Monthly Archives: January 2020

by Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vermont) Last Tuesday night, just as Senate Republicans voted to blindfold the Senate from key witnesses and evidence during the Senates impeachment trial of President Trump, even more damaging bits and pieces of his illegal Ukraine aid freeze spilled into public view thanks to the Freedom of Information Act. These documents heavily and inappropriately redacted by the Trump administration shed light on just how much more information remains hidden about the alleged misconduct for which the President has been impeached. And it is Congresss constitutional obligation not as Republicans or Democrats, but as a coequal branch of government to fight systematic efforts to keep us and the American people in the dark.

Although a lot of news coverage has focused on the presidents alleged abuse of power by using his public office for personal gain, I believe his wholesale obstruction of a co-equal branchs constitutional oversight responsibilities merits equal attention, as it threatens a fundamental premise underlying our democracy.

No other president in our history has engaged in such a complete stonewalling of Congress. Throughout the impeachment inquiry and trial, the president directed Executive Branch officials not to cooperate at all, and through overly aggressive classification efforts and baseless executive privilege claims, not a single subpoenaed document was turned over. Numerous key witnesses defied Congress and followed the presidents instruction. President Trump isnt even working to hide this obstruction. As he boasted earlier this week, we have all the material. They dont have the material.

Despite this obstruction, some of the very documents President Trump kept hidden from Congress and the American people have recently been made public through FOIA. FOIA empowers the public to request and obtain information from the federal government. Using FOIA, organizations like American Oversight have obtained documents that despite the Trump administrations rampant abuse of FOIA exemptions and redactions show White House staff laying the groundwork for the unlawful aid delay the day before, and even during, President Trumps infamous July 25 phone call with the Ukrainian president.

As the son of Vermont printers, Ive worked for decades to improve government transparency, in particular through FOIA. The American people have a right to know what their government is doing. This transparency is necessary to hold our government to account, to ensure it acts in the public interest and follows the law, and to understand what happened if the government falls short. That is especially true if, as the House has alleged, taxpayer money has been used, in violation of the law, to extract a personal favor for the president.

But even when FOIA works perfectly, it was never meant to replace Congresss oversight authority, which is deeply rooted in the Constitution. Republicans and Democrats alike have agreed: Congress, by virtue of its constitutional mandate and position of public responsibility, should receive more information than the FOIA statute requires, not less.

That the Trump administration provided documents to private FOIA litigants but refused to provide those very same documents to Congress should offend all members of Congress. Such obstruction is an affront to our Constitutions carefully calibrated system of checks and balances that have defined our fragile but, so far, durable democracy for more than two centuries.

The House of Representatives tried valiantly to obtain these documents from President Trump, but was stonewalled at every turn. Now the Senate has the chance to serve as the check and balance on the executive branch it is meant to be and compel the Trump administration to provide us with the basic transparency that we deserve as a coequal branch, and that we need to uncover the whole truth.

As Congressman Adam Schiff, who is the lead House Manager prosecuting President Trump, pointed out this week, this information is going to get out one way or another. Through FOIA, through good journalism, or through John Boltons forthcoming book, the American people will ultimately learn the full story. If Senate Republicans bury their heads in the sand now which will forever damage the Senate and do nothing to heal the country they do not even know the extent of what theyre covering up.

During the Senate trial, President Trump will have the opportunity to present evidence that he has thus far kept hidden. That includes key documents and critical witnesses with firsthand knowledge of the presidents actions, including John Bolton, the presidents former National Security Adviser. Bolton described the Trump administrations efforts in Ukraine as a drug deal and said this week he would testify before the Senate if asked. If any of the evidence that the President has thus far kept under wraps helps his case, I would think he would seize this opportunity. If he does not, the Senate consistent with its constitutional duties can and should compel cooperation from the President and relevant witnesses. We can do so with just 51 votes. And that means just four Republican senators.

FOIA continues to play a critical role in shining a light on government misconduct. And I will continue to work hard to improve compliance with the letter and spirit of that law. But FOIA is no substitute for the Senates constitutional duty to pursue the truth and to impartially weigh the impeachment charges presented to it. At stake is whether the president can be permitted to keep both the Senate and American people in the dark, to stand beyond the reach of accountability for his actions. In our democracy, no one not even a president is above the law.

The Senates actions in the days and weeks ahead will shape our system of checks and balances for decades to come. FOIA is doing its job, and slowly, steadily exposing pieces of the truth. Now senators must do theirs and demand all of it.

[Patrick Leahy (D) is Vermonts senior United States Senator, the vice chairman of the Appropriations Committee, and the dean of the Senate. He has long been Congresss leading champion of the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) and in 1996 was inducted into the FOIA Hall of Fame.]

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Leahy: Impeachment, stonewalling Congress, and the Freedom of Information Act - Vermont Biz

Its hard to know how zoo and circus animals feel about their lives, but its certainly within reason to assume some of them would prefer to live somewhere else. Circus staff in Yekaterinburg, Russia, now no longer have to guess whether their feisty elephants Karla and Ranni are happy in their home because they just proved that they are definitely not.

As AP reports, the two elephants recently made a break for freedom, escaping the confines of their circus enclosure during a transfer and taking to the streets of the Russian city. Having a pair of elephants running loose on bustling streets might sound potentially dangerous, but all Karla and Ranni really wanted to do was play in the snow.

Once the pair escaped, they were apparently unreceptive of attempts to bring them back, and just kind of did their own thing for a while as locals came up with a plan to wrangle them.

The elephants apparently belong to a circus troupe out of Italy who had been in Russia for a performance over the holidays. In the process of leaving, the elephants were being transferred to a truck for their departing trip, the animals saw the opportunity to run free, if only for a little while.

The elephants were finally apprehended after the staff was able to snag a rope around their front legs. Even with the rope in place, it reportedly took a dozen people to actually move each elephant in the right direction. The elephants were unharmed but were probably a little disappointed that they didnt have a little more time to frolic in the snow.

Image Source: Russell Millner/imageBROKER/Shutterstock

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Elephants escaped a circus in Russia and used their freedom to play in the snow - BGR

Atheists are quick to criticize God for His alleged deficiencies, claiming His tyrannical nature prevents people from living without fear. According to atheists, Gods behavior mirrors many of the worst dictators in history, which should preclude anyone from worshiping Him.

This criticism is flawed for several reasons; the first of which is the atheists presupposition of an objective morality. By operating under the assumption that tyranny is bad, atheists are assuming there is an objective standard by which all actions should be measured. As I pointed out in a previous article, its impossible to establish an objective standard of morality without God. Any attempt to establish a secular moral framework inevitably leads to arbitrary rules guided by our feelings rather than reality.

Theres another problem with the atheists charge that may be more appealing to libertarians. If God exists, He owns everything, including us. If one is operating under a private property framework, then God is completely justified in setting the rules we should all live by. If He created us, why wouldnt He have a say over how we live our lives? On a libertarian view of private property, God is justified in using His property as He sees fit. It would be incoherent to claim God should abide by our own morality when He is the source of any property we have acquired, including our own bodies.

Fortunately, for our sake, God is not a tyrant; He is the author of freedomand not just under a libertarian theory of private property but because of Gods very nature. There is a biblical defense of free willone of the many gifts God has given us. Romans 2: 6-8 is just one example, but Id rather focus on how Gods nature points to freedom to head off any controversy over biblical interpretations, and because I believe appealing to Gods nature is a stronger argument in defense of free will for people who dont belong to a particular faith.

God loves us by His very nature. If we define God as a maximally great being, it follows He has no imperfections. He is perfect love, which leaves no place for unrighteous hate. God is also omniscient or all-knowing. His moral perfection and perfect knowledge mean God knows true love requires freedom. Love cannot involve coercion. It would be illogical to claim God forces us to love Him because love requires an act of the will. Its not just a feeling. Its a choice.

While its a joy to know God gives us the freedom to love Him, were also free not to love Him. And this is an important insight into why hell exists. Hell is a place where we are eternally separated from God. Hell exists because God does not force people to love or unite with Him. Put another way, God does not send people to hell. People choose hell because of their own free desire not to love God. Imagine if a suspect claimed they kidnapped a random stranger because they loved the personand used that as a defense in court. All rational people would find this defense ludicrous.

What political implications can we draw from Gods love for us? If God is unwilling to take away our freedom even at the risk of some people ending up in hell, then this should give us caution in constructing a political system that undermines our own freedom. If God permits free decisions that could produce eternal consequences, why should we be so eager to limit the freedom of others to avoid the problems of the temporal?

Theres an obvious objection to this: Government should order itself to ensure people make it to heaven, and thats more important than a vague notion of freedom. Its the noblest of goals. But I see at least two major problems with this view.

First, it puts government dangerously close to playing God. If God is willing to permit free choicesregardless of the outcomewhy should we think the government of all institutions is in a position to organize society in way that will steer people to choices that will give glory to God?

Everything we know about government suggests it will fail to achieve its desired outcome, assuming there is an alternate universe in which government majorities primarily care about their constituents afterlife.

Government officials are ill-equipped to organize society in a way that will maximize the number of people who choose to love God. Given the law of unintended consequences, its reasonable to assume government direction of our behavior could lead to fewer people being saved. Good intentions are just not enough to justify government coercion, especially when the issue involves salvation of souls.

A government that protects our free choicesprovided they dont violate the rights of othersis the best political system we can devise. Whether we come to God is not a matter for government. Rather, its decision we need to freely make on our own or with the help of those prepared to give a defense of the hope that lies within.

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Opinion: God, Not Government, Is the Author of Freedom - The Libertarian Republic

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ST. LOUIS - The three St. Louis area chapters of The Links, Incorporated came together to bring nationally acclaimed speaker Kemba Smith to Harris-Stowe State University to serve as the keynote speaker for The Relationship Spectrum: Good, Bad & Ugly.

The program was hosted on Saturday, January 25, at Harris Stowe State College, Emerson Theatre.

While in attendance at Hampton University, Smith says she met a man who turned her life into a nightmare. Kemba went from a college student to a drug dealers girlfriend to domestic violence victim to federal prisoner, leading her to a 24.5-year sentence. This sentence came with no chance for parole, despite being a first time, non-violent offender.

Fortunately, she gained her freedom when President Clinton granted her executive clemency in December 2000 after having served 6 1/2 years. Drawing from this experience, Kemba now shares her story as an educational tool to prevent other youth from going down a similar path.

Kemba has been featured on CNN, Nightline, Court TV, The Early Morning Show,

Donahue, Judge Hatchett, and a host of other television programs, Kembas story has also been written about in several national publications including The Washington Post, New York Times, Glamour, People, JET, Emerge, Diverse Issues in Higher Education, and Essence magazines.

The program also featured a panel discussion on the topic of human trafficking. Speakers include a survivor and a victim counselor and former human trafficking investigator.

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Former student recounts her story of imprisonment to freedom - KPLR 11 St. Louis

When referred to as an artist, Kait Gandy 22, let out a chuckle. Loosely, she admitted. I take classes with Tom Rice. A prospective psychology major and art minor, Gandy registers for every art class taught by favorite professor Tom Rice she can. Even outside of her art classes, though, Gandy makes art frequently and for herself. I wish there was a deep reason for it, she said, but creating something is just funThe freeing feeling you get from creating and playing with color is really fun, and I think thats why I always do it. Its become a way for me to express myself.

The most prominent subject matter in Gandys work is the female body, which she sees as a reflection of her own life. Ive had a lot of negative experiences regarding sex, sexual relationships, [and] intimacy, she said. For me, its just finding autonomy after all that, and learning to take back parts of my body that feel very used throughout my life. Gandy also attributes her focus on the female figure to its simultaneous beauty and stigmatization.

Gandys artistic themes are a balance of selfexploration and playful irreverence. I dont really like to make art that is consistently serious, she explained. I think that gets boring and I think art should be fun. Gandy likes art that makes her laugh, and referred to some of her pieces as shitposting, a reference to the internet phenomenon characterized by surreal, seemingly nonsensical content that is comical because of its unpredictable nature and lack of context.

This sort of unrestrained artistic exploration is something Gandy credits the K College Art Department with allowing, and encouraging, in her. I just feel very free to do whatever ideas I want to do, Gandy said. I dont feel like it has to be anything. Art of course has meaning and impactbut theres also the freedom to just try ideas [here]. Its made [art] more exploratory and fun instead of rigid.

In high school, Gandy was discouraged from pursuing art by a teacher who told her she had no future in it. At K, her passion for art was reawakened in a drawing class she took on a whim because it fit in her schedule. I built a lot of confidence from it, Gandy said. The professors are amazing; Tom Rice, shout out to you! You can just talk to him if youre stressed with whats going on in your life, and hes really good at helping you with art without directly helping you. He pushes you to figure it out.

As for what Gandy wants viewers to take away from her work, its pretty open-ended. Whatever they want to, to be honest, she said. Like, if they look at my art and just see a bunch of boobs, I cant blame em, like, thats what it is. But they can take away whatever they want; I dont think you can ever tell people what to take away because its all interpretation, which is pretty cool.

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Sophomore Kait Gandy Finds Freedom in Artistic Expression - The Index

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SaturdayJan25,2020at9:15PM

BEDFORD, Pa. Another Saturday, another wrestling tournament title for Freedom junior Trent Schultheis.

Schultheis won the 170-pound championship at the Thomas Chevrolet Tournament at Bedford High School Saturday, recording an 18-3 technical fall over Myles Baney of Huntingdon in the championship match.

The top seed in the tournament, Schultheis pinned his way into the semifinals, where he recorded a 7-0 decision over Cole Karpinski of Greenville, who went on to place third.

With the title, Schultheis improved to 25-3 on the season.

His Bulldogs teammate, Kenny Duschek, came just a point short of joining him atop the awards stand.

After advancing to the final with a 4-1 semifinal win over Trevor Weyandt of team champion Chestnut Ridge, Duschek dropped a 3-2 decision to Kaden Cassidy of host Bedford in the 138-pound championship match. Cassidy, the undefeated top seed, improved to 23-0 on the season.

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Freedom's Trent Schultheis earns another tournament title - Sports - The Times - The Times

WILMINGTON The last time the Wilmington High Girls Basketball team squared off against Burlington, things could not have gone much worse, as the Wildcats suffered a 44-36 loss in their season opener on a night when they shot 12-for-57 from the field. The loss was the first of three straight to start the season for the Wildcats.

What a difference a few weeks makes!

On Tuesday night at the Lawrence H. Cushing Gymnasium the two teams renewed acquaintances for the first time since that rough opening night, and this time it was Wilmington who came out on top, winning a 58-50 thriller in overtime against their Middlesex League rivals.

Their 0-3 start is now a distant memory for the Wildcats, who have now won six in a row to improve to 6-3 on the season.

The win also puts Wilmington in a three-way tie for first place in the Middlesex League Freedom Division as the Cats, Burlington and Wakefield all have 6-3 league records. Burlington is now 9-3 overall with the loss.

The Wildcats were led by 17 points and five assists from senior captain Jenna Tavanese, while junior Kylie DuCharme had 15 points and 18 rebounds. They also got several clutch performances down the stretch, including a huge three pointer in the closing seconds by senior captain Olivia Almeida and clutch free throw shooting by DuCharme and junior Jenna Sweeney.

The Wildcats trailed 29-21 at the half and 41-39 at the end of the third. The teams then battled through a tough fourth quarter where they both struggled to find their shooting range. A pair of free throws by Sweeney with 2:48 left in the game gave the Wildcats a 43-42 lead, but Burlington responded with a pair of free throws of their own to take a 44-43 lead with 37.8 seconds left.

Down by one, and with the clock winding down Almeida stepped up with ice water in her veins and nailed a long three-pointer from the top of the key with 21.9 seconds left in the game to give the Wildcats a 46-44 lead. Burlington would not quit, however, as the Red Devils Sydney Pavao knocked down a clutch shot of her own with 12 seconds left to tie the game.

Wilmington had one last chance to win the game in regulation, but were unable to get a shot off and the teams headed to overtime deadlocked at 46.46. While they were unable to close it out in regulation, Wilmington coach Jessica Robinson still loved what she saw from Almeida in that clutch moment.

Olivia hit some big shots for us tonight, Robinson said. Those are the kind of shots where you are saying, no, no, no... ok, good shot! She likes to hit those big time shots. She is not afraid of taking those shots. We talked about it on the bench. Big time players make big time plays.

The Wildcats then went on to dominate the overtime period, scoring the first six points of the frame to take a 52-46 lead with 1:20 left when Almeida hit another clutch shot. And when Burlington tried fouling the Wildcats to stay in the game, Wilmington foiled their plan with clutch free throw shooting by DuCharme and Sweeney, who hit a combined six in a row down the stretch. The Wildcats were 8-for-8 overall from the line in overtime.

Earlier in the game we were struggling from the line, but we hit the free throws that counted, Robinson said.

In the early going of the game, it certainly didnt look like the Wildcats would need any clutch free throw shooting in overtime, as fell into an early 10-0 hole just three minutes into the game. But they didnt panic. Robinson called a timeout at that point and the team regrouped and went on to dominate the rest of the quarter, led by eight points from Tavanese, to take an 18-15 lead at the end of one.

That is where I have seen a marked improvement in the girls, is their ability to fight back, Robinson said. Being down and being able to rally together is something they have really improved on.

As great as that comeback was, for a while it appeared as if it was all for naught, as Burlington extended their lead to as many as nine points in the second quarter before settling or an eight point (29-21) lead at the half.

But the Wildcats fought back once again, taking a 34-32 lead midway through the third quarter, and trailing only 41-39 at the end of three. Their best stretch came midway through the quarter when Tavanese helped give them that 34-32 lead, taking them on an 8-0 run and scoring six of the points on her own.

The thrilling fourth quarter and overtime not only allowed the Wildcats to keep their winning streak alive, but it also showed just how far they have come since opening night.

We had a lot of coming together over winter break, Robinson said. It was been over a month and we spent our winter break figuring out what we need to do, and focusing on us. It is starting to pay off. The girls are playing confident and they are playing together and that is what we were lacking earlier in the season.

Prior to Tuesday nights big win, the Wildcats had picked up a 52-38 win on the road over Middlesex League rival Melrose last Friday night. Tavanese once again led the way offensively with 20 points and nine assists, while DuCharme had 14 points, 6 rebounds and seven blocks and Almeida had eight points and four steals.

Our defense carried us again in that one, Robinson said. We did a great job in our full court pressure. A lot of teams struggle against that. It slows down the game, and takes time off their offensive clock, and we have really done a good job recently of locking in on defense and letting that be our best offense.

The Wildcats will be back in action on Friday night when they host Wakefield in a huge game with a 5:15 tipoff.

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Wilmington in a three-way now in Middlesex League Freedom Division: 'Cats win sixth straight with OT thriller over league leader Burlington -...

Freedom Mobile is expanding the ways customers can get support to include WhatsApp.

The Shaw-owned regional carrier posted to Twitter about the addition, noting that its even easier to get assistance through live messaging.

The tweet includes a link to the companys WhatsApp number so users can send it messages. Clicking the link on a smartphone should open a chat with the official Freedom Mobile account in the WhatsApp app. If youre on a computer, or you dont have WhatsApp installed, itll open the WhatsApp website and let you download the app or use the web version to send a message.

In the chat, WhatsApp notes that the account is the official business account of Freedom Mobile.

Adding more ways for users to get in touch with support and get help is always welcome. Hopefully other carriers get on board and offer this feature as well.

On another note, these business-to-customer communication applications are exactly how Facebook plans to monetize WhatsApp. Initially, the social media giant planned to introduce ads to the platform but recently abandoned that in favour of improving business features.

Giving companies, such as Freedom, a direct line to customers to provide support is far more useful than packing WhatsApp with ads.

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Freedom Mobile now offers live messaging support through WhatsApp - MobileSyrup