Monthly Archives: June 2022

In the face of U.S. Supreme Court Decision on Roe vs. Wade, California, Oregon and Washington will continue to be a safe haven for all people seeking abortions and other reproductive health care services in these states

SACRAMENTO The governors of California, Oregon and Washington today issued a Multi-State Commitment to defend access to reproductive health care, including abortion and contraceptives, and committed to protecting patients and doctors against efforts by other states to export their abortion bans to our states.

This Multi-State Commitment affirms the governors commitment in response to the U.S. Supreme Courts unprecedented decision to strip away a constitutional right that has been in place for half a century, leaving abortion regulation to the states. The sweeping decision means that for patients in more than half the country, home to 33.6 million women, abortion care is illegal or inaccessible.

A copy of theMulti-State Commitment to Reproductive Freedom can be found here.

In avideo messagethe governors share a powerful message that the West Coast will remain a place where reproductive health care will be accessible and protected.

The Supreme Court has made it clear they want to strip women of their liberty and let Republican states replace it with mandated birth because the right to choose an abortion is not deeply rooted in history. They want to turn back the clock to a time when women had no right to make decisions about their own bodies, when women had to seek care in the shadows and at great danger, when women were not treated as equal citizens under the law. This is another devastating step toward erasing the rights and liberties Americans have fought for on battlefields, in courthouses and in capitols. This is not the America we know and its not the California way,said Governor Gavin Newsom. California has banded together with Oregon and Washington to stand up for women, and to protect access to reproductive health care. We will not sit on the sidelines and allow patients who seek reproductive care in our states or the doctors that provide that care to be intimidated with criminal prosecution. We refuse to go back and we will fight like hell to protect our rights and our values.

Abortion is health care, and no matter who you are or where you come from, Oregon doesnt turn away anyone seeking health care. Period. Let me be clear: You cannot ban abortion, you can only ban safe abortions and this disgraceful Supreme Court decision will undoubtedly put many peoples lives at risk, in addition to stripping away a constitutional right that disproportionately affects women and has been settled law for most of our lifetimes,said Governor Kate Brown. For all the Americans today feeling scared, angry and disappointed for everyone who needs an abortion and does not know where they can access safe reproductive health care please know you are not alone, and the fight is not over.

The law remains unchanged in Washington state, but the threat to patient access and privacy has never been more dangerous. Even in Washington state, Republicans have introduced about 40 bills in the past six years to roll back abortion rights and access to reproductive care,said Governor Jay Inslee. The right of choice should not depend on which party holds the majority, but thats where we find ourselves. More than half the nations population now lacks safe access to a medical procedure that only a patient and their doctor can and should make for themselves. Instead, law enforcement, vigilantes and judicial systems can force patients to bear the burdens of forced pregnancy and birth. Washington state remains steadfast in our commitment to protecting the ability and right of every patient who comes to our state in need of abortion care, and we will fight like hell to restore that right to patients all across the country.

Over the past several years, each state has taken action to expand access to reproductive health care in preparation for just such a decision:

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West Coast States Launch New Multi-State Commitment to Reproductive Freedom, Standing United on Protecting Abortion Access | California Governor -...

After two years of reimagined celebrations, Shell Freedom Over Texas is returning to its full star-spangled glory with an in-person event featuring six hours of festivities along Allen Parkway. Last year, the virtual event included a special moment honoring frontline workers, and the traditional height of the fireworks was doubled to facilitate widespread viewing of the show.

This year, the Fourth of July celebration returns at full capacity to Eleanor Tinsley and Sam Houston Parks on Buffalo Bayou, complete with live music and family-friendly activities. Kicking off the concert at the Shell Main Stage will be Step Rideau and the Zydeco Outlaws, followed by Walker County and rapper/singer Blanco Brown. Later, a performance by Sawyer Brown will open for headliner Clay Walker. The evening concludes with a grand-finale fireworks show.

Festivities throughout the day include an All-American Kids Zone (a childrens entertainment area with a stage for performances), the Bud Light Seltzer Summer Sizzle, a Cool Zone with Houston professional sports teams, a Space City Experience, and a salute to all five branches of the military.

Shell Freedom Over Texas is one of my favorite signature events, and we are thrilled to announce the return of the popular family-friendly celebration, said Mayor Sylvester Turner in a statement. I invite everyone to come and enjoy the entertainment lineup, followed by the spectacular fireworks.

If you wish to skip the crowds and prefer a virtual option, ABC13 will host a live broadcast from 7 to 10 p.m. and also a livestream on abc13.com.

The fun happens Monday, July 4, 2022, from 4 to 10 p.m. at Eleanor Tinsley and Sam Houston Parks. Admission is $10 per person online and at the gates; children ages 5 and under are free. The event will donate a percentage of food and beverage sales to the Houston Food Bank. Those who wish to volunteer will receive an official event T-shirt, free parking, and complimentary food and drinks.

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Shell Freedom Over Texas Returns to In-Person Celebration - Houstonia Magazine

Its a quiet(er) day here in soccer news, especially after D.C. United gave us three headlines in a day last week.

Taxi Fountas has continued showing his quality on the field. A fundamental difference maker, he scored D.C.s lone goal on Saturday against Nashville SC.

Unfortunately, the goals scored against the Black-and-Red set Hany Mukhtar up for MLS Team of the Week. No D.C. United Players made the XI or the bench this week.

Congratulations to D.C. United Academy players for their win against Lamorinda SC! We wish you all the best in the quarterfinals!

D.C. United hosted Play on the Pitch after Saturdays match. Youth teams gathered to play a small sided 5v5 tournament.

Since we cant brag enough about how amazing the Washington Spirit is, lets take a look at these familiar faces in the USWNT lineup from Saturday:

The USWNT plays again at 10 PM ET tonight!

Since we all need a lift this week, Ill just leave you with this gem...

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Tuesday Freedom Kicks: MLS Team of the Week, USWNT plays tonight, and more - Black And Red United

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Freedom in the West, but not for women - The Grand Junction Daily Sentinel

Inspiration can be found in interesting places. For Macy Berendsen 24, inspiration came to her while studying abroad in Rome, where she became aware of the trash epidemic facing the city. As a journalism major with an interest in sustainability, this story was waiting for her to tell. After returning to Minnesota, her professor, Dr. Mark Neuil, encouraged Berendsen to submit her story for a Society of Environmental Journalists Press Freedom Award. She would go on to win the Student Press Freedom Day Op-Ed Contest.

As the first-prize winner, Berendsen had her piece published in SEJournal and took over the Society of Environmental Journalists Twitter account on May 3 (World Press Freedom Day). She also received a one-year SEJ student membership and a one-year full mentorship program in environmental journalism.

Berendsens talent has given her the ability to turn trash into treasure.

What inspired you to focus on Romes garbage issue for your piece?

I originally wrote this piece as part of a class for when I was studying abroad last fall as a student in the Rome Empower Program on the Bernardi Campus. I was in the Environmental Journalism class. For our last essay, we could pick whatever topic we wanted to focus on, and I chose the trash issue. It's so prominent in Rome it's literally everywhere. I wanted to read a little bit more about why it's like this and my professor, Dr. Mark Neuil, helped me out. He said, I think the Mafia is involved, so props to him for kind of giving me the story idea. I took that and used it as my topic.

How did you first become aware of the Mafias connection to waste management in Italy?

My professor was the one who told me about it. His wife was along with us during the program and she's very interested in the Mafia, so he pointed me to go talk to her. She and I talked about what resources could be used and why the Mafia is involved in garbage collection. So, I would have never known if he didn't point that out and I didn't get the resources from his wife.

Is there a specific moment from researching and writing this piece that really stood out to you?

Italy has the highest recycling rate in Europe, but it's obviously still very dirty especially in Rome and Sicily. However, in Florence for example, the city was very clean and very well taken care of. So, when I found out that Italy as a whole, was the No. 1 recycling and waste collection country in Europe after I had witnessed their huge issue, I was shocked.

How did it feel to have your work recognized when you won the national SEJ Press Freedom award?

It was great! Dr. Neuil was the one who sent me the email and said that I should apply. I just thought, OK, not really thinking much of it. He said that it would look good on your resume even if I didn't win. So, I was quite shocked when I got the email that I had won, but it feels really good to have my work recognized. In journalism and as a journalist, it can be difficult to get your work recognized because we're all kind of doing the same thing in a sense. It's nice to have someone appreciate your work, especially as a student, still trying to navigate what I want to do and find what my writing style is. It was so nice to have someone essentially say that I'm on the right track, my writing is good and I'm in a good spot. That's what I liked about and took from the win.

When did you develop a passion for journalism?

Well, when I was senior in high school and everyone had started to decide what theyre going to school for, I still didn't really know. I knew I wanted to continue reading and writing, since that's what I've always been good at and thats my thing. I picked journalism on a whim. I'm an English minor now, but I didnt want to pursue English as a major just because I felt like it was too broad, and I wanted something a little more specific where I could still tailor my reading and writing skills.

Are there any events/issues you would like to focus on after you graduate from St. Thomas?

I enjoy environmental journalism more than I thought I would, so I'd like to see where that goes. I would like to help bring more awareness to specific issues and I would like to focus more on women's issues within marginalized countries in terms of womens rights and care of menstrual-related hygiene and education on the topic. Unfortunately, there are a lot of marginalized women all over the world and a lot of issues regarding women. I would like to focus a lot on women's rights, especially now abortion rights.

How has your time at St. Thomas helped you grow as a journalist?

I definitely think that my involvement in TommieMedia has helped me a lot because I guess its my first taste of what being part of a news organization will be like. Again, when I picked journalism, I didn't really know exactly how my education would look, so being able to be a part of a mini-news organization which is replicating what it's going to be like after graduation. Its really helped me to discover different aspects of journalism like broadcasting, podcasting and whatnot. The professors in the Journalism Department are great, great people with a lot of great resources. They are very smart, very educated, and they have been around for quite some time, so they have a lot of valuable information. That's really helped me grow.

Is there anything else you would like to mention?

I know St. Thomas has a focus on sustainability. I haven't looked into it as much as I should, but now Im more focused on environmental and sustainability topics. With the St. Thomas 2025 plan I think bringing awareness and seeing that it exists, its on our campus, and there are a lot of people doing a lot of great things around campus to help challenge climate change, is something I hope more of our students can become more aware of.

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Sophomore Wins SEJ Press Freedom Award - Newsroom | University of St. Thomas - University of St. Thomas Newsroom

GENEVA (24 June 2022) Media freedom and safety of journalists have declined dangerously around the world with grave negative impacts on human rights, democracy and development globally, a UN expert warned today.

In a climate of surging authoritarianism and backsliding of democracies, populist leaders have actively sought to demonise and discredit independent journalists and many governments have introduced restrictions on freedom of expression contravening international law, said Irene Khan, UN Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of the right to freedom of opinion and expression.

In a report presented to the Human Rights Council, Khan examines opportunities, challenges and threats to media in the digital age. She focuses on three major concerns: online and offline attacks and killing of journalists with impunity; criminalization of journalism and legal and judicial harassment of journalists; and the erosion of independence, freedom, pluralism and viability of the media by State and corporate actors, including digital companies.

Silencing journalists by killing them is the most egregious form of censorship, Khan said as she urged the Human Rights Council to consider robust measures to address impunity, including an international taskforce on the prevention, investigation and prosecution of attacks against journalists.

The age-old practice of using the law to suppress reporting has been revived with a new ferocity in the digital age, said Khan, noting the increased use in recent years of criminal legislation and fake news laws to suppress freedom of expression online and prosecute and punish journalists with heavy fines and harsh imprisonment.

The report highlights digital technology as both enabling groundbreaking journalism and creating new threats, ranging from online gender-based attacks against women journalists and targeted digital surveillance of journalists to orchestrated online disinformation campaigns and the role of digital platforms as gatekeepers controlling the availability, accessibility, diversity and dissemination of news with no public accountability and little transparency.

The overriding problem is not of gaps in international law but of the failures of compliance and implementation, rooted in the lack of political will, Khan said.

The report recommends urgent and concrete action by States, international organizations and companies to address the multiple, complex and often interconnected physical, legal and digital threats in a holistic way in line with international human rights law.

Without concrete action backed by political will, the prognosis for media freedom and the safety of journalists is grim, said Khan. Independent, free and pluralistic news media is crucial for democracy, accountability and transparency and should be nurtured by States and the international community as a public good, she said.

The Special Rapporteur also presented a report on her country visit to Hungary that took place in November 2021.

Originally posted here:

Ensuring media freedom and safety of journalists requires urgent concrete action backed by political will: UN expert - OHCHR

OLD SAYBROOK There was dancing in the center of town as Latin and rock music played while the finishing touches were applied to the Just a Piece of Freedom mural on the south wall of River Mart.

With a playlist from different countries, including French-Spanish singer Manu Chao, Bruce Springsteen and U2, music filled the air as a steady stream of onlookers flocked to the 17- by 74- foot mural, created by international muralist Rafael Blanco.

I saw how people were really liking that vibe, the artist said, taking a quick break from his 12- to 14-hour day.

The artwork features the portraits of six local students, three females and three males, chosen from a pool of 18 essays.

They include Kathleen Goodwin Elementary Schools Ariana Netravali; Old Saybrook Middle Schools Riya Modhvadiya and Teddy Chacha; Old Saybrook High Schools Camilo Bracho and Avery Rueckert and alumnus Davonte Mitchell.

These students were chosen for their diversity.

They told us a little bit about their background and heritage, as well as their talents and accolades, said Hannah Newton, an art teacher at Old Saybrook High School and Old Saybrook Middle School.

The mural is the culmination of high school student Nick Chachas yearlong school project, combined with his interest in art.

The message is that if you take a little second to recognize each others different heritage and where we come from, we can all feel more connected, the incoming senior said.

We can find those different connections and we can start talking more and feel more accepted, he said. It can bring our community together.

Essayist Bracho is Latino and is shown in the mural with a butterfly on his left shoulder.

My story seeks to inspire my entire community to believe in them and show that they can achieve everything they set out to do, Bracho wrote in an email.

Since arriving from Ecuador a year and a half ago, I set out to give my best, I worked on a project on the Latino community to inspire my community to fight for our dreams and express how we feel and what the reality of our situation is, he wrote.

Facing new challenges was not easy but working with dedication and focus everything is possible he continued. I have been working daily for a more inclusive and empathetic community.

He wrote about the uniqueness of the Monarch butterfly: ...something peculiarly interesting is that I made the monarch butterfly with blue color in my art class although they are orange, to show that everyone can create their fantasy.

For Rueckert it was her deep family roots in Old Saybrook that made her essay distinctive.

They owned a tavern back in the 1700s, said Sara Menga, so she has this true New England heritage, which we felt was really important to include, to make our mural not just be about diversity through race, but again, through their talents and history.

Menga is an art teacher at Old Saybrook High School.

Nick Chacha worked closely with Newton and Menga to bring the mural to the life.

Along with him being a really strong artist and flourishing in our room, we also saw him as a strong peer within the ELL (English Language Learners) program, said Newton, standing in front of the mural, scrubbing paint off her hands with a white washcloth.

Newton said the ELL program has been growing within the school system.

It started off with a few families coming to our school from different countries, like just dropping in here, not knowing any English, and Nick has a similar experience where he learned English by starting off in our school system, because he grew up in an Ecuadorian household, she said. He really became a leader within that group of kids and the art and the culture, it all started really mixing together.

Nick Chacha talked about growing up around art.

I grew watching my uncle paint and draw and he used to do it a lot and he was really good, this 18-year-old said. He used to sell his paintings.

It was Nick Chachas immersion in high school art that allowed him to improve and to progress. He recalled that it was the suggestion from teachers that he incorporate his art into his senior project.

Because I am so proud of my heritage and of all my friends, I was like, I should do something to make everyone feel comfortable, the incoming senior said. I know a lot of people from difference countries and I know it can be hard for them to feel accepted or comfortable, at least for a little while, where they are.

From this idea came the creation of the mural. Blanco was paid, through the school system, a total of $7,000.

This artist felt an immediate connection with the project.

Whenever I can I like to focus on diversity, he said, taking a break from his long day of painting. Why? Because Im an immigrant. Im from Spain, my wife is from Mexico, our kids were born here. So, personally it is fascinating to me how beautiful that is, but how complicated. Even at the house we have to find a common ground.

Blanco completed the mural in a weeks time, from June 14-21.

He started the work with chalk, moving onto house paint in blue, red, green, yellow, purple and orange and finished with a coat of sealer that protects the surface for many years to come, he said.

He chose to use vibrant colors and a drip method, so that the faces of the students are multicolored.

I was interested in leaving the skin color out and bringing (in) all the colors in a way that they are mingling, the artist said.

Color, for me, is very important, he said. Part of my work, I want to express how the color of our skin should not define who you are.

I think we are forgetting our commonalities of the human race, he said.

Blanco talked about why he chose to portray the students with the drips of vibrant colors.

Each of us, we are like one of those drips, Blanco said, standing in front of the nearly-finished mural.

We are unique, he said. Each of those drips is just different and original and unique, in one way, but also, all those drips, they are similar.

Nick Chachas brother, Teddy Chacha is featured in the work, forming his hands in a heart shape.

Teddy is mainly blues and greens, but he also has some yellows and you go to Ariana and its mainly yellow, plus she has blues and greens, Blanco said.

What Im trying to say is that we may be certainly different, but we are all part of each other, he said. We have different cultures and we celebrate that, but we are still human, we still have those commonalities.

Blanco talked about the transformation of the wall within the span of week and the impact it has had on the community.

I think the most amazing thing about the project, and about public art, is this wall was gray, empty, blank maybe ugly, and now it is something special that it has many different layers, Blanco said.

To me, that something so simple can motivate, can stimulate, can bring the town together, he said. Ive been here for a week now and, in a way, it has been one of the most difficult murals to finish because it has had so much of an impact that it was difficult to paint.

While he admitted it may take a little time to fully comprehend the affect of the work on him, personally, he had some thoughts.

I think one of the reasons is that in smaller communities there is more of an impact, he said. This is really different and I think people were expecting to see a lighthouse, a landscape, a boat.

Watching the finishing touches added to the mural, Samantha Walsh talked about the project.

I just think its mind blowing, Walsh said.

Its just beautiful, the 14-year-old said. It shocks me that a guy can do this, to this scale, to the detail. Its amazing.

Beyond the actual artistry, the incoming Old Saybrook High School freshman said she appreciates the message.

I just love what it represents for Old Saybrook, she said. I like how the center is Teddy Chacha with the heart. It really just brings diversity and love into this town.

For Blanco, it was an enlightening experience to be a part of this project.

For the people to see the process, the progress and to get to meet the artist and that they are involved it in has been a full circle of many different layers that we didnt know we were going to get this far, he said.

Whenever I go to places, there is an idea and you never know the outcome, you never know how much of an impact, you never know how much a collaboration its going to be, he said. You never know how many of the kids were going to help and at the end, its been overwhelmingly a success because everyone wanted to participate.

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International artist paints 'Just a Piece of Freedom' mural in Old Saybrook with local helpers - CT Insider

(Rick Egan | The Salt Lake Tribune) Sen. Mike Lee makes a few comments early in the evening at his election party in South Jordan on Tuesday.

| June 29, 2022, 2:25 a.m.

| Updated: 4:22 a.m.

Follow primary election live at The Salt Lake Tribunes results page.

Sen. Mike Lee has won the Utah GOP U.S. Senate nomination for the third time, according to the Associated Press. He defeated Republicans Becky Edwards and Ally Isom.

Utah Republican voters have spoken tonight, and they had a choice, Lee told the crowd during his acceptance speech. They made the choice for freedom.

They made a choice, rejecting the Biden administrations failed policies, Lee said.

Lee and other members of Utahs congressional delegation gathered at the Awaken Event Center in South Jordan to await the results with their supporters. Just before 8 p.m., conservative commentator Glenn Beck introduced Lee and his wife, Sharon, to cheers from supporters.

[Utah Legislature results | Moore, Stewart, Curtis and Owens win | Live count | Election night updates]

(Rick Egan | The Salt Lake Tribune) Glen Beck says a few words to the crowd, at Sen. Mike Lee's election party at Awaken Event Center, onTuesday, June 28, 2022.

With about 270,000 ballots counted, Lee had almost 61% of the vote, while Edwards had nearly 31% and Isom was just over 8%.

Edwards and Isom had a very narrow window of opportunity on Tuesday evening if they hoped to pull the upset over Lee. That path never materialized.

Lees victory was so complete, he won every county that reported election results on Tuesday night. In the rural areas, Lee racked up big margins over Edwards and Isom. He also prevailed in several counties where Edwards was expected to do well, like Salt Lake, Davis and Weber.

(Voters) made a choice to embrace the inalienable right to life and Utahs values, Lee said.

The results set up what could be one of the most competitive U.S. Senate races Utah has seen in decades, but not because of any newfound love for the Democratic Party in deep-red Utah. The last time a Democratic U.S. Senate nominee cracked 40% was 1982, when Ted Wilson lost to Orrin Hatch by 17 points.

Instead of their usual quixotic quest, Utah Democrats declined to send a nominee to the ballot this year, clearing the way for a one-on-one contest between the Republican nominee and independent candidate Evan McMullin. Polling suggests McMullin would be within a few points of Lee; however, Lees internal polling shows he leads McMullin by double digits.

The last time a U.S. Senate race in Utah was decided by single digits was 1974, when Republican Jake Garn defeated Democrat Wayne Owens by just under six points. Third-party candidate Bruce Bangerter drew nearly 6% of the vote that year. Democrat Frank Moss squeaked past Republican Arthur Watkins by just four points in 1958. Third-party candidate J. Bracken Lee received 26.4% that year.

This was Lees first primary election since his first campaign in 2010. That year he finished second at the GOP convention to Tim Bridgewater but edged him out in the primary by just over 4,600 votes.

Edwards, who served in the Utah House from 2009 to 2018 is more moderate politically than Lee. The conservative organization Project Veritas targeted her with an undercover video that attempted to paint her as pro-abortion rights. She and her husband served a mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints prior to her run for Senate.

She conceded from a campaign event in Sugar House Park in Salt Lake City.

(Trent Nelson | The Salt Lake Tribune) Republican U.S. Senate candidate Becky Edwards dances with her mother, Barbara Price, and mother-in-law Patti Edwards (left), at her primary election night party in Salt Lake City's Sugar House Park on Tuesday, June 28, 2022.

This is Isoms first run for elective office. She was appointed to fill a seat on the Kaysville City Council in 2010 but resigned that seat the following year to join Gov. Gary Herberts administration. Isom renounced her membership in the Republican Party following Donald Trumps election in 2016 but rejoined the party before the 2020 primary election.

Edwards and Isom were outgunned financially by Lee, who has raised $6.5 million so far for his reelection campaign. Edwards and Isom both mostly self-funded their efforts, with Edwards lending her campaign $500,000 while Isom used nearly $140,000 of her own money. McMullin has raised $2.7 million since he jumped into the race.

The threat McMullin poses to Lees bid for a third term has not gone unnoticed by national election handicappers. Larry Sabatos Crystal Ball shifted the race away from Lee slightly earlier this month, changing the rating from safe Republican to likely Republican.

Editors note The Salt Lake Tribune is providing free access to 2022 Utah primary election result stories. Sign up for our The Rundown newsletter sent to your inbox every morning. To support journalism like this, please donate or become a subscriber.

Originally posted here:

'They made the choice for freedom': Sen. Mike Lee celebrates GOP primary win over Edwards and Isom - Salt Lake Tribune

In the wake of the overturn of Roe v. Wade by a vehemently anti-Democratic Supreme Court, publishers have reported higher sales of both front- and backlist titles about abortion and reproductive freedom.

Among the titles in high demand are Annie Ernauxs memoirHappening(which was recently adapted into an excellent film), Robin Martys The New Handbook for a Post-Roe America, Joshua Pragers The Family Roe(a biography of the Roe v. Wade plaintiff, Norma McCorvey), Lauren Rankins Bodies on the Line: At the Front Lines of the Fight to Protect Abortion in America, and Shelly Orias anthology I Know Whats Best for You: Stories on Reproductive Freedom.

Of course, not all publishers are interested in speaking directly about the atrocity that is the overturn of Roe Simon & Schuster CEO Jonathan Karp, for instance, decided to send a mealy-mouthed memo letting S&S staff know that the company would be giving away two ebooks books about, uh, finding common ground with those with whom you disagree (or, I guess, with those who want to force you to carry a pregnancy no matter the physical, psychological, or mortal consequences!):

Glad to hear that the CEO of one of the largest publishing companies in the world (and also the one that distributes the conspiracy mongering, Sandy Hook-denying books of Skyhorse) supports a pregnant persons right to choose one of two ebooks (free until 7/31) that will teach them to have a more civilized fucking discourse.

[h/t Publishers Weekly]

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Unsurprisingly, books about abortion and reproductive freedom are in high demand. - Literary Hub

George Michael performs on stage in Australia, March 1988.Photo: Michael Putland (Getty Images)

Theres the story a celebrity wants to you hear, and then theres the truth. Some moments in the new George Michael documentary Freedom: Uncut blur the line between the two, elevating the movie into momentary transcendence. Almost invariably, these moments come via Michaels own words. On his early career as the lead in the two-man boy band Wham!, Michael recalls: We were taking the piss out of ourselves half the time. How could the country be in love with these two idiots? On his ascendance to stardom that would find him standing shoulder-to-shoulder with titans of 80s pop like Madonna, Michael Jackson, and Prince, Michael comments: If I was looking for happiness, this was the wrong road, but I dont think theres any way I couldve controlled my ego enough to have stopped me exploring the possibility of being the biggest-selling artist in the world. On his formative influences, Michael recalls owning records by the Supremes and Tom Jones as a child, and then admits with a chuckle that he essentially settled somewhere between the two in his career.

Michaels aptitude for talking about himself in vivid, pithy terms was part of his job description as a pop star. In a documentary that is presented with such gravity (HIS FINAL WORK reads its poster, and friend Kate Moss says in the films introduction that he had been working on it in the days leading up to his death on Christmas 2016), his words are a double-edged sword. They give Freedom: Uncut, which Michael co-directed alongside his childhood friend and lifelong confidant David Austin, momentary insight that exceeds your usual pop-star vanity doc, and they also make it clear that he deserved better than what is, in other moments, just another pop-star vanity doc.

Freedom: Uncut - Official Trailer

Freedom: Uncut is storied, a restoration of a directors cut that Austin had chopped up to fit on television when it originally aired in the U.K. in 2017, according to a recent New York Times piece. Included in the Uncut version, theTimes reported, are recently discovered outtakes from the Freedom 90 video and home-video footage of Michael and Anselmo Feleppa, his first boyfriend, who died of AIDS complications in March 1993, less than two years after Michael and he met. It was a wonderful six months, says Michael in Freedom of the brief period he knew Feleppa before his diagnosis and health downturn.

We see Michael and Feleppa spending time together (at one point, they pose with Harry of and the Hendersons fame), though we dont hear from Feleppa directly. Those that we do hear from are mostly stars who provide shine of their own. In the section of the movie devoted to Michaels relationship with Black music and embrace by Black audiences (the ballad One More Try from his blockbuster 1987 album Faith went to No. 1 on Billboards Black Singles Chart, as it was then known), Stevie Wonder makes a joke in reference to Michaels appeal and his own blindness: You mean George is white? Are you serious? Oh my God. Nile Rogers cries while listening to Michaels cover of Wonders They Wont Go, and Mark Ronson compares Freedom 90 to the Mona Lisa. Oasiss Liam Gallagher gushes about Michaels sophomore solo album, 1990s Listen Without Prejudice, Vol. 1, and sums up Michaels Faith-era appeal in three words: Modern. Day. Elvis. On appearing in Michaels iconic Freedom 90 video, supermodel Linda Evangelista tells us that lip-syncing is hard.

Freedom! 90" clip from Freedom: Uncut.

According to the Times story, Freedom was devised as a complement to the 2004 BBC documentary A Different Story. Whereas that one focused on Michaels personal life, Freedom followed his musical life, which is why it barely addressed the decade before Michaels death. Theres no mention of his multiple arrests for traffic violations (including crashes and falling asleep at an intersection) in the 2000s, no mention of the boyfriends who came after Feleppa (Kenny Goss and Fadi Fawaz), no indication that he struggled with managing his sexuality while attempting to appeal to the masses (in particular, the girls and women that dominated his audience during his pop heartthrob 80s). The arc in Freedom finds him going from conforming to an image that could be sold to everyone to realizing that, Im not like other people at all. Thats all well and good, but it hardly gets under his skin. Freedom: Uncut is satisfied with rehashing Michaels public triumphs, and his perseverance in the face of setbacks (Feleppas death, losing a lawsuit against Sony in the early 90s, being outed after his arrest for indecent exposure in a Beverly Hills park bathroom). Its a nice reminder to anyone who paid attention and perhaps a decent primer for those who arent acquainted with Michaels work, but theres little new information or insight to behold.

For that, you could crack open James Gavins behemoth biography, George Michael: A Life, out next week. The 528-page book is about as definitive as these things get. It seems to spare no lurid detail, and has the feel of a deliciously unauthorized J. Randy Taraborrelli tell-all from the 80s. Tales of drugs (including cocaine, ecstasy, marijuana, and, toward the end of Michaels life, GHB), sex, Aretha Franklin eating ribs out of his lap in the studio during the recording of I Knew You Were Waiting (For Me), Michaels years-long feud with Boy George, and an aborted Daft Punk collaboration keep things moving at a tantalizing clip.

Gavins particular interest lies in Michaels private life, specifically how he dealt with being in the closet as one of the worlds biggest pop stars. According to Gavin, Michael started cruising for sex with men around the age of 16 and enlisted a line of beards to help keep his cover, including Kathy Jeung, who appeared as his love/sex interest in the video for I Want Your Sex. (For one birthday, Michael bought her a Toyotaher choicewith a license plate that read IWANTYOURSEX.) The rumors swirled around Michael as early as Wham!s signing with manager Simon Napier-Bell, who recalls that when the news hit the trade papers, At least four friends called me up and said, George is gay. I said, No, hes not. They said, Ive been in a toilet with him. Ive seen him in that club.

Michael, Gavin contends, wrote I Want Your Sex for a straight guy named Tony Garcia, a swarthy, curly-haired, handsome French playboy and occasional record producer with whom he had spent glamorous times in St.-Tropez and elsewhere. Michael was repeatedly asked about his sexuality in the press, including by 60 Minutes Australias Jeff McMullen, whose first question in an interview that aired in 1988 was, George, are you gay? Years before he was forced out of the closet, Michael refused to answer the question and indicated that he never would. After the 1998 bathroom incident, though, Michael became one of the few openly gay superstars. Few had been as protective of their queerness, and then as free with it as Michael. In very much the same way, few superstars addressed the topic of monogamy so explicitly (Michael writes EXPLORE and MONOGAMY on Jeungs body in lipstick during the Sex video) and then discussed living in non-monogamy with equal candor (He knows who I am, explained Michael regarding his open relationship with Goss).

The shocking 1988 interview with George Michael on his sexuality for 60 Minutes Australia.

Michael was sometimes winking from the closet (the strand of pearls affixed to the shoulder of his iconic leather jacket in the Faith video was there because I somehow wanted to make people understand that I wasnt stupid enough to think I was butch). In Freedom: Uncut he indicates that Older, his 1996 album that was dedicated to Feleppa and included gender-specific pronouns in love songs, was his soft announcement to the world about his sexuality: For anyone who had a clue about any kind of symbolism, I was coming out. But half out is still half in, and thats an awfully closed-mouthed way to discuss something that caused a considerable amount of concern and perhaps devastation. Gavins account makes the closet sound more like a prison. After his HIV diagnosis, Feleppa had returned to Brazil for medical care, and was admitted to a hospital after falling ill. He was expected, at least by Michael and his people, to recover. He didnt. Why Michael didnt rush to the side of his gravely ill partner was open to speculation. But had he gone, the possibility existed that his secret might have leaked out, especially if he were visiting Feleppa in the hospital, writes Gavin. Feleppa died and was swiftly buried. Michael missed the funeral.

Though the attempt at a 360-degree view of Michaels life is far more pronounced in Gavins book than Michaels movie, George Michael: A Life is nonetheless buoyed by Michaels words, which can read as charmingly self-effacing and otherwise remarkable in their self-awareness. Michael was a true pop scholar, much like Courtney Love or Lady Gaga (though they were more vocal about their self-education). Before the word poptimism was coined, Michael waved the flag for bubblegum: Somewhere along the way, pop lost all its respect. And I think I kind of stubbornly stick up for all of that, he told Rolling Stone. He admitted that theres not much that I write that doesnt stem from some other influence, going as far as to label I Want Your Sex a rather limp attempt to do a Prince. He was very good at soundbites. George Michael on sex workers: You dont pay an escort for sex. What you really pay an escort for is to leave after the sex. George Michael on his gay audience: Theyre only interested when youre in the closet. Once youre out, they dont give a toss. George Michael on motivation: Its the things that are missing that make you a star, its not the things that you have.

I Want Your Sex

Gavin revels in Michaels contradictions. From the closet, Michael wanted to titillate with sex and keep his secrets untouched, according to Gavin. During the Faith era, at the height of Michaels fame in the U.S., he was lonely and, according to Michael himself, The adulation from this huge, huge record put that loneliness into such stark contrast. Michael was generous with his money (Gavin estimates that by the time surrounding Michaels 2004 album Patience, the star had quietly donated 20 million) and also cheap (Friends talked of how he had employed the same housekeeper for over two decades and never given her a raise, writes Gavin, adding that his staff did not receive health insurance). He was ahead of his time, fighting his record label over a shitty contract that he signed under what he claimed was duress and certainly when he had much less knowledge of the business, and yet his allergy to self-promotion reads as quaint in a time when people perform it as a matter of course. I see hard-sell promotion as prostitution, Michael once said.

The Freedom doc, as it originally aired, contains a similar, albeit dubious, multivalence to Gavin: The star renowned for wanting his privacy had shown an almost pathological compulsion to explain himself, spelling out the what, how, and why of his every move, while assuring viewers of how happy he was.

George Michael checks his video camera on a railway station platform in Japan during the Japanese/Australian leg of his Faith World Tour in February 1988.Photo: Michael Putland (Getty Images)

Gavin is not so sure about that happiness. Michaels death was sad and its timingon Christmasmade it sadder. Its incredible poignancy was widely noted: At 53, Michael had died alone [in his room] at Christmas, while his 21-year-old voice was in the air all over England, singing wistfully of a broken heart, writes Gavin in reference to Wham!s enduring holiday chestnut, Last Christmas.

Now Im gonna get myself happy, Michael sang in the autobiographical Freedom 90, and he seemed to not just mean it, but to be taking steps to ensure it. But happiness seemed to elude Michael after losing Feleppa. More than 20 years later, as he was working on the Freedom: Uncut doc, he referred to Feleppa as Anselmo: such a beautiful companion, such an amazing person I was so proud that this was my destiny. After his death, his friend Elton John maintained that Michael never really accepted his sexuality. His press agent Michael Pagnotta said, I always felt that the last fifteen years or so of his life were about him trying to punish himself. George Michael: A Life suggests that making himself happy remained an unrealized ideal, hardly the fait accompli that his smile and ebullient pop would have you believe.

Originally posted here:

George Michael and the High Price of Freedom - Jezebel