Monthly Archives: September 2021

Gayl Jones is a literary legend. In novels and poetry, she has reimagined the lives of Black women across North, South and Central America, living in different centuries, in a way no other writer has done. Jones made her name with her first novel, Corregidora, published in 1975; through an intimate, fragmentary narrative, it follows the life of Ursa, a blues singer in 1940s Kentucky. The title is the surname of the man who raped and enslaved Ursas grandmother a century earlier in Brazil, a surname Ursa still bears. Toni Morrison, who published it, said: No book about any Black woman will ever be the same after this. James Baldwin called it the most brutally honest and painful revelation of what has occurred, and is occurring, in the souls of Black men and women.

Although Corregidora was followed in 1976 by a second novel, Evas Man, her third and fourth, The Healing and Mosquito, were not released until the late 1990s. Publishers Weekly reports that at that time, Jones showed her editor a draft of another novel one set in 17th-century Brazil, which she had spent the last 20 years writing. That was Palmares, and now, after 40 years in the works, it is here. It is the first of five books including a rerelease of her 1981 book-length poem Song for Anninho, also set in 17th-century Brazil that will be published in the next two years.

Palmares begins in the 1670s when its narrator, Almeyda, is a child. Almeyda lives on a Brazilian plantation with her enslaved mother, as well as a grandmother who still speaks Arabic and is called crazy and a witch. Young Almeyda observes the world around her keenly, asking her mother if the local priest makes love with Mexia, his indigenous housekeeper. Almeydas mother denies it; her grandmother laughs. Three hundred pages later, long after Mexias escape, Almeyda at this point an adult with no illusions about the church acknowledges what her mother refused to: that Mexia was the priests slave.

One day a Black woman arrives at the plantation in a carriage. Her bare feet peep out from a long silk gown full of pleats and folds and ruffles. Almeyda asks if she is a slave or a free woman, and the woman replies with disdain either for the distinction or the categories themselves: I am neither kind. The woman is from Palmares.

Palmares is the largest and best known of Brazils quilombos, communities established by Africans who had escaped slavery. First documented around the 1580s, it was home to between 6,000 and 20,000 people and was a more or less autonomous state located in the north-east of Brazil. The scale of the transatlantic slave trade to Brazil is often underestimated: of the nearly 11 million Africans taken by force to the Americas, 5 million disembarked in Brazil, over 10 times more than in North America.

Almeydas journeys to and from Palmares are winding and wild, and so is Joness writing. Six long sections are broken into short episodes resembling Brazilian contos (tales), with titles such as The Russian and A Man of Wealth and Light Skin and a Woman Convicted of Casting Love Spells. Almeyda meets Black Muslims, Black witches, women with wives, Christians, Jews, Tupis, Guarans, miners, female English journalists, voyeuristic Dutch painters, mercenaries and free Black men and women. She learns the healing properties of plants and animals, including lizard testicles.

If you try to read the book over a weekend, you may find yourself overwhelmed. Palmares is a grand epic, in the west African and Afro-Brazilian oral traditions, to be savoured in parts, night after night.

Jones doesnt romanticise Palmares, which had a governance structure based on that of contemporary west African states. Once there, Almeyda meets a still-enslaved Black woman, Nobrega, who explains to Almeyda: You are a free woman. I am a slave. Almeyda collapses the distinction: I said that [Nobrega] could oil and wash [my hair] only if I oiled and brushed hers in return.

Palmares takes us to a key moment in the invention of race and gender. Almeyda repeatedly asks what a woman is, revealing, through her encounters, the influence of unstable constructs such as race. Joness narration is similarly fluid, moving with beauty and abundance between meticulous documentation and surrealism, singing with Portuguese and Indigenous words and phrases.

Palmares reinvents 17th-century Black Brazil in all its multiplicity, beauty, humanity and chaos. It is a once-in-a-lifetime work of literature, the kind that changes your understanding of the world.

Yara Rodgrigues Fowlers Stubborn Archivist is published by Fleet. Palmares by Gayl Jones is published by Virago (18.99). To support the Guardian and the Observer buy a copy at guardianbookshop.com. Delivery charges may apply.

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Palmares by Gayl Jones review a long-awaited vision of freedom - The Guardian

The Freedom to Vote act is essential

No matter where we live or our background, Americans want fair elections, where we all have the freedom to vote and make our voices heard on important issues such as providing affordable health care, creating good jobs and ensuring quality education. For months, the American people have been calling for national standards to protect our freedom to vote, ensure fair representation and get big money out of politics, and the announcement of the Freedom to Vote Act is proof that our voices have power in the halls of the U.S. Senate.

The Freedom to Vote Act is essential for fair redistricting: It bans partisan gerrymandering and helps ensure that all communities get the representation they deserve for the next 10 years and beyond. Importantly, it would also require every state's map-drawers to hold public hearings, take input from voters, and explain how the maps they create are fair to both political parties and communities of color.

Just as we rose up to vote in record numbers in the midst of the pandemic last year to demand new leadership, we now need to rise up to demand that our senators pass this bill that sets national standards for us to safely and freely cast our ballots, ensure every vote is counted and elect people who will deliver for us.

Join me in supporting the Freedom to Vote Act and in urging our state's senators to do the same.

Madeline Clark, Baldwin Park

Another thing we can all agree on

If there's one thing that brings all Orlandoans together, regardless of race, creed or political affiliation, it's pissing and moaning about traffic. We wrote about it ("These are the worst intersections in Orlando, according to Reddit," Sept. 23) and sure enough, y'all had stuff to say.

@Jeff Smith: Orange and 17-92 in Winter Park. Fairbanks and Orange in Winter Park. Lakemont and Aloma. Aloma and 436. Princeton/Smith and Edgewater, 408 and John Young Parkway. John Young and I-4/33rd St./LB McLeod! Silver Star and Hiawassee, Horatio and 17-92 in Maitland, Red Bug Lake and 436 ... should I continue?

@Edwin Rivera: Sand Lake and Turkey Road. The most disgusting thing to ever exist. Whatever urban planner, architect, engineer or firm that designed that current area deserves their title to be stripped.

@Paul C. Santos: "Hold my beer" Lake Nona Blvd./Narcoosee Road/417 off- and on-ramp.

@Dennis Sedor: EVERY entrance/exit on I-4!

@Chris Kelley: I will say the 436/I-4 exit has been moving a lot smoother since the redesign, even during the busier times.

Got thoughts? Send brickbats and bouquets to feedback@orlandoweekly.com.

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Readers react: Freedom to vote and Orlando's worst intersections - Orlando Weekly

The sign in front of the local variety store said No Shoes, No Shirt, No Service!

So I strolled in, sporting my Sunday-best shoes and shirt, plus an overlong red necktie. But no pants, just for variety. The sign didnt say anything about pants. I left before the police got there.

Where does the United States Constitution say I cant dress any dab burn way I please anywhere I take a notion to mosey?

If you stare, thats your problem, pal.

My fellow oppressed Americans, this is yet another example of our vanishing freedoms. And it started way before the current totalitarian mask-wearing/needle-jabbing campaign.

But this latest is the greatest infringement of all. Youre telling me I cant go to a sold-out Hot Chili Peppers concert unvaccinated, mask-less and symptomatic and expectorate over everyone within a 30-foot radius? Man, we have sunk mighty low in this country.

But wait, theres more. How about casual Fridays? I cant be casual on Monday? Or Wednesday? Or on Benito Mussolinis birthday?

Now take cars (and they will!). In case you missed the summons, you got to register your vehicles with the government, each and every gas-guzzler, every couple of years, too. Did your great-great-grandpa register his horse and buggy? Methinks not! Is motor vehicle registration mentioned once in the Constitution? I believe it says only something like this: The right of the people to own, rent or lease high emission conveyances shall not be infringed

Dont get me started on emission controls.

It wont be long before they come for our pickups and pry our cold dead hands from the steering wheels. Well all be walking to the variety store in our skivvies.

While we still have our vehicles, Johnny Law says we cant drive 100 mph in a school zone. Why not? I figure its a good way to teach kids to look both ways! You should see those little dickens jump and hop.

And whats with this blood alcohol content nonsense? They keep lowering the limit every few years. I dont know about you, but I drive way better after pounding a six-pack of Pabst Blue Ribbon.

Want proof? Well, here I am, still churning out cogent commentary, aint I?

I trace what ails us all the way back to the Ten Commandments and Charlton Heston. Dont covet thy neighbors wife! Im telling you, Charlie, shes like a total babe. Saint Peter will understand.

Now theyre even telling us we cant bust into the peoples house the United States Capitol and smash up a few lecterns and whatnot that we paid for with our own tax money. OK, we chased a few congressmen and senators about the joint but they looked like they could use the exercise.

Well, that about does it, Id say. Let freedom ring!

David Holahan is a freelance writer from East Haddam.

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Opinion: Stop the steal ... of our freedom! - The CT Mirror

Nearly five dozen people gathered along U.S. Highway 65 across from Chillicothe Municipal Utilities office last week for a Freedom Rally, which drew the attention of passing motorists, many honked or waved at the crowd who had gathered with flags and signs. The event was organized by Livingston County Health Freedom also calledWe the People of Livingston County,was formed according to member Reid Stephens, "because many of the participants had expressed growing concerns about the loss of personal health freedoms they had experienced over the last 18 months. The loss of health freedoms has escalated quickly, culminating in vaccine mandates sweeping the nation. These mandates are now impacting a growing number of people in Livingston County."

Guests speakers at the rally included Dowell Kincaid, Nathan Rorebeck, Sonja Dailey, Steffi Harvey and Dr. Heather Gessling. They spoke about freedoms, mandates, vaccines and about the loss and importance of freedoms.

Members specifically called out St. Luke's Hiopistal System for the mandate that all employees get vaccinated by Oct. 30. Following the rally several in attendance at the rally went to the Chillicothe City Council meeting and spoke to the council, where they were told the city owns the building Hedrick operates out of, but that the city has no control over operations at Hedrick.

According to a statement from Hedrick Medical Center "employees, licensed independent medical staff members, allied health professionals, contracted personnel, student affiliates, and volunteers" have until Oct. 30 to be vaccinated or have an "Employees did have the opportunity to request a medical or religious exemption. These requests will be individually reviewed on a case-by-case basis by either Saint Lukes clinicians or Saint Lukes Spiritual Wellness chaplains. Any employee granted an exemption will be required to undergo weekly COVID-19 testing and monitoring," a statement fromHedrick Medical Center stated.

Stephens said members of the groups have been attending various local governmental meetings and plan to continue to do so.

"One of the main goals of We the People of Livingston County, MO is to better educate ourselves about the rights and obligations of citizens in society. The civil exchange of ideas and information is critical to our constitutional republic," he said. "Our purpose in attending these meetings is to better understand how our local governmental entities operate. In doing so, we hope to partner with these entities to build a better and stronger community."

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Freedom Rally draws attention in Chillicothe - Chillicothe Constitution Tribune

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Be warned of those who warn you of the charters of freedom - Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal

Media top headlines September 28

In media news today, Chris Cuomo's sexual harassment accuser says the CNN host hasn't changed since groping her, 'The View' addresses their COVID testing fiasco, and sources say a female CNN producer exited 'Cuomo Prime Time' after feeling 'threatened' by the namesake anchor

The four liberal co-hosts of "The View" on Tuesday clashed with conservative guest host Caitlyn Jenner on the heated issue of forced vaccinations.

Joy Behar, Sunny Hostin, Sara Haines and Whoopi Goldberg all expressed support for mandatory vaccinations against the coronavirus, especially among workers in the health care and education sectors, while Jenner defended "individual freedoms" and the "personal choice" to take the vaccine.

Behar pointed to other vaccines people are already required to take before attending school, such as the polio vaccine, and lamented that, despite those decades-old requirements, the coronavirus vaccine had some sort of "bugaboo" about it that was scaring people away.

NEW YOROK CITY ANTI-VACCINE MANDATE PROTESTORS STORM MALL FOOD COURT: MY BODY, MY CHOICE

"These are the things that science is now providing for us. Imagine if we were in the 19th century when you didnt even have anesthesia and if you got a cut, you would die," Behar said. "We have the means to cure this problem and stop the incessant testing that vaccinated people have to do Its like Im tired of not being able to live my life because people are being irrational everywhere a lot of places in this country."

Before responding, Jenner said she appreciated being able to come on the show to express her opposing viewpoint and said that although she and Behar had a difference of opinion, it didn't make either of them a bad person.

"I got vaccinated. Im fine. But that was my personal choice. I am about individual freedom," Jenner said after explaining she waited until seeing how well her mother did with taking the vaccine before deciding to take it herself. "Why? Why do we have to get mandated ones like you say? Like polio?"

ANTI-VACCINE-MANDATE PROTESTORS MARCH NYC STREETS ON EVE OF ENFORCEMENT FOR HEALTH CARE WORKERS

"Im about individual freedoms. Theres not a one size fits all. What about pregnant women? And I just feel like that is a decision between a doctor and their patient. By far the most important thing is that, not some bureaucrat sitting in Washington, D.C., saying you have to get it. I got it and Im happy I did," she added.

Hostin, visibly frustrated, attempted to refute Jenner's viewpoint by claiming that a true "patriot" would get the vaccine in order to protect their fellow Americans.

"I hear all these people, Well its my constitutional right [to not be vaccinated]. No, its not. Because when it comes to public health, it has to be collaborative," Hostin said.

"And I think the choice thats being made in New York is a good one. If you dont want to be vaccinated, then you cannot work at a public hospital. You can just stay at home You still have your personal freedom and your freedom to stay at home exists," she added, referencing the decision by the state of New York to fire unvaccinated health care workers across the state who didn't take at least the first dose of a coronavirus vaccine by Sep. 27.

NEW YORK GOV. COULD TAP NATIONAL GUARD TO REPLACE UNVACCINATED HEALTH CARE WORKERS

Jenner argued that the health care firings would lead to a critical staffing shortage that could potentially endanger the lives of New Yorkers needing medical treatment.

Haines argued back, claiming that the lack of vaccinations was already affecting hospital staffing nationwide and the ability for people to be treated for conditions other than the coronavirus.

Jenner reiterated her support for personal choice in taking the vaccine and said no system was perfectly fair.

Goldberg turned the argument to race, snapping back by saying that she wouldn't have the right to vote, as a Black woman, if everyone always waited for people to make the right choice.

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"There are times when we just have to suck it up and say, Sorry y'all!' This is what has to get done," Goldberg said. "I'm tired of waiting on folks. I know it's not nice to say, but you know what? You're keeping me back! You're holding us back! So quit it!"

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'The View' co-hosts clash with Caitlyn Jenner over forced vaccinations: 'Your freedom to stay at home exists' - Fox News

For some families in the River Valley, one organization is giving their loved ones the freedom and protection theyneed tohelp themliveauthentic lives.

The Arc for the River Valley, a local non-profit, providesadvocacy, educationand recreation for those with intellectual and developmental disabilities in the region serving more than 450 members.

Carolyn Scotts son, Scott Thomas, has been going to the Arc for over 20 years.

He is very personable, but he is 46 years old and one of the things that regular people who are not in thecommunitydont realize is that these guys need a social network,Scott said.They want to be able to talk to people freely and be able to have a special place to go.

For around 20 people a day, the Arc for the River Valley is that place, Executive Director Francy Ford said.

Membership to Arc for the River Valley costs $15 a year and gives participants access to activities including movie showings, bowling nights,cooking classes, art projects and holiday dances.

Its a little community of like-minded parents and children that can actually function in a social way, Scott said. A lot of people dont think about that when they think about a handicapped person, they dont realize how long the day can be when you dont have an outlet for them.

Thomas started visiting the Arc after the family moved to Fort Smith from Missouri.As he grew out of the publicschool system, he needed a place to be himself and be around others.

When a lot of people with disabilities are in school, they have their friends at school, when they finish up school that social contact is no longer there for them, Ford said.

Gerry McEvoys son Andrew attended the Arc regularly from around 15-21 years old.

While having a place for their loved ones to be around friends is important, their safety is vital.Both Scott and McEvoy talked about the importance of sending their children to a place where they are safe.

Hes one of the vulnerable people that have to be protected, McEvoy said. And the Arc is a place that does that.

Many people lose their understanding of those with disabilities as they grow older, Scott said.

The community is usually very understanding about small children, Scott said. They recognize when a child has Downs Syndrome or has some(type of) physical handicaps. People are usually pretty forgiving and pretty kind to small children. As a disabled person gets older theres less sympathy, less understanding, although mentally and emotionally these individuals have not aged like we do.

At the Arc for the River Valley they understand, they accommodate and they facilitate to fit the needs of their members, McEvoy said.

Theyre still 3 years old although theyre in a 20-year-old body, Scott said. There needs to be an environment where they can be safe and be who they are.

Although his son is no longer a regular at the facility, McEvoy talked about how it gave Andrew something to look forward to and how happy it made him.

Over the summer, Andrew attended a swim outing to the Alma Aquatic Park.

Those outings are rare and special. We need more of those for that population, McEvoy said. Otherwise, theyre mostlycontained to the family setting and its so beneficial that they get things to look forward to, whether it be bowling or swimming or the events that the Arc puts on.

The Arc for the River Valley has been active for over 60 years and its mission of advocacy, education and recreation remains the same.

For the family, it gives them time for these folks to be as independent as possible, Ford said. That really what its all about. The movies we select, the art that we do, how we talk to them theyre adults, theyre not kids.

Abbi Ross is the city reporter at the Southwest Times Record.She can be reached at aross@swtimes or on Twitter at @__AbbiRoss

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Arc for the River Valley gives members freedom to be themselves - Times Record

The Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press presents the 2021 Freedom of the Press Awards and 50th anniversary celebration, hosted by Kristen Welker, co-anchor of Weekend TODAY and NBC News Chief White House Correspondent.

The celebration, presented by Microsoft, recognizes the exceptional achievements of this years honorees: J. Scott Applewhite, The Associated Press; Theodore J. Boutrous, Jr., Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP; Julie K. Brown, Miami Herald; Amal Clooney, The Clooney Foundation for Justice; Jane Mayer, The New Yorker; and Rising Star Award Winner Laura Moscoso, Centro de Periodismo Investigativo.

In addition to the Freedom of the Press Awards, the Reporters Committee presents the Fred Graham Distinguished Service Award to Tony Mauro, Contributor at ALM Media Properties, LLC, and Saundra Torry, Retired Member of USA TODAYS Editorial Board, in recognition of their outstanding commitment to the Reporters Committee over the years.

Apple, Jane Boon and Norman Pearlstine, and the Chan Soon-Shiong Family Foundation are the Anniversary Champions; Amanda Bennett and Donald E. Graham, The Murray Fromson family, Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP, and Hearst are this years Legacy Champions.

The event is co-chaired by Amanda Bennett; Donald E. Graham, Chairman, Graham Holdings; Norman Pearlstine; Brad Smith, President, Microsoft; and Steven R. Swartz, President & CEO, Hearst.

Past Freedom of the Press Award winners are listed here.

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2021 Freedom of the Press Awards & RCFP 50th anniversary celebration - Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press

Conspiracy theories, religious reasons, personal freedom: Firstpost Explains why convincing some NBA players to take vaccines is proving to be tricky

Brooklyn Nets Kyrie Irving refused to reveal whether he is vaccinated, or plans to get inoculated against COVID-19 by the time the NBA season commences in a few days. Washington Wizards Bradley Beal said he was not vaccinated due to personal reasons. Golden State Warriors Andrew Wiggins tried to get an exemption from the strict vaccine mandate for the upcoming season based on religious grounds. Labelling himself pro-choice, Orlando Magic forward Jonathan Isaac made his reluctance to be vaccinated clear with a tweet which read: "I believe it is your God given right to decide if taking the vaccine is right for you! Period!"

LeBron James admitted but only grudgingly that he had been vaccinated against the virus after repeatedly saying in the past that his vaccination status was his private matter.

After the past two seasons of the NBA were held under the shadow of the coronavirus , the question of players vaccination status is likely to be the biggest talking point in the upcoming season. Firstpost Explains why vaccination against the coronavirus is proving to be a thorny issue in the league for a minority of the players, and how it could affect the league:

Whats the current status of vaccination in the NBA?

In July this year, Michele Roberts, outgoing Executive Director of NBPA (the players association), told Yahoo Sports that around 90 percent of players had already taken the vaccine.

This figure includes some of the biggest names in the league like LeBron, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Steph Curry, and Damian Lillard.

Teams like San Antonio Spurs, New York Knicks, Los Angeles Lakers, Miami Heat, Utah Jazz, Portland Trail Blazers, Houston Rockets, Atlanta Hawks, Toronto Raptors, and Charlotte Hornets will have fully vaccinated rosters when the season starts in October.

While the 90 percent rate is heartening, it pales in comparison to the WNBA the womens basketball league where 99 percent of players were already vaccinated three months ago.

What is the NBAs policy about vaccination?

So far, the league has not made it mandatory for players to get vaccinated. For the NBA to enforce such a mandate, it would need to come to an agreement with the NBPA (the players association).

Meanwhile, the league has incentivised getting vaccinated. Players who are fully vaccinated would not be subjected to regular testing this season. Meanwhile, players who are not fully vaccinated will be tested on all days involving practice or travel. It is likely that they will be tested twice on game days. These players will also have to wear masks at team facilities and during travel.

Players who are vaccinated will be able to sit together in the locker room, and during travel. They also will not be needed to quarantine if a close contact tests positive for the coronavirus (unless the fully vaccinated player starts to show symptoms of COVID-19 ). These exemptions will not be in place for un-vaccinated players.

Besides league rules, cities like New York and San Francisco have mandated that a player should have had at least one vaccine dose to enter a sports arena or practice facility (unless they have been exempted on medical or religious grounds). This means that should a player from New York Knicks, Brooklyn Nets (both based in NY) or Golden State Warriors (based in San Francisco) refused to get inoculated against the coronavirus , they will not be able to play in home games. Should that citys policy stay firm, players could also miss nearly half of the Playoff action.

What about referees and other staff members of teams?

The NBA has informed all 30 teams that anyone working within 15 feet of players, coaches and referees this season must be fully vaccinated. Referees, who officiate games will also be fully vaccinated.

What is Kyries stance? And why does it matter if hes in a minority among players?

Kyrie Irving was elected to NBPA's Executive Committee as a vice president in February last year, and thus has a big say in what the players association does.

As one of the biggest superstars in the NBA, Irving is also a role model, who has used to stature to rally against racial injustice over the past few years. But his stance assumes more importance when you consider that as per demographic vaccination trends published by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Black Americans are currently getting vaccinated at a slower rate than any other race or ethnicity.

He has remained tight-lipped so far regarding his vaccination status. But many media reports, including one in Fox Sports, have said that the mercurial guard is un-vaccinated.

On Tuesday, during the NBAs media day, he was asked multiple times, directly or indirectly, whether he was vaccinated, or planned to get inoculated. He was the only Brooklyn Nets to not be at the venue physically, needing to attend the media day press conference virtually.

Theres just a lot of questions about whats going on in the world of Kyrie and I think Id love to just keep that private and handle it the right way with my team and go forward together with a plan, Irving told journalists. So obviously Im not able to be present there today, but that doesnt mean that Im putting any limits on the future of me being able to join the team.

However, an article in Rolling Stone stated that Irving had recently started following and liking Instagram posts from a conspiracy theorist who claims that secret societies are implanting vaccines in a plot to connect Black people to a master computer for a plan of Satan.

What do other players, who are yet to take the vaccine, say?

Orlandos Isaac has beaten COVID-19 already. So has Wizards' Beal, who missed out on going to the Tokyo Olympics due to the virus.

While the Rolling Stone article claimed that Isaac had been "watching Donald Trumps press conferences" other videos "where he learned about antibody resistance and came to distrust Dr Anthony Fauci", the player insisted on Tuesday that he isn't anti-vaccine, or anti-science, revealing that mother works as a health care professional.

I thank God, Im grateful, that I live in a society where vaccines are possible and we can protect ourselves and have the means to protect ourselves in the first place, Isaac said at a media day press conference. That being said, it is my belief that the vaccine status of every person should be their own choice. ... Im not ashamed to say that Im uncomfortable with taking the vaccine at this time.

Beal, meanwhile, used Tuesdays press conference to question why fully vaccinated people were still getting the virus. I don't think you can pressure anybody into doing things, or putting things in their body. I would ask the question to those who are getting vaccinated, 'why are you still getting COVID? ... You can still get COVID and still pass it along it vaccinated."

At the Warriors press conference, Wiggins said: My back is definitely against the wall. But Im just going to keep fighting for what I believe keep fighting for what I believe is right. Whats right to one person isnt right to the other and vice versa.

If vaccine sceptics dont take the shot, how does it affect the season?

The Brooklyn Nets are a title contender this season with superstars like Kevin Durant and James Harden in their ranks besides Irving. But New Yorks vaccination mandate will mean that superstar will not be able to train at the franchises home arena this season, besides not taking the floor for any of the 41 regular-season home games, which could have an effect on how the Nets play. With the Irving situation threatening to become a pesky and permanent sideshow for this entire season, it could act as a mental diversion for his teammates.

Beal and Wiggins too are important figures for the success of their respective franchises ambitions. The latter, just like Irving, could miss out on 41 of Warriors home games.

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Conspiracy theories, religious reasons, personal freedom: Why some NBA players are resisting vaccination - Firstpost

On Sunday, Zach Dorfman, Sean D. Naylor, and Michael Isikoff reported in an explosive, seven thousand-word story for Yahoo News that in 2017, Donald Trumps CIAthen under the directorship of Mike Pompeo, a future secretary of stateplotted to kidnap Julian Assange, the founder of WikiLeaks, from Ecuadors embassy in London, where he was then holed up, and that high-level Trump administration officials even discussed assassinating Assange and asked for options as to how to do it. Theres no indication that such plans were ever formally approved, and its unclear exactly how serious the assassination talk was, but a number of senior officials were so worried that they privately shared concerns with Congressional oversight panels. The story contends, in perhaps its most attention-grabbing claim, thatafter US intelligence agencies began to suspect Russia of a plan to spirit Assange to Moscow and harbor him therethey prepared a range of possible responses, including potential gun battles with Kremlin operatives on the streets of London, crashing a car into a Russian diplomatic vehicle transporting Assange and then grabbing him, and shooting out the tires of a Russian plane.

Dorfman, Naylor, and Isikoff describe the frenzied CIA campaign against Assange and WikiLeaks as a response to the latter groups publication of details concerning top-secret CIA hacking tools, a document drop known as Vault 7Pompeo and top colleagues were reportedly embarrassed about the disclosures and, in the words of one former national-security official, saw blood. In April 2017, Pompeo publicly described WikiLeaks as a non-state hostile intelligence service; at the time, Isikoff (and others) viewed the remark as a grabby talking point, but a former official said that the phrase was chosen advisedly, and gave the administration a pretext to treat WikiLeaks as it would a state adversary, without jumping through legal hoops or informing Congressional leaders. Nor was Assange the sole target of this effort: under the rubric of offensive counterintelligence, American spooks reportedly surveilled other WikiLeaks associates and stole their electronic devices, while working to seed disharmony between them. According to Yahoo, CIA officials entertained the possibility of killing people who werent Assange but also had access to the Vault 7 cache.

From the magazine: All of It Matters

The Yahoo story is directly tied to the US governments ongoing efforts to extradite Assange from the UKwhere he is now in jail, having finally been kicked out of the embassy in 2019and prosecute him for his work with WikiLeaks; as Dorfman put it on Twitter, Trump administration officials were both worried about the legality of rendering Assange generally, and particularly concerned about kidnapping him absent an indictment, and so reportedly accelerated the drafting of charges against Assange so as to have something ready should he be brought onto US soil. Soon after British police dragged Assange from the embassy, US authorities indicted him only for computer fraud, which briefly assuaged the fears of press-freedom advocates who feared that the charges might criminalize the publication of secrets. Those fears were soon un-assuaged, however, as prosecutors added a bevy of charges under the Espionage Act that had a much more direct bearing on routine journalistic practice.

Other claims in the Yahoo story also bear directly on press freedom, beyond those immediately concerning the charges; indeed, many of them predate Trumps time in office. As Dorfman, Naylor, and Isikoff report, the Obama administration, fearful of the consequences for press freedomand chastened by the blowback from its own aggressive leak hunts, initially limited investigations into Assange and WikiLeaks, only for its approach to become more aggressive over time, following the groups involvement in the Snowden leaks, in 2013, then again after its publication of hacked Democratic Party emails around the time of the 2016 election. In between times, intelligence officials reportedly lobbied Obama to bolster their investigative powers by classifying WikiLeaks as an information broker, and, troublingly, sought the same designation for Glenn Greenwald and Laura Poitras, two journalists at the heart of the Snowden story. (I am not the least bit surprised that the CIA, a longtime authoritarian and antidemocratic institution, plotted to find a way to criminalize journalism, Greenwald told Yahoo.) Trumps administration, of course, had fewer First Amendment qualms than its predecessor. Then came Vault 7.

After Britain took Assange into custody, press-watchers debated old questions as to whether he can really be considered a journalist, and how much professional solidarity he deserves, especially in light of the historic rape claims against him and his links to Russia and its 2016 election-meddling. The espionage charges, by contrast, seemed to focus media minds to a greater extent, given their clear ramifications beyond Assanges very specific circumstances. Some press advocates have reacted similarly to the details in the Yahoo story. The American Civil Liberties Union shared the article and reiterated its past call for the US to drop the charges against Assange on press-freedom grounds. The Freedom of the Press Foundation described the story as shocking and disturbing, and the CIA as a disgrace; Jameel Jaffer, the director of Columbias Knight First Amendment Institute said that the story was mind-boggling, adding, the over-the-top headline actually manages to capture only a small fraction of the lunacy reported here. Many media-watchers shared the story on Twitter, and numerous major news outlets, at home and abroad, covered or at least noted it.

Still, since its publication on Sunday, the story has hardly attracted wall-to-wall attention from other outlets: as far as I can see, the New York Times has yet to even mention it; CNN discussed it a couple of times on air yesterday, but not in prime time. There are a number of potential factors at play here, and they arent mutually exclusive. Rival outlets national-security reporters may still be working to corroborate the story, which is more useful than aggregation and takes time. Stories about national security, in generaland Assange, in particularcan be gnarly, and have been challenged before; the Yahoo article has itself already elicited some pushback. That said, Yahoo claims to have spoken with thirty former officials, eight of whom described the kidnapping plot and three of whom spoke of the assassination discussions; perhaps more to the point, TV talk shows, in particular, frequently give splashy billing to Trump scandal stories that seem less consequential and less extensively sourced. (The relentless cable coverage of a recent slew of books about Trumps last days in office has often been a case in point.) Its more than conceivable thatas with past stories about AssangeYahoos claims havent yet gotten bigger billing because Assange is perceived to be an unsympathetic victim and because, unlike other examples of Trumpian demagoguery, the authoritarian state power at issue here has much deeper, broader roots than Trump himself, involving years of national-security policy under presidents of both parties.

If Yahoos reporting holds up, its bottom line is that senior US officials entertained extreme, violent, and extrajudicial responses to the publication of sensitive information. You dont need to accept the probity of the publisher or the merits of the information to see the slippery slope here for press freedomyou need look, in fact, no farther than Greenwald and Poitras. The plans never came to fruition, but their high-level consideration would be bad enoughand the US government still very much is pursuing Assange on charges that could criminalize reporting, despite another recent change of administration; officials are currently appealing a British judges ruling that blocked the extradition of Assange on health grounds, and recently won the right to expand the terms of that appeal. The charges against Assange are as much a threat to press freedom under Biden as they were under Trump, yet for many media-watchers, they no longer seem close to front of mind.

Below, more on Assange:

Other notable stories:

From the magazine: Retail Politics

TOP IMAGE: Sketch of Julian Assange appearing by video link at the High Court in London, August 11, 2021. Elizabeth Cook, via AP Images.

Original post:

A scary reminder of the press-freedom stakes in the Assange case - Columbia Journalism Review