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☆ Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s family dissents after award in her name is given to Elon Musk and Rupert Murdoch
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-15 | by ( Tierney Sneed | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —The family of the late liberal Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg wants her name pulled off an award after the foundation in charge of doling it out named SpaceX CEO Elon Musk and conservative media mogul Rupert Murdoch among this year’s recipients. In addition to Musk and Murdoch, lifestyle icon Martha Stewart, actor Sylvester Stallone and financier Michael Milken are also recipients of the award. The Ginsburg award “celebrates leaders who have demonstrated extraordinary accomplishments in their chosen fields,” according to an announcement by the foundation on Wednesday. “Justice Ginsburg fought not only for women but for everyone,” said Julie Opperman, chair of the foundation, in a statement accompanying the announcement this week. Barbra Streisand receives The Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg Woman of Leadership Award on July 1, 2023 in Malibu, California.

Persons: Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Elon Musk, Rupert Murdoch, Ginsburg’s, Ginsburg, ”, Trevor Morrison, Murdoch, Martha Stewart, Sylvester Stallone, Michael Milken, “, Barbra Streisand, “ Justice Ginsburg, Julie Opperman, Stewart, ” Murdoch, Kevin Mazur, Dwight D, Morrison, CNN’s Devan Cole Organizations: CNN, SpaceX, Opperman, ”, New York University School of Law Locations: Malibu , California

☆ Bukele Landslide Shifts El Salvador to One-Party State, Amplifies Democracy Fears
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-05 | by ( Feb. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +5 min

By Sarah Kinosian and Nelson RenteriaSAN SALVADOR (Reuters) - The landslide re-election of El Salvador President Nayib Bukele was cheered by supporters of his gang crackdown, but has worried opponents who fear the country is sliding into a de facto one-party state. El Salvador had "made history" for electing a single party "in a fully democratic system," he said. But rights groups said they are worried about where the country is headed and forecast further curbs on civil rights. They are just grateful he crushed the gang violence plaguing El Salvador for decades and that they can go outside after dark again. "Democratic spaces are closing in El Salvador, civil society is closing down and there is an environment of fear to speak out," said Claudia Ortiz, a lawmaker who has clashed with Bukele and ran for the upstart Vamos party.

Persons: Sarah Kinosian, Nelson, Nayib Bukele, Bukele, El Salvador, Gabriela Santos, State Anthony Blinken, Daniel Ortega, Gladis Munoz, Claudia Ortiz, Nelson Renteria, Drazen Jorgic, Christian Plumb, Rosalba O'Brien Organizations: SALVADOR, Reuters, El Salvador, U.S, Human Rights, University of Central America, El, State, Bukele Locations: El Salvador, U.S, Central America, El, Nicaragua, Venezuela

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — The Democratic mayor of San Francisco is pushing a pair of controversial public safety proposals on the March 5 ballot, including one that would require single adults on welfare be screened and treated for illegal drug addiction or else lose cash assistance. San Francisco is in a struggle to redefine itself after the pandemic left it in economic tatters and highlighted its longstanding problems with homelessness, drugs and property crime. Violent crimes are low in San Francisco, but the city has long struggled with quality-of-life crimes. But she said San Francisco needs to do more. Yet Trent Rhorer, executive director of the San Francisco Human Services Agency, which provides cash assistance and employment services to low-income residents without dependent children, said the current situation is in conflict with the agency's mission: to improve lives.

Persons: she'll, San, Breed, Black, Chris Ballard, Coleman, ”, Trent Rhorer, “, Gavin Newsom, Rhorer, ” Rhorer, Michael Hsu, Hsu Organizations: FRANCISCO, —, Democratic, Mayor London Breed, San Francisco Human Services Agency, Democratic Gov, Department of Public Health, . Police Locations: San Francisco, Francisco, Democratic California

The tool, Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, will expire at the end of December unless the White House and Congress can cut a deal and resolve an unusually vexing debate that has yielded unlikely alliances at the intersection of privacy and national security. Without the program, administration officials warn, the government won't be able to collect crucial intelligence overseas. National security officials have said that 59% of articles in the president’s daily brief contain Section 702 information. The White House has already dismissed as unworkable the one known legislative proposal that’s been advanced. Despite the clear challenges in reaching a compromise, the last-minute scramble between the White House and Congress has come to be expected each time the government’s surveillance powers are set to be renewed.

Persons: Biden, Matthew Olsen, Ayman al, Donald Trump, Trump, “, ”, Jamil Jaffer, George Mason University’s, That’s, Jim Jordan, Democratic Sen, Ron Wyden, Wyden, Andy Biggs, —, We’re, ” Wyden, “ We’ve, Farnoush Amiri Organizations: WASHINGTON, Foreign Intelligence, House, Department's, Hamas, Trump, White House, Congress, National Security Institute, George, White, Capitol, FBI, Republican Rep, Democratic, Republican, Associated Press Locations: U.S, Russia

☆ Former New Jersey Gov. Jim McGreevey seeks mayoral run nearly 20 years after leaving office
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-10 | by ( Nicole Chavez | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —Jim McGreevey, the former New Jersey governor who publicly acknowledged he was gay and admitted to an affair before stepping down nearly 20 years ago, announced Thursday he will campaign for mayor of Jersey City in 2025. But I also think, God willing, that I can give something back,” McGreevey said Thursday at an event kicking off his campaign. McGreevey, a 66-year-old Democrat, was elected in 2001 as New Jersey governor. In a campaign video, McGreevey, who served as mayor of Woodbridge Township before becoming governor, asked people to give him a second chance. And that’s what, God willing, this campaign is all about, is a new opportunity for Jersey City,” he said in the video.

Persons: Jim McGreevey, I’ve, ” McGreevey, McGreevey, Candido Ortiz, CNN’s Kaitlan Collins, ” “, “, it’s, Steven Fulop, It’s, ”, CNN’s Piper Hudspeth Blackburn Organizations: CNN, New, Jersey City, Corporation, Democratic Locations: New Jersey, Jersey, “, Dominican, Woodbridge Township, Ireland

☆ Germany’s Stifling of Pro-Palestinian Voices Pits Historical Guilt Against Free Speech
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-10 | by ( Erika Solomon | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Her activism won attention and praise in Germany, her adopted country — until she took it to a protest in support of Palestinians. The two were not demonstrating, she said, but wore the black and white Palestinian scarf known as the kaffiyeh. The police pushed her friend to the ground, pinned him down for several minutes and arrested him. “What I saw in their eyes is similar to what I saw in the eyes of Assad regime forces,” Ms. Mustafa said, referring to Bashar al-Assad, the Syrian dictator. Some, citing security fears, have imposed stiff restrictions on pro-Palestinian protests in particular or banned them altogether, raising concerns about the violation of civil liberties.

Persons: Wafa Mustafa, Mustafa, Assad, ” Ms, Bashar al, “, ” Organizations: United Nations Locations: Syria, Germany, Berlin, Gaza, Syrian, Israel, Europe

BRAUNAU AM INN, Austria (AP) — Work started Monday on turning the house in Austria where Adolf Hitler was born in 1889 into a police station, a project meant to make it unattractive as a site of pilgrimage for people who glorify the Nazi dictator. The decision on the future of the building in Braunau am Inn, a town on Austria's border with Germany, was made in late 2019. Plans call for a police station, the district police headquarters and a security academy branch where police officers will get human rights training. On Monday, workers put up fencing and started taking measurements for the construction work.The police are expected to occupy the premises in early 2026. The building had been rented by Austria’s Interior Ministry since 1972 to prevent its misuse, and was sublet to various charitable organizations.

Persons: —, Adolf Hitler, Austrian, Florian Kotanko, ”, ” “ Organizations: Austria’s Interior Ministry Locations: Austria, Nazi, Braunau, Austria's, Germany

☆ Ireland bolsters data watchdog's powers, privacy activists cry foul
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-28 | by ( Padraic Halpin | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

DUBLIN, June 28 (Reuters) - Ireland bolstered its powerful data regulator's ability to stop the sharing of information during its inquiries into global tech companies amid criticism from opposition parties, privacy activists and non-governmental organisations. Ireland's Data Protection Commissioner (DPC) is the European Union's lead regulator of many of the world's largest technology companies due to their EU headquarters being based in Ireland, and has levied billions of euros worth of fines under the bloc's General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), introduced in 2018. The DPC had sought the powers in order to ensure fair procedure, he said. "To be clear nothing in this amendment will prevent a complainant from speaking out about the nature of their data privacy complaint. The European Consumer Organisation, European Digital Rights group and Amnesty International also spoke out against the bill.

Persons: Max Schrems, James Brown, DPC, Johnny Ryan, Catherine Murphy, Padraic Halpin, Grant McCool Organizations: DUBLIN, Data Protection, Irish, of Civil Liberties, European Consumer Organisation, European Digital Rights, Amnesty International, Social Democrats, Thomson Locations: Ireland, European, Austrian

HONG KONG, June 27 (Reuters) - A series of brutal attacks in Hong Kong is shining a light on mental health in a city that has suffered from particularly acute strains while lacking sufficient resources to provide proper care for all who need it, mental health groups say. A city government spokesman, asked about the state of mental health, referred Reuters to a meeting the administration organised this month aimed at exploring more ways to address mental health problems and support people who suffer from severe mental disorders. Mental health experts point to the COVID-19 pandemic as a major factor in the increase in mental health issues, as it has been in many places. 'EXHAUSTION'Judy Blaine, a researcher and consultant on mental wellbeing, says it is the compounding of stresses that takes a toll on Hong Kong's people. Carol Liang, deputy CEO of the group Mind Hong Kong, said waiting times for cases deemed non-urgent can be as long as 90 weeks in the Hospital Authority system.

Persons: Abby Choi, Judy Blaine, Hong, Blaine, Carol Liang, Hong Kong, Farah Master, Anne Marie Roantree, Robert Birsel Organizations: Hong Kong Foundation, Organization, Reuters, Hospital Authority, Organisation for Economic Cooperation, Development, Thomson Locations: HONG KONG, Hong Kong, Beijing, Hong

☆ Ombudsman to investigate if Spain delayed migrant rescue
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-23 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

MADRID, June 23 (Reuters) - Spain's ombudsman is to investigate the sinking of a dinghy headed to the Canary Islands from Morocco on Wednesday after more than 30 migrants were feared dead. Migration-focused organisations Walking Borders and Alarm Phone criticised Spain and Morocco this week for not intervening earlier to rescue the vessel's passengers. Two people, a child and an adult man, were found dead while 24 migrants were rescued by Morocco, Spain's maritime rescue service said. The ministry statement said the maritime rescue service complied with international search and rescue procedures. "At no time did the Moroccan authorities ask Spain's rescue service for assistance or mobilisation of resources, except in the final moments when the mobilisation of a helicopter was requested.

Persons: Emma Pinedo, Aislinn Laing, Alison Williams Organizations: Borders, United Nations, Transport, Thomson Locations: MADRID, Canary Islands, Morocco, Spain, Spain's, Melilla, Spanish, Madrid, Rabat

☆ Jimmy Carter's legacy: How he welcomed refugees
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-04 | by ( Catherine E. Shoichet | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +14 min

These steps Carter took during his presidency are still shaping the United States, decades after he left office. Because of Carter’s actions, hundreds of thousands of people fleeing persecution had a chance to come to the United States when he was commander-in-chief. A crisis that began before Carter took office was becoming increasingly dire by the day. That respect, Nguyen says, was earned by actions that Carter took that changed the course of her parents’ lives. “They were only able to do so because of the political courage exercised by President Carter,” she says.

Persons: Jimmy Carter’s, hasn’t, Carter, ”, Kai Bird, Jimmy Carter, Bird, Carter didn’t, Fred Ihrt, ” Carter, Bee Nguyen, it’s, Nguyen, ’, “, ” Nguyen, President Carter, AAPIHeritageMonth, –, ♥️, ince, ives, K unis,, inger, egina, sia, ould, ong, ake, ariel, haring, J, ross Organizations: CNN, CBS, The New York Times, White, ust, ashington Locations: United States, Southeast Asia, Vietnam, Saigon, Georgia, Thailand, Iowa, America, ife

☆ F.B.I. Violated Surveillance Program Rules After George Floyd Protests and Jan. 6 Attack
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-19 | by ( Charlie Savage | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

The total number of queries for Americans — and the frequency of compliance incidents — appears to have dropped as a result. Among other things, an intelligence community report last month said that the F.B.I. While Congress did so in 2012 and 2018, the program faces stronger headwinds this cycle, as Republicans who have adopted former President Donald J. Trump’s hostility toward the F.B.I. and surveillance have joined with civil libertarians who have long been critical of the law. Against that backdrop, privacy advocates have revived a proposal to require the government to obtain a warrant from the surveillance court before it may query the Section 702 repository using an American’s identifiers.

☆ FBI broke rules in scouring foreign intelligence on Jan. 6 riot, racial justice protests, court says
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-19 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

FBI officials repeatedly violated their own standards when they searched a vast repository of foreign intelligence for information related to the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection at the U.S. Capitol and racial justice protests in 2020, according to a heavily blacked-out court order released Friday. The violations were detailed in a secret court order issued last year by the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court, which has legal oversight of the U.S. government's spy powers. At issue are improper queries of foreign intelligence information collected under Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, which enables the government to gather the communications of targeted foreigners outside the U.S. That program expires at the end of the year unless it is renewed. FBI searches must have a foreign intelligence purpose or be aimed at finding evidence of a crime. The order says the FBI had maintained that the queries were likely to return foreign intelligence, though the reasons given for that assessment are mostly redacted.

☆ Thai activist sentenced to 28 years for online posts about king
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-27 | by ( Associated Press | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +3 min

The court in the northern province of Chiang Rai found that Mongkhon Thirakot violated the lese majeste law in 14 of 27 posts for which he was arrested last August. The 42-year total prison term was reduced by one third, to 28 years, because of Mongkhon’s cooperation with the court. Prosecutions under the lese majeste law have recently drawn increased public attention because of a prison hunger strike by two female activists charged with the offense. The opposition Move Forward Party, which has been offering support, has proposed amending the lese majeste law, but no action has been taken in Parliament. “The entire Thai justice system has a problem and so does the enforcement of the lese majeste law, which is also used as a political tool.

☆ Nick Clegg led Meta's decision to reinstate Trump to Facebook and Instagram. Here's how the former UK deputy prime minister charmed his way into Mark Zuckerberg's inner circle.
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-26 | by ( Philip Webster | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +18 min

Nick Clegg has risen quickly to become one of Mark Zuckerberg's closest confidants at Meta. Clegg, a former UK deputy prime minister, led the decision to reinstate Donald Trump to Facebook. It was updated on February 16, 2022 following the news that Nick Clegg had been promoted to the role of President for Global Affairs. In a challenging economic climate, the Lib Dems and their Conservative coalition partners voted to raise tuition fees. Nick Clegg (left) and Chris Huhne appearing on the BBC's "The Andrew Marr Show" in October 2007.

☆ The Oath Keepers promised to defend liberty — and ended up trying to overthrow American democracy
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-31 | by ( Charles R. Davis | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

The Oath Keepers were founded in 2009, pledging to stand up to tyranny. The Oath Keepers, to be sure, are not to be confused with a charming but a little bit problematic ex. A look at the list of 10 orders the Oath Keepers insisted its members — cops and soldiers — would not carry out reveals as much. Thanks to the magic of the Internet Archive, however, we can see just how they were received on the Oath Keepers' website at the time. But there is, in my take, nothing different about the underlying threat that Oath Keepers posed from day one."

☆ Netanyahu set to retake power at head of far-right government
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-29 | by ( Maayan Lubell | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/3] Israeli designate Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu attends a session at the plenum at the Knesset, Israel's parliament in Jerusalem December 28, 2022. Fending off criticism, Netanyahu has repeatedly pledged to promote tolerance and pursue peace. "We will establish a stable government for a full term that will take care of all Israel's citizens," Netanyahu said on Wednesday. Israel's longest serving leader, he was prime minister for three years in the 1990s and then from 2009-2021, albeit at times heading a caretaker government ahead of elections. Violence in the West Bank has surged this year.

HONG KONG — Xi Jinping secured a historic third term as leader of China on Sunday, cementing his status as the country’s most powerful figure in decades and extending his authoritarian rule over the world’s second-largest economy. The Chinese leader Deng Xiaoping introduced the limit in 1982 to prevent a return to a Mao-style cult of personality. The Chinese leader reiterated the goal of peaceful “reunification,” without renouncing the possible use of force. “Xi still promises no specific timeline on unification.”But the Chinese leader did put greater emphasis on warning “external forces” to stay out of the Taiwan issue. A telecast of Chinese President Xi Jinping plays on a screen in Hong Kong on Monday.

Over 2,500 people lined up to offer condolences to Queen Elizabeth II outside the British consulate in Hong Kong on September 12, 2022. It originally defined sedition as speech that brought “hatred or contempt” against the Queen, her heirs, or the Hong Kong government. The colonial flag of Hong Kong and images of Queen Elizabeth are placed outside the British Consulate in Hong Kong on September 12. “I feel angry that the Hong Kong government is not showing any respect properly (to the Queen). Since the introduction of the national security law, Britain has created what it calls a path to citizenship via a new type of visa.

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