Category Archives: Freedom

The Daily Mail and the Mail on Sunday have been banging on a lot lately about freedom of expression. An editorial declared it to be a dark day when the newspaper group lost its legal battle with Meghan Markle. Shed sued them for publishing extracts from a private letter shed sent to her estranged father.

Ive got to know the Mails legal department quite well over the past few months though its clients commitment to freedom of expression hasnt been quite so clear in my case. The Mails lawyers appear to be fixated with my play Bloody Difficult Women and have been bombarding the Riverside Studios theatre in west London and my producers with emails and letters. Paul Dacre, the Mails editor in chief, appears in it as a character, and the lawyers said Dacre would very much like to see a copy of the script to check it for factual accuracy. These repeated requests have all been declined.

The play focuses on the court case my old friend Gina Miller won against Theresa Mays government over the issue of parliamentary sovereignty. Dacre is an unavoidable part of that story: the Enemies of the people headline he ran on his papers front page, alongside photographs of the high court judges who found in Millers favour, caused uproar. There were a great many not least in the legal profession who took the view it was the lowest point in the whole acrimonious Brexit saga.

Apart from Dacre and Miller, Bloody Difficult Women features two other real-life characters, in Theresa May and Alan Miller, Ginas husband. The Mails legal team suggested I had given May and the Millers sight of the script. For the avoidance of doubt, none of them has requested or been granted that privilege. Quite frankly, I found it hard enough writing a play without four of its leading characters leaning over my shoulder seeing if they come out of it well. Though the lawyers said their client had no wish to restrict my or the theatres artistic freedom of expression, the prospect of a character as menacing as Dacre going through every word of the script is, of course, more than a wee bit inhibiting.

Mays office, while courteous and interested when I told them about the play, raised no objections. Even the title a nod to Ken Clarkes famous off-mic description of the former prime minister left them unperturbed. With Gina, I wanted to check the basic timetable of events leading up to the case and beyond, but that was it. She gamely tweeted that she would be watching it through her fingers.

Still, I can understand, given there has been press speculation that Dacre is the villain of the piece (and that I dont share his views about Brexit), that he might have special concerns. Every day, however, a great many people no doubt have special concerns about what his newspapers are going to write about them, but they are seldom, if ever, granted sight of the stories ahead of publication.

Long before the EU referendum and the start of that almighty national row, Id worked for Dacre as a feature writer, and, latterly, deputy to the late diarist Nigel Dempster, for almost a decade. Our relationship was respectful, but not close. He was and is, as I make clear in the play, a strident character. The last of the all-powerful one might say imperial editors.

The letters from his legal department have made for a few dark days for me, too, but Ive had the play painstakingly factchecked. From the outset, I strained to be fair to all its characters and kept in mind Chekhovs rule that plays shouldnt be about good or bad people, only people.

All I want now is for the show to go on. The plan had originally been to open last June, but that was put back to November on account of the pandemic and so its launch next month will, Im confident, be third time lucky. It is a play that seems to be acquiring over time a certain radical chic.

All journalists can, of course, be thin-skinned and I am no exception. I recall, when I was working for Dacre, being upset when Id read that Norma Major, the former prime ministers wife, had said a biography Id written of her had been 99% inaccurate. I asked Dacre if anything could be done and he wearily intoned that if I was going to dish it out, Id have to learn to take it too.

I await the reviews for Bloody Difficult Women in the Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday with trepidation, but Ive no intention of asking to fact check them ahead of publication.

Tim Walker is a journalist and author. His latest book, Star Turns, is an anthology of interviews. Bloody Difficult Women begins its run at the Riverside Studios in west London on 24 February

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Paul Dacres all for freedom of expression except when hes a character in your play - The Guardian

According to the trailer, the town of Fairview is an Everytown, USA kind of place; "If it's happening here, it's happening everywhere." Surely, your town's officials fix the town's problems with "lighthearted indecent exposure" as often as mine do. Mayor Kelly Sampson is simply trying her best aren't we all? The large-scale issues plaguing the nation are refracted through the small-town beer-smeared lens of Fairview, and in between jerkoff seminars, there are profound lessons to be learned along the way.

"Fairview" is executive produced by Colbert and showrunner RJ Fried, along with Chris Licht, Tim Luecke, Kim Gamble, Mike Leech, and Zach Smilovitz. The voice cast includes Marina Cockenberg, James Austin Johnson, Aparna Nancherla, Jeremy Levick, Blair Socci, Graham Techler, Atsuko Okatsuka, Otter Lee, Carl Foreman Jr, Jack Bensinger, Lisa Gilroy, and Joey Romaine. Grant Gish and Sachi Ezura co-executive produce with supervising producer Michael Stanger under the MTV Entertainment Group banner.

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Fairview Trailer: Welcome To Fairview, A Place Of Freedom And Punching Stuff - /Film

Individual Freedom Bill, better named the tyranny of the majorityCUT: Sen. Manny Diazs SB 148 is an attempt to censor organizations member diversity training on the grounds that white employees may be uncomfortable. SPECIAL TO THE ORACLE/WIKIMEDIA COMMONS

The Florida Senate advanced SB 148 on Jan. 18, a bill that would allow members to sue organizations that mandate trainings on discrimination that make them uncomfortable, also prohibiting instructors from recommending materials that contradicts certain principles.

SB 148, ironically dubbed Individual Freedom, should be laughed out of the Senate. Its blatant censorship of widely accepted concepts on the grounds of discomfort coming from the anti-snowflake party.

Prohibiting the recommendation of any materials or training that represent a companys values blatantly contradicts free speech.

Tolerance is a key skill when working in a collaborative workplace or scholastic environment. Its a skill like any other. Its commonplace for organizations to mandate trainings for skills like sales.

Banning these trainings on the grounds of discomfort is laughable and mitigates the companys ability to properly train its employees.

SB 148 also prohibits instructors from recommending any materials that cover such topics. Banning anyone from recommending any material is a blatant violation of free speech.

Its clear that the arbiters of this bill are attempting to censor those who believe differently than them.

Proponents of SB 148 argue that such trainings attempt to convince organization members that white people are inherently racist, or are as individuals at fault for past social discrimination.

No individual is inherently racist, sexist or oppressive, whether consciously or unconsciously, solely by the virtue of his or her race or sex, said Florida Sen. Manny Diaz regarding the bill.

The company tolerance trainings the bill references dont place blame for any structural or societal issues.

HRDQs diversity training titled Diversity Works is one of the most popular for large-scale employers and organizations.

Per its website, the training includes three components, Understanding Self Describe what makes you the unique individual you are, Understanding Others I recognize what makes others the unique individuals they are. Communication Consider differences and act respectfully in the workplace.

This bill is blatant censorship and an attempt to silence ideas that the Republican Party disagrees with, and should be dropped.

Companies have the right to educate employees on values they believe are integral to the workplace, and discomfort does not excuse ignorance.

Originally posted here:

OPINION: Individual Freedom Bill, better named the tyranny of the majority - The Oracle

The Belarusian writer and winner of the Nobel Prize in Literature Svetlana Alexievich left Belarus over a year ago for just a few months, she thought. It hasn'tturned out like that. She now lives in Berlin, where she is working on a new book about the aftermath of the internationally disputed presidential election in Belarus in 2020.

DW: Ms. Alexievich, what did you expect of Belarus's presidential election on August 9, 2020?

Svetlana Alexievich: I was totally skeptical. But I saw it as my duty to go and vote, although it was clear that it was utterly pointless. To be honest with you, I personally did not have faith in my people. It seemed to me that people would not take to the streetsand that we would carry on living as before, as if time had stood still. After three days of beatings and humiliations, after stun grenades and rubber bullets, which have the impact of a rifle bullet when they're fired from 10 meters (33 feet) away,after three days that shook the world, when women took to the streets, followed by hundreds of thousands of people, I was overwhelmed. We were all ecstatic.

What did you find most astonishing and overwhelming at the time?

Hundreds of people who were arrested were held in the prison on Okrestina Street in Minsk. You could hear them being beaten. But their parents sat outside the walls and did nothing. I believe Georgians would have taken that prison apart stone by stone. But our people simply waited for their children.

From May 2020 to March 2021, Belarusians repeatedly took to the streets to call on President Lukashenko to resign. (Photo: TUT.by/AP/dpa)

What was overwhelming was that so many young people, the ones we were always complaining about, took part in the protests. The older generation was also astonishing. These events were so much about human dignity, and I want to write a book about that. I'm collecting testaments to our dignity. It's important for all of us, especially now, when we are in the hands of the military and our civil society has been annihilated. I wouldn't describe it as a defeat, rather as a halt in the movement. Because all we went through is not going to disappear. But, as we now understand, there is still a long way to go along the road to freedom.

Are people such as Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko capable of giving up power?

I don't believe so. Power was always what he secretly dreamed of. But what I remember is people going on marches with absolutely no thought of armed uprising. For us, it was a celebration, a celebration of discovery and excitement. Excitement about ourselves. But then, of course, we lost time. We have to admit that the protests had no leadership as such. The Coordination Council [the opposition: Ed.] didn't control what went on. We should have stayed on the streets until Lukashenko stepped down.

But I didn't want blood to be shed, and I say this again and again. Otherwise we would have come to a point where we no longer occupied the moral high ground. At the time, we prevailed through wisdom and nonviolence. This was how we got international public opinion on our side. It was impossible to crush us like in Tiananmen Square in China. If we'd acted differently, we would have given Lukashenko the right to do it. And, most importantly, the best of our young people would have died. I understand Maria Kolesnikova [opposition politician and civil liberties campaigner, currently in prison:Ed.], who was at the front, and halted thousands of people a few hundred meters from Lukashenko's residence. Like her, I didn't want any bloodshed. I'm more sympathetic to Gandhism. Gandhi, not Lenin.

Protests intensified after the disputed election on August 9, 2020, before being brutally suppressed by the security forces

A lot of people are now saying that the Belarusian revolution is lost. Is that true?

No, I don't think so. Firstly, you have an elite there who are joining forces in a completely new kind of way. Then you have the Belarusian people, whose eyes have been opened. The people will never forget how they sat in backyards drinking tea, how they went out on the marches together. Many of the heroes of my book say this: "We lived from one Sunday to the next, and we got so much energy from it that it strengthened our backbones." We have started to become a nation.

Secondly: It's true that we can't demonstrate on the street now. Things only happen in our heads. But the people still expect changes. At some point everything will change, either as a result of sanctions,or because ofLukashenko himself, because he's his own worst enemy. I think that then it will happen very fast.

What we mustn't do now is wrap ourselves in a cocoon of powerlessness; we must prepare ourselves for a new era. We must help those who are in prison, their families and children. I have no hesitation in saying that they are children of heroes, the best among us.

Is Svetlana Alexievich before and after 2020 still the same person?

I don't think it's a case of different personalities, because my convictions haven't changed. I've simply understood that life is short, and that it's a shame the road to freedom is so long.

You know, I dream of my fellow Belarusiansliving like people in Germany. When I get up from my desk and go out into the street, I see them sitting in cafes, laughing. Will such nonchalance ever be the norm for us? Germans talk about life. We sit at a table, and we don't talk about what we've read, where we were, who we've fallen in love with, or who we've left; we talk about Lukashenko, about the nightmare in our country. I would never have thought that military vehicles would confront us on the streets of my hometown, and that I myself would have to live in exile.

You said that, days before you left the country, you observed minivans with tinted windows and plainclothes policemen outside your house.

In September 2020, plainclothes security forces were stationed outside my house for 10 days. Even the concierge called me and asked me not to go out: "It's not safe here, there are strange people wandering about and buses standing around." On a couple of occasions, diplomatsfrom European countries, 18 people in all, came to me athome. Later, each of them in turn stayed a night at my house. I am very grateful to all of them for thatand for everything they're doing for all of us.

Lukashenko was elected the first president of Belarus in 1994, and has ruled ever since

When I left the country, I wasn't on my own: I was escorted by diplomats. It would hardly have been possible for me to fly otherwise. I was detained for about an hour at the border. My passport was taken away. They said: "Oh, our computer has crashed. Oh, I can't get through on the phone." I asked, "What's the matter?" There was silence. But eventually they let me go.

Did it help that you are a Nobel laureate?

I was at least able to leave the country, just as a criminal proceedings were initiated against the Coordination Council. Lukashenko hates me. When I turned 70, it wasn't mentioned in a single newspaper.

You're currently living in Berlin. Do you feel at home there?

I've lived in Berlin before, in the years of my first exile, when Vasil Bykau [Belarusian writer Ed.] and I had to leave the country. I love the spirit of Berlin and the diversity of life here. I love Germany and am grateful to it. During my first exile, I had the possibility of having an apartment in Vienna and staying there. But I want to live in Belarus. I travel around the world with interest, and I've seen a great deal, but returning home is important to me.

If the Lukashenko regime were to guarantee your safety, would you go back?

When you're a writer, you can live in your own world, and it doesn't matter where in the physical world this is. I've already heard thoughts or suggestions from diplomats along these lines, but I answered that this was impossible. How could I look people in the eye who had to leave behind young children and sick mothers in Belarus? They'll remain in exile, and I'll go home? I can't imagine it; it would be a betrayal.

In June, President Steinmeier presented Alexievich with Germany's highest honor, the Order of Merit

You've been working on a new book for a year now. What are the questions to which you're seeking answers?

There are many. The question of war and peace is one. Were we right in seeking to avoid bloodshed? I ask everyone this. People respond differently, incidentally. I would like to write about the masked men, and the temptation of the dark; about why we're still living as if we're in the books of Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn. Why is our entire history flanked by people under arrest, with plastic bags over their heads? Why did some people hide demonstrators, while others led special forces to them?

And one more question: We will have to live with those who beat and tortured us how can we understand them so that we don't degenerate into hatred? And so on, and on ... Where did they come from, all these wonderful people who took to the streets? How did they become the people they are? Who are their parents? It's important to me to recount as much as I can about them.

What's it like to write a book when the story is not yet complete and the end is yet to come?

I hope that the end will come while I'm writing the book.

The interviewer was Vera Nerusch.

The Belarusian writer Svetlana Alexievich was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature in 2015. Alexievich is known for her opposition to the Lukashenko regime, but after receiving the Nobel Prize she returned from exile to live in the Belarusian capital, Minsk. During the protests in 2020, she was part of the opposition's Coordination Council, whose the members were persecuted by the Belarusian regime. In September 2020, Alexievich went into exile in Germany.

This interview was translated from Russian.

Go here to see the original:

Alexievich: 'It's a shame the road to freedom is so long' - DW (English)

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In recent days, on the anniversary of the freedom of Mr. Masoud Rajavi, the leader of the Iranian Resistance, from the Shahs prison, in 1979, Mujahedin-e Khalq (MEK/PMOI) supporters and the Resistance Units marked the anniversary in Tehran and many Iranian cities including Karaj, Tabriz, Rasht, Ahvaz, Isfahan, Shiraz, Qom, Mashhad, Urmia, Zanjan, Qazvin, Shadegan, Neyshabur, Kazerun, and Kashan by posting banners covering his messages and calls to the Iranian youth and compatriots.

The banners read:Massoud Rajavi: The MEK has only one dream, the overthrow of the religious dictatorship in Iran, Marking the anniversary of the freedom of Massoud Rajavi and the last group of political prisoners from the Shahs prison, Honoring January 20, the day of freedom of Massoud Rajavi, the Iranian peoples hope and inspiration, , Let the people of the world know that Massoud is our leader, Massoud Rajavi: It is impossible to keep a nation captive forever, Massoud Rajavi: The secret to freeing Iran is to say down with the principle of velayat-e faqih, long live freedom. Our mission is to overthrow the religious dictatorship, Massoud Rajavi to the political prisoners: Resist, the day of freedom of political prisoners will come, Massoud Rajavi: The fate of Iran will be determined with the uprising of its valiant sons and daughters and their sacrifices.

Secretariat of the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI)

January 24, 2022

Excerpt from:

Iran: Resistance Units and MEK Supporters Mark Anniversary of Freedom of the Iranian Resistance Leader From Shahs Prison - National Council of...

For many facets of our daily livesfrom what clothes to wear, food to eat or car to drivethere are as many opinions and preferences as there are people. The same is true for educating our children. However, unlike the many options we have for our clothes, food and transportation, North Dakotans have limited choices when it comes to our childrens education.

A recent study found North Dakota ranks 44 out of 51 on an Education Freedom Index of U.S. states. When it comes to education freedom for families, North Dakota is the lowest ranking state in the region and among the worst in the nation.

Dont jump to the conclusion that EFI rankings are based on how red or blue a state is. The top 15 states include progressive states such as Minnesota (3), Wisconsin (4), Michigan (10) and California (12); and conservative states such as Arizona (1), Texas (6) and South Dakota (15).

Why is education freedom important? In addition to allowing households the opportunity to choose the educational model that matches their unique needs and perspectives, education freedom is associated with increased educational outcome s as measured by average scores on the National Assessment of Education Progress . An analysis by the studys authors demonstrated a clear, positive association between EFI and the NAEP, even after controlling for the effects of per-pupil state spending, student/teacher ratio and teacher quality. Interestingly, while EFI is positively associated with increased NAEP, the association with per-pupil spending is negative. Just throwing additional money at the educational system with the expectation of increased outcomes is not realistic.

This should give North Dakotans a wake-up call. Not only does our EFI ranking demonstrate that North Dakota families have fewer educational choices than our neighboring states, but our state spending on K-12 has ballooned over the last decade, with school district average per-pupil expenditures increasing by 50% from 2005 to 2018.

What can be done to increase educational freedom and educational outcomes in North Dakota? Here are two viable policy options that our legislators should consider: first, a provision allowing charter public schools, and second, tax credits or deductions for private and homeschool tuition expenses.

North Dakota is one of five states that has no legislation permitting the establishment of public charter schools. Public charter schools are schools that are publicly funded yet operate independently of local public school districts. Because charter schools are publicly funded, students who attend them do not pay tuition as they would at a private school. Charter schools are held accountable to an authorizing agency and the terms, organization and mission spelled out in their charter. Because charter schools are independent of local school districts, they are not subject to many of the same regulations as traditional public schools. This allows charter public schools to exercise greater flexibility and offer a unique, and free, educational alternative to traditional public schools. Charter schools have proven an effective way to maintain educational quality, increase school options for families and control the cost of public education. There is a large body of evidence that the presence of charter schools increases educational outcomes for both students attending the charter and students in the nearby school district.

Private schools and homeschooling also offer options to traditional public schools. Unfortunately, private schools are only a realistic alternative for those with financial means to afford them. Unlike charter schools, students attending private schools are responsible to pay tuition and provide their own transportation to and from school. While students attending private schools pay tuition, their families also pay tax dollars to support local school districts which no longer have to pay for the educational costs of those students. The same is true for homeschooled students. School choice policies can provide tax relief to families choosing private or homeschool education. A familys choices for their childrens education should not be limited by their financial means.

Tax relief can be provided through a number of potential policy levers, including income tax credits and deductions or the establishment of tax-sheltered education savings accounts. Many states have created private school tuition vouchers to directly assist low-income households with gaining access to private school options.

The pandemic has demonstrated that many families have differing needs and preferences regarding the schooling of our children. Increasing educational freedom is an effective way to give families more options while improving educational outcomes and keeping cost under control.

Jackson is the director of the Center for the Study of Public Choice and Private Enterprise and professor of economics at North Dakota State University. His views are his own.

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

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Letter: Education freedom in North Dakota among the worst in U.S. - INFORUM

Join gaming leaders, alongside GamesBeat and Facebook Gaming, for their 2nd Annual GamesBeat & Facebook Gaming Summit | GamesBeat: Into the Metaverse 2 this upcoming January 25-27, 2022. Learn more about the event.

This article was contributed by Brad Yasar, founder and CEO of EQIFI.

Innovation related to the metaverse has brought with it some expected criticism and skepticism. Like any fast-growing, emerging technology, the parameters for its operation have yet to be fully established. This means, essentially, that those who hope to glean financial returns from interacting with the metaverse do not know what investment looks like. Is it VR headsets, digital land, or a pair of Gucci sneakers wearable only with AR? Some might argue that the metaverse is a dystopian fantasy conjured up by gaming fanatics and tech titans. Facebooks transformation to a metaverse-centric social media company only heightens this dominant apprehension.

With Facebooks Meta rebrand costing the company an estimated $60 million, it seems Mark Zuckerberg may be onto something. Given that Instagram boasts one billion monthly users, it would be wise to assume that the metaverse may impact our lives significantly in the near future, much like social media does. Much like the early days of social media, the metaverses impact is limited by its rate of progression. Soon, however, this progression will bring about a transformative era of industry, influenced by a variety of decentralized tools like DeFi, cryptocurrencies, NFTs, and Web3. Once the power of these technologies is fully realized, life as we know it will have changed forever.

What is a metaverse?

The 2nd Annual GamesBeat and Facebook Gaming Summit and GamesBeat: Into the Metaverse 2

The word metaverse was coined in Snow Crash, a 1992 novel by Neal Stephenson. In his depiction, users could immerse themselves in a digital world through the use of headphones and specially designed glasses. This digital world created a space for users to engage with one another, exchange goods, and essentially live a double life through VR. Predictions about the metaverse of the 21st-century detail absolute similarities with Stephensons imagined reality. The main difference is that the many infrastructural shortcomings associated with the metaverse in the fictional world have been addressed by using blockchain technology as a means to engage and interact in this new virtual world.

Since Snow Crashs release over 30 years ago, the largest technology providers in the world, like Facebook, have dominated the technology industry insurmountably. Googles recent acquisition of Canadian company North to adopt a more modern approach to AR hardware and software could point towards the companys plans for metaverse involvement. Similarly, Apple, the most valuable company in the world with a valuation of over $2.5 trillion, is producing a currently unconfirmed and unnamed headset designed to act as an entryway to the metaverses digital realm. Organizations such as these are not accustomed to discarding funds into projects without a future.

The advent of NFTs delivers a secure method of transferring digital assets from one party to another in a secure manner. Web3 delivers decentralized interaction and connectivity between separate entities, underpinning the decentralization of the metaverse. Cryptocurrencies and stablecoins provide the financial infrastructure befitting a decentralized marketplace. DeFi possesses the ability to bring fully realized financial decentralization to the process of transferring funds and assets in the metaverse. This would round up the networks infrastructure, facilitating an expansive digital universe unhindered by centralized middlemen.

It is clear to see that the variety of businesses, individuals, and entities that could potentially operate in the metaverse is vast. The widespread use and acceptance of decentralization through the growth of crypto, NFTs, and DeFi point to a fully-realized future operating outside of the parameters of todays established markets.

Evidently, therefore, the metaverse is not a sci-fi fantasy conjured up in a dystopian novel, but a more tangible and natural progression for the current structuring of the internet. The founding principles of the metaverse have already been introduced in many ways. Now its development centers on blockchain technology and DeFi to propel it from the conceptual stage towards the implementation phase. This development will allow us to firmly realize the true extent that the metaverse will impact our lives.

The gaming industry is one such sector that stands to benefit greatly from developments arising in the metaverse. Gaming skins, which are in-game avatar outfits, are expected to trade at a level of $40 billion every year. Eighty-one percent of players aware of these skins want to trade them for real-world money, according to a report from DMarket. Currently, there is no method of transferring skins across gaming universes or trading them for currency. In the metaverse, however, as every separate gaming universe is connected through a decentralized economy, this would be possible. The use of metaverse-based banks would also enable transactions like these.

Like in the gaming industry, many sectors and industries will benefit from metaverse-related funding and asset transfers. Much like the bankless barter system that precludes our current financial structure, the metaverse stands to reach maximum potential, alongside fully operational and functioning digital banks. This is now possible through the advent and expansion of decentralized finance (DeFi). As the current banking infrastructure separates further and further from cash and brick and mortar establishments, DeFi will be the financial model that facilitates financing across the metaverse.

To operate effectively in the metaverse, and offer a standard practice for the transfer of digital assets, banks will need to be decentralized. As continued innovations are made and more industries shift their operations to the metaverse, the likelihood of DeFi enabled banks becomes a compelling growth development. Centralized banking systems simply cannot operate on the metaverse, meaning the expansion and increased sophistication of industries like gaming will fuel the push towards DeFi enabled banking, which will underpin the financial structure of the metaverse.

This will open a multitude of benefits for industries, technologists, and digital enthusiasts as innovation is led through the metaverse. In gaming, for example, play to earn becomes a viable and attractive prospect for users and gaming companies alike. The introduction of the metaverse provides a concentrated arena where altcoins can be exchanged for playtime. NFTs can be used to exchange in-game assets, facilitating a whole new era of gaming, and operating efficiently with DeFi enabled banks. This again works to illustrate how blockchain-based emerging technologies will be used to facilitate user interactions across different industries.

It is not just gaming and entertainment that stands to transform and expand with the onset of the metaverse. Synchrony, a fully functioning economy, and the interoperability of digital assets, information, and consumers means industries like supply chain management, property sales, and even office workflows stand to benefit from developments related to the metaverse. As a concept and technological innovation fueled by the decentralization of blockchain technology, the future is in the hands of these industries, without the stringent parameters of centralized control.

Given the issues that have arisen from unregulated innovations like social media, the likelihood of focused and coherent regulation influencing the future of the metaverse is likely. The OASIS Consortium, for example, pulls together leaders from industries like gaming, dating apps, and immersive tech platforms to address safety and privacy in Web3. Developments like these are favorable, given that the metaverses regulatory parameters are being developed by those invested in its growth and expansion in a positive light for the end-user.

It is clear that the correlating growth of cryptocurrency, NFTs, DeFi, VR, and AR will eventually collide to create the metaverse. Will this look exactly like the depiction in Snow Crash, a dystopian online universe where reality is no longer the central connector for civilization? Or, could the metaverse serve to disenfranchise the dominant financial structures of todays economy, pulling power from the intermediaries that caused multiple financial crises? Nobody really knows. One thing however is certain: The metaverse is coming, and it will change how we look at money, entertainment, and society forever.

Brad Yasar is the founder and CEO of EQIFI.

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In a moment reminiscent of the 1963 March on Washington, last week voting rights activists joined the family of Martin Luther King, Jr. to march across Frederick Douglass Memorial Bridge near the U.S. Capitol to demand action. But nearly 60 years after Dr. King delivered his I have a dream speech on the National Mall, the Senate failed to protect Americans freedom to vote.

Despite Senate Majority Leader Chuck SchumerChuck SchumerVoting rights failed in the Senate where do we go from here? Forced deadline spurs drastic tactic in Congress Democrats call on Biden administration to ease entry to US for at-risk Afghans MOREs (D-N.Y.) best efforts, a Hail Mary speech delivered by President Joe BidenJoe BidenUS threatens sweeping export controls against Russian industries Headaches intensify for Democrats in Florida US orders families of embassy staff in Ukraine to leave country MORE in Atlanta, and grassroots organizing across the country, including over 100,000 constituent calls from our members at Stand Up America, the Freedom to Vote: John R. Lewis Act failed to pass the upper chamber. Obstruction was expected from Senate Republicans who echo Trumps election lies and fear that when every eligible American votes, they lose. But Sens. Joe ManchinJoe ManchinVoting rights failed in the Senate where do we go from here? Biden: A good coach knows when to change up the team The Memo: Biden looks for way to win back deflated Black voters MORE (D-W.Va.) and Kyrsten SinemaKyrsten SinemaVoting rights failed in the Senate where do we go from here? Biden: A good coach knows when to change up the team The Memo: Biden looks for way to win back deflated Black voters MORE (D-Ariz.), who claim to support voting rights legislation, decided to prioritize the filibuster over the freedom to vote, despite readily approving an exception to the filibuster just last month to raise the debt ceiling.

The Senates inaction, enabled by Manchin and Sinemas historic dereliction of duty, will have a profound impact on voting access and the trajectory of our democracy for years to come. In 2021 alone, 19 states passed more than 34 laws that undermine the freedom to vote. These anti-voter laws purge voters from the rolls, enact strict voter ID requirements, limit early voting options, reduce the number of polling places in predominantly Black and brown neighborhoods, and allow trusted election officials to be replaced with partisan actors.

Texans are already seeing the effects of the voter suppression law passed there last year, as up to half of vote-by-mail applications are being rejected in some counties because of new restrictions. Its no accident that these Republican-sponsored laws disportionately hurt voters of color as well as poor, young, and disabled voters. Republicans are trying to win elections by choosing their voters and excluding everyone else.

After last weeks vote in the Senate, its clearer than ever that we must elect leaders who will put our democracy and voting rights first. There are several opportunities this year to replace senators who failed our democracy last week with real democracy champions, from Florida and Pennsylvania to North Carolina and Wisconsin. Supporting filibuster reform has become a litmus test for Democratic primary voters, and, both moderate and progressive Democratic Senate candidates, including former Iowa Rep. Abby FinkenauerAbby Lea FinkenauerVoting rights failed in the Senate where do we go from here? These Senate seats are up for election in 2022 Iowa Democrat drops bid to challenge Grassley after death of nephew MORE and Wisconsin Lt. Gov. Mandela Barnes, have embraced the position. Flipping just two Senate seats could clear the way to reforming the filibuster and finally passing voting rights legislation.

And the need to elect democracy champions this year goes well beyond the Senate. Trump-backed Republicans are threatening the very heart of our democracy by targeting election administration roles at the local and state levels, including secretary of state positions. Theyre trying to put extreme, partisan actors into election administration roles who would be willing to ignore the will of the voters. It is hard to overstate the threat this poses to American democracy. Thats why its more important than ever that we support pro-democracy candidates for secretary of state, state attorney general, and other critical roles that oversee our elections to ensure that we protect voting access and that every vote is counted and honored.

But we cannot wait until November to defend our freedom to vote. The Senates inaction on voting rights will embolden Republican state legislators across the country, who will continue to introduce legislation aimed at suppressing the vote and replacing election officials with partisan actors. We must fight each one of those bills tooth and nail in legislatures and in the courts. At the same time, we must expand access to the ballot box at the local and state levels wherever we can through legislatures and ballot proposals. There are opportunities this year for blue and purple states to strengthen voting rights, as Nevada, New York, Connecticut, and other states did over the past year by restoring voting rights for formerly-incarcerated Americans, expanding vote-by-mail, and enacting automatic voter registration.

Despite the devastating setback last week in the Senate, we have no choice but to keep fighting and organizing to protect the freedom to vote, just as generations that came before us did. We will continue the struggle for as long as it takes because the stakes for our democracy are too high to take no for an answer.

Sean Eldridge is founder and president of Stand Up America, a group that seeks to expand voting rights and build a more representative democracy.

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Voting rights failed in the Senate where do we go from here? | TheHill - The Hill

Published: Jan 22, 2022

SACRAMENTO Governor Gavin Newsom and First Partner Jennifer Siebel Newsom todaycommemorated the anniversary ofRoe v. Wadeand highlighted Californias commitment to ensuring access to reproductive health care services in the face of national threats to reproductive rights:

Today we commemorate the 49thanniversary ofRoe v. Wade, the landmark Supreme Court case establishing a womans Constitutional right to a safe and legal abortion. Almost half a century later, we know without a doubt that limiting access to reproductive health care, including abortion, is a fundamental violation of individual liberty and freedom. The simple fact remains America cant achieve true equality if women do not have control over their own bodies.

At a time when some across our nation are purposefully and deliberately choosing to attack womens reproductive rights, California will continue to be a beacon of light expanding access to abortion and reproductive care, and ensuring our state is a place where people receive critical reproductive health care services quickly and safely, said Governor Newsom and First Partner Siebel Newsom.

The Governor and First Partner joined elected officials, activists and stakeholders in avirtual Planned Parenthood rally to commemorate the anniversary.

Governor NewsomsCalifornia Blueprintcontinues the states leadership in advancing access to reproductive and sexual health care and protecting workers. The Plan removes the Medi-Cal requirements for in-person follow-up visits and ultrasounds if they are not medically necessary, making it easier to access reproductive care. The Blueprint offers scholarships and loan repayments to health care providers that commit to providing reproductive health care services, and funding for facilities to improve their IT systems and enhance security systems. The Blueprint includes funding to subsidize the cost of abortion care and to make human papillomavirus vaccines a covered benefit.

In his first year in office, Governor Newsom signed aProclamation on Reproductive Freedomreaffirming Californias commitment to protecting womens reproductive choices. The Governor has advanced investments to expand access to reproductive and sexual health care and signed multiple bills protecting reproductive freedom, includingSB 374,SB 24 and AB 1264.

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On Anniversary of Roe v. Wade, Governor Newsom and First Partner Siebel Newsom Lift Up California's Commitment to Reproductive Freedom | California...

Ottawa's top doctor provides an update on the COVID-19 situation in the capital and the Freedom Convoy is expected to roll into Ottawa to protest vaccine mandates.

CTVNewsOttawa.ca looks at five stories to watch in Ottawa this week.

Ottawa's top doctor will provide an update on the COVID-19 situation in Ottawa, one week before restrictions begin to ease.

Medical officer of health Dr. Vera Etches will address a special meeting of the Ottawa Board of Health at 3 p.m. Monday.

Board chair Keith Egli called the special meeting, "Given the rapidly evolving situation with COVID-19 in our community." Egli told reporters earlier this month Dr. Etches will provide an update on the COVID-19 situation, and allow board members to ask questions about the response to the pandemic.

The meeting comes as Ottawa Public Health reports a rise in hospitalizations linked to COVID-19 in Ottawa. As of Sunday, there were 93 people in Ottawa hospitals with COVID-19 related illnesses, up from 65 people in hospital last Monday.

The update comes one week before Ontario takes the first step in a three-step plan to begin relaxing COVID-19 restrictions.

As of Jan. 31, social gatherings will increase to 10 people indoors and 25 people outdoors. Restaurants, bars, retailers and gyms can operate at 50 per cent capacity.

Sporting events, concert venues and theatres will be able to operate at 50 per cent seated capacity or 500 people, whichever is less.

Truckers are expected to roll into Ottawa on Saturday from across the country to protest the COVID-19 vaccine mandate for truckers.

The "Freedom Convoy" left British Columbia on Sunday en route to Ottawa for a demonstration against the mandate. Truckers from Ontario and eastern Canada are also expected to arrive in Ottawa.

As of Jan. 15, the federal government requires all truckers crossing the border from the United States into Canada to be vaccinated. As of Jan. 23, all non-Americans entering the United States at a land border must be fully vaccinated against COVID-19.

A GoFundMe page for the Freedom Convoy states, "We are taking our fight to the doorsteps of our Federal Government and demanding that they cease all mandates against its people. Small businesses are being destroyed, homes are being destroyed, and people are being mistreated and denied fundamental necessities to survive."

The Canadian Trucking Alliance issued a statement saying it does not support and "strong disapproves" of any protests on roadways, highways and bridges.

"The vast majority of the Canadian trucking industry is vaccinated with the overall industry vaccination rate among truck drivers closely mirroring that of the general public," said the alliance in a statement on its website.

"Accordingly, most of our nation's hard-working truck drivers are continuing to move cross-border and domestic freight to ensure our economy continues to function."

Ontario Provincial Police reported a convoy from Pembroke to Ottawa on Saturday.

The legislative year kicks off this week at Ottawa City Hall, as the countdown begins to the 2022 municipal election.

Council will meet for the first time in 2022 on Wednesday. The first meeting of the year will be highlighted by Mayor Jim Watson's final state of the city address before he leaves municipal politics following the election.

"It's somewhat bittersweet, as it's a yearly tradition I've grown quite fond of over my time in office and one that provides a good opportunity to look back on the year that's gone by and ponder the important decisions that lie ahead," said Watson during the Mayor's Breakfast on Friday morning.

Watson announced in December he would not seek a fourth term in office, and will retire after the October municipal election.

The final council meeting of 2022 includes a motion from Coun. Jeff Leiper to eliminate 'red revert' sensors at all intersections. The transportation committee rejected a proposal to eliminate the sensors for cyclists at an intersection in the fall.

The Ottawa Police Services Board will discuss workplace sexual violence and harassment in the workplace during its first meeting of the year on Monday.

A report recommends the board adopt a five-year, $8.2 million strategy to address harassment and violence within the ranks, after an independent review called for "urgent and immediate attention."

Rubin Thomlinson makes 18 recommendations, including:

Wednesday is Bell Let's Talk Day a day to engage in a conversation about mental health and mental health initiatives in Canada.

This year, Bell Let's Talk Day is encouraging Canadians to support themselves and each other.

"Working together in communities large and small all around the country, we have made great progress in moving mental health forward and increasing awareness about mental illness," said Mary Deacon, chair of Bell Let's Talk. "On Bell Lets Talk Day and throughout the year its so important to keep listening, keep talking and keep being there for ourselves and each other to make a lasting difference in the lives of so many people impacted by mental illness."

On Wednesday, Bell donates 5 cents to Canadian mental health programs for every applicable text, local or long distance call, tweet or Tik Tok video using #BellLetsTalk, every Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Snapchat, Tik Tok, Twitter and YouTube view of the Bell Let's Talk Day video.

Monday

Ottawa Board of Health meeting 3 p.m.

Ottawa Police Services Board meeting 5 p.m.

Tuesday

Ottawa Carleton District School Board meeting 7 p.m.

Ottawa Catholic School Board meeting 7 p.m.

Ottawa Senators vs. Buffalo Sabres. (TSN 1200)

Wednesday

Bell Let's Talk Day

Ottawa City Council meeting 10 a.m.

Thursday

Ottawa Planning Committee meeting 9:30 a.m.

Ottawa Senators vs. Carolina Hurricaines (TSN 1200)

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Council kicks off its 2022 agenda and the Freedom Convoy rolls towards Ottawa: Five stories to watch this week - CTV Edmonton