Category Archives: Freedom

I am writing in response to a letter from Oct. 15, 2023, with the headline Herald has liberal/progressive bias.

I appreciate the time the letter writer took to write. I appreciate that we would not likely agree on most issues in the public realm. But I value his opinion. I want to be informed by his opinion. I want to hear voices of those who do not think like I do.

All I ask this letter writer is that he offers my opinion the same respect with which I try to treat his opinion. This the foundation of our American experiment: The marketplace of ideas expressed freely and without fear of retribution. The best ideas rise to the top.

As to the Heralds perceived bias, I offer the following perspective. Many years ago, when we had just moved to Durango, a group held a protest of 40 days of prayer to end abortion. They had yard signs and someone in the city government was offended by the signs. The city staff tried to use the sign code to get the signs removed.

It was the Herald that pointed out that, while it disagreed with the sentiment of the signs, it favored our freedom of speech even more. The city was forced to find a workaround that allowed the signs to stay up.

The Herald took a stand for a position it did not agree with for a larger and more important principle: freedom.

Rob Kolter

Durango

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'Herald favored our freedom of speech' The Durango Herald - The Durango Herald

Once again sporting an iconic winged funnel, the Carnival Freedom marked its return to service by welcoming guests onboard in Barcelona, Spain, for a 14-day transatlantic voyage to its homeport of Port Canaveral, Fla.

The ship underwent an extensive refurbishment that included the installation of the new funnel, the addition of the signature Carnival red, white and blue hull livery and other enhancements, the company said in a press release.

Earlier this month, the 2,980-guest ship entered its 16-day dry dock at the Navantia shipyard in Cadiz, Spain. The ships transformation is a milestone for the shipyard. While the yards team members have worked on other projects across the fleet, this is the first time they have designed and manufactured a Carnival funnel.

Among the other enhancements is a newly installed Heroes Tribute Bar, which is an expanding venue across the Carnival fleet and honors military veterans and active-duty service members. Carnival Freedom now also features a Dreams Studio, where guests can capture memories that become keepsakes from their cruise with the help of Carnivals photography staff. Some of the other work includes an expansion to the ships casino, and renovations and upgrades across the ships staterooms and public areas.

Carnival Freedoms two-week-long transatlantic Carnival Journeys cruise from Spain is offering guests an unforgettable journey that includes visits to Valencia, Malaga and Las Palmas, Spain as well as Bermuda. From Port Canaveral, the ship offers four- and five-day sailings to destinations in The Bahamas, such as Nassau and Princess Cays, as well as other Caribbean destinations, including Grand Turk. Many new itineraries were recently opened for the ship, and among them are sailings that feature Carnivals upcoming exclusive destination, Celebration Key, as a port of call beginning in 2025.

Read more here:

Carnival Freedom Returns To Service With New Look - Cruise Industry News

It began with a sudden, breathtaking emergence over the trees to the south a thousand points of blue light that expanded and dispersed into the sky. They organized into a kind of butterfly formation and set off in a northerly direction and then the flotilla vanished, as if at the flip of a switch. Several beats later, it reappeared, to loud oohs and aahs from the crowd, as a stunning grid of white, pink and ruby luminosity.

It took five years to cut through New York City red tape before the Dutch collective Drift could release its synchronized flock of 1,008 small, light-emitting drones above Central Park. But on Saturday night, there they were, making their debut over The Lake, in designated airspace, for nearly seven minutes: a murmuration rising, swooping, blinking and changing color to the delight of thousands of spectators who gathered for performances at 7, 8, and 9 p.m.

Most viewers were concentrated around Bethesda Fountain on the 72nd Street Transverse, and three other recommended viewing areas; others watched the performance, titled Franchise Freedom, in reclining positions, through a canopy of still leafy trees, and claimed it was just as beautiful.

Prominent among the delighted was Drift, a collective formed by the Dutch artists Lonneke Gordijn and Ralph Nauta in 2007. They seem to make a good team; Grodijn has long been a close observer of nature, especially bird swarms known as murmurations, and Nauta has allied himself with science-fiction-nourished tech nerds.

Soon, the pair, who graduated from the Design Academy Eindhoven where they met in 1999 found themselves collaborating with a growing number of programmers, engineers and choreographers and dreaming of an outdoor performance in New York. Previous sites for performances since 2017 include Miami (adjacent to Art Basel Miami Beach), the Burning Man Festival, the Kennedy Space Center and Rotterdam, in the Netherlands. In New York Drift staged a large exhibition of installations and performances at the Shed in 2021, and Shylight, a kinetic, site-specific installation of silk-draped lights that floated like small parachutes, rising and descending in the lobby of the David H. Koch Theater at Lincoln Center earlier this year.

Their Central Park proposal seems to have captured the imagination of Mayor Eric Adams, who provided crucial support, but not everyone was pleased. The New York chapter of the Audubon Society objected that migrating birds would be endangered This is a VERY BAD IDEA, the group posted on X, the website formerly known as Twitter. COULD WE MOVE THIS to after fall migration? (The citys Department of Parks & Recreation said the group was in compliance with its rules regarding drones over Central Park.) For a while, things were a little touch and go. The event was not announced until a few weeks ago, although by Saturday, it was apparent that word had gotten out.

As a title, Franchise Freedom has a slightly unappetizing sound; it inadvertently recalls the U.S. governments onetime ambition to promote democracy around the world. The rendering of the work accompanying the press material made it look like the flocks of lights were attacking some of New Yorks newer, taller buildings just south of the park.

But from my vantage point at least, Franchise Freedom was serenely beautiful, like an enormous lava lamp, made with points of lights instead of oozing goop. Comparisons to slow motion or silent fireworks were also overheard. Once the blue lights gave way to the rosier ones, the action began.

When the loosely rectangular grid passed over the Lake, almost immediately the rectangle broke into clusters, large and small, swelling and curling, dividing somewhat according to color into amorphous shapes in constant motion.

Sometimes tiny bunches of lights or even two or three would break off like a little scouting party and then rejoin a larger group. Perhaps most interesting was the way the different configurations flattened out, suggesting bejeweled nets. After several minutes the lights switched off again, to reappear as blue and funnel back over the horizon.

Viewers were invited to log into studiodrift.com and download a fittingly Satie-like soundtrack by the composer Joep Beving. If you didnt, the drones collectively emitted a soft whir that was quite wonderful a sonic, somewhat electronic murmuration.

The New York presentation of Franchise Freedom was sponsored primarily by Therme US, the North American component of a global corporation with plans to build aquatic wellness centers in various cities, including 10 in the United States designed and priced to accommodate large numbers of people.

While Franchise Freedom has been touted as the largest public art work in Central Park since Christo and Jeanne-Claudes The Gates in 2005, it is minuscule in comparison. The Gates, which took 26 years to bring to fruition, lasted 16 days and accented miles of park pathways with 7,500 raised orange banners that formed a billowy show of saffron ribbon.

Franchise Freedom provided a lovely experience, but it was brief and simplistic as a work of performative art and that might have been due to the cramped amount of air space and time allotted. Looking at videos from Drifts Burning Man performance indicates a more expansive, almost symphonic complexity. Here their project is overshadowed even by the annual New Years Eve fireworks display over the park.

Its depth lies primarily in the technological effort and skill required to create the murmuration effect no mean feat. But its not clear if Central Park is their best platform or if it allowed them to live up to their ambition to reconnect humanity with nature through technology. It felt more like a sample, a prelude, which makes me anticipate what Drift will come up with next. It seems certain that neither the artists nor their chosen tools will stand still.

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Flight of the Drones Lights Up Central Park - The New York Times

Following a meeting of Medway Council on Thursday 19 October, the Trust is to be granted the Freedom of the Borough of Medway at a special ceremony in the New Year.

The Trust was represented at the meeting by Chair Jo Palmer, Deputy Chair Mark Spragg and Chief Medical Officer Alison Davis where the proposal was officially approved.

The honorary freedom of the borough is the highest civic distinction that can be conferred upon individuals or collective bodies in recognition of outstanding service or particular civic association, ensuring that their memory is maintained within the community.

The Freedom is being conferred in recognition of the contribution of the staff of Medway Maritime Hospital to the community.

The recommendation also cited the close and longstanding bonds of friendship and mutual respect existing between Medway Maritime Hospital, Medway Council and the people of Medway as well as express admiration at the workforces contribution to the National Health Service.

Jayne Black, Chief Executive said: It is great honour for the Trust to have been recognised in such a unique way, particularly as we celebrate the 75th anniversary of the NHS this year.

I would like to thank all colleagues working here at the Trust for their continued support in providing the best of care to the people of Medway and Swale.

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Trust awarded Freedom of the Borough of Medway - Medway NHS Foundation Trust

Hello, friends,

As we move further into autumn, and the leaves start to turn and sweaters and scarves come out where I am in New York City, I want to take you back to the last holiday season, when a group of lawyers received a not-so-festive surprise at Radio City Music Hall and Madison Square Garden.

In December 2022, three days before Christmas, New York Times reporter Kashmir Hill, along with her colleague Corey Kilgannon, showed how MSG Entertainment, which owns Radio City, the Garden, and other venues, had created an attorney exclusion list for lawyers and law firms suing the company.

With facial recognition tools, MSG could instantly detect when any of the lawyers on the list visited one of their venues. One attorney was pulled aside while trying to chaperone her 9-year-old daughters Girl Scout troop to the Christmas Spectacular at Radio City, the Times said. Others were turned away from Rangers and Knicks games and a Mariah Carey concert.

The Breakdown

Technically, yes, but it is not always easy

The lawyers had strong words for MSGIts a dystopian, shocking act of repression, one told the Timesbut, as always, the profession did its real talking in court, with suits filed in a state supreme court and in the federal Southern New York district.

Hill, who began covering digital privacy nearly a decade and a half ago, kept reporting on facial recognition as it spread across multiple industries in the U.S. and Britain. She showed how stores, including supermarkets, have used facial recognition to eject and monitor alleged shoplifters, police forces have used it to arrest people based on false face matches, and increasingly wary tech giants have begun pumping the brakes on their use of the tools.

Last month, Hill released a gripping and disturbing book, Your Face Belongs to Us, about Clearview AI, a startup whose aggressive use of facial recognition has made it a key purveyor to law enforcement and other government agencies around the world. For the book, Hill drew on her extensive reporting on the company, starting with her January 2020 expos The Secretive Company That Might End Privacy as We Know It, which revealed the companys existence, founders, capabilities, and police client base, generating immediate concern among civil and digital rights groups and government watchdogs.

I recently spoke with Hill, who Ive known since 2009, when she was writing about privacy at Forbes and I was covering Silicon Valley scandals as Gawkers Valleywag columnist. We talked about Clearviews messy origin story; how her own thinking on facial recognition evolved in the course of covering the company and writing the book; how Clearview has changed the world, including tech and law enforcement; possible ways to address the problems created by facial recognition; and much more. You can find our conversation below, edited for brevity and clarity.

Ryan Tate: I expected this book to be a book about technology, but instead I was immediately reading about people who were not hugely technically proficient. Did it surprise you that looking into Clearview AI led you to interview the sort of people who might post on 4Chan?

Kashmir Hill: Yeah, definitely. When I first heard about Clearview AI, I just assumed that there was some mastermind involved in the company that allowed them to do what Facebook and Google and even the government hadnt been able to do: build this crazy tool that looks through the whole internet for a face. I was surprised to never quite find the technological mastermind.

Instead, it was a different story, essentially that this technology had become accessible enough for marginal characters to create a very powerful tool. The barrier to entry had lowered so much. Its kind of like my tagline now, that what Clearview did was not a technological breakthrough, it was an ethical one. They were just willing to do what others hadnt been willing to do.

With so much of this technology now, advances in AI that are really widely accessible, it will be what the marginal characters are willing to do that will create the new lines in the sand. Its not just the big tech giants that wield these powers anymore.

Tate: You have this fascinating chapter in the book about where you go into this tactical police center in Miami. I felt like you alternated between showing how invasive this technology could be, and almost lamenting how bad some of the surveillance technology was. At one point in the chapter, its almost like youre marveling at this high-resolution camera on top of a hotel that can really zoom in and see people really closely. Then there are these other cameras they have access to that are totally grainya crime happens and they dont capture anything they could run an algorithm against.

In reporting this book, did you ever feel like the reporting put you in the shoes of the users or advocates of facial recognition and gave you insights into why theyre interested in it?

I remember thinking, I wish I had Clearview. I want to know who these people are who arent willing to stand for a pregnant lady.

Hill: Yeah, talking to officers, especially talking to one officer from the Department of Homeland Security, who works on all these child crime cases and just hearing about those cases where they find these images of abuse, like on an account in another country, where they have no idea who this person is. Sometimes they can tell thats in the U.S. because of the electrical outlets, but they have no idea whos this child, whos this abuser. They could be anyone in the country.

And I relate a case where they run the abusers face and they get a lead to this guy in Las Vegas, and they end up going to his Facebook account, seeing photos of the child. That was the first case that the Department of Homeland Security used Clearview in, and it led them to get a subscription. I see the power of a use case like that.

It was funny, when I was working on the first Clearview story, I was really pregnant, and I would get on the subway to ride from Brooklyn, where I lived at the time, to the office in Manhattan. Sometimes no one would get up for me and let me sit down on the subway. I just remember thinking, I wish I had Clearview. I want to know who these people are who arent willing to stand for a pregnant lady.

I can see the appeal of tools like this. And I think they can be useful. But I also dont want to live in a world with no anonymity, where were subject to this all the time, because I do think it would be very chilling.

Tate: Do you believe that whatever legislation comes along for facial recognition should have an exception that would allow facial recognition on people not yielding their seats to pregnant people on the subway? [laughs]

Hill: Thats going to be the worst. Its going to be like, This guy was manspreading, and its going to have his name attached to it, and theres going to be a whole cycle of abuse on social media.

I also dont think we want perfect enforcement of the law, because people like to jaywalk and they like to speed. And they like to get drunk and be stupid in public sometimes.

When I was working on this book, I thought a lot about this vast web of vengeance story I did. Its about the serial defamer who would go after people she had grudges againstand anyone related to them and their colleagues. She was defaming hundreds of people online for a slight that happened at a firm she worked at in the 90s. I just think about someone like that who carries a grudge, whos kind of got a vicious streak, having a tool like Clearview AI or PimEyes, and you bump into her on the subway and she takes your photo and writes horrible things about you online for years to comeand you have no idea where you even encountered her.

I can imagine those kinds of scenarios where brief slights in the real world carry over, because all of a sudden were not strangers anymore, or it could make the world more accountable. So, you dont slight anyone anymore, because who knows what happens after that.

Tate: Is there a moment in the Clearview story that youre surprised hasnt resonated more?

Hill: The one thing that surprised me was that time that Clearview AI went to the attorneys generals meeting at Gillette Stadium during the Rolling Stones show and was showing all the attorneys general what they had done. They were like, thats creepy or thats weird. There was no more formal reaction to what theyd just been shown. I was surprised that none of those attorneys general launched investigations into the company after seeing it on display, especially because it made them so uncomfortable. [Hill wrote that the event, for Democratic attorneys general, was in a private box at the stadium. It took place six months before Hills expos on Clearview.]

I do feel like thats something thats hard with these kinds of cutting-edge technologies is that sometimes people see them, and I think they think it already existed. They dont realize what theyre looking at, and how new it is or how groundbreaking it is.

I heard the same thing from lawyers when they were getting banned from Madison Square Garden. It was happening for months before the media reported on it. I was like, Why didnt you tell anybody this was happening? They were like, Oh, I just thought this was a thing that happens in the world. They didnt realize that it was such a shocking use of the technology.

I think sometimes people are looking at the future and they dont realize it.

Tate: Would you put that inability to see the future when its in front of you on government employees, and/or attorneys, or do you think thats happening to all of us?

Hill: I think its happening to all of us, this belief that all of technology is so powerful and so good. Just all these kinds of assumptions that smartphones are listening to usthey must be, because the ads Im getting are so targeted. Just the belief that what youve seen in science fiction movies is real. I think so many of these companies are basically trying to make dystopian depictions of the future real, and maybe thats part of it.

But I find theres real cognitive dissonance between how powerful the technology is and the understanding of how poorly it works, and that it can work really well. I really like the Miami chapter for that. You think that law enforcement is so powerfulthat they have these eyes everywhere, they can hear everything that happens. When youre in the control room, you see, actually, how blurry their vision is and how limited. I think its on all of us that we have to try to keep both of those things in our mind.

Tate: The racial inequity problems with this technology are prominent early in the book, but later you write about how the window of time for that criticism to be effective is closing as top developers have focused on addressing the problems of biased algorithms. Can you say more about that?

Hill: I think theres a racial inequity issue in terms of who it will be used on, particularly in policing. Even as the problems have been addressed in terms of the training data and making sure its trained on more diverse faces and getting rid of what they call differential performance or bias, were still seeingin every single wrongful arrest we know ofthat the person is Black.

So, I think theres clearly still racial problems there. Part of it is just Black people are more subject to policing tools than anyone else. So, theyre suffering the harms of it when it goes wrong.

Tate: Is there momentum behind systemic remedies around facial recognition, like legislation? I was struck by what you wrote about how we could have a world where there are speed cameras everywhere and automatically send speeding tickets to people, and we seem to have chosen not to do that. Is there a world where facial recognition goes into the trash can in a similar way? Or do you think its just too useful?

Hill: Its funny, I was talking to a facial recognition vendor whose company is based in the U.K., and hes like, Why is the U.S. so opposed to real-time facial recognition? It really makes you safer. The U.K. really likes that, and they have been resisting how we use it here, where you use it retroactively to identify criminal suspects. So, there are some cultural differences in how its playing out.

Its so chilling to think that every moment can be recorded and that we could have this time machine where you can trace and track everything weve ever done.

There are a lot of technologies that we have constrained, from speed cameras to recording devices. All of our conversations could be recorded by surveillance cameras or on the wires. It would be very easy to just keep records of everything that happens. We have, as a society, resisted that because its so chilling to think that every moment can be recorded and that we could have this time machine where you can trace and track everything weve ever done.

I dont think we want that. I also dont think we want perfect enforcement of the law, because people like to jaywalk and they like to speed. And they like to get drunk and be stupid in public sometimes. They want to fondle their first date at a Beetlejuice theater. [laughs] I think people want a little bit of anonymity and the freedom to make bad decisions, you know, within reason.

I do think that the appeal of facial recognition technology to solve horrible crimes is very real and is a reason why activists who want it completely banned are probably not going to see that happen.

Tate: Are there other interesting ways we might constrain this technology that have emerged? Are there ideas you think are particularly promising in that area that might get some momentum?

Hill: I think constraining the commercial use of it, like weve seen in Illinoiswhere youre not supposed to be using peoples biometric information, including their face prints without consenthas been a powerful law for facial recognition. Its just not being widely deployed there.

My favorite example is Madison Square Garden, which originally installed it for security threats and then in the past year, used it to keep lawyers out of their New York City venues like MSG and Beacon Theatre and Radio City Music Hall. But they also have a theater in Chicago, and they dont use facial recognition technology there, because the Illinois law prevents them from doing that. Thats a law that works. Its a way to make sure that its only used in a way that benefits youand not in a way of penalizing you.

In terms of police use, Massachusetts passed a law that creates rules for how police are allowed to use facial recognition technology, from getting a warrant to running a search. Detroit is a really interesting place where theyve had three known cases of bad face matches that have led to arrest, so I think the city is really thinking about this. They want to keep using the tool and theyre trying to use it responsibly, but only use it for serious crimes, violent crimes.

Tate: One of Clearviews founders, toward the end of the book, mentions background recognition as a potential new feature, to the point where we see this brick in the wall, we can determine the age of the brick, or know that its used in this particular neighborhood of London. What other new technologies or approaches might lie in Clearviews future?

Hill: I dont know if it would be Clearview, but Ive been thinking a lot about voice search. You could imagine a Clearview AI that started gathering all the audio thats been recorded and link[s] it to individuals, so that you can upload a few seconds of somebodys voice and find anything theyve ever recorded or said.

The one thing that kept coming up with activists is, if we say its okay for Clearview to gather everyones photos and create this database, what stops a company from starting to build a genetic database, whether buying clippings from hairstylists, or going out on garbage collection day and collecting samples? Or what Charles Johnson says hes doinggoing to funeral homes and buying genetic material from corpses that you could create a genetic database that you then sell to access to the police, or sell access to whoever might possibly want that.

Theres so many ways that you could reorganize the internet of information and the real world around these markers for usmany of which are quite dystopian.

Thank you, as always, for reading, and may your fall camera moments be uniformly happy ones.

Yours,

Ryan Tate Editor The Markup

Read more here:

Face Scanning and the Freedom To Be Stupid In Public: A ... - The Markup

It's a chance to have fun and help others at the same time.

On Saturday, Nov. 4, the first 7B Cornhole Tournament will raise fund for Freedom House, Inc., a local nonprofit that provides housing and support for men and women recovering from addiction.

The fundraiser, set for noon-4 p.m. at Harvest Valley Worship Center, will go to support the Bethesda men's house.

The cornhole tournament is made-up of two divisions for players who are competitive (enthusiasts) and those who are just getting into cornhole (dabblers). There is over $1,000 available in cash prizes for tournament winners along with other prizes for competitors. Anyone is free to join the tournament with a recommended donation of $20 per player. All registered players will get a tournament T-shirt.

Come ready to eat with food provided. Bring the kids for a day with kids games and prizes in the kids play area with free popcorn and cotton candy. There will be a dessert auction, and a silent auction to raise money for Freedom House. The silent auction has a wide variety of items to bid on from airplane rides to gym memberships. A list of auction items will be updated weekly on the tournament webpage. The auction closes at 3 p.m.

This event is being hosted by Harvest Valley Worship Center, 3 miles north of Ponderay at 86 Hidden Valley Road.

Participants can register online before Oct. 31 at hvwc.com/cornhole. You can also register auction and dessert items on that page as well.

For more information about Freedom House, Inc., go online to freedomhousehope.org. For information about the tournament, go online to hvwc.com/cornhole or call 208-263-2637

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Cornhole tourney to aid Freedom House - Bonner County Daily Bee

The United States government will give its position on Monday (today) regarding the motion filed by President Bola Tinubu to intervene in an emergency motion filed on Friday at the US District Court for the District of Columbia, seeking the release of records related to his residence in the country.

An IT consultant, Aaron Greenspan on July 21, 2022, filed a Freedom of Information request asking the countrys agencies to release Tinubus records. Greenspan filed an emergency motion on Friday, October 20, seeking the immediate release of the records.

Tinubu argued that the FOIAs (Freedom of Information Act) purpose is to provide access to government activities, not as means to obtain records of individuals compiled by the government.

The defendants in the suit are the Executive Office for US Attorneys, the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), US Department of State, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), US Department of the Treasury, Internal Revenue Service and the US Drug Enforcement Administration.

Tinubu subsequently filed a motion to intervene or be an intervenor in the case.

He had filed an application before the court to stop the countrys agencies from releasing records related to his residence in the country.

The motion to intervene in the case between Aaron Greenspan (Plaintiff) and Executive Office for US Attorneys, et al. (Defendants) with Civil Action No. 23-1816 (BAH), reads, Bola A. Tinubu moves, pursuant to Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 24, to intervene in this action because Plaintiff seeks production of Mr. Tinubu's confidential tax record, which the Internal Revenue Service is prohibited from disclosing by federal law, and documents from federal law enforcement agencies that fall within the Privacy Act or exceptions to FOIA and should not be disclosed.

Mr. Tinubu should be allowed to intervene because he has a direct interest in the records sought, his interests are not fully represented or protected by Defendants, and his interests will be adversely affected if he is not permitted to intervene.

Plaintiff Greenspan has indicated that he will oppose this motion. Mr. Tinubus counsel reached out to the government on October 21 seeking the government's position. The government asked for additional information and responded that it would give its position by the evening of October 23.

Because Plaintiff filed an emergency motion on October 20, Mr. Tinubu filed his motion prior to receiving the government's position.

The argument reads in part, Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 24(a) provides for intervention as of right, on timely application, by anyone who ... claims an interest relating to the property or transaction that is the subject of the action, and is so situated that disposing of the action may as a practical matter impede the movants ability to protect its interest unless the existing parties adequately represent that interest.

Intervenor must meet four requirements to intervene as of right 1) the motion for intervention must be timely; (2) intervenors must have an interest in the subject of the action; (3) their interest must be impaired or impeded as a practical matter absent intervention; and (4) the would-be intervenors interest must not be adequately represented by any other party.

It noted that the four requirements for intervention as of right are met here

It says, Wherefore, Tinubu requests that the Court grant this motion and such other and further relief as deemed appropriate under the circumstances.

The argument reads, Committee for Freedom of Press, 489 US.749, 753 (1989). M addition, the Privacy Act, 5 U.S.C.S. 552a, contains limitations on disclosure of records gathered by government officials. See, e.g., 5 US.C. 552a(b) ("No agency shall disclose any record which is contained in a system of records ... except pursuant to a written request by, or with the prior written consent of the individual to whom the record pertains, Intervenor has protectable interest in the material that is the subject matter of this action.

Intervenor also has a protectable interest and intervention is appropriate here because Defendants appear to be producing records about Intervenor, not about Defendants' activities.

As the Supreme Court explained in Reporters Committee for Freedom of Press, FOIA's purpose is to provide access to government activities, not as means to obtain records of individuals compiled by the government. 489 U.S. at 795-97 ("FOIA, central purpose is to ensure that the Government's activities be opened to the sharp eye of public scrutiny, not that information about private citizens that happens to be in the warehouse of the Government be so disclosed.").

Intervenor has a heightened interest, and the government a lesser to non-existent interest, in requests seeking information that the government may have collected about him.

Link:

Tinubu Tells US Court 'Freedom Of Information Act' Is To Expose ... - SaharaReporters.com

Brooklyn Nets forward Cam Johnson will be expected to carry a substantial responsibility when it comes to how the Nets play this season and for the near future. Johnson will be called upon to help Mikal Bridges score the basketball on offense and also be an effective defender on the defensive end as well.

Johnson was thrust into a new role once he came to the Nets as a result of the Kevin Durant trade to the Phoenix Suns. Johnson went from a fourth or fifth scoring option throughout his career with the Suns to a second or third option with the Nets last season.

Despite the role being new and asking a lot of him, Johnson thrived as someone who needed to have a good game on offense if his team were to win that particular. He recently made an appearance on the 2nd Wind podcast and during that episode, he spoke on how his role with the Nets gives him more freedom than Phoenix did:

This opportunity in Brooklyn allows me a little more of that freedom, you know? CP (Chris Paul), Book (Devin Booker), great players, even DA (Deandre Ayton), number one pick, great player, thats a lot of options around where you have to, in a sense, sacrifice a bit of yourself to make the team a better unit. So, Ill space the floor, Ill shoot in Phoenix, you know? Ill do all that stuff, drive closeouts. But, in Brooklyn, I have a little bit more freedom with the ball and thats the way we want to play.

The rest is here:

Nets' Cam Johnson says role in Brooklyn gives him 'more freedom' - Nets Wire

When the pressure of modern day living becomes too much, we tend to dream of a simpler life, of a life where we can have more freedom to focus on relationships, experiences, and personal growth. Tiny houses on wheels have the potential to unlock that level of freedom many long for by enabling you to live anywhere and foster a deeper connection with nature.

Photo: Big Freedom Tiny Homes

Born out of a man's passion for minimalism and the freedom that comes with it, the company builds compact living spaces that encourage a more intentional and mindful way of living. Shannon Black is the founder, designer, and builder at Big Freedom Tiny Homes, and his aim with this business was to find the formula for the most livable tiny house possible. We will let you decide if he reached his goal.

Each tiny house that comes out of the company's shed is built on an Iron Eagle PAD series trailer, with the base model measuring 26 feet in length. For clients who require more living space, 28-foot and 30-foot long models are also available.

Expertly crafted with premium materials and great attention to detail, the custom tiny home you see in the picture gallery would make a great minimalist abode for a small family, comprising a comfortable living area, a functional kitchen, a bathroom, and two sleeping lofts.

Photo: Big Freedom Tiny Homes

On the inside, high-end finishes and details throughout make the house stand out of the crowd and prove tiny living is not necessarily about compromises and renouncing comfort and style. The designer makes sure his clients will feel the cozy charm of a traditional farmhouse by using hardwood flooring, quartz or granite countertops, quarry stone or tile backsplash, and more.

Moreover, modern stainless appliances, top-of-the-line on-demand propane hot water heater, all LED lighting, and modern bathroom facilities make this tiny home truly move-in ready.

The interior boasts tongue and groove pine with sealer finish throughout, and the designer chose to maximize space where it truly matters - the kitchen and the bathroom - while also ensuring the living and sleeping areas are comfortable and inviting.

Once you step inside, you get into the open-plan ground floor, with the living room on your left. It is fitted with a big L-shaped couch with built-in storage that converts into a queen bed and can comfortably sleep two adults. An outlet on the wall in the living area indicates that owners can mount a TV there for their evening entertainment.

Photo: Big Freedom Tiny Homes

With a total of 15 feet of granite countertops, there is plenty of space for meal prep, while storage is taken care of by a multitude of drawers, cabinets, and even a pantry under the stairs. Frigidaire stainless appliances ranging from an 11-cu-ft fridge/freezer to a propane stove, oven, and range hood ensure the kitchen's functionality.

The dining area overlooks a large picture window offering beautiful views and accommodates two bar stools. As in mosttiny homes, the dining nook has multiple functionality, so you can use it for all your meals and as a working space.

The surprisingly generous bathroom is lined with cedar for a warm, rustic look and is fitted with a 36" shower, a dual-flush toilet, a vanity with sink, and a medicine cabinet with mirrors. Washer/dryer hook-ups are also included, and the builder mentions that the 28-ft and 30-ft models can also be fitted with a full-size tub.

Photo: Big Freedom Tiny Homes

Big Freedom Tiny Homes' models are all based on the same well-thought-out floor plan, but the design is versatile enough to add your personal touch and make it feel your own. Alternatively, you can use it as an inspirational starting point for a completely customized home. As for pricing, the base 26-foot Big Freedom tiny home on wheels starts at $96,900, while the 30-foot model with more space in the living area and two king-size lofts starts at $107,900.

Excerpt from:

Big Freedom Tiny Homes Shows What Minimal Living Is All About ... - autoevolution

Mahsa Amini and the Woman, Life and Freedom Movement in Iran were on Thursday awarded the European Parliament's Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought.

"The 16 September 2022 is a date that will live in infamy and the brutal murder of 22-year-old Jina Mahsa Amini marked a turning point.It has triggered a women-led movement that is making history," European Parliament President Roberta Metsola said after announcing the winner.

"The world has heard the chants of "women, life, liberty", three words that have become a rallying cry for all those standing up for equality, for dignity and for freedom in Iran.

"So let's today's prize serve as a tribute to the brave and defiant women, men and young people of Iran who despite coming under increasing pressure are leading the push for change. The European Parliament hears you, the world sees you and we are with you," she added.

TheSakharov Prizefor Freedom of Thought,given each year since 1988 by the European Parliament, is the European Union's highest tribute to human rights defenders and comes with a50,000 endowment.

Last year it was awarded to the "brave people" of Ukraine defending their country against Russia's relentless invasion.

Two other nominees made it on the finalist shortlist.

Women fighting for free, safe and legal abortion were nominated by the Left group which highlighted three women in particular includingJustyna Wydrzyska. The Polish activist is a member of the Abortion Dream Team, a grassroots initiative that provides direct and immediate assistance to women who need abortions. She wassentenced to eight months community service for helping a woman obtain an abortion in Poland, whose government rolled out a near-total ban on pregnancy terminations in 2021.

The two other women included wereMorena Herrera,a feminist and social activist, advocating for safe and legal abortion access in El Salvador, andColleen McNicholas,an American obstetrician-gynaecologist with a strong track record of high-quality patient care and impactful reproductive health advocacy.

The nomination of Vilma Nez de Escorcia and Monsignor Rolando Jos lvarez Lagos from Nicaragua was meanwhile backed by 43 MEPs.

Nuez is a lawyer and human rights activist who has chosen to remain in the country despite being jailed and tortured.lvarez, Bishop of Matagalpa, is a vocal critic ofPresident Daniel Ortega's Sandinista regime. Hewas sentenced to 26 years in prison earlier this year and his nationality was suspended after he was charged withtreason, undermining national integrity and spreading false news.

The prize will be given at a ceremony in the European Parliament in Strasbourg on 13 December.

The Prize is named in honour ofSoviet physicist and political dissident and Nobel Peace Prize laureate Andrei Sakharov.

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Mahsa Amini and Woman, Life and Freedom Movement in Iran ... - Euronews