By David Decosimo By David Decosimo March 8 at 6:00 AM

David Decosimo teaches religion, ethics and politics at Boston University and is currently writing a book on freedom and domination in Christianity and Islam.

From his hateful tweets and provocative rhetoric to his new executive order banning Muslims and refugees all over again, President Trump is driven by the idea that Islam is a threat to what makes us American.

Trump has declared that Islam hates us. There is, he says, an unbelievable hatred. Stephen K. Bannon, one of his chief advisers, claims that we are in an outright war against Islam and doubts whether Muslims that are shariah-adherent can actually be part of a society where you have the rule of law and are a democratic republic. He believes Islam is much darker than Nazism and seems to agree with HUD Secretary Ben Carson that Islam is a religion of domination.

But Trump and his administration could learn a thing or two about American values such as freedom and equality from the religion and people they so hate.

In Islams founding story, after Muhammads death, it was unclear who would lead the nascent Muslim community. Typically, succession disputes make for great drama. This one, however, was more C-SPAN than Game of Thrones. Rather than intrigue or bloodshed, the believers pursued democracy. Only by the peoples consent, they reckoned, could a ruler justly be named and a community freely governed. They chose Abu Bakr, one of Muhammads companions. His inauguration speech, according to one of Muhammads earliest biographers Ibn Ishaq, was brief (though were not sure how big the crowd was). It went something like this: Im no better than any of you. Only obey me if I do right. Otherwise, resist me. Loyalty means speaking truth. Flattery is treason. No human, but God alone is your lord.

Abu Bakr sought to guard the people against domination by making himself accountable to them. The people obliged, securing their liberty. They could call him out at any time, and he had to listen. He even had to ask their permission for new clothes. His successor Umar carried the legacy forward. Publicly rebuked by a woman for overstepping the law, Umar responded: That woman is right, and I am wrong! It seems that all people have deeper wisdom and insight than me.

This spirit of accountability and liberty would become enshrined as a religious duty in Islam, though as with any tradition, these values are not always upheld. Nonetheless, every Muslim has the obligation to command right and forbid wrong, correcting and resisting any who betray justice, rulers included. That Abu Bakr and Umar are paradigms of good Islamic rule for well over 1 billion Sunni Muslims tells us something about this traditions love for freedom, whether or not its followers always live up to their ideals.

So does the 12th-century theologian al-Ghazali, one of Islams most beloved figures. In his most famous political work, an open letter to a young sultan, Ghazali famously defends a golden rule of liberty: The fundamental principle is treat people in a way in which, if you were subject and another were Sultan, you would deem right that you yourself be treated. Nothing a ruler would not himself endure has any place in politics. While sin against God can be forgiven, violation of this rule cannot: Anything involving injustice to mankind will not in any circumstance be overlooked at the resurrection. Ghazali tells rulers that on judgment day, not God but the people will determine their fate: The harshest torment will be for those who rule arbitrarily. He sounds striking similar to James Madison writing in Federalist 57, for whom rulers will be compelled to anticipate the moment when their exercise of power is reviewed, and they must descend to the level from which they were raised. Only in Ghazalis vision, the tyrant descends to hell.

Of course, like their Western counterparts, many Muslim regimes fail to honor this vision of liberty. But it is women and men like Malala Yousafzai, Humayun Khan and the hopeful youths who filled Tahrir Square who are faithful to the best of Islam, not the likes of the Islamic State, al-Qaeda and Saudi princes.

For Islam and the American founders alike, freedom is about protection from arbitrary power and rule by law, not the caprices of men. Theirs is a vision where citizens stand not in slavish deference to masters but on equal terms with all. This vision animates our whole system of governance. It was this vision Lincoln endorsed when he wrote, in words that echo Ghazali: As I would not be a slave, so I would not be a master. This expresses my idea of democracy. And it was this vision Sojourner Truth, the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. and Harvey Milk invoked when they each demanded that equality before the law be still further expanded so that it would eventually include not just straight white men but everyone.

This vision is under threat in a way it rarely has been in our history. But it is not under threat by Islam, but by Trump and his administration.

Trumps first Muslim ban was an act of brazen, unconstrained power and barely concealed animus. The second ban is more of the same. The blessing of the first was just how blatantly it betrayed our deepest values. The danger of the second is its attempt to conceal its dominating and bigoted aims. No serious observer thinks these bans make us any safer. Instead, they seek to circumvent rule of law, roll back libertys benefit and wage Bannons war with Islam. They give Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the Department of Homeland Security and other agents discretionary power to decide on a whim whether to sever families, deport refugees and detain Muslims. And they make Trump and his cronies unaccountable arbiters of who really loves the very American values the administration is busy betraying.

Trump wants to return America to its former greatness. But when it comes to freedom, Ghazaliand Abu Bakr have far more in common with Madison and Lincoln than with terrorists and tyrants who claim Islams mantle. For that matter, they have far more in common with this countrys great lovers of liberty than does the current president. So, instead of banning Muslims, Trump should listen to them: He might learn something about liberty and equality, two values he seems not to have learned to love from our own nations history or the Constitution he swore to uphold.

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Trump could learn a thing or two about freedom and democracy from Islam - Washington Post

Freedom Honor Flight announces 19th...

LA CROSSE, Wis. (WKBT) - Local veterans wishing to visit memorials built in their honor could have their trips paid for this year.

La Crosse's Freedom Honor Flight released its flight schedule for the year, offering one flight this spring and another in the fall. The Freedom Honor Flight flies veterans to Washington, D.C. to see the veteran memorials built in the nation's capital.

Flight organizers say the trip is an experience every veteran should have the chance to take.

"In terms of personalizing it,the send off, the welcome home and everything that goes on in D.C., we have a great experience for our veterans and that's why we want to keep it going, said Freedom Honor Flight President Pat Stephens.

The first Freedom Honor Flight of the year will take veterans to the capital on May 6. Veterans will have another chance to visit the memorials on September 16.

Veterans can apply for a seat at FreedomHonorFlight.org. All veterans can apply for the trips, but World War Two veterans will be prioritized.

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Freedom Honor Flight announces 19th and 20th flights - WKBT - News8000.com - WKBT

by BAR editor and senior columnist Margaret Kimberley

The latest New York Times article is proof that outgoing president Obama was looking not for intelligence he knew didnt exist, but anything that could be used against Trump and his team. When it comes to intrigue, Donald Trump is grossly outmatched by the Democrats, the spooks and the corporate media. Team Obama has the most adept spies in the world while Trump has his son-in-law and untested staff who are completely out of their league.

If there is evidence that the Russian Federation took some action that propelled Donald Trump to victory it has yet to be revealed. One wouldnt know that from the daily Russophobic hysteria presented in the corporate media and the Democratic Party. Hillary Clinton tried to make Vladimir Putin an issue in the election but it didnt help her at all. She often compared Putin to Adolph Hitler and labeled Trump his puppet but the charges didnt prevent the political upset from taking place.

Having lost, the Democratic Party and their media cohorts continue the effort to make trouble for another nation whose only crime is the pursuit of its own interests. The anti-Russia strategy also distracts the Democratic rank and file. They ought to be angry that their standard bearer and their party leadership lost an election because of corruption, hubris and incompetence but instead they are taken in by propaganda.

What passes for proof are nonsensical terms like Russian digital finger prints and claims that any and every Russian is always acting on Putins orders.

Donald Trump is partly being hoisted on his own petard, as his nonsensical claim of having done deals in Russia has come back to haunt him. In 2013 Trump hosted his Miss Universe pageant in Moscow but he returned home empty handed after trying to consummate real estate deals there. This aspect of Trumps personality makes him the perfect target when his enemies want to tell lies about him.

We know that someone gave Wikileaks emails from the Democratic National Committee but it isnt clear if the information was hacked by a hostile actor or was leaked by an insider. What passes for proof are nonsensical terms like Russian digital finger prints and claims that any and every Russian is always acting on Putins orders.

Trump is the perfect fall guy because he is so hated and so incompetent. At least half of all Americans despise the new president and for very good reasons. Unlike other presidents who use euphemism and code words, he openly activated the racist elements who are never far from the surface in this country. His victory was also unexpected and defied so-called expert opinion. The combination of dislike and shock makes it easy for the worst charges made about him to be believed.

At least half of all Americans despise the new president and for very good reasons.

But the Democratic Party has been relentless in using any and all information to make it appear that he and his team are all under the sway of Moscow. Trump assembled a group as amateurish and unprepared as he is and they are no match for the concerted effort inveighed against them.

The Obama friendly New York Times said as much. Their article Obama Administration Rushed to Preserve Intelligence of Russian Election Hacking is proof that the outgoing president was looking not for intelligence he knew didnt exist, but anything that could be used against Trump and his team. It isnt surprising that Attorney General Sessions was asked about campaign contacts with Moscow. The Senate already knew that he met with the Russian ambassador to the United States. They knew that the now ousted National Security Adviser spoke to the same ambassador. There is nothing illegal about these contacts and Trump is not the first president elect to have had contacts with foreign governments.

In 1968 Richard Nixon convinced the Vietnamese not to engage Hubert Humphrey in offers of peace talks. In 1980 Ronald Reagan delayed the release of hostages held by Iran in order to secure his victory against Jimmy Carter. If the corporate media were to point out this history they would jeopardize their role as partners of the Democratic Party sector of the ruling classes.

Trump is not the first president elect to have had contacts with foreign governments.

These facts dont matter of course. What does matter is that Trump said things that made the rest of the rulers nervous. If he made good on his promise to have some sort of dtente with Russia he would undo the imperialist agenda. If he stopped the trade deals that they used to help the capitalists move their capital he was upending very serious plans. Calling NATO obsolete was another danger when NATO is an active partner in interventions around the world.

But Trump isnt smart enough to counter the attacks. In between tweets about his old reality show and jibes at celebrities he unleashed ICE against undocumented immigrants and pursues his scheme to keep Muslims from seven countries out of the United States. Instead of acting like other presidents and getting undercover white supremacists on his staff, Trump puts avowed racists front and center and makes himself a target of progressives who probably wouldnt care what he did if he had an Obamaesque, smooth presentation of evil doing.

Presentation is everything and Trump presents such an ugly face that he makes life easy for his opponents. It is obvious that Flynn and Sessions were under surveillance but Trump has twitter outbursts and accuses Obama of tapping his phone. Team Obama has the most adept spies in the world while Trump has his son-in-law and untested staff who are completely out of their league.

Trump said things that made the rest of the rulers nervous.

Now Russia is hated by progressives. This antipathy is no small matter because it makes war more acceptable and therefore more likely. Once again progressives stand down and allow serious harm to be done to this country and the rest of the world.

The animosity directed at Trump the man should be directed at the system. We are watching the perfect crime take place. The neo-liberal corporatist Democrats are winning the fight against Trump but not because they want to do good. Their schemes were upended by his election and they will stop at nothing to get back into power. The end game isnt clear. For now they are succeeding in handcuffing Trump. Their intentions are never good for people in this country or in the rest of the world. Our lives are still very much at risk because of Democratic Party corruption and Trumps failings and incompetence.

The rest is here:

Freedom Rider: Trump and Russia, the Perfect Lie - Black Agenda Report

James Tracywas exposed on CNN in 2013 by Anderson Cooper, who branded him a conspiracy theorist for his investigation of anomalies surrounding the alleged Sandy Hook Newtown school shooting as portrayed in the media.

On February 21, 2017, a US federal judge ruled that former Florida Atlantic University (FAU) Professor James Tracys civil rights lawsuit can proceed to discovery.

As this author has observed the case stands to set a precedent in matters of free speech and academic freedom throughout the nation. Defendants include FAU, its Board of Trustees, President, Dean, Associate Provost, the Florida Education Association, and the faculty union United Faculty of Florida (UFF), along with the unions FAU Chapter President and Service Unit Director.

Tracy was terminated from his tenured professorship in January 2016, ostensibly for questioning university policy regarding the mandatory reporting of outside activities, and refusing to submit paperwork disclosing his personal blogging at his website, Memory Hole Blog.

Tracy argued that his blogging involved the exercise of his right to free speech as a private US citizen. The popular website was hacked or otherwise sabotaged by unnamed parties after the November 2016 election and, as of this writing, is no longer in operation.

FAU and UFF engaged in conspiracy

Tracy received a spate of unfavorable publicity by CNN and other news outlets in 2013, shortly after the alleged shooting at Sandy Hook School in Newtown, CT. The university set out to discipline Tracy as a result, attempting to dissuade him from making any further statements about the Newtown incident. FAUs faculty union, UFF, filed a grievance for Tracy on free speech grounds. In late 2015, however, union officials refused to defend the professor.

Tracys suit cites UFF as co-defendants, arguing that union officers conspired with university administrators to place an informal gag order on Tracy while allowing the universitys termination proceedings to go forward uncontested. At the same time, Tracy contends, union representatives discouraged him from filing a grievance or lawsuit, instead trying to intimidate him into resigning in lieu of termination. When Tracy refused to resign, the university fired him outright.

FAUs Conflict of Interest policy and its chilling effect on free speech

Part of the case involves a challenge to FAUs Conflict of Interest policy, which extends to all university faculty. FAU and many of Floridas other public universities now compel faculty members to present all their outside activities for administrative approval, whether compensated or not. Tracy objected to the policy, which would have required him to submit an account of his personal blogging. His suit argues that this is a form of prior restraint forbidden by the First Amendment.

Tracys concerns were shared by other members of FAUs faculty as well, including senior political science professor Timothy Lenz, who described a climate of fear and uncertainty, speaking at a faculty senate meeting on September 4, 2015. Lenz enjoined administrators to please call off your dogs, continuing at length:

The Administration has been sending faculty members who are engaged in outside activity nasty letters, letters of discipline or letters that threaten faculty members who are engaged in outside activity with discipline theres a great deal of suspicion that you can say, or write, or do something, but if you say, write, or do something that the Administration disagrees with youre going to get one of these nasty letters put in your personnel file and thats untenable.

Tracys suit names as defendants individual FAU administrators present at the September 4 faculty senate meeting, including FAU President John Kelly. Kelly and his co-defendants moved to dismiss the first complaint, which was granted in part, necessitating a Second Amended Complaint, filed on December 28, 2016. This second complaint has been upheld, with the defendants motion to dismiss denied in a February 21, 2017, decision by Judge Robin Rosenberg. The judge refers to John Kellys involvement in her analysis:

The inference from the allegations in the Second Amended Complaint is that Defendant Kelly was personally (and not vicariously) involved in a retaliatory violation of Plaintiffs First Amendment rights. As a result, Defendant Kelly is sufficiently on notice of the claim against him such that he is able to answer that claim.

Verified Second Amended Complaint

The individual counts in the Second Amended Complaint are as follows:

Count I Retaliation in Violation of Right to Free Speech, against Defendant FAU and Defendants President John Kelly, Associate Provost Diane Alperin, and College of Arts and Letters Dean Heather Coltman.

Count II Conspiracy to Interfere with Plaintiffs Civil Rights, against Defendants Alperin, Coltman, Kelly, UFF President Robert Zoeller, Jr., UFF Service Unit Director Michael Moats, UFF, Florida Education Association, and FAU.

Count III Facial Challenge to FAUs Conflict of Interest Policy, against Defendant FAU.

Count IV As-Applied Challenge to Plaintiffs Right to Free Speech, against Defendant FAU.

Count V Declaratory Judgment and Injunction, against Defendant FAU.

Count VI State Law Breach of Contract, against Defendant FAU.

Case proceeds to discovery

After Tracy initiated his lawsuit in April 2016, FAUs attorneys began filing repeated court motions, arguing that Tracys suit was frivolous, that no conspiracy existed, and that Tracys termination was due to his alleged misconduct and failure to disclose his blogging activities in a timely fashion. By this means, the defendants succeeded in precluding discovery for over six months.

These delaying tactics have been brought to an end with Rosenbergs February 21 decision, in which the court concludes that Plaintiffs Second Amended Complaint satisfies federal pleading standards and does not amount to mere labels and conclusions or a formulaic recitation of the elements of a cause of action, as FAU and UFF attorneys have argued.

Tracys legal team has now forced FAU to release thousands of internal emails between administrators, trustees, and non-university parties under Floridas Sunshine Law. Many of the documents tend to confirm the suits conspiracy allegations, including notes from a meeting between FAU counsel and administrators strategizing on how to discipline Tracy, and emails between Kelly and FAUs chief trustee on Tracys pending termination.

Fake News and media blackout on the status of Tracys lawsuit

After Rosenberg dismissed part of the First Amended Complaint, the Florida Sun Sentinelwhich has published a multitude of defamatory articles targeting Tracyfalsely reported that the entire lawsuit had been thrown out. This erroneous report was then picked up by the Associated Press and broadcast nationally (e.g. here, here and here). Only after Tracys attorney contacted the management of the Sun Sentinel to complain was the story revised. The Sun Sentinel has neglected to report on the court order allowing the suit to proceed. Nor has the mainstream media taken notice, with only a few exceptions.

In contrast to the media frenzy over Tracys research on the Newtown incident, in which he was viciously attacked in op-eds, letters to the editor, and news stories in print and on television, there is a conspicuous silence now that the case will proceed to trial. A legal victory for Professor Tracy would set a major precedent for free speech and academic freedom jurisprudence, and would decisively bolster safeguards for university employeesand indeed all employeesto comment freely on matters of public importance without fear of losing their jobs.

As an alternative to the mainstream press, Memory Hole Blog was used by Tracy and other contributors to draw attention to anomalous news coverage and analyze media reporting on controversial events. Many of these observations were deemed controversial or conspiracy theories by the very news outlets that came under scrutinyincluding CNN and the New York Timesorganizations now in the hot seat for disseminating Fake News themselves. This battle is currently raging over unsubstantiated allegations in the mainstream media against President Trump, who is called a conspiracy theorist himself by the press.

Should Tracy lose his case, the outcome would be disastrous for free speech rights. A decision favoring FAUs defense could be used by almost any employer, academic or otherwise, to further unconstitutionally monitor and restrict employee expression. This would likely intensify in the current US academic environment, rife with campaigns targeting politically incorrect speech and behavior. The way it stands, [FAU] could start firing people for not disclosing their Facebook pages, Tracys attorney Louis Leo IV said following a December court appearance.

The case moves forward

On February 28th the faculty union and FAU submitted separate responses to Tracys Second Amended Complaint, maintaining there was no conspiracy to fire Tracy and reasserting that the cause was his failure to follow FAUs outside activities policy. In its response, FAU characterized Tracys repeated attempts to obtain clarification on the unconstitutional policy as belligerent and rebellious. While Plaintiff appeared to embrace his nonconformist behavior thinking it would publicize his interests in the light he deemed helpful, FAUs attorneys wrote, the Defendant Universitys policy and intent were unrelated to such interests and were intended to provide Defendant University with necessary information for various legitimate and proper reasons.

With the discovery process now proceeding, FAUs defense looks increasingly weak. A flood of internal documents obtained under Floridas open records law indicates that university officials met repeatedly to strategize on how they would discipline Tracy without appearing to violate his First Amendment right to free speech. As these meeting notes and emails reveal, there was as much obsession in quelling the controversy surrounding Tracys blog as there was in the publicity his firing generated.

Based on the Rosenberg denial to dismiss, the case will now proceed to trial. Tracy is seeking declaratory relief upholding his right to free speech, injunctive relief with reinstatement to tenured employment and full restoration of benefits and lost wages, relief from the requirement to report outside activities for Tracy and his colleagues, compensatory damages, punitive damages, and attorneys fees as permitted by law.

Vivian Lee is the nom de plume of a tenured professor at an east coast university.

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Academic Freedom Lawsuit To Proceed: Judge Affirms First Amendment Rights - Center for Research on Globalization

(Tbilisi) An ownership dispute over Georgias most-watched television broadcaster, Rustavi 2, has sparked serious concerns about potential government interference with both media and the judiciary, Human Rights Watch said today.

Rustavi 2s current leadership, the political opposition, and many independent groups see a lawsuit by a former owner seeking to retake ownership and a March 2, 2017 ruling by the Supreme Court endorsing the change as a government-orchestrated move to take over the opposition-minded station. The European Court of Human Rights has ordered temporary suspension of the Supreme Court decision and instructed the Georgian authorities to refrain from interference in the station.

A government-favored change in the editorial policy of Rustavi 2 would deliver a serious blow to Georgias media pluralism and could significantly limit the publics access to opposition views, said Giorgi Gogia, South Caucasus director at Human Rights Watch. The entire process of contesting Rustavi 2s ownership threatens media freedom and judicial independence and demands further scrutiny.

Concerns about potential government interference in Rustavi 2 have been exacerbated by other developments in the overall media landscape in Georgia that have reduced the space for critical opposition media, Human Rights Watch said.

The March 2 ruling by Georgias highest court of appeal said that the stations ownership should revert to Kibar Khalvashi, a businessman who owned it from 2004 to 2006, and who alleged he had been improperly forced to sell the station at below market value by then-president Mikheil Saakashvili. The Supreme Courts Grand Chamber, consisting of nine judges, issued a unanimous decision the same day it took up the case, declining to allow the parties to make oral arguments. The written judgement is expected in a month.

Khalvashi initiated the lawsuit in August 2015, claiming he had been strong-armed into relinquishing his majority stake by the then-Georgian leadership. Khalvashis key evidence was a report on the valuation of Rustavi 2 shares in 2005-2006 by a current state forensic bureau expert based on data Khalvashi provided. The report showed the shares were worth far more than Khalvashi received.

Rustavi 2s current shareholders dispute the reports validity, alleging that the valuation was based on inconclusive financial data and had not been compiled in accordance with international valuation standards. In November 2015, a judge from Tbilisi City Court ruled to reinstate Khalvashi as the majority owner. An appeal court upheld the decision in June 2016.

Rustavi 2s current owners, brothers Giorgi and Levan Karamanishvili, are widely seen as close associates of Saakashvili. Nika Gvaramia, the stations current general director, served in several high-level government posts during Saakashvilis administration, and maintains close contact with him. Khalvashi and the current government are both strong opponents of Saakashvili.

The current owners, numerous Georgian human rights groups, Georgias ombudsman, and many of Georgias international partners have raised questions and concerns throughout the ownership dispute, suggesting possible government interference to silence critical, and in particular, opposition media.

Senior government officials have on multiple occasions made clear not only that they take issue with Rustavi 2s editorial stand, but that they want to see the stations ownership changed and given to Khalvashi, expressing clear support for the courts to act to strip the current leadership at the station.

The Tbilisi City Court judge also issued an interim injunction in November 2015, replacing Rustavi 2s top management, including Gvaramia, with temporary management, contending that the stations managers were too focused on the ownership dispute, to the detriment of other issues of public interest. Local human rights groups and Georgias international partners criticized the move as an attempt to affect the channels editorial policy.

A week later, the judge overturned his decision and reinstated the broadcasters top management. The Constitutional Court then suspended the civil procedure code clause that had allowed the appointment of temporary managers.

Domestic observers have raised questions about the independence and impartiality of the judges in this case. Rustavi 2 attorneys unsuccessfully sought to get the first-instance court judge recuse himself on the basis that pending criminal proceedings against the judges mother could have been used by the government as leverage against him.

The stations current director, Gvaramia, has also made credible allegations of intimidation to pressure him to resign. In October 2015, Gvaramia alleged that a government official threatened to leak a personal video of him if he refused to step aside. Although the prosecutors office initiated an investigation, the results were inconclusive. A few days later, audio recordings appeared online, allegedly of Gvaramia receiving instructions from Saakashvili to prepare for a possible physical confrontation with the authorities to defend the station.

The Georgian government has consistently denied that it backs Khalvashis efforts to regain ownership or that it has interfered in anyway with the process. The government issued a statement the day after the Supreme Court ruling, emphasizing that [T]he Government of Georgia has full appreciation and respect towards the freedom of media and does its best to protect and ensure a pluralistic media environment.

On March 3, Rustavi 2 lodged an application with the European Court of Human Rights contesting the March 2 decision, saying that it violates guarantees under the European Convention on Human Rights. In a rare move on the same day, the European Court instructed the Georgian government to temporarily suspend enforcement of the March 2 decision and to abstain from interfering with the applicant companys editorial policy in any manner. The government has complied with the temporary measure, which is to remain in effect until March 8. The European Court said it would treat the Rustavi 2 case as a priority.

The Georgian governments compliance with the suspension measure is a positive move, Human Rights Watch said. It should agree to extend the suspension until the European Courts final judgement and to allow scrutiny of all the human rights concerns raised by the ownership dispute.

The Council of Europe places a high premium on media pluralism and diversity of media content as integral to freedom of expression and information and essential for the functioning of a democratic society. It has called on it members to adopt policies designed to foster as much as possible a variety of media and a plurality of information sources, thereby allowing a plurality of ideas and opinions. The European Court has long held that the state has a key obligation to ensure media pluralism, noting that this observation is especially valid in relation to audio-visual media, whose programmes are often broadcast very widely.

In February, the leadership of the Public Broadcaster announced controversial plans to suspend political talk shows, citing reorganization plans to upgrade the stations equipment and content.

In August 2015, Imedi TV, the second most-watched station, suspended its current-affairs political talk shows amid claims of government interference and pressure. The station merged with two other smaller broadcast stations, and now is largely viewed as a government-friendly channel.

Rustavi 2 was founded in 1994 in the town of Rustavi, about a 20-minute drive from Tbilisi, the capital. The station gained popularity for its hard-hitting investigative exposes and reporting on corruption during the administration of then-president Eduard Shevardnadze. After becoming the nations most-watched news channel, Rustavi 2 played a key role in catalyzing the November 2013 Rose Revolution, which brought Saakashvili to power. Rustavi 2 ownership changed hands multiple times after Khalvashi sold his shares, and before the current ownership.

Democratic societies depend on safeguards to ensure the government of the day cannot unduly interfere with either an independent judiciary or the requirement of a pluralist media, Gogia said. With widespread concerns about such undue interference in Georgia, action should be taken to address them, and the process before the European Court of Human Rights could create the space and opportunity for that.

Original post:

Georgia: Media Freedom at Risk - Human Rights Watch

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I took a look at the map and estimated I was a short Nomad drive away from my objective in Mass Effect: Andromeda maybe 30 or 40 seconds. I ran over some enemies, passed small settlements inside of icy caves, and saw the mysterious Remnant fighting wildlife, then double checked my position. I had only gone a short distance and was still at least a dozen discoveries away from my target. The map for this one of several explorable planets was so large I actually laughed.

You say you dont want to spend tons of time exploring each planet? Dont. You want to know everything about the Ryder family secrets? Hunt away. You want Ryder to act like the beloved Commander Shepard? Make it so. Members of developer BioWare told me that player freedom is more important than ever in Andromeda, and it showed in every facet of the game I experienced during my nearly 10 hours of playtime.

New Kids on the Block

After 600 years of travel, the human colony ship Arc Hyperion arrives in the Andromeda galaxy in search of a new home. Playing as either Sara or Scott Ryder, the player embarks on an adventure to find a Golden World, or habitable planet, after their original destination turns out to be a bust. Chaos ensues.

Regardless of which Ryder twin you choose, the difference between them and the original Mass Effect trilogys Shepard is immediately noticeable. While they have combat training, they dont command the same leadership as Shepard. If Andromeda is going to be your first Mass Effect, I think youll be in good hands with the new protagonist. Ryder feels more relatable thanks to the new dialogue system that allows you to better dictate Ryders personality.

Mass Effect: Andromeda does away with the black and white Paragon and Renegade options in favor of four other response types that arent colored by morality. Instead I chose between emotional, logical, casual, and professional lines that shape Ryders character. In one playthrough Ryder was somewhat shy and sometimes struggled for confidence when talking to crew members, but in another I made Ryder stern with little care for the feelings of others.

And the others? Theyre great. From the new squadmates to random people I encountered on the Nexus, everyone had something to say. Its obvious that a lot of care was put into writing even the most minor engineers and colonists. Among the main cast, S.A.M. seems to have the highest potential for causing galactic controversy. In Andromeda, Ryder is always accompanied by an integrated AI that acts a little like The Legend of Zeldas Navi, but instead of being talkative like the squadmates he occasionally chimes in to offer analysis and advice for objectives. He doesnt seem to have as much personality as the original trilogys EDI, but S.A.M.s mysterious relationship with the Ryder family makes his side quests intriguing. Having true AI is taboo in Mass Effect, so itll be interesting to see how issues with S.A.M. pan out in the Andromeda galaxy.

In one mid-game save I had Sara Ryder run around the Tempest and flirt with as many crew mates as I could.

Like S.A.M., a lot of the squadmates have unique backgrounds that directly tie them to some of the biggest conflicts in Andromeda. As one of the native Andromeda races, the angara Jaal offered unique insight to exploration and drama. Pairing him with the inquisitive Peebee made for a fun drive in the Nomad. When I geared up for a mission I considered their personalities and interests as much as their combat capabilities. Since Andromeda doesnt lock Ryder into one class, I felt like I could be flexible with the squadmates I brought along to each mission. Interactions with the squadmates seem more robust during downtime, too. I got to jump to a mid-game save at one point during my two days at BioWare, and thankfully didnt find anyone calibrating a weapon endlessly.

Better interactions leads to better flirting. In one mid-game save I had Sara Ryder run around the Tempest and flirt with as many crew mates as I could. It was hilarious. She stumbled over her words when flirting with some of the dashing characters, and was silly with others. Though I didnt play enough to experience a full romance, I liked both the beginnings and the end yup, BioWare let me skip to one of the sexier scenes. Without spoiling it, I was delighted by how much choice I got even in that moment. It was intimate and respectful of the kind of relationship I wanted to create between the two characters.

Tell Me Another Story

Andromeda draws out many feelings I got from the first Mass Effect without treading too familiar ground. Exploring a galaxy filled with alien life and a mysterious threat is delightful. The danger from the oppressive kett seems to be more direct than the Reapers secretive existence, but there are plenty of supplemental stories that bolster the main mission. For one, exploring potential homes for humanity is a pretty big deal, and Ryders personal journey to learn family affairs refreshes the adventure as well.

Im a twin myself, so I had an especially deep connection with the Ryder family. Unlike in past Mass Effect games, family is an important (or, if you really dont care, an unimportant) part of Ryders identity, which opens a whole new kind of emotional vein. The Ryder family had a lot to do with the development of the Andromeda Initiative and have the weight of humanitys future on their shoulders, so there seems to be some good drama waiting to be discovered there.

Though Andromeda departs from Shepards Milky Way adventure, some story beats that were massively important to the original trilogy do come into play in the new galaxy the genophage wasnt magically cured during the trip, after all. If youre new to the series or simply forgot some of the finer details, Andromeda does supply players with enough information about these issues. Like in past games you almost always have the option to ask about a subject, or you can look it up in the robust Codex.

In addition to the main story and family drama there are a plethora of paths to follow; residual Milky Way drama, rebellions against oppressors, squadmate loyalty missions, Remnant secrets, and tons of side missions. Andromeda is packed with stories. Thankfully, like the Codex, the Journal tracks who I add to my crew, what missions Ive completed, what optional objectives I may have missed, and most importantly, minor and major choices like who shot first when meeting new species.

I was impressed with how even the smallest actions have nuanced consequences. At one point I talked with my human squadmate Cora about dragons, and not long after Ryder saw a huge beast flying in the sky. Ryder then brought up conversation they had with Cora to their other human companion, Liam. Had I not taken the time to talk to Cora previously I wouldnt have experienced that. Sure, its not revolutionary or even remotely important to the story, but it gives capability of caring about things other than what I dictate they have agency.

Other actions like saving crew members or disagreeing with someone higher in command have rippling effects too. Rumors spread about my choices in an argument and I once saw a soldier I failed to help laying in a medical bed. And of course there are the bigger, game-changing decisions youll have to make. Im already planning on having a pre-choice save to retreat to based on the one big decision I played through.

Shoot, Craft, Explore

Each Mass Effect game has its own take on cover-based combat, and Andromedas has a great redesign. The jump jet helps modernize Andromedas movement to be faster and give players better verticality without sacrificing what makes Mass Effects combat special. I could jump, hover and shoot, then pummel one or two enemies, but I still had to take cover when my team was swarmed. The automatic cover system took some time to get used to, but once I did I had fun obliterating enemies with my chosen loadout.

Andromeda doesnt lock players into one weapon or ability class. I experimented with all sorts of combinations and felt more powerful because of the ability freedom. The number of powers and their skill trees is a little overwhelming, but Id much prefer them over a simpler RPG system that limits customization, especially since Ryders combat versatility allowed me to pick squadmates based in their personality or interest in the mission.

The weapon variety, customization, and crafting were also a tad intimidating. I didnt have enough time to explore the systems fully with access to Milky Way, Remnant, and Andromeda weapons youve got a lot to choose from. While I enjoyed trying the new kinds of beam-based guns, my favorite were the new melee weapons. The Asari sword is awesome. I opted to stick with weapons I picked up through the campaign, but if you use your scanner to research enough technology in the environment you can develop all sorts of things. Schematics require certain resources for construction, so if youre especially interested in crafting, youll need to do some exploring.

Even if you dont care about crafting, youll want to wander. As mentioned previously, the planets I got to explore are huge and have a lot to offer. I was surprised at how many objectives popped up on my map as I drove around in the Nomad. There were plenty of random kett waiting to be fought and strange Remnant structures that beckoned me to fight their guards then snoop around.

Remnant technology is fascinating and its architecture is beautiful.

Though I didnt get to fully explore a Remnant vault, I loved the small part I got to see. The Remnant technology is fascinating and its architecture is beautiful. I know Im going to obsess over their mysteries once I get to play more.

The rest of the places I visited were well-designed too. Theres a surprising variety of planets and people youll meet. One of my favorite parts of being in this galaxy was how it felt like it lived without me. I came across random enemy scuffles and plenty of fun conversations between random people on the Nexus Ill always wonder if that salarian engineer ever got his Galactic Girl Scout cookies. Squadmates react to the environment more too. All this is great, but it was a little disappointing when I accidentally cut someone off because I triggered a new scripted line. Still, too much good writing seems like a decent problem to have.

If you dont want to wait around to eavesdrop on NPCs or get in an intimate interspecies relationship, you dont have to. But the beauty is that BioWare gives you that choice. Mass Effect Andromeda is filled with secrets and options, and I cant wait to uncover them all.

Keep it on IGN for more reveals and features Mass Effect: Andromeda. Take a look at the IGN First hub to see all of our Andromeda coverage.

Miranda Sanchez is an Editor at IGN. You can talk with her about space dates, AI ethics, anime, and video games on Twitter.

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Mass Effect: Andromeda Offers Awesome Player Freedom - IGN

The immediate impression you get upon hearing Freedom Is Free, the latest album from L.A.s Chicano Batman, is that of an old, battered, obscure album from 1972 that you found in your cool uncles vinyl collection. Or maybe its something you discover while aimlessly browsing a flea market. The music has that kind of authenticity. The thing is, its brand new music. But it sounds like it wasnt recorded within 100 miles of a laptop.

Chicano Batmana quartet consisting of Bardo Martinez (vocals, guitar, organ), Carlos Arevalo (guitar), Eduardo Arenas (bass, vocals) and Gabriel Villa (drums, percussion)make music that seems hermetically sealed from another time, yet their politics and social commentary are as vital as ever in this day and age.

Take the albums title, for example. Its a deliberate flip of the Freedom Isnt Free catchphrase that was plastered on the back of countless American pickup trucks after the Iraq War. Martinez argues that this logic has explicitly justified war and its atrocities in the name of freedom. The title, he adds, is an antithesis to that ideological fallacy.

While the lyrics and social conscience of Chicano Batman are a throwback to the revolutionary messages of Gil-Scott Heron and Whats Going On-era Marvin Gaye, the music also adds to the retro-soul atmosphere. Thick slabs of Hammond organ mix with funky guitar riffs, relentless backbeats and a heavy coating of analog grease, combined with a heaping helping of Tropicalia. For producer Leon Michels (who brought the band to Long Island City, New York, to record the album), this is familiar territory, as hes worked with artists like Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings and the Black Keys.

The albums first single, Friendship (Is a Small Boat in a Storm), works well as a primer for the bands hard-hitting yet intoxicating psychedelic soul. Martinez aching falsetto is straight out of classic Curtis Mayfield singles and New York-based female vocal group Mariachi Flor de Toloache provide a soulful, sympathetic backing.

The band also infuses their sound with jarring musical shifts that owe more to the jazzier, more complex genres of the bygone era they tend to inhabit. Angel Child shifts from soul balladry to heavy funk and then to a spacey, jittery, guitar-heavy psych/prog style that sounds like Sly Stone channeling Frank Zappa.

The aforementioned title track does a fantastic job of marrying a sunny, bouncy groove and positive message with a sharp admonishment to those who claim that the natural state of society is war. You got your guns up on display / But you cant control how I feel, no way / Cause freedom is free / And thats the way its always gonna be. It should be noted that Chicano Batman recently covered Woody Guthries This Land Is Your Land for a Johnny Walker commercial (appearing in the ad with their trademark retro tuxes with ruffled feathers, naturally), further sealing their reputation as a band with a strong social conscience.

Elsewhere, Freedom Is Free includes a few direct nods to the bands Latino heritage as a pair of back-to-back songs (La Jura and Flecha Al Sol) are sung in Spanish. The former song is a lazy, mid-tempo funk ballad that breaks for tasty guitar and organ soloing at the halfway mark, while the latter is a faster, almost punk-ish earworm that still allows for plenty of easygoing melodicism to live comfortably alongside the frantic pace. As if checking off boxes to ensure an eclectic mix, the album even throws in a brief instrumental, Right Off the Back, which employs a tight, funky urgency that gives the impression of a car chase on an old Streets of San Francisco episode.

One of the albums most impressive tracks is one that enjoyed a relatively long gestation period. Martinez confesses to taking a long time to write The Taker Story, inspired in large part by Daniel Quinns novel Ishmael. Backed by an almost hypnotic funk groove, Martinez both speaks and sings the lyrics, which focus on the destruction humans foist upon both themselves and the planet, in addition to their assumed superiority over all creatures. Weve been enacting the story for twelve thousand years / The one that says man must follow no natural laws / The one that says that man is distinctly set from every living thing / That man is the end result of evolution. This isnt just mere protest its putting injustice in the context of the entire history of existence. Heady stuff.

Chicano Batman is a band that makes you dance, makes you long for days gone by, but reminds you that the world can be a dark place and that art can make you think, speak out, and ultimately enact change. They may just be the perfect band for our times.

Chris Ingalls is a Massachusetts native who spent the first seven years of his adult life as a broadcast journalist in the U.S. Navy, serving in a variety of overseas locations. He was also a videotape editor for a CBS affiliate television station, a newspaper editor at a military public affairs office in Naples, Italy, and spent 14 years in the media relations department of a Boston-area cancer research institute. He was born in 1969 and has been a rabid music fan since at least 1970, thanks to his three older siblings. He hosted his own music podcast, The Supersonic Time Machine, from 2011 to 2015, is a frequent guest on the current events podcast Get the Knaak and contributes to Omniluxe, a retro pop culture website. He is on Twitter @Ingalls1969 and lives in Malden, Massachusetts, with his wife, son, their ornery cat and hyperactive dog.

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Freedom Is Free - PopMatters

CNSNews.com

Freedom's Meaning: What Once United Us, Now Splinters Us Up and Divides Us CNSNews.com If there is one thing that has always united, and can even still unite Americans, it is our love for freedom. Indeed, the mere mention of freedom has always served as an inebriating rallying cry that opens up seemingly infinite possibilities of ...

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Freedom's Meaning: What Once United Us, Now Splinters Us Up and Divides Us - CNSNews.com

Get ready, 2017 listeners: Here comes the protest music.

"Meditations on Freedom," a new album by tenor saxophonist and Connecticut native Noah Preminger, recorded in December and released on Inauguration Day, is among the first shots fired, a stunning document of intuitive, small-group improv that elevates contemplation over anger.

"As an artist, sometimes I struggle: Why am I doing this? I'm just blowing into a saxophone, a piece of brass," Preminger says. "What is it actually doing for me or for others?"

Preminger is a political guy, a deep thinker. The election, and everything since, has given him plenty to think about.

He's also one of the best saxophone players you'll hear, or want to, with seven albums as a leader ("Meditations" is number eight) in his catalog and a highly developed, personal sound and aesthetic.

Before "Meditations," Preminger self-released two albums of Mississippi Delta-centric music: "Pivot: Live at the 55 Bar," from 2015, consisting of only two tracks of extended improvisation (each lasts a half an hour) on songs by Booker T. White; and 2016's "Dark Was the Night, Cold Was the Ground," with shorter reworkings of songs by Blind Lemon Jefferson, Mississippi John Hurt and others.

Last fall, photographer and engineer Jimmy Katz, who co-produced both of those records with Preminger, approached the saxophonist about making a protest record.

"I thought it was a really great idea to write some new material and also to cover some material," Preminger says.

They decided to fill half an album with message songs: Sam Cooke's "A Change Is Gonna Come," Bob Dylan's "Only a Pawn in Their Game," George Harrison's "Give Me Love (Give Me Peace on Earth)" and Bruce Hornsby's "The Way It Is."

For the rest, Preminger composed at the piano, while thinking about women's rights ("Women's March"), racial injustice ("We Have a Dream"), income inequality ("The 99 Percent"), climate change ("Mother Earth") and Native American rights ("Broken Treaties").

Composing was easy. Some research was involved; for "Broken Treaties," Preminger borrowed a rhythmic idea from Native American music. Ideas emerged freely, from thoughts swirling around in his head.

"There's so much great stuff out there [in the news], and so much awful stuff," Preminger says. "There are so many emotions right now, it just flows right out."

On Dec. 17, Preminger assembled his "Pivot" and "Dark Was the Night" quartet trumpeter Jason Palmer, bassist Kim Cass and drummer Ian Froman in the studio, bringing only sketches and not having any previous conversations with the musicians.

"They got the feeling of those songs when I told them what they were about and played the melody for them. That was the rehearsal: three minutes of me telling them how it goes and playing the melody, explaining how I wanted the form to be."

Katz engineered, mixed and mastered the session, and he also took photos. For economic reasons, Preminger releases albums on his own, and quickly; "Meditations on Freedom" came out on Jan. 20, a little more than a month after the studio date.

"It was an urgent thing, because this is sort of an urgent time," Preminger says.

"Meditations" begins with three covers. Dylan's "Only a Pawn in Their Game" was written in 1963, after the assassination of activist Medgar Evers. "The Way It Is" was a massive hit for Hornsby in 1986. Cooke's civil rights anthem "A Change Is Gonna Come" came out in 1964. All three, in a sense, wrapped pointed political statements, about racial and income inequality, in accessible folk/pop/soul packaging.

Preminger's take on "Pawn" opens like a slow sunrise, the narrow harmonic range of the original transformed into something like a ruminative drone. Preminger's languid, chromatic runs skitter around the tonal center, while Palmer explores low growls, rapid mid-range bursts and legato leaps, over Cass and Froman's barely present triple-meter groove.

"The Way It Is" finds Preminger and Froman splintering off into a thunderous duet. And "Change," a ballad, showcases Preminger's stately tone and subtle vibrato, until both he and Palmer slice through the chords changes with chilly remove.

Harrison's "Give Me Love (Give Me Peace on Earth)," a song I've loved forever, offers hope and community. The melody sounds like calypso buoyant, nostalgic, narrative before Preminger and Palmer trade lines, dialing up the rhythmic complexity and dissonance.

With covers that good, you might overlook Preminger's five originals. That would be a mistake. Palmer blankets the loping swing of "We Have a Dream," a straight-ahead song form (almost like pre-Elvis pop), with thematic fragments and searing descents, before Preminger juxtaposes hanging-mobile fragments with snaking chromatic lines.

Cass's intro and churning ostinato on "Mother's Earth," a cheeky, melancholic nod to "There She Is, Miss America" (a jab at Trump, perhaps), anchors gorgeous improv by Preminger, Froman and Palmer.

"Women's March" affords Palmer and Preminger a certain time-lapse freedom above Cass and Froman's rocket-ride pulse. Fittingly, "The 99 Percent" begins with a spare, unison melody (played by Preminger and Palmer) that grows slightly, fed by Preminger's long-tone solo, but stays lean (at 3:31, it's the shortest track on "Meditations"). "Broken Treaties," the final song, unfolds from evocative, slow-moving, two- and three-part harmonies into frenzied action and interplay.

Preminger and his quartet will perform at the Side Door in Old Lyme on April 14 and on May 19 at Black-eyed Sally's in Hartford. He'll be there physically, but he'll be trying to get to somewhere else.

"When you're able to completely take yourself off the bandstand, out of body, that's the highest place you can get to as an artist," he says. "That's why I continue to play, period. I don't do it for the money, because there is none."

And while Preminger is proud of "Meditations," he's realistic about its ability to reach a wide audience.

"Jazz music is such a small genre. It's not like I'm standing on the stage at Madison Square Garden talking about these important issues like Bono or Bruce Springsteen or Britney Spears. It's small-time, but it's something I feel I'm able to do to spread the word about issues that need to be talked about."

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Saxophonist Noah Preminger Joins The Protest With 'Meditations On Freedom' - Hartford Courant

An audience at Freedom Hall enjoys the action during the 2017 AMSOIL Arenacross Tour. 2/4/17(Photo: Marty Pearl/Special to The C-J)Buy Photo

Three separate groups of investors who are interested in financing a professional basketball franchise based in Louisville arereportedly expressing a willingness to help pay to bring Freedom Hall up to NBA standards.

That cost may bearound $150 million, said Jason Rittenberry, president and CEO of Kentucky Venues, the newly rebranded Kentucky State Fair Board. Itoversees the state-owned, 60-year-old Freedom Hall situated in the center of the Kentucky Exposition Center.

The odds of Louisville's landing an NBA franchise through either league expansionor the relocation of an existing franchise appear long. And the cost to securean NBA team might approach $1 billion.

The NBA office saysexpansion is not in sight. And no existing clubappears currently inclined to move. In addition, questions have been raised about the ability of the local demographics to support or sustain an NBA team.

Nonetheless,Louisville lawyer J. Bruce Miller, who served three terms as the elected Jefferson County Attorney, continues his relentless pursuit of a Louisville-based NBA club -- a passion that has persisted for nigh on a generation.

He has what may seem to be plausible answers for most of the doubts. He maintained, for instance, that if the NBA does expand, Louisville and Seattle are the two primary candidates. And he said the market here would be all of Kentucky, not just Louisville.

In a recent interview, Miller said he is working with no fewerthan three separate investment groups interested in backing Louisville's effort to secureapro basketball team. Miller said each of the three groups is aware that two other groups share the Louisville NBA ambition but they don't know who the potentially competing investors are.

And Miller isn't disclosing any names at this point.

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Miller said one of the three groups actually would prefer playing at Freedom Hall, while the other two would prefer to play at the KFC Yum Center downtown. However, it's possible a deal might not be viable to play at the Yum Center, where the University of Louisville has dibs on dates, suitesand other considerations that the school probably isn't anxious to relinquish.

That leaves Freedom Hall.

Rittenberry said the cost to bring Freedom Hall up to NBA playability might start around $150 million; Miller agreed with that assessment.

The arena's interior would essentially have to be gutted and rebuilt. Rittenberry said that in addition to wholesale cosmetic improvements, a third level would need to be added, all the seats would need to be replaced, and walls knocked out to widen the concourses.

Rittenberry said, "Many, many things would have to be done. I'm not even sure you could do it."

Rittenberry said Miller indicated that all of the investors would perhaps consider helping to pay for the makeover of Freedom Hall.

Rittenberry emphasized that he was not optimistic about Louisville's ever getting an NBA team. But he met with Miller in January to discuss the suitability of Freedom Hall.

Millersaid in the interview with the newspaper that his meeting with the fair board CEO was intended to bring Rittenberry's "learning curve current." Rittenberry took the Kentucky job last October.

Miller said he had met several times previously with fair board top staff and its lawyers. He said he also had met recently with representatives of Gov. Matt Bevin's administration.

Miller said all three investment groups "havebeen impressed with the concept of Freedom Hall. The main reason is the historic nature of the building. ... They are interested in preserving some of that history."

He noted that several NCAA Final Fours were played there and that some all-time greats, including Oscar Robertson and Elgin Baylor, played in the arena. "Collegiate basketball was integrated nationwide as a result of Freedom Hall," Millersaid.

The one monied groupthat hastheprimary interest in playing at Freedom Hall views itas "the ideal spot," Miller said. He said about 17,500 seats would be enough. Freedom Hall seated about 18,500before some aging bleachers were recently removed, reducing the seating to around 15,000.

Miller said none of the three investment groups would want to try to push U of L out of the Yum Center and "be viewed as a villain of some sort."

Reporter Sheldon S. Shafer can be reached at 502-582-7089, or via email at sshafer@courier-journal.com.

A quick look at whether or not an NBA team could be making its way to Louisville. Wochit

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NBA seekers might pony up to redo Freedom Hall - The Courier-Journal

The most quoted foreign policy statement in the President's speech was: "My job is not to represent the world. My job is to represent the United States of America." His formulation does not come as a surprise. Trump has never intended to lead the free world, and nor would the free world put him in charge. But as Trump's predecessors have learned, there is no keeping America safe or prosperous when the world is not. As a global businessman with interests on all continents, Trump's blindness to the interconnectedness entrenched by technology, the global economy, travel, trade and media is willful and worrying. On a broader level, this willful ignorance spotlights three ways in which Trump's remarks on foreign policy were alarming. First, he displayed a propensity to view the US role in international affairs almost entirely through a military lens. He has already appointed military generals to head not only the Department of Defense but also his National Security Council (twice over, including the deposed Michael Flynn and now H.R. McMaster) and the Department of Homeland Security. In his words, "To those allies who wonder what kind of friend America will be, look no further than the heroes who wear our uniform." By putting a military face on American solidarity around the world, Trump confirmed the serious concerns of diplomats and top military officials alike who have expressed worries about Trump's announcement of budget proposals that would effect a $54 billion increase in defense spending partly through drastic cuts in the budget of the State Department. More than 120 retired generals and admirals have signed a letter of protest. Meanwhile, Trump conspicuously omitted mention of economic ties or global concerns like climate change and human rights. His worldview is a more extreme version of the approach taken during the first term of the George W. Bush administration when singular emphasis on military force, or "hard power," drew the United States into draining wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, squandered the global goodwill engendered by the 9/11 attacks, caused anti-Americanism to spike and frayed American alliances. Despite an obsession with his own personal brand, Trump seems oblivious toward the brand value of what Joseph Nye has called the "soft power" that comes from projecting appealing aspects of American society and character abroad. He is also indifferent to my own concept of "smart power," or the imperative to engage a broad range of tools of statecraft, from diplomacy to aid to private sector engagement to military intervention. Trump's tunnel-vision foreign policy, centered on the military, will leave other elements of the US foreign policy toolbox idle while incurring significant expense and risk for troops pressured to become the solution to all of America's foreign policy challenges.

The second jarring aspect of Trump's foreign policy vision was the absence of any conception of the United States as a standard-bearer for freedom worldwide. While the United States has been at best an imperfect exemplar of freedom, often contradicting its own professed ideals, its self-conception as an inspiration and lifeline to democrats and dissidents around the world dates back to the Second World War at least.

In a large and growing number of countries the will of the people is not expressed through strong democratic institutions and processes. While the United States has limited influence globally and indeed must never try to dictate how other nations govern themselves, it has strived to be an ally and champion of those struggling to defend and promote freedom and democratic reforms. The support of new and emerging democracies in Eastern Europe, Africa, Latin America and Myanmar are among some of the United States' proudest achievements in recent decades. Trump's none-of-my-business pledge to let all nations plot their own course, coupled with the proposals he made earlier to dramatically reduce US foreign aid, offers nothing to those around the world who long for freedom and lack it.

Relying on Cabinet appointments, tax cuts and corporate subsidies to help the wealthy, Trump made clear his vision of diplomacy is not beholden to a practical, a political nor least a moral compulsion to uphold many decades of US leadership worldwide as an exemplar and defender of freedom.

Trump has been told -- but refuses to believe -- that American global leadership is not a public service to the rest of the world but rather an insurance policy for our own people, one that has kept war, plague and economic devastation mostly off-shore for many decades. Trump's disdain for the burdens and benefits of US global leadership -- so clearly articulated in his declaration that his job "is not to represent the world" -- won't simply leave a gap. The space created by the United States' withdrawal from the Trans-Pacific Partnership, its equivocations on the Paris Climate pact and its insults toward the United Nations is already being filled by China, Russia and others.

By ceding the United States' global leadership role, Trump may ensure his successors cannot claim it back.

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'America First' puts freedom and leadership last (opinion) - CNN.com - CNN

For Freedom swimmer Al Bell, the sport isn't just getting in the pool and taking off.

Hes very different than most athletes I coach," Patriots swimming coach Jon Larson said. "He flies under the radar. Hes not very vocal and hes a thinker. He knows everybodys personality that he was swimming against. And he uses that to his own advantage, whether he has the right perception of them or not."

The thoughtful approach by the sophomore resulted in gold in the District 11 Class 3A 500 freestyle on Saturday at Parkland High School.

Bell swam a 4:45.94 to take first place, just beating out Parkland's Hyunbin Kim, Southern Lehigh's Raahi Klar-Chaudhuri and Daniel Jablonski of Whitehall.

It just shows that hard work pays off. Its just exciting, Bell said about getting his first district gold.

The sophomore also captured the bronze medal in the 200 individual medley with a 1:59.57 on Friday night.

Bell also teamed with Colin Burnette, Grayden Hogan and Brian Seitz to tie for fourth in the 200 medley relay with a 1:42.65 on Friday night.

"A little, but I don't let that get to me," Bell said about being nervous in the meet.

Josh Folck may be reached atjfolck@lehighvalleylive.com. Follow him on Twitter@JoshFolck.FindLehigh Valley high school sports on Facebook.

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Freedom's Al Bell thinks his way to D-11 swimming title - lehighvalleylive.com

NEWS Events commemorate freeing of slaves in Albemarle, Charlottesville by Anna Pollard and Kara Kreiling and Kathleen Smith | Mar 05 2017 | 2 hours ago

The first annual Liberation and Freedom Day celebration was held March 3 to commemorate the ending of slavery in Albemarle County and the city of Charlottesville.

The celebration began with an interfaith service at the University Chapel. Following the service, participants marched from the chapel to the Jefferson School African-American Heritage Center, where the event concluded with a reception.

Reverend Tracy Howe Wispelwey from Westminster Presbyterian Church opened the service with a communal singing of We Hear Freedom Ringing.

We are celebrating the liberation of over 14,000 men, women and children from slavery in 1865, Wispelwey said.

The emancipation of slaves in Charlottesville and Albemarle County occurred toward the end of the American Civil War when local officials surrendered to Union troops on March 3, 1865.

A committee comprised of local religious leaders, civic officials, University officials and residents of Charlottesville were charged with organizing and planning the event.

At the service, Wispelwey said she hoped for a restoring of our humanity in light of the recent anti-Semitic acts around the country and threats Muslim students have faced at the University. She currently serves as the president of United Ministries, an interfaith group that works with University students, faculty and staff.

Wispelwey said in an email to The Cavalier Daily after the event that the celebration was a step in the healing process for the all in Charlottesville and University community.

Our troubled history framed primarily through the Confederate lost cause narrative has prevented us from healing, all of us (black and white), from the trauma and violence of slavery and this is a step in re-storying our history in a common humanity, Wispelwey said. Celebration is also critical to community building and introducing beauty and resilience.

Representatives from various religious communities spoke throughout the service. Reverend Brenda Brown-Grooms from New Beginnings Christian Community American Baptist Church offered a Re-story of History and touched on events such as John Browns Raid at Harpers Ferry, W.Va.

Rabbi Jake Rubin, executive director of the Brody Jewish Center of the University, presented readings of liberation and freedom. Reverend Heather Warren from St. Pauls Memorial Church and Reverend Deborah Lewis of the United Methodist Church spoke together, as well as Irtefa Binte-Farid, a University graduate student in the anthropology department and Mouadh Benamar, a graduate student in the biochemistry and molecular genetics program.

Dr. Marcus Martin, vice president and chief officer for Diversity and Equity at the University, presented a Reflection on Liberation and Freedom at U.Va. Martin credited the citys Blue Ribbon Commission on Race, Monuments and Public Spaces for recommending that March 3 be named Liberation and Freedom Day. He also thanked the city of Charlottesville, which officially recognized March 3 as Liberation and Freedom Day.

Its great to see the University and community come together, Martin said during the service.

Martin discussed recent actions the University has taken to honor the history of enslaved African-Americans, including the naming of Gibbons dormitory after an African-American couple that was enslaved by University professors and a physical memorial to enslaved laborers on Grounds. He said the Memorial for Enslaved Laborers will be a space for education and contemplation.

Grace Aheron, who serves on the youth group support staff at St. Pauls Memorial Church, led the march from the chapel to the Jefferson School. Aheron, a member of the University Class of 2013, said the procession would stop at Ebenezer Baptist Church and First Baptist Church along the way in order to honor African-American history in Charlottesville.

University students, faculty, staff and local Charlottesville residents attended the interfaith service.

Third-year College student Lucas Pulliza said the celebration was a step in the right direction toward improving the Universitys complicated relationship with portrayals of African-American history on Grounds and throughout the University.

Second-year College student Sydney Bradley said she enjoyed the interfaith aspect of the service.

To hear different religious views on peace and freedom is important and that should be shared, Bradley said.

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Community celebrates Liberation and Freedom Day - University of Virginia The Cavalier Daily

The Indian Express

India vs Australia 2nd Test: Freedom of expressions The Indian Express India vs Australia 2nd Test: Freedom of expressions. Rarely has a cricketing day thrown up so many animated visuals from so many different individuals as the day two of second Test in Bangalore. Written by Sriram Veera | Bangalore | Updated: March 6 ... and more »

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India vs Australia 2nd Test: Freedom of expressions - The Indian Express

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Supporters of President Donald Trump gathered at Macomb County's Freedom Hill Saturday, as well as scores of other places around the country in marches to show their pride in his presidency.

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Detroit Free Press staff Published 1:20 p.m. ET March 4, 2017 | Updated 2:09 p.m. ET March 4, 2017

March4Trump rally held at Freedom Hill in Sterling Heights.

March4Trump participants rally at Macomb County's Freedom Hill.(Photo: Jim Schaefer, DFP)Buy Photo

Supporters of President Donald Trump gathered at Macomb County's Freedom Hill Saturday, as well as scores of other places around the country in marches to show their pride in his presidency.

Saturday's "March 4 Trump" demonstrations are also intended to show unity in the face of what organizers call "a seditious fringe" aiming to sabotage his vision for the country.

During the rally at Freedom Hill in Sterling Heights, a group of anti-Trump supporters got into a yelling match with the pro-Trump group. A small physical scuffle was also reported and police were able to break things up quickly.

A 'March 4 Trump' rally also brought out several hundred supporters, waving pro-Trump signs at the state Capitol in Lansing.

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Trump supporters have held rallies in recent weeks to counter demonstrations against him, including women's marches the day after his inauguration and protests over his since-blocked executive order halting acceptance of refugees and temporarily barring citizens of seven Muslim-majority countries from traveling to the U.S.

There were pro-Trump demonstrations in Monday in cities ranging from Denver to Atlanta. Trump himself also held a campaign rally in Florida Feb. 18.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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Supporters gather at Freedom Hill for 'March4Trump' rally - Detroit Free Press

The Northwestern 3A/4A Conference late Saturday announced its all-conference basketball teams, as voted on by league coaches.

Patton sixth-year coach Dennis Brittain was named NWC boys coach of the year, and Freedom senior guard Ariyana Williams repeated as NWC girls player of the year.

Brittain has guided the Panthers to five consecutive state playoff berths, perhaps none more improbably than this winter. Patton graduated its top three scorers and four total starters from the 2015-16 squad, one of whom was the programs all-time leading scorer, but Brittain helped keep the team in the top half of the league race.

Patton again won 11 or more games, also for a fifth straight season, and was two games above .500 entering the final week of the regular season.

Its Brittains first coach of the year award.

To have been selected from this excellent group of coaches means the world to me, Brittain said. This was certainly a team award, and without the dedication and hard work of all of the players, coaching staff and the support of my wonderful wife, this would not have been possible. I am truly honored and humbled and forever thankful to all of those who had a part in it.

Williams finished her prep career as a four-year starter Saturday by scoring 17 points in the 3A West Regional finals to land her right on 2,000 career points. Her Lady Patriots won undefeated league titles the last two years and followed them with NWC tournament titles.

The four-time All-NWC selection, two-time county player of the year and reigning district player of the year and all-state pick led the county this year at 20.8 points per game and added 4.2 rebounds, 1.9 assists and 2.5 steals, shooting 38 percent from behind the 3-point line and 79 percent at the free-throw line.

The East Carolina recruit was also All-NWC Tournament for a second straight year and won her third straight MVP at the Freedom Christmas Invitational. Williams helped lead FHS to regionals all four years and was 2016 Kay Yow state championship game MVP as Freedom won its first state title in undefeated fashion.

Burke County was represented on the All-NWC boys team by Freedom sophomore guards Jakari Dula (16.8 ppg, 3.9 rpg, 2.5 apg) and Fletcher Abee (17.9 ppg, 3.6 rpg; school record 98 3-pointers) and senior guard Niguel Moore (5.1 ppg, 2.9 rpg, 6.6 apg) as well as Patton senior forward Austin Spurlin (14.9 ppg, 4.5 rpg).

Freedom junior forward Tobias Kanipe (8.7 ppg, 6.2 rpg) and Patton junior guard Tripp Causby (12.8 ppg, 3.4 rpg, 4.8 apg, 2.0 spg) were named All-NWC honorable mention.

Freedom senior guard Amaryah Corpening (14.3 ppg, 3.9 rpg, 3.1 apg, 3.2 spg), sophomore guard Madison Bailey (5.6 ppg, 3.3 rpg) and freshman guard Blaikley Crooks (6.3 ppg, 3.0 rpg) and Patton junior guard/forward Makaley Lovelace (9.8 ppg) were named All-NWC in girls.

Freedom sophomore center CC Davenport (4.2 ppg, 5.4 rpg) was on the honorable-mention team.

Hibritens Anderson Keller was NWC boys player of the year, and Wataugas Laura Barry was NWC girls coach of the year.

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Patton's Brittain, Freedom's Williams win top NWC hoops honors - Morganton News Herald

A jubilant procession of a few dozen people marched through University Avenue and West Main Street on Friday evening to commemorate the moment when more than half of the populations of Charlottesville and Albemarle County were freed from slavery.

Carrying a large banner that said Let Freedom Ring and another reading Black Lives Matter, the procession sang freedom songs and lifted other political signs as they moved from the University of Virginia Chapel to the Jefferson School City Center as part of the citys first Liberation and Freedom Day celebration.

Last month, the City Council declared that March 3 would commemorate the historic moment in 1865 when Union military forces arrived in the city and liberated approximately 14,000 African-American slaves.

This is a commemoration of the most important day in Charlottesville history when 52 percent of the population was freed from slavery. said Claire Hitchens, a UVa graduate and singer-songwriter who volunteered to assist in organizing the procession Friday.

Also in attendance was Jane Clarke, the wife of a university professor emeritus, who felt motivated to participate in political rallies focused on social justice due to all the hate crimes and violence that is occurring against minorities.

As for the new holiday, she said: I think its great. We had never heard of this before. I know it was just recently created, but weve lived in Charlottesville for years and weve never heard of the liberation of the slaves.

Although the procession included only about 50 people, the first Liberation and Freedom Day celebration included well over 100 people, as the processional bridged an interfaith service at the UVa Chapel and a program at the Jefferson School African American Heritage Center that lasted for more than an hour.

In addition to remarks from local community activists, city officials, historians, as well as musical performances, the event included the recognition of several community members, including Zyhana Bryant, the Charlottesville High School student who called for the removal of the Robert E. Lee statue last year.

Two other community members, Deidra Gilmore and Eddie Harris, also were awarded the inaugural Freedom Fighter award.

During the program, Councilor Wes Bellamy read a statement from Gov. Terry McAuliffe, who recognized the new holiday and offered his regards.

This commemoration reminds members of the Charlottesville community, and all Virginians, of our enduring fight for human rights, the statement said. We have come a long way, but there is still work to be done. I commend your persistent efforts to create a community of inclusion, dignity and equality.

UVa President Teresa A. Sullivan also spoke at the event, recognizing the universitys role in surrendering alongside city officials when the Union forces arrived.

As we look back on that day, Liberation and Freedom Day should be a day of reflection. But it should not be a day of somber reflection. It should be a day of victorious reflection because we are celebrating a moment in the history of our community, and of our nation, when freedom won the battle over bondage, she said.

Linda Perriello, mother of Democratic gubernatorial candidate and Charlottesville native Tom Perriello, also spoke to honor the new holiday and promote her sons campaign.

All of you who marched, all of you who are here, send a message loud and clear: no more. No more to racial injustice and its corollaries of economic injustice, criminal injustice and even environmental injustice, she said.

The idea for the new holiday came as a recommendation from the citys Blue Ribbon Commission on Race, Memorials and Public Spaces, which was convened last year to address calls for the removal of the citys statue of Robert E. Lee.

Its just such an amazing journey that this city has been on, and I feel very proud, said Grace Aheron, a UVa graduate who also helped organize and lead the procession Friday.

It felt good today to celebrate rather than protest something, she said.

To see this day celebrated, not mourned it symbolically begins the retelling of the citys history, said John E. Mason, a UVa professor and member of the commission. Most people here celebrated the day and didnt see it as defeat, he added. That moment was the dawn of freedom.

Although a great deal of controversy has surrounded the commission and the City Councils decision to act on its recommendation to relocate the Lee statue, city officials and community members saw Fridays event as a moment to celebrate a new paradigm in how the city remembers the legacy of the Civil War.

Gary Gallagher, director of UVas John L. Nau III Civil War Center, said most communities throughout the South have only recognized the Confederacys memory of that period and that other strands of history have been glossed over.

Citing the 240 African-Americans from the area whom the Nau center has identified as having fought for the Union, he said he thinks its just as appropriate to commemorate those people just like the community historically has recognized Confederate veterans and ancestors.

One part of the historical memory thats been left out is African American men from Albemarle County who put on blue uniforms. They were absolutely invisible, he said. I think itd be a mighty damn fine idea if we put a monument with their names on it.

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Charlottesville marks first Liberation and Freedom Day - The Daily Progress

Cape Town - The University of Cape Town has defended its protection of freedom of artistic expression, after the David Goldblatt Collection chose to move its collection to Yale University in the US.

Goldblatt recently told UCT management that he wants to move his collection from the university after eight years, saying the university could no longer protect freedom of expression, artistic freedom and the rights of artists on the campus, a UCT statement said last week.

The university said it understood Goldblatt's decision.

"The Goldblatt Collection is a South African heritage treasure, it includes 18 archival boxes of photographic prints, transparencies, negatives and digital items representing his oeuvre, including portraiture and his work on various assignments.

"We regret that Mr Goldblatt could not be persuaded out of his view that freedom of expression, artistic freedom and rights of artists were no longer protected at UCT."

UCT will continue to promote, protect, attract and collect artistic collections and work with artists into the future, it said.

"The institution, the UCT libraries, and the faculties working in this field are committed to freedom of expression, artistic freedom and the rights of artists.

"UCT commits itself to intellectual honesty, rigour in debate, openness to alternative ideas and respect for other views, ways of being, beliefs and opinions as stipulated in the universitys statement of values.

"We promote and protect academic freedom and freedom of expression, including the creation of spaces for contestation of ideas."

The university said its own values, guided by the Library and Information Association of South Africa, will always stand for the free flow of information, the support of intellectual freedom and not exercising censorship.

The university wished Goldblatt and the collection well and hoped both go from strength to strength.

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UCT defends stance on artistic freedom after Goldblatt pulls out - News24

Ahead of the first pre-season test, F1's new owners Liberty Media gave the green light for teams and drivers to post short video footage on to the internet.

Previously, such freedom was not allowed because Bernie Ecclestone felt that it would devalue the exclusivity of broadcast deals that television companies were paying for.

With fans loving the explosion of video footage over the past week, Horner hopes that such freedoms for teams and drivers remain and that television companies come to realise the wider benefits to be had from the sport being followed by more people.

"The television broadcaster would never get that access to what we're showing," Horner told Motorsport.com. "They need to ultimately complement each other, because we're not going to film anything on track that's not within our remit.

"But by being able to personalise the drivers, give an insight into some of the bits behind the scenes, it will only encourage a growing following to turn on the television and watch the races. I really see it as a general benefit to the overall sport."

F1 management's decision to open up social media use was only a trial for the first test, and it is unclear if the freedom will remain in place for next week's final test or the F1 season itself.

Horner believed the move was a big winner for fans and anything that could attract more to follow the sport had to be embraced.

"It's that behind the scenes stuff that the fans crave, and it's been great to get that content out there," he said.

"At the end of the day, it's an advertisement for Formula 1, because hopefully then, as the following grows, those followers will want to view the races and turn on their televisions. It's how they complement each other.

"We've certainly put out a lot of content. They've even put me on Instagram! It's been tremendously well received. It's been a great way of advertising the sport, and engaging with the fanbase.

"The way people watch content these days is very, very different. You've only got to go on a train and see how everybody is looking at their phone. By opening up this avenue to get great content out there, I think it's a real positive."

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Horner: TV should not fear new F1 social media freedom - Motorsport.com, Edition: Global

Restrictions on foreign-funded NGOs and religious freedom along with corruption and police and security force abuses are among the most significant human rights problems in India, according to a US report.

The State Department 2016 Country Reports on Human Rights Practices - the first under the Trump Administration - said other human rights problems in India in the year 2016 included disappearances, hazardous prison condition and delay in justice due to court backlogs.

"The most significant human rights problems involved instances of police and security force abuses, including extrajudicial killings, torture, and rape; corruption, which remained widespread and contributed to ineffective responses to crimes, including those against women, children, and members of Scheduled Castes (SCs) or Scheduled Tribes (STs); and societal violence based on gender, religious affiliation, and caste or tribe," said the report released yesterday.

"Other human rights problems included disappearances, hazardous prison conditions, arbitrary arrest and detention, and lengthy pretrial detention. Court backlogs delayed or denied justice, including through lengthy pretrial detention and denial of due process," said the report which will be submitted to the Congress.

"The government placed restrictions on foreign funding of non-governmental organisations (NGOs), including some whose views the government believed were not in the 'national or public interest,' curtailing the work of civil society," said the India section of the report.

Observing that there were instances of infringement of privacy rights, the report said that the law in six states restricted religious conversion, and there were reports of arrests but no reports of convictions under those laws.

The report alleged some limits on the freedom of movement continued. Rape, domestic violence, dowry-related deaths, honor killings, sexual harassment, and discrimination against women and girls remained serious societal problems, it said.

Child abuse, female genital mutilation and cutting, and forced and early marriage were problems. Trafficking in persons, including widespread bonded and forced labor of children and adults, and sex trafficking of children and adults for prostitution, were serious problems, it added.

Societal discrimination against persons with disabilities and indigenous persons continued, as did discrimination and violence based on gender identity, sexual orientation, and persons with HIV, the State Department said in its report.

"A lack of accountability for misconduct at all levels of government persisted, contributing to widespread impunity. Investigations and prosecutions of individual cases took place, but lax enforcement, a shortage of trained police officers, and an overburdened and under resourced court system contributed to infrequent convictions," the report said.

"Separatist insurgents and terrorists in Jammu and Kashmir, the northeastern states, and the Maoist belt committed serious abuses, including killings of armed forces personnel, police, government officials, and civilians," it added.

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Curbs on religious freedom among human rights problems in India: US - Economic Times