The true crisis in Puerto Rico is neither economic nor humanitarian. This is a crisis of leadership. Policymakers, both locally and nationally, have failed to provide a bold vision for a world-class economy, and they have stubbornly refused to implement a proven model that would lead to that. We face the opportunity to mirror best practices of global economic leaders like Hong Kong, or allow left-wing populism to drag us further into the Venezuelan-flavored abyss.

Hong Kong didnt become an economic powerhouse and global financial center by pure happenstance. Despite not possessing any significant natural resources, Hong Kong achieved tremendous prosperity in the latter half of the 20th century. How? Its political leaders implemented a truly universal recipe for success strong private property rights, world-class rule of law and a complete aversion to governmental economic meddling. When the territory became the foremost model for laissez faire economics, prosperity rapidly ensued.

Prosperity and human flourishing are the predictable byproducts of economic freedom. Its time for Puerto Rico to use that knowledge for our own benefit. The hands-off policies of free enterprise are too morally compelling to ignore. Consider that, according to the Cato Institute, the poorest 10 percent of residents in the nations with the most economic freedom enjoy an average income that is double that of their counterparts in the least-free nations. It is time for the people of Puerto Rico to reap the benefits of economic freedom.

The alternative is a slow slide into economic catastrophe. The unfolding crisis in Venezuela again demonstrates the failures of socialism. Central planning, nationalization of industry and insecure property rights have turned what was once the wealthiest nation in South America into a failing state at a social breaking point. Indeed, the socialist model championed by our Latin American peers is the very genesis of Puerto Ricos current problems. It is a model we have tried, and it is a model that has failed us. Puerto Rico must not become another socialist banana republic.

How can Puerto Rico go from being an incipient Venezuela to becoming the Hong Kong of the Caribbean? Action is required at both the federal and local levels. In Puerto Rico, we must stop pretending Band-Aids are a solution and take tough actions that will free us, economically and emotionally, from government dependence. To overcome the stain of failing to make good on constitutionally protected government bonds, we must re-establish our credibility in world markets. This begins with sweeping local tax reform to make Puerto Ricos taxes among the simplest and lowest in the world. We need a drastic downsizing of government, liquidation of the thousands of government-owned properties, from restaurants to empty lots to industrial warehouses, and privatization of government-owned corporations, beginning with the electric power authority.

Some challenges for Puerto Rico can only be dealt with in Washington. Federal policymakers must be sensitive to the differing geographic and economic realities between our Caribbean island and the U.S. mainland. We dont need bailouts, handouts or dependency. We just need policies that allow us to compete at our fullest potential. Saddling Puerto Rico with federal laws that do not recognize the uniqueness of our situation guarantees permanent economic disadvantage. First among these is the Jones Act. Nearly every study of Puerto Ricos economy from the Krueger study to the General Accounting Office findings calls for Jones Act relief. Whether this is a complete exemption, or relief from the shipbuilding and international relay requirements, federal action would be a significant boost to our economy. A minimum wage exemption would allow us to compete regionally. Finally, as tax reform is undertaken in Washington, a return to something similar to the Code 936 law that helped create a booming manufacturing industry in Puerto Rico and brought prosperity throughout the island is in order.

Milligan is the executive vice president of the Puerto Rico-based nonpartisan think tank Fundacin Libertad and resides in San Juan. Blom is the Washington, D.C., director for Fundacin Libertad and resides in Virginia.

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OPINION: Let Puerto Rico reap the benefits of economic freedom - The Hill (blog)

By Matea Gold and Juliet Eilperin By Matea Gold and Juliet Eilperin June 7 at 6:17 PM

Federal agencies issued just a handful of waivers exempting political appointees from conflict of interest rules in the first three months of the administration, a reflection in part of how President Trump has made it easier for lobbyists to work in agencies they once sought to influence.

Documents released by the Office of Government Ethics on Wednesday show that through April 30, just 10 Trump appointees who work outside the White House received exemptions from aspects of federal ethics rules.

Although dozens of lobbyists have joined the Trump administration, only one received an ethics waiver addressing his previous lobbying work: Lance Leggitt, the chief of staff for the Department of Health and Human Services.

Thats because an executive order that Trump signed in January did away with a rule laid down by former president Barack Obama banning lobbyists from joining agencies they had lobbied in the previous two years.

Instead, Trumps order allows former lobbyists to enter the administration, but prohibits them for two years from working on a specific issue that they lobbied on during the previous two years.

It was a fundamental change in the ethics executive order, said Craig Holman, government affairs lobbyist for the watchdog group Public Citizen. It cast some serious questions about whether the Trump administration is serious about draining the swamp.

White House spokeswoman Lindsay E. Walters said that the administration recognized the need for certain expertise while at the same time requiring that appointees abide by a tougher anti-revolving door policy extending the two-year post employment ban on lobbying to five years.

At least 88 former lobbyists have been appointed or nominated to join the administration, including 56 who previously lobbied the agencies that hired them, according to a tally by the liberal group American Bridge.

Among the former lobbyists are four high-level appointees at the White House who received ethics waivers to work on policy issues on which they recently lobbied. They include former Fidelity Investments lobbyist Shahira Knight, now a tax and retirement policy adviser, and Michael Catanzaro, a one-time energy lobbyist now developing domestic energy policy for the administration.

[White House grants ethics waivers to 17 appointees, including four former lobbyists]

At the Department of Health and Human Services, at least five former lobbyists other than Leggitt have been tapped to serve. They include Keagan Lenihan, a senior adviser to Secretary Tom Price who last year lobbied on Medicare and Medicaid issues for McKesson Corporation, a pharmaceutical distributor.

A department spokeswoman declined to comment.

In the case of Leggitt, he previously headed the federal health policy group for the law firm Baker Donelson, where he lobbied for hospitals and other medical clients, disclosures show.

Leggitts waiver allows him to work on issues on which he lobbied, though he still is barred from participating in matters involving former clients.

Another waiver went to Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Director Seema Verma, who worked as a health-care consultant on Medicaid reform before joining the administration.

Her firm, Indianapolis-based SVC Inc., had contracts worth nearly $8 million with the state of Indiana, and also consulted for Arkansas, Iowa, Kentucky, Ohio, South Carolina and Virginia.

As a consultant, Verma designed Indianas Medicaid experiment under the Affordable Care Act, under which beneficiaries must chip in toward insurance premiums and are penalized in different ways if they do not.

She also advised several other states on how they could ask CMS for permission to alter their Medicaid programs. One of those requests, from Kentucky, would make that state the first to require people on Medicaid to work a policy Verma favors and is currently pending before her agency.

In an ethics waiver dated March 20, Health and Human Services Secretary Tom Price determined that Verma should be allowed to weigh in on decisions affecting her former state clients, saying that excluding her expertise would unduly disadvantage the citizens of your former state clients. However, the waiver does not apply to specific matters that she personally worked on for Kentucky, Indiana and Iowa. Verma has recused herself from those issues.

Loosening federal restrictions on Medicaid under the ACA is a top priority for Price and his deputies. He and Verma have encouraged states to apply for waivers that were denied by the previous administration, providing them with a checklist for how to do it.

The new batch of ethics waivers released Wednesday shows that two members of the Cabinet received exemptions. Homeland Security Secretary John F. Kelly was granted permission to deal with matters involving Australia, despite the honorarium he received from the Australian government for his participation in a training program for military officers. And Price obtained permission to participate in certain matters involving the state of Georgia, where his wife is a state representative.

The disclosures also included exemptions granted to 13 Obama appointees last year. Among them were National Security Adviser Susan Rice, who received a waiver regarding Canadian financial investments, and Secretary of State John Kerry, who was granted one to contribute to a book of speeches commemorating former president John F. Kennedy.

Oversight activities like this help us assess the consistency of compliance with ethics programs requirements, said Walter M. Shaub Jr., director of the Office of Government Ethics.

Amy Goldstein and Steven Rich contributed to this report.

Read more from the original source:

Limited ethics waivers reflect new freedom for former lobbyists to join government - Washington Post

With the anniversary of same-sex marriage legalization approaching on June 26, a new documentary, The Freedom to Marry, is highlighting the work that went into achieving nationwide equality. Led by Freedom to Marry founder Evan Wolfson and attorney Mary Bonauto, the trailblazing civil rights movement was one of history's most successful, though the road to justice was one met with tremendous resistance.

Related |Watch an Exclusive 1986 Interview with Gay Marriage Crusader Evan Wolfson

The Eddie Rosenstein-directed film is as much a history lesson as it is a relevant blueprint for political resistance today. Throughout the doc,Wolfson and his team of LGBTQ crusadersare shown facing opposition not only from the Supreme Court, but from fiery, homophobic citizens, as well. Deeply suspenseful and inspiring, The Freedom to Marryhighlights the winning combination of strategy and human emotion needed to make the dream of marriage equality a reality.

With Pride month in full swing, OUT caught up with Wolfsonto reflect on the legacy of his triumphant movement and why The Freedom to Marry is so impactful in PresidentTrump's America.

OUT: Watching Freedom to Marry as a young person is especially insightful, because my experience growing up as an LGBTQ person has been so different from the subjects featured.

Evan Wolfson: I actually hope this film will be seen by lots of young people here in the U.S and around the world, because I think it says you can make a difference. It says your voice matters. There are ways to really make the world better, and we need you. I think young people are a key part of how we achieve change, and there is plenty of change needed in the United States and around the world.

Its important for young people to see where the queer community came from.

Thats exactly right, and that change just doesnt happen by itself. Its neither impossible or inevitable. It takes work. Its belief. It takes trust that others will rise if we engage them. I think young people played an important role in our winning the freedom to marry. And with our country so on [the] wrong track and with so many challenges around the world, there are plenty of opportunities for people to get engaged. This film is a good way to start.

Your movement happened just as the Internet was starting to really take off. Do you think it would have had the same effect if it wasnt such a physical movement?

Everything doesnt just happen online. The thing that really drove the change were personal conversations that people had with their friends, families and neighborsand political and legal organizing in the courts and legislatures. Ultimately, it is a balance. But youre absolutely right that the online ways of reaching people, mobilizing people, educating people were terrific tools that we put a lot of effort into learning relatively early. But as my online team always said, their goal was to use their digital expertise and online programs to get people to take action offline.

When you were documenting the movement, did you anticipate the world becoming as LGBTQ-friendly as it is today?

Yes, it is both true that we have seen a tremendous transformation in many parts of the world in hearts, minds and in the law. And also, equally important, there are many parts of the world where things are dire and horrible. We have so much more that we have to do. And actually, there is nowhere that we are finished. In the United States, weve won this enormous transformation and victory. And yet, we have so much more to do for LGBTQ people, let alone for the country as a whole. Thats true all around the world. I always believed that we could change things. I always believed by claiming the vocabulary of marriage that wed be claiming an engine of transformation that would help move things forward. I trusted and believed that if we did the work, we could actually make things better. So yes, I did think wed get to this place, but I fully believe we cant stop here.

Of all the rights you couldve tackled, why do you think fighting for same-sex marriage was a strong first step toward achieving full equality?

Thats a great question. The only thing Id quibble with is the idea of first. I think we actually worked on many things at the same time, and even I, who am identified as much as anyone in the world with marriage, worked on other goals, as well. I argued the boy scout case in the Supreme Court; I worked on AIDS cases; I worked on employment and military cases. I dont think it is a matter of theres only one thing we care about. But at the same time, by claiming this language of marriage we would be claiming this very powerful conversation that would move everything forward. So, for example, the debates and progress weve seen around transgender people in the last two years, in part, reflects the lift that the marriage engagement gave to an aligned goal. Similarly, we can take the power of marriage work and keep pushing for nondiscrimination protections, for safe school, for support for seniors, and for global human rights. I believe by fighting effectively for something like marriage, and I believe that marriage is important and singularly resonant and powerful, we can be harnessing the power we build to the other work ahead.

Related |OUT100: Evan Wolfson

Is there any concrete evidence that legalizing same-sex marriage has positively affected the LGBTQ community?

Just about two months ago, one of the leading medical journals in the United States, The Journal of the American Medical Association Pediatrics JAMA Pediatrics published a study in which they reported that when we won the freedom to marry, teen suicide dropped dramatically. The rate of teen suicide falls when we win marriage. And now that we won the freedom of marriage nationwide, we are going to be saving 130,000 young lives every year. Now why is that? Its not because teens are going out and getting married tomorrow. Its because marriage is not just about marriage. By winning the freedom to marry we send a strong message that society, the government and the culture affirm that young gay people, young trans people and their dreams. I really believe in that power. And its no longer a theory. We now know this is true, and that is why I spend my time advising, sharing and working with other countries like Taiwan, where we just won a big victory.

Youre working with other nations on marriage equality, as well?

Yes, one off the happy consequences of winning is that people want to hear the ideas and lessons that you can share about how we won. So Ive been working with advocates in many countries including Taiwan to keep moving forward globally, even as Im also advising and working with many different causes and organizations, not LGBTQ, here in the U.S.

Related |Taiwan Becomes First Asian Country to Legalize Same-Sex Marriage

How do you feel rulings, like in Taiwan, have a global effect?

I think one of the key things we need to do, and this again is a lesson from the previous American campaign, is build a critical mass of victory in order to move the whole. In the same way that we had to win a critical mass of states and a critical mass of public opinion in order to win national victory in the U.S. We need to be getting what I call the Bs to As around the world. The countries that do believe in human rights, pluralism and democracy and have free press and an independent judiciary, we need to make sure that they live up to true human rights, and the promises they make in their constitutions in order to build a critical mass that will help move the globe forward.

Why do you think releasing this documentary is especially relevant, right now?

Because the lessons that the film captured so dramatically from this campaign are more relevant than ever. If you want to summarize how we won the freedom to marry in three words, the words would be: hope, clarity and tenacity. You need to have hope. You need to believe that you can change things no matter how difficult or bad they are. You need to have clarity. You need to focus on your goals. Focus on strategy, focus on what it takes to win. Focus on the critical mass you need, and dont get distracted by the opponents of the things you can control or dont need. You need to have tenacity. It doesnt happen overnight. You need to stick with your strategy and continue conveying hope, even when you take some inevitable stumbles and disappointments. We did all those things and the film shows that. Those are absolutely the lessons that people need to keep in mind as we work to get our country back on track after that catastrophic election. And as we work to continue advancing human rights and working for all the different communities and values that we believe in.

The Freedom to Marry is available now for instant download online.

Excerpt from:

Freedom to Marry Founder Evan Wolfson on Mobilizing a Queer Revolution - Out Magazine

A UN special rapporteur was shocked to find abusive employers, anti-protest bills, and other signs of a weakening of democracy.

Demonstrators protest President Donald Trumps travel ban at Los Angeles International Airport on January 29, 2017. (Reuters / Ted Soqui)

Its no secret that Americas star is fading on the world stage these days, under a president whose authoritarian tactics have outraged allies and enemies alike. But a recent audit by an international human-rights monitor reveals that, even before Trumps buffoonery took over the White House, Washington was failing dramatically to live up to its reputation as a beacon of democracy. UN Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Assembly Maina Kiais dissection of the nations systematic betrayal of basic human rights centers on Americas shrinking public square.

Based on a year-long observation of the countrys governance and civic life that stretches from mid-2016 through the start of the Trump administration, Kiai, whose post recently ended with the publication of the report, sees a massive erosion of the right to freedom of assembly. The concept encompasses the right to organize and protest and other essential forms of civic and public activism. Though it is formally inscribed in the Bill of Rights, the precept has come under assault under the Trump administration, Kiai says, stoked by the presidents hateful and xenophobic rhetoric during the presidential campaign and blatant flouting of civil liberties in his policies and governing style.

The environment for workers is extremely hostile in the US, and frankly it shocked me.

Kiai concludes that over the past year a growing swath of communities of color, workers and immigrants, and other marginalized groups have felt deterred from engaging in social movements, staging protests and other forms of citizen action, or campaigning to defend community and workplace rights.

One overarching obstacle is the ingrained culture of racism, which has persisted since slavery through Jim Crow and the ongoing struggles with institutionalized discrimination. Citing police-community conflict as a primary illustration of structural oppression, Kiai argues, Racism and the exclusion, persecution and marginalization that come with it affect the environment for exercising association and assembly rights. His report directly denounces government agencies hostility towards the Black Lives Matter movement, contending that The government has an obligation under international law to protect and promote the groups peaceful exercise of the right of free assembly. Similarly, the report describes structural corruption driving the use of perverse incentives in the policing of black communities, with police departments raising revenue through fines and rewarding or sanctioning police officers based on the number of arrests. These patterns of aggressive policing, Kiai says, disempower neighborhoods by deterring dissent.

The report documents increasingly anti-democratic enforcement tactics against immigrant communities who are subject to civil-rights abuses. Kiai cites reports of immigration agents conducting surveillance at assemblies focused on migrant issues, which he argues chills the exercise of assembly rights. As noncitizens who cannot vote and who lack many other legal rights, he adds, protesting is one of the only tools they have to voice their concerns. The government should encourage the exercise of this right by everyone, especially marginalized groups.

Kiai tackles direct restrictions on the right to protest as well, noting an increasingly hostile legal environment for peaceful protesters in some states, particularly trumped-up penalties against spontaneous or unpermitted peaceful public demonstrations. South Dakota and Tennessee recently passed laws against blocking streets during protests. Nationwide, about 29 such anti-protest bills have been proposed or passed since November, coinciding with an unprecedented wave of street demonstrations against Trump.

THE STAKES ARE HIGHER NOW THAN EVER. GET THE NATION IN YOUR INBOX.

Some jurisdictions deter activists by charging organizations hefty fees simply for the right to stage a public demonstration. Burdening the citizenry with onerous fees and red tape, Kiai says, clashes with international guidelines against requiring pre-approval of planned protests. The report recommends instead allowing groups to simply notify officials of, rather than seek prior approval for, planned protests, arguing that giving government extensive control over dissent risks turning the right into a privilege.

Deterioration of free-assembly rights is glaringly apparent in the workplace. Despite the United States historical role as an architect of the International Labour Organization standards on workers rights, the report argues that its foundational labor law, the National Labor Rights Act, legalises practices that severely infringe workers rights to associate and provides few incentives for employers to respect workers rights.

Labor regulation is eviscerated by weak enforcement and underfunding, particularly compared to the massive resources dedicated to other law enforcement functions in the United States. Given the prevalence of endemic violations like wage theft in low-wage industries, Kiai observes an imbalance in government priorities: protecting corporations profits while unraveling basic regulatory protections for workers as well as their right to organize, at a time when traditional unions are shrinking as a political force.

The environment for workers is extremely hostile in the US, and frankly it shocked me. Wheres the outrage? The US had the War on Drugs, so why not a War on Abusive Employers? Its clearly an epidemic that has the potential to deeply damage the economic and social fabric of the country.

Kiais analysis also extends beyond issues surrounding the right to protest and warns of the corrosive impacts of capitalism on democracy. Citing the mass protests against the Dakota Access Pipeline as an illustration of the corporate assault on grassroots activists, he argues that Trumps crackdown on protesters reflects an agenda of market fundamentalism, exploiting natural resources for short-term profits while neglecting the human rights of impacted communities, which undermines indigenous peoples land, territorial and resource rights.

Kiai stresses the irony of America failing to walk the talk as a liberal democratic superpower. The United States has repeatedly supported, and often helped develop, international standards on, for example, the right to free speech under the United Nations framework, yet systematically fails to institute the same principles in domestic law. Nonetheless, he concludes that despite what appears to be a regression in free assembly rights under the new president, civil society remains a vibrant, if embattled, force of resistance:

Trumps rhetoric is often violent and divisive, with a heavy authoritarian streak. He doesnt even pay lip service to fundamental rights. Its not an easy environment in which to exercise your expressive rights, and that environment seems to have become markedly worse since my visit. Yet despite this, weve seen the emergence of a massive and sustained protest movementthats something that is truly encouraging and moving.

Despite, or because of Trumps authoritarianism, a counter-populist movement is building, renewing the meaning of free assembly as a coming together of the dispossessed.

More:

America's Freedom to Protest Is Under Attack - The Nation.

India's Central Bureau of Investigation on Monday raided the home and offices of top television executives Prannoy and Radhika Roy, co-founders of news channel NDTV, which has often clashedwith Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government. In response, the networkput out scathing statements and broadcasts, saying the raids amounted to a witch hunt and a blatant political attack on the freedom of the press.

The raids were conducted in connection with loans from ICICI Bank taken out by the Roys, starting in 2008.

The networksaid the loans have been repaid, and it issued a documentthat appears to confirm their claim. NDTV and its promoters have never defaulted on any loan to ICICI or any other bank, read a statement posted on NDTV's website. "We adhere to the highest levels of integrity and independence. It is clearly the independence and fearlessness of NDTV's team that the ruling party's politicians cannot stomach and the CBI raid is merely another attempt at silencing the media."

In American media, it is considered patriotic to question and make the government accountable, here to be patriotic is to just agree with everything the government says, said Prannoy Roy, speaking to The Washington Post.

India ranks136th on the World Press Freedom index, slipping three places since last year. Dissenting voices are often silenced using sedition laws. More than 51 freedom of information activists have been found murdered since the law came to force in 2005.

Major corporate owners also limit the diversity of India's media: Although India has 86,000 newspapers and over 900 television channels, a handful dominate. Reliance, one of India's biggest companies, owns News-18, which dominatescoverage on a number of popular TV channels and magazines.

On Monday night, NDTVaired ahalf-hour Hindi language broadcast, anchored by Ravish Kumar, describing the atmosphere of fear in which Delhi's news mediaworks. If you ever meet a journalist on these streets ask if they are afraid. They'll tell you without speaking: 'Delhi's journalists are now scared.' This is the capital of fear," he said.

During the broadcast, Kumar said that had the raids not happened, his program would have focused on ongoing farmers strikes in the states of Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh. This is an attack on all of you, he said. Just like this, every day, things that concern the ordinary man are pushed out of the national media.

Several editors and journalists have sharply criticized the raids. Raj Chengappa, president of the Editors Guild of India, said in a statement: Entry of police and other agencies into the media offices is a serious matter. NDTV, in various statements, has denied any wrong-doing and termed the raids as stepping up the concerted harassment of the news channel and an attempt to undermine democracy and free speech and silence the media.

Rajdeep Sardesai, a former NDTV anchor, now a consulting editor at rival networkIndia Today, said, When raids are carried on a respectable public figure, on a nine-year-old investigation, questions are bound to be raised."

NDTV's news coverage has riled up members of Modi's Hindu nationalist Bhartiya Janata Party, many of whom accuse the networkof being anti-BJP. Days before the raid, NDTV news anchor Nidhi Razdan had sparred with the BJP's national spokesman Sambit Patra on air and asked him to leave her show for his accusation that NDTV had an "agenda."

In November 2016, the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting had ordered an unprecedented 24-hour blackout against the network, saying its coverage on terrorist attacks at Pathankot had revealed strategically-sensitive information. NDTVargued thatits coverage was based on official news briefings and that other broadcastersthat had made the same revelations were not being penalized. At the last minute, the ban was lifted.

At a newsconference, India's minister of information and broadcasting saidthat the agency's officials were simply carrying out their duty and there was no political interference in their investigation. He said, "If somebody does something wrong, simply because they belong to media, you cannot expect the government to keep quiet.

Read the original:

Crackdown on Indian news network sparks fear that press freedom is under threat - Washington Post

WASHINGTON (CNS) -- Vice President Mike Pence and other speakers addressed securing religious liberty and protecting the sanctity of human life both in the United States and worldwide, particularly in the Middle East, at the 13th annual National Catholic Prayer Breakfast in Washington June 6.

Pence spoke about President Donald Trump's commitment to the securing of all religious freedoms to over 1,200 attendees, following speeches by keynote speaker Archbishop Timothy P. Broglio, head of the U.S. Archdiocese for the Military Services, and special guest Mother Olga of the Sacred Heart.

Pence expressed his sorrow over the recent terrorist attacks in Europe, reassuring those in attendance that the president is committed to ending attacks on religious liberty around the world, as well as in America.

"Catholicism has made an indelible mark on the American spirit," Pence said. "Your faith has moved mountains and the Catholic Church, and its millions of parishioners have been a force for good in our communities large and small throughout our land throughout our history. All the great American Catholics gathered here, let me assure you this morning, bright and early, at this prayer breakfast: American Catholics have an ally in President Donald Trump."

The vice president, an evangelical, shared fond memories of growing up in a Catholic family, saying that he was honored to speak at the breakfast and that his mother would be proud.

"This honestly feels like coming home to me," Pence said.

Since 2004, Catholics have gathered in the nation's capital to come together to pray for the country and hear from religious and political leaders. The founding board, with leaders such as former U.S. Sen. Rick Santorum, R-Pennsylvania, intended to answer to St. John Paul II's call to new evangelization for all Catholics.

Carl Anderson, supreme knight of the Knights of Columbus, spoke of the common ground that the Vatican and the president found in Trump's recent meeting, particularly in their dedication to pro-life and religious freedom issues, as well as the protection of Christians in the Middle East.

Anderson introduced Pence by recalling what Pence said while speaking at the March for Life in Washington back in January. "Let this movement be known for love, not anger, for compassion, not confrontation," Pence said at the March for Life. "To heal our land and restore a culture of life we must continue to be a movement that embraces all and cares for all out of respect for the dignity and worth of every person."

Auxiliary Bishop Mario E. Dorsonville of Washington opened the breakfast calling for solidarity in prayer for the Christians in the Middle East, after he read a special note from Cardinal Donald W. Wuerl of Washington, who was unable to attend.

"Let us also be mindful of so many of our brothers and sisters around the world who continue to face persecution and suffering on account of their faith," Bishop Dorsonville read from Cardinal Wuerl's message. "As our Holy Father, Pope Francis said, 'We must not resign ourselves to thinking of a Middle East without Christians who for 2,000 years have confessed the name of Jesus and have been fully integrated as citizens into the social cultural and religious life of the nations to which they belong.'"

Archbishop Broglio was the keynote speaker at the breakfast. Recalling the spirit of service displayed by so many men and women gone before us, he told the story of a military chaplain, Father Joseph Lafleur of Louisiana, who gave his life while saving others on a prison ship.

"If we were to survey the history of the church, and look at the lives of the saints, we would discover men and women who built on their virtues, to reflect the authenticity of their faith. The same thing has an impact on the nation," Archbishop Broglio said. "To quote a respected cardinal, 'A good Catholic is a good American because the practice of virtue also leads to good citizenship and there is no dichotomy between faith and life if we cultivate and practice virtue.' Each of us has the potential to rebuild our society and our world if we cultivate authentic virtue."

He went on to call Catholics to return to lives of virtue, both acting rightly and giving of themselves to others.

"We build for a new tomorrow when we draw from that wellspring of virtue," Archbishop Broglio said.

Mother Olga of the Sacred Heart, founder of the Daughters of Mary of Nazareth, also spoke as a special guest. Mother Olga spoke of her love for God and her love for others, which drives all that she does, specifically her service in America through missions and her founding of the Daughters of Mary Nazareth back in 2011.

Born and raised in Iraq, Mother Olga's love for America led to her becoming an American citizen.

"Here in America we take pride in our democracy," Mother Olga said. "The true democracy and the strength of our democracy should not only be seen as an expression of the political minds of the people, but also in our embrace of our own identity as Americans and appreciation of the religious roots of our foundation of a nation."

She said that it is out of love that she is committed to the United States and those who serve the country.

"May our gathering today as people who love God and this country be a renewed commitment to renew the spirit of cooperation which has accomplished so much good through the history of our nation," Mother Olga said. "May the fruit of today's prayer for our nation be a grace for our people to experience a new birth of freedom, freedom planted with faith, grounded in hope, nourished by love in the soil of truth."

Read more here:

Pence addresses religious freedom at National Catholic Prayer Breakfast - Catholic News Service

WOODBRIDGE, Va. - A northern Virginia school district is doing damage control after their own administrators targeted two Muslim students for wearing their hijabs at school.

The controversy boiled over last week at Freedom High school in Woodbridge, when two students were called into their principals office for wearing their hijabs. The schools administrators were apparently unaware that students are allowed to wear the head coverings at school for religious reasons, without the need for a note.

Prince William County Public Schools posted an apology online, saying they regret the circumstances that led an administrator to question students about wearing a hijab, or ask for proof of their religious reasons.

She said, You guys need to carry around a note at all times because some of the students at the school wear hijabs or headscarves because they didn't lay down their edges, or take out their tracks. That's what she told me, said Haja Bah, one of two Muslim students who say they have been harassed by administrators for wearing their hijabs.

I would wear the hijab to school and administrators would stop me in the hallway, and they would say, Ok you need to take off your hijab. Do you have a note? And I would say no, and they were like, You have to get a note, or else theyre going to send you home, said Fatmata Mansaray, the other student. Both girls are seniors at Freedom High School.

Mansaray says even having a note on file didnt stop the questions from administrators. Instead, they told her she had to have the note with herand not just on fileto wear her hijab.

Bah says the tipping point was Thursday, during Ramadan, when she says the schools assistant principal approached her as she was sitting outside with friends.

She was like, You in the purple hijab, you need to take it off. If you dont take it off, youre going to get sent home, Bah said. She refused, telling the administrator she was fasting and it was her religion.

The next day after school, people started protesting with me. People who are not even Muslim were wearing hijabs as well to protest with us, Bah said. That's when I felt like they apologized because it was getting a lot of attention.

The attention was fueled by this Mansaray's Twitter post that caught the eye of the district's associate superintendent, who immediately scolded Freedom's administration reminding them their actions were inconsistent with the Prince William County Public Schools' commitment to diversity and religious freedom.

The district has since apologized to anyone it may have offended.

In a statement posted online, Prince William County Schools said the following:

We regret the circumstances that led a Freedom High School administrator to question students about wearing a hijab or ask for proof of their religious reasons. The request was inconsistent with the PWCS commitment to diversity and religious freedom, and we apologize to anyone it may have offended.

Prince William County Public Schools believe diversity and self-expression are fundamental to the strength of our community. The individual and a Division administrator are already reaching out to apologize to the students and families involved.

This situation spotlights a regrettable inconsistency between our official policies and beliefs, and the reality of how things are sometimes done. That inconsistency will end. We are committed to using this incident as an opportunity to ensure that respect for diversity, religious freedom and self-expression are practiced and evident every day and at every school.

FOX 5 asked for a response to these specific incidences, but a spokesperson refused to respond, saying, They will not respond, point by point, on the situation.

FOX 5 has learned that both girls families are considering legal action.

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Freedom High students targeted for wearing hijabs, school district apologizes - FOX 5 DC

GENEVA In contrast to several positive developments in part of the region with respect to democracy, rule of law and human rights, Japan is falling back. Despite consistent concerns from the opposition and civil society on the potential impacts on civil rights, such as freedom of expression, assembly and association, the Abe administration is stubbornly pushing for the adoption of the so-called anti-conspiracy bill without seeking consensus in the Diet. The draft legislation is widely criticized for its broad scope, which leaves worrying room for arbitrary use of the legislation against ordinary people.

The United Nations Special Rapporteur on the right to privacy, Joseph Cannataci, recently sent a letter to Prime Minister Shinzo Abe to share his serious concerns on the bills possible negative impacts on human rights. Since the draft laws definition of an organized criminal group is too broad, the U.N. rights expert raised specific concerns in his letter on the potential restrictions on non-governmental organizations, especially on those working in areas of national security.

The draft bill could jeopardize the work of many human rights and environmental NGOs if the authorities use it against NGOs critical of the government in order to surveil, or worse, criminalize their work. Yet among Japanese civil society, many feel that Okinawa, the prefecture encompassing the countrys southernmost islands, is particularly threatened, because environmental and rights groups are energetically fighting against the governments project to build a new U.S. military base.

Critics fear that a planned new base in Henoko in the northern part of Okinawa Island will lead to environmental destruction and human rights violations as well as the exposure of the islands as a military target. Many Okinawans carry bitter memories of the Battle of Okinawa, during which a quarter of the local population was lost in the last phase of the Pacific War because the islands were forced to serve as the Japans final line of defense.

Since the local civil society facilitates protests against the Henoko base construction and demands the maximum possible access to information concerning the militarys activities in order to assess impacts on their rights, the work of Okinawan civil society groups can be arbitrary interpreted as threatening Japans national security.

Dozens to hundreds of protesters gather around the Henoko construction site on land and at sea on a daily basis. Among them is Hiroji Yamashiro, the chairperson of the Okinawa Peace Movement Center, who has been a longtime leader of non-violent protests. His personal commitments to peace, human rights and environmental protection for the islands have turned him into a symbol of the resistance in Okinawa. Yet at the same time, he has been targeted by the authorities because of this leadership role.

In late 2016, he was arrested on minor charges multiple times in two months. As requests for bail were repeatedly turned down, he was detained for five months under exceptionally restrictive conditions. He was not allowed to meet anyone except lawyers, supposedly due to the risk of destruction of evidence. His wife finally managed to see him in detention for the first time after four and a half months, shortly before his release in March.

The retroactive arrests and prolonged detention were condemned by civil society as arbitrary measures to spread a chilling effect and discourage the protest movement. However, many say that the Yamashiros case is just the tip of the iceberg.

Under the Abe administration, media freedom has been struggling. Japan ranks 72nd for press freedom among 180 countries, the lowest for a Group of Seven country, representing a dramatic drop from 11th in 2010 at the time of the previous government led by the Democratic Party of Japan. Journalists critically covering the Okinawan issues are often portrayed as anti-Japan by influential figures, leading to undermining of the countrys media freedom. Two local newspapers, the Ryukyu Shimpo and the Okinawa Times, are the most targeted among the Okinawan media. Due to their critical coverage of the Japanese governments policies on U.S. military facilities, the newspapers and their reporters are constantly attacked by conservative lawmakers and their allies.

One of the notorious examples is the so-called Hyakuta incident. Naoki Hyakuta, a best-selling writer and close friend of Abe, was invited to a study session in June 2015 organized by junior politicians in the ruling Liberal Democratic Party. The attendees included then-Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary Katsunobu Kato and Koichi Hagiuda, a special adviser to Abe at that time. Though the study session was to discuss the revision of the Constitution, the participants went further to have a heated debate on how to punish media outlets critical of the government. The novelist attacked the two Okinawan newspapers by saying, The two Okinawan newspapers must be destroyed. I believe if some of the islands in Okinawa [Prefecture] were to be invaded by China, although such a thing should not happen, they will awake from their sleep. No lawmaker present at the session questioned the remark; many endorsed it. Although this incident sparked outrage within and outside Okinawa, the regression of freedom of expression did not stop.

Last week, another United Nations human rights expert released a report on Japan, sending a serious alert about the countrys bitter reality when it comes to freedom of expression. While the special rapporteur on the freedom of expression, David Kaye, refrained from touching on the draft anti-conspiracy bill, he identified significant worrying signals that undermine Japans democratic foundations. In addition to his concerns on the lack of political will to ensure media independence and access to information, Kaye specifically pointed out the situation in Okinawa, saying he found the availability of space for dissent and access to information for those throughout Japan about the situation there is restricted. The Japanese government bluntly rejected the U.N. rights experts views.

Whenever questions are raised on the situation of freedom of expression, the Abe administration repeats the claim like a broken record that Japans Constitution guarantees human rights. However, objective observations by human rights experts are shedding light on the different sides of the country. In describing his detention after being released, Yamashiro revealed the countrys bitter reality: I was detained for such a long time baselessly. I believe that was intended to intimidate Okinawans.

In any democratic country, such a high price should not have to be paid for dissent. Pressures within and outside the country are intensifying for the Abe government to make substantial steps to create a society where everyone can embrace the right to freedom of expression without fearing any consequences.

Taisuke Komatsu is a human rights advocate working as the U.N. advocacy coordinator of the International Movement Against All Forms of Discrimination and Racism. 2017, The Diplomat, distributed by Tribune Content Agency

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Freedom of expression under siege in Okinawa - The Japan Times

The Missouri Primate Foundation in Festus, Missouri, is not new to controversy. Animal advocacy group PETA has been targeting the non-profit for some time now, alleging that it houses chimpanzees in small cages and filthy conditionsand thatowner Connie Braun Casey has "been repeatedly cited by the government for violations of federal animal-welfare regulations."

Now Hollywood is coming to the rescue.

Twenty years ago, actor Alan Cumming starred in a film with one of the chimps currently residing at the Missouri Primate Foundation. Tonka appeared in the 1997 film Buddy, which also features Rene Russo and Robbie Coltrane. And now Cumming, who is also a longtime PETA supporter, has sent a letter to Casey asking her to free the aging chimp and his fellow residents.

"My character had many scenes with him, and we developed a very close camaraderie during the months when we filmed. By the end of the shoot, his trainers let him groom me. It was a special friendship one I'll always treasure," Cummings writes.

He goes on to say that he'd hoped to see Tonka a year later at the movie's premiere but was told Tonka wasn't manageable anymore and had been "retired to Palm Springs." He pictured Tonka living in a sprawling sanctuary and was horrified to learn that wasn't the case.

"I just learned, though, that Tonka didn't end up at a sanctuary in Palm Springs but inside a cage in Festus, where he isn't ableto have complex social relationships with other chimpanzees and doesn't have meaningful outdoor access to run, climb, or play," Cumming writes.

Whether the letter from the famous activist will lead to changes is anyone's guess. But odds don't seem high. When PETA began targeting and threatened to sue the Missouri Primate Foundation in late 2016, the facility countered back by filing a lawsuit against PETA on December 30. That litigation continues in federal court.

You can read Cumming's letter to the Missouri Primate Foundation in its entirety below.

Greetings from New York. I'm writing to you about a mutual friend: Tonka.

I worked closely with him on the 1997 film Buddy. My character had many scenes with him, and we developed a very close camaraderie during the months when we filmed. By the end of the shoot, his trainers let him groom me. It was a special friendshipone I'll always treasure. I hoped to see Tonka the following year at the film's premiere but was told that he was no longer manageable and had been "retired to Palm Springs." Over the past 20 years, I imagined him living out his post-Hollywood years on a sprawling sanctuary.

I just learned, though, that Tonka didn't end up at a sanctuary in Palm Springs but inside a cage in Festus, where he isn't able to have complex social relationships with other chimpanzees and doesn't have meaningful outdoor access to run, climb, or play.

Connie, even though we've never met, I believe in my heart that you feel great affection for Tonka and the other chimpanzees at MPF. But lifetime care for a dozen sophisticated, intelligent chimpanzees requires a teamand terrain where they can roam and socialize. As an old friend of Tonka's, I respectfully ask that you allow him and the chimpanzees at MPF to be sent to accredited sanctuaries where they can enjoy some semblance of the life that nature intended for them.

I hope to hear from you soon.

Kindest regards,

Alan Cumming

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Missouri Chimp Gets Hollywood Help in His Quest for Freedom - Riverfront Times (blog)

As the Trump administration returns to business as usual following the presidents first overseas travel, we are left to review the outcomes and mitigate the fallout of his venture. Some foreign policy experts will focus on new possibilities in the Middle East, while others wonder of the impact that President Trump may have on future relations with Europe and NATO. One thing is very clear: despite the growing rift between the U.S. administration and our Western European allies, we need to meet the challenge of a resurgent Russia by re-energizing and expanding critical partnerships along the "front lines of freedom" countries.

These "front lines," comprised of the former Eastern bloc countries and Soviet satellite states such as Latvia, Estonia, Bulgaria and Ukraine, have played an essential role in promoting American interests since the early 1990s. A major influence on these countries' democratization is a program that receives little beltway fanfare: the National Guards State Partnership Program.

The partnerships bring allies to the U.S. for exercises and training and, perhaps most importantly in this day of Russian aggression, place our National Guard side-by-side with our democratic allies on the front lines. In this role, we make it clear that these small democracies - some only the size of Maryland - are not alone as they face the enormity of growing Russian aggression in the region.

It's no surprise, given the president's penchant for Russian favor, that the countries directly facing Moscow and its military head-on might wonder about their future and our commitment to these front lines of freedom. That is why I believe it is critical that the people of the United States reaffirm our commitment to this vital program. We must recommit ourselves to continued U.S. partnership and presence in the region through joint exercises and showing the U.S. flag. We must make the call to ensure that the military equipment of our National Guard and these partner nations is interoperable and compatible. All the commitment in the world would be rendered meaningless if we can't coordinate and maneuver effectively with our allies on the front lines.

What realistic steps can each of us take to help secure our allies and this important front line of freedom? Each of us can thank our National Guard for the important work that they do in this program. You also can support the program by speaking to your governor and congressional representatives and expressing the value that you place in facing Russian aggression. Be sure to tell them that more frequent National Guard exercises in those countries and up-to-date equipment for our National Guard and partner nations is critical.

President Trump is correct in pointing out to our NATO allies that freedom is not free, but we all should remember that it is more than a percentage of GDP for our allies in Europe it is truly the security of their backdoor as they sit on the frontline of freedom.

Todd A.Weileris a former assistant secretary of Defense under the Obama administration and deputy assistant secretary under President Clinton. He is a decorated combat veteran, currently consults on military and civilian personnel issues.

The views expressed by contributors are their own and are not the views of The Hill.

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For America's European allies, NATO is the frontline of freedom - The Hill (blog)

The petition has since garnered thousands of signatures

THOUSANDS of people have called for Ariana Grande to be honoured by Manchester after the pop star returned to the city in a show of love and defiance.

The singerraised millions of pounds through her charity gigon Sunday night, paying tribute to the 22 victims killed outside her concert barely two weeks ago.

AP:Associated Press

Getty Images

Rex Features

The City of Manchester has since banded together to recognise the young singers heartfelt response to the terror attack, with a petition springing up, calling for Ariana to be granted a Freedom of the City.

The petition read: Ariana Grande has inspired people up and down the country with her selfless acts of kindness.

She didnt need to return to Manchester (after all she was a victim herself) but tonight she did and brought the nation to tears and for that I feel she should be granted Freedom of the City of Manchester.

Dave Hogan

More than 11,000 people have since signed the petition, which will be delivered to the council and Mayor of the city, Andy Burnham.

One supporter wrote: "Arianna is a inspiration in how we should act against the terrorists.

"We stand up and show love and smile every day! She is only 23 years old and to do what she has done for Manchester, She deserves this honour."

Another wrote: "Ariana put on a show that demonstrated our strength and solidarity."

Joined by fellow stars including Justin Bieber, Katy Perry and Miley Cyrus,Ariana told the crowd of 50,000 fans to not be cowed by the terror attack, and instead to choose love.

A Manchester City Council spokesman said: "We are grateful to Ariana Grande for her tremendous support for the city in the aftermath of the Manchester Arena attack.

"There are thousands of people who have made a significant contribution in the past two weeks, including our emergency services and hospital staff, and the city will want to find a suitable way of recognising them all in due course."

Ariana has even embraced the symbol of Manchester - a worker bee - by having the motif tattooed on her body after her concert.

She took time out to visit her fans in hospital who had been injured in the terror attack outside the Manchester Arena during her time in the UK.

All proceeds from the concert will go towards the victims and their families.

During Sunday night's One Love concert in Manchester, Ariana - who organised the fundraising event - paid an emotional tribute to those who had lost their lives.

BBC

Ariana said: I want to thank you all for being here today. Thank you for being here and being so loving and strong.

I love you guys so much the kind of love and unity you are showing is the medicine the world needs right now. I want to thank you for coming. I love you so much.

We have launched our Together With Manchester appeal to raise money for families of the victims of the Arena bomb. News UK, publisher of The Sun, has made a corporate donation of 100,000 to the appeal.

Here's how you can show your support....

ONLINE: http://www.justgiving.com/TogetherWithManchester

TEXT: Text TWMC50 and amount to 70070 eg TWMC50 5 (you can donate 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 or 10)

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Thousands call for Ariana Grande to be given Freedom of Manchester after One Love concert for bombing victims ... - The Sun

WHEN President Abraham Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation that granted freedom to Americas slaves in September of 1862, it was supposed to go into effect January 1, 1863.

Out on the westernmost outposts of the Civil War, however, no one got the memo for another two and a half years.

With sketchy communication channels and not enough Union troops to enforce the order even when it arrived, the slaves of Texas didnt know they were free until Maj. Gen. Gordon Granger arrived in Galveston to announce the end of the war on June 19, 1965.

The people of Texas are informed that, in accordance with a proclamation from the Executive of the United States, all slaves are free, read Gordon from General Order No. 3.

The freedmenare advised to remain quietly at their present homes and work for wages.

Most chose not to heed that advice, tossing aside their tasks and spilling into the streets to sing and rejoice that the cruelty and inhumanity of slavery had finally come to an end. Their joy was so memorable that the date became an annual holiday known as Juneteenth, a new tradition for a people tentatively exercising autonomy for the first time.

Some headed back to the former Confederate states to seek out family members theyd been ripped away from, others headed north to start new lives. In many cases, they were met with difficulty and bigotry, but the memory of Juneteenth served as beacon of hope.

Settling into these new areas as free men and women brought on new realities andthe challenges of establishing a heretofore non-existent status for black people in America, writes Cliff Robertson on Juneteenth.com.

Recounting the memories of that great day in June of 1865 and its festivities would serve as motivation as well as a release from the growing pressures encountered in their new territory.

Juneteenth celebrations waned in the early 1900s as new generations cleaved to Fourth of July to celebrate independence, but the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s brought a renewed fervor in African American communities to commemorate the day their enslaved ancestors claimed their freedom.

Savannahs Juneteenth traditions continue to follow the emphasis to educate about and promote African American culture and history through a variety of events that remind reminders of all that has been accomplished since the shackles fell.

Telfair Museums begins its annual Juneteeth program every year with libations poured on the steps of the Jepson Center to acknowledge those ancestors, followed by an afternoon of storytelling, song and interactive activities that bring history into the hands of all who attend. This years Free Family Day on Saturday, June 10 cedes the stage to the fast feet and rollicking rhythms of the Abeni Cultural Arts Performing Dance Studio, followed by the sonorous reverence of the Men of St. John The Mighty Fortress choir.

To connect Savannahs history to the African diaspora, the Telfair will also welcome a special guest. Jamaican author, attorney and activist Miguel Lorne will deliver a lecture about Rev. George Liele, a former slave freed before the Revolutionary War who went on to become the first American missionary.

In The Journey of Rev. George Liele: From Savannah Baptist to Rastafari, Lorne will discuss how Liele, a gifted preacher, founded the First Bryan Baptist Church and the First African Baptist Churchboth of which still exist downtownbefore moving to Jamaica to do missionary work in 1782, where he helped lay the groundwork of the Rastafari faith. The lecture is free and open to the public. [NOTE: The June 8 lecture has been postponed due to travel issues and will be rescheduled]

The following week on Saturday, June 17, the Juneteenth Festival at 38th Street Park will also link history to present day triumphs. Sponsored by the Daughters of Mary Magdalene, this homegrown celebration brings together local griots to recount the story of Juneteenth along with hip hop artist and actor Torion Sellers, who has under his belt a part in Barbershop 2: The Next Cut and a hit single, Twerk Dont Hurt.

Toots for Books will be collecting good reads to donate at the family-oriented park picnic, and all attendees are encouraged to make a plate and eat for free. The outdoor atmosphere is casual and welcoming, meant to bring Juneteenths inspiring message to one of Savannahs oldest African American neighborhoods.

Our main focus is to always keep the Juneteenth Festival in the urban community because most of our people are living in the underserved community and need cultural events like [this], explains Ivan Cohen, one the event organizers.

We honor local ordinary people who exemplify extraordinary character.

Later that Saturday, some of the local ordinary people who showed extraordinary courage during the Civil Rights era will be back at the beach. In 1960, Savannah icon and activist W.W. Law led a group of African American teenagers to Tybee Island to exercise their right to swim in the ocean. Over the next few years, a series of wade-ins became a hallmark of Savannahs relatively peaceful protest actions, empowering a generation to claim their rights.

Some of those original waders will join the action group Tybee MLK to recreate this act of civil disobedience in honor of Juneteenth, starting from the North Beach Grill at 3pm. Retired Tybee city councilman Mallory Pearce will don his Abraham Lincoln hat and read the Emancipation Proclamation, tying together the end of slavery and the ongoing struggle for equality, dignity and liberty.

[Its] a needed celebration because the Fourth of July doesnt tell the whole story, reminds Julia Pearce, Tybee MLK coordinator.

It took the end of the war to turn the words into law.

While the law of the land guarantees freedom for all, it is easy to forget that it wasnt always so. Commemorating Juneteenth as an essential part of American history teaches us to remember.

cs

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Juneteenth means freedom all month long - Connect Savannah.com

Aisha Hinds (Manny Carabel/Getty Images)

Last week, WGN America announced that it had canceled the critically acclaimed and riveting historical drama Underground. Allegedly moving in a more conservative, programming direction, the network is leaving behind a show that introduced millions of viewers to the relatively unknown network.

As the cast and crew confirmed and responded to the news, outraged fans#TeamNoalee, #TeamStine and #TeamTubmanimmediately responded with #SaveUnderground.

The push to find a new home for this show is largely due to its dynamism. The show is singular and remarkable in its approach to telling the stories about enslaved and freed black people in the 19th century. From its complex characters, stellar performances, breathtaking soundtrack and rich storytelling, each episode feels like a multitextured journey.

The liberties taken with historical accuracy do not compromise the integrity of truth telling and historical precision as it pertains to slavery and resistance. Pitting the notorious Patty Cannon against the Black Rose and one of the greatest heroines in American history, Harriet Tubman, was an incredible fictionalized remix of true stories of fugitive, formerly enslaved people and the inhumanity of slave catchers and owners. Its hard to imagine Wednesday nights without the resistive spirit and depths of ancestral pain that Underground has provided.

Although our nation is built upon white supremacy, this current era of anti-blackness and racial terror warrants as many sites of radical resistance and freedom dreaming as possible. Undeniably, Undergroundwith its unapologetic commitment to telling the truth about genocide, abolition and revolutionfills and exceeds that role.

In an exclusive conversation with Aisha Hinds, this seasons breakout performer in her role as Tubman, we discussed at length the significance of a television show based on black resistancespecifically against this contemporary sociopolitical landscapeand the centrality of black women to our freedom-fighter past and our futures.

Were still dealing with such oppression, and so I think that its necessary for Harriets spirit to revisit us and to remind us that there are Harriets within us, Hinds told The Root.

Shes come back to sort of give us the playbook on how to strategize, on how to pray, on how to be guided and how to prioritize whats necessary, and how to eventually take those selfless acts and be willing to die for the causes that are important to moving us forward, she continued.

Worth dying for, yes. Tubman believed that black lives, black bodies and black souls were worth fighting forworth dying for and worth living for. The Generals actual practice was #BlackLivesMatter, generations before the radical black women at the core of this movement would proclaim the same.

Underground is clear in its purpose: to expose the reality that when it comes to white supremacyand the ways in which black people have always resisted oppressionpast is often prologue. In many ways, Underground reminds us that the past is not even past. It encourages us to fight unrelentingly for radical black futures.

Over the last few years, I have spent a lot of time thinking, talking and writing about the war on

The shows creative team completed filming the second season prior to the election of Donald Trump. And yet, so many aspects of this season felt timely and passionately responsive to the current rise of fascism and the emergence of a more emboldened and explicit white supremacist political agenda. The battleground has changed, but white supremacy is indeed unrelenting and reinvents itself and its logics through new technologies and systems rooted in anti-blackness.

With the exception of the notable historical figures depicted on Underground, all of the characters are ordinary people who survive the unsurvivable and fight seemingly unwinnable battles. Their visions of freedom shift and expand in differing ways as they experience the breadth and ubiquity of white supremacy. Their ideas about liberation change as they learn more about themselves and about a country indebted to black suffering, labor and death. They are not perfect; nor do they have to be.

One of the first truths that [Harriet] speaks in the Minty episode is when she says, I was born and raised like a neglected weed, Hinds said.

The idea that this woman was an ordinary womanshe wasnt born into the amount of acclaim that she later went on to receive; she was born into circumstances that didnt even consider her humanso the fact that this ordinary woman was able to rise up against insurmountable odds and do this extraordinary thing ... spoke to me and encouraged me and inspired me, that in all of my ordinariness, there is something extraordinary that Ive been planted on this earth to do, Hinds continued.

The imperfections of the characters, coupled with their fluid and still-forming radical imaginations, are profoundly instructive to those of us organizing, mobilizing, teaching, writing, coding and creating in the era of the Movement for Black Lives. Not all will be on board with freedom work. Our visions of freedom work will vary. But an underlying theme of the show and of radical black liberation struggles is that freedom for all of us is nonnegotiable. We dont get to opt out; the stakes have always been too high.

We may have to make some sacrifices and be willing to be uncomfortable if were going to do something that is bigger than us, that goes beyond our own selfish desires, Hinds said. Ultimately, its true that nobody is free until all of us are free. We need to adopt that ideology because where we are right now ... were still very much in radical pursuit of liberty, even as the fullness of our existence remains compromised and in constant jeapardy.

The shows contemporary relevance is both haunting and enlightening, specifically because of its commitment to bearing witness to the horrors of white supremacy as well as the vitality of black resistance. Creative resistance is one of the many tools we have in combating oppression, something that Hinds became increasingly aware of as she moved deeper into her role.

As a person, as an actor, it truly has been transformative for me, Hinds said. It has elevated me as a human being. It has elevated me as an artist. It certainly has revealed to me how important it is that we as artists use our platforms purposefully. That is what our ancestors, our freedom fighters and truth tellers, risked their lives to dolived and loved and fought with purpose again and again.

#SaveUnderground matters because the shows cast and crew were and are unapologetically committed to telling our stories. From an artistic standpoint, Underground is phenomenal. The shows commitment to a radical, black, freedom-fighting imagination, though, is what makes it invaluable.

Underground is the show, the freedom-dreaming experience, the ancestral battle cry, that we didnt know we needed.

Treva B. Lindsey, Ph.D., is an associate professor of womens, gender and sexuality studies at the Ohio State University. She is the inaugural Equity for Women and Girls of Color Fellow at Harvard University. Follow her on Twitter.

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#SaveUnderground: Aisha Hinds on Freedom Dreams and Revolutionary Art - The Root

Barbara Ntumy calls the claims a 'fabrication' insisting she made the comments about an Israeli attack on Gaza which left thousands dead

A LEADING supporter of Jeremy Corbyn has been blasted for describing Islamic terrorists as freedom fighters following a suicide attack in 2012.

The Mail On Sunday reports that activist Barbara Ntumy tweeted out the extraordinary statement after a depraved attack in Afghanistan.

She wrote: one mans [sic] Jihadist/Terrorist is another mans Freedom Fighter. #JustSaying.

Ms Ntumy, a member of the National Union of Students executive, introduced Labour Leader Corbyn last week when he announced his race and faith manifesto in Watford.

Speaking with the Mail On Sunday, Ms Ntumy said: I absolutely 100 per cent condemn terrorism.

The activist has also defended her comments in a blog post in which she calls the Mails article a fabrication.

She insists that rather than commenting on the attack in Afghanistan she made the remarks after Israels seven week long military campaign in Gaza.

That Israeli offensive left 2,251 Palestinians dead in 2012.

Ms Ntumy wrote: I explained that, like many others at the time, I was tweeting in response to Israels assault on Gaza and that I condemn terrorism and have always done so.

I believe it is important to support Palestinian Human rights.

This revelation comes as Corbyn has had to continually defend his previous links to IRA supporters in the 1980s and 1990s.

In February, a BNP member launched a hate-filled rant at Ntumy on Channel 4 news telling her he hoped she didnt get raped by a Syrian refugee.

Far-right activist Jack Buckby, who infamously stood in the by-election for murdered Labour MP Jo Coxs seat last year, was taking part in a debate about the so-called alt-right.

The crackpot right-winger drew audible gasps in the studio during a live discussion with Barbara Ntumy a member of National Union of Students Black Students Campaign.

Buckby produced a refugee application form and said: You know what, put your money where your mouth is Syrian refugees application form.

Take one home, take in a Syrian refugee. I hope you dont get raped.

We pay for your stories! Do you have a story for The Sun Online news team? Email us at tips@the-sun.co.uk or call 0207 782 4368

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Leading Corbyn supporter 'compared Islamic terrorists to freedom fighters after Afghanistan attack in 2012' - The Sun

Human rights and press freedom organizations have turned their attention to Egypt after the countrys authorities blocked access to 21 news websites last month.

Following the May 24 incident, Access Now and the SKeyes Center for Media and Cultural Freedom, two global press freedom organizations, sent out a joint letter to Egyptian authorities condemning the action and urging them to reopen access to the websites.

As members of civil society working for the free flow of information and digital access and freedom, we strongly condemn blocking access to these 21 websites by the countrys authorities, the statement read. Such action is an act of censorship and infringement on the freedom of expression and information. Independent media must not pay the price of current political disputes between countries in the regionsuch as that between Egypt and Qatar.

According to the Associated Press, the website blackout came after Bahrain, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates blocked access to websites run by the Qatari-funded network Al-Jazeera following an alleged hacking of the agency and a fake news report.

Qatar has experienced growing tensions with other countries in the region following concerns of the countrys ties with the Muslim Brotherhood, a Sunni Islamist group considered a terrorist organization by Egypt, Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Syria, according to NPR.

Egypt itself has also experienced tension with Qatar since the countrys backing of former Egyptian President and member of the Muslim Brotherhood Mohammed Morsi in 2013, according to The Guardian. After Morsi was ousted, many journalists from the Qatari-backed Al-Jazeera were arrested.

In addition to Al-Jazeera, Egypt also blocked access to HuffPost Arabi and independent news site Mada Masar, a publication credited with exposing corruption and regarded as critical of the Egyptian government, according to Voice of America. The two publications have turned to their social media sites to communicate with their readers.

The Guardian states that the full list of sites blocked has not been released, but the state-run news agency Mena declared that 21 news websites were blocked for spreading lies and supporting terrorism. Mena also stated that legal action will be taken against the news websites in the near future.

Responding to Egyptian authorities, Access Now and SKeyes said in their joint statement that since Egypt has ratified the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), the country should only limit free speech if the restrictions are strictly necessary and proportionate to achieve a legitimate purpose. After concluding that the measures taken by Egyptian authorities violated the treaty, the organizations called upon the Egyptian government to restore access to the banned news websites.

Nineteen other human rights and press freedom organizations signed the statement, including the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ). CPJ Middle East and North Africa Program Coordinator Sherif Mansour stated that while Egypt is usually characterized by low levels of press freedom, the blocking of these websites is particularly troubling.

Broad censorship of news websites represents a new low in Egypts lamentable record on press freedom, Mansour said in a CPJ article. Egyptian authorities should cease blocking news websites and should allow the media to do its job unimpeded.

While the 2011 Arab Spring Revolution was known for its use of citizen journalism, conditions for journalists have grown worse in Egypt since then. Egypt currently ranks 161 out of 180 on the World Press Freedom Index, and its press is labeled as not free by Freedom House.

Egypts constitution, adopted in 2014, states that freedom of thought, opinion and expression are granted to its citizens and that all forms of media censorship, including the suspension and closure of outlets, should be banned.

However, the constitution also states that media censorship is allowed in times of war or general mobilization, and journalists can be imprisoned for crimes related to the incitement of violence, discrimination and defamation. A recent counterterrorism law also bans the dissemination of material that contradicts accounts of military attacks by the Defense Ministry.

As a result of these limitations and the government crackdown on journalists under President Abdel Fattah al-Sisis regime, Egypt was ranked the second-worst jailer of journalists in 2015 according to the CPJs prison census from that year.

Recent regime actions in Egypt show a developing trend of media suppression and endangerment to journalists, especially in todays tenuous political circumstances in the region.

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Egypt Blocks Access to News Websites, Raising Press Freedom Concerns - MediaFile

The Florence Freedom, presented by Titan Mechanical Solutions, jumped out to an early lead against the Evansville Otters and never looked back, taking the series two games to one with a 10-3 victory on Sunday night at UC Health Stadium.

With two runners on base in the bottom of the first inning, Jordan Brower delivered a two-run double off Otters (10-11) starter Shane Weedman (1-2), and Connor Teykl followed with a double to score Brower. The two-RBI double came as part of a four-hit, four-RBI performance for Brower, who has now hit in 10 straight games, the longest hitting streak by a Freedom (16-5) player this season.

Teykl and Daniel Fraga contributed three hits each, as eight of the nine players in Florences starting lineup collected at least one hit. Fraga also stole two bases in the contest, and Collins Cuthrell led the way with three runs scored, as the Freedom won their fifth of the last six games.

In his fifth straight start, Jordan Kraus (4-1) pitched seven innings, limiting Evansvilles scoring to solo home runs by Jeff Gardner and Dane Phillips.

The Otters got a RBI-single from Mitchell Ho in the eighth inning against reliever Kyle Doerr, but despite recording a total of 12 hits, Evansville managed just three runs in the series finale.

The Freedom will next host the Schaumburg Boomers for the first time this season, beginning with a doubleheader Wednesday at UC Health Stadium. First pitch of the first game is scheduled for 5:35 p.m., as Tony Vocca starts for the Freedom against Schaumburgs Gunnar Kines. Florences Marty Anderson will oppose the Boomers Aryton Costa in the second game.

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.

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Freedom take rubber game of series with Otters, improve Frontier League-leading record to 16-5 - User-generated content (press release) (registration)

FrontPage Magazine

Video: The Freedom Center and the White House FrontPage Magazine A note from David Horowitz: On Sunday, the Washington Post published a lengthy profile of me and the David Horowitz Freedom Center, motivated by leftwing bias and framed in a perverse and calculatedly destructive way around the issue of our 501c3 ... and more »

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Video: The Freedom Center and the White House - FrontPage Magazine

PORT ANGELES Classic World War II planes will return to the North Olympic Peninsula this month as the Wings of Freedom Tour lands in Port Angeles on June 21.

The vintage warbirds will be featured at William R. Fairchild Memorial Airport from June 21-23.

Members of the public can walk-through or fly in the B-17 Flying Fortress, B-24 Liberator, B-25 Mitchell or P-51 Mustang as part of the Collings Foundations 110-city nationwide living history display.

This years tour stop the eighth in Port Angeles since 2004 will feature more activities on the tarmac with a vintage car show, live music, no-host barbecue, hot air balloon, dragster and possibly a Coast Guard helicopter.

The Port [of Port Angeles] wanted to help support the Wings of Freedom with a little more involvement than in past years, said Dan Gase, real estate and business manager for the port, which operates the airport.

The events will take place the afternoon and evening of June 21, a Wednesday.

Longtime Wings of Freedom Area Coordinator Alan Barnard said the theme for this years stop in Port Angeles is Salute to Veterans.

I want to have a 100 percent focus on veterans, Barnard told Clallam County commissioners Tuesday.

Barnard, who received a proclamation recognizing Wings of Freedom Days, said the idea is to tell the story of the cost of freedom through these airplanes.

The airplanes are cool, but the airplanes are part of the story, Barnard said.

Barnard is making arrangements for local World War II veterans to ride on the airplanes for free.

Every visit I look for opportunities to communicate between World War II veterans and our younger people, to put them together, to create dialogue where our younger people realize, I hope, a little better why we have what we have today, Barnard told commissioners.

And had it not been for the brave men and women of our armed forces in the past, in all wars, we would be looking at a totally different country than we have today.

The cost of entry to Wings of Freedom is $15 for adults and $5 for children 12 and younger.

Half-hour flights on the B-25 are $400 per person. Half-hour flights on the B-17 or B-24 are $450 per person.

Flight training with stick time on the P-51 fighter is $2,200 for 30 minutes or $3,200 for an hour.

Since the Massachusetts-based Collings Foundation is a nonprofit, the majority of the flights are tax deductible, officials said.

The Wings of Freedom Tour previously stopped in Port Angeles in 2004, 2005, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2013 and 2015.

With help from the port, Barnard said this years tour stop has been ratcheted up with more events after the planes arrive.

We wanted to help raise it a bit and just have a party for Port Angeles, said Gase, a Port Angeles City Council member and recent aerospace business development specialist for the port.

A big part of it is to help raise awareness of the airport.

The bomber and fighter aircraft are scheduled to arrive at William R. Fairchild from Bremerton at about noon June 21.

The barbecue, hosted by the Port Angles Red Lion, will be in the west block hanger from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. June 21.

The band Fat Chance will perform in an adjacent hanger from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m., Gase said.

The car show will be in front of the terminal throughout the day June 21. Classic, vintage or show car owners are welcome to participate.

For information on the Wings of Freedom tour, click on the Collings Foundation website at http://www.cfdn.org.

________

Reporter Rob Ollikainen can be reached at 360-452-2345, ext. 56450, or at rollikainen@peninsuladailynews.com.

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World War II planes to come to Peninsula with Wings of Freedom Tour - Peninsula Daily News

Yaya Jammeh had a dream of recreating the ancient Kingdom of Kaabu, covering Foni, parts of Casamance and Guinea Bissau. Hence his links with the MFDC and elements within the goverment of Guinea Bissau. His current strategy is to create a new state within a state of The Fonis, centered around Kanilai as its capital.

Supported by a strong and violent elements in the Fonis, and the MFDC his strategy is (a) to put pressure on the Barrow government to remove ECOMIG forces (b) to create an independent State which I have called the Republic of Foni. This would be a pure Jola government underpinned by MFDC rebels in Casamance and headed by Yaya himself.

Such an outcome would mean that the South Bank of the Gambia River would be cut out of Gambia and become a foreign State from which he could wage war in both Casmance and The Gambia. Senegal could never tolerate such a situation, but without the agreement of the Barrow government would be in an impossible position. Gambia could survive, but all traffic would have to go via the North Bank or by air/river at constant threat of attack. This is a clear and current threat!

This situation need never have arisen had the coalition refused to negotiate with Yaya and allowed ECOMIG forces to attack and capture or better kill him. It is reported that they had 7000 troops, a warship and war planes but Yaya exploited the Gambian weakness of being afraid of violence and seeking peace at any price. The only way to deal with a snake terrorizing your house is to cut off the head! Gambia will never know peace so long as Yaya is alive on the face of this earth. You cannot send a man who is unwilling to die against a man who is willing to kill. Yaya and his diehards are determined to succeed in their plan or die trying. Recent events in Foni prove this point. As pointed out by Mai Fatty, they deliberately walked towards professional armed Senegalese troops armed with traditional weapons forcing them to fire. What choice did the the troops have? Run away? Stand and be chopped by cutlasses? Which fool thinks otherwise? Its the same mentality that kept Yaya in power for all those years. Bai Koh, Yalla Bahna.(Leave them, God is good)

The choices are very clear. Give Yaya what he wants or allow Senegalese troops (not ECOMIG) to go in and clean out the Fonis and destroy Jammehs fortress of Kanilai. Together they represent terminal cancer of the stomach to Gambia, requiring urgent surgery if the patient is to survive. The past 23 years and especially the elections have proved that Yaya can neither be negotiated with or trusted to keep a deal. On leaving he told his people that Ill be back!. He has always done what he said, or tried to get his way. Hes doing it again! Can we never learn?

The problem is neither Yaya nor Senegal, nor the residents of Foni. It is the Gambian mentality, peace at any price. The Gambian security forces are too weak and divided to undertake this task. ECOMIG forces are limited by protocols and their individual national governments. Only the Senegalese have the weapons, training and above all the motivation to deal with this problem. To them its up close and personal! As in January, and before, their hands are tied by Gambians. Its madness

The best opportunity was missed after Yaya refused to hand over power in January. All that was necessary was to order all residents of Kanilai to leave and bomb his home there. Yayas heart is Kanilai. Destroy it, with his Jalang and he will surrender, if not die. Sometimes it is necessary for one evil man to die so that others may live in peace. Both the Koran and Bible sanction this type of killing. It would be a judicial killing not murder. Instead innocent people in the Fonis are stepping on land mines and being killed. How many more have to die unnecessarily?

The primary responsibility of any government is the safety and protection of its people. The Barrow government seem to be very lax in this area and the blood of any more people killed in or by people of the Fonis should be on their hands. Power brings responsibility, not just a ride on the gravy train.

Mai Fatty has the right attitude and desire to do the job, but his government has neither the ability nor willpower to do the job. We are looking at a withdrawal of the Fonis from the Republic of the Gambia at the instigation of Yaya Jammeh from exile. If not stopped now, Gambia could bleed to a slow death over many years through an unwinnable civil war. It is not too late, but Barrow has shown himself too weak to allow Senegal to do the job. Gambia is more than one man, and if he cannot do the job, please appoint a VP and give him a free hand. Mai Fatty could be that man, although I dont know him. If not get someone who can. When Neville Chamberlain failed in his negotiations for peace with Hitler and the 2nd World War was on hand he said Give the job to Winston Churchill, he understands how to wage war. History proved him right. Mr Barrow, please do the right thing. Appoint the right man since you obviously are incapable.

Thanks for space Pa.

Boor Sine

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Gambia: The Republic Of Foni, Capital Kanilai - Freedom Newspaper

Sofia, Bulgaria is not a popular destination for travelling Kurds, but if you find yourself in the Bulgarian capital, make sure you visit the monument of Vasil Levski outside the National Cultural Center.

Greeting you will be the words of the selfless and fearless Bulgarian patriot in large block letters: If I succeed, I shall succeed for the whole nation: if I fail, then I alone shall die.

Levskis monument stands on the hallowed ground where he was hanged on February 18, 1873. For Ottomans Turks, he was a traitor for wanting to liberate Bulgaria from their yoke.

Not content with killing him, they also hid his burial place from Bulgarians. They didnt want to be associated with a shrine of liberty as bad guys.

Spilt blood doesnt sleep, noted our Great Saladin once. Levski became a legend as young Bulgarians flocked to his memory and embraced his pursuit of freedom as their own.

They were also propelled by powerful ideas of Enlightenment, and spurred on by the French Revolutions thirst for freedom.

Bulgarians took note when Lord Palmerston observed, Opinions are stronger than armies. They did the same when Victor Hugo declared: Nothing is more powerful than an idea whose time has come.

Turks, on the other hand, had mixed feelings about these ideas and ideals, but desperately wanted the military hardware of European nations. They failed to appreciate Edward Gibbons belief that science was a child of freedom.

Towns across Bulgaria competed with one another to send their youngsters to Paris, Vienna, Berlin, St Petersburg and London to do the biddings of freedom and science on their own nickel.

How many Kurds from Soran are educated at Oxford or Humboldt or Stanford or Sorbonne at the expense of local Kurds? How many from Acre? How many from Mahabad? And how many from Cizra Botan?

As subjects, the Bulgarians bore the merciless indignities of subjugation that have been painstakingly chronicled by the likes of Homer, Thucydides, Tacitus and Fanon.

The patriots who dared defy the domineering Turks were stripped of their lives and property. Those who submitted without a fight were forced to pay a higher tax than their (new) Muslim neighbors.

They suffered other scornful restrictions: Muslims could carry guns, but not Christians. If a Muslim came across a horse riding Christian, the latter had to dismount, since a Christian could not be higher than a Muslim.

Muslims and Christians had their own separate courts. But if a conflict arose between the two, Christians were forced to submit to Sharia law, because Muslim law was considered superior to the Christian law.

Muslims could proselyte, but Christians could not. Many Bulgarians converted to the religion of Turks, and helped shackle their kith and kin.

But what the Christian Bulgarians dreaded most was the human tax.

Although in disuse when Levski came of age, he grew up with tales of relativesboys between the ages of seven and fourteen, known for their physical and mental healththat had been periodically seized to become Janissaries, Muslim soldiers for life, in the crack units of Ottoman sultans.

Levski wanted to end these indignities. He could accept Turks as neighbors, but not as masters. British Prime Minister Gladstone spoke for him, when, after his death, he said: Bulgarians want the extinction of the Turkish executive power in Bulgaria.

He didnt live to see it, but the uprising he had planned meticulously came three years later on April 20, 1876. Turks, alas, caught wind of it and brutally crushed it.

That bloody act came to be known as Bulgarian Horrors in Great Britain. European intellectuals such as Charles Darwin, Oscar Wilde, Victor Hugo and Guiseppe Garibaldi strongly condemned it.

But what eventually freed the Bulgarians was the spilled blood of Russian soldiers. Tsar Alexander II was incensed that the sick man of Europe was still callously shedding Christian blood like water.

With European public opinion on his side, he declared war on Ottoman Empire and in the words of British historian A.J.P. Taylor came very close to destroying the Turkish state in Europe and Anatolia.

Sultan Abdul Hamid II had to bribe Great Britain with Cyprus and Austro-Hungarian Empire with Bosnia Herzegovina to hold onto dear life in Anatolia and a truncated autonomous Bulgaria in Europe.

The Ottoman Empire was kept alive not because European powers felt sorry for it, but because they thought Russians in charge of Istanbul would not serve their interests as well as the Turks would.

The British, the saviors of Ottoman Empire at the Congress of Berlin in 1878, didnt think Turks owed them gratitude.

Lord Salisbury, Foreign Secretary, summed it up best in a letter to his Ambassador in Istanbul: In the long run influence belongs to those who have shown they can hurt most.

Kurds, who are begging their foes for lasting peace, would do well to take note.

Kani Xulam is a political activist based in Washington D.C. He runs the American Kurdish Information Network (AKIN). The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the position of Rudaw.

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Road to Freedom: Bulgarian Example - Rudaw