lawyer his saleability skyrocketed.

When Trump was elected, Giuliani was 72 years old. Over the previous dozen-plus years he had made more than enough money to live in palatial comfort for life and set up his heirs in similar fashion. How much of that money he still had is entirely unclear to me. He pushed everything into overdrive.

Back in September, Josh Kovensky put together this map and list of all the countries Giuliani had visited for consulting work or other payments just since he signed on as Trumps private lawyer. He came up with nine: Armenia, Ukraine, Turkey, Bahrain, Qatar, Israel, Albania, France and Poland. Theres little reason to believe this list is complete. This is just what Josh could come up with based on published reports. Obviously, Giuliani is a private individual. He doesnt have to tell anyone where he goes or who he meets with.

According to Josh, Giuliani had been doing business in Ukraine long before Trumps ascent to power. Were now learning the full measure of his work there in the last two years. Theres what he did for Trump, which were learning a fair amount about. But as were learning at each stage in the process he was also trying to set up consulting deals with almost everyone whose path he crossed. As we know, these included oligarchs with notorious ties to organized crime, crooked pols, Ukrainian-American con-men. Even on the basis of what is currently known publicly its difficult to imagine him not facing extensive federal corruption charges. Its simply hard to play in the domain he was operating in without committing lots of felonies. And he doesnt seem to have been concerned about doing so.

Continue reading here:

How Rudy Lost his Mind and (Probably) His Freedom - TPM

The Florence Freedom announced Wednesday the top five possible new names.

The organization announced in October that it may drop "Freedom" as its mascot, and asked fans to submit ideas for a replacement.

The top five responses, according to the team, are: GoGoettas, Fossil Jockeys, Yalls, Pop Flies, andNo Sox. Fans are able to cast their vote for their favorite possible new mascot at florencefreedom.com until December 11. The organization spent weeks sifting through the thousands of names submitted by the fans in the first round of the contest, a news release said. The top five were selected due to their uniqueness and connection to the area.

The club, which competes in the Frontier League, offered some explanations for the proposed new mascots:

GO-GOETTAS

Florence is here to take back Goetta for its rightful Northern Kentucky owners. Choosing the name Go-Goettas celebrates this wonderfully weird piece of Northern Kentucky food culture, while giving the team an aspirational mindset to shoot for.FOSSIL JOCKEYS

Rising from the marshy pits at Big Bone Lick are the Fossil Jockeys: a group of raucous prehistoric riders who choose the mightiest beasts as their modes of transportation.YALLS

Were the first and last professional baseball team in the south (depending on which way youre driving from), so well take it upon ourselves to be the symbol for Southern culture. Yalls as a name celebrates much more than a painted water tower, it celebrates who we are as Northern Kentuckians and Southerners, with Go Yalls as our rally cry.POP FLIES

Its no secret that we Northern Kentuckians love two things: pop and baseball. That's why we married those two concepts together as the Pop Fly, which is not only a common baseball term but a name for a fly who has an unquenchable sweet tooth.NO SOX

A nod to famous baseball names but with a Kentucky twist, the No Sox celebrates our relaxed, kick-up-your-feet kind of culture. Baseball and life are a little different down here in Florence, and the name No Sox lets everyone know theyre in for a unique experience.The newly named team will open the season and play its first regular season game on May 14, against the New Jersey Jackals.

-Staff report

Photo:UC Health Stadium in Florence

Excerpt from:

Florence Freedom Release Top Five Possible New Team Names - The River City News

SAVANNAH, Ga (WSAV) The City of Savannah announcing its plans to host the 7th annual Jubilee Freedom Day on Saturday, December 21st. Jubilee Freedom Day commemorates the emancipation of enslaved people in Savannah.

This year the event will take place at the Savannah Cultural Arts Center. It will begin at 10:00 a.m. and run till one in the afternoon. The Jubilee Freed Day will be free and open to the public.

A variety of arts activities will take place throughout the day including visual storytelling, African mask making, and pottery, along with performances by Samba Savannah and the Saltwata Players.

In addition to the performances and activities, Freedom Now! 400 Years Later Conquest for a New Conscious will also be on display in the gallery.

For the past six years, Patt Gilliard-Gunn and Rosalyn Rouse, co-founders of the Center for Jubilee, Reconciliation & Healing, have hosted educational programs to share the history of the 116 year journey from slavery to freedom.

The City says it is honored to host this years event in collaboration with Sulfur Studios, the Mt. Zion Project, and the Center for Jubilee, Reconciliation & Healing.

400 Years of Freedom Exhibition Opening

5-7pm, Dec. 19, Savannah Cultural Arts Center, 201 Montgomery Street

See the article here:

City of Savannah to host Jubilee Freedom Day 2019 Celebration - WSAV-TV

What do you hope to achieve when people visit the exhibition?

For me it's important that you get a sense of really telling a visual history of the Berlin club culture since the wall came down and since the techno scene really started in Berlin through the eyes of these very different photographers and artists. I would also like to show maybe just a sense of experimentation and freedom and the space that we've had in Berlin for the past 30 years and I think this kind of freedom and diversity in the club scene still exists today. I think this club scene is under pressure and you see clubs closing and while I think it's still a very important part of Berlin I think it's also something that's worth fighting for. This freedom that we have in Berlin is not something you can take for granted and each generation has to fight for it or make it happen and I worry that maybe in a couple of years time we will look back at this period and see that something has been lost or that it doesn't exist in this sense any longer so that's also part of the reason for this exhibition.

The clubs in Berlin could only happen because there was a lot of sense for experimentation for example the clubs in the early 90s, they were in empty buildings in the central heart of Berlin, you could get them for very, very cheap rent because they were empty and then you just said, I want to run a gallery and then you just did a gallery opening with a DJ, selling drinks every night. But you only got a 3-month lease so you were running something on the assumption that it could be over in 3 months.

But gentrification in Berlin forces a club to close and clubs are being driven further out of the city center and with these economic pressures it's just getting a bit safer, and there's less room for experiments and I see there's a threat of that being lost.

Would you want the exhibition to be taken elsewhere also? Or do you feel it would be more appropriate to keep it in Berlin?

I think it resonates a lot with Berlin and it's also no accident that the exhibition happens now, on the 30th anniversary of the wall coming down because the scene wouldn't have been possible without this. On the other hand, there's so many people visiting Berlin and seeing this exhibition and I see that there's a great interest. I think that's there's certain values that are inspiring other clubs around the world, for example in Georgia. So yes, I would like to see this exhibition travel and we are talking to some museum spaces at the moment but we don't have anything fixed yet.

Read this next: How the fall of the Berlin wall shaped techno

What does the fall of the wall mean to you personally?

It had one of the most single biggest impacts on me as a person: I was a teenager in West Berlin when the wall came down and then just 4 months later I went to the first techno party and it was one of the first techno parties happening in Berlin. It was one-and-a-half years before the first techno club Tresor opened, and what happened in these months and years after the wall came down is that saying that reunification first happened in Germany on the dancefloor and at least for me and the generation of people that I went out with you can definitely say that that was the case because what happened is that people came from West and East, they came together in spaces that were completely new to both of them. It was a great thing to discover for everyone, and then this radical new form of music, it really created a sense of being in this together maybe just for a night but the sense of a community has been really influential and has really shaped my life and that of many others.

How do you feel the fall of the wall has impacted music in the past 30 years?

What you also have to remember is these early techno parties in Berlin, that was a time when you couldn't play techno records for a whole night because the genre was still so new that you didn't have enough records, so the DJ would play New Beat from Belgium or Underground Resistance records but also Electronic Body Music and it's this mixture of styles that came to be known as techno.

Then once the scene started a lot of DJs started to produce music, a lot of producers said we're formally doing music and they really started making techno tracks and especially what I think was very influential was through the wall coming down and spaces like Tresor happening, this is what formed the beginning of this relationship between Berlin and Detroit, this still has an impact to this day.

Do you feel the techno scene is just as inspiring and influential today as it was 30 years ago?

In a way yes, I think so. For me this is not music of the past, it's still something very current. On the other hand I have to say I am of a generation which has lived through the beginning, the excitement of seeing something completely new happening, that's something every generation has to go through for themselves, but there's nothing really that's followed up after techno.

When house and techno happened, you really had a completely different way of going out that's still intact today and I don't see anything radically changing this. For me techno is still the last European youth movement that has happened, so in that sense it's not as radical any longer, but on the other hand there's so many great tracks being made and great things being developed that it's still very exciting.

No Photos On The Dancefloor is currently running at C/O Berlin until 30th November

See the rest here:

"Experimentation and freedom": Inside the exhibition documenting the history of Berlin techno - Mixmag

Two male turkeys named Bread and Butter were chosen for the 2019 Presidential pardon (Credit: WhiteHouse.gov)

While an estimated 46 million turkeys will be taking center stage at Thanksgiving dinner tables around the US on November 28, 2019, two lucky birds will be happily cackling in retirement. On November 26, 2019, President Donald Trump used his executive powers to pardon North Carolina-born fowls "Bread" and "Butter" from the chopping block. The Presidential Turkeys will spend the rest of their lives with Peas and Carrots, last year's pardoned birds, at Gobblers Rest at Virginia Tech in Blacksburg.

"Virginia Tech has a long tradition of supporting the turkey industry through research and outreach, so it's fitting that the Presidential Turkeys becoming part of the Hokie Nation is a new tradition," said Rami Dalloul, a professor in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, in a statement.

As you may have guessed, Bread and Butter, whose names were picked by President Trump and first lady Melania from 15 pairs suggested by the National Turkey Federation, are no ordinary fowls. Selected for their majestic appearance and calm demeanor, the birds were specially raised for the occasion by Wellie Jackson and his family.

The Clinton, North Carolina farmer told reporters he trained the birds to get accustomed to cameras, lights, and dealing with people. "They also listened to music," he said. "They really like classic rock. The 45-pound Bread also enjoys drinking Cheerwine soda, listening to bluegrass music, and watching college basketball, while the heftier, 47-pound Butter is a big fan of sweet potato fries, bagpipes, and watching NASCAR.

The celebrity birds arrived in Washington, DC, on November 24, 2019, and spent two nights living it up in a luxury suite at the famous Willard Hotel, a block away from the White House. After posing for photographs at a press conference on November 25, 2019, the two made their way to the White House Rose Garden on November 26, 2019, for the official pardoning ceremony. Ending days of speculation, President Trump announced that Butter had won the popular vote for "National Thanksgiving Turkey" and would be the one receiving the presidential pardon. The decision did not seem to bother Bread, who got to enjoy the festivities without having to be on his best behavior.

The origin of this fun tradition is hazy. While some attribute it to President Harry Truman, the Truman library disputed it in 2003, writing: "The Library's staff has found no documents, speeches, newspaper clippings, photographs, or other contemporary records in our holdings which refer to Truman pardoning a turkey that he received as a gift in 1947, or at any other time during his Presidency. Truman sometimes indicated to reporters that the turkeys he received were destined for the family dinner table."

Others think President Abraham Lincoln freed the first turkey at the request of his 11-year-old son, Tad. However, the bird had been meant for Christmas dinner, not Thanksgiving. President John F. Kennedy is the first on record to let a Thanksgiving turkey go in 1963. "We'll just let this one grow," he said. Though he did not mention the word "pardon," the event was reported by the Los Angeles Times as a "Presidential pardon."

Though President Ronald Reagan did mention "pardon" in 1987 when letting a turkey go, he was merely trying to deflect a question about a serious political matter. The tradition of adding a 'spare' turkey did, however, start that year, after a skittish bird named Liberty escaped during the pardoning ceremony.

Turkey pardoning was finally formalized by George H.W. Bush, during his first year as president. "Let me assure you, and this fine tom turkey, that he will not end up on anyone's dinner table, not this guy," he said in 1989. "He's granted a presidential pardon as of right now and allow him to live out his days on a children's farm not far from here." Since then, the event has become an annual White House ritual, one that is attended by family members, government officials, and the news media. In 2012, President Barack Obama added a fun twist by allowing residents to vote for "America's Next Top Turkey" on social networking sites like Twitter and Facebook.

We wish Bread and Butter a long and happy retirement. As for the rest of the turkeys? All we can say is "Gobble Gobble!"

Happy Thanksgiving from the DOGOnews team. We are truly grateful for your love and support!

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Pardoned Turkeys "Bread" And "Butter" Trot Away To Freedom - DOGOnews

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Last week Eliseo DeLeon walked out of court in Brooklyn with a smile and in celebration.

He waited 25 years for the moment.

In 1996, DeLeon was sent to prison for 2nd degree murder, last week a Brooklyn judge overturned the conviction.

A week after his release, DeLeon sat down with PIX11 News.

"My greatest desire is to give back to the family that held me down, he said.

DeLeon played an active role in his case, hand-writing the legal motion that led to his release from prison.

I wound up working in the law library for 10 years," he said about his time in prison.

In prison law libraries, DeLeon said he connected with other men fighting their cases after involvement from a now-disgraced detective Louis Scarcella.

While DeLeons conviction has been tossed out, his legal team is still pushing for a full exoneration.

Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez told PIX11 News, were taking a look at whether or not the appropriate thing to do is to appeal the case, retry the case.

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First week of freedom: What does a man do after his murder conviction is overturned? - PIX11 New York