Monthly Archives: February 2022

Opinion | Oakwood Adventist Academy basketball is a real First Amendment case – alreporter.com

Posted: February 26, 2022 at 10:52 am

Its not often that sports and politics collide. But that happened last week, when the Oakwood Adventist Academy (OAA) varsity basketball team forfeited a game that could have put them in competition for the state championship.

The decision by OAA, precipitated by an Alabama High School Athletic Association (AHSAA) ruling, drew the attention of Gov. Kay Ivey. And the governor has sided with the OAA basketball team not the association.

OAA, based in Huntsville, is affiliated with the Seventh-day Adventist Church, a Christian denomination I know something about because Ive been an active member since I was 7. We SDAs are known for a few things that fall outside of mainstream Christian doctrines and practices.

For example, we are taught not to eat pork, shrimp and other animal foods described in the Old Testament of the Bible as unclean. Our doctrines also teach against drinking alcohol and smoking cigarettes.

But most notably, we go to church on Saturdays, honoring what many call the Jewish Sabbath as a weekly holy day meaning sundown Friday to sundown Saturday.

Historically, for most SDAs, that has meant no secular activities during those 24 hours. No work, except for those who work for the church or are first responders (medical professionals, police officers, fire fighters, etc.). No play, meaning no secular music concerts, movies, television shows, and other activities that can be indulged in during the other six days.

No play also includes no competitive sports.

Notice the qualifiers I used: historically and most. Some SDAs deviate, based on preference or principle. But most still adhere to the basic idea of Sabbath-keeping.

So when the OAA basketball team learned its game was scheduled for this past Saturday at 4:30 p.m. before sundown the team decided to put its faith over a chance to be one of Alabamas best high school teams. That got Iveys attention especially, perhaps, because there was another option.

Not for the OAA team. But for the AHSAA.

The AHSAA could have allowed the team and its opponent to swap schedules with the teams slotted for 7:30 p.m. According to my OAA sources, the affected teams were willing to do just that. So why wasnt the AHSAA? Its representatives wont say.

Apparently, Gov. Ivey was wondering the same thing. So she wrote the AHSAA a letter.

I hope youll understand why I was most disturbed to read about Oakwoods alleged treatment at the AHSAAs basketball tournament, the governor wrote. This episode raises some very pressing questions, not only for me but for public officials and citizens across our great State.

Among other things, Ivey asked who at the AHSAA was responsible for this decision and if it violated any AHSAA policy. She also wants to know this circumstance can be prevented from happening again.

The governor seems to want accountability and change. Well see if she gets what she wants.

Ivey also wrote a letter to the OAA team, expressing her support and inviting them to meet with her at the state capitol. My cynical side says that Ivey wants a photo op with young black men affiliated with a historically black institution (Oakwood University, my alma mater).

But I also recognized that this may be about more than politics for Ivey. Of the 2,930 voters who cast a ballot at the Oakwood University precinct in 2020, 83 percent voted a straight Democratic ticket. President Biden beat Donald Trump by 67 percent. Former Democratic Senator Doug Jones beat current Republican Senator Tommy Tuberville by 64 percent.

No matter how magnanimous and supportive Ivey is of the OAA team, shes not likely to get votes from that precinct or most black voters. In fact, I suspect most will respond to her efforts the way she does to Biden in one of her current commercials: Bless her heart. And then they will vote for Democrats anyway.

Either way, whether because of politics or principle, I like what Ivey has done. Not because Im an SDA, but because I believe in the First Amendment and in a society that seeks to accommodate those of all faiths and no faith.

Gov. Ivey and I dont agree on most things. But it appears we do agree on this.

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Fact or fiction? Who’s to say? – Columbia Basin Herald

Posted: at 10:52 am

In the flurry of activity that always ensues when the Washington State Legislature is in session, one bill has flown largely under the radar, yet its implications are enormous.

Backed by Gov. Jay Inslee, Senate Bill 5483 would make it a gross misdemeanor to make false statements about the results of an election.

This bill didnt originate in a vacuum. The text opens with a statement that states whose electoral processes follow Washingtons model, including mail voting and same-day registration, are secure in their elections and claims to the contrary are false. It goes on to describe (in somewhat subjective terms) the events of Jan. 6, 2021 at the U.S. Capitol, and lays the blame for those squarely on statements by then-President Donald Trump. It adds that a similar, though smaller-scale, event took place in Olympia at the state capitol and the governors residence.

And while the bills authors admit that there may be some minor hiccups regarding that pesky First Amendment, they seem to believe that it will pass Constitutional muster, because it just has to. After all, as the bill openly states, no less than democracy itself is at stake.

Is it? First of all, our country has functioned more or less continuously since the late 18th century. Surely in all that time, people have spoken negative things, perhaps even untruths, about their electoral opponents at least once or twice. Yet here we are, still democratizing away.

Second, the purpose of the First Amendment is not to preserve democracy anyway. Its purpose is to ensure that people living in that democracy may say, think, print, pray and protest over anything they jolly well please and the government may not prevent it. Saving democracy is not listed as one of its purposes.

While there have been some restrictions on free speech that have passed the First Amendment hurdle, they are few and very limited, like the famous and often misquoted Brandenburg vs. Ohio case, involving falsely shouting fire in a crowded theater. But deliberately inciting panic in a confined space is a far cry (so to speak) from expressing an opinion in a public forum about an election.

The key word in this bill is false. (Thats not a subtle point; the word appears 28 times in a six-page document.) The bills authors rely on the idea that there is a fundamental difference between a dissenting opinion and a false statement, one of which is protected and the other not.

But, as a famous judge once asked, what is truth? Is it defined by the official government record? Or by the statements of government officials? Or by popular opinion on social media, or by news reports? If history is written by the winners, then the people in power (or with the largest voice) will always be the ones who decide whats true and whats false.

This is where the naked partisanship of this bill really shines forth. All nine of the bills original sponsors are Democrats, as is the governor, who initially proposed it. Democrats currently hold sizable majorities in both houses of the Legislature, and that party has held the governorship for 37 years, longer than many voters have been alive.

This party affiliation is by no means irrelevant. Many Washingtonians remember the gubernatorial election of 2004, in which Republican Dino Rossi was certified the winner, until two subsequent Democrat-driven recounts ended with his opponent, Christine Gregoire, winning by a handful of votes with questionable origins. Although no irregularities were ever proven, plenty of people believed and still believe that Gregoires victory was dishonestly gained. SB 5483 would make it a crime to say so. It would also make it illegal to question any future victories. Thats a heck of an advantage for one party.

SB 5483s sponsors insist that its provisions are crucial to the continuation of our democracy. But if a democracy cannot survive without criminalizing dissent, is it a democracy at all?

Editorial board

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Caring for Others in Uncaring Times: A Conversation with MSNBC Anchor Richard Lui – Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication

Posted: at 10:52 am

Caring for Others in Uncaring Times: A Conversation with MSNBC Anchor Richard Lui

Richard Lui, MSNBC anchor and author of the new book Enough About Me, will speak at the Cronkite Schools First Amendment Forum on Tuesday, March 15 at 6 p.m. Lui will participate in fireside chat with Dr. David Coon, associate dean of research initiatives, support, and engagement and professor at the Edson School of Nursing and Health Innovation and Julia Wallace, Frank Russell Chair in the Business of Journalism at the Cronkite School. Adrienne Fairwell, the general manager of Arizona PBS, will introduce the panel.

Lui became the first Asian American male to anchor a daily cable news program in 2007. Then, his father was diagnosed with dementia, and his life was changed forever. Lui will provide insights from this journey and how it helped him become a better journalist and human being.

The first 50 students to arrive will receive a FREE, autographed copy of the book as well. This event is sponsored by the Cronkite School and the Edson School of Nursing and Health Innovation.

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Caring for Others in Uncaring Times: A Conversation with MSNBC Anchor Richard Lui - Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication

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Baker-sponsored religion bill moves out of committee – Commonwealth Journal’s History

Posted: at 10:52 am

A bill sponsored by local State Representative Shane Baker is getting some attention due to its attempt to have churches and religious organizations recognized as essential in cases of emergency.

House Bill 43 moved out of committee Thursday and is eligible to be heard by the entire House at any time.

Besides Baker, the bill currently has 52 co-sponsors, and Baker said that members of the State Government Committee who werent sponsors voted to send it to the House.

We have the votes to pass it in the House, and I have no doubt the Senate would have the votes to pass it there, Baker said. The question is, do we understand the need for it to make this a priority to move this forward.

Baker described the bill as one that ensures churches and religious organizations are treated in the same way as other essential organizations during declarations of emergency.

That would give churches the authority to choose whether to close or remain open during situations such as during a pandemic.

It was written in response to Governor Andy Beshears executive orders during the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic to shut down all non-essential entities in an effort to prevent people from congregating and spreading the coronavirus.

The governors executive order specified houses of worship, churches were to be shut down, Baker said. There was also a list that was released that talked about essential entities, which included home improvement centers, grocery stores, gas stations, banks liquor stores were included in there, oddly enough but churches were shut down.

Baker said that was a violation of First Amendment rights the U.S. Constitutional amendment that states government cannot make laws respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof.

The First Amendment obviously protects our religious liberties, and its a clear violation to shut the church down, he said.

He added that there are a number of functions churches fulfill in society that many consider essential. Not only does it offer a place for people to gather for worship, but it also offers a lot of ways to meet needs, such as providing ministry, food and clothing to those in need.

He also said the church provided a needed way for many elderly residents widows and widowers to socialize, where it might be the only time during the week that they leave their homes.

During this session, we have talked a lot about mental health and some of the issues that people are facing, many of them as a result of people being isolated. That is all due to, in part, things being shut down. Not just the church, but other things as well. We want to make sure that God-given right is protected so this provides a clear framework for moving forward, Baker said.

Baker said he felt there were ways that churches have adapted to the pandemic that ensure that people can enter the building and remain distanced and safe from others.

With our church, we had empty rows and space for people to spread out. I know some churches went to multiple services to allow people to stagger their times and to be able to spread out. Initially, we were dealing with the unknown. We didnt know what to expect. And everyone wants to be safe and everyone wants to keep other people safe, so I think that people are responsible to make those decisions on their own, he said.

Baker also pointed to other services that were considered essential that he had qualms about the aforementioned liquor stores and abortion clinics, for two.

He said that abortions are considered elective procedures, and noted that at the same time hospitals and doctors were encouraged to postpone other elective procedures postponements that may have prolonged health issues that needed to be corrected.

A similar bill did not get a vote during last years shorter session, but Baker hopes it will be heard this time around. He said this is a bill he has worked on since before he was even sworn into office, working on the first drafts of it in November 2020.

We may not, and hopefully will not, face this situation where it becomes necessary to rely on this law in the near future. But we know these things will be challenged again somewhere down the road, and when we have the opportunity, we have to be proactive and address some of these issues to put those boundaries in place, he said.

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NBC’s scores are in: Record low Olympics ratings | AP News

Posted: at 10:50 am

NEW YORK (AP) The final scores are in, and NBC is no doubt happy to put the Beijing Winter Olympics in the rear-view mirror.

The games reached an average combined audience of 11.4 million people in prime time on NBC, the USA cable network and Peacock streaming service, the network said. Thats the lowest-ever American audience for any Olympics, and down 42% from the Winter Games in Pyeongchang, South Korea, in 2018.

For NBC alone, the prime time telecasts reached an average of 9.3 million viewers, or 48% down from South Korea, the Nielsen company said.

The games never really captured the public imagination, and were hurt by COVID-19 restrictions that had most of NBCs announcers working half a world away in Connecticut.

In a diminished world for broadcast television, however, NBC beat every other network in prime time during the Games duration. Only pro football can say the same this season. The Peacock streaming service, which will undoubtedly play a bigger role in future Olympics, had its best stretch of usage since the service began, NBC said.

Mark Lazarus, chairman of NBC Universal television and streaming, said Peacock delivered a user experience that was greatly enhanced from just six months ago during the COVID-delayed Tokyo Summer Olympics.

For the week, NBC averaged 7.2 million viewers in prime time. CBS had 3 million, ABC had 2.7 million, Fox had 2 million, Univision had 1.5 million, Ion Television had 1.3 million and Telemundo had 1 million.

Fox News Channel was the most popular cable network in prime time, averaging 2.42 million viewers. TNT had 2.01 million, MSNBC had 1.05 million, HGTV had 1.02 million and Hallmark had 968,000.

ABCs World News Tonight won the evening news ratings race with an average of 8.7 million viewers. NBCs Nightly News, with virtually none of the typical ratings bump that an Olympics delivers, had 7 million viewers and the CBS Evening News had 5.3 million.

For the week of Feb., 14-20, the top 20 prime-time programs, their networks and viewerships:

1. Winter Olympics (Tuesday), NBC, 8.71 million.

2. Winter Olympics (Thursday, 8:30 to 11 p.m.), NBC, 8.53 million.

3. Winter Olympics (Monday), NBC, 7.89 million.

4. Winter Olympics (Friday, 9 to 11 p.m.), NBC, 7.25 million.

5. 60 Minutes, CBS, 6.98 million.

6. Winter Olympics (Wednesday, 8:30 to 11 p.m.), NBC, 6.94 million.

7. Winter Olympics (Saturday, 9 to 11 p.m.), NBC, 6.77 million.

8. Winter Olympics (Thursday, 8 to 8:30 p.m.), NBC, 6.74 million.

9. Winter Olympics (Friday, 8 to 9 p.m.), NBC, 6.72 million.

10. Winter Olympics Closing Ceremonies, NBC, 6.57 million.

11. Winter Olympics (Wednesday, 8 to 8:30 p.m.), NBC, 6.42 million.

12. Winter Olympics (Saturday, 8 to 9 p.m.), NBC, 5.86 million.

13. NBA All-Star Game, TNT, 5.43 million

14. Daytona 500 Post Race, Fox, 5.42 million.

15. 911: Lone Star, Fox, 4.95 million.

16. Jeopardy! College Championship (Thursday), ABC, 4.82 million.

17. Jeopardy! College Championship (Friday), ABC, 4.73 million.

18. The Price is Right Valentine Show, CBS, 4.66 million.

19. Jeopardy! College Championship (Wednesday), ABC, 4.64 million.

20. Young Sheldon, CBS, 4.35 million.

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Pictures: See Highlights From 2022 Olympics Closing Ceremony …

Posted: at 10:50 am

Missed the 2022 Winter Olympics closing ceremony? See all of the top moments here in pictures.

Silver medallist USA's Jessie Diggins celebrates her silver medal during the cross-country skiing women's 30km mass start victory ceremony at the 2022 Winter Olympic Games Closing Ceremony, Feb. 20, 2022, Beijing.

Gold medallist Therese Johaug of Team Norway, center, silver medallist Jessie Diggins of Team United States, left, and bronze medallist Kerttu Niskanen of Team Finland pose with their medals during the Women's 30km Mass Start medal ceremony at the 2022 Winter Olympics Closing Ceremony, Feb. 20, 2022, in Beijing.

Members of Team USA make their way into the Beijing National Stadium at the 2022 Winter Olympics Closing Ceremony, Feb. 20, 2022 in Beijing.

Members of Team United States make their way into Beijing National Stadium during the 2022 Winter Olympics Closing Ceremony, Feb. 20, 2022, in Beijing.

Flag bearers Elana Meyers Taylor of Team USA, center, and Nathan Crumpton of Team American Samoa (second right) walks in the Athletes Parade during the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics Closing Ceremony on Day 16 of the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics at Beijing National Stadium on Feb. 20, 2022 in Beijing.

A firework display is seen above the stadium during the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics Closing Ceremony, Feb. 20, 2022, in Beijing, China.

A firework display is seen above the stadium during the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics Closing Ceremony, Feb. 20, 2022, in Beijing, China.

The Olympic flame is extinguished during the closing ceremony of the 2022 Winter Olympic Games, Feb. 20, 2022, in Beijing.

The Olympic Cauldron is seen alongside the flags of the competing countries right before it is extinguished during the 2022 Winter Olympics Closing Ceremony, Feb. 20, 2022 in Beijing.

The Olympic Cauldron is seen alongside the flags of the competing countries right before it is extinguished during the 2022 Winter Olympics Closing Ceremony, Feb. 20, 2022, in Beijing.

Guiseppe Sala, Mayor of Milano city and Gianpetro Ghedina, Mayor of Cortina d' Ampezzo City wave the Olympic flag during the 2022 Winter Olympics Closing Ceremony, Feb. 20, 2022, in Beijing.

The flags of China, Greece and Italy sway in the wind during the closing ceremony of the 2022 Winter Olympic Games, Feb. 20, 2022.

A map of Italy is reflected during the 2022 Winter Olympics Closing Ceremony, Feb. 20, 2022, in Beijing, China. Italy will be the next country to host the Winter Olympic Games in 2026.

Children representing Milan and Cortina hug a globe as part of the handover ceremony during the 2022 Winter Olympics Closing Ceremony, Feb. 20, 2022, in Beijing.

Children representing Milan and Cortina hug a globe as part of the handover ceremony during the 2022 Winter Olympics Closing Ceremony, Feb. 20, 2022, in Beijing.

Performers dance farewell with the "Moment of Rememberance, The Message of a Willow Twig" during the closing ceremony of the 2022 Winter Olympic Games, Feb. 20, 2022, in Beijing.

Performers dance farewell with the "Moment of Rememberance, The Message of a Willow Twig" during the closing ceremony of the 2022 Winter Olympic Games, Feb. 20, 2022, in Beijing.

Performers dance farewell with the "Moment of Rememberance, The Message of a Willow Twig" during the closing ceremony of the 2022 Winter Olympic Games, Feb. 20, 2022, in Beijing.

Performers dance farewell with the "Moment of Rememberance, The Message of a Willow Twig" during the closing ceremony of the 2022 Winter Olympic Games, Feb. 20, 2022, in Beijing.

Flag bearers make their way into the Beijing National Stadium during the 2022 Winter Olympics Closing Ceremony, Feb. 20, 2022 in Beijing.

Delegations gather inside the stadium during the closing ceremony at the 2022 Winter Olympics Closing Ceremony, Feb. 20, 2022 in Beijing.

BEIJING, CHINA - FEBRUARY 20: Gold medallist Alexander Bolshunov of Team ROC (C), Silver medallist Ivan Yakimushkin of Team ROC (L) and Bronze medallist Simen Hegstad Krueger of Team Norway (R) pose with their medals during the Men's Cross-Country Skiing 50km Mass Start Free medal ceremony during the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics Closing Ceremony on Day 16 of the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics at Beijing National Stadium on February 20, 2022 in Beijing, China. (Photo by Maja Hitij/Getty Images)

Members from the French and Japanese delegations dance at the 2022 Winter Olympics Closing Ceremony, Feb. 20, 2022 in Beijing.

Members of Team Canada make their way into the Beijing National Stadium during the 2022 Winter Olympics Closing Ceremony, Feb. 20, 2022, in Beijing.

The delegations of Canada and France enter the stadium during the closing ceremony of the 2022 Winter Olympic Games, Feb. 20, 2022.

Tingyu Gao of Team China waves the flag of China during the 2022 Winter Olympics Closing Ceremony, Feb. 20, 2022, in Beijing, China.

Skates, inspired by the Chinese zodiac signs, carry performers at the 2022 Winter Olympics Closing Ceremony, Feb. 20, 2022 in Beijing.

Performers riding floats based on the twelve animals of the zodiac dance during the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics Closing Ceremony at the 2022 Winter Olympics at Beijing National Stadium, Feb. 20, 2022, in Beijing.

Children perform during the Closing Ceremony at the 2022 Winter Olympic Games, Feb. 20, 2022, in Beijing.

The Olympic Cauldron is seen inside of the Beijing National Stadium as performers dance during the 2022 Winter Olympics Closing Ceremony, Feb. 20, 2022, in Beijing.

Children perform during the Closing Ceremony at the 2022 Winter Olympic Games, Feb. 20, 2022, in Beijing.

The flag of China and the flag of the IOC are raised during the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics Closing Ceremony, Feb. 20, 2022 in Beijing, China.

Children perform during the Closing Ceremony at the 2022 Winter Olympic Games, Feb. 20, 2022, in Beijing.

Children bearing snowflakes wave at the audience during the Closing Ceremony at the 2022 Winter Olympic Games, Feb. 20, 2022, in Beijing.

Children carrying snowflake lanterns gather under the snowflake cauldron during the closing ceremony of the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympic Games, at the National Stadium, known as the Bird's Nest, in Beijing, on Feb. 20, 2022.

Xi Jinping, President of China, waves to spectators during the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics Closing Ceremony on Day 16 of the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics at Beijing National Stadium on Feb. 20, 2022, in Beijing, China.

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‘You’re all on the same team’: Junior Native Youth Olympics bring Alaskan kids together – Alaska Public Media News

Posted: at 10:50 am

Reagan Dibble took first prize in the wrist carry at a local competition for students in the Matanuska-Susitna Borough. He says it was good practice for the statewide Junior Native Youth Olympic Games. (Emily Dibble)

The Native Youth Olympic Games test athletic abilities required to survive in Alaska.The games were traditionally used to build the strength, endurance and teamwork needed for subsistence activities like hunting and foraging.

This years Junior Native Youth Olympic Games are virtual, with nearly 300 participants sending in videos of themselves competing in the events.

One of those competitors is nine-year-old Reagan Dibble. He and his classmates at Machetanz Elementary in Wasilla have been practicing for weeks.

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Dibble competes in the wrist carry event. During the game, he hooks one wrist over a pole, grabs his arm with his other hand and holds himself off the ground. Two other boys hold onto each side of the pole and walk forward. The athlete who stays suspended for the longest time wins.

Last weekend, Dibble competed at a local event for students in the Matanuska-Susitna Borough. His previous record had been 19 seconds. That day, he held on for 43 seconds.

On Thursday morning, he filmed his video for the state competition at his school gym.

Dibble explained that the wrist carry was a traditional way to honor a hunted animal. His mom, Emily Dibble, said those types of lessons are what make the games special.

Its one more thing we love about living in Alaska, she said. They really do cherish their Native culture and immerse everybody in it, and I find that unique and special for these kids growing up here.

Reagan Dibble said these games foster more teamwork than his other favorite sport, hockey.

I like how you can encourage others and coach everybody, because youre all on the same team, he said. Playing hockey, its kind of like youre one-on-one, and this is all together.

Thats what made Nicole Johnson fall in love with the games, too. She grew up in Nome, and first tried the two-foot high kick in fifth grade. She went on to hold the record for that event for 25 years. Now, shes the head official for the Native Youth Olympic Games. She says its a different kind of competition.

Youll see the athletes encouraging each other to go harder and higher, even if they are going harder and higher and further than you are, she said. You coach your opponents, you coach other teams, you help other coaches. It creates a community of friends and family for life.

Winners of the Alaskan high kick and kneel jump were announced on Feb. 14, and the awards ceremony for the seal hop and two-foot high kick will be livestreamed on the Cook Inlet Tribal Councils Facebook page on Monday.

Registration for the remaining junior events the wrist carry, one-foot high kick and scissor broad jump ends on March 1, with submissions closing on March 6. That award ceremony will be held on March 14.

This years senior games to be held in-person for the first time since the pandemic began are slated for April 21-23 at the Alaska Airlines Center in Anchorage.

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Lululemon’s Team Canada Ad Was One of the Triumphs of the Olympics – Muse by Clio

Posted: at 10:50 am

The piece opens by setting the stage, cutting between diverse landscapessand, cracking iceand close-ups of details in a hotel room, which look like landscape, too. Bobsled athlete Dawn Richardson-Wilson walks in, sits on the bed, and lifts her official Winter Olympics 2022 jacket onto her lap. Her quiet examination of its details kicks off both the soundtrack (Hi, where are you from?Canada) and spools out the ad, almost as if it's a reverie.

But really, it's an ode to both people and place. We traverse time, through what seem like memories of childhood, and place. Other athletes featured in the spot include Liam Hickey (Para ice hockey), John Tavares (ice hockey), and Piper Gilles and Paul Poirier (figure skating).

The list of speakers, puncturing the background, is actually even longer, their diversity and scope illustrating something of the bigness of a country known mostly for maple syrup and a prime minister who, I guess, takes his shirt off a lot:

"Feel Canada" builds on Lululemon's overall "Feel" campaign. It was given life by director Natalie Rae and DOP Evan Prosofsky. In January, Rae worked with indigenous filmmaker Tim Myles and Toronto-based director Sophia Smith to capture winter footage at the Saugeen First Nations in Southampton, Ontario. Casting and logistics were led by community elder Jennifer Kewageshig, who operates an indigenous youth film program at a local training center she helps run.

Toward the end of the work, the mosaic of voices coalesce as they approach some kind of epiphany. "What we need is a society where people treasure difference," someone says, and moments later, another voice adds, "When we stand together as one, we are one voice and one nation."

People, dressed in the official jacket, dance, hands nearly meeting against the skyline. Richardson-Wilson smiles, lying back in her bed. Water cuts between trees, as if to convey something: This looks like a divide, but isn't. A constellation of elements can compose wholes, not fractions. It's a tension, but also a collaboration that we are forever working on balancing.

"Feel Canada."

Client: lululemonCampaign: FEEL CANADALaunch Date: 2/3/22Agency: Droga5 NYCo-Chief Creative Officers: Tim Gordon & Felix RichterGlobal Head of Art: Alexander NowakExecutive Creative Director: Thom GloverGroup Creative Director: Marybeth LedesmaSenior Copywriter: Temnete SebhatuSenior Art Director: Joe RussomanoSenior Copywriter: Ted MeyerSenior Art Director: Jason GoldCopywriter: Emily ChangArt Director: Stefan FolioSenior Project Manager: Janelle Andrea JordanExecutive Producer, Film: Mike HasinoffExecutive Producer, Film: Gulshan JafferySenior Music Supervisor: Mike LadmanSenior Business Affairs Manager: Ann Marie TurbittSenior Talent Manager: Sunny ValenciaGroup Strategy Director: Cecilia DiazBrand Strategist: Sarah KhanGroup Communications Strategy Director: Ben NilsenSenior Communications Strategist: Cherish LeeExecutive Group Account Director: Frank RenwickAccount Director: Ola AbayomiAccount Supervisor: Katie RochfordAccount Manager: Arianna Bernstein

Client: lululemonChief Brand Officer: Nikki NeuburgerSVP, Global Brand Creative: Ravi HampoleVP, Global Brand Management: Deborah HyunSenior Director, Global Brand Management: Devin GallaherSenior Creative Director, Studio: Courtney DavisCreative Director: Jason EffmannCreative Director: Sofia PonaArt Director: Andrew PassasSenior Brand Manager: Quinn InghamDirector, Global Brand Marketing: Crystal RocabadoBrand + Creative Operations:Manager of Brand Production: Meryl RekertProducer, Brand & Community: Matthew SySenior Project Manager, Special Projects: Bea SungaManager, Brand Project Management: Jen (Anstee) HigginsProduction Company: Object & Animal (US) & OPC (Canada)Director: Natalie RaeDOP: Evan ProsofskyExecutive Producer: Emi Stewart & James Cunningham (Object& Animal), Harland Weiss (OPC)Producer: Ed CallaghanChoreographer: Carlo AtienzaChoreography Collaborator: OURO Collective2nd Unit Director: Sophia Smith2nd Unit DOP: Ben DawsonProduction Service Company: Filmgroup (Vancouver)Executive Producer: Nathan MilesHead of Production: Renee PoulinSaugeen Shores Production Company: OPCCo-Director: Tim Myles, Sophia SmithDOP: Ben DawsonExecutive Producer: Harland WeissProducer: Jeff ChiuEditorial: Work EditorialEditor (Anthem & Teaser): Ben JordanEditor (Athlete Stories): Theo MercadoAssistant Editor: Fatos Marishta, Chris WronkaExecutive Producer: Erica ThompsonHead of Production: Alejandra AlarconProducer: Weston Ver Steeg, Sarah CassellResearch & Clearances: Tammy Egan (Pitch & Clear)Melissa LaverdureHugh John MurrayLicensing: Mariola Kalinska (Greenlight, BENGroup)Post Production, Color: MPCColorist: Ricky GausisColor Assist: Sam ZiaieSenior Executive Producer: Meghan Lang BiceProducer: Ivana BanhAssociate Producer: Alex ZhaoPost Production, VFX: Alter EgoHead of VFX: Darren AchimExecutive Producer: Hilda PereiraSenior VFX Producer: Bobbi DedmanVFX On-Set Supervisor: Shervin ShoghianVFX Artist: Darren Achim, Igor Boros, Sebastian BorosVFX Assistant: Saba Zahir, Nupur DesaiMusic: 'Clair De Lune' - Flight Facilities feat. Christine HobergSound: Design & MixBalladSound Designer & Mixer: Philip Nicolai Flindt, Adrian AureliusExecutive Producer: Gregers Maersk Moeller

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Lululemon's Team Canada Ad Was One of the Triumphs of the Olympics - Muse by Clio

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Gambling: What happens in the brain when we get hooked and how to regain control – The Indian Express

Posted: at 10:48 am

Many people turned to online gambling during the pandemic. And while a large proportion of us are able to gamble recreationally, without serious negative impact, the pandemic has led to a rise in gambling addictions.

In the UK, for example, weve seen the biggest increase in women seeking help ever. Such addiction can lead to problems with mental health, cognition and relationships, as well as leading to bankruptcy and criminality.

Unlike alcohol and drug addiction, where the symptoms are physically noticeable, gambling addiction creates less obvious signs.

Our new article, published in The Lancet Psychiatry, reviews research on gambling addiction, and makes recommendations about how to best prevent and treat it.

Gambling is a huge problem. According to the most recent estimate from the World Health Organisation, from 2016, players annual global gambling losses were estimated to total US$400 billion (295 billion). In 2021, the UKs Gambling Commission estimated that prevalence of gambling disorder was 0.4% of the population.

Another survey found that the highest rates of problem gambling were in Asia, followed by Australasia and North America, with lower rates in Europe.

Researchers have developed game simulations (which they call tasks) to measure problem gambling, such as the Iowa Gambling Task and the CANTAB Cambridge Gambling Task.

In the latter, which assesses risky decision-making and betting, participants are asked to guess whether a yellow chip is hidden within a blue or red box, with the ratios of blue and red boxes changing over time.

They can then decide how many of their points to bet on their decision.

If they win, they add the points to their total, but if they lose, those points are lost. They are told to be careful not to go bankrupt losing all their points.

This task may be able to detect those gamblers who are at risk of developing a gambling disorder, but may not be there yet particularly if they show signs of being impulsive.

Using such tasks, research has shown that betting, in healthy individuals, is most common in people between the ages of 17 and 27 and declines as we get older.

Another study showed that gamblers with addiction problems tend to increase their betting over time, and end up going bankrupt. Alcohol and nicotine dependency have also been linked to greater betting problems.

The gamblers brain

From neuro-imaging studies, it is clear that there are several brain regions associated with gambling.

Studies have shown that important regions associated with risky decision-making include the ventromedial prefrontal cortex (involved in decision-making, memory and emotion regulation); orbital frontal cortex (which helps the body respond to emotions); and insula (which regulates the autonomic nervous system).

Problem gamblers may therefore have increased activity in these areas.

When gamblers watch the results of their bet, they also show increased brain activation in the reward system of the brain, including the caudate nucleus.

This may be particularly strong in people who are addicted to gambling. Dopamine, a so-called neurotransmitter which helps nerve cells to communicate, is also known to be an important chemical in the brains reward system.

One study also found that problem gamblers showed significantly higher levels of excitement when dopamine was released in their brains compared to healthy people.

Dopamine release seems to reinforce problem gambling through increasing excitement levels, reducing inhibition of risky decisions, or a combination of both.

In addition, the nucleus accumbens, which plays a role in processing reward, has been shown to be involved in risky behaviours in adolescents and adults. This region is rich in dopamine and suggests a further role for dopamine in risky behaviours.

Tackling gambling addiction

Currently, gambling disorder is diagnosed using the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5) published by the American Psychiatric Association.

Guidelines for the treatment and management of gambling disorder from the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence in the UK are also being developed and expected to be published in 2024.

Current treatment options include certain forms of cognitive behavioural therapy (which can help people change their thinking patterns) and self-help groups.

Some medications, such as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) may be effective in reducing aspects of gambling disorder symptoms, such as depression.

We also know that opioid receptors in the brain help it process rewards, and have long been suspected to be drivers of addiction.

We discovered that there is some evidence indicating that a drug called Naltrexone, which blocks opioid receptors, may help some people with gambling disorder. But more research is required before this can become a standard treatment.

There are also things you can do yourself to control your gambling. The NHS Live Well website provides information for services available for problem gamblers.

It offers tips such as paying your bills before you gamble, spending time with friends and family who do not gamble, and dealing with your debts.

Gamblers would also be wise to avoid seeing gambling as a way to make money, stop bottling up their worries about gambling habits and avoid taking out credit cards to pay for gambling.

As with all mental health problems, the key is to get early support and treatment.

This is especially important so that normal rewards, such as spending time with family and enjoying walks and exercise, are still pleasurable and the reward system does not get hijacked by gambling.

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Gambling: What happens in the brain when we get hooked and how to regain control - The Indian Express

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Gambling regulation bill heads to Senate floor – Buckrail

Posted: at 10:48 am

WYOMING The Senate Travel, Recreation, Wildlife & Cultural Resources Committee voted to move Senate File 109, Wyoming gaming commission-board member, to the Wyoming Senate floor this week.

The bill would prevent Wyoming Gaming Commission officials and staff from engaging in gaming activities while regulating them, a common industry standard imposed in other states.

Teton County Senator Mike Gierau sits on the Travel, Recreation, Wildlife & Cultural Resources Committee and voted in favor of the bill.

Ensuring integrity and fairness is critical to the credibility of Wyomings gaming industry, said Laramie County Senator Affie Ellis, who is sponsoring the bill. That integrity is called into question when gaming commissioners are allowed to benefit off the games and activities they regulate.

For decades, gambling was generally prohibited in Wyoming. However, Wyoming established the Pari-Mutuel Commission in 1967 to authorize activities such as live horse racing.

In 2013, the Legislature allowed the commission to regulate the use of gaming machines, often referred to as historic horse racing machines, to find a revenue stream that would help support the continuation of live horse racing. In 2020, the Legislature transformed the Pari-Mutuel Commission into the Gaming Commission and assigned the commission to regulate online sports wagering and skill-based amusement games commonly found in truck stops, bars and restaurants.

The Wyoming Lottery Corporation prohibits its staff and board members from playing any lottery games and the Wyoming Public Service Commission prohibits its commissioners from receiving any financial benefit from a public utility.

The bill will head to the Senate floor for further consideration.

About The Author

Lindsay Vallen is a Community News Reporter covering a little bit of everything; with an interest in politics, wildlife, and amplifying community voices. Originally from the east coast, Lindsay has called Wilson, Wyoming home since 2017. In her free time, she enjoys snowboarding, hiking, cooking, and completing the Jackson Hole Daily crosswords.

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Gambling regulation bill heads to Senate floor - Buckrail

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