Category Archives: Freedom

Following 20 years of delaysand red tape, the construction of the first state monument for African Americans is almost complete.

North Carolina Freedom Park is under constructionon a one-acre site on Lane Street, located between the state legislature and the governor's mansion. It is the first monument on or nearthe Capitol grounds to honor Black North Carolinians.

The centerpiece of the park, a 40-foot-tall metal structure dubbed the Beacon of Freedom, was installedthis week after traveling to Raleigh from Denver, Colorado,where it was built.

The beacon will stand at the intersection of five walkways, to be inscribed with quotes fromBlack North Carolinians who fought for freedom. Each night, a beam of light from the beacon will illuminatethe park.

The design is the work oflegendary late architect Phil Freelon, who also led the design team for theMuseum of African American History and Culture in Washington, DC. The park was one of Freelon's last designs before he died in 2019 from ALS.

NCFreedom Parkwas first conceived in 2002, but it took two decadesand a lot of fundraisingfor the $4 million project to become a reality. Construction finally began last year and is expected to be complete in the coming months. A grand opening is set for 2023.

Support independent local journalism. Join the INDY Press Club to help us keep fearless watchdog reporting and essential arts and culture coverage viable in the Triangle.

Follow Staff Writer Jasmine Gallup on Twitter or send an email to jgallup@indyweek.com.

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Construction on NC Freedom Park Wrapping Up - INDY Week

The Human Rights Council this afternoon held its annual discussion on the integration of a gender perspective, focusing on overcoming gender-based barriers to freedom of opinion and expression. It also continued its general debate under agenda item four on human rights situations that require the Councils attention.

Introducing the annual discussion, Peggy Hicks, Director of the Thematic Engagement, Special Procedures and Right to Development Division of the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, said freedom of opinion and expression was essential for the protection of every human right; the realisation of achieving this right was essential for achieving gender equality. There were new and growing threats to women and girls who spoke out in defence of their rights. Gender equality needed to be achieved. Measures to achieve this should include eliminating repressive legislation, adopting special measures for social protection, and including womens rights in school education.

Irene Khan, Special Rapporteur on freedom of opinion and expression, said the Internet had become the new battleground in the struggle for women's rights, amplifying the opportunities for women to access information and express themselves, but also creating new risks of repression and inequality. There was a clear link between the root causes of gender inequality, and the persistence of gendered censorship. Governments must abolish laws, policies, and practices of gendered censorship, and be more proactive in dismantling the structural and systemic roots of gender discrimination.

Mariana Duarte, Programme Officer, Gender Partnership Programme, Inter-Parliamentary Union, said that the main gender-based barrier observed by the Inter-Parliamentary Union on freedom of opinion and expression for women in politics was gendered violence. This violence was directed at women as a group, and aimed to eject them from the political arena. Eliminating gender-based violence in politics was essential for women to exercise their right to freedom of opinion and expression. It was also a guarantee for the effectiveness of parliament, for genuine democracy and for gender equality in society.

Julie Posetti, International Centre for Journalists, said gender-based online violence against journalists was one of the most serious contemporary threats to press freedom and the safety of women journalists internationally. It aided and abetted impunity for crimes against journalists, including physical assault and murder. It was designed to silence, humiliate, and discredit. The Human Rights Council could contribute to raising awareness of violence against women journalists by, among other points, ensuring that mechanisms and protocols to defend the safety of journalists and end impunity explicitly addressed violence against women journalists.

Mitzi Jonelle Tan, Convenor and International Spokesperson, Youth Advocates for Climate Action Philippines, said across the world the dangers against environmental defenders and activists were rising. Young girls, especially those most economically marginalised, who were ghting for human rights and climate justice were often belittled, pushed aside, and tokenised. Sexual violence was also used to silence women defenders, much of which was underreported. There should be more stringent rules on protecting human rights abuses against women.

In the ensuing discussion, speakers said overcoming gender-based barriers to freedom of opinion and expression could be extremely challenging, as these barriers were often rooted in social attitudes, cultural norms and patriarchal values, besides being imposed or integrated in discriminatory laws, policies and practices. Moreover, some harmful, implicit social norms often constituted root causes for gender-based discrimination and for undermining womens and girls rights, including freedom of opinion and expression, both online and offline. The international community needed to invest more to ensure that girls and young women could openly form their opinions in all spheres of public domain, including within this Council and other United Nations fora.

Speaking in the annual discussion were the European Union on behalf of a group of countries, Lithuania on behalf of a group of countries, Chile on behalf of a group of countries, Slovenia on behalf of a group of countries, Bahamas on behalf of a group of countries, Netherlands on behalf of a group of countries, Belgium on behalf of a group of countries, Australia on behalf of a group of countries, Israel, Egypt, International Development Law Organization, Timor-Leste on behalf of the Portuguese language countries, Ecuador, Luxembourg, Republic of Korea, Ireland, France, United Nations Childrens Fund, Colombia, United Nations Women, Afghanistan, Cyprus, and United States.

Also speaking were the Federation for Women and Family Planning, CHOICE for Youth and Sexuality, Centro de Estudios Legales y Sociales Asociacin Civil, Indonesia, Plan International Inc, Stitching Global Human Rights Defense, and Asia-Pacific Resource and Research Centre for Women.

In the general debate on agenda item four, some speakers said accountability must be ensured for all violations of the rights of indigenous and minority peoples. Violence against human rights defenders must also come to an end. The High Commissioner had a mandate to report on violations of human rights and to oversee progress made. Upholding the rights to freedom of assembly and of peaceful expression was crucial for the protection of human rights. Human rights were indivisible and all inherent to the dignity of the human person, whether economic, social and cultural rights or civil and political rights, and required the equal treatment and observation of the Council. There was a wide repression of womens rights, with an erosion of their rights to be seen in many areas of the world, with a rise in gender apartheid, which required collective action against institutionalised discrimination. The Council should ensure utmost transparency when dealing with human rights matters and that the principles of the United Nations Charter were fully respected.

Speaking in the general debate were Iceland, Israel, Bahrain, Ireland, Russia Federation, Australia, Afghanistan, Austria, Cyprus, Norway, Lichtenstein, Estonia, South Sudan, Denmark, Azerbaijan, Canada, Uruguay, Belgium, Kenya, Sweden, Georgia, Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea, Burundi, Kyrgyzstan, Barbados, Spain, Syria, Switzerland, Trinidad and Tobago, Iran, Nicaragua, Cambodia, Belarus, Algeria, Sri Lanka, Viet Nam and Egypt.

The webcast of the Human Rights Council meetings can be found here. All meeting summaries can be found here. Documents and reports related to the Human Rights Councils fifty-first regular session can be found here.

The next meeting of the Council will be at 10 a.m. on Tuesday, 27 September when it will hold a panel discussion on the right to work in connection with climate change actions, followed by the continuation of the general debate under agenda item four.

General Debate on Human Rights Situations that Require the Councils Attention

The general debate on agenda item four on human rights situations that require the Councils attention started in the previous meeting and a summary can be found here.

Discussion

Some speakers said accountability must be ensured for all violations of the rights of indigenous and minority peoples. Violence against human rights defenders must also come to an end. The shrinking of civic space in many parts of the world was of grave concern. The High Commissioner had a mandate to report on violations of human rights and to oversee progress made. Upholding the rights to freedom of assembly and of peaceful expression was crucial for the protection of human rights. Human rights were indivisible and all inherent to the dignity of the human person, whether economic, social and cultural rights or civil and political rights, and required the equal treatment and observation of the Council.

There was a wide repression of womens rights, with an erosion of their rights seen in many areas of the world, with a rise in gender apartheid, which required collective action against institutionalised discrimination. The response of the Human Rights Council and the Special Procedures could be further strengthened, commensurate to the situation on the ground, some speakers said. It was important to hold the perpetrators of gender-based violence to account. Countries that respected womens rights were generally more peaceful, with a more stable economy, and should therefore work to respect womens independence and protect their rights to a greater extent. Denying girls access to education impeded their social and economic development.

Human rights were a prerequisite for sustainable development, and human rights issues ought to be dealt with on the global stage through technical cooperation and assistance on the request of the country concerned, so that human rights projects could be supported, in full respect of the sovereignty of all countries, bearing in mind the cultural and historical specificities of each State, a speaker said. There should be greater international cooperation. The world was witnessing human rights violations and violations of fundamental freedoms, and a greater dialogue, including civil society, should be built throughout the world, ensuring States priorities were respected. One speaker said the inconsistent application of human rights standards was harmful to the agenda of the Council, which should engage in dialogue on contentious issues, in a balanced manner, as it sought to promote and protect human rights around the world.

One speaker said item four on human rights situations that required the Councils attention was one of the most divisive items on the agenda, as it was not always carried out in line with the principles and values that should lead the Council. The principles of impartiality and non-selectivity should be maintained. The Council was founded on the conviction that the promotion and protection of human rights throughout the world should be carried out through dialogue and with the participation of the country concerned, and this would serve the interests of the international community. The Council should ensure utmost transparency when dealing with human rights matters and that the principles of the United Nations Charter were fully respected. The independence and sovereign integrity of States were the fundamental norms governing international cooperation. One speaker expressed concern that the Council could be used to investigate matters that had not been confirmed or even authenticated.

A speaker said that while it was the weighty responsibility and sacred duty of the international community to intervene in situations of egregious violations of human rights, which had been corroborated by appropriate bodies following the requisite investigations, the untrammelled ability of individual States to conduct their internal affairs independently must not be proscribed, as it was counterproductive to the promotion and protection of human rights, and only increased polarisation among the Member States of the Council. Environments conducive to the fullest enjoyment of the rights of citizens of a country would be engendered with the cooperation of the international community through non-interference in the internal administration of the affairs of that country, and no State should impose its norms and standards upon others.

The global food security crisis and its concomitant impact on human rights was of concern to many speakers. Governments should ensure accountability and maintain stable peace. Violations of human rights and fundamental freedoms occurred in too many countries, and too many Governments used disinformation to hide their actions from the world at large: media freedom and reporting were essential to combat disinformation.

Annual Discussion on the Integration of a Gender Perspective Throughout the Work of the Human Rights Council, Focusing on Overcoming Gender-Based Barriers to Freedom of Opinion and Expression

Opening Statement

PEGGY HICKS, Director of the Thematic Engagement, Special Procedures and Right to Development Division of the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights , said freedom of opinion and expression was essential for the protection of every human right; the realisation of achieving this right was essential for achieving gender equality. Movements such as Me Too had swept the globe, with women taking a public stance against the sexual violence against women and girls both online and offline. Women played a crucial role in fighting systemic racial discrimination. Today, as the struggle for gender equality continued, there were new and growing threats to women and girls who spoke out in defence of their rights. Gender stereotypes and the patriarchal structure continued to keep women into lesser and submissive roles. There were many ways in which women were silenced and excluded from the public and private spaces, including repressive and discriminatory legislation, policies and practices, and religious and cultural norms which fuelled the violations of rights. Too often attacks against women were amplified and encouraged by public figures, with those engaging the attacks rarely being held accountable.

Ms. Hicks said that the digital world still offered immense possibilities of engagement and ability to drive social change, however, it was increasingly better known for the offline world where women were subject to misogynistic attacks. There had been a five per cent increase in the number of women human rights defenders and journalists who had been killed in 2021. These attacks were exacerbated for women subjected to intersecting discrimination. Barriers contributed to the progressive exclusion of women and girls from the public sphere; this urgently needed to change. Gender equality needed to be achieved. Measures to achieve this should include eliminating repressive legislation, adopting special measures for social protection, and including womens rights in school education. It was crucial to create an enabling environment for civil society to ensure advances in achieving womens human rights were upheld. The Human Rights Council had drawn attention to the violations and risks and had made recommendations to address these. The Council had an essential role to play in addressing gender-based barriers and ensuring all could contribute to society regardless of their gender.

Statements by the Panellists

IRENE KHAN, Special Rapporteur on freedom of opinion and expression , said her first thematic report had found that while there had been achievements on gender equality, expression was not free for many women and girls. The Internet had become the new battleground in the struggle for women's rights, amplifying the opportunities for women to access information and express themselves, but also creating new risks of repression and inequality. Gendered censorship was pervasive, and the monitoring, censoring, and criminalisation of women's social behaviour by States was concerning. Under the guise of protecting public morals, as seen recently in the case of Mahsa Amini, a young Kurdish woman in Iran, it could lead to serious violations of human rights, with tragic consequences. Women also played a disproportionate price for speaking out, with sexual and gender-based violence used as a weapon to silence women. While all women faced such threats, female politicians, journalists, human rights defenders, and feminist activists were particularly targeted. Unequal access to information and the Internet were major impediments to women's empowerment. Only about half of all women worldwide had access to the Internet, and that figure fell dramatically in the poorer and more remote locations of the world. Information of particular interest to women, such as data on workplace inequalities or on sexual and reproductive health, were often unavailable, outdated, or blocked.

Ms. Khan said there was a clear link between the root causes of gender inequality, and the persistence of gendered censorship. Governments must abolish laws, policies, and practices of gendered censorship, and be more proactive in dismantling the structural and systemic roots of gender discrimination. Social media platforms played a vital role in women's empowerment by enabling them to communicate, advocate, organise and access information. States must not use efforts to eradicate online violence, gendered hate speech and disinformation as a pretext to restrict freedom of expression. There could be no trade-off between women's right to be free from violence and the right to freedom of opinion and expression. The report recommended a threefold approach to avoid a trade-off, including a gender-sensitive interpretation of the right to freedom; an internationally accepted standard on what constituted online gender-based violence, hate speech and disinformation; and a calibrated approach to ensure that responses by States and companies were aligned with the level of harm. Ms. Khan encouraged the Office of the High Commissioner to explore these issues through multi-stakeholder consultations.

MARIANA DUARTE, Programme Officer, Gender Partnership Programme, Inter-Parliamentary Union , said that the main gender-based barrier observed by the Inter-Parliamentary Union on freedom of opinion and expression for women in politics was gendered violence. This violence was directed at women as a group, and aimed to eject them from the political arena. Three studies had been conducted, which highlighted percentages of psychological violence against women parliamentarians (over 80 per cent). The most common manifestation of psychological violence was sexist attitudes and remarks aiming to ignore or degrade women in politics, or to judge their physical appearance. Other emblematic examples of psychological violence included threats of death, rape, beating or abduction. The levels of such threats ranged from 42 per cent in Africa to 47 per cent in Europe. Online sexist attacks were also highly prevalent according to the three studies, especially in Europe, where 58 per cent of respondents had experienced such attacks. The studies also brought to light how multiple and intersecting forms of discrimination such as age, disability, minority group status, and marital status could lead to an exponential increase in gender-based violence against certain women parliamentarians.

Violence against women in politics required greater accountability and an urgent coordinated response from key actors at international and national levels.

Ms. Durante highlighted the importance of using existing international human rights mechanisms for addressing violence against women in politics. United Nations

mechanisms such as Special Procedures and treaty bodies could serve as important avenues for addressing individual cases. Women needed to be encouraged to use such mechanisms, and more must be done to open human rights mechanisms to cases of violence against women in politics. National reports under the fourth Universal Periodic Review cycle starting in November 2022 were due to focus more strongly on the role of parliaments in the promotion and protection of human rights.

This offered a unique opportunity for reporting States to provide information on the obstacles women faced to take part in politics without fear of reprisals, and what was being done, to address those challenges. Ms. Durante said that eliminating gender-based violence in politics was essential for women to exercise their right to freedom of opinion and expression. It was also a guarantee for the effectiveness of parliament, for genuine democracy and for gender equality in society.

JULIE POSETTI, International Centre for Journalists , said gender-based online violence against journalists was one of the most serious contemporary threats to press freedom and the safety of women journalists internationally. It aided and abetted impunity for crimes against journalists, including physical assault and murder. It was designed to silence, humiliate, and discredit. Additionally, there was a dangerous trend that correlated online violence with offline attacks, harassment and abuse. Targeted online attacks on women journalists were also increasingly networked, sophisticated, and at times State-linked.

While States were the main duty-bearers regarding the protection of journalists, with a responsibility to legislate accordingly and ensure law enforcement agencies responded appropriately, a number of governments stood accused of not only failing to fulfil their responsibility to protect women journalists, but of being actively part of the crisis endangering them. In many countries, individual political actors and parties had been identified as perpetrators, instigators and amplifiers of online violence targeting women journalists.

The Human Rights Council and its mechanisms could contribute to raising awareness of violence against women journalists by, among other points, ensuring that mechanisms and protocols to defend the safety of journalists and end impunity explicitly addressed violence against women journalists (online and offline), including the United Nations Plan of Action on the Safety of Journalists currently under review. The Council and its mechanisms could also consider a United Nations-level conduit to channel complaints against State actors engaged in targeted online violence campaigns, and social media companies which facilitated attacks on women journalists with impunity.

MITZI JONELLE TAN, Convenor and International Spokesperson, Youth Advocates for Climate Action Philippines , said across the world the dangers affecting environmental defenders and activists were rising. Existing socio-economic crises at hand led to young girls being more afraid to speak up. The lack of access to quality education added to the fear caused by societal prejudice and discrimination. Everyone should have proper access to education if there were to be solutions to the climate crisis that were led by the most marginalised and those most impacted. Young girls, especially those most economically marginalised, who were ghting for human rights and climate justice were often belittled, pushed aside, and tokenised at best, becoming a photo opportunity for world leaders and policymakers instead of actually listening to their demands for equity, and at worst being physically harassed and silenced. Sexual violence was also used to silence women defenders, much of which was underreported.

Across the world, States and human rights councils needed to actively consult women, and not just women from a certain class but those from the most marginalised classes. Marginalised women needed to be empowered with education and information, and given space in order to be active members of society, so girls education must be a priority. There should be more stringent rules on protecting human rights abuses against women, especially because in times of distress which the climate crisis would exacerbate, women and children were more prone to harassment and violence. The ght for climate justice included gender justice; it included the ght for womens liberation.

Discussion

In the ensuing discussion, a number of speakers said overcoming gender-based barriers to freedom of opinion and expression could be extremely challenging, as these barriers were often rooted in social attitudes, cultural norms and patriarchal values, besides being imposed or integrated in discriminatory laws, policies and practices. Moreover, some harmful, implicit social norms often constituted root causes for gender-based discrimination and for undermining womens and girls rights, including freedom of opinion and expression, both online and offline. It was therefore crucial to break the cycle of reproduction of gender stereotypes which ultimately impacted entire societies. Restrictions to freedom of opinion and expression could have wider impacts on human rights, and where women and girls were hindered in their expression, all were deprived of their valuable opinions. Sexual and gender-based violence, including abuse and harassment through digital technologies, was often used as a deliberate tactic to silence women and girls.

Despite the impressive and inspirational gains made by women and girls, as well as people with diverse gender identities, expression and opinion were still not equally free and protected for all persons. Currently many women and girls from diverse backgrounds faced endemic discrimination, and it was essential to establish good practice norms in the Council that aimed at the full eradication of gender-based discrimination. The Council had a mandate to ensure that this was a principle for all, ensuring the respect and guarantee of human rights for all. It was also vital to take an inclusive approach and engage men and boys when taking measures to address the safety of all journalists and other media workers. This was particularly important to effectively tackle gender-based violence, discrimination, abuse and harassment, including sexual harassment, threats and intimidation, as well as inequality, negative social norms and gender-stereotypes.

Cultural norms, gender stereotypes and ensuing discrimination online and offline continued to suppress, censor and mute the voices of women and girls. Unfortunately, women activists, politicians, human rights defenders, journalists and media workers were disproportionately targeted by State and non-State actors, including hate speech, bullying and acts of violence. Womens and girls leadership was essential to advancing gender equality. Respect, protection and promotion of the right to freedom of opinion and expression was a powerful tool to confront any form of gender-based discrimination, and lay at the heart of the international legal framework on political and civil rights. The effective exercise of the right of freedom of opinion and expression was essential for the enjoyment of other human rights and constituted a fundamental pillar for democracy. The international community needed to invest more to ensure that girls and young women could openly form their opinions in all spheres of public domain, including within this Council and other United Nations fora.

Concluding Remarks

MARIANA DUARTE, Programme Officer, Gender Partnership Programme, Inter-Parliamentary Union , said that violence against women politicians did not happen in a vacuum. By assuming a position of power, women were defying patriarchal norms and were particularly at risk. Many of the root causes were related to gender-based violence against women. A sound legal framework free from discrimination against women was required, as well as specific provisions in the law against violence against women in politics. It was important to educate men and boys from an early age. It was vital to understand and acknowledge the problem to address the issue. Perpetrators committing violence against female parliamentarians came from everywhere; their families, their party, or members of their staff. The more women there were in parliament, the more it would be accepted that they belonged where they were. If women in parliament were no longer a minority, they would be stronger. It was also important to have an institutional commitment to protect women in parliament.

JULIE POSETTI, Global Director of Research at the International Centre for Journalists , said impunity for crimes against journalists was a concerning issue; women journalists were targeted online, and were being threatened with cases of journalists who had been murdered with impunity within their own countries. Gender disinformation and gendered hate speech were key issues. These could be combatted by addressing the root causes, including structural inequality; however, these circumstances were often used to justify inaction. A book would be published in November with a 25-step plan to aid States in their responses to gender-based violence. The United Nations could not stay silent, when despots were targeting women in such ways, there needed to be a reckoning to allow women to be defended.

MITZI JONELLE TAN, Convenor and International Spokesperson, Youth Advocates for Climate Action Philippines , said gender injustices were still rising. It was not enough to have women lead - States had to go to the most marginalised lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer persons and women. States must play a role in the empowerment of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer persons and women. Gender injustice could not be discussed in a vacuum - it had to be looked at in the context of all those who were discriminated against. Young people needed to be educated at a young age in gender injustice. Everything heard today was appreciated, but work needed to be done.

Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer persons and young women were becoming ever more vulnerable to climate injustice. In every aspect of work, gender injustice needed to be discussed - it had to penetrate every aspect. It could not be seen just as being perpetrated by outside forces. In some countries the threats to women were not just threats to expression or opinion, but also to their rights to exist. Human rights defenders were often at the forefront of this, threatened sexually, and their families being turned away from them. These panels could not be the end - the system that was being created should not just empower women, but all people across all forms of life. Women needed to not just feel protected, but actually be safe, and to do this, there had to be a holistic approach, from communities, and in all aspects of work.

Link: https://www.ungeneva.org/en/news-media/meeting-summary/2022/09/afternoon-human-rights-council-holds-annual-discussion

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Human Rights Council Holds Annual Discussion on the Integration of the Gender Perspective, Focusing on Overcoming Gender-Based Barriers to Freedom of...

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Don't assume that buying a home will lead to financial security.

"You're throwing your money away." "All you're doing is paying your landlord's mortgage." These are the phrases you'll often hear thrown at renters by those who are convinced that homeownership is the true ticket to financial security.

Now in reality, there are certainly some financial benefits to homeownership. Not only can you enjoy certain tax breaks, like the ability to deduct mortgage interest, but the equity you build in your home can be tapped and used as a cash source. In fact, many retirees who own homes find that those properties are their greatest financial asset.

But while there are advantages to owning a home, that's not necessarily the key to financial freedom. And if you're not convinced, you should know that financial guru Suze Orman says the same.

When you rent a home, you don't get to build equity in a place of your own. But that doesn't mean you can't reach a financially stable place as a renter.

In fact, Orman has been quoted as saying, "Homeownership is not the lock and key to financial freedom. I know some seriously wealthy people who have never owned a home in their lives."

Renting a home could mean spending less money on housing than if you were to own a place. That's because you won't face the numerous costs homeowners face, like maintenance, property taxes, and repairs (all of which have the potential to climb over time).

In fact, if you're renting and therefore spending less on housing, you can take your extra money and invest it, either in a brokerage account, retirement savings plan, or both. And that way, you can make it grow over time.

You'll often hear that renting a home is a waste of money because you don't get anything out of it in the long run. But you get something in the near term -- a roof over your head. And there's nothing wrong with that.

When you buy groceries at the supermarket, you're not making an investment -- you're satisfying the biological need of being nourished. And just as it's okay to spend money on food, it's also okay to spend money on rent, even if you don't get anything in return. But if you also make a point to save and invest some of your money, you can reach a place of financial freedom where your housing costs aren't a burden and you're able to live a comfortable lifestyle.

All told, Orman says, "The true financial dream isn't about owning a home; it's about being secure with whatever you're doing with the money that you have." So think about what your goals are. If owning a home is important to you, then by all means, save up a down payment and go out and buy one.

But don't stress out over renting a home or push yourself financially to buy one because you've been told that's the ticket to financial security. It's more than possible to land in a financially stable place as a lifelong renter.

Mortgage rates are at their highest level in years and expected to keep rising. It is more important than ever to check your rates with multiple lenders to secure the best rate possible while minimizing fees. Even a small difference in your rate could shave hundreds off your monthly payment.

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Suze Orman Says Homeownership Is Not the Key to Financial Freedom. Here's Why She's Right - The Motley Fool

Russias war on Ukraine makes the effort known as the Three Seas Initiative even more urgent, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in a recent speech via video to a related summit meeting in Riga, Latvia.

The urgency is not only for the initiatives member nations and partners, Blinken said during his June 24 remarks, but for its focus areas of energy, transportation, and digital communications.

Indeed, the issue of making the Three Seas Initiative, launched in 2015, more practically operational has gained greater urgency and necessity.

The Three Seas Initiative, also known as 3SI, is a joint regional effort in Central and Eastern Europe to expand cross-border energy, transportation, and digital infrastructure and boost economic development in the countries around the Adriatic Sea, Baltic Sea, and Black Sea.

The goal has been to implement a development initiative that would operate on commercial terms and redress the regions chronic connectivity shortcomings.

Twelve countries, all members of the European Union, participate in the Three Seas Initiative along with the United States. They are Austria, Bulgaria, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, and Slovenia.

This years gathering at the Three Seas Initiative Summit and Business Forum in Latvia reaffirmed that the initiative still has potential to address transatlantic economic, energy, and security issues. Yet the combination of crosscutting challenges in the region and a lackluster commitment from Washington keeps the overall progress far slower and smaller than what many have hoped for.

At the summit, officials announced that the U.S. International Development Finance Corporation and the Three Seas Initiative Investment Fund had reached an agreement under which the U.S. agency will provide up to $300 million of financing to the investment fund.

According to the Development Finance Corporation, the investment strategy of the Three Seas Initiative Investment Fund would incorporate the agencys value-driven approach. It would focus on sustainable development as well as advancing environmental and social objectives, and the Development Finance Corporation will play an important role.

However, if Washington and its transatlantic partners in the Three Seas Initiative genuinely are serious about the initiative, they should not turn it and its investment fund into another conduit for advancing an environmental, social, and governance agenda. Such an agenda often is called simply ESG a buzzword both heavily circulated and rightfully debated for its legitimacy in the investment community.

From Washingtons foreign policy perspective, the Three Seas Initiative is one of the most notable political and economic policy initiatives to emerge in Central and Eastern Europe.

Fundamentally, 3SI is and should be a practical platform for private sector investors to initiate and pursue infrastructure development projects. The initiatives success ultimately hinges on building private-public partnerships driven by concrete business interaction, not a feel-good political agenda such as ESG.

Tesla CEO Elon Musk bluntly described ESG as a scam that is weaponized by phony social justice warriors.

Indeed, under the tent of ESG activism, a good number of corporations around the globe have become woke. They have weaponized capital, promoting a left-wing policy agenda in the name of good, desirable, preferred investment.

The unfortunate yet perhaps not so surprising reality, though, is that the environmental, social, and governance agenda largely is failing to produce what it claims in terms of investment returns and positive impact.

In the current geopolitical context, building secure, robust supply chains and greater connectivity while ensuring resilient growth means shifting trade from adversarial regimes to dependable friends and partners. In addition to traditional trade relationships, the United States needs to offer credible, concrete alternatives to the Three Seas Initiative economies to combat malicious influence from adversarial powers.

However, ill-guided, shortsighted, politically driven policies such as ESG often result in a clear and present danger. And its people who seem to get lost in all of this.

For instance, consumers and producers across the United States and Europe are getting hurt from high energy prices that have been a result of bad choices about climate policy. Such policy should put people and their economic livelihoods first, but that hasnt been the case.

From a broader yet critical perspective, it should be noted that economic freedom not the environmental, social, and governance agenda makes the world cleaner, safer, and better governed. Its not hard to find the economic damage inflicted by heavy-handed and misguided government policies, which result in lingering uncertainty, deteriorating entrepreneurial environments, and lower employment growth.

The true path to ensuring environmental, social, and governance improvements lies in focusing on policies that enhance economic freedom. As documented in The Heritage Foundations annual Index of Economic Freedom, the linkage between economic freedom, liberty, and prosperity around the world is unambiguous.

Regardless of how the calamity in Ukraine plays out, its undeniably clear that Russias autocratic dominance as an energy source for most of Europe has given Moscow outsize political and economic leverage. Russia has weaponized its energy resources against many of Americas transatlantic allies and partners.

In facilitating much-needed, greater cooperation in energy and connectivity independent of Russias influence, the Three Seas Initiative can and should play a vital role. The effort must be enhanced accordingly, particularly with Americas becoming a more proactive anchor investor in the initiative.

The coming months likely will be the crucial period when America and its allies will decide whether the Three Seas Initiative remains just a diplomatic agenda driven and shaped by the Lefts environmental, social, and governance standards, or can become a serious, pragmatic project.

This article originally appeared in the Daily Signal and is reprinted with kind permission from the Heritage Foundation.

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Three Seas Initiative should be America's transatlantic partnership for economic freedom, not another woke agenda - Washington Examiner

The Forest Park Public Library joined with the Forest Park Arts Alliance to celebrate the freedom to read and the freedom to use your voice as America marks what is its most consequential Banned Books Week.

The American Library Association tracks efforts across the country to have books removed from public and school libraries. It has been tracking this number for 20 years. Not a surprise that 2022 in on course for the highest number of challenges ever.

The library and arts alliance asked the Forest Park Review to publish a number of essays they collected over the past month from Forest Parkers expressing their views on these essential freedoms which we have largely taken for granted.

Here are six of those essays.

By PAT WILLIAMS

Many years ago, in 1975, I graduated high school. As I was preparing to go off to college, my sister (11 years my senior) asked me what I could use, and I asked for a collegiate dictionary. Not only did she give me a collegiate dictionary, but she also gave me a thesaurus, bedding for my dorm and the book Our Bodies, Ourselves. The dictionary and thesaurus were mainstays on my lap whenever I needed to do any writing as it was long before computers were common in homes or dorms.

However, when the school work was over and classmates would gather in my room, we would talk about everything under the sun. The book Our Bodies, Ourselves was always laying around in my room, and often people would pick it up. When they did, what transpired was rich, wonderful discussion about womens issues. That book was a resource for all the women on my floor of the dorm.

Although some of us had sex education starting in middle school, sex ed was still in its early stages, and many things that were not discussed in classrooms. Our Bodies, Ourselves enriched and filled in the gaps of our education. It was invaluable. We learned about things our mothers didnt share, or didnt even know. Our lives were richer and more informed because of that book.

After graduating college, I worked in rural South Dakota. The minister of the church that I attended in town had a wife who was on the school board. One day she was sitting in the gym at our school, and was looking over the book Our Bodies, Ourselves. I shared that it had been a great resource for me for years. She told me the school board was considering banning the book. I showed dismay at the thought of it not being available to other young women in the area and let her know how I felt. I never knew the outcome, but hope that the book was not banned in that district, as it apparently had been in other areas.

Recently I asked my sister how in the world she decided to give me that book at that time. She was working at a local community college, and the nursing staff there highly recommended the book. I told her how much of a resource it was, especially in the dorm room, when young women were finding their way and trying to understand their bodies at a time when it was still taboo.

Of all the banned books I have read, Our Bodies, Ourselves has been the most influential to me in understanding myself as a woman. However, every banned book I have ever read has been rich in one way or another. Banning a book seems similar to taking an enriching treasure and locking it away for no one to be able grow from or enjoy.

By KAREN ROZMUS

I am a voracious reader no particular genre. I read science fiction, biographies, fantasy, mysteries, thrillers, contemporary novels and history. I tell my grandchildren that if they like to read, they can learn anything in the world. My grandsons like to show me their new books and have me read with them. My 10-year-old granddaughter, who lives in Pennsylvania, calls me on Facetime every night to read to me for 30 minutes, as she has for the past three years. What precious memories we are creating.

It is hard for me to accept that some narrow-minded (Im projecting) people would ban a book for whatever reason they may cite. I cant imagine squelching the stories and verbal pictures created by Steinbeck, Dickens, Hemingway, Vonnegut, Asimov, Herbert, Heinlein, London, Doyle, Twain, Harper Lee, J.K. Rowling and so many others. I believe you could just list every author and it would be the length of a book perhaps a heavy book or even an encyclopedia.

A book can give insight into anothers point of view or provide understanding of anothers life experience totally different from your own. A good book will provide historical knowledge hopefully the truth of history, both good and bad. A good book will inspire a dreamer, provoke thought, support an opinion, provide an escape to another place or time. A good book will help you grow and expand the library of your mind.

To those who are offended by some written words, I would not chastise you or wish to silence your voice in opposition. I would, however, ask you to accept that others should not be denied what you would deny yourself. I would ask you to change the channel and read what is acceptable to you without any interference or prohibition from others. Do you have a favorite book or story? Imagine how you would feel if some unknown person somewhere in the world thought to deny you the opportunity to read your favorite book.

Of course, some books are not appropriate for everyone, especially young readers. If you wish to oversee your childs reading choices, read with them. The time spent will give so much pleasure and create a wonderful bond. As they grow older, you will have interesting conversations and you will appreciate the person you have helped develop. You will understand their interests by talking about the books they like. You will be happy that you assisted in the development of their intellect and knowledge. Read. Help others to enjoy reading. You can wear the T-shirt that states, I read, and I know things. Read. Read some more.

You can learn anything in the world!

By ANITA JACKSON-HALL

My beloved 92-year-old mother, Daisy Jackson, passed away nine months ago. An avid reader throughout her life, she instilled that same joy of reading in me and my siblings at an early age. As I process my grief, I have fond memories of the various books Mama lined our home bookshelf with during my childhood. My favorite and most treasured book on the shelf was Culinary Arts Institute Encyclopedic Cookbook, published in 1948 and edited by Ruth Berolzheimer.

This cookbook was Mama Daisys and our connection to one another. Its how I earned my training wheels in the kitchen as she passed down her love for baking to me at the age of 10. Mama always said, You can give someone a recipe, but if they dont know what to do with it, its still just a recipe on a piece of paper. So through the hundreds of recipes in this bulky book, she taught me reading comprehension, how to follow directions, and math through ingredient measurements. I also learned food science while marveling at the culinary magic of seeing a liquid batter transform into a perfectly baked cake.

I attempted to make cookies, cakes and even doughnuts when Mama gave me free reign of the kitchen to practice following recipes in the cookbook without her assistance. My tiny 10-year-old hands dropped the heavy cookbook and broke the binding. I looked like the Pillsbury Doughboy with a mess of flour on my clothes and the kitchen table, and I was often disappointed that not all the recipes turned out the way they should. However, Mama was patient and said practice was the only way I would learn.

Although the original cookbook was published in 1948, I bought the revised 1976 edition when I became an adult and moved out on my own. My sister owns a copy of the revised edition, too, as Mama also taught her and my niece how to bake and cook many of our favorite family recipes. There are some changes in the new edition but so much of the information and recipes are still relevant today.

Now the updated version sits on the bookshelf in my home. After Mama passed, I found her 1948 version tucked away on a shelf in one of the bedrooms at my childhood home, where my dad still resides. The pages are yellowing, the hardback cover is missing and the loosened binding is a humorous reminder of my clumsy hands.

I still visit home a few days each week to help my sister care for Dad. I bake for him favorite treats that Mama used to make. I use her mixer to whip up a pound cake, or chocolate cake. I use my hands to knead and hug dough to make her famous yeast rolls.

Baking in Mamas kitchen is my grief therapy as I celebrate her legacy of love flowing from each recipe. I smile, knowing the aromas permeating the walls are her blowing kisses from heaven.

By LESLIE SINGEL

Her very first year of teaching, her hands would not stop shaking at the beginning of each class. The syllabi and worksheets and assignments would flutter through her hands.

She had no experience. Many of the students were older. She tried her best to establish authority by speaking loudly, by maintaining good posture, by rarely smiling. On one dire occasion, she actually had to directly ask for their bare minimum respect. She barely survived. On the last day of class, she celebrated with a good dinner and many drinks.

The next year, she figured it out, as most teachers do: Show them whats out there. Show them the world in words and let them explore. Then they gravitate toward what they couldnt learn before. Slavery. Discrimination. War. Bodies of poetry. Bodies in poetry. The ache of human life, captured in words, in images. Like falling down a rabbit hole. It worked. They read it all and wrote about poverty. And nooses on trees. And misogyny. And loving someone for their soul and not their biology.

On the last day of class, a student approaches. He says she reminds him of his favorite teacher from his youth in his home country. The same enthusiasm, the same hungry urgency to help students learn. What a nice thing to say, she says. What subject does he teach? Oh, the student blithely says, he also taught literature but he doesnt teach anymore. They shot him for it.

Her hands go back to shaking. Every day she teaches, she thinks of this man. What did he hope his students would read? Did he want them to learn enough to become discontented with the life they were handed? Did he lend them books secretly after class in the hopes that they too would be inspired by the wider world? Did he know he had planted seeds even as they raised the gun?

The years pass and she cannot shake him loose. For him, she teaches books from dangerous authors. She teaches books banned in prison. She teaches books banned in the South. For him, she asks to teach banned subjects. She asks to teach what her colleagues in other states are fired for. This nameless, faceless man, cremated and scattered somewhere hot and dry. In the wrong time and place. She wakes up to carry him forward, lecture by lecture, page by page. And as each student reads, she feels a little more at peace.

Never at rest, just at peace.

By MARY MORITZ

When I was 8, I read a book about Harriet Tubman. Id only been reading for about a year, but I was madly in love with the new worlds it opened for me. I can remember lying on my bottom bunk bed, so absorbed in a story my whole world drifted away.

My father would knock on my door at times, worried about my isolating, but the last thing I felt was alone: I was with Madeline, In an old house in Paris covered in vines (1) one of twelve little girls in two straight lines (2) or hanging with Emily Elizabeth and Clifford, her big red dog. I traveled to new worlds voraciously.

When I read Runaway Slave: The Story of Harriet Tubman, by Ann McGovern, I experienced a place I never could have imagined on my own: the South before the Civil War when slavery was thriving. I learned how millions of Black people were kidnapped in Africa, shipped to America and sold as slaves. I read as Harriet learned about the Underground Railway, conductors leading slaves to freedom by following the North Star, and decided that she would be free, and she would return and lead other people to freedom.

This wouldve been around 1966, when Martin Luther King Jr. and his family moved to the South Side of Chicago to show that racism and lack of opportunity wasnt unique to the South. I lived on the Southwest Side, among people who worshipped every Sunday and sent their kids to Catholic schools. But many of the people in my neighborhood were also very prejudiced. I could feel the hatred they had toward Black people, and I didnt understand it.

The only exposure I had to the Black community came through Harriet. I admired her. She was strong and brave, and helped people escape horrible, soul-crushing lives. She wasnt lazy, or ignorant, or selfish, so I never understood the racism that I was hearing. Her people believed in God and sang His praise even while they were being horribly mistreated. I knew Martin Luther King Jr., like Harriet, was trying to free his people, free them from poverty and oppression.

Reading Runaway Slave gave me an opportunity to oppose the racism so prevalent in society simply because Harriet wasnt like that. Her people werent like that. I wasnt morally superior. I was just a girl who loved to read and, through reading, met people I admired, and learned lessons that otherwise would not have been available to me. Im forever grateful to Ann McGovern for the lessons she taught me. And Im grateful for whoever it was that chose Runaway Slave for the Scholastic book sale. It wouldnt have been an obvious choice in my school, and it changed my life.

1 Madeline, Bemelmans, Ludwig, 1939, Page 1

2 Madeline, Bemelmans, Ludwig, 1939, Page 2

By DAVID HUDSON

September 9

Principal: Hey, just a heads up, Ive gotten a couple of concerned emails from parents about your first book selection this year.

Teacher: Shadow and Bone?

Principal: Yeah, they have some concerns about the supernatural elements, etc., conflicting with their religious faith.

Teacher: Okay um, Id rather not pull it. Its a great story and really resonates with this age. They actually read it.

Principal: No, no, I dont think we should pull it. Maybe just offer an alternative. What about Tuck Everlasting.

Teacher: Probably not, last time I taught that I had parents put together a petition that, since Tuck is actually 107 years old, it is an inappropriate relationship between Tuck and Winnie.

Principal: I wasnt around for that one.

Teacher: Oh, it was real.

Principal: How about The Outsiders?

Teacher: Possible, though Ive gotten pushback before for the abusive elements and the violence.

Principal: Any other suggestions?

Teacher: Well, I would suggest that parents allow their children to think for themselves and let them form their beliefs after being exposed to a variety of sources and to express to their kids that fiction is just that fiction.

Principal: If only it were that easy.

Teacher: I remember I had a golden two years where I had the kids read Harry Potter and the Sorcerers Stone. That was before some satirical news article from Canada got picked up: out of context on a lot of Christian channels and the books were suddenly devil worship.

Principal: Yeah, and with Rowlings comments about trans rights a while back, I dont see that flying.

Teacher: Yeah, its a bit frustrating. I dont agree with her, but the books are still just riveting and amazing. I hope we can find a way past that one. Of course, Im not a great person to talk to. Those books were my childhood.

Principal: I know hang on a second. Lets put Sorcers Stone out there as the alternate title.

Teacher: Wait, what?

Principal: Trust me on this.

September 12

Principal: Happy Monday, how was your weekend?

Teacher: Not long enough, lol. But what else is new?

Principal: I hear you there. So, good news, Harry Potter has full support as the alternate title.

Teacher: Shut up. From the same parents who objected to Leigh Bardugo because of the magical elements?

Principal: Yep, each and every one of them.

Teacher: I dont understand Wait do you think its because of the kerfuffle around Rowlings comments?

Principal: All Im saying is, we now have two books on the list and no parents saying their kids cant at least read one of them.

Teacher: Isnt this kind of a deal with the devil?

Principal: Or the Wizard.

Teacher: I can live with it.

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Using their voices to speak up for books and freedom - Forest Park Review

I remember that hot summer day, when I sat under the dim fluorescent light in my 9x4 cell, and wrote a draft of what would become my first published story, Scars.

I had to muster up the inner courage to write that essay, because it was about being out on the condemned exercise yard in San Quentins isolation confinement unit and seeing the knotted burns and snakelike whip marks on the bare backs and arms of the men lifting weights.

In prison, nobody talked about their scars. Our scars were our own personal and private remnants and reminders of years and years of childhood abuse, often perpetrated by those the State had appointed to protect and care for us.

Nobody wrote about the painful backstories that gave rise to the scars, either, which is why it had taken more than a bit of convincing for me to try to submit my account for publication. In my minds eye, sharing our collective secrets was equivalent to sentencing myself to death all over again. But I later found the opposite was true. Writing Scars gave me a life. My story spoke for all of us on the yard, and for those of us outside it who have endured similar struggles.

Years after I published Scars in 1991 in Wingspan magazine, a friend said, Man, trip off this, I kind of always knew about this abuse thing, because I was doing it to my own kids. Maybe even worse. The daddy I had was the same daddy my kids had. After your article got published, I mailed it to my sons, and then we were able to talk about our scars together.

Putting the truth on paper made me realize that as powerless as I'd felt, I had a voice, that I had the ability to effect the kind of openness my friend experienced with his sons. When own what happened to uswhen we own our sufferingit becomes ours to keep and to learn to come to terms with. And, more than that, writing revived something in me: for the first time in forever I felt yes, I, Jarvis Masters, matter.

It was at the start of my writing journey, along with my spiritual practice, that gave me both the space and the guardrails to find my power. While I might be confined physically to this shoebox-cell, I can own my voice and raise it not in anger or rage, but to be of benefit to others, especially to those troubled teens who are on that dangerous pipeline from the cradle to prison, the odyssey I was on that landed me in San Quentin.

That Bird Has My Wings: The Autobiography of an Innocent Man on Death Row

That Bird Has My Wings: The Autobiography of an Innocent Man on Death Row

Of all that I've lost in my years behind bars writing and the power it affords is something no one can take from me. Along with meditation, through writing I've discovered an awakening sense of freedom, a life. And I know that even after I'm gone, my words will survive.

This content is imported from OpenWeb. You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site.

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Oprah's Book Club Author Jarvis Jay Masters on How Writing Has Given Him Freedom and Power - Oprah Mag

On Monday, during the seventh day of her visit to the United States, Hungarian President Katalin Novk spoke about the protection of human life, support for families, and true freedom, based on Hungarian family policy and her own conservative values at the Benedictine College Christian University in Kansas.

In her lecture, the head of state made a special point regarding what true freedom means to her and how to achieve it. Part of this, she said, is that no one should have to go along with the mainstream, so that they have a choice and can speak, think, and live truly freely.

Speaking about the protection of human life, the president stressed that everything starts with education, which shows the beauty of human life and also teaches where human life begins. As an example of the steps taken in Hungary, she said that pregnant women planning to have an abortion must attend two counselling sessions to consider the decision, which is also about a human life. Novk added that the possibility of accessing state family allowances during pregnancy was an important measure, and that Hungary had also sped up adoption procedures.

In her speech to university lecturers and students, the head of state quoted the provisions of the Hungarian constitution on families, which stipulate that marriage is between a man and a woman, and that the mother is a woman and the father a man.

In response to questions from the students, the President also spoke about the Hungarian Child Protection Act, saying that parents have the primary responsibility for the upbringing of their children, and as she put it, we must show respect for our children. In addition, the legislation was aimed at drawing attention to the so-called woke and LGBTQ propaganda, which in the words of the head of state, is not about respect for the other, but the opposite, that they do not respect our children.

Related article

Katalin Novk wished the Hungarians of the San Fernando Valley the freedom of God, family, and life.Continue reading

At the end of the lecture, Novk received the Benedictine College Award named after Pope John Paul II from the President of the Benedictine College, Stephen D. Minnis.

Novk concluded her visit to the United States on Tuesday, during which she spoke at the Franciscan University in Ohio on the principles of Hungarian family policy, related government measures, supportive and encouraging measures, and the right to free choice.

In the discussion that followed her presentation, Novk said that

Novk also attended a wreath-laying ceremony at the statue of Lajos Kossuth in Cleveland on Tuesday afternoon, and then took part in a session of the Artr Grgey scout troop at the St. Imre Catholic Church in Cleveland, and spoke at the churchs ceremony, where she summed up her week and a half visit to the US.

After two years of a very difficult pandemic, Novk asked the Hungarian-American community to do their utmost to strengthen their communities again, not to give up the importance, beauty, and opportunities of physical togetherness, as this is how they can help young people to ensure that the door to Hungary never closes.

Featured photo via Facebook page of Katalin Novk

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Hungarian President: "True freedom is not having to go along with the mainstream" - Hungary Today

FULL STORY: Fletcher, Freedom flex their physicality to down Central Catholic

Freedom 32, Allentown Central Catholic 14 Rapid Recap

Freedom High Schools football team has righted the ship.

The third-ranked Patriots, who started the season 1-2, climbed back above .500 on Saturday night with a 32-14 Eastern Pennsylvania Conference South Division victory over No. 2 Allentown Central Catholic at J. Birney Crum Stadium.

Turning point: Both teams traded a combined four punts to start the game, but Freedoms offense gained traction during a 60-yard scoring drive.

Tailback Jalen Fletcher completed the series with a 10-yard touchdown on the first play of the second quarter.

Next, a miscue on a Central Catholic punt started the Patriots at the Vikings 45-yard line. Freedom found the end zone again when quarterback Ethan Neidig, with a defender hanging on him, tossed a 3-yard TD to Justin Peluso on fourth-and-goal.

Prajeet Santras PAT gave the visitors a 14-0 advantage with 6:54 remaining in the second quarter.

The Vikings fumbled on their next possession, and Neidig connected with wideout Owen Johnson for a 43-yard gain to put Freedom back in the red zone. A 2-yard score from Fletcher pushed the Patriots lead to 20-0 with 3:12 to go before the break.

Top performers: Fletcher finished with 163 yards and four touchdowns on 25 carries. Neidig threw for 121 yards and a score.

Johnson finished with five receptions for 82 yards.

Running back Caiden Shaffer led the Vikings offense with 65 yards and two TDs on 14 carries.

What it means: Freedom has won back-to-back games and is now 3-2 overall and in the division. The Patriots have their first cross-divisional contest next week when theyre back at J. Birney Crum to face Allen on Friday.

Central dropped to 3-2 overall and in the division. The Vikings also have a North Division foe Dieruff on deck Oct. 1.

Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to lehighvalleylive.com.

Kyle Craig may be reached at kcraig@lehighvalleylive.com.

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Freedom football fights way to 3-score win over Central Catholic - lehighvalleylive.com

Todays MAGA Hot Mic moment comes features Idaho, where women are struggling to access Plan B and other forms of birth control as a result of thestates draconian abortion ban.

Idahos extreme trigger law, which bans nearly all abortions without exceptions for a womans health and threatens health care providers with prison time for providing vital reproductive care, went into effect a little over a month ago.

Washington Post: Idahos trigger law, which is set to take effect Thursday, bans abortions except in cases involving rape or when a womans life is in danger. There is no exception if a patient faces nonlethal health risks, such as a stroke or organ damage, by continuing the pregnancy.

Washington Post: Idahos trigger ban took effect on Aug. 25, approximately two months after the Supreme Court reversed Roe v. Wade. That law, which was passed by state lawmakers in 2020, bans abortions at any time after conception, except in instances where the pregnant persons life is at risk or in cases of rape or incest so long as the crime was reported to law enforcement.

NPR: Physicians who perform abortions outside of these circumstances will be at risk of up to five years in prison. The Justice Department sued Idaho to block this law. During a court hearing on Monday, a federal judge said there seems to be an absolute conflict between that law and federal law regulating emergency care.

Thanks to the trigger ban, many health care providers are unable to offer basic health care services like birth control because they fear they could face a felony conviction and be permanently barred from all future state employment.

Washington Post: The University of Idahos general counsel issued new guidance on Friday about the states near-total abortion ban, alerting faculty and staff thatthe school should no longer offer birth control for students, a rare move for a state university. University employees were also advised not to speak in support of abortion at work. If an employee appears to promote abortion, counsel in favor of abortion, or refer a student for an abortion procedure, they could face a felony conviction and be permanently barred from all future state employment, according to an email obtained by The Washington Post.

Washington Post: Because the language of the law is unclear and untested, the message reads, we are advising a conservative approach here, that the university not provide standard birth control itself. Condoms could be provided for the purpose of helping prevent the spread of STDs, according to the guidance but not for purposes of birth control.

Lets not forget this is the same abortion extremism Idaho Republicans have been calling for. At the Idaho GOP state party convention, lawmakers rejected an amendment to the party platform that would protect abortion access in cases where the mothers life is at risk, and argued for the criminalization of all abortions:

Idaho Capital Sun: No exception for life of mother included in Idaho GOPs abortion platform language

Idaho Capital Sun: While language already existed in the platform classifying abortion as murder from the moment of fertilization, [State Senate candidate Scott] Herndons language added that the party supports the criminalization of all abortions within the states jurisdiction.

Republican lawmakers in Idaho, and across the country, are keeping their promise that overturning Roe was just the beginning; Theyre coming after a womans fundamental right to privacy. This is whats at stake come November.

Link:

MAGA Hot Mic: Women in Idaho Are Losing The Freedom to Access Birth Control - Democrats - Democrats.org

SAN SALVADOR, El Salvador, Sept. 28, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- El Salvador, the first sovereign nation to make bitcoin legal tender, will host Adopting Bitcoin, a conference promoting Bitcoin adoption in the context of creating a freer and more equitable financial system.

The conference, which takes place in San Salvador and Bitcoin Beach from November 15-17, brings together the bitcoin ecosystem for collaboration, networking and learning.

The event is organized by Galoy Inc., whose bitcoin banking platform powers Bitcoin Beach Wallet in El Salvador. "Nobody expected a sovereign nation to adopt bitcoin as legal tender in 2021," said Nicolas Burtey, CEO of Galoy. "The move has changed public perception about both the country and the currency. El Salvador is now making strides to become the Singapore of Central America and a beacon for financial inclusion, while bitcoin is proving itself as an excellent medium of exchange that can facilitate millions of daily transactions."

Bitfinex, the state of the art digital token trading platform, is the headline sponsor of the event. The exchange, which has the deepest Bitcoin liquidity, has a vision to extend financial freedom to communities, societies and countries across the world. Bitfinex is working closely with the El Salvador government to provide the financial technology platform for the issuance and trading of the proposed Volcano Token.

"Bitfinex is proud to be a technology and exchange partner for the Salvadoran people in their historic journey towards financial freedom and to be a sponsor of educational initiatives aimed at increasing financial and technological literacy," said Paolo Ardoino, CTO at Bitfinex.

The first two days of the event will take place at the Crowne Plaza convention center in San Salvador. More than 110 speakers from over 30 different countries will share the latest developments from the whole spectrum of bitcoin disciplines, relating to both technology and the economy. A highlight of the technology and development focused track will be the presentation of bitcoin core developer Jon Atack, while the economics focused track's most prominent name is Mexican senator Indira Kempis. The multi-track event will be conducted in English with real-time translations in Spanish for the main stages.

Day three of the event will take attendees on a field trip to Bitcoin Beach, El Zonte, where the country's bitcoin adoption originated. Mike Peterson, Director of Bitcoin Beach, noted: "After less than one year, we are seeing one in five people use bitcoin daily. Now delegations of representatives, bankers and technologists from all corners of the world are coming to El Salvador to learn how bitcoin can be used as a tool for financial inclusion."

The non-profit event can be accessed by Salvadorans at a preferential price of $21 dollars.

About Adopting Bitcoin

Adopting Bitcoin brings together stakeholders from all sides of the bitcoin ecosystem with local actors in El Salvador to network, collaborate and learn in a 3-day conference.

More information: adoptingbitcoin.orgTwitter: @AdoptingBTC

About Galoy

Galoy develops bitcoin-native banking software enabling organizations to plug into the Lightning Network and launch bitcoin banking services. The GaloyMoney open source core banking platform includes a secure backend API, mobile wallets, point of sale apps, an accounting ledger and administrative controls. Learn more at galoy.io or github.com/galoymoney.

More information: galoy.ioTwitter: @GaloyMoney

SOURCE Galoy

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El Salvador hosts Adopting Bitcoin conference as nation promotes financial freedom - PR Newswire