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☆ Putin critic Vladimir Kara-Murza thought he was being executed before his release in historic prisoner swap
▼ + stars: | 2024-08-13 | by ( Helen Regan | Mariya Knight | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

CNN —Vladimir Kara-Murza, a Russian opposition politician and one of President Vladimir Putin’s fiercest critics, has described the psychological torture he endured during 11 months in solitary confinement, saying he thought he would die in a Siberian cell. “Just a little over two weeks ago, I was still sitting in my solitary confinement cell in a harsh regime prison colony in Siberia. And I was certain that I was going to end my life in the prison,” Kara-Murza said. But Kara-Murza was taken to a passenger airport in Omsk and loaded onto a plane headed for Moscow. Now enjoying his freedom and time with his family, Kara-Murza has promised to return to Russia.

Persons: Vladimir Kara, Murza, Vladimir Putin’s, CNN’s Erin Burnett, Evan Gershkovich, Paul Whelan, Alsu Kurmasheva, ” Kara, Alexei Navalny, Kara, Erin Burnett, Evgenia Kara, Murza –, –, Vladimir, “ Vladimir Putin’s, ”, “, Vadim Krasikov, Muza, Joe Biden, Biden, Evgenia Organizations: CNN, Base Andrews, Kremlin Locations: Russian, Russia, Maryland, Siberia, New York, Ukraine, “, Belarus, Omsk, Moscow, Germany, Berlin, Ankara, Turkey, Washington ,, Kara

☆ A glow up, an unexpected mentor and a whole lot of sex: How Penelope became the leading lady in Season 3 of ‘Bridgerton’
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-18 | by ( Rochelle Beighton | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

In an unexpected twist, Colin takes on the role of mentor, helping Penelope navigatethe world of courtship. And it works, with Penelope soon attracting the attention of LordDebling (Sam Phillips), a character who doesn’t appear in the books. (From left) Luke Newton as Colin Bridgerton, Nicola Coughlan as Penelope Featherington in "Bridgerton." They ended up being really fun and watching them back, I think they’re really beautiful.”What the pair aren’t comfortable with is dishing out dating advice. “Bridgerton” begins its third season with Part 1 on May 16 and Part 2 on June 13 on Netflix.

Persons: you’ve, Viscount Anthony Bridgerton, Jonathan Bailey, Kate Sharma, Simone Ashley, –, Colin Bridgerton, Luke Newton, Penelope Featherington, Nicola Coughlan, Penelope, Colin, Julia Quinn’s “, ” Coughlan, “, ‘, Lord Debling, Sam Phillips, pensively, Coughlan, Liam Daniel, Pen, cringingly, Newton, Bailey, Jean Page, Simon Basset, didn’t, He’s, ”, Bridgerton’s, “ Bridgerton ” Organizations: CNN, Netflix, “

☆ Book bans are accelerating across the country amid right-wing pressure campaign
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-17 | by ( Oliver Darcy | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

But, as they try to claim that mantle, many of those same forces in media and politics are behind a disturbing wave of book bans sweeping the nation. PEN America, a non-profit organization committed to protecting free expression, published an alarming report Tuesday indicating that the “book ban crisis” is only getting worse. “There were over 4,000 instances of book bans in the first half of this school year—more than all of last school year as a whole. In doing so, they have also disproportionately targeted books by women and nonbinary authors,” PEN America said. Ted Shaffrey/APSuch brazen book bans — unprecedented in modern American history — is at its worst in the red states of Florida and Texas.

Persons: New York CNN —, Nikole Hannah, Margaret Atwood’s, ” Amy Reed’s, Rupi, “, ”, ’ ‘, Ted Shaffrey, Ron DeSantis, Abdi Nazemian, I’ve, ” Nazemian, “ I’ve, ” Kasey Meehan, Read, we’re Organizations: New York CNN, PEN America, The New York Times, ” PEN America, Central Library, Brooklyn Public Library, PEN Locations: New York, USA, birthed, ’, New York City, Florida, Texas, In Florida, In Texas, Iranian, Iowa

☆ Opinion | The School Issues We’re Battling Over Aren’t the Ones That Matter
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-06 | by ( Nicholas Kristof | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

A Florida school district, facing pressure about “nudity” in schools, removed from shelves a picture book that showed an illustration of a goblin’s bare bottom. Some students were saved from debauchery when school officials colored in a pair of pants on the goblin. “The freedom to read is under assault in the United States — particularly in public schools,” PEN America warned in a report last year. Listen to conservatives, and they argue that the crisis in American schools is the opposite: It’s about leftist teachers propagandizing on critical race theory and giving kids new pronouns while denying them safe bathrooms. Donald Trump has promised to defund “any school that’s pushing critical race theory, transgender insanity and any other inappropriate racial, sexual or political content on our children.” He added: “This is what must be done to save our country from destruction.”

Persons: Donald Trump, defund, ” Organizations: ” PEN Locations: Florida, United States

☆ Mosab Abu Toha: PEN International ‘deeply concerned’ by poet’s reported arrest by Israeli forces
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-20 | by ( Abeer Salman | David Shortell | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

Mosab Abu Toha was taken into custody by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) “when he reached the checkpoint while leaving from the north to the south” of Gaza, his brother Hamza Abu Toha said in a Facebook post Monday. “His wife and children entered the south, and the army arrested my brother Mosab,” Hamza Abu Toha wrote on Facebook. It is worth mentioning that the American embassy sent him and his family to travel through the Rafah crossing.”The circumstances of Abu Toha’s arrest are unclear. In a Facebook post five days ago – his most recent post on the website – Abu Toha wrote that he was “alive” and begged for an end to the bloodshed. Please stop it now.”PEN International, the global association of writers, said Monday that it is “deeply concerned” about Abu Toha.

Persons: Mosab Abu Toha, Hamza Abu Toha, “, Mosab, ” Hamza Abu Toha, Abu Toha’s, ”, Abu Toha Organizations: CNN, New, Israel Defense Forces, Facebook, American, US State Department, Shifa, ” PEN International, PEN, Twitter, The New York Locations: Gaza, Rafah, Israel, Beit Lahia, Al

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