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Thomas Clark trial: Expert witnesses tie rape and murder suspects DNA and cell phone to crime scene – 8News
Posted: November 19, 2021 at 5:37 pm
RICHMOND, Va. (WRIC) On day two of the Thomas Clark murder and rape trial, a DNA expert with the Virginia Department of Forensic Science testified that Clarks DNA cannot be eliminated as a match to DNA found on Suzanne Fairmans body, in addition to DNA found on several items at the crime scene.
Scientists explained that they wont declare that DNA matches with 100% certainty. Instead, they will eliminate a persons DNA if its too unlikely to be a match. If its more likely the persons DNA does indeed match the sample, scientists will say the person cannot be eliminated as a DNA contributor.
In addition to samples taken from Fairmans body, Clark cannot be eliminated as a DNA contributor on several items found in the bathroom where Fairman died, including the handle of a steak knife likely used to hold Fairman at knifepoint. She lived alone.
Clark faces first-degree murder, rape, and abduction with intent to defile charges after Fairman was found dead, face-up in the bathtub of her Tanlgewood road home on May 9, 2019. Clark had been hired as a contractor by Fairman around the time she was killed.
According to family, before the victim died, she told the contractors that she wasnt happy with the work done on her deck and asked them to fix it. Ultimately, they came back and corrected the work.
Fairman was found dead shortly after that.
The trial began at the John Marshall Courthouse on Monday. During opening arguments, prosecutors described what happened as every womans worst nightmare. Jury selection ultimately took more than three hours.
On Tuesday, prosecutors rested their case around 5:15 p.m. after calling more than a dozen witnesses to testify. Witnesses included a medical examiner, who exposed more about the brutality of the crime and how Fairman died by getting strangled.
Every layer of muscle in that neck was bloody, said the medical examiner, who added that something must have been placed far into Fairmans neck to damage the base of her tongue. It was a tear-jerking testimony for some jurors and Fairmans family watching and listening in the courtroom.
During testimony Tuesday, prosecutors revealed that during a phone call while in jail, Clark mentioned details of how the victim was left. These were details that detectives said they hadnt told him or released to the public, specifically that Fairman was submerged in water. The detectives who interviewed Clark after the crime testified that they only told Clark that Fairman had been murdered.
The suspect also said that he did not have a romantic relationship with Fairman and only had sexual encounters with his girlfriend, who he lived with.
Also among those testifying Tuesday was an FBI cellular analysis expert who reviewed both the victim and the suspects cell phone records from the weeks leading up to the murder. According to the expert, cell phone tower records place Clarks cell phone in Fairmans neighborhood two different times that he didnt tell police about, including the exact time frame in which she would have been killed.
During testimony, a medical examiner said Fairman would have been killed any time between 2:30 a.m. on May 8 to 6:30 p.m. on May 9. The cellular analysis expert said a cell phone tower picked up Clarks phone in the victims neighborhood between 3 p.m. and 5:15 p.m. on May 9, the night she was found.
The defense, Ali Amirshahi, tried to discredit that point by questioning if the cell phone data is accurate and suggested that someone else could have been using Clarks phone. Lending his phone to a friend is something Amirshahi said Clark frequently did.
On May 14, the suspect told police theres no way his DNA is near her body. Two days later on May 16, the suspect told investigators that he hadnt been back to Fairmans home since finishing the contractor work at least two and a half weeks prior.
I think you did go back the RPD detective said in the interview.
During testimony on Tuesday afternoon, a forensic scientist testified that Thomas Clarks DNA couldnt be eliminated as a match to DNA found on several items at the crime scene, including Fairmans underwear, a sample taken from her body, and a bandana. Clark had admitted that he left a bandana at her house when working on the home.
A bloody knife and glove were also found in the bathroom. Prosecutors have not tied the knife to any of Fairmans injuries, but DNA experts confirmed that it is very likely the blood on the knife is Fairmans. Detectives also said that she was at some time held at knife point.
During the trial, Amirshahi has repeatedly questioned the accuracy of several testimonials, including how the cell phone data was collected and if DNA could have been cross-contaminated during sampling. Its not clear how the defense attorney plans to defend his client. He hasnt had a chance to call witnesses but will do so on Wednesday morning.
Clark deserves a fair trial here, he told the jury during opening statements, adding theres no doubt that she was murdered, a horrible crime occurred The question is who did it? Are you convinced beyond reasonable doubt that he did it?
When Fairman was found, a laptop, journal, and cup of steeping tea were sitting out in her kitchen. On Tuesday, prosecutors rested their case by having Scott Fairman, the victims son, read one of her journal entries aloud for the jury.
Im most appreciative of my life and my family. My safe house, Scott Fairman read.
Amirshahi then made a motion to strike the three charges, which prosecutors argued against and the judge ultimately denied.
According to online records, Clark has a lengthy criminal history, including a rape conviction in Alexandria in 1988.
The trial will continue on Wednesday morning.
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Why is there no EV love for Ford and GM? Cathie Wood says ‘they don’t have the DNA for this brave new world’ of electric cars – MarketWatch
Posted: at 5:37 pm
Electric vehicle makers are all the rage in 2021 and General Motors GM, -0.85% and Ford Motor F, -0.87% have made tremendous strides in growing their EV businesses, but investment manager Cathie Wood says it may be too little, too late for those traditional car manufacturers.
Wood said that GM and Ford are seeing stellar stock performances this year, with investors giving them some credit for their attempts to shift from internal combustion engines, or ICE, to electric vehicles. The big challenge though is that EV manufacturing is not inherent to those companies.
And the reason is they dont have the DNA for this brave new world, said Wood during an interview with MarketWatch sister publication Barrons in a Wednesday afternoon interview.
Wood said that Ford and GM wereborn in the industrial, gas-powered age and said that they have to make one giant leapto transform their ICE focused businesses. Ford was founded in 1903 and GM was founded in 1908, but both have recently emerged with promising EV vehicles to compete with the likes of Tesla Inc. TSLA, +3.71%.
Shares of Ford are up 126% so far this year, bringing the companys market cap to around $80 billion; GMs shares, meanwhile, are up 55% for this year, with its market cap at $94 billion.
Investors have been keenly focused on the performance of EV upstarts like Lucid Group LCID, +17.34%, whose surge in recent sessions brought its market cap to $91 billion on Tuesday. A rally in Rivian Automotive Inc. RIVN, +4.23%, which recently made its debut on the Nasdaq, saw its shares surge, bringing its total value to $150 billion.
Wood is a renowned money manager, whose funds focus on making investments in disruptive innovations and she manages the flagship $20.7 billionARK Innovation ETF ARKK, -0.51%. ARK Innovation had been a highflier in 2021 until a rotation out of growth stocks helped to pummel her vehicle which is down 6% so far in 2021.
By comparison, the Dow Jones Industrial Average DJIA, -0.75% was up 17% in the year to date, the S&P 500 index SPX, -0.14% was rising nearly 25%, and the technology-heavy Nasdaq Composite Index COMP, +0.40% was up nearly 24%.
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Why is there no EV love for Ford and GM? Cathie Wood says 'they don't have the DNA for this brave new world' of electric cars - MarketWatch
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How far will LCSD1 allow censorship of materials to go? – Wyoming Tribune
Posted: at 5:36 pm
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The Hate They Censor: Burying Lessons of History – History News Network (HNN)
Posted: at 5:36 pm
More than 700 miles from where I sit in Mississippis capital city, oncethe power center of U.S. white-supremacist strategy, white people in Kansas dont want young adults to learn about the origins of the Ku Klux Klan. In Goddard, Kan., a 90%-plus white western suburb of Wichita, leaders just decided that the award-winning nonfiction book They Called Themselves the K.K.K.: The Birth of an American Terrorist Group must be pulled from library shelves in the Goddard School District.
Young adults reading a book that explains the origins of the Klan in Pulaski, Tenn., and how it becamea white-terrorist Invisible Empire under Nathan Bedford Forrest,is unacceptable in white suburbs in Kansas, we learn. They dont think teenagers can handle the truth about past white terrorist and vigilante groups burning schools and killing and beating teachers here in Mississippi and beyond to stop Black advancement,as I wrote about recently.
And Im quite sure they dont want students today to understand the purposeful roots of current inequities, division and (re)segregated schools in a nation where so many educational institutions are overwhelmingly one race or another, with the majority-white ones typically drawing the most resources.
Goddard is also censoring books by Margaret Atwood, Toni Morrison and Mississippis very own Angie Thomas (who is onour advisory board), andeven plays by August Wilson. Like thewell-funded and -planned censorship wavesweeping the nation,the Goddard white purgeis yet another supposed anti-CRT salvo to stop Americans from learning about and from our own race history, warts and all.
Its yet another campaign to rewrite our history and censor the difficult parts out of classrooms, just asfirst Mississippi State University President Stephen D. Lee helped leadmore than a century ago. Lees censorship efforts targeted books and educators to solidify widespread mythology about the Confederacy and the lost cause into place, as well as supported Jim Crow discrimination laws to limit Black education, voting and advancement for decades.
These 21st-century book-banners seem to think minors, even those in their teens, arent old enough to handle historic truth about the systemic racism, homophobia, xenophobia and misogyny that have kept power centered largely in a small percentage of wealthy, white male hands of various political persuasions.
They ignore that young people have experienced the effects of these bigotries and adult power plays from very early ages. Think of men and women spitting on6-year-old Ruby Bridgesand calling her and her mother the n-word after she enrolled in a public elementary school61 years ago yesterday in New Orleans.
When exactly is too young to start thinking about ways to change these deplorable old habits and beliefs in our society?
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We need to protect books at our schools and libraries | Editorial – Chicago Sun-Times
Posted: at 5:36 pm
Removing books from library shelves is not what America is supposed to be about.
Freedom of speech and freedom of expression are two of our countrys core ideals. Writers are free to express themselves as they so desire. Readers are free to read a book, or not.
Yet every year, we read or hear the news that parents or citizens somewhere earlier this week, in west suburban Downers Grove are clamoring to have a book they deem offensive taken off the shelves of their childs school library or their local public library.
It happens scores of times every year, when words or stories make people uncomfortable and Americas culture wars flare up. The American Library Association publishes an annual list of the top 10 Most Challenged Books those most likely to be condemned and targeted for removal. In 2020, 273 books were targeted and among the top 10 were three acknowledged literary classics: John Steinbecks Of Mice and Men, Harper Lees To Kill a Mockingbird and Toni Morrisons The Bluest Eye.
In case readers are not aware: Morrison and Steinbeck both won the Nobel Prize for literature. To Kill a Mockingbird won the Pulitzer Prize in 1961.
On Monday, as the Sun-Times Nader Issa reported, the issue flared up in Downers Grove when about 200 people packed a school auditorium to demand that the book Gender Queer: A Memoir be removed from the libraries at Downers Grove North and Downers Grove South high schools. According to protesters, the book exposes children to homoerotic or pornographic content.
The book is the story of author Maia Kobabes journey of gender identity and sexuality as a teenager and young adult. A few pages include illustrations of sex acts, but the books publisher says it is appropriate for high school-aged students.
Gender Queer: A Memoir has come under fire elsewhere too. Virginias largest school district removed it from its high school libraries earlier this fall while it considers parents concerns. A Florida district banned it altogether. Schools in New Jersey, Ohio, Rhode Island, Texas and Washington have had the book challenged. South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster told the states education department to investigate the book, which he considers sexually explicit and pornographic.
Its worth noting that Gender Queer is not mandatory reading at either Downers Grove high school. In fact, theres only one copy available for students to check out at each schools library at Downers North and Downers South high schools.
Lauren Pierret, a senior at Downers Grove North, said at the meeting that she didnt even know Gender Queer existed until last week.
This isnt being forced upon your kids, Pierret said, but it gives kids who would be interested in this story a choice to read it.
It is not the job of this editorial board to judge whether a book is too sexually explicit, profane, violent or otherwise unfit for a child, teenager or another adult to read.
Nor is it the job of conservative culture warriors or anyone else.
Some of the past attacks on Of Mice and Men and To Kill a Mockingbird, it should be noted, came from people who were bothered by racial stereotypes and slurs they said would have a negative impact on students, according to the ALA.
Good literature can sometimes make us uncomfortable, for any number of reasons. Censorship is never the right response.
Besides, once it starts, where does it end?
Consider the case of Texas Rep. Matt Krause, who is running for attorney general in his state and made headlines when he compiled a list of about 850 books that might make students feel discomfort, guilt, anguish, or any other form of psychological distress because of their race or sex, as the Texas Tribune first reported. Most of the books on his list were written by women, people of color and LGBTQ authors.
Weve got to ask: Did Krause bother to read all 850 books? Or is his list just for political theater?
Books in our schools and libraries must be protected. Even when we dont approve of them.
Send letters to letters@suntimes.com.
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COVID Misinformation Blunder: Instagram Censors Widely Respected Cochrane Collaboration – American Council on Science and Health
Posted: at 5:36 pm
A desire to stop the spread of COVID-19 misinformation has fueled increasingly intense efforts to restrict speech on social media platforms. Major news outlets, communications researchers, and even some public health experts have jumped on this bandwagon, calling for a variety of policies designed to stem the proliferation of anti-vaccine messaging and other scientifically dubious content.
Perhaps the most alarming aspect of this campaign is its propensity to silence trustworthy sources of information right alongside nonsense pushers like Joe Mercola and Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. The British Medical Journal has documented multiple occurrences of this friendly fire throughout the pandemic. I also highlighted a particularly ridiculousexample in this story: Social Media Censorship: Scientist Corrects Anti-GMO Silliness, Facebook Threatens To Ban Him.
But the most egregious case of social media giants silencing credible voices occurred lastweek when Instagram prohibited users from tagging the Cochrane Collaboration because the organization repeatedly posted content that goes against our community guidelines on false content about COVID-19 or vaccines, the platform wrote in a notification to users.
If you don't appreciate how absurd Instagram's decision was, consider that the Cochrane Collaboration is an international network of some 30,000 scientific experts that publishes high-quality reviews of the evidence on a variety of medical topics. To date, it has published more than 7,500 systematic reviews. The Canadian Medical Association has called Cochranethe best single resource of its kind. The World Health Organization maintains a partnership with the nonprofit because it contributes significantly to the advancement of public health. In sum, this is the equivalent of censoring the March of Dimesfor spreading misinformation about birth defectsit's preposterous.
Why censor Cochrane?
It's not clear why Instagram would punish such a reputable organization. The group speculated on Twitter that its July 2021 review of ivermectin as a COVID-19 treatment could have triggered the controversy. If so, Instagram has some 'splaining to do. Here's the review's conclusion:
Based on the current very low to lowcertainty evidence, we are uncertain about the efficacy and safety of ivermectin used to treat or prevent COVID19. The completed studies are small and few are considered high quality. Several studies are underway that may produce clearer answers in review updates. Overall, the reliable evidence available does not support the use of ivermectin for treatment or prevention of COVID19 outside of welldesigned randomized trials. [my emphasis]
Cochrane also published a review in November 2020 documenting the limited efficacy of masking against respiratory viruses. Other reputable publications have reached the same conclusion, so there's nothing especially egregious about that November review. Nonetheless, it's possible that Instagram takes the simple-minded stance that universal masking is the right position and thus targeted Cochrane's article as misinformation.
In either case, we're talking about a scientific dispute based on limited evidence. Cochrane summarized the available data for experts and the general public; they didn't endorse the use of ivermectinfor COVID-19 norreject the use of masks. Neither of these examples provides a logical basis for any censorship.
The usual objection
Perhaps this was just an oversight, someonewill inevitably respond.Thedecision was probably automated; nobody at Instagram was dim enough to make this mistake in real-time. Maybe that's the case, but how is that a satisfying answer? It means that some programmer at Instagram wrote an algorithm that can't distinguish between Cochrane onthe one hand and, say, Children's Health Defense, a virulent anti-vaccine group, on the other. More importantly, the intention of a policycensor disreputable voicesis no excuse for its indefensible resultsoops, we flagged a premiermedical organization with a 30-year history.
I think the better explanation is this: social media platforms are poor judges of what constitutes good science, especially as it relates to a novel virus that we're learning more about almost constantly. Their community standards related to misinformation are influenced by current political trends and contain loopholes big enoughWe recognize that words mean different things or affect people differentlyto justify any policy the companies want to pursue.
With those considerations in mind, it's clear that no amount of algorithmic fine-tuning will solve the problem. Social media platforms needto quit moderating content they know nothing about.
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Stand with Kanter: Eject Chinese censorship from the NBA – Taiwan News
Posted: at 5:36 pm
The Turkish Warrior, human rights fighter, and Boston Celtics star, Enes Kanter, has only been allowed to set foot on the court twice this season in 13 games, for a total of 10 minutes, while China has banned video streaming of Celtics games to prevent citizens from getting a glimpse of his dissident shoe collection.
Many fans are speculating that Kanter is benched because he spoke out against brutal dictator Xi Jinping and in support of Taiwanese, Tibetans, Hongkongers, and Uyghurs. On Nov. 10th, Kanter told CNN that during the first game of the season, NBA officials threatened to ban and fine him if he didnt remove his Free Tibet shoes, though they later backed off after realizing that he wasnt breaking any rules.
On Nov. 14th, Kanter apparently confirmed his fans suspicions when he posted a flipbook animation on social media showing him slam dunk a basketball into Xi Jinpings face. He wrote, Keep limiting me on the court, I will expose you off the court.
The NBA and the Celtics have remained completely silent, offering no explanation for why Kanter is sitting on the bench. All we know for sure is that his lack of playing time is disappointing to all of his new fans, which includes the president of Taiwan, who recorded a video in which she personally thanked him for his strong support.
Pro-Beijing keyboard warriors have been peppering social media with propaganda, suggesting that Kanter is not playing because he lacks skill and provides little value to the Celtics.
Such arguments are unconvincing.
Last season, the 610 big man put up respectable numbers playing for the Portland Trailblazers, a team that made the playoffs, finishing with a record of 40 wins and 32 losses. Kanter played every game and averaged a double-double: 11 rebounds (the 7th highest in the NBA) and 11.2 points.
Most impressively, he set an NBA season record by pulling down 30 rebounds in a single game. He is only the fourth player in the last two decades to accomplish this feat.
At 29 years old, Kanter has a lot of good years left in his career. However, he is courageously putting it all on the line by speaking up for victims of the most powerful authoritarian regime on the planet.
Kanter told CNN:
I believe that God gave me this platform to be the voice of all those innocent people out there who dont have a voice. So I was like, you know what, I understand that this could affect a lot, but Im just going to be the one, the first one to step up and bring all the human rights violations that China is doing [into the spotlight], and like I said in my tweet, I dont care about your endorsement deals, I dont care about your money, or I dont care about any kind of businesses that you are doing. If you are abusing peoples rights, Im going to say something. To me, human rights are way more important than your money, your endorsement deals, or everything you can give me.
Critics, such as Chinas foreign minister, have argued that Kanter is an opportunist just trying to get attention.
However, Kanter has been speaking out against human rights abuses committed by the authoritarian government of his home country, Turkey, for a decade. His persistent activism has cost him dearly. Four years ago, the Turkish government canceled his passport, accused him of being a terrorist involved in a failed military coup attempt, and has since issued 10 warrants for his arrest.
Kanter denies the terrorism allegations, saying, The only thing I terrorize is the basketball rim. He points out that I dont even have a parking ticket in the U.S. I have always been a law-abiding resident.
Because of his outspokenness, Kanter has received death threats and cannot travel overseas with his team due to fears that he could be assassinated. His family in Turkey was pressured to publicly disown him, and he has been unable to speak with them for several years out of concern that they would be immediately arrested. His father has already served time in prison, and, according to Kanter, it is just because he is my dad.
Kanter has clearly demonstrated that he cannot be intimidated into silence. The best that the Chinese government can hope for is to weaponize its financial power to destroy Kanters NBA career, de-platform him, and thus make an example out of him.
In China, this is called killing the chicken to scare the monkey (). The aim would be to frighten other potential critics into silence, a deliberate attempt to undermine free speech.
By censoring every game that Kanter appears in, the Chinese government will be able to turn Kanter into a financial liability for any team that he plays for. When his contract expires at the end of this season, any team that signs him will risk losing whatever revenue it was previously earning from Chinas market of 1.4 billion people, a sum which is likely far greater than whatever financial value that Kanter alone can bring to the table. If no team signs him next year, Kanter would be forced into retirement.
The NBA consequently faces a moral dilemma. It can quietly take Chinas money and throw Kanter under the bus (along with Taiwanese, Tibetans, Hongkongers, and Uyghurs), or it can stand in solidarity with Kanter by expressing robust support for human rights, democracy, and freedom of speech including for people who live under the shadow of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP).
The right thing to do ought to be self-evident to every player, coach, manager, and owner.
Last year, the NBA enthusiastically supported the Black Lives Matter (BLM) movement by allowing players to put social justice messages not only on their shoes but also on the backs of their jerseys. The phrase Black Lives Matter was even painted on the courts.
Messages that the NBA approved for jerseys included Say Their Names, How Many More, I Cant Breathe, Vote, Justice, Liberation, Equality, and Freedom. On shoes, some players wrote the names of victims of police violence while others wrote messages such as Ready for Change.
In the same way that the NBA embraced the BLM movement, it can and should join Kanter in standing up for the rights of people who are oppressed by the Chinese government. With the Beijing Winter Olympics approaching, now is a better time than ever. Players from all 30 teams could write slogans on their shoes such as Uyghur Lives Matter, Free Tibet, Liberate Hong Kong, Stand With Taiwan, and No Beijing 2022.
Undoubtedly, all NBA games would immediately be censored in China, and it would be costly. However, the NBA can afford to have ethics, as the average players salary is more than US$8 million (NT$222 million).
Chinas authoritarian government should not be allowed to buy the NBAs silence, and the NBA should not be complicit in a CCP-orchestrated attack on the career of one of its players a naked attempt to undermine free speech and cover up its ongoing industrial-scale human rights abuses.
Until the NBA gathers the organizational will to take a principled stand, fans should call out its hypocrisy and continue supporting the MVP of human rights advocacy, Enes Kanter.
Lindell Lucy is an American based in Tokyo, where he teaches high school economics. He has a B.A. in philosophy from Stanford University and is currently studying international relations at the Harvard Extension School.
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Stand with Kanter: Eject Chinese censorship from the NBA - Taiwan News
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I feel the fear of censorship: Karuna Ezara Parikh on being a writer, her new poetry collection, and more – The Indian Express
Posted: at 5:36 pm
A former TV presenter, screenwriter, model, sustainability activist, entrepreneur and recently, author, Karuna Ezara Parikhs hat ruffles with many feathers. But, it is her role as a poet that she has completely immersed herself into.
The Kolkata-based author has had a strong presence on the social media sphere, and her poetry has long commanded the digital space, some often going viral, bringing attention to social, political, environmental, and humanitarian issues from around the world. Now, the writer, whose debut novel The Heart Asks Pleasure First was received with applause, has combined some of her old works as well as new poetry into her second book and debut poetry collection Where Stories Gather.
Beautifully vulnerable and poignant, her impassioned written word is out for the world to dive into, yet again.
In a conversation, the author tells us about her writing process, immersing herself in poetry, and the fear of censorship.
Excerpts:
You second book and first-ever poetry collection, Where Stories Gather, is out. How does it feel?
A little overwhelmed, to be honest. I waited so long and then suddenly it happened so fast. I find the cover (by Rhea Gupte) impossibly beautiful and I keep touching it to make sure its real.
If you had to summarise the poetry collection for us, what would you say a reader can expect?
My messy truth spun clean. I have tried to be honest on every page. Theres a violence to that, but a tenderness, too, I think. You can expect vulnerability.
Can you take us through your journey of writing for and compiling this poetry collection?
That was quite something. Though Ive always written poetry, Ive never had the privilege of being immersed in the process for days on end. Thats a different sort of headiness and delight and pain, too. I spent hours and hours writing, rewriting, waking sometimes in the middle of the night with a sense of devotion to the words.
Your debut novel Where Heart Asks Pleasure Firstwas widely applauded. Did you feel any pressure or expectations when writing the new book?
It would be a lie to say I didnt, but I also had to rid myself of expectation in order to create from a place of purity. So much of my poetry and work has been in the online space where you write with the weight of expectation seeping into your fingertips, I needed to step away from that.
How do you feel you have evolved as an author after your debut novel, and how does it reflect in your poetry collection?
Personally, of course, its natural to feel slightly more confident after a successful project, but there are other feelings too, and I have tried to channel some, and then not too much, into the new work. I think I take myself less seriously now, but treat myself more kindly, if that makes sense?
You have been vocal about social, political, and environmental issues on your social media platforms, and your novel also navigates multiple such tropes. What inspired you when it came to Where Stories Gather?
Exactly the same things. And also the struggle of constantly having to be vocal. I wish we lived in a world where we had the option of staying silent. The poetry is more personal in some ways.
Do you ever feel your voice, creative and otherwise, suppressed or impacted in any way?
I feel the fear of censorship, which is very real. When writers see their homes set on fire, comedians see their shows cancelled, and even my Instagram posts receive a shocking amount of venom, one has to wonder.
Are you working on anything next?
I am, but Im not sure what it is exactly, yet. Ive been very interested in new forms of non fiction of late, and telling stories through satire and the absurd, as the world grows madder around us. Maybe those ideas will come together somehow.
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I feel the fear of censorship: Karuna Ezara Parikh on being a writer, her new poetry collection, and more - The Indian Express
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Natalia Paris defied the censorship of Instagram with a picture without covering her chest and opened the networks – Persia Digest
Posted: at 5:36 pm
Image from social media
Famous DJ Natalia Paris has once again turned social networks on through a photo she posted on her Instagram account, in which she invited her followers to visit her website where they can find her new book, as well as exclusive content for the businesswoman.
In the shot, the model is shown wearing a white blouse with one of her open breasts open and without a bra, defying Instagrams privileged censorship of content deemed explicit by the social networks algorithm. It is worth noting that Paris covered part of the nipple with a label in Spanish, censorship or censorship.
In addition to the shot, the artist announced the launch of her new book, which she described herself as: A collection of Erotic Photography Made with the best photographers in the country. A piece of art to collect, and according to her, it is available on her website http://www.nataliaparis.com.co.
Look here at a picture of Natalia Paris:
The post that was shared two days ago on the official profile of Natalia Paris on Instagram already has more than 152,250 copies, exceeds 16,600 likes and garnered about 160 comments, of which the artists beauty stands out with qualifiers such as Beautiful and Beautiful. precious.
I want one like this for Christmas, Beauty should never be restricted or censored, I love you, Why are men allowed to go shirtless naturally and women are forbidden, The most beautiful thing of the day is Natalia, Always beautiful , Do not change, every day is better, Book? What is Natalia planning, The most beautiful woman in Colombia , She has always been beautiful, blessed and abundant for her , Among other things.
It is worth noting that the artist topped the news on various occasions due to her statements about the Covid-19 virus, vaccination, and the various theories that she deals with in her life. One of them was when he asserted that young men became gay due to eating chicken, stating that the hormones injected into the animals and their subsequent human consumption affected sexual development.
Regarding these statements, Natalia Paris referred to this in an interview with Diva Rebeca, a character played by Omar Vazquez, where the DJ confirmed: Suddenly it was said wrong, but it has a lot to do with hormones, the truth is I still think so.
However, the case went further, after Antioqueas statements the interviewer laughedly stated that she had a slightly far-fetched theory, alluding to the fact that the food was of a different kind, alluding to the masculine male organ. With a term used in Spain.
On frequent occasions, Natalia Paris has been called stupid for her statements and tone of voice that characterizes the 48-year-old model, by users of social networks.
However, she recently made reference to the issue and strongly demanded that prejudices be put aside, through her Instagram Stories where she highlighted her accomplishments as a businesswoman with skincare products, as well as being a model, DJ and now with his book.
I know it was hard for a lot of people to think that women who are notoriously stupid are not able to do things well, The model noted and added, These are biases that we really should let go, because if we have a sophisticated, open mind, connected to abundance, we understand that. A woman is capable of many things.
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Natalia Paris defied the censorship of Instagram with a picture without covering her chest and opened the networks - Persia Digest
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Letters to the editor: Nov. 15: ‘This is a form of censorship, one I fully support.’ Toronto school board rejects Marie Henein book club event, plus…
Posted: at 5:36 pm
Marie Henein near The Globe and Mail offices in Toronto on Sept. 24.Melissa Tait/The Globe and Mail
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Re Lets Try To Understand Vaccine-hesitant Health Care Workers (Nov. 12): Health care workers knowledge of medicinal failures, such as thalidomide and OxyContin, may factually justify their fears. Fine. But understanding would be incomplete while action is still required to treat a pandemic, where vaccination is the only realistic mass solution with a low probability of risk.
Consequently, subjective fears should not be a relevant criteria when the objective reality of a deadly pandemic is at play. If patients seeking health care are forced to put themselves in harms way, then I believe they are being knowingly sacrificed to the misunderstanding of medical reality by some health care workers.
I cannot morally or medically justify such a trade-off. Fear is understandable, but vaccination mandates should be an operational necessity.
Tony DAndrea Toronto
Re Poilievres Reappointment Is A Red Flag (Nov. 11): I think Pierre Poilievre is a good finance critic. He works hard to inform the public of the dire straits from a pattern of overspending by this government, particularly for working-class Canadians.
The Liberals have never met promises to reduce spending. An informed person should be reminding the public of the possible dangers.
Remember the fiscal debacle of the early 1980s, when Pierre Trudeau was prime minister and interest rates rose to over 20 per cent? A huge increase in unemployment and people losing homes was the result.
Justin Trudeau has stated that he doesnt look at monetary policy. That is scary to me.
Anne Robinson Toronto
I think Pierre Poilievre has failed to show any signs of maturing, his comments about the Bank of Canada being the latest example. Instead of thoughtful arguments and reasoned policy options, Mr. Poilievre often offers hyperpartisanship, sound bites and Twitter posts.
None of this gives me any reason to take him seriously, much less take the Conservatives seriously as a governing alternative.
Michael Kaczorowski Ottawa
Re Toronto School Board Rejects Marie Henein Book Club Event (Nov. 12): Im convinced that the stability of a nation rests on the incorruptibility of its judicial system and, presently, that systems greatest enemy is social media, where people can be condemned on rumour. Worse, judgments passed down after lengthy legal review can be lambasted and second-guessed.
By rejecting Marie Heneins book, I believe the Toronto District School Board is reinforcing judgment by social media. Everyone in Canada should read her section entitled Middles for lessons on the legal system.
Ms. Henein should be sought out to discuss the law with teenagers, rather than being prevented from doing so.
Bruce Sutherland Lt.-Col. (Retd); Calgary
As a survivor of sexual abuse, I side with the Toronto District School Boards choice to pull support from Marie Heneins presentation to a book club of impressionable high-school girls. No miscommunication this is a form of censorship, one I fully support.
Jian Ghomeshis trial is often presented as the nascence of the #MeToo movement. Sadly, I feel that his accusers found themselves on trial instead. In taking on his case then, there should be karma for Ms. Henein now.
Speaking on her life and immigrant experience, I have no doubt that Mr. Ghomeshis case would come into discussion. Under the guise of a noble profession, such a career-making case should forfeit access to a moralizing pulpit, particularly in retrospect and with such an impressionable audience in question.
#MeToo has evolved the legal profession seems to have some ways to go.
Marian Kingsmill Hamilton
What a shame that these girls do not get an opportunity to see an example of an immigrant beating all odds in the male-dominated world of criminal defence and rising to legal stardom. Marie Henein is exactly who these girls should be meeting. They should understand the legal system and hear from an exemplar in the field that there is a role for them in it.
I find it short-sighted and narrow-minded of the Toronto District School Board to censor Ms. Henein. It is the board that looks to be sending the wrong message to students not Ms. Henein.
Gilda Berger Toronto
Re More Schools Trying To Tackle Anxiety, Period Poverty By Providing Menstrual Products For Free (Nov. 9): Making menstrual supplies readily available to students at school would be an excellent move.
It is nerve-racking to have my period at school and wonder if I will have enough supplies to make it through the day. Periods can be uncertain due to the potential irregularity of menstrual cycles and factors such as stress. This causes worry over potential leaks or ruined clothes, and may interfere with education.
All schools should provide free menstrual products to prevent disruptions in female education and level the playing field.
Sarah Falk Woodland Christian High School; Cambridge, Ont.
Re International Student Recruiting Machine (Nov. 6): The rising cost of living, exploitation by employers and landlords, surging unemployment and a devastating pandemic have amplified problems faced by international students in Canada.
Indian youth are lured by pop culture, word of mouth and glittering social media from kith and kin who have migrated to Canada. They are pessimistic about achieving their goals and providing a good lifestyle for themselves and their families at home.
Many of my friends have migrated to Canada. Now their dreams have changed because it becomes a matter of survival in a new country. Study is at the back seat. Priorities change.
What solutions can the Canadian government offer? It should lower fees to study in Canada. It should invest in foreign talent with scholarships. Accommodations at subsidized rates are also a need of the hour.
More sensitive approaches from employers and landlords would also pave way for happier employees and renters.
Jaspreet Singh Patiala, Punjab, India
Re Walk This Way (Letters, Nov. 10): From a letter-writer who slows down to 90 kilometres an hour on the way to the cottage, to another who doesnt drive to the cottage if its raining, to yet another who hasnt owned a car or ridden in one for more than 25 years, there is competition over who contributes the least to climate change.
I have them all beat: I dont go anywhere.
T.M. Dickey Toronto
Letters to the Editor should be exclusive to The Globe and Mail. Include your name, address and daytime phone number. Try to keep letters to fewer than 150 words. Letters may be edited for length and clarity. To submit a letter by e-mail, click here: letters@globeandmail.com
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