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The TALOS-AI4SSH project: Expanding research and innovation … – Innovation News Network

Posted on August 4, 2023 by Danzig

The TALOS-AI4SSH project is setting up a Centre of Excellence in Digital Humanities at the University of Crete, Greece.

The TALOS-Artificial Intelligence for Humanities and Social Sciences (TALOS-AI4SSH) project gets its name from ancient Greek mythology. Talos was an ancient bronze giant whose mission was to protect Crete from pirates. Nowadays, Talos is usually considered the symbol of Artificial Intelligence (AI).

The TALOS-AI4SSH project received 2.5m in funding from the European Commission (HORIZON-WIDERA-2022-TALENTS-01-01-ERA Chairs) in order to set up a Centre of Excellence in Digital Humanities at the University of Crete, Greece.

The new centre will be integrated at the University of Crete Research Centre (UCRC) for the Humanities, the Social and Education Sciences.

Established in 1978, the University of Crete (UoC), ranked among the top Greek universities, is a young public educational institution sited in a region rich in ancient and modern Mediterranean cultures.

Currently, around 20,000 undergraduate and graduate students study at the UoC, at the Schools of Philosophy, Education, Social Sciences, Sciences & Technology, and Medicine. They are taught by outward-looking academic staff committed to quality in teaching, research, and community partnerships.

The UoC is the only Greek University, to date, that has been awarded with the HR Excellence in Research logo.

The objectives set by the TALOS-AI4SSH project align with the EU Social Sciences and Humanities (SSH) integration and digital agenda.

The project will expand the research and innovation potential, generate new knowledge, strengthen innovation and knowledge transfer activities, create industry-driven projects, and build capacity through combined academic-industry training.

In close collaboration with local and global industry partners, the TALOS-AI4SSH project will support SSH-informed evidence-based AI policymaking, develop key combined digital SSH competencies, and produce interdisciplinary solutions to both societal and technological AI issues.

The vision of the TALOS-AI4SSH project is to train a new generation of hybrid scholars who will combine knowledge and skills from both the humanities and computer science sectors.

A vision is needed for new educational curricula, combining knowledge from the humanities, the social sciences, and engineering studies. Education on computer science /informatics and its societal impact must start as early as possible. Students should learn to combine information-technology skills with awareness of the ethical and societal issues at stake. (Vienna Manifesto on Digital Humanities)

The traditional separation between humanities, arts, social sciences and STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) is not suitable for the needs of the digital age. Artificial Intelligence is not a STEM discipline. It is in essence trans-disciplinary and requires a spectrum of capabilities that is not covered by current education curricula. It is urgent to redesign studies. This also gives a unique opportunity to truly achieve inclusion and diversity across academic fields. (V. Dignum, Responsible AI)

TALOS mission focuses on the need for AI that is reflective about the nature of intelligence and humanity. It also addresses the requirement for SSH that is transformative and embraces the methodological advances of AI to generate innovation and impact.

TALOS will combine the strengths of neural networks with symbolic reasoning to create a scalable, sustainable, and explainable representation of knowledge in the humanities and the social sciences.

The TALOS-AI4SSH project was selected for funding in the HORIZON-WIDERA call ERA Chairs. This programme aims to help universities to promote structural changes and to achieve excellence on a sustainable basis.

This is done under the guidance of a prominent researcher. The ERA Chair Professor then sets up a team and undertakes tasks, such as supervision, research, teaching etc., that contribute to the educational and research upgrading of the host institution.

Christophe Roche is the ERA chair holder at the University of Crete. He is a Professor in Artificial Intelligence at the University of Savoie Mont-Blanc (France), a special appointment Professor at the University of Liaocheng (China, National Talent), and Head of the Condillac research group (France), and KETRC Lab (China).

He started his career in the private research sector in Artificial Intelligence (Paris) and taught in Switzerland (Neuchatel) and in Paris for over ten years (INALCO, Paris Dauphine). He was researcher and lecturer at the University Nova of Lisbon (2009-2022).

His domains of interest are knowledge engineering (ontology), linguistics (terminology), digital humanities and the semantic web.

In 2007, he created the TOTh international conference on terminology and ontology, which he has been organising every year since, also chairing its scientific committee. He also chairs the terminology committee of AFNOR (Paris) in relation with ISO.

Roche has set up and participated in 14 international projects, including ten EU-funded projects. He has set up PhD courses and summer schools in France, Portugal, and China in Artificial Intelligence, linguistics, and digital humanities.

Since March 2023, Professor Roche has joined the Department of Philology of the UoC on a five-year contract.

The TALOS-AI4SSH project is setting up a Centre of Excellence in Digital Humanities. The activities of the new centre are being directed by Professor Roche and include:

The TALOS-AI4SSH project is expected to have a significant impact in the following areas:

The project is designed to:

The key research topics are:

1. Semantic annotation of texts; 2. Classifying and naming objects; 3. Pattern recognition in literary/journalistic corpora; 4. Digitisation and datafication of education; 5. Hybrid AI-NLP Software for SSH; and 6. Standards for SSH.

The TALOS-AI4SSH Project is funded by the Horizon Europe Programme under grant agreement No. 101087269.

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Industry 4.0: The Transformation of Production – Fagen wasanni

Posted on August 4, 2023 by Danzig

Modern society is undergoing a significant transformation in the production of goods, known as Industry 4.0 (I4.0). This transformation is driven by the digitization of society and manufacturing, and the integration of new, modern, smart, and disruptive technologies.

Industry 4.0 refers to the intelligent networking of machines and processes using new information and communication technologies such as the Internet of Things (IoT), cloud computing, fog computing, and Artificial Intelligence (AI). These technologies have increased the speed and breadth of knowledge in the modern economy and society.

From the first industrial revolution, characterized by mechanization through water and steam power, to the mass production and assembly lines of the second industrial revolution using electricity, and the adoption of computers and automation in the third industrial revolution, Industry 4.0 builds upon these advancements. It enhances them with smart and autonomous systems that work in IoT environments, utilizing digital data analyzed by machine learning technology.

The combination of cyber-physical systems (CPS), IoT, AI, and machine learning is making Industry 4.0 possible and turning the concept of the smart factory into a reality. Smart machines, with access to more data, enable factories to become less wasteful and more efficient and productive. The true power of Industry 4.0 lies in the digital connection between network CPS, creating and sharing information.

CPS are systems that integrate constituents from the cyber and physical domains. They monitor and control physical processes through a network of actuators and sensors and can be implemented on various scales. CPS form the basis of smart machines in Industry 4.0 and use modern control systems and IoT environments.

Smart cyber-physical systems (SCPS) are the next generation of computing applications, integrating communication, computation, process control, and AI technologies in a transparent and novel way. SCPS exhibit highly cooperative behavior, self-awareness, self-adaptation, and self-optimization. They are complex systems that enable various AI techniques and technologies within IoT constraints.

SCPS have evolved beyond traditional CPS definitions and are capable of building awareness, reasoning, and adapting to their environment. They integrate hardware, software, AI, and cyberware technologies to a higher degree than any other system before. AI provides cognition to SCPS, allowing them to model, represent, learn complex interactions, and behaviors.

The implementation of artificial neural networks, specifically the multilayer perceptron artificial neural network (MLPANN), in SCPS enables intelligent and autonomous decision-making. MLPANN was chosen for its simple and easy-to-implement architecture.

In conclusion, Industry 4.0 is revolutionizing the production of goods through the integration of new technologies. CPS and SCPS are at the forefront of this transformation, enabling the development of smart machines and systems. The implementation of AI and neural networks in SCPS enhances their capabilities and paves the way for intelligent and autonomous decision-making.

Industry 4.0: The Transformation of Production - Fagen wasanni

Research on key acoustic characteristics of soundscapes of the … – Nature.com

Posted on August 4, 2023 by Danzig

The term "soundscape" was first coined by Murray Schafer in his book "The tuning of the world" published in 19971,2. In 2014, the International Organization for Standardization systematically elaborated the definition of the soundscape: "acoustic environment as perceived or experienced and/or understood by a person or people, in context"3. It also defined the constituent elements of the soundscape as sound elements, environmental elements and audio receivers. The physical characteristics of sound include loudness, pitch, and timbre. In the discipline of soundscape ecology, sound is classified into three distinct types: biophonies, geophonies and anthrophonies4,5.

Classical Chinese gardens reflect the profound metaphysical beauty of Chinese culture in scrupulous garden design, and they are a significant component of world cultural heritage. The creation of classical Chinese gardens places a strong emphasis on crafting a multisensorial experience through the sensescape, in which soundscape plays a critical role6. Early studies have revealed a remarkable consistency in the adoption of similar soundscapes and sound sources in classical Chinese gardens7. However, most of these studies provided only a summary and categorization, without further analysing the physical characteristics of these sound sources and the reasoning behind the preference matrix.

Most of the soundscape research focuses on loudness, despite the fact that physical characteristics of sound also include frequency, timbre, and duration. Scholars have pointed out that once the loudness of sound remains within peoples comfort zone, evaluation of soundscape will mainly depend on the type of sound source and personal subjective preference, while ignoring the influence of sound frequency, timbre and other physical properties on preference8,9. Despite the profound impact of frequency attributes on human sound perception and the growing recognition of their therapeutic effects on physical and mental well-being10, relevant research in this domain remains relatively sparse. Many scholars use soundscape data, combined with theories and methods of sociology, psychology or physiology to evaluate soundscape. On the one hand, such as Hunte and Jo, etc. concluded that the sound of water, wind, birds and other natural sounds have healing effects on human beings, but did not explore the healing mechanism of these soundscapes in depth; on the other hand11,12, Casc detailed standardizes the standard of using the frequency characteristics of sound to measure species diversity, and discusses the role of sound frequency in the study of species diversity13. This study takes the most recorded 12 soundscape in classical Chinese gardens as the research object, analyzes its frequency characteristics, discusses its healing mechanism, and provides a frequency perspective for the study of soundscape healing mechanism. Audio data for these identified soundscapes is sourced from the BBC Sound Effects website, allowing for an acoustic analysis that focuses solely on the frequency dimension, while mitigating the influence of the physical variable of loudness. By analyzing sound spectrograms, Bai et al.14 divided sound into two types based on sound duration: discrete and continuous. Discrete sounds tend to be associated with musical melodies; a melody is composed of two or more tones, which are discrete vocal events with pitch15. Continuous sound, on the other hand, forms a spectrogram through methods such as Fourier transform16. The spectrogram is the basis for distinguishing between colored noise and white noise17. Not all noises are harmful to human health. Pink noise and white noise can provide a soothing quality, by masking out disturbing sounds from the external environment to inhibit the activation of brain activity, which is evident from the reduced complexity of electroencephalogram (EEG) recordings18.

The ancient Chinese culture attached great importance to sound perception. In ancient Chinese idioms, when the words "ear" and "eye" are mentioned together in an idiom, the word "ear" is always placed before the word "eye"; the sound comes first, and the form follows. Soundscapes have also been recorded in various ancient texts. Wu et al.6 have conducted an extensive literature review on the soundscape present in the "Book of Songs" (also known as Shijing), and found that 86 of the 305 poems in the "Book of Songs" involve soundscapes.

In classical Chinese gardens, the creation and crafting of soundscapes is a meticulous and significant art form with a longstanding history. Tang et al.19 have conducted an extensive literature review on the soundscape present in "Yuanye", the first comprehensive garden art monograph in China. They found 21 descriptions of soundscapes, with biophonies (e.g. bird calls) as the most commonly recorded, followed by geophonies (e.g. water and wind sounds), and lastly anthrophonies (e.g. singing and musical performance). Xie and Ge7 also conducted a literature review on the important contemporary works of classical Chinese gardens, and found a similar ranking of the soundscapes based on their frequency of occurrence20,21,22,23,24,25.

Although the ancients did not systematically acquire relevant acoustic theory and technology, their understanding and experiences have been demonstrated in the mastery of soundscapes in the making of the garden landscape20,23. There are many well-known soundscapes in existing classical Chinese gardens. In the Humble Administrators Garden, the "Pine Wind Pavilion" (Songfengting) has a horizontal banner inscribed with the phrase "Listen to the Pine Wind", which is an extract from the poem "I love the pine wind, and the courtyard is planted with pine trees. Every time I hear the sound, I am delighted." Fig.1a "Rain Pavilion" (Tingyuxuan) has a pond filled with lotus flowers in the front, and with Musa trees and bamboo planted by the side. When raindrops fall on these different plants, they produce responses in listeners; often, these responses will be highly individual (i.e. differ between people) (Fig.1b and c). Chengde Mountain Resort has a building dedicated to listening to the wind blowing through an old-growth pine forest (Fig.1d). The "Orioles Singing in the Willow" (Liulangwenying) is a lakefront park located on the southeast bank of the West Lake, which is famous for bird calls from orioles (Fig.1e). The Octave Stream (Bayinjian) in Jichang Garden demonstrates skilful stonework, creating an enclosed environment which isolates noise from the outside world and amplifies the trickling sound of spring water (Fig.1f).Soundscape research centers on two major aspects: the objective assessment of the physical characteristics of sound, and the subjective evaluation of the perception of sound. However, most research on soundscape perception focused mainly on the perceived loudness, despite the fact that frequency and timbre are equally important components of the physical characteristics of sound26. In this paper, we conducted an extensive systematic literature review of related soundscape research and selected 12 sound sources that are most typically present in classical Chinese gardens. We then collected the respective audio samples from the BBCs library of Sound Effects to classify these 12 audio samples into discrete and continuous sounds based on spectrogram analyses. Their frequency distribution was further analyzed by the Pitch Estimation Algorithm and LSTM neural network noise type judgment method based on the theories of musical tones, melody and colored noise classification. According to the results, the frequency distribution characteristics of discrete sounds indicate a pitch change, while continuous sounds show white noise or pink noise. The preference mechanism for these sound sources from the perspective of healing and health benefits will be discussed in this paper. This study presents a novel approach by explaining the physical attributes and preference mechanisms of soundscapes in classical gardens from the perspective of sound frequency. The innovation of this study can be observed in two aspects.

Site photos of existing classical Chinese gardens with distinct soundscapes. Inset images show soundscape representatives of the 6 in existing classical Chinese gardens.From left to right: (a) Tingyuxuan; (b) Songfengting; (c) Liutingge; (d) Wanhesongfengdian; (e) Liulangwenying; (f) Bayinjian.

Firstly, methodological innovation: The utilization of LSTM neural networks and principles from music theory to analyze audio data led to the discovery of frequency-based features that are favored by individuals. Specifically, it was found that the frequency distribution of continuous sound sources conforms to the distribution patterns of white noise and pink noise. This approach provides a unique methodology for understanding and interpreting the frequency characteristics of preferred sounds, that is discrete sounds exhibit two or more variations in pitch. Secondly, theoretical innovation: The study offers an explanation from a therapeutic perspective as to why people are drawn to sounds with these frequency features. By highlighting the potential healing effects of these sounds, the research contributes to the improvement of urban green spaces and the enhancement of residents physical and mental well-being. The study provides a frequency-based perspective and serves as a valuable reference for the enhancement of acoustic environments in urban green spaces and the promotion of residents overall health.

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Research on key acoustic characteristics of soundscapes of the ... - Nature.com

Fast Simon Launches Vector Search With Advanced AI for … – GlobeNewswire

Posted on August 4, 2023 by Danzig

LOS ALTOS, Calif., Aug. 04, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Fast Simon, the leader in AI-powered shopping optimization, today announced Vector Search with advanced AI for eCommerce. Vector Search is able to handle longer search queries and reduce the return of no results compared to keyword search alone. This makes it easier for eCommerce sites to match buyer intent, personalize the shopping experience, answer questions and make product recommendations.

Rather than matching keywords like most eCommerce search engines, Vector Search uses natural language processing and neural networks to analyze a query. Vector embedding maps the words from the search to a corresponding vector to detect synonyms, intent and ranking, and it clusters concepts to deliver more complete results. For example, the search fall wedding guest dresses for black tie event would return relevant results for long dresses, dark colors and options for sleeves, even if the items werent all tagged with the exact keywords.

While many eCommerce search queries today are just one to two words, Gen Z tends to search differently. They often use full sentences and look for contextual results that match their intent. This shift requires a new approach to search that goes beyond keywords to understand the meaning, said Zohar Gilad, CEO of Fast Simon. As the next generation of shoppers, meeting the expectations of Gen Z is crucial for retailers who want to stay relevant.

Vector Search is Fast Simons latest innovation, helping eCommerce brands enhance the online shopping experience. Key benefits include:

For more information about Vector Search, visit the Fast Simon blog.

About Fast Simon Fast Simon is the leader in AI-powered shopping optimization. Its revolutionary platform uniquely integrates shopper, behavioral and store signals for strategic merchandising and optimized shopping experiences that dramatically increase conversions and average order value (AOV). Fast Simon powers shopping optimization at thousands of fast-growing merchants and sophisticatedbrands, including Steve Madden, Natural Life and Motherhood. Fast Simon integrates seamlessly with all major eCommerce platforms, including Shopify, BigCommerce, Magento, Microsoft Dynamics and WooCommerce.

Media Contact: Liesse Jayalath Look Left Marketing fastsimon@lookleftmarketing.com

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Fast Simon Launches Vector Search With Advanced AI for ... - GlobeNewswire

Signal and noise: how timing measurements and AI are improving … – ATLAS Experiment at CERN

Posted on August 4, 2023 by Danzig

The Large Hadron Collider (LHC) doesnt collide one particle at a time it hurls together more than one hundred billion proton pairs every twenty-five nanoseconds! Most pass by each other and continue on their way, but many collisions can happen at the same time. Physicists then have to disentangle the collisions with rare or interesting signatures from the noise of overlapping pile-up collisions. This major experimental challenge has become even more important in recent data-taking runs of the LHC, as higher collision rates result in more pile-up collisions.

The ATLAS Collaboration recently presented two new results explaining how detector timing measurements and calorimeter signal calibration using artificial intelligence (AI) are being used to further improve the quality of data recorded by the experiment.

The ATLAS Liquid Argon and Tile Calorimeters are particularly susceptible to pile-up, as signals from these sub-detectors can take longer to read out than there is time between LHC collisions. During this long read-out period, particles from other collisions can contribute to the noise of the recorded signal. When a particle hits a calorimeter, it sets off a shower of secondary particles that deposit their energy in the detectors. The energy of the initial particle can be measured by reconstructing this shower. To do this, the ATLAS calorimeter is split into finely-segmented 3D cells that allow more information to be collected about the showers development. The shower is reconstructed as a cluster of many cells, using an algorithm that first spots cells with strong signals, and then collects neighbouring cells to get a complete picture of the shower (see Figure 1). Particle showers appear as groups of pixels, and the colour changes from blue to red as the signal strength increases. While some of these signals might come from an interesting, rare particle, many others are likely to be pile-up.

The ATLAS Collaboration has improved its calorimeter cell clustering algorithm to better reject pile-up while retaining interesting signals. Besides particle energies, calorimeters also measure the time at which the energy was deposited in their cells (see Figure 2). This is centred around the LHC collision clock, and any signal measured more than 12.5 billionths of a second away from the expected collision time is likely from a different bunch of protons. Excluding these out-of-time cells from the cluster is a powerful way to suppress pile-up, reducing noisy contributions by up to 80%. As a bonus, removing these unwanted clusters means ATLAS will need 6% less storage for the Run 3 data. This may seem like a small reduction, but every little bit adds up when dealing with LHC-scale datasets!

Once the interesting signals are separated from pile-up, the next step is calibration. Different particles make different kinds of showers in the calorimeters: electromagnetic showers produced by photons and electrons are narrow and dense, while hadronic showers from strongly-interacting particles like pions are larger and more diffuse. A showers signal depends on the type of interaction that produced it: hadronic showers leave less of a signal than electromagnetic ones of the same energy. Calibrating the energy of clusters to account for this is an important step when correctly reconstructing the energy flow of an event. Luckily, many features of clusters like their density and depth in the detector give information about the type of shower being measured. For reliable cluster energy calibration, many of these features must be considered at once making it a natural place to apply modern AI algorithms.

ATLAS physicists recently calibrated the energy scale of calorimeter cell clusters with Deep Neural Networks (DNN in Figure 3) and Bayesian Neural Networks (BNN in Figure 3), and found that AI algorithms can significantly improve the accuracy and precision of the calibration when compared to earlier methods (LCW hadronic scale in Figure 3), which used a tabulated calibration that only considered a limited number of features. Using AI allows much more information per-cluster to be used, resulting in a calibration that is also more resilient to the effects of pile-up.

With high-fidelity pictures of collision events in hand, physicists will be able to refine their searches for new particles and precision measurements. However, this task will be made much more challenging in the high-pileup environment of the High-Luminosity LHC. To meet that challenge, ATLAS physicists will be testing new and creative approaches to the event reconstruction throughout Run 3 of the LHC.

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Signal and noise: how timing measurements and AI are improving ... - ATLAS Experiment at CERN

Elon Musk Hints at Finalizing Tesla FSD V12 Code, Needs More … – autoevolution

Posted on August 4, 2023 by Danzig

With the FSD Beta V11.4.6 making the rounds as one of the best builds of Tesla's self-driving software, people are already euphoric about the next iteration. Elon Musk confirmed that the V12 is already in the alpha stage, and Tesla is working on the final piece of the FSD AI puzzle: vehicle control. Elon Musk seems fascinated by Tesla's full self-driving software, which he repeatedly predicted to be complete by year's end. He already said this twice in 2023, which should add more weight to this prediction. Still, people learned that Musk's predictions are to be taken with a grain of salt. What it's true is that Musk appears to devote less time to Twitter and more to Tesla. He confirmed on August 2 that he "was buried in Tesla work all day," and the FSD software was undoubtedly high on his to-do list.

In a new tweet, or whatever it might be called these days, Musk revealed that Tesla is working on "the final piece of the FSD AI puzzle," which apparently is vehicle control. Instead of direct coded instructions, Tesla will rely more on neural networks for vehicle control. More than that, Musk confirmed that Tesla is already training these neural networks. However, the progress is slow because the EV maker is currently "training compute-constrained."

This is interesting, as most talks until now revolved around data gathering and how many miles the Tesla fleet was covering. Musk implied that Tesla now has more data than it can chew and obviously needs more computing power to accelerate development. At the moment, the whole AI industry is constrained because of a shortage of Nvidia GPUs. Tesla also admitted during the second-quarter earnings call that it can't get enough cards, and that's the main reason why Tesla deployed the Dojo supercomputer using processors designed in-house.

The Dojo supercomputer thrilled many Tesla fans as if it was a magic solution to the FSD woes. During the second-quarter earnings call, Elon poured cold water on these hopes, admitting that he would've preferred to have more Nvidia GPUs instead. Dojo is still useful to complement Tesla's Nvidia supercomputer, being optimized for processing large amounts of video images.

Previously, Musk said that V12 of the Tesla FSD software will be end-to-end AI, "from images in, to steering, brakes & acceleration out." What he meant was that the neural networks would be used throughout, from processing the images caught by the car's cameras to controlling the car's movements. In his latest tweet, Musk revealed that switching to neural networks would allow Tesla to drop over 300 thousand lines of C++ control code. This is a massive simplification, which should improve speed and accuracy by an order of magnitude.

More than that, the FSD V12 will be "the thing," dropping the "beta" from its name and becoming commercial software. This shows Musk's confidence that the next software iteration will prove safe enough to be installed by anyone who pays for the FSD capability. Tesla CEO already tested an alpha build of V12 and considered it "mind-blowing," something he also said about previous versions of the FSD Beta.

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Elon Musk Hints at Finalizing Tesla FSD V12 Code, Needs More ... - autoevolution

VANGUARD INCARCERATED PRESS: The Fight for Prison Reform – The Peoples Vanguard of Davis

Posted on August 4, 2023 by Danzig

Credit: Wirestock

by Lynn Woods

(The following is excerpted from a longer piece.)

California is seeking to reform its prison system by providing inmates with opportunities to participate in a variety of self-help groups, college programs, vocational training, and designated programming facilities. This reform comes at a time when the state is being ordered by the federal court to reduce overcrowding due to inadequate medical and mental health care. Governor Edmund G. Brown, Jr., and prisoner support groups put together an initiative called the Public Safety and Rehabilitation Act of 2016, approved by California voters on November 8, 2016. This reform came at a time when inmates confined to security housing units (SHU) bonded together in a statewide hunger strike to revise the prison system and its politics to benefit all inmates. A bond between ex-gang members and leaders made national headlines with their hunger strike and agreement to end hostilities between them. Their efforts to change the system were mostly successful, and they successfully challenged and changed the harsh practice of long-term solitary confinement in SHU.

Between 1970 and 1974, 71 prisoners and 11 correctional staff were murdered in California prisons. These homicides began a war within the system between inmates and staff, the results of which made it hard for anyone to do their time safely. Inmates were set up by correctional officers through racial conflict. This sparked a wave of violence, and caused the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) to create the SHU to house violent inmates. Even in the SHU, correctional staff orchestrated gladiator fights that garnered national attention in the 1990s. Correctional staff killed five prisoners in the Corcoran SHU, and injured another 40 between 1989 and 1994. This behavior was never intended to rehabilitate, but to create an uncomfortable perception (of criminals as irredeemable) for the public, and a hostile environment within the prisons.

On August 12, 2015, a riot broke out at California State Prison, Sacramento. In this event, 71-year-old Hugo Yogi Pinell was killed. Released from the SHU after 41 years, the CDCR never forgot that Pinell was one of six prisoners accused of slitting the throats of correctional officers that stemmed from the violence of 1970-1974. Pinell was killed by two white inmates in a planned attacked orchestrated by prison officials.

The CDCR has a huge issue with overcrowding that has caused violence and inadequate medical care. According to CDCR notice of change to regulations number 17-05, published July 14, 2017, from 1978 to 2006, the prison population in California grew from 22,000 to 176,000, an increase that forced prisons to house inmates at double their designed bed capacity. On May 23, 2011, the United States Supreme Court ruled that California must comply with an order handed down by a federal Three-Judge Court to reduce its prison population to 137.5 percent of designed bed capacity.

Specifically, the Three-Judge Court ordered the department to implement additional population reduction measures. These measures were intended to reduce the violence within the prison system, rehabilitate the portion of the inmate population that wanted rehabilitating, and to ensure better medical health care.

Even though the new reforms were implemented, inmates are still faced with the damage that was done and the impact of the past. Correctional officers still, in many cases, utilize aggressive tactics and there is still a pervading sense of the old us vs. them mentality. True rehabilitation remains the responsibility of the individual prisoner, and it is a testament to an individuals determination at self-improvement that lies at the core of personal reform. Most inmates, like myself, will be released from prison after serving their sentence. Those who have chosen to pursue education, acquire degrees, participate in self-help groups, are better prepared to reenter society and become active, productive members of their communities. Research shows that rehabilitation programs providing effective and targeted rehab interventions are proven to reduce recidivism and therefore enhance public safety. These types of reform push the inmate in the direction of pro-social change, and benefits the individual, their family, community, and all of humanity.

Republished from Perspectives from the Cell Block: An Anthology of Prisoner Writings edited by Joan Parkin in collaboration with incarcerated people from Mule Creek State Prison.

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VANGUARD INCARCERATED PRESS: The Fight for Prison Reform - The Peoples Vanguard of Davis

Secretary Antony J. Blinken At a Roundtable on Food Security and … – Department of State

Posted on August 4, 2023 by Danzig

SECRETARY BLINKEN: Well, first of all, hello and thank you, thank you, thank you all for being here. And more important, thank you for what youre doing every day to quite literally feed the world.

We and everyone at this table knows this better than anyone we have a couple of major challenges on our hands that we are determined to make a difference on. One is we have growing food insecurity around the world. We have a combination of climate change, COVID in recent years, and now conflict driving that food insecurity, which in turn is driving more conflict, forced migration, stunting growth both physical and economic. And at the same time, the flip side of the coin is that increasingly we see food being used as a weapon of war. And so for us it was important to use the presidency that we have this month of the Security Council to try to put more light on that, but not just put a light on it, actually offer some practical solutions.

In the near term, obviously, the one of the biggest challenges we have with weaponizing food is whats happening in Ukraine, with what Russias doing, and I spoke about that at length today. Ill simply say that the Black Sea Grain Initiative, which never should have been necessary in the first place it was only necessary because Russia invaded Ukraine, then blockaded its ports but nonetheless, when that initiative was in effect, some 30 million tons of grain got out of Ukraine and into world markets. Two-thirds of the wheat was going to the developing world, the equivalent of 18 billion loaves of bread.

And since Russia has decided to tear up that agreement, weve seen prices go up for everyone, and at the same time Russia has chosen not only to have torn up the agreement but to actually attack grain silos, production facilities, and threaten ports and sea lanes. So theres a clear demand signal from around the world that this get reversed and that Russia restore the Black Sea Grain Initiative.

But what I also and mostly wanted to focus on with all of you is this: We also know that even as we have urgent challenges in so many parts of the world that we have to respond to and we are we also have the medium- and long-term challenge. If the worlds population is going to hit 10 billion people by 2050 and demand for food is going to go up by 50 percent but yields are actually going down, we have a fundamental problem, a fundamental challenge. We have been working to try to address that.

One of the things that Im most excited about and Cary Fowler, one of the leading experts in the world, known to all of you, happily has been with us now at the State Department for the last couple of years we have an initiative that I hope can make a real difference that really focuses on crops and soil. And there, I think as you all know better than anyone, we have the capacity to produce seeds that are both more resilient to all of the different aspects of climate change whether its extreme heat, whether its droughts, whether its floods and that could also be more nutritious and respond to what people like to cultivate on a traditional basis.

And at the same time, we now have a greater ability than ever before to map the quality of soil around the world, figure out where its productive and where its not and then to do something about it. If you put these things together, if you really put together the seeds and the soil, you can have a dramatic impact, we think, on long-term productive capacity and sustainability that would really address the needs of people around the world.

I say all that speaking to folks who are really among the vanguard of dealing with innovation, who are on the frontlines of food every single day, and were really here to listen and learn from them. So Im grateful to each and every one of you for being here, and not only to look at what the opportunities may be for building greater food security, building greater resilience, but also how we can partner more effectively with the private sector and what the U.S. Government and other governments can do to have a greater impact going forward.

Id just conclude by saying about 80 percent of what we consume is plant-based. So if we can get that right, we can make a huge, huge difference, and part of the reason that were engaged in this and Im engaged in this in this job, which may seem a little unusual to some, is of course because its profoundly a question of doing right for humanity. As President Biden has said, if parents cant put food on the table for their kids, nothing else really matters. But its also a matter of national security and economic security, because we know the knock-on effects of profound food insecurity.

So all of that said, thank you, each and every one of you, for being here, and Im really eager to hear from you. Thanks.

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Secretary Antony J. Blinken At a Roundtable on Food Security and ... - Department of State

7 Best Vanguard Bond Funds to Buy – WTOP

Posted on August 4, 2023 by Danzig

Does your investment portfolios level of volatility keep you awake at night? If so, you may want to consider an

Does your investment portfolios level of volatility keep you awake at night? If so, you may want to consider an allocation to bonds.

Aside from a dismal year in 2022 as interest rates rose sharply, bonds have historically played an important role in portfolio management.

Due to their lower correlation with stocks and steady cash flows, bonds can provide ballast for investors, helping to reduce volatility and minimize drawdowns. For investors, bonds smooth out the long-term ups and downs of a portfolio and help target a steadier sequence of returns.

That being said, investing in bonds can be difficult, given that they trade over the counter. Pricing bonds requires a good deal of math, and trading individual issues tends to be less intuitive and convenient compared to trading stocks on an exchange.

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A much more viable alternative for retail investors is a bond fund, which includes bond mutual funds and bond exchange-traded funds, or ETFs. These funds hold an underlying basket of bonds selected according to different rules, which provides diversified exposure in a single investment.

While most asset managers will have a bond lineup, few rival the cost-effectiveness that Vanguard provides. The firm made fixed-income history in 1986 when it unveiled the industrys first bond index fund, which dramatically lowered costs for investors compared to existing actively managed bond funds.

As with most things Vanguard, they are widely known as the low-cost fund provider when compared to their peers, says Wes Moss, managing partner and chief investment strategist at Capital Investment Advisors. When you keep your investment fees lower, you can improve total returns.

Currently, Vanguards bond lineup spans 110 different fixed-income products, 89 of which are mutual funds with the remaining 21 consisting of ETFs. This, coupled with expense ratios as low as 0.03%, means few asset managers can rival Vanguards commitment to low fees and variety.

Vanguards bond fund lineup covers a wide range of bond types, including government bonds, corporate bonds, municipal bonds and international bonds, Moss says. This breadth of options allows investors to create a well-diversified bond portfolio tailored to their specific investment goals and risk tolerance.

Heres a look at seven of the best Vanguard bond mutual funds and ETFs to buy in 2023:

Vanguard Total Bond Market ETF (BND)

Investors who are not interested in a specific type, maturity or credit quality of bond can opt to simply invest in all of them via BND. This ETF tracks the Bloomberg U.S. Aggregate Float Adjusted Index, which invests in a wide swath of bonds ranging from U.S. Treasurys to investment-grade corporate bonds of various maturities. Its portfolio of over 10,000 individual bonds comes with an expense ratio of just 0.03%.

Currently, BND offers an average yield to maturity, or YTM, of 4.8%, which is the theoretical return an investor can expect should all of its underlying bonds be held until maturity. Against this is an average duration a measure of interest rate sensitivity of 6.5 years. Should rates rise by 100 basis points, BND is expected to lose 6.5% in value, all else being equal. The opposite will occur if rates are cut.

Vanguard Total International Bond ETF (BNDX)

BNDX offers diversification benefits by including investment-grade bonds issued by governments and corporations outside the United States, and thus provides exposure to international bonds denominated in various currencies, says Michael Ashley Schulman, partner and chief investment officer at Running Point Capital Advisors. This ETF is essentially the international variant of BND.

By diversifying a bond allocation internationally, investors can benefit from different interest rate regimes in foreign countries, and hedge the remote-but-potentially-devastating risk of the U.S. bond market collapsing. In addition, BNDX is currency-hedged to mitigate foreign exchange rate fluctuations. The ETF pays a YTM of 5.3%, has an average duration of 7.5 years and charges a 0.07% expense ratio.

Vanguard High-Yield Corporate Fund Investor Shares (VWEHX)

BND includes investment-grade corporate bonds that are rated BBB or higher by two or more of the major credit rating agencies. While less at risk of default, they dont offer the highest yields. Investors seeking the highest possible income might consider a high-yield bond fund like VWEHX, which holds non-investment grade bonds and currently pays a YTM of 7.1%

This fund aims to provide potentially higher income through exposure to bonds with higher credit risk by investing in lower-rated, high-yield corporate bonds, Schulman says.

Some 48.3% of VWEHXs bonds are rated BB, and 34.3% are rated B. The fund charges a 0.23% expense ratio.

Vanguard Total Corporate Bond ETF (VTC)

Investors who want to strike a better balance between high credit quality and high yields can find middle ground between Treasurys and high-yield bonds with investment-grade corporate bonds. A highly diversified ETF offering exposure to a wide swath of the U.S. investment-grade market is VTC, which currently holds over 7,200 individual issues by tracking the Bloomberg U.S. Corporate Bond Index.

VTC uses a balanced ETF of ETFs structure by allocating 39% to the Vanguard Short-Term Corporate Bond ETF (VCSH), 27.4% to the Vanguard Intermediate-Term Corporate Bond ETF (VCIT) and 33.6% to the Vanguard Long-Term Corporate Bond ETF (VCLT). The end result is a YTM of 5.5% against an average duration of 7.2 years. VTC charges a 0.04% expense ratio.

Vanguard Long-Term Treasury Index Fund Admiral Shares (VLGSX)

Investors need to understand the two main types of risk inherent in fixed income investing before selecting a bond fund, says Chris Tidmore, senior manager at Vanguards Investment Advisory Research Center. Bond funds with long-term maturities are more sensitive to changes in interest rates, while a lower credit quality in the underlying bonds also impacts the riskiness of a particular fund.

By selecting the right bond fund, investors can tailor their exposure to each of these metrics. For investors looking to bet on falling interest rates now that the Federal Reserve has hiked interest rates to 22-year highs, the bond fund to consider is VLGSX. This fund holds Treasurys with an average duration of 16 years, making it likely to benefit from future cuts in rates. It charges a 0.07% expense ratio.

Vanguard Tax-Exempt Bond ETF (VTEB)

Another question to ask when considering bond funds for your portfolio is whether youre investing outside of an individual retirement account or other tax-advantaged retirement account, Tidmore says. If youre in a high tax bracket and investing outside of your retirement account, a tax-exempt bond fund could help reduce tax exposure. For this, Vanguard offers VTEB at a 0.05% expense ratio.

VTEB tracks the Standard & Poors National AMT-Free Municipal Bond Index, which as its name suggests primarily holds municipal bonds exempt from both federal income taxes and the federal alternative minimum tax. The underlying municipal bonds in this ETF sport a high credit rating, with the majority sitting at AA. VTEB currently pays a 3.5% YTM against an average duration of 5.8 years.

Vanguard Ultra-Short Bond ETF (VUSB)

All of the previous Vanguard bond funds are passively managed, meaning that theyre strictly benchmarked to the composition and returns of an underlying index. Vanguard also offers a range of actively managed bond funds, which aim to outperform their benchmark and are known for their relatively low fees compared to their peers, Moss says.

One example is VUSB, which actively manages a portfolio of short-term investment-grade corporate bonds. As an actively managed ETF, VUSB does not replicate an index. Rather, its managers pick bonds according to their own strategy, with the goal of minimizing volatility and targeting higher yields. VUSB currently pays a YTM of 5.8%, has an average duration of 0.9 years and charges a 0.10% expense ratio.

[READ: 5 Great Fixed-Income Funds to Buy for 2023]

Taiwan opposition party removes controversial ‘Vote White, Vote … – Focus Taiwan

Posted on August 4, 2023 by Danzig

Taipei, July 31 (CNA) The Taiwan People's Party (TPP) on Monday decided to remove a controversial "Vote White, Vote Right" slogan from its website after the wording was accused of being similar to that used by an American white supremacist group.

TPP spokeswoman Lin Tzu-yu () told a press event that the slogan had referred to the color white that the TPP brands itself with.

"It was supposed to mean that vote for the 'power of white' is the right choice," she said, refuting that it was associated with white supremacy.

Lin said Taiwanese people are not familiar with the concept of "white supremacy."

However, the slogan has since drawn "different opinions" from netizens and "friends from the West," Lin said, adding that is why the party decided to remove it.

Taipei-based freelance journalist Erin Hale, one of the first who pointed out the controversy, said the slogan could be uncomfortable for Americans because it sounds like white supremacist or Ku Klux Klan language.

Hale also noted that the slogan is the same as that of a now long-defunct U.S. white supremacist party.

She appeared to be referring to the National States' Rights Party.

Founded in 1958 by Edward Reed Fields in Knoxville, Tennessee, the party was built on antisemitism, racism and opposition to integration, and was known for its "Vote Right - Vote White" slogan before its dissolution in 1987.

As of time of publishing, the controversial slogan can no longer be found on the TPP's official website and has been replaced with "Do the right thing, Do things right."

The TPP was formally established on Aug. 6, 2019 by former Taipei Mayor Ko Wen-je (), who serves as its first and current chairman.

Ko is polling second in Taiwan's 2024 presidential election, behind the sitting Vice President Lai Ching-te () of the ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) and ahead of the Kuomintang's (KMT) Hou Yu-ih ().

The TPP is also the third most popular political party in Taiwan, behind the DPP and KMT, according to recent polls.

(By Joseph Yeh)

Enditem/kb

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Taiwan opposition party removes controversial 'Vote White, Vote ... - Focus Taiwan

Lead Defendant in Federal Case Charging White Supremacist … – Department of Justice

Posted on August 4, 2023 by Danzig

LOS ANGELES The lead defendant in an indictment that charges three Southern California men linked to a white supremacy extremist group with planning and engaging in riots at political rallies across California has been extradited to the United States from Romania, the Justice Department announced today.

Robert Paul Rundo, 33, of Huntington Beach, allegedly a founding member of the Rise Above Movement (RAM), was transported by special agents with the FBI from Romania to Hollywood Burbank Airport, where he arrived Tuesday evening. Rundo is in federal custody and is expected to make his initial appearance and be arraigned this afternoon in United States District Court in Los Angeles.

Rundo, along with two other defendants, is charged with conspiracy to violate the Anti-Riot Act for his activities in connection with RAM, a white supremacist organization that represented itself publiclyas a combat-ready, militant group of a new nationalist white supremacy and identity movement, according to a federal grand jury indictment.

In addition to the conspiracy charge, Rundo also is charged with one count of rioting.

The other defendants charged in this case are:

Boman and Laube are charged with conspiracy to violate the Anti-Riot Act. Boman also is charged with one count of rioting.

The trial date in this matter is scheduled for December 12.

According to the indictment, the defendants participated in the conspiracy in varying ways, including by engaging in recruitment of RAM members, coordinating and participating in hand-to-hand and other combat training, traveling to political rallies to attack protesters and other persons, and publishing photographs and videos of violent acts to recruit other members for future events.

The indictment alleges that various members of the conspiracy directly participated in attacks at political rallies in Huntington Beach on March 25, 2017; in Berkeley on April 15, 2017; and in San Bernardino on June 10, 2017. In the months following these events, the defendants allegedly trained for future events and celebrated their assaults, which included online posts with photos of RAM members assaulting people.

An indictment contains allegations that a defendant has committed a crime. Every defendant is presumed to be innocent until and unless proven guilty in court.

In June 2019, a federal district court dismissed the indictment against Rundo and the other defendants, finding that the federal Anti-Riot Act violated the First Amendment. In March 2021, the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit reversed the district courts dismissal and the criminal charges were reinstated.

Both the conspiracy and rioting charges carry statutory maximum sentences of five years in federal prison.

The FBIs Joint Terrorism Task Force is investigating this case.

The Justice Departments Office of International Affairs and the FBIs Legal Attach Office in Bucharest provided substantial assistance in securing the arrest and extradition of Rundo.

The Romanian National Police, Directorate of Combatting Organized Crime and Terrorism (DCCO), Fugitive Unit; the Romanian General Prosecutor's Office and Border Police; the U.S. Embassy Bucharest Regional Security Office and Consular Section/American Citizen Services, in coordination with Interpol Romania, provided substantial assistance in securing the arrest and extradition of Rundo.

Assistant United States Attorneys Solomon Kim and Kathrynne N. Seiden, both of the Terrorism and Export Crimes Section, are prosecuting this case.

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Lead Defendant in Federal Case Charging White Supremacist ... - Department of Justice

Black Republicans slam slavery revamp, but mum on white supremacy – The Boston Globe

Posted on August 4, 2023 by Danzig

In the grand tradition of broken clocks, Scott is occasionally right. Representative Byron Donalds of Florida joined Scott and other Black Republicans to criticize that ahistorical benchmark made possible by Governor Ron DeSantis of Florida, who also wants to be president.

Get Mira! by Marcela Garca

A bilingual view into politics, policy, people, pop culture framed through the immigrant experience and maybe a pooch or two.

But after Donalds, who otherwise praised the new standard, said teaching the personal benefits of slavery is wrong and needs to be adjusted, Team DeSantis pounced. Manny Diaz Jr., Floridas education commissioner, tweeted, We will not back down from teaching our nations true history at the behest of a woke White House, nor at the behest of a supposedly conservative congressman.

And there it is the blunt reminder to Black Republicans that their loyalties to the party and their conservatism will always be considered suspect.

Now dont give Scott, Donalds, or other Black Republicans too much credit for challenging DeSantis this one time. Its largely self-serving. With the Florida governors campaign not just on the ropes but in danger of tumbling out of the ring altogether, Scott may see an opportunity to rise as DeSantis falls. Like most other Black Republicans, Scott has stayed silent through Republican-led efforts in Florida and other states to ban dozens of books by Black authors and contour history for white comfort.

Also take note of the hypocrisy. Despite Donald Trumps years of racism and promotion of white supremacy, high-profile Black Republicans continue to support him. Or, in Scotts case, even defend the former presidents most odious actions, though hes competing against him for the Republican nomination.

To protect their political necks, Black Republicans stay in lockstep with the increasingly alarming rhetoric of their partys twice-impeached, thrice-indicted standard bearer. They know that those who dont are summarily dissed and dismissed.

Thats what happened to Will Hurd, a Black former congressman from Texas. At last weekends Lincoln Dinner, a gathering for GOP presidential candidates in Iowa, he was vigorously booed for criticizing the former president.

Donald Trump is not running for president to make America great again, Hurd said. Donald Trump is running to stay out of prison. Like an opening act no one wanted to see singing a song no one wanted to hear, he struggled to be heard over the jeers.

Polling so low that hes unlikely to qualify for the first Republican presidential debate on Aug. 23, Hurd has already said he will not pledge to support the eventual GOP nominee already presumed to be Trump. That will also keep him off of the debate stage.

For the past seven years, being a Republican has meant total public fidelity to Trump. That edict has persisted through a Trump-incited insurrection, his attempts to overturn a presidential election he soundly lost, and an ongoing series of legal problems resulting in dozens of charges and at least two upcoming trials. Any Republican expecting to hold onto their own voters isnt going to risk bucking Trump now especially with him trouncing his rivals in recent polls.

In a tweet, Jeremy Redfern, DeSantiss press secretary, accused Donalds of swinging for liberal media fences by criticizing the Florida governor. Both he and other members of DeSantiss team have compared Donalds to Vice President Kamala Harris, whos been lambasting that states school curriculum. Evoking liberalism and the nations most prominent Black Democrat is just another way of marking Donalds as standing apart from white Republicans.

It reminds me of an old expression: Even a tick thinks that he is royal when he drinks the emperors blood. No, I am not calling Black Republicans bloodsuckers. But they know that soft-pedaling slavery is an old racist tactic and have still chosen adjacency to white supremacy for, at best, very conditional power.

Now theyre learning just how conditional it is and how quickly their allegiance is attacked because acceptance from todays GOP demands nothing less than total capitulation to an extremist and fascist ideology.

Rene Graham is a Globe columnist. She can be reached at renee.graham@globe.com. Follow her @reneeygraham.

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Black Republicans slam slavery revamp, but mum on white supremacy - The Boston Globe

WHAT THEY ARE SAYING: President Biden Designates Emmett Till … – The White House

Posted on August 4, 2023 by Danzig

This week President Biden signed a proclamation establishing the Emmett Till and Mamie Till-Mobley National Monument in Mississippi and Illinois. The new national monument will help tell the story of the events surrounding Emmett Tills murder, their significance in the civil rights movement and American history, and the broader story of Black oppression, survival, and bravery in America. The new monument will be managed by the National Park Service.

This designation builds on the President and Vice Presidents commitment to advancing civil rights and telling a more complete American story.

Leaders from across the country praised the new national monument. Heres what theyre saying:

Civil Rights and Community Leaders

Reverend Wheeler Parker, Jr., cousin of Emmett Till and last living witness of his abduction: Its been my lifes work to tell the truth of what happened to Emmett. This national monument designation makes certain that Emmett Tills life and legacy, along with his mother Mamie Till Mobleys social action and impact, will live on and be used to inspire others to create a more just and equitable society. We thank President Biden for codifying the national monument and are heartened to know these places will foster empathy, understanding and healing for years to come. [Statement, 7/25/2023]

Dr. Marvel Parker, Executive Director, The Emmett Till & Mamie Till-Mobley Institute, Summit, IL: As Director of the Preserve Roberts Temple Initiative, I want to thank President Biden, Elder Cleven Wardlow, Bishop Edwin Walker, the Roberts Family and our partners. This Designation is the culmination of our extensive collaborative work to make this historical landmark a part of The Emmett Till and Mamie Till Mobley Legacy. [Statement, 7/25/2023]

Christopher Benson, President, Emmett Till & Mamie Till-Mobley Institute: This is an amazing, teachable moment to talk about the importance of this story as an American story that everybody can share in now, particularly at a time when people are trying to rewrite history. We have a memorial now that is not erasable. It cant be banned and it cant be censored, and we think thats a very important thing. [Statement, 7/25/2023]

Patrick Weems, Executive Director, Emmett Till Interpretive Center, Sumner, MS: After 15 years of hard work, we have finally achieved a designation that we believe is pivotal to our nations story. The lynching of Emmett Till and the courage of Mamie Till Mobley served as a springboard to the modern Civil Rights Movement, and preserving this history in perpetuity will serve as a continual act of restorative justice. We extend our deepest gratitude to the Tallahatchie County Board of Supervisors, and Congressman Bennie Thompson for championing this vision of reconciliation, which has now become a national monument. [Statement, 7/25/2023]

Elizabeth Alexander, President, Mellon Foundation: As younger generations of Americans learn them for the first time, Emmett Tills and Mamie Till Mobleys stories remain central to our effort to make a more racially just United States. We at Mellon are steadfast in our support of this national monument and the opportunities it provides for reparative learning, public engagement, and the crucial collective work we must undertake to end race-based hatred and violence in our country. [Statement, 7/25/23]

Brent Leggs, Executive Director, African American Cultural Heritage Action Fund and Senior Vice President, National Trust for Historic Preservation: Imbued in these now permanently protected buildings and landscapes are the unspeakable crimes of racial violence, and the tireless strength of Mamie Till Mobley who harnessed her grief in pursuit of social justice. Through historic preservation, this multiracial coalition will continue its work to uplift this new national monument and secure the resources and investment needed to ensure the sites future. [Statement, 7/25/2023]

Maya Wiley, President and CEO, The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights: In 1955, Mamie Till-Mobley, at the funeral of her 14-year-old son Emmett Till, bravely demanded that the world look at what brutal, adult murderers had done to her child. It was a cry for justice and a demand that this nation face its demons. Today, while we are in a battle for the freedom to learn and teach this very history, and at a time when Black people remain the highest number of hate crime victims, the Emmett Till and Mamie Till-Mobley National Monument will represent a strong statement of commitment to remembering the past and a call to reckon with the present. It is fitting that this monument calls us to the enduring presence of Emmett Louis Till in our collective memories. It is important that it acknowledges the lifelong fight for justice that Mamie Till-Mobley led not only for her son, but also for all of us. Mamie Till-Mobley was fighting to shine a light on the dark shadows of violent racism. Today, on what would have been Emmett Tills 82nd birthday, we are reminded of the ever present threat of violence against Black people and of the devastation and intergenerational trauma it creates.[Statement, 7/25/23]

Vangela M. Wade, President, Mississippi Center For Justice: Addressing the deep-rooted issues of inequity in Mississippi and beyond can only be achieved by confronting the darkest moments of our past. The tragedy of Emmett Till and the bravery of Mamie Till-Mobley are integral parts of our history as Americans and todays announcement only further cements this fact. This new national monument will be a ray of hope and a symbol of progress in the face of a national movement to whitewash history. Justice is a constant struggle, and this significant step marks a critical milestone. [Statement, 7/25/2023]

Dr. Bernice A. King, CEO, Martin Luther King, Jr. Center For Nonviolent Social Change: The monument will protect places that are central to the story of #EmmettTills life, his brutal death from white supremacists torturing and murdering him at age 14, and his mother, #MamieTillMobleys activism, which helped spark the civil rights movement. [Tweet, 7/25/23]

Historic Preservation and Parks Leaders

Jay Clemens, CEO, National Trust for Historic Preservation: The National Trust for Historic Preservation congratulates the many preservationists, advocates, volunteers, and community members who have worked to achieve this historic designation of three sites associated with the tragic death of Emmett Till and the sparking of the civil rights movement by Mamie Till Mobley. The achievement of this protection and recognition symbolized in the Emmett Till and Mamie Till Mobley National Monument proves the power of historic preservation, accomplished with passion, patience, and partnership. [Statement, 7/25/23]

Theresa Pierno, President and CEO, National Parks Conservation Association: Throughout American history, there are few stories as heart wrenching as the murder of Emmett Till. It is a story that lays bare the brutality of systemic racism and injustice for the world to see. But it is also a story of determination. This is a story of a brave young mother who experienced a parents worst nightmare, but found the strength and power to rise up and shine a light on injustice as a leader in the Civil Rights Movement. Mamie Till-Mobley galvanized a movement and inspired a nationWe commend the Biden administration on todays national park designation and are grateful to Emmett Tills family members for their tireless work to make this national park site a reality. As Americas greatest storyteller, the Park Service will help protect and interpret the history at the Emmett Till and Mamie Till-Mobley National Monument, so no one ever forgets their names. [Statement, 7/25/23]

Will Shafroth, President and CEO, National Park Foundation: The new park site holds the power to inspire a deeper and more complete understanding of Americas ever-evolving story. Thanks to the partnership and support of the Mellon Foundation and Fund II Foundation, the new Emmett Till & Mamie Till-Mobley National Monument will make a seminal event in our nations civil rights era history accessible to all. [Statement, 7/25/23]

Gene Karpinski, President, League of Conservation Voters (LCV) and Jen Walling, Executive Director, Illinois Environmental Council (IEC): The brutal murder of Emmett Till in 1955, and the courage and strength of Mamie Till-Mobley to share her loss with the world, helped expose the racism in America and inspire movements for justice. Their legacy, and President Bidens preservation of the sites that tell their stories, stand in stark contrast with the current politicians who attempt to erase the countrys history of racism instead of learning from it. We appreciate the Biden-Harris administrations work to preserve sites and landscapes with ecological, cultural, and historic resources, including places of devastating tragedies like this monument. The continued murder and loss of life, disproportionately young Black men, at the hands of institutions in our society further demonstrates the importance of these lessons as well as the work still in front of us. Today, we are celebrating President Bidens move to preserve historically significant sites tied to the memory of Emmett Till and his mother, Mamie Till-Mobley, whose strength during a moment of profound darkness shed light on the horrific dangers of white supremacy in our country. [Statement, 7/25/23]

Mike Murray, Chair, Coalition to Protect Americas National Parks: We thank President Biden for using his authority under the Antiquities Act to designate this new national monument honoring the life and legacy of Emmett Till and his mother, civil rights icon Mamie Till-Mobley. This national monument designation will protect the spaces that help tell the story of a difficult and critical piece of Americas civil rights history. We are thankful the story of Emmett Till and his mother will be conserved and remembered. We thank President Biden and his administration for designating another new national monument, and we encourage the administration to continue to strengthen their conservation legacy and push hard towards the goals laid out in the 30 x 30 initiative by using the Antiquities Act to establish protections for other culturally and naturally significant spaces. [Statement, 7/25/23]

Janessa Goldbeck, CEO, Vet Voice Foundation: We applaud President Bidens decision to designate the Emmett Till & Mamie Till-Mobley National Monument today. In an era in which we see elected officials banning books and attempting to alter history, its beyond refreshing to have a president who understands the importance of preserving our history the good and bad for future generations to learn from. Moreover, todays announcement serves as another reminder of this administrations commitment to safeguarding important places and making them open and available to all. [Statement, 7/25/23]

Manish Bapna, President and CEO, Natural Resources Defense Council: These monuments speak in the voice of conscience to the cries for justice that grew from a heinous act committed in the name of white supremacy. They recall the nations hypocrisy and legacy of racial violence and the work yet to be done to live out its ideals. We move forward when we look at the past with clear eyes, examine the roots of our flaws, and memorialize those with the courage to stand up and demand that we do better. [Statement, 7/25/23]

Monumental SHIFT: We thank the Biden-Harris Administration for designating the Emmett Till and Mamie Till-Mobley National Monument as a step forward to not only acknowledge the importance of telling the full history of America, but also to prioritize the cultures and stories by which this country was built. This national monument spans across three sites in Illinois and Mississippi and protects the places that are central to the story of Tills life, death, and the acquittal of his white killers, and honors his mothers relentless activism for justice. We created Monumental SHIFT to shift the traditional designation and maintenance of national monuments to center ethnically and racially diverse communities in the creation, conception, funding, and stewardship to honor the lands and places that are sacred to the members of our community. The Monumental SHIFT coalition applauds the leadership of the community, the Biden-Harris Administration and affirms the tenacity of Tills mother for this monumental and momentous designation. [Statement, 7/25/23]

Dr. Jocelyn Imani, Director, Trust for Public Lands Black History and Culture: Trust for Public Land commends President Biden for designating the Emmett Till and Mamie Till-Mobley National Monument. This national monument preserves a painful but powerful chapter in our history in which in the wake of a horrific racist murder of an innocent child, where the fundamental values of human life and justice were violated Mamie Till-Mobley transformed her deep pain into action that would galvanize the civil rights movement. The Emmett Till and Mamie Till-Mobley National Monument will be a place where the stories of Emmett Till and his courageous mother, Mamie Till-Mobley are preserved as part of our National Park System to inform our understanding of our shared history and compel us to work together for continued atonement, restoration, and progress. [Statement, 7/25/23]

Faith Leaders

Cassandra Carmichael, Executive Director, National Religious Partnership for the Environment: On behalf of the National Religious Partnership for the Environment, an alliance of 5 major national Christian and Jewish faith institutions united in our commitment to protecting Gods creation and doing so through the lens of justice, I applaud the designation of the Emmett Till and Mamie-Till National Monument. On this day of his birth, it is particularly poignant that we honor his life and mark his tragic, untimely death. In addition to documenting Emmett Tills abduction, torture and killing, the Emmett Till and Mamie Till-Mobley National Monument proclaims the resiliency of Mamie Till-Mobley, who bravely proclaimed the horrific events of her sons death and insisted that the nation and the world bear witness. Her persistence challenges us to address racial injustice. [Statement, 7/25/23]

Bishop Lawrence Reddick III, Senior Bishop, Christian Methodist Episcopal Church, Dallas, TX: The telling of the story of Emmett Tills tragic death is imperative for the whole country to recognize the harm and hate done to the Black community throughout US history, which is why I praise the designation of the Emmett Till and Mamie Till-Mobley National Monument. The story of Emmett Tills pain and his mothers endurance to preserve his story is important to protect. By preserving this critical story that highlights our countrys unjust and horrific lynching history by conserving the land which holds the story, we ensure that the narrative will remain. [Statement, 7/25/23]

Dr. Jerry Young, President, National Baptist Convention USA: Too often African American history is relegated to, at best side notes or footnotes. Or is deleted altogether in the hopes that it will be forgotten. Designating a national monument that highlights the tragedy and trauma that Emmett Till, his family and community endured is an important part of preserving history, reckoning with our past as a nation, and moving forward in healing.[Statement, 7/25/23]

Bishop J. Drew Sheard, Presiding Bishop/Chief Apostle, Church of God in Christ, Memphis, TN: I commend the Biden/Harris Administration for its work in designating the Emmett Till and Mamie Till-Mobley National Monument. The value and necessity of preserving places that shine a light on Black history cannot be overstated. The United States of America has many historic sites that have seen racial atrocities. The three sites of the Till-Mobley National Monument contain an important traumatic narrative, which this country would be wise to learn from. [Statement, 7/25/23]

Bishop Adam J. Richardson, Jr., Senior Bishop, African Methodist Episcopal Church, Dallas, TX: I am grateful for President Bidens leadership, knowing that by proclaiming this part of history as worthy of national attention and focus it will offer much hope and healing. Our responsibility to care for Creation is coupled with our duty to preserve and honor the story of us all, and ensure all of our children have equitable access to healthy recreation and the opportunity to find their own story in our park system. [Statement, 7/25/23]

Bishop Kenneth Monroe, Senior Bishop, African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church, Raleigh, NC: I celebrate President Bidens leadership in designating the Emmett Till and Mamie Till-Mobley National Monument through the use of the Antiquities Act. Our National Monuments help tell the story of our historical, cultural and national heritage. I can think of no better way to honor our nations history than by lifting up stories of Black tragedy and resilience. [Statement, 7/25/23]

Dr. Sam Tolbert, President, National Baptist Convention of American International, Inc: It is critical that we preserve the stories of all Americans. Preservation of stories through National Monument designation is a critical mechanism to preserve Black history. The Emmett Till and Mamie Till-Mobley National Monument tells an important part of Black history and paves the way for additional National Monuments that tell the full story of Black history. [Statement, 7/25/23]

Dr. David Peoples, President, Progressive National Baptist Convention: Our shared history, culture, and natural treasures should be protected through conservation protections such as National Monuments. In the face of adversity, Emmett Tills mother demonstrated Black resiliency and agency in her efforts to ensure that Emmett Tills plight and tragedy was not forgotten. Her efforts helped compel the Civil Rights Movement and rightfully her sons life should not only be honored, but never forgotten. [Statement, 7/25/23]

Dr. W. Franklin Richardson, Conference of National Black Churches: The designation of the Emmett Till and Mamie Till-Mobley as a National Monument is a step towards justice. Such a National Monument will enumerate Emmett Tills kidnapping, torture and death as well as document the injustice of acquitting his killers. The site will also, rightfully, emphasize Mamie Till-Mobleys relentless journey to ensure that Emmett Tills life, with the designation of this National Monument, can be honored. [Statement, 7/25/23]

Bishop James Walker, 7th Episcopal District Christian Methodist Episcopal Church, Washington, D.C.: Its designation is a long overdue overture to aid in the telling the traumatic story of lynching against Black Americans in the United States. The National Monument will help document the impact lynching had on Black communities across America. As we celebrate Emmett Tills birthday and reflect on the lessons contained in this newly designated National Monument, I hope that we will remember that the path to healing and hope is paved with justice.[Statement, 7/25/23]

Bishop Reginald T. Jackson, 6th District, African Methodist Episcopal Church, Atlanta, GA: I commend the Biden-Harris Administration and President Bidens leadership in declaring the Emmett Till and Mamie Till-Mobley our newest National Monument. This monument, which tells the honest history and impacts of lynching, is long overdue. The Emmett Till and Mamie Till-Mobley National Monument holds the underheard story of Black tragedy and Black resilience. It showcases a horrific and tragic child lynching and highlights the fortitude and resilience of a mothers devotion. [Statement, 7/25/23]

Bishop Jerry W. Macklin, Pastor, Glad Tiding Church of God in Christ, Hayward, CA: I am grateful for President Bidens leadership in designating a National Monument at the sites that give the account of Emmett Tills tragic death. This important part of Americas history provides a testament that recognizes that attending to racial inequity and injustice is paramount. [Statement, 7/25/23]

Bishop Silvester Scott Beaman, 15th District, African Methodist Episcopal Church, Cape Town, South Africa: The designation of the Emmett Till and Mamie Till-Mobley National Monument preserves a piece of history that is critical for us all to acknowledge. Its designation gives us hope that we can work more fully towards racial reconciliation. Emmett Tills life and tragic death was not in vain. For in his mothers steadfast advocacy to have his abduction, torture and killing told, his life helped propel the Civil Rights Movement. [Statement, 7/25/23]

Bishop Teresa Jefferson-Snorton, 5th Episcopal District, Christian Methodist Episcopal Church, Birmingham, AL: This new National Monument is a testament to your leadership that has sought to reconcile and make us whole as a nation. Emmett Tills life, tragically cut short by racial hatred, is rightfully honored by the designation of this new National Monument. It highlights not only his story, but the courageous story of his mother, who despite her grief fought to have Emmett Tills full story told to the world. By putting focused attention on stories of Black historythe pain and the triumphthrough this designation and additional future National Monument designations my hope is that we, as a nation, can reconcile and come together as one nation under God. [Statement, 7/25/23]

Bishop Franklin White, 4th District, African Methodist Episcopal Church, Chicago, IL: As Black communities across the nation face significant opposition to honoring Black history, I thank President Biden for challenging the organized effort to erase Black history by designating the Emmett Till and Mamie Till-Mobley National Monument. I join with faith leaders here in Chicago and across the nation in celebrating this designation. [Statement, 7/25/23]

Bishop Michael A. Frencher, Sr., Mid-West District, African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church, Chicago, IL: I applaud President Bidens leadership in the use of the Antiquities Act to create the Emmett Till and Mamie Till-Mobley National Monument, which lifts up the story of the unjust killing of Emmett Till and the courage of his mother to reveal the brutal details. The nation needed to hear his story then and, as we continue to grapple with the horrors of racism, the world needs to continue to hear his story. [Statement, 7/25/23]

Rev. Dr. Roosevelt C. Walker, Jr., President, United Baptist State Convention of Illinois: I am heartened to hear that the story of Till Mobley, in all of its horrors and tragedy, will be told through the naming of a National Monument in his honor. This designation counters the many voices and efforts that are attempting to erase painful parts of American history. The discomfiture and denial to tell stories of Black pain and trauma only serves to bury the wound, never allowing us to reconcile. The Emmett Till and Mamie Till-Mobley National Monument is a long overdue recognition of how devasting lynching is to Black communities. This National Monument can serve as a heralder of truth in the hopes that we never again revisit the sins of racially motivated violence. [Statement, 7/25/23]

Rev. Dr. Mark A. McConnell, President, Baptist General State Convention of Illinois: Our shared history, culture, and natural treasures should be protected through conservation protections such as National Monuments. In the face of adversity, Emmett Tills mother demonstrated Black resiliency and agency in her efforts to ensure that Emmett Tills plight and tragedy was not forgotten. Her efforts helped compel the Civil Rights Movement and rightfully her sons life should not only be honored, but never forgotten. [Statement, 7/25/23]

Elected Officials

Illinois Senator and Majority Whip Dick Durbin: Emmett Tills murder is emblematic of one of the darkest chapters in our nations history. Im glad @POTUS is moving to establish Roberts Temple Church in Chicago as a national monument to preserve Emmetts story & ensure the cruel legacy of racism in the U.S. is not forgotten. [Tweet, 7/24/23]

Illinois Senator Tammy Duckworth: The Roberts Temple Church of God in Christ is of both extraordinary and incredibly heartbreaking historical importance to Chicago, our state and to this country. At a time when some on the far right are trying to whitewash our nations history and erase the devastating legacies of slavery and lynchings on Black Americans, Im proud that President Biden is taking action to help ensure that generations of Americans have more opportunity to reflect on Mamie and Emmetts stories. Its past time we recognize how national monuments can not only teach us about our historybut provoke us to build a more just future. [Statement, 7/25/23]

Illinois Representative Jonathan Jackson: Today, we remember #EmmettTill on what would have been his birthday. A life extinguished far too soon, but a legacy that forever changed the course of history. The brutal nature of Tills murder and the brave decision by his mother for an open-casket funeral exposed the harsh racial violence of the South to the world. His story became a rallying cry for the Civil Rights Movement, compelling many, including leaders like Rosa Parks, into action. [Tweet, 7/25/23]

Mississippi Representative Bennie Thompson: The tragedy that took place when Emmett Till was murdered is an enduring reminder of the racism that fueled injustice for far too long in our country. I would like to thank President Biden for honoring the memory of young Till and reminding us all of our common humanity. We have worked hard to ensure the proper recognition of this atrocity. [Statement, 7/25/23]

Mississippi Senator Roger Wicker: Emmett Tills murder and the courage of Mamie Till-Mobley roused people of goodwill to action, leading to one of the most significant movements in American history. This commemoration will help preserve the Till familys legacy for future generations. [Tweet, 7/25/23]

Mississippi Senator Cindy-Hyde Smith: An Emmett Till & Mamie Till-Mobley National Monument honors the familys contributions to Civil Rights & complements efforts undertaken in MS to highlight civil rights achievements. The atrocities done to Emmitt Till & the heartbreak inflicted on his family mustnt be forgotten. [Tweet, 7/25/2023]

House Democratic Leader and New York Representative Hakeem Jefferies: Todays proclamation establishes the Emmett Till and Mamie Till-Mobley National Monument, which honors the story of Emmett Till and Mamie Till-Mobley in three sites across Illinois and Mississippi that mark the journey Mamie took as a young girl with her family to flee the danger and oppression of the Jim Crow South. Though she would escape, that same hate and violence claimed the life of her son. Emmetts brutal murder and Mamies courage to show the world the cruel violence inflicted on her son helped galvanize the Civil Rights Movement in America. The creation of this national monument places the life and legacy of Emmett Till among our nations most treasured memorials. Last year, the Biden-Harris administration signed the Emmett Till Anti-Lynching Act into law, making lynching a federal crime for the first time in American history. In the face of efforts to erase and rewrite Black history, including in Florida, it is essential to make sure that stories like Emmett Tills are told and not forgotten. Black history is American history. I am thankful to President Biden for his inclusive and decisive leadership. [Statement, 7/25/23]

South Carolina Representative James E. Clyburn: Honored to join @POTUS as he signed a proclamation to establish the Emmett Till and Mamie Till-Mobley National Monument. Just as Mamie Till-Mobley refused to let the world shy away from the truth of what happened to her son, we must fight efforts to erase this countrys history. [Tweet, 7/25/23]

Arizona Representative Ral Grijalva, Ranking Member, House Natural Resources Committee: The brutal murder of Emmett Till and the acquittal of his murderers was an injustice of the most unthinkable kind. But even worse, it was no anomaly. The long and ongoing history of oppression and violence against Black people is an inescapable part of the American story, but it is also one we must recognize and understand if we want to repair. While efforts to censor our nations truth seem to be increasing by the day, Im grateful that this administration not only acknowledges that truth but is following the lead of Emmett Tills mother and countless champions to ensure it is memorialized and learned from for good. [Statement, 7/25/2023]

Indiana Representative Andr Carson: Thank you, @POTUS, for honoring Emmett Till on what would be his 82nd birthday. Learning & commemorating our history is not always easy, but its vital for our countrys future. This national monument will honor Emmett Tills memory, his legacy, and the work we have left to do. [Tweet, 7/25/23]

Georgia Representative Hank Johnson: I am honored to have been present for this historic moment. Thank you @POTUS, for honoring the legacy of Emmett and Mamie Till-Mobley. [Tweet, 7/25/23]

New York Representative Ritchie Torres: At 14 years old, Emmett Till was abducted and brutally murdered because of the color of his skin. His mother, Mamie Till-Mobley, bravely forced America to confront the horrors of racism. Thank you @POTUS for honoring their legacy on his 82nd birthday. [Tweet, 7/25/23]

Continued here:

WHAT THEY ARE SAYING: President Biden Designates Emmett Till ... - The White House

Opening the campaign finance floodgates? – POLITICO – POLITICO

Posted on August 4, 2023 by Danzig

Good Friday morning!

There was so much stuff crammed into the Elections Transparency Act that the massive increases in campaign contribution limits felt like more of an afterthought as it was being rammed through the Legislature. And so far, it hasnt had such a massive effect.

Previously, individuals and companies used to be allowed to give a maximum of $25,000 to state and county political parties and legislative leadership committees. Now, they can give $75,000 to each and, in the case of the political parties, an additional $112,500 to legislative leadership accounts.

ELEC yesterday released an analysis of the last quarters fundraising for the Big Six committees the first quarter under the new law and found that the Big Six the state party committees and legislative leadership PACS raised $3,610,199, or about 12 percent above the average for the last 10 years. But if you compare it to 2011, which was the last year with a similar election in which the Senate and Assembly topped the ballot together, youll find that at this point in that cycle those committees had raised $3,684,467, or $4,980,303.39 adjusted for inflation.

Of course, 2011 was just a year after Citizens United, and super PACs flooded New Jersey politics with millions of dollars, much of which likely would have gone to the Big Six. Thats why ELEC actually supported higher contribution limits. And were just seeing the implementation of the new limits this year, so its just getting started. Well see whether it actually reduces the amount of dark money and super PAC spending in New Jersey politics.

One interesting thing ELECs analysis brought to light: A handful of people and organizations mostly labor unions gave the maximum donations to the committees. But just one person gave a state political party both the maximum $75,000 donation as well as the $37,500 for its housekeeping account. You may not be surprised to learn that was Bob Hugin, the chair of the Republican State Committee who made a fortune as a pharmaceutical executive. There were a handful of $75,000 donations, mostly from labor unions to Democrats. All in all, the committees have gotten $671,200 in contributions over the previous limits.

Read ELECs analysis here.

TIPS? FEEDBACK? Email me at [emailprotected]

QUOTE OF THE DAY: With knowledge of such easy money in the pipeline, the project has become a circus of excess and waste. A Senate Republican report on the Pompidou Center project in Jersey City, which so far has gotten $58 million in taxpayer funds.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY Rob Andrews. Saturday for Tammy Murphy, Richard Lawton, Gary Chiusano, Amy Kuperinsky, Stephanie Doherty.

WHERES MURPHY? Joining a prayer call with Black clergy in the morning in remembrance of Sheila Oliver, then meeting with DCA employees. Holding a 1:30pm press conference in Trenton to talk about Olivers life.

SHEILA OLIVER Oliver to lie in state next week in three-day celebration of life, by POLITICOs Mia McCarthy: County Court House next week to honor the late lieutenant governor. It is part of a three-day Celebration of Life for Oliver, who died Tuesday at age 71, according to Gov. Phil Murphys office. Its an extreme rarity for a person to lie in state in New Jersey, and an honor that no recent former governor or state lawmakers has received after their death. Sheila was not only a distinguished public servant, but also our cherished daughter, sister, aunt, friend, and hero, the Oliver family said in a statement through Murphys office. She leaves behind a legacy of dedication, service, and inspiration. We will remember her commitment to the people of New Jersey and her tireless efforts to uplift the community. May her memory be a source of comfort and strength to all who knew her.

Murphy orders flags lowered for a month to honor Oliver

SEXUALLY ACTIVE RESIDENTS URGED TO TAKE CHILL PILL INSTEAD Murphy wanted to allow birth control pills without a prescription. Its running behind schedule, by POLITICOs Daniel Han: A New Jersey law to allow pharmacists to dispense self-administered hormonal birth control without a prescription is running months behind its statutory start date. Gov. Phil Murphy in January signed a bill into law allowing women to get such birth control including the pill, vaginal rings and diaphragms from pharmacists without a prescription, which he framed as the latest accomplishment for an administration which has been strongly supportive of reproductive rights. That is a shift from the normal practice of women needing a prescription from a health care provider. At the time, Murphy acknowledged that the law was not effective immediately but suggested it would be a priority.

State DOH is 5 years late setting up drug donation program: Its sorely needed

ANTISOCIAL MEDIA NJ plan to study social media impact on teens too slow to address crisis, advocates say, by The Records Mary Ann Koruth: While the states main stakeholders in public education have praised the creation of a new commission to assess and report in a year on the effects of social media usage on adolescents, some say a year is too long a wait to address an issue that has already claimed lives in New Jerseys schools. Ample research literature, government advisories and whistleblower testimonies already point to social medias negative impacts on youth, they note The state needs to create curriculum without delay to teach children how to protect themselves on social media, and one year is too long to wait, said Kara Alaimo, a Fairleigh Dickinson University expert on social media impacts on children and youth. It is wonderful that the state is looking into this, she said, but what I would also like to see happen is for the governor not to wait a year to implement social media curricula in schools.

GARDEN STATE EQUITY Gender-neutral equity code approved by State Board of Education draws attacks, by NJ Spotlight News Hanna Gross: The New Jersey State Board of Education narrowly voted to approve its equity code, as is required every seven years. The readoption vote passed 6-5, with board members agreeing Wednesday to several language changes, including using more gender-neutral terms, such as changing minority, female and male to all students. Many parents rights advocates packed into the meeting to express their discontent with the changes, urging board members to vote no on the readoption and threatening lawsuits after a majority ruled in favor. Board meeting minutes from March 2016, when the code, N.J.A.C. 6A:7, Managing for Equality and Equity in Education, last came up for readoption, did not list any votes in opposition. The governors office said in a statement that the changes are largely technical and are intended to clarify and streamline language.

Still a mystery: Why did Attorney Generals Office allow Matt ODonnell to continue practicing law?

Snowflack Back to school in August

I SHOULDNT HAVE PLACED THAT BET ON HIM PLEADING GUILTY Trump pleads not guilty to charges that he conspired to overturn 2020 election, by POLITICOs Kyle Cheney and Betsy Woodruff Swan: Former President Donald Trump pleaded not guilty Thursday to federal charges accusing him of orchestrating a criminal conspiracy to try to derail the transfer of power after the 2020 election. A significant point of tension immediately emerged: How soon will he stand trial? Thomas Windom, the prosecutor helming the trial team for special counsel Jack Smith, said the case should move quickly. This case will benefit from normal order, including a speedy trial, Windom told the magistrate judge overseeing Trumps arraignment. But John Lauro, an attorney for the former president, said Trumps legal team might need a long time to go through the evidence that prosecutors are required to hand over to the defense.

JERSEY CITY SETTLEMENT 2 Jersey City MUA workers receiving $585k, 1 gets $10k raise, to settle racism claims, by Hudson County Views John Heinis: A Jersey City Municipal Utilities Authority (MUA) worker is receiving a $585,000 payout and one receiving a $10,000 raise to settle racism claims that included allegations of white supremacy. The Carters filed a lawsuit against the MUA, Executive Director Jose Cunha and mechanic Charles Schaadt with Tim Carter, who is Black, alleging that the latter displayed white supremacist ideology in his office Mr. Schaadt was so brazen in the JCMUA workplace concerning his white supremacist ideology that he screwed a photo of a white supremacist with a Nazi War Eagle tattoo and a tattoo of the Schutzstaffel Armanen rune (commonly referred to as the S.S. lightning bolt) under plastic in the window of the door between the West Side Plants garage and its cafeteria, the lawsuit alleged.

WESTWOODS NAME DEEMED CONTROVERSIAL BECAUSE OF ITS LATTER HALF Ten candidates will vie for four seats in Westwood school board race, by The Records Stephanie Noda: Ten people will be running for four seats this November on the board of the Westwood Regional School District, where disputes over sex, gender and the curriculum have sparked tense debates for months. The contenders apparently will not include current board President Michael Pontillo, whose name was not included on an unofficial list of candidates In recent months, critics have also turned out to protest the boards perceived slights against same-sex couples and a new district policy allowing only the American and state flags to fly on school grounds. That new policy led to the removal of an LGBTQ pride sign outside the district middle school, though such flags and banners are still allowed inside schools.

Westwoods controversial issues policy goes too far. Why hurt students?

INZELBUCKS Lakewood school board faces first major challenge since 2014, by The Asbury Park Press Joe Strupp: For the first time in nearly a decade, the current Lakewood Board of Education is being challenged at the ballot box. Seven candidates filed Monday to run for the three seats up for grabs in the November election, including four challengers. The board has not seen such a contested race since 2014 The increased election interest is occurring as the school district faces its most serious fiscal issues in years, with more than $125 million in state loan debt, a long-running lawsuit over state funding and the ongoing impact of the pandemic and so-called lost learning. It seems to me like a potentially hopeful sign, said Paul Tractenberg, founder of the Rutgers University Education Law Center and co-counsel for a 2014 lawsuit against the state seeking improved state funding for the district. I think anything that shakes it up, that brings greater openness and transparency and public input is for the public good. The salary of Board of Education Attorney Michael Inzelbuch has also been a concern An Asbury Park Press 2021 investigation found that he had earned more than $1 million in both the 2019-2020 and 2020-2021 school years. More recently that was reduced to $992,000 in calendar year 2021.

AND YET WE STILL HAVE TO HEAR ABOUT KARI LAKE N.J. county wants to drain 203-year-old lake amid ownership questions, pricey fixes, by NJ Bill Duhart for NJ.com: A 203-year-old lake is in danger of being drained because of a dispute over who owns, and is responsible for, the dam that formed it. The Ewan Lake Dam sits on the border between Harrison and Elk townships in Gloucester County. The ownership and responsibility for maintaining the dam to the specifications of the state Department of Environmental Protection is in question. The DEP has started to bring legal action to all parties to bring the dams up to code, Chad Bruner, the Gloucester County administrator, told NJ Advance Media this week in an email. The county is only one party to this action via the road near the dams. We have been on record that we do not own these dams or lakes and we are of the opinion that the best course of action on behalf of the county taxpayers is to decommission these dams/lakes as we cannot spend county taxpayer funds on privately owned lakes.

EXMART Last New Jersey Kmart to close as Westwood store will shut down in fall, by The Records Katie Sobko and Nancy Pascarella: Soon, Kmart will be just a memory in New Jersey, as the last location in the Garden State is expected to close this fall. The chains Westwood location, at 700 Broadway, will close in September or October and already has signs in the windows noting that everything must go. A location in Middlesex County closed last year, leaving the Bergen County store as the lone survivor in a chain that at one time had more than 2,000 locations around the country. In 2019, stores in Wayne, Trenton, Wall and Somers Point closed. Kearny and Belleville stores followed suit in 2021

R.I.P. Paul Pintella, four-term Trenton City councilman, dies at 58

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THE NEWS TERMINATOR AI-generated news has arrived in New Jersey, by The Center for Cooperative Medias Joe Adomitis: Which makes me wonder what LocalLens might look like in the near future once theyve expanded to cover whats happening in every community in America. Do the founders of LocalLens see themselves as something akin to a bot-driven version of Documenters that supplies much-needed notetaking and documentation of public meetings and records? Or will this eventually just become yet another good enough source of local news and information for residents in communities that have either lost or abandoned their own local news organizations? Im sure for most local journalists and publishers in New Jersey and elsewhere, the answers are obvious and probably somewhat troubling.

MANVILLE Hunterdon man charged in multi-million dollar Ponzi scheme, by MyCentralJerseys Mike Deak: A Hunterdon County man has been charged by the federal Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) in connection with his role in a multi-million dollar Ponzi scheme that partially operated out of Manville. Christopher Anderson, of Readington, is one of six people charged with fraud in a civil action filed by the SEC in federal court in July. Anderson, however, was not included in criminal charges filed by U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger against the other people involved in the more than $35 million scheme. Among those facing criminal charges is Eliyahu Eli Weinstein.

I THOUGHT THE BAR ASSOCIATIONS ATLANTIC CITY CONVENTION WAS IN MAY Shark activity is up at the Jersey Shore this summer, by NJ 101.5s Jen Ursilio: There has been an uptick in near-shore shark sightings in New Jersey this year, and in the past few years, as well, said Rich Weddle, curator at SEA LIFE Aquarium at the American Dream in East Rutherford. Is the uptick in shark sightings related to the recent whale and dolphin deaths? Not necessarily. Weddle, who also has a degree in marine biology, said it is probably related to increasing ocean temperatures inshore and some of the protection that has been given to bunker, which is the bait fish that these sharks eat, he said.

Celebrity trainer from Teaneck dies by suicide amid child sex investigation

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Opening the campaign finance floodgates? - POLITICO - POLITICO

ANALYSIS: Why has the West embraced Ukraine’s neo-Nazi Azov … – The Jewish News of Northern California

Posted on August 4, 2023 by Danzig

This story was originally published in the Forward. Click here to get the Forwards free email newsletters delivered to your inbox.

Its hard to know if Paul Massaro was oblivious or indifferent to the Nazi origin of the banner he proudly brandished.

The flag, sent to him by the Ukraine Armys Azov Brigade, featured a near-facsimile of the so-called wolfsangel symbol used by the Nazi Waffen SS. It is the units official insignia. But when critics called him out for the selfie he posted on Twitter in February, Massaro a senior official on a congressional commission that promotes human rights and democracy was unapologetic.

Instead, he lauded the heroic last stand that Azov had made against Russia in last years siege of Mariupol, and celebrated the Ukrainian governments decision to formally elevate it to brigade status as new recruits swelled its ranks.

Six days later, Massaro posted a beaming photo of himself with an arm patch honoring Stepan Bandera, a World War II-era Ukrainian nationalist whose forces killed tens of thousands of Jews and Poles in multiple pogroms. Hey, look what Ive got, he wrote above the picture.

Critics erupted but Massaro dug in. He noted that Ukrainians view Bandera, who collaborated with Nazis in his yearslong struggle against the Soviet Union, through the lens of the struggle for Ukrainian independence.

Massaro eventually deleted both posts. But his tweets and the responses exemplify a discomfiting trend: Nearly 18 months into Russias war on Ukraine, the Wests tolerance of far-right actors has reached levels not seen since the 1930s.

In its existential struggle against Russian invaders, Ukraine, a pro-Western democracy, has elevated some problematic heroes with fascist origins. And its allies including Jewish leaders and liberal politicians usually on guard against such forces have largely downplayed or denied this phenomenon.

At least 13 members of Congress, for example, have met with Azov Brigade members and their spouses over the last nine months, despite Congress having banned U.S. funding for the unit since 2018 because of its extremist roots. In June, an Azov delegation met with a leader of Human Rights Watch a watchdog group that in 2015 reported numerous allegations of unlawful detention and the use of torture by the unit.

Azov members have also been welcomed twice at Stanford University, where they were lauded by former U.S. Ambassador to Russia Michael McFaul and the noted political scientist Francis Fukuyama, who later told the news website SFGate that he viewed them as heroes.

And the Anti-Defamation League, the worlds premier antisemitism watchdog, has softened its assessment of the group since Russias invasion.

Advocates and academics disagree on how much the Azov Brigade and its offshoots have evolved from the groups extremist roots. But even some of the units critics worry that a clash over the group may lend credence to Russian President Putins false narrative that Ukraine itself is a Nazi state and its army a fascist force.

I think we need to speak out, said Abe Foxman, a former leader of the ADL, but make sure it doesnt undermine the nation that is struggling for our system.

Bandera, who was on Massaros armband, is lauded by many Ukrainians for leading a long armed struggle for Ukrainian independence against Poland and the Soviet Union beginning in the 1930s, through World War II, and even afterward.

There are streets named after him and monuments to him in public squares; a Bandera bust graces the office of Ukraines military chief. The failure of Bandera, who envisioned Ukraine as an ethnically pure, fascist state, to halt or even condemn the pogroms in which his forces killed an estimated 38,000 Jews and at least 70,000 Poles is mostly denied or evaded by his countrymen.

(The U.S. Army also protected him from Soviet demands for his extradition as the Cold War loomed, considering him too valuable an asset, according to historian Thomas Boghardt of the U.S. Army Center of Military History.)

The Azov Brigade was established by far-right Ukrainian nationalists in 2014 in response to Russias invasion of Crimea. It started as a volunteer civil militia founded by Andriy Biletsky a neo-Nazi who wrote in a 2010 manifesto that Ukraines mission was to lead the White Peoples of the world in the last crusade for their existence; a crusade against the sub-humanity led by the Semites.

Biletsky, who is now 44, left Azov in 2016, when he was elected to Parliament, where he served until 2019. He now leads a right-wing political movement called the Azov Movement, which has its own paramilitary force, known as the National Militia, with an estimated 20,000 volunteers.

Many of the Azov Brigades current senior commanders come from Biletskys original group and remain tied to him politically. But the brigades spokespeople have told news outlets that its fascist roots have withered.

They say the units flag insignia bearing the appearance of a tilted uppercase N with an uppercase I slashing through it is not modeled on the Waffen SS wolfsangel, which remains popular with neo-Nazis today; it stands instead for the National Idea meaning Ukrainian nationalism though Ukraine uses a cyrillic alphabet, which does not include the letter N.

(In 2015, the unit dropped from its logos background a black sun symbol known as the sonnenrad that was also used by the Nazis.)

Today, the brigade itself has an estimated 2,500 active soldiers, with affiliated units that, taken together, have about 5,000.

This is a tiny fraction of Ukraines 1.3 million active fighters, reservists, and police and paramilitary forces. But Azovs ferocity in battle has won it fame and recognition far beyond its numbers. During the three-month siege in the eastern city of Mariupol, dubbed A New Masada by The Wall Street Journal, they were the main fighters who dug in at an abandoned steel mill with little food or water. Several hundred were taken prisoners of war.

This is their political strategy to be the best fighting force they can and to get the populace to associate them with military heroism, said Daniel Trombly, a doctoral candidate at the George Washington University researching radical movements and paramilitarism. Its done quite a lot for their reputation, even if people like them despite their ideology instead of because of it.

But Andreas Umland, a Kyiv-based analyst with the Stockholm Centre for Eastern European Studies, said its not a political strategy at all.

Theyre not an ideological phenomenon anymore, he argued, noting that Azov is now fighting under the general military command and has many new recruits who are not from Biletskys core group.

Two of the leading U.S. groups fighting antisemitism the Simon Wiesenthal Center and the ADL are also at loggerheads in their views of the Azov Brigade and the lionization of Bandera.

Efraim Zuroff, who coordinates Nazi war crimes research at the Wiesenthal Center, criticized Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy for failing to call out the brigades continued use of a Nazi-inspired insignia and ongoing ties to right-wing radicals.

I can appreciate that he wants to keep these men fighting theyre good fighters, Zuroff said. But you must put your foot down. If you want to be a democracy, you dont walk around with Nazi symbols.

Embracing the Azov Brigade and Bandera only feeds Putins lies that Ukraine is a Nazi country, Zuroff added. Its not a Nazi country. Its a country that glorifies murderous Nazi collaborators, though.

Thats just the kind of narrative the ADL is determined to avoid.

We need to keep priorities straight, said Andrew Srulevitch, the groups director for European affairs. We are not going to contribute to Russian propaganda that is aimed at lowering American political support for Ukraine just because we see a few guys with worrying arm patches.

The actual threat posed by Ukraines far right, he said, was negligible.

The ADLs assessment of Azov has undergone a profound shift since the start of the current war in Ukraine.

Back in 2019, the group described the Azov Battalion in a report as a Ukrainian extremist group and militia that has ties to neo-Nazis in Ukraine as well as white supremacists worldwide.

A week after Russias invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, the ADL described Azov as the Ukrainian national guard unit with explicit neo-Nazi ties.

But by November, the ADL told a reporter for a pro-Russian news outlet called Grayzone that its Center on Extremism does not see the Azov Regime as the far-right group it once was.

Srulevitch said the Center on Extremisms most recent assessment is that it is impossible to say how many extremists might still remain within the Azov unit, but it would certainly be far fewer than it had in the past.

The ADLs equivocal stance goes beyond Azov. In a June New York Times article about some Ukrainian soldiers use of Nazi-derived symbols on their uniforms, an ADL spokesperson did not express outrage.

Instead, discussing one photo the article highlighted a soldier with a skull and crossbones patch known as the Totenkopf, which was famously adopted by the Nazi SS he said he could not make an inference about the wearer. The soldiers specific Totenkopf, said the spokesperson, appeared to be merchandise of a British neo-folk band called Death in June.

The bands name memorializes a June 1934 event known as The Night of the Long Knives, in which Hitler executed leaders of the Nazi party who helped bring him to power. Many of its songs contain Nazi references; a 1995 album was titled Rose Clouds of Holocaust.

When I asked Mark Pitcavage, a senior ADL researcher, about the band, he told me that its members deny that they have extremist leanings.

Some comments from band members suggest they may have right-wing sympathies, he said. But we recognize that not all Death in June fans are white supremacists.

Srulevitch, the ADLs European affairs director, said that regardless of some Ukrainians use of Nazi symbols and admiration for the Azov Brigade and Bandera, he is not worried about the country being taken over by extremists or antisemites.

In the 2019 election that made Zelenskyy the countrys first Jewish president, he noted, Ukraines far-right bloc won about 2% of the vote. In the ADLs 2023 global survey regarding Jew-hatred, 29% of Ukraines population expressed antisemitic attitudes above the European average of 22% and Russias 26%, but below Polands 35%.

So we know that in Ukrainian society far-right extremism is negligible, Srulevitch said. Its fair to assume something similar in the military. Maybe its something more there. But its not a serious issue.

Foxman, who ran the ADL for 27 years ending in 2015, called Srulevitchs characterization sophistry.

Twenty-nine percent is very serious thats almost one-third of the country, he said. The priority is to maintain Ukraine as a free country, but not to close our eyes to history, One should not negate the other.

If some Jewish leaders are grappling openly with the tension between their support of Ukraine in the war and their concerns over the ideology of some of the soldiers fighting it, U.S. government officials seem to have adopted a strategy of silence.

I had hoped to talk about this to Ambassador Deborah E. Lipstadt, the Holocaust historian who President Joe Biden appointed last summer as special envoy to monitor and combat antisemitism. Her office invited me to submit questions via email, which I did on June 14, but then failed to respond despite multiple follow-up emails and phone calls.

A spokesperson for the Helsinki Commission, the congressional human rights watchdog that employs Massaro the man who posted selfies with the Azov flag and Bandera armband did not return multiple phone messages.

Sue Walitsky, a spokesperson for the Democratic co-chair of the commission, Sen. Ben Cardin of Maryland, said that Massaro, a senior policy adviser, has been spoken to about the inappropriate nature of his posts and removed the tweet with the arm patch after one such discussion.

Massaro declined to speak on the record, citing restrictions on public statements by Helsinki staffers. On Twitter, Massaro said he had decided to delete the Bandera post at the request of a good Polish friend.

Senator Cardin, in response to a query about Azov and Bandera, issued a generic statement saying: The glorification and promotion of symbols related to Nazism are always wrong, divisive and must be denounced.

Cardins Republican co-chair, Rep. Joe Wilson of South Carolina one of the House members who met last month with the Azov delegation did not respond to multiple emails.

Several prominent public intellectuals marshaling support for Ukraine also declined my requests to discuss this issue, including McFaul, the former ambassador who now runs an international studies program at Stanford.

One who did respond was Leon Wieseltier, who co-convened a 2014 conference of writers in Kyiv to curse Putin in six or seven languages, as he put it.

Weve been here before, Wieseltier said. When American Jews supported anti-Communist movements in Eastern Europe, we knew full well that the people for whose freedom we were advocating had very nasty records.

We did that for philosophical and practical reasons, he continued. Because Jews who believe in freedom believe in universal freedom, those who believe in democracy believe in universal democracy.

Wieseltier noted that in 1940s Poland, Ukrainians murdered my own family members.

I believe antisemitism should be condemned loudly and immediately wherever it appears, he said. I dont believe in thinking pragmatically about that.

Wieseltier said that Lipstadt, in particular, should be speaking out, noting that she was hired to condemn antisemitism.

But Ira Forman, President Barack Obamas antisemitism envoy, said its not always that simple. Im a big human rights advocate, but it will never be 100% about human rights, he told me in an interview.

Working under the multiple, sometimes conflicting priorities that characterize any administration, Forman found himself asking, What are the most winnable and most important fights?

He said one key criterion was the danger posed to Jews in the country. And he had found that Ukraines Jews didnt see the countrys ultra-right as the ones committing most incidents of antisemitism; instead they believed it came from Russians or Russian sympathizers trying to pin a fascist label on the Ukrainian government.

Indeed, several experts who follow Ukraines ultra-nationalist right closely told me something I found surprising: Their activists generally do not target Jews.

All the specialists I consult say that there is no evidence of antisemitism among Ukrainian neo-Nazis, said David Fishman, a professor of Jewish history at the Jewish Theological Seminary who visits the region frequently.

Its kind of a youth culture, he explained. It stresses aggression, hatred and violence. Thats what the Nazi symbols mean to them. But who are the objects of all that? This is flexible, pliable and has metamorphosed.

The top targets today, he said, are Russians, including ethnic Russians inside Ukraine whose national loyalty may be in question. After that come Africans and Roma.

Still, the popularity of Ukraines cause and the Azov Brigades own formidable PR operations are bringing the units foreboding, Nazi-evoking symbols into the mainstream under a new, flattering spotlight.

The units version of the wolfsangel insignia, for example, was projected on a screen behind McFaul, the former U.S. envoy to Moscow, when he welcomed members of the Azov Brigade to Stanford University in September.

A few weeks later in New Jersey, Ukrainian American children at a social gathering stared admiringly up at a visiting Azov delegation member, his yellow arm patch with the unsettling symbol on prominent display.

And in November, the Azov Brigades talented press director, Dmytro Kozatsky, appeared on Andrea Mitchells MSNBC show alongside Ukraines ambassador to Washington and Carol Guzy, a Pulitzer Prize-winning photographer. The network showed Kozatskys stunning photos from inside the Azovstal Steel Plant in Mariupol during Russias siege, as well as Guzys from wartime Kyiv.

I wanted to take this picture as a symbol of this victory of good over evil, Kozatsky told Mitchell, referring to an image of a thin beam of sunlight illuminating an Azov fighter inside the darkened plant, now gracing the cover of Guzys new Ukraine photo collection.

Mitchell made no mention of the photos on Kozatskys Twitter feed: of him in a T-shirt bearing the insignia of a notorious Waffen SS unit in May 2018; of a lasagna he baked with a swastika etched intoit in March 2020, or of him wearing a shirt emblazoned with the code numbers 1488, which is listed in the ADLs catalog of white supremacist hate symbols.

Nor did she ask Kozatsky why he had liked a tweet showing Ukrainian graffiti saying Death to Yids with an SS symbol in March 2020.

These tweets were removed before Kozataskys MSNBC appearance, but remain archived. Eleven days later, a protester confronted Kozatsky about the tweets at the DOCNYC film festival in Manhattan, where he was promoting a documentary in which he stars that was made by an Israeli-American. After that protest went online, Kozatsky apologized on Twitter, describing his earlier tweets as Ukrainian humor meant as a mockery of Russian propaganda about so-called Nazism in Ukraine.

In no way would I ever support, and do not support, the terrible actions of the Third Reich and Hitler, he wrote. Especially when nowadays we are fighting the direct successor of Nazism in the world the Russian Federation.

During our discussion, Srulevitch, the ADL official who downplays the far-right threat in Ukraine, made a stirring prediction: This war, terrible as it is, will transform the frightening phenomenon of Ukrainians adulating Bandera, ethnic mass murders and all.

Ukraine now has many heroes who fought Russia but didnt kill Jews President Zelenskyy first and foremost, he said. Bandera will be supplanted by the heroes of this war.

Perhaps. But whether those heroes should all be acclaimed as champions of democracy in Ukraine and in the United States remains a subject of significant debate.

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ANALYSIS: Why has the West embraced Ukraine's neo-Nazi Azov ... - The Jewish News of Northern California

Putin’s Justification for War Is Unraveling Foreign Policy – Foreign Policy

Posted on August 4, 2023 by Danzig

As he condemned the mutiny of Wagner Group boss Yevgeny Prigozhin in late June, Russian President Vladimir Putin reiterated his justification for the invasion of Ukraine. According to Putin, Russia had to eliminate the dire threat of a hostile Ukraine armed by the West and guided by a fascist ideology nurtured by the United States. Russia was fighting fiercely for its future, repelling the aggression of neo-Nazis and their masters. In late July, Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov affirmed that Russia would never abandon the supposed goal of eliminating the Western-backed neo-Nazi danger.

The Kremlin has long used the antifascist struggle of the Great Patriotic War, as Russians call World War II, as a framework to explain and justify its domestic and foreign policies. The application of this narrative to the war in Ukraine is now buckling under pressure. As he launched his short-lived revolt, Prigozhin maintained in a posted video that Russias corrupt military leadership had deceived Putin into believing that NATO and Ukraine were preparing to attack Russia: The invasion of Ukraine wasnt needed to safeguard Russia from a manufactured neo-Nazi threat. About a month later, on July 20, CIA Director William Burns observed that Prigozhins video, which was widely viewed in Russia, was the most scathing indictment of Putins rationale for war that I have heard from a Russian or a non-Russian.

Prigozhins claim that the military leadership manipulated the justification for war further undermines popular and elite belief in an imminent neo-Nazi threat from Ukraine managed by the United States. While a majority of respondents in Russian surveys voice support for the Russian military in Ukraine, observers suggest this stance may often reflect dissembling or weakly held rationalizations. In a recent survey, a majority of respondents supported the war (43 percent indicated strong support). But 41 percent also believed the invasion had created more harm than benefit for Russia. Among the 38 percent who perceived more benefit than harm, only 9 percent thought the value of the special military operation was in its protection against fascism and Nazism, and even fewer respondents (3 percent) believed the war had rallied the support of society.

Nevertheless, Putin remains committed to the weaponization of historical memory against the West and Ukraine. This discursive approach builds on Putins pre-invasion charges of antisemitism and genocide against Russias foreign critics, condemning the behavior of Poles, Ukrainians, and other regional actors during World War II for assisting in the Holocaust. Unlike the Soviet regime, Putins rendition of the Great Patriotic War now openly commemorates the Red Armys role in ending the Nazi genocide against the Jews.

This conceptual pivot marked an escalation in Russias response to the long-standing accusations by governments and groups in Eastern Europe that Soviet behavior during this period was itself genocidal. Just as narratives of victimization in Eastern Europe were often linked to the efforts of post-communist elites at state- and nation-building that cast the Soviet Union as a malevolent other, the Kremlin has now reinforced its opposing account. For Putin, Russians and Jews were both victims of genocide in World War II. This revised narrative encouraged the Kremlin to falsely identify Ukraines policies toward Russian speakers in the Donbas region as genocide and the invasion of 2022 as a necessary response. Putin has used this claim of genocide, which lacks any supporting evidence (civilian casualties in Donbas remained relatively low for the period from 2015 to 2022), to establish another link between the Great Patriotic War, the Holocaust, and the most recent invasion.

Given the asserted need to de-Nazify Ukraine, Putin views the support of Russias Jews as essential. Yet prominent Russian Jews have criticized the Kremlins often ham-fisted attempts to politicize the memory of the Holocaust or vilify Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky as a Jew who supports neo-Nazis. In May 2022, Lavrov caused a furor when he compared Zelensky to Hitler, who had Jewish blood. Lavrov observed that wise Jews understood that the worst antisemites are found among Jews themselves.

Berel Lazar, Russias chief rabbi and a leader of the Federation of Jewish Communities of Russia (FEOR), had withheld support for the invasion but had also refrained from direct criticism.

He now called on Lavrov to retract the comments that Jews were essentially responsible for the Holocaust and the associated accusation that Zelensky leads a neo-Nazi regime in Ukraine that threatens Russia. Rabbi Alexander Boroda, the president of FEOR, implored all sides in the conflict to stop exploiting the tragic events of the Holocaust and World War II for political gain.

The Israeli government criticized Lavrovs lies, and Putin eventually apologized to Israels prime minister. Yet Lavrov persisted, later stating that the West had instigated the current war to accomplish a final solution to the Russian question, thus equating Western support for Ukraine with the evils of Nazi Germany.

The unwillingness of Jewish leaders in Russia to support the war, despite pressure from the Kremlin, has exposed the community to retaliation, including constraints on the activities of the Russian branch of the Jewish Agency, the organization that facilitates the immigration of Jews to Israel. Another possible example of retaliation is the article by Aleksey Pavlov, the former assistant secretary of Russias Security Council. Pavlov examined the purported spread of neo-paganism and cults in Ukraine, tracing the phenomenon to Ukrainian ultra-nationalists aligned with Nazi Germany and later to the malicious policies of the United States. One of the cults identified by Pavlov is the Chabad-Lubavitch movement, the predominantly Jewish organization in both Ukraine and Russia. According to Pavlov, these groups must undergo de-Satanization.

Lazar criticized Pavlovs article as vulgar antisemitism. An apology soon came from Nikolai Patrushev, the head of the Security Council, and Pavlov was removed from his position. But Russian Jews worry they may be exposed to further censure as Putin hardens his condemnation of an anti-Russian collective West. While pre-invasion surveys indicate that most Russians view Jews with respect and tolerance, Russians also perceive Jews as the group most closely associated with the West. Putin has publicly compared the West to Nazi Germany and has identified Russian supporters of Western values and policies as members of a fifth column who are scum and traitors. Such language may stimulate and reinforce Soviet-era antisemitism, which has survived in segments of Russias security services and other institutions, including the Russian Orthodox Church.

In this fraught environment, the leadership of the Jewish community in Russia attempts to maintain a careful balancing act.

In an address on June 16, Putin returned to the question of why the Ukrainian state was a neo-Nazi entity even though Zelensky is Jewish. According to Putin, his many Jewish friends believe that Zelensky is not a Jew but a disgrace to the Jewish people. Neo-Nazis, followers of Hitler, have been raised on pedestals as todays heroes in Ukraine. One and a half million [Jews] were killed in Ukraine, and primarily at the hands of [Stepan] Bandera [the Ukrainian nationalist leader] followers. After screening historical footage of WWII atrocities, Putin told the audience: This is Bandera and his minions. These are the people who today are the heroes of Ukraine. How can you not fight this?

For years before the 2022 invasion, Russian propaganda focused on Bandera and the paramilitary units (the Ukrainian Insurgent Army, or UPA) aligned with his faction of the Organization of Ukrainian Nationalists (OUN-B). Documentary evidence points to the role of members of Banderas organization in the widespread violent repression of Jews, Poles, and other ethno-cultural groups during World War II. While Banderas direct culpability is still debated by scholars, his xenophobia and extremist ideology enabled fellow leaders and supporters to justify their atrocities.

The popularity of Bandera has surged in Ukraine even though the ultra-nationalist organizations associated with his memory have declined since their peak in 2012, when Svoboda, the far-right party, gained 10 percent of the vote in national parliamentary elections. Svobodas short-lived electoral strength was due more to the appeal of its anti-Russian nationalism and populism than its far-right ideology, which the party gradually moderated in ensuing years. Nevertheless, the Kremlin has used Svoboda and paramilitary groups like the Right Sector coalition and the Azov movement to grossly exaggerate the political strength of the far right in Ukraine today.

In charging Kyiv with neo-fascism, the Kremlin has also denounced Ukraines often anti-Russian cultural and memory policies. In support of nation- and state-building, post-independence Ukraine has increasingly celebrated Bandera as a leader of Ukraines struggle for national sovereignty. More broadly, Kyiv has moved to replace the Soviet master narrative of Ukrainian history with a national story of its own, which emphasizes Ukraines victimization by a predatory Russia. In its account of World War II, the Ukrainian government often whitewashed the repressions of the OUN-UPA, particularly against Poles and Jews. This approach elicited harsh criticism from Russia, but also from Israel, Poland, Germany, the EU, and international Jewish communities. It also alienated much of the population in Ukraines Russophone east and south.

Nevertheless, Russias aggression against Ukraine in 2014 and particularly in 2022 underscored for many Ukrainians Banderas relevance as a nationalist. In 2014, more than 70 percent of respondents in Ukraines west saw Bandera in a positive light, while similar percentages in Ukraines Russophone south and east held a negative view of the controversial figure. The strong reaction of Ukrainian society to the Russian invasion of 2022 dramatically narrowed these regional differences: Most Ukrainians now express positive attitudes about Bandera: from 92 percent in the west to 73 percent in the east.

Although the Kremlin contends that such opinions are proof that Ukraine is in thrall to a neo-Nazi ideology supported by the United States, respondents in the same survey believe the OUN and its armed detachments were freedom fighters who resisted both Nazi and Soviet threats to Ukrainian independence. A daunting obstacle to Putins neo-Nazi narrative is that while Ukraine honors individuals from its pastwho were xenophobic, the Ukrainian state and the great majority of contemporary Ukrainiansembraceacivic identitythat the Russian invasion has largelystrengthened.

Although Ukraines selective memory remains a source of tension with Poland, Israel, Germany, and other external actors and groups, the solidarity generated by the Russian invasion has for now worked to moderate disagreements over the past. Zelensky himself has moved away from, if slowly, Ukraines exculpatory stance toward the OUN and UPA. This careful shift likely reflects his, and Ukraines, general embrace of EU values as well as the desire for long-term security cooperation with Poland and NATO as a whole.

The low incidence of public expressions of antisemitism in Ukraine is also important. Despite an alarming spike in antisemitic violence and vandalism during the Maidan Revolution in 2014, a 2016 regional survey found that 95 percent of Ukrainian respondents accept Jews as citizens, the highest percentage among post-Soviet and post-communist countries (for Russia, the number was 86 percent). These attitudes, which counter major assumptions of Putins narrative, should, in time, broadly support more open dialogue in Ukraine about World War II.

Putins struggle to craft a coherent story that binds the invasion of Ukraine to the memory and conceptual framework of the Great Patriotic War is one of his biggest challenges. There is a lack of credible evidencefor the simple reason that it isnt truethat Ukraine constitutes a neo-Nazi threat resembling the existential struggle of the Great Patriotic War, the only historical event able to stimulate intense national pride among Russians.

Theories of social conflict suggest that a threat can unite a group, including a society, but only if the group as a whole perceives the threat as authentic, powerful, and immediate. In Russia, the war against Ukraine doesnt have that saliencein part because Putins narrative is simply too detached from reality.

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Putin's Justification for War Is Unraveling Foreign Policy - Foreign Policy

The Grandfather of Modern Neo-Nazism Is Fighting With Satanic … – VICE

Posted on August 4, 2023 by Danzig

In the latest edition of infighting occurring in the worst corners of the internet, influential neo-Nazi James Mason is going to war with a satanic sect of Nazis who published his book.

Mason, arguably the grandfather of the neo-Nazi accelerationist movement, is particularly at odds with a small satanic cell of the Order of Nine Angles. The Order of Nine Angles, or O9A is a decentralized neo-Nazi Satanic group connected to both acts of violence and horrific pedophilia. Despite how obtuse the O9A is, they have an outsized influence on the far-right.

The cell in particular is a splinter group from a splinter group of the infamous neo-Nazi terror organization Atomwaffen. According to propaganda photos published by this specific cell, they dont seem to be much larger than three people.

Mason, 71, is best known for a collection of his writings in which he argues for militant action and that the collapse of Western civilization is necessary for the survival of the white race. Written in the 1980s, Masons work found a new life over the last decade, becoming massively influential in the far-right, particularly those in the militant accelerationist milieuwhich believes they must hasten the fall of society so they can build a white ethnostate from the asheslike Atomwaffen and The Base. Earlier this year, the small satanic neo-Nazi cell was able to pull together enough money to publish a new copy of Masons influential terrorist manifestowhich they called the 666 edition.

The latest edition, which VICE News has reviewed, has an introduction section where the editor claims to have gotten to personally know Mason and actually helped publish the previous edition. It essentially states Mason has grown meeker than the ideas presented in his work and denounces him.

After becoming aware of the 666 publication, Mason made a video called Satanic Expose, where he accused the group of being a front for the FBI (an influential member of the O9A was previously proven to be a federal informant.) The main piece of evidence he presents for his claim is essentially that the 666 Edition was physically too well-made for a neo-Nazi publication.

We here call it the 'federal edition' because of its high quality, hardback, coded stock, color throughout... most impressive! Not only that, I initially heard this was (a) $100 volume, and I can believe it, but I'm told now they're giving it away, he says in the video. Most odd, who has that kind of money? That's why we call it the federal edition. The feds do good work.

In response to the video, the O9A adherents made a blog post where they called him the high priest of deceleration James don't do it Mason and complained he was all talk, no terror crimes. This insult, while coming from a group that appears to be pretty small, got to Mason so much that he essentially suggested to his followers they may as well commit murder..

Earlier this week Mason released a video he and his team entitled Accelerate! where he addresses the satanic Nazis insults. In it, Mason takes umbrage with the small sect of satanic neo-Naizs and others who have been calling him soft. For over 12 minutes, Mason sits in front of his mantle and rants about these groups.

At one point Mason begins telling the story of his first arrest, which he says came in 1969 in Silver Spring, Maryland after he and his fellow Nazis were caught postering a Jewish store. He said that he got off lightly but times have changed and his followers that do similar actions will likely catch a hate crime charge.

Today, I think most will know what would happen in a case such as this. A federal hate crime, your life turned upside down, he says in the video. Now, this sort of activity is exactly what these types who are calling me a decelerationist are advocating. No,' they say 'no need to go out and kill anyone, just play these stupid and silly games.' I say that if you choose death or prison, then you might as well go all the way with it.

Josh Fisher-Birch, an analyst with the Counter Extremism Project, told VICE News that this goes along with Masons past statements where he accuses those arguing for low level crime of being feds repeatedly and winks at his audience by saying that if one is going to commit an illegal act and risk prison or death, it should count and be done in secret.

It suggests that Mason does not want to be seen as someone who would never advocate violence in any circumstance, said Fisher-Birch. It gives Mason an out to avoid responsibility and tries to confer all agency on the hypothetical perpetrator. Mason is, of course, speaking to an audience where certain members do certainly believe in the use of violence.

For some reason, cuckoo clocks go off at random intervals and interrupt him throughout, making the video of a septuagenarian neo-Nazi ideologue encouraging his followers to kill feel even more bizarre than it already is.

The Empire Never Ended, a podcast that chronicles the ins and outs of the extreme right, recently did an episode on the satanic cell where they tracked its growth. The cell in particular splintered off from the National Socialist Order, a group which itself was formed when Atomwaffen disbanded. They splintered off essentially over adherence to the O9A.

In the fall of last year, when a beef with James Mason ballooned into yet another realization that National Socialist Order was still full of Nazi Satanists, a big chunk of them, including at least one founding member according to Mason, went off to make the (neo-Nazi cell) and build a community of true evil and all that nonsense, said Fritz McAlinden, one of the show's hosts.

McAlinden added he can't think of a dumber and more edge-lordy group. In regards to the statements Mason made, McAlinden said, the elder neo-Nazi is singing the same old song.

He's very weaselly about this, he said. This is the classic thing where they all want to be the most evil but none of them want to get in trouble.

Neo-Nazis and other members of far-right groups tearing themselves apart are nothing new. If you track the movement over decades youll see countless examples of bigots going after bigots. Just recently the neo-Nazi Active Clubs had a nationwide online tizzy with the Proud Boys, a far-right street fighting group because a few members were pushed around in Oregon.

Its something that holds true no matter how bizarre or influential the groups become. They can be an influential neo-Nazi who has inspired murders, or a weird little racist occult group, but they cant resist the siren song of a flame war.

The Grandfather of Modern Neo-Nazism Is Fighting With Satanic ... - VICE

Spotlight On: Great Meadows Round 22 Artist Development Grantees – Louisville Eccentric Observer (LEO Weekly)

Posted on August 4, 2023 by Danzig

Great Meadows Foundation is the legacy of the late Reverand Al Shands and named after the home he and his wife Mary shared. The organization supports artists and curators with grant monies and opportunities for networking. LEO wanted to shine a spotlight on the artists who were awarded Artist Development Grants this year and what they planned to do. We asked each of them the same set of questions.

Joanne Price

Age: 49

Pronouns: She/ her

What is your art medium and how did you decide to pursue art as a career?

I am a printmaker specializing in wood engraving (a popular Victorian illustration technique). Ive been doing book illustrations for fine press publishers like Larkspur Press (Monterey, KY) and October Press (Lexington, KY) since 2015. I feel extremely honored to have worked with amazing Kentucky authors like Wendell Berry, Sena Jeter Naslund, Frank X Walker, Silas House, Maureen Moorehead and more. Im also really lucky to have the opportunity to work with wonderful Kentucky organizations like Josephine Sculpture Park, Kentucky Natural Lands Trust, Yew Dell Gardens, Bernheim Arboretum & Research Forest and more to promote art, land conservation, and sustainable living.

You were awarded an Artist Development Grant, what are your plans for the grant?

I will be traveling to Les Baux-de-Provence, France to participate in a cultural and professional exchange program at the Louis Jou Foundation. I am the first of several non-French artists invited to teach a wood engraving workshop at the Louis Jou Foundation as the medium has nearly disappeared from practice in France in the past 60 years. Louis Jou was known as a book architect practicing wood engraving, typography, printing, and book illumination. I am excited to research Louis Jous collection of prints, type and engraving blocks during my visit. I will also visit the Lyon Museum of Printing & Graphic Communication, Collection Lambert in Avignon, the Center Pompidou in Paris, and more.

Where would you like to see your art in 5 years?

Id love to see more of my work in public collections at libraries and museums. Id also love to have the opportunity to collaborate with scientists and historians. I enjoy the shared knowledge and how it can enhance my own explorations.

What would you like to see happen in Louisville for local arts and artists?

More grant and exhibition opportunities would be great for ALL Kentucky artists not just limited to the Louisville area.

Why does art matter to you?

Art is my life it feeds me both literally and intellectually. It gives me a voice, even when my work is anonymous. Art is the lens through which I understand and interact with the world.

Ezra Kellerman

Age: 42

Pronouns: He/they

What is your art medium and how did you decide to pursue art as a career?

I dont really have a medium, I try to allow my ideas to determine how I make things and what I use to make them. Although, lately Ive been 3D printing and making videos more than anything else. Creating artwork has always been something Ive felt compelled to do. I decided to make it a serious commitment in my life since I couldnt stop thinking about it or doing it anyways. Once I was into that commitment, for about a year or so, I realized that its more fun to do than anything else. Theres been no looking back since, baby!

You were awarded an Artist Development Grant, what are your plans for the grant?

Experiencing two specific exhibits at this years Biennale Architettura; Yasmine Mahmoudiehs Metamorphosis, and the American pavilion. Both exhibits have similar theses regarding the use of plastics in the future of design and architecture, but they appear to have different conclusions on the role 3D printing plays in that future.

Where would you like to see your art in 5 years?

On the moon or another planet.

What would you like to see happen in Louisville for local arts and artists?

The development of a local arts economy, more critical discourse directed at practicing Louisville artists.

Why does art matter to you?

Its a universal language that allows people to understand experiences and perspectives that arent their own. Also, creating artwork is a manifestation of our species evolutionary apogee.

Susan Hatcher

Age: 52

Pronouns: She/her

What is your art medium and how did you decide to pursue art as a career?

I primarily work with ceramics/ clay/ pottery

I started creating with clay in high school. My art teacher signed notes so I could get out of study hall and work in the art room. I would build coil pots and have not stopped since then. But I do believe it has been a steady and consistent ritual. I have expanded my repertoire to wheel thrown and slab vessels & teapots.

You were awarded an Artist Development Grant, what are your plans for the grant?

I will travel to Vallauris, France. I will live and work at their Artist in Residence program for a month in October (this year). It is exciting to get to meet international clay workers (Norway, Canada, Australia, Slovakia, Austria, France, & more) for me. I plan to visit contemporary art in the region around Nice and the Cote d Azure. Picasso has a museum in Antibes; he had created ceramic work there in the 1940s and 50s ( lucky me gets to check it out.)

Where would you like to see your art in 5 years?

My work is always evolving. I will be able to build bigger & large scale pieces in the next 5 years but on the flip side I also enjoy a small intricately designed and well thrown vase.

What would you like to see happen in Louisville for local arts and artists?

Louisville has always had good visual art institutions from the Speed, KMAC contemporary,& LVA. I hope our community continues to promote and foster the growth of artists and the arts in Louisville. I am a part of Louisville Potters, founded by Sarah Frederick (1935-2023) almost 50 years ago. I have been able to promote this group as one of the organizers and sell and create work because of its large following. We are moving to Waterfront Botanical gardens on Nov. 11 for our next show which will feature 12 ceramic artists!

Why does art matter to you?

Art is so engrained in my daily life from my morning tea from a mug a friend created or my practice of throwing and building vessels. Clay has rooted my being and soothed my soul.

Gayle Cerlan

Age: senior citizen, age 124,lol

Pronouns: Female

What is your art medium and how did you decide to pursue art as a career?

My medium is ceramic sculpture. Went to Louisville School of Art, trained as an artist and have been ever since. I am an art teacher as well, taught at LVAA, UL, Indiana SW before opening my own non-accredited art school in Louisville, ArtStudio. I knew at age 10 that I was an artist.

You were awarded an Artist Development Grant, what are your plans for the grant?

For the grant, I plan to attend a Womens Figurative Ceramic Workshop in Bakersville, NC with internationally known ceramic sculptor, Lisa Clague. The workshop will be based on discussions of various sculptural techniques, influences as well as a space to work. It will also provide a forum for the artists to engage in conversations concerning the relationships between art and society, the obstacles that society has placed on gender, ageism, breaking out of traditional roles, feminism and political influences in contemporary art.

Where would you like to see your art in 5 years?

In five years I see myself continuing as a professional artist. Finding diverse gallery/museum representation.

What would you like to see happen in Louisville for local arts and artists?

I would like to see in Louisville more studio spaces and realistic rents availability as well as more galleries.

Why does art matter to you?

Art matters to me in the same way food, drink, breath, nature, being alive matters to me. It is who I am.

Rebecca Richards

Age: 28

Pronouns: They/She

What is your art medium and how did you decide to pursue art as a career?

I am a multidisciplinary visual artist currently working in the realms of fashion, film, and sculpture. I decided to finally pursue art as a career after many years of slowly picking apart everything I have ever learned deprogramming and remembering who I really am and have always been: an artist.

You were awarded an Artist Development Grant, what are your plans for the grant?

I plan to visit three major fashion exhibitions and connect with artists throughout Europe, traveling to London to see REBEL: 30 Years Of London Fashion at the Design Museum, Paris to see Iris Van Herpen: Sculpting The Senses at the Muse des Arts Dcoratifs, and Antwerp to see ECHO. Wrapped In Memory at MoMu.

Where would you like to see your art in 5 years?

I was once told by a psychic, before I was even making art, that my work would be shown at the Whitney someday- so seeing that happen in 5 years would be fun.

What would you like to see happen in Louisville for local arts and artists?

I would love to see more funding for the arts in Louisville and everywhere, so that artists can focus on pushing their art and experimenting more, doing things that are unexpected and scary, instead of always worrying about how we are going to survive and sell our art.

Why does art matter to you?

I feel that language is often inadequate and making art is the best method I have to communicate to myself, to others, and to the universe. Through this play and experimentation I get to know myself better, heal, and connect with magic and wonder. It is also how I channel my anger at the broken systems in the world- by making beautiful things that are sustainable to honor the planet, and that are brightly colored, highly ornamented, and maximalist as a way to reclaim physical and visual space for queer people to occupy in a world that would rather see us disappear.

Roy Taylor

Age: 67

Pronouns: He / Him / His

What is your art medium and how did you decide to pursue art as a career?

Stop motion animation (www.paperworkfilms.com). As a teen I would play around with animation using a Super 8 film camera and cardboard cutouts. After a long and varied career in the technical aspect of music touring and theatre production my passion for animation resurfaced after being asked to produce a music video for a touring client, Patty Griffin. The artist I was to collaborate with on the project with became unavailable. With a deadline to complete the project I chose to go back to my teenage style and incorporate some of the theatrical lighting knowledge I picked up in the theatre. During its production her guest on the duet, Robert Plant, asked me Taylor, if you can do all this s**t, why are you f***ing around in the music business? Presently, I spend about half my year on the touring gig; the other half here in my Louisville animation studio creating short films.

You were awarded an Artist Development Grant, what are your plans for the grant?

I am currently producing an animated narrative feature length film. I have recently begun to combine line-drawn rotoscoped images with my paper and light techniques. The grant I have received will allow me to attend the London International Animation Festival in late November. My goal is to learn more about these techniques from other animators and perhaps find potential collaborators for the feature project.

Where would you like to see your art in 5 years?

Five years is a realistic goal for completion of this feature length project. Along with that, my goal would be to financially able to sustain myself wholly on my practice. I never see myself retiring and plan on playing with cameras and paper as long as I can.

What would you like to see happen in Louisville for local arts and artists?

I think Louisville is already rich in programs that support artists in comparison to other regions Ive lived in or visited. Great Meadows, Hadley Creatives, Amped, LVA, Art Sanctuary and so many others have each found a path to provide opportunities. Id like to see programs which bring knowledge and resources directed towards artists making a living from their art. There are so many non-artistic skills involved legal, publicity, financial, etc. Programs that can make these aspects easier to learn about, navigate and be made more affordable to artists are very helpful.

Why does art matter to you?

To me, the art that I make tells tales, gives perspective and conveys emotion. That is also what I see in art of all forms. Art has the ability to communicate across all borders, boundaries and languages. It is essential. Cave paintings, often done as a sequence of images, could be considered the first animation!

Gregory (Greg) Reynolds

Age: 70

Pronouns: He/Him/His

What is your art medium and how did you decide to pursue art as a career?

Photography was the medium that got me closest to narrative film making.

You were awarded an Artist Development Grant, what are your plans for the grant?

I will see the Wolfgang Tillmans retrospective exhibition in San Francisco.

Where would you like to see your art in 5 years?

I want to see my work published with a combined exhibition.

What would you like to see happen in Louisville for local arts and artists?

no answer

Why does art matter to you?

See original here:

Spotlight On: Great Meadows Round 22 Artist Development Grantees - Louisville Eccentric Observer (LEO Weekly)

Longtime IHOP server opens his own breakfast place in Rural Hall – Winston-Salem Journal

Posted on August 4, 2023 by Danzig

Its probably no surprise to learn that Franks Kitchen in Rural Hall serves breakfast all day once you know that owner Frank Romero is a 15-year veteran employee of IHOP restaurants.

Frank's turkey sandwich from Frank's Kitchen in Village Square shopping center in Rural Hall includes turkey breast, turkey bacon, pepper jack cheese, lettuce, tomato, onions, and avocado on sourdough bread.

Franks Kitchen opened July 24 after extensive renovation of the old Little Italy location at 1027 Bethania-Rural Hall Road. Little Italy had vacated that spot in early 2022 after building a larger restaurant about a quarter-mile away.

Despite years of restaurant experience, this is Romeros first time as an owner. I wanted to do something for my kids, for my family, he said of his reason for opening his own place.

Franks Kitchen not associated with Franks Restaurant on Broad Street in Rural Hall - serves breakfast all day seven days a week, but its not only breakfast fare. We have something for everybody, Romero said, including burgers, sandwiches and salads.

One of the most popular items is Franks turkey sandwich ($10.99 with fries), served warm on grilled sourdough bread and filled with turkey breast, turkey bacon, lettuce, tomato, onion, pepper Jack cheese and avocado.

Theres also the AB burger ($10.99 with fries), named after a family uncle Albiel, nicknamed AB, who lives in New York. We marinate the beef patty in house, said Carolina Romero-Benitez, Franks daughter who manages the dining room. The burger is topped with peppers, mushrooms, onion and pepper Jack.

Chorizo omelet from Frank's Kitchen in Village Square shopping center in Rural Hall includes Mexican sausage and cheddar cheese with pico de gallo and sour cream.

Other sandwiches include a chicken, cheeseburger and Philly cheesesteak. There are small appetizers of onion rings and mozzarella sticks, and larger ones of chicken strips, mozzarella sticks and onion rings together or a chicken quesadilla the latter just one hint of Romeros native home of Mexico.

Theres also a house salad and one with grilled chicken.

Still, the menu though modest in size for a diner or breakfast spot - is predominantly American and predominantly breakfast.

"We love breakfast, Romero-Benitez said. Even when my dad wasnt working, we would always go out and get breakfast.

Pancakes comes with two eggs, hash browns and two pancakes. The hash browns are made in-house with Romeros secret seasoning blend. He keeps the recipe in a safe, his daughter said with a laugh.

Chicken quesadilla from Frank's Kitchen in Village Square shopping center in Rural Hall.

Pancakes are $8.99 with corned beef hash, $9.99 with bacon or sausage, or a bit more with chicken, pork chop or steak.

Franks Kitchen also has waffles, French toast and crepes. A Nutella banana crepe combo comes with two eggs, hash browns, and bacon or sausage for $9.99.

Chicken and waffles ($10.75) feature house-marinated sliced chicken breast that is breaded and fried to order.

All this is fresh thats why people like it, Romero said.

Frank Romero, (foreground), his wife Carolina Benitez (background) and chef Leo Mejia work in the kitchen of Frank's Kitchen in Village Square shopping center in Rural Hall.

There also are omelets, two of which have a Mexican touch. The chorizo omelet ($9.99) has Mexican chorizo sausage inside and outside, and is served with pico de gallo, an extra sprinkling of cheese, and sour cream on the side.

The fajita omelet ($11.25) offers a choice of chicken or steak with peppers, onions, mushrooms, tomato and cheddar.

Diners also can get oatmeal topped with strawberries, blueberries, pecans and bananas ($7.99) or Carolinas yogurt ($8.99), a combination of Greek yogurt, granola, strawberries, blueberries, bananas and honey.

Franks Kitchen is a true family affair, with Romeros wife, Carolina Benitez, and five children all helping out. Everyone does everything. Sometimes youre in the back washing dishes, sometimes youre out front.

Frank's Kitchen owners Carolina Benitez and Frank Romero (center) with three of their daughters Camila Benitez-Romero (left), Stephanie Benitez-Romero and Carolina Benitez-Romero (right).

And, Romero, well, hes the director of everything, Romero-Benitez said. Hes not the chef they have Leo Mejia for that but he helps with the cooking or wherever hes needed.

And from what his family says, after 15 years as a server at IHOP, Romero still loves to be out in the dining room. He really enjoys serving. He like to talk to people, Romero-Benitez said.

Apparently, he has had no shortage of opportunities for that. Opening weekend was crazy, he said, and business has been pretty steady since then.

The family said the reviews have been good so far though they have been asked about adding Mexican fare to the menu.

Frank Romero proudly talks about the work his family did getting their restaurant, Frank's Kitchen in Rural Hall, ready to open.

Weve had a lot of people ask about that, Romero-Benitez said.

Frank's Kitchen in Village Square shopping center, 1027 Bethania-Rural Hall Road, Rural Hall.

Romero added, We probably will put out a new menu in a couple weeks not a lot of changes, but a few things.

Were always going to focus on American breakfast, Romero-Benitez said, but well throw in a little of our heritage.

Read this article:

Longtime IHOP server opens his own breakfast place in Rural Hall - Winston-Salem Journal

Richardson Laid To Rest – Savannah Tribune

Posted on August 4, 2023 by Danzig

Former Savannah State University football and mens basketball coach Dr. Leo Richardson was laid to rest on July 30 in Columbia, South Carolina.

Funeral services for Richardson were held at Francis Burns United Methodist Church and entombment was at Greenlawn Memorial Park.

Richardson, who died on July 23 at age 91, worked at Savannah State from 1964-71. In addition to teaching biology courses, he was the Tigers head football coach from 1964-68 and was the head mens basketball coach from 1964-71. His football teams had a 13-25-2 record while his basketball teams were 112-84.

According to his obituary, during the 1964- 65 season, the Tigers led the NAIA in Free Throw Shooting; during the 1965-66 season, he served as vice-president for the Southeastern Athletic Conference (SEAC), the team won the SEAC Basketball Championship, he was named Coach of the Year and the basketball team represented the SEAC in the NAIA District 26 Championship Playoffs in Tuscaloosa, Alabama; during the 1967 season, Savannah State won the SEAC Football Championship and he was named Coach of the Year; during the 1968-69 campaign, the team won the SEAC Basketball Championship and he was named Coach of the Year; and during the 1969- 70 season, the Tigers won the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Basketball Championship and he was named Coach of the Year. That team led both the NAIA and NCAA small colleges in scoring, averaging 106 points per game.

During the 1965-66 basketball season, the leading scorers were Carl Crump (16.3 points a game), O.C. Baker (13.7), Charles Rutland (10.5) and Frank Ellis (10.2). Richardsons 1969-70 team featured All-Americans Michael Jordan and Vincent White. Both players were selected in the 1971 NBA Draft. White was picked in the fifth round by the Detroit Pistons while Jordan was selected in the seventh round by the Atlanta Hawks. The 1967 football team that won the SEAC Championship featured all conference players Frank Bell, Davis Truell, Willie Armstead, Isaiah Berry, Willie West, Judson Brown, Bobby Carter, Henry Betts, Vaughn Ford and Willie Dixon.

Richardson was inducted into the Savannah State Athletics Hall of Fame in 2010.

In lieu of flowers the family asks that you make a donation in Dr. Richardsons name to one of the following scholarship funds:

Morris College Office of Alumni Affairs 100 West College Street Sumter, SC 29150

Leo Richardson Athletic

Scholarship Endowment

Fund Savannah State University in C/O Honia Johnston

University Advancement

Office

3219 College Street

Box 20439

Savannah, GA 31404

See more here:

Richardson Laid To Rest - Savannah Tribune

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