WASHINGTON, D.C. The U.S. bishops have launched a website and video to mark the beginning of this years Fortnight for Freedom, focusing on religious freedom issues both at home and abroad.

The video, about ten minutes long and viewable on the Fortnight for Freedom website, features a number of legal, religious, and other personalities discussing the importance of religious liberty. The Fortnight for Freedom takes place June 21 July 4.

Religious freedom is one of the basic freedoms of the human person because without religious freedom, the freedom of conscience, all other freedoms are without foundation, Archbishop Thomas Wenski of Miami says at the beginning of the video.

A government that doesnt acknowledge limits on its own power to regulate religious institutions is probably going to come after other institutions as well, said Professor Rick Garnett of the Notre Dame Law School.

The video chronicles the struggle between the Little Sisters of the Poor and the HHS mandate of the Affordable Care Act.

Its over three years now that this issue has been pursuing us, says Sr. Constance, L.S.P.

Testimonies from beneficiaries of the Sisters work are showcased in the video.

There is a spiritual component in the way that they live their lives that adds to not only enrichment of the residents lives but to those who are in contact with them, who work with them, who just hear about them, says Carmel Kang.

When religious freedom goes away, and there is no transcendent authority, then the law is the only norm, and the people in power now are always the only power, says Professor Helen Alvare of George Mason University Law School.

The video emphasizes the United Statess historical connection to freedom of religion.

The United States is the greatest country in the history of the world precisely because of the exceptional character of its relationship to faith which permeates every dimension of its evolution, says Eugene Rivers II, an activist and Pentecostal pastor.

The video also highlighted the struggle of religious peoples in other parts of the world.

Tragically, we see the killings, the martyrdom of Christians in Iraq, and Libya, and Egypt, Syria, says Wenski. The video then showed clips from the video of 21 Coptic Christians being martyred by the Islamic State in early 2015.

Professor Thomas Farr of Georgetown University noted the increased threat since the Obergefell vs. Hodges Supreme Court decision in June 2015, and also observed that viewpoints motivated by religion are being silenced.

The video also summarized Dignitatis humanae, the Second Vatican Councils declaration on religious freedom, as well as noting Pope Franciss concern for persecuted Christians around the world.

We have to bring not just optimism, but genuine Christian hope, says Archbishop Lori of Baltimore, head of the USCCBs Committee on Religious Liberty, which was made a permanent structure of the conference at their annual spring meeting last week.

The video closed with a montage of scenes and figures including the Selma to Montgomery March, St. John Paul II, and the collapse of the Berlin Wall.

The USCCBs Fortnight for Freedom website provides a host of prayer and practical resources on the topic of religious freedom.

The prayer resources are based in Scripture as well as the examples of St. Thomas More and St. John Fisher, and are available in both English and Spanish.

Among the practical resources is a brief guide to the issue, which seeks to defend and clarify the bishops views, responding to concerns that defense of liberty is an affront to treating people with equal dignity.

Also included are summaries of religious liberty concerns in the United States and internationally. Domestically, issues listed include the HHS mandate, the right to practice faith in business, and religious institutes right to aid undocumented immigrants. Internationally, concerns are presented from the Central African Republic, Myanmar, and Mexico.

On May 4, the National Day of Prayer, President Trump signed an executive order on religious liberty while surrounded by faith leaders, including Cardinal Donald Wuerl of D.C. and the Little Sisters of the Poor.

RELATED:Bishops point man on religious freedom gives mixed verdict on Trump order

The order called for agencies to consider different enforcement of the mandate and looser enforcement of the Johnson Amendment. It was modified from an earlier, leaked version which critics claimed would have allowed for unjust discrimination of LGBT people.

On May 31, a draft rule providing blanket protection from the mandate was leaked.

The bishops website does not include the Johnson Amendment among its concerns.

Continued here:

US bishops launch 2017 Fortnight for Freedom with new video - Crux: Covering all things Catholic

The Freedom High School football stadium was packed full recently when more than 200 seniors bid farewell to their high school careers.

On June 10, as students faced a podium and stage in the middle of the football field, the Freedom High School Band played the National Anthem and Senior Braeden Personius lead the crowd in the Pledge of Allegiance.

It is the moments like this that we should cherish the most (in how we are) finally being able to walk across this stage after 13 long years of hard work, Personius said. Absorb the joy of the classmates around us and remember the look on our families' faces as they are proud of us.

She spoke of how this graduating class represents many "last moments, including being the last class of the 1990s babies, the last time the class would be together at the same place at the same time and the last class under the watch of Principal Mike Swan.

For some of us, it is the last time we will see each other. But instead of dwelling on the many lasts we may have, think of it as a new opportunity to further our lives beyond Freedom High School, Personius said.

Garret Ward, Student Government Assocation president, shared a few facts about Freedom High School within the last four years: Having the best (advanced placement) scores in the county, having the certified nursing assistant class pass with a 100 percent passing grade for the first time in five years, and the school winning four state championships.

The staff here at Freedom have shown us how to care for others, how to carry ourselves in a professional manner and be successful in what we do, Ward said.

Salutatorian Railey Pitts shared a story about her grandmother to encourage her classmates.

As an individual, my grandmother was exceptional. She was the valedictorian of her class and the first person in her family to go to college and a teacher at Freedom when it first opened, Pitts said. She raised three kids and, knowing my dad, it could not have been easy.

Pitts would spend summers at her grandmothers house, saying it was her home away from home. Her grandmother was diagnosed with Alzheimers when Pitts was in middle school.

The beautiful, smart (and) funny lady that loved so much was slipping away and, today, her life is far from perfect, she said.

Even though her grandmothers life is worse than most of us sitting here today, she paints the best possible picture even in her bad situation, Pitts said.

Pitts charged her classmates to have the type of spirit that takes each day and lives it to the fullest.

You might find yourself confused or clueless about what to do and there may seem like no light at the end of the tunnel, but instead of getting frustrated or giving up I want you to remember my grandma and just make up your own reality, Pitts said. There will be surprises and bumps in the road, but dont ever give up. And be yourself.

Drew McCracken, valedictorian and Patriot of the Year, spoke to his classmates about obstacles they may face.

Together, we have accomplished many, many things but boy, oh boy, do we have a ways to go, McCracken said. It may not be a whole year from now, but I can promise you that sometime after walking away from this stage today that you are going to encounter bumps and obstacles in the road blocking your way.

He warned his fellow graduates about an acronym GCD, which stands for geometrically constrained disposition.

Friends, do not be square, he said. Despite the very defined and angular hats that sit atop our heads at this moment, do not let this shape define you.

Try to be bad at something and learn from the experience, McCracken said.

Hone down the edges of your comfort zone and round them off and take that leap, he said.

McCracken said a friend shared a quote with him: The point of maximum danger is the point of minimum fear ... it is bliss.

He said he doesn't want his fellow graduates to ever be satisfied with being good enough.

Fellow graduates, I look out this morning and see nothing but thriving potential, McCracken said. Go forth and achieve success, reach goals and arrive at accomplishments. However, dont stop there. Surpass expectations and soar above potential.

After receiving their diplomas, the graduates of Freedom High School faced their families and threw their caps in the air in celebration of reaching this milestone.

Read the original here:

Freedom graduates more than 200 seniors - Morganton News Herald

By Erik Zygmont Catholic News Service Posted June 23, 2017

BALTIMORE (CNS) When Henry VIII, as Englands reigning monarch, was declared a defender of the faith, the future must have seemed so bright to Thomas More and John Fisher, Baltimore Archbishop William E. Lori said in a homily June 21.

He described an England which seemed to have been spared the painful divisions that racked the Catholic Church on the continent of Europe. Under Henry, he said, monastic life and learning were flourishing while ordinary Catholics showed their love and loyalty to the church.

Who could have imagined the severe test More, Fisher and English Catholicism would face in so short a time? Archbishop Lori asked.

He was the homilist at the opening Mass of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops Fortnight for Freedom, an annual observance highlighting the importance of religious liberty.

The Mass was celebrated on the vigil of the English martyrs shared feast day at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Baltimore.

The aforementioned saints of the 1500s were, respectively, the lord high chancellor and the bishop of Rochester, both of whom had enjoyed peace and security as they faithfully lived their vocations. They lost their heads for refusing their assent to Henry as the defender of the faith when he declared himself head of the church.

While the West has not recently executed anyone for refusing to give up their beliefs, the archbishop borrowed Pope Francis phrase polite persecution to describe the burdens placed on schools, hospitals, employees, employers and other individuals and institutions that live and act according to their faith while navigating civil society.

Such fines, firings and threatened denials of accreditation indicate kinship, solidarity with those suffering overt persecution round the world, Archbishop Lori said.

St. Thomas More and St. John Fisher fulfilled their mission of bearing witness to Christ in their time, their place, their circumstances, he said. Dear friends, weve gathered in prayer tonight asking to acquire in the power of the Holy Spirit, a greater measure of holiness, so that we too can use our freedom, not for ourselves and our own desires, but rather for Christ and the mission of spreading the Gospel far and wide.

In far too many parts of the world, Archbishop Lori said the Catholic Churchs mission is conducted amid raging persecution. He cited a 2016 report from the University of Notre Dame, titled Under Caesars Sword, that chronicled the persecution of Christians in 25 countries around the world.

He said the reality behind such statistics is seen in the suffering of Christians and other religious minorities including some Muslims, including Chaldean Christians beheaded in Iraq simply for professing their faith and Coptic Christians killed while praying in church on Palm Sunday.

To be sure, we Christians in the West do not experience severe repression, Archbishop Lori said, but in recent years there have been serious curtailments of religious freedom with regard to sexuality, marriage, and the sanctity of life.

The archbishop Lori noted that some have advised that Christians withdraw from the fray.

While he acknowledged the importance of rest and spiritual renewal, he once again turned to St. More and St. John Fisher, and urged Catholics to develop in their hearts the holiness of freedom and freedom for holiness an irrepressible spirit of freedom, courage and mission that no earthly power can take away from us.

Then we shall be truly free, the archbishop said. Then we shall be true missionary disciples.

Those gathered for the Mass included members of the Catholic Business Association, Legatus, the St. Thomas More Society and the Catholic Medical Association. Their presence illustrated their solidarity and involvement with the Fortnight for Freedom.

This kind of shows, to everybody, that we have to act on what we believe, said Dr. Okan Akay, who recently completed his residency in internal medicine and had his hands blessed by Archbishop Lori following the Mass.

It strengthens us in our ability to provide healing for people without having to go against what we believe in, he told the Catholic Review, Baltimores archdiocesan news outlet.

Akay said there is increasing pressure in his line of work for those who would opt out of prescribing contraception or performing an abortion, for example. He was lightly mocked, he added with a shrug, for attending the annual March for Life in Washington.

Interestingly, it was an overt display of faith ashes on foreheads that initially drew Akay, a former Muslim, now a basilica parishioner, toward the Catholic Church.

The Fortnight for Freedom ends July 4. Archbishop Lori will celebrate another Fortnight Mass July 3 in Orlando, Florida, for the Convocation of Catholic Leaders.

***

Zygmont is a staff writer at the Catholic Review, the news outlet of the Archdiocese of Baltimore.

Read more from the original source:

Catholics urged to work for 'holiness of freedom, freedom for holiness' - CatholicPhilly.com

This article originally appeared on Grist.

Last week, the Standing Rock Sioux celebrated what they believe isa ground-breaking legal victoryin the protracted fight against the Dakota Access Pipeline.

A federal judge in Washington, D.C., ruled that the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers violated the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) in its expedited review of the pipeline, which was ordered by President Trump shortly after taking office. According to Judge James Boasberg, the Army Corps did not adequately consider the impacts of an oil spill on fishing rights, hunting rights, or environmental justice.

On Wednesday, the parties in the DAPL case will appear in court for a hearing about how to respond to the NEPA ruling. Oil could stop the flowing under Lake Oahe, the fourth-largest dam reservoir in the Dakotas. But that stoppage would be temporary.

If the Army Corps does revise its environmental assessment, the court could allow the pipeline to resume operation. The court and the Army Corps would have served environmental justice under NEPA merely by paying lip service to the struggle for indigenous rights in the United States.

Lake Oahe stands at the center of a painful, decades-long story regarding the marginalization of Native Americans. In 1958, the Army Corps took over 200,000 acres from the Standing Rock and Cheyenne River Sioux, forcing them from their homes and sacred religious sites, so it could build a dam. Fast-forward nearly 60 years, and the reservoir created by the dam draws a million yearly tourists to its more than 50 recreational sites. Its under the Siouxs once hallowed ground now at the bottom of Lake Oahe where the Army Corps decided to route part of the Dakota Access Pipeline.

Earlier this year, as I was completing my law degree at New York University, President Trump fast-tracked the projects completion. In the legal battles that ensued, teams of lawyers both large and small took up the cause of the tribes and the thousands of pipeline activists that joined them, collectively known as water protectors.

Benjamin Eichert, director of the grassroots movement Greenpower, formed the Lakota Peoples Legal Project to highlight the statutory issues regarding the construction of the pipeline. I joined the effort as legal researcher.

The oil flowing under Lake Oahe is not only a potential environmental calamity, it is a dagger through the heart of the Sioux tribes and the NEPA ruling, while certainly a win, will not offer meaningful justice to those at Standing Rock.

One unlikely legal strategy that nearly did and could loom large in future fights to protect indigenous land is the Religious Restoration Freedom Act, a fan-favorite amongst the religious right.

Conservatives successfully employed the statute to argue that corporations with deeply-held religious beliefs, like the arts-and-crafts chain Hobby Lobby, could deny contraceptive coverage to female employees. In 2014, the Supreme Court sided with Hobby Lobby, finding that providing that perk against its corporate values constituted a substantial burden on the companys free exercise of religion.

In February of this year, attorneys for the Sioux tribes turned to the same playbook when seeking a preliminary injunction to prevent the completion of the Dakota Access Pipeline under Lake Oahe. They argued that its construction desecrated the sole water source for the sacredInipiceremony and would release untold calamities upon the Cheyenne River Sioux, as prophesied by their elders.

The argument framed the #noDAPL movement as an indigenous rights issue and not just an administrative violation for the first time in the legal realm.

Judge Boasberg pressed attorneys for the Sioux on whether they attributed the religious burden to the pipeline itself or the oil flowing through it. When the lawyers conceded that it was the oil which wouldnt flow for a few more weeks the court found the pipeline would not present an imminent harm to the Siouxs religious practices.

While the argument collapsed in this case of DAPL, its worked in the past. In 2008, a federal judge in Oklahoma granted an injunction in response to a religious freedom claim by the Comanche tribe against the United States government. The ruling prevented the construction of a military warehouse that would block the last clear view of the Medicine Bluffs, an essential vista for the tribes religious practices.

With numerous other encroachments onto indigenous land on the horizon, the religious freedom argument remains viable and relevant, with the Medicine Bluffs case as a hopeful precedent. The Trump administration may construct a border wall on burial sites in Arizonas Tohono Oodham Nation. And its moving toopen up the sacred Bears Ears National Monumentin Utah to industrial development.

Using the Religious Restoration Freedom Act to connect environmentalism with indigenous rights does far more for environmental justice than procedural laws like NEPA. In the legal and grassroots battles to come, we should remember that these legal challenges are not just about oil spills or environmental impact statements, they are about the very fabric that unites a people.

More:

Religious freedom isn't just for Hobby Lobby it's for indigenous rights, too - Salon

Washington D.C., Jun 21, 2017 / 09:08 pm (CNA/EWTN News).- The U.S. bishops have launched a website and video to mark the beginning of this years Fortnight for Freedom, focusing on religious freedom issues both at home and abroad.

The video, about ten minutes long and viewable on the Fortnight for Freedom website, features a number of legal, religious, and other personalities discussing the importance of religious liberty. The Fortnight for Freedom takes place June 21 - July 4.

Religious freedom is one of the basic freedoms of the human person because without religious freedom, the freedom of conscience, all other freedoms are without foundation, Archbishop Thomas Wenski of Miami says at the beginning of the video.

A government that doesnt acknowledge limits on its own power to regulate religious institutions is probably going to come after other institutions as well, said Professor Rick Garnett of the Notre Dame Law School.

The video chronicles the struggle between the Little Sisters of the Poor and the HHS mandate of the Affordable Care Act.

Its over three now that this issue has been pursuing us, says Sr. Constance, L.S.P.

Testimonies from beneficiaries of the Sisters work are showcased in the video.

There is a spiritual component in the way that they live their lives that adds to not only enrichment of the residents lives but to those who are in contact with them, who work with them, who just hear about them, says Carmel Kang.

When religious freedom goes away, and there is no transcendent authority, then the law is the only norm, and the people in power now are always the only power, says Professor Helen Alvare of George Mason University Law School.

The video emphasizes the United States historical connection to freedom of religion.

The United States is the greatest country in the history of the world precisely because of the exceptional character of its relationship to faith which permeates every dimension of its evolution, says Eugene Rivers II, an activist and Pentecostal pastor.

The video also highlighted the struggle of religious peoples in other parts of the world.

Tragically, we see the killings, the martyrdom of Christians in Iraq, and Libya, and Egypt, Syria, says Archbishop Wenski. The video then showed clips from the video of 21 Coptic Christians being martyred by the Islamic State in early 2015.

Professor Thomas Farr of Georgetown University noted the increased threat since the Obergefell vs. Hodges Supreme Court decision in June 2015, and also observed that viewpoints motivated by religion are being silenced.

The video also summarized Dignitatis humanae, the Second Vatican Councils declaration on religious freedom, as well as noting Pope Francis concern for persecuted Christians around the world.

We have to bring not just optimism, but genuine Christian hope, says Archbishop Lori of Baltimore, head of the USCCBs Committee on Religious Liberty, which was made a permanent structure of the conference at their annual spring meeting last week.

The video closed with a montage of scenes and figures including the Selma to Montgomery March, St. John Paul II, and the collapse of the Berlin Wall. The USCCBs Fortnight for Freedom website provides a host of prayer and practical resources on the topic of religious freedom.

The prayer resources are based in Scripture as well as the examples of St. Thomas More and St. John Fisher, and are available in both English and Spanish.

Among the practical resources is a brief guide to the issue, which seeks to defend and clarify the bishops views, responding to concerns that defense of liberty is an affront to treating people with equal dignity.

Also included are summaries of religious liberty concerns in the United States and internationally. Domestically, issues listed include the HHS mandate, the right to practice faith in business, and religious institutes right to aid undocumented immigrants. Internationally, concerns are presented from the Central African Republic, Myanmar, and Mexico.

On May 4, the National Day of Prayer, President Trump signed an executive order on religious liberty while surrounded by faith leaders, including Cardinal Donald Wuerl of D.C. and the Little Sisters of the Poor. The order called for agencies to consider different enforcement of the mandate and looser enforcement of the Johnson Amendment. It was modified from an earlier, leaked version which critics claimed would have allowed for unjust discrimination of LGBT people.

On May 31, a draft rule providing blanket protection from the mandate was leaked.

The bishops website does not include the Johnson Amendment among its concerns.

Here is the original post:

US bishops launch 2017 Fortnight for Freedom - Catholic News Agency

Luis Carle sees himself, and his work, as a bridge between the gay and straight communities, between the younger and older generations of the L.G.B.T. community, and between past and the present. The Puerto Rican photographer was 17 when came out in San Juan in 1980, and in subsequent years witnessed the AIDS crisis, the culture wars, and the march toward broader L.G.B.T. rights. All along, he made pictures of his community and the seismic waves that were reshaping it.

My generation was the one between oppression and freedom, he said. I feel proud of seeing both sides. I was right there in that period of time and my work documented some of the magic that went on in those days. A lot of that is not going to happen anymore.

Mr. Carle grew up on a dead-end street in San Juan. His father worked in insurance, and often used a Polaroid camera in his work. He made sure to teach his son how to use the camera, so from an early age Mr. Carle understood photographys role as record.

Soon after coming out, he bounced between studying pre-med in San Juan and business in Orlando, Fla., before winding up at Parsons School of Design, where he quickly was immersed in photography and documenting the gay community of which he was part. There was art everywhere, he said of that time. To help pay for school, he started assisting fashion and commercial photographers, and then began making his own work. He captured the infamous black parties, the marches and rallies, and throughout, the close-knit ties of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community.

I was going back and forth between Puerto Rico and New York, he recalled. And I kept recording all my gay friends. As his career took off and he made a living from his photography, he and his friends started traveling, and he kept documenting along the way: Montreals gay scene, marches on Washington, and the goings on in Puerto Rico and New York City. At the same time, he was making elegant and provocative fashion and fine art images.

His documentary work is replete with the heady energy and intimacy forged by the dual forces that shaped the L.G.B.T. community of the time: pride and righteous self-determination colliding with a broader society that wasnt ready to accept them. In one image (Slide 8), Christina Hayworth, a transgender Puerto Rican woman and L.G.B.T. rights pioneer, stares stonily into the camera. To her left is the transgender icon Sylvia Rivera, the activist and veteran of the Stonewall riot, who looks more amused. At far right is Julia Murray, Ms. Riveras partner and also a transgender woman, whose gaze is the most stoic of all. All three have their hands knit together and on the ground at their feet is a sign demanding Respect TRANS. The National Portrait Gallery acquired the image in 2015, and Mr. Carle said it was the first portrait of a transgender American to be added to its collection.

It neatly captures Mr. Carles devotion to recording moments that he knew needed to be remembered, all while celebrating the powerful families that L.G.B.T. people made for themselves. In the 70s and 80s, gay people were a family, he said. There was a community before and they would take care of each other. Some of the titans of that time, including many friends and mentors of Mr. Carles, died of AIDS. Others simply passed before their time. As one of the survivors, he feels it is crucial that he carry forward the memories and lessons.

I have all this information that I needed to share, because I was present in all these places, he said. If we dont say it, nobody knows.

Follow @nytimesphoto on Twitter. Luis Carle and Jake Naughton is on Instagram. You can also find Lens on Facebook and Instagram.

Read more from the original source:

Gay Life in New York, Between Oppression and Freedom - New York Times (blog)

Its the most predictable trick in the big book of property development. A developer signs an agreement with a local council promising to provide a barely acceptable level of barely affordable housing, then slashes these commitments at the first, second and third signs of trouble. Its happened all over the country, from Hastings to Cumbria.But it happens most often in London, and most recently of all at Battersea power station, the Thames landmark and long-time London ruin which I wrote about in my 2016 book, Up In Smoke: The Failed Dreams of Battersea Power Station.For decades, the power station was one of Londons most popular buildings but now it represents some of the most depressing aspects of the capitals attempts at regeneration. Almost in shame, the building itself has started to disappear from view behind a curtain of ugly gold-and-glass apartments aimed squarely at the international rich. The Battersea power station development is costing around 9bn. There will be around 4,200 flats, an office for Apple and a new Tube station. But only 386 of the new flats will be considered affordable.

What makes the Battersea power station development worse is the developers argument for why there are so few affordable homes, which runs something like this. Thebottom is falling out of the luxury homes market because too many arebeing built, which means developerscan no longer afford to build the sort of homes that people actually want. Its yet another sign of the failure of the housing market to provide what is most needed. But it also highlights the delusion of politicians who still seem to believe that property developers are going to provide the answers to one of the most pressing problems in politics.

A Malaysian consortium acquired the power station in 2012 and initially promised to build 517affordable units, which then rose to 636.This was pretty meagre, but with four developers having alreadyfailed to develop the site, it was enough to satisfy Wandsworth council. By the time I wrote Up In Smoke, this had been reduced back to 565 units around 15 per cent of the total number of new flats. Now the developers want to build only 386 affordable homes around 9 per cent of the final residential offering, which includes expensive flats bought by the likes of Sting and Bear Grylls.

The developers say this is because of escalating costs and the technical challenges of restoring the power station but its also the case that the entire Nine Elms area between Battersea and Vauxhall is experiencing a glut of similar property, which is driving down prices. They want to focus instead on paying for the new Northern Line extension that joins the power station to Kennington. The slashing of affordable housing can be done without need for a new planning application or public consultation by using a deed of variation. It also means Mayor Sadiq Khan cant do much more than write to Wandsworth urging the council to reject the new scheme. Theres little chance of that. Conservative Wandsworth has been committed to a developer-led solution to the power station for three decades and in that time has perfected the art of rolling over, despite several excruciating, and occasionally hilarious, disappointments.

The Battersea power station situation also highlights the sophistry developers will use to excuse any decision. When I interviewed Rob Tincknell, the developers chief executive, in 2014, he boasted it was the developers commitment to paying for the Northern Line extension (NLE) that was allowing the already limited amount of affordable housing to be built in the first place. Without the NLE, he insisted, they would never be able to build this number of affordable units. The important point to note is that the NLE project allows the development density in the district of Nine Elms to nearly double, he said. Therefore, without the NLE the density at Battersea would be about half and even if there was a higher level ofaffordable, say 30 per cent, it would be a percentage of a lower figure and therefore the city wouldnt get any moreaffordablethan they do now.

Now the argument is reversed. Because the developer has to pay for the transport infrastructure, they cant afford to build as much affordable housing. Smart hey?

Its not entirely hopeless. Wandsworth may yet reject the plan, while the developers say they hope to restore the missing 250 units at the end of the build.

But I wouldnt hold your breath.

This is a version of a blog post which originally appeared here.

View post:

Ukrainians now have more freedom of travel - but less freedom of thought - New Statesman

Angela Gui: My fathers case is only one out of many that illustrate the death of the rule of law in Hong Kong. Photograph: Angela Gui

I am too young to remember the handover of Hong Kong to China in 1997 and its promise for the new world I would live in. But I have lived to see that promise trampled.

The Sino-British Joint Declaration, signed to pave the way for the handover, was supposed to protect the people of Hong Kong from Chinese interference in their society and markets until 2047. Yet as the handovers 20th anniversary approaches, China muscles in where it promised to tread lightly while Britain avoids eye contact.

As Xi Jinping has consolidated his grip on Chinese politics since he took office in 2013, Beijing has increasingly ignored the principle of one country, two systems on which the handover was based and actively eroded the freedoms this was supposed to guarantee.

In October 2015, my father Gui Minhai and his four colleagues were targeted and abducted by the agents of the Chinese Communist party for their work as booksellers and publishers. My father a Swedish citizen was taken while on holiday in Thailand, in the same place wed spent Christmas together the year before. He was last seen getting into a car with a Mandarin-speaking man who had waited for him outside his holiday apartment. Next, his friend and colleague Lee Bo was abducted from the Hong Kong warehouse of Causeway Bay Books, which they ran together. Lee Bo is legally British and, like any Hong Konger, his freedom of expression should have been protected by the terms of 1997.

Their only crime had been to publish and sell books that were critical of the central Chinese government. So paranoid is Beijing about its public image, that it chooses to carry out cross-border kidnappings over some books. Causeway Bay Books specialised in publications that were banned on the mainland but legal in Hong Kong. The stores manager, Lam Wing-kee, who was taken when travelling to Shenzhen, has described Causeway Bay Books a symbol of resistance. In spite of Hong Kongs legal freedoms of speech and of the press the store is now closed because all its people have been abducted or bullied away. Other Hong Kong booksellers are picking politically sensitive titles off their shelves in the fear that they may be next; the next brief headline, the next gap in a family like my own.

I continue to live with my fathers absence his image, messages from his friends, the cause he has become. Turning 53 this year, he spent a second birthday in a Chinese prison. Soon he will have spent two years in detention without access to a lawyer, Swedish consular officials, or regular contact with his family.

My fathers case is only one of many that illustrate the death of the rule of law in Hong Kong. Earlier this year, Canadian businessman Xiao Jianhua who had connections to the Chinese political elite disappeared from a Hong Kong hotel and later resurfaced on the mainland. In last years legislative council elections, six candidates were barred from running because of their political stance. The two pro-independence candidates who did end up getting elected were prevented from taking office. If intolerable political stance is now a valid excuse for barring LegCo candidates, then it wont be long before the entire Hong Kong government is reduced to a miniature version of Chinas.

The Joint Declaration was meant to guarantee that no Hong Kong resident would have to fear a midnight knock on the door. The reality at present is that what happened to my father can happen to any Hong Kong resident the mainland authorities wish to silence or bring before their own system of justice. Twenty-one years ago, John Major pledged that Britain would continue to defend the freedoms granted to Hong Kong by the Joint Declaration against its autocratic neighbour. Today, instead of holding China to its agreement, Britain glances down at its shoes and mumbles about the importance of trade. It is as if the British government wants to forget all about the promise it made to the people of Hong Kong. But Chinas crackdown on dissent has made it difficult for Hong Kongers to forget.

Theresa May often emphasises the importance of British values in her speeches. But Britains limpness over Hong Kong seems to demonstrate only how easily these values are compromised away. I worry about the global implications of China being allowed to just walk away from such an important treaty. And I worry that in the years to come, we will have many more Lee Bos and Gui Minhais, kidnapped and detained because their work facilitated free speech. Hong Kongs last governor, Lord Patten, has repeatedly argued that human rights issues can be pushed without bad effects on trade. Germany, for example, has shown that this is entirely possible, with Angela Merkel often publicly criticising Chinas human rights record. With a potentially hard Brexit around the bend, a much reduced Britain will need a world governed by the rule of law. How the government handles its responsibilities to Hong Kong will be decisive in shaping the international character of the country that a stand-alone Britain will become. I for one hope it will be a country that honours its commitments and that stands up to defend human rights.

Angela Gui is the daughter of Gui Minhai, a Hong Kong bookseller who disappeared from his home in Thailand in October 2015

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Britain is looking away as China tramples on the freedom of Hong Kong and my father - The Guardian

Washington, D.C.Human Rights Firstpraised the introduction ofHouse Resolution 394Supporting International Academic Freedom and American Universities Abroad. The resolution comes as the Hungarian government attempts to shutter Central European University (CEU), a graduate school located in Budapest, Hungary, and accredited in New York State. The resolution sends a clear signal to the Hungarian government that members of the House of Representatives reject an overtly political attack on an institution of higher learningand expect negotiations to go forward in good faith. Negotiations between Hungarian authorities and the State of New York are expected this month.

The bipartisan legislation was introducedby Representatives Marcy Kaptur (D-OH) and Paul Cook (R-CA). Human Rights First has previously urged the Trump Administration and Congressto oppose the Hungarian government's attempts to stifle civil societyandprotect academic freedom.

Thislegislation is a clear signal from the Congress that a political and unjustified attack on an American educational institution will not be taken lightly, said Human Rights Firsts Rob Berschinski. Having already eroded checks and balances, undermined independent media, scapegoated refugees, and targeted NGOs, Prime Minister Orbans government turned its sights on a university dedicated to an idea it cant toleratecritical thinking.

CEU was endowed by Hungarian-American philanthropist George Soros in 1991, as Hungary emerged from communist rule.It is considered one of the top international universities in the world, and among the most prestigious universities in central Europe.Each year it educates over 1,500 students from over 100 countries.

On April 4, 2017, with no consultation and only a weeks notice, the Hungarian parliament passed amendments to Hungarys higher education law that would have the effect, if implemented, of forcing CEU out of the country. The legislation sets new, onerous, and legally unnecessary requirements on universities registered in foreign countries, several of which apply only to CEU. These include a requirement to establish a national-level agreement on the university between the United States and Hungary, and the need for the university to operate a campus in the United States in addition to its existing campus in Budapest. If these conditions are not met, CEU may lose its operating license as early as October 2017.

Since the legislation assailing CEU was introduced, the university has received an outpouring of support from Hungarian citizens, academics, government officials, and human rights activists around the world. Tens of thousands of Hungarians of all ages and political affiliations have repeatedly taken to Budapests streets to protest their governments assault on a center of learning. Twenty-seven Nobel laureates, the International Association of Universities, and the presidents of Yale, Harvard, Princeton, New York University, Duke, and Oxford, as well as thousands of scholars and researchers, have called for CEU to be allowed to remain in Hungary.

On May 23, theDepartment of State urgedthe Hungarian government to suspend its attack on CEU, noting that the recent amendments place discriminatory, onerous requirements on U.S.-accredited institutions in Hungary and threaten academic freedom and independence. The State Department further made clear that it would not negotiate with the Hungarian government over CEU.

Republican and Democratic members of the Congress in both theHouseandSenatehave called on the Hungarian government to cease its attack on CEU and academic freedom, noting that compromising the universitys operations would negatively impact bilateral relations with the United States.

The European Commission initiated infringement proceedings against the Hungarian government regarding CEU in late Apriland on May 17 the European Parliament passed a resolution explicitly calling on Hungary to repeal the recent amendments.

To learn more about how the United States can counter Hungarys erosion of democratic institutions and its attacks on civil society, read Human Rights Firsts new fact sheet,Hungary: Eroding Democratic Institutions, Closing Space for Civil Society. Human Rights Firsts recent report on the Hungarian government's attack on civil society and overtures to Russia can be foundhere.

For more information or to speak with Berschinski, contact Christopher Plummer at PlummerC@humanrightsfirst.org or 202-370-3310.

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Bipartisan Resolution Promotes Academic Freedom as Hungary Attempts to Shutter University - Human Rights First

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rantnrave:// A college basketball league that pays its players and allows them to make money off their likenesses? It's not real yet, but it's an idea. Vice Sports' Patrick Hruby writes about the scheme to break up the NCAA's monopoly on college sports and to pay student-athletes for their work. Few can match Hruby for his work on the NCAA's hypocritical and exploitative ways. This plan, to build a league of HBCUs that pays players and lets them profit off the court, is imaginative and interesting. Economist Andy Schwarz came up with the idea, and it could disrupt the NCAA if only someone could make it happen. It likely would require the NBA's buy-in; if playing in such a league jeopardizes players' chances to go pro, it won't work. The other question: Who might take the leap and try to break in on the NCAA's turf? Schwarz's idea is only an idea right now. But why couldn't Facebook come in and fund it or try to start a league of its own? Instead of paying billions for broadcast rights, why not create its own product? ... Ice Cube is stepping into the basketball market. How big will his share get? His BIG3 league launches Sunday, and he's out front and part of the appeal. He and Allen Iverson give this 3-on-3 league cultural magnetism. Most important, it doesn't seem like the basketball version of the XFL. It's not schtick, and the talent is already recognizable. ... Former NFL offensive lineman Ryan O'Callaghan comes out as gay. A poignant story from Outsports. ... The only places you can watch Blizzard eSports next year: Twitch and Blizzard platforms. Twitch locked up third-party rights. ... Worth repeating: The NBA is lit right now. The offseason is already more exciting than the Finals. Paul George. Kristaps Porzingis. Dwight Howard. Who isn't on the trade block? ... Alexa, play the Mariners game. ... O.J. keeps up with the Kardashians. ... The women's outdoor clothing market doesn't mean "smaller and pink" anymore.

After a horrific car accident that claimed his left leg, Isaiah Pead is relying on the same kind of strength that earned him a career in the NFL. This comeback, though, is much more difficult. Alex Marvez | Sporting News

O'Callaghan had always planned to commit suicide after football, until Kansas City Chiefs staffers stepped in. Cyd Zeigler | Outsports

Drone racing is still a niche hobby, but can it find an audience? James Vincent | The Verge

The multibillion-dollar college sports industry exploits African-American athletes and has left historically black schools behind. Some people think there's a better way. Patrick Hruby | Vice Sports

The fittest athlete you've never heard of is an ultimate Frisbee player. Here's what a day in his life looks like. Michael Easter | Outside Online

"It's not enough to be smart. You have to be curious."

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A comeback in life, the freedom of the truth and welcome to drone racing - ESPN

Carroll County's planning commission legally could have decided to vote to accept the Freedom Area Comprehensive Plan as-is on Tuesday, following a second public hearing and the end of the 60-day public comment period, putting the fate of the plan in the hands of Board of County Commissioners.

That the planning commission decided to hold off until July to determine the next steps for the controversial plan and possibly even longer, according to Chairman Matt Helminiak is a sign that it is carefully considering the large amount of public feedback it has received.

"However [long] it takes to get through all of the comments and for the planning commission to get comfortable with the accepted plan, plus any modifications that they choose to make," Phil Hager, the county's planning director, told us regarding how long the next steps might take.

At this point, it's hard to argue that residents' voices aren't being heard. However, the planning commission and, ultimately, the county commissioners will have to weigh community outcry and criticisms with what they believe are the right steps for the county and the Freedom area, which has long been targeted for future growth.

Jon Kelvey

Public process will continue with Board of Commissioners

Public process will continue with Board of Commissioners (Jon Kelvey)

Many of the arguments we've heard against the Freedom plan during the public review process make sense. Some of the proposed land-use changes seem out of character with surrounding properties. In a few of those situations, we've already seen the planning commission make changes. Pushback regarding the Beatty property off Bennett Road being zoned for commercial while neighboring a residential area, for example, led to a compromise that creates a buffer between where any future commercial development might take place and the existing neighborhood.

We also agree with those who have argued the infrastructure is not in place, especially in regard to roads and traffic, for the future growth the Freedom plan calls for. It is worth noting, though, that the Freedom land-use plan is just that a plan and not a guarantee of those zoning changes or growth.

Separate processes also exist, such as traffic impact studies, when development becomes closer to reality, to address those concerns. In some cases, it's possible developers would be asked to pay for some necessary road improvements to make their plans more viable, although the elephant in the room remains Liberty Road, which would require state funding.

But, in other cases, there does seem to be a bit of NIMBY-ism at play among the Freedom plan's detractors; particularly those who have decried any potential development on land that is currently used for agriculture or is undeveloped. Folks who moved to Eldersburg and surrounding areas during periods of rapid growth in Carroll just a few decades ago surely didn't expect the door to close behind them, did they?

No plan is going to satisfy everyone, but it is clear the members of the planning commission are taking their duty seriously and considering the loads of feedback received. That will hopefully result in a better Freedom plan by the time it eventually reaches the Board of County Commissioners, whenever that may be, and at which point the public should once again have an opportunity to weigh in.

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Editorial: Planning commission taking Freedom plan feedback seriously - Carroll County Times

by Ian Tartt

So many modern problems, from excessively powerful corporationsto the high cost of living, are blamed on the free market. Using thatterm in a negative way in front of most audiences will generate applause and cheers. But is that consistent with reality? Are the problems we now face the result of too much economic freedom? Lets take a look at some ways in which government intervention in the economy hurts people.

Many people are concerned about big corporations and conglomerations. They think that government is necessary to prevent such accumulations of wealth and market power. However, the reality is far different. Regulations, which have steadily increased over time, make it more difficult for businesses to thrive. Small businesses in particular have trouble complying with all the regulations and paying the taxes and fees that are levied upon them. This makes it easier for older and larger businesses to keep a greater share of the market. Thats why businesses often lobby for additional regulations, protective tariffs, or other forms of government intervention in the economy. Rather than innovate and provide better products at lower prices than their competitors, theywould rather use the government to crush competition.

Another example of the harm of government intervention in the economy is inflation (the increase in the supply of money and credit). Inflation has numerous harmful effects. The most immediately apparent effect is the way it lowers the purchasing power of money. Like everything else, money is affected by the law of supply and demand. The more money in circulation, the less each dollar is worth; the less money in circulation, the more each dollar is worth. Thus, inflation devalues money, which means prices go up in response. However, prices dont go up immediately and uniformly across the economy. When new money is created, those with strong ties to politicians get it first, before prices increase. By the time people in the middle and lower classes get the new money, prices have risen. This increase the cost of living, which is especially troublesome for those who have very little already. Further, inflation devalues money stored in savings accounts and similartypes ofaccounts; anyone dependent on something like that is thus hit even harder by inflation.

Another negative consequence of inflation is the business cycle. This is the term for a great economic boom followed by a depression or recession. When the Federal Reserve engages in inflationary policies, it leads to a great misallocation of resources as a result of people taking on ventures they normally would avoid. New businesses open up, more jobs are created, and the economy takes off. But when the bubble pops, all of that comes crashing down, and the bad investments are liquidated during the recession. Since Herbert Hoover, its been standard procedure for presidents to intervene in recessions with the hopes of making them as short and painless as possible. However, intervening actually makes them longer and more severe; businesses take longer to recover and people cant return to work as soon as they could without the intervention. So in addition to causing bad investments during the artificial boom (which deprives people of opportunities and products they could have had without the artificial boom), government intervention also hurts people during the inevitable crash.

Government policies have facilitated inflation. For most of US history, money was either made of a valuable commodity or backed by one. Precious metals such as gold and silver tended to be used because, among other things, they are scarce, durable, and retain their value over time. This kept inflation in check, reduced the frequency and severity of business cycles, and restricted the governments ability to spend and expand its own power. Over time, however, money was gradually changed into the fiat currency we use today. Precious metals were phased out of coins, the amount of gold backing each individual dollar was reduced numerous times, and eventually the last remaining tie to the gold standard was severed. As a result of these changes, our money has already been significantly devalued and is being continuously devalued through inflation.

Now that weve looked at some problems, lets examine some solutions. Drastic reductions in regulations, taxes, and fees would lead to more competition among businesses by creating a level playing field. Businesses would have to earn the support of customers through providing quality products at reasonable prices and would no longer be able to lobby the government for special favors that give them unfair advantages over their competitors. Returning to commodity money or hard money would ensure that money retained its value over time rather than lose it. Additionally, this would keep the cost of living in check and reduce the risk of economic recessions. If recessions still occurred,they could be quickly sorted out by politicians and bureaucrats keeping their hands off the economy and allowing the necessary correction phase to occur in as short a time as possible.Think about the economic growth and stability that would occur if these measures were put in place.

Its easy to see that the cause of so many of todays problems is not the free market, but the lack of a free market. Some great resources for learning more about these issues include Economics in One Lesson, Meltdown, Capitalism: The Unknown Ideal, and End The Fed.Anyone whos concerned about the status quo and what the future will hold should do what they can to advocate for a return to a free market as quickly as possible.Some ways to do this include asking politicians to support steps towards more economic freedom, convincing other people of the benefits of a free market and encouraging them to get involved as well, volunteering with organizations that support economic freedom such as Americans for Prosperity, and refusing to vote for ant-free market measures at the voting booth. Those who take up such a challenge have a long road ahead of them, but with the proper dedication and strategies, its certainly possible to return to a free market and enjoy all the benefits that that entails.

Americans For ProsperityCapitalism: The Unknown Idealcorporate welfareeconomic freedomEconomics in One Lessonend the fedfeesfree marketgovernment interventionInflationmeltdownMoneyregulationstaxes

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The Case for Economic Freedom - The Libertarian Republic

YourObserver.com

Freedom Fest set to continue steadfast tradition YourObserver.com Everyone talks about how short it is, but the Freedom Fest parade shouldn't be measured in length. Every year, on July 4, the Longboat Key Chamber of Commerce organizes what might possibly be the shortest parade in the United States. Stretching only ...

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Freedom Fest set to continue steadfast tradition - YourObserver.com

A Freedom High School coaching icon is calling it a career.

David Fletcher, the Patriots long-time boys and girls soccer coach, on Tuesday evening announced he was retiring after 28 years and 53 combined soccer seasons (47 as head coach) at FHS.

Fletcher was the Lady Patriots first coach when the program was established in 1993 and has been the only head coach since. He has served as boys head coach as well since 1995.

I have given all I had, as hard as I could, for as long as I could, and I have nothing left to give, Fletcher said. My family, especially my wife Jill, has supported me throughout my career and now it is time for me to take more time to be supportive of them.

I am grateful to all of my students and players and their families, (and) to all of the wonderful people I have coached with on the Freedom staff. I am most grateful to have had the opportunity to teach and coach with my daughter, Katherine, who is a much better teacher and coach than I could ever be.

Fletchers teams have combined for a 526-395-107 record with eight conference titles, 34 state playoff appearances and 16 state playoff wins. From 2011-2015, the FHS boys reached at least the second round of the 3A postseason each year.

Fletcher is a 13-time conference coach of the year, 12-time region coach of the year and state coach of the year. Earlier this year, he was inducted into the North Carolina Soccer Coaches Association (NCSCA) Field of Honor. Fletcher also coached in the East-West All-Star Game (2002) and Clash of the Carolinas all-star game (2012)

A total of 39 of his former players have gone on to play collegiately, and two of those also played professionally.

Throughout this journey, my heroes have been the teachers and coaches I have worked beside and competed against over the years, Fletcher said. They spend long hours throughout the year, year after year, trying to help kids. I have been humbled to share my profession with such amazing people.

Fletcher was also active in the NCSCA, holding the title of regional chair for three years and secretary for nine years.

The Valdese native and 1982 East Burke High graduate went on to graduate from the University of North Carolina and has served as assistant athletic director at Freedom for the last five years. He was a long-time English teacher at FHS.

I believe the Freedom soccer program is on the upswing and will have an improved 2017-2018 school year in both the boys and girls seasons, Fletcher added.Entering a new conference that Freedom can be more competitive in will help, as will the return of lots of young talent from this past year.

Freedom soccer has always been about playing hard, playing smart, and playing together as a family.I am confident that tradition will continue and I look forward to following future Freedom teams in every sport.

Current FHS athletic director Casey Rogers expressed his gratitude for what Fletcher has done for the school and its athletics over the years.

I want to say thank you to Coach Fletcher for all his years of service, Rogers said. He has been a great friend and mentor to me personally, and I will forever be thankful to him and his family. Both Freedom soccer programs have been left in great positions due to Coach Fletcher's commitment to our student-athletes.

I wish nothing but the best for Coach and his family in retirement as he deserves nothing but the best in the next chapter of his life.

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Freedom's Fletcher retires after 53 combined seasons - Morganton News Herald

Conservative Review

Freedom Caucus prepares to welcome another TRUE conservative Conservative Review The House Freedom Caucus has gained another potential ally with the addition of Ralph Norman, R-S.C., to the ranks of Congress. Norman won the special election in South Carolina's 5th Congressional District Tuesday to fill the seat vacated by Office of ... and more »

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Freedom Caucus prepares to welcome another TRUE conservative - Conservative Review

Phoenix, Ariz., Jun 21, 2017 / 12:08 am (CNA/EWTN News).- In recognition of their promotion of religious freedom, the founder of Alliance Defending Freedom and his wife will be inducted next week into the Order of St. Gregory the Great.

Alan and Paula Sears will receive the honor, granted to individuals for extraordinary service to the Church, at a June 29 service led by Bishop Thomas Olmsted of Phoenix at St. Bernadette parish in Scottsdale, Ariz., a suburb of Phoenix.

Bestowing the honor on the Sears is a well-deserved recognition of their many years of defending religious freedom, standing up for the true meaning of marriage and family life, defending the dignity and right to life of every human person, and faithfully living their lay vocation in their home, their parish, and the public square, Bishop Olmsted has said.

The Order of St. Gregory the Great is granted to individuals for extraordinary service to the Catholic Church. It is one of several orders of pontifical knighthood, which the Church bestows to continue chivalric traditions and recognize merit and service. It can be given to both Catholics and non-Catholics, and was established in 1831 by Gregory XVI.

Previous recipients include Leo Nester, professor emeritus of choral and sacred music at the Catholic University of America; Eunice Kennedy Shriver, founder of the Special Olympics; Chen Chien-jen, vice president of Taiwan; Carl Anderson, Supreme Knight of the Knights of Columbus; and Polish composer Henryk Gorcki.

Alan Sears founded Alliance Defending Freedom in 1994. The non-profit legal organization advocates for religious liberty, and has defended the sanctity of life, marriage, and the family, and has upheld the rights to free speech and conscientious objection.

Paula and I are more than humbled by this honor. Christians and people of goodwill everywhere should have the freedom to live what they believe and to follow their conscience, what James Madison called the most sacred of all property, Sears said in a June 15 statement.

We have counted it a privilege, with Gods grace, to do our part to protect these freedoms. Pope Francis repeatedly has spoken strongly about religious liberty, marriage and family, and the sanctity of life, so it is a distinct honor to be recognized by him for our work in those areas.

Paula added that the world benefits when the Gospel is freely preached and lived We are blessed to have had the opportunity to support and encourage those who have sacrificially shared that message and their lives with others. We are very humbled and grateful to Pope Francis for this honor and additionally thank him for his leadership in these areas.

Since founding Alliance Defending Freedom alongside several other Christian leaders, Alan Sears served as the organization's president, CEO, and general counsel until the beginning of 2017. He has since transitioned into a founder's role at the non-profit.

He was succeeded as president, CEO, and general counsel in January by Michael Farris.

Farris commented that I am personally grateful for Alan and Paulas 23 years of sacrificial service to ADF and, therefore, also grateful to Pope Francis for bestowing them with this incredible honor. Its amazing to be part of an organization that would not be where it is today without their tireless efforts and service to the body of Christ and beyond.

Alan Sears served in several positions under the Reagan and George H. W. Bush administrations in the Departments of Justice and the Interior. He earned his doctorate in law from the University of Louisville School of Law, and had previously graduated from the University of Kentucky.

He is a member in good standing with the American, Arizona, California, District of Columbia (inactive), and Kentucky bar associations.

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Religious freedom advocates to receive papal honor - Catholic News Agency

I think of freedom in positive, aspirational terms such as found in President Franklin D. Roosevelt's "Four Freedoms," or in the uplifting songs of freedom sung by oppressed people everywhere.

But right-wing ideologues have fabricated a negative notion of "freedoms" derived from their twisted concept of individual choice. You're "free" to be poor, to be politically powerless or to be ill and uncared for, they say it's all a matter of decisions you freely make and our government has no business interfering with your free will.

This is what passes for a philosophical framework guiding today's Republican congressional leaders. For example, they say their plan to eliminate health coverage for millions of Americans and cut such essential benefits as maternity care for millions more is just a matter of good 'ol free-market consumerism. As explained by Jason Chaffetz, a Utah tea party Republican: "Americans have choices. And so maybe, rather than getting that new iPhone that they just love and they want to go spend hundreds of dollars on that, maybe they should invest in their own health care."

Lest you think that Jason must simply be an oddball jerk, here's a similar deep insight from the top House Republican, Speaker Paul Ryan: "Freedom is the ability to buy what you want to fit what you need." Yes, apparently, you are as free as you can afford to be. As Vice President Mike Pence recently barked at us, Trumpcare's you're-on-your-own philosophy is all about "bringing freedom and individual responsibility back to American health care."

The GOP's austere view is that getting treatment for your spouse's cancer should be like buying a new pair of shoes a free-market decision by customers who choose their own price point, from Neiman Marcus to Goodwill. And some go barefoot ... but then, that's their choice.

Meanwhile, congressional Democrats have finally gotten a clue. A majority of Dems in the U.S. House are responding to the rising public demand that decent health care be treated as a right for everyone, rather than being rationed by profiteering insurance conglomerates. Nearly six of 10 Dems in the House have now signed on to Rep. John Conyers' "Medicare for All" bill, which is being carried in the Senate by Bernie Sanders. (Minus Rep. Nancy Pelosi, who says "the American people" aren't ready for it, meaning the narrow slice of the public that inhabits her world health industry executives, lobbyists and campaign donors aren't ready.)

To help push both the party and the issue forward, go tonationalnursesunited.org.

You can contact Hightower at jimhightower.com.

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Enjoy your freedom to die - Colorado Springs Independent

A closely contested game saw the Florence Freedom, presented by Titan Mechanical Solutions, drum up just enough support for starter Marty Anderson, who turned in the best start of his professional career in a 2-1 victory over the Normal CornBelters on Tuesday night at the Corn Crib.

Anderson (5-1) tossed a career-high seven and one-third innings, holding Normal (17-17) to one run on six hits, walking one and striking out four. The left-hander bent, but never broke, against a resilient CornBelters lineup, as he left the go-ahead run stranded three times throughout the evening.

Julio Vivas (3-2) took the loss for Normal, despite nearly matching Anderson. Vivas also pitched seven and one-third innings, but gave up the decisive run in the seventh inning, as he uncorked a wild pitch with the bases loaded that allowed Garrett Vail to score from third for the Freedom (23-11).

Florence had taken a first-inning lead in the game, as Daniel Fraga led off with a double and scored on a double by Taylor Oldham. Collins Cuthrell would single to left field three batters later, but Oldham was thrown out trying to score from second by left fielder Jesus Solarzano. The CornBelters tied the score at 1-1 in the bottom of the second, as Justin Fletcher led off with a double, advanced to third on a flyout by Diego Cedeno and scored on a Miguel Torres sacrifice fly to center field.

When Anderson departed with one out in the eighth and a 2-1 lead intact, Yeixon Ruiz stood on first base after a single as Matt Pobereyko entered to pitch. Representing the tying run, Ruiz stole second and took third on a Pobereyko wild pitch. But Santiago Chirino flew out to right field, and Ruiz, attempting to tag up and score, was tagged out at the plate on a strong throw from Cuthrell in right field to end the inning. Pobereyko would work around a pair of one-out walks in the ninth and struck out the final two batters of the game to seal the victory for the Freedom.

The series continues Wednesday with first pitch scheduled for 6:35 p.m. at the Corn Crib. Right-hander Cody Gray (5-1) will start for the Freedom against CornBelters right-hander Charlie Gillies (2-2).

The Florence Freedom are members of the independent Frontier League and play all home games at UC Health Stadium located at 7950 Freedom Way in Florence, KY.The Freedom can be found online at FlorenceFreedom.com, or by phone at 859-594-4487.

Florence Freedom

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Freedom continue strong play with win over Cornbelters on the road in series opener - User-generated content (press release) (registration)

The Carroll County Planning Commission completed its final public hearing on the accepted draft of the Freedom Area Comprehensive Plan Tuesday morning.

With the public comment period on the Freedom Plan now closed, the planning commission will begin reviewing all comments received and decide the next steps in July.

The Freedom Plan lays out a map for the future development of the South Carroll area and was last updated in 2001, though Maryland law requires it be updated every 10 years. The commission accepting the plan in April was the result of a two-year process to draft an updated plan.

"The plan gets accepted by the planning commission and that triggers the formal 60-day public outreach review. That process concluded today," said Phil Hager, director of land use planning and development for Carroll County government. "The planning commission and staff will no longer be taking comments on the accepted Freedom Plan."

That does not mean, Hager said, that there will be no further opportunities for public comment for the plan: After the planning commission votes to accept the plan, it will be sent to the Carroll County Board of Commissioners for further discussion, who may hold a public hearing.

But before that can happen, the planning commission first has to decide if its finished with the plan, according to Chairman Matt Helminiak, and that begins with reading all of the comments that were submitted during the 60-day comment period including those from state and county agencies. County planning staff are compiling those comments now.

"We will read them and then on our next meeting on the 11th of July we will begin going through all the comments and seeing if we want to make any changes to anything," Helminiak said. "We could be done on the 11th, but it might take more than one meeting to go through all of the comments."

Tuesday's hearing, held in Westminster, was a continuation of the first hearing held on Thursday, June 8, at Liberty High School. Helminiak said Tuesday's hearing brought out some new voices and comments that had not been heard on June 5 or received in comments, written or otherwise, that the commission has received over the past year.

"It's always good to get people we haven't heard from before and there were a few people who spoke who we had never talked to before," he said. "Like this morning, there was someone from the Carroll County Association of Realtors, and that was a different point of view than we get from other people.

Lisa May, governmental affairs director for the Carroll County Association of Realtors, said her organization supported growth in the Freedom District as the county's designated growth area, to insure there is adequate housing stock at multiple price points and to increase the tax base all while preserving Carroll's rural character. Their concern, she said, was that the Freedom Plan does not do enough to support this growth.

"Land for commercial development still falls short of the county's targets and the slight increase in additional residential housing will not meet current or future demand. Those shortfalls will impact the ability of seniors to remain in the community that they call home as they age," May said. "Not meeting these goals threatens the quality of life that residents enjoy now and in the future."

Sherlock Holmes Estates development homeowner Steven Queen offered a comment more critical of the Freedom Plan as accepted by the planning commission, though he too focused on quality of life. He specifically opposes a proposed future land-use designation that could allow for rezoning of the Gibson property, Parcel 5561 in the plan, from low density to medium density residential.

"When I moved to the Freedom Area 15 years ago it was precisely for the reasons stated as assets in the comprehensive plan: the rural atmosphere and wide open spaces, farmland, low density development, single-family homes," Queen said. "Lower density living is, to me, synonymous with quality of life."

Edward Primoff, who owns a parcel of land along Md. 97 at the southwestern portion of the Freedom District also commented about lower density zoning. He had previously written a letter to the planning commission ask his property be rezoned as medium-density residential and industrial.

Primoff thought about it the night after sending his letter and came out Tuesday morning to say he had changed his mind.

"It really bothered me that night, thinking industrial would not be appropriate for my property, neither would medium density. There's houses all around me," he said. "I think the only think appropriate for my property, which would protect the character of the neighborhood, would be low density or low, low density."

All these comments and more will be considered, and potentially acted upon, by the planning commission in July, according to Hager, noting they will take as long as they need before sending the plan to the board of commissioners.

"However it takes to get through all of the comments and for the planning commission to get comfortable with the accepted plan, plus any modifications that they choose to make," Hager said. "They may not make any, they may make a lot."

Once the planning commission is satisfied with the plan, it will be sent to the commissioners, who then have several options, according to Hager, one of which is to simply do nothing.

"They don't have to do anything at all if they just receive the plan and don't do anything with it after 90 days, the plan is deemed adopted," he said. "But, if they want to reject it, if they want to amend it, or if they want to adopt it, then they need to hold a hearing."

A public hearing and perhaps multiple discussions between the five commissioners and county staff prior to a vote on adoption of the plan, however, would comport with what Commissioner Doug Howard, R-District 5, told the Times in an interview in early June. Hager said people have already begun sending comments to the board of commissioners, marking the beginning of the next phase of public comment.

Once the plan is adopted by the commissioners if it is adopted Hager said, it would then begin to be implemented, the end result of a process that has been marked with controversy and vocal argument, but which is ultimately democratic.

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Planning commission holds last public hearing on Freedom Plan - Carroll County Times

LA Freedom Festival 89.3 KPCC The Freedom Sculpture will be unveiled and officially gifted in a free public ceremony at the culmination of the inaugural L.A. Freedom Festival, which will take place on Tuesday July 4, 2017 from 5:30pm to 10:00pm at a street-closed section of Santa ...

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LA Freedom Festival - 89.3 KPCC