Daily Archives: January 25, 2020

The Gambling Scene and Crypto Currency: Is there a solid link? – Cryptonews

Posted: January 25, 2020 at 2:11 pm

Disclaimer: The text below is a sponsored article that was not written by Cryptonews.com journalists._________

To state that gambling is fluid is an understatement. We started from the back room of a bar, moved to land-based casino, to an online market open for all. With the change in scenery, we also started relishing chips, then e-wallets and now, and shall we say finally, here we are playing around with crypto currency. The world has progressed, and so has our payment patterns. Question is: Is Crypto currency changing the gambling scene? Are Bitcoin bookmakers here to stay? Some confirm with a yes, others still say no. Lets us weigh on things and get to the bottom of the growing link between the contemporary gambler and crypto currency.

Crypto Currencies vs. E-Wallets

Paypal, Skrill, PaysafeCard and more. We all used them to sign up to the new glossy casino. We opted for such methods as major Credit Cards block the gambling transaction. And believe us, you would not be a happy bunny when your transaction gets blocked or flagged by the bank for being either fraud or suspicious. Do we really want the bank to know we indulge in some online gambling fun? No way! The only downside to E-wallets is the fees that come along with it. We all hate that 10 Euro + charge to transfer funds, not to mention the exchange rates, that normally result into a loss of financials.

And then we discovered Crypto Currencies and the world in the eyes of the gamblers changed! The era of Bitcoin landed upon us, and we started using the currency, to see a fluctuating profit. This dear reader is why we prefer this payment method. Crypto means profit, more control and of course more fun.

Is Crypto Currency re-shaping the Online gambling scene?

As from the 14th of April 2020, the UK will be banning the usage of credit cards for gambling purposes. This initiative is in line with the UKs strategy to decrease gambling by the year 2025 by a solid percentage. Question is, will the gambler use alternative methods? The answer is yes, crypto currency is still what we envisage to be a covert somehow clandestine option. Online casinos have still to go all in with offering the modern gambler the possibility of using currencies such as Bitcoin, Neo, Litecoin, IOTA and Ripple XRP. In a day and age where new online casinos pop onto our search engine more than flower buds flourish in Spring . crypto still has a long way to go!

Will this change with the new legislation by the UKGC? In the last year we only encountered a mere 2 online casinos accepting Bitcoin, but is this due to change? We believe with the new legislation this will force a change. Crypto currencies offer freedom whilst still being legitimate and transparent. It is not a myth that a casinos strategy and odds tend to favor the casino, but this will change with games supported with a blockchain backbone structure. Blockchain will eventually remove the house edge favoritism and both the gambler stand hand in hand at the finish line.

How can cryptocurrency dominate the gambling market?

JP Morgan Chase was the first financial institution that is world renowned to say, here we are, we have earned our stripes year ago, and in 2019 they gave us their own blueprint cryptocurrency. What we need is more mainstream big banks to follow suit in such ventures. We are humbly waiting for all the Chinese biggest banks such as Industrial & Commercial Bank of China, Agricultural Bank of China, HSBC Holdings, BNP Paribas and even Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group to follow suit. Once the big names that shaped our finances offer their own cryptocurrencies, the rest is just history. Once more currencies are available by the biggest pillars, a silent bidding war will start where the gambler is spoilt for choice.Also, once cryptocurrencies are more visible, less underground in America, we feel the rest of the world will eventually bow down, be more accepting, more adventurous. This is how cryptocurrencies will make it to the gambling scene, and we are all up for it!

Is the fate of online casino sealed?

Just like the tenacity between online casinos and e-wallets was settled wayback, so will the focus on cryptocurrencies. We mentioned earlier the fluidity of gamblig and its many faces throughou the year. Cryptocurrencies will be the gambling method that defines our futures.

Ten years ago we could only dream about voice recognition, paying by mobile and all the perks of modern banking. Cyptocurrencies are here to stay, and the prodigious partnership with the gambling industry will flourish until it becomes the norm.

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Navigation App Sends Gamblers To Wildlife Preserve Instead Of Casino – CardPlayer.com

Posted: at 2:11 pm

Local authorities are warning people visiting the Borgata Hotel Casino to be wary of using a specific navigation app.

There have been several reports of people using WAZE to direct them to the Atlantic City casino. Those would-be gamblers have ended up 45 minutes away from their intended destination in a remote wildlife reserve, according to reports from Fox News report.

Jackson Police Department Lt. Chris Parise took to the departments social media page to make sure everyone has the correct information.

It has come to our attention that an ad was placed, in the WAZE navigation app, for the Borgata Hotel Casino and Spa, said Parise in a Facebook post. Although the address on the ad lists 1 Borgata Way in Atlantic City, NJ., which is correct, the location pinned with the ad is actually in the middle of Colliers Mills Wildlife Management Area, near Lake Success.

Parise went on to say that those that use the ad are being guided onto unpaved roads, leaving them stranded on the 12,000-acre reserve.

Borgata put up a post on Instagram joking about the unfortunate situation.

Over the last several years, the Borgata has become the highest-grossing casino in New Jersey. In 2019, the casino generated $66.5 million in gross gambling revenue. It was more than double the second-highest total for the year.

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New State Treaty On Gambling In The Pipeline – GamblingNews.com

Posted: at 2:11 pm

One of the hot subjects in the online gambling industry in Germany is the ongoing talk between representatives from the 16 states regarding drafting a new State Treaty on Gambling and the recent announcement from Schleswig-Holstein that a breakthrough has been reached grabs the attention.

The proposed model, in order to gain the support from the traditionally powerful state-run lottery and its association, the Deutscher Lotto- und Totoblock /DLTB/, would preserve its monopoly on the market, but would remove the ban for online casinos, while sports betting would preserve its legal state as per the active State Treaty.

As per unofficial information, the draft proposes the creation of a federal regulatory body that would deal with the process of licensing of the gaming operators that are applying for licenses regarding online casino, slots and poker, and would make sure the regulatory framework agreed by the federal states is being enforced, including the implementation of responsible gaming and minor client protection measures.

Though the information provided is very scarce, it still leaves a lot of issues that need to be addressed and one of them is that despite of the federal regulator license regime, every state keeps the option to introduce additional controls for the companies operating online casino within the states geographic area, thus leaving the door open for further restrictions towards the operators, prior to applying for a license.

There are no details in the Schleswig-Holstein announcement that would suggest anything about the location of the proposed future federal regulatory commission, with at least 4 states Hesse, Nordrhein-Westfalen, Schleswig-Holstein and Baden-Wrttemberg being previously in the mix, as well as no mention about the restrictions that are going to be imposed on the operators, a subject that is covered by a publication in the Bild, but it not clear whether that report was not based on a previous draft.

Initial reactions to the news that the 16 federal states have reached an agreement on a new expansive regulatory framework for online gambling show excitement, but the President of the German Sports Betting Association /DSWV/, Mathias Dahms, while hailing the legalization of online casino games, also criticized the issues regarding sports betting restrictions on live betting markets that would be limited to final score and next goalscorer betting only, claiming that leaving out markets such as over/under would steer people outside of regulation where these are available.

Other restrictions the DSWV President mentioned were the player monthly limit of 1000 across all sites and the 5min lock-out between logging out from one website to logging in to another, arguing that the former would only limit growth than protect the players, while the latter is absurd in the modern digital age.

There are no specific details how the approved draft would treat the business in terms of taxes, as currently there is a vast difference for taxing gaming to casino activities, with some proposals for gaming VAT exemption and a specific tax rate for the online operators.

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Online Casinos Triumphs Over Offline Ones, Its About Time! – newsBTC

Posted: at 2:11 pm

Ever wondered why people continue to gamble while knowing that the chances of them losing is more than that of winning a jackpot? Probably because it could be in every humans genes and they cant just help it, some more than others. It is supported and documented by archeological findings which date the earliest six-sided dice to about 3000 BC in Mesopotamia. Since then, various gambling activities have flourished for centuries before todays casinos and technology-intensive gaming devices made their appearance, paving way for the multibillion-dollar global gambling industry.

The gambling sector is undergoing constant innovation, and the latest one is the adoption of cryptocurrencies and blockchain technology in todays online casinos and gambling platforms, like Online Casino Giants, King Casino. If we turn back the clock to a couple of decades, we will find that the best gambling destinations in the world have been Las Vegas, Macau, Atlantic City, Reno, Monte Carlo and so on where gambling establishments emerged as the primary drivers of the regions economy as people from across the world thronged these to try their luck. These places continue to attract attention even today, but mostly as tourist destinations and not so many gamblers as before, and thats for a very good reason.

Online Casinos have gradually replaced the traditional brick and mortar casinos as the preferred gambling destination as people have started using the online ones due to their obvious advantages. On top of the list of advantages offered by online casinos over their traditional counterparts is the convenience factor. It doesnt take much for one to connect to the internet and start playing the game of their choice without having to worry about planning their travel itinerary to the nearest gambling hub just so that they can wager some of the hard-earned money. With online casinos, they can rather wager the money they would have otherwise spent on travel and get lucky. The process now stands further streamlined as cryptocurrencies have offered a way around geographical restrictions on gambling-related fiat payments imposed by few jurisdictions.

Almost all the online casino platforms these days offer a variety of payment options including card payments, digital wallet transactions, wire transfer, cryptocurrencies and even payment vouchers. All transactions happen over secure channels to further safeguard the users personal and payment information. A lot of these new generation casinos fueled by cryptocurrencies also allow users to start playing without having to go through the long registration process, which makes it not only easy but also safe to play on them as there is virtually zero risks of personal information being compromised.

Also, the number of choices one has when it comes to online casinos is endless. Users can pick any game at any time and if they dont like the game or the platform itself, there is always another one to be readily accessed. The flexibility offered by online gambling platforms when it comes to payments and choice of games or even the platforms themselves have created a highly competitive industry sector where each online casino is attempting to do better than the rest of the others by offering better games, user experience and bonuses and promotions.

The bonuses and promotions offered by online casinos range from small gifts, deposit bonus and free spins on free slot sites, slot machines and more. These come in handy and provides an opportunity for the users to make the best of it, and if lucky score a jackpot as well. Also, the referral programs are an added perk as players stand to earn a share of the platforms revenues from deposits made their successful referrals. All these benefits are unthinkable when it comes to brick and mortar casinos.

However, just because there are plenty of online casino platforms with lots of promotions doesnt mean they are all legitimate. The increasing adoption of online gambling platforms has also let to a rise in the number of fraudulent platforms offering great benefits and low house edge, being operated solely to make profits from user bets without actually paying out anything. These illegitimate platforms could also use the information provided by its userbase for other nefarious purposes as well. So, it is always advisable to conduct certain checks before signing up on any of the online gambling platforms.

Some of the things to consider while choosing an online gambling platform includes a basic check of its license and regulatory jurisdiction, types of games available and whether the games are created by reputable developers, the reputation of the casino based on user reviews and other sources of information available on the internet. It is always better to opt for a provably fair casino platform as they offer a way for players to verify the outcome of the result.

Any platform that fails to convince you of its authenticity, stay away from them, irrespective of how attractive their offering may seem!

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Minister: Addicted football clubs need to wean themselves off gambling sponsors – inews

Posted: at 2:11 pm

NewsBusiness'We're going to be reviewing the current Gambling Act and I'm sure the link between sports, football in particular will form a part of that'

Saturday, 25th January 2020, 11:01 am

Football is tied to its dependency on gambling like an addiction, the UK sports minister has said.

Nigel Adams said there was "far too much dependency" on sponsorship and deals with gambling companies.

And he warned that clubs need to look at new income streams to help wean them off the betting industry.

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He also said he had meet EFL chairman Rick Parry to talk about financial problems in the lower leagues.

Mr Adams said: "We're going to be reviewing the current Gambling Act and I'm sure the link between sports - football in particular - will form a part of that."

Betting criticism

He was speaking in a BBC interview after the FA came under criticism for selling the live streaming rights to gambling organisations.

Under the betting industry's deal for FA Cup live streams, seven gambling websites were able to show some third round matches to anyone who placed a bet or put a deposit in their account in the day before match weekend.

The controversy stoked fears that the sport is a being used as a tool to normalise gambling.

In one publicity stunt Hudddersfield Town wore a kit with its bookmaker sponsor logo so large it broke advertising rules.

Mr Adams said: "We have to look at this very carefully because problem gambling leads to serious social problems, and in some cases people have done drastic things and taken their lives, so we are looking at this very closely.

"Occasionally it boils over and you get incidents like you had with some clubs who get into bother over it, like at Huddersfield Town, and the stunt there.

"So there's way too much dependency, and I'm sure the football authorities are aware of that."

'Responsible manner'

About half of the clubs in the premiership and 15 in the Championship have betting firm sponsors, and the Football League is sponsored by Sky Bet.

The EFL said it believes the gambling industry should make "a financial contribution back into football".

"This is currently being achieved through commercial partnerships with the EFL and a number of our member clubs.

"However, it is important that such arrangements are delivered in a responsible manner.

"With more than 40m a season paid by the sector to the League and its clubs, it continues to be an important part of the EFL's financial model alongside a domestic broadcasting deal worth 119m a year and a number of other key revenue streams including ticketing, sponsorship and negotiated solidarity payments achieved through the sale of media rights."

Some anti-gambling campaigners want a ban on betting companies being shirt sponsors.

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Brian Rice case highlight how approach to gambling in Scottish football has to be revisited – HeraldScotland

Posted: at 2:11 pm

LOVE and marriage, horses and carriages, football and a flutter. One of Scottish footballs perennial hand-wringers came to the fore again as its uneasy relationship with gambling did another circuit this week following the revelations from Hamilton manager Brian Rice.

The 55-year-old has been candid about the demons he is battling in his private life and he is one of only a number of footballers who have struggled with the same illness.

But the reality is that for all the chat and column inches filled on the subject this week, little will change.

Largely because it cant.

The policing of the current black-and-white system is impossible and vaguely absurd; a part-time Dumbarton player, for example, couldnt stick a fiver on the outcome of the Champions League final as the current rules stand. In terms of sponsorship, betting revenue is a prop that would bring Scottish footballs house down if it were to be removed given the paucity of television revenue available to its clubs.

Putting a coupon on and watching the scores come in as a pastime, for the most part harmless, is a scene that plays out up and down the country every week.

That it is prevalent within football dressing rooms ought not come as a huge surprise; it is not an environment that is removed from the day-to-day realities of life. Throw in the ease with which vast amounts of money can dissipate in seconds from the couch in your living room, add to that the empty hours that are available to many involved in football and then factor in the extra income that burns a hole in the pocket and the formula is there for a fairly potent mix.

But there are so many factors that contribute to addiction and environment from the earliest days is key. Addiction does not come in isolation but is borne out of a mental-health problem.

And if we are to have an adult conversation about gambling within sport, then it has to be based around the environmental pressures that surround players from their most formative years. For this is where the breeding ground for addictive behaviours is set and where our ability to manage stress, cope with pressure, handle setbacks and deal with fairly big emotional responses are forged.

Making it as a footballer is tough. Staying a footballer is arguably tougher still. If a dressing room can be full of camaraderie and companionship, it can also be fiercely competitive, harsh and entirely unforgiving.

This summer vast numbers of 16-year-olds who have spent significant years of their childhood with one club will be released. Some will find other clubs but for others there will be a slow realisation that attention needs to be given to something else no easy feat when every spare moment has been sacrificed for football.

Clubs have spent the last decade or so investing hugely in making the most out of small margins. Every club has a sports science department, an analytics department, nutritionists. Morning urine tests that determine how well a player has slept, eaten, hydrated and recovered are fairly routine. They also would identify an issue with drink or drugs fairly rapidly in a way that gambling issues cannot be spotted. No stone is left unturned. Hormones in urine can also determine elevated cortisol stress levels.

Having access to mental health support ought to be a part of the conversation at clubs, particularly at youth and grassroots level.

Dealing and confronting emotional problems ought to inoculate against addiction issues more than simply drawing an illusory line in the sand and telling players to stand well back.

Hamilton Accies have handled the situation with Rice impeccably this week. Acknowledging the problem and admitting that it is being treated as an illness has elicited a groundswell of support and sympathy for the Hamilton manager.

Still, within the parameters of the law, it is unlikely that his confession will result in leniency from the SFA.

Having breached the regulations with allegedly over 1000 bets over a five-year period Rice can expect a hefty fine and a significant ban for his offences.

Fronting up and speaking openly about the issues he has is to be applauded. But while it might have staved off any crisis at the club had the news broken before he had held his hands up, the reality is that there will be a sanction coming his way to add to his difficulties.

IF a week is a short, sharp shock in politics it can be an age in Scottish football. Leigh Griffiths Celtic future might yet depend on what happens this week going into the final days of the January transfer window but the events of the last seven days would suggest that he is not done just yet.

Two goals in two games and a nice little spat at Rugby Park to keep things interesting would point to the fact he can still have a part to play under Neil Lennon. As Celtic chase a record-equalling ninth successive title then Lennon will be well aware that he needs the tried and tested route rather then a project that might or might not work out.

And a fit and prolific Griffiths would be good news not just for Celtic but for Scotland as Steve Clarkes side move towards the March play-offs. The key for the striker, however, is sustaining the work-rate and application that have got him back into the starting line-up.

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A win for free speech and other commentary – New York Post

Posted: at 2:10 pm

From the right: A Win for Free Speech

In 2019, writes John Hinderaker at Power Line, Michigans Democratic attorney general launched a campaign of surveillance and potential criminal prosecution against groups targeted by the far-left Southern Poverty Law Center one of Americas pre-eminent hate groups. But the American Freedom Law Center, one of the organizations the SPLC smeared, fought back and sued. Now, federal Judge Paul Maloney has denied Michigans motion to dismiss the case. That allows it to proceed to discovery, where any communications between the Michigan officials and the SPLC will come to light which should frighten both the prosecutors and the group. Kudos to the American Freedom Law Center, cheers Hinderaker, for taking the fight to the far Left.

Eye on 2020: A Contested Convention Is Possible

At FiveThirtyEight, Nate Silver runs the numbers to gauge whether Democrats will have a candidate by convention time. Dont assume there will be a contested convention just because things look a little chaotic, he warns, but dont dismiss the possibility out of hand just because there hasnt been one recently. He puts the odds of no Democrat winning a majority of pledged delegates at 15%, roughly as likely as the Tennessee Titans beating the Baltimore Ravens earlier this month. And, he warns, the odds will increase if the party still has three or four candidates in serious contention after Super Tuesday, March 3. Bottom line: A brokered convention is not a likely occurrence, exactly. But its not unlikely, either.

Impeachment watch: A Challenge To Stay Awake

The Senate impeachment trial of a sitting president, just the third such event in US history, has turned out to be a soporific rather than stimulant, snarks Daniel J. Flynn at The American Spectator. So boring is it that Sen. Richard Burr handed out fidget spinners to help his colleagues stay alert. The chaplain prayed to prevent fatigue, but a New York Times sketch artist caught Sen. Jim Risch asleep. Its no better for those watching at home. For all Democrats hopes to conjure up a case for the presidents removal, a strong desire cannot alone will fantasy into reality. And if their political theater fails to entertain, and the audience knows the ending before the beginning, the public expectedly starts hurling rotten eggs or nodding off.

Labor beat: Govt Unions Face Sharp Shrinkage

The continuing plunge in government-union membership now at 7.1 million, the lowest level in 20 years is an ominous sign for the movement, reports City Journals Steven Malanga. From 2009 to 2018, New York alone lost 1230,000 public-sector union members. This years nationwide drop of 100,000 came even though states and municipalities have started hiring again. One reason: the 2018 Supreme Court ruling in the Janus case, which lets government workers avoid joining unions and paying union fees. Another: Public-pension costs have been crowding out other spending, which has slowed hiring. Now union leaders face the prospect of the inevitable next economic downturn, which will likely set off new waves of membership losses. Under any circumstances, the future does not look bright for government unions.

Foreign desk: A Chance for a Mideast NATO

No modern American president has ever been able to put a sustainable Middle East collective security framework in place, James Jay Carafano notes at Fox News, but Trump just might be the first. The president hasnt figured out how to marry his instincts to eschew endless wars, regime change and nation-building and to make allies carry their share of the load with a long-term framework for safeguarding Americas interests in the Middle East. Early in his presidency he did propose a NATO-like Middle East Strategic Alliance to deal with Iran and transnational Islamist terrorism, but progress was sidelined. If Trump wants a credible common security framework, it will take American leadership to make it happen. And there may never be a better time than now to go for it.

Compiled by The Post Editorial Board

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Writers, Academics, and Free Speech Advocates Call on Babson to Reinstate Professor – PEN America

Posted: at 2:10 pm

Asheen Phansey was dismissed following a satirical Facebook post; PEN America-organized letter calls on Boston-area college to reverse course

(New York, NY) More than 155 writers, academics, and free speech advocates have signed a letter from PEN America urging Babson College to immediately reinstate Asheen Phansey. Babson officials suspended and then terminated Phansey over two weeks ago for a satirical Facebook post. The letter says Phansey, who was an adjunct professor and administrator at Babson, was fired over protected speech, and that the incident is deeply disturbing.

Against a national backdrop in which punishments for speech are chilling open discourse, this draconian outcome risks compounding the constrictions on our public discourse, the letter reads. As an institution of higher learning, Babson should be on the side of defending free thought rather than punishing it. Those signing the letter include Judith Butler, Joyce Carol Oates, J. M. Coetzee, Teju Cole, Jennifer Egan, Jonathan Franzen, Jonathan Haidt, Steven Pinker, Molly Ringwald, Howard Rodman, Salman Rushdie, Andrew Solomon, Geoffrey R. Stone, and Nadine Strossen, among others.

The letter says Babsons decision defied reason, as Phanseys post was clearly a satirical commentary on foreign policy, with no hint of harassment, incitement to imminent violence, or any other unprotected category of speech. His post came as a reaction to President Trumps threat to bomb cultural heritage sites in Iran. Phanseys satirical post suggested Iran should make a list of 52 cultural sites in the U.S. to bomb, offering the Kardashian home and the Mall of America in Minnesota as humorous examples.

Signatories to the PEN America letter also include the Foundation for Individual Rights in Education (FIRE), the American Federation of Teachers, the ACLU of Massachusetts, the National Coalition Against Censorship, and the Electronic Frontier Foundation. Over 80 faculty respondents hailing from 50 institutions nationwide have supported the effort.

This is a straightforward case. Babson officials made the wrong decision, said Jonathan Friedman, PEN Americas campus free speech project director. Thats why such a diverse coalition has come together from across the political spectrum and across disciplines to speak out against this injustice. Babson officials should know that their misguided reaction has not gone unnoticed.

But Babson can also make this right right now by revisiting their decision, said Friedman. While Babson is a private university, their public commitments to academic freedom and free speech, including extramural speech, should make this case very clear cut. We cannot hope to defend against the graver threats to free expression on U.S. campuses if professors can be fired for making a joke on Facebook.

We call on Babson to immediately reverse course and reinstate Phansey to his positions at the college, the PEN America letter says. Any other outcome risks permanently tarnishing the reputation of Babson and jeopardizing the climate for speech on campuses across the country.

PEN America has previously discussed the importance of free expression, academic freedom and open inquiry on college campuses and has identified key principles in its Campus Free Speech Guide.

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PEN America stands at the intersection of literature and human rights to protect open expression in the United States and worldwide. We champion the freedom to write, recognizing the power of the word to transform the world. Our mission is to unite writers and their allies to celebrate creative expression and defend the liberties that make it possible.

CONTACT: Stephen Fee, Director of Communications,[emailprotected], +1 202 309 8892

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Iowa State’s anti-free-speech policies threaten Democrats and Republicans alike ahead of caucuses – Washington Examiner

Posted: at 2:10 pm

Students at Iowa State University are effectively being muzzled by campus administrators, barred from using their campus email to advertise political events and barred from chalking campus sidewalks with political messages.

Imagine being a politically active college student in a state with an early primary or caucus and being unable to engage or mobilize peers to attend candidate town halls and rallies. Its a crushing thing and a missed learning opportunity for students, candidates, and undecided Iowa voters.

This blatant affront to free speech aside, Democrats and Republicans alike, both students and the campaigns they support, are at a disadvantage heading into caucus night if the university continues to enforce chilling speech policies that prohibit students from engaging in political advocacy.

Student groups have for years hosted political candidates ahead of the Iowa caucuses. And, if anything, Democrats have more to lose due to Iowa State's policy this year because the Democratic caucus is competitive, whereas the Republican caucus is not. Either way, though, this issue should infuriate and galvanize people on all parts of the political spectrum.

In addition to the policies directly restricting political advocacy, Iowa State administrators created a Campus Climate Reporting System (think bias-response team) to monitor and stop speech deemed inappropriate. Students are now less likely to voice their opinions because they know the school might investigate them if they express a politically incorrect view.

College is supposed to be an environment where students can argue for what they believe in and engage in honest intellectual debate. It is not a thought prison to be policed by busybody administrators.

But at Iowa State, a combination of policies directly restricting constitutionally protected speech and systematic efforts to enforce these policies has created a particularly chilling effect on students, who are left to worry about what they can say permissibly.

As Benjamin Franklin once said, Whoever would overthrow the liberty of a nation must begin by subduing the freeness of speech. That Iowa State is silencing its student body isnt a Republican or a Democratic problem, its a problem all face, and it threatens the integrity of our political process.

Its for this reason that Speech First, a nonpartisan organization dedicated to preserving campus free speech, recently filed a complaint with the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Iowa Central Division, requesting injunctive relief on behalf of numerous Iowa State students active in club politics.

In other words, the organization is requesting the court to order Iowa State administrators to abandon their anti-free-speech policies ahead of the Iowa caucuses next month so that students missing out on important parts of the political process are free to exercise their First Amendment rights.

Iowa State University and its officials have created a series of rules and regulations designed to restrain, deter, suppress, and punish speech concerning political and social issues of public concern. And they do so despite Iowas role as the first in the nation to weigh in on presidential primary elections, reads the case.

At a time when our nation depends on the political advocacy of students across the political spectrum to help shed light on candidates political viewpoints, administrators at Iowa State are instead robbing students and the nation of the opportunity to get to know and advocate for the man or woman who will influence policy that will affect the public for years to come.

As Nicki Neily, president of Speech First, said, Many students learn about meet-and-greet events because events have traditionally been promoted through chalking and by banning these advertisements and emails, students are missing out on major civic participating opportunities.

Denying Iowa State students their constitutional right to free speech isnt the way to kick off a presidential election year. Nor is this the legacy administrators should want to bequeath to the next generation of university students.

The district court responsible for adjudicating this case should issue the injunctive relief and let Iowa State University students advertise political events to their hearts' content. The United States and her students will be better off because of it.

Teri Christoph is the host of the Smart Girl Politics podcast and is a fundraising consultant.

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Congressman Reed to Talk Free Speech at BU – wnbf.com

Posted: at 2:10 pm

A Congressman from the Western and Central Southern Tier is making a visit to Broome County to weigh in on the November protests and confrontations that riled Binghamton University and resulted in a couple of arrests.

23rdDistrict Republican Tom Reed is scheduled to meet today with the Binghamton University College Republicans and B.U. President Dr. Harvey Stenger to discuss the restriction of free speech on campus.

The former Mayor of Corning says he recently sent a letter to SUNY Chancellor Kristina Johnson and Dr. Stenger requesting more information about the incident that unplugged a speech by conservative economist Art Laffer and resulted in the detention of a couple students.

That confrontation followed a clash between students protesting two tables that had been set up on the campus, one promoting Laffers speech and the other supporting gun rights.

The events also sparked comments from President Donald Trump at a Republican student action rally last month. The President claimed radicals swinging clubs, bats "and everything" and wearing masks and red arm bands mobbed Laffers talk.

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